CONSTRUCTION MACHINE WITH HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT

• US 20130115035A1
• Filed: 11/06/2012
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Company Limited (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Company Limited (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Inventors: SAOTOME, Yoshimi
• Granted Patent: US 9,057,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/687
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2239 using two or more pumps with cross-assistance
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/20576 with multiple pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/265 Control of multiple pressure sources
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/3116 the pump port being open in the centre position, e.g. so-called open centre
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/7135 Combinations of output members of different types, e.g. single-acting cylinders with rotary motors

Abstract

Provided is a construction machine including a first circuit with a boom cylinder, a second circuit with an arm cylinder and a third circuit with a slewing motor, first to third pumps discharging respective first to third pump fluids, a first flow combining valve having a first combining position for the third and first pump fluids and a first combination limiting position, a second flow combining valve having a second combining position for the third and second pump fluids and a first combination and a second combination limiting position, and a flow combination switching control section which switches the flow combining valves to their respective combination limiting positions during an arm attracting operation and switches the combining valves to their respective combination limiting positions during a single slewing operation or during a boom raising operation with no arm operation.

Claims

1. A construction machine, comprising:

a base carrier;

an upper slewing body mounted on the base carrier so as to be slewable;

a working attachment to be attached to the upper slewing body, the working attachment including a boom capable of being raised and lowered and an arm rotatably linked to the leading end of the boom;

a hydraulic actuator circuit including a first circuit with a boom cylinder for raising and lowering the boom and a boom control valve for controlling an operation of the boom cylinder, a second circuit with an arm cylinder for slewing the arm and an arm control valve for controlling an operation of the arm cylinder and a third circuit with a slewing motor for slewing the upper slewing body and a slewing control valve for controlling an operation of the slewing motor;

a first pump which is a hydraulic pressure source of the first circuit;

a second pump which is a hydraulic pressure source of the second circuit;

a third pump which is a hydraulic pressure source of the third circuit;

a first flow combining valve having a first combining position and a first combination limiting position and being provided between the third pump and the third circuit;

a second flow combining valve having a second combining position and a second combination limiting position and being provided between the third circuit and the second circuit; and

a flow combination switching control section for controlling the position switch of the first flow combining valve and the second flow combining valve;

wherein;

the first flow combining valve forms a fluid path for permitting third pump fluid discharged from the third pump to form a combined flow with first pump fluid discharged from the first pump in the first circuit in parallel to the slewing motor, at the first combining position, and forms a fluid path for limiting the flow of the third pump fluid into the first circuit as compared with at the first combining position, at the first combination limiting position;

the second flow combining valve forms a fluid path for permitting the third pump fluid to form a combined flow with second pump fluid discharged from the second pump in the second circuit to be supplied to the arm cylinder, at the second combining position, and forms a fluid path for permitting the third pump fluid discharged from the third circuit to flow into the tank to thereby limit the supply of the third pump fluid to the arm cylinder and limit the flow of the third pump fluid into the first circuit when a slewing operation for the slewing motor is not performed, at the second combination limiting position; and

the flow combination switching control section switches the first flow combining valve to the first combination limiting position and the second flow combining valve to the second combining position, respectively, when an arm attracting operation for moving the arm in an attracting direction is performed, and switches the first flow combining valve to the first combining position and the second flow combining valve to the second combination limiting position, respectively, either when the slewing operation is performed without operation for either one of the boom and the arm or when a boom raising operation for moving the boom in a raising direction is performed without operation for the arm.

2. A construction machine according to claim 1, further comprising a throttle in a passage for bringing the third pump fluid into the combined flow with the first pump fluid in the first circuit when the first flow combining valve is at the first combining position.

3. A construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the second flow combining valve is so arranged as to return the third pump fluid from the third circuit to the tank through the slewing control valve and the second flow combining valve bypassing the first and second circuits when the slewing operation is not performed and the second flow combining valve is at the second combination limiting position.

4. A construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the arm cylinder is arranged so as to extend to move the arm in a attracting direction and contract to move the arm in a pushing direction and the flow combination switching control section sets the second flow combining valve at the second combination limiting position when an arm pushing operation for moving the arm in the pushing direction is performed.

5. A construction machine according to claim 4, wherein the second flow combining valve is constituted by a pilot controlled selector valve including a pilot port, the pilot controlled selector valve being kept at the second combination limiting position when no pilot pressure is introduced to the pilot port while switched to the second combining position when the pilot pressure is introduced, and the flow combination switching control section includes:

a pilot line connected to the pilot port of the second flow combining valve to introduce the pilot pressure to the pilot port; and

a tank communication line which leads to the pilot line to bring the pilot line into communication with the tank during the arm pushing operation.

6. A construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the flow combination switching control section sets the first flow combining valve at the first combination limiting position and the second flow combining valve at the second combination limiting position, respectively, when a boom lowering operation for moving the boom in a lowering direction is performed.

7. A construction machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the working attachment further includes a bucket which is rotatably attached to the leading end of the arm to perform an excavation movement and a dumping movement by the rotation thereof;

the hydraulic actuator circuit further includes a bucket cylinder for rotating the bucket; and

the flow combination switching control section sets the second flow combining valve at the second combination limiting position to limit the supply of the third pump fluid to the second circuit when an arm operation for moving the arm and a bucket operation for moving the bucket are simultaneously performed.