CONTROL METHOD FOR A BALANCING LIFTING GEAR AND BALANCING LIFTING GEAR

• US 20130282178A1
• Filed: 04/11/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konecranes Global Corporation (Konecranes Terex Plc)
• Original Assignee: Demag Cranes & Components GmbH (Konecranes Oyj)
• Inventors: Freitag, Holger, Maccioni, Giorgio, Persico, Giuliano
• Granted Patent: US 9,643,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/257
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/02 Hand grip control means handles or pedals for crane control B66C13/56; for measuring the force applied to control members G01L5/22; hand-held casings for switching devices, e.g. joy-sticks H01H9/0214
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/085 Force or torque sensors B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/40 Control devices
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/46 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/48 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/56 Adaptations of limit switches
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 3/18 Power-operated hoists

Abstract

A control method for a balancing lifting gear which includes a lifting motor that can be actuated by a controller and uses a control handle with a force sensor to lift and lower a load-supporting device. In a “Balance” operating mode, the load-supporting device, with or without a picked-up load, is raised or lowered by the controller in response to a force applied by an operator. In order to ensure disturbance-free handling of a load when removing or attaching a load, a “Pick-up” operating mode or an “Assemble” operating mode is selected, in which the load-supporting device is moved independently without the influence of the force of the operator by the controller in the lifting or lowering direction in dependence upon the signals determined by the force sensor. A balancing lifting gear which operates in accordance with the aforementioned control method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A control method for a balancing lifting gear having a lifting motor, a controller adapted to actuate said motor, a control handle with a force sensor that is adapted to lift and lower a load-supporting device in which, in a “

Balance”

operating mode, the load-supporting device with or without a supported load is raised or lowered by the controller in response to a force applied by an operator, said method comprising;

selecting from a “

Pick-up”

operating mode or an “

Assemble”

operating mode;

moving the load-supporting device with the controller independent of a force of an operator in a lifting or lowering direction in response to signals determined by the force sensor.

2. The control method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the controller does not respond to a force that would otherwise effect the independent movement in the “

Balance”

operating mode.

3. The control method as claimed in claim 1 including actuating the lifting motor by the controller in the “

Pick-up”

operating mode such that the load-supporting device is raised until the force sensor measures a force which exceeds a preselected limit value, and the controller subsequently changes to a “

Hold”

operating mode, in which the load-supporting device is held in a stationary manner.

4. The control method as claimed in claim 3 wherein a limit value is preset in the controller in the “

Pick-up”

operating mode.

5. The control method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the limit value is in the range of approximately 10N to approximately 100N.

6. The control method as claimed in claim 1 including a “

Hold”

operating mode in which a brake which acts upon the load-supporting device is actuated by the controller.

7. The control method as claimed in claim 1 including an “

Assemble I”

operating mode in which the lifting motor is actuated by the controller in a manner that the load-supporting device is independently raised and lowered by the controller in a tarring procedure until a particular force in relation to the load, the load up means supporting device and/or the control handle is measured by the force sensor, wherein the particular force is one that was previously tarred.

8. The control method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the load-supporting device is lowered if a force that is a larger force is measured with respect to the tarred force and the load-supporting device is raised if a force that is a smaller force is measured with respect to the tarred force.

9. The control method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the force applied by the operator is monitored by the controller in the “

Assemble I”

operating mode with an increased level of sensitivity compared with in the “

Balance”

operating mode with the load-supporting device operated in a lower speed for raising and lowering the load and the force applied by the operator is thus evaluated with a lower speed for raising and lowering the load-supporting device.

10. The control method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the speed for raising and lowering the load-supporting device in the “

Assemble I”

operating mode is selected by the controller from within a range of 2 mm/s to 8 mm/s.

11. The control method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the controller determines an abutment, attachment, snagging or canting of the load in the “

Assemble I”

operating mode by differential monitoring of the force measured by the force sensor, in which specific temporal differentials of the force measured by the force sensor are compared to a limit value and the tarring procedure is carried out in the event that the limit value is exceeded.

12. The control method as claimed in claim 1 including an “

Assemble II”

operating mode in which the lifting motor is actuated by the controller such that the load-supporting device is raised as long as a force applied by an operator to at least one chosen from the load, the load-supporting device and the control handle does not act in a downwards direction, and that the load-supporting device is lowered when the force, applied by an operator to at least one chosen from the load, the load-supporting device and the control handle acts in a downwards direction.

13. The control method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the force applied by the operator in the “

Assemble II”

operating mode is monitored by the controller with an increased level of sensitivity compared within the “

Balance”

operating mode and the force applied by the operator is thus evaluated in the direction of a lower speed for raising and lowering the load-supporting device.

14. The control method as claimed in claim 7 wherein a frequency of direction changes of movement of the load-supporting device is monitored by the controller in the “

Assemble I” and

“

Assemble II”

operating modes and a speed at which the load-supporting device is raised or lowered is reduced and/or the “

Hold”

operating mode is selected if the frequency exceeds a particular limit value.

15. The control method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the speed for raising and lowering the load-supporting device is selected by the controller from the range of approximately 2 mm/s to approximately 10 mm/s in the “

Pick-up”

operating mode and in the “

Assemble II”

operating mode.

16. The control method as claimed in claim 1 including a “

Weigh”

operating mode in which a load force acting upon the force sensor is measured by the controller.

17. The control method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the “

Weigh”

operating mode is started by the controller when the operator takes his hand off the control handle.

18. A balancing lifting gear, comprising:

a lifting motor, a controller that is adapted to actuate said lifting motor, and a control handle with a force sensor to lift and lower a load-supporting device;

wherein said controller is adapted to operate in a “

Balance”

operating mode in which the load-supporting device, with or without a picked-up load, is raised or lowered by the controller in response to a force applied by an operator; and

wherein said controller is adapted to operate in a “

Pick-up”

operating mode or an “

Assemble”

operating mode in which the load-supporting device is moved by the controller in the lifting or lowering direction in dependence upon the signals determined by the force sensor independent of a force applied by an operator.