CONSTRUCTION MACHINE

• US 20140123640A1
• Filed: 06/27/2012
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• 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 9,481,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/459
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/435 for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2239 using two or more pumps with cross-assistance
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2282 Systems using center bypass type changeover valves
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2285 Pilot-operated systems
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2292 Systems with two or more pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 11/17 using two or more pumps

Abstract

A construction machine including: a swivel motor; a working attachment having a boom, a boom cylinder, an arm and an arm cylinder; a hydraulic actuator circuit having a first circuit including the boom cylinder and a boom control valve, a second circuit including the arm cylinder and an arm control valve, and a third circuit including the swivel motor and a swivel control valve; first to third pumps for the first to third circuits; a merge valve having a first position for merge of third pump fluid into the first circuit and connection of an unload line of the third circuit to a tank, and a second position for prohibiting the merge; and a merge selecting control section which holds the merge valve at the first position either of when only a swivel operation is performed and when a boom raising operation is performed.

Claims

1. A construction machine, comprising:

a lower travel body;

an upper swivel body mounted swivelably on the lower travel body;

a swivel motor which hydraulically drives the upper swivel body to swivel the upper swivel body;

a working attachment installed on the upper swivel body and including a boom capable of being raised and lowered, a boom cylinder which hydraulically raises and lowers the boom, an arm pivotably connected to a front end of the boom, and an arm cylinder which hydraulically causes the arm to pivot;

a hydraulic actuator circuit which has a first circuit including the boom cylinder and a boom control valve for controlling an operation of the boom, a second circuit including the arm cylinder and an arm control valve for controlling an operation of the arm cylinder, and a third circuit including the swivel motor and a swivel control valve for controlling an operation of the swivel 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 merge valve which has a first position and a second position and which forms a fluid path for causing third pump fluid which is hydraulic fluid discharged by the third pump to merge into the first circuit in parallel with the swivel motor at the first position and prohibits the third pump fluid from the merge into the first circuit at the second position; and

a merge selecting control section which controls switching of the position of the merge valve,

wherein the merge selecting control section holds the merge valve at the first position, either of when only a swivel operation, which is an operation for the swivel motor, is performed and when a boom raising operation, which is an operation for moving the boom in a raising direction, is performed during the swivel operation.

2. The construction machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the arm cylinder expands to actuate the arm backwards;

the second position is a position for causing the third pump fluid to merge into the second circuit; and

the merge selecting control section switches the merge valve to the second position at least when an arm pull operation for actuating the arm to move the arm backwards is performed, irrespective of the presence or absence of the swivel operation and the presence or absence of the boom raising operation.

3. The construction machine according to claim 2, wherein the merge selecting control section holds the merge valve at the first position when an arm push operation for moving the arm forwards is performed.

4. The construction machine according to claim 3, further comprising a bucket attached to a front end of the arm, a bucket cylinder which actuates the bucket, and a bucket control valve which controls an operation of the bucket cylinder,

wherein the bucket cylinder and the bucket control valve are included in the first circuit, and the merge selecting control section holds the merge valve at the first position when an operation of the arm and an operation of the bucket are carried out simultaneously, irrespective of a direction of the operation of the arm.

5. The construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the merge selecting control section switches the merge valve to the second position when a boom lowering operation for moving the boom downwards is performed.

6. The construction machine according to claim 5, wherein, the merge valve is a pilot controlled selector valve having a pilot port, the merge selecting control section switches the merge valve to the second position by introducing, to the pilot port of the merge valve, a boom lowering pilot pressure which is introduced to the boom control valve in order to operate the boom control valve in the boom lowering direction.

7. The construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the merge valve has a throttle in a flow path for causing the third pump fluid to merge into the first circuit at the first position.

8. The construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the merge selecting control section holds the merge valve at the first position when a swivel operation is not performed and a single boom raising operation is performed, and the merge valve connects an unload line of the third circuit to a tank at the first position.

9. The construction machine according to claim 8, wherein the merge valve connects the unload line of the third circuit directly to the tank at the first position.