OPERATION DATA COLLECTION DEVICE FOR CONSTRUCTION MACHINES

• US 20140288768A1
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Junsuke, Suzuki, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,291,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33.4
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/226 Safety arrangements, e.g. hydraulic driven fans, preventing cavitation, leakage, overheating
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2285 Pilot-operated systems
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2292 Systems with two or more pumps
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/09 by monitoring pressure in fluid ducts, e.g. in lubrication or cooling parts
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

Provided is an operation data collection device for construction machines that is capable of efficiently collecting operation data indicative of impending failure of a construction machine by reducing the amount of information to be collected and stored without degrading the quality of information used for maintenance. The device receives operation data containing values measured by a plurality of sensors, a value indicating the operating status and an operation data storage section. The device includes a normal reference value storage section that stores a normal reference value for each of the sensors generating the operation data, a deviation calculation section that calculates the deviation of each of the sensors from the normal reference value, and a stored sensor item extraction section that extracts sensor items of operation data to be stored in the operation data storage section in accordance with the calculated deviation of each sensor.

Claims

1. An operation data collection device for a construction machine, the operation data collection device being mounted on the construction machine, the operation data collection device receiving operation data containing a value indicative of an operating status of the construction machine to store the operation data in an operation data storage section (106), the value being measured by a plurality of sensors, the operation data collection device comprising:

a normal reference value storage section (108) that stores a normal reference value for each of the sensors generating the operation data;

a deviation calculation section (104) that calculates deviation of each of the sensors with relation to the normal reference value; and

a stored sensor item extraction section (110) that extracts an sensor item of operation data to be stored in the operation data storage section (106) in accordance with the deviation of each of the sensors, the deviation being calculated at the deviation calculation section (104).

2. The operation data collection device according to claim 1, wherein the stored sensor item extraction section (110) compares the deviation of each of the sensors with relation to the normal reference value, sequentially selects the sensors from the sensor item in order from the greatest deviation to the smallest, and stores information on the selected sensors in the operation data storage section (106).

3. The operation data collection device according to claim 1, wherein an average and a variance of values acquired by the sensors are used as the normal reference value in the normal reference value storage section (108).

4. The operation data collection device according to claim 2, wherein:

the deviation calculation section (104) calculates a deviation aggregate of each sensor assembly classified in accordance with sensor property by use of the deviation of each sensor;

the deviation calculation section (104) includes a sensor item count determination threshold value storage section (108) for storing sensor item count determination threshold value information indicative of a relationship between the deviation aggregate of the each sensor assembly and the number of the sensor item of operation data to be selected by the stored sensor item extraction section (110) and stored in the operation data storage section (106); and

the stored sensor item extraction section (110) determines the number of the sensor item of the operation data to be stored in the operation data storage section (106) in accordance with the sensor item count determination threshold value information and with the deviation aggregate of the each sensor assembly.

5. The operation data collection device according to claim 4, wherein the deviation calculation section (104) classifies the sensor assembly, to which the deviation aggregate belongs, according to a component on which the sensors are mounted or according to a system to which the sensors belong.

6. The operation data collection device according to claim 5, wherein

the deviation calculation section (104) classifies the sensor assembly, to which the deviation aggregate belongs, according to a component system, and

the component system includes at least one of an engine cooling water system, an engine intake system, an engine exhaust system, an engine oil system, and a hydraulic fluid cooling system.

7. The operation data collection device according to claim 6, wherein a sensor assembly whose component system is the engine cooling water system includes an inter-cooler inlet temperature sensor (T1), an inter-cooler inlet pressure sensor (P1), an inter-cooler outlet temperature sensor (T2), and an inter-cooler outlet pressure sensor (P2).

8. The operation data collection device according to claim 6, wherein a sensor assembly whose component system is the hydraulic fluid cooling system includes an oil cooler inlet pressure sensor (P7), an oil fan motor inlet pressure sensor (P8), an oil cooler fan motor drain temperature sensor (T9), an oil cooler fan motor drain pressure sensor (P9), a hydraulic fluid temperature sensor (T10), an oil cooler front temperature sensor (T11), and an oil cooler outlet temperature sensor (T12).

9. The operation data collection device according to claim 6, wherein a sensor assembly whose component system is the engine cooling water system includes a radiator inlet temperature sensor (T4), a radiator inlet pressure sensor (P4), a radiator outlet temperature sensor (T5), a radiator front air temperature sensor (T6), and a fan drive motor inlet pressure sensor (P6).

10. The operation data collection device according to claim 2, wherein an average and a variance of values acquired by the sensors are used as the normal reference value in the normal reference value storage section (108).

11. The operation data collection device according to claim 3, wherein:

the deviation calculation section (104) calculates a deviation aggregate of each sensor assembly classified in accordance with sensor property by use of the deviation of each sensor;

the deviation calculation section (104) includes a sensor item count determination threshold value storage section (108) for storing sensor item count determination threshold value information indicative of a relationship between the deviation aggregate of the each sensor assembly and the number of the sensor item of operation data to be selected by the stored sensor item extraction section (110) and stored in the operation data storage section (106); and

the stored sensor item extraction section (110) determines the number of the sensor item of the operation data to be stored in the operation data storage section (106) in accordance with the sensor item count determination threshold value information and with the deviation aggregate of the each sensor assembly.