Hydraulic control system for construction machines

• US 5,479,778 A
• Filed: 12/01/1994
• Issued: 01/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Genroku, Toyooka, Tsukasa, Hirata, Toichi, Tatsumi, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOANG M
• Application Number:
  US08/352,807
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 60/431, 60/468, 60/494, 91/436, 91/420, 91/421, 417/34
• US Class Current: 60/431
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2217 with energy recovery arrangements, e.g. using accumulators, flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2246 Control of prime movers, e.g. depending on the hydraulic load of work tools
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 11/024 by means of differential connection of the servomotor lines, e.g. regenerative circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2011/0243 the regenerative circuit being activated or deactivated automatically
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/20523 Internal combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/20546 variable capacity
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/20576 with multiple pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/30505 Non-return valves, i.e. check valves
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/30525 Directional control valves, e.g. 4/3-directional control valve
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/3058 having additional valves for interconnecting the fluid chambers of a double-acting actuator, e.g. for regeneration mode or for floating mode directional control valves having a regenerative position F15B2211/3133; directional control valves having a floating position F15B2211/3127
• 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 2211/31576 having a single pressure source and a single output member
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/329 actuated by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/40515 with variable throttles or orifices
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/41554 being connected to a return line and a directional control valve
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/428 actuated by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/45 Control of bleed-off flow, e.g. control of bypass flow to the return line
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/575 Pilot pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/6309 the pressure being a pressure source supply pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/6346 : representing a state of input means, e.g. joystick position
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/6651 : Control of the prime mover, e.g. control of the output torque or rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/67 : Methods for controlling pilot pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/75 : Control of speed of the output member

Abstract

When the pump pressure detected through a pressure detecting line 48 is raised higher than a first predetermined pressure Pd1, a recovery switching valve 44 is shifted to a valve-closed position to cease the recovery function. At this time, the pump delivery pressure detected through a pressure detecting line 51 is higher than a second predetermined pressure Pd1* close to the first predetermined pressure Pd1, and an engine speed increasing device 52 controls an engine controller 11 to increase the rotational speed of an engine 10, thereby increasing the pump delivery rate. Thus, it is possible to make small speed change of an actuator and to increase working efficiency with no deterioration in operability, even when a recovery function is ceased.

Claims

1. A hydraulic control system for construction machines, comprising an engine, engine control means for controlling a rotational speed of said engine, a hydraulic pump driven by said engine, a hydraulic actuator driven by a hydraulic fluid delivered from said hydraulic pump, a directional control valve for controlling a flow of the hydraulic fluid supplied from said hydraulic pump to said hydraulic actuator, and recovery means for recovering a return fluid from the hydraulic actuator to the supply side of said hydraulic actuator when the pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied to said hydraulic actuator is smaller than a first predetermined value, wherein said hydraulic control system further comprises:

detecting means for detecting the pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied to said hydraulic actuator, and

engine speed increasing means for controlling said engine control means to approximately simultaneously increase the rotational speed of said engine when the detected pressure is higher than said first predetermined pressure and a cessation of the recovering action of the recovery means is detected.

2. A hydraulic control system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means is a pressure detecting line for introducing the pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied to said hydraulic actuator to said engine speed increasing means, and said engine speed increasing means includes a hydraulic actuator operated with the pressure of the hydraulic fluid introduced through said pressure detecting line for controlling said engine control means.

3. A hydraulic control system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means is a pressure detecting line for introducing the pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied to said hydraulic actuator to said engine speed increasing means, said engine control means includes a fuel injector provided with a governor lever, and said engine speed increasing means includes a hydraulic actuator connected to said pressure detecting line so that the pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied to earlier-said hydraulic actuator is introduced to last-said hydraulic actuator through said pressure detecting line for operation thereof, lever means for moving said governor lever in a direction to increase the engine speed by operation of last-said hydraulic actuator, and holding means for preventing operation of last-said hydraulic actuator until said introduced pressure reaches a second predetermined value close to said first predetermined value.

4. A hydraulic control system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means is a pressure sensor for converting the pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied to said hydraulic actuator into an electric signal, and said engine speed increasing means includes processing means for controlling said engine control means in accordance with the pressure detected by said pressure sensor.

5. A hydraulic control system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means is a pressure sensor for converting the pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied to said hydraulic actuator into an electric signal, said engine control means includes first calculating means for calculating a first drive signal corresponding to the input amount of a control lever and a fuel injector for controlling the rotational speed of said engine in accordance with said first drive signal, and said engine speed increasing means includes second calculating means for calculating a second drive signal greater than said first drive signal and outputting said second drive signal instead of said first drive signal when the pressure detected by said pressure sensor is raised higher than a second predetermined value close to said first predetermined value.

6. A hydraulic control system for construction machines according to claim 5, wherein said second calculating means includes means for calculating an incremental value of the drive signal when the pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied to said hydraulic actuator is raised higher than said second predetermined value, and means for adding said incremental value of the drive signal to said first drive signal to determine said second drive signal.

7. A hydraulic control system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said recovery means includes manually operating means capable of optionally adjusting said first predetermined value.

8. A hydraulic control system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said recovery means comprises a recovery circuit including a recovery switching valve disposed in a hydraulic line through which a return fluid from said hydraulic actuator flows, urging means for moving said recovery switching valve to a recovery position when the pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied to said hydraulic actuator is smaller than said first predetermined value, and pressure generating means for outputting a pilot pressure to said urging means, said pressure generating means including manually operating means capable of adjusting said pilot pressure to adjust said first predetermined value.

9. A hydraulic control system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said engine speed increasing means includes manually operating means capable of optionally adjusting a value of the pressure which initiates an increase in the rotational speed of said engine.

10. A hydraulic control system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means is a pressure sensor for converting the pressure of the hydraulic fluid, that is supplied to said hydraulic actuator, into an electric signal, and said engine speed increasing means includes processing means for controlling said engine control means in accordance with the pressure detected by said pressure sensor, and manually operating means for acting on said processing means to adjust a value of the pressure which initiates an increase in the rotational speed of said engine.

11. A hydraulic control system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said value of the pressure which initiates an increase in the rotational speed of said engine is substantially equal to said first predetermined value.

12. A hydraulic control system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said value of the pressure which initiates an increase in the rotational speed of said engine is slightly smaller than said first predetermined value.

13. A hydraulic control system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means comprises means for detecting the delivery pressure of said hydraulic pump as said pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied to said hydraulic actuator.

14. A hydraulic control system for construction machines according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means comprises means for detecting the load pressure of said hydraulic actuator as said pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied to said hydraulic actuator.