Hydraulic drive system for construction machine

• US 5,488,787 A
• Filed: 08/03/1994
• Issued: 02/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Narita, Kazuyoshi, Yamakawa, Takayuki, Otsubo, Kazuhiko, Aoyagi, Yukio, Fujita, Koji, Yasuda, Gen
• Primary Examiner(s): Reese, Randolph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US08/284,410
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 37/348, 37/103, 60/413, 60/469, 60/431, 91/6, 91/28, 91/461, 91/453, 91/520, 172/2, 172/4, 172/4.5, 172/7, 172/9, 364/424.07, 414/24.5, 414/473, 414/411, 414/699, 280/707, 280/714
• US Class Current: 37/348
• 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 9/226 Safety arrangements, e.g. hydraulic driven fans, preventing cavitation, leakage, overheating

Abstract

When a prime mover (1) is driven, a controller (25) outputs an open-drive signal for bringing an opening/shutting valve (23) into an open position and, upon a control lever (68, etc.) being operated, a hydraulic fluid is supplied from an auxiliary hydraulic pump (7) through pressure reducing valves to driving sectors of directional control valves (8 to 16) for shifting them. A flow rate and a direction of flow of the hydraulic fluid from main hydraulic pumps (3, 4) are thereby adjusted so that actuators (57A, 57B, 57C, 56A, 54) can be each operated at a speed depending on the amount by which the control lever is operated. When one of the actuators (57A, 57B, 57C, 56A, 54) is to be driven when the prime mover (1) is not driven, an open command is selected in a selection command device (24), whereupon the controller (25) outputs the open-drive signal, causing the opening/shutting valve (23) to open a line interconnecting the accumulator (21) and the pressure reducing valve (17), etc. By now operating the control lever (68), for example, the directional control valve (9) is shifted so that a boom cylinder (57A) is operated with the dead weight of a working unit to allow a descent thereof. When any of the actuators (57A, 57B, 57C, 56A, 54) is not to be driven when the prime mover (1) is in a stopped state, a shut command is selected in the selection command device (24), whereupon the controller (25) outputs a shut-drive signal, causing the opening/shutting valve (23) to shut off the line interconnecting the accumulator (21) and the pressure reducing valve (17). Even if the control lever (68), etc. are touched by a mistake under such a condition, no actuators (57A, 57B, 57C, 56A, 54) are operated and the working unit is not descended. Thus, the actuators are surely prevented from being operated against the intention of an operator.

Claims

1. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine comprising a prime mover (1), main hydraulic pumps (3, 4) driven by said prime mover (1), actuators (57A, 57B, 57C, 56A, 54) driven by a hydraulic fluid delivered from said main hydraulic pumps (3, 4), directional control valves (8-16) for controlling flows of the hydraulic fluid supplied from said main hydraulic pumps (3, 4) to said actuators (57A, 57B, 57C, 56A, 54), an auxiliary hydraulic pump (7) driven by said prime mover (1), control valve operating means (67, 69;

17-20, 68, 70;

27-30, 31-36,

     38) for controlling the hydraulic fluid delivered from said auxiliary hydraulic pump (7) to shift said directional control valves (8-16), and accumulator means (21) disposed in a line interconnecting said auxiliary hydraulic pump (7) and said control valve operating means (67, 69;

17-20, 68, 70;

27-30, 31-36,

     38) and used as a hydraulic source for said control valve operating means (67, 69;

17-20, 68, 70;

27-30, 31-36,

     38) to shift said directional control valves (8-16) when said prime mover (1) is stopped, wherein;

said hydraulic drive system further comprises stop detecting means (2, 26, 37, 41, 49, 47B, 48B) for detecting that said prime mover (1) is in a stopped state;

selection means (24, 47A, 48A) for selecting whether or not said actuators (57A, 57B, 57C, 56A,

     54) are to be driven when said prime mover (1) is in the stopped state; and

shift control means (23, 39-42, 43-48, 17c-20c, 89;

17a;

25,

     38) for enabling said directional control valves (8-16) to be shifted by using said accumulator means (21) when said stop detecting means (2, 26, 37, 41, 49, 47B, 48B;

25,

     39) detects that said prime mover (1) is stopped and said selection means (24, 47A, 48A) selects that said actuators (57A, 57B, 57C, 56A,

     54) are to be driven, and disabling said directional control valves (8-16) from shifting with the use of said accumulator means (21) when said stop detecting means (2, 26, 37, 41, 49, 47B, 48B;

25,

     39) detects that said prime mover (1) is stopped and said selection means (24, 47A, 48A) selects that said actuators (57A, 57B, 57C, 56A,

     54) are not to be driven.

2. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said shift control means (23, 39-42, 43-48, 17c-20c, 89;

17a;

25,

     38) enables said directional control valves (8-16) to be shifted by using said auxiliary hydraulic pump (7) as a hydraulic source when said stop detecting means (2, 26, 37, 41, 49, 47B, 48B;

25,

     39) does not detect that said prime mover (1) is in the stopped state.

3. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said shift control means includes valve means (23, 39-42, 45-48) disposed in one of a line interconnecting said accumulator means (21) and said control valve operating means (67, 69;

17-20, 68, 70;

27-30, 31-36,

     38) and a line interconnecting said control valve operating means (67, 69;

17-20, 68, 70;

27-30, 31-36,

     38) and said directional control valves (8-16), and means (25,

     38) for shifting said valve means to shut off said one line.

4. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said shift control means includes opening/shutting means (23) disposed in the line interconnecting said accumulator means (21) and said control valve operating means (67, 69;

17-20, 68, 70;

27-30, 31-36,

     38) for opening and shutting said line, said selection means includes selection command means (24) for selectively receiving one of an open command to drive said opening/shutting means (23) into an open position and a shut command to drive said opening/shutting means (23) into a shut position, and outputting a corresponding selection command signal, and said shift control means further includes opening/shutting control means (25,

     38) for controlling operation of said opening/shutting means (23) in accordance with a stop detection signal output from said stop detecting means (2, 26,

     37) and said selection command signal.

5. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said shift control means includes auxiliary control valves (39-42, 43-46) disposed in pilot lines interconnecting said control valve operating means (67, 69;

17-20, 68, 70;

27-30, 31-36,

     38) and said directional control valves (8-16) and selectively shifted to either first positions to hold said directional control valves (8-16) in neutral positions and second positions to bring said directional control valves (8-16) into operable positions, said selection means includes selection command means (24) for selectively receiving one of a shift command to shift said auxiliary control valves (39-42, 43-46) to the first positions and a shift command to shift said auxiliary control valves (39-42, 43-46) to the second positions, and outputting a corresponding selection command signal, and said shift control means further includes auxiliary control valve control means (25,

     38) for controlling operation of said auxiliary control valves (39-42, 43-46) in accordance with a stop detection signal output from said stop detecting means (2, 26,

     37) and said selection command signal.

6. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said shift control means includes auxiliary control valves (47, 48) disposed in pilot lines interconnecting said control valve operating means (67, 69;

17-20, 68,

     70) and said directional control valves (8-16) and selectively shifted to either first positions to hold said directional control valves (8-16) in neutral positions and second positions to bring said directional control valves (8-16) into operable positions, and means (47A, 48A) for shifting said auxiliary control valves (47,

     48) to the second positions when said stop detecting means (47B, 48B) do not detect that said prime mover (1) is in the stopped state, and said selection means is means (47A, 48A) for manually shifting said auxiliary control valves (47,

     48) to either the first positions or the second positions.

7. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said shift control means includes lock means (17c-20c) for locking said control valve operating means (67, 69;

17-20, 68,

     70) to be unable to operate, said selection means includes selection command means (24) for selectively receiving one of a lock command to actuate said lock means (17c-20c) into a locked state and an unlock command to release said lock means (17c-20c) from the locked state, and outputting a corresponding selection command signal, and said shift control means further includes lock control means (17a;

     25) for controlling actuation of said lock means (17c-20c) in accordance with a stop detection signal output from said stop detecting means (25) and said selection command signal.

8. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 7, wherein said control valve operating means (67, 69;

17-20, 68,

     70) includes control levers (68,

     70) operated by an operator and control valves (17-20) for controlling the hydraulic fluid depending on operation of said control levers (68,

     70), and said lock means includes are means (17c-20c) for enabling said control levers to be angularly movable when said selection command means (24) receives said unlock command, and mechanically locking said control levers to be not angularly movable when said selection command means (24) receives said lock command.

9. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said control valve operating means (67, 69;

17-20, 68,

     70) includes pressure reducing valves (27-30) having electric input means and outputting secondary pressures, which are resulted by reducing a pressure of the hydraulic fluid from said auxiliary hydraulic pump (7), to said directional control valves (8-16), said selection means includes selection command means (24) for selectively receiving one of an operation stop command to disable said pressure reducing valves (27-30) from operating and an operation command to enable said pressure reducing valves (27-30) to be operated, and outputting a corresponding selection command signal, and said shift control means includes means (38) for controlling operation of said pressure reducing valves in accordance with a stop detection signal output from said stop detecting means (37) and said selection command signal.

10. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said control valve operating means includes pressure reducing valves (27-30) having electric input means and outputting secondary pressures, which are resulted by reducing a pressure of the hydraulic fluid from said auxiliary hydraulic pump (7), to said directional control valves (8-16), operation detecting means (31-36) for detecting a manual command from an operator and outputting a corresponding electric operation command signal, and pressure reducing valve driving means (38) for outputting a drive signal to the input means of said pressure reducing valves (27-30) in accordance with said operation command signal.

11. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said control valve operating means (67, 69;

17-20, 68,

     70) includes manually operated pressure reducing valves (17-20) for outputting secondary pressures, which are resulted by reducing a pressure of the hydraulic fluid from said auxiliary hydraulic pump (7), to said directional control valves (8-16).

12. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said control valve operating means includes pressure reducing valves (27-30) having electric input means and outputting secondary pressures, which are resulted by reducing a pressure of the hydraulic fluid from said auxiliary hydraulic pump (7), to said directional control valves (8-16), operation detecting means (31-36) for detecting a manual command from an operator and outputting a corresponding electric operation command signal, and pressure reducing valve driving means (38) for outputting a drive signal to the input means of said pressure reducing valves (27-30) in accordance with said operation command signal, said shift control means (89, 38) includes switching means (89) for connecting and disconnecting a circuit interconnecting a power supply (40, 41) and the input means of said pressure reducing valves (27-30), said selection means includes selection command means (24) for selectively receiving a turn-off command to turn off said switching means (89) and a turn-on command to turn on said switching means (89), and outputting a corresponding selection command signal, and said shift control means (89, 38) further includes switching control means (89) for controlling operation of said switching means in accordance with a stop detection signal output from said stop detecting means (2, 37;

39) and said selection command signal.

13. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 12, wherein said stop detecting means includes stop command means (2) for receiving a stop command to command a stop of said prime mover (1).

14. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 12, wherein said stop detecting means includes rotational speed detecting means (37) for detecting a rotational speed of said prime mover (1).

15. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 12, wherein said stop detecting means includes a pressure detector (26) for detecting a delivery pressure of at least one of said main hydraulic pumps (3, 4) and said auxiliary hydraulic pump (7).

16. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 12, wherein said stop detecting means includes voltage detecting means (25, 39) for detecting an output voltage of an electric generator (41, 49) equipped on said prime mover (1).

17. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said stop detecting means includes stop command means (2) for receiving a stop command to command a stop of said prime mover (1).

18. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said stop detecting means includes rotational speed detecting means (37) for detecting a rotational speed of said prime mover (1).

19. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said stop detecting means includes a pressure detector (26) for detecting a delivery pressure of at least one of said main hydraulic pumps (3, 4) and said auxiliary hydraulic pump (7).

20. A hydraulic drive system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said stop detecting means includes voltage detecting means (25, 39) for detecting an output voltage of an electric generator (41, 49) equipped on said prime mover (1).