Pump failure alarm system for hydraulic working machine

• US 6,087,945 A
• Filed: 01/08/1999
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yasuda, Gen
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US09/227,736
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 340/611, 340/614, 340/626, 340/679, 340/685, 73/168, 73/121, 73/40, 74/731.1, 74/732.1, 37/348, 37/902, 701/50, 116/168
• US Class Current: 340/611
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2235 including an electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/226 Safety arrangements, e.g. hydraulic driven fans, preventing cavitation, leakage, overheating
• 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 9/24 Safety devices , e.g. for preventing overload E02F9/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 37/902 Hydraulic motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19153 Condition responsive control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19158 with one or more controllers for gearing, fluid drive, or clutch

Abstract

A pump failure alarm system which is provided in a hydraulic working machine comprising hydraulic pumps driven by a prime mover, delivery lines joining with one another into one common delivery line on the downstream side, check valves provided in the delivery lines upstream of a point where the delivery lines join with one another, a hydraulic cylinder driven by a hydraulic fluid introduced through the common delivery line, and a hydraulic reservoir. The pump failure alarm system comprises pressure sensors for detecting respective delivery pressures of the hydraulic pumps, bypass lines having one ends connected to the delivery lines at points upstream of the check valves and the other ends connected to the hydraulic reservoir, solenoid switching valves for opening and closing the associated bypass lines, an alarm display unit for giving an alarm in correspondence to each of the hydraulic pumps, and a controller.

Claims

1. A pump failure alarm system installed in a hydraulic working machine comprising a plurality of hydraulic pumps driven by at least one prime mover, a plurality of delivery lines introducing respective flows of a hydraulic fluid delivered from said plurality of hydraulic pumps and joining with one another into one common line on the downstream side, a plurality of check valves provided respectively in said plurality of delivery lines upstream of a point where said plurality of delivery lines join with one another, at least one hydraulic actuator driven by the hydraulic fluid introduced through said common line, and a hydraulic reservoir, said pump failure alarm system comprising:

a plurality of pressure detecting means for detecting respective delivery pressures of said plurality of hydraulic pumps,

a plurality of bypass lines having one ends connected respectively to said plurality of delivery lines at points upstream of said check valves and the other ends connected to said hydraulic reservoir,

a plurality of opening/closing means disposed respectively in said plurality of bypass lines for opening and closing the associated bypass lines,

alarm means for giving an alarm to an operator in correspondence to each of the plurality of hydraulic pumps, and

control means for controlling the opening/closing operations of said opening/closing means and the alarming operation of said alarm means in accordance with the results detected by said pressure detecting means.

2. A pump failure alarm system for a hydraulic working machine according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises first determining means for determining whether the delivery pressure of one of said plurality of hydraulic pumps is lower than the delivery pressures of the other hydraulic pumps by a predetermined value or more, opening/closing control means for opening the opening/closing means in the bypass line connected to the delivery line of said one hydraulic pump and closing the other opening/closing means in a first case where the determination made by said first determining means is satisfied, and for closing all the opening/closing means in a second case where the determination made by said first determining means is not satisfied, and alarm control means for causing said alarm means to give an alarm in correspondence to said one hydraulic pump in said first case, and not causing said alarm means to give any alarm in said second case.

3. A pump failure alarm system for a hydraulic working machine according to claim 2, wherein said alarm means includes a plurality of display means for indicating alarms separately in correspondence to said hydraulic pumps, and said alarm control means causes the display means associated with said one hydraulic pump to indicate an alarm in said first case.

4. A pump failure alarm system for a hydraulic working machine according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of hydraulic pumps are variable displacement pumps whose displacements are controlled respectively by a plurality of pump control means, and said control means includes flow rate limit control means for controlling the pump control means associated with the one hydraulic pump and limiting a delivery rate of said one hydraulic pump in said first case.

5. A pump failure alarm system for a hydraulic working machine according to claim 2, further comprising drive detecting means for detecting whether said hydraulic pumps are driven, wherein said control means comprises second determining means for determining whether at least two of said plurality of hydraulic pumps are driven, and wherein when the determination made by said second determining means is not satisfied, said opening/closing control means closes all the opening/closing means regardless of the results detected by said pressure detecting means and said alarm control means does not cause said alarm means to give any alarm to the operator regardless of the results detected by said pressure detecting means.

6. A pump failure alarm system for a hydraulic working machine according to claim 1, further comprising drive detecting means for detecting whether said hydraulic pumps are driven, wherein when at least one of said hydraulic pumps is determined to be not driven in accordance with the result detected by said drive detecting means, said control means excludes the opening/closing means and the alarm means, which are associated with the hydraulic pump not being driven, from objects to be controlled.