Front control system, area setting method and control panel for construction machine

• US 6,169,948 B1
• Filed: 06/20/1997
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Takashi, Fujishima, Kazuo, Watanabe, Hiroshi, Haga, Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US08/879,927
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 340/679, 340/684, 340/500, 373/48, 477/155, 172/4.5, 172/5, 172/132, 172/234
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/435 for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2033 Limiting the movement of frames or implements, e.g. to avoid collision between implements and the cabin sub-groups of E02F3/431 of E02F3/435 take precedence; for turntables E02F9/123
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence

Abstract

A setting device for a front control system for a construction machine includes a direct setting switch for instructing a direct teaching setting, a numeral input key consisting of up- and down-keys for instructing a numeral input setting, a setting changeover switch for changing over a setting mode from the direct teaching setting to the numeral input setting, an LED lighting up when the setting changeover switch is pushed, an area limiting switch for starting an area limiting excavation control, an LED lighting up when the area limiting switch is pushed, and a display screen for indicating the position of a bucket end of a front device in terms of a numeral value when the setting changeover switch is not pushed, and indicating the numeral value input with the numeral input with the numeral input setting when the setting changeover switch is pushed.

Claims

1. A front control system equipped on a construction machine comprising a multi-articulated front device made up of a plurality of front members rotatable in the vertical direction, a plurality of hydraulic actuators for driving respectively said plurality of front members, and a plurality of hydraulic control valves driven in accordance with respective operation signals input from a plurality of operating means for controlling flow rates of a hydraulic fluid supplied to said plurality of hydraulic actuators, said front control system controlling said front device to be moved in a preset area, wherein said front control system comprises:

first area setting means having a direct setting switch for setting an area where said front device is allowed to move, by direct teaching in response to an instruction from said direct setting switch,

second area setting means having a numeral input switch for setting an area where said front device is allowed to move, by inputting a numeral value through said numeral input switch, and

setting selection means for selecting one of said first area setting means and said second area setting means.

2. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying the numeral value input through said numeral input switch of said second area setting means.

3. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said setting selection means has a setting changeover switch for enabling one of said first area setting means and said second area setting means to be selected when said setting changeover switch is not operated, and enabling the other of said first area setting means and said second area setting means to be selected when said setting changeover switch is operated.

4. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 3, wherein said setting selection means enables said first area setting means to be selected regardless of whether said setting changeover switch is operated or not, when said direct setting switch of said first area setting means is operated, and enables said second area setting means to be selected when said setting changeover switch is operated.

5. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 4, further comprising display means, and display changeover means for instructing said display means to display a current position of said front device when said setting changeover switch is not operated, and instructing said display means to display the numeral value input through said numeral input switch of said second area setting means when said setting changeover switch is operated.

6. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said numeral input switch of said second area setting means comprises a first numeral input key for increasing an input numeral value from a certain base value, and a second numeral input key for reducing an input numeral value from a certain base value.

7. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said second area setting means previously sets, as an initial value, a value representing a position to which said front device cannot reach, and changes a set numeral value through said numeral input switch with said initial value as a base, thereby setting said area.

8. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said second area setting means changes a set numeral value through said numeral input switch with the numeral value set by said direct teaching as a base, thereby setting said area.

9. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, further comprising a control selection switch for selecting whether said front device is to be controlled or not, and initializing means for setting, as an initial value of the area to be set, a value representing a position to which said front device cannot reach, each time when said control selection switch is operated for selection of front control.

10. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling operation of said front device by modifying said operation signal so that said front device is allowed to move within an area set by one of said first area setting means and said second area setting means,

a temporary cancel switch, and

control cancel means for temporarily cancelling control of said front device performed by said control means when said temporary cancel switch is pushed.

11. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 10, wherein said temporary cancel switch is provided on a lever grip of one of said plurality of control lever means.

12. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 10, wherein said direct setting switch and said numeral input switch are provided on a box-type control panel installed in a cab, and said temporary cancel switch is provided on a lever grip of one of said plurality of control lever means.

13. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 12, wherein said first area setting means further includes another direct setting switch provided on said lever grip for direct setting of the area where said front device is allowed to move.

14. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 13, wherein said temporary cancel switch and said direct setting switch both provided on said lever grip have surface configurations different from each other.

15. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 11, wherein said control lever means on which said temporary cancel switch is provided is the control lever means for a boom of a hydraulic excavator.

16. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 10, wherein said control cancel means comprises means for interrupting modification of the operation signal made by said control means when said temporary cancel switch is pushed.

17. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 10, wherein said control cancel means comprises means for temporarily changing the set position of a boundary of said area to a value representing a position to which said front control device cannot reach, when said temporary cancel switch is pushed.

24. A front control system for a construction machine according to claim 12, wherein said control lever means on which said temporary cancel switch is provided is the control lever means for a boom of a hydraulic excavator.

18. An area setting method for use in a front control system under which a multi-articulated front device made up of a plurality of front members rotatable in the vertical direction is controlled so that said front device is moved in a preset area, comprising the steps of:

moving said front device to a position as a reference, storing the position by direct teaching, setting a depth by inputting a numeral value with the stored position as a base, and setting an area where said front device is allowed to move, in accordance with a numeral value resulted from said depth setting.

19. A control panel of a front control system equipped on a construction machine comprising a multi-articulated front device made up of a plurality of front members rotatable in the vertical direction, a plurality of hydraulic control valves driven in accordance with respective operation signals input from a plurality of operating means for controlling flow rates of a hydraulic fluid supplied to said plurality of hydraulic actuators, said front control system controlling said front device to be moved in a preset area, wherein said control panel comprises:

a direct setting switch for instructing by direct teaching setting of an area where said front device is allowed to move,

a numeral input switch for instructing by input of a numeral value setting of an area where said front device is allowed to move, and

a setting changeover switch for selecting one of the setting instructions from said direct setting switch and said numeral input switch.

20. A control panel of a front control system for a construction machine according to claim 19, further comprising display means for displaying the numeral value input through said numeral input switch.

21. A control panel of a front control system for a construction machine according to claim 19, further comprising display means for displaying a current position of said front device when said setting changeover switch is not operated, and displaying the numeral value input through said numeral input switch when said setting changeover switch is operated.

22. A control panel of a front control system for a construction machine according to claim 19, wherein said numeral input switch comprises a first numeral input key for increasing an input numeral value from a certain base value, and a second numeral input key for reducing an input numeral value from a certain base value.

23. A control panel of a front control system for a construction machine according to claim 19, further comprising a control selection switch for selecting whether said front device is to be controlled or not, whereby selection of the control of said front device by said control selection switch enables said direct setting switch and said numeral input switch to instruct the setting.