Hydraulic drive apparatus

• US 6,192,681 B1
• Filed: 06/01/1998
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Tierra Co.,Ltd. (Hitachi Construction Machinery (China) Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tsuruga, Yasutaka, Kanai, Takashi, Kawamoto, Junya
• Primary Examiner(s): LOPEZ, FRANK D
• Application Number:
  US09/077,552
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 60/447, 60/449, 60/452, 60/468
• US Class Current: 60/447
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2232 using one or more variable displacement pumps
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2285 Pilot-operated systems
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2203/0605 Rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/08 Regulating by delivery pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/24 Bypassing
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 11/05 specially adapted to maintain constant speed, e.g. pressure-compensated, load-responsive F15B11/161 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/20523 Internal combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/20553 with pilot circuit, e.g. for controlling a swash plate
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/253 Pressure margin control, e.g. pump pressure in relation to load pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/30535 the pressure compensating valve is arranged between pressure source and directional control valve
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/50536 using unloading valves controlling the supply pressure by diverting fluid to the return line
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/635 Circuits providing pilot pressure to pilot pressure-controlled fluid circuit elements
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/71 Multiple output members, e.g. multiple hydraulic motors or cylinders

Abstract

A differential pressure ΔPLS between a delivery pressure of a hydraulic pump 2 and a maximum load pressure among a plurality of actuators 3a-3c is maintained at a target differential pressure ΔPLSref by pump displacement control means 5. The target differential pressure ΔPLSref is modified depending on an engine rotational speed by introducing a differential pressure ΔPp across a throttle 50 disposed in a delivery line of a fixed pump 30. An unloading valve 80 has first and second auxiliary control pressure chambers 80e, 80f to which the differential pressure p across the throttle 50 is introduced, and a target differential pressure ΔPun of the unloading valve is also modified in match with change in the target differential pressure ΔPLSref modified by the operation driver 32. Stable load sensing control is thereby achieved without being affected by the engine rotational speed.

Claims

1. A hydraulic drive system comprising an engine, a variable displacement hydraulic pump driven by said engine, a plurality of actuators driven by a hydraulic fluid delivered from said hydraulic pump, a plurality of flow control valves for controlling flow rates of the hydraulic fluid supplied from said hydraulic pump to a plurality of actuators, and pump displacement control means for controlling the displacement of said hydraulic pump so that a differential pressure Δ

PLS between a delivery pressure Ps of said hydraulic pump and a maximum load pressure PLS among said plurality of actuators is maintained at a first setting value Δ

PLSref, said pump displacement control means including first setting modifying means for modifying the first setting value Δ

PLSref of said pump displacement control means depending on a rotational speed of said engine, wherein said hydraulic drive system further comprises;

an unloading valve for controlling the delivery pressure Ps of said hydraulic pump so that the differential pressure Δ

PLS between the delivery pressure of said hydraulic pump and the maximum load pressure PLS among said plurality of actuators is maintained at a second setting value Δ

Pun higher than said first setting value Δ

PLSref, and

second setting modifying means for modifying the second setting value Δ

Pun of said unloading valve depending on the rotational speed of said engine (1) in match with change in the first setting value Δ

PLSref modified by said first setting modifying means in such a manner that the second setting value Δ

pun does not become smaller than the first setting value Δ

PLSref.

2. A hydraulic drive system according to claim 1, wherein said first setting modifying means comprises a fixed displacement hydraulic pump driven by said engine along with said variable displacement hydraulic pump, a flow rate detecting valve disposed in a delivery line of said fixed displacement hydraulic pump, and an operation driver for modifying said first setting value Δ

PLSref depending on a differential pressure Δ

Pp across said flow rate detecting valve, and wherein said second setting modifying means includes control pressure chambers for modifying the second setting value Δ

pun said unloading valve depending on the differential pressure Δ

Pp across said flow rate detecting valve.

3. A hydraulic drive system according to claim 1, wherein said first setting modifying means detects the rotational speed of said engine and, when the detected engine rotational speed is in a region including the lowest rotational speed of said engine, modifies the first setting value Δ

PLSref of said pump displacement control means so that a total maximum flow rate Qvtotal of said plurality of flow control valves passing respective flow rates expressed by the products of said differential pressure Δ

PLS and respective opening areas of said plurality of flow control valves is smaller than a maximum delivery rate Qsmax of said hydraulic pump corresponding to the engine rotational speed at that time, and wherein said second setting modifying means modifies the second setting value Δ

pun said unloading valve in match with change in said first setting value Δ

PLSref.

4. A hydraulic drive system according to claim 1, wherein said first setting modifying means comprises a fixed displacement hydraulic pump driven by said engine along with said variable displacement hydraulic pump, a flow rate detecting valve disposed in a delivery line of said fixed displacement hydraulic pump, and an operation driver for modifying said first setting value Δ

PLSref depending on a differential pressure Δ

Pp across said flow rate detecting valve, said flow rate detecting valve being constructed to have a larger opening are when the engine rotational speed is in the region including the rated rotational speed than when the engine rotational speed is in a region including the lowest rotational speed, and wherein said second setting modifying means includes control pressure chambers for modifying the second setting value Δ

pun of said unloading valve depending on the differential pressure Δ

Pp across said flow rate detecting valve.

5. A hydraulic drive system according to claim 2, wherein said first setting modifying means further comprises a first pressure control valve for generating a signal pressure corresponding to the differential pressure Δ

Pp across said flow rate detecting valve, said operation driver modifies said setting value Δ

PLSref in accordance with the signal pressure from said first pressure control valve, and said control pressure chambers of said unloading valve modify said second setting value Δ

pun in accordance with the signal pressure from said first pressure control valve.

6. A hydraulic drive system according to claim 5, further comprising a second pressure control valve for generating a signal pressure corresponding to the differential pressure Δ

PLS between the delivery pressure Ps of said hydraulic pump and the maximum load pressure PLS among said plurality of actuators, wherein said unloading valve has a first control pressure chamber applying a hydraulic pressure force to act in the direction to open said unloading valve and a second control pressure chamber applying a hydraulic pressure force to act in the direction to close said unloading valve, the signal pressure output from said second pressure control valve being introduced to the first control pressure chamber, and the signal pressure output from said first pressure control valve being introduced to said second control pressure chamber.