Battery-powered working machine

• US 6,199,307 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1999
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Klaus Schmidt
• Original Assignee: Klaus Schmidt
• Inventors: Kagoshima, Masayuki, Kinugawa, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US09/321,546
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 373/48, 374/43, 374/66, 379/05, 414/685, 414/686, 414/687, 414/917, 414/918, 414/718, 414/728, 180/9.1, 180/234, 180/167, 701/50, 604/00, 604/20, 604/31
• US Class Current: 37/443
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/325 Backhoes of the miniature type
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/207 of the type electric propulsion units, e.g. electric motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2095 Control of electric, electro-mechanical or mechanical equipment not otherwise provided for, e.g. ventilators, electro-driven fans control of hydraulic driven equipment E02F9/22
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump

Abstract

It is intended to keep low the moment of inertia of a boom, etc. and maintain the whole of a working machine in good weight balance. At the same time, a highly efficient recovery of energy is to be attained to increase a continuous working time of a battery. A battery-powered working machine using a battery as a power source is provided. Rotation of a rotatable superstructure 12 and rising and falling motions of a boom 28 are performed directly by electric motors 22 and 34. The recovery of energy is attained by utilizing the electric motors 22 and 34. An arm 30 and a bucket 32 both located remote from a centroid position of the machine are actuated by an arm cylinder 38 and a bucket cylinder 40, which are hydraulic actuators less heavy than electric motors. Further, a hydraulic pump 18 for supplying those hydraulic actuators with a hydraulic oil is actuated by a hydraulic pump actuating electric motor 20 which utilizes the battery 14 as a power source.

Claims

1. A battery-powered working machine including a boom attached to a body of the working machine so as to be capable of rising and falling, a working portion attached to said boom, and a battery as a drive source, said battery-powered working machine comprising:

a boom actuating electric motor which is supplied with electric power from said battery and which actuates said boom directly;

a hydraulic pump;

a hydraulic pump actuating electric motor which is supplied with electric power from said battery and which actuates said hydraulic pump; and

a hydraulic actuator which is supplied with hydraulic oil discharged from said hydraulic pump and which actuates said working portion attached to said boom.

4. The battery-powered working machine according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said working portion is an arm connected rotatably to a front end portion of said boom and which further includes an arm actuating hydraulic actuator, said arm actuating hydraulic actuator being supplied with the hydraulic oil discharged from said hydraulic pump and causing said arm to rotate.

5. The battery-powered working machine according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said working portion comprises an arm connected rotatably to a front end portion of said boom and a bucket connected rotatably to a front end portion of said arm and which further includes a bucket actuating hydraulic actuator, said bucket actuating hydraulic actuator being supplied with the hydraulic oil discharged from said hydraulic pump and causing said bucket to rotate.

6. The battery-powered working machine according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said working portion comprises an arm connected rotatably to a front end portion of said boom and a bucket connected rotatably to a front end portion of said arm and which further includes an arm actuating hydraulic actuator, said arm actuating hydraulic actuator being supplied with the hydraulic oil discharged from said hydraulic pump and causing said arm to rotate, and a bucket actuating hydraulic actuator, said bucket actuating hydraulic actuator being supplied with the hydraulic oil discharged from said hydraulic pump and causing said bucket to rotate.

7. The battery-powered working machine according to any of claims 1 to 3, further comprising tires for the travel of said working machine itself and a traveling electric motor which is supplied with electric power from said battery and which directly causes said tires to rotate.

2. A battery-powered working machine including a rotatable superstructure carried rotatably on a lower carriage, a boom attached to said rotatable superstructure so as to be capable of rising and falling, a working portion attached to said boom, and a battery as a drive source, said battery-powered working machine comprising:

a rotating electric motor which is supplied with electric power from said battery and which directly causes said rotatable superstructure to rotate;

a hydraulic pump;

a hydraulic pump actuating electric motor which is supplied with electric power from said battery and which actuates said hydraulic pump; and

a hydraulic actuator which is supplied with hydraulic oil discharged from said hydraulic pump and which actuates said working portion attached to said boom.

3. A battery-powered working machine including a rotatable superstructure carried on a lower carriage rotatably, a boom attached to said rotatable superstructure so as to be capable of rising and falling, a working portion attached to said boom, and a battery as a drive source, said battery-powered working machine further including:

a boom actuating electric motor which is supplied with electric power from said battery and which actuates said boom directly;

a rotating electric motor which is supplied with electric power from said battery and which directly causes said rotatable superstructure to rotate;

a hydraulic pump;

a hydraulic pump actuating electric motor which is supplied with electric power from said battery and which actuates said hydraulic pump; and

a hydraulic actuator which is supplied with hydraulic oil discharged from said hydraulic pump and which actuates said working portion attached to said boom.