Shovel

• US 6,789,335 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Company Limited (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Company Limited (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Inventors: Araya, Hirokazu, Kagoshima, Masayuki, Kinugawa, Hideki, Komiyama, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US09/700,729
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 373/47, 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
• US Class Current: 37/348
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/20 Energy regeneration from auxiliary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/17 Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/435 for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/123 Drives or control devices specially adapted therefor E02F9/125 and E02F9/128 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2025 Particular purposes of control systems not otherwise provided for E02F3/16, E02F3/26, sub-groups of E02F3/43, E02F3/651, sub-groups of E02F3/84, E02F3/907, E02F5/145 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2075 of the hybrid type for vehicles in general B60W20/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2091 Control of energy storage means for electrical energy, e.g. battery or capacitors energy recovery arrangements in hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2217
• 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: F15B 11/16 with two or more servomotors
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/18 Combined units comprising both motor and pump
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/20515 Electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/20561 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/27 Directional control by means of the pressure source
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/3051 Cross-check valves
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/40584 : the flow control means arranged in parallel with a check valve
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/41527 : being connected to an output member and a directional control valve
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/46 : Control of flow in the return line, i.e. meter-out control
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/473 : without restriction in the reverse direction
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/50518 : using pressure relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/613 : Feeding circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/71 : Multiple output members, e.g. multiple hydraulic motors or cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 7/005 : With rotary or crank input
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

An excavator in which a generator is driven by an engine as a power source. Electric motors are driven by electric power supplied from the generator, and a lower traveling body, an upper turning body, and operating parts of an excavation attachment are operated by the electric motors.

Claims

1. An excavator in which an upper turning body is mounted on a lower traveling body, and an excavation attachment is provided on the upper turning body, comprising an engine as a power source, a generator driven by the engine, and a plurality of electric motors rotated by electric power supplied from the generator, wherein the electric motors as a driving source operate the lower traveling body, and the upper turning body and each operating part of the excavation attachment, wherein in the operating part provided with a hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic pump is driven by the electric motor, and said hydraulic actuator is operated by oil from said hydraulic pump.

2. The excavator according to claim 1, wherein surplus electric power from the generator is stored in a battery, and the electric motors are driven by the electric power stored in the battery as necessary.

3. The excavator according to claim 1, wherein as the hydraulic actuator in the operating part, a traveling hydraulic motor and a turning hydraulic motor are provided on the lower traveling body and the upper turning body, respectively, and oil from the hydraulic pump driven by one electric motor is selectively supplied to either said traveling hydraulic motor or said turning hydraulic motor.

4. The excavator according to claim 1, using an electric motor-pump integrated type actuator in which the electric motor and the hydraulic pump in which a discharging direction of oil is converted according to the turning direction of said electric motor.

5. The excavator according to claim 1, wherein turning force of the electric motor is reduced by a reduction unit to apply it as the driving force the operating part.

6. The excavator according to claim 2, wherein a turning force of the electric motor is reduced by a reduction unit to apply it as the driving force to the operating part.

7. An excavator in which an upper turning body is mounted on a lower traveling body, and an excavation attachment is provided on the upper turning body, comprising an engine as a power source, a generator driven by the engine, and a plurality of electric motors rotated by electric power supplied from the generator, wherein the electric motors as a driving source operate the lower traveling body, and the upper turning body and each operating part of the excavation attachment, wherein surplus electric power from the generator is stored in a battery, and the electric motors are driven by the electric power stored in the battery as necessary, and wherein electric power generated by regenerative control of the electric motors is stored in the battery.

8. The excavator according to claim 7 wherein a turning force of the electric motor is reduced by a reduction unit to apply it as the driving force to the operating part.

9. The excavator according to claim 7, wherein in the operating part provided with a hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic pump is driven by the electric motor, and said hydraulic actuator is operated by oil from said hydraulic pump.

10. The excavator according to claim 9, using an electric motor-pump integrated type actuator in which the electric motor and the hydraulic pump in which a discharging direction of oil is converted according to the turning direction of said electric motor.

11. The excavator according to claim 9, wherein as the hydraulic actuator in the operating part, a traveling hydraulic motor and a turning hydraulic motor are provided on the lower traveling body and the upper turning body, respectively, and oil from the hydraulic pump driven by one electric motor is selectively supplied to either said traveling hydraulic motor or said turning hydraulic motor.

12. The excavator according to claim 11, using an electric motor-pump integrated type actuator in which the electric motor and the hydraulic pump in which a discharging direction of oil is converted according to the turning direction of said electric motor.

13. An excavator in which an upper turning body is mounted on a lower traveling body, and an excavation attachment is provided on the upper turning body, comprising an engine as a power source, a generator driven by the engine, and a plurality of electric motors rotated by electric power supplied from the generator, wherein the electric motors as a driving source individually operate the lower traveling body, and the upper turning body and each operating part of the excavation attachment, wherein in the operating part provided with a hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic pump is driven by the electric motor, and said hydraulic actuator is operated by oil from said hydraulic pump.