Engine control device of construction machinery

• US 7,497,195 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2003
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2003
• 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: Kamon, Yoshiki, Umezu, Yoshiyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin; Stephen K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castro; Arnold
• Application Number:
  US10/542,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20060048735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 123/179.3, 123/179.4, 701/113
• US Class Current: 123/179.4
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2246 Control of prime movers, e.g. depending on the hydraulic load of work tools
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/226 Safety arrangements, e.g. hydraulic driven fans, preventing cavitation, leakage, overheating
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/00 Controlling engines, such controlling being peculiar to the devices driven thereby, the devices being other than parts or accessories essential to engine operation, e.g. controlling of engines by signals external thereto
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/068 for warming-up
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0803 characterised by means for initiating engine start or stop F02N11/0814 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0829 related to special engine control, e.g. giving priority to engine warming-up or learning
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/023 Engine temperature

Abstract

An engine control device for a construction machine of the present invention is configured so that the engine control device comprises an engine as a power source, a controller for performing an automatic stop control to automatically stop the engine when a predetermined automatic stop condition is met, a water temperature sensor for detecting a cooling water temperature of the engine, and that after start-up of the engine, even if the automatic stop condition is met, the engine is not automatically stopped until the detected water temperature reaches a predetermined value or more to complete a warm-up operation. The engine control device is also configured so that before the engine is automatically stopped, a cool-down operation of the engine is performed as required and after the engine is stopped, the engine is restarted as required and the warm-up operation is performed.

Claims

1. An engine control device for a construction machine, comprising:

an engine as a power source,

control means for performing an automatic stop control to automatically stop said engine when a predetermined automatic stop condition is met, wherein said automatic stop condition comprises a condition other than a completion of a warm-up operation for said engine, and

warm-up state detecting means for detecting a warm-up state of said engine,

wherein said control means performs said automatic stop control only after completion of the warm-up operation for said engine is detected by said warm-up state detecting means.

2. An engine control device for a construction machine, comprising:

an engine as a power source,

control means for performing an automatic stop control to automatically stop said engine when a predetermined automatic stop condition is met, wherein said automatic stop condition comprises a condition other than a completion of a cool down operation for said engine, and

cool-down necessity detecting means for detecting whether or not said engine is in a state where a cool-down operation is required and

wherein said control means performs said automatic stop control only after completion of a cool-down period when said cool-down necessity detecting means detects that said engine is in an operation state where said engine requires the cool-down operation.

3. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 2, wherein, as said cool-down necessity detecting means, a temperature detector for detecting a temperature of a portion whose temperature increases in accordance with an operation of said engine, and said control means is adapted to select a required cool-down period in accordance with the detected temperature by said temperature detector.

4. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 3, wherein said control means automatically selects one of a plurality of cool-down period patterns in accordance with the detected temperature by said temperature detector.

5. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 2, wherein said control means stops said engine when completion of the cool-down operation of said engine is detected by said cool-down necessity detecting means.

8. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 2, wherein said engine control device further comprises warm-up state detecting means for detecting a warm-up state of said engine, and said control means is adapted to perform said automatic stop control in a condition that completion of a warm-up operation is detected by said warm-up state detecting means.

9. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 2, wherein said engine control device further comprises warm-up necessity detecting means for detecting whether or not said engine is in a state where a warm-up operation is required, and said control means is adapted to automatically restart said engine when said warm-up necessity detecting means detects that said engine is in the state where the warm-up operation is required after said engine is automatically stopped by said automatic stop control.

10. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 2, wherein said engine control device further comprises warm-up state detecting means for detecting a warm-up state of said engine and warm-up necessity detecting means for detecting whether or not said engine is in a state where a warm-up operation is required, and that said control means comprising:

A) performing an automatic stop control in the condition that completion of the warm-up operation is detected by said warm-up state detecting means; and

B) restarting said engine when said warm-up necessity detecting means detects that said engine is in the state where the warm-up operation is required after said engine is automatically stopped by said automatic stop control.

11. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 3, wherein said engine control device further comprises warm-up state detecting means for detecting a warm-up state of said engine, and said control means is adapted to perform said automatic stop control in a condition that completion of a warm-up operation is detected by said warm-up state detecting means.

12. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 4, wherein said engine control device further comprises warm-up state detecting means for detecting a warm-up state of said engine, and said control means is adapted to perform said automatic stop control in a condition that completion of a warm-up operation is detected by said warm-up state detecting means.

13. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 5, wherein said engine control device further comprises warm-up state detecting means for detecting a warm-up state of said engine, and said control means is adapted to perform said automatic stop control in a condition that completion of a warm-up operation is detected by said warm-up state detecting means.

14. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 3, wherein said engine control device further comprises warm-up necessity detecting means for detecting whether or not said engine is in a state where a warm-up operation is required, and said control means is adapted to automatically restart said engine when said warm-up necessity detecting means detects that said engine is in the state where the warm-up operation is required after said engine is automatically stopped by said automatic stop control.

15. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 4, wherein said engine control device further comprises warm-up necessity detecting means for detecting whether or not said engine is in a state where a warm-up operation is required, and said control means is adapted to automatically restart said engine when said warm-up necessity detecting means detects that said engine is in the state where the warm-up operation is required after said engine is automatically stopped by said automatic stop control.

16. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 5, wherein said engine control device further comprises warm-up necessity detecting means for detecting whether or not said engine is in a state where a warm-up operation is required, and said control means is adapted to automatically restart said engine when said warm-up necessity detecting means detects that said engine is in the state where the warm-up operation is required after said engine is automatically stopped by said automatic stop control.

17. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 3, wherein said engine control device further comprises warm-up state detecting means for detecting a warm-up state of said engine and warm-up necessity detecting means for detecting whether or not said engine is in a state where a warm-up operation is required, and that said control means comprising:

A) performing an automatic stop control in the condition that completion of the warm-up operation is detected by said warm-up state detecting means; and

B) restarting said engine when said warm-up necessity detecting means detects that said engine is in the state where the warm-up operation is required after said engine is automatically stopped by said automatic stop control.

18. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 4, wherein said engine control device further comprises warm-up state detecting means for detecting a warm-up state of said engine and warm-up necessity detecting means for detecting whether or not said engine is in a state where a warm-up operation is required, and that said control means comprising:

A) performing an automatic stop control in the condition that completion of the warm-up operation is detected by said warm-up state detecting means; and

B) restarting said engine when said warm-up necessity detecting means detects that said engine is in the state where the warm-up operation is required after said engine is automatically stopped by said automatic stop control.

19. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 5, wherein said engine control device further comprises warm-up state detecting means for detecting a warm-up state of said engine and warm-up necessity detecting means for detecting whether or not said engine is in a state where a warm-up operation is required, and that said control means comprising:

A) performing an automatic stop control in the condition that completion of the warm-up operation is detected by said warm-up state detecting means; and

B) restarting said engine when said warm-up necessity detecting means detects that said engine is in the state where the warm-up operation is required after said engine is automatically stopped by said automatic stop control.

6. An engine control device for a construction machine, comprising:

an engine as a power source,

control means for performing an automatic stop control to automatically stop said engine when a predetermined automatic stop condition is met, wherein said automatic stop condition comprises a condition other than a completion of a warm-up operation for said engine, and

warm-up necessity detecting means for detecting whether or not said engine is in a state where a warm-up operation of said engine is required, and

wherein said control means automatically restarts said engine when said warm-up necessity detecting means detects that said engine is in the state where the warm-up operation is required after said engine is automatically stopped by said automatic stop control.

7. The engine control device for the construction machine according to claim 6, wherein said engine control device further comprises warm-up state detecting means for detecting a warm-up state of said engine and said control means performs said automatic stop control in a condition that completion of the warm-up operation is detected by said warm-up state detecting means.