Control unit for construction machine

• US 8,560,185 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2011
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Narazaki, Akihiro, Karasawa, Hideo, Nakamura, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US13/816,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20130190994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/54
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2062 Control of propulsion units for control of the prime mover depending on the load in a hydraulic or pneumatic drive E02F9/2246
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/023 Temperature of lubricating oil or working fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0414 Air temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0606 Fuel temperature
• 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 31/008 for idle speed control
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/083 taking into account engine load variation, e.g. air-conditionning

Abstract

A target speed setting section sets a target speed of an engine to an idle speed that is lower than an input speed with an engine control dial when no operating signal is output from a control lever over a predetermined period of time. A speed control section controls the speed of the engine based on the target speed set by the target speed setting section, which includes an idle speed setting section that corrects the idle speed according to values detected by sensors so that reduction in an output of the engine due to a change in a state quantity associated with an environment under which the engine is placed can be inhibited. This allows a good operating condition to be achieved during a reset from an auto idle state even with an engine output has been reduced according to a change in environment.

Claims

1. A control unit for a construction machine, the construction machine comprising:

an engine;

a hydraulic pump driven by the engine;

a hydraulic actuator driven by hydraulic fluid delivered from the hydraulic pump;

a valve for controlling flow of the hydraulic fluid supplied from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic actuator;

an operating device for controlling the valve by outputting an operation signal that varies according to an operation amount;

a sensor that detects a state quantity associated with an environment of the engine; and

a device for inputting speed of the engine;

the control unit comprising;

a section for setting a target speed of the engine to an idle speed that is lower than the speed input by the speed input device when the operating device does not output the operation signal after a lapse of a predetermined period of time; and

a section for controlling speed of the engine based on the target speed set by the target speed setting section, wherein

the target speed setting section includes an idle speed setting section for correcting the idle speed according to a value detected by the sensor so that an output of the engine can be prevented from being reduced due to a change in the state quantity.

2. The control unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor is a sensor for detecting atmospheric pressure;

and

the idle speed setting section corrects the idle speed such that the idle speed increases with reduction in the atmospheric pressure detected by the pressure sensor.

3. The control unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor a sensor for detecting a coolant temperature of the engine;

and

the idle speed setting section corrects the idle speed such that the idle speed increases with reduction in the coolant temperature detected by the coolant temperature sensor.

4. The control unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor is a sensor for detecting a fuel temperature of the engine;

and

the idle speed setting section corrects the idle speed such that the idle speed increases with reduction in the fuel temperature detected by the fuel temperature sensor when the fuel temperature detected by the fuel temperature sensor is a first set value or less, and that the idle speed increases with an increase in the fuel temperature detected by the fuel temperature sensor when the fuel temperature is a second set value or more, the second set value being set to be greater than the first set value.

5. The control unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a selector that selects whether to enable or disable the target speed setting section to set the target speed of the engine to the idle speed when the operating device does not output the operation signal over a predetermined period of time.

6. The control unit for a construction machine according to claim 2, wherein

the sensor is a sensor for detecting a coolant temperature of the engine;

and

the idle speed setting section corrects the idle speed such that the idle speed increases with reduction in the coolant temperature detected by the coolant temperature sensor.

7. The control unit for a construction machine according to claim 2, wherein

the sensor is a sensor for detecting a fuel temperature of the engine;

and

the idle speed setting section corrects the idle speed such that the idle speed increases with reduction in the fuel temperature detected by the fuel temperature sensor when the fuel temperature detected by the fuel temperature sensor is a first set value or less, and that the idle speed increases with an increase in the fuel temperature detected by the fuel temperature sensor when the fuel temperature is a second set value or more, the second set value being set to be greater than the first set value.

8. The control unit for a construction machine according to claim 3, wherein

the sensor is a sensor for detecting a fuel temperature of the engine;

and

the idle speed setting section corrects the idle speed such that the idle speed increases with reduction in the fuel temperature detected by the fuel temperature sensor when the fuel temperature detected by the fuel temperature sensor is a first set value or less, and that the idle speed increases with an increase in the fuel temperature detected by the fuel temperature sensor when the fuel temperature is a second set value or more, the second set value being set to be greater than the first set value.

9. The control unit for a construction machine according to claim 2, further comprising:

a selector that selects whether to enable or disable the target speed setting section to set the target speed of the engine to the idle speed when the operating device does not output the operation signal over a predetermined period of time.

10. The control unit for a construction machine according to claim 3, further comprising:

a selector that selects whether to enable or disable the target speed setting section to set the target speed of the engine to the idle speed when the operating device does not output the operation signal over a predetermined period of time.

11. The control unit for a construction machine according to claim 4, further comprising:

a selector that selects whether to enable or disable the target speed setting section to set the target speed of the engine to the idle speed when the operating device does not output the operation signal over a predetermined period of time.