Construction machine

• US 9,340,953 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hoshino, Masatoshi, Sakamoto, Hiroshi, Ishihara, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): WALTERS, JOHN DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US14/410,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20150337521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.26, 180/305, 180/306, 180/307, 180/308
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• 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 2710/0644 Engine speed
• 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 9/2246 Control of prime movers, e.g. depending on the hydraulic load of work tools
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/503 Battery correction, i.e. corrections as a function of the state of the battery, its output or its type
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/04 peculiar to engines driving pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0205 using an auxiliary engine speed control engine speed control per se F02D31/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

Provided is a construction machine which is capable of suppressing useless power consumption. This construction machine is provided with an excavator body, a working device which is attached to the excavator body, an engine which is mounted in the excavator body, a generator motor which is attached to the engine and which can be driven as an electric generator or an electric motor, a hydraulic pump which is driven by the engine and the generator motor, a hydraulic actuator which drives the working device with motive power generated by the hydraulic pump, and a control portion which lowers the drive output of the generator motor in accordance with the drive state of the working device and limits the drive output of the hydraulic pump in order to keep the rotation frequency of the engine within a range of predetermined values.

Claims

1. A construction machine comprising:

a body;

a drive portion which is attached to the body;

an engine which is mounted in the body;

a generator motor which is attached to the engine and which can be driven as an electric generator or an electric motor;

a hydraulic pump which is driven by the engine and the generator motor;

a plurality of hydraulic actuators which drive the drive portion with motive power generated by the hydraulic pump;

a pressure control device which operates in accordance with discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump;

a pressure detection portion which detects the discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump;

a plurality of operation devices which generate and output operation signals in order to operate the plurality of hydraulic actuators;

a control portion which lowers a drive output of the generator motor in accordance with a drive state of the drive portion and limits a drive output of the hydraulic pump in order to keep a rotation frequency of the engine within a range of predetermined values; and

wherein when an operation amount of the other of the operation devices is within a predetermined range which is set in advance, the control portion determines that the drive portion is in a non-excavation state, and lowers the drive output of the generator motor.

2. A construction machine according to claim 1 wherein:

when the other one of the operation devices outputs a signal in order to operate a corresponding one of the hydraulic actuators and the displacement amount detected by the displacement amount detection portion is within a predetermined range which is set in advance, the control portion determines that the drive portion is in a non-excavation state, and lowers the drive output of the generator motor.

3. A construction machine according to Claim 2, wherein:

the hydraulic actuators serve as hydraulic cylinders or hydraulic motors.

4. A construction machine according to claim 2, wherein:

when a pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is not in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with a drive output of the engine and the drive output of the generator motor; and

when the pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with the drive output of the generator motor which is lowered in comparison with that when the pressure control device is not in operation.

5. A construction machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the hydraulic actuators serve as hydraulic cylinders or hydraulic motors.

6. A construction machine according to Claim 5, wherein:

when a pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is not in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with a drive output of the engine and the drive output of the generator motor; and

when the pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with the drive output of the generator motor which is lowered in comparison with that when the pressure control device is not in operation.

7. A construction machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the drive portion is configured to be capable of performing a swinging pressing work and a non-swinging pressing work;

the construction machine further comprises;

a pressure control device operation state determination portion which determines an operation state of the pressure control device based on a detection value detected by the displacement amount detection portion or the pressure detection portion;

a drive portion work state determination portion which determines whether the drive portion is in a state of the swinging pressing work or in a state of the non-swinging pressing work; and

the control portion lowers the drive output of the generator motor when the pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is in operation and the drive portion work state determination portion determines that the drive portion is in the state of the non-swinging pressing work.

8. A construction machine according to claim 7, wherein:

when the pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is not in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with a drive output of the engine and the drive output of the generator motor; and

when the pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with the drive output of the generator motor which is lowered in comparison with that when the pressure control device is not in operation.

9. A construction machine according to claim 1, wherein:

when a pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is not in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with a drive output of the engine and the drive output of the generator motor; and

when the pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with the drive output of the generator motor which is lowered in comparison with that when the pressure control device is not in operation.