Control device and construction machine provided therewith

• US 9,394,671 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2013
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Company Limited (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Company Limited (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Inventors: Hirozawa, Mitsunori, Ueda, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US14/385,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20150066313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/435 for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2066 of the type combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2217 with energy recovery arrangements, e.g. using accumulators, flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2239 using two or more pumps with cross-assistance
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2246 Control of prime movers, e.g. depending on the hydraulic load of work tools
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2285 Pilot-operated systems
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2292 Systems with two or more pumps
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 11/024 by means of differential connection of the servomotor lines, e.g. regenerative circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 11/17 using two or more pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/20523 Internal combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/20576 with multiple pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/3058 having additional valves for interconnecting the fluid chambers of a double-acting actuator, e.g. for regeneration mode or for floating mode directional control valves having a regenerative position F15B2211/3133; directional control valves having a floating position F15B2211/3127
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/30595 with additional valves between the groups of valves for multiple output members
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/41527 being connected to an output member and a directional control valve
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/41581 being connected to an output member and a return line
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/6309 the pressure being a pressure source supply pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/6313 the pressure being a load pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/6316 the pressure being a pilot pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/6346 representing a state of input means, e.g. joystick position
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/665 : Methods of control using electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/6651 : Control of the prime mover, e.g. control of the output torque or rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/6652 : Control of the pressure source, e.g. control of the swash plate angle
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/6654 : Flow rate control
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/78 : Control of multiple output members
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/88 : Control measures for saving energy

Abstract

A control device is configured to sufficiently reduce the drive loss of a hydraulic pump. The control device is provided with a controller configured to control a regeneration valve to switch to a regeneration state, and to control the flow rate of a second hydraulic pump to reduce the ejection flow rate of the second hydraulic pump in accordance with regeneration of hydraulic oil through the regeneration valve when a combined operation of lowering a boom and pressing an arm is performed. The controller outputs a command for setting the number of rotations of an engine to be smaller than the rotation number designated by a rotation number designating unit when the ejection flow rate of the second hydraulic pump is not larger than a predetermined flow rate during the combined operation.

Claims

1. A control device for a construction machine provided with a machine body, a boom configured to be raised and lowered with respect to the machine body, and an arm configured to be swingable with respect to the boom, the control device comprising:

a boom cylinder which raises and lowers the boom;

an arm cylinder which swings the arm;

a variable capacity hydraulic pump which supplies hydraulic oil to the arm cylinder;

an engine which drives the hydraulic pump;

a rotation number designating unit which outputs a command for designating the number of rotations of the engine;

a regeneration valve which is switchable between a regeneration state, in which return oil from the boom cylinder at a time of lowering the boom is drawn into a supply side port of the arm cylinder at a time of pressing the arm, and a closed state, in which drawing of the return oil into the arm cylinder is prevented;

flow rate detector configured to detect a value for specifying an ejection flow rate of the hydraulic pump; and

a controller which controls an operation of the regeneration valve so that the regeneration valve is switched to the regeneration state, and controls a flow rate of the hydraulic pump so as to reduce the ejection flow rate of the hydraulic pump in accordance with regeneration of hydraulic oil through the regeneration valve at a time of a combined operation of lowering the boom and pressing the arm, wherein

the controller outputs a command for setting the number of rotations of the engine to be smaller than the rotation number designated by the rotation number designating unit when the ejection flow rate of the hydraulic pump detected by the flow rate detector is not larger than a predetermined flow rate at the time of the combined operation.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller determines an amount of reduction for the number of rotations of the engine, based on a regeneration flow rate of hydraulic oil to be supplied from the boom cylinder to the arm cylinder through the regeneration valve.

3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein

the controller determines the amount of reduction for the number of rotations of the engine to increase, as the regeneration flow rate increases.

4. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a supply-and-discharge control valve which controls supply and discharge of hydraulic oil to and from the boom cylinder; and

an operation amount detecting unit which is configured to detect an operation amount of the supply-and-discharge control valve for lowering the boom, wherein

the controller determines an amount of reduction for the number of rotations of the engine, based on the operation amount of the supply-and-discharge control valve to be detected by the operation amount detecting unit.

5. The control device according to claim 4, wherein

the controller determines the amount of reduction for the number of rotations of the engine to increase, as the operation amount of the supply-and-discharge control valve to be detected by the operation amount detecting unit increases.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller determines whether the rotation number based on the command from the rotation number designating unit is not larger than a predetermined rotation number, and outputs a command for driving the engine at the rotation number designated by the rotation number designating unit, when the rotation number based on the command from the rotation number designating unit is not larger than the predetermined rotation number, regardless that the ejection flow rate of the hydraulic pump detected by the flow rate detector is not larger than the predetermined flow rate at the time of the combined operation.

7. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a warm-up detecting unit which detects a value for judging whether the engine is in a warm-up condition, wherein

the controller determines whether the engine is in the warm-up condition based on a detection value by the warm-up detecting unit, and outputs a command for driving the engine at the rotation number designated by the rotation number designating unit, when the engine is in the warm-up condition, regardless that the ejection flow rate of the hydraulic pump detected by the flow rate detector is not larger than the predetermined flow rate at the time of the combined operation.

8. A construction machine comprising:

a machine body;

a boom configured to be raised and lowered with respect to the machine body;

an arm configured to be swingable with respect to the boom;

a boom cylinder which raises and lowers the boom;

an arm cylinder which swings the arm;

a variable capacity hydraulic pump which supplies hydraulic oil to the arm cylinder;

an engine which drives the hydraulic pump;

a rotation number designating unit which outputs a command for designating the number of rotations of the engine;

a regeneration valve which is switchable between a regeneration state, in which return oil from the boom cylinder at a time of lowering the boom is drawn into a supply side port of the arm cylinder at a time of pressing the arm, and a closed state, in which drawing of the return oil into the arm cylinder is prevented;

flow rate detector which is configured to detect a value for specifying an ejection flow rate of the hydraulic pump; and

a controller which controls an operation of the regeneration valve so that the regeneration valve is switched to the regeneration state, and controls a flow rate of the hydraulic pump so as to reduce the ejection flow rate of the hydraulic pump in accordance with regeneration of hydraulic oil through the regeneration valve at a time of a combined operation of lowering the boom and pressing the arm, wherein

the controller outputs a command for setting the number of rotations of the engine to be smaller than the rotation number designated by the rotation number designating unit when the ejection flow rate of the hydraulic pump detected by the flow rate detector is not larger than a predetermined flow rate at the time of the combined operation.