TRAVELING CRANE OPERATION CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20110066335A1
• Filed: 04/22/2009
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KITO Corporation
• Original Assignee: KITO Corporation
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Tsutomu, Muramatsu, Shigeru, Terai, Shigeo, Fukasawa, Michio, Koizumi, Koichi, Shi, Yafang
• Granted Patent: US 8,660,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/40 Applications of devices for transmitting control pulses; Applications of remote control devices control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/44 Electrical transmitters

Abstract

To provide a traveling crane operation control apparatus and method enabling an operator to operate a traveling crane quickly and accurately by one hand and by a motion of his or her body with a controller worn thereon, without the need to gaze at his or her hand, and also allowing variable-speed control and fine speed control of each drive unit.

An operation control apparatus for a traveling crane has an operation control circuit section 1 including a base unit 2 wearable on an arm 4 of an operator and a control unit 3 operable by a hand. The base unit 2 has base unit tilt detecting means detecting a tilt direction and tilt angle of the base unit 2 in a vertical plane, base unit direction detecting means detecting a direction in which the base unit 2 points in a horizontal plane, and command signal generating means generating a travel command signal and a travel speed command signal for a travel motor, a traverse command signal and a traverse speed command signal for a traverse motor, and an elevation command signal and an elevation speed command signal for an elevation motor. The traveling crane can be controlled to perform travel, traverse, lifting and lowering operations simply by pointing the base unit 2 in a direction in which travel and traverse motions are desired to occur and in a vertical direction in which a lifting or lowering motion is desired to occur, and actuating the control unit 3.

Claims

1. A traveling crane operation control apparatus for a traveling crane having a travel rail laid in a predetermined direction in a horizontal plane, a traverse rail disposed in a direction perpendicular to said travel rail and moved along said travel rail by a travel motor, and an electric hoist having a traverse motor for moving along said traverse rail and an elevation motor for lifting and lowering a load, said traveling crane operation control apparatus comprising:

an operation control circuit section including a base unit wearable on an arm of an operator and a control unit operable by a hand of the arm wearing said base unit;

said base unit having base unit tilt detecting means detecting a vertical tilt direction and tilt angle of said base unit in a vertical plane, base unit direction detecting means detecting a direction in which said base unit points in a horizontal plane, and command signal generating means generating a travel command signal and a travel speed command signal for said travel motor, a traverse command signal and a traverse speed command signal for said traverse motor, and an elevation command signal and an elevation speed command signal for said elevation motor;

said control unit having at least motion decision means outputting a motion decision signal to the command signal generating means of said base unit;

wherein, in response to the operator pointing the arm wearing said base unit in a moving direction in which the traveling crane is desired to be moved in a horizontal plane, or in a vertical direction in which the traveling crane is desired to be lifted or lowered, or in both said moving direction and vertical direction, said command signal generating means generates a travel command signal, a travel speed command signal, a traverse command signal and a traverse speed command signal for moving the traveling crane in said moving direction and an elevation command signal and an elevation speed command signal for lifting or lowering the traveling crane based on detection signals from said base unit tilt detecting means, or said base unit direction detecting means, or from both said base unit tilt detecting means and said base unit direction detecting means on condition that there is said motion decision signal from said motion decision means.

2. The traveling crane operation control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motion decision means of said control unit has a speed signal output function to output a speed signal designating a speed in addition to said motion decision signal;

said command signal generating means having a function to generate the travel speed command signal and the traverse speed command signal for moving the traveling crane in said moving direction and the elevation speed command signal for lifting or lowering the traveling crane according to the speed signal from said speed signal output function.

3. The traveling crane operation control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motion decision means of said control unit has a speed signal output function to output a speed signal designating a speed in addition to said motion decision signal;

said command signal generating means dividing a vertical tilt angle range of said arm into a first tilt angle range<

a second tilt angle range<

a third tilt angle range and having the following first, second and third functions according to a range of the vertical tilt angle detected by said base unit tilt detecting means;

a first function with which when the vertical tilt angle detected is in said first tilt angle range, the command signal generating means generates a travel command signal and a traverse command signal for moving the traveling crane in the direction detected by said base unit direction detecting means and also generates a travel speed command signal and a traverse speed command signal according to the speed signal output from the speed signal output function of said control unit;

a second function with which when the vertical tilt angle detected is in said second tilt angle range, the command signal generating means generates a travel command signal and a traverse command signal for moving the traveling crane in the direction detected by said base unit direction detecting means and generates an elevation command signal for lifting or lowering the traveling crane in the vertical direction detected by said base unit tilt detecting means and further generates a travel speed command signal, a traverse speed command signal and an elevation speed command signal according to the speed signal output from the speed signal output function of said control unit; and

a third function with which when the vertical tilt angle detected is in said third tilt angle range, the command signal generating means generates an elevation command signal for lifting or lowering the traveling crane in the vertical direction detected by said base unit tilt detecting means and also generates an elevation speed command signal according to the speed signal output from the speed signal output function of said control unit.

4. The traveling crane operation control apparatus of claim 3, wherein said first tilt angle range is from 0°

to 15°

, said second tilt angle range is from 15°

to 60°

, and said third tilt angle range is from 60°

to 90°

.

5. The traveling crane operation control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motion decision means of said control unit has a speed signal output function to output a speed signal designating a speed in addition to said motion decision signal;

said command signal generating means dividing a vertical tilt angle range of said arm into a first tilt angle range<

a second tilt angle range<

a third tilt angle range and has the following first, second and third functions according to a range of the vertical tilt angle detected by said base unit tilt direction detecting means;

a first function with which when the vertical tilt angle detected is in said first tilt angle range, the command signal generating means generates a travel command signal and a traverse command signal for moving the traveling crane in the direction detected by said base unit direction detecting means and also generates a travel speed command signal and a traverse speed command signal according to the speed signal output from the speed signal output function of said control unit;

a second function with which when the vertical tilt angle detected is in said second tilt angle range, the command signal generating means does not generate any of said travel command signal, travel speed command signal, traverse command signal, traverse speed command signal, elevation command signal and elevation speed command signal; and

a third function with which when the vertical tilt angle detected is in said third tilt angle range, the command signal generating means generates an elevation command signal for lifting or lowering the traveling crane in the vertical direction detected by said base unit tilt detecting means and also generates an elevation speed command signal according to the speed signal output from the speed signal output function of said control unit.

6. The traveling crane operation control apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first tilt angle range is from 0°

to 30°

, said second tilt angle range is from 30°

to 45°

, and said third tilt angle range is from 45°

to 90°

.

7. The traveling crane operation control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motion decision means of said control unit has a speed signal output function to output a speed signal designating a speed in addition to said motion decision signal and also has an elevation trigger signal output function to output an elevation trigger signal;

said command signal generating means having the following first, second and third functions;

a first function with which the command signal generating means generates a travel command signal and a traverse command signal for moving the traveling crane in the direction detected by said base unit direction detecting means and also generates a travel speed command signal and a traverse speed command signal according to the speed signal output from the speed signal output function of said control unit;

a second function with which the command signal generating means generates an elevation command signal in response to the elevation trigger signal from the elevation trigger signal output function of said control unit and also generates an elevation speed command signal according to the vertical tilt angle detected by said base unit tilt detecting means;

a third function with which the command signal generating means generates a travel command signal and a traverse command signal for moving the traveling crane in the direction detected by said base unit direction detecting means, generates a travel speed command signal and a traverse speed command signal according to the speed signal output from the speed signal output function of said control unit, outputs an elevation command signal in response to the elevation trigger signal from the elevation trigger signal output function of said control unit and further generates an elevation speed command signal according to the vertical tilt angle detected by said base unit tilt detecting means.

8. The traveling crane operation control apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control unit is provided with a control unit direction detecting means detecting a direction in which said control unit points in a horizontal plane or a control unit tilt detecting means detecting a vertical tilt direction and tilt angle of said control unit in a vertical plane to detect a relative angle of a wrist to the arm wearing said base unit, said command signal generating means generating an elevation command signal and elevation speed command signal according to said relative angle detected.

9. A traveling crane operation control apparatus for a traveling crane having a travel rail laid in a predetermined direction in a horizontal plane, a traverse rail disposed in a direction perpendicular to said travel rail and moved along said travel rail by a travel motor, and an electric hoist having a traverse motor for moving along said traverse rail and an elevation motor for lifting and lowering a load, said traveling crane operation control apparatus comprising:

an operation control circuit section including a base unit wearable on an arm of an operator and a control unit wearable on a finger of the arm wearing said base unit;

said base unit having base unit direction detecting means detecting a direction in which said base unit points in a horizontal plane, and command signal generating means generating a travel command signal and a travel speed command signal for said travel motor, a traverse command signal and a traverse speed command signal for said traverse motor, and an elevation command signal and an elevation speed command signal for said elevation motor;

said control unit having motion decision and speed setting means operable by a finger other than the finger wearing said control unit and outputting a travel-traverse decision signal and a speed signal designating a speed to the command signal generating means of said base unit, and lifting-lowering decision means outputting an lifting-lowering decision signal to the command signal generating means of said base unit;

said command signal generating means having the following first and second functions;

a first function with which, in response to the operator pointing the arm wearing said base unit in a direction in which the traveling crane is desired to be moved in a horizontal plane, the command signal generating means generates a travel command signal and a traverse command signal for moving the traveling crane and also generates a travel speed command signal and a traverse speed command signal according to the speed signal on condition that there is said travel-traverse decision signal from said motion decision and speed setting means; and

a second function with which the command signal generating means generates an elevation command signal and a constant-speed elevation speed command signal on condition that there is the lifting-lowering decision signal from the lifting-lowering decision means.

10. The traveling crane operation control apparatus of claim 9, wherein said base unit has base unit tilt detecting means detecting a vertical tilt direction and angle of said base unit in a vertical plane;

said command signal generating means having the following third function;

a third function with which the command signal generating means outputs an elevation command signal and an elevation speed command signal designating a speed corresponding to the tilt angle detected by said base unit tilt detecting means on condition that there is the lifting-lowering decision signal from said lifting-lowering decision means.

11. A traveling crane operation control apparatus for a traveling crane having a travel rail laid in a predetermined direction in a horizontal plane, a traverse rail disposed in a direction perpendicular to said travel rail and moved along said travel rail by a travel motor, and an electric hoist having a traverse motor for moving along said traverse rail and an elevation motor for lifting and lowering a load, said traveling crane operation control apparatus comprising:

an operation control circuit section including a base unit wearable on a body part of an operator other than an arm of the operator and a control unit operable by a hand of the operator;

said control unit having control unit tilt detecting means detecting a vertical tilt direction and tilt angle of said control unit in a vertical plane, a control unit direction detecting means detecting a direction in which said control unit points in a horizontal plane, and motion decision and speed setting means outputting a motion decision signal and a speed signal;

said base unit having command signal generating means generating a travel command signal and a travel speed command signal for said travel motor, a traverse command signal and a traverse speed command signal for said traverse motor, and an elevation command signal and an elevation speed command signal for said elevation motor;

the command signal generating means of said base unit classifying the tilt angle detected by said control unit tilt detecting means into one of three tilt angle ranges and having the following first, second and third functions on condition that there is the motion decision signal from said motion decision and speed setting means;

a first function with which when the tilt angle detected is in said first tilt angle range, the command signal generating means generates a travel command signal, a traverse command signal and speed command signals respectively associated with the command signals;

a second function with which when the tilt angle detected is in said second tilt angle range, the command signal generating means generates a travel command signal, a traverse command signal, and a lifting or lowering command signal according to whether the tilt direction of said control unit is upward or downward, and also generates speed command signals respectively associated with said command signals; and

a third function with which when the tilt angle detected is in said third tilt angle range, the command signal generating means generates a lifting or lowering command signal according to whether the tilt direction of the control unit is upward or downward, and also generates a speed command signal associated with said lifting or lowering command signal.

12. The traveling crane operation control apparatus of claim 11, wherein said command signal generating means generates speed command signals respectively associated with the travel command signal and the traverse command signal for said first tilt range according to the speed signal from said motion decision and speed setting means, generates speed command signals respectively associated with the travel command signal and the traverse command signal for said second tilt range according to the speed signal from said motion decision and speed setting means, generates a speed command signal associated with a lifting or lowering command signal for said second tilt range according to the tilt angle detected by said control unit tilt detecting means, and generates a speed command signal associated with the lifting or lowering command signal for said third tilt range according to the speed signal from said motion decision and speed setting means.

13. The traveling crane operation control apparatus of claim 11, wherein said first tilt angle range is from 0°

to 15°

, said second tilt angle range is from 15°

to 60°

, and said third tilt angle range is from 60°

to 90°

.

14. A traveling crane operation control method for a traveling crane having a travel rail laid in a predetermined direction in a horizontal plane, a traverse rail disposed in a direction perpendicular to said travel rail and moved along said travel rail by a travel motor, and an electric hoist having a traverse motor for moving along said traverse rail and an elevation motor for lifting and lowering a load, said traveling crane operation control method comprising the steps of:

an operator wearing on his or her body a base unit including tilt detecting means detecting a vertical tilt direction of said base unit in a vertical plane and direction detecting means detecting a direction in which said base unit points in a horizontal plane;

the operator pointing said base unit in a moving direction in which the traveling crane is desired to be moved in a horizontal plane, or in a vertical direction in which the traveling crane is desired to be lifted or lowered in a vertical plane, or in both said moving direction and said vertical direction; and

the operator operating a hand-operated control unit by his or her finger, thereby moving the traveling crane in said moving direction, or lifting or lowering the traveling crane in said vertical direction, or moving and lifting or lowering the traveling crane simultaneously.