Control device for construction machine

• US 7,500,535 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2004
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Company Limited (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Company Limited (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Inventors: Umezu, Yoshiyasu, Hayashi, Norihiko, Asakage, Tomohiko, Kamon, Yoshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amores; Karen
• Application Number:
  US10/543,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20060179830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 180/286, 180/272, 180/271, 180/315, 180/321, 180/324, 180/336, 604/31, 604/20, 603/99, 603/94, 603/68
• US Class Current: 180/272
• 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 17/04 rendering engines inoperative or idling, e.g. caused by abnormal conditions dependent on lubricating conditions F01M1/22; dependent on cooling F01P5/14
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/04 peculiar to engines driving pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0803 characterised by means for initiating engine start or stop F02N11/0814 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/10 Safety devices F02N11/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A control device for a construction machine according to the present invention is configured so that in the construction machine provided with an automatic stop function which automatically stops an engine by an engine controller upon a predetermined automatic stop condition being met, and a hydraulic lock function which sets a hydraulic actuator locked in an inactive state by a hydraulic lock controller, there is provided a restart switch, where after an automatic stop of the engine, when the restart switch is operated, a restart command is transmitted to the engine controller via a route independently of that of an engine switch and independently of a hydraulic unlock condition, and the engine is restarted.

Claims

1. A control device for a construction machine comprising:

an engine as a power source adapted to be started/stopped based upon an operation applied to an engine switch,

a hydraulic actuator for operating upon a hydraulic pump as a driving source,

hydraulic lock control means for locking said hydraulic actuator in a hydraulic lock active condition where said hydraulic actuator is in an inactive state upon a predetermined hydraulic lock condition being met and unlocking said hydraulic actuator upon a predetermined hydraulic unlock condition being met,

engine control means for carrying out an automatic stop control to automatically stop said engine upon a predetermined automatic stop condition being met,

restart instructing means for issuing a restart command to said engine control means via a route independently of that of the engine switch and independently of the hydraulic unlock condition, wherein said engine control means is configured to restart said engine based upon the restart command from said restart instructing means after an automatic stop of said engine by the automatic stop control,

an operating member for instructing activation of said hydraulic actuator, and

a restart sensor as said restart instructing means for transmitting the restart command to said engine control means upon detecting an operation applied to said operating member by an operator.

2. The control device for the construction machine according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of hydraulic actuators including said hydraulic actuator, wherein there are provided said restart sensor on said operating member for instructing the activation of each of said hydraulic actuators, and said engine control means is configured to restart said engine upon said restart sensor issuing the restart command substantially at the same time.

3. The control device for the construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said engine control means is configured to restart said engine based upon the restart command from said restart instructing means upon said operating member being operated in a predetermined engine restart pattern.

4. The control device for the construction machine according to claim 3, wherein said engine control means is configured to restart said engine upon determining that the engine restart pattern occurs if said operating member is operated from a neutral position to a position for activating said hydraulic actuator, and then is returned to the neutral position.

5. The control device for the construction machine according to claim 3, wherein said engine control means is configured to restart said engine upon determining that the engine restart pattern occurs if said operating member being operated from a neutral position to a position for activating said hydraulic actuator.

6. The control device for the construction machine according to claim 5, wherein said hydraulic lock control means releases the hydraulic lock active condition of said hydraulic actuator upon the hydraulic unlock condition being met if said operating member is returned from the position for activating said hydraulic actuator to the neutral position.

7. The control device for the construction machine according to claim 6, further comprising engine operation detecting means for detecting that said engine is in operation, said hydraulic lock control means being configured to determine that the hydraulic unlock condition is met if said engine operation detecting means detects that the said engine is in operation.