Control method for controlling an excavator and excavator comprising a control unit implementing such a control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10458095-B2
Application number	US-201515540066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2015
Priority date	Jan 7, 2015
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A control method includes the steps of: providing an excavator including: several movable members configured to move parts of the excavator, one actuating set comprising several actuators, among which at least one electric actuator, one or more static brakes movable between: i) a locking position and ii) an unlocking position, a command device to receive commands from an operator, a control unit to control the actuators and the static brakes based on command signals. The control method further includes: a reception step for receiving a command signal, an actuation check step to check whether the command signal requires the control unit to actuate an actuator of the actuating set, and if yes, an unlocking step wherein the control unit releases the static brakes of the actuating set.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control method, for controlling an excavator, the control method including a step of:
providing an excavator including at least:
several movable members, each movable member being configured to move at least a part of the excavator,
at least one actuating set comprising at least two actuators, the at least two actuators including at least one electric actuator, each actuator being configured to actuate at least one of the movable members,
at least one static brake movable between: i) a locking position where the at least one static brake locks the at least one electric actuator, and ii) an unlocking position where the at least one static brake unlocks the at least one electric actuator,
a command device configured to receive commands from an operator and to generate command signals based on the commands,
a control unit configured to receive the command signals and to control the actuators and the at least one static brake based on the command signals,
the control method further including at least:
a reception step wherein the control unit receives a command signal,
an actuation check step wherein the control unit checks whether the command signal requires the control unit to actuate at least one actuator belonging to the at least one actuating set, and
an unlocking step, after the command signal requires the control unit to actuate an actuator belonging to the at least one actuating set, wherein the control unit controls the at least one static brake so that the at least one static brake moves towards its unlocking position.

2. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the at least one static brake so that the at least one static brake moves towards its unlocking position within less than 500 millisecond.

3. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuating set comprises at least two electric actuators, wherein the excavator includes at least two static brakes, each static brake being movable between: i) a respective locking position where the static brake locks a respective electric actuator, and ii) a respective unlocking position where the static brake unlocks the respective electric actuator, and wherein, during the unlocking step, the control unit controls each static brake so that each static brake moves towards its respective unlocking position.

4. The control method according to claim 3 , wherein the at least two electric actuators each includes a respective electric motor, and wherein, during the unlocking step, the control unit energizes:
at least one electric motor so as to actuate at least one of the electric actuators, and
the remaining electric motors of all of the electric actuators belonging to the at least one actuating set in order to maintain in a static position the electric actuators.

5. The control method according to claim 4 , wherein, during the unlocking step, the control unit energizes all the electric motors so as to actuate all of the electric actuators belonging to the at least one actuating set.

6. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the actuators belonging to the at least one actuating set are configured to cooperate in order to generate a combined motion of at least one of the movable members.

7. The control method according to claim 6 , further including an actuation step wherein the control unit actuates at least two actuators belonging to the at least one actuating set when the command signal requires the control unit to actuate the at least two actuators belonging to the at least one actuating set.

8. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one electric actuator is selected in the group consisting of a linear electric actuator and a rotational electric actuator.

9. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one electric actuator includes a respective electric motor, and wherein, during the unlocking step, the control unit energizes the electric motor.

10. The control method according to claim 9 , wherein, during the unlocking step, the control unit energizes the electric motor of the at least one electric actuator before the at least one static brake moves towards its respective unlocking position.

11. The control method according to claim 9 , wherein, during the unlocking step, the control unit energizes the electric motor of the electric actuator substantially during a period where the at least one static brake moves towards its respective unlocking position.

12. The control method according to claim 11 , wherein, during the unlocking step, the control unit energizes the electric motor of the at least one electric actuator progressively as the at least one static brake moves towards its respective unlocking position.

13. The control method according to claim 9 , wherein, during the unlocking step, the control unit energizes the electric motor so as to actuate the at least one electric actuator belonging to the at least one actuating set.

14. The control method according to claim 9 , wherein, during the unlocking step, the control unit energizes the at least one electric motor so as to maintain in a static position the at least one electric actuator.

15. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises a memory for storing at least a dataset containing data identifying each actuator belonging to the at least one actuating set.

16. The control method according to claim 1 , further comprising a cab, wherein each one of the movable members is selected from the group consisting of a tool configured to work on a site, an arm configured to move the tool, a boom configured to move the arm, an offset member configured to offset the boom, a drive member configured to displace the cab with respect to a site ground and a blade configured to partially lift the cab.

17. The control method according to claim 16 , wherein the movable members include a tool configured to work on a site and an arm configured to move the tool,
wherein the at least one actuating set comprises a tool actuating set, the tool actuating set including at least a tool actuator configured to drive the tool and an arm actuator configured to drive the arm, and
wherein the at least one static brake includes at least a tool static brake configured to lock the tool actuator and an arm static brake configured to lock the arm actuator.

18. The control method according to claim 17 , wherein the movable members further include a boom configured to move the arm,
wherein the tool actuating set further includes a boom actuator configured to drive the boom, and
wherein the static brakes further include a boom static brake configured to lock the boom actuator.

19. The control method according to claim 18 , wherein the movable members further include an offset member configured to offset the boom, and wherein the tool actuating set further includes an offset actuator configured to drive the offset member, and wherein the static brakes further include an offset static brake configured to lock the offset actuator.

20. The control method according to claim 1 , further comprising a cab, wherein the movable members further include a blade configured to partially lift the cab and a drive member configured to displace the cab,
wherein the at least one actuating set comprises a cab actuating set, the cab actuating set including at least a blade actuator configured to drive the blade and a drive actuator configured to drive the drive member, and
wherein the at

Assignees

• Volvo Constr Equip Ab

Inventors

• Caillieret Roger
• Savoye François
• Nedjimi Ahcéne
• Bruyere Lilian

Classifications

• E02F9/2079

  Control of mechanical transmission (for hydrostatic transmission or hydraulic torque converter E02F9/2253) · CPC title

• E02F9/2095

  Control of electric, electro-mechanical or mechanical equipment not otherwise provided for, e.g. ventilators, electro-driven fans (control of hydraulic driven equipment E02F9/22) · CPC title

• E02F9/2083

  Control of vehicle braking systems · CPC title

• E02F3/43 Primary

  Control of dipper or bucket position; Control of sequence of drive operations · CPC title

• E02F3/42 Primary

  Drives for dippers, buckets, dipper-arms or bucket-arms · CPC title