Work machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11739502-B2
Application number	US-202117641038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2021
Priority date	Mar 30, 2020
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

Provided is a work machine which can increase the operation speed of an actuator by a regeneration function while securing the position control accuracy of the actuator. A controller is configured to calculate a regeneration flow rate on the basis of an input amount of an operation lever and a target actuator flow rate, subtract the regeneration flow rate from the target actuator flow rate to calculate a target actuator supply flow rate, calculate a target flow rate control valve opening amount on the basis of the target actuator supply flow rate, calculate a target pump flow rate that is equal to or higher than a total target actuator supply flow rate, control a selector valve on the basis of the input amount of the operation lever, control a flow rate control valve according to the target flow rate control valve opening amount, and control a hydraulic pump according to the target pump flow rate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A work machine comprising:
a machine body;
a work device mounted on the machine body;
an actuator that drives the machine body or the work device;
a hydraulic working fluid tank;
a hydraulic pump that sucks a hydraulic working fluid from the hydraulic working fluid tank and supplies the hydraulic working fluid to the actuator;
a flow rate control valve that is connected in parallel to a delivery line of the hydraulic pump and controls a flow of a hydraulic fluid to be supplied from the hydraulic pump to the actuator;
an operation lever that gives an instruction for an operation of the actuator; and
a controller that controls the flow rate control valve according to an input amount of the operation lever, wherein
the work machine includes
a regeneration valve that allows a hydraulic working fluid to flow from a meter-out side to a meter-in side of the flow rate control valve, and
a selector valve that is provided on a tank line connecting the flow rate control valve and the hydraulic working fluid tank to each other and opens or interrupts the tank line, and

the controller is configured to
calculate a target actuator flow rate that is a target flow rate for the actuator, on the basis of the input amount of the operation lever,
calculate a regeneration flow rate that is a flow rate of a hydraulic fluid passing through the regeneration valve, on the basis of the input amount of the operation lever and the target actuator flow rate,
subtract the regeneration flow rate from the target actuator flow rate to calculate a target actuator supply flow rate,
calculate a target flow rate control valve opening amount on the basis of the target actuator flow rate,
calculate a target pump flow rate that is equal to or higher than a total target actuator supply flow rate,
control the selector valve on the basis of the input amount of the operation lever,
control the flow rate control valve according to the target flow rate control valve opening amount, and
control the hydraulic pump according to the target pump flow rate.

2. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the flow rate control valve includes
a directional control valve that controls a direction of a hydraulic fluid to be supplied from the hydraulic pump to the actuator, and
an auxiliary flow rate control valve that restricts a flow rate of a hydraulic fluid to be supplied from the hydraulic pump to a meter-in port of the directional control valve, and

the regeneration valve is arranged on a hydraulic line that connects a meter-out port and the meter-in port of the directional control valve to each other.

3. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the flow rate control valve is a directional control valve that controls a direction and a flow rate of a hydraulic fluid to be supplied from the hydraulic pump to the actuator, and
the regeneration valve is arranged inside a spool of the directional control valve.

4. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the work machine includes an automatic control function changeover switch that gives an instruction for validation or invalidation of an automatic control function of the machine body or the work device, wherein
the controller is configured to, in a case where an instruction for invalidation of the automatic control function is given from the automatic control function changeover switch, calculate the target flow rate control valve opening amount and the target pump flow rate on the basis of the input amount of the operation lever.

Assignees

• Hitachi Construction Mach Co

Inventors

• Kumagai Kento
• Imura Shinya
• Tsuruga Yasutaka
• Chiba Takaaki
• Amano Hiroaki
• Nishikawa Shinji
• Narazaki Akihiro
• Sugiyama Genroku
• Yamamoto Shinjiro

Classifications

• E02F9/2217 Primary

  with energy recovery arrangements, e.g. using accumulators, flywheels · CPC title

• E02F9/2004

  Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers (control levers per se G05G) · CPC title

• E02F9/2228

  including an electronic controller · CPC title

• E02F9/2235

  including an electronic controller · CPC title

• F15B11/024

  by means of differential connection of the servomotor lines, e.g. regenerative circuits · CPC title