Mobile crane comprising a device for facilitating or fully automatically carrying out a raising and/or setting-down process of a derrick boom, and corresponding method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11970372-B2
Application number	US-202217655504-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2022
Priority date	Mar 19, 2021
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a mobile crane, which comprises a superstructure, a main boom, which extends away from the superstructure and is arranged so as to be pivotable thereon, a derrick boom, which extends away from the superstructure and is arranged so as to be pivotable thereon, and a winch assembly, wherein the winch assembly comprises a main-boom winch for actuating the main boom and a derrick-boom winch for actuating the derrick boom. The mobile crane is characterised by an assistance apparatus for facilitating or fully automatically carrying out a raising and/or setting-down process of the derrick boom, which apparatus is designed to actuate the main boom and the derrick boom, such as the main-boom winch and the derrick-boom winch, at the same time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile crane, comprising:
a superstructure,
a main boom, which extends away from the superstructure and is arranged so as to be pivotable thereon,
a derrick boom, which extends away from the superstructure and is arranged so as to be pivotable thereon,
a winch assembly on the superstructure and/or on the derrick boom, wherein
the winch assembly comprises a main-boom winch for actuating the main boom and a derrick-boom winch for actuating the derrick boom, and
in response to a single input from a user interface, an assistance apparatus facilitates or fully automatically performs raising of the derrick boom into a working position and/or setting-down of the derrick boom from the working position during which the assistance apparatus actuates the main boom and the derrick boom at the same time.

2. The mobile crane according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a force-measuring unit for determining a force of a support strand from the derrick boom and/or a force of a support strand from the main boom, wherein the assistance apparatus raises or sets down the derrick boom actuates the main-boom winch and/or the derrick-boom winch on the basis of values of the support-strand force for the derrick boom and/or the support-strand force for the main boom that are determined by the force-measuring unit.

3. The mobile crane according to claim 2 , wherein, during the raising of the derrick boom, the assistance apparatus simultaneously actuates the main boom in a lowering direction.

4. The mobile crane according to claim 3 , wherein, during the setting-down of the derrick boom, the assistance apparatus simultaneously actuates the main boom in the raising direction.

5. The mobile crane according to claim 4 , wherein the assistance apparatus actuates the derrick-boom winch in the lowering direction and actuates the main-boom winch in the raising direction.

6. The mobile crane according to claim 3 , wherein, during the raising and/or setting-down of the derrick boom, the derrick boom is tensioned between the support strand of the main boom and the support strand of the derrick boom, such that the derrick boom is tensioned between a cable that can be controlled by the main-boom winch and a cable that can be controlled by the derrick-boom winch and/or in that the derrick boom can be pivoted by activating the main-boom winch in a first direction and by activating the derrick-boom winch in a second direction opposite the first direction.

7. The mobile crane according to claim 6 , wherein the assistance apparatus pretensions the support strand of the main boom when the derrick boom pivots in the raising direction such that, after the derrick boom passes through a vertical position, the derrick boom does not fall against a slack support strand of the main boom.

8. The mobile crane according to claim 7 , wherein, during a setting-down of the derrick boom, the support strand of the derrick boom is pretensioned when the derrick boom pivots in the lowering direction such that, after passing through the vertical position, the derrick boom does not fall against a slack support strand of the derrick boom.

9. The mobile crane according to claim 3 , wherein the assistance apparatus actuates the derrick-boom winch in the raising direction and actuates the main-boom winch in the lowering direction.

10. The mobile crane according to claim 2 , wherein the support strand of the main boom and/or of the derrick boom exceeds a predetermined tension value in order for the support strand to be wound up onto the main-boom winch and/or the derrick-boom winch.

11. The mobile crane according to claim 1 , wherein the assistance apparatus sets the main boom on the ground during the raising and/or setting-down of the derrick boom.

12. The mobile crane according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises a lever, knob, or button excursion of which influences a speed of movement of the derrick boom when raised and/or set down.

13. The mobile crane according to claim 12 , wherein the user interface comprises a lever that can be moved out of a central position in two directions, and wherein moving the lever out of the central position in one of the two directions raises the derrick boom and moving the lever in the other of the two directions sets down the derrick boom.

14. The mobile crane according to claim 12 , wherein the assistance apparatus stops the derrick boom when an input of the user interface is not received.

15. A method for facilitating or fully automatically carrying out the raising and/or setting-down process of claim 1 , wherein, in the method: the main boom and the derrick boom are actuated at a same time by the assistance apparatus.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein, during the raising and/or setting-down of the derrick boom, the assistance apparatus pretensions the derrick boom between a support strand of the main boom and a support strand of the derrick boom, and the derrick boom is moved a main-boom winch and/or a derrick-boom winch is actuated by the assistance apparatus on the basis of a support-strand force for the derrick boom and/or a support-strand force for the main boom, to keep the support strand of the main boom and/or the support strand of the derrick boom at a predetermined tension value, such that the support strand is wound up onto the main-boom winch and/or the derrick-boom winch.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein, during the raising of the derrick boom, when the derrick boom pivots in the raising direction, the support strand of the main boom is pretensioned by the assistance apparatus such that, after passing through the vertical position, the derrick boom does not fall against a slack support strand of the main boom.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the derrick boom passes through a vertical position.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein, during the setting-down of the derrick boom, when the derrick boom pivots in the lowering direction, the support strand of the derrick boom is pretensioned by the assistance apparatus such that, after passing through the vertical position, the derrick boom does not fall against a slack support strand of the derrick boom.

20. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the derrick boom is tensioned between a cable controlled by the main-boom winch and a cable controlled by the derrick-boom winch and/or wherein the derrick boom is pivoted by activating the main-boom winch in a first direction and by activating the derrick-boom winch in a second direction opposite the first direction.

Assignees

• Liebherr Werk Nenzing

Inventors

• Mietschnig Walter
• Schapler Manfred
• Lamprecht Tizian

Classifications

• B66C13/18 Primary

  Control systems or devices (exclusively for rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms B66D1/40) · CPC title

• B66C23/36

  mounted on road or rail vehicles; Manually-movable jib-cranes for use in workshops; Floating cranes (with pneumatic or hydraulic motors B66C23/54; vehicle or ship aspects B60 - B63) · CPC title

• B66C2700/0371

  on a turntable · CPC title

• B66C2700/0392

  Movement of the crane arm; Coupling of the crane arm with the counterweights; Safety devices for the movement of the arm · CPC title

• B66C23/82 Primary

  Luffing gear · CPC title