Construction machine float valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016222633-A1
Application number	US-201315021344-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 13, 2013
Priority date	Sep 13, 2013
Publication date	Aug 4, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A construction machine float valve is disclosed, which can remove a spool stick phenomenon that may occur during leveling and flattening work. The float valve includes a valve block including first and second actuator ports formed therein to respectively communicate with a large chamber and a small chamber of a hydraulic cylinder of a working device and a tank port formed therein to selectively communicate with the first and second actuator ports, a holding poppet installed in a path that connects the first actuator port to the second actuator port and the tank port to be opened or closed, a spool installed in the valve block to be shifted to open the path through sifting the holding poppet to a holding function releasing position, a boom-up signal pressure port configured to receive boom-up pilot pressure applied thereto to make the spool return to a neutral position if the spool does not return to the neutral position when the boom-down pilot pressure is released, a piston configured to make the spool return to the neutral position through pressing the spool by means of the boom-up pilot pressure that is applied to the boom-up signal pressure port, and a drain port configured to drain the hydraulic fluid from a pressure chamber if the piston is pressed by the boom-up pilot pressure or if the spool is shifted by the boom-down pilot pressure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A float valve for a construction machine, comprising:
a valve block including a first actuator port formed therein to communicate with a large chamber of a hydraulic cylinder of a working device, a second actuator port formed therein to communicate with a small chamber of the hydraulic cylinder of the working device, and a tank port formed therein to selectively communicate with the first actuator port and the second actuator port; a holding poppet installed in a path that connects the first actuator port to the second actuator port and the tank port to be opened or closed; a spool installed in the valve block to be shifted in response to boom-down pilot pressure applied thereto, the spool being shifted to open the path through sifting the holding poppet to a holding function releasing position as hydraulic fluid drains from a back chamber of the holding poppet, and to make the first actuator port communicate with the second actuator port and the tank port when the path is opened; a boom-up signal pressure port configured to receive boom-up pilot pressure applied thereto to make the spool return to a neutral position if the spool does not return to the neutral position when the boom-down pilot pressure is released; a piston configured to make the spool return to the neutral position through pressing the spool by means of the boom-up pilot pressure that is applied to the boom-up signal pressure port; and a drain port configured to drain the hydraulic fluid from a pressure chamber if the piston is pressed by the boom-up pilot pressure or if the spool is shifted by the boom-down pilot pressure.

2 . The float valve according to claim 1 , wherein the boom-up pilot pressure, which is applied to the boom-up signal pressure port, is applied by an operation of an operation lever for operating the hydraulic cylinder.

3 . The float valve according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a spool cap installed on one side surface of the valve block and including the pressure chamber to which the hydraulic fluid from the back chamber of the holding poppet drains, the drain port, the boom-up signal pressure port, and the piston provided therein; a valve spring configured to press the spool so that the spool returns to the neutral position when the boom-down pilot pressure is released; and a retainer pin fixed to one end portion of the spool to shift the spool when being pressed by the piston that slides through applying of the boom-up pilot pressure thereto.

Assignees

• Volvo Constr Equip Ab

Inventors

• Kang Min-Heuk

Classifications

• F15B13/01

  Locking-valves or other detent {i.e. load-holding} devices · CPC title

• E02F9/2285

  Pilot-operated systems · CPC title

• E02F9/2203

  Arrangements for controlling the attitude of actuators, e.g. speed, floating function · CPC title

• F15B13/021

  Valves for interconnecting the fluid chambers of an actuator · CPC title

• F15B2211/30525

  Directional control valves, e.g. 4/3-directional control valve · CPC title