Construction machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340953-B2
Application number	US-201314410350-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2013
Priority date	Jun 22, 2012
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

Provided is a construction machine which is capable of suppressing useless power consumption. This construction machine is provided with an excavator body, a working device which is attached to the excavator body, an engine which is mounted in the excavator body, a generator motor which is attached to the engine and which can be driven as an electric generator or an electric motor, a hydraulic pump which is driven by the engine and the generator motor, a hydraulic actuator which drives the working device with motive power generated by the hydraulic pump, and a control portion which lowers the drive output of the generator motor in accordance with the drive state of the working device and limits the drive output of the hydraulic pump in order to keep the rotation frequency of the engine within a range of predetermined values.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A construction machine comprising:
a body;
a drive portion which is attached to the body;
an engine which is mounted in the body;
a generator motor which is attached to the engine and which can be driven as an electric generator or an electric motor;
a hydraulic pump which is driven by the engine and the generator motor;
a plurality of hydraulic actuators which drive the drive portion with motive power generated by the hydraulic pump;
a pressure control device which operates in accordance with discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump;
a pressure detection portion which detects the discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump;
a plurality of operation devices which generate and output operation signals in order to operate the plurality of hydraulic actuators;
a control portion which lowers a drive output of the generator motor in accordance with a drive state of the drive portion and limits a drive output of the hydraulic pump in order to keep a rotation frequency of the engine within a range of predetermined values; and
wherein when an operation amount of the other of the operation devices is within a predetermined range which is set in advance, the control portion determines that the drive portion is in a non-excavation state, and lowers the drive output of the generator motor.

2. A construction machine according to claim 1 wherein:
when the other one of the operation devices outputs a signal in order to operate a corresponding one of the hydraulic actuators and the displacement amount detected by the displacement amount detection portion is within a predetermined range which is set in advance, the control portion determines that the drive portion is in a non-excavation state, and lowers the drive output of the generator motor.

3. A construction machine according to Claim 2 , wherein:
the hydraulic actuators serve as hydraulic cylinders or hydraulic motors.

4. A construction machine according to claim 2 , wherein:
when a pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is not in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with a drive output of the engine and the drive output of the generator motor; and when the pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with the drive output of the generator motor which is lowered in comparison with that when the pressure control device is not in operation.

5. A construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein:
the hydraulic actuators serve as hydraulic cylinders or hydraulic motors.

6. A construction machine according to Claim 5 , wherein:
when a pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is not in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with a drive output of the engine and the drive output of the generator motor; and when the pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with the drive output of the generator motor which is lowered in comparison with that when the pressure control device is not in operation.

7. A construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein:
the drive portion is configured to be capable of performing a swinging pressing work and a non-swinging pressing work;
the construction machine further comprises:
a pressure control device operation state determination portion which determines an operation state of the pressure control device based on a detection value detected by the displacement amount detection portion or the pressure detection portion; a drive portion work state determination portion which determines whether the drive portion is in a state of the swinging pressing work or in a state of the non-swinging pressing work; and
the control portion lowers the drive output of the generator motor when the pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is in operation and the drive portion work state determination portion determines that the drive portion is in the state of the non-swinging pressing work.

8. A construction machine according to claim 7 , wherein:
when the pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is not in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with a drive output of the engine and the drive output of the generator motor; and when the pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with the drive output of the generator motor which is lowered in comparison with that when the pressure control device is not in operation.

9. A construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein:
when a pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is not in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with a drive output of the engine and the drive output of the generator motor; and when the pressure control device operation state determination portion determines that the pressure control device is in operation, the control portion drives the hydraulic pump with the drive output of the generator motor which is lowered in comparison with that when the pressure control device is not in operation.

Assignees

• Hitachi Construction Machinery

Inventors

• Sakamoto Hiroshi
• Hoshino Masatoshi
• Ishihara Shinji

Classifications

• B60K6/485

  Motor-assist type · CPC title

• E02F9/2246

  Control of prime movers, e.g. depending on the hydraulic load of work tools · CPC title

• F02D29/06

  peculiar to engines driving electric generators · CPC title

• E02F9/2075 Primary

  of the hybrid type (for vehicles in general B60W20/00) · CPC title

• B60W20/00

  Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)} · CPC title