Hydraulic circuit for construction machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9932999-B2
Application number	US-201314443471-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2013
Priority date	Dec 13, 2012
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A hydraulic circuit changeable between a state of executing a regeneration action and a state of stopping the regeneration action. The hydraulic circuit includes hydraulic pumps; a plurality of hydraulic actuators; a plurality of control valves provided for respective hydraulic actuators; a regeneration line through which return oil returned from a specific hydraulic actuator of the hydraulic actuators to a tank is supplied to a regeneration target; a regeneration valve; a meter-out valve; and a flow-path selection device selecting a flow path for the return oil from a first flow path supplying the return oil to the regeneration line to cause the regeneration action and a second flow path supplying the return oil to the control valve for the specific hydraulic actuator to stop the regeneration action.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hydraulic circuit for a construction machine, comprising:
at least one hydraulic pump that discharges hydraulic oil;
a plurality of hydraulic actuators that are operated by supply of the hydraulic oil from the at least one hydraulic pump;
a plurality of control valves provided for the plurality of hydraulic actuators, respectively, and configured to control the supply of the hydraulic oil from the at least one hydraulic pump to corresponding hydraulic actuators to thereby control respective operations of the corresponding hydraulic actuators individually;
a regeneration line through which return oil is supplied as a regeneration oil to a regeneration target, the return oil being hydraulic oil returned from a specific hydraulic actuator which is one of the hydraulic actuators to a tank;
a regeneration valve disposed on the regeneration line;
a meter-out valve configured to control a return flow rate that is a flow rate of hydraulic oil returned to the tank out of the return oil; and
a flow-path selection device that selects a flow-path of the return oil from a first flow-path that leads the return oil to the regeneration line to cause regeneration action and a second flow path that leads the return oil to a specific control valve that is one of the plurality of control valves and is provided for the specific hydraulic actuator to stop the regeneration action, the flow-path selection device including a controller, wherein:
the regeneration valve and the meter-out valve are formed of respective solenoid valves each being operated by a signal input from the controller, and
the controller detects an abnormal condition of the regeneration valve and the meter-out valve, and changes the flow path of the return oil to the second flow path upon detecting the abnormal condition.

2. The hydraulic circuit for a construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein the flow-path selection device includes:
a first pilot check valve changeable between a state of preventing flow of oil from the specific hydraulic actuator to the specific control valve and a state of permitting the flow of oil from the specific hydraulic actuator to the specific control valve; a second pilot check valve disposed upstream of the regeneration valve on the regeneration line and being changeable between a state of preventing flow of oil toward the regeneration valve and a state of permitting the flow of oil toward the regeneration valve; and the controller configured to input, to each of the first and second pilot check valves; a signal for changing the state of each of the first and second pilot check valves.

3. A construction machine, comprising:
a lower traveling body;
an upper stewing body mounted on the lower traveling body so as to be capable of being freely stewed;
a boom attached to the upper stewing body so as to be capable of being raised and lowered; and
the hydraulic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein: the specific hydraulic actuator is a boom cylinder having a head-side chamber and a rod-side chamber and configured to be extended and retracted by supply of hydraulic oil to the head-side chamber and the rod-side chamber, to raise and lower the boom; the hydraulic circuit includes a head side pipe-line connecting the head-side chamber of the boom cylinder to the specific control valve provided for the boom cylinder, and the regeneration line branches from the head side pipe-line.

4. The construction machine according to claim 3 , further comprising an arm rotatably connected to an end of the boom, wherein the hydraulic circuit includes, as another other hydraulic actuator, an arm cylinder having a head-side chamber and a rod-side chamber and configured to be extended and retracted by supply of hydraulic oil to the head-side chamber and the rod-side chamber, so as to cause the arm to rotationally move in a pushing direction and a retracting direction; and the regeneration line is connected to the rod-side chamber of the arm cylinder as the regeneration target.

Assignees

• Kobelco Constr Mach Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ueda Koji

Classifications

• E02F9/2217

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

• F15B2211/41527

  being connected to an output member and a directional control valve · CPC title

• E02F9/2289

  Closed circuit · CPC title

• F15B2211/88

  Control measures for saving energy · CPC title

• F15B2211/41581

  being connected to an output member and a return line · CPC title