Electrical transmission or interconnection systems – Vehicle mounted systems – Automobile
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-23
2003-10-07
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2836)
Electrical transmission or interconnection systems
Vehicle mounted systems
Automobile
C307S009100, C307S147000, C439S218000, C439S221000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06630747
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control pattern change device, data change device and failed area determination device, and more particularly to a device suitable for applying to changing the control pattern of a construction machine, changing the data content of a controller of a construction machine, and the determination of a failed area of a construction machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
For such construction machines as shovels and cranes, the combination of control directions of a control lever and operation directions of a working machine (hereafter called control pattern) often differs depending on the manufacturing company and the model of the construction machine.
For example, when the control levers
100
a
and
100
b
are equipped at the left and right of the seating position of an operator, as shown in FIG.
19
(
a
), the control direction of the control levers and the operating direction of the working machine are different, as shown in the ISO pattern in FIG.
19
(
b
), the pattern of company A in FIG.
19
(
c
) and the pattern of company B in FIG.
19
(
d
).
In the case of the ISO pattern shown in FIG.
19
(
b
), the fore and back control of the control lever
100
a
(left lever) is the arm control, and the left and right control is the swing control. If the control lever
100
a
is pushed forward, the arm is operated in the dumping direction. And if the control lever
100
a
is pulled backward, the arm is operated in the digging direction. In the same manner, if the control lever
100
a
is pushed to the left, the upper structure is operated in the left swing direction, and if the control lever
100
a
is pushed to the right, the upper structure is operated in the right direction. The fore and back control of the control lever
100
b
(right lever), on the other hand, is the boom control, and the left and right control is the bucket control. If the control lever
100
b
is pushed forward, the boom is operated in the downward direction, and if pulled backward, the boom is operated in the upward direction. If the control lever
100
b
is pushed to the left, the bucket is operated in the digging direction, and if pushed to the right, the bucket is operated in the dumping direction.
In the case of the pattern of company A shown in FIG.
19
(
c
), the fore and back control of the control lever
100
a
(left lever) is the swing control, and the left and right control is the arm control. If the control lever
100
a
is pushed forward, the upper structure is operated in the right swing direction, and if pulled backward, the upper structure is operated in the right swing direction. If the control lever
100
a
is pushed to the left, the arm is operated in the dumping direction, and if pushed to the right, the arm is operated in the digging direction. The fore and back control of the control lever
100
b
(right lever), on the other hand, is the boom control, and the left and right control is the bucket control. If the control lever
100
b
is pushed forward, the boom is operated in the downward direction, and if pulled backward, the boom is operated in the upward direction. If the control lever
100
b
is pushed to the left, the bucket is operated in the digging direction, and if pushed to the right, the bucket is operated in the dumping direction. In the case of the pattern of company B shown in FIG.
19
(
d
), the fore and back control of the control lever
100
a
(left lever) is the arm control, and the left and right control is the bucket control. If the control lever
100
a
is pushed forward, the arm is operated in the dumping direction, and if pulled backward, the arm is operated in the digging direction. If the control lever
100
a
is pushed to the left, the bucket is operated in the dumping direction, and if pushed to the right, the bucket is operated in the digging direction. The fore and back control of the control lever
100
b
(right lever), on the other hand, is the boom control, and the left and right control is the swing control. If the control lever
100
b
is pushed forward, the boom is operated in the downward direction, and if pulled backward, the boom is operated in the upward direction. If the control lever
100
b
is pushed to the left, the upper structure is operated in the left swing direction, and if pushed to the right, the upper structure is operated in the right swing direction.
In this way, the control pattern differs depending on the manufacturing company and the model of the construction machine.
So various control pattern change devices which can change the control pattern of a construction machine to a control pattern familiar to the operator have been proposed.
For example, there is a device which changes a control pattern by changing the software embedded in a controller
30
, as shown in FIG.
20
(
a
). In this device, a control pattern is selected from some control patterns stored in the controller
30
, such as
91
,
92
,
93
and
94
, by an external switch
90
, so that the combination of control directions of the control lever and the operating directions of the working machine are easily changed.
However, simply changing the control pattern may not be allowed, such as on a public construction site where an ISO pattern is compulsory.
Also in the case of the above mentioned control pattern change device using the switch
90
, a control pattern can easily be changed by a switch control, so on a site where operators who operate a construction machine frequently change, it is possible that the first operator has changed the control pattern, and the next operator, who does not know of the change, will control the machine incorrectly, and will cause an unexpected accident due to a control error.
Another problem is that not only adding hardware, such as the switch
90
, but also adding software to change the control pattern is necessary. At the same time, a failure of the switch
90
may cause the working machine to operate differently than the intended control pattern, which lowers reliability.
There are another conventional techniques as shown in FIGS.
20
(
b
) and
20
(
c
). As FIG.
20
(
b
) shows, the control signals for each control direction of the control levers
100
a
and
10
b
, which are electric levers, are input to the connector
22
c
at the controller
30
side via an electric signal wire and connectors
22
a
and
22
b
. The controller
30
generates control signals to operate the working machine in an operation direction according to the control direction input to each terminal of the connector
22
, operating the working machine in the corresponding operation direction. To change the combination of control directions of the control lever
100
a
and the operating directions of the working machine here, the intermediate harness
95
, which has different wiring according to the control pattern to be changed, is provided and inserted into the connector
20
a
, as shown in FIG.
20
(
c
). This changes the combination of control directions to be input to each terminal of the connector
22
c
, and the combination of control directions of the control lever
100
a
and the operating directions of the working machine is changed.
In other words, the control pattern is changed using the intermediate harness
95
, which means that an operator cannot easily change the control pattern at a site.
Another available device is where the above mentioned intermediate harness
95
is a cartridge type, and the control pattern is changed by changing the cartridge.
With the above mentioned prior art, however, parts must be added, and if the above mentioned intermediate harness
95
is used, intermediate harnesses
95
must be provided for the number of available control patterns for changing a control pattern, which increases cost.
Since the control pattern is changed via the intermediate harness
95
inserted into the connector
22
a
, space problems occur, such as the electric signal wire becomes long, for which a construction machine requires extra space.
Further, as
Kamada Seiji
Koizumi Hidenori
Nagira Atsushi
DeBeradinis Robert L.
Komatsu Ltd.
Sircus Brian
Varndell & Varndell PLLC
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