Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Construction or agricultural-type vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-30
2003-02-18
Nguyen, Tan (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Construction or agricultural-type vehicle
C701S033000, C172S315000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06522964
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a control apparatus and a control method for a construction machine such as a hydraulic excavator to which a plurality of working attachments such as, for example, a bucket and a breaker (hammer) can be attached, and more particularly to a control apparatus and a control method for a construction machine suitable for use with a construction machine wherein a type and so forth of an attachment attached to a construction machine body can be displayed.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, in a construction machine such as a hydraulic excavator which is a kind of working machine, various working attachments such as a breaker (hydraulic hammer) and a bucket can be removably attached comparatively readily so that the construction machine can perform various works.
Here, a construction machine such as a hydraulic excavator to which a breaker
2
is attached as a working attachment is described with reference to FIG.
18
.
As shown in
FIG. 18
, in a construction machine
1
such as a hydraulic excavator, an upper revolving unit (construction machine body)
101
is mounted for revolving motion in a horizontal plane on a lower travelling body
100
. The upper revolving unit
101
includes a main frame
102
, and an operator cab
103
, an engine room
104
and so forth provided on the main frame
102
.
A boom
105
is connected for pivotal motion to the upper revolving unit
101
by a pin not shown, and a stick
106
is connected for pivotal motion to an end portion of the boom
105
by a pin
105
A.
A working attachment (hereinafter referred to simply as attachment)
2
such as a breaker (hydraulic hammer) is connected for pivotal motion to an end portion of the stick
106
by a pin
106
A. The attachment
2
is removably attached to the end portion of the stick
106
. It is to be noted that, in
FIG. 18
, a breaker is shown attached as the attachment
2
.
A boom driving hydraulic cylinder (boom driving actuator)
107
for expanding or contracting the distance between end portions thereof to drive the boom
105
to pivot with respect to the upper revolving unit
101
is interposed between the upper revolving unit
101
and the boom
105
.
A stick driving hydraulic cylinder (stick driving actuator)
108
for expanding or contracting the distance between end portions thereof to drive the stick
106
to pivot with respect to the boom
105
is interposed between the boom
105
and the stick
106
.
An attachment driving hydraulic cylinder
109
for expanding or contracting the distance between end portions thereof to drive the attachment
2
to pivot with respect to the stick
106
is interposed between the stick
106
and the attachment
2
. The attachment driving hydraulic cylinder
109
is mounted for pivotal motion on the stick
106
and the attachment
2
with rods
110
and
111
interposed therebetween.
The attachment
2
is a kind of hydraulic actuator and individually has a unique operation condition (rated supply oil pressure and flow rate). For example, even if the attachment
2
is of the same type, if the maker and the capacity are different, then also the rated supply oil pressure and/or flow rate required are different, and also an optimum operation condition is different.
Therefore, working oil to be supplied from hydraulic pumps
5
and
6
must be controlled so as to satisfy an operation condition unique to each attachment.
Thus, a technique is available wherein registers corresponding to varieties of the rated pressure and flowrate of the attachment (here, breaker)
2
are provided in a control apparatus for a construction machine and a battery is connected to the registers, and one of electric signals (here, electric currents) of them is inputted to an solenoid proportional valve through a manually operable changeover switch so that it is converted by the solenoid proportional valve into an oil pressure, which is inputted to a pump regulator.
With such a control apparatus for a construction machine as just described, however, when the attachment
2
is to be operated, the manually operable changeover switch must be changed over every time to the register with which a necessary supply oil pressure and flow rate are obtained in advance. This operation is cumbersome and incidentally deteriorates the working efficiency.
Therefore, another technique has been proposed wherein, when the attachment
2
is to be attached to the construction machine body
101
, unique information of the attachment
2
to be attached (information regarding the type of the attachment
2
and an operation condition of the attachment
2
) is inputted to the control apparatus for the construction machine and the type of the attachment
2
is automatically discriminated based on the unique information, and a unique operation condition (pump discharge pressure, flow rate and so forth) required for each attachment
2
can be automatically set in accordance with the type.
However, in case a failure in contact or the like occurs with the control system, the type of the attachment
2
may be discriminated but in error or a wrong operation condition may be set for the attachment
2
. In such an instance, since an operation condition required by the attachment
2
attached to the construction machine body
101
is not set, an original function of the attachment
2
attached cannot be exhibited.
Further, if the control system suffers from some disconnection or a like trouble, unique information of the attachment
2
attached may not be inputted to the control apparatus. Also in this instance, discrimination of the type of the attachment
2
or setting of an operation condition of the attachment
2
cannot be performed automatically by the control apparatus, and an original function of the attachment
2
attached cannot be exhibited.
Therefore, it is a possible idea to provide a display apparatus in the operator cab
103
of the construction machine body
101
such that the type of the attachment
2
is displayed on the display apparatus so that the operator can confirm a result of the automatic discrimination and, when unique information of the attachment
2
is not inputted, discrimination failure display is performed on the display apparatus.
However, only if discrimination failure display is performed on the display apparatus, discrimination of the type of the attachment
2
or setting of an operation condition of the attachment
2
cannot be performed, and no essential solution can be obtained.
The present invention has been made in view of such a subject as described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a control apparatus and a control method for a construction machine by which, even if unique information of a working attachment attached to a construction machine body cannot be inputted, an operation condition suitable for the working attachment attached can be set with certainty by a simple operation.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a control apparatus for a construction machine wherein a working attachment is removably attached to a construction machine body, characterized in that it comprises a control section for discriminating a type of the working attachment and controlling a hydraulic power source, which supplies working oil to the working attachment, based on unique information for setting an operation condition required by the working attachment in accordance with the type, a display section for displaying the type of the working attachment discriminated by the control section and performing discrimination failure display when the control section has failed to discriminate the type of the working attachment, and a standard set value setting section for setting, when the discrimination failure display is performed by the display section, the type of the working attachment and a standard value regarding the operation condition of the working attachment, and that the control section is capable of controlling the hydraulic power source based on the operation condition set based on the unique i
Hikiyama Mitsuru
Miki Masatoshi
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
Nguyen Tan
Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd.
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