Foldable superlift device, crane and tension control system, method

Abstract

This invention discloses a foldable superlift device, comprising a superlift boom and superlift supports and a superlift winch at both ends. The superlift boom includes a fixed boom connected to the superlift supports and a folding boom connected to the superlift winch. The folding boom and the fixed boom are connected by a pivot shaft. The length of the superlift boom is adjusted by unfolding and folding. The invention also discloses a crane, a multi-angle tensioning control system, and a method incorporating the aforementioned foldable superlift device. This invention can guide the foldable superlift to be tensioned before lifting operations and, by combining the main boom length and combination with different two-stage unfolding schemes, optimize the relationship between the superlift length, unfolding angle, and boom length, thereby maximizing the improvement of the boom's stress state, increasing boom strength and rigidity, and enhancing product performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of engineering machinery technology, and in particular to a foldable super-lift device, a crane and a tension control system and method. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous improvement of crane technology and customers' higher requirements for product performance, the overall weight of the crane has not increased due to slight limitations in single-axle load capacity, while the boom structure design is more inclined towards lightweight design. This leads to increased performance requirements for longer booms, while the boom cross-section and plate thickness are becoming smaller. If the design is limited to the previously designed fixed-length super-lift devices, the improvement in lifting capacity will be limited, making it difficult for the product to meet customer needs, reducing product competitiveness, and directly affecting the company's product sales.

[0003] However, the superlift devices currently used in the market still adopt a fixed-length structure. This structure cannot fully utilize the performance of the boom structure, nor can it effectively improve the boom's strength and rigidity, thus failing to meet customers' demands for high performance. Furthermore, since the superlift device is installed on the main boom, its length is limited by the main boom's length, meaning the fixed-length superlift device is constrained by installation dimensions.

[0004] In the existing technology, super-lift devices mainly come in two forms. The first is the assembled type, which changes the length of the super-lift device during use by adding an extension section or similar structure between the super-lift boom and the super-lift winch. The second is the telescopic type, which is similar to the telescopic system of a crane boom. The telescopic system uses hydraulic cylinders or ropes to extend and retract, and can be fully or partially retracted during relocation. When in use, it can be extended and retracted to the length of the boom.

[0005] Prefabricated superlift devices achieve length variations by adding components during use. However, the increased length no longer meets the space requirements for relocation, necessitating the removal of the added components before the entire superlift device can be mounted on the crane boom. Furthermore, the added components require separate transportation, which not only increases transportation costs but also adds time for disassembly and assembly before and after use, resulting in low operational efficiency and poor ease of use.

[0006] Telescopic superlift devices can be adjusted in length during use, but they use telescopic cylinders, one end of which is connected to the upper part of the superlift device and the other end to the lower part. Since the length of superlift devices is mostly over 10m, the telescopic cylinders used are too long and heavy, and their cost is high and the cost-effectiveness is low. This feature restricts the development and promotion of superlift devices.

[0007] Meanwhile, in the existing technology, the superlift has only one deployment angle. When tensioning, the superlift can only affect the boom through a single angle adjustment. With a single deployment angle and a fixed superlift length, the deployment angle cannot be adjusted in multiple stages. During use, the deployment angle cannot be adjusted according to the boom length, and the two cannot achieve optimal matching. Under this single-angle form, superlift tensioning has limited improvement on boom performance and cannot fully enhance the product's performance. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Purpose of the invention: In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the first objective of this invention is to disclose a foldable lifting device that can achieve three different working modes through multi-level adjustment of folding / unfolding.

[0009] The second objective is to disclose a crane that includes the aforementioned foldable super-lift device. By folding / unfolding the super-lift device, combined with the main boom length and combination, the super-lift device can be deployed in multiple stages to switch between different deployment working states.

[0010] The third objective is to disclose a multi-angle tensioning control system including the aforementioned foldable lifting device.

[0011] The fourth objective is to disclose a multi-angle tension control method including the aforementioned foldable lifting device.

[0012] Technical solution: The foldable super-lift device disclosed in this invention includes a super-lift boom and super-lift supports and super-lift winches at both ends. The super-lift boom includes a fixed boom connected to the super-lift support and a folding boom connected to the super-lift winch. The folding boom and the fixed boom are connected by a pivot, and the length of the super-lift boom can be adjusted by unfolding and folding.

[0013] Furthermore, a first connection point is provided on one side of the splicing end of the fixed boom and the folding boom, and they are connected by a fixed pivot.

[0014] Furthermore, a second connection point and a third connection point are also provided on the other side of the splicing end of the fixed boom and the folding boom, as well as on the arm side of the fixed boom and the folding boom, respectively. They are connected by a pin assembly. When the fixed boom and the folding boom are not folded, the position of the second connection point is fixed by the pin assembly; when the fixed boom and the folding boom are fully folded, the position of the third connection point is fixed by the pin assembly.

[0015] Furthermore, the pin assembly is an automatic plug-in / plug-out device.

[0016] Furthermore, the fixed boom and the folding boom are connected by a crank-rocker assembly and driven by a drive element to control the crank-rocker assembly to swing and drive the folding boom to perform folding / unfolding actions.

[0017] A crane having the aforementioned foldable lifting device installed on its telescopic main boom.

[0018] A multi-angle tension control system, based on the aforementioned crane, includes: a force limiter system, a display system, a boom position detection device, a first overlift angle sensor, a second overlift angle sensor, an overlift winch encoder, and an overlift tension sensor.

[0019] A multi-angle tension control method, employing the aforementioned multi-angle tension control system, includes the following steps:

[0020] S1. After the foldable boom lift device is installed, check that the crane is ready to lift its boom.

[0021] S2. Unlock the hydraulic cylinder and winch of the super-lift device to enable the main boom to extend.

[0022] S3. Extend the main boom to the specified boom length combination and adjust the amplitude to the corresponding main boom angle;

[0023] S4. According to the main boom length combination, the super-lifting device performs a first-stage deployment so that the first-stage deployment angle α reaches the specified angle, which is the angle between the fixed boom and the main boom.

[0024] S5. Based on the main boom length combination, the super-lift device performs a second-stage deployment so that the second-stage deployment angle β reaches a specified angle, which is the angle between the fixed boom and the folding boom.

[0025] S6. Reconfirm whether the two-stage deployment angle of the superlift device matches the corresponding boom length combination. If not, readjust it.

[0026] S7. After confirming that the two-stage unfolding angle of the super-lift device is correct, perform super-lift tensioning. When the winch reaches the specified rotation angle, the winch is locked.

[0027] S8. Detect whether the tension of the super-lift meets the design requirements through the super-lift tension sensor. If it does not meet the requirements, unlock the super-lift winch, adjust the number of winch teeth, and re-tension and lock it.

[0028] S9. After the tension meets the design value, the load is lifted.

[0029] Beneficial effects: Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this invention are as follows: First, within a limited space, the fixed-length superlift device is designed as a foldable device, increasing the effective usable length and improving the strength and rigidity of the boom. Through optimized matching with the boom length combination, the lifting capacity of the product is greatly improved. Second, the foldable superlift device enables two-stage deployment of the superlift, which can change the lateral deployment range to a greater extent. During use, different first-stage and second-stage deployment working states of the superlift can be switched according to different boom length combinations, adjusting the effective length and deployment angle of the superlift to make the superlift length correspond to the crane boom length, achieving optimal matching, fully improving the strength and rigidity of the boom, reducing the stress on the superlift itself, and improving the safety and stability of the boom. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the foldable superlift device of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 These are three state diagrams of the foldable superlift device of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the folding principle of the foldable lifting device of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the crane of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5 These are the four working states of the super-lift device on the crane according to the present invention;

[0035] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the multi-angle tension control method of the present invention. Implementation

[0036] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0037] like Figure 1 The foldable superlift device shown includes a superlift boom 1 and superlift supports and superlift winches 2 at both ends. The superlift boom 1 includes a fixed boom 101 connected to the superlift supports and a folding boom 102 connected to the superlift winch 2. The folding boom 102 is connected to the fixed boom 101 by a pivot shaft and can be folded to the side through the pivot shaft. The length of the superlift boom 1 can be adjusted by unfolding and folding.

[0038] A first connection point 103 is provided on one side of the splicing end of the fixed boom 101 and the folding boom 102, and connected by a fixed pivot. A second connection point 104 and a third connection point 105 are also provided on the other side of the splicing end of the fixed boom 101 and the folding boom 102, as well as on the arm side of the fixed boom 101 and the folding boom 102, respectively, and connected by a pin assembly. The pin assembly is an automatic insertion and removal device, preferably a hydraulic telescopic cylinder as the actuating element, capable of two or more stages of extension and retraction. When the fixed boom 101 and the folding boom 102 are not folded, the pin assembly fixes the position of the second connection point 104; when the fixed boom 101 and the folding boom 102 are fully folded, the pin assembly fixes the position of the third connection point 105.

[0039] The fixed boom 101 and the folding boom 102 are connected by a crank-rocker assembly 106 and driven by a drive element 107, which is preferably a hydraulic telescopic cylinder, to control the crank-rocker assembly 106 to swing and drive the folding boom 102 to perform folding / unfolding actions.

[0040] The fixed boom 101 can also be configured as a multi-segment structure, with each segment connected by a pivot. The specific implementation structure of the pivot is the same as the pivot structure between the fixed boom 101 and the folding boom 102, which can realize more than two folding actions of the folding boom 102.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, the fixed structure length and foldable structure length are for illustrative purposes only; the actual length can be changed according to design requirements. In this patent, the position design of the superlift hoist is not limited to the foldable boom of the superlift; it can also be designed at the fixed boom, depending on the design requirements. The telescopic motion of the hydraulic cylinder is converted into the rotational motion of the foldable boom of the superlift via the crank-rocker assembly 106. This motion mechanism model is simplified to a crank-rocker mechanism model, as follows... Figure 3 As shown.

[0042] like Figure 4 The crane shown has a foldable superlift device on its telescopic main boom. The superlift device is installed at the head of the main boom's basic boom. During road transport and short-distance heavy-load relocation, the superlift device lies flat against the basic boom wall. Due to limitations in the length of the basic boom and the position of the operator's cab, the length of the superlift structure in relocation mode is limited and cannot be changed indefinitely. In this patent, the maximum superlift structure length in relocation mode is set to CQ_L. Therefore, for the fixed superlift length scheme, the maximum design value of the superlift length is CQ_L. For the telescopic superlift structure design scheme, since the superlift uses an inner and outer two-section structure, its overlap ratio cannot be less than 0.1, so the maximum design value of the telescopic superlift length is 1.7*CQ_L. For the solution of this patent, the foldable superlift structure can achieve an effective length of 2*CQ_L.

[0043] In general products, for every 10% increase in the length of the superlift, performance improves by 8%-12%. Compared to a fixed-length superlift structure, the foldable superlift solution offers approximately 90% performance improvement; compared to a telescopic superlift solution, the foldable superlift solution offers approximately 30% performance improvement. Through the above comparison, the foldable superlift solution significantly outperforms the other two superlift solutions in terms of performance improvement.

[0044] Furthermore, by employing a foldable superlift device to significantly increase its length, the overall machine space is no longer a constraint on superlift installation. During installation and heavy-load relocation, the foldable portion of the superlift device can be folded to meet assembly dimensions. In this configuration, it also ensures that the overall machine height does not exceed the conventional road height limit of 4 meters. Compared to solutions that involve lengthening the superlift and tilting it upwards beyond the overall machine height limit during transport and relocation, this patent offers superior maneuverability and economic efficiency in relocation and transportation.

[0045] like Figure 5 As shown, the foldable super-lift device, combined with the main boom, provides multiple working states: fully extended working state, fully folded working state, intermediate tension working state, and ultimate tension working state.

[0046] Among them, the fully deployed working condition and the ultimate tension state are the two extreme states of overlift tensioning in lifting operations, while the intermediate tension working condition is between the above two states. That is, the overlift secondary deployment angle β in the intermediate tension working condition is the angle between 0° and the ultimate tension working condition β. ， A value in the middle; depending on the product design, the secondary unfolding angle β under extreme tension working condition. ， The maximum unfolding angle α can be achieved. The fully folded state is mainly used in component installation, relocation and transportation, etc.

[0047] The foldable mechanism enables two-stage deployment of the superlift, allowing for greater variation in its lateral deployment range. During operation, different combinations of boom lengths can be used to switch between primary and secondary deployment modes, adjusting the effective length and deployment angle of the superlift to ensure optimal matching between the superlift length and the crane boom length. This maximizes boom strength and rigidity, reduces stress on the superlift itself, and enhances boom safety and stability.

[0048] A multi-angle tension control system, based on the aforementioned crane, includes components such as a force limiter system, a display system, a boom position detection device, a first overlift angle sensor, a second overlift angle sensor, an overlift winch encoder, and an overlift tension sensor.

[0049] The force limiter system is an independent, computer-controlled safety operating system on the crane. It can automatically detect the mass being lifted by the crane, the boom angle, the overlift tension, and the overlift two-stage unfolding angle, and display the data on the display system.

[0050] The boom position detection device is used to detect the position of each section of the main boom and whether the boom pin is inserted, to determine the main boom assembly and the main boom length. By detecting the main boom length and assembly, the corresponding superlift tensioning scheme is further determined, namely the corresponding superlift first-stage opening angle, second-stage unfolding angle and tension force.

[0051] The superlift's first angle sensor detects the deployment angle of the fixed boom relative to the main boom, which is the first-level deployment angle α. The superlift's second angle sensor detects the deployment angle between the folding boom and the fixed boom, which is the second-level deployment angle β. Prioritizing different main boom lengths and combinations, and matching them with different first and second-level deployment angles, can significantly improve boom performance. The superlift angle sensors are located on both the fixed boom and the folding boom.

[0052] The super-lift winch encoder is used to detect and record the current number of teeth and the corresponding winch rotation angle. This data is matched with the boom length and configuration to better and more effectively improve boom strength and rigidity. The super-lift winch encoder is located on the super-lift winch.

[0053] Before lifting operations, the control system uses various angle sensors and the hoisting angle to tension the foldable hoist.

[0054] This patent achieves maximum boom load-bearing capacity by optimizing the relationship between the first and second stage deployment angles of the superlift and different boom lengths. Strict identification and detection of the first and second stage deployment angles are required during tension control to ensure application safety. Different first and second stage deployment angles result in different effective superlift lengths.

[0055] like Figure 6 As shown, the multi-angle tension control method of this application includes the following steps:

[0056] S1. After the foldable boom lift device is installed, check that the crane is ready to lift its boom.

[0057] S2. Unlock the hydraulic cylinder and winch of the super-lift device to enable the main boom to extend.

[0058] S3. Extend the main boom to the specified boom length combination and adjust the amplitude to the corresponding main boom angle;

[0059] S4. According to the main boom length combination, the super-lifting device performs a first-stage deployment so that the first-stage deployment angle α reaches the specified angle, which is the angle between the fixed boom and the main boom.

[0060] S5. Based on the main boom length combination, the super-lift device performs a second-stage deployment so that the second-stage deployment angle β reaches a specified angle, which is the angle between the fixed boom and the folding boom.

[0061] S6. Reconfirm whether the two-stage deployment angle of the superlift device matches the corresponding boom length combination. If not, readjust it.

[0062] S7. After confirming that the two-stage unfolding angle of the super-lift device is correct, perform super-lift tensioning. When the winch reaches the specified rotation angle, the winch is locked.

[0063] S8. Detect whether the tension of the super-lift meets the design requirements through the super-lift tension sensor. If it does not meet the requirements, unlock the super-lift winch, adjust the number of winch teeth, and re-tension and lock it.

[0064] S9. After the tension meets the design value, the load is lifted.

[0065] After the super-lift device is used, the super-lift winch must be unlocked and the tension released before the telescopic boom can be operated.

Claims

1. A multi-angle tension control method, characterized in that, A multi-angle tension control system is adopted, which is implemented based on a crane and includes: a force limiter system, a display system, a boom position detection device, a super-lift first angle sensor, a super-lift second angle sensor, a super-lift winch encoder, and a super-lift tension sensor; a foldable super-lift device is provided on the crane's telescopic main boom; the foldable super-lift device includes a super-lift boom (1) and super-lift supports and super-lift winches (2) located at both ends thereon, the super-lift boom (1) includes a fixed boom (101) connected to the super-lift supports and a folding boom (102) connected to the super-lift winch (2), the folding boom (102) and the fixed boom (101) are connected by a pivot, and the length of the super-lift boom (1) is adjusted by unfolding and folding; a first connection point (103) is provided on one side of the splicing end of the fixed boom (101) and the folding boom (102), and they are connected by a fixed pivot; the fixed boom On the other side of the splicing end of the frame (101) and the folding boom (102), as well as on the arm side of the fixed boom (101) and the folding boom (102), a second connection point (104) and a third connection point (105) are respectively provided, which are connected by a pin assembly. When the fixed boom (101) and the folding boom (102) are not folded, the position of the second connection point (104) is fixed by the pin assembly; when the fixed boom (101) and the folding boom (102) are fully folded, the position of the third connection point (105) is fixed by the pin assembly. The pin assembly is an automatic plugging and unplugging device. The fixed boom (101) and the folding boom (102) are connected by a crank rocker assembly (106) and driven by a drive element (107). The crank rocker assembly (106) is controlled to swing, driving the folding boom (102) to perform folding / unfolding actions. The drive element (107) is a hydraulic telescopic cylinder. The multi-angle tension control method includes the following steps: S1. After the foldable boom lift device is installed, check that the crane is ready to lift its boom. S2. Unlock the hydraulic cylinder and winch of the super-lift device to enable the main boom to extend. S3. Extend the main boom to the specified boom length combination and adjust the amplitude to the corresponding main boom angle; S4. According to the main boom length combination, the super-lifting device performs a first-stage deployment so that the first-stage deployment angle α reaches the specified angle, which is the angle between the fixed boom and the main boom. S5. Based on the main boom length combination, the super-lift device performs a second-stage deployment so that the second-stage deployment angle β reaches a specified angle, which is the angle between the fixed boom and the folding boom. S6. Reconfirm whether the two-stage deployment angle of the superlift device matches the corresponding boom length combination. If not, readjust it. S7. After confirming that the two-stage unfolding angle of the super-lift device is correct, perform super-lift tensioning. When the winch reaches the specified rotation angle, the winch is locked. S8. Detect whether the tension of the super-lift meets the design requirements through the super-lift tension sensor. If it does not meet the requirements, unlock the super-lift winch, adjust the number of winch teeth, and re-tension and lock it. S9. After the tension meets the design value, the load is lifted.

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