Mobile control room for wheel-bucket excavator

Abstract

A mobile control room for a bucket wheel excavator, comprising a control room body (1), a tracked walking mechanism (2), a connection control system (3), and an energy storage power supply component (4), wherein the control room body (1) is a sealed box structure, and an operation console (11), display instruments (12), communication equipment (13), and ventilation and heat dissipation components (14) are installed inside; the connection control system (3) is used to realize signal interaction between the control room body (1) and the main body of the bucket wheel excavator, ensuring that the operator can complete the full operation of the bucket wheel excavator within the control room body (1); the energy storage power supply component (4) is located inside the control room and is used for power supply to the tracked walking mechanism (27) and signal reception of the communication system. This solves the technical problem of the existing bucket wheel excavator oil control room being fixedly installed on the main body of the equipment, resulting in significant vibration transmission.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to auxiliary equipment for bucket wheel excavators, specifically a mobile control room for bucket wheel excavators, suitable for bucket wheel excavator operation scenarios such as open-pit mines and large-scale earthwork projects. It can effectively isolate the vibration generated during the excavation process and ensure the safety and comfort of the operators. Background Technology

[0002] Bucket wheel excavators are core equipment in open-pit mining and large-scale earthwork excavation projects, boasting advantages such as high excavation efficiency and strong continuous operation capability. They are widely used in mining, water conservancy, and port industries. The control room, as the core of bucket wheel excavator operation, directly impacts the operator's operational precision, work efficiency, and personal safety.

[0003] Currently, the control rooms of existing bucket wheel excavators are generally fixed in place, primarily mounted on the bucket receiving arm or the equipment turntable (as shown in prior art documents CN114293987A and CN104328811A, where the control rooms are integrated into the turntable or boom of the main body of the equipment). During operation, the bucket wheel generates a violent impact when digging material, which is directly transmitted to the control room through the receiving arm, turntable, and other structures, resulting in significant vibration within the control room.

[0004] Actual measurements (referencing vibration test data from PMC studies on the hydraulic control room of bucket excavators) show that the vibration acceleration in existing fixed control rooms during equipment excavation operations typically exceeds the human comfort threshold. Long-term exposure to this environment can easily cause operators to experience fatigue, dizziness, and other discomfort symptoms, not only reducing operational accuracy and increasing the risk of operational errors but also potentially leading to occupational health problems. At the same time, severe vibration can also affect the stability of the electrical control system and operating instruments in the control room, shorten the equipment's lifespan, and increase maintenance costs.

[0005] To address the vibration problem in fixed control rooms, existing technologies primarily employ passive vibration reduction techniques, such as installing rubber damping pads, spring dampers, and hydraulic shock absorbers at the connection points between the control room and the main equipment. However, these technologies can only reduce high-frequency, low-amplitude vibrations. They have limited effectiveness in reducing the low-frequency, high-amplitude impact vibrations generated by bucket wheel excavators, failing to fundamentally cut off the vibration transmission path and thus making it difficult to completely eliminate the hazards of vibration to operators and equipment.

[0006] To further improve the working environment, some technicians have attempted to introduce remote control technology. For example, patent application CN113833469A discloses an intelligent control system for an open-pit bucket excavator, which uses a combination of 4G wireless communication and fiber optic communication to achieve remote control. However, the control room of this solution is still fixedly installed on the excavator body, without physical isolation, and the vibration problem still exists. Patent application CN115805997A discloses a box-type mobile remote control cabin for underground engineering equipment, equipped with a wheeled mobile chassis for independent movement. However, this solution is applied to the confined space underground, and the wheeled chassis used cannot adapt to the muddy, rugged, and soft complex working environment of open-pit mines. Moreover, its wireless transmission delay is generally above 50ms, which cannot meet the stringent real-time control requirements of continuous excavation operations of bucket excavators. At the same time, it lacks signal redundancy design and independent power supply system for the strong electromagnetic interference environment of open-pit mines, making it difficult to guarantee control reliability and operational continuity.

[0007] Existing technologies, whether fixed integrated control rooms, passive vibration reduction solutions, or remote control solutions, cannot simultaneously solve the three core problems of "completely isolating excavation vibrations," "ensuring real-time and reliable control," and "adapting to complex open-pit mine operating sites." Therefore, developing a control room structure for bucket excavators that can fundamentally eliminate vibration transmission, offer flexible movement, precise control, and high safety and reliability has become a pressing technical challenge in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the technical shortcomings of existing bucket wheel excavators where the hydraulic control room is fixedly installed on the main body of the equipment, resulting in significant vibration transmission, this invention provides a mobile control room for bucket wheel excavators. By separating the control room from the excavator body and equipping it with an independent tracked walking mechanism, the control room and the excavator body are physically isolated, fundamentally eliminating the transmission of excavation vibrations. At the same time, it ensures that the control room can move flexibly to adapt to the operational needs of different working positions of the excavator.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a mobile control room applied to a bucket wheel excavator, the key technical features of which include: The control room itself is a sealed enclosure structure, housing an operation console, display instruments, communication equipment, and ventilation and heat dissipation components. The operation console is electrically connected to the control system and is used to input operating commands. The display instruments show real-time operating parameters of the bucket excavator (including bucket wheel speed, digging depth, travel speed, etc.) and the control room's own status parameters. The communication equipment enables voice communication between the operator and other personnel on site. The ventilation and heat dissipation components regulate the temperature and air quality within the control room, ensuring operator comfort. The inner walls are lined with a sound insulation and vibration damping layer, constructed from a composite structure of polyurethane foam and sound-absorbing cotton, further reducing external noise and potential minor vibrations, improving the working environment quality within the control room. A protective canopy is installed on the top of the control room to shield it from rain and sunlight, protecting the control room and its internal equipment. The tracked walking mechanism is fixedly installed at the bottom of the control room body, enabling the control room body to move independently detached from the main body of the bucket excavator, achieving physical isolation from the main body of the excavator; it includes a track frame, drive wheels, guide wheels, track rollers, support rollers and drive unit. The track frame is fixedly connected to the bottom of the control room body by bolts. The drive wheels and guide wheels are respectively installed at both ends of the track frame. The track rollers and support rollers are evenly distributed in the middle of the track frame. The track is wrapped around the outside of the drive wheels, guide wheels, track rollers and support rollers. The drive unit is connected to the drive wheels to provide power to the tracked walking mechanism. The drive unit is also electrically connected to the control system to enable the operator to start, stop, steer, and adjust the speed of the tracked walking mechanism. The tracks adopt a dual-track structure, which is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the bottom of the control room body. The two tracks are driven independently, which can enable the control room body to turn on the spot and move diagonally, improve the mobility and adapt to the movement needs of complex working sites such as open-pit mines. The tracks are made of wear-resistant rubber with anti-slip textures on the surface, reducing wear on the tracks in the work area and improving walking stability. The auxiliary support assembly is installed on the tracked walking mechanism and is used to fix and position the control room body during operation to prevent it from shifting. The connection control system is used to realize signal interaction between the control room and the main body of the bucket excavator, ensuring that the operator can complete the entire operation of the bucket excavator from the control room. It includes a wireless signal transmitter, a wireless signal receiver, a signal processing module and a command execution module. The wireless signal transmitter is installed on the main body of the bucket excavator, the wireless signal receiver and the signal processing module are installed inside the control room, and the command execution module is installed on the main body of the bucket excavator. Operators input operating commands through the control console. The signal processing module encodes the commands and then transmits them to the wireless signal receiver on the main body of the bucket excavator via a wireless signal transmitter. The wireless signal receiver then transmits the commands to the command execution module, enabling control of components such as the bucket wheel, receiving arm, and turntable of the bucket excavator. Simultaneously, the operating parameters of the main body of the bucket excavator are fed back to the display instruments on the control room via the wireless signal transmitter, achieving two-way signal interaction. The connection control system adopts wireless communication technology to ensure the stability and real-time performance of signal transmission, with a transmission delay of ≤ms, avoiding operational errors caused by signal delay; at the same time, a wired communication interface is set up so that when the wireless signal is interfered with, signal interaction can be achieved through wired communication, thereby improving the reliability of the system. The connection control system includes a low-voltage power supply quick connector, with the power supply end located on both sides of the bucket excavator. The mobile control room can connect to the quick connector at any time to obtain power; at the same time, the quick connector can also charge the energy storage power supply component. The energy storage power supply component, located inside the control room, is used for power supply to the track walking mechanism and communication system connection signals. It includes a battery pack, a BMS battery management system, a power distribution module, and a voltage regulator inverter module. The battery pack is fixedly installed at the bottom of the control room body, providing independent power to the track walking mechanism, connection control system, drive unit, and electrical equipment inside the control room, realizing complete separation of the energy of the control room from the main body of the bucket excavator.

[0010] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. Completely eliminate vibration effects: This invention separates the control room body from the main body of the bucket excavator and uses a tracked walking mechanism to achieve independent movement of the control room, thus physically isolating the control room from the main body of the excavator. This fundamentally cuts off the transmission path of excavation vibration, solves the technical problem of significant vibration in existing fixed control rooms, and reduces the vibration acceleration inside the control room to below the human comfort threshold, effectively protecting the occupational health of operators and improving operational accuracy and work efficiency.

[0011] 2. Flexible movement and strong adaptability: The tracked walking mechanism adopts a dual-track independent drive design, which can realize the control room body to turn in place and move diagonally, adapting to the movement needs of complex work sites such as open mines and large-scale earthwork projects; at the same time, the tracks adopt a wear-resistant and anti-slip structure, which improves the walking stability and service life, and can flexibly adjust the position of the control room according to the changes in the excavator's working position, ensuring that the operator can clearly observe the working status.

[0012] 3. Reliable operation and high safety: The connection control system adopts dual protection of wireless and wired communication to ensure the real-time and stable transmission of operation commands and avoid operational errors caused by signal delay; the hydraulic outriggers of the auxiliary support components can achieve a firm positioning of the control room, prevent displacement during operation, and improve operational safety; the sealed structure and sound insulation and vibration damping layer of the control room body further improve the comfort of the working environment and the stability of the equipment.

[0013] 4. Simple structure and convenient maintenance: The components of this invention have simple structures and reliable connections. The track walking mechanism and other components are all mature mechanical structures with low maintenance costs. The control room body is set independently from the excavator body, and the control room can be inspected and maintained separately without affecting the normal operation of the bucket excavator, thus improving the overall operating efficiency of the equipment.

[0014] 5. Wide range of applications: This invention can be adapted to various models of bucket wheel excavators without requiring large-scale modifications to the excavator body. It only requires signal interaction with the excavator through connection to the control system. The modification is simple and low-cost, and it can be widely used in various bucket wheel excavator operation scenarios such as mining, water conservancy, and ports.

[0015] Before operation, the operator moves the control room to a suitable position in the working area of ​​the bucket excavator using the tracked walking mechanism. This position must ensure that the operator can clearly observe the working status of the excavator and is far away from the vibration range of the excavator body.

[0016] During wireless operation, the bucket wheel excavator's main body performs digging operations, and the resulting vibrations are transmitted to the ground through its structure. Since the control room is completely separated from the excavator body, the vibrations cannot be transmitted to the control room, achieving complete vibration isolation. Inside the control room, the operator inputs operating commands via a control console. These commands are processed and transmitted through the control system to control the bucket wheel excavator's digging actions, boom pitch, and turntable rotation. Simultaneously, the operator monitors the excavator's operating parameters in real time through display instruments to ensure precise operation. If the control room's position needs adjustment, it can be moved to a new operating position via the crawler mechanism, repositioned, and then the operation can continue. After the operation is completed, the operator uses the crawler mechanism to move the control room to a designated storage location and recharge the equipment, completing the operation process.

[0017] Wired connection operation involves connecting the control room and the bucket excavator via a three-in-one cable to provide power, signal transmission, and data communication to the control room. The three-in-one cable uses quick-connect couplings for rapid connection, with power connectors located on both sides of the bucket excavator to ensure the control room is in the optimal position when the equipment is operating in left- or right-hand mining directions. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connection control system of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a front view structural diagram of the tracked walking mechanism of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a top view of the tracked walking mechanism of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connection control system of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1-5 The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The mobile control room applied to a bucket wheel excavator includes a control room body 1, a tracked walking mechanism 2, a connection control system 3, an energy storage power supply assembly 4, and a boarding passage 5. The tracked walking mechanism 2 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the control room body 1, enabling the control room body 1 to move independently detached from the bucket wheel excavator body, achieving physical isolation from the excavator body. The connection control system 3 is used to realize signal interaction between the control room body 1 and the bucket wheel excavator body, ensuring that the operator can complete the full operation of the bucket wheel excavator from within the control room body 1. An auxiliary support assembly is set on the tracked walking mechanism 2 for fixing and positioning the control room body 1 during operation, preventing displacement; it includes hydraulic outriggers and anti-slip pads.

[0024] The tracked walking mechanism 2 adopts a double track structure, symmetrically arranged on both sides of the bottom of the control room body 1. It includes a track frame 21, drive wheels 22, guide wheels 23, track rollers 24, support rollers 25, and a hydraulic drive unit 26. The track frame 21 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the control room body 1 by high-strength bolts to ensure connection strength and prevent loosening during operation. The drive wheels 22 and guide wheels 23 are respectively installed at both ends of the track frame 21, and the track rollers 24 and support rollers 25 are evenly distributed in the middle of the track frame 21. The track 27 is wound around the drive wheels 22, guide wheels 23, track rollers 24, and support rollers 26. The outer side of wheel 25; the drive unit 26 adopts a combination structure of variable frequency motor and planetary reducer, connected to drive wheel 22, providing power to tracked walking mechanism 2. The drive unit 26 is electrically connected to the connection control system 3. The operator can control the start, stop, steering and speed adjustment of tracked walking mechanism 2 through the operation control console 11. The speed adjustment range is 0.22km / h, which is suitable for the movement needs of the work site; the track 27 is made of wear-resistant rubber material, and the surface is set with diamond anti-slip pattern, which not only reduces the wear of the track on the work site, but also improves the walking stability and avoids slipping on muddy and rugged ground.

[0025] The control room body 1 is a sealed box structure, welded from steel plates, with good rigidity and sealing performance. Inside, it houses an operation console 11, display instruments 12, communication equipment 13, and ventilation and heat dissipation components 14. The operation console 11 is electrically connected to the control system 3 and is equipped with operation buttons and joysticks for digging, pitching, and slewing, used to input operation commands. The display instrument 12 uses an LCD screen to display real-time operating parameters of the bucket excavator, such as bucket wheel speed, digging depth, and travel speed, as well as the moving speed of the control room body 1, allowing operators to monitor the operation in real time. The communication equipment 13 uses a combination of wireless walkie-talkies and wired telephones to enable voice communication between operators and other personnel on site, ensuring collaborative operations. The ventilation and heat dissipation components 14 include an air conditioner and a ventilation fan, which can regulate the temperature and air quality inside the control room, maintaining the temperature at 1826℃ to ensure operator comfort.

[0026] The inner wall of the control room body 1 is equipped with a sound insulation and vibration damping layer 15. The sound insulation and vibration damping layer 15 adopts a composite structure of polyurethane foam and sound insulation cotton with a thickness of 50mm, which can further reduce external noise and possible slight vibrations, so that the noise in the control room is controlled below 60dB. The top of the control room body 1 is equipped with a steel structure protective canopy 16. The protective canopy 16 is covered with wire mesh to protect the glass from accidental damage by ore, protect the control room body 1 and equipment, and extend the service life of the equipment.

[0027] The connection control system 3 includes a wireless signal transmitter 31, a wireless signal receiver 32, a signal processing module 33, and a command execution module 34. The wireless signal transmitter 31 is installed on the turntable of the bucket excavator body. The wireless signal receiver 32 and the signal processing module 33 are installed inside the control room body 1. The command execution module 34 is installed on the bucket excavator body and is electrically connected to the excavator's electrical system. The operator inputs operation commands through the operation console 11. After the signal processing module 33 encodes the commands, it is sent to the wireless signal receiver 32 on the bucket excavator body through the wireless signal transmitter 31. The wireless signal receiver 32 transmits the commands to the command execution module 34. The command execution module 34 controls the bucket wheel, receiving arm, turntable, and other components of the bucket excavator to complete the corresponding actions. At the same time, the operating parameters of the bucket excavator body are fed back to the display instrument 12 of the control room body 1 through the wireless signal transmitter 31, realizing two-way signal interaction. The connection control system 3 adopts 5G wireless communication technology with a transmission delay of ≤10ms, ensuring the real-time transmission of operation commands and avoiding operational errors caused by signal delay. At the same time, a wired communication interface is set up. When the wireless signal is interfered with, the control room body 1 can be connected to the excavator body through a wired communication cable to realize signal interaction and improve the reliability of the control system.

[0028] The working process of this embodiment is as follows: Before operation, the operator enters the control room body 1 and controls the track walking mechanism 2 to start through the operation console 11, moving the control room body 1 to a suitable position in the working area of ​​the bucket excavator, ensuring that the operator can clearly observe the working status of the excavator, and is 510m away from the main body of the excavator, away from the vibration influence range.

[0029] During operation, the main body of the bucket excavator performs digging operations. The vibration generated by the bucket wheel digging material is transmitted to the ground through the excavator body. Since the control room 1 is completely separated from the excavator body, the vibration cannot be transmitted to the control room 1, and the control room remains stable. The operator inputs operating commands through the operating console 131. After signal processing and transmission connected to the control system 3, the operator controls the bucket wheel excavator's bucket wheel digging, receiving arm pitching, turntable rotation, and other operating actions. At the same time, the operator observes the excavator's operating parameters in real time through the display instrument 12 to ensure accurate operation. If the excavator's operating position changes, the control room 1 is moved to the new operating position through the crawler walking mechanism 2, and then fixed again before continuing operation.

[0030] The specific structure of the tracked walking mechanism 2, the connecting control system 3, and the auxiliary support components can be adjusted according to the model of the bucket wheel excavator and the requirements of the work site. As long as the independent movement of the control room body 1, physical isolation from the excavator body, and reliable operation can be achieved, they all fall within the protection scope of this invention.

[0031] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1 Control room body, 11 Operation console, 12 Display instrument, 13 Communication equipment, 14 Ventilation and heat dissipation components, 15 Sound insulation and vibration damping layer, 16 Protective canopy; 2 Tracked traveling mechanism, 21 Track frame, 22 Drive wheel, 23 Guide wheel, 24 Carrier roller, 25 Track roller, 26 Drive unit, 27 Track; 3. Connection control system; 31. Wireless signal transmitter; 32. Wireless signal receiver; 33. Signal processing module; 34. Instruction execution module; 4. Energy storage power supply components; 5. Boarding gate.

Claims

1. A mobile control cabin applied to a wheel-bucket excavator, characterized by, include: The control room body (1) is a sealed box structure, which is equipped with an operation console (11), display instrument (12), communication equipment (13) and ventilation and heat dissipation components (14). The operation console (11) is electrically connected to the connection control system (3) and is used to input operation commands. The display instrument (12) is used to display the working parameters of the bucket excavator (including bucket wheel speed, digging depth, walking speed, etc.) and the status parameters of the control room itself in real time. The communication equipment (13) is used to realize voice communication between the operator and other operators on site. The ventilation and heat dissipation components (14) are used to regulate the temperature and air quality in the control room to ensure the operator's working comfort. The inner wall is equipped with a sound insulation and vibration damping layer (15), which adopts a polyurethane foam and sound insulation cotton composite structure to further reduce external noise and possible slight vibrations, and improve the working environment quality in the control room. The top of the control room body (1) is equipped with a protective canopy (16) to shield from rain and sunlight and protect the control room body (1) and internal equipment. The tracked walking mechanism (2) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the control room body (1), enabling the control room body (1) to move independently detached from the main body of the bucket excavator, thus achieving physical isolation from the main body of the excavator; it includes a track frame (21), drive wheels (22), guide wheels (23), track rollers (24), support rollers (25) and a drive unit (26). The track frame (21) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the control room body (1) by bolts. The drive wheels (22) and guide wheels (23) are respectively installed at both ends of the track frame (21). The track rollers (24) and support rollers (25) are evenly distributed in the middle of the track frame (21). The track (27) is wrapped around the outside of the drive wheels (22), guide wheels (23), track rollers (24) and support rollers (25). The drive unit (26) is connected to the drive wheel (22) to provide power to the tracked walking mechanism (2), and the drive unit (26) is electrically connected to the connection control system (3) to enable the operator to start, stop, turn and adjust the speed of the tracked walking mechanism (2); the track (27) adopts a double track structure and is symmetrically set on both sides of the bottom of the control room body (1). The double track is driven independently, which can realize the control room body (1) to turn in place and walk diagonally, improve the mobility and adapt to the mobility needs of complex work sites such as open mines; The track (27) is made of wear-resistant rubber material with anti-slip texture on the surface, which reduces the wear of the track (27) on the working site and improves the stability of walking. The auxiliary support assembly is set on the track walking mechanism (2) and is used to fix and position the control room body (1) during operation to prevent it from shifting. The connection control system (3) is used to realize the signal interaction between the control room body (1) and the main body of the bucket excavator, so as to ensure that the operator can complete the full control of the bucket excavator in the control room body (1); it includes a wireless signal transmitter (31), a wireless signal receiver (32), a signal processing module (33) and an instruction execution module (34). The wireless signal transmitter (31) is installed on the main body of the bucket excavator, the wireless signal receiver (32) and the signal processing module (33) are installed inside the control room body (1), and the instruction execution module (34) is installed on the main body of the bucket excavator. The operator inputs operation commands through the operation console (11). After the signal processing module (33) encodes the commands, they are sent to the wireless signal receiver (32) of the main body of the bucket excavator via the wireless signal transmitter (31). The wireless signal receiver (32) transmits the commands to the command execution module (34) to realize the control of the bucket wheel, receiving arm, turntable and other components of the bucket excavator. At the same time, the operating parameters of the main body of the bucket excavator are fed back to the display instrument (12) of the main body of the control room (1) via the wireless signal transmitter (31) to realize two-way signal interaction. The connection control system (3) adopts wireless communication technology to ensure the stability and real-time performance of signal transmission. The transmission delay is ≤10ms, avoiding operational errors caused by signal delay. At the same time, a wired communication interface is set up so that when the wireless signal is interfered with, signal interaction can be achieved through wired communication, thereby improving the reliability of the system. The connection control system (3) contains a low-voltage power supply quick connector. The power supply end is arranged on both sides of the bucket excavator. The mobile control room can connect to the quick connector at any time to obtain power supply. At the same time, the quick connector can also charge the energy storage power supply component (4). The energy storage power supply component (4) is located inside the control room and is used for power supply to the track (27) and communication system connection signals. It includes a battery pack, a BMS battery management system, a power distribution module and a voltage regulator inverter module. The battery pack is fixedly installed at the bottom of the control room body (1) to provide independent power to the track walking mechanism (2), the connection control system (3), the drive unit (26) and the electrical equipment inside the control room, so as to realize the complete separation of the energy of the control room and the main body of the bucket excavator.

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