Crane cabin door system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a crane cabin door system for a mobile crane, comprising - a door designed to close an access opening of the crane cabin and guided between an open position and a closed position by a guide mechanism; - a door drive designed to move the door between the open position and the closed position; - a control unit connected to the door drive and at least one operating element, which control unit controls the door drive in accordance with a user input made via the at least one operating element.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a door system for a crane cabin of a mobile crane. The present invention further relates to a mobile crane whose crane cabin has such a door system.

[0002] During crane operation, mobile cranes are typically operated by the crane operator from the crane cab. While larger mobile cranes have a dedicated crane cab for operation during crane operation in addition to the driver's cab on the crane undercarriage, smaller mobile cranes, such as rough-terrain cranes, may have only a single workstation from which the crane is operated both during travel and during crane operation.

[0003] In newer crane designs, it is common practice to equip the crane cabin with a sliding door, which can be opened or pushed open as far as desired by the crane operator and is far less of an obstruction than a hinged wing door, as is often found in older crane designs.

[0004] Especially with crane cabins mounted on the superstructure, the crane operator must grasp and operate the cabin door from various positions, depending on the crane superstructure's rotation angle, in order to open or close it from outside the cabin. Furthermore, the door handle provided for this purpose is in different positions depending on the door's opening position, making it difficult for the crane operator to grasp it comfortably and ergonomically.

[0005] It is the object of the present invention to remedy this disadvantage and to provide a door system which enables a consistently comfortable and ergonomically optimized operation of the crane cabin door.

[0006] This object is achieved by the crane cabin door system according to patent claim 1 and the mobile crane according to patent claim 10.

[0007] The crane cabin door system according to the invention comprises a door configured to close an access opening of a crane cabin and guided between an open position and a closed position by a guide mechanism; a door drive configured to move the door between the open position and the closed position; a control unit connected to the door drive and at least one operating element, which control unit controls the door drive in accordance with a user input made via the at least one operating element.

[0008] The door system features a self-operating cabin door, which, unlike previous cabin doors, no longer requires manual opening or closing by the crane operator. Instead, a simple user input via a control element is sufficient to open or close the door. Since this eliminates the need to apply operating forces, especially from different positions of the crane operator relative to the cabin door, this not only increases operating comfort and ergonomics, but in some cases also increases safety when operating the crane cabin door.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the guide mechanism and / or the door drive is designed to hold, in particular to secure, the door in at least one intermediate position located between the open position and the closed position, in particular a predefined or arbitrary intermediate position.

[0010] In other words, the door drive can be controlled in such a way that the cabin door can remain not only in its end positions, i.e. in a closed position and an open position, but rather in one or any number of positions in between. This is particularly advantageous if the area surrounding the crane needs to be better perceived acoustically or if the crane cabin needs additional ventilation. In this context, at least one predefined locking position for the cabin door is conceivable, in which the partially opened cabin door effectively prevents people from falling out of the cabin and also prevents objects from entering the cabin. It is also conceivable that the door is not only held by the guide mechanism and / or the door drive, for example by internal friction forces, but is also actively secured in its current position, for example by a locking or braking mechanism.The door drive can comprise one or more electric motors that provide the drive power required to move the door. In particular, it is conceivable in this context that the door drive comprises one or more 12- or 24-volt DC motors that act on one or more rockers coupled to the car door, particularly causing them to rotate.

[0011] Although the inventive concept can fundamentally be used for any type of cabin door, for example, for hinged hinged doors hinged to the crane cabin in a rotational manner or sliding doors guided essentially in a translational manner, the guide mechanism can be designed as an outward-pivoting door mechanism according to one embodiment. Thus, the door moves between the open and closed positions in the manner of an outward-pivoting door. While the door is moved predominantly parallel to the extension of the access opening and the associated cabin wall to open or close the access opening, the door moves predominantly perpendicular to this extension near its closed position in order to retract into or out of its seat in the crane cabin wall.Compared to conventional sliding doors, this allows for improved sealing of the cabin door relative to the crane cabin, offering advantages particularly with regard to pollutant and noise emissions, drafts, and dust ingress. For example, the guide mechanism for this can be designed as a coupling mechanism or four-bar linkage.

[0012] According to a further embodiment, the control unit can be signal-connected to the door drive and / or to at least one control element via a CAN bus. It is also possible for the control unit to be integrated into the crane control system of the mobile crane, in particular to represent a function of the crane control system of the mobile crane.

[0013] In other words, the operation of the door system according to the invention can not only be understood as an independent system, but can also be incorporated or integrated into the existing signaling infrastructure of the mobile crane.

[0014] According to a further embodiment, the control unit controls the door drive depending on at least one crane state variable and / or at least one environmental parameter, in particular depending on at least one sensor value. In this case, there is in particular the possibility of prioritizing over a user input via an operating element. Likewise, there is the possibility of this, so to speak, automatic control of the door drive being subordinate to user input. If, for example, one or more sensors detect an increased dust load, the cabin door could close automatically. If the crane operator nevertheless wishes the cabin door to be at least partially open, for example for better acoustic perception of the surroundings, he could reopen the cabin door via user input.In other cases, for example if one or more sensors detect an increased level of pollutants, the cabin door could be closed regardless of user input until the pollutant concentration returns to an acceptable level. Likewise, one or more different crane state variables could influence the operation of the cabin door. For crane cabins that can be tilted in accordance with the boom luffing angle, it is conceivable to only allow the cabin door to open fully once the crane cabin has returned to its horizontal position. Similarly, the cabin door could only be opened fully once an access or boarding aid, such as a step, has reached the position required for entering or exiting the cabin.

[0015] Instead of preventing the car door from opening, the control unit could trigger an acoustic and / or visual warning signal, depending on at least one state variable and / or at least one environmental parameter, which is emitted by a signal lamp or a loudspeaker. Such an acoustic and / or visual warning signal can also be emitted before or while the door drive moves the car door between the open and closed positions.

[0016] According to a further embodiment, one or more operating elements can be arranged on the mobile crane, in particular in the driver's cab of the mobile crane; in and / or outside the crane cabin of the mobile crane; on the undercarriage of the mobile crane, in particular in the area of ​​access to the crane cabin; and / or on the superstructure of the mobile crane, in particular in the area of ​​access to the crane cabin.

[0017] In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the above-mentioned control elements, a control element can also be integrated into a portable, in particular wireless, remote control of the mobile crane or provided in such a way as to be designed as such.

[0018] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a mobile crane with a crane cabin door system according to one of the embodiments described above. The door system can be provided in particular for a crane cabin arranged on the crane superstructure, although it is also suitable for a crane cabin arranged on the crane undercarriage.

[0019] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. The present invention may include all features disclosed herein individually or in any meaningful combination. They show: Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the door system according to the invention with a cabin door in the closed position; Figure 2 shows the door system from Figure 1 with a cabin door in a first intermediate position; Figure 3 the door system from Figure 1 with a cabin door in a second intermediate position; Figure 4 the door system from Figure 1 with a cabin door in an open position.

[0020] The Figure 1shows a schematic plan view of a crane cabin 2 with a preferred embodiment of the door system according to the invention. The front side, i.e. the side of the crane cabin facing towards the crane boom, is located on the left side in the illustration shown. In the left side wall of the crane cabin 2, i.e. the side wall located at the bottom in the illustration, an access opening 1 is provided, through which the crane operator can climb into and exit the crane cabin 2. To close the access opening 1, a cabin door 5 is provided, which is connected to the crane cabin 2 via a guide mechanism designed as a coupling mechanism or four-bar linkage in the embodiment shown. As can be seen from the combined consideration of the Figures 1 to 4As can be seen, the door 5 is connected to the crane cabin 2 via two rockers 3, 4. Both rockers 3, 4 are connected to the door 5 and the crane cabin 2 via pivot bearings at their opposite ends, with the axes of rotation of all pivot bearings running parallel. While the first rocker 3 extends below the access opening 1, the second rocker 4 is located in the upper area of ​​the access opening 1 and can be rotated about its vertical axis of rotation by an electric motor 6. The electric motor 6 can in particular be a 12-volt DC motor or a 24-volt DC motor and can therefore be supplied with power directly via the crane's on-board electrical system. The first rocker arm 3 is not driven and therefore follows the movement of the second rocker arm 4 and the door 5. In the usual nomenclature, the crane cabin 2 thus represents the frame of the coupling gear, while the door 5 forms the so-called coupling.

[0021] To access door 5 between the Figure 1 closed position shown and the one shown in the Figure 4 To move the door to the open position shown, the door drive 6 acting on the second rocker 4 is controlled by the control unit 8 and via a signal line of the CAN bus 9. The control unit 8 receives the corresponding user inputs also via signal lines of the CAN bus 9, via which the control unit 8 is in signal connection with control elements 7. The control elements 7 can be designed as push buttons. In the Figure 1The arrangement of the control elements 7 shown, both on the outer wall of the crane cabin 2 and in the interior of the crane cabin 2, allows a crane operator to open and close the door 5 without having to grasp it. While the door 5, and thus also a handle attached to it, assumes different positions relative to the crane cabin 2 depending on the opening position of the door 5, the control elements 7 or push buttons remain in the known location.

[0022] Should door 5 be removed from its position in the Figure 1 shown closed position into a fully or partially open position, the electric motor 5 is activated via the control unit 8 by actuating one of the operating elements 7 in such a way that it rotates the second rocker 4 about its pivot bearing and in the direction of the Figure 1The first rocker 3 follows the movement of the second rocker 4, with which it is coupled via the door 5, also around its pivot bearing and in the direction of the Figure 1 arrow shown.

[0023] The Figure 2 It can be seen that the door 5 initially moves predominantly perpendicular to the extension of the door opening 1, thus moving out of its seat in the cabin wall. Figure 2 The position of door 5 shown can be described as the first intermediate position, which improves the acoustic perception of the mobile crane's surroundings from inside the crane cabin.

[0024] In the Figure 3 the door takes a second one, opposite the one in the Figure 2 shown intermediate position, which, for example, ensures sufficient ventilation of the crane cabin 2.

[0025] When the door drive 6 is operated further, the door 5 finally reaches its Figure 4 shown opening position, in which the access opening 1 is sufficiently wide for entry into or exit from the crane cabin 2. In order to close the door 5 in the closed position again, the door drive 6 is caused to move the second rocker 4 in the direction of the Figure 4 The first rocker arm 3 follows this movement and rotates around its pivot bearing in the same direction.

[0026] Alternatively or in addition to the provisions in the Figures 1 to 4In addition to the discrete positions of the car door 5 shown, it is also possible to position the car door 5 "continuously" in any desired position or, in particular, to secure it by means of a braking mechanism (not shown). For example, the door drive 6 can rotate the second rocker 4 for this purpose as long as a control element 7 designed as a push button is pressed. When the push button is released, the door remains in its current position or is secured in this position against unintentional movement. When a control element 7 is pressed again, the movement of the door 5 can continue.

Claims

1. Crane cabin door system for a mobile crane, comprising - a door (5) designed to close an access opening (1) of a crane cabin (2) and guided between an open position and a closed position by a guide mechanism (3, 4); - a door drive (6) designed to move the door (5) between the open position and the closed position; - a control unit (8) connected to the door drive (6) and at least one operating element (7), which control unit controls the door drive (6) in accordance with a user input made via the at least one operating element (7).

2. Crane cabin door system according to claim 1, wherein the guide mechanism (3, 4) and / or the door drive (6) is designed to hold, in particular to secure, the door (5) in a fixed position in at least one intermediate position located between the open position and the closed position, in particular a predefined or arbitrary intermediate position.

3. Crane cabin door system according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the guide mechanism (3, 4) is designed as an outward swing door mechanism.

4. Crane cabin door system according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit (8) is signal-connected to the door drive (6) and / or to at least one operating element (7) via a CAN bus (9).

5. Crane cabin door system according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit (8) is integrated into the crane control of the mobile crane, in particular represents a function of the crane control of the mobile crane.

6. Crane cabin door system according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit (8) controls the door drive (6) as a function of at least one crane state variable and / or at least one environmental parameter, in particular as a function of at least one sensor value.

7. Crane cabin door system according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit (8) causes the output of an acoustic and / or optical warning signal before and / or during a movement of the door drive (6) as a function of at least one crane state variable and / or at least one environmental parameter.

8. Crane cabin door system according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein - in the driver's cab of the mobile crane; - in and / or outside the crane cabin (2) of the mobile crane; - on the undercarriage of the mobile crane, in particular in the area of the access to the crane cabin (2); and / or - on the superstructure of the mobile crane, in particular in the area of the access to the crane cabin (2); at least one operating element (7) is arranged.

9. Crane cabin door system according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an operating element (7) is integrated in a portable, in particular wireless, remote control of the mobile crane or is designed as such.

10. Mobile crane with a crane cabin door system according to one of claims 1 to 9.

Images