Operating device and work machine equipped with same

Abstract

An operating device that can effectively communicate the state of a work machine to an operator. [Solution] An operating device (220) for operating a work machine (100) has an operating member (221) that is held by the operator, and vibration units (10a, 10b) that notify the operator of the state of the work machine by vibration, and the vibration units (10a, 10b) form a vibration system that is different from that of the operating member (221).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an operating device and a work machine equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] As background art in this technical field, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a driving state transmission means that transmits vibrations of a vibration device that indicates the driving state of a passenger vehicle to a driver. This driving state transmission means is configured to transmit vibrations generated by the vibration device to the driver via an elastic part provided on an operating means (operating member) such as a steering wheel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-132359 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The inside of the cab of a work machine such as a crane experiences greater vibrations than an ordinary passenger car. Therefore, if the configuration described in Patent Document 1 is applied to an operating device for a work machine, it is difficult to distinguish between vibrations from the vibration device and vibrations from the operating member itself, which poses a problem in that the condition of the work machine cannot be effectively communicated to the operator.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide an operating device that can effectively communicate the state of a work machine to an operator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is an operating device for operating a work machine, which comprises an operating member that is held by an operator, and a vibration unit that notifies the operator of the state of the work machine by vibration, and which is characterized in that the vibration unit forms a vibration system separate from that of the operating member.

[0007] Here, in the present invention, "different vibration systems" means a configuration in which vibrations propagated from a vibration source to one member are not propagated (or are difficult to propagate) to other members. For example, if one member and another member are physically separated, vibrations are not propagated from the one member to the other member, and the two constitute different vibration systems. Also, in the present invention, a configuration in which one member and another member are connected via a damping member such as a spring, and vibrations of the one member are damped by the damping member and are difficult to propagate to the other member, also constitutes different vibration systems. In addition, in the present invention, different vibration systems can also be rephrased as independent vibration systems.

[0008] According to the present invention, the state of a work machine can be effectively communicated to an operator. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a crane. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the entire operator's cab. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are detailed views of the rotating lever, in which (a) is a front view showing a schematic internal configuration with a vibration part of the rotating lever cut away, and (b) is a plan view of the rotating lever shown in (a). [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the crane. [Figure 6] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating operation patterns of a vibration motor. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the vibration period of a vibration motor according to the rotation speed of a rotating body. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between the vibration operation pattern of the swing lever and the actual swing direction of the swing body. [Figure 9] 9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating modified examples of the operation pattern of the vibration motor shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are detailed views of a rotating lever according to Modification 1, in which (a) is a front view showing the rotating lever in a schematic manner, and (b) is a plan view of the rotating lever shown in (a). [Figure 11] 1 shows the overall configuration of a vibrating section, where (a) is a diagram schematically showing a vertical cross section of the vibrating section, and (b) is a plan view of the vibrating section shown in (a). [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are detailed views of a rotating lever according to Modification 2, in which (a) is a front view of the rotating lever with a part cut away to show a schematic internal configuration, and (b) is a plan view of the rotating lever shown in (a). [Figure 13] 10 is an enlarged schematic view of a vibrating portion of a rotating lever according to Modification 3. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing vibration patterns of a swing lever and a winch operating lever. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A crane as an example of a work machine according to the present invention and an embodiment of an operating device applied to the crane will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] 1 is a side view of a crane 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The crane 100 is a crawler crane and includes a running body 101, a rotating body 103 rotatably mounted on the running body via a slewing ring 102, and a boom 104 rotatably supported on the rotating body 103. The running body 101 includes a track frame 101a and a crawler 101b attached to the track frame 101a.

[0012] The rotating body 103 is provided with a driver's cab 109, and is equipped with an engine 107 as a prime mover, as well as a hoist drum 105 and a rear winch drum (hoisting drum) 106 as winch devices. A hoist rope 105a is wound around the hoist drum 105, and the hoist rope 105a is wound in or unwound by driving the hoist drum 105, thereby raising or lowering the hook 110. A hoisting rope 106a is wound around the rear winch drum 106, and the hoisting rope 106a is wound in or unwound by driving the rear winch drum 106, thereby raising or lowering the boom 104.

[0013] The rotating body 103 is driven to rotate by a hydraulic motor 102b for rotation via the rotating ring 102, the hoist drum 105 is driven by a hydraulic motor 105b for hoisting, and the rear winch drum 106 is driven by a hydraulic motor 106b for rear winch.

[0014] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the entire operator's cab 109. As shown in Fig. 2, the operator's cab 109 is provided with an operator's seat 201 where an operator sits, a right-side group of levers (travel lever, winch operation lever, etc.) 210 that the operator sitting in the operator's seat 201 operates with his right hand, and a left-side lever device 220 that is an operation device according to this embodiment that the operator sitting in the operator's seat 201 operates with his left hand. In addition, a display device 231 (see Fig. 5) is provided to the left front of the operator's seat 201, which displays various information such as the operating status of the crane 100 and warnings.

[0015] On the floor of the operator's cab 109, there are provided a hoist drum brake pedal 251 for braking the hoist drum 105, a rear drum brake pedal 252 for braking the rear winch drum 106, an accelerator pedal 261 for increasing or decreasing the rotation speed of the engine 107, and a swing brake pedal 262 for braking the swing body 103.

[0016] The left-side lever device 220 is equipped with a swing lever 221, which is an operating member. The swing lever 221 is an operating lever for swinging the swing body 103 by swinging it in the front-rear direction (the operating direction). FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the swing lever 221. As shown in FIG. 3, the swing lever 221 has a grip 221d that is gripped by an operator seated in the driver's seat 201, and a flange 221f that is provided at the lower end of the grip 221d. The swing lever 221 also has an accelerator grip 221a and a swing brake switch 221b, as well as various switches 221c and a horn 221e (see FIG. 4). Note that FIG. 3 does not show vibration units 10a and 10b, which will be described later.

[0017] The accelerator grip 221a is an operating device for increasing or decreasing the rotation speed of the engine 107 by rotating the accelerator grip 221a clockwise or counterclockwise when viewed from above while the operator holds the grip portion 221d with his or her left hand. The accelerator grip 221a is integrated with the swing lever 221, so that the operator can operate the swing lever 221 while operating the accelerator grip 221a with one hand. In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the engine 107 can be increased or decreased by operating the accelerator pedal 261 in addition to operating the accelerator grip 221a.

[0018] The swing brake switch 221b is a switch for selecting whether or not to apply a swing brake that prevents the swing body 103 from swinging. An example of the various switches 221c is a changeover switch that switches the operation mode between normal mode and eco mode. The horn 221e is a button for emitting a warning sound.

[0019] Next, we will explain the detailed structure of the swivel lever 221. Figure 4 is a detailed view of the swivel lever 221, where (a) is a front view showing a schematic internal configuration with the vibrating parts 10a and 10b of the swivel lever 221 cut away, and (b) is a plan view of the swivel lever 221 shown in (a).

[0020] In this embodiment, when an operator grips the rotation lever 221 with his / her left hand, the vibration unit 10a (first vibration unit) is provided in an area where the tip of the operator's left little finger rests, and the vibration unit 10b (second vibration unit) is provided in an area where the base of the left thumb rests. The pair of vibration units 10a and 10b includes, for example, vibration motors 11a and 11b as vibrators and cases 12a and 12b that house the vibration motors 11a and 11b, respectively. The vibration units 10a and 10b (i.e., the vibration motors 11a and 11b and the cases 12a and 12b) are generally built into the rotation lever 221, and the tips of the vibration motors 11a and 11b slightly protrude from the cases 12a and 12b. Therefore, the operator can touch the tips of the vibration motors 11a and 11b with his / her hand. Then, in response to a command from the controller 150 (see FIG. 5), a current flows through the vibration motors 11a and 11b, causing the vibration motors 11a and 11b to vibrate.

[0021] The vibration motors 11a and 11b are locked to the cases 12a and 12b by locking means (not shown), and are configured so that they will not easily come off the cases 12a and 12b even if an operator touches or pinches the vibration motors 11a and 11b.

[0022] The cases 12a and 12b are made of an elastic material such as rubber. The cases 12a and 12b are cylindrical and have bottoms, and house the vibration motors 11a and 11b inside. The vibrations of the vibration motors 11a and 11b are attenuated by the elastic cases 12a and 12b, and are therefore unlikely to be transmitted to the grip portion 221d of the pivot lever 221. Similarly, even if the grip portion 221d vibrates due to a signal source such as an engine, the vibrations of the grip portion 221d are attenuated by the elastic cases 12a and 12b, and are therefore unlikely to be transmitted to the vibration motors 11a and 11b. That is, in this embodiment, the vibration motors 11a and 11b and the grip portion 221d are configured with different vibration systems, and the vibrations of each are unlikely to be transmitted to the other. Therefore, when an operator touches the vibration motors 11a and 11b, the operator can sense the vibrations of only the vibration motors 11a and 11b. In other words, even if the grip portion 221d vibrates, the operator can intuitively distinguish the difference between the vibration of the grip portion 221d and the vibration of the vibration motors 11a and 11b.

[0023] In the present invention, the vibration sources of the vibration units 10a and 10b are not limited to the vibration motors 11a and 11b. They may also be linear solenoids or rotary solenoids. In other words, any type is acceptable as long as they are configured to transmit vibrations to the operator's fingers. Furthermore, the cases 12a and 12b may be made of metal or resin instead of rubber. In this case, springs that hold the vibration motors 11a and 11b inside the cases 12a and 12b can be provided to allow them to function as elastic bodies.

[0024] Next, an overview of the electrical configuration of the crane 100 will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the crane 100. As shown in FIG. 5, the crane 100 is equipped with a controller 150. Although not shown in detail, the controller 150 is configured to include an arithmetic processing unit having a CPU, memory devices such as ROM and RAM, and other peripheral circuits. The input side of the controller 150 is electrically connected to the rotation angle sensor 108, the load monitoring camera 130, the rotation lever 221, and the right lever group 210. The output side of the controller 150 is electrically connected to the vibration motors 11a and 11b and the display device 231.

[0025] The swing angle sensor 108 is provided near the swing ring 102 (see FIG. 1) and detects the swing angle and swing direction of the swing body 103. The load monitoring camera 130 (see FIG. 1) is attached to the upper tip of the boom 104 facing downward in order to monitor the entire load L including the hook 110. An image including the load L captured by the load monitoring camera 130 is input to the controller 150. The controller 150 then displays the input image of the load L on a display device 231. Operation signals from the operation levers 210, 221 are also input to the controller 150, and the crane 100 is controlled.

[0026] In the crane 100 configured as described above, when the operator tilts the swing lever 221 forward (first direction), the swing unit 103 swings left, and the swing angle sensor 108 detects the left swing and its speed. When the operator tilts the swing lever 221 backward (second direction), the swing unit 103 swings right, and the swing angle sensor 108 detects the right swing and its speed. Information on the swing direction and speed is transmitted to the controller 150, and the controller 150 drives the vibration motor 11a in the case of a left swing, and drives the vibration motor 11b in the case of a right swing.

[0027] 6A and 6B are diagrams showing the operation patterns of vibration motors 11a and 11b. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the rotation lever 221 is tilted forward, vibration motor 11a vibrates at a predetermined frequency. At this time, vibration motor 11b is stopped (see FIG. 6B). Therefore, the operator can recognize that a left rotation operation is being performed using rotation lever 221 from the vibration felt by the fingertip of the little finger of the left hand.

[0028] On the other hand, when the rotation lever 221 is tilted backward, the controller 150 correspondingly drives the vibration motor 11b. Then, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the vibration motor 11b starts vibrating. At this time, the vibration motor 11a is stopped (see FIG. 6(a)). Therefore, the operator can recognize that a right rotation operation is being performed using the rotation lever 221 from the vibration felt at the base of the left thumb.

[0029] Furthermore, the controller 150 displays the swing angle and swing direction of the swing unit 103 on the display device 231 based on the detection signal from the swing angle sensor 108. This display allows the operator to confirm a discrepancy between the operation direction of the swing lever 221 and the actual swing direction of the swing unit 103. If the swing direction of the swing unit 103 and the operation direction of the swing lever 221 do not match, for example, if the input of the swing lever 221 is a left swing command but the swing direction of the swing unit 103 is a right swing direction, the controller 150 determines that the swing unit 103 is drifting (swinging) due to an external factor such as wind or a slope, and changes the operation pattern of the vibration motor to a pattern different from normal. In other words, the controller 150 changes the vibration pattern of the vibration motor depending on the state of the crane 100.

[0030] A specific description will be given with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the vibration periods of vibration motors 11a and 11b according to the rotation speed of the rotating body 103. Fig. 7 shows the operation timing of vibration motor 11a when the rotation lever 221 is tilted forward and the rotating body 103 rotates left, and the rotation speed of the rotating body 103 increases from (a) to (d).

[0031] 7(a), when the rotating body 103 is rotating slowly (the rotating body 103 is rotating at a low speed), the controller 150 drives the vibration motor 11a from time t10 to time t11 (i.e., for Δt), and stops driving the vibration motor 11a from time t11 to time t12 (i.e., for Δt1). The controller 150 repeats this cycle T1. The on-time Δt is, for example, about 0.2 seconds, which is set to a time that allows the vibrator (weight) of the vibration motor 11a to vibrate sufficiently.

[0032] As the rotation speed of the rotating body 103 gradually increases, as shown in Fig. 7(b), the controller 150 drives the vibration motor 11a from time t20 to time t21 (i.e., for Δt), and stops driving the vibration motor 11a from time t21 to time t22 (i.e., for Δt2). The controller 150 repeats this cycle T2. Note that Δt2 is a time shorter than Δt1.

[0033] When the rotation speed of the rotating body 103 further increases to a medium level, as shown in Fig. 7(c), the controller 150 drives the vibration motor 11a from time t30 to time t31 (i.e., for Δt), and stops driving the vibration motor 11a from time t31 to time t32 (i.e., for Δt3). The controller 150 repeats this cycle T3. Note that Δt3 is a time shorter than Δt2.

[0034] When the rotation speed of the rotating body 103 reaches a speed at which the rotation of the rotating body 103 can be visually confirmed (i.e., the rotating body 103 is moving at a high speed), as shown in FIG. 7(d), the controller 150 drives the vibration motor 11a from time t40 to time t41 (i.e., for Δt), and stops driving the vibration motor 11a from time t41 to time t42 (i.e., for Δt4). However, Δt4 is almost zero. In other words, if the rotation speed is quite high, the vibration motor 11a hardly stops for a long time and continues to vibrate. The controller 150 repeats this cycle T4.

[0035] In this manner, in this embodiment, the vibration period of the vibration motor 11a is configured to shorten from T1 to T4 (the vibration frequency increases) as the rotation speed of the rotating body 103 increases. Therefore, the operator can sense with his left hand that the speed of the rotating body 103 is increasing. Note that when the rotation speed of the rotating body 103 is high (as in FIG. 7(d)), the operator can visually confirm the rotation state of the rotating body 103, so there is no need to vibrate the vibration motors 11a and 11b of the rotation lever 221.

[0036] Next, a description will be given of the vibration operation pattern of vibration motors 11a and 11b when the operation of the swing lever 221 conflicts with the swing direction of the swing body 103. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between the vibration operation pattern of the swing lever 221 and the actual swing direction of the swing body 103.

[0037] When the rotation direction of the rotating unit 103 detected by the rotation angle sensor 108 is a right turn even though the rotation lever 221 is tilted forward (for a left turn), it is considered that a rotational drift is occurring. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 8, unlike when the rotation direction of the vibration motor 11a matches, at the timing when the actual rotation direction of the rotating unit 103 differs from the operation direction of the rotation lever 221, i.e., at time t2, the controller 150 vibrates the vibration motor 11b for an on-time Δ10 and operates the vibration motor 11a for an on-time Δt11 that is shorter than the on-time Δt10 of the vibration motor 11b. As a result, the vibration motor 11b operates in such a way that a lingering vibration remains in the operator's left hand (particularly the tip of the little finger), and the operator can feel the vibration at the base of the thumb of his left hand that the rotating unit 103 is actually turning right. As described above, according to this embodiment, by changing the operation patterns of vibration motor 11a and vibration motor 11b, it is possible to more clearly sense the direction when the operation direction of the rotation lever 221 differs from the actual rotation direction of the rotating body 103 than when the two directions match. In this embodiment, for example, Δt10 is 0.5 seconds and Δt11 is 0.2 seconds.

[0038] According to the embodiment configured as above, the following advantageous effects can be achieved.

[0039] Since the vibration units 10a and 10b built into the swing lever 221 vibrate independently without being affected by the vibration of the grip unit 221d (swing lever 221), the operator can clearly distinguish and feel the vibration of the vibration units 10a and 10b from the vibration of the grip unit 221d. Therefore, the operating state of the crane 100 can be effectively communicated to the operator.

[0040] Furthermore, when the operating direction of the swing lever 221 differs from the actual swing direction of the swing body 103, the controller 150 vibrates the vibration motors 11a and 11b with a different operation pattern. Therefore, the operator can sense the occurrence of swing drift by simply gripping the swing lever 221, based on the change in the vibration pattern. Therefore, it is possible to effectively communicate to the operator that the state of the crane 100 differs from the actual operation.

[0041] Furthermore, since the rotation direction of the rotating body 103 is displayed on the display device 231, the operator can easily visually check whether the operating direction of the rotation lever 221 matches the actual rotation direction of the rotating body 103.

[0042] (Modification of the operation pattern of the vibration motor) FIG. 9 shows a modified example of the vibration motor operation pattern shown in FIG. 8. The example shown in FIG. 9 is characterized in that vibration motor 11b is driven with a delay of delay time td from time t2, which is the timing at which a rotational flow occurs. In this operation pattern, vibration motor 11a is driven with a short ON time at time t2, so that vibration is transmitted to the little finger of the left hand. Then, with a delay of time td from the timing of time t2, vibration motor 11b is driven and vibration is transmitted to the base of the left thumb. Therefore, vibration motor 11b operates in such a way that a vibration lingers on the little finger of the left hand for time td, and vibration with a different ON time is transmitted to the base of the left thumb. This has the advantage that the operator can more easily sense any discrepancies between the operation direction of the rotating unit 103 and the actual rotation direction.

[0043] The delay time td of the vibration motor 11b is set to be shorter than the on-time Δt11 of the vibration motor 11a at time t2. The on-time Δt10 of the vibration motor 11b is set to be the same as the on-time Δt10 of the vibration motor 11a at time t1. The on-time Δt10 is set to be longer than the on-time Δt11. The reason for this is to make the operator aware of the difference between the operation direction of the swing lever 221 and the actual swing direction of the swing body 103 while the vibration remains in his left hand. In this modified example, for example, Δt10 is 0.5 seconds, Δt11 is 0.2 seconds, and the delay time td is 0.1 seconds.

[0044] Next, various modifications of the turning lever will be described.

[0045] (Variation 1) 10A and 10B are detailed views of a rotating lever according to Modification 1, where (a) is a front view showing the rotating lever in schematic form, and (b) is a plan view of the rotating lever shown in (a). As shown in FIG. 10, in Modification 1, the configuration of vibration units 20a and 20b differs from that of the above-described embodiment. The differences will be specifically described below.

[0046] Vibration units 20a and 20b according to Modification 1 are provided below grip portion 221d and slightly above flange portion 221f. As with the above-described embodiment, vibration unit 20a comes into contact with the tip of the little finger of the operator's left hand, and vibration unit 20b comes into contact with the base of the thumb of the operator's left hand.

[0047] Next, details of the vibrating units 20a and 20b will be explained. Note that since the vibrating units 20a and 20b have the same configuration, only the vibrating unit 20a will be explained here. Figure 11 shows the overall configuration of the vibrating unit 20a, where (a) is a diagram schematically showing a vertical cross section of the vibrating unit 20a, and (b) is a plan view of the vibrating unit shown in (a).

[0048] 11(a) and 11(b), the vibration unit 20a includes a vibration motor 21a, which is a vibrator, and a case 22a that houses the vibration motor 21a. The case 22a is made of a resin material and is formed in the shape of a hollow rectangular parallelepiped with a slightly rounded front surface.

[0049] Case 22a has a pair of upper and lower shafts 23b, and these pair of shafts 23a are rotatably supported by a pair of upper and lower shaft supports 221g provided at the bottom of grip 221d. A certain amount of gap (play) is provided between shaft supports 221g and shafts 23b. Therefore, shafts 23a can move within shaft supports 221g within the range of the gap.

[0050] Vibration motor 21a is fixed integrally within case 22a. Therefore, when vibration motor 21a vibrates, case 22a vibrates accordingly. At this time, because there is a gap between shaft portion 23a and shaft support portion 221g, case 22a is displaced by the vibration by an amount equal to the gap. This allows the vibration of vibration motor 21a to be transmitted to the operator via case 22a.

[0051] Furthermore, case 22a is connected to grip portion 221d via a plurality of spring elements 24a (damping members). Spring elements 24a may be formed of coil springs or the like, or a flexible portion of case 22a may constitute spring elements 24a. These spring elements 24a damp vibrations of grip portion 221d and make it difficult for the vibrations to propagate to case 22a, and spring elements 24a constitute a vibration system that is different from case 22a and grip portion 221d (i.e., pivot lever 221).

[0052] Therefore, vibration motor 21a can transmit vibration to case 22a without being affected by the vibration of grip portion 221d, and as a result, the operator can clearly feel the vibration of case 22a, distinguishing it from the vibration of grip portion 221d.

[0053] According to this modification 1, it is possible to achieve the same effects as the above-described embodiment. Moreover, since the vibration motors 21a and 21b are completely housed in the cases 22a and 22b, it is also possible to prevent the vibration motors 21a and 21b from falling out of the cases 22a and 22b.

[0054] (Variation 2) 12A and 12B are detailed views of a rotating lever according to Modification 2, in which (a) is a front view of the rotating lever with a portion cut away to show the internal configuration, and (b) is a plan view of the rotating lever shown in (a). As shown in FIG. 12, in Modification 2, the configuration of the vibration units 30a and 30b differs from that of the above-described embodiment. The differences will be specifically described below.

[0055] The vibration units 30a and 30b according to the second modification are characterized in that they are provided on the upper surface of the flange 221f. As in the above-described embodiment, the tip of the little finger of the operator's left hand comes into contact with the vibration unit 30a, and the base of the thumb of the operator comes into contact with the vibration unit 30b.

[0056] The vibration unit 30a includes a vibration motor 31a, which is a vibrator, and a case 32a that houses the vibration motor 31a. The case 32a is made of a resin material and is formed into a hollow cylindrical shape with a slightly rounded top. The case 32a is attached to the flange 221f, but is able to move slightly up and down (in the axial direction of the pivot lever 221).

[0057] The vibration motor 31a is fixed integrally within the case 32a, and when the vibration motor 31a vibrates, the case 22a vibrates in the up and down direction accordingly, thereby transmitting the vibration of the vibration motor 31a to the operator.

[0058] Furthermore, case 32a is connected to flange 221f via a plurality of spring elements 34a (damping members). Spring elements 34a may be formed of coil springs or the like, or a flexible portion of case 32a may constitute spring elements 34a. These spring elements 34a damp vibrations of flange 221f and make it difficult for vibrations to propagate to case 32a. Spring elements 34a allow case 32a and flange 221f (i.e., pivot lever 221) to constitute different vibration systems. Vibrating section 30b is also configured in the same manner as vibrating section 30a.

[0059] Therefore, the vibration motor 31a can transmit vibrations to the case 32a without being affected by the vibrations of the flange 221f. As a result, the operator can feel the vibrations of the case 32a separately from the vibrations of the flange 221f.

[0060] According to Modification 2, it is possible to achieve the same effects as the above-described embodiment. Moreover, since the vibration motors 31a and 31b are completely housed in the cases 32a and 32b, it is also possible to prevent the vibration motors 31a and 31b from falling out of the cases 32a and 32b.

[0061] Furthermore, the inside of grip portion 221d is filled with wiring for switches 221c, and if wiring for vibration motors 31a and 31b were to be housed within grip portion 221d, the wiring design would be difficult. However, in Modification 2, vibration portions 30a and 30b are attached to flange portion 221f, so the wiring for vibration motors 31a and 31b can be routed inside flange portion 221f. This has the advantage of increasing the degree of freedom in wiring design.

[0062] (Variation 3) Next, modified examples of the configuration of the vibration unit will be described. Fig. 13 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the vibration unit of the rotating lever according to Modification 3. As shown in Fig. 13, vibration unit 40a according to Modification 3 is characterized in that it uses a linear vibrator instead of a vibration motor. This characteristic will be described in detail below.

[0063] The vibration section 40a according to the third modification includes a pair of linear vibrators 41a, a case 42a that houses the pair of linear vibrators 41a, and a spring element 44a provided between the case 42a and the grip section 221d.

[0064] The pair of linear oscillators 41a are fixed integrally to the case 42a, so that when the pair of linear oscillators 41a are alternately excited, the case 42a rotates (oscillates) around the rotation axis 43a.

[0065] The case 42a is supported by a spring element 44a (damping member), and the case 42a and the grip portion 221d constitute different vibration systems.

[0066] This configuration also provides the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment.

[0067] (Other variations) In the above explanation, a configuration of a rotating lever (operating lever) provided with two vibration units was exemplified, but the number of vibration units is not limited to two. The number of vibration units can be determined according to the number of operating directions of the lever to be operated. For example, if the operating lever has four operating directions (front / back, left / right), the number of vibration units can be four.

[0068] Furthermore, the number of vibration units does not necessarily have to match the operation direction. For example, if there are four operation directions, the operating lever may be configured to have two vibration units corresponding to the forward / backward direction and one vibration unit corresponding to the left / right direction. In this case, the operator can accurately recognize the operation direction for forward / backward operations, and although he / she cannot grasp the operation direction for left / right operations, he / she can recognize whether or not an operation has been performed. In other words, if it is desired to recognize the operation direction, it is sufficient to provide vibration units in the same number as the operation directions, and if it is desired to recognize only the presence or absence of an operation, it is sufficient to provide one vibration unit.

[0069] Furthermore, a specific control lever may be provided with multiple vibration units, and the operation of the multiple control levers may be associated with each vibration unit in advance. In other words, a configuration may be adopted in which the operator can recognize the operation of other control levers via the vibration units simply by holding a specific control lever. For example, in a crane, the operator may be made aware of the state of the crane by vibrating one of multiple vibration units provided on the swing lever to indicate whether or not the winch is being hoisted or whether or not the crane is being traveled.

[0070] Furthermore, by changing the vibration pattern for each operation lever, the operator can clearly recognize the speed and direction of the object being operated with the operation lever. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing the vibration patterns of the swing lever and the winch operation lever. In the modified example shown in Fig. 14, the vibration pattern of the vibration motor, i.e., the on time and off time of the vibration motor, are made different for each object whose speed is to be detected. Specifically, the speed of the swing body 103, which is the object whose speed is to be detected, and the hoisting / lowering speed of the hoist drum 105, which is also the object whose speed is to be detected, are each detected, and the vibration pattern of the vibration motor provided on the corresponding operation lever is made different depending on the detection results.

[0071] 14, the on-time of the vibration motor of the winch operation lever 210 is Δt20, and the on-time of the vibration motors 11a and 11b while the swing lever 221 is being operated is Δt21. For example, Δt20 is set to 0.15 seconds, and Δt21 is set to 0.3 seconds. In this case, the vibration felt by the left hand operating the swing lever 221 and the vibration felt by the right hand operating the winch operation lever 210 have different vibration patterns, so the operator can clearly recognize the state of the swing body 103 and the hoist drum 105 from the difference in the vibration felt by both hands.

[0072] Furthermore, even in the case of a four-way operation lever that combines the swing operation and hoist drum operation into one and has multiple vibration motors attached to its grip, by performing the operation shown in Figure 14, the operator can clearly recognize the speed and direction of the detection target by the difference in vibration patterns.

[0073] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. The present invention covers all technical matters included in the technical ideas described in the claims. The above-described embodiments are preferred examples, but a person skilled in the art can realize various alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements from the contents disclosed in this specification, and these are included in the technical scope described in the appended claims.

[0074] For example, the present invention can also be applied to a remote control terminal that communicates with the controller 150 and issues commands to remotely operate the crane 100. Also, in a control room where remote operation is performed, a similar configuration can be adopted in which operation of the control lever is notified by vibration. In other words, the present invention can be applied not only to the swivel lever 221 provided in the operator's cab 109, but also to any crane operating device, such as a swivel dial on a remote control terminal or a swivel dial installed in a remote control room.

[0075] Furthermore, although a crawler crane has been given as an example of a crane, the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to any type of cranes, including other mobile cranes such as wheel cranes, truck cranes, rough terrain cranes, and all-terrain cranes, as well as tower cranes, overhead cranes, jib cranes, retractable cranes, stacker cranes, gantry cranes, unloaders, earth drills, and other foundation machines.

[0076] Furthermore, because the present invention allows vibrations to be felt more clearly than with existing technology, it can also be applied to work machines other than cranes, such as hydraulic excavators and wheel loaders. The present invention can also be applied to transport machines (cargo vehicles) such as automobiles and dump trucks. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 10a,10b Vibrating part (1st vibrating part, 2nd vibrating part) 11a, 11b vibration motor (vibrator) 12a, 12b Case 20a, 20b Vibrating part (1st vibrating part, 2nd vibrating part) 21a, 21b Vibration motor (vibrator) 22a, 22b Case 23a,23b Shaft part 24a, 24b Spring elements (damping members) 30a, 30b Vibrating part (1st vibrating part, 2nd vibrating part) 31a, 31b Vibration motor (vibrator) 32a, 32b Case 34a, 34b spring elements (damping members) 40a, 40b vibration unit (first vibration unit, second vibration unit) 41a, 41b Linear vibrator (vibrator) Cases 42a and 42b 44a, 44b spring elements (damping members) 100 Crane 101 Running body 103 Rotating body 104 Boom 105 Hoisting drum 106 Rear winch drum 108 Rotation angle sensor 109 Driver's Cab 130 Suspended load monitoring camera 150 Controller 210 Right side levers (operating device) 220 Left-side lever device (operating device) 221 Swivel lever (operating member) 221d Grip (operation member) 221f Flange (operating member) 231 Display device

Claims

1. An operating device for operating a work machine, an operating member that is held by an operator; a vibration unit that notifies an operator of the state of the work machine by vibration, The vibration unit forms a vibration system different from that of the operation member. An operating device characterized by:

2. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, the vibration unit includes a vibrator and a case that houses the vibrator, the case is made of an elastic body that damps vibrations of the operating member, The vibrator is housed in the case with a part of it exposed. An operating device characterized by:

3. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, the vibration unit includes a vibrator and a case that houses the vibrator and vibrates integrally with the vibrator, the case is attached to the operating member via a damping member that damps vibrations of the operating member; An operating device characterized by:

4. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, the operating member is operable in a first direction and a second direction; The vibration unit includes a first vibration unit that operates based on the operation of the operating member in the first direction, and a second vibration unit that operates based on the operation of the operating member in the second direction. An operating device characterized by:

5. 5. The operating device according to claim 4, One of the first vibration unit and the second vibration unit is provided at a position where the base of the thumb of the operator comes into contact, and the other is provided at a position where the little finger of the operator comes into contact. An operating device characterized by:

6. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, The vibration operation pattern of the vibration unit changes depending on the state of the work machine. An operating device characterized by:

7. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, The vibration pattern of the vibration unit changes depending on the speed of the work machine to be detected. An operating device characterized by:

8. A work machine or a transport machine equipped with the operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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