Construction machinery

Abstract

To provide construction machinery with increased freedom of operation through a small wireless control device. [Solution] A construction machine comprising: a drive unit that performs a predetermined movement by operating multiple actuators; a control device 51 that transmits drive command signals to each solenoid valve 58 for operating the multiple actuators; and a wireless control device 52 and a small wireless control device 53 that wirelessly transmit operation signals to the control device 51. The control device 51 creates drive command signals for operating the actuators from operation signals transmitted from the wireless control device 52 or the small wireless control device 53. The control device 51 stores the operation content based on a predetermined operation signal among the operation signals transmitted from the wireless control device 52 as set operation data, and creates a drive command signal for operating the actuators from the operation signal transmitted from the small wireless control device 53 to which control has been transferred, and the set operation data corresponding to the operation signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a construction machine with improved operation flexibility by a compact wireless operation device having excellent portability.

Background Art

[0002] Some construction machines can be operated by a wireless operation device with the operator outside the driver's seat, in addition to the operations performed by the operator seated in the driver's seat. Patent Document 1 below discloses a self-propelled construction machine in relation to such a point. This construction machine is equipped with a crane composed of a base arm and a tip arm on a caterpillar-mounted vehicle body, and a bucket is attached to the tip of the tip arm so as to scoop toward the operator side. A crane hook for hanging a wire is attached to the attachment position, and all power shovels are of wireless remote control (radio control type) specification.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Wireless control devices are highly effective because they allow operators to visually inspect and operate work areas that are not visible from the driver's seat. However, as the variety of operations for construction machinery increases, the wireless control device becomes larger and heavier due to the increased number of control switches. Therefore, if work on construction machinery is prolonged, the burden on the operator holding the wireless control device becomes significant. To address this, it is conceivable to install a separate, smaller wireless control device and switch between it and the larger wireless control device to accommodate prolonged operation. On the other hand, because the smaller wireless control device is small and lightweight, there are limitations on the number of control switches that can be placed on it, meaning that operations possible with the main wireless control device may become impossible.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to solve these problems by providing a construction machine that offers increased freedom of operation using a small wireless control device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The construction machine according to the present invention comprises a drive unit that performs a predetermined movement by operating a plurality of actuators, a control device that transmits drive command signals to each solenoid valve for operating the plurality of actuators, and a wireless control device and a small wireless control device that wirelessly transmit operation signals to the control device for operating the drive unit. The control device creates a drive command signal for operating the actuators from operation signals transmitted from the wireless control device or the small wireless control device, stores the operation content based on a predetermined operation signal among the operation signals transmitted from the wireless control device as set operation data, and creates a drive command signal for operating the actuators from the operation signal transmitted from the small wireless control device to which control has been transferred and the set operation data corresponding to the operation signal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above configuration, an operation signal is transmitted from a wireless control device or a small wireless control device to a control device, and the control device controls the actuator using a drive command signal created based on that operation signal, thereby enabling the construction machine to perform a predetermined movement. At this time, the control device stores the operation content based on a predetermined operation signal from among the operation signals transmitted from the wireless control device as set operation data, and creates a drive command signal from the operation signal transmitted from the small wireless control device to which control has been transferred, and the set operation data corresponding to that operation signal, and operates the actuator. Therefore, when operating the small wireless control device, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in operating the small wireless control device by utilizing the set operation data associated with the operation of the wireless control device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a pile driver as one embodiment of construction machinery. [Figure 2] This is a simplified diagram illustrating the control system of construction machinery. [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing the control panel of a radio-controlled device. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing the control panel of a radio-controlled slave unit. [Figure 5] This is a simplified functional configuration diagram showing the controller's adjustment value inheritance function. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] An embodiment of the construction machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a pile driver with an auger device assembled as an example of a construction machine. In this embodiment, the pile driver 1 has a base machine 2, in which an upper rotating body 12 equipped with a driver's cab 15 is rotatably mounted on a lower traveling body 11 that can travel by crawler. A leader 13 is swingably mounted in the center of the tip of the upper rotating body 12, and an auger device 3, which is a rotational output device, is attached to the leader 13. Furthermore, a lower lifting device 5 for strengthening pile extraction is attached to the auger device 3.

[0010] A leader support 21 is provided at the center of the tip of the upper rotating body 12, and a swing crank 25 is formed on the leader 13 so as to protrude to the rear. The leader 13 is configured to tilt in the front-rear direction, with the swing crank 25 pivotally supported by a support pin parallel to the width direction of the machine body relative to the leader support 21. The leader support 21 and the swing crank 25 are connected by a front-rear swing cylinder 26. Furthermore, the lower side of the leader support 21 is pivotally supported by a support shaft in the front-rear direction relative to the upper rotating body 12, and the leader 13 can swing in the left-right direction together with the swing crank 25 and the front-rear swing cylinder 26. A left-right swing cylinder 27 is pivotally attached to the leader support 21 between it and the upper rotating body 12.

[0011] In this embodiment, the pile driver 1 has an auger device 3 attached to a leader 13 that can swing in the forward / backward and left / right directions. The auger device 3 is a working device for imparting rotation to the gripped casing K. The auger device 3 is assembled vertically from a base frame 31, a chuck frame 32, and a work table 33, and through holes 34 are formed in each of them through which the casing K can pass. The base frame 31 is provided with four hydraulic motors 35 for the auger that rotate the casing K, and the rotational output is transmitted to a cone, which is a cylindrical gear member that passes through the casing K.

[0012] The chuck frame 32 has a wedge-shaped chuck that fits between the cone and the casing, mounted on a rotatable annular rotating body. The base frame 31 is provided with four chuck cylinders 36, which connect to the chuck frame 32. Therefore, as the chuck cylinders 36 extend and retract, the chuck frame 32 moves up and down relative to the base frame 31, and as it moves down, multiple chucks are firmly inserted between the casing K and the cone. The gripped casing K is then rotated by the output of the auger hydraulic motor 35 transmitted through the cone.

[0013] The pile driver 1 uses actuators such as hydraulic cylinders including a lifting cylinder 24, a forward / backward oscillating cylinder 26, and a left / right oscillating cylinder 27, as well as hydraulic motors such as an auger hydraulic motor 35, and is configured as a hydraulic circuit incorporating solenoid valves for hydraulic control. Conventional construction machines are configured to switch solenoid valves by the operator's operation using operating levers or pedals, but in this embodiment, the pile driver 1 has such operating means such as operating levers and pedals removed from the operator's cab 15, and is configured to be operated both indoors and outdoors using a handheld operating device.

[0014] The pile driver 1 is configured with a dual control system that allows switching between wireless radio control and wired remote control. Figure 2 is a simplified image diagram showing the control system of the pile driver 1. The pile driver 1's drive control is electronically controlled by a controller (control device) 51, and it is possible to drive, turn, and push out piles using a radio control device 52 and a radio control slave unit (small wireless control device) 53, which are wireless control devices, and a wired remote control device 54. The controller 51 is connected to a display 55 and several lamps 56 to show the operator the operating status, and several solenoid valves 58 that operate the engine 57 and various actuators to be controlled are connected via a drive circuit (not shown).

[0015] The controller 51 is composed of a CPU that performs various calculations such as data processing and judgment, and is made up of a ROM that stores a predetermined control program and a RAM that temporarily stores various data during processing. In the pile driver 1, the drive control can be centrally managed by the controller 51 by electronic control, and by having a dual control system of radio control and remote control, remote operation by radio control is particularly possible. All operation signals from the radio control device 52, radio control slave unit 53 or remote control device 54 are transmitted to the controller 51, and the controller 51 creates and transmits drive command signals to the engine 57, solenoid valve 58, etc., and predetermined drive control is performed.

[0016] The operator's cab 15 houses the radio control unit 52 and the remote control unit 54. The radio control unit 52 and the radio control sub-unit 53 can communicate wirelessly with the receiver 59 connected to the controller 51, allowing for operation from a seated position inside the operator's cab 15, as well as remote control of the pile driver 1 from a distance outside the operator's cab 15. In particular, the radio control sub-unit 53 is small and lightweight, making it highly portable, although its operational capabilities are limited. On the other hand, the remote control unit 54 is connected to the controller 51 via a cable, so its primary use is from inside the operator's cab 15. However, the cable connected to the controller 51 is of a certain length, allowing the remote control unit 54 to be pulled out from the operator's cab 15, making it possible to operate the pile driver 1 while monitoring its operation from the outside.

[0017] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the panel surface of the radio control operation device 52. The radio control operation device 52 is provided with operation switches such as lever switches and volume switches, which are arranged according to the operation contents. For example, with respect to the lower traveling body 11, a traveling operation unit 61 for operating left traveling and right traveling of the lower traveling body 11 is provided, and with respect to the upper revolving body 12, a revolving operation unit 62 for operating revolving and a revolving brake is provided. Further, with respect to the auger device 3, a rotation operation unit 63 for rotating the gripped casing K and a chuck operation unit 64 for gripping the casing K are provided. Further, in the radio control operation device 52, with respect to the thrust jack 37 of the auger device 3 and the lower lifting device 5 and the lifting cylinder 24 of the leader 13, a push-pull operation unit 65 for adjusting the pushing speed against the casing, the pushing force, and the pulling force is provided. Furthermore, a jack operation unit 66 is provided for ensuring the posture and stability of the pile driver 1 during work.

[0018] Next, Figure 4 is a diagram showing the panel surface of the radio control slave unit 53. This radio control slave unit 53 is a small-sized operation device that can be easily carried, and is a general-purpose product that is easily available at low cost. The radio control slave unit 53 has a small number of operation switches and is configured only with button switches. The radio control slave unit 53 is a rectangular parallelepiped with a width dimension that can be held in one hand, and as shown in the figure, five sets of two button switches each arranged in the width direction are arranged in the longitudinal direction. Such a radio control slave unit 53 has a limited number of operation switches, so its operation contents are limited compared to the radio control operation device 52 which is the main device.

[0019] In the radio control slave unit 53, several button switches are assigned as operation switches for executing predetermined driving of the pile driver 1. For example, there are a chuck open switch 81 and a chuck close switch 82, a pull-out switch 83 and a push-in switch 84 for the casing K, and a left rotation switch 85 and a right rotation switch 86 for the auger device 3. In addition, there are a release switch 87 for abandoning the operation right from the radio control operation device 52, a catch switch 88 for inheriting the operation right, and the like.

[0020] In the pile driver 1, operations such as removal of buried concrete are performed. In the pile driver 1, the traveling hydraulic motor is driven by the traveling operation of the lower traveling body 11, the auger device 3 is moved to a predetermined working position, and adjustments for aligning with the driving position of the casing K are carried out. Then, the inclination of the leader 13 is adjusted by extension and retraction control of the front-rear swing cylinder 26 and the left-right swing cylinder 27. In addition, the pile driver 1 performs extension and retraction control of the front jack 28 and the leader jack 29 located at the front, and the outrigger jack (not shown) located at the rear, and the stability of the machine body during the removal operation is ensured by the weight mounted at the rear.

[0021] In the pile driver 1, the auger device 3 is moved to the raised position by extension control of the elevating cylinder 24, and in particular, the casing K is pushed in by the retraction operation. Further, in the auger device 3, rotation is applied to the gripped casing K by drive control of the auger hydraulic motor 35. As the casing K receives a rotational force while a pushing force acts downward on it at the same time, the cemented carbide bit at the tip cuts through concrete and the like present in the ground in a circular shape.

[0022] The auger device 3 releases the casing K for each one stroke of the elevating cylinder 24, returns to the raised position, and performs re-gripping to grip the casing again. In addition, since the casing K has only a fixed length, when it is pushed to a deep position, a required number of extension casings K are sequentially connected. Thereafter, the casing K pushed to a predetermined depth is pulled out, and the concrete pieces and the like separated from the surroundings are gripped and discharged by a hammer grab suspended from a mobile crane.

[0023] The removal work using the pile driver 1 is performed by an operator using a radio control device 52 or the like. The radio control device 52 transmits operation signals to the controller 51, which then creates and transmits drive command signals to the solenoid valve 58 and the like based on a control program, thereby performing predetermined drive control. The pile driver 1 can also continue its work by transferring control from the radio control device 52 to the radio control slave unit 53. However, conventional operation by the radio control slave unit 53 could only operate the corresponding actuators for opening and closing the chuck, pushing and pulling out the casing K, and rotating it left or right, at a predetermined fixed value.

[0024] The radio control device 52 has volume switches 71 and 72 on the rotation control unit 63 for adjusting the speed and torque related to auger rotation, and a volume switch 73 on the chuck control unit 64 for adjusting the chuck force. In addition, the push-pull control unit 65 of the radio control device 52 has volume switches 75, 76, and 77 for adjusting the pushing speed, pushing force, and pulling force, respectively. Furthermore, the rotation control unit 63 has a selector switch 78 that allows switching the rotation method of the auger device 3 between emergency mode, low-speed mode, and high-speed mode. Finally, the push-pull control unit 65 has a selector switch 79 that allows switching between auger operation mode with the auger device 3 as the target of operation, lower operation mode with the lower lifting device 5 as the target, and pile extraction mode for extending and retracting a cylinder (not shown).

[0025] The master unit (main wireless control device), the radio control device 52, has various switches that allow it to perform operations such as adjusting the rotation speed and selecting modes. On the other hand, the radio control slave unit 53 only has a few button switches and therefore lacks the operational functions that volume switches and selector switches can provide. Consequently, the rotation speed and pressing force against the casing K could only be controlled to fixed values. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pile driver 1, whose drive control is centrally managed by the controller 51, is configured so that the adjustment values ​​set by the radio control device 52 can also be inherited by the radio control slave unit 53. Figure 5 is a simplified functional configuration diagram showing the adjustment value inheritance function in the controller 51.

[0026] In the operation of the auger device 3 by the radio control device 52, the rotation speed is set to emergency mode, low-speed mode, or high-speed mode by the selector switch 78 on the rotation control unit 63, and the direction of rotation is determined by the input of the lever switch 74. In addition, the rotation speed and rotation torque are adjusted by setting the adjustment values ​​on the volume switches 71 and 72. The operation signals from these operation switches are transmitted to the controller 51, where a drive command signal is created and transmitted through calculation processing, and the hydraulic motor 35 for the auger is driven by the control of the corresponding solenoid valve 58.

[0027] At this time, the adjustment values ​​based on the mode signal transmitted from the selector switch 78 and the operation signals transmitted from the volume switches 71 and 72 are stored as setting operation data in the volume setting memory 511 provided in the controller 51. In addition, the adjustment values ​​based on the operation signal transmitted from the volume switch 73 for the operation signal to the chuck cylinder 36 of the auger device 3 are also stored as setting operation data in the volume setting memory 511. Furthermore, the adjustment values ​​for the pushing speed, pushing force, and pulling force based on the mode signal transmitted by the selector switch 79 in the operation unit 65 and the operation signals transmitted from the volume switches 75, 76, and 77 are each stored as setting operation data in the volume setting memory 511.

[0028] These mode data and adjustment value data are overwritten and saved in the volume setting memory 511 each time an operation signal is transmitted from each switch. When control of the operation is transferred from the radio control device 52 to the radio control slave unit 53, the operation of each actuator of the pile driver 1 is temporarily stopped while the setting operation data remains stored in the volume setting memory 511. Subsequently, when the operator starts operating the radio control slave unit 53, the operation signal is transmitted to the controller 51, where a drive command signal is created and transmitted through calculation processing, and the auger hydraulic motor 35 and other components are driven by the control of the corresponding solenoid valve 58.

[0029] The controller 51 stores an operation signal processing program that performs control processing based on the operation of the radio-controlled slave unit 53. Specifically, the operation signal processing program creates a drive command signal based on the operation signal from the radio-controlled slave unit 53 and the corresponding setting operation data stored in the volume setting memory 511. For example, when the chuck closing switch 82 of the radio-controlled slave unit 53 is pressed, the controller 51 reads the chuck force adjustment value data corresponding to that operation signal from the volume setting memory 511. The controller 51 then creates a drive command signal based on the operation signal of the chuck closing switch 82 and the chuck force adjustment value data, and controls the drive of the solenoid valve 58 corresponding to the chuck cylinder 36.

[0030] Regarding the rotation output of the auger device 3, when the left rotation switch 85 (or right rotation switch 86) of the radio control slave unit 53 is pressed, the controller 51 reads the mode data for the selector switch 78 corresponding to that operation signal, as well as the adjustment values ​​for rotation speed and rotation torque, from the volume setting memory 511. Then, the controller 51 creates a drive command signal based on the operation signal of the left rotation switch 85, the mode data, and the adjustment values ​​for rotation speed and rotation torque, and controls the drive of the solenoid valve 58 corresponding to the hydraulic motor 35 for the auger.

[0031] Furthermore, when the pull-out switch 83 (or push-in switch 84) of the radio-controlled slave unit 53 is pressed, the controller 51 reads the mode data and adjustment value data corresponding to that operation signal from the volume setting memory 511. Mode selection for pulling out or pushing in the casing K is performed by the extension and retraction of the lifting cylinder 24 provided on the leader 13, the thrust jack 37 of the lower lifting device 5, or a cylinder not shown. Therefore, the mode data selected by the selector switch 79 is present in the volume setting memory 511. Thus, the adjustment value data for the pulling force (or pushing speed, pushing force) by the volume switch 77 (or 75, 76) is read from the volume setting memory 511 along with the mode data. The controller 51 then creates a drive command signal based on the operation signal of the pull-out switch 83, the mode data, and the adjustment value data for the pulling force (or pushing speed, pushing force), and controls the drive of the solenoid valve 58 corresponding to the lifting cylinder 24, the thrust jack 37, or the cylinder not shown.

[0032] In this embodiment, the controller 51 creates a drive command signal using the setting operation data stored in the volume setting memory 511, thereby increasing the degree of freedom of operation even when operating the radio-controlled slave unit 53. In other words, although the radio-controlled slave unit 53 is highly portable, its operation capabilities were limited, but by using the operation signals of the radio-controlled control device 52 as setting operation data, the range of operations can be expanded. Furthermore, by providing the controller 51 with a volume setting memory 511 and creating a drive command signal according to an operation signal processing program, and by using a general-purpose radio-controlled slave unit 53, the above effects can be achieved at low cost.

[0033] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit. In the above embodiment, a pile driver 1 was described as an example, but the construction machinery can be adapted to other types such as cranes. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0034] 1…Pile driver 2…Base machine 3…Auger device 5…Lower lifting device 51…Controller 52…Radio control device 53…Radio control slave unit 54…Remote control device 511…Volume setting memory

Claims

1. A drive unit that performs a predetermined movement through the operation of multiple actuators, A control device that transmits drive command signals to each solenoid valve for operating multiple actuators, A wireless control device and a compact wireless control device that wirelessly transmit operation signals to the control device for operating the drive unit, It has, The control device generates a drive command signal for operating the actuator from an operation signal transmitted from the wireless control device or the small wireless control device, stores the operation content based on a predetermined operation signal from the operation signals transmitted from the wireless control device as set operation data, and generates a drive command signal for operating the actuator from an operation signal transmitted from the small wireless control device to which control has been transferred, and the set operation data corresponding to that operation signal.

2. The construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the setting operation data is adjustment value data adjusted by operating a volume switch provided on the wireless control device.

3. The construction machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the setting operation data is mode data set by operating a selector switch provided on the wireless control device.

4. The construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the small wireless control device has an operation switch for transmitting an operation signal that is a button switch.

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