Method for changing drill bits in a rock drilling unit using a control device, control device for a rock drilling unit, rock drilling unit and rock drilling rig

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method executed by a control device (100) for changing a drill bit (3) configured to be connected to at least one drill rod (7) by a first threaded connection (40) in a rock drilling unit (8), the rock drilling unit (8) comprising a first feeding device (42) for axially feeding the at least one drill rod (7) and the drill bit (3), a rotation device (44) configured to generate a rotational movement of the at least one drill rod (7) and the drill bit (3), an impact device (46) for applying impact pulses to the at least one drill rod (7) and the drill bit (3), and a drill bit changing device (1) for changing the drill bit (3) of the at least one drill rod (7), the method comprising the steps of: receiving information about the change of the drill bit (3); The method includes the steps of: controlling (s102) the impact device (46) to drive the drill bit (3) against a bottom (48) of the drill bore (50) to loosen a first threaded connection (40) between the drill bit (3) and the at least one drill rod (7), controlling (s103) the first feeding device (42) to pull the at least one drill rod (7) and the drill bit (3) out of the drill bore (50), controlling (s104) the rotation device (44) to remove the drill bit (3) from the at least one drill rod (7), controlling (s105) the drill bit changing device (1) to change the drill bit (3), and controlling (s106) the rotation device (44) to attach the at least one drill rod (7) to the drill bit (3) by means of the first threaded connection (40). The present invention also relates to a control device (100), a rock drilling unit (8), and a rock drilling rig (5).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The invention relates to a method for changing a drill bit of a rock drilling unit by means of a control device, to a control device for a rock drilling unit, to a rock drilling unit and a rock drilling rig.The invention further relates to a computer program and to a computer readable medium. [Background technology]

[0002] When drilling rock-type materials, special kinds of rock drilling rigs are generally used. There are various kinds of rock drilling rigs, but two are commonly used for operations carried out in a vertical or near-vertical direction: DTH (Down-the-hole) rock drilling rigs and tophammer rock drilling rigs. Since rock drilling is performed in hard materials, special drill bits are used for such operations. Such drill bits are often heavy, can become dirty with oil during use, and after use, can carry sharp pieces and / or shavings of material that can be noticeable to the operator operating such drill bits. However, such drill bits need to be removed from the rock drilling rig from time to time, since they need maintenance in the form of replacement and / or resharpening.

[0003] DTH rock drilling rigs typically include a splined connection for attaching the drill bit to the rock drilling rig, while tophammer rock drilling rigs typically use a threaded connection instead. Drill bit changing systems are known and may provide a fully automated or semi-automated changing process for rock drilling rigs. Drill bit changing systems also differ in design between DTH and tophammer rock drilling rigs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Due to the above mentioned characteristics and the circumstances surrounding the handling of drill bits, such removal and installation operations are heavy, inconvenient and sometimes cause personal injury. Therefore, there is a need for an improved method for changing and handling such drill bits. There is also a need to develop an improved control device arranged to automatically or at least semi-automatically perform the drill bit changing operation on a rock drilling unit. There is also a need to develop a rock drilling unit with such a control device, a rock drilling rig with such a rock drilling unit, a computer program and a computer readable medium for carrying out the method. There is also a need to develop a rock drilling unit and a rock drilling rig that can be controlled autonomously.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for changing and handling drill bits. A further object is to develop an improved control device for a rock drilling unit, which is arranged to perform the operation of changing the drill bit automatically or at least semi-automatically. Further objects are respectively a rock drilling unit comprising such a control device, a rock drilling rig comprising such a rock drilling unit, a computer program and a computer readable medium for carrying out the method. It is a further object to develop a rock drilling unit and a rock drilling rig which can be controlled autonomously.

[0006] These objects are achieved by a method executed by a control device for changing a drill bit in a rock drilling unit, a control device of a rock drilling unit, a rock drilling unit, a rock drilling rig, a computer program and a computer readable medium according to the appended claims. According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method executed by a control device for changing a drill bit in a rock drilling unit, the drill bit being configured to be connected to at least one drill rod by a first threaded connection. The rock drilling unit comprises: a first delivery device for axially delivering at least one drill rod and a drill bit; a rotation device configured to generate a rotational movement of at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit; an impact device for applying an impact pulse to at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit; a drill bit changing device for changing the drill bit of at least one drill rod; Equipped with The method comprises: receiving information regarding a replacement of a drill bit; controlling an impact device to drive the drill bit against a bottom of the drill bore to loosen a first threaded connection between the drill bit and the at least one drill rod; controlling a first delivery device to withdraw at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit from the drill bore; controlling a rotating device to remove a drill bit from at least one drill rod; controlling a drill bit changing device to change the drill bit; controlling the rotation device to attach at least one drill rod to the drill bit by a first threaded connection; has.

[0007] This has the advantage that, by instructions from the control device, the first delivery device, the rotation device and the impact device may be controlled to change the drill bit using the drill bit changer. The instructions from the control device may be based on information received from the sensors and on information received from experience data. The control device may be configured to initiate a drill bit change based on operational data of the rock drilling rig and the drill bit connected to the rock drilling rig. Thus, a drill bit change operation may be initiated automatically during a drilling operation when a need for such an operation is detected based on the operational data. The operational data may consist of any one or a combination of the following data: time spent drilling, time spent drilling since last maintenance, estimated remaining time until change is required, meters drilled, meters drilled since last maintenance, or other data. Thus, the control device may initiate a drill bit change operation if it determines that the current state of the drill bit is not in a state that allows drilling in a future drilling operation. As a result, multiple drilling operations successive to one another may be performed safely, quickly and efficiently. Thus, the object of providing an improved method for changing and handling drill bits is achieved.

[0008] According to one aspect of the invention, a computer program comprises instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause a computer to carry out the method. Also, a computer readable medium comprises instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause a computer to carry out the method. This has the advantage that the method can be constituted by pre-programmed software and implemented in a rock drilling unit suitable for utilizing the method.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a control device for a rock drilling unit is provided. The rock drilling unit comprises: a drill bit configured to be connected to at least one drill rod by a first threaded connection; a first delivery device for axially delivering at least one drill rod and a drill bit; a rotation device configured to generate a rotational movement of at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit; an impact device for applying an impact pulse to at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit; a drill bit changing device for changing the drill bit of at least one drill rod; Equipped with The control device includes: Receive information about replacing drill bits, controlling an impact device to drive the drill bit against a bottom of the formed drill bore to loosen a first threaded connection between the drill bit and the at least one drill rod; controlling the first delivery device to withdraw at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit from the drill bore; controlling the rotating device to remove the drill bit from the at least one drill rod; Controlling the drill bit changing device to change the drill bit; and Controlling the rotating device to attach at least one drill rod to the drill bit by a first threaded connection It is structured as follows.

[0010] This has the advantage that a drill bit changing operation for the rock drilling unit can be performed automatically. The first delivery device, the rotation device, the impact device and the drill bit changing device are controlled by the control device and the drill bit can be changed automatically in a safe manner. Drill bits that are heavy, sharp and / or difficult to transport can be fully handled by instructions from the control device. The drill bit changing operation is performed by the control device and can be based on information received from sensors and on information received from experience data. The control device can be configured to initiate the changing of the drill bit based on operation data of the rock drilling rig and of the drill bits connected to the rock drilling rig. Thus, a drill bit changing operation can be automatically initiated during a drilling operation when a need for such an operation is detected based on the operation data.

[0011] According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a rock drilling unit comprising at least one control device as disclosed herein, the rock drilling unit comprising a first delivery device, a rotation device, an impact device and a drill bit changing device, which are controlled by the control device and configured for automatically changing the drill bit, which has the advantage that the rock drilling unit can be arranged on a rock drilling rig in order to realize an automatically performed drill bit changing operation.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rock drilling rig comprising a rock drilling unit as disclosed herein. Depending on the typical rock drilling requirements, various types of drilling rigs may be used. According to one aspect, the rock drilling rig may be configured for vertical drilling or drilling at an angle ranging from about 0° to about 95° relative to the vertical. Such a rock drilling rig may be a tophammer rock drilling rig utilizing a threaded connection to attach a drill bit to the rock drilling rig.

[0013] Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, as well as by practice of the invention. While the present invention is described below in terms of embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular configurations described. Those skilled in the art having access to the teachings herein will recognize further applications, modifications, and incorporation in other fields that are within the scope of the present invention. For a more complete understanding of the present invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, the following detailed description should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference designations are used to denote similar features in the various figures. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rock drilling rig according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a rock drilling unit according to one embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drill bit changing device according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a gripping arm of a drill bit changing device according to one embodiment; FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a control device or computer according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] The detailed description referring to the illustrated embodiments is considered as an embodiment consisting of a combination of the specific features described in detail above. It is therefore understood that additional embodiments can be achieved by combining other features with the embodiments not described herein. The drawings are to be considered as examples and are not mutually exclusive combinations. It should also be noted that all the drawings are schematic and for simplicity, generic parts of machinery and similar parts are not shown.

[0016] According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method for changing a drill bit in a rock drilling unit using a control device, the drill bit being configured to be connected to at least one drill rod by a first threaded connection. The rock drilling unit is a first delivery device for axially delivering at least one drill rod and a drill bit; a rotation device configured to generate a rotational movement of at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit; an impact device for providing an impact pulse to at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit; a drill bit changing device for changing the drill bit of at least one drill rod; having The method comprises: Receive information about replacing drill bits; controlling an impact device to strike the drill bit against a bottom surface of the drilled hole to loosen a first threaded connection between the drill bit and the at least one drill rod; controlling a first delivery device to move at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit out of the drill hole; controlling a rotating device to remove a drill bit from at least one drill rod; Controlling a drill bit changing device to change the drill bit; and Controlling a rotating device to attach at least one drill rod to a drill bit by a first threaded connection.

[0017] The control device may be located on the rock drilling unit or at a distance relative to the rock drilling unit. The control device may be connected to sensors provided on the rock drilling unit or in components connected to the rock drilling unit. Such sensors may detect operation or properties of the rock drilling unit or of components connected to the rock drilling unit. The control device may have a memory in which experience data may be stored.

[0018] The drill bit is adapted for rock drilling in hard materials. It may be designed and provided with a shape adapted to the drilling task to be performed. Such drill bits are often heavy and may carry sharp fragments and / or shavings of material after use. The drill bit is provided with a thread, which is adapted to be connected to a corresponding thread on a drill rod forming a first threaded connection.

[0019] The rock drilling unit may have an elongated frame or beam, on which the first delivery device, the rotation device and the impact device are arranged. The rock drilling unit may be arranged and connected to the vehicle by means of a boom, so that the rock drilling unit can be arranged in various positions relative to the vehicle and the rock to be drilled. The rock drilling unit, the boom and the vehicle together form a rock drilling rig. The drilling unit may be configured for vertical drilling, either completely vertical or with some deviation from the vertical. Thus, the rock drilling unit may be capable of inclined drilling at an angle between about 0° and about 95° to the vertical without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, in a rock drilling rig, a rock drilling unit configured for vertical or angled drilling in the range of about 0° to about 95° to the vertical may be configured as a tophammer rock drilling rig.

[0020] The rock drilling unit may also be provided with a drill bit changing device that assists in the automatic changing of the drill bit. The drill bit changing device may comprise a drill bit storage device arranged adjacent to and parallel to the drill central axis of the rock drilling unit, configured to store a number of drill bits and to move the drill bits between a storage position and a changing position provided therein. The drill bit storage device may have a cylindrical drum shape, and the movement between the internal positions within the drill bit storage device may be performed by rotation of such a cylindrical drum-shaped storage device or by rotation of an internal member thereof. Of course, the drill bit storage device may have other designs without departing from the scope of the disclosure of this specification.

[0021] The rock drilling unit may also be provided with a rod handling system with gripping elements for the drill rods. The rod handling system comprises a magazine of drill rods. During a boring operation for assembling a bore string with the drill rods, the drill rods are taken out of the magazine by the gripping elements, allowing for drilling deeper into the rock. When changing the drill bit, the drill rods are disassembled from one another and, in turn, returned to the magazine by the gripping elements.

[0022] The first delivery device is configured to axially deliver the drill rod and the drill bit both during drilling operations and during drill bit changes, and can be driven axially in the drill center axis direction and relative to the rock drilling unit by means of a hydraulic or pneumatic actuator.

[0023] The rotation device configured to generate a rotational movement of the drill rod and the drill bit may be driven by a first hydraulic or pneumatic device. The impact device for applying an impact pulse to at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit may be driven by a second hydraulic or pneumatic device. The impact pulse is applied to the drill rod in the direction of the drill central axis, and the impact pulse is transmitted from the drill rod to the drill bit.

[0024] Through the step of receiving information regarding the change of drill bit, the controller may receive information from a memory in which operational data is stored. Alternatively or in combination, the controller may receive information from the device providing operational data. The operational data may be any one or combination of data such as time spent drilling, time spent drilling since last maintenance, estimated time remaining until replacement is required, meters drilled, meters drilled since last maintenance, or other data.

[0025] The control device communicates with the impact device and sends signals to control the impact device, via the step of controlling the impact device to drive the drill bit against the bottom of the drill bore formed to loosen the first threaded connection between the drill bit and the at least one drill rod, The time, frequency and force of driving the drill bit can be controlled depending on the type of rock and the type of drill bit used.

[0026] Through the step of controlling a first delivery device for withdrawing at least one drill rod and a drill bit from the drill bore, the control device communicates with the first delivery device and sends a signal to control the first delivery device, the feed speed and feed distance of the first delivery device can be controlled according to the depth of the drill bore in the rock.

[0027] According to the step of controlling the rotating device to remove the drill bit from the at least one drill rod, the controller is in communication with the rotating device and transmits a signal to control the rotating device, wherein a rotation speed and a torque of the rotating device can be controlled in response to a state of the first threaded connection.

[0028] Through the step of controlling the drill bit changing device to change the drill bit, the control device communicates with the drill bit changing device and transmits a signal to control the drill bit changing device, and thus the control device can control the drill bit receiving device and the gripping arm provided in the drill bit changing device.

[0029] Through the step of controlling the rotating device to attach at least one drill rod to the drill bit by the first threaded connection, the controller communicates with the rotating device and sends signals to control the rotating device, and the rotation speed and torque of the rotating device can be controlled depending on the type of drill rod, drill bit and / or the type of the first threaded connection between the drill rod and the drill bit.

[0030] A fast and efficient method for automatic or at least semi-automatic changing of a drill bit in a rock drilling unit is provided, which allows the potentially harmful drill bit and its potential additional connection members to be handled without the need for manual handling, thereby providing increased safety and personnel safety at the drilling site when said method is carried out. It should be realized that the method disclosed herein may provide further advantages in combination with various optional features of the drill bit changing device according to the present disclosure. According to one aspect, after controlling the drill bit changing device to change the drill bit and before controlling the rotation device to attach at least one drill rod to the drill bit by means of the first threaded connection, the method further comprises the step of controlling a second feed device of the rock drilling unit to move the support device to a position where the support device abuts the drill bit.

[0031] In this step, the control device communicates with the second delivery device and sends a signal to control the second delivery device. The feed speed and the feed distance of the second delivery device can be controlled depending on the type of drill bit. The second delivery device can be driven by a hydraulic or pneumatic actuator in the direction of the central axis of the drill and in the direction of the axial direction relative to the rock drilling unit. The support device can be a lower support device of the rock drilling unit arranged for supporting and / or holding / gripping the drill bit or the drill rod. The drill bit can thus be supported by the support device, so that the drill bit rests on or is in contact with the support device. Alternatively, the support device can be moved to a position where it can grip the drill bit. If the drill bit can be supported by the support device, the support device is preferably arranged below the drill bit such that it supports the drill bit from below when held by the gripping means. Moving the support device to a position where it supports the drill bit from below has the advantage that a wide range of drill bits with different designs can be exchanged in the rock drilling unit. As the type and design of the drill bit may be very dependent on the type of rock drilling rig, the gripping means may not be able to hold the drill bit without additional under support, which may therefore be provided by the support device. Thus, by such synchronized movement of the gripping means and the support device, the exchange of the drill bit increases its utilization and can be used for different types of rock drilling units. The support device of the drill unit may consist of two hydraulically controlled gripping devices arranged circumferentially around the central drill axis and at different positions along the central drill axis. Moving the gripping devices closer to each other provides support under the drill bit. The support devices may be connected to a control device.

[0032] According to one aspect, after controlling the first delivery device to withdraw the at least one drill rod and the drill bit from the drill bore and before controlling the rotation device to detach the drill bit from the at least one drill rod, the method further comprises the steps of controlling a gripping element of the rod handling system to grip the at least one drill rod connected to the rotation device, and controlling the rotation device to tighten a second threaded connection between the at least one drill rod and the rotation device.

[0033] In this step, the control device communicates with the gripping element and the rotating device of the rod handling system and sends signals to control the gripping element and the rotating device of the rod handling system accordingly. During the step of driving the drill bit against the bottom of the formed drill bore, in order to loosen the first threaded connection between the drill bit and the at least one drill rod, the second threaded connection between the drill rod and the rotating device can also be loosened. The gripping element, which transfers the drill rod from and to the magazine of the rod handling system, can be controlled to firmly grip the drill rod connected to the rotating device in order to tighten the second threaded connection between the at least one drill rod and the rotating device. The rotating device can then be controlled to tighten the second threaded connection.

[0034] According to one aspect, receiving information regarding a change of the drill bit is based on a drilling condition of the drill bit.

[0035] Through this step, the controller may receive information from a sensor or similar detector element, for example, the sensor or similar detector element may detect torque differences or characteristics from the rotating device and / or characteristics from the impact device to determine the condition of the drill bit.

[0036] According to one aspect, the step of controlling the drill bit changing device to change the drill bit includes moving the drill bit from the drill central axis to the drill bit storage device by a gripper arm, and then removing a new drill bit from the drill bit storage device and moving it to the drill central axis.

[0037] The drill bit storage device may have multiple storage positions for holding drill bits. Each storage position may hold one drill bit, and the held drill bit may be a ready-to-use drill bit or a drill bit used in a previous drilling operation. The exchange position may be a single position in the storage device where a drill bit may be taken out or placed, and the internal movement of the storage device may be used to position a desired slot for holding a particular drill bit in the exchange position. The drill bit exchange device may further comprise a gripping arm with a gripping means configured to selectively grip a drill bit, said gripping arm being arranged to move said gripping means between the exchange position and the drill central axis of the rock drilling unit. The gripping arm and the gripping means may be hydraulically controlled, in which case the movement and gripping of both may be performed with high precision and may apply high forces to said function. Furthermore, since the gripping arm only needs to be moved to a single position in the drill bit storage device, the movement of the gripping arm may be performed by a pivoting movement which reduces the complexity of the gripping arm and its design. The invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to carry out the above-mentioned method. The invention further relates to a computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to carry out the above-mentioned method. The method may be constituted by pre-programmed software, which may be implemented in a rock drilling unit suitable for applying the method. The pre-programmed software may be stored in the control device. Alternatively, or in combination, the software may be stored in a memory or computer remote from the control device.

[0038] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a control device for a rock drilling unit, said rock drilling unit comprising: a drill bit configured to be connected to at least one drill rod by a first threaded connection; a first delivery device for axially delivering at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit; a rotation device configured to generate a rotational movement of at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit; an impact device for applying an impact pulse to at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit; a drill changing device for changing a drill bit of at least one drill rod; Equipped with The control device includes: Receive information about replacing drill bits, controlling an impact device to drive the drill bit against a bottom of the formed drill bore to loosen a first threaded connection between the drill bit and the at least one drill rod; controlling the first delivery device to withdraw at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit from the drill bore; controlling the rotating device to remove the drill bit from the at least one drill rod; Controlling the drill bit changing device to change the drill bit; and Controlling the rotating device to attach at least one drill rod to the drill bit via a first threaded connection It is structured as follows.

[0039] This has the advantage that the drill bit changing operation for the rock drilling unit can be performed automatically. The first delivery device, the rotation device, the impact device and the drill bit changing device are controlled by the control device to automatically change the drill bit in a safe manner. Drill bits that are heavy, sharp and / or not convenient to carry can be completely handled by instructions from the control device. The drill bit changing operation is performed by the control device and it can be based on information received from the sensors and on information received from experience data. The control device can be configured to initiate the changing of the drill bit based on operation data of the rock drilling rig and of the drill bit connected to the rock drilling rig. Thus, the drill bit changing operation can be started automatically.

[0040] All embodiments described for aspects of the method according to the invention performed by the control device may also be applied to the aspects of the rock drilling unit, rock drilling rig and control device according to the invention, i.e. the control device may be configured to perform any one of the steps of the method according to the various embodiments described above. Thus, according to the following aspects, the control device may be configured to perform steps according to the corresponding embodiments described above.

[0041] Thus, according to one aspect, the control device may be configured to control the second delivery device of the rock drilling unit to move the support device to a position where it contacts the drill bit. According to another aspect, the control device may be configured to control a gripping element of the rod handling system to grip the at least one drill rod connected to the rotation device and to control the rotation device to tighten the second screw connection between the at least one drill rod and the rotation device. According to yet another aspect, the received information regarding the replacement of the drill bit is based on the drilling state of the drill bit. According to yet another aspect, the drill bit changing device for changing the drill bit is controlled to move the drill bit from the drill central axis to the drill bit receiving device by means of a gripping arm and then to remove and move a new drill bit from the drill bit receiving device to the drill central axis.

[0042] The controller may be implemented as a separate entity or distributed across two or more physical entities. The controller may be comprised of one or more computers. Thus, the controller may be implemented or realized by a controller having a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to perform the methods disclosed herein.

[0043] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a rock drilling unit, The rock drilling unit comprises: a drill bit configured to be connected to at least one drill rod by a first threaded connection; a first delivery device for axially delivering at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit; a rotation device configured to generate a rotational movement of at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit; an impact device for applying an impact pulse to at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit; a drill bit changing device for changing a drill bit in at least one drill rod; Equipped with The rock drilling unit is equipped with at least one control device as disclosed herein.

[0044] The rock drilling unit may have an elongated frame or beam on which the first delivery device, the rotation device and the impact device are arranged. The rock drilling unit may be arranged on the vehicle and connected to the vehicle by a boom, which allows the rock drilling unit to be arranged in various positions relative to the vehicle and the rock to be drilled. The rock drilling unit, the boom and the vehicle together form a rock drilling rig. The drilling unit may be configured for vertical drilling, which may be completely vertical or deviate from the vertical to some extent. Thus, the drilling unit may be capable of drilling at an angle in the range of about 0° to about 95° with respect to the vertical without departing from the scope of this specification. A rock drilling unit configured for drilling vertically or at an angle in the range of about 0° to about 95° with respect to the vertical in this way may be configured in the rock drilling rig as a tophammer rock drilling rig.

[0045] The control device may be located on the rock drilling unit or at a distance relative to the rock drilling unit. The control device may be connected to sensors located on the rock drilling unit or in components connected to the rock drilling unit. Such sensors may detect the operation or properties of the rock drilling unit or of components connected to the rock drilling unit. The control device may have a memory in which experience data may be stored.

[0046] The drilling unit may be provided with a drill bit changing device that assists in the automatic exchange of drill bits. The drill bit changing device may comprise a drill bit receiving device arranged adjacent to and parallel to the drill central axis of the rock drilling unit, arranged to hold a number of drill bits and to move the drill bits between a receiving position and a changing position configured therein. The drill bit receiving device may have a cylindrical drum shape, and the movement between the internal positions within the drill bit receiving device may be performed by rotation of such a cylindrical drum-shaped receiving device or by rotation of its internal parts. Of course, the drill bit receiving device may have other designs without departing from the scope of the disclosure herein.

[0047] The rock drilling unit may also be provided with a rod handling system with gripping elements for the drill rods. The rod handling system has a magazine of drill rods. The drill rods are removed from the magazine by the gripping elements during the drilling operation in order to assemble the bore string with the drill rods, thus allowing to drill deeper into the rock. When changing the drill bit, the drill rods are disassembled from one another and are returned in turn to the magazine by the gripping elements.

[0048] The first delivery device is configured to axially deliver the drill rod and the drill bit both during drilling operations and when changing the drill bit, and can be driven axially relative to the rock drilling unit and to the central drill axis by a hydraulic or pneumatic actuator.

[0049] The rotation device configured to generate a rotational movement of the drill rod and the drill bit may be driven by a first hydraulic or pneumatic device. The impact device for applying an impact pulse to at least one of the drill rod and the drill bit may be driven by a second hydraulic or pneumatic device. The impact pulse is applied to the drill rod in the direction of the drill central axis, and the impact pulse is transmitted from the drill rod to the drill bit.

[0050] According to one aspect, a drill bit changing device includes a drill bit receiving device for a drill bit and a gripper arm for moving the drill bit between the drill bit receiving device and a central axis of the drill.

[0051] The drill bit receiving device may have at least one drill bit sensor arranged to monitor drill bits arranged at several positions on the drill bit receiving device. Thus, the control device may be provided with information not only about a current drilling operation, but also about drilling operations to be performed at a later time. Since the drill bit receiving device may receive multiple drill bits, the control device may quickly and easily monitor the number of drill bits present in the device, making the planning of rock drilling operations faster and more efficient. Also, the operator may receive information from the control device about how many drill bits are present in the device.

[0052] The controller may further be arranged to determine an operational status of the drill bit based on the operational data and provide a signal to a user interface when a drill bit replacement is required. Thus, the controller may assist in the continuous monitoring of a plurality of drill bits and may be utilized to maximize the use of each drill bit in the system. The controller may estimate an operational status of the drill bit based on input operational data associated with further use of that drill bit as it is being used to drill rock in a drilling operation. The operational status may be determined by the controller and provided to an operator in advance of the need for an upcoming drill bit replacement operation.

[0053] The drill bit storage device may have a protective housing having at least a first door arranged in an exchange position, the first door being arranged to be selectively opened and closed depending on the drill bit exchange operation being performed, such that the drill bit stored within the drill bit storage device is protected from dust, dirt, oil or debris that are common at drilling sites. A stored drill bit protected in this manner increases the life of the drill bit and ensures that the drill bit is in good shape and condition when extracted from the drill bit storage device for use in a drilling operation.

[0054] A first door of the housing is coupled to the gripping arm, and the first door may be configured to open and close automatically in response to the movement of the gripping arm, thereby simplifying operation since the movement of the first door may be fully automatic in conjunction with the gripping arm, and since the first door should generally only be open when a drill bit changing operation is being performed, the opening and closing of said first door may thus be synchronized and controlled by the movement of the gripping arm during operation in a reliable and efficient manner.

[0055] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a rock drilling rig comprising a rock drilling unit as disclosed herein.

[0056] The rock drilling rig comprises a rock drilling unit as disclosed herein. Furthermore, the rock drilling rig may have a drilling platform, such as a vehicle. By connecting the rock drilling unit to the vehicle, the drilling rig can be easily moved to different locations and positions during the drilling operation. The rock drilling unit may be placed on and connected to the vehicle by a boom, which allows the rock drilling unit to be placed in different positions relative to the vehicle and the rock to be drilled.

[0057] According to one embodiment, the rock drilling rig is configured for vertical drilling, or drilling at an angular orientation ranging from about 0° to about 95° relative to the vertical.

[0058] The rock drilling rig may include a plurality of interchangeable drill rods, and the drill bits may be disposed in end sections of the end drill rods. The drill bits may be attached to the end sections by threaded connections. The rock drilling rig may be configured for vertical drilling. However, the rock drilling rig may be configured to drill in directions that deviate from vertical drilling. Such rock drilling rigs may be configured to drill in angular directions ranging from about 0° to about 95° relative to the vertical.

[0059] The drilling rig may be a tophammer rock drilling rig. This has the advantage that a commonly used rock drilling rig can be provided with a drill bit changing device for at least semi-automatic changing of a drill bit according to the invention. A commonly used tophammer rock drilling rig can thus be provided with a reliable and safe system for changing the drill bit of said rock drilling rig. An efficient and reliable rock drilling rig is thus provided, and the system arranged thereon provides a safe and convenient working environment, since there is no need to change the drill bit manually.

[0060] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rock drilling rig 5 according to one embodiment. The rock drilling rig 5 comprises a rock drilling unit 8, which may have an elongated frame or beam 2. The rock drilling unit 8 may be positioned on and connected to a vehicle 6 by a boom 4, such that the rock drilling unit 8 may be positioned in various positions relative to the vehicle 6 and relative to the rock to be drilled. The rock drilling unit 8, the boom 4 and the vehicle 6 together form the rock drilling rig 5. The rock drilling rig 5 is configured for vertical drilling, which will be recognized as being completely vertical or deviating from vertical to some extent. Thus, the rock drilling rig 5 may be capable of drilling at an angle inclined to the vertical in the range of about 0° to about 95° without departing from the scope of the disclosure herein. The rock drilling rig 5 may have a number of interchangeable drill rods 7 (see FIG. 2) arranged to form a drill string in the rock drilling unit 8 of the rock drilling rig 5. Each drill rod 7 has a threaded portion that provides the option of connecting additional drill rods 7 as the drill bore 50 (FIG. 2) to be drilled gets deeper. A drill bit 3 is then placed in the end section of the end drill rod 7, said drill bit 3 being attached to the end section by a first threaded connection 40.

[0062] The rock drilling rig 5 may further comprise a support device 9, such as a lower support device, arranged at the bottom of the rock drilling unit 8 and arranged to support and / or hold / grapple the drill bit 3 or the drill rod 7 and may be utilized for maintenance and / or assembly / disassembly or such parts. Furthermore, the support device 9 may guide the drill rod 7.

[0063] The rock drilling rig 5 shown in Fig. 1 may further comprise a drill bit changer 1 for automatically or at least semi-automatically changing the drill bit 3. Said drill bit changer 1 is arranged close to the ground level and parallel to the drill centre axis 15 of the rock drilling unit 8. The term drill centre axis 15 may be recognized as the centre line in the drill bore 50 (Fig. 2) drilled by the rock drilling rig 5. The drill bit changer 1 is therefore arranged to follow the alignment of the drill centre axis 15 in use. When the rock drilling unit 8 is tilted at an angle, the drill bit changer 1 and its receiving member may also be tilted together with the drill centre axis 15 and the rock drilling unit 8.

[0064] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of a rock drilling unit 8 according to an embodiment. The drill bit 3 is configured to be connected to the drill rod 7 by a first screw connection 40. The rock drilling unit 8 with a first feeding device 42 is configured to feed at least one drill rod 7 and the drill bit 3 in the axial direction. The rotation device 44 is configured to generate a rotational movement of the at least one drill rod 7 and the drill bit 3. The impact device 46 is configured to apply an impact pulse to the at least one drill rod 7 and the drill bit 3. The drill bit changing device 1 is arranged on the rock drilling unit 8 for changing the drill bit 3 on the drill rod 7. The rotation device 44 and the impact device 46 are arranged on the first feeding device 42. The rotation device 44 and the impact device 46 are arranged to be displaced by the first feeding device 42. The first feeding device 42 is arranged on an elongated frame or beam 2. The first feeding device 42 is configured to feed the drill rod 7 and the drill bit 3 in the axial direction both during drilling operations and during changing of the drill bit 3. The first feeding device 42 can be driven axially in the direction of the drill centre axis 15 relative to the rock drilling unit 8 by a hydraulic or pneumatic actuator 10. A control device 100 is connected to the first feeding device 42, the rotation device 44, the impact device 46 and the drill bit changing device 1. The control device 100 can be connected to sensors 11 arranged on the rock drilling unit 8 or in components connected to the rock drilling unit 8. The control device 100 can receive information from a memory 12 in which operating data is stored.

[0065] The control device 100 is configured to receive information regarding the replacement of the drill bit 3; controlling an impact device 46 for driving the drill bit 3 against a bottom 48 of a drill bore 50 formed in order to loosen a first threaded connection 40 between the drill bit 3 and the at least one drill rod 7; controlling the first delivery device 42 to withdraw at least one drill rod 7 and drill bit 3 from the drill bore 50; controlling the rotating device 44 to remove the drill bit 3 from the at least one drill rod 7; Controlling the drill bit changing device to change the drill bit 3; The rotating device 44 is controlled to attach at least one drill rod 7 to the drill bit 3 by means of the first threaded connection 40 .

[0066] Furthermore, the control device 100 is configured to control the second delivery device 52 to move the support device 9 to a position where the support device 9 abuts against the drill bit 3. The second delivery device 52 can be driven axially relative to the rock drilling unit 8 in the direction of the drill center axis 15 by a hydraulic or pneumatic actuator. The control device 100 is connected to the second delivery device 52. The support device 9 is connected to the control device 100. The control device 100 is also configured to control a gripping element 54 of a rod handling system 56 for gripping at least one drill rod 7 connected to the rotation device 44 and to control the rotation device 44 for tightening a second screw connection 58 between the at least one drill rod 7 and the rotation device 44. The rod handling system 56 comprises a magazine 60 of drill rods 7. The control device 100 is connected to the rod handling system 56. The drill bit changing device 1 for changing the drill bit 3 is controlled by moving the drill bit 3 from the drill central axis 15 to the drill bit storage device 13 by the gripping arm 21, and then removing a new drill bit 3 from the drill bit storage device 13 and moving it to the drill central axis 15.

[0067] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the drill bit changing device 1 according to an embodiment, and also shows a part of a rock drilling unit 8 in which the drill bit changing device 1 is arranged. The rock drilling unit 8 may be a rock drilling unit 8 as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, etc., which may be configured for drilling in a vertical direction or in an angular direction ranging from about 0° to about 95° with respect to the vertical. The rock drilling unit 8 may have a magazine 60 of a plurality of exchangeable drill rods 7. The rock drilling unit 8 may further comprise a lower support device 9. Furthermore, the rock drilling unit 8 may have an additional support element 14 configured for loosening the threaded connection 16 (FIG. 2) of the drill rod 7. The additional support element 14 of the rock drilling unit 8 may have two hydraulically controlled gripping devices 27 arranged circumferentially around the drill central axis 15 and at separate positions along the drill central axis 15.

[0068] The drill bit changing device 1 with the drill bit receiving device 13 is arranged adjacent to and parallel to the drill central axis 15 of the rock drilling unit 8 and may be configured to hold a number of drill bits 3 and to move the drill bits 3 between a receiving position 17 and a changing position 19 configured therein. The drill bit receiving device 13 may have a cylindrical drum shape and the movement between the internal positions 17 and 19 in the drill bit receiving device 13 may be performed by rotation of such cylindrically shaped receiving device 13 or by rotation of its internal parts. Each receiving position 17 may hold one drill bit 3, which may be a ready-to-use drill bit 3 or a drill bit 3 used in a previous drilling operation. The changing position 19 may be a single position in the receiving device 13 from which the drill bits 3 may be taken out or positioned and the internal movement of the receiving device 13 may be used to place the desired slot for holding the particular drill bit 3 in the changing position 19. The gripping arm 21 of the drill bit changing device 1 may further have a gripping means 23 configured to selectively grip the drill bit 3. The gripping arm 21 is arranged to move the gripping means 23 between the change position 19 and the drill central axis 15 of the rock drilling unit 8. As shown in Figure 3, the gripping arm 21 and the gripping means 23 can be hydraulically controlled, which allows for high precision in their movement and gripping and provides high forces for said function. Furthermore, since the gripping arm 21 only has to move to a single position 19 in the drill bit receiving device 13, the movement of the gripping arm 21 can be performed by a pivoting action which reduces the complexity of the gripping arm 21 and its design.

[0069] Furthermore, the gripping means 23 may comprise a sensor 11 (FIG. 2) arranged to monitor the operating state of the gripping means 23 and the pressure applied towards the drill bit 3. Such a sensor 11 may be easily arranged in or on the hydraulic equipment of the gripping means 23, as the internal pressure of the hydraulic cylinder controlling the gripping action of the gripping means 23 directly correlates with when the gripping means 23 engages an object. Thus, utilising the sensor 11 may be used to ensure that the gripping means 23 always exerts the same gripping force on an object (such as a drill bit) regardless of the size of the object.

[0070] Furthermore, the gripping arm 21 may have a sensor 11 arranged to monitor the movement of the gripping arm 21. Said sensor 11 may be a sensor 11 in or arranged on the hydraulic device for controlling the gripping arm 21, as well as a sensor 11 for the gripping means 23. Of course, other types of sensors 11, such as infrared sensors, may be used without departing from the scope of the invention. It should be noted that by monitoring the movement of the gripping arm 21, such monitoring may also be used to obtain position information regarding the position of the gripping arm 21 and thus the gripping means 23 at any given time. Thereby, the movement and positioning of the gripping arm 21, as well as its deviations, may be monitored with high accuracy and reliability. For example, if the gripping arm 21 is moving the drill bit 3 from the drill central axis 15 and for some reason the drill bit 3 becomes stuck on its intended path, the internal pressure of the hydraulic device will rise at an unexpected time and the sensor 11 may warn the drill bit changing device 1 of the unexpected situation.

[0071] The drill bit changer 1 is connected to a control unit 100 (FIG. 2) arranged to receive inputs from the sensors 11 and the rock drilling unit 8 and to control the movements of the gripping arm 21, the gripping means 23, the drill bit receiving device 13 and the additional support element 14 of the rock drilling unit 8. The control unit 100 may be arranged in the drill bit changer 1 or at a remote location, for example in an operator's cabin of the rock drilling rig 5. The control unit 100 may be connected to the sensors 11, the drill bit changer 1 and the rock drilling unit 8 by wires or by a wireless interface according to known techniques.

[0072] By connecting the control unit 100 to the drill bit changer 1 and its parts, as well as to the rock drilling unit 8 and its parts, the control unit 100 can cause the rock drilling unit 8 and the drill bit changer 1 to interact and cooperate, which can make the operations performed by the drill bit changer 1 more efficient. Furthermore, since the control unit 100 can manage and control machinery such as the additional support elements 14 of the rock drilling unit 8, the drill bit changer 1 itself does not require as complex machinery, which can reduce the manufacturing costs of the drill bit changer 1.

[0073] Furthermore, the drill bit storage device 13 may have at least one drill bit sensor 11 arranged to monitor the drill bit 3 located at a position 17, 19 in the drill bit storage device 13. Such at least one sensor 11 may be an optical or pressure sensor or similar sensor, which monitors whether the drill bit 3 is located at one specific position 17, 19 or, in case of providing several sensors 11, whether the drill bit 3 is located at several positions 17, 19. Such a sensor 11 may also be a more complex sensor device arranged not only for monitoring the positioning in the storage device 13 but also for analyzing and evaluating the drill bit 3 positioned in the storage device 13. Said sensor device may scan the surface of the drill bit 3 and compare it with a predefined surface of a well-functioning drill bit 3, in which case the control unit 100 may provide the operator of the rock drilling unit 8 with information about the state of the drill bit 3 positioned in the storage device 13. Thereby, defective drill bits 3 can be found and replaced in order to increase the operational uptime of the rock drilling unit 8.

[0074] The control device 100 may be configured to initiate an automatic or at least semi-automatic exchange of the drill bit 3 based on operational data of the rock drilling unit 8 and the drill bit 3 connected to the rock drilling unit 8. Such operational data may consist of the time spent drilling, the time spent drilling since the last maintenance, the estimated remaining time until exchange is required, meters drilled, meters drilled since the last maintenance, or any other one or combination thereof. Such operational data may relate to the rock drilling unit 8, to each drill bit 3 arranged in the drill bit exchange device 1, or to both. By taking such operational data into account and by taking the available drilling plan, the control unit 100 may automatically initiate a drill bit exchange operation during the drilling of a drill bore 50 (FIG. 2) if it determines that the current drill bit 3 is not operable for the entire bore 50 to be drilled next. Thereby, in a drilling plan including several bores 50, a lot of wasted time can be saved since inspection of the drill bit 3 is not necessary between the bores 50 to be drilled.

[0075] The control unit 100 may further be configured to determine the operating status of the drill bit 3 based on the operating data of the drill bit 3 and provide a signal to the interface when a drill bit change is required. If certain operating data is known in advance for a particular drill bit 3, such as the time it has previously spent drilling and what type of material it has drilled in, and the drill bit 3 is used to drill a bore, the control unit may then monitor and update the operating data to provide and update the operating conditions of the drill bit 3. For example, if it is estimated that the drill bit 3 can drill in a certain type of material for a certain amount of time, the control unit 100 may add the operating time of the drill bit 3 and monitor its usage over time. Such operating data may then be stored in memory and tracked for each particular drill bit 3 in the drill bit changer 1, where drill bits 3 positioned in their storage positions 17 of the drill bit storage device 13 may be monitored with respect to their individual operating status. Such information may then be transmitted to a user interface or the like to display the operating conditions of all available drill bits 3, where the operator of the rock drilling rig 5 may use said information to better plan future drilling operations. The control unit 100 may also plan drilling operations in combination with the provided drilling plan, with the appropriate drill bit 3 being moved to the change position 19 when drilling a bore in which the operating conditions of that drill bit 3 are deemed suitable. By allowing the control unit 100 to plan drilling operations in this way and to automatically initiate drill bit change operations, a lot of time is saved and the drill bits 3 may be used to their combined maximum capacity.

[0076] FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of a gripping arm of a drill bit changing device 1 according to an embodiment. The gripping arm 21 of the drill bit changing device 1 has gripping means 23 configured to selectively grip a drill bit 3. The gripping arm 21 is moved in FIG. 4 to the drill central axis 15 of the rock drilling unit 8 and above the support device 9. Said support device 9 may be a lower support device of the rock drilling unit 8 arranged to support and / or hold / grapple a drill bit 3 or a drill rod 7. Thus, the drill bit 3 may be supported by the support device 9 such that the drill bit 3 rests on or against the support device 9. Alternatively, the support device 9 is moved to a position where the support device 9 can grip the drill bit 3. If the drill bit 3 can be supported by the support device 9, the support device 9 is preferably arranged below the drill bit 3 so as to support the drill bit 3 from below when held by the gripping means 23. Moving the support device 9 so that it supports the drill bit 3 from below has the advantage that a wide range of drill bits 3 having different designs can be exchanged in the rock drilling unit 8. Since the type and design of the drill bit 3 may depend on the type of rock drilling rig 5, it may be the case that the gripping means 23 would not be able to hold the drill bit 3 without the support device 9, for which reason the support device 9 may be provided. By such a movement of the gripping means 23 and the support device 9, an exchange of the drill bit 3 allows its usage to be increased and it can be used for different types of rock drilling rigs 8.

[0077] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment. The method is executed by the control device 100 for changing a drill bit in a rock drilling unit 8. The method therefore relates to controlling the change of the drill bit 3 in the rock drilling unit 8 disclosed in Figures 1 to 4. Rock drilling unit 8 is a first delivery device 42 for axially delivering at least one drill rod 7 and a drill bit 3; a rotation device 44 configured to generate a rotational movement of at least one of the drill rod 7 and the drill bit 3; an impact device 46 for applying impact pulses to at least one of the drill rod 7 and the drill bit 3; a drill changing device 1 for changing a drill bit 3 on at least one drill rod 7; It is equipped with:

[0078] The method comprises: A step s101 of receiving information regarding replacement of the drill bit 3; a step s102 of controlling an impact device 46 to drive the drill bit 3 against a bottom 48 of the drill bore 50 formed to loosen the first threaded connection 40 between the drill bit 3 and the at least one drill rod 7; a step s103 of controlling the first delivery device 42 to withdraw at least one drill rod 7 and drill bit 3 from the drill bore 50; a step s104 of controlling the rotation device 44 to remove the drill bit 3 from the at least one drill rod 7; Step s105 of controlling the drill bit changing device 1 to change the drill bit 3; Step s106 of controlling the rotation device 44 to attach at least one drill rod 7 to the drill bit 3 by the first threaded connection 40; has.

[0079] FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a method according to one embodiment. The method is executed by a control device 100 for changing a drill bit 3 in a rock drilling unit 8. The method therefore relates to controlling the change of a drill bit 3 in the rock drilling unit 8 disclosed in Figures 1 to 4. The method comprises: A step s101 of receiving information regarding replacement of the drill bit 3; a step s102 of controlling an impact device 46 to drive the drill bit 3 against a bottom 48 of the drill bore 50 formed to loosen the first threaded connection 40 between the drill bit 3 and the at least one drill rod 7; a step s103 of controlling the first delivery device 42 to withdraw at least one drill rod 7 and drill bit 3 from the drill bore 50; a step s104 of controlling the rotation device 44 to remove the drill bit 3 from the at least one drill rod 7; Step s105 of controlling the drill bit changing device 1 to change the drill bit 3; Step s106 of controlling the rotation device 44 to attach at least one drill rod 7 to the drill bit 3 by the first threaded connection 40; has.

[0080] After step s105 of controlling the drill bit changing device 1 to change the drill bit 3 and before step s106 of controlling the rotating device 44 to attach at least one drill rod 7 to the drill bit 3 by the first screw connection 40, the method further includes step s107 of controlling the second feeding device 52 of the rock drilling unit 8 to move the support device 9 to a position where the support device 9 contacts the drill bit 3.

[0081] After step s103 of controlling the first delivery device 42 to pull the at least one drill rod 7 and the drill bit 3 out of the drill bore 50 and before step s104 of controlling the rotation device 44 to remove the drill bit 3 from the at least one drill rod 7, the method further comprises step s108 of controlling the gripping element 54 of the rod handling system 56 to grip the at least one drill rod 7 connected to the rotation device 44 and step s109 of controlling the rotation device 44 to tighten a second screw connection 58 between the at least one drill rod 7 and the rotation device 44.

[0082] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the device 500. The control device 100 described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 may have the device 500 in this embodiment. The device 500 comprises a non-volatile memory 520, a data processing device 510, and a read-write memory 550. The non-volatile memory 520 comprises a first memory element 530 in which a computer program for controlling the functions of the device 500, for example an operating system, is stored. The device 500 further comprises a bus controller, a serial communication port, I / O means, an A / D converter, a date and time input and transmission unit, an event counter, and an interrupt controller (not shown). The non-volatile memory 520 also comprises a second memory element 540.

[0083] A computer program P is provided having routines for controlling the rock drilling rig 5. The program P may be stored in the memory 560 and / or the read-write memory 550 in executable form or in compressed form.

[0084] When the data processing device 510 is described as performing a certain function, it means that the data processing device 510 operates on a certain portion of a program contained in the memory 560 or a certain portion of a program contained in the read-write memory 550.

[0085] The data processing device 510 can communicate with the data port 599 via a data bus 515. The non-volatile memory 520 is for communicating with the data processing device 510 via a data bus 512. The separate memory 560 is for communicating with the data processing device 510 via a data bus 511. The read-write memory 550 is adapted to communicate with the data processing device 510 via the data bus 514.

[0086] As data are received at data port 599, they are temporarily stored in second memory element 540. Once the received input data has been temporarily stored, data processing device 510 is prepared to effect code execution, as described above.

[0087] Some of the methods described herein may be implemented by the device 500 using the data processing device 510 executing programs stored in the memory 560 or the read-write memory 550. When the device 500 executes the programs, the methods described herein are performed.

[0088] The above description of the embodiments has been provided for illustrative and explanatory purposes. The above description is exhaustive and is not intended to limit the embodiments to the variations described. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The embodiments have been chosen and described to best explain the principles and practical applications, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to understand the present invention in the light of its various embodiments and with various modifications applicable to its intended use. The above-described components and features can be combined among various embodiments within the framework of the present invention.

Claims

1. 1. A method for exchanging a drill bit (3) in a rock drilling unit (8), the method being performed by a control device (100) and adapted to be connected to at least one drill rod (7) by a first threaded connection (40), the method comprising: The rock drilling unit (8) a first delivery device (42) for axially feeding at least one of said drill rods (7) and said drill bit (3); a rotation device (44) configured to generate a rotational movement of at least one of the drill rod (7) and the drill bit (3); an impact device (46) for applying an impact pulse to at least one of the drill rod (7) and the drill bit (3); a drill bit changing device (1) for changing the drill bit (3) of at least one of the drill rods (7); Equipped with The method comprises: receiving information regarding the replacement of the drill bit (3) (s101); controlling (s102) the impact device (46) to drive the drill bit (3) against a bottom (48) of a drilled drill bore (50) to loosen the first threaded connection (40) between the drill bit (3) and the at least one drill rod (7); controlling (s103) the first delivery device (42) to withdraw at least one of the drill rod (7) and the drill bit (3) from the drill bore (50); controlling (s108) a gripping element (54) of a rod handling system (56) connected to the rotating device (44) for gripping at least one of the drill rods (7); controlling (s109) the rotating device (44) to tighten a second threaded connection (58) between the at least one drill rod (7) and the rotating device (44); controlling (s104) the rotating device (44) to remove the drill bit (3) from at least one of the drill rods (7); controlling (s105) the drill bit changing device (1) to change the drill bit (3); controlling (s106) the rotating device (44) to attach at least one of the drill rods (7) to the drill bit (3) by the first threaded connection (40); The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

2. The rock drilling unit (8) comprises a support device (9) for supporting and / or holding / gripping the drill bit (3) or the drill rod (7) at a lower portion of the rock drilling unit (8); a second delivery device (52) for moving the support device (9) to a position where the support device (9) contacts the drill bit (3); Equipped with After a step (s105) of controlling the drill bit changing device (1) to change the drill bit (3) and before a step (s106) of controlling the rotation device (44) to attach at least one of the drill rods (7) to the drill bit (3) by means of the first threaded connection (40), The method further comprises: and controlling (s107) the second delivery device (52) of the rock drilling unit (8) to move the support device (9) to a position where the support device (9) contacts the drill bit (3).

2. The method of claim 1 .

3. The step (s101) of receiving information regarding a change in the drill bit (3) is based on a drilling state of the drill bit (3).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A step (s105) of controlling the drill bit changing device (1) to change the drill bit (3), The method includes the steps of moving the drill bit (3) from the drill central axis (15) to the drill bit storage device (13) by a gripping arm (21), and then removing a new drill bit (3) from the drill bit storage device (13) and moving it to the drill central axis (15). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A computer program (P) having instructions which, when executed by a computer (100; 500), cause the computer (100; 500) to carry out a method according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A computer program comprising:

6. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer (100; 500), cause the computer (100; 500) to perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

23. A computer readable medium comprising:

7. A control device (100) for a rock drilling unit (8), comprising: The rock drilling unit (8) a drill bit (3) configured to be connected to at least one drill rod (7) by a first threaded connection (40); a first delivery device (42) for axially feeding at least one of said drill rods (7) and said drill bit (3); a rotation device (44) configured to generate a rotational movement of at least one of the drill rod (7) and the drill bit (3); an impact device (46) for applying an impact pulse to at least one of the drill rod (7) and the drill bit (3); a drill bit changing device (1) for changing the drill bit (3) of at least one of the drill rods (7); Equipped with The control device (100) receiving information regarding the replacement of the drill bit (3); controlling the impact device (46) to drive the drill bit (3) against a bottom (48) of a drill bore (50) formed to loosen the first threaded connection (40) between the drill bit (3) and the at least one drill rod (7); controlling the first delivery device (42) to withdraw at least one of the drill rod (7) and the drill bit (3) from the drill bore (50); controlling the rotating device (44) to remove the drill bit (3) from at least one of the drill rods (7); Controlling the drill bit changing device (1) to change the drill bit (3); and controlling the rotating device (44) to attach at least one of the drill rods (7) to the drill bit (3) by means of the first threaded connection (40); controlling a gripping element of a rod handling system connected to the rotating device (44) to grip at least one of the drill rods (7); and Controlling the rotating device (44) to tighten a second threaded connection (58) between at least one of the drill rods (7) and the rotating device (44). A control device characterized by being configured as follows.

8. The rock drilling unit (8) comprises a support device (9) for supporting and / or holding / gripping the drill bit (3) or the drill rod (7) at a lower portion of the rock drilling unit (8); a second delivery device (52) for moving the support device (9) to a position where the support device (9) contacts the drill bit (3); Equipped with The control device (100) is configured to control the rock drilling unit (8) and the second delivery device (52) to move the support device (9) to a position where the support device (9) contacts the drill bit (3). The control device according to claim 7 .

9. The received information regarding the change of the drill bit (3) is based on a drilling state of the drill bit (3).

9. The control device according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The drill bit changing device for changing the drill bit (3) is controlled so as to move the drill bit (3) from the drill central axis (15) to the drill bit storage device (13) by a gripping arm (21), and then take out a new drill bit (3) from the drill bit storage device (13) and move it to the drill central axis (15). The control device according to any one of claims 7 to 9.

11. A rock drilling unit (8), a drill bit (3) configured to be connected to at least one drill rod (7) by a first threaded connection (40); a first delivery device (42) for axially delivering at least one of the drill rods (7) and the drill bit (3); a rotation device (44) configured to generate a rotational movement of at least one of the drill rod (7) and the drill bit (3); an impact device (46) for applying impact pulses to at least one of the drill rod (7) and the drill bit (3); a drill bit changing device (1) for changing the drill bit (3) of at least one of the drill rods (7); Equipped with The rock drilling unit (8) is equipped with at least one control device (100) according to any one of claims 7 to 10. A rock drilling unit characterized by:

12. The drill bit changing device (1), a drill bit receiving device (13) for said drill bit (3), and A gripping arm (21) for moving the drill bit (3) between the drill bit receiving device (13) and the drill central axis (15).

12. A rock drilling unit (8) according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises

13. A rock drilling rig (5) provided with a rock drilling unit (8) as described in claim 11 or 12.

14. The rock drilling rig (5) is configured for vertical drilling or drilling at an angle in a range of about 0° to about 95° relative to the vertical. A rock drilling rig according to claim 13.

Images