Construction machinery

The compact control valve device in hydraulic excavators addresses space constraints and maintenance issues by arranging valves in an aligned manner, improving workability and stability.

JP7762491B2Active Publication Date: 2025-10-30HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024512479
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2022-03-29
Filing Date
2023-03-27
Publication Date
2025-10-30
Estimated Expiration
2043-03-27

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing hydraulic excavators face challenges with a large control valve device that requires significant space, complicating pipe connection work and maintenance due to the concentration of many control valves, leading to poor workability.

Method used

A construction machine with a control valve device that includes a block body with two opposing surfaces, each serving as a mounting surface, featuring a manifold and multiple switching valves arranged in an aligned direction, allowing for a compact design and improved space utilization around the control valves.

Benefits of technology

The compact control valve device enhances pipe connection workability and maintenance by securing space for installation and facilitating easier access, while maintaining stability and durability.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

A plurality of control valves (39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, 42A-42D, 43) are arranged so as to be aligned in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction in the planes of a first attachment surface (38C) and a second attachment surface (38D). Further, a plurality of control valves (47, 48) are arranged so as to be aligned in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction in the planes of a first attachment surface (46B) and a second attachment surface (46C).
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a construction machine such as a hydraulic excavator, and more particularly to a construction machine equipped with a plurality of control valves that control hydraulic actuators. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, a hydraulic excavator, a typical example of a construction machine, includes a self-propelled lower traveling body, an upper rotating body that is rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body via a rotating device, and a working device mounted in front of the upper rotating body. The hydraulic excavator also includes a hydraulic motor for driving the lower traveling body, a hydraulic motor for rotating the rotating device that rotates the upper rotating body, and hydraulic actuators such as a boom cylinder, an arm cylinder, and a bucket cylinder that operate the working device. The upper rotating body of the hydraulic excavator also includes a rotating frame on the front of which the working device is mounted, an engine serving as a prime mover mounted behind the rotating frame, a hydraulic pump mounted on the engine, and a control valve device that is mounted on the rotating frame and located in front of the engine and controls the hydraulic actuators.

[0003] In a hydraulic excavator, the engine drives a hydraulic pump, and hydraulic oil (pressurized oil) discharged from the hydraulic pump is supplied to hydraulic actuators via a control valve device, thereby operating the undercarriage, swing device, and working device of the hydraulic excavator.

[0004] In recent years, there has been a demand for energy conservation by suppressing energy losses (flow rate losses, pressure losses) even in hydraulic excavators. Therefore, as a hydraulic system that supplies hydraulic oil from a hydraulic pump to a hydraulic actuator, a closed circuit system has been used in which a dedicated closed circuit hydraulic pump is connected to the hydraulic actuator, and hydraulic oil is supplied and discharged between the hydraulic actuator and the dedicated closed circuit hydraulic pump (Patent Document 1).

[0005] In the hydraulic excavator of Patent Document 1, the swing hydraulic motor of the swing device and the boom cylinder, arm cylinder, and bucket cylinder of the work device are driven by a closed circuit system. Also, in the hydraulic excavator of Patent Document 1, the left and right traveling hydraulic motors are driven by an open circuit system in which a common hydraulic pump supplies hydraulic oil to multiple hydraulic actuators. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-48899 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The hydraulic excavator in Patent Document 1 is equipped with many control valves for switching the supply destination so that hydraulic oil (pressurized oil) can be appropriately supplied from multiple closed-circuit hydraulic pumps and open-circuit hydraulic pumps to the boom cylinder, arm cylinder, bucket cylinder, swing hydraulic motor, and left and right traveling hydraulic motors. For this reason, the control valve device requires a large manifold to accommodate many control valves, resulting in an overall large size. Furthermore, because many control valves are concentrated in the control valve device, it is difficult to secure space for installing the control valves in the manifold, connecting piping to the control valves, performing maintenance, and the like, which results in a problem of poor workability.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems of the prior art described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a construction machine in which the control valve device is made smaller and space is secured around the control valve, thereby improving the workability of pipe connection work, maintenance, etc.

[0009] The present invention relates to a construction machine including a body frame, a working device provided on the front side of the body frame and equipped with a plurality of hydraulic actuators, a prime mover provided on the rear side of the body frame, a hydraulic pump provided on the prime mover, and a control valve device provided on the body frame and positioned on the front side of the prime mover to control the plurality of hydraulic actuators. The control valve device is attached to the body frame and is a block body having two opposing surfaces, one of which serves as a first mounting surface and the other of which serves as a second mounting surface, and includes a manifold having an oil passage formed therein; The manifold the first mounting surface to Installed and a plurality of first switching valves each having a built-in spool that moves individually in the axial direction, and a plurality of second switching valves different from the first switching valves, each attached to the second mounting surface and having a built-in spool that is different from the spool of the first switching valve and moves individually in the axial direction. The hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic pump through the oil passage of the manifold but the plurality of hydraulic actuators Any one of the hydraulic actuators Supply and exhaust The connection relationship between the hydraulic pump and each of the plurality of hydraulic actuators is switched so that and a plurality of control valves, among the plurality of control valves, same A plurality of control valves for controlling one hydraulic actuator are arranged within the first mounting surface or the second mounting surface. Same as above are arranged in an aligned direction.

[0010] According to the present invention, the control valve device can be made smaller, and space can be secured around the control valve, improving the workability of pipe connection work, maintenance, and the like. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a right side view showing a hydraulic excavator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the upper rotating body with the building omitted. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the control valve device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a control valve device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the control valve device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the control valve device. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of part VII in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a hydraulic circuit diagram of a hydraulic excavator. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] A hydraulic excavator will be taken as an example of a construction machine according to an embodiment of the present invention and described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG.

[0013] 1, a hydraulic excavator 1, which is a representative example of construction machinery, is used for excavating earth and sand, etc. The hydraulic excavator 1 is equipped with a self-propelled crawler-type undercarriage 2, an upper rotating body 5 that is rotatably mounted on the undercarriage 2 and forms a vehicle body together with the undercarriage 2, and a working device 12 that is mounted on the front side of the upper rotating body 5. The hydraulic excavator 1 performs work such as excavating earth and sand using the working device 12.

[0014] The lower traveling body 2 includes a track frame 2A, drive wheels 2B provided on both the left and right sides of the track frame 2A, idler wheels 2C provided on both the left and right sides of the track frame 2A on the opposite side in the longitudinal direction to the drive wheels 2B, and crawler tracks 2D (only the right side of each is shown) wound around the drive wheels 2B and the idler wheels 2C. The left drive wheel is rotationally driven by a left hydraulic traveling motor 3 (see FIG. 8). The right drive wheel 2B is rotationally driven by a right hydraulic traveling motor 4 (see FIG. 8). The hydraulic traveling motors 3 and 4 form hydraulic actuators.

[0015] The upper rotating body 5 is rotatably attached to the lower traveling body 2 via a rotating device 6 (see FIG. 1). The rotating device 6 includes a hydraulic swing motor 7 (see FIG. 8) as a hydraulic actuator, a reduction mechanism, and a swing bearing (none of which are shown). The rotating device 6 (hydraulic swing motor 7) drives the upper rotating body 5 to rotate relative to the lower traveling body 2.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper rotating body 5 is equipped with a rotating frame 8 as a vehicle body frame that forms a support structure and has a working device 12 on the front side, a cab 9 that is mounted on the front left side of the rotating frame 8 and forms a driver's cabin inside, a building 22 that is located behind the cab 9 and houses an engine 19, a closed circuit hydraulic pump 29, an open circuit hydraulic pump 35, etc., which are mounted on the rotating frame 8 and will be described later, and a counterweight 10 that is attached to the rear of the rotating frame 8 and balances the weight of the working device 12.

[0017] Here, a driver's seat (not shown) for an operator is provided inside the cab 9. In front of, to the left, and to the right of the driver's seat, operation devices 11 (see FIG. 8) for operating the hydraulic excavator 1 are provided. As an example of a combination of an operation target and a lever operation, the operation device 11 is configured to include a left operation lever 11A for operating the swing hydraulic motor 7 and an arm cylinder 17 described below, a right operation lever 11B for operating a boom cylinder 16 and a bucket cylinder 18 described below, and left and right travel levers 11C and 11D for operating the left travel hydraulic motor 3 and the right travel hydraulic motor 4.

[0018] The operation device 11 is connected to a controller 51 (described later) via a signal line or the like. By operating the operation device 11, the operator can rotate the upper rotating body 5, turn the working device 12, and travel the lower traveling body 2. For example, by operating the left operation lever 11A, the operator can extend or retract the arm cylinder 17 and rotate the arm 14 (described later). In addition, by operating the right operation lever 11B, the operator can extend or retract the boom cylinder 16 and rotate the boom 13 (described later).

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the working device 12 includes a boom 13 rotatably attached to the front side of the revolving frame 8, an arm 14 rotatably attached to the tip of the boom 13, and a bucket 15 rotatably attached to the tip of the arm 14. The boom 13, arm 14, and bucket 15 are driven by a boom cylinder 16, an arm cylinder 17, and a bucket cylinder 18, each of which is a hydraulic cylinder. The boom cylinder 16 rotates the boom 13 relative to the revolving frame 8, the arm cylinder 17 rotates the arm 14 relative to the boom 13, and the bucket cylinder 18 rotates the bucket 15 relative to the arm 14.

[0020] The boom cylinder 16, arm cylinder 17, and bucket cylinder 18, which serve as hydraulic actuators, extend and retract based on hydraulic oil (pressurized oil) from a closed-circuit hydraulic pump 29 and an open-circuit hydraulic pump 35, which will be described later, thereby changing the attitude of the working implement 12. That is, during excavation work for earth and sand, for example, the boom cylinder 16, arm cylinder 17, and bucket cylinder 18 extend and retract based on operation of the left operation lever 11A and the right operation lever 11B, thereby rotating the boom 13, arm 14, and bucket 15. This allows earth and sand to be excavated by the bucket 15.

[0021] Here, the boom cylinder 16, arm cylinder 17, and bucket cylinder 18 are configured as single-rod hydraulic cylinders that extend and retract based on the supply and discharge of hydraulic oil. That is, the boom cylinder 16, arm cylinder 17, and bucket cylinder 18 are configured from a tube, a piston that is slidably inserted into the tube and divides the inside of the tube into a bottom-side oil chamber and a rod-side oil chamber, and a rod whose base end is attached to the piston and whose tip end protrudes outside the tube.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, an engine 19 serving as a prime mover is mounted on the revolving frame 8, positioned in front of the counterweight 10. The engine 19 is configured as, for example, a diesel engine. One engine 19 is mounted horizontally on the rear side of the revolving frame 8, extending in the left-right direction. For example, a plurality of closed-circuit hydraulic pumps 29, an open-circuit hydraulic pump 35, etc. are attached to the right side of the engine 19 via a power transmission device 20. The power transmission device 20 has a plurality of gear mechanisms that transmit the rotation of the output shaft of the engine 19, and each gear mechanism is connected to the plurality of closed-circuit hydraulic pumps 29, the open-circuit hydraulic pump 35, etc. In addition, a heat exchanger 21 consisting of a radiator, an oil cooler, a condenser, etc. is disposed on the left side of the engine 19.

[0023] The prime mover may be a hybrid prime mover that combines a diesel engine and an electric motor, or may be an electric motor alone. Alternatively, the prime mover may be provided in a longitudinally mounted state extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the upper rotating body 5. Two prime movers may also be arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

[0024] The building 22 is provided on the swivel frame 8 so as to cover equipment including the engine 19, the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29, the open circuit hydraulic pump 35, and the heat exchanger 21. The building 22 is configured to include a left side panel (not shown), a right side panel 23, and a top panel 24. The building 22 is formed, for example, by attaching iron plates or the like to a framework made of multiple steel members.

[0025] Next, the configurations of the closed circuit systems 25 to 28 and the open circuit systems 31 to 34 will be described.

[0026] In this embodiment, the hydraulic system of the hydraulic excavator 1 is configured such that any one of the closed circuit hydraulic pumps 29 can be connected to any one of the hydraulic actuators in a closed circuit manner (to form a closed circuit) by a closed circuit control valve device 37 described later between the four closed circuit hydraulic pumps 29 and the four hydraulic actuators, namely the boom cylinder 16, the arm cylinder 17, the bucket cylinder 18, and the swing hydraulic motor 7. The controller 51 controls the closed circuit control valve device 37 in accordance with the operation status and work status, thereby switching the connection relationship between each actuator and each closed circuit hydraulic pump 29.

[0027] In this embodiment, a case will be described in which four closed circuit systems are configured by connecting each closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 to each actuator in a one-to-one relationship. Specifically, the closed circuit system 25 is a hydraulic system for driving the boom cylinder 16. The closed circuit system 26 is a hydraulic system for driving the arm cylinder 17. The closed circuit system 27 is a hydraulic system for driving the bucket cylinder 18. Furthermore, the closed circuit system 28 is a hydraulic system for driving the swing hydraulic motor 7. Below, a case in which these four simplest closed circuit systems 25 to 28 are configured will be described.

[0028] The closed circuit system 25 includes a closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 driven by the engine 19, and a plurality of closed circuit pipes 30 that connect the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 and the boom cylinder 16. The closed circuit system 25 also includes control valves 39A to 39D (see FIG. 8) of a closed circuit control valve device 37, which will be described later, provided midway along the plurality of closed circuit pipes 30.

[0029] Here, the configurations of the closed circuit systems 26 to 28 are almost the same as the configuration of the closed circuit system 25. For this reason, the closed circuit systems 26 to 28 are given the same reference numerals as used in the description of the closed circuit system 25, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0030] 2, a plurality of, for example, four closed circuit hydraulic pumps 29 that make up the closed circuit systems 25 to 28 are attached to the right side of the engine 19 (power transmission device 20). The four closed circuit hydraulic pumps 29 are configured, for example, by a variable displacement swash plate type hydraulic pump, a bent axis type hydraulic pump, a radial piston type hydraulic pump, or the like.

[0031] The closed circuit piping 30 of the closed circuit system 25 connects the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 for the boom cylinder 16 to the boom cylinder 16 (bottom-side oil chamber, rod-side oil chamber). In addition, a closed circuit control valve device 37, which will be described later, is provided midway along the closed circuit piping 30 of the closed circuit system 25.

[0032] The closed circuit piping 30 of the closed circuit system 26 connects the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 for the arm cylinder 17 to the arm cylinder 17. In addition, a closed circuit control valve device 37 is provided midway along the closed circuit piping 30 of the closed circuit system 26.

[0033] The closed circuit piping 30 of the closed circuit system 27 connects the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 for the bucket cylinder 18 to the bucket cylinder 18. In addition, a closed circuit control valve device 37 is provided midway along the closed circuit piping 30 of the closed circuit system 27.

[0034] Furthermore, the closed circuit piping 30 of the closed circuit system 28 connects the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 for the swing hydraulic motor 7 to the swing hydraulic motor 7. In addition, a closed circuit control valve device 37 is provided midway along the closed circuit piping 30 of the closed circuit system 28.

[0035] As described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to arbitrarily switch which closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 is connected to which hydraulic actuator. Therefore, each closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 and the pump-side pipe 30A connected to the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 may be selectively connected to various hydraulic actuators depending on the state of the closed circuit control valve device 37.

[0036] Next, open circuit system 31 is a hydraulic system for compensating for an excess or deficiency of hydraulic oil for closed circuit system 25. Open circuit system 32 is a hydraulic system for compensating for an excess or deficiency of hydraulic oil for closed circuit system 26. Open circuit system 33 is a hydraulic system for compensating for an excess or deficiency of hydraulic oil for closed circuit system 27. Furthermore, open circuit system 34 is a hydraulic system for compensating for an excess or deficiency of hydraulic oil for closed circuit system 28. In addition, open circuit systems 31 to 34 also supply pressure oil to left and right traveling hydraulic motors 3, 4.

[0037] The open circuit system 31 includes an open circuit hydraulic pump 35 driven by the engine 19, and an open circuit pipe 36 that connects the open circuit hydraulic pump 35 with the closed circuit pipe 30 of the closed circuit system 25. In addition, the open circuit system 31 includes a control valve 47 of an open circuit control valve device 45, which will be described later, in the middle of the open circuit pipe 36.

[0038] Here, the configurations of the open circuit systems 32 to 34 are almost the same as the configuration of the open circuit system 31. For this reason, the open circuit systems 32 to 34 are given the same reference numerals used in the description of the open circuit system 31, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0039] 2, a plurality of, for example, four open circuit hydraulic pumps 35 that make up the open circuit systems 31 to 34 are attached to the right side of the engine 19 (power transmission device 20). The four open circuit hydraulic pumps 35 are configured, for example, by a variable displacement swash plate type hydraulic pump, a bent axis type hydraulic pump, a radial piston type hydraulic pump, or the like.

[0040] The open circuit piping 36 of the open circuit system 32 connects the open circuit hydraulic pump 35 of the open circuit system 32 and the closed circuit piping 30 of the closed circuit system 26. In addition, an open circuit control valve device 45 is provided midway along the open circuit piping 36 of the open circuit system 32.

[0041] The open circuit piping 36 of the open circuit system 33 connects the open circuit hydraulic pump 35 of the open circuit system 33 and the closed circuit piping 30 of the closed circuit system 27. In addition, an open circuit control valve device 45 is provided midway along the open circuit piping 36 of the open circuit system 33.

[0042] Furthermore, the open circuit piping 36 of the open circuit system 34 connects the open circuit hydraulic pump 35 of the open circuit system 34 and the closed circuit piping 30 of the closed circuit system 28. In addition, an open circuit control valve device 45 is provided midway along the open circuit piping 36 of the open circuit system 34.

[0043] Next, the configurations of the closed circuit control valve device 37 and the open circuit control valve device 45, which are characteristic parts of this embodiment, will be described. As shown in Fig. 2, in this embodiment, the closed circuit control valve device 37 and the open circuit control valve device 45 are installed horizontally, extending in the left-right direction, and therefore the front and rear surfaces of manifolds 38 and 46, which will be described later, serve as mounting surfaces for the control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, 42A to 42D, 43, 47, and 48. If the control valve devices are installed vertically, extending in the front-to-rear direction, the left and right surfaces of the manifolds serve as mounting surfaces for the control valves.

[0044] The closed circuit control valve device 37 is located in front of the engine 19 and is provided on the revolving frame 8. The closed circuit control valve device 37 is installed horizontally extending in the left-right direction and is positioned to the left of the revolving frame 8. The closed circuit control valve device 37 includes a manifold 38, control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, and 42A to 42D, another control valve 43, and a filter 44, which will be described later.

[0045] The manifold 38 serves as the base of the closed-circuit control valve device 37 and is attached to the revolving frame 8. The manifold 38 is a structure to which the above-mentioned control valves are attached and to which the hydraulic pump and actuator piping are connected, and which has an internal oil passage formed therein that guides pressure oil supplied from the hydraulic pump to the control valves and outputs pressure oil controlled by the control valves to the actuators. The manifold 38 is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped block (block-shaped structure) that is flat in the front-rear direction and extends in the left-right and up-down directions. Therefore, the width direction of the manifold 38 is the left-right direction. A lower portion 38A of the manifold 38 is detachably attached to the revolving frame 8 using bolts (not shown). A filter 44 is attached to an upper surface 38B of the manifold 38.

[0046] Here, the manifold 38 has two surfaces facing each other in the front-rear direction, i.e., a front surface and a rear surface, one of which, the rear surface, serves as a first mounting surface 38C. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, closed-circuit control valves 39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, and 42A-42D are mounted on the first mounting surface 38C. Also, connection openings (not shown) are provided on the first mounting surface 38C for allowing hydraulic oil to circulate between the first mounting surface 38C and the control valves 39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, and 42A-42D. For example, 16 connection openings are provided corresponding to the control valves 39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, and 42A-42D.

[0047] The 16 connection openings are arranged in a matrix with four openings aligned at equal intervals in the left-right and up-down directions. As shown in Fig. 5, for example, control valves 39A to 39D that control the boom cylinder 16 are connected to the four connection openings in the top row (first row from the top) in order from left. Control valves 40A to 40D that control the arm cylinder 17 are connected to the four connection openings in the second row in order from left. Control valves 41A to 41D that control the bucket cylinder 18 are connected to the four connection openings in the third row in order from left. Furthermore, control valves 42A to 42D that control the swing hydraulic motor 7 are connected to the four connection openings in the bottom row (fourth row) in order from left.

[0048] Meanwhile, the manifold 38 has a front and a rear surface facing each other in the front-rear direction, and the other surface, the front surface, serves as a second mounting surface 38D. The second mounting surface 38D serves as a mounting surface for, for example, 16 other control valves 43 different from the closed circuit control valves 39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, and 42A-42D. Similar to the first mounting surface 38C, the second mounting surface 38D is provided with other connection openings (not shown) for circulating hydraulic oil between the second mounting surface 38D and the 16 other control valves 43. Sixteen of these other connection openings are provided corresponding to the other control valves 43.

[0049] The 16 other connection openings are arranged in a matrix with four openings in each row at equal intervals in the left-right and up-down directions. As shown in Figure 6, for example, a plurality of other control valves 43 are appropriately connected to the 16 other connection openings in consideration of their relevance.

[0050] Furthermore, manifold 38 has a plurality of oil passages (none of which are shown) inside that connect the other connection openings and also connect the other connection openings to upper surface 38B (filter 44) as appropriate. The plurality of oil passages can be formed by casting the manifold. However, these days, oil passages are formed by drilling holes in the block body and then closing the openings as necessary.

[0051] The control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, and 42A to 42D are closed circuit control valves attached to the first mounting surface 38C. The control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, and 42A to 42D supply and discharge hydraulic oil, which is supplied from the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 via oil passages in the manifold 38, to a plurality of hydraulic actuators. The control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, and 42A to 42D are attached to the first mounting surface 38C using bolts or the like so as to communicate with connection openings formed in the first mounting surface 38C. The control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, and 42A to 42D are arranged on the inner surface of the first mounting surface 38C of the manifold 38 in predetermined directions, that is, aligned in the left-right direction (width direction) and the up-down direction.

[0052] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, the control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, and 42A to 42D are arranged in a matrix with four valves aligned at equal intervals in the left-right and up-down directions. For example, in the top row (first row from the top), the control valves 39A to 39D that control the boom cylinder 16 are arranged in order from left to right in the width direction (left-right direction) of the manifold 38. In the second row, the control valves 40A to 40D that control the arm cylinder 17 are arranged in order from left to right in the width direction of the manifold 38. In the third row, the control valves 41A to 41D that control the bucket cylinder 18 are arranged in order from left to right in the width direction of the manifold 38. Furthermore, in the bottom row (fourth row), the control valves 42A to 42D that control the swing hydraulic motor 7 are arranged in order from left to right in the width direction of the manifold 38.

[0053] As a result, of the 16 control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, and 42A to 42D, the control valves 39A, 40A, 41A, and 42A located first from the left (leftmost) and lined up in the vertical direction of the manifold 38 correspond to the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 of the same closed circuit system 25. The control valves 39B, 40B, 41B, and 42B located second from the left and lined up in the vertical direction correspond to the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 of the same closed circuit system 26. The control valves 39C, 40C, 41C, and 42C located third from the left and lined up in the vertical direction correspond to the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 of the same closed circuit system 27. Furthermore, the control valves 39D, 40D, 41D, and 42D arranged vertically at the fourth position from the left (rightmost position) correspond to the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 of the same closed circuit system 28.

[0054] The other control valves 43 are control valves for a closed circuit that are attached to the second mounting surface 38D separately from the control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, and 42A to 42D. The other control valves 43 are attached to the second mounting surface 38D using bolts or the like so as to communicate with other connection openings formed in the second mounting surface 38D. The other control valves 43 are arranged in a matrix, aligned in the left-right direction, which is the width direction of the manifold 38, and in the up-down direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the other control valves 43 are arranged in a matrix, aligned in groups of four at equal intervals in the left-right direction and the up-down direction.

[0055] Here, the control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, 42A to 42D, and 43 are, for example, Each spool has its own axial movement.Each of the control valves 39A to 39C is configured as an electromagnetic switching valve. As shown in FIG. 7, the control valve 39D and the other control valves 43 each incorporate a spool S that is movable in the axial direction (linearly). The control valve 39D mounted on the first mounting surface 38C of the manifold 38 and the other control valves 43 mounted on the second mounting surface 38D are arranged so that the spool S moves toward or away from the manifold 38, i.e., in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 7. In other words, the control valve 39D is arranged so that the direction of movement of the spool S is perpendicular to the first mounting surface 38C. The other control valves 43 are arranged so that the direction of movement of the spool S is perpendicular to the second mounting surface 38D. The control valves 39A to 39C, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, 42A to 42D, and the other control valves 43 have the same configuration as the control valves 39D and 43 described above.

[0056] In this embodiment, 16 connection openings are arranged in rows of four each in the left-right and up-down directions on each of the first and second mounting surfaces 38C and 38D. Therefore, oil passages connecting the control valves 39A, 40A, 41A, and 42A can be easily formed simply by drilling holes downward from the top surface 38B of the manifold 38. Similarly, oil passages connecting the control valves 39A to 39D can be easily formed simply by drilling holes in the left-right direction of the manifold 38. Oil passages connecting the control valves 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, and 42A to 42D and the other control valves 43 can be easily formed in a similar manner.

[0057] The filter 44 is attached to the upper surface 38B of the manifold 38. The filter 44 traps foreign matter mixed in the hydraulic oil, thereby preventing damage to the hydraulic actuator, the sliding parts of the valves, and the like.

[0058] The closed circuit control valve device 37 configured in this manner has 16 control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, and 42A to 42D attached to the first mounting surface 38C of the manifold 38, and 16 other control valves 43 attached to the second mounting surface 38D. This allows the closed circuit control valve device 37 to have wide installation intervals for the control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, 42A to 42D, and 43, and also enables equal weight distribution in the front-to-rear direction.

[0059] The open circuit control valve device 45 is provided on the revolving frame 8, positioned in front of the engine 19. Specifically, the open circuit control valve device 45 is installed on the right side of the revolving frame 8 (to the right of the closed circuit control valve device 37) in a horizontally placed state extending in the left-right direction. Like the closed circuit control valve device 37, the open circuit control valve device 45 includes a manifold 46, a control valve 47, another control valve 48, and a filter 49, which will be described later.

[0060] Like the manifold 38, the manifold 46 is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped block (block-shaped structure) that is flat in the front-rear direction and extends in the left-right and up-down directions. The manifold 46 has a lower part (not shown), an upper surface 46A, a first mounting surface 46B, and a second mounting surface 46C, and the lower part is detachably attached to the revolving frame 8 using bolts (not shown). In addition, a filter 49 is attached to the upper surface 46A.

[0061] Here, a first mounting surface 46B on the rear side of the manifold 46 serves as a mounting surface for the open circuit control valve 47. The first mounting surface 46B is provided with, for example, 16 connection openings (not shown) for circulating hydraulic oil between the first mounting surface 46B and the open circuit control valve 47. Furthermore, the manifold 46 is provided with a plurality of oil passages (none of which are shown) that communicate between the connection openings and also appropriately communicate between the connection openings and the upper surface 46A.

[0062] The open circuit control valves 47 attached to the first mounting surface 46B include control valves that control the hydraulic oil flowing between the travel hydraulic motors 3, 4. The open circuit control valves 47 are attached to the first mounting surface 46B using bolts or the like so as to communicate with connection openings formed in the first mounting surface 46B. Sixteen open circuit control valves 47 are arranged in groups of four at equal intervals in the left-right and up-down directions. Meanwhile, the other open circuit control valves 48 attached to the second mounting surface 46C are arranged in groups of four at equal intervals in the left-right and up-down directions, similar to the open circuit control valves 47.

[0063] The open circuit control valves 47, 48 are also arranged in groups of four at equal intervals in the left-right and up-down directions, similar to the closed circuit control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, 42A to 42D, and 43. This makes it easy to form oil passages in the manifold 46.

[0064] The filter 49 is attached to the upper surface 46A of the manifold 46. Similar to the filter 44, the filter 49 can prevent damage to the hydraulic actuator, the sliding parts of the valve, etc. by capturing foreign matter mixed in the hydraulic oil.

[0065] The open circuit control valve device 45 configured in this manner, like the closed circuit control valve device 37, has 16 control valves 47 attached to the first mounting surface 46B of the manifold 46 and 16 other control valves 48 attached to the second mounting surface 46C. This allows the open circuit control valve device 45 to have a wide installation interval between the control valves 47, 48 and also allows for an equal weight distribution in the front-to-rear direction.

[0066] The hydraulic oil tank 50 stores hydraulic oil to be supplied to the open circuit hydraulic pump 35 and the like, and is provided on the revolving frame 8. The controller 51 is connected via signal lines to the operation device 11, the control valves 39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, 42A-42D, and 43 of the closed circuit control valve device 37, and the control valves 47 and 48 of the open circuit control valve device 45. The controller 51 switches the control valves 39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, 42A-42D, and 43 and the control valves 47 and 48 of the open circuit control valve device 45 based on signals from the operation device 11.

[0067] The hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment has the above-described configuration, and its operation will now be described.

[0068] The operator in the cab 9 starts the engine 19 to drive the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 and the open circuit hydraulic pump 35. In this state, the operator can move the undercarriage 2 forward or backward by operating the left and right travel levers 11C, 11D. Meanwhile, the operator can rotate the working device 12 to perform work such as excavating earth and sand by operating the left and right work operation levers 11A, 11B.

[0069] Thus, in this embodiment, the closed circuit control valve device 37 is a block body that is attached to the swivel frame 8 and has two opposing surfaces, one of which, the rear surface, is a first mounting surface 38C, and the other of which, the front surface, is a second mounting surface 38D, and is equipped with a manifold 38 having oil passages formed therein, a plurality of control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, 42A to 42D that are attached to the first mounting surface 38C and supply / discharge hydraulic oil supplied from the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 to a plurality of actuators via the oil passages of the manifold 38, and a plurality of other control valves 43 that are attached to the second mounting surface 38D and supply / discharge hydraulic oil supplied from the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 to a plurality of actuators via the oil passages of the manifold 38. Furthermore, among the plurality of control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, 42A to 42D, the plurality of control valves that control one hydraulic actuator among the plurality of hydraulic actuators are aligned in a predetermined direction within the plane of the first mounting surface 38C or the second mounting surface 38D.

[0070] The open circuit control valve device 45 is mounted on the revolving frame 8 to the right of the closed circuit control valve device 37, and is a block body having a first mounting surface 46B as one of its two opposing surfaces, a rear surface, and a second mounting surface 46C as the other of its two opposing surfaces, and includes a manifold 46 having oil passages formed therein, a plurality of control valves 47 mounted on the first mounting surface 46B and supplying and discharging hydraulic oil supplied from the open circuit hydraulic pump 35 to the plurality of actuators via the oil passages of the manifold 46, and a plurality of other control valves 48 mounted on the second mounting surface 46C and supplying and discharging hydraulic oil supplied from the open circuit hydraulic pump 35 to the plurality of actuators via the oil passages of the manifold 46. Of the plurality of control valves 43, the plurality of control valves that control one hydraulic actuator among the plurality of hydraulic actuators are aligned in a predetermined direction within the first mounting surface 46B or the second mounting surface 46C.

[0071] Therefore, the closed circuit control valve device 37 can mount many control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, 42A to 42D, and 43 in a distributed manner on the first mounting surface 38C, which is the rear surface of the manifold 38, and the second mounting surface 38D, which is the front surface.

[0072] As a result, even if the manifold 38 is formed small, many control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, 42A to 42D, and 43 can be attached, so that the closed circuit control valve device 37 can be made compact.

[0073] Furthermore, since the control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, 42A to 42D, and 43 can be spaced widely apart, space can be secured for the installation of the control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, 42A to 42D, and 43 to the manifold 38, the connection of the closed circuit piping 30 to the control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, 42A to 42D, and 43, and maintenance, etc., thereby improving the ease of these operations.

[0074] Furthermore, in the closed circuit control valve device 37, the control valves 39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, and 42A-42D are mounted on the first mounting surface 38C, which is the rear surface of the manifold 38, and another control valve 43 is mounted on the second mounting surface 38D, which is the front surface. Therefore, the closed circuit control valve device 37 has an equal weight distribution in the front-to-rear direction. This allows the closed circuit control valve device 37 to be easily stabilized during lifting, improving the workability of assembly, replacement, and other operations. Furthermore, stabilizing the weight balance of the closed circuit control valve device 37 reduces the load on the revolving frame 8 when the closed circuit control valve device 37 is mounted to the revolving frame 8, and also reduces the load on the mounting bolts, improving their durability. The above-described effects can also be achieved with the open circuit control valve device 45.

[0075] Each of the control valves 39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, 42A-42D, and 43 incorporates a spool S that moves in the axial direction. The control valves 39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, and 42A-42D mounted on the first mounting surface 38C of the manifold 38 and the other control valve 43 mounted on the second mounting surface 38D are arranged so that the spools S move in directions (indicated by arrow A) toward and away from the manifold 38. In this way, in the closed circuit control valve device 37, the spools S are arranged facing each other, so that the impacts caused by the movement of the spools S can be absorbed. The above-described effects can also be obtained in the open circuit control valve device 45.

[0076] The multiple control valves 39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, and 42A-42D attached to the first attachment surface 38C are aligned in the left-right direction (width direction) and up-down direction of the manifold 38, and the multiple other control valves 43 attached to the second attachment surface 38D are aligned in the left-right direction (width direction) and up-down direction of the manifold 38. This facilitates the attachment and detachment of the control valves 39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, 42A-42D, and 43 to and from the manifold 38 in the closed circuit control valve device 37. The above-described effects can also be obtained in the open circuit control valve device 45.

[0077] The working device 12 includes a boom cylinder 16, an arm cylinder 17, and a bucket cylinder 18, which serve as multiple hydraulic actuators, and the multiple control valves 39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, and 42A-42D are arranged in a row aligned in the left-right direction of a manifold 38, with the control valves 39A, 39B, 39C, and 39D controlling the same hydraulic actuators being arranged, and the control valves 39A, 40A, 41A, and 42A corresponding to the closed circuit hydraulic pumps 29 of the same closed circuit system 25 being arranged in a row aligned in the up-down direction of the manifold 38. In the closed circuit control valve device 37, the control valves 39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, 42A-42D, and 43 are arranged according to the above-described arrangement example.

[0078] Therefore, as a processing example, oil passages connecting the control valves 39A, 40A, 41A, and 42A can be easily formed simply by drilling holes downward from the upper surface 38B of the manifold 38. Also, oil passages connecting the control valves 39A to 39D can be easily formed simply by drilling holes in the left-right direction of the manifold 38. Oil passages connecting the control valves 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, and 42A to 42D and the other control valves 43 can also be easily formed in a similar manner. This allows for the miniaturization of the manifold 38 and reduction in processing costs. The effects of the closed-circuit control valve device 37 described above can also be obtained in the manifold 46 of the open-circuit control valve device 45.

[0079] In the present embodiment, the case has been described in which the multiple control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, and 42A to 42D are arranged aligned in the left-right direction (width direction) and up-down direction of the manifold 38. Also, the case has been described in which the control valves 39A, 39B, 39C, and 39D that control the same hydraulic actuator are arranged in a row aligned in the left-right direction of the manifold 38, and the control valves 39A, 40A, 41A, and 42A corresponding to the closed-circuit hydraulic pumps 29 of the same closed-circuit system 25 are arranged in a row aligned in the up-down direction of the manifold 38. However, the arrangement of the control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, and 42A to 42D is not limited to the above-described case.

[0080] For example, it is sufficient that at least one of the control valves 39A, 39B, 39C, and 39D that control one hydraulic actuator, or the control valves 39A, 40A, 41A, and 42A that receive hydraulic oil from one hydraulic pump, are aligned in a predetermined direction within the first mounting surface 38C of the manifold 38. This makes it easier to drill holes to form oil passages within the manifold 38.

[0081] In other words, for example, among the plurality of control valves 39A to 39D, 40A to 40D, 41A to 41D, 42A to 42D, the plurality of control valves that control one hydraulic actuator among the plurality of hydraulic actuators may be aligned in a predetermined direction within the plane of the first mounting surface 38C or the second mounting surface 38D.

[0082] The hydraulic excavator includes closed circuit systems 25-28 each consisting of a closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 driven by the engine 19 and a plurality of closed circuit pipes 30 connecting the closed circuit hydraulic pump 29 with the boom cylinder 16, the arm cylinder 17, the bucket cylinder 18, and the swing hydraulic motor 7, and open circuit systems 31-34 each consisting of an open circuit hydraulic pump 35 driven by the engine 19 and a plurality of open circuit pipes 36 connecting the open circuit hydraulic pump 35 with the plurality of closed circuit pipes 30, and the control valve device includes a closed circuit control valve device 37 connected to the closed circuit systems 25-28 and an open circuit control valve device 45 connected to the open circuit systems 31-34. This allows both the closed circuit control valve device 37 and the open circuit control valve device 45 to be made smaller.

[0083] In the embodiment, the closed circuit control valve device 37 is illustrated as having 16 control valves 39A-39D, 40A-40D, 41A-41D, and 42A-42D attached to the first mounting surface 38C of the manifold 38 and 16 other control valves 43 attached to the second mounting surface 38D. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and 2 to 15, or 17 or more control valves may be attached to the first and second mounting surfaces of the manifold. Furthermore, the number of control valves attached to the first and second mounting surfaces may be different from each other.

[0084] In the embodiment, the closed circuit control valve device 37 and the open circuit control valve device 45 are provided side by side in the left-right direction on the swivel frame 8. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, a single common manifold may be provided, and the control valves of the closed circuit control valve device and the open circuit control valve device may be attached to this common manifold. Also, a configuration in which three or more control valve devices are provided may be used.

[0085] In the embodiment, the hydraulic excavator 1 equipped with a backhoe-type working implement 12 has been described as an example of construction machinery. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be widely applied to other construction machinery such as hydraulic excavators equipped with a loading shovel-type working implement. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1. Hydraulic excavator (construction machinery) 2 Undercarriage (car body) 3,4 Travel hydraulic motor (hydraulic actuator) 5 Upper rotating body (car body) 6 Swivel device 7 Swing hydraulic motor (hydraulic actuator) 8 Swing frame (body frame) 12 Work equipment 16 Boom cylinder (hydraulic actuator) 17 Arm cylinder (hydraulic actuator) 18 Bucket cylinder (hydraulic actuator) 19 Engine (prime mover) 25~28 Closed Circuit System 29 Closed circuit hydraulic pump 30 Closed circuit piping 31~34 Open circuit system 35 Open circuit hydraulic pump 36 Open circuit piping 37 Closed circuit control valve device (control valve device) 38,46 Manifold 38C, 46B First mounting surface 38D, 46C Second mounting surface 39A~39D, 40A~40D, 41A~41D, 42A~42D, 47 Control valve 43, 48 Other control valves 45 Open circuit control valve device (control valve device) S spool

Claims

1. The body frame and a working device provided on the front side of the vehicle body frame and including a plurality of hydraulic actuators; a prime mover provided on a rear side of the body frame; a hydraulic pump provided in the prime mover; a control valve device that is provided on the body frame and is located in front of the prime mover, and that controls the plurality of hydraulic actuators; In a construction machine equipped with The control valve device a manifold that is attached to the vehicle body frame and is a block body having two opposing surfaces, one of which serves as a first mounting surface and the other of which serves as a second mounting surface, and has an oil passage formed therein; a plurality of control valves including: a plurality of first switching valves attached to the first mounting surface of the manifold and each incorporating a spool that moves individually in the axial direction; and a plurality of second switching valves different from the first switching valves attached to the second mounting surface and each incorporating a spool that is different from the spool of the first switching valve and moves individually in the axial direction, wherein a connection relationship between the hydraulic pump and each of the plurality of hydraulic actuators is switched so that working oil supplied from the hydraulic pump via the oil passage of the manifold is supplied to or discharged from any one of the plurality of hydraulic actuators; Equipped with A construction machine characterized in that, among the plurality of control valves, a plurality of control valves that control the same hydraulic actuator among the plurality of hydraulic actuators are aligned in the same direction within the plane of the first mounting surface or the second mounting surface.

2. The construction machine according to claim 1, A construction machine characterized in that the plurality of first switching valves attached to the first mounting surface of the manifold and the plurality of second switching valves attached to the second mounting surface are arranged so that their respective spools operate in directions toward and away from the manifold.

3. The construction machine according to claim 1, the first switching valves attached to the first mounting surface are arranged in a state of being aligned in a width direction and a vertical direction of the manifold, A construction machine characterized in that the plurality of second switching valves attached to the second mounting surface are arranged in a state aligned in the width direction and the up-down direction of the manifold.

4. The construction machine according to claim 3, The plurality of first switching valves are arranged in a row aligned in the width direction of the manifold, with the first switching valves controlling the same hydraulic actuators, and in a row aligned in the vertical direction of the manifold, with the first switching valves corresponding to the same hydraulic pumps.

5. The construction machine according to claim 1, a closed circuit system including a closed circuit hydraulic pump driven by the prime mover and a plurality of closed circuit pipes connecting the closed circuit hydraulic pump and the hydraulic actuator; an open circuit system including an open circuit hydraulic pump driven by the prime mover and a plurality of open circuit pipes connecting the open circuit hydraulic pump and the plurality of closed circuit pipes; Equipped with The construction machine is characterized in that the control valve device comprises a closed circuit control valve device connected to the closed circuit system and an open circuit control valve device connected to the open circuit system.

Citation Information

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