Work Vehicle Engine Stop Inhibition for Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

During engine idling stop in work vehicles like mobile cranes, maintenance work is hindered as the engine state changes, and critical checks may not be feasible, potentially disrupting the maintenance process.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising an engine stop section, detection section, determination section, and engine stop inhibition section that prevents engine shutdown when maintenance work is in progress, ensuring continuous operation and stable conditions for maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If the engine is stopped by the idling stop function, then energy consumption is reduced, but the maintenance work cannot be performed due to engine state changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidmaintenance work
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the engine stop function based on the work state. When maintenance work is detected through the detection section, the engine stop function is temporarily suspended, allowing the engine to continue running. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the energy-saving feature conditional rather than absolute.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The determination section continuously monitors work state information from the detection section and provides feedback to control the engine stop function. This feedback mechanism ensures that when maintenance work is detected, the system responds by preventing engine shutdown, thus maintaining engine operation during maintenance while still enabling energy saving during normal operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Loss of energy

If the engine stop function is always active, then fuel efficiency is improved, but the reliability of maintenance work is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel efficiencyVSAvoidmaintenance work reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The engine stop function transitions from a static always-active state to a dynamic state that adapts based on work conditions. The system activates or suspends the engine stop function depending on whether maintenance work is detected, ensuring both fuel efficiency during normal operation and reliability during maintenance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational parameter of the engine stop function based on detected work states. When maintenance work is detected, the parameter changes from 'engine stop enabled' to 'engine stop inhibited,' ensuring fuel efficiency is maintained during normal operations while reliability is ensured during maintenance work.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of energy

If the engine is stopped during maintenance, then energy is saved, but the maintenance efficiency is reduced due to engine state changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy savingVSAvoidmaintenance efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The determination section detects when maintenance work is in progress and provides feedback to inhibit the engine stop function. This ensures that energy saving measures do not interfere with maintenance efficiency, as the system automatically adjusts engine operation based on the detected maintenance state.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes the engine operation parameter from 'stop enabled' to 'stop inhibited' when maintenance work is detected. This parameter change ensures that energy is saved during normal operations while maintenance efficiency is preserved by maintaining engine operation during maintenance activities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3369916B1Work vehicle
Publication Date: 2020.12.09 TADANO LTD
  • EP3369916B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3369916B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3369916B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a work vehicle with which crane work maintenance can be carried out efficiently. Device information relating to a work device that performs prescribed work is detected, and it is determined whether or not the device information indicates a management operation state in which a management operation, which is carried out such that an operation corresponding to the prescribed work is performed, is being carried out. When the management operation state is determined to be in effect, engine stopping is restricted even if an engine stopping condition is met.