WO2011021150A1

WO2011021150A1 - Excavator

Info

Publication number: WO2011021150A1
Application number: PCT/IB2010/053706
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alois Poettker
Original assignee: Bucyrus Hex Gmbh
Priority date: 2009-08-18
Filing date: 2010-08-17
Publication date: 2011-02-24
Also published as: DE212010000120U1

Abstract

The invention relates to an excavator, particularly a front shovel or power shovel, comprising an undercarriage or chassis (11), a revolving superstructure (13) pivotally mounted thereon, a boom device (15) that is connected to the revolving superstructure and can be raised and lowered and/or telescoped and retracted, and a digging vessel (19) that is disposed at the free end (17) of the bottom device and can be actuated, wherein these components or component groups, which can be moved relative to each other, can be actuated using controllable, preferably electrical, hydraulic and/or pneumatic drives (18, 20). In order to make the excavator easier to control by the operator, according to the invention the drives (18, 20) can be controlled using a common one-hand control lever (21) in the form of a joystick (22) that can be manipulated by an operating person using a single hand. With such a joystick, it is possible in a particularly advantageous manner to achieve control in a work space described by the cylinder coordinates, whereby the actions of the operator and the reactions of the machine to said actions corresponds much better to the expectations, as was the case in the past.

Description

description

Title of Invention: BAGGER

The invention relates to an excavator, in particular a loading bucket or backhoe, with a lower or chassis, a pivotally mounted on this superstructure, connected to the superstructure, raised and lowered and / or forward and retractable jib device and an am free end of the boom arranged, operable grave vessel, these relatively movable components or component groups by means of controllable, preferably electric, hydraulic and / or pneumatic actuators are actuated.

[2] Due to increasing use of electronics it is today possible to excavator, in particular

To automate hydraulic excavators such as loading shovels or backhoes, so that previously carried out by the excavator operator (part) work sequences can be performed according to predetermined programs. Automated excavators, which are easy to operate and support specific work sequences, facilitate the repetitive work that currently exists in open-pit mining. Semiautomatized hydraulic excavators allow by the situation monitoring safer machine operation, eg. B. by the suppression of hard start the equipment part end positions or the touch of the undercarriage with the grave vessel. Sensor-monitored working areas increase safety in the areas not visible to the operator and thus help prevent collision with unexpected objects.

The control of most excavators is done so far generally with the help of two, with the left and right hand of the excavator operator operable control levers and possibly also via foot pedals. In this case, the various actuators / drives are controlled by direct kinematics (forward kinematics), which is understood to mean the calculation of the end effector (EE) from the position of the individual joints. The EE corresponds to the bucket tip in the hydraulic excavator, the position of the individual joints is determined by the current length of the cylinder. The main interfaces between man and machine are the two hand control levers. They enable digging with two-dimensional movement in the X and Y directions (two-lever cross-over). The underlying operating concept is referred to as single-joint control. Each cylinder must be addressed separately, the summed total movement results from a clever sequence of operation of the two levers. Only one incremental pulse is given. The total travel of the equipment is proportional to the duration of the position action and thus corresponds to a speed specification. In practice, a lot of excavator operators can observe a 'digital' mode of control: either the control lever is in zero position or full scale. According to the standard ISO 10968 [2004], SAE Jl 177 [1978], with the left lever the superstructure (left / right swing) and the bull cylinder (stretch / retract), with the right lever of the shovel (screw in / out) or the bucket (tilt / dump) and the boom or mono cylinder (lowering / lifting) moves. In addition, contact switch, button, rocker switch u. Ä. To be attached to the control levers that operate additional functions such as horn, gripper, magnet, etc. or the flap cylinder loading shovels.

The operation of an excavator using the two-lever cross-over is not logical: three out of four controls do not meet the expectation compatibility. The arrangement of the boom control function is also not consistent: a perceived as generally positive movement leads to retraction of the cylinder and thus to the reduction, the reverse movement to lift the equipment. This implies an implicit mapping of the linear motion to an axis-related viewpoint. The rotational movements of the upper carriage resp. of the grave vessel must be transformed by the operator on translational movements of the control lever. While in the superstructure, the arrangement may still somewhat meet the expectations, this is no longer possible in the grave vessel rotation. Only with long training, the well-known two-lever control can be learned reliably and requires even with experienced excavators high concentration to operate the controller error-free for the duration of a long, often monotonous working day.

The object of the invention is therefore to improve an excavator so that its controllability is facilitated by the excavator operator.

This object is achieved with the invention in that the drives are controllable by means of a common one-hand control lever in the form of a manipulated by a single hand an operator joystick joystick.

With such a joystick joystick can be realized in a particularly advantageous manner, a control in a working space, which is described by cylindrical coordinates, which the actions of the excavator operator and the reactions of the machine much better than expected correspond to the expectations Use of upcoming controls is the case. The desire for a translational movement - the feed or the lifting of the grave vessel - is thereby imaged by the control system on the geometry of the excavator. The exact rules for controlling the drives - generally hydraulic cylinders - need not be aware of the user, as these are derived from the mapping of the kinematic structure. With the Einhandsteuerhebel invention, an operating element is presented by the invention, which in conjunction with a cylindrical Control allows a much more intuitive operation of a hydraulic excavator.

[8] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the cross-lever

Joystick has two mutually perpendicular main directions of movement, wherein an operation of the joystick in a first main movement direction forward and backward for driving a forward and backward movement of the boom device and an operation in the second main movement direction to the right and left to drive a right and left rotation of the Upper carriage relative to the lower or chassis serves.

The joystick joystick may further preferably a thumb-operable first

Proportional switch, the adjustment causes a lifting or lowering movement of the boom device. A change in position of the boom in the Y direction (lifting or lowering) can then be achieved by operating this switch, in particular with the thumb (incremental actuator).

In a further refinement, the cross-joystick can also have a second proportional switch, which is preferably capable of indexing, the adjustment of which causes the grave vessel to rotate in or out relative to the jib device. The position of the switch is proportional to the grave vessel position (absolute

Actuator). The upper basic position corresponds to the maximum possible angle of rotation of the bucket in the case of a loading bucket excavator, which is valid for the respective overall equipment position, and the lower position corresponds to the minimum possible angle of rotation of the bucket.

[11] The excavator preferably has a stored-program control unit incorporating the

Drives for the movable components depending on the settings made on the joystick joystick controls or changes in position according to a routine defined in the control program.

It is particularly advantageous if the main directions of movement of the joystick

are double assignable by means of a switch and the joystick is used to control the drives of the chassis after switching to the second assignment level. In this way, virtually all relevant functions of the excavator can be operated intuitively with one hand with one and the same input device - namely the joystick.

As already mentioned, the control of the drives is preferably carried out in a cylindrical coordinate system, in which the working area of the excavator and the movements carried out by it are particularly easy to understand and describe.

The invention thus provides a use of a cross-joystick as

One-hand control lever for controlling the drives on a lower or upper

Chassis pivotally mounted upper carriage, connected thereto, raised and lowered and / or forward and retractable boom device and a arranged at the free end of the boom device, operable grave vessel of an excavator, in particular a loading bucket or backhoe.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following

Description and drawing ung, wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is explained and illustrated by way of example. It shows:

Fig. 1 is a 4-quadrant representation of a loading bucket and the latter

Operation according to the invention used for use one-hand control lever respectively in side view and top view; and

[17] FIG. 2 shows a side view and a top view of the one-hand control lever according to the invention with the associated reaction movements of the excavator controlled thereby in a schematic representation.

The excavator shown in the drawing Fig. 1 and designated in its entirety by 10 is a loading bucket excavator, as it can be used for example in open-pit mining for the production of coal, ore or the like. The excavator 10 has, in a known manner, a caterpillar chassis 11 and a superstructure 13 pivotable about a vertical axis 12. Of the

Uppercar 13 accommodates next to a (not shown) drive motor a cab 14 for the excavator operator. On the superstructure 13, a boom device 15 is connected, which essentially consists of a pivotally mounted on the superstructure 13 boom 16 and a pivotally mounted at the outer end stem 17 which are raised and lowered or forward and retractable hydraulic cylinders 18a, b , For extending and retracting the hydraulic cylinder are associated hydraulic pump units, which are arranged in the superstructure 13 in a known manner and not shown in detail.

[19] At the free end of the jib device 15, ie at the outer end of the handle 17, a loading shovel 19 is connected, which can be pivoted relative to the handle with the aid of a further hydraulic cylinder 20. In addition, there is on the loading shovel 19 itself another, not shown in detail drive, with which the loading shovel 19 - as shown - can be opened to close the previously funded heap and closed again.

[20] All movement processes which the movable components or groups of components of the excavator 10 perform relative to each other are effected by the illustrated and described hydraulic cylinders 18, 20 and optionally further electrical, hydraulic and / or pneumatic drives, as regularly used in known dredging vehicles come.

[21] According to the invention, the actuation of the drives for the rotation of the

Upper carriage 13 relative to the chassis 11, the raising and lowering of the boom 16 and the pulling back and forth of the connected handle 17 and the loading and unloading actuation of the loading shovel 19 by means of a common one-hand control lever 21, which is arranged in the interior of the cabin 14 in the comfortable access area of the excavator, even having the possibility to redundantly arrange the control lever 21 respectively to the right and left of the seat of the excavator operator, that he can be easily operated either with the left or with the right hand to make the tool equally easy to use for both right and left-handers.

[22] The one-hand control lever 21 is one by means of a single

Hand of the excavator operator manipulable joystick joystick 22, which has two main directions of movement X and Z. A movement of the joystick 22 in the first main movement direction X forward causes a forward movement of the boom device 15, to which the hydraulic cylinders 18a, b are acted upon by a non-illustrated programmable logic controller coordinated so that the hydraulic cylinder extends 18a for the stem, while the hydraulic cylinder 18b for moves the boom 16, so that the entire boom device 15 moves the bucket 19 in at least approximately constant height from the uppercarriage 13 of the excavator 10. Retraction of the joystick 22 in the main movement direction X backwards accordingly causes a retracting movement of the boom device, in which the loading bucket 19 is moved closer to the driver's cab 14.

When the cross joystick 22 is pivoted to the left or right by the excavator operator in the second main movement direction Z, this leads to a rotational movement of the uppercarriage 13 relative to the crawler chassis 11 to the left or right.

[24] Around the jib device 15 with the loading shovel 19 arranged thereon

to lower and raise the joystick 22 has in the upper part of his handle at a tilted by about 30 ° level a first proportional switch 23, which can move the excavator with his thumb up or down, as indicated by the arrow 24. A change in the position of this first proportional switch 23 causes a lowering or raising of the boom device 15 by the two hydraulic cylinders 18a, b move in previously determined by the memory-programmed control mode or retracting while the front end of the stem with the charging blade connected in the Move it substantially vertically up or down.

In order to pivot the bucket 19 relative to the handle 17 of the boom device 15, the cross-joystick 22 also has a second proportional switch 25 in the form of a 'trigger' switch that can be operated by the excavator operator with his forefinger. When the trigger switch 25 is in its front or upper end position, the hydraulic cylinder 20 is fully extended and the loading blade is in its most upwardly pivoted position. If the excavator operator then presses the trigger switch with its attracts finger, the hydraulic cylinder 20 enters and pivots the bucket down.

Finally, to open and close the loading shovel 19, the joystick 22 still has on its one side a rocker switch 26, with which the loading shovel for the excavation process can be closed by the middle finger of the excavator driver and opened for unloading on a truck or the like can be.

The movement of the above-detailed components and component groups of the excavator during the extraction process can thus be caused by the excavator operator with a single control device with a single hand. The movement of the excavator by means of the one-hand control lever is expediently imaged with a cylindrical kinematics. The superstructure 13 can be pivoted by transverse movement of the joystick 22, wherein at low deflection of the joystick to the left or right a low rotational speed and correspondingly larger design larger rotational speeds of the

Upper carriage relative to the chassis 11 can be achieved. By a longitudinal movement of the end effector, ie, the front grave edge of the loading shovel 19 is moved in the X direction, with a large deflection of the joystick forward or back, a correspondingly high feed or retraction speed of the end effector has the consequence and only a small deflection the joystick forward or backward a correspondingly slow, sensitive forward or backward pulling the bucket is the result. The input variables for the programmed control of the drives are, for practical reasons, the pivot acceleration about the vertical axis 12, two speed changes in the advance and retraction movement of the boom, and an angular positioning in the XY plane with respect to the position of the loading blade relative to the boom. The modeling of the folding blade joint is effected by an independent linear variable, as indicated at 4. The circled numbers visualize the serial arrangement in the equipment level and thus the logical placement on the one-hand control lever. The one-hand control lever also has several switches, whereby behind each switch, knob, controller, etc., a programmable curve, a map or an algorithm can be stored, so that the control can be easily adapted to the needs of the respective excavator leader. In particular, it is also possible to double occupy at least the main directions of movement of the joystick by means of such a switch and to control the caterpillar drives of the chassis 11 by switching to the second occupancy level by the crawler drives the excavator by a forward or backward movement in the X direction of the joystick - or drive backwards and the crawler drives are operated in opposite directions when pivoting the joystick to the left or right and thus cause the excavator to turn on the spot. If the excavator operator moves the joystick into intermediate positions between a pure deflection in the X and Z directions, this can cause the excavator to corner.

The invention makes use of the knowledge that due to the central center axis 12 of the excavator and the substantially flat equipment of the

Grave area, which can reach the excavator, is rotationally symmetric in the first approximation and therefore realizes a cylindrical control in the working space, which supports the four possible degrees of freedom. Maintaining the classic geometry, the typical X-Y control lever can be combined with the cylindrical control and summarized in the single-handed control lever according to the invention, which allows an almost intuitive control of the excavator by the logical attachment of its controls. Thus, a basic step towards the automatic operation of hydraulic excavators, especially in open pit mining, is achieved by shifting much of the necessary human activity from the actoric to a controlled level.

Of course, the invention can be used not only in a backhoe loader, also other excavators such. a backhoe backhoe can be equipped in an advantageous manner with the one-hand control lever control according to the invention.

Claims

claims

[Claim 1] 1. Excavator, in particular loading bucket or backhoe, with a

Lower or undercarriage (11), one on this pivotally mounted uppercarriage (13), one on the uppercarriage (13) connected, raised and lowered and / or forward and retractable boom device (15) and one at the free end (17) of Arranged grave vessel (19), wherein these relatively movable components or component groups by means of controllable, preferably electric, hydraulic and / or pneumatic drives (18,20) are actuated, characterized in that the drives (18,20) by means of a common

One-hand control lever (21) in the form of a manipulated by a single hand an operator joystick (22) are controllable.

2. Excavator according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Cross joystick (22) has two mutually perpendicular main directions of movement (X, Z), wherein an operation of the joystick (22) in a first main movement direction (X) forward and backward for driving a forward and retraction movement of the boom device (15) and an actuation in the second main movement direction (Z) to the right and left to control a right and left rotational movement of the upper carriage (13) relative to the lower or chassis (11) is used.

3. Excavator according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the cross-joystick (22) further comprises a preferably thumb-actuated, first proportional switch (23) whose adjustment causes a lifting or lowering movement of the boom device (15).

4. Excavator according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cross-joystick (22) further comprises a preferably zeig- fingertable second proportional switch (25) whose adjustment is a turning in or out of the grave vessel (19). relative to the boom device (15).

5. Excavator according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the joystick (22) has an actuatable preferably by means of a middle finger rocker or toggle switch (26) whose operation causes an opening or closing the grave vessel (19) , [Anspruchβ] 6. Excavator according to one of claims 1 to 5, countersigned by

a preferably memory-programmed control unit which controls the drives (18, 20) for the movable components (13, 15, 19) as a function of the setting or position changes made on the cross-joystick (22) in accordance with a routine defined in the control program controls.

7. Excavator according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the main directions of movement of the joystick (22) by means of a switch are doubly assignable and the joystick (22) after switching to the second level of occupancy for controlling the drives of the chassis ( 11) is used.

8. The excavator according to claim 1, characterized in that the control of the drives takes place in a cylindrical coordinate system.

Use of a cross-joystick as a one-hand control lever for controlling the drives of a on a chassis or undercarriage (11) pivotally mounted upper carriage (13) connected thereto, raised and lowered and / or forward and retractable Jib device (15) and arranged at the free end of the jib device, operable grave vessel (19) of an excavator (10), in particular a loading bucket or backhoe.