JP2010065423A - Travel device of construction machinery - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the stability etc. of construction machinery by motorizing a travel device without use of a hard-to-mount swivel joint. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of batteries 24 and an electric motor 25 are installed in lower machinery 11, and wiring-connected. When a control lever 21 installed in a cab 14 of upper machinery 13 is operated, a radio signal corresponding to an operating position of the control lever 21 is transmitted from a transmission controller 22 in the cab 14 to a reception controller 23 installed in a slewing mechanism 12. Thus, the reception controller 23 controls the running of the electric motor 25 by controlling an electric current of the battery 24 on the basis of the received radio signal. Consequently, since the drive of a crawler 20, the drive shaft of which is directly connected to the electric motor 25, is controlled, the traveling of a hydraulic shovel 10 is controlled via a caterpillar 26. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a traveling device for a construction machine, and more particularly to a traveling device for a construction machine that travels with a driving force of an electric motor using a battery as a power source.

  In recent years, various construction machines having improved work environments such as exhaust gas and noise have been proposed. One example is a hybrid construction machine that uses both an engine and an electric motor. This hybrid construction machine is provided with an electric motor driven by battery power in addition to a hydraulic pump for driving a work machine driven by engine power. When the work implement drive mode is switched, the drive of the hydraulic pump can be changed to “battery drive”, “engine drive”, or “engine drive and battery-assisted drive”. By switching accordingly, the engine load is reduced to improve exhaust gas and noise. At this time, the boom, arm, and bucket are driven and driven by the driving force of the hydraulic pump. In such a construction machine, the battery and the electric motor are provided on an upper swing body that is rotatably disposed on the lower traveling body (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Further, since an engine cannot be used at a work site where exhaustless gas is required, such as tunnel construction, an electric construction machine equipped only with a battery and an electric motor is also known. Also in such a construction machine, the battery and the electric motor are provided on the upper swing body in order to shorten the power wiring path and simplify the signal line (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-227241. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-317429.

  When the battery and the electric motor are arranged on the upper swing body as in the prior art, the arrangement density of the battery, the electric motor and the peripheral device is increased, and adjacent components come close to each other, and maintenance is difficult. The weight of the upper turning body is increased, the center of gravity of the entire construction machine is increased, which is disadvantageous in terms of stability. Further, in the driving of the traveling device of the construction machine described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, as shown in FIG. 4, the engine 1, the control device 2, the battery 3 and the electric motor 4 are arranged on the lower traveling body 5. A hydraulic pump that is provided on the upper revolving body 6 and that is driven by the power of the engine 1 and the electric motor 4 is used, and a traveling hydraulic motor 7 that is operated by the driving force of the hydraulic pump is used. . Therefore, in order to further reduce the exhaust gas and improve the fuel consumption, it is necessary to change the travel device from a hydraulic motor to an electric motor and perform energy regeneration when the travel is stopped.

  Further, when the traveling device is electrified with the battery 3 and the control device 2 mounted on the upper swing body 6, it is necessary to connect the upper swing body 6 and the lower traveling body 5 with a power supply and control (signal) cable 8. However, since the upper swing body 6 is provided so as to be rotatable, a power supply and control cable 8 is provided at the joint between the upper swing body 6 and the lower traveling body 5 even if the upper swing body 6 rotates. In order not to be cut, it is necessary to provide the swivel joint 9 to join the upper revolving unit 6 and the lower traveling unit 5 together.

  Furthermore, it is necessary to connect a plurality of power cables and / or control cables to the electric motor used in the traveling device between the upper revolving unit and the lower revolving unit. Therefore, it is necessary to connect between the upper swing body and the lower swing body by using twice as many cables.

  Accordingly, the swivel joint provided at the joint between the upper and lower revolving bodies must be configured to be able to handle a considerably large number of cables. As a result, the swivel joint itself becomes large and difficult to mount. At the same time, there is a problem of increasing the cost.

  Therefore, a technical problem to be solved in order to electrify the traveling device is generated without using a large swivel joint that is difficult to mount, and the present invention aims to solve this problem.

  The present invention has been proposed in order to achieve the above object, and the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that the upper swing body is rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, and the electric motor is driven using the battery as a power source. In a traveling device for a construction machine that travels by force, a battery and an electric motor are installed in a lower traveling body, and a traveling device for a construction machine in which an electric motor is driven and controlled by a radio signal from an upper swing body is provided. is there.

  According to this configuration, since the electric motor on the lower traveling body side is driven and controlled by the radio signal from the upper swing body, the number of cables provided at the joint between the upper swing body and the lower traveling body side cable is reduced as compared with the prior art. .

  In addition, a heavy battery and an electric motor are installed in the lower traveling body. Therefore, since the center of gravity of the entire construction machine is lowered, the stability during the traveling operation is improved. Furthermore, the construction machine can be run / stopped by driving and controlling the electric motor with a radio signal from the upper swing body.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, a transmission controller is installed in the upper swing body, and a reception controller is installed in the lower swing body, and the reception controller receives the reception from the transmission controller. When the radio signal is transmitted to the controller, the receiving controller provides a construction machine traveling device in which the electric motor is driven and controlled.

  According to this configuration, since the electric motor can be driven and controlled by transmitting a radio signal from the upper swing body to the lower swing body, it is not necessary to provide a wiring member between the upper swing body and the lower swing body. . Therefore, electrical reliability can be further improved.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, an operation lever is installed in the cab of the upper swing body, and the transmission controller sends a radio signal corresponding to the operation position of the operation lever to the reception controller. A traveling device for a construction machine for transmission is provided.

  According to this configuration, by operating the operating lever installed in the cab of the upper-part turning body, the electric motor is driven and controlled by the radio signal corresponding to the operating position of the operating lever to run / stop the construction machine. Therefore, the operability in the cab is further improved.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the number of cables provided at the joint between the upper swing body and the lower travel body side cable is conventionally controlled by driving and controlling the electric motor on the lower travel body side by the radio signal from the upper swing body. Since it can be significantly reduced as compared with the above, it is not necessary to use a large swivel joint that is difficult to mount, and the traveling device can be easily electrified with a simple configuration.

  Further, since the battery and the electric motor are installed in the lower traveling body, the position of the center of gravity is lowered, the stability during traveling operation is improved, and the construction machine can be traveled / stopped by a radio signal from the upper swing body. Because it is possible, operability is further improved.

  Further, according to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 1, it is not necessary to provide a wiring material between the upper swing body and the lower traveling body, so that electrical reliability is improved. To do.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 2, if the operation lever installed in the cab is operated, the construction machine can be arbitrarily run / stopped. The operability in the cab is improved.

  In order to achieve the object of electrifying the traveling device without using a difficult-to-mount swivel joint and improving the stability of the construction machine, etc., the present invention mounts the upper swinging body on the lower traveling body in a freely swingable manner. In the traveling device of the construction machine that travels with the driving force of the electric motor using the battery as a power source, the battery and the electric motor are installed in the lower traveling body, and the electric motor is driven and controlled by a radio signal from the upper swing body. This was realized by providing a traveling device for construction machinery.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a traveling device for a construction machine according to the present invention will be described taking a hydraulic excavator as an example. The construction machine according to the present invention may be a hybrid construction machine using both an engine and an electric motor, or an electric hybrid construction machine using an electric motor that uses a battery as a power source.

  FIG. 1 is a side view of a hydraulic excavator as a construction machine to which the present invention is applied. In FIG. 1, the excavator 10 has an upper swing body 13 mounted on a lower traveling body 11 via a swing mechanism 12 so as to be rotatable. In addition to the cab (operating cab) 14 and the building 18 being provided on the upper swing body 13, a boom 15 is attached to the front center portion so as to be able to rise and fall. An arm 16 is attached to the tip of the boom 15 so as to be rotatable up and down, and a bucket 17 is attached to the tip of the arm 16.

  In addition, an operation lever 21 is installed in the cab 14 of the upper swing body 13 at a position where the driving operation is easy to perform, and a transmission controller that wirelessly transmits a signal corresponding to the operation position of the operation lever 21 to the outside. 22 is installed. A signal transmitted from the operation lever 21 is transmitted to the transmission controller 22 by wire. Further, the turning mechanism 12 is provided with a reception controller (control device) 23 that wirelessly receives a signal from the transmission controller 22.

  A plurality of batteries 24 are mounted inside the lower traveling body 11, and electric motors 25 for individually rotating the crawlers 20 on both sides of the rear wheel are disposed on the crawlers 20 on both sides of the rear wheel. Has been. The plurality of batteries 24 are connected in series or in parallel so as to have a desired voltage and wired to the electric motor 25. Therefore, when the electric motor 25 is rotationally driven by the control command signal from the reception controller 23, the hydraulic excavator 10 can be driven by rotating the crawler 20 connected to the electric motor 25 and the rotation shaft and rotating the caterpillar 26.

  FIG. 2 is a rear view showing only the lower traveling body 11, the turning mechanism 12, and the upper turning body 13. The structure of the portion that cannot be explained with reference to FIG. 1 will be further described with reference to the rear view of FIG. 2. The upper revolving unit 13 is not particularly shown in the building 18, but is a hydraulic pump for driving a work machine. Various devices and auxiliary devices are arranged. On the other hand, a plurality of batteries 24 are detachably attached along the front-rear direction of the hydraulic excavator 10 at the center portion sandwiched between the crawlers 20 on both the left and right sides of the lower traveling body 11. That is, the plurality of batteries 24 are collectively stored in the battery case 24a and attached to the lower frame 27 that connects the crawlers 20 on both the left and right sides with bolts or the like.

  Further, electric motors 25 are respectively attached to the left and right crawlers 20 so that the corresponding crawlers 20 are rotated. The electric motor 25 or the reception controller 23 and the plurality of batteries 24 are wired by a cable 29 (see FIG. 3).

  In such a configuration of the excavator 10, when an operator in the cab 14 operates the operation lever 21, a signal corresponding to the operation position of the operation lever 21 is transmitted to the transmission controller 22 by wire. As a result, the transmission controller 22 generates a desired control command signal and wirelessly transmits the control command signal to the reception controller 23 installed in the turning mechanism 12.

  As a result, the reception controller 23 transmits a control signal to the electric motor 25 by wire based on the received control command signal, so that the electric motor 25 performs rotational driving in accordance with the control signal. Therefore, when the operator operates the operation lever 21, the electric crawler 20 can be rotated / stopped by controlling the rotation of the electric motor 25 by a radio signal, so that the excavator 10 can be run / stopped via the caterpillar 26. .

  In this manner, the operation mechanism (the operation lever 21 and the transmission controller 22) of the upper swing body 13 and the travel drive mechanism (the reception controller 23, the battery 24, the electric motor 25, etc.) of the lower travel body 11 are electrically separated. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide a swivel joint or an electrical connection terminal that is difficult to mount in the part of the turning mechanism 12 that is a connecting portion between the upper turning body 13 and the lower traveling body 11, and the electrical reliability is further improved.

  Furthermore, since heavy components such as the battery 24 and the electric motor 25 are disposed in the lower traveling body 11, the position of the center of gravity of the entire construction machine is lowered, and stability during traveling is improved. Further, since the battery 24 and the electric motor 25 are not concentrated in the building 18 of the upper swing body 13, the maintainability of various elements is further improved.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the electric motor on the lower traveling body side is driven and controlled by the radio signal from the upper swing body. Therefore, the number of cables provided at the joint between the upper revolving unit and the lower traveling unit side cable can be significantly reduced as compared with the conventional case. Thus, it is not necessary to use a large swivel joint that is difficult to mount, and the traveling device can be easily electrified with a simple configuration.

  It should be noted that the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention naturally extends to the modified ones.

  For example, a working machine driving hydraulic pump driven by engine power different from that of a construction machine traveling device may be installed on the upper swing body 13 side.

The side view of the hydraulic excavator as an example of the construction machine applied to this invention. The rear view which showed only the lower traveling body, turning mechanism, and upper turning body of the hydraulic excavator shown in FIG. Explanatory drawing explaining the structural example of the traveling apparatus of the hydraulic shovel which concerns on this invention. Explanatory drawing explaining the structural example of the traveling apparatus of the hydraulic shovel which concerns on a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Excavator 11 Undercarriage 12 Turning mechanism
13 Upper Revolving Body 14 Cab 15 Boom 16 Arm 17 Bucket 18 Building 20 Crawler 21 Operation Lever 22 Transmission Controller 23 Reception Controller 24 Battery 24a Battery Case 25 Electric Motor 26 Caterpillar 27 Lower Frame

Claims (3)

In the traveling device of the construction machine, which is mounted on the lower traveling body so that the upper revolving body can turn freely and travels with the driving force of the electric motor using the battery as a power source,
A traveling apparatus for a construction machine, wherein the lower traveling body is provided with the battery and the electric motor, and the electric motor is driven and controlled by a radio signal from the upper swing body.   A transmission controller is installed in the upper swing body, and a reception controller is installed in the lower swing body, and the wireless signal is transmitted from the transmission controller to the reception controller. The drive device for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the driving device is controlled.   The construction machine according to claim 2, wherein an operation lever is installed in a cab of the upper swing body, and the transmission controller transmits a radio signal corresponding to an operation position of the operation lever to the reception controller. Traveling device.

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