JP4372531B2 - Operating device for work equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an operating device for a working machine using a joystick that can be operated in all directions.

Some operation devices in work machines having a plurality of actuators such as cargo handling machines, construction machines, and civil engineering machines use joysticks that can be operated in all directions.
For example, in a vehicle-mounted crane 1 as shown in FIG. 9, a column 6 is pivotably provided on a base 4 provided with an outrigger 2, and a boom 7 that expands and contracts at the upper end portion of the column 6 is pivoted up and down. It is supported. The column 6 is provided with a winch 11. A wire rope 12 of the winch 11 is guided to the tip of the boom 7, and is attached to a hook 13 for a suspended load via a pulley (not shown) at the tip of the boom 7. By hooking, the hook 13 is suspended from the tip of the boom 7.

  The crane 1 includes a swing hydraulic motor 5 and a boom telescopic hydraulic cylinder as actuators for turning the column 6 (boom 7), extending and retracting the boom 7, and lifting and lowering the hook 13 by the winch 11. 8, a boom raising and lowering hydraulic cylinder 9 and a winch hydraulic motor 10 are provided, and the operation device 60 of the switching control valve device 3 of these actuators is operated according to the contents of work to control the operation of each actuator. .

An operation device 60 using a joystick for operating the crane 1 includes a crane operation unit 40 and a crane operation control unit 50, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the crane operation unit 40 has a joystick 21 that can be operated in all directions for controlling the hoisting operation of the boom 7 and the hoisting and lowering operation of the hook 13 on the right side of the front, and the boom on the left side. A joystick 22 that can be operated in all directions is provided for controlling the expansion / contraction operation 7 and the left / right turning operation of the column 6 (boom 7).

  The crane operation control unit 50 determines the operation signal (operation direction for selecting the operation of the actuator to be operated and the operation speed of the actuator) output from the crane operation unit 40 output by the operation of the right joystick 21 or the left joystick 22. And a boom swing control valve 33, a boom telescopic control valve 34, a boom raising / lowering control valve 35, and a hook winding of the switching control valve device 3 based on a signal from the arithmetic circuit 51. And an output circuit 52 that sends a control signal to the upper / lower control valve 36.

  When operating the crane 1 with the operating device 60, the joysticks 21 and 22 of the crane operation unit 40 are gripped, and the joysticks 21 and 22 are moved in directions corresponding to the operation of the required actuators according to the work contents. By tilting 22, a control signal corresponding to the operation direction and tilt amount of the joysticks 21, 22 is sent to the control valves 33, 34, 35, 36.

Therefore, when the right joystick 21 is tilted up and down, the hook 13 is wound up and down, and when it is tilted left and right, the boom 7 is raised and lowered at a speed corresponding to the tilting operation. When the left joystick 22 is tilted up and down, the boom 7 is expanded and contracted. When the left joystick 22 is tilted left and right, the boom 7 is pivoted left and right at a speed corresponding to the tilt operation.
For example, when the right joystick 21 is tilted upward, the hook 13 is lowered. When the right joystick 21 is tilted obliquely upward to the right, the lowering operation of the hook 13 and the lowering operation of the boom 7 are linked. At this time, if the joystick 21 is tilted toward the upper side, i.e., the hook lowering side, the lowering operation of the boom 13 is faster than the lowering operation of the boom 7. If the joystick 21 is tilted toward the right side, that is, toward the boom down side, the speed of the boom 7 down operation is faster than the hook 13 lowering operation.

On the other hand, there is a demand for a joystick that can be operated in all directions to reliably perform only one operation.
Therefore, a mode switching mechanism is provided to select the single operation mode that controls the joystick vertical and horizontal operations independently, and the simultaneous operation mode that controls the joystick vertical and horizontal operations simultaneously. An operating device that can be used has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

In this operation device, when the single operation mode is selected, assuming that the position directly above the front of the joystick is 0 °, 45 ° clockwise diagonally upward, 135 ° diagonally downward right, 225 ° diagonally downward left, 225 ° diagonally left Each upper 315 ° position becomes a boundary line, and two operations sandwiching each boundary line are switched at the boundary line.
For example, the boundary line where the upper operation and the right operation of the joystick are switched is a 45 ° position diagonally upward to the right, and if the joystick is tilted to the upper side of the boundary line, the operation control corresponding to the upper operation is performed. The operation control corresponding to the right operation is not performed. If the joystick is tilted to the right of the boundary line, the operation control corresponding to the right operation is performed, and the operation control corresponding to the upper operation is not performed.

However, in such an operating device, the arm (or hand or finger) of the operating operator is erroneously moved due to an external factor during the operation in the single operation mode, and the operation direction of the joystick is the boundary. When the line is exceeded, an actuator not intended by the operator is activated.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-91263

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem in the operating device of the work machine, and even when the operation direction of the joystick is changed due to an external factor or the like during operation in the single operation mode, the intention of the operator It is an object of the present invention to provide a safer operating device for a work machine that can reliably prevent an actuator that does not operate.

  An operating device for a work machine according to the present invention includes a joystick capable of omnidirectional operation for selecting an operation and speed operation of an actuator of the work machine, and an operation mode switching unit for selecting a simultaneous operation mode and a single operation mode. , A work machine operation unit that outputs an operation signal by operation of the joystick and an operation mode signal by operation of the operation mode switching means, an arithmetic processing of the output operation signal and operation mode signal, and a simultaneous operation mode is set by the operation mode switching means When selected, control signals corresponding to all operation signals generated by operating the joystick are sent to the control valve of the actuator, and when the single operation mode is selected by the operation mode switching means, the joystick is not operated. The first selected unidirectional operation signal activates one actuator independently. The control signal corresponding to the effective operation signal is sent to the control valve of the actuator, and all the operation signals other than the effective operation signal are invalid until the joystick returns to the non-operation state. The said subject is solved by providing a control part.

When performing simultaneous operation with the operating device of the work implement, the operator selects the simultaneous operation mode with the operation mode switching means and then selects the operation of the actuator of the work implement and speed operation with the joystick.
In the simultaneous operation mode, all the operation signals by the operation of the joystick are valid, and the work equipment operation control unit sends control signals corresponding to all the operation signals by the operation of the joystick to the actuator control valve. Done.

When performing a single operation with the operating device of the work implement, the operator selects the single operation mode with the operation mode switching means and then selects the operation of the actuator of the work implement and speed operation with the joystick.
When the joystick is tilted, the work implement operation control unit stores the one-way operation signal initially selected from the non-operating state of the joystick as an effective operation signal for operating one actuator alone, and stores it in the control valve of the actuator. A control signal corresponding to the valid operation signal is sent.

Thereby, the operation of the actuator selected first is performed at a speed corresponding to the tilting operation of the joystick.
Since the work implement operation control unit invalidates all operation signals other than the valid operation signal until the joystick returns to the no-operation state, it indicates a direction different from the operation direction initially selected from the no-operation state of the joystick. A control signal corresponding to the operation signal is not sent to the control valve of the actuator.

Therefore, even when the operator's arm (or hand or finger) moves accidentally due to an external factor during operation in the single operation mode and the joystick operating direction changes, Unintended actuators will not operate.
In this operating device for a work machine, it is possible to reliably determine the no-operation state and the operation state by providing a dead band region having a certain width in the no-operation state.
Further, if the dead zone is variable, the dead zone can be changed according to the preference of the operator, and the operability can be improved.

  The operating device for a work machine according to the present invention reliably prevents an actuator not intended by the operator from operating even when the operating direction of the joystick changes due to an external factor or the like during operation in the single operation mode. And safer operation is possible.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a crane operation device showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of a crane operation unit, FIG. 3 is a side view of the crane operation unit, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view of a vehicle-mounted crane provided with an operating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In a vehicle-mounted crane 1 that is an operation target, a column 6 is pivotably provided on a base 4 provided with an outrigger 2, and a boom 7 that extends and contracts at the upper end of the column 6 is pivotally supported. . The column 6 is provided with a winch 11. A wire rope 12 of the winch 11 is guided to the tip of the boom 7, and is attached to a hook 13 for a suspended load via a pulley (not shown) at the tip of the boom 7. By hooking, the hook 13 is suspended from the tip of the boom 7.

  The crane 1 includes a swing hydraulic motor 5 and a boom telescopic hydraulic cylinder as actuators for turning the column 6 (boom 7), extending and retracting the boom 7, and lifting and lowering the hook 13 by the winch 11. 8, a boom raising and lowering hydraulic cylinder 9 and a winch hydraulic motor 10 are provided, and the operation device 14 of the switching control valve device 3 of these actuators is operated according to the contents of work to control the operation of each actuator. .

As shown in FIG. 1, the crane operation device 14 includes a crane operation unit 20 and a crane operation control unit 30.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the crane operation unit 20 has a joystick 21 that can be operated in all directions for controlling the hoisting operation of the boom 7 and the hoisting and lowering operation of the hook 13 on the right side of the front, and the boom on the left side. 7 and a joystick 22 that can be operated in all directions to control the column 6 (boom 7) to turn left and right, and an operation mode switch for selecting either the simultaneous operation mode or the single operation mode at the upper center. A switch 25 is provided.

The joysticks 21 and 22 are configured to output analog signals that change in accordance with tilting operations up and down and left and right using a potentiometer, a capacitive sensor, or the like. Those using a rotary encoder or a piezoelectric element can also be used.
Here, when the right joystick 21 is tilted up and down, an operation signal for operating the hoisting and lowering operation of the hook 13 is output, and when the right joystick 21 is tilted left and right, an operation signal for operating the hoisting operation of the boom 7 is output. Then, it is configured to output an operation signal for operating the telescopic operation of the boom 7 and, when tilted to the left and right, the left and right turning operation of the column 6 (boom 7), but this is an example, and the joystick 21, Correspondence between the hydraulic motor 22 for turning the crane 1, the hydraulic cylinder 8 for extending and retracting the boom, the hydraulic cylinder 9 for raising and lowering the boom, and the hydraulic motor 10 for winch can be arbitrarily set.

As the operation mode changeover switch 25, a toggle switch, a push button switch, or the like is used, and a simultaneous operation mode signal and a single operation mode signal (specifically, the single operation mode signal is an on signal of the switch) are output by the switch operation. It has become.
In order to reduce the number of parts of the crane operation unit 20, it is possible to switch between the simultaneous operation mode and the single operation mode by a combination of operations of existing switches and joysticks.

  For example, some crane operation units 20 include a speed changeover switch as means for controlling the operation speed of the actuator with respect to tilting of the joystick, although not shown. As this speed change switch, a momentary push button switch is generally used, and each time the switch is pressed, the application of the slow speed mode for reducing the speed of the actuator can be switched between application and non-application.

When switching between the simultaneous operation mode and the single operation mode by combining the speed change switch and the operation of the joystick, for example, if the joystick is operated upward while pressing the speed change switch, the single operation mode is set. If the joystick is operated downward while pressing, the mode is switched to the simultaneous operation mode.
In this case, during the operation mode switching operation, for safety, the actuator is not controlled by the joystick operation, and further, the fine speed mode is not switched by pressing the speed change switch.

Although not shown, display means can be provided in the crane operation unit 20 or the like so that it can be determined whether the operation mode is switched to the simultaneous operation mode or the single operation mode.
The crane operation unit 20 may be directly attached to the crane 1, but a signal may be sent to the crane operation control unit 30 by a remote operation such as a wired type using a multicore cable or a wireless type incorporating a high frequency circuit. .

  The crane operation control unit 30 is an operation signal output by operation of the joysticks 21 and 22 of the crane operation unit 20 (an operation direction for selecting the operation of the actuator to be operated and a tilt amount signal for determining the operation speed of the actuator). And a single operation mode signal output by the operation of the operation mode changeover switch 25, and a boom turning control valve 33 and a boom expansion / contraction control valve 34 of the switching control valve device 3 by a signal from the calculation circuit. , A boom raising / lowering control valve 35, and an output circuit 32 for sending a control signal to the hook hoisting / lowering control valve 36.

  When operating the crane 1 with the operation device 14, the operator first selects either the simultaneous operation mode or the single operation mode with the operation mode changeover switch 25 of the crane operation unit 20. Then, the grip part 23 of the joysticks 21 and 22 is gripped, and the joysticks 21 and 22 are tilted in the direction corresponding to the operation of the required actuator according to the contents of the work. An operation signal by the operation of the joysticks 21 and 22 and a single operation mode signal by the operation of the operation mode changeover switch 25 are sent from the crane operation unit 20 to the crane operation control unit 30.

  In the crane operation control unit 30, the arithmetic circuit 31 reads the operation signal and the single operation mode signal from the crane operation unit 20, and whether the single operation mode signal from the operation mode changeover switch 25 is on as shown in FIG. It is determined whether it is off. When it is off (that is, in the simultaneous operation mode), the operation signals from the joysticks 21 and 22 are processed along the flow of the normal simultaneous operation mode, and the output circuit 32 is processed. And a control signal corresponding to the operation direction and the tilt amount of the joysticks 21 and 22 is sent to the control valves 33, 34, 35 and 36.

Therefore, when the right joystick 21 is tilted up and down, the hook 13 is wound up and down, and when it is tilted left and right, the boom 7 is raised and lowered at a speed corresponding to the tilting operation. When the left joystick 22 is tilted up and down, the boom 7 is expanded and contracted. When the left joystick 22 is tilted left and right, the boom 7 is pivoted left and right at a speed corresponding to the tilt operation.
For example, when the right joystick 21 is tilted upward, the hook 13 is lowered. When the right joystick 21 is tilted obliquely upward to the right, since it is the simultaneous operation mode, the lowering operation of the hook 13 and the lowering operation of the boom 7 are linked. At this time, if the joystick 21 is tilted toward the upper side, i.e., the hook lowering side, the lowering operation of the boom 13 is faster than the lowering operation of the boom 7. If the joystick 21 is tilted toward the right side, that is, toward the boom down side, the speed of the boom 7 down operation is faster than the hook 13 lowering operation.

  On the other hand, when the single operation mode signal from the operation mode changeover switch 25 is on (that is, when the single operation mode is selected), the operation signals from the joysticks 21 and 22 follow the flow of the single operation mode. Then, the output circuit 32 is driven to send a control signal corresponding to the operation direction and tilt amount of the joysticks 21 and 22 to the control valves 33, 34, 35 and 36.

In the single operation mode, only one operation can be performed on one joystick, and a plurality of operations cannot be performed simultaneously with one joystick.
That is, in the joystick 21 (or joystick 22), an operation signal by an operation indicating an operation direction first from the non-operation state is stored as an effective operation signal, and a control signal corresponding to the tilting operation of the joystick 21 (22) is It is sent to the control valve of one actuator corresponding to the operation.

In addition, all operation signals indicating directions other than the effective operation signal due to the operation indicating the operation direction first from the non-operation state are invalid, and the control signal corresponding to the operation signal indicating the direction different from the effective operation signal is controlled by the actuator. It is never sent to the valve.
The distinction between the valid operation signal and the invalid operation signal is maintained until all the operation signals are in a no-operation state.

  For example, when the right joystick 21 is tilted straight up from the non-operating state, the hook 13 is lowered at a speed corresponding to the tilting operation of the joystick 21 upward, and the joystick 21 is tilted right upward from right above. When the operation direction is changed, the lowering operation of the hook 13 is continuously performed while decelerating at a speed corresponding to the upward tilting operation of the joystick 21, but the boom 7 is not depressed. Further, the operation direction of the joystick 21 is changed from the diagonally upper right to the right, and when it becomes right, the amount of operation with respect to the upper side of the joystick 21 becomes 0, so the lowering operation of the hook 13 is stopped. Of course, the boom 7 is not lowered. If the operation direction of the joystick 21 is changed upward from this state, the lowering operation of the hook 13 starts to operate again.

  Further, when the right joystick 21 is tilted from a non-operating state to an angle of 45 ° diagonally right above and below 45 ° (45 ° clockwise when the top is 0 °, the same applies hereinafter), the hook 13 is lowered. Is performed at a speed corresponding to the upward tilting operation of the joystick 21, but the boom 7 is not lowered. When the right joystick 21 is tilted from the non-operating state in a direction of an angle larger than 45 ° diagonally right above, the boom 7 is lowered at a speed corresponding to the tilting operation of the joystick 21 to the right side. Although it is performed, the lowering operation of the hook 13 is not performed.

When the right joystick 21 is tilted from the non-operating state in the direction of 45 ° obliquely upward to the right, the upper operation is prioritized, and the lowering operation of the hook 13 is performed at a speed corresponding to the tilting operation of the joystick 21 upward. However, the boom 7 is not actuated. The priority operation in this case is an example, and the right operation may be set to have priority.
Therefore, for example, in order to perform the lowering operation of the hook 13 independently with the right joystick 21, the direction in which the right joystick 21 is tilted first from the non-operating state is from above when the top is 0 °. The range is from 45 ° clockwise (upward diagonally to the right) and from right above to 45 ° counterclockwise (upward diagonally to the left).

Even in the single operation mode, for example, when the right joystick 21 is operated upward (downward) and the left joystick 22 is operated upward (extended), the hook 13 is retracted and the boom 7 is The extension operation can be linked.
In the crane operating device 14, when the operation is being performed in the single operation mode, the arm (or hand or finger) of the operating operator is erroneously moved due to an external factor or the like, and the joysticks 21 and 22 are operated. Even when the operation direction changes, an actuator that is not intended by the operator does not operate.
In addition, in the operating device of this working machine, by providing a dead band area of a certain width in the non-operating state, it is possible to reliably determine the non-operating state and the operating state, and the dead band area depending on the preference of the operator Can also be changed.

It is a block diagram of the operating device of the crane which shows one Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of a crane operation part. It is a side view of a crane operation part. It is a flowchart of the operation control by the operating device of a crane. It is a front view of the vehicle-mounted crane provided with the operating device which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the conventional operating device of a crane. It is a front view of the conventional crane operation part. It is a side view of the conventional crane operation part. It is a front view of the conventional vehicle-mounted crane.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Crane 3 Switching valve control apparatus 5 Turning hydraulic motor 6 Column 7 Boom 8 Boom expansion / contraction hydraulic cylinder 9 Boom raising / lowering hydraulic cylinder 10 Winch hydraulic motor 11 Winch 13 Hook 14 Operating device 20 Crane operation parts 21, 22 Joystick 25 Operation Mode switch 30 Crane operation control unit 31 Arithmetic circuit 32 Output circuit 33 Boom turning control valve 34 Boom telescopic control valve 35 Boom hoisting control valve 36 Hook hoisting / lowering control valve 40 Crane operating unit 50 Crane operating unit

Claims (3)

  It has a joystick that can be operated in all directions for selecting the operation and speed operation of the actuator of the work implement, and an operation mode switching means for selecting a simultaneous operation mode and a single operation mode. A work machine operation unit that outputs an operation mode signal by the operation of the switching means, an arithmetic process of the output operation signal and the operation mode signal, and control of the actuator when the simultaneous operation mode is selected by the operation mode switching means When the control signal corresponding to all the operation signals due to the operation of the joystick is sent to the valve, and the single operation mode is selected by the operation mode switching means, the one-way operation signal selected first from the non-operation state of the joystick is It is stored as an effective operation signal that activates one actuator independently, and A work machine operation control unit that sends a control signal corresponding to the effective operation signal to the control valve of the actuator and disables all operation signals other than the effective operation signal until the joystick returns to the non-operation state. Operating device for work equipment.   The operating device for a working machine according to claim 1, wherein a dead zone region having a certain width is provided in a non-operating state of the joystick. The operating device for a working machine according to claim 2, wherein the dead zone region is variable.

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