This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-179061, filed Aug. 30, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a boom extension and contraction mechanism for a crane apparatus including a boom that is extended and contracted by one hydraulic cylinder.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, there has been known this sort of boom extension and contraction mechanism that includes a boom with a plurality of boom members and one telescopic cylinder; the telescopic cylinder allows the boom to extend and contract by shifting next boom members in front of respective ones with respect to the boom members other than a top boom member; and one of a cylinder rod and a cylinder tube of the telescopic cylinder is connected to the bottom boom member (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).
The boom extension and contraction mechanism includes: a cylinder-to-boom connection mechanism that can connect and disconnect between the other of the cylinder rod and the cylinder tube, and the boom members other than the bottom boom member; and a boom member connection mechanism that can connect and disconnect between the boom members next to one other.
The cylinder-to-boom connection mechanism and the boom member connection mechanism of the boom extension and contraction mechanism are driven by respective hydraulic double acting cylinders. Therefore, two hydraulic hoses to supply and discharge hydraulic oil are required for each of the hydraulic double acting cylinders that drive the cylinder-to-boom connection mechanism and the boom member connection mechanism, respectively. The double acting cylinders are provided in the other of the cylinder rod and the cylinder tube of the telescopic cylinder, and therefore change in their positions according to the telescopic motion of the telescopic cylinder. The hydraulic hose connected to each of the double acting cylinders is wound around a hose reel provided on a swivel base to which the base end of the boom is connected, and therefore is reeled out and off according to the telescopic motion of the boom. In addition, the hydraulic hose connected to each of the double acting cylinders is a twin hose having a pair of hydraulic oil passages integrally formed with each of the double acting cylinders.
The boom extension and contraction mechanism further includes a boom detection sensor that detects which of the boom members is connected to the telescopic cylinder. Therefore, a communication cable is required to transmit a detection signal from the boom detection sensor. The boom detection sensor is provided in the other of the cylinder rod and the cylinder tube of the telescopic cylinder, and therefore changes in its position with respect to the base end of the boom according to the telescopic motion of the telescopic cylinder. Therefore, the communication cable wound around a cord reel provided on the swivel base like the hose reel is reeled out and off according to the telescopic motion of the boom.
This boom extension and contraction mechanism needs two hose reels around which the pair of hydraulic hoses is wound, and also needs a cord reel around which the communication cable is wound. As a result, the number of parts is increased and the structure of the based end of the boom is complicated.
Moreover, the twin hose is normally wound around the hose reel outward in the radial direction in order to make the fleet angle a predetermined angle or lower in terms of the relationship with the sheave that guides the twin hose. Therefore, the hose reel around which the twin hose is wound is increased in size in the radial direction. Consequently, when mounted on the swivel base, the hose reel substantially protrudes backward from the swivel base. As a result, the counter weight mounted on the back of the swivel base protrudes further to increase the angle of traverse, and therefore the working efficiency may be deteriorated.
To solve this problem with an increase in the angle of traverse of the counter weight, a boom extension and contraction mechanism is expected which includes the cylinder-to-boom connection mechanism and the boom member connection mechanism driven by hydraulic single acting cylinders, respectively, and also includes a hydraulic oil passage to supply hydraulic oil to each of the single acting cylinders, which is provided in each of the cylinder tube and the cylinder rod of the telescopic cylinder. With this boom extension and contraction mechanism, the hydraulic oil passage to supply hydraulic oil to each of the single acting cylinders extends and contracts according to the telescopic motion of the telescopic cylinder. Therefore, merely the inlet/outlet of the hydraulic oil passage provided in the telescopic cylinder is connected to each of the single acting cylinders, so that a hose reel is not needed.
Patent literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-332194
Here, with the boom extension and contraction mechanism without a hose reel, it is possible to reduce the angle of traverse in the back of the swivel base. However, since the hydraulic oil passage is provided in the telescopic cylinder, the structure is complicated, and therefore it is not easy to address a failure that occurs in the telescopic cylinder.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simple boom extension and contraction mechanism for a crane apparatus that can reduce the angle of traverse in the back of the swivel base.
To achieve the above-described object, the boom extension and contraction mechanism according to the present invention includes: a boom including a plurality of boom members, the boom extending and contracting by shifting next boom members in front of respective ones with respect to the boom members other than a top boom member; a base configured to support a base end of a bottom boom member; a telescopic cylinder including a cylinder rod and a cylinder tube, one of the cylinder rod and the cylinder tube being connected to the bottom boom member to extend and contract the boom; a cylinder-to-boom connection mechanism configured to be able to connect and disconnect between the other of the cylinder rod and the cylinder tube and the boom members other than the bottom boom member; a boom member connection mechanism configured to be able to connect between the boom members next to one another and release the boom members from being connected to one another; a cylinder-to-boom connection switching cylinder configured to allow the cylinder-to-boom connection mechanism to perform one of a connecting operation and a disconnecting operation between the telescopic cylinder and a boom member by supplying hydraulic oil, and to allow the cylinder-to-boom connection mechanism to perform the other of the connecting operation and the disconnecting operation between the telescopic cylinder and the boom member by stopping supplying the hydraulic oil; a boom member connection switching cylinder configured to allow the boom member connection mechanism to perform one of a connecting operation and a disconnecting operation between the boom members next to one another by supplying the hydraulic oil, and to allow the boom member connection mechanism to perform the other of the connecting operation and the disconnecting operation between the boom members next to one another by stopping supplying the hydraulic oil; a hydraulic hose configured to supply the hydraulic oil from the base side to the cylinder-to-boom connection switching cylinder and the boom member connection switching cylinder; a flow passage switching mechanism configured to switch a flow passage of the hydraulic oil supplied via the hydraulic hose between the cylinder-to-boom connection switching cylinder side and the boom member connection switching cylinder side; a hose reel configured to reel out the hydraulic hose as the telescopic cylinder is extending, and to reel off the hydraulic hose as the telescopic cylinder is contracting; a cable used to supply power from the base side to equipment provided in the other of the cylinder rod and the cylinder tube of the telescopic cylinder, and to transmit a signal from the equipment to the base side; and a cord reel configured to reel out the cable as the telescopic cylinder is extending and to reel off the cable as the telescopic cylinder is contracting, wherein the hose reel and the cord reel are arranged on the base in a direction in which the boom extends and contracts.
By this means, it is possible to supply hydraulic oil for driving the cylinder-to-boom connection switching cylinder and the boom member connection switching cylinder by one hydraulic hose. Therefore, the size of the hose reel is increased in the direction of the rotating axis while reducing the size of the hose reel in the radial direction, so that it is possible to reduce the dimension for which the hose reel protrudes from the back of the swivel base. Moreover, the hose reel and the cord reel are arranged on the swivel base in the direction in which the boom extends and contracts, and therefore it is possible to place the hydraulic hose and the cable near one another and extend them to the other of the cylinder rod and the cylinder tube.
With the present invention, it is possible to increase the dimension of the hose reel in the direction of the rotating axis while reducing the dimension in the radial direction. Also, it is possible to reduce the dimension for which the hose reel protrudes from the back of the swivel base, and therefore to reduce the angle of traverse in back of the swivel base, with a simple structure. Moreover, it is possible to place the hydraulic hose and the cable near one another and extend them to the other of the cylinder rod and the cylinder tube.
Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the boom in the width direction.
As shown in
The vehicle 10 has wheels 11 and runs by an engine (not shown) as a power source. In addition, outriggers 12 are provided on the right and left sides of the front part of the vehicle 10 and also on the right and left sides of the rear part of the vehicle 10 to prevent the vehicle 10 from overturning and support the vehicle 10 stably when the crane is working. Each outrigger 12 is movable outward in the width direction and also extendable downward by a hydraulic jack cylinder (not shown) . The bottom ends of the outriggers 12 contact the ground to support the vehicle 10 on the ground stably.
The crane apparatus 20 includes a swivel base 21 that is pivotably provided in the center part of the vehicle 10 in the longitudinal direction and is configured to be able to swivel on a horizontal plane; a boom 22 provided to be able to rise and down with respect to the swivel base 21 and to be able to extend and contract; and a cabin 23 provided in the front part of the swivel base 21 to run the vehicle 10 and operate the crane apparatus 20 to work.
The swivel base 21 is configured to be able to swivel with respect to the vehicle 10 by means of a ball bearing or roller bearing swivel support. The swivel base 21 is driven by a hydraulic swivel motor (not shown).
The boom 22 is constituted by a plurality of boom members 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, 22e and 22f and formed as a telescopic boom in such a manner that the boom members 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, and 22e can accommodate the respective next boom members 22b, 22c, 22d, 22e and 22f in front of the boom members 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, and 22e. The boom 22 according to the preset embodiment is constituted by six boom members, the bottom boom member 22a, the second boom member 22b, the third boom member 22c, the fourth boom member 22d, the fifth boom member 22e, and the top boom member 22f, which are arranged in the order from the base end of the boom 22.
The base end of the bottom boom member 22a is swingably connected to a bracket 21a of the swivel base 21. A hydraulic luffing cylinder 22g is connected between the bottom boom member 22a and the bracket 21a, and extends and contracts to allow the boom 22 to rise and down.
A boom extension and contraction mechanism 30 allows the boom 22 to extend and contract.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The pair of cylinder pins 32a can move in the radial direction of the cylinder tube 31a. When being moved outward in the radial direction, the pair of cylinder pins 32a engages the cylinder pin engagement parts 32c. Meanwhile, when being moved inward in the radial direction, the pair of cylinder pins 32 is released from engaging the cylinder pin engagement parts 32c.
The cylinder-to-boom connection switching cylinder 32b is a spring return type of single acting cylinder that biases the cylinder pins 32a in the direction in which the cylinder pins 32a engage the cylinder pin engagement parts 32c. BY supplying the hydraulic oil, the cylinder-to-boom connection switching cylinder 32b releases the cylinder pins 32a from engaging with the cylinder engagement parts 32c.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The disconnection lever 34a can engage the lever engagement part 33c of the boom member connection pin 33a at the position at which the pair of cylinder pins 32a engages the cylinder pin engagement parts 32c. In addition, by driving the boom member connection switching cylinder 34b, the disconnection lever 34a releases the boom member connection pins 33a from connecting between the boom members.
The boom member connection switching cylinder 34b is a spring return type of single acting cylinder. With the supply of the hydraulic oil, the boom member connection switching cylinder 34b activates the disconnection lever 34a in the direction in which the boom member connection pins 33a are released from connecting between the boom members.
The boom extension and contraction mechanism 30 further includes a hydraulic oil supply circuit 35 for supplying the cylinder-to-boom connection switching cylinder 32b and the boom member connection switching cylinder 34b with the hydraulic oil discharged from the hydraulic pump 40.
As shown in
The hydraulic hose 35a is made of a flexible material and has a length that can supply the hydraulic oil to the cylinder-to-boom connection switching cylinder 32h and the boom member connection switching cylinder 34b while the telescopic cylinder 31 is maximally extended. The hydraulic hose 35a wound around the hose reel 35c is reeled out from the hose reel 35c as the telescopic cylinder 31 is extending, and is reeled off on the hose reel 35c as the telescopic cylinder 31 is contracting.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Here, the relationship between the hose reel 35c and the first sheave 35d, and the relationship between the cord reel 37a and the second sheave 37c have to satisfy so-called “fleet angle”.
As shown in
With the boom extension and contraction mechanism for a crane apparatus having the above-described configuration, in order to extend the boom 22, the boom members 22b, 22c, 22d, 22e and 22f accommodated in the boom members 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d and 22e in back of them, respectively, are shifted in the order from the boom member 22f that is located in the front end side. Meanwhile, in order to contract the boom 22, the boom members 22b, 22c, 22d, 22e and 22f protruding from the boom members 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d and 22e in back of them, respectively, are shifted in the order from the boom member that is located in the base end side.
In order to extend and contract the boom 22, the boom extension and contraction mechanism 30 first supplies the cylinder-to-boom connection switching cylinder 32b with the hydraulic oil to release the cylinder pins 32a from engaging the boom member and then drive the telescopic cylinder 31 (see
As described above, the boom extension and contraction mechanism for a crane apparatus according to the present embodiment includes: a hydraulic hose 35a configured to supply hydraulic oil from the swivel base side 21 to the cylinder-to-boom connection switching cylinder 32b and the boom member connection switching cylinder 34b; a flow passage switching valve 35b configured to switch the flow passage of the hydraulic oil supplied via the hydraulic hose 35a between the cylinder-to-boom connection switching cylinder 32b side and the boom member connection switching cylinder 34b side; a hose reel 35c configured to reel out the hydraulic hose 35a as the telescopic cylinder 31 is extending, and reel off the hydraulic hose 35a as telescopic cylinder 31 is contracting; a cable 37 used to supply power from the swivel base 21 side to the solenoid for driving the flow passage switching valve 35b and to transmit signals from the proximity switches 36 to the swivel base 21 side; and a cord reel 37a configured to reel off the cable 37 as the telescopic cylinder 31 is extending and to reel off the cable 37 as the telescopic cylinder 31 is contracting. The hose reel 35c and the cord reel 37a are arranged on the swivel base 21 in the direction in which the boom 2 extends and contracts.
By this means, it is possible to increase the dimension of the hose reel 35c in the direction of the rotating axis while reducing the dimension of the hose reel 35c in the radial direction. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the length over which the hose reel 35c protrude from the back of the swivel base 21, and consequently to reduce the angle of traverse in the back of the swivel base 21 with a simple structure. Moreover, it is possible to place the hydraulic hose 35a and the cable 37 near one another and extend them to the cylinder tube 31a side, and therefore to reduce the size of the boom 22 in the width direction.
Here, with the present embodiment, a configuration has been described where the boom extension and contraction mechanism according to the present invention is applied to a mobile crane. However, it is by no means limiting, but the boom extension and contraction mechanism according to the present invention is applicable to a fixed crane apparatus.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2013-179061 | Aug 2013 | JP | national |