The present invention relates to a hydraulic circuit for a construction machine.
Among construction machinery, there is one that performs controls for returning a portion of pressure oil discharged from a hydraulic pump to a hydraulic oil tank (bleed-off control). In order to perform the bleed-off control, a construction machine may have a gap (bleed opening) provided in a spool of a direction control valve for returning the pressure oil. By changing the opening area of the bleed opening, the construction machine performs bleed control.
With a hydraulic circuit for a construction machine according to a related art, a spool of a direction control valve Vm is provided with multiple bleed openings Sbo as illustrated in, for example,
According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a direction control valve group for a construction machine that controls an amount of pressure oil supplied to a hydraulic actuator from a hydraulic pump that discharges the pressure oil. The direction control valve includes a cylinder port that supplies the pressure oil to the hydraulic actuator, a bridge passage that is switchably connected and disconnected to the cylinder port according to a change in position of a first spool, and an internal passage that supplies the pressure oil discharged from the hydraulic pump to the bridge passage. The first spool is provided in the internal passage.
However, in the hydraulic circuit for the construction machine disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-257302, pressure loss caused by pressure oil passing a center bypass passage may increase due to the bleed opening provided in each of the multiple spools of the direction control valve Vm. For example, with the hydraulic circuit of the related art arranged with multiple direction control valves Vm as illustrated in
Under the above circumstances, the following embodiment of the present invention provides a direction control valve group for a construction machine that is capable of more effectively controlling the amount of pressure oil supplied to a hydraulic cylinder from a hydraulic pump that discharges the pressure oil.
In the following, embodiment(s) of the present invention are described with reference to the drawings. It is to be noted that, in the explanation of the drawings, the same members and components are given the same reference numerals, and explanations are not repeated. Further, the drawings are not aimed to illustrate the correlative proportion among the members and components. Therefore, the actual dimensions may be determined by one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the non-restrictive embodiments below.
Next, the present invention is described by referring to a construction machine 100 including a hydraulic circuit 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is to be noted that the present invention may be applied to a construction machine including a center bypass passage (center bypass line) other than the below-described embodiments as long as the construction machine causes a portion of pressure oil to flow back to a tank (bleed-off control). The construction machine that can be applied with the present invention may include, for example, a hydraulic shovel, a crane truck, a bulldozer, a wheel loader, a dump truck, a pile driver, a pile extractor, a water jet machine, a dirt waste water treatment facility, a grout mixer, a deep foundation excavating machine, or a perforating machine.
A configuration of the construction machine 100 that can use the present invention is described with reference to
As illustrated in
The construction machine 100 causes a boom cylinder 11c to expand/contract in its longitudinal direction by supplying hydraulic oil to the boom cylinder 11c positioned in a space between the boom 11 and the upper swiveling member 10Up. In this case, the boom 11 is driven in a vertical direction by the expansion/contraction of the boom cylinder 11c. Further, the construction machine 100 controls the hydraulic oil supplied to the boom cylinder 11c with a boom direction control valve (see, for example, Vb1, Vb2 of below-described
Similar to the case of the boom 11, the construction machine 100 drives the arm 12 and the bucket 13 by the expansion/contraction of the arm cylinder 12c and the bucket cylinder 13c. Similar to the case of the boom cylinder 11c, the construction machine 100 controls the hydraulic oil supplied to the arm cylinder 12c and the bucket cylinder 13c with a boom direction control valve (see, for example, Va1, Va2 of
Further, the construction machine 100 performs driving (traveling front/back/right/left) and rotating (such as swiveling) of the main body of the construction machine 100 itself by using, for example, a wheel and a swiveling apparatus. The construction machine 100 uses, for example, a running direction control valve (see, for example, Vt1, Vt2, Vst of
The construction machine 100 that can use the present invention also includes a hydraulic circuit (described below) 20 that supplies hydraulic oil (pressure oil) from a hydraulic pump to a hydraulic actuator and a control device (described below) 30 that controls an operation of each configuration of the construction machine 100.
Next, the hydraulic circuit 20 and the control device 30 of the construction machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention are described more specifically.
The hydraulic circuit 20 of the construction machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described by using
The hydraulic circuit that can be applied with the present invention is not limited to the one illustrated in
Further, although two hydraulic pumps are provided in the hydraulic circuit 20 illustrated in
As illustrated in
The hydraulic circuit 20 of this embodiment has the direction control valve (e.g., Vt1) serially provided to the center bypass passage RC and the bleed-off valve Vbo positioned downstream of the center bypass passage RC. More specifically, the hydraulic circuit 20 has the first running direction control valve (e.g., leftward running direction control valve) Vt1, an auxiliary direction control valve Vop, a swiveling direction control valve Vsw, a second boom direction control valve Vb2, a first arm direction control valve Va1, and the first bleed-off valve Vbo1 serially provided to the first center bypass passage RC1 corresponding to the first hydraulic pump P1. Further, the hydraulic circuit 20 has the second running direction control valve (e.g., rightward running direction control valve) Vt2, a bucket direction control valve Vbk, the first boom direction control valve Vb1, the second arm direction control valve Vat, and the second bleed-off valve Vbo2 serially provided to the second center bypass passage RC2 corresponding to the second center bypass passage RC2. Further, the hydraulic circuit 20 has the running valve Vst positioned on an upstream side of the second center bypass passage RC2.
In other words, the hydraulic circuit 20 has multiple direction control valves serially provided to the center bypass passages RC. Further, the hydraulic circuit 20 has the direction control valves provided in tandem by serially providing the multiple direction control valves to the two corresponding center bypass passages RC1, RC2.
In the following description, a group constituted of multiple direction control valves provided in tandem to the center bypass passage RC is hereinafter referred to as “direction control valve group”.
The hydraulic circuit 20 of this embodiment inputs a remote control pressure (secondary pressure of remote control valve), which is generated in response to operation information (e.g., information pertaining to operation amount, information pertaining to operation direction) corresponding to the operator's operations of an operation lever, to a direction control valve (e.g., Vt1) corresponding to the operated operation lever. In this case, the direction control valve switches the position of a spool in response to the remote control pressure guided to both ends of the spool (flow amount control spool) and controls a flow amount and a direction (operation control) of pressure oil (hydraulic oil).
Further, the hydraulic circuit 20 of this embodiment uses the bleed-off valve Vbo (e.g., Vbo1) positioned downstream of the center bypass passage RC (e.g., RC1) to return a flow of a portion (remainder) of the pressure oil discharged from the hydraulic pump P (e.g., P1) to a hydraulic oil tank Tnk (control of bleed-off). Thereby, the construction machine 100 can control the flow amount of hydraulic oil (pressure oil) supplied to the hydraulic cylinder (e.g., 11c) and control the driving (movement) of the hydraulic actuator (e.g., 11 of
In this embodiment, the bleed-off valve Vbo has an unloading position at which the area of its opening becomes largest and a blocking position at which the area of its opening becomes zero. The bleed-off valve Vbo uses the (pressure of) the pressure oil of the pilot pump Pp controlled by the below-described control device 30 to switch from the unloading position and the blocking position and change the area of the opening. Thereby, the bleed-off valve Vbo can return the pressure oil to the working tank Tnk for a desired flow amount in correspondence with the changed area of the opening.
An internal passage RV of the direction control valve provided in the hydraulic circuit 20 of the construction machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below.
The hydraulic circuit 20 of this embodiment includes a direction control valve group (multiple direction control valves). Further, the direction control valve of this embodiment has an internal passage RV that includes a first internal passage from which supplied pressure oil flows out to the center bypass passage RC and a second internal passage that supplies supplied pressure oil to the hydraulic actuator. That is, each of the multiple direction control valves constituting the direction control valve group includes the first internal passage and the second internal passage.
Further, the center bypass passage RC and the first internal passage can form a parallel passage by allowing the pressure oil discharged from the hydraulic pump to flow to the center bypass passage RC downstream of the direction control valve. For example, the shape of the below-described embodiment (
The first internal passage according to an embodiment of the present invention is an internal passage (e.g., RV1 of
Even in a case where the position of the spool of the direction control valve is switched, the first internal passage of this embodiment does not have its opening fully closed. That is, the first internal passage of this embodiment has substantially the same passage area regardless of the spool position of the direction control valve. It is to be noted that “substantially the same passage area” means that the effective passage area for actually allowing pressure oil to pass through does not significantly change relative to the increase/decrease of the passage area that changes in accordance with the displacement of the spool position.
Thereby, the hydraulic circuit 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention can form a parallel passage with the center bypass passage RC and the first internal passage. Further, the hydraulic circuit 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention can form a parallel passage corresponding to the passage area of the first internal passage. Further, the hydraulic circuit 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention can supply pressure oil to the direction control valve group (multiple direction control valves) only from the formed parallel passage.
Among the multiple direction control valves, the running direction control valves (e.g., Vt1, Vt2 of
Further, the first internal passage (spool thereof) of the direction control valve of this embodiment has no gap for returning pressure oil to the hydraulic oil tank (hereinafter referred to as “bleed opening”). As described above, the hydraulic circuit 20 of this embodiment performs bleed-off control (uniform bleed-off control) by using the bleed-off valve Vbo positioned at the most downstream side of the center bypass passage RC.
The second internal passage according to an embodiment of the present invention is an internal passage (e.g., RV2 of
In the construction machine including the hydraulic circuit of
Further, with the construction machine including the hydraulic circuit of
Further, with the direction control valve of the hydraulic circuit of
The control device 30 of the construction machine 100 of this embodiment uses a controller 30C (
The controller 30C of this embodiment controls the movement of a regulator R (R1, R2) based on information input to the construction machine 100 (e.g., operation amount of the operation lever, operation information pertaining to operation direction). Thereby, the discharge amount of the hydraulic pump P (P1, P2) is controlled by the regulator R.
Further, the controller 30C uses the remote control valve and the like to generate remote control pressure based on information input to the construction machine 100. Then, the controller 30C uses a remote control circuit to input the generated remote control pressure to the direction control valve (e.g., Vt1). Thereby, the direction control valve can switch the spool position and control the hydraulic oil to be supplied to the hydraulic actuator by using the input remote control pressure.
Further, the controller 30C of this embodiment changes the pressure of the pressure oil of the pilot pump Pp (Pp1, Pp2) to be input to the bleed-off valve Vbo (Vbo1, Vbo2). Thereby, the bleed-off valve Vbo can change its opening degree by using the input pressure. Further, the bleed-off valve Vbo can control the flow amount of the pressure oil that is returned to the hydraulic oil tank by changing the opening degree.
Accordingly, with the hydraulic circuit 20 of the construction machine 100 of the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the pressure oil discharged from the hydraulic pump P can be supplied downstream of the center bypass passage RC by using the first internal passage of the direction control valve without performing bleed-off control with the direction control valve. Thus, the pressure loss of the pressure oil passing the center bypass passage RC can be reduced.
Further, with the hydraulic circuit 20 of the construction machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, bleed-off control can be performed downstream of the center bypass passage RC by using the bleed-off valve Vbo provided downstream of the center bypass passage RC without having to perform bleed-off control with the direction control valve (without providing a bleed opening in each direction control valve). Thereby, with the hydraulic circuit 20 of the construction machine 100 according to this embodiment, the pressure loss of the pressure oil passing the center bypass passage RC can be reduced because the opening area of the internal passage (e.g., first internal passage) of the direction control valve can be increased compared to the case where bleed-off control is performed by each of the multiple direction control valves.
Further, with the hydraulic circuit 20 of the construction machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the size of the direction control valve can be reduced in its longitudinal direction because the direction control valve does not include a bleed opening. Therefore, with the hydraulic circuit 20 of this embodiment, size reduction of the direction control valve can be achieved and manufacturing thereof can be simplified compared to a case of a hydraulic circuit including a bleed opening.
A working example of the present invention is described by using an example of a construction machine 100E.
Because a configuration and the like of the construction machine 100E of this working example are basically the same as those of the construction machine 100 of the embodiment, explanation thereof is omitted.
A schematic view of a configuration of a direction control valve (control valve) provided in the hydraulic circuit 20 of the construction machine 100E of this working example is illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Further, the hydraulic circuit 20 of the construction machine 100E of this working example can function as a parallel passage that is formed by the center bypass passage RC and the multiple first internal passages RV1 (direction control valves V). Therefore, the hydraulic circuit 20 of this working example can reduce the size of the direction control valve V (reduce the size of the spool in its axial direction and radial direction) without having to provide a separate parallel passage. The hydraulic circuit 20 of this working example can reduce the size of, for example, the bridge passage Rb (
The hydraulic circuit 20 of the construction machine 100E according to the working example of the present invention allows the pressure oil to flow out to the center bypass passage RC by using the direction control valve group Gv. More specifically, the hydraulic circuit 20 including the direction control valve group Gv (multiple direction control valves V) can form a parallel passage with the center bypass passage RC and the first internal passages that have substantially the same passage area regardless of the spool position of the direction control valve. In the hydraulic circuit 20, the pressure oil Op supplied from the inlet port Plprt flows out to the outlet port POprt via the first internal passage RV1 of the direction control valve V and flows out to the center bypass passage RC.
Thereby, the hydraulic circuit 20 of the construction machine 100E according to the working example of the present invention can have the shape of its center bypass passage RC simplified because there is no need to provide multiple bleed openings to each of the spools of the multiple direction control valves V (direction control valve group Gv). Further, the hydraulic circuit 20 of the working example can reduce pressure loss of the pressure oil passing the center bypass passage RC because the bending parts and the like of the center bypass passage RC can be reduced.
Hence, the hydraulic circuit 20 of the construction machine 100E according to the working example of the present invention can attain the similar effects as those of the hydraulic circuit 20 of the construction machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Further, with the hydraulic circuit 20 of the construction machine 100E according to the working example of the present invention, a passage constituted by the center bypass passage RC and the first internal passages RV (direction control valves V) can function as a parallel passage by serially providing the multiple direction control valves V to the center bypass passage RC. Further, with the hydraulic circuit 20 of the working example, a separate parallel passage need not be provided and the size of the direction control valve V can be reduced because the passage constituted by the center bypass passage RC and the multiple first internal passages RV1 functions as a parallel passage. Thereby, the hydraulic circuit 20 of the construction machine 100E according to the working example of the present invention can attain advantageous effects pertaining to size-reduction, manufacture-simplification, and cost reduction of the entire construction machine 100E.
Hence, with the construction machine for performing bleed-off control according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, pressure loss of pressure oil passing a center bypass passage can be reduced.
Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and working examples of the hydraulic circuit of the construction machine, but variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2012-136351 | Jun 2012 | JP | national |
The present application is a continuation application and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/536,776 filed on Nov. 10, 2014, which claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 120 and 365(c) of PCT International Application No. PCT/JP2013/056194, filed on Mar. 6, 2013 and designating the U.S., which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-136351, filed on Jun. 15, 2012. The entire contents of the foregoing applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14536776 | Nov 2014 | US |
Child | 15686369 | US | |
Parent | PCT/JP2013/056194 | Mar 2013 | US |
Child | 14536776 | US |