Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02897294 2015-07-06
DESCRIPTION
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Swing Lock Device for Construction Equipment
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a swing locking device for a construction
machine, and
more particularly, to a swing locking device for a construction machine, which
enables an
operator in a cabin to confirm the locking/unlocking state (swing lock or
swing unlock) of the
locking device that locks a swing device or to operate the locking device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In general, a pipe laying work for laying a heavy oil pipe or lifting and
conveying the oil
pipe to a pipe laying place is performed using an excavator that can perform
traveling and
swing operations. In this case, if an operator makes an upper swing structure
swing suddenly
due to an erroneous operation of a swing device during traveling in a state
where the oil pipe is
lifted using a wire rope, a lifted object may be shaken in a swing direction
of the equipment
due to inertia. Due to this, the equipment and the oil pipe may come in
contact with each
other, or the lifted object may secede from the wire rope to cause a serious
safety accident to
occur.
As described above, in order to prevent such a safety accident from occurring
due to the
operator's erroneous operation of the swing device, a separate ring gear for
locking the swing
device is fastened to a ring gear which constitute the swing device that makes
the upper swing
structure swing, and thus the occurrence of the safety accident due to the
erroneous operation
of the swing device can be reduced.
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,
In contrast, in the case of locking the swing device by separately fastening
the ring gear
for locking the swing device, an operator needs a separate worker's help to
match a mutual
alignment state in which the ring gear for locking the swing device is engaged
with a ring gear
on the swing device side. Further, even in the case of licking the swing
device by fastening
the ring gear for locking the swing device to the swing device, it is not
possible to confirm
whether the ring gear for locking the swing device is safely locked in the
ring gear on the
swing device side.
Further, if the strength of the ring gear for locking the swing device is
weak, the ring
gear may be damaged by swing pressure when the operator excessively swings the
swing
device in a state where the swing device is locked.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the aforementioned
problems
occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to
provide a swing
locking device for a construction machine, which enables an operator in a
cabin to operate a
swing device after confirming the locking/unlocking state of a locking device
that locks the
swing device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a swing locking
device for a
construction machine, which can reduce the occurrence of a safety accident due
to an
operator's erroneous operation of a swing device in the case of performing a
pipe laying work
using an excavator.
TECHNICAL SOLUTION
To achieve the above objects, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention, there is provided a swing locking device for a construction
machine, which includes
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a lower driving structure; an upper swing structure mounted to swing on the
lower driving
structure by a swing device; a ring gear for locking the swing device formed
on an outer
surface of a ring gear for the swing device that forms the swing device; an
actuator
correspondingly formed to be tooth-engaged with the ring gear for locking the
swing device to
engage or disengage a locking gear fixed to a cylinder rod; an alignment
setting confirmation
sensor detecting whether setting is completed by the tooth-engagement between
the ring gear
for locking the swing device and the locking gear through driving of the
actuator; and a swing
lock/unlock detection sensor detecting a swing lock state in which the locking
gear is engaged
with the ring gear for locking the swing device or a swing unlock state in
which the locking
gear is disengaged from the ring gear for locking the swing device through the
driving of the
actuator.
A hydraulic cylinder may be used as the actuator.
The swing locking device may further includes a controller notifying an
operator in a
cabin of an engagement state of the locking gear and shifting a power applied
to the swing
device in an off state if the operator makes the locking gear engaged with the
ring gear for
locking the swing device through operation of a swing lock switch, and
notifying the operator
in the cabin of a disengagement state of the locking gear and shifting the
power applied to the
swing device in an on state if the operator makes the locking gear disengaged
from the ring
gear for locking the swing device through operation of a swing unlock switch.
The alignment setting confirmation sensor may include first and second sensors
installed symmetrically on left and right sides about the locking gear to
detect whether the
setting is completed by the tooth-engagement between the ring gear for locking
the swing
device and the locking gear through the driving of the actuator.
The swing lock/unlock detection sensor may include a third sensor detecting
the swing
lock state in which the locking gear is engaged with the ring gear for locking
the swing device
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through expansion driving of the actuator; and a fourth sensor detecting the
swing unlock state
in which the locking gear is disengaged from the ring gear for locking the
swing device
through contraction driving of the actuator.
An indicator lamp installed in the cabin or an alarm or sound message may be
used as a
means for notifying the operator in the cabin of whether the locking gear is
engaged with or
disengaged from the ring gear for locking the swing device.
ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECT
According to an embodiment of the present invention having the above-described
configuration, since the operator in the cabin operates the swing device after
confirming the
locking/unlocking state of the locking device that locks the swing device
through a display
means, convenience can be provided to the operator. Further, during the pipe
laying work
using the excavator, the occurrence of a safety accident due to the contact of
the oil pipe that is
shaken by inertia through the operator's erroneous operation of the swing
device can be
reduced.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above objects, other features and advantages of the present invention will
become
more apparent by describing the preferred embodiments thereof with reference
to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a schematic view explaining an engaged or disengaged state of a ring
gear for
locking a swing device and a locking gear in a swing locking device for a
construction
machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a schematic view explaining a swing lock state due to tooth-
engagement of a
locking gear with a ring gear for locking a swing device in a swing locking
device for a
construction machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;
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Fig. 3 is a schematic view explaining a swing unlock state due to a release of
tooth-engagement of a locking gear with a ring gear for locking a swing device
in a swing
locking device for a construction machine according to an embodiment of the
present
invention; and
Fig. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a swing locking
device for a
construction machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
*Explanation of reference numerals for main parts in the drawing
10: ring gear for locking a swing device
11: locking gear
12: actuator
13: first sensor
14: second sensor
15: third sensor
16: fourth sensor
17: swing lock switch
18: swing unlock switch
19: controller
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a preferential function control apparatus for a construction
machine and a
method for controlling the same in accordance with preferred embodiments of
the present
invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1 is a schematic view explaining an engaged or disengaged state of a ring
gear for
locking a swing device and a locking gear in a swing locking device for a
construction
machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a
schematic view
explaining a swing lock state due to tooth-engagement of a locking gear with a
ring gear for
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locking a swing device in a swing locking device for a construction machine
according to an
embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a schematic view explaining
a swing
unlock state due to a release of tooth-engagement of a locking gear with a
ring gear for
locking a swing device in a swing locking device for a construction machine
according to an
embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a block diagram illustrating
the configuration
of a swing locking device for a construction machine according to an
embodiment of the
present invention.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, a swing locking device for a construction machine
according to
an embodiment of the present invention includes a lower driving structure; an
upper swing
structure mounted to swing on the lower driving structure by a swing device
(including a
swing motor, a pinion gear shaft-coupled to the swing motor, and a ring gear
tooth-engaged
with the pinion gear); a ring gear (formed on an outer ring) 10 for locking
the swing device
formed on an outer surface of a ring gear (gear teeth are omitted) for the
swing device that
forms the swing device; an actuator 12 correspondingly formed to be tooth-
engaged with the
ring gear 10 for locking the swing device to engage or disengage a locking
gear (indicated by
slanting lines in Figs. 2 and 3) 11 fixed to a cylinder rod; an alignment
setting confirmation
sensor detecting whether setting is completed by the tooth-engagement between
the ring gear
10 for locking the swing device and the locking gear 11 through driving of the
actuator 12;
and a swing lock/unlock detection sensor detecting a swing lock state in which
the locking
gear 11 is engaged with the ring gear 10 for locking the swing device or a
swing unlock state
in which the locking gear 11 is disengaged from the ring gear 10 for locking
the swing device
through the driving of the actuator 12.
A hydraulic cylinder may be used as the actuator 12.
The swing locking device may further includes a controller 19 notifying an
operator in a
cabin of an engagement state of the locking gear 11 and shifting a power
applied to the swing
device in an off state if the operator makes the locking gear 11 engaged with
the ring gear 10
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for locking the swing device through operation of a swing lock switch 17, and
notifying the
operator in the cabin of a disengagement state of the locking gear 11 and
shifting the power
applied to the swing device in an on state if the operator makes the locking
gear 11 disengaged
from the ring gear 10 for locking the swing device through operation of a
swing unlock switch
18.
The alignment setting confirmation sensor may include first and second sensors
13 and
14 installed symmetrically on left and right sides about the locking gear 11
to detect whether
the setting is completed by the tooth-engagement between the ring gear 10 for
locking the
swing device and the locking gear 11 through the driving of the actuator.
The swing lock/unlock detection sensor may include a third sensor 15 detecting
the
swing lock state in which the locking gear 11 is engaged with the ring gear 10
for locking the
swing device through expansion driving of the actuator 12; and a fourth sensor
16 detecting
the swing unlock state in which the locking gear 11 is disengaged from the
ring gear 10 for
locking the swing device through contraction driving of the actuator 12.
An indicator lamp 21 installed in the cabin or an alarm or sound message may
be used
as a means for notifying the operator in the cabin of whether the locking gear
11 is engaged
with or disengaged from the ring gear 10 for locking the swing device.
In the drawing, an unexplained reference numeral 22 denotes a lower frame on
which a
traveling device (including a traveling motor and a track) is mounted and on
which the upper
swing structure is mounted to swing by the swing device.
According to the above-described configuration, if the swing lock switch 17 is
operated
by the operator in the cabin, an operation signal is output to the controller
19. In accordance
with the control signal from the controller 19, a control valve (a valve that
controls a flow
direction of hydraulic fluid that is supplied from a hydraulic pump (not
illustrated) to the
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actuator 12) is shifted, and the actuator 12 is expansion-driven by the
hydraulic fluid that is
supplied to the actuator 12 to engage the locking gear 11 with the ring gear
10 for locking the
swing device. In this case, in the case where the locking gear 11 is engaged
with the ring
gear 10 for locking the swing device through the driving of the actuator 12,
the third sensor 15
detects a swing lock state in which the ring gear 10 for locking the swing
device and the
locking gear 11 are engaged with each other, and the detection signal is
output to the
controller 19.
Further, the first and second sensors 13 and 14, which are installed
symmetrically on the
left and right sides about the locking gear 11 to detect whether the alignment
setting is
completed, detects the alignment state between the ring gear 10 for locking
the swing device
and the locking gear 11, and the detection signal is output to the controller
19. Through this,
if the tooth-engagement between the ring gear 10 for locking the swing device
and the locking
gear 11 is completed, the controller 19 notifies the operator in the cabin of
the alignment
setting completion state between the ring gear 10 for locking the swing device
and the locking
gear 11 through turning on the indicator lamp (e.g., LED may be used) 21.
Further, the
controller 19 turns off the power that is applied to a solenoid valve (a valve
that is shifted to
control the flow direction of hydraulic fluid that is supplied to the swing
motor of the swing
device in response to an input of the electrical control signal) 20 for swing
lock and swing
unlock of the swing device.
Accordingly, the operator can perform forward and backward traveling of the
equipment
by operating an operation lever (not illustrated) for a traveling device. In
contrast, since the
ring gear 10 for locking the swing device and the locking gear 11 are engaged
with each other
to be in a lock state, the power that is applied from the controller 19 to the
solenoid valve 20
for swing lock and swing unlock, which controls the hydraulic fluid that is
supplied to the
swing motor of the swing device, is intercepted, and thus the equipment is
unable to swing.
That is, even in the case where the locking gear 11 is disengaged from the
ring gear 10 for
locking the swing device to be shifted to an unlock state through the driving
of the actuator 12,
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a detection signal for detecting the unlock state of the locking gear 11 with
respect to the ring
gear 10 for locking the swing device through the fourth sensor 16 is not
output to the
controller 19. In this case, it is determined that the locking between the
ring gear 10 for
locking the swing device and the locking gear 11 is not released. Due to this,
in the case
where the operator operates the operation lever (not illustrated) for the
swing device to make
the upper swing structure swing, the swing device does not operate, and thus
the upper swing
structure does not swing.
On the other hand, in the case where the operator operates the swing unlock
switch 18,
the corresponding operation signal is output to the controller 19. Through
this, the actuator
12 is driven to be contracted by the control signal from the controller 19,
and thus the locking
gear 11 is disengaged from the ring gear 10 for locking the swing device. In
this case, when
the locking gear 11 is disengaged from the ring gear 10 for locking the swing
device by the
contraction driving of the actuator 12, the fourth sensor 16 detects the swing
unlock state in
which the ring gear 10 for locking the swing device and the locking gear 11
are disengaged
from each other, and the corresponding detection signal is output to the
controller 19.
Further, the first and second sensors 13 and 14 for confirming the alignment
setting state
detect the disengagement state between the ring gear 10 for locking the swing
device and the
locking gear 11, and the corresponding detection signal is output to the
controller 19.
Through this, the controller 19 determines that the ring gear 10 for locking
the swing device
and the locking gear 11 are in a disengaged state, and notifies the operator
in the cabin of such
a disengagement state between the ring gear 10 for locking the swing device
and the locking
gear 11 through turning off the indicator lamp 21. Further, the controller 19
makes the power
that is applied to the solenoid valve 20 for swing lock and swing unlock of
the swing device in
an on state.
Accordingly, the operator can perform traveling of the equipment by operating
the
operation lever for the traveling device. Further, in the case where the power
is switched to
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be applied to the solenoid valve 20 for swing lock and swing unlock for
controlling the
hydraulic fluid that is supplied to the swing motor of the swing device, the
swing device is
driven to swing the upper swing structure by the hydraulic fluid that is
supplied from the
hydraulic pump to the swing motor.
As described above, the operator in the cabin can conveniently confirm the
alignment
state in which the ring gear 10 for locking the swing device and the locking
gear 11 are
engaged with or disengaged from each other through the indicator lamp.
Further, even if the
operator performs an erroneous operation of the swing device through the
operator's
carelessness in the case of performing a pipe laying work, the equipment does
not swing, and
thus the safety accident due to the shaking of the heavy oil pipe can be
prevented from
occurring.
Although the invention has been described with reference to the preferred
embodiments
in the attached figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and
substitutions made
herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the
claims.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
According to the present invention having the above-described configuration,
since the
operator in the cabin operates the swing device after confirming the
locking/unlocking state of
the locking device that locks the swing device through the display means,
convenience can be
provided to the operator. Further, during the pipe laying work, the occurrence
of a safety
accident due to the contact of the oil pipe through the operator's erroneous
operation of the
swing device can be reduced.
While the present invention has been described in connection with the specific
embodiments illustrated in the drawings, they are merely illustrative, and the
invention is not
limited to these embodiments. It is to be understood that various equivalent
modifications
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and variations of the embodiments can be made by a person having an ordinary
skill in the art
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Therefore, the true
technical scope of the present invention should not be defined by the above-
mentioned
embodiments but should be defined by the appended claims and equivalents
thereof
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