Abstract:
Disclosed is a shock prevention apparatus and method for hydraulic construction equipment such as excavators, loaders, dozers and cranes, which use hydraulic cylinders and motors as actuators. The shock prevention apparatus of the present invention low pass filters an original actuator driving command signal of the rectangular wave in accordance with displacement data of the piston stroke in the actuator, to generate a smooth actuator driving command signal, so that the shocks due to rapid opening and closing of the oil passages of the hydraulic actuator and the shocks at the stroke ends of the piston of the hydraulic actuator are prevented.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a shock prevention apparatus and method for hydraulic/air-pressure equipment such as construction equipment including excavators, loaders, bulldozers and cranes, which use hydraulic/air-pressure cylinders and motors as actuators. 
     In general, construction equipment such as excavators, loaders, bulldozers and cranes used at construction sites, are equipment performing mechanical works using hydraulic/air-pressure force. Such construction equipment may cause shocks due to the abrupt opening and closing of oil/air passages when the hydraulic actuator starts or stops quickly. The shocks would unavoidably lower the durability and reduce the expected life span of the construction equipment. 
     Further, these shocks are delivered to the equipment&#39;s body and cause violent vibrations, thus reducing the work efficiency of the driver. 
     Conventionally, in order to prevent or reduce the severity of the shock, a shockless valve or an orifice is employed in the hydraulic/air-pressure circuits. However, it is known that the effect of this shockless valve or the orifice is insufficient, and the design and the control thereof are troublesome. 
     In addition, in order to prevent the shocks at the stroke ends of the piston of the actuator (for example, a hydraulic cylinder), a mechanical cushion device has been installed at the ends of the piston of the hydraulic cylinder. However, there was a problem in that precision mechanical manufacturing was demanded and that the device could become damaged or destroyed due to the friction or the shocks of the cushion device itself. 
     Accordingly, there is a strong demand for an effective and essential solution for preventing shock in hydraulic/air-pressure equipment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide hydraulic/air-pressure equipment wherein shocks at stroke ends of piston in a hydraulic/air-pressure actuator due to rapid opening and closing of the oil/air passage are prevented, improving the durability and the expected life span of the equipment and guaranteeing a comfortable working environment. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for effectively preventing shocks in hydraulic/air-pressure equipment. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shock prevention apparatus for equipment having a hydraulic/air-pressure actuator performing mechanical works by hydraulic/air pressure and a valve for controlling the flow of oil/air to the actuator, including means for receiving an original actuator driving command signal and data associated with the displacement of a piston of the actuator and generating a low-pass-filtered actuator driving command signal, whereby controlling the valve in accordance with the low-pass-filtered actuator driving command signal. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shock prevention method for preventing shocks of a hydraulic/air-pressure actuator using a controller, including the steps of a) providing the controller with displacement data of piston stroke of the hydraulic/air-pressure actuator; b) providing the controller with an original actuator driving command signal; c) generating a low-pass-filtered actuator driving command signal in accordance with the displacement data and the original actuator driving command signal; and returning to first step. 
     Further, the present invention includes, between step (b) and step (c), a step for establishing a shock prevention interval of the hydraulic/air-pressure actuator by performing a functional operation with respect to the original actuator driving command signal. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are better understood by reading the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of a hydraulic system to which a shock prevention apparatus according to the present invention is applied; 
     FIG. 2 shows curves of an original actuator driving command signal and an actuator driving command signal obtained by low-pass-filtering the original actuator driving command signal; 
     FIG. 3 shows curves of the actuator driving command signals for implementing a stable shock prevention operation; 
     FIGS. 4A and 4B show a flow chart illustrating a processing program of the controller of FIG. 1 for preventing the shocks according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a graph showing a change of the shock prevention interval in accordance with the actuator driving command signal; and 
     FIGS. 6A and 6B show a flow chart illustrating another processing program of the controller of FIG. 1 for preventing the shocks according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following descriptions, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained in connection with hydraulic equipment by way of example for the convenience of explanation would be; however, obvious to a person skilled in the art that the present invention may be readily applied to air-pressure equipment and in that case, the respective elements in the hydraulic equipment to be explained in the following would be simply replaced with the equivalent elements implementing the same functions. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, variable displacement pumps 20a and 20b driven by an engine 10 provide hydraulic cylinders 60a and 60b with an appropriate amount of oil supplied from an oil tank 1. The solenoid controlled proportional valves 50a and 50b, each being controlled by a controller 40, are installed at oil passages formed between the pumps 20a and 20b and the cylinders 60a and 60b. The controller 40 includes a microcomputer containing a program according to the working conditions, to perform an arithmetic operation for the actuator driving command signals received from input units 31 and 32 each having control levers 31a and 32b and the displacement data associated with positions of pistons 62a and 62b detected by displacement detectors 70a and 70b, so as to control the valves 50a and 50b. 
     Detailed descriptions for the program performed by the microcomputer will be presented later. 
     The respective control valves 50a and 50b open and close oil passages extended to large chambers 63a and 63b and small chambers 64a and 64b of the hydraulic cylinders 60a and 60b, in dependence upon the movements of spools 51a and 51b each being controlled by the controller 40, so as to cause the pistons 62a and 62b of the hydraulic cylinders 60a and 60b to reciprocate. In FIG. 1, two solenoid controlled proportional valves and two hydraulic cylinders are described. However, it should be noted that the number of those elements may be increased. 
     Meanwhile, according to the present invention, in cases where the actuator driving command signals received from the input units 31 and 32 and applied to the controller 40 are rectangular pulses, a transform means for transforming the actuator driving command signals of the rectangular pulses to a smooth actuator driving command signals is provided to either the input units 31 and 32, the controller 40, or a position between the input units 31 and 32 and the controller 40, in order to prevent the shocks which may be caused by a quick driving of the control valves 50a and 50b. In this embodiment, a low-pass filter is used for the transform means. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, after low-pass-filtering, the rectangular original actuator driving command signal Vm is transformed to a smooth actuator driving command signal Vf of which the edges are smoothed. 
     Accordingly, even if the original actuator driving command signal Vm transits sharply, since the solenoid controlled proportional valves 50a and 50b are controlled by the low-pass-filtered smooth actuator driving command signal Vf, the oil passages of the hydraulic cylinders 60a and 60b are not quickly opened and closed, thereby avoiding the shocks of the hydraulic cylinder as well as the shocks delivered to the overall equipment. 
     Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 3, even if the original actuator driving command signals Vm is applied so as to have the piston continue to advance to the stroke ends of the piston over a time t0 at which the shock prevention operation is started at the shock prevention start position around the stroke ends of the piston in the hydraulic cylinder, a shock prevention signal Vc is low-pass-filtered to generate the smooth actuator driving command signal Vf by using the program contained in the controller 40. 
     Here, the shock prevention signal Vc is the same as the minimum value of the original actuator driving command signal Vm. Namely, even if the original actuator driving command signal Vm at the stroke ends of the piston has a magnitude and a direction which may cause mechanical shocks, the original actuator driving command signal is transformed to the smooth actuator driving command signal Vf, so as to prevent the shocks. 
     The shock prevention start position is established at a fixed absolute displacement value where the hydraulic cylinder advances with the minimum speed corresponding to the minimum actuator driving command signal, in response to the low-pass-filtered smooth actuator driving command signal. 
     Meanwhile, a preferred embodiment for the low-pass filter may be performed with the low-pass filtering algorithm, by using the program contained in the controller 40. 
     FIGS. 4A and 4B show flow charts of the program contained in the microcomputer for performing the low-pass filtering algorithm. 
     In step 4-1, displacement data output from the displacement detectors 70a and 70b are received and a piston stroke distance is calculated from the displacement data through a predetermined arithmetic operation. 
     In step 4-2, it is judged whether the piston is positioned within a shock prevention interval of an expansion stroke thereof, whether an actuator driving command signal for the expansion stroke is currently received, and whether or not the actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample and the actuator driving command signal of the current sample are both being applied for the same expansion stroke. 
     In step 4-3, if the conditions of step 4-3 are satisfied, it is judged whether the current piston stroke distance is the maximum. 
     In step 4-4, if the conditions of step 4-3 are satisfied, the minimum actuator driving command signal for the expansion stroke is determined as a new actuator driving command signal, then advancing to next step &#34;a&#34;. 
     In step 4-5, if the condition of step 4-3 is not satisfied, i.e., if the piston is positioned within a shock prevention interval of the expansion stroke thereof, an actuator driving command signal for the expansion stroke is currently received, an actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample and an actuator driving command signal of the current sample are both for the same expansion stroke, and the piston does not reach the stroke end of the expansion stroke, then a shock prevention signal is generated and a low-pass-filtered value of a minimum actuator driving command signal is determined as a new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;a&#34;. 
     In step 4-6, it is judged whether the piston is positioned within the shock prevention interval of the compression stroke thereof, an actuator driving command signal for the compression stroke is currently received, and whether or not the actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample and the actuator driving command signal of the current sample are both being applied for the same compression stroke. 
     In step 4-7, if the condition of the step 4-6 is satisfied, it is judged whether the current piston stroke distance is the maximum. 
     In step 4-8, if the condition of the step 4-7 is satisfied, the minimum actuator driving command signal for the compression stroke is determined as a new actuator driving command signal, then advancing to the next step &#34;a&#34;. 
     In step 4-9, if the condition of step 4-7 is not satisfied, i.e., if the piston is positioned within a shock prevention interval of a compression stroke thereof, an actuator driving command signal for the compression stroke is currently received, an actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample and an actuator driving command signal of the current sample are both for the same compression stroke, and the piston does not reach the stroke end of the compression stroke, then a shock prevention signal is generated and a low-pass-filtered value of the minimum actuator driving command signal is determined as a new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;a&#34;. 
     In step 4-10, if all the conditions of steps 4-2 and 4-6 are not satisfied, i.e., if the piston is not positioned within the shock prevention interval, an actuator driving command signal for the compression stroke is currently received within the shock prevention interval of the expansion stroke, and an actuator driving command signal for the expansion stroke is received within the shock prevention interval of the compression stroke, it is judged whether or not the actuator driving command signal for the expansion stroke was received. 
     In step 4-11, if the conditions of step 4-10 are satisfied, it is judged whether or not the actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample and the actuator driving command signal of the current sample are both being applied for the same stroke. 
     In step 4-12, if the conditions of step 4-11 are satisfied, a shockless signal is generated and a low-pass-filtered value of the actuator driving command signal is determined as a new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;a&#34;. 
     In step 4-13, if the conditions of step 4-11 are not satisfied, i.e., if an actuator driving command signal instructing a reverse of the piston stroke is received, a reset signal is generated and a low-pass-filtered signal of the actuator driving command signal is determined as a new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;a&#34;. 
     In step 4-14, if the conditions of step 4-10 are not satisfied, it is judged whether or not the actuator driving command signal for the compression stroke was received. 
     In step 4-15, if the conditions of step 4-14 are satisfied, it is judged whether the actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample and the actuator driving command signal of the current sample are both being applied for the same stroke. 
     In step 4-16, if the conditions of step 4-15 are satisfied, the shockless signal is generated and the low-pass-filtered value of the actuator driving command signal is determined as the new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;a&#34;. 
     In step 4-17, if the condition of step 4-15 are not satisfied, i.e., the actuator driving command signal instructing the reverse of the piston stroke is received, the reset signal is generated and the low-pass-filtered value of the actuator driving command signal is determined as the new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;a&#34;. 
     In step 4-18, if all the conditions of steps 4-2, 4-6, 4-10 and 4-14 are not satisfied, i.e., for example, in cases where the actuator driving command signal is in a neutral state, it is judged whether the actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample and the actuator driving command signal of the current sample are both being applied for the same stroke. 
     In step 4-19, if the conditions of step 4-18 are satisfied, a shockless signal is generated and the low-pass-filtered value of the actuator driving command signal is determined as the new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;a&#34;. 
     In step 4-20, if the conditions of step 4-18 are not satisfied, i.e., if the actuator driving command signal instructing the reverse of the piston stroke is received, the reset signal is generated and the low-pass-filtered signal of the actuator driving command signal is determined as the new actuator driving command signal. 
     In step 4-21, the actuator driving command signal of the current sample is substituted for the actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample, so as to increase the sampling time. 
     In step 4-22, the low-pass-filtered actuator driving command signal is limited to an interval between the maximum value and the miminum value of the actuator driving command signal available in practice. 
     In step 4-23, the program returns to the start point to form an endless loop. 
     FIGS. 6A and 6B show another embodiment of the low-pass-filtering algorithm. 
     In step 6-1, the original actuator driving command signal is received from the input units 30a and 30b of FIG. 1. 
     In step 6-2, a shock prevention interval D is established by performing a functional operation using the original driving signal received at step 6-1 as a parameter such that a functional relation between the original driving command signal, and the shock prevention interval becomes as shown in graph of FIG. 5. 
     In step 6-3, displacement data of the actuator is received from the displacement detectors 70a and 70b of FIG. 1, and the piston stroke distance of the hydraulic cylinder by performing an arithmetic operation using the received displacement data. 
     In step 6-4, it is judged whether the piston is positioned within the shock prevention interval of the expansion stroke, whether an actuator driving command signal for the expansion stroke of the piston is currently received, and whether or not the actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample and the actuator driving command signal of the current sample are both being applied for the same stroke. 
     In step 6-5, if the conditions of step 6-4 are satisfied, it is judged whether or not the current piston stroke distance is the maximum value. 
     In step 6-6, if the condition of step 6-5 is satisfied, the minimum actuator driving command signal of the expansion stroke is determined as a new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to a next step &#34;b&#34;. 
     In step 6-7, if the condition of step 6-5 is not satisfied, i.e., if the piston is positioned within a shock prevention interval of an expansion stroke thereof, an actuator driving command signal for the expansion stroke is currently received, an actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample and an actuator driving command signal of the current sample are both applied for the same expansion stroke, and the piston does not get reach the stroke end of the expansion stroke, then a shock prevention signal is generated and a low-pass-filtered value of a minimum actuator driving command signal is determined as a new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;b&#34;. 
     In step 6-8, it is judged whether the piston is positioned within the shock prevention interval of the compression stroke thereof, whether an actuator driving command signal for the compression stroke is currently received, and whether or not the actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample and the actuator driving command signal of the current sample are both being applied for the same stroke. 
     In step 6-9, if the conditions of step 6-8 are satisfied, it is judged whether or not the current piston stroke distance is the minimum value. 
     In step 6-10, if the conditions of step 6-9 are satisfied, the minimum actuator driving command signal of the compression stroke is determined as the new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;b&#34;. 
     In step 6-11, if the conditions of step 6-9 are not satisfied, i.e., if the piston is positioned within a shock prevention interval of the compression stroke thereof, an actuator driving command signal for the compression stroke is currently received, an actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample and an actuator driving command signal of the current sample are both applied for the same compression stroke, and the piston does not yet reach the stroke end of the compression stroke, then a shock prevention signal is generated and a low-pass-filtered value of the minimum actuator driving command signal is determined as a new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;b&#34;. 
     In step 6-12, if all the conditions of steps 6-4 and 6-8 are not satisfied, i.e., if the piston is not positioned within the shock prevention interval, an actuator driving command signal for the compression stroke within the shock prevention interval of the expansion stroke is received, or an actuator driving command signal for the expansion stroke within the shock prevention interval of the compression stroke is received, it is judged whether or not an actuator driving command signal for the expansion stroke is received. 
     In step 6-13, if the conditions of step 6-12 are satisfied, it is judged whether the actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample and the actuator driving command signal of the current sample are both being applied for the same stroke. 
     In step 6-14, if the conditions of step 6-13 are satisfied, the shockless signal is generated and the low-pass-filtered value of the actuator driving command signal is determined as a new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;b&#34;. 
     In step 6-15, if the conditions of step 6-13 are not satisfied, i.e., if the actuator driving command signal instructing the reverse of the piston stroke is received, the reset signal is generated and the low-pass-filtered signal of the actuator driving command signal is determined as a new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;b&#34;. 
     In step 6-16, if the conditions of step 6-12 are not satisfied, it is judged whether or not the actuator driving command signal for the compression stroke is received. 
     In step 6-17, if the conditions of step 6-16 are satisfied, it is judged whether the actuator driving command signal for the preceding sample and the actuator driving command signal for the current sample are both being applied for the same stroke. 
     In step 6-18, if the conditions of step 6-17 are satisfied, the shockless signal is generated and the low-pass-filtered value of the actuator driving command signal is determined as the a new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;b&#34;. 
     In step 6-19, if the conditions of step 6-17 are not satisfied, i.e., if the actuator driving command signal instructing the reverse of the piston stroke is received, the reset signal is generated and the low-pass-filtered signal of the actuator driving command signal is determined as a new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;b&#34;. 
     In step 6-20, if all the conditions of steps 6-4, 6-8, 6-12 and 6-16 are not satisfied, i.e., in cases where, for example, the actuator driving command signal is in a neutral state, it is judged whether the actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample and the actuator driving command signal of the current sample are both being applied for the same stroke. 
     In step 6-21, if the conditions of step 6-20 are satisfied, the shockless signal is generated and the low-pass-filtered value of the actuator driving command signal is determined as the a new actuator driving command signal, thereafter advancing to the next step &#34;b&#34;. 
     In step 6-22, if the conditions of step 6-20 are not satisfied, i.e., if the actuator driving command signal instructing the reverse of the piston stroke is received, the reset signal is generated and the low-pass-filtered signal of the actuator driving command signal is determined as a new actuator driving command signal. 
     In step 6-23, the driving command signal of the current sample is substituted by the actuator driving command signal of the preceding sample, so as to increase the sampling time. 
     In step 6-24, the low-pass-filtered actuator driving command signal is limited to an interval between the maximum value and the minimum value of the actuator driving command signal available in practice. 
     In step 6-25, the program returns to the start point to form an endless loop. 
     In the embodiment mentioned above, the program contained in the microcomputer of the controller performs the low-pass filtering operation for the rectangular wave of the original actuator driving command signal, to generate the smooth wave of the actuator driving command signal. The hydraulic actuator is controlled by the smooth actuator driving command signal, so that the shocks due to rapid opening and closing of the oil passages and the shocks at the stroke ends of the piston of the hydraulic actuator may be prevented. 
     Furthermore, the efficiency of the shock prevention may be optimized by adjusting the bandwidth of the low-pass filter. 
     As described above, the present invention effectively prevents shocks due to rapid opening and closing of the oil passages of the hydraulic actuator and the shocks at the stroke ends of the piston of the hydraulic actuator as well as the vibration caused by the shocks. Therefore, the durability and the expected life span of the equipment may be improved and a comfortable working environment may be guaranteed.