IP Library Granted Patent US 12,371,881
Granted Patent B2
US 12,371,881 · App. 18/688,848 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Work machine

Inventors: Teruki Igarashi (Tsuchiura, JP); Hiroaki Tanaka (Tsuchiura, JP); Ryohei Fukuchi (Tsuchiura, JP); Yusuke Suzuki (Tsuchiura, JP)
Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
E02F9/2292F15B11/042F15B11/0426F15B11/044E02F9/2221E02F9/2235E02F9/2285E02F9/2296
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,371,881
App. No.
18/688,848
Granted
Jul 29, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A work machine includes a flow control valve that controls the flow rate of a hydraulic operating fluid supplied from a hydraulic pump to a hydraulic cylinder, a solenoid valve that generates an operation pressure for operating the flow control valve, and a controller. The controller executes learning processing of changing in a stepwise manner the operation pressure generated by the solenoid valve, sensing the pressure of the hydraulic cylinder, and storing the operation pressure when the pressure of the hydraulic cylinder has become a reference value, as a learning result operation pressure. The controller calculates a differential pressure across the flow control valve and computes a target opening area of the flow control valve on the basis of the differential pressure across the flow control valve and a target flow rate of the hydraulic operating fluid that passes through the flow control valve. The controller computes a target value of the operation pressure generated by the solenoid valve, on the basis of an opening characteristic table, the target opening area, and the learning result operation pressure, and controls the solenoid valve on the basis of the target value of the operation pressure.

Claims (62)

1. A work machine comprising;

a hydraulic pump that delivers a hydraulic operating fluid;

a hydraulic cylinder driven by the hydraulic operating fluid delivered from the hydraulic pump;

a driving target member driven by the hydraulic cylinder;

a flow control valve that controls a flow rate of the hydraulic operating fluid supplied from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic cylinder;

a solenoid valve that generates an operation pressure for operating the flow control valve;

a controller that controls the solenoid valve; and

a pressure sensor that senses a pressure of the hydraulic cylinder, wherein

an opening characteristic table that defines a relation between the operation pressure and an opening area of the flow control valve is stored in the controller, and

the controller is configured to

execute learning processing of changing in a stepwise manner the operation pressure generated by the solenoid valve and storing the operation pressure when the pressure of the hydraulic cylinder sensed by the pressure sensor or a time change rate of the pressure of the hydraulic cylinder has become a reference value set in advance,

calculate a differential pressure across the flow control valve,

compute a target opening area of the flow control valve on the basis of the differential pressure across the flow control valve calculated and a target flow rate of the hydraulic operating fluid that passes through the flow control valve,

compute a target value of the operation pressure generated by the solenoid valve, on the basis of the opening characteristic table, the target opening area computed, and a learning result operation pressure that is the operation pressure stored in the learning processing, and

control the solenoid valve on the basis of the target value of the operation pressure computed.

2. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller is configured to

correct the opening characteristic table on the basis of the learning result operation pressure, and

refer to the opening characteristic table corrected and compute the target value of the operation pressure on the basis of the target opening area.

3. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller is configured to

refer to the opening characteristic table and compute the target value of the operation pressure on the basis of the target opening area,

correct the target value of the operation pressure on the basis of the learning result operation pressure, and

control the solenoid valve on the basis of the target value of the operation pressure corrected.

4. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller is configured to

store, as the learning result operation pressure, the operation pressure when a pressure of an outlet side of the hydraulic cylinder has become equal to or lower than a pressure threshold as the reference value in a process of raising in the stepwise manner the operation pressure generated by the solenoid valve, in the learning processing,

calculate a differential pressure across a meter-out passage part of the flow control valve,

compute a target opening area of the meter-out passage part of the flow control valve on the basis of the differential pressure across the meter-out passage part calculated and a target flow rate of the hydraulic operating fluid that passes through the meter-out passage part, and

compute the target value of the operation pressure generated by the solenoid valve, on the basis of the opening characteristic table, the target opening area of the meter-out passage part computed, and the learning result operation pressure.

5. The work machine according to claim 4 , wherein

the work machine includes a first flow control valve and a second flow control valve as the flow control valve,

the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve are configured to cause the hydraulic operating fluid discharged from the hydraulic cylinder to pass through the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve, and

the controller is configured to

raise in a stepwise manner the operation pressure generated by the solenoid valve corresponding to the second flow control valve, in a state in which the first flow control valve is opened in the learning processing, and

store, as the learning result operation pressure, the operation pressure when the pressure of the outlet side of the hydraulic cylinder has become equal to or lower than the pressure threshold in the process of raising in the stepwise manner the operation pressure generated by the solenoid valve.

6. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller is configured to

store, as the learning result operation pressure, the operation pressure when an increase rate of pressure of an inlet side of the hydraulic cylinder has become equal to or higher than an increase rate threshold as the reference value in a process of raising in the stepwise manner the operation pressure generated by the solenoid valve, in the learning processing,

calculate a differential pressure across a meter-in passage part of the flow control valve,

compute a target opening area of the meter-in passage part of the flow control valve on the basis of the differential pressure across the meter-in passage part calculated and a target flow rate of the hydraulic operating fluid that passes through the meter-in passage part, and

compute the target value of the operation pressure generated by the solenoid valve, on the basis of the opening characteristic table, the target opening area of the meter-in passage part computed, and the learning result operation pressure.

7. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein

the hydraulic pump comprises a plurality of the hydraulic pumps;

the hydraulic cylinder comprises a plurality of the hydraulic cylinders;

the flow control valve comprises a plurality of the flow control valves corresponding to each of the plurality of the hydraulic cylinders;

the solenoid valve comprises a plurality of the solenoid valves and the operation pressure is a plurality of operation pressures respectively generated by each of the plurality of solenoid valves for operating a respective one of the flow control valves; and

the pressure sensor comprises a plurality of pressure sensors that sense input pressures of each of the plurality of hydraulic cylinders,

wherein each of the plurality of the hydraulic pumps is allowed to individually connect to, on a one-to-one basis, a respective one of the plurality of the flow control valves corresponding to each of the plurality of the hydraulic cylinders, and

the controller is configured to

change synchronously and in a stepwise manner a plurality of the operation pressures generated by each of the plurality of the solenoid valves, and

store the operation pressures when each of the input pressures of the plurality of the hydraulic cylinders or time change rates of the input pressures of the plurality of the hydraulic cylinders has become the reference value set with regard to a respective one of the plurality of the solenoid valves, as the learning result operation pressure of the respective one of the plurality of the solenoid valves.

8. The work machine according to claim 1 , comprising:

a posture sensor that senses a posture of a work device to which a plurality of the driving target members are joined, wherein

the controller is configured to

determine whether or not the posture of the work device sensed by the posture sensor is a learning start posture defined in advance, and

employ at least a state in which the posture of the work device is the learning start posture as a condition for starting the learning processing.

9. The work machine according to claim 1 , comprising:

a temperature sensor that senses temperature of the hydraulic operating fluid, wherein

the controller is configured to

determine whether or not the temperature of the hydraulic operating fluid sensed by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a temperature threshold set in advance, and

employ at least a state in which the temperature of the hydraulic operating fluid is equal to or higher than the temperature threshold as a condition for starting the learning processing.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2024
From: IGARASHI, TERUKI; TANAKA, HIROAKI; FUKUCHI, RYOHEI; SUZUKI, YUSUKE
To: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066644/0689 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-060233 · Mar 31, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240376691A1 · Nov 14, 2024
References Cited (16)
US 20060095163A1 · Wear et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20100228439A1 · Nakamura · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20110168011A1 · Takei et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20130213026A1 · Yamamoto · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20190316611A1 · Kondo · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190338494A1 · Moriki · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20210207345A1 · Kobayashi · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210262196A1 · Ito · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220220709A1 · Kamon et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
JP 11350536A · 1999 [cited by applicant]
JP 201071414A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2018087831A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2020241419A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
International Preliminary Report on Patentability (PCT/IB/338 & PCT/IB/373) issued in PCT Application No. PCT/JP2023/013434 dated Oct. 10, 2024, including English translation of Written Opinion (PCT/ISA/237) (5 pages). [cited by applicant]
International Search Report (PCT/ISA/210) issued in PCT Application No. PCT/JP2023/013434 dated Jun. 6, 2023 with English translation (4 pages). [cited by applicant]
Japanese-language Written Opinion (PCT/ISA/237) issued in PCT Application No. PCT/JP2023/013434 dated Jun. 6, 2023 with English translation (5 pages). [cited by applicant]