Lifting system and lifting method for jib of an operating machine, and an operating machine thereof

{
  "publication_number": "US9638217B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Lifting system and lifting method for jib of an operating machine, and an operating machine thereof",
  "abstract": "A lifting system for a jib of an operating machine that includes an energy storage device having an energy storage cylinder and an accumulator, the energy storage cylinder having an upper chamber, a lower chamber, and an energy storage piston rod connected to the jib. The upper part of the accumulator is filled with gas, and the lower part of the accumulator is filled with hydraulic oil and communicates with the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder. The lifting system also includes a hydraulic pump and a control cylinder for controlling the lifting of the jib, which comprises an upper chamber, a lower chamber, and a control piston rod connected to the jib.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A lifting system for a jib of an operating machine, comprising: an energy storage device used for storing the gravitational potential energy during the descending of the jib and lifting the jib by use of the stored energy during the ascending of the jib, the energy storage device includes an energy storage cylinder and an accumulator, the energy storage cylinder comprising an upper chamber and a lower chamber which are separated by an energy storage piston, wherein the energy storage piston comprises an energy storage piston rod operably connected to the jib, wherein an upper volume of the accumulator is filled with a pressurized gas, and a lower volume of the accumulator is filled with a pressurized hydraulic oil, where in an operating mode of the operating machine, in which the lifting system is operated for ascending and descending the jib, the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder and the lower volume of the accumulator are always kept in direct fluid communication via a first pipeline, to provide a closed system to automatically store energy in the accumulator when the jib descends and to release energy to the energy control cylinder when the jib ascends under control; and in a shutdown mode of the operating machine, in which operation of the jib to ascend and descend is stopped, a valve in the first pipeline can be closed; a control cylinder for controlling the jib lifting, the control cylinder comprising an upper chamber and a lower chamber which are separated by a control piston, wherein the control piston comprises a control piston rod operably connected to the jib; a hydraulic pump for selectively supplying the pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder or the lower chamber of the control cylinder through a distributor via a second pipeline independent of the first pipeline; wherein when the hydraulic pump supplies the pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor, the control piston rod drives the jib to descend, and the weight of the jib pushes against the energy storage piston rod of the energy storage cylinder so that the hydraulic oil in the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder is pushed into the lower volume of the accumulator, hence the pressurized gas in the upper volume of the accumulator is compressed so as to recover the gravitational potential energy of the jib; and wherein when the hydraulic pump supplies the pressurized hydraulic oil to the lower chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor, the control piston rod drives the jib to ascend so as to lift the energy storage piston rod, thereby the compressed gas in the upper volume of the accumulator pushes the hydraulic oil in the lower volume of the accumulator into the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, and thus the recovered energy is released to push the energy storage piston rod for elevating the jib; a controller and a sensor, where the controller is connected to the distributor equipped to the hydraulic pump, the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder, the upper chamber of the control cylinder and a hydraulic tank, respectively, and the controller is configured in such a manner that: the pathway from the hydraulic pump to the upper chamber of the control cylinder via the distributor is opened, when the hydraulic pump is to supply the hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor, so as to allow the hydraulic pump to supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor and the controller; the pathway from the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to the hydraulic tank is opened when the jib ascends, so as to allow the hydraulic oil in the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to return to the hydraulic tank via the controller; the pathway from the hydraulic tank to the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder is opened when the jib descends, so as to allow the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic tank to be drawn into the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder via the controller; and when the sensor detects that the pressure of the hydraulic oil, which is delivered into the upper chamber of the control cylinder by the hydraulic pump through the distributor and controller, exceeds a predetermined value, in response to a signal from the sensor, the pathway from the hydraulic pump to the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder via the distributor is opened and the pathway from the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to the hydraulic tank is closed, so that the hydraulic pump can supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder and the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder through the distributor and the controller at the same time.",
    "2. The lifting system according to claim 1, wherein, the pressure of the gas and hydraulic oil filled into the accumulator is set in such a manner that the force applied to the energy storage piston rod by the hydraulic oil in the accumulator substantially balances with the force applied to the energy storage piston rod by the weight of the jib.",
    "3. The lifting system according to claim 2, further comprising a gas charging device and a hydraulic pumpstation, which are connected between the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, wherein the gas charging device is used for supplying pressurized gas to the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, and the hydraulic pumpstation is used for supplying pressurized hydraulic oil to the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder.",
    "4. The lifting system according to claim 2, further comprising a radiator, which is connected in the hydraulic oil pathway between the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder so as to provide heat dissipation for the hydraulic oil.",
    "5. The lifting system according to claim 1, wherein, the pressure of the gas and hydraulic oil filled into the accumulator can be adjusted as required.",
    "6. The lifting system according to claim 5, wherein, further comprising a gas charging device and a hydraulic pumpstation, which are connected between the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, wherein the gas charging device is used for supplying pressurized gas to the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, and the hydraulic pumpstation is used for supplying pressurized hydraulic oil to the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder.",
    "7. The lifting system according to claim 5, further comprising a radiator, which is connected in the hydraulic oil pathway between the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder so as to provide heat dissipation for the hydraulic oil.",
    "8. The lifting system according to claim 1, wherein, the distributor is controlled by manipulating an operating handle by the driver of the operating machine, so as to selectively supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder and/or the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder or supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the lower chamber of the control cylinder.",
    "9. The lifting system according to claim 1, further comprising a gas charging device and a hydraulic pumpstation, which are connected between the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, wherein the gas charging device is used for supplying pressurized gas to the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, and the hydraulic pumpstation is used for supplying pressurized hydraulic oil to the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder.",
    "10. The lifting system according to claim 1, further comprising a radiator, which is connected in the hydraulic oil pathway between the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder so as to provide heat dissipation for the hydraulic oil.",
    "11. The lifting system according to claim 1, wherein, the amount of the control cylinder is one or more, the amount of the energy storage cylinder is one or more, and the control cylinder and the energy storage cylinder can interchange their positions.",
    "12. The lifting system according to claim 11, wherein, one control cylinder, and two energy storage cylinders located at either side of the control cylinder, are assembled in parallel below the jib.",
    "13. An operating machine, comprising a jib and the lifting system according to claim 1.",
    "14. A method for lifting a jib of an operating machine by means of the lifting system for the jib of the operating machine according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: a) filling the upper volume of the accumulator with the pressurized gas, and filling the lower volume of the accumulator and the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, which is in fluid communication with the lower volume of the accumulator, with the pressurized hydraulic oil; b) making the hydraulic pump supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor such that the control piston rod drives the jib to descend, thereby the weight of the jib pushes against the energy storage piston rod of the energy storage cylinder so that the hydraulic oil in the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder is pushed into the lower volume of the accumulator, hence the gas in the upper volume of the accumulator is compressed so as to recover the gravitational potential energy of the jib; c) making the hydraulic pump supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the lower chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor such that the control piston rod drives the jib to ascend so as to lift the energy storage piston rod, thereby the compressed gas in the upper volume of the accumulator pushes the hydraulic oil in the lower volume of the accumulator into the lower chamber of the energy storage cylinder, thus the recovered energy is released so as to push the energy storage piston rod to uplift the jib; and wherein, the lifting system further comprises a controller and a sensor, wherein the controller is connected to the distributor equipped to the hydraulic pump, the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder, the upper chamber of the control cylinder and a hydraulic tank, respectively, the method further comprising the step of: d) opening the pathway from the hydraulic pump to the upper chamber of the control cylinder via the distributor by means of the controller, when the hydraulic pump is to supply the hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor, so as to allow the hydraulic pump to supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder through the distributor and the controller; wherein when the jib ascends, making the hydraulic oil in the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder return to the hydraulic tank via the controller; when the jib descends, making the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic tank be drawn into the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder via the controller; and when by use of the sensor detecting that the pressure of the hydraulic oil, which is delivered into the upper chamber for control cylinder by the hydraulic pump through the distributor and controller, exceeds a predetermined value, making the sensor send a signal to the controller such that the controller opens the pathway from the hydraulic pump to the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder via the distributor and closes the pathway from the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder to the hydraulic tank, so as to allow the hydraulic pump to simultaneously supply pressurized hydraulic oil to the upper chamber of the control cylinder and the upper chamber of the energy storage cylinder through the distributor and the controller.",
    "15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, in the step a), the pressure of the gas and hydraulic oil filled into the accumulator is set in such a manner that the force applied to the energy storage piston rod by the hydraulic oil in the accumulator substantially balances with the force applied to the energy storage piston rod by the weight of the jib."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a lifting system for the jib of an operating machine, a method for lifting the jib of an operating machine by use of the lifting system and an operating machine comprising the system.\n\nThe operating machines, such as excavator, loader dozer, crane, etc., use the ascending and descending of the jib to perform operation, however, in existing lifting systems for the jib, the weight of the jib is always so great that, when the jib ascends, it's necessary for the power system of the operating machine to provide enormous force with high energy consumption, and the speed for elevating the jib is relatively low; and when the jib descends, the gravitational potential energy of the jib is often wasted and can't be effectively utilized. Although some systems capable of recycling the gravitational potential energy when jib descends have been developed, these systems are complicated in their configuration, inconvenient in operation, and cannot effectively release the recovered energy to lift the jib quickly.\n\nThe present invention intends to solve the above problem in the prior art, i.e. to provide a lifting system for the jib, which is simple in its structure, easy to be operated, energy-saving, and can effectively recover and utilize the gravitational potential energy produced during the jib descending so as to lift the jib quickly.",
  "cpc": [
    "F15B 13/02",
    "B66C 13/20",
    "E02F 9/22",
    "E02F 9/2217",
    "E02F 9/226",
    "E02F 9/2271",
    "F15B 1/02",
    "F15B 1/024",
    "F15B 21/14",
    "F15B 2211/212",
    "F15B 2211/62",
    "F15B 2211/7107",
    "F15B 2211/88"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "F15B 13/02",
    "B66C 13/20",
    "E02F 9/22",
    "F15B 1/02",
    "F15B 21/14"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Shuanglai Yang"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2011-12-26",
  "publication_date": "2017-05-02",
  "grant_date": "2017-05-02",
  "priority_date": "2011-03-21",
  "application_number": "US-201114006342-A",
  "family_id": "46878622",
  "cited_by_count": 5,
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}