Control device for confluence flow rate of working device for construction machinery and control method therefor

A confluent flow control device for a working device of a construction machine, the device comprising:

• a first variable displacement hydraulic pump, a second variable displacement hydraulic pump, and a pilot pump;
• a first electrical control lever and a second electrical control lever outputting control signals corresponding to degrees of manipulation;
• a first working device being actuated by hydraulic fluid supplied by the first hydraulic pump;
• a second working device being actuated by hydraulic fluid supplied by the second hydraulic pump;
• a first working device control valve disposed on a supply passage between the first hydraulic pump and the first working device to control a direction and flow rate of hydraulic fluid supplied to the first working device when switched by pilot pressure applied by the pilot pump, with the pilot pressure corresponding to a degree of manipulation of the first electrical control lever;
• a second working device control valve disposed on a supply passage between the second hydraulic pump and the second working device to control a direction and flow rate of hydraulic fluid supplied to the second working device when switched by pilot pressure applied by the pilot pump, with the pilot pressure corresponding to a degree of manipulation of the second electrical control lever;
• a confluence valve disposed on the supply passage between the second hydraulic pump and the second working device, upstream of the second working device control valve, wherein the confluence valve, when switched by pilot pressure supplied by the pilot pump, allows a portion of hydraulic fluid discharged from the second hydraulic pump to flow through a confluence passage to join hydraulic fluid discharged from the first hydraulic pump, whereby the first and second working devices perform complex operations;
• a first proportional control valve disposed on a pilot line between the pilot pump and the confluence valve to convert pressure of hydraulic fluid supplied by the pilot pump to secondary pilot pressure corresponding to an electrical signal applied to the first proportional control valve and apply the converted secondary pilot pressure to the confluence valve;
• a second proportional control valve disposed on a pilot line between the pilot pump and the first working device control valve to convert pressure of hydraulic fluid supplied by the pilot pump to secondary pilot pressure corresponding to an electrical signal applied to the second proportional control valve corresponding to the degree of manipulation of the first electrical control lever, and apply the converted secondary pilot pressure to the first working device control valve;
• a third proportional control valve disposed on a pilot line between the pilot pump and the second working device control valve to convert pressure of hydraulic fluid supplied by the pilot pump to secondary pilot pressure corresponding to an electrical signal applied to the third proportional control valve corresponding to the degree of manipulation of the second electrical control lever, and apply the converted secondary pilot pressure to the second working device control valve;
• and
• a controller calculating the electrical signal from the electrical signals applied to the second proportional control valve and the third proportional control valve to be proportional to the degrees of manipulation of the first electrical control lever and the second electrical control lever and applying the calculated electrical signal to the first proportional control valve.

A method of controlling a confluent flow control device for a working device of a construction machine, the device comprising:

• first and second variable displacement hydraulic pumps;
• a pilot pump;
• first and second hydraulic control levers outputting control signals corresponding to degrees of manipulation;
• first and second working devices being actuated by hydraulic fluid supplied by the first and second hydraulic pumps;
• first and second working device control valves controlling operations of the first and second working devices when switched by pilot pressure applied thereto in response to the first and second hydraulic control levers being manipulated;
• a confluence valve, wherein the confluence valve, when switched by pilot pressure applied by the pilot pump, allows a portion of hydraulic fluid discharged from the second hydraulic pump to flow through a confluence passage to join hydraulic fluid discharged from the first hydraulic pump, whereby the first and second working devices perform complex operations;
• a first proportional control valve converting pilot pressure supplied to the confluence valve by the pilot pump to a secondary pressure corresponding to an electrical signal applied to the first proportional control valve;
• and a controller applying the electrical signal to the first proportional control valve, the electrical signal corresponding to pilot pressure formed in response to the first and second hydraulic control levers being manipulated, the method comprising:
• detecting a level of pilot pressure formed in response to the first hydraulic control lever being manipulated and detecting a level of pilot pressure formed in response to the second hydraulic control lever being manipulated;
• converting pilot pressure supplied to the first proportional control valve by the pilot pump to a secondary pilot pressure based on an electrical signal applied to the first proportional control valve to be proportional to a degree of manipulation of the first hydraulic control lever and applying the secondary pilot pressure to the confluence valve;
• comparing the level of pilot pressure detected in response to the second hydraulic control lever being manipulated with a predetermined specific level;
• and
• when the level of pilot pressure detected in response to the second hydraulic control lever being manipulated is greater than the specific level, applying an electrical signal to the first proportional control valve to apply a level of pilot pressure to the confluence valve, the level of pilot pressure being obtained by multiplying a level of secondary pilot pressure output from the first proportional control valve to be proportional to the degree of manipulation of the first hydraulic control lever by a level of secondary pilot pressure output from the first proportional control valve to be inversely proportional to a degree of manipulation of the second hydraulic control lever.

A method of controlling a confluent flow control device for a working device of a construction machine, the device comprising:

• first and second variable displacement hydraulic pumps;
• a pilot pump;
• first and second electrical control levers outputting control signals corresponding to degrees of manipulation;
• first and second working devices being actuated by hydraulic fluid supplied by the first and second hydraulic pumps;
• first and second working device control valves controlling operations of the first and second working devices when switched by electrical signals applied in response to the first and second electrical control levers being manipulated;
• a confluence valve, wherein the confluence valve, when switched by pilot pressure supplied by the pilot pump, allows a portion of hydraulic fluid discharged from the second hydraulic pump to flow through a confluence passage to join hydraulic fluid discharged from the first hydraulic pump, whereby the first and second working devices perform complex operations;
• a first proportional control valve converting pressure of hydraulic fluid supplied to the confluence valve by the pilot pump to a secondary pilot pressure corresponding to an applied electrical signal;
• a second proportional control valve converting pressure of hydraulic fluid supplied to the first working device control valve by the pilot pump to a secondary pilot pressure corresponding to an applied electrical signal;
• a third proportional control valve converting the pressure of hydraulic fluid supplied to the second working device control valve by the pilot pump to a secondary pilot pressure corresponding to an applied electrical signal;
• and a controller calculating the electrical signal from the electrical signals applied to the second and third proportional control valves to be proportional to degrees of manipulation of the first and second electrical control levers and applying the calculated electrical signal to the first proportional control valve, the method comprising:
• detecting an electrical signal generated in response to the first electrical control lever being manipulated;
• calculating an electrical signal to be proportional to the degree of manipulation of the first electrical control lever and applying the calculated electrical signal to the second proportional control valve;
• detecting an electrical signal generated in response to the second electrical control lever being manipulated;
• calculating an electrical signal to be proportional to the degree of manipulation of the second electrical control lever and applying the calculated electrical signal to the third proportional control valve;
• converting pilot pressure supplied to the first proportional control valve by the pilot pump to a secondary pilot pressure based on an electrical signal applied to the first proportional control valve to be proportional to the degree of manipulation of the first electrical control lever and applying the converted secondary pilot pressure to the confluence valve;
• comparing a level of an electrical signal detected in response to the second electrical control lever being manipulated with a predetermined specific level;
• and
• when the level of the electrical signal detected in response to the second electrical control lever being manipulated is greater than the specific level, applying an electrical signal to the first proportional control valve to apply a level of pilot pressure to the confluence valve, the level of pilot pressure being obtained by multiplying a level of secondary pilot pressure output from the first proportional control valve to be proportional to the degree of manipulation of the first electrical control lever by a level of secondary pilot pressure output from the first proportional control valve to be inversely proportional to the degree of manipulation of the second electrical control lever.