# US 2014/0150416 A1 · Hydraulic actuator damping control system for construction machinery

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- Number: US 2014/0150416 A1
- Document ID: US20140150416A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/131,792
- Filed: 2011-07-12
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-12
- Assignees: Volvo Construction Equipment AB
- Inventors: Chun-Han Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150416A1

## CPC

- E02F 9/2207: {for reducing or compensating oscillations}
- E02F 9/2228: {including an electronic controller}
- E02F 9/2296: {Systems with a variable displacement pump}
- F15B 11/006: {Hydraulic "Wheatstone bridge" circuits, i.e. with four nodes, P-A-T-B, and on-off or proportional valves in each link}
- F15B 11/042: by means in the feed line (F15B11/046, F15B11/05 take precedence)
- F15B 11/044: by means in the return line (F15B11/046, F15B11/05 take precedence)
- F15B 2211/30575: in a Wheatstone Bridge arrangement (also half bridges)
- F15B 2211/327: electrically or electronically
- F15B 2211/351: Flow control by regulating means in feed line, i.e. meter-in control
- F15B 2211/353: Flow control by regulating means in return line, i.e. meter-out control
- F15B 2211/6313: the pressure being a load pressure
- F15B 2211/6346: representing a state of input means, e.g. joystick position
- F15B 2211/665: Methods of control using electronic components
- F15B 2211/6654: Flow rate control
- F15B 2211/851: during starting
- F15B 2211/8606: the abnormal condition being a shock
- E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00)
- F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Disclosed is an actuator damping control system for reducing shocks imparted to a hydraulic actuator caused by a change in load resulting from an abrupt manipulation of a boom or other working device. The hydraulic actuator damping control system for construction machinery according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: first and second supply passages both supplying a hydraulic flow from a hydraulic pump to an inlet of an actuator; first and second discharge passages, both of which return the hydraulic flow from the actuator to a hydraulic tank; a first meter “in” control valve and a first meter “out” control valve for controlling the hydraulic flow supplied from the hydraulic pump to the actuator inlet and the hydraulic flow returned from the actuator outlet to the hydraulic tank, respectively, in order to control the actuator in a direction; a second meter “in” control valve and a second meter “out” control valve for controlling the hydraulic flow supplied from the hydraulic pump to the actuator inlet and the hydraulic flow returned from the actuator outlet to the hydraulic tank, respectively, in order to control the actuator in another direction; and a controller for outputting control signals for opening either the first or second meter “in” control valve according to the degree to which a joystick is manipulated and the load on the actuator, and for opening either the first or second meter “out” control valve when the load on the actuator exceeds a reference value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hydraulic actuator damping control system for a construction machine, the system comprising:
at least one hydraulic actuator connected to a variable displacement hydraulic pump;
first and second supply paths connected in parallel to a discharge flow path of the hydraulic pump 1 and configured to allow a hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump 1 to be respectively supplied to an inlet and an outlet of the actuator;
first and second discharge paths branch-connected to the first and second supply paths, respectively and configured to allow the hydraulic fluid from the actuator to be returned to a hydraulic tank T;
a first meter-in control valve and a first meter-out control valve configured to be switched to control the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid that is supplied from the hydraulic pump to the inlet of the actuator and the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid that is returned from the outlet of the actuator to the hydraulic tank T, respectively, so that the actuator can be driven in a direction;
a second meter-in control valve and a second meter-out control valve configured to be switched to control the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid that is supplied from the hydraulic pump to the outlet of the actuator and the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid that is returned from the inlet of the actuator to the hydraulic tank T, respectively, so that the actuator can be driven in the other direction;
an electric joystick configured to output an electric control signal that corresponds to a manipulation amount; and
a controller configured to control any one of the first and second meter-in control valves to be opened by the control signal according to the manipulation amount of the electric joystick and a control signal according to a load generated in the actuator, and output a control signal to open any one of the first and second meter-out control valves that control the flow rate of the hydraulic fluids that are returned from the outlet and the inlet of the actuator to the hydraulic tank T, respectively, if the load generated in the actuator exceeds a reference value.

### Claim 2

A method for controlling the damping of a hydraulic actuator in a hydraulic actuator damping control system for a construction machine, the system comprising a hydraulic actuator connected to a variable displacement hydraulic pump, a first meter-in control valve and a first meter-out control valve configured to be switched to control a hydraulic fluid that is supplied from a hydraulic pump to an inlet of the actuator and a hydraulic fluid that is returned from an outlet of the actuator to a hydraulic tank T, respectively, so that the actuator can be driven in a direction, a second meter-in control valve and a second meter-out control valve configured to be switched to control the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid that is supplied from the hydraulic pump to the outlet of the actuator and the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid that is returned from the inlet of the actuator to the hydraulic tank T, respectively, so that the actuator can be driven in the other direction, an electric joystick, and a controller, the method comprising the steps of:
reading a control signal value through a manipulation of the joystick, a pressure value generated at the inlet of the actuator, and a set pressure value at the hydraulic pump;
determining a difference between the control signal value according to the manipulation of the joystick and a reference value for determining whether the joystick is manipulated;
calculating a difference between the set pressure at the hydraulic pump and a target pressure at the inlet of the actuator if the control signal value according to the manipulation of the joystick exceeds the reference value;
determining whether an actual load generated at the inlet of the actuator exceeds the target pressure; and
outputting a control signal to open any one of the first and second meter-out control valves that controls the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid that is returned from the inlet of the actuator to the hydraulic tank T, respectively, if the actual load generated at the inlet of the actuator exceeds the target pressure;
whereby if the actual load generated at the inlet of the actuator according to the manipulation of the joystick exceeds the target pressure, a closed loop is formed and a control is repeatedly performed to reduce a shock due to a load change that occurs in the actuator by opening any one of the first and second meter-out control valves according to the control signal applied to any one of the first and second meter-out control valves.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the hydraulic actuator damping control system further comprises a pressure sensor configured to detect the pressure generated in the actuator and transmits a detection signal to the controller.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein if the actual load generated at the inlet of the actuator according to the manipulation of the joystick exceeds the target pressure, a control is performed to open any one of the first and second meter-out control valves by a maximum value that is determined by a difference between the set pressure at the hydraulic pump and the target pressure at the inlet of the actuator in a predetermined curve.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The hydraulic actuator damping control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein when the hydraulic actuator is driven in a stretchable manner, the first meter-in control valve and the first meter-out control valve are controlled to be opened and the second meter-in control valve and the second meter-out control valve are controlled to be opened in response to the control signal from the controller.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The hydraulic actuator damping control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein when the hydraulic actuator is driven in retractable stretchable manner, the second meter-in control valve and the second meter-out control valve are controlled to be opened and the first meter-in control valve and the first meter-out control valve are controlled to be opened in response to the control signal from the controller.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The hydraulic actuator damping control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the first and second meter-in control valves and the first and second meter-out control valves are implemented as solenoid valves that are switched in response to the electric control signal from the controller.