KR102869819B1 - Aerial lift work vehicle having automatic charging system for bucket battery - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an aerial work vehicle having a boom assembly and a bucket, a bucket battery configured on the bucket side, and a charging control unit that boosts voltage from a main battery under set conditions and transmits it to the bucket battery to charge it.

Description

Aerial lift work vehicle having automatic charging system for bucket battery

The present invention relates to a bucket and charging technology for an aerial work vehicle, and more specifically, to a power charging and management technology for an aerial work vehicle that enables the use of power in a bucket.

In general, an aerial work platform is a device equipped with a bucket at the end of a boom that allows workers to ride in and safely and quickly send workers to or return from a work location for work that requires work at heights, such as cleaning the interior and exterior of buildings and installing scaffolding, constructing factory ceilings, inspecting and repairing bridges, and installing or maintaining electrical and communication facilities.

In particular, aerial work platforms are commonly used for installation, maintenance, or replacement of electrical and communication facilities, and the buckets are insulated for the safety of workers.

Recently, there have been attempts to develop technologies such as applying power sources that can operate tools and shelves that can be placed inside buckets to take into account the worker's work efficiency.

Korean Utility Model Publication No. 20-2011-0004179 discloses a conventional aerial work platform, and Fig. 1 is a side view thereof.

Specifically, a boom member (200) having a plurality of booms (200) that are flexibly connected is connected to the vehicle body on the column side so that it can be raised, lowered, or rotated. The boom member (200) extends or contracts to a desired length to allow a worker to reach a location where work is required, and a basket (300) for a worker to board is installed at the end thereof. A hydraulic cylinder for controlling the angle of the boom member (200) with respect to the vehicle body and a power transmission device for expansion and contraction are connected to the boom member (200).

In recent years, with the increased use of automatic tools, workers are carrying various types of tools and using them from buckets, thereby reducing the time required to work at high positions.

In the case of the above conventional technology, in order to resolve the inconvenience of the operator riding in the basket in operating the boom or power source, a technology is proposed in which an operating unit is configured in the basket and the hydraulic pressure of the vehicle body is extended to the basket to be used as a power source.

However, in order to use a hydraulic system as a power source, it requires elements such as connecting hydraulic lines and valves and pumps to control them, which not only makes the structure complex, but also raises concerns about power loss.

To address this issue, one option is to connect power from the vehicle's main battery via a wire to the basket. However, this requires an electrical connection, which can lead to insulation issues, potentially increasing the risk of safety hazards such as electric shock to workers.

Meanwhile, there are also problems with powering the main battery of the vehicle to a high altitude via the column and boom for power tool use. Conventional battery output has low voltage, making it virtually impossible to transmit power and charge the bucket.

The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problem, and its purpose is to provide an aerial work vehicle capable of stably and efficiently supplying power from the main battery of the vehicle body to the bucket, while ensuring reliable power management and ensuring the safety of the user.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention provides an aerial work vehicle having a main battery, a boom assembly, and a bucket, the aerial work vehicle including a bucket battery (310) provided in the bucket, a booster (410) that boosts the output from the main battery and charges the bucket battery through a transmission line, a charging unit (420) that performs charging using the power boosted by the booster, a charging control unit (400) that includes a management unit (430) that controls the operation of the booster unit and the charging unit, and a connection unit (320) that controls the connection of the bucket battery to the transmission line.

The above management unit may be equipped with a boost judgment unit (431) that performs judgment on boost conditions for the output of the main battery, a charge/discharge judgment unit (432) that performs judgment on whether to charge the bucket battery and the charging direction, and a sensing unit (433) that receives a detection signal from a connection detection sensor (530), a settling detection sensor (510), or a column-side sensor (520), converts it into data, and provides it to the charge/discharge judgment unit.

In addition, the connection detection sensor can generate a detection signal regarding the connection status of the connection part and transmit it to the charging control part.

Additionally, the above-mentioned settling detection sensor or column-side sensor can generate a detection signal regarding the mounting state of the boom assembly.

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The above management unit may be composed of a boosting judgment unit (431) that performs judgment on boosting conditions for the output of the main battery, a charging/discharging judgment unit (432) that performs judgment on whether to charge the bucket battery and the charging direction, and a sensing unit (433) that receives a detection signal from a connection detection sensor (530), a settling detection sensor (510), or a column-side sensor (520), converts it into data, and provides it to the charging/discharging judgment unit.

In addition, the management unit may further include a history management unit (434) that manages the history of the number of charging times and charging amount for the bucket battery.

Meanwhile, it is preferable to further include a spare battery (450) that is charged by receiving power from the charging control unit.

By the configuration of the present invention described above, the limitations of power supply in an environment where a worker works while riding on a bucket are resolved, and the use of an automatic tool at a high position is possible through a bucket battery, thereby improving the efficiency and economy of work.

In addition, it has the effect of dramatically improving charging efficiency because it can overcome the transmission limit due to the low voltage of the main battery for the vehicle's electrical operation and automatically boost the voltage to be used for charging the bucket battery.

In addition, it is possible to prevent safety accidents by preventing undesirable current conditions during high-altitude work, and it has the effect of improving safety because automatic power transmission and charging are possible only under set conditions, such as the installed state of the boom assembly.

Figure 1 is a side view illustrating a conventional high-altitude work vehicle.
Figure 2 is a side view showing an aerial work vehicle having an automatic bucket charging system according to the concept of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining an embodiment of a charging control unit in an aerial work vehicle having an automatic bucket charging system of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a block diagram for explaining an embodiment of a management unit constituting a charging control unit.
FIG. 5 is a side view showing an aerial work vehicle having an automatic bucket charging system according to an additional embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an aerial work vehicle having an automatic bucket charging system according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.

In the following description, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where they are directly connected, but also cases where they are connected with other components or devices interposed between them. Furthermore, when a part is said to "include" a component, this does not exclude other components, but rather implies the inclusion of other components, unless otherwise specifically stated.

The present invention basically provides an aerial work vehicle having a boom assembly and a bucket, a bucket battery configured on the bucket side, and a charging control unit that boosts voltage from a main battery under set conditions and transmits it to the bucket battery to charge it.

In the description of the present invention, an aerial work vehicle refers to a vehicle having a bucket on which a person can ride, a boom assembly and column for moving the bucket to a desired aerial location, and a power system, and the shape or material of the members or parts constituting the vehicle does not limit the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side view showing an aerial work vehicle having an automatic bucket charging system according to the concept of the present invention.

An aerial work platform (100) may be equipped with a drive system for operation and work, and the drive system may be an internal combustion engine, a motor, or a hydraulic system. A predetermined loading platform is provided behind the driver's seat, and special members are connected to the loading platform. A boom assembly (200) connected to a column and a bucket (300) are configured at the end of the boom assembly (200). In addition, outriggers (reference numbers not shown) for settling on the ground may be configured on both sides of the loading platform. Since the operation and arrangement of the drive system of the aerial work platform (100) can be applied with known special-purpose vehicle technologies, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

A known alternator (120) capable of converting mechanical power from the drive system of the aerial work vehicle (100) into electric power, and a main battery (110) storing electric power from the alternator (120) are configured. The main battery (110) can supply electric power to the electrical system of the aerial work vehicle (100).

In the concept of the present invention, a bucket battery (310) is mounted on the bucket (300) side so that power can be extracted and stored from the main battery (110). The bucket battery (310) and the main battery (110) can be connected by a transmission line (401), and preferably, the transmission line (401) is connected to the bucket battery (310) via a portion of the column and boom assembly (200).

One or more connecting portions may be configured to enable current flow to the main battery (110) through the above-mentioned transmission line (401). The connecting portions may be configured at the connecting portions of the bucket (300) and the boom assembly (200) and/or at the connecting portions of each boom. Embodiments related to these connecting portions will be described later.

The above bucket battery (310) may be configured with, for example, a voltage standard of 12 V. In this case, if the main battery (110) outputs 12 V, charging is virtually impossible considering the equipment of the 12 V bucket battery (310).

To this end, a charging control unit (400) is interposed in the transmission line (401) to control the boosting and transmission of power output from the main battery (110). The charging control unit (400) performs the function of boosting the voltage of the main battery (110) and transmitting it to the bucket battery (310) according to set conditions. At this time, the charging control unit (400) may boost the voltage of 12 V to 24 V and transmit it.

Below, the charging control unit (400) will be examined in detail.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining an embodiment of a charging control unit in an aerial work vehicle having an automatic bucket charging system of the present invention.

The vehicle body is equipped with a known electrical system that connects to an alternator (120) and a main battery (110), and a charging control unit (400) performs the function of connecting the main battery (110) and a bucket battery (310). As described above, the main battery (110) and the bucket battery (310) can be electrically connected through a power transmission line (401).

The charging control unit (400) may include a boost unit (410) that boosts the voltage from the main battery (110) to a set voltage, a charging unit (420) that transmits the power converted by the boost unit (410) as charging power, and a management unit (430) that determines the boosting conditions of the boost unit (410) and/or the charging conditions of the charging control unit (400).

The above-mentioned step-up unit (410) may be configured to include a known power conversion circuit. For example, the power conversion circuit may be configured as a DC-DC converter and may be capable of stepping up a voltage level of 12 V to a voltage level of 24 V.

The above charging unit (420) can perform a function of transmitting power that is boosted and controlled to the bucket battery (310) according to a predetermined control command from the management unit (430).

Meanwhile, in addition to the bucket battery (310) and main battery (110), a spare battery (450) may be further included on the loading side. The spare battery (450) may replace the bucket battery (310) in cases where work must be performed when the charge of the bucket battery (310) is insufficient, in cases where the bucket battery (310) malfunctions, etc., and charging may be performed according to the selection of the charging control unit (400).

The above bucket battery (310), main battery (110) or reserve battery (450) may be selected from a known power storage method such as a lead-acid battery, a lithium-ion battery, or a lithium-iron phosphate battery.

The above charging unit (420) can select to transmit and charge power to the reserve battery (450) and/or the bucket battery (310), and a known switching means can be provided for this purpose.

As mentioned above, the above-mentioned reserve battery (450) may be a reserve power source that can replace or be used in addition to the bucket battery (310). Additionally, it may be considered to add a sub-battery (not shown) that can be added to the charging control unit (400) to transmit charging power to the bucket battery (310). Such a sub-battery may be used as a reserve power source for charging the bucket battery (310) by assisting the main battery (110).

A management unit (430) functions to control the above-mentioned boosting unit (410) and charging unit (420), and the management unit (430) can determine whether predetermined boosting, charging, and transmission conditions are met and generate a control signal.

For example, if the output from the booster (410) does not reach the set output, it may be a case where a problem has occurred in the function of the alternator (120), the main battery (110), or the booster (410), and in this case, the management unit (430) may stop power transmission to the bucket battery (310). The management unit (430) may allow charging to occur only when the set output level of the booster (410) is satisfied.

In addition, charging can be performed only when the bucket (300) is in an unused state or when the boom assembly (200) is in a stationary state, and the management unit (430) can control the pressure increase and/or charging to be performed only when these charging conditions are satisfied. Specific embodiments of the management unit (430) will be described later.

In order to determine the above charging conditions, one or more sensors may be connected to the charging control unit (400), and the detection signal of the sensor may be a factor for determining the boosting or charging conditions in the management unit (430).

For example, a connection detection sensor (530) may be configured to determine the connectivity of the bucket battery (310) with the transmission line. In addition, a landing detection sensor (510) and/or a column-side sensor (520) may be configured to detect the lowering and loading status of the boom assembly (200). Various sensing means for detecting a predetermined contact status may be applied to the sensors, and may be, for example, a limit switch or a proximity sensor.

Meanwhile, the charging control unit (400) can perform communication with other devices, including a communication unit (440). Basically, the communication unit (440) performs communication with sensors, and power line communication may be used at this time.

However, in some cases, it may be considered that the communication unit (440) is equipped with a wireless communication module for wireless communication with multiple sensors or mobile terminals such as smartphones. The wireless communication module may be applied to various methods such as communication methods provided by mobile communication networks including, for example, CDMA, WCDMA, HSDPA, GSM, Wibro, 3G, 4G, LTE, LTE CatM1, etc., as well as Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), Bluetooth, Infrared (IrDA: Infrared Data Association), wireless LANN (IEEE 802.11), SWAP (Shared Wireless Access Protocol), WPAN (Wireless Personal Area network), Zigbee, and low-power short-range communication LoRa (Long Range) networks. When such a wireless communication module is applied, the flexibility of the arrangement of sensor devices will be further improved.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram for explaining an embodiment of a management unit constituting the above charging control unit.

The power generated from the alternator (120) is supplied to and stored in the main battery (110) after undergoing a predetermined conversion or stabilization process, and the main battery (110) supplies power to operate the electric system of the aerial work vehicle (100). As described above, the charging control unit (400) can perform a predetermined control operation to transmit power to the bucket (300).

Accordingly, the management unit (430) is equipped with a boost judgment unit (431), and the boost judgment unit (431) can perform control to boost the output of the main battery (110). The boost judgment unit (431) can operate the boost unit (410) to generate an output of, for example, 24 V when the charging conditions of the bucket battery (310) described below are satisfied and a predetermined boosting condition is satisfied. In some cases, the boosting conditions may be the same as the charging conditions described below.

In addition, the management unit (430) is equipped with a charge/discharge judgment unit (432), and can determine whether to transmit the power boosted by the booster unit (410) to the bucket battery (310) to charge it when the set charging conditions are satisfied. The charging conditions may be a case where the connectivity between the bucket battery (310) and the transmission line is verified and/or a case where the boom assembly (200) or bucket (300) is in a mounted state.

The sensing unit (433) can collect detection signals from each sensor and convert them into data. Specifically, it receives detection signals regarding the connection of the transmission line (401), the installation state of the boom assembly (200), or the downward rotation state of the boom assembly (200). The function of this sensing unit (433) is described with reference to the details illustrated in FIG. 3.

In one embodiment, the connectivity between the bucket battery (310) and the transmission line (401) can be detected through a connection detection sensor (530). A connection part (320) capable of interrupting an electrical connection can be arranged in the path of the transmission line connecting the charging control unit (400) and the bucket battery (310), and the connection detection sensor (530) can generate a detection signal regarding whether the connection part (320) is connected.

The above-mentioned connecting portion (320) may be formed, for example, by one of the booms (booms connected to the column) of the boom assembly (200) and a terminal on the bucket (300) or the end boom side. The boom assembly (200) is formed of a plurality of booms, and is extended for high-altitude work to position the bucket (300) at a high location, and is contracted when stored or placed to position the bucket (300) adjacent to the loading platform or the driver's seat. The connecting portion (320) comes into contact with the boom assembly (200) in a contracted state, and the connection detection sensor (530) can detect this contracted state. As described above, the connection detection sensor (530) may be formed by a known contact means such as a proximity sensor or a switch.

In some cases, the above connection detection sensor (530) may be configured as a circuit that detects the connection of the connection part (320) through the energization state of the transmission line.

In addition, a settling detection sensor (510) may be configured to detect the mounting state of the boom assembly (200). As described later, the loading platform side of the aerial work vehicle (100) has a boom mounting portion (150 in FIG. 5) capable of mounting the boom assembly (200), and a settling detection sensor (510) may be arranged at a contact portion between the boom mounting portion (150) and the boom assembly (200). As described above, the settling detection sensor (510) may be formed of a proximity sensor or a limit switch. When the settling detection sensor (510) detects the contact state of the boom assembly (200) and generates a settling detection signal, the sensing unit (433) receives it and converts it into data, and the charging/discharging determination unit (432) may function to determine the charging conditions.

In addition, a column-side sensor (520) may be configured as an additional embodiment for determining the mounting state. The column-side sensor (520) may recognize the rotation angle of the column of the boom assembly (200) and detect whether it has rotated downward to the mounting position. Accordingly, the column-side sensor (520) may be arranged adjacent to the actuator, which is the rotating part of the boom assembly (200). As described above, the column-side sensor (520) may be configured as a proximity sensor or a limit switch. When the boom assembly (200) contracts and moves downward, a column detection signal may be generated from the column-side sensor (520) at the mounting position and transmitted to the sensing unit (433) to be converted into data.

The above-mentioned settling detection sensor (510) and column-side sensor (520) can be arranged interchangeably or additionally to detect the mounting state of the boom assembly (200).

Meanwhile, the charge/discharge determination unit (432) can select whether to charge and the charging direction based on the data of the sensing unit (433). According to an additional concept of the present invention, the charge control unit (400) can be connected to a reserve battery (450). Accordingly, the charge/discharge determination unit (432) can select the charging direction of the boosted main battery (110) to the bucket battery (310) or the reserve battery (450).

For example, when the boost condition is met and the charging condition is met - a state in which detection signals from the connection detection sensor (530), the settling detection sensor (510), and the column-side sensor (520) are generated - the charge/discharge determination unit (432) may transmit the boosted power to the bucket battery (310). In addition, when the boost condition is met but the charging condition is not met, or when the charging condition is met but the bucket battery (310) is fully charged, the boosted power may be transmitted to the reserve battery (450).

In an additional embodiment, the charge/discharge determination unit (432) may perform a selection determination when only some of the detection signals input to the sensing unit (433) are received. For example, when no detection signal is received from the column-side sensor (520) or the settling detection sensor (510), but a detection signal from the connection detection sensor (530) is received, the operation may be regarded as a temporary pause state and charging power may be transmitted to the bucket battery (310). In this case, a predetermined display device (not shown) may be set to display selections and wait for a user's input.

In addition, the charge/discharge judgment unit (432) may also be considered to determine whether to use the power extracted from either the main battery (110) or the sub-battery to charge the bucket battery (310). For example, if the output level of the main battery (110) is lower than the set level, the boost condition will not be satisfied, but if the charging condition is satisfied, the power from the sub-battery can be transmitted to the transmission line (401) and used as the charging power of the bucket battery (310).

For this purpose, the output level of the sub-battery may be a boosted voltage (e.g., 24 V). In case of an emergency, the charging control unit (400) may also be considered to boost the output of the reserve battery (450) and supply it to the bucket battery (310). In addition, even when the main battery (110) is using power for the operation of electrical components or other operating mechanisms for the operation of the aerial work vehicle (100), the charge/discharge determination unit (432) may allow charging using the power of the sub-battery in place of the main battery (110).

In addition, the management unit (430) may further include a history management unit (434) to store a log file regarding the number of charging cycles and the amount of charging of the bucket battery (310). The number of charging cycles and the amount of power may be related to the lifespan management of the bucket battery (310), and the management unit (430) may notify the user terminal of the time of replacement or management.

Meanwhile, the management unit (430) may further include an alarm unit (not shown) to provide the user with a notification regarding the charging/discharging status or the mounting status through sound or light. For example, if a detection signal from a connection detection sensor (530) is generated but a detection signal from a settling detection sensor (510) or a column-side sensor (520) is not generated, the alarm unit may function to enable confirmation of the mounting status. In addition, if the mounting status is confirmed and power is transmitted, if power transmission to the bucket battery (310) is not provided, if the battery inspection time is determined by the history management unit (434), or if the charging condition is satisfied but the boosting condition is not satisfied, the alarm unit may perform a buzzer notification or light up.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing an aerial work vehicle having an automatic bucket charging system according to an additional embodiment of the present invention.

Descriptions overlapping with those in Fig. 2 regarding the configuration of the aerial work vehicle (100) and the charging of the bucket battery (310) will be omitted. In an additional embodiment of the present invention, as described above, the charging control unit (400) and the reserve battery (450) are connected. The charging control unit (400) determines and controls the charging of the bucket battery (310), and as described above, can control charging to the reserve battery (450) or charging from the sub-battery to the bucket battery (310).

In some cases, it may be considered that the above-mentioned spare battery (450) and sub-battery are configured as one unit.

The above charging control unit (400) is connected to the bucket battery (310) through a transmission line, and a connection unit (320) is provided on the bucket battery (310) side of the transmission line. As described above, the connection detection sensor (530) detects the connection status of the connection unit (320), which may be a detection of the contraction status of the boom assembly (200).

In addition, a boom mounting portion (150) may be installed to protrude upwards on the front side of the loading platform. The upper end of the boom mounting portion (150) may have a shape that allows the bottom surface of the boom assembly (200) to be in close contact with and be placed thereon. A mounting detection sensor (510) is arranged on the upper surface contact portion of the boom mounting portion (150). According to another embodiment, it may also be considered that the mounting detection sensor (510) is configured as a load cell.

In addition, a column side sensor (520) is configured on the upper and lower rotational portion of the boom assembly (200) to detect the downward rotational mounting position of the boom assembly (200).

The above connection detection sensor (530) and/or the settling detection sensor (510) and/or the column side sensor (520) are connected to the management unit (430) by wired or wireless communication, and data by the detection signal can be a factor in determining the boost condition and the charging condition.

By means of the aerial work vehicle having the bucket automatic charging system of the present invention described above, the limited environment in which a worker must ride on the bucket to work is overcome, and the use of automatic tools at an elevated location is enabled through the bucket battery, thereby improving the efficiency and economy of work.

In addition, it can prevent safety accidents by preventing undesirable current conditions during high-altitude work, and safety is improved because power transmission and charging are only possible under set conditions, such as the installed state of the boom assembly.

In addition, the charging efficiency is dramatically improved because the low voltage transmission limit of the main battery for the vehicle's electrical operation can be overcome and the voltage can be automatically boosted and used for charging.

The present invention has been described in detail above based on the examples and accompanying drawings. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the above examples and drawings, and the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the contents set forth in the claims below.

100...high-altitude work vehicle 110...main battery
120...alternator 150...boom mounting
200...boom assembly 300...bucket
310...Bucket battery 320...Connector
400...Charging control unit 401...Transmission line
410... booster section 420... charging section
430...Management Department 431...Voltage Boosting Decision Department
432...Charge/discharge judgment unit 433...Sensing unit
434...Resume Management Department 440...Communications Department
450...spare battery 510...settlement detection sensor
520...column-side sensor 530...connection detection sensor

Claims (7)

In an aerial work vehicle equipped with a main battery, boom assembly and bucket,
Bucket battery (310) provided in the bucket;
A charging control unit (400) comprising a booster unit (410) that boosts the output of the main battery, a charging unit (420) that performs charging using the power boosted by the booster unit, and a management unit (430) that controls the operation of the booster unit and the charging unit;
Including a connection part (320) that interrupts the connection with the transmission line of the above bucket battery;
The above management department,
An aerial work platform having a bucket automatic charging system, comprising a boosting judgment unit (431) that performs judgment of boosting conditions for the output of the main battery, a charging/discharging judgment unit (432) that performs judgment of whether to charge and the charging direction of the bucket battery, and a sensing unit (433) that receives a detection signal from a connection detection sensor (530), a settling detection sensor (510), or a column-side sensor (520), converts it into data, and provides it to the charging/discharging judgment unit.
In the first paragraph,
The above connection detection sensor is,
An aerial work platform having a bucket automatic charging system that generates a detection signal regarding the connection status of the above-mentioned connection part and transmits it to a charging control part.
In the second paragraph,
The above-mentioned settling detection sensor or column-side sensor is an aerial work vehicle having a bucket automatic charging system that generates a detection signal regarding the mounting state of the boom assembly.
delete delete In the first paragraph,
The above management department,
An aerial work platform having a bucket automatic charging system further equipped with a history management unit (434) that manages the history of the number of charging times and charging amount for the bucket battery.
In the first paragraph,
An aerial work platform having a bucket automatic charging system further including a spare battery (450) that is charged by receiving power from a charging control unit.