JP7759287B2 - Shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device and shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device and a shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis method.

Construction machinery is equipped with a shaft coupling that connects a drive shaft (e.g., engine output shaft) that outputs power from a prime mover (e.g., engine) to a driven shaft (e.g., hydraulic pump rotating shaft) of a driven mover (e.g., hydraulic pump) that is driven by the power transmitted from the drive shaft of the prime mover.

Many of the shaft couplings installed in construction machinery are shaft couplings that transmit the power output from the drive shaft of the prime mover to the driven shaft of the driven machine via an elastic body (also known as "elastic shaft couplings"). This type of shaft coupling can absorb misalignment between the central axes of the drive shaft and driven shaft, as well as torque fluctuations in the prime mover, through the elastic deformation of the elastic body, enabling smooth torque transmission between the prime mover and driven machine.

In shaft couplings, the elastic material wears out due to aging, deformation caused by fatigue, etc. When the elastic material wears out, it becomes difficult to smoothly transmit torque between the prime mover and driven machine, and in some cases, it can lead to failures such as shaft breakage. Therefore, it is advisable to diagnose signs of abnormal wear in the shaft coupling and replace the elastic material at the appropriate time.

One way to diagnose signs of abnormal wear in axle couplings is to predict trends in wear based on a statistical model that shows the relationship between the operating time of the construction machinery and the wear amount of the couplings. This statistical model can be generated, for example, by measuring the wear amount of a large number of couplings previously collected from a certain model of construction machinery and correlating this with the operating time of the construction machinery. However, when the wear amount of multiple couplings actually collected from construction machinery is measured, there are cases where the wear amount is high despite the operating time being short. Even for the same model of construction machinery, the wear amount of the couplings varies depending on the operating skill of the operator.

As a technology for assessing a driver's driving skill, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that estimates information related to the driver's driving skill and physical condition, and provides necessary support depending on the driving situation. The system disclosed in Patent Document 1 determines that driving assistance is necessary if any one of the following driving skills is below a reference value: steering skill, accelerator skill, braking skill, or turn signal skill.

Patent No. 6499682

However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a technology for identifying drivers with low skills. Applying the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 to predicting the progression of wear in axle couplings is difficult because it requires quantifying the driving technique related to wear.

In light of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to easily and accurately diagnose signs of abnormal wear in a shaft coupling by easily and accurately predicting the progression of wear in the shaft coupling while taking into account the pilot's driving skills.

In order to solve the above problems, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device of the present invention is a shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device that diagnoses signs of abnormal wear in a shaft coupling that connects a drive shaft that outputs power from a prime mover to a driven shaft of a driven machine that is driven by the power transmitted from the drive shaft, and is characterized by comprising: a wear amount acquisition unit that acquires the wear amount; an operation data acquisition unit that acquires operation data of a machine on which the shaft coupling is mounted; a data accumulation unit that accumulates the acquired wear amount and the operation data; a skill determination unit that determines the operating skill of the operator of the machine based on the accumulated operation data; a prediction unit that predicts a change in the wear amount based on the accumulated operation data and the wear amount and the determined operating skill; and a diagnosis unit that diagnoses the signs of abnormal wear based on the change in the predicted wear amount.

The shaft coupling wear diagnosis method of the present invention is a method for diagnosing signs of abnormal wear in a shaft coupling that connects a drive shaft that outputs power from a prime mover to a driven shaft of a driven machine that is driven by the power transmitted from the drive shaft. It is characterized by including the steps of: determining the driving skill of the operator of a machine equipped with the shaft coupling based on operation data of the machine; predicting a change in the wear amount based on the operation data, the wear amount, and the determined driving skill; and diagnosing the signs of abnormal wear based on the predicted change in the wear amount.

This invention makes it possible to easily and accurately predict the progression of wear on a shaft coupling by taking into account the pilot's driving skills, thereby enabling easy and accurate diagnosis of abnormal signs of wear on the shaft coupling.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a shaft coupling. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device according to a first embodiment; 10 is a diagram showing the operating noise of a prime mover when wear of a shaft coupling has progressed to a certain extent. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of data stored in a data storage unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a model for predicting the transition of the amount of wear of a shaft coupling. 3 is a flowchart showing a method for diagnosing the amount of wear of a shaft coupling using the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosing device shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device according to a third embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Components with the same reference numerals in each embodiment have the same function in each embodiment unless otherwise specified, and their description will be omitted.

[Embodiment 1]
A shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG.

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the shaft coupling 80.

The shaft coupling 80 connects a drive shaft 61 (e.g., the output shaft of an engine) that outputs power from a prime mover 60 (e.g., an engine) to a driven shaft 71 (e.g., the rotating shaft of a hydraulic pump) of a driven machine 70 (e.g., a hydraulic pump) that is driven by the power transmitted from the drive shaft 61.

The shaft coupling 80 shown in Figure 1 is an elastic shaft coupling that transmits power output from the drive shaft 61 of the prime mover 60 to the driven shaft 71 of the driven machine 70 via an elastic body 85. The shaft coupling 80 absorbs misalignment between the central axis of the drive shaft 61 and the central axis of the driven shaft 71, torque fluctuations of the prime mover 60, and the like, through elastic deformation of the elastic body 85. The shaft coupling 80 is an elastic shaft coupling mounted on construction machinery such as a hydraulic excavator.

The shaft coupling 80 includes a drive shaft side block 81, a hub member 82, a driven shaft side block 83, and an elastic body 85.

The drive shaft side block 81 is formed as a roughly sector-shaped block body. Multiple drive shaft side blocks 81 are fixed to the flywheel 62 attached to the drive shaft 61 at circumferential intervals using screws or the like. A flange 81a extending circumferentially is provided on both circumferential sides of the outer diameter of the drive shaft side block 81. The flange 81a restricts radial displacement of the elastic body 85.

The hub member 82 is formed as a thick-walled cylinder. The hub member 82 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the driven shaft 71 by a spline connection.

The driven shaft side block 83 is formed as a roughly fan-shaped block body. Multiple driven shaft side blocks 83 are fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the hub member 82 at circumferential intervals using screws or the like. The driven shaft side blocks 83 are arranged to protrude radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the hub member 82. Circumferentially extending flanges 83a are provided on both circumferential sides of the outer diameter side of the driven shaft side block 83. The flanges 83a restrict radial displacement of the elastic body 85.

The elastic body 85 is formed as a thick-walled cylinder made of rubber or the like. The inner surface of the elastic body 85 defines a housing portion 86 that houses the hub member 82. On the outer surface of the elastic body 85, drive shaft side engaging portions 87 that engage with the drive shaft side block 81 and driven shaft side engaging portions 88 that engage with the driven shaft side block 83 are formed alternately and spaced apart circumferentially. The drive shaft side engaging portions 87 and the driven shaft side engaging portions 88 are formed as grooves recessed radially inward from the outer surface of the elastic body 85. The portion between the drive shaft side engaging portions 87 and the driven shaft side engaging portions 88 is a compressed portion 89 that is compressed circumferentially by the drive shaft side block 81 and the driven shaft side block 83.

The compression portion 89 of the elastic body 85 wears due to aging, deformation due to fatigue, and other factors, reducing its circumferential thickness. This causes the flange 81a of the drive shaft side block 81 and the flange 83a of the driven shaft side block 83 to approach each other. The compression portion 89 of the elastic body 85 then wears further, reducing its circumferential thickness. As wear of the elastic body 85 progresses in this manner, the flange 81a and flange 83a will eventually come into contact, resulting in a failure such as shaft breakage. Therefore, it is important to diagnose signs of abnormal wear in the shaft coupling 80, and it is desirable to replace the elastic body 85 at the appropriate time.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 1. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the operating noise of the motor 60 when wear of the shaft coupling 80 has progressed to a certain extent. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of data stored in the data accumulation unit 23. Figure 5 is a diagram explaining a model for predicting the progression of wear amount.

The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 is a device that diagnoses abnormal signs in the amount of wear of the shaft coupling 80. Specifically, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 predicts the trend in the amount of wear of the shaft coupling 80 and diagnoses abnormal signs in the amount of wear based on the predicted trend in the amount of wear.

The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 is installed inside a construction machine, such as a hydraulic excavator, equipped with a shaft coupling 80. Specifically, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 is installed in the construction machine's control device 20. The control device 20 controls the various devices and operations installed on the construction machine. The control device 20 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs calculations, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that serves as a secondary storage device for storing programs describing the calculation procedures, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that serves as a primary storage device for storing calculation progress and temporary control variables. The control device 20 is configured as a microcomputer combining the CPU, ROM, and RAM. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 is configured using the above-mentioned CPU and other components installed in the control device 20, and the CPU executes programs to realize the various functions of the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 can also be applied to shaft couplings 80 installed on machines other than construction machines.

The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 includes a wear amount acquisition unit 21, an operation data acquisition unit 22, a data accumulation unit 23, a skill determination unit 24, a prediction unit 25, a diagnosis unit 26, and a diagnosis result output unit 27.

The wear amount acquisition unit 21 acquires the current wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 periodically or upon request. Specifically, the wear amount acquisition unit 21 acquires the wear amount based on abnormal sound components contained in the operating sound of the prime mover 60 when the rotation speed of the prime mover 60 is changed. For example, the wear amount acquisition unit 21 uses a microphone installed on the construction machine to acquire the operating sound when the key is turned off on a construction machine while the prime mover 60 is operating at the minimum rotation speed (low idling). This wear amount may be acquired each time the key is turned off while the prime mover 60 is operating at the minimum rotation speed.

When a construction machine operating at minimum engine speed (motor 60) is keyed off, the engine speed of the motor 60 changes from minimum to zero. In this case, as shown in Figure 3, in the period prior to key-off time T1, the amplitude of the engine 60's operating noise remains roughly constant, excluding fluctuations due to noise, etc. After key-off time T1, the amplitude of the engine 60's operating noise gradually decreases and converges at time T2. However, in the period Tc from key-off time T1 to time T2 at which the amplitude of the operating noise converges, peaks P1 to P6, which indicate abnormal sound components, occur in the amplitude of the engine 60's operating noise. Peaks P1 to P6 are the amplitude of the operating noise that exceeds a predetermined threshold. This threshold can be calculated in advance through experiments, etc.

The wear amount acquisition unit 21 extracts the amplitude (peaks P1 to P6) of the operating sound that exceeds a predetermined threshold as an abnormal sound component. Operating sound that includes an abnormal sound component is a rattling sound that can be heard during the period from when the construction machine is keyed off until the amplitude of the operating sound of the prime mover 60 converges. The occurrence interval of the abnormal sound component correlates with the amount of wear of the shaft coupling 80 (more specifically, the amount of wear of the elastic body 85). As the occurrence interval of the abnormal sound component increases, the amount of wear of the shaft coupling 80 increases.

The wear amount acquisition unit 21 is preset with a wear model that indicates the relationship between the occurrence interval of abnormal sound components and the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80. The wear model can be described as a mathematical formula in which the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 increases as the occurrence interval of abnormal sound components increases. The wear amount acquisition unit 21 calculates the occurrence interval of the extracted abnormal sound components and substitutes it into the mathematical formula that describes the preset wear model, thereby acquiring the current wear amount of the shaft coupling 80. The wear amount acquisition unit 21 outputs the acquired wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 to the data accumulation unit 23. The wear amount acquisition unit 21 may output the acquired wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 to the data accumulation unit 23 periodically in the form of daily report data, or may output it to the data accumulation unit 23 upon request. Note that the daily report is just one example of the wear amount output format, and a monthly report may also be used; the wear amount output format can be set as desired.

The operation data acquisition unit 22 acquires operation data of the construction machine on which the shaft coupling 80 is installed. The operation data acquisition unit 22 synchronizes with the wear amount acquisition unit 21 to acquire current operation data of the construction machine periodically or on request. Specifically, the operation data acquisition unit 22 acquires data such as the model of the construction machine or shaft coupling 80, the operating time of the construction machine, the load applied to the driven machine 70 while operating the construction machine, the work content while operating the construction machine, and the operator's identification information. The load applied to the driven machine 70 while operating the construction machine is, for example, the hydraulic load applied to the hydraulic pump which is the driven machine 70, and can be expressed by the discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump. The operation data includes sensor information detected by various sensors installed on the construction machine, and publicly known content can be used.

The operation data acquisition unit 22 acquires current operation data from the engine controller or monitor controller of the construction machinery that constitutes the control device 20, and outputs it to the data accumulation unit 23. The operation data acquisition unit 22 may output the acquired operation data to the data accumulation unit 23 periodically in the form of daily report data, etc., or may output it to the data accumulation unit 23 upon request. The daily report data includes date and time information and location information. This makes it possible to grasp trends such as the date, time, and location of driving operations that result in high hydraulic loads.

The data accumulation unit 23 is composed of a database, etc. The data accumulation unit 23 accumulates the wear amount of the axle coupling 80 acquired by the wear amount acquisition unit 21 and the operation data acquired by the operation data acquisition unit 22 on a daily basis. In addition, the data accumulation unit 23 calculates and stores the wear amount of the axle coupling 80 per unit time from the current wear amount of the axle coupling 80. The wear amount of the axle coupling 80 per unit time is the value obtained by dividing the current wear amount of the axle coupling 80 by the operation time of the construction machine. The wear amount of the axle coupling 80 per unit time may be calculated by the prediction unit 25. Furthermore, the data accumulation unit 23 stores the identification information of the operator who performed the operation corresponding to the operation data acquired by the operation data acquisition unit 22, and the operator's operation skills.

The skill assessment unit 24 assesses the piloting skill of the operator of the construction machinery based on the operation data accumulated in the data accumulation unit 23. Specifically, the skill assessment unit 24 assesses that the piloting skill is lower the greater the hydraulic load included in the operation data accumulated in the data accumulation unit 23. For example, the skill assessment unit 24 references the hydraulic load acquired over a certain period (e.g., several hours) during operation time and calculates the rate at which high hydraulic loads exceeding a specified value occurred. If the rate at which hydraulic loads exceeding the specified value occur is high enough to exceed a first reference value, the skill assessment unit 24 assesses the piloting skill as a low rank "C rank." If the rate at which hydraulic loads exceeding the specified value occur does not exceed the first reference value but does exceed a second reference value (smaller than the first reference value), the skill assessment unit 24 assesses the piloting skill as an intermediate rank "B rank." If the rate at which hydraulic loads exceeding the specified value occur is low enough to not exceed the second reference value, the skill assessment unit 24 assesses the piloting skill as a high rank "A rank." For ease of explanation, the assessment results are ranked from A to C, but this is not necessarily limited to three levels and may be changed as desired depending on the convenience of the user. Furthermore, the display format of the assessment results is not limited to ranks, and may be shown as a "score" that quantifies the indicators.

Even if the operator's driving skill is the same, hydraulic load may change depending on the model of the construction machine or coupling 80 and the work content while operating the construction machine. When determining driving skill from the occurrence rate of hydraulic load exceeding a specified value, the skill determination unit 24 can change the above-mentioned reference value compared with the occurrence rate of hydraulic load depending on the model of the construction machine or coupling 80 included in the operation data accumulated in the data accumulation unit 23 and the work content while operating the construction machine. This allows the skill determination unit 24 to determine driving skill taking into account the model and work content, thereby enabling a more accurate determination of driving skill.

The skill assessment unit 24 outputs the assessed piloting skill to the prediction unit 25. Furthermore, the skill assessment unit 24 stores the occurrence rate of hydraulic loads exceeding a specified value and the piloting skill in the data accumulation unit 23. Figure 4 shows an example in which the operator's identification information, the operating time of the construction machine, the occurrence rate of hydraulic loads exceeding a specified value, and the piloting skill rank are stored in association with each other in the data accumulation unit 23.

The prediction unit 25 predicts the change in the amount of wear on the coupling 80 based on the operational data and wear on the coupling 80 accumulated in the data accumulation unit 23, and the operation skill determined by the skill determination unit 24. Specifically, the prediction unit 25 makes the prediction based on a statistical model (hereinafter also referred to as the "prediction model") for predicting the change in the amount of wear on the coupling 80. The prediction model in this embodiment is a statistical model that shows the relationship between the operation time of the construction machine, the amount of wear on the coupling 80 per unit time, and operation skill.

Figure 5 shows an example of a prediction model of this embodiment. The vertical axis of Figure 5 represents the amount of wear on the shaft coupling 80 per unit time. The horizontal axis of Figure 5 represents the operating time of the construction machine. As shown in Figure 5, it can be seen that as the operating time of the construction machine increases, the amount of wear on the shaft coupling 80 per unit time also increases. As shown in Figure 5, it can be seen that even if the operating time of the construction machine is the same, the lower the operating skill, the greater the amount of wear on the shaft coupling 80 per unit time. The prediction model can be described for each operating skill as an approximation of the graph shown in Figure 5.

The prediction unit 25 can estimate the amount of wear on the shaft coupling 80 per unit time for each driving skill by substituting the operating time of the construction machine into an approximation equation for a graph corresponding to the driving skill.The prediction unit 25 can then predict the progress of the amount of wear on the shaft coupling 80 based on the estimated amount of wear on the shaft coupling 80 per unit time.

For example, the prediction unit 25 estimates the amount of wear on the shaft coupling 80 per unit time when the operation time of the construction machine reaches time X by substituting time X, which represents the operation time of the construction machine, into an approximation equation for a graph corresponding to the operator's skill. The prediction unit 25 estimates the amount of wear on the shaft coupling 80 when the operation time of the construction machine reaches time X by multiplying the estimated amount of wear on the shaft coupling 80 per unit time by the time X. The prediction unit 25 estimates multiple amounts of wear on the shaft coupling 80 by changing the time X multiple times. The prediction unit 25 can estimate changes in the amount of wear on the shaft coupling 80 in response to changes in the operation time of the construction machine by plotting the multiple estimated amounts of wear on the shaft coupling 80 in correspondence with multiple times X. In this way, the prediction unit 25 can predict changes in the amount of wear on the shaft coupling 80 in response to changes in the operation time of the construction machine, taking into account the operator's operation skill.

In addition, since the skill determination unit 24 determines the driving skill based on the hydraulic load acquired over a certain period of time (e.g., several hours), the prediction unit 25 can predict the progress of wear on the shaft coupling 80 taking driving skill into account, even if the operator changes. A change in operator can be detected by facial recognition of images captured by a camera installed inside the cab of the construction machine.

The diagnosis unit 26 diagnoses signs of abnormality in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 based on the change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 predicted by the prediction unit 25. Specifically, the diagnosis unit 26 may be configured with multiple boundary values that distinguish the degree of abnormality in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80. The diagnosis unit 26 may then compare the change in the predicted wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 with the multiple boundary values that were configured in advance to diagnose signs of abnormality in the wear amount.

For example, the diagnostic unit 26 may be configured with first to third boundary values pre-set. The first boundary value, second boundary value, and third boundary value are assumed to be smaller in this order. If the predicted change in wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 is equal to or less than the first boundary value, the diagnostic unit 26 may diagnose the change in wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 as "normal." If the predicted change in wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 exceeds the first boundary value and is equal to or less than the second boundary value, the diagnostic unit 26 may diagnose the change in wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 as "normal, but caution is required." If the predicted change in wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 exceeds the second boundary value and is equal to or less than the third boundary value, the diagnostic unit 26 may diagnose the change in wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 as "normal, but replacement of the elastic body 85 is recommended." If the predicted change in wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 exceeds the third boundary value, the diagnostic unit 26 may diagnose the change in wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 as "abnormal." The diagnostic unit 26 can diagnose not only whether there is an abnormality in the amount of wear of the shaft coupling 80, but also whether there are any signs of an abnormality in the amount of wear, using these diagnostic results as "No abnormality," "No abnormality but caution required," "No abnormality but replacement of the elastic body 85 recommended," and "Abnormality present." The diagnostic unit 26 outputs the diagnostic results and the progress of the amount of wear of the shaft coupling 80 to the diagnostic result output unit 27.

The diagnostic result output unit 27 outputs the diagnostic results of the diagnostic unit 26 and the progress of wear on the shaft coupling 80 to a display device installed on the construction machine or to a communication device installed on the construction machine for transmission to the user's terminal device. The diagnostic results, such as "No abnormalities," "No abnormalities but caution required," and "No abnormalities but replacement of the elastic body 85 recommended," are not limited to text messages but may be simply ranked from A to C or displayed in red, yellow, or blue. One example of a time series line graph showing the progress of wear is one in which the vertical (Y) axis indicates the amount of wear and the horizontal (X) axis indicates the progress over time. However, any display format other than a graph is acceptable. If there is little change since the previous diagnosis or if not much time has passed, a simple display may be used, such as displaying only the rank corresponding to the previous diagnosis result in comparison with the current diagnosis result. Alternatively, depending on the urgency of the diagnostic results, the output timing combination may be arbitrarily set, such as only for cases where "no abnormalities found, but replacement of the elastic body 85 is recommended," or including "no abnormalities found, but caution required." This makes it possible to effectively utilize the accumulated history of assessment results to check changes in skill since the previous time, or to use this information to improve from the next time onwards. This allows the diagnostic result output unit 27 to notify the user of the diagnostic results of the diagnosing unit 26. The user may be the operator, manager, or maintenance worker of the construction machinery.

The diagnostic result output unit 27 may also output an alert based on the diagnostic result of the diagnosing unit 26 to notify the user. For example, if the diagnostic result of the diagnosing unit 26 is "no abnormalities found, but replacement of the elastic body 85 is recommended," the diagnostic result output unit 27 may output an alert urging replacement of the elastic body 85 and notify the maintenance personnel. This allows the maintenance personnel to suggest replacement of the elastic body 85 to the manager of the construction machinery in a timely manner. The destination of the alert notification may be set or changed as desired.

The diagnostic result output unit 27 may also output an alert to notify the user in accordance with the judgment result of the skill judgment unit 24. For example, if there is a driver whose skill judgment unit 24 has judged him/her to be "C rank," the diagnostic result output unit 27 may output an alert encouraging the driver to improve his/her driving if the "C rank" continues for a certain period of time, and notify the driver. In this case, the diagnostic result output unit 27 may notify the driver twice, once after operating the construction machine and once before the next operation. Note that the timing of the output is not limited to a predetermined period of time, and may be set in units of times, such as three times without resolution. The driving skill rank may be updated each time the construction machine is operated. For example, if there is a driver whose skill judgment unit 24 has judged him/her to be "A rank," the diagnostic result output unit 27 may output an alert indicating that the driver is an exemplary driver and notify the driver or manager if the "A rank" continues for a certain period of time. For example, if the skill assessment unit 24 assesses a driver with a "B" rank, the diagnostic result output unit 27 may output an alert to the driver urging them to improve their operation only if the rate of hydraulic loads exceeding a specified value increases. The content of the alert, the timing of the alert output, and the recipients of the alert can be set arbitrarily depending on the driver's operation skill rank and the need for improvement. This allows the driver to improve their operation skills. Managers can benefit from reduced loads, which extend the lifespan of the construction machinery. While the alert may be output before the operation, the assessment result of the skill assessment unit 24 also includes operational data from the data accumulation unit 23, which includes date, time, and location information. Therefore, as an example, the alert may be output after taking into consideration and understanding not only the skill of the driver but also trends in time periods and driving areas where other drivers are likely to experience high hydraulic loads. This allows for flexible responses, such as outputting an alert before approaching driving areas that require caution based on the characteristics of each driver or driving areas that require caution for other drivers.

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a method for diagnosing the amount of wear of a shaft coupling using the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 shown in Figure 2.

In step S101, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 acquires the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 acquires the wear amount based on abnormal sound components contained in the operating sound of the prime mover 60 when the rotation speed of the prime mover 60 is changed.

In step S102, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 acquires operational data for the construction machine on which the shaft coupling 80 is installed. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 acquires operational data from the construction machine's engine controller, etc., which constitutes the control device 20.

In step S103, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 accumulates the acquired wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 and the construction machine operation data.

In step S104, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 determines the driver's driving skill based on the accumulated operation data. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 calculates the occurrence rate of hydraulic loads included in the operation data that exceed a specified value, and determines that the higher the occurrence rate, the lower the driver's driving skill.

In step S105, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 predicts the change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 based on the accumulated operation data, the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80, and the determined operation skill. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 predicts the change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 based on a prediction model that indicates the relationship between the operation time of the construction machine included in the operation data, the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 per unit time, and the operation skill.

In step S106, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 diagnoses signs of abnormality in the wear amount based on the predicted change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 may diagnose signs of abnormality in the wear amount by comparing the predicted change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 with multiple preset boundary values.

In step S107, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 outputs the diagnosis results of the abnormality signs, an alert, etc., and notifies the user. For example, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 can determine the predicted wear amount three months from now based on the predicted change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 and notify the user. The maintenance technician can then promptly suggest replacement of the elastic body 85 to the construction machinery manager. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis method shown in Figure 6 is then completed.

Note that the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 may change the order in which step S102 is performed, provided that it is performed before step S103.

As described above, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 1 is a device that diagnoses signs of abnormal wear in the shaft coupling 80 that connects the drive shaft 61 that outputs power from the prime mover 60 and the driven shaft 71 of the driven machine 70 that is driven by the power transmitted from the drive shaft 61. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 includes a wear amount acquisition unit 21 that acquires the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 includes an operation data acquisition unit 22 that acquires operation data of the construction machine on which the shaft coupling 80 is mounted. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 includes a data accumulation unit 23 that accumulates the acquired wear amount and operation data. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 includes a skill assessment unit 24 that assesses the driving skill of the operator of the construction machine based on the accumulated operation data. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 includes a prediction unit 25 that predicts a trend in the wear amount based on the accumulated operation data and wear amount, and the assessed driving skill. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 is equipped with a diagnosis unit 26 that diagnoses the abnormality signs based on the predicted change in wear amount.

In other words, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 determines the operation skill based on operational data acquired from existing construction machinery, and predicts the change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 taking into account the determined operation skill. This allows the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 to easily and accurately predict the change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80. Therefore, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 can easily and accurately diagnose signs of abnormal wear in the shaft coupling 80. Construction machinery maintenance personnel or managers can optimize maintenance plans for the shaft coupling 80, such as the timing of replacing the elastic body 85. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 can significantly reduce construction machinery downtime and improve construction machinery productivity.

Furthermore, the wear amount acquisition unit 21 acquires the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 based on abnormal sound components contained in the operating sound of the prime mover 60 when the rotation speed of the prime mover 60 is changed.

As a result, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 can obtain the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 without having to disconnect the prime mover 60 and the driven machine 70 and disassemble the shaft coupling 80. Furthermore, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 can diagnose signs of abnormal wear even when the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 is still small, by taking advantage of the fact that abnormal sound components are generated in the operating sound of the prime mover 60, even before the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 reaches an abnormal amount. Therefore, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 can diagnose signs of abnormal wear of the shaft coupling 80 even more easily and accurately.

Furthermore, the operation data acquisition unit 22 acquires the operation time of the construction machine and the hydraulic load applied to the hydraulic pump (driven machine 70) while the construction machine is being operated as operation data of the construction machine. The skill determination unit 24 determines the operator's operation skill based on the hydraulic load. The data accumulation unit 23 stores the amount of wear of the shaft coupling 80, the operation time, the hydraulic load, and the operation skill. The prediction unit 25 predicts the change in the amount of wear based on a prediction model that indicates the relationship between the operation time, the amount of wear per unit time, and the operation skill.

In other words, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 determines the operation skill based on the operating time and hydraulic load acquired from an existing construction machine, and predicts the change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 taking the determined operation skill into consideration. This allows the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 to easily and accurately predict the change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80. Furthermore, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 predicts the change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 based on a prediction model that shows the relationship between the operating time of the construction machine, the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 per unit time, and the operation skill. This allows the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 to accurately predict the change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 even when the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 changes nonlinearly with changes in the operating time of the construction machine. Therefore, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 can predict the change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 even more easily and accurately. Therefore, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 can diagnose abnormal signs in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 even more easily and accurately.

Furthermore, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 further includes a diagnosis result output unit 27 that outputs an alert in response to the diagnosis result of the diagnosis unit 26.

As a result, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 can quickly notify the diagnosis results of the diagnosis unit 26 to the maintenance personnel or manager of the construction machinery. The maintenance personnel or manager of the construction machinery can quickly optimize the maintenance plan for the shaft coupling 80, such as the timing of replacing the elastic body 85. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 can further reduce the downtime of the construction machinery and further improve the productivity of the construction machinery.

Furthermore, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 is installed inside the construction machine. That is, the wear amount acquisition unit 21, operation data acquisition unit 22, data accumulation unit 23, skill determination unit 24, prediction unit 25, diagnosis unit 26, and diagnosis result output unit 27 are installed inside the construction machine.

As a result, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 can easily and accurately predict the progression of the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 without having to install a separate processing device outside the construction machine to realize these functions. Therefore, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 can diagnose abnormal signs in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 even more easily and accurately.

The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis method of embodiment 1 is a shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis method that diagnoses signs of abnormal wear in the shaft coupling 80 that connects the drive shaft 61 that outputs power from the prime mover 60 and the driven shaft 71 of the driven machine 70 that is driven by the power transmitted from the drive shaft 61. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis method includes determining the driving skill of the operator of the construction machine based on operation data of the construction machine on which the shaft coupling 80 is installed (step S104). The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis method also includes predicting a change in the wear amount based on the operation data, the wear amount, and the determined driving skill (step S105). The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis method also includes diagnosing the signs of abnormality based on the predicted change in the wear amount (step S106).

In other words, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis method determines the operation skill based on operational data acquired from existing construction machinery, and predicts the change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 taking into account the determined operation skill. As a result, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis method can easily and accurately predict the change in the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80. Therefore, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis method can easily and accurately diagnose signs of abnormal wear in the shaft coupling 80. Construction machinery maintenance personnel or managers can optimize maintenance plans for the shaft coupling 80, such as the timing of replacing the elastic body 85. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis method can significantly reduce construction machinery downtime and improve construction machinery productivity.

Furthermore, the amount of wear of the shaft coupling 80 is obtained based on the abnormal sound components contained in the operating sound of the prime mover 60 when the rotation speed of the prime mover 60 is changed.

As a result, the shaft coupling wear diagnosis method can obtain the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 without having to disconnect the prime mover 60 and the driven machine 70 and disassemble the shaft coupling 80. Furthermore, the shaft coupling wear diagnosis method can diagnose signs of abnormal wear even when the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 is still small, by taking advantage of the fact that abnormal sound components are generated in the operating sound of the prime mover 60, even before the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 reaches an abnormal amount. Therefore, the shaft coupling wear diagnosis method can diagnose signs of abnormal wear of the shaft coupling 80 even more easily and accurately.

[Embodiment 2]
A shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. In the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of the second embodiment, the description of the same configuration and operation as those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 2.

In the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 2, the wear amount acquisition unit 21 and the operation data acquisition unit 22 are provided in the construction machine control device 20. In the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 2, the data accumulation unit 23, the skill determination unit 24, the prediction unit 25, the diagnosis unit 26, and the diagnosis result output unit 27 are provided in a server device 30 that can communicate with the construction machine.

The server device 30 is equipped with a CPU, ROM, and RAM, and is installed in a construction machinery management sensor, etc. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 2 is configured with the above-mentioned CPU, etc., provided in the server device 30, and the CPU executes programs to realize the various functions of the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1.

The wear amount acquisition unit 21 of embodiment 2 transmits the acquired wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 to the data accumulation unit 23 provided in the server device 30. The operation data acquisition unit 22 of embodiment 2 transmits the acquired operation data to the data accumulation unit 23 provided in the server device 30. The diagnosis result output unit 27 of embodiment 2 transmits the diagnosis results, etc. to the construction machine for display on a display device provided in the construction machine, or transmits the diagnosis results, etc. to the user's terminal device for display.

In this way, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 2 has the data accumulation unit 23, skill determination unit 24, prediction unit 25, diagnosis unit 26, and diagnosis result output unit 27 provided in the server device 30, allowing for faster processing of these functions than in embodiment 1. Therefore, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 2 can diagnose signs of abnormal wear in the shaft coupling 80 more quickly than in embodiment 1. Furthermore, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 2 can significantly increase the amount of data that can be stored in the data accumulation unit 23 compared to embodiment 1. Therefore, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 2 can more accurately predict the progression of the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 using a huge amount of data, allowing for more accurate diagnosis of signs of abnormal wear in the shaft coupling 80 than in embodiment 1.

[Embodiment 3]
A shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. In the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of the third embodiment, the description of the same configuration and operation as those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 3.

The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 3 is provided in a communication device 40 that is retrofitted to a construction machine. That is, in embodiment 3, the communication device 40 is provided with a wear amount acquisition unit 21, an operation data acquisition unit 22, a data accumulation unit 23, a skill determination unit 24, a prediction unit 25, a diagnosis unit 26, and a diagnosis result output unit 27.

The communication device 40 is, for example, a service controller that is retrofitted or externally attached to the construction machine. The service controller is configured by a microcomputer that combines a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 3 is configured by the above-mentioned CPU and other components provided in the communication device 40, and the CPU executes programs to realize the various functions of the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1. The service controller is provided separately from the control device 20, which controls the various devices and operations installed on the construction machine. The service controller is connected to the various controllers of the construction machine that make up the control device 20 via a gateway device.

The wear amount acquisition unit 21 of embodiment 3 detects that the key has been turned off on a construction machine with the prime mover 60 operating at the minimum rotation speed, and acquires the operating sound of the prime mover 60 using a microphone built into the communication device 40. The wear amount acquisition unit 21 of embodiment 3 acquires the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 based on abnormal sound components contained in the acquired operating sound. The operation data acquisition unit 22 of embodiment 3 can acquire operation data of the construction machine from various controllers of the construction machine that make up the control device 20 via a gateway device. The diagnosis result output unit 27 of embodiment 3 displays the diagnosis results, etc. on a display device provided on the construction machine, or transmits the diagnosis results, etc. to a user's terminal device for display. The diagnosis result output unit 27 of embodiment 3 may also transmit the diagnosis results, etc. to the server device 30.

In this way, in the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 3, the wear amount acquisition unit 21, operation data acquisition unit 22, data accumulation unit 23, skill determination unit 24, prediction unit 25, diagnosis unit 26, and diagnosis result output unit 27 are provided in a communication device 40 that is retrofitted to a construction machine, making it easier to introduce the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 into a construction machine than in embodiment 1. Therefore, the shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device 1 of embodiment 3 can more easily predict the progression of the wear amount of the shaft coupling 80 and more easily diagnose signs of abnormal wear in the shaft coupling 80 than in embodiment 1.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention as set forth in the claims. The present invention allows the configuration of one embodiment to be added to the configuration of another embodiment, the configuration of one embodiment to be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, or part of the configuration of one embodiment to be deleted.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device, 21... Wear amount acquisition unit, 22... Operation data acquisition unit, 23... Data accumulation unit, 24... Skill determination unit, 25... Prediction unit, 26... Diagnosis unit, 27... Diagnosis result output unit, 30... Server device, 40... Communication device, 60... Prime mover, 61... Drive shaft, 70... Driven machine, 71... Driven shaft, 80... Shaft coupling

Claims (9)

A shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device that diagnoses signs of abnormal wear in a shaft coupling that connects a drive shaft that outputs power from a prime mover to a driven shaft of a driven machine that is driven by the power transmitted from the drive shaft,
a wear amount acquisition unit that acquires the wear amount;
an operation data acquisition unit that acquires operation data of a machine on which the shaft coupling is mounted;
a data storage unit that stores the acquired wear amount and the acquired operation data;
a skill determination unit that determines the driving skill of the operator of the machine based on the accumulated operation data;
a prediction unit that predicts a change in the wear amount based on the accumulated operational data and the wear amount and the determined piloting skill;
a diagnosis unit that diagnoses the abnormality sign based on the change in the predicted wear amount. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the wear amount acquisition unit acquires the wear amount based on an abnormal sound component contained in an operating sound of the prime mover when a rotation speed of the prime mover is changed. the operation data acquisition unit acquires, as the operation data, an operating time of the machine and a load applied to the driven machine while the machine is being operated;
the skill determination unit determines the piloting skill based on the load,
the data storage unit stores the wear amount, the operating time, the load, and the piloting skill;
The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the prediction unit predicts the change in the wear amount based on a model that indicates a relationship between the operating time, the wear amount per unit time, and the driving skill. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device according to claim 1, further comprising a diagnosis result output unit that outputs an alert in accordance with the diagnosis result of the diagnosis unit. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device according to claim 1, characterized in that the wear amount acquisition unit, the operation data acquisition unit, the data accumulation unit, the skill determination unit, the prediction unit, and the diagnosis unit are provided inside the machine. the wear amount acquisition unit and the operation data acquisition unit are provided in the machine,
The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the data accumulation unit, the skill determination unit, the prediction unit, and the diagnosis unit are provided in a server device capable of communicating with the machine. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis device according to claim 1, characterized in that the wear amount acquisition unit, the operation data acquisition unit, the data accumulation unit, the skill determination unit, the prediction unit, and the diagnosis unit are provided in a communication device of the machine. A shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis method for diagnosing abnormal signs of wear in a shaft coupling connecting a drive shaft that outputs power from a prime mover to a driven shaft of a driven machine that is driven by the power transmitted from the drive shaft, comprising:
Determining the driving skill of a driver of a machine based on operation data of the machine on which the shaft coupling is mounted;
predicting a transition of the wear amount based on the operational data, the wear amount, and the determined piloting skill;
diagnosing the abnormality sign based on the change in the predicted wear amount. The shaft coupling wear amount diagnosis method according to claim 8, wherein the wear amount is acquired based on an abnormal sound component contained in an operating sound of the prime mover when a rotation speed of the prime mover is changed.