CRANE AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING SAME

Abstract

The invention relates to a crane, in particular a rotary tower crane (1), comprising a crane boom (3), from which runs a hoisting cable (6) connected to the load hook (7), as well as comprising a load hook positioning device (8) for determining the load hook position, wherein the load hook positioning device (8) has at least three electromagnetic radio modules (9) exchanging radio signals with one another, of which at least one radio module is attached to the load hook and at least two further radio modules are attached to the crane structure and/or in the environment of the crane in a spaced apart manner, as well as an electronic evaluation device for evaluating the radio signals and determining the position of the load hook from the radio signals.

Claims

1. A crane having a crane boom from which a hoist rope connected to a load hook runs off, and having a load hook position determiner for determining a load hook position of the load hook, wherein the load hook position determiner has electromagnetic radio modules configured to exchange radio signals with one another, wherein the electromagnetic radio modules comprise at least one radio module attached to the load hook and at least two radio modules spaced apart from one another and attached to the crane and/or in a crane environment, wherein the at least one radio module is configured to exchange radio signals with each of the at least two radio modules, wherein the at least one radio module has an electronic evaluator, and wherein the load hook position is determinable via the electronic evaluator from radio signals exchanged between the at least one radio module and the at least two radio modules.

2. The crane of claim 1, wherein a trolley is travelably supported along the crane boom, wherein the hoist rope runs off from the trolley, and wherein the electromagnetic radio modules further comprise at least one radio module attached to the trolley.

3. The crane of claim 1, wherein a trolley is travelably supported along the crane boom, wherein the hoist rope runs off from the trolley, wherein the electromagnetic radio modules further comprise at least three radio modules attached to the trolley such that the at least three radio modules are arranged at corners of a triangle in a vertical plan view of the trolley, wherein each of the at least three radio modules is configured to exchange signals with the at least the radio module, and wherein a position of the load hook relative to the trolley, including a horizontal offset of the load hook with respect to the trolley, is determinable via the electronic evaluator from radio signals exchanged between the at least one radio module and the at least three radio modules.

4. The crane of claim 1, wherein at least one radio module of the at least two radio modules is attached to the crane boom, wherein the electromagnetic radio modules further comprise at least one radio module attached to a trolley travelable along the crane boom, wherein the at least one radio module attached to the load hook is configured to exchange radio signals with the at least one radio module of the at least two radio modules and with the at least one radio module attached to the trolley, and wherein a position of the load hook relative to the crane boom, including a horizontal offset of the load hook with respect to the trolley caused by swaying, is determinable via the electronic evaluator from radio signals exchanged between the at least one radio module attached to the load hook and the at least one radio module of the at least two radio modules and the at least one radio module attached to the trolley.

5. The crane of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radio modules further comprise at least two radio modules spaced apart from one another and attached to at least each end section of the crane boom, wherein the at least one radio module is configured to exchange radio signals with each of the at least two radio modules spaced apart from one another and attached to at least each end section of the crane boom, and wherein a position of the load hook relative to the crane boom is determinable via the electronic evaluator from radio signals exchanged between the at least one radio module and the at least two radio modules spaced apart from one another and attached to at least each end section of the crane boom.

6. The crane of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radio modules are suppliable with electrical energy from an energy store.

7. The crane of claim 1, wherein the at least one radio module is suppliable with electrical energy from a generator rotationally drivable by a rope deflection pulley provided at at least the load hook.

8. The crane of claim 1, wherein the electronic evaluator has a time of flight determiner for determining signal times of flight between the electromagnetic radio modules and for determining distances between the electromagnetic radio modules from the signal times of flight.

9. The crane of claim 8, wherein the time of flight determiner comprises a TDOA module for determining time differences of arrival of a radio signal from one of the electromagnetic radio modules to other of the electromagnetic radio modules and for determining the signal times of flight between the electromagnetic radio modules.

10. The crane of claim 8, wherein the time of flight determiner comprises a TOA module or a TOF module for determining absolute times of arrival of a radio signal of one of the electromagnetic radio modules at other of the electromagnetic radio modules, and wherein the distances between the electromagnetic radio modules are determinable via the TOA module or the TOF module from the absolute times of arrival or from transmission times.

11. The crane of claim 1, wherein the electronic evaluator has an angle determiner for determining angles between the electromagnetic radio modules, and wherein positions of the electromagnetic radio modules relative to one another are trigonometrically determinable via the electronic evaluator from angles determined by the angle determiner.

12. The crane of claim 11, wherein the angle determiner has a phase shift module for determining phase shifts of radio signals at the electromagnetic radio modules, and wherein angles between the electromagnetic radio modules are determinable via the angle determiner from phase shifts determined by the phase shift module.

13. The crane of claim 11, wherein the angle determiner has a damping module for determining a damping of antennas of the electromagnetic radio modules caused by a directional radio pattern, and wherein angles between the electromagnetic radio modules are determinable via the angle determiner from damping determined by the damping module.

14. The crane of claim 1, further comprising a sensor device provided at the load hook, wherein position data and/or orientation data and/or acceleration data is determinable via the sensor device, and wherein a load hook position is calculatable via the electronic evaluator from position data and/or orientation data and/or acceleration data detected by the sensor device.

15. The crane of claim 14, wherein the sensor device comprises an inertial measurement unit (IMU) having an acceleration detector and/or a rotation rate detector for providing acceleration signals and/or rotation rate signals, wherein the electronic evaluator has a first determiner for determining and/or estimating a tilt of the load hook from acceleration signals and/or rotational rate signals from the inertial measurement unit (IMU) and has a second determiner for determining a deflection of the hoist rope and/or of the load hook with respect to the vertical from a determined tilt of the load hook and an inertial acceleration of the load hook.

16. The crane of claim 14, wherein the electronic evaluator comprises a Kalman filter for merging the load hook position determined from the radio signals exchanged between the at least one radio module and the at least two radio modules and a load hook position determined from position data and/or orientation data and/or acceleration data detected by the sensor device.

17. A method of controlling a crane having a crane boom from which a hoist rope connected to a load hook runs off, and having a load hook position determiner for determining a load hook position of the load hook, wherein radio signals are exchanged between at least one radio module attached to the load hook and radio modules attached to the crane, and wherein the load hook position is determined by an electronic evaluator from the radio signals that are exchanged between the at least one radio module attached to the load hook and the radio modules attached to the crane.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein signal times of flight of the exchanged radio signals and/or of angles of the exchanged radio signals at the at least one radio module attached to the load hook and the radio modules attached to the crane are determined by the electronic evaluator, and wherein the load hook position is calculated from the signal times of flight and/or from the angles.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein a slewing gear and/or a hoisting gear and/or a trolley chassis of the crane are controlled with reference to the determined load hook position.

20. A device for controlling a crane having a crane boom from which a hoist rope connected to a load hook runs off, and having a load hook position determiner for determining a load hook position of the load hook, wherein radio signals are exchangeable between at least one radio module attached to the load hook and radio modules attached to the crane, and wherein the load hook position is determinable via an electronic evaluator from radio signals that are exchanged between the at least one radio module attached to the load hook and the radio modules attached to the crane.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The invention will be explained in more detail in the following with reference to a preferred embodiment and to associated drawings. There are shown in the drawings:

[0039] FIG. 1: a side view of a crane in the form of a revolving tower crane in accordance with an advantageous embodiment of the invention, at whose boom a travelable trolley is provided from which the hoist rope connected to a load hook runs off;

[0040] FIG. 2: a schematic side view of the crane of FIG. 1 that shows the arrangement of the radio modules at the load hook at the trolley and at the boom of the crane; and

[0041] FIG. 3: a plan view of the crane of the preceding Figures that shows a transverse deflection of the load hook with respect to the trolley and the distribution of the radio modules at the load hook and trolley.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] As FIG. 1 shows, the crane can, for example, be configured as a top-slewing revolving tower crane 1 whose tower 2, that extends upright, supports a boom 3 and optionally a counterboom. Said boom 3 can be rotated relative to the tower 2 about the upright longitudinal tower axis 4 and can adopt an at least approximately horizontal position. It would, however, alternatively also be possible with a configuration as a bottom-slewer that the tower 2 can be rotated together with the boom 3 with respect to the crane base. It would furthermore also be possible that the boom 3 can be luffed up and down about a horizontal transverse axis.

[0043] A trolley 5 is travelably suspended at said boom 3 so that the trolley 5 can be traveled substantially over the total length of the boom 3 to be able to vary the outreach of the load hook 7. Said load hook 7 is here fastened to a hoist rope 6 that runs off over said trolley 6 to be able to lower and raise the load hook 7. A load pulley 13 having one or more deflection pulleys can be provided at the load hook 7 in a manner known per se here via which the hoist rope 6 is deflected or reeved at the load hook 7.

[0044] As FIG. 2 shows, a load hook position determination device 8 comprises a plurality of electromagnetic radio modules 9 that exchange electromagnetic radio signals with one another and can be configured, for example, as cellular radio modules in accordance with the 5G standard.

[0045] In this respect, at least one radio module 9 is fastened to the load hook 7, for example centered at an upper side of said deflection pulley. At least three further radio modules 9 are advantageously arranged at said trolley 5, with the radio modules 9 at the trolley 5 being able to be positioned at the trolley 5 offset from one another in the longitudinal boom direction and transversely thereto, in particular at the corners of an approximately equilateral triangle that is arranged in a horizontal plane. In other words, the radio modules 9 can be arranged at the same height at the trolley 5 and can be arranged offset along and transversely to the longitudinal boom axis.

[0046] As FIG. 2 shows, further radio modules 9 can be fastened to end sections of the crane boom 3.

[0047] Said radio modules 9 all alternately exchange radio signals with one another as the arrows in FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate. Alternatively or additionally, cabling is also possible to transmit the signals.

[0048] Said load hook position determination device 8 comprises an evaluation device 10 that can be configured in the form of an electronic processing unit, for example having a microprocessor and a program memory in which an evaluation algorithm or evaluation software can be stored.

[0049] The electronic evaluation device 10 can be provided at one of the radio modules 9, for example at the radio module 9 attached to the boom 3 in the proximity of the tower 2, but optionally also as part of the crane control.

[0050] Said electronic evaluation device 10 here advantageously comprises a time of flight determination device 11 that can be worked through as a software module by the microprocessor and that can determine the time of flight of the signals between the radio modules 9.

[0051] Said time of flight determination device 11 can here comprise a TDOA module 12, a TOA module 13, and/or a TOF module, 14, as previously explained to determine the signal time of flight with reference to the differences of the times of arrival and/or with reference to the absolute times of arrival, and/or the times of transmission and to calculate the distances between the radio modules 9 from them. Said TDOA, TOA, or TOF modules 12, 13, 14, can likewise be worked through in the form of a software module by the microprocessor of the electronic evaluation device. Said evaluation device 10 calculates the distances between the radio modules from the signal times of flight and in turn calculates the position of the radio module 9 attached to the load hook 7 relative to the trolley 7 and/or to the boom 3 from them.

[0052] Said evaluation device 10 can furthermore also comprise an angle determination device 15 by means of which the angles between the radio modules 9 can be calculated, in particular via the phase shifts of the radio signals at the different radio modules 9 and/or via damping caused by the directional radio pattern in the antennas of the radio modules 9. Said angle determination device 15 can comprise correspondingly configured phase shift modules and/or damping modules 16 and 17 that can determine the phase shifts and the damping. Said phase shift modules and damping modules 16 and 17 can likewise be configured in the form of software modules that can be carried out by the processor of the electronic evaluation device 10.

[0053] The angle determination device 15 can calculate the angles of the radio signals and thus the angles between the radio modules 9 with reference to the measured or determined phase shifts and/or damping. The position of the radio module 9 at the load hook and thus the load hook position can be calculated by the evaluation device 10 from the radio signals determined in such a manner using trigonometric calculations.

[0054] A sensor device 18 is furthermore provided at the load hook 9 to measure position values and/or orientation values and/or acceleration values of the load hook 7, with such a sensor device 18 in particular being able to measure the accelerations and rotation rates occurring at the load hook. For this purpose, the sensor device 18 can in particular comprise an inertial measurement unit that is attached to the load hook 7 and that can preferably transfer its measurement signals wirelessly to the evaluation device 10 of the load hook position determination device 8.

[0055] The load hook position can be calculated by the electronic evaluation device 10 with reference to the accelerations and rotation rates provided by the sensor device, for example using the method known per se in accordance with DE 10 2007 039 408 A1. To improve the detection accuracy, the results from this calculation with reference to the accelerations and the rotation rates can advantageously be merged with the position determination from the radio signals, for example of the time of flight measurement, in the electronic evaluation device 10 or in one of the radio modules 9, which can be implemented, for example, with the aid of a Kalman filter.