Construction machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10876273-B2
Application number	US-201815924661-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2018
Priority date	Mar 22, 2017
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A control section determines a monitoring region, a region wherein an obstacle is to be monitored, the monitoring region not including the lower travelling body. The control section changes the monitoring region so as not to include the lower travelling body based on a turn angle detected by the turn angle detection section. The control section limits operation of at least one of travelling of the lower travelling body and turning of the upper slewing body when the obstacle detection section detects an obstacle being present in the monitoring region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A construction machine comprising:
a lower travelling body;
an upper slewing body turnable with respect to the lower travelling body;
a controller to control travelling of the lower travelling body, and turning of the upper slewing body with respect to the lower travelling body;
a turn angle detection sensor to detect a turn angle of the upper slewing body with respect to the lower travelling body to input a detected turn angle to the control section; and
an obstacle detection sensor attached to the upper slewing body to detect an obstacle and input a detection result to the controller, wherein
the controller determines a monitoring region in which an obstacle is to be monitored, the monitoring region not including the lower travelling body,
the controller changes the monitoring region so as not to include the lower travelling body in the monitoring region, based on the turn angle detected by the turn angle detection sensor,
the controller limits operation of at least one of travelling of the lower travelling body and turning of the upper slewing body when the obstacle detection sensor detects an obstacle being present in the monitoring region, and
based upon a change in the turn angle detected by the turn angle detection sensor, the controller changes the monitoring region to exclude portions of the lower travelling body that are observed by the obstacle detection sensor.

2. The construction machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory which stores, in advance, a plurality of monitoring region data pieces according to respective turn angles of the upper slewing body with respect to the lower travelling body to determine the monitoring region,
wherein the controller selects a monitoring region data piece corresponding to the turn angle detected by the turn angle detection sensor from the plurality of monitoring region data pieces stored in the memory to determine the monitoring region.

3. The construction machine according to claim 2 , wherein the memory stores in advance the plurality of monitoring region data pieces according to a specification of the lower travelling body.

4. The construction machine according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller generates the plurality of monitoring region data pieces by causing the obstacle detection sensor to detect the lower travelling body while causing the upper slewing body to make one turn, and causes the memory to store the plurality of monitoring region data pieces generated by the controller.

5. The construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the obstacle detection sensor is capable of obtaining an image, and
the controller changes an angle of view to thereby changing the monitoring region, the angle of view indicating a range of the image obtained by the obstacle detection sensor.

6. The construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the obstacle detection sensor is capable of obtaining an image;
an angle of view is fixed, the angle of view indicating a range of the image obtained by the obstacle detection sensor;
the controller determines, as the monitoring region, a region obtained by excluding an excluded region where the lower travelling body is present from a detection-allowed region in which the obstacle detection sensor is able to detect an object; and
the controller changes the monitoring region by changing the excluded region based on the turn angle detected by the turn angle detection sensor.

Assignees

• Kobelco Constr Mach Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kozui Masatoshi
• Kamimura Yusuke
• Kinoshita Akira

Classifications

• E02F9/24 Primary

  Safety devices {, e.g. for preventing overload (E02F9/226 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E02F9/262

  with follow-up actions to control the work tool, e.g. controller · CPC title

• E02F9/26

  Indicating devices {(E02F5/145 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E02F9/264

  Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool · CPC title

• E02F9/123

  Drives or control devices specially adapted therefor (E02F9/125 and E02F9/128 take precedence) · CPC title