Work equipment control device and work machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11085169-B2
Application number	US-201716099291-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2017
Priority date	Nov 30, 2016
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A work equipment control device includes a bucket posture-determining unit, a working plane-determining unit, and a bucket control unit. The bucket posture-determining unit determines an angle of a bucket in global coordinates. The working plane-determining unit determines an angle of a working plane in the global coordinates indicating a target shape of an excavation object of work equipment. The bucket control unit controls the bucket such that a difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane maintains a uniform angle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A work equipment control device which controls a work machine equipped with work equipment including a bucket, the work equipment control device comprising:
a bucket posture-determining unit configured to determine an angle of the bucket;
a working plane-determining unit configured to determine an angle of a working plane indicating a target shape of an excavation object; and
a bucket control unit configured to control the bucket such that a difference between the angle of the bucket and an angle of a working plane positioned below the bucket is maintained at a uniform angle even when the bucket is operated across two working planes which are connected and have different gradients.

2. The work equipment control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the working plane-determining unit is configured to determine the angle of the working plane immediately below the bucket according to three-dimensional data which indicate the working plane.

3. The work equipment control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the bucket control unit is configured to calculate a difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane and control the bucket according to the difference.

4. A work machine, comprising:
work equipment that includes a bucket; and
the work equipment control device according to claim 1 .

5. The work equipment control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the bucket posture-determining unit is configured to determine a bottom surface normal vector orthogonal to a bottom surface of the bucket,
wherein the working plane-determining unit is configured to determine a working plane normal vector orthogonal to the working plane positioned vertically below the bucket, and
wherein the bucket control unit is configured to control the bucket such that an angle formed by the bottom surface normal vector and the working plane normal vector becomes a uniform angle.

6. A work machine, comprising:
work equipment that includes a bucket; and
the work equipment control device according to claim 5 .

7. The work equipment control device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a distance-determining unit configured to determine a distance between the bucket and the working plane,
wherein the bucket control unit is configured to control the bucket such that the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane maintains a uniform angle when the distance between the bucket and the working plane is smaller than a bucket control-starting threshold value.

8. The work equipment control device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the bucket control unit is configured to control the bucket such that the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane becomes the same angle as the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane when a state of the work machine satisfies a specific condition.

9. A work machine, comprising:
work equipment that includes a bucket; and
the work equipment control device according to claim 8 .

10. The work equipment control device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a distance-determining unit configured to determine a distance between the bucket and the working plane,
wherein the bucket control unit is configured to control the bucket such that the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane maintains a uniform angle when the distance between the bucket and the working plane is smaller than a bucket control-starting threshold value.

11. The work equipment control device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a target angle-storing unit configured to store a target value for the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane,
wherein the bucket control unit is configured to control the bucket such that the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane maintains the angle stored in the target angle-storing unit.

12. The work equipment control device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a target angle-storing unit configured to store a target value for the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane,
wherein the bucket control unit is configured to control the bucket such that the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane maintains the angle stored in the target angle-storing unit.

13. The work equipment control device according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a distance-determining unit configured to determine a distance between the bucket and the working plane,
wherein the bucket control unit is configured to control the bucket such that the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane maintains a uniform angle when the distance between the bucket and the working plane is smaller than a bucket control-starting threshold value.

14. The work equipment control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the bucket control unit is configured to control the bucket such that the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane becomes the same angle as a difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane when a state of the work machine satisfies a specific condition.

15. The work equipment control device according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a target angle-storing unit configured to store a target value for the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane,
wherein the bucket control unit is configured to control the bucket such that the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane maintains the angle stored in the target angle-storing unit.

16. The work equipment control device according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a distance-determining unit configured to determine a distance between the bucket and the working plane,
wherein the bucket control unit is configured to control the bucket such that the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane maintains a uniform angle when the distance between the bucket and the working plane is smaller than a bucket control-starting threshold value.

17. A work machine, comprising:
work equipment that includes a bucket; and
the work equipment control device according to claim 14 .

18. The work equipment control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a target angle-storing unit configured to store a target value for the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane,
wherein the bucket control unit is configured to control the bucket such that the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane maintains the angle stored in the target angle-storing unit.

19. The work equipment control device according to claim 18 , further comprising:
a distance-determining unit configured to determine a distance between the bucket and the working plane,
wherein the bucket control unit is configured to control the bucket such that the difference between the angle of the bucket and the angle of the working plane maintains a uniform angle when the distance between the bucket and the working plane is smaller than a bucket control-starting threshold value.

20. A work machine, comprising:
work equipment that includes a bucket; and
the work equipment control device accordi

Assignees

• Komatsu Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Matsuyama Toru
• Kitajima Jin
• Shimano Yuki

Classifications

• E02F3/43

  Control of dipper or bucket position; Control of sequence of drive operations · CPC title

• E02F9/20

  Drives; Control devices (gearings in general F16H; controlling in general G05; electric multi-motor drives H02K, H02P) · CPC title

• E02F3/439 Primary

  Automatic repositioning of the implement, e.g. automatic dumping, auto-return (E02F3/438 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E02F3/432 Primary

  for keeping the bucket in a predetermined position or attitude · CPC title

• E02F3/32

  working downwardly and towards the machine, e.g. with backhoes · CPC title