Shovel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11186964-B2
Application number	US-201816021648-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2018
Priority date	Dec 28, 2015
Publication date	Nov 30, 2021
Grant date	Nov 30, 2021

Abstract

A shovel includes a lower traveling body, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, a cab mounted on the upper rotating body, a left monitor mounted on a left pillar inside the cab, a right monitor mounted on a right pillar inside the cab, a left camera configured to capture an image of an area on a left side of the upper rotating body, a right camera configured to capture an image of an area on a right side of the upper rotating body, and a controller configured to control both the left monitor and the right monitor. The controller is configured to cause the left monitor to continuously display a mirror image generated from the image captured by the left camera, and to cause the right monitor to continuously display a mirror image generated from the image captured by the right camera.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shovel comprising:
a lower traveling body;
an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body;
a cab mounted on the upper rotating body;
an operator's seat in the cab;
a left operation lever provided on a left side of the operator's seat;
a right operation lever provided on a right side of the operator's seat;
a left monitor mounted on a left pillar in front of the left operation lever inside the cab;
a right monitor mounted on a right pillar in front of the right operation lever inside the cab;
a main monitor placed in front and to a right of the operator's seat;
a left camera mounted on a left front end of the upper rotating body to have a view toward an area on a left rear side of the upper rotating body, and configured to capture an image of the area on the left rear side of the upper rotating body;
a right camera mounted on a right front end of the upper rotating body to have a view toward an area on a right rear side of the upper rotating body, and configured to capture an image of the area on the right rear side of the upper rotating body;
a back camera mounted on a rear end of the upper rotating body; and
a hardware processor configured to control both the left monitor and the right monitor,
wherein the hardware processor is configured to cause the left monitor to continuously display a mirror image generated from the image captured by the left camera, and to cause the right monitor to continuously display a mirror image generated from the image captured by the right camera,
the right monitor is placed in front and to the right of the operator's seat and is mounted at a position higher than the main monitor, the main monitor being configured to display at least one of various operation data input to the hardware processor and a synthetic image generated from images captured by at least two of the left camera, the right camera, and the back camera, and
a horizontal angle of view of each of the left camera and the right camera is narrower than a horizontal angle of view of the back camera.

2. The shovel according to claim 1 , wherein the left monitor and the right monitor are mounted at a same height relative to a reference horizontal surface.

3. The shovel according to claim 1 , wherein a screen size of each of the left monitor and the right monitor is at least 7 inches.

4. The shovel according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a back monitor mounted on an upper portion of the right pillar so as to be disposed along a front side ceiling frame inside the cab,
wherein the back camera is configured to capture an image of an area on a rear side of the upper rotating body, and
wherein the hardware processor is configured to cause the back monitor to continuously display a mirror image generated from the image captured by the back camera.

5. The shovel according to claim 1 , wherein a mounting height of each of the left camera and the right camera is between a height of a platform of the upper rotating body and a height of an upper surface of the cab.

6. The shovel according to claim 1 , wherein the horizontal angle of view of each of the left camera and the right camera is 20 to 70 degrees.

7. The shovel according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera drive mechanism configured to adjust a direction of each of a plurality of cameras including the back camera, the left camera and the right camera,
wherein the camera drive mechanism is operated through an operating device disposed inside the cab.

8. The shovel according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to adjust a range displayed on each of the left monitor and the right monitor in accordance with an operation through an operating device disposed inside the cab.

9. The shovel according to claim 1 , wherein the mirror image generated from the image captured by the left camera is a mirror image of at least a part of the area on the left rear side of the upper rotating body, and the mirror image generated from the image captured by the right camera is a mirror image of at least a part of the area on the right rear side of the upper rotating body.

10. The shovel according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to cause the left monitor to constantly display the mirror image generated from the image captured by the left camera while the left monitor is in operation, and to cause the right monitor to constantly display the mirror image generated from the image captured by the right camera while the right monitor is in operation.

11. The shovel according to claim 1 , wherein the left monitor and the right monitor are mounted at positions that do not obstruct opening or closing of a front window of the cab.

12. The shovel according to claim 1 , wherein the left monitor and the right monitor include respective built-in speakers.

13. The shovel according to claim 12 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to output an alarm sound from the built-in speaker of the left monitor in response to detection of an obstacle on a left side of the shovel, and to output an alarm sound from the built-in speaker of the right monitor in response to detection of an obstacle on a right side of the shovel.

14. A shovel comprising:
a lower traveling body;
an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body;
a cab mounted on the upper rotating body;
an operator's seat in the cab;
a left operation lever provided on a left side of the operator's seat;
a right operation lever provided on a right side of the operator's seat;
a left monitor mounted on a left pillar in front of the left operation lever inside the cab;
a right monitor mounted on a right pillar in front of the right operation lever inside the cab;
a main monitor placed in front and to a right of the operator's seat,
a left camera mounted on a left front end of the upper rotating body to have a view toward an area on a left rear side of the upper rotating body, and configured to capture an image of the area on the left rear side of the upper rotating body;
a right camera mounted on a right front end of the upper rotating body to have a view toward an area on a right rear side of the upper rotating body, and configured to capture an image of the area on the right rear side of the upper rotating body;
a back camera mounted on a rear end of the upper rotating body;
a hardware processor configured to control both the left monitor and the right monitor, the hardware processor being configured to cause the left monitor to continuously display a mirror image generated from the image captured by the left camera, and to cause the right monitor to continuously display a mirror image generated from the image captured by the right camera; and
an operating device configured to change a range of the mirror image displayed on the left monitor and a range of the mirror image displayed on the right monitor,
wherein the right monitor is placed in front and to the right of the operator's seat and is mounted at a position higher than the main monitor, the main monitor being configured to display at least one of various operation data input to the hardware processor and a synthetic image generated from images captured by at least two of the left camera, the right camera, and the back camera, and
a horizontal angle of view of each of the left camera and the right camera is narrower than a horizontal angle of view of the back camera.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Shi Constr Mach Co

Inventors

• Tomita Kouichiro
• Aragaki Hajime
• Shiratani Ryuji

Classifications

• H04N7/181

  for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources · CPC title

• E02F9/261 Primary

  Surveying the work-site to be treated · CPC title

• E02F9/0858

  Arrangement of component parts installed on superstructures not otherwise provided for, e.g. electric components, fenders, air-conditioning units (E02F9/16, E02F9/18 take precedence) · CPC title

• E02F3/435

  for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like · CPC title

• H04N7/18

  Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast · CPC title