Shovel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11686065-B2
Application number	US-202016892667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2020
Priority date	Dec 7, 2017
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

A shovel includes a lower traveling body, an upper swiveling body that is rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, and a controller configured to perform straight facing control by which an actuator is operated to cause the upper swiveling body to face a target construction surface straight, based on information related to the target construction surface and information related to a direction of the upper swiveling body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shovel comprising:
a lower traveling body;
an upper swiveling body that is rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body; and
a controller configured to perform straight facing control by which an actuator for swiveling or an actuator for travelling is automatically operated to cause the upper swiveling body to face a target construction surface straight, based on information related to the target construction surface and information related to a direction of the upper swiveling body,
wherein the controller automatically operates the actuator for swiveling or the actuator for travelling, based on the information related to the target construction surface and the information related to the direction of the upper swiveling body.

2. The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controller performs the straight facing control when a predetermined switch is operated.

3. The shovel as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the controller stops performing the straight facing control when a swiveling operation lever is operated while the controller performs the straight facing control.

4. The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controller can perform the straight facing control when an angle between a direction of the target construction surface and the direction of the upper swiveling body is within a predetermined angle range.

5. The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controller can perform the straight facing control when the controller has confirmed no obstacle is present around the upper swiveling body.

6. The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controller informs an operator that the controller has caused the upper swiveling body to face the target construction surface straight.

7. The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controller operates the actuator to maintain a state in which the upper swiveling body faces the target construction surface straight.

8. The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a communication device configured to send construction information to an external device.

9. The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a communication device configured to send and receive information related to an obstacle.

10. A shovel comprising:
a lower traveling body;
an upper swiveling body that is rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body;
an attachment that is attached to the upper swiveling body; and
a controller configured to perform straight facing control by which an actuator for swiveling or an actuator for travelling is automatically operated so that an operation plane of the attachment includes a normal to a target construction surface, based on information related to the target construction surface and information related to a direction of the upper swiveling body, the operation plane of the attachment being a virtual plane crossing the attachment in a longitudinal direction,
wherein the controller automatically operates the actuator for swiveling or the actuator for travelling, based on the information related to the target construction surface and the information related to the direction of the upper swiveling body.

11. A shovel comprising:
a lower traveling body;
an upper swiveling body that is rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body;
an attachment that is attached to the upper swiveling body; and
a controller configured to perform straight facing control by which an actuator is operated so that a difference between a left vertical distance and a right vertical distance is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value, based on information related to a target construction surface and information related to a direction of the upper swiveling body, the left vertical distance being a vertical distance between a left end of a front end of the attachment and the target construction surface, and the right vertical distance being a vertical distance between a right end of the front end of the attachment and the target construction surface.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Construction Machinery Co Ltd

Inventors

• Izumikawa Takeya
• Tsukamoto Hiroyuki

Classifications

• E02F3/36

  Component parts · CPC title

• E02F9/123 Primary

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

• E02F3/32

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

• E02F9/261

  Surveying the work-site to be treated · CPC title

• E02F9/2004

  Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers (control levers per se G05G) · CPC title