Work machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12454806-B2
Application number	US-202017437902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2019
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

A work machine includes a work device having a boom, an arm, and work equipment and a controller that sets a target surface, and calculates a work equipment-to-target surface distance on the basis of signals from a position sensor and a posture sensor, and carries out control to decelerate the arm to keep the work equipment from excavating ground beyond the target surface when the work equipment-target surface distance has become shorter than a predetermined distance. The controller determines whether there is a possibility that the work equipment enters the target surface when operation of the arm is carried out based on the set target surface and the position sensor and posture sensor signals, and does not carry out the deceleration control when the work equipment-to-target surface distance is shorter than the predetermined distance and it is determined there is no possibility that the work equipment enters the target surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A work machine comprising: a machine body; an articulated work device that has a boom, an arm, and work equipment and is attached to the machine body; an operation device that operates the machine body and the work device; a position sensor that senses a position of the machine body; a posture sensor that senses posture of the work device; and a controller having an input interface, an output interface, a CPU, and memory that sets a target surface, and is configured to calculate a work equipment-to-target surface distance that is a distance from the work equipment to the target surface on a basis of the position of the machine body sensed by the position sensor and the posture of the work device sensed by the posture sensor, and control the boom and carry out deceleration control to decelerate the arm to keep the work equipment from excavating ground beyond the target surface when operation of the arm is carried out by the operation device and the work equipment-to-target surface distance has become shorter than a predetermined distance, wherein
the controller is configured to calculate an angle between a predetermined straight line parallel to a line segment that links an arm pin, the arm pin joining the boom and the arm, with the work equipment and the target surface on the side of the machine body relative to the predetermined straight line when the predetermined straight line is located on the target surface, on a basis of the target surface that is set, the position of the machine body sensed by the position sensor, and the posture of the work device sensed by the posture sensor,
the controller is configured to determine that the posture of the work device is not an entry posture at which the work equipment enters the target surface when the angle between the predetermined straight line and the target surface is equal to or larger than 90° when a crowding operation of the arm is carried out,
the controller is configured to determine that the posture of the work device is not the entry posture when the angle between the predetermined straight line and the target surface is smaller than 90° when a dumping operation of the arm is carried out, and
the controller is configured not to carry out the deceleration control when the work equipment-to-target surface distance is shorter than the predetermined distance in a case in which it is determined that the posture of the work device is not the entry posture,
wherein the controller is further configured to
gradually change velocity of the arm upon transitioning from a state in which the deceleration control is carried out to a state in which the deceleration control is not carried out according to change in the angle formed by the line segment and the target surface being larger than 90° when a crowding operation of the arm is carried out and it is determined that the posture of the work device is not the entry posture, and
gradually change velocity of the arm upon transitioning from a state in which the deceleration control is carried out to a state in which the deceleration control is not carried out according to change in the angle formed by the line segment and the target surface being smaller than 90° when a dumping operation of the arm is carried out and it is determined that the posture of the work device is not the entry posture.

2. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to
calculate a pin-to-work equipment distance that is a distance from an arm pin, the arm pin joining the boom and the arm, to the work equipment on a basis of the signal from the posture sensor,
calculate a pin-to-target surface distance that is a distance from the arm pin to the target surface on a basis of the target surface that is set and the signals from the position sensor and the posture sensor, and
determine whether or not the posture of the work device is the entry posture on a basis of the pin-to-work equipment distance and the pin-to-target surface distance.

3. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to determine whether or not there is a possibility that the work equipment enters the target surface when operation of the arm is carried out regarding target surfaces that are target surfaces existing in a work range of the work equipment and exist in a travelling direction of the work equipment when the operation of the arm is carried out in a plurality of the target surface that are set.

4. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to carry out the deceleration control to decelerate the arm even in a case in which the posture of the work device is not the entry posture when combined operation of a lowering operation of the boom and operation of the arm is being carried out.

5. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to
determine that there is no possibility that the work equipment enters the target surface when operation of the arm is carried out
in a case in which the controller calculates a pin-to-work equipment distance that is a distance from an arm pin, the arm pin joining the boom and the arm, to the work equipment on a basis of the signal from the posture sensor, and calculates a pin-to-target surface distance that is a distance from the arm pin to the target surface on a basis of the target surface that is set and the signals from the position sensor and the posture sensor, and determines whether or not the posture of the work device is the entry posture on a basis of the pin-to-work equipment distance and the pin-to-target surface distance, and it is determined that the posture of the work device is not the entry posture, or
in a case in which the controller calculates an angle formed by a line segment, the line segment linking the arm pin with the work equipment, and the target surface on a basis of the target surface that is set and the signals from the position sensor and the posture sensor and determines whether or not the posture of the work device is the entry posture on a basis of the angle formed by the line segment and the target surface, and it is determined that the posture of the work device is not the entry posture, and

determine that there is a possibility that the work equipment enters the target surface when operation of the arm is carried out in a case in which the controller determines whether or not the posture of the work device is the entry posture on a basis of the pin-to-work equipment distance and the pin-to-target surface distance and it is determined that the posture of the work device is the entry posture and the controller determines whether or not the posture of the work device is the entry posture on a basis of the angle formed by the line segment and the target surface and it is determined that the posture of the work device is the entry posture.

Assignees

• Hitachi Construction Mach Co

Inventors

• Igarashi Teruki
• Narazaki Akihiro
• MEGURIYA Shuuichi

Classifications

• E02F9/265

  with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool) · CPC title

• E02F9/245

  for preventing damage to underground objects during excavation, e.g. indicating buried pipes or the like (detection of pipes in the ground F16L1/11) · CPC title

• E02F9/2264

  Arrangements or adaptations of elements for hydraulic drives · CPC title

• E02F9/2029

  Controlling the position of implements in function of its load, e.g. modifying the attitude of implements in accordance to vehicle speed (control for hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2203, E02F9/2221 and E02F9/2253 take precedence) · CPC title

• E02F9/20

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