Shovel and shovel management apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12486648-B2
Application number	US-202117448424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2021
Priority date	Mar 27, 2019
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

A shovel includes a lower traveling structure, an upper swing structure swingably mounted on the lower traveling structure, an attachment attached to the upper swing structure and including a bucket, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to set a shape parameter of the bucket according to a bucket shape obtained in advance. The bucket shape represents the shape of the bucket.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A shovel comprising:
a lower traveling structure; an upper swing structure swingably mounted on the lower traveling structure; an attachment including a boom attached to the upper swing structure, an arm attached to the boom, and a bucket attached to the arm; and processing circuitry configured to
set a plurality of shape parameters of the bucket according to a bucket shape obtained in advance, the bucket shape representing a shape of the bucket, the plurality of shape parameters including a pin diameter, an arm end width, a bucket width, a pin-teeth tips distance, a pin-back surface distance, and a bucket back surface angle,
generate an intended trajectory to be followed by a predetermined part of the bucket using the set plurality of shape parameters of the bucket, the intended trajectory being a trajectory from a position of the predetermined part of the bucket at an end of an excavating motion to a position of the predetermined part of the bucket before a start of a dumping motion to be followed by the predetermined part of the bucket during a motion of raising the boom and swinging the upper swing structure, and
move the predetermined part of the bucket along the generated intended trajectory.

2 . The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the bucket shape includes a bucket image displayed on a display, the bucket image representing the shape of the bucket, and the processing circuitry is configured to input the plurality of shape parameters based on the bucket image displayed on the display.

3 . The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the bucket shape includes a bucket image captured by an image capturing device, and the processing circuitry is configured to change the plurality of shape parameters based on the bucket image captured by the image capturing device.

4 . The shovel as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to change the plurality of shape parameters based on the bucket image captured by the image capturing device and on correlation information correlating pre-recorded bucket types and corresponding shape parameters.

5 . The shovel as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to calculate a dimension of the bucket based on the bucket image captured by the image capturing device and on information on a distance from the image capturing device to the bucket.

6 . The shovel as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the image capturing device is attached to the shovel.

7 . The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the bucket shape includes a bucket image captured by an image capturing device, and the image capturing device is a portable terminal.

8 . The shovel as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the image capturing device is configured to calculate a dimension of the bucket based on the captured bucket image and on information on a distance to the bucket.

9 . The shovel as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the image capturing device is configured to select a plurality of feature points of the bucket shape from the captured bucket image and to calculate a dimension between the feature points of the bucket shape based on the feature points of the bucket shape and the information on the distance to the bucket.

10 . A shovel management apparatus configured to manage a shovel, the shovel including a lower traveling structure, an upper swing structure swingably mounted on the lower traveling structure, and an attachment including a boom attached to the upper swing structure, an arm attached to the boom, and a bucket attached to the arm, the shovel management apparatus comprising:
processing circuitry configured to
set a plurality of shape parameters of the bucket according to a bucket shape obtained in advance, the bucket shape representing a shape of the bucket, the plurality of shape parameters including a pin diameter, an arm end width, a bucket width, a pin-teeth tips distance, a pin-back surface distance, and a bucket back surface angle, and
generate an intended trajectory to be followed by a predetermined part of the bucket using the set plurality of shape parameters of the bucket, the intended trajectory being a trajectory from a position of the predetermined part of the bucket at an end of an excavating motion to a position of the predetermined part of the bucket before a start of a dumping motion to be followed by the predetermined part of the bucket during a motion of raising the boom and swinging the upper swing structure, such that the shovel moves the predetermined part of the bucket along the generated intended trajectory.

11 . The shovel management apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the plurality of shape parameters of the bucket are calculated based on the bucket shape obtained by an image capturing device.

12 . The shovel management apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the image capturing device is a portable terminal.

13 . The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the processing circuitry is further configured to
display a plurality of selectable images of buckets and at least one shape parameter associated with each of the plurality of selectable images on a display, and
record the at least one shape parameter associated with an image selected from the plurality of selectable images on the display as a new shape parameter.

14 . The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the intended trajectory to be followed by the predetermined part of the bucket when the shovel autonomously operates, based on the set plurality of shape parameters of the bucket.

15 . The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to move the predetermined part of the bucket along the generated intended trajectory from the position of the predetermined part of the bucket at the end of the excavating motion to the position of the predetermined part of the bucket before the start of the dumping motion while the lower traveling structure is stationary.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Heavy Industries

Inventors

• Sano Yusuke

Classifications

• E02F9/2883

  Wear elements for buckets or implements in general · CPC title

• E02F9/2282

  Systems using center bypass type changeover valves · CPC title

• E02F9/2285

  Pilot-operated systems · CPC title

• E02F9/2292

  Systems with two or more pumps · CPC title

• E02F9/2296

  Systems with a variable displacement pump · CPC title