Construction machine control system, construction machine, and method of controlling construction machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9677251-B2
Application number	US-201414396213-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2014
Priority date	Jun 2, 2014
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A control system controls a construction machine that includes a work machine including a bucket having a plurality of tilting mechanisms. The control system includes: a tilt angle sensor that is provided in the bucket so as to detect tilt angle data including a rotation angle of the bucket about the tilt shaft, the tilt angle sensor being capable of detecting an inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane; a data acquisition unit to which the tilt angle data is output from the tilt angle sensor; a data fixing unit that fixes the tilt angle data output to the data acquisition unit based on a fixing command to generate fixed data; and a work machine control unit that controls the work machine based on the fixed data until the fixing command is disabled.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A construction machine control system for a construction machine that includes a work machine comprising:
a boom capable of rotating in relation to a vehicle body about a boom shaft;
an arm capable of rotating in relation to the boom about an arm shaft parallel to the boom shaft; and
a bucket capable of rotating in relation to the arm about each of a bucket shaft parallel to the arm shaft and a tilt shaft orthogonal to the bucket shaft, the system comprising:
a tilt angle sensor that is provided in the bucket so as to detect tilt angle data including a rotation angle of the bucket about at least the tilt shaft, the tilt angle sensor being capable of detecting an inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane;
a data acquisition unit to which the tilt angle data is output from the tilt angle sensor;
a data fixing unit that fixes the tilt angle data output to the data acquisition unit based on a fixing command to generate fixed data; and
a work machine control unit that controls the work machine based on the fixed data until the fixing command is disabled.

2. The construction machine control system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first acquisition unit that acquires dimension data including dimensions of the boom, the arm, and the bucket;
a second acquisition unit that acquires target excavation landform data indicating a target excavation landform which is a target shape of an excavation object;
a third acquisition unit that acquires work machine angle data including boom angle data indicating a rotation angle of the boom about the boom shaft, arm angle data indicating a rotation angle of the arm about the arm shaft, and bucket angle data indicating a rotation angle of the bucket about the bucket shaft; and
a calculation unit that calculates bucket position data indicating a present position of the bucket based on the work machine angle data, the dimension data, and the fixed data, wherein
the work machine control unit determines a speed limit according to a distance between the bucket and the target excavation landform based on the target excavation landform data and the bucket position data and executes limited excavation control so that a speed in a direction in which the work machine approaches the target excavation landform is equal to or smaller than the speed limit, and
the fixing command is output to the data fixing unit so that the work machine is controlled based on the fixed data in at least a portion of a period in which the limited excavation control is executed.

3. The construction machine control system according to claim 2 , wherein
the fixing command is output to the data fixing unit when the limited excavation control starts and is disabled when the limited excavation control ends.

4. The construction machine control system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a driving inhibiting unit that inhibits driving of the bucket in the limited excavation control.

5. The construction machine control system according to claim 4 , further comprising:
an operating device that outputs an operation signal for operating a hydraulic cylinder capable of driving the bucket, wherein
the driving inhibiting unit disables the operation signal output from the operating device.

6. The construction machine control system according to any one of claim 2 , further comprising:
a fourth acquisition unit that acquires shape data of the bucket, wherein
the target excavation landform data is 2-dimensional target shape of the excavation object in a working plane orthogonal to the bucket shaft,
the calculation unit calculates 2-dimensional bucket data which indicates an outer shape of the bucket in the working plane and includes the bucket position data based on the work machine angle data, the dimension data, the shape data, and the fixed data, and
the work machine control unit controls the work machine based on the 2-dimensional bucket data.

7. The construction machine control system according to claim 6 , wherein
the calculation unit calculates a relative position between the bucket and the target excavation landform based on the 2-dimensional bucket data, vehicle body position data indicating a present position of the vehicle body, and vehicle body attitude data indicating an attitude of the vehicle body.

8. A construction machine comprising:
a lower traveling structure;
an upper revolving structure that is supported by the lower traveling structure;
a work machine that includes a boom, an arm and a bucket and is supported by the upper revolving structure; and
the control system according to claim 1 .

9. A method of controlling a construction machine that includes a work machine comprising:
a boom capable of rotating in relation to a vehicle body about a boom shaft;
an arm capable of rotating in relation to the boom about an arm shaft parallel to the boom shaft; and
a bucket capable of rotating in relation to the arm about a bucket shaft parallel to the arm shaft and a tilt shaft orthogonal to the bucket shaft, the method comprising:
detecting tilt angle data indicating a rotation angle of the bucket about the tilt shaft using a tilt angle sensor that is provided in the bucket and that can detect an inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane;
acquiring the tilt angle data output from the tilt angle sensor;
fixing the tilt angle data based on a fixing command to generate fixed data; and
controlling the work machine based on the fixed data until the fixing command is disabled.

Assignees

• Komatsu Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kitajima Jin

Classifications

• E02F9/264 Primary

  Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool · CPC title

• E02F9/262

  with follow-up actions to control the work tool, e.g. controller · CPC title

• E02F9/2033

  Limiting the movement of frames or implements, e.g. to avoid collision between implements and the cabin (sub-groups of E02F3/431 of E02F3/435 take precedence; for turntables E02F9/123) · CPC title

• E02F3/437

  providing automatic sequences of movements, e.g. linear excavation, keeping dipper angle constant · CPC title

• E02F3/435

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