Construction machine and construction machine management system

Abstract

The present invention obtains soil information of land while performing excavation work at a work site. A hydraulic excavator (1) includes a work attachment (20), a drive unit (71), a load sensor (61), a mechanical load calculation unit (503), a soil pressure load calculation unit (504), and a soil quality estimation unit (505). The mechanical load calculation unit (503) calculates a load on a bucket (23) from sand, i.e., a mechanical load, based on posture information of the work attachment (20) and information related to a load on the drive unit (71). The soil pressure load calculation unit (504) calculates a load on the soil mass from the soil mass excavated by the bucket (23), i.e., a soil pressure load, based on a shape of the soil mass, the posture information, a shape of the bucket (23), a density of the soil, and a wall friction angle between the soil and the bucket (23), based on a soil pressure theory. The soil quality estimation unit (505) estimates a soil quality of the soil at the work site based on the mechanical load and the soil pressure load.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to construction machinery equipped with a bucket and a management system for construction machinery. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, hydraulic excavators (construction machinery) equipped with buckets were known, used for excavating the ground at work sites. These hydraulic excavators include: a lower traveling body capable of moving on the ground; an upper body mounted on the lower traveling body; and a working attachment supported on the upper body. In the hydraulic excavator, the bucket is positioned at the distal end of the working attachment. This allows the hydraulic excavator to excavate the ground while the bucket is in contact with it.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an excavator comprising: a sensor mounted on a working attachment; and a hardness estimation unit that estimates the hardness of the soil based on the detection values ​​of the sensor. The hardness estimation unit estimates the hardness of the soil based on the detection values ​​of the sensor when the distal end (bucket) of the working attachment performs a predetermined action of contacting the ground at a predetermined speed and angle, and pre-stored data.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-163621 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] The technology described in Patent Document 1 has the following problem: in order to estimate the hardness of the soil, the working device needs to contact the ground at a specified speed and angle. Therefore, the operation will be temporarily interrupted due to this action, and the work efficiency will decrease.

[0009] Solution to the problem

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to provide engineering machinery and an engineering machinery management system that can obtain soil information of the land while carrying out excavation work at the work site.

[0011] This invention is based on the following technical concept: estimating the soil quality associated with the earth pressure load based on the actual mechanical load borne by the bucket during excavation operations and the earth pressure load exerted on the bucket by the soil clods formed by the bucket. Based on this technical concept, this invention provides engineering machinery. The engineering machinery includes: a body comprising a walking unit capable of moving on the ground; an operating attachment having an undulating body rotatably supported on the body relative to the body in an undulating direction, and a bucket rotatably supported on the distal end of the undulating body; a drive unit capable of driving the operating attachment in a manner that causes the bucket to excavate the ground; a posture information acquisition unit acquiring posture information related to the relative posture of the operating attachment relative to the ground; a drive load information acquisition unit acquiring drive load information, which is information related to the load borne by the drive unit accompanying the bucket's excavation of the ground; and a mechanical load calculation unit, which, during the bucket's excavation of the ground, calculates the mechanical load based on the posture information. The system calculates the mechanical load, i.e., the load borne by the bucket from the sand, based on the posture information obtained by the loading unit and the driving load information obtained by the driving load information acquisition unit. The earth pressure load calculation unit calculates the load, i.e., the earth pressure load, exerted on the bucket by the soil clods as the bucket excavates the ground, based on the shape of the soil clods formed by the bucket, the posture information obtained by the posture information acquisition unit, the shape of the bucket, the density of the soil, and the wall friction angle between the soil and the bucket, according to earth pressure theory. The soil quality estimation unit estimates the soil quality at the work site based on the mechanical load calculated by the mechanical load calculation unit and the earth pressure load calculated by the earth pressure load calculation unit.

[0012] This invention provides a construction machinery management system. The system includes: any of the construction machinery described above; and a management device disposed at a location remote from the construction machinery, capable of receiving and transmitting information about the soil conditions with the construction machinery. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a side view of an engineering machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of an engineering machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the soil information acquisition process performed in an engineering machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of soil information acquisition processing performed in engineering machinery according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the mechanical load acting on the bucket of an engineering machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the earth pressure load calculation process performed in an engineering machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the plastic failure of soil blocks due to the movement of a retaining wall.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate passive earth pressure based on soil mechanics.

[0021] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the digging resistance acting on the bucket.

[0022] Figure 10 It is a pattern curve representing the relationship between the sliding surface angle and the excavation resistance.

[0023] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the branch demarcation method performed by the soil estimation unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 12 This is a flowchart of the output control process performed in the engineering machinery according to the first modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 13 This is a flowchart of the output control process performed in the engineering machinery according to the second modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the engineering machinery and management device involved in the second modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 15 This is a flowchart of other output control processes performed in the engineering machinery according to the second modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 16 This is a flowchart of the soil information acquisition process performed in the engineering machinery involved in the third modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 17 This diagram illustrates the display unit during soil information acquisition processing performed in the engineering machinery according to the third modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 18This is a schematic diagram of the calculation process performed by the soil estimation unit and the like in the engineering machinery according to the fourth modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the calculation process performed by the earth pressure load calculation unit in the engineering machinery according to the fifth modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 20 This is a flowchart of a part of the soil information acquisition process performed in the engineering machinery according to the fifth modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 21 This is a side view of the engineering machinery performing soil information acquisition and processing according to the fifth modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the land height during the soil information acquisition process performed in the engineering machinery according to the fifth modified embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a side view of a hydraulic excavator 1 (construction machinery) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] The hydraulic excavator 1 includes a lower traveling body 10 that can travel on the ground G (travel surface), an upper rotating body 12 (upper main body) that is rotatably supported on the lower traveling body 10, and an auxiliary working device 20 mounted on the upper rotating body 12. The lower traveling body 10 and the upper rotating body 12 constitute the body of the present invention.

[0038] The lower walking body 10 is capable of walking on the ground G. The lower walking body 10 includes a tracked walking part.

[0039] The upper slewing body 12 has a slewing frame 121 supported by the lower traveling body 10, and a cab 13 mounted on the slewing frame 121. The cab 13 allows operators to ride in and is equipped with various devices for operating the hydraulic excavator 1.

[0040] The working attachment 20 is mounted on the upper rotating body 12 in a manner that allows it to move relative to the upper rotating body 12, and performs a prescribed operation on the ground G. The working attachment 20 includes: a boom 21, connected to the front end of the rotating frame 121 in a manner rotatable about a horizontal rotation axis in an undulating direction; a stick 22, connected to the distal end of the boom 21 in a manner rotatable about a horizontal rotation axis; and a bucket 23, connected to the distal end of the stick 22 in a manner rotatable about a horizontal rotation axis. In this embodiment, the rotation axes of the boom 21, stick 22, and bucket 23 are set parallel to each other. The boom 21 and stick 22 constitute the undulating body of the present invention. Furthermore, the working attachment 20 also includes a boom working cylinder 21S (undulating body working cylinder) that extends and retracts to cause the boom 21 to undulate (rotate), a stick working cylinder 22S (undulating body working cylinder) that extends and retracts to cause the stick 22 to rotate, and a bucket working cylinder 23S that extends and retracts to cause the bucket 23 to rotate. These working cylinders are each composed of hydraulic working cylinders.

[0041] The cockpit 13 is mounted on the front of the slewing frame 121, that is, the portion of the slewing frame 121 adjacent to the boom 21 in the width direction (in... Figure 1 In the example shown, the boom 21 is on the left side, forming the cab for operating the hydraulic excavator 1. That is, in this cab 13, the operator performs operations for the movement of the lower walking body 10, the rotation of the upper slewing body 12, and the operation of the working accessories 20.

[0042] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of the hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment. The hydraulic excavator 1 also includes an operation unit 51, an input unit 52, a load sensor 61 (drive load information acquisition unit), a working cylinder stroke sensor 62 (working cylinder length detection unit), a main body position information acquisition unit 63 (position information acquisition unit), a soil surface information acquisition unit 64, an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) 65 (machine body tilt detection unit), a drive unit 71, a display unit 72, and a transmission unit 73.

[0043] The operating unit 51 is located inside the cab 13 and is operated by the operator. That is, the operating unit 51 handles operations for operating the hydraulic excavator 1. These operations include the movement of the lower walking body 10, the rotation of the upper slewing body 12, and the driving of the working accessories 20 (boom 21, stick 22, bucket 23), etc.

[0044] The input unit 52 is located within the cockpit 13 and accepts various types of information input. As an example, the input unit 52 may include various input buttons, switches, or a touchscreen included in the display unit 72 described below. In particular, the input unit 52 can accept input of information referenced in the soil information acquisition operation described below.

[0045] The load sensor 61 includes two load sensors disposed on the bucket 23, which detect the load related to the base end of the bucket 23. The load detected by the load sensor 61 is referenced by the mechanical load calculation unit 503 described below and used to calculate the mechanical load (see reference). Figure 3 In other words, the load sensor 61 acquires drive load information, which is information related to the load borne by the drive unit 71 accompanying the bucket 23 in digging the ground. Based on the detection result of the load sensor 61, the load borne by the drive unit 71 is calculated, thereby obtaining the drive load information.

[0046] The working cylinder stroke sensor 62 includes three sensors respectively installed on the boom working cylinder 21S, stick working cylinder 22S, and bucket working cylinder 23S, which detect the stroke (extension, length) of each working cylinder. The stroke of each working cylinder detected by the working cylinder stroke sensor 62 is used by the bucket position calculation unit 502, mechanical load calculation unit 503, and earth pressure load calculation unit 504 to calculate the position or posture of the bucket 23.

[0047] The main body position information acquisition unit 63 acquires the position information of the hydraulic excavator 1 (body) at the work site. As an example, the main body position information acquisition unit 63 can acquire main body coordinate information, which is information related to the absolute coordinates of the main body reference point pre-set on the upper rotating body 12 at the work site. The main body position information acquisition unit 63, constituting the main body reference point, is disposed on the upper surface of the cab 13 and functions as a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) mobile station. On the other hand, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System / Global Positioning Satellite System) reference station (not shown) is provided to acquire the aforementioned main body coordinate information. The GNSS reference station is disposed at the work site or at a location closest to the work site. Furthermore, in addition to the well-known GPS (Global Positioning System), other satellite positioning systems such as GLONASS, Galileo, and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) can also be used as GNSS.

[0048] The soil surface information acquisition unit 64 is disposed at the front end of the upper surface of the cab 13. As an example, the soil surface information acquisition unit 64 is composed of a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor. The soil surface information acquisition unit 64 acquires information (soil surface information) related to the shape of the soil surface in front of the cab 13. In this embodiment, the shape of the soil surface is detected based on three-dimensional distance data detected by the LiDAR. The soil surface information acquisition unit 64 may also be a TOF (Time of Flight) sensor or a stereo camera, etc. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the soil surface around the hydraulic excavator 1 may be considered level.

[0049] The IMU65 detects the angle (body angle) of the hydraulic excavator 1's body (upper rotating body 12) relative to the horizontal plane. Furthermore, not only can the IMU detect the angle of the body relative to the horizontal plane, but a tilt sensor can also be used. The tilt sensor can be a sensor utilizing MEMS (Micro Electromechanical Systems) technology, or a liquid-encapsulated sensor, among other types.

[0050] The drive unit 71 drives various components of the hydraulic excavator 1, including the lower traveling body 10, the upper slewing body 12, and the working attachments 20, which are operated by the control unit 51. In particular, the drive unit 71 can drive the working attachments 20 by enabling the bucket 23 to excavate the ground. At this time, the drive unit 71 can accept a specified command signal and drive the working attachments 20 based on the output characteristics corresponding to that command signal. The drive unit 71 includes a hydraulic circuit such as a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor.

[0051] The display unit 72 is located inside the operator's cab 13. It receives prescribed display command signals and displays various information to be communicated to the operators based on these signals. This information includes soil information, the location information of the hydraulic excavator 1, etc. Specifically, the display unit 72 can display map information of the work site, and on this map information, it displays the soil conditions estimated by the soil estimation unit 505 and the location information of the hydraulic excavator 1 obtained by the main position information acquisition unit 63 in a correlated manner.

[0052] The sending unit 73 sends the location information of the hydraulic excavator 1 obtained by the main position information acquisition unit 63 and the soil information of the work site estimated by the soil estimation unit 505 to a data center or remote management center located far from the work site.

[0053] The control unit 50 consists of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) storing the control program, and RAM (Random Access Memory) used as the CPU's operating area. Figure 2 As shown, the control unit 50 is connected to the operation unit 51, the input unit 52, the load sensor 61, the working cylinder stroke sensor 62, the main body position information acquisition unit 63, the soil surface information acquisition unit 64, the IMU 65, the drive unit 71, the display unit 72, and the transmission unit 73.

[0054] The control unit 50 executes the control program stored in the ROM by the CPU, thereby functioning as a drive control unit 501, a bucket position calculation unit 502 (posture information acquisition unit), a mechanical load calculation unit 503, an earth pressure load calculation unit 504, a soil quality estimation unit 505, an output characteristic setting unit 506, and a storage unit 507. These functional units do not have physical entities and are equivalent to units of functions executed by the program. That is, the control executed by these functional units can be uniformly executed by the control unit 50. In addition, each functional unit can also be separately arranged in multiple control units. Furthermore, all or part of the control unit 50 is not limited to being installed inside the hydraulic excavator 1; when the hydraulic excavator 1 is remotely controlled, it can also be arranged in a different location from the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, the control program can be a control program sent from a remote server (management device) or cloud to the control unit 50 inside the hydraulic excavator 1 and executed thereon, or the control program can be executed on the server or cloud and the various command signals generated can be sent to the hydraulic excavator 1.

[0055] The drive control unit 501 inputs drive command signals to the drive unit 71 based on the operation received by the operation unit 51. As a result, the movement of the lower traveling body 10, the upper rotating body 12, and the working auxiliary device 20 is controlled.

[0056] The bucket position calculation unit 502 calculates and obtains the current posture of the working attachment 20, especially the position (coordinates) and posture of the bucket 23, based on the stroke amount (working cylinder length) detected by the working cylinder stroke sensor 62, the body angle detected by the IMU 65, or the mechanical specifications of the hydraulic excavator 1. In other words, the bucket position calculation unit 502 obtains information related to the relative posture of the working attachment 20 with respect to the ground G, i.e., posture information.

[0057] The mechanical load calculation unit 503 calculates the load borne by the bucket 23 from the sand, i.e., the digging resistance value P, based on the load (drive load information) detected by the load sensor 61 as the bucket 23 digs the ground, and the position and posture (posture information) of the bucket 23 calculated by the bucket position calculation unit 502. A (Mechanical load).

[0058] The earth pressure load calculation unit 504 calculates the following digging resistance value P based on the stroke amount of each working cylinder detected by the working cylinder stroke sensor 62, the body angle detected by the IMU 65, the soil surface information detected by the soil surface information acquisition unit 64, the shape of the bucket 23 stored in the storage unit 507, and the mechanical specifications of the hydraulic excavator 1. B More specifically, the earth pressure load calculation unit 504, along with the bucket 23, excavates the ground and calculates the earth pressure load based on the shape of the soil clods formed by the dammed soil, the posture information obtained by the bucket position calculation unit 502, the shape of the bucket 23, and the soil density γ. t The wall friction angle δ between the soil and the bucket 23 is used to calculate the load, i.e., the earth pressure load, applied to the bucket 23 by the soil block based on the earth pressure theory.

[0059] The soil estimation unit 505 calculates the excavation resistance value P based on the mechanical load calculation unit 503. A The excavation resistance value P calculated by the (mechanical load) and earth pressure load calculation unit 504 is... B (Earth pressure load) Estimate the soil information around the hydraulic excavator 1 (soil quality at the work site). Next, the soil estimation unit 505 inputs a display command signal corresponding to the estimated soil quality to the display unit 72, causing the display unit 72 to display information corresponding to the soil quality. Furthermore, the soil estimation unit 505 inputs a display command signal that correlates the estimated soil quality with the position information obtained by the main body position information acquisition unit 63 to the display unit 72.

[0060] In this embodiment, in particular, the soil estimation unit 505 assumes that the mechanical load and the earth pressure load acting on the bucket 23 are consistent with each other, and estimates the internal friction angle φ and the cohesion c of the soil at the work site as the soil quality. Furthermore, when the cohesion c is zero, such as Figure 8 As shown, the internal friction angle φ is equivalent to the angle between the direction of the sliding surface load and the normal of the sliding surface. The sliding surface load is the sliding surface load acting on the sliding surface when the soil block moves along the specified sliding surface due to the push of the bucket 23.

[0061] The output characteristic setting unit 506 sets (adjusts) the output characteristic of the drive unit 71 based on the soil quality information estimated by the soil quality estimation unit 505, and inputs the command signal corresponding to the characteristic to the drive unit 71.

[0062] The storage unit 507 pre-stores various thresholds, parameters, etc., used for the operation of the hydraulic excavator 1 or for the processing of soil information acquisition. The storage unit 507 stores the soil quality estimated by the soil quality estimation unit 505 and the position information obtained by the main body position information acquisition unit 63 in a correlated manner.

[0063] Next, details of the soil information acquisition process performed by the hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment will be explained. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the soil information acquisition process performed in the hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment. The hydraulic excavator 1 can calculate and estimate soil information related to the surrounding ground during any excavation operation at the work site. At this time, the mechanical load calculation unit 503 calculates the load (mechanical load, digging resistance value P) mechanically borne by the bucket 23. A ()( Figure 3 On the other hand, the earth pressure load calculation unit 504, based on earth pressure theory, calculates the load (earth pressure load, digging resistance value P) acting on the bucket 23 due to the soil excavated by the bucket 23. B ()( Figure 3 Calculation 2). Next, the soil estimation unit 505 assumes that the two loads mentioned above are equal, and then calculates the excavation resistance value P. B Soil information contained therein ( Figure 3 Operation 3).

[0064] like Figure 3 As shown, in operation 1, the load sensor 61 detects the bucket load, the cylinder stroke sensor 62 detects the cylinder stroke, and the IMU 65 detects the body angle. In operation 2, the cylinder stroke sensor 62 detects the cylinder stroke, the IMU 65 detects the body angle, the soil surface information detected by the soil surface information acquisition unit 64, and the shape of the bucket 23 (bucket shape) and various mechanical specifications (connecting rod length, etc.) pre-stored in the storage unit 507 are primarily used.

[0065] Furthermore, in operation 3, the cohesion c and the internal friction angle φ are calculated and estimated respectively as output information of the soil information acquisition process involved in this invention. In addition, the cohesion c and internal friction angle φ obtained by operation 3 are fed back to operation 2 as search cohesion c and search internal friction angle φ.

[0066] The following section further explains the process and detailed calculation methods for obtaining and processing the aforementioned soil information. Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the soil information acquisition process performed in the hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment.

[0067] If the operator presses the designated start switch via the input unit 52 located in the cab 13 of the hydraulic excavator 1, the soil information acquisition and processing begins. Furthermore, the operator can then simultaneously perform ground excavation work by operating the control unit 51.

[0068] If soil information acquisition and processing begins, the load sensor 61, the working cylinder stroke sensor 62, the soil surface information acquisition unit 64, and the IMU 65 respectively acquire the load borne by the base end of the bucket 23, the working cylinder stroke, the soil surface information, and the machine body angle (step S1). Next, in calculation 1, the digging resistance value P is calculated. A (Step S2)

[0069] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the mechanical load related to the bucket 23 of the hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment. In calculation 1, firstly, the bucket position calculation unit 502 calculates the position and posture of the bucket 23. The working cylinder stroke sensor 62 obtains the working cylinder stroke (extension of the working cylinder) of the boom working cylinder 21S, the stick working cylinder 22S, and the bucket working cylinder 23S, thereby enabling the bucket position calculation unit 502 to calculate... Figure 1 The position of the auxiliary working device 20 is determined. As a result, the bucket position calculation unit 502 can obtain the position of the bucket. Figure 5 Information related to the position and posture of the bucket 23 is stored in the storage unit 507. In addition, the length and shape of the boom 21, stick 22 and bucket 23 are pre-stored in the storage unit 507. Furthermore, in the calculation of the position and posture of the bucket 23, the angles of the boom (boom 21 and stick 22) and the bucket 23 are calculated based on the body angle detected by the IMU65.

[0070] Load sensor 61 has Figure 5 The first load sensor 611 and the second load sensor 612 (both load sensors) are shown. The first load sensor 611 is disposed on the rotation center axis of the bucket 23, that is, the connection portion CB1 between the stick 22 and the bucket 23. On the other hand, the second load sensor 612 is disposed on the connection portion CB2 between a connecting rod and the bucket 23, which is disposed at the distal end of the bucket working cylinder 23S. Figure 5 As shown, the mechanical load calculation unit 503 can calculate the digging resistance value P. A ( Figure 5The resultant force F) is the resultant force of the load F2 detected by the first load sensor 611 and the load F1 detected by the second load sensor 612. At this time, based on the posture of the bucket 23 calculated by the bucket position calculation unit 502, the directions (vectors) in which the loads F1 and F2 act are calculated. Thus, in calculation 1, the digging resistance value P borne by the bucket 23 during digging can be calculated based on the loads detected by the load sensors 61 (first load sensor 611 and second load sensor 612). A .

[0071] If in Figure 4 In step S2, the excavation resistance value P is calculated in the manner described above. A Then, the earth pressure load calculation unit 504 assumes the cohesion c and the internal friction angle φ to be the specified values ​​(step S3). At this time, the earth pressure load calculation unit 504 can assume the above values ​​based on the result of the previous calculation 2, or it can assume the above values ​​based on the calculation initial values ​​stored in the storage unit 507 in advance.

[0072] Next, the earth pressure load calculation unit 504 performs calculation 2 to calculate the excavation resistance value P. B (Step S4) Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the general outline of the calculation 2 (earth pressure load calculation process) performed in the hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 6 As shown, in calculation 2, the excavation resistance value P B In the calculation, the following parameters are used: mechanical specifications (connecting rod length, etc.) pre-stored in the storage unit 507; the stroke of each working cylinder detected by the working cylinder stroke sensor 62; soil surface information detected by the soil surface information acquisition unit 64; machine body angle detected by the IMU 65; shape of the bucket 23 pre-stored in the storage unit 507; and soil density γ. t The wall friction angle δ, the internal friction angle φ assumed in step S3, and the cohesive force c.

[0073] In addition, in calculation 2, the above parameters are used to calculate the position and posture (wall angle a) of the bucket 23 at any time. Figure 6 The calculation of the bucket posture is performed, and based on the result of this calculation, the land height H is further calculated. Figure 6 (Calculation of land height). Next, using the wall angle α and land height H derived from these calculations, the excavation resistance value P is calculated. B ( Figure 4 Step S4). In addition, in this case, the angles of the undulating body (boom 21 and stick 22) and the bucket 23 are calculated based on the body angle detected by the IMU65 during the calculation of the position and posture of the bucket 23.

[0074] Reference Figure 4Next, the soil estimation unit 505 will use the excavation resistance value P calculated in step S1. A and the excavation resistance value P calculated in step S4 B The data is input into calculation 3, and the soil quality is estimated (step S5). The soil quality estimation unit 505 further calculates two excavation resistance values ​​P. A P B The residual Δ calculated in step S6 is then calculated. Next, if the residual Δ calculated in step S6 is less than a preset threshold ε (step S7 is "Yes"), the soil estimation unit 505 outputs the obtained cohesion c and internal friction angle φ (step S8), and ends the soil information acquisition process. The soil information output in step S8, along with the current position of the hydraulic excavator 1 obtained by the main body position information acquisition unit 63, is displayed on the display unit 72. Additionally, this information can also be transmitted to the center via the transmission unit 73.

[0075] On the other hand, the output characteristic setting unit 506 ( Figure 2 Alternatively, based on the soil information calculated by the soil estimation unit 505, a specified characteristic command signal can be input to the drive unit 71. For example, when the cohesion c is large, or when the internal friction angle φ is large, the speed of the hydraulic pump included in the drive unit 71 can be increased, thereby increasing the output of the drive unit 71.

[0076] In addition, ideally, such as Figure 3 As shown, the soil information (cohesion c and internal friction angle φ) calculated by the soil estimation unit 505 is fed back to subsequent calculation 2 as search parameters, improving the accuracy of calculation 2. Furthermore, if the residual Δ in step S7 is above a preset threshold ε (step S7 is "No"), the steps after step S3 are repeated.

[0077] In addition, although Figure 4 In the process shown, a search is performed to reproduce a single P. A The method for determining the cohesion c and internal friction angle φ has been explained, but the invention is not limited thereto. In actual work sites, soil conditions are uneven; therefore, it is also possible to search for multiple obtained P values. A The residuals (e.g., the sum of squares of the residuals) become minimized by the cohesion c and the internal friction angle φ.

[0078] Next, we will further elaborate on operation 2 in step S4 above. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the plastic failure of soil blocks due to the movement of a retaining wall. Figure 8This is a schematic diagram illustrating passive earth pressure based on soil mechanics. Generally, in soil mechanics, the pressure exerted on a structure in contact with soil, or the pressure generated within the soil, is called earth pressure. Especially when a structure in contact with soil moves or tilts, the pressure exerted on the structure by the soil is considered to be earth pressure. Figure 7 The earth pressure generated when a retaining wall moves towards the soil is called passive earth pressure. At this point, the force borne by the structure is calculated based on the force balance generated as the soil block moves along the sliding surface (plastic failure surface). As the plastic failure condition of the aforementioned sliding surface, the following is used... Figure 8 And the failure criterion of Mohr-Coulomb as shown in Equation 1.

[0079] [Formula 1]

[0080] τ=c+σtanφ (Equation 1)

[0081] In Equation 1, τ is the shear strength, φ is the internal friction angle, c is the cohesion, and σ is the restraint pressure. In the calculation... Figure 8 During the process of passive earth pressure Qp (the force exerted on the soil by the structure), Figure 8 The following parameters become important: W is the weight of the soil, R is the load on the sliding surface, ω is the wall angle, and β is the ground surface inclination angle. Additionally, H is the ground height, and δ is the wall friction angle, equivalent to the coefficient of friction between the soil and the wall. Furthermore, θ is the sliding surface angle. Figure 8 As shown, the passive earth pressure Qp can be calculated from the vector sum of the soil's self-weight W and the sliding surface load R. Here, the angle between Qp and W is equivalent to π - ω + δ, and the angle between W and R is equivalent to θ + φ.

[0082] The inventors of this invention applied the above-mentioned ideas of soil mechanics (soil theory) to the bucket 23 of a hydraulic excavator 1. Figure 9 It is used to describe the digging resistance value P acting on the bucket 23. B A schematic diagram. In Figure 9 In the middle, the reaction force of the force P borne by the soil clod is equivalent to the force borne by the bucket 23 from the soil clod, that is, the digging resistance value P. B Additionally, in Figure 9 In this equation, W is the weight of the soil block, T is the shear force on the sliding surface, and N is the normal force on the sliding surface. The square of the sliding surface load R is equal to the sum of the square of the shear force T and the square of the normal force N. Additionally, as before, H is the soil height, and θ is the sliding surface angle. Figure 10 This represents the relationship between the sliding surface angle θ and the digging resistance value P(P BThe relationship between the two is shown in the pattern curve. In this embodiment, θ is obtained by differentiating the passive earth pressure Qp(P) with respect to the sliding surface angle θ as dQp / dθ = 0. In addition, δ is the wall friction angle (the friction coefficient between the bucket 23 and the soil), and α is the wall angle (the angle between the bottom plate surface of the bucket 23 and the vertical plane).

[0083] Here, if regarding Figure 9 For each unit width in the depth direction (width direction of bucket 23), considering the force balance for soil blocks undergoing plastic failure, the following equations 2 and 3 hold.

[0084] [Formula 2]

[0085]

[0086] [Formula 3]

[0087]

[0088] Furthermore, according to the aforementioned Mohr-Coulomb violation criterion, Equation 4 below holds.

[0089] [Formula 4]

[0090] T = N tanφ (Equation 4)

[0091] Furthermore, based on the geometric conditions of the soil block undergoing plastic failure, Equation 5 holds.

[0092] [Formula 5]

[0093]

[0094] By solving equations 2 to 5 as a simultaneous equation, we obtain equation 6. As an example, equation 6 corresponds to the case where c = 0.

[0095] [Formula 6]

[0096]

[0097] That is, let the above P = P B This involves calculating the force exerted on the soil block by the wall; in other words, calculating the force exerted on the soil block by the wall of the bucket. Furthermore, based on measurements and calculations, the wall angle α and the land height H in Equations 5 and 6 can be obtained. Additionally, the soil's unit volume weight (density) γ... t The wall friction angle δ (the coefficient of friction between the bucket 23 and the soil) is a known value and is pre-stored in the storage unit 507. Additionally, as mentioned above, the sliding surface angle θ... Figure 10 As shown, let's define the angle when dP / dθ = 0, that is, the angle when P is positive and becomes the minimum.

[0098] Next, further investigation Figure 4 The operation 3 in step S7 will be described in detail.

[0099] Obtain the excavation resistance value P calculated in step S2. A As a numerical value, the excavation resistance value P calculated in step S6... B As in Equations 5 and 6, cohesion c and the internal friction angle φ are included as variables. Furthermore, Equation 6 may also include a correction term related to cohesion c. Therefore, the soil estimation unit 505 processes the input excavation resistance value P... A and P B The values ​​are compared, and well-known mathematical programming methods are used to calculate the value of the excavation resistance P. A and P B The difference between the internal friction angle φ and the cohesion c is minimized. Furthermore, as mentioned above, it is ideal that the initial values ​​of the internal friction angle φ and the cohesion c are pre-stored in the storage unit 507 at the start of the estimation. Additionally, the digging resistance value P... A and P B The time axis changes during the digging operation of the hydraulic excavator 1, so ideally, the changes on the time axis should also be taken into account in the calculation.

[0100] Here, the method described below can be used as an example of a search method for the internal friction angle φ and cohesion c. Furthermore, the internal friction angle φ and cohesion c each have a pre-defined value of 0 ≤ φ < φ. _UPPER (Upper limit of φ), 0≤c<c _UPPER (The upper limit of c) is such a range.

[0101] The enumeration method can be used as the first search method. In this method, the soil estimation unit 505 enumerates all combinations of solutions for the internal friction angle φ and cohesion c, and selects the combination that optimizes the specified objective function from these combinations.

[0102] Alternatively, the branch and bound method can be used as a second search method. Figure 11This is a schematic diagram illustrating the branch-and-bound method performed by the soil estimation unit 505 according to this embodiment. In this method, the soil estimation unit 505 decomposes the entire solution into several sub-problems, and solves all of these sub-problems to equivalently solve the original problem. Whenever a sub-problem is solved, it is pre-tested whether that sub-problem has an optimal solution, or whether that optimal solution would be the optimal solution to the original problem. This avoids solving all the sub-problems. For example, as... Figure 11 As with the case where φ = 50, if the digging resistance value when the internal friction angle φ is substituted exceeds the digging force specified by the machine, or if the difference between the two input values ​​reaches a certain value, it is possible to not calculate the combination of solutions.

[0103] Furthermore, the well-known Newton-Raphson method can be used as a third search method, which uses the internal friction angle φ and cohesion c as variables.

[0104] As described above, this embodiment is based on the following technical concept: the soil quality associated with the earth pressure load is estimated based on the actual mechanical load borne by the bucket 23 during excavation and the earth pressure load exerted on the bucket 23 by the soil clods formed by the bucket 23. The mechanical load is calculated by the mechanical load calculation unit 503 during excavation by the bucket 23, while the earth pressure load calculation unit 504 calculates the earth pressure load during the excavation. The soil quality estimation unit 505 estimates the soil quality at the work site based on the mechanical load and the earth pressure load. Therefore, soil quality information can be obtained while excavation is being carried out at the work site.

[0105] In particular, in this embodiment, the internal friction angle φ and soil cohesion c of the soil can be estimated based on the technical concept that the mechanical load and earth pressure load acting on the bucket 23 are consistent. Since information on the various shapes of the bucket 23 is pre-stored in the storage unit 507, the soil quality can be reliably estimated regardless of the amount or distribution (shape) of the soil clods excavated by the bucket 23. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to assuming that the mechanical load and earth pressure load acting on the bucket 23 must be consistent in order to obtain soil quality information. It is also possible to assume that the load obtained by multiplying (or adding) a predetermined constant to the mechanical load acting on the bucket 23 is consistent with the earth pressure load, depending on the strength of the bucket 23 or the working environment.

[0106] In addition, in this embodiment, the posture of the working auxiliary device 20 (bucket 23) can be calculated based on the length of each working cylinder detected by the working cylinder stroke sensor 62, and the mechanical load and earth pressure load can be calculated with high precision.

[0107] In addition, in this embodiment, the load at the base of the bucket 23 is detected by the load sensor 61, thereby making it easy to obtain drive load information.

[0108] In particular, in this embodiment, the load acting on the bucket 23 is detected by the first load sensor 611 and the second load sensor 612 (load sensor) disposed at the distal end of the boom 22, thereby making it easy to obtain drive load information.

[0109] Furthermore, in this embodiment, information such as the soil strength is displayed to the operator via the display unit 72, allowing the operator to use this information as a reference for setting the output characteristics (engine speed or output mode) of the hydraulic excavator 1. Additionally, even when operated by an inexperienced operator or remotely, the adjustment amount of the output characteristics can be quantitatively adjusted.

[0110] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by combining the machine's location information and soil information, the operator can identify areas of low soil strength. As a result, the risk of the hydraulic excavator 1 tipping over due to insufficient soil strength can be anticipated.

[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, operators can easily grasp the intensity of the land visually based on the map information displayed on the display unit 72.

[0112] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the output characteristic setting unit 506 can adjust the output of the hydraulic excavator 1 according to factors such as the strength of the surrounding soil, thereby improving the workability of the excavation operation as perceived by the operator. In particular, compared to the case where the output characteristics of the hydraulic excavator 1 are set by the operator according to the site environment, the output characteristics can be automatically adjusted even when operated by an inexperienced person or when operating remotely.

[0113] The hydraulic excavator 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The present invention can be implemented, for example, in modified embodiments as described below.

[0114] In the above embodiment, although the method described is to calculate the position and posture of the working accessory 20 (bucket 23) based on the length of each working cylinder detected by the working cylinder stroke sensor 62, the present invention is not limited to this. An angle detection unit (angle sensor) may also be provided, which can detect the relative angles of the boom 21 and stick 22 (undulating body) relative to the upper rotating body 12, and the relative angle of the bucket 23 relative to the undulating body. In this case, the bucket position calculation unit 502 (posture information acquisition unit) only needs to calculate the posture of the working accessory 20 based on the relative angles of the undulating body and the bucket 23 detected by the angle detection unit, thereby obtaining the posture information of the working accessory 20 (bucket 23). Furthermore, at this time, the body angle detected by the IMU 65 can be used as a reference to calculate the relative angles of the boom 21 and stick 22 (undulating body) relative to the upper rotating body 12, and the relative angle of the bucket 23 relative to the undulating body.

[0115] Based on this structure, the posture of the working attachment 20 can be calculated based on the angles of the undulating body and the bucket 23, and the mechanical load and earth pressure load can be calculated with high precision. In particular, by using the detection results of the IMU65, the posture of the working attachment 20 can be calculated and obtained with high precision even when the machine body is tilted relative to the horizontal plane.

[0116] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the method described is as follows: a load sensor 61 is used to detect the load at the base of the bucket 23, and the digging resistance value P is calculated based on the detection result. A However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Figure 2 Alternatively, a working cylinder pressure sensor (working cylinder pressure detection unit), not shown in the diagram, can be used instead of the load sensor 61. This working cylinder pressure sensor can detect the head pressure and rod pressure of each of the boom working cylinder 21S, stick working cylinder 22S, and bucket working cylinder 23S. On the other hand, the mechanical load calculation unit 503 can calculate the thrust (drive load information) of each actuator based on the pressure detection results, and calculate the digging reaction force (digging resistance value P) borne by the bucket 23 based on the results and the size and posture of the auxiliary devices. A ).

[0117] <First Modified Implementation>

[0118] As described above, in the above embodiment, the output characteristic setting unit 506 ( Figure 2Based on the soil information estimated by the soil estimation unit 505, the output characteristics of the drive unit 71 can be set (adjusted), and a command signal corresponding to these characteristics can be input to the drive unit 71. Hereinafter, several modified embodiments of the output control processing performed by the output characteristic setting unit 506 will be described. Figure 12 This is a flowchart of the output control processing performed in the hydraulic excavator 1 according to the first modified embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, in subsequent modified embodiments, the description will focus on the differences between these embodiments and the previous ones, omitting descriptions of commonalities.

[0119] In this modified embodiment, if the above-described output control processing is performed in the hydraulic excavator 1, the output characteristic setting unit 506 determines whether the soil information estimated by the soil estimation unit 505 has been input to the storage unit 507 (step S11). Here, if the soil information estimated by the soil estimation unit 505 has been input to the storage unit 507 (step S11 is "yes"), the output characteristic setting unit 506 obtains the latest soil information I from the storage unit 507 (step S12). For example, this soil information I includes the cohesion c and the internal friction angle φ.

[0120] Next, the output characteristic setting unit 506 determines whether the soil information IO referenced when the output characteristic was last adjusted is consistent with the soil information I obtained this time (step S13). Here, if I ≠ IO (step S13 is "No"), the output characteristic setting unit 506 obtains the output characteristic corresponding to the latest soil information I from the storage unit 507, thereby changing the output characteristic of the hydraulic excavator 1 (step S14). Then, the output characteristic signal (command signal) corresponding to the changed output characteristic is input to the drive unit 71 (step S15).

[0121] If no soil information is input in step S11 (step S11 is "No"), when I = 10 in step S13 (step S13 is "Yes"), the output characteristic setting unit 506 can simply use the previous output characteristic (step S16) and input the output characteristic signal corresponding to that output characteristic to the drive unit 71 in step S15.

[0122] In addition, generally speaking, the cohesiveness of dry gravel or sand The internal friction angle φ is dominant. Furthermore, for clay, it can be said that cohesion c is dominant in terms of strength. Therefore, in this embodiment, as an example, a preset threshold ca for cohesion c and a preset threshold φa for the internal friction angle φ are stored in the storage unit 507.

[0123] The above thresholds are used to define four ranges: the first range (φ < φa, c < ca), the second range (φ ≥ φa, c < ca), the third range (φ < φa, c ≥ ca), and the fourth range (φ ≥ φa, c ≥ ca). Figure 16 In step S14, the output characteristic setting unit 506 determines which of the four ranges the soil information I (φ, c) falls into. Then, the output characteristic setting unit 506 retrieves the output characteristics pre-set for each range and stored in the storage unit 507. For example, the larger φ is, the larger the output characteristic setting unit 506 sets the output. Similarly, the larger c is, the larger the output characteristic setting unit 506 sets the output.

[0124] Furthermore, the shear strength τ can be calculated based on soil information I according to Equation 1. In this case, pre-set thresholds τa and τb can be used as a reference to set three ranges: a first range (τ≤τa), a second range (τa<τ≤τb), and a third range (τb<τ), and the output characteristics are determined accordingly for each range. In this case, the larger τ is, the larger the output characteristic setting unit 506 sets the output.

[0125] Thus, according to this modified embodiment, the output characteristics of the hydraulic excavator 1 can be adjusted according to the work site while taking into account soil conditions, thereby improving operator workability and increasing work efficiency. Furthermore, because the output characteristics of the hydraulic excavator 1 are appropriately set according to the softness or hardness of the soil, excessive fuel consumption can be suppressed.

[0126] Furthermore, although the above description states the following method, namely, in Figure 12 In step S14, the output characteristics are set according to the pre-obtained soil information I. Alternatively, the soil information I can be classified according to a pre-set soil grade, and the output characteristics can be set according to that soil grade.

[0127] <Second Modified Implementation>

[0128] Figure 13 This is a flowchart of the output control process performed in the hydraulic excavator 1 according to the second modified embodiment of the present invention. Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the hydraulic excavator 1 and server 90 according to this modified embodiment. The server 90 (management device) is configured in a data center or remote management center located in a place far away from the work site.

[0129] Reference Figure 14The server 90 includes a server-side receiving unit 901 (management device-side receiving unit), a server-side output characteristic setting unit 902 (management device-side output characteristic setting unit), a server-side storage unit 903 (management device-side storage unit), and a server-side transmitting unit 904 (management device-side transmitting unit).

[0130] Reference Figure 13 In this modified embodiment, the processing from step S21 to step S25 (including step S24A) and Figure 12 The processing from step S11 to step S15 (including step S16) is the same. On the other hand, if in step S25, the output characteristic setting unit 506 inputs the output characteristic signal to the drive unit 71, then the main body position information acquisition unit 63 ( Figure 2 Obtain the latest location information of the hydraulic excavator 1 (step S26). Furthermore, the timing of obtaining this location information is not limited to the timing of step S26.

[0131] Next, the sending unit 73 ( Figure 2 The location information of the hydraulic excavator 1 and the soil information estimated by the soil estimation unit 505 are sent to the server 90 in association (step S27). If the server-side receiving unit 901 receives the information in the server 90 (step S28), the server-side storage unit 903 stores the information in association (step S29).

[0132] Thus, in this embodiment, the server 90 can acquire and accumulate the location information and soil information of the work site obtained by the hydraulic excavator 1. Therefore, as... Figure 14 As shown, the hydraulic excavator 1B (other construction machinery) can receive information obtained by the hydraulic excavator 1A (one construction machinery) via the server 90 through the receiving unit 74, and change its output characteristics according to the received soil information I.

[0133] Furthermore, by using the server-side storage unit 903 of the server 90 in the manner described above, information on multiple work sites and land can be accumulated by a storage unit with a capacity larger than that of the storage unit 507 of the hydraulic excavator 1.

[0134] Figure 15 This is a flowchart of other output control processes performed in the hydraulic excavator 1 according to this modified embodiment. Although the first modified embodiment described above describes the output characteristics being set by the output characteristic setting unit 506 of the hydraulic excavator 1, in this modified embodiment, the output characteristics of the hydraulic excavator 1 are set by the server-side output characteristic setting unit 902 within the server 90.

[0135] That is, when in Figure 15In step S31, if the soil information obtained by the soil estimation unit 505 has been input into the storage unit 507 (step S31 is "Yes"), the main body position information acquisition unit 63 acquires the position information of the hydraulic excavator 1 (step S32). Next, the sending unit 73 sends the position information of the hydraulic excavator 1 and the soil information estimated by the soil estimation unit 505 to the server 90 (step S33). Next, the server-side output characteristic setting unit 902, based on the position information and soil information received in step S34 and referring to the information pre-stored in the server-side storage unit 903, selects the output characteristic information of the hydraulic excavator 1 (step S35). Next, the server-side sending unit 904 sends the selected output characteristic information to the hydraulic excavator 1 (step S36).

[0136] The hydraulic excavator 1 receives the aforementioned output characteristic information and displays it on the display unit 72 within the cab 13. Figure 2 The output characteristic change is displayed in the output characteristic setting unit 506, and the operator's consent is requested (step S37). If the operator agrees to the change of output characteristic via the consent button (not shown) (step S37 is "Yes", step S38), the output characteristic setting unit 506 inputs the output characteristic signal (command signal) corresponding to the changed output characteristic to the drive unit 71 (step S39).

[0137] On the other hand, if no soil information is input in step S31 (step S31 is "No"), and if the operator's consent is not obtained in step S37 (step S37 is "No"), the output characteristic setting unit 506 can simply use the previous output characteristic (step S38A) and input the output characteristic signal corresponding to that output characteristic to the drive unit 71 in step S39.

[0138] Furthermore, in this modified embodiment, although the following manner is described, namely, in Figure 15 In step S33, soil information and location information are sent to server 90, but it is also possible to send only the location information of hydraulic excavator 1 to server 90. In this case, such as Figure 13 As explained, as long as the soil information I around the current hydraulic excavator 1 is obtained based on the soil information and location information accumulated in advance by the server 90, the output characteristics corresponding to the soil information can be set by the output characteristic setting unit 902 on the server side.

[0139] Additionally, when in Figure 15 In step S31, if the soil information estimated in advance by the soil estimation unit 505 is not input into the storage unit 507, the previous output characteristics may not be used in step S38A. Instead, the position information of the hydraulic excavator 1 may be sent to the server 90, thereby obtaining the output characteristic information from the server 90.

[0140] <Third Modified Implementation>

[0141] Figure 16 This is a flowchart of the soil information acquisition process performed in the engineering machinery involved in the third modified embodiment of the present invention. Figure 17 This diagram illustrates the display unit during the soil information acquisition and processing performed in the engineering machinery involved in this modified embodiment.

[0142] This modified embodiment is characterized by the following conditions, which are conditions for performing soil information acquisition and processing during operations at a work site. (Refer to...) Figure 16 The operator moves the auxiliary device 20 from... Figure 1 The bucket 23 is tilted and adjusted near the ground G (step S41). At this time, in order to make the bucket 23 stably dig the soil of the ground G, the soil estimation unit 505 requires the operator to adjust the angle of the bucket 23 so that the angle of the bucket 23 is included in the preset estimation angle (angle range).

[0143] Figure 17 It is cockpit 13 ( Figure 1 The display unit 72 inside the unit Figure 2 An example of the image shown. Within the frame indicating the bucket angle on the left side of the image, "Under" ( Figure 17 (30 degrees) indicates the lower limit of the angle used in the above estimation, "Over" Figure 17 The angle (120 degrees) represents the upper limit of the angle estimated above. Additionally, the angle (deg) shown in the diagram between the two (…) Figure 17 The angle ψ (where 80 degrees is the center) represents the current bucket angle. The bucket angle ψ is the angle between the following line and the horizontal plane, which will... Figure 5 The connection CB1 (fulcrum) between the boom 22 and the bucket 23 is connected to the distal end of the bucket 23. Additionally, as... Figure 17 As shown, the current bucket angle (posture) is visually illustrated in the "Bucket Angle" section. Furthermore, a scale is provided to visually confirm the relative position of the current bucket angle ψ with respect to "Over" and "Under". The white triangle in this scale indicates the current value of the bucket angle ψ. Additionally, the maximum value in the scale ( Figure 17 The angle (180 degrees) is set to be greater than the above "Over" ( Figure 17 The largest value in the scale is 120 degrees. Figure 17 The center (0 degrees) is set to be greater than "Under" ( Figure 17The value is smaller than 30 degrees. As a result, whenever the operator adjusts the bucket angle ψ to the appropriate range, the current bucket angle ψ can be identified from a range larger than the upper (Over) and lower (Under) limits, thus making angle adjustment operations easier.

[0144] In this modified embodiment, the display unit 72 (bucket angle display unit) can display the estimated angle and the current angle ψ of the bucket 23 in the manner described above. Therefore, the operator can easily adjust the angle of the bucket 23 while observing the display unit 72.

[0145] If the operator confirms that the angle ψ of bucket 23 is contained between the lower and upper limits ( Figure 16 If step S42 is "yes", then the working attachment 20 is lowered slightly so that the far end of the bucket 23 contacts the ground G (step S43).

[0146] Next, the operator presses an option button (not shown), which is located on the grip of the bucket retraction lever (not shown) within the operator's cab 13. This option button functions as an activation switch for the bucket angle maintenance control. If the bucket angle maintenance control is active, the drive control unit 501 is activated when the operator moves the bucket retraction lever. Figure 2 The boom 21 and stick 22 are automatically adjusted to maintain the angle ψ of the bucket 23 at a certain angle. Therefore, the relative angle of the bucket 23 with respect to the ground G can be maintained at a certain angle, and excavation operations can be performed. Furthermore, if the operator presses the aforementioned option button, the soil estimation unit 505 begins soil estimation processing (step S45). At this time, the soil information stored in the storage unit 507 during the previous soil information acquisition process... Figure 2 The data in ) were reset.

[0147] If the bucket 23 approaches the upper rotating body 12 through operator operation and digs the ground G, the operator immediately presses the option button again. As a result, the bucket angle maintenance control is turned off, and the soil estimation processing (calculation) of the soil estimation unit 505 ends (step S46). Furthermore, during the soil estimation by the soil estimation unit 505, Figure 17 The screen displays the area on the right where the soil quality is estimated, and the "estimated" light will be lit.

[0148] Here, in this modified embodiment, the soil estimation unit 505 determines whether the accuracy of the soil information acquisition and processing is the expected accuracy (step S47). Specifically, the soil estimation unit 505 determines the soil volume V (m³) calculated by the earth pressure load calculation unit 504. 3Is the soil volume threshold Vmin set beforehand? Soil volume V is the amount of soil contained in the bucket 23 during the excavation operation described above. In this modified embodiment, the earth pressure load calculation unit 504 calculates the soil volume V based on the shape of the bucket 23 and the shape of the soil clod. The shape of the bucket 23 is known and stored in the storage unit 507. Furthermore, the shape of the soil clod is determined by the soil surface information acquisition unit 64. Figure 1 The soil volume V is obtained. When the soil volume V is less than the soil volume threshold Vmin, the soil clods do not exert a sufficiently large earth pressure load on the bucket 23, therefore, the accuracy of the estimated soil quality may decrease. In this modified embodiment, the size of the soil volume V is determined according to this viewpoint.

[0149] Moreover, in Figure 16 In step S47, the soil estimation unit 505 determines whether the number of data M acquired between steps S44 and S46 is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold Mmin. In this modified embodiment, the soil estimation unit 505 estimates the soil quality sequentially at predetermined time intervals (for example, 10 times per second) using parameters that change continuously during the excavation of the bucket 23. The number of data M corresponds to the number of soil quality data acquired during this process. The threshold Mmin is set to 50, for example. If the number of data M is less than the threshold Mmin, such as when an operator presses an option button at short intervals, the accuracy of the estimated soil quality may decrease. In this modified embodiment, the number of data M is determined based on this viewpoint. Furthermore, the number of data M may also be the number of other parameters used in the soil information acquisition process.

[0150] When in Figure 16 In step S47, if the above conditions are met (step S47 is "Yes"), then... Figure 17 The right side of the screen displays the soil quality estimation area, and the "Success" indicator light will illuminate. The soil quality estimation unit 505 then displays the final estimated soil quality information on the display unit 72. Figure 2 Specifically, in Figure 17 The section within the soil quality estimation area, labeled "Current Value," displays information related to the estimated soil quality. This information can be numerical, characteristic, or message. Furthermore, in this modified embodiment, below the "Current Value" (latest soil quality), the previously estimated soil quality information (past soil quality) is displayed as the "Previous Value." Therefore, the operator can easily monitor changes in the soil quality at the work site. Additionally, the display of "Current Value" and "Previous Value" can also be historical information such as graphs.

[0151] Additionally, when in Figure 16 In step S47, if the above conditions are not met (step S47 is "No"), in Figure 17 The screen displays the area on the right where the soil quality was estimated, and the "Failure" indicator light will illuminate. Based on this display, the operator recognizes the necessity of re-measurement (step S49). In this case, the operator simply repeats the process in the next excavation operation. Figure 16 The steps after S41 are straightforward.

[0152] As described above, in this modified embodiment, the soil estimation unit 505 determines whether the soil quality can be estimated based on the amount of soil V in the bucket 23. With this structure, the final soil quality is only displayed when a certain amount of soil is in the bucket 23, thereby improving estimation accuracy. Furthermore, the aforementioned soil pressure estimation refers to estimating the final soil quality to be displayed on the display unit 72. If it is determined that the soil quality cannot be estimated, any process up to the display of the soil quality can be terminated.

[0153] In addition, in this modified embodiment, the soil estimation unit 505 calculates the soil volume based on the shape of the soil block and the shape of the bucket 23, so the soil volume V in the bucket 23 can be easily estimated.

[0154] Furthermore, in other embodiments, the soil quality estimation unit 505 may also determine whether soil quality can be estimated based on other characteristic values ​​related to the magnitude of the earth pressure load. As an example, these characteristic values ​​could also be... Figure 9 The land height H. Even in this case, earth pressure estimation is only performed when the obtained earth pressure load is large enough, thereby improving the estimation accuracy. These features focus on the relationship between the magnitude of the earth pressure load and the depth of the far end of the bucket 23 relative to the ground surface G.

[0155] Furthermore, in this modified embodiment, the soil quality estimation unit 505 determines the soil quality based on the condition that the angle ψ of the bucket 23 is included in a pre-set estimation angle. With this structure, after setting the angle of the bucket 23 to the predetermined estimation angle, soil quality estimation processing is performed, thereby improving estimation accuracy.

[0156] In addition, whenever execution Figure 16 When the process is shown, Figure 2 The input unit 52 can also accept instructions for switching between active and inactive states. In this case, the active state allows the soil estimation unit 505 to estimate soil conditions, and the inactive state prohibits the soil estimation unit 505 from estimating soil conditions. These instructions can be input by the operator or automatically by the control unit 50, which includes the soil estimation unit 505, based on predetermined conditions. With this structure, soil estimation processing can be performed only when necessary, preventing unnecessary computational processing.

[0157] Additionally, display unit 72 ( Figure 2 The status display unit can also display the valid and invalid states. With this structure, the operator can be informed of the estimable current soil condition.

[0158] Furthermore, if the valid state and the invalid state are switched according to the instructions input to the input unit 52, the storage unit 507 (soil storage unit) can also store information related to the previously estimated soil conditions. With this structure, necessary soil condition information can be reliably saved during state switching. The functions of the input unit 52, display unit 72, and storage unit 507 described above can also be applied to other embodiments.

[0159] Furthermore, in this modified embodiment, although the following manner is described, namely, when in Figure 16 In steps S41 and S42, after the operator adjusts the posture of the bucket 23, soil estimation processing is performed after step S44. However, it is also possible to prevent soil estimation processing from being performed if the angle condition of step S42 is not met. As an example, the soil estimation unit 505 (state switching unit) can input the command corresponding to the effective state to the input unit 52, provided that the angle of the bucket 23 is included in a preset estimation angle. With this structure, soil estimation processing is performed after the angle of the bucket 23 is set to the prescribed estimation angle, thereby improving the estimation accuracy. In addition, it is possible to avoid the situation where, when a high-precision soil estimation is desired, the operator starts soil estimation processing outside the estimation angle, resulting in the inability to obtain the desired soil accuracy.

[0160] In addition, the soil quality estimation unit 505 (angle requirement unit) can also have the following function: it can actively request the operator to perform such... Figure 17 The angle setting shown on the left is used as a condition for performing soil quality estimation. Based on this structure, the angle of the bucket 23 is adjusted by the soil quality estimation unit 505, thereby enabling reliable and highly accurate soil quality estimation processing.

[0161] In this modified embodiment, the soil estimation unit 505 receives a predetermined estimation start signal (option button is pressed) and repeatedly estimates the soil at predetermined time intervals, thereby obtaining multiple soil samples, and estimating the final soil sample based on these multiple samples. On the other hand, if the number (M) of the multiple soil samples is less than a preset threshold (Mmin) after the estimation start signal is input, the soil estimation unit 505 does not perform the final soil sample estimation. Figure 16 (Step S47). This structure prevents the output of incorrect estimation results when the required amount of data for estimation is not available.

[0162] In addition, in this modified embodiment, such as Figure 17 As shown on the right, the display unit 72 (completion display unit) displays information related to whether the soil estimation unit 505 has completed the soil estimation (success light, failure light). With this structure, the operator can easily confirm whether the soil estimation process is complete or not by checking the display unit 72.

[0163] <Fourth Modified Implementation>

[0164] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the computational processing performed by the soil estimation unit in an engineering machine according to the fourth modified embodiment of the present invention. In previous embodiments, the following manner was described, indicating... Figure 3 As shown, the mechanical load calculation unit 503 calculates the load (mechanical load, digging resistance value PA) borne mechanically by the bucket 23. Figure 3 On the other hand, the earth pressure load calculation unit 504, based on earth pressure theory, calculates the load (earth pressure load, digging resistance value PB) acting on the bucket 23 due to the soil excavated by the bucket 23. Figure 3 Calculation 2), the soil estimation unit 505 calculates the soil information contained in the excavation resistance value PB by assuming that the two loads mentioned above are equal. Figure 3 Next, as a method for the aforementioned operation 3, the three search methods will be described in detail. In this modified embodiment, similarly to the above, the mechanical load calculation unit 503 calculates the load (mechanical load, digging resistance value PA) mechanically borne by the bucket 23 (mechanical load, digging resistance value PA). Figure 3 , Figure 18 Operation 1).

[0165] On the other hand, whenever the earth pressure load calculation unit 504 calculates the load (earth pressure load, digging resistance value PB) acting on the bucket 23 due to the soil excavated by the bucket 23 based on earth pressure theory, it performs calculation 2 using three pre-prepared candidate soil types (soil type 1, soil type 2, and soil type 3). The calculations referencing each candidate soil type are referred to as calculations 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3, and the obtained digging resistance values ​​are referred to as PB1, PB2, and PB3. As explained in calculation 2 in the previous embodiment, as an example, the soil information includes the internal friction angle φ and cohesion c. Therefore, different values ​​of the internal friction angle φ and cohesion c are prepared in the information of each of soil type 1, soil type 2, and soil type 3. Here, the soil estimation unit 505 calculates the absolute value of the deviation between PA calculated in operation 1 and each PB. From soil 1, soil 2, and soil 3, it selects the soil with the smallest absolute value. In other words, it selects the soil whose output is closest to PA and determines that soil as the final estimated soil X.

[0166] Furthermore, as in the previous third variant embodiment, if data is acquired at predetermined time intervals during digging by the bucket 23, it is also possible to separately target... Figure 18 Multiple calculation results are obtained from PB1, PB2, and PB3. In this case, the soil estimation unit 505 can also select the smallest soil quality from soil quality 1, soil quality 2, and soil quality 3 among the soil quality obtained by integrating multiple |PA-PB1|, soil quality obtained by integrating multiple |PA-PB2|, and soil quality obtained by integrating multiple |PA-PB3|, and determine this soil quality as the final estimated soil quality X. At this time, it can be used with the execution Figure 16 The time for maintaining the bucket angle is set accordingly, and the time integration range (integration interval) can also be set based on the relationship between the detection results of each sensor (detection unit) and the threshold set corresponding to the detection results.

[0167] As described above, in this modified embodiment, the soil estimation unit 505 refers to a plurality of pre-prepared candidate soil types (soil type 1, soil type 2, and soil type 3), and determines one of the candidate soil types as the soil type at the work site based on the mechanical load calculated by the mechanical load calculation unit 503 and the earth pressure load calculated by the earth pressure load calculation unit 504. With this structure, by limiting the soil type as the solution to a plurality of candidate soil types, the computational load can be reduced.

[0168] In particular, in this modified embodiment, the earth pressure load calculation unit 504 calculates multiple earth pressure loads using the multiple candidate soil types, and the soil type estimation unit 505 determines the candidate soil type corresponding to the earth pressure load closest to the mechanical load calculated by the mechanical load calculation unit 503 from the multiple earth pressure loads as the soil type at the work site. With this structure, the most suitable soil type can be determined from multiple candidate soil types with high accuracy.

[0169] <Fifth Modified Implementation Method>

[0170] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the calculation process performed by the earth pressure load calculation unit in the engineering machinery according to the fifth modified embodiment of the present invention. Figure 20 This is a flowchart of a part of the soil information acquisition process performed in the engineering machinery involved in this modified embodiment. Figure 21 This is a side view of the engineering machinery involved in this modified embodiment when performing soil information acquisition and processing. Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the land height during the soil information acquisition process performed in the engineering machinery involved in this modified embodiment.

[0171] In this modified embodiment, the land height H (the vertical distance between the tip of the bucket 23 and the soil surface) is referenced in calculation 2. Figure 9 It has characteristics in terms of calculation methods. Specifically, even in the body of the hydraulic excavator 1, such as... Figure 21 As shown, even when tilted relative to the horizontal plane, the land height H can be calculated with high accuracy.

[0172] Whenever calculation 2 is executed, the earth pressure load calculation unit 504 and Figure 4 Step S1 similarly obtains the stroke of each working cylinder, machine body angle, soil surface information, etc. Figure 20 Step S51). At this point, it is assumed that the obtained soil surface information is independent of the machine angle and the soil surface is used as a reference. Figure 22 In the middle, the soil surface information acquisition unit 64, composed of LIDAR, is... Figure 1 The information about the soil surface obtained is illustrated by multiple measurement points Dg.

[0173] Next, the bucket position calculation unit 502 calculates the tip position of the bucket 23 (bucket tip position) and the far end position of the stick 22 (stick far end position). Figure 22 (Step S52). Furthermore, the bucket position calculation unit 502, centered on the distal end of the boom 22, draws an arc RC passing through the tip of the bucket 23 (calculating the formula for the arc) (Step S53). Next, the bucket position calculation unit 502 calculates the position of the intersection point Pi between the arc RC and the soil surface (multiple Dg) (Step S54). Furthermore, the bucket position calculation unit 502 calculates the distance between the horizontal line passing through the tip of the bucket 23 and the intersection point Pi as the ground height H (Step S55).

[0174] As described above, in this modified embodiment, even when the body of the hydraulic excavator 1 is tilted relative to the horizontal plane, the relative positional relationship between the soil surface information and the bucket 23 is associated with the arc RC, thereby enabling the land height H to be obtained with high precision.

[0175] <Other variations and implementations>

[0176] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, if the soil estimation unit 505 is temporarily unable to estimate or obtain soil information due to certain circumstances, information related to soil hardness measured in advance at the work site by a penetration tester or the like can be used to set the output characteristics of the hydraulic excavator 1. In this case, the information related to the soil hardness is stored in the storage unit 507, and the output characteristic setting unit 506 only needs to refer to this information. With this structure, the output characteristics of the hydraulic excavator 1 can be appropriately set using the results of soil inspections conducted in advance at the work site.

[0177] Furthermore, the storage unit 507 can pre-store multiple land materials, and information related to these land materials can be displayed on the display unit 72. If the operator selects a land material corresponding to the current work site, the output characteristic setting unit 506 selects and sets the output characteristics of the hydraulic excavator 1 associated with the selected land material. With this structure, the output characteristics can be easily set in sites where excavation work begins without land surveying, such as raw material mining sites. Furthermore, examples of land materials include sand, sandy soil, gravel, and clay.

[0178] Alternatively, it could be in the soil surface information acquisition section 64 ( Figure 2 In the case of a camera, the output characteristic setting unit 506 identifies the surrounding land material based on images captured by the camera, and selects and sets the output characteristics of the hydraulic excavator 1 associated with that land material. In this case, the land material or soil quality can be estimated based on the moisture content estimated from the size of soil particles or the color of the soil in the image, or it can be estimated based on the similarity to comparison images pre-stored in the storage unit 507. With this structure, the operator's effort to select the land material is eliminated, and incorrect setting of the output characteristics due to misselection is prevented. Furthermore, even in operator-free work sites such as those where the hydraulic excavator 1 operates autonomously, the output characteristics of the hydraulic excavator 1 can be appropriately set.

[0179] Furthermore, as in the embodiments described above, when soil information is stored in the storage unit 507 of the hydraulic excavator 1 or the server-side storage unit 903 of the server 90, this information can be used to set the output characteristics of the hydraulic excavator 1. Alternatively, if the soil information is older in time, the soil estimation unit 505 can estimate the latest soil information. Additionally, when working in a location not included in the relationship between the location information and soil information stored in each storage unit (map information), appropriate output characteristics can be set by obtaining the latest soil information (new map information).

[0180] Additionally, the server-side storage unit 903 of server 90 can also store the following output characteristic information, which will differ depending on the type or characteristics of the hydraulic excavator 1 even if the soil information is the same. In this case, if... Figure 14 The soil information obtained by hydraulic excavator 1A is sent to server 90. Server 90 can then select an output characteristic suitable for hydraulic excavator 1B based on the soil information and send that output characteristic to hydraulic excavator 1B. Therefore, even when multiple hydraulic excavators 1 of different types are operating at the same work site, it is possible to share soil information while setting appropriate output characteristics for each hydraulic excavator 1.

[0181] Furthermore, the hydraulic excavator 1 and server 90 described above constitute the construction machinery management system of the present invention. Here, the construction machinery management system can be implemented in the manner described below.

[0182] First, the engineering machinery management system includes: the hydraulic excavator 1 described above; and a server 90, configured at a location far from the hydraulic excavator 1, capable of receiving and transmitting information about the soil conditions between the server and the hydraulic excavator 1.

[0183] According to this structure, server 90 manages the soil information obtained by hydraulic excavator 1, thereby enabling the sharing of this soil information with other hydraulic excavators. In this case, even if other hydraulic excavators do not have a soil estimation unit 505 like hydraulic excavator 1, they can still use the soil information to perform efficient operations.

[0184] Secondly, in the aforementioned construction machinery management system, the hydraulic excavator 1 further includes: a main body position information acquisition unit 63, which acquires the position information of the machine body at the work site; and a transmission unit 73 (machine body side transmission unit), which can transmit the position information and the soil information to the server 90. Furthermore, the server 90 includes: a server-side receiving unit 901, which can receive the position information and the soil information transmitted by the transmission unit 73; and a server-side storage unit 903, which stores the position information and the soil information in association with each other.

[0185] According to this structure, servers 90 manage the soil information and location information obtained by hydraulic excavators 1 in an interconnected manner, thereby enabling other hydraulic excavators to share the soil information and location information.

[0186] Thirdly, in the aforementioned construction machinery management system, the drive unit 71 can accept a predetermined command signal and drive the auxiliary working device 20 based on the output characteristics corresponding to the command signal. Furthermore, the hydraulic excavator 1 also includes: a main body position information acquisition unit 63, which acquires the position information of the machine body at the work site; a transmission unit 73, which can transmit the position information to the server 90; and a receiving unit 74 (machine body side receiving unit), which can receive information transmitted from the server 90. Additionally, the server 90 includes: a server-side storage unit 903, which stores the position information, soil information, and output characteristic information in association; a server-side receiving unit 901, which can receive the position information transmitted by the transmission unit 73; a server-side output characteristic setting unit 902, which sets a predetermined output characteristic based on the position information received by the server-side receiving unit 901 and the server-side storage unit 903; and a server-side transmission unit 904, which transmits the command signal corresponding to the set output characteristic to the hydraulic excavator 1.

[0187] Based on this structure, if the hydraulic excavator 1 acquires location information and soil condition information during operation, the server 90 can set appropriate output characteristics based on this information and send command signals to the hydraulic excavator 1. Therefore, the hydraulic excavator 1 can adjust its output characteristics to be appropriate while performing operations at the work site, based on the surrounding soil condition information.

[0188] Fourthly, in the aforementioned construction machinery management system, the drive unit 71 can accept a predetermined command signal and drive the working auxiliary device 20 based on the output characteristics corresponding to the command signal. Additionally, the hydraulic excavator 1 also includes: a transmitting unit 73, which can transmit the soil information to the server 90; and a receiving unit 74, which can receive information transmitted from the server 90. Furthermore, the server 90 includes: a server-side storage unit 903, which stores the soil information and the output characteristic information in association; a server-side receiving unit 901, which can receive the soil information transmitted by the transmitting unit 73; a server-side output characteristic setting unit 902, which sets a predetermined output characteristic based on the soil information received by the server-side receiving unit 901 and the server-side storage unit 903; and a server-side transmitting unit 904, which transmits the command signal corresponding to the set output characteristic to the hydraulic excavator 1.

[0189] Based on this structure, if the hydraulic excavator 1 obtains soil information during operation, the server 90 can set appropriate output characteristics based on this information and send command signals to the hydraulic excavator 1. Therefore, the hydraulic excavator 1 can adjust its output characteristics to be appropriate while performing operations at the work site, based on the surrounding soil information.

[0190] Furthermore, in the description of the above embodiments, the structure and function shown in one embodiment can also be applied to other embodiments.

[0191] This invention is based on the following technical concept: estimating the soil quality associated with the earth pressure load based on the actual mechanical load borne by the bucket during excavation operations and the earth pressure load exerted on the bucket by the soil clods formed by the bucket. Based on this technical concept, this invention provides engineering machinery. The engineering machinery includes: a body comprising a walking unit capable of moving on the ground; an operating attachment having an undulating body rotatably supported on the body relative to the body in an undulating direction, and a bucket rotatably supported on the distal end of the undulating body; a drive unit capable of driving the operating attachment in a manner that causes the bucket to excavate the ground; a posture information acquisition unit acquiring posture information related to the relative posture of the operating attachment relative to the ground; a drive load information acquisition unit acquiring drive load information, which is information related to the load borne by the drive unit accompanying the bucket's excavation of the ground; and a mechanical load calculation unit, which, during the bucket's excavation of the ground, calculates the mechanical load based on the posture information. The system uses the posture information obtained by the acquisition unit and the drive load information obtained by the drive load information acquisition unit to calculate the load, i.e., the mechanical load, borne by the bucket from the sand; the earth pressure load calculation unit, as the bucket excavates the ground, calculates the load, i.e., the earth pressure load, exerted by the soil clods on the bucket based on earth pressure theory, according to the shape of the soil clods formed by the bucket, the posture information obtained by the posture information acquisition unit, the shape of the bucket, the density of the soil, and the wall friction angle between the soil and the bucket; and the soil quality estimation unit estimates the soil quality at the work site based on the mechanical load calculated by the mechanical load calculation unit and the earth pressure load calculated by the earth pressure load calculation unit.

[0192] According to this structure, if the mechanical load calculation unit calculates the mechanical load borne by the bucket during excavation, and the earth pressure load calculation unit calculates the earth pressure load exerted on the bucket by the soil during excavation, then the soil quality estimation unit can estimate the soil quality at the work site based on the mechanical load and the earth pressure load. Therefore, soil quality information can be obtained while excavation is being carried out at the work site.

[0193] Alternatively, the above structure may be configured such that the soil estimation unit assumes that the mechanical load and the earth pressure load acting on the bucket are consistent with each other, and estimates the internal friction angle and cohesion of the soil at the work site as the soil quality.

[0194] Based on this structure, the internal friction angle and soil cohesion of the soil can be estimated based on the technical concept that the mechanical load and earth pressure load acting on the bucket are consistent.

[0195] The above structure can also be such that the drive unit includes: a hydraulic undulating body working cylinder for extending and retracting by rotating the undulating body; and a hydraulic bucket working cylinder for extending and retracting by rotating the bucket. The construction machinery also includes a working cylinder length detection unit, which can detect the length of the undulating body working cylinder and the length of the bucket working cylinder respectively. The posture information acquisition unit calculates the posture of the working auxiliary device based on the lengths of the undulating body working cylinder and the bucket working cylinder detected by the working cylinder length detection unit, and obtains the posture information.

[0196] Based on this structure, the posture of the auxiliary working device can be calculated based on the length of each working cylinder, and the mechanical load and earth pressure load can be calculated.

[0197] The above structure may also include: an angle detection unit, which can detect the relative angle of the undulating body relative to the machine body and the relative angle of the bucket relative to the undulating body, respectively; and the posture information acquisition unit calculates the posture of the working auxiliary device based at least on the relative angle of the undulating body and the relative angle of the bucket detected by the angle detection unit, in order to obtain the posture information.

[0198] Based on this structure, the posture of the working attachments can be calculated based on the angle of the undulating body and the bucket, and the mechanical load and earth pressure load can be calculated with high precision.

[0199] The above structure may also include: a body tilt detection unit, which can detect the tilt of the body relative to the horizontal plane; and a posture information acquisition unit, which calculates the posture of the working auxiliary device based on the relative angle of the undulating body detected by the angle detection unit, the relative angle of the bucket, and the tilt of the body detected by the body tilt detection unit, to obtain the posture information.

[0200] According to this structure, even when the machine body is tilted relative to the horizontal plane, it is possible to calculate and obtain the posture of the working auxiliary device with high precision.

[0201] The above structure can also be such that the drive unit includes: a hydraulic undulating body working cylinder for extending and retracting in a way that causes the undulating body to rotate; and a hydraulic bucket working cylinder for extending and retracting in a way that causes the bucket to rotate. The construction machinery also includes a working cylinder pressure detection unit capable of detecting the pressure of the bucket working cylinder. The drive load information acquisition unit calculates the load borne by the drive unit based on the pressure of the bucket working cylinder detected by the working cylinder pressure detection unit to obtain the drive load information.

[0202] According to this structure, drive load information can be easily obtained by detecting the pressure of each working cylinder.

[0203] The above structure may also include: a load sensor disposed at the distal end of the undulating body, capable of detecting the load acting on the bucket; and a drive load information acquisition unit that calculates the load borne by the drive unit based on the load acting on the bucket detected by the load sensor, thereby acquiring the drive load information.

[0204] According to this structure, the load acting on the bucket is detected by a load sensor located at the distal end of the undulating body, thereby making it easy to obtain drive load information.

[0205] The above structure may also include: a display unit that receives a specified display instruction signal and displays information to the operator according to the display instruction signal; and a soil quality estimation unit that inputs the display instruction signal corresponding to the estimated soil quality to the display unit.

[0206] According to this structure, information such as the strength of the land is displayed to the operator, thereby enabling the operator to use the information as a reference for setting the output characteristics of the construction machinery.

[0207] Alternatively, the above structure may be configured such that the display unit can display the latest soil quality and past soil quality estimated by the soil quality estimation unit.

[0208] Based on this structure, operators can easily monitor changes in soil conditions at the work site.

[0209] The above structure may also include: a location information acquisition unit that acquires the location information of the machine at the work site; and a soil estimation unit that inputs a display command signal that associates the estimated soil quality with the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit to the display unit.

[0210] According to this structure, by combining the machine's location information with soil information, operators can identify areas of low soil strength. As a result, the risk of machinery tipping over due to insufficient soil strength can be anticipated.

[0211] Alternatively, the above structure may also include a display unit that displays map information of the work site, on which the soil quality estimated by the soil quality estimation unit and the location information obtained by the location information acquisition unit are displayed in relation to each other.

[0212] According to this structure, operators can easily grasp the intensity of the land visually based on the map information displayed on the display unit.

[0213] The above structure can also be such that the drive unit can accept a specified command signal and drive the working auxiliary device based on the output characteristics corresponding to the command signal. The construction machinery also includes an output characteristic setting unit that inputs the command signal to the drive unit to adjust the output characteristics according to the soil quality obtained by the soil quality estimation unit.

[0214] According to this structure, because the output of the construction machinery can be adjusted based on soil conditions such as the strength of the surrounding land, the workability of the excavation work as perceived by the operators can be improved, and work efficiency can be increased. Furthermore, by appropriately setting the output characteristics of the construction machinery according to the softness or hardness of the soil, excessive fuel consumption can be suppressed.

[0215] Alternatively, the above structure may involve the soil quality estimation unit determining whether the soil quality can be estimated based on characteristic values ​​related to the magnitude of the soil pressure load.

[0216] According to this structure, earth pressure estimation is only performed when the obtained earth pressure load is large enough, thereby improving the estimation accuracy.

[0217] In the above structure, the characteristic value can also be the amount of soil in the bucket.

[0218] According to this structure, earth pressure estimation is only performed when a certain amount of soil is inside the bucket, thereby improving the estimation accuracy.

[0219] Alternatively, the above structure may involve the soil estimation unit calculating the soil volume based on the shape of the soil block and the shape of the bucket.

[0220] According to this structure, the volume of soil can be easily estimated based on the shape of the soil block and the shape of the bucket.

[0221] The above structure can also be such that the soil quality estimation unit determines the soil quality based on the condition that the angle of the bucket is included in a pre-set estimation angle.

[0222] According to this structure, after setting the angle of the bucket to the specified estimation angle, soil estimation processing is performed, thereby improving the estimation accuracy.

[0223] The above structure can also be such that the soil estimation unit refers to a plurality of pre-prepared candidate soil types, and based on the mechanical load calculated by the mechanical load calculation unit and the earth pressure load calculated by the earth pressure load calculation unit, determines one of the plurality of candidate soil types as the soil type at the work site.

[0224] According to this structure, by limiting the soil type used as a solution to multiple candidate soil types, the computational load can be reduced.

[0225] The above structure can also be such that the earth pressure load calculation unit calculates multiple earth pressure loads using the multiple candidate soil types, and the soil type estimation unit determines the candidate soil type corresponding to the earth pressure load closest to the mechanical load calculated by the mechanical load calculation unit as the soil type at the work site from the multiple earth pressure loads.

[0226] Based on this structure, the most suitable soil type can be determined with high precision from multiple candidate soil types.

[0227] The above structure may also include: an input unit that accepts instructions for switching between a valid state and an invalid state, wherein the valid state allows the soil quality estimation unit to estimate the soil quality state, and the invalid state prohibits the soil quality estimation unit from estimating the soil quality state.

[0228] According to this structure, soil estimation processing can be performed only when necessary, thus preventing unnecessary computational processing.

[0229] The above structure may also include: a soil storage unit, which stores information related to the previously estimated soil quality if the effective state and the invalid state are switched according to the instruction input to the input unit.

[0230] This structure allows for the reliable preservation of essential soil information.

[0231] The above structure may also include: a status display unit capable of displaying the valid status and the invalid status.

[0232] This structure allows operators to be informed of the estimated current soil condition.

[0233] The above structure may also include: a state switching unit, which inputs a command corresponding to the effective state to the input unit, provided that the angle of the bucket is included in a pre-set estimated angle.

[0234] According to this structure, after setting the angle of the bucket to the specified estimation angle, soil estimation processing is performed, thereby improving the estimation accuracy.

[0235] The above structure may also include: an angle requirement unit that requires the angle of the bucket to be included in the estimated angle, as a condition for the soil estimation unit to perform the soil estimation.

[0236] According to this structure, the angle of the bucket can be adjusted by the angle requirement unit, thereby enabling reliable and highly accurate soil quality estimation.

[0237] The above structure may also include: a bucket angle display unit, capable of displaying the estimated angle and the current angle of the bucket.

[0238] According to this structure, operators can easily adjust the bucket angle while observing the bucket angle display.

[0239] The above structure can also be such that the soil estimation unit receives a predetermined estimation start signal, repeatedly estimates the soil at predetermined time intervals to obtain multiple soil samples, and estimates the final soil sample based on the multiple soil samples. After the estimation start signal is input, if the number of multiple soil samples is less than a preset threshold, the estimation of the final soil sample is not performed.

[0240] This structure can prevent the output of incorrect estimation results when the required amount of data for estimation is not available.

[0241] The above structure may also include: a completion display unit that displays information related to whether the soil quality estimation unit has completed the estimation of the soil quality.

[0242] According to this structure, operators can easily confirm whether the soil quality assessment process is complete or incomplete by checking the completion display.

[0243] This invention provides a construction machinery management system. The system includes: any of the construction machinery described above; and a management device disposed at a location remote from the construction machinery, capable of receiving and transmitting information about the soil conditions with the construction machinery.

[0244] According to this structure, the management device manages the soil information obtained by the construction machinery, thereby enabling the sharing of this soil information with other construction machinery. In this case, even if other construction machinery does not have a soil estimation unit, it can still utilize the soil information for efficient operation.

[0245] The above structure can also be configured such that the engineering machinery further includes: a location information acquisition unit, which acquires the location information of the machine body at the work site; and a machine body-side transmission unit, which can transmit the location information and the soil information to the management device. The management device includes: a management device-side receiving unit, which can receive the location information and the soil information transmitted by the machine body-side transmission unit; and a management device-side storage unit, which stores the location information and the soil information in association with each other.

[0246] According to this structure, the management devices manage the soil information and location information obtained by the construction machinery in an interconnected manner, thereby enabling other construction machinery to share the soil information and location information.

[0247] The above structure can also be configured such that the drive unit can accept a specified command signal and drive the auxiliary working device based on the output characteristics corresponding to the command signal. The construction machinery further includes: a position information acquisition unit that acquires the position information of the machine body at the work site; a machine body-side transmission unit that can transmit the position information to the management device; and a machine body-side receiving unit that can receive information transmitted from the management device. The management device includes: a management device-side storage unit that stores the position information, the soil information, and the output characteristic information in association with each other; a management device-side receiving unit that can receive the position information transmitted by the machine body-side transmission unit; a management device-side output characteristic setting unit that sets a specified output characteristic based on the position information received by the management device-side receiving unit and the management device-side storage unit; and a management device-side transmission unit that transmits the command signal corresponding to the set output characteristic to the construction machinery.

[0248] According to this structure, if the construction machinery acquires location information and soil condition information during operation, the management device can set appropriate output characteristics based on this information and send command signals to the construction machinery. Therefore, the construction machinery can adjust its output characteristics to suit the surrounding soil conditions while performing operations at the work site.

[0249] The above structure can also be such that the drive unit can accept a predetermined command signal and drive the working auxiliary device based on the output characteristics corresponding to the command signal. The construction machinery further includes: a body-side transmitting unit capable of transmitting soil information to the management device; and a body-side receiving unit capable of receiving information transmitted from the management device. The management device includes: a management device-side storage unit that stores the soil information and the output characteristic information in association; a management device-side receiving unit capable of receiving the soil information transmitted by the body-side transmitting unit; a management device-side output characteristic setting unit that sets a predetermined output characteristic based on the soil information received by the management device-side receiving unit and the management device-side storage unit; and a management device-side transmitting unit that transmits the command signal corresponding to the set output characteristic to the construction machinery.

[0250] According to this structure, if the construction machinery acquires soil information during operation, the management device can set appropriate output characteristics based on this information and send command signals to the construction machinery. Therefore, the construction machinery can adjust its output characteristics to suit the surrounding soil conditions while performing operations at the work site.

[0251] According to the present invention, a construction machinery and a construction machinery management system are provided that can acquire soil information of the land while performing excavation operations at the work site.

Claims

1. An engineering machinery, characterized in that... include: The body, including the walking parts that can walk on the ground; The working attachment includes: an undulating body supported on the machine body in an undulating direction, comprising a stick and rotatably supported on the distal end of the undulating body; The drive unit is capable of driving the working attachment in a manner that causes the bucket to dig into the ground; The posture information acquisition unit acquires posture information, which is related to the relative posture of the working accessory relative to the ground. The drive load information acquisition unit acquires drive load information, which is information related to the load borne by the drive unit as the bucket digs the ground; The mechanical load calculation unit calculates the load, i.e., the mechanical load, borne by the bucket from the sand and soil, based on the posture information obtained by the posture information acquisition unit and the drive load information obtained by the drive load information acquisition unit as the bucket excavates the ground. The Soil Surface Information Acquisition Department acquires information related to the soil surface. The earth pressure load calculation unit, as the bucket excavates the ground, calculates the load exerted by the soil block on the bucket, i.e., the earth pressure load, based on earth pressure theory, according to the ground height calculated by the posture information acquisition unit, the wall angle of the soil block obtained from the posture information, the soil density, and the wall friction angle between the soil and the bucket. as well as The soil quality estimation unit estimates the soil quality at the work site based on the mechanical load calculated by the mechanical load calculation unit and the earth pressure load calculated by the earth pressure load calculation unit. The posture information acquisition unit draws an arc through the tip of the bucket with the far end of the boom as the center, calculates the position of the intersection of the arc and the soil surface, and calculates the distance between the horizontal line through the tip of the bucket and the intersection as the land height.

2. The engineering machinery according to claim 1, characterized in that: The soil estimation unit assumes that the mechanical load and the earth pressure load acting on the bucket are consistent with each other, and estimates the internal friction angle and cohesion of the soil at the work site as the soil quality.

3. The engineering machinery according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive unit includes: A hydraulically operated undulating body cylinder extends and retracts in a manner that causes the undulating body to rotate; and A hydraulic bucket cylinder extends and retracts the bucket by rotating it. The construction machinery also includes a working cylinder length detection unit, which can detect the length of the undulating working cylinder and the length of the bucket working cylinder respectively. The posture information acquisition unit calculates the posture of the working auxiliary device based on the lengths of the undulating working cylinder and the bucket working cylinder detected by the working cylinder length detection unit, and obtains the posture information.

4. The engineering machinery according to claim 1, characterized in that... Also includes: The angle detection unit can detect the relative angle of the undulating body with respect to the machine body and the relative angle of the bucket with respect to the undulating body. The posture information acquisition unit calculates the posture of the working accessory based at least on the relative angle of the undulating body and the relative angle of the bucket detected by the angle detection unit, in order to acquire the posture information.

5. The engineering machinery according to claim 4, characterized in that... Also includes: The tilt detection unit can detect the tilt of the machine body relative to the horizontal plane. The posture information acquisition unit calculates the posture of the working auxiliary device based on the relative angle of the undulating body detected by the angle detection unit, the relative angle of the bucket, and the tilt of the machine body detected by the machine body tilt detection unit, and obtains the posture information.

6. The engineering machinery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The drive unit includes: A hydraulically operated undulating body cylinder extends and retracts in a manner that causes the undulating body to rotate; and A hydraulic bucket cylinder extends and retracts the bucket by rotating it. The construction machinery also includes a working cylinder pressure detection unit, capable of detecting the pressure of the bucket working cylinder. The drive load information acquisition unit calculates the load borne by the drive unit based on the pressure of the bucket working cylinder detected by the working cylinder pressure detection unit, and obtains the drive load information.

7. The engineering machinery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that... Also includes: A load sensor, located at the distal end of the undulating body, is capable of detecting the load acting on the bucket. The drive load information acquisition unit calculates the load borne by the drive unit based on the load acting on the bucket detected by the load sensor, thereby acquiring the drive load information.

8. The engineering machinery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that... Also includes: The display unit receives prescribed display command signals and displays the information intended for the operators according to the display command signals. The soil estimation unit inputs the display command signal corresponding to the estimated soil quality to the display unit.

9. The engineering machinery according to claim 8, characterized in that: The display unit is capable of displaying the latest and past soil conditions estimated by the soil quality estimation unit.

10. The engineering machinery according to claim 8, characterized in that... Also includes: The location information acquisition unit acquires the location information of the machine body at the work site. The soil estimation unit inputs a display command signal to the display unit, which associates the estimated soil quality with the location information obtained by the location information acquisition unit.

11. The engineering machinery according to claim 10, characterized in that: The display unit can also display map information of the work site, on which the soil quality estimated by the soil quality estimation unit and the location information obtained by the location information acquisition unit are displayed in relation to each other.

12. The engineering machinery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The drive unit is capable of accepting prescribed command signals and driving the auxiliary working device based on the output characteristics corresponding to the command signals. The engineering machinery also includes an output characteristic setting unit, which inputs command signals to the drive unit to adjust the output characteristics according to the soil quality obtained by the soil quality estimation unit.

13. The engineering machinery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The soil quality estimation unit determines whether the soil quality can be estimated based on characteristic values ​​that are related to the magnitude of the soil pressure load.

14. The engineering machinery according to claim 13, characterized in that: The characteristic value is the amount of soil in the bucket.

15. The engineering machinery according to claim 14, characterized in that: The soil estimation unit calculates the soil volume based on the shape of the soil clod and the shape of the bucket.

16. The engineering machinery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The soil quality estimation unit determines the soil quality based on the condition that the angle of the bucket is included in a pre-set estimation angle.

17. The engineering machinery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The soil estimation unit refers to a plurality of pre-prepared candidate soil types and, based on the mechanical load calculated by the mechanical load calculation unit and the earth pressure load calculated by the earth pressure load calculation unit, determines one of the plurality of candidate soil types as the soil type at the work site.

18. The engineering machinery according to claim 17, characterized in that: The earth pressure load calculation unit calculates multiple earth pressure loads using the multiple candidate soil types. The soil estimation unit determines the soil type at the work site from among a plurality of soil pressure loads, the candidate soil type corresponding to the soil pressure load closest to the mechanical load calculated by the mechanical load calculation unit.

19. The engineering machinery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that... Also includes: The input section receives instructions used to switch between valid and invalid states. The valid state allows the soil quality estimation unit to estimate the soil quality state, while the invalid state prohibits the soil quality estimation unit from estimating the soil quality state.

20. The engineering machinery according to claim 19, characterized in that... Also includes: The soil storage unit, if switching between the valid state and the invalid state according to the instruction input to the input unit, stores information related to the previously estimated soil quality.

21. The engineering machinery according to claim 19, characterized in that... Also includes: The status display unit is capable of displaying the valid status and the invalid status.

22. The engineering machinery according to claim 19, characterized in that... Also includes: The state switching unit inputs a command corresponding to the effective state to the input unit, based on the condition that the angle of the bucket is included in a pre-set estimated angle.

23. The engineering machinery according to claim 22, characterized in that... Also includes: The angle requirement unit requires that the angle of the bucket be included in the estimated angle, as a condition for the soil quality estimation unit to perform the soil quality estimation.

24. The engineering machinery according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that... Also includes: The bucket angle display unit is capable of displaying the estimated angle and the current angle of the bucket.

25. The engineering machinery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The soil estimation unit receives a predetermined estimation start signal and repeatedly estimates the soil at predetermined time intervals to obtain multiple soil samples. Based on the multiple soil samples, it estimates the final soil sample. After the estimation start signal is input, if the number of multiple soil samples is less than a preset threshold, the estimation of the final soil sample is not performed.

26. The engineering machinery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that... Also includes: The completion display unit shows information related to whether the soil quality estimation unit has completed the estimation of the soil quality.

27. A construction machinery management system, characterized in that... include: Engineering machinery according to any one of claims 1 to 5; as well as The management device is located away from the construction machinery and is capable of receiving and transmitting information about the soil conditions to and from the construction machinery.

28. The engineering machinery management system according to claim 27, characterized in that: The engineering machinery also includes: The location information acquisition unit acquires the location information of the machine body at the work site; and The transmitter on the machine side is capable of transmitting the location information and the soil information to the management device. The management device includes: The receiving unit on the management device side is capable of receiving the location information and soil information transmitted by the transmitting unit on the machine side; and The management device-side storage unit stores the location information and the soil information in a correlated manner.

29. The engineering machinery management system according to claim 27, characterized in that: The drive unit is capable of accepting prescribed command signals and driving the auxiliary working device based on the output characteristics corresponding to the command signals. The engineering machinery also includes: The location information acquisition unit acquires the location information of the machine body at the work site; The body-side transmitter is capable of transmitting the location information to the management device; and The receiver unit on the machine side is capable of receiving information sent from the management device. The management device includes: The management device-side storage unit stores the location information, soil information, and output characteristic information in a mutually related manner; The receiving unit on the management device side is capable of receiving the position information sent by the transmitting unit on the body side; The management device-side output characteristic setting unit sets a predetermined output characteristic based on the location information received by the management device-side receiving unit and the management device-side storage unit; and The management device-side transmitter sends the instruction signal corresponding to the set output characteristics to the engineering machinery.

30. The engineering machinery management system according to claim 27, characterized in that: The drive unit is capable of accepting prescribed command signals and driving the auxiliary working device based on the output characteristics corresponding to the command signals. The engineering machinery also includes: The body-side transmitter is capable of transmitting soil information to the management device; and The receiver unit on the machine side is capable of receiving information sent from the management device. The management device includes: The management device-side storage unit stores the soil information and the output characteristic information in a correlated manner; The receiving unit on the management device side is capable of receiving the soil information transmitted by the transmitting unit on the machine body side; The management device-side output characteristic setting unit sets a specified output characteristic based on the soil information received by the management device-side receiving unit and the management device-side storage unit; and The management device-side transmitter sends the instruction signal corresponding to the set output characteristics to the engineering machinery.

Images