Automatic trenching system of construction machine and automatic trenching control method of construction machine

Abstract

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an automatic trenching system of a construction machine including a chassis, an upper structure rotatably coupled to the chassis, and a work device mounted on the upper structure, the work device including a boom, a stick, and a bucket, the automatic trenching system including a sensor unit detecting posture information of the construction machine, a setting unit capable of setting a trench target region to be worked, and an electronic control unit controlling the construction machine to perform a trenching work along the set trench target region, wherein the electronic control unit compares a width of the trench target region with a width of the bucket to determine a length and a width of a work region in which the construction machine can perform the trenching work in situ.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to construction machinery. In a specific aspect, this disclosure relates to an automated trenching system for construction machinery and an automated trenching control method for construction machinery. This disclosure can be applied to large vehicles, such as trucks, buses, and construction equipment. This disclosure may be described with respect to specific vehicles, but is not limited to any particular vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Generally speaking, excavators are construction machines that perform various operations such as: excavation work on construction sites, loading work to transport soil, foundation excavation to form foundations, demolition work to break up buildings, leveling work to prepare the ground, and slope trimming work to level the ground.

[0003] In trenching operations such as digging ditches, operators repeatedly dig the ground to form trenches, as well as driving construction machinery in reverse for a certain distance.

[0004] Currently, trenching operations are performed manually by operators, which leads to problems such as the complexity of trenching operations and the fact that the results of trenching operations vary depending on the operator. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, an automatic trenching system for a construction machine is provided. The construction machine includes: a chassis; a superstructure rotatably connected to the chassis; and a working device mounted on the superstructure, the working device including a boom, a stick, and a bucket. The automatic trenching system includes: a sensor unit that detects attitude information of the construction machine; a setting unit capable of setting a target area for trenching; and an electronic control unit that controls the construction machine to perform trenching operations along the set target area, wherein the electronic control unit compares the width of the target area with the width of the bucket to determine the length and width of the working area where the construction machine can perform trenching operations in situ.

[0006] Optionally, in some examples, the electronic control unit can determine the width of the working area to be equal to the width of the target trench area.

[0007] Optionally, in some examples, the electronic control unit can determine the length of the working area as a first preset length when the width of the target trench area is equal to the width of the bucket, and the first preset length can be the length between a first position of the bucket when the working device extends a certain distance and a second position of the bucket when the bottom surface of the bucket is level with the ground.

[0008] Optionally, in some examples, the electronic control unit can determine the length of the working area as a second preset length when the width of the trench target area is greater than the width of the bucket, and the second preset length can be the length between a first position of the bucket when the working device extends a certain distance and a third position of the bucket when the angle formed between the bucket and the side of the trench target area is a predetermined angle.

[0009] Optionally, in some examples, the electronic control unit can control the operation of the superstructure and the working device, so that the construction machine forms a trench in the working area.

[0010] Optionally, in some examples, the automated trenching system may further include a scanning unit that scans the work area to generate terrain information, wherein the electronic control unit can divide the work area into multiple rows and columns.

[0011] Optionally, in some examples, the electronic control unit can check the quality of the trenching operation line by line from the front to the back of the work area based on the terrain information provided by the scanning unit.

[0012] Optionally, in some examples, the electronic control unit can check the quality of the next row when the error of the inspected row is equal to or less than a reference value, and when the error of the inspected row is greater than the reference value, it can control the operation of the superstructure and the working device to restart the trenching operation from the row preceding the one with poorer quality. The technical advantage is that because the construction machine restarts the trenching operation from the row preceding the one with poorer quality, the accuracy of the trenching operation can be improved.

[0013] Optionally, in some examples, the electronic control unit can control the chassis's movement such that when the error of the last row of the work area is equal to or less than the reference value, the distance the construction machine moves backward is less than the length of the work area. The technical advantage is that there is an overlap area with a predetermined margin between the rear of the trench already worked by the construction machine and the front of the trench to be worked on by the construction machine subsequently, thereby improving the accuracy of the trenching operation.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, an automatic trenching control method for a construction machine can be provided. The construction machine includes: a chassis; a superstructure rotatably connected to the chassis; and a working device mounted on the superstructure, the working device including a boom, a stick, and a bucket. The automatic trenching control method includes: step (S10): setting a target area for trenching; step (S20): determining the width and length of a working area in which the construction machine can perform trenching operations on-site by comparing the width of the target area with the width of the bucket; step (S30): controlling the operation of the superstructure and the working device to perform trenching operations in the working area; and step (S40): checking the quality of the operation by scanning the working area.

[0015] Optionally, in some examples, in step S40, the quality of the trenching operation can be checked row by row from the front to the back of the target trench area.

[0016] Optionally, in some examples, in step S40, when the error of the inspected row is equal to or less than the reference value, the quality of the next row can be checked, and when the error of the inspected row is greater than the reference value, the trenching can be re-executed starting from the row preceding that row.

[0017] Optionally, in some examples, the automatic trenching control method may further include: step (S50): controlling the movement of the chassis such that the construction machine moves backward a distance less than the length of the work area so as to perform the work in the next work area.

[0018] The embodiments described above and below, the appended claims, and / or the examples disclosed herein can be appropriately combined, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0019] Additional features and advantages are described in the following description, claims and drawings, and will be recognized in part by those skilled in the art or by practice of the disclosure set forth herein. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The embodiments of this disclosure, which are cited as examples, will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing a construction machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a view illustrating the bucket depth of a construction machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3This is a block diagram illustrating the basic configuration of an automatic trenching system for a construction machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic view illustrating the overall configuration of an automatic trenching system for a construction machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of the electronic control unit.

[0026] Figure 6a and Figure 6b This is a schematic view of a construction machine performing trenching operations when the width of the target trench area is set to be equal to the width of the bucket.

[0027] Figure 7a and Figure 7b This is a schematic view of a construction machine performing trenching operations when the width of the target trench area is greater than the width of the bucket.

[0028] Figure 8 It is a view showing the work area divided into multiple rows and columns.

[0029] Figure 9 It is a schematic view showing the state of a construction machine moving backward after it has finished working in the work area.

[0030] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an automatic trenching control method for construction machinery.

[0031] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating an automatic trenching control method for construction machines when the quality of some rows within the work area does not meet reference values. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments described below provide information necessary for those skilled in the art to practice this disclosure.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing a construction machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] refer to Figure 1 The construction machine 1 (such as an excavator) includes a cab 10, a chassis 20, a superstructure 30 rotatably mounted on the chassis 20, a working device 40, and a hydraulic actuator 140 mounted on the superstructure 30 for vertical operation.

[0035] For example, chassis 20 can be a tracked or wheeled chassis. For example, construction machine 1 can move forward or backward depending on the direction of travel of the tracks 21 or wheels.

[0036] The working device 40 is formed as a multi-joint structure and includes: a boom 41 having a rear end rotatably supported on the superstructure 30; a stick 42 having a rear end rotatably supported on the front end of the boom 41; and a bucket 43 rotatably mounted at the front end of the stick 42.

[0037] The hydraulic actuator 140 includes a boom actuator 141, a stick actuator 142, and a bucket actuator 143. When hydraulic fluid is supplied in response to operator operation of the control lever, the boom actuator 141, stick actuator 142, and bucket actuator 143 operate the boom 41, stick 42, and bucket 43, respectively.

[0038] Figure 2 This is a view illustrating the bucket depth of a construction machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] The bucket depth BD can be defined as the shortest distance between the apex 43a of the bucket 43 and the digging face 43b. The digging face 43b can be defined as the surface connecting the four corners of the bucket 43 opposite to the apex 43a. The bucket depth BD can be used to determine the margin value described later.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the basic configuration of an automatic trenching system for a construction machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 4 This is a schematic view illustrating the overall configuration of an automatic trenching system for a construction machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The automatic trenching system 100 of the construction machine may include a hydraulic pump 110, a control valve unit 120, an electronic proportional pressure reducing valve 130, a hydraulic actuator 140, an operating lever 150, a sensor unit 160, a scanning unit 170, a setting unit 180, and an electronic control unit 190.

[0042] Hydraulic pump 110 is driven by engine E and discharges high-pressure hydraulic fluid to operate hydraulic actuator 140. Hydraulic pump 110 may include a first hydraulic pump 111 and a second hydraulic pump 112.

[0043] The control valve unit 120 is a component that opens and closes the fluid path via a spool valve that moves axially by receiving hydraulic fluid discharged from the hydraulic pump 110. The control valve unit may include a first control valve 121, a second control valve 122, and a third control valve 123 that respectively operate the boom actuator 141, the stick actuator 142, and the bucket actuator 143. Additionally, the control valve unit 120 may also include control valves that control the travel motor, the swing motor, and the like.

[0044] Control valve unit 120 is connected to hydraulic pump 110 via hydraulic lines and initiates the supply of hydraulic fluid from hydraulic pump 110 to hydraulic actuator 140. Pilot signal pressure generated during operation of lever 150 can be applied to the spool valve of control valve unit 120.

[0045] The electronic proportional pressure reducing valve 130 is an electronically operated valve that generates a pilot signal pressure proportional to the strength (e.g., current intensity) of the control signal applied by the electronic control unit 190, and the generated pilot signal pressure is transmitted to the control valve unit 120. The pilot signal pressure from the electronic proportional pressure reducing valve 130 causes the spool valve in the control valve unit 120 to move axially.

[0046] The hydraulic actuator 140 is operated by hydraulic fluid supplied from the hydraulic pump 110. In addition to... Figure 3 In addition to the boom actuator 141, stick actuator 142 and bucket actuator 143 shown, the device may also include a travel motor, a swing motor, etc.

[0047] The joystick 150 may be a hydraulic joystick or an electric joystick, and preferably, the joystick 150 is an electric joystick that generates an electrical signal proportional to the amount of operation by the operator and provides the electrical signal to the electronic control unit 190.

[0048] The control lever 150 can operate the vertical movement of the boom 41, the rotation of the stick 42 and the bucket 43, and the swinging of the superstructure 30. The control lever 150 can be configured to include a first control lever 151 and a second control lever 152.

[0049] According to one implementation, an automatic grooving mode can be activated when either the first operating lever 151 or the second operating lever 152 is operated.

[0050] According to one implementation, the operating lever 150 may be equipped with switches for various functions, such as switches for turning the automatic grooving mode on or off.

[0051] Sensor unit 160 may include Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor 161 and attitude measurement sensor 162.

[0052] The GNSS sensor 161 can detect the current position and attitude of the construction machine in real time. Specifically, the GNSS sensor 161 can measure the current latitude, longitude, and altitude of the construction machine in real time, and detect the current position of the construction machine in real time. In addition, the GNSS sensor 161 can detect the current attitude of the construction machine in real time. The real-time information about the current position and attitude of the construction machine detected by the GNSS sensor 161 can be digital data.

[0053] The attitude measurement sensor 162 can use an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an angle sensor, or the like to measure the displacement, attitude, and / or angle of the superstructure, boom, stick, and bucket. For example, the attitude measurement sensor 162 can be installed on each of the superstructure, boom, stick, and bucket to detect the displacement, attitude, and / or angle of each of the superstructure, boom, stick, and bucket.

[0054] The information measured by the sensor unit 160 can be provided to the electronic control unit 190.

[0055] The scanning unit 170 is positioned on one side of the construction machine to scan the constructed trench area and generate 3D or 2D terrain information, and the generated information is provided to the electronic control unit 190.

[0056] The setting unit 180 can be configured as a display installed inside the cab, through which the operator sets the target area TA for the trench to be worked. Preferably, the setting unit 180 can display the target area TA for the trench to be worked set by the operator, as well as real-time information C about the current position and attitude of the construction machine detected by the sensor unit 160.

[0057] According to one implementation, a button for activating the automatic grooving mode can be displayed on the screen of the setting unit 180, and the operator can activate the automatic grooving mode by pressing the button.

[0058] In addition, information indicating the activation of the automatic trenching mode and information about scanning information can be displayed on the setting unit 180.

[0059] When the automatic trenching mode is activated, the electronic control unit 190 generates an electrical signal to cause the construction machine to excavate the set trench target area TA, and outputs the electrical signal to the electronic proportional pressure reducing valve 130. The electronic proportional pressure reducing valve 130 can move the spool valve of the control valve unit 120 by supplying a pilot signal pressure proportional to the intensity of the current applied by the electronic control unit 190 to each of the spool valves of the control valve unit 120, based on the intensity of the pilot signal pressure applied. In other words, the electronic control unit 190 controls the operation of the hydraulic actuator 140 based on the operation signal output from the operating lever 150, that is, controls the operation of the working device.

[0060] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of the electronic control unit.

[0061] refer to Figure 5The electronic control unit 190 may include a data receiving unit 191, a storage unit 192, a work area generation unit 193, an excavation control unit 194, a quality inspection unit 195, a travel control unit 196, and an output unit 197.

[0062] The data receiving unit 191 can receive information detected by the sensor unit. The data receiving unit 191 can receive digital data in real time, such as the current latitude, longitude and altitude of the unmanned excavator detected by GNSS sensors, the current attitude of the unmanned excavator, the position and / or attitude of the superstructure, boom, stick and bucket detected by attitude measurement sensors, and the tilt of the construction machine body.

[0063] The data receiving unit 191 can receive 3D or 2D terrain information generated by the scanning unit.

[0064] In addition, the data receiving unit 191 can receive information about the trench target area set by the setting unit, as well as information about the activation of the automatic trenching mode output from the setting unit, the operating lever, or the setting unit.

[0065] Storage unit 192 can store information about a first set length, a second set length, a third set length, a travel limit length, and a margin value. Storage unit 192 can also store the bucket depth, which is used as a reference for the margin value.

[0066] Storage unit 192 can store information about the width of the bucket.

[0067] Storage unit 192 can store information about the position and orientation of the bucket, which is used as a reference when determining the length of the work area.

[0068] On the other hand, when the width of the target trench area is greater than the width of the bucket, the length of the working area where trenching can be performed on-site will be shortened because the superstructure must be in a swinging state in some areas.

[0069] Therefore, the work area generation unit 193 compares the width of the trench target area with the width of the bucket to determine the length and width of the work area where the construction machine can perform trenching operations on-site. Specifically, the work area generation unit 193 sets the width of the work area to be equal to the width of the trench target area, and when the width of the trench target area is equal to the width of the bucket, the length of the work area is set to a first set length, and when the width of the trench target area is greater than the width of the bucket, the length of the work area is set to a second set length. In this case, the second set length is set to be less than the first set length.

[0070] Figure 6a and Figure 6bThis is a schematic view of a construction machine performing trenching operations when the width of the target trench area is set to be equal to the width of the bucket.

[0071] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6a The work area generation unit 193 sets the width of the work area W to be equal to the width of the trench target area TA.

[0072] In addition, since the width of the trench target area TA is equal to the width of the bucket 43, the work area generation unit 193 sets the length of the work area W to the first set length TL1.

[0073] Specifically, refer to Figure 6b The first set length TL1 can be the maximum length between the first position B1 of the bucket 43 when the working device 40 extends a certain length and the second position B2 of the bucket 43 when the bottom surface of the bucket 43 is horizontal with the ground. That is, the first set length TL1 can be the length between the top end position of the bucket 43 when the bucket 43 is in the first position B1 and the end position of the bucket 43 when the bucket 43 is in the second position B2.

[0074] The first set length TL1 can vary according to the specifications of the construction machine 1, and its value can be stored in the storage unit 192.

[0075] Figure 7a and Figure 7b This is a schematic view of a construction machine performing trenching operations when the width of the target trench area is greater than the width of the bucket.

[0076] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 7a The work area generation unit 193 sets the width of the work area W to be equal to the width of the trench target area TA.

[0077] In addition, since the width of the trench target area TA is greater than the width of the bucket 43, the work area generation unit 193 sets the length of the work area W to the second set length TL2.

[0078] At the same time, refer to Figure 7a and Figure 7b When digging is performed while the upper structure 30 is swinging, the end of the bucket 43 of the excavated object separates from the side of the target area TA of the trench at a predetermined angle, resulting in a decrease in digging efficiency.

[0079] Therefore, the angle α formed between the bucket 43 and the side of the target area TA in the trench can be 20 degrees or less, preferably 10 degrees or less. In this case, the angle α can be adjusted by the operator. In other words, the operator can adjust the angle α according to the width of the target area TA in the trench.

[0080] The second set length TL2 can be the maximum length between the first position B1 and the third position B3 of the bucket 43 when the working device 40 extends a certain length, in which the angle formed between the bucket 43 and the side of the trench target area TA forms a preset angle α. That is, the second set length TL2 can be the length between the apex position of the bucket 43 when the bucket 43 is in the first position B1 and the end position of the bucket 43 when the bucket 43 is in the third position B3.

[0081] The second set length TL2 can vary according to the specifications of the construction machine 1, and its value can be stored in the storage unit 192.

[0082] The excavation control unit 194 can control the operation of the working device 40, so that the trench is formed with a preset length TL1 or TL2. Specifically, the excavation control unit 194 can calculate the pilot signal pressure to control the operation of the hydraulic actuator of the working device 40. In addition, the excavation control unit 194 can also control the operation of the superstructure 30, so that objects contained in the bucket 43 can be dumped to a predetermined position by excavation.

[0083] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6a When the width of the target area TA of the trench is equal to the width of the bucket 43, the excavation control unit 194 can excavate from the front to the rear of the working area W.

[0084] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 7a When the width of the target trench area TA is greater than the width of the bucket 43, the excavation control unit 194 can divide the working area W along the width direction. For example, the excavation control unit 194 can first excavate from the front to the rear of the right side of the working area W, and then excavate from the front to the rear of the left side of the working area W.

[0085] When the quality of a row inspected by the quality inspection unit 195 does not meet the standard, the excavation control unit 194 can control the operation of the working device and the superstructure to re-perform the trenching operation starting from the row in front of that row.

[0086] Preferably, the excavation control unit 194 can control the operation of the working device and the superstructure, so that the trenching operation is restarted from the row located ahead of the row that does not meet the quality standard by a first margin. In this case, the first margin can be set to 50% to 80% of the bucket depth, but is not limited thereto.

[0087] In other words, since the excavation control unit 194 maintains an overlap area corresponding to the margin even within a single working area, the accuracy of trenching operations can be improved.

[0088] Figure 8 It is a view showing the work area divided into multiple rows and columns.

[0089] The quality inspection unit 195 checks the quality of the operation based on the terrain information provided by the scanning unit.

[0090] Specifically, the quality inspection unit 195 can divide the work area W into multiple rows and columns. In this case, the size of each cell can be set to the scanning resolution of the scanning unit.

[0091] Quality inspection unit 195 inspects the quality row by row from the front to the back of the work area W.

[0092] Specifically, the quality inspection unit 195 can calculate each row. value, and will The error is compared with a reference value to determine whether the error of each row is equal to or less than the reference value; that is, whether the quality of each row meets the standard. In this case, It is the terrain information provided by the scanning unit for each cell. It is a reference value, and It represents the error in the i-th row.

[0093] Meanwhile, some soil flowing downwards during excavation or dumping may accumulate at the rear of the constructed trench.

[0094] Therefore, during operation in the walking assistance mode, the walking control unit 196 controls the chassis movement so that the distance traveled by the construction machine is less than a first set length TL1 or a second set length TL2, preferably a walking limit length TR. The walking limit length TR can be defined as the value obtained by subtracting a second set margin M2 from the first set length TL1 and the second set length TL2, such as... Figure 6b and Figure 7b As shown in the diagram. The second margin M2 can be set to 50% to 80% of the bucket depth, but is not limited to this.

[0095] Figure 9It is a schematic view showing the state of a construction machine moving backward after it has finished working in the work area.

[0096] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 9 During the operation of the walking assistance mode, the walking control unit 196 controls the movement of the chassis 20 so that the distance traveled by the construction machine 1 is less than the first set length TL1, preferably the walking limit length TR.

[0097] When the construction machine 1 travels the maximum travel length TR via the travel control unit 196, the rear of the work area W1 that the construction machine 1 has already worked on and the front of the work area W2 that the construction machine 1 will subsequently work on have an overlap area corresponding to the second margin M2. Therefore, the construction machine can dig again from the rear of the previous trench area W1, thereby improving the accuracy of the trenching operation.

[0098] The travel control unit 196 can calculate the pilot signal pressure used to control the travel of the first and second travel motors of the chassis.

[0099] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6b The travel control unit 185 and / or the digging control unit 186 can control the travel of the chassis 20 and / or the operation of the working device 40, such that the tip of the bucket 43 at the second position B2 is spaced apart from the front of the chassis 20 by at least a third predetermined length TL3.

[0100] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 7b The travel control unit 185 and / or the excavation control unit 186 can control the travel of the chassis 20 and / or the operation of the working device 40, such that the tip of the bucket 43 at the third position B3 is spaced apart from the front of the chassis 20 by at least a third predetermined length TL3.

[0101] This is to prevent the working device 40 from colliding with the chassis 20 and the superstructure 30.

[0102] refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The output unit 197 can generate a control signal (e.g., current) that corresponds to the operation received from the operating levers 151 and 152 to apply current to the electronic proportional pressure reducing valve 130.

[0103] Output unit 197 can generate a current corresponding to the pilot signal pressure calculated by excavation control unit 194, and apply this current to the electronic proportional pressure reducing valve 130 of each of control valves 121 and 122. Therefore, the amount of hydraulic fluid supplied to hydraulic actuator 140 can be controlled, thereby controlling the operation of the working device.

[0104] Output unit 197 can generate a current corresponding to the pilot signal pressure calculated by travel control unit 196, and apply this current to the electronic proportional pressure reducing valve 130 of each of control valves 121, 122, and 123. Therefore, the amount of hydraulic fluid supplied to the first and second travel motors of the chassis can be controlled, thereby controlling the travel of the chassis.

[0105] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an automatic trenching control method for construction machinery.

[0106] The following will refer to Figure 6a , Figure 7a and Figure 10 An automatic trenching control method for a construction machine according to one embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0107] An automatic trenching control method for a construction machine according to one embodiment of the present invention includes step S10: setting the target area TA of the trench to be worked.

[0108] An automatic trenching control method for a construction machine according to one embodiment of the present invention includes step S20: determining the width and length of the working area W in which the construction machine 1 can perform trenching operations on-site by comparing the width of the trench target area TA with the width of the bucket 43. In step S20, the width of the working area W is set to be equal to the width of the trench target area TA, and when the width of the trench target area TA is equal to the width of the bucket 43, the length of the working area W is set to a first set length TL1, and when the width of the trench target area TA is greater than the width of the bucket 43, the length of the working area W is set to a second set length TL2.

[0109] An automatic trenching control method for a construction machine according to one embodiment of the present invention includes step S30: controlling the operation of the superstructure 30 and the working device 40 to perform trenching operations in the work area W.

[0110] An automatic trenching control method for a construction machine according to one embodiment of the present invention includes step S40: checking the quality of the operation by scanning the work area W.

[0111] The automatic trenching control method for a construction machine according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes step S50: controlling the movement of the chassis 20 such that the construction machine moves backward a distance less than the lengths TL1 and TL2 of the work area W, preferably the travel limit length TR, so that the construction machine can work in the next work area W after completing the quality inspection of the work area W.

[0112] Figure 11This is a flowchart illustrating an automatic trenching control method for construction machines when the quality of some rows within the work area does not meet reference values.

[0113] refer to Figure 5 , Figure 8 and Figure 11 In step S30, the excavation control unit 194 performs excavation operations from row Sn to row Si. Initially, n is set to 1.

[0114] In step S40, the quality inspection unit 195 checks the quality of the nth row to determine whether the error in the nth row is equal to or less than the reference value. In step S40, the quality inspection unit 195 checks the quality of the trenching operation row by row from the front to the back of the trench target area TA.

[0115] In step S41, when the error in the nth row is equal to or less than the reference value, the quality inspection unit 195 sets n to n+1.

[0116] In step S42, it is determined whether n is i+1. That is, the quality inspection unit 195 determines whether the quality of the Si-th row has been inspected.

[0117] In step S43, the quality inspection unit 195 sets n = n - M1. n - M1 is set to be greater than 1. Therefore, in step S30, the excavation control unit 194 resumes the excavation operation from the Sn-M1th row, which is located after the Snth row that failed the quality inspection in step S40 and reaches the first margin M1.

[0118] In step S50, when the quality inspection of the work area is completed, the travel control unit 196 controls the travel of the chassis 20 to move backward the travel limit length TR.

[0119] With the aforementioned automatic trenching system and automatic trenching control method of the construction machine, the construction machine checks the quality of the trenches line by line, and when the quality is low, it starts trenching again from the row in front of the row with the lower quality, which can improve the accuracy of trenching operations.

[0120] In addition, since the chassis travel is controlled so that the distance the chassis travels is less than the length of the trench that can be formed on-site during the travel of the construction machine (that is, the travel limit length), the rear of the trench that the construction machine has worked on and the front of the trench that the construction machine will subsequently work on have an overlap area corresponding to a predetermined margin, thereby improving the accuracy of trenching operations.

[0121] In addition, construction machines can automatically perform trenching operations, which can improve work efficiency and operator convenience.

[0122] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term “and / or” covers any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “including” specify the presence of the described function, integral, step, operation, element, and / or component, but are to be understood not to exclude the presence or addition of one or more other functions, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0123] Although terms such as first and second may be used herein to describe various components, it should be understood that these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may be referred to as a first component.

[0124] In this document, relative terms such as “below,” “above,” “upper side,” “lower side,” “horizontal,” and “vertical” may be used to describe the relationship between one element and another, as shown in the figures. It should be understood that these terms, along with those discussed above, are intended to encompass different device orientations in addition to those shown in the figures. When an element is described as “connected” or “linked” to another element, it should be understood that the element may be directly connected or linked to the other element, or may be connected or linked via one or more intermediate elements. In contrast, when an element is described as “directly connected” or “directly linked” to another element, there are no intermediate elements in between.

[0125] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Furthermore, the terms used herein shall be interpreted as having the same meaning as in the context of this specification and the relevant technical field, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal manner unless expressly defined herein.

Claims

1. An automatic trenching system for a construction machine, the construction machine comprising: Chassis; A superstructure, which is rotatably connected to the chassis; The automatic trenching system includes: a working device mounted on the superstructure, the working device comprising a boom, a stick, and a bucket; and an automatic trenching system comprising: A sensor unit that detects the attitude information of the construction machine; Setting unit, the setting unit is capable of setting the target area of ​​the trench to be worked on; and An electronic control unit controls the construction machine to perform trenching operations along the designated target area. The electronic control unit compares the width of the target trench area with the width of the bucket to determine the length and width of the working area in which the construction machine can perform trenching operations on-site.

2. The automatic trenching system as described in claim 1, The electronic control unit determines the width of the working area to be equal to the width of the trench target area.

3. The automatic trenching system as described in claim 2, The electronic control unit determines the length of the working area as a first preset length when the width of the target trench area is equal to the width of the bucket, and The first set length is the length between the first position of the bucket when the working device extends a certain distance and the second position of the bucket when the bottom surface of the bucket is level with the ground.

4. The automatic trenching system as described in claim 2, When the width of the target trench area is greater than the width of the bucket, the electronic control unit determines the length of the working area as a second preset length, and The second set length is the length between the first position of the bucket when the working device extends a certain distance and the third position of the bucket when the angle formed between the bucket and the side of the target area of ​​the trench is a predetermined angle.

5. The automatic trenching system as described in claim 1, The electronic control unit controls the operation of the superstructure and the working device, enabling the construction machine to form trenches in the working area.

6. The automatic trenching system of claim 5, further comprising a scanning unit that scans the work area to generate terrain information. The electronic control unit divides the work area into multiple rows and columns.

7. The automatic trenching system as described in claim 6, The electronic control unit checks the quality of the trenching operation line by line from the front to the back of the work area based on the terrain information provided by the scanning unit.

8. The automatic trenching system as described in claim 7, The electronic control unit If the error of the checked row is equal to or less than the reference value, check the quality of the next row, and When the error of the inspected row is greater than the reference value, the operation of the superstructure and the working device is controlled to restart the trenching operation from the row in front of the inspected row.

9. The automatic trenching system as described in claim 7, The electronic control unit controls the movement of the chassis such that when the error of the last row of the work area is equal to or less than the reference value, the construction machine moves backward a distance less than the length of the work area.

10. An automatic trenching control method for a construction machine, the construction machine comprising: Chassis; A superstructure, which is rotatably connected to the chassis; The working device, mounted on the superstructure, includes a boom, stick, and bucket. The automatic trenching control method includes: Step (S10): Set the target area for the trench to be worked on; Step (S20): Determine the width and length of the working area in which the construction machine can perform trenching operations on-site by comparing the width of the target trench area with the width of the bucket; Step (S30): Control the operation of the superstructure and the working device to perform trenching operations in the working area; and Step (S40): Check the quality of the job by scanning the work area.

11. The automatic trenching control method as described in claim 10, In step S40, the quality of the trenching operation is checked row by row from the front to the back of the target trench area.

12. The automatic trenching control method as described in claim 11, In step S40, when the error of the inspected row is equal to or less than the reference value, the quality of the next row is checked, and When the error of the inspected row is greater than the reference value, the trenching is re-executed starting from the row preceding the inspected row.

13. The automatic trenching control method as described in claim 10, further comprising the step (S50): controlling the movement of the chassis such that the construction machine moves backward a distance less than the length of the work area so as to perform the work in the next work area.

Images