shovel

Abstract

To provide a shovel capable of reducing the burden of operations required to make the shovel face a target construction surface.SOLUTION: A shovel 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is provided with a lower traveling body 1, a super structure 3 turnably mounted on the lower traveling body 1, on which an attachment is mounted, and a controller 30. The controller 30 is configured to carry out a first control to operate an actuator to make the super structure 3 face an upward slope surface BS on the basis of the orientation of the upward slope surface BS and the orientation of the super structure 3, and a second control to operate the attachment while aligning the upper slope surface BS with the position of the work part of the attachment.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a shovel. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a shovel that allows an operator to recognize whether or not the shovel is facing a target construction surface such as a slope (see Patent Document 1). This shovel allows an operator to recognize whether or not the shovel is facing the target construction surface by superimposing an image showing the extension direction of the target construction surface or a direction perpendicular to the extension direction on a camera image. The camera image is an overhead image generated by synthesizing images captured by multiple cameras attached to the shovel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 026469 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned shovel can only allow the operator to recognize whether the shovel is facing the target construction surface or not. Therefore, when the shovel is not facing the target construction surface, the operator who wants to face the shovel to the target construction surface needs to perform a turning operation. In this respect, the above-mentioned shovel may be troublesome for the operator.

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a shovel that can reduce the hassle of facing the shovel directly to a target construction surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An excavator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a lower running body, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower running body and on which an attachment is mounted, and a control device, and the control device is configured to perform a first control that operates an actuator to face the upper rotating body directly toward a target construction surface based on the orientation of a target construction surface and the orientation of the upper rotating body, and a second control that operates the attachment while aligning the position of the target construction surface with the position of the working part of the attachment. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The above-mentioned means provide a shovel that can reduce the hassle of facing the shovel directly to a target construction surface. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a shovel according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a drive system of the excavator shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a hydraulic system mounted on the excavator of FIG. 1. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a part of a hydraulic system mounted on the excavator in FIG. 1. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a part of a hydraulic system mounted on the excavator in FIG. 1. [Figure 4C] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a part of a hydraulic system mounted on the excavator in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 1. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another example of the configuration of the drive system of the shovel in FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart of a facing process. [Figure 7A] FIG. 13 is a top view of the shovel when the facing process is being performed. [Figure 7B] FIG. 13 is a top view of the shovel when the facing process is being performed. [Figure 8A] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the shovel when a facing process is performed. [Figure 8B] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the shovel when a facing process is performed. [Figure 9A] FIG. 13 is a top view of the shovel when the facing process is being performed. [Figure 9B] FIG. 13 is a top view of the shovel when the facing process is being performed. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an operation system including an electric operation device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Fig. 1 is a side view of a shovel 100 as an excavator according to an embodiment of the present invention. An upper rotating body 3 is rotatably mounted on a lower traveling body 1 of the shovel 100 via a rotating mechanism 2. A boom 4 is attached to the upper rotating body 3. An arm 5 is attached to the tip of the boom 4, and a bucket 6 is attached to the tip of the arm 5 as an end attachment.

[0010] The boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6 constitute an excavation attachment, which is an example of an attachment. The boom 4 is driven by a boom cylinder 7, the arm 5 is driven by an arm cylinder 8, and the bucket 6 is driven by a bucket cylinder 9. A boom angle sensor S1 is attached to the boom 4, an arm angle sensor S2 is attached to the arm 5, and a bucket angle sensor S3 is attached to the bucket 6.

[0011] The boom angle sensor S1 is configured to detect the rotation angle of the boom 4. In this embodiment, the boom angle sensor S1 is an acceleration sensor, and can detect the rotation angle of the boom 4 relative to the upper rotating body 3 (hereinafter referred to as the "boom angle"). For example, the boom angle is at its minimum when the boom 4 is lowered to the lowest and increases as the boom 4 is raised.

[0012] The arm angle sensor S2 is configured to detect the rotation angle of the arm 5. In this embodiment, the arm angle sensor S2 is an acceleration sensor, and can detect the rotation angle of the arm 5 relative to the boom 4 (hereinafter referred to as the "arm angle"). For example, the arm angle is at its minimum when the arm 5 is fully closed, and increases as the arm 5 is opened.

[0013] The bucket angle sensor S3 is configured to detect the rotation angle of the bucket 6. In this embodiment, the bucket angle sensor S3 is an acceleration sensor, and can detect the rotation angle of the bucket 6 relative to the arm 5 (hereinafter referred to as the "bucket angle"). For example, the bucket angle is at its minimum when the bucket 6 is fully closed, and increases as the bucket 6 is opened.

[0014] The boom angle sensor S1, the arm angle sensor S2, and the bucket angle sensor S3 may each be a potentiometer using a variable resistor, a stroke sensor that detects the stroke amount of the corresponding hydraulic cylinder, a rotary encoder that detects the rotation angle around the connecting pin, a gyro sensor, or a combination of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, etc.

[0015] The upper rotating body 3 is provided with a cabin 10 serving as a driver's cab, and is equipped with a power source such as an engine 11. In addition, the upper rotating body 3 is equipped with a controller 30, a display device 40, an input device 42, an audio output device 43, a storage device 47, an aircraft tilt sensor S4, a turning angular velocity sensor S5, a camera S6, a communication device T1, a positioning device P1, etc.

[0016] The controller 30 is configured to function as a main control unit that performs drive control of the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the controller 30 is configured as a computer including a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. The various functions of the controller 30 are realized, for example, by the CPU executing a program stored in the ROM. The various functions include, for example, a machine guidance function that guides (guides) the manual operation of the shovel 100 by the operator, and a machine control function that automatically assists the manual operation of the shovel 100 by the operator. The machine guidance device 50 included in the controller 30 is configured to execute the machine guidance function and the machine control function.

[0017] The display device 40 is configured to display various information. The display device 40 may be connected to the controller 30 via a communication network such as a CAN, or may be connected to the controller 30 via a dedicated line.

[0018] The input device 42 is configured to enable an operator to input various information to the controller 30. The input device 42 includes a touch panel, a knob switch, a membrane switch, etc., which are installed in the cabin 10.

[0019] The audio output device 43 is configured to output audio. The audio output device 43 may be, for example, an in-vehicle speaker connected to the controller 30, or an alarm such as a buzzer. In this embodiment, the audio output device 43 is configured to output various information by audio in response to an audio output command from the controller 30.

[0020] The storage device 47 is configured to store various information. The storage device 47 is, for example, a non-volatile storage medium such as a semiconductor memory. The storage device 47 may store information output by various devices during operation of the shovel 100, or may store information acquired via various devices before the operation of the shovel 100 is started. The storage device 47 may store, for example, information on a target construction surface acquired via the communication device T1 or the like. The target construction surface may be set by the operator of the shovel 100, or may be set by a construction manager or the like.

[0021] The machine body inclination sensor S4 is configured to detect the inclination of the upper rotating body 3 with respect to a virtual horizontal plane. In this embodiment, the machine body inclination sensor S4 is an acceleration sensor that detects the inclination angle about the front-rear axis and the left-right axis of the upper rotating body 3. The front-rear axis and the left-right axis of the upper rotating body 3 are perpendicular to each other at, for example, the shovel center point, which is a point on the rotation axis of the shovel 100.

[0022] The rotation angular velocity sensor S5 is configured to detect the rotation angular velocity of the upper rotating body 3. The rotation angular velocity sensor S5 may be configured to detect or calculate the rotation angle of the upper rotating body 3. In this embodiment, the rotation angular velocity sensor S5 is a gyro sensor. The rotation angular velocity sensor S5 may be a resolver, a rotary encoder, or the like.

[0023] The camera S6 is an example of a spatial recognition device, and is configured to acquire an image of the periphery of the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the camera S6 includes a front camera S6F that images the space in front of the shovel 100, a left camera S6L that images the space to the left of the shovel 100, a right camera S6R that images the space to the right of the shovel 100, and a rear camera S6B that images the space behind the shovel 100.

[0024] The camera S6 is, for example, a monocular camera having an imaging element such as a CCD or a CMOS, and outputs a captured image to the display device 40. The camera S6 may be a stereo camera, a distance imaging camera, or the like. The camera S6 may be replaced with another spatial recognition device such as an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, a LIDAR, or an infrared sensor, or may be replaced with a combination of another spatial recognition device and a camera.

[0025] The front camera S6F is attached, for example, to the ceiling of the cabin 10, i.e., inside the cabin 10. However, the front camera S6F may be attached to the roof of the cabin 10, i.e., outside the cabin 10. The left camera S6L is attached to the left end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3, the right camera S6R is attached to the right end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3, and the rear camera S6B is attached to the rear end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3.

[0026] The communication device T1 controls communication with an external device outside the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the communication device T1 controls communication with an external device via a satellite communication network, a mobile phone communication network, an Internet network, or the like. The external device may be, for example, a management device such as a server installed in an external facility, or a support device such as a smartphone carried by an operator around the shovel 100. The external device is configured to be able to manage, for example, construction information related to one or more shovels 100. The construction information includes, for example, information related to at least one of the operation time, fuel consumption, and workload of the shovel 100. The workload is, for example, the amount of earth and sand excavated and the amount of earth and sand loaded on the bed of a dump truck. The shovel 100 is configured to transmit the construction information related to the shovel 100 to the external device at a predetermined time interval via the communication device T1.

[0027] The positioning device P1 is configured to measure the position of the upper rotating body 3. The positioning device P1 may be configured to measure the orientation of the upper rotating body 3. In this embodiment, the positioning device P1 is, for example, a GNSS compass, detects the position and orientation of the upper rotating body 3, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. Therefore, the positioning device P1 can function as an orientation detection device that detects the orientation of the upper rotating body 3. The orientation detection device may be a direction sensor attached to the upper rotating body 3.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the drive system of the shovel 100, in which a mechanical power system, a hydraulic oil line, a pilot line, and an electrical control system are indicated by double lines, solid lines, dashed lines, and dotted lines, respectively.

[0029] The drive system of the excavator 100 mainly includes an engine 11, a regulator 13, a main pump 14, a pilot pump 15, a control valve 17, an operating device 26, a discharge pressure sensor 28, an operating pressure sensor 29, a controller 30, a proportional valve 31, and the like.

[0030] The engine 11 is a drive source of the excavator 100. In this embodiment, the engine 11 is, for example, a diesel engine that operates to maintain a predetermined rotation speed. In addition, an output shaft of the engine 11 is connected to input shafts of the main pump 14 and the pilot pump 15.

[0031] The main pump 14 is configured to supply hydraulic oil through a hydraulic oil line to the control valve 17. In this embodiment, the main pump 14 is a swash plate type variable displacement hydraulic pump.

[0032] The regulator 13 is configured to control the discharge amount of the main pump 14. In this embodiment, the regulator 13 controls the discharge amount of the main pump 14 by adjusting the swash plate tilt angle of the main pump 14 in response to a control command from the controller 30. For example, the controller 30 receives outputs from the operating pressure sensor 29 and the like, and outputs a control command to the regulator 13 as necessary to change the discharge amount of the main pump 14.

[0033] The pilot pump 15 supplies hydraulic oil to various hydraulic control devices including the operating device 26 and the proportional valve 31 via a pilot line. In this embodiment, the pilot pump 15 is a fixed displacement hydraulic pump. However, the pilot pump 15 may be omitted. In this case, the function of the pilot pump 15 may be realized by the main pump 14. In other words, the main pump 14 may be provided with a circuit separate from the function of supplying hydraulic oil to the control valve 17, and may have a function of supplying hydraulic oil to the operating device 26, etc. after reducing the supply pressure of the hydraulic oil by a throttle or the like.

[0034] The control valve 17 is a hydraulic control device that controls the hydraulic system in the excavator 100. In this embodiment, the control valve 17 includes control valves 171 to 176. The control valve 17 can selectively supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 14 to one or more hydraulic actuators through the control valves 171 to 176. The control valves 171 to 176 are configured to control the flow rate of the hydraulic oil flowing from the main pump 14 to the hydraulic actuators and the flow rate of the hydraulic oil flowing from the hydraulic actuators to a hydraulic oil tank. The hydraulic actuators include a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, a bucket cylinder 9, a left traveling hydraulic motor 1L, a right traveling hydraulic motor 1R, and a swing hydraulic motor 2A. The swing hydraulic motor 2A may be a swing motor-generator serving as an electric actuator.

[0035] The operating device 26 is a device used by an operator to operate the actuator. The actuator includes at least one of a hydraulic actuator and an electric actuator. In this embodiment, the operating device 26 supplies hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the pilot port of the corresponding control valve in the control valve 17 via a pilot line. The pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied to each pilot port (pilot pressure) is, in principle, a pressure according to the operation direction and operation amount of the operating device 26 corresponding to each hydraulic actuator. At least one of the operating devices 26 is configured to be able to supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the pilot port of the corresponding control valve in the control valve 17 via a pilot line and a shuttle valve 32.

[0036] The discharge pressure sensor 28 is configured to detect the discharge pressure of the main pump 14. In this embodiment, the discharge pressure sensor 28 outputs the detected value to the controller 30.

[0037] The operation pressure sensor 29 is configured to detect the operation content of the operator using the operation device 26. In this embodiment, the operation pressure sensor 29 detects the operation direction and operation amount of the operation device 26 corresponding to each actuator in the form of pressure, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. The operation content of the operation device 26 may be detected using a sensor other than the operation pressure sensor.

[0038] The proportional valve 31, which functions as a control valve for machine control, is disposed in a pipe connecting the pilot pump 15 and the shuttle valve 32, and is configured so as to be able to change the flow passage area of ​​the pipe. In this embodiment, the proportional valve 31 operates in response to a control command output by the controller 30. Therefore, the controller 30 can supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the pilot port of the corresponding control valve in the control valve 17 via the proportional valve 31 and the shuttle valve 32, regardless of the operation of the operating device 26 by the operator.

[0039] The shuttle valve 32 has two inlet ports and one outlet port. One of the two inlet ports is connected to the operating device 26, and the other is connected to the proportional valve 31. The outlet port is connected to the pilot port of the corresponding control valve in the control valve 17. Therefore, the shuttle valve 32 can apply the higher of the pilot pressure generated by the operating device 26 or the pilot pressure generated by the proportional valve 31 to the pilot port of the corresponding control valve.

[0040] With this configuration, the controller 30 can operate the hydraulic actuator corresponding to a specific operating device 26 even when no operation is being performed on that specific operating device 26.

[0041] Next, the machine guidance device 50 included in the controller 30 will be described. The machine guidance device 50 is configured to execute, for example, a machine guidance function. In this embodiment, the machine guidance device 50 conveys work information, such as the distance between the target construction surface and the working part of the attachment, to the operator. Information about the target construction surface is, for example, stored in advance in the storage device 47. The machine guidance device 50 may acquire information about the target construction surface from an external device via the communication device T1. Information about the target construction surface is expressed, for example, in a reference coordinate system. The reference coordinate system is, for example, the World Geodetic System. The World Geodetic System is a three-dimensional orthogonal XYZ coordinate system with the origin at the center of gravity of the earth, the X axis in the direction of the intersection of the Greenwich meridian and the equator, the Y axis in the direction of 90 degrees east longitude, and the Z axis in the direction of the North Pole. The target construction surface may be set based on a relative positional relationship with a reference point. In this case, the operator may determine any point on the construction site as the reference point. The working part of the attachment is, for example, the tip of the bucket 6 or the back surface of the bucket 6. The machine guidance device 50 may be configured to guide the operation of the shovel 100 by conveying work information to the operator via the display device 40, the audio output device 43, or the like.

[0042] The machine guidance device 50 may execute a machine control function that automatically assists an operator in manually operating the shovel 100. For example, the machine guidance device 50 may automatically operate at least one of the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6 so that the tip position of the bucket 6 coincides with a target construction surface while the operator is manually performing an excavation operation.

[0043] In this embodiment, the machine guidance device 50 is incorporated in the controller 30, but may be a control device provided separately from the controller 30. In this case, the machine guidance device 50 is configured, for example, as the controller 30, by a computer including a CPU and an internal memory. Various functions of the machine guidance device 50 are realized by the CPU executing a program stored in the internal memory. In addition, the machine guidance device 50 and the controller 30 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other through a communication network such as a CAN.

[0044] Specifically, the machine guidance device 50 acquires information from the boom angle sensor S1, the arm angle sensor S2, the bucket angle sensor S3, the machine body inclination sensor S4, the swing angular velocity sensor S5, the camera S6, the positioning device P1, the communication device T1, the input device 42, etc. Then, the machine guidance device 50 calculates the distance between the bucket 6 and the target construction surface based on the acquired information, for example, and conveys the magnitude of the distance between the bucket 6 and the target construction surface to the operator of the shovel 100 by at least one of audio and image display.

[0045] For this purpose, the machine guidance device 50 includes a position calculation unit 51, a distance calculation unit 52, an information transmission unit 53, and an automatic control unit .

[0046] The position calculation unit 51 is configured to calculate the position of the positioning target. In this embodiment, the position calculation unit 51 calculates a coordinate point in a reference coordinate system of the working part of the attachment. Specifically, the position calculation unit 51 calculates a coordinate point of the tip of the bucket 6 from each of the rotation angles of the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6. The position calculation unit 51 may calculate not only the coordinate point of the center of the tip of the bucket 6, but also the coordinate point of the left end of the tip of the bucket 6 and the coordinate point of the right end of the tip of the bucket 6.

[0047] The distance calculation unit 52 is configured to calculate the distance between two positioning targets. In this embodiment, the distance calculation unit 52 calculates the vertical distance between the tip of the bucket 6 and the target construction surface. The distance calculation unit 52 may calculate the distance (e.g., vertical distance) between each of the coordinate points of the left and right ends of the tip of the bucket 6 and the corresponding target construction surface so that the machine guidance device 50 can determine whether the excavator 100 is facing the target construction surface.

[0048] The information transmission unit 53 is configured to transmit various pieces of information to the operator of the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the information transmission unit 53 transmits the magnitude of each distance calculated by the distance calculation unit 52 to the operator of the shovel 100. Specifically, the information transmission unit 53 transmits the magnitude of the vertical distance between the tip of the bucket 6 and the target construction surface to the operator of the shovel 100 by using at least one of visual information and audio information.

[0049] For example, the information transmission unit 53 may use an intermittent sound from the audio output device 43 to inform the operator of the vertical distance between the tip of the bucket 6 and the target construction surface. In this case, the information transmission unit 53 may shorten the interval of the intermittent sound as the vertical distance becomes smaller. The information transmission unit 53 may use a continuous sound, or may change at least one of the pitch and intensity of the sound to indicate the difference in the vertical distance. Furthermore, the information transmission unit 53 may issue an alarm when the tip of the bucket 6 is lower than the target construction surface. The alarm is, for example, a continuous sound that is significantly louder than the intermittent sound.

[0050] Furthermore, the information transmission unit 53 may cause the display device 40 to display the vertical distance between the tip of the bucket 6 and the target construction surface as work information. The display device 40 displays on a screen, for example, the work information received from the information transmission unit 53 together with image data received from the camera S6. The information transmission unit 53 may convey the vertical distance to the operator using, for example, an image of an analog meter or an image of a bar graph indicator.

[0051] The automatic control unit 54 automatically assists the operator in manually operating the excavator 100 by automatically operating the actuator. For example, when the operator manually performs an arm closing operation, the automatic control unit 54 may automatically extend and retract at least one of the boom cylinder 7, the arm cylinder 8, and the bucket cylinder 9 so that the position of the tip of the bucket 6 coincides with the target construction surface. In this case, the operator can close the arm 5 while aligning the tip of the bucket 6 with the target construction surface, for example, by simply operating the arm operation lever in the closing direction. This automatic control may be configured to be executed when a predetermined switch, which is one of the input devices 42, is pressed. The predetermined switch is, for example, a machine control switch (hereinafter referred to as an "MC switch"), and may be arranged as a knob switch at the tip of the operation device 26.

[0052] The automatic control unit 54 may automatically rotate the hydraulic motor 2A for turning to make the upper rotating body 3 face the target construction surface when a predetermined switch such as an MC switch is pressed. In this case, the operator can make the upper rotating body 3 face the target construction surface by simply pressing a predetermined switch, or by operating the turning operation lever while pressing the predetermined switch. Alternatively, the operator can make the upper rotating body 3 face the target construction surface and start the machine control function by simply pressing a predetermined switch. Hereinafter, the control for making the upper rotating body 3 face the target construction surface is referred to as "facing control". In the facing control, the machine guidance device 50 determines that the excavator 100 faces the target construction surface when the left end vertical distance, which is the vertical distance between the coordinate point of the left end of the tip of the bucket 6 and the target construction surface, and the right end vertical distance, which is the vertical distance between the coordinate point of the right end of the tip of the bucket 6 and the target construction surface, become equal. However, the excavator 100 may be determined to be facing the target construction surface not when the left end vertical distance and the right end vertical distance become equal, i.e., not when the difference between the left end vertical distance and the right end vertical distance becomes zero, but when the difference becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value. When the machine guidance device 50 determines that the excavator 100 faces the target construction surface after automatically rotating the swing hydraulic motor 2A, the machine guidance device 50 may notify the operator that the facing control has been completed by using at least one of visual information and audio information. In other words, the machine guidance device 50 may notify the operator that the upper swing body 3 has been faced with the target construction surface.

[0053] In this embodiment, the automatic control unit 54 can automatically operate each actuator by individually and automatically adjusting the pilot pressure acting on the control valve corresponding to each actuator. For example, in the facing control, the automatic control unit 54 may operate the hydraulic motor 2A for swing based on the difference between the left end vertical distance and the right end vertical distance. Specifically, when the swing operation lever is operated with a predetermined switch pressed down, the automatic control unit 54 judges whether the swing operation lever is operated in a direction to make the upper swing body 3 face the target construction surface. For example, when the swing operation lever is operated in a direction to increase the vertical distance between the tip of the bucket 6 and the target construction surface (upward slope), the automatic control unit 54 does not execute the facing control. On the other hand, when the swing operation lever is operated in a direction to decrease the vertical distance between the tip of the bucket 6 and the target construction surface (upward slope), the automatic control unit 54 executes the facing control. As a result, the automatic control unit 54 can operate the hydraulic motor 2A for swing so that the difference between the left end vertical distance and the right end vertical distance becomes smaller. Thereafter, when the difference becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value or becomes zero, the automatic control unit 54 stops the swing hydraulic motor 2A. Alternatively, the automatic control unit 54 may set the swing angle at which the difference becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value or becomes zero as a target angle, and perform swing angle control so that the angle difference between the target angle and the current swing angle (detected value) becomes zero. In this case, the swing angle is, for example, the angle of the front-rear axis of the upper swing body 3 relative to the reference direction.

[0054] The automatic control unit 54 may also automatically operate the actuator so that the upper rotating body 3 is maintained facing the target construction surface when an operation related to the target construction surface, such as an excavation operation or a slope finishing operation, is being performed. For example, when the orientation of the upper rotating body 3 changes due to an excavation reaction force or the like and the upper rotating body 3 no longer faces the target construction surface, the automatic control unit 54 may automatically operate the rotation hydraulic motor 2A to quickly make the upper rotating body 3 face the target construction surface. Alternatively, the automatic control unit 54 may preventively operate the actuator so that the orientation of the upper rotating body 3 does not change due to an excavation reaction force or the like when an operation related to the target construction surface is being performed.

[0055] Next, a configuration example of a hydraulic system mounted on the shovel 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a hydraulic system mounted on the shovel 100 of Fig. 1. In Fig. 3, similar to Fig. 2, a mechanical power system, a hydraulic oil line, a pilot line, and an electric control system are indicated by double lines, solid lines, dashed lines, and dotted lines, respectively.

[0056] The hydraulic system circulates hydraulic oil from main pumps 14L, 14R driven by the engine 11 to a hydraulic oil tank through at least one of center bypass lines 40L, 40R and parallel lines 42L, 42R. The main pumps 14L, 14R correspond to the main pump 14 in FIG. 2.

[0057] 2. The center bypass pipe 40L is a hydraulic oil line passing through control valves 171, 173, 175L, and 176L arranged in the control valve 17. The center bypass pipe 40R is a hydraulic oil line passing through control valves 172, 174, 175R, and 176R arranged in the control valve 17. The control valves 175L and 175R correspond to the control valve 175 in FIG. 2. The control valves 176L and 176R correspond to the control valve 176 in FIG. 2.

[0058] The control valve 171 is a spool valve that switches the flow of hydraulic oil to supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 14L to the left-side traveling hydraulic motor 1L and to discharge the hydraulic oil discharged by the left-side traveling hydraulic motor 1L to the hydraulic oil tank.

[0059] The control valve 172 is a spool valve that switches the flow of hydraulic oil to supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 14R to the right-side traveling hydraulic motor 1R and to discharge the hydraulic oil discharged by the right-side traveling hydraulic motor 1R to the hydraulic oil tank.

[0060] The control valve 173 is a spool valve that switches the flow of hydraulic oil to supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 14L to the rotation hydraulic motor 2A and to discharge the hydraulic oil discharged by the rotation hydraulic motor 2A to the hydraulic oil tank.

[0061] The control valve 174 is a spool valve that switches the flow of hydraulic oil to supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 14R to the bucket cylinder 9 and to discharge the hydraulic oil in the bucket cylinder 9 to a hydraulic oil tank.

[0062] The control valves 175L, 175R are spool valves that supply the hydraulic oil discharged from the main pumps 14L, 14R to the boom cylinder 7 and switch the flow of the hydraulic oil to discharge the hydraulic oil in the boom cylinder 7 to a hydraulic oil tank.

[0063] The control valves 176L, 176R are spool valves that supply the hydraulic oil discharged from the main pumps 14L, 14R to the arm cylinder 8 and switch the flow of the hydraulic oil to discharge the hydraulic oil in the arm cylinder 8 to a hydraulic oil tank.

[0064] The parallel pipe 42L is a hydraulic oil line that runs parallel to the center bypass pipe 40L. The parallel pipe 42L is configured to be able to supply hydraulic oil to a more downstream control valve when the flow of hydraulic oil through the center bypass pipe 40L is restricted or blocked by any of the control valves 171, 173, and 175L. The parallel pipe 42R is a hydraulic oil line that runs parallel to the center bypass pipe 40R. The parallel pipe 42R is configured to be able to supply hydraulic oil to a more downstream control valve when the flow of hydraulic oil through the center bypass pipe 40R is restricted or blocked by any of the control valves 172, 174, and 175R.

[0065] The regulators 13L, 13R control the discharge volume of the main pumps 14L, 14R by adjusting the swash plate tilt angle of the main pumps 14L, 14R according to the discharge pressure of the main pumps 14L, 14R. The regulators 13L, 13R correspond to the regulator 13 in FIG. 2. The regulator 13L adjusts the swash plate tilt angle of the main pump 14L in response to an increase in the discharge pressure of the main pump 14L, for example, to reduce the discharge volume. The same is true for the regulator 13R. This is to prevent the absorption power (absorption horsepower) of the main pump 14, which is expressed as the product of the discharge pressure and the discharge volume, from exceeding the output power (output horsepower) of the engine 11.

[0066] The discharge pressure sensor 28L is an example of the discharge pressure sensor 28, and detects the discharge pressure of the main pump 14L and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. The same applies to the discharge pressure sensor 28R.

[0067] Here, the negative control employed in the hydraulic system of FIG. 3 will be described.

[0068] In the center bypass pipe 40L, a throttle 18L is disposed between the control valve 176L located at the most downstream side and the hydraulic oil tank. The flow of hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 14L is restricted by the throttle 18L. The throttle 18L generates a control pressure for controlling the regulator 13L. The control pressure sensor 19L is a sensor for detecting the control pressure, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. Similarly, in the center bypass pipe 40R, a throttle 18R is disposed between the control valve 176R located at the most downstream side and the hydraulic oil tank. The flow of hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 14R is restricted by the throttle 18R. The throttle 18R generates a control pressure for controlling the regulator 13R. The control pressure sensor 19R is a sensor for detecting the control pressure, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30.

[0069] The controller 30 controls the discharge rate of the main pump 14L by adjusting the swash plate tilt angle of the main pump 14L in accordance with the control pressure detected by the control pressure sensor 19L. The controller 30 decreases the discharge rate of the main pump 14L as the control pressure increases, and increases the discharge rate of the main pump 14L as the control pressure decreases.

[0070] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, in the case of a standby state in which none of the hydraulic actuators in the excavator 100 are operated, the hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 14L passes through the center bypass pipe 40L and reaches the throttle 18L. Then, the flow of the hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 14L increases the control pressure generated upstream of the throttle 18L. As a result, the controller 30 reduces the discharge amount of the main pump 14L to the allowable minimum discharge amount, suppressing the pressure loss (pumping loss) that occurs when the discharged hydraulic oil passes through the center bypass pipe 40L.

[0071] On the other hand, when any of the hydraulic actuators is operated, the hydraulic oil discharged from the main pump 14L flows into the hydraulic actuator to be operated through the control valve corresponding to the hydraulic actuator to be operated. The flow of hydraulic oil discharged from the main pump 14L reduces or eliminates the amount of hydraulic oil reaching the throttle 18L, lowering the control pressure generated upstream of the throttle 18L. As a result, the controller 30 increases the discharge amount of the main pump 14L, circulates sufficient hydraulic oil to the hydraulic actuator to be operated, and ensures the drive of the hydraulic actuator to be operated. The above description of the main pump 14L also applies to the main pump 14R.

[0072] With the above-mentioned configuration, the hydraulic system of Fig. 3 can suppress unnecessary energy consumption in the main pumps 14L, 14R in a standby state. The unnecessary energy consumption includes pumping loss caused in the center bypass lines 40L, 40R by the hydraulic oil discharged from the main pumps 14L, 14R. Furthermore, when operating a hydraulic actuator, the hydraulic system of Fig. 3 can supply necessary and sufficient hydraulic oil from the main pumps 14L, 14R to the hydraulic actuator to be operated.

[0073] Next, a configuration for automatically operating the actuator will be described with reference to Fig. 4A to Fig. 4C. Fig. 4A to Fig. 4C are diagrams showing parts of a hydraulic system. Specifically, Fig. 4A is a diagram showing the hydraulic system part related to the operation of the boom cylinder 7, Fig. 4B is a diagram showing the hydraulic system part related to the operation of the bucket cylinder 9, and Fig. 4C is a diagram showing the hydraulic system part related to the operation of the swing hydraulic motor 2A.

[0074] The boom operation lever 26A in FIG. 4A is an example of the operation device 26, and is used to operate the boom 4. The boom operation lever 26A uses hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to apply pilot pressure corresponding to the operation content to the pilot ports of the control valves 175L and 175R. Specifically, when the boom operation lever 26A is operated in the boom-up direction, it applies pilot pressure corresponding to the operation amount to the right pilot port of the control valve 175L and the left pilot port of the control valve 175R. Also, when the boom operation lever 26A is operated in the boom-down direction, it applies pilot pressure corresponding to the operation amount to the right pilot port of the control valve 176R.

[0075] The operating pressure sensor 29A is one example of the operating pressure sensor 29, which detects the operation content of the operator on the boom operating lever 26A in the form of pressure, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. The operation content is, for example, the operation direction and the operation amount (operation angle), etc.

[0076] The proportional valves 31AL and 31AR are examples of the proportional valve 31, and the shuttle valves 32AL and 32AR are examples of the shuttle valve 32. The proportional valve 31AL operates in response to a current command output by the controller 30. The proportional valve 31AL adjusts the pilot pressure of the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 175L and the left pilot port of the control valve 175R via the proportional valve 31AL and the shuttle valve 32AL. The proportional valve 31AR operates in response to a current command output by the controller 30. The proportional valve 31AR adjusts the pilot pressure of the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 175R via the proportional valve 31AR and the shuttle valve 32AR. The proportional valves 31AL and 31AR can adjust the pilot pressure so that the control valves 175L and 175R can be stopped at any valve position.

[0077] With this configuration, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 175L and the left pilot port of the control valve 175R via the proportional valve 31AL and the shuttle valve 32AL, for example, regardless of the boom-raising operation by the operator. That is, the controller 30 can automatically raise the boom 4. Also, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 175R via the proportional valve 31AR and the shuttle valve 32AR, regardless of the boom-lowering operation by the operator. That is, the controller 30 can automatically lower the boom 4.

[0078] Bucket operation lever 26B in Fig. 4B is an example of an operation device 26, and is used to operate bucket 6. Bucket operation lever 26B utilizes hydraulic oil discharged from pilot pump 15 to apply a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation content to the pilot port of control valve 174. Specifically, when bucket operation lever 26B is operated in the bucket opening direction, it applies a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation amount to the right pilot port of control valve 174. Also, when bucket operation lever 26B is operated in the bucket closing direction, it applies a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation amount to the left pilot port of control valve 174.

[0079] Operating pressure sensor 29B is one example of operating pressure sensor 29, which detects the operation of bucket operating lever 26B by the operator in the form of pressure and outputs the detected value to controller 30.

[0080] The proportional valves 31BL and 31BR are an example of the proportional valve 31, and the shuttle valves 32BL and 32BR are an example of the shuttle valve 32. The proportional valve 31BL operates in response to a current command output by the controller 30. The proportional valve 31BL adjusts the pilot pressure of the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 174 via the proportional valve 31BL and the shuttle valve 32BL. The proportional valve 31BR operates in response to a current command output by the controller 30. The proportional valve 31BR adjusts the pilot pressure of the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 174 via the proportional valve 31BR and the shuttle valve 32BR. The proportional valves 31BL and 31BR are capable of adjusting the pilot pressure so that the control valve 174 can be stopped at any valve position.

[0081] With this configuration, controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of control valve 174 via proportional valve 31BL and shuttle valve 32BL, regardless of the bucket closing operation by the operator. That is, controller 30 can automatically close the bucket 6. Also, controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of control valve 174 via proportional valve 31BR and shuttle valve 32BR, regardless of the bucket opening operation by the operator. That is, controller 30 can automatically open the bucket 6.

[0082] The swing operation lever 26C in Fig. 4C is an example of the operation device 26, and is used to swing the upper swing body 3. The swing operation lever 26C uses hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to apply a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation content to the pilot port of the control valve 173. Specifically, when the swing operation lever 26C is operated in the left swing direction, the pilot pressure corresponding to the operation amount is applied to the left pilot port of the control valve 173. Also, when the swing operation lever 26C is operated in the right swing direction, the pilot pressure corresponding to the operation amount is applied to the right pilot port of the control valve 173.

[0083] The operation pressure sensor 29C is an example of the operation pressure sensor 29, which detects the operation of the operator on the turning operation lever 26C in the form of pressure and outputs the detected value to the controller 30.

[0084] The proportional valves 31CL and 31CR are an example of the proportional valve 31, and the shuttle valves 32CL and 32CR are an example of the shuttle valve 32. The proportional valve 31CL operates in response to a current command output by the controller 30. The proportional valve 31CL adjusts the pilot pressure of the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 173 via the proportional valve 31CL and the shuttle valve 32CL. The proportional valve 31CR operates in response to a current command output by the controller 30. The proportional valve 31CR adjusts the pilot pressure of the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 173 via the proportional valve 31CR and the shuttle valve 32CR. The proportional valves 31CL and 31CR can adjust the pilot pressure so that the control valve 173 can be stopped at any valve position.

[0085] With this configuration, the controller 30 can supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 173 via the proportional valve 31CL and the shuttle valve 32CL, regardless of the left rotation operation by the operator. That is, the controller 30 can automatically rotate the upper rotating body 3 to the left. Also, the controller 30 can supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 173 via the proportional valve 31CR and the shuttle valve 32CR, regardless of the right rotation operation by the operator. That is, the controller 30 can automatically rotate the upper rotating body 3 to the right.

[0086] The excavator 100 may be provided with a configuration for automatically opening and closing the arm 5, and a configuration for automatically moving the lower traveling structure 1 forward and backward. In this case, the hydraulic system portion related to the operation of the arm cylinder 8, the hydraulic system portion related to the operation of the left-side traveling hydraulic motor 1L, and the hydraulic system portion related to the operation of the right-side traveling hydraulic motor 1R may be configured in the same manner as the hydraulic system portion related to the operation of the boom cylinder 7, etc.

[0087] Next, another configuration example of the machine guidance device 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing another configuration example of the drive system of the excavator 100, and corresponds to Fig. 2. The drive system in Fig. 5 differs from the drive system in Fig. 2 in that the machine guidance device 50 includes a swing angle calculation unit 55 and a relative angle calculation unit 56, but has other points in common. Therefore, a description of the common parts will be omitted, and the different parts will be described in detail.

[0088] The slewing angle calculation unit 55 calculates the slewing angle of the upper rotating body 3. This is to identify the current orientation of the upper rotating body 3. In this embodiment, the slewing angle calculation unit 55 calculates the angle of the front-rear axis of the upper rotating body 3 relative to the reference direction as the slewing angle based on the output of the GNSS compass as the positioning device P1. The slewing angle calculation unit 55 may calculate the slewing angle based on the output of the slewing angular velocity sensor S5. In addition, when a reference point is set at the construction site, the slewing angle calculation unit 55 may use the direction of the reference point as seen from the slewing axis as the reference direction.

[0089] The rotation angle indicates the direction in which the attachment working plane extends. The attachment working plane is, for example, a virtual plane that cuts the attachment longitudinally and is arranged so as to be perpendicular to the rotation plane. The rotation plane is, for example, a virtual plane that includes the bottom surface of the rotating frame that is perpendicular to the rotation axis. The machine guidance device 50 determines that the upper rotating body 3 is directly facing the target construction surface when it determines, for example, that the attachment working plane AF (see FIG. 8A) includes the normal to the target construction surface.

[0090] The relative angle calculation unit 56 calculates a relative angle as a rotation angle required to make the upper rotating body 3 face the target construction surface. The relative angle is, for example, a relative angle formed between the direction of the front-rear axis of the upper rotating body 3 when the upper rotating body 3 is faced directly to the target construction surface and the current direction of the front-rear axis of the upper rotating body 3. In this embodiment, the relative angle calculation unit 56 calculates the relative angle based on information related to the target construction surface stored in the storage device 47 and the rotation angle calculated by the rotation angle calculation unit 55.

[0091] When the rotation operation lever is operated with a predetermined switch pressed, the automatic control unit 54 judges whether the rotation operation lever has been operated in a direction to make the upper rotating body 3 face the target construction surface. If it is judged that the rotation operation lever has been operated in a direction to make the upper rotating body 3 face the target construction surface, the automatic control unit 54 sets the relative angle calculated by the relative angle calculation unit 56 as the target angle. If the change in the rotation angle after the rotation operation lever is operated reaches the target angle, it is judged that the upper rotating body 3 faces the target construction surface, and the movement of the rotation hydraulic motor 2A is stopped.

[0092] In this manner, the machine guidance device 50 in FIG. 5 can make the upper rotating body 3 face the target construction surface in the same manner as the machine guidance device 50 in FIG.

[0093] Next, with reference to Fig. 6, Fig. 7A, Fig. 7B, Fig. 8A, and Fig. 8B, an example of a process (hereinafter, referred to as "facing process") in which the controller 30 faces the upper rotating body 3 to a target construction surface will be described. Fig. 6 is a flowchart of the facing process. The controller 30 executes this facing process when the MC switch is pressed. Figs. 7A and 7B are top views of the shovel 100 when the facing process is executed, and Figs. 8A and 8B are perspective views of the shovel 100 when the facing process is executed, as viewed from the left rear. Specifically, Figs. 7A and 8A show a state in which the upper rotating body 3 is not facing the target construction surface, and Figs. 7B and 8B show a state in which the upper rotating body 3 is facing the target construction surface. The target construction surface in Figs. 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B is, for example, an upslope BS as shown in Fig. 1. The area NS represents a state in which the upward slope BS is not completed, i.e., the ground surface ES does not coincide with the upward slope BS as shown in Figure 1, and the area CS represents a state in which the upward slope BS is completed, i.e., the ground surface ES coincides with the upward slope BS.

[0094] The state in which the upper rotating body 3 faces the target construction surface includes, for example, a state in which the angle α formed between the line segment L1 representing the direction (extension direction) of the target construction surface and the line segment L2 representing the front-rear axis of the upper rotating body 3 on a virtual horizontal plane is 90 degrees, as shown in FIG. 7B. The extension direction of the slope as the direction of the target construction surface represented by the line segment L1 is, for example, a direction perpendicular to the slope length direction. The slope length direction is, for example, a direction along a virtual line segment connecting the upper end (shoulder) and the lower end (bottom) of the slope at the shortest distance. The state in which the upper rotating body 3 faces the target construction surface may be defined as a state in which the angle β (see FIG. 9A) formed between the line segment L2 representing the front-rear axis of the upper rotating body 3 and the line segment L3 perpendicular to the direction (extension direction) of the target construction surface on a virtual horizontal plane is 0 degrees. The direction represented by the line segment L3 corresponds to the direction of the horizontal component of the perpendicular line dropped to the target construction surface.

[0095] 8A and 8B, the imaginary cylinder CB represents a part of the normal line of the target construction surface (upward slope BS), the dashed line represents a part of the imaginary turning plane SF, and the broken line represents a part of the imaginary attachment working surface AF. The attachment working surface AF is disposed so as to be perpendicular to the turning plane SF. Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the upper rotating body 3 is facing the target construction surface, the attachment working surface AF is disposed so as to include a part of the normal line represented by the imaginary cylinder CB, that is, so that the attachment working surface AF extends along a part of the normal line.

[0096] The automatic control unit 54 sets the turning angle when the attachment operating surface AF and the target construction surface (upward slope BS) become perpendicular as the target angle, for example. Then, the automatic control unit 54 detects the current turning angle based on the output of the positioning device P1 and the like, and calculates the difference between the target angle and the current turning angle (detected value). Then, the automatic control unit 54 operates the turning hydraulic motor 2A so that the difference becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value or zero. Specifically, the automatic control unit 54 determines that the upper rotating body 3 is facing the target construction surface when the difference between the target angle and the current turning angle becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value or zero. In addition, when the turning operation lever is operated with a predetermined switch pressed, the automatic control unit 54 determines whether the turning operation lever is operated in a direction to face the upper rotating body 3 directly to the target construction surface. For example, when the swing operation lever is operated in a direction that increases the difference between the target angle and the current swing angle, the automatic control unit 54 determines that the swing operation lever is not operated in a direction that makes the upper swing body 3 face the target construction surface, and does not execute the facing control. On the other hand, when the swing operation lever is operated in a direction that decreases the difference between the target angle and the current swing angle, the automatic control unit 54 determines that the swing operation lever is operated in a direction that makes the upper swing body 3 face the target construction surface, and executes the facing control. As a result, the swing hydraulic motor 2A can be operated so that the difference between the target angle and the current swing angle decreases. After that, when the difference between the target angle and the current swing angle becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value or zero, the automatic control unit 54 stops the swing hydraulic motor 2A.

[0097] The example shown in Fig. 7B is an example showing a state where the attachment working plane AF includes a normal line (imaginary cylinder CB), and the angle α formed between the line segment L1 indicating the direction of the target construction surface and the line segment L2 indicating the front-rear axis of the upper rotating body 3 is 90°. However, as long as the attachment working plane AF includes the normal line (imaginary cylinder CB), the angle α does not necessarily have to be 90°. For example, the ground on which the excavator 100 is installed is often uneven, and therefore the angle α does not necessarily become 90° even if the attachment working plane AF includes the normal line (imaginary cylinder CB).

[0098] Based on the above description of FIG. 7A, FIG. 7B, FIG. 8A, and FIG. 8B, the flow of the facing process will be described with reference to FIG. 6 again. First, the machine guidance device 50 included in the controller 30 judges whether or not a facing deviation has occurred (step ST1). In this embodiment, the machine guidance device 50 judges whether or not a facing deviation has occurred based on information on the target construction surface stored in advance in the storage device 47 and the output of the positioning device P1 as a direction detection device. The information on the target construction surface includes information on the direction of the target construction surface. The positioning device P1 outputs information on the direction of the upper rotating body 3. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, in a state where the attachment operating surface AF does not include the normal line of the target construction surface, the machine guidance device 50 judges that a facing deviation has occurred between the target construction surface and the shovel 100. In such a state, as shown in FIG. 7A, the angle α formed between the line segment L1 representing the direction of the target construction surface and the line segment L2 representing the direction of the upper rotating body 3 is an angle other than 90 degrees.

[0099] The machine guidance device 50 may determine whether or not a facing deviation has occurred based on an image captured by the camera S6. For example, the machine guidance device 50 may derive information on the shape of the slope to be worked on by performing various image processing on the image captured by the camera S6, and determine whether or not a facing deviation has occurred based on the derived information. Alternatively, the machine guidance device 50 may determine whether or not a facing deviation has occurred based on the output of a space recognition device other than the camera S6, such as an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, a distance image sensor, a LIDAR, or an infrared sensor.

[0100] When it is determined that no facing deviation has occurred (NO in step ST1), the machine guidance device 50 ends the current facing process without executing the facing control.

[0101] When it is determined that a facing deviation has occurred (YES in step ST1), the machine guidance device 50 determines whether or not an obstacle is present around the shovel 100 (step ST2). In this embodiment, the machine guidance device 50 performs image recognition processing on the image captured by the camera S6 to determine whether or not an image related to a predetermined obstacle is present in the captured image. The predetermined obstacle is, for example, at least one of a person, an animal, a machine, and a building. Then, when it is determined that an image related to the predetermined obstacle is not present in the image related to a predetermined range set around the shovel 100, it is determined that no obstacle is present around the shovel 100. The predetermined range includes, for example, a range in which an object that may come into contact with the shovel 100 may exist when the shovel 100 is moved to face the upper rotating body 3 to the target construction surface. The range RA represented by the cross-hatching pattern in FIG. 7A is an example of the predetermined range. However, the predetermined range may be set as a wider range, for example, within a predetermined distance from the rotation axis 2X.

[0102] The machine guidance device 50 may determine whether or not there are any obstacles around the shovel 100 based on the output of a spatial recognition device other than the camera S6, such as an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, a distance image sensor, a LIDAR or an infrared sensor.

[0103] When it is determined that an obstacle is present around the shovel 100 (NO in step ST2), the machine guidance device 50 ends the current facing process without executing the facing control. This is to prevent the shovel 100 from coming into contact with the obstacle due to the execution of the facing control. In this case, the machine guidance device 50 may output an alarm. Furthermore, the machine guidance device 50 may transmit information regarding the obstacle, such as the presence or absence of an obstacle, the position of the obstacle, and the type of the obstacle, to an external device via the communication device T1. Furthermore, the machine guidance device 50 may receive information regarding obstacles obtained by other shovels via the communication device T1.

[0104] When it is determined that no obstacle exists around the excavator 100 (YES in step ST2), the machine guidance device 50 executes facing control (step ST3). In the examples of Figs. 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B, the automatic control unit 54 of the machine guidance device 50 outputs a current command to the proportional valve 31CL (see Fig. 4C). Then, the pilot pressure generated by the hydraulic oil that comes out of the pilot pump 15 and passes through the proportional valve 31CL and the shuttle valve 32CL is applied to the left pilot port of the control valve 173. The control valve 173 that receives the pilot pressure at the left pilot port is displaced to the right and causes the hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 14L to flow into the first port 2A1 of the swing hydraulic motor 2A. In addition, the control valve 173 causes the hydraulic oil that flows out of the second port 2A2 of the swing hydraulic motor 2A to flow into the hydraulic oil tank. As a result, the swing hydraulic motor 2A rotates in the forward direction, and swings the upper swing body 3 to the left around the swing axis 2X as shown by the arrow in FIG. 7A. After that, the automatic control unit 54 stops outputting the current command to the proportional valve 31CL when the angle α becomes 90 degrees or when the angle β becomes 0 degrees as shown in FIG. 7B, and reduces the pilot pressure acting on the left pilot port of the control valve 173. The control valve 173 displaces to the left and returns to the neutral position, blocking the flow of hydraulic oil from the main pump 14L toward the first port 2A1 of the swing hydraulic motor 2A. In addition, the control valve 173 blocks the flow of hydraulic oil from the second port 2A2 of the swing hydraulic motor 2A toward the hydraulic oil tank. As a result, the swing hydraulic motor 2A stops rotating in the forward direction, and the swing of the upper swing body 3 to the left is stopped.

[0105] Thus, the excavator 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the lower travel unit 1, the upper revolving unit 3 rotatably mounted on the lower travel unit 1, and the controller 30 as a control device capable of executing facing control for operating the actuator so as to make the upper revolving unit 3 face the target construction surface based on information on the target construction surface and information on the orientation of the upper revolving unit 3. The target construction surface includes, for example, at least one of a downward slope, an upward slope, a horizontal plane, and a vertical plane. The information on the target construction surface includes, for example, information on the orientation of the target construction surface. The orientation of the target construction surface is determined based on, for example, at least one of the extension direction of the target construction surface and the direction of the horizontal component of the perpendicular line dropped to the target construction surface. With this configuration, the excavator 100 can reduce the inconvenience felt by the operator of the excavator 100 when facing the excavator 100 to the target construction surface. This is because the operator of the excavator 100 does not need to manually operate the actuator such as the hydraulic motor 2A for turning to make the upper revolving unit 3 face the target construction surface. Also, this is because the operator of the shovel 100 does not need to check whether the upper rotating body 3 is facing the target construction surface by looking at an image of a facing compass or the like displayed on the display device 40.

[0106] The controller 30 may be configured to execute the facing control when a predetermined switch is operated. For example, the controller 30 may be configured to execute the facing control when an MC switch is operated. In this case, the controller 30 can automatically face the upper rotating body 3 to the target construction surface when the MC switch for starting the machine control function is pressed. That is, the controller 30 can execute the facing control as a part of the machine control function. Therefore, when executing the machine control function, the controller 30 can reduce the inconvenience felt by the operator of the shovel 100 when facing the shovel 100 to the target construction surface. As a result, the controller 30 can improve the work efficiency of the shovel 100.

[0107] When the turning operation lever 26C is operated while the facing control is being executed, the controller 30 may stop the execution of the facing control. This is to give priority to manual operation by the operator. With this configuration, the operator can manually operate the actuator via the operation device 26 even when the facing control is being executed, that is, even when the actuator is automatically operated.

[0108] Even if the controller 30 determines in step ST1 that a facing deviation has occurred, the controller 30 may not execute the facing control if the facing deviation is large. Specifically, the automatic control unit 54 may be configured not to execute the facing control if the angle α at the time when it is determined that a facing deviation has occurred is smaller than the first threshold value, that is, if the angle β is larger than the second threshold value (a value obtained by subtracting the first threshold value from 90 degrees). This is to prevent the amount of movement of the shovel 100 by the automatic control in a state in which the operating device 26 is not being operated from becoming too large, which may cause the operator to feel uneasy.

[0109] In other words, the controller 30 may be configured to execute the facing control only when the angle between the orientation of the target construction surface and the orientation of the upper rotating body 3 is within a predetermined angle range. For example, as shown in Fig. 7A, the controller 30 may be configured to execute the facing control only when the angle α is equal to or larger than a first threshold value and equal to or smaller than 90 degrees, or when the angle β is equal to or larger than 0 degrees and equal to or smaller than a second threshold value.

[0110] The controller 30 may be configured to execute the facing control when it is confirmed that no obstacle exists around the upper rotating body 3. This is to prevent contact between the upper rotating body 3 and an obstacle when the facing control is being executed.

[0111] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications or substitutions may be applied to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, features described separately may be combined unless technical contradictions arise.

[0112] For example, in the above embodiment, the controller 30 automatically operates the turning hydraulic motor 2A to make the upper turning body 3 face the target construction surface. However, the controller 30 may automatically operate the turning motor generator to make the upper turning body 3 face the target construction surface.

[0113] The controller 30 may also operate other actuators to make the upper rotating body 3 face the target construction surface. For example, as shown in Figures 9A and 9B, the controller 30 may automatically operate the left-side traveling hydraulic motor 1L and the right-side traveling hydraulic motor 1R to make the upper rotating body 3 face the target construction surface.

[0114] 9A and 9B are top views of the excavator 100 when the facing process is performed, and correspond to Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B. That is, Fig. 9A shows a state in which the upper rotating body 3 is not facing the target construction surface, and Fig. 9B shows a state in which the upper rotating body 3 is facing the target construction surface.

[0115] In the example of Figures 9A and 9B, the controller 30 rotates the right-side traveling hydraulic motor 1R in the forward direction and the left-side traveling hydraulic motor 1L in the reverse direction to perform a pivot turn, thereby causing the upper rotating body 3 to face the target construction surface directly.

[0116] In the above embodiment, a hydraulic operation device is used as the operation device 26, but an electric operation device may be used. Fig. 10 shows a configuration example of an operation system including an electric operation device. Specifically, the operation system of Fig. 10 is an example of a boom operation system, and is mainly composed of a pilot pressure operated control valve 17, a boom operation lever 26A as an electric operation lever, a controller 30, a solenoid valve 60 for boom raising operation, and a solenoid valve 62 for boom lowering operation. The operation system of Fig. 10 can be similarly applied to an arm operation system, a bucket operation system, and the like.

[0117] 3, the pilot pressure operated control valve 17 includes control valves 175L, 175R for the boom cylinder 7. The solenoid valve 60 is configured to be able to adjust the flow path area of ​​the oil passage connecting the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 175L and the left pilot port of the control valve 175R. The solenoid valve 62 is configured to be able to adjust the flow path area of ​​the oil passage connecting the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 175R.

[0118] When manual operation is performed, the controller 30 generates a boom-raising operation signal (electrical signal) or a boom-lowering operation signal (electrical signal) in response to an operation signal (electrical signal) output by an operation signal generating section of the boom operation lever 26A. The operation signal output by the operation signal generating section of the boom operation lever 26A is an electric signal that changes in response to the amount and direction of operation of the boom operation lever 26A.

[0119] Specifically, when the boom operation lever 26A is operated in the boom-up direction, the controller 30 outputs a boom-up operation signal (electrical signal) corresponding to the lever operation amount to the solenoid valve 60. The solenoid valve 60 adjusts the flow path area according to the boom-up operation signal (electrical signal) and controls the pilot pressure acting on the right pilot port of the control valve 175L and the left pilot port of the control valve 175R. Similarly, when the boom operation lever 26A is operated in the boom-down direction, the controller 30 outputs a boom-down operation signal (electrical signal) corresponding to the lever operation amount to the solenoid valve 62. The solenoid valve 62 adjusts the flow path area according to the boom-down operation signal (electrical signal) and controls the pilot pressure acting on the right pilot port of the control valve 175R.

[0120] When performing automatic control, the controller 30 generates a boom-raising operation signal (electrical signal) or a boom-lowering operation signal (electrical signal) in response to a corrective operation signal (electrical signal) instead of the operation signal output by the operation signal generating unit of the boom operation lever 26A. The corrective operation signal may be an electric signal generated by the machine guidance device 50, or may be an electric signal generated by a control device other than the machine guidance device 50.

[0121] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-235556, filed on December 7, 2017, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 1···Lower body 1L···Hydraulic motor for left-hand travel 1R···Hydraulic motor for right-hand travel 2···Slewing mechanism 2A···Hydraulic motor for swing 3···Upper swing body 4···Boom 5···Arm 6···Bucket 7···Boom cylinder 8···Arm cylinder 9···Bucket cylinder 10··Cabin 11··Engine 13, 13L, 13R··Regulator 14, 14L, 14R··Main pump 15··Pilot pump 17···Control valve 18L, 18R··Throttle 19L, 19R··Control pressure sensor 26···Operating device 26A··Boom operation lever 26B··Bucket operation lever 26C··Slewing operation lever 28, 28L, 28R··Discharge pressure sensor 29, 29A, 29B, 29C...Operating pressure sensor 30...Controller 31, 31AL, 31AR, 31BL, 31BR, 31CL, 31CR...Proportional valve 32, 32AL, 32AR, 32BL, 32BR, 32CL, 32CR...Shuttle valve 40...Display device 42...Input device 43...Audio output device 47...Storage device 50...Machine guidance device 51...Position calculation section 52...Distance calculation section 53...Information transmission section 54...Automatic control section 60, 62...Solenoid valve 171~174, 175L, 175R, 176L, 176R...Control valve S1...Boom angle sensor S2...Arm angle sensor S3...Bucket angle sensor S4...Machine body tilt sensor S5: Turning angular velocity sensor S6: Camera S6B: Rear camera S6F: Front camera S6L: Left camera S6R: Right camera P1: Positioning device T1: Communication device

Claims

1. A lower running body; An upper rotating body that is rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body and on which an attachment is mounted; A control device, The control device includes: A first control for operating an actuator so as to make the upper rotating body face the target construction surface based on a direction of a target construction surface and a direction of the upper rotating body; A second control for operating the attachment while matching the target construction surface with the position of a working portion of the attachment; It is configured to run Shovel.

2. The control device conveys to an operator the magnitude of the distance between the target construction surface and the work site. The shovel according to claim 1.

3. The control device executes the second control when the upper rotating body faces the target construction surface. The shovel according to claim 1.

4. the control device terminates execution of the first control and starts execution of the second control when an operation by a swing operation lever is terminated and an operation by an arm operation lever is started. The shovel according to claim 1.

5. The control device is configured to execute a first control when an angle between the orientation of the target construction surface and the orientation of the upper rotating body is within a predetermined angle range. The shovel according to claim 1.

6. The control device is configured to execute the first control without matching the position of the target construction surface with the position of the work site. The shovel according to claim 1.

7. The control device executes the first control when an operation to rotate the upper rotating body is performed by an operator, and executes the second control when an operation to operate the attachment is performed by the operator. The shovel according to claim 1.

8. The attachment includes a boom, an arm, and a bucket, The operation of operating the attachment is an operation on any one of the boom, the arm, and the bucket, The control device automatically operates at least one of the boom, the arm, and the bucket. The shovel according to claim 7.

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