Cutter control system and cutter control method

Abstract

To provide a cutter control system and a cutter control method that can rotate a cutter at an appropriate timing after a propulsion device starts pressing, thereby reducing adverse effects on ground stability.SOLUTION: A cutter control system 100 controls the drive of a cutter 10 of an excavator 1 that propels itself using propulsion force from a propulsion device 3 while excavating a face. The cutter control system comprises: a pressing start information acquisition unit 42 that acquires pressing start information indicating that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing a rear portion of a propulsion pipe group 2; a propulsion force transmission information processing unit 43 that acquires displacement information indicating the relative positional relation in an adjacent direction between a propulsion pipe 20 constituting the propulsion pipe group 2 and an adjacent propulsion pipe 20, and makes propulsion force transmission determination, which is the determination that the propulsion force has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 on the basis of the displacement information; and a cutter control unit 46 that starts the drive of the cutter 10 on the basis of the pressing start information acquired by the pressing start information acquisition unit 42 and the propulsion force transmission determination determined by the propulsion transmission information processing unit 43.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutter control system and a cutter control method for controlling the drive of a cutter of an excavator. [Background technology]

[0002] The jacking method is sometimes used to install buried pipes in underground tunnel spaces. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a jacking method in which a thrust is applied to the excavator by a main pushing device installed in the starting shaft while rotating the tip cutter, thereby excavating a burial hole while destroying gravel and boulders, and laying a pipe.

[0003] In this type of thrusting method, the operator first operates the main pushing device to begin pushing the rear end of the thrusting pipe group, and then operates the tip cutter to start rotating, or alternatively, the operator simultaneously operates the main pushing device and starts the tip cutter to start rotating. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-22378 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-described procedure, the cutter at the tip may start rotating earlier than the thrust from the main pushing device is transmitted to the excavator via the group of propulsion pipes. If the cutter rotates without transmitting thrust, the cutter face plate will not be pressed against the face, which may disturb the ground at the face or increase the amount of soil and sand taken in, which may have a negative impact on the stability of the ground near the face. On the other hand, if the cutter does not start rotating even though thrust is being transmitted, there is a risk that the thrust pipe will be deformed or damaged.

[0006] Based on this knowledge, the inventors have invented a cutter control system and a cutter control method that can rotate the cutter at the appropriate time after the pushing force from the propulsion device begins, and that are less likely to have a negative impact on the stability of the ground. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention of claim 1 is a cutter control system for a drilling machine that is arranged in front of a group of propulsion pipes, is propelled by the thrust of a propulsion device that presses the rear of the group of propulsion pipes, and excavates a working face by driving a cutter provided at the front, and controls the driving of the cutter of the excavation machine, characterized in that it comprises: a pushing start information acquisition unit that acquires pushing start information indicating that the propulsion device has started pushing the rear of the group of propulsion pipes; a thrust transmission information processing unit that acquires displacement information that indicates the relative positional relationship in the adjacent direction between the propulsion pipes that make up the group of propulsion pipes and the propulsion pipes adjacent to them, and makes a thrust transmission judgment that determines that thrust has been transmitted to the propulsion pipes based on the displacement information; and a cutter control unit that starts driving the cutter based on the pushing start information acquired by the pushing start acquisition unit and the thrust transmission judgment made by the thrust transmission information processing unit.

[0008] The invention of claim 2 is a cutter control system as described in claim 1, characterized in that it includes a pressure start information determination unit that acquires pressure information regarding the operation of the propulsion device and determines whether the propulsion device has started pressing the rear portion of the propulsion pipe group based on the pressure information, and the pressure start information acquired by the pressure start information acquisition unit includes the judgment result made by the pressure start information determination unit.

[0009] The invention of claim 3 is a cutter control system as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a face arrival time information setting unit that sets face arrival time information, which is the time it takes for the thrust of the propulsion device to reach the face, based on the pressure start information acquired by the pressure start information acquisition unit and the thrust transmission judgment made by the thrust transmission information processing unit, and the cutter control unit starts driving the cutter based on the face arrival time information set by the face arrival time information setting unit.

[0010] The invention of claim 4 is a cutter control method for an excavator that is arranged in front of a group of propulsion pipes and that propels the excavator using the thrust of a propulsion device that presses against the rear of the group of propulsion pipes, and that controls the drive of the cutter of the excavator that excavates a face by driving a cutter provided at the front, characterized in that the propulsion device starts pressing against the rear of the group of propulsion pipes, makes a thrust transmission judgment that determines that thrust has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe based on displacement information that indicates the relative positional relationship in the adjacent direction between the propulsion pipes that make up the group of propulsion pipes and the propulsion pipes adjacent to them, and starts driving the cutter.

[0011] The invention of claim 5 is a cutter control method according to claim 4, characterized in that pressure information regarding the operation of the propulsion device is obtained, and based on the pressure information, it is determined that the propulsion device has started pressing the rear part of the propulsion tube group, the thrust transmission determination is made, and the drive of the cutter is started. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, the cutter begins to be driven after the propulsion device begins to press the group of propulsion pipes and the thrust of the propulsion device is transmitted to the propulsion pipes, so there is no risk of the cutter starting to rotate too early and disturbing the face, and deformation or damage to the propulsion pipes is also less likely to occur.

[0013] In addition, the cutter starts to operate when the thrust of the propulsion device is transmitted to the excavator, so the cutter rotates while pressed against the face, which reduces the risk of disturbing the face and makes it less likely that the propulsion pipe will deform or be damaged. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the excavator according to the first embodiment in an excavating state. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the excavation speed, the thrust of the propulsion device, and the amount of displacement in the adjoining direction between adjacent propulsion pipes. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a cutter control system showing a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the cutter control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a cutter control system showing a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a cutter control system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a cutter control system showing a third embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a cutter control system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a cutter control system showing a fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a cutter control system according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an excavator according to a fifth embodiment in an advancing state. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a cutter control system showing a fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a cutter control system according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

[0016] [First embodiment] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.

[0017] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the excavator in its excavating state, Figure 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between the excavation speed of the thrust pipe (the thrust speed due to the pressure of the thrust device), the thrust of the thrust device, and the amount of displacement in the adjacent direction between adjacent thrust pipes, Figure 3 is a block diagram of the cutter control system, and Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the cutter control system.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, an excavator 1 according to this embodiment is used in a so-called jacking method for constructing tunnels.

[0019] The cutter control system 100 includes an excavator 1, a group of propulsion pipes 2, a propulsion device 3, an information processing device 4, and a displacement meter 5.

[0020] The excavator 1 is positioned in front of the group of propulsion pipes 2 and is propelled by the thrust of the propulsion device 3 which presses against the rear of the group of propulsion pipes 2, and excavates the face by rotating the cutter 10 provided at the front by driving the cutter drive unit 11.

[0021] The excavator 1 is equipped with an internal driving device 12, which is provided with a switch (not shown) for driving the cutter driving unit 11 and a switch (not shown) for extending the oil jack 30 provided on the propulsion unit 3 to start propulsion. The driving device 12 is connected to the cutter driving unit 11, the propulsion unit 3, and an information processing device 4 (described later) so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0022] The group of propulsion pipes 2 is formed by connecting propulsion pipes 20 such as Hume pipes in the axial direction, and is inserted by a propulsion device 3 into a tunnel excavated by a boring machine 1 . Between adjacent propulsion pipes 20, ring-shaped cushioning materials 21 are interposed as shock-absorbing materials to prevent damage to the propulsion pipes 20.

[0023] The propulsion device 3 is equipped with an oil jack 30 and is installed in a starting shaft T from which the excavator 1 starts. The oil jack 30 of the propulsion device 3 is retracted and the propulsion pipe 20 is carried into the starting shaft T from the ground.

[0024] The transported propulsion pipe 20 is attached to the rear end of the propulsion pipe group 2, and the oil jack 30 of the propulsion device 3 is extended and pressed against the rear of the propulsion pipe 20 (propulsion pipe group 2), and excavation begins.

[0025] A speedometer 31 is provided on the front wall of the starting shaft T to measure the speed at which the thrust pipe 20 located at the rearmost part of the thrust pipe group 2 advances as it is pushed by the thrust device 3. The speed measured by this speedometer 31 is the excavation speed.

[0026] The speedometer 31 abuts against the outer surface of the propulsion pipe 20 located at the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2 and has a roller 31a that rotates as the propulsion pipe 20 advances, and measures the excavation speed of the propulsion pipe 20 by the product of the number of rotations per unit time of the roller 31a and the circumference. In addition, the speedometer 31 may also measure the jack speed of the propulsion device 3.

[0027] The speedometer 31 is communicably connected to the driving device 12 and an information processing device 4, which will be described later.

[0028] The propulsion device 3 is provided with a pressure gauge 32 that measures the pressing pressure of the oil jack 30. The thrust of the propulsion device 3 is measured based on the pressure measured by this pressure gauge 32. The pressure gauge 32 is communicably connected to the operating device 12 and an information processing device 4, which will be described later.

[0029] When the propulsion device 3 begins to press against the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2, the cushioning material 21 interposed between the propulsion pipes 20 may be compressed, causing a time lag before the thrust generated by the pressing of the propulsion device 3 is transmitted to the cutter 10 at the front of the excavator 1 (face).

[0030] To confirm this, a displacement meter 5 is installed in the propulsion pipe group 2 to measure the amount of displacement between adjacent propulsion pipes 20 in the adjacent direction, and from the change in the amount of displacement, it is determined that thrust has been transmitted to the location where the displacement meter 5 is installed, and then the cutter 10 is controlled to start rotating.

[0031] The displacement meter 5 is installed across a predetermined propulsion tube 20 and an adjacent propulsion tube 20 sandwiched between the cushion material 21, and measures the amount of displacement in the relative positional relationship between the two propulsion tubes 20 in the adjacent direction, which changes as the cushion material 21 expands and contracts.

[0032] The displacement meter 5 is communicably connected to an information processing device 4, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the displacement meter 5 is installed in the part of the cushion material 21 closest to the excavator 1 (the part spanning between the propulsion pipe 20 immediately behind the excavator 1 and the propulsion pipe 20 adjacent to it).

[0033] From pressure information regarding the operation of the propulsion device 3, such as the excavation speed measured by the speedometer 31 and the thrust measured by the pressure gauge 32, it can be determined whether the propulsion device 3 has started pressing on the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2, i.e., whether propulsion has begun, and from the amount of displacement measured by the displacement meter 5 it can be determined that thrust has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 on which the displacement meter 5 is installed.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows the results of measurement tests of the speedometer 31, pressure gauge 32, and displacement gauge 5 when the displacement gauge 5 is installed at a position 214 m from the entrance of the starting shaft T of a certain jacking construction project.

[0035] After the oil jack 30 of the propulsion device 3 is extended and propulsion begins, and the thrust begins to increase (dashed line A), approximately 35 seconds later the excavation speed of the propulsion pipe 20 begins to increase (dashed line B), and approximately 50 seconds later the displacement meter 5 begins to clearly detect relative position changes between adjacent propulsion pipes 20 (dashed line C).

[0036] The cutter control system 100 is configured to detect such a change and start the rotation of the cutter 10 .

[0037] In this embodiment, the information processing device 4 of the cutter control system 100 is provided on the ground near the departure shaft T, but is not limited to this and may be installed inside the excavator 1, for example.

[0038] The information processing device 4 is a so-called computer that includes hardware such as a processor that performs data transfer processing, arithmetic processing, etc., various storage units such as memory that stores data, and various interfaces, etc. Software data is stored in the storage unit, and the hardware executes specific processing based on the software, thereby functioning as a functional unit described below.

[0039] The information processing device 4 is a single computer, but is not limited to this, and each function may be configured by a plurality of computers. The information processing device 4 may be one or more virtual devices that operate at least some of their functions on a cloud, which is a collection of computer resources. For example, a transmission / reception unit may be provided in an information processing device located on the premises, and a storage unit may be operated on the cloud.

[0040] The information processing device 4 is communicably connected to the driving device 12, the speedometer 31, the pressure gauge 32, the displacement meter 5, and the cutter driving unit 11. It is also communicably connected to an excavation management device (not shown) that manages the operation of excavation.

[0041] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functions of the information processing device 4. The information processing device 4 includes a communication unit 40, a pressure start information determination unit 41, a pressure start information acquisition unit 42, a thrust transmission information processing unit 43, a storage unit 44, an input / output unit 45, and a cutter control unit 46.

[0042] The communication unit 40 connects the information processing device 4 to, for example, a local area network via wired or wireless communication, thereby connecting the information processing device 4 to the excavator 1 (cutter drive unit 11, operating device 12), propulsion device 3 (speedometer 31, pressure gauge 32), and displacement meter 5, respectively, and enabling data to be sent and received between them.

[0043] The pressure start information determination unit 41 acquires pressure information regarding the operation of the propulsion device 3 via the communication unit 40, and determines whether the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2 based on the acquired pressure information.

[0044] The pressing information regarding the operation of the propulsion device 3 acquired by the pressing start information determination unit 41 is, for example, information regarding the excavation speed measured by the speedometer 31 and the thrust measured by the pressure meter 32. Any of these may be used, or other information (for example, the jack stroke of the oil jack 30 measured by a stroke meter) may be used alone or may be included.

[0045] The pushing start information determination unit 41 determines, for example, based on the acquired excavation speed, whether the propulsion device 3 has started pushing the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2. Specifically, when the acquired excavation speed becomes greater than a predetermined speed (for example, 0), it determines that the propulsion device 3 has started pushing the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2.

[0046] The pressing start information determination unit 41 may, for example, determine based on the acquired thrust whether the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear portion of the propulsion pipe group 2. Specifically, when the acquired thrust becomes larger than a predetermined value, it is determined that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear portion of the propulsion pipe group 2.

[0047] The judgment by the pressing start information judgment unit 41 may be based on either the excavation speed or thrust force, or both. In addition, the judgment may be based on pressing information relating to the operation of other propulsion devices 3 (for example, the jack stroke of the oil jack 30) alone or in combination.

[0048] When the pressure start information judgment unit 41 judges that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2, it generates pressure start information indicating that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2, which is the result of this judgment.

[0049] The pressing start information may be of any type, for example, information such as a pressing start YES flag stored in the memory unit 44, or information on the time when it is determined that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion tube group 2.

[0050] The pressure start information acquisition unit 42 acquires pressure start information indicating that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear portion of the propulsion pipe group 2.

[0051] The thrust transmission information processing unit 43 acquires displacement information (displacement amount of the displacement meter 5) indicating the relative positional relationship in the adjacent direction between the propulsion pipe 20 that constitutes the propulsion pipe group 2 and the propulsion pipe 20 adjacent to that propulsion pipe 20 via the communication unit 40, and makes a thrust transmission judgment, which is a judgment that thrust from the propulsion device 3 has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 in the part where the displacement meter 5 is installed, based on the acquired displacement amount.

[0052] The thrust transmission information processing unit 43 makes a thrust transmission judgment, which is a judgment that the thrust due to the start of propulsion of the propulsion device 3 has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 in question, when the acquired displacement amount first clearly changes the positional relationship between adjacent propulsion pipes 20, that is, when the positional change between the propulsion pipes 20 (which often occurs when the cushion material 21 shrinks) first exceeds a predetermined value.

[0053] When the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 determines whether thrust is transmitted, it generates thrust arrival information indicating that thrust has been transmitted to the portion of the propulsion pipe 20 that is the target of the determination result.

[0054] The thrust arrival information may be of any type, for example, information such as a thrust transmission YES flag stored in the memory unit 44, or information on the time when it is determined that thrust has been transmitted to the target propulsion pipe 20.

[0055] The thrust transmission information processing unit 43 acquires thrust arrival information.

[0056] The storage unit 44 can exchange data with each functional unit, and each functional unit stores data in the storage unit 44 and reads data from the storage unit 44 .

[0057] Various data are stored in the memory unit 44. The various data stored include predetermined setting values used for various judgments, data from the propulsion device 3 (speedometer 31, pressure gauge 32), data from the displacement gauge 5, etc.

[0058] The input / output unit 45 is a connection unit to which an output device such as a display and an input device such as a mouse, keyboard, or touchpad are connected, and various data is input and output. For example, predetermined setting values to be used for various judgments are input to the storage unit 44 via the input / output unit 45, and the acquired data and various judgment results are output.

[0059] The cutter control unit 46 starts driving the cutter driving unit 11 and starts rotating the cutter 10 based on the pressure start information acquired by the pressure start information acquisition unit 42 and the thrust transmission judgment made by the thrust transmission information processing unit.

[0060] Specifically, the cutter control unit 46, on the condition that it acquires pressing start information indicating that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2, and acquires thrust transmission information generated by making a thrust transmission judgment that determines that the thrust due to the start of propulsion of the propulsion device 3 has been transmitted to the target propulsion pipe 20, sends a cutter drive signal to the cutter drive unit 11 to start driving it, and controls the cutter drive unit 11 to start driving, regarding this as an appropriate timing to start rotating the cutter 10.

[0061] In this embodiment, the displacement meter 5 is installed in the part of the cushion material 21 closest to the excavator 1 (the part spanning between the propulsion pipe 20 immediately after the excavator 1 and the propulsion pipe 20 adjacent to it), so the thrust transmission information is treated as being approximate to face arrival information which indicates that the thrust of the propulsion device 3 has reached the excavator 1, i.e., the face.

[0062] The cutter control unit 46 may have a function for controlling the normal drive of the cutter, that is, a function for controlling the cutter drive unit 11 to control the cutter rotation speed, the cutter rotation direction, and stop the cutter rotation.

[0063] In the flow shown in FIG. 4, the information processing device 4 performs control to start driving the cutter 10.

[0064] When the processing of the information processing device 4 starts, first, in step 1, the pressure start information judgment unit 41 acquires pressure information regarding the operation of the propulsion device 3 (for example, the excavation speed measured by the speedometer 31) via the communication unit 40 (S1).

[0065] Next, in step 2, the pressing start information judgment unit 41 judges whether the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2 (for example, whether the excavation speed has become greater than a predetermined speed) based on the acquired pressing information (S2).

[0066] In step 2, if it is determined that the propulsion device 3 has not started pressing the rear of the propulsion tube group 2 (NO), the process returns to before step 2, and if it is determined that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion tube group 2 (YES), the process proceeds to step 3.

[0067] Next, in step 3, the pressure start information determination unit 41 generates pressure start information indicating that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear portion of the propulsion pipe group 2, which is the determination result (S3).

[0068] Next, in step 4, the pressure start information acquisition unit 42 acquires pressure start information indicating that the propulsion device 3 has started to press the rear portion of the propulsion tube group 2 (S4).

[0069] Next, in step 5, the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 acquires displacement information (displacement amount of the displacement meter 5) indicating the relative positional relationship in the adjacent direction between the propulsion pipe 20 that constitutes the propulsion pipe group 2 and the propulsion pipe 20 adjacent to that propulsion pipe 20 (S5).

[0070] Next, the process proceeds to step 6, where the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 determines, based on the acquired displacement information, whether thrust from the propulsion device 3 has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 in the portion where the displacement meter 5 is installed (for example, whether the amount of displacement is the first time that the positional change between the propulsion pipes 20 exceeds a predetermined value) (S6).

[0071] In step 6, if it is determined that thrust from the propulsion device 3 is not being transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 in the portion where the displacement meter 5 is installed (NO), the process returns to before step 6, and if it is determined that thrust from the propulsion device 3 has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 in the portion where the displacement meter 5 is installed (thrust transmission determination) (YES), the process proceeds to step 7.

[0072] In step 7, the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 generates and acquires thrust transmission information indicating that thrust has been transmitted to the portion of the propulsion pipe 20 where the displacement meter 5 is installed (S7).

[0073] Next, the process proceeds to step 8, where the cutter control unit 46 transmits a cutter drive signal to start driving the cutter 10 (S8), and the process ends.

[0074] According to this embodiment, the cutter 10 begins to operate after the propulsion device 3 starts pressing the propulsion pipe group 2 and the thrust of the propulsion device 3 is transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20, so there is no risk of the cutter 10 starting to rotate too early and disturbing the face, and deformation or damage to the propulsion pipe 20 is also unlikely to occur.

[0075] In addition, the cutter 10 starts to operate at the time when the thrust of the propulsion device 3 is transmitted to the excavator 1, so the cutter 10 rotates while pressed against the face, which further reduces the risk of disturbing the face and makes it less likely that the propulsion pipe 20 will be deformed or damaged.

[0076] In addition, the displacement meter 5 is installed in the part of the cushion material 21 closest to the excavator 1 (the part spanning between the propulsion pipe 20 immediately behind the excavator 1 and the propulsion pipe 20 adjacent to it), and the change in the displacement amount related to the displacement meter 5 is used to determine whether the thrust of the propulsion device 3 has reached the face, thereby simplifying each functional part and making it a simple system.

[0077] [Second embodiment] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following explanation, the explanation of the parts common to the first embodiment will be omitted, and the differences will be mainly explained.

[0078] In the second embodiment, signal information (jack ON signal information) is used as pressing start information indicating that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2, which is issued by operating a switch on the operating device 12 to extend the oil jack 30 provided on the propulsion device 3 and start propulsion.

[0079] Since the jack-on signal information is pressing start information, the pressing start information determination unit 41 as in the first embodiment is omitted, as shown in Fig. 5. Note that the pressing start information acquisition unit 42 may determine whether or not the jack-on signal information has been input and acquire it, or the pressing start information determination unit 41 may be separately provided to determine whether or not the jack-on signal information has been input.

[0080] The pressing start information acquisition unit 42 acquires, via the communication unit 40, pressing start information (jack ON signal information) indicating that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear portion of the propulsion pipe group 2. The rest is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0081] In the flow shown in FIG. 6, the information processing device 4 performs control to start driving the cutter 10.

[0082] When the processing of the information processing device 4 starts, first, in step 1, the pressing start information acquisition unit 42 acquires, for example, jack ON signal information as pressing start information related to the operation of the propulsion device 3 via the communication unit 40 (S1).

[0083] Next, in step 2, the pressing start information acquisition unit 42 generates pressing start information (S2). This pressing start information may be generated by sending the jack ON signal directly to the next process.

[0084] Next, in step 3, the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 acquires displacement information (displacement amount of the displacement meter 5) indicating the relative positional relationship in the adjacent direction between the propulsion pipe 20 that constitutes the propulsion pipe group 2 and the propulsion pipe 20 adjacent to that propulsion pipe 20 (S3).

[0085] Next, the process proceeds to step 4, where the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 determines, based on the acquired displacement information, whether thrust from the propulsion device 3 has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 in the portion where the displacement meter 5 is installed (for example, whether the amount of displacement is the first time that the positional change between the propulsion pipes 20 exceeds a predetermined value) (S4).

[0086] In step 4, if it is determined that thrust from the propulsion device 3 is not being transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 in the portion where the displacement meter 5 is installed (NO), the process returns to before step 4, and if it is determined that thrust from the propulsion device 3 has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 in the portion where the displacement meter 5 is installed (thrust transmission determination) (YES), the process proceeds to step 5.

[0087] In step 5, the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 generates and acquires thrust transmission information indicating that thrust has been transmitted to the portion of the propulsion pipe 20 where the displacement meter 5 is installed (S5).

[0088] Next, the process proceeds to step 6, where the cutter control unit 46 transmits a cutter drive signal to start driving the cutter 10 (S6), and the process ends.

[0089] In this embodiment, the pressing start information is acquired as is, so each functional unit is further simplified, and a simple system can be realized.

[0090] [Third embodiment] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following description, the description of the parts common to the first and second embodiments will be omitted, and the differences will be mainly described.

[0091] In the third embodiment, the information processing device 4 further includes a displacement meter position information acquisition unit 47 and a face arrival time information setting unit 48 in addition to the same components as those in the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 7.

[0092] When acquiring the pressing start information of the propulsion device 3, the pressing start information acquisition unit 42 acquires the time (pressing start time) when the drive switch of the propulsion device 3 is turned on. This time information is included in the pressing start information.

[0093] When generating the thrust transmission information, the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 acquires the time when the cushion material 21 first contracts and the positional change between the adjacent propulsion pipes 20 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, that is, the time when the thrust from the propulsion device 3 is transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 in the portion where the displacement meter 5 is installed (propulsion pipe thrust transmission time). This time is included in the thrust transmission information.

[0094] The displacement meter position information acquisition unit 47 acquires displacement meter position information, which is the distance from the pressing position of the propulsion device 3 to the displacement meter 5, and excavation position information (face position information), which is the distance to the cutter 10. The distance from the cutter 10 of the excavator 1 to the displacement meter 5 can be known at the time of installation. Face position information can be acquired by making it possible to obtain it each time from an excavation management device (not shown) or surveying results.

[0095] The face arrival time information setting unit 48 sets face arrival time information, which is the time it takes for the thrust of the propulsion device 3 to be transmitted to the face, based on the pushing start time of the propulsion device 3 acquired by the pushing start information acquisition unit 42 and the propulsion pipe thrust transmission time acquired by the thrust transmission information processing unit 43.

[0096] Specifically, the face arrival time information is set as follows. The face arrival time information setting unit 48 acquires the pressing start time t0.

[0097] The face arrival time information setting unit 48 acquires the propulsion pipe thrust transmission time t1 and, based on information from the displacement meter position information acquisition unit 47, acquires the distance L1 from the propulsion device 3 to the displacement meter 5 at that time and the distance Lm from the propulsion device 3 to the cutter 10 (distance to the face).

[0098] If the thrust transmission speed from the propulsion device 3 to the displacement meter 5 is V1, then V1=L1 / (t1-t0). Assuming that the thrust is transmitted to the excavation position at the same transmission speed, the time tm at which the thrust is transmitted to the excavation position is: tm=t1+(Lm-L1) / V1. The face arrival time information setting unit 48 sets this time tm as face arrival time information.

[0099] The cutter control unit 46 controls the cutter driving unit 11 to start driving the cutter 10 at the time tm when the thrust is transmitted to the excavation position, which is the face arrival time information set by the face arrival time information setting unit 48.

[0100] In the flow shown in FIG. 8, the information processing device 4 performs control to start driving the cutter 10.

[0101] When the processing of the information processing device 4 starts, first, in step 1, the pressing start information acquisition unit 42 acquires, for example, jack ON signal information as pressing start information related to the operation of the propulsion device 3 via the communication unit 40 (S1).

[0102] Next, in step 2, the pressure start information acquisition unit 42 generates pressure start information (S2). This pressure start information is the time when the drive switch of the propulsion device 3 is turned on.

[0103] Next, in step 3, the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 acquires displacement information (displacement amount of the displacement meter 5) indicating the relative positional relationship in the adjacent direction between the propulsion pipe 20 that constitutes the propulsion pipe group 2 and the propulsion pipe 20 adjacent to that propulsion pipe 20 (S3).

[0104] Next, the process proceeds to step 4, where the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 determines, based on the acquired displacement information, whether thrust from the propulsion device 3 has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 in the portion where the displacement meter 5 is installed (for example, whether the amount of displacement is the first time that the positional change between the propulsion pipes 20 exceeds a predetermined value) (S4).

[0105] In step 4, if it is determined that thrust from the propulsion device 3 is not being transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 in the portion where the displacement meter 5 is installed (NO), the process returns to before step 4, and if it is determined that thrust from the propulsion device 3 has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 in the portion where the displacement meter 5 is installed (thrust transmission determination) (YES), the process proceeds to step 5.

[0106] In step 5, the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 generates and acquires thrust transmission information indicating that thrust has been transmitted to the portion of the propulsion pipe 20 where the displacement meter 5 is installed (S5). This thrust transmission information is the propulsion pipe thrust transmission time.

[0107] Next, proceeding to step 6, the face arrival time information setting unit 48 calculates the time it takes for the thrust of the propulsion device 3 to reach the face based on the pushing start information and thrust transmission information, and sets face arrival time information (S6).

[0108] Next, in step 7, the cutter control unit 46 transmits a cutter drive signal based on the face arrival time information set by the face arrival time information setting unit 48, starts driving the cutter 10 (S7), and ends the process.

[0109] Based on the transmission of thrust to the part where the displacement meter 5 is installed, the time for the thrust to reach the face is calculated and the cutter 10 is started to be driven, so even if the displacement meter 5 is installed in a position away from the excavator 1, the cutter can be started to be driven at the appropriate timing.

[0110] [Fourth embodiment] A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following explanation, the explanation of the parts common to the first to third embodiments will be omitted, and the differences will be mainly explained.

[0111] The fourth embodiment differs from the third embodiment in that it includes a pressure start information determination unit 41 that acquires pressure information (e.g., excavation speed) regarding the operation of the propulsion device 3, which is not jack-on signal information, and determines whether the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2 based on the pressure information. The press start information determination unit 41 is the same as that in the first embodiment.

[0112] The pressure start information determination unit 41 acquires pressure information regarding the operation of the propulsion device 3 via the communication unit 40, and determines whether the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2 based on the acquired pressure information.

[0113] When the pressure start information judgment unit 41 judges that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2, it generates pressure start information indicating that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2, which is the result of this judgment.

[0114] When acquiring pressure start information indicating that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2, the pressure start information acquisition unit 42 acquires the time when the drive switch of the propulsion device 3 is turned on (pressure start time).

[0115] In the flow shown in FIG. 10, the information processing device 4 performs control to start driving the cutter 10.

[0116] When the processing of the information processing device 4 starts, first, in step 1, the pressure start information judgment unit 41 acquires pressure information regarding the operation of the propulsion device 3 (for example, the excavation speed measured by the speedometer 31) via the communication unit 40 (S1).

[0117] Next, in step 2, the pressing start information judgment unit 41 judges whether the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion pipe group 2 (for example, whether the excavation speed has become greater than a predetermined speed) based on the acquired pressing information (S2).

[0118] In step 2, if it is determined that the propulsion device 3 has not started pressing the rear of the propulsion tube group 2 (NO), the process returns to before step 2, and if it is determined that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear of the propulsion tube group 2 (YES), the process proceeds to step 3.

[0119] Next, in step 3, the pressure start information determination unit 41 generates pressure start information indicating that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear portion of the propulsion pipe group 2, which is the determination result (S3).

[0120] Next, in step 4, the pressure start information acquisition unit 42 acquires pressure start information indicating that the propulsion device 3 has started pressing the rear portion of the propulsion tube group 2 (S4). At that time, the time when the drive switch of the propulsion device 3 is turned on (pressure start time) is acquired. Alternatively, the pressure start time may be acquired when the pressure start information determination unit 41 generates the pressure start information in step 3.

[0121] Step 5 and subsequent steps are the same as those in the third embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0122] [Fifth embodiment] A fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following explanation, the explanation of the parts common to the first to fourth embodiments will be omitted, and the differences will be mainly explained.

[0123] The fifth embodiment differs from the third embodiment in that displacement meters 51, 52, and 53 are provided at multiple locations, for example, three locations, in the propulsion direction of the propulsion pipe group 2, and face arrival time information is set based on information from these.

[0124] In the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, displacement meters 5 are installed at positions of cushion materials 21 connecting the propulsion pipes 20 to each other at a plurality of locations spaced apart along the propulsion direction of the propulsion pipe group 2.

[0125] The displacement gauges 51, 52, and 53 measure the displacement amount, which is the relative positional relationship in the adjoining direction, between the adjacent propulsion pipes 20 sandwiching each displacement gauge.

[0126] As shown in FIG. 12, all of the displacement meters 51, 52, and 53 are communicably connected to the information processing device 4, and the displacement information measured by these is acquired by the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 via the communication unit .

[0127] The thrust transmission information processing unit 43 generates and acquires, for each displacement meter 51, 52, 53, the time when the measurement value becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value (propulsion pipe thrust transmission time) as thrust transmission information indicating that thrust has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20.

[0128] The displacement meter position information acquisition unit 47 acquires displacement meter position information, which is the distance from the pressing position of the propulsion device 3 to all of the displacement meters 51, 52, 53, and excavation position information (face position information), which is the distance to the cutter 10.

[0129] The face arrival time information setting unit 48 acquires the time t0 when the drive switch of the propulsion device 3 is turned on, and the times t1, t2, and t3 when the measurement values of each displacement meter 51, 52, and 53 reach or exceed a predetermined value (propulsion pipe thrust transmission times), as well as the distances L1, L2, and L3 from the propulsion device 3 to each displacement meter 51, 52, and 53, and based on this, calculates the thrust transmission speeds V1, V2, and V3 from the propulsion device 3 to each displacement meter 51, 52, and 53.

[0130] Furthermore, the face arrival time information setting unit 48 calculates the average thrust transmission speed VA by averaging the thrust transmission speeds V1, V2, and V3 from the propulsion device 3 to each of the displacement meters 51, 52, and 53. Instead of averaging, the thrust transmission speed V may be calculated by other statistical processing such as maximum speed or median.

[0131] Based on the calculated average thrust transmission velocity VA, the time at which the thrust is transmitted to the face position is calculated and set as face arrival time information.

[0132] In the flow shown in FIG. 13, the information processing device 4 performs control to start driving the cutter 10.

[0133] Step 1 (S1) and step 2 (S2) are the same as step 1 (S1) and step 2 (S2) in the third embodiment.

[0134] Next, in step 3, the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 acquires displacement information (each displacement amount for each displacement meter 51, 52, 53) indicating the relative positional relationship in the adjacent direction between the propulsion pipe 20 that constitutes the propulsion pipe group 2 and the propulsion pipe 20 adjacent to that propulsion pipe 20 (S3).

[0135] Next, proceeding to step 4, the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 determines whether thrust from the propulsion device 3 has been transmitted to the propulsion pipes 20 in the portions where the displacement meters 51, 52, and 53 are installed based on the acquired displacement information (for example, whether the amount of displacement is the first time that the positional change between the propulsion pipes 20 exceeds a predetermined value) (S4).

[0136] In step 4, if it is determined that thrust from the propulsion device 3 is not being transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 in the portion where the displacement meters 51, 52, and 53 are installed (NO), the process returns to before step 4; if it is determined that thrust from the propulsion device 3 has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe 20 in the portion where the displacement meters 51, 52, and 53 are installed (thrust transmission determination) (YES), the process proceeds to step 5.

[0137] In step 5, the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 generates and acquires thrust arrival information indicating that thrust has been transmitted to the portion of the propulsion pipe 20 where the displacement meters 51, 52, and 53 are installed (S5). This thrust transmission information is the propulsion pipe thrust transmission times t1, t2, and t3.

[0138] Next, in step 6, the face arrival time information setting unit 48 acquires the pushing start time t0 and the thrust pipe thrust transmission times t1, t2, and t3, as well as the distances L1, L2, and L3 from the thrust device 3 to each displacement meter 51, 52, and 53, and based on this, calculates the thrust transmission speeds V1, V2, and V3 from the thrust device 3 to each displacement meter 51, 52, and 53, and the average thrust transmission speed VA, calculates the time when the thrust is transmitted to the face position, and sets this as face arrival time information (S6).

[0139] Next, in step 7, the cutter control unit 46 transmits a cutter drive signal based on the face arrival time information set by the face arrival time information setting unit 48, starts driving the cutter 10 (S7), and ends the process.

[0140] [Other Modifications] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may also include the following, for example.

[0141] In this embodiment, the relative positional relationship between the propulsion pipes is measured using a displacement meter to obtain displacement information, but it is also possible to measure the positional changes between adjacent propulsion pipes by measuring the pressure applied to the cushion material and obtain this as displacement information.

[0142] In the fifth embodiment, displacement meters are installed at multiple locations to obtain displacement information, and the displacement information obtained from each part is compared. For example, if, among adjacent displacement meters, the one located on the propulsion device side shows a reduced displacement and the one located on the excavator side shows no displacement, this means that there is a large frictional resistance between these displacement meters, and the system can also be used for applications such as injecting a lubricant into this area.

[0143] In the present embodiment, the cutter control unit 46 of the information processing device 4 starts driving the cutter driving unit 11, but this is not limited to this. For example, a cutter control system or a cutter control method may be provided in which, when the thrust transmission information processing unit 43 makes a thrust transmission determination that a thrust has been transmitted to a propulsion pipe 20 based on displacement information indicating the relative positional relationship in the adjoining direction between a propulsion pipe 20 constituting the propulsion pipe group 2 and a propulsion pipe 20 adjacent to the propulsion pipe 20, a notification is given by turning on a lamp provided in the operating device 12, and the operator manually operates a switch to drive the cutter 10 in response to the notification.

[0144] Each technical matter in any embodiment (including modified examples; the same applies below) may be applied to other embodiments. This may be applied as an example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 100 Cutter Control System 1. Excavator 10 cutters 11 Cutter drive unit 12 Driving Device 2 Propulsion tube group 20 Propulsion tube 21 Cushioning material 3 Propulsion device 30 Oil Jack 31 Speedometer 31a Laura 32 Pressure gauge 4. Information processing equipment 40 Communications Department 41 Press start information determination unit 42 Press start information acquisition unit 43 Thrust transmission information processing unit 44 Storage section 45 Input / output section 46 Cutter control section 47 Displacement meter position information acquisition unit 48 Face arrival time information setting section 5. Displacement gauge 51 Displacement meter 52 Displacement meter 53 Displacement meter T Departure shaft

Claims

1. A cutter control system for an excavator that is disposed in front of a group of propulsion pipes, is propelled by the thrust of a propulsion device that presses the rear of the group of propulsion pipes, and excavates a face by driving a cutter provided at the front, and controls the drive of the cutter, a pressure start information acquisition unit that acquires pressure start information indicating that the propulsion device has started pressing the rear portion of the propulsion pipe group; a thrust transmission information processing unit that acquires displacement information indicating a relative positional relationship between a propulsion pipe constituting the propulsion pipe group and a propulsion pipe adjacent to the propulsion pipe in an adjacent direction, and makes a thrust transmission judgment that judges that thrust has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe based on the displacement information; a cutter control unit that starts driving the cutter based on the pressure start information acquired by the pressure start information acquisition unit and the thrust transmission determination made by the thrust transmission information processing unit. A cutter control system comprising:

2. a pressure start information determination unit that acquires pressure information related to the operation of the propulsion device and determines whether the propulsion device has started pressing the rear portion of the propulsion tube group based on the pressure information; The press start information acquired by the press start information acquisition unit includes the determination result made by the press start information determination unit.

2. The cutter control system of claim 1.

3. a face arrival time information setting unit that sets face arrival time information, which is the time it takes for the thrust of the propulsion device to reach the face, based on the pressure start information acquired by the pressure start information acquisition unit and the thrust transmission judgment determined by the thrust transmission information processing unit; The cutter control unit starts driving the cutter based on the face arrival time information set by the face arrival time information setting unit.

3. The cutter control system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A cutter control method for an excavator that is disposed in front of a group of propulsion pipes and is propelled by the thrust of a propulsion device that presses the rear of the group of propulsion pipes, and excavates a face by driving a cutter provided at the front, comprising: the propulsion device begins to push the rear of the propulsion tube group; making a thrust transmission determination that a thrust has been transmitted to the propulsion pipe based on displacement information indicating a relative positional relationship in an adjacent direction between the propulsion pipe constituting the propulsion pipe group and the propulsion pipe adjacent to the propulsion pipe; Start driving the cutter A cutter control method comprising:

5. Obtaining pressure information related to the operation of the propulsion device, and determining that the propulsion device has started pressing the rear portion of the propulsion tube group based on the pressure information; making the thrust transmission determination; Start driving the cutter 5. The cutter control method according to claim 4.

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