Work support device, and work machine

Abstract

To provide a work support device capable of automatically aligning a blade edge of a bucket along a work surface even when an angle of a bucket can be changed by a tilt mechanism and a revolving mechanism, and to provide a work machine equipped with the same.SOLUTION: A work support device for automatically controlling a position of a bucket 9 comprises a controller 50 controlling at least one of a tilt angle of the bucket 9 by a tilt mechanism 25 and a rotation angle of the bucket 9 by a bucket cylinder 21 so as to reduce an angle residual between an angle of a blade edge of the bucket 9 calculated based on detection by a sensor portion 52 and an angle of a work surface input in advance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work support device that automatically controls the position of a bucket, and a work machine equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, hydraulic excavators have been known that have a tilt mechanism that supports a bucket at the tip of a working device so that it can swing left and right within a predetermined angular range relative to a stick (arm). When excavating or shaping a slope (inclined surface) with the bucket, the tilt angle is automatically controlled and the bucket is moved so that the cutting edge of the bucket is always parallel to the slope (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6591531 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the case of a hydraulic excavator equipped with a tilt rotator that can rotate the bucket 360 degrees relative to the tilt mechanism, if the rotation angle is set to, for example, 90 degrees or 270 degrees, in other words, the bucket is facing straight sideways relative to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, it may not be possible to bring the bucket cutting edge closer to the construction surface using only the tilt angle control described above.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a work support device that can automatically align the cutting edge of the bucket with the construction surface even when the bucket angle can be changed using a tilt mechanism and a swivel mechanism, and a work machine equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention described in claim 1 is a work support device for automatically controlling the position of a bucket, which is used in a work machine equipped with a work device having a body, a bucket, and an actuator for rotating the bucket, and a sensor unit for detecting posture, and which is equipped with a tilt mechanism that supports the bucket so that it can swing in a direction intersecting the rotation direction, and a rotation mechanism that supports the bucket so that it can rotate relative to the tilt mechanism, and which is attached to the work device, and which is equipped with a control unit that controls at least one of the tilt angle of the bucket by the tilt mechanism and the rotation angle of the bucket by the actuator so as to reduce the angle residual between the angle of the bucket cutting edge calculated based on detection by the sensor unit and the angle of the construction surface that was input in advance.

[0007] The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that the control unit in the work support device described in claim 1 repeats selective control of the tilt angle of the bucket by the tilt mechanism and the rotation angle of the bucket by the actuator until the angle residual between the angle of the bucket cutting edge and the angle of the construction surface input in advance becomes substantially zero.

[0008] The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that the control unit in the work support device of claim 1 determines whether or not to control the bucket rotation angle by the actuator when the target relative tilt angle calculated based on the angle residual is not within the range of tilt angles of the bucket that can be achieved by the tilt mechanism.

[0009] The invention of claim 4 is characterized in that the control unit in the work support device of claim 3 tilts the bucket to the end of the tiltable angle range using the tilt mechanism when the target relative bucket angle calculated based on the angle residual is not within the range of angles at which the bucket can be rotated by the actuator.

[0010] The invention described in claim 5 is a work machine having a body, a bucket, and an actuator that rotates the bucket, and is equipped with a work device to which a tilt mechanism that supports the bucket so that it can swing in a direction intersecting the rotation direction and a swivel mechanism that supports the bucket so that it can swivel relative to the tilt mechanism can be attached, a sensor unit for detecting attitude, and a work support device described in any one of claims 1 to 4. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the invention of claim 1, even in a work machine in which the bucket angle can be changed using a tilt mechanism and a swivel mechanism, it is possible to automatically move the bucket using at least one of the tilt mechanism and the actuator, and align the cutting edge of the bucket with the construction surface.

[0012] According to the invention of claim 2, the cutting edge of the bucket can be aligned with the construction surface with high precision by selectively combining the tilting action of the tilting mechanism and the rotational action of the actuator, which operate in different directions.

[0013] According to the invention of claim 3, by giving priority to the tilting operation of the bucket by the tilt mechanism over the rotational operation of the bucket by the actuator, the cutting edge of the bucket can be more efficiently aligned with the construction surface.

[0014] According to the invention of claim 4, when the angle residual is large and it is difficult to align the bucket cutting edge with the construction surface using either the tilt mechanism or the actuator, the tilt function of the tilt mechanism is used to bring the angle of the bucket cutting edge as close as possible to the angle of the construction surface, and the angle of the bucket cutting edge can be gradually brought closer to the angle of the construction surface by repeating the automatic control flow.

[0015] According to the invention of claim 5, it is possible to provide a work machine with good workability that can easily perform work that generally requires skill, in which the cutting edge of the bucket is aligned along the construction surface. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view that schematically shows an embodiment of a work machine that is equipped with a work support device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B show a tilt mechanism and a swing mechanism of the same working machine, in which FIG. 1A is a side view and FIG. 1B is a schematic front view. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a hydraulic circuit diagram of the same work machine. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the work support device. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a model diagram of the roll angle of the machine body calculated by the automatic control function of the work support device. [Figure 7] 4 is a model diagram of a machine pitch angle, a relative boom angle, a relative stick angle, and a relative bucket angle calculated by the automatic control function of the work support device. FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing an automatic control function of the work support device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The present invention will be described in detail below based on an embodiment shown in FIGS.

[0018] 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a work machine. In this embodiment, a hydraulic excavator is taken as an example of the work machine 1. The work machine 1 comprises a machine body 4 in which an upper rotating body 3 is provided so as to be able to rotate relative to a lower traveling body 2, and the rotating body 3 is equipped with a work implement 5, a cab 6 which surrounds a cab in which an operator sits, and the like.

[0019] The work implement 5 includes a boom 7, a stick (arm) 8, and a bucket 9 which is an end attachment. The base end of the boom 7 is rotatably attached to the rotating body 3, and the base end of the stick 8 is rotatably attached to the tip of the boom 7. In this embodiment, a tiltrotator 10 can be attached to the work implement 5, and the bucket 9 is rotatably attached to the tip of the stick 8 via the tiltrotator 10. The boom 7 may be made up of multiple boom members, such as a so-called two-piece boom used in high-altitude demolition machines and the like.

[0020] In this embodiment, a bucket for shaping and leveling slopes, also known as a grading bucket (slope bucket), is used as the bucket 9. The bucket 9 has a curved or bent bottom plate 12, side plates 13 continuing on both sides of the bottom plate 12, and a connecting portion 14 for connecting to the tiltrotator 10. The tip of the bottom plate 12 forms a cutting edge 15 extending in the width direction of the bucket 9.

[0021] The traveling body 2, the revolving body 3, and the working device 5 are each driven by an actuator. The actuator is, for example, a fluid pressure actuator, and in this embodiment, a hydraulic actuator, and a hydraulic cylinder, a hydraulic motor, etc. are used.

[0022] The traveling body 2 is driven by left and right traveling motors 17, which are hydraulic motors serving as actuators, to cause the working machine 1 to travel.

[0023] The swing body 3 swings relative to the traveling body 2 by being driven by a swing motor 18, which is a hydraulic motor serving as an actuator.

[0024] The boom 7 is driven by a boom cylinder 19, which is a hydraulic cylinder serving as an actuator, to rotate relative to the revolving unit 3. The base end of the boom cylinder 19, i.e., the cylinder portion, is rotatably and axially supported on the side of the cab 6 by the revolving unit 3, and the tip end, i.e., the rod, is rotatably and axially supported on the boom 7.

[0025] The stick 8 is driven by a stick cylinder (arm cylinder) 20, which is a hydraulic cylinder acting as an actuator, to rotate relative to the boom 7. The base end of the stick cylinder 20, i.e., the cylinder portion, is rotatably and axially supported on the top of the boom 7, and the tip end, i.e., the rod, is rotatably and axially supported on the base end of the stick 8.

[0026] The bucket 9 is driven by a bucket cylinder 21, which is a hydraulic cylinder that serves as an actuator, and rotates together with the tiltrotator 10 relative to the stick 8. The base end of the bucket cylinder 21, i.e., the cylinder portion, is rotatably and axially supported on the front part of the stick 8, and the tip end, i.e., the rod, is rotatably and axially supported on an idler link 22 that is rotatably connected to the tip end of the stick 8.

[0027] The tiltrotator 10 has a tilt mechanism 25 and a swivel mechanism 26, and by making it possible to change the angle of the tip of the blade portion 15 of the bucket 9, i.e., the cutting edge, and the orientation of the bucket 9, it is possible to perform a variety of work on the construction surface P from multiple directions using the bucket 9 without moving the work machine 1 or requiring a large work space.

[0028] The tilt mechanism 25 supports the bucket 9 together with the swing mechanism 26 on the stick 8 so that the bucket 9 can swing. The tilt mechanism 25 includes a first portion 31 on the base side attached to the stick 8, a second portion 32 on the tip side attached to the bucket 9, and a tilt cylinder 33, which is a hydraulic cylinder that serves as an actuator for swinging the second portion 32, i.e., the bucket 9 side, relative to the first portion 31. As shown in FIGS. 3( a) and 3(b), the first portion 31 is formed with a mounting hole 35 that is rotatably and pivotally supported on the tip of the stick 8 directly or indirectly via an adapter or coupler, and a shaft support hole 36 that is rotatably and pivotally supported on the idler link 22 directly or indirectly via an adapter or coupler. The second portion 32 is rotatably and pivotally supported on the first portion 31 via a tilt shaft 38 that extends in a direction intersecting or perpendicular to the penetration direction of the mounting hole 35 and the shaft support hole 36 of the first portion 31. Therefore, the second portion 32 and the bucket 9 attached to the second portion 32 can swing within a predetermined angular range in a direction intersecting or perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, i.e., in the width direction of the bucket 9, relative to the first portion 31 and the stick 8 to which the first portion 31 is attached. One or two tilt cylinders 33 are provided. The tilt cylinder 33 has a base end, i.e., a cylinder portion, rotatably and axially supported by the first portion 31, and a tip end, i.e., a rod, rotatably and axially supported by the second portion 32. In this embodiment, the tilt mechanism 25 allows the bucket 9 to swing within a predetermined angle, for example, 40°, in the width direction, as shown by arrow D1.

[0029] The swing mechanism 26 supports the bucket 9 on the tilt mechanism 25 so that the bucket 9 can swing. The swing mechanism 26 includes the second portion 32 of the tilt mechanism 25, a swing shaft 40, and a swing motor 41, which is a hydraulic motor that serves as an actuator for swinging the bucket 9 relative to the second portion 32. The swing shaft 40 axially supports the bucket 9 on the second portion 32 so that the bucket 9 can swing along a direction that intersects or is perpendicular to the tilt shaft 38. Therefore, the bucket 9 can swing relative to the second portion 32 while remaining parallel or approximately parallel to the tilt shaft 38. For example, in this embodiment, the swing mechanism 26 allows the bucket 9 to swing 360° relative to the second portion 32, as shown by arrow D2.

[0030] The flow rate and direction of hydraulic oil, which is the working fluid supplied to each actuator, is controlled by a control valve 43 shown in Fig. 4. A control valve, which is a spool, is arranged in the control valve 43 corresponding to each actuator, and hydraulic oil is supplied to and discharged from each actuator via each control valve.

[0031] A main pump 45 is connected to the control valve 43, and the main pump 45 is driven by an engine 46. In this embodiment, the main pump 45 is a variable displacement pump, and the discharge flow rate can be variably adjusted by controlling a displacement varying means such as a swash plate via a regulator 47 or a control valve.

[0032] Furthermore, the operations of the control valves of the control valve 43, the main pump 45, the engine 46, etc. are controlled by a controller 50 serving as a control section. The controller 50 generates control signals based on command signals input by an operator via an operating device 51, such as an operating lever or an operating pedal, disposed in the cab 6 (FIG. 1), and outputs the control signals to the control valves of the control valve 43, the main pump 45, the engine 46, etc. That is, in this embodiment, the control valves are electromagnetic proportional valves that are directly operated by electric signals, but the present invention is not limited to this, and control valves that are operated by pilot pressure may also be used.

[0033] In this embodiment, the controller 50 is equipped with a function for automatically controlling the position of the bucket 9 as a work support device.

[0034] A description will now be given of the automatic control function of the controller 50. Note that, in order to clarify the explanation, Fig. 5 basically shows only the parts related to the automatic control function of the controller 50, and other parts are omitted.

[0035] 1 and 2, in the case of a work machine 1 equipped with a tilt rotator 10, that is, a tilt mechanism 25 and a swing mechanism 26 for the bucket 9, depending on the angle of the bucket 9, it may be difficult to align the tip of the cutting edge 15 of the bucket 9, i.e., the cutting edge, with the construction surface P, such as the construction target surface or the design surface, using only the tilt function within the movable range of the tilt mechanism 25. Therefore, the controller 50 has the function of automatically controlling to reduce the angle deviation between the angle of the cutting edge (toe line) of the bucket 9 and the angle of the construction surface P that was input in advance, by controlling at least one of the tilt angle of the bucket 9 set by the tilt mechanism 25 and the rotation angle of the bucket 9 set by the bucket cylinder 21 based on the attitude of the work machine 1, and automatically aligning the cutting edge of the bucket 9 parallel or approximately parallel to the construction surface P. In this embodiment, controller 50 repeatedly selectively controls the tilt angle of bucket 9 by tilt mechanism 25 and the rotation angle of bucket 9 by bucket cylinder 21 until the angle residual between the angle of the cutting edge of bucket 9 and the angle of construction surface P becomes substantially zero. Note that the construction surface P may be based on 3D data of the construction site stored in advance in a memory unit that can be referenced by controller 50, or may be based on data input by the operator using input means such as a touch panel monitor provided inside cab 6.

[0036] 5, a sensor unit 52 for detecting posture that acquires information for calculating the angle of the cutting edge of bucket 9 (FIG. 1) is connected to controller 50. In the present embodiment, sensor unit 52 detects posture information of each part of work machine 1, and inputs a signal indicating the detected posture information to controller 50.

[0037] The sensor unit 52 is provided with a vehicle tilt angle sensor 54 .

[0038] The vehicle inclination angle sensor 54 is a sensor that detects the roll angle q3r of the vehicle 4 shown in FIG. 6 and the pitch angle q3p of the vehicle 4 shown in FIG. 7. The roll angle q3r of the vehicle 4 shown in FIG. 6 is the relative inclination angle of the vehicle 4 in the left-right direction with respect to the horizontal direction, and is, for example, the angle in the left-right direction of an imaginary plane including the underside of the vehicle 2 with respect to the horizontal plane. In this embodiment, the roll angle q3r is, for example, positive in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 6 and negative in the clockwise direction. The pitch angle q3p of the vehicle 4 shown in FIG. 7 is the relative inclination angle of the vehicle 4 in the fore-and-aft direction with respect to the horizontal direction, and is, for example, the angle in the fore-and-aft direction of an imaginary plane including the underside of the vehicle 2 with respect to the horizontal plane. In this embodiment, the pitch angle q3p is, for example, positive in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 7 and negative in the clockwise direction. The vehicle inclination angle sensor 54 is, for example, an acceleration sensor such as an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and may be located at any position as long as it can detect each angle. In the illustrated example, it is located on the rotating bed 3, for example.

[0039] The sensor unit 52 shown in FIG. 5 is provided with a boom angle sensor 56, a stick angle sensor 57, and a bucket angle sensor 58.

[0040] The boom angle sensor 56 shown in FIG. 7 is a sensor that detects the rotation angle of the boom 7 relative to the machine body 4, i.e., the relative boom angle q5. The relative boom angle q5 is defined as the angle θ, as viewed from the side of the machine body 4 or the side of the work implement 5, of an imaginary line L1 connecting the axial support position (boom foot pin center) of the base end of the boom 7 to the machine body 4 and the axial support position (stick base pin center) of the stick 8 at the tip of the boom 7, with respect to the horizontal, minus the pitch angle q3p of the machine body 4 (q5 = θ - q3p). In this embodiment, the relative boom angle q5 is defined as a positive value in the counterclockwise direction and a negative value in the clockwise direction in FIG. 7, for example. The boom angle sensor 56 is, for example, an acceleration sensor such as an inertial measurement unit, and may be located anywhere as long as it can detect the relative boom angle q5. In the illustrated example, however, it is located, for example, between both ends of the boom 7. The boom angle sensor 56 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a general rotation angle sensor, or may detect the relative boom angle q5 by detecting the extension / contraction amount of the boom cylinder 19 (FIG. 1). Furthermore, if the boom 7 is made up of multiple boom members, such as a two-piece boom, a boom angle sensor 56 may be provided for each boom member, and the relative boom angle q5 may be detected from the detection results of each.

[0041] The stick angle sensor 57 is a sensor that detects the rotation angle of the stick 8 relative to the boom 7, i.e., the relative stick angle q7. The relative stick angle q7 is defined as the relative angle of a virtual line L2, which connects the axial support position (stick base pin center) of the base end of the stick 8 relative to the boom 7 and the axial support position (stick tip pin center, i.e., bucket pin center) of the tip end of the stick 8 relative to a virtual line L1, as viewed from the side of the machine body 4 or the side of the work implement 5. In this embodiment, the clockwise direction in FIG. 7 is positive and the counterclockwise direction is negative. The stick angle sensor 57 is, for example, an acceleration sensor such as an inertial measurement unit, and may be located anywhere as long as it can detect the relative stick angle q7. In the illustrated example, the stick angle sensor 57 is located, for example, between both ends of the stick 8. The stick angle sensor 57 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a general rotation angle sensor, or may detect the relative stick angle q7 by detecting the extension / contraction amount of the stick cylinder 20.

[0042] The bucket angle sensor 58 detects the rotation angle of the bucket 9 relative to the stick 8, i.e., the relative bucket angle q8. When viewed from the side of the machine body 4 or the side of the work implement 5, the relative bucket angle q8 is defined as the relative angle of an imaginary line L3 connecting the center of the bucket pin and the tip of the cutting edge 15 of the bucket 9 relative to the imaginary line L2. In this embodiment, the clockwise direction in FIG. 7 is positive and the counterclockwise direction is negative for the relative bucket angle q8. Although the tiltrotator 10 (FIG. 1) is omitted from the figure, if the tiltrotator 10 (FIG. 1) is included, the imaginary line L3 will be an imaginary line connecting the shaft support position (center of the mounting hole 35 of the first portion 31) of the tilt mechanism 25 (FIG. 1) to the stick 8 and the tip of the cutting edge 15 of the bucket 9, based on a state in which the relative tilt angle q9t and the swing angle q9r, described below, are both 0°. The bucket angle sensor 58 is, for example, an acceleration sensor such as an inertial measurement unit, and may be disposed in any position as long as it can detect the relative bucket angle q8, but in the example shown, it is disposed, for example, at the tip of the idler link 22. However, the bucket angle sensor 58 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a general rotation angle sensor, or may detect the relative bucket angle q8 by detecting the amount of extension and contraction of the bucket cylinder 21. Therefore, with this arrangement, the bucket angle sensor 58 can detect the relative bucket angle q8 regardless of the relative tilt angle q9t and / or the swing angle q9r.

[0043] Furthermore, the sensor unit 52 shown in FIG. 5 is provided with a tilt angle sensor 60 and a rotation angle sensor 61.

[0044] The tilt angle sensor 60 shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) is a sensor that detects the tilt angle of the bucket 9 caused by the tilt mechanism 25, i.e., the relative tilt angle q9t. The relative tilt angle q9t is defined as the angle between the vertical line passing through the center position of the tilt shaft 38, i.e., the axis Zt perpendicular to the tilt shaft direction, as viewed from the tilt axis direction, and the downward direction of the bucket 9 (not necessarily vertically downward), which is the downward direction of the tilt angle sensor 60. The axis Zt is a local coordinate system on the non-rotating base side (bucket pin side) of the tilt mechanism 25, and is an axis that serves as a reference for measuring the relative tilt angle q9t, perpendicular to the tilt shaft 38 and the central axis direction Yt of the bucket pin mounting portion. In this embodiment, the relative tilt angle q9t is defined as positive in the counterclockwise direction and negative in the clockwise direction when viewed from the operator side, i.e., from the rear. Tilt angle sensor 60 is, for example, an acceleration sensor such as an inertial measurement unit, and may be placed in any position as long as it can detect relative tilt angle q9t, but in the example shown, it is placed, for example, on the second portion 32 side of tilt mechanism 25, for example, inside second portion 32. Without being limited to this, tilt angle sensor 60 may be, for example, a general rotation angle sensor, or may be configured to detect relative tilt angle q9t by detecting the amount of extension / contraction of at least one of the tilt cylinders 33.

[0045] The swing angle sensor 61 is a sensor that detects the swing angle (rotation angle) q9r of the bucket 9. When viewed from the stick 8 side in the swing axis direction, the swing angle q9r is measured from a predetermined reference position, for example, a position where the back surface of the bucket 9 faces forward, and the counterclockwise direction is taken as positive and the clockwise direction is taken as negative. The swing angle sensor 61 is, for example, a rotation angle sensor (rotary encoder), and may be placed in any position as long as it can detect the swing angle q9r. In the illustrated example, the swing angle sensor 61 is placed on the second section 32 side of the tilt mechanism 25, for example, within the second section 32.

[0046] Additionally, the sensor unit 52 shown in Fig. 5 is equipped with a pressure sensor 63. The pressure sensor 63 detects, for example, pressure corresponding to the operation of the operation device 51, i.e., the movement of the boom 7, stick 8, and bucket 9 shown in Fig. 1, the rotation of the rotating body 3, and the like.

[0047] The controller 50 shown in FIG. 5 includes a machine guidance unit 65 that processes signals input from the sensor unit 52 and calculates information for automatic control, and a machine control unit (machine control unit) 66 that generates and outputs control signals based on the information calculated by the machine guidance unit 65.

[0048] The machine guidance unit 65 has a first residual calculation unit 68 and a second residual calculation unit 69. In addition, the machine guidance unit 65 may have a function of generating data for displaying various information for supporting the work of the operator on a display device such as a monitor provided inside the cab 6 (FIG. 1), for example, in accordance with the calculation results of the first residual calculation unit 68 and / or the second residual calculation unit 69.

[0049] First residual calculation unit 68 is a relative tilt angle residual calculation unit that calculates the angle deviation between the current angle of the cutting edge of bucket 9 and the angle of construction surface P in the tilt direction of bucket 9 by tilt mechanism 25, which is necessary to align the cutting edge of bucket 9 shown in FIG. 1 with construction surface P, i.e., the relative tilt angle residual.

[0050] 5 is a relative bucket angle residual calculation unit that calculates the angle deviation, i.e., residual, between the current angle of the cutting edge of the bucket 9 and the angle of the construction surface in the direction of rotation of the bucket 9 by the bucket cylinder 21, which is necessary to align the cutting edge of the bucket 9 shown in FIG. 1 with the construction surface.

[0051] Here, the following equations generally hold between the roll angle q3r of the machine body 4, pitch angle q3p of the machine body 4, relative boom angle q5, relative stick angle q7, relative bucket angle q8, relative tilt angle q9t, and swing angle q9r detected by sensor unit 52 and the angle q9w of the cutting edge of bucket 9, due to the constraint conditions of each part of work machine 1.

[0052] sin(q9w)=cos(q9r)*(cos(q9t)*sin(q3r)-sin(q5+q7+q8+q3p)*cos(q3r)*sin(q9t))+cos(q5+q7+q8+q3p)*cos(q3r)*sin(q9r)……(A) For this reason, first residual calculation unit 68 shown in FIG. 5 calculates the current relative tilt angle q9t of bucket 9 shown in FIG. 1, i.e., the angle of the cutting edge of bucket 9 in the tilt direction of bucket 9 by tilt mechanism 25, by solving the above equation (A) for relative tilt angle q9t. Similarly, assuming that the angle q9w of the cutting edge of bucket 9 is equal to the construction surface angle q9wT and the relative tilt angle q9t is equal to the target relative tilt angle q9tT, these are substituted into the above equation (A) and then the target relative tilt angle q9tT is solved, thereby calculating the difference between the calculated relative tilt angle q9t and the target relative tilt angle q9tT as the relative tilt angle residual in the tilt direction of bucket 9 by tilt mechanism 25.

[0053] Similarly, the second residual calculation unit 69 shown in FIG. 5 calculates the current relative bucket angle q8 of the bucket 9 shown in FIG. 1, i.e., the angle of the cutting edge of the bucket 9 in the direction of rotation of the bucket 9 by the bucket cylinder 21, by solving the above equation (A) for the relative bucket angle q8, and similarly, by assuming that the angle q9w of the cutting edge of the bucket 9 is equal to the construction surface angle q9wT and the relative bucket angle q8 is equal to the target relative bucket angle q8tT, these are substituted into the above equation (A) and then solved for the target relative bucket angle q8tT, the difference between the calculated relative bucket angle q8 and the target relative bucket angle q8tT is calculated as the relative bucket angle residual in the direction of rotation of the bucket 9 by the bucket cylinder 21.

[0054] Note that when the first residual calculation unit 68 and the second residual calculation unit 69 shown in FIG. 5 perform calculations, known specification values ​​of the working device 5 (FIG. 1) may be taken into consideration in advance.

[0055] The calculation results by the first residual calculation unit 68 and the second residual calculation unit 69 are output to a first angle control unit 70 and a second angle control unit 71 provided in the machine control unit 66 .

[0056] The first angle control unit 70 generates a signal for controlling a control valve 73 for the tilt cylinder 33 (FIG. 2) of the tilt mechanism 25 in accordance with the relative tilt angle residual calculated by the first residual calculation unit 68.

[0057] The second angle control unit 71 generates a signal for controlling the control valve 74 for the bucket cylinder 21 (FIG. 2) in accordance with the relative bucket angle residual calculated by the second residual calculation unit 69.

[0058] The signals output from first angle control unit 70 and second angle control unit 71 are input to control value calculation unit 75. Control value calculation unit 75 calculates the current values ​​to be output to control valves 73 and 74 in accordance with the signals generated by first angle control unit 70 and second angle control unit 71, and outputs control signals to control valves 73 and 74.

[0059] Furthermore, when the angle residual calculated by the first residual calculation unit 68 and / or the second residual calculation unit 69 is large, it is preferable to increase the flow rate of the main pump 45 to bring the angle residual closer to 0 as quickly as possible. Therefore, in this embodiment, the machine control unit 66 generates and outputs a control signal for the regulator 47 for the main pump 45. For example, the control value calculation unit 75 calculates the current value to be output to the regulator 47 in accordance with the current values ​​to be output to the control valves 73 and 74, and outputs the calculated value to the regulator 47.

[0060] The automatic control function of the controller 50 in this embodiment basically operates only when the work machine 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is operating, for example, when the rotating body 3 is rotating or when the boom 7 and / or stick 8 of the work implement 5 is operating, and does not operate when these are stopped.

[0061] Furthermore, when the bucket 9 is far away from the construction surface P, for example, when the cutting edge of the bucket 9 is located at a position higher than a predetermined height above the construction surface P, it is preferable that the controller 50 not activate the automatic control function in consideration of the operability of the work implement 5. Here, the height refers to, for example, the distance in the direction perpendicular to the construction surface P. This predetermined height may be input and set by the operator using input means such as a touch panel monitor.

[0062] The automatic control function may be arbitrarily switched by the operator as needed. For example, in this embodiment, a switch 77 is provided on the operating device 51, such as an operating lever, disposed inside the cab 6, and the automatic control function can be switched on and off by the switch 77.

[0063] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, when the cutting edge of bucket 9 is aligned with construction surface P, switch 77 is turned on, and controller 50 automatically controls the position of bucket 9 using tilt mechanism 25 and / or bucket cylinder 21, thereby assisting the work.

[0065] 8, controller 50 determines whether switch 77 is on. If it is determined in step S1 that switch 77 is not on (NO in step S1), automatic control is not performed and control is terminated, and step S1 is repeated. If it is determined in step S1 that switch 77 is on (YES in step S1), controller 50 calculates target relative tilt angle q9tT in first residual calculation unit 68 in step S2.

[0066] Subsequently, in step S3, the controller 50 determines whether the height of the cutting edge of the bucket 9 relative to the construction surface P is within a predetermined height.

[0067] If it is determined in step S3 that the height of the cutting edge of bucket 9 is not within a predetermined height range relative to construction surface P (NO in step S3), automatic control is not performed and control is terminated, and the process proceeds to step S1. If it is determined in step S3 that the height of the cutting edge of bucket 9 is within a predetermined height range relative to construction surface P (YES in step S3), in step S4, controller 50 causes first residual calculation unit 68 to calculate the current relative tilt angle q9t and determine whether this relative tilt angle q9t is equal to target relative tilt angle q9tT, i.e., whether the relative tilt angle residual is substantially 0.

[0068] In step S4, if it is determined that the relative tilt angle q9t is equal to the target relative tilt angle q9tT (YES in step S4), it is determined that the cutting edge of the bucket 9 is parallel to the construction surface P, and the control is terminated without performing automatic control, and the process proceeds to step S1.

[0069] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S4 that the relative tilt angle q9t is not equal to the target relative tilt angle q9tT (NO in step S4), then in step S5, the controller 50 determines in the first residual calculation unit 68 whether the target relative tilt angle q9tT is within the tiltable angle range of the bucket 9 by the tilt mechanism 25.

[0070] If it is determined in step S5 that the target relative tilt angle q9tT is within the tilt angle range (YES in step S5), then in step S6, the controller 50 determines, based on the output of the pressure sensor 63 etc., whether at least one of operation of the boom 7, operation of the stick 8, and / or rotation operation of the rotating body 3 is being performed.

[0071] If it is determined in step S6 that no operation is being performed (NO in step S6), it is determined that the work machine 1 is not working, and the control is terminated without performing automatic control, and the process proceeds to step S1. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S6 that an operation is being performed (YES in step S6), in step S7, controller 50 causes first angle control unit 70 to generate a control signal for control valve 73 for tilt cylinder 33 of tilt mechanism 25 in accordance with the relative tilt angle residual calculated by first residual calculation unit 68, and in accordance with that signal, control value calculation unit 75 calculates a current value to be output to control valve 73, generates and outputs the control signal, thereby automatically controlling the tilt angle by extending and retracting tilt cylinder 33 via control valve 73 until the current relative tilt angle q9t becomes target relative tilt angle q9tT, that is, until the relative tilt angle residual becomes substantially 0, and automatically aligns the angle of the cutting edge of bucket 9 parallel or approximately parallel to construction surface P. At the same time, the control value calculation unit 75 may calculate the current value to be output to the regulator 47 in accordance with the control signal of the control valve 73, generate and output the control signal, and thereby increase the discharge flow rate of the hydraulic oil from the main pump 45 and accelerate the extension and retraction of the tilt cylinder 33. Then, proceed to step S1.

[0072] Furthermore, in step S5, if it is determined that the target relative tilt angle q9tT is not within the tiltable angle range (NO in step S5), it is determined that the tilt angle control at this time cannot physically reduce the relative tilt angle residual to substantially 0 (the tilt mechanism 25 cannot align the angle of the cutting edge of the bucket 9 with the angle of the construction surface P), and the process moves on to the control of the rotation angle of the bucket 9, i.e., the bucket angle, which will be described below.

[0073] In step S8, the second residual calculation unit 69 of the controller 50 calculates the target relative bucket angle q8tT.

[0074] Subsequently, in step S9, the controller 50 causes the second residual calculation unit 69 to calculate the current relative bucket angle q8, and determines whether or not this relative bucket angle q8 is equal to the target relative bucket angle q8tT, that is, whether or not the relative bucket angle residual is 0.

[0075] In step S9, if it is determined that the relative bucket angle q8 is equal to the target relative bucket angle q8tT (YES in step S9), it is determined that the cutting edge of the bucket 9 is parallel to the construction surface P, and the control is terminated without performing automatic control, and the process proceeds to step S1.

[0076] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S9 that the relative bucket angle q8 is not equal to the target relative bucket angle q8tT (NO in step S9), then in step S10, the controller 50 determines in the second residual calculation unit 69 whether or not the target relative bucket angle q8tT is within the range of angles within which the bucket 9 can be rotated by the bucket cylinder 21.

[0077] If it is determined in step S10 that the target relative bucket angle q8tT is within the rotation angle range (YES in step S10), then in step S11, the controller 50 determines, based on the output of the pressure sensor 63 and the like, whether or not at least one of operation of the boom 7, operation of the stick 8, and / or rotation operation of the rotating body 3 is being performed.

[0078] If it is determined in step S11 that no operation is being performed (NO in step S11), it is determined that the work machine 1 is not working, and the control is terminated without performing automatic control, and the process proceeds to step S1. Also, if it is determined in step S11 that an operation is being performed (YES in step S11), in step S12, the controller 50 causes the second angle control unit 71 to generate a signal for controlling the control valve 74 for the bucket cylinder 21 in accordance with the relative tilt angle residual calculated by the second residual calculation unit 69, and in accordance with that signal, the control value calculation unit 75 calculates a current value to be output to the control valve 74, generates and outputs the control signal, thereby automatically controlling the rotation angle by extending and retracting the bucket cylinder 21 via the control valve 74 until the current relative bucket angle q8 becomes the target relative bucket angle q8tT, that is, until the relative bucket angle residual becomes substantially 0, and automatically aligns the angle of the cutting edge of the bucket 9 parallel or approximately parallel to the construction surface P. At the same time, the control value calculation unit 75 may calculate the current value to be output to the regulator 47 in accordance with the control signal of the control valve 74, generate and output the control signal, and thereby increase the discharge flow rate of the hydraulic oil from the main pump 45 and accelerate the extension / contraction speed of the bucket cylinder 21. After that, the process proceeds to step S1.

[0079] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S10 that the target relative bucket angle q8tT is not within the range of possible rotation angles (NO in step S10), it is determined that the relative bucket angle residual cannot be physically reduced to substantially zero using bucket angle control at this time (the bucket cylinder 21 cannot match the angle of the cutting edge of the bucket 9 to the angle of the construction surface P), and in step S13, the controller 50 determines, based on the output of the pressure sensor 63 and the like, whether at least one of operation of the boom 7, operation of the stick 8, and / or rotation operation of the rotating body 3 is being performed.

[0080] In step S13, if it is determined that no operation is being performed (NO in step S13), it is determined that the work machine 1 is not working, and the control is terminated without performing automatic control, and the process proceeds to step S1. Furthermore, if it is determined in step S13 that an operation is being performed (YES in step S13), then in step S14, controller 50 changes target relative tilt angle q9tT to the maximum (maximum in the positive direction) or minimum (maximum in the negative direction) relative tilt angle that can be tilted by tilt mechanism 25, and first angle control unit 70 generates a signal for controlling control valve 73 for tilt cylinder 33 of tilt mechanism 25 in accordance with the relative tilt angle residual calculated by first residual calculation unit 68, and in accordance with that signal, control value calculation unit 75 calculates the current value to be output to control valve 73 and generates and outputs the control signal for that current control, thereby automatically controlling the tilt angle by extending and retracting tilt cylinder 33 via control valve 73 until the current relative tilt angle q9t becomes target relative tilt angle q9tT (= maximum or minimum relative tilt angle), and automatically tilts bucket 9 to the end of the tiltable angle range, bringing the angle of the cutting edge closer to the angle of construction surface P. That is, in this embodiment, if the angle of the cutting edge of the bucket 9 cannot be made parallel or approximately parallel to the angle of the construction surface P using either the tilt mechanism 25 or the bucket cylinder 21, the angle of the cutting edge of the bucket 9 is brought as close as physically possible to the angle of the construction surface P so that the angle of the cutting edge of the bucket 9 is made parallel or approximately parallel to the angle of the construction surface P by repeating the subsequent automatic control flow. At the same time, the control value calculation unit 75 may calculate the current value to be output to the regulator 47 in accordance with the control signal of the control valve 73, generate and output that control signal, and thereby increase the discharge flow rate of hydraulic oil from the main pump 45 and accelerate the extension and retraction of the tilt cylinder 33. After this, the process proceeds to step S1.

[0081] In this embodiment, the calculation cycle in the controller 50 is, for example, 0.01 seconds. Therefore, if the process ends without automatic control occurring, the next automatic control flow is executed again in 0.01 seconds. Furthermore, if automatic control occurs, the next calculation cycle starts after that series of controls, i.e., the operation of the tilt cylinder 33 or bucket cylinder 21, is completed (the cylinders 33, 21 operate for 0.01 seconds or more until the control is completed).

[0082] Thus, in a work machine 1 equipped with tiltrotator 10, tilt axis 38 of tilt mechanism 25 is independent of the swing angle of bucket 9 caused by swing mechanism 26 and maintains a direction intersecting or perpendicular to the width direction of arm 8, so tilt rotation of bucket 9 caused by tilt mechanism 25 basically results in tilting in the left-right direction, and does not result in rotation in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, for example, when bucket 9 is rotated by swing mechanism 26 to a position facing straight sideways, such as by 90° or 270° (-90°), and the cutting edge of bucket 9 is aligned in the front-to-back direction, if the cutting edge of bucket 9 is inclined in the front-to-back direction with respect to construction surface P, it is difficult to align the cutting edge of bucket 9 with construction surface P by operating tilt mechanism 25 alone.

[0083] Therefore, in the present embodiment, controller 50 controls at least one of the tilt angle of bucket 9 by tilt mechanism 25 and the rotation angle of bucket 9 by bucket cylinder 21 so as to reduce the angle residual between the angle of the cutting edge of bucket 9 calculated based on detection by sensor unit 52 and the angle of construction surface P that was input in advance.By doing so, in a work machine 1 in which the angle of bucket 9 can be changed by tilt mechanism 25 and swivel mechanism 26 of bucket 9, even if it is difficult to align the cutting edge of bucket 9 with construction surface P, it becomes possible to align the cutting edge of bucket 9 with construction surface P by automatically moving bucket 9 by at least one of tilt mechanism 25 and bucket cylinder 21.

[0084] In this embodiment, the controller 50 repeatedly selectively controls the tilt angle of the bucket 9 by the tilt mechanism 25 and the rotation angle of the bucket 9 by the bucket cylinder 21 until the angle residual between the angle of the cutting edge of the bucket 9 and the angle of the construction surface P that was input in advance becomes substantially zero.By selectively combining the tilt operation by the tilt mechanism 25 and the rotation operation by the bucket cylinder 21, which operate in different directions, the cutting edge of the bucket 9 can be aligned with high precision along the construction surface P.

[0085] In the illustrated example, when the target relative tilt angle calculated based on the angle residual is not within the tiltable angle range of the bucket 9 by the tilt mechanism 25, the controller 50 determines whether or not to control the rotation angle of the bucket 9 by the bucket cylinder 21, thereby giving priority to the tilt operation of the bucket 9 by the tilt mechanism 25 over the rotation operation of the bucket 9 by the bucket cylinder 21. Typically, when an operator aligns the cutting edge of the bucket 9 with the construction surface, the operator often operates the tilt mechanism 25 first, so by giving priority to the tilt operation by the tilt mechanism 25, the cutting edge of the bucket 9 can be aligned with the construction surface P more efficiently.

[0086] Furthermore, if the target relative bucket angle calculated based on the angle residual is not within the range of angles at which bucket 9 can be rotated by bucket cylinder 21, that is, if the angle residual is large and it is difficult to align the cutting edge of bucket 9 with construction surface P using either tilt mechanism 25 or bucket cylinder 21, controller 50 tilts bucket 9 to the end of the tiltable angle range using tilt mechanism 25, and uses the tilt function of tilt mechanism 25 to bring the angle of the cutting edge of bucket 9 as close as possible to the angle of construction surface P, thereby making it possible to gradually bring the angle of the cutting edge of bucket 9 closer to the angle of the construction surface by repeating the automatic control flow.

[0087] Furthermore, when the controller 50 extends or retracts the tilt cylinder 33 or bucket cylinder 21 of the tilt mechanism 25 during automatic control, it increases the flow rate of the main pump 45, thereby quickly bringing the angle residual closer to zero and aligning the cutting edge of the bucket 9 with the construction surface P.

[0088] Furthermore, by incorporating such a controller 50 or work support device (work support program) into the work machine 1, it is possible to easily perform tasks such as excavating and shaping slopes (inclined surfaces), which generally require skill by aligning the cutting edge of the bucket 9 along the construction surface P, thereby providing a work machine 1 that is easy to work with and convenient for the operator.

[0089] In the above embodiment, priority is given to the tilting operation of the bucket 9 by the tilt mechanism 25 in the automatic control of the controller 50, but this is not limiting, and priority may be given to the rotational operation of the bucket 9 by the bucket cylinder 21. [Industrial Applicability]

[0090] The present invention has industrial applicability to businesses involved in the manufacturing and sales of work machines such as hydraulic excavators and their work support devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1. Work machinery 4 aircraft 5. Work equipment 9 Buckets 21 Bucket cylinder as an actuator 25 Tilt mechanism 26 Swivel mechanism 50 Controller as a control unit 52 Sensor section P construction side

Claims

1. A work support device for automatically controlling the position of a bucket is used on a work machine that is equipped with a work device having a machine body, a bucket, and an actuator that rotates the bucket, and a sensor unit for detecting attitude, and the work device is equipped with a tilt mechanism that supports the bucket so that it can swing in a direction intersecting the rotation direction, and a swing mechanism that supports the bucket so that it can rotate relative to the tilt mechanism, A control unit is provided that controls at least one of the tilt angle of the bucket by the tilt mechanism and the rotation angle of the bucket by the actuator so as to reduce the angle residual between the angle of the bucket cutting edge calculated based on the detection by the sensor unit and the angle of the construction surface input in advance. A work support device characterized by:

2. The control unit repeats selective control of the tilt angle of the bucket by the tilt mechanism and the rotation angle of the bucket by the actuator until the angle residual between the angle of the bucket cutting edge and the angle of the construction surface input in advance becomes substantially zero.

2. The work support device according to claim 1.

3. The control unit determines whether or not the actuator can control the bucket rotation angle when the target relative tilt angle calculated based on the angle residual is not within the range of tilt angles of the bucket that can be achieved by the tilt mechanism.

2. The work support device according to claim 1.

4. The control unit tilts the bucket to the end of the tiltable angle range by the tilt mechanism when the target relative bucket angle calculated based on the angle residual is not within the range of angles at which the bucket can be rotated by the actuator.

4. The work support device according to claim 3.

5. The aircraft and a working device to which a tilt mechanism having a bucket and an actuator for rotating the bucket, the tilt mechanism supporting the bucket so that the bucket can swing in a direction intersecting the rotation direction, and a swing mechanism supporting the bucket so that the bucket can be swiveled relative to the tilt mechanism can be attached; a sensor unit for detecting an attitude; A work support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4; A work machine comprising:

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