Safety support system
The safety support system for cranes addresses stability challenges by using a portable terminal with real-time warnings and displays to prevent tipping over, enhancing operational safety.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024023015
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-02-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-29
AI Technical Summary
Operators of cranes, especially crawler cranes, face challenges in maintaining stability due to difficulty in leveling and potential ground slope issues, leading to risks of tipping over, which existing systems like Patent Document 1 do not adequately address.
A safety support system comprising a portable terminal with a display and sound output unit, a monitoring unit, and a posture detection unit that provides real-time warnings and displays the crane's posture, detecting the risk of tipping over and adjusting warnings based on the crane's posture and ground conditions.
The system enhances operational safety by providing real-time warnings and displays, allowing operators to perform tasks safely without relying on intuition, reducing the risk of crane tipping over.
Smart Images

Figure 2025126667000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a safety support system for a work machine. [Background technology]
[0002] The operator operating the crane from the cab is unable to objectively observe the crane and its suspended load from its surroundings. In particular, if the operator has low skill level, he or she will not be able to operate the crane to the desired attitude, and will not be able to position the suspended load at the desired position (Patent Document 1).
[0003] Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, Patent Document 1 discloses a crane operation support device that uses three-dimensional computer graphics to support the operation of a crane that suspends a load, and that includes: attitude measurement means that is provided on the movable part of the crane and measures the attitude of the movable part; height measurement means that is provided on the hook block of the crane and measures the height of the hook block; crane model placement means that places a movable part model of the crane model in a virtual three-dimensional space based on the measurement results of the attitude measurement means, and places a hook block model of the crane model in the three-dimensional space based on the measurement results of the attitude measurement means and the measurement results of the height measurement means; load model placement means that places a load model in the three-dimensional space based on the measurement results of the attitude measurement means and the measurement results of the height measurement means; and drawing means that performs a drawing process for the movable part model, hook block model, and load model in the three-dimensional space and displays the movable part model, hook block model, and load model on a display device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-059593 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] Incidentally, for example, cranes and the like are generally set up in a horizontal position when working, but in the case of crawler cranes and the like, they are quite heavy, so it is difficult to make them horizontal using outriggers or the like.
[0006] Therefore, to avoid tipping, it is necessary to pay attention not only to the tilt angle of the boom and the weight of the suspended load, but also to the tilt of the crane itself.
[0007] Furthermore, in the case of crawler cranes, etc., they may move during operation, so care must be taken to ensure that the slope of the running surface is not overturned.
[0008] However, it is not uncommon for workers to arrive at the work site only to discover that the ground at the work site is sloped. For this reason, even if a crane is selected in the planning stage so that the load of the lifted load is sufficiently smaller than the rated load, workers are forced to always work with caution, keeping in mind the risk of tipping over.
[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a safety support system that supports safe operation of a work machine, such as a crane, that is at risk of tipping over. [Means for solving the problem]
[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is realized by the following configuration. The safety support system of the present invention is a safety support system for a work machine, the safety support system comprising the work machine, a portable terminal having a display unit and a sound output unit, a monitoring unit that monitors the risk of the work machine tipping over, and a posture detection unit that detects the posture of the work machine, the work machine comprising a main body unit that can move, and an operating unit that is arranged to be able to rise and fall relative to the main body unit and is able to extend to the outside of the main body unit, the monitoring unit issues a warning to the portable terminal in accordance with the warning, and the portable terminal outputs and displays a warning sound in accordance with the warning, while displaying the posture of the work machine regardless of whether the warning is issued or not. [Effects of the Invention]
[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a safety support system that supports safe operation of a work machine such as a crane that is at risk of tipping over. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a safety support system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a mobile terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining a display on a display unit of the mobile terminal in a normal state according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining a display on a display unit of the mobile terminal when a warning is received in the first embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining calculations performed by a monitoring unit of the first embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram for explaining a change in the tipping condition when the crane tilts forward from the state shown in FIG. 5 due to the inclination of the ground. FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart for explaining processing mainly performed by a monitoring unit in the first embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart for explaining processing mainly performed by a monitoring unit in a second embodiment according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as an "embodiment") will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the same elements are denoted by the same numbers or symbols throughout the description of the embodiments.
[0014] "First embodiment" A safety support system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a safety support system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the working machine is a crawler type crane 2 used for construction or the like, but it is not limited to this.
[0016] For example, with wheeled cranes and aerial work platforms, work is carried out while maintaining a level position using outriggers, etc., but the safety support system 1 is useful when this is not possible or when there is a need to increase safety even further.
[0017] However, it goes without saying that the safety support system 1 is more useful for crawler-type cranes 2, which are difficult to level using outriggers and which often require movement during operation.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the safety support system 1 of this embodiment includes a crane 2 as a work machine, a mobile terminal 3 having a display unit 34 and a sound output unit (not shown), an edge terminal 4 that performs control functions such as a monitoring unit that monitors the risk of the crane 2 as a work machine tipping over, an attitude detection unit (not shown) that detects the attitude (e.g., tilt angle) of the crane 2 as a work machine, and a remote terminal 5 having a display unit 51 and a sound output unit. In this embodiment, the edge terminal 4 is installed on the crane 2, as will be described later.
[0019] The edge terminal 4, the mobile terminal 3, and the remote terminal 5 installed on the crane 2 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via the Internet IN. Furthermore, the remote terminal 5 may be capable of communicating with the edge terminal 4 installed on the crane 2 and the mobile terminal 3 via a cloud provided on the Internet.
[0020] In this embodiment, the edge terminal 4 is responsible for communication with the crane 2, so when communication with the crane 2 is simply described, it may be understood to mean communication with the edge terminal 4.
[0021] In this embodiment, direct communication (wireless communication, wired communication, etc.) is also possible between the crane 2 and the mobile terminal 3.
[0022] Furthermore, as will be described in detail later, the safety support system 1 of this embodiment also includes measuring instruments etc. installed on the crane 2 for detecting the operation of the crane 2, and the detection results detected by these measuring instruments etc. are sent to the edge terminal 4.
[0023] [Work machinery] The crane 2 as a work machine includes a travellable main body 21 and an operating part 22 that is provided so as to be able to rise and fall relative to the main body 21 and that can extend to the outside of the main body 21.
[0024] The main body 21 includes a crawler-type running body 21A and a rotating body 21B that is rotatably provided on the running body 21A via a rotating part and has a driver's cab and the like.
[0025] The operating unit 22 is a part that is driven to transport materials, etc., and is equipped with an arm 22A whose base end is connected to the rotating body 21B so that it can be raised and lowered, and a hook 22B that is attached to the tip of the arm 22A so that it can move up and down.
[0026] In this embodiment, the arm portion 22A is shown as being only a boom whose base end is connected to the rotating body 21B so that it can be raised and lowered, but the arm portion 22A may also be provided with a jib whose base end is connected to the tip of the boom so that it can be raised and lowered.
[0027] The main body 21 is provided with a winch (not shown) at the rear of the revolving body 21B for winding up and down the wire rope 23. The rear of the rotating body 21B refers to the side opposite the arm 22A across the rotation center CR, which is the center of rotation of the rotating body 21B, and conversely, the arm 22A side is the front of the rotating body 21B, and the same applies below.
[0028] By operating the winch, the hook portion 22B moves up and down based on the tip of the arm portion 22A, and a suspended load BM such as construction materials is lifted.
[0029] [Mobile device 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 3 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The mobile terminal 3 is a so-called tablet terminal used by an operator who operates the crane 2, and can be brought into the operator's cab or the like.
[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile terminal 3 includes a CPU 31, a RAM 32, a ROM 33, a display unit 34, a communication unit 35, and a sound output unit 36, which are connected so as to be accessible via a bus 37. Instead of the CPU 31, the RAM 32, and the ROM 33, an integrated circuit or the like may be used.
[0031] (CPU31) The CPU 31 is a central processing unit that loads a program stored in the ROM 33 into the RAM 32 and controls various controls and arithmetic processes in accordance with the program.
[0032] (RAM32) The RAM 32 is a volatile memory that temporarily stores various data, calculation results by the CPU 31, and the like.
[0033] (ROM33) The ROM 33 is a non-volatile memory that stores programs and the like (for example, applications and the like corresponding to the safety support system 1 of this embodiment).
[0034] (Display section 34) The display unit 34 is a touch panel type display device that can be operated by touch, and displays information about the working status of the crane 2 in real time. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the display of the display unit 34 of the mobile terminal 3 in normal operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the display unit 34 normally displays information about the working state of the crane 2 that is useful to the operator operating the crane 2.
[0035] For example, the display unit 34 displays in real time the crane inclination, which is the inclination angle of the crane 2, the lifting load, which is the weight W3 of the load BM, the current working radius, which is the horizontal distance from the current rotation center CR of the crane 2 to the hook portion 22B, and the lifting capacity, which is the ratio of the current weight W3 of the load BM to the maximum lifting load W3 (MAX), which is the maximum weight of the load that can be lifted without tipping over. The horizontal distance is the distance when projected onto a horizontal plane looking down from above in the vertical direction without taking into account the difference in vertical position, and the same applies hereinafter.
[0036] Furthermore, as will be explained in detail later, when the display unit 34 receives a warning from the monitoring unit according to the danger, it displays a message according to the warning. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the display on the display unit 34 of the mobile terminal 3 when a warning is received in the first embodiment according to the present invention.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 4, when the display unit 34 receives a warning, it displays a warning in accordance with the warning. In this embodiment, when the warning is a warning to call attention (also called a caution warning), the display unit 34 displays, for example, a slow-blinking Patrol Light (registered trademark). Furthermore, in the display unit 34, when the lifting capacity exceeds the caution warning threshold (for example, 90%), the display of the lifting capacity is emphasized so that it is easily recognized, in conjunction with the caution warning.
[0038] As will be explained later, if the received warning indicates an extremely dangerous situation, that is, if the received warning is an immediate danger warning (also called an immediate danger warning), the display unit 34 will display a rapidly flashing patrol light (registered trademark). However, as in this embodiment, it is not necessary to be limited to expressing differences in warning states such as caution warning and immediate danger warning by the blinking speed, and differences in warning states may also be expressed by different colors.
[0039] As can be seen by comparing Figures 3 and 4, the crane tilt and lifting load are the same, but the current working radius has changed from 30m to 50m, and as a result, the lifting capacity has decreased from 70% to 92%, which is close to the allowable limit of 100%.
[0040] In other words, as a result of the operation being performed in the direction of tilting the arm 22A of the crane 2, the maximum lifting load W3 (MAX) that can be lifted without tipping over decreases, and the lifting capacity exceeds the caution warning threshold.
[0041] In this embodiment, the display is performed in real time, so the operator can see the change in the lifting capacity as well as the change in the current working radius as he operates the arm 22A of the crane 2 in the direction of tilting. This allows safe work to be carried out without relying on intuition or experience. Furthermore, it also displays warnings at times when more careful operation is required, helping to prevent careless mistakes.
[0042] As can be seen from Figures 3 and 4, the display unit 34 displays information regarding the working status, such as the tilt angle of the crane 2, which is the attitude of the work machine, the lifting load, the current working radius, and the lifting capacity, regardless of whether or not an alert is received (i.e., whether or not an alert is sent from the monitoring unit, which will be described later).
[0043] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, when a warning display is made, a warning sound stop button 341 for stopping the warning sound is also displayed on the display unit 34, and when the warning sound stop button 341 is touched with a finger, the warning sound output by the sound output unit 36, which will be described later, is stopped. The warning display on the display unit 34 is reset and returns to the normal display state when a warning reset is received from the monitoring unit, which will be described later. This reset also unblocks the warning sound and returns to normal.
[0044] On the other hand, although not shown in the drawings, the display unit 34 is also configured to display an input screen for inputting basic information about the crane 2 by the operator's touch operation on the display unit 34 or the like.
[0045] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the calculations performed by the monitoring unit (described later) of the first embodiment according to the present invention, and the basic information of the crane 2 input by the operator will be explained using the description of FIG. The details of the calculation process performed by the monitoring unit with reference to FIG. 5 will be described separately later.
[0046] The basic information of the crane 2 that is input includes, for example, the model of the crane 2 shown in FIG. 5, the configuration of the arm portion 22A (boom length 2L and weight W2), the weight w of the hook portion 22B including the load detection unit (not shown) described later, and the weight WC of the counterweight (not shown). In this embodiment, the arm 22A is shown as being only a boom, but if it is also equipped with a jib, the length and weight of the jib are also included in the basic information to be input.
[0047] This input basic information of the crane 2 is transmitted from the communication unit 35 (described later) to the edge terminal 4 (described later), and the edge terminal 4 acquires (receives) the basic information of the crane 2.
[0048] The model of the crane 2 included in the basic information is information indicating the type of the main body 21, and the model is linked to information such as the allowable inclination angle information that is permissible when traveling, horizontal distance d, horizontal distance D1, horizontal distance DC, and weight W that is appropriate for that model.
[0049] Then, when the edge terminal 4 receives the basic information of the crane 2, the edge terminal 4 acquires information linked to the model of the crane 2 based on the model included in the basic information of the crane 2. Next, the information associated with this model will be explained in more detail.
[0050] <Information on allowable driving incline angle> The allowable traveling inclination angle information is information from a traveling inclination angle list provided by manufacturers for each model, which shows the relationship between the inclination angle of the arm 22A relative to the rotating body 21B, the length of the arm 22A, and the allowable ground inclination angle when traveling on a slope (the inclination angle allowable for the crane 2 when traveling). The allowable ground inclination angle when driving on a slope is sometimes referred to as the allowable driving angle, and a list of driving inclination angles provided by manufacturers, etc., converted into data, is sometimes referred to as the allowable driving angle table.
[0051] For example, the travel incline angle list provided by manufacturers is a table for each travel direction on the slope (uphill, downhill, and lateral direction across the slope, etc.), and the travel allowance angle table is also digitized for each travel direction.
[0052] Therefore, if the inclination angle of the arm 22A relative to the rotating body 21B of the crane 2, the length of the arm 22A, and the traveling direction are known, the inclination angle of the ground at which there is a risk of tipping (i.e., the tilt angle of the crane 2) can be obtained by referring to the allowable traveling angle table.
[0053] <Horizontal distance d> As shown in FIG. 5, horizontal distance d is the horizontal distance from the rotation center CR of rotating body 21B to the base end of arm 22A (see position RT of the rotation axis of arm 22A) connected to rotating body 21B so as to be able to rise and fall. The horizontal distance d is the horizontal distance when the crane 2 is installed horizontally, that is, when the crane 2 is installed horizontally (also referred to as the horizontal installation distance).
[0054] <Horizontal distance D1> The horizontal distance D1 is the horizontal installation distance from the tipping fulcrum F to the center of gravity G1 of the main body 21 according to the rotation angle of the rotating body 21B. Although details will be described later, tipping fulcrum F is a position that serves as a fulcrum when crane 2 tips over, and the same applies hereinafter.
[0055] <Horizontal distance DC> The horizontal distance DC is the horizontal installation distance from the tipping fulcrum F according to the rotation angle of the rotating body 21B to the base end of the arm 22A (see the position RT of the rotation axis of the arm 22A) connected to the rotating body 21B so that it can be raised and lowered.
[0056] <Weight W> The weight W is the weight of the main body 21 excluding the weight CW of the counterweight (not shown).
[0057] In this embodiment, the information linked to the model as described above is stored in advance in the edge terminal 4 for each model. Therefore, when the edge terminal 4 receives the basic information of the crane 2, the edge terminal 4 also recognizes (acquires) information linked to the model of the current crane 2.
[0058] However, it is not necessary to be limited to storing information linked to the model in advance in the edge terminal 4. For example, a cloud server or the like may be set up to provide information linked to the model, and when the edge terminal 4 receives the basic information of the crane 2, the edge terminal 4 may access the cloud server or the like via the Internet IN and obtain the information.
[0059] (Communications Department 35) The communication unit 35 is a wireless communication interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the outside. For example, the communication unit 35 communicates with the edge terminal 4 and the remote terminal 5 installed on the crane 2 via the Internet IN. As mentioned above, the communication unit 35 can also communicate directly with the edge terminal 4 installed on the crane 2 without going through the Internet IN.
[0060] The communication unit 35 then receives various data (caution warnings, immediate danger warnings, the tilt angle of the crane 2, the lifting load, the current working radius, and the lifting capacity, etc.) from the monitoring unit, which is a functional configuration realized as the operation of software on the edge terminal 4 installed on the crane 2.
[0061] Furthermore, the communication unit 35 transmits the basic information of the crane 2 input by the operator's touch operation as described above to the edge terminal 4 installed on the crane 2.
[0062] (Sound output unit 36) The sound output unit 36 is a speaker or the like that is capable of outputting sound, and as mentioned above, when it receives a warning from the monitoring unit in response to a danger, it outputs a warning sound in accordance with that warning. For example, if the warning is a caution warning, a preset warning sound for calling attention is output, and if the warning is an immediate danger warning, a preset warning sound for notifying the immediate danger is output.
[0063] [Edge terminal 4] The edge terminal 4 is, for example, a control PC that is retrofitted into the cab of the revolving body 21B, and since the hardware configuration is almost the same as that of the mobile terminal 3 described with reference to Figure 2, a description of the hardware configuration will be omitted.
[0064] In addition, like the mobile terminal 3, the edge terminal 4 also has a communication unit (not shown), and the communication unit (not shown) of the edge terminal 4 functions as a communication interface for communicating with measuring equipment, etc. for detecting the operation of the crane 2, which will be described later, communicating with an attitude detection unit (not shown), which will be described later, and communicating with the mobile terminal 3 described above and the remote terminal 5, etc., which will be described later, via the Internet IN. Furthermore, a communication unit (not shown) of the edge terminal 4 also functions as a communication interface that handles direct communication with the mobile terminal 3, etc.
[0065] Then, by running software for the safety support system 1 on the edge terminal 4, functional components are realized, for example, a monitoring unit that monitors the risk of tipping over of the crane 2 as a work machine, and a rotation angle acquisition unit that detects the rotation angle of the rotating body 21B based on the detection results of the position and orientation detection device described below. The monitoring unit, the rotation angle acquisition unit, and the like are functional components of the edge terminal 4, and are therefore provided in the rotating body 21B where the edge terminal 4 is located.
[0066] (Monitoring Department) The monitoring unit is a functional component that performs various calculations and judgments to monitor the risk of the crane 2 tipping over. To make the following explanation easier to understand, we will mainly explain the calculation content with reference to Figure 5.
[0067] As explained above, FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the calculations performed by the monitoring unit of the first embodiment according to the present invention, and basically corresponds to FIG. 1, but some parts have been omitted in consideration of ease of viewing the diagram.
[0068] Explanation of symbols and the like that appeared in the previous explanation with reference to FIG. 5 will be omitted as much as possible, and only symbols that have not appeared will be explained. Weight W1 is the weight of the main body 21 including the counterweight (not shown), and weight W3 is the weight of the suspended load BM.
[0069] As mentioned above, the weight w is the weight of the hook portion 22B including the load detection portion (not shown), which is, for example, a load cell that is later attached to the hook portion 22B in a detachable manner.
[0070] The weight W3 of the suspended load BM detected by this load cell is transmitted in real time to the mobile terminal 3 via a communication unit (not shown) of the edge terminal 4, and is displayed in real time as the suspended load on the display unit 34 of the mobile terminal 3.
[0071] In this embodiment, the load cell serving as the load detection unit is installed between the hook portion 22B and the suspended load BM, but may be installed between the hook portion 22B and the wire rope 23.
[0072] The center of gravity G2 is the center of gravity of the arm 22A (the boom in this example), and the position P1 is the position at the tip of the arm 22A (the boom in this example) where the weight W3 of the suspended load BM is applied. Furthermore, horizontal distance D2 is the horizontal installation distance from the tipping fulcrum F to the center of gravity G2, and horizontal distance D3 is the horizontal installation distance from the tipping fulcrum F to the position P1 where the weight W3 of the load BM at the tip of the arm 22A (in this example, the boom) is applied.
[0073] If the angle of the straight line connecting the base end of arm 22A (see position RT of the rotation axis of arm 22A) and position P1 at the tip of arm 22A (boom in this example) where weight W3 of load BM is applied relative to the horizontal line is θ1, horizontal distance D2 can be calculated using the following formula (1), as shown in the lower right of Figure 5. D2=L×cosθ1-DC (1)
[0074] Similarly, the horizontal distance D3 is calculated by the following formula (2), as shown in the lower right of FIG. D3=2L×cosθ1-DC (2)
[0075] The safety moment SM acting on the main body 21 side to prevent tipping over is calculated by the following formula (3), as shown in the upper left of FIG. SM=W1×D1 (3)
[0076] Furthermore, the overturning moment FM acting on the side of the suspended load BM, which is the overturning side, can be calculated using the following formula (4), as shown in the upper left of Figure 5. FM=W2×D2+(W3+w)×D3 (4)
[0077] When the safety moment SM is greater than the tipping moment FM, the vehicle will not tip over. Conversely, when the tipping moment FM is greater than the safety moment SM (see the tipping condition in the upper right of Figure 5), the vehicle will tip over.
[0078] In other words, the boundary as to whether the crane 2 will tip over or not is when the safety moment SM and the tipping moment FM are equal.
[0079] Therefore, the maximum lifting load W3(MAX), which is the load of the lifting load BM at which the safety moment SM and the overturning moment FM are equal, can be calculated from equations (3) and (4) using the following equation (5). W3(MAX)=[W1×D1-(W2×D2+w×D3)] / D3...(5)
[0080] As described above, it is possible to determine the tipping conditions of the crane 2 and the maximum lifting load W3(MAX).
[0081] On the other hand, even if the weights (W1, W2, and W3) and the angle of the arm 22A relative to the main body 21 do not change, that is, even if the state of the crane 2 itself does not change, it is possible to similarly determine what will happen if the contact surface is inclined and the crane 2 itself tilts.
[0082] Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining the change in tipping conditions when the crane 2 tilts forward from the state shown in Figure 5 due to the inclination of the ground. Specifically, we will also look at the case where only the inclination angle of the crane 2 itself changes due to the inclination of the ground surface, with reference to Figure 6. In FIG. 6, some of the descriptions (including symbols, numbers, etc.) have been omitted to make the drawing easier to read.
[0083] The crane 2 on the lower side of Figure 6 remains in the state of the crane 2 in Figure 5, while the crane 2 on the upper side shows a state in which the crane 2 itself is tilted forward (towards the arm 22A) due to the slope of the ground.
[0084] The upper and lower cranes 2 shown in Figure 6 are arranged so that the tipping fulcrum F (see Figure 5) is at the same position, and the horizontal distances on the upper side corresponding to the horizontal distances D1, D2, and D3 of the lower crane 2 are shown as D1', D2', and D3'.
[0085] As can be seen from FIG. 6, even if the angle of arm 22A relative to main body 21 does not change, when main body 21 tilts, the tilt angle of arm 22A relative to the horizontal line changes (in this example, θ1>θ1').
[0086] As can be seen from Figure 6, the horizontal distance D1 and horizontal distance DC when crane 2 is installed horizontally, which are linked to the model included in the basic information of crane 2 entered by the operator, have also changed to horizontal distance D1' and horizontal distance DC'.
[0087] Therefore, when the crane 2 itself is tilted, using the tilt angle θ2 of the main body 21 with respect to the horizontal plane (i.e., the ground tilt angle), the horizontal distance DC used in the previously shown formula (1) and formula (2) is changed to the horizontal distance DC’ obtained by the following formula (6) as shown on the right side of Fig. 6, and the horizontal distances D2’ and D3’ are calculated accordingly. DC’ = DC × cosθ2 ····················(6)
[0088] Then, using the horizontal distances D2’ and D3’ instead of the horizontal distances D2 and D3 in the previously shown formula (4), the overturning moment FM’ is calculated.
[0089] Similarly, the horizontal distance D1 used in the previously shown formula (5) is changed to the horizontal distance D1’ obtained by the following formula (7) as shown on the right side of Fig. 6, and the safety moment SM’ is calculated accordingly. D1’ = D1 × cosθ2 ····················(7)
[0090] Note that for the correction of the formula when the crane 2 itself is tilted as described above, when the angle θ2 of cosθ2 is 0°, cosθ2 = 1. Therefore, when the angle θ2 = 0°, since the horizontal distance DC’ = the horizontal distance DC and the horizontal distance D1’ = the horizontal distance D1, it is a general formula including the case where the ground is not tilted. Therefore, in actual calculations, regardless of the presence or absence of ground tilt, the horizontal distances D1’ and DC’ can be used.
[0091] Returning to the topic, when the crane 2 itself is tilted due to the influence of ground tilt or the like, as described above, the horizontal distances also change (in this example, D1 > D1’, D2 < D2’, D3 < D3’), and as a result, the overturning moment and the safety moment also change.
[0092] Specifically, as shown on the right side of FIG. 6, the tipping moment FM' of the upper crane 2 is greater than the tipping moment FM of the lower crane 2, making the crane 2 more likely to tip over.
[0093] Furthermore, the safety moment SM' of the upper crane is smaller than the safety moment SM of the lower crane 2, making the crane 2 more likely to tip over.
[0094] Therefore, even if there are no problems with the ground clearance, which is a confirmation step when using crane 2 to safely lift load BM, and no operation to lower arm 22A is performed, if crane 2 is moved to adjust the working position, crane 2 may tip over depending on changes in the slope of the ground.
[0095] Furthermore, when an operation to change the tilt angle of the arm 22A is performed, the tilt angle of the arm 22A with respect to the horizontal line naturally changes, and therefore there is a risk that the crane 2 may tip over.
[0096] However, in this embodiment, the monitoring unit notifies the operator of the risk of tipping over, which changes as the situation progresses, and the operator is able to perform work more reliably and safely, rather than relying on experience.
[0097] Specifically, as already explained, the monitoring unit performs a process (moment calculation process) to calculate the safety moment and the tipping moment, and then performs a process (tip-over risk calculation process) to calculate the ratio of the tip-over moment to the safety moment (tip-over risk).
[0098] As can be seen from the explanation so far, when the risk of tipping (the value obtained by dividing the tipping moment by the safety moment) exceeds 1.0, the tipping moment is greater than the safety moment, and crane 2 will tip over.
[0099] Therefore, the monitoring unit performs a fall risk determination process to determine whether the fall risk exceeds a preset fall risk threshold (for example, 0.9 (90%)).
[0100] When the risk of falling exceeds the fall risk threshold, a warning transmission process is performed to notify the operator of the risk of falling by transmitting a warning to the mobile terminal 3 via a communication unit (not shown) of the edge terminal 4 as a warning according to the risk.
[0101] The monitoring unit also performs a process (lifting capacity calculation process) to calculate the ratio (lifting capacity) of the current weight W3 of the load BM to the maximum lifting load W3 (MAX). As explained above, the maximum lifting load W3(MAX) is the load of the lifting load BM at which the safety moment SM and the overturning moment FM are equal.
[0102] As can be seen from the explanation so far, if the lifting capacity (the weight W3 of the current load BM divided by the maximum lifting load W3 (MAX)) exceeds 1.0 (which is 100% when expressed as a percentage), the tipping moment will be greater than the safety moment, and crane 2 will tip over.
[0103] Therefore, in order to inform the operator how much remaining capacity remains in the lifting load, the monitoring unit transmits the lifting capacity in real time to the mobile terminal 3 via the communication unit (not shown) of the edge terminal 4, and the lifting capacity is displayed in real time on the display unit 34 of the mobile terminal 3.
[0104] On the other hand, in order for the monitoring unit to perform the above-mentioned processing, in addition to the basic information of the crane 2 entered by the operator as mentioned above and the information obtained in association with the model in that basic information, the monitoring unit also needs detection results from measuring instruments etc. to detect the operation of the crane 2.
[0105] Therefore, next, the measuring instruments and the like provided on the crane 2 for detecting the operation of the crane 2, which are included in the safety support system 1 of this embodiment, will be described. In addition, since it is considered easier to understand the rotation angle acquisition unit, which is a functional configuration of the edge terminal 4, if it is explained in relation to the related measuring equipment, it will be explained together with the explanation of the measuring equipment, etc.
[0106] [Measuring equipment, etc.] As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the safety support system 1 of this embodiment includes a position and orientation detection device 6 that is retrofitted to the rear side of the arm 22A of the rotating body 21B, sandwiching the center of rotation CR, and an inclination angle detection unit 7 that is provided on the arm 22A and detects the inclination angle of the arm 22A.
[0107] The position and orientation detection device 6 and the tilt angle detection unit 7 are communicatively connected to the edge terminal 4, and the detection results are sent to the edge terminal 4 and used in functional components such as the monitoring unit and the rotation angle acquisition unit.
[0108] (Position and direction detection device 6) The position and orientation detection device 6 is equipped with a pair of GNSS 61 (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) that are detachably mounted at positions approximately equidistant from the longitudinal axis that passes through the center of the rotating body 21B in the left-right direction. The left-right direction is the direction perpendicular to the axis of the front-to-back direction when the arm portion 22A side is the front and the opposite side is the back, and in the left-to-right direction, when looking at the front from the back, the right side is the right and the left side is the left, and the same applies hereinafter.
[0109] 1 and 5 are side views of the crane 2 from the right side, so only the GNSS 61 on the right side of the position and orientation detection device 6 is visible, but there is also a GNSS 61 on the left side of the position and orientation detection device 6 on the left side of the crane 2, overlapping with this, towards the back of the page.
[0110] The left and right GNSSs 61 are fixed onto installation bases, and magnets are provided at the bottom of the bases, so that the GNSSs 61 are detachably attached to the rotating body 21B by magnetic force.
[0111] For example, the crane 2 may be one that is rented for construction work, and even a commercially available crane 2 does not necessarily come equipped with a position and orientation detection device 6 as standard. However, as described above, if the left and right GNSSs 61 serving as the position and orientation detecting device 6 are configured to be detachably attached by magnetic force, they can be easily installed on the crane 2 at the construction site.
[0112] Each of the left and right GNSS 61 detects latitude, longitude, and altitude, and from the detection results, the direction from left to right GNSS 61 is calculated. The direction rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise around the midpoint between the left and right GNSS is the direction in front of the arm 22A.
[0113] Furthermore, once the left and right GNSS 61 are installed, the relationship between the installation positions of the left and right GNSS 61 and the connection position of the base end (see rotation axis RT) of the arm 22A (boom in this example) connected to the revolving body 21B does not change.
[0114] Therefore, if the positional relationship between the installation positions of the left and right GNSSs 61 when they are installed and the connection position of the base end (see rotation axis RT) of the arm 22A connected to the rotating body 21B is determined in advance, then the connection position of the base end (see rotation axis RT) of the arm 22A (in this example, the boom) can be determined based on the detection results of the position and orientation of the left and right GNSSs 61.
[0115] Therefore, from the detection result of the position and orientation detected by the position and orientation detection device 6, the starting position of the up-and-down movement of the arm 22A and the direction of the up-and-down movement can be obtained.
[0116] Furthermore, the position of the crane 2 can be detected based on the latitude and longitude detected by the left and right GNSS 61, and the movement of the crane 2 can also be detected based on changes in the latitude and longitude.
[0117] On the other hand, in this embodiment, as described above, the monitoring unit uses in its calculation processing the horizontal distance D1 from the tipping fulcrum F corresponding to the rotation angle of the rotating body 21B to the center of gravity G1 of the main body 21, which is linked to the model included in the basic information of the crane 2 entered by the operator, and the horizontal distance DC from the tipping fulcrum F corresponding to the rotation angle of the rotating body 21B to the base end of the arm 22A connected to the rotating body 21B in a manner that allows it to be raised and lowered.
[0118] The horizontal distance D1 and the horizontal distance DC are distances given for each rotation angle of the rotating body 21B. To be more specific, and to explain the reason for this, the tipping fulcrum F is the outer edge of the crawler on which the force of the tipping moment FM is applied. Since the outer edge of the crawler is not circular about the center of rotation CR of the rotating unit 21B, the horizontal distance of the outer edge, which serves as the tipping fulcrum F, from the center of rotation CR changes as the rotating unit 21B rotates.
[0119] On the other hand, the center of gravity G1 of the main body 21 and the base end of the arm 22A (see the rotation axis RT) rotate together with the rotating body 21B, so that the horizontal distance from the rotation center CR does not change. Therefore, when the rotating body 21B rotates, the horizontal distance from the tipping fulcrum F to the rotation center CR changes accordingly, and the horizontal distance D1 between the tipping fulcrum F and the center of gravity G1 of the main body 21 and the horizontal distance DC (see rotation axis RT) between the tipping fulcrum F and the base end of the arm 22A also change accordingly.
[0120] Therefore, the horizontal distance D1 and the horizontal distance DC are not fixed values unrelated to the turning angle, but are stored in the edge terminal 4 as values given for each turning angle, for example, in a table format. That is, the horizontal distance D1 and the horizontal distance DC are given based on the turning angle. Therefore, in order to obtain the horizontal distance D1 and the horizontal distance DC, it is necessary to find the turning angle of the turning unit 21B relative to the traveling unit 21A.
[0121] In this embodiment, in order to achieve high accuracy, changes in the tipping fulcrum F during turning are taken into consideration; however, if the horizontal distance D1 and the horizontal distance DC at the tipping fulcrum F where the tipping conditions are the most severe, i.e., where tipping is most likely to occur, are adopted as fixed values, there will be no problem in terms of safety. Therefore, the horizontal distance D1 and the horizontal distance DC may be determined as such fixed values, and a turning angle may not be required to obtain the horizontal distance D1 and the horizontal distance DC.
[0122] Therefore, in this embodiment, the rotation angle acquisition unit, which is a functional configuration of the edge terminal 4, performs a rotation angle detection process to detect the rotation angle by using the detection results detected by the pair of GNSSs 61 of the position and orientation detection device 6 to determine the rotation angle of the rotating body 21B relative to the running body 21A.
[0123] Specifically, for example, the orientation (also referred to as the reference orientation) when the forward direction of the traveling body 21A and the front where the arm portion 22A of the revolving body 21B is located as shown in FIG. 5 is set to a rotation angle of 0°.
[0124] The turning angle acquisition unit performs a tracking process to track (correct) the reference direction with a turning angle of 0° based on the detection results of the pair of GNSS 61. Therefore, even if the orientation changes due to the movement of the crane 2, the reference orientation is corrected in accordance with the change.
[0125] When the rotation operation of the rotating body 21B is started, the forward direction of the rotating body 21B changes as the body rotates, so a rotation angle detection process is performed to determine the rotation angle based on the change in the forward direction of the rotating body 21B relative to the reference direction.
[0126] To put it simply, if the heading was north before the turn and then becomes east after the turn, the turning angle is 90° clockwise, and the turning angle acquisition unit calculates the change in turning angle from the change in heading, based on the heading before the turn began.
[0127] In this way, the detected value of the rotation angle is used to obtain the values of horizontal distance D1 and horizontal distance DC when the monitoring unit performs moment calculations, etc. to monitor the risk of crane 2 tipping over, as described above.
[0128] In other words, the monitoring unit acquires the values of horizontal distance D1 and horizontal distance DC based on the turning angle detected by the turning angle detection process that detects the turning angle of the turning angle acquisition unit, and the monitoring unit performs calculations of moments, etc.
[0129] (Tilt angle detection unit 7) The inclination angle detection unit 7 is an inclination sensor that detects the inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane, and when the crane 2 is installed horizontally as shown in Figure 6, it detects θ1 as the inclination angle of the arm 22A, as shown in the crane 2 at the bottom of Figure 6.
[0130] Furthermore, when the ground is inclined and the entire crane 2 is inclined, as shown in the crane 2 on the upper side of FIG. 6, θ1′ is detected as the inclination angle of the arm 22A.
[0131] The monitoring unit then performs calculations of the moment and the like based on the detection result (tilt angle of arm 22A) detected by tilt angle detection unit 7.
[0132] [Posture detection section] The attitude detection unit (not shown) is, for example, a gyro that is attached to the revolving unit 21B, and detects the direction and the degree to which the revolving unit 21B is tilted. The tilt angle detected by this attitude detection unit (not shown) is, in other words, the tilt angle of the crane 2, and also the tilt angle of the ground.
[0133] In order to inform the operator of the tilt angle at which the crane 2 is currently tilted while performing the work, the tilt angle detected by the attitude detection unit (not shown) is transmitted in real time to the mobile terminal 3 via the communication unit (not shown) of the edge terminal 4, and the tilt angle is displayed in real time on the display unit 34 of the mobile terminal 3.
[0134] In this embodiment, a case where a gyro is used as the attitude detection unit (not shown) has been described, but a three-axis tilt sensor may be used instead of the gyro.
[0135] As mentioned above, there is an allowable inclination angle of the ground when the crane 2 is traveling on an incline, which must be taken into consideration in order to prevent the crane 2 from tipping over. For this reason, the monitoring unit performs a process (travel allowable angle determination process) to determine whether the tilt angle (tilt angle of crane 2) detected by the posture detection unit (not shown) is outside the range of the travel allowable angle. When the tilt angle of the crane 2 is outside the allowable travel angle range, the monitoring unit performs a warning transmission process to send a warning of the immediate danger to the mobile terminal 3 via a communication unit (not shown) of the edge terminal 4, in order to notify the operator of the immediate danger as a warning according to the danger.
[0136] [Remote Terminal 5] In this embodiment, the remote terminal 5 is a so-called notebook PC having a display unit 51 and a sound output unit, as shown in FIG. However, since the remote terminal 5 is a terminal for sharing the display, warnings, etc. displayed on the mobile terminal 3 at a remote location, it does not have to be limited to a notebook PC. Then, the mobile terminal 3 simply carries out the same display and warning as those already explained.
[0137] In other words, in order to share information with the site, the display unit 51 and sound output unit (not shown) of the remote terminal 5 simply display and output sound in the same manner as the display unit 34 and sound output unit (not shown) of the mobile terminal 3, so detailed explanations will be omitted.
[0138] [others] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the safety support system 1 further includes an alarm (not shown) provided on the revolving body 21B and having a warning light. Then, in the same way as the mobile terminal 3, the monitoring unit also issues a warning to the alarm device according to the danger, and in the same way as the mobile terminal 3, the alarm device turns on a warning light in accordance with the warning.
[0139] The alarm may be, for example, a PATLITE (registered trademark) that can control the lamp display and flashing speed of green (normal), yellow (caution), and red (danger), and in this embodiment it is also capable of outputting sound, so it can be thought of as the PATLITE (registered trademark) display shown on the mobile terminal 3 being displayed by an actual lamp.
[0140] This alarm is intended to alert workers working around the crane 2 to the risk of the crane 2 tipping over.
[0141] Next, the processing mainly performed by the monitoring unit will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the processing mainly performed by the monitoring unit in the first embodiment according to the present invention.
[0142] When the operator operates the mobile terminal 3, the software for the safety support system 1 in the edge terminal 4 is started, the basic information of the crane 2 entered by the operator is sent to the edge terminal 4, and an operation is performed to start monitoring the risk of the crane 2 tipping over, and the flowchart shown in Figure 7 starts.
[0143] If the basic information of the crane 2 entered by the operator has already been sent to the edge terminal 4 previously, that operation can be skipped and an operation to start monitoring the risk of the crane 2 tipping over can be performed.
[0144] (S100) In S100, the monitoring unit determines whether the operator has performed an operation to end monitoring, and if the operation to end monitoring has been performed, the determination is Yes, and termination processing (S101) is performed, and the processing of this flowchart ends. On the other hand, if the operation to end monitoring has not been performed, the determination is No, and the process proceeds to S102.
[0145] (S102) In S102, the monitoring unit acquires the tilt angle of the rotating body 21B, which is the tilt angle of the main body 21 detected by a gyro (not shown) serving as an attitude detection unit (not shown), i.e., the tilt angle of the crane 2 serving as a work machine, and proceeds to S103. The attitude detection unit (not shown) also detects the direction in which the device is tilted, and the monitoring unit also acquires this tilt direction.
[0146] (S103) In S103, the monitoring unit acquires the inclination angle of the arm portion 22A (see θ1, θ1' in Figure 6), which is the inclination angle of the operating unit 22 detected by an inclination sensor acting as an inclination angle detection unit provided on the arm portion 22A and detecting the inclination angle relative to the horizontal plane, and proceeds to S104.
[0147] (S104) In S104, the monitoring unit performs a process of calculating the tilt angle of the arm unit 22A, which is the tilt angle of the operating unit 22 with respect to the main body unit 21, and the process proceeds to S105. The processing here is preparation for S106, which will be described later, and will be briefly explained below. Specifically, a determination is made as to whether the inclination angle of the crane is outside the range of allowable travelling angles based on the allowable travelling inclination angle information that is permissible during travelling as described above. The allowable travelling inclination angle information provides an allowable travelling angle for each inclination of the arm 22A relative to the main body 21. Therefore, in S104, the monitoring unit performs a process of calculating the tilt angle of the arm 22A relative to the main body 21. As explained above with reference to Figure 6, the inclination of the arm 22A relative to the main body 21 is the same for the lower crane 2 and the upper crane 2 in Figure 6, but since the inclination angle detection unit detects the inclination angle relative to the horizontal plane, due to differences in the inclination state of the ground, the detected inclination angle of the arm 22A will be a different value, θ1 for the lower crane 2 and θ1' for the upper crane 2. The inclination angle θ2 of the ground is the same as the inclination angle of the crane 2 serving as the work machine detected by a gyro (not shown) serving as an attitude detection unit (not shown) in S102. Therefore, in order to cancel the effect of the inclination of the ground, the monitoring unit adds θ2 to θ1′ to calculate θ1 (θ1=θ1′+θ2), and calculates the inclination angle of arm 22A relative to main body 21. As can be seen from the equation in parentheses, as θ2 approaches zero, θ1' approaches θ1, so there is no need to prepare an arithmetic formula to suit whether the ground is inclined or not. Regardless of whether the ground is inclined or not, the monitoring unit performs the calculation of the equation in parentheses and calculates the tilt angle of arm 22A relative to main body 21. Let's get back to the topic.
[0148] (S105) In S105, the monitoring unit acquires the rotation angle of the rotating body 21B relative to the running body 21A detected by the rotation angle acquisition unit as a functional unit of the edge terminal 4 based on the detection results of the position and orientation detected by the pair of GNSS 61 of the position and orientation detection device 6, and proceeds to S106.
[0149] (S106) In S106, first, the monitoring unit determines the direction where the rotation angle is 0° from the current forward direction and rotation angle of the rotating body 21B, and determines the traveling direction of the crane 2 (direction in which it can travel). The monitoring unit then determines whether the travel direction (travelable direction) thus determined corresponds to an uphill direction, a downhill direction, or a lateral direction, based on the relationship between the determined travel direction and the inclination direction of the ground surface acquired in S102. Since the direction of inclination of the ground and the direction of travel of the crane 2 (direction in which it can travel) will never completely coincide, it is possible to set a range, for example, to what extent the traveling direction must match the direction of inclination of the ground before it is considered to be an uphill direction, and to make a judgment. Then, from the allowable travel inclination angle information, an appropriate allowable travel angle is obtained based on the travel direction (direction in which travel is possible) of the crane 2 and the inclination angle of the arm 22A relative to the main body 21 calculated in S104, and a determination is made as to whether the inclination of the ground is outside the allowable travel angle range. As mentioned earlier, the inclination angle of the ground can ultimately be rephrased as the inclination angle of the crane 2 itself, so this determination can also be said to be a determination of whether the inclination angle of the crane 2 is outside the allowable travel angle range. If the inclination of the ground is outside the allowable travel angle range, the determination becomes Yes, and the process proceeds to S107. On the other hand, if the inclination of the ground is within the permissible travel angle range, the determination is No, and the process proceeds to S108.
[0150] (S107) In S107, since there is a high risk of the vehicle falling if it continues to move, the monitoring unit issues an immediate danger warning, and the process proceeds to S109. The operations of the mobile terminal 3, the alarm device (not shown), and the remote terminal 5 in response to the warning have already been explained, so they will not be repeated here.
[0151] (S108) S108 is a step to be proceeded to when it is determined in S106 that it is not dangerous to continue driving. Therefore, even if a danger warning was issued previously, the dangerous situation has now been resolved, so the monitoring unit issues a danger warning reset (warning reset) to reset the danger warning (immediate danger warning), and proceeds to S109. By resetting the warning, the operations of the mobile terminal 3, alarm device (not shown), and remote terminal 5 in response to the warning are reset, and the operations return to normal.
[0152] (S109) In S109, the monitoring unit acquires the weight W3 of the suspended load BM detected by the load cell, which is the load detection unit, and proceeds to S110.
[0153] (S110) In S110, the monitoring unit calculates the working radius based on the tilt angle of the arm 22A (see θ1, θ1' in FIG. 6) acquired in S103, and the process proceeds to S111. The monitoring unit has already acquired the basic information of the crane 2 entered by the operator and the information linked to it. The basic information of Crane 2 and the information linked to it are also collectively referred to as related information of Crane 2. Therefore, the monitoring unit calculates the working radius based on the tilt angle of the arm 22A and related information of the crane 2 acquired in S103. Specifically, the monitoring unit calculates the horizontal distance of arm 22A (the distance corresponding to DC+D3 in Figure 5) from the length 2L of arm 22A and the inclination angle of arm 22A (see θ1, θ1' in Figure 6), and calculates the working radius by adding the horizontal distance d from the rotation center CR of the rotating body 21B to the base end of arm 22A (see position RT of the rotation axis of arm 22A) which is connected to the rotating body 21B in a manner that allows it to be raised and lowered, to the calculated horizontal distance of arm 22A.
[0154] (S111) In S111, the monitoring unit calculates the moment of the crane 2 (the safety moment and the tipping moment of the crane 2). In the steps up to this point, the monitoring unit has already acquired the detection results of the measuring instruments and the like for detecting the operation of the crane 2 required to calculate the safety moment and the tipping moment. Specifically, these are the inclination angle of the crane 2 corresponding to the inclination of the ground detected by the posture detection unit (not shown) obtained in S102, the inclination angle of the arm 22A (see θ1, θ1' in Figure 6) detected by the inclination angle detection unit obtained in S103, the rotation angle detected by the rotation angle acquisition unit obtained in S105, and the weight W3 of the suspended load BM detected by the load detection unit obtained in S109. Therefore, based on the detection results of the posture detection unit, the tilt angle detection unit, the rotation angle acquisition unit, and the load detection unit, the monitoring unit performs a process to calculate the safety moment acting from the tipping fulcrum F to the main body 21 side (SM, SM' in Figure 6) and the tipping moment acting from the tipping fulcrum F to the suspended load BM side (see FM, FM' in Figure 6), and then proceeds to S112. The detailed calculation methods for the safety moment (SM, SM' in FIG. 6) and the overturning moment (see FM, FM' in FIG. 6) have already been explained, so the explanation will be omitted here.
[0155] (S112) In S112, the monitoring unit calculates the risk of tipping, which is the value obtained by dividing the tipping moment (see FM, FM' in FIG. 6) by the safety moment (SM, SM' in FIG. 6), and then proceeds to S113.
[0156] (S113) In S113, the monitoring unit performs a fall risk determination process to determine whether the fall risk has exceeded a preset fall risk threshold (for example, 0.9 (90%)). If the fall risk is not equal to or less than the fall risk threshold, the determination is No, and the process proceeds to S114. On the other hand, if the fall risk is equal to or less than the fall risk threshold, the determination becomes Yes, and the process proceeds to S115.
[0157] (S114) In S114, the monitoring unit issues a warning to alert the operator to the risk of tipping over as a warning according to the risk, and then the process proceeds to S116. The operations of the mobile terminal 3, the alarm device (not shown), and the remote terminal 5 in response to the warning have already been explained, so they will not be repeated here.
[0158] (S115) S115 is a step to be proceeded to when it is determined in S113 that there is no need to issue a warning to notify the operator of the risk of tipping over. Therefore, even if a caution warning was issued previously, the situation requiring caution is no longer present, so the monitoring unit issues a caution warning reset (warning reset) to reset the caution warning, and proceeds to S116. By resetting the warning, the operations of the mobile terminal 3, alarm device (not shown), and remote terminal 5 in response to the warning are reset, and the operations return to normal.
[0159] (S116) In S116, the monitoring unit calculates the maximum lifting load W3(MAX), which is the load of the lifting load BM at which the safety moment and the overturning moment are equal, and then proceeds to S117. The detailed calculation method for the maximum hanging load W3(MAX) has already been explained, so the explanation will be omitted here.
[0160] (S117) In S117, the monitoring unit calculates the lifting capacity, which is the ratio of the weight W3 of the load BM detected by the load detection unit to the maximum lifting load W3 (MAX), and then the process proceeds to S118.
[0161] (S118) In S118, the tilt angle of the crane 2 obtained in S102, the weight W3 of the suspended load BM obtained in S109, the working radius calculated in S110, and the lifting capacity calculated in S117 are transmitted as work status information to the mobile terminal 3 and the remote terminal 5, and are displayed on the display unit 34 of the mobile terminal 3 (see Figure 3) and the display unit 51 of the remote terminal 5, and the process returns to S100 again, and the processing described up to this point is repeated until the determination in S100 is Yes.
[0162] In the safety support system 1 of the first embodiment, the above-described processing flow is carried out to support the safe execution of work.
[0163] "Second embodiment" Next, a safety support system 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The configuration of the second embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment, and therefore a description of the similarities will be omitted.
[0164] In the second embodiment, the safety support system 1 focuses on the lifting capacity and monitors the risk of tipping over of the crane 2, which is the work machine, to support the realization of safe work. There are differences in the processing performed by the monitoring unit, and the following mainly describes these differences.
[0165] FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the processing mainly performed by the monitoring unit in the second embodiment according to the present invention. In FIG. 8, the same step numbers as those in FIG. 7 described in the first embodiment are used for the same processes, and the description of the same steps will be omitted.
[0166] As can be seen from FIG. 8, in the second embodiment, steps S104, S106 to S108, S111, and S112 are omitted. The difference is that the order of the processes is changed so that the processes of S116 and S117 are performed following the process of S110 in the first embodiment, and the process of S113 is changed to the process of S113'.
[0167] Specifically, S113 in the first embodiment, which determines whether the risk of tipping is equal to or less than a threshold, is changed to S113', which determines whether the lifting capacity is equal to or less than a threshold.
[0168] To match this, the process (S116) for calculating the maximum lifting load W3 (MAX) and the process (S117) for calculating the lifting capacity, which were performed after S113 in the first embodiment, have been changed to be performed before S113'.
[0169] As explained earlier, the maximum lifting load W3 (MAX) is the weight (load) of the load BM when the safety moment and the tipping moment are equal, so when the actual weight W3 of the load BM exceeds this, the tipping condition is met.
[0170] In other words, the lifting capacity, which is the weight W3 of the actual suspended load BM divided by the maximum suspended load W3 (MAX), is an index similar to the risk of tipping over in a physical sense, and when it exceeds 1.0 (which is 100% in %), it is a judgment criterion that meets the tipping conditions.
[0171] Therefore, the second embodiment can also perform the same monitoring of the risk of falling as the first embodiment, based on the fall risk assessment, and the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it is simpler in that it eliminates the calculation of the fall risk that is not displayed on the display unit 34 of the mobile terminal 3.
[0172] As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, when the operator of the crane 2 works, the crane inclination, lifting load, current working radius, etc. are updated on the mobile terminal 3 in real time (for example, at a frequency of more than once per second), allowing the operator to check the latest working status.
[0173] Furthermore, changes in the lifting capacity, which indicate the risk of crane 2 tipping over, are updated in real time (for example, more than once per second), so instead of relying on intuition or experience, the risk can be grasped objectively, allowing for safer work to be carried out.
[0174] Furthermore, the monitoring unit monitors the risk of tipping over in real time and issues a warning to prevent tipping over from occurring. Therefore, even if the operator continues working without noticing the risk of tipping over, the operator can be made aware of the risk before a tipping over occurs, and a tipping accident can be avoided.
[0175] Although the present invention has been described above based on specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.
[0176] In the above embodiment, the edge terminal 4 is installed on the crane 2, but the edge terminal 4 and the mobile terminal 3 may be integrated and operated by a single terminal.
[0177] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration is disclosed in which a remote terminal 5 is provided so that information can be shared with people in remote locations, but it goes without saying that if a remote terminal 5 is not required, a configuration in which a remote terminal 5 is not provided may also be adopted.
[0178] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the arm 22A of the crane 2 is only a boom, but as mentioned in the explanation, the arm 22A may have a jib with a base end connected to the tip of the boom so that it can be raised.
[0179] In this case, imagine a virtual arm that connects the base end of the boom to the tip of the jib in a straight line, and take the weight of that virtual arm to be the combined weight of the boom and jib, and then perform the calculations of moments, etc., as described above.
[0180] Furthermore, when the work machine is an aerial work vehicle or the like, the weight of the worker simply corresponds to the weight of the suspended load.
[0181] As such, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and modifications and improvements to the embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the invention, which will be clear to those skilled in the art from the description of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]
[0182] 1...Safety support system, 2...Crane, 21...Main body, 21A...Traveling body, 21B...Rotating body, 22...Operating unit, 22A...Arm, 22B...Hook, 3...Mobile terminal, 31...CPU, 32...RAM, 33...ROM, 34...Display unit, 35...Communication unit, 36...Sound output unit, 4...Edge terminal, 5...Remote terminal, 51...Display unit, 6...Position and direction detection device, 61...GNSS, 7...Tilt angle detection unit, BM...Load, CR...Center of rotation, d, D1, D1', D2, D2', D3, D3', DC, DC'...Horizontal distance, FM, FM'...Tipping moment, G1, G2...Center of gravity, IN...Internet, 2L...Length, P1...Position, RT...Position, SM, SM'...Safety moment, W, W1, W2, W3, CW, w...Weight, θ1, θ1', θ2...Angle
Claims
1. A safety support system for a work machine, comprising: The safety support system includes: the work machine; a mobile terminal having a display unit and a sound output unit; a monitoring unit that monitors the risk of tipping over of the work machine; a posture detection unit that detects the posture of the work machine, The work machine includes: A main body that can move; an actuating portion that is provided so as to be able to rise and fall relative to the main body portion and that is able to extend to the outside of the main body portion, the monitoring unit transmits a warning corresponding to the risk to the mobile terminal; The mobile terminal outputs a warning sound and displays a warning in accordance with the warning, while displaying the attitude of the work machine regardless of whether the warning is issued or not.
2. the work machine is a crane, The main body portion is A running body, a rotating body provided on the traveling body so as to be rotatable via a rotating part, The actuation unit is an arm portion having a base end connected to the rotating body so as to be able to rise and fall; a hook portion provided at the tip of the arm portion so as to be movable up and down; the attitude detection unit and the monitoring unit are provided on the rotating body, the attitude detection unit detects the tilt angle of the rotating body as the attitude of the crane, the monitoring unit transmits an immediate danger warning to the mobile terminal as a warning according to the danger when the tilt angle of the crane is outside a travel allowable angle range, 2. The safety support system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal outputs an alarm sound and displays a message in response to the immediate danger warning, while displaying the tilt angle of the rotating body as the attitude of the crane regardless of whether the warning is issued or not.
3. The safety support system further comprises: a rotation angle acquisition unit provided on the rotating body and configured to detect a rotation angle of the rotating body; an inclination angle detection unit provided on the arm portion and detecting an inclination angle of the arm portion; a load detection unit provided on the hook unit and detecting the load of the suspended load; The monitoring unit a process of calculating a safety moment acting from the tipping fulcrum toward the main body unit and a tipping moment acting from the tipping fulcrum toward the suspended load, based on the detection results detected by the attitude detection unit, the rotation angle acquisition unit, the tilt angle detection unit, and the load detection unit; A process of calculating a ratio of the overturning moment to the safety moment as a risk of overturning; A process of calculating a maximum lifting load, which is the load of the lifting load at which the safety moment and the overturning moment are equal; and calculating a ratio of the load detected by the load detection unit to the maximum lifting load as the lifting capacity; the monitoring unit transmits a warning to the mobile device to warn the user of the risk of falling when the risk of falling exceeds a preset threshold; The safety support system of claim 2, wherein the mobile terminal outputs an alarm sound and displays a warning in accordance with the warning to warn the user, and also displays the lifting capacity regardless of whether the warning is issued or not.
4. the work machine is a crane, The main body portion is A running body, a rotating body provided on the traveling body so as to be rotatable via a rotating part, The actuation unit is an arm portion having a base end connected to the rotating body so as to be able to rise and fall; a hook portion provided at the tip of the arm portion so as to be movable up and down; the attitude detection unit and the monitoring unit are provided on the rotating body, The safety support system further comprises: an inclination angle detection unit provided on the arm portion and detecting an inclination angle of the arm portion; a load detection unit provided on the hook unit and detecting the load of the suspended load, the attitude detection unit detects the tilt angle of the rotating body as the attitude of the crane, The monitoring unit a process of calculating a safety moment acting from the tipping fulcrum toward the main body unit and a tipping moment acting from the tipping fulcrum toward the suspended load based on the detection results detected by the posture detection unit, the tilt angle detection unit, and the load detection unit; A process of calculating a maximum lifting load, which is the load of the lifting load at which the safety moment and the overturning moment are equal; and calculating a ratio of the load detected by the load detection unit to the maximum lifting load as the lifting capacity; The monitoring unit transmits a warning to the mobile terminal to warn of a danger when the lifting capacity exceeds a preset threshold, 2. The safety support system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal outputs an alarm sound and displays a warning in accordance with the warning to call attention, while displaying the tilt angle of the rotating body as the attitude of the crane and the lifting capacity regardless of whether the warning is issued or not.
5. The safety support system further includes an alarm provided on the rotating body and having a warning light, The monitoring unit also issues a warning according to the risk to the alarm device, 5. The safety support system according to claim 3, wherein the alarm turns on a warning light in response to the warning.
6. the safety support system includes a remote terminal having a display unit and a sound output unit; 5. The safety support system according to claim 3, wherein the display unit and the sound output unit of the remote terminal perform the same display and sound output as the display unit and the sound output unit of the mobile terminal.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Crane operation support device
JP2019059593A