Construction machine
The construction machine addresses the issue of delayed obstacle detection by using left and right obstacle detection devices with distinct visual alerts, ensuring operators are aware of obstacles in all directions, thereby improving safety and efficiency.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024041504
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-03-15
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-29
AI Technical Summary
Conventional construction machines fail to alert operators to obstacles in the direction opposite to their line of sight during rotation, leading to potential delays in obstacle detection.
The construction machine is equipped with left and right obstacle detection devices and corresponding alarm devices that provide distinct visual notifications based on obstacle presence and location, allowing operators to recognize obstacles regardless of their line of sight.
Ensures timely awareness of obstacles in all directions, enhancing operator safety and operational efficiency by providing clear, differentiated alerts through color and light patterns.
Smart Images
Figure 2025141526000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a construction machine such as a hydraulic excavator. [Background technology]
[0002] As background art in this technical field, for example, Patent Document 1 describes the following: "A construction machine having a traveling body, a revolving body, a work implement, an operating lever that is located in the driver's cab and that operates and inputs the revolving operation of the revolving body, an operation sensor that detects the operation of the operating lever, and an obstacle sensor that detects obstacles around the revolving body; a left light that is illuminated on a pillar on the left front of the driver's cab, a right light that is illuminated on a pillar on the right front of the driver's cab, and a controller that controls the left light and the right light based on signals from the obstacle sensor and the operation sensor; and if an obstacle is present in the direction of rotation of the revolving body in a monitoring area around the revolving body, the controller issues a warning to the operator using one of the left light and the right light that corresponds to the direction of rotation" (see abstract). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-159045 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] However, in the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1, if an obstacle is present in the direction of rotation of the rotating body, the left or right light that corresponds to the direction of rotation of the rotating body is used to issue a warning to the operator.Therefore, if the operator is looking in a direction other than the direction of rotation, there is a possibility that the operator will be late in noticing an obstacle that is present in the direction of rotation of the rotating body.
[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a construction machine that allows the operator to notice the presence of an obstacle even when he or she is looking in a direction different from the turning direction. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle comprising: a running body; a rotating body rotatably provided on an upper part of the running body; a work machine provided at the front of the rotating body; a driver's cab mounted on the rotating body and having a driver's seat therein; a left-side obstacle detection device that detects obstacles on the left side of the rotating body; a right-side obstacle detection device that detects obstacles on the right side of the rotating body; a left-side alarm device provided at the left front of the driver's cab and notifying the driver's seat of information about the obstacle; a right-side alarm device provided at the right front of the driver's cab and notifying the driver's seat of information about the obstacle; and a controller that controls the right-side alarm device, wherein, when the left-side obstacle detection device detects an obstacle, the controller causes the left-side alarm device to report information about the obstacle in a first manner and the right-side alarm device to report information about the obstacle in a second manner different from the first manner, and when the right-side obstacle detection device detects an obstacle, the controller causes the right-side alarm device to report information about the obstacle in the first manner and the left-side alarm device to report information about the obstacle in the second manner. [Effects of the Invention]
[0007] According to the construction machine of the present invention, the operator can notice the presence of an obstacle even when he or she is looking in a direction different from the turning direction. Note that problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become clear from the description of the following embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a hydraulic excavator according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the operator's cab. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the field of view of an operator seated in the driver's seat. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a controller. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a control process of a controller. [Figure 6] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the state of obstacles around the hydraulic excavator, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the notification modes of the left and right lights. [Figure 7] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the state of obstacles around the hydraulic excavator, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the notification modes of the left and right lights. [Figure 8] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the state of obstacles around the hydraulic excavator, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the notification modes of the left and right lights. [Figure 9] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the state of obstacles around the hydraulic excavator, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the notification modes of the left and right lights. [Figure 10] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the state of obstacles around the hydraulic excavator, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the notification modes of the left and right lights. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the field of view of an operator seated in a driver's seat of a hydraulic excavator according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10(a) is a diagram showing the state of obstacles around the hydraulic excavator according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 10(b) is a diagram showing the notification modes of the left, right, front, and rear lights. [Figure 13] FIG. 10(a) is a diagram showing the state of obstacles around the hydraulic excavator according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 10(b) is a diagram showing the notification modes of the left, right, front, and rear lights. [Figure 14] FIG. 10(a) is a diagram showing the state of obstacles around the hydraulic excavator according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 10(b) is a diagram showing the notification modes of the left, right, front, and rear lights. [Figure 15] FIG. 10(a) is a diagram showing the state of obstacles around the hydraulic excavator according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 10(b) is a diagram showing the notification modes of the left, right, front, and rear lights. [Figure 16]FIG. 10(a) is a diagram showing the state of obstacles around the hydraulic excavator according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 10(b) is a diagram showing the notification modes of the left, right, front, and rear lights. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the front, rear, left, and right directions are based on the viewpoint of an operator seated in the driver's seat.
[0010] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a side view of a hydraulic excavator 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the hydraulic excavator (construction machine) 1 includes a running body 2 for traveling on a road surface, a rotating body 3 rotatably attached to the running body 2, and a front work implement (working machine) 4 attached to the front of the rotating body 3 so as to be able to move up and down.
[0011] The traveling body 2 includes a lower frame 2a located in the center of the revolving body 3 and a pair of crawlers 2b provided on both the left and right sides of the lower frame 2a. The pair of crawlers 2b are independently driven to rotate by the driving force of travel motors provided on the left and right sides of the traveling body 2. This allows the hydraulic excavator 1 to travel in the front-to-rear direction with each of the left and right crawlers 2b in contact with the ground. It goes without saying that the present invention is applicable not only to crawler-type hydraulic excavators, but also to wheel-type hydraulic excavators, cranes, and other construction machines.
[0012] The rotating body 3 is supported rotatably on the running body 2 via a rotating device 5. The rotating body 3 mainly comprises an operator's cab 6 in which an operator sits, a counterweight 7 for maintaining balance with the front work implement 4, and a machine room 8 that houses equipment such as an engine and a hydraulic pump.
[0013] The rotating body 3 rotates relative to the running body 2 by the driving force of a rotation motor provided in the rotation device 5. The operator's cab 6 is provided in front of the rotating body 3. Inside the operator's cab 6, a pair of left and right travel levers (not shown) for traveling the running body 2, and operation levers 15L, 15R for operating the rotating body 3 and the front work implement 4 are provided. Details of the interior of the operator's cab 6 will be described later.
[0014] Obstacle sensors 9L, 9R for detecting obstacles around the hydraulic excavator 1 (around the rotating body 3) are installed on the rotating body 3. For example, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, or a camera can be used as the obstacle sensors 9L, 9R. In this embodiment, a total of two obstacle sensors 9L, 9R, one for the left side and one for the right side, are mounted at arbitrary positions on the rotating body 3. The obstacle sensors 9L, 9R are an example of a left-side obstacle detection device and a right-side obstacle detection device of the present invention.
[0015] The front working implement 4 comprises a boom 10 whose base end is rotatably attached to the rotating body 3 and which rotates (raises and lowers) in the vertical direction relative to the rotating body 3, an arm 11 rotatably attached to the tip of the boom 10 and which rotates in the longitudinal direction relative to the boom 10, and a bucket 12 rotatably attached to the tip of the arm 11 and which rotates in the longitudinal direction relative to the arm 11.
[0016] Although not shown in FIG. 1, the front working mechanism 4 is equipped with a boom cylinder that drives the boom 10, an arm cylinder that drives the arm 11, and a bucket cylinder that drives the bucket 12.
[0017] Next, the interior of the cab 6 will be described in detail. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the cab 6, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the field of view of an operator seated in the cab. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the cab 6 is made up of a rigid structure supported by left and right pillars 6L, 6R, and is equipped with a driver's seat 14, left and right operating levers 15L, 15R, left and right lights 20L, 20R, etc. The left and right lights 20L, 20R are examples of the left-side warning device and right-side warning device of the present invention.
[0018] The left and right lights 20L, 20R are output devices for notifying the operator of information about obstacles (including whether or not there are obstacles) that exist around the revolving unit 3. In this embodiment, three-color LED lighting (having RGB light-emitting diode chips) is used as the left light 20L and the right light 20R, and an example in which the left light 20L and the right light 20R are installed so as to emit light toward the driver's seat 14 is shown in Figures 2 and 3.
[0019] In this embodiment, the left light 20L and the right light 20R are vertically long and extend along the left and right pillars 6L, 6R. The left light 20L and the right light 20R are disposed in positions that allow them to be naturally within the field of view of the operator who is sitting in the driver's seat 14 and looking around (forward and to the sides) the rotating unit 3 through the window 13 of the driver's cab 6.
[0020] Specifically, the left light 20L is installed on a pillar 6L at the left front of the cab 6, and the right light 20R is installed on a pillar 6R at the right front of the cab 6. The pillars 6L, 6R are support parts at the four corners of the outer shell of the cab 6 and are members that form the left and right parts of the frame of the front window 13. Note that the lights 20L, 20R do not necessarily have to be installed on the pillars 6L, 6R.
[0021] The lights 20L, 20R are configured so as not to extend beyond the width (outline) of the pillars 6L, 6R when viewed from the driver's seat 14 (so that the entire lights 20L, 20R overlap the pillars 6L, 6R when viewed from the driver's seat 14). This ensures good visibility for the operator. The light emission intensity of the lights 20L, 20R is adjusted so that the operator does not feel dazzled while driving or so that it does not interfere with driving. The light emission intensity may also be adjustable, for example, with a dial or switch. The light emission control of the lights 20L, 20R is performed by a controller 30, which will be described next.
[0022] 4 is a functional block diagram of the controller 30. The controller 30 is an on-board computer that calculates various information and control command values related to machine control of the hydraulic excavator 1 and outputs electrical command signals, and is configured to include a CPU, various memories, a communication I / F, etc., and is located, for example, behind the driver's seat 14 inside the driver's cab 6.
[0023] Left and right obstacle sensors 9L, 9R and left and right lights 20L, 20R are connected via electrical wiring to the input / output section of the controller 30. The controller 30 controls the left and right lights 20L, 20R in accordance with obstacle information around the revolving unit 3, and notifies the operator of the presence or absence and position information of obstacles around the revolving unit 3 in a predetermined manner.
[0024] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the control process of the controller 30. The process shown in Fig. 5 is initiated when the engine is started, and is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle (for example, every several tens of milliseconds) until the engine is stopped.
[0025] First, the controller 30 determines whether the obstacle sensors 9L, 9R have detected an obstacle (S1). If an obstacle is detected (S1 / YES), the controller 30 identifies the area where the obstacle exists (yellow area Y, red area R; see FIG. 6, etc.) (S2). On the other hand, if an obstacle is not detected (S1 / NO), the controller 30 skips S2 and proceeds to S3.
[0026] Next, the controller 30 determines the notification mode based on the presence or absence of an obstacle detected by the obstacle sensors 9L, 9R and the area in which the obstacle exists (S3). Specifically, the controller 30 determines the color (blue, yellow, red) and light emission pattern (on or blinking) of the left and right lights 20L, 20R. Next, the controller 30 controls the light emission of the left light 20L and the right light 20R based on the determined notification mode (S4).
[0027] Next, specific examples of notifications by the left and right lights 20L, 20R will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 10. In each of Figs. 6 to 10, (a) shows the state of obstacles around the hydraulic excavator 1 (swinging body 3), and (b) shows the notification mode of the left and right lights 20L, 20R. In Figs. 6 to 10, symbols D1 and D2 respectively indicate the detection areas of the obstacle sensors 9L, 9L, symbol 40 indicates an object as an obstacle, and symbol 41 indicates a person as an obstacle. Note that the arrow A coincides with the operator's viewpoint.
[0028] 6 to 10, the blue area B, yellow area Y, and red area R respectively indicate the areas around the hydraulic excavator 1 (swinging bed 3), and the blue area B is the area farthest from the hydraulic excavator 1 and is an area beyond the detection areas D1 and D2 of the obstacle sensors 9L and 9R. The yellow area Y is an area closer to the hydraulic excavator 1 than the blue area B and is an area that overlaps with the detection areas D1 and D2 of the obstacle sensors 9L and 9R. The red area R is an area closest to the hydraulic excavator 1 and is an area that overlaps with the detection areas D1 and D2 of the obstacle sensors 9L and 9R. Because the red area R is closer to the hydraulic excavator 1 than the yellow area Y, the presence of obstacles 40 and 41 in the red area R creates a more dangerous situation.
[0029] As shown in FIG. 6(a), no object 40 or person 41 exists within the detection areas D1, D2 of the left and right obstacle sensors 9L, 9R. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the left and right lights 20L, 20R are illuminated in blue, indicating that no obstacles 40, 41 exist. For example, the operator can recognize that no obstacles 40, 41 exist on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the left light 20L is blue. Moreover, the operator can recognize that no obstacles 40, 41 exist on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the left light 20L is illuminated. Similarly, the operator can recognize that no obstacles 40, 41 exist on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the right light 20R is blue, and can recognize that no obstacles 40, 41 exist on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the right light 20R is illuminated. In this way, the operator can recognize the presence or absence of obstacles around the hydraulic excavator 1 and the distance to the obstacles from the type of color (first mode) and light emission pattern (second mode) of the left and right lights 20L, 20R.
[0030] As shown in FIG. 7(a), no object 40 or person 41 is present within the detection area D1 of the left obstacle sensor 9L, but an object 40 is present within the yellow area Y in the detection area D2 of the right obstacle sensor 9R. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the left light 20L flashes blue. The operator can recognize that no obstacles 40, 41 are present on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the color is blue. In addition, the operator can recognize that an obstacle 40 is present on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the left light 20L is flashing. In other words, the operator can obtain information about obstacles on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1 from the color of the left light 20L, and can simultaneously obtain information about obstacles on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 from the light emission pattern (on / flashing) of the left light 20L.
[0031] On the other hand, the obstacle sensor 9R detects that the object 40 is present in the yellow region Y, and therefore the right light 20R lights up yellow. The operator can recognize from the yellow color that the obstacle 40 is present in the yellow region Y on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 (that the obstacle 40 is present at a position slightly away from the rotating bed 3). In addition, because the right light 20R is lit, the operator can also recognize that there is no obstacle on the left side. In other words, if the right light 20R is lit, the operator can recognize that there is no obstacle on the left side, and if the right light 20R is flashing, the operator can recognize that there is an obstacle on the left side.
[0032] As shown in FIG. 8(a), an object 40 is present in the red region R of the detection region D1 of the left obstacle sensor 9L, and an object 40 is present in the yellow region Y of the detection region D2 of the right obstacle sensor 9R. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the left light 20L flashes red. The operator can recognize that the obstacle 40 is present in the nearest red region R on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the color is red. In other words, the operator can recognize that the obstacle 40 is present near the rotating bed 3. In addition, the operator can recognize that the obstacle 40 is present on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the left light 20L is flashing.
[0033] On the other hand, the obstacle sensor 9R detects that the object 40 is present in the yellow area Y, and the obstacle sensor 9L also detects the object 40, so the right light 20R flashes yellow. The operator can recognize from the yellow color that the obstacle 40 is present in the yellow area Y on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, the flashing right light 20R also enables the operator to simultaneously recognize that an obstacle 40 is present on the left side.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 9(a), in the detection area D1 of the left obstacle sensor 9L, an object 40 is present in the red area R, and a person 41 is present in the yellow area Y. Furthermore, in the detection area D2 of the right obstacle sensor 9R, a person 41 is present in the red area R, and an object 40 is present in the yellow area Y. In other words, obstacles 40, 41 are present in the yellow area Y and the red area R on both the left and right sides of the hydraulic excavator 1. In this case, detection of the obstacle (object) 40 in the red area R is given priority.
[0035] 9(b), red takes priority over yellow, and the left light 20L flashes red. The operator can recognize from the red color that an obstacle 40 exists in the closest red area R (closest distance from the hydraulic excavator 1) on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, the operator can recognize from the flashing left light 20L that obstacles 40, 41 exist on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1.
[0036] On the other hand, the obstacle sensor 9R detects that the object 40 is in the yellow region Y and the person 41 is in the red region R, and the obstacle sensor 9L also detects the object 40 and the person 41, so the right light 20R flashes red. The operator can recognize that the obstacle 41 is in the red region R on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the color is red. In addition, the flashing right light 20R also enables the operator to simultaneously recognize that there are obstacles 40, 41 on the left side.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 10(a), an object 40 and a person 41 are present within the detection area D1 of the left obstacle sensor 9L, but no obstacles are present in the detection area D2 of the right obstacle sensor 9R. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the left light 20L lights up in red. The operator can recognize that an obstacle (object) 40 is present on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the color is red. In addition, the operator can recognize that no obstacle is present on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the left light 20L is lit up.
[0038] On the other hand, the obstacle sensor 9R does not detect any obstacles within the detection area D2, so the right light 20R flashes blue. The blue color enables the operator to recognize that there are no obstacles on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, the flashing right light 20R also enables the operator to recognize that there are obstacles 40, 41 on the left side.
[0039] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the left light 20L notifies the presence or absence of an obstacle on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1 and its distance using different colors (first mode). In addition, the left light 20L notifies the presence or absence of an obstacle on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 using a light emission pattern (second mode) that is different from the color. Therefore, by simply looking at the color of the left light 20L, the operator can determine the presence or absence of obstacles 40, 41 on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1 (swinging bed 3) and, if obstacles 40, 41 are present, the distance of the obstacles 40, 41. Moreover, by simply looking at the light emission pattern (on / blinking) of the left light 20L, the operator can also determine the presence or absence of obstacles 40, 41 on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 (swinging bed 3). The same applies to the right light 20R.
[0040] Generally, the operator looks to the left when turning the rotating unit 3 to the left, and to the right when turning to the right. However, it is also possible that the operator does not necessarily look to the left when turning left. If the operator were to look to the right when turning left, the above-described conventional technology would notify the operator of information about surrounding obstacles according to the turning direction, which could delay the acquisition of information about the obstacles.
[0041] In this regard, according to the first embodiment, even if the operator looks to the right while turning left, if the right light 20R is flashing, the operator can recognize that there is an obstacle on the left side. Therefore, the operator can quickly obtain information about obstacles around the rotating unit 3, and can operate the hydraulic excavator 1 more safely and appropriately.
[0042] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, two obstacle sensors 9L1 and 9L2 are provided on the left side of the revolving unit 3, and two obstacle sensors 9R1 and 9R2 are provided on the right side of the revolving unit 3. The obstacle sensor 9L1 detects obstacles to the left front of the hydraulic excavator 1, and the obstacle sensor 9L2 detects obstacles to the left rear of the hydraulic excavator 1. The same applies to the right obstacle sensors 9R1 and 9R2 (see FIG. 12, etc.). The obstacle sensors 9L1, 9L2, 9R1, and 9R2 are examples of a left-side obstacle detection device and a right-side obstacle detection device of the present invention.
[0043] 11, two lights 20L1 and 20L2 are provided on the left pillar 6L of the operator's cab 6, and two lights 20R1 and 20R2 are provided on the right pillar 6R. The left front light 20L1 corresponds to the obstacle sensor 9L1, and the left rear light 20L2 corresponds to the obstacle sensor 9L2. The same is true for the right front light 20R1 and the right rear light 20R2. Of course, as described below, the left front light 20L1 and the left rear light 20L2 can also alert to information about an obstacle on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1, and the right front light 20R1 and the right rear light 20R2 can also alert to information about an obstacle on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1. The left and right lights 20L1, 20L2, 20R1, and 20R2 are examples of the left side alert device and right side alert device of the present invention.
[0044] Next, specific notification modes will be described with reference to Figures 12 to 16, but the same reference numerals are used to denote configurations that overlap with those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. In Figures 12 to 16, reference numerals D11 and D12 denote the detection areas of the obstacle sensors 9L1 and 9L2, respectively, and reference numerals D21 and D22 denote the detection areas of the obstacle sensors 9R1 and 9R2, respectively.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 12(a), no object 40 or person 41 is present within the detection areas D11, D12, D21, and D22 of the left and right obstacle sensors 9L1, 9L2, 9R1, and 9R2. In this case, as shown in FIG. 12(b), the left front light 20L1, the right front light 20R1, the left rear light 20L2, and the right rear light 20R2 all illuminate blue, indicating that no obstacles 40 or 41 are present. For example, the operator can recognize that no obstacles 40 or 41 are present on either the left front or right side (the right front or right rear) of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the left front light 20L1 is illuminated blue. In addition, the operator can recognize that no obstacles 40 or 41 are present on either the left side (the left rear or left rear) or the right rear of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the right rear light 20R2 is illuminated blue. In this way, the operator can recognize the presence or absence of obstacles around the hydraulic excavator 1 and the distance to the obstacles from the color type (first aspect) and light emission pattern (second aspect) of the left front light 20L1, right front light 20R1, left rear light 20L2 and right rear light 20R2.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 13(a), no object 40 or person 41 is present within the detection areas D11, D12 of the left obstacle sensors 9L1, 9L2, but an object 40 is present within the yellow area Y in the detection area D21 of the right front obstacle sensor 9R1. In this case, as shown in FIG. 13(b), the left front light 20L1 and the left rear light 20L2 flash blue. The operator can recognize from the blue color that no obstacle is present on the left front or left rear side of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, the operator can recognize from the flashing of the left front light 20L1 and the left rear light 20L2 that an obstacle 40 is present on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1. In other words, the operator can obtain information about an obstacle on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1 from the color of the left front light 20L1 and the left rear light 20L2, and can simultaneously obtain information about an obstacle on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 from the light emission patterns of the left front light 20L1 and the left rear light 20L2.
[0047] On the other hand, the obstacle sensor 9R1 detects that the object 40 is present in the yellow region Y, and therefore the right front light 20R1 lights up yellow. The operator can recognize from the yellow color that the obstacle 40 is present in the yellow region Y, to the right front of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, because the right front light 20R1 is lit, the operator can also simultaneously recognize that there is no obstacle on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1.
[0048] Also, because the obstacle sensor 9R2 does not detect the obstacles 40, 41, the right rear light 20R2 lights up in blue. The blue color enables the operator to recognize that there is no obstacle to the right rear of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, because the right rear light 20R2 is lit, the operator can also simultaneously recognize that there is no obstacle to the left of the hydraulic excavator 1.
[0049] As shown in FIG. 14(a), an object 40 is present within the red region R of the detection region D12 of the left rear obstacle sensor 9L2, and an object 40 is present within the yellow region Y of the detection region D21 of the right front obstacle sensor 9R1. In this case, as shown in FIG. 14(b), the left rear light 20L2 flashes red. The operator can recognize that the obstacle (object) 40 is present in the nearest red region R to the left rear of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the color is red. In addition, the operator can recognize that an obstacle is present on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the left rear light 20L2 is flashing.
[0050] Furthermore, although the obstacle sensor 9L1 has not detected the obstacles 40, 41, the obstacle sensor 9R1 on the right front has detected the obstacle (object) 40, so the left front light 20L1 flashes blue. The blue color enables the operator to recognize that there is no obstacle to the left front of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, the flashing of the left front light 20L1 also enables the operator to recognize that there is an obstacle 40 on the right side.
[0051] On the other hand, the obstacle sensor 9R1 detects that the object 40 is present in the yellow area Y, and therefore the right front light 20R1 flashes yellow. The operator can recognize from the yellow color that the obstacle 40 is present in the yellow area Y, to the right front of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, the flashing right front light 20R1 also enables the operator to simultaneously recognize that an obstacle 40 is present on the left side.
[0052] Furthermore, although the obstacle sensor 9R2 does not detect obstacles 40, 41, the left rear obstacle sensor 9L2 detects an obstacle (object) 40, and therefore the right rear light 20R2 flashes blue. The blue color enables the operator to recognize that there is no obstacle to the right rear of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, the flashing right rear light 20R2 also enables the operator to recognize that there is an obstacle 40 on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1.
[0053] 15(a), in the detection area D11 of the left front obstacle sensor 9L1, a person 41 is present in the yellow area Y, and in the detection area D12 of the left rear obstacle sensor 9L2, an object 40 is present in the red area R. In addition, in the detection area D21 of the right front obstacle sensor 9R1, an object 40 is present in the yellow area Y, and in the detection area D22 of the right rear obstacle sensor 9R2, a person 41 is present in the red area R. In other words, obstacles 40, 41 are present in the yellow area Y and the red area R on both the left and right sides of the hydraulic excavator 1.
[0054] 15(b), the left front light 20L1 flashes yellow. The operator can recognize from the yellow color that an obstacle 41 is present in the yellow area Y on the left front side of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, the operator can recognize from the flashing left front light 20L1 that obstacles 40, 41 are present on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1.
[0055] Furthermore, the left rear light 20L2 flashes red. The red color enables the operator to recognize that an obstacle 40 is present in the red area R to the left rear of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, the flashing left rear light 20L2 also enables the operator to simultaneously recognize that obstacles 40, 41 are present on the right side.
[0056] Meanwhile, the right front light 20R1 flashes yellow. The yellow color enables the operator to recognize that an obstacle (object) 40 is present in the yellow area Y to the right front of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, the flashing right front light 20R1 also enables the operator to simultaneously recognize that obstacles 40, 41 are present on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1.
[0057] Also, the right rear light 20R2 flashes red. The red color enables the operator to recognize that an obstacle (person) 41 is present in the red area R to the right rear of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, the flashing right rear light 20R2 also enables the operator to simultaneously recognize that obstacles 40, 41 are present on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1.
[0058] As shown in FIG. 16(a), a person 41 is present in a yellow area Y in the detection area D11 of the left front obstacle sensor 9L1, and an object 40 is present in a red area R in the detection area D12 of the left rear obstacle sensor 9L2, but no obstacles are present in the detection area D21 of the right front obstacle sensor 9R1 or the detection area D22 of the right rear obstacle sensor 9R2. In this case, as shown in FIG. 16(b), the left front light 20L1 is illuminated yellow. The operator can recognize that an obstacle (person) 41 is present in the yellow area Y on the left front of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the left front light 20L1 is illuminated. In addition, the operator can recognize that no obstacle is present on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 because the left front light 20L1 is illuminated.
[0059] Furthermore, the left rear light 20L2 is illuminated in red. The red color enables the operator to recognize that an obstacle (object) 40 is present in the red area R to the left rear of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, because the left rear light 20L2 is illuminated, the operator can also simultaneously recognize that no obstacle is present to the right of the hydraulic excavator 1.
[0060] On the other hand, because the obstacle sensor 9R1 has not detected any obstacles within the detection area D21, the right front light 20R1 flashes blue. The blue color enables the operator to recognize that no obstacles exist to the right front of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, because the right front light 20R1 is flashing, the operator can also recognize that obstacles 40, 41 exist on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1.
[0061] Furthermore, because the obstacle sensor 9R2 has not detected any obstacles within the detection area D22, the right rear light 20R2 also flashes blue. The blue color enables the operator to recognize that no obstacles exist to the right rear of the hydraulic excavator 1. In addition, because the right rear light 20R2 is flashing, the operator can also simultaneously recognize that obstacles 40, 41 exist to the left of the hydraulic excavator 1.
[0062] As described above, the second embodiment can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment. That is, the left front and rear lights 20L1 and 20L2 indicate the presence or absence of an obstacle on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1 and its distance using different colors (first mode). In addition, the left front and rear lights 20L1 and 20L2 indicate the presence or absence of an obstacle on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 using different light emission patterns (second mode). Therefore, by simply looking at the colors of the left front and rear lights 20L1 and 20L2, the operator can determine the presence or absence of obstacles 40 and 41 on the left side of the hydraulic excavator 1 and, if obstacles 40 and 41 exist, their distance. In addition, the operator can determine the presence or absence of obstacles 40 and 41 on the right side of the hydraulic excavator 1 by simply looking at the light emission patterns (on / blinking) of the left front and rear lights 20L1 and 20L2. The same applies to the right front and rear lights 20R1 and 20R2.
[0063] Moreover, in the second embodiment, two obstacle sensors, one in the front and one in the back, are provided on each of the left and right sides of the hydraulic excavator 1, so that the situation around the hydraulic excavator 1 can be recognized over a wider range than in the first embodiment, improving workability.
[0064] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these embodiments. Those skilled in the art can implement the present invention in various other forms without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0065] For example, if the left obstacle sensors 9L1 and 9L2 detect the presence of an obstacle in the overlapping area between the front detection area D11 and the rear detection area D12, the presence of the obstacle may be notified by both the left front light 20L1 and the left rear light 20L2, or by only one of them. When only one of them is used to notify, the detection by the front obstacle sensor may be given priority, or the detection by the rear obstacle sensor may be given priority.
[0066] In addition, in the above embodiment, information about obstacles is reported using the left and right lights by the type of color and the light emission pattern, but information about obstacles may be reported only by the type of color, or may be reported only by the light emission pattern. [Explanation of symbols]
[0067] 1. Hydraulic excavator (construction machinery) 2. Running body 2a Lower frame 2b Crawler 3 Rotating body 4 Front work equipment (work equipment) 5 Swivel 6. Driver's cab 6L left pillar 6R right pillar 7 Counterweight 8 Machine room 9L Obstacle sensor (left side obstacle detection device) 9R Obstacle sensor (right-side obstacle detection device) 9L1 Obstacle sensor (left obstacle detection device / first obstacle sensor) 9L2 Obstacle sensor (left obstacle detection device / second obstacle sensor) 9R1 Obstacle sensor (right obstacle detection device / third obstacle sensor) 9L2 Obstacle sensor (right obstacle detection device / fourth obstacle sensor) 10. Boom 11 Arm 12 buckets 13. Window 14 Driver's seat 15L, 15R operating lever 20L Left light (left side warning device) 20L1 Left front light (left side warning device / first warning device) 20L2 Left rear light (left side alarm device / second alarm device) 20R Right light (right side warning device) 20R1 Right front light (right side alarm device / third alarm device) 20R2 Right rear light (right side alarm device / 4th alarm device) 30 Controllers
Claims
1. A running body, a rotating body provided rotatably on the upper part of the traveling body; a work machine provided at the front of the rotating body; a driver's cab mounted on the rotating body and having a driver's seat therein; a left obstacle detection device that detects an obstacle on the left side of the rotating body; a right obstacle detection device that detects an obstacle on the right side of the rotating body; a left-side warning device provided at the left front of the driver's cab and configured to warn the driver of information about the obstacle toward the driver's seat; a right-side warning device provided at the front right of the driver's cab and configured to warn the driver of information about the obstacle toward the driver's seat; a controller for controlling the left side warning device and the right side warning device, The controller When the left obstacle detection device detects an obstacle, the left side alarm device notifies information about the obstacle in a first manner, and the right side alarm device notifies information about the obstacle in a second manner different from the first manner, When the right-side obstacle detection device detects an obstacle, the right-side alarm device notifies information about the obstacle in the first manner, and the left-side alarm device notifies information about the obstacle in the second manner. Construction machinery characterized by:
2. The construction machine according to claim 1, the left obstacle detection device and the right obstacle detection device are capable of detecting a distance of the obstacle from the rotating structure, The first aspect is an aspect in which the presence or absence of the obstacle and the distance of the obstacle to the rotating body can be identified, The second aspect is an aspect in which only the presence or absence of the obstacle can be identified. Construction machinery characterized by:
3. The construction machine according to claim 2, The first aspect is the type of color, The second aspect is a light emitting pattern. Construction machinery characterized by:
4. The construction machine according to claim 1, the left-side obstacle detection device includes a first obstacle sensor that detects the obstacle located on the left front side of the rotating structure, and a second obstacle sensor that detects the obstacle located on the left rear side of the rotating structure, the right-side obstacle detection device includes a third obstacle sensor that detects the obstacle located to the right front of the rotating structure, and a fourth obstacle sensor that detects the obstacle located to the right rear of the rotating structure, the left-side alarm device includes a first alarm device corresponding to the first obstacle sensor and a second alarm device corresponding to the second obstacle sensor, The right-side alarm device includes a third alarm device corresponding to the third obstacle sensor and a fourth alarm device corresponding to the fourth obstacle sensor. Construction machinery characterized by:
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Construction machine
JP2020159045A