Hydraulic excavator

Abstract

To provide a technology suitable for a hydraulic shovel capable of performing work automatically.SOLUTION: A hydraulic shovel comprises: a directional control valve that is automatically controlled by a control command from a machine control controller; and a start switch that causes the machine control controller to execute the automatic control. The start switch is attached to an operation lever for operating the hydraulic shovel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[[TECHNICAL FIELD]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hydraulic excavator. [[BACKGROUND ART]]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for automatically performing leveling work by installing a prism on a blade of a bulldozer, acquiring position information of the blade with a total station, and controlling the blade.

[0003] However, the technique of Patent Document 1 relates to blade work of a bulldozer and cannot be simply applied to a hydraulic excavator. [[PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS]] [[PATENT DOCUMENTS]]

[0004] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-237244 [[SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a technique suitable for a hydraulic excavator capable of automatically performing work. [[Means for Solving the Problem]]

[0006] An exemplary hydraulic excavator of the present invention comprises, from a machine control controller For soil removal equipment a directional control valve automatically controlled by a control command, and an activation switch that causes the machine control controller to perform the automatic control start The activation switch is attached to an operation lever that operates the hydraulic excavator.

[0007] According to an exemplary version of the present invention, it is possible to provide technology suitable for a hydraulic excavator capable of performing operations automatically. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a left side view showing a hydraulic excavator according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows the hydraulic circuit of a hydraulic excavator according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the control system of a hydraulic excavator. [Figure 4] Block diagram of a control system according to another embodiment. [Figure 5] Block diagram of a control system according to another embodiment. [Figure 6] Block diagram of a control system according to another embodiment. [Figure 7A] Block diagram of a control system according to another embodiment. [Figure 7B] This figure shows a hydraulic circuit according to another embodiment. [Figure 8] A schematic perspective view showing the configuration around the driver's seat of a hydraulic excavator equipped with a disable switch. [Figure 9] Schematic diagram to explain blade angle control. [Figure 10] A schematic plan view of the blade operating lever mounted on a hydraulic excavator, seen from rear to front. [Figure 11] A schematic plan view of the blade operating lever on a hydraulic excavator, viewed from front to rear. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] [Overview of Hydraulic Excavators] The general structure of the hydraulic excavator 1 will now be described. As shown in Figure 1, the hydraulic excavator 1 comprises a lower traveling body 2, an upper rotating body 3 that is rotatably mounted above the lower traveling body 2, a boom bracket 4 which is a swinging body supported by the upper rotating body 3 so as to be horizontally rotatable, and a work implement 5 supported by the boom bracket 4 so as to be vertically rotatable.

[0011] The lower traveling body 2 is driven by power from the engine 30 to move and rotate the hydraulic excavator 1. The lower traveling body 2 is equipped with a pair of left and right crawlers 21, 21 and a pair of left and right travel motors 22, 22 that drive them. The lower traveling body 2 is also supported so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction for the soil removal device 20. The soil removal device 20 is equipped with a pair of blade arms 23, 23, a blade 24 (corresponding to a dozer blade) extending in the left and right directions between their tips, a blade lift cylinder 25 for raising and lowering the blade 24, and a blade tilt cylinder 26 (see Figure 2) for tilting the blade 24. By raising and lowering the blade 24, the relative distance between the blade 24 and the ground can be adjusted. By tilting the blade 24, the distance between the lower left or lower right end of the blade 24 and the ground can be adjusted. The blade 24 is equipped with a tilt sensor 26a (see Figure 3) for detecting the inclination angle (tilt angle).

[0012] The blade 24 is fitted with a GNSS antenna 27 that receives signals from positioning satellites to determine its position. The GNSS antenna 27 is fixed to the tip of a support column 27a that is erected from the back of the blade 24. In this embodiment, the hydraulic excavator 1 acquires the position information of the blade 24 using the RTK positioning method, and a reference station (not shown) is installed at the construction site.

[0013] The upper slewing body 3 is configured to rotate around an axis that extends vertically in its central part. The upper slewing body 3 is equipped with an engine 30, a counterweight 31, a cabin 32, a slewing motor 33, and the like. The upper slewing body 3 rotates via a slewing bearing, driven by the slewing motor 33, which is a hydraulic motor.

[0014] A driver's seat 321 for an operator to sit on is provided in the driving section enclosed by the cabin 32. A pair of work operation levers 322, 322 are disposed on the left and right of the driver's seat 321, and a pair of travel levers 323, 323 are disposed in front of the driver's seat 321. An operator, seated on the driver's seat 321 and operating the work operation levers 322, 322, the travel levers 323, 323 and the like, can control the engine 30, each hydraulic motor, each hydraulic actuator and the like to perform travel, turning, work and the like.

[0015] The boom bracket 4 is attached to the front end of the upper swing structure 3 via a stay 34. The stay 34 is provided with a pivot pin 40 whose axis is oriented in the vertical direction. The boom bracket 4 is supported so as to be horizontally swingable about the pivot pin 40 (that is, swingable to the left and right). A swing cylinder 41 (see FIG. 2) that expands and contracts in the front-rear direction is provided between the upper swing structure 3 and the boom bracket 4. The horizontal swing of the boom bracket 4 is operated in accordance with the expansion and contraction of the swing cylinder 41.

[0016] The working implement 5 is driven by power received from the engine 30, and performs work such as earth and sand excavation in accordance with an operation performed at the driving section. The working implement 5 is supported by the boom bracket 4 so as to be vertically pivotable. The boom bracket 4 is provided with a pivot pin 50 whose axis is oriented in the horizontal direction. The base end portion of the working implement 5 (the base end portion of a boom 51 described later) is supported so as to be vertically pivotable about the pivot pin 50. The working implement 5 pivots on a vertical plane orthogonal to the axis of the pivot pin 50. Further, the working implement 5 can perform a swing operation in conjunction with the horizontal swing of the boom bracket 4.

[0017] The work machine 5 is equipped with a boom 51, an arm 52, and a bucket 53, and enables excavation work of soil and other materials by driving these independently. The base end of the boom 51 is attached to the boom bracket 4 so as to be able to rotate up and down, and is rotated by a boom cylinder 51a that is movable so as to be able to extend and retract. The base end of the arm 52 is supported at the tip of the boom 51, and is rotated by an arm cylinder 52a that is movable so as to be able to extend and retract. The base end of the bucket 53 is supported at the tip of the arm 52, and is rotated by a bucket cylinder 53a that is movable so as to be able to extend and retract. The boom cylinder 51a, arm cylinder 52a, and bucket cylinder 53a are composed of hydraulic cylinders.

[0018] [Hydraulic circuit configuration] The hydraulic circuit 6 of the hydraulic excavator 1 will be explained using Figure 2. The hydraulic circuit 6 includes multiple hydraulic actuators 60, a variable displacement pump 61, a fixed displacement pump 62, and a pilot pump 63.

[0019] The multiple hydraulic actuators 60 consist of a first travel motor 22a, a second travel motor 22b (either the left travel motor 22 or the right travel motor 22), a boom cylinder 51a, an arm cylinder 52a, a bucket cylinder 53a, a blade lift cylinder 25, a blade tilt cylinder 26, a slewing motor 33, and a swing cylinder 41.

[0020] The variable displacement pump 61 and the fixed displacement pump 62 are driven by the engine 30 and discharge hydraulic fluid to be supplied to the hydraulic actuator 60. The variable displacement pump 61 drives the first travel motor 22a, the second travel motor 22b, the boom cylinder 51a, the arm cylinder 52a, and the bucket cylinder 53a by supplying hydraulic fluid. The fixed displacement pump 62 drives the blade lift cylinder 25, the blade tilt cylinder 26, the slewing motor 33, and the swing cylinder 41 by supplying hydraulic fluid.

[0021] Each of the multiple hydraulic actuators 60 is provided with a corresponding directional control valve, which is a pilot-operated directional control valve capable of switching the direction and volume of the hydraulic fluid pumped from the variable displacement pump 61 and the fixed displacement pump 62 to the hydraulic actuator 60.

[0022] In this embodiment, a first travel directional control valve 64a corresponding to the first travel motor 22a, a second travel directional control valve 64b corresponding to the second travel motor 22b, a boom directional control valve 64c corresponding to the boom cylinder 51a, an arm directional control valve 64d corresponding to the arm cylinder 52a, a bucket directional control valve 64e corresponding to the bucket cylinder 53a, a blade lift directional control valve 64f corresponding to the blade lift cylinder 25, a blade tilt directional control valve 64g corresponding to the blade tilt cylinder 26, a slewing directional control valve 64h corresponding to the slewing motor 33, and a swing directional control valve 64i corresponding to the swing cylinder 41 are provided. These directional control valves are collectively called control valves 64.

[0023] The pilot pump 63 primarily discharges pilot oil as a command input to the control valve 64. However, in Figure 2, a portion of the oil passage from the pilot pump 63 to the control valve 64 is omitted. The pilot pump 63 is driven by the engine 30 and generates pilot pressure in the oil passage by discharging pressurized oil.

[0024] Furthermore, the hydraulic circuit 6 includes a boom control device 71, an arm control device 72, and a slewing control device 73. The boom control device 71, the arm control device 72, and the slewing control device 73 are composed of a pair of work control levers 322, 322. The hydraulic circuit 6 also includes a blade lift control device 74 and a blade tilt control device 75. The blade lift control device 74 and the blade tilt control device 75 are composed of blade control levers (not shown). Although not shown in Figure 2, the hydraulic circuit 6 also includes a bucket control device and a swing control device.

[0025] The boom control device 71 has a boom remote control valve 710 for switching the direction and pressure of the pilot pressure oil supplied to the boom directional control valve 64c. The boom remote control valve 710 is supplied with pressure oil discharged from the pilot pump 63. The boom remote control valve 710 generates pilot pressure according to the operating direction and amount of the boom control device 71.

[0026] The arm operating device 72 has an arm remote control valve 720 for switching the direction and pressure of the pilot pressurized oil supplied to the arm directional control valve 64d. The arm remote control valve 720 is supplied with pressurized oil discharged from the pilot pump 63. The arm remote control valve 720 generates pilot pressure according to the operating direction and amount of the arm operating device 72.

[0027] The swivel control device 73 includes a swivel remote control valve 730 for switching the direction and pressure of the pilot pressurized oil supplied to the swivel directional control valve 64h. The swivel remote control valve 730 is supplied with pressurized oil discharged from the pilot pump 63. The swivel remote control valve 730 generates pilot pressure according to the operating direction and amount of the swivel control device 73.

[0028] The blade lift operating device 74 includes a blade lift remote control valve 740 for switching the direction and pressure of the pilot pressurized oil supplied to the blade lift directional control valve 64f. The blade lift remote control valve 740 is supplied with pressurized oil discharged from the pilot pump 63. The blade lift remote control valve 740 generates pilot pressure according to the operating direction and amount of the blade lift operating device 74.

[0029] A first machine control oil passage 740d is connected to a first oil passage 740a between a blade lift remote control valve 740 and a blade lift directional control valve 64f via a first shuttle valve 740c. A second machine control oil passage 740f is connected to a second oil passage 740b between a blade lift remote control valve 740 and a blade lift directional control valve 64f via a second shuttle valve 740e. Pilot pressure oil is supplied to the first machine control oil passage 740d and the second machine control oil passage 740f from a pilot pump 63.

[0030] The blade tilt control device 75 includes a blade tilt remote control valve 750 for switching the direction and pressure of the pilot pressurized oil supplied to the blade tilt directional control valve 64g. The blade tilt remote control valve 750 is supplied with pressurized oil discharged from the pilot pump 63. The blade tilt remote control valve 750 generates pilot pressure according to the operating direction and amount of the blade tilt control device 75.

[0031] A third machine control oil passage 750d is connected to a third oil passage 750a between the blade tilt remote control valve 750 and the blade tilt directional control valve 64g via a third shuttle valve 750c. A fourth machine control oil passage 750f is connected to a fourth oil passage 750b between the blade tilt remote control valve 750 and the blade tilt directional control valve 64g via a fourth shuttle valve 750e. Pilot pressure oil is supplied to the third machine control oil passage 750d and the fourth machine control oil passage 750f from a pilot pump 63.

[0032] The first machine control oil passage 740d, the second machine control oil passage 740f, the third machine control oil passage 750d, and the fourth machine control oil passage 750f are each provided with an electromagnetic proportional valve 103. The electromagnetic proportional valve 103 can regulate the pilot pressure according to control commands from the machine control controller 102, which will be described later. As a result, the machine control controller 102 can control the drive of the blade lift cylinder 25 and the blade tilt cylinder 26 by operating the blade lift directional control valve 64f and the blade tilt directional control valve 64g.

[0033] Solenoid valves 104 are provided as prohibition devices in the oil passages between the pilot pump 63 and the boom remote control valve 710, the arm remote control valve 720, and the slewing remote control valve 730. Solenoid valves 104 are also provided in the oil passages between the pilot pump 63 and the bucket remote control valve and the swing remote control valve (not shown). The solenoid valves 104 control the pilot primary pressure from the pilot pump 63 according to control commands from the integrated controller 100, which will be described later. Specifically, the solenoid valves 104 cut off the pilot primary pressure when the release signal from the integrated controller 100 is disconnected. As a result, pressurized oil from the pilot pump 63 is no longer supplied to the boom remote control valve 710, the arm remote control valve 720, the slewing remote control valve 730, the bucket remote control valve, and the swing remote control valve, thus prohibiting the slewing of the upper slewing body 3 and the operation of the work equipment 5 by operating the boom operating device 71, the arm operating device 72, the slewing operating device 73, the bucket operating device, and the swing operating device.

[0034] [Hydraulic Excavator Control System] A brief explanation of an example of the control system of hydraulic excavator 1 is provided. This hydraulic excavator 1 is equipped with an integrated controller 100 as a control device. The integrated controller 100, as the main control unit that controls the drive of hydraulic excavator 1, outputs control instructions to the engine 30 and hydraulic pump mentioned above.

[0035] Furthermore, the hydraulic excavator 1 is equipped with a soil removal control device 101 that controls the soil removal device 20, which includes a blade 24, a blade lift cylinder 25, and a blade tilt cylinder 26. The soil removal control device 101 includes a control valve 64 for machine control (a directional control valve 64f for blade lift and a directional control valve 64g for blade tilt), a machine control controller 102, and an electromagnetic proportional valve 103, which automatically operate the soil removal device 20.

[0036] The machine control controller 102 controls the soil removal device 20 based on the deviation between the target position information of the blade 24 obtained from the design plane data of the construction plan and the current position information of the blade 24.

[0037] The design surface data is electronic data that represents the height of the finished surface in three dimensions at each horizontal coordinate position in the construction section of the planned construction area, and is pre-inputted into the machine control controller 102. The design surface data is stored in the design surface data storage device 102a. Based on the design surface data, the target position of the blade 24 can be set.

[0038] In this embodiment, the current position information of the blade 24 is acquired by the tilt sensor 26a and the GNSS antenna 27. Specifically, by combining the coordinate information of the blade 24 acquired by the GNSS antenna 27 with the tilt angle information of the blade 24 detected by the tilt sensor 26a, the current position information including the position and orientation of the blade 24 can be acquired. The machine control controller 102 has previously stored information such as the width of the blade 24 and the mounting position of the GNSS antenna 27 relative to the blade 24, so it can accurately calculate the current position information of the blade 24.

[0039] The machine control controller 102 includes a blade control command calculation unit 102b. The blade control command calculation unit 102b reads the target position information of the blade 24 from the design surface data stored in the design surface data storage device 102a, compares this target position information with the current position information of the blade 24, and calculates a control command value to send to the electromagnetic proportional valve 103 so that the blade 24 is in the target position.

[0040] The electromagnetic proportional valve 103 controls the drive of the blade lift cylinder 25 and the blade tilt cylinder 26 by adjusting the pilot pressure applied to the blade lift directional control valve 64f and the blade tilt directional control valve 64g in response to control commands from the machine control controller 102.

[0041] A start switch 105 for activating the soil removal control device 101 is connected to the machine control controller 102. The start switch 105 is located in front of the driver's seat 321, and by turning on the start switch 105, automatic control of the blade 24 can be performed.

[0042] In this embodiment, when the machine control controller 102 is activated, the integrated controller 100 receives a signal from the machine control controller 102 and sends a control command to the solenoid valve 104, which shuts off the pilot primary pressure from the pilot pump 63. As a result, the rotation of the upper slewing body 3 and the operation of the work equipment 5 by operating the boom operating device 71, arm operating device 72, slewing operating device 73, bucket operating device and swing operating device are prohibited.

[0043] As described above, the hydraulic excavator 1 of this embodiment has a lower traveling body 2 and An upper rotating body 3 is provided above the lower traveling body 2 so as to be able to rotate, A work machine 5 is supported on the upper rotating body 3 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, A soil removal device 20 is supported on the lower traveling body 2 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, A GNSS antenna 27 and a tilt sensor 26a are positioned on the blade 24 of the soil removal device 20 to acquire current position information regarding the current position of the blade 24, A soil removal control device 101 controls the soil removal device 20 based on the deviation between the target position information of the blade 24 obtained from the design surface data of the construction plan and the current position information. The system includes a solenoid valve 104 that prohibits the rotation of the upper rotating body 3 and the operation of the work implement 5.

[0044] With this configuration, the soil removal device 20 can be controlled by the soil removal control device 101 based on the deviation between the target position information of the blade 24 obtained from the design surface data of the construction plan and the current position information of the blade 24, thereby enabling automatic leveling work. In addition, although the GNSS antenna 27 and tilt sensor 26a are located on the blade 24, the solenoid valve 104 prevents the rotation of the upper rotating body 3 and the operation of the work machine 5, thereby preventing the work machine 5 from coming into contact with and damaging the GNSS antenna 27 and tilt sensor 26a, or from the cable connecting the GNSS antenna 27 and tilt sensor 26a to the upper rotating body 3 being cut.

[0045] In another embodiment, the hydraulic excavator 1 may be equipped with an omnidirectional prism 28 instead of a GNSS antenna 27, as shown in Figure 4. The omnidirectional prism 28 is automatically tracked by a total station 29 separately installed at the construction site. The total station 29 measures the distance and angle to the omnidirectional prism 28 and can obtain coordinate information of the blade 24 from the measured data. The coordinate information of the blade 24 is wirelessly transmitted from the total station 29 to the blade control command calculation unit 102b. The other configurations are the same as in the embodiment described above.

[0046] Furthermore, the hydraulic excavator 1 may be equipped with a prohibition switch 104a that activates a prohibition device (solenoid valve 104), as shown in Figure 5. With this configuration, the operator can activate the prohibition device themselves, and before the hydraulic excavator 1 switches to automatic leveling operation, the operator can set the position of the work implement 5 to a position where it is easy to check the leveling status.

[0047] The prohibit switch 104a may be a push-button switch or a seesaw-type switch. When a signal from the prohibit switch 104a is input to the integrated controller 100, a command signal is input from the integrated controller 100 to the solenoid valve 104, prohibiting the rotation of the upper slewing body 3 and the operation of the work implement 5. The prohibit switch 104a is located in front of the driver's seat 321 and may be positioned adjacent to the start switch 105, or it may be used in conjunction with the start switch 105.

[0048] Furthermore, the hydraulic excavator 1 may be equipped with a connection confirmation means to confirm the connection between the GNSS antenna 27 and the upper slewing body 3, and when the connection confirmation means confirms the connection, the prohibition device may be activated. Specifically, by detecting the transmission of coordinate information from the GNSS antenna 27 to the machine control controller 102, the integrated controller 100 confirms that the GNSS antenna 27 and the upper slewing body 3 are connected by a cable, and the integrated controller 100 receives a signal from the machine control controller 102 and sends a shut-off control command to the solenoid valve 104.

[0049] Furthermore, if the hydraulic excavator 1 is equipped with an omnidirectional prism 28 having a target ID, the omnidirectional prism 28 requires power to transmit the target ID in infrared light. In this case, the power supplied to the omnidirectional prism 28 may be detected to confirm that the omnidirectional prism 28 and the upper rotating body 3 are connected by a cable. Alternatively, the power supplied to the tilt sensor 26a, which is a gyro sensor, may be detected to confirm that the tilt sensor 26a and the upper rotating body 3 are connected by a cable.

[0050] When performing automated leveling work, it is necessary to attach the GNSS antenna 27 and omnidirectional prism 28, which were removed from the hydraulic excavator 1, to the blade 24 in order to prevent theft and to prevent damage caused by contact with the work equipment 5 during normal excavation work. By using this operation as a trigger to disable the rotation of the upper rotating body 3 and the operation of the work equipment 5, damage to the GNSS antenna 27 and omnidirectional prism 28 and the cutting of the cables can be reliably prevented.

[0051] Furthermore, in the hydraulic excavator 1, a prohibition device may be activated when the soil discharge control device 101 is started. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the signal from the start switch 105 may be input simultaneously to the machine control controller 102 and the integrated controller 100.

[0052] With this configuration, the prohibition device can be activated simultaneously with the activation of the soil removal control device 101, thereby reliably preventing damage to the GNSS antenna 27 and omnidirectional prism 28, as well as cable breakage.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7A, the hydraulic excavator 1 may be equipped with a do-off switch 106 as a do-off means for releasing the do-off device. The do-off switch 106 is, for example, a button switch located adjacent to the do-off switch 104a. When the do-off switch 106 is pressed, a do-off signal is input to the integrated controller 100, and the integrated controller 100 inputs a signal to the do-off device (solenoid valve 104) to release its function.

[0054] Furthermore, the prohibition switch 104a itself may have a disabling function. For example, the disabling switch 104a may be considered in the disabling state when it is off, and a signal to disabling the function of the disabling device may be input from the integrated controller 100 to the disabling device.

[0055] Furthermore, the hydraulic excavator 1 may be equipped with a restricting device 107 that, when the release switch 106 is activated, restricts the work implement 5 from entering a restricted area set around the position information acquisition device. With this configuration, even if, for example, the operator activates the release switch 106 to check the leveling status during automatic leveling work, the work implement 5 can be moved safely.

[0056] An example of a restricting device 107 is the solenoid valve shown in Figure 7B. The restricted area for the work equipment 5 is, for example, a circular area set around the GNSS antenna 27 or the omnidirectional prism 28. When the integrated controller 100 detects that the work equipment 5 has entered the boundary area of ​​the restricted area, it sends a control command to the corresponding restricting device 107 and shuts off the pilot secondary pressure input to the directional control valves (boom directional control valve 64c, arm directional control valve 64d, bucket directional control valve 64e, slewing directional control valve 64h, and swing directional control valve 64i) of the hydraulic actuators (boom cylinder 51a, arm cylinder 52a, bucket cylinder 53a, slewing motor 33, and swing cylinder 41) that drive in the direction of approaching the restricted area, thereby restricting the rotation of the upper slewing body 3 and the operation of the work equipment 5. The position information of the work implement 5 is obtained from multiple acceleration sensors (not shown) attached to the work implement 5, and the rotation angle information of the upper rotating body 3 is obtained from a rotation angle sensor (not shown). This information is input to the integrated controller 100.

[0057] When a deactivation signal is input from the deactivation switch 106 to the integrated controller 100, the integrated controller 100 inputs a signal to the deactivation device to deactivate the function of the deactivation device and simultaneously transmits a restriction signal to the restriction device 107. If the deactivation switch 104a has a deactivation function, a separate restriction switch is provided, and after the automatic leveling work is completed and the GNSS antenna 27 and omnidirectional prism 28 are removed, the restriction switch is turned off to deactivate the restriction device 107, thereby allowing normal excavation work to be performed.

[0058] The prohibition switch 104a shown in Figures 5 and 7A will be explained in more detail. Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration around the operator's seat 321 of the hydraulic excavator 1 equipped with the prohibition switch 104a. As shown in Figure 8, the upper slewing body 3 is provided with an operator's seat 321 where the operator sits and a housing member 324. The housing member 324 is arranged around the operator's seat 321. An operating lever 325 operated by the operator protrudes from the housing member 324. In this example, the operator's seat 321 is not enclosed by a cabin, but it may be enclosed by a cabin.

[0059] In this example, the housing member 324 is located on the opposite side of the driver's seat 321 from the entrance 326. The entrance 326 is the part that allows the operator to board the driver's seat 321. By positioning the housing member 324 in this way, the entrance 326 can be made wider, making it easier for the operator to get in and out of the hydraulic excavator 1. The entrance 326 is located to the left of the driver's seat 321, and more specifically, to the left and in front of the driver's seat 321.

[0060] More specifically, the housing member 324 is located to the right of the driver's seat 321. More specifically, one of a pair of operation levers 322, which are spaced apart in the left-right direction, is located to the right of the driver's seat 321. The housing member 324 is located adjacent to the operation lever 322 located to the right of the driver's seat 321. Specifically, the housing member 324 is located to the right of the operation lever 322 on the right side of the driver's seat 321.

[0061] The housing member 324 is made of, for example, resin. The housing member 324 extends in the front-rear direction. Various operating devices necessary for the hydraulic excavator 1 are attached to the housing member 324. A monitor 327, which displays operating information for the hydraulic excavator 1, is mounted at the front end of the housing member 324 with its display screen exposed. Behind the monitor 327, an operating lever 325 protrudes upward from the top surface of the housing member 324. The operating lever 325 is located to the right and slightly in front of the operator sitting in the driver's seat 321. The operating lever 325 is positioned behind the gripping portion of the work operating lever 322. As a result, the operator can operate the operating lever 325 without being obstructed by the work operating lever 322.

[0062] The disable switch 104a is mounted on the housing member 324. With this configuration, the disable switch 104a can be placed in a position that is easily visible and within reach of the operator. As a result, the possibility of forgetting to press the disable switch 104a, which disables the rotation of the upper rotating body 3 and the operation of the work machine 5, before pressing the start switch 105 (see, for example, Figures 5 and 11) to begin the automatic leveling work is reduced.

[0063] In this example, the operating lever 325 is the blade operating lever used to operate the blade 24 (dozer blade). In other words, in this configuration, the prohibition switch 104a can be placed near the blade operating lever 325. This makes it easier to be aware of the presence of the prohibition switch 104a before starting the automatic leveling work using the blade 24, and further reduces the possibility of forgetting to press the prohibition switch 104a.

[0064] In detail, the disable switch 104a is positioned behind the blade operating lever 325. This configuration prevents the disable switch 104a from being obscured by the blade operating lever 325, allowing the operator to operate the disable switch 104a smoothly.

[0065] The disable switch 104a is, for example, a seesaw switch and is located on the upper surface of the housing member 324. In this example, behind the blade operating lever 325, a plurality of switches are arranged in the front-to-back direction on the upper surface of the housing member 324. The disable switch 104a is one of these switches. Which of the plurality of switches is designated as the disable switch 104a can be determined as appropriate. In the example shown in Figure 8, the switch closest to the blade operating lever 325 is the disable switch 104a.

[0066] As described above, the blade operating lever 325 comprises a blade lift operating device 74 and a blade tilt operating device 75. That is, by using the blade operating lever 325, the blade 24 can be raised and lowered, and the blade 24 can be tilted. In this example, the blade operating lever 325 also constitutes a device for adjusting the angle of the blade 24.

[0067] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the angle operation of the blade 24. Figure 9 is a view of the front portion of the hydraulic excavator 1 from above. The blade 24 is supported by the blade arm 23A so as to be rotatable around a vertically extending shaft pin 201. By operating a pair of angle cylinders 202 located on the left and right sides of the blade arm 23A, the blade 24 rotates around the shaft pin 201. The blade 24 shown by the dashed line in Figure 9 shows the blade 24 in a state where it has swung due to the operation of the pair of angle cylinders 202. Angle operation is the operation of swinging both ends of the blade 24 in the left-right direction in the front-back direction.

[0068] The operator can raise and lower the blade 24 by grasping the gripping portion 325a of the blade operating lever 325 and moving the blade operating lever 325 in the forward and backward directions. The blade operating lever 325 is also provided with an operating section that enables tilt and angle control of the blade 24.

[0069] Figure 10 is a schematic plan view of the blade operating lever 325 mounted on the hydraulic excavator 1, viewed from rear to front. As shown in Figure 10, the gripping portion 325a is provided on the tip side of the arm portion 325b that protrudes from the housing member 324. A changeover switch 3251 and an operating roller 3252 are mounted side by side on the upper front end of the gripping portion 325a. The positional relationship between the changeover switch 3251 and the operating roller 3252 may be changed as appropriate.

[0070] The changeover switch 3251 is a switch that switches between tilt operation and angle operation. The changeover switch 3251 is, for example, a seesaw switch. The operating roller 3252 is a rotating body for performing tilt operation or angle operation. The operating roller 3252 can be rotated by an operator because a part of its side surface (outer circumference) protrudes from the surface of the gripping part 325a. When the changeover switch 3251 selects tilt operation, the amount of tilt of the blade 24 can be changed by rotating the operating roller 3252. Also, when the changeover switch 3251 selects angle operation, the front-to-back position of the left and right ends of the blade 24 can be changed by rotating the operating roller 3252.

[0071] The gripping portion 325a of the blade operating lever 325 is provided with a start switch 105 to initiate control by the soil removal control device 101. As a result, the start switch 105, which initiates the automatic leveling work using the blade 24, and the stop switch 104a are located close together. This makes it easier to be aware of the presence of the stop switch 104a before starting the automatic leveling work, and further reduces the possibility of forgetting to press the stop switch 104a.

[0072] Figure 11 is a schematic plan view of the blade operating lever 325 mounted on the hydraulic excavator 1, viewed from front to rear. As shown in Figure 11, in this example, the start switch 105 is mounted on the lower front end of the gripping portion 325a. That is, the start switch 105 is located on the side of the gripping portion 325a opposite to the side where the changeover switch 3251 and the operating roller 3252 are provided. The start switch 105 is, for example, a seesaw switch. An operator holding the gripping portion 325a with their right hand can, for example, operate the start switch 105 with their index finger and operate the changeover switch 3251 and the operating roller 3252 with their thumb.

[0073] In the above, the housing member 324 from which the operating lever 325 protrudes is positioned on the opposite side of the driver's seat 321 from the boarding door 326 side. However, this is merely an example. For example, the housing member from which the operating lever protrudes may be positioned on the boarding door 326 side of the driver's seat 321. In this case, for example, the housing member from which the operating lever protrudes may be the housing member from which the work operating lever 322 protrudes. Furthermore, even if the housing member from which the operating lever protrudes is positioned on the opposite side of the driver's seat 321 from the boarding door 326 side, the housing member may be the housing member from which the work operating lever 322 protrudes.

[0074] The present invention is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and will not depart from the spirit of the present invention. Various improvements and modifications are possible within the given range. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1. Hydraulic excavator 2 Lower running body 3. Upper rotating body 4. Boom Bracket 5. Work equipment 6. Hydraulic Circuit 20 Earth removal equipment 24 blades 25 Blade Lift Cylinder 26 Blade Tilt Cylinder 26a Tilt sensor 27 GNSS antenna 28 Omnidirectional Prism 29 Total Station 64. Control valve (directional control valve) 100 Integrated Controllers 101 Soil Removal Control Device 102 Machine Control Controller 103 Solenoid proportional valve 104 Solenoid valve 104a Prohibition Switch 105 Start switch 106 Unblock Switch 107 Regulatory device 321 Driver's seat 324 Housing components 325 Blade operating lever (operating lever) 325a Grip Gate 326

Claims

1. A hydraulic excavator comprising a directional control valve that is automatically controlled by a control command for the soil removal device from a machine control controller, and a start switch that causes the machine control controller to start the automatic control, A hydraulic excavator, wherein the start switch is attached to the operating lever used to operate the hydraulic excavator.

2. The hydraulic excavator according to claim 1, wherein the operating lever is located to the side of the driver's seat.

3. The hydraulic excavator according to claim 2, wherein the start switch is mounted on the gripping portion of the operating lever.

4. The hydraulic excavator according to claim 3, wherein the start switch is located on the rear side of the gripping portion when viewed from the rear of the driver's seat.

5. The hydraulic excavator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the directional control valve is operable by operating the operating lever.

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