Pile driving device

Abstract

This pile driving device 100 comprises: a main body part 104 including a traveling device 102; a pile driver 20 for performing pile driving; and a movement device 30 which is connected to the main body part 40 and moves the pile driver 20. In addition, a control device causes pile driving to be performed while the traveling device 102 is traveling (while the main body part 104 is moving). Accordingly, since the number of stops of the traveling device 102 can be reduced, the number of acceleration / deceleration instances can be reduced, and an improvement in energy efficiency can be achieved.　

Description

Pile driving equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a pile driving device.

[0002] For example, when installing a mega solar power generation facility, when retaining soil on land, or when laying the foundations for a fence, construction work may involve driving piles directly into the ground.

[0003] When driving a large number of piles into the ground, heavy machinery such as a crane truck equipped with a pile driver may be used. When driving a large number of piles using such heavy machinery, the heavy machinery must be moved to the vicinity of the driving site, stopped while driving the piles, and after the pile driving work is completed, moved to the vicinity of the next driving site, stopped while driving the piles, and so on, and the heavy machinery must be repeatedly moved and stopped (see, for example, Patent Document 1, etc.).

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-190382

[0005] However, when heavy machinery repeatedly moves and stops, it frequently accelerates and decelerates, which consumes fuel and electricity and is therefore inefficient in energy consumption.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pile driving device that is energy efficient.

[0007] The pile driving device of the present invention comprises a main body with a traveling device, a pile driver that drives piles, a moving device connected to the main body and that moves the pile driver, and a control device that drives the piles while the traveling device is traveling.

[0008] According to the pile driving device of the present invention, energy efficiency can be improved.

[0009] FIGS. 1(a) to 1(c) are schematic diagrams showing a pile driving device according to a first embodiment. FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are enlarged views of the pile driver. FIG. 3(a) is an enlarged view of the moving device, and FIG. 3(b) is a diagram for explaining the Chebyshev link mechanism. This is a block diagram showing the control system of the pile driving device. This is a flowchart showing the operation of the pile driving device during pile driving operations. FIGS. 6(a) to 6(c) are diagrams (part 1) showing the movement of the pile driving device. FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c) are diagrams (part 2) showing the movement of the pile driving device. FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) are diagrams (part 3) showing the movement of the pile driving device. FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) are diagrams (part 4) showing the movement of the pile driving device. This is a diagram for explaining a method for determining the movement speeds of the main body and the moving device. This is a diagram showing an example of setting the movement speeds Vv and Vm in the first embodiment. FIGS. 12(a) to 12(c) are schematic diagrams showing a pile driving device according to a second embodiment. They are diagrams showing examples of setting the movement speeds Vv and Vm in the second embodiment. FIGS. 14(a) to 14(d) are diagrams for explaining a transfer mechanism according to Modification 1. FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b) are diagrams for explaining a method of transferring piles using the transfer mechanism according to Modification 1. FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b) are diagrams for explaining a supply table according to Modification 2. FIGS. 17(a) and 17(b) are diagrams for explaining a method of supplying piles to a transfer mechanism using the supply table according to Modification 2.

[0010] First Embodiment A first embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0011] 1(a) to 1(c) are schematic diagrams showing a pile driving device 100 according to a first embodiment. In this embodiment, the direction in which the pile driving device 100 moves straight when driving piles is defined as the X-axis direction, the vertical direction as the Z-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the X-axis and the Z-axis as the Y-axis direction. FIG. 1(a) is a diagram showing the pile driving device 100 as viewed from the -Y direction, FIG. 1(b) is a diagram showing the pile driving device 100 as viewed from the +X direction, and FIG. 1(c) is a diagram showing the pile driving device 100 as viewed from the +Z direction.

[0012] 1(a) to 1(c), the pile driving device 100 includes a main body 104, a robot arm 10 as a first supply device provided on the main body 104, a pile driver 20 that drives the piles, and a moving device 30 that moves the pile driver 20 relative to the main body 104. For convenience of illustration, the robot arm 10 is omitted in FIG. 1(b). The pile driving device 100 of this embodiment is an autonomous type that does not have a driver's seat.

[0013] The main body 104 moves on the ground by a traveling device 102 having four wheels (tires). The traveling device 102 rotates by receiving driving force from a driving source 106 (see FIG. 4 ). The driving source 106 is, for example, an internal combustion engine. However, the driving source 106 is not limited to this, and may be a battery and a motor. The driving source 106 may also be a combination of an internal combustion engine and a motor (a hybrid driving source). Instead of wheels, a pair of tracks (crawlers) wound around an idler wheel and a driving wheel may be used.

[0014] The robot arm 10 is a device that grasps a pile 200 loaded on a main body 104, transports it to the vicinity of the pile driver 20, and hands it over to the pile driver 20. The robot arm 10 has an arm 12 with multiple joints, a rotating unit 14 that rotates the entire arm 12 around the Z axis, and a hand 16 provided at the tip of the arm 12. As shown in FIG. 1( c ), the hand 16 has an attraction unit 17 and a gripping unit 19. The attraction unit 17 has an electromagnet, and when a current is supplied to the electromagnet, it magnetically attracts (sucks) the iron pile 200. The gripping unit 19 grips the pile 200. When the gripping unit 19 grasps the pile 200, the robot arm 10 can firmly hold the pile 200 by generating a magnetic attraction force of the attraction unit 17. This prevents the pile 200 from falling when the robot arm 10 transports the pile 200. Note that the suction unit 17 may have a mechanism for generating other suction forces, such as vacuum suction force, instead of the electromagnet.

[0015] Note that, when controlling the robot arm 10, an image captured by an imaging device (not shown) provided in the hand unit 16 is used. By controlling the robot arm 10 based on the image, the robot arm 10 can accurately hold the stake 200. Note that the imaging device does not have to be provided in the hand unit 16. For example, it may be provided in a part of the main body 104, or it may be provided in a drone capable of flying near the stake driving device 100. Alternatively, a LiDAR (LiDAR) may be used instead of the imaging device. LiDAR is a sensor that scans electromagnetic waves, such as ultraviolet, visible, or near-infrared pulsed laser, and detects information such as the distance to an object, the shape, material, and color of the object based on the emitted light and scattered light. In this first embodiment, the LiDAR can detect the stake driving location and measure the driven stake.

[0016] 2(a) and 2(b) are enlarged views of the pile driver 20. Note that Fig. 2(a) is a view of the pile driver 20 as seen from the -Y direction, and Fig. 2(b) is a view of the pile driver 20 as seen from the +X direction.

[0017] As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the pile driver 20 has a slide section 22 connected to a moving device 30, a gimbal 24 as a holding mechanism connected to the slide section 22, a wire hoisting section 26 provided below the gimbal 24, and a vibro hammer 28 suspended and held by a wire 27 connected to the wire hoisting section 26.

[0018] The slide unit 22 is a mechanism that moves the structure below the gimbal 24 of the pile driver 20 in the directions of arrows A and A' (Y-axis direction) in Figure 2(b) . The slide unit 22 may be a feed screw type drive mechanism, a linear motor type drive mechanism, or any other type of drive mechanism.

[0019] The gimbal 24 has rotation axes 25Y and 25X extending in the Y-axis and X-axis directions, and allows rotation around the Y-axis (movement in the B-B' directions in FIG. 2(a)) and rotation around the X-axis (movement in the C-C' directions in FIG. 2(b)). Since the vibrohammer 28 holds the pile 200, which is a heavy object as described below, the movement of the gimbal 24 keeps the wire 27 always extended vertically (maintaining verticality) even when the ground is inclined or the main body 104 is tilted. Furthermore, the longitudinal direction of the pile 200 held by the vibrohammer 28 is always aligned with the vertical direction. The gimbal 24 may be provided with a driving device such as a motor to drive the gimbal 24 so that the longitudinal direction of the pile 200 is aligned with the vertical direction.

[0020] The wire winding unit 26 adjusts the height position of the vibro hammer 28 and the pile 200 held by the vibro hammer 28 by adjusting the amount of winding of the wire 27 .

[0021] The vibro hammer 28 holds (grabs) the upper end of the standing (upright) pile 200 by using a chuck mechanism 29 (see FIG. 4 ). The vibro hammer 28 drives (drives) the pile 200 into the ground to a desired depth by using vibration force.

[0022] Returning to Fig. 1(a), the moving device 30 is a device that uses a Chebyshev link mechanism to move the pile driver 20. Fig. 3(a) is an enlarged view of the moving device 30, and Fig. 3(b) is a diagram for explaining the Chebyshev link mechanism.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3A, the moving device 30 includes a driver 32, a follower 34, an intermediate link 36, and a rotary drive device 38 that rotates the driver 32 around a rotation axis 33. Each link of the moving device 30 has dimensions (length ratios) as shown in FIG. 3B. That is, if the length of the driver 32 is 1, the length of the follower 34 is 2.5, and the length of the intermediate link 36 is 5. The follower 34 is connected to the longitudinal midpoint of the intermediate link 36. By setting each link to these dimensions, a Chebyshev link mechanism is formed. That is, when the driver 32 is rotated counterclockwise around the rotation axis 33 by the rotary drive device 38 (see the dot-dash circle in FIG. 3B), the upper end 36e of the intermediate link 36 moves along a path indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 3B. This path indicated by a dashed line includes a portion extending in the X-axis direction. In other words, the Chebyshev link mechanism has the function of converting rotational motion into linear motion. Therefore, with the movement device 30, the upper end 36e of the intermediate link 36 (the part to which the pile driver 20 is connected) can be moved back and forth between point A (initial position) and point B in Figure 3(b), and the movement from point A to point B can be along the X axis.

[0024] 4 is a block diagram showing a control system of the pile driving device 100. In addition to the robot arm 10, pile driver 20, moving device 30, and drive source 106 described above, the pile driving device 100 also includes a control device 50, a communication device 52, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) 54, an imaging device 56, a memory (recording device) 58, and the like.

[0025] The control device 50 has a CPU and controls the operation of each component when performing pile driving work using the pile driver 100. The communication device 52 acquires a pile driving plan from an external device (such as a terminal used by the worker or a host computer) and stores it in the memory 58. The host computer has a CPU with higher processing performance than the CPU of the control device 50. Therefore, the host computer may perform various analyses, such as analysis of images captured by the imaging device 56 and analysis of the posture of driven piles. The pile driving plan is map data indicating the positions and order in which piles should be driven. The GNSS 54 uses artificial satellites to locate the position of the pile driver 100. The imaging device 56 captures images of marks indicating pile driving positions marked on the ground in advance and the condition of the piles after driving. Note that the GNSS 54 and imaging device 56 are assumed to be installed on the main body 104, as shown in FIG. 1 . The memory 58 stores the pile driving plan as described above. The memory 58 also stores the analysis results when the control device 50 analyzes the image (image of the state of the pile after driving) captured by the imaging device 56. Furthermore, the memory 58 stores various control data (e.g., data on the moving speed of the main body 104 and the moving speed of the moving device 30) used when performing pile driving work.

[0026] When performing pile driving work, the control device 50 of this embodiment drives the main body 104 at a constant speed in a predetermined direction (for example, the +X direction as the second direction) while driving the pile driver 20 relative to the main body 104 in the −X direction as the first direction via the movement device 30. The speed of the pile driver 20 at this time is the same as (but opposite to) the speed of the main body 104. This prevents the pile driver 20 from moving relative to the ground during pile driving work.

[0027] (Pile Driving Operation Using the Pile Driving Device 100) Next, the operation of the pile driving device 100 during pile driving operation will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 5 and other drawings as appropriate. The processing in FIG. 5 begins when the control device 50 acquires a pile driving plan via the communication device 52 and stores it in the memory 58. The following description will be given of a case in which piles are driven into multiple locations aligned in the X-axis direction using the pile driving device 100. It is also assumed that the pile driving device 100 is positioned at a predetermined distance on the -X side of the location where the pile will first be driven.

[0028] When the process of FIG. 5 starts, the control device 50 starts moving at a constant speed toward the first pile driving location (step S10). In this embodiment, the control device 50 rotates the wheels of the traveling device 102 via the drive source 106, thereby moving the entire pile driving device 100 at a constant speed in the +X direction. FIG. 6(a) shows the pile driving device 100 starting to move at a constant speed in the direction of the white arrow. The position indicated by a triangle in FIG. 6(a) indicates the first pile driving location (the location marked with a white line or the like).

[0029] Next, the control device 50 sets the moving device 30 to its initial state (step S12). The initial state refers to a state in which the upper end 36e of the intermediate link 36 of the moving device 30 is located at point A (initial position) shown in FIG. 3(a). As shown in FIG. 6(b), the control device 50 controls the rotation drive device 38 to rotate the driver link 32 of the moving device 30 counterclockwise (in the direction of arrow D), thereby moving the pile driver 20 in the direction of arrow E, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 6(c). The control device 50 can confirm the state of the moving device 30 (the position of the upper end 36e of the intermediate link 36) based on the results of detecting the state of the driver link 32 using an encoder or the like.

[0030] Next, the control device 50 causes the robot arm 10 to grasp the pile 200 (step S14). More specifically, the control device 50 controls the arm unit 12 and the swivel unit 14 to bring the hand unit 16 close to the pile 200 placed on the main body unit 104, grasp the pile 200 with the grasper 19 (see FIG. 1(c)), and turn on magnetic attraction by the suction unit 17 (see FIG. 1(c)). This allows the robot arm 10 to grasp the pile 200 as shown in FIG. 6(c).

[0031] Next, the control device 50 causes the pile driver 20 to grip the pile 200 (step S16). In this case, the control device 50 controls the robot arm 10 to cause the chuck mechanism 29 of the vibro hammer 28 of the pile driver 20 to grip the upper end of the pile 200. Figure 7(a) shows the pile driver 20 gripping the pile 200 (transferred state).

[0032] Next, the control device 50 determines whether or not the vicinity of the stakeout position has been reached (step S18). The control device 50 determines whether or not the vicinity of the stakeout position has been reached based on the information on the stakeout plan map and the measurement results of the GNSS 54.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 7B, when the pile driving device 100 reaches the vicinity of the pile driving position, the control device 50 captures an image of the surrounding area using the imaging device 56, and recognizes the pile driving position using the captured image (step S20).

[0034] Next, the control device 50 controls the sliding unit 22 to adjust the position (Y position) of the pile driver 20 (step S22). Specifically, the control device 50 controls the sliding unit 22 based on the image captured by the imaging device 56 so that the position of the pile driving position in the Y axis direction coincides with the position of the pile 200 gripped by the pile driver 20 in the Y axis direction. The position of the sliding unit 22 can be detected by a linear encoder or the like provided on the sliding unit 22.

[0035] Next, the control device 50 waits until the pile driver 20 (pile 200) is positioned directly above the pile driving position (step S24). The control device 50 can determine whether the pile 200 is directly above the pile driving position from the image captured by the imaging device 56. When the pile 200 is positioned directly above the pile driving position, the control device 50 drives the pile while moving the pile driver 20 relative to the main body 104 (step S26). At this time, the control device 50 controls the rotation drive device 38 so that the movement speed of the pile driver 20 in the -X direction matches the movement speed of the main body 104. This maintains the pile 200 in a stationary state relative to the ground. Therefore, the control device 50 starts driving the pile 200 with the vibratory hammer 28 while the pile 200 is not moving relative to the ground. Figure 7(c) shows the state after driving has begun.

[0036] Next, the control device 50 waits until the moving device 30 reaches the pile driving completion state (step S28). The pile driving completion state refers to the state in which the moving device 30 transitions from FIG. 8(a) to FIG. 8(b) and reaches the position furthest on the -X side of its movement range (point B in FIG. 3(b)), as shown in FIG. 9(b). In this embodiment, the moving speed of the main body 104 and the moving speed of the moving device 30 are predetermined so that the pile driving is completed when the moving device 30 reaches the position shown in FIG. 9(b), as will be described in detail later.

[0037] 9(b), the control device 50 releases the grip of the pile 200 by the vibro hammer 28 (chuck mechanism 29). The control device 50 also returns the moving device 30 to its initial state (step S30). This process of returning the moving device 30 to its initial state is the same as that of step S12 described above.

[0038] Next, the control device 50 uses the imaging device 56 to capture an image of the driven pile 200 and analyzes the captured image to confirm whether the pile driving was performed properly. The control device 50 uses image analysis to confirm whether the pile 200 was driven straight and whether the pile 200 was driven to an appropriate distance. Furthermore, if the pile driving was not performed properly, the control device 50 adjusts subsequent pile driving (step S32). For example, if the image analysis shows that the pile 200 was not driven sufficiently, the ground may be hard, so the control device 50 adjusts (slows) the movement speed of the main body 104 and the movement speed of the moving device 30 to drive the pile 200 sufficiently. Conversely, if the pile 200 was driven deeper than expected, the ground may be loose, so the control device 50 increases the movement speed of the main body 104 and the movement speed of the moving device 30 or shortens the operating time (driving time) of the vibro hammer 28 to prevent the pile 200 from being driven too deeply. In other words, in this embodiment, the control device 50 realizes a detection device that detects the state of the pile 200 from the image captured by the imaging device 56, and an adjustment device that adjusts the way in which subsequent piles are driven based on the state of the pile 200.

[0039] In step S32, if the pile 200 cannot be driven properly, data on the position information of the pile, whether correction or re-driving is necessary, etc., are added to the pile driving plan. The control device 50 may also transmit position information of piles that require correction or re-driving to the aforementioned terminal or host computer via the communication device 52. The position information of piles that require correction or re-driving may also be displayed on a display device (not shown) of the aforementioned terminal or host computer. This allows the worker to confirm which piles need to be re-driving, etc.

[0040] The control device 50 then determines whether all pile driving has been completed (step S34). If this determination is negative, the process returns to step S14 and the above-described process is repeated. Note that the process of step S14 (the process of having the robot arm 10 grip the pile) may be completed before the determination in step S34 is affirmative. In other words, the robot arm 10 may grip the pile 200 in advance in parallel with the pile driving operation by the pile driver 20.

[0041] Thereafter, if the determination in step S34 is affirmative, the entire process of FIG. 5 ends.

[0042] (Method for Determining the Moving Speed) Next, a method for determining the moving speed of the main body 104 and the moving device 30 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0043] As shown in Figure 10, the pile driving interval is defined as D (m), the pile driving length is defined as L (m), the moving speed of the main body 104 is defined as Vv (m / min), and the moving speed of the moving device 30 (pile driver 20) is defined as Vm (m / min). Also, the driving speed of the pile driver 20 is defined as Vp (m / min).

[0044] In this case, the time Tp (min) required for the pile driver 20 to drive the pile is expressed by the following equation (1): Tp=L / Vp (1)

[0045] Furthermore, if the time Tb (min) required for the moving device 30 to return from point B to point A in FIG. 3B is defined as half of the pile driving time, the time Tb is expressed by the following equation (2): Tb=Tp / 2 (2)

[0046] If the time it takes for the robot arm 10 to make the pile driver 20 grip the pile (the time the moving device 30 is stopped at point A in FIG. 3(b)) is Tw, the driving cycle time (the time required to drive one pile) T is expressed by the following equation (3): T=Tb+Tw+Tp (3)

[0047] In this embodiment, since it is sufficient to move a distance D (pile driving interval) during the driving cycle time T, the moving speed Vv of the main body 104 may be set to a value obtained from the following equation (4): Vv = D / T (4)

[0048] The moving speed Vm of the moving device 30 (pile driver 20) may be a value obtained from the following equation (5): Vm=-Vv (5)

[0049] An example of setting the moving speeds Vv and Vm is shown in Figure 11. For example, when the pile spacing is 2 m and the pile driving speed is 2 m / min, and the pile driving length is set to 0.5 m, 1 m, or 1.5 m, the moving speeds Vv and Vm should be set to the values ​​shown in Figure 11.

[0050] As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, the pile driving device 100 includes a main body 104 equipped with a traveling device 102, a pile driver 20 that drives piles, and a moving device 30 connected to the main body 104 and moving the pile driver 20. The control device 50 drives piles while the traveling device 102 is traveling (while the main body 104 is moving). This reduces the number of times the traveling device 102 stops, thereby reducing the number of times it accelerates and decelerates, and improving energy efficiency. Furthermore, by driving piles without stopping the traveling device 102, the construction period for pile driving can be shortened compared to when the traveling device 102 moves to the vicinity of the pile driving position, stops, and drives piles while stopped.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control device 50 causes the moving device 30 to move the pile driver 20 in a predetermined direction (for example, the -X direction) while the pile driver 20 is driving the pile. This predetermined direction (-X direction) is opposite to the direction in which the main body 104 moves while the pile driver 20 is driving the pile. The main body 104 and the pile driver 20 move at the same speed (but in opposite directions). This allows the pile 200 and the pile driver 20 to drive the pile while remaining stationary relative to the ground, thereby enabling the pile 200 to be driven accurately without tilting or the like.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the movement speed Vv of the main body 104 and the movement speed Vm of the movement device 30 are determined based on the distance D between two piles driven in succession by the pile driver 20, the driving length L of the piles, and the driving speed Vp of the pile driver 20. This allows the control device 50 to set the movement speeds Vv and Vm to appropriate speeds.

[0053] In this embodiment, the moving speed Vv of the main body 104 and the moving speed Vm of the moving device 30 are determined based on the time Tb required for the moving device 30 to return from point B to point A in Fig. 3(b) and the time Tw required for the robot arm 10 to cause the pile driver 20 to grip the pile. This makes it possible to set the moving speeds Vv and Vm to appropriate speeds.

[0054] In this embodiment, the moving device 30 uses a Chebyshev link mechanism that converts rotational motion into linear motion, thereby enabling the pile driver 20 to move linearly with a simple configuration.

[0055] In this embodiment, the pile driver 20 also has a gimbal 24. This makes it possible to maintain the verticality of the wire 27 that suspends and holds the vibro hammer 28 and the pile 200 gripped by the vibro hammer 28. Therefore, the pile 200 can be driven in with high precision.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control device 50 adjusts the driving method of subsequent piles based on images of the state of the piles driven by the pile driver 20. This allows the driving method to be adjusted so that if a driving attempt fails, the same failure will not occur again in the future.

[0057] In addition, in this embodiment, the control device 50 displays the position information of the piles 200 that could not be driven properly, whether correction or re-driving is necessary, etc. on a display device (not shown) as described above, so that the worker can easily check the information of the piles that need to be corrected or re-drowned.

[0058] In this embodiment, the robot arm 10 that supplies piles to the pile driver 20 has a suction unit 17 that sucks the pile 200 and a gripping unit 19 that grips the pile 200. As a result, the suction unit 17 can assist the gripping unit 19 in gripping the pile, thereby preventing the pile from falling.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the case has been described in which, when the pile driver 20 drives a pile, the movement device 30 moves the pile driver 20 in the direction opposite (-X axis direction) to the movement direction (+X direction) of the main body 104. However, this is not limited to this, and the movement device 30 may move the pile driver 20 in a direction that includes a component opposite to the movement direction of the main body 104 (for example, in the XZ plane). In this case, the pile driver 20 may appropriately adjust the wire hoisting unit 26 so that the position of the vibro hammer 28 is appropriate.

[0060] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 12(a) to 12(c). Figure 12(a) is a diagram showing a pile driving device 300 according to the second embodiment as viewed from the -Y direction, Figure 12(b) is a diagram showing the pile driving device 300 as viewed from the +X direction, and Figure 12(c) is a diagram showing the pile driving device 300 as viewed from the +Z direction. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0061] The pile driving device 300 of the second embodiment has a pile driver 320 using a hydraulic jack instead of the pile driver 20 (pile driver having a vibro hammer 28) of the first embodiment. Also, the pile driving device 300 of the second embodiment has a slide mechanism 330 instead of the moving device 30 of the first embodiment.

[0062] The slide mechanism 330 has a stator 332 fixed on the main body 104, and a mover 334 that slides along the X-axis direction on the stator 332. The slide mechanism 330 may be a linear motor, a feed screw type drive mechanism, or any other drive mechanism.

[0063] The pile driver 320 has a table 322, a pair of hydraulic jacks 324 provided on the table 322, and a pair of gripping mechanisms 326 connected to the pair of hydraulic jacks 324, respectively. The pair of gripping mechanisms 326 have chuck mechanisms that grip the pile 200. When the pile 200 is to be gripped by the pair of gripping mechanisms 326, the robot arm 10 transports and hands over the pile 200 loaded on the main body 104. The hydraulic jack 324 applies a press-in force to the pile 200 gripped by the pair of gripping mechanisms 326.

[0064] An actuator 340 is provided between the table 322 and the mover 334, driving the table 322 in six degrees of freedom. A parallel link mechanism or the like can be used as the actuator 340. The parallel link mechanism is a mechanical structure in which a pair of plate members, the table 322 and the mover 334, are connected in parallel by a plurality of actuators 340. Like the gimbal 24 and the slide unit 22 in the first embodiment, the actuator 340 is used to adjust the position of the pile 200 in the Y-axis direction and maintain its verticality. In the first embodiment, the gimbal 24 allows changes in the rotational directions of the vibro hammer 28 about the X-axis and Y-axis, and the slide unit 22 adjusts the position of the vibro hammer 28 in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a mechanism other than a parallel link mechanism may be used for the table 322 as long as it can be driven in three degrees of freedom, in the rotational directions about the X-axis and Y-axis and in the Y-axis direction.

[0065] As described above, the configuration of the pile driving device 300 of the second embodiment differs from the configuration of the pile driving device 100 of the first embodiment in some respects. However, the operation during pile driving is the same as that of the first embodiment. That is, when performing pile driving, the control device 50 of the pile driving device 300 of the second embodiment drives the main body 104 at a constant speed in a predetermined direction (e.g., the +X direction) while driving the pile driver 320 relative to the main body 104 in the -X direction via the slide mechanism 330. By setting the speed of the pile driver 20 at the same speed as (but opposite to) the speed of the main body 104, the pile driver 20 does not move relative to the ground during pile driving. Furthermore, the control device 50 controls the position and attitude of the table 322 using the actuator 340 to align the pile 200 with the driving position and maintain the pile's verticality.

[0066] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the pile driving device 300 includes the main body 104 equipped with the traveling device 102, the pile driver 320 that drives the piles, and the slide mechanism 330 connected to the main body 104 and moving the pile driver 320. The control device 50 drives the piles while the traveling device 102 is traveling (while the main body 104 is moving). This reduces the number of times the traveling device 102 stops, thereby reducing the number of times it accelerates and decelerates. This improves energy efficiency. Furthermore, by driving the piles without stopping the traveling device 102, the throughput of the pile driving operation can be improved compared to when the traveling device 102 moves to the vicinity of the pile driving position, stops, and drives the piles while stopped.

[0067] 13 shows an example of setting the moving speed Vv of the main body 104 and the moving speed Vm of the pile driver 320 in the second embodiment. The moving speeds Vv and Vm can be set in the same manner as in the first embodiment. For example, when the pile spacing is 2 m and the pile driving speed is 8 m / min, and the pile driving length is set to 3 m, 4 m, or 5 m, the moving speeds Vv and Vm can be set to the values ​​shown in FIG.

[0068] In the second embodiment, the pile driving device 300 drives the pile 200 while the pile driver 320 attached to the main body 104 moves in the opposite direction relative to the main body 104 while the main body 104 is moving. However, this is not limiting, and the pile driver 320 may move in the opposite direction relative to the main body 104 while the main body 104 is moving, and the pile driven into the ground may be removed by the action of the hydraulic jack 324. In this way, it is possible to improve energy efficiency when removing piles, for example, in a mega solar power generation facility.

[0069] (Variation 1) In the above first and second embodiments, the case where the robot arm 10 directly transfers the pile 200 loaded on the main body 104 to the pile driver 20, 320 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, assume that the transfer position of the pile 200 to the pile driver 20, 320 is the position indicated by the dashed line in Figures 14(a) and 14(b). In this case, a transfer mechanism 500 that mediates the transfer of the pile 200 between the robot arm 10 and the pile driver 20, 320 may be provided near the transfer position indicated by the dashed line. The transfer mechanism 500 is assumed to be installed on the main body 104.

[0070] 14(a) and 14(b), the transfer mechanism 500 has a tapered container 400 and a feeder 410. The tapered container 400 has a function of guiding the piles 200 transported by the robot arm 10 to the feeder 410. The tapered container 400 has a notch 402 on the −X side surface thereof that is large enough to allow the piles 200 to pass through.

[0071] The feeder 410 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is rotatable around the Z-axis around a rotation shaft 420. Recesses 412, 414 large enough to fit one end of the pile 200 are provided near both longitudinal ends of the top surface of the feeder 410. The recesses 412, 414 function as holders that can hold the pile 200 in an upright position. In the state shown in FIGS. 14( a) and 14(b), neither of the recesses 412, 414 is located below the tapered container 400. However, as shown in FIGS. 14(c) and 14(d), when the feeder 410 rotates around the Z-axis around the rotation shaft 420, the recess 412 (or 414) is located below the tapered container 400 (first position).

[0072] In this first modification, in the state shown in Figures 14(c) and 14(d), the robot arm 10 inserts the pile 200 from above into the tapered container 400 as shown in Figure 15(a). As a result, the pile 200 is guided into the tapered container 400, and one end (lower end) of the pile 200 fits into the recess 412 of the feeder 410, and the pile 200 is held in an upright position.

[0073] 15(b), the supply machine 410 rotates around the Z axis, centering on the rotation axis 420, and the pile 200 passes through the notch 402 and moves to the transfer position (second position) indicated by the dashed line. This enables the transfer mechanism 500 to transfer the pile 200 to the pile driver 20, 320. Before the pile driver 20, 320 starts driving the pile, the supply machine 410 rotates 90° around the rotation axis 420, and assumes the state shown in FIGS. 14(a) and 14(b).

[0074] In this first modification, while the delivery mechanism 500 is delivering the pile 200 to the pile driver 20, 320, the robot arm 10 can go and receive the next pile 200 from above the main body 104. In other words, the robot arm 10 can transport the pile 200 and the delivery mechanism 500 can deliver the pile 200 to the pile driver 20, 320 in parallel. This makes it possible to shorten the time required to transport the pile 200 (the time Tw in the first embodiment).

[0075] (Modification 2) Next, a description will be given of Modification 2. Modification 2 is characterized in that the device for supplying the piles 200 to the transfer mechanism 500 of Modification 1 is not the robot arm 10 but a supply table 600 as shown in Figures 16(a) and 16(b).

[0076] 16(a) and 16(b) show a schematic configuration of the supply table 600. It is assumed that the supply table 600 is installed on the main body 104.

[0077] As shown in Figures 16(a) and 16(b), the supply table 600 includes an inclined table 602 having an inclined surface 603, a first gate 604a, a second gate 604b, a third gate 604c, a fourth gate 604d, and a fifth gate 604e provided on the inclined surface 603, and a pile raising device 606 as a supply mechanism.

[0078] Pile 200 can be placed (prepared) between each gate. Each gate 604a to 604e can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the inclined surface 603 by a driving device (not shown). This allows each gate 604a to 604e to be opened and closed.

[0079] The pile raising device 606 has a driving device 610, a plate-shaped member 608, and a stopper 609. In the state shown in Fig. 16(a), the longitudinal direction of the plate-shaped member 608 coincides with the X-axis direction, and when the driving device 610 rotates the rotation shaft provided at the end on the -X side around the Y-axis, the plate-shaped member 608 becomes in the state shown in Fig. 16(b) (standing state).

[0080] In this second modification, when transferring the piles 200 from the supply table 600 to the transfer mechanism 500, first, the first gate 604a is opened as shown in FIG. 17( a). As a result, the piles 200 held by the first gate 604a roll along the inclined surface 603 and move onto the plate-like member 608. At this time, the stopper 609 keeps the piles 200 on the plate-like member 608. The top surface of the plate-like member 608 may be made concave to keep the piles 200 on the plate-like member 608. In this case, the stopper 609 may be omitted.

[0081] From this state, the driving device 610 rotates the rotation shaft, thereby raising the plate-like member 608 as shown in Fig. 17(b). As a result, the stakes 200 on the plate-like member 608 slide along the upper surface of the plate-like member 608 and enter the tapered container 400 from above. Then, the stakes 200 are held in the recesses of the feeder 410, as in the first modification. The subsequent operation of the feeder 410 is the same as in the first modification.

[0082] On the other hand, the first gate 604a returns from the open state shown in Fig. 17(a) to the closed state shown in Fig. 17(b). From this state, by opening the second gate 604b as shown in Fig. 17(b), the pile 200 held by the second gate 604b rolls down the inclined surface 603 and is held by the first gate 604a. Thereafter, the second gate 604b is closed and the third gate 604c is opened, and then the third gate 604c is closed and the fourth gate 604d is opened, thereby moving each pile 200 downward in stages.

[0083] In this way, in the present modified example 2, the four piles 200 held on the tilting table 602 can be sequentially supplied to the transfer mechanism 500 without using the robot arm 10 .

[0084] Although the number of gates is five in FIG. 16(a) and other figures, the number of gates is not limited to five, and can be increased or decreased as necessary.

[0085] As described above, according to the present modified example 2, the inclined platform 602 sequentially supplies piles to the pile raising device 606 along the inclined surface 603, and the pile raising device 606 supplies the supplied piles to the transfer mechanism 500 while raising (standing up) the piles. This makes it possible to supply the piles 200 to the transfer mechanism 500 with a simple configuration without using the robot arm 10.

[0086] In the second modification, the robot arm 10 may be provided on the main body 104 together with the supply table 600, and a large number of piles 200 may be loaded on the main body 104. In this case, the robot arm 10 may be used to supply the piles 200 loaded on the main body 104 to the supply table 600 as needed.

[0087] The above-described embodiment is merely an example for explaining the present invention, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, instead of providing the GNSS 54 and the image capture device 56 at a low position on the main body 104, a pole member may be provided on the main body 104, and at least one of the GNSS 54 and the image capture device 56 may be provided on this pole member. In particular, providing the GNSS 54 on the pole member makes positioning easier than providing the GNSS 54 at a low position on the main body 104.

[0088] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 robot arm 17 suction unit 19 gripping unit 20 pile driver 24 gimbal 30 moving device 50 control device 100 pile driver device 102 traveling device 104 main body 322 table 330 slide mechanism 340 actuator 602 tilting table 603 tilting surface 606 pile raising device

Claims

1. A main body having a running device; A pile driver for driving piles; A moving device connected to the main body and moving the pile driver; and a control device that drives the piles while the traveling device is traveling.

2. The control device causes the pile driver to move in a first direction by the movement device while the pile driver is driving a pile; The pile driving rig of claim 1 , wherein the first direction includes a component opposite to a second direction in which the body moves while the driver is driving a pile.

3. The pile driving device according to claim 2 , wherein a speed at which the main body moves in the second direction and a speed at which the pile driver moves in the direction opposite to the second direction are the same while the pile driver is driving the pile.

4. A pile driving device as described in claims 2 or 3, wherein the control device controls the main body to continue moving in the second direction and the pile driver to continue moving in the first direction while the pile driver is driving the piles.

5. A pile driving device as described in claim 1, wherein the control device drives the piles using the pile driver without stopping the movement of the traveling device.

6. A pile driving device as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the control device moves the pile driver in the first direction while moving the main body in the second direction, thereby maintaining the position of the pile stationary relative to the ground while the pile driver drives the pile.

7. The pile driver further comprises a slide portion connected to the moving device and configured to move the pile driver in a third direction intersecting the second direction while the pile driver is moving in the second direction; The pile driving device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the control device controls movement of the slide portion to adjust a position of the pile driver with respect to the third direction.

8. Further comprising an imaging device for imaging information regarding the pile driving, The pile driving device according to claim 7, wherein the control device controls movement of the slide part based on an image captured by the imaging device to adjust the position of the pile to be driven by the pile driver in the third direction.

9. The pile driving device of claim 2 or 3, wherein the speed at which the main body moves in the second direction is determined based on the distance between two piles driven in succession by the pile driver, the driving length of the piles, and the driving speed of the pile driver.

10. The pile driving device described in claim 9, wherein the speed at which the main body moves in the second direction is determined based on the time it takes for the pile driver to return to the initial position after driving a pile while moving in the first direction from the initial position, and the time it takes for the next pile to be set in the pile driver after returning to the initial position.

11. 2. The pile driving device according to claim 1, wherein the moving device is a link mechanism including a mechanism for converting rotational motion into linear motion.

12. The moving device moves the pile driver in a first direction, The link mechanism includes a driving link and a rotation drive device that rotates the driving link about a rotation axis, The pile driving device according to claim 11 , wherein the control device controls the rotary drive device to rotate to move the pile driver connected to the link mechanism in the first direction.

13. The pile driving device according to claim 1 , wherein the moving device is a slide mechanism that moves the pile driver linearly relative to the main body.

14. The pile driving device according to claim 13, wherein the pile driver is mounted on a table whose position can be changed relative to the slide mechanism by an actuator.

15. The pile driving device according to claim 1 , further comprising a maintaining mechanism for maintaining the verticality of the pile driver.

16. A detection device for detecting the state of the pile driven by the pile driver; The pile driving device according to claim 1 , further comprising an adjustment device that adjusts the manner in which the pile to be driven is driven based on the detection result of the detection device.

17. The traveling device moves the main body in a second direction, The moving device moves the pile driver in a first direction that includes a component opposite to the second direction; The detection device is an imaging device that images the state of the pile driven by the pile driver, The pile driving device of claim 16, wherein the adjustment device adjusts the speed at which the moving device moves in the first direction and the speed at which the main body moves in the second direction based on an image captured by the imaging device to adjust the manner in which the pile is driven.

18. A pile driving device as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the control device terminates the pile driving when the movable device reaches a position on the first direction side of its range of movement and returns the movable device to a position on the second direction side of its range of movement.

19. A detection device for detecting the state of the pile driven by the pile driver; The pile driving device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a display device that displays information regarding correction of an already driven pile based on a detection result of the detection device.

20. The pile driving device according to claim 1 , wherein the main body portion has a suction portion that sucks in the pile and a gripping portion that grips the pile, and further comprises a first supply device that supplies the pile to the pile driver.

21. The stake has a holding portion that holds the stake in an upright state, and the holding portion is movable between a first position and a second position; The pile driving device according to claim 1 , wherein the holding unit receives the pile in an upright state when in the first position, and supplies the pile held by the holding unit to the pile driver when in the second position.

22. a ramp that sequentially supplies the piles to the vicinity of the first position along a slope; The pile driving device according to claim 21 , further comprising: a supply mechanism that supplies the pile supplied near the first position to the holding portion while raising the pile.