Backhoe Virtual Plane Control for Collision-Limited Swing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional backhoes require complex operator settings for action prohibited ranges, leading to hesitation in using safety features and potential operational risks due to cumbersome settings.
Innovation Solution
A shovel with a posture detecting device that generates virtual planes for various usages, allowing for easy definition of prohibited areas without complex settings, using information from sensors to control actuators and prevent collisions with obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an operator sets an action prohibited range around the backhoe to implement safety functions, then operational safety is improved, but the setting work becomes complicated and operators may hesitate to use the function
Solution Approach 1:
The shovel automatically generates virtual planes and detects obstacles without requiring manual configuration by the operator. The posture detecting device and control device work autonomously to establish prohibited zones based on the attachment's position and orientation, eliminating the need for complex operator settings while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-establishes virtual planes and prohibited zones automatically before operations begin. By using the posture detecting device to continuously monitor attachment position and automatically generating protective zones, the system prepares safety constraints in advance without requiring operator intervention during setup
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a backhoe stops swivel action within a preset swivel prohibited range, then collision with obstacles is prevented, but other necessary actions such as bucket opening/closing and travelling are unnecessarily stopped
Solution Approach 1:
The control device applies different control strategies to different actions based on their specific contexts. When an obstacle is detected within a prohibited zone, the system selectively restricts only the swivel action that would cause collision, while allowing bucket operations and travelling to continue if they do not pose collision risks, thereby maintaining operational efficiency while preventing harmful collisions
3Measurement precision
If complex setting procedures are required for safety features, then precise control over prohibited areas can be achieved, but operator hesitation and reduced usage increases risk
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically defines prohibited areas using virtual planes generated from attachment posture data detected by sensors. This self-configuring approach eliminates manual setting procedures entirely, making the system as easy to use as operating the shovel itself while maintaining precise prohibition zone definition through automated coordinate calculations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical setting procedures with an automated sensor-based system. The posture detecting device uses sensors to automatically detect attachment position and calculate virtual plane coordinates, substituting operator manual configuration with automated electronic detection and calculation to achieve precise prohibited area definition without complex settings
Data Source
AI summary
A shovel includes a lower travel body, an upper swivel body that is swingably installed on the lower travel body, an attachment that is installed on the upper swivel body, and a posture detecting device that detects a posture of the attachment, wherein a virtual plane is generated by utilizing information about a position of a predetermined portion of the attachment obtained from an output of the posture detecting device.