Excavator Bucket Adjustment Timing Display for Accurate Digging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing shovels with machine guidance functions face challenges in determining when bucket adjustments are necessary, leading to increased man-hours and inaccurate excavation due to improper timing of adjustments.

Innovation Solution

A shovel equipped with a display device that shows time information for the last adjustment of the working part, allowing operators to adjust the bucket at appropriate times.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the operator adjusts the bucket without time information guidance, then the operator may adjust the bucket when not necessary or fail to adjust when necessary, but this leads to increased man-hours and decreased excavation accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexcavation accuracyVSAvoidman-hours for adjustment
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The display device provides feedback to the operator by showing time information about the last bucket adjustment, enabling the operator to make informed decisions about when adjustment is needed, thus preventing both unnecessary adjustments and missed adjustments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary recording of adjustment time information, so that when the operator needs to decide whether to adjust the bucket, the relevant time data is already available and presented, eliminating the need for manual tracking or estimation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If the operator frequently checks and adjusts the bucket, then excavation accuracy may be maintained, but this increases operational time and reduces productivity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexcavation precisionVSAvoidoperational efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuous monitoring or frequent manual checks, the system uses periodic adjustment based on recorded time intervals, allowing the operator to maintain excavation precision while minimizing interruptions to productive work

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP3521522B1shovel
Publication Date: 2025.11.12 SUMITOMO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY
  • EP3521522B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3521522B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3521522B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A shovel including a lower traveling body, an upper turning body turnably mounted on the lower traveling body, a cab mounted on the upper turning body, an attachment including a working part configured to perform work, and a display device provided in the cab, wherein the display device is configured to display information related to the time of the last adjustment of the information of the working part.