Excavator Bucket Toe Angle Control for Lower Digging Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing excavators reduce excavation reaction force by raising the boom, which can lead to a decrease in excavation amount, necessitating a solution that reduces excavation reaction force without compromising the excavation amount.

Innovation Solution

An excavator equipped with a lower traveling body, an upper turning body, an attachment, an attitude detecting device, and a control device that adjusts the bucket's toe angle based on the excavation stage to manage excavation reaction force effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Force

If the boom is raised to reduce excavation reaction force, then the excavation reaction force is reduced, but the excavation amount decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexcavation reaction forceVSAvoidexcavation amount
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the bucket toe angle parameter dynamically according to the excavation stage. By adjusting the toe angle (the angle between the bucket bottom and horizontal direction) from 0° to 90° based on real-time excavation progress detected by the attitude detecting device, the system optimizes the balance between reducing excavation reaction force and maintaining excavation amount, resolving the technical contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Force

If the ground penetration depth is reduced by raising the boom, then the excavation reaction force is reduced, but the excavation amount decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexcavation reaction forceVSAvoidexcavation amount
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of changing the boom position to control excavation reaction force, the invention changes the bucket toe angle parameter. This allows the excavation amount to be maintained while still reducing the excavation reaction force through optimal angle selection at different excavation stages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Force

If the bucket toe angle is adjusted to close the bucket, then the excavation reaction force is reduced, but the excavation amount may decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexcavation reaction forceVSAvoidexcavation amount
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention implements dynamic adjustment of the bucket toe angle based on real-time excavation stage detection. The attitude detecting device continuously monitors the excavation progress, and the control device dynamically adjusts the toe angle between 0° and 90° according to the current stage, ensuring both reduced excavation reaction force and maintained excavation amount throughout the excavation process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the attitude detecting device that monitors the excavation stage to continuously adjust the bucket toe angle. This closed-loop control ensures that the optimal angle is maintained at each excavation stage, resolving the contradiction between force reduction and productivity maintenance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3640401B1excavator
Publication Date: 2023.04.26 SUMITOMO HEAVY IND LTD
  • EP3640401B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3640401B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3640401B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An excavator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a lower traveling body (1); an upper turning body (3)mounted on the lower traveling body (1); an excavator attachment attached to the upper turning body (3); an attitude detecting device (M3) configured to detect an attitude of the excavator attachment; and a controller (30) configured to control a toe angle α of a toe of the bucket, based on a transition of the attitude of the excavator attachment, information relating to a present shape of an excavation ground, and an operation content of an operation device (26) relating to the excavator attachment.