Excavator Bucket Control for Automatic Target Surface Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Operators of shovels need to manually select the target surface, complicating the operation when aligning the shovel to face the target surface straight.

Innovation Solution

A shovel equipped with a control device that automatically selects a straight-facing target surface using sensors and a control system to simplify the operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the shovel displays multiple target surfaces and requires manual selection, then the operator can choose the target surface, but the operation becomes complicated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetarget surface selection capabilityVSAvoidoperation simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The control device automatically detects the target surface and performs selection without operator intervention. The system uses sensor data to identify the appropriate target surface and sets it automatically, eliminating the need for manual selection while maintaining the capability to handle multiple target surfaces

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

This principle is not applicable to the patent. The patent deals with automated target surface selection through control systems and sensors, not thermal or physical expansion phenomena

Inventive Principle:

Principle #37Thermal expansion

2Adaptability or versatility

If the shovel requires manual target surface selection, then the system maintains flexibility, but the operator workload increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetarget surface selection flexibilityVSAvoidtime for target surface selection

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The control device pre-processes sensor data to identify and prepare target surface information before the operator needs it. The system continuously monitors the environment and has target surface data ready for automatic selection, eliminating the time required for manual selection while preserving flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control device uses feedback from sensors to automatically detect and select the appropriate target surface. The system continuously receives data from sensors, processes this information, and automatically adjusts the target surface selection based on the current operational context, reducing both time and operator effort

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4317596B1Excavator and excavator control device

Publication Date: 2026.02.04 SUMITOMO HEAVY IND LTD

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AI summary

A shovel (100) includes a lower traveling body (1), an upper swiveling body (3) mounted to the lower traveling body (1), attachments including a boom (4) attached to the upper swiveling body (3), an arm (5) attached to an end of the boom (4), and a bucket (6), which is an end attachment, attached to an end of the arm (5), and a controller (30) configured to select, as a straight facing target surface, one of a plurality of constituting surfaces that constitute a target construction surface based on a position of the bucket (6).