Work Machine Input Control for Unintended Rotation Restriction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increase in input devices in hydraulic excavators leads to higher manufacturing costs and operator workload, with a risk of unintended rotational operations causing incorrect function settings changes, decreasing work efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A work machine with a translationally and rotationally operable input device and a controller that restricts setting processing when both operations are simultaneous or within a predetermined time interval, preventing unintended rotational operations from changing settings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple input devices are provided for changing various settings, then the functionality and control options increase, but the number of components increases leading to higher manufacturing costs and increased operator workload

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol optionsVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple input devices into a single input device that can perform both translational and rotational operations. This merging reduces the number of components and manufacturing costs while maintaining multiple control options through different operation modes of the unified device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The single input device is designed with multi-functionality, capable of performing translational operations for selecting functions and rotational operations for changing settings. This universal design allows one device to replace multiple specialized input devices, reducing complexity while preserving versatility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Device complexity

If a single input device with both translational and rotational operations is provided, then the number of components is reduced, but unintended rotational operations may occur during translational operation causing setting errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of componentsVSAvoidsetting accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit determines whether a rotational operation is unintended by checking if it occurs during or immediately after a translational operation. By detecting the temporal relationship between operations in advance, the system can prevent unintended setting changes before they occur

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit continuously monitors the operation state of the input device and provides feedback to determine whether a rotational operation is intentional or unintended. This feedback mechanism allows the system to distinguish between valid setting changes and erroneous operations, maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4636172A1Work machine
Publication Date: 2025.10.22 HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO LTD
  • EP4636172A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4636172A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4636172A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention has an object to provide a work machine capable of preventing a change in setting state of mounted equipment, which change is provided through an unintended rotational operation, in a case in which the unintended rotational operation is executed on an input device which issues instruction on a setting change for the mounted equipment in response to a translational operation and a rotational operation. For that purpose, in a work machine including a machine body, mounted equipment mounted to the machine body, an input device that is translationally operable and rotationally operable, and a controller that executes setting processing for the mounted equipment in response to the translational operation on the input device and the rotational operation on the input device, the controller executes restriction processing of causing the setting processing for the mounted equipment, the setting processing corresponding to the rotational operation on the input device, to be restricted in a case in which the translational operation and the rotational operation on the input device are simultaneously input or in a case in which a time after any one of the translational operation on the input device and the rotational operation on the input device is finished until the other one of the translational operation and the rotational operation is started is shorter than a predetermined determination time.