Work Vehicle Bucket Control for Design Surface Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In conventional work vehicles, the automatic control of a work implement's operation to prevent the cutting edge of a bucket from contacting the design surface during embankment work is ineffective, leading to the implement stopping before reaching the design surface, which restricts the operator's ability to lower the boom and perform land leveling efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A work vehicle equipped with a design surface information acquiring unit, a cutting edge position computing unit, and an operation restricting unit that allows the work implement to be freely operated when the cutting edge is below the design surface by controlling the boom to prevent the cutting edge from becoming lower than the design surface, enabling operation even when the cutting edge is perpendicular to the design surface by a prescribed distance or more.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If automatic control is executed to prevent the cutting edge from contacting the design surface, then the design surface invasion is prevented, but the work implement cannot be freely operated when the cutting edge is below the design surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the control parameter from a fixed threshold (cutting edge at design surface level) to a dynamic threshold based on vertical distance. When the cutting edge is within a predetermined vertical distance of the design surface, operation is restricted. When the cutting edge is below the design surface by this distance, operation is permitted. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by allowing free operation below the design surface while maintaining protection against invasion.
2Reliability
If operation restriction control is executed when the cutting edge is close to the design surface, then the design surface is protected, but the productivity of land leveling work is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a predetermined vertical distance parameter that defines the threshold for operation restriction. By setting this distance threshold, the system allows operations below the design surface (improving productivity) while maintaining protection against design surface invasion (maintaining reliability). This parameter-based approach resolves the contradiction between protection and productivity.
3Reliability
If the work implement stops automatically when the bucket enters the area lower than the design surface, then the cutting edge does not cut into the design surface, but the operator cannot perform the operation for lowering the boom
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the control condition from a fixed position-based restriction to a dynamic vertical distance-based restriction. When the cutting edge is within a predetermined vertical distance of the design surface, operation is restricted. When the cutting edge is below the design surface by this distance, the system permits boom lowering operations. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining boundary protection while enabling necessary operational flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a work vehicle in which a work implement can be freely operated. The work vehicle includes: a design surface information acquiring unit for acquiring data of a design surface indicative of a target shape of a work object by the work implement; a cutting edge position computing unit for computing a position of a cutting edge of a bucket; and an operation restricting unit for executing operation restriction control by which, when the cutting edge of the bucket comes closer to the design surface, operation of the work implement is stopped before the cutting edge of the bucket reaches the design surface. In a case where the cutting edge is located away from the design surface in a downward perpendicular direction by a prescribed distance or longer, the operation restricting unit does not execute the operation restriction control.