Work Vehicle Topography Control for Compactable Fill Slopes

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing automatic control systems for work vehicles struggle to perform efficient and high-quality filling work, as they often result in excessive soil piles that are difficult to compact, leading to poor work quality and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A control system for work vehicles that includes an actual topography acquisition device, storage device, and controller, which acquires and processes topography information to guide the work implement along a sloped locus between the actual and final design topographies, allowing for thinner soil piles that can be easily compacted and improving the quality and efficiency of filling work.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the work implement moves along the final design topography, then the finished topography quality is improved, but the soil pile height becomes too large making compaction difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefinished topography qualityVSAvoidsoil compaction ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by moving the work implement along an intermediate locus that is positioned below the final design topography. This preliminary positioning allows soil to be piled at a controlled, compactable height first, and then the work implement returns to move along the final design topography to achieve the desired finished topography quality. The intermediate locus serves as a preparatory stage that enables subsequent compaction and final shaping.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The filling process is segmented into multiple passes: first moving along an intermediate locus positioned below the final design topography to create an initial soil pile, then returning to move along the final design topography. This segmentation divides the single complex operation of creating both the final topography and ensuring compaction into separate, manageable stages, allowing each stage to optimize for its specific goal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If the work implement moves along the final design topography, then the finished topography quality is improved, but multiple passes are required reducing work efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefinished topography qualityVSAvoidwork efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by moving the work implement along an intermediate locus that is positioned below the final design topography. This preliminary positioning allows soil to be piled at a controlled, compactable height first, and then the work implement returns to move along the final design topography to achieve the desired finished topography quality. The intermediate locus serves as a preparatory stage that enables subsequent compaction and final shaping.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The filling process is segmented into multiple passes: first moving along an intermediate locus positioned below the final design topography to create an initial soil pile, then returning to move along the final design topography. This segmentation divides the single complex operation of creating both the final topography and ensuring compaction into separate, manageable stages, allowing each stage to optimize for its specific goal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Shape

If the work implement moves along a locus below the actual topography, then soil can be scraped away to form gentle slopes, but the work implement must travel farther increasing operation time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveslope gentlenessVSAvoidoperation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by moving the work implement along an intermediate locus that is positioned below the final design topography. This preliminary positioning allows soil to be piled at a controlled, compactable height first, and then the work implement returns to move along the final design topography to achieve the desired finished topography quality. The intermediate locus serves as a preparatory stage that enables subsequent compaction and final shaping.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the vertical parameter of the work implement's path by positioning the intermediate locus below both the actual and final design topographies. This parameter change allows the blade to engage with the ground at a lower elevation, enabling it to scrape away soil and form gentle slopes. The controlled vertical positioning transforms the path geometry to achieve the desired slope characteristics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10907325B2Control system for work vehicle, control method, and work vehicle

Publication Date: 2021.02.02 KOMATSU LTD

AI summary

A work vehicle control system includes an actual topography acquisition device, a storage device, and a controller. The actual topography acquisition device acquires actual topography information, which indicates an actual topography of a work target. The storage device stores design topography information, which indicates a final design topography that is a target topography of the work target. The controller acquires the actual topography information from the actual topography acquisition device. The controller acquires the design topography information from the storage device. When the actual topography positioned below the final design topography is sloped, the controller generates a command signal to move the work implement along a locus positioned below the final design topography and below the actual topography, and a sloped locus that is positioned below the final design topography and above the actual topography.