Patent Grant
11885108
The present invention relates to a work machine and a periphery monitoring system.
In a work machine such as a hydraulic excavator, a technique for supporting periphery monitoring of the work machine has been known as a technique relating to the driving assist of an operator. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a peripheral monitoring system for a work machine in which an object detection unit for detecting a predetermined object existing in a predetermined range around a work machine and an alarm unit for issuing an alarm by sound when the object detection unit detects the object are provided, and the alarm unit stops the alarm sound when a predetermined condition is satisfied when the state in which the object detection unit detects the object continues and issues an alarm by light after the alarm sound is stopped.
In the prior art, the botheration for the operator is suppressed by switching the alarm sound to the alarm light in a situation where the operator recognizes that a predetermined object to be monitored exists around the work machine. However, for example, in a case where the visibility of the alarm by light from the operator is significantly reduced due to direct sunlight, or in a case where the operator does not see the alarm light, there is a risk that the operator cannot recognize the alarm light. In addition, it is also conceivable to enhance safety by limiting the operation of the work machine when an object is detected in the periphery monitoring of the work machine, but the function of limiting the operation does not always work due to various factors, and there is still room for consideration as the driving assist of the operator in the periphery monitoring.
The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a work machine and a periphery monitoring system in which the botheration for an operator can be suppressed while securing the effectiveness of an alarm in periphery monitoring and the safety performance can be enhanced.
The application includes a plurality of means for solving the problem, and one example thereof is a work machine including: a machine body; a front work device that is provided in the machine body; an operation device that outputs an operation signal for operating the machine body and the front work device on the basis of operation by an operator; and a sensor that detects an object around the machine body, in which a controller that controls operations of the machine body and the front work device on the basis of the operation signal from the operation device, and performs operation limiting control for limiting the operation of at least one of the machine body and the front work device when the object is detected by the sensor, and an instruction device that instructs the controller to enable or disable the operation limiting control are included, the controller notifies the operator by a first state warning when the object is detected by the sensor and the operation limiting control is disabled by the instruction device, or when the operation device is operated in a state where the object is detected by the sensor and the operation limiting control is enabled by the instruction device, and the controller notifies the operator by a second state warning that is weaker in warning intensity than the first state warning when the operation device is not operated in a state where the object is detected by the sensor and the operation limiting control is enabled by the instruction device.
According to the present invention, the botheration for an operator can be suppressed while securing the effectiveness of an alarm in periphery monitoring of a work machine and the safety performance can be enhanced.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that although the embodiments will be described by showing a hydraulic excavator as an example of a work machine, the present invention can be applied to other work machines such as a crane and a wheel loader.
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
In
The front work device 1A is configured by coupling a plurality of driven members (a boom 1a, an arm 1b, and a bucket 1c) each rotating in the vertical direction. The base end of the boom 1a is rotatably supported at the front of the upper swing structure 1d. In addition, one end of the arm 1b is rotatably coupled to the tip end of the boom 1a, and the bucket 1c is rotatably coupled to the other end (tip end) of the arm 1b. The boom 1a, the arm 1b, and the bucket 1c are driven by a boom cylinder 3a, an arm cylinder 3b, and a bucket cylinder 3c, respectively, that are hydraulic actuators.
The lower track structure 1e is configured so as to travel by a pair of crawlers, which are hung around a pair of left and right crawler frames, being driven by travel hydraulic motors 3e and 3f as hydraulic actuators via a speed reduction mechanism, which is not shown in the drawing, or the like. It should be noted that in
The upper swing structure 1d is configured by arranging each member on a swing frame serving as a base part, and the swing frame is swingably driven with respect to the lower track structure 1e by a swing hydraulic motor 3d that is a hydraulic actuator, thus the upper swing structure 1d can swing with respect to the lower track structure 1e.
On the front side of the swing frame of the upper swing structure 1d, an operation room 1f on which an operator boards to operate the hydraulic excavator 1, and an engine 25 as a prime mover, a hydraulic pump 26 and a pilot pump 27 driven by the engine 25, a hydraulic circuit system for driving the respective hydraulic actuators (the travel hydraulic motors 3e and 3f, the swing hydraulic motor 3d, the boom cylinder 3a, the arm cylinder 3b, and the bucket cylinder 3c), and the like are mounted (see
A seat on which the operator sits, an operation device 4 (see
In
The directional control valve 28 is of a center bypass type and has a center bypass passage located on a center bypass line 28a. The center bypass passage is connected in series to the center bypass line 28a, communicates with the center bypass line 28a when the spool of the directional control valve 28 is in the neutral position, and is interrupted from the center bypass line 28a when the spool of the directional control valve 28 is switched to the left or right switching position in
The operation device 4 is, for example, an operation lever, and has a pair of pilot valves for generating a pilot pressure on the basis of the discharge pressure of the pilot pump 27 according to the operation amount (inclination amount). In addition, the operation device 4 includes operation amount sensors 4a and 4b for electrically detecting the inclination amount of the operation lever in each direction, that is, the operation amount of the lever, and the operation amounts of the lever sensed by the operation amount sensors 4a and 4b are output to the controller 20.
The directional control valve 28 is switched by a pilot pressure (operation signal) from the operation device 4. Thus, for example, when the operation device 4 is operated from the neutral position to a direction (for example, the left side) corresponding to the left swing, the pilot pressure generated by one pilot valve is output as an operation signal to a pressure receiving portion of the directional control valve 28 on the right side in
Solenoid valves 23a and 23b are provided in lines from the operation device 4 to the two pressure receiving portions of the directional control valve 28. The solenoid valves 23a and 23b configure a limiting device for limiting the pilot pressure (operation signal) output from the operation device 4 to the directional control valve 28, and limit the operating speed of the swing hydraulic motor 3d as a hydraulic actuator by limiting the pilot pressure (operation signal) on the basis of a solenoid valve current (command signal) from the controller 20 to be described later. Hereinafter, this control is referred to as operation limiting control as needed.
In addition, pressure sensors 23c and 23d are provided in lines from the solenoid valves 23a and 23b to the two pressure receiving portions of the directional control valve 28. The pressure sensors 23c and 23d sense the pressure of the pilot pressure (operation signal) supplied to the directional control valve 28 via the solenoid valves 23a and 23b, and output the sensed result to the controller 20.
A discharge line 27a of the pilot pump 27 is provided with a pilot relief valve (not illustrated) for holding the discharge pressure of the pilot pump 27 constant. In addition, the discharge line 27a of the pilot pump 27 is provided with a lock valve 27b, and the lock valve 27b is switched according to the operation of the gate lock lever provided in the operation room 1f. The gate lock lever has a position switch (not illustrated) that is closed when a gate lock lever 4f is in the unlocked position (lowered position) and that is opened when the gate lock lever 4f is in the locked position (raised position). For example, when the gate lock lever is operated to the lowered position and the position switch is closed, a solenoid portion of the lock valve 27b is energized via the position switch and the lock valve 27b is switched to the communicating position. Accordingly, the discharge line 27a of the pilot pump 27 is communicated, and the discharge pressure of the pilot pump 27 is introduced into the operation device 4 and the like. That is, the pilot pressure can be generated by the operation of the operation device 4 or the like, and the hydraulic actuator can be operated (operable state). On the other hand, when the gate lock lever is operated to the raised position and the position switch is opened, the lock valve 27b is switched to the interruption position. Accordingly, the discharge line 27a of the pilot pump 27 is interrupted. That is, the pilot pressure is not generated even when the operation device 4 or the like is operated, and the hydraulic actuator is not operated (inoperable state).
It should be noted that the hydraulic circuit system relating to the left and right travel hydraulic motors 3e and 3f, the boom cylinder 3a, the arm cylinder 3b, and the bucket cylinder 3c that are not illustrated in
As shown in
In addition, as shown in
The sensors 13a, 13b, and 13c are, for example, infrared depth sensors that detect the distance and direction from the sensors 13a, 13b, and 13c to an object and output the position of the detected object in the three-dimensional coordinate system as a detection result. It should be noted that it is only necessary for the sensors 13a, 13b, and 13c to be capable of detecting an object and specifying the position thereof, and for example, a millimeter wave sensor, a sensor using a stereo camera, or the like may be used. Since the attachment positions of the sensors 13a, 13b, and 13c relative to the upper swing structure 1d are preliminarily defined by design information or the like, the relative position (relative position in the three-dimensional coordinate system) of the detected object with respect to the upper swing structure 1d can be specified from the design information and the detection results of the sensors 13a, 13b, and 13c.
The hydraulic excavator 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above has a periphery monitoring system for monitoring the periphery of the hydraulic excavator 1 on the basis of the detection results of the sensors 13a, 13b, and 13c as the driving assist of the operator.
In
Here, the limiting devices (solenoid valves 23a, 23b, 24a, and 24b) and the warning device (sound output device 30) configure a part of a driving assist device for assisting the driving of the operator.
The limiting device assists the driving of the operator by limiting the travel operation or swing operation of the hydraulic excavator 1 (that is, the operation limiting control is performed) under the control of the controller 20 according to the detection results of the sensors 13a, 13b, and 13c. The instruction device 31 is provided in, for example, the operation room 1f and gives instructions whether the function of the operation limiting control is enabled (ON) or disabled (OFF) by the operation of the operator.
The sound output device 30 that is a warning device assists the driving of the operator by transmitting sound information on the basis of the control by the controller 20 according to the detection results of the sensors 13a, 13b, and 13c. The sound output device 30 can output various sounds (sound information) in response to a command from the controller 20. The sound output by the sound output device 30 includes, for example, a first state sound and a second state sound. Both the first state sound and the second state sound have an alarm (warning) effect, and it is assumed that the first state sound is stronger in the alarm effect (warning intensity) than the second state sound. Specifically, for example, it is conceivable that the first state sound is made louder, the sound pressure is made higher, or the frequency is made more recognizable to a person than the second state sound.
It should be noted that it is only necessary for the sound output device 30 to be capable of outputting at least two kinds of sounds (sounds, buzzer sounds, melodies, and the like) of the first state sound and the second state sound, and the sound output device 30 is, for example, a speaker, a buzzer, or the like. In addition, as the sound output device 30, two or more kinds of speakers or buzzers that are different in volume, sound pressure, sound quality, or the like may be used in combination, or an input signal may be changed by one speaker or buzzer to change the volume, sound pressure, sound quality, or the like.
In addition, although a case where the sound output device 30 is used as a warning device will be exemplified and described in the present embodiment, one that can be used as a warning device as long as it can issue warnings (for example, a first state warning and a second state warning) that are different in warning intensity to the operator. That is, for example, instead of the sound output device 30, a display device capable of displaying various kinds of information may be provided as a warning device, and a warning may be issued to the operator by way of a first state display and a second state display that are different in warning intensity. In this case, a warning is issued to the operator by displaying, for example, the first state display that is stronger in warning intensity than the second state display, and the second state display. In addition, for example, instead of the sound output device 30, a light emitting device capable of emitting light in various kinds of states may be provided as a warning device, and a warning may be issued to the operator by way of first state light and second state light that are different in warning intensity. In this case, a warning is issued to the operator by emitting, for example, the first state light that is stronger in warning intensity than the second state light, and the second state light. In addition, for example, instead of the sound output device 30, a vibration device capable of notifying the operator of information by way of various kinds of vibrations may be provided as a warning device, and a warning may be issued to the operator by way of a first state vibration and a second state vibration that are different in warning intensity. In this case, a warning is issued to the operator by way of, for example, the first state vibration that is stronger in warning intensity than the second state vibration, and the second state vibration. In addition, warnings (for example, a first state warning and a second state warning) that are different in warning intensity may be issued to the operator by using a combination thereof.
The controller 20 has a detection position determination section 20a, an operation limiting control section 20b, and a sound output control section 20c as functional sections relating to the periphery monitoring system.
The detection position determination section 20a determines the detection position of the detected object on the basis of the detection results of the sensors 13a, 13b, and 13c, and outputs the determination result to the operation limiting control section 20b and the sound output control section 20c. In addition, the detection position determination section 20a has information about the detection ranges 14, 15, and 16, and can determine the position of the detected object among the detection ranges 14, 15, and 16 by comparing the detection results (position information) of the sensors 13a, 13b, and 13c with the detection ranges 14, 15, and 16.
The operation limiting control section 20b controls, when an instruction to turn on the operation limiting control (to enable the function) is given by the operation of the instruction device 31 by the operator, the solenoid valves 23a, 23b, 24a, and 24b as the limiting devices for limiting the operation signal output from the operation device 4 on the basis of the determination result of the detection position determination section 20a, that is, the position of the detected object among the detection ranges 14, 15, and 16, thus at least either the travel operation of the lower track structure 1e or the swing operation of the upper swing structure 1d with respect to the lower track structure 1e is limited. For example, when the detection range 14 is set as a detection target range during the swing operation of the upper swing structure 1d and an object is detected in the detection range 14, a command signal is output to the solenoid valves 23a and 23b to limit the swing operation of the upper swing structure 1d. In addition, when the detection range 15 is set as a detection target range during the travel operation of the lower track structure 1e and an object is detected in the detection range 15, a command signal is output to the solenoid valves 24a and 24b to limit the travel operation of the lower track structure 1e. It should be noted that when an instruction to turn off the operation limiting control (to disable the function) is given by the operation of the instruction device 31 by the operator, the operation limiting control section 20b does not perform the control of the solenoid valves 23a, 23b, 24a, and 24b, that is, the operation limiting control.
In addition, the operation limiting control section 20b determines whether or not the operation limiting control is enabled, that is, whether or not the solenoid valves 23a and 23b are normally operating on the basis of the sensed results from the pressure sensors 23c and 23d. Specifically, when the operation limiting control is ON, an object is detected by the sensors 13a, 13b, and 13c, and a command signal is output from the operation limiting control section 20b to the solenoid valves 23a, 23b, 24a, and 24b in order to perform the operation limiting control of the swing operation and the travel operation, that is, when the control for limiting (decompressing) the pilot pressure to the directional control valve 28 or the like is performed, it is determined whether the operation limiting control is enabled (normal) or disabled (abnormal) by determining whether or not the pressure of the pilot pressure via the solenoid valves 23a, 23b, 24a, and 24b is limited (decompressed) to a predetermined pressure or less. The operation limiting control section 20b outputs the determination result of whether or not the operation limiting control is enabled, that is, whether each of the solenoid valves 23a, 23b, 24a, and 24b is normal or abnormal to the sound output control section 20c.
The sound output control section 20c controls the sound output device 30 on the basis of the determination result of the detection position determination section 20a, the determination result of the operation limiting control section 20b, and the sensed results of the operation amount sensors 4a and 4b to notify the operator of the detection content.
In
In addition, when the determination result in Step S100 is YES, the operation limiting control section 20b determines whether or not the operation limiting control is ON (Step S110), and determines whether or not the operation limiting control is enabled when the determination result is YES (Step S120). When the determination result in Step S120 is YES, the sound output control section 20c determines whether or not the operation device 4 is operated on the basis of the sensed results from the operation amount sensors 4a and 4b (Step S130), and outputs the second state sound by controlling the sound output device 30 when the determination result is YES (Step S140), then terminating the process.
In addition, when the determination result in Step S110 is NO, that is, when the operation limiting control is OFF, the first state sound is output (Step S141), and the process is terminated. In addition, when the determination result in Step S120 is NO, that is, when the operation limiting control is disabled (abnormal), the first state sound is output (Step S141), and the process is terminated. In addition, when the determination result in Step S130 is NO, that is, when the operation device 4 is operated, the first state sound is output (Step S141), and the process is terminated.
It should be noted that the processes (Step S100 to Step S141) shown in
The effect of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.
In the prior art, in a situation where the operator recognizes that a predetermined object to be monitored exists around the work machine, the botheration for the operator is suppressed by switching the alarm sound to alarm light. However, for example, in a case where the visibility of the alarm light from the operator is significantly reduced by direct sunlight, or in a case where the operator does not see the alarm light, there is a risk that the operator cannot recognize the alarm light. In addition, in periphery monitoring of the work machine, it is conceivable to enhance safety by performing the operation limiting control for limiting the operation of the work machine when an object is detected, but the operation limiting control does not necessarily work when the operation limiting control is disabled (OFF) or when an abnormality occurs in the function of the operation limiting control.
On the other hand, in the present embodiment, in a case where an object is detected by the sensors 13a, 13b, and 13c, when the possibility of contact between the work machine and the object potentially increases, such as when the operation limiting control is OFF (disabled), when the operation limiting control is abnormal, or when the operation device 4 is operated, the detection of the object is notified to the operator by the first state sound (the sound whose warning intensity is relatively stronger than the second state), thus the operator can more surely notice the alarm. Further, when the operation limiting control is normal and the operation device 4 is not operated, the detection of the object is notified to the operator by the second state sound (the sound whose warning intensity is relatively weaker than the first state) different from the first state sound, thus the botheration for the operator can be suppressed while securing the effectiveness of the alarm in the periphery monitoring.
That is, for example, in a case where an alarm is sounding by detecting an object, if the operator is not aware of the alarm, or if the operator is aware of the alarm but becomes less conscious of the alarm with the elapse of a certain period of time, there is a risk that the operation lever is operated. Therefore, in such a case, the effectiveness of the alarm can be improved by raising the alarm level when the operation lever is operated, that is, by transmitting sound information having a large alarm effect to the operator.
In addition, in the case of a work machine that performs a swing operation such as a hydraulic excavator, the range (that is, the range where an object should be detected) where the prevention of contact between the object and the work machine should be considered differs between the swing operation and the travel operation. For example, as shown in
In addition, in the present embodiment, when the operation limiting control is ON and there is no lever operation even when the operation limiting control is enabled as shown in, for example,
In addition, the safety of the entire periphery monitoring system can be further improved because the present embodiment is configured such that the pressure sensors for sensing the pilot pressure introduced to the pressure receiving portions of the directional control valve relating to the swing operation and the travel operation are provided, the effectiveness of the operation limiting control is monitored by determining whether or not the operation limiting control is enabled from the sensed results of the pressure sensors, and even in a case where the solenoid valves for limiting the pilot pressure input to the pressure receiving portions of the directional control valve do not operate due to an abnormality such as a failure when the operation limiting control is ON, the abnormality of the operation limiting control is notified to the operator by notifying the operator of the first state sound that is stronger in warning intensity.
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
In the embodiment, a way of outputting the sound is changed according to the operation target of the operation device.
In
In addition, when the determination result in Step S100 is YES, that is, when an object has been detected, it is determined whether or not the detection position is in the detection range 14 (see
In addition, when at least one of the determination results in Steps S101 and S102 is YES, that is, when the detection position of the object is at least one of the detection ranges 14 and 15, the operation limiting control section 20b determines whether or not the operation limiting control is ON (Step S110), and determines whether or not the operation limiting control is enabled (Step S120) when the determination result is YES. When the determination result in Step S120 is YES, the sound output control section 20c determines whether or not the operation device 4 is operated on the basis of the sensed results from the operation amount sensors 4a and 4b (Step S131), and outputs the second state sound by controlling the sound output device 30 (Step S140) when the determination result is YES, then terminating the process.
In addition, when the determination result in Step S110 is NO, that is, when the operation limiting control is OFF, the first state sound is output (Step S141), and the process is terminated. In addition, when the determination result in Step S120 is NO, that is, when the operation limiting control is disabled (abnormal), the first state sound is output (Step S141), and the process is terminated. In addition, when the determination result in Step S131 is YES, that is, when the operation device 4 is operated, the first state sound is output (Step S141), and the process is terminated.
It should be noted that the processes (Step S100 to Step S142) shown in
The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.
Even in the present embodiment configured as described above, the same effect as that in the first embodiment can be obtained.
The features of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.
(1) The above-described embodiment provides a work machine (for example, a hydraulic excavator 1) including: a machine body 1B; a front work device 1A that is provided in the machine body; an operation device 4 that outputs an operation signal for operating the machine body and the front work device on the basis of operation by an operator; and sensors 13a, 13b, and 13c that detect an object around the machine body, in which a controller 20 that controls operations of the machine body and the front work device on the basis of the operation signal from the operation device, and performs operation limiting control for limiting the operation of at least one of the machine body and the front work device when the object is detected by the sensors, and an instruction device 31 that instructs the controller to enable or disable the operation limiting control are included, the controller notifies the operator by a first state warning when the object is detected by the sensors and the operation limiting control is disabled by the instruction device, or when the operation device is operated in a state where the object is detected by the sensors and the operation limiting control is enabled by the instruction device, and the controller notifies the operator by a second state warning that is weaker in warning intensity than the first state warning when the operation device is not operated in a state where the object is detected by the sensors and the operation limiting control is enabled by the instruction device.
Accordingly, the botheration for the operator can be suppressed while securing the effectiveness of the alarm in the periphery monitoring of the work machine, and the safety performance can be enhanced.
(2) In addition, the above-described embodiment provides the work machine (for example, the hydraulic excavator 1) of (1), in which the machine body 1B has a lower track structure 1e and an upper swing structure 1d swingably provided with respect to the lower track structure, and the controller 20 receives an instruction signal from the instruction device when the object is detected in a predetermined detection range on the basis of a swing range of the upper swing structure, and notifies the operator by the first state warning when the swing operation of the upper swing structure is operated by the operation device.
(3) In addition, the above-described embodiment provides the work machine (for example, the hydraulic excavator 1) of (1), in which the first state warning and the second state warning are sounds.
(4) In addition, the above-described embodiment provides the work machine (for example, the hydraulic excavator 1) of (1), including: a plurality of hydraulic actuators 3d, 3e, and 3f that drives the machine body 1B and the front work device 1A; a directional control valve 28 that controls flow rate of a hydraulic fluid supplied from a hydraulic pump 26 to each of the plurality of hydraulic actuators; limiting devices (for example, solenoid valves 23a, 23b, 24a, and 24b) that limit the operation of at least one of the machine body and the front work device by reducing a pilot pressure as the operation signal for controlling the directional control valve; and pressure sensors 23c and 23d that sense magnitude of the pilot pressure as the operation signal supplied to the directional control valve via the limiting devices, in which the controller determines that an instruction signal from the instruction device has been received when the pilot pressure as the operation signal is lower than a predetermined reference pressure, and determines that an instruction signal from the instruction device has not been received when the pilot pressure as the operation signal is equal to or higher than the reference pressure.
(5) In addition, the above-described embodiment provides a periphery monitoring system for a work machine (for example, a hydraulic excavator 1), including: a machine body 1B; a front work device 1A that is provided in the machine body; and an operation device 4 that outputs an operation signal for operating the machine body and the front work device, in which sensors 13a, 13b, and 13c that detect an object around the machine body, and a controller 20 that has a control function for controlling operation of the machine body or the front work device when receiving a detection signal from the sensors are included, the controller determines whether or not the control function is enabled and whether or not the operation device is operated when receiving the detection signal, when it is determined that the control function is disabled or when it is determined that the control function is enabled and the operation device is operated, a command for issuing a first state warning is transmitted, and when it is determined that the control function is enabled and it is determined that the operation device is not operated, a command for issuing a second state warning that is weaker in warning intensity than the first state warning is transmitted.
<Supplementary Note>
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modified examples and combinations without departing from the gist thereof. In addition, the present invention is not limited to one including all the configurations described in the above embodiments, and includes one in which a part of the configurations is deleted. In addition, some or all of the above-described configurations, functions, and the like may be realized by designing with, for example, integrated circuits. In addition, each of the above-described configurations, functions, and the like may be realized by software in such a manner that a processor interprets and executes a program for realizing each function.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-199394 | Oct 2019 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2020/040509 | 10/28/2020 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2021/085500 | 5/6/2021 | WO | A |
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