Earth working – Automatic power control – Land leveller type
Patent
1991-05-07
1992-12-29
Reese, Randolph A.
Earth working
Automatic power control
Land leveller type
36442407, 37DIG20, E02F 376
Patent
active
051743850
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a blade control system for a bulldozer, and more particularly to blade control system of a bulldozer for performing ground leveling work or a grading work based on signals issued from a level detecting unit, such as a photo receiver, mounted on a bulldozer, the level detecting unit being adapted to detect an optical reference plane which is formed by an optical projector so as to be horizontal in a predetermined range of area or so as to be inclined at an arbitrary angle in the area.
In addition, the present invention relates to such blade control system for the bulldozer, in which system the level detecting unit, e.g., a photo receiver, has the facility for detecting a three-dimensional position of the bulldozer so as to make it possible that an operator of the bulldozer measures progress of the ground leveling work or of the grading work.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In ground leveling work or grading work performed over a wide range of area, a bulldozer is generally used. In this case, the more the range of area increases, the more the leveling control in ground finishing work or in grading work is important. Consequently, heretofore, it is usual to perform the ground finishing work with reference to a reference plane which is measured each time the ground finishing work is performed after the bulldozer performs the primary ground leveling work (hereinafter referred to as the "first conventional method").
On the other hand, in recent years, a second conventional method has been also developed for performing the ground leveling work or the grading work based on a reference plane which is formed by scanning a work area or ground with a laser beam light issued from a rotary laser projector installed in the work area.
In the second conventional method, the rotary laser projector is rotatably driven to form a horizontal optical reference plane or an oblique optical reference plane inclined at an arbitrary angle. A photo receiver for receiving a laser beam light issued from the laser projector is mounted on a bulldozer, and serves as a ground-level detecting unit for detecting a level of the ground relative to the optical reference plane to issue a level signal to a control unit of the bulldozer, so that a position of a blade of the bulldozer is automatically controlled based on the level signal to perform ground leveling work or grading work in an appropriate manner.
However, the above first conventional method is tedious and time consuming, and is poor in finishing quality of the ground leveling work.
On the other hand, the second conventional method suffers from a problem in that, since the ground-level detecting unit is directly mounted on the blade of the bulldozer so as to control a position of a cutting edge of the blade serving as a level target in the ground leveling work during which a tractor (which is a main vehicle body portion of the bulldozer) pitches considerably, a level signal or value issued from such ground-level detecting unit extremely varies from that of the optical reference plane during the ground leveling work. In addition, in the second conventional method, the bulldozer is restricted in working speed when its work area includes large concave and convex ground portions. Further, in the second conventional method, when the laser beam light issued from the rotary laser projector is interrupted by the other construction machines such as dump trucks, there is a fear that the position of the blade is not appropriately controlled since the position of the blade is controlled based on the level signal having been received before such interruption.
In addition, heretofore, in the ground leveling work or the grading work performed over a wide area, since it is general for a construction manager to empirically divide the area and empirically decide the execution order of the work in the area, the work is not necessarily performed in an effective manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above circumstances, the present invent
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Ono Toyoichi
Shinbo Tetsuya
Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
Kananen Ronald P.
Reese Randolph A.
Thompson Jeffrey L.
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