Excavating – Ditcher – Condition responsive
Patent
1996-05-17
1998-02-03
Melius, Terry Lee
Excavating
Ditcher
Condition responsive
172 45, 414699, 36442407, E02F 502, G05D 102
Patent
active
057131449
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a linear excavation control apparatus for a hydraulic power shovel. Particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for carrying out a linearized excavating operation by linearly displacing the end portion of a bucket of a hydraulic power shovel. The linear displacement of an excavation member, e.g., a bucket is controlled by using a laser beam as a reference.
BACKGROUND ART
A known linear excavation control apparatus for a hydraulic power shovel is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 03-295,933. Such an apparatus is provided with a laser oscillator installed on the surface of a target area or site of excavation. The apparatus also has a laser beam receiving unit mounted on a vehicle body of the hydraulic power shovel. The depth of the excavation carried out by the bucket is controlled by a controller which detects the height of the vehicle body in response to a signal. The signal is representative of a laser beam receiving position at a laser beam receiving unit. Thus, the height of the vehicle body is detected by means of a laser beam. On the basis of this detected height, and a preset depth of the excavation, the height of the end portion of the bucket is controlled so that the edge of the bucket is able to linearly excavate while being displaced at a gradient defined by the laser beam. The bucket excavates while being moved in parallel to the laser beam. The apparatus has been used, primarily, for excavating a normal surface or a groove in which a pipe is buried.
However, since the prior art laser beam receiving unit is mounted in a vertical orientation with respect to the vehicle body, when the angle between the laser beam b and a horizontal line is large, the vehicle body c can only travel a short distance L and still remain in a zone in which the laser beam receiving unit d is capable of accepting the laser beam b. Therefore, when the angle of the laser with respect to the horizontal line is increased, the distance that can be linearly excavated is shortened.
Problems with the depth of excavation also result when it is necessary to turn the vehicle body with respect to the vehicle base. See FIG. 12 for an illustration of such a turn. More specifically, when the laser beam is inclined with respect to a horizontal line, a turning of the vehicle body will result in a turning of the excavating bucket as well and there will also be a change in the height of the excavating end portion of the bucket with respect to the laser beam. Since the height of the vehicle body is the same, the height of the excavating end portion of the bucket would not normally be changed. There is no indication that the height of the bucket has been affected. It follows, therefore, that an error will develop in the depth of excavation, corresponding to a difference in the height of the excavating end portion of the bucket with respect to the laser beam due to the turned vehicle body.
Another problem exists when the surface upon which the vehicle rests is tilted to the left or to the right with respect to the desired excavated surface. See FIG. 16 for an illustration of such tilting. If the attitude of a vehicle is rotated in such a manner, the bucket will also be tilted. This causes the bucket to deviate from the orientation of the desired surface of excavation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a linear excavation control apparatus for a power shovel which is capable of increasing the distance that can be linearly excavated for situations where the angle of the laser beam with respect to a horizontal line is increased. Another object of the present invention is to allow the depth of excavation with respect to the laser beam to be kept constant even if the vehicle body is turned. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a linear excavation control apparatus which can maintain the attitude of an excavating bucket even when the surface of the excavation site is tilted to the left or right with respect to the direction o
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Beach Thomas A.
Komatsu Ltd.
Melius Terry Lee
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