# US 11,299,867 B2 · Shovel

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- Number: US 11,299,867 B2
- Document ID: US11299867B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/779,808
- Filed: 2020-02-03
- Published: 2020-06-04
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2017-08-23
- Assignees: Sumitomo Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Sumitomo Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Tomoki Kurokawa; Hiroyuki Tsukamoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299867B2

## CPC

- E02F 9/2025: {Particular purposes of control systems not otherwise provided for (E02F3/16, E02F3/26, sub-groups of E02F3/43, E02F3/651, sub-groups of E02F3/84, E02F3/907, E02F5/145 take precedence)}
- E02F 3/435: {for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like}
- E02F 9/16: Cabins, platforms, or the like, for drivers ({for motor vehicles in general B62D33/06}, for cranes B66C13/54)
- E02F 9/2004: {Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers (control levers per se G05G)}
- E02F 9/2285: {Pilot-operated systems}
- E02F 9/24: Safety devices {, e.g. for preventing overload (E02F9/226 takes precedence)}
- E02F 9/26: Indicating devices {(E02F5/145 takes precedence)}
- E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00)

## Abstract

A shovel includes a lower traveling body, an upper turning body turnably mounted on the lower traveling body, a cab mounted on the upper turning body, an operating apparatus installed in the cab, an actuator driven with the operating apparatus, and a processor configured to restrict the movement of the actuator. The processor is configured to determine the necessity of a restriction related to the movement of the actuator in accordance with whether the operating apparatus is operated with an operator's hand.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A shovel comprising:
a lower traveling body;
an upper turning body turnably mounted on the lower traveling body;
a cab mounted on the upper turning body;
an operating apparatus installed in the cab;
an actuator driven with the operating apparatus, and
a processor configured to restrict a movement of the actuator,
wherein the processor is configured to make a determination as to whether the operating apparatus is operated with a hand of an operator based on an output of a detector and determine a necessity of a restriction related to the movement of the actuator in accordance with said determination.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to make said determination based on an output of one or more cameras attached inside the cab.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to restrict the movement of the actuator by reducing a pilot pressure that is generated according as the operating apparatus is operated.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The shovel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to reduce the pilot pressure with a gate lock valve.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The shovel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to reduce the pilot pressure with a valve other than a gate lock valve.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine a necessity of restricting a travel pedal from causing the movement of the actuator in accordance with whether the travel pedal is operated with a foot of the operator.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The shovel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a selector valve installed between a pilot pressure generator and a control valve,
wherein a pilot pressure that is generated according as the operating apparatus is operated is controlled with the selector valve.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The shovel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a proportional reducing valve installed between a pilot pressure generator and a control valve,
wherein the processor is configured to restrict the movement of the actuator by controlling the proportional reducing valve.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to restrict the movement of the actuator until determining that the operating apparatus is operated with the hand of the operator.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured not to restrict the movement of the actuator until determining that the operating apparatus is not operated with the hand of the operator.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured not to remove the restriction in response to determining that the operating apparatus is operated with the hand of the operator, when a gate lock lever is in a locking state.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the detector is electrically connected to the processor and configured to detect that the operating apparatus is operated with the hand of the operator, and
the processor is configured to make said determination by processing an electrical signal output from the detector.

### Claim 13

A shovel comprising:
a lower traveling body;
an upper turning body turnably mounted on the lower traveling body;
a cab mounted on the upper turning body;
an operating apparatus installed in the cab;
an actuator driven with the operating apparatus, and
a processor configured to restrict a movement of the actuator,
wherein the processor is configured to make a determination as to whether the operating apparatus is operated with a hand of an operator based on an output of a detector, determine whether a restriction related to the movement of the actuator is necessary or not in accordance with said determination, and restrict the movement of the actuator in response to determining that the restriction is necessary.