Work machine and method for controlling work machine
AssigneeKomatsu Ltd.
InventorsKenichiro Tanaka, Yuichi Nakano
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A work machine includes a vehicle body, a blade supported so as to be rotatable about a pitch axis with respect to the vehicle body, a pitch actuator connected to the blade, a first sensor, and a controller. The pitch actuator causes the blade to perform a pitch motion about the pitch axis in a forward tilt direction and a backward tilt direction. The first sensor detects a first parameter relating to a penetration force of a blade tip of the blade in a downward direction. The controller determines whether the penetration force is insufficient based on the first parameter, and controls the pitch actuator to cause the blade to perform the pitch motion in the forward tilt direction upon determining that the penetration force is insufficient.
Claims10
A work machine comprising:
- a vehicle body including
- a front wheel,
- a rear wheel, and
- a crawler belt wound around the front wheel and the rear wheel;
- a blade supported so as to be rotatable about a pitch axis with respect to the vehicle body;
- a pitch actuator connected to the blade, the pitch actuator being configured to cause the blade to perform a pitch motion about the pitch axis in a forward tilt direction and a backward tilt direction;
- a first sensor configured to detect a first parameter relating to a penetration force of a blade tip of the blade in a downward direction;
- and
- a controller configured to
- determine whether the penetration force is insufficient based on the first parameter by determining whether the first parameter is greater than or equal to a first threshold, and
- control the pitch actuator to increase a pitch angle of the blade in the forward tilt direction according to an increase of the first parameter upon determining that the first parameter is greater than or equal to a first threshold,
- the first threshold being determined based on a value of the first parameter when the front wheel is lifted up.
A method for controlling a work machine including a vehicle body that has a front wheel, a rear wheel, and a crawler belt wound around the front wheel and the rear wheel, a blade supported so as to be rotatable about a pitch axis with respect to the vehicle body, and a pitch actuator connected to the blade, the pitch actuator being configured to cause the blade to perform a pitch motion about the pitch axis in a forward tilt direction and a backward tilt direction, the method for controlling the work machine comprising:
- detecting a first parameter relating to a penetration force of a blade tip of the blade in a downward direction;
- determining whether the penetration force is insufficient based on the first parameter by determining whether the first parameter is greater than or equal to a first threshold;
- and
- controlling the pitch actuator to increase a pitch angle of the blade in the forward tilt direction according to an increase of the first parameter upon determining that the first parameter is greater than or equal to a first threshold;
- and
- the first threshold being determined based on a value of the first parameter when the front wheel is lifted up.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.