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US 5,782,018 AGranted
Method and device for controlling bucket angle of hydraulic shovel
AssigneeShin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd.
InventorsShoji Tozawa, Tomoaki Ono
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and a device to control a bucket actuator, which controls the scooping, carrying, scraping, or digging action of the bucket, automatically switches between a bucket angle-maintaining control mode and a manual operation mode. The bucket angle-maintaining control mode, which automatically maintains a bucket angle, is used when the method determines that excavating is not being performed. The method automatically switches to the manual operation mode when the method determines, from the two parameters of bucket angle and stick movement, that excavating is being performed.
Claims15
A device to control a bucket actuator that moves a bucket comprising:
- means for sensing a configuration of at least one of said bucket and said bucket actuator;
- means for determining, responsive to said means for sensing, whether said bucket is excavating or not excavating;
- means for setting said bucket actuator to a manual operation mode, which provides an operator manual control, when a result of said step of determining indicates said bucket is excavating;
- and
- means for setting said bucket actuator to a bucket angle-maintaining control mode, which provides an automatically controlled fixed bucket angle, when a result of said step of determining indicates said bucket is not excavating.
2 more elements
A device to control a bucket actuator that moves a bucket comprising:
- means for sensing a position of said bucket with respect to a datum, to produce a sensed position;
- means for sensing an action of a stick to which said bucket is pivotally attached to produce a sensed action;
- means for storing a value of said sensed position to produce a stored bucket position;
- means for determining whether said bucket is excavating or not excavating from at least one of said sensed position, said stored bucket position and said sensed action;
- means for setting said bucket actuator to a manual operation mode, which provides an operator manual control, when a result of said means for determining indicates said bucket is excavating;
- and
- means for setting said bucket actuator to a bucket angle-maintaining control mode, which provides an automatically controlled fixed bucket position substantially equal to said stored bucket position, when a result of said means for determining indicates said bucket is not excavating.
4 more elements
A device to control a bucket actuator that moves a bucket comprising:
- means for sensing a position of said bucket with respect to a datum to produce a sensed bucket position;
- means for storing a value of said sensed bucket position to produce a stored bucket position;
- means for sensing an action of a stick to which said bucket is pivotally attached to produce a sensed action;
- a controller, said controller for making a comparison of said stored bucket position with said sensed bucket position to determine whether said bucket is consistent with excavating or not excavating, said controller further for making a determination from said sensed action whether said stick is consistent with excavating or not excavating;
- said controller programmed to set said bucket actuator to a manual operation mode, which provides an operator manual control, when said controller determines from a result of said comparison and said determination indicates that both said bucket is consistent with excavating and said stick is consistent with excavating;
- and
- said controller programmed to set said bucket actuator to a bucket angle-maintaining control mode, which provides an automatically controlled fixed bucket position substantially equal to said stored bucket position, when said result of said comparison and said determination indicates that one of said bucket and said stick is not consistent with excavating.
4 more elements
A method to control a bucket actuator that moves a bucket comprising the steps of:
- sensing a configuration of at least one of said bucket and said bucket actuator to produce a sensed bucket angle with respect to a datum;
- storing a value of said sensed bucket angle;
- determining whether said bucket is excavating or not excavating responsive to said step of sensing;
- setting said bucket actuator to a manual operation mode, which provides an operator manual control, when a result of said step of determining indicates said bucket is excavating;
- and
- setting said bucket actuator to a bucket angle-maintaining control mode, which provides an automatically controlled fixed bucket angle substantially equal to said stored bucket angle when a result of said step of determining indicates said bucket is not excavating.
3 more elements
A method to control a bucket actuator that moves a bucket comprising the steps of:
- sensing a position of said bucket to produce a sensed bucket angle with respect to a datum;
- storing a value of said sensed bucket angle to produce a stored bucket angle;
- sensing an action of a stick to which said bucket is pivotally attached to determine a sensed action;
- determining whether said bucket is excavating or not excavating from at least one of said sensed bucket angle, said stored bucket angle and said sensed action;
- setting said bucket actuator to a manual operation mode, which provides an operator manual control, when a result of said step of determining indicates said bucket is excavating;
- and
- setting said bucket actuator to a bucket angle-maintaining control mode, which provides an automatically controlled fixed bucket angle substantially equal to said stored bucket angle when a result of said step of determining indicates said bucket is not excavating.
4 more elements
A method to control a bucket actuator that moves a bucket comprising the steps of:
- sensing a position of said bucket to produce a sensed bucket angle with respect to a datum;
- storing a value of said sensed bucket angle to produce a stored bucket angle;
- sensing an action of a stick to which said bucket is pivotally attached to determine a sensed action;
- determining whether said bucket is excavating or not excavating from said sensed bucket angle, said stored bucket angle and said sensed action;
- setting said bucket actuator to a manual operation mode, which provides an operator manual control, when a result of said step of determining indicates said bucket is excavating;
- and
- setting said bucket actuator to a bucket angle-maintaining control mode, which provides an automatically controlled fixed bucket angle substantially equal to said stored bucket angle when a result of said step of determining indicates said bucket is not excavating.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.