Workload detecting system for excavating and loading apparatus

• US 5,714,719 A
• Filed: 12/23/1994
• Issued: 02/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
• Inventors: Kimoto, Kenzo, Otsuka, Kazuo, Imanishi, Kunihiko, Shoda, Minpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Gellner, Michael L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy W.
• Application Number:
  US08/351,281
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 177/141, 177/25.11
• US Class Current: 177/25.11
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/083 lift truck scale

Abstract

A workload detecting system for an excavating and loading apparatus, in which a bucket supporting member is vertically pivoted relative to a vehicle body and a bucket is actuated to be tilted with respect to the bucket supporting member. The system includes a bottom pressure detecting system (17) for detecting a bottom pressure of a cylinder (6) for vertically pivoting the bucket supporting member (5, 7), a, bucket earth and sand amount calculating system (18) for calculating an earth and sand weight within the bucket (9) on the basis of the detected bottom pressure, and a bucket earth and sand amount calculating summing system (31) for integrating the calculated bucket earth and sand weight.

Claims

1. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus having a bucket support vertically pivoted relative to a vehicle body, a cylinder for vertically pivoting the bucket support and a bucket tiltable with respect to the bucket support, said workload detecting system comprising:

bottom pressure detecting means for detecting a bottom pressure of the cylinder for vertically pivoting the bucket support;

bucket position data detecting means for detecting bucket position data;

bucket position calculating means for calculating a bucket position on the basis of the bucket position data;

bucket weight calculating means for calculating a bucket weight on the basis of the detected bottom pressure and the bucket position; and

bucket weight summing means for summing the bucket weight of a plurality of loaded buckets to determine the workload of the excavating and loading apparatus.

2. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bucket weight calculating means includes a map of a relationship between the bucket weight and the detected bottom pressure of the cylinder, said relationship being variable depending upon the bucket position, and the bucket weight being corrected on the basis of said map and the bucket position.

3. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 2, which further comprises a tilt angle detecting means for detecting a tilt angle of the vehicle body, and wherein said bucket position calculating means corrects the calculated bucket position on the basis of the detected tilt angle of the vehicle body.

4. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 2, which further comprises a dump actuation detecting means for detecting actuation of a dumping of the bucket, and wherein said bucket weight calculating means calculates the bucket weight from an average value of the bottom pressure detected at timings slightly before and after a predetermined period from a given timing where said given timing is set at a given period ahead of a dump actuation detection signal input timing.

5. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said dump actuation detecting means generates said dump actuation detection signal when the bucket is positioned at a given height and pivoted over a given angle in a given direction.

6. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which further comprises a calculation interruption signal input means for inputting a signal for interrupting calculation of the bucket weight.

7. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which further comprises an IC memory card for having information relating to the bucket weight of the plurality of loaded buckets written thereto and read therefrom.

8. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said IC memory card further has time data and consumption data written thereto and read therefrom.

9. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 6, which further comprises an IC memory card for having information relating to the bucket weight of the plurality of loaded buckets written thereto and read therefrom.

10. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said IC memory card further has time data and consumption data written thereto and read therefrom.

11. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bucket support includes a bucket cylinder and said bucket position data detecting means includes a stroke gauge positioned on the bucket cylinder where said stroke gauge detects a stroke of the bucket cylinder.

12. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system where said system is used for detecting the workload of the excavating and loading apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

a vehicle body, a boom pivotally supported by the body, an arm pivotally supported by the boom, a boom cylinder for driving the boom, a bucket tiltably mounted to the arm, and a bucket cylinder for tiltable operation of the bucket;

said workload detecting system comprising;

bottom pressure sensor for detecting a bottom pressure of the boom cylinder;

boom angle gauge;

arm angle gauge;

stroke gauge for detecting stroke of the bucket cylinder;

vehicle body tilt gauge;

bucket position calculating means for calculating a bucket position on the basis of said boom angle gauge, said arm angle gauge, said stroke gauge and said vehicle body tilt gauge;

bucket weight calculating means for calculating a bucket weight on the basis of the detected bottom pressure and the bucket position; and

bucket weight summing means for summing the bucket weight of a plurality of loaded buckets to determine the workload of the excavating and loading apparatus.

13. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the bucket weight calculating means includes a map of a relationship between the bucket weight and the detected bottom pressure of the boom cylinder, said relationship being variable depending upon the bucket position, and the bucket weight being corrected on the basis of said map and the bucket position.

14. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said bucket position calculating means corrects the calculated bucket position on the basis of the detected tilt angle of the vehicle body.

15. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 13, which further comprises a dump actuation detecting means for detecting actuation of a dumping of the bucket, and wherein said bucket weight calculating means calculates the bucket weight from an average value of the bottom pressure detected at timings slightly before and after a predetermined period from a given timing where said given timing is set at a given period ahead of a dump actuation detection signal input timing.

16. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said dump actuation detecting means generates said dump actuation detection signal when the bucket is positioned at a given height and pivoted over a given angle in a given direction.

17. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 12, which further comprises a calculation interruption signal input means for inputting a signal for interrupting calculation of the bucket weight.

18. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 12, which further comprises an IC memory for having information relating to the bucket weight of the plurality of loaded buckets written thereto and read therefrom.

19. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said IC memory card further has time data and consumption data written thereto and read therefrom.

20. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 17, which further comprises an IC memory for having information relating to the bucket weight of the plurality of loaded buckets written thereto and read therefrom.

21. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 20, wherein said IC memory card further has time data and consumption data written thereto and read therefrom.

22. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus having a vehicle body, a boom pivotally supported by the body, an arm pivotally supported by the boom, a boom cylinder for driving the boom, a bucket tiltably mounted to the arm, and a bucket cylinder for tiltable operation of the bucket, said workload detecting system comprising:

bottom pressure sensor for detecting a bottom pressure of the boom cylinder;

boom angle gauge;

arm angle gauge;

stroke gauge for detecting stroke of the bucket cylinder;

vehicle body tilt gauge;

bucket position calculating means for calculating a bucket position on the basis of said boom angle gauge, said arm angle gauge, said stroke gauge and said vehicle body tilt gauge;

bucket weight calculating means for calculating a bucket weight on the basis of the detected bottom pressure and the bucket position; and

bucket weight summing means for summing the bucket weight of a plurality of loaded buckets to determine the workload of the excavating and loading apparatus.

23. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said bucket weight calculating means includes a map of a relationship between the bucket weight and the detected bottom pressure of the boom cylinder;

said relationship being variable depending upon the bucket position; and

the bucket weight being corrected on the basis of said map and the bucket position.

24. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein said bucket position calculating means corrects the calculated bucket position on the basis of the detected tilt angle of the vehicle body.

25. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 23, which further comprises a dump actuation detecting means for detecting actuation of a dumping of the bucket, and wherein said bucket weight calculating means calculates the bucket weight from an average value of the bottom pressure detected at timings slightly before and after a predetermined period from a given timing where said given timing is set at a given period ahead of a dump actuation detection signal input timing.

26. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein said dump actuation detecting means generates said dump actuation detection signal when the bucket is positioned at a given height and pivoted over a given angle in a given direction.

27. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 22, which further comprises a calculation interruption signal input means for inputting a signal for interrupting calculation of the bucket weight.

28. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 22, which further comprises an IC memory card for having information relating to the bucket weight of the plurality of loaded buckets written thereto and read therefrom.

29. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein said IC memory card further has time data and consumption data written thereto and read therefrom.

30. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 27, which further comprises an IC memory card for having information relating to the bucket weight of the plurality of loaded buckets written thereto and read therefrom.

32. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system where said system is used for detecting the workload of the excavating and loading apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

a vehicle body, a boom pivotally supported by the body, an arm pivotally supported by the boom, a boom cylinder for driving the boom, a bucket tiltably mounted to the arm, and a bucket cylinder for tiltable operation of the bucket;

said workload detecting system comprising;

bottom pressure detecting means for detecting a bottom pressure of the boom cylinder;

bucket position data detecting means for detecting bucket position data;

bucket position calculating means for calculating a bucket position on the basis of the bucket position data;

bucket weight calculating means for calculating a bucket weight on the basis of the detected bottom pressure and the bucket position; and

bucket weight summing means for summing the bucket weight of a plurality of loaded buckets to determine the workload of the excavating and loading apparatus.

31. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 32 wherein said IC memory card further has time data and consumption data written thereto and read therefrom.

33. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 32, wherein said bucket weight calculating means includes a map of a relationship between the bucket weight and the detected bottom pressure of the boom cylinder;

said relationship being variable depending upon the bucket position; and

the bucket weight being corrected on the basis of said map and the bucket position.

34. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 33, which further comprises a tilt angle detecting means for detecting a tilt angle of the vehicle body, and wherein said bucket position calculating means corrects the calculated bucket position on the basis of the detected tilt angle of the vehicle body.

35. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 33, which further comprises a dump actuation detecting means for detecting actuation of a dumping of the bucket, and wherein said bucket weight calculating means calculates the bucket weight from an average value of the bottom pressure detected at timings slightly before and after a predetermined period from a given timing where said given timing is set at a given period ahead of a dump actuation detection signal input timing.

36. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 35, wherein said dump actuation detecting means generates said dump actuation detection signal when the bucket is positioned at a given height and pivoted over a given angle in a given direction.

37. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 32, which further comprises a calculation interruption signal input means for inputting a signal for interrupting calculation of the bucket weight.

38. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 32, which further comprises an IC memory card for having information relating to the bucket weight of the plurality of loaded buckets written thereto and read therefrom.

39. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 38, wherein said IC memory card further has time data and consumption data written thereto and read therefrom.

40. A workload detecting system to be used with an excavating and loading apparatus as claimed in claim 37, which further comprises an IC memory card for having information relating to the bucket weight of the plurality of loaded buckets written thereto and read therefrom.

41. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 40, wherein said IC memory card further has time data and consumption data written thereto and read therefrom.

42. An assembly comprising an excavating and loading apparatus and a workload detecting system as claimed in claim 32, wherein said bucket position data detecting means includes a stroke gauge positioned on the bucket cylinder where said stroke gauge detects a stroke of the bucket cylinder.