Vehicle having apparatus for monitoring forward portion of blade and method of monitoring forward portion of blade

• US 6,470,606 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2000
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Toshio, Nagahiro, Yuuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Will, Thomas B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Markovich, Kristine M
• Application Number:
  US09/708,385
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 373/48, 373/82, 374/66, 172/5
• US Class Current: 37/348
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/847 using electromagnetic, optical or acoustic beams to determine the blade position, e.g. laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle such as bull-dozer provided with a blade comprises a vehicle body having an operation room and is provided with a forward portion monitoring apparatus such as television camera set for picking up an image of a forward portion of a blade, and a display device on which an image of the forward portion of the blade monitored by the forward monitoring apparatus is displayed and the displayed image is observed in an operation room of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle provided with a monitoring apparatus, comprising:

a vehicle body having an operation room;

a forward monitoring apparatus for monitoring a forward portion of a blade provided for the vehicle body;

display means for displaying an image of the forward portion monitored by the forward monitoring apparatus;

a moving mechanism operated in the operation room through a remote control so as to move the monitoring apparatus from a position of the blade to a position for picking up an image of a forward lateral side position and/or a position for picking up an image of a forward vertical position, and the display means on which the picked up image is displayed is disposed in the operation room; and

a lift cylinder provided for the vehicle body for moving the blade, position detection means for detecting a position of the blade moved by the lift cylinder and generating a position signal and control means for calculating an excavating position by a cutting edge of the blade in response to the position signal from the position detection means and generating a command signal to the moving mechanism in accordance with a result of the calculation so as to direct the forward monitoring apparatus to a position for picking up the image of the excavating position.

2. A vehicle provided with a monitoring apparatus, comprising:

a vehicle body having an operation room;

a forward monitoring apparatus for monitoring a forward portion of a blade provided for the vehicle body;

display means for displaying an image of the forward portion monitored by the forward monitoring apparatus;

a moving mechanism operated in the operation room through a remote control so as to move the monitoring apparatus from a position of the blade to a position for picking up an image of a forward lateral side position and/or a position for picking up an image of a forward vertical position, and the display means on which the picked up image is displayed is disposed in the operation room; and

a lift cylinder provided for the vehicle body for moving the blade, position detection means for detecting a position of the blade moved by the lift cylinder and generating a position signal and control means for calculating an excavating position by a cutting edge of the blade in response to the position signal from the position detection means and generating a command signal to the moving mechanism in accordance with a result of the calculation as to direct the forward monitoring apparatus to a position for picking up the image of the excavating position;

wherein said monitoring apparatus is a television camera set provided with a zoom mechanism which is operated remotely in the operation room.