Apparatus for maintaining attitude of bucket carried by loading/unloading vehicle

Abstract: A loading/unloading vehicle having booms and a bucket carried thereon such as a shovel loader, a wheel loader or the like vehicle detects that a true bucket-to-ground angle coincides with a preset angle after the vehicle starts automatic turning movement of the bucket. When the coincidence is detected, the automatic turning movement of the bucket is interrupted. Thereafter, a differential value between the true bucket-to-ground angle and the preset angle is determined, if any, and then the bucket angle is corrected so as to allow the differential value to be reduced to zero. Consequently, the bucket is held at the preset angle after the bucket stops, even though the booms continue to be turned.

Description: The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for maintaining the attitude of a bucket, fork or the like secured to booms at a predetermined angle inclusive a horizontal plane, wherein the apparatus is installed on a working machine in the form of a loading/unloading vehicle having booms and a bucket or booms and a fork carried thereon such as a shovel loader, wheel loader or the like vehicle. Since a working machine in the form of a loading/unloading vehicle having booms and a bucket (or booms and a fork) carried thereon such as a wheel loader, shovel loader or the like has advantageous features that it is designed and constructed in smaller dimensions, it can turn with a small radius and it can be purchased at an inexpensive cost, it has been widely utilized in many field sites of civil engineering works. As shown in Fig. 5, this kind of loading/unloading vehicle is so constructed that booms 1 are vertically turned by means of a boom cylinder 3 (rising of the booms 1 being referred to as "lift") and a bucket 2 is turned to the tilt side (representing turning movement of the bucket to the vehicle body side (excavating side)) or to the dump side (representing reverse operation to the tilting operation, i.e., turning movement of the bucket to the gravel dump side). Thus, as the booms 1 and the bucket 2 are turned in that way, gravel or the like is excavated (scooped), loaded or dumped. To assure that a next gravel scooping operation is performed at a high efficiency after gravel is loaded on a dump truck or dumped in a hopper by operating a shovel loader or the like working machine, it is required that during rearward movement of the vehicle, the booms 1 are lowered while correcting an angle of the bucket 2 from the downward attitude so as to allow the bottom surface 2a of the bucket 2 to extend horizontally (representing turning movement of the bucket 2 to the tilt side). To meet this requirement, an operator is required to visually confirm rearward movement of the vehicle as well as operation in the front area so as to allow the bottom surface 2a of the bucket 2 to horizontally extend on the ground surface, as represented by solid lines in Fig. 5. Accordingly, he is required to perform a steering operation by turning a handle as well as a lever actuation for turning the bucket 2 to the tilt side or stopping it. However, to perform these operations, a highly skilled technique is required. Further, since such operation for causing the bottom surface 2a of the bucket 2 to extend horizontally is manually performed by his visual confirmation, a scooping operation to be performed during a next cycle is accomplished at a low efficiency. To solve the foregoing problem, a bucket leveler mechanism has been heretofore used. The bucket leveler mechanism essentially comprises a lever detent mechanism for immovably holding a bucket actuating lever at a full stroke position on the tilt side, a solenoid for releasing a lever detent in the lever detent mechanism from the immovable state and permitting the bucket actuating lever to be restored from the full stroke position to a neutral position and a proximity switch LS for detecting that the bucket cylinder 4 expands to a predetermined cylinder length with which the bottom surface 2a of the bucket 2 extends horizontally (see Fig. 6). With such bucket leveler mechanism, when the bucket actuating lever is actuated to the full stroke position on the tilt side during rearward movement of the vehicle after gravel is loaded or dumped, it is immovably held by the lever detent mechanism, whereby the bucket 2 automatically continues to turn to the tilt side from the position where it assumes a downward attitude, even though an operator's hand is released from the bucket actuating lever. When the bucket cylinder 4 expands to a predetermined cylinder length during turning movement of the bucket 2 and thereby the proximity switch LS is actuated, this cylinder length is detected by the proximity switch LS which in turn outputs a detection signal to activate the solenoid. Consequently, the bucket actuating lever which has been immovably held at the full stroke position on the tilt side is automatically restored to the neutral position, whereby turning movement of the bucket to the tilt side is interrupted with the result that the bucket 2 is automatically stopped at a predetermined angle which is determined such that the bottom surface 2a of the bucket 2 extends horizontally. With such bucket leveler mechanism, an operator can concentrate his attention on a lowering operation of the booms 1 as well as a steering operation for the vehicle. In addition, he can concentrate his visual confirmation on rearward movement of the vehicle, resulting in an increased operational efficiency and an improved safety being assured. With respect to the conventional bucket leveler mechanism as constructed in the above-described manner, however, since arrangement of the proximity switch LS is made such that the bottom surface 2a of the bucket 2 extends horizontally when the booms 1 are lowered to the predetermined position where the bottom surface 2a of the bucket 2 comes in contact with the ground surface, it has been found that a working machine such as a shovel loader or the like including a link mechanism comprising booms 1 and a bucket 2 fails to operate such that the bottom surface 2a of the bucket 2 extends horizontally in response to actuation of the bucket leveler mechanism, when the booms 1 are held at a position other than the predetermined lowered position where the bottom surface 2a of the bucket 2 comes in contact with the ground surface. Accordingly, while the conventional bucket leveler mechanism is employed for the vehicle, there arise the following problems, particularly when the bucket 2 is raised up to an elevated position above the ground surface, as represented by two-dot chain lines in Fig. 5. (1) When an operation for uniformly leveling the upper surface of gravel or the like material (hereinafter referred to as a leveling operation) is performed after a dump truck is fully loaded with gravel or the like material using a shovel loader or the like working machine, the bottom surface of the bucket does not extend horizontally while the bucket is held immovable with the conventional bucket leveler mechanism, because the bucket is normally maintained at a high position during the leveling operation. Thus, an operator is required to visually perform a correcting operation for tilting the bucket to a horizontal attitude. (2) When a loading/unloading operation is performed using a fork FK as shown in Fig. 7 in place of the bucket, it is required that an edge of the fork FK is horizontally oriented without fail prior to loading of a cargo on the fork FK. However, when the cargo is placed on the fork FK held at a high position using the conventional bucket leveler mechanism, the fork edge fails to extend horizontally like the preceding case where the bucket is used. Therefore, he is required to visually performing a correcting operation in the same manner as mentioned above. Thereafter, as the fork FK having the cargo loaded thereon is lowered to the ground surface, the fork edge is inclined downward (forward) due to characteristics of the link mechanism and this gives rise to a danger that the cargo falls down. Accordingly, when the conventional bucket leveler mechanism is employed for the vehicle, he is required to actuate it during lowering movement of the fork so as to allow the fork edge to maintain its horizontal attitude throughout the lowering movement of the fork. Since the conventional bucket leveler mechanism is so constructed that the bucket can keep its excavating/loading attitude only when it is held at a position in the proximity of the ground surface, an angle of the bottom surface of the bucket varies as a height of the bucket varies. Thus, the conventional bucket leveler mechanism has significant problems that a loading operation to be performed using a bucket, fork or the like means is very troublesome for an operator, he becomes tired and the loading operation is performed at a low efficiency, because he is required to change an angle of the bucket while visually monitoring the loading operation or he is required to change an angle of the fork in the course of raising/lowering of the booms. Patent Abstracts of Japan JP-A-62-148728 discloses a method in which the turning angles of a boom, an arm and a bucket are summed and compared with a given standard value so as to maintain the attitude of the bucket. Patent Abstracts of Japan JP-A-62-25626 discloses a method in which the difference between the initial angle and the preset angle of a slewing body is obtained on the basis of the output of a slewing angle detector for an upper slewing body, wherein an arm is turned only by the amount as much as the detected slewing angle to the opposite direction of the slewing body. A further method is disclosed by Patent Abstracts of Japan JP-A-60-112936. According to this method an imaginary sliding surface of a bedrock is calculated and a bucket is turned with respect to this imaginary surface in order to perform efficient excavating without exerting a useless force. Patent Abstracts of Japan JP-A-61- 261532 discloses an apparatus for varying the vertical moving speeds of the boom of a working machine. This apparatus uses a control circuit and electromagnetic valves. None of the cited Patent Abstracts of Japan gives any clue how to construct an apparatus performing a first, a second and a third mode of controlling the attitude of the bucket. EP-A-0 258 819 discloses an electronic bucket positioning and control system. The bucket positioning and control system can be operated manually (first mode) or operate in a bucket return-to-position mode (second mode) or in a positioning mode (third mode). Further this system can be operated in an anti-rollback mode and a tilt cushion mode. The electronic subsystem thereof includes a microprocessor based controller and associated memory, a bucket positioning mode switch, a bucket return-to-position mode switch, a bucket return-to-position set switch, a bucket return-to-position enable switch and further electronic members. The operator using this system has to select the desired mode by actuating the individual switches and if he has selected the return-to-position mode or the positioning mode, he has to preset an attitude of the bucket by actuating the return-to-position set switch. Each time he wants to operate the return-to-position mode he has to actuate the return-to-position enable switch. The necessity to operate a plurality of switches makes it difficult to operate the system and requires a lot of concentration. It is the object of the invention to provide an apparatus for controlling the attitude of a bucket or fork carried by a loading/unloading vehicle with two controlling parameters, wherein the first parameter is used to obtain the desired attitude of the bucket and the second parameter is used to stabilize the bucket in the desired attitude. This object is solved according to the invention with the features of claim 1. According to the present invention, the lever detent mechanism for automatically tilting the bucket to a predetermined angle and then immovably holding it at the predetermined angle is constructed in an electrical fashion. Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for maintaining the attitude of a bucket carried by a loading/unloading vehicle in accordance with the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating by way of example the structure of circuits in a control unit for the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating by way of example other circuits in the control unit, Fig. 4 is a block diagram illustrating by way of example an apparatus modified from that in Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a side view showing the working portion of a shovel loader, Fig. 6 is a view illustrating a conventional apparatus for maintaining the attitude of a bucket carried by a loading/unloading vehicle, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a fork. Fig. 1 is a block diagram which illustrates an apparatus for maintaining the attitude of a bucket carried by a loading/unloading vehicle having a mechanical lever detent mechanism. Referring to Fig. 1, the apparatus includes a bucket cylinder 4 which is fed with high pressure hydraulic oil which is delivered from hydraulic pumps 9 and 13 via a bucket actuating valve 8 and a solenoid valve 12. The bucket actuating valve 8 is such that its spool position is shifted by means of a bucket actuating lever 10, whereas the solenoid valve 12 is such that its spool position is controlled in response to an electrical signal outputted from an amplifier 22. A bucket angle detector 6 detects a bucket angle  1 and a boom angle detector 7 detects a boom angle  2 . Arrangement of these detectors 6 and 7 on the vehicle is as shown in Fig. 9. The bucket angle  1 can be detected via, e.g., a stroke of the bucket cylinder 4 or a turning angle of a bell crank 5 relative to booms 1 or a turning angle of a bucket 2 relative to the booms 1. The bucket angle indicative signal  1 and the boom angle indicative signal  2 are inputted into a bucket-to-ground angle calculator 14. The bucket-to-ground angle calculator 14 calculates an angle  o of the bucket relative to the ground surface, e.g., by adding the bucket angle  1 to the boom angle  2 . The bucket-to-ground angle  o can be represented in the form of, e.g., an angle of the bottom surface of the bucket relative to a horizontal plane. Referring to Fig. 1, a stop angle  os of the bucket 2 is preset in a setter 27. The preset angle  os and an output  o from the bucket-to-ground angle calculator 14 are inputted in a subtractor 28 so that the subtractor 28 obtains a differential value Δ os (=  os -  o ) between them which is then inputted into the calculator 29. The calculator 29 calculates a bucket angle correcting signal K 2 ·Δ os in correspondence to the differential signal Δ o so as to allow the inputted differential value Δ os to be reduced to zero. Then, the calculated value K 2 ·Δ os is inputted into the amplifier 22 via a switch 25. The apparatus further includes a bucket leveler switch 23 which is actuated by an operator when he wants to stop the bucket 2 at the preset angle  os , and the current operative state of the switch 23 is detected by a control unit 24. Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating by way of example the inner structure of the control unit 24. The control unit 24 includes a switch 30 of which contact is turned on when the bucket leveler switch 23 is turned on. An output K 2 ·Δ os from the calculator 29 is inputted into a coincidence detecting circuit 50 which detects a coincidence of the true bucket-to-ground angle  o with the preset angle  os , i.e.  o =  os by detecting a condition of K 2 ·Δ os = 0. In addition, the control unit 24 includes a switch 31 of which contact is shifted from the ON state to an OFF state when the coincidence condition of  o =  os is detected by the coincidence circuit 50. When the both switches 30 and 31 are turned on, a solenoid 51 is activated with the result that the switch 25 is turned on and the switch 26 is turned off. It should be added that the switch 25 and the switch 26 always operate to assume their ON/OFF state in a reverse manner to each other. Accordingly, when it is found that  o is not equal to  os , the control unit 24 is activated to turn on the switch 25 and turn off the switch 26, but when it is found that  o is equal to  os , the control unit 24 is reversely activated to turn off the switch 25 and turn on the switch 26. With such construction, when an operator actuates the bucket leveler switch 23, the switch 30 in the control unit 24 is turned on. Usually,  o does not become equal to  os in response to actuation of the bucket leveler switch 23, causing the switch 31 in the control unit 24 to be turned on. In this case, the coil 51 is activated with the result that the switch 25 is turned on and the switch 26 is turned off. Consequently, the bucket angle correcting signal K 2 ·Δ os calculated in the calculator 29 is inputted into the amplifier 22 via the switch 25. The bucket angle correcting signal K 2 ·Δ os is amplified in the amplifier 22 so that a solenoid of the solenoid valve 12 is activated in response to the solenoid valve actuating signal I(q). Thus, the solenoid valve 12 is opened to feed the bucket cylinder with high pressure hydraulic oil so as to allow  o to become equal to  os , and then the bucket 2 is automatically turned (tilted) until  o becomes equal to  os . Thereafter, when  o becomes equal to  os , this is detected by the coincidence detecting circuit 50, whereby the switch 31 in the control unit 24 is turned off. As a result, the solenoid 51 is turned off to turn off the switch 25 and turn on the switch 26. Thus, after  o becomes equal to  os , the bucket angle correcting signal K 2 ·Δ os calculated in the calculator 29 fails to be inputted into the amplifier 22 but an output from the calculator 20 is outputted to the amplifier 22. Namely, when  o becomes equal to  os , the switch 26 is turned on, whereby the solenoid 52 is activated as long as the switch 32 in the control unit 24 is turned on, resulting in the switch 17 and the switch 21 being turned on. Incidentally, the switch 32 is turned on when the neutral state of the bucket actuating lever 10 is detected by the lever neutral state detector 11. As the switch 17 is turned on, a write signal is inputted into the memory 18, whereby an output  oM outputted from the bucket-to-ground angle calculator 14 when  o becomes equal to  os is stored in the memory 18. On the other hand, the calculator 19 obtains a differential signal Δ  o (=  oM -  o ) between the true bucket-to-ground angle  o calculated in the bucket-to-ground angle calculator 14 and the bucket-to-ground angle  oM outputted when  o becomes equal to  os . The calculator 20 calculates a bucket angle correcting signal K 1 ·Δ o in correspondence to the differential signal Δ o . Since the switch 21 is turned on after  o becomes equal to  os , an output K 1 ·Δ o from the calculator 20 is inputted into the amplifier 22. The input signal K 1 ·Δ o is converted into a solenoid valve actuating signal I(q) in the amplifier 22 and then the solenoid valve 12 is opened in response to the signal I(q) to feed the bucket cylinder 4 with high pressure hydraulic oil until the bucket-to-ground angle reaches an angle  oM stored in the memory 18. Thus, the bucket 2 is held at the preset angle  os in the same manner as in an apparatus having a mechanical lever detent mechanism after  o becomes equal to  os , irrespective of how far a height of the booms 1 is varied. However, when the bucket actuating lever 10 is displaced to a position other than the neutral position by an operator during the aforementioned controlling operation, the switch 32 is turned off in response to an output from the lever neutral position detector 11, whereby the bucket 2 is displaced not in response to an output from the calculator 20 but in correspondence to displacement of the bucket actuating lever 10. According to the invention, the bucket 2 is operated in response to the bucket angle correction signal K 2 ·Δ os until it is stopped at the preset angle  os by means of the bucket leveler switch 23, and after it is stopped, it is operated in response to the bucket angle correcting signal K 1 ·Δ o . Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating another modified circuit structure of the control unit 24 which is used for practicing the present invention, wherein the same function as that of the control unit 24 is realized using logic gates 33 to 36. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, arrangement of an AND gate 33 and an inverter 34 makes is possible that the switch 25 is turned on (the switch 26 is turned off) when then bucket leveler switch 23 is turned and  o does not become equal to  os . Further, arrangement of an AND gate 35 and an inverter 36 makes it possible that the switch 17 and the switch 21 are turned on when an AND condition of the AND gate 33 is not established and the bucket actuating lever 10 is held at the neutral position. Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating by way of example the structure of an electrical lever 37 which is substituted for the bucket actuating lever 10 for use in the apparatus in accordance with the invention. In this case, the bucket cylinder 4 is driven by a single solenoid valve 38. Accordingly, in this case, an output from the electric lever 27, an output K 1 ·Δ o from the calculator 20 and an output K 2 ·Δ os from the calculator 29 are inputted into the amplifier 22 in which the three inputs are converted into amplified outputs which in turn are inputted into the solenoid of the solenoid valve 38. The output from the electrical lever 37 takes priority over other ones, and when the electrical lever 37 is displaced to a position other than the neutral position, outputs from the calculators 20 and 29 fail to be inputted into the amplifier 22, because the switches 21 and 25 are turned off. A manner of operation of the calculators 20 and 29 is same as in the embodiment of Fig. 1. Namely, when the bucket leveler switch 23 is turned on, a bucket angle correcting signal K 2 ·Δ os is selected and after the bucket 2 assumes a preset angle, a bucket angle correcting signal K 1 ·Δ o is selected. According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the apparatus is provided with a memory 18 in which a bucket-to-ground angle  o is outputted when  o becomes equal to  os is stored, and variation of a bucket angle caused by turning movement of the booms 1 is corrected in correspondence to a differential value between the stored value  oM and the bucket-to-ground angle  o . Alternatively, the apparatus may be modified such that the memory 18 is eliminated and the set value  os is inputted into the subtractor 19. In this case, a calculation represented by  os -  o is performed in the subtractor 19 and then the bucket angle is corrected depending upon a differential value  os -  o . The present invention is advantageously applicable to a vehicle having booms and a bucket or booms and a fork carried thereon such as a shovel loader, a wheel loader or the like vehicle.

Claims: An apparatus for maintaining the attitude of a bucket (2) carried by a loading/unloading vehicle, wherein said apparatus comprises: booms (1) adapted to vertically turn about a fulcrum on a vehicle body, said bucket (2) being turnable about fore ends of said booms (1), boom angle detecting means (7) for detecting the angle assumed by the booms (1), bucket angle detecting means (6) for detecting the angle assumed by the bucket (2), bucket-to-ground angle calculating means (14) for determining the angle of the bucket relative to a horizontal plane based on outputs from said boom angle detecting means (7) and said bucket angle detecting means (6), presetting means (27) for presetting an angle at which the bucket (2) is to be held immovable, actuating means (23,24) for generating a command for instructing that the bucket (2) is automatically turned to said preset angle provided by said presetting means, first controlling means (28,29) for determining the differential value (Δ os ) between the value ( os ) preset by the presetting means (27) and a value ( o ) calculated by said bucket-to-ground angle calculating means (14) when said command is generated by said actuating means (23,24) and then providing a first command (K 2 · Δ os ) of instructing a correction of the bucket angle so as to allow said differential value (Δ os ) to be reduced to zero, coincidence detecting means (50) for detecting coincidence of the value preset by said presetting means with the value calculated by said bucket-to-ground angle calculating means (14) after said command is generated by said actuating means (23,24), characterized by second controlling means (19,20) for determining the differential value (Δ o ) between said preset value ( os ) provided by the presetting means (27), or a value provided by a memory means (18), and said value ( o ) calculated by the bucket-to-ground angle calculating means (14) after said coincidence 50 is detected by said coincidence detecting means (50) and then providing a second command (K 1 · Δ o ) of instructing a correction of the bucket angle so as to allow said differential value (Δ o ) to be reduced to zero, switch means (21,25) for controlling a selection for switching from transmission of said first bucket angle correcting command (K 2 · Δ os ) to a driving means (22,12,4) within the period from generation of said command by the actuating means (23,24) till detection of the coincidence by the coincidence detecting means (50) to transmission of said second bucket angle correcting command (K 1 · Δ o ) to the driving means (22,12,4) after detection of the coincidence by the coincidence detecting means (50) with priority for the output from the bucket actuating lever (10) over the first and second bucket angle correcting commands (K 2 · Δ os , K 1 · Δ o ), whereby the bucket is turned in response to the output of said switching selection performed by said switch means (21,25). The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory means (18) stores the output from the bucket-to-ground angle calculating means (14) when said coincidence is detected by said coincidence detecting means (50), and the second controlling means (19,20) determines the differential value (Δ 0 ) between a value stored in said memory means (18) and the value ( o ) calculated by the bucket-to-ground angle calculating means (14) after the coincidence is detected by the coincidence detecting means (50) and then provides a second command (K 1 · Δ 0 ) of instructing a correction of the bucket angle so as to said differential value (Δ o ) to be reduced to zero.

Inventors: FUKUDA MASAO, IKARI MASANORI, FUKUDA, MASAO, IKARI, MASANORI
Applicants: KOMATSU MFG CO LTD, KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOMATSU SEISAKUSHO
Application year: 1989
Main classification: E02F3
IPC codes: E02F3