JP7614032B2 - Construction machinery display device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a display device for a construction machine, and more specifically, to a display device that displays the operating status of the construction machine on a monitor screen placed in the driver's cab.

Generally, construction machinery such as hydraulic excavators and cranes are equipped with a display monitor in the driver's seat. The driver can check the current operating status of the construction machinery by looking at the monitor screen (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

For construction machinery, such as pile drivers and soil improvement machines that perform work underground, there is a need for people other than the driver, such as workers outside the machine and site managers, to be able to check the information (construction information) on the monitor screen. For this reason, in such construction machinery for pile construction, an external display monitor is installed near a window in the cab, and the monitor displays the same screen as the driver sees (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

JP 2010-105569 A

Japan Steel Pipe Pile and Steel Sheet Pile Technology Association, "JASPP Technical Library - Construction - 4-Rotation Pile Construction Management Guidelines [Edition 1.0]", P.48, Photo-5.2 Example of a monitor photo of a small pile driver, [online], March 2017, [Retrieved May 17, 2021], Internet <http://www.jaspp.com/shiryou/pdf/kaiten_2017mar.pdf>

In recent years, the use of IT at construction sites has progressed, and if you have a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, you can easily display the same screen as the monitor screen seen by the driver. Such portable display devices are highly complementary to the fixed display devices described in Non-Patent Document 1, and it is convenient if the user can use them according to the situation at hand. However, the driver's seat of a construction machine usually consists of the minimum space necessary for driving operations, and if a work space is required for attaching and detaching a dual-purpose monitor that can be carried out, the layout conditions become stricter. Conversely, if the layout is focused only on ease of attachment and detachment, it can also be a factor that reduces visibility from outside the machine.

The present invention aims to provide a display device for construction machinery that is both easy to attach and detach and has good visibility in the limited space inside the cab, allowing for stable use.

In order to achieve the above object, the display device for a construction machine of the present invention is a display device that includes a driver's side display unit that is installed in the cab of the construction machine and displays the operating status of the construction machine to the driver who operates the machine, and an operator's side display unit that is installed next to a window in the cab of the same machine as the driver's side display unit and displays the same display as that of the driver's side display unit to an operator working around the construction machine. The operator's side display unit has a mounting bracket provided in front of the driving operation lever, a cradle connected to the mounting bracket via a hinge, and a mobile information terminal that is detachably attached to the cradle, and the cradle creates a mounting state in which the mobile information terminal mounting surface faces the back surface of the mobile information terminal, and has a vertical rotation range that allows the mobile information terminal to take an upward attachment/detachment position on the line of movement of the driving operation lever and a downward use position where it retracts from the line of movement, with the hinge as the center of rotation.

The hinge is a one-way torque hinge that rotates the portable information terminal from the attachment/detachment position to the use position by the action of its own weight, while applying a resistance torque to the rotation in the opposite direction from the use position to the attachment/detachment position, and is characterized in that at least one of the mounting bracket and the cradle is provided with an elastic body for holding the portable information terminal in the use position.

According to the display device for construction machinery of the present invention, the operator-side display unit installed by the window in the driver's cab is equipped with a cradle with a vertical rotation range in front of the driving control lever, and the mobile information terminal attached to the cradle is configured to be able to move forward and backward along the line of movement of the driving control lever, so that it is possible to achieve both easy attachment and detachment of the mobile information terminal and good visibility while effectively utilizing the space that is not used when the machine is stopped. In other words, in the attachment and detachment position, the mobile information terminal can be attached and detached in a natural posture, utilizing the space that is easily reachable from the driver's seat. Meanwhile, in the use position, driving based on lever operation is possible, and necessary displays can be provided not only to the driver but also to workers outside the machine.

Moreover, in the attachment/detachment position with the cradle facing upwards, the mobile information terminal can be easily and stably attached and detached from the mounting surface, which is also preferable in terms of preventing it from falling off. On the other hand, in the usage position with the cradle facing downwards, problems such as the display being difficult to see in sunlight can be prevented, and furthermore, since it can be applied to large construction machinery with a high driver's seat, the range of applications can be expanded as a display device for construction machinery.

In addition, because a one-way torque hinge is used for the rotation mechanism, it is possible to perform a series of functions based on the difference in rotational resistance of the hinge, namely, to move the mobile information terminal from the attachment/detachment position with little force, and to restrain and hold it at the destination usage position. In particular, the elastic force of the rubber seat or other elastic body absorbs shock to the mobile information terminal, and once it is placed on the rubber seat or other elastic body, the resistance torque acts to hold it in the usage position without being affected by strong vibrations of the device, creating a more stable usage state.

1 is a side view of a pile driver to which a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the worker-side display unit in a state in which the mobile information terminal is worn. FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2.

Figures 1 to 3 show an example of the present invention applied to a small pile driver, which is an example of a construction machine. As shown in Figure 1, the pile driver 11 has an upper rotating body 13 that can rotate on the upper part of a lower running body 12 equipped with crawlers, and a pile driving device such as a leader 14 and an auger (rotary drive device) 15 that rises and falls along the front of the leader 14 is provided in the center of the front of the upper rotating body 13. In addition, a driver's room (cab) 16 is provided on the right side of the frame of the upper rotating body 13, and an engine room that houses an engine and a hydraulic pump is provided on the left side. Furthermore, stabilizing jacks 17 are provided at four points on the front, rear, left and right of the upper rotating body 13, and a counterweight 18 is mounted on the rear end of the upper rotating body 13 to balance the machine.

When the pile driver 11 is used for the purpose of burying steel pipe piles, a steel pipe pile is used as the construction member. The steel pipe pile (not shown) is connected via a cap rod 20 attached to the lower end of the drive rod 19, and is pressed into the ground by lowering the auger 15 while rotating the drive rod 19. When the pile driver 11 is used for the purpose of ground improvement, a hollow rod (not shown) is used as the construction member. The upper end of the hollow rod is connected to a swivel above the auger 15, and the lower end is connected to a stirring rod. While the hollow rod is being rotated, a ground improvement agent such as cement milk is sprayed from the tip of the stirring rod through the hollow rod and injected into the ground.

To perform various construction methods such as burying piles and ground improvement work, the box-shaped cab 16 is fitted with multiple operating levers, pedals, switches, and other devices for driving, turning, raising and lowering the auger 15, and rotating it. These devices are concentrated near the driver's seat for ease of use, and a construction management device is also installed that is electrically connected to these devices and the pile driver's 11 operating status detection means (sensors).

The construction management device is composed mainly of a CPU that executes construction management programs for controlling various construction methods and performs calculations such as data processing and judgment, and is equipped with a flash ROM that stores the construction management program, a RAM that temporarily stores various data during processing, and a hard disk that stores various data such as construction plan data that sets the planned buried position of the piles at the construction site and the target depth, and actual construction data created by executing the construction management program. In addition, a display device (monitor) is installed in the operator's cab 16, where construction information such as depth and torque obtained by executing the construction management program can be confirmed on the display screen and data can be entered by operating the touch panel.

The display device has display units arranged in two different directions in the cab 16. One is a driver's side display unit that is installed on an instrument panel facing the driver who operates the machine and displays the construction information (operating status) to the driver. The other is a worker's side display unit that is installed near a window in the cab 16 and displays the same information as that displayed on the driver's side display unit to workers (including the manager) working around the pile driver 11. The driver's side display unit can be connected to the construction management device via a wired connection, and the worker's side display unit can be connected wirelessly.

Communication between the construction management device and the worker's display unit is performed, for example, via a short-range communication means such as a wireless LAN, and the same information as the screen information displayed on the driver's display unit is transmitted from a transmitter built into the construction management device. The transmitted screen information is received by a tablet-type mobile information terminal 22 constituting the worker's display unit 21, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. As a result, the display screen 22a of the mobile information terminal 22 displays the same screen as the screen displayed on the driver's display unit.

The operator-side display unit 21 is attached to a lever-operated driving operation device 23 installed in the driver's cab 16, and has a mounting bracket 24 provided in front of the two (L1, L2) driving operation levers (on the left side in FIG. 3) that are on the outer side in the vehicle width direction (of the driving operation levers L1 to L4 that are arranged side by side and can be tilted in the front-rear direction (in the direction of the paper in FIG. 3), a cradle 26 connected to the mounting bracket 24 via a hinge 25, and the mobile information terminal 22 that is detachably attached to the cradle 26.

The mounting bracket 24 is made up of a base 27 formed by combining two L-shaped plates 27a, 27b, and a support portion 28 erected on the base 27 and on which the horizontal axis of the hinge 25 is disposed. The inner surfaces of the L-shaped plates 27a, 27b are placed against the outer corners of the upper part of the operating device main body 23a, that is, with their positions in the front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction fixed, and are assembled by bolting. In addition, a rubber seat 29 on which the cradle 26 is placed is provided at the outer corner (outer edge) of the base 27.

The cradle 26 is a well-known in-vehicle tablet holder, with the main body 26a attached to the rotating member of the hinge 25 and rotatable up and down with the mobile information terminal mounting surface SF facing outward. The external dimensions of the main body 26a are set to be able to hold a tablet with a screen size of, for example, 13 inches. When the mobile information terminal 22 placed on the base of the main body 26a is clamped from above by the hook 26b, an attached state is created in which the back of the mobile information terminal 22 faces the mounting surface SF of the main body 26a.

In this mounted state, the cradle 26 has a vertical rotation range around the hinge 25, where the mobile information terminal 22 can be placed between an attachment/detachment position (imaginary line in FIG. 3) where it is on the line of movement of the outermost driving operation lever L1, and a use position (solid line in FIG. 3) where it is removed from that line of movement. The operation required for such position change is to manually lift the cradle 26 when rotating from the use position to the attachment/detachment position, but if the hand is released at the attachment/detachment position, the cradle 26 will naturally move down to the use position due to the shift in the center of gravity, regardless of whether the mobile information terminal 22 is mounted or not. This makes it possible to position the cradle 26 in a state where it does not interfere with lever operation while driving, even if the mobile information terminal mounting surface SF of the cradle 26 is somewhat wide.

The portable information terminal 22 in the attachment/detachment position is now at the upper limit of its vertical rotation range, with its lower end approaching the side window SW, and the display screen 22a is positioned in a corner of the room made up of the front window FW and the side window SW, for example, with the display screen 22a tilted upward by approximately 20 degrees from straight on. At this time, the hook 26b of the cradle 26 is located at the end (forward) of the line of movement of the driving operation lever L1, and as can be seen from Figure 3, access through the driving operation lever L1 allows for a natural attachment/detachment mode, for example, by grasping the portable information terminal 22 with the right hand and operating the hook 26b with the left hand.

Meanwhile, the mobile information terminal 22 in the use position has the cradle 26 placed on the rubber seat 29 at the lowest limit of its vertical rotation range, and the display screen 22a is placed near the side window SW in a corner of the room in a state where it is easily visible to workers on the ground, for example, tilted downward by about 10 degrees from straight on. At this time, when the driving operation lever L1 is moved from the neutral position to the position of the maximum forward tilt angle (θmax) by lever operation, it appears to be partially overlapped with the mobile information terminal 22, as can be seen from Figure 2. However, even in this state, as can be seen from Figure 3, the driving operation lever L1 and the mobile information terminal 22 are separated from each other in the vehicle width direction, and the two do not interfere with each other due to lever operation.

The operator-side display unit 21 thus configured is susceptible to vibrations in its usage environment, and is therefore provided with a retention function for retaining the cradle 26 in the usage position. This function is achieved by making the hinge 25 a so-called one-way torque hinge. A one-way torque hinge is, for example, of a friction resistance type, which does not impart resistance torque when rotating in one direction around an axis, but imparts resistance torque when rotating in the opposite direction. The hinge 25 in this embodiment is configured to rotate the mobile information terminal 22 by its own weight from the attachment/detachment position to the usage position based on the difference in rotational resistance of the one-way torque hinge, while imparting resistance torque to rotation in the opposite direction from the usage position to the attachment/detachment position.

As a result, when rotating from the attachment/detachment position to the use position, when the cradle 26 comes into contact with the rubber seat 29 and stops, the resistance torque of the hinge 25 acts against the repulsion of the rubber seat 29, and the mobile information terminal 22 is held in the use position without any rattling. On the other hand, when rotating from the use position to the attachment/detachment position, although a resistance torque is applied, it is possible to rotate with little force by placing a hand on the hook 26b or the upper end of the mobile information terminal 22, which is far from the hinge 25, which is the center of rotation.

When construction work is carried out using the display device of the pile driver 11 configured in this manner, the mobile information terminal 22 is attached to the unattached cradle 26 in the worker's display unit 21 in the above-mentioned attachment and detachment manner. This work is carried out in advance, for example, in a stock facility owned by a construction company, and the mobile information terminal 22 is delivered to the site together with the pile driver 11 in a ready-to-use state. At this time, power is supplied to the mobile information terminal 22 via an interface module built into the cradle 26.

When the power supply of the construction management device is turned on at the site, the basic program is executed and the construction screen is displayed on the driver's side display unit. At this time, the same construction screen is also displayed on the display screen 22a of the mobile information terminal 22. When pile driving work is started under the driving instructions of the site manager, the actual construction data created according to the driving operation of the auger 15 is displayed in real time in numerical and graphical form on the construction screen, and the driver proceeds with pile driving work to the target depth as planned, while predicting to some extent the position of the supporting layer from the information obtained from the ground survey.

However, at locations far from the ground investigation site, a gap is likely to occur between the target depth at the time of design and the actual depth. In such a situation, if the pile length is found to be too long or too short, non-routine work will occur, such as suspending work and reporting to the site manager. In such cases, the site manager can make the necessary decisions to solve the problem by sharing information with the driver through the display screen 22a of the mobile information terminal 22. Also, if a consultation is required at the site office, etc., the mobile information terminal 22 can be removed on the spot using the above-mentioned attachment and detachment method, and can be taken outside the driver's cab 16 with the display state maintained.

Thus, according to the construction machine display device of the present invention, the operator-side display unit 21 installed by the window in the cab 16 is equipped with a cradle 26 with a vertical rotation range in front of the driving operation lever L1, and the portable information terminal 22 attached to the cradle 26 is configured to be able to move forward and backward along the line of movement of the driving operation lever L1, so that it is possible to achieve both attachment/detachment and visibility of the portable information terminal 22 while effectively utilizing the space that is not used when the machine is stopped. That is, in the attachment/detachment position, the portable information terminal 22 can be attached and detached in a natural posture, utilizing the space that is easily reachable from the driver's seat. On the other hand, in the use position, driving based on lever operation is possible, and necessary displays can be provided not only to the driver but also to workers outside the machine.

Moreover, in the attachment/detachment position with the cradle 26 facing upward, the mobile information terminal 22 can be easily and stably attached and detached from the mounting surface SF, which is also preferable in terms of preventing it from falling off. On the other hand, in the usage position with the cradle 26 facing downward, problems such as the display being difficult to see in sunlight can be prevented, and furthermore, since it can be applied to large construction machinery with a high driver's seat, the range of applications as a display device for construction machinery can be expanded.

In addition, because the one-way torque hinge 25 is used for the rotation mechanism, the function of moving the portable information terminal 22 from the attachment/detachment position with little force and the function of restraining and holding it at the destination usage position can be performed as a series of functions based on the difference in rotation resistance of the hinge 25. In particular, the elastic force of the rubber seat 29 absorbs shock to the portable information terminal 22, and once it is placed via the rubber seat 29, the resistance torque acts to hold it in the usage position without being affected by strong vibrations of the aircraft, creating a more stable usage state.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the installation of the operator-side display unit may be modified as appropriate according to the structure of the cab, the shape of the operating lever, the specifications of the mobile information terminal, and the like, as long as it is possible to utilize the space around the driving operation device without waste, according to the purpose of use. Also, although the rubber seat is described as being provided on the mounting bracket, it may be provided on the cradle side, and in such a case, an inexpensive configuration in which a rubber plate is bonded to the underside of the main body of the cradle can be considered. In this specification, the rubber seat is exemplified as an example of an elastic body, but it is not limited to rubber, and foam such as sponge, elastomer, etc. may also be used. Furthermore, although the embodiment has been described using a small pile driver as an example, it is not limited to this, and it can also be applied to large construction machines such as a three-point support pile driver.

11...pile driver, 12...lower running body, 13...upper rotating body, 14...leader, 15...auger, 16...operator's cab, 17...jack, 18...counterweight, 19...drive rod, 20...cap rod, 21...operator side display unit, 22...mobile information terminal, 22a...display screen, 23...operation control device, 23a...control device main body, 24...mounting bracket, 25...hinge, 26...cradle, 26a...main body, 26b...hook, 27...base, 27a, 27b...L-shaped plate, 28...support, 29...rubber seat

Claims (2)

A display device including a driver's side display unit that is installed in a cab of a construction machine and displays the operating state of the construction machine to a driver who operates the machine, and an operator's side display unit that is installed next to a window in the same cab as the driver's side display unit and displays the same information as that displayed by the driver's side display unit to an operator who is working around the construction machine,
the operator-side display unit has a mounting bracket provided in front of a driving operation lever, a cradle connected to the mounting bracket via a hinge, and a portable information terminal detachably attached to the cradle,
The cradle creates an attached state in which the mobile information terminal attachment surface faces the back surface of the mobile information terminal, and has an up-and-down rotation range around the hinge, allowing the mobile information terminal to take an upward attachment/detachment position in which it is on the line of movement of the driving operation lever, and a downward use position in which it is off the line of movement. the hinge is a one-way torque hinge that rotates the portable information terminal by its own weight from the attachment/detachment position to the use position, and applies a resistance torque to the rotation in the opposite direction from the use position to the attachment/detachment position,
2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the mounting bracket and the cradle is provided with an elastic body for holding the portable information terminal in the use position.

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