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EP-3779047-B1 - ROAD MACHINE

EP3779047B1EP 3779047 B1EP3779047 B1EP 3779047B1EP-3779047-B1

Inventors

  • SAKAKIBARA, AKIRA
  • BABA, NOBUYUKI

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20190328

Claims (7)

  1. A road machine comprising: a hopper (62); a screed (63) comprising a front screed (63F), a left rear screed (63L), and a right rear screed (63R) ; a pavement material detecting unit (7) including a front pavement material detecting unit (7F), a rear pavement material detecting unit (7B), a left pavement material detecting unit (7L), or a right pavement material detecting unit (7R); a measuring unit (11) configured to calculate a height of pavement material inside the hopper (62), i.e. the height from the bottom surface of the hopper (62) to the surface of pavement material, in a predetermined area extending over a partial or entire area inside the hopper through a predetermined conversion process based on known coordinates of the bottom surface of the hopper (62) as viewed from the front pavement material detecting unit (7F) and detected coordinates of the surface of pavement material, or respectively configured to calculate a height of pavement material held on a road surface situated immediately in front of the front screed (63F), respectively the left rear screed (63L), or the right rear screed (63R) i.e. the heights from the road surface to the surfaces of pavement material, through a predetermined conversion process based on known coordinates of the road surface viewed from the rear pavement material detecting unit (7B), respectively the left pavement material detecting unit (7L), or the right pavement material detecting unit (7R), and detected coordinates of the surface of pavement material; a display device (5) disposed in an operator's seat and configured to display an amount of pavement material calculated by the measuring unit (11); and an imaging device (2) configured to capture an image of an inside of the hopper (62) or an area in front of the screed (63), wherein the display device (5) is configured to display the image captured by the imaging device (2) and the amount of pavement material calculated by the measuring unit (11) in association with a position inside the hopper (62) or on a road surface in front of the screed (63), by superimposing on the image a distribution of heights of the pavement material calculated by the measuring unit.
  2. The road machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device (5) displays the image captured by the imaging device (2), and displays, superimposed thereon, a contour diagram illustrating a distribution of heights of the pavement material calculated by the measuring unit (11).
  3. The road machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device (5) displays a graph indicating a distribution of heights of the pavement material calculated by the measuring unit (11) in a lateral direction at a predetermined position in a fore-and-aft direction inside the hopper (62), and displays the image captured by the imaging device (2) in which the predetermined position corresponding to the graph is indicated.
  4. The road machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring unit (11) calculates a feature quantity relating to the amount of pavement material, and the display device (5) displays the feature quantity calculated by the measuring unit (11).
  5. The road machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein upon an occurrence of an event in which the amount of pavement material calculated by the measuring unit (11) falls below a first reference level, the display device (5) displays a highlighted indication indicative of the occurrence.
  6. The road machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein upon an occurrence of an event in which the amount of pavement material held in front of the screed (63) calculated by the measuring unit (11) exceeds a second reference level, the display device (5) displays a highlighted indication of the occurrence.
  7. The road machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an alarm unit (12) configured to notify an operator of an event, upon an occurrence thereof, in which the amount of pavement material calculated by the measuring unit (11) deviates from a predetermined range.

Description

[Technical Field] The present invention relates to a road machine. [Background Art] Conventionally, a technology as known in the art for a road machine equipped with an imaging device uses a display device to display an image that is captured by the imaging device and that shows the inside of a hopper and a road surface situated immediately in front of a screed for presentation to an operator (for example, Patent Document 1). Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a device for detecting, by means of a contact type sensor, and displaying the amount of an asphalt material to be charged by a dump truck in a material hopper of an asphalt finisher. [Related Art Document] [Patent Document] [Patent Document 1] US-A-2015199576 (JP-B-6029941) shows a road machine comprising a hopper, a screed, a unit configured to capture an amount of pavement material inside the hopper or pavement material held in front of the screed and a display device disposed in an operator's seat and configured to display the amount of pavement material captured by the measuring unit.[Patent Document 2] JPH-U-04122706 [Summary of Invention] [Problem To Be Solved By the Invention] It is difficult for an operator to visually check, from the operator's seat of an asphalt finisher, the inside of a hopper and a road surface situated immediately in front of the screed. There is thus a possibility of failing to evaluate properly the amount of pavement material inside the hopper and the amount of pavement material kept in front of the screed. Further, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, even when an image showing the inside of a hopper and a road surface in front of the screed is displayed to the operator, the operator may have difficulties properly evaluating the amount of pavement material based on the displayed image, depending on the work conditions such as during nighttime operations, for example. In consideration of the above-noted problems, the object is to provide a road machine that is capable of facilitating the operator's evaluation of the amount of pavement material inside a hopper or in front of a screed. [Means for Solving Problem] The aforementioned objective is achieved by a road machine according to claim 1. According to an embodiment of the invention, a road machine is provided that includes a hopper, a screed, a measuring unit configured to measure an amount of pavement material inside the hopper or pavement material held in front of the screed, and a display device disposed in an operator's seat and configured to display the amount of pavement material measured by the measuring unit. [Effects of the Invention] According to the embodiment noted above, a road machine is provided that is capable of facilitating the operator's evaluation of the amount of pavement material inside a hopper or in front of a screed. [Brief Description of Drawings] Fig. 1A is a drawing illustrating an example of the configuration of a road machine.Fig. 1B is a drawing illustrating an example of the configuration of the road machine.Fig. 1C is a drawing illustrating an example of the configuration of the road machine.Fig. 2 is a drawing illustrating an example of the configuration of a pavement material quantity displaying system.Fig. 3 is a drawing illustrating an example of an output image displayed on a display device.Fig. 4 is a drawing illustrating another example of an output image displayed on the display device.Fig. 5 is a drawing illustrating yet another example of an output image displayed on the display device. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention] In the following, embodiments for implementing the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Schematic Configuration of Road Machine] With reference to Fig. 1, a description will be given of a schematic configuration of a road machine that is equipped with a pavement material quantity displaying system 100 (see Fig. 2). Fig. 1 (Figs. 1A-1C) illustrates an example of the configuration of a road machine, and, specifically, illustrates an example of the configuration of an asphalt finisher 60, which is an example of a road machine. More specifically, Figs. 1A-1C illustrate a side elevation view of the asphalt finisher 60 as viewed from the left (from the +Y side in the drawings), a plan view as viewed from the top (from the +Z side in the drawings), and a rear view as viewed from the rear (from the -X side in the drawings), respectively. In the following, the +X direction and the -X direction, the +Y direction and the -Y direction, and the +Z direction and the -Z direction in the drawings may be collectively referred to as an X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis direction, respectively. The road machine equipped with the pavement material quantity displaying system 100 according to the present embodiment may be a guss asphalt finisher or the like using a guss asphalt composite. The asphalt finisher 60 includes a tractor 61, a conveyor CV, a hopper 62, a screed