Work vehicle and method for controlling work vehicle

Abstract

A work vehicle includes a vehicular body, a work implement, and a controller. The work implement has a boom pivotable with respect to the vehicular body, a dipper stick pivotable with respect to the boom, and a bucket pivotable with respect to the dipper stick. The controller calculates a direction of a cutting edge of the bucket and determines a direction in which the cutting edge travels to the side of an open side of the bucket such that the calculated direction of the cutting edge of the bucket and the direction in which the cutting edge travels to the side on the open side of the bucket form an excavation angle of a predetermined angle, and the controller thus causes an operation of the work implement to be performed in the direction in which the cutting edge travels.

1 . A work vehicle comprising:
 a vehicular body;   a work implement having a boom pivotable with respect to the vehicular body, a dipper stick pivotable with respect to the boom, and a bucket pivotable with respect to the dipper stick; and   a controller that calculates a direction of a cutting edge of the bucket and determines a direction in which the cutting edge travels to a side on an open side of the bucket such that the calculated direction of the cutting edge of the bucket and the direction in which the cutting edge travels to the side on the open side of the bucket form an excavation angle of a predetermined angle, and that causes an operation of the work implement to be performed in the direction in which the cutting edge travels.   
     
     
         2 . The work vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller determines the direction in which the cutting edge travels to the side on the open side of the bucket such that the calculated direction of the cutting edge of the bucket and the direction in which the cutting edge travels to the side on the open side of the bucket form the excavation angle of the predetermined angle for a predetermined period of time, and the controller causes the operation of the work implement to be performed in the direction in which the cutting edge travels. 
     
     
         3 . The work vehicle according to  claim 1 , further comprising: a first manipulation lever operated to output a first manipulation command to the controller to adjust an amount of pivoting the bucket with respect to the dipper stick; and a second manipulation lever operated to output a second manipulation command to the controller to adjust an amount of moving the bucket for the direction in which the cutting edge travels from the direction of the cutting edge to the side on the open side of the bucket. 
     
     
         4 . The work vehicle according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the controller determines whether to cause the operation of the work implement to be performed, and   when the controller determines that the operation of the work implement is caused to be performed, the controller accepts first and second manipulation commands from the first and second manipulation levers.   
     
     
         5 . The work vehicle according to  claim 4 , wherein the controller determines whether to cause the operation of the work implement to be performed in accordance with a manipulation instruction of an operator. 
     
     
         6 . The work vehicle according to  claim 5 , further comprising a load detector that detects a load imposed on the work implement, wherein the controller determines whether to cause the operation of the work implement to be performed according to a result of detection by the load detector. 
     
     
         7 . A method for controlling a work vehicle including a work implement having a boom pivotable with respect to a vehicular body, a dipper stick pivotable with respect to the boom, and a bucket pivotable with respect to the dipper stick, comprising:
 calculating a direction of a cutting edge of the bucket; and   causing an operation of the work implement to be performed in a direction in which the cutting edge travels to a side on an open side of the bucket such that the direction of the cutting edge of the bucket as calculated and the direction in which the cutting edge travels to the side on the open side of the bucket form an excavation angle of a predetermined angle.