Shovel and method of controlling shovel

1. A shovel, comprising:

a turning hydraulic motor configured to be driven with hydraulic oil supplied from a hydraulic pump to drive a turning body of the shovel to turn;

a hydraulic cylinder configured to be driven with the hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic pump;

an operation lever configured to be operated to drive the hydraulic cylinder;

a pilot circuit configured to control a pilot pressure in accordance with an operation of an operation lever;

a hydraulic control valve configured to control the hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic cylinder in accordance with the pilot pressure supplied from the pilot circuit;

a variable throttle or a proportional valve, whose opening varies in accordance with a state of the operation of the operation lever; and

a controller configured to change the opening of the variable throttle or the proportional valve in accordance with a returned state of the operation lever,

wherein the proportional valve is electrically controlled by the controller.

2. The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the variable throttle or the proportional valve is provided in the pilot circuit, and

the controller is configured to reduce the opening of the variable throttle or the proportional valve when the operation lever is operated in accordance with the returned state with the pilot pressure of the pilot circuit being increased.

3. The shovel as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to reduce the opening of the variable throttle or the proportional valve in response to determining that the turning body is turning.

4. The shovel as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to reduce the opening of the variable throttle or the proportional valve in response to determining that the shovel is in a long-reach state.

5. The shovel as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the variable throttle or the proportional valve forms an oil passage through which the hydraulic oil of the pilot pressure flows toward a tank when the pilot pressure is reduced to zero.

6. The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the variable throttle or the proportional valve is provided between the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic control valve, and

the controller is configured to reduce the opening of the variable throttle or the proportional valve to a first value when the operation lever is returned toward a neutral position with the pilot pressure of the pilot circuit being increased, the first value being greater than a second value to which the opening of the variable throttle or the proportional valve is reduced when the operation lever is returned toward the neutral position with the pilot pressure of the pilot circuit being increased in a case of a single action of driving the hydraulic cylinder.

7. The shovel as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising:

a throttle provided in the pilot circuit, the throttle being configured to restrict return oil to a tank when the operation lever is returned toward the neutral position with the pilot pressure of the pilot circuit being increased.

8. The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to change the opening of the variable throttle or the proportional valve in accordance with the state of the operation of the operation lever, irrespective of a size of a load on the hydraulic cylinder.

9. The shovel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to detect an amount of the operation of the operation lever, and to change the opening of the variable throttle or the proportional valve in accordance with the detected amount of the operation of the operation lever.

10. A method of controlling a shovel that includes a turning hydraulic motor configured to be driven with hydraulic oil supplied from a hydraulic pump to drive a turning body of the shovel to turn, a hydraulic cylinder configured to be driven with the hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic pump, an operation lever configured to be operated to drive the hydraulic cylinder, a pilot circuit configured to control a pilot pressure in accordance with an operation of an operation lever, a hydraulic control valve configured to control the hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic cylinder in accordance with the pilot pressure supplied from the pilot circuit, and a variable throttle or a proportional valve, whose opening varies in accordance with a state of the operation of the operation lever, the proportional valve being electrically controlled by a controller of the shovel, the method comprising:

changing, by the controller, the opening of the variable throttle or the proportional valve in accordance with a returned state of the operation lever.

11. The method of controlling a shovel as claimed in claim 10 , wherein

the variable throttle or the proportional valve is provided in the pilot circuit, and

the opening of the variable throttle or the proportional valve is reduced when the operation lever is operated in accordance with the returned state with the pilot pressure of the pilot circuit being increased.

12. The method of controlling a shovel as claimed in claim 10 , wherein

the variable throttle or the proportional valve is provided between the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic control valve, and

the opening of the variable throttle or the proportional valve is reduced to a first value when the operation lever is returned toward a neutral position with the pilot pressure of the pilot circuit being increased, the first value being greater than a second value to which the opening of the variable throttle or the proportional valve is reduced when the operation lever is returned toward the neutral position with the pilot pressure of the pilot circuit being increased in a case of a single action of driving the hydraulic cylinder.