JP7548361B2 - Work vehicles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to transplanters such as rice transplanters.

There is known a rice transplanter having a planting device that is attached to the vehicle body so that it can be raised and lowered, a steering motor that drives a steering handle, and a control device that causes the steering motor to drive the steering handle and assist the vehicle body in turning (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2016-24541 A JP 2002-335720 A

However, conventional work vehicles such as the rice planter described above do not take into consideration the work performance and convenience that can be achieved through steering assistance.

The present invention takes into consideration the above-mentioned problems with the conventional technology and aims to improve the workability and convenience of steering assistance for a vehicle body.

The first aspect of the present invention is a working device (100) that is attached to a vehicle body (10) so as to be capable of ascending and descending;
A steering member drive device (45) that drives the steering member (52);
a control device (200) that causes the steering member drive device (45) to drive and steer the steering member (52);
The control device (200) steers the vehicle body (10) so that the running path of the vehicle body (10) is U-shaped ,
When the vehicle is stopped to transition to the next driving route, the vehicle moves backward while regulating the upper limit of the vehicle speed.
This work vehicle is characterized in that the vehicle body stops after reversing automatically when it is determined that a predetermined distance has been reached, and a turning control operation is put on standby .

The second invention is the work vehicle described in claim 1, characterized in that, during straight travel between the first stage turn and the second stage turn in the U-shape, the position of the steering member (52) returns to the straight travel center position and straight travel control operation is started.

The third aspect of the present invention allows turning assistance of the vehicle body (10) when the working device (100) is not in a ground state,
When the vehicle body is in a stopped state, and the operator operates the main shift lever (53) so that the lever position of the main shift lever (53) is a reverse drive position, a back-turn assist control operation is started in which the vehicle speed, the upper limit of which is regulated, is set according to the lever position of the main shift lever (53),
The vehicle is automatically stopped after reversing by determining that the vehicle reversing distance (Db) obtained by using the detection of the rear wheel rotation speed sensor (210) has reached a predetermined distance.
This is a work vehicle as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the vehicle body is stopped automatically after reversing, the vehicle body is stopped after reversing without any operation by the onboard worker, and the turning control operation is standby.

The fourth invention of the present invention is a work vehicle as described in claim 3, characterized in that a vehicle body reverse distance OK or NG determination is made based on the vehicle body reverse distance (Db), and the vehicle body reverse distance OK or NG determination is displayed on a monitor or the like .

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According to the first aspect of the present invention, accurate work can be performed. In addition, when the vehicle body (10) stops, it is possible to permit the start of turning assistance for the vehicle body (10). In addition, it is possible to prohibit the start of turning assistance for the vehicle body (10) in cases other than when the vehicle body (10) stops.

The second invention provides the effects of the first invention as well as allowing for accurate work.

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According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first or second aspect of the present invention, when the vehicle body (10) stops, it is possible to permit the start of turning assistance for the vehicle body (10). Also, in cases other than when the vehicle body (10) stops, it is possible to prohibit the start of turning assistance for the vehicle body (10).

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to further improve convenience.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention; Block diagram of a power transmission system of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. Block diagram of a control system for a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a back turn of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of the vicinity of a straight-line assist lever of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of the vicinity of an assist mode switch of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1A is a partial front view of a portion near a GNSS antenna of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1B is a partial left side view of a portion near the GNSS antenna of the rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of the vicinity of a GNSS antenna stay of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the rice transplanter according to the embodiment of the present invention (part 2) FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the rice transplanter according to the embodiment of the present invention;

The following describes in detail the embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

The rice transplanter of this embodiment is an example of a transplanter in the present invention.

The planting device 100 is an example of a working device in the present invention, the steering handle 52 is an example of a steering member in the present invention, and the steering motor 45 is an example of a steering member drive device in the present invention.

First, the configuration and operation of the rice transplanter of this embodiment will be specifically described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

Here, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the power transmission system of the rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

While explaining the operation of the rice transplanter of this embodiment, we will also explain the turning assistance method of an invention related to this invention.

The rice transplanter in this embodiment is a riding mat seedling rice transplanter that plants eight rows, and the planting device 100 has four planting units, each of which has a pair of two planting tools, one on the left and one on the right.

Of course, the rice planting machine is not limited to a riding mat seedling rice planter that plants eight rows, but may also be, for example, a riding pot seedling rice planter that plants ten rows.

First, the basic configuration and operation of the rice transplanter of this embodiment will be explained. Therefore, the operation of the control device 200 will be explained in detail later.

The driving unit 50 has a seat 51 located above the engine cover.

A steering handle 52 for operating the front wheels 31 is provided in front of the seat 51. A horizontal step floor is provided on both the left and right sides of the engine cover. Furthermore, spare seedling loading platforms 101 are provided on both the left and right sides of the steering handle 52.

The running device 30 is a device that causes the vehicle body 10 to run using the front wheels 31 and rear wheels 32.

The ground leveling device 60 is a device that levels the field using a ground leveling rotor mechanism 61 and a ground leveling float mechanism 62.

The line marker 80 is a marker that is attached and can be stored in the vehicle body 10 and creates straight line markings in the field that serve as a guide for the next planting travel route.

The planting device 100 is attached to the rear of the vehicle body 10 via a planting device lifting device 90.

The rotational power of the engine 20 attached to the main frame is transmitted to the main transmission mechanism 41, which is an HST (Hydro Static Transmission) mechanism. The rotational power that has been changed in speed by the main transmission mechanism 41 and the sub-transmission mechanism 42 is separated into running power used by the running device 30 and the like, and externally extracted power used by the planting device 100 and the like.

A portion of the running power is transmitted to the left and right front wheel final cases to drive the pair of left and right front wheels 31, and the remainder of the running power is transmitted to the left and right rear wheel gear cases 43 to drive the pair of left and right rear wheels 32. Then, a portion of the running power transmitted to the rear wheel gear cases 43 is transmitted to the ground leveling device 60 and the fertilizer application device 70.

Next, the configuration and operation of the rice transplanter of this embodiment will be explained in more detail, mainly with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

Here, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control system of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the backturn of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The control device 200 is a device that performs various controls using not only the lever operation of the main speed change lever 53, the sub speed change lever 54, or the straight-line assist lever 55, and the switch operation of the assist mode switch 56, but also the detection results of the rear wheel rotation speed sensor 210 or the planting device lift sensor 220.

The positioning system 300 is, for example, a system that performs positioning using DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) technology that utilizes GPS (Global Positioning System), a typical GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

For example, a straight-line control program for driving straight from point P0 to point P1 is stored in a straight-line control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of the positioning system 300, while a turning control program for making U-turns and back turns at the edge of a field F or the like is stored in a turning control ECU inside the hood.

Just as the straight-line control program is used to align the travel path to the next planting travel path in the final stage of the back turn from point P1 to point P5 via points P2, P3, and P4, the transition from turning control to straight-line control is performed between points P4 and P5. Regarding the control output to the steering motor 45, a control signal from the turning control ECU is output from the straight-line control ECU.

As shown in FIG. 5, the straight-line assist is initiated by operating the finger-up lever in the direction of arrow Xu using the straight-line assist lever 55.

Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of the vicinity of the straight-line assist lever 55 of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Point A, which is the starting reference point for the straight-line assist, is obtained by operating the finger-down lever of the straight-line assist lever 55 in the direction of arrow Xd, and point B, which is the ending reference point for the straight-line assist, is obtained by continuing to operate the finger-down lever of the straight-line assist lever 55 in the direction of arrow Xd.

The operation of obtaining point A will be specifically explained below, mainly with reference to Figure 9.

Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram (part 1) of the operation of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(1) When the operator on board operates the finger down lever using the straight-line assist lever 55 while the vehicle is moving or stopped, the A-point acquisition operation is performed. At this time, the operating conditions conform to the straight-line assist conditions. For display and warning, the A-point lamp is turned on, the B-point lamp is turned on and off, the automatic lamp is turned off, the straight-line lamp is turned off, the U-turn lamp is turned off, the back-turn lamp is turned on, and the electronic buzzer outputs one short buzzer sound. For signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight-line control ECU, an A-point acquisition signal is output.

The operation of acquiring point B will be specifically explained below, mainly with reference to Figure 9.

(2) When the operator on board operates the finger down lever with the straight assist lever 55 while the vehicle is moving or stopped, the B point acquisition operation is performed. At this time, the operating conditions conform to the straight assist conditions, but the auto marker operation must be performed, which does not include the swinging out of both the left and right line drawing markers 80. For display and warning, the A point lamp is turned on, the B point lamp is turned on, the automatic lamp is turned off, the operation of the straight lamp, the U-turn lamp, and the back turn lamp conforms to the operation in the above-mentioned items, and the electronic buzzer outputs one short buzzer sound. For signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight control ECU, not only the B point acquisition signal is output, but also the left or right target line selection signal, which is the same as the auto marker lamp output, is output. For signal output from the straight control ECU to the turning control ECU, the reference line acquisition operation is performed, and the target line generation operation is performed according to the working width and the target line selection signal output.

The standby operation is specifically explained below, mainly with reference to Figure 9.

(3) When the operator operates the finger-up lever using the straight-line assist lever 55 while the vehicle is moving forward, the straight-line control operation is started and the turning control operation is on standby. At this time, the straight-line assist condition must be satisfied, the planting device 100 must be lowered, and straight-line assist must be performed. For display and warning, the A point lamp is turned on, the B point lamp is turned on, the automatic lamp is turned on, the straight-line lamp, the U-turn lamp, and the back-turn lamp operate in accordance with the operations in the above items, and the electronic buzzer outputs one short buzzer sound. For signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight-line control ECU, not only the automatic steering signal is output, but also the center target line selection signal is output, and the rotation speed setting operation of the steering motor 45 is performed. For signal output from the straight-line control ECU to the turning control ECU, the output control operation of the steering motor 45 to travel toward the target line is performed.

(4) When the vehicle is moving forward, the target line direction output operation is performed even if the onboard operator does not perform any operation. At this time, the edge warning buzzer must be sounding, and straight-line assist must be performed. For display and warning, the A point lamp is turned on, the B point lamp is turned on, the automatic lamp is turned on, the straight-line lamp, the U-turn lamp, and the back-turn lamp operate in accordance with the operations in the above items, and the electronic buzzer outputs one short buzzer sound. For signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight-line control ECU, a left or right target line selection signal is output, which is the same as the auto marker lamp output. For signal output from the straight-line control ECU to the turning control ECU, a target line determination operation is performed according to the indicated direction.

(5) When the operator on board presses the edge warning cancel switch while the vehicle is moving forward, the edge stop control operation is released and the edge warning buzzer sounding operation is stopped. At this time, the edge warning buzzer sounding operation must be occurring and straight-line assist must be occurring. With regard to displays and warnings, the A point lamp is turned on, the B point lamp is turned on, the automatic lamp is turned on, the straight-line lamp, the U-turn lamp and the back-turn lamp operate in accordance with the operations described above, and the electronic buzzer outputs one short buzzer sound.

As shown in FIG. 6, an assist mode switch 56 has been added, so that not only the straight-line assist mode but also the U-turn assist mode and the back-turn assist mode can be selected, realizing highly convenient switching of turning patterns.

Figure 6 is a partial perspective view of the vicinity of the assist mode switch 56 of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The control device 200 drives the steering motor 45, which drives the steering wheel 52, to drive the steering wheel 52 and assist the turning of the vehicle body 10.

A mode is provided that allows turning assistance of the vehicle body 10 to begin when the planting device 100, which is mounted so that it can be raised and lowered, is raised.

This mode, which allows turning assistance to begin when the planting device 100 is raised, is used for backturn assistance, which will be described in detail later.

There is also a mode that prohibits the start of turning assistance for the vehicle body 10 when the planting device 100 is raised.

This mode, which prohibits turning assist from starting when the planting device 100 is raised, is used for U-turn assist.

When the planting device 100 is raised, it is when the planting device 100 is lowered, the vehicle body 10 moves forward while the planting device 100 performs work, the vehicle body 10 stops and moves backward, the planting device 100 is raised, and then the vehicle body 10 stops.

If the turning assist start conditions are not met, turning assist will not be allowed to start.

The turning assist start condition is a condition regarding the vehicle body reverse distance Db until the vehicle body 10 stops after the vehicle body 10 stops and reverses and the planting device 100 is raised.

The turning assist start condition is a condition regarding the forward distance Df of the vehicle body 10 until the vehicle body 10 stops after the planting device 100 is lowered and the planting device 100 works while the vehicle body 10 moves forward.

Mainly referring to Figure 10, the reverse control operation for going from point P1 to point P2 when the backturn assist mode is selected is specifically explained as follows. Here, Figure 10 is an operation explanatory diagram (part 2) of the rice transplanter according to the embodiment of the present invention.

(6) When the operator operates the main shift lever 53 so that the lever position of the main shift lever 53 is in the reverse position while the vehicle body is stopped, the back-turn assist control operation is started. Specifically, the planting operation is turned off, the planting device 100 is raised, the vehicle body 10 moves in reverse, the rear wheel rotation speed sensor 210 detects the rear wheel pulse count operation, the vehicle speed is set according to the lever position of the main shift lever 53, and the handle position of the steering wheel 52 is returned to the center position for straight driving. At this time, the engine 20 must be operating, the A point acquisition operation and the B point acquisition operation must be completed, the positioning system 300 must be performing a normal receiving operation, the deviation angle based on the target line direction, which is the direction from point P1 to point P2, must be less than 30 degrees, the steering angle of the steering handle 52 must be 30 degrees or less, the inclination angle of the vehicle body 10 must be less than 8 degrees, the lever position of the auxiliary shift lever 54 must be a lever position such as a planting driving speed position different from the road driving speed position, the automatic turning mode switch for automatically performing the lifting of the planting device 100 and the like with turning must be turned on, the auto marker operation in which only one of the left and right line drawing markers 80 is swung out must be performed, and the difference between the vehicle body forward distance Df of the current planting driving route and the vehicle body forward distance Df of the immediately previous planting driving route must be 5 meters or less. For example, if such a difference exceeds 5 meters, the back turn assist control operation may be released. Regarding the display and warning, the A point lamp is turned on, the B point lamp is turned on, the automatic lamp is turned on, the straight ahead lamp, the U-turn lamp and the reverse turn lamp operate in accordance with the operations described above, and the electronic buzzer outputs a short buzzer sound continuously until reverse travel ends. Regarding the signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight ahead control ECU, a steering signal is output at the center of the steering wheel, and the steering motor 45 outputs so that the steering wheel position of the steering wheel 52 is returned to the center position for straight ahead travel.

Regarding the count of the rear wheel rotation speed sensor 210, the count accumulation condition is that the count is always performed when reverse driving is being performed, and there is no prohibition condition, and the reset condition is that the reset is performed when the automatic turning mode switch is turned on to automatically perform the lifting of the planting device 100 and other operations in conjunction with turning, and when the difference between the vehicle body forward distance Df of the current planting travel path and the vehicle body forward distance Df of the immediately previous planting travel path is 5 meters or less and the backturn assist control operation is started.

Since the vehicle body forward distance Df is not reset when the planting device 100 is raised, it can be determined that the difference between the vehicle body forward distance Df of the current planting travel path and the vehicle body forward distance Df of the immediately preceding planting travel path is 5 meters or less even when the planting device 100 is raised. Therefore, when the backturn assist mode is selected by the assist mode switch 56, not only is the start of turning assistance of the vehicle body 10 appropriately permitted, but safety is also improved.

It is desirable that the back-turn assist control operation be performed only when the vehicle body reverse detection switch for detecting that the vehicle body 10 is reverse is turned on. For example, if the vehicle body 10 is not reversed, it is desirable that the intermittent output of the buzzer sound described above is not performed. This is because, when the operator on board uses the lever operation of the main shift lever 53 to perform a back lift to supply seedlings at the edge of the field F, the vehicle body 10 is not reversed and is stopped, so the vehicle body reverse detection switch is not turned on and no meaningless buzzer sound is output.

During straight-line assist, the rear wheel speed sensor 210 may be used to measure the distance traveled with the planting device 100 lowered, and if the difference from the previous traveled distance is within a certain distance, back-turn assist control may be enabled.

When the main shift lever 53 is shifted to the reverse side and the difference from the previous travel distance is within a certain distance, the system switches to the reverse process mode of the back-turn assist control, and when the main shift lever 53 is shifted to the forward side, the system switches to the turning process mode of the back-turn assist control.

The aircraft's orientation is acquired by a positioning sensor 300 mounted on the aircraft's GNSS antenna 310, and the aircraft moves backwards while controlling the steering motor 45 to make the phase difference between the orientation and the reference line for straight-line assistance zero.

As a result, the aircraft 10 can be made to move backwards while adjusting its position and orientation (heading) before transitioning to a turning operation, improving the accuracy of the back-turn assist control. In addition, the aircraft may move backwards along the reference line for the straight-line assist.

In addition, if the vehicle speed remains at zero during the reverse process for a certain period of time or more, the reverse turn assist control is interrupted and disabled until a process is performed in which the reverse turn assist control becomes possible again.

In addition, if the rolling angle of the vehicle 10 detected by a vehicle horizontal sensor (not shown) during a backing up process exceeds a predetermined value, the back-turn assist control may be interrupted, and backing up may not be possible until a process is performed in which back-turn assist control becomes possible again.

Also, the reference line for the next planting operation process may be created, for example, 0.5 seconds after the machine body 10 starts moving forward, before the steering handle 52 is turned.

In addition, if the vehicle speed remains at zero for a certain period of time during turning process mode, the back-turn assist control may be interrupted and disabled until a process is performed in which back-turn assist control becomes possible again.

In addition, if the rolling angle of the vehicle 10 detected by the vehicle horizontal sensor (not shown) during the turning process mode exceeds a certain level, the back-turn assist control may be interrupted and the back-turn assist control may not be performed until the back-turn assist control process is performed again.

In addition, if the direction of the aircraft 10 is more than a certain angle away from the reference line for the straight-line assist when entering the reverse stroke mode, a warning is issued on the monitor and with sound, which is a very good configuration to prevent the aircraft from entering the reverse stroke mode.

In addition, if the phase difference between the aircraft 10 and the reference line for straight-line assist at the start of the reverse stroke remains unchanged or has increased at the end of the reverse stroke, the reverse turn assist control may be interrupted and the reverse turn assist control may not be performed until the reverse turn assist control process is performed again.

In addition, if the pitch angle of the sensor in the GNSS antenna 310 during turning process mode exceeds a predetermined value, it may be determined that the aircraft 10 has run over a ridge and the engine 20 may be stopped.

In addition, if the difference between the position of the vehicle 10 after the back-turn assist control is completed and the reference line along which the vehicle will travel after turning is greater than a predetermined value, the vehicle 10 may be stopped or a warning may be issued on a monitor and/or by sound to inform the operator that the back-turn assist control was not performed accurately.

In addition, for example, if the assist mode switch 56 is switched during the back-turn assist control, the back-turn assist control may be interrupted and the back-turn assist control may not be performed until the back-turn assist control process is performed again. In addition, the back-turn assist control may be interrupted if any operation other than the assist mode switch 56 is performed.

The handle position of the steering wheel 52 may be fixed in the center position for straight ahead driving so that the back-turn assist control operation by the rear wheel drive is stable.

When the straight-line assist is released, the onboard operator must operate the steering wheel 52 to reach point P1. Therefore, it is desirable that the reverse control operation to get from point P1 to point P2 be performed based on the accurate direction from point P1 to point P2, and not dependent on the onboard operator's steering wheel operation, which is not necessarily accurate.

The upper limit of the trunnion opening of the main transmission mechanism 41, which is an HST mechanism, is regulated in order to regulate the upper limit of the vehicle speed as described above, so point P2, where the vehicle stops, is less likely to shift, steering is stable, and safety is improved.

The vehicle can be stopped automatically after reversing by determining that the vehicle's reversing distance Db, obtained using the detection of the rear wheel rotation speed sensor 210, has reached 1 meter, or manually by the operator operating the main shift lever 53.

In the latter case, since the operator on board may operate the main shift lever 53 so that the lever position of the main shift lever 53 is in the forward position, it is desirable that the vehicle reverse distance OK or NG judgment be made based on the vehicle reverse distance Db. When the vehicle reverse distance Db is less than 1 meter or equal to or greater than 3 meters, a vehicle reverse distance NG judgment is made and the back-turn assist control operation is released. When the vehicle reverse distance Db is equal to or greater than 1 meter and less than 3 meters, a vehicle reverse distance OK judgment is made and the back-turn assist control operation is continued.

If the vehicle body reverse distance Db is too small, and the size of the vehicle body 10 is large, the turning vehicle body 10 may come into contact with the edge of the field F.

If the vehicle body reverse distance Db is too large, the turning accuracy may deteriorate. That is, in the first stage turning from point P2 to point P3, the direction of the vehicle body 10 is mainly changed regardless of the position of the vehicle body 10, and in the second stage turning from point P4 to point P5, the position of the vehicle body 10 is adjusted to align the travel path to the next planting travel path, but if the vehicle body reverse distance Db is too large, a deviation in the distance between the planting travel paths is likely to occur.

Not only the vehicle reverse distance Db obtained using the detection of the rear wheel rotation speed sensor 210, but also a judgment of whether the vehicle reverse distance is OK or NG may be displayed on a monitor, etc.

(7) When the vehicle is moving backwards until it stops, if the operator operates the main shift lever 53 so that the lever position of the main shift lever 53 is in the neutral position, or depresses the vehicle stop pedal, the vehicle 10 stops according to the lever position of the main shift lever 53, but the back-turn assist control operation is not stopped. Regarding displays and warnings, the operation of the A point lamp, B point lamp, automatic lamp, straight ahead lamp, U-turn lamp, back-turn lamp, and electronic buzzer is the same as the operation in the items described above. Regarding signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight ahead control ECU, the steering signal output is maintained, but the output operation of the steering motor 45 is stopped and the steering angle is maintained.

(8) Also, when the vehicle is moving backwards until it comes to a stop, if the operator operates the main shift lever 53 so that the lever position of the main shift lever 53 is in the forward position, the vehicle speed is set according to the lever position of the main shift lever 53, and the back-turn assist control operation is stopped. With regard to the display and warning, the operation of the A point lamp, B point lamp, and automatic lamp conforms to the operation in the straight-line assist standby mode, the straight-line lamp is turned on and off, the operation of the U-turn lamp and back-turn lamp conforms to the operation in the above-mentioned items, and the electronic buzzer outputs one long buzzer sound. With regard to the signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight-line control ECU, a steering signal is output waiting for steering wheel operation, and the output operation of the steering motor 45 is performed so that the torque is turned off.

(9) In addition, when the vehicle is moving backwards until it comes to a stop, if the operator on board operates the finger up lever using the straight-line assist lever 55, the back-turn assist control operation is stopped. With regard to display and warning, the operation of the A-point lamp, B-point lamp, and automatic lamp conforms to the operation in straight-line assist standby, the straight-line lamp is turned on and off, the operation of the U-turn lamp and back-turn lamp conforms to the operation in the above-mentioned item, and the electronic buzzer outputs one long buzzer sound. The signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight-line control ECU conforms to the signal output in the above-mentioned item.

(10) In addition, when the vehicle is moving backwards until it stops, if the operator on board performs an operation such as turning off the automatic turning mode switch to automatically raise the planting device 100 as the vehicle turns, the back-turn assist control operation is stopped. At this time, the operating conditions correspond to the automatic turning interruption conditions. With regard to the display and warning, the operation of the A point lamp, B point lamp, and automatic lamp conforms to the operation in the straight-line assist standby mode, the straight-line lamp is turned on and off, the U-turn lamp is turned on and off, the back-turn lamp conforms to the operation in the above-mentioned items, and the electronic buzzer outputs one long buzzer sound. The signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight-line control ECU conforms to the signal output in the above-mentioned items.

(11) In addition, when the vehicle is moving backwards until it stops, if the operator on board operates the steering wheel 52, the back-turn assist control operation may be stopped.

(12) When the vehicle is in reverse until it stops, reverse travel is stopped and the vehicle is stopped without the operator operating the vehicle, and the turning control operation is on standby. At this time, the detection value of the rear wheel speed sensor 210 must reach a first predetermined value. For display and warning, the A point lamp is turned on, the B point lamp is turned on, the automatic lamp is turned on, the straight lamp is turned off, the U-turn lamp and the back turn lamp operate in accordance with the operations in the above items, and the electronic buzzer outputs one short buzzer sound. For signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight control ECU, a left or right target line selection signal is output, which is the same as the auto marker lamp output. For signal output from the straight control ECU to the turning control ECU, a target line determination operation is performed according to the indicated direction.

Mainly referring to FIG. 11, the turning control operation for going from point P2 to point P5 via points P3 and P4 when the backturn assist mode is selected is specifically described below.

Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram (part 3) of the operation of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(13) When the operator operates the main shift lever 53 so that the lever position of the main shift lever 53 is in the forward position while the vehicle body is stopped, the vehicle speed is set according to the lever position of the main shift lever 53, with the upper limit regulated by the regulated value of 0.9 meters/second, which is 50% of the maximum speed, and the output control operation of the steering motor 45 is performed to rotate the steering wheel 52 according to the indicated direction. At this time, the back-turn assist control operation must be performed, and the planting device 100 must be raised. As for the display and warning, the operation of the A point lamp, B point lamp, automatic lamp, straight lamp, U-turn lamp, and back-turn lamp is in accordance with the operation in the above-mentioned items, and the electronic buzzer outputs a short buzzer sound continuously until the end of the turn. Regarding the signal output from the turn control ECU to the straight-line control ECU, a steering signal for turning is output, and the output operation of the steering motor 45 for operation in the direction of the target line is performed.

When the vehicle is stopped after reversing manually by the operator operating the main shift lever 53, the above-mentioned vehicle reversing distance OK determination is performed, and when the back-turn assist control operation continues, the steering motor 45 outputs an operation to move the line drawing marker 80 of the current planting travel route in the direction of swinging.

The upper limit of the trunnion opening of the main transmission mechanism 41, which is an HST mechanism, is regulated in order to regulate the upper limit of the vehicle speed as described above. Therefore, even if the upper limit of the response speed of the steering motor 45 is 170 degrees/second, the turning radius when the steering wheel 52 is turned is unlikely to increase with an increase in the vehicle travel distance, resulting in stable steering and improved safety.

(14) When the vehicle body is in a forward moving state, the rotation of the steering motor 45 is stopped and the steering angle is maintained even if the onboard operator does not operate it. At this time, the back-turn assist control operation must be performed, and the detection value of the transmission steering angle sensor used as an automatic turning steering angle sensor for automatically raising the planting device 100 as it turns must be the set angle value. Regarding the display and warning, the operation of the A point lamp, B point lamp, automatic lamp, straight ahead lamp, U-turn lamp, back turn lamp, and electronic buzzer is similar to the operation in the items described above. Regarding the signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight ahead control ECU, the steering signal output is maintained, but the output operation of the steering motor 45 is stopped and the steering angle is maintained.

The upper limit of the trunnion opening of the main transmission mechanism 41 described above may be increased as the steering angle approaches the target steering angle so that the steering is stabilized by suppressing the initial vehicle speed of the turn.

To prevent the variation of the turning start point, which affects the turning accuracy, the vehicle body 10 may be driven straight until it reaches the turning start point, which is, for example, 1 meter from point P1, where the vehicle body reverse distance Db is. The reaching of the turning start point may be determined by using the detection of the vehicle body forward distance and the vehicle body reverse distance by the rear wheel rotation speed sensor 210, and the steering angle may be fixed for straight driving, or the reaching of the turning start point may be determined by using the reception of DGPS data by the positioning system 300 from the time when the planting device 100 is raised, and straight steering may be performed along the reference line direction, which is the direction from point P0 to point P1. In the former case, the control is simplified by using the straight driving control ECU, and in the latter case, the accuracy is improved by using the turning control ECU.

(15) When the operator operates the main shift lever 53 so that the lever position of the main shift lever 53 is in the neutral position or depresses the vehicle stop pedal while the vehicle is moving forward, the vehicle 10 stops according to the lever position of the main shift lever 53, but the back-turn assist control operation is not stopped. As for the displays and warnings, the operation of the A point lamp, B point lamp, automatic lamp, straight ahead lamp, U-turn lamp, back-turn lamp, and electronic buzzer is the same as the operation in the items described above. As for the signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight ahead control ECU, the steering signal output is maintained, but the output operation of the steering motor 45 is stopped and the steering angle is maintained.

(16) In addition, when the operator on board operates the finger up lever using the straight-line assist lever 55 while the vehicle is moving forward, the back-turn assist control operation is stopped. With regard to display and warning, the operation of the A-point lamp, B-point lamp, and automatic lamp conforms to the operation in the straight-line assist standby mode, the straight-line lamp is turned on and off, the operation of the U-turn lamp and back-turn lamp conforms to the operation in the above-mentioned items, and the electronic buzzer outputs one long buzzer sound. With regard to signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight-line control ECU, a steering signal is output waiting for steering wheel operation, and the output operation of the steering motor 45 is performed so that the torque is turned off.

(17) Also, when the operator operates the main shift lever 53 so that the lever position of the main shift lever 53 is in the reverse position while the vehicle is moving forward, the vehicle speed is set according to the lever position of the main shift lever 53, and the back-turn assist control operation is stopped. With regard to displays and warnings, the operation of the A-point lamp, B-point lamp, and automatic lamp conforms to the operation in the straight-line assist standby mode, the straight-line lamp is turned on and off, the operation of the U-turn lamp and back-turn lamp conforms to the operation in the above-mentioned item, and the electronic buzzer outputs one long buzzer sound. The signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight-line control ECU conforms to the signal output in the above-mentioned item.

(18) In addition, when the vehicle body is in a forward moving state, if the operator on board performs a switch-off operation using the automatic turning mode switch to automatically raise the planting device 100 in conjunction with turning, the back-turn assist control operation is stopped. At this time, the operating conditions correspond to the automatic turning interruption conditions. With regard to the display and warning, the operation of the A point lamp, B point lamp and automatic lamp conforms to the operation in the straight-line assist standby mode, the straight-line lamp is turned on and off, the U-turn lamp is turned on and off, the back-turn lamp operates in accordance with the operation in the above-mentioned items, and the electronic buzzer outputs one long buzzer sound. The signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight-line control ECU conforms to the signal output in the above-mentioned items.

(19) In the forward vehicle body state, the steering wheel position of the steering wheel 52 is returned to the straight center position without the operator operating the steering wheel. At this time, the back-turn assist control operation must be performed, and the detection value of the rear wheel speed sensor 210 of the rear wheel 32 on the inside of the turn must reach the second predetermined value. Regarding the display and warning, the operation of the A point lamp, B point lamp, automatic lamp, straight lamp, U-turn lamp, back-turn lamp, and electronic buzzer is similar to the operation in the above-mentioned items. Regarding the signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight-line control ECU, a steering signal output of the steering wheel center is performed, and the output operation of the steering motor 45 is performed so that the steering wheel position of the steering wheel 52 is returned to the straight center position. The arrival at point P3, which is the end point of the first stage turn, is performed by determining that the deviation angle based on the target line direction, which is the direction from point P6 to point P5, is 70 degrees or more, without using the detection value of the rear wheel speed sensor 210. Therefore, the effect of wheel slip in the field can be ignored.

During the temporary straight-line movement between the first and second stages of a so-called U-shaped turn, the steering wheel position of the steering wheel 52 is returned to the center position for straight-line movement, and a temporary straight-line control operation is initiated in which the steering angle is fixed.

When the deviation angle based on the target line direction, which is the direction from point P6 to point P5, is 0 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees, the steering wheel 52 may be rotated at a constant angle that is the same as the turning direction angle even in the temporary straight-line control operation in response to the first-stage turn being too small. When the deviation angle based on the target line direction, which is the direction from point P6 to point P5, is 90 degrees or more, the steering wheel 52 may be rotated at a constant angle opposite to the turning direction angle even in the temporary straight-line control operation in response to the first-stage turn being too large. When the deviation angle based on the target line direction, which is the direction from point P6 to point P5, is between 87 (=90-3) degrees and 93 (=90+3) degrees, the steering angle may be maintained to maintain the straight-line state.

Reaching point P4, which is the end point of the temporary straight-line driving, is performed using the detection value of the rear wheel speed sensor 210. For example, reaching point P4 is performed by determining that the rear wheel pulse count, which is the detection value of the rear wheel speed sensor 210 of the rear wheel 32 on the inside of the turn, has reached 30 after the temporary straight-line driving control operation has been started.

When the backturn assist control operation is started, a straight line extending from point P3 to point P4, which is perpendicular to the reference line extending from point P0 to point P1, may be set as the turning target line. The distance Δ between point P1, where the planting device 100 is raised, and the turning target line is a distance that is approximately equal to the product of the distance between planting rows and 4 (=8/2), which is half the number of planting rows of the rice planter. Therefore, the distance between the turning target line in the field and the edge of the ridge F is sufficiently large so that the turning vehicle body 10 does not come into contact with the edge of the ridge F. The forward movement of the vehicle body after reversing is performed toward such a turning target line, which is accurately set using latitude and longitude, improving the accuracy of the U-shaped turn.

Instead of the turning target line being a straight line in the direction from point P3 to point P4, point P4 may be set as the turning target point between the reference line of the current planting travel path in the direction from point P0 to point P1 and the reference line of the next planting travel path in the direction from point P6 to point P5. The distance δ between the turning target point and the reference line of the next planting travel path is a distance that is approximately equal to the turning radius. The accuracy of the U-shaped turn is improved because the temporary straight line is terminated upon reaching such a turning target point that is accurately set using latitude and longitude.

(20) When the vehicle body is moving forward, the steering handle 52 is rotated according to a set angle value by utilizing an automatic turning steering angle sensor for automatically raising the planting device 100 and other operations associated with turning without the operator having to operate it. At this time, the back-turn assist control operation must be performed, and the detection value of the rear wheel rotation speed sensor 210 must reach the third predetermined value. Regarding the display and warning, the operation of the A point lamp, B point lamp, automatic lamp, straight ahead lamp, U-turn lamp, back turn lamp, and electronic buzzer is similar to the operation in the above-mentioned items. Regarding the signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight ahead control ECU, a turning steering signal is output, and the output operation of the steering motor 45 for operation in the direction of the target line is performed.

(21) When the vehicle body is in a forward moving state, the rotation of the steering motor 45 is stopped and the steering angle is maintained even if the onboard operator does not operate it. At this time, the back-turn assist control operation must be performed, and the detection value of the automatic turning steering angle sensor for automatically raising the planting device 100 and other operations accompanying the turning must be the set angle value. Regarding the display and warning, the operation of the A point lamp, B point lamp, automatic lamp, straight ahead lamp, U-turn lamp, back turn lamp, and electronic buzzer is similar to the operation in the items described above. Regarding the signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight ahead control ECU, the steering signal output is maintained, but the output operation of the steering motor 45 is stopped and the steering angle is maintained.

In this way, when the temporary straight-ahead movement ends, the steering wheel 52 is rotated according to the turning direction, and the second stage of turning is performed.

(22) When the vehicle body is moving forward, the steering wheel position of the steering wheel 52 is returned to the center position for straight ahead without any operation by the onboard operator. At this time, the back-turn assist control operation must be performed, and the deviation angle based on the target line direction, which is the direction from point P5 to point P6, must be equal to or less than a specified angle value. Regarding the display and warning, the operation of the point A lamp, point B lamp, automatic lamp, straight ahead lamp, U-turn lamp, back-turn lamp, and electronic buzzer is similar to the operation in the above-mentioned items. Regarding the signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight ahead control ECU, a steering signal output for the center of the steering wheel is performed, and the output operation of the steering motor 45 is performed so that the steering wheel position of the steering wheel 52 is returned to the center position for straight ahead.

In this way, for example, when the deviation angle based on the target line direction, which is the direction from point P5 to point P6, becomes less than 20 degrees, the steering wheel position of the steering wheel 52 is returned to the center position for straight ahead, and the second stage turning ends with the detection of steering straight ahead. The straight ahead assist control operation for going from point P5 to point P6 is specifically described below with reference mainly to FIG. 11.

(23) When the vehicle body is moving forward, the system transitions to straight-line assist control operation without the operator operating the system. At this time, the steering angle of the steering wheel 52 must be 120 degrees or less, and the deviation angle from the target line direction, which is the direction from point P5 to point P6, must be 3 degrees or less. For display and warning, the A point lamp is turned on and off, the B point lamp is turned on and off, the automatic lamp, straight lamp, U-turn lamp, and back turn lamp operate in accordance with the operations in the above items, and the electronic buzzer outputs one short buzzer sound. For signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight-line control ECU, an automatic steering signal is output. For signal output from the straight-line control ECU to the turning control ECU, an output control operation of the steering motor 45 for traveling toward the target line is performed.

(24) When the vehicle is moving forward, the vehicle speed is set according to the lever position of the main shift lever 53 without the operator operating the vehicle, and the straight-line assist control operation is performed, with the upper limit regulated by the regulated value of 0.9 meters/second, which is 50 percent of the maximum speed. At this time, the steering angle of the steering wheel 52 must be 30 degrees or less, and the deviation angle from the target line direction, which is the direction from point P5 to point P6, must be 3 degrees or less for at least 3 seconds. Regarding the display and warning, the A point lamp is turned on and off, the B point lamp is turned on and off, the automatic lamp, straight lamp, U-turn lamp, and back turn lamp operate in accordance with the operations in the above-mentioned items, and the electronic buzzer outputs one short buzzer sound. The signal output from the turning control ECU to the straight-line control ECU is in accordance with the signal output in the above-mentioned items. The signal output from the straight-line control ECU to the turning control ECU is in accordance with the signal output in the above-mentioned items.

In this way, the straight-line assist control operation starts when the turning control operation ends.

The straight-line assist control operation is performed by setting the reference line of the next planting travel route in the direction from point P6 to point P5 as the target line, so that automatic travel route alignment to the next planting travel route is achieved and deviations in the distance between planting travel routes are unlikely to occur.

Such target line setting may be performed automatically using linear parallel movement so that the distance between the reference line of the current planting travel path in the direction from point P0 to point P1 and the reference line of the next planting travel path in the direction from point P6 to point P5 approximately matches the product of the distance between planting rows and the number of planting rows by the rice transplanter, 8.

The back-turn assist control operation is explained in more detail below.

When the back-turn assist control operation is being performed, a short buzzer sound may be output intermittently and continuously so that the on-board operator can easily recognize the automatic control of the vehicle speed or steering. If the back-turn assist control operation is stopped for some reason, a single long buzzer sound may be output so that the on-board operator can easily recognize that the automatic control has been interrupted.

It goes without saying that various conditions for interrupting the backturn assist control operation can be considered, as follows:

When a back-turn assist control operation is being performed, if the main shift lever 53 is operated in a direction that is not consistent with the vehicle travel direction during the back-turn assist control operation, the back-turn assist control operation may be interrupted. For example, if, in the vehicle reverse state described above, the operator on board operates the main shift lever 53 so that the lever position of the main shift lever 53 is in the forward position, the back-turn assist control operation may be interrupted.

When the back-turn assist control operation is being performed, if the assist mode switch 56 is operated, the back-turn assist control operation may be interrupted. For example, if, in the vehicle body reverse state described above, the operator on board operates the assist mode switch 56 to select the U-turn assist mode, the back-turn assist control operation may be interrupted.

When the back-turn assist control operation is being performed, if the automatic turning mode switch is operated to automatically perform the lifting of the planting device 100 in conjunction with turning, the back-turn assist control operation may be interrupted. For example, if the operator on board performs a switch-off operation using the automatic turning mode switch while the vehicle is in the reverse driving state described above, the back-turn assist control operation may be interrupted.

When a back-turn assist control operation is being performed, if an operation is performed to turn off the auto-marker operation, the back-turn assist control operation may be interrupted.

When a back-turn assist control operation is being performed, if a finger-up lever operation or a finger-down lever operation is performed using the straight-line assist lever 55, the back-turn assist control operation may be interrupted.

When the back-turn assist control operation is completed, the above-mentioned upper limit of the vehicle speed may be released. The upper limit of the trunnion opening of the main transmission mechanism 41, which is the HST mechanism, is released, and the vehicle speed is set according to the lever position of the main transmission lever 53 without the operator on board operating the main transmission lever 53 to decrease the vehicle speed, and the vehicle automatically returns to the target vehicle speed. In order to avoid a sudden increase in vehicle speed upon completion of the back-turn assist control operation, it is desirable that such automatic return to the target vehicle speed be performed slowly with a response speed different from the response speed due to normal vehicle speed increase lever operation.

Next, the configuration and operation of the rice transplanter of this embodiment will be explained in more detail, mainly with reference to Figures 7(a), 7(b), and 8.

Here, FIG. 7(a) is a partial front view of the vicinity of the GNSS antenna 310 of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7(b) is a partial left side view of the vicinity of the GNSS antenna 310 of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a partial oblique view of the vicinity of the GNSS antenna stay 320 of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The GNSS antenna stay 320 is a stay on which the GNSS antenna 310 of the positioning system 300 is attached to realize the rice transplanter automatic steering system.

Since the GNSS antenna 310 is not located directly above the seat 51, even if the height of the GNSS antenna 310 is not very large, when an operator stands up from the seat 51, the operator's head or other parts of the body are unlikely to hit the GNSS antenna 310.

Since the height of the GNSS antenna 310 does not need to be very large, not only is the GNSS antenna 310 less likely to interfere with obstacles, but the height above the ground of the vehicle body 10 is also reduced. In addition, since the GNSS antenna stay 320 can be shortened, the rigidity of the GNSS antenna stay 320 is also improved.

The GNSS antenna 310 is located in the center of the vehicle body in the left-right direction, but is located above the steering wheel 52 and the head of the operator seated in the seat 51. Therefore, the operator's field of vision is unlikely to be obstructed by the GNSS antenna 310.

A GNSS antenna stay reinforcing plate 321 is attached to the center of the GNSS antenna stay 320 in the vertical direction.

A monitor or the like for displaying the automatic steering status may be attached to the center of the GNSS antenna stay reinforcement plate 321 relative to the left-right direction of the vehicle body.

Space may be provided for attaching a logo label or the like to the GNSS antenna stay reinforcement plate 321.

The program of the invention related to the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute all or part of the steps (or processes, operations, actions, etc.) of the turning assistance method of the invention related to the present invention described above, and is a program that operates in cooperation with a computer.

The recording medium of the invention related to the present invention is a recording medium that records a program for causing a computer to execute all or some of the steps (or processes, operations, actions, etc.) of the turning assistance method of the invention related to the present invention described above, and is a computer-readable recording medium in which the read program is used in cooperation with a computer.

Note that "some steps (or processes, operations, actions, etc.)" mentioned above means one or some of those multiple steps.

In addition, the above-mentioned "operation of a step (or process, operation, action, etc.)" means the operation of all or part of the above-mentioned step.

In addition, one mode of use of the program of the invention related to the present invention may be a mode in which it is transmitted through a transmission medium such as the Internet, light, radio waves, or sound waves, read by a computer, and operates in cooperation with the computer.

In addition, recording media include ROM (Read Only Memory) and the like.

In addition, a computer is not limited to pure hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also include firmware, an OS (Operating System), and even peripheral devices.

As mentioned above, the configuration of the present invention may be realized in either software or hardware.

The transplanter of the present invention allows the start of turning assistance for the vehicle body when the working device is raised, and is useful for use in transplanters such as rice transplanters.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 vehicle body 20 engine 30 running device 31 front wheel 32 rear wheel 41 main transmission mechanism 42 auxiliary transmission mechanism 43 rear wheel gear case 45 steering motor 50 driving unit 51 seat 52 steering handle 53 main transmission lever 54 auxiliary transmission lever 55 straight-line assist lever 56 assist mode switch 60 ground leveling device 61 ground leveling rotor mechanism 62 ground leveling float mechanism 70 fertilizer application device 80 line drawing marker 90 planting device lifting device 100 planting device 101 spare seedling loading platform 200 control device 210 rear wheel rotation speed sensor 220 planting device lifting sensor 300 positioning system 310 GNSS antenna 320 GNSS antenna stay 321 GNSS antenna stay reinforcement plate

Claims (4)

A working device (100) attached to a vehicle body (10) so as to be capable of ascending and descending;
A steering member drive device (45) that drives the steering member (52);
a control device (200) that causes the steering member drive device (45) to drive and steer the steering member (52);
The control device (200) steers the vehicle body (10) so that the running path of the vehicle body (10) is U-shaped ,
When the vehicle is stopped to transition to the next driving route, the vehicle moves backward while regulating the upper limit of the vehicle speed.
A work vehicle characterized in that the vehicle body is automatically stopped after reversing by determining that a predetermined distance has been reached, and a turning control operation is put on standby . The work vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the straight-line movement between the first stage turn and the second stage turn in the U-shape, the position of the steering member (52) returns to the straight-line center position, and straight-line control operation is started. When the working device (100) is not in a ground-facing state, turning assistance of the vehicle body (10) is permitted,
When the vehicle body is in a stopped state, and the operator operates the main shift lever (53) so that the lever position of the main shift lever (53) is a reverse drive position, a back-turn assist control operation is started in which the vehicle speed, the upper limit of which is regulated, is set according to the lever position of the main shift lever (53),
The vehicle is automatically stopped after reversing by determining that the vehicle reversing distance (Db) obtained by using the detection of the rear wheel rotation speed sensor (210) has reached a predetermined distance.
3. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein when the vehicle body is automatically stopped after reversing, the vehicle body is stopped after reversing without any operation by the on-board worker, and the turning control operation is standby. 4. The work vehicle according to claim 3, wherein a vehicle body reverse distance OK or NG determination is made based on the vehicle body reverse distance (Db), and the vehicle body reverse distance OK or NG determination is displayed on a monitor or the like .