JP7481742B2 - Agricultural machinery - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an agricultural machine suitable for use on ridges. In particular, it relates to an agricultural machine that can travel well on ridges.

Conventionally, in order to remove weeds that grow on the top surface or slopes of ridges, it has been necessary to periodically mow the ridges. Patent Document 1 discloses a grass cutting machine that can run over the ridges by remote control via wireless communication and mow the top surface and slopes. The grass cutting machine described in Patent Document 1 has a pair of crawler belts on the running section, and is able to run over the ridges using this pair of crawler belts.

JP 2018-157762 A

However, the grass cutter described in Patent Document 1 is configured to move back and forth using a pair of crawler belts on the left and right sides of the traveling direction, so there is a problem in that the grass cutter is prone to losing balance, for example, when the top surface of the ridge is inclined or has a step. If the grass cutter loses balance and tilts, it will travel downwards on the slope, making it difficult to travel along the ridge. Furthermore, if the grass cutter loses balance, on soft ground or on a crumbling ridge, it may fall off the ridge, causing damage to the machine and damage to the crops. For this reason, with conventional grass cutters, whenever the machine tilts, it is necessary to perform an operation to correct the direction of the grass cutter, which places a burden on the user.

The objective of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide an agricultural work machine for ridges that can run stably on the ridges.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the agricultural work machine has a body, a pair of travelling sections arranged on the left and right sides in the direction of travel, which travel on the ridges, a working section which performs work while traveling on the ridges, a link mechanism which connects the body and the travelling sections and independently raises and lowers the left and right travelling sections, a tilt detection section which detects the tilt of the machine itself, and a control section which controls the link mechanism when the tilt detected by the tilt detection section exceeds a threshold value.

The vehicle may further include a speed detection unit that detects the vehicle's traveling speed, and the control unit may control the link mechanism based on the inclination detected by the inclination detection unit and the speed detected by the speed detection unit.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the agricultural machine has a body, a pair of travelling sections on the left and right in the direction of travel, which travel on the ridges, a working section that performs work while traveling on the ridges, a link mechanism that connects the body and the travelling sections and independently raises and lowers the left and right travelling sections, a tilt detection section that detects the inclination of the machine itself, a shape acquisition section that acquires the shape of the ridge, and a control section that controls the link mechanism based on the inclination detected by the tilt detection section and the shape of the ridge acquired by the shape acquisition section.

The shape acquisition unit may be provided on the vehicle and detect the shape of the ridge in front of the vehicle.

The shape acquisition unit may acquire information on the shape of the ridge that was acquired in advance from an information processing device at a position indicated by the position information of the own device.

The shape acquisition unit may acquire information regarding the shape of the ridge acquired in advance based on the position information of the own machine and the control history of the link mechanism at the position indicated by the position information.

The working section may include a grass cutting section or a transport section.

The control unit may control the traveling unit and the working unit, and the traveling unit may self-propel in response to control by the control unit.

The link mechanism may move the running unit in a direction away from the aircraft body while moving the running unit in a direction opposite to the direction of travel.

The link mechanism is configured to move the running unit so that the movement trajectory of the running unit is parallel to the traveling direction, and when the control unit controls the link mechanism, the running unit may change its traveling direction to the higher running unit of the left and right running units of the tilted aircraft.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an agricultural work machine for ridges that can travel stably on the ridges.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration of a ridge mower according to one embodiment. FIG. 1 is a left side view showing the configuration of a ridge mower according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the configuration of the ridge mower of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the configuration of the ridge mower of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the configuration of the ridge mower of the embodiment.

The agricultural work machine for ridges of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the agricultural work machine for ridges of the present invention can be implemented in many different forms, and should not be interpreted as being limited to the description of the examples shown below. In the drawings referred to in this embodiment, identical parts or parts having similar functions are given the same reference numerals or the same reference numerals followed by an alphabet, and repeated explanations will be omitted. In addition, when identical or similar parts are provided on the left and right sides of the traveling direction, L (left side member) or R (right side member) will be added after the reference numeral of the part. When no particular distinction is made between the left and right members, L and R will be omitted in the explanation.

In the specification and claims of this application, "up" refers to the direction moving vertically away from the ridge when the ridge farming machine is moving forward while working on the ridge, and "down" refers to the opposite direction from "up." "Front" refers to the direction in which the working unit is located relative to the traveling unit, and "rear" refers to the opposite direction from "front." Additionally, "left" and "right" refer to the "left" and "right" relative to the "front" of the ridge farming machine.

In the specification and claims of this application, the left-right length of each component part of the agricultural work machine for ridges is referred to as the "width." In addition, when the center line of the ridge mower in a plan view (a line parallel to the direction of travel and passing through the center of the ridge mower) is used as the reference, the side closer to the center line is referred to as the "inner side," and the side farther from the center line is referred to as the "outer side."

In the following embodiments, a remote controller type ridge mower is exemplified as the agricultural machine, but the invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the agricultural machine shown in the following embodiments may be a ridge agricultural machine that performs work while traveling on the ridge, such as a transport work machine like a trolley that moves on the ridge, other than a mower. Note that on the ridge may refer to both the top surface and the slope of the ridge, or it may refer to either one. In addition, the agricultural machine does not have to be remote control type. For example, it may be a hand-pushed or self-propelled agricultural machine. Furthermore, the techniques of different embodiments can be combined as long as no particular technical contradiction occurs.

First Embodiment
[Configuration of agricultural machine]
The agricultural work machine 100 of this embodiment is a grass cutter that mows ridges while moving forward. Specifically, it is a grass cutter that is remotely controlled by a remote control and travels over ridges to cut grass. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of the ridge mower (agricultural work machine 100) of the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a left side view showing the configuration of the ridge mower (agricultural work machine 100) of the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a rear view showing the configuration of the ridge mower (agricultural work machine 100) of the first embodiment.

1 and 2, the agricultural machine 100 of this embodiment includes a machine body 10, a traveling section 20, a working section 30, a control section 40, a first link mechanism 50, a second link mechanism 60, a detection section 70, a shape acquisition section 80, and a position information acquisition section 90. The machine body 10 and the traveling section 20 are connected by the first link mechanism 50 (see FIG. 2). The machine body 10 and the working section 30 are connected by the second link mechanism 60. The shape acquisition section 80 and the position information acquisition section 90 are attached to the machine body 10 by a gate-shaped mounting member 85 with a lower side expanded (see FIG. 1 to FIG. 3). The mounting member 85 extends upward from the front of the machine body 10 (the working section 30 side) (see FIG. 2). The shape acquisition section 80 is disposed on the lower surface side of the upper end of the mounting member 85. The position information acquisition section 90 is disposed on the upper surface side of the upper end of the mounting member 85.

The machine body 10 is a frame that forms the skeleton of the agricultural machine 100. The machine body 10 can be constructed using a metal material (e.g., steel, aluminum), fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) material, etc., but is not limited to these examples.

The traveling unit 20 functions as the traveling means of the agricultural work machine 100. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the traveling unit 20 in this embodiment is provided in a pair on the left and right sides in the traveling direction, and has traveling units 20L and 20R that travel on the ridge 200. Note that in this embodiment, a configuration in which crawlers are used as the traveling unit 20 is exemplified, but tires may be used instead of crawlers. The traveling unit 20L is the traveling means provided on the left side in the traveling direction of the agricultural work machine 100, and the traveling unit 20R is the traveling means provided on the right side. Note that the structure of the traveling unit 20R is the same as that of the traveling unit 20L, so only the traveling unit 20L will be described here.

As shown in FIG. 2, the running unit 20L includes a crawler belt 21L, a driving wheel 22L, a driven wheel 23L, and a crawler frame 24L. The crawler belt 21L is stretched across the driving wheel 22L and the driven wheel 23L, and rotates according to the rotation of the driving wheel 22L. In this embodiment, the crawler belt 21L is made of an elastic material (specifically, rubber) and has a plurality of lugs (protrusions). The crawler belt 21L may be a metal member. A guide may be provided between the driving wheel 22L and the driven wheel 23L to prevent the crawler belt 21L from coming off. The driving wheel 22L rotates by the power transmitted from the driving unit 45 (see FIG. 3), which is driven by the battery 42 provided in the control unit 40 as a power source. In this embodiment, a motor is used as the driving unit 45. The power generated by the rotation of the driving wheel 22L is transmitted to the driven wheel 23L via the crawler belt 21L. The crawler frame 24L rotatably supports the drive wheels 22L and the driven wheels 23L.

As shown in FIG. 3, the crawler belt 21L has an outer lug portion 21La, an inner lug portion 21Lb, and a belt portion 21Lc. The crawler belt 21R has a similar configuration to the crawler belt 21L. In other words, the running part 20 has a pair of outer lug portions 21La and 21Ra arranged at the outer end, and inner lug portions 21Lb and 21Rb arranged between the pair of outer lug portions 21La and 21Ra. The height of the outer lug portion 21La is higher than the height of the inner lug portion 21Lb. Similarly, the height of the outer lug portion 21Ra is higher than the height of the inner lug portion 21Rb. In other words, the running part 20 of this embodiment has at least two types of lug portions with different heights so that the height increases from the inside to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 3, the outer lug portions 21La and 21Ra each have a substantially trapezoidal shape that gradually increases in height from the inside to the outside. That is, the outer lug portion 21La of the running portion 20L and the outer lug portion 21Ra of the running portion 20R are each configured to follow the shape of the boundary between the top surface 201 and the slope 202 of the ridge 200. Note that "following the shape of the ridge 200" means that a concave space is formed that matches the outer shape of the convex ridge as shown in FIG. 3, and is not limited to forming a concave space that strictly matches or is similar to the outer shape of the ridge. For example, since the outer shape of the ridge is substantially trapezoidal, the concave space is also substantially trapezoidal in shape to match the shape of the ridge. However, the example shown in FIG. 3 is merely an example, and it is not essential that the outer lug portion 21La and the outer lug portion 21Ra follow the shape of the ridge.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the working unit 30 functions as a grass-cutting working unit that cuts grass such as weeds that grow on the ridges (grass-cutting work). The working unit 30 includes a casing 31, a blade unit 32, and a drive unit 33. The casing 31 is a housing that covers the blade unit 32, and functions as a frame that fixes the blade unit 32 while preventing soil, pebbles, grass, etc. from scattering. The blade unit 32 is a part that is composed of multiple grass-cutting blades, and the multiple grass-cutting blades rotate to cut grass that grows on the ridges. The drive unit 33 is a part that generates power to rotate the blade unit 32. In this embodiment, a motor is used as the drive unit 33, and a battery 42 (see Figure 1) provided in the control unit 40 is used as the power source for the drive unit 33. In this embodiment, the agricultural work machine 100 is exemplified as having a configuration in which the working unit 30 is a grass cutter, but other working machines that perform work while traveling on the ridge (including both the top surface 201 and the slope 202 of the ridge 200) may be used as the working unit 30. Of course, the agricultural work machine 100 can perform work while traveling on flat ground other than the ridge. In addition, in this embodiment, the working unit 30 performs grass cutting work on the top surface 201 of the ridge 200, but in addition to or instead of the working unit 30 of this embodiment, a working unit that performs grass cutting work on the slope 202 of the ridge 200 may be provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first link mechanism 50 is provided to connect the machine body 10 and the running section 20, and has the function of relatively changing the positional relationship between the machine body 10 and the running section 20 (moving the running section 20 away from the machine body 10 to raise and lower the running section 20 relative to the ground). The first link mechanism 50L is the left link mechanism when facing the direction of travel of the agricultural work machine 100, and is connected to the running section 20L. The first link mechanism 50R (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 3) is the right link mechanism and is connected to the running section 20R. As will be described in detail later, the first link mechanisms 50L and 50R are independently controlled, and raise and lower the running sections 20L and 20R independently.

The first link mechanism 50L includes a link arm 51L, a link arm 52L, and an electric cylinder 53L (see FIG. 2). The first link mechanism 50R includes a link arm 51R, a link arm 52R, and an electric cylinder 53R (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 2). Note that the structure of the first link mechanism 50R is the same as that of the first link mechanism 50L, so only the first link mechanism 50L will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the first link mechanism 50L, the link arm 51L has a crawler side arm whose one end (front end) is rotatably connected to the crawler frame 24L, and a cylinder side arm whose other end (rear end) is rotatably connected to the electric cylinder 53L, and which is bent upward from the crawler side arm at a bent portion. The electric cylinder 53L is supported by a support bracket provided at the rear end of the machine body 10 and is disposed on the upper rear side of the machine body 10. The link arm 51L is rotatably connected (supported) to the machine body 10 at the bent portion. The link arm 52L is disposed parallel to and rearward of the crawler side arm of the link arm 51L, and whose one end (front end) is connected to the crawler frame 24L and whose other end (rear end) is connected to the machine body 10.

As a result, a parallel link mechanism is formed by the link arm 51L, the link arm 52L, the crawler frame 24L, and the machine body 10. Therefore, when the electric cylinder 53L is extended or retracted to operate the parallel link mechanism, the link arm 51L and the link arm 52L each rotate relative to the machine body, and the running unit 20 can be raised and lowered relative to the machine body 10. That is, when the electric cylinder 53L is extended, the cylinder side arm of the link arm 51L rotates forward, and the crawler side arm of the link arm 51L and the link arm 52L rotate backward relative to the machine body 10, so that the machine body 10 and the running unit 20L are relatively separated from each other, that is, the running unit 20L is lowered (relatively) relative to the machine body 10. On the other hand, when the electric cylinder 53L contracts, the cylinder side arm of the link arm 51L rotates backward, and the crawler side arm of the link arm 51L and the link arm 52L rotate forward relative to the machine body 10, bringing the machine body 10 and the running unit 20 relatively closer to each other, that is, the running unit 20L rises (relatively) relative to the machine body 10. When the parallel link mechanism operates, the movement trajectory of the running unit 20 when viewed from above is parallel to the traveling direction of the running unit 20. In this specification, the movement trajectory of the running unit refers to the movement trajectory of the running unit 20 when the agricultural work machine 100 is viewed from above as described above.

As described above, when the first link mechanism 50L moves the running part 20 away from the machine body 10 (lowers the running part 20 relative to the machine body 10), the link arm 51L rotates, so that the running part 20L moves backward relative to the machine body 10. In other words, when the agricultural work machine 100 moves forward, the first link mechanism 50L moves the running part 20L in the direction opposite to the forward direction, and a backward force acts on the ground side of the running part 20L (crawler belt 21L) that contacts the ground. Also, at this time, although the electric cylinder 53L extends, the electric cylinder 53R does not move, so a force acts on the machine body 10 in a clockwise direction in a plan view (rightward, opposite to the side where the electric cylinder 53L is located). As a result, when the first link mechanism 50L is operated to move the traveling section 20 away from the machine body 10, the front of the machine body 10 and the traveling section 20L face toward the center of the agricultural work machine 100 (the side opposite to the side where the electric cylinder 53L is located, i.e., the right side).

When the running part 20 is brought closer to the machine body 10 (the running part 20 is raised relative to the machine body 10), the first link mechanism 50L retracts the electric cylinder 53L, and the running part 20L moves forward. When the running part 20L is moved forward, a forward force acts on the side of 20L (crawler belt 21L) that comes into contact with the ground. In addition, as the electric cylinder 53L retracts, a force acts on the machine body 10 in a counterclockwise direction in a plan view (the same left direction as the side where the electric cylinder 53L is located). As a result, the front sides of the machine body 10 and the running part 20 face outward from the agricultural machine 100 (the same side as the side where the electric cylinder 53L is located, i.e., the left side). In this embodiment, the operation of the electric cylinder 53L is controlled based on the most contracted state (see FIG. 2), but the operation of the electric cylinder 53L may be controlled based on a position between the most contracted state and the most extended state (for example, a position intermediate between the two), or based on the most extended state of the electric cylinder 53L.

The second link mechanism 60 is provided between the machine body 10 and the working unit 30, and has the function of relatively changing the positional relationship between the machine body 10 and the working unit 30 (raising and lowering the working unit 30 relative to the ground). The second link mechanism 60 includes a link arm 61, a link arm 62, a working unit side bracket 63, a machine body side bracket 64, and an electric cylinder 65. The working unit side bracket 63 is fixed to the rear end of the working unit 30 so as to protrude upward toward the rear. The machine body side bracket 64 is fixed to the front end of the machine body 10. One end of the link arm 61 is connected to the working unit side bracket 63, and the other end is connected to the electric cylinder 65. The link arm 61 also has a bent portion, and is rotatably connected to the machine body side bracket 64 at the bent portion. One end of the link arm 62 is connected to the working unit side bracket 63, and the other end is connected to the machine body side bracket 64. As a result, a parallel link mechanism is formed by the link arm 61, the link arm 62, the working unit side bracket 63, and the machine body side bracket 64. Therefore, the working unit 30 can be raised and lowered by operating the parallel link mechanism by extending and retracting the electric cylinder 65.

The detection unit 70 includes a tilt detection unit 71, a speed detection unit 72, and a working height detection unit 73. The tilt detection unit 71, the speed detection unit 72, and the working height detection unit 73 are stored in a cover member 44 of the control unit 40, which will be described later. Note that in this embodiment, it is sufficient for the detection unit 70 to include at least the tilt detection unit 71 and the speed detection unit 72, and the working height detection unit 73 may be omitted.

The tilt detection unit 71 detects the tilt of the agricultural machine 100 in the rotation direction around an axis extending in the traveling direction of the agricultural machine 100. In other words, the tilt detection unit 71 detects the tilt of the agricultural machine 100 when the agricultural machine 100 is viewed in the traveling direction (for example, when the agricultural machine 100 is viewed from behind). Specifically, the tilt detection unit 71 mainly detects the tilt of the agricultural machine 100 based on the direction of gravity. As the tilt detection unit 71, for example, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) equipped with a gyro and an accelerometer can be used, but other sensors can be used as long as they can detect the tilt of the agricultural machine 100. The tilt detection unit 71 may detect the tilt based on a horizontal state, or may detect the tilt based on a state tilted at a certain angle from the horizontal. Additionally, the tilt detection unit 71 may detect not only the detected tilt, but also the angular acceleration when the tilt is detected, and evaluate the tilt based on these values.

The speed detection unit 72 detects the traveling speed of the agricultural work machine 100. The speed detection unit 72 may detect the traveling speed based on the angular velocity or the number of rotations per unit time of the drive wheels 22L and driven wheels 23L, or may detect the traveling speed based on the position information of the agricultural work machine 100.

The working height detection unit 73 detects the height of the working unit 30 relative to the traveling unit 20 in the vertical direction. A potentiometer attached to the rotating part of the second link mechanism 60 may be used as the working height detection unit 73, or a position sensor of a piston rod provided in the electric cylinder 65 may be used. Alternatively, an optical sensor using laser light or the like may be used as the working height detection unit 73, or an ultrasonic sensor may be used.

The control unit 40 has the function of controlling the traveling unit 20, the working unit 30, the first link mechanism 50, and the second link mechanism 60. The control unit 40 controls the traveling unit 20 and the working unit 30, and performs agricultural work while traveling the agricultural work machine 100. The control unit 40 of this embodiment includes a battery 42, a controller 43, and a cover member 44. The battery 42 functions as a power source for the drive unit 33 that drives the working unit 30, and as a power source for the drive unit 45 that drives the traveling unit 20. The battery 42 also functions as a power source for the electric cylinders 53L, 53R, and 65 that operate the first link mechanism 50 and the second link mechanism 60.

The controller 43 is a central part that controls the traveling unit 20, the working unit 30, the first link mechanism 50, and the second link mechanism 60, and has, for example, an electronic circuit board equipped with a calculation device, a memory, and a communication circuit. The controller 43 has a function of executing control based on a signal acquired from a remote control (not shown). In addition, the controller 43 executes control of at least one of the traveling unit 20, the working unit 30, the first link mechanism 50, and the second link mechanism 60 based on the information detected by the detection unit 70 or the shape of the ridge 200 acquired by the shape acquisition unit 80. When the controller 43 executes control based on information detected by the detection unit 70, such as the inclination information of the agricultural work machine 100, a threshold value may be set in the controller 43. In this case, the controller 43 executes the above control, for example, when the detected inclination of the agricultural work machine 100 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. The controller 43 controls the electric cylinders 53L and 53R independently, thereby controlling the first link mechanisms 50L and 50R independently. The controller 43 may also have a function of executing various controls, such as controls based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 90 or commands acquired from a server, etc.

The cover member 44 serves to protect the battery 42, the controller 43, the tilt detection unit 71, the speed detection unit 72, and the work height detection unit 73.

The position information acquisition unit 90 includes a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The position information acquisition unit 90 acquires position information indicating the position where the agricultural work machine 100 is traveling. The position information acquisition unit 90 also has a communication unit (e.g., an antenna) that transmits and receives various information to and from an external information processing device such as a server.

[Control of controller 43]
The control of the controller 43 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figures 4 and 5 are rear views showing the configuration of the ridge mower of the first embodiment. For example, as shown in Figure 4, if part of the top surface 201 of the ridge 200 is collapsed, and the first link mechanisms 50L and 50R are not controlled independently, and the distance between the traveling section 20L and the machine body 10 is the same as the distance between the traveling section 20R and the machine body 10, the agricultural work machine 100 will tilt.

When the state shown in FIG. 4 is reached, the tilt detection unit 71 detects that the right side of the agricultural work machine 100 is tilted downward and the tilt angle. Then, the controller 43 controls the first link mechanism 50 to correct the tilt of the agricultural work machine 100 based on the tilt direction and tilt angle of the agricultural work machine 100 detected by the tilt detection unit 71. More specifically, in the controller 43, the extension amount of the electric cylinder 53 of the first link mechanism 50 is pre-associated with the tilt angle of the agricultural work machine 100 and is specified, and the controller 43 controls the drive of the electric cylinder 53 to a predetermined extension amount based on the detection result of the tilt detection unit 71. In the example of FIG. 4, the link arms 51R and 52R are rotated by extending the electric cylinder 53R of the right first link mechanism 50R, and the right running part 20R is moved away from the machine body 10. As a result, the tilt of the agricultural work machine 100 is corrected as shown in FIG. 5. In the agricultural work machine 100 of this embodiment, which of the left or right first link mechanisms 50 should be operated is determined based on the tilt direction of the agricultural work machine 100 so that the horizontality of the machine body 10 is maintained, and the amount of operation of the first link mechanism 50 is determined based on the tilt angle of the agricultural work machine 100.

The control unit 40 of the agricultural work machine 100 controls the first link mechanism 50 located on the lower side in the vertical direction by the electric cylinder 53 when the machine body 10 tilts, and rotates the running part 20 backward to relatively separate the machine body 10 and the running part 20, thereby maintaining the horizontality of the machine body 10, but this is not limited to the above. Of course, when the machine body 10 tilts, it is also possible to control the first link mechanism 50 located on the upper side in the vertical direction by the electric cylinder 53, and rotates the running part 20 forward to relatively close the machine body 10 and the running part 20, thereby maintaining the horizontality of the machine body 10. Note that, according to the configuration of this embodiment, regardless of which of the above controls is performed, the agricultural work machine 100 travels from the lower part of the ridge 200 to the higher part, so that it is possible to prevent the agricultural work machine 100 from falling off the ridge 200.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the tilt is detected, the lower of the left and right running parts 20 of the agricultural work machine 100 moves backward while descending. Therefore, the traveling direction of the agricultural work machine 100 changes to the side that climbs the inclined surface representing the tilt, that is, to the higher of the left and right running parts 20 of the tilted agricultural work machine 100. As a result, the running part 20 runs toward the higher side of the inclined surface. However, the configuration for changing the traveling direction of the agricultural work machine 100 as described above when the agricultural work machine 100 tilts is not limited to the above configuration. For example, when the traveling part 20 does not move in the front-rear direction when it rises and falls, or does not move in the front-rear direction enough to affect the traveling direction of the agricultural work machine 100, the traveling speed of the traveling part 20 may be changed in accordance with the lifting and lowering operation of the traveling part 20. For example, when the agricultural work machine 100 is tilted so that the traveling part 20L side is downward, the traveling speed of the traveling part 20L may be controlled to be faster in accordance with the lowering operation of the traveling part 20L. In this case, as the agricultural work machine 100 approaches horizontality, the running speed of the traveling unit 20L slows down and becomes the same as the running speed of the traveling unit 20R.

When a tilt threshold is set in the controller 43 of the control unit 40, the controller 43 controls the first link mechanism 50 when the tilt of the agricultural work machine 100 becomes equal to or greater than the threshold. In other words, the tilt threshold determines whether or not the first link mechanism 50 needs to operate, and the controller 43 does not control the first link mechanism 50 when the tilt of the agricultural work machine 100 is equal to or less than the threshold. For example, when the tilt of the agricultural work machine 100 is less than α°, the controller 43 does not control the first link mechanism 50 even if the agricultural work machine 100 tilts. On the other hand, when the tilt of the agricultural work machine 100 is equal to or greater than α°, the controller 43 controls the first link mechanism 50 to correct the tilt of the agricultural work machine 100. In other words, the controller 43 allows the tilt of the agricultural work machine 100 to be less than the threshold and does not correct the tilt.

Here, if the travel speed of the agricultural work machine 100 is fast, the agricultural work machine 100 is likely to tip over even if the tilt angle is small. Therefore, in this embodiment, the operation (driving speed) of the first link mechanism 50 (electric cylinder) is controlled based on the travel speed of the agricultural work machine 100. For example, when the tilt of the agricultural work machine 100 is detected, the controller 43 controls the electric cylinder to extend and retract more quickly so that the first link mechanism 50 operates more swiftly as the travel speed of the agricultural work machine 100 increases. In addition, the controller 43 stores a reference table that associates the driving speed of the first link mechanism 50 (electric cylinder) with the travel speed of the agricultural work machine 100, and it is also possible to change the driving speed of the first link mechanism 50 in stages depending on the travel speed of the agricultural work machine 100 based on this reference table.

In addition, when the above-mentioned threshold value of the inclination is set, instead of controlling the first link mechanism 50, it is also possible to change the threshold value of the inclination based on the traveling speed of the agricultural work machine 100. In this case, the threshold value of the inclination is changed appropriately while the agricultural work machine 100 is traveling, and when the traveling speed of the agricultural work machine 100 is relatively fast, the above threshold value is set to a small value. For example, when the traveling speed of the agricultural work machine 100 exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the above-mentioned threshold value of the inclination is changed from α to a value smaller than α. The threshold value of the inclination may be changed continuously in proportion to the traveling speed of the agricultural work machine 100, or a reference table that associates the threshold value of the inclination with the traveling speed of the agricultural work machine 100 may be stored in the controller 43, and the threshold value of the inclination corresponding to the traveling speed of the agricultural work machine 100 may be changed in stages based on this reference table. It is also possible to combine the drive speed control of the first link mechanism 50 described above with the control by changing the threshold value of the inclination.

In this way, the controller 43 controls the first link mechanism 50 based on the inclination and running speed of the agricultural work machine 100 detected by the inclination detection unit 71 and the speed detection unit 72. Note that in the above embodiment, the agricultural work machine 100 only needs to include at least the machine body 10, the running unit 20, the working unit 30, the control unit 40, the first link mechanism 50, the second link mechanism 60, and the detection unit 70, and the shape acquisition unit 80 and the position information acquisition unit 90 may be omitted.

[Modification 1]
A description will now be given of the control of the controller 43 according to Modification 1. The agricultural work machine 100 of Modification 1 controls the first link mechanism 50 based on the shape of the ridge 200 in front of the agricultural work machine 100 detected by the shape acquisition section 80.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the shape acquisition unit 80 has a sensor and acquires the shape of the ridge 200 in front of the agricultural work machine 100. The sensor is composed of a camera, and the shape acquisition unit 80 acquires the shape of the ridge 200 based on image data obtained by the camera. Note that instead of a camera, the above sensor can be composed of an optical sensor using laser light or an ultrasonic sensor. In this case, it is preferable to have multiple sensors, including on the left and right sides of the machine body, in order to grasp the shape of the ridge more accurately. Note that the placement position of the sensor is not limited to the above position, and it is also possible to provide it in the working unit 30.

For example, the controller 43 controls the operation of the first link mechanism 50 in accordance with the shape of the ridge 200 detected by the shape acquisition unit 80 (sensor) described above. For example, if the shape of the ridge 200 is relatively steep, the electric cylinder 53 is operated at a relatively high speed in accordance with the shape of the ridge 200, and if the shape of the ridge 200 is relatively gentle, the electric cylinder 53 is operated at a relatively low speed in accordance with the shape of the ridge 200.

In this case, the controller 43 may control the first link mechanism 50 after the tilt detection unit 71 detects the tilt of the agricultural work machine 100, or may control the first link mechanism 50 before the tilt of the agricultural work machine 100 is detected. In the latter case, the controller 43 may predict the timing at which the agricultural work machine 100 will tilt based on the shape of the ridge 200 detected by the shape acquisition unit 80 and the traveling speed of the agricultural work machine 100, and control the first link mechanism 50 based on the prediction. The control of the first link mechanism 50 using the shape acquisition unit 80 may be performed instead of or together with the control of the first link mechanism 50 using the tilt detection unit 71 and the speed detection unit 72 described above.

[Modification 2]
Next, the control of the controller 43 according to the second modification will be described. In the agricultural work machine 100 of the second modification, the shape acquisition unit 80 acquires information relating to the shape of the ridge acquired in advance from an information processing device at the position indicated by the position information of the agricultural work machine itself. Specifically, the position information acquisition unit 90 of the agricultural work machine 100 receives information relating to the shape of the ridge 200 acquired in advance at the position where the agricultural work machine 100 is currently traveling from an external information processing device. The information relating to the shape of the ridge acquired in advance may be, for example, information acquired by the shape acquisition unit 80 described above, information acquired in advance by the agricultural work machine itself, such as the control history of the first link mechanism 50 as described below, or information acquired by other methods.

[Modification 3]
Next, the control of the controller 43 according to the third modification will be described. The agricultural work machine 100 of the third modification stores the shape of the ridge 200 on which work has been performed by the working unit 30 in a storage device of the agricultural work machine 100, or transmits it to an external information processing device. The agricultural work machine 100 can calculate the shape of the ridge 200 based on the inclination of the agricultural work machine 100 detected by the inclination detection unit 71 and the control history of the first link mechanism 50. Information on the shape of the ridge 200 calculated in this manner is associated with the position information of the agricultural work machine 100 acquired by the position information acquisition unit 90 and stored in a storage device of the agricultural work machine 100, or transmitted to an external information processing device and stored by the information processing device. In the agricultural work machine 100 of the third modification, the controller 43 is controlled based on the shape of the ridge 200 calculated as described above during past work, or on the control history itself.

[Modification 4]
For example, when the agricultural work machine is a transport work machine for ridges, the agricultural work machine may have a transport work section for carrying an object to be transported, such as a container, instead of the above-mentioned grass-cutting work section (work section 30).

[Other Modifications]
The correction function for correcting the inclination of the agricultural work machine 100 can be set to be enabled or disabled. When the correction function is disabled, the above function is not executed. That is, for example, when the correction function is disabled, the first link mechanism 50 is not controlled even in the state shown in FIG. 4 . The correction function can be set to be enabled or disabled using, for example, the controller 43. However, the setting may also be performed by an information processing device such as a mobile communication terminal or a server capable of communicating with the position information acquisition unit 90.

The electric cylinders 53 and 65 may be provided with a position sensor that indicates the extension or contraction position of the piston rod. In this case, for example, the tilt detection unit 71 may have an alert function that indicates that the position of the piston rod is approaching the limit of the extension or contraction state. This alert function alerts the operator and/or stops or slows down the agricultural machine 100 when the extension or contraction operation of the electric cylinders 53 and 65 causes the cylinder stroke of each to become exhausted and the first link mechanism 50 and the second link mechanism 60 become uncontrollable, or when there is only a small amount of cylinder stroke remaining and the first link mechanism 50 and the second link mechanism 60 are about to become uncontrollable.

The agricultural work machine 100 may also control the first link mechanism 50 based on the vertical height (position) of the working unit 30 relative to the traveling unit 20 detected by the working height detection unit 73. In this case, the second link mechanism 60 may not be provided, and the operation of the second link mechanism 60 may be stopped. In other words, the height of the working unit 30 relative to the traveling unit 20 may be adjusted by the first link mechanism 50 instead of the second link mechanism 60. The control of the first link mechanism 50 using the working height detection unit 73 may be performed instead of or together with the control of the first link mechanism 50 using the tilt detection unit 71 and the speed detection unit 72 described above, and/or the control of the first link mechanism 50 using the shape detection unit 74.

In addition, in this embodiment, a lawnmower that travels based on control by a remote controller is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the configuration of the agricultural machine of this embodiment can also be applied to a type of lawnmower that is operated by a person. Alternatively, the configuration of the agricultural machine of this embodiment can also be applied to a self-propelled agricultural machine that automatically controls its own travel route based on sensor information, position information, etc. Such agricultural machines are often unmanned, so the fact that the configuration of this embodiment allows them to move stably over ridges is a major advantage.

In addition, in this embodiment, an example has been shown in which the drive unit 33 (specifically, a motor) is used as the power source for the drive unit 45 for driving the drive wheels 22L of the traveling unit 20 and for rotating the blade unit 32 of the working unit 30. However, this is not the only example, and it is also possible to use an engine as the power source for these drive units. For example, it is possible to mount an engine on the agricultural work machine 100 and transmit the power output from the engine to the drive wheels 22L and the blade unit 32 via a belt or the like.

In addition, by using the engine installed as the power source for the blade section 32 as a generator, it is possible to store the amount of electricity consumed by the battery 42. Specifically, the power of the engine is transmitted to an alternator via a belt or the like, and the alternator converts the power into electrical energy and stores it in the battery 42.

In addition, in this modified example, an example has been shown in which an engine is used as a power source to rotate the blade section 32, but it is also possible to simply use the engine as a generator. That is, as in the agricultural work machine 100 shown in FIG. 1, it is also possible to use a separate engine to store electricity in the battery 42 while using the battery 42 as a power source to drive the blade section 32 via the drive section 33 and drive the traveling section 20 via the drive section 45. In this case, since it is sufficient to mount a small engine, it is possible to use a high-output battery while miniaturizing the agricultural work machine.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, a person skilled in the art can add, delete, or modify components as appropriate based on this embodiment (including modifications), and this is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as it includes the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the functions described above can be combined as appropriate as long as there are no contradictions, and technical matters common to each function are included in this embodiment even if not explicitly stated.

Even if there are other effects and advantages different from those brought about by the above-described aspects of this embodiment, if they are clear from the description in this specification or can be easily predicted by a person skilled in the art, they are naturally understood to be brought about by the present invention.

10: Machine body, 20: Traveling part, 21: Crawler belt, 21a: Outer lug part, 21b: Inner lug part, 21c: Belt part, 22: Drive wheel, 23: Driven wheel, 24: Crawler frame, 30: Working part, 31: Casing, 32: Blade part, 33: Drive part, 40: Control part, 42: Battery, 43: Controller, 44: Cover member, 45: Drive part, 50: First link mechanism, 51: Link arm, 52: Link arm, 53: Electric cylinder, 60: Second link mechanism, 61: Link arm, 62: Link arm, 63: Working part side bracket, 64: Machine body side bracket, 65: Electric cylinder, 70: Detection part, 71: Tilt detection part, 72: Speed detection part, 73: Working height detection part, 80: Shape acquisition part, 90: Position information acquisition unit, 100: Agricultural machine, 200: Ridge, 201: Top surface, 202: Slope

Claims (9)

The aircraft and
A pair of running parts are provided on the left and right sides of the traveling direction and run on the ridges;
A working unit that works while traveling on the ridges;
A lifting mechanism that connects the machine body and the traveling unit and lifts and lowers the left and right traveling units independently;
a tilt detection unit that detects the tilt of the player's aircraft;
a control unit that controls the lifting mechanism when the tilt detected by the tilt detection unit becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value;
A speed detection unit that detects the traveling speed of the vehicle;
having
The control unit controls the drive speed of the lifting mechanism based on the inclination detected by the inclination detection unit and the speed detected by the speed detection unit . The aircraft and
A pair of running parts are provided on the left and right sides of the traveling direction and run on the ridges;
A working unit that works while traveling on the ridges;
A lifting mechanism that connects the machine body and the traveling parts and lifts and lowers the left and right traveling parts independently ;
A shape acquisition unit that acquires the shape of a ridge ;
a control unit that predicts an inclination of the machine itself based on the shape of the ridge acquired by the shape acquisition unit and controls the lifting mechanism;
An agricultural machine having the above structure. The agricultural machine according to claim 2 , wherein the shape acquisition unit is provided in the agricultural machine and detects the shape of a ridge in front of the agricultural machine. The agricultural machine according to claim 2 , wherein the shape acquisition unit acquires information relating to a shape of a ridge that has been acquired in advance at a position indicated by position information of the agricultural machine from an information processing device. The agricultural machine according to claim 4 , wherein the shape acquisition unit acquires information regarding the shape of the ridge acquired in advance based on position information of the machine itself and a control history of the lifting mechanism at the position indicated by the position information. The agricultural machine according to claim 1 , wherein the working unit includes a grass cutting working unit or a transport working unit. The control unit controls the traveling unit and the working unit,
The agricultural work machine according to claim 1 , wherein the agricultural work machine is self-propelled by the traveling unit in response to control by the control unit. The agricultural machine according to claim 1 , wherein the lifting mechanism moves the traveling part in a direction away from the machine body, while moving the traveling part in a direction opposite to a traveling direction. the lifting mechanism is configured to move the traveling unit so that a movement trajectory of the traveling unit is parallel to a traveling direction,
The agricultural machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the control unit moves the running unit that is in a relatively lower position backward so as to change the traveling direction of the running unit toward the running unit that is in a relatively higher position of the left and right running units, or controls the speed of the left and right running units .

Images