Work vehicle

Abstract

To provide a technology to easily detect an abnormality of aged deterioration or the like in an actuator for driving a work device.SOLUTION: An exemplary work vehicle includes a travelling body, a work device supported by the travelling body and having a working part provided so as to change work settings for a farm field, a driving device for driving the working part, and a control device for controlling the driving device. The control device performs correction to driving settings of the driving device according to the deviation of actual work with respect to the work settings of the working part, and determines the abnormality of the driving device on the basis of the correction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a work vehicle equipped with a working implement driven by an engine (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The work vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a transmission case that changes the speed of the engine's power. The engine's power is transmitted from the transmission case to an inter-row transmission via a planting power transmission shaft. The inter-row transmission changes the speed of the rotation of the planting power transmission shaft and transmits it to the seedling planting implement via a PTO shaft. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-192458 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The working implements provided on the work vehicle can be driven by an actuator such as a motor, rather than an engine. In such a configuration, a constant load is applied due to the load of the field, etc., which may cause a response delay in the actuator. It is possible to control the actuator so as to correct the occurrence of such a response delay. However, if an abnormality occurs in the actuator due to aging or the like, the working implement may not be able to operate properly even if correction is made.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of easily detecting abnormalities such as aging in an actuator that drives a working device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a work vehicle that is an example of a work vehicle that includes a running body, a working device that is supported on the running body and has a working unit that is provided so that work settings for a field can be changed, a drive unit that drives the working unit, and a control device that controls the drive unit. The control device corrects drive settings of the drive unit in response to a deviation of actual work from the work settings of the working unit, and determines an abnormality in the drive unit based on the correction. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to easily detect abnormalities such as aging deterioration in an actuator (driving device) that drives a working device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] A side view showing the general configuration of a rice transplanter [Diagram 2] A plan view showing the general configuration of a rice transplanter [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a power transmission mechanism provided in a rice transplanter; [Figure 4] Block diagram showing the outline of the rice transplanter [Diagram 5] A block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the working device of the rice transplanter. [Figure 6] Schematic diagram for explaining driving by non-uniform rotation of the planting part [Figure 7] A block diagram showing an overview of the control of the drive device by the control device. [Figure 8] Schematic diagram showing the image of phase delay correction [Figure 9] A flowchart showing an example of a process for correcting a phase delay of acceleration / deceleration [Figure 10] A flowchart illustrating a flow of calibration of a correction map. [Figure 11] A block diagram showing the functions of a control device related to abnormality determination of a drive device, etc. [Figure 12] A flowchart showing an example of a flow for notifying an abnormality in a drive device. [Figure 13]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of a control pattern of a control device when an abnormality is detected. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of a control pattern of the control device when an abnormality is detected. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0010] In this specification, the direction perpendicular to the traveling plane S on which the work vehicle 100 shown in Fig. 1 travels is defined as the up-down direction, and up-down is defined as the work vehicle 100 side being up with respect to the traveling plane S. The direction in which the work vehicle 100 travels straight ahead is defined as the front-rear direction, and front-rear is defined as the steering wheel 21 being forward with respect to the driver's seat 20. The direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is defined as the left-right direction, and the right side from the rear to the front is defined as the right, and the left side is defined as the left. Note that these directions are names used simply for explanation, and are not intended to limit the actual positional relationships and directions.

[0011] In this embodiment, the work vehicle 100 is a rice transplanter. Hereinafter, the work vehicle 100 will be referred to as the rice transplanter 100. However, the work vehicle of the present invention may be something other than a rice transplanter. The work vehicle of the present invention may be, for example, a seeding machine that travels while sowing seeds in a field, or a transplanter that transplants vegetables or grains in a field.

[0012] <1. Overview of the rice transplanter> FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a rice transplanter 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a left side view of the rice transplanter 100 in detail. In FIG. 1, the rear wheel 12b is shown by a virtual line (two-dot chain line) to make it easier to understand the structure of the part that is actually hidden by the rear wheel 12b. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the rice transplanter 100. FIG. 2 is a top view of the rice transplanter 100 in detail. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a power transmission mechanism provided in the rice transplanter 100.

[0013] The rice transplanter 100 performs planting work by planting seedlings in the ground of a farm field while traveling within the farm field. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the rice transplanter 100 includes a traveling body 1 and an operation device 2. The rice transplanter 100 includes the traveling body 1 and at least one type of operation device 2.

[0014] The traveling body 1 includes a body frame 11 and a pair of wheel units 12 arranged at an interval from each other in the left-right direction of the body frame 11. The left and right wheel units 12 include a front wheel 12a and a rear wheel 12b. A first driving source 14 covered from above by a bonnet 13 is arranged in the center of the front part of the body frame 11 in the left-right direction. Note that in Figs. 1 and 2, the first driving source 14 is shown by a virtual line (broken line) because it is covered by the bonnet 13 and cannot be seen. Also, the position of the first driving source 14 may be a position different from that of this embodiment. The first driving source 14 is specifically a diesel engine. However, the first driving source 14 is not limited to a diesel engine, and may be a gasoline engine, a motor, or the like.

[0015] As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a transmission 15 is disposed behind the first driving source 14. Note that the transmission is not an essential component. For example, when the first driving source 14 is a motor, a transmission need not be provided. The transmission 15 changes the speed of the driving force generated by the first driving source 14. Front axles 16 are disposed on the left and right of the transmission 15. The front wheels 12a are attached to front wheel shafts 16a provided on the front axle 16, and are driven by the driving force transmitted from the transmission 15.

[0016] In addition, a rear axle 17 is disposed behind the transmission 15. More specifically, the rear axle 17 is connected to the transmission 15 by a joint member 18 extending in the front-rear direction. A rear-wheel drive shaft 19 is disposed along the joint member 18. The rear-wheel drive shaft 19 transmits driving force from the transmission 15 to the rear axle 17. The rear wheels 12b are attached to a rear wheel shaft 17a provided on the rear axle 17. The rear wheels 12b are driven by the driving force transmitted from the transmission 15 via the rear-wheel drive shaft 19.

[0017] The traveling body 1 includes a driver's seat 20 supported by a vehicle body frame 11. The driver's seat 20 is disposed above the joint material 18. In front of the driver's seat 20, a steering handle 21 is disposed, which is a handle used by an operator to steer the rice transplanter 100. In addition, a gear shift lever, a gear shift pedal, a brake pedal (not shown), and the like are disposed around the driver's seat 20.

[0018] The traveling body 1 is provided with spare seedling trays 22 arranged on the outer lateral side of the bonnet 13. Supplementary seedling mats are placed on the spare seedling trays 22. The spare seedling trays 22 are arranged on each of the left and right sides. On each of the left and right sides, multiple spare seedling trays 22 are lined up in the vertical direction.

[0019] The working device 2 is supported by the traveling body 1. In this embodiment, the rice transplanter 100 specifically includes multiple types of working devices 2A, 2B. That is, the working device 2 includes multiple types of working devices 2A, 2B. In detail, the first working device 2A is a planting device, and the second working device 2B is a material supplying device. Note that the types and number of the multiple types of working devices are not limited to the configuration of this embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate.

[0020] The planting device 2A includes a seedling carrier 30 on which a seedling mat is placed, and a main frame 31. The main frame 31 is a rod-shaped member extending in the left-right direction, and includes a center case 32 (see Figs. 1 and 3) in the left-right center. The center case 32 includes a gear train (not shown) including a bevel gear. A drive shaft 42 is connected to the input shaft 32a of the center case 32 via a universal joint 41. The end of the drive shaft 42 opposite to the end connected to the input shaft 32a of the center case 32 is connected to the output shaft 40a of the drive unit 40 via the universal joint 41. The output shaft 40a extends in the front-rear direction and protrudes backward. The output shaft 32b (see Fig. 3) of the center case 32 is disposed along the main frame 31. That is, the output shaft 32b extends in the left-right direction.

[0021] Planting transmission cases 33 are arranged at a plurality of positions (four positions in this embodiment) in the left-right direction behind the main frame 31 at approximately equal intervals. The planting transmission case 33 is connected to the output shaft 32b of the center case 32. A pair of planting units (transplanting mechanisms) 34 are arranged on the left and right of the planting transmission case 33. Each of the pair of planting units 34 includes a rotor case 35 and a planting claw 36. The rotor case 35 is attached to the planting transmission case 33 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction. Two planting claws 36 arranged on opposite sides of the rotor case 35 with respect to the rotation center are rotatably attached to each rotor case 35. Each planting claw 36 is attached to the rotor case 35 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction. The two planting claws 36 are displaced with the rotation of the rotor case 35. The displacement of the two planting claws 36 results in planting of one row of seedlings.

[0022] The driving force generated by the drive unit 40 is transmitted to the planting unit 34 via the drive shaft 42, the center case 32, and the planting transmission case 33. The planting device 2A is equipped with a lateral feed drive unit (not shown) that moves the seedling carrier 30 in the left-right direction. In parallel with the seedling carrier 30 reciprocating left and right, each planting unit 34 takes out seedlings from the seedling carrier 30 and plants them in the field. In this embodiment, since there are multiple planting units 34 (eight in detail), planting can be performed simultaneously in multiple rows. In other words, the planting device 2A (working device) has multiple planting units 34 as working units that enable planting in multiple rows simultaneously.

[0023] In this embodiment, the planting unit 34 is provided so that the work setting for the field can be changed. That is, the planting device 2A (working device) has a working unit provided so that the work setting for the field can be changed. The planting unit 34 is provided so that whether it is used or not can be changed. More specifically, the rice transplanter 100 provided with the planting device 2A can simultaneously plant up to eight rows of seedlings. The work setting is a setting of the number of planting units 34 to be used. By changing the work setting, the number of planting units 34 to be used can be reduced, thereby reducing the number of rows of seedlings to be planted. That is, the rice transplanter 100 provided with the planting device 2A can perform so-called row stopping. Row stopping can be performed, for example, by providing each planting transmission case 33 with a row stopping clutch that switches between a state in which power is transmitted from the center case 32 to the planting transmission case 33 and a state in which power is not transmitted. In the planting device 2A, eight row planting, six row planting, four row planting, or two row planting can be set.

[0024] As can be seen from the above description, the rice transplanter 100 includes a drive device 40 that drives the planting unit 34 (working unit) of the planting device 2A (working device). In detail, the rice transplanter 100 includes a drive device 40 that rotates the planting unit 34 of the planting device 2A. In this embodiment, the drive device 40 is an electric motor that converts power supplied from a battery (not shown) into a rotational driving force. However, the drive device 40 is not limited to an electric motor, and may be a hydraulic motor or the like. The drive device 40 may also include an electric motor and a variable speed gear that is connected to the output shaft of the electric motor.

[0025] The drive unit 40 is disposed above the rear axle 17. More specifically, the drive unit 40 is disposed at a position above the rear axle 17, shifting to the right of the center in the left-right direction. By providing the drive unit 40, which drives the planting unit 34 of the planting device 2A, in such a position, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the drive unit 40 will be submerged in water or soiled with mud when working in the field.

[0026] In addition, the planting device 2A includes a lifting device 37. The lifting device 37 includes a columnar frame 371, an upper link member 372, a lower link member 373, and a hydraulic cylinder 374. The columnar frame 371 extends upward from the rear axle 17 and is connected to the rear of the vehicle body frame 11. The upper link member 372 and the lower link member 373 form a pair of link members arranged parallel to each other. The columnar frame 371 and the seedling carrier 30 are connected by the pair of link members 372, 373. The joints of the columnar frame 371, the seedling carrier 30, and the pair of link members 372, 373 form the four vertices of a parallelogram. The hydraulic cylinder 374 is connected to the joint material 18 and the lower link member 373. By extension and contraction of the hydraulic cylinder 374, a pair of link members 372, 373 swing about a joint on the columnar frame 371 side as a fulcrum, whereby the seedling carrier 30 rises and falls.

[0027] The material supplying device 2B supplies agricultural materials to a field. In this embodiment, the agricultural materials are fertilizers. That is, the material supplying device 2B is a fertilizer applicator that spreads fertilizers on a field. However, the agricultural materials are not limited to fertilizers, and may be pesticides, seeds, etc. The material supplying device 2B is disposed on the vehicle body frame 11 behind the driver's seat 20. The material supplying device 2B is disposed between the driver's seat 20 and the seedling carrier 30 in the front-rear direction.

[0028] The material supplying device 2B has a rectangular parallelepiped hopper 51 extending in the left-right direction. Fertilizer is stored in the hopper 51. The material supplying device 2B has a supplying device (not shown) that supplies a predetermined amount of granules from the hopper 51, and a hose (not shown) that is connected to the lower part of the supplying device. The other end of each hose is extended to the side of the planting position of each row of the planting device 2A. A fan 52 is provided on one of the left and right sides of the hopper 51 (the left side in this embodiment, see FIG. 1), and air from the fan 52 is sent into the hose. The granules supplied from the supplying device are transported to the vicinity of the planting position by the air sent into the hose, and are discharged into the field.

[0029] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the rice transplanter 100. In Fig. 4, components necessary for explaining the features of the embodiment are shown, and components that do not require a particular explanation are omitted.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, the running body 1 includes a first drive source 14 and a first abnormality detection device 23. As described above, the first drive source 14 is an engine that provides driving force to the front wheels 12a and the rear wheels 12b. The first abnormality detection device 23 is a device that detects an abnormality that occurs in the running body 1. The first abnormality detection device 23 may be a device that detects an abnormality that occurs in the first drive source 14 in particular. The type of abnormality that occurs in the running body 1 is not limited to one, and may be multiple types. When it is necessary to detect multiple types of abnormalities, the first abnormality detection device 23 may be configured to include multiple types of detection devices. The type of abnormality may be, for example, an abnormality in the rotation speed, torque, or temperature of the drive source. The running body 1 includes at least one sensor 24 in addition to the first abnormality detection device 23. In this embodiment, the at least one sensor 24 includes a speed sensor (vehicle speed sensor).

[0031] As shown in FIG. 4, the working device 2 includes second drive sources 40, 50 and second abnormality detection devices 43, 53. The second drive sources 40, 50 provide driving force to the working section of the working device 2. The second abnormality detection devices 43, 53 are devices that detect abnormalities that occur in the working device 2. As described above, the working device 2 specifically includes a planting device 2A and a material supplying device 2B. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the working device 2 provided in the rice transplanter 100. As shown in FIG. 5, the planting device 2A and the material supplying device 2B each include a second drive source 40, 50 and a second abnormality detection device 43, 53, respectively.

[0032] In this embodiment, the second drive source 40 included in the planting device 2A is the drive device 40 configured with an electric motor as described above. The second abnormality detection device 43 included in the planting device 2A is a device that detects abnormalities occurring in the planting device 2A. The second abnormality detection device 43 may be a device that detects abnormalities occurring in the drive device 40 in particular. The type of abnormality occurring in the planting device 2A is not limited to one, and may be multiple types. When it is necessary to detect multiple types of abnormalities, the second abnormality detection device 43 may be configured to include multiple types of detection devices. The type of abnormality may be, for example, an abnormality in the voltage, current, or temperature of the motor, or an abnormality in the state of the battery.

[0033] The planting device 2A includes at least one sensor 44 in addition to the second abnormality detection device 43. In this embodiment, the sensor 44 includes a row stop clutch sensor that detects the state (connected / disconnected) of the row stop clutch described above. The sensor 44 also includes a rotation angle (phase angle) sensor 441 (see FIG. 7), the details of which will be described later.

[0034] The second drive source 50 included in the material supplying device 2B is a supply motor included in the supplying device that supplies the fertilizer. The second abnormality detection device 53 included in the material supplying device 2B is a device that detects an abnormality that occurs in the material supplying device 2B. The second abnormality detection device 53 may be a device that detects an abnormality that occurs in the supplying motor 50 in particular. The type of abnormality that occurs in the material supplying device 2B is not limited to one, and may be multiple types. When it is necessary to detect multiple types of abnormalities, the second abnormality detection device 53 may be configured to include multiple types of detection devices. The type of abnormality may be, for example, an abnormality in the voltage, current, or temperature of the motor, or an abnormality in the state of the battery. The material supplying device 2B may include at least one sensor in addition to the second abnormality detection device 53, similar to the planting device 2A.

[0035] Returning to FIG. 4, the rice transplanter 100 includes a control device 3 that controls the first drive source 14 and the second drive sources 40, 50. In other words, the rice transplanter 100 includes a control device 3 that controls the drive device 40. The control device 3 is a so-called computer device, and includes an arithmetic device, a memory, and an input / output unit. The arithmetic device is a processor or a microprocessor. The memory may be the storage device 5 described below, or may be a device separate from the storage device 5.

[0036] Information is input to the control device 3 from the first abnormality detection device 23, the sensor 24, the second abnormality detection devices 43 and 53, the sensor 44 (see FIG. 5), the operation device 4, and the like. The control device 3 broadly controls the operation of the rice transplanter 100 based on the input information. The operation device 4 is a device that enables an operator to issue instructions to the control device 3. The operation device 4 may be configured to be provided in the rice transplanter 100, or may be configured to be provided outside the rice transplanter 100. The operation device 4 may also be configured to be provided in the rice transplanter 100 and outside the rice transplanter 100. The operation device 4 provided outside the rice transplanter 100 may be configured to be capable of wireless communication with the rice transplanter 100. Specifically, the operation device 4 provided in the rice transplanter 100 may be, for example, a button, a lever, or a touch panel. The operation device 4 provided outside the rice transplanter 100 may be, for example, a mobile terminal such as a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or a notebook personal computer.

[0037] The storage device 5 is a main storage device such as a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM). The storage device 5 may further include an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). Various programs and data are stored in the storage device 5. For example, the storage device 5 stores a correction map 5a, the details of which will be described later. The arithmetic device constituting the control device 3 reads out various programs from the storage device 5 and executes arithmetic processing according to the programs.

[0038] The control device 3 may be composed of one piece of hardware, or may be composed of multiple pieces of hardware that can communicate with each other. The functions of the control device 3 may be realized by having a calculation device execute a program, i.e., by software, or may be realized by other methods. At least some of the functions of the control device 3 may be realized using, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). That is, at least some of the functions of the control device 3 may be realized by hardware using a dedicated IC or the like. Also, at least some of the functions of the control device 3 may be realized by using both software and hardware.

[0039] <2. Control of the drive unit> Next, the control by the control device 3 of the drive device 40 that drives the planting unit 34 of the planting device 2A will be described.

[0040] Before describing the details of the control of the drive unit 40 by the control device 3, the seedling planting work using the planting device 2A in the rice transplanter 100 will be described. In the seedling planting work, the planting claws 36 revolve around the axis of the rotor case 35 while rotating on their own axis, and reciprocate between the seedling carrier 30 and the field surface, picking up seedlings one by one from the seedling mat and planting them in the field. Each time the rotor case 35 makes a half rotation, the two planting claws 36 provided at both ends of the rotor case 35 pick up and plant the seedlings. Note that the rotor case 35 is set to rotate 1 / 2 rotation when the drive shaft 42 rotates once. The planting cycle of the planting claws 36 is linked to the traveling speed of the traveling body 1, and the planting interval (inter-plant interval) of the seedlings is kept constant even if the traveling speed changes. In other words, the control device 3 changes the rotation speed of the planting unit 34 (working unit) according to the speed of the traveling body 1.

[0041] The rice transplanter 100 is provided with a variable number of plants per unit area (3.3 m2 in this example). As an example, the rice transplanter 100 can set the number of plants per unit area to any of 85, 70, 60, 50, 43, or 37. The operating speed of the planting claws 36 is changed according to the set number of plants. This change changes the spacing between plants, and changes the number of plants planted per unit area.

[0042] The fewer the number of plants per unit area is set, the slower the operating speed (planting speed) of the planting claws 36 must be to lengthen the spacing between plants. However, when the planting speed is slowed down, the tip of the planting claws 36 is dragged across the field, causing the seedlings to fall forward or floating seedlings to occur. In order to prevent such a phenomenon, when sparse planting is performed in which the number of plants per unit area is set to be small, the control device 3 controls the drive device 40 to drive the planting unit 34 at a non-uniform rotation speed. In this embodiment, when sparse planting is performed in which the number of plants per unit area is less than 50, the planting unit 34 is driven at a non-uniform rotation speed. On the other hand, when dense planting is performed in which the number of plants per unit area is 50 or more, the planting unit 34 is driven at a uniform rotation speed in order to prevent the above-mentioned seedlings from falling forward.

[0043] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the drive by the non-uniform rotation of the planting part 34. In FIG. 6, the symbol S1 indicates the ground of the field, and the symbol S2 indicates the water surface of the field. The symbol SE indicates a seedling. The solid line T1 indicates the trajectory of the tip of the planting claw 36 during non-uniform rotation when the rice transplanter 100 is moving forward. The dashed line T2 indicates the trajectory of the tip of the planting claw 36 during uniform rotation when the rice transplanter 100 is moving forward. The dashed line T3 indicates the trajectory of the tip of the planting claw 36 during non-uniform rotation when the rice transplanter 100 is stopped. In FIG. 6, the rotor case 35 rotates counterclockwise by the drive device 40. The planting claw 36 rotates clockwise relative to the rotor case 35.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 6, when the drive unit 40 rotates the rotor case 35 at a non-uniform speed, the angular velocity during one rotation of the rotor case 35 is changed. In detail, when the drive unit 40 rotates the rotor case 35 at a non-uniform speed, the angular velocity during one rotation of the rotor case 35 is accelerated or decelerated. Specifically, the angular velocity is reduced in the stage before planting by the planting claws 36 (arrow P1 section), and the angular velocity is increased after planting by the planting claws 36 (arrow P2 section). By increasing the angular velocity after planting, the speed at which the planting claws 36 escape from the field can be increased. This suppresses dragging of the seedlings by the planting claws 36, and allows the seedlings to be planted in a posture close to being upright. The acceleration / deceleration ratio of the angular velocity is, for example, ± several tens of percent.

[0045] When the planting part 34 is driven at such a non-uniform rotation speed, if the speed of the traveling body 1 increases, the planting part 34 (rotor case 35) does not rotate smoothly, and a phenomenon called "jerking" occurs. Jerking can also be said to be a disturbance in the movement trajectory, and the mechanism by which it occurs is considered to be as follows.

[0046] In this embodiment, the drive device 40 that drives the planting unit 34 does not directly drive the planting unit 34, but drives it via the power transmission system as described above. The power transmission system from the drive device 40 to the planting unit 34 includes transmission elements such as gears and rotating shafts. It is considered that the jerking occurs due to a deterioration in the balance between the time lag in the transmission elements and the inertial force of the driven side. It is considered that as the speed of the traveling body 1 increases, the rotational speed (angular velocity) of the planting unit 34 also increases, making jerking more likely to occur.

[0047] In this embodiment, in consideration of the above points, the control device 3 is configured to correct the phase delay of acceleration and deceleration when the planting unit 34 (working unit) performs non-uniform rotation in which the angular velocity during one rotation is accelerated or decelerated. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of the jerking phenomenon even when the speed of the rice transplanter 100 is increased. The details of the correction of the phase delay of acceleration and deceleration will be described below.

[0048] Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an overview of the control of the drive device 40 by the control device 3. In Fig. 7, the blocks enclosed in solid lines indicate functions of the control device 3. These functions are realized, for example, by a processor constituting the control device 3 executing arithmetic processing according to a program. In Fig. 7, the blocks enclosed in dashed lines indicate hardware, not functions, of the control device 3.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 7, the rice transplanter 100 includes a sensor 441 that detects or predicts the rotation angle of the planting unit 34 (working unit). In this embodiment, the rotation angle sensor 441 is a sensor that predicts the rotation angle of the planting unit 34. The rotation angle sensor 441 may be configured to directly detect the rotation angle of the planting unit 34. In such a configuration, the phase delay of the planting unit 34 (rotor case 35) described above can be directly derived, so that the phase delay can be corrected with high accuracy. However, in a configuration in which the rotation angle of the planting unit 34 is directly detected, the rotation angle sensor 441 needs to be provided near the rotor case 35. In this case, for example, since the rice transplanter 100 includes a plurality of planting units 34, the number of rotation angle sensors 441 required is large. In addition, since the mounting position of the rotation angle sensor 441 is close to the field, a structure is required to prevent dirt and water damage. That is, there is a concern that the manufacturing cost will be high if the rotation angle of the planting unit 34 is directly detected. In this embodiment, the rotation angle sensor 441 is adapted to predict the rotation angle of the planting unit 34, with the aim of reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0050] More specifically, the rotation angle sensor 441 is composed of a bottom dead center detection sensor 441a and an output shaft rotation pickup sensor 441b.

[0051] The bottom dead center detection sensor 441a is an example of a zero point sensor for detecting a reference position required to obtain an absolute angle in the rotation direction of the output shaft 40a of the drive unit 40 (motor). It is called the bottom dead center detection sensor 441a because it is configured to detect the position where the tip of the planting claw 36 is the bottom dead center of the turning motion as the reference position. The bottom dead center detection sensor 441a may be, for example, a proximity sensor provided near the output shaft 40a of the drive unit 40. The proximity sensor may be adjusted so that the detection value rises at the position where the planting claw 36 is at the bottom dead center by the drive of the drive unit 40. The bottom dead center detection sensor 441a outputs the detection of the bottom dead center to the actual planting spacing calculation unit 303 and the output shaft phase calculation unit 305.

[0052] The output shaft rotation pickup sensor 441b is installed on the output shaft 40a of the drive unit 40 and detects the rotation speed of the output shaft 40a. By using it in combination with the bottom dead center detection sensor 441a, the absolute angle (rotation angle, phase) of the output shaft 40a can be obtained. Note that the output shaft rotation pickup sensor 441b does not need to be provided if the drive unit 40 is configured to be able to output its own rotation speed. The output shaft rotation pickup sensor 441b outputs the detected rotation speed to the output shaft phase calculation unit 305.

[0053] As shown in Figure 7, the control device 3 has, as its functions, a CAN information interface unit 301, a target planting spacing calculation unit 302, an actual planting spacing calculation unit 303, a rotation speed correction coefficient calculation unit 304, an output shaft phase calculation unit 305, a phase lag correction unit 306, and a command rotation speed determination unit 307.

[0054] The CAN information interface unit 301 acquires information obtained using the sensors 24, 44, etc. equipped in the rice transplanter 100, using CAN (Controller Area Network) communication. The information acquired by the CAN information interface unit 301 includes the speed of the traveling body 1 and the set number of seedlings per unit area to be planted by the planting device 2A. The CAN information interface unit 301 outputs the set number of seedlings per unit area to the target planting plant spacing calculation unit 302. The CAN information interface unit 301 outputs the speed of the traveling body 1 to the actual planting plant spacing calculation unit 303 and the phase delay correction unit 306.

[0055] The target planting spacing calculation unit 302 acquires the set number of seedlings per unit area from the CAN information interface unit 301, and calculates a spacing according to the set number of seedlings as the target planting spacing. The target planting spacing calculation unit 302 outputs the calculated target planting spacing to the rotation speed correction coefficient calculation unit 304 and the phase lag correction unit 306.

[0056] The actual planting spacing calculation unit 303 calculates the spacing between plants (actual planting spacing) in actual planting of seedlings from the speed of the traveling body 1 acquired from the CAN information interface unit 301 and the bottom dead center detection information acquired from the bottom dead center detection sensor 441a. The actual planting spacing may be obtained by simply calculating the moving distance of the traveling body 1 from the detection of the bottom dead center to the detection of the next bottom dead center from the speed of the traveling body. However, when calculating the actual planting spacing, slip correction may be performed taking into account the slip of the traveling body 1. Also, instead of calculating the actual planting spacing from the speed of the traveling body 1, the actual planting spacing may be calculated using a position sensor such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor. The actual planting spacing calculation unit 303 outputs the calculated actual planting spacing to the rotation speed correction coefficient calculation unit 304.

[0057] The rotation speed correction coefficient calculation unit 304 calculates a correction coefficient for correcting the rotation speed of the drive unit 40 so that the actual planting spacing approaches the target planting spacing. A correction coefficient calculation formula or table prepared in advance may be used to calculate the correction coefficient. The calculated correction coefficient is used to correct the setting of the rotation speed of the drive unit 40. That is, the control device 3 corrects the drive setting of the drive unit 40 according to the deviation of the actual work from the work setting of the planting unit 34 (working unit). In this embodiment, the work setting is a setting of the interval (interplant interval) of the seedlings planted by the planting unit 34 (working unit). The control device 3 corrects the drive setting according to the deviation between the interval in the work setting and the interval in the actual work. The rotation speed correction coefficient calculation unit 304 outputs the calculated correction coefficient to the command rotation speed determination unit 307.

[0058] In this embodiment, the working device is the planting device 2A, but this is an example. The working device may be, for example, a sowing device instead of the planting device 2A. In this case, the above-mentioned work setting may be a setting of the interval between the seeds to be sown by the working unit of the sowing device.

[0059] The output shaft phase calculation unit 305 calculates a rotation angle (phase) that is an absolute angle of the output shaft 40a of the drive unit 40, from bottom dead center detection information acquired from the bottom dead center detection sensor 441a and rotation speed information acquired from the output shaft rotation pickup sensor 441b. The output shaft phase calculation unit 305 outputs the calculated rotation angle of the output shaft 40a to the phase lag correction unit 306.

[0060] The phase delay correction unit 306 corrects the phase delay in the acceleration and deceleration of the angular velocity executed to perform non-uniform rotation. The phase delay correction unit 306 corrects the phase delay of the acceleration and deceleration based on the rotation angle (phase) of the output shaft 40a of the drive unit 40 acquired from the output shaft phase calculation unit 305. That is, the control device 3 corrects the phase delay of the acceleration and deceleration based on the information of the rotation angle obtained from the rotation angle sensor 441. In this embodiment, the rotation angle of the planting unit 34 (rotor case 35) is not directly acquired, but the rotation angle of the planting unit 34 is predicted from the rotation angle of the output shaft 40a obtained from the rotation angle sensor 441 to correct the phase delay. Since the rotation angle sensor 441 is not disposed near the planting unit 34, as described above, the correction of the phase delay of the acceleration and deceleration can be realized at low cost.

[0061] The phase delay correction unit 306 corrects the phase delay of acceleration and deceleration based on the speed of the running body 1 acquired from the CAN information interface unit 301. That is, the control device 3 corrects the phase delay of acceleration and deceleration based on the speed of the running body 1. The phase delay of acceleration and deceleration is considered to occur according to the speed of the running body 1. For example, the rotation speed of the output shaft 40a of the drive unit 40 or the planting unit 34 varies according to the speed of the running body 1. For this reason, when correcting the phase delay of acceleration and deceleration, for example, the rotation speed of the output shaft 40a of the drive unit 40 or the planting unit 34 may be used instead of the speed of the running body 1. In particular, the inertia of the planting unit 34 is the dominant factor in causing the phase delay of acceleration and deceleration. For this reason, the phase delay of acceleration and deceleration can be predicted with good reproducibility from the speed of the running body 1, the rotation speed of the output shaft 40a of the drive unit 40, or the rotation speed of the planting unit 34.

[0062] The phase delay correction unit 306 corrects the phase delay of acceleration / deceleration based on the target planting spacing acquired from the target planting spacing calculation unit 302. This takes into consideration that the pattern of acceleration / deceleration of angular velocity executed to perform non-uniform rotation is determined according to the target planting spacing.

[0063] Specifically, the phase delay correction unit 306 uses the acquired rotation angle (phase) of the output shaft 40a, the speed (vehicle speed) of the traveling body 1, and the target planting distance, and the correction map 5a (see FIG. 4), to determine the output rotation speed (the rotation speed of the output shaft 40a) at which the phase delay of acceleration and deceleration can be corrected. The correction map 5a is a three-dimensional map with the rotation angle of the output shaft 40a, the speed of the traveling body 1, and the target planting distance as axes, and is created in advance. By using the correction map 5a, for example, the phase delay of acceleration and deceleration can be acquired. A correction value for correcting the phase delay is determined according to the acquired phase delay of acceleration and deceleration. The correction map 5a created in advance is stored in the storage device 5. That is, the control device 3 corrects the phase delay of acceleration and deceleration using the correction map 5a stored in the storage device 5. The phase delay correction unit 306 outputs the obtained correction information to the instruction rotation speed determination unit 307.

[0064] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an image of phase lag correction. In Fig. 8, the horizontal axis is phase (rotation angle) and the vertical axis is acceleration / deceleration ratio. Also in Fig. 8, the dashed line indicates the default acceleration / deceleration pattern, and the solid line indicates the acceleration / deceleration pattern after correction by phase lag correction unit 306. As shown in Fig. 8, the correction by phase lag correction unit 306 causes output shaft 40a of drive unit 40 to rotate according to an acceleration / deceleration pattern in which the phase is advanced compared to the default acceleration / deceleration pattern.

[0065] The command rotation speed determination unit 307 determines a final command value of the rotation speed of the output shaft 40a from the correction coefficient for the drive setting of the drive unit 40 acquired from the rotation speed correction coefficient calculation unit 304 and the correction information for correcting the phase lag of acceleration / deceleration acquired from the phase lag correction unit 306. The drive unit 40 rotates the output shaft 40a in accordance with the final command value determined by the command rotation speed determination unit 307.

[0066] In this embodiment, the control device 3 corrects the phase delay of acceleration / deceleration based on the work setting. With this configuration, even if the degree of acceleration / deceleration phase delay differs depending on the work setting, the phase delay can be appropriately corrected. In detail, the control device 3 corrects the phase delay of acceleration / deceleration based on the setting of the number of planting units 34 used (row stop setting). This takes into consideration that the degree of acceleration / deceleration phase delay changes depending on the number of planting units 34 used. The correction of the acceleration / deceleration phase is performed, for example, using a correction map 5a that is prepared separately for each setting of the number of planting units 34 used.

[0067] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for correcting a phase delay of acceleration / deceleration. The process in Fig. 9 is executed, for example, when the planting device 2A is used for work with the number of plants per unit area set to 40 or 37.

[0068] In step S1, the control device 3 acquires various information. Specifically, the control device 3 appropriately processes information input from the outside to acquire the target planting spacing, the rotation angle (phase) of the output shaft 40a of the drive device 40, the speed (vehicle speed) of the traveling body 1, and the number of planting units 34 in use. The number of planting units 34 in use can be obtained by acquiring information from the row stop clutch sensor described above. Once the various information has been acquired, the process proceeds to the next step S2.

[0069] In step S2, the control device 3 selects the correction map 5a to be used according to the number of uses of the planting unit 34. In this example, the correction maps 5a stored in the storage device 5 are prepared separately for each number of uses of the planting unit 34. That is, multiple types of correction maps 5a are stored in the storage device 5. Once the correction map 5a to be used is selected, the process proceeds to the next step S3.

[0070] In step S3, the control device 3 determines a correction value for correcting the phase delay of acceleration / deceleration using the selected correction map 5a and the previously acquired target planting spacing, phase of the output shaft 40a, and vehicle speed. Once the correction value is determined, the final command rotation speed for the drive device 40 is determined, taking into consideration a correction coefficient for the rotation speed of the output shaft 40a obtained from the difference between the target planting spacing and the actual planting spacing. The process shown in FIG. 9 is repeatedly performed while the working device 2 is being driven.

[0071] In addition, in this embodiment, the control device 3 performs calibration of the correction map 5a. The calibration may be performed, for example, by an external command using the operation device 4. As another example, the calibration may be performed automatically every time the engine of the rice transplanter 100 is started. By performing calibration of the correction map 5a, the influence of the variation in the phase delay of acceleration / deceleration between the multiple rice transplanters 100 can be eliminated, and the phase delay can be appropriately corrected. In addition, by performing calibration of the correction map 5a, the influence of the aging of the work vehicle 100 can be suppressed, and the phase delay of acceleration / deceleration can be appropriately corrected.

[0072] FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating the flow of calibration of the correction map 5a. The calibration shown in FIG. 10 may be performed, for example, when the rice transplanter 100 is shipped from the factory or before starting work using the rice transplanter 100. The calibration process shown in FIG. 10 needs to be performed as close as possible to the conditions when the correction map 5a was initially created (the conditions for creating the default correction map). Examples of such conditions include that no seedlings are placed on the seedling carrier 30, that the SOC (State Of Charge) of the battery that supplies power to the drive device 40 is equal to or greater than a certain value, and that there are no abnormalities in devices such as various sensors 44.

[0073] In step S11, the control device 3 monitors whether or not there is a command to perform calibration. The command to perform calibration is issued, for example, by using the operation device 4. If there is a command to perform calibration (Yes in step S11), the process proceeds to the next step S12. If there is no command to perform calibration (No in step S11), the process of step S11 is repeated.

[0074] In step S12, the control device 3 drives the planting unit 34 (working unit) in a predetermined calibration pattern. The predetermined calibration pattern is, for example, a pattern in which the drive device 40 is driven in a predetermined arbitrary acceleration / deceleration pattern. After driving the drive device 40 in the predetermined calibration pattern, the process proceeds to the next step S13.

[0075] In step S13, the control device 3 acquires the torque fluctuation when the drive device 40 is driven with a predetermined calibration pattern. Once the torque fluctuation has been acquired, the process proceeds to the next step S14.

[0076] In step S14, the control device 3 compares the torque fluctuation acquired in step S13 with a reference torque fluctuation (representative value) prepared in advance to calculate a phase difference of the torque fluctuation. The reference torque fluctuation is, for example, a torque fluctuation obtained when a predetermined calibration pattern is performed on the rice transplanter 100 for which the correction map 5a has been created. When the phase difference is calculated, the process proceeds to the next step S15.

[0077] In step S15, the control device 3 offsets the phase in the correction map 5a by the phase difference of the torque fluctuation obtained in step S14. This ends the calibration of the correction map 5a. The phase delay of acceleration / deceleration is corrected using the correction map 5a after the calibration in which the phase is offset.

[0078] <3. Determining abnormalities in drive devices, etc.> Next, an abnormality determination of the drive device 40 and the like executed by the control device 3 will be described. In this embodiment, the abnormality of the drive device 40 and the like includes aging deterioration. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the functions of the control device 3 related to the abnormality determination of the drive device 40 and the like. As shown in FIG. 11, the control device 3 includes, as its functions, an abnormality determination unit 308 and a notification processing unit 309. The abnormality determination unit 308 and the notification processing unit 309 are realized, for example, by a processor constituting the control device 3 executing arithmetic processing according to a program.

[0079] The abnormality determination unit 308 determines an abnormality in the drive unit 40 based on the correction of the drive settings of the drive unit 40. That is, the control device 3 determines an abnormality in the drive unit 40 based on the correction of the drive settings of the drive unit 40. In this configuration, it is possible to determine an abnormality in the drive unit by using the content of the current correction, the history of past corrections, etc. In this embodiment, the correction of the drive settings of the drive unit 40 refers to a correction performed by using the correction coefficient calculated by the rotation speed correction coefficient calculation unit 304 (see FIG. 7) described above.

[0080] The abnormality determination unit 308 (control device 3) may determine an abnormality in the drive device 40 according to the number of times a correction value for correcting the drive setting is set. The abnormality may be, in particular, deterioration over time. For example, when the number of times the correction coefficient is changed (updated) based on a default value (initial value) of the correction coefficient exceeds a predetermined number of times determined in advance based on, for example, an experiment or a simulation, deterioration over time in the drive device 40 may be detected. As another example, deterioration over time in the drive device 40 may be detected when the number of times correction exceeding a predetermined amount determined in advance based on an experiment or the like is performed exceeds a predetermined number of times determined in advance based on an experiment or the like.

[0081] Furthermore, the abnormality determination unit 308 (control device 3) may determine an abnormality in the drive device 40 according to the correction amount for correcting the drive setting. The abnormality may be, in particular, deterioration over time. For example, deterioration over time of the drive device 40 may be detected when a correction coefficient that falls outside a predetermined range determined based on experiments or the like with respect to a default value of the correction coefficient is set. As another example, deterioration over time of the drive device 40 may be detected when a correction coefficient that falls outside a predetermined range determined based on experiments or the like with respect to a default value of the correction coefficient is set more than a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period determined based on experiments or the like.

[0082] Furthermore, the abnormality determination unit 308 (control device 3) may determine an abnormality in the drive device based on torque information obtained when driving the planting unit 34 (working unit). Abnormality determination based on torque information may include abnormality determination of things other than the drive device 40. For example, when it is determined that the acquired torque fluctuation differs from the default torque fluctuation stored in the storage device 5, the occurrence of abnormal torque may be detected. In this case, the location of the failure or deterioration over time may be detected from the location (phase region, etc.) where the abnormal torque is occurring.

[0083] Furthermore, the abnormal torque may be detected in both cases where the torque is greater than or less than the default torque. For example, when a torque smaller than the default torque by a predetermined amount determined based on experiments or the like is detected, deterioration due to aging may be detected. Also, when a torque larger than the default torque by a predetermined amount determined based on experiments or the like is detected, an abnormality in the seedling mat or a failure of a component such as a bearing or gear may be detected.

[0084] The notification processing unit 309 (control device 3) performs processing to notify the abnormality detected by the abnormality determination unit 308. Notification of an abnormality is performed, for example, by using a notification device such as a display device that displays the abnormality on a screen or a sound output device that notifies the abnormality by voice or other sound. That is, the rice transplanter 100 is equipped with a notification device that notifies an abnormality. By configuring to notify an abnormality, it is possible to quickly notify the user (operator) of the occurrence of an abnormality. Furthermore, by configuring to notify an abnormality, it is also possible to notify the user of the cause of the abnormality and the location where the abnormality occurred.

[0085] Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow for reporting an abnormality in the drive device 40. The process shown in Fig. 12 is executed, for example, when the planting work by the planting device 2A starts. Fig. 12 assumes a case where an abnormality (e.g., deterioration due to aging) in the drive device 40 is determined according to a correction amount for correcting the drive setting of the drive device 40.

[0086] In step S21, the control device 3 sets the variable N to zero. When the variable N is set to zero, the process proceeds to the next step S22.

[0087] In step S22, the control device 3 determines whether or not the correction coefficient calculated by the above-mentioned rotation speed correction coefficient calculation unit 304 (see FIG. 7) has been acquired. If the correction coefficient has been acquired (Yes in step S22), the process proceeds to the next step S23. If the correction coefficient has not been acquired (No in step S22), the process of step S22 is repeated. That is, in step S22, the control device 3 monitors the acquisition state of the correction coefficient.

[0088] In step S23, it is determined whether the acquired correction coefficient is outside a predetermined range set with the default value of the correction coefficient as a reference. As an example, assume that the default value of the correction coefficient is 100%, and the predetermined range is set to ±50% from the reference. In this case, if the acquired correction coefficient is a value larger than 150% of the default value, it is outside the predetermined range. Also, if the acquired correction coefficient is a value smaller than 50% of the default value, it is outside the predetermined range. If the acquired correction coefficient is outside the predetermined range set with the default value as a reference (Yes in step S23), the process proceeds to step S24. If the acquired correction coefficient is not outside the predetermined range set with the default value as a reference (No in step S23), the process returns to step S22.

[0089] In step S24, the control device 3 performs a process of adding 1 to the variable N. After the process of adding 1 to the variable N is performed, the process proceeds to the next step S25.

[0090] In step S25, the control device 3 determines whether the variable N has exceeded a preset predetermined number of times. If the variable N has exceeded the predetermined number of times (Yes in step S25), the process proceeds to the next step S26. If the variable N has not exceeded the predetermined number of times (No in step S25), the process returns to step S22.

[0091] In step S26, the control device 3 detects an abnormality and performs a process of notifying the abnormality using the notification device. In response to the process, the notification device notifies the abnormality. A user such as an operator becomes aware of an abnormality (such as deterioration due to aging) of the drive device 40, for example, by a notification sound or a monitor display.

[0092] <4. Control when an abnormality is detected> Next, details of the control process performed by the control device 3 when an abnormality that requires the driving of the driving sources 14, 40, 50 to be stopped is detected in the traveling body 1 or the working device 2 will be described.

[0093] As can be seen from the above description, in this embodiment, each of the driving sources 14, 40, 50 can be controlled independently. However, when performing work using the working device 2, the driving sources 14, 40, 50 are usually driven in conjunction with each other by a command from the control device 3. For example, when the first driving source 14 is controlled so that the vehicle speed of the traveling body 1 is increased, the driving device 40 (an example of the second driving source) is controlled in conjunction with this so that the planting operation of the planting unit 34 is increased, and the supply motor 50 (another example of the second driving source) is controlled so that the supply speed of agricultural materials (fertilizer in this example) is increased. When an abnormality that requires the driving sources 14, 40, 50 to be stopped is detected, if a driving source in which an abnormality is not detected is immediately stopped in conjunction with the driving source in which the abnormality has occurred, a malfunction may occur. The control device 3 is configured to perform control to eliminate this malfunction.

[0094] Examples of abnormalities that require the driving of the driving sources 14, 40, 50 to be stopped include the following abnormalities. Examples of abnormalities that require the driving of the first driving source 14 to be stopped include an abnormality in the rotation speed of the output shaft, an abnormality in torque, or an abnormality in temperature (oil temperature or water temperature). These abnormalities can be detected by the first abnormality detection device 23 as described above. Examples of abnormalities that require the driving of the second driving source (specifically, the driving device 40 and the supply motor 50) to be stopped include an abnormality in the voltage or current of the motor, an abnormality in the temperature of the motor, or an abnormality in the battery state. These abnormalities can be detected by the second abnormality detection devices 43, 53 as described above.

[0095] In this embodiment, the control device 3 executes a first control on the first driving source 14 when an abnormality is detected in the working device 2. The control device 3 executes a second control, which is different from the first control, on at least one of the second driving sources 40, 50 when an abnormality is detected in the traveling body 1. By making the control on the traveling body 1 when an abnormality is detected in the working device 2 different from the control on at least one of the second driving sources 40, 50 when an abnormality is detected in the traveling body 1, the operation of the traveling body 1 and the working device 2 when an abnormality is detected can be made appropriate. Note that the control device 3 executes a stop control for immediately stopping the driving of the driving sources 14, 40, 50 for the traveling body 1 and the working device 2 in which an abnormality is detected. This stop control may be called a forced stop control.

[0096] In detail, the first control includes a deceleration process for decelerating to a predetermined speed, and a drive stop process for stopping the drive source after the deceleration process. That is, the first control includes a multi-stage control process. This allows a control different from a forced stop to be performed, and makes it possible to avoid a sudden stop of the drive source. Note that, although there is only one type of deceleration process in this example, multiple types of deceleration processes may be included. Also, the speed of the drive source in this example refers to the rotation speed.

[0097] The deceleration process may be a process of simply setting the speed setting of the drive source to a predetermined speed. However, the deceleration process may be configured to set the speed of the drive source to the predetermined speed while decelerating it at a predetermined deceleration (negative acceleration). The predetermined speed may be a fixed value set in advance, or may be a configurable value that can be appropriately changed by a user, etc. Furthermore, the predetermined deceleration in the example of deceleration at a predetermined deceleration may also be a fixed value set in advance, or may be a configurable value that can be appropriately changed by a user, etc.

[0098] The drive stop process in the first control may be started after an arbitrary time has elapsed after the target speed is reached by the deceleration process. The arbitrary time may be a fixed value determined based on an experiment or the like. However, the arbitrary time may be appropriately set by a user or the like. The drive stop process may simply be a process of immediately stopping the drive of the drive source. However, the drive stop process may be, for example, a process of stopping the drive while decreasing the speed at a predetermined deceleration. In this case, the predetermined deceleration may be a fixed value set in advance, or may be a configurable value that can be appropriately changed by a user or the like.

[0099] The first control may be a control process other than the above-mentioned one, and may be, for example, a process of stopping the drive while continuously or stepwise decreasing the speed by changing the set speed multiple times.

[0100] Moreover, the second control is a process for stopping the drive without performing a deceleration process for decelerating to a predetermined speed. That is, in the second control, the deceleration process in the first control is omitted, and only the drive stop process in the first control is performed. Note that, if the drive stop process is a process for simply immediately stopping the drive source, the second control is the same as the above-mentioned forced stop control executed for a drive source in which an abnormality has occurred. However, if the drive stop process is a process for stopping the drive while decreasing the above-mentioned speed at a predetermined deceleration, the second control is different from the forced stop control.

[0101] Hereinafter, two examples of specific examples of the control process performed by the control device 3 when an abnormality that requires the driving of the driving sources 14, 40, 50 to be stopped will be described. In addition to the control in response to the detection of the abnormality, the control device 3 may execute a third control in response to a work setting such as a row stop setting. The third control is a control that causes the driving sources 14, 40, 50 to perform a control process that does not involve stopping the driving. The third control may be, for example, a control that limits the rotation speed, torque, motor voltage, motor current, or hydraulic pressure of the driving sources 14, 40, 50. For example, when the number of planting units 34 used is reduced due to row stop, a configuration may be used in which torque limiting is performed as the third control. By adopting such a configuration, energy saving can be achieved.

[0102] [4-1. First Example] First, a first embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the working device 2 includes a planting device 2A and a material supplying device 2B having second drive sources 40, 50, which are separate from each other. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of a control pattern of the control device 3 when an abnormality is detected. Fig. 13 shows the relationship between the abnormality occurrence location and the control content of each drive source when an abnormality occurs in the abnormality occurrence location.

[0103] The abnormality in Fig. 13 is an abnormality that requires the driving of the driving sources 14, 40, 50 to be stopped. In Fig. 13, the driving source at the abnormality occurrence site is forcibly stopped by the control device 3. The traveling body driving source in Fig. 13 is the first driving source 14 equipped in the traveling body 1. The planting device driving source in Fig. 13 is an example of the second driving source and is the driving device 40 equipped in the planting device 2A. The material supplying device driving source in Fig. 13 is another example of the second driving source and is the supply motor 50 equipped in the material supplying device 2B.

[0104] 13, the control device 3 executes the second control on each of the second driving sources 40, 50 included in the multiple types of working devices 2A, 2B when an abnormality is detected in the traveling body 1. In other words, when an abnormality is detected in the traveling body 1, the second control is executed on the second driving sources 40, 50 of all of the working devices 2A, 2B.

[0105] As described above, the second control is a drive stop process that stops the drive of the drive source. For this reason, in the first embodiment, when an abnormality is detected in the traveling body 1, drive stop process is executed for the drive device 40 of the planting device 2A and the supply motor 50 of the material supply device 2B in conjunction with the stop of the drive of the first drive source 14 of the traveling body 1. According to this, the drive of the drive device 40 and the supply motor 50 is stopped in accordance with the stop of the traveling of the traveling body 1, so that it is possible to suppress the wasteful consumption of seedlings and agricultural materials (fertilizer in this example).

[0106] In this example, when an abnormality is detected in the running body 1, the first driving source 14, the driving device 40, and the supply motor 50 are all subjected to a drive stop process, but the specific process contents of the drive stop process may differ for each driving source. The method of stopping the drive of each driving source may be configured so that a user or the like can appropriately set it. For example, the driving device 40 and the supply motor 50 may be configured to stop the drive by reducing the deceleration compared to the case of the running body 1 in which an abnormality is detected.

[0107] 13, when an abnormality is detected in any of the multiple types of working devices 2A, 2B, the control device 3 executes a first control on the first driving source 14, and executes a second control on the second driving sources included in all working devices 2 other than the working device 2 in which the abnormality has occurred. In other words, when an abnormality is detected in any of the multiple types of working devices 2, a different control method for the driving sources is executed between the traveling body 1 and the working devices 2 in which no abnormality has been detected.

[0108] Specifically, when an abnormality is detected in the planting device 2A, the control device 3 executes the first control on the first drive source 14. As described above, the first control is a multi-stage (two-stage in this example) control including a deceleration process and a drive stop process. Therefore, when an abnormality is detected in the planting device 2A, the traveling body 1 can be stopped slowly, unlike the planting device 2A which is forcibly stopped. As a result, it is possible to prevent the operator riding on the rice transplanter 100 from falling off the rice transplanter 100. In other words, it is possible to improve the safety of the rice transplanter 100.

[0109] Furthermore, if an abnormality is detected in the planting device 2A, the control device 3 executes a second control (drive stop process) on the supply motor 50. In other words, if an abnormality is detected in the planting device 2A, the supply of agricultural materials by the material supply device 2B is quickly stopped. This makes it possible to avoid wasteful consumption of agricultural materials (fertilizer in this example).

[0110] Even if an abnormality is detected in the material supply device 2B, the control device 3 executes the first control (deceleration process and drive stop process after deceleration process) on the first drive source 14. This makes it possible to prevent the rice transplanter 100 from suddenly stopping and to prevent the occupant from falling off the rice transplanter 100.

[0111] Furthermore, if an abnormality is detected in the material supplying device 2B, the control device 3 executes a second control on the drive device 40. That is, if an abnormality is detected in the material supplying device 2B, the supply of seedlings by the planting device 2A is quickly stopped. This makes it possible to avoid the seedlings being wasted. Furthermore, by stopping the planting of seedlings in accordance with the stoppage of the supply of agricultural materials, it is possible to visually confirm the section where agricultural materials (fertilizer in this example) are not being supplied to the field.

[0112] [4-2. Second Example] Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the working device 2 includes a planting device 2A and a material supplying device 2B having second drive sources 40, 50, which are separate from each other. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the control pattern of the control device 3 when an abnormality is detected. FIG. 14 differs from FIG. 13 in the control contents of each drive source when an abnormality is detected, but other points are the same as in FIG. 13. In explaining FIG. 14, the contents that overlap with the contents explained in FIG. 13 will be omitted as a general rule.

[0113] 14, when an abnormality is detected in the traveling body 1, the control device 3 selects the first control or the second control according to the types of the multiple types of working devices 2A, 2B, and executes the selected control on each of the second drive sources 40, 50. In other words, when an abnormality is detected in the traveling body 1, the content of the control to be executed on the drive source of the working device 2 is selected according to the type of the working device 2. This makes it possible to perform precise control according to the type of the working device 2.

[0114] In detail, when an abnormality is detected in the traveling body 1, the control device 3 selects and executes the second control (drive stop processing) for the drive device 40 of the planting device 2A. This can suppress unnecessary consumption of seedlings. Also, when an abnormality is detected in the traveling body 1, the control device 3 selects and executes the first control (deceleration processing and subsequent drive stop processing) for the supply motor 50 of the material supply device 2B. This can avoid a sudden stop of the supply motor 50 and reduce damage to machinery. Note that, in some cases, when an abnormality is detected in the traveling body 1, the first control may be executed for the drive device 40. And, when an abnormality is detected in the traveling body 1, the second control may be executed for the supply motor 50.

[0115] 14, when the control device 3 detects an abnormality in any of the multiple types of working devices 2A, 2B, it executes the first control on the first driving source 14. Furthermore, for the working devices 2 other than the working device 2 in which the abnormality has occurred, the control device 3 selects the first control or the second control according to the type of the working device 2, and executes the selected control on each second driving source.

[0116] Specifically, when an abnormality is detected in the planting device 2A, the control device 3 executes the first control (deceleration processing and subsequent drive stop processing) on ​​the first drive source 14. Therefore, when an abnormality is detected in the planting device 2A, the traveling body 1 can be stopped slowly, unlike the planting device 2A that is forcibly stopped. As a result, it is possible to prevent the operator riding on the rice transplanter 100 from falling off the rice transplanter 100.

[0117] Furthermore, when an abnormality is detected in the planting device 2A, the control device 3 selects and executes the first control (deceleration process and subsequent drive stop process) for the supply motor 50. This allows the amount of agricultural material (fertilizer in this example) supplied to be gradually reduced, and the occurrence of a location where the amount of agricultural material supplied increases locally due to the stopping of the traveling body 1 can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of variations in crop growth.

[0118] Even if an abnormality is detected in the material supply device 2B, the control device 3 executes the first control (deceleration process and drive stop process after deceleration process) on the first drive source 14. This makes it possible to prevent the rice transplanter 100 from suddenly stopping and to prevent the occupant from falling off the rice transplanter 100.

[0119] Furthermore, if an abnormality is detected in the material supplying device 2B, the control device 3 selects and executes the second control (drive stop processing) for the drive device 40. This makes it possible to prevent seedlings from being wasted. Also, by stopping the planting of seedlings in accordance with the stop of the supply of agricultural materials, it is possible to visually confirm the section where agricultural materials are not being supplied to the field.

[0120] <5. Things to keep in mind> Various technical features disclosed in this specification may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technical creation. Furthermore, multiple embodiments and modifications shown in this specification may be combined to the extent possible.

[0121] <6. Notes> An exemplary work vehicle of the present invention may include a running body, a work device supported on the running body and having a working unit that is arranged so that work settings for a field can be changed, a drive device that drives the working unit, and a control device that controls the drive device, and the control device may be configured (first configuration) to correct the drive settings of the drive device in accordance with a deviation of actual work from the work settings of the working unit, and to determine an abnormality in the drive device based on the correction.

[0122] In the work vehicle of the first configuration described above, the control device may be configured to determine the abnormality depending on the number of times a correction value for correcting the drive setting is set (second configuration).

[0123] In the work vehicle of the first or second configuration, the control device may be configured to determine the abnormality according to a correction amount for correcting the drive setting (third configuration).

[0124] In the work vehicle having any of the first to third configurations described above, the control device may be configured to determine the abnormality based on torque information obtained when the working unit is driven (fourth configuration).

[0125] In the work vehicle of any of the first to fourth configurations described above, the control device may be configured to perform processing to notify the abnormality (fifth configuration).

[0126] In a work vehicle of any of the first to fifth configurations above, the work setting is a setting of the spacing between seedlings planted by the working unit, or the spacing between seeds sown by the working unit, and the control device may be configured to correct the drive setting in accordance with a deviation between the spacing in the work setting and the spacing in the actual work (sixth configuration). [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1. Running body 2. Working device 2A...Planting device 3. Control device 34...Planting section (work section) 40... Drive unit 100···Rice transplanter (work vehicle)

Claims

1. A running body, A work device having a working unit supported by the traveling body and configured to be able to change work settings for a farm field; A drive device that drives the working unit; A control device that controls the drive device; Equipped with The control device includes: correcting a drive setting of the drive device in response to a deviation of an actual work performed by the working unit relative to the work setting; The work vehicle determines whether there is an abnormality in the drive device based on the correction.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control device determines the abnormality according to a number of times a correction value for correcting the drive setting is set.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control device determines the abnormality according to a correction amount for correcting the drive setting.

4. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control device determines the abnormality based on torque information obtained when the working unit is driven.

5. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control device performs a process for notifying the abnormality.

6. The work setting is a setting of the interval between seedlings planted by the working unit or the interval between seed rice sown by the working unit, The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control device corrects the drive setting in accordance with a deviation between the interval in the work setting and the interval in the actual work.

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