Self-leveling crawler tractor and working method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a self-leveling crawler tractor which comprises a walking frame, a crawler walking mechanism arranged at the lower end of the walking frame and a chassis arranged above the walking frame, the crawler walking mechanism is used for driving the walking frame to move, and a first leveling mechanism used for leveling the chassis left and right is arranged between the chassis and the walking frame. A second leveling mechanism used for leveling the chassis front and back is further arranged between the chassis and the walking frame, a tractor rack is arranged on the chassis, and a double-shaft tilt angle sensor is further arranged on the chassis and used for detecting the front-back tilt angle and the left-right tilt angle of the chassis. Automatic left-right and front-back leveling of the chassis is achieved, it is guaranteed that the chassis is kept horizontal all the time when the tractor runs and operates on complex terrains, and stability and operation precision are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of agricultural machinery engineering, in particular to a self-leveling crawler tractor and a working method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In agricultural operations on complex terrains such as hills and mountains, the stability of agricultural machinery directly affects the efficiency and safety of operations. Traditional crawler tractors mainly rely on a single-stage hydraulic leveling system (such as a four-leg support) to adjust the height of the walking frame (10) through a hydraulic cylinder to achieve vehicle leveling.

[0003] However, as agricultural modernization increases the demand for efficient and high-precision operations, existing leveling technologies have exposed the following core defects: 1. Insufficient terrain adaptability: Traditional symmetrical support structures can only handle limited terrain elevation differences and are ineffective against asymmetrical terrain, such as unilateral collapse or bulges. When the load on one side suddenly changes, the vehicle body tilt angle can easily exceed the safety threshold, causing the equipment to lose stability or even overturn.

[0004] 2. Lack of dynamic stability: The existing system lacks a center of gravity compensation mechanism. When agricultural machinery operates on a slope, the center of gravity shifts, resulting in a significantly increased risk of tipping over, and the center of gravity shift causes accidents. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide a self-leveling crawler tractor and a working method thereof.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is: a self-leveling crawler tractor, including a traveling frame, a crawler traveling mechanism arranged at the lower end of the traveling frame and a chassis arranged above the traveling frame, the crawler traveling mechanism is used to drive the traveling frame to move, a first leveling mechanism for achieving left-right leveling of the chassis is provided between the chassis and the traveling frame, a second leveling mechanism for achieving front-back leveling of the chassis is also provided between the chassis and the traveling frame, a tractor frame is provided on the chassis, and a dual-axis inclination sensor is also provided on the chassis, and the dual-axis inclination sensor is used to detect the front-back inclination angle and the left-right inclination angle of the chassis.

[0007] Furthermore, the crawler traveling mechanism includes two groups of crawler traveling mechanisms relatively arranged at the lower end of the traveling frame, and the lower end of the traveling frame is provided with a driving mechanism for driving the crawler traveling mechanism to travel.

[0008] Furthermore, the crawler travel mechanism includes a crawler, in which a driving wheel and a driven wheel are provided to cooperate with the crawler, and the driving mechanism includes a driving motor and a dual-output shaft reducer, wherein the output shafts of the dual-output shaft reducer are respectively connected to the two driving wheels, and the output shaft of the driving motor is connected to the input shaft of the dual-output shaft reducer.

[0009] Furthermore, a lifting mechanism is provided in the crawler track for driving the traveling frame to rise or fall, and the lifting mechanism includes two lifting parts arranged at intervals, and the lifting parts include two V-shaped hinged rockers, and the end of the rocker away from the hinge is provided with an adjusting wheel cooperating with the crawler track, and a connecting rod is hinged on the rocker, and the opposite ends of the two connecting rods are hingedly connected. A lifting hydraulic cylinder is hinged on the traveling frame, and the piston rod end of the lifting hydraulic cylinder is hinged to one of the rockers, and a shock absorber is hinged between the other rocker and the traveling frame. A tensioning hydraulic cylinder is horizontally provided at the lower end of the traveling frame, and the driven wheel is rotatably arranged on the piston rod end of the tensioning hydraulic cylinder.

[0010] Furthermore, the first leveling mechanism includes leveling cylinders located on the left and right sides of the chassis, the leveling cylinders are hinged to the traveling frame, the piston rods of the leveling cylinders face the chassis and the ends are hinged to the chassis, a support column is provided on the traveling frame, the upper ends of the support columns are hinged to the chassis through a ball joint, and the ball joint is located at the bottom center of the chassis.

[0011] Furthermore, the second leveling mechanism includes two leveling components spaced apart along the front-to-rear direction of the chassis, the leveling component includes a support, a leveling cylinder is provided on the support, an adjustment seat is provided at the end of the piston rod of the leveling cylinder, a guide shaft is provided at the lower end of the adjustment seat, and a sleeve is provided on the support that slides with the guide shaft.

[0012] Furthermore, the adjustment seat is flexibly connected to the chassis via a flexible member, and the flexible member is a spring.

[0013] Furthermore, a control unit is provided in the tractor frame. The control unit is electrically connected to the crawler traveling mechanism, the first leveling mechanism, the second leveling mechanism and the dual-axis tilt sensor respectively. The control unit includes a PLC controller.

[0014] The present application also provides a working method using the self-leveling crawler tractor, comprising the following steps: S1: The transport platform moves forward onto a slope. The dual-axis tilt sensor obtains the front and rear tilt angles and the left and right tilt angles of the chassis in real time and transmits the data to the control unit. S2. When the left and right tilt angles obtained by the dual-axis tilt sensor are greater than 0 degrees, the control unit controls the first leveling mechanism to achieve left and right leveling of the chassis; S3. When the left and right tilt angles obtained by the dual-axis tilt sensor are 0 degrees, it indicates that the chassis has been adjusted from a tilted state to a horizontal state; S4. When the front-to-back tilt angle obtained by the dual-axis tilt sensor is greater than 0 degrees, the control unit controls the second leveling mechanism to level the chassis front-to-back; S5. When the front and rear tilt angles obtained by the dual-axis tilt sensor are 0 degrees, it indicates that the chassis has been adjusted from a tilted state to a horizontal state; S6. When the tilt angle obtained by the tilt sensor is 20 degrees, the control unit controls the lifting mechanism to drive the traveling frame to descend, so as to lower the center of gravity of the chassis.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this application are: 1. The inclination angle of the chassis is monitored in real time through a dual-axis inclination sensor, and the control unit automatically controls the operation of the first leveling mechanism and the second leveling mechanism according to the sensor data, thereby realizing automatic left-right and front-back leveling of the chassis, ensuring that the chassis always remains level when the tractor is driving and operating on complex terrain, thereby improving stability and operation accuracy.

[0016] 2. The crawler walking mechanism, the first leveling mechanism, the second leveling mechanism and the lifting mechanism are compactly designed and cooperate with each other, which not only meets the walking needs of the tractor, but also realizes the leveling function of the chassis, while reducing the overall complexity and cost of the equipment.

[0017] 3. When the tilt angle is large, the control unit controls the lifting mechanism to lower the center of gravity of the chassis, thereby improving the safety of the tractor driving on complex terrain such as slopes and reducing the probability of accidents such as rollover.

[0018] 4. After the chassis is leveled, the various parts of the tractor are evenly stressed, which reduces the wear of parts caused by chassis tilt, extends the service life of the equipment, and reduces maintenance costs.

[0019] 5. The automatic leveling system can quickly respond to terrain changes and adjust the vehicle body level in time, reducing manual intervention and leveling time, and improving the continuity and efficiency of operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the driving mechanism of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the ball joint of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the second leveling mechanism of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the crawler walking mechanism of the present invention.

[0025] Graphic markings: 1. Crawler travel mechanism, 11. Driving wheel, 12. Driven wheel, 13. Crawler, 2. Lifting part, 21. Rocker, 22. Adjusting wheel, 23. Connecting rod, 24. Lifting hydraulic cylinder, 25. Shock absorber, 26. Tensioning hydraulic cylinder, 4. Chassis, 5. Leveling assembly, 51. Support, 52. Leveling cylinder, 53. Adjusting seat, 54. Guide shaft, 55. Bushing, 6. First leveling mechanism, 61. Leveling cylinder, 7. Dual output shaft reducer, 8. Dual-axis inclination sensor, 9. Ball joint, 10. Travel frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more; the orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", "front end", "rear end", "head", "tail", etc. is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0027] See also Figure 1-5 The present invention provides a self-leveling crawler tractor, comprising a traveling frame 10, a crawler traveling mechanism arranged at the lower end of the traveling frame 10 and a chassis 4 arranged above the traveling frame 10, the crawler traveling mechanism is used to drive the traveling frame 10 to move, a first leveling mechanism 6 for achieving left-right leveling of the chassis 4 is provided between the chassis 4 and the traveling frame 10, a second leveling mechanism for achieving front-back leveling of the chassis 4 is also provided between the chassis 4 and the traveling frame 10, a tractor frame is provided on the chassis 4, and a dual-axis inclination sensor 8 is also provided on the chassis 4, and the dual-axis inclination sensor 8 is used to detect the front-back inclination angle and the left-right inclination angle of the chassis 4.

[0028] Among them, combined Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, the crawler travel mechanism includes two sets of crawler travel mechanisms 1 arranged relative to each other at the lower end of a traveling frame 10. The lower end of the traveling frame 10 is provided with a drive mechanism for driving the crawler travel mechanisms 1. The crawler travel mechanism 1 includes a crawler track 13, within which are mounted a driving wheel 11 and a driven wheel 12, with the driving wheel 11 positioned in front of the driven wheel 12. The drive mechanism includes a drive motor and a dual-output shaft reducer 7. The output shafts of the dual-output shaft reducer 7 are respectively connected to the two driving wheels 11, and the output shaft of the drive motor is connected to the input shaft of the dual-output shaft reducer 7 via a coupling.

[0029] Combine Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, a lifting mechanism is provided in the crawler 13 for driving the traveling frame 10 to rise or fall, and the lifting mechanism includes two lifting members 2 arranged at intervals, and the lifting member 2 includes two V-shaped hinged rockers 21, and the end of the rocker 21 away from the hinge is provided with an adjusting wheel 22 cooperating with the crawler 13, and a connecting rod 23 is hinged on the rocker 21, and the opposite ends of the two connecting rods 23 are hingedly connected. A lifting hydraulic cylinder 24 is hinged on the traveling frame 10, and the piston rod end of the lifting hydraulic cylinder 24 is hinged to one of the rockers 21, and a shock absorber 25 is hinged between the other rocker 21 and the traveling frame 10. A tensioning hydraulic cylinder 26 is horizontally provided at the lower end of the traveling frame 10, and the driven wheel 12 is rotatably set on the piston rod end of the tensioning hydraulic cylinder 26.

[0030] Furthermore, the drive motor simultaneously drives the two driving wheels 11 through the dual-output shaft reducer 7, rotating the crawler tracks 13 and driving the traveling frame 10 to move. The lifting mechanism within the crawler tracks 13 enables the traveling frame 10 to be raised and lowered. Among the two lifting components 2 of the lifting mechanism, the rocker 21 cooperates with the crawler tracks 13 via the adjusting wheel 22. The lifting hydraulic cylinder 24 pushes the rocker 21 to move, achieving the raising and lowering of the traveling frame 10. The shock absorber 25 acts as a buffer, and the tensioning hydraulic cylinder 26 is used to adjust the tension of the crawler tracks 13.

[0031] Specific, combined Figure 1-4 As shown, the first leveling mechanism 6 includes a leveling cylinder 61 located on the left and right sides of the chassis 4. The leveling cylinder 61 is hinged to the traveling frame 10. The piston rod of the leveling cylinder 61 faces the chassis 4 and the end is hinged to the chassis 4. The traveling frame 10 is provided with a support column. The upper end of the support column is hinged to the chassis 4 through a ball joint 9. The ball joint 9 is located at the bottom center of the chassis 4. It should be noted that the parts not described in detail in this application are all prior art. When the chassis 4 tilts left or right, the leveling cylinder 61 extends and retracts to adjust the left and right horizontality of the chassis 4.

[0032] Combine Figure 2-4As shown, the second leveling mechanism comprises two leveling assemblies 5 spaced apart along the front-to-back direction of the chassis 4. These assemblies 5 include a support 51, mounted with a leveling cylinder 52. The piston rod of the leveling cylinder 52 is terminated with an adjustment seat 53. A guide shaft 54 is located at the lower end of the adjustment seat 53. A sleeve 55 is mounted on the support 51, slidingly engaged with the guide shaft 54. The guide shaft 54 slides through the sleeve 55. When the chassis 4 tilts forward or backward, the leveling cylinders 52 extend and retract, moving the adjustment seat 53 to achieve front-to-back leveling of the chassis 4. During front-to-back leveling, the adjustment seat 53 always contacts the chassis 4. When climbing a slope, the rear-end leveling cylinder 52 extends, causing the adjustment seat 53 to contact the chassis 4, pushing the rear end of the chassis 4 upward. At this time, the front-end leveling cylinder 52 retracts, causing the adjustment seat 53 to descend and support the front end of the chassis 4 downward. Furthermore, the piston rods of both leveling cylinders 61 extend simultaneously to prevent interference.

[0033] The tractor frame also houses a control unit, which is electrically connected to the crawler track mechanism, the first leveling mechanism 6, the second leveling mechanism, and the dual-axis tilt sensor 8. The control unit includes a programmable logic controller (PLC). The PLC is electrically connected to the dual-axis tilt sensor 8, the drive motor, the lift hydraulic cylinder 24, the tensioning hydraulic cylinder 26, the leveling cylinder 61, and the leveling air cylinder 52. The dual-axis tilt sensor 8 monitors the fore-aft and side-to-side tilt of the chassis 4 in real time and transmits this data to the control unit, which then controls the operation of the corresponding mechanisms based on this data.

[0034] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Several other embodiments based on the design concept of the present invention are provided below.

[0035] For example, in other embodiments, different from the above-described embodiments, the adjustment seat 53 is flexibly connected to the chassis 4 via a flexible member, and the flexible member is a spring.

[0036] For example, in other embodiments, different from the above-described embodiment, the piston rod end of the lifting hydraulic cylinder 24 is hinged to one of the connecting rods 23 , and the connecting rod 23 is close to the lifting hydraulic cylinder 24 .

[0037] The present application also provides a working method using the self-leveling crawler tractor, comprising the following steps: Driving and monitoring: When the transport platform moves forward onto a slope, the dual-axis tilt sensor 8 obtains the front and rear tilt angles and the left and right tilt angles of the chassis 4 in real time, and transmits the front and rear tilt angle and the left and right tilt angle data to the control unit.

[0038] Left-Right Leveling: The control unit receives left-right tilt angle data from the dual-axis tilt sensor 8. If the tilt angle is greater than 0 degrees, it activates the leveling cylinder 61 of the first leveling mechanism 6. Based on the tilt direction and angle, the leveling cylinder 61 is extended or retracted. Through the articulated connection with the chassis 4 and the running frame 10, the left-right horizontality of the chassis 4 is adjusted until the dual-axis tilt sensor 8 detects a 0 degree tilt angle, completing the left-right leveling.

[0039] Fore-and-aft leveling: After completing left-and-right leveling, if the dual-axis tilt sensor 8 detects that the fore-and-aft tilt angle is greater than 0 degrees, the control unit activates the second leveling mechanism. This controls the movement of the leveling cylinder 52 in the leveling assembly 5. Depending on the fore-and-aft tilt direction and angle, the piston rod of the leveling cylinder 52 is extended or retracted, driving the adjustment seat 53 to move. This spring applies force to the chassis 4, achieving fore-and-aft leveling of the chassis 4 until the fore-and-aft tilt angle is 0 degrees. During fore-and-aft leveling, the piston rods of the two leveling cylinders 61 extend simultaneously to avoid interference. Furthermore, when climbing a slope, the chassis 4 is leveled fore-and-aft, forming a certain angle with the slope. This shifts the tractor's center of gravity forward, preventing it from tipping over and improving its stability on sloping terrain.

[0040] Center of gravity adjustment: When the dual-axis inclination sensor 8 detects that the tilt angle reaches 20 degrees, the control unit controls the lifting hydraulic cylinder 24 of the lifting mechanism to move, so that the piston rod of the lifting hydraulic cylinder 24 extends or retracts, pushing the rocker 21 to move, and through the cooperation of the adjusting wheel 22 and the crawler track 13, driving the walking frame 10 to descend, lowering the center of gravity of the chassis 4, and improving the stability of the tractor on inclined terrain.

[0041] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-leveling crawler tractor, characterized in that: The invention comprises a traveling frame (10), a crawler traveling mechanism arranged at the lower end of the traveling frame (10), and a chassis (4) arranged above the traveling frame (10), wherein the crawler traveling mechanism is used to drive the traveling frame (10) to move, a first leveling mechanism (6) for achieving left-right leveling of the chassis (4) is provided between the chassis (4) and the traveling frame (10), a second leveling mechanism for achieving front-back leveling of the chassis (4) is further provided between the chassis (4) and the traveling frame (10), a tractor frame is provided on the chassis (4), and a dual-axis tilt sensor (8) is further provided on the chassis (4), and the dual-axis tilt sensor (8) is used to detect the front-back tilt angle and the left-right tilt angle of the chassis (4).

2. The self-leveling crawler tractor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crawler traveling mechanism comprises two sets of crawler traveling mechanisms (1) arranged relatively at the lower end of a traveling frame (10), and a driving mechanism for driving the crawler traveling mechanisms (1) to travel is provided at the lower end of the traveling frame (10).

3. The self-leveling crawler tractor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The crawler travel mechanism (1) includes a crawler (13), a driving wheel (11) and a driven wheel (12) matched therewith are provided in the crawler (13), and the driving mechanism includes a driving motor and a dual-output shaft reducer (7), the output shafts of the dual-output shaft reducer (7) are respectively connected to the two driving wheels (11), and the output shaft of the driving motor is connected to the input shaft of the dual-output shaft reducer (7).

4. The self-leveling crawler tractor according to claim 3, characterized in that: A lifting mechanism for driving the traveling frame (10) to rise or fall is provided in the crawler (13), and the lifting mechanism includes two lifting members (2) arranged at intervals, and the lifting member (2) includes two V-shaped hinged rockers (21), and an end of the rocker (21) away from the hinge is provided with an adjusting wheel (22) that cooperates with the crawler (13), and a connecting rod (23) is hingedly provided on the rocker (21), and the opposite ends of the two connecting rods (23) are hingedly connected. A lifting hydraulic cylinder (24) is hingedly provided on the traveling frame (10), and the end of the piston rod of the lifting hydraulic cylinder (24) is hingedly connected to one of the rocker (21). A tensioning hydraulic cylinder (26) is horizontally provided at the lower end of the traveling frame (10), and the driven wheel (12) is rotatably provided on the end of the piston rod of the tensioning hydraulic cylinder (26).

5. The self-leveling crawler tractor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first leveling mechanism (6) includes a leveling cylinder (61) located on the left and right sides of the chassis (4), the leveling cylinder (61) is hinged on the traveling frame (10), the piston rod of the leveling cylinder (61) faces the chassis (4) and the end is hinged to the chassis (4), the traveling frame (10) is provided with a support column, the upper end of the support column is hinged to the chassis (4) through a ball joint (9), and the ball joint (9) is located at the bottom center of the chassis (4).

6. The self-leveling crawler tractor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second leveling mechanism comprises two leveling assemblies (5) spaced apart along the front-to-back direction of the chassis (4), the leveling assembly (5) comprising a support (51), a leveling cylinder (52) being provided on the support (51), an adjustment seat (53) being provided at the end of the piston rod of the leveling cylinder (52), a guide shaft (54) being provided at the lower end of the adjustment seat (53), and a shaft sleeve (55) being provided on the support (51) and being in sliding engagement with the guide shaft (54).

7. The self-leveling crawler tractor according to claim 6, characterized in that: The adjustment seat (53) is flexibly connected to the chassis (4) via a flexible member, and the flexible member is a spring.

8. A self-leveling crawler tractor according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that: A control unit is also provided in the tractor frame. The control unit is electrically connected to the crawler walking mechanism, the first leveling mechanism (6), the second leveling mechanism and the dual-axis tilt sensor (8), respectively. The control unit includes a PLC controller.

9. An operating method of a self-leveling crawler tractor according to claim 8, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1, the transport platform moves forward onto the slope, the dual-axis tilt sensor (8) obtains the front and rear tilt angles and the left and right tilt angles of the chassis (4) in real time, and transmits the front and rear tilt angle and the left and right tilt angle data to the control unit; S2. When the left and right tilt angles obtained by the dual-axis tilt sensor (8) are greater than 0 degrees, the control unit controls the first leveling mechanism (6) to achieve left and right leveling of the chassis (4); S3. When the left and right tilt angles obtained by the dual-axis tilt sensor (8) are 0 degrees, it indicates that the chassis (4) has been adjusted from the tilted state to the horizontal state; S4, when the front and rear tilt angles obtained by the dual-axis tilt sensor (8) are greater than 0 degrees, the control unit controls the second leveling mechanism to level the chassis (4) front and rear; S5. When the front and rear tilt angles obtained by the dual-axis tilt sensor (8) are 0 degrees, it indicates that the chassis (4) has been adjusted from the tilted state to the horizontal state; S6. When the tilt angle obtained by the tilt sensor is 20 degrees, the control unit controls the lifting mechanism to drive the traveling frame (10) to descend, so as to lower the center of gravity of the chassis (4).

Images