Agricultural machine comprising an obstacle detection device with a ground contact member

Abstract

The invention relates to an autonomous agricultural machine (100) comprising a frame (110) and means (120) for moving the machine which are intended to rest on the ground, and an obstacle detection device (130) attached to the frame (110) from one side, the obstacle detection device (130) comprising a sensitive edge (131) configured to detect an obstacle in the environment of the machine through contact with the obstacle, the obstacle detection device (130) further comprising a ground contact member (132), which member is arranged on the obstacle detection device (130) between the sensitive edge (131) and the side attached to the frame (110), and such that a lower end of the contact member (132) is closer to a ground bearing plane (P) of the means for moving the machine than a lower end of the sensitive edge (131).

Description

[0001] Agricultural machine comprising an obstacle detection device with ground contact member TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [1] The field of the invention is that of land vehicles, in particular that of agricultural machines, in particular autonomous ones. [2] More precisely, the invention relates to an agricultural machine comprising an obstacle detection device with ground contact member. [3] The invention finds applications in particular in the field of agriculture. STATE OF THE ART [4] Agricultural machine techniques are known from the prior art. These machines generally have obstacle detection devices, in order to detect obstacles in the environment of the machine, for reasons of safety, and physical integrity of the machine and / or its environment. [5] Obstacle detection devices of the type comprising a sensitive safety edge are known.Such a sensitive edge makes it possible to detect an obstacle by contact with the latter, in particular in order to order a stop of the machine. [6] However, such an obstacle detection device presents the risk of being triggered unexpectedly, in particular when the machine is moving on a paved surface. [7] Such triggering is highly detrimental, because it involves checking the cause of the stopping of the machine, then possibly restarting it. In addition, the productivity of the machine is greatly reduced. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [8] The present invention aims to remedy all or part of the disadvantages of the state of the art cited above.[9] To this end, the invention relates to an agricultural machine comprising a chassis and means for moving the machine intended to rest on the ground, as well as an obstacle detection device fixed to said chassis by one side, the obstacle detection device comprising a sensitive edge configured to detect an obstacle in the environment of the machine by contact with said obstacle, the obstacle detection device further comprises a ground contact member, arranged on the obstacle detection device between the sensitive edge and the side fixed to the chassis, and so that a lower end of the contact member is closer to a ground support plane of the means for moving the machine, that is to say the plane passing through the points or surfaces of contact of the means for moving with a flat ground, than a lower end of the sensitive edge.

[0010] In this way, by the particular position of the contact member with respect to the sensitive edge, it can be ensured that the contact member comes into contact with the ground before the sensitive edge, called the safety edge, when the machine is moving on a paved, undulating or hilly ground.

[0011] This makes it possible to prevent the sensitive edge from detecting obstacles in an untimely manner when the machine is steeply inclined. Thus, it is also possible to avoid any untimely stopping of the machine when the latter is controlled so as to stop when the sensitive edge.

[0012] Thus, the productivity of the machine is greatly improved, while guaranteeing safe use of the machine thanks to the presence of the sensitive edge.

[0013] Furthermore, it is specified that the contact member is passive, that is to say purely mechanical. Thus, a very simple and inexpensive solution can be implemented.

[0014] According to a preferred variant, the lower end of the contact member is located at a distance from the support plane of the means for moving the machine of between 50 and 300 mm.

[0015] According to a preferred variant, the contact member comprises at least one ground contact roller.

[0016] Such a contact member is very inexpensive and makes it possible to avoid any resistance of the member when the latter comes into contact with the ground.

[0017] According to a variant, the contact member comprises two rollers, a first and a second roller being arranged respectively substantially at a first end and a second end of the sensitive safety edge.

[0018] According to an alternative, the contact member comprises at least one ground contact roller.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0019] Other advantages, aims and particular characteristics of the present invention will emerge from the following non-limiting description of at least one particular embodiment of the devices and methods which are the subject of the present invention, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: - Figure 1 illustrates an autonomous agricultural machine according to the invention moving on a paved ground, at three distinct times (a), (b) and (c), - Figure 2 is a detailed view of the obstacle detection device of the machine of Figure 1, - Figure 3 is a perspective view of the obstacle detection device of Figure 2. - Figure 4 illustrates the machine of Figure 1 and the ground support plane, as well as the distances of the sensitive edge and the contact member with the ground support plane.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The present description is given without limitation, each characteristic of an embodiment being able to be combined with any other characteristic of any other embodiment in an advantageous manner.

[0021] As illustrated in FIG. 1, an autonomous agricultural machine 100 comprises a chassis 110 and movement means 120.

[0022] For example, the machine 100 is autonomous, that is to say that it is capable of carrying out one or more agricultural tasks without requiring human action. More generally, the machine 100 can be an agricultural robot, a self-propelled agricultural vehicle or a towed agricultural vehicle, etc.

[0023] The movement means 120 are intended to rest on a ground, on which the machine 100 moves.

[0024] For example, the ground is a field of crops. Such a field may include furrows and / or mounds, the ground is then said to be hilly, or hilly.

[0025] As can be seen in Figure 1, at a time (a) the machine 100 is moving on substantially horizontal ground.

[0026] At a time (b), the machine 100 encounters a furrow, and is sloping downwards in its direction of travel.

[0027] The machine 100 comprises an obstacle detection device 130. The obstacle detection device 130 is configured to detect an obstacle in the environment of the machine 100 by contact with said obstacle. For this purpose, the obstacle detection device 130 comprises a sensitive edge 131. The sensitive edge 131 is arranged in front of the machine 100, so that the sensitive edge 131 comes into contact first with an obstacle standing in the way of the machine 100.

[0028] It is specified here that the obstacle detection device 130, and therefore the sensitive edge 131, can be arranged at the rear, at the front or even on the sides of the machine 100, depending on the needs required by the circumstances.

[0029] Such a sensitive edge 131 is known in the art, in particular in association with a robot control unit for controlling the stopping of the machine upon detection of an obstacle.

[0030] The obstacle detection device 130 further comprises a contact member 132 with the ground.

[0031] The contact member 132 is arranged so that the contact member 132 comes into contact with the ground before the sensitive edge 131 when the machine 100 is moving on a paved ground, as illustrated in FIG. 1 at time (b).

[0032] Thus, at time (b), the sensitive edge 131 does not come into contact with the ground despite the steep slope of the ground. The sensitive edge 131 then does not detect any obstacle, and in particular no stopping of the machine 100 is commanded. The machine 100 can continue on its way, and return, for example, to substantially horizontal ground as shown in figure 1 at time (c), without disturbance or untimely stopping.

[0033] Of course, the obstacle detection device 130 operates in a perfectly equivalent manner when the machine 100 moves in an opposite direction, that is to say from time (c) to time (a) in FIG. 1.

[0034] The contact member 132 therefore plays the role of a first element of contact with the ground when the machine 100 tilts. In addition, it allows the machine 100 to be pushed slightly in a direction opposite to its direction of inclination, which helps to avoid triggering of the sensitive edge 131.

[0035] More precisely, with reference to Figures 2 and 3, the obstacle detection device 130 comprises a support structure 133. The support structure 133 is substantially elongate and extends substantially over the same length as the sensitive edge 131, i.e. substantially over the width of the machine 100. The support structure 133 is fixed to the chassis 110 by a first longitudinal side.

[0036] The sensitive edge 131 is fixed to the support structure 133 at a second longitudinal side of the support structure 133, opposite the first longitudinal side.

[0037] The contact member 132 is fixed to the support structure 133 at a third longitudinal side of the support structure 133, oriented towards the ground when the machine 100 is in use.

[0038] Thus, the contact member 132 is arranged between the sensitive edge 131 and the chassis 110.

[0039] In addition, the contact member 132 is thus arranged so that a lower end of the contact member 132 is closer to a ground support plane P of the movement means 120 of the machine than a lower end of the sensitive edge 131. The contact member 132 does not, however, touch the ground when the machine 100 is moving on horizontal and flat ground.

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the ground support plane P of the displacement means 120 is defined as the plane passing through the points or surfaces of contact of the displacement means 120 of the machine 100 with a flat ground. Here, the displacement means 120 are tracks, however any other type of displacement means, such as wheels, can be considered here.

[0041] When the displacement means 120 are two tracks, the ground support plane P is defined as the plane passing through the ground contact surfaces of each of the tracks. When the displacement means 120 are wheels, for example 4 in number, the ground support plane P is defined as the plane passing through the points of contact (or surfaces of reduced size, comparable to points) of the wheels with a flat ground.

[0042] The lower end of the sensitive edge 131, that is to say the end of the sensitive edge which is oriented towards the ground when the machine 100 moves on a ground, is located at a distance h1 from the ground support plane P, as shown in FIG. 4. The lower end of the contact member 132, that is to say the end of the contact member 132 which is oriented towards the ground when the machine 100 moves on a ground, is located at a distance h2 from the ground support plane P, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0043] The distance h2 is less than the distance h1.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4, the distances h1 and h2 are measured orthogonally to the ground support plane P.

[0045] In other words, when the machine 100 is in use with its movement means 120 resting on the ground, the lower end of the contact member 132 is located lower on the machine 100 than the lower end of the sensitive edge 131.

[0046] It is specified here that it is not possible to simply fix the sensitive edge 131 further away from the ground support plane of the movement means, in order to avoid its triggering.

[0047] Indeed, in many States, local regulations require the presence of obstacle detection devices, and prescribe their position on vehicles. The prescribed position in France is a maximum of 200 to 300 mm from the ground support plane of the movement means. Such a position does not allow satisfactory use of a machine 100 without the presence of the contact member 132.

[0048] Thus, the lower end of the contact member 132 is preferably located substantially at a distance of between 50 and 300 mm from the ground support plane of the movement means of the machine.

[0049] It is specified that the aforementioned distances are distances orthogonal to the ground support plane of the means of movement of the machine.

[0050] The distance of the lower end of the contact member 132 from the ground support plane P will be chosen as a function of the distance of the lower end of the sensitive edge 131 from the ground support plane P, and of the distance of the displacement means 120 from the sensitive edge 131.

[0051] In Figure 4, the straight line passing through the point furthest from the machine 100 to the lower end of the sensitive edge 131, and through the ground contact point of a displacement means 120 closest to the sensitive edge 131, is shown in dotted lines. The ground contact point of a means of movement 120 closest to the sensitive edge 131 corresponds to a tipping point of the machine 100. In the case of means of movement 120 which are tracks, this point corresponds to the point (or line) of ground contact proximal to the sensitive edge 131.In the case of wheels as moving means 120, the point corresponds to the point of contact with the ground of the wheel closest to the sensitive edge 131.

[0052] The precise position of the contact member 132 is chosen so that its lower end is located below the aforementioned straight line, when the machine 100 is resting on the ground, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0053] Preferably, the contact member 132 comprises at least one caster. The caster is fixed to the support structure 133 by a fork of the caster, so that the wheel of the caster can roll on the ground when the latter touches the ground.

[0054] The contact member 132 may comprise two castors. A first caster is arranged substantially at a first end of the sensitive edge 131. A second caster is arranged substantially at a second end of the sensitive edge 131.Here, as described previously, the rollers of the contact member 132 are fixed to the support structure 133, which runs substantially along the sensitive edge 131.

[0055] Alternatively, the contact member 132 may comprise at least one roller (not shown) for contact with the ground. Such a roller may be mounted movably, for example rotatably, or not, on the support structure 133. The roller may also take the form of a block of material, in particular of elastic material.

[0056] It is recalled more generally that the invention is not limited to the examples described above.

Claims

Claims 1. Agricultural machine (100) comprising a chassis (110) and means (120) for moving the machine intended to rest on a ground, as well as an obstacle detection device (130) fixed to said chassis (110) by one side, the obstacle detection device (130) comprising a sensitive edge (131) configured to detect an obstacle in the environment of the machine by contact with said obstacle, characterized in that the obstacle detection device (130) further comprises a contact member (132) with the ground, arranged on the obstacle detection device (130) between the sensitive edge (131) and the side fixed to the chassis (110), and so that a lower end of the contact member (132) is closer to a ground support plane (P) of the means for moving the machine, i.e. the plane passing through the contact points or surfaces moving means (120) with a flat ground, that a lower end of the sensitive edge (131). 2.Machine (100) according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the contact member (132) is located at a distance from the ground support plane (P) of the displacement means (120) of the machine of between 50 and 300 mm.

3. Machine (100) according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the contact member (132) comprises at least one ground contact roller.

4. Machine (100) according to claim 3, comprising two rollers, a first and a second roller being arranged respectively substantially at a first end and a second end of the sensitive edge (131).

5. Machine (100) according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the contact member (132) comprises at least one ground contact roller.

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