Agricultural implement

Abstract

To provide an agricultural implement which can surely rotate a work body.SOLUTION: An agricultural implement 1 includes: a first work body 1; a second work body 3 rotationally connected to the first implement 1 so as to be folded between a development position and a storing position; and a link mechanism 7 connecting the first work body 2 and the second work body 3 and moving in cooperation with the second work body 3. Further, provided are a detection piece 72 which moves integrally with the movement of the link mechanism, and a sensor 70 which can detect a folded position of the second work body 3. A gap is provided between the sensor 70 and the detection piece 72 within a detectable range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an agricultural machine, and more particularly to a folding mechanism thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, there is an agricultural machine disclosed in Patent Document 1. This type of agricultural machine moves while connected to a tractor (not shown), and performs work such as plowing and cultivating in rice paddies. Since the working body performing agricultural work is long in the width direction, it moves in a stored state with the extended working unit, which is the side working body, folded, and when working, the working body is deployed. In order for the control unit to determine whether the extended working unit is in the deployed state or the stored state, the opening and closing operation of a limit switch is used. The limit switch can determine whether the extended working unit is in the deployed state or the stored state by detecting the position where the arm contacts the first protrusion on the link member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-2698 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] On the other hand, it is generally known that scattering or adhesion of foreign matter such as mud and dust is a phenomenon that can occur at any time during agricultural work. When the agricultural work machine of Patent Document 1 is used in such an environment, foreign matter may adhere to the arm or first protrusion of the limit switch. For this reason, a limit switch that makes physical contact may erroneously detect the position of the side work body, and there is a problem with reliable position detection.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an agricultural work machine capable of reliably rotating a working body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is an agricultural work machine comprising: a first work body; a second work body rotatably connected to the first work body so as to fold it between an unfolded position and a stored position; a link mechanism connecting the first work body and the second work body and moving in conjunction with the second work body; a detection piece provided on the link mechanism and moving integrally with the link mechanism; and a sensor capable of detecting the folded position of the second work body, with a gap between the sensor and the detection piece located within the detectable range. Another aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is an agricultural work machine comprising: a first working body; a second working body rotatably connected to the first working body so as to fold it between an unfolded position and a stored position; a detection piece that rotates integrally with either the first working body or the second working body; and a sensor that can detect the folded position of the second working body by detecting the detection piece, with a gap between the sensor and the detection piece that is within the detectable range. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an agricultural work machine that is capable of reliably rotating a working body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a first embodiment of an agricultural machine according to the present invention, in an unfolded state. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a rear view of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3 is a side view showing a main part of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 6 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow a in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 5. FIG. [Figure 8] 6 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow c in FIG. 5. [Figure 9](A) is a drawing of the first link, (B) is a drawing of the second link, and (C) is a drawing of the third link. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a hydraulic circuit diagram of a cylinder mechanism of a side working body. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the agricultural work machine in FIG. 1 (stored state). [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the agricultural work machine in FIG. 1 (during unfolding operation). [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the agricultural work machine in FIG. 1 (during unfolding operation). [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the agricultural work machine in FIG. 1 (during unfolding operation). [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the agricultural work machine in FIG. 1 (during unfolding operation). [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the agricultural work machine in FIG. 1 (during unfolding operation). [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the agricultural work machine in FIG. 1 (during unfolding operation). [Figure 18] 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the agricultural work machine in FIG. 1 (after completion of unfolding operation, in a fixed state). [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the agricultural work machine in the stored state of FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the agricultural work machine in the stored state of FIG. [Figure 21] 13A to 13C are diagrams showing the intersection state between the first and second long holes in the first embodiment, where (A) shows the intersection state in FIG. 11, (B) shows the intersection state in FIG. 12, (C) shows the intersection state in FIG. 13, (D) shows the intersection state in FIG. 14, (E) shows the intersection state in FIG. 15, (F) shows the intersection state in FIG. 16, (G) shows the intersection state in FIG. 17, and (H) shows the intersection state in FIG. 18. [Figure 22] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 4 is a control flow diagram for transitioning from a stored state to an deployed state in the first embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 4 is a control flow diagram for transitioning from a deployed state to a stored state in the first embodiment. [Diagram 25] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a main part of the second embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan sectional view of a main part of a second embodiment. [Figure 27] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a deployed state of the main parts of the third embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a front view showing a stored state of the main parts of the third embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional plan view of a main part of a third embodiment, showing a cross section of the main part. [Diagram 30] FIG. 13 is a rear view showing a deployed state of the main parts of the fourth embodiment. [Diagram 31] FIG. 13 is a front view showing a deployed state of the main parts of the fourth embodiment. [Diagram 32] FIG. 13 is a plan view of the main parts of the fourth embodiment in a deployed state. [Diagram 33] FIG. 13 is a rear view showing a stored state of the main parts of the fourth embodiment. [Diagram 34] FIG. 13 is a front view showing a stored state of the main parts of the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Next, the agricultural work machine according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 1 to 24 showing the first embodiment. For convenience, parts having the same functions are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. In the description, the forward direction of travel is the right side in Figure 2 and the upper side in Figure 5. The left side of the traveling direction is the left side in Figures 1 and 5, and the right side of the traveling direction is the right side in Figures 1 and 5.

[0010] The agricultural work machine 1 is connected to a tractor (not shown) and moves while being guided, and performs agricultural work in a field. In the following description, attention will be focused on the rotation of the side working body 3 arranged on the right side of the traveling direction. Note that a description of the rotation of the side working body 3 arranged on the left side of the traveling direction will be omitted to avoid repetition.

[0011] In Figs. 1 to 9, the agricultural machine 1 comprises a central working body 2 and side working bodies 3 provided on both sides of the central working body 2. The central working body 2 is sometimes called the first working body, and the side working bodies 3 are sometimes called the second working body. The central working body 2 has a pipe frame 21 horizontally disposed in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction, and a speed change unit 22 is provided in the center. A top mast 23 is provided at the tip of the speed change unit 22. A top pin 24 for connecting to a tractor is provided at the tip of the top mast 23. An input shaft 25 capable of receiving a driving force is provided on the forward side of the traveling direction of the speed change unit 22. A cylinder 9, which will be described later, is provided on both sides of the speed change unit 22. A second pipe frame 26, which is disposed in parallel to the pipe frame 21, is provided in front of and below the pipe frame 21. Lower pins 27 are provided on both sides of the speed change unit 22. The second pipe frame 26 may be omitted. In this case, the lower pin 27 is provided on the pipe frame 21. A cover body 28 is provided on the lower part of the pipe frame 21.

[0012] The side working body 3 is provided to the central working body 2 so as to be rotatable about the folding fulcrum section 10, and is provided on both sides of the central working body 2 so as to be fixable or detachable, as described below. The pipe frames 31 of the side working bodies 3 are provided on both sides of the pipe frame 21 of the central working body 2. The pipe frames 31 are provided on the same extension line as the longitudinal direction of the pipe frame 21. In addition to the embodiments described below, the pipe frames 31 may be omitted.

[0013] As best shown in Figure 9, a link mechanism 7 consisting of a first link 4, a second link 5, and a third link 6 is provided at folding end 31a provided around folding fulcrum section 10 of pipe frame 21 and pipe frame 31. Link mechanism 7 connects side working body 3 and central working body 2, and transmits the operation of cylinder 9 to side working body 3. Link mechanism 7 can also be said to be a movable member that moves together with the rotation of side working body 3.

[0014] The first link 4 is a rotatable link member consisting of a rectangular main body 4a and an inclined portion 4b formed integrally with the main body 4a and inclined relative to the main body 4a, and is provided in pair at the front and rear of the cylinder 9 (at the front and rear in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1). A rotation hole 4c is provided at the base end of the main body 4a into which a rotation fulcrum 42 provided at the folded end 21a of the pipe frame 21 is rotatably fitted. A rotation hole 4d is provided at the other end of the main body 4a into which a rotation fulcrum 64 of the third link 6 described later is fitted.

[0015] The inclined portion 4b is provided with an oval first long hole 41 along the longitudinal direction, i.e., toward the rotation hole 4d. The connecting pin 8 is loosely fitted into this first long hole 41, and a first position 41a is formed on the base end side (lower part in FIG. 9), and a second position 41b is formed on the opposite side (upper part in FIG. 9). That is, the second position 41b is located above the imaginary straight line L2 connecting the rotation fulcrum 42 of the first link 4 and the first position 41a in FIGS. 11 to 15, and below the imaginary straight line L2 in FIGS. 16 to 18. As a result, when the imaginary straight line L2 exceeds 90°, the positional relationship is reversed. The rotation hole 4d is a rotation hole corresponding to the rotation hole 62a of the third link 6. The longitudinal length of the first long hole 41 is preferably about twice or less the diameter of the connecting pin 8, and is 1.6 times in this embodiment.

[0016] The second link 5 is made of a long, rotatable link member, with one end provided with a rotation hole 5a into which the rotation fulcrum 51 is rotatably fitted, and the other end provided with a rotation hole 5b into which the connecting pin 8 is rotatably fitted. A pair of second links 5 are provided in front of and behind the cylinder 9 (front and rear in the direction of travel shown by the arrow in FIG. 1). The second links 5 connect the central working body 2 and the side working bodies 3 via the first links 4.

[0017] The third link 6 is a rotatable link member, and is composed of a long connecting portion 61 and a link portion 62 provided at the tip end side of the connecting portion 61 perpendicular to the connecting portion 61. An oval second long hole 63 is provided in the link portion 62 along the longitudinal direction of the connecting portion 61. The first long hole 41 and the second long hole 63 intersect with each other at the longitudinal direction of the hole. Here, "intersect" means that when the connecting pin 8 is located at the first position 41a, it is about 70° as shown in Figures 21(A), (E), (F) and (G), and when the connecting pin 8 is located at the second position 41b, it is about 55° as shown in Figures 21(B), (C), (D) and (H). This is because the third link 6 cannot rotate if it is intersected at 90°.

[0018] The connecting pin 8 is loosely fitted into the second long hole 63, so that a third position 63a is formed on the connecting portion 61 side (the lower part in FIG. 9) and a fourth position 63b is formed on the opposite side (the upper part in FIG. 9).

[0019] That is, the third position 63a is formed at a position with a small radius of rotation about the rotation fulcrum 64 of the third link 6, and the fourth position 63b is formed at a position with a large radius of rotation. In other words, the third position 63a is formed at a position close to the rotation fulcrum 51 of the second link 5, and the fourth position 63b is formed at a position far from the rotation fulcrum 51 of the second link 5. As a result, the longitudinal directions of the first elongated hole 41 and the second elongated hole 63 are arranged to intersect.

[0020] The third link 6 moves relative to the second long hole 63 in conjunction with the movement of the connecting pin 8 within the first long hole 41. In other words, the connecting pin 8 moving through the first long hole 41 also moves within the second long hole 63 at the same time, causing the third link 6 to rotate relative to the first link 4.

[0021] 6 and 7, a rotation hole 62a into which the rotation fulcrum 64 is rotatably fitted is provided in the third link 6 between the rotation fulcrum 42 of the first link 4 and the first long hole 41. Since the third link 6 rotates around the rotation fulcrum 64, the positional relationship between the rotation fulcrum 42 and the rotation fulcrum 64 does not change even if the side working body 3 rotates. The rotation fulcrum 64 is rotatably fitted into each of the fitting holes 4d, 62a of the first link 4 and the third link 6.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 5, a connecting rod 11 is rotatably connected to the base end of the connecting portion 61 of the third link 6. Reference numeral 65 denotes a hole for connecting a connecting rod 9 (Fig. 9). A tip end 11a of the connecting rod 11 is connected to a fixed member 17 rotatably provided at the lower end of the cover body 32 of the side working body 3 (Fig. 8). Thus, the third link 6 rotates about the rotation fulcrum 64, thereby rotating the fixed member 17.

[0023] The first link 4 and the second link 5 are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the cylinder 9 in the traveling direction of the aircraft as shown by the arrow in Fig. 1 in order to prevent an unbalanced load from occurring in the front and rear direction due to the projection and retraction of the cylinder 9. Of course, if the unbalanced load can be eliminated, it is not necessary to provide a pair at the front and rear of the cylinder 9 in the traveling direction.

[0024] In the embodiment being described, the third link 6 is provided on the outside of the first link 4 (outside in the forward and backward direction of the traveling direction), and the connecting rod 11 connected to this third link 6 is arranged to pass between the pipe frame 31 and the cover body 32 of the side working body 3.

[0025] Reference numeral 8 denotes a connecting pin of the link mechanism 7 that rotatably connects the first link 4, the second link 5, and the third link 6. That is, as best shown in Fig. 7, the connecting pin 8 is a common pin that passes through the first elongated hole 41, the second elongated hole 63, and the pivot hole 5b and rotatably connects the first link 4, the third link 6, and the second link 5.

[0026] The side working body 3 is deployed and fixed in a working state by a rotating operation described later, and is folded and stored in a non-working state.

[0027] Reference numeral 9 denotes a cylinder provided on the side working body 3, which rotates the side working body 3. This cylinder 9 has a fulcrum portion 9a where a cylinder fulcrum 9b is formed on the pipe frame 21 of the central working body 2. Reference numeral 9c denotes a cylinder rod provided at the tip of the cylinder 9, which moves back and forth by pressure oil sent from a pump (not shown). This cylinder rod 9c is connected to the second link 5, and its forward and backward movement rotates the side working body 3 via the second link 5 and the first link 4.

[0028] Reference numeral 10 denotes a folding fulcrum portion on which the link mechanism 7 is disposed. That is, as shown in Fig. 7, the folding fulcrum portion 10 is configured by rotatably inserting a pin 10a through the overlapping portion between the folding end portion 21a of the pipe frame 21 of the central working body 2 provided within the first link 4 and the folding end portion 31a of the pipe frame 31 of the side working body 3 provided within this folding end portion 21a.

[0029] Reference numeral 11 denotes a connecting rod of a predetermined length connected to the third link 6, and as shown in Fig. 5, a tip end 11a is rotatably engaged with a fixed member 17 provided on the cover body 32 of the side working body 3. The connecting rod 11 may be one that can be extended and retracted to a predetermined length by a screw portion.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 8, the ends of the central working body 2 and the side working bodies 3 on the connecting side are provided with a mechanism for fixing or releasing the connection. That is, the end 2b on the connecting side of the cover body 28 on the central working body 2 side is provided with an engaging part 13 with a top part 13a formed in a convex shape for smooth rotation, and an engaging pin 13b is protruding from the tip. On the other hand, the end 3b on the connecting side of the cover body 32 on the side working body 3 side is provided with a receiving part 14 with an engaging hole 14a recessed to engage with the engaging pin 13. A rotatable fixing member 17 is provided on the receiving part 14. A hook hole 17a is formed on one end of the fixing member 17, which is engaged with the engaging part 13 when the connecting members are fixed, and is removed from the engaging part 13 when the connecting members are released. The tip 11a of the connecting rod 11 is rotatably engaged with the base end 17b of the fixing member 17. In Fig. 1 and other figures, 16 denotes a support member provided on the cover body 28. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 3 a denotes an outer end portion of the side working body 3 .

[0031] In FIG. 5, 18 is a cultivating unit, which is composed of a rotor shaft 18a that can rotate horizontally to the left and right of the traveling direction, and a plurality of tines 18b that are provided on the rotor shaft 18a at intervals in the circumferential and axial directions. 19 is a leveling body, which is composed of a first leveling body 19a at the upper stage and a second leveling body 19b at the lower stage that are rotatably connected. 20a shown in FIG. 1 and the like is a chain case of the central working body 2, and 20b is a chain case of the side working body 3. The cultivating unit 18 is rotated by the power received by the input shaft 25 and transmitted to the chain cases 20a and 20b via the speed change unit 22. The leveling body 19 levels the soil that has been crushed by the rotation of the cultivating unit 18. In the embodiment, the chain case 20b is provided on the outer end 3a of the side working body 3, but it can be omitted. In this case, the tilling section 18 of the side working body 3 receives power from the tilling section 18 of the central working body 2 and the chain case 20a to be driven.

[0032] FIG. 10 is a hydraulic circuit diagram of the cylinder 9. For convenience, only the circuit of the cylinder that rotates one of the side working bodies 3 is shown. In the figure, 9d indicates a directional control valve, P is connected to the pump side of the tractor (not shown), and T is connected to the tank side of the tractor. The cylinders 9 include a cylinder 9L located on the left side of the traveling direction and rotating the left side working body 3, and a cylinder 9R located on the right side of the traveling direction and rotating the right side working body 3. When there is no need to specifically mention the left and right cylinders individually, they will be described as cylinders 9. The directional control valve 9d shown in the figure indicates the circuit of the cylinder 9 that operates either the left or right side working body 3. The directional control valve 9d includes a directional control valve 9dL that operates the cylinder 9L, and a directional control valve 9dR that operates the cylinder 9R. When there is no need to individually mention the directional control valves, they will be referred to as the directional control valve 9d.

[0033] Here, the effect of specifying the loose fitting position of the connecting pin 8 to the first position to the fourth position will be considered. Regarding the first position 41a, when the connecting pin 8 moves to the first position 41a on the base end side of the first long hole 41 during rotation to the deployment side, that is, when the side working body 3 applies a load due to its own weight to the link mechanism 7 in the rotation direction, the connecting pin 8 moves to the first position 41a side, which is closer to the virtual line L1 and in the direction of gravity. Conversely, when the connecting pin 8 moves to the second position 41b on the tip side of the first long hole 41 during rotation to the deployment side, that is, when storing, the connecting pin 8 moves to the second position 41b side, which is away from the virtual line L1 and in the opposite direction to the direction of gravity. Therefore, there is an effect of limiting the positions of the first position 41a on the base end side of the first long hole 41 and the second position 41b on the tip side. The third position 63a and the fourth position 63b are determined by the direction in which the third link 6 can be rotated. By setting the positions in this embodiment, the third link 6 itself is positioned at the center or below the link mechanism 7 during deployment, and does not protrude inadvertently from the link mechanism 7. In other words, since only the third link 6 does not protrude upward from the link mechanism 7, it is possible to prevent accidental contact by an operator and improve the appearance.

[0034] When the side working body 3 rotates between the stored state and the deployed state, the control unit 80 can grasp the position of the side working body 3, thereby enabling a smooth transition between the respective states.

[0035] The sensor 70 is provided at a position offset from the first link 4 in the traveling direction. In the first embodiment, the sensor 70 is located behind the first link 4, which is located on the rear side of the cylinder 9 in the traveling direction. The sensor 70 is fixed to the folding end portion 21a of the central working body 2, which is the first working body, by a sensor bracket 71. In other words, it can be said that the sensor 70 is fixed to the central working body 2.

[0036] A detection piece 72 is fixed to the first link 4. As shown in FIG. 7, the detection piece 72 is a member in which the end of a plate material is bent into a crank shape, and is provided near the first link rotation fulcrum 42. The detection piece 72 is arranged so that a detection surface 72a located at the end protruding from the first link 4 faces the sensor 70. Since the detection piece 72 is fixed integrally with the first link 4, it rotates integrally with the rotation of the first link 4. As shown in FIG. 11 to FIG. 18, as viewed from the axial direction of the folding fulcrum portion 10, the detection piece 72 is provided so that a position where the detection surface 72a overlaps with the sensor 70 and a position where the detection surface 72a does not overlap can be formed depending on the rotation position of the side working body 3. In this embodiment, the detection surface 72a is configured to overlap with the sensor 70 when the side working body 3 is in the unfolded state, and to not overlap with the sensor 70 when the side working body 3 is in a state other than the unfolded state, including the completely stored state.

[0037] 7, at the position where the detection surface 72a and the sensor 70 overlap, a gap S is provided between the detection surface 72a and the sensor 70. This gap S is empty space, and the sensor 70 operates when the detection surface 72a overlaps with the sensor 70 and gap S is formed. In other words, the sensor 70 is a proximity sensor, and the detection distance may be 2 to 6 mm. In this embodiment, the sensor 70 has a suitable detection distance of 4 mm.

[0038] When the sensor 70 overlaps with the sensor 70 and a gap S is formed, that is, when the side working body 3 is deployed and positioned to the side of the central working body 2, the sensor 70 operates and transmits a detection signal to the control unit 80. Upon receiving the detection signal from the control unit 80, it recognizes that the side working body 3 is in the deployed state.

[0039] The sensor 70 in the embodiment is of a type that detects at least metal. The detection piece 70 is made of a conductor made of metal. The sensor 70 is not limited to a non-contact detection type as long as it can detect metal. For example, it may be a type that detects a change in impedance caused by the approach of metal, a type that detects a change in capacitance, or a type that operates with a magnet placed on the object to be detected. In addition, when a type that detects a change in capacitance is adopted for the sensor 70, it is sufficient to be able to detect a dielectric as the object to be detected, so the detection piece 70 may be made of resin.

[0040] Because the sensor 70 operates without contact with the detection surface 72a, which is the object to be detected, via the gap S, the detection position will not shift even if a foreign object adheres to the detection surface 72a or the sensor 70. Therefore, the control unit 80 can be made to recognize that the side working body 3 is in the deployed position regardless of environmental influences. By repeatedly changing the side working body 3 from the deployed state to the stored state, it is possible to avoid erroneous detection caused by wear and deterioration of the object to be detected or the sensor itself.

[0041] In addition to the sensor 70, the control unit 80 is connected to the operation unit 81 that is manually operated by the worker, and the directional control valve 9d, the notification unit 82, the leveling body operation unit 83, and the extended leveling body operation unit 84, which are the operating parts. In addition, operating parts can be added as necessary. The connection with these may be wired or wireless. In addition, there is no limitation on the communication method and transmission method. The control unit 80 is disposed on the upper part of the cover body 28 of the pipe frame 21 of the central working body 2. More preferably, it may be above the pipe frame 21. In the embodiment, the control unit 80 is disposed on the side of the top mast 23. By disposing it in this way, it is possible to keep it away from the source of mud scattering and to facilitate communication with the tractor, which is a traveling machine body not shown.

[0042] The control unit 80 receives a detection signal transmitted from the sensor 70 that detects the deployed state of the side working body 3. When the control unit 80 receives a detection signal, it is configured to recognize that the side working body 3 is in the deployed state. In other words, the control unit 80 can determine whether or not the side working body 3 is in the deployed state based on the operation of the sensor 70.

[0043] The sensors 70 are composed of sensor 70a which detects the unfolded state of the left side working body 3, and sensor 70b which detects the unfolded state of the right side working body 3. Sensor 70a is placed at the folding end 21a on the left side in the traveling direction of the central working body, and detects the unfolded state of the left side working body 3. Sensor 70b is placed at the folding end 21a on the right side in the traveling direction of the central working body, and detects the unfolded state of the right side working body 3.

[0044] The control unit 80 judges the deployment state of the left or right side working body 3 based on the detection signal obtained from the sensor 70. Then, based on the result of this judgment, it controls the operations to be performed by the directional control valve 9d, the notification unit 82, the ground leveling body operating unit 83, and the extended ground leveling body operating unit 84. The notification unit 82 is a member that notifies the worker by display or sound. In this embodiment, it is arranged close to the control unit. The operation unit 81 is arranged close to the traveling machine body and the worker, and is operated manually by the worker to operate the side working body 3 and the ground leveling body 19 via the control unit 80.

[0045] The leveling body operating unit 83 is composed of a left leveling body operating unit 83a, a right leveling body operating unit 83b, and a central leveling body operating unit 83c, and is a device that switches the leveling bodies 19, consisting of the first leveling body 19a and the second leveling body 19b of the central working body 2 and the side working body 3, between a plowing state in which they can be rotated up and down, and a pile-up state in which they cannot be rotated up and down. The central leveling body operating unit 83c controls the operation of the first leveling body 19a and the second leveling body 19b of the central working body 2, the left leveling body operating unit 83a controls the operation of the first leveling body 19a and the second leveling body 19b of the left side working body 3, and the right leveling body operating unit 83b controls the operation of the first leveling body 19a and the second leveling body 19b of the left side working body 3. With the above-mentioned configuration, in response to the operation of the operating unit 81, the ground leveling body operating unit 83 can individually control the ground leveling bodies 19 of the central working body 2 and the side working bodies 3.

[0046] The extended leveling body operating unit 84 is composed of a left extended leveling body operating unit 83a and a right extended leveling body operating unit 83b. The extended leveling body operating unit 84 operates the extended leveling body 19c provided on the second leveling body 19b of the side working body 3. The extended leveling body 19c is an end of the second leveling body 19b of each of the left and right side working bodies 3, and is arranged outside in the width direction relative to the traveling direction. By the operation of the extended leveling body operating unit 84, the extended leveling body 19c can be changed between an expanded state in which it protrudes outward from the side working body 3, and a stored state in which it does not protrude outward from the side working body 3 and is folded on the second leveling body 19b. The left and right extended leveling body operating units 84 can be individually controlled by the operation of the operating unit 81.

[0047] An example of control of the rotation of the side working body 3 by the control unit 8 based on a judgment of whether or not it is in the deployed state will be described. For example, even if the side working body 3 is in the deployed state and a signal to put it in the deployed state is received from the operation unit 81, the directional control valve 9d is controlled not to move, and the cylinder 9 is not extended or retracted. Then, the notification unit 82 is caused to issue a notification by display or sound that it is inoperable. On the other hand, when the side working body 3 is in the deployed state and a signal to put it in the stored state is received from the operation unit 81, the directional control valve 9d is controlled to operate, and the cylinder 9 is operated. Then, the notification unit 82 is caused to issue a notification by display or sound that it is in operation.

[0048] An example of control of the ground leveling body 19 based on the judgment of the deployment state by the control unit 80 will be described. When the control unit 80 judges that the side working body 3 is in the deployed state, the ground leveling bodies 19 arranged on the central working body 2 and the side working body 3 must be moved up and down in a synchronized manner, so the ground leveling body operating unit 83 arranged on each of them also operates in a synchronized manner. On the other hand, when the control unit 80 judges that the side working body 3 is not in the deployed state, that is, when it judges that the side working body 3 is in the stored state, work can be performed only with the central working body 2, so the ground leveling body operating unit 83 of the central working body 2 is operated so as to operate only the ground leveling body 19 of the central working body 2. Also, since it is preferable that the ground leveling body 19 of the side working body 3 when the side working body 3 is in the stored state is fixed integrally with other members, the ground leveling body operating unit 83 that operates the ground leveling body 19 of the side working body 3 maintains the state in which the ground leveling body 19 is fixed so that it cannot be rotated up and down. Therefore, the ground leveling body 19 of the central working body 2 can be switched between a state in which it cannot rotate up and down and a state in which it can, while the ground leveling body 19 of the side working body 3 remains fixed.

[0049] An example of control of the extended ground leveling body 19c by the control unit 80 will be described. When the control unit 80 judges that the side working body 3 is in the deployed state, the control unit 80, receiving an operation command from the operation unit 81, operates the extended ground leveling body operating unit 84 without any restrictions to deploy and store the extended ground leveling bodies 19c of the left and right side working bodies 3. When the control unit 80 judges that the side working body 3 is not in the deployed state, that is, in the stored state, it restricts the operation of the extended ground leveling body operating unit 84 so that the extended ground leveling body 19c of the determined side working body 3 does not deploy or store.

[0050] Furthermore, when the side working body 3 is changed from the deployed state to the stored state by the worker's operation of the operation unit 81 while the extended ground leveling body 19c remains in the deployed state, the extended ground leveling body 19c is operated to forcibly shift to the stored state, and the side working body 3 is operated to shift to the stored state. In this way, the extended ground leveling body 19c protruding from the side working body 3 is prevented from contacting other members.

[0051] In addition to the above examples, it is possible to control the operation of the working parts by having the control unit 80 determine whether the side working body 3 is in the deployed state. The control unit allows or does not allow the operation of the working parts on the condition that the side working body 3 is in the deployed state.

[0052] Next, the operation of each part of the agricultural work machine 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 11 to 19. In the figures, G indicates the center of gravity of the side working body 3. Figs. 11 to 19 are views showing the periphery of the right-side folding fulcrum as viewed from the rear side in the traveling direction. In the explanation, attention will be focused on the rotation of the side working body 3 arranged on the right side in the traveling direction. The rotation of the side working body 3 arranged on the left side in the traveling direction is symmetrical to the right side, and a repeated explanation will be omitted.

[0053] (Storage → Deployment) First, the operation of changing the agricultural work machine 1 from the stored state to the deployed state will be described. In the stored state shown in Fig. 11, the cylinder 9 is in a contracted state, and the connecting pin 8 is located at the first position 41a in the first elongated hole 41 and at the third position 63a in the second elongated hole 63 (Fig. 21(A)). At this time, the connecting pin 8 is located at the first position 41a, and is located above the imaginary straight line L1 that connects the cylinder fulcrum 9b, which is the connecting part of the cylinder 9, and the second link rotation fulcrum 51. Also, the fixing member 17 is not engaged with other members.

[0054] Furthermore, the detection surface 72a does not overlap with the sensor 70b, which means that the sensor 70b is not emitting a detection signal, and the control unit 80 recognizes that the right-side working body 3 is in the stored state.

[0055] Next, as shown in FIG. 12, the rod 9c of the cylinder 9 is extended. Then, since the direction in which the rod 9c extends and the longitudinal direction of the first elongated hole 41 are inclined relative to each other, the connecting pin 8, which was at the first position 41a, moves in the first elongated hole 41 by a component force in the direction in which the rod 9c extends, and moves to the second position 41b (FIG. 21(B)). More specifically, the rod 9c is extended by applying pressure to the bottom side of the cylinder 9. At this time, since the connecting pin 8 is located above the virtual straight line L1, the force extending the rod 9c is also branched upward, and the connecting pin 8 in the first elongated hole 41 is pushed up from the first position 41a toward the second position 41b. The rod 9c moves at a constant speed by the fluid sent from the pump side.

[0056] The third link 6 rotates relatively to the first link 4 as the connecting pin 8 is pushed up from the first position 41a toward the second position 41b and moves from the third position 63a to the fourth position 63b. As a result, the fixing member 17 (shown in FIG. 8) rotates, but at this point in time, this does not have any particular effect on the others (FIG. 12).

[0057] Furthermore, the detection surface 72a does not overlap with the sensor 70b, which means that the sensor 70b is not emitting a detection signal, and the control unit 80 recognizes that the right-side working body 3 is in the stored state.

[0058] Next, as shown in Fig. 13, the rod 9c of the cylinder 9 continues to protrude further. The connecting pin 8, which was in the second position 41b, attempts to move from the first position 41a toward the second position 41b due to the component force of the extending rod 9c, but since it is already in the second position 41b, it maintains this second position 41b (Fig. 21(C)). Then, the extension of the rod 9c of the cylinder 9 causes the first link 4 to rotate. As a result, the side working body 3 rotates so as to be lifted toward the deployment side.

[0059] Since the connecting pin 8 remains in the fourth position 63b within the second long hole 63, the third link 6 rotates around the first link rotation fulcrum 42 together with the first link 4, but maintains its position relative to the first link 4 (Figure 13).

[0060] 13, the detection surface 72a does not overlap with the sensor 70b, which means that the sensor 70b is not emitting a detection signal, and the control unit 80 recognizes that the right-side working body 3 is in the stored state.

[0061] Next, as shown in FIG. 14, if the rod 9c of the cylinder 9 continues to protrude further, the side working body 3 continues to rotate, and before long, the center of gravity G of the side working body 3 approaches the point just above the folding fulcrum 10. Up to this point, the center of gravity G of the side working body 3 is located at the top of the central working body 2, and the rod 9c is extended by the fluid sent from the pump side to the bottom side of the cylinder 9, so the side working body 3 is lifted. The pressure in the circuit on the bottom side of the cylinder 9 (from the valve to the bottom side) gradually decreases until the center of gravity G of the side working body 3 passes directly above the folding fulcrum 10. Also, the pressure on the circuit side discharged from the rod 9c side of the cylinder 9 is not high.

[0062] 14, the detection surface 72a gradually approaches the sensor 70b but does not overlap with the sensor 70b. In other words, the sensor 70b is not emitting a detection signal, and the control unit 80 recognizes that the right-side working body 3 is in the stored state.

[0063] 15, when the rod 9c of the cylinder 9 is protruded, the side working body 3 rotates and its center of gravity G passes directly above the folding fulcrum portion 10. Then, as the center of gravity G of the side working body 3 moves laterally from the central working body 2, the side working body 3 tries to fall under its own weight in the unfolding direction. At this time, the side working body 3 tries to rotate and fall in the direction of its own weight faster than the rod 9c which extends at a constant speed, so the pressure of the rod 9c which had been pushing up the first link 4 is also relieved, and the connecting pin 8 which is located at the second position 41b above the imaginary line L1 connecting the cylinder fulcrum 9b and the second link rotation fulcrum 51 and above the first position 41a is pulled by the side working body 3 which tries to fall under its own weight and moves to the first position 41a to approach the imaginary line L1. In other words, when the connecting pin 8 is moving to the unfolding side, it is affected by the falling motion of the side working body 3 due to its own weight, and moves from the second position 41b to the first position 41a in the first long hole 41 (FIG. 21(E)). Also, it is affected by the movement of the connecting pin 8 and moves from the fourth position 63b to the third position 63a in the second long hole 63, and rotates the fixing member 17 (shown in FIG. 8).

[0064] The longitudinal distance of the first long hole 41 is set to be less than twice the diameter of the connecting pin 8 (preferably 1.6 times as in this embodiment). This makes it possible to reduce the free running distance or free running angle, which is the distance or angle that the side working body 3 tries to rotate due to its own weight when moving from the second position 41b to the first position 41a. In other words, it is possible to make the side working body 3 rotate smoothly, as well as to make the free running distance of the side working body 3 as small as possible, and to effectively and minimize the rotation angle of the third link 6. This makes it possible to prevent the side working body 3 from starting to be supported again by the first link 4 and the second link 5 when the side working body 3 has gained momentum in natural rotation, so that the entire agricultural machine does not sway (FIG. 15).

[0065] This point will be explained in more detail. The free running distance or angle is a section in which the side working body 3 can rotate freely regardless of whether the cylinder 9 is raised or lowered, and during free running, it is a section in which it can rotate under its own weight. When free running starts, the rotation speed increases at an accelerated rate. If the length of the first long hole 41 is set to a length twice or more the diameter of the connecting pin 8, the side working body 3 in a state in which the rotation speed increases at an accelerated rate will stop free running when the connecting pin 8 reaches the end of the first long hole 41, and this tends to increase the impact. Therefore, by setting the length to twice the diameter or less, it is possible to stop the free running before the rotation speed increases, and therefore it is possible to minimize the occurrence of the impact. Furthermore, by reducing the length of the first long hole 41, the length of the second long hole 63 provided in the third link 6 can also be reduced, so that the third link 6 can rotate the rotating member with the minimum necessary rotation. This prevents the third link 6 from becoming large, and prevents the entire link mechanism 7 from becoming large. In other words, it is possible to make the link mechanism 7 compact, and the appearance design is improved.

[0066] Also, since the cylinder 9 operates at a constant speed, it acts as if pulling on the reins of the side working body 3 that is trying to rapidly rotate and fall in the direction of its own weight. At this time, the rotation speed of the side working body 3 is suppressed via the second link 5, so the rod 9c extends due to the fluid sent from the pump side from the bottom side of the cylinder 9, but the pressure in the circuit on the rod 9c side of the cylinder 9 (rod 9c side to valve) begins to rise due to the force pulling the rod 9c. In other words, the back pressure rises. When the center of gravity G of the side working body 3 passes directly above the folding fulcrum section 10, the cylinder 9, which receives the rotation load due to its own weight, remains in a state of high back pressure. The pressure in the circuit on the bottom side of the cylinder 9 decreases compared to when the unfolding operation started, but the pump continues to pump the fluid, so the rod 9c continues to extend at a constant speed (Fig. 15).

[0067] Furthermore, the load applied to the cylinder 9 changes due to the movement of the center of gravity G, and back pressure is applied to the cylinder 9. This change in pressure causes the connecting pin 8 to change its position in the first elongated hole 41 from the second position 41b to the first position 41a. Furthermore, this movement of the connecting pin 8 causes the third link 6, which is another member, to operate (FIG. 15).

[0068] The detection surface 72a in Fig. 15 is closer to the sensor 70b than in the state in Fig. 14, but is not overlapped with the sensor 70b. In other words, the sensor 70b is not emitting a detection signal, and the control unit 80 recognizes that the right-side working body 3 is in the stored state.

[0069] 16, the side working body 3 itself continues to unfold until the engaging portion 13 of the central working body 2 engages with the receiving portion 14 of the side working body 3. During this time, the position of the connecting pin 8 remains at the first position 41a in the first elongated hole 41, and at the third position 63a in the second elongated hole 63, and in this state the side working body 3 rotates in the unfolding direction.

[0070] The detection surface 72a in Fig. 16 is even closer to the sensor 70b than in the state in Fig. 15. Although the sensor 70b and the detection surface 72a appear to overlap in Fig. 16, the detection surface 72a does not overlap the detection portion of the sensor 70b. In other words, the detection surface 72a is not actually within the detectable range of the sensor 70b, and does not substantially overlap with the sensor 70b. In other words, the sensor 70b is not emitting a detection signal, and the control unit 80 recognizes that the right-side working body 3 is in the stored state.

[0071] At the moment when the engaging portion 13 engages with the receiving portion 14, the side working body 3 stops rotating in the direction of its own weight as shown in Fig. 17, and the load on the cylinder 9 that pulls it toward the rod 9c is released, which means that the increase in back pressure on the cylinder 9 is released.

[0072] 17, the detection surface 72a overlaps with the detection portion of the sensor 70b. In other words, the moment the engagement portion 13 engages with the receiving portion 14, the sensor 70b detects the detection surface 72a that has entered its detectable range and issues a detection signal. Therefore, at this point, the control unit 80 recognizes that the right-side working body 3 is in the deployed state.

[0073] When the rod 9c is further extended with the engagement portion 13 engaged with the receiving portion 14, as shown in FIG. 18, pressure is applied to the bottom side of the cylinder 9, so that the rod 9c tries to further extend. At this time, the longitudinal direction of the first long hole 41 is arranged to be substantially the same as the advancing and retracting direction of the cylinder 9 or to be slightly inclined from the advancing and retracting direction, so that the connecting pin 8 located in the first long hole 41 moves from the first position 41a to the second position 41b (FIG. 21(H)). In addition, the connecting pin 8 moving in the first long hole 41 moves from the third position 63a to the fourth position 63b in the second long hole 63 of the third link 6 (FIG. 21(H)). Therefore, the third link 6 rotates and pushes down the connecting rod 11. As a result, the fixing member 17 connected to the other end of the connecting rod 11 also rotates in conjunction with the connecting rod 11. By rotating the fixing member 17, the hook portion 17a is caught by the engaging portion 13 and fixed to the central working body 2 so as to prevent the side working body 3 from rotating toward the storage side, and the rotation of the side working body 3 toward the deployment side is terminated. As a result, each working body is in the deployed state shown in Figure 1, and agricultural work is performed in this state.

[0074] 18 maintains the state in which the detection surface 72a overlaps with the detection portion of the sensor 70b, as in FIG. 17. The first link 4, which is the movable member to which the detection piece 72 is attached, does not change its relative angle with respect to the pipe frame 21 even when moving from the state in FIG. 17 to the state in FIG. 18. In other words, the relative positional relationship between the sensor 70b and the detection surface 72a does not change either. Therefore, the control unit 80 maintains the state in which it has determined that the right-side side working body 3 is in the deployed state.

[0075] At the moment when the engaging portion 13 engages with the receiving portion 14, the connecting pin 8 located in the first elongated hole 41 starts moving again, provided that the increase in back pressure is released. The movement of the connecting pin 8 within the first elongated hole 41 causes the third link 6 to start moving.

[0076] (Deployment → Storage) Next, the operation of changing the agricultural work machine 1 according to the embodiment from the unfolded state to the stored state will be described. As shown in Fig. 18, in the unfolded state, the cylinder 9 is in an extended state, and the connecting pin 8 is located at the second position 41b in the first elongated hole 41 and at the fourth position 63b in the second elongated hole 63 (Fig. 21(H)). The connecting pin 8 is located above the imaginary straight line L1 connecting the cylinder fulcrum 9b on the central work body 2 side and the second link rotation fulcrum 51. Also, the fixing member 17 is in a fixed state with the hook hole 17a hooked on the engagement pin 13b. The cylinder 9 maintains the extended state, and the connecting pin 8 maintains the second position 41b and the fourth position 63b.

[0077] The detection surface 72a is overlapping with the detection portion of the sensor 70b, and the sensor 70b is emitting a detection signal, which means that the control unit 80 has determined that the right-hand side working body 3 is in the deployed state.

[0078] Next, as shown in Fig. 17, when the rod 9c of the cylinder 9 is moved in the retracting direction, the connecting pin 8, which was in the second position 41b, moves inside the first long hole 41 to the first position 41a (Fig. 21(G)). By sending fluid from the pump side to the rod 9c side of the cylinder 9, the rod 9c moves in the retracting direction at a constant speed.

[0079] The position of the connecting pin 8 relative to the third link 6 moves from the fourth position 63b to the third position 63a in conjunction with the movement of the connecting pin 8 from the second position 41b toward the first position 41a (FIG. 21(G)). Then, the third link 6 rotates relative to the first link 4, and the hook of the fixing member 17 rotates in a direction to disengage from the engaging pin 13b. In other words, the fixation of the side working body 3 to the central working body 2 is released.

[0080] Furthermore, the relative angle of the first link 4 in the state of Fig. 17 with respect to the pipe frame 21 does not change even when the state of Fig. 18 is shifted to the state of Fig. 17. The detection surface 72a of the sensor 70 maintains a state in which the detection surface 72a overlaps the detection portion of the sensor 70b, as in Fig. 18. Therefore, the control unit 80 maintains the state in which it has determined that the right-side working body 3 is in the deployed state.

[0081] 16, when the rod 9c of the cylinder 9 is moved in the retracting direction, the side working body 3 starts to rotate towards the storage side. The side working body 3 rotates towards the storage side while the connecting pin 8 of the first link 4 remains in the first position 41a and the connecting pin 8 of the second link 5 remains in the third position 63a (FIG. 21(F)).

[0082] 16, the detection surface 72a of the sensor 70b is no longer overlapped with the detection portion of the sensor 70b. In other words, the moment the engagement between the receiving portion 14 and the engaging portion 13 is released, the detection surface 72a leaves the detectable range of the sensor 70b, and the sensor 70b stops transmitting the detection signal. At this point, the control unit 80 determines that the right side working body 3 is not in the deployed state. Although the side working body 3 is not actually in the completely stored state, the control unit 80 determines that it is in the stored state.

[0083] As the side working body 3 continues to rotate towards the storage side, as shown in Fig. 15, the center of gravity G of the side working body 3 soon approaches the point just above the folding fulcrum 10. Up to this point, the center of gravity G of the side working body 3 is located to the side of the folding fulcrum 10, and the rod 9c is submerged by the fluid sent from the rod 9c side of the cylinder 9 from the pump side, and the side working body 3 is lifted from the deployed position. The pressure in the circuit on the rod 9c side of the cylinder 9 (the valve to rod 9c side) gradually decreases until the center of gravity G of the side working body 3 is located directly above the folding fulcrum 10. Also, the pressure on the circuit side discharged from the bottom side of the cylinder 9 is not high.

[0084] The detection surface 72a in Fig. 15 is further away from the sensor 70b than in the state in Fig. 16, and does not overlap with the sensor 70b. In other words, the sensor 70b is not emitting a detection signal, and the control unit 80 continues to determine that the right-side side working body 3 is in the stored state.

[0085] When the rod 9c of the cylinder 9 is further retracted, the center of gravity G of the side working body 3 passes directly above the folding fulcrum portion 10 as shown in FIG. 14. The center of gravity G of the side working body 3 moves from the side of the central working body 2 to above the central working body 2, so that the side working body 3 tries to fall by its own weight in the direction of storage. At this time, the connecting pin 8 is located above the cylinder fulcrum 9b and the second link fulcrum rotation. Since the side working body 3 tries to rotate and fall in the direction of its own weight faster than the rod 9c retracting at a constant speed, the connecting pin 8 tries to be pushed up to the second position 41b, which is the upper side in the first long hole 41, via the second link 5. In other words, when the connecting pin 8 is moving in the direction of storage, it is subjected to the falling action of the side working body 3 by its own weight, and moves from the first position 41a to the second position 41b of the first long hole 41 (FIG. 21(D)). Furthermore, in response to the movement of the connecting pin 8, the third link 6 moves from the third position 63a to the fourth position 63b in the second elongated hole 63 (FIG. 21(D)). The movement of the connecting pin 8 causes the third link 6 to rotate, thereby rotating the fixed member 17, but at this point in time the fixed member 17 does not act on other members.

[0086] Since the cylinder 9 is retracting at a constant speed, it acts to support the side working body 3 which is trying to rapidly rotate and fall in the direction of its own weight. At this time, since the side working body 3 is supported via the second link 5, the rod 9c is retracted by the fluid sent from the pump side to the rod 9c side of the cylinder 9, but a force is generated that tries to retract the rod 9c further. In other words, the pressure in the circuit on the bottom side of the cylinder 9 (bottom side to valve) starts to rise, and the back pressure starts to increase. When the center of gravity G of the side working body 3 during the retracting operation passes directly above the folding fulcrum section 10, the cylinder 9, which receives the rotation load due to its own weight, switches to a state of high back pressure. The pressure in the circuit on the rod 9c side of the cylinder 9 drops compared to when retracting started, but the pump continues to pump the fluid, so the rod 9c continues to extend at a constant speed.

[0087] Since the longitudinal direction of the first long hole 41 is small, it is possible to reduce the free running distance or free running angle, which is the distance or angle that the side working body 3 tries to rotate under its own weight when moving from the first position 41a to the second position 41b. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first link 4 and the second link 5 from starting to support the side working body 3 again in a state where the side working body 3 has gained momentum due to rotation caused by natural fall, so that the entire agricultural machine does not sway.

[0088] The movement of the center of gravity G changes the load applied to the cylinder 9, and back pressure is applied to the cylinder 9. When the pressure inside the cylinder 9 changes, the connecting pin 8 changes its position inside the first elongated hole 41 from the first position 41a to the second position 41b (FIG. 21(D)). Furthermore, this movement of the connecting pin 8 causes the third link 6, which is another member, to operate.

[0089] 14, the detection surface 72a does not overlap with the sensor 70b, and the sensor 70b does not emit a detection signal. Therefore, the control unit 80 continues to determine that the right-side side working body 3 is in the stored state.

[0090] Next, as shown in Fig. 13, the rod 9c of the cylinder 9 continues to be retracted further. The connecting pin 8, which was in the second position 41b, maintains the second position 41b as the rod 9c retracts, causing the first link 4 to rotate (Fig. 21(C)). Then, the side working body 3 rotates in the storage direction while being supported by the rod 9c of the cylinder 9 via the second link 5 connected to the connecting pin 8. Since the connecting pin 8 maintains the fourth position 63b in the second elongated hole 63, the third link 6 rotates around the first link rotation fulcrum 42 together with the first link 4, but maintains its relative positional relationship with the first link 4.

[0091] 13, the detection surface 72a does not overlap with the sensor 70b, and the sensor 70b does not emit a detection signal. Therefore, the control unit 80 continues to determine that the right-side side working body 3 is in the stored state.

[0092] When the rod 9c of the cylinder 9 is further retracted, the side working body 3 reaches the storage position as shown in Fig. 12. Although not shown, the side working body 3 that has reached the storage position maintains the storage position because a support portion (not shown) provided near the center of the central working body 2 supports the side portion 3a of the side working body 3 different from the folding fulcrum portion 10 of the side working body 3. The moment the side working body 3 reaches the storage position, the connecting pin 8 maintains the second position 41b and the fourth position 63b (Fig. 21(B)). At this time, the rotational movement of the side working body 3 due to its own weight stops, so the back pressure applied to the cylinder 9 is released, and a pressure change occurs within the cylinder 9.

[0093] 12, as in Fig. 13, the detection surface 72a does not overlap with the sensor 70b, and the sensor 70b does not emit a detection signal, so the control unit 80 continues to determine that the right-side working body 3 is in the stored state.

[0094] 11, the rod 9c of the cylinder 9 is retracted. At this time, the connecting pin 8, which is located at the second position 41b and the fourth position 63b, is located above the imaginary line L1 connecting the cylinder fulcrum 9b and the second link rotation fulcrum 51. However, since the cylinder 9 no longer needs to support the side working body 3, the rod 9c moves further toward the retracted side to move the connecting pin 8 closer to the imaginary line L1. In other words, the retraction of the rod 9c acts to make the cylinder 9 and the second link 5 parallel to the imaginary line L1, so the connecting pin 8 moves from the second position 41b to the first position 41a with respect to the first long hole 41, and from the fourth position 63b toward the third position 63a with respect to the second long hole 63 (FIG. 21(A)).

[0095] As a result, the cylinder 9, which is operated in response to the pressure change, moves the connecting pin 8 from the second position 41b toward the first position 41a, and in response thereto, the third link 6 moves from the fourth position 63b to the third position 63a (FIG. 21(A)), causing the third link 6 to rotate relatively to the first link 4. In this embodiment, the rotation of the third link 6 causes the fixed member 17 to rotate, but this fixed member 17 does not engage with other members.

[0096] Since the connecting pin 8 is also a pin that connects the first link 4, the second link 5, and the rod 9c of the cylinder 9 as a single item, this embodiment can simplify the components. In addition, the connecting pin 8 also serves as an operating member that rotates the third link 6 by moving through the first long hole 41, so no other member is required to operate the third link 6.

[0097] 11, as in Fig. 12, the detection surface 72a does not overlap with the sensor 70b, and the sensor 70b does not emit a detection signal, so the control unit 80 continues to determine that the right-side working body 3 is in the stored state.

[0098] As explained above, the control unit 80 judges whether the side working body 3 is in the unfolded state by receiving a detection signal emitted when the detection surface 72a overlaps with the detection portion of the sensor 70b. The control unit 80 is configured to judge the unfolded state as a state in which the cover body 32 of the central working body 2 and the cover body 32 of the side working body 2 are adjacent to each other on a straight line, which is a state in which the engagement portion 13 is engaged with the receiving portion 14. In other words, the control unit 80 judges all states in which the cover body 32 of the central working body 2 and the cover body 32 of the side working body 2 are not adjacent to each other in parallel to each other as the stored state.

[0099] The determination of the stored state by the control unit 80 will be described in more detail. When the control unit 80 determines that the working bodies 2 and 3 are in the deployed state, the control unit 80 can freely operate the leveling body operating unit 83, the extended leveling body operating unit 84, and the extended leveling body operating unit 84, which are the operating parts of the working bodies 2 and 3, in response to manual operation of the operating unit. The leveling body 19 can be switched between a piling state and a plowing state by switching it between a rotatable state and a non-rotatable state. The extended leveling body operating unit 84 can also be switched between an deployed state and a stored state in response to manual operation of the operating unit.

[0100] If the ground leveling body operating unit 83, the extended ground leveling body operating unit 84, and the extended ground leveling body operating unit 84, which are the operating parts, operate in a position determined to be in the stored state by the control unit 80, inconvenience may occur. In particular, in the side working body 3, the position and state of the ground leveling body 19 and the extended ground leveling body 19c are important.

[0101] For example, in the case of Fig. 11, which shows the completely physically stored state, if the leveling body 19 of the side working body is switched to a rotatable state due to an operator's erroneous operation of the operating unit 81, the leveling body 19 of the side working body 3 will become rotatable, causing the stored posture to be disturbed, which may cause an impediment to travel. Also, if the extended leveling body 19c is placed in an unfolded state due to an erroneous operation of the operating unit 81, it may cause inconveniences such as collision with another side working body 3 or interference with another side working body 3 due to the rotational movement of the side working body 3.

[0102] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 12 to 16, if the leveling body 19 or the extended leveling body 19c rotates inadvertently when the side working body 3 is not in the deployed state but is in the middle of rotating, it is possible that this will interfere with the rotation of the side working body 3 or cause other inconveniences such as damage.

[0103] In order to avoid such inconvenience, when the control unit 80 judges that the side working body 3 is in the stored state, among the leveling body operating units 83, the leveling body operating unit 83 of the side working body 3 judged to be in the stored state is prohibited from operating. Similarly, among the extended leveling body operating units 84, the extended leveling body operating unit 84 of the side working body 3 judged to be in the stored state is prohibited from operating. Therefore, the leveling body 19 and extended leveling body 19c of the side working body 3 in the stored state are restricted from operating. By configuring in this way, it is possible to judge the state of the side working body 3 with an extremely simple configuration, while reliably suppressing erroneous operation.

[0104] Since the agricultural work machine 1 in this embodiment is used on muddy soil, scattering of mud and dust occur. On the other hand, in the deployed state, where the detection surface 72 and the sensor 70 overlap, a gap S, which is an empty space, is provided between the detection surface 72a and the sensor 70. Even if mud or dust adheres to the detection surface 72a or the sensor 70, the sensor 70 can detect it without being affected by it. In other words, even if there is a foreign object between the rotation area of ​​the detection surface 72 and the sensor 70, the sensor 70 can detect the detection surface 72a without any problem. As a result, the sensor 70 can ensure high robustness against foreign objects and can detect the deployed state of the side working body 3. In addition, the side working body 3 can be reliably rotated without the detection of the deployed position being hindered by foreign objects.

[0105] As described above, the sensor 70 and the detection surface 72 are not easily affected by foreign objects, so there is no need to provide a covering that completely covers the sensor 70 and the detection surface 72. This allows the structure of the aircraft to be simpler.

[0106] In the first embodiment, the detection piece 72 having the detection surface 72a is provided on the first link 5 constituting the link mechanism 7. The side working body 3, which is the second working body, rotates approximately 180 degrees relative to the central working body 2, which is the first working body, while the first link 5 swings within a range of about 90 to 120 degrees around the first link rotation fulcrum 42. In other words, the detection piece 72 only needs to be swung within a range smaller than the rotation range of the side working body 3, which is the movable part. This reduces the chance that the detection piece 72, which is provided to protrude from the first link 5, will unintentionally come into contact with other members, etc. As a result, damage to the detection piece 72 and the detection surface 72a can be prevented, improving the reliability of position detection of the side working body 3, which is the movable part.

[0107] The sensor 70 itself uses a proximity sensor that has no moving parts in the detection area. This eliminates problems caused by the intrusion of mud, dust, moisture, etc. Furthermore, the detection piece 72, which includes the detection surface 72a that is the detection target of the sensor 70, is formed by processing a simple plate-like member and fixed to the link mechanism 7. This configuration improves the reliability of detecting the position of the side working body 3, which is a moving part, while still allowing the detection piece 72 to be formed robustly and firmly with a simple configuration.

[0108] The contents of the control by the control unit 80 in this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the operation flow when the side working body 3 is changed from the stored state to the deployed state will be described with reference to Fig. 23. When the operation unit 81 is manually operated so that the side working body 3 performs the deployment operation, an operation signal is issued from the operation unit 81.

[0109] When the control unit 80 receives an operation signal, control is started. After the start, a standby state is ordered by step S01. Here, the cylinder 9 and the directional control valve 9d do not operate. This standby time t1 is a time for checking whether the first leveling body 19a, the second leveling body 19b, the left extension leveling body 19cL, the right extension leveling body 19cR, the left extension leveling body 19cL, and the right extension leveling body 19cR of the central working body 2 and the side working body 3 are in a suitable posture for the side working body 3 to rotate when the side working body 3 is changed from the stored state to the deployed state, and for correcting the posture if it is not suitable. For this reason, the side working body 3 does not rotate immediately after the operation unit 81 is operated.

[0110] To give a specific example, in the first embodiment, when the side working body 3 is shifted to the deployed state or the stored state, the leveling body 19 needs to be in a piled-up state. Therefore, in order to shift the leveling body 19 in the puddling state to a piled-up state, the left leveling body operating unit 83a, the right leveling body operating unit 83b, and the central leveling body operating unit 83c are operated during the waiting time t1 in step S01 to optimize the posture of the leveling body 19. Similarly, when the side working body 3 is shifted to the deployed state or the stored state, the extended leveling body 19c needs to be in a stored state. In order to shift the extended leveling body 19c in the deployed state to a stored state, the left extended leveling body operating unit 84a and the right extended leveling body operating unit 84b are operated during the waiting time t1 in step S01 to optimize the posture of the extended leveling body 19c.

[0111] When the standby time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S02, where the cylinder 9 is operated. That is, as shown in Figs. 11 to 16, the directional control valve 9d is operated to extend the cylinder rod 9b of the cylinder 9, thereby rotating the side working body 3 to the deployment side.

[0112] After the cylinder 9 operates, the process proceeds to step S03. In step S03, the control unit 80 judges whether the side working body 3 is in the deployed state or not. In other words, it judges whether the engaging portion 13 is engaged with the receiving portion 14 shown in FIG.

[0113] If the control unit 80 determines in step S03 that the side working body 3 is not in the deployed state, it returns to step S02 and operates the directional control valve 9d to continue to extend the cylinder rod 9b of the cylinder 9. In other words, it continues to rotate the side working body 3 to the deployed side. If the control unit 80 determines in step S03 that the side working body 3 is in the deployed state, it transitions to step S04.

[0114] In step S04, the directional control valve 9d is operated so as to continue to extend the cylinder rod 9b of the cylinder 9. At this time, the control unit 80 measures a designated elapsed time ta, which is the elapsed time since the control flow shifted to step S04.

[0115] Then, the process proceeds to step S05, where it is determined whether the designated elapsed time ta has elapsed. In this embodiment, the designated elapsed time ta is set to the most suitable value of 1 second. The designated elapsed time ta is a preset time within a range of 0.5 to 2 seconds. The designated elapsed time ta can be freely adjusted according to the embodiment and specifications. If the control unit 80 determines in step S05 that the designated elapsed time ta has not elapsed, it operates the directional control valve 9d so as to continue to extend the cylinder rod 9b of the cylinder 9. In other words, the link mechanism 7 can operate, and the side working body 3 can be fixed in the deployed state by the fixing member 17.

[0116] If the control unit 80 determines in step S05 that the designated elapsed time ta has elapsed, it operates the directional control valve 9d to stop the operation of the cylinder 9. After step S05 ends, the process proceeds to step S06, and the control ends after the waiting time t2 has elapsed.

[0117] The waiting time t2 in step S06 is a time provided for changing the posture of the soil leveling body 19 so that work can be performed in the deployed state. The waiting time t2 in the first embodiment is a time provided for changing the posture of the soil leveling body 19 from the pile-up state to the plow state. When the waiting time t2 has elapsed, when the posture change of the soil leveling body 19 is completed, the control of the deployment operation of the side working body 3 ends.

[0118] Since the soil leveling body 19 changes its posture during the waiting time t2 in step S06, the agricultural work machine 1 can perform plowing work immediately after it has entered the unfolded state.

[0119] The specified elapsed time ta is started to be measured on the condition that the control unit 80 has entered the deployed state. That is, the control unit 80 measures the time at the moment when the detection piece 72 is located within the detectable range of the sensor 70 and the control unit 80 receives a detection signal emitted by detecting the detection surface 72a. Even after the control unit 80 has determined that the state is the deployed state, it is possible to rotate the fixing member 17 from the state shown in FIG. 17, which is the moment when the state is the deployed state, to the state shown in FIG. 18 by operating the cylinder 9 until the specified elapsed time ta has elapsed. As a result, the side working body 3 can be moved to the deployed side and fixed in the deployed state by the operation of the cylinder 9 alone. The specified elapsed time ta ensures that the side working body 3 can be shifted to the deployed state.

[0120] The operational flow for changing the side working body 3 from the deployed state to the stored state will be described with reference to Fig. 24. When the operation unit 81 is manually operated so that the side working body 3 performs a storing operation, an operation signal is issued from the operation unit 81.

[0121] When the control unit 80 receives an operation signal, control is started. After the start, a standby state is ordered by step S11. Here, the cylinder 9 and the directional control valve 9d do not operate. This standby time t3 is a time for checking whether the first leveling body 19a, the second leveling body 19b, the left extension leveling body 19cL, the right extension leveling body 19cR, the left extension leveling body 19cL, and the right extension leveling body 19cR of the central working body 2 and the side working body 3 are in a suitable posture for the side working body 3 to rotate when the side working body 3 is changed from the deployed state to the stored state, and for correcting the posture if it is not suitable. For this reason, the side working body 3 does not rotate immediately after the operation unit 81 is operated.

[0122] A specific example is omitted because it has the same effect as that described in the control flow for the unfolding operation, but within the waiting time t3 in step S11, the posture of the ground leveling body 19 is adjusted so that the ground leveling body 19 is in a piled-up state. Similarly, the extended ground leveling body 19c is put in a stored state to adjust its posture.

[0123] When the standby time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S12, where the cylinder 9 is operated. That is, as shown in Figs. 18 to 11, the directional control valve 9d is operated so that the cylinder rod 9b of the cylinder 9 is retracted, and the side working body 3 is rotated to the storage side.

[0124] After the operation of step S12, the process proceeds to step S13. In step S13, it is determined whether the designated elapsed time tb has elapsed. The designated elapsed time tb is the time measured under the condition that the control unit 80 is no longer able to receive a detection signal from the sensor 70. As shown in the transition from FIG. 17 to FIG. 16, while the side working body 3 is being rotated from the deployed state to the storage side, the sensor 70 is no longer able to detect the detection surface 72a. The control unit 80 determines whether the time from when the sensor 70 detection signal cannot be received during the storage operation has elapsed the designated elapsed time tb. In this embodiment, the designated elapsed time tb is 30 seconds, but it may be about 20 to 35 seconds. The designated elapsed time tb can be appropriately adjusted according to the specifications of the application form, etc.

[0125] If the control unit 80 determines in step S13 that the designated elapsed time tb has not elapsed, it continues to operate the cylinder 9 to rotate the side working body 3 to the storage side. If the control unit 80 determines that the designated elapsed time tb has elapsed, it operates the directional control valve 9d to stop the operation of the cylinder 9 in step S14. In the control, it is assumed that the side working body 3 that has performed the storage operation is in the completely stored position shown in FIG. 11 after the designated elapsed time tb. The designated elapsed time tb is the time required for the side working body 3 to be stored from the deployed state to the completely stored position by the operation of the cylinder 9. This required time includes an allowable delay time, and the control unit 80 determines that the side working body 3 has transitioned from the deployed state to the completely stored state by measuring the elapse of the designated elapsed time tb. By setting the designated elapsed time tb, it is possible to reliably perform the transition of the side working body 3 from the deployed state to the completely stored state.

[0126] After step S14, the process proceeds to step S15, where the control ends after a waiting time t4 has elapsed.

[0127] The waiting time t4 in step S15 is the time to change the posture of the soil leveling body 19 so that work can be performed in the stored state and so that travelling different from work in the field is possible. The waiting time t4 in the first embodiment is the time provided for changing the posture of the soil leveling body 19 from the pile-up state to the plow state. When the waiting time t4 has elapsed, when the posture change of the soil leveling body 19 is completed, the control of the storing operation of the side working body 3 ends.

[0128] Since the soil leveling body 19 changes its posture during the waiting time t4 in step S15, the agricultural work machine 1 can perform plowing work or other travelling operations other than work in the field immediately after it has been placed in the unfolded state.

[0129] In the above description, the operation flow for each of the left and right cylinders 9 has been described, but if an operation is received to simultaneously deploy the left and right side working bodies 3, the left and right cylinders 9L, 9R may operate simultaneously. Also, the control program may be configured such that a single operation of the operating unit 81 operates one of the cylinders 9, for example, cylinder 9L, and then cylinder 9R operates consecutively. This can be freely changed according to the specifications and form of the agricultural work machine 1.

[0130] In this embodiment, the waiting times t1, t2, t3, and t4 are each set to 3 seconds, but may be about 1 to 5 seconds and can be freely changed according to the specifications and form of the applied agricultural work machine 1. By setting the waiting times t1, t2, t3, and t4, it becomes possible to reliably perform the rotation for unfolding and storing the side working body 3.

[0131] In addition, during the storage operation when operation is started using the operating unit 81, if the sensor 70 cannot detect the detection surface 72a and the control unit 80 determines that the side working body 3 is already in the stored state, that is, if the side working body 3 is in the middle of rotating, the operating unit 81 measures the specified elapsed time tb that has been set in advance from the start of operation.

[0132] In the first embodiment, when the unfolding or storing operation is performed by operating the operating unit 81, it has been described that the operation is performed automatically until the control is completed after the operation of the operating unit 81. However, the control flow is not limited to this. For example, it is also applicable to a form in which the unfolding or storing operation is performed only while the operating unit 81 is being operated. In this case, the control in FIG. 23 or FIG. 24 is performed while the operating unit 81 is being operated, and the operation of the side working body 3 and other operating members stops the moment the operation is stopped. In this case, when the operation of the operating unit 81 is resumed, the control is started from the beginning.

[0133] The cylinder 9 in the first embodiment has been described as being operated by being connected to the pump P and tank T of the traveling machine body, but it may also be connected to the pump P and tank T of the agricultural work machine 1. Also, it may be an electric cylinder operated by an electric pump attached to the cylinder 9. In other words, the direct drive source for operating the cylinder 9 can be changed to hydraulic pressure and used as electricity. In this case, the directional control valve 9d may be omitted, and the cylinder rod 9c can be made to retract by controlling the forward / reverse rotation direction of the electric pump to change the discharge of the hydraulic pressure.

[0134] The second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 25 and 26. In the description, only the changes from the first embodiment will be described, and the description of the similar structure will be omitted. The description will focus on the periphery of the folding fulcrum part 10 on the right side in the traveling direction. Also, in Fig. 25, the link mechanism 7 and the cylinder 9 are omitted. Also, the side working body 3 shown by the two-dot chain line shows the position of the completely stored state, and the side working body 3 shown by the solid line shows the position from the unfolded state.

[0135] In the second embodiment, the detection piece 172 and detection surface 172a are provided on the folded end 31a of the side working body 3, which is the movable part. A sensor 170 is provided on the folded end 21a of the central working body 2. The detection piece 172 protrudes from the folded end 31a toward the central working body 3 when the side working body 3 is in the unfolded state. The detection piece 172 is provided integrally with and continuous from the folded end 31a.

[0136] Between the folded ends 21a of the central working body 2, the folded ends 31a of the side working bodies 3 are disposed. As shown in Fig. 26, the sensor 170 provided at the folded end 21a is disposed so as to be located between the folded ends 21a and 31. In other words, the sensor 170 is disposed so as to be able to detect the detection surface 172a while being located between the folded ends 21a. With this arrangement, the detection surface 172a, which is the surface of the detection piece 172 on the sensor 170 side in the unfolded state, can be overlapped with the sensor 170 while maintaining a gap S therebetween.

[0137] In the second embodiment, the sensor 170 is disposed without the link mechanism 7 as in the first embodiment. The sensor 170 is disposed without the need for the sensor bracket 71 in the first embodiment. In the deployed state, the detection surface 172a, which is the surface of the detection piece 172 facing the sensor 170, can be overlapped with the sensor 170 while maintaining a gap S therebetween.

[0138] When the side working body 3 transitions to a state where it is not adjacent to the central working body 2 in parallel, including a completely stored state, the detection surface 172a moves out of the detection range of the sensor 170. Therefore, the control unit 80 determines that all states where it is not adjacent to the central working body 2 in parallel are the stored state of the side working body 3. By arranging the sensor 170 so that it is enclosed within the folded end portion 21a where foreign objects are unlikely to reach, the chance of contact with foreign objects can be reduced. Therefore, the position detection of the side working body 3 relative to can be made more reliable. The sensor 170 can reliably detect the position of the side working body 3 by directly detecting the side working body 3, which is a movable part.

[0139] The second embodiment can also be used in cases where the second working body 3 that is folded relative to the first working body 2 does not use the link mechanism 7, since the sensor 170 directly detects the second working body 3.

[0140] The third embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 27 to 29. In the description, only the changes from the first embodiment will be described, and the description of the parts with the same structure will be omitted. In the description, attention will be paid to the periphery of the folding support part 10 on the right side in the traveling direction. In the third embodiment, in addition to the sensor 70 and the detection piece 72 in the first embodiment, a second sensor 270 and a second detection piece 272 are added. When the side working body 3 enters the completely stored state, the second sensor 270 detects the second detection piece 272 and issues a detection signal. When the control unit 80 receives the detection signal from the second sensor 270, it determines that the side working body 3 has entered the completely stored state.

[0141] The detailed arrangement of the components will be described. The second sensor 270 is provided on the sensor bracket 71 adjacent to the sensor 70. In the third embodiment, the second sensor 270 is provided above the sensor 70. The second detection piece 272 is arranged at a different position from the detection piece 72. In the third embodiment, the second detection piece 272 is arranged at a position substantially symmetrical to the detection piece 72 with respect to the first link rotation fulcrum 42. The second sensor 270 is arranged so that a gap S is generated between the second detection piece 272 that enters the detectable range of the second sensor 270. The second sensor 270 detects the second detection piece 272 that enters the detectable range. The second sensor 270 can detect the second detection surface 272a of the second detection piece 272 by the rotation of the first link 4 of the link device 7, similar to the sensor 70.

[0142] A gap S is provided between the second sensor 270 and the second detection surface 272a that is within the detectable range of the second sensor 270, so that the position of the side working body 3 can be detected more reliably, as in the first embodiment. When the second sensor 270 detects the position of the side working body 3, it transmits a detection signal to the control unit 80 informing that the side working body 3 is in a completely stored state, positioned above the central working body 2. The control unit 80 that receives this detection signal can determine that the side working body 3 is in a completely stored state, and can therefore issue operation instructions to other parts or prohibit operation based on this determination.

[0143] In the third embodiment, it is determined that the second working body 3 is in a completely stored state. When the control unit 80 determines that there is no detection signal from the sensor 70 and the second sensor 270, it determines that the side working body 3 is in the middle of rotating. Therefore, it is possible to specify the position of the side working body 3 in more detail than in the first embodiment. Therefore, it is possible to reliably detect the position of the second working body 3, which is a movable part.

[0144] The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 30 to 34. In the description, only the changes from the first embodiment will be described, and the description of the parts with the same structure will be omitted. The description will focus on the periphery of the folding support part 10 on the left side in the traveling direction. In the fourth embodiment, the link mechanism in the first embodiment has a different form.

[0145] The link mechanism 407 is provided with a link plate 404 which rotates around a link rotation fulcrum 442 on the forward side of the folding fulcrum section 10 in the traveling direction. The link mechanism 407 has a shaft 405 which is fixed integrally to the link plate 404 and is provided so as to penetrate in the front-rear direction through the link rotation fulcrum 442 which is provided in the vicinity of the folding fulcrum section 10. An L-shaped long hole 441 is provided in the link plate 404. A connecting part 461 which is fixed and provided so as to protrude from the folding end 31a of the side working body 3 is located inside the long hole 441. The link plate 404 rotates around the link rotation fulcrum 442 by the extension and contraction action of a cylinder 409 which is located in front of the pipe frame 21.

[0146] The long hole 441 is composed of a first long hole portion 441a that operates the fixing member 417 and a second long hole portion 441b that rotates the side working body 3. An example will be taken of the case where the side working body 3 is changed from a completely stored state to an unfolded state. In the completely stored state, the connecting portion 461 is located inside the second long hole portion 441b. The contraction of the cylinder 409 causes the link plate 404 to rotate rightward in the figure. As a result of the connecting portion 461 being pushed by the second long hole portion 441b, the side working body 3 rotates around the folding fulcrum portion 10 as a fulcrum. When the contraction of the cylinder 409 continues, the connecting portion 461 is pushed by the second long hole portion 441b that rotates around the link rotation fulcrum 442 as a fulcrum, and the side working body 3 is in an unfolded state located to the side of the central working body 2. In other words, the engaging portion 413 and the receiving portion 414 come into contact with each other.

[0147] At this time, the connecting portion 461 in the long hole 441 is located at the intersection of the first long hole portion 441a and the second long hole portion 441b. After that, when the cylinder 409 is further contracted, the link plate 404 continues to rotate to the right in the figure, and the first long hole portion 441a moves relatively to the connecting portion 461. During this time, the rotation of the link plate 404 moves the connecting rod 411, which rotates the fixing member 417. The fixing member 417 fits into the engagement portion 413, completing the fixation of the side working body 3 in the deployed position.

[0148] The side working body 3 can be rotated from the deployed position to the stored position by reversing the above-mentioned operations.

[0149] A plate-shaped third detection piece 472 is provided at the end of the shaft 405 on the rear side in the traveling direction. The rear surface of the third detection piece 472 forms a third detection surface 472a. A sensor bracket 471 is fixed to the folded end 21a of the central working body 2, and a sensor 470 is fixed to this sensor bracket 471. A gap S is provided between the sensor 470 and the third detection surface 472a when the side working body 3 is in the unfolded state.

[0150] As described above, when the side working body 3 rotates between the deployed position and the stored position, the third detection piece 472 also rotates together with the rotation of the link plate 404. From the completely stored position until the side working body 3 is positioned to the side of the central working body 2, the third detection surface 472a is not located within the detectable range of the sensor 470. In other words, the control unit 80 determines that the side working body 3 is in the stored state.

[0151] When the side working body 3 is positioned to the side of the central working body 2, the engaging portion 413 and the receiving portion 414 are in contact with each other, and the fixing member 417 is fitted into the engaging portion 413, the third detection surface 472a is located within the detectable range of the sensor 470. In other words, the control unit 80 determines that the side working body 3 is in the unfolded state.

[0152] In the fourth embodiment, the side working body 3 does not have a pipe frame, and the folding end portion 31a is directly attached onto the cover body 432L.

[0153] In the fourth embodiment, the third detection piece 472 having the third detection surface 472a is provided on the shaft 405 constituting the link mechanism 407. The link mechanism 407 preferably rotates within an angle range of 100 to 140 degrees, and the link mechanism 407 in the fourth embodiment rotates within a suitable range of approximately 120 degrees. Therefore, the range of rotation angle of the detection piece 472 is the same as that of the link mechanism 407. In other words, the third detection piece 472 swings within a smaller range than the rotation range of the side working body 3, which is a movable part, so that the chance of the third detection piece 472 unintentionally coming into contact with other members can be reduced. As a result, damage to the detection piece 72 and the detection surface 72a can be prevented, and the reliability of position detection of the side working body 3, which is a movable part, is improved.

[0154] In addition, because the gap S is ensured, the adhesion of mud, dust, etc. does not affect the detection by the sensor 470. The third detection piece 472, which is the detection target of the sensor 470, is formed by processing a simple plate-like member and fixed to the link mechanism 407. This configuration improves the reliability of the position detection of the side working body 3, which is a movable part, while still allowing the third detection piece 472 to be formed robustly and firmly with a simple configuration.

[0155] The present invention has been described by the above embodiments, but the descriptions and drawings forming a part of this disclosure do not limit the present invention. Modifications of the embodiments, examples and operating techniques based on this disclosure are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, the folding ends 21a, 31a have been described as being on the pipe frames 21, 31 of each working body, but they may be directly attached to the cover body of each working body. [Industrial Applicability]

[0156] The present invention can be applied to a work machine having a foldable and rotatable working body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0157] 1: agricultural machine, 2: central work body, 3: side work body, 4: first link, 5: second link, 6: third link, 7: link mechanism, 8: connecting pin, 9: cylinder, 9d: directional control valve, 10: folding fulcrum portion, 13: engagement portion, 14: receiving portion, 17: fixing member, 19: ground leveling body, 19c: extended ground leveling body, 21: pipe frame, 21a: folding end portion, 31: pipe frame, 31a: folding end portion, 32: cover body, 64: pivoting fulcrum, 70: sensor, 72: detection piece, 72a: detection surface, 80: control unit, 81: operation unit, 82: notification unit, 83: ground leveling body operating unit, 84: extended ground leveling body operating unit, S: gap

Claims

1. A first working body; a second working body rotatably connected to the first working body; a link mechanism that connects the first working body and the second working body and moves in conjunction with the second working body; a detection piece provided on the link mechanism and moving integrally with the movement of the link mechanism; a sensor capable of detecting a deployment position of the second working body, A gap is provided between the sensor and a detection piece located within a detectable range of the sensor. Agricultural machinery characterized by:

2. A first working body; a second working body rotatably connected to the first working body; a detection piece that rotates integrally with either the first working body or the second working body; a sensor capable of detecting a deployment position of the second work body by detecting the detection piece, A gap is provided between the sensor and a detection piece located within a detectable range of the sensor. Agricultural machinery characterized by:

3. The second working body is rotatable relative to the first working body between an unfolded position and a stored position so as to be folded, a control unit that determines that all rotation positions of the second working body where no detection piece is present within the sensor and the detectable range of the sensor are in the stored state; 3. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. a cylinder for rotating the second working body, a control unit that operates the cylinder until a preset designated elapsed time has elapsed from the time when it is determined that the sensor has detected the detection piece; 3. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

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