Work vehicle

Abstract

To provide a technology for reducing an erroneous operation without fatigue in a remote operation.SOLUTION: A work vehicle includes: a vehicle body; an implement coupled to the vehicle body; a remote operation device for operating the vehicle body; and an operation part which can set a direction of an advancement operation of the remote operation device either in a first direction from the implement to the vehicle body and in a second direction from the vehicle body to the implement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a work machine including a traveling body, a working device, and a remote operation device. The traveling body is remotely operated by the remote operation device to travel. The working device is mounted on the traveling body and performs work as the traveling body travels.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, depending on the type of the working device, the positional relationship between the traveling body and the working device may change with respect to the working direction. For example, with respect to the traveling body, the working device may be located on the working direction side or on the side opposite to the working direction. At this time, if the mounting position of the working device with respect to the traveling body is the same in any case, in either case, it may be necessary to perform work while reversing the traveling body. In reverse work, the direction of the reverse operation in the remote operation device becomes the working direction. That is, since the direction of the forward operation is opposite to the working direction, the operator is likely to be confused and there is a risk of causing an erroneous operation. In addition, there is also a risk of easily feeling fatigue by operating carefully to perform work accurately.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technique capable of reducing fatigue and reducing erroneous operations in remote operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The work vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention includes a traveling body, a work implement connected to the traveling body, a remote control device for operating the traveling body, and an operation unit capable of setting the forward operation direction of the remote control device to either a first direction from the work implement toward the traveling body or a second direction from the traveling body toward the work implement.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the above configuration, in remote operation, it is difficult to feel fatigue and it is possible to reduce misoperations.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 10

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Figure 14

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0009] Regarding the embodiments of the present invention, if explained based on the drawings, it is as follows.

[0010] 〔1. Schematic Configuration of the Work Vehicle〕 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a work vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The work vehicle 1 is used for performing operations such as agricultural work and construction work. The work vehicle 1 includes a vehicle body 10 and a remote operation device 200 provided separately from the vehicle body 10.

[0011] The remote operation device 200 (also called a remote control device) enables an operator located at a position away from the vehicle body 10 to operate the vehicle body 10. That is, the vehicle body 10 is remotely operated by the remote operation device 200. The configuration of the remote operation device 200 will be described later.

[0012] Also, the work vehicle 1 is configured to be able to travel in automatic driving as well. That is, the work vehicle 1 is configured to be able to switch between traveling by remote operation (also called manual driving) and automatic driving. The above-mentioned automatic driving means that at least the steering is autonomously (automatically) performed along a predetermined route (also called a traveling route) in the work vehicle 1. In addition to steering, automatic driving may be configured such that at least one of, for example, adjusting the traveling speed and the work by the work implement 12 described later is autonomously performed. Note that the configuration of the work vehicle 1 is not limited to the above. For example, the work vehicle 1 may be configured to be able to travel by remote operation while excluding automatic driving.

[0013] The vehicle body 10 includes a traveling body 11 that travels on the ground, a working machine 12 that performs various operations, and a hitch portion 13 that enables the working machine 12 to be connected to the traveling body 11. That is, the work vehicle 1 includes the traveling body 11, the working machine 12, and the hitch portion 13.

[0014] Here, the directions used in the description (particularly the directions related to the vehicle body 10) are defined as follows. When the traveling body 11 travels straight along one direction, one side of the above one direction is defined as "front" and the other side is defined as "rear". Among the directions in which the traveling body 11 travels straight along one direction, the side where the hitch portion 13 is not arranged is defined as "front", and the opposite side (the side where the hitch portion 13 is arranged) is defined as "rear". Also, the left side when looking from the rear to the front is defined as "left", and the right side is defined as "right". Furthermore, the gravitational direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is defined as the up-down direction, the upstream side of the gravitational direction is defined as "up", and the downstream side is defined as "down". In the drawings, as necessary, the front is indicated by the symbol "F", the rear is indicated by the symbol "B", the right side is indicated by the symbol "R", the left side is indicated by the symbol "L", the upper side is indicated by the symbol "U", and the lower side is indicated by the symbol "D". Note that these directions are merely names used for explanation and are not intended to limit the actual positional relationship and direction.

[0015] The hitch portion 13 is configured to include a working machine drive device 111c described later. The working machine 12 is arranged behind the hitch portion 13. Therefore, the working machine 12 is arranged side by side with the traveling body 11 in the front-rear direction. Also, the working machine 12 is attached to the traveling body 11 via the hitch portion 13 so as to be able to move up and down. That is, the working machine 12 is connected to the traveling body 11 by the hitch portion 13.

[0016] The working machine 12 is attached to the hitch portion 13 so as to be replaceable. That is, the working machine 12 can be attached in various types. The working machine 12 is, for example, a tiller, a plow, a ridging device, a fertilizer application device, a pesticide spraying device, a harvesting device, a grass cutting device (also called a cutting device), a snow removal device, an earth discharging device, etc.

[0017] Depending on the type of the work implement 12, the work progress direction may be in the first direction DR1 or the second direction DR2. The first direction DR1 is the direction from the work implement 12 toward the traveling body 11, and the second direction DR2 is the direction from the traveling body 11 toward the work implement 12 (see the dashed arrows in FIG. 1). In the present embodiment, the first direction DR1 coincides with the front of the traveling body 11, and the second direction DR2 coincides with the rear of the traveling body 11.

[0018] For example, when the work implement 12 is a tiller, that is, when a tiller is connected to the rear of the traveling body 11, the work is performed while moving the work implement 12 in the first direction DR1. In this case, since the traveling body 11 moves forward, the work performed while moving the work implement 12 in the first direction DR1 is called forward work. In the forward work, the traveling body 11 is located on the work progress direction (that is, the first direction DR1) side of the work implement 12. The types of the work implement 12 for which the forward work is performed include, in addition to the tiller, for example, a plow, a ridging device, a fertilizer applicator, a pesticide spraying device, a harvesting device, a mowing device, and the like.

[0019] On the other hand, when the work implement 12 is a snow removal device, that is, when a snow removal device is connected to the rear of the traveling body 11, the work is performed while moving the work implement 12 in the second direction DR2. In this case, since the traveling body 11 moves backward, the work performed while moving the work implement 12 in the second direction DR2 is called backward work. In the backward work, the work implement 12 is located on the work progress direction (that is, the second direction DR2) side of the traveling body 11. Therefore, in the forward work and the backward work, the positional relationship between the traveling body 11 and the work implement 12 during the work is different. That is, depending on the type of the work implement 12, the positional relationship between the traveling body 11 and the work implement 12 during the work may change. The types of the work implement 12 for which the backward work is performed include, in addition to the snow removal device, for example, a mowing device, a soil discharging device, and the like.

[0020] The work vehicle 1 has, as work modes, a forward work mode corresponding to the forward work and a backward work mode corresponding to the backward work. Details of the work modes will be described later.

[0021] In this embodiment, the work implement 12 is connected to the rear of the traveling body 11. However, the present invention is also applicable to a work vehicle 1 in which the work implement 12 is connected to the front of the traveling body 11. In this case, the forward operation and the reverse operation are interchanged. More specifically, for example, when a tiller is connected to the front of the traveling body 11, the operation is performed while moving the work implement 12 in the first direction DR1. At this time, the traveling body 11 moves backward. Therefore, even the operation performed while moving the work implement 12 in the first direction DR1 is called the reverse operation. On the other hand, when a snow removal device is connected to the front of the traveling body 11, the operation is performed while moving the work implement 12 in the second direction DR2. At this time, the traveling body 11 moves forward. Therefore, even the operation performed while moving the work implement 12 in the second direction DR2 is called the forward operation. That is, in this case, the first direction DR1 coincides with the rear of the traveling body 11, and the second direction DR2 coincides with the front of the traveling body 11.

[0022] The traveling body 11 includes a body main body portion 111 and a traveling portion 112 disposed below the body main body portion 111.

[0023] The body main body portion 111 includes an outer cover 111a, a traveling drive device 111b disposed on the inner front side covered by the outer cover 111a, and a work implement drive device 111c disposed on the inner rear side covered by the outer cover 111a.

[0024] The traveling drive device 111b includes a drive source and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the power from the drive source to the traveling portion 112. In this embodiment, the drive source included in the traveling drive device 111b is an electric motor. Note that the drive source included in the traveling drive device 111b may be other than an electric motor, for example, an engine.

[0025] The work implement drive device 111c includes a drive source and a PTO (Power Take Off) power transmission unit that can transmit the power from the drive source to the outside of the traveling body 11. In the present embodiment, the drive source included in the work implement drive device 111c is an electric motor. Note that the drive source included in the work implement drive device 111c may be other than an electric motor, for example, an engine. Also, although the electric motor included in the work implement drive device 111c is different from the electric motor included in the traveling drive device 111b, the electric motors (drive sources) may be shared between the traveling drive device 111b and the work implement drive device 111c.

[0026] In the body main unit 111, a plurality of devices are arranged in addition to the outer cover 111a, the traveling drive device 111b, and the work implement drive device 111c. More specifically, it is as follows. FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the right front showing the configuration of the body main unit 111. FIG. 3 is a perspective view from the left rear showing the configuration of the body main unit 111. In FIG. 2, for the sake of convenience, the illustration of the portion of the outer cover 111a provided above the in-vehicle operation device 111h described later is omitted. In the body main unit 111, a light 111d, a positioning antenna 111e, a status indicator light 111f, a notification unit 111g, and an in-vehicle operation device 111h are arranged.

[0027] The light 111d is arranged on the upper surface of the body main unit 111 and is configured with an LED (Light Emitting Diode) as a light source. Note that the configuration of the light 111d is not limited to the above, and for example, an incandescent bulb may be used as a light source. In the present embodiment, two lights 111d are provided. One of the two lights 111d is attached to the right front side of the upper surface of the body main unit 111 and illuminates the right side of the traveling body 11. The other of the two lights 111d is attached to the left rear side of the upper surface of the body main unit 111 and illuminates the left side of the traveling body 11. Note that the number of lights 111d is not limited to the above, and for example, it may be one or three or more.

[0028] The positioning antenna 111e is disposed on the upper surface of the aircraft body 111. More specifically, the positioning antenna 111e is disposed approximately at the center in the left - right direction on the front side of the upper surface of the aircraft body 111. The positioning antenna 111e is included in a positioning communication unit 114 (see FIG. 4) described later and receives a positioning signal from a positioning satellite. Using this received positioning signal, positioning is performed by the positioning communication unit 114. The positioning performed by the positioning communication unit 114 will be described later.

[0029] The status indicator lamp 111f is disposed on the upper left - front side of the aircraft body 111. The status indicator lamp 111f is configured by stacking a plurality of indicator lamps. The status indicator lamp 111f notifies the status of the work vehicle 1. For example, the status indicator lamp 111f notifies the communication status between the traveling aircraft 11 and the remote control device 200.

[0030] The notification unit 111g notifies information about settings related to the remote control device 200. The information notified by the notification unit 111g will be described later. The notification unit 111g includes a first notification unit 111g1 that notifies visually and a second notification unit 111g2 (see FIG. 1) that notifies auditorily. That is, the traveling aircraft 11 has a first notification unit 111g1 and a second notification unit 111g2 that notify by different means.

[0031] The first notification unit 111g1 is configured by a lamp using an incandescent bulb as a light source, but is not limited thereto. For example, it may be configured by a lamp using an LED as a light source. Further, the first notification unit 111g1 may be configured by a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, etc., and may notify by various displays (for example, graphics, symbols, characters, or combinations thereof).

[0032] The first notification unit 111g1 is provided on the front side and the rear side of the airframe main body 111. More specifically, as particularly shown in FIG. 2, on the front side of the airframe main body 111, the first notification unit 111g1 is arranged on the left side and the right side. As particularly shown in FIG. 3, on the rear side of the airframe main body 111, the first notification unit 111g1 is arranged side by side in the left-right direction near the center in the left-right direction. Note that the arrangement position of the first notification unit 111g1 is not limited to the above, and it may be arranged at a position where an operator located away from the vehicle body 10 can easily visually recognize it. For example, the first notification unit 111g1 may be arranged on the upper surface of the airframe main body 111. Also, the number of the first notification units 111g1 is not limited to the above. For example, one first notification unit 111g1 may be provided on each of the front side and the rear side of the airframe main body 111.

[0033] The second notification unit 111g2 is composed of a speaker, but is not limited thereto. For example, it may be composed of a buzzer. The second notification unit 111g2 is arranged inside the outer cover 111a (see FIG. 1), but the arrangement position of the second notification unit 111g2 is not limited to the above. The arrangement position of the second notification unit 111g2 may be arranged at a position where the sound of the notification can easily reach an operator located away from the vehicle body 10. For example, the second notification unit 111g2 may be arranged outside the outer cover 111a.

[0034] The in-vehicle operation device 111h (see FIG. 2) is arranged on the inner front side covered by the outer cover 111a. The in-vehicle operation device 111h includes an operation unit 300 that enables settings related to the remote operation device 200. That is, the operation unit 300 is provided on the traveling airframe 11, and particularly, is provided at a position opposite to the side (rear side) where the working machine 12 is attached. Note that the settings performed using the operation unit 300 will be described later.

[0035] The operation unit 300 is composed of a touch panel. With the touch panel, the operation unit 300 enables the above settings and displays various information of the work vehicle 1. In addition, in order to display various information of the work vehicle 1, a display unit different from the operation unit 300 may be provided in the in-vehicle operation device 111h. Further, the operation unit 300 is not limited to the above configuration, and may be composed of, for example, switches, dials, levers, etc.

[0036] The in-vehicle operation device 111h includes, in addition to the operation unit 300, a key cylinder and a plurality of buttons (both not shown). By inserting and rotating a key (not shown) into the above key cylinder, the power supply of the traveling body 11 can be turned on and off. Further, when the above buttons are operated, the traveling body 11 travels without depending on the operation of the remote control device 200. Thereby, even when the wireless communication between the traveling body 11 and the remote control device 200 is interrupted, the traveling body 11 can be moved (retreated).

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the traveling unit 112 supports the body main unit 111 so as to be able to travel. Specifically, the traveling unit 112 includes a pair of left and right crawlers 112a. Each of the left and right crawlers 112a includes a track frame 112b extending in the front-rear direction. Each track frame 112b is attached to the lower surface of the body main unit 111. A drive sprocket 112c is arranged as a drive wheel at the front end of the track frame 112b. The drive sprocket 112c transmits the power from the electric motor via the above power transmission mechanism provided in the traveling drive device 111b. A driven sprocket 112d is arranged as a driven wheel at the rear end of the track frame 112b. The driven sprocket 112d is rotatably supported by the track frame 112b. In the track frame 112b, a plurality of idler wheels 112e are rotatably supported between the drive sprocket 112c and the driven sprocket 112d. A crawler belt 112f is wound around the drive sprocket 112c, the driven sprocket 112d, and the plurality of idler wheels 112e to form the crawler 112a.

[0038] Each of the left and right crawlers 112a is driven by a separate electric motor provided in the traveling drive device 111b. When the pair of left and right crawlers 112a are simultaneously driven in the same direction, the traveling unit 112 travels straight forward or backward. Whether it travels forward or backward is determined by the rotation direction of the electric motor. The traveling unit 112 performs a left turn or a right turn, for example, when the pair of left and right crawlers 112a are independently driven.

[0039] In this embodiment, the crawler 112a has a configuration in which one drive wheel (drive sprocket 112c) and one driven wheel (driven sprocket 112d) are arranged in the front-rear direction and a crawler belt 112f is wound around them, but other configurations may be used. For example, the crawler may be of a type in which a crawler belt is wound around one drive wheel and two driven wheels in a triangular shape. Also, in this embodiment, the traveling unit 112 is of the crawler type, but it may be of a type other than the crawler type, for example, the wheel type.

[0040] [2. Configuration related to control of the work vehicle] The configuration related to the control of the work vehicle 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration related to the control of the work vehicle 1. In FIG. 4, the components necessary for explaining the features of this embodiment are shown, and the description of general components is omitted.

[0041] The work vehicle 1 is provided with a control device 113. The control device 113 is provided in the traveling body 11 in the work vehicle 1. The control device 113 is, for example, a computer device configured to include an arithmetic unit, an input / output unit, and a storage unit 113a. The arithmetic unit is, for example, a processor or a microprocessor. The storage unit 113a is a main storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 113a may further include an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). Various programs and data are stored in the storage unit 113a. The arithmetic unit reads out various programs from the storage unit 113a and executes arithmetic processing according to the programs. The programs stored in the storage unit 113a may be provided, for example, by a computer-readable non-volatile recording medium. As another example, the programs may be provided from a program-providing server via a communication line such as the Internet.

[0042] Through the cooperation of the above-mentioned hardware and software, the control device 113 can be operated as a work mode control unit 113b, a notification control unit 113c, a traveling control unit 113d, and a work implement control unit 113e. The control device 113 may be composed of one piece of hardware or may be composed of a plurality of pieces of hardware capable of communicating with each other.

[0043] Note that each functional unit 113b to 113e included in the control device 113 may be realized by software, that is, by causing an arithmetic unit to execute arithmetic processing according to a program as described above, but may also be realized by other methods. At least one of the functional units 113b to 113e may be realized using, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like. That is, at least one of the functional units 113b to 113e may be realized by hardware using a dedicated IC or the like. Also, at least one of the functional units 113b to 113e may be realized by using software and hardware in combination. Also, the functional units 113b to 113e are conceptual configurations. Therefore, the functions executed by one component may be distributed among a plurality of components, or the functions of a plurality of components may be integrated into one component.

[0044] The work mode control unit 113b sets a work mode (forward work mode, reverse work mode) based on an instruction from the operation unit 300 (see FIG. 2). The setting of the work mode will be described later. The notification control unit 113c controls the notification unit 111g (first notification unit 111g1, second notification unit 111g2) based on the setting of the work mode set by the work mode control unit 113b.

[0045] The traveling control unit 113d controls the traveling drive device 111b (see FIG. 1) according to whether the work vehicle 1 is in manual traveling or automatic traveling. More specifically, during manual traveling, the traveling control unit 113d controls the traveling drive device 111b based on a traveling instruction from the remote operation device 200. During automatic traveling, the traveling control unit 113d automatically (autonomously) controls the traveling drive device 111b so that the traveling body 11 travels along a predetermined path.

[0046] The work implement control unit 113e adjusts the elevation position (height from the ground) of the work implement 12 based on the elevation instruction from the remote operation device 200. Further, the work implement control unit 113e controls the above-described PTO power transmission unit based on the switching instruction from the remote operation device 200 to control the switching of power transmission to the work implement 12.

[0047] A positioning communication unit 114, a communication processing unit 115, and a sensor 116 are connected to the control device 113. That is, the work vehicle 1 (particularly the traveling body 11) includes the positioning communication unit 114, the communication processing unit 115, and the sensor 116.

[0048] The positioning communication unit 114 acquires the position of the vehicle body 10 as, for example, information on latitude and longitude using the positioning signal received by the positioning antenna 111e (see FIG. 1) from the positioning satellite. The positioning communication unit 114 performs positioning using, for example, the known RTK-GNSS (Real Time Kinematic GNSS) method after receiving the positioning signal from a reference station (not shown) by an appropriate method. The positioning communication unit 114 outputs the position information of the vehicle body 10 to the control device 113. Note that the positioning communication unit 114 may perform positioning using other methods such as the DGNSS (Differential GNSS) method. Further, the work vehicle 1 may be configured to include, instead of or in addition to the positioning communication unit 114, for example, a positionable quantum compass.

[0049] The communication processing unit 115 communicates with the remote operation device 200 via the communication antenna 115a. The communication antenna 115a is an antenna for performing wireless communication with the remote operation device 200. For the wireless communication, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) may be used.

[0050] The sensor 116 detects information related to the vehicle body 10 and outputs the detected information to the control device 113. In the present embodiment, the sensor 116 includes a plurality of types of sensors. Each of the plurality of types of sensors is connected to the control device 113 so as to be able to input a signal thereto. The plurality of types of sensors include, for example, an inertial measurement device, an obstacle sensor, a speed sensor, and a lifting position sensor.

[0051] The inertial measurement device includes a three-axis angular velocity sensor and a three-directional acceleration sensor, and is a device capable of measuring the attitude of the traveling body 11. The obstacle sensor is a sensor that detects obstacles existing around the vehicle body 10, and may be, for example, an ultrasonic sensor, a camera, a radar, or a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). The speed sensor is a sensor that detects the traveling speed of the traveling body 11. The lifting position sensor is a sensor that detects the lifting position of the working machine 12.

[0052] Note that, as described above, the work vehicle 1 may be configured not to perform automatic driving. In this configuration, the positioning communication unit 114 and some of the sensors 116 (for example, the inertial measurement device) may be removed. That is, the positioning communication unit 114 and some of the sensors 116 are not essential for the work vehicle 1 (vehicle body 10) to travel by remote operation.

[0053] The control device 113 is also connected to the operation unit 300. More specifically, the control device 113 provided in the traveling body 11 and the operation unit 300 are connected using, for example, a connection cable (not shown). That is, the operation unit 300 is wired-connected to the control device 113. If the operation unit 300 is configured to be wired-connected to the control device 113, for example, compared with a configuration in which they are wirelessly connected, connection failures occurring between the operation unit 300 and the control device 113 are reduced.

[0054] However, the operation unit 300 may be configured to be wirelessly connected to the control device 113. Even in this configuration, if the operation unit 300 is provided on the traveling body 11, for example, compared with the configuration in which the operation unit 300 is provided on the remote control device 200 described later, the distance of wireless communication becomes shorter and connection failures are reduced.

[0055] Therefore, from the viewpoint of reducing connection failures between the operation unit 300 and devices provided on the traveling body 11 (such as the control device 113) and reliably performing settings related to the remote control device 200, the following configuration is desirable. That is, as in the present embodiment, it is desirable that the operation unit 300 be provided on the traveling body 11. Further, if the operation unit 300 is provided on the traveling body 11, there is no need to provide the operation unit 300 on a remote control device 200 that is separate from the traveling body 11, and the remote control device 200 can be configured to be small. Hereinafter, the configuration of the remote control device 200 will be described.

[0056] 〔3. Configuration of Remote Control Device〕 FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the configuration of the remote control device 200. The remote control device 200 includes a housing 201, a power switch 202, an antenna 203, an operation lever 204, a first operation switch 205, a second operation switch 206, an operation knob 207, and a display unit 208.

[0057] The housing 201 constitutes the main body portion of the remote control device 200. The above-described power switch 202, antenna 203, operation lever 204, first operation switch 205, second operation switch 206, operation knob 207, and display unit 208 are respectively attached to appropriate positions on the housing 201. Note that the arrangement shown in FIG. 5 is merely an example and may be changed as appropriate.

[0058] The power switch 202 is provided at the center of the front surface of the housing 201 and enables turning on and off the power of the remote control device 200. The power switch 202 is, for example, a toggle switch. Note that the power supply of the remote control device 200 is, for example, a battery, a dry battery, or the like disposed inside the housing 201.

[0059] The antenna 203 is provided to protrude from the side surface of the housing 201 (the upper side surface in FIG. 5), enabling wireless communication with the traveling body 11. When the power switch 202 turns on the power of the remote control device 200, the remote control device 200 can communicate wirelessly with the traveling body 11. When the power switch 202 turns off the power of the remote control device 200, the remote control device 200 cannot communicate with the traveling body 11. In this embodiment, when the traveling body 11 cannot communicate with the remote control device 200, it automatically stops traveling. That is, the power switch 202 has a function as an emergency stop switch for the traveling body 11. Note that the emergency stop switch may be provided separately from the power switch 202.

[0060] The operation lever 204 enables the operation of the traveling of the traveling body 11 and the operation of the working machine 12. The operation lever 204 includes a first operation lever 204a and a second operation lever 204b that are arranged side by side with the power switch 202 in between. The first operation lever 204a (the left lever shown in FIG. 5) can be tilted at least in two directions (the F204 - B204 direction and the L204 - R204 direction) that are perpendicular to each other and are indicated by the dashed arrows in FIG. 5. Also, it can be tilted to one side in the F204 - B204 direction while being tilted to one side in the L204 - R204 direction. In FIG. 5, the F204 direction is the upward direction, the B204 direction is the downward direction. Also, the L204 direction is the left direction, and the R204 direction is the right direction. Note that the second operation lever 204b (the right lever shown in FIG. 5) can also be tilted in the same directions as the first operation lever 204a.

[0061] The first operation lever 204a and the second operation lever 204b exhibit different functions depending on whether the working mode is the forward working mode or the backward working mode. The functions of the first operation lever 204a and the second operation lever 204b will be described later.

[0062] The first operation switch 205 is arranged on the side surface of the housing 201 (the upper right side surface in FIG. 5), and enables a plurality of types of settings related to automatic driving. The above-mentioned plurality of types of settings include, for example, the start setting and the end setting of automatic driving. The first operation switch 205 is, for example, a pushable momentary switch.

[0063] The second operation switch 206 is arranged on the side surface of the housing 201 (the upper left side surface in FIG. 5), and enables switching between a state where power transmission to the working machine 12 using the above-mentioned PTO power transmission unit is possible and a state where it is impossible. The second operation switch 206 is, for example, a toggle switch. Note that the switching of power transmission to the working machine 12 is performed by the working machine control unit 113e (see FIG. 4) controlling the PTO power transmission unit based on the operation (switching instruction) of the second operation switch 206.

[0064] The operation knob 207 is arranged on the front surface of the housing 201 (the upper side of the front surface in FIG. 5), and enables adjustment of the maximum speed of the traveling body 11. More specifically, two operation knobs 207 are provided. One of the two operation knobs 207 enables adjustment of the maximum speed during straight traveling of the traveling body 11. The other of the two operation knobs 207 enables adjustment of the maximum speed during turning traveling of the traveling body 11.

[0065] The display unit 208 is arranged on the front surface of the housing 201 (the lower side of the front surface in FIG. 5), and displays various information to notify the operator. The various information includes, for example, the display of the traveling route during automatic driving and the positional relationship of the vehicle body 10. The display unit 208 is, for example, a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, or the like.

[0066] [4. Setting of Working Modes] The setting of the working modes (forward working mode, reverse working mode) will be described. First, an overview of the working modes will be described. First, an overview of the forward working mode will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the forward working mode.

[0067] In this embodiment, tilting the first operation lever 204a of the remote control device 200 in the F204 direction is called the forward operation FO. Also, the F204 direction is called the forward operation direction DRf. Note that tilting the first operation lever 204a in the B204 direction is called the reverse operation. Further, tilting the first operation lever 204a in the L204 direction is called the left turning operation, and tilting the first operation lever 204a in the R204 direction is called the right turning operation.

[0068] In the forward operation mode, when the forward operation FO is performed, the traveling body 11 can be moved forward. That is, when the first operation lever 204a is tilted in the forward operation direction DRf, the traveling body 11 can be advanced in the first direction DR1. Therefore, in the forward operation mode, the forward operation direction DRf corresponds to the first direction DR1 out of the first direction DR1 and the second direction DR2.

[0069] Note that in the forward operation mode, when the reverse operation is performed, the traveling body 11 can be moved backward. In the forward operation mode, when the left turning operation is performed, the traveling body 11 can be turned left. In the forward operation mode, when the right turning operation is performed, the traveling body 11 can be turned right.

[0070] Also, in the forward operation mode, when the second operation lever 204b is tilted in the F204 direction, the work implement 12 can be raised. In the forward operation mode, when the second operation lever 204b is tilted in the B204 direction, the work implement 12 can be lowered. In the forward operation mode, when the second operation lever 204b is tilted in the L204 direction, the traveling body 11 can be turned left. In the forward operation mode, when the second operation lever 204b is tilted in the R204 direction, the traveling body 11 can be turned right.

[0071] Note that the turning radii are different when turning (left turn, right turn) with the first operation lever 204a and turning (left turn, right turn) with the second operation lever 204b, when operating with the same operation amount (operation amount from the neutral position). More specifically, when the first operation lever 204a and the second operation lever 204b are tilted by the same amount from the neutral position, the traveling body 11 can be turned with a larger turning radius when operating with the second operation lever 204b than when operating with the first operation lever 204a. That is, with the second operation lever 204b, the traveling body 11 can be gently turned.

[0072] In the forward operation mode, among the first notification units 111g1 located on the front side and the rear side of the traveling body 11, the front first notification unit 111g1 (see also FIG. 2) lights up (or blinks). Thereby, it is notified that the traveling body 11 moves forward by the forward operation FO. Note that the switching between the lighting and the extinguishing of the first notification unit 111g1 is performed by the notification control unit 113c (see FIG. 4).

[0073] Next, an overview of the reverse operation mode will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the reverse operation mode. Note that even in the reverse operation mode, the definitions of the above-described operations of the forward operation FO, reverse operation, left turn operation, and right turn operation are the same. For example, even in the reverse operation mode, tilting the first operation lever 204a in the F204 direction is called the forward operation FO, and the F204 direction is called the forward operation direction DRf.

[0074] In the reverse operation mode, when the forward operation FO is performed, the traveling body 11 can be moved backward. That is, when the first operation lever 204a is tilted in the forward operation direction DRf, the traveling body 11 can be advanced in the second direction DR2. Therefore, in the reverse operation mode, the forward operation direction DRf corresponds to the second direction DR2 among the first direction DR1 and the second direction DR2.

[0075] In addition, in the reverse operation mode, when a reverse operation is performed, the traveling body 11 can be moved forward. In the reverse operation mode, when a left turn operation is performed, the traveling body 11 can be turned to the right. In the reverse operation mode, when a right turn operation is performed, the traveling body 11 can be turned to the left. Therefore, in the forward operation mode and the reverse operation mode, when the first operation lever 204a is tilted in the same direction, the traveling direction of the traveling body 11 is opposite. That is, the first operation lever 204a exhibits different functions in the forward operation mode and the reverse operation mode.

[0076] Also, in the reverse operation mode, when the second operation lever 204b is tilted in the F204 direction, the work implement 12 can be raised. In the reverse operation mode, when the second operation lever 204b is tilted in the B204 direction, the work implement 12 can be lowered. Therefore, for the operation of the second operation lever 204b in the F204 direction or the B204 direction, the same function is exhibited in both the forward operation mode and the reverse operation mode.

[0077] In the reverse operation mode, when the second operation lever 204b is tilted in the L204 direction, the traveling body 11 can be turned to the right. In the reverse operation mode, when the second operation lever 204b is tilted in the R204 direction, the traveling body 11 can be turned to the left. Therefore, for the operation of the second operation lever 204b in the L204 direction or the R204 direction, the traveling direction of the traveling body 11 is opposite in the forward operation mode and the reverse operation mode. That is, different functions are exhibited. Note that the point that the second operation lever 204b causes the traveling body 11 to turn slowly with respect to the first operation lever 204a is the same in the reverse operation mode.

[0078] In the reverse operation mode, among the first notification units 111g1 located on the front side and the rear side of the traveling body 11, the rear first notification unit 111g1 (see also FIG. 3) lights up (or blinks). Thereby, it is notified that the traveling body 11 moves backward by the forward operation FO. Therefore, the first notification unit 111g1 notifies the traveling direction of the traveling body 11 by the forward operation FO according to whether the operation mode is set to the forward operation mode or the reverse operation mode. By the operator located away from the traveling body 11 seeing this first notification unit 111g1, it becomes easy to confirm the traveling direction of the traveling body 11 by the forward operation FO. For example, it is not necessary for the operator to approach the traveling body 11 and check the information displayed on the operation unit 300 (touch panel). From this viewpoint, as in the present embodiment, it is preferable that the traveling body 11 has the first notification unit 111g1 that notifies the direction in which the traveling body 11 travels by the forward operation FO.

[0079] Furthermore, as in the present embodiment, when the traveling body 11 and the working machine 12 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction, from the viewpoint of surely realizing a configuration that notifies the direction in which the traveling body 11 travels by the forward operation FO, the following configuration is desirable. That is, the first notification unit 111g1 is preferably provided on the front side and the rear side of the traveling body 11.

[0080] Next, the setting operation of the operation mode will be described. First, the setting operation of the forward operation mode will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the setting operation of the forward operation mode.

[0081] The setting of the forward operation mode is performed by operating the operation unit 300. More specifically, it is as follows. The operation unit 300 is configured by a touch panel as described above. Therefore, a screen for performing various settings is displayed on the operation unit 300. The above screen includes a work mode setting screen 301. The work mode setting screen 301 includes a forward work mode setting unit 302 and a reverse work mode setting unit 303.

[0082] When an operator operates (touches) the forward operation mode setting unit 302 with a finger or the like, the operation mode is set to the forward operation mode. The setting of the operation mode is performed by the operation mode control unit 113b (see FIG. 4). When the operation mode is set to the forward operation mode, the forward operation mode display unit 304 included in the forward operation mode setting unit 302 lights up (or blinks). The forward operation mode display unit 304 turns off when the operation mode is not the forward operation mode, that is, when the operation mode is the reverse operation mode. Note that the reverse operation mode setting unit 303 and the reverse operation mode display unit 305 included in the reverse operation mode setting unit 303 will be described later.

[0083] Next, the setting operation for the reverse operation mode will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the setting operation of the reverse operation mode.

[0084] The setting of the reverse operation mode is also performed by operating the operation unit 300 in the same manner as the setting of the forward operation mode. More specifically, when an operator operates (touches) the reverse operation mode setting unit 303 with a finger or the like, the operation mode is set to the reverse operation mode. The setting of the operation mode is performed by the operation mode control unit 113b. When the operation mode is set to the reverse operation mode, the reverse operation mode display unit 305 lights up (or blinks). The reverse operation mode display unit 305 turns off when the operation mode is not the reverse operation mode, that is, when the operation mode is the forward operation mode. As described above, by operating the operation unit 300, the operation mode is set to either the forward operation mode or the reverse operation mode. That is, the operation unit 300 enables the forward operation direction DRf to be set to either the first direction DR1 or the second direction DR2.

[0085] According to the above configuration, the operator can select whether to set the forward operation direction DRf of the remote control device 200 to the first direction DR1 or the second direction DR2 according to the type of the working machine 12. That is, regardless of the type of the working machine 12, the forward operation direction DRf can be made to coincide with the working progress direction. Thereby, the operator can operate without confusion and can reduce misoperations. Further, if the forward operation direction DRf coincides with the working progress direction, less attention needs to be paid during operation, and it becomes less likely to feel fatigued. As described above, in remote operation, it is less likely to feel fatigued and misoperations can be reduced.

[0086] Here, the setting flow when switching the working mode from one of the forward working mode and the reverse working mode to the other will be described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of switching settings of the working mode. In step S0, it is assumed that the working mode is set to the forward working mode.

[0087] In step S1, the working mode control unit 113b (see FIG. 4) determines whether there is an instruction to switch the working mode. In the present embodiment, the above switching instruction is realized by the operator operating (touching) the reverse working mode setting unit 303 of the working mode setting screen 301 with a finger or the like (see FIG. 9). If there is a switching instruction (Yes in step S1), the process proceeds to the next step S2. If there is no switching instruction (No in step S1), the working mode control unit 113b continues to determine the switching instruction.

[0088] In step S2, the working mode control unit 113b switches the working mode from the forward working mode to the reverse working mode. Thereby, the working mode is set to the reverse working mode. When the working mode is switched, the process proceeds to the next step S3.

[0089] In step S3, the notification control unit 113c (see FIG. 4) controls at least one of the first notification unit 111g1 and the second notification unit 111g2 (see FIG. 1) to cause notification. That is, at least one of the first notification unit 111g1 and the second notification unit 111g2 performs notification when the setting of the operation mode (the setting of the forward operation direction DRf) is switched. In the present embodiment, the notification control unit 113c causes only the second notification unit 111g2 (a speaker as an auditory notification means) to sound. However, instead of the second notification unit 111g2, the notification control unit 113c may cause the first notification unit 111g1 (a lamp as a visual notification means) to blink (or turn on). Further, the notification control unit 113c may cause the second notification unit 111g2 to sound and cause the first notification unit 111g1 to blink (or turn on).

[0090] Note that in step S0, the operation mode may be set to the reverse operation mode. In this case, according to the above switching setting, the operation mode is switched from the reverse operation mode to the forward operation mode. Further, the above switching instruction in this case is realized by operating the forward operation mode setting unit 302 of the operation mode setting screen 301 (see FIG. 8).

[0091] It is desirable to perform notification when the setting of the operation mode, that is, the setting of the forward operation direction DRf is switched, so that the operator can surely recognize that the switching setting has been performed. Further, it is desirable to use an appropriate notification means according to the positional relationship between the work vehicle 1 and the operator, or the work environment in which the work vehicle 1 is used, etc. at the time of the above notification. From such a viewpoint, it is desirable that the traveling body 11 has a second notification unit 111g2 that notifies by means different from the first notification unit 111g1 as in the present embodiment. And it is desirable that at least one of the first notification unit 111g1 and the second notification unit 111g2 performs notification when the setting of the forward operation direction DRf is switched.

[0092] [5. Modification Example of Configuration of Remote Control Device] A modified example of the configuration of the remote control device 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a modified example of the configuration of the remote control device 200. The remote control device 200 shown in FIG. 11 has the same configuration as the remote control device 200 shown in FIG. 5, except that it includes an operation unit 300.

[0093] In this modified example, the operation unit 300 is arranged on the front surface of the housing 201 (the upper left side of the front surface in FIG. 11). The operation unit 300 is composed of a momentary toggle switch and can be tilted in the F204 direction or the B204 direction. Note that the operation unit 300 is not limited to the above configuration and may be composed of, for example, an alternate toggle switch, a dial, a lever, etc. Further, the display unit 208 may be configured to include a touch panel, and this display unit 208 may be used as the operation unit 300.

[0094] When the operation unit 300 is operated, the working mode is set. For example, when the operation unit 300 is tilted in the F204 direction while the working mode is set to the reverse working mode, the working mode is set to the forward working mode. The setting of the working mode is performed by the working mode control unit 113b (see FIG. 4). As a result, the forward operation direction DRf is set to the first direction DR1 (see FIG. 6). On the other hand, when the operation unit 300 is tilted in the B204 direction while the working mode is set to the forward working mode, the working mode is set to the reverse working mode. As a result, the forward operation direction DRf is set to the second direction DR2 (see FIG. 7). That is, even if the operation unit 300 is provided in the remote control device 200, by operating the operation unit 300, the forward operation direction DRf is set to either the first direction DR1 or the second direction DR2. Therefore, even for an operator located away from the traveling body 11, from the viewpoint of setting the forward operation direction DRf, it is desirable that the operation unit 300 be provided in the remote control device 200 as in this modified example. Note that the operation unit 300 may be provided in either the traveling body 11 or the remote control device 200.

[0095] [[6. Modified Example of the Configuration of the Airframe Main Body Section]] In addition to the above-described remote control device 200 and operation unit 300, the present invention is also applicable to a work vehicle 1 including a driving unit 400 that enables operation of the work vehicle 1. Hereinafter, as a modification example of the configuration of the work vehicle 1 (particularly the machine body main body 111), a configuration in which the machine body main body 111 includes a driving unit 400 will be described with reference to FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a modification example of the configuration of the machine body main body 111. The machine body main body 111 shown in FIG. 12 has the same configuration as the machine body main body 111 shown in FIG. 1 and the like, except that it includes a driving unit 400. Further, in the work vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 12, each part other than the machine body main body 111, that is, the traveling unit 112, the work implement 12, and the remote control device 200 also have the same configuration as the respective parts shown in FIG. 1 and the like. Note that in FIG. 12, illustration of the positioning antenna 111e, the status indicator lamp 111f, the remote control device 200, and the like is omitted.

[0096] The driving unit 400 is provided on the upper part of the machine body main body 111. The driving unit 400 has a driver's seat 401 and a steering unit 402.

[0097] The driver's seat 401 is provided for an operator to sit when the operator rides on the traveling machine body 11 and operates the traveling machine body 11. The driver's seat 401 is attached to the machine body main body 111 via a seat mount 401a. The seat mount 401a is fixed to the upper part of the machine body main body 111 and supports the driver's seat 401 from below. The seat mount 401a is composed of, for example, a box-shaped metal member. The steering unit 402 is provided in front of the driver's seat 401 and enables steering operation of the traveling machine body 11.

[0098] In the operation unit 400, in addition to the driver's seat 401 and the steering unit 402, for example, levers, pedals, etc. that are operated by an operator (especially an operator sitting on the driver's seat 401) are provided. The above-mentioned levers may include multiple types of levers. For example, they may include a main shift lever that enables adjustment of the maximum speed of the traveling body 11, a sub-shift lever, or a work implement operation lever that enables operation of the work implement 12, etc. Also, the above-mentioned pedals may include multiple types of pedals. For example, they may include an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal that enable acceleration and deceleration of the traveling body 11. Hereinafter, the details of the configuration of the steering unit 402 will be described.

[0099] The steering unit 402 is configured to include a steering wheel 403, a travel lever 404, an instrument panel 405, and a steering column 406.

[0100] The steering wheel 403 is rotatably attached to the upper end of the steering column 406. The steering wheel 403 enables the steering operation of the traveling body 11. The configuration of the steering wheel 403 will be described later. Also, inside the steering column 406, a steering sensor (not shown) for detecting the operation amount of the steering wheel 403 is provided. The above-mentioned steering sensor is composed of, for example, a potentiometer. The steering sensor is connected to the control device 113 (see FIG. 4) and outputs the detected operation amount of the steering wheel 403 to the control device 113. Note that the arrangement position of the steering sensor is not limited to the inside of the steering column 406 and may be, for example, inside the main body 111 of the machine body.

[0101] The travel lever 404 is provided to protrude from the left side of the steering column 406. The travel lever 404 enables the travel operation (forward operation, reverse operation) of the traveling body 11.

[0102] The instrument panel 405 is attached to the upper part of the steering column 406 via an attachment member (not shown). The instrument panel 405 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, etc., and displays a meter indicating the speed of the traveling airframe 11. Note that the instrument panel 405 may be provided with buttons or the like for changing the type of information to be displayed.

[0103] The base end portion of the steering column 406 (the portion on the side opposite to the side where the steering wheel 403 is attached) is rotatably supported by the front portion of the airframe main body portion 111 with the left - right direction as the rotation axis. When the steering column 406 rotates, the steering wheel 403, the traveling lever 404, and the instrument panel 405 attached to the steering column 406 also rotate together with the steering column 406. That is, the steering unit 402 is rotatably attached to the airframe main body portion 111.

[0104] Specifically, the steering unit 402 can be changed in position between a riding operation position 402a (shown by a solid line in FIG. 12) and a getting - off operation position 402b (shown by a broken line in FIG. 12). The steering unit 402 at the riding operation position 402a protrudes upward with respect to the airframe main body portion 111. In this case, the operator sits on the driver's seat 401 and operates the steering wheel 403 and the traveling lever 404 included in the steering unit 402.

[0105] The steering unit 402 at the getting - off operation position 402b protrudes forward with respect to the airframe main body portion 111. In this case, the operator gets off the traveling airframe 11 and operates the steering wheel 403 and the traveling lever 404. More specifically, the operator operates the steering wheel 403 and the traveling lever 404 while facing backward in front of the traveling airframe 11 and closer to the steering unit 402 arranged at the getting - off operation position 402b.

[0106] Note that the steering unit 402 may be positionally changeable to a position different from the boarding operation position 402a and the alighting operation position 402b. For example, the steering unit 402 may be positionally changeable to any position between the boarding operation position 402a and the alighting operation position 402b. Further, the steering unit 402 may be positionally changeable to a position below the alighting operation position 402b.

[0107] When the steering unit 402 is arranged at the boarding operation position 402a and when it is arranged at the alighting operation position 402b, the turning direction of the traveling body 11 with respect to the operation of the steering wheel 403 is different. Also, the orientations of the above-mentioned meters and the like displayed on the instrument panel 405 are different. More specifically, it is as follows. First, the case where the steering unit 402 is arranged at the boarding operation position 402a will be described with reference to FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the steering operation when the steering unit 402 is arranged at the boarding operation position 402a. FIG. 13 shows the steering wheel 403 and the instrument panel 405 as seen from the operator seated in the driver's seat 401, and the traveling state of the traveling body 11. Note that the screen 405e of the instrument panel 405 shown in FIG. 13 is merely an example and may be changed as appropriate.

[0108] The steering wheel 403 is formed of, for example, resin. The steering wheel 403 integrally has an annular wheel portion 403a and spoke portions 403b extending from the wheel portion 403a toward the center side of the wheel portion 403a. The spoke portions 403b include a first spoke portion 403b1, a second spoke portion 403b2, and a third spoke portion 403b3. The first spoke portion 403b1 extends from the lower side of the wheel portion 403a toward the center side. The second spoke portion 403b2 extends from the upper left diagonal side of the wheel portion 403a toward the center side. The third spoke portion 403b3 extends from the upper right diagonal side of the wheel portion 403a toward the center side. Here, in the steering wheel 403, the above positions are referred to as neutral positions. If the steering wheel 403 is in the neutral position, the traveling body 11 can be made to go straight without turning. Also, since the spoke portions 403b are integrally formed with the wheel portion 403a, for example, when an operator turns the wheel portion 403a, the spoke portions 403b also rotate and move.

[0109] Note that the configuration of the steering wheel 403 is not limited to the above. For example, the steering wheel 403 may have an elliptical wheel portion. Also, the number of spoke portions 403b of the steering wheel 403 may be one, two, or four or more.

[0110] A instrument panel 405 is disposed substantially at the center of the steering wheel 403. The instrument panel 405 is rectangular, and its longitudinal direction is positioned along the horizontal direction. More specifically, for the instrument panel 405, the upper edge portion 405a is positioned above when viewed from an operator seated on the driver's seat 401, and the lower edge portion 405b is positioned below. Also, the left edge portion 405c is positioned on the left side, and the right edge portion 405d is positioned on the right side.

[0111] Note that the arrangement of the instrument panel 405 is not limited to the above. For example, the longitudinal direction of the instrument panel 405 may be positioned along the vertical direction. Also, the instrument panel 405 may be arranged offset from the center of the steering wheel 403.

[0112] The instrument panel 405 displays the screen (image) 405e in the following orientation. That is, the instrument panel 405 displays the upper part (upper left 405e1 and upper right 405e2) of the screen 405e on the upper side as viewed from the operator, and the lower part (lower left 405e3 and lower right 405e4) of the screen 405e on the lower side. Also, the instrument panel 405 displays the left part (upper left 405e1 and lower left 405e3) of the screen 405e on the left side as viewed from the operator, and the right part (upper right 405e2 and lower right 405e4) of the screen 405e on the right side.

[0113] When the steering unit 402 is disposed at the riding operation position 402a, turning the steering wheel 403 clockwise from the neutral position can turn the traveling body 11 to the right. More specifically, the operation amount of the steering wheel 403 is detected by the above-described steering sensor and output to the control device 113. Then, the traveling control unit 113d (see FIG. 4) of the control device 113 controls the traveling drive device 111b (see FIG. 1) based on the above operation amount to turn the traveling body 11 to the right. That is, in the work vehicle 1 of this modification example, steering is performed by a steer-by-wire type steering device. When the steering unit 402 is disposed at the riding operation position 402a, turning the steering wheel 403 counterclockwise from the neutral position can turn the traveling body 11 to the left.

[0114] When the steering unit 402 is disposed at the riding operation position 402a, tilting the travel lever 404 (see FIG. 12) forward (in the F direction in FIG. 12) of the traveling body 11 can move the traveling body 11 forward. When the steering unit 402 is disposed at the riding operation position 402a, tilting the travel lever 404 backward (in the B direction in FIG. 12) of the traveling body 11 can move the traveling body 11 backward.

[0115] Next, the case where the steering unit 402 is disposed at the getting-off operation position 402b will be described with reference to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the steering operation when the steering unit 402 is disposed at the getting-off operation position 402b. FIG. 14 shows the steering wheel 403 and the instrument panel 405 as seen from an operator facing rearward in front of the traveling body 11 than the steering unit 402 disposed at the getting-off operation position 402b. Further, FIG. 14 also shows the traveling state of the traveling body 11. Note that, similar to FIG. 13, the screen 405e of the instrument panel 405 shown in FIG. 14 is merely an example and may be changed as appropriate.

[0116] With the steering unit 402 disposed at the getting-off operation position 402b, when viewed from an operator who is positioned in front of the traveling body 11 than the steering unit 402 and facing rearward, the steering wheel 403 appears as follows. That is, the steering wheel 403 appears upside-down and reversed left and right compared to the case where the steering unit 402 is disposed at the getting-on operation position 402a and viewed while seated on the driver's seat 401. More specifically, the first spoke portion 403b1 extends from below the wheel portion 403a, but appears to extend from above. Further, the second spoke portion 403b2 extends from the upper left diagonal side of the wheel portion 403a, but appears to extend from the lower right diagonal side. Furthermore, the third spoke portion 403b3 extends from the upper right diagonal side of the wheel portion 403a, but appears to extend from the lower left diagonal side.

[0117] Similarly, the instrument panel 405 also appears upside-down and reversed left and right compared to the case where the steering unit 402 is disposed at the getting-on operation position 402a and viewed while seated on the driver's seat 401. That is, for the instrument panel 405, the upper edge portion 405a is positioned on the lower side as seen from an operator positioned in front of the traveling body 11 than the steering unit 402, and the lower edge portion 405b is positioned on the upper side. Also, the left edge portion 405c is positioned on the right side, and the right edge portion 405d is positioned on the left side.

[0118] On the other hand, the screen (image) 405e of the instrument panel 405 is displayed in the same orientation as when viewed from the driver's seat 401 with the steering unit 402 disposed at the boarding operation position 402a. That is, the instrument panel 405 displays the upper part (the upper left part 405e1 and the upper right part 405e2) of the screen 405e upward as viewed from the operator, and the lower part (the lower left part 405e3 and the lower right part 405e4) of the screen 405e downward. Also, the instrument panel 405 displays the left part (the upper left part 405e1 and the lower left part 405e3) of the screen 405e to the left as viewed from the operator, and the right part (the upper right part 405e2 and the lower right part 405e4) of the screen 405e to the right. That is, when the steering unit 402 is disposed at the getting-off operation position 402b, the instrument panel 405 displays the screen 405e with it inverted vertically and horizontally as compared with the case where it is disposed at the boarding operation position 402a. Thereby, whether the steering unit 402 is disposed at the boarding operation position 402a or at the getting-off operation position 402b, an operator who operates the traveling body 11 with the steering wheel 403 can easily read information (such as speed) on the screen 405e.

[0119] When the steering unit 402 is disposed at the getting-off operation position 402b, turning the steering wheel 403 clockwise from the neutral position can turn the traveling body 11 to the left. More specifically, based on the amount of steering of the steering wheel 403 detected by the steering sensor, the traveling control unit 113d of the control device 113 controls the traveling drive device 111b to turn the traveling body 11 to the left. When the steering unit 402 is disposed at the getting-off operation position 402b, turning the steering wheel 403 counterclockwise from the neutral position can turn the traveling body 11 to the right.

[0120] As described above, when the steering unit 402 is disposed at the riding operation position 402a, if the steering wheel 403 is turned clockwise from the neutral position, the traveling body 11 turns right, and if it is turned counterclockwise, the traveling body 11 turns left. Therefore, when the steering unit 402 is disposed at the dismounting operation position 402b, the turning direction of the traveling body 11 with respect to the operation of the steering wheel 403 is reversed as compared with the case where it is disposed at the riding operation position 402a. More specifically, in the travel control unit 113d, a setting is made to reverse the turning direction of the traveling body 11 according to whether or not the steering unit 402 is disposed at the dismounting operation position 402b.

[0121] Thereby, whether the steering unit 402 is disposed at the riding operation position 402a or the dismounting operation position 402b, the same steering operation is possible from the viewpoint of the operator who operates the traveling body 11 with the steering unit 402. That is, if the steering wheel 403 is turned clockwise, the traveling body 11 can be turned rightward as viewed from the operator. Also, if the steering wheel 403 is turned counterclockwise, the traveling body 11 can be turned leftward as viewed from the operator. Therefore, the operator can operate without confusion, and erroneous operations are reduced.

[0122] When the steering unit 402 is disposed at the dismounting operation position 402b, if the travel lever 404 (see FIG. 12) is tilted forward (in the F direction in FIG. 12) of the traveling body 11, the traveling body 11 can be advanced. When the steering unit 402 is disposed at the dismounting operation position 402b, if the travel lever 404 is tilted rearward (in the B direction in FIG. 12) of the traveling body 11, the traveling body 11 can be reversed. Thereby, whether the steering unit 402 is disposed at the riding operation position 402a or the dismounting operation position, the same travel operation is possible from the viewpoint of the operator who operates the traveling body 11 with the steering unit 402. That is, if the travel lever 404 is tilted rearward as viewed from the operator, the traveling body 11 can be advanced in the direction in front of the operator. Also, if the travel lever 404 is tilted forward as viewed from the operator, the traveling body 11 can be reversed in the direction behind the operator.

[0123] 〔7. Supplementary Note〕 The work vehicle 1 described in this embodiment can also be expressed as the work vehicle shown in the following supplementary note.

[0124] The work vehicle in Supplementary Note (1) has a traveling body, a working machine connected to the traveling body, a remote control device for operating the traveling body, and an operation unit capable of setting the forward operation direction of the remote control device to either a first direction from the working machine toward the traveling body or a second direction from the traveling body toward the working machine.

[0125] The work vehicle in Supplementary Note (2) is the work vehicle described in Supplementary Note (1), wherein the traveling body has a first notification unit that notifies the direction in which the traveling body advances by the forward operation.

[0126] The work vehicle in Supplementary Note (3) is the work vehicle described in Supplementary Note (2), wherein the traveling body and the working machine are arranged side by side in the front - rear direction, and the first notification unit is provided on the front side and the rear side of the traveling body.

[0127] The work vehicle in Supplementary Note (4) is the work vehicle described in Supplementary Note (2) or (3), wherein the traveling body has a second notification unit that notifies by means different from the first notification unit, and at least one of the first notification unit and the second notification unit notifies when the setting of the forward operation direction is switched.

[0128] The work vehicle in Supplementary Note (5) is the work vehicle described in any one of Supplementary Notes (1) to (4), wherein the operation unit is provided on the traveling body.

[0129] The work vehicle in Supplementary Note (6) is the work vehicle described in any one of Supplementary Notes (1) to (4), The operation unit is provided in the remote operation device.

[0130] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been explained. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and it can be implemented with expansion or modification without departing from the gist of the invention. Also, a plurality of embodiments and modification examples shown in this specification may be implemented in combination within a possible range.

Industrial Applicability

[0131] The present invention can be used for work vehicles such as agricultural machines and construction machines, for example.

Explanation of Signs

[0132] 1 Work vehicle 11 Traveling body 12 Working machine 111g1 First notification unit 111g2 Second notification unit 200 Remote operation device 300 Operation unit DR1 First direction DR2 Second direction DRf Forward operation direction (direction of forward operation) FO Forward operation

Claims

1. A traveling body, A working machine connected to the traveling body, A remote control device for operating the traveling body, An operation unit capable of setting the direction of the forward operation of the remote control device to either a first direction from the working machine toward the traveling body or a second direction from the traveling body toward the working machine. A work vehicle comprising the same.

2. The traveling body has a first notification unit for notifying the direction in which the traveling body advances by the forward operation. The work vehicle according to Claim 1.

3. The traveling body and the working machine are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction, The first notification unit is provided on the front side and the rear side of the traveling body. The work vehicle according to Claim 2.

4. The traveling body has a second notification unit for notifying by means different from the first notification unit, At least one of the first notification unit and the second notification unit notifies when the setting of the direction of the forward operation is switched. The work vehicle according to Claim 2.

5. The operation unit is provided on the traveling body. The work vehicle according to any one of Claims 1 to 4.

6. The operation unit is provided on the remote control device. The work vehicle according to any one of Claims 1 to 4.

Images