Work vehicle

Abstract

To provide a work vehicle capable of accurately performing work with a work device by using automatic steering control of a traveling machine body.SOLUTION: A work vehicle comprises: a traveling machine body C having a traveling device; a steering unit capable of steering the traveling device; a receiver 63 that acquires position information by a satellite positioning system; and support frames 30, 31 that support the receiver 63 on the traveling machine body. The support frame includes left and right vertical portions 30 extending upward, and a horizontal portion 31 extending in a lateral direction of the traveling machine body C at upper end portions of the support frames 30, 31. A plate-like member 65 is connected to the upper end portions of the support frames 30, 31, the receiver 63 is supported by the plate-like member 65 and a front end of the plate-like member 65 is positioned forward of a front end of the receiver 63.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle capable of automatic steering control of a traveling machine body. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional work vehicle is described, for example, in Patent Document 1 below. This work vehicle is equipped with a traveling machine body having traveling gear (referred to as "front wheels" and "rear wheels" in Patent Document 1), a work device that performs work on the field (referred to as "seedling planting work device" in Patent Document 1), and a steering unit that can steer the traveling gear (referred to as "power steering valve," "power steering cylinder," "automatic control valve," etc. in Patent Document 1). Furthermore, this work vehicle is equipped with a receiving device (referred to as "GPS receiver" in Patent Document 1) that acquires position information using a satellite positioning system, and a control unit (referred to as "controller" in Patent Document 1) that controls the steering unit so that the traveling machine body travels straight based on the acquired position information. This work vehicle controls the steering unit based solely on the position information acquired by the receiving device, thereby performing automatic steering control of the traveling machine body.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 listed below describes a measurement unit that integrates a receiving device that acquires position information by a satellite positioning system and an inertial measurement unit that measures inertial information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-161112 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 7,346,452 (Fig. 1) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the position information obtained from the receiving device by the satellite positioning system can sometimes deviate significantly from the actual position, and in such cases, it becomes difficult for the work vehicle described in Patent Document 1 above to accurately perform work using the work equipment by using automatic steering control of the running body.

[0006] Furthermore, in situations where radio interference or the like is likely to occur, the amount of position information acquired by the receiving device becomes insufficient, making it difficult to perform automatic steering control of the traveling vehicle.

[0007] For this reason, it was considered to equip the work vehicle described in Patent Document 1 above with a measurement unit that combines a receiving device that acquires position information using a satellite positioning system and an inertial measurement device that measures inertial information, as described in Patent Document 2 above, and to perform automatic steering control of the running vehicle body based on the position information acquired by the receiving device and the inertial information measured by the inertial measurement device, thereby further improving the accuracy of work performed by the work equipment.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a work vehicle that is capable of accurately performing work using a work implement by using automatic steering control of the traveling machine body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The work vehicle of the present invention comprises a running body having running gear, a steering unit capable of steering the running gear, a receiving device that acquires position information using a satellite positioning system, an inertial measurement unit, and a control unit that controls the steering unit based on information from the receiving device and information from the inertial measurement unit, a bonnet provided at the front of the running body, and a frame extending above the bonnet, and the receiving device and the inertial measurement unit are supported by the frame at the same location on the running body. In addition, the work vehicle of the present invention is equipped with a running body having a running device, a steering unit capable of steering the running device, a receiving device that acquires position information using a satellite positioning system, a secondary inertial measurement device that detects the inclination of the running body, and a control unit that controls the steering unit based on the position information, and the receiving device and the secondary inertial measurement device are arranged in the same location on the running body. In addition, the work vehicle of the present invention is equipped with a running body having running gear, a work device that performs work on a field, a steering unit that can steer the running gear, a receiving device that acquires position information using a satellite positioning system, an inertial measurement device that measures inertial information, a generation unit that generates a target line along which the running body will run, and a control unit that controls the steering unit based on the position information and the inertial information so that the running body runs along the target line, and the receiving device and the inertial measurement device are arranged at different locations on the running body.

[0010] According to the present invention, the receiving device that acquires position information by the satellite positioning system and the inertial measurement unit that measures inertial information are arranged at different locations on the traveling vehicle body. Therefore, for example, by placing the receiving device in a location where the shaking is relatively large, the accuracy of acquiring the position information of the receiving device can be improved, and by placing the inertial measurement unit in a location where the shaking is relatively small, the error in the inertial information measured by the inertial measurement unit can be reduced. In other words, the accuracy of both the position information acquired by the receiving device and the inertial information measured by the inertial measurement unit are improved, making it possible to make use of the characteristics of both the receiving device and the inertial measurement unit. This makes it possible to perform steering control of the steering unit using highly accurate position information and inertial information, enabling accurate automatic steering control of the running body so that the running body and working device travel along the target line. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to accurately perform work using the work implement by using automatic steering control of the traveling machine body.

[0011] In the above configuration, It is preferable that the inertial measurement unit be disposed at a location near the center of the longitudinal direction of the entire longitudinal length of the traveling machine body and the working device.

[0012] With this configuration, the location near the center of the longitudinal direction of the traveling body and the working device is, for example, a location near the yaw axis, which is the center of rotation of the entire traveling body and the working device. By locating the inertial measurement unit in such a location, errors in the inertial information measured by the inertial measurement unit are reduced, making it easier to measure the inertial information accurately.

[0013] In the above configuration, It is preferable that the inertial measurement unit is attached to a mounting member located near the rear axle of the traveling device.

[0014] According to this configuration, the mounting member located near the rear axle of the traveling device is less likely to sway while the traveling body is traveling. By attaching the inertial measurement unit to such a mounting member, errors in the inertial information measured by the inertial measurement unit are reduced, making it easier to measure the inertial information accurately.

[0015] In the above configuration, The working device is a seedling planting device capable of planting seedlings in a field, A plurality of spare seedling trays on which spare seedlings to be supplied to the seedling planting device can be placed; A pair of left and right spare seedling frames supporting the spare seedling stand; A connecting frame is provided which is connected across the upper parts of the left and right spare seedling frames, Preferably, the receiving device is attached to the connecting frame.

[0016] According to this configuration, the receiver is attached to a connecting frame installed at a relatively high position that connects the left and right spare seedling frames supporting the spare seedling tray. This allows the receiver to be placed in a location with few obstructions that block radio waves. This reduces interruptions in the position information acquired by the receiver. Furthermore, because the spare seedling frames and connecting frames are relatively prone to shaking while traveling, for example, the accuracy of detecting the direction of travel of the traveling vehicle based on the position information acquired by the receiver can be improved.

[0017] In the above configuration, It is preferable that the connecting frame be capable of being changed between a usage state in which the receiving device is positioned above the upper end of the spare seedling frame, and a storage state in which the connecting frame is inverted upside down relative to the usage state and the receiving device is positioned below the upper end of the spare seedling frame.

[0018] With this configuration, when the connecting frame is in use, the receiving device is positioned higher than the upper end of the spare seedling frame, improving the radio wave reception sensitivity when the receiving device is in use. On the other hand, when the connecting frame is in the stored state, the receiving device is positioned lower than the upper end of the spare seedling frame, so that when the traveling machine body is stored in a barn or the like, the receiving device does not get in the way, and it is possible to avoid inconveniences such as the receiving device hitting the top of the barn entrance.

[0019] In the above configuration, It is preferable that the connecting frame is supported by the left and right spare seedling frames so that it can rotate around a left-right axis along the left-right direction and can be fixed in position in the use state and the stored state.

[0020] According to this configuration, the connecting frame is rotatable around the left and right axes, making it easy to change the state of the connecting frame between a usage state in which the receiving device is used and a storage state in which the receiving device is stored.

[0021] In the above configuration, It is preferable that the connecting frame be detachable from the left and right spare seedling frames.

[0022] According to this configuration, the connecting frame is detachable, so when the receiving device is not in use, the connecting frame in use can be removed from the spare seedling frame and the connecting frame can be stored and attached to the spare seedling frame.

[0023] In the above configuration, The receiving device is provided with a connector portion for connecting a harness, It is preferable that the connector portion extend outward in the left-right direction from the receiving device.

[0024] According to this configuration, the connector portion to which the harness is connected in the receiving device extends outward in the left-right direction from the receiving device, so that the connector portion of the receiving device is less likely to hit an obstacle such as a tree branch approaching from the front while driving, compared to, for example, when the connector portion extends forward from the receiving device.

[0025] In the above configuration, The receiving device is provided with a connector portion for connecting a harness, It is preferable that a guard member be provided to protect the connector portion.

[0026] According to this configuration, the guard member effectively protects the connector portion from collision with obstacles such as tree branches while the vehicle is in motion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a rice transplanter. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a top view showing a rice transplanter. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a rice transplanter. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a steering unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration related to automatic steering control. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a top view illustrating the operation of automatic steering control. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a top view illustrating generation of a target line, etc.; [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a side view showing another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a riding rice transplanter (an example of a "work vehicle"), which is a planting-type paddy field work vehicle among agricultural work vehicles, is equipped with a traveling body C having a traveling device A, and a work device for performing work on the field. The work device of the rice transplanter is a seedling planting device W that can plant seedlings in the field. Note that arrow F shown in Figure 2 indicates the "front" of traveling body C, arrow B indicates the "rear" of traveling body C, arrow L indicates the "left" of traveling body C, and arrow R indicates the "right" of traveling body C.

[0029] 1, the traveling device A is provided with a pair of left and right front wheels 10 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 11. The traveling body C is provided with a steering unit U that can steer the left and right front wheels 10 of the traveling device A.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, an openable hood 12 is provided at the front of the traveling machine body C. An engine 13 is provided inside the hood 12. A rod-shaped center mascot 14 is provided at the tip of the hood 12 to confirm the index line LN (see Figure 6). As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the traveling machine body C is provided with a frame-shaped machine body frame 15 that extends along the front-to-rear direction. A support column frame 16 is erected at the front of the machine body frame 15.

[0031] [About the seedling planting device] As shown in Fig. 1, the seedling planting device W is vertically movably connected to the rear end of the traveling body C via a link mechanism 21 that moves up and down by the telescopic operation of a lifting cylinder 20 composed of a hydraulic cylinder.

[0032] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the seedling planting device W includes four transmission cases 22, rotary cases 23 rotatably supported on the left and right sides of the rear part of each transmission case 22, a pair of rotary planting arms 24 provided at both ends of each rotary case 23, a plurality of leveling floats 25 for leveling the field surface, a seedling placing table 26 on which a mat-like seedling for planting is placed, and the like. That is, the seedling planting device W is configured in an eight-row planting type.

[0033] The seedling planting device W configured as described above rotates each rotary case 23 by the power transmitted from the transmission case 22 while driving the seedling placing table 26 to reciprocate horizontally left and right, and alternately takes out seedlings from the lower part of the seedling placing table 26 by each planting arm 24 and plants them on the field surface.

[0034] 〔Regarding the spare seedling table〕 As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, on the left and right sides of the bonnet 12 in the traveling body C, a plurality (for example, four) of normal spare seedling tables 28 (an example of a "spare seedling table") on which spare seedlings for replenishing the seedling planting device W can be placed, and one rail-type spare seedling table 29 (an example of a "spare seedling table") on which spare seedlings for replenishing the seedling planting device W can be placed are provided. In addition, on the left and right sides of the bonnet 12 in the traveling body C, a pair of left and right spare seedling frames 30 that support each normal spare seedling table 28 and the rail-type spare seedling table 29, and a connecting frame 31 that is connected across the upper parts of the left and right spare seedling frames 30 are provided. The connecting frame 31 has a U-shaped shape in a front view. The left and right end portions of the connecting frame 31 are respectively connected to the upper parts of the left and right spare seedling frames 30 via connecting brackets 32.

[0035] 〔Regarding the marker device〕 As shown in Figure 1, the left and right sides of the seedling planting device W are each provided with a marker device 33 for forming an index line LN (see Figures 6 and 7) on the rice field surface. The left and right marker devices 33 are each configured to be freely operable between an operating position in which they are in contact with the rice field surface and form an index line LN on the rice field surface as the traveling body C travels, and a stored position in which they are spaced above the rice field surface.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1, each of the left and right marker devices 33 includes a marker arm 34 supported by the seedling planting device W so as to be swingable up and down, and a rotating body 35 with multiple protrusions circumferentially supported at the tip of the marker arm 34 so as to be freely rotatable. Each of the left and right marker devices 33 also includes an electric marker motor (not shown) that operates the left and right marker devices 33 between an active position and a stored position. When each marker device 33 is in the active position, the rotating body 35 rolls on the ground in response to steering of the traveling body C, forming a dotted index line LN (see Figure 6) in a top view.

[0037] [About the driving section] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a driving section 40 where various driving operations are performed is provided in the center of the traveling vehicle body C. The driving section 40 is provided with a driver's seat 41 where the driver can sit, a control tower 42, a steering handle 43 consisting of a steering wheel for manually steering the front wheels 10, a main speed change lever 44 that can switch between forward and reverse travel and change the traveling speed, and an operating lever 45. The driver's seat 41 is provided in the center of the traveling vehicle body C. The steering handle 43, main speed change lever 44, operating lever 45, etc. are freely operable on the control tower 42. A boarding step 46 is provided at the foot area of ​​the driving section 40. Auxiliary steps 47 are provided on the left and right outer positions of the boarding step 46. Boarding and alighting steps 48 are provided on both the left and right sides of the hood 12 as boarding and alighting passages that are seamlessly connected to the boarding step 46. Left and right spare seedling frames 30 are respectively located on the outer sides of the boarding and alighting step 48.

[0038] [About the operating lever] 2 and 3 is provided on the right side below the steering handle 43. Although not shown in detail, the operating lever 45 is configured to be operable in a cross direction from a neutral position to an upward raised position, a downward lowered position, a rear right marker position, and a front left marker position, and is biased to the neutral position.

[0039] When the operating lever 45 is operated to the raised position, the planting clutch (not shown) is disengaged, the seedling planting device W is raised, and the left and right marker devices 33 (see Figure 1) are operated to the stored position. When the operating lever 45 is operated to the lowered position, the planting clutch (not shown) is disengaged, the left and right marker devices 33 are operated to the stored position, and the seedling planting device W is lowered. When the central ground leveling float 25 touches the surface of the field, the seedling planting device W touches the surface of the field and comes to a stop.

[0040] When the operating lever 45 is operated to the right marker position, the right marker device 33 changes from the stored position to the operating position. When the operating lever 45 is operated to the left marker position, the left marker device 33 changes from the stored position to the operating position.

[0041] The control tower 42 of the driving section 40 is provided with a push-type automatic steering switch 50 (see FIG. 5). The automatic steering switch 50 is configured to be able to switch on and off the automatic steering of the steering unit U. In addition, the main speed change lever 44 is provided with a registration switch 52 (see FIG. 5) for registering a teaching direction TA (see FIG. 6) used for automatic steering control of the steering unit U. The registration switch 52 is provided with a push-type first registration button 52A and a push-type second registration button 52B.

[0042] [About the steering unit] As shown in FIG. 4, the steering unit U includes the above-mentioned steering handle 43, a steering operation shaft 54 ​​operatively connected to the steering handle 43, a pitman arm 55 that swings in conjunction with the rotation of the steering operation shaft 54, left and right linking mechanisms 56 operatively connected to the pitman arm 55, a steering motor 58, and a gear mechanism 57 operatively connecting the steering motor 58 to the steering operation shaft 54.

[0043] The steering operation shaft 54 ​​is interlocked and connected to the left and right front wheels 10 via a pitman arm 55 and left and right linkage mechanisms 56. The amount of rotation of the steering operation shaft 54 ​​is detected by a steering angle sensor 60 (see FIG. 5) consisting of a rotary encoder provided at the lower end of the steering operation shaft 54.

[0044] When the steering unit U is steered manually, an auxiliary force corresponding to the operation of the steering handle 43 by the steering motor 58 is applied to the operating force applied by the driver to operate the steering handle 43, thereby rotating the steering shaft 54 ​​and changing the steering angle of the front wheels 10. On the other hand, when the steering unit U is steered automatically, the steering motor 58 is driven, and the driving force of the steering motor 58 rotates the steering shaft 54, thereby changing the steering angle of the front wheels 10.

[0045] [Regarding measurement units with receivers and inertial measurement units] As shown in Figures 1 to 3 and 5, the running body C is equipped with a receiving device 63 that acquires position information using a satellite positioning system, and a measurement unit 61 that has a secondary inertial measurement unit 64 (equivalent to an "inertial measurement unit") that can mainly detect the inclination (pitch angle, roll angle) of the running body C, and a primary inertial measurement unit 62 that measures inertial information.

[0046] The primary inertial measurement unit 62 and the secondary inertial measurement unit 64 are each configured by an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit).

[0047] The measurement unit 61 having the receiving device 63 and the secondary inertial measurement unit 64, and the primary inertial measurement unit 62 are arranged at different locations on the traveling vehicle C. In addition, the measurement unit 61 having the receiving device 63 and the secondary inertial measurement unit 64, and the primary inertial measurement unit 62 are arranged on the left-right center line CL of the traveling vehicle C.

[0048] A representative example of the above-mentioned satellite positioning system (GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System) is the GPS (Global Positioning System). The GPS measures the position of the receiving device 63 using a plurality of GPS satellites orbiting the Earth, a control station that tracks and controls the GPS satellites, and a receiving device 63 provided in the object (traveling vehicle C) to be positioned. The receiving device 63 is used to acquire position information of the traveling vehicle C by the satellite positioning system.

[0049] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the measurement unit 61 having the receiving device 63 is attached to the connecting frame 31 via a plate-shaped support plate 65. The measurement unit 61 having the receiving device 63 is disposed at the front position of the traveling machine body C (particularly, forward of the front wheel 10). Therefore, when the traveling machine body C changes its heading, the amount of displacement in the left-right direction is greater at the front position of the traveling machine body C than at the rear end position of the traveling machine body C, and the change in the own position NM of the traveling machine body C acquired by the receiving device 63 can be detected with high sensitivity.

[0050] 3 and other figures, the connecting frame 31 can be changed between a use state S1 in which the measuring unit 61 having the receiving device 63 is positioned above the upper end of the spare seedling frame 30, and a storage state S2 in which the connecting frame 31 is upside down relative to the use state S1 and the receiving device 63 is positioned below the upper end of the spare seedling frame 30. Explaining further, the connecting frame 31 is rotatable about a left-right axis X along the left-right direction, and is supported by the left and right spare seedling frames 30 by connecting brackets 32 so that it can be fixed in position in either the use state S1 or the storage state S2.

[0051] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, by setting the connecting frame 31 to the usage state S1, the receiving device 63 is supported at a high position by the connecting frame 31 and the spare seedling frame 30. As the traveling machine body C travels, the spare seedling frame 30 and the connecting frame 31 flex, causing the receiving device 63 to easily sway. This allows for accurate detection of the traveling machine body C's own position NM and own orientation NA based on the position information acquired by the receiving device 63. Furthermore, by setting the connecting frame 31 to the usage state S1, the receiving device 63 is positioned at the topmost position of the traveling machine body C, thereby increasing the radio wave reception sensitivity of the receiving device 63 and making it less likely for radio wave interference to occur to the receiving device 63.

[0052] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the receiving device 63 of the measurement unit 61 is provided with a connector portion 67 to which a harness 66 is connected. The connector portion 67 extends outward in the left-right direction from the receiving device 63 of the measurement unit 61. The harness 66 is routed along the connecting frame 31 and the spare seedling frame 30. In addition, a guard member 68 is provided to protect the connector portion 67. The guard member 68 is attached to the support plate 65. The guard member 68 is designed to protect the front side of the connector portion 67.

[0053] 1, the primary inertial measurement unit 62 is disposed near the center of the longitudinal length of the traveling body C and the seedling planting device W. To explain further, the primary inertial measurement unit 62 is disposed near the center of rotation of the traveling body C in the direction of travel (the axis of the yaw axis of the traveling body C).

[0054] Specifically, a rear axle frame 73 (corresponding to a "mounting member") is provided at the rear of the traveling vehicle body C, which rotatably supports a rear axle 72 that transmits driving force to the rear wheels 11. The rear axle frame 73 is a rigid member located near the rear axle 72 of the traveling device A. The primary inertial measurement unit 62 is attached to this rear axle frame 73.

[0055] 1 and 2, primary inertial measurement unit 62 is located near seedling planting device W. Primary inertial measurement unit 62 is also located below and behind driver's seat 41.

[0056] 5, the primary inertial measurement unit 62 is mainly equipped with a gyro sensor 70 capable of detecting the angular velocity of the yaw angle (turning angle of the traveling machine body C) of the traveling machine body C, and an acceleration sensor 71 capable of detecting acceleration in three mutually orthogonal axis directions. In other words, the inertial information measured by the primary inertial measurement unit 62 includes orientation change information detected by the gyro sensor 70 and position change information detected by the acceleration sensor 71. As described above, because the primary inertial measurement unit 62 is located near the turning center in the traveling direction of the traveling machine body C, it is possible to minimize the accumulated error in the orientation change information generated by the gyro sensor 70, and the detection accuracy of the position change information by the acceleration sensor 71 is high.

[0057] [Regarding control configuration] 5, the traveling machine body C is equipped with a control device 75 that controls the automatic steering of the steering unit U. The control device 75 is equipped with an information storage unit 76, a teaching storage unit 77, a turning detection unit 78, a start determination unit 79, an information correction unit 80, a generation unit 81 that generates a target line LM along which the traveling machine body C should travel, a state detection unit 82, and a control unit 83 that controls the steering unit U based on position information and inertia information so that the traveling machine body C travels along the target line LM.

[0058] Information from the receiver 63, secondary inertial measurement unit 64, gyro sensor 70, acceleration sensor 71, steering angle sensor 60, automatic steering switch 50, registration switch 52, etc. in the primary inertial measurement unit 62 is input to the control unit 75.

[0059] The information storage unit 76 is configured to store the location information acquired from the receiving device 63 on a time basis.

[0060] The teaching storage unit 77 is configured to calculate the teaching direction TA using the position information of two points among the position information stored in the information storage unit 76 based on the operation of the registration switch 52.

[0061] The turning detection unit 78 is configured to detect the start and end of turning of the running vehicle C based on the steering angle information of the steering operation axis 54 of the steering unit U input from the steering angle sensor 60.

[0062] The start determination unit 79 is configured to determine whether or not automatic steering control of the traveling machine body C is to be started.

[0063] The information correction unit 80 is configured to perform correction processing on the accumulated error of the information detected by the gyro sensor 70 among the inertial information measured by the primary inertial measurement device 62 each time automatic steering control of the traveling vehicle C is started, based on the position information acquired by the receiving device 63 and the information measured by the secondary inertial measurement device 64.

[0064] The generation unit 81 is configured to generate a target line LM based on the teaching direction TA, the vehicle's own position NM at the start of automatic steering control of the traveling vehicle C, and the vehicle's own heading NA.

[0065] The state detection unit 82 is configured to detect, during automatic steering control of the traveling body C, the distance deviation (deviation distance) between the traveling body C's own position NM and the target line LM, and the angle deviation (deviation angle) between the traveling body C's own orientation NA and the teaching direction TA.

[0066] The control unit 83 is configured to control the driving of the steering motor 58 of the steering unit U based on the information input from the state detection unit 82.

[0067] [Regarding automatic steering control] As an example, a case where seedlings are planted in a paddy field that is rectangular in top view will be described. As shown in Figure 6, first, the traveling machine body C is positioned at a first position Q1 on the edge of a ridge in the field, and the first registration button 52A (see Figure 5) of the registration switch 52 is operated. Then, the seedling planting device W is raised and the soil leveling float 25 is grounded, and the traveling machine body C is caused to travel straight from the first position Q1 along the straight line of the ridge on the side, and moved to a second position Q2 near the opposite ridge, and then the second registration button 52B (see Figure 5) of the registration switch 52 is operated. As a result, a teaching direction TA, which is the direction connecting the first position Q1 and the second position Q2, is generated from the position information acquired by the receiving device 63 at the first position Q1 and the position information acquired by the receiving device 63 at the second position Q2.

[0068] Next, as shown in Figure 6, the traveling machine body C is manually turned by operating the steering handle 43. When the steering angle sensor 60 detects that the traveling machine body C has started to turn, the seedling planting device W, soil leveling float 25, and marker device 33 are automatically raised from the surface of the field. When the traveling machine body C has finished turning, the turning end position Q3 of the traveling machine body C is detected based on the detection result of the steering angle sensor 60.

[0069] A dead zone is set in which operation input from the automatic steering switch 50 is not accepted until a certain time has elapsed since the turning end position Q3 of the traveling machine body C was detected, and until the angle difference between the machine's heading NA and the teaching direction TA falls within a predetermined range. In other words, while the state of the traveling machine body C is in the dead zone, automatic steering control will not start even if the automatic steering switch 50 is operated. While the state of the traveling machine body C is in the dead zone, the driver can manually steer the steering unit U to align the index line LN with the line of sight for viewing the tip of the center mascot 14, thereby aligning the traveling machine body C.

[0070] Then, when the state of the traveling vehicle C leaves the dead zone, the operation input of the automatic steering switch 50 is accepted, and when the automatic steering switch 50 is operated, the own vehicle position NM and own vehicle direction NA of the traveling vehicle C based on the position information in the receiving device 63 are stored at the control start position Q4. Then, a linear target line LM parallel to the teaching direction TA is generated from a location a predetermined distance away from the position where the receiving device 63 is installed in the direction of the own aircraft orientation NA of the traveling aircraft C. At the same time, the information measured by the primary inertial measurement unit 62 is corrected based on the position information of the own aircraft position NM acquired by the receiving device 63, and the own aircraft orientation NA calculated based on the position information of the own aircraft position NM acquired by the receiving device 63 and the position information of the previous position.

[0071] In Figure 6, for convenience of illustration, the indicator line LN formed by the marker device 33 is slightly offset from the target line LM, but in reality, manual alignment is performed so that the driver's line of sight is aligned with the tip of the center mascot 14 and the indicator line LN, so the target line LM is generated so that it approximately coincides with the indicator line LN.

[0072] At the same time, automatic steering control of the traveling vehicle C is initiated, mainly based on the primary inertial measurement unit 62. That is, in the automatic steering control, the primary inertial measurement unit 62 is mainly used, and the receiving device 63 is used for correcting the primary inertial measurement unit 62. Specifically, the current vehicle position NM and vehicle heading NA are calculated based on the vehicle's position NM and vehicle heading NA, which are based on position information acquired by the receiving device 63 at the control start position Q4, heading change information obtained by integrating the angular velocity measured by the gyro sensor 70 of the primary inertial measurement unit 62, and position change information obtained by integrating the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor 71 of the primary inertial measurement unit 62. The steering unit U is then automatically steered so that the current vehicle position NM and vehicle heading NA coincide with the target line LM and teaching direction TA, thereby performing automatic steering control of the traveling vehicle C.

[0073] During automatic steering control of the traveling vehicle C, if there is no angle deviation (deviation angle) between the vehicle's heading NA and the teaching direction TA, and no distance deviation (deviation distance) between the vehicle's position NM and the target line LM, the steering unit U is not steered. Furthermore, during automatic steering control of the traveling vehicle C, if there is an angle deviation (deviation angle) between the vehicle's own orientation NA and the teaching direction TA, and there is no distance deviation (deviation distance) between the vehicle's own position NM and the target line LM, the steering unit U is steered in a direction that eliminates the angle deviation (deviation angle) between the vehicle's own orientation NA and the teaching direction TA. Furthermore, during automatic steering control of the traveling vehicle C, if there is an angle deviation (deviation angle) between the vehicle's own orientation NA and the teaching direction TA, and if there is a distance deviation (deviation distance) between the vehicle's own position NM and the target line LM, the steering unit U is steered in a direction that eliminates the angle deviation (deviation angle) between the vehicle's own orientation NA and the teaching direction TA. Furthermore, during automatic steering control of the traveling vehicle C, if there is no angle deviation (deviation angle) between the vehicle's own orientation NA and the teaching direction TA, but there is a distance deviation (deviation distance) between the vehicle's own position NM and the target line LM, the steering unit U is steered in a direction that eliminates the distance deviation (deviation distance) between the vehicle's own position NM and the target line LM. This allows the traveling machine body C to travel accurately along the target line LM.

[0074] In this way, the position information acquired by the receiving device 63 is not essential during the automatic steering control of the running body C, so even if radio interference or the like occurs in the receiving device 63 during the automatic steering control of the running body C, the automatic steering control of the running body C can be continued based on the inertial information measured by the main inertial measurement device 62, and the seedling planting device W can accurately plant seedlings along the target line LM.

[0075] When the traveling machine body C approaches the ridge, the driver operates the automatic steering switch 50, which stops the automatic steering control of the traveling machine body C and switches to manual steering. The machine then performs a similar turning operation at the ridge, and repeats the same operation to plant the seedlings in the field. This eliminates the need for the driver to manually operate the steering handle 43 while the seedling planting device W is planting seedlings in the field, making the seedling planting work more accurate and easier.

[0076] [About setting your aircraft position] As shown in Figure 7, the receiving device 63 is located at the front of the traveling machine body C, but the machine's own position NM, which serves as the basis for data processing, is set not to the actual installation location of the receiving device 63 but to a position near the primary inertial measurement unit 62. The machine's own position NM, which serves as the basis for data processing, is determined based on the distance between the receiving device 63 and the location of the machine's own position NM, and the machine's own heading NA, which is calculated based on the receiving device 63 and the primary inertial measurement unit 62. Since it is the seedling planting device W that needs to travel accurately along the target line LM, setting the machine's own position NM near the seedling planting device W in this way enables automatic steering control of the traveling machine body C to ensure that the seedling planting device W travels accurately along the target line LM.

[0077] [Regarding the relationship between spare seedling frames, regular spare seedling trays, and rail-type spare seedling trays] 3, each of the left and right spare seedling frames 30 has a fixed portion 85 fixed to the support frame 16, an inclined portion 86 extending upward from the fixed portion 85 and inclining inwardly to the left and right, and a vertical portion 87 extending upward from the inclined portion 86. In other words, the vertical portion 87 of the spare seedling frame 30 is offset inwardly to the left and right by a predetermined distance D from the support frame 16 and the fixed portion 85 of the spare seedling frame 30.

[0078] 1 to 3, the plurality of normal spare seedling trays 28 are supported by the spare seedling frame 30 so as to be swingable about a front-to-rear axis Y that is inclined inwardly left and right as it extends forward along the front-to-rear direction provided on the vertical portion 87 of the spare seedling frame 30. The normal spare seedling trays 28 are configured so that their positions can be changed between a horizontal position E1 and a vertical position E2.

[0079] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, when the normal spare seedling trays 28 are placed in the horizontal position E1, the placement surface of the normal spare seedling trays 28 is substantially horizontal. On the other hand, when the normal spare seedling trays 28 are placed in the vertical position E2 from the horizontal position E1, each normal spare seedling tray 28 is swung around the front-to-rear axis Y to be placed vertically. As a result, each normal spare seedling tray 28 in the vertical position E2 is placed in a compact state in the left-right direction, closer to the vertical section 87 of the spare seedling frame 30.

[0080] The rail-type spare seedling tray 29 shown in Figures 1 to 3 includes a front table 88, a center table 89, and a rear table 90. The center table 89 is fixed to the support column frame 16 via a pair of support brackets 91. The front table 88 is connected to the front end of the center table 89 so as to be swingable about a front horizontal axis P1 extending in the left-right direction. The rear table 90 is connected to the rear end of the center table 89 so as to be swingable about a rear horizontal axis P2 extending in the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 1, the rail-type spare seedling tray 29 is configured to be changeable between an unfolded state F1 and a folded state F2. When the rail-type spare seedling tray 29 is in the unfolded state F1, the front table 88 is unfolded in front of the center table 89, and the rear table 90 is unfolded behind the center table 89, with the center table 89 at the center. In other words, when the rail-type spare seedling tray 29 is in the unfolded state F1, the front tray 88, the central tray 89, and the rear tray 90 are lined up in front and behind in this order.

[0081] As shown in Figure 1, when the rail-type spare seedling tray 29 is changed from the unfolded state F1 to the folded state F2, the front table 88 is swung around the front horizontal axis P1 located at the front end of the central table 89 to fold and position the front table 88 above the central table 89, and the rear table 90 is swung around the rear horizontal axis P2 located at the rear end of the central table 89 to position the rear table 90 above the central table 89. This allows the rail-type spare seedling tray 29 to be in the folded state F2, which is compact in the front-to-rear direction.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of regular spare seedling trays 28 are arranged in a vertical row, and the rail-type spare seedling tray 29 is arranged below the lowest regular spare seedling tray 28.

[0083] 1-3, the vertical section 87 of the spare seedling frame 30 is offset laterally inward by a predetermined distance D relative to the support column frame 16 and the fixed section 85 of the spare seedling frame 30. In addition, the multiple regular spare seedling trays 28 can be shifted to a vertical position E2, which is a compact position in the left-right direction closer to the vertical section 87 of the spare seedling frame 30, and offset laterally inward. This allows the rail-type spare seedling tray 29 to be smoothly shifted from the unfolded state F1 to the folded state F2 without interfering with the spare seedling frame 30 or the regular spare seedling trays 28. Furthermore, by allowing the multiple regular spare seedling trays 28 to be offset laterally inward, the overall left-right width of the traveling body C can be made smaller than, for example, if the rail-type spare seedling trays 29 were offset laterally outward.

[0084] [Another embodiment] Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The following other embodiments may be combined with the above-described embodiment as long as no contradiction occurs. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents of these embodiments.

[0085] (1) In the above embodiment, automatic steering control of the traveling machine body C is performed mainly based on inertial information measured by the primary inertial measurement unit 62, and the inertial information measured by the primary inertial measurement unit 62 is corrected based on position information acquired by the receiving unit 63. However, this is not limiting. For example, automatic steering control of the traveling machine body C may be performed mainly based on position information acquired by the receiving unit 63, and the position information acquired by the receiving unit 63 may be corrected based on inertial information measured by the primary inertial measurement unit 62.

[0086] (2) In the above embodiment, the connecting frame 31 is supported by the left and right spare seedling frames 30 so as to be rotatable about the left-right axis X and fixable in position between the use state S1 and the storage state S2, but this is not limiting. For example, the connecting frame 31 may be detachable from the left and right spare seedling frames 30. In this case, the connecting frame 31 in the use state S1 can be removed from the spare seedling frames 30, turned upside down, and reattached to the spare seedling frames 30, thereby changing the connecting frame 31 to the storage state S2.

[0087] (3) In the above embodiment, the receiving device 63 is fixed to a certain location, but this is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the receiving device 63 may be fixed to the spare seedling frame 30 and disposed on a rail member 100 extending along the fore-and-aft direction of the traveling machine body C, in a state where it can move along the fore-and-aft direction. By moving the receiving device 63 between two points on the rail member 100, the traveling machine body C's own orientation NA can be determined based on the position information of the two points acquired by the receiving device 63 while the traveling machine body C remains stationary.

[0088] (4) In the above embodiment, an example is given in which only one receiving device 63 is provided, but this is not limited to this. For example, two or more receiving devices 63 may be provided. In this way, even when the traveling machine body C is stopped, it is possible to determine the own machine direction NA of the traveling machine body C based on the position information acquired by one receiving device 63 and the position information acquired by the other receiving devices 63.

[0089] (5) In the above embodiment, the connector portion 67 extends outward in the left-right direction from the side surface of the receiving device 63, but this is not limiting. For example, the connector portion 67 may extend upward from the top surface of the receiving device 63, downward from the bottom surface of the receiving device 63, forward from the front surface of the receiving device 63, or rearward from the rear surface of the receiving device 63. In this case, it is preferable that a guard member 68 that protects the connector portion 67 is also provided at the location of the connector portion 67.

[0090] (6) In the above embodiment, the guard member 68 is attached to the support plate 65, but this is not limiting. For example, the guard member 68 may be attached to the receiving device 63 itself.

[0091] (7) In the above embodiment, the working device is exemplified as being provided with the seedling planting device W, but is not limited to this. For example, in addition to the seedling planting device W, the working device may be provided with a fertilizer applicator, a chemical sprayer, or the like. [Industrial Applicability]

[0092] In addition to the riding rice transplanter described above that is equipped with a seedling planting device as a working device, the present invention can be used in various work vehicles, such as a riding direct seeding machine that is a planting-type paddy field work vehicle that is equipped with a sowing device as a working device, a tractor that is equipped with a plow or the like as a working device, or an agricultural work vehicle such as a combine that is equipped with a harvesting section or the like as a working device, or a construction work vehicle that is equipped with a bucket or the like as a working device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 28: Regular spare seedling stand (spare seedling stand) 29: Rail-type spare seedling stand (spare seedling stand) 30: Spare seedling frame 31: Connecting frame 63: Receiving device 66: Harness 67: Connector part 68: Guard member 72: Rear axle 73: Rear axle frame (mounting member) 81 :Generation part 83: Control unit A: Running gear C: Running body U: Steering unit W: Seedling planting device (work device) S1: Usage status S2: Storage state LM:Target Rakan X: Left and right axis

Claims

1. a traveling machine body having a traveling device; a steering unit capable of steering the traveling device; a receiving device that acquires location information using a satellite positioning system; a support frame that supports the receiving device on the traveling machine body, The support frame has left and right vertical portions extending upward, and a horizontal portion extending along the left and right direction of the traveling machine body at the upper end of the support frame, a plate-like member is connected to an upper end of the support frame, and the receiving device is supported by the plate-like member; The front end of the plate-like member is located forward of the front end of the receiving device.

2. the receiving device has a connector portion to which a harness is connected, The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the plate-like member and the connector portion overlap each other in a plan view.

Images