Work vehicle

Abstract

To improve safety of a work vehicle more than prior art.SOLUTION: When travel abnormality of a vehicle body (4) is detected during an automatic travel mode, the automatic travel mode is shifted to a manual travel mode regardless of a detection result of a ride detection member (SN4). In the case that an operator is on board when travel abnormality of the vehicle body (4) is detected during the automatic travel mode, travel is stopped regardless of an operation position of a travel operating tool (33), so that it is possible to improve safety of a work vehicle more than prior art.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle such as a rice transplanter or a tractor. [Background technology]

[0002] In work vehicles such as rice transplanters and tractors, there is a known technology that stops the engine when it is determined that the HST clutch has disengaged (clutch disengagement) due to load while driving in response to operator operation (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-133833 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology described in Patent Document 1 prevents the work vehicle from malfunctioning or running out of control by stopping the engine when an abnormality is detected during manual driving, thereby reducing accidents. In recent years, completely unmanned, autonomously driving work vehicles (robotic vehicles) and work vehicles that drive automatically with a worker on board have been developed. In the case of an unmanned vehicle, there is little problem in stopping the engine if an abnormality is detected during automatic driving. However, in the case of an manned vehicle (with an operator on board), immediately stopping the engine when an abnormality is detected during automatic driving will cause the vehicle to suddenly decelerate and stop, which could lead to an accident such as the operator falling over if they are standing. Therefore, in the case of an manned vehicle, the conventional technology simply switches the automatic driving mode to manual driving mode without stopping the engine.

[0005] In manned automatic driving, the worker operates the travel control device to start and stop the vehicle, preventing tip-over accidents. Therefore, when manned automatic driving begins, the travel control device is operated to the start position, and the worker often forgets to return it to the neutral position after starting. Therefore, if an abnormality occurs while the travel control device is still operated to the start position and the vehicle returns to manual driving mode, the work vehicle will continue to drive in the start position depending on the operating position of the travel control device. Therefore, during manned automatic driving, there is a risk that the work vehicle will not stop even if an abnormality occurs, resulting in an accident such as runaway, or that it will take a long time to stop, or that it will suddenly accelerate or decelerate immediately after switching to manual driving mode depending on the operating position of the travel control device.

[0006] The present invention has a technical object to improve the safety of work vehicles compared to the prior art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above-mentioned problems of the present invention are solved by the following means. The invention described in claim 1 includes a vehicle body (4), a travel operating device (33) for operating the travel of the vehicle body (4), a boarding detection member (SN4) for detecting the boarding of an operator on the vehicle body (4), and a control means (300) for switching between a manual travel mode in which the vehicle body (4) is caused to travel in response to the operation of the travel operating device (33) and an automatic travel mode in which the vehicle body (4) is caused to travel regardless of the operation of the travel operating device (33), and the control means (300) switches between a manual travel mode in which the vehicle body (4) is caused to travel in response to the operation of the travel operating device (33) and an automatic travel mode in which the vehicle body (4) is caused to travel regardless of the operation of the travel operating device (33), and This work vehicle is characterized in that when the member (SN4) does not detect a worker, it switches from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode, and when an abnormality in the driving of the vehicle body (4) is detected while in the automatic driving mode, it switches from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode regardless of the detection result of the occupancy detection member (SN4), and when an abnormality in the driving of the vehicle body (4) is detected while in the automatic driving mode, it stops driving regardless of the operating position of the driving operation device (33) if the worker is on board.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is the work vehicle described in claim 1, characterized in that the manual driving mode can be switched to the automatic driving mode when the on-board detection member (SN4) detects a worker, and the driving operation device (33) can be used to start and stop the vehicle body (4) during the automatic driving mode.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is the work vehicle described in claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with the control means (300) that stops the engine (30) if the vehicle body (4) does not decelerate when an abnormality in the vehicle body (4) is detected in the driving and the driving mode is switched to the manual driving mode.

[0010] The invention described in claim 4 is the work vehicle described in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an engine (30) that generates power to propel the vehicle body (4), a transmission (HST) that changes the speed of the power of the engine (30), and the control means (300) that, when an abnormality in the traveling of the vehicle body (4) is detected and the mode is switched to the manual traveling mode, controls the transmission (HST) to a neutral state in which no power is transmitted from the transmission (HST), and stops the engine (30) if the vehicle body (4) does not decelerate after being controlled to the neutral state.

[0011] The invention described in claim 5 is the work vehicle described in claim 4, characterized in that it is provided with a gear shift detection member (SN2) that detects the control amount of the transmission (HST), and when an abnormality in the driving of the vehicle body (4) is detected and the driving mode is switched to the manual driving mode, even if the transmission (HST) is controlled to the neutral state, if the detection result of the gear shift detection member (SN2) does not detect the neutral state, the control means (300) stops the engine (30).

[0012] The invention described in claim 6 is the work vehicle described in claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a shift detection member (SN2) that detects the control amount of the transmission (HST), a neutral return member that performs an operation to forcibly return the transmission (HST) to the neutral state, and the control means (300) that stops the engine (30) when the detection result of the shift detection member (SN2) does not detect the neutral state even when the neutral return member is operated and the transmission (HST) is controlled to return to the neutral state.

[0013] The invention described in claim 7 is the work vehicle described in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an engine (30) that generates power to propel the vehicle body (4), a transmission (HST) that changes the speed of the power of the engine (30), a remote control member (102) that remotely controls the traveling of the vehicle body (4), an inclination detection member (111b) that detects the inclination of the vehicle body (4), and the control means (300) that, when an operation to stop the engine (30) is performed by the remote control member (102) and the inclination detection member (111b) detects an inclination that reaches a predetermined inclination angle, does not stop the engine (30) and controls the transmission (HST) to a neutral state in which power is not transmitted from the transmission (HST).

[0014] The invention described in claim 8 is the work vehicle described in claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a positioning device (111) that measures the current position of the vehicle body (4), and the control means (300) that does not stop the engine (30) when an operation to stop the engine (30) is performed by the remote control member (102) when the vehicle body (4) is located at a position that is shifted a predetermined distance outward from the outer edge of the field (400) based on the current position of the vehicle body (4) measured by the positioning device (111).

[0015] The invention described in claim 9 is the work vehicle described in claim 8, characterized in that it includes the control means (300) that stops the engine (30) when a predetermined forced engine stop operation is performed on the remote control member (102).

[0016] The invention described in claim 10 is the work vehicle described in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that it includes the control means (300) that starts the engine (30) when a predetermined forced engine start operation is performed on the remote control member (102) while the engine (30) is stopped. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the invention described in claim 1, when an abnormality in the running of the vehicle body (4) is detected in the automatic running mode, the automatic running mode is switched to the manual running mode regardless of the detection result of the boarding detection member (SN4), and when an abnormality in the running of the vehicle body (4) is detected in the automatic running mode and a worker is on board, the running is stopped regardless of the operating position of the running operation device (33), thereby improving the safety of the work vehicle compared to conventional technology.

[0018] According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the effects of the invention of claim 1, the mode can be switched from manual driving to automatic driving when the boarding detection member (SN4) detects an operator, and the driving operation device (33) can be used to start and stop the vehicle body (4) during automatic driving mode. Therefore, when an abnormality is detected and the mode is switched to manual driving mode, driving is stopped even if the driving operation device (33) is operated to a position other than the neutral position, thereby improving safety.

[0019] According to the invention of claim 3, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 1, when an abnormality in the running of the vehicle body (4) is detected and the mode is switched to the manual running mode, if the vehicle body (4) does not decelerate, the engine (30) is stopped, thereby suppressing runaway of the vehicle body (4) and improving safety.

[0020] According to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the effects of the invention of claim 1, when an abnormality in the running of the vehicle body (4) is detected and the mode is switched to the manual running mode, the transmission (HST) is controlled to a neutral state in which power is not transmitted from the transmission (HST), thereby improving operability without suddenly stopping the engine (30), and also improving safety by stopping the engine (30) if the vehicle body (4) does not decelerate after being controlled to the neutral state.

[0021] According to the invention of claim 5, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 4, when an abnormality in the running of the vehicle body (4) is detected and the running mode is switched to the manual running mode, even if the transmission (HST) is controlled to the neutral state, if the detection result of the speed change detection member (SN2) does not detect the neutral state, the engine (30) is stopped, thereby improving safety.

[0022] According to the invention of claim 6, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 4, even if the neutral return member is operated and control is performed to return the transmission (HST) to the neutral state, if the detection result of the gear shift detection member (SN2) does not detect the neutral state, the engine (30) is stopped, thereby improving safety.

[0023] According to the invention of claim 7, in addition to the effects of the invention of claim 1, when an operation to stop the engine (30) is performed by the remote control member (102), if the tilt detection member (111b) detects tilt, the engine (30) is not stopped, and the transmission (HST) is controlled to a neutral state in which power is not transmitted from the transmission (HST). This makes it possible to respond more quickly even if the vehicle body (4) starts to move on a slope than when the engine (30) is stopped.

[0024] According to the invention of claim 8, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 7, when the vehicle body (4) is located at a position shifted outward by a predetermined distance from the outer edge of the field (400), if an operation to stop the engine (30) is performed using the remote control member (102), the engine (30) is not stopped, thereby improving operability and safety.

[0025] According to the invention of claim 9, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 8, when a predetermined operation for forcibly stopping the engine is performed by the remote control member (102), the engine (30) is stopped, thereby making it possible to reliably stop the engine (30).

[0026] According to the invention of claim 10, in addition to the effects of the invention of claim 8 or 9, when a predetermined forced engine start operation is performed using the remote control member (102), the engine (30) is started, thereby making it possible to reliably start the engine (30). [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of the seedling transplanter according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a front view of the seedling transplanter. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a plan view of the seedling transplanter. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the control unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a travel route in an example of a farm field according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a side view of the seedling transplanter according to the embodiment. Figure 2 is a front view of the seedling transplanter. Figure 3 is a plan view of the seedling transplanter.

[0029] The seedling transplanter, which is an example of a work vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, has a seedling planting unit 10, which is an example of a work machine and is a multi-row planting machine body, attached to the rear of a vehicle body 4 in a high-floor riding mode via a parallel link lift link mechanism 11 that is raised, lowered, and rotated by the hydraulic expansion and contraction of a lift cylinder (not shown). This seedling planting unit 10 has multiple floats 6, such as a center float and side floats, that glide and level the soil surface, arranged on the underside of the seedling transplanter body 5 connected to the lift link mechanism 11. The seedling transplanting machine body 5 is mainly composed of a transmission case, and is equipped with a seedling tank 8 that lays out a large number of mat seedlings on top of it and guides them along the downward sloping surface at the rear end before dispensing them to the seedling outlet 7 formed at the lower end, and a planting device 9 that separates and holds the mat seedlings dispensed at the seedling outlet 7 and inserts the planting claws into the leveled soil surface below, operating along a planting trajectory that is oval in side view, thereby allowing seedlings to be planted in multiple rows.

[0030] An engine (internal combustion engine) 30 is mounted under an engine cover 29 below the driver's seat 1 of the vehicle body 4, and a steering board 31, a steering handle 32, and other operating mechanisms 33 for operating the seedling transplanter are arranged in front of the driver's seat 1. An LCD monitor as an example of a display unit and various buttons and knobs as examples of an input unit are arranged on the steering board 31. In addition, a high-mounted monitor 31a as an example of a display unit and an example of a notification means is installed in the upper front part of the steering board 31. On both the left and right sides of the driver's seat 1, steering board 31, and center floor 34 between them, a side floor 2 is formed that is long and wide and extends continuously from the front end of the vehicle body 4 to the rear fender 24 on the rear end. The driver and assistant workers can move back and forth on the top surface of this side floor 2 to easily perform tasks such as supplying mat seedlings and fertilizer.

[0031] The seedling transplanter shown in the figure is designed to have eight rows of seedlings and a wide width, so a sub-floor 35 of an appropriate width is added along the outside of the side floor 2 to accommodate the width of the seedling planting section 10. It is also possible to configure the machine without the sub-floor 35. On the front end of this sub-floor 35, a multi-tiered auxiliary seedling shelf 26 is provided on a support frame 36 erected from the side of the vehicle body 4, and mat seedlings can be loaded and stored thereon to be replenished in the seedling tank 8 at the rear. A step 37 for the operator to get on and off is provided on the outside of this sub-floor 35. A pair of left and right line-drawing markers 41 are also placed on the sides of the subfloor 35. The line-drawing marker 41 on the left and right side where seedlings have not yet been planted is deployed to draw a line on the surface of the field as a reference for traveling.

[0032] Behind the driver's seat 1, a wide, stepped rear floor 3 is formed extending to the rear ends of the side floors 2, and the front edge of the rear floor 3 is connected to the rear edge of the side floors 2 by an inclined plate 38 that slopes downwards in front, making it easy for the driver to move his / her feet. A short operating lever mechanism 39 is disposed at the lower end of the inclined plate 38, making it easy to operate from the driver's seat 1. A U-shaped guard rail 52 is formed at an upper position of the rear floor 3 by a rear edge 50 that runs along the rear edge and side edges 51 that run along the left and right edge, allowing the driver to maintain a safe working posture when refueling on the rear floor 3.

[0033] A rear fender 24 is configured above the rear wheels 27 of the vehicle body 4, and the left and right end portions of the rear floor 3 are configured above this rear fender 24. The front wheels 40 and rear wheels 27 are arranged within the lateral width of the side floor 2 and rear floor 3, but depending on the width of the rear wheels 27, they may extend outward from the lateral width of the rear floor 3. For this reason, the rear fender 24 may be configured to extend outward more widely than the outer end of the rear floor 3, or the underside of the rear floor 3 itself may be used as the rear fender 24.

[0034] A seedling planting section 10 is attached to the rear of the vehicle body 4 via a lift link mechanism 11 that can be raised and lowered. The seedling planting section 10 consists of a float 6 that slides on the soil surface and supports the seedling transplanting machine body 5, a seedling tank 8 that receives mat seedlings and delivers them to a seedling outlet 7 at the bottom of the rear, and a planting device 9 that separates and holds the mat seedlings delivered to the seedling outlet 7 and plants them on the soil surface leveled by the float 6. A number of fertilizer applicators 12 are arranged along the outer side of the rear floor 3 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0035] When planting seedlings with the seedling transplanter, the seedling planting section 10 is lowered and the planting device 9 operates on the soil surface leveled by each float 6, separating and holding the appropriate number of mat seedlings delivered to the seedling outlet 7 of the seedling tank 8, and planting them at a fixed depth on the leveled soil surface. When fertilizing the planted area with each planting device 9, granular fertilizer that has been stored in advance in the fertilizer hopper (an example of a storage section) 19 of the fertilizer applicator 12 is delivered by the delivery device 15. The delivered fertilizer is delivered by the force of air sent from the blower 13 through a duct under the rear floor 3, via the fertilizer hoses 25 for each fertilizer row, and is applied to the planting area near the planting area on the planting soil surface leveled by each float 6.

[0036] When the seedling planting section 10 is raised, the upper end of the seedling tank 8 can be raised to approach a position above the rear floor 3, making it easier for an operator to supply mat seedlings from above the rear floor 3, and enabling quick and accurate supply of seedlings. 1 and 3, the seedling transplanter of this embodiment is provided with a planting unit lifting / lowering switch 10a that can be operated by an operator on the seedling planting unit 10. When the planting unit lifting / lowering switch 10a is manually operated by the operator, a lift cylinder is activated to raise and lower the seedling planting unit 10. Therefore, even an assistant who carries seedlings or fertilizer can operate the planting unit lifting / lowering switch 10a to raise and lower the seedling planting unit 10. When refilling the seedling tank 8 with seedlings, herbicides, pesticides, etc., the assistant can do it alone at the rear of the vehicle body 4 without having to operate the lifting / lowering operation from the driver's seat 1, making the work smoother.

[0037] The planting unit lift switch 10a is preferably installed at the rear and on both the left and right ends of the seedling tank 8, making it easier for assistants to operate. The planting unit lift switch 10a may be a push switch with an up button and a down button, or a toggle switch may be used. The planting unit lift switch 10a can be controlled so that the seedling planting unit 10 rises or falls while being pressed up or down, and returns to a neutral position when the planting unit lift switch 10a is released, stopping the seedling planting unit 10. Another possible configuration is a push switch where the seedling planting unit 10 descends when pressed for a short time and rises when pressed for a long time.

[0038] It is preferable to enhance safety by using a notification means such as a buzzer, lamp, or voice guide to notify the operator or other assistants that the seedling planting unit 10 is moving while the planting unit lifting / lowering switch 10a is being operated. In this case, it is desirable to further enhance safety by providing a time lag (e.g., 0.5 seconds) between the notification by the buzzer or the like and the start of the seedling planting unit 10 lifting / lowering.

[0039] For safety reasons, it is preferable that the planting unit lifting / lowering switch 10a be controlled so that it operates only when the planting device 9 is stopped, i.e., when the planting switch is in the "off" position. Similarly, for safety reasons, it is preferable that the seedling planting unit 10 be raised or lowered only when the HST lever (an example of a travel operating tool) of the operating mechanism 33 is in the "neutral" position or when the clutch pedal is depressed. It is also preferable that the raising or lowering of the seedling planting unit 10 be stopped and a buzzer or other sound be sounded when the HST lever is in a position other than "neutral" or the clutch pedal is released.

[0040] Further, the left and right end portions of the rear floor 3 are configured as rear fenders 24 or configured as upper portions of the rear fenders 24, and the plurality of fertilizer applicators 12 are arranged above the rear fenders 24.

[0041] The left and right side ends of the rear floor 3 formed at the rear end of the side floor 2 next to the driver's seat 1 are positioned above the rear fender 24 that covers the upper part of the rear wheels 27 of the raised-floor body 4, so they are less likely to get in the way of stepping on and moving around when replenishing mat seedlings in the seedling tank 8 as described above, and the foot area at the lateral end of the rear floor 3 at the rear position of the side floor 2 is formed wide, making it easy to perform seedling replenishing operations in the rear seedling tank 8 and fertilizer replenishing operations in the fertilizer hopper 19 on the side.

[0042] The seedling transplanter of the embodiment is configured to be able to communicate with a tablet terminal 102, which is an example of an information processing device, via a communication line 101. The communication line 101 can be any of various conventionally known wireless communication lines, such as a mobile phone line or a wireless local area network (LAN), but it can also be a wired communication line via a cable. The communication target is not limited to the tablet terminal 102, and it is also possible to communicate with a server, a personal computer, a smartphone, or other examples of information processing devices. Furthermore, it is also possible to configure the device to receive control signals from a remote controller, which is an example of a terminal, via infrared communication or the like, without using the communication line 101.

[0043] (Explanation of the control unit of the seedling transplanter) FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the control unit according to the embodiment. The seedling transplanter of the embodiment has a control unit (an example of a control means) 300 that controls each function. The control unit 300 has an input / output interface I / O that performs input and output of signals with the outside. The control unit 300 also has a read-only memory (ROM) that stores programs and information for performing necessary processing. The control unit 300 also has a random access memory (RAM) for temporarily storing necessary data. The control unit 300 also has a central processing unit (CPU) that performs processing according to the programs stored in the ROM or the like. Therefore, the control unit 300 of the embodiment is configured with a small information processing device, a so-called microcomputer. Therefore, the control unit 300 can realize various functions by executing programs stored in the ROM or the like.

[0044] The control unit 300 receives signals from signal input elements such as a high-mounted monitor 31a, which is an example of an input unit and an example of a display unit and is configured with a touch panel, a positioning device 111, an automatic driving mode selector switch SW1, an HST lever sensor SN1, a trunnion axis sensor SN2, a trunnion motor sensor SN3, a seat sensor SN4, and various other sensors not shown.

[0045] The positioning device 111 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 111a and an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) 111b. The GNSS receiver 111a receives positioning signals from artificial satellites and can measure the current position of the seedling transplanter. The IMU 111b measures acceleration and angular velocity and can measure the attitude of the seedling transplanter (left-right tilt and front-back tilt). Therefore, by correcting the measurement results of the GNSS receiver 111a with the IMU 111b, the current position can be measured more accurately than when the current position is measured using only the GNSS method.

[0046] The automatic driving mode selector switch SW1 is operated by an operator to switch between the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode. The manual driving mode in the embodiment is a mode in which the vehicle body 4 is driven in response to the operation of the driving control devices, such as the steering wheel 32, the HST lever, the accelerator pedal, and the brake pedal. The automatic driving mode in the embodiment is a mode in which the vehicle body 4 is driven regardless of the operation of the driving control devices, and the vehicle body 4 is driven automatically along a predetermined driving route based on the current position of the vehicle body 4 determined by the positioning result of the positioning device 111. The automatic driving mode in the embodiment illustrates a case in which the vehicle body 4 drives based on the positioning result of the positioning device 111, but is not limited to this. It is also possible to set the automatic driving mode to a mode in which the vehicle body 4 continues to drive in a straight line in the direction in which automatic driving was initiated.

[0047] The HST lever sensor SN1 detects the operating position of the HST lever. The HST lever can be operated to forward, neutral, or reverse positions depending on the operator's operation, and can continuously change the travel speed (gear ratio) when traveling forward and the travel speed when traveling in reverse. Therefore, the HST lever sensor SN1 detects the forward travel speed setting of the HST lever, the reverse travel speed setting, and the neutral position (power transmission from the engine 30 to the wheels 27, 40 is off).

[0048] The trunnion shaft sensor SN2, an example of a speed change detection member, detects the position of the trunnion shaft of a continuously variable transmission (HST: Hydraulic Static Transmission), an example of a transmission. The HST is a conventionally known device in which the trunnion shaft rotates during a gear change operation, changing the inclination angle of the swash plate inside the HST connected to the trunnion shaft, thereby changing the gear ratio. By detecting the position of the trunnion shaft, the trunnion shaft sensor SN2 can detect the inclination angle of the HST's swash plate, i.e., the control amount of the transmission (HST).

[0049] The trunnion motor sensor SN3 detects the operation of the trunnion motor M0, which rotates the trunnion shaft. The trunnion motor M0 operates in response to the operation of the HST lever or a control signal from the control unit 300, rotating the trunnion shaft and controlling the speed change of the HST. The seat sensor SN4, an example of a passenger detection member, is installed in the driver's seat 1 and detects whether an operator or driver is seated. In the embodiment, the passenger detection member detects whether the operator is seated, but this is not limiting. For example, a human presence sensor that detects people in the vicinity can be used, making it possible to detect whether a person is seated in the seedling transplanter even when the driver is standing or working on the side floor 2 or rear floor 3.

[0050] The control unit 300 can send control signals to examples of controlled elements such as the power supply circuit, lift cylinder, planting clutch, fertilizer applicator 12, engine 30, trunnion motor M0, etc., to control the operation / stop of the fertilizer applicator 12, the lifting and operation / stop of the seedling planting unit 10, the rotation of the engine 30, and the speed change of the HST. The control unit 300 can also output a control signal to a liquid crystal monitor or high-mount monitor 31a, which is an example of a display unit, to display work information and work status.

[0051] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a travel route in an example of a farm field according to an embodiment. The control unit 300 according to the embodiment has the following functional means (program modules). The field information storage means 301 stores information (field information) related to the field 400. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the field information stored includes map information such as the position of the field 400 (latitude, longitude, altitude, field slope, etc.) and the entrance / exit 400a of the field 400, as well as information related to work being done in the field 400 (work information) in association with the map information. In the embodiment, as an example, the field information storage means 301 stores, as work information, a travel route 401 used when traveling while working, a work start position 401a, a travel speed during work (work speed), etc.

[0052] In this embodiment, the field information is displayed on the high-mounted monitor 31a, so that the operator can check it. Therefore, the operator can operate and drive the seedling transplanter while checking the travel route and current position displayed on the high-mounted monitor 31a and receiving guidance (navigation).

[0053] The positioning means 302 measures the current position of the seedling transplanter based on the measurement results of the positioning device 111. The tilt detection means 303 detects the tilt of the vehicle body 4 based on the detection result of the IMU 111b. It is also possible to detect the tilt of the field from the detection of the vehicle body 4. The HST lever position detection means 304 detects the operating position of the HST lever based on the detection result of the HST lever sensor SN1, and is therefore able to detect whether the HST lever is operated to a forward position, neutral position, or reverse position.

[0054] The trunnion shaft position detection means 305 detects the position (rotation angle, control amount) of the trunnion shaft based on the detection result of the trunnion shaft sensor SN2. Therefore, the gear ratio, which is the ratio of the output to the input of the HST, can be detected from the detection result of the trunnion shaft position. The trunnion motor detection means 306 detects the operation / stop and rotation angle (control amount) of the trunnion motor M0 based on the detection result of the trunnion motor sensor SN3. The presence detection means 307 detects whether the seedling transplanter is unmanned (away from the seat, not detected) or manned (seated, detected) based on the detection result of the sheet sensor SN4. The communication unit 308 communicates with the tablet terminal 102 via the communication line 101 .

[0055] The travel control means 309 controls the engine 30 and the HST to control the travel of the seedling transplanter. In this embodiment, the travel control means 309 controls the engine 30 and other components to travel the seedling transplanter in response to the operator's operation of the steering wheel 32, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, HST lever, and other operating mechanisms 33. The travel control means 309 in this embodiment controls the HST to forcibly shift to a neutral state (transmission off, drive not transmitted) when the parking brake (parking brake, neutral return member) of the operating mechanism 33 is operated. Note that the configuration for returning the HST to a neutral state by operating the parking brake is well known and is described, for example, in Patent Document 1, and therefore will not be illustrated or described in detail here. The work machine control means 310 controls the seedling planting section 10. The work machine control means 310 of the embodiment controls the lift cylinder and the planting clutch to control the raising and lowering and operation / stop of the seedling planting section 10.

[0056] The automatic travel mode control means 311 controls the seedling transplanter during the automatic travel mode. When the automatic travel mode is started, the automatic travel mode control means 311 of the embodiment controls the travel of the seedling transplanter via the travel control means 309 so that the seedling transplanter travels at a work speed along the travel route 401 stored in the field information storage means 301 based on the current position detected by the positioning means 302 in an unmanned state. If the automatic travel mode is started and an operator is present, the timing of starting and stopping the vehicle body 4 is controlled based on the operating position of the HST lever, and the travel of the seedling transplanter is controlled via the travel control means 309 so that the seedling transplanter travels at a work speed along the travel route 401 based on the current position detected by the positioning means 302 from the time of starting until the time of stopping. In the automatic travel mode, the work implement of the seedling transplanter is controlled via the work implement control means 310 based on the information on the current position and the work information stored in the farm field information storage means 301.

[0057] The anomaly detection means 312 detects abnormalities in the seedling transplanter. These anomalies may be related to driving or operation, such as when the engine 30 temperature exceeds its upper limit, when the seedling planting unit 10 is not activated despite being output with a control signal to activate it, when the distance traveled by the positioning device 111 is too short or too long for the driving speed set by the HST, when the GNSS receiver 111a is unable to receive signals for an extended period of time, or when the current position of the vehicle body 4 deviates too far from the driving path 401 (more than a predetermined distance), or when the vehicle is stuck (the wheels 27, 40 spin or slip), or when an abnormality in the automatic steering system occurs. Other anomalies may be detected when a person or obstacle is detected ahead of the seedling transplanter.

[0058] Furthermore, for example, if the HST lever sensor SN1 no longer detects the neutral position even though the HST lever should be in the neutral position during automatic driving mode in an unmanned state, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred, although the cause is unknown, such as the HST lever sensor SN1 failing, the HST lever moving from the neutral position due to some abnormality, or a part of the circuitry of the control unit 300 failing, etc. Examples of abnormalities that may indicate a malfunction in part of the circuitry of the control unit 300 include when the automatically steered steering wheel 32 is not controlled as instructed, or when automatic steering is not released even when an input to switch to manual driving mode is made while in automatic driving mode.

[0059] The abnormality detection means 312 detects a failure of the HST lever sensor SN1, i.e., the occurrence of an abnormality, if the detection result of the HST lever sensor SN1 continues to switch frequently for a long period of time, for example, if forward, neutral, forward, neutral, ... continues. However, because the operator may operate the device quickly, switching between forward, neutral, and forward in a short period of time, it is preferable not to detect an abnormality if the switching occurs in a short period of time.

[0060] Mode switching means 313 switches between automatic driving mode and manual driving mode. When automatic driving mode selector switch SW1 is operated or automatic driving mode switching is input from tablet terminal 102 during manual driving mode, mode switching means 313 in this embodiment switches to automatic driving mode if the vehicle is unmanned and the HST lever is in the neutral position, and switches to automatic driving mode if the vehicle is manned, regardless of the HST lever's operating position.

[0061] The mode switching means 313 of the embodiment switches to the manual driving mode when, during the automatic driving mode, an input is made to the automatic driving mode selector switch SW1 or an input to switch to the manual driving mode is made on the tablet terminal 102. Note that the switching to the manual driving mode can also be performed in a manner in which the automatic driving mode is cancelled and the mode is switched to the manual driving mode when an operator manually operates the steering wheel 32 during automatic steering in the automatic driving mode (when operation of the steering wheel 32 is detected).

[0062] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the mode switching means 313 switches the driving mode to the manual driving mode when the abnormality detection means 312 detects an abnormality during the automatic driving mode. When the mode switching means 313 switches to the manual driving mode due to the detection of an abnormality during the manned automatic driving mode, it stops the driving of the seedling transplanter via the driving control means 309. In this case, in the present embodiment, regardless of the operating position of the HST lever when the driving mode was switched to the manual driving mode, the trunnion motor M0 moves the trunnion shaft to the neutral position, thereby cutting off the transmission from the engine 30 to the wheels 27, 40 and stopping the driving of the seedling transplanter. In other words, when the driving mode is switched from the manned automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode due to the detection of an abnormality, the engine 30 is not stopped. In addition, when the vehicle is unmanned, the HST lever is operated to the neutral position when switching to automatic driving mode. Therefore, when the automatic driving mode is switched to manual driving mode due to an abnormality being detected, the trunnion axis is set to the neutral position according to the operating position (=neutral position) of the HST lever, and driving is stopped without the engine 30 being stopped.

[0063] In the embodiment, the mode switching means 313 controls so as not to stop the engine 30 when switching to manual driving mode due to abnormality detection, but the engine 30 is not stopped even when switching to manual driving mode due to input of the automatic driving mode switching switch SW1 or input of manual driving mode switching on the tablet terminal 102 when no abnormality is detected. In addition, in the embodiment, the mode switching means 313 has been described as stopping the vehicle by placing the HST in the neutral position without stopping the engine 30 when switching to the manual driving mode following the detection of an abnormality, but this is not limiting. Alternatively, the vehicle can be stopped by stopping the engine 30.

[0064] The out-of-field determination means 314 determines whether the vehicle body 4 is located outside the field 400, specifically, at a position outside the outer edge of the field 400, based on the current position of the vehicle body 4 measured by the positioning means 302 and the position information of the field 400 stored in the field information storage means 301. Note that the out-of-field determination means 314 of the embodiment takes into account positioning errors by the positioning means 302 and assumes that there is a possibility that the vehicle body 4 is inside the field if it is within a range of a position shifted a predetermined distance (for example, 3 m) outward from the outer edge of the field 400, and does not confirm the determination that the vehicle body 4 is outside the field. In other words, the out-of-field determination means 314 of the embodiment performs the out-of-field determination taking into account a margin.

[0065] The engine stop determination means 315 determines whether to stop the engine 30. When an input to stop the engine 30 is received from the operating mechanism 33, the engine stop determination means 315 in this embodiment stops the engine 30 via the cruise control means 309. Note that the engine stop determination means 315 is not limited to stopping the engine 30 via the cruise control means 309, and the engine stop determination means 315 may directly output a signal to stop the engine 30. That is, the engine 30 may be stopped directly or indirectly, or both direct and indirect stop may be performed simultaneously. By performing both direct and indirect stop simultaneously, for example, even if the cruise control means 309 fails and does not output a control signal to stop the engine, the engine 30 can be stopped by a control signal from the engine stop determination means 315, thereby improving safety.

[0066] The means for outputting the control signal to stop the engine 30 is not limited to the two, the engine stop determination means 315 and the cruise control means 309, and may be output from another means (controller) such as the abnormality detection means 312. Furthermore, the control signal is not limited to the control signal to stop the engine 30, and a control signal to put the HST into a neutral state may be output from a plurality of means (controllers). Furthermore, safety can be enhanced by providing a means for monitoring failures in each means, and if a failure is detected, the failure monitoring means outputs a signal to stop the engine 30. A dedicated controller for failure monitoring may be provided, or each of the means 301 to 316 may monitor each other. Regarding failure monitoring, it is possible to determine that a failure has occurred when a response to a signal is not received a certain number of times in succession. Failure detection can be performed at all times while the seedling transplanter is operating, or only while in automatic driving mode (until switching to manual driving mode), or only while connected to the tablet terminal 102, or from the start of automatic driving or remote operation until the parking brake is operated, or while the seat sensor SN4 detects that someone is seated.

[0067] In addition, the engine stop determination means 315 of the embodiment also stops the engine 30 when it receives an instruction to stop the engine 30 from the tablet terminal 102. When a signal to stop the engine 30 is received from the tablet terminal 102, if the seat sensor SN4 detects the presence of a person and the abnormality detection means 312 does not detect an abnormality, it is desirable to improve operator safety by not immediately stopping the engine 30 but rather by controlling the HST to decelerate or reducing the engine speed to a predetermined speed or below before stopping the engine 30. Additionally, when traveling outside a field (on a road) or when the auxiliary transmission lever is at a travel speed (for traveling on a road), it is preferable to not immediately stop the engine 30 but to decelerate and then stop the engine 30. When a signal to stop the engine 30 is received from the tablet terminal 102, it is desirable for the work machine control means 310 to control the seedling planting unit 10 to move to the highest position.

[0068] Furthermore, in manual travel mode (including when switching from automatic travel mode), if the HST is disengaged (neutral), i.e., if the trunnion shaft sensor SN2 does not detect the neutral position even though the trunnion motor M0 is controlled to move the trunnion shaft to the neutral position, i.e., if the detection result of the trunnion shaft sensor SN2 does not change in accordance with the operation command of the trunnion motor M0, the engine stop determination means 315 stops the engine 30. That is, if the trunnion shaft does not return to the neutral position, or if the trunnion shaft sensor SN2 cannot detect the trunnion shaft even though it has returned to the neutral position, or if some abnormality has occurred and there is a risk of runaway or an accident, the engine 30 is stopped in this embodiment. Note that the engine 30 can be stopped by stopping the fuel supply device to the engine.

[0069] In manual travel mode, not only when the HST is in neutral, but also when the trunnion motor M0 is controlled to decelerate in either forward or reverse travel, if the vehicle does not decelerate, it is determined to be an abnormality (the vehicle cannot be safely decelerated or stopped) and the engine 30 is stopped, thereby improving safety. As a method for detecting a fault in the trunnion motor M0, if the trunnion motor M0 is a pulse motor, a fault can be determined if more pulses are generated during deceleration than during normal deceleration, or if the rotation angle of the trunnion motor M0 per pulse does not reach a specified value. If the trunnion motor M0 is a DC motor or AC motor, it can also be determined based on the current value measured by an ammeter.

[0070] Although the embodiment in which the engine 30 is stopped when the trunnion axis sensor SN2 does not detect the neutral position has been exemplified, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the traveling speed of the seedling transplanter is detected from the rotation of the wheels 27, 40 or from the history of the positioning results of the positioning device 111, and the trunnion motor M0 is controlled to move the trunnion axis to the neutral position, but the traveling speed does not decrease, it can be determined that an abnormality has occurred and the engine 30 can be stopped. Furthermore, in the embodiment, even when the parking brake is operated, the engine stop determination means 315 controls the trunnion motor M0 to move the trunnion axis to the neutral position, but if the trunnion axis sensor SN2 does not detect the neutral position at this time, it similarly determines that there is an abnormality and makes a determination to stop the engine 30.

[0071] Furthermore, when an input operation to stop the engine 30 is performed on the tablet terminal 102, which is an example of a remote control member, the engine stop determination means 315 of the embodiment controls the HST to be neutralized via the travel control means 309 without stopping the engine 30 if the tilt angle of the vehicle body 4 detected by the IMU (an example of a tilt detection member) 111b reaches a predetermined tilt angle (e.g., 3 degrees). If the engine 30 is stopped on a slope, there is a risk that the vehicle body 4 will start moving due to gravity. Here, if the engine 30 is stopped, the vehicle body 4 cannot be controlled, and it takes time to restart the stopped engine 30 and control the vehicle body 4. Therefore, since there is a risk of an accident occurring between the time the engine 30 is restarted and the time the vehicle body 4 is controlled, it is desirable not to stop the engine 30 on a slope.

[0072] Furthermore, in the engine stop determination means 315 of the embodiment, when an input operation to stop the engine 30 is performed on the tablet terminal 102, if the out-of-field determination means 314 determines that the vehicle body 4 is located a predetermined distance outside the outer edge of the field 400, the engine stop determination means 315 controls the HST via the travel control means 309 to neutralize the engine 30. If the vehicle body 4 is determined to be located a predetermined distance outside the outer edge of the field 400, it is difficult to determine whether the vehicle is actually traveling outside the field 400 or traveling along the edge of the field 400. If the engine 30 is stopped in such a situation and control of the vehicle body 4 becomes impossible, there is a risk of an accident, such as the vehicle body 4 falling from outside the field into the field or damaging the edge of the field. This is particularly dangerous when an operator is present. Therefore, in the embodiment, the engine 30 is controlled not to stop so that the operator's operation takes top priority when an operator is present.

[0073] Note that when an input operation to stop the engine 30 is performed on the tablet terminal 102, if the abnormality detection means 312 does not detect an abnormality, the engine stop determination means 315 may determine that the input is erroneous and not stop the engine 30. For example, when an instruction to stop the engine is given on the tablet terminal 102 in a state where an abnormality is detected or has been detected recently (for example, within 3 seconds), such as when an abnormality occurs in the trunnion motor M0, clutch disengagement occurs in the HST, or when the mode is switched to manual driving mode due to an abnormality detection, it is preferable not to stop the engine 30 because this does not impair operability. In addition, when operability is prioritized, it is preferable not to stop the engine 30 when the auxiliary shift lever, which changes gears in combination with the HST lever (main shift lever), is set to a travel speed (for road driving) or a PTO (for stopping work).

[0074] If a predetermined forced engine stop operation is then performed on the tablet terminal 102, the engine stop determination means 315 forcibly stops the engine 30. The forced engine stop operation is preset on the tablet terminal 102, such as pressing and holding a specific button, pressing three or more specific buttons simultaneously, or pressing and holding the same button twice. Alternatively, the button may be pressure-sensitive, and it may be determined that a forced engine stop operation has been performed when an input operation is performed with a pressure equal to or greater than a predetermined pressure.

[0075] The engine start determination means 316 determines whether or not to start the engine 30. When an operation to start the engine 30 is performed using the engine key of the operation mechanism 33, the engine start determination means 316 of the embodiment starts the engine 30 via the driving control means 309. The engine start determination means 316 of the embodiment also starts the engine 30 when an instruction to start the engine is received from the tablet terminal 102. Note that, in the embodiment, when starting the engine from the tablet terminal 102, it determines that an instruction to start the engine 30 has been given when a predetermined forced engine start operation is performed. The forced engine start operation is a preset operation that is different from the forced engine stop operation, such as pressing and holding the same button three times. Therefore, for example, it is possible to configure the system so that pressing the same button once for a long time puts the HST into neutral, pressing it twice for a long time forcibly stopping the engine 30, and pressing it three times for a long time for restarting the engine 30.

[0076] (Operation of the embodiment) In the seedling transplanter of the embodiment having the above configuration, if an abnormality in the travel of the vehicle body 4 is detected while in automatic travel mode, the mode is switched from automatic travel to manual travel mode regardless of whether the vehicle is manned or unmanned (regardless of the detection result of the sheet sensor SN4). If the vehicle is manned, the seedling transplanter stops traveling regardless of the operating position of the HST lever. Note that if the vehicle is unmanned, the operating position of the HST lever is initially in the neutral position, so the seedling transplanter stops traveling depending on the operating position (neutral position) of the HST lever. In the prior art, when an abnormality was detected, the engine was stopped if the vehicle was unmanned, but if the vehicle was manned, the mode was simply switched to manual driving mode without stopping driving. Therefore, with the prior art, after the mode was switched to manual driving mode with an manned vehicle, the vehicle body 4 did not stop automatically, which could lead to an accident. In contrast, in the seedling transplanter of the present embodiment, if an abnormality is detected and the mode is switched to manual driving mode, the seedling transplanter stops driving regardless of the operating position of the HST lever. Therefore, the present embodiment improves the safety of the work vehicle compared to the prior art.

[0077] In particular, in this embodiment, when the driving mode is switched to the manual driving mode, the engine 30 is not stopped abruptly, but is stopped by controlling the HST to neutral. Therefore, since the engine 30 is running, it is possible to quickly respond even if the operator operates the engine directly from the driver's seat 1 or remotely operates it using the tablet terminal 102 after the engine 30 has been stopped or during deceleration. Then, if the vehicle body 4 does not stop moving even when the HST is controlled to neutral, the engine 30 is stopped. This prevents accidents and ensures safety.

[0078] (Example of change) The work vehicle of the present invention is not limited to a seedling transplanter, but can also be applied to various work vehicles capable of fertilizing or spraying pesticides, such as tractors and pesticide spraying vehicles. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the field information storage means 301 is provided in the seedling transplanter, but this is not limiting. For example, it is also possible to store field information in a server (an example of an information processing device, an example of a computer device) that can communicate with the seedling transplanter via a communication line and distribute the field information to the seedling transplanter. Furthermore, the processing of each of the means 301 to 316 is not limited to being centralized in the seedling transplanter, and it is also possible to have distributed processing among multiple information processing devices connected by a communication line.

[0079] Furthermore, although a work vehicle powered by an engine 30 has been exemplified as a work vehicle, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to work vehicles that are equipped with an engine and a motor and use the motor to assist the engine's power, so-called hybrid vehicles, and electric vehicles that run and operate work equipment using only the motor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 4...car body, 30...engine, 33...Travel control device, 102... remote control member, 111...positioning equipment, 111b...tilt detection member, 300...control means, 400...field, HST...transmission system, SN2: gear shift detection member, SN4...Occupancy detection element.

Claims

1. A car body (4), a travel operating device (33) for operating the travel of the vehicle body (4); an entry detection member (SN4) for detecting whether an operator has entered the vehicle body (4); a control means (300) for switching between a manual driving mode in which the vehicle body (4) is driven in response to the operation of the driving operation device (33) and an automatic driving mode in which the vehicle body (4) is driven regardless of the operation of the driving operation device (33); Equipped with The control means (300) switches from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode when the driving operation tool (33) is operated to a neutral position where driving is stopped and the riding detection member (SN4) does not detect an operator, and When an abnormality in the running of the vehicle body (4) is detected during the automatic running mode, the automatic running mode is switched to the manual running mode regardless of the detection result of the boarding detection member (SN4), When an abnormality in the traveling of the vehicle body (4) is detected during the automatic traveling mode, the traveling is stopped regardless of the operating position of the traveling operation tool (33) if the operator is on board. A work vehicle characterized by:

2. The manual driving mode can be switched to the automatic driving mode when the riding detection member (SN4) detects an operator, and the driving operation tool (33) can be used to start and stop the vehicle body (4) during the automatic driving mode.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1.

3. the control means (300) for stopping the engine (30) when the vehicle body (4) does not decelerate after an abnormality in the vehicle body (4) is detected and the mode is switched to the manual driving mode; 2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. an engine (30) that generates power to run the vehicle body (4); a transmission (HST) that changes the speed of the power of the engine (30); the control means (300) for controlling the transmission (HST) to a neutral state in which power is not transmitted from the transmission (HST) when an abnormality in the running of the vehicle body (4) is detected and the mode is switched to the manual running mode, and for stopping the engine (30) when the vehicle body (4) does not decelerate after being controlled to the neutral state; 2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. a speed change detection member (SN2) that detects a control amount of the transmission (HST); the control means (300) for stopping the engine (30) when the transmission (HST) is controlled to the neutral state when an abnormality in the running of the vehicle body (4) is detected and the mode is switched to the manual running mode, but the detection result of the shift detection member (SN2) does not detect the neutral state; 5. The work vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

6. a speed change detection member (SN2) that detects a control amount of the transmission (HST); a neutral return member that performs an operation to forcibly return the transmission (HST) to the neutral state; the control means (300) for stopping the engine (30) when the detection result of the shift detection member (SN2) does not detect the neutral state even when the neutral return member is operated and control is performed to return the transmission (HST) to the neutral state; 5. The work vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

7. an engine (30) that generates power to run the vehicle body (4); a transmission (HST) that changes the speed of the power of the engine (30); a remote control member (102) for remotely controlling the running of the vehicle body (4); an inclination detection member (111b) for detecting the inclination of the vehicle body (4); the control means (300) for controlling the transmission (HST) to a neutral state in which power is not transmitted from the engine (30) without stopping the engine (30) if the tilt detection member (111b) detects that the tilt has reached a predetermined tilt angle when the engine (30) is stopped by the remote control member (102); 2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

8. a positioning device (111) for measuring the current position of the vehicle body (4); the control means (300) not stopping the engine (30) when an operation to stop the engine (30) is performed by the remote control member (102) in a case where the vehicle body (4) is located at a position shifted outward by a predetermined distance from the outer edge of the field (400) based on the current position of the vehicle body (4) measured by the positioning device (111); 8. The work vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising:

9. the control means (300) for stopping the engine (30) when a predetermined forced engine stop operation is performed on the remote control member (102); 9. The work vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising:

10. the control means (300) for starting the engine (30) when a predetermined engine forced start operation is performed on the remote control member (102) while the engine (30) is stopped; 10. The work vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising:

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