combine

Abstract

To provide a combine harvester that allows for easy maintenance and cleaning of the grain tank. [Solution] The system comprises a grain tank 5 for storing threshed grains, and a conveying device 54 provided at the bottom of the grain tank, which rotates around a first front-rear axis X1 extending in the front-rear direction and conveys the threshed grains toward the rear. The grain tank 5 has an outer plate and an inner plate 52 located closer to the center of the machine than the outer plate. The inner plate 52 has an upper inner plate 52a and a lower inner plate 52b connected to the lower end of the upper inner plate 52a, which slopes toward the outer plate as it goes downwards. The lower inner plate 52b has a maintenance opening 3 and a lid 20 for closing the opening 3.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a combine harvester.

Background Art

[0002] The combine harvester described in Patent Document 1 includes a grain tank (referred to as a "grain tank" in Patent Document 1), a screw conveyor that conveys the grains in the grain tank to the rear of the machine body, and a flow rate adjustment plate that is located above the screw conveyor and is provided so as to be drivable and vibratable.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The grain tank needs to be cleaned and maintained regularly. However, in the conventional configuration, an operator cannot enter the inside of the grain tank, making it difficult to clean and maintain.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a combine harvester that can easily perform maintenance and cleaning inside the grain tank.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The characteristic configuration of the present invention is that it comprises a grain tank for storing threshed grains, and a conveying device provided at the bottom of the grain tank, which rotates around a first front-rear axis extending in the front-rear direction and conveys the threshed grains toward the rear, wherein the grain tank has an outer plate and an inner plate located closer to the center of the machine than the outer plate, and the inner plate has an upper inner plate and a lower inner plate connected to the lower end of the upper inner plate and which slopes toward the outer plate as it goes downwards, and the lower inner plate has a maintenance opening and a lid for closing the opening.

[0007] In this configuration, a maintenance opening is provided in the lower inner panel. This helps to maintain the aesthetic appeal. As a result, it becomes easier to create a relatively large opening, allowing workers to easily enter and perform maintenance. Furthermore, because it is located inside the machine, it is less susceptible to deterioration from external factors such as impacts.

[0008] A characteristic feature of the present invention is that the lid portion is preferably pivotable around a second front-rear axis extending along the front-rear direction of the machine body.

[0009] One possible cause of damage to the aircraft is a collision with another object while flying straight ahead. In this case, the aircraft will be subjected to an impact acting in the forward and backward directions.

[0010] In this configuration, the lid can pivot around a second longitudinal axis that extends along the longitudinal direction of the aircraft. This increases the lid's resistance to impacts from the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the free end of the lid pivots vertically. This allows it to pivot by gravity without the need for any other biasing mechanism. In other words, the structure can be simplified, making it easier to ensure rigidity.

[0011] A characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the grain tank is provided so as to be able to swing around a vertical axis extending in the vertical direction, located at one end of the grain tank in the front-rear direction, and the opening is preferably located closer to the end of the grain tank that is further from the vertical axis than to the end of the grain tank that is closer to the vertical axis.

[0012] In this configuration, the opening is located away from the pivot axis of the grain tank. As a result, when the grain tank is oscillating, the area around the opening in the grain tank is more widely open compared to when the opening is located closer to the pivot axis, making it easier for workers to access the opening and the lid.

[0013] The characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the second front-rear axis is provided at the upper end of the lid, and the lid is provided at the lower end of the lid and has a contact portion that abuts against the outer surface of the lower inner plate, and a protruding portion adjacent to the contact portion that protrudes toward the inside of the grain tank.

[0014] If threshed grain from inside the grain tank gets trapped between the lid and the lower inner plate, it is possible that the lid cannot be completely closed. If the lid is not completely closed, the threshed grain will not be stored and will spill out of the opening, reducing work efficiency.

[0015] In this configuration, the lid pivots around a second front-to-back axis located at its upper end, and has a lower end contact portion and a protruding portion. With this configuration, threshed grains falling from above into the grain tank collide with the protruding portion and bounce back into the grain tank. In other words, it is possible to prevent threshed grains from getting between the contact portion and the lower inner plate. To put it another way, it is possible to prevent threshed grains from getting between the lid and the lower inner plate.

[0016] The characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the lid portion includes a front closing member that closes the gap between the front end of the protruding portion and the lower inner plate in a state where the opening is closed, and a rear closing member that closes the gap between the rear end of the protruding portion and the lower inner plate in a state where the opening is closed, which is preferable.

[0017] The lid portion that includes concavities and convexities and has no gap with the opening has a relatively complex shape. Such a member with a complex shape tends to have a high manufacturing cost.

[0018] In this configuration, a front closing member and a rear closing member that close the gap between the lid portion and the lower inner plate are provided. That is, the manufacturing can be divided into a stage of manufacturing with a simple shape having a gap and a stage of attaching the front closing member and the rear closing member. Thereby, the manufacturing cost of the lid portion can be suppressed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a right side view of the combine. [Figure 2] It is a plan view of the combine. [Figure 3] It is a left side view of the grain tank. [Figure 4] It is a longitudinal sectional view of the grain tank. [Figure 5] It is a left side view of the lid portion. [Figure 6] It is a longitudinal sectional view at A in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view of the lid portion as viewed from the inside of the grain tank.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment which is an example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the following description, regarding the traveling body of a conventional combine, the direction of the arrow F shown in FIG. 1 is defined as "front of the machine body", the direction of the arrow B as "rear of the machine body", the direction of the arrow U as "above the machine body", the direction of the arrow D as "below the machine body", the direction of the arrow L as "left of the machine body", and the direction of the arrow R as "right of the machine body".

[0021] [Overall of the ordinary combine] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a traveling body having a pair of left and right crawler-type traveling devices 1 at the lower part is provided. At the front part (front of the body) of the traveling body, an operation part 2 and a harvesting and conveying device 4 are provided. The harvesting and conveying device 4 includes a harvesting part 8 provided at the front part of the harvesting and conveying device 4 and harvesting cereal straws such as rice as crops planted in the field by a clipper-type cutting device 7, and a conveying part 9 provided at the rear part of the harvesting and conveying device 4 and conveying the crops harvested by the harvesting part 8 to a predetermined position of the traveling body. At the rear part of the traveling body, a threshing device 10 that receives the crops conveyed by the conveying part 9 and performs threshing treatment, and a grain tank 5 that stores the threshed grains obtained by the threshing device 10 are provided. The threshing device 10 and the grain tank 5 are provided in a side-by-side state.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the threshing device 10 is provided with a horizontal conveying device 10a that connects the lower part of the threshing device 10 and the upper part of the grain tank 5 and rotates around a left and right axis X3 extending in the left and right direction to convey the threshed grains to the grain tank 5. The threshed grains conveyed from the horizontal conveying device 10a are stored in the grain tank 5.

[0023] [Structure of the grain tank] [[ID=十四]]The grain tank 5 has an outer plate 51 and an inner plate 52 located closer to the center of the body than the outer plate 51. In the present embodiment, the outer plate 51 is located on the right side of the body, and the inner plate 52 is located on the left side of the outer plate 51. The lower end of the outer plate 51 and the lower end of the inner plate 52 are connected.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, the outer plate 51 has an upper outer plate 51a and a lower outer plate 51b that is connected to the lower end of the upper outer plate 51a and is inclined toward the inner plate 52 side as it goes downward.

[0025] The inner plate 52 has an upper inner plate 52a and a lower inner plate 52b connected to the lower end of the upper inner plate 52a, which slopes downward toward the outer plate 51. The lower end of the upper outer plate 51a is located below the lower end of the upper inner plate 52a. The length of the lower outer plate 51b in the left-right direction is shorter than the length of the lower inner plate 52b in the left-right direction. In other words, the lower end of the grain tank 5 is located toward the outer plate 51 than the inner plate 52.

[0026] A rear conveying device 54 (corresponding to the "conveying device" according to the present invention) is provided at the bottom of the grain tank 5 and rotates around a first front-rear axis X1 that extends along the front-rear direction, and conveys the threshed grain toward the rear. The rear conveying device 54 has a screw conveyor 54a, and as the screw conveyor 54a rotates, the threshed grain is conveyed toward the rear of the machine.

[0027] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, above the rear conveying device 54, a flow rate adjustment plate 55 is installed across the front and rear of the grain tank 5, formed from a plate material in a tapering V-shape to prevent the load of stored grain from directly acting on the rear conveying device 54 from above. Although not shown, this flow rate adjustment plate 55 has a support shaft integrally provided at the apex of its V-shape, running in the front-rear direction, and both ends of this support shaft are pivotally supported on the front wall 53a and rear wall 53b of the grain tank 5 by support members whose vertical position can be changed. In other words, the flow rate adjustment plate 55 is configured to be vertically adjustable in the vertical direction of the machine. Power from the engine is transmitted to the flow rate adjustment plate 55, causing it to vibrate. This prevents the grain from forming bridges between the lower end of the flow rate adjustment plate 55 and the inside of the grain tank 5.

[0028] The grain tank 5 is provided so as to be able to swing around a vertical axis Y that extends vertically and is located at one end of the grain tank 5 in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, "one end" refers to the rear end of the grain tank 5. In other words, the grain tank 5 is configured to be able to swing around a vertical axis Y that extends vertically and is located at the rear end of the grain tank 5 in the front-rear direction.

[0029] The rear end of the rear conveying device 54 is located outside the vertical conveying device 56. The conveyed grain is transported upwards by the vertical conveying device 56. The grain transported by the vertical conveying device 56 is discharged outside the machine by the discharge device 6. The discharge device 6 is configured to be rotatable around the vertical axis Y.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, the upper inner plate 52a has a contact sensor 57, a first opening 58, and a second opening 59.

[0031] The contact sensor 57 is located inside the grain tank 5 and above the upper inner plate 52a. The contact sensor 57 operates by coming into contact with the stored grain. The contact sensor 57 detects when the amount of grain stored in the grain tank 5 exceeds a certain amount. The detection result of the contact sensor 57 may be displayed on the control unit 2 or used for machine control.

[0032] The first opening 58 is located on the front side in the front-rear direction of the upper inner plate 52a. The first opening 58 is located on the upper part of the upper inner plate 52a. The first opening 58 is located in front of the contact sensor 57. A lateral conveying device 10a is inserted into the front end of the first opening 58. That is, the grains conveyed by the lateral conveying device 10a flow into the grain tank 5 through the first opening 58 and are stored there.

[0033] The second opening 59 is located in the center of the upper inner plate 52a in the front-rear direction. The second opening 59 is provided at the lower part of the upper inner plate 52a. The front end of the second opening 59 is located in front of the rear end of the first opening 58 in the front-rear direction, and is located at approximately the same position as the rear end of the lateral conveying device 10a in the front-rear direction. The rear end of the second opening 59 is located behind the contact sensor 57 in the front-rear direction. In other words, the second opening 59 is located below the lateral conveying device 10a and below the contact sensor 57. This allows for cleaning the upper part of the grain tank 5 and maintenance of the lateral conveying device 10a and the contact sensor 57 to be performed from the second opening 59.

[0034] [Opening] The lower inner plate 52b has a maintenance opening 3 and a lid portion 20 that closes the opening 3. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the opening 3 is located towards the front of the lower inner plate 52b. As mentioned above, the vertical axis Y is located at the rear end of the grain tank 5. That is, the opening 3 is located closer to the end of the grain tank 5 that is further from the vertical axis Y than to the end of the grain tank 5 that is closer to the vertical axis Y.

[0035] The lower end of the opening 3 is located above the upper end of the flow rate adjustment plate 55. In other words, the lower end of the opening 3 is located above the rear conveying device 54. Furthermore, the lower end of the opening 3 is located above the lower end of the upper outer plate 51a. In other words, in a right side view, the opening 3 and the upper outer plate 51a overlap.

[0036] [Lid] As shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7, the lid portion 20 is a rectangular plate-shaped member as a whole, formed by attaching a closing member 22 to a bent plate portion 21. The bent plate portion 21 is provided at the lower end of the lid portion 20 and has a contact portion 23 that abuts against the outer surface of the lower inner plate 52b, a protruding portion 24 adjacent to the contact portion 23 and projecting toward the inside of the grain tank 5, a folded portion 25, and a folded portion 26. In other words, the lid portion 20 has a contact portion 23 and a protruding portion 24. The protruding portion 24 has a first surface 24a on the lower end side and a second surface 24b located above the first surface 24a. The lower end of the first surface 24a is adjacent to the opening 3. In other words, the lower end of the protruding portion 24 is adjacent to the opening 3.

[0037] The bent plate portion 21 has a locking portion 27 on its outer edge that does not overlap with the opening 3 in a side view and has a plurality of fixing holes into which bolts V can be inserted. The bent plate portion 21 has a folded portion 25 at the front end of the lid portion 20 that extends outward from the grain tank 5, and a folded portion 26 at the rear end of the lid portion 20 that extends outward from the grain tank 5. In this embodiment, the locking portion 27 has 13 fixing holes. That is, in this embodiment, the lid portion 20 is fixed to the lower inner plate 52b by 13 bolts V.

[0038] As shown in Figure 6, the lid portion 20 is pivotable around a second longitudinal axis X2 that extends along the longitudinal direction of the aircraft body. The second longitudinal axis X2 is located at the upper end of the lid portion 20. Specifically, a cylindrical portion 21a is formed on the upper part of the bent plate portion 21. A bracket 52c is provided on the lower inner plate 52b. A rivet 52d is inserted into the cylindrical portion 21a, passing through the bracket 52c. The central axes of the cylindrical portion 21a and the rivet 52d coincide with the second longitudinal axis X2.

[0039] As shown in Figure 7, the bent plate portion 21 is formed by bending a single flat plate multiple times. Specifically, by bending both ends of the bent plate portion 21 (the front and rear ends in the front-rear direction of the machine) toward the back right of the paper in Figure 7 (to the left in the left-right direction of the machine), the folded portion 25 and the folded portion 26 are formed. The portion between the folded portions 25 and 26 is called the flat portion 28. The outer periphery of the flat portion 28 is the locking portion 27 described above.

[0040] By bending the lower end of the bent plate portion 21 in the direction from the back right to the front left of the paper in Figure 7 (in the left-right direction of the machine), a protruding portion 24 and a contact portion 23 are formed. The front and rear ends of the contact portion 23 and the protruding portion 24 are located inside the front and rear ends of the flat portion 28. That is, a flat portion 28a, which is part of the flat portion 28, exists in front of the contact portion 23 and the protruding portion 24, and a flat portion 28b exists behind the contact portion 23 and the protruding portion 24. When viewing the lid portion 20 in the front and rear direction of the machine, the protruding portion 24 protrudes toward the inside of the grain tank 5, creating a hole (gap) between the protruding portion 24 and the flat portion 28. In this embodiment, the hole is triangular, with the front hole referred to as triangular hole S1 and the rear hole referred to as triangular hole S2. When the lid 20 is closed and the opening 3 is closed, the flat portions 28a and 28b come into contact with the lower inner plate 52b. If the sealing member 22 is not provided, the inside and outside of the grain tank 5 will be connected by the triangular holes S1 and S2, causing the threshed grain to leak out.

[0041] In this embodiment, the closing member 22 is provided as a front closing member 22a for closing the triangular hole S1 and a rear closing member 22b for closing the triangular hole S2. That is, the lid portion 20 has a front closing member 22a that closes the gap (triangular hole S1) between the front end of the protruding portion 24 and the lower inner plate 52b when the opening 3 is closed, and a rear closing member 22b that closes the gap (triangular hole S2) between the rear end of the protruding portion 24 and the lower inner plate 52b when the opening 3 is closed.

[0042] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the projection 24 is installed across the lid 20 from the front end to the rear end. The projection 24 is bent into a mountain shape that tapers upwards toward the inside of the grain tank 5. The portion where the first surface 24a and the second surface 24b connect is located on the underside of the projection 24. That is, the first surface 24a is composed of a smaller surface than the second surface 24b.

[0043] [Other Embodiments] (1) The lid portion 20 does not have to pivot around the second front-rear axis X2 that extends along the front-rear direction of the aircraft. It may be fitted into the opening 3, or it may be able to pivot around the vertical axis.

[0044] (2) The grain tank 5 is provided so as to be able to swing around a vertical axis that extends vertically and is located at one end of the grain tank 5 in the front-rear direction, and the opening 3 does not have to be located closer to the end of the grain tank 5 that is further from the vertical axis Y than to the end of the grain tank 5 that is closer to the vertical axis Y. In this embodiment, the vertical axis Y is provided at the rear end of the grain tank 5 and the opening 3 is provided on the front side of the grain tank 5, but the opening 3 may be provided on the rear side of the grain tank 5, and the front-rear direction may be reversed.

[0045] (3) The second front-rear axis X2 is provided at the upper end of the lid portion 20, and the lid portion 20 does not necessarily have a contact portion 23 provided at the lower end of the lid portion 20 that abuts against the outer surface of the lower inner plate 52b, or a protruding portion 24 adjacent to the contact portion 23 that protrudes toward the inside of the grain tank 5. The second front-rear axis X2 may be provided at the lower end of the lid portion 20, and may be configured to extend perpendicularly to the lid portion 20, and to allow the opening 3 to be opened and closed by sliding the lid portion 20.

[0046] (4) The lid portion 20 does not necessarily have to include a front closing member 22a that closes the gap between the front end of the protruding portion 24 and the lower inner plate 52b when the opening 3 is closed, and a rear closing member 22b that closes the gap between the rear end of the protruding portion 24 and the lower inner plate 52b when the opening 3 is closed. In this embodiment, the closing member 22 is plate-shaped, but it is not limited to this. For example, the lid portion may have a shape that prevents any gap from forming between the lid portion 20 and the opening 3.

[0047] (5) The opening 3 may be provided in the outer plate 51.

[0048] (6) The lid portion 20 does not have to be fixed with bolts V. For example, a fitting structure may be provided in the opening 3 or the lid portion 20, or a mechanism for fixing the lid portion 20 from the outside may be provided.

[0049] (7) The contact sensor 57 and the first opening 58, the second opening 59, or all of them are not required.

[0050] (8) The closing member 22, the front closing member 22a, and the rear closing member 22b may be made of L-shaped members and may be provided in the opening 3. For example, one side may be connected to the lower inner plate 52b and the other side may be provided in a position to close the triangular holes S1 and S2.

[0051] Furthermore, the configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no inconsistencies arise. In addition, the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the object of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0052] This invention can be applied not only to conventional combine harvesters but also to self-propelled combine harvesters, and not only to rice harvesters but also to harvesters for other crops. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 3: Opening 5: Grain tank 20: Lid 22: Closure member 22a: Front closing member 22b: Rear closure member 23: Contact part 24:Protrusion 51:Outer plate 52: Inner panel 52a: Upper inner plate 52b: Lower medial plate X1: 1st front-back axis X2: 2nd front and rear axis Y: Vertical axis center

Claims

1. A grain tank for storing threshed grains, The grain tank is provided with a conveying device that is located at the bottom of the grain tank, rotates around a first front-rear axis extending in the front-rear direction, and conveys the threshed grain toward the rear, The grain tank has an outer plate and an inner plate located closer to the center of the machine than the outer plate. The inner plate comprises an upper inner plate and a lower inner plate connected to the lower end of the upper inner plate, which inclines downward toward the outer plate. The lower inner plate of the combine harvester has a maintenance opening and a cover that closes the opening.

2. The combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the cover portion is pivotable about a second front-rear axis extending along the front-rear direction of the machine body.

3. The grain tank is provided so as to be able to swing around a vertical axis extending in the vertical direction, located at one end of the grain tank in the front-rear direction. The combine harvester according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening is located closer to the end of the grain tank that is further from the vertical axis than to the end of the grain tank that is closer to the vertical axis.

4. The second front-rear axis is provided at the upper end of the lid portion, The combine harvester according to claim 2, wherein the lid portion is provided at the lower end of the lid portion and has a contact portion that abuts against the outer surface of the lower inner plate, and a protruding portion adjacent to the contact portion and protruding toward the inside of the grain tank.

5. The aforementioned lid portion is A front closing member that closes the gap between the front end of the protruding portion and the lower inner plate when the opening is closed, The combine harvester according to claim 4, further comprising a rear closing member that closes the gap between the rear end of the protruding portion and the lower inner plate when the opening is closed.

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