combine

Abstract

We provide a combine harvester that can calculate yield in real time. [Solution] The system includes a processing volume sensor (22S) for detecting the amount of material to be processed in the threshing device (4), a grain stalk sensor (3S) for detecting grain stalks in the harvesting device (3), a straw volume sensor (24S) for detecting the amount of straw in the feed chain (20) that supplies grain stalks to the threshing device (4), and a controller (70) for calculating the yield of the harvested crop. The controller (70) converts the detected value of the processing volume sensor (22S) using a preset conversion method and calculates the yield per unit of straw based on the detection result of the straw volume sensor (24S).

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In conventional combine harvesters, a technique for measuring the amount of grain input into the grain tank is known. (See Patent Document 1)

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the technique of Patent Document 1 has a problem that although yield measurement with reduced influence of impurities can be realized, there is a large time lag from when the crop is cut in the field until it is measured.

[0005] Therefore, the main problems of the present invention are to provide a combine harvester with a relatively small measurement time lag after cutting. Another problem is to enable the use of yield data for evaluating the growth degree of plants.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention that solves the above problems is as follows.

[0007] In other words, the invention described in claim 1 is a combine harvester comprising a processing volume sensor (22S) for detecting the amount of material to be processed in a threshing device (4), a grain stalk sensor (3S) for detecting grain stalks in a harvesting device (3), a straw volume sensor (24S) for detecting the amount of straw in a feed chain (20) that supplies grain stalks to the threshing device (4), and a controller (70) for calculating the yield of harvested products, wherein the controller (70) converts the detected value of the processing volume sensor (22S) according to a preset conversion method and calculates the yield per unit of straw based on the detection result of the straw volume sensor (24S).

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is a combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the controller (70) does not calculate the yield if the processed material quantity sensor (22S) does not detect any processed material for a first predetermined time period from when the grain stalk sensor (3S) starts detecting grain stalks.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is a combine harvester according to claim 2, wherein the controller (70) determines that there is an abnormality if the processed material quantity sensor (22S) continues not to detect the processed material for a period of time from when the grain stalk sensor (3S) starts detecting grain stalks until the second grain stalk detection time exceeds the first grain stalk detection time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the time lag for measuring yield after harvesting can be made relatively small. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a left side view of a combine harvester. [Figure 2] This is a right side view of a combine harvester. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the control panel. [Figure 4] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the threshing machine in the front-to-back direction. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the threshing machine in the front-to-back direction. [Figure 6] This is a front view of the main body and the second processing body, etc. [Figure 7] It is a rear view of an operation cylinder and a dust exhaust processing cylinder or the like. [Figure 8] It is a right side view for explaining the first grain lifting cylinder and the second grain lifting cylinder. [Figure 9] It is a piping diagram of compressed air exhausted from a compressor. [Figure 10] It is a connection diagram of a controller. [Figure 11] It is an explanatory diagram of the method of ejecting compressed air in cleaning mode. [Figure 12] It is an explanatory diagram of the method of ejecting compressed air in grain recovery mode. [Figure 13] It is an explanatory diagram of the method of ejecting compressed air in working mode.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the combine harvester is provided with a traveling device 2 having a pair of left and right crawlers that travel on the soil surface below the machine body frame 1, and a cutting device 3 for harvesting the cereal straw in the field is provided in front of the machine body frame 1.

[0013] On the left rear side of the cutting device 3, a threshing device 4 for threshing and sorting the cereal straw harvested by the cutting device 3 is provided, and on the right rear side of the cutting device 3, a control unit 5 on which an operator rides is provided. Further, a cereal straw conveying device 3A for conveying the cut cereal straw backward is provided at the rear part of the cutting device 3, and a cereal straw sensor 3S for measuring the presence or absence of cereal straw in the cereal straw conveying device 3A is provided in the cereal straw conveying device 3A.

[0014] An engine room 6 for mounting an engine E is provided below the control unit 5, and a grain tank 7 for storing the grains threshed and sorted by the threshing device 4 is provided behind the control unit 5. Further, a discharge auger 8 for discharging the grains stored in the grain tank 7 to the outside is connected to the rear part of the grain tank 7. The discharge auger 8 is formed by a vertical discharge cylinder 8A that is connected to the rear part of the grain tank 7 and extends in the vertical direction, and a horizontal discharge cylinder 8B that extends forward from the upper part of the vertical discharge cylinder 8A.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3, a front panel 10 is provided on the front side of the driver's seat of the control unit 5. A touch panel type monitor 11 for displaying the output rotation speed of the engine E etc. is provided at the center of the front panel 10. On the right side of the monitor 11, an operation lever 12 for operating the turning of the traveling device 2 and the raising and lowering of the mowing device 3 is provided. On the left side of the monitor 11, a mode changeover switch 13 for switching the form of jetting the compressed air exhausted from the compressor 60 provided in the engine room 6 toward the transfer shelves 25A and the transfer spirals etc. installed in the No. 1 grain elevator 25B is provided. Further, the monitor 11 can depict a narrow guide protruding to the left side of the machine body frame 1.

[0016] The operation posture of the operation lever 12 is measured by an angle sensor such as a potentiometer attached to the lower part of the operation lever 12. When the operation lever 12 is tilted forward, the mowing device 3 descends to the mowing position, and when tilted backward, the mowing device 3 ascends to the retracted position. Also, when the operation lever 12 is tilted to the left, the traveling device 2 turns left, and when tilted to the right, the traveling device 2 turns right.

[0017] A side panel 14 is provided to the left of the driver's seat. At the front part of the side panel 14, [[ID=??]]a main transmission lever 15 for operating a continuously variable transmission that outputs from the engine E and increases or decreases the output rotation speed and switches the rotation direction is provided. Behind the main transmission lever 15, a sub transmission lever 16 for operating a transmission that increases or decreases the output rotation output from the continuously variable transmission is provided.

[0018] On the left side of the main transmission lever 15, a cutting and threshing lever 17 for operating the connection and disconnection of the cutting clutch that transmits the output rotation speed of the engine E to the mowing device 3 and the connection and disconnection of the threshing clutch that transmits the output rotation speed of the engine E to the threshing device 4 is provided.

[0019] It should be noted that there seems to be an error in the original text where the description of the "main transmission lever 15" in line 12 is incomplete. I have translated it as best as possible based on the context.Behind the cutting lever 17 is a discharge lever 18 that operates to engage and disengage the discharge clutch, which transmits the output rotation speed of the engine E to the discharge auger 8. When the discharge clutch is engaged, the conveying spiral housed in the conveying spiral bucket 40 located at the bottom of the grain tank 7 also rotates.

[0020] The operating position of the main gear lever 15 is measured by an angle sensor such as a potentiometer attached to the lower part of the main gear lever 15, the operating position of the auxiliary gear lever 16 is measured by an angle sensor attached to the lower part of the auxiliary gear lever 16, the operating position of the cutting lever 17 is measured by an angle sensor 17S attached to the lower part of the cutting lever 17, and the operating position of the discharge lever 18 is measured by an angle sensor 18S attached to the lower part of the discharge lever 18.

[0021] When the main shift lever 15 is in the neutral position, the output rotational speed of the continuously variable transmission (CVT) becomes zero. When the main shift lever 15 is tilted forward from the neutral position, the output rotational direction of the CVT becomes the same as the rotational direction of the engine E's output rotation. Increasing the tilt angle of the forward position increases the output rotational speed of the CVT, and decreasing the tilt angle of the forward position decreases the output rotational speed of the CVT. Furthermore, when the main shift lever 15 is tilted rearward from the neutral position, the output rotational direction of the CVT becomes the opposite of the rotational direction of the engine E's output rotation. Increasing the tilt angle of the rearward position increases the output rotational speed of the CVT, and decreasing the tilt angle of the rearward position decreases the output rotational speed of the CVT.

[0022] When the sub-transmission lever 16 is in the neutral position, the output rotational speed of the transmission does not increase or decrease. When the sub-transmission lever 16 is tilted forward from the neutral position, the output rotational speed of the transmission increases, and when the sub-transmission lever 16 is tilted backward from the neutral position, the output rotational speed of the transmission decreases.

[0023] When the harvesting lever 17 is tilted forward, the harvesting clutch and threshing clutch are released, and the harvesting device 3 and threshing device 4 stop. When the harvesting lever 17 is tilted backward, the harvesting clutch and threshing clutch are engaged, and the harvesting device 3 and threshing device 4 are driven. When the threshing lever 17 is moved to the neutral position, the threshing clutch is disengaged, the threshing clutch is engaged, the threshing device 3 stops, and the threshing device 4 is driven.

[0024] When the discharge lever 18 is tilted forward, the discharge clutch is disengaged and the discharge auger 8 stops. When the discharge lever 18 is tilted rearward, the discharge clutch is engaged and the discharge auger 8 is driven.

[0025] As shown in Figures 4-7, the threshing device 4 is equipped with a threshing cylinder 21 at its upper part for threshing the stalks of grain transported from the harvesting device 3 by the feed chain 20. Below the threshing cylinder 21 is a receiving net 22, and below the receiving net 22 is a layer thickness sensor 22S that measures the layer thickness of the grain being transported on the upper surface of the transport rack 25A of the oscillating sorting device 25, which sorts the grain processed by the threshing cylinder 21. The feed chain 20 is provided along a threshing opening that extends in the front-to-back direction and is formed on the left wall of the threshing device 4.

[0026] A rudder cover 23 is provided on the upper side of the rudder drum 21, and on the lower part of the left wall of the rudder drum cover 23, A clamping culm 24 is provided that is biased toward the feed chain 20.

[0027] The upper part of the oscillating sorting device 25 has, in order from the front, a transfer shelf 25A made of a plate-like material, The oscillating sorting device 25 is provided with a fixed sheave 25B made of a plurality of plate-like bodies arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction with an upward sloping rearward inclination, a variable sheave 25C made of a plurality of plate-like bodies arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction with a variable upward sloping rearward inclination angle, and a straw rack 25D made of a plurality of plate-like bodies arranged at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction. A sorting net 25E is provided at the bottom of the oscillating sorting device 25 to sort out grains that leak down from the fixed sheave 25B and the variable sheave 25C.

[0028] Below the oscillating sorting device 25, in order from the front, are a winnowing machine 26 that blows sorting air toward the fixed sieve 25B and the variable sieve 25C, a first receiving tub 27 that collects grains that leak down from the fixed sieve 25B and the variable sieve 25C (hereinafter referred to as first-grade material), and a second receiving tub 28 that collects grains with branches and stems attached that leak down from the straw rack 25D (hereinafter referred to as second-grade material). The first receiving tub 27 is equipped with a conveying spiral (not shown) that extends in the left-right direction for transporting the first-grade material, and the second receiving tub 28 is equipped with a conveying spiral (not shown) that extends in the left-right direction for transporting the second-grade material.

[0029] The first batch of grain collected in the first receiving tub 27 is lifted into the grain tank 7 by the first grain lifting cylinder 30, and the second batch of grain is lifted into the second processing cylinder 32, which is located next to the right side of the threshing cylinder 21, by the second grain lifting cylinder 31. The first grain lifting cylinder 30 is equipped with a conveying spiral for lifting the first batch of grain, the second grain lifting cylinder 31 is equipped with a conveying spiral for lifting the second batch of grain, and the outer circumference of the second processing cylinder 32 is equipped with a conveying spiral 32A for transporting the second batch of grain forward.

[0030] A dust removal processing cylinder 33 is provided at the rear of the second processing cylinder 33 to transport straw debris mixed in with the second material to the rear, and a dust removal conveying spiral 33A is provided on the outer circumference of the dust removal processing cylinder 33 to transport the straw debris to the rear. In addition, a dust removal fan 34 is provided above the straw rack 25D of the oscillating sorting device 25 to suck up the straw debris and discharge it to the outside.

[0031] A straw conveying device 36 is provided at the rear of the feed chain 20 to transport the threshed grain stalks backward. Below the straw conveying device 36, a pair of front and rear cutters 37 are provided to shred the straw grain stalks that fall from the straw conveying device 36.

[0032] As shown in Figure 8, the lower part of the right wall of the threshing device 4 and the upper part of the left wall of the grain tank 7 are connected by the first grain lifting cylinder 30. Furthermore, a second grain lifting cylinder 31 for lifting the second batch of grain to the oscillating sorting device 25 is provided at the rear of the first grain lifting cylinder 30 on the right wall of the threshing device 4. The base of the first grain hoisting cylinder 30 is provided with a collection door 30A for collecting grains that have accumulated at the base, and the base of the second grain hoisting cylinder 31 is provided with a collection door 31A for collecting grains that have accumulated at the base.

[0033] A conveying spiral bucket 40 is provided at the bottom of the grain tank 7 to transport grain that leaks out of the grain tank 7 to the rear, and a front connecting section 41, which is tapered on the right side, is formed at the rear of the conveying spiral bucket 40. In addition, a rear connecting section 42 is formed at the bottom of the vertical discharge pipe 8A. When the grain tank 7 is moved to the storage position on the machine frame 1, the front connecting section 41 and the rear connecting section 42 are connected and communicate. When the front of the grain tank 7 is moved to the open position to the right of the machine frame 1, the connection between the front connecting section 41 and the rear connecting section 42 is released and communication is also released. This makes it possible to recover grain that has accumulated in the front connecting section 41 and the rear connecting section 42. In this specification, the front connecting section 41 and the rear connecting section 42 are collectively referred to as the connecting section 43.

[0034] The exhaust gas burned by engine E is purified by the exhaust gas purification device 50 before being discharged to the outside. The exhaust gas purification device 50 consists of a DOC 51 catalyst that oxidizes unburned gases in the exhaust gas, an SCR catalyst 52 that purifies nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas discharged from the DOC 51 by reducing them with ammonia generated from an aqueous urea solution (hereinafter referred to as urea solution), an injection device 53 that injects urea solution into a flexible pipe connecting the DOC 51 and the SCR catalyst 52, a supply device 54 that supplies urea solution to the injection device 53, and a urea solution tank 55 that stores the urea solution supplied to the supply device 54. The injection device 53 and the supply device 54 are connected by a small-diameter flexible pipe, and the supply device 54 and the urea solution tank 55 are also connected by a small-diameter flexible pipe.

[0035] <Compressed air piping diagram> As shown in Figure 9, the compressed air exhausted from the compressor 60 is supplied to the solenoid valve 61A. It is also preferable to provide a pressure regulating valve for adjusting the pressure of the compressed air, a drain for removing moisture from the compressed air, and a filter for removing dust from the compressed air in the flexible piping connecting the compressor 60 and the solenoid valve 61A.

[0036] When the solenoid of solenoid valve 61A is energized, the compressed air supplied to solenoid valve 61A is supplied to solenoid valve 61B. Furthermore, if the solenoid of the solenoid valve 61A is not energized, the compressed air supplied to the solenoid valve 61A is supplied to the transfer shelf nozzle (the "first nozzle" in the claim) 62 provided toward the front of the transfer shelf 25A of the oscillating sorting device 25, the first grain lifting cylinder nozzle (the "second nozzle" in the claim) 63 provided toward the base of the first grain lifting cylinder 30 from the first receiving bucket 27, the second grain lifting cylinder nozzle (the "third nozzle" in the claim) 64 provided toward the base of the second grain lifting cylinder 31 from the second receiving bucket 28, the front communication nozzle (the "fourth nozzle" in the claim) 65 provided toward the front communication section 41 of the conveying spiral bucket 40, and the rear communication nozzle (the "fifth nozzle" in the claim) 66 provided toward the rear communication section 42 of the vertical discharge cylinder 8A.

[0037] When the solenoid of solenoid valve 61B is energized, the compressed air supplied to solenoid valve 61B is supplied to solenoid valve 61C. When the solenoid of solenoid valve 61B is not energized, the compressed air supplied to solenoid valve 61B is supplied to the transfer rack nozzle 62, the first grain lifting cylinder nozzle 63, and the second grain lifting cylinder nozzle 64.

[0038] When the solenoid of solenoid valve 61C is energized, the compressed air supplied to solenoid valve 61C is supplied to solenoid valve 61D. Also, when the solenoid of solenoid valve 61C is energized, Air is supplied to the solenoid valve 61E.

[0039] When the solenoid of the solenoid valve 61D is energized, the compressed air supplied to the solenoid valve 61D is supplied to the transfer shelf nozzle 62 and ejected from the transfer shelf nozzle 62 toward the transfer shelf 25A. When the solenoid of the solenoid valve 61D is not energized, the compressed air supplied to the solenoid valve 61D is supplied to the nozzle 63 for the first grain hoist 63 and the nozzle 64 for the second grain hoist 64, and ejected from the nozzle 63 toward the base of the first grain hoist 30 and from the nozzle 64 toward the base of the second grain hoist 31.

[0040] When the solenoid of solenoid valve 61E is energized, the compressed air supplied to solenoid valve 61E is supplied to solenoid valve 61F. When the solenoid of solenoid valve 61E is not energized, the compressed air supplied to solenoid valve 61E is supplied to the nozzle 65 for the front communication section and the nozzle 66 for the rear communication section.

[0041] When the solenoid of the solenoid valve 61F is energized, the compressed air supplied to the solenoid valve 61F is supplied to the nozzle 65 for the front communication section and ejected from the nozzle 65 toward the front communication section 41. When the solenoid of the solenoid valve 61F is not energized, the compressed air supplied to the solenoid valve 61F is supplied to the nozzle 66 for the rear communication section and ejected from the nozzle 66 toward the rear communication section 42.

[0042] <Controller connection diagram> As shown in Figure 10, the controller 70 consists of a processing unit 71 which includes a CPU, and a ROM, It consists of a storage unit 72 comprising RAM, a hard disk drive, flash memory, etc., a timer 73, and a communication unit 74 for data communication with the outside.

[0043] The processing unit 71 operates the solenoid valves 61A to 61D based on the work mode, etc., switched by the mode switching switch 13.

[0044] The memory unit 72 stores the cleaning mode, grain collection mode, and compressed air ejection method used in the work mode, which are selected by the mode switching switch 13.

[0045] Timer 73 measures the elapsed time required to switch between solenoid valves 61D and 61F, which have been pre-programmed into monitor 11.

[0046] The communication unit 74 transmits and receives information between the device and external portable controllers, etc.

[0047] On the input side of the controller 70 are a grain stalk sensor 3S that measures the presence or absence of grain stalks being transported from the harvesting device 3 to the threshing device 4, and an angle sensor 17S that measures the operating posture of the harvesting / threshing lever 17. An angle sensor 18S for measuring the operating posture of the discharge lever 18, a mode switching switch 13 for switching modes, and a layer thickness sensor 22S for measuring the layer thickness of grains being transported on the transport shelf 25A of the oscillating sorting device 25 are connected via a predetermined input interface circuit.

[0048] Solenoid valves 61A to 61F are connected to the output side of controller 70 via a predetermined output interface circuit.

[0049] <Method of ejecting compressed air> As shown in Figure 11, in step S1, the processing unit 71 of the controller 70 determines the operating state of the mode selector switch 13. If it is determined that the mode selector switch 13 is switched to cleaning mode, the process proceeds to step S2; if it is determined that it is switched to grain collection mode, the process proceeds to step S5; and if it is determined that it is switched to work mode, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0050] (Cleaning mode) In step S2, the processing unit 71 determines the input information from the grain stalk sensor 3S. If the input information from the grain stalk sensor 3S is OFF and it is determined that no grain stalks are being transported from the harvesting device 3 to the threshing device 4, the process proceeds to step S3. If the input information from the grain stalk sensor 3S is ON and it is determined that grain stalks are being transported from the harvesting device 3 to the threshing device 4, the process repeats step S2.

[0051] In step S3, the processing unit 71 determines the input information from the layer thickness sensor 22S. If the input information from the layer thickness sensor 22S is OFF and it is determined that there are no grains leaking down from the threshing drum 21 onto the transfer shelf 25A of the oscillating sorting device 25, the process proceeds to step S4. If the input information from the layer thickness sensor 22S is ON and it is determined that there are grains leaking down from the threshing drum 21 onto the transfer shelf 25A of the oscillating sorting device 25, the process proceeds to step S3.

[0052] In step S4, the processing unit 71 de-energizes the solenoid of the solenoid valve 61A by not supplying current, and as shown in Figure 9, supplies compressed air supplied to the solenoid valve 61A to the transfer shelf nozzle 62, the nozzle 63 for the first grain hoisting cylinder, the nozzle 64 for the second grain hoisting cylinder, the nozzle 65 for the front communication section, and the nozzle 66 for the rear communication section, and returns to step S1. This allows compressed air to be ejected from the transfer shelf nozzle 62 towards the front of the transfer shelf 25A, from the nozzle 63 towards the base of the first grain hoisting cylinder 30, and from the nozzle 64 towards the base of the second grain hoisting cylinder 31, thereby removing branches and other debris accumulated at the front of the transfer shelf 25A, etc. In addition, compressed air can be ejected from the nozzle 65 towards the front communication section 41 and from the nozzle 66 towards the rear communication section 42, thereby removing branches and other debris accumulated in the conveying spiral bucket 40.

[0053] (Grain harvesting mode) In step S5, the processing unit 71 determines the input information from the grain stalk sensor 3S. If it determines that the input information from the grain stalk sensor 3S is OFF, the process proceeds to step S6; if it determines that the input information from the grain stalk sensor 3S is ON, step S5 is repeated.

[0054] In step S6, the processing unit 71 determines the input information from the layer thickness sensor 22S. If it determines that the input information from the layer thickness sensor 22S is OFF, the process proceeds to step S7; if it determines that the input information from the layer thickness sensor 22S is ON, step S6 is repeated.

[0055] In step S7, the processing unit 71 determines the input information from the angle sensor 17S. If it determines from the input information from the angle sensor 17S that the harvesting device 3 and the threshing device 4 are operating, the process proceeds to step S8. If it determines from the input information from the angle sensor 17S that the harvesting device 3 and the threshing device 4 are not operating, the process proceeds to step S9.

[0056] In step S8, the processing unit 71 energizes the solenoid of solenoid valve 61A by supplying current, de-energizes the solenoid of solenoid valve 61B by not supplying current, and as shown in Figure 9, supplies the compressed air supplied to solenoid valve 61B to the transfer rack nozzle 62, the nozzle for the first grain hoist 63, and the nozzle for the second grain hoist 64, and returns to step S1. This allows compressed air to be ejected from the transfer rack nozzle 62 toward the front of the transfer rack 25A, transferring the grains accumulated on the transfer rack 25A toward the rear and allowing them to leak into the first receiving tub 27 and the second receiving tub 28. Furthermore, compressed air can be sprayed from the nozzle 63 for the first grain hoisting cylinder toward the base of the first grain hoisting cylinder 30 to recover grains accumulated in the first receiving tub 27 through the recovery door 30A of the first grain hoisting cylinder 30, and compressed air can be sprayed from the nozzle 64 for the second grain hoisting cylinder toward the base of the second grain hoisting cylinder 31 to recover grains accumulated in the second receiving tub 28 through the recovery door 31A of the second grain hoisting cylinder 31.

[0057] In step S9, the processing unit 71 determines the input information from the angle sensor 18S. If it determines from the input information from the angle sensor 18S that the discharge auger 8 is being driven, the process proceeds to step S10. If it determines from the input information from the angle sensor 18S that the discharge auger 8 is not being driven, the process returns to step S1.

[0058] In step S10, the processing unit 71 energizes the solenoids of solenoid valves 61A and 61B by supplying current, de-energizes the solenoids of solenoid valves 61C and 61E by not supplying current, and as shown in Figure 9, supplies the compressed air supplied to solenoid valve 61E to the nozzle 65 for the front communication section and the nozzle 66 for the rear communication section, and returns to step S1. As a result, compressed air can be ejected from the nozzle 65 for the front communication section to the front communication section 41 to recover grains accumulated in the conveying spiral bucket 40 from the gap between the front communication section 41 and the rear communication section 42, and compressed air can be ejected from the nozzle 66 for the rear communication section to the rear communication section 42 to recover grains accumulated in the vertical discharge cylinder 8A from the gap between the front communication section 41 and the rear communication section 42.

[0059] (Work mode) In step S11, the processing unit 71 determines the input information from the grain stalk sensor 3S. If it determines that the input information from the grain stalk sensor 3S is OFF, the process proceeds to step S12. If it determines that the input information from the grain stalk sensor 3S is ON, the process repeats step S11.

[0060] In step S12, the processing unit 71 determines the input information from the layer thickness sensor 22S. If it determines that the input information from the layer thickness sensor 22S is OFF, the process proceeds to step S13; if it determines that the input information from the layer thickness sensor 22S is ON, step S12 is repeated.

[0061] In step S13, the processing unit 71 determines the input information from the angle sensor 17S. If it determines from the input information from the angle sensor 17S that the harvesting device 3 and the threshing device 4 are operating, the process proceeds to step S14. If it determines from the input information from the angle sensor 17S that the harvesting device 3 and the threshing device 4 are not operating, the process proceeds to step S18.

[0062] In step S14, the processing unit 71 energizes the solenoids of the solenoid valves 61A to 61D by supplying current, and as shown in Figure 9, the compressed air supplied to the solenoid valve 61D is supplied to the transfer shelf nozzle 62, and the process proceeds to step S15. This causes compressed air to be ejected from the transfer shelf nozzle 62 toward the front of the transfer shelf 25A, transferring the grain accumulated on the transfer shelf 25A to the rear and allowing it to leak into the first receiving tub 27 and the second receiving tub 28.

[0063] In step S15, the processing unit 71 determines the elapsed time measured by the timer 73. If the elapsed time measured by the timer 73 exceeds a preset elapsed time, the process proceeds to step S16; otherwise, the process returns to step S14.

[0064] In step S16, the processing unit 71 energizes the solenoids of solenoid valves 61A to 61C by supplying current, de-energizes the solenoid of solenoid valve 61D by not supplying current, and as shown in Figure 9, supplies compressed air supplied to solenoid valve 61D to the nozzle 63 for the first grain lifting cylinder and the nozzle 64 for the second grain lifting cylinder, and proceeds to step S17. As a result, compressed air is ejected from the nozzle 63 for the first grain lifting cylinder toward the base of the first grain lifting cylinder 30 to transfer the grains accumulated in the first receiving tub 27 to the conveying spiral of the first grain lifting cylinder 30 and lifted into the grain tank 7, and compressed air is ejected from the nozzle 64 for the second grain lifting cylinder toward the base of the second grain lifting cylinder 31 to transfer the grains accumulated in the second receiving tub 28 to the conveying spiral of the second grain lifting cylinder 31 and lifted into the second processing cylinder 32.

[0065] In step S17, the processing unit 71 determines the elapsed time measured by the timer 73. If the elapsed time measured by the timer 73 exceeds the preset elapsed time, the process returns to step S1. If the elapsed time measured by the timer 73 is less than or equal to the preset elapsed time, the process returns to step S16.

[0066] In step S18, the processing unit 71 determines the input information from the angle sensor 18S. If it determines from the input information from the angle sensor 18S that the discharge auger 8 is being driven, the process proceeds to step S19. If it determines from the input information from the angle sensor 18S that the discharge auger 8 is not being driven, the process returns to step S1.

[0067] In step S19, the processing unit 71 energizes the solenoids of solenoid valves 61A, 61B, 61E, and 61F by supplying current, and de-energizes the solenoid of solenoid valve 61C by not supplying current. As shown in Figure 9, compressed air supplied to the solenoid valve 61F is supplied to the nozzle 65 for the front communication section, and the process proceeds to step S20. This allows compressed air to be ejected from the nozzle 65 for the front communication section to the front communication section 41, transferring the grains accumulated in the conveying spiral bucket 40 to the front communication section 41, and then discharged by the discharge auger 8 onto the loading platform of a work vehicle such as a truck.

[0068] In step S20, the processing unit 71 determines the elapsed time measured by the timer 73. If the elapsed time measured by the timer 73 exceeds a preset elapsed time, the process proceeds to step S21; otherwise, the process returns to step S19.

[0069] In step S21, the processing unit 71 energizes the solenoids of solenoid valves 61A, 61B, and 61E by supplying current, and de-energizes the solenoids of solenoid valves 61C and 61F by not supplying current. As shown in Figure 9, compressed air supplied to the solenoid valve 61F is then supplied to the rear communication nozzle 66, and the process proceeds to step S22. This allows compressed air to be ejected from the rear communication nozzle 66 to the rear communication section 42, causing the grains accumulated in the vertical discharge cylinder 8A to fall into the rear communication section 42 and be discharged by the discharge auger 8 onto the cargo bed of a work vehicle such as a truck.

[0070] In step S22, the processing unit 71 determines the elapsed time measured by the timer 73. If the elapsed time measured by the timer 73 exceeds the preset elapsed time, the process returns to step S1. If the elapsed time measured by the timer 73 is less than or equal to the preset elapsed time, the process returns to step S21.

[0071] <Method for estimating yield> The combine harvester's controller 70 estimates the amount of harvested grain, i.e., the yield, using a layer thickness sensor 22S as a processing volume sensor. The layer thickness sensor 22S detects the height of the pile of processing material on the transport rack 25A as the processing volume, and this processing volume is converted to yield using a predetermined conversion formula or conversion table. This makes it possible to estimate the yield per unit time from the detection result of the layer thickness sensor 22S.

[0072] The converted yield is either weight-based or volume-based. When converting to weight, it is preferable to improve the accuracy of the weight conversion by using data from at least one of the following: measuring the moisture content through periodic sampling using a moisture sensor, etc., and identifying the variety through operator input, etc.

[0073] The values ​​from the layer thickness sensor 22S, which form the basis for yield estimation, can simply be the measured values ​​at that time, but it is also preferable to use a weighted moving average. For example, the weighting can be set so that the weight of the most recent value is greater and the weight of older values ​​is smaller. It is also possible to weight a specific bandwidth of processed material with a larger weight and reduce noise in other bandwidths.

[0074] Furthermore, when using such a layer thickness sensor 22S, accurate measurement may not be possible when the amount of material being processed is small. Therefore, it is preferable to supplement the data using the detection results of the grain stalk sensor 3S. Specifically, if the layer thickness sensor 22S has not detected the amount of material being processed even after a predetermined first grain stalk detection time has elapsed since the grain stalk sensor 3S started detecting grain stalks, the yield per unit time is estimated based on the detection by the grain stalk sensor 3S.

[0075] In other words, if both conditions are met—that the grain stalk sensor 3S has detected a grain stalk for longer than the first grain stalk detection time, and that the layer thickness sensor 22S has not detected the amount of material to be processed—the data is supplemented as if a preset yield has been detected. In this case, if the grain stalk sensor 3S is individually installed in multiple transport passages, the yield to be set is calculated based on whether or not each grain stalk sensor has detected grain.

[0076] However, if the layer thickness sensor 22S remains undetected for a period exceeding the first stalk detection time (second stalk detection time), it is presumed that there is a problem with layer thickness detection or stalk transport. In such cases, it is preferable to issue a warning, stop the vehicle from moving, or shut down the engine in order to interrupt the work.

[0077] Furthermore, in order to reduce measurement errors by the layer thickness sensor 22S, it is also preferable to calculate the yield using a weight sensor that measures the weight of the grain tank 7, which is downstream of the layer thickness sensor 22S in the grain transport process, using a load cell, and an impact force sensor that measures the impact force of the grains thrown into the grain tank 7, and to feed this information back into the yield estimation by the layer thickness sensor 22S. This allows for accurate yield calculation in the grain tank 7 at the end, while also enabling real-time calculation (estimation) of the yield per unit time by the layer thickness sensor 22S, thus allowing for an understanding of the yield distribution.

[0078] Furthermore, although the amount of material to be processed is detected by the layer thickness sensor 22S as described above, it is also possible to configure the system to detect the amount of material to be processed in the first receiving tub 27 or the second receiving tub 28 instead. To explain the specific structure using the first receiving tub 27 as an example, a non-contact distance measuring sensor is configured above the first receiving tub 27, which irradiates electromagnetic waves toward the bottom surface or spiral axis of the first receiving tub 27. When material to be processed accumulates in the first receiving tub 27, the electromagnetic waves are reflected from its upper surface, changing the distance, and thus the height of the accumulated material can be measured. The yield is calculated from this height using a method similar to that of the layer thickness sensor 22S. <Method for estimating yield per unit area> As described above, the yield per hour can be calculated, and the working area per hour is calculated from the travel speed (travel distance) and cutting width to obtain the yield per field area. While the cutting width is generally a fixed value such as the width of the cutting blade, if the harvesting device 3 has a stalk sensor that determines the presence or absence of stalks in each stalk introduction path, it is possible to obtain more appropriate data regarding the degree of growth by calculating the area using only the width of the passage where stalks were detected.

[0079] Furthermore, the gripping culm 24 is equipped with a straw quantity sensor 24S. When grain culms are supplied to the feed chain 20, the gripping culm 24 rises against the spring force of a spring located at its top, and the amount of this rise is detected by the straw quantity sensor 24S. Therefore, by using the movement speed of the feed chain 20 and the value detected by the straw quantity sensor 24S, the amount of grain culms supplied to the threshing device 4 per unit time can be obtained.

[0080] By using this method, it is possible to determine the amount of straw per unit area and the yield per unit amount of straw, which can be used as criteria for judging the quality of growth. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0081] 4. Threshing machine 22S Processing volume sensor 3 Reaping device 3S Grain Strand Sensor 70 Controllers 20 Feed Chain 24S Straw Quantity Sensor

Claims

1. A processing volume sensor (22S) for detecting the amount of material to be processed in the threshing device (4), A grain stalk sensor (3S) for detecting grain stalks in the harvesting device (3), A straw quantity sensor (24S) detects the amount of straw in the feed chain (20) that supplies grain stalks to the threshing device (4), It is equipped with a controller (70) that calculates the yield of harvested crops, The controller (70) converts the value detected by the processing volume sensor (22S) according to a preset conversion method, and calculates the yield per unit of straw based on the detection result of the straw volume sensor (24S). combine.

2. The controller (70) is During the first predetermined time period after the grain stalk sensor (3S) begins detecting grain stalks, the yield will not be calculated if the processed material quantity sensor (22S) does not detect any processed material. The combine harvester according to claim 1.

3. The controller (70) determines that there is an abnormality if the processed material quantity sensor (22S) continues not to detect the processed material for a period of time from when the grain stalk sensor (3S) starts detecting grain stalks until the second grain stalk detection time exceeds the first grain stalk detection time. The combine harvester according to claim 2.

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