combine

Abstract

By concentrating the remote monitoring terminal and antenna at predetermined locations on the combine harvester's grain tank, the ease of assembly and maintenance of the remote monitoring terminal and antenna can be improved. [Solution] The combine harvester includes a grain tank 7 for storing grain, a remote monitoring terminal 100 for acquiring the combine's location and operation information, and an antenna 200 for transmitting the combine's location and operation information acquired by the remote monitoring terminal 100 to a management server A4. The remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200 are located at the rear end of the grain tank 7.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a combine harvester equipped with a remote monitoring terminal for acquiring position information and operation information of the combine harvester, and an antenna for transmitting the position information and operation information acquired by the remote monitoring terminal to a management server.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a combine harvester in which a remote monitoring terminal is attached to the threshing unit side and an antenna is attached to the grain tank side in the threshing unit and the grain tank provided in the combine harvester, so that an obstacle is less likely to collide with the antenna during traveling.

[0004] However, according to the above combine harvester, since the antenna and the remote monitoring terminal are attached to separate members respectively, the attachment work becomes complicated and the assembling property deteriorates. Further, since the antenna and the remote monitoring terminal are located at positions separated from each other, there is a problem that the maintainability of each is poor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a combine harvester in which a remote monitoring terminal and an antenna are centrally arranged at a predetermined position of the combine harvester, and the assembling property and the maintainability of the remote monitoring terminal and the antenna are improved.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The combine harvester according to the present invention comprises a grain tank for storing grain, a remote monitoring terminal for acquiring location information and operating information of the combine harvester, and an antenna for transmitting the location information and operating information of the combine harvester acquired by the remote monitoring terminal to a management server, wherein the remote monitoring terminal and the antenna are located at the rear end of the grain tank.

[0008] In another aspect of the present invention, the combine harvester is configured such that the remote monitoring terminal and the antenna are attached to the grain tank via a support member, and the support member is positioned to be substantially flush with the rear wall of the grain tank.

[0009] Another embodiment of the present invention is a combine harvester having a vertical feed auger located behind the grain tank, a discharge auger that rotates around the vertical feed auger, and the support member located in front of the vertical feed auger.

[0010] Another embodiment of the present invention is a combine harvester in which the remote monitoring terminal and the antenna are provided on the same plane outside the grain tank.

[0011] In another aspect of the present invention, the combine harvester is characterized in that the grain tank has a recess, and the support member is arranged in the recess.

[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, the combine harvester is characterized in that the recess is formed behind the grain tank. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, the remote monitoring terminal and antenna can be concentrated at predetermined locations on the grain tank of the combine harvester, improving the ease of assembly and maintenance of the remote monitoring terminal and antenna. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a left side view showing the configuration of a combine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a right side view showing the configuration of a combine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a plan view showing the configuration of a combine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a right rear perspective view showing the configuration of a grain tank, a vertical auger, and a discharge auger according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a left side view showing the configuration of a grain tank, a vertical auger, and a discharge auger according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a right rear perspective view of the appearance showing the configuration of a grain tank according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is an enlarged left side view of the rear part of a grain tank according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is an enlarged plan view of the rear part of a grain tank according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a right front perspective view of the appearance showing the configuration of the connection part of a vertical auger and a discharge auger according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a schematic side view showing the lifting operation of a discharge auger according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a remote monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a remote monitoring terminal in a combine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] It is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a management server according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] It is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] It is an upper perspective view showing the support configuration of a remote monitoring terminal and an antenna by a support member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16]Exploded perspective view showing the support configuration of a remote monitoring terminal and an antenna by a support portion according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] Lower perspective view showing the support configuration of a remote monitoring terminal and an antenna by a support member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] Schematic plan view and rear view showing the support configuration of a remote monitoring terminal and an antenna by a support member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] Perspective view showing the layout configuration of a support member in a combine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] Rear view showing the layout configuration of a support member in a combine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] The present invention relates to a layout configuration of a remote monitoring terminal and an antenna for transmitting the position information and operation information of a combine to a management server, and conventionally, the remote monitoring terminal and the antenna, which were separately arranged, are supported by a common support member and unitized, and the remote monitoring terminal and the antenna can be collectively attached by simply attaching the support member to a predetermined location (one location) of the combine, thereby simplifying the attachment work and improving the maintainability of the attached remote monitoring terminal and antenna. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] [1. Overall Configuration of Combine] First, the overall configuration of the combine 1 according to the present embodiment will be described using FIGS. 1 to 3. In the following description, the left side (left side in FIG. 3) and the right side (right side in FIG. 3) facing the front of the combine 1 are defined as the left side and the right side of the combine 1, respectively.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the combine harvester 1 according to this embodiment is a conventional combine harvester that collects the harvested crops from the field into the machine body, threshes, sorts, stores the grain, and can transport it out of the machine as needed. The combine harvester 1 comprises a running unit 2 configured as a crawler-type running device having a pair of left and right crawler sections 20, 20, and a running machine body 3 supported by the running unit 2.

[0018] On the traveling machine body 3, various harvesting equipment components are arranged in a row, including a cabin 12 in which the worker who will perform the grain harvesting rides, an operating unit 11 for the worker to operate the combine harvester, a cutting unit 4, a threshing unit 5, a sorting unit 6, a grain tank 7, a vertical feed auger 8, and a discharge auger 9, which perform the operations necessary for grain harvesting.

[0019] Each crawler section 20 constituting the running section 2 has a track frame 20a extending in the front-rear direction below the running body 3, various rotating bodies supported by the track frame 20a, and tracks 20b wrapped around these rotating bodies. The machine frame 30 constituting the running body 3 is installed between the left and right crawler sections 20, 20. The crawler section 20, as a rotating body supported by the track frame 20a, includes a drive sprocket 20c supported at the front end of the track frame 20a, and is driven by power transmitted from the engine 10 mounted on the running body 3.

[0020] On the left side of the machine frame 30, there is a threshing unit 5 for threshing the stalks of grain that have been cut and supplied by the harvesting unit 4, and a sorting unit 6 for sorting the grains that have been threshed by the threshing unit 5. The threshing unit 5 and the sorting unit 6 are arranged with the threshing unit 5 on the upper level and the sorting unit 6 on the lower level.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the harvesting section 4 is located at the front of the traveling machine body 3 and extends over approximately the entire width of the combine harvester 1 to harvest and collect grain stalks in the field. The harvesting section 4 includes a feeder 40, a grain header 41, a cutting blade device 42, a pair of left and right grass dividers 43, 43, and a raking reel 44.

[0022] The feeder 40 transports the stalks harvested in the harvesting section 4 and supplies them to the threshing section 5. The feeder 40 has a feeder house 45 as a housing and a conveyor (not shown) for transporting stalks installed inside the feeder house 45. The feeder 40 is located to the left of the cabin 12 and is installed with the rear end opening of the feeder house 45 communicating with the front opening 5a of the threshing section 5.

[0023] The grain header 41 is configured in a horizontally elongated bucket shape and is connected to the front side of the feeder 40 so as to communicate with the front end opening of the feeder house 45. A grafting auger 46 is provided inside the grain header 41. The grafting auger 46 is mounted on an axis so as to be rotatable with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation.

[0024] The cutting blade device 42 is provided on the front lower edge of the grain header 41 and is configured in a clipper-like shape. A pair of left and right dividers 43, 43 are provided so as to protrude forward from the left and right sides of the front of the grain header 41. The raking reel 44 is provided in a position in front and above the raking auger 46. The raking reel 44 is supported so as to be rotatable with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation between the tips of a pair of left and right reel support arms 44a, 44a, whose base ends are pivotally supported on the grain header 41. The raking reel 44 rotates and continuously acts on the podded portion of the grain stalk, raking the podded portion of the grain stalk towards the raking auger 46. Power from the engine 10, transmitted via various transmission mechanisms, is used for the operation of each part of the harvesting unit 4.

[0025] The conveyor inside the feeder house 45 has a harvesting input shaft 47 located at the front of the threshing unit 5, with its axial direction running left to right, which serves as the drive shaft supporting the end of the feeder. The rear end of the feeder 40 is rotatably supported relative to the traveling machine 3, with the harvesting input shaft 47 as the pivot axis. In addition, a hydraulic cylinder 48 for lifting and lowering is interposed between the lower surface of the feeder house 45 and the machine frame 30 of the traveling machine 3.

[0026] The harvesting unit 4 is designed to move up and down by the rotation of the feeder 40 relative to the traveling machine body 3, which is caused by the extension and retraction of the hydraulic cylinder 48 for lifting and lowering. The height of the harvesting unit 4 is adjusted by the lifting and lowering operation of the harvesting unit 4. The lifting and lowering operation of the harvesting unit 4 is operated by a predetermined operating unit provided on the driver's unit 11.

[0027] A front rotor 5b is provided at the rear of the feeder 40 to feed the stalks of grain being transported by the conveyor to the threshing opening 5a. The front rotor 5b is located between the end of the conveyor and the threshing opening 5a. The front rotor 5b is located in a front rotor chamber (not shown) formed above the left front part of the traveling machine body 3. The stalks of grain transported by the feeder 40 are fed from the end of the conveyor through the threshing opening 5a into the threshing chamber 5c of the threshing unit 5 by the front rotor 5b.

[0028] The threshing unit 5 includes a threshing drum 50 located in a threshing chamber 5c with a threshing opening 5a facing forward, and a receiving net 51 positioned below the threshing drum 50. The threshing chamber 5c is formed by a machine frame provided on the machine frame 30. The threshing drum 50 is rotatably supported by a threshing drum shaft (not shown) whose axis is oriented in the front-rear direction. The threshing drum 50 has a cylindrical body portion with the threshing drum shaft aligned with its central axis, and spiral blades are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the body portion. The receiving net 51 is for allowing grain to leak out and is provided along the outer circumferential surface of the lower part of the threshing drum 50.

[0029] The sorting section 6 includes a swinging sorting plate 60 positioned below the receiving net 51, a swinging mechanism (not shown) for swinging the swinging sorting plate 60, a first conveyor 61, a second conveyor 62, and a winnowing machine 63. A pre-fan (not shown) is provided in front of the winnowing machine 63, and a second fan (not shown) is provided behind the winnowing machine 63.

[0030] The oscillating sorting plate 60 has a feed pan, a chaff sieve positioned behind the feed pan to adjust the amount of grain leakage, and a grain sieve positioned below the chaff sieve, among other components for specific gravity sorting. The first conveyor 61 is positioned in the first trough, which extends in the machine width direction, to collect the first grain. The second conveyor 62 is positioned behind the first conveyor 61 and is positioned in the second trough, which extends in the machine width direction, to collect the second grain. The winnowing machine 63 blows sorting air onto the oscillating sorting plate 60, which exits from the front-downward to the rear-upward.

[0031] Furthermore, a return conveyor (not shown) is provided on the right side of the machine body where the threshing section 5 and sorting section 6 are installed. The return conveyor is connected to the second conveyor 62 with its lower end positioned near the second conveyor 62, and its upper end is positioned near the front end of the threshing drum 50, extending in an upward sloping manner. To the right of the return conveyor, a vertically extending grain lifting conveyor 64 is provided. The grain lifting conveyor 64 transports the first grain, which has been sent by the first conveyor 61, into the grain tank 7.

[0032] Furthermore, on the machine frame 30, a grain tank 7 is provided to the right of the threshing section 5 and the sorting section 6 for temporarily storing the grain (clean grain) sorted in the sorting section 6. Inside the grain tank 7, a discharge conveyor 72 is provided to transport the stored grain towards the discharge port of the grain tank 7 (see Figure 4).

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, a cylindrical vertical feed auger 8 and discharge auger 9 are provided at the right rear end of the machine frame 30, that is, behind the grain tank 7, for discharging grain from the grain tank 7 to the outside. The discharge auger 9 is provided in communication with the vertical feed auger 8 on one side of its upper part. The discharge auger 9 includes a slewing mechanism and is configured to slewing left and right above the grain tank 7 around the vertical feed auger 8, which is located on the right rear side of the traveling machine body 3. The discharge auger 9 also includes a lifting mechanism and a tine mechanism and is configured to move up and down vertically around a base corresponding to the connection part with the vertical feed auger 8.

[0034] The discharge auger 9 is stored in a state where it extends horizontally from the longitudinal feed auger 8 on the right rear side of the traveling machine body 3 to the left front. In the stored state, in a plan view, the tip of the discharge auger 9 is positioned on the left side of the harvesting section 4 and extends along the diagonal of the machine body (see Figure 3). The discharge auger 9 is stored when it is placed and supported on the auger rest 95, which serves as the auger receiving section.

[0035] The auger rest 95 is installed on the left rear of the cabin 12, supported by a predetermined support member. The auger rest 95 has a concave shape with its upper side open to accommodate and support the discharge auger 9 in a positioned position, and supports a predetermined portion of the discharge auger 9 in the extension direction from below.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4, the vertical auger 8 and the discharge auger 9 each have a cylindrical vertical auger pipe 80 and a horizontal auger pipe 90 that form a grain discharge path, and a screw conveyor (not shown) housed inside the vertical auger pipe 80 and the horizontal auger pipe 90, respectively. The screw conveyor has a rotating shaft (not shown) that extends along the cylindrical axis of the vertical auger pipe 80 and the horizontal auger pipe 90, and helical blades arranged around the circumference of the rotating shaft and rotating integrally with the rotating shaft.

[0037] The screw conveyor of the vertical auger 8 pivotally supports both ends of its rotating shaft using the lower support portion 74 (described later) and the upper cover 80a, which closes the opening at the upper end of the vertical auger pipe 80, as bearings. The screw conveyor of the vertical auger 8 extends within the vertical auger pipe 80 with its rotating shaft coaxially positioned with the cylindrical shaft, and rotates around the cylindrical shaft of the vertical auger pipe 80, conveying grain with the cylindrical axis of the vertical auger pipe 80 as the conveying direction.

[0038] The screw conveyor of the discharge auger 9 pivotally supports both ends of its rotating shaft using a base end cover 90b that closes the opening at the base end of the horizontal auger pipe 90 and a bearing body (not shown) at the tip end of the horizontal auger pipe 90 as bearings. The screw conveyor of the discharge auger 9 extends within the horizontal auger pipe 90 with its rotating shaft coaxially positioned with the cylindrical shaft and rotates around the cylindrical shaft of the horizontal auger pipe 90, conveying grain with the cylindrical axis of the horizontal auger pipe 90 as the conveying direction.

[0039] The internal space of the grain tank 7 is connected to the discharge path of the vertical auger pipe 80 of the vertical feed auger 8. The discharge path of the vertical auger pipe 80 of the vertical feed auger 8 is connected to the discharge path of the horizontal auger pipe 90 of the discharge auger 9. In other words, the grain stored in the grain tank 7 is transported sequentially from the internal space of the grain tank 7 to the vertical feed auger 8 and then to the discharge auger 9, and is discharged from the grain input port 9a of the discharge chute 90a located at the tip of the discharge auger 9. The grain input port 9a is formed as an opening of the discharge chute 90a that extends downward from the tip of the horizontal auger pipe 90. The grain discharged from the grain input port 9a is loaded into a truck bed, container, etc.

[0040] As shown in Figure 3, the grain tank 7 is configured to rotate horizontally on the traveling machine 3, centered around the vertical feed auger 8, together with the discharge auger 9. In other words, the grain tank 7 is pivotally supported at its rear end, with the rear vertical feed auger 8 as the pivot axis, and rotates horizontally. This allows the position of the grain tank 7 to be displaced outward in the left-right direction from the traveling machine 3 (shown as a dashed line in Figure 3), opening up the mounting surface of the grain tank 7 on the traveling machine 3, enabling maintenance such as removing accumulated straw.

[0041] Furthermore, the combine harvester 1 is equipped with an operator's cabin 11. The operator's cabin 11 is located on the machine frame 30 in front of the grain tank 7, that is, on the right front side of the machine frame 30. Therefore, the operator's cabin 11 is located on one side (right side) of the machine in the left-right direction relative to the threshing unit 5.

[0042] The driver's compartment 11 is covered by the cabin 12. The driver's compartment 11 is equipped with a driver's seat 13, a steering wheel 14 located in front of the driver's seat 13, and various operating parts such as a main gear lever 15, a sub-gear lever, and a work clutch lever (see Figure 2). The work clutch lever is an operating tool for engaging and disengaging the threshing clutch (not shown) and the harvesting clutch (not shown).

[0043] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the cabin 12 is formed in a generally box shape and is located at the front of the vehicle body 3. The cabin 12 has transparent windows in the upper halves of the front side wall and the left and right side walls, and has a door 16 for boarding and alighting on the right side wall.

[0044] An engine 10, which serves as a power source, is provided below the driver's unit 11 on the machine frame 30. The engine 10 is located in the space below the driver's unit 11, on the front right side of the machine frame 30. The engine 10 is, for example, a diesel engine. The engine 10 transmits its power to various devices such as the driving unit 2, harvesting unit 4, threshing unit 5, sorting unit 6, vertical feed auger 8, and discharge auger 9 via a transmission or the like.

[0045] Furthermore, an intercooler (not shown) and a radiator (not shown) for cooling the engine 10 are arranged side by side vertically on the vehicle body 3, respectively. The intercooler and radiator each have a cooling fan (not shown) for taking in outside air, and their exteriors are covered by an outside air intake cover 17.

[0046] The outside air intake cover 17 is approximately a right-angle trapezoid shape and is flush with the right side wall 704 of the grain tank 7 on the right side of the combine harvester 1, between the cabin 12 and the grain tank 7. The outside air intake cover 17 is provided with an intake port 170 for introducing outside air to the upper intercooler and a dustproof mesh 171 for introducing outside air to the lower radiator.

[0047] The combine harvester 1, having the configuration described above, raises the harvesting unit 4 to a desired height relative to the ground (the harvesting height of the grain stalks, which are the harvested crop) by the raising and lowering motion of the feeder 40, which is centered (supported) on the harvesting input shaft 47, in the field, and moves from a non-working state to a working state, and in that state moves on the traveling machine body 3. As a result, the combine harvester 1 separates the harvested crop into those to be harvested and those not to be harvested by the left and right dividers 43, 43, and cuts the grain stalks with the cutting blade device 42 while raking in the pod-bearing portion on the ear end of the grain stalks to be harvested with the raking reel 44.

[0048] The podded portions of the grain stalks, harvested at the desired cutting position, are raked into the grain header 41 by a rotating auger 46 and collected near the entrance of the feeder house 45 in the left and right center of the grain header 41. From there, they are transported through the feeder house 45 by a conveyor and fed into the threshing opening 5a by the front rotor 5b, and then supplied to the threshing unit 5.

[0049] The podded portions of the grain stalks supplied to the threshing unit 5 are threshed by the threshing unit 5. Specifically, the grain stalks supplied to the threshing unit 5 are conveyed backward by the rotating threshing drum 50, and are threshed mainly between the threshing drum 50 and the receiving screen 51. Threshed grains smaller than the mesh size of the receiving screen 51 leak through the receiving screen 51. Straw and other debris that do not leak through the receiving screen 51 are discharged into the field through a dust outlet located at the rear of the sorting unit 6 by the conveying action of the threshing drum 50.

[0050] Meanwhile, the grains that have been threshed in the threshing section 5 and have leaked out of the receiving screen 51 are sorted in the sorting section 6. Specifically, the threshed grains that have been threshed in the threshing drum 50 and have leaked out of the receiving screen 51 are sorted into fine grains (first grade), grains with stems and other parts attached (second grade), and straw scraps, etc., by the specific gravity sorting action of the oscillating sorting plate 60 and the wind sorting action of the winnowing machine 63, and then removed.

[0051] The grains (first-grade) that fall from the oscillating sorting plate 60 after sorting in the sorting section 6 are transported to the grain tank 7 by the first conveyor 61 and the connected grain lifting conveyor 64. The second-grade grains are returned to the threshing start end of the threshing drum 50 by the second conveyor 62 and the connected return conveyor, and undergo threshing again. Straw and other debris are discharged into the field through a dust discharge port located at the rear of the sorting section 6.

[0052] [2. Specific configuration of grain tank, vertical feed auger, and discharge auger] Next, the configuration of the grain tank 7, the vertical feed auger 8, and the discharge auger 9 will be described in more detail. The grain tank 7, located at the right rear of the traveling machine 3, is formed in the shape of a rectangular box with its longitudinal direction oriented in the front-to-back direction of the traveling machine 3 and its interior hollow, as shown in Figures 2 to 5. The grain tank 7 has a storage section 70 for storing grain transported from the sorting section 6, and a trough section 71 for collecting the grain and transporting it to the discharge auger 9.

[0053] The storage section 70 is the part that forms a space for storing grain, which corresponds to most of the grain tank 7. The storage section 70 has a front wall 701, a rear wall 702, a left wall 703, a right wall 704, and an upper wall 705 that form the outer wall of the grain tank 7. As shown in Figure 5, the front wall 701, rear wall 702, left wall 703, right wall 704, and upper wall 705 are attached to the skeletal frame 73 via fastening members such as bolts, covering the skeletal frame 73 from the outside, and form the rectangular outer shape of the grain tank 7 while forming a certain storage space inside.

[0054] The skeletal frame 73 has an overall roughly rectangular shape by assembling multiple vertical frames and multiple horizontal frames. The pair of left rear vertical frames 730 and right rear vertical frames 731 that make up the rear of the skeletal frame 73 are provided at a constant distance from each other in the left-right direction in the center of the width direction of the grain tank 7, as shown in Figure 6, and support the rear side wall 702 and the upper side wall 705, forming the rear end portion of the grain tank 7.

[0055] The left rear vertical frame 730 and the right rear vertical frame 731 are each made from L-shaped bent steel square members. The left rear vertical frame 730 and the right rear vertical frame 731 each have a left horizontal section 730a and a right horizontal section 731a that correspond to the shorter side of the L shape and support the upper wall 705, and a left vertical section 730b and a right vertical section 731b that correspond to the longer side of the L shape and support the rear wall 702.

[0056] The left horizontal section 730a and the right horizontal section 731a form horizontal support surfaces that abut and support the lower surface of the upper wall 705 with their upper surfaces, thereby supporting the upper wall 705 from below. The left vertical section 730b and the right vertical section 731b form vertical support surfaces that abut and support the front surface of the rear wall 702 with their rear surfaces, thereby supporting the rear wall 702 from the front.

[0057] As shown in Figures 6 and 20, the left rear longitudinal frame 730 and the right rear longitudinal frame 731 are provided symmetrically on both sides at regular intervals around a virtual centerline C that extends vertically from the center of the grain tank 7 in the width direction (the center of the rear side wall 702 in the width direction). The distance d2 between the left rear longitudinal frame 730 and the right rear longitudinal frame 731 is greater than or equal to the outer diameter d1 of the longitudinal feed auger 8, which is erected behind the rear side wall 702 and located in the center of the width of the rear side wall 702, as shown in Figure 20. In other words, the longitudinal feed auger 8 is erected with its cylindrical axis in phase with the virtual centerline C of the grain tank 7 in the width direction of the traveling machine body 3.

[0058] The trough section 71 is formed at the lower part of the storage section 70 and forms the inner bottom of the grain tank 7. In the width direction of the storage section 70, the trough section 71 is connected at its upper end to the inside of the left wall 703 and the right wall 704 of the storage section 70, and is formed in a V-shape in cross-section by a left-sloping side wall 710 and a right-sloping side wall 711 that are close to each other at their lower ends and slope downwards.

[0059] The left-sloping side wall 710 and the right-sloping side wall 711 each have tapered surfaces with their upper surfaces sloping downwards and extend along the longitudinal direction of the storage section 70. In other words, the trough section 71 is formed to allow the grain stored in the storage section 70 to slide down into the V-shaped valley section along the tapered surface formed by the inner wall surfaces of the left-sloping side wall 710 and the right-sloping side wall 711, thereby collecting the grain.

[0060] In the trough section 71, a discharge conveyor 72 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the left inclined side wall 710 and the right inclined side wall 711 in the V-shaped valley section formed by the left inclined side wall 710 and the right inclined side wall 711.

[0061] The discharge conveyor 72 is located at the bottom of the grain tank 7. The discharge conveyor 72 is connected to the engine 10 via a transmission mechanism 720 and operates. The discharge conveyor 72 transports the grain stored in the storage section 70 of the grain tank 7 and collected by the trough section 71 to the discharge auger 9 located at the rear of the grain tank 7 (towards the rear) for discharge. The discharge conveyor 72 is also composed of, for example, a rotating shaft (not shown) along the longitudinal direction of the trough section 71 and a screw conveyor (not shown) having helical blades arranged around the rotating shaft and rotating integrally with the rotating shaft.

[0062] The transmission mechanism 720 is connected to the front end of the discharge conveyor 72. The transmission mechanism 720 is located at the lower front of the grain tank 7 and transmits the driving force of the engine 10 to the discharge conveyor 72. An auger clutch mechanism, such as a belt tensioner, is provided in the power transmission path between the transmission mechanism 720 and the engine 10. The auger clutch mechanism is configured such that the driving force from the engine 10 is transmitted to or interrupted from the discharge conveyor 72 by the engagement and disconnection operation of the auger operating section (not shown) located in the operating section 11.

[0063] At the rear of the discharge conveyor 72, a lower support section 74 is provided, which, together with the transmission mechanism 720, supports the discharge conveyor 72 along the trough section 71. The lower support section 74 is located below the rear wall 702 of the storage section 70, and connects the storage section 70 with the vertical feed auger 8.

[0064] The lower support section 74 supports the vertical auger 8 and the discharge conveyor 72, and also functions as a connection point between the grain tank 7 and the vertical auger 8. The lower support section 74 consists of a cylindrical member that is bent into a roughly L-shape when viewed from the side. A horizontal section 740, corresponding to the horizontal side of the L-shape, penetrates the lower part of the rear wall 702 and protrudes forward, while a vertical section 741, corresponding to the vertical side of the L-shape, protrudes in a roughly vertical direction.

[0065] A discharge conveyor 72 is positioned on the horizontal section 740 of the lower support section 74. The base of the vertical feed auger 8 is rotatably fitted into the vertical section 741 of the lower support section 74. In other words, the base (lower part) of the vertical auger pipe 80 of the vertical feed auger 8 is positioned with its cylindrical axis coaxial with the vertical section 741 of the lower support section 74, and is positioned behind the rear wall 702 of the grain tank 7, and is supported from below so as to be able to rotate around the vertical section 741 of the lower support section 74.

[0066] The lower support portion 74 has a pair of bevel gears (not shown) supported by bearings inside the L-shaped corner. One bevel gear is provided at the rear end of the rotation axis of the screw conveyor, which serves as the discharge conveyor 72, and the other bevel gear is provided at the lower end of the rotation axis of the screw conveyor of the vertical feed auger 8, and they mesh with each other. In other words, the rotational power of the screw conveyor of the discharge conveyor 72 is transmitted as rotational power to the screw conveyor of the vertical feed auger 8 via the pair of bevel gears, and the screw conveyor of the vertical feed auger 8 rotates in conjunction with the rotational drive of the screw conveyor of the discharge conveyor 72.

[0067] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 to 7, the vertical feed auger 8 is supported in its middle section by an upper support portion 75 provided on the upper part of the rear side wall 702 of the grain tank 7. The upper support portion 75, together with the lower support portion 74, is a part that rotatably supports the vertical auger pipe 80 of the vertical feed auger 8 from the inside. The upper support portion 75 is formed in a roughly Ω shape in plan view and is fixed to the rear side wall 702 at both ends, protruding rearward from the rear side wall 702.

[0068] More specifically, the upper support portion 75 includes an auger bracket 750 connected to and fixed to the rear wall 702, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, and an auger holder 751 connected to the auger bracket 750 and supporting the middle portion of the vertical auger pipe 80 of the vertical feed auger 8 from the outer circumference together with the auger bracket 750.

[0069] The auger bracket 750 is made of a metal strip member formed in a roughly M-shape in plan view. As shown in Figure 6, the auger bracket 750 has a front auger holder portion 750a that corresponds to the front outer circumference of the vertical feed auger 8, with the center of the M-shape curved in an arc shape, and fixing portions 750b, 750b that are fixed to the rear side wall 702 at both ends of the M-shape. The fixing portions 750b, 750b of the auger bracket 750 are fixed to the left rear vertical frame 730 and the right rear vertical frame 731 that form the skeletal frame 73 by fastening members such as bolts, causing the front auger holder portion 750a to protrude to the rear from the rear side wall 702.

[0070] The auger holder 751 is composed of a metal strip member formed in a roughly U-shape in plan view. The auger holder 751 includes a rear auger holder portion 751a corresponding to the rear outer circumference of the vertical auger pipe 80 of the vertical feed auger 8, and fixing portions 751b, 751b that connect to the left and right sides of the auger bracket 750 at both ends of the U-shape.

[0071] The fixing portions 751b, 751b of the auger holder 751 are fixed to the auger bracket 750 by fastening bolts or other fastening members while they are in contact with the left and right outer surfaces of the auger bracket 750. The rear auger holder portion 751a of the auger holder 751, together with the front auger holder portion 750a of the auger bracket 750, forms a roughly circular vertical auger insertion hole in plan view into which the vertical auger pipe 80 of the vertical feed auger 8 is inserted and rotatably supported. In this way, the vertical feed auger 8 is supported in an upright position at the rear of the grain tank 7 by the lower support portion 74 and the upper support portion 75.

[0072] Furthermore, the upper support section 75 is equipped with a drive unit 76 for rotating the vertical feed auger 8. The drive unit 76 consists of an electric motor 760 connected to a motor base 761 which is attached and fixed to the rear end of the auger holder 751. The electric motor 760 has its drive shaft 760a protruding downward and is connected to and held by the motor base 761 in the upper support section 75.

[0073] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a drive-side pinion gear 760b is provided on the protruding portion of the drive shaft 760a. On the other hand, a driven-side pinion gear 82 that meshes with the drive-side pinion gear 760b is provided on the outer circumference of the middle portion of the vertical auger pipe 80 of the vertical feed auger 8. The pinion gear 82 is a gear ring formed by multiple gears and is fitted and fixed to the middle portion of the vertical auger pipe 80.

[0074] In this way, the discharge auger 9 performs the following rotational movement with respect to the vertical feed auger 8 as its central axis, using the drive unit 76 disposed on the upper support unit 75 and the pinion mechanism consisting of the pinion gear 760b of the electric motor 760 and the pinion gear 82 of the vertical feed auger 8.

[0075] As the drive shaft 760a of the electric motor 760 rotates, the pinion gear 760b rotates in conjunction with it, causing the vertical auger pipe 80, which is integrated with the driven pinion gear 82, to pivot around the vertical portion 741 of the lower support portion 74. In other words, the vertical feed auger 8 maintains an upright position on the traveling machine body 3 and meshes with the pinion gear 760b of the electric motor 760 via the pinion gear 82, and rotates relatively from side to side around its cylindrical axis due to the drive of the electric motor 760. Consequently, as shown in Figure 3, the discharge auger 9, which is connected to the upper part of the vertical feed auger 8, pivots from side to side around the vertical feed auger 8. By displacing the entire discharge auger 9 in the left-right direction around its base in this way, the left-right position of the discharge auger 9 is adjusted.

[0076] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the discharge auger 9 has a lifting mechanism and a quiver mechanism, and its base is pivotally supported by a pivot shaft 81 that protrudes from one side of the upper part of the vertical feed auger 8, and is configured to move up and down and rotate in the vertical direction at the upper part of the vertical feed auger 8.

[0077] A grain communication port (not shown) is formed on the outer circumference of the upper part of the vertical auger pipe 80 of the vertical feed auger 8, which communicates with the discharge auger 9. A short cylindrical connecting pipe 91 is provided protruding perpendicular to the cylindrical axis direction of the horizontal auger pipe 90 from the outer circumference of the base of the horizontal auger pipe 90 of the discharge auger 9.

[0078] The discharge auger 9 has a connecting pipe 91 loosely fitted into the communication port of the vertical auger pipe 80 of the vertical feed auger 8, and is rotatably connected to the center of the communication port and the cylindrical shaft of the connecting pipe 91 via a pivot shaft 81 that is arranged coaxially. The pivot shaft 81 protrudes from the upper part of the vertical auger pipe 80 to one side opposite the communication port.

[0079] A connecting pipe 91, which connects the upper part of the vertical feed auger 8 to the base of the discharge auger 9, is provided with a pair of bevel gears (not shown) supported internally by bearings. One bevel gear is located at the upper end of the rotation axis of the screw conveyor of the vertical feed auger 8, and the other bevel gear is located at the base end of the rotation axis of the screw of the discharge auger 9, and they mesh with each other.

[0080] In other words, the rotational power of the screw conveyor of the vertical feed auger 8 is transmitted by a bevel gear as rotational power to the screw conveyor of the discharge auger 9, and the screw conveyor of the discharge auger 9 rotates in conjunction with the rotational drive of the screw conveyor of the vertical feed auger 8.

[0081] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, a lifting mechanism and a clamping mechanism are interposed between the upper part of the vertical feed auger 8 and the base of the discharge auger 9, allowing the discharge auger 9 to rotate up and down around a pivot shaft 81 at the upper part of the vertical feed auger 8.

[0082] The lifting mechanism consists of a lifting cylinder 92 that is located at the top of the vertical auger pipe 80 of the vertical feed auger 8 and extends and retracts. The truss mechanism consists of a truss frame 93 that is connected to the lifting cylinder 92 and also to the base end of the horizontal auger pipe 90 of the discharge auger 9 and rotates up and down around a pivot shaft 81.

[0083] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the lifting cylinder 92, which serves as a lifting mechanism, comprises a cylinder tube 920 and a piston rod 921 that extends and retracts within the cylinder tube 920. The lifting cylinder 92 is pivotally supported by a first pivot shaft 920a at an intermediate point in the cylinder tube 920, so as to be able to rotate up and down, on a first bracket 83 fixed to the outer circumference of the upper part of the vertical auger pipe 80 of the vertical feed auger 8.

[0084] The first bracket 83 is a U-shaped fixing member in cross-section that is fixed to the upper part of the vertical auger pipe 80 and protrudes to one side. The first bracket 83 has a ring-shaped mounting portion 830 at its base end that is fitted onto and fixed to the vertical auger pipe 80 of the vertical feed auger 8, a connecting portion 831 that protrudes horizontally outward in the tangential direction from the mounting portion 830, and a U-shaped support portion 832 that supports the lifting cylinder 92 at the tip of the connecting portion 831.

[0085] The first bracket 83 is attached to the upper outer circumference of the vertical auger pipe 80 by the mounting portion 830 at the base end of the connecting portion 831, with the U-shaped open portion of the support portion 832 at the tip of the connecting portion 831 facing both horizontally and vertically. The first bracket 83 positions the central part of the cylinder tube 920 of the lifting cylinder 92 between the upper and lower horizontal sides of the U-shaped support portions 832 which face each other in a vertical plane, and pivotally supports the lifting cylinder 92 so that it can rotate up and down with the first pivot shaft 920a.

[0086] The prism frame 93 includes a strip-shaped prism plate 930 mounted so that both ends can move up and down by rotating around a pivot shaft 81, a first connecting arm 931 provided at one end of the prism plate 930 and connected to the lifting cylinder 92 via a second bracket 94, and a second connecting arm 932 provided at the other end of the prism plate 930 and connected to the end (base end cover 90b) of the discharge auger 9. The base end cover 90b has a fixing projection 900b that secures the end of the second connecting arm 932.

[0087] The mounting plate 930 has a bearing portion approximately in the center of the longitudinal direction of its plate surface, and is pivotally supported on the pivot shaft 81 by the bearing portion so as to be rotatable.

[0088] The first connecting arm 931 is fixed at one end to the prism plate 930 and protrudes from the surface of the prism plate 930, with the second bracket 94 fixed to the other end.

[0089] The second connecting arm 932 extends from the upper rear of the vertical feed auger 8 and between the ferrule plate 930 and the base end cover 90b on the base end side of the horizontal auger pipe 90, and is connected and fixed at both ends to the ferrule plate 930 and the discharge auger 9.

[0090] The second bracket 94 is a fixing member having a pair of side wall portions 940, 940 arranged parallel to each other at regular intervals. The second bracket 94 is fixed to one end of each side wall portion 940, 940 by passing through it to the first connecting arm 931. The second bracket 94 has a piston rod 921 of the lifting cylinder 92 positioned at the other end and between the side wall portions 940, 940, and a second pivot shaft 921a that pivotally supports the piston rod 921 is mounted on it.

[0091] In other words, the piston rod 921 is pivotally supported in the second bracket 94 so as to be able to rotate up and down around the second pivot shaft 921a. That is, at the connection point between the vertical feed auger 8 and the discharge auger 9, the base end cylinder tube 920 is pivotally supported so as to be able to rotate up and down around the first pivot shaft 920a, and the tip end piston rod 921 is pivotally supported so as to be able to rotate up and down around the second pivot shaft 921a.

[0092] Thus, the lifting cylinder 92, which acts as a lifting mechanism, and the peg frame 93, which acts as a peg mechanism, interposed between the upper part of the vertical feed auger 8 and the base of the discharge auger 9, rotate integrally around the vertical feed auger 8, following the discharge auger 9, and perform the tilting motion of the discharge auger 9 as follows.

[0093] When the discharge auger 9 is to be lowered over the vertical feed auger 8, the lifting cylinder 92 is retracted as shown in Figure 10(a). That is, in the retracted state of the lifting cylinder 92, the distance between the fixed first bracket 83 and the operating second bracket 94 is shortened, so that the first connecting arm 931 is pushed down by the second bracket 94 at one end of the tine plate 930 around the pivot shaft 81, and the second connecting arm 932 rises at the other end of the tine plate 930.

[0094] In other words, as the first connecting arm 931 descends, the truss plate 930 rotates around the pivot shaft 81, causing the second connecting arm 932 to rise. As the second connecting arm 932 rises, the base end (base end cover 90b) of the lateral auger pipe 90 of the discharge auger 9 rises, and the tip of the lateral auger pipe 90 of the discharge auger 9 descends, with the pivot shaft 81 as the pivot point. As a result, the posture of the discharge auger 9 as a whole rotates and displaces into a tilted position. At this time, the lifting cylinder 92 tilts around the lower first pivot shaft 920a and the upper second pivot shaft 921a to assume an upright position.

[0095] When the discharge auger 9 is raised above the vertical feed auger 8, the lifting cylinder 92 is extended as shown in Figure 10(b). In the extended state of the lifting cylinder 92, the distance between the first bracket 83 and the second bracket 94 increases, so that the first connecting arm 931 is pushed up by the second bracket 94 at one end of the tine plate 930 around the pivot shaft 81, and the second connecting arm 932 is lowered at the other end of the tine plate 930.

[0096] In other words, as the first connecting arm 931 rises, the truss plate 930 rotates around the pivot shaft 81, causing the second connecting arm 932 to descend. As the second connecting arm 932 descends, the base end (base end cover 90b) of the lateral auger pipe 90 of the discharge auger 9 descends, and the tip of the lateral auger pipe 90 of the discharge auger 9 rises, with the pivot shaft 81 as the pivot point. As a result, the posture of the discharge auger 9 rotates and displaces into an inclined posture overall. At this time, the lifting cylinder 92 tilts around the lower first pivot shaft 920a and the upper second pivot shaft 921a to assume an inclined posture.

[0097] In this way, the discharge auger 9 performs both a lifting motion and the aforementioned slewing motion in conjunction to either be stored in the auger rest 95 or in use with the rice grain input port 9a positioned on the outside of the traveling machine body 3, such as on the bed of a truck. That is, the discharge auger 9 includes a lifting cylinder 92 as a lifting mechanism and a peg mechanism including a peg plate 930, a first connecting arm 931, a second connecting arm 932, etc., and rotates integrally with the vertical feed auger, along with the lifting mechanism and peg mechanism.

[0098] In order to prevent the discharge auger 9, the lifting cylinder 92, and the trunnion frame 93 from colliding with the grain tank 7 during the rotational operation of the discharge auger 9, a recess 77 is formed in the grain tank 7. The recess 77 of the grain tank 7 is formed at the upper rear end of the grain tank 7. In other words, the recess 77 is a clearance portion formed in the grain tank 7 along the rotational trajectory (rotational path) of the discharge auger 9, the lifting cylinder 92, and the trunnion frame 93, centered on the vertical feed auger 8.

[0099] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the recess 77 in this embodiment is formed by cutting out the rear upper corner of the grain tank 7, which is made up of the rear wall 702, left wall 703, right wall 704, and upper wall 705, into a rectangular shape in a side view of the grain tank 7 and extending across its entire width. This gives the outer shape of the grain tank 7 a front convex shape and a rear concave shape, forming a flat rear step portion 770 at the upper rear end of the grain tank 7.

[0100] The upper wall 705 has a first flat section 705a that is mostly flat at the front, a first inclined wall section 705b that slopes gently backward and downward from the first flat section 705a, a second inclined wall section 705c that slopes steeply backward and downward from the first inclined wall section 705b, and a second flat section 705d that is flat backward and horizontally from the second inclined wall section 705c, and in side view it has a convex shape at the front and a concave shape at the rear.

[0101] Furthermore, the upper edges of the left wall 703 and the right wall 704, which connect to both side edges of the upper wall 705, are front-convex and rear-concave, respectively, following the side view shape of both side edges of the upper wall 705. The second planar portion 705d is supported by the left rear vertical frame 730 and the right rear vertical frame 731, and forms a horizontal flat surface of the rear step portion 770 as a recess 77.

[0102] As described above, the left side wall 703, the right side wall 704, and the upper side wall 705 are fixed to the skeletal frame 73. In particular, the left rear longitudinal frame 730 and the right rear longitudinal frame 731, which support the upper side wall 705 and the rear side wall 702, support the second planar portion 705d of the upper side wall 705 from below, as shown in Figure 6, to form the rear stepped portion 770. This allows the discharge auger 9, the lifting cylinder 92, and the traction frame 93 to rotate smoothly without the grain tank 7 acting as an obstacle.

[0103] [3. Outline of the Remote Monitoring System Configuration] Next, the electrical configuration of the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 provided in the combine harvester 1 of this embodiment will be described. The remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 are components of the remote monitoring system A. As shown in Figure 11, the remote monitoring system A comprises a remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 each assigned to and mounted on one or more combine harvesters 1, a management server A4 connected to the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 via a communication network A3, and one or more user terminals A6 connected to the management server A4 via a network A5.

[0104] The remote monitoring terminal 100 acquires location and operation information of the combine harvester. The operation information acquired by the remote monitoring terminal 100 includes information related to engine operation such as the start and stop times of the engine 10, vehicle speed, and engine speed, as well as the start and stop times of various parts linked to it (travel unit 2, harvesting unit 4, threshing unit 5, sorting unit 6, grain tank 7, vertical feed auger 8 and discharge auger 9, etc.).

[0105] Antenna 200 is composed of a GNSS antenna A20 that receives radio waves (GNSS signals) from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites and a communication network antenna A21 that transmits and receives signals with the communication network A3.

[0106] Examples of communication networks A3 include wireless networks, such as public network networks used by telecommunications carriers and wireless LANs (Local Area Networks) that use radio waves.

[0107] Management server A4 is installed in an information management facility such as a remote monitoring center, and receives operational information and location information from remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200, processes and stores this information. Management server A4 is connected to user terminal A6 via network A5 such as LAN or the internet.

[0108] User terminal A6 is installed, for example, in an information management facility where management server A4 is located, or in other locations. User terminal A6 consists of a personal computer, tablet computer, or mobile terminal that can be operated by an administrator to monitor the operating status and location of combine 1.

[0109] The information stored in management server A4 is read and used by remote monitoring terminals 100, antennas 200, and user terminals A6, which are connected to the central management server A4 in a way that allows communication in one or both directions.

[0110] Next, the electrical configuration of the remote monitoring terminal 100 mounted on the combine harvester 1 will be described in more detail. As shown in Figure 12, the remote monitoring terminal 100 includes a communication unit A10, a position detection unit A11, a position information storage unit A12, and a control unit A13. The remote monitoring terminal 100 may also be configured to have external connections to the control unit A13, such as a display unit A14 such as an LCD panel and an operation unit A15 such as a touch panel.

[0111] The remote monitoring terminal 100 is connected to the control device A16, which controls the combine harvester. The control device A16 controls the electrical systems of the combine harvester 1, including the engine 10. The control device A16 is connected to the control unit A13 of the remote monitoring terminal 100 and inputs and outputs the operating status of the engine 10 and other components as operating information to the remote monitoring terminal 100.

[0112] Communication unit A10 is able to communicate with management server A4's communication unit A40 using the same communication protocol via antenna 200's communication network antenna A21. Communication unit A10 transmits location information and operational information acquired by control unit A13 to management server A4 via antenna 200's communication network antenna A21, and receives work-related information from management server A4.

[0113] The position detection unit A11 detects the current location, vehicle speed, and direction information of the combine harvester 1 based on GNSS signals from GNSS satellites received by the GNSS antenna A20 of the antenna 200. In other words, the position information detected by the position detection unit A11 includes the longitude and latitude of the combine harvester 1, as well as information on vehicle speed and direction of travel.

[0114] The location information storage unit A12 consists of memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and temporarily stores the location information detected by the location detection unit A11 via the control unit A13. The information in the location information storage unit A12 is transmitted as location information from the antenna 200 to the management server A4.

[0115] The control unit A13 comprises a processing unit A130 consisting of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit A131 containing ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk drive, flash memory, etc. The control unit A13 controls the operation of various components by having the processing unit A130 read a control program pre-stored in the ROM of the storage unit A131 onto the RAM of the storage unit A131 and execute it. Specifically, it controls the transmission and reception of information during communication, various input / output controls, and arithmetic processing controls. The storage unit A131 also stores map information.

[0116] The input control unit A13 receives input (instructions) from the operation unit A15. Furthermore, the output control unit A13 displays information received from the management server A4 on the display unit A14. This allows the operator to verify the information managed by the management server A4 on the combine harvester 1.

[0117] Next, the electrical configuration of the management server A4 will be described in more detail. The management server A4 is, for example, a desktop personal computer and, as shown in Figure 13, comprises a communication unit A40 and a control unit A41. A display unit A42, such as an LCD panel, and an operation unit A43, such as a keyboard, are externally connected to the control unit A41 of the management server A4.

[0118] Communication unit A40 comprises a first communication unit A400 and a second communication unit A401. The first communication unit A400 is capable of communicating using the same communication protocol as the communication unit A10 of the remote monitoring terminal 100. The first communication unit A400 receives location information and operational information of the combine harvester 1 from the remote monitoring terminal 100, and transmits work-related information and update information related to the control of the combine harvester 1 to the remote monitoring terminal 100.

[0119] The second communication unit A401 can communicate using the same communication protocol as the communication unit A60 of the user terminal A6. The second communication unit A401 transmits location information, operational information, and other information such as daily reports to the user terminal A6.

[0120] The control unit A41 comprises a processing unit A410 consisting of a microcomputer such as a CPU, and a storage unit A411 consisting of ROM, RAM, a hard disk drive, flash memory, etc. The control unit A41 performs functions such as sending and receiving information during communication, various input / output control, and arithmetic processing control by having the processing unit A410 read a control program pre-stored in the ROM of the storage unit A411 onto the RAM of the storage unit A411 and execute it. The storage unit A411 also stores map information, location information, and operational information.

[0121] The processing unit A410 generates a work report based on the location and operating information of the combine harvester 1 received from the remote monitoring terminal 100 and stores it in the storage unit A411. The output control of the control unit A411 transmits the work report stored in the storage unit A411 to the user terminal A6, and also transmits work-related information to the remote monitoring terminal 100. Furthermore, the input control of the control unit A411 accepts input from the operation unit A43. This allows the operator at the remote monitoring center to understand the condition of the combine harvester 1 and propose an optimal maintenance plan.

[0122] Next, the electrical configuration of user terminal A6 will be described in more detail. User terminal A6 is, for example, a desktop personal computer and, as shown in Figure 14, comprises a communication unit A60 and a control unit A61. A display unit A62, such as an LCD panel, and an operation unit A63, such as a keyboard, are connected to the control unit A61 of user terminal A6. Note that the display unit A62 and the operation unit A63 may be components included in user terminal A6 (for example, a notebook personal computer).

[0123] Communication unit A60 can communicate using the same communication protocol as the second communication unit A401 of management server A4. Communication unit A60 receives work reports and maintenance plans from management server A4.

[0124] The control unit A61 comprises a processing unit A610 consisting of a microcomputer such as a CPU, and a storage unit A611 consisting of ROM, RAM, a hard disk drive, flash memory, etc. The control unit A61 performs functions such as sending and receiving information during communication, various input / output control, and arithmetic processing control by having the processing unit A610 read a control program pre-stored in the ROM of the storage unit A611 onto the RAM of the storage unit A611 and execute it.

[0125] The output control unit A61 controls the display unit A62, which displays the work reports and maintenance plans received from the management server A4. The input control unit A61 also controls the operation unit A63, allowing the user (the administrator of combine harvester 1) to access the management server A4 and, for example, edit the work report.

[0126] [4. Configuration of remote monitoring terminal, antenna, and support members] Next, the configuration of the remote monitoring terminal 100, the antenna 200, and the support members 300 that support them will be described in detail. The remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200 are positioned in close proximity to each other on various components of the combine harvester 1, such as the cabin 12 and the grain tank 7.

[0127] In particular, the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 of this embodiment are configured to be attached to the combine harvester 1 via a support member 300, as shown in Figures 15 to 18. That is, the remote monitoring terminal 100, the antenna 200, and the support member 300 that supports them constitute the antenna unit 400.

[0128] The remote monitoring terminal 100 is attached to the lower part of the support member 300. As shown in Figures 16 to 18(b), the remote monitoring terminal 100 has a hollow, flattened housing 110, an electronic circuit board (not shown) housed inside the housing 110 that performs the acquisition of location information and operation information of the combine harvester 1, and a connection part 120 formed on one end face of the housing 110 that connects to the antenna 200 and the control device A16 via a harness.

[0129] As shown in Figures 18(a) and 18(b), the housing 110 has a rectangular upper portion 111 and a lower portion 112, a strip-shaped left portion 113 and a strip-shaped right portion 114 extending along the longitudinal direction between the left and right sides of the upper portion 111 and the lower portion 112, and a strip-shaped front portion 115 and a strip-shaped rear portion 116 extending along the short direction between the front and rear sides of the upper portion 111 and the lower portion 112.

[0130] The upper part 111 and the lower part 112, the left part 113 and the right part 114, the front part 115 and the rear part 116 are each made of, for example, a waterproof resin plate material and are connected to each other in a watertight manner at their edges to constitute the housing 110.

[0131] The rear section 116 can be attached to and detached from an opening (not shown) formed by the upper section 111, lower section 112, left section 113, and right section 114, allowing an electronic circuit board to be inserted into and removed from the housing 110. The rear section 116 also has a connection section 120 formed by creating multiple openings on its surface, which allows external access to the electronic circuit board housed inside the housing 110. In other words, the rear section 116 forms a cut surface of the housing 110 and also forms a connector surface with a connection section 120 for the antenna 200 and the control device A16.

[0132] As shown in Figures 18(a) and 18(b), the connection section 120 consists of two antenna connection ports 121 into which an antenna connection plug 202, provided at the other end of a harness 201 that connects to the antenna 200 at one end, is inserted, and a control device connection port 122 into which a control device connection plug 102, provided at the other end of a harness 101 that connects to the control device A16 at one end, is inserted.

[0133] In other words, the antenna harness 201 connecting the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200 forms a component of the antenna unit 400, extends in a short length between the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200, and is supported below the roof section 310 by the support member 300 together with the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200.

[0134] The antenna connection port 121 and the control device connection port 122 are arranged side by side at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction at the top and bottom center of the rear section 116. In the rear section 116, the control device connection port 122 is formed as one opening in the center of the panel surface, and the antenna connection ports 121 are formed as two openings on the left and right sides of the panel surface, each communicating with the interior.

[0135] Furthermore, the remote monitoring terminal 100 has connection lamps 130 for visually confirming the operating status of the remote monitoring terminal 100. In this embodiment, three connection lamps 130 are provided on the rear side 116 of the housing 110, near the lower side of the connection portion 120. This allows confirmation of the connection status between the internal electronic circuit board, the antenna 200, and the control device A16, as well as whether the operating status of the remote monitoring terminal 100 is normal or abnormal.

[0136] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, the housing 110 has a plurality of fixing parts 117 that protrude outward from the lower part 112 beyond the left part 113 and the right part 114. The fixing parts 117 are protruding portions that extend outward from the lower part 112 of the housing 110 along the longitudinal direction of the housing 110. In a plan view of the housing 110, there are two fixing parts 117 at a certain interval between the front and rear of the housing 110, and a total of four fixing parts 117 are formed symmetrically on the left and right sides.

[0137] The fixing portion 117 of the housing 110 has an insertion hole 117a through which a fastening member 117b such as a bolt is inserted. In other words, the remote monitoring terminal 100 can be attached to a predetermined position on the grain tank 7 or the support member 300 by fastening member 117b inserted through the insertion hole 117a of the fixing portion 117.

[0138] Antenna 200 is mounted on the upper part of support member 300. As shown in Figures 15 to 18(b), antenna 200 is configured to have a small antenna terminal covered by a waterproof antenna cover 210. The antenna cover 210 is a roughly frustoconical shape with an internal hollow structure and houses an antenna element (not shown) as a small antenna terminal that transmits and receives location information and operational information to and from management server A4. Antenna 200 extends downward from the bottom of the antenna cover 210, connected to the internal antenna element.

[0139] In detail, the antenna 200 has a cylindrical fixing part 220 suspended from the center of the roughly truncated cone-shaped base of the antenna cover 210. The fixing part 220 has a cylindrical hole that communicates with the antenna cover 210 from below, which serves as a through-hole through which the harness 201 is inserted.

[0140] The fixing portion 220 consists of a cylindrical bolt portion (not shown) that is inserted into the insertion hole 311 of the support member 300 for fixing, a washer 220a that loosely fits into the insertion portion, and a fixing nut 220b that is screwed onto the bolt portion. The insertion hole 311 is formed in plan view at the front left corner of the roof portion 310 by cutting a roughly oval shape from the front edge of the roof portion 310 toward the rear.

[0141] The antenna 200 is attached to the support member 300 by loosely fitting a washer 220a onto the bolt portion inserted through the insertion hole 311, and then screwing in and tightening a fixing nut 220b. This clamps the roof portion 310 between the bottom of the antenna cover 210 and the fixing nut 220b from both the top and bottom sides of the 220. As a result, the antenna 200 is installed on the front and left side of the roof portion 310 of the support member 300.

[0142] The support member 300 is a component that unitizes the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200, and supports the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200 in a centralized and integrated manner at a predetermined position on the combine harvester 1.

[0143] As shown in Figures 18(a) and 18(b), the support member 300 is a hat-shaped stay steel material in cross-section with the front, rear and bottom open, and includes a roof portion 310 to which the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 are attached, a left support portion 320 and a right support portion 330 that support the roof portion 310 from below at both ends, and a left fixing portion 340 and a right fixing portion 350 that are connected to the lower ends of the left support portion 320 and the right support portion 330 and fixed to a predetermined position on the combine harvester 1.

[0144] In other words, the support member 300 is configured such that, when attached to the combine harvester 1 with the left fixing portion 340 and the right fixing portion 350 as mounting portions, the roof portion 310, the left support portion 320 and the right support portion 330 form a certain space inside together with the mounting surface of the combine harvester 1, and a front opening 300a and a rear opening 300b are formed on the front and rear sides. The inner space when the support member 300 is attached to the combine harvester 1 functions as a terminal placement space where the remote monitoring terminal 100 is placed. Furthermore, the mounting surface of the combine harvester 1 that forms the terminal placement space together with the support member 300 is the upper surface of the second flat portion 705d which forms the lower surface of the recess 77.

[0145] The left fixing portion 340 and the right fixing portion 350 correspond to the flange portion of the hat-shaped stay steel material, respectively, and are strip-shaped horizontal portions that extend outward in a substantially horizontal manner from the lower ends of the left support portion 320 and the right support portion 330, with the front-to-back direction as the longitudinal direction. The distance between the left fixing portion 340 and the right fixing portion 350 (the distance between the left support portion 320 and the right support portion 330, which are parallel to each other) is set to be equal to the distance d2 between the left rear vertical frame 730 and the right rear vertical frame 731 in the skeletal frame 73 of the grain tank 7 described above, as shown in Figure 20.

[0146] As shown in Figure 16, the plate surfaces of the left fixing part 340 and the right fixing part 350 each have multiple (three in this embodiment) through-holes 340a and 350a formed through them. Fastening members 340b and 350b, such as bolts, are inserted through each of the through-holes 340a and 350a, respectively, and the support member 300 is fixed to a predetermined position on the combine harvester 1 by tightening these fastening members 340b and 350b.

[0147] The left support portion 320 and the right support portion 330 each correspond to the web portion of a hat-shaped stay steel member, and are strip-shaped vertical portions that extend perpendicularly downward from the left and right edges of the roof portion 310, with the front-to-back direction as their longitudinal direction. The left support portion 320 and the right support portion 330 form the side walls of the support member 300 that face each other.

[0148] The roof section 310 is a rectangular flat plate portion in plan view, corresponding to the web portion of the hat-shaped stay steel material, and the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 are attached near the front opening 300a. In other words, the support member 300 has the remote monitoring terminal 100 attached to the lower surface 310a of the roof section 310 and the antenna 200 attached to the upper surface 310b of the roof section 310. Thus, the support member 300 has a roof section 310 that is spaced upward from the second planar section 705d as a support surface for the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200, and the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 are attached to the lower and upper sides of the roof section 310, respectively.

[0149] As shown in Figures 15 to 17, the antenna 200 is attached to the front and left side of the roof section 310 by fixing the fixing part 220, and stands upright on the upper surface 310b of the roof section 310. The mounting position of the antenna 200 to the support member 300 is not particularly limited as long as it stands upright on the upper surface 310b of the support member 300.

[0150] The remote monitoring terminal 100 is attached to the front and central part of the roof section 310 by a fixing part 117 and is suspended from the lower surface 310a of the roof section 310. The mounting position of the remote monitoring terminal 100 to the support member 300 is not particularly limited as long as it is within the plane of the lower surface 310a of the roof section 310.

[0151] In this embodiment, the remote monitoring terminal 100 is positioned relative to the support member 300 as shown in Figure 18(a), such that the left-right symmetrical axis C1 extending front-to-back from the center of the width direction of the remote monitoring terminal 100 is aligned at the same position with the left-right symmetrical line extending from the center of the width direction of the support member 300 (roof portion 310). Furthermore, in the front-to-back direction, the remote monitoring terminal 100 is positioned relative to the support member 300 as shown in Figure 18(a), such that its front end is aligned with the front end of the support member 300.

[0152] In detail, the remote monitoring terminal 100 is positioned with its front portion 115 close to the front water drain portion 360 in the front-rear direction, and its rear portion 116 facing rearward, positioned approximately in the center of the support member 300 in the front-rear direction, with the connecting portion 120 positioned in the center of the space inside the support member 300. That is, in a plan view, the remote monitoring terminal 100 is positioned with the rear portion 116, which is the split surface, overlapping with the front-rear symmetrical axis C2 extending in the front-rear center of the roof portion 310, thereby positioning the connecting portion 120 on the rear side of the support member 300.

[0153] At the mounting position of the remote monitoring terminal 100 to the support member 300, the remote monitoring terminal 100 is suspended via a plurality (four in this embodiment) of terminal support parts 312 that are suspended on the lower surface 310a of the roof part 310 at positions corresponding to each fixing part 117 of the remote monitoring terminal 100.

[0154] As shown in Figure 16, the terminal support portion 312 is a cylindrical member with a length approximately the same as the thickness of the remote monitoring terminal 100, and is composed of, for example, a high nut or boss extending downward in the cylindrical axis direction from the lower surface 310a. The terminal support portion 312 is fixed to the lower surface 310a of the roof portion 310 by welding or the like at its upper end. The terminal support portion 312 abuts against the fixing portion 117 at its lower end, and fastening members 117b such as bolts are inserted into the cylindrical hole 312a from below and tightened, thereby supporting the remote monitoring terminal 100 by hanging down from the lower surface 310a.

[0155] The remote monitoring terminal 100, which is supported by hanging down from the lower surface 310a of the roof portion 310 of the support member 300 via the terminal support portion 312, forms a certain clearance space S between itself and the mounting surface of the combine harvester 1 (see Figure 18(b)).

[0156] Specifically, the clearance space S is the gap between the lower part 112 of the housing 110 of the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the second flat portion 705d of the recess 77. In other words, the thickness of the support member 300 (the height of the left support portion 320 and the right support portion 330) is formed to be thicker (higher) than the thickness of the remote monitoring terminal 100 when it is attached to the combine harvester 1. This prevents the remote monitoring terminal 100 from being submerged in water even if rainwater or the like accumulates on the second flat portion 705d.

[0157] Furthermore, the support member 300 has a front drainage section 360 and a rear drainage section 370 for draining rainwater or agricultural water to prevent flooding of the remote monitoring terminal 100 attached to the lower surface 310a.

[0158] The front drip edge 360 ​​and the rear drip edge 370 are strip-shaped flange portions that protrude downward from the front and rear edges of the roof portion 310 and extend in the left-right direction. The front drip edge 360 ​​and the rear drip edge 370 protrude into the front opening 300a and the rear opening 300b, respectively, when the support member 300 is attached to the combine harvester 1, and cover approximately the upper half of the front opening 300a and the rear opening 300b.

[0159] The front water drain portion 360 is formed on the front edge of the roof portion 310, excluding the portion (left front edge) where the insertion hole 311 for the antenna 200 is located is formed. The rear water drain portion 370 is formed on the rear edge of the roof portion 310, excluding the outlet portion 380 for the harness 101 of the remote monitoring terminal 100, which will be described later. This prevents water from accumulating on the upper surface 310b of the roof portion 310 of the support member 300 and attempting to enter the inside of the lower surface 310a by flowing along the front and rear edges, thus preventing water from getting into the connection portion 120 of the remote monitoring terminal 100.

[0160] Furthermore, the front water drain portion 360 and the rear water drain portion 370 can be bent inward from the front and rear edges of the roof portion 310 at a predetermined angle to form a tapered surface that is continuous with the upper surface 310b of the roof portion 310.

[0161] The exit portion 380 of the harness 101 is an opening formed at the rear corner of the support member 300. The exit portion 380 is formed by cutting out the rear end of the left support portion 320.

[0162] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 16 to 18(a), the remote monitoring terminal 100 has a first harness section 101a that is supported by the support member 300 together with the remote monitoring terminal 100. In other words, the harness 101 connecting the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the control device A16 has at least a first harness section 101a connected to the remote monitoring terminal 100 side and a second harness section 101b connected to the control device A16 side. The first harness section 101a and the second harness section 101b are connected via a terminal-side coupler 103 and a control-side coupler 104, which are provided at each other's ends and engage with each other.

[0163] As shown in Figure 16, the support member 300 has a coupler fixing portion 390 that fixes the terminal coupler 103 provided in the middle of the harness 101 at a predetermined position on the lower surface 310a. The coupler fixing portion 390 is formed near the exit portion 380 of the harness 101 at the rear and left side (rear left corner) of the lower surface 310a of the roof portion 310.

[0164] The coupler fixing portion 390 is an adhesive fixing portion that is attached to the upper surface of the terminal coupler 103 by adhesive means such as adhesive or double-sided tape, with the connection surface of the terminal coupler 103 facing the left exit portion 380, on the lower surface 310a of the roof portion 310, with the terminal coupler 103 positioned inside the rear water drain portion 370. The connection surface of the terminal coupler 103 with the control coupler 104 is positioned inside the exit portion 380.

[0165] This prevents water damage to connection parts such as the first harness section 101a and the terminal-side coupler 103, which are connected to the remote monitoring terminal 100 installed on the combine harvester 1 via a support member 300, without exposing them to the outside. In addition, it makes it easy to connect the control-side coupler 104 of the second harness section 101b to the connection surface of the terminal-side coupler 103, which is positioned inside the outlet section 380 of the harness 101.

[0166] In this way, the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200 are integrated into an antenna unit 400 by being mounted integrally on a common support member 300. This improves maintainability because maintenance work for the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200 can be done in one place, and also simplifies the routing of the harness. In particular, since the antenna harness 201 that connects the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200 is supported by the support member 300 together with the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200 to form a unit, the routing of the antenna harness 201 can be eliminated.

[0167] In other words, by eliminating the need for individual component layout work, such as the placement and fixing of the remote monitoring terminal 100 on the combine harvester 1, the placement and fixing of the antenna 200, and the routing and arrangement of the harnesses 101 and 201 of the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 respectively, the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 can be placed close together and arranged together simply by placing and fixing the support member 300 in a predetermined position on the combine harvester 1, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0168] [5. Layout configuration of remote monitoring terminal and antenna for the combine harvester] Next, the layout configuration of the remote monitoring terminal and antenna on the combine harvester will be described in detail. As described above, the layout configuration is not limited as long as the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200, which are unitized by the support member 300 as the antenna unit 400, are located in close proximity to each other and are arranged on the various components that make up the combine harvester 1. In this embodiment, the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 are arranged in close proximity to each other on the same plane outside the grain tank 7. In addition, in this embodiment, the combine harvester 1 on which the antenna unit 400 is mounted may be a so-called self-propelled type.

[0169] The support member 300 of the antenna unit 400 is located in the rear step portion 770, which is a recess 77 formed on the upper rear end of the grain tank 7, and is integrally connected and fixed to the skeletal frame 73 of the grain tank 7.

[0170] In this embodiment, the same plane on the outside of the grain tank 7, where the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200 are provided, is the second planar portion 705d. More specifically, as shown in Figures 6 and 8, the support member 300 is positioned in the width direction at the center of the second planar portion 705d, which forms the upper surface of the rear stepped portion 770. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the support member 300 is positioned with the front opening 300a and the rear opening 300b facing each other in the front-rear direction, with the opening surface of the rear opening 300b being substantially flush with the rear wall 702 of the grain tank 7. The position of the support member 300 on the rear stepped portion 770 is such that, in plan view, the support member 300 is entirely contained within the plane of the recess 77 (within the front-rear width and left-right width of the second planar portion 705d). As a result, the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200, supported by the support member 300, are positioned in the recess 77.

[0171] At the location of the recess 77 in the grain tank 7, the support member 300 is fixed by fastening members 340b and 350b, with the left fixing part 340 and the right fixing part 350 contacting the left rear vertical frame 730 and the right rear vertical frame 731, respectively. In other words, the support member 300 is integrally mounted across the left horizontal part 730a of the left rear vertical frame 730 and the right horizontal part 731a of the right rear vertical frame 731, respectively, by the left fixing part 340 and the right fixing part 350 of the flange portions on the left and right sides, and the central roof part 310, the left support part 320 and the right support part 330 and the mounting surface (upper surface of the second planar part 705d) form a dome-shaped space on which the remote monitoring terminal 100 is suspended.

[0172] Since the support member 300 is firmly fixed integrally with the mounting surface to the skeletal frame in this manner, it is possible to prevent the remote monitoring terminal 100 from being unintentionally displaced or detached due to vibrations of various devices such as the engine 10 that operates the combine harvester 1, the threshing unit 5, and the sorting unit 6.

[0173] In particular, the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 are fixed to the roof portion 310 supported between the left support portion 320 and the right support portion 330 in the support member 300 so that they float above the mounting surface of various devices such as the upper wall 705 of the grain tank 7. Therefore, even if there is vibration in the various devices, that vibration will not be directly transmitted to the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200.

[0174] The support member 300 causes each part to flex and deform during the process of transmitting vibrations from the left fixed part 340 and the right fixed part 350 to the left support part 320 and the right support part 330, and from the left support part 320 and the right support part 330 to the roof part 310, thereby attenuating the vibrations that are ultimately transmitted to the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200.

[0175] In other words, the support member 300 directly receives and dampens vibrations from various devices, preventing malfunctions from occurring in the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200. Furthermore, even if a malfunction occurs in the remote monitoring terminal 100 or antenna 200, the layout configuration, which places them at the upper rear end of the grain tank 7 via the support member 300, facilitates access by maintenance workers and further improves maintainability.

[0176] Furthermore, the support member 300 has a rear portion 116 on which a connection part 120 and a connection lamp 130 for the remote monitoring terminal 100 supported on its lower surface 310a are provided, and this rear portion is positioned on the grain tank 7, visible from the rear of the combine harvester 1, as shown in Figures 19(a) and 19(b). In this embodiment, the support member 300 is positioned on the grain tank 7 with its rear portion 116 facing the rear in the front-rear direction of the traveling machine body 3.

[0177] This simplifies not only the installation of the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 onto the combine harvester 1, but also maintenance tasks such as checking whether the installed remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 are functioning correctly.

[0178] Furthermore, the support member 300 is located in front of the vertical auger 8 and is provided in the grain tank 7. Specifically, the support member 300 is positioned in the recess 77 of the grain tank 7 with the opening surface of its rear opening 300b facing the vertical auger pipe 80.

[0179] More specifically, the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200, supported by the support member 300, are positioned below the rotational and lifting trajectories (rotational lifting paths) of the lifting cylinder 92, which acts as a lifting mechanism, and the clamp frame 93, which acts as a clamp mechanism, which raises and lowers the discharge auger 9 at the upper end of the vertical feed auger 8 and rotates integrally with the discharge auger 9 around the vertical feed auger 8. They are located in the recess 77 of the grain tank 7.

[0180] In other words, the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200 are positioned with some clearance above them, between the pivoting path formed by the lifting cylinder 92 and the prism frame 93 that pivot together with the discharge auger 9, and the upper wall 705 of the grain tank 7. The vertical distance between the lower end of the pivoting lifting cylinder 92 and the upper wall 705 of the grain tank 7 is greater than the height formed by the support member 300 and the antenna 200. Furthermore, the antenna 200, which is erected on the upper surface 310b of the support member 300, is positioned outside the pivoting path of the vertical feed auger 8 and in front of the recess 77.

[0181] In other words, the antenna 200, which is erected and supported on the upper surface 310b of the support member 300, is positioned in the recess 77 of the grain tank 7 with ample space, as shown in Figures 10(a) and 10(b), below the rotation path of the lifting cylinder 92, which becomes upright or tilted as it moves up and down, in the vertical direction, and outside the rotation path of the lifting cylinder 92, in the front-rear direction.

[0182] Therefore, above the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 positioned in the recess 77 of the grain tank 7 via a support member 300, the discharge auger 9, which pivots around the vertical feed auger 8, and the lifting cylinder 92 and clamp frame 93, which pivot in conjunction with the discharge auger 9, are made to rotate smoothly without interfering with the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200.

[0183] In this way, by arranging the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 on the grain tank 7 via the support member 300, the lifting cylinder 92, which acts as a lifting mechanism and rotates integrally with the discharge auger 9 around the vertical feed auger 8, and the clamp frame 93, which acts as a clamp mechanism, do not collide with the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200 supported by the support member 300, thus preventing malfunctions in the remote monitoring terminal 100 and antenna 200.

[0184] Furthermore, the antenna unit 400, which is an integrated unit configuration in which the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200 are supported on the support member 300, is positioned, as shown in Figure 20, mostly within the range of the outer diameter d1 of the vertical auger pipe 80 in the left-right direction.

[0185] In detail, as shown in Figure 20, the antenna unit 400 is positioned such that, in a rear view, the left and right edges of the roof portion 310 of the support member 300, the left support portion 320 and the right support portion 330, the left fixing portion 340 and the right fixing portion 350 are exposed on both the left and right sides from the vertical auger pipe 80. Therefore, the remote monitoring terminal 100, which is attached to the left and right center of the roof portion 310, is positioned entirely within the range of the outer diameter d1 of the vertical auger pipe 80 in the left-right direction. In other words, the entire housing 110 of the remote monitoring terminal 100 is positioned so that, in a rear view, it overlaps the vertical auger pipe 80.

[0186] In this way, by positioning the antenna unit in front of the vertical auger pipe 80 of the vertical feed auger 8, the antenna unit can be positioned closer to the vertical auger pipe 80. In a configuration where the grain tank 7 rotates outward (to the right) with the axis of the vertical auger pipe 80 as the pivot point, the routing of the harness 101 becomes easier, and slack and tension of the harness 101 can be suppressed. In addition, the harness 101 can be brought out from the antenna unit 400 to the rear side of the grain tank 7, that is, to the pivot point side of the discharge auger 9, making the routing and installation work of the harness 101 at the rear of the combine harvester 1 easier.

[0187] Furthermore, the remote monitoring terminal 100, antenna 200, and support member 300 that constitute the antenna unit should each be positioned such that at least a portion of them is within the range of the outer diameter d1 of the vertical auger pipe 80 in the left-right direction. In other words, the components of the remote monitoring terminal 100, antenna 200, and support member 300 should each be positioned such that at least a portion of them overlaps the vertical auger pipe 80 when viewed from the rear.

[0188] Furthermore, since the support member 300 unitizes the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200, the work of individually positioning and installing the remote monitoring terminal 100 and the antenna 200 is eliminated, as is the work of installing the harnesses 101 and 201 that connect them, dramatically improving work efficiency.

[0189] As described above, according to the present invention, the remote monitoring terminal and antenna can be concentrated at predetermined locations on the grain tank of the combine harvester, improving the ease of assembly and maintenance of the remote monitoring terminal and antenna.

[0190] In other words, regarding the layout configuration of the remote monitoring terminal and antenna that transmit the combine harvester's location and operation information to the management server, the remote monitoring terminal and antenna, which were previously distributed separately, can be centrally supported by a common support member and unitized. By simply attaching the support member to a predetermined location (one location) on the combine harvester, the remote monitoring terminal and antenna can be placed together, simplifying the installation work and improving maintainability.

[0191] The embodiments described above are examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Therefore, even in embodiments other than those described above, various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not depart from the technical spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the effects described in this disclosure are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also exist.

[0192] Furthermore, this technology can take the following configurations (1) to (6). (1) A grain tank for storing grain, A remote monitoring terminal that acquires location and operating information of a combine harvester, The remote monitoring terminal includes an antenna that transmits the location information and operating information of the combine harvester acquired by the remote monitoring terminal to a management server. The remote monitoring terminal and the antenna are installed on the same plane outside the grain tank, positioned close to each other. A combine harvester characterized by the following features. (2) The remote monitoring terminal and the antenna are attached to the grain tank via a support member. The combine harvester according to (1) above, characterized in that it is a combination harvester. (3) The remote monitoring terminal is attached to the lower part of the support member, and the antenna is attached to the upper part of the support member. The combine harvester according to (2) above, characterized in that it is a combination harvester. (4) The grain tank has a vertical feed auger located behind it, and a discharge auger that rotates around the vertical feed auger, The grain tank has a recess, The support member is positioned in the recess. A combine harvester according to any one of (1) to (3) above, characterized in that (5) The recess is formed behind the grain tank The combine harvester according to (4), characterized in that it is a combination harvester. (6) The support member is located in front of the vertical feed auger. A combine harvester according to any one of (2) to (5) above, characterized in that... [Explanation of symbols]

[0193] 1 combine harvester 7 grain tanks 77 recess 705 Upper wall 705d 2nd plane section 8 Vertical feed auger 9. Discharge Auger 100 Remote Monitoring Terminals 200 antennas 300 Support member 310a Lower part (bottom surface) of the support member 310b Upper part (top surface) of the support member A4 Management Server

Claims

1. A grain tank for storing grain, A remote monitoring terminal that acquires location and operating information of a combine harvester, The remote monitoring terminal includes an antenna that transmits the location information and operating information of the combine harvester acquired by the remote monitoring terminal to a management server. The remote monitoring terminal and the antenna are located at the rear end of the grain tank. A combine harvester characterized by the following features.

2. The remote monitoring terminal and the antenna are attached to the grain tank via a support member. The support member is positioned so as to be substantially flush with the rear wall of the grain tank. The combine harvester as described in feature 1.

3. The grain tank has a vertical feed auger located behind it, and a discharge auger that rotates around the vertical feed auger, The support member is located in front of the vertical feed auger. The combine harvester as described in feature 1.

Images