Work equipment

Abstract

To provide a work machine that allows the work device to be attached and detached between the left and right travel devices. [Solution] The work machine comprises a vehicle including a liftable body and a traveling device positioned on the side of the vehicle body, and a detachable mechanism for detachably supporting the work device with respect to the traveling vehicle, wherein the traveling device includes a left traveling device positioned on the left side of the vehicle body and a right traveling device positioned on the right side of the vehicle body, and the detachable mechanism detachably supports the work device between the right side of the left traveling device and the left side of the right traveling device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a working machine to which a working device can be attached and detached.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a working machine (riding work vehicle) disclosed in Patent Document 1 below is known. The working machine described in Patent Document 1 includes a traveling vehicle body, a working device (mower unit) disposed between the left and right front wheels and rear wheels, a link mechanism that supports the working device so as to be able to move up and down, and a detaching and attaching mechanism that enables the detaching and attaching of the working device to and from the link mechanism. The detaching and attaching mechanism can connect the link mechanism to the working device by means of a straddling forward travel in which the front wheels straddle the working device from behind and move forward over it.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the case of the above-described working machine, it is possible to attach and detach the working device (mower unit) between the front wheels and the rear wheels, but it is not possible to attach and detach the working device between the left and right wheels (traveling devices). Therefore, the working device cannot be disposed in front of the front wheels, and it is difficult to perform work (such as harvesting work) in front of the traveling vehicle body.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a working machine capable of attaching and detaching a working device between left and right traveling devices.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A work machine according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a vehicle including a liftable body and a traveling device arranged on the side of the vehicle body, and a detachable mechanism for detachably supporting the work machine with respect to the traveling vehicle, wherein the traveling device includes a left traveling device arranged on the left side of the vehicle body and a right traveling device arranged on the right side of the vehicle body, and the detachable mechanism detachably supports the work machine between the right side of the left traveling device and the left side of the right traveling device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the work device can be attached to and detached between the left and right traveling devices. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing one embodiment of a work machine (harvesting machine). [Figure 2] This is a plan view showing one embodiment of a work machine (harvesting machine). [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a vehicle in motion. [Figure 4] This is a left side view showing one embodiment of a vehicle in motion. [Figure 5] This is a right side view showing one embodiment of a vehicle in motion. [Figure 6] This is a front view showing one embodiment of a vehicle in motion. [Figure 7] This is a plan view showing one embodiment of a vehicle in motion. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a vehicle in operation. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of the frame structure. [Figure 10] This is a disassembled perspective view of the vehicle frame. [Figure 11] This is a plan view showing the frame structure with the left and right cylinder rods extended. [Figure 12] This is a plan view showing a running vehicle with the left and right cylinder rods extended. [Figure 13]It is a front view showing a traveling vehicle in a state where the vehicle body is lowered. [Figure 14] It is a front view showing a traveling vehicle in a state where the vehicle body is raised. [Figure 15] It is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a traveling vehicle. [Figure 16] It is a plan view showing an example of the movement of a traveling vehicle equipped with omnidirectional wheels (forward movement). [Figure 17] It is a plan view showing an example of the movement of a traveling vehicle equipped with omnidirectional wheels (backward movement). [Figure 18] It is a plan view showing an example of the movement of a traveling vehicle equipped with omnidirectional wheels (right lateral movement). [Figure 19] It is a plan view showing an example of the movement of a traveling vehicle equipped with omnidirectional wheels (left lateral movement). [Figure 20] It is a plan view showing an example of the movement of a traveling vehicle equipped with omnidirectional wheels (right front movement). [Figure 21] It is a plan view showing an example of the movement of a traveling vehicle equipped with omnidirectional wheels (left rear movement). [Figure 22] It is a plan view showing an example of the movement of a traveling vehicle equipped with omnidirectional wheels (left front movement). [Figure 23] It is a plan view showing an example of the movement of a traveling vehicle equipped with omnidirectional wheels (right rear movement). [Figure 24] It is a plan view showing an example of the movement of a traveling vehicle equipped with omnidirectional wheels (right turn). [Figure 25] It is a plan view showing an example of the movement of a traveling vehicle equipped with omnidirectional wheels (left turn). [Figure 26] It is a plan view showing an embodiment of a traveling vehicle. [Figure 27] It is a plan view showing a state where light is irradiated from an irradiation unit provided in the constricted portion of the traveling vehicle toward an irradiation object on the side of the traveling vehicle. [Figure 28] It is a plan view showing a state where the traveling vehicle is traveling along a ridge and light is irradiated from an irradiation unit provided in the constricted portion toward a crop planted in an adjacent ridge. [Figure 29]This is a plan view showing the operation of the illumination device when the vehicle is moving forward. [Figure 30] This is a plan view showing the operation of the illumination device when the vehicle is moving in reverse. [Figure 31] This is a plan view showing the operation of the illumination device when the vehicle is moving to the left. [Figure 32] This is a plan view showing the operation of the illumination device when the vehicle is moving to the right. [Figure 33] This is a plan view showing the operation of the illumination device when the vehicle is moving forward to the left. [Figure 34] This is a plan view showing the operation of the illumination device when the vehicle is moving forward to the right. [Figure 35] This is a plan view showing the operation of the illumination device when the vehicle is moving to the left rear. [Figure 36] This is a plan view showing the operation of the illumination device when the vehicle is moving to the right rear. [Figure 37] This is a plan view illustrating the operation in which, when the direction of travel of the vehicle changes, the illumination unit capable of illuminating the direction corresponding to the changed direction of travel (to the right) among multiple illumination units lights up. [Figure 38] This is a plan view illustrating the operation in which, when the direction of travel of a vehicle changes, one of the multiple illumination units capable of illuminating the direction corresponding to the changed direction of travel (front left) illuminates with a higher illumination intensity than the other illumination units. [Figure 39] This is a plan view showing how the left illumination unit lights up when the distance between the left running gear and the vehicle body (first distance) is changed by the distance change mechanism, resulting in an increased distance. [Figure 40] This is a plan view showing how the right illumination unit lights up when the distance between the right running gear and the vehicle body (second distance) is changed by the distance change mechanism, increasing the distance between them. [Figure 41] This is a plan view showing how the right illumination unit lights up in stages from the front to the rear when the distance change mechanism is used to increase the second distance. [Figure 42] This is a side view showing a vehicle in motion with a display showing the remaining battery level using an illumination device. [Figure 43]This is a side view showing a harvesting device that stands independently on the ground using support legs. [Figure 44] This is a side view showing the harvesting device in its second position, with the support legs rotated forward. [Figure 45] This is a front view showing a running vehicle with guide rails installed on the underside of the vehicle body. [Figure 46] This is a front view showing a running vehicle with guide rails installed on the right side of the left running gear, the left side of the right running gear, and the underside of the vehicle body. [Figure 47] This is a front view showing a vehicle equipped with a work device, where mounting protrusions are provided on the left and right sides, and guide rails are provided on the right side of the left running gear and the left side of the right running gear. [Figure 48] This is a front view showing a vehicle equipped with a work device, which has mounting protrusions on its upper surface, attached to a vehicle that has guide rails on the underside of the vehicle body. [Figure 49] This is a front view showing a working device attached to a vehicle, with guide rails provided on the right side of the left running gear, the left side of the right running gear, and the underside of the vehicle body, and mounting protrusions provided on the left side, right side, and top. [Figure 50] This is a side view showing an example of a method for attaching a harvesting device to a moving vehicle (before attachment). [Figure 51] This is a side view showing an example of a method for attaching a harvesting device to a moving vehicle (the state after attachment). [Figure 52] This is a plan view showing an example of a method for attaching a harvesting device to a moving vehicle (before attachment). [Figure 53] This is a plan view showing an example of a method for attaching a harvesting device to a moving vehicle (the state after attachment). [Figure 54] This is a plan view showing another example of a method for attaching a harvesting device to a moving vehicle (the state before attachment). [Figure 55] This is a plan view showing another example of a method for attaching a harvesting device to a moving vehicle (in the process of attachment). [Figure 56]This is a plan view showing another example of a method for attaching a harvesting device to a moving vehicle (the state after attachment). [Figure 57] This is a front view illustrating an example of a method for supplying power from a moving vehicle to a work device. [Figure 58] This is a front view showing another example of a method of supplying power from a moving vehicle to a work device. [Figure 59] This is a front view showing yet another example of a method for supplying power from a moving vehicle to a work device. [Figure 60] This is a plan view showing an example of a rotating mechanism (in its state before rotation). [Figure 61] This is a plan view showing an example of a rotating mechanism (the state after rotation). [Figure 62] This is a plan view showing another example of a rotating mechanism (in its pre-rotation state). [Figure 63] This is a plan view showing another example of a rotating mechanism (the state after rotation). [Figure 64] This is a plan view showing an example of the linkage between the rotation of the harvesting unit by the rotation mechanism and the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body by the travel mechanism (before linkage). [Figure 65] This is a plan view showing an example of the linkage between the rotation of the harvesting unit by the rotation mechanism and the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body by the travel mechanism (in a state of linkage). [Figure 66] This is a plan view showing an example of the linkage between the rotation of the harvesting unit by the rotation mechanism and the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body by the travel mechanism (the state after linkage). [Figure 67] This is a plan view showing the state in which the orientation of the vehicle body has been changed to match the orientation of the harvesting unit after rotation. [Figure 68] This is a plan view illustrating the rotational movement (pre-rotation state) of the harvesting unit by a rotation mechanism when the edge of the work area where harvesting is performed by the harvesting unit located at the front of the vehicle body includes a curved section. [Figure 69] This is a plan view illustrating the rotational movement (and state after rotation) of the harvesting unit by a rotation mechanism when the edge of the work area where harvesting is performed by the harvesting unit located at the front of the vehicle body includes a curved section. [Figure 70]This is a plan view illustrating the movement of the vehicle body (change in direction of travel) after the rotation of the harvesting unit by the rotation mechanism, when the edge of the work area where harvesting is performed by the harvesting unit located at the front of the vehicle body includes a curved section. [Figure 71] This is a plan view illustrating the movement of the vehicle body (change in the vehicle's orientation) after the rotation of the harvesting unit by the rotation mechanism, when the edge of the work area where harvesting is performed by the harvesting unit located at the front of the vehicle body includes a curved section. [Figure 72] This is a plan view illustrating the rotational movement (pre-rotation state) of the harvesting unit by a rotation mechanism when the edge of the work area where harvesting is performed by the harvesting unit located on the side of the vehicle body includes a curved section. [Figure 73] This is a plan view illustrating the rotational movement (and state after rotation) of the harvesting unit by a rotation mechanism when the edge of the work area where harvesting is performed by the harvesting unit located on the side of the vehicle body includes a curved section. [Figure 74] This is a plan view illustrating the movement of the vehicle body (change in the direction of travel) after the rotation of the harvesting unit by the rotation mechanism, when the edge of the work area where harvesting is performed by the harvesting unit located on the side of the vehicle body includes a curved section. [Figure 75] This is a plan view illustrating the movement of the vehicle body (change in the vehicle's orientation) after the rotation of the harvesting unit by the rotation mechanism, when the edge of the work area where harvesting is performed by the harvesting unit located on the side of the vehicle body includes a bend. [Figure 76] This is an external perspective view showing an example of a harvesting device. [Figure 77] This is a perspective view showing an example of the internal structure of a harvesting device. [Figure 78] This is a perspective view showing the first and second discharge sections. [Figure 79] This is a side view showing the first and second discharge sections. [Figure 80] This is a plan view showing the first and second discharge sections. [Figure 81] This is a perspective view showing the first discharge section. [Figure 82] This is a perspective view showing another example of the first discharge section. [Figure 83]This is a side view illustrating the operation of the harvesting device. [Figure 84] This is a side view showing the operation of a mobile vehicle (harvesting machine) equipped with a harvesting device. [Figure 85] This is a side view showing a vehicle equipped with a tank positioned behind the harvesting machine. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction indicated by arrow X1 in the figures is forward, the direction indicated by arrow X2 is backward, the direction indicated by arrow Y1 is left, the direction indicated by arrow Y2 is right, the direction indicated by arrow Z1 is upward, and the direction indicated by arrow Z2 is downward.

[0010] Figures 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing an example of an embodiment of the implement 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the implement 1 comprises a traveling vehicle 2 and a detachable mechanism 160 that detachably supports the work device 100 to the traveling vehicle 2. Figures 1 and 2 show the implement 1 (harvesting machine 1A) with a harvesting device 100A attached as the work device 100. First, the configuration of the traveling vehicle 2 will be described. The work device 100 and the detachable mechanism 160 will be described later.

[0011] Figures 3 to 8 show the configuration of the vehicle 2. The vehicle 2 is fitted with an exterior cover (described later), but the cover is omitted in Figures 3 to 8. The vehicle 2 has a liftable body 3 and a running gear 4 positioned on the side of the body 3. The body 3 has a main body 5 and a body frame 21 that supports the main body 5.

[0012] The running gear 4 includes a left running gear 4L located on the left side of the vehicle body 3 and a right running gear 4R located on the right side of the vehicle body 3. The running gear 4 (left running gear 4L, right running gear 4R) comprises wheels 7 and a running frame 8 that supports the wheels 7. The wheels 7 include a left front wheel 7LF, a left rear wheel 7LB, a right front wheel 7RF, and a right rear wheel 7RB. In the following description, the left front wheel 7LF and the left rear wheel 7LB are collectively referred to as "left wheels," and the right front wheel 7RF and the right rear wheel 7RB are collectively referred to as "right wheels." Also, the left front wheel 7LF, the right front wheel 7RF, the left rear wheel 7LB, and the right rear wheel 7RB are collectively referred to as "wheel 7."

[0013] The wheels 7 (left front wheel 7LF, right front wheel 7RF, left rear wheel 7LB, right rear wheel 7RB) are located on the sides of the vehicle body 3. The left wheels (left front wheel 7LF and left rear wheel 7LB) are located on the left side of the vehicle body 3. The right wheels (right front wheel 7RF and right rear wheel 7RB) are located on the right side of the vehicle body 3.

[0014] The running frame 8 includes a left running frame 8L positioned to the left of the vehicle body 3 and a right running frame 8R positioned to the right of the vehicle body 3. In other words, the vehicle body 3 is positioned between the left running frame 8L and the right running frame 8R. The left running frame 8L supports the left wheels (left front wheel 7LF and left rear wheel 7LB). The right running frame 8R supports the right wheels (right front wheel 7RF and right rear wheel 7RB).

[0015] As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a power unit 9 for driving (rotating) the wheels 7. The power unit 9 generates power to drive the wheels 7, and this power is transmitted to the wheels 7. The power unit 9 includes a motor 10 and a battery 12. However, the power unit 9 may include an engine instead of the motor 10. Also, the power unit 9 may include a fuel cell instead of the battery.

[0016] Motor 10 is a drive system motor that generates power to drive the wheels 7. Motor 10 is an electric motor driven by electricity. An inverter 13 is connected to motor 10. The inverter 13 controls the rotation of motor 10 based on control signals from the control device 19, which will be described later. Battery 12 stores the electricity supplied to motor 10. In this embodiment, battery 12 includes battery 12A (see Figure 6) housed inside the main body 5 and battery 12B (see Figures 4 and 5) housed inside the driving frame 8.

[0017] The battery 12 is used as a power source to generate power (electricity) to drive the work device 100 attached to the vehicle 2. In other words, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a power source that generates power to drive the work device 100 attached to the vehicle 2.

[0018] However, the power source that generates the power to drive the work device 100 attached to the vehicle 2 may be provided in the work device 100 rather than the vehicle 2. In this case, the work device 100 attached to the vehicle 2 is equipped with a power source (battery, etc.) that generates the power (electricity) to drive the work device 100.

[0019] As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a motor 10, which is the drive system motor, as well as a motor 11, which is the work system motor. The work system motor generates power to drive devices and mechanisms different from the wheels 7. Motor 11 is an electric motor driven by power supplied from the battery 12. The rotation of motor 11 can be controlled by the inverter 13.

[0020] Hereinafter, motor 10 may be referred to as the "driving motor 10" and motor 11 as the "operating motor 11". The driving motor 10 and the operating motor 11 can be driven independently of each other. The operating motor 11 is a motor that drives a hydraulic pump that operates a hydraulic actuator (hydraulic cylinder), which will be described later.

[0021] As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a transmission 14. The transmission 14 can switch the propulsion force of the drive system (drive motor 10) by changing the gear. The transmission 14 can also switch the vehicle 2 between forward and reverse. The transmission 14 may be equipped with a gear clutch that can switch between a four-wheel drive state (4WD) in which all four wheels (left front wheel 7LF, right front wheel 7RF, left rear wheel 7LB, right rear wheel 7RB) are driven, and a two-wheel drive state (2WD) in which only the rear wheels (left rear wheel 7LB, right rear wheel 7RB) or only the front wheels (left front wheel 7LF, right front wheel 7RF) are driven.

[0022] As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a positioning device 15. The positioning device 15 can detect the position of the vehicle 3 (positioning information including latitude and longitude) using satellite positioning systems (positioning satellites) such as D-GPS, GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, and Michibiki. That is, the positioning device 15 receives satellite signals (position of the positioning satellite, transmission time, correction information, etc.) transmitted from the positioning satellite and detects the position of the vehicle 3 (e.g., latitude and longitude) based on the satellite signals.

[0023] The positioning device 15 includes a receiving device 15a and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 15b. The receiving device 15a has an antenna and the like, and is a device that receives satellite signals transmitted from positioning satellites, and is mounted on the vehicle body 3. The inertial measurement unit 15b has an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration, a gyro sensor for detecting angular velocity, and the like. The inertial measurement unit 15b is mounted on the vehicle body 3. The inertial measurement unit 15b can detect the roll angle, pitch angle, yaw angle, etc. of the vehicle body 3. Note that the yaw angle may be detected by installing multiple positioning devices 15.

[0024] As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a communication device 16. The communication device 16 includes a communication circuit for communication via an in-vehicle network and a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The wireless communication circuit can communicate wirelessly, directly or indirectly, with the work equipment 100 and external devices attached to the vehicle 2 using communication standards such as Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity, registered trademark), BLE (Bluetooth® Low Energy), LPWA (Low Power, Wide Area), and LPWAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Network) of the IEEE 802.11 series. As another example, the communication device 16 may be provided with a communication circuit that can communicate wirelessly with the work equipment 100 and external devices using, for example, a mobile phone network or a data communication network. External devices include, for example, personal computers, smartphones, tablet computers, PDAs, or servers.

[0025] As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a situation detection device 18. The situation detection device 18 detects the conditions around the vehicle body 3 (around the vehicle 2). The situation detection device 18 detects conditions around the vehicle body 3 such as furrows in the ground, crops planted in the furrows, and obstacles that hinder driving.

[0026] As shown in Figure 8, the situation detection device 18 includes a camera (imaging device) 18a, a sensor 18b, and a calculation unit 18c. The camera 18a is mounted on the vehicle body 3 and captures images of the area around the vehicle body 3 (around the moving vehicle 2) to generate an image signal. The calculation unit 18c consists of a computer or the like, including a signal processing circuit that processes the generated image signal. The signal processing circuit detects the state of an object (presence or absence of an object, position of the object, type of object, size of object, etc.) based on the image signal output from the camera 18a. The sensor 18b is mounted on the vehicle body 3 and detects objects around the vehicle body 3 (around the moving vehicle 2). The sensor 18b is an optical sensor, and for example, it is composed of a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) sensor.

[0027] As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a control device 19. The control device 19 is a device that performs various controls on the vehicle 2. The control device 19 includes an arithmetic unit (CPU, etc.) and a storage unit (RAM, ROM, etc.). The storage unit may include an external memory located outside the control device 19. The control device 19 is connected to various devices (including the work devices 100 attached to the vehicle 2) and mechanisms shown in Figure 8, etc., via an in-vehicle LAN (in-vehicle network) such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or communication lines.

[0028] The control device 19 controls the operation of various devices and mechanisms (including the operation of the work device 100 attached to the vehicle 2) that are communicatively connected to the control device 19 by having the calculation unit execute various control programs stored in the memory unit. The functions of each control unit of the control device 19 (automatic driving control unit 19A, distance change control unit 19B, height change control unit 19C, illumination control unit 19D, rotation control unit 19E, and interlocking control unit 19F), which will be described later, are realized by the calculation unit executing predetermined control programs stored in the memory unit. It is preferable that the control device 19 has all of the control units 19A to 19F shown in Figure 8, but it may also have only some of the control units.

[0029] As shown in Figure 8, the control device 19 includes an automatic driving control unit 19A. The automatic driving control unit 19A controls the automatic driving of the vehicle 2. The automatic driving control unit 19A is capable of performing both line-type automatic driving control and autonomous automatic driving control. In line-type automatic driving control, the automatic driving control unit 19A controls the operation of the steering mechanism 60, transmission 14, motor 10, etc., which will be described later, so that the vehicle 2 (vehicle body 3) moves along a predetermined driving line stored in the memory unit.

[0030] In autonomous automatic driving control, the automatic driving control unit 19A sets the direction of travel (steering direction) and vehicle speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle body 3 based on the results of sensing (detecting objects) the surroundings of the vehicle body 2 (vehicle body 3) by the positioning device 15 and the situation detection device 18, and controls the operation of the steering mechanism 60, transmission 14, motor 10, etc. so that the steering and vehicle speed are set.

[0031] Furthermore, the automatic driving control unit 19A may be configured to allow switching between line-type automatic driving control and autonomous automatic driving control using a switch or the like. Alternatively, the automatic driving control unit 19A may be configured to be capable of executing either line-type automatic driving control or autonomous automatic driving control. However, the configuration of the automatic driving control unit 19A is not limited to the configurations described above.

[0032] The vehicle 2 can operate automatically (unmanned) without an operator on board because the control device 19 includes an automatic driving control unit 19A. Therefore, the vehicle 2 in the illustrated embodiment does not have a driver's seat where an operator sits. However, the vehicle 2 may be a vehicle that operates automatically with an operator on board. Alternatively, the vehicle 2 may be a vehicle that is driven by an operator on board. If the vehicle 2 is a vehicle with an operator on board, a driver's seat is provided in the vehicle body 3.

[0033] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a hydraulic unit 35. The hydraulic unit 35 includes a hydraulic oil tank 35A in which hydraulic oil supplied to the hydraulic actuator is stored, a hydraulic pump 35B, and a hydraulic valve 35C that controls the flow of hydraulic oil. The hydraulic valve 35C controls the operation of the hydraulic actuator by controlling the flow of hydraulic oil. In this embodiment, the vehicle 2 is equipped with cylinders (steering cylinder 62, distance change cylinder 81, lifting cylinder 91, etc.) as hydraulic actuators, which will be described later.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a frame structure 20. The frame structure 20 constitutes the skeleton of the vehicle 2. As will be described later, a cover 70 (see Figure 15) is attached to the frame structure 20. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the frame structure 20. The frame structure 20 is composed of a vehicle body frame 21 and a running frame 8.

[0035] The vehicle body frame 21 includes a central vehicle body frame 22, a left vehicle body frame 23, and a right vehicle body frame 24. The central vehicle body frame 22 has an upper vehicle body frame 25, a lower vehicle body frame 26, and a connecting frame 27. The left vehicle body frame 23 is located to the left of the main body 5. The right vehicle body frame 24 is located to the right of the main body 5. The upper vehicle body frame 25 is located above the main body 5. The lower vehicle body frame 26 is located below the main body 5. The connecting frame 27 extends vertically and connects the upper vehicle body frame 25 and the lower vehicle body frame 26.

[0036] As shown in Figure 10, the vehicle body frame 21 is composed of a central vehicle body frame 22, a left vehicle body frame 23, and a right vehicle body frame 24. As indicated by the arrows in Figure 10, the left vehicle body frame 23 is mounted to the left of the central vehicle body frame 22 by inserting the right protrusion 23a provided on the left vehicle body frame 23 into the cylindrical body 22a provided on the central vehicle body frame 22 from the left. Similarly, the right vehicle body frame 24 is mounted to the right of the central vehicle body frame 22 by inserting the left protrusion 24a provided on the right vehicle body frame 24 into the cylindrical body 22a provided on the central vehicle body frame 22 from the right.

[0037] The right protrusion 23a and the left protrusion 24a are movable in the left-right direction along the cylindrical body 22a. As a result, the left body frame 23 and the right body frame 24 are movable in the left-right direction relative to the central body frame 22.

[0038] The left travel frame 8L is connected to the left body frame 23 via the left lifting cylinder 91L, which will be described later. As a result, the left travel frame 8L can move in the left-right direction integrally with the left body frame 23. Therefore, when the left body frame 23 moves in the left-right direction relative to the central body frame 22, the left travel frame 8L also moves in the left-right direction relative to the central body frame 22. This allows the left travel device 4L to move in the left-right direction relative to the vehicle body 3. The specific method for moving the left travel device 4L will be explained in detail later.

[0039] The right travel frame 8R is connected to the right body frame 24 via the right lifting cylinder 91R, which will be described later. As a result, the right travel frame 8R can move in the left-right direction integrally with the right body frame 24. Therefore, when the right body frame 24 moves in the left-right direction relative to the central body frame 22, the right travel frame 8R also moves in the left-right direction relative to the central body frame 22. This allows the right travel device 4R to move in the left-right direction relative to the vehicle body 3. The specific method for moving the right travel device 4R will be explained in detail later.

[0040] As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a drive unit 40 for driving the wheels (left front wheel 7LF, right front wheel 7RF, left rear wheel 7LB, right rear wheel 7RB). The running gear 4 includes the drive unit 40.

[0041] The drive unit 40 includes a drive device 45 that generates power, a transmission mechanism 50 that transmits the power generated from the drive device 45 to the wheels, and a steering mechanism 60 that changes the direction of the wheels. In this embodiment, the steering mechanism 60 is a mechanism that changes the direction of the front wheels (left front wheel 7LF, right front wheel 7RF) and the rear wheels (left rear wheel 7LB, right rear wheel 7RB). More specifically, the steering mechanism 60 is a mechanism that independently changes the direction of the left front wheel 7LF, the right front wheel 7RF, the left rear wheel 7LB, and the right rear wheel 7RB.

[0042] Furthermore, the wheels of the vehicle 2 (left front wheel 7LF, right front wheel 7RF, left rear wheel 7LB, right rear wheel 7RB) may be omnidirectional wheels as described later. If the wheels 7 of the vehicle 2 are omnidirectional wheels, the vehicle 2 may or may not have a steering mechanism 60.

[0043] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the drive unit 40 includes a first drive unit 41 for driving the left front wheel 7LF, a second drive unit 42 for driving the right front wheel 7RF, a third drive unit 43 for driving the left rear wheel 7LB, and a fourth drive unit 44 for driving the right rear wheel 7RB. The left running gear 4L includes the first drive unit 41 and the third drive unit 43. The right running gear 4R includes the second drive unit 42 and the fourth drive unit 44. The first drive unit 41, the second drive unit 42, the third drive unit 43, and the fourth drive unit 44 each have a drive unit 45 and a transmission mechanism 50.

[0044] Each drive unit is attached to the frame structure 20. Specifically, the first drive unit 41 and the third drive unit 43 are attached to the left travel frame 8L. The second drive unit 42 and the fourth drive unit 44 are attached to the right travel frame 8R.

[0045] In this embodiment, the drive unit 45 is a motor. More specifically, the drive unit 45 is the aforementioned drive system motor 10. In other words, the motors constituting the drive unit 45 are the same as the motors included in the power unit 9 described above. As explained below, the motors 10 constituting the drive unit 45 of the drive unit 40 include motor 10LF, motor 10RF, motor 10LB, and motor 10RB.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, the first drive unit 41 includes a motor 10LF and a transmission mechanism 50LF that transmits the power of the motor 10LF to the left front wheel 7LF. The transmission mechanism 50LF is composed of a gear mechanism including multiple gears. When the first drive unit 41 drives the motor 10LF, the power of the motor 10LF is transmitted to the left front wheel 7LF via the transmission mechanism 50LF.

[0047] As shown in Figure 5, the second drive unit 42 includes a motor 10RF and a transmission mechanism 50RF that transmits the power of the motor 10RF to the right front wheel 7RF. The transmission mechanism 50RF is composed of a gear mechanism including multiple gears. When the second drive unit 42 drives the motor 10RF, the power of the motor 10RF is transmitted to the right front wheel 7RF via the transmission mechanism 50RF.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, the third drive unit 43 includes a motor 10LB and a transmission mechanism 50LB that transmits the power of the motor 10LB to the left rear wheel 7LB. The transmission mechanism 50LB is composed of a gear mechanism including multiple gears. When the motor 10LB is driven by the third drive unit 43, the power of the motor 10LB is transmitted to the left rear wheel 7LB via the transmission mechanism 50LB.

[0049] As shown in Figure 5, the fourth drive unit 44 includes a motor 10RB and a transmission mechanism 50RB that transmits the power of the motor 10RB to the right rear wheel 7RB. The transmission mechanism 50RB is composed of a gear mechanism including multiple gears. When the motor 10RB is driven by the fourth drive unit 44, the power of the motor 10RB is transmitted to the right rear wheel 7RB via the transmission mechanism 50RB.

[0050] As shown in Figure 8, the drive unit 40 has a steering mechanism 60 that changes the direction of the wheels. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the steering mechanism 60 includes a left steering mechanism 60L that changes the direction of the left front wheel 7LF and the left rear wheel 7LB, and a right steering mechanism 60R that changes the direction of the right front wheel 7RF and the right rear wheel 7RB.

[0051] As shown in Figure 4, the first drive unit 41 and the third drive unit 43 are equipped with a left steering mechanism 60L. The left steering mechanism 60L includes steering cylinders 62LF and 62LB. Steering cylinder 62LF is a cylinder for steering the left front wheel 7LF. Steering cylinder 62LB is a cylinder for steering the left rear wheel 7LB. The rod 62a of steering cylinder 62LF is connected to a coupling body 63A that is connected to the left front wheel 7LF and is rotatable around a vertical axis AX1. The rod 62a of steering cylinder 62LB is connected to a coupling body 63B that is connected to the left rear wheel 7LB and is rotatable around a vertical axis AX2. As shown in Figure 7, axis AX1 is located in a position that coincides with the left front wheel 7LF in a plan view. Axis AX2 is located in a position that coincides with the left rear wheel 7LB in a plan view.

[0052] The left steering mechanism 60L can rotate the left front wheel 7LF 360° around the axis AX1 by driving the steering cylinder 62LF to extend and retract the rod 62a. The left steering mechanism 60L can rotate the left rear wheel 7LB 360° around the axis AX2 by driving the steering cylinder 62LB to extend and retract the rod 62a.

[0053] As shown in Figure 5, the second drive unit 42 and the fourth drive unit 44 are equipped with a right steering mechanism 60R. The right steering mechanism 60R includes steering cylinders 62RF and 62RB. Steering cylinder 62RF is a cylinder for steering the right front wheel 7RF. Steering cylinder 62RB is a cylinder for steering the right rear wheel 7RB. The rod 62a of steering cylinder 62RF is connected to a coupling body 63C that is connected to the right front wheel 7RF and is rotatable around the vertical axis AX3. The rod 62a of steering cylinder 62RB is connected to a coupling body 63D that is connected to the right rear wheel 7RB and is rotatable around the vertical axis AX4. As shown in Figure 7, in a plan view, axis AX3 is located in a position that coincides with the right front wheel 7RF. In a plan view, axis AX4 is located in a position that coincides with the right rear wheel 7RB.

[0054] The right steering mechanism 60R can rotate the right front wheel 7RF 360° around the axis AX3 by driving the steering cylinder 62RF to extend and retract the rod 62a. The right steering mechanism 60R can rotate the right rear wheel 7RB 360° around the axis AX4 by driving the steering cylinder 62RB to extend and retract the rod 62a.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the steering mechanism (left steering mechanism 60L, right steering mechanism 60R) is configured to allow the wheels (left front wheel 7LF, left rear wheel 7LB, right front wheel 7RF, right rear wheel 7RB) to rotate 360° around the vertical axis (for example, 180° in both the forward and reverse directions) by driving the steering cylinder. However, the configuration that allows the wheels to rotate 360° around the vertical axis is not limited to this. For example, a motor (electric motor or hydraulic motor) may be used as an actuator to rotate a connecting body connected to the wheel and rotatable around the vertical axis, and the rotation (drive) of the motor may be transmitted to the connecting body so that the connecting body can rotate 360° or more (more than one full turn) around the vertical axis, thereby allowing the wheels to rotate 360° or more around the vertical axis.

[0056] In the following explanation, the steering cylinders 62LF, 62LB, 62RF, and 62RB are collectively referred to as "steering cylinder 62". The vehicle 2 can change its direction of travel by driving the steering cylinders 62 of the steering mechanism 60 to change the direction of the wheels 7. Furthermore, as described above, if a motor (electric motor or hydraulic motor) is used instead of the steering cylinder, the direction of travel can be changed by driving the motor to change the direction of the wheels 7.

[0057] The orientation of the left front wheel 7LF, left rear wheel 7LB, right front wheel 7RF, and right rear wheel 7RB can be changed independently of each other. Therefore, the running gear 4 has multiple wheels (left front wheel 7LF, left rear wheel 7LB, right front wheel 7RF, right rear wheel 7RB) that can change orientation 360° independently of each other.

[0058] As a result, the running gear 4 supports the vehicle body 3 so that it can move in at least three directions from forward, backward, sideways (left and right), and diagonally. Specifically, the running gear 4 supports the vehicle body 3 so that it can move in all 360° directions. The running vehicle 2 is equipped with multiple wheels that can change direction 360° independently of each other, so that the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 can be changed without changing the orientation of the vehicle body 3.

[0059] If the wheels 7 of the vehicle 2 are omnidirectional wheels as described later, the direction of travel can be changed without changing the orientation of the wheels 7, as will be explained later.

[0060] Even when the wheels 7 are omnidirectional wheels, the running gear 4 supports the vehicle body 3 so that it can move in at least three directions from forward, backward, sideways (left and right), and diagonally. Specifically, the running gear 4 supports the vehicle body 3 so that it can move in all 360° directions. The running vehicle 2 can also change the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 without changing the orientation of the vehicle body 3, even if it is equipped with omnidirectional wheels.

[0061] As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 7, the steering cylinders 62 are fixed to the travel frame 8. Specifically, steering cylinder 62LF is fixed to the front of the left travel frame 8L. Steering cylinder 62LB is fixed to the rear of the left travel frame 8L. Steering cylinder 62RF is fixed to the front of the right travel frame 8R. Steering cylinder 62RB is fixed to the rear of the right travel frame 8R. Note that the steering cylinders 62 are omitted in some figures.

[0062] As a different embodiment of the drive unit 45, the motor of the drive unit 45 may be a wheel-in motor. In this case, all of the left front wheel 7LF, right front wheel 7RF, left rear wheel 7LB, and right rear wheel 7RB may be driven by the wheel-in motor, or some of them (for example, the left front wheel 7LF and the right front wheel 7RF, or the left rear wheel 7LB and the right rear wheel 7RB) may be driven by the wheel-in motor.

[0063] As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a distance changing mechanism 80. The distance changing mechanism 80 changes the distance between the left running gear 4L and the right running gear 4R. As shown in Figure 7, the distance changing mechanism 80 includes a left changing mechanism 80L that changes the left-right position of the left running gear 4L, and a right changing mechanism 80R that changes the left-right position of the right running gear 4R.

[0064] As shown in Figure 7, the left change mechanism 80L has a left cylinder 81L that moves the left travel device 4L to the left or to the right. The left cylinder 81L moves the left travel frame 8L to the left or to the right. The left front wheel 7LF and the left rear wheel 7LB are supported by the left travel frame 8L. As a result, the left cylinder 81L can move the left front wheel 7LF and the left rear wheel 7LB together to the left or to the right by moving the left travel frame 8L to the left or to the right.

[0065] As shown in Figure 7, the right change mechanism 80R has a right cylinder 81R that moves the right travel device 4R to the left or to the right. The right cylinder 81R moves the right travel frame 8R to the left or to the right. The right front wheel 7RF and the right rear wheel 7RB are supported by the right travel frame 8R. As a result, the right cylinder 81R can move the right front wheel 7RF and the right rear wheel 7RB together to the left or to the right by moving the right travel frame 8R to the left or to the right.

[0066] The right cylinder 81R and the left cylinder 81L are composed of hydraulic cylinders, which are hydraulic actuators operated by hydraulic pressure. The right cylinder 81R and the left cylinder 81L are operated (extend and retract) by hydraulic fluid supplied from a hydraulic pump driven by the aforementioned work system motor 11.

[0067] The configurations of the left shift mechanism 80L and the right shift mechanism 80R will be described in more detail below. As shown in Figure 11, the left cylinder 81L has a cylinder tube 81La attached to the central body frame 22 and a rod 81Lb that protrudes from the cylinder tube 81La and extends to the left. The tip of the rod 81Lb of the left cylinder 81L is connected to the left body frame 23. The right cylinder 81R has a cylinder tube 81Ra attached to the central body frame 22 and a rod 81Rb that protrudes from the cylinder tube 81Ra and extends to the right. The tip of the rod 81Rb of the right cylinder 81R is connected to the right body frame 24.

[0068] As shown by arrow L1 in Figure 11, when the rod 81Lb of the left cylinder 81L extends to the left, the left body frame 23 moves to the left. When the rod 81Lb of the left cylinder 81L shortens to the right, the left body frame 23 moves to the right. As shown by arrow R1 in Figure 11, when the rod 81Rb of the right cylinder 81R extends to the right, the right body frame 24 moves to the right. When the rod 81Rb of the right cylinder 81R shortens to the left, the right body frame 24 moves to the left.

[0069] In this way, the operation (extension and retraction) of the left cylinder 81L causes the left body frame 23 to move laterally relative to the central body frame 22. In other words, the left-right position of the left body frame 23 can be changed. Similarly, the operation (extension and retraction) of the right cylinder 81R causes the right body frame 24 to move laterally relative to the central body frame 22. In other words, the left-right position of the right body frame 24 can be changed.

[0070] As described above, the left body frame 23 is connected to the left running frame 8L. Also, the right body frame 24 is connected to the right running frame 8R. Therefore, when the left body frame 23 moves laterally relative to the central body frame 22, the left running frame 8L moves laterally relative to the central body frame 22. Similarly, when the right body frame 24 moves laterally relative to the central body frame 22, the right running frame 8R moves laterally relative to the central body frame 22.

[0071] By moving the left travel frame 8L and the right travel frame 8R in the left-right direction relative to the central body frame 22, the left-right positions of the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R can be changed. Therefore, the distance between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R can be changed. In addition, the distance between the left travel device 4L and the body 3, and the distance between the right travel device 4R and the body 3 can also be changed. These distances can be changed by operating one or both of the left cylinder 81L and the right cylinder 81R.

[0072] "The distance between the left running gear 4L and the vehicle body 3" can be rephrased as "the lateral distance between the left-right center of the vehicle body 3 and the left running gear 4L." "The distance between the right running gear 4R and the vehicle body 3" can be rephrased as "the lateral distance between the left-right center of the vehicle body 3 and the right running gear 4R."

[0073] Figure 7 shows the state in which the rods of the left cylinder 81L and the right cylinder 81R are shortened. In this state, the distance between the left running gear 4L and the right running gear 4R is short. Also, the distance between the left running gear 4L and the vehicle body 3, and the distance between the right running gear 4R and the vehicle body 3 are short. By extending the rod 81Lb of the left cylinder 81L and the rod 81Rb of the right cylinder 81R (see arrows L1 and R1 in Figure 12), the left running gear 4L and the right running gear 4R move in opposite directions. As a result, as shown in Figure 12, the distance between the left running gear 4L and the right running gear 4R can be increased. Also, the distance between the left running gear 4L and the vehicle body 3, and the distance between the right running gear 4R and the vehicle body 3 can be increased.

[0074] The operation of the distance changing mechanism 80 is controlled by the control device 19. Specifically, the operation of the left cylinder 81L and the right cylinder 81R of the distance changing mechanism 80 is controlled by the control device 19. As shown in Figure 8, the control device 19 includes a distance changing control unit 19B. The distance changing operation by the distance changing mechanism 80 is performed by the distance changing control unit 19B controlling the distance changing mechanism 80.

[0075] The distance changing mechanism 80 can operate the left changing mechanism 80L and the right changing mechanism 80R independently. In other words, the distance changing mechanism 80 can operate only the left changing mechanism 80L, only the right changing mechanism 80R, or both the left changing mechanism 80L and the right changing mechanism 80R.

[0076] As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a height adjustment mechanism 90. The height adjustment mechanism 90 can change the vertical position of the vehicle body 3 relative to the running gear 4. By changing the vertical position of the vehicle body 3 relative to the running gear 4, the height of the vehicle body 3 from the ground can be changed. The height adjustment mechanism 90 raises and lowers the vehicle body 3 at a position between the left running gear 4L and the right running gear 4R in the width direction (left-right direction) of the vehicle body 3.

[0077] As shown in Figures 6 and 13, the height adjustment mechanism 90 has a lifting cylinder 91. Figure 13 is a simplified diagram of Figure 6. The lifting cylinder 91 raises and lowers the vehicle frame 21 relative to the running frame 8. As the vehicle frame 21 rises and falls, the vehicle body 3, including the vehicle frame 21 and the main body 5, rises and falls. Therefore, by driving the lifting cylinder 91, the vehicle body 3 can be raised and lowered relative to the running device 4, which includes the running frame 8. Thus, the height adjustment mechanism 90 is a mechanism that can raise and lower the vehicle body 3 relative to the running device 4.

[0078] The lifting cylinder 91 includes a left lifting cylinder 91L and a right lifting cylinder 91R. The left lifting cylinder 91L is located on the left side of the vehicle body 3. The right lifting cylinder 91R is located on the right side of the vehicle body 3. The lifting cylinder 91 consists of a hydraulic cylinder, which is a hydraulic actuator operated by hydraulic pressure. The lifting cylinder 91 has a rod 91a that extends and retracts in the vertical direction and a cylinder tube 91b to which hydraulic fluid is supplied to drive the rod 91a. The rod 91a extends downward from the cylinder tube 91b.

[0079] As shown in Figure 13, the cylinder tube 91Lb of the left lifting cylinder 91L is attached to the left side of the vehicle frame 21. The rod 91La of the left lifting cylinder 91L is attached to the lower part of the left running frame 8L. The cylinder tube 91Rb of the right lifting cylinder 91R is attached to the right side of the vehicle frame 21. The rod 91Ra of the right lifting cylinder 91R is attached to the lower part of the right running frame 8R. As a result, the vehicle frame 21 can be raised and lowered relative to the running frame 8 by extending and retracting the rods of the lifting cylinders 91 (left lifting cylinder 91L, right lifting cylinder 91R).

[0080] Since the main body 5 is supported by the vehicle frame 21, the vehicle body 3, including the vehicle frame 21 and the main body 5, can be raised and lowered as the rod of the lifting cylinder 91 extends and retracts. Figure 13 shows the vehicle body 3 in a lowered state. Figure 14 shows the vehicle body 3 in a raised state. When the vehicle body 3 is in a lowered state, the vertical center of the vehicle body 3 is located below the upper end of the running frame 8. When the vehicle body 3 is in a raised state, the vertical center of the vehicle body 3 is located above the upper end of the running frame 8.

[0081] The height adjustment mechanism 90 can adjust the height of the vehicle body 3 by adjusting the length of the rod of the lifting cylinder 91. Specifically, the height adjustment mechanism 90 can arbitrarily adjust the height of the vehicle body 3 between the position shown in Figure 13 (lowered position) and the position shown in Figure 14 (upper position).

[0082] The operation of the height adjustment mechanism 90 is controlled by the control device 19. Specifically, the operation of the lifting cylinder 91 of the height adjustment mechanism 90 is controlled by the height adjustment control unit 19C. As shown in Figure 8, the control device 19 includes the height adjustment control unit 19C. The height adjustment operation by the height adjustment mechanism 90 is performed by the height adjustment control unit 19C controlling the height adjustment mechanism 90.

[0083] As shown in Figure 15, the running vehicle 2 is equipped with a cover 70 that covers the outside of the frame structure 20 (body frame 21 and running frame 8) described above. The cover 70 includes a first cover 71 that covers the outside of the central body frame 22, a second cover 72 that covers the outside of the left body frame 23, a third cover 73 that covers the outside of the right body frame 24, a fourth cover 74 that covers the outside of the left running frame 8L, and a fifth cover 75 that covers the outside of the right running frame 8R.

[0084] The left side of the fourth cover 74 constitutes the left side of the vehicle 2. The right side of the fifth cover 75 constitutes the right side of the vehicle 2. Therefore, in the following description, the left side of the fourth cover 74 may be referred to as the left side of the vehicle 2, and the right side of the fifth cover 75 may be referred to as the right side of the vehicle 2.

[0085] The vehicle 2 shown in Figure 15 has omnidirectional wheels 7 (left front wheel 7LF, left rear wheel 7LB, right front wheel 7RF, right rear wheel 7RB). Omnidirectional wheels are wheels that can move in all directions (360°) horizontally. Because the vehicle 2 has omnidirectional wheels, it can change the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 without changing the direction of the wheels 7 (without steering). Furthermore, because the vehicle 2 has omnidirectional wheels, it can change the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 without changing the orientation of the vehicle body 3.

[0086] In the case of the vehicle 2 shown in Figure 15, omniwheels are used as omnidirectional wheels, but Mecanum wheels may also be used as omnidirectional wheels. An omniwheel comprises a wheel body that can rotate around an axle and a plurality of rollers arranged on the outer circumference of the wheel body that rotate perpendicular to the direction of rotation of the wheel body. A Mecanum wheel comprises a wheel body that can rotate around an axle and a plurality of rollers arranged on the outer circumference of the wheel body at an angle of 45° with respect to the axle.

[0087] The running gear 4, which has wheels that move in all directions, supports the vehicle body 3 so that it can move in at least three directions from the forward, backward, sideways (left and right), and diagonal directions. The diagonal directions include at least one of the following directions: left forward, right forward, left rear, and right rear.

[0088] Specifically, the running gear 4, which has omnidirectional wheels, supports the vehicle body 3 so that it can move in all directions: forward, backward, sideways (left and right), and diagonally. In this embodiment, the running gear 4 supports the vehicle body 3 so that it can move in all 360° directions (all directions in the horizontal direction).

[0089] Figures 16 to 25 show examples of the movement of the vehicle body 3 of a vehicle 2 equipped with a running gear 4 having omnidirectional wheels. Figures 16 to 25 show the case where the omnidirectional wheels are Mecanum wheels.

[0090] When the left front wheel 7LF, left rear wheel 7LB, right front wheel 7RF, and right rear wheel 7RB are all rotated forward around the axle, the vehicle 3 moves forward (see Figure 16). When the left front wheel 7LF, left rear wheel 7LB, right front wheel 7RF, and right rear wheel 7RB are all rotated backward around the axle, the vehicle 3 moves backward (see Figure 17). When the left front wheel 7LF and right rear wheel 7RB are rotated forward around the axle, and the right front wheel 7RF and left rear wheel 7LB are rotated backward around the axle, the vehicle 3 moves to the right (see Figure 18). When the left front wheel 7LF and right rear wheel 7RB are rotated backward around the axle, and the right front wheel 7RF and left rear wheel 7LB are rotated forward around the axle, the vehicle 3 moves to the left (see Figure 19).

[0091] When the left front wheel 7LF and the right rear wheel 7RB are rotated forward around the axle, the vehicle body 3 moves diagonally forward to the right (see Figure 20). When the left front wheel 7LF and the right rear wheel 7RB are rotated backward around the axle, the vehicle body 3 moves diagonally backward to the left (see Figure 21). When the right front wheel 7RF and the left rear wheel 7LB are rotated forward around the axle, the vehicle body 3 moves diagonally forward to the left (see Figure 22). When the right front wheel 7RF and the left rear wheel 7LB are rotated backward around the axle, the vehicle body 3 moves diagonally backward to the right (see Figure 23).

[0092] As shown in Figures 16 to 23, the vehicle 2 equipped with a running gear 4 having omnidirectional wheels can change the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 without changing the orientation of the vehicle body 3. The vehicle 2 with omnidirectional wheels can also move in directions other than those shown by independently adjusting the rotational speed around each axle of the left front wheel 7LF, left rear wheel 7LB, right front wheel 7RF, and right rear wheel 7RB.

[0093] As shown in Figures 24 and 25, a vehicle 2 equipped with a running gear 4 having omnidirectional wheels can also change the orientation of the vehicle body 3 by turning without changing the position (center position) of the vehicle body 3. When the left front wheel 7LF and left rear wheel 7LB are rotated forward around the axle and the right front wheel 7RF and right rear wheel 7RB are rotated backward around the axle, the vehicle body 3 turns clockwise (see Figure 24). When the left front wheel 7LF and left rear wheel 7LB are rotated backward around the axle and the right front wheel 7RF and right rear wheel 7RB are rotated forward around the axle, the vehicle body 3 turns counterclockwise (see Figure 25).

[0094] The wheels 7 of the running vehicle 2 are preferably omnidirectional wheels, but they do not have to be omnidirectional wheels. If the wheels 7 are not omnidirectional wheels, the running gear 4 has a plurality of wheels (left front wheel 7LF, left rear wheel 7LB, right front wheel 7RF, right rear wheel 7RB) that can change direction independently of each other by 360°. In this case as well, the running gear 4 can support the vehicle body 3 so that it can move in at least three or more directions (specifically, all 360° directions) from forward, backward, sideways (left and right), and diagonal directions.

[0095] As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle 2 is equipped with an illumination device 30 capable of emitting light. The light source for the illumination device 30 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), but is not limited to an LED. The illumination device 30 is powered by a battery 12. The illumination device 30 includes an electrical circuit that electrically connects the battery 12 and the light source.

[0096] The illumination device 30 is capable of irradiating light in all directions of travel of the vehicle body 3, in the direction of travel. As described above, the vehicle body 3 can move in at least three directions from the forward, backward, side (left and right), and diagonal directions. Therefore, the illumination device 30 is capable of irradiating light in at least three directions from the forward, backward, side (left and right), and diagonal directions. More specifically, the illumination device 30 is capable of irradiating light with the same illumination intensity in at least three directions from the forward, backward, side (left and right), and diagonal directions.

[0097] The illumination device 30 is capable of illuminating the vehicle body 3 in the direction of travel, and simultaneously illuminating in directions other than the direction of travel. For example, when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is forward, the illumination device 30 can simultaneously illuminate the front, which is the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3, and the sides (left or right), which are directions other than the direction of travel. In this case, the illumination intensity in the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 can be made the same as the illumination intensity in directions other than the direction of travel.

[0098] As shown in Figures 15 and 26, the irradiation device 30 has a plurality of irradiation units 301 to 314. In the following description, all or at least one of the plurality of irradiation units 301 to 314 will be referred to as the irradiation unit 300. The irradiation unit 300 is provided on the fourth cover 74 that covers the outside of the left travel frame 8L and on the fifth cover 75 that covers the outside of the right travel frame 8R. However, the irradiation unit 300 may also be provided on other covers (first cover 71, second cover 72, third cover 73) in addition to the fourth cover 74 and the fifth cover 75. For example, the irradiation unit 300 can be provided on the front and / or rear of the first cover 71.

[0099] Each illumination unit 300 is equipped with one or more light sources (such as LEDs). Multiple illumination units 300 can emit light independently of each other. Specifically, multiple illumination units 300 can be turned on, turned off, and their illuminance (brightness) adjusted independently of each other.

[0100] In this embodiment, the multiple irradiation units 300 include the first irradiation unit 301 to the 14th irradiation unit 314. In other words, in this embodiment, the irradiation unit 300 includes 14 irradiation units. However, the number of irradiation units 300 is not particularly limited and may be less than 14 or 15 or more.

[0101] In this embodiment, multiple illumination units are provided on the left and right sides of the vehicle 2. The left side of the vehicle 2 (the left side of the fourth cover 74) is provided with the first illumination unit 301 to the seventh illumination unit 307. The right side of the vehicle 2 (the right side of the fifth cover 75) is provided with the eighth illumination unit 308 to the fourteenth illumination unit 314. The first illumination unit 301 to the seventh illumination unit 307 are left illumination units provided on the left side of the vehicle 2. The eighth illumination unit 308 to the fourteenth illumination unit 314 are right illumination units provided on the right side of the vehicle 2.

[0102] The first to seventh irradiation units 301 to 307 are arranged on the left side of the vehicle 2, from front to rear, in the order of first irradiation unit 301, second irradiation unit 302, third irradiation unit 303, fourth irradiation unit 304, fifth irradiation unit 305, sixth irradiation unit 306, and seventh irradiation unit 307. The eighth to fourteenth irradiation units 308 to 14th irradiation units 314 are arranged on the right side of the vehicle 2, from front to rear, in the order of eighth irradiation unit 308, ninth irradiation unit 309, tenth irradiation unit 310, eleventh irradiation unit 311, twelfth irradiation unit 312, thirteenth irradiation unit 313, and fourteenth irradiation unit 314.

[0103] Multiple illumination units (first illumination unit 301 to seventh illumination unit 307) provided on the left side of the vehicle 2 and multiple illumination units (eighth illumination unit 308 to fourteenth illumination unit 314) provided on the right side of the vehicle 2 are connected in the front-rear direction. In other words, the multiple illumination units provided on the left side of the vehicle 2 and the multiple illumination units provided on the right side of the vehicle 2 are arranged in a single straight line extending in the front-rear direction.

[0104] The multiple illumination units 300 include a front illumination unit provided on the front side of the vehicle 2 and a rear illumination unit provided on the rear side of the vehicle 2. In this embodiment, the front illumination unit consists of the first illumination unit 301 to the third illumination unit 303 and the eighth illumination unit 308 to the tenth illumination unit 310. The rear illumination unit consists of the fifth illumination unit 305 to the seventh illumination unit 307 and the twelfth illumination unit 312 to the fourteenth illumination unit 314.

[0105] The multiple irradiation units 300 include an intermediate irradiation unit provided between the front irradiation unit and the rear irradiation unit in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the intermediate irradiation unit is the fourth irradiation unit 304 and the eleventh irradiation unit 311.

[0106] Furthermore, the front irradiation section may consist of the first irradiation section 301, the second irradiation section 302, the eighth irradiation section 308, and the ninth irradiation section 309, while the rear irradiation section may consist of the sixth irradiation section 306, the seventh irradiation section 307, the thirteenth irradiation section 313, and the fourteenth irradiation section 314. In this case, the intermediate irradiation section consists of the third to fifth irradiation sections 303 to 305 and the tenth to twelfth irradiation sections 310 to 312.

[0107] The multiple illumination units 300 include a forward illumination unit capable of illuminating the front when the vehicle body 3 is moving forward, a rear illumination unit capable of illuminating the rear when the vehicle body 3 is moving backward, a side illumination unit capable of illuminating the side when the vehicle body 3 is moving sideways, and an oblique illumination unit capable of illuminating the oblique direction when the vehicle body 3 is moving diagonally.

[0108] In this embodiment, the forward irradiation section is the same as the front irradiation section (first irradiation section 301 to third irradiation section 303 and eighth irradiation section 308 to tenth irradiation section 310). The rear irradiation section is the same as the rear irradiation section (fifth irradiation section 305 to seventh irradiation section 307 and twelfth irradiation section 312 to fourteenth irradiation section 314). However, the forward irradiation section may be composed of different irradiation sections than the front irradiation section. The rear irradiation section may be composed of different irradiation sections than the rear irradiation section.

[0109] The lateral illumination unit includes a left-side illumination unit capable of illuminating the left side when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is to the left, and a right-side illumination unit capable of illuminating the side when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is to the right.

[0110] The left-side illuminating section is capable of illuminating at least the left side perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 3. The right-side illuminating section is capable of illuminating at least the right side perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 3. In this embodiment, the left-side illuminating section consists of the second illuminating section 302, the third illuminating section 303, the fifth illuminating section 305, and the sixth illuminating section 306. The right-side illuminating section consists of the ninth illuminating section 309, the tenth illuminating section 310, the twelfth illuminating section 312, and the thirteenth illuminating section 313.

[0111] Furthermore, the lateral irradiation section may include the fourth irradiation section 304 and the eleventh irradiation section 311. In this case, the left lateral irradiation section consists of the second irradiation section 302 to the sixth irradiation section 306. The right lateral irradiation section consists of the ninth irradiation section 309 to the thirteenth irradiation section 313.

[0112] The oblique illumination unit includes a left front illumination unit capable of illuminating the left front when the vehicle body 3 is moving left front, a right front illumination unit capable of illuminating the right front when the vehicle body 3 is moving right front, a left rear illumination unit capable of illuminating the left rear when the vehicle body 3 is moving left rear, and a right rear illumination unit capable of illuminating the right rear when the vehicle body 3 is moving right rear.

[0113] In this embodiment, the left front irradiation unit is the fifth irradiation unit 305. The right front irradiation unit is the twelfth irradiation unit 312. The left rear irradiation unit is the third irradiation unit 303. The right rear irradiation unit is the tenth irradiation unit 310.

[0114] As shown in Figure 26, the side of the vehicle 2 has a first portion 201 and a second portion 202 that are at different angles with respect to the front-rear direction in a plan view. The first portion 201 and the second portion 202 are connected. The side of the vehicle 2 (left side and right side) has a constricted portion 210 that is recessed inward in the width direction of the vehicle body in a plan view. The first portion 201 and the second portion 202 are provided on the constricted portion 210.

[0115] The constricted portion 210 has a central portion 211 extending in the front-rear direction, a forward-sloping portion 212 extending forward and outward in the vehicle width direction from the front end of the central portion 211, and a rearward-sloping portion 213 extending rearward and outward in the vehicle width direction from the rear end of the central portion 211. The first portion 201 and the second portion 202 are either the central portion 211, the forward-sloping portion 212, or the rearward-sloping portion 213.

[0116] If the central portion 211 is the first portion 201, then the front inclined portion 212 or the rear inclined portion 213 is the second portion 202 (see Figure 26). If the front inclined portion 212 is the first portion 201, then the central portion 211 is the second portion 202. If the rear inclined portion 213 is the first portion 201, then the central portion 211 is the second portion 202.

[0117] The front inclined section 212 is provided with a third irradiation section 303 and a tenth irradiation section 310. The central section 211 is provided with a fourth irradiation section 304 and an eleventh irradiation section 311. The rear inclined section 213 is provided with a fifth irradiation section 305 and a twelfth irradiation section 312. In other words, the irradiation section 300 is provided in the central section 211, the front inclined section 212, and the rear inclined section 213, respectively. Therefore, the irradiation section 300 is provided in the first section 201 and the second section 202, respectively. The irradiation section located in the first section 201 and the irradiation section located in the second section 202 are connected.

[0118] Figure 27 shows the state in which light is being emitted from the illumination units (third illumination unit 303, fourth illumination unit 304, fifth illumination unit 305) provided on the constricted portion 210 (front inclined portion 212, central portion 211, rear inclined portion 213) of the moving vehicle 2 toward the object OB located to the side of the moving vehicle 2. The direction L12 of the light emitted from the front inclined portion 212, the direction L11 of the light emitted from the central portion 211, and the direction L13 of the light emitted from the rear inclined portion 213 are in different directions, and these directions become closer to each other as they move away from each illumination unit. Therefore, the light emitted from the front inclined portion 212, the light emitted from the central portion 211, and the light emitted from the rear inclined portion 213 can be directed toward the same object OB. As a result, the illumination units provided on the constricted portion 210 can illuminate the object OB from multiple directions.

[0119] The camera 18a (see Figure 8) of the situation detection device 18 installed on the moving vehicle 2 is positioned to capture images of the illuminated object OB illuminated by the illumination unit provided in the constricted portion 210. Because the illumination unit can illuminate the illuminated object OB from multiple directions, the camera 18a can capture images of the illuminated object OB illuminated from multiple directions. This improves the accuracy of image analysis of the illuminated object OB captured by the camera 18a, enabling the situation detection device 18 to detect the illuminated object OB with high accuracy. In particular, when the surroundings of the moving vehicle 2 are dark, such as on cloudy days or at night, the ability of the illumination unit to illuminate the illuminated object OB from multiple directions is extremely effective in enabling the situation detection device 18 to detect the illuminated object OB with high accuracy.

[0120] The object to be irradiated OB is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be a crop planted in a ridge formed in a field. When the object to be irradiated OB is a crop planted in a ridge, as shown in Figure 28, the traveling vehicle 2 travels across the first ridge UN1 between the left traveling device 4L and the right traveling device 4R, and irradiates light from multiple directions from the irradiation units (third irradiation unit 303, fourth irradiation unit 304, fifth irradiation unit 305) provided in the constricted section 210 toward the crop (object to be irradiated OB) planted in the second ridge UN2 adjacent to the first ridge UN1. The crop (object to be irradiated OB) irradiated from multiple directions can be photographed by the camera 18a and analyzed as an image. As a result, the situation detection device 18 can detect the type and height of the crop planted in the second ridge UN2 with high accuracy.

[0121] The height change control unit 19C can change the height of the vehicle body 3 by driving the height change mechanism 90 based on the detected height of the crops (irradiation target object OB) planted in the second furrow UN2. This prevents the vehicle body 3 from coming into contact with the crops planted in the furrow UN2 when the vehicle 2 travels across the second furrow UN2.

[0122] As shown in Figure 8, the control device 19 has an irradiation control unit 19D that controls the irradiation of the irradiation device 30. The irradiation control unit 19D transmits a control signal to the irradiation device 30 by having the calculation unit of the control device 19 execute a program stored in the memory unit. The irradiation unit 300 of the irradiation device 30 operates based on the control signal transmitted from the irradiation control unit 19D.

[0123] The irradiation control unit 19D can independently control multiple irradiation units 300. The irradiation control unit 19D can control the irradiation units 300 by controlling the operation of the electrical circuits of the irradiation device 30. The irradiation control unit 19D can individually control the power supply to multiple irradiation units 300. Controlling the irradiation units 300 includes turning them on and off and changing the irradiation intensity. In other words, the irradiation control unit 19D can individually control the turning on, turning them off, and changing the irradiation intensity of multiple irradiation units 300.

[0124] The illumination control unit 19D can control the illumination device 30 based on information related to the control performed by the automatic driving control unit 19A (for example, information related to the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 based on the planned travel line, and information related to the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 based on the results of sensing the surroundings of the vehicle 2 by the positioning device 15, the situation detection device 18, etc.). The illumination control unit 19D can also control the illumination device 30 based on information related to the control performed by the distance change control unit 19B (for example, information related to the distance between the vehicle body 3 and the running device 4). Furthermore, the illumination control unit 19D can control the illumination device 30 based on information related to the surrounding conditions of the vehicle body 3 detected by the situation detection device 18 (for example, information related to crops planted in the furrows, information related to obstacles that hinder driving).

[0125] The operation of the illumination device 30 of the moving vehicle 2 will be explained below with reference to the drawings. In Figures 29 to 38, the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is indicated by a white arrow, and the light emitted from the illumination unit 300 (irradiated light) is indicated by the symbol LT. The size and range of the area of ​​the illuminated light LT shown are examples only and are not limited to those shown. The operation of the illumination device 30 (lighting, extinguishing, and changing the irradiation intensity of the illumination unit 300) described below can be performed by the irradiation control unit 19D controlling the illumination device 30.

[0126] Figure 29 shows the operation of the illumination device 30 when the vehicle body 3 is moving forward. As shown in Figure 29, when the vehicle body 3 is moving forward, the front illumination section of the illumination device 30 (the first illumination section 301 to the third illumination section 303 and the eighth illumination section 308 to the tenth illumination section 310) lights up. As a result, the illumination device 30 can illuminate the area in front of the vehicle body 3, which is the direction of travel.

[0127] Figure 30 shows the operation of the illumination device 30 when the vehicle body 3 is moving in reverse. As shown in Figure 30, when the vehicle body 3 is moving in reverse, the rear illumination section of the illumination device 30 (the 5th illumination section 305 to the 7th illumination section 307 and the 12th illumination section 312 to the 14th illumination section 314) lights up. As a result, the illumination device 30 can illuminate the area behind the vehicle body 3, which is the direction of travel.

[0128] Figures 31 and 32 show the operation of the illumination device 30 when the vehicle body 3 is moving laterally. Lateral movement of the vehicle body 3 is performed while maintaining the direction of the vehicle body 3 in the longitudinal direction (with the left front wheel 7LF and left rear wheel 7LB aligned in the longitudinal direction, and the right front wheel 7RF and right rear wheel 7RB aligned in the longitudinal direction). Figure 31 shows the operation of the illumination device 30 when the vehicle body 3 is moving to the left. Figure 32 shows the operation of the illumination device 30 when the vehicle body 3 is moving to the right.

[0129] As shown in Figures 31 and 32, when the vehicle body 3 moves laterally, the lateral illumination section of the illumination device 30 illuminates, which is capable of illuminating the side in the direction of travel. Specifically, as shown in Figure 31, when the vehicle body 3 moves to the left, the second illumination section 302, the third illumination section 303, the fifth illumination section 305, and the sixth illumination section 306 of the left-side illumination section of the illumination device 30 illuminate. As a result, the illumination device 30 can illuminate the left side, which is the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3.

[0130] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 32, when the vehicle body 3 moves to the right, the 9th illumination unit 309, the 10th illumination unit 310, the 12th illumination unit 312, and the 13th illumination unit 313 of the right-side illumination unit of the illumination device 30 are illuminated. As a result, the illumination device 30 can illuminate the right side, which is the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3.

[0131] In other words, when the vehicle 3 moves sideways, the illumination device 30 illuminates the front illumination unit and the rear illumination unit (more specifically, the front illumination unit and rear illumination unit capable of illuminating the sides). Specifically, when the vehicle 3 moves to the left, the second illumination unit 302 and the third illumination unit 303 of the front illumination unit and the fifth illumination unit 305 and the sixth illumination unit 306 of the rear illumination unit illuminate. When the vehicle 3 moves to the right, the ninth illumination unit 309 and the tenth illumination unit 310 of the front illumination unit and the twelfth illumination unit 312 and the thirteenth illumination unit 313 of the rear illumination unit illuminate.

[0132] Furthermore, when the vehicle body 3 is moving to the left, the illumination device 30 may be configured to illuminate the second illumination unit 302 and the sixth illumination unit 306 of the left-side illumination section, and when the vehicle body 3 is moving to the right, the illumination device 30 may be configured to illuminate the ninth illumination unit 309 and the thirteenth illumination unit 313 of the right-side illumination section. In other words, when the vehicle body 3 is moving to the left, the illumination device 30 may be configured to illuminate the illumination unit at the front and rear of the left-side illumination section, and when the vehicle body 3 is moving to the right, the illumination device 30 may be configured to illuminate the illumination unit at the front and rear of the right-side illumination section.

[0133] Figures 33 to 36 show the operation of the illumination device 30 when the vehicle body 3 is moving diagonally. The diagonal movement of the vehicle body 3 is performed while maintaining the direction of the vehicle body 3 in the front-rear direction. Figure 33 shows the operation of the illumination device 30 when the vehicle body 3 is moving forward to the left. Figure 34 shows the operation of the illumination device 30 when the vehicle body 3 is moving forward to the right. Figure 35 shows the operation of the illumination device 30 when the vehicle body 3 is moving backward to the left. Figure 36 shows the operation of the illumination device 30 when the vehicle body 3 is moving backward to the right.

[0134] As shown in Figure 33, when the vehicle body 3 is moving forward to the left, the left front illumination unit (fifth illumination unit 305) of the illumination device 30 lights up. This allows the illumination device 30 to illuminate the left front, which is the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3. As shown in Figure 34, when the vehicle body 3 is moving forward to the right, the right front illumination unit (twelfth illumination unit 312) of the illumination device 30 lights up. This allows the illumination device 30 to illuminate the right front, which is the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3.

[0135] As shown in Figure 35, when the vehicle 3 is moving to the left rear, the left rear illumination unit (third illumination unit 303) of the illumination device 30 lights up. This allows the illumination device 30 to illuminate the left rear, which is the direction of travel for the vehicle 3. As shown in Figure 36, when the vehicle 3 is moving to the right rear, the right rear illumination unit (tenth illumination unit 310) of the illumination device 30 lights up. This allows the illumination device 30 to illuminate the right rear, which is the direction of travel for the vehicle 3.

[0136] As shown in Figure 37, the vehicle 2 may be configured such that when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is changed, the illumination unit among the multiple illumination units 300 that can illuminate in the direction corresponding to the changed direction of travel lights up. The change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3, as described below, is performed without changing the direction of the vehicle body 3 (while maintaining it in the front-rear direction).

[0137] When the center of the vehicle 2 is at point A, the direction of travel of the vehicle 2 is forward. At this time, the forward illumination section of the illumination device 30 (first illumination section 301 to third illumination section 303 and eighth illumination section 308 to tenth illumination section 310) lights up. As a result, the illumination device 30 can illuminate the area in front of the vehicle body 3, which is the direction of travel. When the center of the vehicle 2 reaches point B, the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 changes from forward to the right. At this time, the rightward illumination section of the illumination device 30 (ninth illumination section 309 and tenth illumination section 310 and twelfth illumination section 312 and thirteenth illumination section 313) lights up. As a result, the illumination device 30 can illuminate the direction corresponding to the changed direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 (to the right).

[0138] As shown in Figure 37, when one of the multiple illumination units illuminates the direction corresponding to the changed direction of travel of the vehicle body 3, the other illumination units are kept off. As a result, when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is changed, only the illumination unit that illuminates the direction corresponding to the changed direction of travel illuminates, allowing the moving vehicle 2 to clearly indicate the changed direction of travel to its surroundings.

[0139] As shown in Figure 38, when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is changed, the vehicle body 2 may be configured such that the illumination unit capable of illuminating the direction corresponding to the changed direction of travel among the multiple illumination units 300 illuminates with a higher illumination intensity than the other illumination units. In Figure 38, the light emitted from the illumination unit that is illuminated with a higher illumination intensity than the other illumination units is indicated by the symbol LT1. In this case, when the illumination unit capable of illuminating the direction corresponding to the changed direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 among the multiple illumination units 300 illuminates, the illumination unit that was illuminating the direction corresponding to the previous direction of travel also remains illuminated.

[0140] When the center of the vehicle 2 is at point A, the direction of travel of the vehicle 2 is forward. At this time, the forward illumination section of the illumination device 30 (first illumination section 301 to third illumination section 303 and eighth illumination section 308 to tenth illumination section 310) lights up. When the center of the vehicle 2 reaches point B, the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 changes from forward to left-front. At this time, in addition to the forward illumination section, the left-front illumination section (fifth illumination section 305) of the illumination device 30 lights up. As a result, the illumination device 30 can illuminate not only the direction corresponding to the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 before the change (forward), but also the direction corresponding to the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 after the change (left-front).

[0141] At this time, the left-front illuminating unit (5th illuminating unit 305), which is an illuminating unit capable of illuminating the direction corresponding to the changed direction of travel (left front), emits light with a higher illumination intensity than the other illuminating units (forward illuminating units) that are already emitting light. As a result, the moving vehicle 2 can clearly indicate the changed direction of travel to its surroundings.

[0142] The operation of the illumination device 30 shown in Figures 29 to 38, as described above, can be performed by the illumination control unit 19D controlling the illumination device 30 based on information related to the control performed by the automatic driving control unit 19A (for example, information related to the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 based on the planned travel line, and information related to the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 based on the results of sensing the surroundings of the vehicle 2 by the positioning device 15, the situation detection device 18, etc.). Specifically, the illumination control unit 19D can perform this operation by acquiring information related to the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 from the information related to the control performed by the automatic driving control unit 19A, and controlling the illumination device 30 based on the acquired information.

[0143] For example, if the illumination control unit 19D obtains information from the control information performed by the automatic driving control unit 19A that the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is to the left, it activates the illumination device 30 (turns on the illumination unit) as shown in Figure 31. Also, if the illumination control unit 19D obtains information from the control information performed by the automatic driving control unit 19A that the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is changed from forward to to the right, it activates the illumination device 30 (turns on or off the illumination unit) as shown in Figure 37.

[0144] As shown in Figures 39 and 40, the vehicle 2 may be configured such that the left illumination unit lights up when the distance between the left running gear 4L and the vehicle body 3 (first distance) is increased by the distance change mechanism 80, and the right illumination unit lights up when the distance between the right running gear 4R and the vehicle body 3 (second distance) is increased by the distance change mechanism 80.

[0145] Figure 39 shows how the left illumination unit (second illumination unit 302 to sixth illumination unit 306) lights up when the distance between the left running device 4L and the vehicle body 3 (first distance) is changed by the distance change mechanism 80 to increase the distance. In the example of Figure 39, only a part of the left illumination unit (second illumination unit 302 to sixth illumination unit 306) is lit, but the entire left illumination unit (first illumination unit 301 to seventh illumination unit 307) may be lit. The left figure shows the vehicle 2 before the first distance is changed, and the right figure shows the vehicle 2 while the first distance is being changed (increased). In this way, when the distance between the left running device 4L and the vehicle body 3 (first distance) is changed by the distance change mechanism 80 to increase the distance, the left illumination unit lights up, which can draw the attention of people on the left side of the vehicle 2.

[0146] Figure 40 shows how the right illumination unit (9th illumination unit 309 to 13th illumination unit 313) lights up when the distance between the right running gear 4R and the vehicle body 3 (second distance) is changed by the distance change mechanism 80. In the example in Figure 40, only a part of the right illumination unit (9th illumination unit 309 to 13th illumination unit 313) is lit, but the entire right illumination unit (8th illumination unit 308 to 14th illumination unit 314) may be lit. The left figure shows the vehicle 2 before the change in the second distance, and the right figure shows the vehicle 2 while the second distance is increasing. In this way, when the distance between the right running gear 4R and the vehicle body 3 (second distance) is changed by the distance change mechanism 80, the right illumination unit lights up, which can draw the attention of people on the right side of the vehicle 2.

[0147] The vehicle 2 may be configured such that when the distance is changed by the distance changing mechanism 80 to increase the first or second distance, the illumination unit on the side where the distance is changed (left illumination unit or right illumination unit) lights up in stages (in a gradient) from the front to the rear (or from the rear to the front).

[0148] Figure 41 shows how the right illumination unit lights up in stages from the front to the rear when the distance change mechanism 80 changes the second distance to be longer. In the figure, (a) shows the vehicle 2 before the change in the second distance is made, (b) shows the vehicle 2 while the second distance is being increased, (c) shows the vehicle 2 in a state where the second distance has increased further from the state in (b), and (d) shows the vehicle 2 after the increase in the second distance has been completed.

[0149] In state (a), the illumination unit of the moving vehicle 2 is not lit; in state (b), the 9th illumination unit 309 and the 10th illumination unit 310 are lit; in state (c), the 11th illumination unit 311 is lit; and in state (d), the 12th illumination unit 312 and the 13th illumination unit 313 are lit.

[0150] In this way, by gradually illuminating the illumination unit (left illumination unit or right illumination unit) on the side where the distance between the vehicle body 3 and the running gear 4 of the moving vehicle 2 is changed (distance increases) from the front to the rear (or from the rear to the front) as the distance increases, it is possible to strongly draw the attention of people on the side of the moving vehicle 2.

[0151] The operation of the irradiation device 30 shown in Figures 39 to 41 described above can be performed by the irradiation control unit 19D controlling the irradiation device 30 based on information related to the control performed by the distance change control unit 19B (in particular, information related to the distance between the vehicle body 3 and the running gear 4 (such as information related to the operation of the left cylinder 81L and the right cylinder 81R)).

[0152] Specifically, the irradiation control unit 19D can perform this operation by obtaining information regarding the distance (first distance or second distance) between the vehicle body 3 and the left running gear 4L or the right running gear 4R from the information regarding the control performed by the distance change control unit 19B, and controlling the irradiation device 30 based on the obtained information.

[0153] The irradiation control unit 19D can acquire information regarding the first distance based on the operation information of the left cylinder 81L controlled by the distance change control unit 19B, and can acquire information regarding the second distance based on the operation information of the right cylinder 81R controlled by the distance change control unit 19B.

[0154] For example, if the illumination control unit 19D obtains information from the control information performed by the distance change control unit 19B that the distance between the vehicle body 3 and the left running gear 4L is increasing, it activates the illumination device 30 as shown in Figure 39. If the illumination control unit 19D obtains information from the control information performed by the distance change control unit 19B that the distance between the vehicle body 3 and the right running gear 4R is increasing, it activates the illumination device 30 as shown in Figure 40.

[0155] The vehicle 2 may be configured such that when an operator transmits a signal to command the operation of the vehicle 2 from an external device (such as a smartphone) as described above, and the communication device 16 receives the signal, the illumination device 30 lights up (or flashes). This allows the operator to be notified that the vehicle 2 has received the signal. This operation can be performed by the control device 19 (illumination control unit 19D) controlling the illumination device 30 based on the signal received by the communication device 16.

[0156] The vehicle 2 may be configured to automatically turn on the illumination device 30 when the ambient light decreases. In this case, the vehicle 2 is equipped with an illuminance sensor to detect ambient light, and the control device 19 (illumination control unit 19D) can be configured to control the illumination device 30 to turn on the illumination unit when the brightness detected by the illuminance sensor falls below a predetermined value. This makes the presence of the vehicle 2 known to people and animals in the vicinity, even at night.

[0157] As shown in Figure 42, the vehicle 2 can be configured to display the remaining amount of power stored in the battery 12 using the illumination device 30. In this case, the control device 19 (illumination control unit 19D) increases or decreases the number of illuminated illumination units 300 of the illumination device 30 according to the remaining amount of power in the battery 12. Specifically, when the remaining amount of power in the battery 12 is high, the number of illuminated illumination units is increased, and when the remaining amount is low, the number of illuminated illumination units 300 is decreased.

[0158] Figure 42(a) shows the vehicle 2 with a battery 12 at 100% charge. In this state, all the illumination units on the side of the vehicle 2 (first illumination unit 301 to seventh illumination unit 307) are lit. (b) shows the vehicle 2 with the battery 12 charge reduced from 100% to about 60%. In this state, the frontmost illumination unit on the side of the vehicle 2 (first illumination unit 301) and the multiple illumination units lined up behind it (second illumination unit 302 to fourth illumination unit 304) are lit. (c) shows the vehicle 2 with the battery 12 charge reduced further to about 10%. In this state, only the frontmost illumination unit on the side of the vehicle 2 (first illumination unit 301) is lit.

[0159] In this way, by changing the number of illuminated units 300 according to the remaining charge of the battery 12, and configuring the system so that the length of the illuminated units in the front-to-back direction (the length of the illuminated units that are continuously lit in the front-to-back direction) changes, the illuminated light functions as a scale (bar graph) indicating the remaining charge, allowing the operator to intuitively recognize the remaining charge of the battery 12 of the vehicle 2.

[0160] Furthermore, the vehicle 2 may be configured to flash the illumination device 30 while the battery 12 is being charged. Specifically, the vehicle 2 may be configured to flash the illumination device 30 at a long interval (for example, a interval of 3 seconds or more or 5 seconds or more) while the battery 12 is being charged. This makes it easy for the operator to recognize that the battery 12 is being charged.

[0161] The vehicle 2 may be configured to flash the illumination device 30 when a dangerous situation or trouble occurs to the vehicle 2 (such as battery failure, vehicle malfunction, or getting stuck). In this case, by flashing all the illumination units, it is possible to recognize that the illumination units are flashing from all directions around the vehicle 2. In this case, by setting the illumination intensity of the illumination units to a higher intensity than in other cases (such as when illuminating while moving), it is possible to recognize that the illumination units are flashing even from a distance. Therefore, it is possible to quickly grasp that a dangerous situation or trouble has occurred to the vehicle 2.

[0162] The vehicle 2 may be equipped with a voice recognition device. In this case, the control device 19 (illumination control unit 19D) flashes the illumination device 30 based on the content of the voice recognized by the voice recognition device. In this case, the control device 19 (illumination control unit 19D) can make the illumination unit in the direction from which a person is speaking shine brighter than the other illumination units, and make it flash interactively according to the content of the conversation.

[0163] Furthermore, the moving vehicle 2 can be configured to flash the illumination device 30 based on the detection information from the sensor 18b of the situation detection device 18. In this case, the control device 19 (illumination control unit 19D) can respond to the movement by illuminating the illumination unit when the sensor 18b detects human movement (for example, a person waving their hand).

[0164] Next, the configuration of the work machine 1 equipped with the traveling vehicle 2 will be described in more detail. Figures 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of the work machine 1 equipped with the traveling vehicle 2. The work machine 1 includes a traveling vehicle 2 which comprises a liftable body 3 and a traveling device 4 positioned to the side of the body 3. The lifting and lowering of the body 3 can be performed by the height changing mechanism 90 described above. The traveling device 4 includes the left traveling device 4L and the right traveling device 4R described above.

[0165] The work machine 1 is equipped with a detachable mechanism 160 that detachably supports the work device 100 to the traveling vehicle 2. The work device 100 that can be attached to and detached from the traveling vehicle 2 may be, for example, a harvesting device for harvesting crops or a grass-cutting device for cutting grass. However, the work device 100 may be a device that performs agricultural work other than harvesting or grass cutting. Furthermore, the work device may be a device that performs work other than agricultural work (such as civil engineering work).

[0166] In this embodiment, the work device 100 is the harvesting device 100A. Therefore, the work machine 1 in this embodiment is a harvesting machine 1A equipped with the harvesting device 100A as the work device 100. As shown in Figure 43, the harvesting device 100A includes a cutting unit 110, a transfer unit 120 for transferring the harvested material cut by the cutting unit 110, a processing unit 130 for processing the harvested material transferred by the transfer unit 120, and a discharge unit 140 for discharging the harvested material after processing by the processing unit 130. The specific configurations of the cutting unit 110, the transfer unit 120, the processing unit 130, and the discharge unit 140 will be described later.

[0167] As shown in Figure 43, the harvesting device 100A has support legs 150 that can support the processing unit 130 to the ground, and the support legs 150 allow it to stand on its own on the ground level (GL). In this embodiment, the harvesting device 100A has the cutting unit 110 and the support legs 150 in contact with the ground level (GL).

[0168] The support legs 150 are provided on the left and right sides of the harvesting device 100A, respectively. In the illustrated example, the support legs 150 are provided on the rear (left rear and right rear) of the harvesting device 100A, but they may also be provided on the front (left front and right front) and rear (left rear and right rear) of the harvesting device 100A.

[0169] Furthermore, the support leg 150 may be configured as a single horizontally elongated leg (a leg extending in the left-right direction) attached to the rear end of the harvesting device 100A. In other words, the support leg 150 may not be provided on the left and right sides of the harvesting device 100A, but rather as a single leg extending from the left side to the right side of the harvesting device 100A.

[0170] The upper part of the support leg 150 is pivotally supported by a pivot 151 that extends in the left-right direction. The lower part of the support leg 150 can contact the ground. The support leg 150 is rotatable around the pivot 151 as a fulcrum. This allows the support leg 150 to change its posture between a first posture in contact with the ground (Figure 43) and a second posture away from the ground (Figure 44).

[0171] The support leg 150 is biased to rotate backward by the biasing force of a biasing member 152 such as a gas spring. The harvesting device 100A is provided with a stopper (not shown) that prevents the support leg 150 from rotating further backward than the first position. As a result, the support leg 150 is in the first position due to the biasing force of the biasing member 152 (see Figure 43). When a force is applied to the support leg 150 toward the front (when the support leg 150 is pushed toward the front), the support leg 150 rotates toward the front and assumes the second position (see Figure 44).

[0172] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 13, the attachment / detachment mechanism 160 has guide rails 161 provided on the traveling vehicle 2. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the guide rails 161 extend in the longitudinal direction of the traveling vehicle 2. As shown in Figure 13, the guide rails 161 are provided on the right side of the left traveling device 4L and on the left side of the right traveling device 4R. The guide rail 161 provided on the right side of the left traveling device 4L is, for example, provided on the right side of the left traveling frame 8L. The guide rail 161 provided on the left side of the right traveling device 4R is, for example, provided on the left side of the right traveling frame 8R.

[0173] As shown in Figure 45, the guide rail 161 may be provided on the lower part (underside) of the vehicle body 3. Also, as shown in Figure 46, the guide rail 161 may be provided on the right side of the left running gear 4L, the left side of the right running gear 4R, and on the lower part (underside) of the vehicle body 3. The guide rail 161 provided on the lower part of the vehicle body 3 may be provided, for example, on the lower part of the central vehicle body frame 22 (the lower part of the lower vehicle body frame 26).

[0174] The work machine 1 is equipped with a mechanism that can change the left-right position and / or the up-down position of the guide rail 161. The mechanism that can change the left-right position of the guide rail 161 is the distance changing mechanism 80 described above. The distance changing mechanism 80 can change the left-right position of the guide rail 161 provided on the right side of the left travel device 4L and the left side of the right travel device 4R by changing the left-right position of the left travel device 4L and / or the left-right position of the right travel device 4R. The mechanism that can change the up-down position of the guide rail 161 is the height changing mechanism 90 described above. The height changing mechanism 90 can change the up-down position of the guide rail 161 provided on the lower part of the vehicle body 3 by changing the up-down position of the vehicle body 3 relative to the travel device 4.

[0175] As shown in Figures 2, 43, and 47, the work device 100 is provided with a mounting projection 101 that can be attached to the guide rail 161. The mounting projection 101 extends in the front-rear direction along the left and right sides of the work device 100. The mounting projection 101 is inserted into the guide rail 161 by being inserted into a groove 161a (see Figure 47) that extends in the front-rear direction and is formed in the guide rail 161. In this way, the work device 100 having the mounting projection 101 is supported by the guide rail 161 and attached to the traveling vehicle 2.

[0176] The mounting projection 101 is provided on the side and / or top surface of the work device 100. If the guide rail 161 is provided on the right side of the left travel device 4L and the left side of the right travel device 4R, the mounting projection 101 is provided on the left and right sides of the work device 100 (see Figure 47). If the guide rail 161 is provided on the lower part (bottom surface) of the vehicle body 3, the mounting projection 101 is provided on the upper part (top surface) of the work device 100 (see Figure 48). If the guide rail 161 is provided on the right side of the left travel device 4L, the left side of the right travel device 4R and the lower part of the vehicle body 3, the mounting projection 101 is provided on the left, right, and top surfaces of the work device 100 (see Figure 49).

[0177] As shown in Figures 2, 47 to 49, the detachable mechanism 160 detachably supports the work device 100 between the right side of the left travel device 4L and the left side of the right travel device 4R. More specifically, the detachable mechanism 160 detachably supports the work device 100 between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R and below the vehicle body 3 when the vehicle body 3 is in the raised position (see Figures 47 to 49).

[0178] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 47-49, when the work device 100 is mounted on the traveling vehicle 2, a portion of the work device 100 is covered above by the vehicle body 3, to the left by the left traveling device 4L, and to the right by the right traveling device 4R. In this embodiment, the upper part of the processing unit 130 of the harvesting device 100A, which is the work device 100, is covered above by the vehicle body 3, to the left of the processing unit 130 is covered by the left traveling device 4L, and to the right of the processing unit 130 is covered by the right traveling device 4R.

[0179] The attachment / detachment mechanism 160 allows the work device 100 to be attached to and detached from the vehicle 2 by moving the vehicle 2 forward or backward relative to the work device 100. Specifically, the attachment / detachment mechanism 160 allows the work device 100 to be attached to the vehicle 2 by inserting a part of the work device 100 (mounting projection 101) into the guide rail 161 provided on the vehicle 2 from the front or rear. Furthermore, the attachment / detachment mechanism 160 allows the work device 100 to be detached from the vehicle 2 by pulling a part of the work device 100 (mounting projection 101) forward or backward relative to the guide rail 161 provided on the vehicle 2.

[0180] Figures 50 to 53 show the method for attaching the harvesting device 100A to the vehicle 2 of the implement 1. The method for attaching the harvesting device 100A to the vehicle 2 of the implement 1 will be explained below based on Figures 50 to 53. However, the method described below can also be used to attach other implements 100 to the vehicle 2.

[0181] First, the harvesting device 100A is made to stand on the ground GL using the support legs 150 (see Figure 50). In the illustrated example, the harvesting device 100A has its support legs 150 and the cutting section 110 in contact with the ground. In this state, the vehicle 2, with its body 3 in the raised position, is moved from behind the harvesting device 100A toward the harvesting device 100A (see Figures 50 and 52). Then, the harvesting device 100A is attached to the vehicle 2 by inserting the mounting projection 101 of the work device 100 from the front into the guide rail 161 provided on the vehicle 2 (see Figures 51 and 53).

[0182] When the harvesting device 100A is mounted on the vehicle 2, the harvesting device 100A is fixed to the vehicle 2 by a locking mechanism (not shown). An example of the locking mechanism is a configuration in which a pin that can be extended and retracted into a hole in the harvesting device 100A is provided on the vehicle 2. In this case, the harvesting device 100A is fixed (locked) to the vehicle 2 by inserting the pin provided on the vehicle 2 into the hole provided on the harvesting device 100A. The locking mechanism is released from the vehicle 2 by removing the pin provided on the vehicle 2 from the hole provided on the harvesting device 100A. However, the configuration of the locking mechanism is not limited to this.

[0183] The traveling vehicle 2 is provided with a pressing section 170 that can push the support legs 150 from the rear when the harvesting device 100A is attached to the traveling vehicle 2 (see Figure 50). The pressing section 170 is provided on the right side of the left traveling device 4L (left traveling frame 8L) and on the left side of the right traveling device 4R (right traveling frame 8R), respectively. By providing such a pressing section 170 on the traveling vehicle 2, when the harvesting device 100A is attached to the traveling vehicle 2, the support legs 150 are pushed forward by the pressing section 170 and transition from the first position to the second position (see Figure 51).

[0184] To detach the harvesting device 100A from the vehicle 2, the locking mechanism is released, and then the vehicle 2 is moved backward relative to the harvesting device 100A, thereby disengaging the mounting projection 101 of the work device 100 from the guide rail 161 provided on the vehicle 2. This detaches the harvesting device 100A from the vehicle 2. When the harvesting device 100A is detached from the vehicle 2, the support legs 150 return from the second position to the first position due to the biasing force of the biasing member 152. As a result, the harvesting device 100A, detached from the vehicle 2, can stand on its own on the ground GL by the support legs 150.

[0185] As described above, by moving the vehicle 2 from behind the harvesting device 100A toward the harvesting device 100A while the vehicle body 3 is in the raised position, the harvesting device 100A can be mounted between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R and below the vehicle body 3, while preventing interference between the vehicle body 3 and the harvesting device 100A.

[0186] However, the method of attaching the harvesting device 100A to the work machine 1 may involve moving the traveling vehicle 2 toward the harvesting device 100A from the front, rather than from behind, while the vehicle body 3 is in the raised position, thereby attaching the harvesting device 100A between the left traveling device 4L and the right traveling device 4R and below the vehicle body 3.

[0187] When this mounting method is adopted, the support leg 150 is biased to rotate forward by the biasing force of the biasing member 152, resulting in a first position. Then, when a force is applied to the support leg 150 in a rearward direction (when the support leg 150 is pushed rearward by the pressing part 170), the support leg 150 rotates rearward to a second position.

[0188] This mounting method is not problematic if the width of the front part (cutting section 110) of the harvesting device 100A in the left-right direction is less than or equal to the width of the part (processing section 130) of the harvesting device 100A that is mounted on the traveling vehicle 2. However, if the width of the front part (cutting section 110) of the harvesting device 100A in the left-right direction is greater than the width of the part (processing section 130) of the harvesting device 100A that is mounted on the traveling vehicle 2 (see Figure 52), the front part (cutting section 110) of the harvesting device 100A will interfere with the traveling vehicle 4 when the traveling vehicle 2 moves from in front of the harvesting device 100A toward the harvesting device 100A, making mounting impossible.

[0189] Figures 54 to 56 illustrate the mounting method when the width W1 in the left-right direction of the front part (cutting section 110) of the harvesting device 100A is longer than the width W2 in the left-right direction of the part (processing section 130) of the harvesting device 100A that is mounted on the traveling vehicle 2.

[0190] First, the harvesting device 100A is made to stand on its own on the ground using the support legs 150. Then, the traveling vehicle 2 is made to a state where the vehicle body 3 is in the raised position and the distance D1 between the left traveling device 4L and the right traveling device 4R is increased by the distance changing mechanism 80 (see Figure 54). At this time, the distance D1 between the left traveling device 4L and the right traveling device 4R is made to be greater than the width W1 in the left-right direction of the front part (cutting section 110) of the harvesting device 100A (D1 > W1).

[0191] Next, the vehicle 2, with the distance D1 between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R increased and the vehicle body 3 in the raised position, is moved from in front of the harvesting device 100A toward the harvesting device 100A (see arrow B1 in Figure 54). At this time, since D1 > W1, the harvesting unit 110 can pass between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R below the vehicle body 3.

[0192] Then, the harvesting device 100A is attached to the vehicle 2 by inserting the mounting projection 101 on the upper surface of the harvesting device 100A into the guide rail 161 provided on the lower (underside) of the vehicle body 3 of the vehicle 2 from the rear (see Figure 55).

[0193] Subsequently, the distance between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R is shortened by the distance changing mechanism 80, bringing the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R closer to the portion of the harvesting device 100A attached to the traveling vehicle 2 (processing unit 130) (see Figure 56). This completes the attachment of the harvesting device 100A to the traveling vehicle 2.

[0194] In the method of mounting the harvesting device 100A using the distance changing mechanism 80 described above, the distance D1 between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R is changed by the distance changing control unit 19B of the control device 19 controlling the driving of the left cylinder 81L and the right cylinder 81R.

[0195] Specifically, before the harvesting device 100A is installed (when the traveling vehicle 2 is in front of the harvesting device 100A), the distance change control unit 19B compares the width W1 in the left-right direction of the front part (cutting section 110) of the harvesting device 100A, which is stored in the memory unit in advance, with the distance D1. If D1 ≤ W1, the distance change control unit 19B extends the rods of the left cylinder 81L and the right cylinder 81R to increase the distance between the left traveling device 4L and the right traveling device 4R until D1 > W1. After the harvesting device 100A is installed, the distance change control unit 19B shortens the rods of the left cylinder 81L and the right cylinder 81R to shorten the distance between the left traveling device 4L and the right traveling device 4R until D1 = W2.

[0196] By using the mounting method with the distance changing mechanism 80 described above, even if the width W1 in the left-right direction of the front part (cutting section 110) of the harvesting device 100A is longer than the width W2 in the left-right direction of the part (processing section 130) of the harvesting device 100A that is mounted on the traveling vehicle 2, the traveling vehicle 2 can be moved from in front of the harvesting device 100A toward the harvesting device 100A, preventing the front part of the harvesting device 100A from interfering with the traveling vehicle 4, and the harvesting device 100A can be mounted between the left traveling vehicle 4L and the right traveling vehicle 4R and below the vehicle body 3.

[0197] Next, the power source for driving the work device 100 mounted on the vehicle 2 will be described. As mentioned above, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a battery 12 which serves as a power source for generating power to drive the work device 100. The work machine 1 can supply power (electricity) from the power source (battery) to the work device 100 when the work device 100 is mounted on the vehicle 2 via the attachment / detachment mechanism 160. The work device 100 can be driven by the power (electricity) supplied from the power source (battery) provided on the vehicle 2.

[0198] Figures 57 to 59 show the state in which power (electricity) is supplied from the battery 12 installed in the vehicle 2 to the work device 100. In these examples, as indicated by arrow E1, power (electricity) is supplied from the battery 12 to the work device 100 via the guide rail 161. More specifically, power (electricity) is supplied from the battery 12 to the work device 100 via the guide rail 161 and the mounting projection 101.

[0199] The battery 12 and the guide rail 161 are connected by electrical wiring. The mounting projection 101 and the work device 100 are also connected by electrical wiring. The guide rail 161 and the mounting projection 101 are made of conductive material, either entirely or in part. When the mounting projection 101 is inserted into the guide rail 161, the guide rail 161 and the mounting projection 101 become electrically conductive. This allows power (electricity) to be supplied from the battery 12 to the work device 100 via the guide rail 161 and the mounting projection 101.

[0200] Figure 57 shows the state in which power (electricity) is supplied from the battery 12A mounted on the vehicle body 3 to the work device 100. In this example, the electricity stored in the battery 12A is supplied to the work device 100 from the guide rail 161 provided on the lower part of the vehicle body 3 through the mounting projection 101 provided on the upper part of the work device 100.

[0201] Figure 58 shows the state in which power (electricity) is supplied from the battery 12B mounted on the travel device 4 (left travel device 4L, right travel device 4R) to the work device 100. In this example, the electricity stored in the battery 12B is supplied to the work device 100 from the guide rail 161 provided on the side of the travel device 4 through the mounting projection 101 provided on the side of the work device 100.

[0202] Although not shown in the diagram, power (electricity) may be supplied to the work device 100 from the battery 12A mounted on the vehicle body 3 and the batteries 12B mounted on the running gear 4 (left running gear 4L, right running gear 4R). In this case, as shown in Figure 49, the mounting protrusions 101 provided on the left side, right side, and top surface of the work device 100 are inserted into the guide rails 161 provided on the right side of the left running gear 4L, the left side of the right running gear 4R, and the lower part of the vehicle body 3. In this state, the electricity stored in battery 12A is supplied to the work device 100 from the guide rails 161 provided on the lower part of the vehicle body 3 through the mounting protrusions 101 provided on the top of the work device 100, and the electricity stored in battery 12B is supplied to the work device 100 from the guide rails 161 provided on the side of the running gear 4 through the mounting protrusions 101 provided on the side of the work device 100.

[0203] Figure 59 shows a state in which power (electricity) is supplied from the battery 12A to the work device 100 without going through the guide rail 161. In this example, with the work device 100 attached to the vehicle 2 via the attachment mechanism 160, the first connector 105 provided on the lower part of the vehicle body 3 and the second connector 106 provided on the upper part of the work device 100 are connected. As a result, the electricity stored in the battery 12A is supplied to the work device 100 through the first connector 105 and the second connector 106.

[0204] Furthermore, the work device 100 may be equipped with a power source that generates power to drive the work device 100. Specifically, the work device 100 may be equipped with a battery that serves as a power source that generates power (electricity) to drive the work device 100. In this case, the work device 100 can be driven by power (electricity) supplied from the power source equipped with the work device 100 while it is attached to the vehicle 2 via the attachment / detachment mechanism 160. In addition, the work device 100 can be driven by power (electricity) supplied from the power source equipped with the work device 100 even when it is detached from the vehicle 2.

[0205] Next, the working device 100 equipped with the working machine 1 will be described in more detail. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the working machine 1 comprises a vehicle body 3, an arm 180, a cutting unit 110, a rotating mechanism 190, and a traveling device 4. The vehicle body 3 and the traveling device 4 are mounted on the traveling vehicle 2. The configuration of the vehicle body 3 and the traveling device 4 is as described above. The arm 180, the cutting unit 110, and the rotating mechanism 190 constitute part of the working device 100.

[0206] The arm 180 is positioned at the front of the vehicle body 3. The arm 180 extends from the vehicle body 3. In the illustrated example, the arm 180 extends forward from the front of the vehicle body 3. More specifically, the arm 180 extends downward and forward from the front of the vehicle body 3. However, as will be described later, the arm 180 may also extend laterally from the side of the vehicle body 3 (see Figures 72 to 75). In this case, the arm 180 is positioned to the side of the vehicle body 3.

[0207] The cutting unit 110 is a part that has the function of cutting plants. The plants cut by the cutting unit 110 may be crops such as rice, wheat, or soybeans, or they may be plants other than crops (weeds, etc.). In other words, the cutting unit 110 may be a part that performs harvesting work by cutting crops, or a part that performs weed cutting work.

[0208] The harvesting unit 110 is attached to the tip of the arm 180. When the arm 180 is positioned in front of the vehicle body 3, the harvesting unit 110 is also positioned in front of the vehicle body 3. When the arm 180 is positioned to the side of the vehicle body 3, the harvesting unit 110 is also positioned to the side of the vehicle body 3 (see Figures 72 to 75).

[0209] The rotation mechanism 190 is provided between the arm 180 and the harvesting unit 110. The rotation mechanism 190 is provided at the connection point between the arm 180 and the harvesting unit 110. The rotation mechanism 190 is a mechanism that rotates the harvesting unit 110 around its vertical axis relative to the arm 180. Figures 60 to 63 show examples of the rotation mechanism 190. However, the configuration of the rotation mechanism 190 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figures 60 to 63.

[0210] The rotating mechanism 190 includes a shaft 191 extending in the vertical direction, a cylindrical body 192 having a hole into which the shaft 191 is inserted, and a drive device 193 connecting the cylindrical body 192 to the vehicle body 3. The shaft 191 is attached to the tip of the arm 180. The cylindrical body 192 is attached to the rear of the harvesting unit 110. The cylindrical body 192 is rotatable around the vertical axis (the axis of the shaft 191) relative to the shaft 191. Therefore, as the cylindrical body 192 rotates relative to the shaft 191, the harvesting unit 110 rotates around the vertical axis relative to the arm 180.

[0211] The drive unit 193 is a device for rotating the cylindrical body 192 relative to the shaft 191. In the case of the rotation mechanism 190 shown in Figure 60, the drive unit 193 has a cylinder 194. The cylinder 194 has a cylinder tube 194a and a rod 194b. The base end of the cylinder tube 194a is pivotally supported by a bracket 195 provided on the vehicle body 3. The tip of the rod 194b is pivotally supported by a protruding portion 196 that protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body 192.

[0212] As shown in Figure 61, when the rod 194b protruding from the cylinder tube 194a extends due to the drive of the cylinder 194, the protruding portion 196 is pushed forward, causing the cylindrical body 192 to rotate in one direction around the vertical axis relative to the shaft 191. As a result, the harvesting portion 110 rotates in one direction around the vertical axis relative to the arm 180. On the other hand, when the rod 194b is shortened, the protruding portion 196 is pulled backward, causing the cylindrical body 192 to rotate in another direction around the vertical axis relative to the shaft 191. As a result, the harvesting portion 110 rotates in another direction around the vertical axis relative to the arm 180.

[0213] In the case of the rotating mechanism 190 shown in Figure 62, the drive unit 193 has a motor 197 and a gear mechanism 198. The motor 197 has a motor body 197a and an output shaft 197b protruding from the motor body 197a. The motor body 197a is attached to a bracket 199 provided on the vehicle body 3. The output shaft 197b of the motor 197 extends in the vertical direction. The gear mechanism 198 has a first gear 198a, a second gear 198b, and a third gear 198c. However, the number of gears included in the gear mechanism 198 is not particularly limited.

[0214] The first gear 198a is attached to the output shaft 197b of the motor 197 and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the output shaft 197b. The second gear 198b is provided on the outer surface of the cylindrical body 192. The third gear 198c meshes with the first gear 198a and the second gear 198b.

[0215] As shown by the arc-shaped arrows in Figure 62, when the motor 197 drives the first gear 198a to rotate in one direction together with the output shaft 197b, the second gear 198b and the third gear 198c rotate, causing the cylindrical body 192 to rotate in one direction around the vertical axis relative to the shaft 191. As a result, as shown in Figure 63, the harvesting unit 110 rotates in one direction around the vertical axis relative to the arm 180. On the other hand, when the first gear 198a rotates in another direction together with the output shaft 197b, the cylindrical body 192 rotates in another direction around the vertical axis relative to the shaft 191. As a result, the harvesting unit 110 rotates in another direction around the vertical axis relative to the arm 180.

[0216] As described above, the running gear 4 has wheels 7 (left front wheel 7LF, left rear wheel 7LB, right front wheel 7RF, right rear wheel 7RB) that support the vehicle body 3 so that it can move. The wheels 7 can change the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 in accordance with the direction of the harvesting unit 110 which is rotated by the rotation mechanism 190.

[0217] The orientation of the harvesting unit 110 refers to the direction in which the center line CL1 in the width direction of the harvesting unit 110 extends and which is away from the vehicle body 3. For example, in the example shown in Figure 64, the direction in which the center line CL1 in the width direction of the harvesting unit 110 extends is the front-to-back direction, so the orientation of the harvesting unit 110 is forward, which is the direction away from the vehicle body 3 in the front-to-back direction.

[0218] The wheels 7 (left front wheel 7LF, left rear wheel 7LB, right front wheel 7RF, right rear wheel 7RB) are omnidirectional wheels that can change the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 in accordance with the direction of the harvesting unit 110. More specifically, the wheels 7 are omnidirectional wheels that can change the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 in accordance with the direction of the harvesting unit 110 without changing the direction of the vehicle body 3.

[0219] However, the wheels 7 do not have to be omnidirectional wheels. In this case, the left front wheel 7LF, the left rear wheel 7LB, the right front wheel 7RF, and the right rear wheel 7RB can change direction independently of each other by the steering mechanism 60. Preferably, the left front wheel 7LF, the left rear wheel 7LB, the right front wheel 7RF, and the right rear wheel 7RB can change direction 360° independently of each other by the steering mechanism 60. By making the left front wheel 7LF, the left rear wheel 7LB, the right front wheel 7RF, and the right rear wheel 7RB able to change direction independently of each other, the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 can be changed in accordance with the direction of the harvesting unit 110 without changing the direction of the vehicle body 3.

[0220] As shown in Figure 8, the control device 19 has a rotation control unit 19E. The rotation control unit 19E controls the operation of the rotation mechanism 190. Specifically, the rotation control unit 19E controls the operation of the drive unit 193 of the rotation mechanism 190. As a result, the rotation of the harvesting unit 110 of the work machine 1 is performed by control of the rotation control unit 19E.

[0221] The rotation control unit 19E can control the rotation mechanism 190 based on information such as the shape and location of the work area in which the harvesting unit 110 works, the current position of the vehicle body 3, and the positional relationship between the vehicle body 3 and the harvesting unit 110. In this case, the information regarding the shape and location of the work area and the positional relationship between the vehicle body 3 and the harvesting unit 110 are pre-inputted and stored in the memory unit of the control device 19. The information regarding the current position of the vehicle body 3 is acquired by the positioning device 15.

[0222] As shown in Figure 8, the control device 19 has an interlocking control unit 19F. The interlocking control unit 19F synchronizes the rotation of the harvesting unit 110 by the rotation mechanism 190 and the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 by the travel device 4. As a result, the working machine 1 performs the rotation of the harvesting unit 110 by the rotation mechanism 190 and the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 by the travel device 4 in a synchronized manner.

[0223] Specifically, the interlocking control unit 19F acquires information regarding the operation of the rotation mechanism 190 from information regarding the control performed by the rotation control unit 19E, and controls the motor 10 and / or steering mechanism 60 of the drive unit 40 based on the acquired information.

[0224] The interlocking control unit 19F controls the motor 10 and / or steering mechanism 60 of the drive unit 40 to change the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 by the running gear 4. Specifically, if the wheels 7 are omnidirectional wheels, the interlocking control unit 19F controls the rotation direction and / or rotation speed of the left front wheel 7LF, left rear wheel 7LB, right front wheel 7RF, and right rear wheel 7RB by controlling the operation (rotation direction, rotation speed) of the motor 10 to change the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3. If the left front wheel 7LF, left rear wheel 7LB, right front wheel 7RF, and right rear wheel 7RB can change direction independently of each other, the interlocking control unit 19F controls the steering angle of the left front wheel 7LF, left rear wheel 7LB, right front wheel 7RF, and right rear wheel 7RB by controlling the operation of the steering mechanism 60 (specifically, the steering cylinders 62LF, 62LB, 62RF, 62RB) to change the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3. In either case, the interlocking control unit 19F may control both the operation of the motor 10 and the operation of the steering mechanism 60.

[0225] The linkage between the rotation of the harvesting unit 110 by the rotation mechanism 190 and the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 by the travel device 4 means that the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is changed by the travel device 4 in accordance with the direction of rotation of the harvesting unit 110 by the rotation mechanism 190. More specifically, it means that the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is changed by the travel device 4 in the same direction as the direction of rotation of the harvesting unit 110 by the rotation mechanism 190. For example, if the harvesting unit 110 rotates to the left from the reference position (default position) by the rotation mechanism 190 to face left-forward, the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is changed from forward to left-forward. If the harvesting unit 110 rotates to the right from the reference position by the rotation mechanism 190 to face right-forward, the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is changed from forward to right-forward.

[0226] The rotation of the harvesting unit 110 by the rotating mechanism 190 and the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 by the traveling device 4 may be performed simultaneously, or the rotation of the harvesting unit 110 by the rotating mechanism 190 may be performed first, followed by the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 by the traveling device 4. Alternatively, the rotation of the harvesting unit 110 by the rotating mechanism 190 may be performed after the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 by the traveling device 4.

[0227] Figures 64 to 67 show an example of the interlocking of the rotation of the harvesting unit 110 by the rotation mechanism 190 and the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 by the travel device 4. The interlocking described below is performed by the control of the interlocking control unit 19F. The white arrows in the figures indicate the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 and the harvesting unit 110.

[0228] Figure 64 shows the state where the harvesting unit 110 is in the reference position and the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is forward. When the harvesting unit 110 is in the reference position, the center line CL1 in the width direction of the harvesting unit 110 extends along the front-rear direction. Figure 65 shows the state where the harvesting unit 110 has been rotated 25° to the right from the reference position by the rotation mechanism 190.

[0229] As shown in Figure 65, after the harvesting unit 110 rotates 25° to the right from its reference position, the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 changes from forward to 25° diagonally forward to the right, as shown in Figure 66. At this time, the orientation of the vehicle body 3 does not change. Therefore, the center line CL1 in the width direction of the harvesting unit 110 extends in the same direction as the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3, but it does not coincide with the direction in which the center line CL2 in the width direction of the vehicle body 3 extends.

[0230] As shown in Figures 64 to 66, the rotation of the harvesting unit 110 by the rotation mechanism 190 and the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 by the travel device 4 are performed in conjunction with each other. Then, as shown in Figure 67, the orientation of the vehicle body 3 is changed to the same direction as the orientation of the harvesting unit 110 after rotation. This change in the orientation of the vehicle body 3 is performed by the interlocking control unit 19F. In the example shown in Figure 67, the harvesting unit 110 is rotated 25° to the right, changing the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 to 25° diagonally forward to the right, and then the orientation of the vehicle body 3 is changed to 25° diagonally forward to the right. At this time, the center line CL1 in the width direction of the harvesting unit 110 extends along the same direction as the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 and coincides with the direction in which the center line CL2 in the width direction of the vehicle body 3 extends.

[0231] As described above, the orientation of the harvesting unit 110 means the direction in which the center line CL1 in the width direction of the harvesting unit 110 extends and away from the vehicle body 3. The orientation of the vehicle body 3 means the direction in which the center line CL2 in the width direction of the vehicle body 3 extends and from the rear to the front of the vehicle body 3 (from the rear wheels to the front wheels). In the case of Figure 64, both the orientation of the harvesting unit 110 and the orientation of the vehicle body 3 are forward. In the cases of Figures 65 and 66, the orientation of the harvesting unit 110 is to the front right, and the orientation of the vehicle body 3 is forward. In the case of Figure 67, both the orientation of the harvesting unit 110 and the orientation of the vehicle body 3 are to the front right.

[0232] The interlocking control unit 19F controls the motor 10 and / or steering mechanism 60 of the drive unit 40 so that, after the rotation of the harvesting unit 110 by the rotation mechanism 190 and the change of the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 by the travel device 4 are performed in conjunction with each other, the direction of the vehicle body 3 is changed to the same direction as the direction of the harvesting unit 110 after it has been rotated. As a result, the travel device 4 drives the wheels 7 so that, after the rotation of the harvesting unit 110 by the rotation mechanism 190 and the change of the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 by the travel device 4 are performed in conjunction with each other, the direction of the vehicle body 3 is changed to the same direction as the direction of the harvesting unit 110 after it has been rotated.

[0233] The interlocking control unit 19F obtains information regarding the operation of the rotation mechanism 190 from information regarding the control performed by the rotation control unit 19E, and controls the motor 10 and / or steering mechanism 60 based on the obtained information to change the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3, and then controls the motor 10 and / or steering mechanism 60 based on the obtained information to change the orientation of the vehicle body 3.

[0234] The interlock control unit 19F executes a change in the orientation of the vehicle body 3 by controlling the motor 10 and / or the steering mechanism 60 of the drive unit 40. When the wheels 7 are omnidirectional wheels, the interlock control unit 19F executes a change in the orientation of the vehicle body 3 by controlling the operation (rotation direction, rotation speed) of the motor 10. When the left front wheel 7LF, the left rear wheel 7LB, the right front wheel 7RF, and the right rear wheel 7RB can independently change their orientations, the interlock control unit 19F executes a change in the orientation of the vehicle body 3 by controlling the operation of the steering mechanism 60 (steering cylinders 62LF, 62LB, 62RF, 62RB). In any case, the interlock control unit 19F may control both the operation of the motor 10 and the operation of the steering mechanism 60.

[0235] Figures 68 to 71 are diagrams for explaining the rotation operation of the mowing unit 110 by the rotation mechanism 190 when the edge AR1 of the work area AR where the mowing operation is performed by the mowing unit 110 includes a bent portion AR2.

[0236] Figure 68 shows a state where the side edge 110a of the mowing unit 110 is moving (advancing) along the edge AR1 of the work area AR. In this state, the side edge 110a of the mowing unit 110 and the edge AR1 of the work area AR are parallel.

[0237] When the side edge 110a of the mowing unit 110 reaches the bent portion AR2 as it moves along the edge AR1 of the work area AR, the rotation mechanism 190 rotates the mowing unit 110 so that the side edge 110a of the mowing unit 110 becomes parallel to the edge AR3 of the work area AR at the tip of the bent portion AR2 (the tip in the traveling direction of the vehicle body 3) (see Figure 69). This rotation is performed by the rotation control unit 19E controlling the operation of the rotation mechanism 190. Note that the angle formed by the edge AR1 and the edge AR3 is not 0 degrees.

[0238] Next, the traveling device 4 drives the wheels 7 so that the traveling direction of the vehicle body 3 is changed in the same direction as the direction after the rotation of the cutting unit 110 (see FIG. 70). This change in the traveling direction of the vehicle body 3 is performed without changing the orientation of the vehicle body 3. This change in the traveling direction of the vehicle body 3 is performed by controlling the operations of the motor 10 and / or the steering mechanism 60 by the interlock control unit 19F.

[0239] Thereafter, the traveling device 4 drives the wheels 7 so that the orientation of the vehicle body 3 is changed in the same direction as the direction after the rotation of the cutting unit 110. This change in the orientation of the vehicle body 3 is performed by controlling the operations of the motor 10 and / or the steering mechanism 60 by the interlock control unit 19F. As a result, the orientation of the vehicle body 3, the side edge 110a of the cutting unit 110, and the edge AR3 of the work area AR become parallel (see FIG. 71). In this state, the edge AR3 of the work area AR and the direction in which the center line CL2 in the width direction of the vehicle body 3 extends are parallel.

[0240] As described above, when the edge AR1 of the work area AR where the cutting operation is performed by the cutting unit 110 includes the bent portion AR2, the rotation mechanism 190 rotates the cutting unit 110 so that the side edge 110a of the cutting unit 110 becomes parallel to the edge AR3 of the work area at the tip of the bent portion AR2 when the side edge 110a of the cutting unit 110 moves along the edge AR1 of the work area AR and reaches the bent portion AR2.

[0241] The rotation control unit 19E determines whether or not the side edge (specifically, the front end of the side edge 110a) of the cutting unit 110 has reached the bent portion AR2 based on the information on the shape and position of the work area AR, the information on the current position of the vehicle body 3, the information on the positional relationship between the vehicle body 3 and the cutting unit 110 when the cutting unit 110 is in the reference position, the information on the rotation angle when the cutting unit 110 rotates from the reference position, and the information on the shape of the cutting unit 110. When the rotation control unit 19E determines that the side edge of the cutting unit 110 has reached the bent portion AR2, the rotation control unit 19E rotates the cutting unit 110 so that the side edge 110a of the cutting unit 110 becomes parallel to the edge AR3 of the work area AR at the tip of the bent portion AR2.

[0242] Information regarding the shape and location of the work area, the positional relationship between the vehicle body 3 and the harvesting unit 110 when the harvesting unit 110 is in the reference position, and information regarding the shape of the harvesting unit 110 are pre-inputted and stored in the memory unit of the control device 19. Information regarding the current position of the vehicle body 3 is acquired by the positioning device 15. Information regarding the rotation angle when the harvesting unit 110 rotates from the reference position is acquired by a detection device detecting the state of the drive device 193 of the rotation mechanism 190 (for example, the length of the rod 194b of the cylinder 194 or the rotation angle of the output shaft 197b of the motor 197, etc.), and the calculation unit calculating the rotation angle of the harvesting unit 110 from the detected values.

[0243] Figures 68 to 71 show the case where the arm 180 and the harvesting unit 110 are positioned in front of the vehicle body 3. Figures 72 to 75 show the case where the arm 180 and the harvesting unit 110 are positioned to the side of the vehicle body 3. In Figures 72 to 75, the case where the arm 180 and the harvesting unit 110 are positioned to the left of the vehicle body 3 is shown, but the arm 180 and the harvesting unit 110 may also be positioned to the right of the vehicle body 3.

[0244] As shown in Figures 72 to 75, the implement 1 can operate in the same way as when the arm 180 and the cutting unit 110 are positioned in front of the vehicle body 3, even when the arm 180 and the cutting unit 110 are positioned to the side of the vehicle body 3. The white arrows in the figures indicate the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 and the cutting unit 110.

[0245] Figure 72 shows the state in which the side edge 110a of the harvesting unit 110, located on the side of the vehicle body 3, is moving (advancing) along the edge AR1 of the work area AR. The harvesting unit 110 is located between the vehicle body 3 and the edge AR1 of the work area AR, and the side edge 110a of the harvesting unit 110 and the edge AR1 of the work area AR are parallel.

[0246] The rotation mechanism 190 rotates the harvesting unit 110 so that when the side edge 110a of the harvesting unit 110 moves along the edge AR1 of the work area AR and reaches the bend AR2, the side edge 110a of the harvesting unit 110 on the side of the vehicle body 3 is parallel to the edge AR3 of the work area AR beyond the bend AR2 (see Figure 73).

[0247] Next, the running gear 4 drives the wheels 7 so that the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is changed to match the direction of the harvesting unit 110 located on the side of the vehicle body 3 after it has been rotated (see Figure 74). Subsequently, the running gear 4 drives the wheels 7 so that the direction of the vehicle body 3 is changed to match the direction of the harvesting unit 110 located on the side of the vehicle body 3 after it has been rotated (see Figure 75). As a result, the direction of the vehicle body 3, the side edge 110a of the harvesting unit 110, and the edge AR3 of the work area AR become parallel.

[0248] Next, the configuration of the harvester 1A shown in Figures 1 and 2 will be explained in more detail. The harvester 1A comprises a traveling vehicle 2 and a harvesting device 100A that is detachable from the traveling vehicle 2 and performs crop harvesting work. The traveling vehicle 2 has the configuration described above. The harvesting device 100A is a device for harvesting crops such as rice or wheat.

[0249] Figures 76 and 77 show the harvesting device 100A. As described above, the harvesting device 100A includes a cutting unit 110, a transfer unit 120, a processing unit 130, and a discharge unit 140. The cutting unit 110 has a cutting blade 111 for cutting crops. The transfer unit 120 has a conveyor 121 for transferring the crops (harvested material) cut by the cutting unit 110. The processing unit 130 processes the harvested material that has been transferred by the transfer unit 120.

[0250] The processing unit 130 has a threshing unit 131. The threshing unit 131 separates the harvested material into grain and straw. The threshing unit 131 has a threshing drum 132. The threshing drum 132 has a threshing drum shaft 132a, a cylindrical body 132b supported by the threshing drum shaft 132a, and threshing teeth 132c attached to the outer circumference of the body 132b. The threshing drum shaft 132a extends in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the threshing drum shaft 132a extends in the front-rear direction with an inclination that shifts upward as it moves towards the rear. The threshing drum 132 rotates by the drive of a motor 132d connected to the rear of the threshing drum shaft 132a. By rotating around the threshing drum shaft 132a, the threshing drum 132 processes the threshing of crops transported from the transport unit 120.

[0251] The processing unit 130 includes a sorting processing unit 133. The sorting processing unit 133 separates the processed material that has fallen from the threshing drum 132 into grain and straw, and moves it backward. The sorting processing unit 133 includes a winnowing machine 134 and a chaff plate 135. The winnowing machine 134 generates air that sends the processed material backward (towards the discharge unit 140). The chaff plate 135 is located below the threshing drum 132 in the threshing unit 131. The chaff plate 135 screens and separates the processed material that has fallen from the threshing drum 132.

[0252] As shown in Figure 76, the harvesting device 100A has a first casing 136 and a second casing 137. The conveyor 121 of the transfer section 120 is housed in the first casing 136. The threshing drum 132, winnowing machine 134, and chaff plate 135 are housed in the second casing 137. The second casing 137 is connected to the rear of the first casing 136. The internal space of the first casing 136 and the internal space of the second casing 137 are in communication with each other.

[0253] The mounting protrusions 101 described above can be provided on the left and right sides of the second casing 137. By inserting the mounting protrusions 101 provided on the second casing 137 into the guide rails 161 provided on the right side of the left travel device 4L and the left side of the right travel device 4R, the second casing 137 can be mounted between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R.

[0254] The first casing 136 can function as the arm 180 described above. The rotation mechanism 190 described above is provided between the first casing 136 and the harvesting unit 110. This allows the harvesting device 100A to rotate the harvesting unit 110 around the vertical axis relative to the first casing 136.

[0255] The discharge section 140 discharges the harvested material after it has been processed in the processing section 130. The discharge section 140 has a first discharge section 141 and a second discharge section 142. The first discharge section 141 sucks in the grain separated by the threshing section 131 from the threshing section 131 and discharges it to the outside of the harvester 1A. The second discharge section 142 sucks in the straw separated by the threshing section 131 from the threshing section 131 and discharges it to the outside of the harvester 1A.

[0256] Figures 78 to 80 show the first discharge section 141 and the second discharge section 142. The first discharge section 141 and the second discharge section 142 are formed in a cylindrical shape. A first suction fan 143 is located inside the first discharge section 141. A second suction fan 144 is located inside the second discharge section 142. The first suction fan 143 sucks the grain separated by the threshing section 131 into the first discharge section 141. The second suction fan 144 sucks the straw separated by the threshing section 131 into the second discharge section 142.

[0257] The first discharge section 141 has a first portion 141a and a second portion 141b. The first portion 141a is inclined diagonally upward. The first portion 141a is inclined so that it transitions to the rear as it goes upward. The second portion 141b extends upward and rearward from the rear end of the first portion 141a. The inclination angle of the second portion 141b (angle with respect to the horizontal) is smaller than the inclination angle of the first portion 141a. Therefore, the first discharge section 141 is bent at the boundary between the first portion 141a and the second portion 141b.

[0258] The second discharge part 142 is formed linearly. The second discharge part 142 is inclined so as to shift downward as it goes backward. The first discharge part 141 has one passage 141c arranged on one side of the second discharge part and the other passage 141d arranged on the other side of the second discharge part 142. The one passage 141c and the other passage 141d are formed in the first part 141a. The second discharge part 142 extends through between the one passage 141c and the other passage 141d.

[0259] As shown in FIGS. 78, 81, etc., the first discharge part 141 has a terminal connection passage 141e connecting the terminal end of the one passage 141c and the terminal end of the other passage 141d. The terminal connection passage 141e is composed of the rear part of the first part 141a and the second part 141b. An outlet 141f of the first discharge part 141 is formed in the terminal connection passage 141e. The outlet 141f of the first discharge part 141 is formed at the rear end of the second part 141b.

[0260] As shown in FIGS. 78, 81, etc., the first discharge part 141 has a start-end connection passage 141g connecting the start end of the one passage 141c and the start end of the other passage 141d. An inlet 141h of the first discharge part 141 is formed in the start-end connection passage 141g. The inlet 141h of the first discharge part 141 is formed at the front end of the first part 141a.

[0261] Still, as shown in FIG. 82, the first discharge part 141 may not have the start-end connection passage 141g. In this case, the inlets 141h of the first discharge part 141 are respectively formed at the front ends of the one passage 141c and the other passage 141d.

[0262] As shown in FIG. 80, at least a part of the first discharge part 141 and the second discharge part 142 overlap in plan view. The front part of the second discharge part 142 overlaps above the start-end connection passage 141g of the first discharge part 141. The first discharge part 141 overlaps above the rear part of the second discharge part 142. Specifically, above the rear part of the second discharge part 142, the terminal connection passage 141e and / or the second part 141b overlap.

[0263] As shown in Figures 77 and 79, the outlet 141f of the first discharge section 141 is located above the outlet 142a of the second discharge section 142. The outlet 141f of the first discharge section 141 is located behind the outlet 142a of the second discharge section 142. The inlet 141h of the first discharge section 141 is located below the inlet 142b of the second discharge section 142. As shown in Figure 77, the inlet 141h of the first discharge section 141 is located below the chaff plate 135. The inlet 142b of the second discharge section 142 is located above the chaff plate 135.

[0264] Figure 83 shows the operation of the harvesting device 100A. The crops (harvested material) cut by the cutting unit 110 are moved to the processing unit 130 at the rear by the conveyor 121 of the transfer unit 120. The harvested material transferred to the processing unit 130 is threshed by the rotation of the threshing drum 132 of the threshing unit 131. The threshed material falls toward the chaff plate 135 below the threshing drum 132.

[0265] The falling material is screened by the chaff plate 135 to separate grain from straw, and then blown backward (towards the discharge section 140) by the wind W of the winnowing machine 134. The grain that passes through the mesh of the chaff plate 135 and falls backward is sucked into the inlet 141h of the first discharge section 141 and discharged from the outlet 141f of the first discharge section 141. The straw that does not pass through the mesh of the chaff plate 135 and is sent backward is sucked into the inlet 142b of the second discharge section 142 and discharged from the outlet 142a of the second discharge section 142.

[0266] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 84, in the harvester 1A, the processing unit 130 is located between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R and below the vehicle body 3. In the example shown in Figure 84, in the harvester 1A, a part of the transfer unit 120, the processing unit 130 (threshing unit 131 and sorting unit 133), and a part of the discharge unit 140 are located between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R and below the vehicle body 3. However, in the harvester 1A, it is sufficient that at least all or part of the processing unit 130 is located between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R and below the vehicle body 3.

[0267] As shown in Figure 84, the harvester 1A has a first discharge section 141 that discharges grain to the rear of the vehicle 2, and a second discharge section 142 that discharges straw to the rear of the vehicle 2. Specifically, the first discharge section 141 discharges grain upwards and backwards, and the second discharge section 142 discharges straw downwards and backwards. This prevents the grain discharged from the first discharge section 141 and the straw discharged from the second discharge section 142 from mixing. Furthermore, since the harvester 1A is configured so that the first discharge section 141 discharges grain to the rear of the vehicle 2, it does not have a tank for storing the grain separated by the threshing section 131. This eliminates the need for space to install a tank in the harvester 1A, making it possible to miniaturize the harvester 1A.

[0268] As shown in Figure 85, during harvesting using the harvester 1A, a vehicle V1 equipped with a tank T1 is positioned behind the harvester 1A. This vehicle V1 may be a self-propelled vehicle or a vehicle towed by the vehicle 2. The grains discharged from the first discharge section 141 are collected in the tank T1 on the vehicle V. The straw discharged from the second discharge section 142 falls onto the field ground.

[0269] A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a work machine 1, a harvesting machine 1A, a method for attaching a harvesting device 100A, and a traveling vehicle 2 as described in the following items. (Item A1) A work machine 1 comprising a vehicle 2 including a liftable body 3 and a running device 4 arranged on the side of the vehicle body 3, and a detachable mechanism 160 for detachably supporting a work device 100 with respect to the vehicle 2, wherein the running device 4 includes a left running device 4L arranged on the left side of the vehicle body 3 and a right running device 4R arranged on the right side of the vehicle body 3, and the detachable mechanism 160 detachably supports the work device 100 between the right side of the left running device 4L and the left side of the right running device 4R.

[0270] With this work device 1, the work device 100 can be attached to and detached between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R. Therefore, a configuration can be adopted in which work can be performed in front of the vehicle body 3 by the work device 100 positioned between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R. (Item A2) The work machine 1 according to Item A1, wherein the attachment / detachment mechanism 160 detachably supports the work device 100 between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R and below the vehicle body 3 when the vehicle body 3 is in the raised position.

[0271] With this work device 1, it becomes possible to attach and detach the work device 100 between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R without being obstructed by the vehicle body 3. (Item A3) The attachment / detachment mechanism 160 allows the work device 100 to be attached to or detached from the work device 100 by moving the traveling vehicle 2 forward or backward relative to the work device 100, as described in Item A1 or A2.

[0272] With this work device 1, the work device 100 can be attached to and detached from the vehicle 2 by moving the vehicle 2 forward or backward relative to the work device 100, thus making it easy to attach and detach the work device 100 from the vehicle 2. (Item A4) The attachment mechanism 160 has a guide rail 161 provided on the traveling vehicle 2 and extending in the front-rear direction, and the work device 100 can be attached to the traveling vehicle 2 by inserting a part of the work device 100 into the guide rail 161 from the front or rear, as described in any of Items A1 to A3.

[0273] With this work machine 1, the work device 100 can be attached to and detached from the traveling vehicle 2 via the guide rail 161, making it easy and reliable to attach and detach the work device 100 from the traveling vehicle 2. (Item A5) The work machine 1 described in Item A4, wherein the guide rail 161 is provided on the right side of the left travel device 4L and on the left side of the right travel device 4R.

[0274] With this work device 1, the work device 100 can be easily and reliably attached to and detached from the traveling vehicle 2 via the guide rail 161 between the right side of the left traveling device 4L and the left side of the right traveling device 4R. (Item A6) The guide rail 161 is located at the lower part of the vehicle body 3, as described in Item A4.

[0275] With this work device 1, the work device 100 can be easily and reliably attached to and detached from the traveling vehicle 2 via the guide rail 161 below the vehicle body 3. (Item A7) The work machine 1 described in Item A4, wherein the guide rail 161 is provided on the right side of the left running device 4L, the left side of the right running device 4R, and the lower part of the vehicle body 3.

[0276] This work device 1 allows for more reliable attachment and detachment of the work device 100 to the traveling vehicle 2 via the guide rail 161. Furthermore, it ensures a more stable mounting state of the work device 100 to the traveling vehicle 2. (Item A8) The work machine 1 described in Item A4, which is equipped with a change mechanism (distance change mechanism 80, height change mechanism 90) that can change the left-right position and / or the up-down position of the guide rail 161.

[0277] With this work machine 1, by changing the left-right position and / or the up-down position of the guide rail 161, it becomes possible to attach work devices 100 of various shapes and sizes to the traveling vehicle 2 via the guide rail 161. (Item A9) The work machine 1 according to any one of Items A1 to A8, wherein the traveling vehicle 2 is equipped with a power source that generates power to drive the work device 100, and the power is supplied from the power source to the work device 100 while the work device 100 is mounted on the traveling vehicle 2 via the attachment / detachment mechanism 160.

[0278] With this work machine 1, power can be supplied to the work device 100 from the traveling vehicle 2, eliminating the need to provide a power source for the work device 100, and making it possible to lighten and miniaturize the work device 100. (Item A10) The attachment / detachment mechanism 160 has a guide rail 161 provided on the traveling vehicle 2 and extending in the front-rear direction, and the power is supplied to the work device 100 via the guide rail 161, the work machine 1 as described in Item A9.

[0279] With this work device 1, power can be supplied from the traveling vehicle 2 to the work device 100 via the guide rail 161. Therefore, by attaching the work device 100 to the traveling vehicle 2, it becomes possible to supply power from the traveling vehicle 2 to the work device 100. For this reason, there is no need to provide a separate path for supplying power from the traveling vehicle 2 to the work device 100. (Item A11) The work machine 1 according to any one of items A1 to A10, wherein the work device 100 is equipped with a power source that generates power to drive the work device 100.

[0280] According to this work machine 1, since the work device 100 is equipped with a power source, there is no need to supply power to the work device 100 from the traveling vehicle 2. (Item A12) In a state in which the work device 100 is attached to the traveling vehicle 2, a part of the work device 100 is covered above by the vehicle body 3, to the left by the left traveling device 4L, and to the right by the right traveling device 4R, as described in any of Items A1 to A11.

[0281] With this work device 1, when the work device 100 is attached to the traveling vehicle 2, the top, left, and right sides of the work device 100 are covered, thus protecting the work device 100 from external forces, wind, rain, etc. (Item A13) The work machine 1 according to any one of items A1 to A12, comprising a harvesting device 100A which is the work device 100, wherein the harvesting device 100A has a cutting unit 110, a processing unit 130 for processing the harvested material cut by the cutting unit 110, and support legs 150 that can support the processing unit 130 on the ground, and is self-supporting by the support legs 150, and the support legs 150 can change position between a first position in contact with the ground and a second position away from the ground, and when the harvesting device 100A is attached to the traveling vehicle 2 it transitions from the first position to the second position, and when the harvesting device 100A is detached from the traveling vehicle 2 it transitions from the second position to the first position.

[0282] With this work machine 1, the harvesting device 100A can stand on its own using the support legs 150, so when attaching the harvesting device 100A to the vehicle 2, no equipment is required to maintain the posture of the harvesting device 100A. Furthermore, the support legs 150 transition from the first posture to the second posture when the harvesting device 100A is attached to the vehicle 2, so the support legs 150 do not get in the way during attachment. Also, the support legs 150 transition from the second posture to the first posture when the harvesting device 100A is detached from the vehicle 2, so the harvesting device 100A can stand on its own when detached. (Item A14) A method for attaching the harvesting device 100A, which is the work device 100, to the attachment / detachment mechanism 160 of the work machine 1 described in any of items A1 to A13, wherein the traveling vehicle 2 is moved toward the harvesting device 100A from the front or rear of the harvesting device 100A while the vehicle body 3 is in the raised position, thereby attaching the harvesting device 100A between the left traveling device 4L and the right traveling device 4R and below the vehicle body 3.

[0283] According to this method of attaching the harvesting device, by moving the vehicle 2 toward the harvesting device 100A from the front or rear of the harvesting device 100A while the vehicle body 3 is in the raised position, it is possible to prevent interference between the vehicle body 3 and the harvesting device 100A when attaching the harvesting device 100A. (Item A15) The method for mounting the harvesting device 100A as described in Item A14, wherein the work machine 1 is equipped with a distance changing mechanism 80 that can change the distance between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R, and the vehicle body 3 is in a raised position and the distance between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R has been increased by the distance changing mechanism 80, and the traveling vehicle 2 is moved from in front of the harvesting device 100A toward the harvesting device 100A, thereby mounting the harvesting device 100A between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R and below the vehicle body 3.

[0284] According to this method of mounting the harvesting device, even if the width of the front of the harvesting device 100A is longer than the distance between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R, it is possible to prevent the harvesting device 100A from interfering with the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R when mounting the harvesting device 100A by increasing the distance between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R. (Item B1) A work machine 1 comprising a vehicle body 3, an arm 180 extending from the vehicle body 3, a cutting unit 110 attached to the tip of the arm 180, a rotating mechanism 190 provided between the arm 180 and the cutting unit 110 for rotating the cutting unit 110 around an axis in the vertical direction relative to the arm 180, and a running device 4 including wheels 7 that support the vehicle body 3 so as to be able to travel, and which are capable of changing the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 in accordance with the direction of the cutting unit 110 rotated by the rotating mechanism 190.

[0285] With this work machine 1, the cutting unit 110 can be rotated by the rotation mechanism 190, and the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 can be changed in accordance with the direction of the rotated cutting unit 110. Therefore, cutting work in fields with curved outer edges can be performed efficiently without leaving any areas uncut. (Item B2) The work machine 1 as described in Item B1, wherein the wheel 7 is an omnidirectional wheel that can change the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 in accordance with the orientation of the cutting unit 110.

[0286] With this work machine 1, the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 can be changed in accordance with the direction of the cutting unit 110 without changing the direction of the wheels 7 or the direction of the vehicle body 3. (Item B3) The work machine 1 as described in Item B1, wherein the wheels 7 include a left front wheel 7LF, a right front wheel 7RF, a left rear wheel 7LB, and a right rear wheel 7RB, and the left front wheel 7LF, the right front wheel 7RF, the left rear wheel 7LB, and the right rear wheel 7RB are capable of changing direction independently of each other.

[0287] With this work machine 1, by independently changing the orientation of the left front wheel 7LF, the right front wheel 7RF, the left rear wheel 7LB, and the right rear wheel 7RB, the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 can be changed in accordance with the direction of the cutting unit 110 without changing the orientation of the vehicle body 3. (Item B4) The work machine 1 described in Item B3, wherein the left front wheel 7LF, the right front wheel 7RF, the left rear wheel 7LB, and the right rear wheel 7RB are capable of independently changing direction by 360°.

[0288] With this work machine 1, the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 can be changed to any direction within 360° to correspond to the direction of the cutting unit 110 without changing the orientation of the vehicle body 3. (Item B5) The arm 180 and the cutting unit 110 are the work machine 1 described in any of Items B1 to B4, which is located in front of or to the side of the vehicle body 3.

[0289] With this work machine 1, the cutting unit 110 can be rotated in front of or to the side of the vehicle body 3 to perform cutting work. (Item B6) The work machine 1 described in any of Items B1 to B5, wherein the rotation of the harvesting unit 110 by the rotating mechanism 190 and the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 by the traveling device 4 are performed in conjunction with each other.

[0290] With this work machine 1, the rotation of the cutting unit 110 and the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 are performed in conjunction with each other, making it possible to quickly and reliably change the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 in accordance with the direction of the rotated cutting unit 110. (Item B7) The work machine 1 according to Item B6, wherein the running device 4 drives the wheels 7 so that the orientation of the vehicle body 3 is changed to the same orientation as the orientation of the harvesting unit 110 after the rotation of the harvesting unit 110 by the rotating mechanism 190 and the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 by the running device 4 are performed in conjunction with each other.

[0291] With this work machine 1, the rotation of the harvesting unit 110 and the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 are performed in conjunction with each other. After that, the direction of the vehicle body 3 is changed to match the direction of the harvesting unit 110 after rotation. Therefore, it is possible to change the direction of the vehicle body 3 according to the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 that corresponds to the direction of the rotated harvesting unit 110. (Item B8) The working machine 1 according to any one of Items B1 to B7, wherein the rotating mechanism 190 rotates the cutting unit 110 so that when the edge AR1 of the work area AR where the cutting work is performed by the cutting unit 110 includes a bend AR2, the side edge 110a of the cutting unit 110 moves along the edge AR1 of the work area AR and reaches the bend AR2, the side edge 110a of the cutting unit 110 becomes parallel to the edge AR3 of the work area AR located beyond the bend AR2.

[0292] With this work machine 1, when the edge AR1 of the work area AR where the cutting work is performed by the cutting unit 110 includes a bent section AR2, the cutting work can be performed efficiently without leaving any areas uncut. (Item C1) A harvester 1A comprising a traveling vehicle 2 and a harvesting device 100A that is detachable from the traveling vehicle 2 and performs crop harvesting work, wherein the harvesting device 100A includes a cutting unit 110, a threshing unit 131 and a discharge unit 140, and the discharge unit 140 has a first discharge unit 141 that sucks in grain separated by the threshing unit 131 from the threshing unit 131 and discharges it to the outside of the harvester 1A, and a second discharge unit 142 that sucks in straw separated by the threshing unit 131 from the threshing unit 131 and discharges it to the outside of the harvester 1A.

[0293] With this harvester 1A, the harvesting device 100A is detachable from the traveling vehicle 2, and is configured to discharge grain and straw to the outside of the harvester. Therefore, there is no need to provide a traveling device or tank for the harvester 1A, making it possible to make the harvester 1A smaller and lighter. (Item C2) The harvester 1A according to Item C1, wherein the first discharge section 141 and the second discharge section 142 overlap in at least a portion when viewed from above.

[0294] With this harvester 1A, the discharge section 140, which includes two discharge sections (first discharge section 141 and second discharge section 142), can be configured compactly. (Item C3) The harvester 1A according to item C1 or C2, wherein the outlet 141f of the first discharge section 141 is located above the outlet 142a of the second discharge section 142.

[0295] This harvester 1A prevents the straw discharged from the second discharge section 142 from mixing with the grain discharged from the first discharge section 141. (Item C4) The harvester 1A according to any of Items C1 to C3, wherein the inlet 141h of the first discharge section 141 is located below the inlet 142b of the second discharge section 142.

[0296] This harvester 1A prevents the straw that is sucked into the second discharge section 142 from mixing with the grain that is sucked into the first discharge section 141. (Item C5) The harvester 1A according to any one of items C1 to C4, wherein the first discharge section 141 has a one-way passage 141c located on one side of the second discharge section 142 and a other-way passage 141d located on the other side of the second discharge section 142, and the second discharge section 142 extends through the space between the one-way passage 141c and the other-way passage 141d.

[0297] With this harvester 1A, the first discharge section 141 can be positioned on one side and the other side of the second discharge section 142, so that the two discharge sections (first discharge section 141 and second discharge section 142) can be positioned in a balanced manner. (Item C6) The harvester 1A according to Item C5, wherein the first discharge section 141 has an end-connecting passage 141e that connects the end of one passage 141c and the end of the other passage 141d, and an outlet 141f of the first discharge section 141 is formed in the end-connecting passage 141e.

[0298] With this harvester 1A, grains moving through one passage 141c and the other passage 141d can be collected in the terminal connecting passage 141e and discharged from the outlet 141f. (Item C7) The harvester 1A according to Item C5, wherein the first discharge section 141 has a starting end connecting passage 141g that connects the starting end of one passage 141c and the starting end of the other passage 141d, and the inlet 141h of the first discharge section 141 is formed in the starting end connecting passage 141g.

[0299] With this harvester 1A, grains moving through one passage 141c and the other passage 141d can be collected and sucked up together from the inlet 141h of the starting end connecting passage 141g. (Item C8) A harvester 1A according to any one of items C1 to C7, having a chaff plate 135 located below the threshing section 131, wherein the inlet 141h of the first discharge section 141 is located below the chaff plate 135, and the inlet 142b of the second discharge section 142 is located above the chaff plate 135.

[0300] With this harvester 1A, grains that have passed through the chaff plate 135 and fallen can be sucked in from the inlet 141h of the first discharge section 141, and straw that has not passed through the chaff plate 135 can be sucked in from the inlet 142b of the second discharge section 142. (Item C9) A harvester 1A according to any one of items C1 to C8, comprising a first suction fan 143 for drawing grain separated by the threshing unit 131 into the first discharge unit 141, and a second suction fan 144 for drawing straw separated by the threshing unit 131 into the second discharge unit 142.

[0301] With this harvester 1A, the suction force of the first suction fan 143 ensures that grain is reliably drawn into the first discharge section 141, and the suction force of the second suction fan 144 ensures that straw is reliably drawn into the second discharge section 142. (Item C10) The traveling vehicle 2 has a liftable body 3 and a traveling device 4 arranged to the side of the body 3, the traveling device 4 includes a left traveling device 4L arranged to the left of the body 3 and a right traveling device 4R arranged to the right of the body 3, and the harvesting device 100A is a harvesting machine 1A according to any one of items C1 to C9, wherein at least the threshing unit 131 is located between the left traveling device 4L and the right traveling device 4R and below the body 3.

[0302] With this harvester 1A, the threshing unit 131 is located between the left travel device 4L and the right travel device 4R and below the vehicle body 3, thereby protecting the threshing unit 131 from external forces, wind, rain, and the like. (Item C11) The harvester 1A according to Item C10, wherein the first discharge section 141 discharges the grain to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2, and the second discharge section 142 discharges the straw to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2.

[0303] With this harvester 1A, since both grain and straw are discharged to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2, a tank for storing the grain separated by the threshing unit 131 is unnecessary, making it possible to make the harvester 1A smaller and lighter. (Item C12) The harvester 1A according to Item C1, which does not have a tank for storing grain separated by the threshing unit 131.

[0304] This harvester 1A does not have a tank for storing the grain separated by the threshing unit 131, so the harvester 1A can be made smaller and lighter. (Item D1) A vehicle 2 comprising a vehicle body 3, a running gear 4 that supports the vehicle body 3 so that it can move in at least three directions, and an illumination device 30 that can irradiate light in all directions of travel of the vehicle body 3 in the direction of travel.

[0305] With this vehicle 2, the illumination device 30 can illuminate at least three or more directions of travel. Therefore, the vehicle 2 can be safely driven in at least three or more directions of travel. (Item D2) The running device 4 supports the vehicle body 3 so that it can move in at least three directions from forward, backward, sideways, and diagonally, as described in Item D1 for the running vehicle 2.

[0306] With this vehicle 2, the vehicle body 3 can be moved in at least three directions from forward, backward, sideways, and diagonally, and each direction of movement can be illuminated by the illumination device 30. (Item D3) The irradiation device 30 is capable of irradiating light in at least three or more directions with the same irradiation intensity, as described in Item D1 or D2 for the traveling vehicle 2.

[0307] With this vehicle 2, the illumination device 30 can emit light with the same intensity in at least three directions, so that the brightness in front of the vehicle 3 in the direction of travel can be made the same regardless of the direction of travel. Therefore, the vehicle 2 can be driven more safely in at least three directions. (Item D4) The illumination device 30 is capable of illuminating the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3, and simultaneously is capable of traveling and illuminating directions other than the direction of travel, as described in any of Items D1 to D3 for the traveling vehicle 2.

[0308] According to this vehicle 2, the illumination device 30 can move simultaneously with the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 and can also illuminate in directions other than the direction of travel. Therefore, it is possible to draw attention not only to the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 but also to directions other than the direction of travel. (Item D5) The running vehicle 2 according to any one of Items D1 to D4, wherein the running device 4 has omnidirectional wheels or a plurality of wheels 7 that can change direction 360° independently of each other.

[0309] According to this vehicle 2, the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 can be changed by 360° using the wheels 7, and each direction of travel can be illuminated by the illumination device 30. (Item D6) The illumination device 30 has a plurality of illumination units 300, the plurality of illumination units including a forward illumination unit capable of illuminating the front when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is forward, a rear illumination unit capable of illuminating the rear when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is rear, a side illumination unit capable of illuminating the side when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is sideways, and an oblique illumination unit capable of illuminating the oblique direction when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is oblique, the vehicle 2 according to any one of Items D1 to D5.

[0310] With this vehicle 2, the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 can be illuminated by the illuminating unit regardless of whether the vehicle body 3 is moving forward, backward, to the side, or at an angle. (Item D7) The illumination device 30 has a plurality of illumination units 300, and when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is changed, the illumination unit among the plurality of illumination units that can illuminate in the direction corresponding to the changed direction of travel lights up, as described in any of Items D1 to D6.

[0311] According to this vehicle 2, when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is changed, the direction corresponding to the changed direction of travel can be illuminated by the illumination unit, thus improving safety when changing direction of travel. (Item D8) The illumination device 30 has a plurality of illumination units 300, and when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is changed, the illumination unit among the plurality of illumination units that can illuminate in the direction corresponding to the changed direction of travel lights up with a higher illumination intensity than the other illumination units, as described in any of Items D1 to D7.

[0312] According to this vehicle 2, when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 3 is changed, the illumination unit can brightly illuminate the direction corresponding to the changed direction of travel more brightly than other directions, thus improving safety when changing direction of travel. (Item D9) The illumination device 30 has a plurality of illumination units 300, the plurality of illumination units including a front illumination unit provided on the front side of the traveling vehicle 2 and a rear illumination unit provided on the rear side of the traveling vehicle 2, wherein the front illumination unit lights up when the vehicle body 3 moves forward, the rear illumination unit lights up when the vehicle body 3 moves backward, and the front illumination unit and the rear illumination unit light up when the vehicle body 3 moves laterally, as described in any of Items D1 to D8.

[0313] According to this vehicle 2, when the vehicle body 3 moves forward, when the vehicle body 3 moves backward, and when the vehicle body 3 moves sideways, the illumination of the corresponding illumination unit will light up to draw the attention of people in the surrounding area. (Item D10) The illumination device 30 has a plurality of illumination units 300, and the side surface of the traveling vehicle 2 has a first part 141a and a second part 141b that are at different angles with respect to the front-rear direction in a plan view, and the illumination units are provided on the first part 141a and the second part 141b respectively, as described in any of Items D1 to D9.

[0314] According to this vehicle 2, since illumination units are provided on the first part 141a and the second part 141b, which are at different angles with respect to the front-rear direction, light can be irradiated onto the object to be illuminated from different angles. This makes it possible to detect the object to be illuminated with high precision, for example, when the object to be illuminated is photographed by a camera. (Item D11) The traveling vehicle 2 described in Item D10, wherein the irradiation unit located in the first part 141a and the irradiation unit located in the second part 141b are connected.

[0315] With this mobile vehicle 2, light can be irradiated onto the target object from irradiating units located in two connected parts (first part 141a and second part 141b). This reduces the difference in light intensity between the two irradiating units, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the target object. (Item D12) The illumination device 30 has a plurality of illumination units 300, the side of the traveling vehicle 2 has a constricted portion 210 that is recessed inward in the width direction of the vehicle body when viewed from above, the constricted portion 210 has a central portion 211 that extends in the front-rear direction, a forward-sloping portion 212 that extends forward and outward in the width direction of the vehicle body from the front end of the central portion 211, and a rearward-sloping portion 213 that extends rearward and outward in the width direction of the vehicle body from the rear end of the central portion, and the illumination units are provided in the central portion 211, the forward-sloping portion 212, and the rearward-sloping portion 213, respectively, the traveling vehicle 2 according to any one of items D1 to D11.

[0316] According to this vehicle 2, light can be irradiated onto the object from the irradiating sections provided in the central section 211, the forward inclined section 212, and the rear inclined section 213 of the constricted section 210, respectively, making it possible to concentrate light onto the object from different directions. (Item D13) The illumination device 30 has a plurality of illumination units 300, the running device 4 includes a left running device 4L located to the left of the vehicle body 3 and a right running device 4R located to the right of the vehicle body 3, and is equipped with a distance changing mechanism 80 that can change a first distance between the left running device 4L and the vehicle body 3 and a second distance between the right running device 4R and the vehicle body 3, the plurality of illumination units 300 include a left illumination unit provided on the left side of the running vehicle 2 and a right illumination unit provided on the right side of the running vehicle 2, the left illumination unit lights up when the distance changing mechanism 80 increases the first distance, and the right illumination unit lights up when the distance changing mechanism 80 increases the second distance, the running vehicle 2 according to any one of items D1 to D12.

[0317] According to this vehicle 2, when the distance between the left running gear 4L and the vehicle body 3, or the distance between the right running gear 4R and the vehicle body 3, increases, it is possible to alert people who are in the direction of the increasing distance.

[0318] While embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of equivalence to the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0319] 1. Work machine 2. Vehicles in operation 3. Vehicle Body 4. Traveling device 4L left running device 4R Right-hand drive system 80 Distance change mechanism 100 Work equipment 100A Harvesting Device 110 Reaping part 130 Processing Unit 150 Support legs 160 Detachable mechanism 161 Guide Rail

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising a body that can be raised and lowered, and a running gear positioned on the side of the body, A detachable mechanism for detachably supporting the work device to the aforementioned traveling vehicle, Equipped with, The aforementioned running gear includes a left running gear positioned on the left side of the vehicle body and a right running gear positioned on the right side of the vehicle body. The attachment / detachment mechanism is a work device that detachably supports the work device between the right side of the left travel device and the left side of the right travel device.

2. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the attachment / detachment mechanism detachably supports the work device between the left travel device and the right travel device and below the vehicle body when the vehicle body is in the raised position.

3. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the attachment / detachment mechanism allows the work device to be attached to and detached from the traveling vehicle by moving the traveling vehicle forward or backward relative to the work device.

4. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the attachment / detachment mechanism has a guide rail provided on the traveling vehicle and extending in the front-rear direction, and the work device can be attached to the traveling vehicle by inserting a part of the work device into the guide rail from the front or rear.

5. The work machine according to claim 4, wherein the guide rails are provided on the right side of the left travel device and on the left side of the right travel device.

6. The work machine according to claim 4, wherein the guide rail is provided on the lower part of the vehicle body.

7. The work machine according to claim 4, wherein the guide rail is provided on the right side of the left running device, the left side of the right running device, and the lower part of the vehicle body.

8. The work machine according to claim 4, further comprising a changing mechanism capable of changing the position of the guide rail in the left-right direction and / or the up-down direction.

9. The aforementioned vehicle is equipped with a power source that generates power to drive the aforementioned work device. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the power is supplied from the power source to the work device while the work device is attached to the traveling vehicle via the attachment / detachment mechanism.

10. The attachment / detachment mechanism has a guide rail provided on the vehicle and extending in the front-rear direction, The power is supplied to the work device via the guide rail, as described in claim 9.

11. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the work device is provided with a power source that generates power for driving the work device.

12. The work device according to claim 1, wherein, when the work device is mounted on the traveling vehicle, a part of the work device is covered above by the vehicle body, to the left by the left traveling device, and to the right by the right traveling device.

13. The aforementioned work device is a harvesting device, The harvesting device comprises a cutting unit, a processing unit for processing the harvested material cut by the cutting unit, and support legs capable of supporting the processing unit on the ground, and is self-supporting on the support legs. The work machine according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the support legs are changeable between a first position in contact with the ground and a second position away from the ground, and transition from the first position to the second position when the harvesting device is attached to the traveling vehicle, and transition from the second position to the first position when the harvesting device is detached from the traveling vehicle.

14. A method for attaching a harvesting device, which is a work device, to the attachment / detachment mechanism of the work machine described in claim 1, A method for mounting a harvesting device, wherein the vehicle is moved toward the harvesting device from the front or rear of the harvesting device while the vehicle body is in a raised position, thereby mounting the harvesting device between the left vehicle and the right vehicle and below the vehicle body.

15. The work machine is equipped with a distance changing mechanism that can change the distance between the left travel device and the right travel device, The method for mounting a harvesting device according to claim 14, wherein the vehicle body is in a raised position and the distance between the left running device and the right running device is increased by the distance changing mechanism, and the vehicle is moved from in front of the harvesting device toward the harvesting device, thereby mounting the harvesting device between the left running device and the right running device and below the vehicle body.

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