combine

Abstract

There is a vehicle speed control system that detects the load on the power source from the change in the rotational speed of the power source and controls the vehicle speed of an agricultural work vehicle, which operates using a work device while moving on a traction unit, according to the load. However, when the load on the work device increases, the engine's appropriate driving force may not be transmitted to the work device, hindering the work performed by the work device, or the engine may stop due to the increased load. Therefore, this invention provides a combine harvester that can perform efficient harvesting by detecting the threshing load state of the threshing device and reducing the travel speed according to the threshing load state. [Solution] In a combine harvester equipped with traveling devices 2L, 2R, a harvesting device 9, a threshing device 4, and a transmission, a threshing load detection unit 31 is provided to detect the threshing load state of the threshing device 4, and the control device 12 controls the transmission to reduce the traveling speed according to the threshing load state detected by the threshing load detection unit 31.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a combine equipped with a threshing device for threshing cereal straws cut by a cutting device.

Background Art

[0002] There is a vehicle speed control system that detects the load of a power source from the change amount of the rotational speed of the power source and controls the vehicle speed of an agricultural work vehicle that performs work by a work device while traveling by a traveling device according to the load (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when the load on the work device increases, there are cases where the appropriate driving force of the engine is not transmitted to the work device, hindering the work by the work device, or the load on the engine increases and the engine stops.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a combine that detects the threshing load state of a threshing device and decelerates the traveling speed according to the threshing load state so that a good harvesting operation can be performed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The invention described in claim 1 is a combine harvester having a machine frame 1 on which an engine 13 is mounted, a traveling device 2L, 2R for traveling in a field located below it, a harvesting device 9 for cutting grain stalks located in front of the machine frame 1, a threshing device 4 for threshing behind the harvesting device 9, and a transmission device for increasing or decreasing the output rotation of the engine 13 in the transmission path between the engine 13 and the traveling devices 2L, 2R, wherein the combine harvester is further equipped with a threshing load detection unit 31 for detecting the threshing load state of the threshing device 4, and a control device 12 controls the transmission device to reduce the traveling speed according to the threshing load state detected by the threshing load detection unit 31.

[0007] According to the invention described in claim 1, by detecting the threshing load state and automatically reducing the travel speed, the work can be carried out at an appropriate travel speed, thereby reducing the operator's burden and improving work efficiency.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is a combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the control device 12 compares the engine load rate and the threshing load rate, and if the threshing load rate is greater than the engine load rate and is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the travel speed is reduced according to the threshing load rate.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is a combine harvester according to claim 2, which increases speed to the operating position of the gear lever 10b when the threshing load rate falls below a predetermined value after the travel speed has been reduced.

[0010] The invention described in claim 4 is a combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the control device 12 compares the engine load rate and the threshing load rate, and if the threshing load rate is smaller than the engine load rate and the engine load rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the travel speed is reduced according to the engine load rate.

[0011] The invention described in claim 5 is a combine harvester according to claim 4, which increases speed to the operating position of the gear shift lever 10b when the engine load ratio falls below a predetermined value after the travel speed has been reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1]This is a side view of a combine harvester according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a control block diagram. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the straight-line assist control. [Figure 4] This is a side cross-section of a threshing machine. [Figure 5] This is a side cross-sectional view of the main part of a threshing machine. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the layer thickness sensor. [Figure 7] This graph shows the relationship between the digital value of the layer thickness sensor and the threshing load rate. [Figure 8] This is a control flow diagram. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The following describes in detail a combine harvester, which is one embodiment of the harvesting machine of the present invention, with reference to the drawings.

[0014] For the sake of ease of understanding, we will use the terms "front," "rear," "right," and "left" from the pilot's perspective, but these terms do not limit the present invention.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the combine harvester has left and right traveling devices 2L and 2R, each consisting of a pair of left and right traveling crawlers that run on the soil surface, mounted on the lower side of the machine frame 1. On the left and right sides of the machine frame 1 are a threshing device 4 for threshing and sorting the stalks of grain that are carried and supplied by the feed chain 3, a grain tank 5 for temporarily storing the grain, and a grain discharge auger 6 for discharging the grain stored in the grain tank 5 to the outside of the machine.

[0016] Then, in front of the threshing device 4, there is a weeding body 7 that weeds uncut cereal straws from the front end side, a lifting part 8 that lifts the weeded cereal straws, a cutting blade part that cuts the lifted cereal straws, and a supply adjustment conveyor part that scrapes in the cut cereal straws and adjusts the handling depth during conveyance and transfers them to the feed chain 3. The harvesting device 9 having such components is suspended and disposed at the front end of the machine body frame 1 so as to be movable up and down with respect to the soil surface by a harvesting lift cylinder 24.

[0017] An operating device 10 such as a steering lever 10a for steering the combine and a main shift lever 10b as a shift lever for shifting a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission (hereinafter referred to as HST) are provided at the upper rear side of the harvesting device 9, and an operator's seat 11 is provided. The engine 13 is mounted below the operator's seat 11, and the grain tank 5 is arranged at the rear side.

[0018] A monitor 21 for displaying various information upon receiving input information from the operating device 10 and each sensor is provided at a position in front of the operator's seat 11, and a control device 12 for controlling the operation of each part upon receiving input information from the operating device 10 and each sensor is provided at a position below the operating device 10.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the operation device 10 operates a left traveling actuator 23L that operates the left side clutch and the left side brake of the left traveling device 2L by a tilting operation to the left by an operator sitting on the operator's seat 11, and operates a right traveling actuator 23R that operates the right side clutch and the right side brake of the right traveling device 2R by a tilting operation to the right to perform left and right steering and left and right turning during traveling, and operates a steering lever 10a that operates a mowing lift cylinder 24 by an operation in the front-rear direction to raise and lower the mowing device 9, a main shift lever 10b that operates a transmission actuator 22 that operates a trunnion shaft of an HST by a front-rear operation to switch between forward and reverse and stop and to increase and decrease the speed, a threshing clutch actuator 25 to operate a threshing lever 10c that turns on and off the drive of the mowing device 9 and the threshing device 4, an auger operation lever 10d that moves the grain discharging auger 6 vertically by the operation of an auger lift cylinder 26a and moves it horizontally by the operation of a left and right turning actuator 26b, and an auger drive switching lever 10e that operates an auger drive electromagnetic clutch 27 that turns on and off the drive of the grain discharging auger 6 to discharge the grain in the grain tank 5 to the outside of the machine, and includes various operating tools.

[0020] On the input side of the control device 12, a potentiometer that detects the operation of the steering lever 10a, a potentiometer that detects the front-rear operation position of the main shift lever 10b, a potentiometer that detects the operation position of the threshing lever 10c, a potentiometer that detects the operation position of the auger operation lever 10d, a potentiometer that detects the operation position of the auger drive switching lever 10e, a layer thickness sensor 31 as a threshing load detection unit that detects the layer thickness of the grain (object to be processed) on the swinging sorting shelf 30 in the threshing device 4, a vehicle speed sensor 32 composed of a rotation sensor that detects the rotation speed of the drive shafts of the left and right traveling devices 2L and 2R, and a GNSS 33 provided on the upper part of the machine body are connected via a predetermined input interface circuit.

[0021] On the output side of the control device 12 are left and right travel actuators 23L and 23R that operate the left and right side clutches and left and right side brakes of the left and right travel devices 2L and 2R based on input values ​​from a potentiometer that detects the tilting operation of the steering lever 10a to the left and right, a harvesting lifting cylinder 24 that raises and lowers the harvesting device 9 based on input values ​​from a potentiometer that detects the forward and backward movement, a transmission actuator 22 that operates the trunnion shaft of the HST based on input values ​​from a potentiometer that detects the forward and backward movement position of the main transmission lever 10b, and a potentiometer that detects the operation of the harvesting lever 10c A harvesting clutch actuator 25 that switches the drive of the harvesting device 9 and the threshing device 4 on and off based on input values ​​from a potentiometer, an auger lifting cylinder 26a that moves the grain discharge auger 6 up and down and a left and right swivel actuator 26b that moves it left and right based on input values ​​from a potentiometer that detects the operation of the auger operation lever 10d, an auger drive electromagnetic clutch 27 that switches the drive of the grain discharge auger 6 on and off based on input values ​​from a potentiometer that detects the operation of the auger drive switching lever 10e, and a monitor 21, etc. are connected via a predetermined output interface circuit.

[0022] The control device 12 then calculates the current vehicle speed (driving speed) based on the detected value sent from the vehicle speed sensor 32.

[0023] Furthermore, it communicates with the engine control unit (ECU) 34 that controls the engine 13 to calculate the engine load ratio.

[0024] Furthermore, the control device 12 records map data, calculates the current machine position based on input from GNSS 33, and performs straight-line assist control during harvesting operations while moving in a straight line.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, in a field, when the straight-line assist control is turned on at the starting position for harvesting in a straight line on one end of the field, the harvesting start position is acquired by GNSS33, the starting position A is acquired at a point where the harvesting run has been completed for 10m using manual steering, and the ending position B is acquired at the turning start position on the other end of the field. A virtual reference line is drawn on the map data by connecting the starting position A and the ending position B with a straight line, and when the turning is completed on the other end of the field and the harvesting work is resumed, the straight-line assist function controls the left and right travel actuators 23L and 23R to control the machine to move in a straight line parallel to the reference line to a position corresponding to the harvesting start position on one end of the field.

[0026] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a threshing chamber 35 is provided at the top of the threshing device 4 for threshing the grain stalks that have been cut by the harvesting device 9 and transported by the feed chain 3, and a threshing drum 36 is mounted inside the threshing chamber 35 by a threshing drum shaft 37.

[0027] The lower side of the hoisting body 36 is surrounded by a hoisting net 38.

[0028] Below the handling net 38, the starting end of a rocking sorting rack 30, which serves as a sorting device, is positioned. Downstream of the rack, a sieve 39 is provided for separating grain from foreign matter, and downstream of the sieve 39, a straw rack 40 is provided for transporting straw waste.

[0029] A winnowing machine 41 is installed below the oscillating sorting rack 30, and the winnowing machine 41 blows air towards the oscillating sorting rack 30.

[0030] 42 is the first conveyor belt, and 43 is the second conveyor belt.

[0031] Furthermore, a layer thickness sensor 31, which acts as a grain quantity sensor to detect the layer thickness of grain (material to be processed) on the oscillating sorting shelf 30, is provided at a predetermined position above the oscillating sorting shelf 30, in the center position on the left and right sides.

[0032] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the layer thickness sensor 31 has a sensor body 31a mounted at the left and right center of mounting stays 45 fixed to the left and right machine frames of the threshing device 4. A detection arm 31b, whose base is rotatably mounted on the sensor body 31a, extends toward the oscillating sorting shelf 30, and the detection arm 31b is rotatable upward from its initial position (output digital value of 97 at a height of 4.5 mm from the top surface of the oscillating sorting shelf 30).

[0033] The layer thickness sensor 31 has a detection arm 31b that rotates upward from its initial position according to the layer thickness of the grains on the oscillating sorting rack 30, and the sensor body 31a sends a detected digital value to the control device 12 according to the angle of rotation.

[0034] In other words, when the layer thickness of the grains on the oscillating sorting shelf 30 is thin (the amount of grains is small), a low detected digital value is sent to the control device 12, and as the layer thickness increases (the amount of grains increases), a high detected digital value is sent. Therefore, the control device 12 can recognize the layer thickness of the grains on the oscillating sorting shelf 30 by the detected digital value from the layer thickness sensor 31.

[0035] Specifically, the position where the detection arm 31b of the layer thickness sensor 31 rotates upward from its initial position and outputs a digital value 153 at a height of 30 mm from the top surface of the oscillating sorting shelf 30 represents the intermediate range where an intermediate amount of grain is moving, and the position where the layer thickness sensor 31 outputs a digital value 204 at a height of 60 mm from the top surface of the oscillating sorting shelf 30 represents the maximum range where the maximum amount of grain is moving.

[0036] Then, the control device 12 calculates the threshing load ratio based on the graph shown in Figure 7, according to the digital value output by the layer thickness sensor 31.

[0037] Next, we will explain vehicle speed control based on engine load rate and threshing load rate, based on the control flow diagram in Figure 8.

[0038] When the operator operates the main transmission lever 10b, the control device 12 activates the transmission actuator 22, which operates the trunnion shaft of the HST, based on the input value from the potentiometer that detects the operating position of the main transmission lever 10b, and drives the vehicle at the vehicle speed corresponding to the forward or backward operating position of the main transmission lever 10b.

[0039] The control device 12 then compares the calculated engine load ratio with the threshing load ratio, and if the threshing load ratio is greater than the engine load ratio and remains at or above a predetermined value (for example, 90%) for a predetermined time or distance, it activates the transmission actuator 22 to reduce the vehicle speed according to the threshing load ratio.

[0040] Furthermore, if the threshing load rate remains below a predetermined value (for example, 75%) for a predetermined time or distance after decelerating, the speed will be increased to the operating position of the main gear lever 10b.

[0041] Furthermore, the control device 12 compares the calculated engine load ratio with the threshing load ratio, and if the threshing load ratio is smaller than the engine load ratio and the engine load ratio remains above a predetermined value for a predetermined time or distance, it activates the transmission actuator 22 to reduce the vehicle speed according to the engine load ratio.

[0042] Furthermore, if the engine load ratio remains below a predetermined value for a predetermined time or distance after vehicle speed reduction, the speed will increase to the operating position of the main transmission lever 10b.

[0043] Therefore, in addition to controlling the vehicle speed by detecting the engine load rate, the vehicle speed can be automatically reduced by detecting the threshing load rate, allowing the machine to operate at a more appropriate speed. This reduces the burden on the operator to manually operate the main gear lever 10b, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0044] Furthermore, in the above vehicle speed control, if the operator operates the main transmission lever 10b to increase speed when the engine load rate or threshing load rate is above a predetermined value and deceleration control is being performed, the control device 12 will determine that it is an overload and will cancel the speed increase.

[0045] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, in the initial driving section C of a predetermined distance (for example, 5m) immediately after the straight-line assist function starts under straight-line assist control, the vehicle speed at the operating position of the main shift lever 10b is maintained without performing the above-mentioned vehicle speed control.

[0046] Furthermore, since it is common to perform turns at low speeds to ensure proper turning, in the final driving section D of a predetermined distance (for example, 5m) just before the straight-line assist function ends, the vehicle speed control does not increase speed, and if it is decelerating, it maintains that deceleration. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 1. Aircraft frame 2L,2R traveling device 4. Threshing machine 9 Reaping device 10b Gear shift lever (main gear shift lever) 12 Control device 13 Engine 31. Threshing load detection unit (layer thickness sensor)

Claims

1. A combine harvester is provided with a machine frame (1) on which an engine (13) is mounted, a running gear (2L, 2R) for traveling in a field located below the machine frame (1), a cutting gear (9) for cutting grain stalks located in front of the machine frame (1), a threshing gear (4) for threshing behind the cutting gear (9), and a transmission for increasing or decreasing the output rotation of the engine (13) in the transmission path between the engine (13) and the running gears (2L, 2R), wherein the combine harvester is further equipped with a threshing load detection unit (31) for detecting the threshing load state of the threshing gear (4), and a control device (12) controls the transmission to reduce the travel speed according to the threshing load state detected by the threshing load detection unit (31).

2. The combine harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device (12) compares the engine load rate and the threshing load rate, and if the threshing load rate is greater than the engine load rate and is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it reduces the travel speed according to the threshing load rate.

3. The combine harvester according to claim 2, characterized in that if the threshing load rate falls below a predetermined value after the travel speed has been reduced, the speed is increased to the operating position of the speed change lever (10b).

4. The combine harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device (12) compares the engine load rate and the threshing load rate, and if the threshing load rate is smaller than the engine load rate and the engine load rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, it reduces the travel speed according to the engine load rate.

5. The combine harvester according to claim 4, characterized in that when the engine load ratio falls below a predetermined value after the travel speed has been reduced, the speed is increased to the operating position of the gear shift lever (10b).

Images