combine

Abstract

The present invention provides a combine harvester in which a hydraulic valve unit is mounted on the traveling machine body, which can suppress the accumulation of dust and dirt on the hydraulic valve unit and allows for a compact arrangement of the hydraulic valve unit. [Solution] The combine harvester 1 comprises a traveling body 2, a threshing device 20 provided on one side of the traveling body 2, a grain tank 10 provided on the other side of the traveling body 2, and a hydraulic valve unit 100 provided on the traveling body 2. The grain tank 10 has a left-side sloping portion 146 that forms a tapering shape 140, and the hydraulic valve unit 100 is provided in a state inclined in the same direction as the slope of the left-side sloping portion 146 in the left-right direction of the traveling body 2, and in a direction that makes the central side of the traveling body 2 higher.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0001] [[ID=S]]The present invention relates to a combine having a configuration in which a hydraulic valve unit including a plurality of hydraulic valves for controlling the flow of hydraulic oil to a hydraulic actuator is provided on a traveling body.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a combine in which a hydraulic valve unit is provided on a traveling body. The hydraulic valve unit includes a plurality of hydraulic valves for controlling the flow of hydraulic oil to a plurality of hydraulic actuators such as, for example, a hydraulic cylinder for raising and lowering a cutting unit provided so as to be able to be raised and lowered with respect to the traveling body, and a hydraulic cylinder for raising and lowering the main body of the traveling body (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which, in a configuration in which a threshing device and a grain tank are arranged side by side on the left and right on a traveling body, the hydraulic valve unit is arranged around the threshing device and the grain tank on the traveling body. <000**********>

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the configuration in which a hydraulic valve unit is installed on a traveling body as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that dust and dirt easily accumulate on the hydraulic valve unit. Further, regarding the arrangement space of the hydraulic valve unit on the traveling body, it is necessary to avoid interference with the arrangement spaces of the threshing device and the grain tank.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a combine harvester in which a hydraulic valve unit is provided on the traveling machine body, which can suppress the accumulation of dust and dirt on the hydraulic valve unit and can also arrange the hydraulic valve unit compactly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The combine harvester according to the present invention comprises a traveling body, a threshing device provided on one side of the traveling body, a grain tank provided on the other side of the traveling body, and a hydraulic valve unit provided on the traveling body, wherein the grain tank has a sloping portion that tapers downwards, and the hydraulic valve unit is provided in a state inclined in the same direction as the slope of the sloping portion in the left-right direction of the traveling body, and in a direction that makes the central side of the traveling body higher.

[0008] Another embodiment of the present invention is a combine harvester comprising a piping member or cable arranged in such a manner that a portion of it is located in the space below the hydraulic valve unit on the traveling machine.

[0009] Another embodiment of the present invention is a combine harvester that includes a covering member that covers the hydraulic valve unit from above.

[0010] In another aspect of the present invention, the combine harvester is characterized in that the covering member is a flexible, transparent member.

[0011] In another aspect of the present invention, a combine harvester is provided on the side of the hydraulic valve unit facing the threshing device for transporting grain from the threshing device to the grain tank, and a maintenance opening cover is provided at the bottom of the conveying device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, in a configuration in which a hydraulic valve unit is provided on a traveling machine body, the accumulation of dust and dirt on the hydraulic valve unit can be suppressed, and the hydraulic valve unit can be arranged compactly. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a left side view of a combine harvester according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a right side view of a combine harvester according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of a combine harvester according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows the power transmission configuration in a combine harvester according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a schematic front cross-sectional view of a combine harvester according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a hydraulic circuit diagram showing the configuration of the hydraulic work system circuit of a combine harvester according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a left front perspective view showing the arrangement configuration of a hydraulic valve unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a partial left-side cross-sectional view showing the arrangement configuration of a hydraulic valve unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a partial front cross-sectional view showing the arrangement configuration of a hydraulic valve unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a left front perspective view showing the arrangement configuration of a hydraulic valve unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a right side view showing the arrangement configuration of a hydraulic valve unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a right rear perspective view showing the arrangement configuration of a hydraulic valve unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a right rear perspective view showing the arrangement configuration of a hydraulic valve unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] The present invention aims to suppress the deposition of dust and dirt on a hydraulic valve unit and enable a compact arrangement of the hydraulic valve unit by devising the arrangement configuration and the like of the hydraulic valve unit provided on a traveling machine body. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

[0015] The overall configuration of the combine 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. In the following description, the left side (the lower side in FIG. 3) and the right side (the upper side in FIG. 3) facing the front of the combine 1 are defined as the left side and the right side of the combine 1, respectively.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the combine 1 according to the present embodiment is a general - type combine as a harvesting machine that scrapes harvested crops (such as rice, wheat, soybeans, corn, etc.) in the field into the machine body, threshes, sorts, stores the grain, and can appropriately carry it out of the machine. The combine 1 includes a self - propelled traveling machine body 2 and a cutting unit 3 provided at the front end of the traveling machine body 2. The cutting unit 3 is configured as a cutting device that takes in uncut cereal straws such as rice and wheat while cutting them, and is attached to the traveling machine body 2 so as to be able to move up and down.

[0017] The traveling machine body 2 includes a traveling unit 4 configured as a crawler - type traveling device having a pair of left and right crawler units 5, 5. A machine body frame 6 is installed between the left and right crawler units 5, 5. Each crawler unit 5 has a plurality of rotating bodies including a drive sprocket 5a provided at its front end, and a crawler 5c wound around these rotating bodies. The drive sprocket 5a is rotationally driven by receiving the power transmission from the engine 25 provided in the combine 1.

[0018] A threshing device 20 is provided on the left side of the machine frame 6. The threshing device 20 has a threshing unit 7 that threshes the grain stalks that have been cut and supplied by the harvesting unit 3, and a sorting unit 8 that sorts the grains threshed by the threshing unit 7. The threshing unit 7 and the sorting unit 8 are arranged behind the harvesting unit 3, with the threshing unit 7 on the upper level and the sorting unit 8 on the lower level.

[0019] On the machine frame 6, a grain storage section 9 is provided to the right of the threshing section 7 and sorting section 8, and has a grain tank 10 for storing grain (clean grain) sorted in the sorting section 8. Inside the grain tank 10, a lower discharge conveyor 11 is provided to transport the stored grain toward the discharge port of the grain tank 10 (see Figure 4). A vertical conveyor 12 is erected vertically so as to communicate with the discharge port of the grain tank 10. A grain discharge conveyor 13 is connected to the upper end of the vertical conveyor 12. The grain discharge conveyor 13 is provided so as to be able to rotate horizontally and move up and down around a horizontal axis. At the base end of the grain discharge conveyor 13, a conveyor cylinder 112, which is a hydraulic cylinder for moving the grain discharge conveyor 13 up and down, is provided. These conveyors transport the grain from the grain tank 10, and the grain is discharged from the rice input port 14 located at the tip of the grain discharge conveyor 13 to the back of a truck or container.

[0020] On the machine frame 6, the driver's compartment 15 is located in front of the grain storage section 9, that is, in the front right position on the machine frame 6, where the operator sits. The driver's compartment 15 is covered by a cabin 16. The driver's compartment 15 is equipped with a driver's seat 17, a steering wheel 18 located in front of the driver's seat 17, and various operating parts such as a main gear lever 19, a sub-gear lever, and a work clutch lever (see Figure 2). The work clutch lever is an operating tool for engaging and disengaging the threshing clutch 57 and the harvesting clutch 75 (see Figure 4).

[0021] Below the control unit 15 on the aircraft frame 6, an engine 25 is provided as the power source. The engine 25 is located in the space below the control unit 15, on the front right side of the aircraft frame 6. The engine 25 is, for example, a diesel engine.

[0022] The harvesting unit 3 will now be described. The harvesting unit 3 includes a feeder 30 as a conveying device, a platform 31 as a grain header, a cutting blade device 32, a pair of left and right grass dividers 33, 33, and a raking reel 34.

[0023] The feeder 30 is a supply and conveying device that transports the grain stalks harvested in the harvesting section 3 and supplies them to the threshing section 7. The feeder 30 has a feeder house 35 as a housing and a conveyor 36 for transporting grain stalks (see Figure 4) provided inside the feeder house 35. The feeder house 35 is configured as a roughly rectangular tube with its longitudinal direction as the front-to-back direction in a plan view. The feeder 30 is located to the left of the cabin 16 (see Figure 3) and is provided with the rear end opening of the feeder house 35 communicating with the front threshing opening 7a of the threshing section 7 (see Figure 1).

[0024] The platform 31 is configured in a horizontally elongated bucket shape and is connected to the front side of the feeder 30 so as to communicate with the front end opening of the feeder house 35. A scraping auger (platform auger) 37 is provided inside the platform 31. The scraping auger 37 is mounted on an axis so as to be rotatable with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation.

[0025] The cutting blade device 32 is provided on the front lower edge of the platform 31 and is configured in the shape of a clipper. The pair of left and right grass dividers 33, 33 are provided so as to protrude forward from the left and right sides of the front of the platform 31. The raking reel 34 is a reel with a tine bar and is provided in a position in front and above the raking auger 37. The raking reel 34 is supported so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction as the axis of rotation between the tips of a pair of left and right reel support arms 34a, 34a, whose base ends are pivotally supported on the platform 31.

[0026] The raking reel 34 is supported so as to be able to move up and down by left and right reel lifting cylinders 111, which are hydraulic cylinders, and is designed to move up and down in accordance with the extension and retraction of the reel lifting cylinders 111. The reel lifting cylinders 111 are interposed between each reel support arm 34a and the platform 31. The raking reel 34 rotates and continuously acts on the podded portion of the grain stalk, raking the podded portion of the grain stalk towards the raking auger 37. Power from the engine 25, transmitted via various transmission mechanisms, is used for the operation of each part of the harvesting unit 3.

[0027] The conveyor 36 inside the feeder house 35 has a harvesting unit input shaft (feeder house conveyor shaft) 38, which is located at the front of the threshing unit 7 and has its axial direction in the left-right direction, as a drive shaft that pivots at the end of the feeder house. The rear end of the feeder 30 is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the traveling machine body 2, with the harvesting unit input shaft 38 as the pivot axis. In addition, a lifting cylinder 39, which is a hydraulic cylinder, is interposed between the lower surface of the feeder house 35 and the machine frame 6 (see Figure 1).

[0028] The harvesting unit 3 is designed to move up and down by the rotation of the feeder 30 relative to the traveling machine body 2, which occurs as a result of the extension and retraction of the lifting cylinder 39. The height of the harvesting unit 3 is adjusted by the lifting and lowering of the harvesting unit 3, with the harvesting unit input shaft 38 as the pivot axis. The lifting and lowering of the harvesting unit 3 is operated by a predetermined operating unit provided on the driver's unit 15.

[0029] A front rotor 26 is provided at the rear of the feeder 30 to feed the stalks of grain being transported by the conveyor 36 to the threshing opening 7a. The front rotor 26 is located between the end of the conveyor 36 and the threshing opening 7a. The front rotor 26 has a roughly cylindrical rotor body 27, also called a beater, and a front rotor shaft 28 (see Figure 4) whose axis is oriented in the left-right direction. The stalks of grain transported by the feeder 30 are fed from the end of the conveyor 36 through the threshing opening 7a into the threshing chamber 7b of the threshing unit 7 by the front rotor 26.

[0030] The threshing section 7 and the sorting section 8 will now be described. The threshing section 7 has a threshing drum 40 located in a threshing chamber 7b with a threshing opening 7a facing forward, and a receiving net 42 positioned below the threshing drum 40. The threshing chamber 7b is formed by a machine frame provided on the machine frame 6.

[0031] The threshing drum 40 is rotatably supported by a threshing drum shaft 41 (see Figure 4) whose axis is oriented in the front-rear direction. Multiple dust supply valves 50 (see Figure 5) are angle-adjustable on the upper side of the threshing drum 40 for adjusting the conveying speed (residence time) of the threshed grain in the threshing chamber 7b. The receiving net 42 is for allowing the grain to leak out and is provided along the outer circumferential surface of the lower part of the threshing drum 40.

[0032] The sorting unit 8 includes an oscillating sorting plate 43, which is an oscillating sorting unit located below the receiving net 42, an oscillating mechanism 44 including an oscillating shaft 44a, a first conveyor 45, a second conveyor 46, and a winnowing machine 47 (see Figure 4). The oscillating mechanism 44 rotates the oscillating shaft 44a with rotational power from a drive source, causing the oscillating sorting plate 43 to oscillate back and forth in a predetermined direction which is the front-rear direction in a plan view. As shown in Figure 4, a pre-fan 71 is provided in front of the winnowing machine 47, and a second fan 72 is provided behind the winnowing machine 47, at a position between the first conveyor 45 and the second conveyor 46 in the front-rear direction.

[0033] The oscillating sorting plate 43 has a feed pan, a chaff sieve positioned behind the feed pan to adjust the amount of grain leakage, and a grain sieve positioned below the chaff sieve, among other components for specific gravity sorting. The first conveyor 45 is positioned in the first trough, which extends in the machine width direction, to collect the first grain (first grade). The second conveyor 46 is positioned behind the first conveyor 45 and is positioned in the second trough, which extends in the machine width direction, to collect the second grain (second grade). The winnowing machine 47 blows sorting air onto the oscillating sorting plate 43, which exits from the front-downward to the rear-upward.

[0034] A return conveyor 48 is provided on the right side of the machine body where the threshing section 7 and sorting section 8 are located (see Figure 4). The return conveyor 48 is connected to the second conveyor 46 with its lower end positioned near the second conveyor 46, and its upper end is positioned near the front end of the threshing drum 40, extending in an upward sloping manner. To the right of the return conveyor 48 is a vertically extending grain lifting conveyor 49. The grain lifting conveyor 49 transports the first grain, which has been sent by the first conveyor 45, into the grain tank 10.

[0035] The combine harvester 1, having the configuration described above, raises the harvesting unit 3 to a desired height (the harvesting height of the grain stalks) relative to the ground by the raising and lowering motion of the feeder 30, with the harvesting unit input shaft 38 as the central pivot shaft, in the field, and moves from a non-working state to a working state, in which state it moves on the traveling machine body 2. As a result, the combine harvester 1 separates the harvested crop into those to be harvested and those not to be harvested by the left and right dividers 33, 33, and while the pod-bearing portion of the grain stalks to be harvested is raked in by the raking reel 34, the pod-bearing portion of the grain stalks is cut by the cutting blade device 32.

[0036] The podded portions of the grain stalks, harvested at the desired cutting position, are raked into the platform 31 by a rotating auger 37. The auger 37's feeding action also gathers the stalks near the intake of the feeder house 35 within the platform 31, where they are then drawn into the feeder house 35. The grain stalks drawn into the feeder house 35 are then transported by a conveyor 36 through the feeder house 35 to the threshing opening 7a by the front rotor 26, and supplied to the threshing unit 7.

[0037] The podded portions of the grain stalks supplied to the threshing unit 7 are threshed by the threshing unit 7. Specifically, the grain stalks supplied to the threshing unit 7 are conveyed backward by the rotating threshing drum 40, and are threshed mainly between the threshing drum 40 and the receiving screen 42. Threshed grains smaller than the mesh size of the receiving screen 42 leak through the receiving screen 42. Straw and other debris that do not leak through the receiving screen 42 are discharged into the field through a dust outlet located at the rear of the sorting unit 8 by the conveying action of the threshing drum 40.

[0038] Meanwhile, the grains that have been threshed in the threshing section 7 and have leaked out of the receiving screen 42 are sorted in the sorting section 8. Specifically, the threshed grains that have been threshed in the threshing drum 40 and have leaked out of the receiving screen 42 are sorted into fine grains (first grade), grains with stems and other parts attached and mixed with straw (second grade), and straw scraps, etc., by the specific gravity sorting action of the oscillating sorting plate 43 and the wind sorting action of the winnowing machine 47, and then removed.

[0039] The grain (first-grade) that falls from the oscillating sorting plate 43 after sorting in the sorting section 8 is transported to the grain tank 10 by the first conveyor 45 and the connected lifting grain conveyor 49. The second-grade grain is returned to the threshing start end of the threshing drum 40 by the second conveyor 46 and the connected return conveyor 48, where it undergoes threshing again. Straw and other debris are discharged into the field through a dust discharge port located at the rear of the sorting section 8.

[0040] Next, the power transmission configuration of the combine harvester 1 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 4. The combine harvester 1 uses the rotational power of the engine 25 to drive the harvesting unit 3, the traveling unit 4, the threshing unit 7, the sorting unit 8, and the grain storage unit 9.

[0041] The engine 25 has a first output shaft 25a and a second output shaft 25b. The rotational power of the first output shaft 25a is transmitted to the traveling section 4, the threshing section 7, the sorting section 8, and the harvesting section 3. The rotational power of the second output shaft 25b is transmitted to the grain storage section 9. The engine 25 also has a work equipment pump shaft that drives a hydraulic pump 54, which is a charge pump that operates the lifting cylinder 39 and the like.

[0042] Regarding the power transmission system to the running section 4, the rotational power of the first output shaft 25a is transmitted to the HST input shaft 52 by the first belt transmission mechanism 51 and input to the transmission 53, which includes the running HST and the turning HST. Here, "HST" refers to a hydraulic continuously variable transmission that employs a method of converting hydraulic pressure generated by driving a hydraulic pump back into rotational force using a hydraulic motor. The driving force of the transmission 53 rotates the drive sprocket 5a of the crawler section 5 that constitutes the running section 4.

[0043] Regarding the power transmission system to the threshing unit 7, the rotational power of the first output shaft 25a is transmitted to the threshing unit input shaft 56 by the second belt transmission mechanism 55. The second belt transmission mechanism 55 is provided with a threshing clutch 57 that transmits the rotational power of the first output shaft 25a to the threshing unit input shaft 56 intermittently as needed.

[0044] The rotational power of the threshing unit input shaft 56 is transmitted to the threshing drum input shaft 59 by the third belt transmission mechanism 58. The rotational power of the threshing drum input shaft 59 is transmitted to the threshing drum shaft 41 via the threshing speed change device 60, through a first bevel gear 115 fixed to the threshing drum input shaft 59 and a second bevel gear 116 fixed to the threshing drum shaft 41. The threshing speed change device 60 performs a two-stage speed change, for example, between high speed and low speed, for the rotational power input from the threshing drum input shaft 59 to the threshing drum shaft 41.

[0045] With this configuration, the driving force of the engine 25 is transmitted to the threshing unit 7. Then, by operating the work clutch lever provided on the driver's unit 15, the threshing clutch 57 is turned ON / OFF, thereby intermittently transmitting power to the threshing unit 7.

[0046] Regarding the power transmission system to the sorting section 8, the threshing section input shaft 56 has a support shaft for the winnowing machine 47, and the rotational power of the threshing section input shaft 56 is transmitted by the fourth belt transmission mechanism 61 to a pulley rotating body 63 supported on the threshing intermediate shaft 62. The rotational power of the pulley rotating body 63 is transmitted to the pre-fan 71 and the winnowing machine 47 by a predetermined transmission mechanism. In addition, the rotational power of the threshing section input shaft 56 is transmitted by a predetermined transmission mechanism to the rotating shafts of the first conveyor 45, the second fan 72, and the second conveyor 46, respectively.

[0047] The rotational power of the first conveyor 45 is transmitted to the grain lifting conveyor 49 by a predetermined transmission mechanism. The rotational power of the second conveyor 46 is transmitted to the oscillating shaft 44a of the oscillating mechanism 44 by the fifth belt transmission mechanism 64. The rotational power of the second conveyor 46 is transmitted to the return conveyor 48 via a bevel gear.

[0048] Regarding the power transmission system to the harvesting unit 3, the rotational power of the pulley rotating body 63 is transmitted to the front rotor shaft 28 by the sixth belt transmission mechanism 73. The sixth belt transmission mechanism 73 is equipped with a harvesting clutch 75 that transmits the rotational power of the pulley rotating body 63 to the front rotor shaft 28 intermittently as needed. The rotational power of the front rotor shaft 28 is transmitted to the harvesting unit input shaft 38 by the first chain transmission mechanism 65. The rotational drive of the harvesting unit input shaft 38 operates the conveyor 36 inside the feeder house 35.

[0049] The rotational power of the harvesting unit input shaft 38 is transmitted to the PF (platform) drive shaft 67 via the second chain transmission mechanism 66. The rotational power of the PF drive shaft 67 is transmitted to the PF auger shaft 37a, which rotates the raking auger 37, via the third chain transmission mechanism 68. The rotational power of the PF drive shaft 67 is also transmitted to the cutting blade drive shaft 32a, which drives the cutting blade device 32, via the seventh belt transmission mechanism 69. Furthermore, the rotational power of the PF drive shaft 67 is transmitted to the reel shaft 34b, which rotates the raking reel 34, via the fourth chain transmission mechanism 76, which includes the reel counter shaft 70.

[0050] With this configuration, the driving force of the engine 25 is transmitted to the harvesting unit 3. Then, by operating the work clutch lever provided on the driver unit 15, the harvesting clutch 75 is turned ON / OFF, and the power transmission to the harvesting unit 3 is interrupted.

[0051] Regarding the power transmission system to the grain storage section 9, the rotational power of the second output shaft 25b is transmitted to the lower discharge conveyor 11 by a power transmission mechanism including the grain tank intermediate shaft 77, and the rotational power of the lower discharge conveyor 11 is transmitted to the vertical conveying conveyor 12 via bevel gears. The rotational power of the vertical conveying conveyor 12 is transmitted to the grain discharge conveyor 13 by a predetermined transmission mechanism. The grain storage section 9 is equipped with a suction fan 78 and a compressor 79, which are driven by the rotational power transmitted from the grain tank intermediate shaft 77.

[0052] As described above, the combine harvester 1 according to this embodiment comprises a traveling body 2, a threshing device 20 provided on the left side of the traveling body 2, and a grain tank 10 provided on the right side of the traveling body 2. The combine harvester 1 also includes a hydraulic valve unit 100 provided on the traveling body 2.

[0053] The hydraulic valve unit 100 is a control valve device that controls the flow of pressurized oil supplied from the hydraulic oil tank 101 (see Figure 6) of the combine harvester 1 to a plurality of hydraulic actuators of the combine harvester 1. The hydraulic valve unit 100 is composed of a plurality of hydraulic valves for controlling the flow of hydraulic oil to the plurality of hydraulic actuators.

[0054] The hydraulic valve unit 100 and its configuration will be described below using Figures 5 to 13. Note that the schematic cross-sectional view shown in Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view at position AA in Figure 1.

[0055] The hydraulic circuit for the work system, including the hydraulic valve unit 100, will be described with reference to Figure 6. As shown in Figure 6, the combine harvester 1 is equipped with a plurality of hydraulic actuators that receive pressurized oil through the hydraulic valve unit 100, including a lifting cylinder 39 for raising and lowering the harvesting unit 3, left and right reel lifting cylinders 111 (111L, 111R) for raising and lowering the raking reel 34, a conveyor cylinder 112 for raising and lowering the grain discharge conveyor 13, and left and right machine body lifting cylinders 113L, 113R. The machine body lifting cylinders 113L, 113R are hydraulic cylinders for raising and lowering the machine frame 6 side (machine body side) relative to the running unit 4.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the hydraulic circuit for the work system includes a hydraulic pump 54 connected in conjunction with the engine 25 and a hydraulic oil tank 101 that stores the hydraulic fluid used to operate the hydraulic actuator. The hydraulic pump 54 is connected to the hydraulic oil tank 101 by piping 104 that constitutes an oil passage. An oil filter 102 is provided in the piping 104.

[0057] The hydraulic pump 54 is connected to each hydraulic valve 110 of the hydraulic valve unit 100 by a supply pipe 105. The hydraulic pump 54 is driven by the engine 25 to supply hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic fluid tank 101 to each hydraulic actuator via the hydraulic valve unit 100. The hydraulic valve unit 100 is connected to the hydraulic fluid tank 101 by a return pipe 106 that forms an oil passage.

[0058] The hydraulic valve unit 100 is composed of multiple hydraulic valves 110, such as directional control valves, corresponding to each hydraulic actuator. By controlling the operation of the directional control valves, the amount and destination of pressurized oil supplied from the hydraulic oil tank 101 by the drive of the hydraulic pump 54 are controlled. Controlling the supply of pressurized oil to the hydraulic actuators enables the raising and lowering of the harvesting unit 3 and the raising and lowering of the raking reel 34.

[0059] The hydraulic valve unit 100 includes hydraulic valves 110 for switching the flow of hydraulic fluid, including a first hydraulic valve 110A corresponding to the lifting cylinder 39, a second hydraulic valve 110B corresponding to the left and right reel lifting cylinders 111, a third hydraulic valve 110C corresponding to the conveyor cylinder 112, a fourth hydraulic valve 110D corresponding to the left machine lifting cylinder 113L, and a fifth hydraulic valve 110E corresponding to the right machine lifting cylinder 113R. These hydraulic valves 110 are incorporated into the hydraulic valve unit 100.

[0060] Each hydraulic valve 110 is provided with multiple connection ports to which hydraulic piping consisting of tubes or the like is connected. Each connection port of the hydraulic valve 110 is connected to a supply hydraulic pipe that communicates with a supply pipe 105 which is the discharge line of the hydraulic pump 54, a return hydraulic pipe that communicates with a return pipe 106 which is the return line to the hydraulic oil tank 101, and a supply / discharge pipe that is the supply line to the corresponding hydraulic actuator or the discharge line from the hydraulic actuator.

[0061] The lifting cylinder 39 is hydraulically connected to the hydraulic pump 54 via the first hydraulic valve 110A. For example, by operating an operating lever that can be tilted forward and backward, which is provided as a predetermined operating part on the operating unit 15, the lifting cylinder 39 is activated via the first hydraulic valve 110A, and the height of the harvesting unit 3 is adjusted to any height, such as the height during harvesting or the height when not in operation.

[0062] The left and right reel lifting cylinders 111L and 111R are hydraulically connected to the hydraulic pump 54 via the second hydraulic valve 110B. By operating a predetermined operating lever provided on the operating unit 15, the left and right reel lifting cylinders 111L and 111R are activated via the second hydraulic valve 110B, and the height of the scooping reel 34 is adjusted to any desired height.

[0063] The conveyor cylinder 112 is hydraulically connected to the hydraulic pump 54 via a third hydraulic valve 110C. For example, by operating a predetermined operating lever provided in the operating unit 15, the conveyor cylinder 112 is activated via the third hydraulic valve 110C, and the height of the grain discharge conveyor 13, that is, the height of the rice husk input opening 14 provided at the front of the grain discharge conveyor 13, is adjusted to any desired height.

[0064] The left-side aircraft lifting cylinder 113L is hydraulically connected to the hydraulic pump 54 via a fourth hydraulic valve 110D, and the right-side aircraft lifting cylinder 113R is hydraulically connected to the hydraulic pump 54 via a fifth hydraulic valve 110E. The left and right aircraft lifting cylinders 113L and 113R are configured to be controlled independently of each other, and the extension and retraction of each aircraft lifting cylinder 113L and 113R controls the lifting and lowering of the aircraft body relative to the travel section 4, as well as its left and right tilting.

[0065] The hydraulic oil tank 101, hydraulic pump 54, and hydraulic valve unit 100 are mounted in predetermined positions on the chassis 120 that constitutes the traveling body 2. The chassis 120 is the machine frame 6 of the traveling body 2, and is horizontally framed by frame members such as pipe-shaped members and plate-shaped members arranged in the front-rear or left-right direction. The hydraulic oil tank 101 is located on the left side of the front of the chassis 120. The hydraulic pump 54 is located in front of the engine 25.

[0066] The arrangement and support configuration of the hydraulic valve unit 100 will now be described. The hydraulic valve unit 100 is positioned on the chassis 120 towards the rear of the front-to-rear intermediate section and towards the right of the left-to-right intermediate section. The hydraulic valve unit 100 has a valve unit body 130 with a block-shaped outer shape whose longitudinal direction is a predetermined direction, and is installed with the longitudinal direction of the valve unit body 130 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0067] The hydraulic valve unit 100 is positioned on the underside of the grain tank 10 and is installed so as to be within the outer dimensions of the grain tank 10 when viewed from above. In other words, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is installed so that its entirety overlaps the grain tank 10 when viewed from above.

[0068] Specifically, the grain tank 10 has a tapered shape 140 at the bottom. The tapered shape 140 is the part of the grain tank 10 where the width dimension in the left-right direction gradually decreases from the top to the bottom, and it is the part that forms a tapered shape directed downwards when viewed from the front.

[0069] The grain tank 10 has a plate-like surface portion that forms the grain storage space 10a (see Figure 5), which is the left side wall surface portion, the right side wall surface portion, the front surface portion, the rear surface portion, the upper surface portion, and the top surface portion, the top surface portion, which is the upper surface portion. The grain tank 10 also has a surface portion that forms the storage space 10a, which is the tapered shape portion 140, which is the left inclined surface portion, the left inclined surface portion, the right inclined surface portion, the right inclined surface portion, the left outward surface portion, the bottom surface portion, which connects the lower ends of the left and right inclined surfaces portion.

[0070] The left side surface 141 is mostly a vertical surface with the left-right direction being the thickness direction. The right side surface 142 is a surface opposite to the left side surface 141, with the lower part mostly being a vertical surface with the left-right direction being the thickness direction, and the upper part being an inclined surface that approaches the left and right inner side (towards the left side surface 141) from bottom to top. The front surface 143 and rear surface 144 are both mostly vertical surfaces with the front-rear direction being the thickness direction, and they face each other in the front-rear direction. The top surface 145 is mostly a horizontal surface with the up-down direction being the thickness direction.

[0071] The left-side sloping section 146 is a surface formed below the left-side surface section 141, curved toward the right relative to the left-side surface section 141, and forms the left side surface of the tapered lower section 140. The left-side sloping section 146 is a surface inclined at a predetermined inclination angle θ1 with respect to the horizontal direction H1 when viewed from the front (see Figure 9). In the example shown in Figure 5, the left-side sloping section 146 is formed in a dimensional range of approximately 1 / 7 to 1 / 6 of the overall dimensions of the storage space 10a in the vertical direction.

[0072] The right-side sloping surface 147 is a surface formed below the right-side surface 142, curved to the left relative to the right-side surface 142, and forms the right-side surface of the tapered lower section 140. The right-side sloping surface 147 has the same or approximately the same angle of inclination as the left-side sloping surface 146 when viewed from the front, and has a symmetrical or approximately symmetrical inclination with respect to the left-side sloping surface 146. In the vertical direction, the lower end of the right-side sloping surface 147 is positioned at the same height as the lower end of the left-side sloping surface 146, while the upper end is positioned above the upper end of the left-side sloping surface 146, making its vertical dimension (formation range) longer than that of the left-side sloping surface 146. In the example shown in Figure 5, the right-side sloping surface 147 is formed within a dimensional range of approximately 1 / 4 of the total dimension of the storage space 10a in the vertical direction.

[0073] The bottom surface 148 is a surface facing the top surface 145, and is a horizontal, narrow surface with the vertical direction being the thickness direction. The bottom surface 148 is located approximately in the center of the grain tank 10 in the left-right direction, and forms the truncated surface on the apex side of the tapered bottom section 140, which is roughly in the shape of an inverted isosceles triangle. Due to the tapered shape of the tapered bottom section 140, the grain in the storage space 10a is collected towards the bottom surface 148. The left sloping surface 146, the right sloping surface 147, and the bottom surface 148 that form the tapered bottom section 140 are provided so as to maintain a constant front cross-sectional shape over the entire or substantially the entire front-to-back direction of the grain tank 10.

[0074] A lower discharge conveyor 11, which is a spiral-shaped conveying auger with its rotation axis oriented in the front-to-back direction, is provided directly above the bottom surface 148 within the storage space 10a of the grain tank 10. A conveying path roof 119 is provided directly above the lower discharge conveyor 11, covering the lower discharge conveyor 11 from above.

[0075] The lower discharge conveyor 11 is provided over the entire area within the storage space 10a in the front-to-back direction. The transport path roof 119 extends in the front-to-back direction along the extension direction of the lower discharge conveyor 11 and is installed between the front part 143 and the rear part 144 of the grain tank 10, covering the entire or substantially entire lower discharge conveyor 11 in a top view. The transport path roof 119 is configured symmetrically in the left-to-right direction around the axis of the lower discharge conveyor 11, and has a bent shape with the upper side convex in a front view, and the left and right inclined surfaces 119a, 119a form a straight ridge along the front-to-back direction.

[0076] In the configuration described above, the grain tank 10 has a left-side sloping portion 146 that tapers downwards, which serves as a sloping surface for the arrangement of the hydraulic valve unit 100. The hydraulic valve unit 100 is positioned on the chassis 120 below the left-side sloping portion 146 of the grain tank 10. That is, the left-side sloping portion 146 of the grain tank 10 forms a concave space 149 on the chassis 120 on the lower left side of the grain tank 10, and this space 149 is used as the installation space for the hydraulic valve unit 100.

[0077] In this configuration, where the hydraulic valve unit 100 is positioned below the left-side sloping portion 146 of the grain tank 10, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is installed in a state where it is inclined in the same direction as the slope of the left-side sloping portion 146 in the left-right direction of the traveling body 2, and in a direction that makes the central side of the traveling body 2 higher. In this configuration, where the hydraulic valve unit 100 is positioned below the left-side sloping portion 146, which is the innermost of the left and right sloping portions that form the lower tapering shape 140 of the grain tank 10, an inclination in the same direction as the left-side sloping portion 146 results in an inclination that makes the inner (central) side of the traveling body 2 higher. In other words, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is installed in a state where it is inclined in the same direction as the slope of the left-side sloping portion 146 in the left-right direction.

[0078] The valve unit body 130 is a single block having a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The valve unit body 130 is installed with its longitudinal direction as the front-to-back direction.

[0079] The valve unit body 130 has the following surfaces forming its rectangular parallelepiped shape: an upper body surface 130a and a lower body surface 130b, which are parallel to each other; a left body surface 130c and a right body surface 130d, which are parallel to each other; and a front body surface 130e and a rear body surface 130f, which are parallel to each other. The upper body surface 130a becomes the upper surface of the hydraulic valve unit 100, and the front body surface 130e and the rear body surface 130f become the front end surface and the rear end surface of the hydraulic valve unit 100, respectively.

[0080] Multiple connecting fittings 132 are provided on the top surface 130a, left side surface 130c, and right side surface 130d of the valve unit body 130 to receive connections for hydraulic hoses 131 that form the piping constituting the oil passages of the hydraulic circuit. The connecting fittings 132 are attached to the valve unit body 130 so as to communicate with the connection ports of the hydraulic valves 110 that constitute the hydraulic valve unit 100. Note that the hydraulic hoses 131 connected to the hydraulic valve unit 100 are not shown in Figures 5, 8, and 9.

[0081] Furthermore, multiple solenoid valves 133, which constitute the hydraulic valve unit 100, are arranged on the left side surface 130c, the right side surface 130d, and the bottom surface 130b of the valve unit body 130. These multiple solenoid valves 133 include hydraulic valves 110 (see Figure 6) that constitute the hydraulic circuit for the work system.

[0082] The solenoid valve 133 has a cylindrical outer shape, and protrusions are provided on the left side surface 130c and the right side surface 130d of the main body such that the axial direction of the central axis of the cylindrical outer shape is perpendicular to the surface of the valve unit body 130.

[0083] On the lower surface 130b side of the valve unit body 130, solenoid valves 133 are provided on both the left and right sides via a rectangular parallelepiped connecting block 134. The connecting block 134 is provided with each face of its rectangular parallelepiped shape parallel to each face of the valve unit body 130's outer shape, and its upper surface is superimposed on the lower surface 130b of the body.

[0084] Solenoid valves 133 are provided on the left side 134c and right side 134d (see Figure 9) of the connecting block 134, which are parallel to the left side 130c and right side 130d of the main body. On the left side 134c and right side 134d of the connecting block 134, the solenoid valves 133 are projected so that their central axis direction is perpendicular to the respective surfaces of the connecting block 134. Therefore, the solenoid valves 133 directly provided on the valve unit body 130 and the solenoid valves 133 provided via the connecting block 134 have projection directions parallel to each other. Multiple combinations of the connecting block 134 and the solenoid valves 133 provided on both its left and right sides are provided in the front-rear direction (five combinations in this embodiment) (see Figure 8).

[0085] The hydraulic valve unit 100, having the configuration described above, is installed with the valve unit body 130 tilted upward to the left, in a tilted position that is in the same direction as the inclination of the left-side sloping surface 146 of the grain tank 10 in the left-right direction. In other words, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is installed with the longitudinal direction of the valve unit body 130 aligned with the front-rear direction, and the upper and lower edges of the rectangular front surface 130e of the body, which is inclined upward to the left with respect to the horizontal direction.

[0086] As shown in Figure 9, in this embodiment, the unit inclination angle θ2, which is the inclination angle of the hydraulic valve unit 100 in a front view, is approximately 25°. The unit inclination angle θ2 is the angle that the upper surface 130a and lower surface 130b of the main body of the hydraulic valve unit 100 make with respect to the horizontal direction H1 in a front view. The hydraulic valve unit 100 is installed so that the unit inclination angle θ2 is smaller than the tank slope inclination angle θ1.

[0087] In this embodiment, the tank inclination angle θ1 is approximately 45°. The hydraulic valve unit 100 may be provided with a unit inclination angle θ2 that is the same as or approximately the same as the tank inclination angle θ1, or it may be provided with a unit inclination angle θ2 that is greater than the tank inclination angle θ1.

[0088] Furthermore, regarding the arrangement of the hydraulic valve unit 100, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is positioned such that, in the left-right direction, at least the entire valve unit body 130 is located within the formation range of the left-side sloped portion 146. In other words, the corner (ridge) between the lower surface 130b and the left side surface 130c of the valve unit body 130, which is the left end of the valve unit body 130, is located to the right of the left end of the left-side sloped portion 146, and the corner (ridge) between the upper surface 130a and the right side surface 130d of the valve unit body 130, which is the right end of the valve unit body 130, is located to the left of the right end of the left-side sloped portion 146.

[0089] Furthermore, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is positioned entirely within the formation range of the left-side sloped portion 146 and the bottom portion 148 in the left-right direction. In other words, the left end of the hydraulic valve unit 100 is located to the right of the left end of the left-side sloped portion 146, and the right end of the hydraulic valve unit 100 is located to the left of the right end of the bottom portion 148.

[0090] Similarly, regarding the arrangement of the hydraulic valve unit 100, the entire hydraulic valve unit 100 is positioned within the formation range of the left-side sloped portion 146 in the front-rear direction. That is, the front end of the hydraulic valve unit 100 is located behind the front end of the left-side sloped portion 146, and the rear end of the hydraulic valve unit 100 is located in front of the rear end of the left-side sloped portion 146. In this embodiment, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is positioned to the lower left of the front of the grain tank 10 in the front-rear direction.

[0091] The support configuration of the hydraulic valve unit 100 will now be described. The hydraulic valve unit 100 is fixedly supported on a support plate portion 150 that constitutes the chassis 120 via front and rear support stays 151, which are support members.

[0092] The support plate portion 150 is provided as a horizontal plate-shaped section by a single plate-shaped member or multiple plate-shaped members in an overlapping state. The upper surface of the support plate portion 150 serves as the installation surface 150a for the hydraulic valve unit 100. The plate-shaped members constituting the support plate portion 150 are fixed to the frame portion 152 that constitutes the chassis 120.

[0093] The frame section 152 is a frame portion arranged horizontally and linearly along the longitudinal or lateral direction of the aircraft body, and is composed of square pipe (square steel pipe) shaped members or channel steel having a U-shaped cross-section. The frame section 152 that supports the support plate section 150 is provided with left and right extending frame sections 152A arranged along the lateral direction on both the front and rear sides of the support plate section 150, and a front and rear extending frame section 152B arranged along the longitudinal direction on the left side of the support plate section 150.

[0094] The plate-shaped member constituting the support plate portion 150 has a fixed surface portion 150b that runs in the front-to-back or left-to-right direction around the main body portion that forms the installation surface 150a, and the fixed surface portion 150b is fixed to the side portion 152c of the corresponding frame portion 152 by welding or the like. The fixed surface portion 150b is a plate-shaped portion that is bent at a right angle upward or downward from the horizontal main body portion of the support plate portion 150.

[0095] The hydraulic valve unit 100 is mounted on the support plate portion 150 with the front and rear sides of the valve unit body 130 supported by front and rear support stays 151. The support stay 151 is a bent plate-shaped member formed in an L-shape, and has a fixed surface portion 151a that is fixed to the support plate portion 150 and a support surface portion 151b that supports the valve unit body 130 as the L-shaped surface portion. The support structure by the front and rear support stays 151 is configured symmetrically in the front-rear direction.

[0096] The support stay 151 is fastened to the support plate 150 at two points on the left and right by bolts 153, with its fixed surface portion 151a overlapping the mounting surface 150a of the support plate portion 150. The bolts 153 pass through the support plate portion 150 from above and are screwed into nuts 154 provided on the lower surface of the support plate portion 150.

[0097] Of the front and rear support stays 151, the front support stay 151 is secured by overlapping its support surface portion 151b onto the front surface 130e of the valve unit body 130 from the front and fastening it in three places with bolts 155. Of the front and rear support stays 151, the rear support stay 151 is secured by overlapping its support surface portion 151b onto the rear surface 130f of the valve unit body 130 from the rear and fastening it in three places with bolts 155. The bolts 155 pass through the support surface portion 151b and are screwed into threaded holes formed in the valve unit body 130. The fastening points by the bolts 155 are provided at three locations on the front surface 130e and rear surface 130f of the valve unit body 130: the upper left and right corners and the left and right intermediate parts of the lower edge.

[0098] Thus, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is fixedly supported on the support plate portion 150 in such a manner that the valve unit body 130 is sandwiched in the front-rear direction by the front and rear support stays 151. The support stays 151 have a width dimension in the left-right direction that is approximately the same as the left-right dimension of the valve unit body 130 (the dimension between the left side surface 130c and the right side surface 130d of the body) in substantially the entirety of the fixed surface portion 151a and the support surface portion 151b, and the upper side portion of the fixed surface portion 150b has a shape that is an inclined side portion that follows the left-right inclination of the valve unit body 130. In a front view, the entirety or part of the connecting fitting 132 and the solenoid valve 133 protrude outward from the support stays 151.

[0099] Supported by the front and rear support stays 151, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is mounted in a floating state relative to the support plate portion 150 of the chassis 120. In other words, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is supported by the front and rear support stays 151 with its lower end positioned above the mounting surface 150a at a distance. In the hydraulic valve unit 100, which is mounted in an upward-sloping (downward-sloping) manner to the left, the right portion is located near the upper part of the mounting surface 150a.

[0100] Furthermore, the support plate portion 150 is provided such that the entire hydraulic valve unit 100 is positioned within the range of its outer shape in a plan view. In other words, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is provided in a state where it is completely covered by the support plate portion 150 from below.

[0101] As described above, in the configuration in which the hydraulic valve unit 100 is installed at an angle on the chassis 120, the space below the hydraulic valve unit 100 on the chassis 120, which is the valve lower space 160, is used as a space for routing piping members or cables provided by the combine harvester 1 (see Figure 9). In other words, the combine harvester 1 is equipped with piping members or cables that are arranged with a portion of them located within the valve lower space 160 on the traveling body 2.

[0102] As shown in Figure 9, in a configuration in which the hydraulic valve unit 100 is supported on the chassis 120 in an upward sloping manner, the valve lower space 160 mainly consists of the space between the left side of the hydraulic valve unit 100 and the chassis 120.

[0103] More specifically, as shown in Figure 9, in this embodiment, the space below the valve 160 is a space enclosed by the portion of the hydraulic valve unit 100 that protrudes to the left of the machine from the support stay 151, the left end portion of the support plate portion 150, and the front and rear extending frame portion 152B. The portion of the hydraulic valve unit 100 that protrudes to the left of the machine from the support stay 151 includes the left side portion of the connection block 134 and the solenoid valve 133 that protrudes from the left side surface 134c. The front and rear extending frame portion 152B has its upper part protruding above the support plate portion 150, and the upper part of the side surface portion 152c forms the left side wall portion with respect to the installation surface 150a in the space below the valve 160.

[0104] In this embodiment, a fuel supply pipe 161 extending from a fuel tank 165 (see Figure 2) that stores fuel supplied to the engine 25 is provided as one of the piping members with the space below the valve 160 as the routing space. The fuel tank 165 is installed on the rear end of the chassis 120. The fuel supply pipe 161 extends from the fuel tank 165 and is arranged facing forward on the chassis 120, and is connected to the engine 25 which is installed on the front right side of the chassis 120.

[0105] In other words, on the chassis 120, the engine 25 is positioned at the front and the fuel tank 165 at the rear, with the hydraulic valve unit 100 in between. The middle portion of the fuel supply pipe 161 connecting the engine 25 and the fuel tank 165 is located within the valve lower space 160. Thus, the fuel supply pipe 161 is provided as a piping member with a portion located within the valve lower space 160. The portion of the fuel supply pipe 161 located within the valve lower space 160 is the portion arranged along the front-rear direction on the inside (right side) of the front-rear extension frame section 152B (see Figure 9). A feed pump and an oil-water separator (neither shown) are provided in the portion of the fuel supply pipe 161 rearward of the hydraulic valve unit 100.

[0106] Furthermore, of the hydraulic hoses 131 connected at one end to the hydraulic valve unit 100, two hydraulic hoses 131A and 131B are provided as piping members with the space below the valve 160 serving as the routing space (see Figure 9). Both hydraulic hoses 131A and 131B are hydraulic hoses 131 with one end connected to a connecting fitting 132 provided at the rear of the right side 130d of the valve unit body 130.

[0107] The two hydraulic hoses 131A and 131B extend from the right side of the hydraulic valve unit 100, pass behind the hydraulic valve unit 100, and are routed through the space below the valve 160 toward the front of the machine. In this way, the two hydraulic hoses 131A and 131B are provided as piping components with a portion of them located within the space below the valve 160. Of each of the two hydraulic hoses 131A and 131B, the portion located within the space below the valve 160 is the portion that is routed along the front-to-back direction.

[0108] The three piping components, the two hydraulic hoses 131A and 131B and the fuel supply pipe 161, are arranged side by side and parallel within the space below the valve 160, with the fuel supply pipe 161 positioned to the left (see Figure 9).

[0109] Of the two hydraulic hoses 131A and 131B, one hydraulic hose 131A has one end connected to a connecting fitting 132 located at the rear end of the right side 130d of the valve unit body 130, and the other end connected to the right-side machine lifting cylinder 113R (see Figure 6). The other hydraulic hose 131B has one end connected to a connecting fitting 132 located directly in front of the connecting fitting 132 to which one end of hydraulic hose 131A is connected, and the other end connected to the left-side machine lifting cylinder 113L (see Figure 6).

[0110] The left and right aircraft lifting cylinders 113L and 113R are double-acting cylinders, and each cylinder is connected to the other end of another hydraulic hose 131 in addition to hydraulic hoses 131A and 131B. One end of hydraulic hose 131C is connected to a connecting fitting 132 located at the rear end of the left side surface 130c of the valve unit body 130, and the other end of hydraulic hose 131C is connected to the right aircraft lifting cylinder 113R by passing over the valve unit body 130. One end of hydraulic hose 131D is connected to a connecting fitting 132 located directly in front of the connecting fitting 132 to which one end of hydraulic hose 131C is connected, and the other end of hydraulic hose 131D is connected to the left aircraft lifting cylinder 113L by passing over the valve unit body 130.

[0111] The connecting fittings 132 to which one end of each of the two hydraulic hoses 131 connected to the left and right aircraft lifting cylinders 113L and 113R are connected are located on the valve unit body 130 at corresponding positions (positions on a common straight line perpendicular to the left side surface 130c) and the right side surface 130d of the body, which are opposite sides of the body. Specifically, the connecting fittings 132 that receive one end of hydraulic hoses 131A and 131C, whose other ends are connected to the right aircraft lifting cylinder 113R, are located at corresponding positions on both the left and right sides of the valve unit body 130, while the connecting fittings 132 that receive one end of hydraulic hoses 131B and 131D, whose other ends are connected to the left aircraft lifting cylinder 113L, are located at corresponding positions on both the left and right sides of the valve unit body 130.

[0112] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, of the hydraulic hoses 131, hydraulic hose 131E, which has one end connected to a connecting fitting 132 located midway between the front and rear right side 130d of the valve unit body 130, has its other end connected to the lifting cylinder 39. Also, hydraulic hose 131F, which has one end connected to a connecting fitting 132 located directly behind the connecting fitting 132 to which one end of hydraulic hose 131E is connected, has its other end branched and connected to the left and right reel lifting cylinders 111L and 111R (see Figure 6). Furthermore, hydraulic hose 131G, which has one end connected to a connecting fitting 132 located between the connecting fitting 132 to which one end of hydraulic hose 131F is connected and the connecting fitting 132 to which one end of hydraulic hose 131B is connected, is connected to the other end of the conveyor cylinder 112 (see Figure 6).

[0113] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 9 and 11, the cable 166 connected to the multiple solenoid valves 133 of the hydraulic valve unit 100 is provided as a cable with the space below the valves 160 as the routing space. The cable 166 has a centralized cable section with one end connected to a controller provided by the combine harvester 1, and multiple branch cable sections that branch off from the centralized cable section and are connected to each solenoid valve 133.

[0114] Thus, the cable 166 is provided with a portion of it positioned within the space 160 below the valve. Note that the cable 166 is not shown in Figures 7, 8, and 10.

[0115] The operation of each solenoid valve 133 is controlled by a controller. The controller, also known as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), consists of a computer device including an arithmetic unit and memory, and a communication module, etc. The controller receives electrical signals corresponding to the operation of predetermined operating units provided on the operating unit 15, transmits command signals based on the received signals to the hydraulic valve unit 100, and controls the operation of each solenoid valve 133.

[0116] Furthermore, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is provided with a covering sheet 170 that covers the hydraulic valve unit 100 from above. In other words, the combine harvester 1 is equipped with a covering sheet 170 as a covering member that covers the hydraulic valve unit 100. Figures 10 and 13 show the hydraulic valve unit 100 covered with the covering sheet 170, while in Figures 7, 9, 11, and 12 the covering sheet 170 is shown with dashed lines (two-dot lines), and in Figure 8 the illustration of the covering sheet 170 is omitted.

[0117] The covering sheet 170 is a soft, sheet-like member having a roughly rectangular outer shape and is larger than the hydraulic valve unit 100 so that it can cover the entire hydraulic valve unit 100 in the front-to-back direction. The covering sheet 170 is flexible enough to deform to conform to the shape of the hydraulic valve unit 100 by its own weight when placed over the hydraulic valve unit 100 from above.

[0118] The covering sheet 170 is positioned with its front edge in front of the front end of the hydraulic valve unit 100 and its rear edge behind the rear end of the hydraulic valve unit 100, thus covering the entire hydraulic valve unit 100 in the front-to-back direction. The covering sheet 170 is positioned with its left edge to the left of the left end of the hydraulic valve unit 100 and its right edge to the right of the right end of the hydraulic valve unit 100, thus covering the entire hydraulic valve unit 100 in the left-to-right direction.

[0119] Thus, the covering sheet 170 is provided so as to cover the entire hydraulic valve unit 100 in a plan view. The front and rear surfaces of the hydraulic valve unit 100 are open sides that are not directly covered by the covering sheet 170.

[0120] The covering sheet 170 is fixed to the chassis 120 while covering the hydraulic valve unit 100 by locking its left and right edges to the chassis 120. The left and right edges of the covering sheet 170 are locked by locking fittings 172 provided on the chassis 120.

[0121] The locking fitting 172 is an integral member having a plate-shaped base portion 172a and a locking portion 172b having a pair of locking projections extending from the base portion 172a. The covering sheet 170 is locked to the chassis 120 at a total of four points by locking fittings 172 provided at two locations on the front and rear of each left and right edge end.

[0122] The locking fitting 172 locks the covering sheet 170 with a pair of locking portions 172b passing through the covering sheet 170 from the inside to the outside. Holes are formed in the left and right edges of the covering sheet 170 for the locking portions 172b to pass through. The pair of locking portions 172b are bent or curved while passing through the covering sheet 170, thereby locking the covering sheet 170 to the chassis 120.

[0123] The two locking fittings 172 that secure the left edge 170a of the covering sheet 170 are provided with their bases 172a fixed to the left side surface 152d of the front and rear extending frame portion 152B that constitutes the chassis 120 by welding or the like, and a pair of locking portions 172b extend to the left from the left side surface 152d (see Figure 10). The two left locking fittings 172 are located near both the front and rear ends of the installed hydraulic valve unit 100 in the front-rear direction.

[0124] The two locking fittings 172 that secure the right edge 170b of the covering sheet 170 are provided with their bases 172a fixed by welding or the like on the right edge of the mounting surface 150a of the support plate portion 150 that constitutes the chassis 120, and a pair of locking portions 172b extend upward from the support plate portion 150. The two right-side locking fittings 172 are located near both the front and rear ends of the installed hydraulic valve unit 100 in the front-rear direction.

[0125] The covering sheet 170 is a flexible, transparent material. The covering sheet 170 is, for example, a transparent vinyl sheet. Therefore, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is visible through the covering sheet 170 when it is covering the hydraulic valve unit 100.

[0126] As described above, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is entirely covered with a transparent covering sheet 170, which is secured to the components of the chassis 120 on both the left and right sides by locking fittings 172, with both the front and rear sides being open. Note that the covering sheet 170 may be an opaque sheet.

[0127] Furthermore, in the traveling body 2 of the combine harvester 1, a return conveyor 48 is provided on the right side of the threshing device 20 in an upward sloping manner, and a grain lifting conveyor 49 is erected to the right of the rear of the return conveyor 48. Regarding the arrangement of the hydraulic valve unit 100, the grain lifting conveyor 49 is erected to the left of the hydraulic valve unit 100, and the hydraulic valve unit 100 is positioned to the right of the base end (lower end) of the grain lifting conveyor 49 located on the chassis 120.

[0128] As described above, a grain lifting conveyor 49, which is an example of a conveying device for transporting grain from the threshing device 20 to the grain tank 10, is provided on the left side of the hydraulic valve unit 100, which is on the side of the threshing device 20. The grain tank 10 has a projection 10b to the left at its rear (see Figure 3), and the grain lifting conveyor 49 is erected in front of the projection 10b.

[0129] The grain conveyor 49 has a configuration in which a conveyor 185 is housed within a columnar conveyor case 180 that extends in the vertical direction. The conveyor case 180 has a left side section 181, a right side section 182, a front section 183, and a rear section 184, and these sections form a rectangular cylindrical shape with the front-to-back direction as the longitudinal direction in a plan cross-sectional view.

[0130] As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 11, the conveyor 185 has sprockets 186 pivotally supported at the upper and lower ends of the conveyor case 180 with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation, an endless chain 187 wound around these sprockets 186, and a plurality of buckets 188 attached at predetermined intervals to the outer circumference of the chain 187, and is configured as a so-called bucket-type lifting device. The conveyor 185 drives the chain 187 in a circular motion to continuously lift and transport grain supplied from the grain supply port located at the bottom of the conveyor case 180 by the buckets 188, and transports it to the grain tank 10 via the grain discharge port located at the top of the conveyor case 180.

[0131] In the grain conveyor 49 having the above configuration, a maintenance opening cover 190 is provided at the bottom of the grain conveyor 49. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the opening cover 190 is provided to completely cover the opening 182a formed at the lower end of the right side portion 182 of the conveyor case 180 of the grain conveyor 49.

[0132] The opening 182a is formed on the right side surface 182, above the lower sprocket 186 that constitutes the conveyor 185, and has a rectangular shape with its longitudinal direction in the vertical direction. The opening 182a is formed through the right side surface 182 so as to open the internal space of the conveyor case 180 to the outside. The opening 182a opens up most of the width direction (front-to-back direction of the machine) of the right side surface 182.

[0133] The opening cover 190 is made of a rectangular plate-shaped member and has an outer dimension that is slightly larger than the opening dimensions of the opening 182a so as to completely cover the opening 182a. The opening cover 190 is detachably attached to the conveyor case 180 in such a manner that it overlaps the right side surface 182 from the right side so as to cover the opening 182a from the outside (right side).

[0134] On the outer side (right side) of the right side surface 182, around the opening 182a, there are two lid holding parts: first holding parts 191, 191 located on both the front and rear sides of the opening 182a, and a second holding part 192 located below the opening 182a. The first holding part 191 extends vertically over substantially the entire opening range of the opening 182a in the vertical direction. The second holding part 192 extends front and rear over substantially the entire opening range of the opening 182a in the front and rear direction.

[0135] The first retaining portion 191 and the second retaining portion 192 are provided by fixing a plate-like member having a predetermined bent shape that forms a constant cross-sectional shape over the entire or substantially entire extension direction to the right side surface portion 182. Each retaining portion of the first retaining portion 191 and the second retaining portion 192 has a fixed surface portion 191a, 192a that forms a fixed portion to the right side surface portion 182, and a retaining surface portion 191b, 192b provided on the inside (opening 182a side) relative to the fixed surface portions 191a, 192a.

[0136] The retaining surfaces 191b and 192b are formed along the opening edge of the opening 182a at a position near the outside of the opening 182a on the right side surface 182. The retaining surfaces 191b and 192b include a portion separated from the outer plate surface of the right side surface 182 by approximately the same dimensions as the plate thickness of the opening cover 190, and together with the opening edge of the opening 182a, they form a slit-shaped groove. That is, the retaining surface 191b of the first retaining part 191, together with the front or rear opening edge of the opening 182a, forms a slit-shaped groove along the vertical direction, with the inside (opening 182a side) and both the top and bottom sides open in the front-rear direction. The retaining surface 192b of the second retaining part 192, together with the lower opening edge of the opening 182a, forms a slit-shaped groove along the front-rear direction, with the top (opening 182a side) and both the front and rear sides open.

[0137] The opening cover 190 is held on the right side surface 182 of the conveyor case 180 by inserting its front and rear edge ends into grooves formed by the front and rear first holding parts 191, and inserting its lower edge end into a groove formed by the second holding part 192. In the held state, the opening cover 190 is positioned in the front-rear direction by the front and rear first holding parts 191 and the second holding part 192, and is supported from below by the second holding part 192, meaning that downward movement is restricted. In the held state, the opening cover 190 completely covers the opening 182a.

[0138] When the opening cover 190 is held in place, its upper edge is positioned above the opening range of the opening 182a, and it is fixed to the right side surface 182 by a bolt 195 that passes through the front-to-rear intermediate portion of the upper edge. The bolt 195 passes through the opening cover 190 and the right side surface 182 and is screwed into a nut provided on the inside (left side) of the right side surface 182.

[0139] With the bolts 195 removed, the opening cover 190 becomes capable of sliding vertically along the right side surface 182, using the grooves formed by the front and rear first retaining portions 191 as guides, and is attached to and detached from the conveyor case 180. The upper edge of the opening cover 190 is provided with a locking portion 190a used in the vertical sliding operation of the opening cover 190. The locking portion 190a is a hook formed by bending a small amount of width at a right angle toward the right side of the main body portion of the opening cover 190. Note that Figure 13 shows the opening cover 190 in a removed state.

[0140] According to the combine harvester 1 of this embodiment, which has the above configuration, in a configuration in which the hydraulic valve unit 100 is provided on the traveling machine body 2, the accumulation of dust and dirt on the hydraulic valve unit 100 can be suppressed, and the hydraulic valve unit 100 can be arranged compactly.

[0141] In other words, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is installed on the chassis 120 of the traveling machine 2, tilted in the left-right direction according to the inclination of the left-right slope portion 146 below the grain tank 10, with the left side being higher, which is the central side of the traveling machine 2. With this configuration, dust that lies on the hydraulic valve unit 100 (for example, on the upper surface 130a of the valve unit body 130) falls off due to its own weight due to the inclination, making it less likely to accumulate on the hydraulic valve unit 100. By reducing the accumulation of dust on the hydraulic valve unit 100, cleaning of the hydraulic valve unit 100, which has a relatively complex shape and is difficult to clean of dust, becomes easier, and the maintainability of the hydraulic valve unit 100 can be improved.

[0142] Furthermore, by arranging the hydraulic valve unit 100 in an inclined position, the hydraulic valve unit 100 can be arranged more compactly compared to when the hydraulic valve unit 100 is laid flat below the left sloping surface 146 of the grain tank 10, and the space 149 below the left sloping surface 146 can be effectively utilized. In other words, by arranging the hydraulic valve unit 100 in an inclined position along the slope of the left sloping surface 146 of the grain tank 10, it becomes easier to avoid interference between the connecting fittings 132 and the solenoid valve 133, which are protruding parts from the valve unit body 130, and the grain tank 100 can be arranged more compactly in the space 149 below the left sloping surface 146 of the grain tank 10.

[0143] Furthermore, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is positioned in a space 149 located below the left-side sloping portion 146 of the grain tank 10 on the chassis 120. This configuration allows for the efficient placement of the hydraulic valve unit 100 while avoiding interference with the respective placement spaces of the threshing device 20 and the grain tank 10.

[0144] Furthermore, the space 160 below the valve on the chassis 120 is used as a space for arranging hydraulic hoses 131 and fuel supply pipes 161 connected to the hydraulic valve unit 100. With this configuration, the space created by arranging the hydraulic valve unit 100 at an angle on the chassis 120 can be effectively utilized, and the hydraulic valve unit 100 can be arranged compactly. In addition, the portions of the hydraulic hoses 131 and fuel supply pipes 161 located within the space 160 below the valve can be protected by the hydraulic valve unit 100 and components of the chassis 120 such as the support plate portion 150 and the front and rear extended frame portion 152B.

[0145] Furthermore, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is provided with a covering sheet 170 that completely covers the hydraulic valve unit 100 from above. With this configuration, the accumulation of dust and dirt on the hydraulic valve unit 100 can be effectively suppressed.

[0146] Furthermore, the covering sheet 170 is provided in a state where it is locked and fixed to the chassis 120 side by a locking fitting 172. With this configuration, the covering sheet 170 can be easily attached and detached, thereby ensuring the maintainability of the hydraulic valve unit 100.

[0147] Furthermore, the covering sheet 170 is made of a flexible, transparent material. With this configuration, it is possible to visually inspect the hydraulic valve unit 100 through the covering sheet 170 without removing it. As a result, the condition of the hydraulic valve unit 100 can be checked while it is covered by the covering sheet 170, thus providing good workability in the process of checking the condition of the hydraulic valve unit 100. In addition, the flexibility of the covering sheet 170 makes it easy to conform to the relatively complex external shape of the hydraulic valve unit 100, so a good covering state can be obtained simply by placing the covering sheet 170 over the hydraulic valve unit 100.

[0148] Furthermore, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is provided covered from below by a support plate portion 150, which is made up of one or more plate-shaped members constituting the chassis 120. With this configuration, the hydraulic valve unit 100 can be protected from soil, sand, dust, etc., that are kicked up as the crawler portion 5 moves. In addition, a covering member such as a sheet-like member that covers the hydraulic valve unit 100 from below may be provided between the hydraulic valve unit 100 and the support plate portion 150.

[0149] Furthermore, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is located near the right side of the lower end of the grain conveyor 49, which is erected on the chassis 120. On the side of the lower part of the grain conveyor 49 where the hydraulic valve unit 100 is located (right side), there is an opening cover 190 for maintenance of the grain conveyor 49. When the opening cover 190 is removed and the opening 182a of the conveyor case 180 is opened, the space around the opening 182a outside the conveyor case 180 is susceptible to dust and debris coming from inside the conveyor case 180.

[0150] Therefore, although the hydraulic valve unit 100, which is positioned near the opening 182a of the conveyor case 180, is affected by dust coming from inside the conveyor case 180, the inclined arrangement on the chassis 120 reduces the effect of dust, and the accumulation of dust on the hydraulic valve unit 100 can be suppressed. In particular, with a configuration in which the hydraulic valve unit 100 is covered with a covering sheet 170, the accumulation of dust on the hydraulic valve unit 100 can be effectively suppressed when the hydraulic valve unit 100 is positioned near the opening cover 190.

[0151] Furthermore, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is installed with its lower end positioned above the mounting surface 150a at a distance from it. In other words, the hydraulic valve unit 100 is supported in a floating state relative to the mounting surface 150a. With this configuration, ventilation can be ensured below the hydraulic valve unit 100, so that a cooling effect can be obtained while suppressing the accumulation of dust in the hydraulic valve unit 100.

[0152] The embodiments described above are examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Therefore, even in embodiments other than those described above, various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not depart from the technical spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the effects described in this disclosure are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also exist.

[0153] In the embodiment described above, combine harvester 1 is a conventional combine harvester, but the present invention is also applicable to other combine harvesters, such as a self-propelled combine harvester.

[0154] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a transparent sheet-like covering sheet 170 is provided as a covering member to cover the hydraulic valve unit 100, but the material and shape of the covering member according to the present invention are not particularly limited. The covering member according to the present invention may be made up of, for example, a plate-like member.

[0155] This technology can take the following configurations. Note that the configurations described below can be selected and combined as desired.

[0156] (1) The vehicle body and A threshing device provided on one side of the traveling machine body, Grain tanks provided on the left and right sides of the aforementioned traveling machine body, The vehicle comprises a hydraulic valve unit provided on the aforementioned traveling body, The aforementioned grain tank has a sloping portion that tapers downwards, The hydraulic valve unit is installed in a state inclined in the same direction as the slope of the inclined surface in the left-right direction of the traveling machine, and in a direction that makes the central side of the traveling machine higher. combine. (2) The vehicle includes a piping member or cable positioned in part within the space below the hydraulic valve unit on the traveling machine body. The combine harvester described in (1) above. (3) The hydraulic valve unit is provided with a covering member that covers it from above. The combine harvester described in (1) or (2) above. (4) The covering member is a flexible, transparent member. The combine harvester described in (3) above. (5) A conveying device is provided on the side of the hydraulic valve unit facing the threshing device for transporting grain from the threshing device to the grain tank. A maintenance opening cover is provided at the bottom of the aforementioned conveying device. A combine harvester as described in any one of the above items (1) to (4). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0157] 1 combine harvester 2. Mobile Unit 10 Glen Tank 20 Threshing machine 49. Grain conveyor (conveying device) 100 Hydraulic Valve Unit 120 Chassis 130 Valve Unit Body 131A Hydraulic hose (piping component) 131B Hydraulic hose (piping component) 140 Lower tapered shape 146 Left-side slope (slope) 150 Support plate part 151 Support stay 160 valve lower space 161 Fuel supply pipe (piping component) 166 Cable 170 Covering sheet (covering material) 190 Opening lid

Claims

1. The vehicle body and A threshing device provided on one side of the traveling machine body, Grain tanks provided on the left and right sides of the aforementioned traveling machine body, The vehicle comprises a hydraulic valve unit provided on the aforementioned traveling body, The aforementioned grain tank has a sloping portion that tapers downwards, The hydraulic valve unit is installed in a state inclined in the same direction as the slope of the inclined surface in the left-right direction of the traveling machine, and in a direction that makes the central side of the traveling machine higher. combine.

2. The vehicle includes a piping member or cable positioned in part within the space below the hydraulic valve unit on the traveling machine body. The combine harvester according to claim 1.

3. The hydraulic valve unit is provided with a covering member that covers it from above. A combine harvester according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The covering member is a flexible, transparent member. The combine harvester according to claim 3.

5. A conveying device is provided on the side of the hydraulic valve unit facing the threshing device for transporting grain from the threshing device to the grain tank. A maintenance opening cover is provided at the bottom of the aforementioned conveying device. The combine harvester according to claim 1.

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