Work equipment, and work vehicles equipped with work equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a work device and a work vehicle that can improve work efficiency without prolonging work interruptions. [Solution] The present invention provides a work device that can be detachably attached to a drivable vehicle, comprising a takeoff and landing station for taking off and landing an unmanned aerial vehicle having a pair of support legs spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the takeoff and landing station having a station body that supports the pair of support legs of the landed unmanned aerial vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work device that is attached to a travelable vehicle and performs predetermined work as the vehicle travels, and a work vehicle equipped with the work device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various work devices attached to vehicles such as tractors have been provided, including spreading devices for spreading materials such as pesticides and fertilizers, and cultivators for tilling fields (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Literature

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, when this type of work device requires replenishment of materials or maintenance that requires tools during work, it is necessary to drive the vehicle to which the work device is attached from the current position (work position) to a material replenishment location or a location where maintenance is performed (tool storage location). As a result, the work interruption time for material replenishment or maintenance requiring tools becomes longer (the time loss increases).

[0005] Accordingly, the present invention provides a work device and a work vehicle that can improve work efficiency without prolonging the work interruption time.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The work device of the present invention is a work device that can be detachably attached to a drivable vehicle, and comprises a takeoff and landing station for taking off and landing an unmanned aerial vehicle having a pair of support legs arranged at intervals in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the takeoff and landing station comprising a station body that supports the pair of support legs of the landed unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0007] The landing and takeoff station has a pair of guide bodies arranged along both ends of the station body in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the upper surface of the station body is formed in a planar shape, and at least the upper surfaces of the pair of guide bodies may be inclined upward as they extend outward from the station body side.

[0008] The work device may include a fixing device for fixing at least one of the pair of support legs of the unmanned aircraft supported by the station body.

[0009] The work apparatus includes a spraying unit capable of spraying liquid, powder, or granular materials, the spraying unit having a material receiving section including a receiving opening for receiving the materials from above, the take-off and landing station being positioned above the material receiving section, and the station body may be provided with an opening corresponding to the material receiving section.

[0010] Each of the pair of support legs is provided with a rod-shaped grounding portion at its lower end, extending in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the direction of separation between them. The unmanned aircraft is positioned with the grounding portion aligned with both ends of the station body as its landing posture relative to the station body. The material receiving portion and the opening of the station body may be formed to extend in the same direction as the extending ends of the station body.

[0011] The direction in which both ends extend is the direction of travel of the vehicle, and the opening of the station body and the pair of guide bodies may be formed to extend in the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0012] The spraying unit may include a tank for storing the material, which is located below the material receiving section and whose interior is in communication with the receiving opening.

[0013] The material receiving section may have a chute section that slopes downward toward the receiving opening, and a chute section that is arranged around the receiving opening with the receiving opening as the center.

[0014] The chute portion may be arranged continuously around the receiving opening and formed in a funnel shape.

[0015] The work apparatus may include an attitude changing device 64 that changes the attitude of the takeoff and landing station according to the attitude of the vehicle and maintains the upper surface of the station body in a horizontal position.

[0016] The work vehicle may comprise a drivable vehicle and any one of the work devices described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, work efficiency can be improved without prolonging the interruption time of work. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a work vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the vehicle before the work equipment is attached. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the work vehicle according to the same embodiment, showing the vehicle with the work equipment attached. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the vehicle according to the same embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a plan view of the vehicle according to the same embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a front view of the vehicle according to the same embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a rear view of the vehicle according to the same embodiment. [Figure 7]Figure 7 is a right side view of the vehicle of the same embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a left side view of the vehicle of the same embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle of the same embodiment, showing a state in which the vehicle body frame and the exterior cover are separated from each other. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the vehicle of the same embodiment, showing a state in which the vehicle body frame, the battery unit, and the traveling device are separated from each other. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the vehicle body frame of the same embodiment, showing a state in which the main frame is lowered. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a perspective view of the vehicle body frame of the same embodiment, showing a state in which the main frame is raised. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle body frame of the same embodiment, showing a state in which the main frame and a pair of sub-frames are separated from each other. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle body frame of the same embodiment, showing a state in which the main frame and a pair of sub-frames are separated, the third cylinder is extended, and the linear guide is slid. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is an exploded perspective view of the main frame of the same embodiment, showing a state in which the center frame and a pair of side frames are separated from each other. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a schematic perspective view of the traveling devices (the front side traveling device and the rear side traveling device) of the same embodiment. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a schematic perspective view of the drive transmission device of the same embodiment, in which the casing is illustrated in a simplified manner. [Figure 18] Figure 18 is a schematic perspective view of the drive transmission device of the same embodiment, in which the casing is illustrated in a simplified manner. [Figure 19] Figure 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main unit and the sub-unit that constitute the battery unit of the same embodiment. [Figure 20] Figure 20 is a schematic perspective view showing the battery unit incorporated into the vehicle frame of the same embodiment. [Figure 21] Figure 21 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle body frame and battery unit of the same embodiment, separated from each other. [Figure 22] Figure 22 is a plan view of the guide body (a pair of guide rails) of the position adjustment mechanism of the same embodiment. [Figure 23] Figure 23 is a schematic perspective view including the position adjustment mechanism of the embodiment, and is a schematic perspective view including part of the vehicle and part of the work equipment. [Figure 24] Figure 24 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the position adjustment mechanism and position fixing mechanism of the same embodiment. [Figure 25] Figure 25 is a block diagram of the control device according to the same embodiment. [Figure 26] Figure 26 is a partially exploded perspective view of the work device (spraying device) of the same embodiment, showing the spraying section in a folded state. [Figure 27] Figure 27 is a perspective view of the work device (spraying device) of the same embodiment, showing the spraying section (arm) in an extended state. [Figure 28] Figure 28 is a partial perspective view of the work device (spraying device) of the same embodiment. [Figure 29] Figure 29 is a partial cross-sectional view of the equipment (spraying unit) of the work device (spraying device) of the same embodiment. [Figure 30] Figure 30 is a schematic perspective view of the takeoff and landing station of the work device (spraying device) of the same embodiment. [Figure 31] Figure 31 is a schematic front view of the takeoff and landing station of the work device (spraying device) of the same embodiment. [Figure 32] Figure 32 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the takeoff and landing station of the work device (spraying device) of the same embodiment. [Figure 33] Figure 33 is a front view of the work vehicle according to the same embodiment, and is a schematic front view with the arm extended. [Figure 34]Figure 34 is a schematic perspective view of an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) for transporting materials to a work vehicle in the same embodiment. [Figure 35] Figure 35 is a schematic front view of an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) for transporting materials to a work vehicle in the same embodiment. [Figure 36] Figure 36 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the function of the takeoff and landing station in the same embodiment. [Figure 37] Figure 37 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a takeoff and landing station of a work device (work vehicle) according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 38] Figure 38 is a schematic plan view of the takeoff and landing station of a work device (work vehicle) according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0020] Work vehicles are used in various types of work, including agricultural work, industrial work (civil engineering, construction, etc.), and transportation work. In this embodiment, a work vehicle used in agriculture, particularly for spraying liquids (water, liquid fertilizer, pesticides, etc.) onto fields (crops), will be described as an example.

[0021] The work vehicle in this embodiment is drivable. That is, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the work vehicle 1 includes a drivable vehicle 2. Accordingly, in the following description, the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and in which vehicle 2 moves forward and backward will be referred to as the longitudinal direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction will be referred to as the lateral direction. Furthermore, in the longitudinal direction, the direction in which the work vehicle 1 (vehicle 2) moves forward will be referred to as "front" or "forward," and the direction in which the work vehicle 1 (vehicle 2) moves backward will be referred to as "rear" or "backward." In addition, one side of the lateral direction, the right side when facing the direction in which the work vehicle 1 (vehicle 2) is moving forward will be referred to as the right, and the other side of the lateral direction, the left side when facing the direction in which the work vehicle 1 (vehicle 2) is moving forward will be referred to as the left.

[0022] To explain in more detail, the work vehicle 1 of this embodiment includes a work device 3 for performing predetermined tasks, which is detachably supported by the vehicle 2, in addition to the vehicle 2.

[0023] The work vehicle 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a position adjustment mechanism 4 that aligns the vehicle 2 and the work device 3 in at least the vertical direction and a second direction (lateral direction in this embodiment) perpendicular to the first direction as the vehicle 2 moves in a first direction (front-to-back direction in this embodiment) perpendicular to the vertical direction. The work vehicle 1 is also equipped with a position fixing mechanism 5 that positions the vehicle 2 and the work device 3 relative to each other while the vehicle 2 is supporting the work device 3.

[0024] In other words, the work vehicle 1 comprises a drivable vehicle 2, a work device 3 for performing a predetermined task, the work device 3 being detachably supported on the vehicle 2, a position adjustment mechanism 4 for aligning the vehicle 2 and the work device 3 laterally when attaching the work device 3 to the vehicle 2, and a position fixing mechanism 5 for positioning the vehicle 2 and the work device 3 relative to each other when the work device 3 is attached to the vehicle 2.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1 to 9, the vehicle 2 includes a running gear 20. The vehicle 2 is equipped with various devices related to the electrical and hydraulic systems. Accordingly, the vehicle 2 includes an exterior cover 21 that covers (protects) the various devices. As shown in Figure 9, the vehicle 2 includes a body frame 22 that supports the various devices. In other words, the vehicle 2 includes a body frame 22 that supports the various devices, a running gear 20 that supports the body frame 22, and an exterior cover 21 that covers the various devices supported by the body frame 22.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle 2 includes a device mounting section 23 to which a work device is detachably attached. The running gear 20 of this embodiment is electrically powered. That is, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the vehicle 2 includes electric motors 201F, 201R, 206F, and 206R. Accordingly, the vehicle 2 includes a battery unit 24 as a power supply source for the electric motors 201F, 201R, 206F, and 206R. In addition to the electric motors 201F, 201R, 206F, and 206R and the battery unit 24, the vehicle 2 also includes various other equipment such as a junction box (not shown) and an inverter (not shown).

[0027] In other words, vehicle 2 includes an electrical system electrically connecting electric motors 201F, 201R, 206F, 206R, a battery unit 24, a junction box, and an inverter, etc. Vehicle 2 also includes various equipment, as shown in Figure 10, such as a hydraulic pump P1 driven by electric motors 201F, 201R, 206F, 206R, and a hydraulic oil tank T that stores the hydraulic oil supplied to the hydraulic pump P1. In other words, vehicle 2 has a hydraulic system including the hydraulic pump P1. Vehicle 2 also includes a control device 9 that controls the electrical system and the hydraulic system.

[0028] As shown in Figures 11 to 14, the vehicle frame 22 includes a main frame 25 and a pair of subframes 26, 26 positioned on both sides of the main frame 25 in the lateral direction.

[0029] As shown in Figure 15, the main frame 25 includes a center frame 250 positioned in the center in the lateral direction, and a pair of side frames 251, 251 positioned on both sides of the center frame 250 in the lateral direction.

[0030] The center frame 250 supports the equipment. Specifically, in this embodiment, the center frame 250 supports the main unit 240 of the battery unit 24, which will be described later (see Figures 9 and 10). The center frame 250 also supports the electrical system connected to the battery unit 24 and the control device 9. Furthermore, the center frame 250 supports at least the hydraulic pump P1 and the hydraulic oil tank T of the hydraulic system.

[0031] More specifically, the center frame 250 includes a lower frame 250FA, an upper frame 250FB positioned above the lower frame 250FA, and a number of support columns 250FC connecting the lower frame 250FA and the upper frame 250FB.

[0032] Each of the lower frame 250FA and the upper frame 250FB includes a pair of vertical frames 250A, 250A, 250B, 250B, each extending in the front-to-back direction and spaced apart in the lateral direction, and a number of horizontal frames 251A…, 251B…, each extending in the lateral direction and connecting the pair of vertical frames 250A, 250A, 250B, 250B. A number of support columns 250FC connect the vertical frames 250A of the lower frame 250FA and the vertical frames 250B of the upper frame 250FB. The number of support columns 250FC are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction.

[0033] Each of the pair of vertical frames 250B, 250B of the upper frame 250FB is fitted with a bracket 252E (hereinafter referred to as the first bracket 252E) for connecting a hydraulic cylinder SL1 (hereinafter referred to as the first cylinder SL1). In this embodiment, the first brackets 252E, 252E of each of the pair of vertical frames 250B, 250B are positioned offset in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, each of the pair of vertical frames 250A, 250A, 250B, 250B is divided into multiple sections in the front-rear direction. In each of the pair of vertical frames 250A, 250A, 250B, 250B, the divided sections are connected to horizontal frames 251A..., 251B... and arranged in a row.

[0034] In the lower frame 250FA and the upper frame 250FB, the multiple horizontal frames 251A…, 251B… are formed in a cylindrical shape. In this embodiment, each of the multiple horizontal frames 251A…, 251B… is formed in a rectangular tubular shape. In this embodiment, each of the multiple horizontal frames 251A, 251B is a rectangular steel pipe (rectangular pipe). Both ends of the multiple horizontal frames 251A…, 251B… in the lateral direction are open. Specifically, the multiple horizontal frames 251A…, 251B… are configured so that the upper guide portion 252C… or lower guide portion 252D… of the side frame 251, 251 (described later) can be inserted from both ends in the lateral direction.

[0035] A device connection section 25D, to which a coupling device 29 (a three-point linkage mechanism 29 in this embodiment) described later can be attached, is connected to the rear end of the center frame 250 in the front-rear direction. The device connection section 25D extends rearward from the rear end of the center frame 250, and the coupling device 29 is connected to its rearmost end.

[0036] In this embodiment, the lower frame 250FA of the center frame 250 houses the battery unit 24, hydraulic system, electrical system, etc. In this embodiment, the battery unit 24 (main unit 240) and the hydraulic system (hydraulic pump P1, hydraulic oil tank T) are arranged in that order from front to back (see Figure 10).

[0037] In other words, the battery unit 24 (main unit 240) and the hydraulic system (hydraulic pump P1, hydraulic oil tank T) are arranged in a front-to-back direction between the lower frame 250FA and the upper frame 250FB of the main frame 25. The battery unit 24 (main unit 240) is positioned further forward in the front-to-back direction than the hydraulic system.

[0038] In this embodiment, a unit base 27 on which a battery unit 24 (main unit 240 in this embodiment) is mounted is attached to the lower frame 250FA. Specifically, the lower frame 250FA is provided with a unit base 27 on which the battery unit 24 is mounted, and a support base 28 that supports the unit base 27 so that it can move (slide) in the front-rear direction. The unit base 27 is formed to a size and shape that can accommodate the battery unit 24. That is, the unit base 27 is formed in accordance with the planar shape of the battery unit 24 (main unit 240). In this embodiment, the main unit 240 is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view (a rectangle with its longest side in the front-rear direction). Accordingly, the outer shape of the unit base 27 in plan view is formed in a rectangular shape (a rectangle with its longest side in the front-rear direction).

[0039] In this embodiment, the support base 28 is a guide bar 280 supported by the lower frame 250FA, and includes a guide bar 280 extending in the front-rear direction and a slider 281 movably attached to the guide bar 280. The support base 28 in this embodiment includes two guide bars 280, which are spaced apart in the lateral direction. The support base 28 (guide bars 280) is positioned within half or approximately half of the front-rear area of ​​the lower frame 250FA.

[0040] Slider 281 is attached to each of the two guide bars 280, 280. A unit base 27 is fixed to the slider 281 with the unit base 27 mounted on it. The unit base 27 moves in the front-rear direction by the drive of actuator SL2. In this embodiment, a hydraulic cylinder SL2 (hereinafter referred to as the second cylinder SL2) is used as the actuator SL2 that moves (slides) the unit base 27. The second cylinder SL2 is positioned with its axis (extension direction) aligned in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the rod end of the second cylinder SL2 is connected to the unit base 27 or the support base 28, and the cylinder end of the second cylinder SL2 is connected to the lower frame 250FA.

[0041] A pair of side frames 251, 251 are mounted to the center frame 250 so as to be slidable laterally. That is, the pair of side frames 251, 251 are relatively movable laterally across the center frame 250. More specifically, each of the pair of side frames 251, 251 includes a first member 252A extending in the front-rear direction, a plurality of second members 252B… perpendicular to the first member 252A, a plurality of upper guide portions 252C… extending laterally from the first member 252A, and a plurality of lower guide portions 252D… extending laterally from the lower end of a predetermined second member 252B… among the plurality of second members 252B….

[0042] Each of the first member 252A, the second member 252B, etc., the multiple upper guide sections 252C, etc., and the multiple lower guide sections 252D, etc., is formed in a rectangular tubular shape. In this embodiment, each of the first member 252A, the second member 252B, etc., the multiple upper guide sections 252C, etc., and the multiple lower guide sections 252D, etc., is a rectangular steel pipe (rectangular pipe).

[0043] Each of the pair of side frames 251, 251 is provided with a first member 252A, each of which is a bracket 252F (hereinafter referred to as the second bracket 252F) for connecting the first cylinder SL1.

[0044] The second bracket 252F of one side frame 251 (the side frame 251 located on the right side, which is one side in the horizontal direction) is positioned in correspondence with the first bracket 252E of the other vertical frame 250B of the main frame 25 (the vertical frame 250B located on the left side, which is the other side in the horizontal direction). Conversely, the second bracket 252F of the other side frame 251 (the side frame 251 located on the left side, which is the other side in the horizontal direction) is positioned in correspondence with the first bracket 252E of the one vertical frame 250B of the main frame 25 (the vertical frame 250B located on the right side, which is one side in the horizontal direction).

[0045] In each of the pair of side frames 251, 251, the multiple upper guides 252C... and the multiple lower guides 252D... extend in the same direction (lateral direction). The upper guides 252C... and lower guides 252D... of one side frame 251 extend to one side (right side) in the lateral direction, while the upper guides 252C... and lower guides 252D... of the other side frame 251 extend to the other side (left side) in the lateral direction. In other words, the directions of extension of the upper guides 252C... and lower guides 252D... of the pair of side frames 251, 251 are opposite.

[0046] Multiple upper guide sections 252C… can be inserted laterally into the horizontal frames 251B… of the upper frame 250FB. That is, the multiple upper guide sections 252C… are provided to match the arrangement and size of the multiple horizontal frames 251B… of the upper frame 250FB. In contrast, multiple lower guide sections 252D… can be inserted laterally into the horizontal frames 251A… of the lower frame 250FA. That is, the multiple lower guide sections 252D… are provided to match the arrangement and size of the multiple horizontal frames 251A… of the lower frame 250FA.

[0047] Of the multiple second members 252B..., a linear guide 253 that moves (guides) in the vertical direction is attached to a predetermined second member 252B... as shown in Figures 11 to 14. The linear guide 253 includes a first guide member 253A that extends in the vertical direction and a second guide member 253B that extends in the vertical direction and is guided in the vertical direction by the first guide member 253A. In this embodiment, the second guide member 253B of the linear guide 253 is connected (fixed) to each of the predetermined second members 252B....

[0048] Returning to Figure 15, each of the pair of side frames 251, 251 is attached to the center frame 250 so that it can move laterally (approach and move away from) the center frame 250 by inserting each of the multiple upper guides 252C... into the lateral frames 251B... of the upper frame 250FB, and inserting each of the multiple lower guides 252D... into the lateral frame 251A of the lower frame 250FA. The first cylinder SL1 is positioned with its extension direction lateral, and its cylinder end is connected to the first bracket 252E, while its rod end is connected to the second bracket 252F.

[0049] Vehicle 2 is equipped with two first cylinders SL1. In one first cylinder SL1, the cylinder end is connected to a first bracket 252E provided on the vertical frame 250B located on the right side, and the rod end is connected to a second bracket 252F on the side frame 251 located on the left side. As a result, when one first cylinder SL1 extends or retracts, the side frame 251 located on the left side moves toward or toward the main frame 25. In contrast, in the other first cylinder SL1, the cylinder end is connected to a first bracket 252E provided on the vertical frame 250B located on the left side, and the rod end is connected to a second bracket 252F on the side frame 251 located on the right side. As a result, when the other first cylinder SL1 extends or retracts, the side frame 251 located on the right side moves toward or toward the main frame 25.

[0050] In this embodiment, the two first cylinders SL1 are controlled by the control device 9 to extend and retract in synchronous manner. As a result, the pair of side frames 251, 251 move relative to each other across the main frame 25, changing the lateral distance between the pair of side frames 251, 251.

[0051] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the traveling devices 20 are attached to a pair of subframes 26, 26. In this embodiment, two traveling devices 20 are attached to each of the pair of subframes 26, 26, spaced apart in the front-rear direction.

[0052] More specifically, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, each of the pair of subframes 26, 26 is a frame body 260 extending in the front-rear direction, and includes a frame body 260 to which the traveling device 20 is attached, and a guide connecting portion 261 to which the first guide member 253A of the linear guide 253 is fixed.

[0053] The frame body 260 is formed in a frame shape in plan view. Specifically, the frame body 260 of this embodiment includes a pair of vertical beams 260A, 260A arranged at intervals in the lateral direction, and a plurality of horizontal beams 260B... arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction, wherein the plurality of horizontal beams 260B... connect the pair of vertical beams 260A, 260A. In this embodiment, a unit support portion 270 that supports the subunits 241, 241 of the battery unit 24 is provided below the frame body 260.

[0054] The unit support section 270 is a structure constructed by combining steel materials and is connected to and supported by the frame body 260. The unit support section 270 is positioned in the center of the frame body 260 in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, the running gear 20 is positioned in the regions on both sides in the front-rear direction, flanking the center of the frame body 260 in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the drive transmission devices 202F, 202R (casings 204F, 204R (first casings 204Fa, 204Ra)) of the running gear 20, which will be described later, are fixed on the frame body 260.

[0055] The guide connecting portion 261 is connected to the frame body 260 and extends in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, multiple guide connecting portions 261 are connected to one of the pair of vertical beams 260A, 260A. The first guide member 253A of the linear guide 253 is fixed to the guide connecting portion 261 by overlapping it laterally. As a result, the main frame 25 and the pair of subframes 26, 26 can move relative to each other in the vertical direction according to the guidance of the linear guide 253 (relative movement between the first guide member 253A and the second guide member 253B).

[0056] Accordingly, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder SL3 (hereinafter referred to as the third cylinder SL3) which is positioned corresponding to each of the pair of subframes 26, 26, and which moves the main frame 25 and the subframes 26 relative to each other in the vertical direction. In other words, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a third cylinder SL3 which raises and lowers the main frame 25. The third cylinder SL3 is a telescopic hydraulic cylinder that extends and retracts in multiple stages. The third cylinder SL3 is positioned with its extension and retraction direction in the vertical direction and is connected to the main frame 25 and the subframes 26, 26. That is, the cylinder end of the third cylinder SL3 is connected to the main frame 25 (side frame 251), and the rod end of the third cylinder SL3 is connected to the subframes 26, 26.

[0057] In this embodiment, the third cylinder SL3 is positioned on the lateral outer side of each of the pair of side frames 251, 251 of the main frame 25. That is, the third cylinder SL3 is positioned on both the left and right sides of the center frame 250. The third cylinder SL3 positioned on the right side of the center frame 250 is connected to one of the subframes 26 on the right side and one of the side frames 251 on the right side. In contrast, the third cylinder SL3 positioned on the left side of the center frame 250 is connected to the other subframe 26 on the left side and the other side frame 251 on the left side.

[0058] In this embodiment, the cylinder end of the third cylinder SL3 is connected to the first member 252A of the side frame 251, and the rod end of the third cylinder SL3 is connected to the lower end of the unit support portion 270 (in this embodiment, the unit support portion 270 and the adjacent guide connecting portion 261). The supply and discharge of hydraulic fluid to the third cylinder SL3 is controlled by the control device 9, and it extends and retracts in the vertical direction. As a result, in the vehicle 2 of this embodiment, the main frame 25 can be raised and lowered by the extension and retraction of the third cylinder SL3. Furthermore, as described above, the lateral distance between the pair of subframes 26, 26 can be changed by the extension and retraction of the first cylinder SL1, and this lateral distance between the pair of subframes 26, 26 can be changed regardless of the raised and lowered state (height position) of the main frame 25.

[0059] As shown in Figure 16, the traveling device 20 includes wheels 200F and 200R that can rotate around an axis S1, and motors 201F and 201R (hereinafter referred to as traveling motors 201F and 201R) that rotate the wheels 200F and 200R. In this embodiment, the traveling device 20 includes drive transmission devices 202F and 202R that transmit the drive of the traveling motors 201F and 201R to the wheels 200F and 200R.

[0060] In this embodiment, the wheels 200F and 200R are rotatable around an axis S1 that extends in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the wheels 200F and 200R are wheels (front or rear wheels) that combine wheels 200Fa and 200Ra with rubber tires 200Fb and 200Rb mounted on the wheels 200Fa and 200Ra. Accordingly, the wheels 200F and 200R are connected to an axle S1, which acts as an axis S1, with respect to the wheels 200Fa and 200Ra, and thus rotate around the axle S1.

[0061] Specifically, the wheels 200F and 200R rotate around an axle S1 that extends in a direction intersecting (or perpendicular to) the vertical direction. Consequently, the running gear 20 is normally in a state of moving straight in the longitudinal direction. In other words, the running gear 20 is normally in a position where the axle S1 extends in a direction intersecting (or perpendicular to) the longitudinal and vertical directions.

[0062] The travel motors 201F and 201R have motor output shafts. The travel motors 201F and 201R employ either electric motors or hydraulic motors. In this embodiment, electric motors are employed for the travel motors 201F and 201R. The motor output shafts of the travel motors 201F and 201R transmit power to the drive transmission devices 202F and 202R. Specifically, as shown in Figures 17 and 18, the drive transmission devices 202F and 202R include gear mechanisms 203F and 203R containing multiple gears, and casings 204F and 204R housing the gear mechanisms 203F and 203R.

[0063] The gear mechanism 203F,203R comprises a first shaft 203Fa,203Ra extending laterally, first spur gears 203Fb,203Rb mounted on the first shaft 203Fa,203Ra, second shafts 203Fc,203Rc extending laterally and arranged parallel to the first shaft 203Fa,203Ra, and a second spur gear 203Fd mounted on the second shaft 203Fc,203Rc and meshing with the first spur gears 203Fb,203Rb. It includes a 203Rd shaft, a third spur gear 203Fe,203Re mounted on the second shaft 203Fc,Rc, a third shaft 203Ff,203Rf extending laterally and arranged parallel to the first shaft 203Fa,203Ra and the second shaft 203Fc,203Rc, and a fourth spur gear 203Fg,203Rg mounted on one end of the third shaft 203Ff,203Rf and meshing with the third spur gear 203Fe,203Re.

[0064] Furthermore, the gear mechanism 203F,203R includes first bevel gears 203Fh,203Rh attached to the other end of the third shafts 203Ff,203Rf, fourth shafts 203Fi,203Ri extending in the vertical direction, second bevel gears 203Fj,203Rj attached to the upper end of the fourth shafts 203Fi,203Ri and meshing with the first bevel gears 203Fh,203Rh, and third bevel gears 203Fk,203Rk attached to the lower end of the fourth shafts 203Fi,203Ri.

[0065] Furthermore, the gear mechanism 203F,203R includes a fifth shaft 203Fl,203Rl extending laterally below the third shaft 203Ff,203Rf, a fourth bevel gear 203Fm,203Rm attached to one end of the fifth shaft 203Fl,203Rl and meshing with the third bevel gear 203Fk,203Rk, a fifth bevel gear 203Fn,203Rn attached to the other end of the fifth shaft 203Fl,203Rl, and a third extending vertically below the third shaft 203Ff,203Rf. It includes six shafts 203Fo, 203Ro, sixth bevel gears 203Fp, 203Rp attached to the upper end of the sixth shafts 203Fo, 203Ro and meshing with the fifth bevel gears 203Fn, 203Rn, seventh bevel gears 203Fq, 203Rq attached to the lower end of the sixth shafts 203Fo, 203Ro, a laterally extending axle S1, and eighth bevel gears 203Fr, 203Rr attached to one end of the axle S1 and meshing with the seventh bevel gears 203Fq, 203Rq.

[0066] In the gear mechanisms 203F and 203R, the first axles 203Fa and 203Ra, the second axles 203Fc and 203Rc, the third axles 203Ff and 203Rf, the fourth axles 203Fi and 203Ri, the fifth axles 203Fl and 203Rl, the sixth axles 203Fo and 203Ro, and the axle S1 are each rotatably fixed to the casings 204F and 204R via bearings. The motor output shafts of the travel motors 201F and 201R are connected to the first axles 203Fa and 203Ra. A hub H is provided at the other end of the axle S1, and the wheels 200Fa and 200Ra of the wheels 200F and 200R are connected to the hub H. In this embodiment, the sixth axle 203Fo, 203Ro is configured to be extendable and retractable in the axial direction (up and down direction), and the vertical position of the hub H (axle S1) is configured to be changeable.

[0067] Casings 204F and 204R are composed of multiple parts. Specifically, the casings 204F and 204R house the first shaft 203Fa and 203Ra, the first spur gears 203Fb and 203Rb, the second shaft 203Fc and 203Rc, the second spur gears 203Fd and 203Rd, the third spur gears 203Fe and 203Re, one end of the third shaft 203Ff and 203Rf, and the fourth spur gears 203Fg and 203Rg. The other end of the third shaft 203Ff and 203Rf, the first bevel gears 203Fh and 203Rh, the fourth shaft 203Fi and 203Ri, the second bevel gears 203Fj and 203Rj, the third bevel gears 203Fk and 203Rk, and one end of the fifth shaft 203Fl and 203Rl. The system includes a second casing 204Fb, 204Rb housing the fourth bevel gears 203Fm, 203Rm; a third casing 204Fc, 204Rc housing the other end of the fifth shaft 203Fl, 203Rl, the upper end of the fifth bevel gears 203Fn, 203Rn, the upper end of the sixth shaft 203Fo, 203Ro, and the sixth bevel gears 203Fp, 203Rp; a fourth casing 204Fd, 204Rd housing the sixth shaft 203Fo, 203Ro; and a fifth casing 204Fe, 204Re housing the lower end of the sixth shaft 203Fo, 203Ro, the seventh bevel gears 203Fq, 203Rq, the axle S1, and the eighth bevel gears 203Fr, 203Rr. Each of the first casings 204Fa, 204Ra, the second casings 204Fb, 204Rb, the third casings 204Fc, 204Rc, the fourth casings 204Fd, 204Rd, and the fifth casings 204Fe, 204Re is a molded product (e.g., a casting) and is mechanically connected to form a single unit. In other words, the first casings 204Fa and 204Ra are mechanically connected to the second casings 204Fb and 204Rb, the second casings 204Fb and 204Rb are mechanically connected to the third casings 204Fc and 204Rc, the third casings 204Fc and 204Rc are mechanically connected to the fourth casings 204Fd and 204Rd, and the fourth casings 204Fd and 204Rd are mechanically connected to the fifth casings 204Fe and 204Re.

[0068] The first casings 204Fa and 204Ra are fixed to the subframes 26 and 26. In this embodiment, the first casings 204Fa and 204Ra are positioned on the subframes 26 and 26 and mechanically connected to them. Consequently, parts of the second casings 204Fb and 204Rb, the third casings 204Fc and 204Rc, the fourth casings 204Fd and 204Rd, and the fifth casings 204Fe and 204Re are positioned below the subframes 26 and 26.

[0069] In this embodiment, the second casings 204Fb, 204Rb are divided into upper and lower sections. That is, the second casings 204Fb, 204Rb include a first section 204Fb1, 204Rb1 connected to the first casings 204Fa, 204Ra, and a second section 204Fb2, 204Rb2 connected to the third casings 204Fc, 204Rc. The second section 204Fb2, 204Rb2 is rotatably connected to the first section 204Fb1, 204Rb1 around an axis extending in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the second section 204Fb2, 204Rb2 is rotatable about the housed fourth shafts 203Fi, 203Ri as the center of rotation. Furthermore, the fourth casings 204Fd, 204Rd are configured to be expandable and contractible in the vertical direction. In other words, the fourth casings 204Fd, 204Rd include a cylindrical fourth upper casing 204Fd1, 204Rd1 connected to the third casings 204Fc, 204Rc, and a cylindrical fourth lower casing 204Fd2, 204Rd2 connected to the fifth casings 204Fe, 204Re, which includes a fourth lower casing 204Fd2, 204Rd2 that is fitted (internally fitted) to the fourth upper casing 204Fd1, 204Rd1 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction.

[0070] As a result, the fourth casings 204Fd, 204Rd and the sixth axle 203Fo, 203Ro are able to extend and retract vertically in a synchronized manner. In this embodiment, the traveling device 20 is equipped with a hydraulic damper or hydraulic cylinder (referred to as a hydraulic cylinder in this embodiment) (not shown) for extending and retracting the fourth casings 204Fd, 204Rd. The hydraulic cylinder is arranged to extend and retract vertically. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the rod end of the hydraulic cylinder is connected to the fifth casing 204Fe, 204Re, and the cylinder (cylinder end) of the hydraulic cylinder is connected to the fourth upper casing 204Fd1, 204Rd1 of the fourth casing 204Fd, 204Rd. As a result, in the traveling device 20 of this embodiment, the extension and retraction of the hydraulic cylinder causes the fourth casing 204Fd, 204Rd and the sixth axle 203Fo, 203Ro to extend and retract, and the vertical position of the axle S1 (hub H) can be changed.

[0071] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 18, the running gear 20 includes steering devices 205F and 205R for changing the orientation of the wheels 200F and 200R, and actuators 206F and 206R (hereinafter referred to as steering actuators 206F and 206R) for driving the steering devices 205F and 205R. In this embodiment, the steering devices 205F and 205R can change the orientation of the wheels 200F and 200R by 360° around the vertically extending axis S2 (fourth axis 203Fi and 203Ri).

[0072] Specifically, the steering devices 205F and 205R of this embodiment include spur gears 205Fa and 205Ra (hereinafter referred to as steering spur gears 205Fa and 205Ra) fitted onto the second parts 204Fb2 and 204Rb2, assuming that the first parts 204Fb1 and 204Rb1 and the second parts 204Fb2 and 204Rb2 of the casings 204F and 204R (second casings 204Fb and 204Rb) are rotatable around an axis S2 extending in the vertical direction.

[0073] In this embodiment, electric motors are used for the steering actuators 206F and 206R. The steering actuators 206F and 206R have motor output shafts, and spur gears 205Fb and 205Rb (hereinafter referred to as drive spur gears 205Fb and 205Rb) that mesh with steering spur gears 205Fa and 205Ra are attached to the motor output shafts. As described above, the steering actuators 206F and 206R are fixed to subframes 26 and 26 with the drive spur gears 205Fb and 205Rb meshed with the steering spur gears 205Fa and 205Ra. As a result, when the steering actuators 206F and 206R (motors 206F and 206R) are driven, the second parts 204Fb2 and 204Rb2 of the second casings 204Fb and 204Rb rotate around the fourth axle 203Fi and 203Ri. Consequently, the third casings 204Fc and 204Rc, the fourth casings 204Fd and 204Rd, and the fifth casings 204Fe and 204Re also rotate together with their second parts 204Fb2 and 204Rb2 around the fourth axle 203Fi and 203Ri. Therefore, the wheels 200F and 200R attached to the axle S1 (hub H) supported by the fifth casings 204Fe and 204Re can also rotate 360° (or more) around the fourth axle 203Fi and 203Ri.

[0074] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the running gear 20 configured above is arranged in four locations. That is, the vehicle 2 has four running gears 20. Specifically, the vehicle 2 includes a front running gear 20F that supports the front part of the vehicle frame 22 in the longitudinal direction, and a rear running gear 20R that supports the rear part of the vehicle frame 22 in the longitudinal direction.

[0075] Each of the front running gears 20F and rear running gears 20R is positioned on either side of the main frame 25 in the lateral direction. That is, the vehicle 2 includes a pair of front running gears 20F, 20F positioned on either side of the main frame 25 in the lateral direction to support the front of the vehicle body frame 22 in the longitudinal direction, and a pair of rear running gears 20R, 20R positioned on either side of the main frame 25 in the lateral direction to support the rear of the vehicle body frame 22 in the longitudinal direction.

[0076] A pair of front travel devices 20F, 20F and a pair of rear travel devices 20R, 20R are attached to a pair of subframes 26, 26 located on both sides of the main frame 25 in the lateral direction. That is, one of the pair of front travel devices 20F, 20F and one of the pair of rear travel devices 20R, 20R are attached to one of the subframes 26, 26. In contrast, the other front travel device 20F and the other rear travel device 20R are attached to the other subframe 26 of the pair of subframes 26, 26.

[0077] In each of the pair of front running gears 20F, 20F and the pair of rear running gears 20R, 20R, the first casings 204Fa, 204Ra and the steering actuators 206F, 206R are fixed to the subframes 26, 26 as described above. As a result, the wheels 200F, 200R (wheels 200F, 200R) of the pair of front running gears 20F, 20F and the pair of rear running gears 20R, 20R are located below the subframes 26, 26.

[0078] As shown in Figure 9, the exterior cover 21 is divided into three sections in the lateral direction. Specifically, the exterior cover 21 includes a center cover 210 that covers the main frame 25, and a pair of side covers 211, 211 that cover a pair of subframes 26, 26.

[0079] As shown in Figure 19, the battery unit 24 includes a plurality of battery cells B... The battery cells B are rechargeable secondary batteries. The battery unit 24 of this embodiment is a battery pack having a plurality of battery modules BM... each containing a plurality of battery cells B... (secondary batteries B...). In this embodiment, lithium-ion batteries are used for the battery cells B (secondary batteries B). While this is used, other types of rechargeable batteries may also be used.

[0080] In this embodiment, the battery unit 24 includes a main unit 240 containing a plurality of battery modules BM... and a pair of subunits 241, 241, each containing a plurality of battery modules BM.... The main unit 240 houses a plurality of battery modules BM... within a rectangular parallelepiped battery case 240a. In this embodiment, in addition to the battery modules BM..., equipment such as a power management unit is also housed within the battery case 240a.

[0081] Each of the pair of subunits 241,241 houses multiple battery modules BM… within a cubic battery case 241b. The battery modules BM… of the main unit 240 and the battery modules BM… of the subunits 241,241 are electrically connected, and the main unit 240 and the subunits 241,241 together constitute a high-capacity battery unit 24.

[0082] As shown in Figures 20 and 21, the main unit 240 is positioned on the unit base 27 of the main frame 25, and the pair of subunits 241, 241 are positioned on the unit support sections 270 of the subframes 26, 26. The battery unit 24 is air-cooled and is configured to allow the exhaust of air (hot air) from inside the battery cases 240a, 241a. Accordingly, exhaust ducts 242 are connected to the battery case 240a of the main unit 240 and the battery case 241a of the subunits 241, 241.

[0083] In this embodiment, the exhaust duct 242 includes a pair of first exhaust ducts 242a, 242a connecting the battery case 240a of the main unit 240 to the respective battery cases 241a, 241a of the pair of subunits 241, 241, and a pair of second exhaust ducts 242b, 242b connected to each of the pair of subunits 241, 241, and a pair of second exhaust ducts 242b, 242b connected to the air cooling device EC. In this embodiment, the air cooling device EC is arranged in the front-rear direction relative to the main unit 240 and is connected to the main unit 240. Accordingly, the air cooling device EC is supported on the unit base 27 together with the main unit 240. The pair of first exhaust ducts 242a, 242a are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line extending in the front-rear direction at the lateral center of the vehicle 2. Furthermore, the pair of second exhaust ducts 242b, 242b are located in front of the pair of first exhaust ducts 242a, 242a and are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line extending in the front-rear direction at the lateral center of the vehicle 2.

[0084] As described above, the main unit 240 is a unit base 27 mounted on a vertically movable main frame 25, and is positioned on a unit base 27 that is movable in the front-rear direction. Therefore, there is a change in the relative positional relationship between the main unit 240 and the subunits 241, 241 supported by the unit support parts 270 of the subframes 26, 26. The exhaust ducts 242 (first exhaust ducts 242a, 242a, second exhaust ducts 242b, 242b) are flexible and expandable, allowing the main unit 240 to move. In this embodiment, corrugated hoses are used for the exhaust ducts 242 (first exhaust ducts 242a, 242a, second exhaust ducts 242b, 242b).

[0085] Returning to Figures 1 and 2, the device mounting section 23 is configured to allow the attachment of a work device 3, which is located at least on the vehicle frame 22 (on the main frame 25 in this embodiment). In this embodiment, the vehicle 2 includes, as the device mounting section 23, an upper mounting section 23a to which the work device 3 can be attached when it is located on the vehicle frame 22, and a rear mounting section 23b to which a work device (implement: not shown) different from the work device 3 located on the vehicle frame 22 can be attached when it is located behind the vehicle frame 22 in the front-rear direction.

[0086] The upper mounting portion 23a is positioned on the center frame 250. In this embodiment, the upper mounting portion 23a is positioned above the center cover 210 that covers the main frame 25. As described above, the vehicle 2 includes a position adjustment mechanism 4 and a position fixing mechanism 5. In this embodiment, the position adjustment mechanism 4 and the position fixing mechanism 5 are incorporated into the upper mounting portion 23a.

[0087] The position adjustment mechanism 4 aligns the vehicle 2 and the work device 3 in at least the vertical direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction as the vehicle 2 moves in a first direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the first direction is the front-rear direction, and the second direction is the lateral direction. Therefore, the position adjustment mechanism 4 in this embodiment aligns the vehicle 2 and the work device 3 in the lateral direction as the vehicle 2 moves in the front-rear direction, so that the centerlines of the vehicle 2 and the work device 3 extending in the front-rear direction coincide or nearly coincide.

[0088] In this embodiment, the position adjustment mechanism 4 includes a guide body 40 provided on either the vehicle 2 or the work device 3, the guide body 40 extending in the front-rear direction, and a guided object 41 provided on the other of the vehicle 2 or the work device 3, the guided object 41 being guided in the front-rear direction by the guide body 40.

[0089] As shown in Figures 22 and 23, the guide body 40 includes a pair of guide rails 42, 42 that are spaced apart in a second direction. At least one pair of guided objects 41 are provided corresponding to the arrangement of the pair of guide rails 42, 42. In this embodiment, the guide body 40 is provided on the vehicle 2, and the guided objects 41 are provided on the work device 3.

[0090] Each of the pair of guide rails 42, 42 has a straight section 42a extending in a first direction, having a guide surface 420a facing inward in a second direction, and an inclined section 42b connected to at least one end of the straight section 42a in the first direction and inclined with respect to the straight section 42a. In this embodiment, each of the pair of guide rails 42, 42 has a straight section 42a extending in a front-rear direction, having a guide surface 420a facing inward in a lateral direction, and an inclined section 42b connected to at least one end of the straight section 42a in the front-rear direction and inclined with respect to the straight section 42a.

[0091] The pair of guide rails 42, 42 have increasing distances between their respective inclined portions 42b in the lateral direction. That is, each of the inclined portions 42b, 42b of the pair of guide rails 42, 42 is a guide surface 420b which is an inclined surface facing inward and backward, and has a guide surface 420b that connects to the guide surface 420b of the straight portion 42a, and is inclined such that the distance between the respective guide surfaces 420b, 420b in the lateral direction increases as one moves towards the rear in the front-rear direction.

[0092] As shown in Figure 23, the guide body 40 includes a frame 43 that supports a pair of guide rails 42, 42 above the outer cover 21 (center cover 210). The frame 43 is located inside the outer cover 21 (center cover 210) and is connected to and supported by the main frame 25 (center frame 250). Specifically, the frame 43 comprises a base body 430 and a plurality of legs 431 that support the base body 430.

[0093] The base body 430 includes a pair of vertical members 430a, 430a extending in the front-rear direction and arranged at intervals in the lateral direction, and a plurality of horizontal members 430b... each extending in the lateral direction and connecting the pair of vertical members 430a, 430a.

[0094] Multiple leg sections 431 are arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction, and a pair of vertical members 430a, 43 It is connected to the lower end surface of 0a and extends downward below the vertical member 430a. Multiple legs 431... are directly or indirectly connected to the upper frame 250FB (vertical frames 250B, 250B).

[0095] Each of the pair of vertical members 430a, 430a is connected to a plurality of connecting brackets 432… for connecting the guide rail 42. Each of the plurality of connecting brackets 432… is connected to the lateral outer side surface of the vertical member 430a and extends upward from the vertical member 430a. In this embodiment, the plurality of connecting brackets 432… are configured to fix the guide rail 42 via screw members. With the guide rail 42 fixed to the connecting brackets 432…, the guide surface 420a is positioned along the lateral outer side surface (edge) of the vertical member 430a. In this embodiment, the guide rail 42 is positioned (fixed) at a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the vertical member 430a.

[0096] As will be described in more detail later, the guided body 41 of the work device 3 is positioned to slide against the respective guide surfaces 420a of the pair of guide rails 42, 42.

[0097] The positioning mechanism 5 includes a protrusion 50 provided on at least one of the vehicle body frame 22 (main frame 25) and the work device 3 (device frame 30, described later), and a recess 51 provided on at least the other of the vehicle body frame 22 (main frame 25) and the work device 3 (device frame 30), the recess 51 being able to engage with and disengage from the protrusion 50 as the vehicle body frame 22 (main frame 25) moves up and down. At least one of the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 50 and the inner circumferential surface of the recess 51 includes an inclined surface 500 facing at least in the direction in which the protrusion 50 and the recess 51 engage and disengage, and in the front-rear direction (a direction corresponding to the first direction).

[0098] In this embodiment, the work device 3 is provided with a protrusion 50. The protrusion 50 also serves as the guided object 41 that is guided by the guide surface 420a of the guide rail 42. Accordingly, the vehicle 2 is provided with a recess 51. In this embodiment, the inner circumferential surface of the recess 51 includes an inclined surface 500.

[0099] More specifically, in this embodiment, the vehicle 2 is provided with a recess-forming member 52 for forming a recess 51 of the positioning mechanism 5, as shown in Figure 24. The recess-forming member 52 includes a cylindrical portion 520 that is the same shape and size from the lower end to the upper end in the vertical direction, and an enlarged portion 521 connected to the upper end of the cylindrical portion 520 and expanding from the lower end to the upper end in the vertical direction.

[0100] In this embodiment, the cylindrical portion 520 is formed in a rectangular tubular shape. Specifically, the cylindrical portion 520 has a pair of first horizontal walls 520a, 520a that are spaced apart in the lateral direction and facing each other, and a pair of first vertical walls 520b, 520b that are spaced apart in the front-rear direction and facing each other, and a pair of first vertical walls 520b, 520b that are parallel or substantially parallel to each other, with both ends in the lateral direction of each being connected to the pair of first horizontal walls 520a, 520a. In this embodiment, the outer (inner) casing of the cylindrical portion 520 is formed in a square shape in plan view.

[0101] The enlarged portion 521 has a lower end connected to the upper end of the cylindrical portion 520 and an upper end located above the lower end, and expands from the lower end to the upper end. In this embodiment, the enlarged portion 521 includes a pair of second horizontal walls 521a, 521a that are arranged at a constant interval in the lateral direction by being continuous with the upper ends of a pair of first horizontal walls 520a, 520a, and a pair of second horizontal walls 521a, 521a that are arranged parallel or substantially parallel to each other, and a pair of second vertical walls 521b, 521b that are connected to the upper ends of a pair of first vertical walls 520b, 520b and arranged between the pair of second horizontal walls 521a, 521a, and a pair of second vertical walls 521b, 521b that are connected to the upper ends of a pair of first vertical walls 520b, 520b and arranged between the pair of second horizontal walls 521a, 521a, and the distance between them increases as they extend upward.

[0102] Of the pair of second vertical walls 521b, 521b, at least one of the second vertical walls 521b, 521b is inclined to move away from the other second vertical wall 521b, 521b as it extends upward. Accordingly, the inner surface of the enlarged portion 521 (second vertical wall 521b) forms an inclined surface 500 oriented in the vertical direction (the direction in which the convex portion 50 and the concave portion 51 engage and disengage) and the front-rear direction. As a result, the enlarged portion 521 expands from the lower end connected to the upper end of the cylindrical portion 520 towards the upper end. That is, in the enlarged portion 521, the opening area of ​​the concave portion forming member 52 decreases as it extends downward, and in the cylindrical portion 520, the opening area is the same or approximately the same in the vertical direction.

[0103] Specifically, the upper end opening of the enlarged portion 521 has a rectangular shape in plan view, with its longitudinal side in the front-to-back direction, and the lower end opening of the enlarged portion 521 is formed to be the same shape and size as the upper end opening of the cylindrical portion 520. In other words, the enlarged portion 521 is formed to change from a rectangular shape to a square shape in plan view as it moves from the upper end to the lower end. As a result, in the recess-forming member 52, the internal space of the cylindrical portion 520 and the internal space of the enlarged portion 521 are continuous, forming the recess 51.

[0104] The recesses 51 are positioned above each of the pair of vertical members 430a, 430a. That is, the recess-forming members 52 are positioned (connected) at multiple locations on the upper surface of each of the pair of vertical members 430a, 430a. In this embodiment, the recess-forming members 52 are positioned at multiple locations on the upper surface of the pair of vertical members 430a, 430a at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction. That is, each of the multiple recess-forming members 52 is positioned on the vertical member 430a such that the pair of second vertical walls 521b, 521b are aligned in the front-rear direction, and is fixed to the vertical member 430a.

[0105] In the enlarged portion 521 of the recess-forming member 52 located at the front in the front-rear direction, of the pair of second vertical walls 521b, 521b, the second vertical wall 521b, 521b located on the front side is upright, while of the pair of second vertical walls 521b, 521b, the second vertical wall 521b, 521b located on the rear side is inclined toward the rear. In contrast, in the enlarged portion 521 of the other recess-forming member 52, each of the pair of second vertical walls 521b, 521b is inclined to move further apart from each other as it moves upward.

[0106] Furthermore, the multiple recesses 51 (recess-forming members 52) arranged on one vertical member 430a and the multiple recesses 51 (recess-forming members 52) arranged on the other vertical member 430a are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line extending in the front-rear direction (a virtual plane that extends in the front-rear and up-down directions and passes through the center line).

[0107] As described above, as the recess-forming member 52 is positioned below the outer cover 21 (center cover 210), the outer cover 21 (center cover 210) is provided with multiple roughly rectangular openings (not numbered) in plan view that expose the upper end opening (enlarged portion 521) of the recess-forming member 52. The openings in the outer cover 21 expose the upper end opening of the recess 51 and cause the connecting brackets 432... to protrude upward from the outer surface (top surface) of the outer cover 21 (center cover 210).

[0108] Accordingly, the guide rails 42 are attached to the connecting brackets 432..., and a portion of the connecting brackets 432... and the guide rails 42 are positioned above the exterior cover 21 (center cover 210). In this embodiment, each of the pair of guide rails 42, 42 is positioned with its guide surface 420a facing the lateral center side (centerline side) and aligned with the outer surface of the lower vertical member 430a (one of the pair of second vertical walls 521b, 521b that constitute the enlarged portion 521 of the recess-forming member 52, which is on the lateral outer side).

[0109] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, a connecting device 29 is attached to the device connecting portion 25D connected to the rear end of the center frame 250. Accordingly, the rear mounting portion 23b is the mounting (connecting portion) of the work device 3 on the connecting device 29. In this embodiment, a three-point linkage mechanism 29 is attached to the device connecting portion 25D as the connecting device 29. The three-point linkage mechanism 29 is a known (or well-known) one and includes a pair of lower links 291, 291 and an upper link 292 positioned above the intermediate position between the pair of lower links 291, 291, with the tips of the pair of lower links 291, 291 and the tip of the upper link 292 formed in a hook shape. A known work device, so-called an implement, is connected and supported by this hook shape.

[0110] Therefore, in this embodiment, the rear mounting portion 23b is the tip of a pair of lower links 291, 291 and upper link 292. The work devices attached to the rear mounting portion 23b (3-point linkage mechanism 29) are what are called implements, and there are various types. For example, work devices (implements) for the 3-point linkage mechanism 29 include rotary tillers, plows, subsoilers, harrows, ridge makers, seeders, furrowers, mulchers / mulches, flail mowers, broadcasters, harvesters, digging machines, etc., and are detachably attached to the rear mounting portion 23b depending on the work to be done.

[0111] The vehicle 2 of this embodiment performs operations such as driving based on remote operation and pre-set driving information. Accordingly, the vehicle 2 is equipped with a control device 9 that controls driving and operations.

[0112] The control device 9 controls the electrical and hydraulic systems. Specifically, the control device 9 controls the drive of the electric motors 201F and 201R (travel motors 201F and 201R) and steering actuators 206F and 206R of the travel device 20, and controls the travel. The control device 9 also controls the hydraulic pump P1 of the hydraulic system and the control valve (not shown) that switches the flow path of the hydraulic fluid, and controls the first cylinder SL1, the second cylinder SL2, and the third cylinder SL3.

[0113] As shown in Figure 25, the control device 9 comprises an arithmetic control unit 90, a storage unit 91 that stores information used in the processing of the arithmetic control unit 90, an input unit 92 electrically connected to the arithmetic control unit 90 that causes electrical signals as input information from external electrical equipment to be input to the arithmetic control unit 90, and an output unit 93 electrically connected to the arithmetic control unit 90 that outputs instruction signals (electrical signals) as output information from the arithmetic control unit 90 to external electrical equipment.

[0114] The arithmetic control unit 90 is a CPU (MPU) and includes an arithmetic unit 900 and a control unit 901. In the control device 9 according to this embodiment, the storage unit 91 includes a first storage unit 910 that temporarily or short-term stores information used for processing by the arithmetic control unit 90 (arithmetic unit 900 and control unit 901), and a second storage unit 911 that long-term stores information used for processing by the arithmetic control unit 90 (arithmetic unit 900 and control unit 901). The first storage unit 910 is a so-called memory, and the second storage unit 911 is a storage device such as a hard disk or an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0115] The input unit 92 and the output unit 93 are so-called interfaces. An electrical device that outputs an electrical signal as information is connected to the input unit 92. Conversely, an electrical device that receives an electrical signal as information is connected to the output unit 93.

[0116] Specifically, the input unit 92 is connected to a receiver that receives wireless signals via remote control, and an input device (for example, an input device that sets the operation of the three-point linkage mechanism 29). The output unit 93 is connected to the travel motors 201F and 201R and the steering actuators 206F and 206R. In this embodiment, with the work device 3 attached to the vehicle 2, signal lines connected to the electrical equipment of the work device 3 (electric cylinders 313 and 315 and pump P2 (electric motor) described later) are connected to the output unit 93. That is, the output unit 93 is connected to an output connector (not shown) capable of external output, which is an output connector that can be connected to a connector that connects to the signal lines of the work device 3 attached to the vehicle 2. As a result, the control device 9 controls the electrical equipment of both the vehicle 2 and the work device 3 when the work device 3 is attached to the vehicle 2.

[0117] Vehicle 2 of this embodiment is as described above, and the drive of the running motors 201F, 201R of each running gear 20 (a pair of front running gears 20F, 20F, and a pair of rear running gears 20R, 20R) rotates the wheels 200F, 200R (a pair of front wheels 200F, 200F, and a pair of rear wheels 200R, 200R) via the drive transmission devices 202F, 202R. In addition, the output (rotation) of the steering actuators 206F, 206R of each running gear 20 (a pair of front running gears 20F, 20F, and a pair of rear running gears 20R, 20R) is transmitted to the second parts 204Fb2, 204Rb2 of the second casings 204Fb, 204Rb via the drive spur gears 205Fb, 205Rb and the steering spur gears 205Fa, 205Ra.

[0118] As a result, the third casings 204Fc, 204Rc, the fourth casings 204Fd, 204Rd, and the fifth casings 204Fe, 204Re, along with the second parts 204Fb2, 204Rb2 of the second casings 204Fb, 204Rb, can rotate 360° around the vertically extending axis S2 (fourth axis 203Fi, 203Ri). Consequently, the wheels 200F, 200R attached to the axle S1 (hub H) supported by the fifth casings 204Fe, 204Re can also rotate 360° (or more) around axis S2 (fourth axis 203Fi, 203Ri). In other words, in each running gear 20 (a pair of front running gears 20F, 20F, and a pair of rear running gears 20R, 20R), the wheels 200F, 200R (front wheels 200F or rear wheels 200R) can be steered 360°.

[0119] Furthermore, the extension and retraction of the first cylinder SL1 causes the pair of side frames 251, 251 to move laterally. This allows the distance between the running gears 20 attached to the pair of side frames 251, 251 (the so-called tread width) to be changed. In addition, the extension and retraction of the third cylinder SL3 causes the main frame 25 to move up and down. This allows the height position of the upper mounting portion 23a to be changed. Also, the extension and retraction of the second cylinder SL2 allows the front-to-rear arrangement of the unit base 27 to be changed. As a result, the heavy battery unit 24 (main unit 240) moves in the front-to-rear direction, thus allowing the center of gravity of the vehicle 2 to be changed in the front-to-rear direction.

[0120] As shown in Figure 2, the work device 3 is connected to the vehicle 2 having the above configuration. That is, the work device 3 is detachably attached to the drivable vehicle 2. In the work vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the work devices attached to the device mounting section 23 include a work device 3 attached to the upper mounting section 23a of the vehicle 2 and a work device attached to the rear mounting section 23b. As described above, the work device (implement) connected to the vehicle 2 via the rear mounting section 23b (3-point linkage mechanism 29) is a well-known type, so its description will be omitted here, and only the work device 3 attached to the upper mounting section 23a of the vehicle 2 will be described.

[0121] The work device 3 is supported directly or indirectly by the vehicle 2. The work device 3 may be indirectly supported by the vehicle 2 via a separate structure or device attached to the vehicle body 2, but in this embodiment, the work device 3 is directly supported by the vehicle 2. Specifically, as shown in Figures 2, 26 to 28, the work device 3 includes a device frame 30 that overlaps the vehicle 2 vertically when connected to the vehicle 2. That is, when the work device 3 is connected to the vehicle 2... The work device 3 includes an equipment frame 30 that, when connected to the vehicle 2, overlaps the vehicle body frame 22 in the vertical direction. The work device 3 includes equipment 35 supported by the equipment frame 30, which performs functions according to the work, and a support frame 31 that supports the equipment frame 30 and the equipment 35, which can be installed directly or indirectly on the ground.

[0122] The support frame 31, when installed on the ground, positions the device frame 30 higher than the vehicle height of the vehicle 2. In other words, the support frame 31 supports the device frame 30, and when installed on the ground, positions the device frame 30 higher than the vehicle body frame 22 of the vehicle 2. This allows the vehicle 2 to enter below the device frame 30.

[0123] The work device 3 includes rollers 312a attached to a support frame 31. The support frame 31 is placed on the ground via the rollers 312a.

[0124] As shown in Figure 23, the device frame 30 is a structure (framework) formed by combining steel materials (square steel pipes in this embodiment), and is formed in a T-shape in plan view. Specifically, the device frame 30 includes a first part 32 extending in the lateral direction and a second part 33 extending from the central part of the first part 32 to the rear in the front-rear direction. The total length of the first part 32 in the lateral direction is set to be longer than the width of the vehicle 2 (outer dimensions in the lateral direction). That is, the first part 32 is a part that is positioned above the vehicle 2, and when positioned above the vehicle 2, it is formed to intersect with the vehicle 2 when viewed from above (in plan view) and to protrude on both sides of the vehicle 2 in the lateral direction.

[0125] In this embodiment, the first part 32 is a pair of frame parts 320, 320 that are spaced apart and facing each other in the front-to-back direction when viewed from the front (front view), and includes a pair of frame parts 320, 320 formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular frame shape, and a plurality of connecting parts 321... that extend in the front-to-back direction and connect the pair of frame parts 320, 320 to each other at multiple locations. The pair of frame parts 320, 320 includes a pair of crossbeams 320a, 320a that are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and a plurality of support columns 320b (hereinafter referred to as front support columns 320b) that connect the pair of crossbeams 320a, 320a. The pair of frame parts 320, 320 (crossbeams 320a, 320a, front support columns 320b), and the plurality of connecting parts 321... are made of square steel pipes, and in the above configuration, the first part 32 is a horizontally elongated three-dimensional structure.

[0126] The second section 33 is connected to the first section 32 (rear frame section 320) and is formed to support the equipment 35 behind the first section 32 (see Figures 26 and 27). The second section 33 includes at least one pair of vertical beams 330a, 330a arranged at intervals in the lateral direction, and a connecting beam 330b connecting one pair of vertical beams 330a, 330a. In this embodiment, the second section 33 includes two pairs of vertical beams 330a, 330a arranged at intervals in the vertical direction, and a vertically extending support column 330c (referred to as the rear support column 330c) that connects each pair of vertical beams 330a, 330a.

[0127] In this embodiment, vertical beams 330a, 330a are connected to each of the pair of horizontal beams 320a, 320a that constitute the rear frame portion 320. That is, of the pair of horizontal beams 320a, 320a that constitute the rear frame portion 320, one horizontal beam 320a is connected to the pair of vertical beams 330a, 330a, and of the pair of horizontal beams 320a that constitute the rear frame portion 320, 320, the other horizontal beam 320a is connected to another pair of vertical beams 330a, 330a. The vertical beams 330a, 330a, horizontal beams 320a, 320a, and rear support columns 330c are made of square steel pipes similar to the pair of frame sections 320, 320 (horizontal beams 320a, 320a, front support column 320b) and the multiple connecting sections 321... of the first section 32, and constitute the second section 33, which is a three-dimensional structure extending rearward from the first section 32.

[0128] As shown in Figures 26 and 28, in the second section 33, a spraying unit 35 (equipment 35) is arranged between multiple pairs of vertical beams 330a, 330a, and the vertical beams 330a, 330a support the spraying unit 35 (equipment 35).

[0129] In this embodiment, a pair of support beams 34, 34 are attached to the lower surfaces of the first portion 32 and the second portion 33, spaced apart laterally and extending in the front-rear direction. The lateral spacing of the pair of support beams 34, 34 matches or approximately matches the lateral spacing of the frame 43 (a pair of vertical members 430a, 430a) supported (fixed) to the vehicle body frame 22. That is, the pair of support beams 34, 34 are positioned so as to face the pair of vertical members 430a, 430a of the vehicle 2 in the vertical direction when the vehicle 2 is positioned below the device frame 30 (when the lateral centers of the vehicle 2 and the device frame 30 coincide in the vertical direction).

[0130] In this embodiment, the multiple protrusions 50 constituting the positioning mechanism 5 are provided so as to protrude downward from the lower surfaces of the pair of support beams 34, 34. In this embodiment, each of the multiple protrusions 50 is formed in a rectangular tubular shape and is vertically detachable from the cylindrical portion 520 of the recess forming member 52. That is, the multiple protrusions 50 are formed to be smaller than the recesses 51 and are arranged to correspond to the multiple recesses 51 of the vehicle 2.

[0131] The support frame 31 supports the device frame 30. Specifically, the working device 3 includes, as the support frame 31, a pair of front legs 310, 310 connected to both lateral ends of the first part 32, the pair of front legs 310, 310 extending downward from the first part 32, and a rear leg 311 connected to the longitudinal rear end of the second part 33.

[0132] Each of the pair of front legs 310, 310 is positioned on either side of the vehicle 2 laterally when the vehicle 2 is below the device frame 30 (see Figure 2).

[0133] In this embodiment, each of the pair of front legs 310, 310 is a leg connecting portion 310a connected to the lateral end of the first portion 32, comprising a leg connecting portion 310a extending laterally outward from the first portion 32, and a front leg body 310b connected to the tip of the leg connecting portion 310a and extending downward from the leg connecting portion 310a. In this embodiment, the front leg body 310b is formed in a ladder shape. In this embodiment, each of the pair of front legs 310, 310 is an auxiliary leg 310c extending vertically, comprising an auxiliary leg 310c extending downward from the lower end of the front leg body 310b.

[0134] In this embodiment, the auxiliary leg 310c is mounted on the front leg body 310b so as to be movable (slidable) in the vertical direction. A roller 312a is attached to the lower end of the auxiliary leg 310c. Specifically, the auxiliary leg 310c is fitted with a caster 312 including a roller 312a that is rotatable about an axis extending perpendicular to the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the caster 312 includes a roller support portion 312b that supports the roller 312a, and the roller support portion 312b is configured to be rotatable about an axis extending in the vertical direction. The work device 3 of this embodiment includes an actuator 313 (hereinafter referred to as the front leg extension actuator 313) for moving the auxiliary leg 310c in the vertical direction.

[0135] In this embodiment, an electric cylinder is used for the front leg extension actuator 313. In this embodiment, the front leg extension actuator 313 is positioned with its extension direction being vertical. Based on this, the cylinder end of the front leg extension actuator 313 is connected to the front leg body 310b, and the rod end of the front leg extension actuator 313 is connected to the auxiliary leg 310c.

[0136] As a result, the front leg extension actuator 313 (electric cylinder 313) extends and retracts, causing the auxiliary leg 310c to move vertically, which changes the arrangement (relative position in the vertical direction) of the roller 312a with respect to the device frame 30. The front leg extension actuator 313 is electrically connected to the battery unit 24 when the work device 3 is attached to the vehicle 2, allowing power to be supplied from the battery unit 24.

[0137] The rear leg 311 is positioned behind the vehicle 2 in the longitudinal direction when the vehicle 2 is below the device frame 30. In this embodiment, the rear leg 311 is a rear connecting portion 311a connected to the rear end of the second portion 33 in the longitudinal direction, and comprises a rear connecting portion 311a extending rearward from the second portion 33, and a rear leg body 311b connected to the tip of the rear connecting portion 311a and extending downward from the rear connecting portion 311a.

[0138] In this embodiment, the rear leg body 311b is formed in a ladder shape. That is, the rear leg body 311b is a pair of rear legs 311c, 311c arranged at a distance from each other in the lateral direction, and each includes a pair of rear legs 311c, 311c that extend in the vertical direction. The rear leg body 311b also includes a rear auxiliary leg 311d that extends in the vertical direction, and the rear auxiliary leg 311d extends downward from the lower ends of the rear legs 311c, 311c.

[0139] In this embodiment, the rear auxiliary leg 311d is mounted to the rear leg body 311b so as to be movable (slidable) in the vertical direction. A roller 314a is attached to the lower end of the rear auxiliary leg 311d. Specifically, the rear auxiliary leg 311d is fitted with a caster 314 including a roller 314a that is rotatable about an axis extending perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0140] In this embodiment, the caster 314 is equipped with a roller support portion 314b that supports the roller 314a, and the roller support portion 314b is configured to be rotatable around an axis that extends in the vertical direction. The work device 3 of this embodiment is equipped with an actuator 315 (hereinafter referred to as the rear leg extension actuator 315) for moving the rear auxiliary leg 311d in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, an electric cylinder is used for the rear leg extension actuator 315.

[0141] In this embodiment, the rear leg extension actuator 315 is positioned with its extension direction in the vertical direction. Based on this, the cylinder end of the rear leg extension actuator 315 is connected to the rear legs 311c, 311c, and the rod end of the rear leg extension actuator 315 is connected to the rear auxiliary leg 311d. As a result, when the rear leg extension actuator 315 (electric cylinder 315) extends or retracts, the auxiliary leg 310c moves vertically, changing the position of the roller 312a relative to the device frame 30 (relative position in the vertical direction). The rear leg extension actuator 315 is also electrically connected to the battery unit 24 when the work device 3 is attached to the vehicle 2, allowing power to be supplied from the battery unit 24.

[0142] When the work device 3 is attached to or detached from the vehicle 2, the front leg extension actuator 313 and the rear leg extension actuator 315 are both extended, and the relative vertical distance between the roller 312a and the device frame 30 is maximized.

[0143] In this embodiment, the working device 3 has a braking function, and each of the front leg extension actuator 313 and the rear leg extension actuator 315 is designed to maintain their extended or retracted state even when power is unavailable. As described above, when the working device 3 is attached to or detached from the vehicle 2, each of the front leg extension actuator 313 and the rear leg extension actuator 315 is in the extended state.

[0144] Therefore, when the device is detached from the vehicle 2 (when power cannot be supplied), the front leg extension actuator 313 and the rear leg extension actuator 315 are both kept in the extended state, and the relative vertical distance between the roller 312a of each caster 312 and the device frame 30 is maximized. This allows the vehicle 2 to move smoothly (enter or retreat) when attaching or detaching the work device 3 to the vehicle 2 (when the vehicle 2 enters or retreats below the device frame 30).

[0145] The work device 3 is attached to the vehicle 2 and performs predetermined tasks as the vehicle 2 moves. That is, the equipment 35 supported by the device frame 30 performs predetermined tasks (functions) in accordance with the movement of the vehicle 2. In other words, there are different types of work devices 3 depending on the content of the work. These work devices 3 have equipment 35 that perform functions according to the content of the work. In this embodiment, the work device 3 is a spraying device 3 that sprays liquids such as pesticides and fertilizers onto a field. Accordingly, the work device 3 is equipped with a spraying unit 35 as equipment 35.

[0146] As shown in Figures 28 and 29, the work device 3 (spraying device 3) of this embodiment has a material receiving section 36 including a receiving port 360 that can receive materials from above. The spraying device 3 includes a tank 37 for storing materials, which is located below the material receiving section 36 and whose interior is in communication with the receiving port 360. The spraying device 3 includes a spraying section 38 including nozzles N... that spray materials toward the field, and a pump P2 that supplies materials from the tank 37 to the nozzles N.... The spraying device 3 includes an on-off valve 39 (hereinafter referred to as the first on-off valve 39: see Figure 29) that opens and closes the space between the receiving port 360 and the interior of the tank 37. In this embodiment, the material receiving section 36, the tank 37, and the first on-off valve 39 are integrated into a single unit to constitute a spraying unit 35. In this embodiment, the pump P2 is also incorporated into the spraying unit 35. In other words, in the work device 3 (spraying device 3), the spraying unit 35, which is a device that performs functions according to the content of the work, includes a material receiving section 36, a tank 37, a first on / off valve 39, and a pump P2.

[0147] The material receiving section 36 and the tank 37 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. Specifically, the tank 37 is positioned below the material receiving section 36. In this embodiment, the material receiving section 36, the first on-off valve 39, and the tank 37 are arranged in that order from top to bottom. As a result, when the first on-off valve 39 is open, the material received by the material receiving section 36 falls and is supplied to the tank 37, while when the first on-off valve 39 is closed, the supply of material from the material receiving section 36 to the tank 37 is prohibited. In addition, the entry of foreign matter from the material receiving section 36 to the tank 37 is also prohibited.

[0148] The material receiving section 36, the first on-off valve 39, and the tank 37 are connected to each other vertically and adjacent to each other, forming a single integrated unit. Accordingly, the material receiving section 36, the first on-off valve 39, and the tank 37 are attached together to the second section 33 of the device frame 30. Specifically, the material receiving section 36, the first on-off valve 39, and the tank 37 are positioned between the vertical beams 330a, 330a of the second section 33 (between vertical beams 330a, 330a that are opposite each other in the horizontal direction) and are fixed (supported) to the vertical beams 330a, 330a.

[0149] In this embodiment, the material receiving section 36 receives materials supplied from a material supply member 85 that hangs down connected to a material supply source 8 located above the vehicle 2. Here, the supply source 8 may be located at a fixed position, or it may be moved to the area above the vehicle 2. As will be described in detail later, in this embodiment, the supply source 8 is equipped on the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 and is assumed to move up to the vehicle 2 (material receiving section 36 of the work device 3) when supplying materials.

[0150] In this embodiment, the material receiving section 36 is a receiving opening 36 as shown in Figures 26 and 29. The chute section 361 is sloped downward towards 0, and is arranged around the receiving opening 360 with the receiving opening 360 as the center. The chute section 361 is arranged continuously around the receiving opening 360 and is formed in a funnel shape (inverted truncated cone shape in appearance). Accordingly, the material receiving section 36 has a lower end opening and an upper end opening with a larger diameter than the lower end opening.

[0151] In other words, the chute section 361 is formed in a funnel shape, creating an internal space with open upper and lower ends, and an internal space (part of the material supply path) that expands from the lower end to the upper end. In this embodiment, the material receiving section 36 has a material guiding section 362 that guides materials into the chute section 361. The material guiding section 362 is connected to the upper end of the chute section 361.

[0152] The material guide section 362 is formed in the shape of a thick plate and has a recess 362a that opens on its upper surface and a communication hole 362b that connects the inside of the recess 362a to the inside of the chute section 361. The recess 362a is formed in an oval shape in plan view. That is, in plan view, the recess 362a has a major axis in one direction and a minor axis in a direction perpendicular to that direction. The minor axis of the recess 362a is set to be greater than or equal to the opening diameter of the upper end opening of the chute section 361. In this embodiment, the minor axis of the recess 362a is set to be the same as or approximately the same as the opening diameter of the upper end opening of the chute section 361. In contrast, the major axis of the recess 362a is set to be more than twice the opening diameter of the upper end opening of the chute section 361.

[0153] The diameter of the communication hole 362b is set to be less than or equal to the minor axis of the recess 362a. In this embodiment, the diameter of the communication hole 362b is set to be the same as or approximately the same as the minor axis of the recess 362a. That is, the diameter of the communication hole 362b is set to be the same as or approximately the same as the upper end of the chute portion 361.

[0154] As shown in Figure 29, the bottom surface 362a1 of the recess 362a is made into an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the communication hole 362b. This allows materials placed on the bottom surface 362a1 of the recess 362a to be guided toward the communication hole 362b by the inclination of the bottom surface 362a1. In this embodiment, the material guidance section 362 is positioned in correspondence with the take-off and landing station 6 (station body 60), which will be described later. That is, the material guidance section 362 is positioned such that the recess 362a corresponds to (overlaps with) the opening 600 of the take-off and landing station 6 (station body 60), which will be described later.

[0155] The first on-off valve 39 is connected to the lower end of the chute section 361. In this embodiment, the work device 3 is a spraying device 3, and therefore the material is a liquid. The first on-off valve 39 is configured to be switchable between a state that allows the material to pass through and a state that prohibits the material from passing through.

[0156] In other words, the first on-off valve 39 includes a valve body having a communication passage (through hole) connecting the lower end opening (receiving port 360) of the chute section 361 and the tank 37, and a valve element that opens and closes the communication passage of the valve body. For example, the first on-off valve 39 can be a ball valve having a ball-shaped valve element, or a gate valve having a plate-shaped valve element (gate), etc. In this embodiment, considering that the material to be handled is a liquid, a butterfly valve is used for the first on-off valve 39. Furthermore, in order to open and close the communication passage remotely or automatically, the first on-off valve 39 in this embodiment includes an electric actuator (not shown) that operates the valve element. In other words, the first on-off valve 39 is an electric valve whose opening and closing are controlled by the control device 9.

[0157] The tank 37 is configured to store a predetermined amount of material. The tank 37 can be made of resin or sheet metal, and in this embodiment, a resin tank is used for the tank 37 to reduce weight. The tank 37 has an inlet for receiving material and an outlet for discharging material. The inlet is located at the top of the tank 37, and the outlet is located at the bottom of the tank 37. The inlet of the tank 37 is located below the receiving opening 360 (chute section 361) of the material receiving section 36. It is connected directly or indirectly to the end opening. In this embodiment, a first on-off valve 39 is connected to the inlet of the tank 37. As a result, the tank 37 in this embodiment is indirectly connected to the material receiving section 36 via the first on-off valve 39.

[0158] Pump P2 is an electrically powered pump. That is, pump P2 is driven by an electric motor M. The pump body is connected to the outlet of tank 37 and nozzles N... via piping (tubing). That is, the pump body has a suction port and a discharge port, the suction port is connected to the outlet of tank 37 via piping, and the discharge port is connected to nozzles N... via piping. In this embodiment, a pressurized pump P2 is used for pump P2. Pump P2 is equipped with a pressure tank PT connected to the pump body, and the discharge pressure of pump P2 is supplemented by compressed gas (air) in the pressure tank PT.

[0159] As shown in Figures 26 and 27, the spraying unit 38 includes nozzles N... for discharging (spraying) the material. In this embodiment, the spraying unit 38 includes nozzle mounting members 380 to which the nozzles N... are attached.

[0160] In this embodiment, the work device 3 has a pair of first spraying units 38a, which are located on both sides of the vehicle 2 in the lateral direction when attached to the vehicle 2, as a spraying unit 38. The work device 3 also has a second spraying unit 38b, which is located at the rear of the vehicle 2 in the front-rear direction when attached to the vehicle 2, as a spraying unit 38.

[0161] Each of the pair of first dispensing units 38a is connected to the respective front leg bodies 310b of the pair of front legs 310, 310. That is, one first dispensing unit 38a is connected to one front leg 310 (front leg body 310b), and the other first dispensing unit 38a is connected to the other front leg 310 (front leg body 310b).

[0162] Each nozzle mounting member 380 of the pair of first spraying units 38a is extendable laterally, at least during operation (spraying). Specifically, each of the pair of first spraying units 38a includes, in addition to the nozzles N..., an arm 380 as a nozzle mounting member 380, which extends laterally, at least during operation (spraying). In each of the pair of first spraying units 38a, the arm 380 is foldable and is folded when not performing operation (spraying) (see Figure 26), and extends laterally outward from the front leg 310 when performing operation (spraying) (see Figure 27).

[0163] Specifically, the arm 380 includes a first arm member 380a which is elongated in one direction, and whose one end in one direction (longitudinal direction) is connected to the front leg 310 via an axis S3 (hereinafter referred to as the first pivot axis S3) that extends in the front-rear direction, and a second arm member 380b which is elongated in one direction, and whose one end in one direction (longitudinal direction) is connected to the other end of the first arm member 380a in one direction via an axis S4 (hereinafter referred to as the second pivot axis S4) that extends in the front-rear direction.

[0164] The first arm member 380a is rotatable around the first pivot axis S3 and can change between a position extended laterally (hereinafter referred to as the recumbent position) and a position extended vertically (hereinafter referred to as the upright position). The second arm member 380b is rotatable around the second pivot axis S4 and can change between a position linearly continuous with respect to the first arm member 380a (hereinafter referred to as the extended position) and a position facing the first arm member 380a (hereinafter referred to as the folded position).

[0165] Each of the pair of arms 380 is folded when the first arm member 380a is in an upright position and the second arm member 380b is in a folded position, and the first arm When the arm member 380a is in a reclining position, the second arm member 380b extends, resulting in a posture where the vehicle 2 is extended laterally on both sides in the lateral direction (hereinafter referred to as the extended posture). In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 27, the work device 3 is equipped with a posture maintenance mechanism 385 for maintaining the arm 380 in an extended posture where it is straight in the lateral direction (maintaining the first arm member 380a in a reclining state and maintaining the second arm member 380b in an extended posture).

[0166] The posture maintenance mechanism 385 includes a first posture maintenance mechanism 385a that maintains the first arm member 380a in a reclined position, and a second posture maintenance mechanism 385b that maintains the second arm member 380b in an extended position when the first arm member 380a is in a reclined position. The first posture maintenance mechanism 385a is an arm support part connected to the front leg 310 and protruding laterally outward, and maintains the first arm member 380a in a reclined position by interfering with the first arm member 380a in a reclined position. In other words, the first posture maintenance mechanism 385a acts as a rotation stopper for the first arm member 380a. In contrast, the second posture maintenance mechanism 385b is a cable (wire) connecting the front leg 310 and the second arm member 380b. Specifically, the second posture maintenance mechanism 385b (wire 385b) is stretched between the front leg 310 and the second arm member 380b, with respect to the first arm member 380a which is in a reclined position, and the second arm member 380b which is in a linearly continuous reclined position. In other words, the second posture maintenance mechanism 385b supports the reclined second arm member 380b from diagonally above.

[0167] Furthermore, if a cable (wire) is used in the second posture maintenance mechanism 385b, for example, a pulley may be provided on the upper part of the front leg 310, one end of the cable 385b (wire 385b) placed on the pulley may be connected to the tip of the second arm member 380b, and a counterweight may be attached to the other end of the cable 385b (wire 385b). In this way, when the first arm member 380a changes its posture from an upright position to a reclining position due to the operation of the arm actuator 382, ​​the second arm member 380b is pulled by the cable 385b (wire 385b), and as it changes its posture from a folded position to an extended position, the counterweight rises and the cable is pulled out from the pulley to the outside (towards the tip of the second arm member 380b).

[0168] Then, with the first arm member 380a in a lateral position and the second arm member 380b in an extended position, the counterweight interferes with a regulating member such as a stopper, restricting the upward movement of the counterweight. As a result, a cable 385b (wire 385b) is stretched between the pulley and the tip of the second arm member 380b, preventing the second arm member 380b from collapsing (excessive rotation), and maintaining the first arm member 380a and the second arm member 380b in a straight, lateral position.

[0169] The first posture maintenance mechanism 385a allows the first arm member 380a to rotate upward. In this embodiment, the first spraying unit 38a includes an actuator 382 (hereinafter referred to as the arm actuator 382) that rotates the first arm member 380a around the first pivot axis S3, as shown in Figures 26 and 27. The arm actuator 382 is an electric cylinder, with either the rod end or the cylinder end connected to the front leg 310, and the other end connected to the first arm member 380a. As a result, the extension and retraction of the electric cylinder causes the first arm member 380a to rotate around the first pivot axis S3, changing its posture between a reclining state and an upright state.

[0170] Nozzles N... are attached to the first arm member 380a and the second arm member 380b. In this embodiment, multiple nozzles N... are attached to each of the first arm member 380a and the second arm member 380b. Specifically, on the outer surface of the first arm member 380a, which faces downward when it is in a lateral position, multiple nozzles N... are attached at intervals in the longitudinal direction (one direction). Similarly, on the outer surface of the second arm member 380b, which faces downward when it is in an extended position, multiple nozzles N... are attached at intervals in the longitudinal direction (one direction).

[0171] As described above, the first arm member 380a and the second arm member 380b are formed in a rectangular tubular shape, and piping connected to the discharge port of the pump P2 is inserted through the first arm member 380a and the second arm member 380b. Multiple nozzles N... attached to the first arm member 380a are fluidically connected to the piping inside the first arm member 380a, and multiple nozzles N... attached to the second arm member 380b are fluidically connected to the piping inside the second arm member 380b. In this embodiment, since the arm 380 is foldable, flexible tubing is used for the piping.

[0172] The second spraying unit 38b includes nozzles N... and a nozzle mounting member 381 to which the nozzles N... are attached. In this embodiment, the nozzle mounting member 381 of the second spraying unit 38b is a steel pipe. The nozzle mounting member 381 (steel pipe) of the second spraying unit 38b extends laterally and is positioned to straddle a pair of rear legs 311c, 311c of the rear leg 311.

[0173] The nozzle mounting member 381 (steel pipe) of the second spraying unit 38b is positioned within a range corresponding to the space between one end of a pair of arms 380. Multiple nozzles N... are mounted on the nozzle mounting member 381 (steel pipe) of the second spraying unit 38b at intervals in the lateral direction. Multiple nozzles N... are inserted through piping connected to the discharge port of the pump P2, and the multiple nozzles N... are fluidly connected to the piping within the nozzle mounting member 381 (steel pipe).

[0174] As shown in Figure 2, the work device 3 of this embodiment includes a takeoff and landing station 6 for taking off and landing the unmanned aerial vehicle 7. Details regarding the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 will be described later, but the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 has a pair of support legs 72, 72 that are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. In this embodiment, each of the pair of support legs 72, 72 is a so-called skid (hereinafter, the support legs 72 will be referred to as skids). The lower ends of the pair of skids 72, 72 are provided with rod-shaped ground contact portions 721 that extend in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the direction in which they are spaced apart from each other.

[0175] Based on this premise, the takeoff and landing station 6 has a station body 60 that supports a pair of skids 72, 72 of the landed unmanned aircraft 7. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 26, 27, 29, and 30, the takeoff and landing station 6 has a pair of guide bodies 61, 61 arranged along both ends of the station body 60 in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0176] The upper surface of the station body 60 is formed in a flat shape. The station body 60 in this embodiment is formed in a flat plate shape.

[0177] At least the upper surfaces of the pair of guide bodies 61, 61 are inclined upward from the station body 60 side toward the outside. Each of the pair of guide bodies 61, 61 is formed in the shape of a plate, mesh, grid, or fence. In this embodiment, each of the pair of guide bodies 61, 61 is formed in the shape of a fence with a plurality of holes 610… formed in the front-rear direction on a plate material. That is, a fence-shaped guide body 61 is formed by providing rectangular holes 610… (square holes 610…) that are longitudinal in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction on a plate material at intervals in the front-rear direction on a plate material.

[0178] In this embodiment, the takeoff and landing station 6 (working device 3), as shown in Figure 2, includes a fixing device 62... that fixes at least one of the pair of skids 72, 72 of the unmanned aircraft 7 supported by the station body 60.

[0179] The landing and takeoff station 6 of this embodiment allows for coordination between equipment or devices mounted on the landed unmanned aerial vehicle 7 and equipment supported by the device frame 30.

[0180] Specifically, the work device 3 of this embodiment is a spraying device that sprays liquid materials (pesticides and fertilizers) as described above, and a spraying unit 35 is supported on the device frame 30. As shown in Figures 26, 27, and 29, the spraying unit 35 has a material receiving section 36 that includes a receiving port 360 capable of receiving materials from above. In this embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is equipped with a replenishment tank 8 that stores materials to be supplied to the spraying unit 35 (tank 37). Accordingly, the takeoff and landing station 6 is configured to supply materials from the replenishment tank 8 equipped on the landed unmanned aerial vehicle 7 to the tank 37 of the spraying unit 35.

[0181] Specifically, the takeoff and landing station 6 is positioned above the material receiving section 36. In other words, the station body 60 is positioned above the material receiving section 36.

[0182] As shown in Figures 29 and 30, the station body 60 is provided with an opening 600 that overlaps vertically with the receiving opening 360 of the material receiving section 36 and communicates directly or indirectly with the receiving opening 360. The opening 600 is located in the center of the station body 60. That is, the opening 600 has its center in the lateral direction of the station body 60. In this embodiment, the opening 600 is set to be larger than or equal to the upper end opening of the chute section 361 of the material receiving section 36 (the upper end opening which has a larger diameter than the receiving opening 360). In this embodiment, the opening 600 of the station body 60 is formed in the shape of an elongated hole (oval shape).

[0183] The opening 600 of the station body 60 is set so that its minor axis is the same diameter as or approximately the same diameter as the upper end opening of the chute section 361, while its major axis is set to be larger than the upper end opening of the chute section 361. The opening 600 of the station body 60 has its longitudinal side (major axis) in the direction extending from the end of the station body 60 where the guide body 61 is positioned. That is, the opening 600 of the station body 60 is formed in accordance with the planar shape and planar size of the recess 362b of the material guide section 362.

[0184] The unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is in a landing position relative to the station body 60 when its support portion (ground contact portion 721) is aligned with both ends of the station body 60. Accordingly, the upper end opening of the recess 362b of the material guidance portion 362 and the opening 600 of the station body 60 are formed to extend in the same direction as the extension of both ends of the station body 60. In this embodiment, the extension direction of both ends is the direction of travel (straight direction) of the vehicle 2. The opening 600 of the station body 60 and the pair of guide bodies 61, 61 are formed to extend in the direction of travel (forward and backward direction, which is the straight direction) of the vehicle 2.

[0185] As shown in Figures 31 and 32, the fixing device 62 includes a fixing arm 620 that extends and retracts from the upper surface of the station body 60, and which, while protruding from the upper surface of the station body 60, restrains the movement of the ground contact portion 721 of the skid 72 on the station body 60, and an arm drive device 621 that moves the fixing arm 620 in and out of the upper surface of the station body 60.

[0186] The fixed arm 620 is formed in an arch shape (circular arc shape). The center of curvature of the fixed arm 620 is located on the lower side of the station body 60. The station body 60 is provided with a hole 601 (hereinafter referred to as the arm hole 601) for the fixed arm 620 to pass through in the vertical direction.

[0187] The arm drive device 621 rotates the fixed arm 620 in both forward and reverse directions, with the center of curvature of the fixed arm 620 as the center of rotation. Specifically, the arm drive device 621 uses an electric motor ( (Not shown) The station includes a rotating shaft 621a connected to the output shaft of an electric motor and extending in the front-rear direction, which is concentric with the center of curvature of the fixed arm 620; a bearing device 621b fixed to the lower surface of the station body 60, which supports the rotating shaft 621a; and a connecting arm 621c connecting the rotating shaft 621a and one end (lower end) of the fixed arm 620.

[0188] When the electric motor of the arm drive unit 621 is driven in the forward direction, the rotating shaft 621a and the connecting arm 621c rotate (forward). Consequently, the fixed arm 620 connected to the connecting arm 621c rotates (forward) around the rotating shaft 621a (center of curvature) as the center of rotation, and protrudes from the upper surface of the station body 60 with one end leading. Also, when the electric motor of the arm drive unit 621 is driven in the reverse direction, the rotating shaft 621a and the connecting arm 621c rotate (reverse direction).

[0189] Accordingly, the fixed arm 620 connected to the connecting arm 621c rotates (reverses) around the rotation axis 621a (center of curvature) as the center of rotation, and retracts from the upper surface of the station body 60 with the other end leading. With the fixed arm 620 protruding from the upper surface of the station body 60, it covers the contact portion 721 of the skid 72 from above, restraining the movement of the skid 72 (unmanned aerial vehicle 7). In this embodiment, the fixing devices 62 are provided at both ends of the station body 60 in the lateral direction. That is, the station body 60 is provided with four arm holes 601 and four fixing devices 62. Two arm holes 601 are provided on each of the lateral sides of the opening 600 of the station body 60, arranged in the front-to-back direction, and the fixing devices 62 are provided corresponding to the arrangement of the arm holes 601.

[0190] As a result, as shown in Figure 30, the two fixing devices 62, 62 on one side in the lateral direction restrain the fixing arm 620 from protruding from the upper surface of the station body 60 at two points in the front-rear direction of the ground contact portion 721 of one skid 72, and the two fixing devices 62, 62 on the other side in the lateral direction restrain the ground contact portion 721 of the other skid 72 at two points in the front-rear direction.

[0191] The takeoff and landing station 6 is supported by the equipment frame 30 via a station support base 63. The station support base 63 is a structure constructed by combining steel materials in accordance with the shape of the equipment frame 30, and is fixed to the equipment frame 30. The lateral center of the station support base 63 and the lateral center of the equipment frame 30 overlap in the vertical direction.

[0192] The work device 3 configured as described above is detachable from the vehicle 2 configured as described above. Specifically, when not in use, the work device 3 configured as described above is placed in a warehouse or material storage area with its front legs 310 and rear legs 311 extended.

[0193] In this state, the lower end of the protrusion 50 is higher than the upper surface of the vehicle 2. This allows the vehicle 2 to enter between the pair of front legs 310, 310. In this embodiment, when attaching the work device 3 to the vehicle 2, the control device 9 of the vehicle 2 adjusts (raises) the height of the center frame 250 so that the guide rails 42 (guide surfaces 420a, 420b) of the upper mounting portion 23a overlap with the protrusion 50 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0194] Then, when the vehicle 2 is moved backward and enters between the pair of front legs, the side surface of the protrusion 50 is guided by the guide surface 420a of the pair of guide rails 42, 42. Specifically, the vehicle 2 enters between the pair of front legs 310, 310 by moving backward, but the lateral center of the vehicle 2 is often misaligned laterally with respect to the lateral center of the work device 3.

[0195] In such a case, the guided body 41 (protrusion 50) of the work device 3 is on a pair of guide rails 42, Although the position is shifted laterally with respect to the straight sections 42a of 42, in this embodiment, the distance between the inclined sections 42b of the pair of guide rails 42, 42 is wider towards the rear, so even if the guided body 41 (protrusion 50) is shifted with respect to the straight sections 42a, it is in a position that overlaps with the inclined sections 42b.

[0196] Therefore, if the vehicle 2 continues to move backward in this state, as shown in Figure 22, the convex portion 50, which is the guided object 41, will come into contact with the inclined portion 42b, and the guided object 41 (convex portion 50) will be guided along the guide surface 420b of the inclined portion 42b. As the guided object 41 (convex portion 50) comes into contact with the inclined portion 42b (the guided object 41 (convex portion 50) will be guided along the guide surface 420b of the inclined portion 42b), the work device 3 will attempt to change position (move) in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction (lateral direction). Since the work device 3 of this embodiment is equipped with casters 312 (rollers 312a), as described above, when the work device 3 attempts to move (change position) in the lateral direction, it moves smoothly without being dragged on the ground.

[0197] As the vehicle 2 continues to move backward, the guided body 41 (protrusion 50) is positioned between the straight sections 42a of the pair of guide rails 42, 42, and the guided body 41 (protrusion 50) moves relative to the vehicle 2 in the front-rear direction with respect to the guide surface 420a of the straight section 42a, that is, with the lateral center of the vehicle 2 and the lateral center of the work device 3 coinciding. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 24, a stopper 433 is provided at the end of the straight section 42a of the guide rail 42 opposite to the end to which the inclined section 42b is connected. Therefore, when the guided body 41 (protrusion 50) is in contact with the stopper 433, the guided body 41 (protrusion 50) is in a position corresponding to the recess 51. As a result, when the center frame 250 rises, the protrusion 50 fits into the recess 51 (cylindrical section 520), and the work device 3 is positioned in the correct position relative to the vehicle 2.

[0198] Furthermore, if the vehicle 2 stops with the protrusion 50 not in contact with the stopper 433, the arrangement of the recess 51 (cylindrical portion 520) and the protrusion 50 will be misaligned in the front-rear direction. However, since the recess-forming member 52 has an enlarged portion 521 connected to the upper end of the cylindrical portion 520, when the center frame 250 rises, the protrusion 50 comes into contact with the inclined second vertical wall 521b of the enlarged portion 521 and attempts to move in the front-rear direction according to the inclination (inclined wall surface) of the second vertical wall 521b. As described above, since the work device 3 is equipped with casters 312 (rollers 312a), it moves smoothly in the front-rear direction without being dragged on the ground. When the front-rear arrangement of the protrusion 50 corresponds to the cylindrical portion 520, the protrusion 50 fits into the recess 51 (cylindrical portion 520), and the work device 3 is positioned in the correct position relative to the vehicle 2, as in the case described above.

[0199] In this state, when the center frame 250 rises, the lower end of the protrusion 50 contacts the upper surface of the vertical member 430a that supports the recess-forming member 52, and the work device 3 is lifted and attached to the vehicle 2. In this state, the roller 312a is lifted off the ground, but if the distance from the ground is close, the roller 312a may come into contact with the ground when the vehicle 2 is running due to unevenness in the ground. Therefore, in this embodiment, the front leg extension actuator 313 and the rear leg extension actuator 315 are activated (shortened) to minimize the relative vertical distance between the roller 312a and the device frame 30. As a result, the caster 312 (roller 312a) is positioned sufficiently far from the ground, preventing it from hindering the movement of the vehicle 2.

[0200] When the work device 3 is attached to the vehicle 2 in this way, the vehicle 2 and the work device 3 become one unit to form the work vehicle 1. When the work vehicle 1 travels to the starting position of the field where work will be performed, the arm actuator 382 places the first arm member 380a in a lateral position. At the same time, the second arm member 380b extends, and as shown in Figure 33, the arms 380 extend linearly laterally on both sides of the pair of front legs 310, 310. In other words, the pair of arms 380, 380 are spread out (extended laterally) on both sides of the vehicle 2 in the lateral direction. Note that in Figure 33, the vehicle 2 with the work device 3 (spreading device 3) attached has raised its body frame 22 and expanded the lateral distance between the pair of subframes 26, 26 (distance between wheels 200F, 200F (tread width)).

[0201] In conjunction with this, the work vehicle 1 drives the pump P2 to supply the material in the tank 37 to the nozzles N..., causing the material to be sprayed from the nozzles N... of the pair of first spraying units 38a and second spraying units 38b. Therefore, as the work vehicle 1 (vehicle 2) moves forward, materials such as fertilizer and water are sprayed within the range between the tips of the arms 380 of the pair of first spraying units 38a without creating any unworked areas.

[0202] When the material in tank 37 is supplied to nozzle N... (sprayed onto the field), the material in tank 37 is consumed, so in order to continue the work, it is necessary to replenish (supply) the material to tank 37.

[0203] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, an unmanned aerial vehicle 7 equipped with a material supply source 8 is flown over the work vehicle 1, then landed at the takeoff and landing station 6 to supply materials to the work device 3.

[0204] Now, let us describe the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 equipped with a material supply source 8. As shown in Figures 34 and 35, the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 has a main body 70 and a generator 71 that generates flight thrust to be applied to the main body 70. In addition to the main body 70 and the generator 71, the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 has a pair of skids 72, 72 that extend downward from the main body 70 and are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. The unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is electrically powered.

[0205] Accordingly, the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 has a battery for storing power. The unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is remotely controlled using a remote controller. Accordingly, the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 has a communication antenna (not shown), a transceiver connected to the communication antenna (not shown), electrical equipment for flight control (not shown), a GPS antenna (not shown), an attitude control device (not shown), and various sensors (gyro sensor, accelerometer, etc.: not shown).

[0206] The main body 70 comprises a main body 700 formed in a predetermined three-dimensional shape and support arm portions 701 that connect and support the generator 71, and the support arm portions 701 are connected to the main body 700.

[0207] The main body 700 is formed in a hollow shape. As a result, the main body 700 has an internal space. The shape (three-dimensional shape) of the main body 700 can be appropriately set based on its function and design. In this embodiment, the main body 700 is formed in a circular (perfect circle) shape when viewed from above. That is, the outer shape of the main body 700 when viewed from above is circular.

[0208] The internal space of the main body 700 houses a battery and electrical equipment (for example, a control board that controls the generator 71, a GPS antenna, an attitude control device, various sensors (gyro sensor, accelerometer, etc.), a transceiver, etc.).

[0209] In this embodiment, a connecting portion 703 for connecting the skid 72 is provided at the lower part of the main body 700. That is, the main body 700 includes a connecting portion 703... (hereinafter referred to as the first connecting portion 703...) that connects the skid 72 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in a second direction below the outer surface (bottom surface) of the bottom. In addition, a connecting portion 704... (hereinafter referred to as the second connecting portion 704...) for connecting the material supply source 8 is provided at the lower part of the main body 700 (see Figure 35).

[0210] In this embodiment, since the unmanned aircraft 7 is equipped with a pair of skids 72, 72, the main body 700 includes a pair of first connecting parts 703... to connect each of the pair of skids 72, 72 to the main body 70. Accordingly, the second connecting part 704 is positioned at an intermediate position between the pair of first connecting parts 703...

[0211] The support arm portions 701... extend straight in a direction intersecting the center line extending vertically from the main body 700. In this embodiment, the main body 70 has a plurality of support arm portions 701... extending outward from the main body 700, and a plurality of support arm portions 701... arranged radially with respect to the main body 700. Each of the plurality of support arm portions 701... is formed in a hollow manner and has an internal space extending from the tip to the base.

[0212] Multiple support arm sections 701... are arranged at equal intervals around the vertical centerline. In this embodiment, the main body 70 has four support arm sections 701... Accordingly, the four support arm sections 701... are arranged at 45° intervals around the vertically extending centerline of the main body 700.

[0213] The base ends of the multiple support arm sections 701... are positioned at the same height (position). That is, the base ends of the multiple support arm sections 701... are located on a common (identical) virtual plane that extends in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. Also, the tip ends of the multiple support arm sections 701... are located on a common (identical) virtual plane that extends in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0214] An electric motor (not shown) of a rotary-wing device 71, which will be described later, is fixed to the tip of each of the multiple support arm sections 701... The output shaft of the electric motor protrudes upward. The generator 71 is connected to the main body 70. In this embodiment, the generator 71 is a rotary-wing device 71 that provides flight thrust to the main body 70.

[0215] The rotorcraft 71 is powered by electricity from a battery. Specifically, the rotorcraft 71 includes a propeller 710 that rotates around a predetermined axis and an electric motor (not shown) that rotates the propeller 710 using power supplied from the battery. In other words, the unmanned aircraft 7 of this embodiment is a multirotor capable of unmanned flight using multiple propellers 710, and is called, for example, a drone.

[0216] The pair of skids 72, 72 make contact with the ground and support the main body 70 when the unmanned aircraft 7 (multicopter 7) lands. That is, each of the pair of skids 72, 72 has a ground contact portion 721 at its lower end.

[0217] Specifically, each of the pair of skids 72, 72 has a leg portion 720 connected to the main body 70 (main body 700) and a ground contact portion 721 connected to the leg portion 720.

[0218] The leg portion 720 extends in one direction and has a first end in that direction and a second end on the opposite side of the first direction. The first end of the leg portion 720 is connected to the main body 70. That is, the first end of the leg portion 720 is connected to the first connecting portion 703... located below the main body 700. In contrast, the second end of the leg portion 720 is connected to the ground contact portion 721. The ground contact portion 721 extends in a second direction. The second end of the leg portion 720 is connected to the central part of the ground contact portion 721. The ground contact portion 721 has a rigid shaft portion connected to the leg portion 720 and a cushion portion fitted onto the shaft portion.

[0219] The distance between the pair of skids 72,72 is the supply source 8 (supply tank 8, described later). The spacing is wider than that. That is, the pair of skids 72, 72 are arranged so that a refueling tank 8 can be placed between them. In this embodiment, the pair of skids 72, 72 (legs 720) are arranged such that the spacing in the first direction increases as they extend downward from the main body 70. That is, the pair of skids 72, 72 are arranged to widen when viewed from the second direction.

[0220] In this embodiment, the vertical distance from the downward-facing outer surface (hereinafter simply referred to as the bottom surface) of the main body 70 (main body 700) to the respective lower ends (ground contact portions 721) of the pair of skids 72, 72 is adjustable. That is, each leg portion 720 of the pair of skids 72, 72 is extendable and retractable in the axial direction.

[0221] The unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is equipped with a refueling tank 8. The refueling tank 8 is fixed to the underside of the main body 70. The refueling tank 8 is positioned to capture images in front of the direction of flight. In other words, the direction in which the refueling tank 8 captures images is defined as the forward direction of flight for the unmanned aerial vehicle 7. The unmanned aerial vehicle 7 has a communication antenna connected to the transceiver via a coaxial cable, and the communication antenna is mounted on the underside of the main body 70 (main body 700).

[0222] The supply source 8 for the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is a supply tank 8 for storing replenishment materials.

[0223] The refueling tank 8 is located below the main body 70 (main body 700) and is positioned between a pair of skids 72, 72. That is, the refueling tank 8 is connected to a second connecting section 704 provided at the bottom of the main body 70 (main body 700). As a result, the refueling tank 8 hangs down from the main body 70 (main body 700) when the unmanned aircraft 7 is in flight. In this embodiment, the second connecting section 704 can also be connected to equipment other than the refueling tank 8. That is, there are multiple pieces of equipment and devices that can be connected to the second connecting section 704, and equipment and devices are interchangeably connected to the second connecting section 322.... Connecting and disconnecting equipment to and from the second connecting section 704 may be done manually, but in this embodiment, the connection and disconnection of the refueling tank 8 can be switched by remote control using a remote controller.

[0224] A material supply member 85 extending vertically is directly or indirectly attached to the replenishment tank 8, which supplies materials from the replenishment tank 8 downwards. The central part of the flat surface of the replenishment tank 8 overlaps vertically with the central part of the main body 70.

[0225] In other words, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is in a state of supplying materials to the work device 3, it includes a supply tank 8 which is a source of materials 8, and a material supply member 85 that hangs down from the supply tank 8.

[0226] In this embodiment, a shut-off valve 87 (hereinafter referred to as the second shut-off valve 87) is provided between the replenishment tank 8 and the material supply member 85 to switch the supply of materials from the replenishment tank 8 to the material supply member 85 on and off. Specifically, in this embodiment, the second shut-off valve 87 is connected to the lower part of the replenishment tank 8 (discharge port 82, which will be described later), and the material supply member 85 is connected to the second shut-off valve 87. In this embodiment, the second shut-off valve 87 is electrically operated and connected to the battery and control device 9 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 7. As a result, the switching of the second shut-off valve 87 on and off is performed by remote control by a remote controller in conjunction with the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 7.

[0227] The replenishment tank 8 is made of resin or sheet metal, and in this embodiment, the replenishment tank 8 To reduce weight, resin is used for the replenishment tank. The replenishment tank 8 includes a container-shaped tank body 80 for storing materials, a replenishment port 81 for supplying materials to the tank body 80, which is located at the top of the tank body 80, and a discharge port 82 for discharging materials stored in the tank body 80, which is located at the bottom (bottom surface in this embodiment) of the tank body 80. The external shape and size of the replenishment tank 8 (tank body 80) can be changed as appropriate, as long as it can be positioned between a pair of skids 72, 72. In this embodiment, the external shape of the replenishment tank 8 is formed in the shape of a cube or a rectangular parallelepiped. The replenishment port 81 is located in a position where materials can be supplied from the outside. A cap C is detachably attached to the replenishment port 81. The discharge port 82 is located in the center of the replenishment tank 8 in a plan view.

[0228] The material supply member 85 is a cylindrical body that connects the inside and outside of the replenishment tank 8. In this embodiment, the material supply member 85 is connected to the discharge port 82 of the replenishment tank 8. That is, the material supply member 85 is connected to the central part of the lower surface of the replenishment tank 8. The material supply member 85 may be a rigid cylindrical body (pipe), but in this embodiment, the material supply member 85 is a flexible hose.

[0229] As described above, this embodiment is as follows: When the work vehicle 1 drives through the field and spreads the material, the material in the tank 37 is consumed. Accordingly, the material is refilled into the replenishment tank 8, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is remotely controlled to fly above the work vehicle 1 as it drives through the field.

[0230] Then, as shown in Figure 2, once the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 reaches the airspace above the work vehicle 1, it is made to descend in accordance with the movement of the work vehicle 1. Specifically, since the work vehicle 1 is moving forward while spreading materials in the field, the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 descends while moving in the direction of the work vehicle 1's forward movement.

[0231] As a result, the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 lands on the takeoff and landing station 6 (station body 60). When the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 lands on the takeoff and landing station 6 (station body 60), it may be affected by crosswinds or other factors and shift laterally relative to the station body 60. In this case, one of the pair of skids 72, 72 is positioned laterally away from the station body 60, but since there is a pair of inclined guide bodies 61, 61 on both sides of the station body 60, as shown in Figure 36, if the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 lands as is, one of the skids 72 will be resting on the other guide body 61.

[0232] Because the guide body 61 is inclined downward toward the station body 60, the skids 72 slide down toward the station body 60 in accordance with the inclination of the guide body 61. At this time, the entire unmanned aerial vehicle 7 slides laterally, and the pair of skids 72, 72 end up resting on the upper surface of the station body 60. In other words, the lateral positioning of the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is corrected, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is positioned in the correct location on the station body 60.

[0233] In this state, the fixing device 62, driven by the arm drive device 621, causes the fixing arm 620 to protrude from the upper surface of the station body 60. That is, the fixing device 62 keeps the fixing arm 620 retracted from the upper surface of the station body 60 when the unmanned aircraft 7 is landing, and when the unmanned aircraft 7 is landed on the upper surface of the station body 60 (with each of the pair of skids 72, 72 on the station body 60), it causes the fixing arm 620 to protrude from the upper surface of the station body 60. As a result, the fixing arm 620 restrains the vertical and lateral movement of the contact points 721 of the skids 72. In this embodiment, the operation of four fixing devices 62… (four fixing devices 62…) allows the two fixing arms 620 to restrain the movement of each of the contact points 721 of the pair of skids 72, 72. As a result, even if the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is on the station body 60 (in a landed state) and experiences vertical movement, bouncing, twisting (tilting), etc., due to the movement of the vehicle 2 (operation of the work device 3), the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 will not fall off or tip over.

[0234] As described above, since the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is in the correct position on the station body 60, the replenishment tank 8 (material supply member 85) mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is located within the opening 600 of the station body 60. Specifically, the center of the replenishment tank 8 in a plan view and the center of the main body 70 (main body 700) of the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 overlap vertically, and the discharge port 82 is located in the center of the lower surface of the replenishment tank 8. Therefore, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is in the correct position on the station body 60, the material supply member 85 (hose 85) connected to the discharge port 82 via the second on-off valve 87 is also located in the lateral center of the station body 60.

[0235] As a result, the material supply member 85 (hose 85) is in a state where it overlaps with the opening 600 of the station body 60. As described above, since the opening 600 is formed in an oval shape with its major axis in the front-to-back direction when viewed from above, even if the center of the main body 700 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 is offset in the front-to-back direction relative to the receiving port 360, it will be located within the opening 600 connected to the receiving port 360.

[0236] In this state, by opening the first on-off valve 39 and the second on-off valve 87, the materials in the replenishment tank 8 are either directly supplied to the receiving port 360 through the opening 600 of the station body 60, or supplied to the receiving port 360 via the recess 362b of the material guide section 362, the communication hole 362a, and the chute section 361. The materials supplied to the receiving port 360 are stored (replenished) in the tank 37. At this time, the inner circumferential surface of the chute section 361 and the bottom surface 362a1 of the recess 362b of the material guide section 362 may be positioned to receive the materials. However, since the inner circumferential surface of the chute section 361 slopes downward toward the receiving port 360, and the bottom surface 362a1 of the recess 362b slopes downward toward the communication hole 362a, the materials are guided to the receiving port 360 without accumulating in the recess 362b.

[0237] Once the supply (replenishment) of materials to tank 37 is complete, the first on-off valve 39 is closed to prevent backflow of materials from tank 37 into the receiving port 360 (material receiving section 36: chute section 361). The fixing device 62 also retracts the fixing arm 620 from the top surface of the station body 60 to release the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 from its restraint. In this state, the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 ascends from the station body 60, returns to the material replenishment location, and supplies are replenished to the replenishment tank 8. The unmanned aerial vehicle 7 waits until the next replenishment timing, and when the amount of materials in tank 37 of the work device 3 becomes low, it flies above the work vehicle 1 as described above to replenish the materials.

[0238] As described above, the work device 3 (work vehicle 1) of this embodiment is equipped with a takeoff and landing station 6 for taking off and landing an unmanned aerial vehicle 7 having a pair of support legs 72, 72 (skids 72, 72) arranged at intervals in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. The takeoff and landing station 6 has a station body 60 that supports the pair of support legs 72, 72 (skids 72, 72) of the landed unmanned aerial vehicle 7. Therefore, if it becomes necessary to replenish materials or perform maintenance requiring tools during work, it is not necessary to transport materials and tools with the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 and drive the vehicle 2 back to the material replenishment location or maintenance work location, and the work can be done at the work site. Furthermore, although it is not possible to land the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 in an area with crops, such as a field, the work device 3 is equipped with a takeoff and landing station 6, making it possible to land the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 there.

[0239] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0240] In the above embodiment, the material supply source 8 is located above the work vehicle 1 (working device 3) The supply tank (8) was mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 7, and while the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 was flying, the materials in the supply source 8 (supply tank 8) were supplied to the receiving port 360 (tank 37), but this is not limited to this configuration.

[0241] In the above embodiment, the protrusion 50 of the positioning mechanism 5 was also used as the guided body 41 of the position adjustment mechanism 4, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the protrusion 50 of the positioning mechanism 5 and the guided body 41 may be configured as separate entities. That is, a guided body 41 different from the protrusion 50 may be provided at a position guided by the guide body 40 (guide rail 42), a protrusion 50 may be provided at a position not guided by the guide body 40 (guide rail 42), and a recess 51 may be provided at a position corresponding to the protrusion 50.

[0242] In the above embodiment, the position adjustment mechanism 4 performed lateral alignment of the vehicle 2 and the work device 3 as the vehicle 2 moved in the longitudinal direction, but is not limited to this. In the above embodiment, since the wheels 200F and 200R of the vehicle 2's running gear 20 (front running gear 20F, rear running gear 20R) can rotate 360° around the axis S2 extending in the vertical direction, movement (driving) in the lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, or in the diagonal direction inclined with respect to the longitudinal and lateral directions, is possible.

[0243] Based on this, for example, assuming that the vehicle 2 moves laterally, the position adjustment mechanism 4 may align the vehicle 2 and the work device 3 in the front-rear direction as the vehicle 2 moves laterally. In this case, the straight sections 42a of the pair of guide rails 42, 42 included in the guide body 40 only need to extend laterally.

[0244] Furthermore, assuming that the vehicle 2 moves diagonally, the position adjustment mechanism 4 may align the vehicle 2 and the work device 3 in a direction perpendicular to the vertical and diagonal (traveling direction) directions as the vehicle 2 moves diagonally. In this case, the straight sections 42a of the pair of guide rails 42, 42 included in the guide body 40 should extend in the diagonal direction in which the vehicle 2 travels. That is, the position adjustment mechanism 4 should be configured to align the vehicle 2 and the work device 3 in at least the vertical and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction as the vehicle 2 moves in a first direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0245] In the above embodiment, the work device 3 was a spraying device 3 that sprays liquids such as pesticides and fertilizers onto the field, but it is not limited to this. The work device 3 may be a spraying device 3 capable of spraying powdered or granular materials. In this case, the spraying unit 38 is changed to one that sprays (sprays) the material with a nozzle N, and is structured (mechanism) to scatter and distribute powdered or granular materials. Specifically, the spraying unit 38 may be located below the tank 37 and equipped with rotating blades that scatter the material supplied from the tank 37 outward by centrifugal force, or it may be a rotary feeder located below the tank 37 that sends out the material from the tank 37, and the material is sent out to the outside by the rotary feeder and scattered onto the field.

[0246] In the above embodiment, the work device 3 was a spraying device 3, but the position adjustment mechanism 4 and the position fixing mechanism 5 can also be applied to work devices 3 other than the spraying device 3. That is, the position adjustment mechanism 4 and the position fixing mechanism 5 may be applied to work devices 3 that are detachable from the upper part of the vehicle 2 and perform functions other than spraying materials.

[0247] In the above embodiment, the takeoff and landing station 6 is structurally supported by the device frame 30 and is maintained in a constant position relative to the vehicle 2 when the work device 3 is attached to the vehicle 2, but is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figures 37 and 38, the work device 3 changes the position of the takeoff and landing station 6 according to the position of the vehicle 2, and the station The main body 60 may be equipped with a posture changing device 64 that maintains the upper surface in a horizontal position.

[0248] Specifically, as shown in Figure 37, assuming that the station body 60 is provided to be able to swing around an axis extending in the front-rear direction, the attitude changing device 64 may support both sides of the pivoting center of the station body 60 with a pair of cylinders 640, 640 (electric cylinders or hydraulic cylinders). With such an attitude changing device 64, the attitude of the station body 60 can be maintained in a horizontal position by extending and retracting the pair of cylinders 640, 640 in accordance with the attitude (lateral tilt) of the vehicle 2.

[0249] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 38, assuming that the station body 60 is provided to be able to swing forward, backward, left, right, and diagonally with its central part in a plan view as the pivot point, the attitude changing device 64 may support the four corners (four locations) of the station body 60 with cylinders 641... (electric cylinders or hydraulic cylinders). In this case, the rod ends and cylinder ends of the cylinders 641 are connected to the station body 60 and the device frame 30 via ball joints, universal joints, etc.

[0250] With this attitude changing device 64, the combination of extension and retraction of the four cylinders 641... makes it possible to tilt (oscillate) the station body 60 in any direction: forward / backward, left / right, or diagonally. Therefore, with this attitude changing device 64, the attitude of the station body 60 can be maintained in a horizontal position by extending and retracting each of the four cylinders 641, 641 in accordance with the attitude of the vehicle 2 (tilt in the forward / backward, left / right, or diagonal direction).

[0251] In the above embodiment, the landing posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 relative to the take-off and landing station 6 (station body 60) was defined as the position in which the contact portions 421 of the pair of skids 42 extend in the front-rear direction, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the landing posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 relative to the take-off and landing station 6 (station body 60) may be defined as the position in which the contact portions 421 of the pair of skids 42 extend in the lateral direction. In this case, the pair of guide bodies 61, 61 should be arranged along both ends of the station body 60 in the front-rear direction. Also, the recess 362a of the material receiving section 36 and the opening 600 of the station body 60 should be formed longitudinally in the lateral direction.

[0252] In other words, the arrangement of the pair of guide bodies 61, 61, the recess 362a of the material receiving section 36, and the opening 600 of the station body 60 are preferably arranged or formed according to the landing attitude of the unmanned aircraft 7.

[0253] As in the above embodiment, the work vehicle 1 may be equipped with a drivable vehicle 2 and a work device 3, but is not limited thereto.

[0254] The above embodiments are as described above, and the present invention (preferred embodiments thereof) provides the following work devices 3 of items 1 to 10 and the work vehicle 1 of item 11.

[0255] (Item 1) A work device 3 that can be detachably attached to a drivable vehicle 2, comprising a takeoff and landing station 6 for taking off and landing an unmanned aerial vehicle 7 having a pair of support legs 72, 72 arranged at intervals in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, wherein the takeoff and landing station 6 has a station body 60 that supports the pair of support legs 72, 72 of the landed unmanned aerial vehicle 7.

[0256] According to the work device 3 of item 1, it is equipped with a takeoff and landing station 6 for taking off and landing the unmanned aerial vehicle 7, and the takeoff and landing station 6 has a station body 60 that supports a pair of support legs 72, 72 (skids 72, 72) of the landed unmanned aerial vehicle 7, so that materials can be replenished and construction can be carried out during work. When maintenance or the like requiring tools becomes necessary, there is no need to drive the vehicle 2 back to a material supply location or a maintenance work site, and the corresponding measures can be taken at the ongoing work location.

[0257] That is, while an area with crops such as a farm field cannot accommodate landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle 7, the takeoff and landing station 6 of the work device 3 allows the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 to land, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 can transport materials and tools. Accordingly, according to the work device 3 of item 1, there is no need to drive the vehicle 2 back to a material supply location or a maintenance work site, so that work efficiency can be improved without prolonging the work interruption time.

[0258] (Item 2) The takeoff and landing station 6 has a pair of guide bodies 61, 61 disposed along both end portions in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction of the station main body 60, the upper surface of the station main body 60 is formed in a flat shape, and at least the upper surface of each of the pair of guide bodies 61, 61 is inclined to rise upward as it goes outward from the station main body 60 side, the work device 3 according to item 1.

[0259] According to the work device 3 of item 2, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 lands, if the support leg 72 is located at a position deviated from the station main body 60 (a position corresponding to the guide body 61), the inclination of the guide body 61 can correct the position of the landed unmanned aerial vehicle 7 to an appropriate position.

[0260] (Item 3) The work device 3 according to item 2, comprising a fixing device 62 that fixes at least one support leg 72 of the pair of support legs 72, 72 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 supported by the station main body 60.

[0261] According to the work device 3 of item 3, since the fixing device 62 restrains movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 that has landed on the station main body 60, the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 on the station main body 60 is prevented from tipping over or falling off.

[0262] (Item 4) The working device 3 according to Item 2, comprising a spraying unit 35 capable of spraying liquid, powder, or granular material, wherein the spraying unit 35 has a material receiving portion 36 including a receiving port 360 capable of receiving the material from above, the takeoff and landing station 6 is arranged above the material receiving portion 36, and the station main body 60 is provided with an opening 600 corresponding to the material receiving portion 36.

[0263] According to the working device 3 of Item 4, the material can be supplied to the spraying unit 35 (the receiving port 360) by charging the material from the opening 600 of the station main body 60.

[0264] (Item 5) The working device 3 according to Item 4, wherein a rod-shaped ground contact portion 721 extending in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the direction spaced apart from each other is provided at the lower end of each of the pair of support legs 72, 72, the unmanned aerial vehicle is in a landing posture with respect to the station main body 60 in a state where the ground contact portions 721 are along the both end portions of the station main body 60, and the material receiving portion 36 and the opening 600 of the station main body 60 are formed to extend in the same direction as the extending direction of the both end portions of the station main body 60.

[0265] According to the working device 3 of Item 5, the direction in which the opening 600 extends is the direction in which both end portions of the station main body 60 extend Since it is formed to extend in the same direction, the range in which the material can be received in the extending direction of the opening 600 is expanded.

[0266] (Item 6) The working device 3 according to Item 4, wherein the extending direction of the both end portions is the traveling direction of the vehicle 2, and the opening 600 of the station main body 60 and the pair of guide bodies 61, 61 are formed to extend in the traveling direction of the vehicle 2.

[0267] According to the work device 3 of item 6, the landing attitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 coincides with the direction of travel of the vehicle 2. In addition, the opening 600 of the station body 60 is provided taking into account the landing attitude (position) of the unmanned aerial vehicle 7, and even if the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 lands in a position offset from the vehicle 2 in the front-rear direction, it is still possible to receive materials.

[0268] (Item 7) The work device 3 according to item 4, wherein the spraying unit 35 is a tank 37 for storing the material, and the tank 37 is located below the material receiving section 36 and its interior is in communication with the receiving opening 360.

[0269] According to the work device 3 of item 7, the material stored in the tank 37 can be sprayed, and when the amount of material in the tank 37 decreases, the material can be replenished from the material receiving section 36 (receiving port 360).

[0270] (Item 8) The material receiving section 36 is a chute section 361 that slopes downward toward the receiving opening 360, and the work device 3 according to item 4 has a chute section 361 arranged around the receiving opening 360 with the receiving opening 360 as the center.

[0271] According to the work device 3 of item 8, even if material is supplied onto the chute section 361, the inclination of the chute section 361 allows the material to be supplied to the receiving opening 360.

[0272] (Item 9) The work device 3 according to item 8, wherein the chute portion 361 is arranged continuously around the receiving opening 360 and formed in a funnel shape.

[0273] According to the work device 3 of item 8, even if materials are supplied around the receiving opening 360 (chute section 361), the inclination of the chute section 361 allows the materials to be supplied to the receiving opening 360.

[0274] (Item 10) The work device3 according to item 2, comprising an attitude changing device 64 that changes the attitude of the takeoff and landing station 6 in accordance with the attitude of the vehicle 2, and maintains the upper surface of the station main body 60 in a horizontal attitude.

[0275] According to the work device3 of item 10, the attitude changing device 64 makes the upper surface of the station main body 60 horizontal in accordance with the attitude of the vehicle 2, so that a stable state can be achieved during takeoff and landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 and during placement (parking) of the unmanned aerial vehicle 7 on the station main body 60.

[0276] (Item 11) A work vehicle 1 comprising the travelable vehicle 2 and the work device3 according to any one of items 1 to 10.

[0277] According to the work vehicle 1 of item 11, since the work device3 having each of the above configurations is provided, the work is interrupted The work efficiency can be improved without prolonging the time period. [Description of Reference Signs]

[0278] 1: Work vehicle 2: Vehicle 3: Work device (spreading device) 6: Takeoff and landing station 7: Unmanned aerial vehicle (multicopter) 35: Spreading unit (apparatus) 36: Material receiving portion 37: Tank 60: Station main body 61: Guide body 62: Fixing device 64: Attitude changing device 70: Main body 72: Support leg (skid) 360: Receiving port 361: Chute portion 600: Opening 721: Ground contact portion

Claims

1. A work device that can be detachably attached to a drivable vehicle, It is equipped with a takeoff and landing station for unmanned aircraft having a pair of support legs spaced apart in the vertical and perpendicular directions, The aforementioned landing and takeoff station is a work device having a station body that supports the pair of support legs of the landed unmanned aerial vehicle.

2. The aforementioned takeoff and landing station is The station body has a pair of guide bodies arranged along both ends in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, The upper surface of the station body is formed in a flat shape, The work device according to claim 1, wherein at least the upper surfaces of the pair of guide bodies are inclined upward as they move outward from the station body side.

3. The work device according to claim 2, further comprising a fixing device for fixing at least one of the pair of support legs of the unmanned aircraft supported by the station body.

4. Equipped with a dispensing unit capable of dispensing liquid, powder, or granular materials, The aforementioned spraying unit has a material receiving section that includes a receiving opening capable of receiving the material from above, The aforementioned takeoff and landing station is located above the material receiving section, The work apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the station body is provided with an opening corresponding to the material receiving section.

5. Each of the pair of support legs has a rod-shaped grounding portion at its lower end that extends in the vertical direction and in a direction perpendicular to the direction that separates them from one another. The unmanned aerial vehicle is in a state where its ground contact portion is aligned with both ends of the station body, which is considered its landing posture relative to the station body. The work apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the material receiving section and the opening of the station body are formed to extend in the same direction as the extending direction of both ends of the station body.

6. The direction in which the ends of the aforementioned ends extend is the direction of travel of the vehicle. The work device according to claim 4, wherein the opening of the station body and the pair of guide bodies are formed to extend in the direction of travel of the vehicle.

7. The work apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the spraying unit comprises a tank for storing the material, which is located below the material receiving section and whose interior is in communication with the receiving opening.

8. The work device according to claim 4, wherein the material receiving section is a chute section that slopes downward toward the receiving opening, and the chute section is arranged around the receiving opening with the receiving opening as the center.

9. The work apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the chute portion is arranged continuously around the receiving opening and formed in a funnel shape.

10. The work apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an attitude changing device 64 that changes the attitude of the takeoff and landing station according to the attitude of the vehicle and maintains the upper surface of the station body in a horizontal position.

11. The aforementioned vehicle that is capable of driving, A work vehicle comprising a work device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images