Work vehicle

Abstract

To break through a situation where a work vehicle capable of traveling on an irregular land has been requested to be able to readily visually check a driving situation in an interior of a vehicle body from outside the vehicle body.SOLUTION: A work vehicle includes plural traveling units 2 located on front and rear parts of a vehicle body 1 on the left and right sides of the vehicle body, a traveling drive unit 4 that drives the plural traveling units 2, a support mechanism A that supports the traveling units 2 on the vehicle body 1 so that the traveling units can mutually separately rise or fall, a lighting fixture 23 that is located on a lateral side of the vehicle and includes a light emitting unit 22 which extends in an elongated manner, and a controller C that controls the activation of the lighting fixture 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle suitable for traveling on uneven ground such as uneven surfaces or mountainous areas. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, the above-mentioned work vehicle has been configured such that four running wheels are supported on the vehicle body via a bending link mechanism in a support mechanism, and by changing the height of the running wheels relative to the vehicle body, the running wheels can rotate while following the ground contact even if the ground is uneven (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-111985 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, a problem with this type of work vehicle is that it is difficult for those around to grasp the vehicle's condition, such as whether or not control operations are being performed properly.

[0005] Therefore, there has been a demand for a work vehicle capable of traveling on rough terrain that allows the vehicle condition to be easily visually checked from outside the vehicle body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The characteristic configuration of the work vehicle according to the present invention is a vehicle body, a plurality of travel devices located at the front and rear of the left and right sides of the vehicle body, and a travel drive device that drives the plurality of travel devices. And the car The vehicle is provided with a lighting device having a light-emitting portion located on both sides and extending in an elongated shape, and a control device for controlling the operation of the lighting device. The lighting device is provided on a side portion of a support mechanism that supports the plurality of traveling devices on the vehicle body so that each of the traveling devices can be raised and lowered, and operates in response to changes in the operating conditions of the support mechanism and the traveling devices. It is at the point.

[0007] According to the present invention, the support mechanism raises and lowers each of the multiple traveling devices relative to the vehicle body, and the traveling drive device drives the multiple traveling wheels, so that the vehicle body can travel while maintaining an appropriate posture even when traveling on rough ground. Also, the lighting device can inform an operator who is watching from a distance of the driving conditions inside the vehicle body.

[0008] The lighting device is provided in a state where it is positioned on the side of the vehicle and has a long light-emitting part. Therefore, for example, when driving in a mountainous area, even if the view is partially obstructed by tree branches and leaves, the light-emitting state can be easily seen from a distance, making it easy to check the driving conditions inside the vehicle.

[0009] Therefore, in a work vehicle capable of traveling on rough ground, it is now possible to easily visually check the driving conditions and the like inside the vehicle body from outside the vehicle body.

[0010] In the present invention, The lighting device is provided on a side portion of the vehicle body and includes a vehicle body side lighting device that operates in response to a change in a driving condition of the vehicle body side. It is preferable that:

[0011] With this configuration, for example, even when cargo is loaded on top of the vehicle body or when a work vehicle is looking from diagonally below the body of the work vehicle, the view is not obstructed and the worker can easily see the light-emitting section.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable that the support mechanism is provided with a bending link mechanism that supports each of the multiple traveling devices so that they can be raised and lowered relative to the vehicle body, and that the light emitting unit is provided on a side portion of the bending link mechanism.

[0013] According to this configuration, for example, if the operating state of the support mechanism is displayed by the light emitting section, it becomes possible to easily visually check the operating state of each of the plurality of bending link mechanisms.

[0014] In the present invention, it is preferable that the lighting device is provided with a plurality of the light-emitting sections arranged in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction, and that the plurality of light-emitting sections are configured to emit light in different colors.

[0015] According to this configuration, by previously associating the light-emitting elements of different colors with a plurality of types of driving conditions inside the vehicle body, the operator can instantly tell which type of driving condition the information relates to based on the difference in the light emitted, making it easy to use.

[0016] In the present invention, it is preferable that the control device is configured to cause the light emitting portion to emit light of different colors depending on differences in the vehicle state.

[0017] According to this configuration, the operator can immediately tell the difference in the vehicle state from the difference in the color of light emitted by the light-emitting section, making it easy for the operator to check the situation.

[0018] In the present invention, it is preferable that the light emitting portion is configured to be capable of displaying text information.

[0019] According to this configuration, the light-emitting section displays text information, enabling the operator to check more specific details about the driving situation inside the vehicle body from a distance. For example, it is possible to display information that can be used to determine whether or not inspection and repair is necessary, which has the advantage of allowing for quick response.

[0020] In the present invention, it is preferable that a flat loading section capable of loading luggage is provided on an upper portion of the vehicle body.

[0021] According to this configuration, since the loading section is flat, it is possible to load cargo from any direction without being obstructed by protrusions, and the upper part of the vehicle body can be used to secure as large a loading area as possible, improving the convenience of the work vehicle. Furthermore, the lighting equipment is not hidden by the loaded cargo, and workers can easily see the lighting equipment from a location away from the work vehicle.

[0022] In the present invention, Vehicle side lighting device It is preferable that the light emitting portion is provided across the vehicle lateral portion to the vehicle front portion and / or the vehicle rear portion.

[0023] According to this configuration, the light-emitting portion extends not only to the lateral sides of the vehicle but also to the front and rear sides of the vehicle, making it easy to check the state of the light-emitting portion even when viewed from outside the front or rear sides of the vehicle.

[0024] In the present invention, it is preferable that the control device changes the light emitting state of the light emitting portion in response to differences in the vehicle state.

[0025] According to this configuration, the light emission state of the light-emitting unit changes when it emits light, for example by making the light-emitting unit blink at different blinking cycles, so that the worker can immediately tell the difference in the vehicle state from the difference in the light emission state, making it easy to check the situation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction of the arrow FW shown in the drawings is defined as "forward", the direction of the arrow BK is defined as "backward", the direction of the arrow RH is defined as "right", the direction of the arrow LH is defined as "left", the direction of the arrow UP is defined as "up", and the direction of the arrow DW is defined as "down".

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the work vehicle is equipped with a vehicle body 1 which is approximately rectangular in plan view and supports the entire vehicle, a plurality of running wheels 2 which serve as running devices supporting the vehicle body 1, a plurality of auxiliary wheels 3 provided corresponding to each of the plurality of running wheels 2, a support mechanism A which supports the plurality of running wheels 2 so that their position can be changed relative to the vehicle body 1, and a plurality of hydraulic motors 4 which serve as running drive devices which drive each of the plurality of running wheels 2.

[0029] The traveling wheels 2 are located at the front and rear on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body 1. In this embodiment, the work vehicle is equipped with four traveling wheels 2, located at the left front, right front, left rear, and right rear. It also has four support mechanisms A, located at the left front, right front, left rear, and right rear. The support mechanisms A include a bending link mechanism 5 and a plurality of hydraulic cylinders 6, 7 that can individually change the position of the bending link mechanism 5.

[0030] A flat loading section 8 capable of loading luggage is provided on the upper portion of the vehicle body 1. For example, luggage such as containers for storing harvested products can be loaded and supported on the loading section 8.

[0031] The vehicle body 1 is provided with a hydraulic supply source 9 that sends hydraulic oil to the hydraulic cylinders 6, 7 and the hydraulic motor 4 under the loading section 8, a valve mechanism 10 that adjusts the supply state of hydraulic oil from the hydraulic supply source 9, an ECU 11 (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the operation of the valve mechanism 10, a battery 12 for power supply, and the like. The hydraulic supply source 9 is provided with a hydraulic pump driven by the engine. The ECU 11 is provided with a microcomputer and is capable of executing various controls according to a control program. The valve mechanism 10 is provided with a plurality of hydraulic control valves 13 that supply and discharge hydraulic oil or adjust the flow rate. The hydraulic control valves 13 and the ECU 11 constitute a control device C. The battery 12 is charged by a generator driven by the power of the engine.

[0032] [Support mechanism] As described above, the support mechanism A includes the bending link mechanism 5 and the multiple hydraulic cylinders 6, 7. As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the bending link mechanism 5 includes a base end portion 14 supported by the vehicle body 1, a first link 15 having an upper end portion supported on a lower portion of the base end portion 14 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis X1, and a second link 16 having one end portion supported on a lower end portion of the first link 15 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis X2 and having the running wheel 2 supported on the other end portion.

[0033] 2, a support bracket 17 that supports the traveling wheel 2 is supported by a boss portion 18 provided at the swing side end of the second link 16 so as to be swingable around a vertical axis Y. A hydraulic cylinder 20 for a swing operation (hereinafter referred to as a swing cylinder) is provided between a bracket 19 on one end side of the second link 16 and an arm portion 17a provided on the support bracket 17.

[0034] A plurality of hydraulic cylinders 6, 7 capable of individually changing the posture of each of the four bending link mechanisms 5 are provided corresponding to the four bending link mechanisms 5. That is, a first hydraulic cylinder 6 capable of changing the swing posture of the first link 15 relative to the vehicle body 1, and a second hydraulic cylinder 7 capable of changing the swing posture of the second link 16 relative to the first link 15 are provided.

[0035] When the first hydraulic cylinder 6 is extended or retracted with the second hydraulic cylinder 7 stopped, the first link 15, the second link 16, and the traveling wheel 2 swing together around the horizontal axis X1 of the pivot connection point with respect to the base end 14 while maintaining a constant relative posture. When the second hydraulic cylinder 7 is extended or retracted with the first hydraulic cylinder 6 stopped, the second link 16 and the traveling wheel 2 swing together around the horizontal axis X2 of the connection point between the first link 15 and the second link 16 while maintaining a constant posture of the first link 15.

[0036] An auxiliary wheel 3 is rotatably supported at a middle bent portion of each of the four bent link mechanisms 5 . The auxiliary wheel 3 is configured as a wheel having approximately the same outer diameter as the running wheel 2. A support shaft that pivotally connects the first link 15 and the second link 16 is extended so as to protrude outward in the vehicle body width direction, and the auxiliary wheel 3 is rotatably supported at the extended protruding portion of the support shaft.

[0037] By operating the turning cylinder 20, the traveling wheel 2 can be turned around the vertical axis Y relative to the articulating link mechanism 5, thereby allowing the vehicle to be turned.

[0038] The flow rate of the hydraulic oil is adjusted by the hydraulic control valve 13 corresponding to the hydraulic motor 4, so that the rotation speed of the hydraulic motor 4, that is, the rotation speed of the traveling wheels 2, can be changed.

[0039] [Sensor] This work vehicle is equipped with various sensors. 5, a head side pressure sensor S1 and a cap side pressure sensor S2 are provided for each of the four second hydraulic cylinders 7. The head side pressure sensor S1 detects the hydraulic pressure in the head side chamber of the second hydraulic cylinder 7. The cap side pressure sensor S2 detects the hydraulic pressure in the cap side chamber of the second hydraulic cylinder 7.

[0040] A plurality of stroke sensors S3 capable of detecting the amount of extension / retraction operation are provided for each of the four first hydraulic cylinders 6 and the four second hydraulic cylinders 7. The amount of extension / retraction operation of each hydraulic cylinder 6, 7 is a detection value corresponding to the swing position of the first link 15 and the second link 16 that are the objects of operation.

[0041] The vehicle body 1 is provided with a tilt sensor S4 that detects the tilt state of the vehicle body. The tilt sensor S4 is configured using an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) that is a well-known configuration. The IMU has a three-axis acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, and can detect the change in the attitude of the vehicle body 1, specifically, the tilt in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0042] A rotation sensor S5 is provided near the traveling wheels 2 to detect the rotation speed of the traveling wheels 2 driven by the hydraulic motor 4. Based on the rotation speed of the traveling wheels 2 detected by the rotation sensor S5, the supply of hydraulic oil to the hydraulic motor 4 is controlled so that the rotation speed of the traveling wheels 2 becomes a target value. A pressure sensor S6 is provided to detect the pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied to the hydraulic motor 4. Based on the pressure of the hydraulic oil detected by the pressure sensor S6, the supply (pressure) of hydraulic oil to the hydraulic motor 4 is controlled so that the drive torque of the traveling wheels 2 becomes a target value. A stroke sensor S7 capable of detecting the extension / retraction operation amount is provided for each of the four swing cylinders 20.

[0043] [ECU] The ECU 11 includes a posture control unit 100 and a driving control unit 101. When the vehicle is traveling with the four traveling wheels 2 in contact with the ground, the driving control unit 101 controls the operation of the hydraulic motor 4 for each of the four traveling wheels 2 so that the rotation speed of the traveling wheels 2 detected by the rotation sensor S5 becomes a target speed and the drive torque detected by the pressure sensor S6 becomes a target value.

[0044] When the vehicle body is moving and traveling, the attitude control unit 100 executes horizontal control for controlling the operation of the support mechanism A so that the vehicle body 1 is in a horizontal attitude based on the detection information of the inclination sensor S4.

[0045] In horizontal control, the posture control unit 100 controls the operation of the four first hydraulic cylinders 6 and the four second hydraulic cylinders 7 based on the detection information of the inclination sensor S4 so that the inclination angles in the forward / backward direction and the left / right direction from the horizontal posture of the vehicle body 1 become values ​​corresponding to the horizontal posture.

[0046] [Lighting device] This work vehicle is provided with lighting devices 23 located on the sides of the vehicle and having elongated light-emitting units 22. The lighting devices 23 include a vehicle body side lighting device 24 provided on the side of the vehicle body 1, and a leg side lighting device 25 provided on the side of the refraction link mechanism 5.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle-side lighting device 24 is provided with a plurality of light-emitting units 22 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction lined up in the up-down direction, and is configured so that the plurality of light-emitting units 22 emit light in different colors. Therefore, the front-rear direction corresponds to the extension direction, and the up-down direction corresponds to the direction perpendicular to the extension direction. To explain further, the light-emitting units 22 are configured as an LED line tape that extends in a long strip along the horizontal direction. The LED line tape is a well-known configuration in which a large number of LED light source chips are directly mounted on a flexible substrate of the tape in a lined up state. The LED line tape is configured to emit strip-shaped light.

[0048] 1, four light-emitting elements 22 are provided, arranged vertically. The top row is provided with a first light-emitting element 22A that emits white light, the second row from the top is provided with a second light-emitting element 22B that emits red light, the third row from the top is provided with a third light-emitting element 22C that emits green light, and the bottom row is provided with a fourth light-emitting element 22D that emits blue light.

[0049] The leg side light 25 includes one fifth light emitting portion 22E, which is configured from a yellow LED line tape.

[0050] The control device C is configured to control the operation of the lighting device 23. The control device C is configured to cause the light-emitting elements 22A-22D in the body side lighting device 24 and the light-emitting element 22E in the leg side lighting device 25 to emit light of different colors depending on differences in the vehicle state, such as whether the vehicle is in a drivable state or not, whether an abnormality has occurred or not, the type of abnormality that has occurred, the control state, etc.

[0051] When the vehicle is in an operable state in which hydraulic oil can be supplied from the hydraulic supply source 9, that is, when the engine is started and hydraulic oil can be supplied from the hydraulic pump, the control device C turns on the first light-emitting element 22A in the vehicle body lighting device 24.

[0052] When an abnormal state is detected after the vehicle starts traveling, the control device C notifies the user of the abnormal state by turning on or blinking the second light emitting unit 22B in the vehicle body lighting device 24. An example of an abnormal state is when an excessive load is applied to the hydraulic cylinders 6, 7 or the hydraulic motor 4 due to some factor, causing the pressure sensors S1, S2, S6 to detect excessive values, or the like.

[0053] When the control mode by the attitude control unit 100 or the control mode by the driving control unit 101 changes depending on the road surface conditions while the vehicle body is moving and traveling, the control device C changes the lighting state of the third light-emitting unit 22C in the vehicle body side lighting device 24 to notify the user of this.

[0054] When the engine is stopped and there is no risk of the vehicle body moving unexpectedly, the control device C turns on the fourth light emitting element 22D of the vehicle body lighting device 24 to notify the driver of this fact.

[0055] During traveling, the control device C changes the lighting state of the leg side lighting device 25, i.e., the fifth light-emitting unit 22E, depending on the operating state of the bending link mechanism 5 and the difference in the traveling speed of the traveling wheels 2, to notify the user of the situation. For example, the light may be turned on when the bending link mechanism 5 is extending or retracting, or the blinking cycle or brightness may be changed depending on the traveling speed.

[0056] The operation of the control device C when operating the lighting device 23 is not limited to the control operations described above, but can be changed as appropriate to accommodate various other operation contents instead.

[0057] [Another embodiment] (1) In the above embodiment, the lighting device 23 is configured with an LED line tape, but instead of this configuration, a device that is configured to display text information by mounting LED light source chips arranged in a matrix may be used. In this configuration, it is possible to display various information related to the operation of the work vehicle, such as information that the worker should respond to, such as a display that the load is too heavy or that the engine fuel is low. Also, an error code that the maintenance worker can determine may be displayed.

[0058] (2) In the above embodiment, an LED line tape is used for the light-emitting unit 22. However, instead of an LED, various types of light-emitting display devices such as an EL panel or a fluorescent display tube can be used.

[0059] (3) In the above embodiment, the lighting device 23 is configured to include the vehicle body side lighting device 24 and the leg side lighting device 25. Leg side lighting device 25 only The above configuration may also be adopted.

[0060] (4) In the above embodiment, a configuration was shown in which a plurality of light-emitting units 22 were provided in a vertically aligned state, and the plurality of light-emitting units 22 were configured to emit light in different colors from one another, but instead of this configuration, a configuration in which one light-emitting unit is provided and the color it emits is changed in various ways may be used. Also, in the above embodiment, a configuration in which a plurality of light-emitting units 22 are provided extending in the front-rear direction and aligned in the vertical direction, but a configuration in which a plurality of light-emitting units 22 are provided extending in the vertical direction and aligned in the front-rear direction may also be used.

[0061] (5) In the above embodiment, the light-emitting unit is configured to change the color of light it emits. However, instead of this configuration, the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit may be changed, for example, by changing the blinking cycle when blinking.

[0062] (6) In the above embodiment, the light emitting unit 22 is provided on the side of the vehicle body 1, but the light emitting unit may be provided from the side of the vehicle to the front of the vehicle, or from the side of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle. Also, the light emitting unit may be provided from the side of the vehicle to each of the front and rear of the vehicle.

[0063] (7) In the above embodiment, the lighting device 23 is configured to be driven by power supplied from the control device C. However, instead of such a configuration, the lighting device 23 may be turned on by directly utilizing the analog output power of a pressure sensor, a rotation sensor, etc.

[0064] (8) In the above embodiment, the traveling drive device 4 is configured with a hydraulic motor. However, an electric motor may be used instead of the hydraulic motor, and the power of the engine may be transmitted via a transmission mechanism provided separately for each traveling device.

[0065] (9) In the above-described conventional configuration, the support mechanism A is configured to include the flexural link mechanism 5 and the hydraulic cylinders 6, 7. However, instead of this configuration, a hydraulic motor may be provided at the fulcrum of the pivot of the flexural link mechanism 5, and the posture of the flexural link mechanism may be changed by the hydraulic motor.

[0066] (10) In the above embodiment, the support mechanism A is provided with a bending link mechanism 5. However, instead of this configuration, for example, a robot arm that can bend in any direction may be used to support the running wheels 2. In short, it is sufficient that the running wheels 2 are supported individually so that their height positions can be freely changed relative to the vehicle body 1, and that the vehicle body 1 is supported so that its posture can be maintained, and the specific structure can be modified in various ways. [Industrial Applicability]

[0067] The present invention can be applied to a work vehicle suitable for traveling on rough ground. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 Vehicle body 2 Running wheels (running gear) 4. Travelling drive unit 5. Articulated link mechanism 8 Loading section 22 Light emitting part 23 Lighting equipment A Support mechanism C Control device

Claims

1. A vehicle body, A plurality of traveling devices located at the front and rear of each of the left and right sides of the vehicle body; A travel drive device that drives the plurality of travel devices; A lighting device that is located on a side of a vehicle and has a light-emitting portion that extends in an elongated shape; A control device for controlling the operation of the lighting device is provided. The lighting device is provided on the side of a support mechanism that supports the multiple traveling devices on the vehicle body so that they can be raised and lowered separately, and operates in response to changes in the operating state of the support mechanism and the traveling devices.

2. The lighting device comprises:

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle body lighting device provided on a side portion of the vehicle body and operable in response to a change in a driving condition of the vehicle body.

3. the support mechanism is provided with a bending link mechanism that supports each of the plurality of traveling devices so that the traveling devices can be raised and lowered relative to the vehicle body, 3. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting portion is provided on a lateral side portion of the articulating link mechanism.

4. The work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lighting device is provided with a plurality of light-emitting sections arranged in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction, and the plurality of light-emitting sections are configured to emit light in different colors.

5. 5. The work vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the control device is configured to cause the light emitting section to emit light of different colors depending on the vehicle state.

6. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitting section is configured to be able to display text information.

7. 7. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a flat loading section on an upper portion of the vehicle body, the flat loading section being capable of loading luggage.

8. 3. The work vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting portion of the vehicle body lighting device is provided from the lateral portion of the vehicle to a front portion of the vehicle and / or a rear portion of the vehicle.

9. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control device changes the light emission state of the light emitting section in response to differences in the vehicle state.

Images