Work vehicles

Abstract

To provide a mobile work vehicle that travels in a plant cultivation facility, the movement of the work vehicle in a movement passage being efficiently performed so as not to collide with the wall surface of a building when adjusting the entry position to the adjacent work passage.SOLUTION: A mobile work vehicle comprises track wheels 20b that run on a pair of left and right rails 13 arranged in each work passage 9 and wheels 20a that run on the movement passage 4 on a traveling vehicle body 21. Work path entry position detection sensors 33 for detecting the rails 13 are provided on the sides of the traveling vehicle body 21 facing the rails 13. The mobile work vehicle is configured to stop the traveling vehicle body 21 when detecting the work path entry position while traveling on the moving path 4. The traveling vehicle body 21 comprises obstacle sensors 38 and 39. The mobile work vehicle is configured to stop the traveling vehicle body 21 when the obstacle sensors 38 and 39 detect the wall surface W at the end of the moving passage 4. The mobile work vehicle comprises sensor detection range adjusting means Z that can adjust the detection range of the obstacle sensors 38.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle, such as a transport vehicle, that transports storage buckets for storing harvested crops in a plant cultivation facility. [Background technology]

[0002] In a plant cultivation facility, multiple work aisles are provided along the crop cultivation rows, a moving aisle is provided for entry into each work aisle, and a work aisle entry detection means is provided for detecting whether a work vehicle traveling on the moving aisle has reached the entrance of each work aisle (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-101616 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to Patent Document 1, the use of a means for determining the entry position of the work passage has the advantage of eliminating the need for large-scale facilities such as installing guide means in the passageway, but it requires some ingenuity to prevent the passageway from colliding with the wall at the end of the passageway.

[0005] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to efficiently move a work vehicle body along a moving passageway so as not to collide with a wall surface of a building when aligning the vehicle body to enter an adjacent work passageway. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first aspect of the present invention is In a work vehicle that travels on each of the work passages (9) between a plurality of cultivation beds (5) and on a moving passage (4) that leads to each of the work passages (9) at the end of each of the cultivation beds (5), a traveling body (21) is provided with raceways (20b) that travel on a pair of left and right rails (13) that extend in the front-rear direction and are disposed on each of the work passages (9), and wheels (20a) that travel on the moving passage (4) that extends in the left-right direction and intersects with the rails (13), The wheels (20a) are provided so as to be capable of changing the traveling direction between a position for traveling toward the rails (13) and a position for traveling along the moving path (4) while maintaining the position of the traveling body (21); A work passage entry position detection sensor (33) for detecting the rail (13) is provided on the front side of the traveling vehicle body (21) facing the rail (13), and when the work passage entry position is detected while traveling on the transfer path (4), the traveling vehicle body (21) is stopped. A work passage entry detection sensor (36) that irradiates a laser beam toward the floor surface is provided at the front of the traveling vehicle body (21) in order to detect an end portion (13t) formed in a substantially U-shape between the pair of left and right rails (13) at the starting end side of each work passage (9), and whether the traveling vehicle body (21) is on the transfer passage (4) side or the work passage (9) side is determined based on whether the traveling vehicle body (21) has passed the end portion (13t), Obstacle sensors (38, 39) are provided on the sides of the traveling vehicle body (21), and when the obstacle sensors (38, 39) detect a wall surface (W) at the end of the moving passage (4), the traveling vehicle body (21) is stopped. A sensor detection range adjustment means (Z) is provided for adjusting the detection range of the obstacle sensor (38). This work vehicle is characterized in that, when the work passage entry position detection sensor (33) and the rail (13) are in an opposing position and the traveling body (21) is traveling on the moving passage (4), the obstacle sensors (38, 39) are capable of detecting a wall surface (W). The second aspect of the present invention is This is the first work vehicle of the present invention, which is provided with multiple obstacle sensors 38f, 38c, 38r, and is configured so that when at least one of the multiple obstacle sensors 38f, 38c, 38r detects an obstacle, it is determined to be an obstacle V and the traveling vehicle body 21 is stopped, and when all of the obstacle sensors 38f, 38c, 38r detect an obstacle, it is determined to be a wall W. The third aspect of the present invention is Left and right sensor arms (34L, 34R) are provided at the front of the traveling body (21), a sensor support rod (35) is provided extending in the left-right direction connecting the left and right sensor arms (34L, 34R), and a pair of left and right work passage entry position detection sensors (33L, 33R) are provided on the left and right of the sensor support rod (35), a work passage entry detection sensor (36) is provided between the pair of left and right work passage entry position detection sensors (33L, 33R); The work vehicle according to the first or second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the plurality of obstacle sensors (38f, 38c, 38r) are provided at the front, middle and rear positions on the sides of the traveling body, respectively. The first invention related to the present invention The work vehicle is provided with each work passage 9 between a plurality of cultivation beds 5 and a moving passage 4 leading to each work passage 9 at the end of the cultivation bed 5, and the traveling body 21 is provided with raceways 20b that run on a pair of left and right rails 13 arranged on each work passage 9 and wheels 20a that run on the moving passage 4, and a work passage entry position detection sensor 33 that detects the rails 13 is provided on the side of the traveling body 21 facing the rails 13, and the traveling body 21 is configured to stop when it detects the work passage entry position while traveling on the moving passage 4. Obstacle sensors 38, 39 are provided, and the traveling body 21 is configured to stop when the obstacle sensors 38, 39 detect a wall surface W at the end of the moving passage 4, and a sensor detection range adjustment means Z is provided to adjust the detection range of the obstacle sensor 38.

[0007] The second invention related to the present invention is the first invention related to the present invention. In the obstacle detecting device, multiple obstacle sensors 38f, 38c, 38r are provided, and when at least one of the multiple obstacle sensors 38f, 38c, 38r detects an obstacle, it is determined to be an obstacle V and the traveling vehicle body 21 is stopped, and when all of the obstacle sensors 38f, 38c, 38r detect an obstacle, it is determined to be a wall W.

[0008] The third invention related to the present invention is the first invention related to the present invention. In the above, the obstacle sensor 39 is configured to be able to scan multiple ranges, and if the sensor 39 detects an obstacle in any of the scanning ranges, it is determined to be an obstacle V and the traveling vehicle body 21 is stopped, and if the sensor 39 detects an obstacle in all of the scanning ranges, it is determined to be a wall W. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, by providing a sensor detection range adjustment means Z that can adjust the detection range of the obstacle sensor 38, the traveling vehicle body 21 can be brought close to the wall. Furthermore, it can be determined whether the traveling vehicle body 21 is on the moving passage 4 side or the working passage 9 side. The first invention related to the present inventionAccording to the present invention, by providing a sensor detection range adjustment means Z capable of adjusting the detection range of the obstacle sensor 38, the traveling vehicle body 21 can be made to approach close to the wall.

[0010] According to the second and third inventions related to the present invention, In addition to this effect, it is possible to determine whether the obstacle is an obstacle V such as a container or a wall W, and to control entry into a work passageway near a wall. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a plant cultivation facility according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1A is a side view of a harvesting vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a plan view of the harvesting vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example of a harvesting operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a stacking of buckets according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a side view showing a travel means and its surroundings of a work vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 4A and 4B are plan views showing the working passage entry position detection state in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a detection state of the obstacle sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are plan views showing the arrangement of obstacle sensors according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a detection operation state of the obstacle sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 13 is a plan view showing a detection operation state of an obstacle sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 2A is a side view of a passageway in which a work vehicle equipped with a work passageway entry detection sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention moves, and FIG. 2B is a plan view of the work vehicle having entered the work passageway according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12]1 is a plan view showing an example of a state in which a work vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention enters a work passage from a transfer passage. FIG. [Figure 13] 5A and 5B are plan views showing deviations that occur when a work vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention moves along a passageway. [Figure 14] 13A, 13B, and 13C are plan views showing another example of a working passage entrance detection sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a front view of a cultivation bed and its surroundings according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] A greenhouse system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0013] First, the greenhouse system of the present embodiment will be specifically described with reference to FIGS.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows an example of a cultivation facility, which includes a cultivation room 1, which is a greenhouse in which the indoor environment, such as temperature and humidity, is controlled by heaters and humidifiers, and a shipping room 2 adjacent to the cultivation room 1. In the center of the cultivation room 1, a main passage 4 is provided through which workers, mobile work vehicles (work trolleys) 3, pest control vehicles, etc. can pass, and this main passage 4 is a concrete passage with a concrete road surface. At both sides of the main passage 4, a cultivation space 6 for cultivating crops is formed by arranging a large number of cultivation beds 5, which serve as cultivation units, in rows. The cultivation beds 5 are cultivation beds made of rock wool, which serves as a culture medium, and nutrient solution is supplied to each cultivation bed 5 from a nutrient solution supplying device 7 in the shipping room 2.

[0015] In addition, entrances 8 to the cultivation room 1 equipped with opening and closing doors are provided at both ends of the main passage 4, and one of the entrances 8 can be used to access the adjacent shipping room 2. The other entrance 8 can be used to access the cultivation facility from the outside. The mobile work vehicle 3 can be moved from the main passage 4 to a sub-passage 9 between each cultivation bed 5, and various tasks can be performed on the plants being cultivated while moving the mobile work vehicle 3 along the cultivation beds 5 on the sub-passage 9. The sub-passage 9 is a passage formed in the front-rear direction between the left and right sides of each cultivation bed 5. The mobile work vehicle 3 runs on rails 13 on the left and right heating pipes laid on the sub-passage 9 for heating the entire greenhouse.

[0016] The shipping room 2 is provided with the nutrient solution supplying device 7 and a sorting device 10 that sorts the harvested crops (fruits) such as tomatoes by weight, size, or grade. The sorting device 10 is a pre-treatment device that processes the cultivated crops before shipping. The sorting device 10 is configured with a sorting conveyor 11 that transports and sorts the harvested crops, and harvested product storage sections 12 for each class provided on both sides of the sorting conveyor 11, and is configured to supply the harvested crops from the sorting conveyor 11 to each harvested product storage section 12 and sort them into each class. The sorting conveyor 11 is configured to be bent in an L-shape in a plan view. Each harvested product storage section 12 is provided with a storage box for storing the harvested crops, and the harvested crops are shipped by this storage box.

[0017] An attracting wire 15 is provided on the upper side of the cultivation bed 5 along the cultivation line, and the cultivated plant P is attracted by an attracting string 17 as an attracting member that hangs down from the attracting wire 15 via an attracting hook 16. The attracting hook 16 is configured to be hung from the attracting wire 15, and is configured to appropriately let the wrapped attracting string 17 hang down, as is well known. After the plant grows to a predetermined height (near the attracting hook 16), the attracting string 17 is sequentially shifted in the arrangement direction of the multiple cultivated plants, i.e., in the longitudinal direction of the cultivation bed 5, while letting out the attracting string 17 from the attracting hook 16, to lower the height of the plant, and the plant is continuously cultivated. Therefore, for example, when a tomato f is cultivated, the tomato stem c will extend from the cultivation bed 5 along the attracting string 17 (FIG. 3).

[0018] The mobile work vehicle 3 is a harvesting work vehicle as shown in Figures 2 and 3. A harvesting arm 22 is provided on a traveling body 21 supported for travel by front, rear, left and right traveling wheels 20 (hereinafter also referred to as traveling device 20) so that the traveling body 21 can travel, and a clamping lift mechanism 25, 26 is provided for stacking and unstacking harvest storage buckets A, A... in multiple stages in upper and lower storage spaces 23, 24 formed in the traveling body 21. The harvesting arm 22 and the upper and lower clamping lift mechanisms 25, 26 are operated by a control device C (hereinafter also referred to as control means C) which receives setting signals and input signals from various sensors such as an imaging device (not shown) and processes and outputs command signals to operate actuators such as control motors, so that fruit harvesting and fruit storage in the bucket A are automatically performed.

[0019] The buckets A are stacked in the lower storage space 24 of the upper and lower storage spaces 23, 24, and in this state, tomatoes f harvested by the harvesting arm 22 are successively supplied to the topmost bucket A (FIG. 4(a)). When the topmost bucket A is full, the lower clamping lift mechanism 26 lifts the bottommost bucket A, that is, all buckets A, A... rise (FIG. 4(b)). Then, when the topmost bucket A rises to the standby position of the upper clamping lift mechanism 25, the upper clamping lift mechanism 25 engages and lifts the topmost bucket A, so that the topmost bucket A, which contains the tomatoes, waits in the upper storage space 23 (FIG. 4(c)).

[0020] Next, the empty bucket A is fed with the tomatoes f harvested by the harvesting arm 22 until the bucket A at the top of the lower storage space 24 is filled with them. After that, the bucket A supported by the upper clamping lift mechanism 25 is lowered and placed on the full bucket A (Fig. 1(d)), and all the buckets A, A... are raised by the lower clamping lift mechanism 26, and the second top full bucket A is raised while being supported by the upper clamping lift mechanism 25 (Fig. 1(e)). In this way, the buckets A that are successively filled are transferred in a stack to the upper storage space 23. Then, when the bottom bucket A supported by the lower clamping lift mechanism 26 is filled with the harvested tomatoes f (Fig. 1(f)), the harvesting is completed. The bucket A supported by the upper clamping lift mechanism 25 is stacked on this bottom bucket A (Fig. 1(g)), and all the upper buckets A are lowered (Fig. 1(h)). The multi-stage bucket A containing the harvested tomatoes f is then moved to the lower storage space 24. The bucket A waiting in the lower storage space 24 is moved to the outside of the traveling body 21 by appropriately opening the bottom or by conveyor transport means.

[0021] 3, the support base 27 of the harvesting arm 22 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction of the traveling body 21 by a guide rail 28 provided along the boundary line between the upper and lower storage spaces 23, 24. Therefore, if all the buckets A, A... are positioned in the lower storage space 24, the harvesting arm 22 can be moved forward along the guide rail 28, and the tomatoes f growing on the stems c approaching the building wall 29 can be harvested. Since there are not many harvested tomatoes f, they can be stored in the uppermost bucket A, which already has storage space remaining.

[0022] Next, the travel mechanism and its peripheral configuration of the mobile work vehicle 3 will be described. A pair of travel wheels 20 on the front, rear, left and right sides are each composed of a large-diameter rubber wheel 20a supported by a wheel axle 30 and a small-diameter track wheel 20b supported coaxially, and each wheel axle 30 is driven by a travel drive motor 31. Therefore, the rubber wheels 20a allow the vehicle to travel on the main passage 4 (hereinafter referred to as the travel passage 4 or travel route 4) in the cultivation room 1, and the track wheel 20b allows the vehicle to travel along the rails 13 of the sub-passage 9 (hereinafter referred to as the work passage 9). Each wheel axle 30 is provided with a wheel turning means M, and the wheel axle 30 is configured to be rotatable around the vertical axis. The rubber wheels 20a and the raceways 20b are configured to be able to change the angle between 0 degrees and 90 degrees while the traveling body 21 is fixed. For example, when the angle is 0 degrees, the rubber wheels 20a run on the moving path 4, and when the angle is changed to 90 degrees, the raceways 20b run on the working passage 9 along the rail 13. This means that there is no need to change the direction of the traveling body 21. As a specific example of the wheel turning means M provided on each traveling device 20 on the front, rear, left and right sides, the wheel axle 30 is connected to the lower end of a motor shaft provided on the vertical axis, and a forward / reverse rotating drive motor is provided on the upper end. The wheel axle 30 rotates around the vertical axis as the forward / reverse rotation of the rotation drive motor rotates, and at the same time, the rubber wheels 20a and the raceways 20b rotate.

[0023] Next, the control of determining the entry position of the work passage 9 in the mobile work vehicle 3 while traveling through the moving passage 4 will be described. The rails 13 are arranged in two rows in parallel, and end portions 13t (hereinafter also referred to as rail ends 13t) formed in a roughly U-shape to circulate hot water on the rails 13 are arranged in multiple rows, and the control device C inputs detection information from the work passage entry position detection sensor 33 and determines whether or not the entry position has been reached based on the detection of this work passage entry position detection sensor 33. The rail end portions 13t are provided at the start side of each work passage 9.

[0024] A sensor arm 34 is provided protruding forward of the traveling body 21, and a pair of left and right laser sensor-type work passage entry position detection sensors 33L, 33R are provided on a sensor support rod 35 connecting the left and right sensor arms 34L, 34R. When the traveling body 21 advances sideways along the moving passage 4, the work passage entry position detection sensors 33L, 33R on the forward and backward moving directions determine whether or not the entry position has been reached based on the presence or absence of detection of the rail 13. As the traveling body 21 advances sideways along the moving passage 4, the preceding work passage entry position detection sensor (the right sensor in the illustrated example) 33R detects one of the pair of rails 13L, and outputs the detection output to the control device C (FIG. 6(A)). When the traveling body 21 continues to advance sideways and this work passage entry position detection sensor 33R passes the other rail 13R, the detection output is output to the control device C. At the same time, if the work passage entry position detection sensor 33L, which is proceeding (trailing) at a later time, does not detect the rail 13L (same figure (B)), the control device C is configured to determine that the traveling vehicle body 21 has reached the entrance of the specified work passage 9.

[0025] When the control device C judges that the traveling vehicle body 21 has reached the adjacent work passage 9, it controls and stops the traveling drive motor 31. At the same time, it controls the wheel turning means M to change its angle. When the traveling drive motor 31 is started again, the traveling vehicle body 21 moves along the pair of rails 13L, 13R with the inner side of the work passage 9 as the forward direction. Then, when an approach position detection sensor (not shown) detects that the traveling vehicle body 21 has approached the building wall 29, the traveling vehicle body 21 is controlled to stop, the traveling drive motor 31 is reversed, the traveling vehicle body 21 moves in the backward direction, and returns to the transfer passage 4 again.

[0026] Furthermore, the vehicle then moves to the adjacent work passage 9 to continue work, but the control means C returns the wheel turning means M to an angle of 0 degrees and drives the travel drive motor 31 again to move the work vehicle body 21 along the transfer passage 4, and the work passage entry position detection sensor 33 detects the entry position of the next work passage 9, thereby repeating the above movement.

[0027] A pair of work passage entry detection sensors 36, 36 are provided close to each other in the center of the sensor support rod 35. These work passage entry detection sensors 36, 36 are configured so that the control device C detects whether the work vehicle has passed the end 13t of the rail 13 based on the detection output of laser light irradiated toward the floor surface, and determines whether the work vehicle is on the transfer passage 4 side or the work passage 9 side.

[0028] Incidentally, obstacle sensors 38 are provided on the side of the traveling vehicle body 21 to detect the wall surface W (hereinafter, also referred to as the wall edge W) at the end of the passageway 4 and prevent unexpected contact accidents (Fig. 7). These obstacle sensors 38 are, for example, ultrasonic transmission type sensors, and three of them, a front obstacle sensor 38f, a middle obstacle sensor 38c, and a rear obstacle sensor 38r, are provided at the front, middle, and rear positions on the side of the vehicle body, respectively, and are of a known configuration that can detect the presence or absence of an obstacle V or a wall surface W and its distance from the traveling vehicle body 21 by receiving reflections of ultrasonic waves transmitted to obstacles on the side of the traveling vehicle body 21 or building walls.

[0029] Therefore, the traveling vehicle body 21 can safely proceed along the moving passage 4 until it detects the wall surface W, and can enter the predetermined work passage 9. Then, when the wall surface W or the obstacle V is detected, an alarm is issued and the traveling part is stopped so as to restrict the movement along the moving passage 4.

[0030] The wall W is judged when all of the front obstacle sensor 38f, the middle obstacle sensor 38c, and the rear obstacle sensor 38r detect the presence of an object, but the following settings are made in advance. That is, the detection distance of each sensor is set short so that the three obstacle sensors 38f, 38c, and 38r can detect the wall W based on the position where the sensor reaches the entry position into the work passage 9 arranged at the wall W side (Fig. 8(A), sensor detection range adjustment means X), or the sensor is configured so that the installation position of the sensor relative to the traveling vehicle body 21 can be adjusted in the left-right direction of the vehicle body 21 and moved to the inside of the vehicle body 21 (Fig. 8(B), sensor position adjustment means Y). When the sensor detection range adjustment means Z such as the sensor detection range adjustment means X and the sensor position adjustment means Y are configured in this way, the traveling vehicle body 21 can approach the wall W side until it reaches the entry position into the work passage 9 arranged at the wall W side in the closest state.

[0031] The obstacle sensor 38 is configured to have three sensors: a front obstacle sensor 38f, a middle obstacle sensor 38c, and a rear obstacle sensor 38r. In order to determine whether it is a wall W or an obstacle V, two sensors may be combined to perform sensor detection sequentially (FIG. 9). When any of the sensors 38f, 38c, or 38r detects an obstacle V such as a container, the travel of the traveling vehicle body 21 is restricted and controlled to stop.

[0032] The obstacle sensors 38 in the above embodiment are configured to have three sensors, a front obstacle sensor 38f, a middle obstacle sensor 38c, and a rear obstacle sensor 38r, arranged at the front, middle, and rear positions on the side of the vehicle body, respectively. However, as shown in Fig. 10, an obstacle sensor 39 is configured to be scannable, that is, the illuminating part is configured to rotate, and detection can be performed while switching the illumination range. If the sensor 39 detects an obstacle in any range, it determines that it is an obstacle V such as a container, and restricts the progress of the traveling vehicle body 21 and controls it to stop. If an obstacle is detected in all ranges, it determines that it is a wall W.

[0033] As described above, the traveling vehicle body 21 is equipped with the wheel turning means M, and the wheel axle 30 rotates around the vertical axis with the forward and reverse rotation of the turning drive motor, and the rubber wheels 20a and the raceways 20b turn 90 degrees or return to their original positions. However, when the working passage entry detection sensors 36, 36 do not detect the rail end 13t and determine that the traveling vehicle body 21 is on the moving passage 4 side (FIG. 11(B)), the turning drive motor of the wheel turning means M is configured to operate. This is because turning the wheels when the traveling vehicle body 21 has reached the working passage 9 placed on the rail 13 generates metal friction between the rail 13 and the raceways 20b, which is likely to cause mechanical damage, but turning the rubber wheels 20a on the moving passage 4 is unlikely to cause such damage. In addition to the above condition settings, a means for determining that the traveling vehicle body 21 is on the moving passage 4 side is provided, and the wheel turning means M can be configured to allow operation based on the determination by this means.

[0034] Next, the greenhouse equipment of this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference mainly to Figs.

[0035] A configuration for detecting deviation of the traveling vehicle body 21 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. When the traveling vehicle body 21 recognizes the entry position into the work passage 9 while traveling along the transfer passage 4 and enters it, a so-called deviation occurs. As shown in the figure, a predetermined angle (hereinafter referred to as deviation angle) θ occurs between the front-to-rear direction of the traveling vehicle body 21 and the proceeding direction of the work passage 9, and the traveling vehicle body 21 cannot smoothly enter the work passage 9. Therefore, an attempt is made to estimate this so-called deviation and correct the deviation angle θ of the traveling vehicle body 21. When the work passage entry detection sensors 36, 36 detect the rail end 13t while moving along the moving passage 4, if the work passage entry detection sensors 36, 36 are able to detect the entire left and right range of the rail end 13t when moving in parallel, however, if there is a misalignment as described above, a different detection state will be obtained, such as the time from on detection to off detection being shorter than the time required to detect the entire range of the rail end 13t, or the detection range being shorter, and in such a case, it will be determined that there has been a misalignment of the traveling vehicle body 21, and the direction of the vehicle body 21 will be corrected, or an alarm will be output to prompt such correction.

[0036] In Fig. 12 and Fig. 13, the degree of deviation of the traveling body 21 is accurately determined to ensure the accuracy of the correction of the traveling body 21. The work passage entry detection sensor 36, 36 is configured to input the reflection of the signal irradiated to the object to be detected and measure the presence or absence and distance. The detection range is configured to be able to detect in a strip-shaped range. Now, when the traveling body 21 advances along the moving passage 4, the work passage entry detection sensor 36, 36 detects the end 13t of the rail 13, but when passing through multiple work passages 9 in succession, the work passage entry detection sensor 36, 36 detects the rail end 13t on and repeats off detection when it deviates from the work passage 9, but if there is deviation in the traveling body 21, the target rail end 13t gradually deviates from the normal range, and finally it becomes impossible to detect the rail end 13t. By utilizing this phenomenon, the time Tm until the rail end 13t can no longer be detected while the traveling body 21 is traveling along the passageway 4 is counted, and it can be determined that the longer this time Tm is, the smaller the deviation angle θ of the traveling body 21 (FIG. 13(A)), and the shorter the time Tm is, the larger the deviation angle is (FIG. 13(B)). Based on this determination result, a correction signal is output to the wheel turning means M, and the direction of the traveling body 21 can be corrected to a larger or smaller direction.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the time Tm was measured, but it is also possible to count the number of passes through the working passage 9, and determine that the greater the number of passes, the smaller the deviation angle, and vice versa.

[0038] Fig. 14 shows another example of a means for determining the deviation of the traveling body 21, in which working passage entry detection sensors 40F, 40R are provided at the front and rear of the traveling body 21. The left and right rails 13L, 13R and end 13t arranged in the working passages 9, 9 arranged corresponding to the front and rear are detected, and the positional relationship between the object on the front side and the object on the rear side is stored in advance (Fig. 14(A)). By comparing the actual detection results, the deviation of the traveling body 21, i.e., the inclination of the center line direction of the traveling body 21 with respect to the virtual center line of the opposing working passages 9, 9, can be recognized (Fig. 14(B) and (C)). The direction of the traveling body 21 is corrected to correct this deviation (inclination).

[0039] The laser sensor-type working passage entry position detection sensors 33L, 33R and working passage entry detection sensors 36, 36 utilize the detection function of the target object by emitting and receiving a laser signal, but the configuration can be such that the detection output of small diameter objects is not emitted by setting the reaction time for a specified moving speed. In this case, small diameter objects can be ignored, and erroneous detection of the liquid supply pipe 41, etc. can be prevented (Figures 1 and 15). [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 4. Passageway 5. Cultivation Beds 9 Work passage 13 Rail 20a Wheels 20b Raceway ring 21 Running vehicle 33 Work passage entrance position detection sensor 38 Obstacle Sensor 39 Obstacle Sensor V Obstacles W wall Z sensor detection range adjustment means

Claims

1. In a work vehicle that travels on each of the work passages (9) between a plurality of cultivation beds (5) and on a moving passage (4) that leads to each of the work passages (9) at the end of each of the cultivation beds (5), a traveling body (21) is provided with raceways (20b) that travel on a pair of left and right rails (13) that extend in the front-rear direction and are disposed on each of the work passages (9), and wheels (20a) that travel on the moving passage (4) that extends in the left-right direction and intersects with the rails (13), The wheels (20a) are provided so as to be capable of changing the traveling direction between a posture for traveling toward the rails (13) and a posture for traveling along the moving path (4) while maintaining the posture of the traveling body (21); A work passage entry position detection sensor (33) for detecting the rail (13) is provided on the front side of the traveling vehicle body (21) facing the rail (13), and the traveling vehicle body (21) is configured to stop when the work passage entry position is detected while traveling on the transfer path (4), A work passage entry detection sensor (36) that irradiates a laser beam toward the floor surface is provided at the front of the traveling vehicle body (21) in order to detect an end portion (13t) formed in a substantially U-shape between the pair of left and right rails (13) at the starting end side of each work passage (9), and a determination is made as to whether the traveling vehicle body (21) is on the transfer passage (4) side or the work passage (9) side depending on whether the traveling vehicle body (21) has passed the end portion (13t); Obstacle sensors (38, 39) are provided on the sides of the traveling vehicle body (21), and when the obstacle sensors (38, 39) detect the wall surface (W) at the end of the moving passage (4), the traveling vehicle body (21) is stopped. A sensor detection range adjustment means (Z) is provided for adjusting the detection range of the obstacle sensor (38), This work vehicle is characterized in that, when a work passage entry position detection sensor (33) and a rail (13) are in an opposing posture and a traveling vehicle body (21) is traveling on a moving passage (4), an obstacle sensor (38, 39) can detect a wall surface (W).

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of obstacle sensors (38f, 38c, 38r) are provided, and when at least one of the plurality of obstacle sensors (38f, 38c, 38r) detects an obstacle, it is determined to be an obstacle (V) and the traveling vehicle body (21) is stopped, and when all of the obstacle sensors (38f, 38c, 38r) detect an obstacle, it is determined to be a wall surface (W).

3. Left and right sensor arms (34L, 34R) are provided at the front of the traveling body (21), a sensor support rod (35) extending in the left-right direction connecting the left and right sensor arms (34L, 34R) is provided, and a pair of left and right work passage entry position detection sensors (33L, 33R) are provided on the left and right of the sensor support rod (35), A work passage entry detection sensor (36) is provided between the pair of left and right work passage entry position detection sensors (33L, 33R); 3. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of obstacle sensors (38f, 38c, 38r) are provided at the front, middle and rear positions on the sides of the vehicle body, respectively.

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