combine

Abstract

To provide a combine capable of accurately detecting a yield of grains.SOLUTION: A combine includes: a thresher for threshing crops; a grain tank 12 for storing grains obtained by the thresher; a conveyance device 29 and 30 for conveying the grains obtained by the thresher from the thresher to the grain tank 12; and a flow rate measurement device 60 for measuring a flow rate of the grains conveyed by the conveyance device 29 and 30. The flow rate measurement device 60 is equipped with an arm part 63 which oscillates when the conveyed grains come in contact with it, a sensor part for detecting an oscillation angle of the arm part 63, and a calculation part for calculating the flow rate on the basis of the oscillation angle detected by the sensor part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a combine harvester equipped with a conveying device that conveys grains obtained by the threshing device from the threshing device to a grain tank, and a flow rate measuring device that measures the flow rate of the grains conveyed by the conveying device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in the combine disclosed in JP 2019-4790 A (Patent Document 1), the flow rate of grains conveyed by a conveying device (referred to as a "grain conveying device" in the document) is measured by a flow rate measuring device (referred to as a "detection unit" in the document). The flow rate measuring device is equipped with a detection plate and a load cell, and when the grains come into contact with the detection plate, the load applied to the detection plate is detected by the load cell. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-004790 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when a combine harvester runs through a field while harvesting, vibrations from the engine and other factors are transmitted to the load cell. If the detection plate resonates due to such vibrations, the measurement data from the load cell will be mixed with vibration noise, and there is a risk that the grain flow rate will not be measured accurately. Therefore, in order to further improve detection accuracy, a flow rate measurement device that is less susceptible to the effects of the vibrations of the combine harvester is required.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a combine harvester capable of detecting grain yield with high accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The combine harvester of the present invention is provided with a threshing device that threshes crops, a grain tank that stores grains obtained by the threshing device, a transport device that transports the grains obtained by the threshing device from the threshing device to the grain tank, and a flow rate measuring device that measures the flow rate of the grains transported by the transport device, and the flow rate measuring device is provided with an arm section that swings in contact with the transported grains, a sensor section that detects the swing angle of the arm section, and a calculation section that calculates the flow rate based on the swing angle detected by the sensor section. The grain feeder includes a contact portion that contacts the arm portion when the arm portion is not in contact with the grain, and a spring that biases the arm portion to a state in which the arm portion and the contact portion are in contact with each other. It is characterized by the fact that In addition, the combine harvester of the present invention is provided with a threshing device that threshes crops, a grain tank that stores grains obtained by the threshing device, a transport device that transports the grains obtained by the threshing device from the threshing device to the grain tank, and a flow rate measuring device that measures the flow rate of the grains transported by the transport device, the flow rate measuring device being provided with an arm section that swings in contact with the transported grains, a sensor section that detects the swing angle of the arm section, and a calculation section that calculates the flow rate based on the swing angle detected by the sensor section, and the transport device being provided with a bucket conveyor having a plurality of buckets that lifts and transports the grains obtained by the threshing device. The machine is equipped with a vertical conveying section of a screw conveyor type, and a horizontal conveying section of a screw conveyor type having a screw rotating around a horizontal axis of the machine body and connected adjacent to the vertical conveying section, receiving the grains conveyed by the vertical conveying section, sending them horizontally, and depositing them into the grain tank.The machine is characterized in that it is equipped with a receiving section that protrudes toward the vertical conveying section from the horizontal conveying section and receives grains thrown from the bucket, which reverses its position from an elevated position to a descending position at the upper end of the vertical conveying section, and guides them to the horizontal conveying section, and a hump that is connected to the protruding tip of the receiving section, protrudes to a position where it comes into contact with the bucket, and elastically deforms in response to contact with the bucket.

[0007] According to the present invention, when grains come into contact with the arm, the arm swings, and the swing angle of the arm is detected by the sensor. When the arm resonates due to the vibration of the combine harvester, for example, if the sensor (e.g., a load cell) detects the load applied to the arm, the resonance tends to have a large effect on the detection of the load by the sensor. On the other hand, even if the arm resonates, the arm does not swing due to the resonance alone, so if the sensor detects the swing angle of the arm, the resonance has a small effect on the detection of the swing angle by the sensor. For this reason, the flow rate measuring device is less susceptible to the vibration of the combine harvester than, for example, a configuration in which the sensor detects the load applied to the arm. In other words, since the swing angle of the arm is less susceptible to the vibration of the combine harvester, the calculation unit can accurately calculate the flow rate of grains according to the swing angle. This realizes a combine harvester that can accurately detect the grain yield.

[0008] In the present invention, it is preferable that the conveying device is provided with a throwing unit that throws grains, and the arm unit swings when it comes into contact with grains thrown by the throwing unit.

[0009] When the grains are thrown by the throwing unit, the grains tend to come into contact with the arm unit with great force. With this configuration, even if the number of grains thrown by the throwing unit is small, the arm unit swings firmly, improving the measurement accuracy of the flow rate meter.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that the sensor unit is provided at a position outside the throwing path of the kernel thrown by the throwing unit and separated from the throwing path.

[0011] With this configuration, the sensor unit is provided at a position away from the throwing path of the grains, so there is no risk of the grains colliding with the sensor unit. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the sensor unit is provided in a state where it is not separated from the throwing path, the flow of the grains thrown by the throwing unit is not obstructed.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable that the arm portion is configured to swing around a swing axis provided at a position outside the throwing path of the kernels thrown by the throwing portion.

[0013] With this configuration, the swing axis of the arm section is located at a position outside the throwing path of the grain, so that the arm section is more likely to swing due to contact with the grain compared to a configuration in which the swing axis of the arm section is located within the range of the throwing path of the grain.

[0014] In the present invention, it is preferable that the arm portion is configured such that the larger the swing angle, the greater the proportion of the arm portion that strays outside the throwing path.

[0015] When a grain comes into contact with the arm, the grain is bounced back by the arm, and there is a risk that the grain will deviate from the throwing path and flow in an unintended direction. The more the grain comes into contact with the arm, the larger the swing angle of the arm. In other words, with this configuration, the more the grain flows along the throwing path, the more of the arm will protrude outside the throwing path, and the proportion of grains that are bounced back by the arm will decrease. This makes it less likely that the flow of the grains thrown by the throwing unit will be obstructed, compared to a configuration in which the majority of the arm is located within the range of the throwing path regardless of the swing angle of the arm.

[0016] In the present invention, the conveying device is provided with a bucket conveyor type vertical conveying section having a plurality of buckets for lifting the grains obtained by the threshing device, and a screw conveyor type horizontal conveying section having a screw rotating about a horizontal axis of the machine body and connected adjacent to the vertical conveying section, receiving the grains conveyed by the vertical conveying section, sending them horizontally, and putting them into the grain tank. It is preferable that the bucket has an outlet through which grains are thrown by the bucket, which rapidly reverses its position, the lateral conveying section is connected to the outlet, a transfer space between the vertical conveying section and the lateral conveying section is formed outside the outlet and above the lateral conveying section, and the arm section is configured to swing around a swing axis provided in the transfer space at a position higher than the screw and between the outlet and the lateral axis of the machine, in the direction in which the vertical conveying section and the lateral conveying section are adjacent to each other.

[0017] According to this configuration, the grains obtained by threshing the crops are transported upward by the bucket of the vertical transport section, and are thrown from the discharge port provided at the upper end of the vertical transport section and delivered to the vertical transport section. The flow rate measuring device is disposed in the transfer space between the vertical transport section and the horizontal transport section. If the arm section is too close to the bucket, when the grains come into contact with the arm section and are bounced back by the arm section, the grains fall into the return path of the bucket, and there is a risk that the efficiency of grain transport in the transfer space will decrease. Also, if the arm section is too far from the bucket, the grains come into contact with the arm section in a state where their momentum is weakened, and there is a risk that the arm section will not swing sufficiently. With this configuration, the swing axis of the arm section is located between the discharge port and the horizontal axis of the screw. Therefore, even if the grains come into contact with the arm section outside the discharge port and are bounced back by the arm section, the grains have already passed the discharge port and are located above the horizontal transport section, so many grains fall directly into the horizontal transport section below. In addition, compared to a configuration in which the swing axis of the arm is located on the opposite side of the discharge port from the lateral axis of the screw, the grains come into firm contact with the arm, causing the arm to swing firmly. This allows the flow rate measuring device to accurately measure the flow rate of grains without impeding the flow of grains in the transfer space between the vertical conveyor and the horizontal conveyor.

[0018] In the present invention, it is preferable that the arm portion is provided in a hanging position facing the discharge outlet when not in contact with grains, and is configured to be shorter than the vertical length of the discharge outlet.

[0019] With this configuration, the arm portion is provided in a hanging position facing the discharge port when not in contact with a grain, so that the grain thrown from the discharge port comes into contact with the arm portion with force, causing the arm portion to swing firmly. Also, because the arm portion is in a hanging position when not in contact with a grain, even if vertical vibrations occur, the arm portion is less likely to swing due to the vertical vibrations, and the effect of the vibrations on the detection of the swing angle by the sensor portion is further reduced.

[0020] In the present invention, it is preferable that a lateral width of the arm portion is set narrower than a lateral width of an opening of the bucket.

[0021] The grains are thrown from the bucket across the width of the bucket opening. With this configuration, the width of the arm is narrower than the width of the bucket opening, so only a portion of the grains thrown across the width of the bucket opening come into contact with the arm. This allows many grains to be smoothly delivered to the lateral conveyor without impeding the flow.

[0022] In the present invention, it is preferable that the arm portion is provided inside the grain tank.

[0023] The interior of the grain tank in a combine harvester has a relatively large space, but the portion of the grain transport path that is located outside the grain tank is considered to be relatively narrow. Therefore, with this configuration, the arm section has a higher degree of freedom in layout arrangement compared to a configuration in which the arm is provided at a portion of the grain transport path that is located outside the grain tank.

[0024] In the present invention, it is preferable that the arm portion is supported by being suspended from the ceiling of the grain tank.

[0025] With this configuration, the ceiling of the grain tank also serves to support the arm section, so the support structure for the arm section can be easily simplified.

[0026] In the present invention, the conveying device is equipped with a vertical conveying section having a vertical screw that rotates around an upward and downward axis to lift the grains obtained by the threshing device and deposit them into the grain tank, and it is preferable that the arm section is positioned forward of the axis of the vertical screw in the direction of travel.

[0027] When the grain tank is filled with grains, the arm portion becomes buried in the grains and cannot swing. On the other hand, when the grains stored in the grain tank are discharged, the grains inside the grain tank are generally guided backward by a grain discharge device, so the grains are generally biased toward the rear of the grain tank. With this configuration, the arm portion is located forward of the axis of the vertical screw in the direction of travel, so the arm portion is less likely to become buried in the grains compared to a configuration in which the arm portion is located rearward of the axis of the vertical screw in the direction of travel. Therefore, even when the grain tank is filled with grains and reaches full capacity, the arm portion can swing firmly until the grain tank is just about full, and the grain flow rate can be accurately measured.

[0028] In the present invention, it is preferable that the arm portion swings about an axis extending along a direction intersecting with the left-right direction of the machine body in a plan view.

[0029] If the arm portion is configured to swing around an axis along the left-right direction of the machine body in a plan view, the arm portion is likely to swing in the front-rear direction due to acceleration and deceleration associated with traveling of the combine harvester. In other words, if the arm portion is configured to swing in the front-rear direction, the acceleration and deceleration of the combine harvester become a disturbance factor in the calculation of the grain flow rate. With this configuration, the arm portion swings in the left-right direction, so disturbances caused by acceleration and deceleration of the combine harvester are suppressed in the calculation of the grain flow rate compared to a configuration in which the arm portion swings in the front-rear direction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an overall right side view of the combine harvester. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the grain tank, the lifting device, and the threshing device. [Diagram 5] This is a vertical right side view of the grain lifting device showing the first grain sensor. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the first object sensor as viewed in the fore-and-aft direction of the aircraft. [Figure 8] 1 is a right side longitudinal sectional view of the lifting device showing the state in which the first grain sensor detects grains. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a right side longitudinal sectional view of the lifting device showing the state in which the first grain sensor detects grains. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the layout of the second-item sensor and the second-item discharge outlet. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the layout of the second-item sensor and the second-item discharge outlet. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the layout of the second-item sensor and the second-item discharge outlet. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] 4 is a right side vertical sectional view of the lifting device showing a state in which the bucket contacts the hump. FIG. [Figure 15] 4 is a right side vertical sectional view of the lifting device showing a state in which the bucket contacts the hump. FIG. [Figure 16] 4 is a right side vertical sectional view of the lifting device showing a state in which the bucket contacts the hump. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functional units related to calculation of workload and threshing control. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing settings of control parameters. [Figure 19] A figure showing the relationship between the leakage opening and air volume and the ratio of the amount of second-stage waste returned to the amount of first-stage waste recovered. [Figure 20] FIG. 1 is a side view of a grain tank side wall showing a top grain sensor in a head-feeding combine. [Figure 21] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a grain tank showing a top grain sensor in a head-feeding combine harvester. [Figure 22] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIXII-IIXII showing a first item sensor in a head-feeding combine. [Diagram 23] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIXIII-IIXIII, showing a first item sensor in a head-feeding combine. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a first item sensor in a head-feeding combine harvester. [Diagram 25] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a grain tank showing a top grain sensor in a head-feeding combine harvester. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the detection results of the amount of secondary product reduction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] The combine harvester according to the present invention is configured to be capable of appropriately storing grains selected from a threshed crop. The combine harvester according to the present embodiment will be described below by taking a full-type combine harvester as an example.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a right side view of the combine harvester, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the combine harvester. For ease of understanding, in this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, "front" (the direction of the arrow "F" shown in FIG. 1) means the front in the longitudinal direction (traveling direction) of the machine body, and "rear" (the direction of the arrow "B" shown in FIG. 1) means the rear in the longitudinal direction (traveling direction) of the machine body. In addition, "up" (the direction of the arrow "U" shown in FIG. 1) and "down" (the direction of the arrow "D" shown in FIG. 1) are positional relationships in the vertical direction (perpendicular direction) of the machine body, and indicate relationships at ground height. Furthermore, the left-right direction or lateral direction is the transverse direction of the machine body (machine body width direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the machine body, that is, "left" (the direction of the arrow "L" shown in FIG. 2) and "right" (the direction of the arrow "R" shown in FIG. 2) mean the leftward and rightward directions of the machine body, respectively.

[0033] The combine harvester is equipped with a crawler-type traveling device 3, a body frame 2 supported by the traveling device 3, a harvesting unit 4 that harvests crops in the field (various crops such as rice, wheat, soybeans, rapeseed, etc.), a feeder 11, a threshing device 1, a grain tank 12, and a grain discharge device 14.

[0034] The reaping unit 4 includes a raking reel 5 that raks in the crops, a clipper-type cutting device 6 that cuts the crops in the field, and an auger 7 that transports the harvested crops laterally to a feeder 11. The crops harvested by the reaping unit 4 are transported by the feeder 11 to the threshing device 1, where they are threshed and sorted. The sorted material threshed and sorted by the threshing device 1 is stored in a grain tank 12 and is discharged outside the machine by a grain discharge device 14 as appropriate.

[0035] A driving unit 9 is provided behind the reaping unit 4, side by side with the feeder 11, and is offset to the right side of the machine body. The driving unit 9 is covered by a cabin 10. An engine room ER is provided below the driving unit 9, and the engine room ER houses an engine E and, although not shown, a cooling fan, a radiator, etc. The power of the engine E is transmitted to the traveling device 3 and working devices such as the reaping unit 4 and the threshing device 1 by a power transmission mechanism, not shown.

[0036] A satellite positioning module 83 is provided in the cabin 10. The satellite positioning module 83 receives GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals (including GPS signals) from artificial satellites (not shown) to acquire the vehicle's position. In order to complement the satellite navigation by the satellite positioning module 83, an inertial navigation unit incorporating a gyro acceleration sensor and a magnetic direction sensor is incorporated in the satellite positioning module 83. The inertial navigation unit may be disposed in a location in the combine harvester separate from the satellite positioning module 83.

[0037] Next, the configuration of the threshing device 1 will be described using the longitudinal left side view of the threshing device 1 shown in Figure 3. The threshing device 1 is provided on the machine frame 2, and includes a threshing section 41 that threshes crops using the threshing drum 22, and a sorting section 42 that oscillates and sorts the threshed material. The threshing section 41 is disposed in the upper region of the threshing device 1, and the receiving net 23 is provided below the threshing section 41, while the sorting section 42 is provided below the receiving net 23. The sorting section 42 sorts the threshed material that has leaked through the receiving net 23 into sorted material containing grains to be collected and discharged material such as straw.

[0038] The threshing section 41 has a threshing chamber 21 surrounded by the left and right side walls of the threshing device 1, a top plate 53, and a receiving net 23. The threshing chamber 21 is provided with a threshing drum 22 that threshes the crops by rotation, and multiple dust sending valves 53a. The threshing drum 22 rotates around the rotation axis X. The crops transported by the feeder 11 are fed into the threshing chamber 21 and threshed by the threshing drum 22. The crops entrained by the threshing drum 22 are transported rearward by the feeding action of the dust sending valves 53a.

[0039] The dust sending valves 53a are plate-shaped and are provided at a predetermined interval along the front-rear direction on the inner surface (lower surface) of the top plate 53. The dust sending valves 53a are provided in a tilted position with respect to the rotation axis X in a plan view. Therefore, each dust sending valve 53a exerts a force to move the harvested stalks rotating together with the threshing drum 22 in the threshing chamber 21 rearward. In addition, the tilt angle of the dust sending valves 53a with respect to the rotation axis X can be adjusted. The speed at which the crop is sent rearward in the threshing drum 22 is determined by the tilt angle of the dust sending valves 53a. In addition, the threshing efficiency at which the crops are threshed is also affected by the speed at which the crops are sent in the threshing drum 22. As a result, the processing capacity at which the crops are threshed can be adjusted by using various means, and one of the means for adjusting the processing capacity is to change the tilt angle of the dust sending valves 53a. Although not particularly shown, a dust-sending valve control mechanism capable of changing and controlling the inclination attitude of the dust-sending valve 53a is provided, and the inclination angle of the dust-sending valve 53a can be automatically changed.

[0040] The threshing device 1 includes a first grain recovery section 26, a second grain recovery section 27, and a second grain returning device 32. The sorting section 42 includes a shaking sorting device 24 having a sieve case 33, and a winnower 19.

[0041] The winnower 19 is provided in the lower area of ​​the front area of ​​the sorting section 42, and generates a sorting wind from the front side of the oscillating sorting device 24 to the rear side along the transport direction of the processed material. The sorting wind has the effect of sending out waste straw, etc., which has a relatively light specific gravity, toward the rear side of the sieve case 33. In the oscillating sorting device 24, the sieve case 33 is oscillated by the oscillating drive mechanism 43, so that the threshed material inside the sieve case 33 is transported rearward while the oscillating sorting process is performed. For this reason, in the following description, in the oscillating sorting device 24, the upstream side of the transport direction of the processed material is referred to as the front end or front side, and the downstream side is referred to as the rear end or rear side. The winnower 19 can change the strength (air volume, wind speed) of the sorting wind. If the sorting wind is made stronger, it becomes easier to send the threshed material rearward, and the sorting speed becomes faster. Conversely, if the sorting wind is weakened, the threshed materials remain in the sieve case 33 for a longer period, and sorting accuracy is improved. Therefore, by changing the strength of the sorting wind of the winnower 19, the sorting efficiency (sorting accuracy and sorting speed) of the oscillating sorting device 24 can be adjusted. Although not specifically shown, a winnowing control mechanism capable of changing and controlling the strength of the sorting wind of the winnower 19 is provided, and the strength of the sorting wind of the winnower 19 can be automatically changed.

[0042] The first chaff sieve 38 is provided in the front half of the sieve case 33, and the second chaff sieve 39 is provided in the rear half of the sieve case 33. Although this is a general configuration and will not be described in detail, the sieve case 33 is provided with a grain pan and a grain sieve 40 in addition to the first chaff sieve 38. The threshed material that has leaked through the receiving net 23 falls into the first chaff sieve 38 or the second chaff sieve 39. Most of the threshed material leaks from the receiving net 23 into the front half of the sieve case 33 including the first chaff sieve 38, and is roughly sorted and finely sorted by the front half of the sieve case 33. Some of the threshed material leaks from the receiving net 23 into the second chaff sieve 39, or is transported to the second chaff sieve 39 without leaking downward from the first chaff sieve 38, and is sorted by the second chaff sieve 39.

[0043] The above-mentioned grain sieve 40 is provided below the first chaff sieve 38. That is, the oscillating sorting device 24 is provided with the grain sieve 40 provided below the first chaff sieve 38. The grain sieve 40 is made of a porous member such as a punched metal or a net, and receives the threshed material that has leaked down from the first chaff sieve 38 and sorts it.

[0044] A screw-type first grain recovery section 26 is provided below the front half of the sieve case 33, and a screw-type second grain recovery section 27 is provided below the rear half of the sieve case 33. The first grains that have been sorted and leaked by the front half of the sieve case 33, i.e., the first grains of the sorted material sorted by the sorting section 42, are recovered by the first grain recovery section 26 and transported toward the grain tank 12 side (the right side in the left-right direction of the machine body). The second grains that have been sorted and leaked by the rear half of the sieve case 33 (second chaff sieve 39) (which generally have a low sorting accuracy and a high ratio of cut straw, etc.), i.e., the second grains of the sorted material, are recovered by the second grain recovery section 27. The second grains correspond to the threshed material that has not been sorted as the sorted material. The second class pieces collected by the second class piece collection section 27 are returned to the front part of the sorting section 42 by the second class piece return device 32 and are re-sorted by the sieve case 33.

[0045] The first chaff sieve 38 is provided with a plurality of plate-shaped chaff sieves arranged in line along the transport (conveyance) direction (front-rear direction) of the threshed material. Each chaff sieve is arranged in an inclined position that is diagonally upward toward the rear end. The inclination angle of the chaff sieves is variable, and the steeper the inclination angle, the wider the gap between adjacent chaff sieves, making it easier for the threshed material to leak. In other words, the leakage opening can be changed by changing the position of the plurality of chaff sieves. Therefore, the sorting efficiency (sorting accuracy and sorting speed) of the oscillating sorting device 24 can be adjusted by adjusting the inclination angle of the chaff sieves. A lip control mechanism is provided that can change and control the inclination position of the chaff sieves, and the inclination angle of the chaff sieves can be automatically changed.

[0046] The second chaff sieve 39 has a similar configuration to the first chaff sieve 38. The second chaff sieve 39 is also provided with an angle control mechanism capable of changing and controlling the inclination attitude of the chaff flip, and the inclination angle of the chaff flip can be automatically changed.

[0047] FIG. 4 is a front view of the grain tank 12, the lifting device 29, and the threshing device 1, and FIG. 5 is a vertical right side view of the lifting device 29. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the lifting device 29 is provided to transport the sorted material collected by the first grain collection section 26 to the grain tank 12. The lifting device 29 is disposed between the threshing device 1 and the grain tank 12, and is erected in a vertical position. The lifting device 29 is configured as a bucket conveyor. The sorted material lifted by the lifting device 29 is delivered to the lateral conveying device 30 at the upper end of the lifting device 29. The lateral conveying device 30 is connected adjacent to the lifting device 29. The lateral conveying device 30 is configured as a screw conveyor, and is inserted into the grain tank 12 from the front left wall of the grain tank 12. The horizontal conveying device 30 has a screw section 30S that rotates around the horizontal axis Y1 of the machine body. A grain discharge device 30A is provided at the end of the horizontal conveying device 30 on the tank inner side. The grain discharge device 30A has a plate-shaped discharge rotor 30B and rotates together with the screw section 30S. The sorted processing material (grains) is conveyed horizontally by the horizontal conveying device 30, and is finally thrown into the grain tank 12 by the grain discharge device 30A. In other words, the horizontal conveying device 30 receives the grains conveyed by the lifting device 29, conveys them horizontally, and throws them into the grain tank 12. The lifting device 29 and the horizontal conveying device 30 are the "conveying device" of the present invention. Moreover, the lifting device 29 is the "vertical conveying section" of the present invention, and the horizontal conveying device 30 is the "horizontal conveying section" of the present invention. In addition, the screw section 30S is the "screw" of the present invention.

[0048] In the grain lifting device 29, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a plurality of buckets 31 are attached at regular intervals to the outer periphery of an endless rotating chain 29C wound around a driving sprocket 29A and a driven sprocket 29B. In other words, the grain lifting device 29 has a plurality of buckets 31 that lift the grains obtained by the threshing device 1. The buckets 31 are the "throwing section" of the present invention. The grain lifting device 29 includes a feed path 29D (the "conveying path" of the present invention) along which the buckets 31 containing the sorted material rise, and a return path 29E along which the buckets 31 descend after discharging the sorted material to the transverse conveying device 30. The feed path 29D and the return path 29E are arranged side by side along the left side wall 12b of the grain tank 12 so that the feed path 29D is on the rear side.

[0049] [Configuration of the first item sensor] A first grain sensor 60 is provided between the lifting device 29 and the transverse conveying device 30. The first grain sensor 60 is the "flow rate measuring device" of the present invention. The first grain sensor 60 is disposed at the upper end of the lifting device 29 so as to measure the amount of the sorted grains transferred from the bucket 31 to the transverse conveying device 30. The first grain sensor 60 measures the flow rate Fv1 (see FIG. 17) of the grains conveyed by the lifting device 29 and the transverse conveying device 30. The first grain sensor 60 is provided with an arm portion 63 that swings in contact with the conveyed grains, a first sensor portion 64 (the "sensor portion" of the present invention), and a first flow rate calculation portion 81A (see FIG. 17, the "calculation portion" of the present invention). The first sensor portion 64 detects the swing angle θ1 (see FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG. 17) of the arm portion 63. The first flow rate calculation portion 81A calculates the flow rate Fv1 based on the detected swing angle θ1.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 5, the bucket 31 moves upward along the feed path 29D, and the grains are loaded into the bucket 31 and transported from the first grain recovery section 26 to the upper end of the grain lifting device 29. A discharge port 29h is formed at the upper end of the lifting device 29. The discharge port 29h is provided on the side opposite to the feed path 29D among the side portions where the return path 29E is located at the upper end of the lifting device 29. When the bucket 31 moves from the feed path 29D to the return path 29E at the upper end of the lifting device 29, the bucket 31 reverses its position from the raised position to the lowered position. At this time, the bucket 31 rotates 180 degrees (or approximately 180 degrees) around the rotation axis of the driven sprocket 29B, and centrifugal force acts on the grains loaded in the bucket 31. Then, the bucket 31 throws the grains at the discharge port 29h during the rotation. In other words, the grains are thrown at the discharge port 29h by the bucket 31 that reverses its position from the raised position to the lowered position at the upper end of the lifting device 29. The upper end of the lifting device 29, i.e., the upper ends of the feed path 29D and the return path 29E, are covered with a top plate 61. The lateral conveying device 30 is connected to the discharge port 29h. That is, outside the discharge port 29h and above the lateral conveying device 30, a transfer space between the lifting device 29 and the lateral conveying device 30 is formed. When the grains are thrown from the bucket 31, they are fed into the lateral conveying device 30 while tracing a parabola in the space below the top plate 61.

[0051] As shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7, a bulging portion 65 is provided on the top plate 61 of the grain lifting device 29. The bulging portion 65 bulges upward from the surface portion of the top plate 61, and an internal space 62 is formed inside the bulging portion 65. The first grain sensor 60 is supported by the bulging portion 65. The first grain sensor 60 measures the flow rate Fv1 of the grains thrown from the bucket 31. The first grain sensor 60 is provided with an arm portion 63, a first sensor portion 64, and a rotating shaft 66.

[0052] A rotating shaft 66 is supported on the bulging portion 65. An arm portion 63 is attached to the rotating shaft 66 so as to be rotatable integrally with the rotating shaft 66. The arm portion 63 extends downward from the rotating shaft 66. The arm portion 63 is supported so as to be swingable around a swing axis Y2 of the rotating shaft 66.

[0053] The arm 63 is located on the throwing path (throwing path area S1) of the grains thrown from the bucket 31, and swings when the grains thrown by the bucket 31 come into contact with the arm 63. The arm 63 is provided in a hanging position facing the discharge port 29h when the grains are not in contact with the arm 63, and is configured to be shorter than the vertical length of the discharge port 29h. The bulging portion 65 is formed so that the part of the bulging portion 65 located directly above the rotation shaft 66 is at the highest position. In addition, an inclined surface 65a is formed at the front of the machine body of the bulging portion 65, and the inclined surface 65a approaches the top plate 61 as it approaches the front side of the machine body. In order to clearly show the arm 63, only the front lower part of the inclined surface 65a in FIG. 6 is shown.

[0054] A flange portion 65b is formed on the left side of the bulging portion 65, and a stay 67 is connected to the flange portion 65b by a bolt Bo. In a plan view, the longitudinal center region of the stay 67 protrudes away from the bulging portion 65 beyond both longitudinal ends of the stay 67. A first sensor unit 64 is supported in the longitudinal center region of the stay 67. The first sensor unit 64 is located outside the grain lifting device 29, sandwiching the flange portion 65b of the bulging portion 65 therebetween. In other words, the first sensor unit 64 is provided at a position outside the throwing path region S1 of the grain thrown from the bucket 31, and is partitioned off from the throwing path region S1.

[0055] A through hole is formed in the flange portion 65b of the bulging portion 65, and the rotating shaft 66 passes through the through hole. A link arm 66A is provided at the end of the rotating shaft 66 opposite to the side where the arm portion 63 is located, with the flange portion 65b of the bulging portion 65 in between, and the link arm 66A extends radially outward from the rotating shaft 66. A through hole is formed in the longitudinal center region of the stay 67, and the rotating shaft portion 64A of the first sensor portion 64 passes through the through hole. A link arm 64B is connected to the tip end of the rotating shaft portion 64A of the first sensor portion 64, and the link arm 64B extends radially outward. The link arm 66A and the link arm 64B are connected by a pin. As a result, the arm portion 63, which rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 66, and the first sensor portion 64 are interlocked and connected via the link arm 66A, the link arm 64B, and the pin 99. With this configuration, the first sensor unit 64 is less likely to receive impact from the arm unit 63 and is less likely to break down, compared to a configuration in which the first sensor unit 64 and the rotating shaft 66 are directly connected. The first sensor unit 64 detects the swing angle θ1 (see FIG. 17) of the arm unit 63. Also, a first flow rate calculation unit 81A is provided that calculates the flow rate Fv1 based on the swing angle θ1 (see FIG. 17). For example, a map or formula showing the relationship between the swing angle θ1 and the flow rate Fv1 is stored in advance in the first flow rate calculation unit 81A. The map or formula showing the relationship between the swing angle θ1 and the flow rate Fv1 is obtained in advance by experiment and calculation (experiment or calculation). The first flow rate calculation unit 81A then calculates the flow rate Fv1 based on the map or formula.

[0056] A long hole is formed in one of the link arm 66A and the link arm 64B, and a round hole is formed in the other of the link arm 66A and the link arm 64B. The long hole extends along the longitudinal direction of the one of the arms. A pin 99 is inserted through the long hole of the one of the arms and the round hole of the other of the arms, thereby connecting the link arm 66A and the link arm 64B by pin connection. Since a long hole is formed in one of the link arm 66A and the link arm 64B, a centering error in the pin connection between the link arm 66A and the link arm 64B is allowed. With this configuration, it is not necessary to precisely align the rotating shaft of the first sensor unit 64 and the rotating shaft 66 on the same axis, and the first sensor unit 64 in the first object sensor 60 can be easily assembled.

[0057] The stay 67 has insertion holes at its left and right ends for inserting the bolts Bo, and the diameter of the insertion holes is larger than the nominal diameter of the bolts Bo (for example, about 3 mm larger than the nominal diameter) and smaller than the diameter of the head of the bolts Bo. This configuration makes it easy to align the rotation shaft of the first sensor unit 64 with the rotation shaft 66. That is, the first sensor unit 64 can be easily assembled in the first object sensor 60.

[0058] A spring receiving portion 67a is provided on the stay 67. A coil spring 68 is stretched across the free end of the link arm 66A and the spring receiving portion 67a. The arm portion 63 is urged to swing toward the grain lifting device 29 by the pulling force of the coil spring 68. The region of the arm portion 63 on the swing base end side abuts on the locking portion 69, and is held in a downward standby position against the spring force of the coil spring 68. If the arm portion 63 abuts on the locking portion 69 and the biasing force of the coil spring 68 acts on the arm portion 63, even if vibrations due to unevenness in the field or vibrations from the engine are transmitted to the arm portion 63, the arm portion 63 is held in the downward standby position with almost no effect of the vibrations.

[0059] With the above configuration, the arm portion 63 is configured to be able to swing within a range between the downward position and the front lower end portion of the inclined surface 65a. In this case, the swing angle θ1 of the arm portion 63 is set to, for example, 40 degrees.

[0060] Of the lateral feed conveying device 30, a receiving portion 30d is formed at the conveying direction starting end of a cylindrical case covering the screw portion 30S, and the receiving portion 30d receives the grains thrown from the bucket 31. The receiving portion 30d extends beyond the screw portion 30S of the lateral feed conveying device 30 toward the side where the grain lifting device 29 is located. The receiving portion 30d is inclined so that it is positioned lower toward the side where the screw portion 30S is located.

[0061] 5, the region where the extended tip of the receiving portion 30d is located in the side view of the machine body is indicated by a virtual line L1, and the arm portion 63 is disposed on the side where the screw portion 30S of the lateral feed conveying device 30 is located from the virtual line L1. Also, the portion where the lateral axis Y1 of the screw portion 30S is located in the side view of the machine body is indicated by a virtual line L2, and the arm portion 63 is disposed on the side where the lifting device 29 is located from the virtual line L2 in a state where the grains extend downward without colliding with each other. In other words, the arm portion 63 is disposed in the region between the virtual lines L1 and L2 in a state where the grains extend downward without colliding with each other. In other words, the arm portion 63 is configured to swing around a swing axis Y2 located at a position higher than the screw portion 30S in the transfer space between the grain lifting device 29 and the lateral feed conveying device 30, and in the direction in which the grain lifting device 29 and the lateral feed conveying device 30 are adjacent to each other, between the discharge outlet 29h and the body lateral axis Y1.

[0062] When grains collide with the arm portion 63, the grains fall downward due to the repulsive force from the arm portion 63. For this reason, grains that collide with the arm portion 63 are more likely to fall into the return path 29E than grains that do not collide with the arm portion 63. In this embodiment, the arm portion 63 is disposed on the side where the screw portion 30S of the lateral conveying device 30 is located, rather than the extending tip of the receiving portion 30d. For this reason, most of the grains that collide with the arm portion 63 and are rebounded are received by the receiving portion 30d, and are guided into the grain tank 12 by the lateral conveying device 30. As a result, grains that collide with the arm portion 63 are less likely to fall into the return path 29E.

[0063] The arm portion 63 is formed so that the width of the arm portion 63 is half or less of the width of the bucket 31. Since the grains are thrown from the bucket 31 almost uniformly in the width direction of the bucket 31, more than half of the grains thrown from the bucket 31 are received by the receiving portion 30d without colliding with the arm portion 63. As a result, the risk that the grains will be bounced back by the arm portion 63 and fall into the return path 29E is reduced. In other words, the width of the arm portion 63 is set narrower than the width of the opening of the bucket 31.

[0064] Furthermore, the arm portion 63 is disposed on the side of the imaginary line L2 where the grain lifting device 29 is located, in a state in which the grains extend downward without colliding with the arm portion 63. Therefore, the grains collide more strongly with the arm portion 63, compared to a configuration in which the arm portion 63 is disposed on the opposite side of the imaginary line L2 from the side where the grain lifting device 29 is located. For this reason, even if the amount of grains thrown from the bucket 31 is small, the first grain sensor 60 can accurately measure the grain flow rate Fv1.

[0065] As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, when the grains are thrown from the bucket 31, the grains fall in a vertically continuous band shape while drawing a parabola toward the side where the receiving part 30d is located. The arm part 63 is located on the throwing path of the grains (throwing path area S1), and the grains located at the upper side of the vertically continuous band shape come into contact with the arm part 63. When the grains thrown from the bucket 31 come into contact with the arm part 63, the pressing force of the arm part 63 causes the arm part 63 to swing in a direction away from the bucket 31 that threw the grains, against the biasing force of the coil spring 68. The grains that collide with the arm part 63 fall downward due to the repulsive force from the arm part 63, are received by the receiving part 30d, and are guided toward the side where the screw part 30S is located. The swinging base end of the arm part 63 is located above the grain throwing path area S1. In other words, the arm portion 63 is configured to swing around a swing axis Y2 that is provided at a position outside the throwing path area S1 of the grains thrown from the bucket 31.

[0066] A virtual line L3 is shown in FIG. 5. The virtual line L3 extends downward from the swing axis Y2 and intersects with the upper end line of the throwing path area S1 in a direction perpendicular to the axis. The free end of the arm 63 is located on the virtual line L2 side of the virtual line L3 in a state where the kernel extends downward without colliding with the kernel. For this reason, the more the arm 63 swings toward the virtual line L2, the more the portion of the arm 63 that protrudes outside the range of the throwing path area S1 increases. In other words, the arm 63 is configured such that the larger the swing angle θ1, the more the portion that protrudes outside the throwing path area S1 increases.

[0067] As shown in Fig. 8, when grains are thrown from the bucket 31 and come into contact with the arm portion 63, the arm portion 63 swings. Then, when most of the grains thrown from the bucket 31 have passed through the area where the arm portion 63 is located, the arm portion 63 is returned to the downward position by the biasing force of the coil spring 68. In this embodiment, 20 to 30 buckets 31 pass the upper end of the lifting device 29 per second, and grains are thrown from the buckets 31 at the discharge port 29h at intervals of 1 / 20 to 1 / 30 seconds. For this reason, the arm portion 63 swings (vibrates) at a period of 1 / 20 to 1 / 30 seconds.

[0068] In the example shown in FIG. 9, the amount of grains thrown from the bucket 31 is greater than that in the example shown in FIG. 8. When the amount of grains thrown from the bucket 31 increases, the thrown grains become lumpy at the discharge port 29h and increase in thickness. When the amount of grains thrown from the bucket 31 increases, the swing angle θ1 of the arm unit 63 increases. Also, when the amount of grains thrown from the bucket 31 increases, the grains become lumpy at the discharge port 29h and increase in thickness, so that the time required for the lumpy grains to pass through the throwing path area S1 increases. For this reason, there is almost no time for the arm unit 63 to return to the downward posture, and the swing angle θ1 remains large.

[0069] When the arm portion 63 comes into contact with the front lower end of the inclined surface 65a, the swing of the arm portion 63 stops. In other words, when the arm portion 63 comes into contact with the front lower end of the inclined surface 65a, the swing of the arm portion 63 is swung to the maximum. In this state, substantially the entire arm portion 63 except for the free end is stored in the internal space 62. At this time, the kernels thrown in a parabolic shape along the inner peripheral side surface of the top plate 61 come into contact only with the free end of the arm portion 63, and therefore most of the kernels are guided to the receiving portion 30d of the lateral feed conveying device 30 without coming into contact with the arm portion 63.

[0070] [Configuration of the second sensor] As described above, the second grains are returned to the upstream side, which is the front part of the oscillating sorting device 24, by the second grain returning device 32. Specifically, the second grain discharge port 32A of the second grain returning device 32 is provided at a radially outer position of the arc-shaped receiving net 23 (a position to the side of the receiving net 23 where the second grains do not pass through the receiving net 23), and the second grains are discharged at this position. The threshing device 1 is provided with a second grain sensor 70 that measures the flow rate Fv2 of the second grain thus returned (amount of second grain returned, see FIG. 17). FIGS. 10 to 13 show the arrangement of such a second grain discharge port 32A.

[0071] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 10, the second grain discharge port 32A is provided facing the receiving net 23 side. As shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, a rotating blade 32B that rotates together with the screw constituting the second grain returning device 32 is provided near the second grain discharge port 32A. The second grains transported by the second grain returning device 32 are discharged radially outward from the second grain discharge port 32A by the rotating blade 32B through an insertion hole formed in the side wall 50 of the threshing section 41, and are discharged as shown by the dashed arrow in Fig. 12.

[0072] The second-item discharge port 32A is provided with a guide section 32C that guides the discharged second-item pieces toward the upstream side of the rocking sorting device 24 in the direction of transport of the processed materials. The guide section 32C is configured in a shape that presents a part of a cylinder having an inner peripheral surface that faces the second-item discharge port 32A. In other words, the guide section 32C has a shape in which a band plate is bent into an arc shape. The inner peripheral surface of this guide section 32C regulates the discharge direction of the second-item pieces discharged by the rotary vanes 32B.

[0073] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the second grain sensor 70 is supported on the inner side portion of the side wall 50 in the threshing section 41. The second grain sensor 70 is configured to measure the flow rate Fv2 of the second grains that are returned by contacting the second grains discharged by the rotary vane 32B in the second grain returning device 32. The second grain sensor 70 includes a swing arm 72 that is located on the extension of the discharge of the second grains discharged by the second grain returning device 32 and swings when the discharged second grains come into contact with the swing arm 72, a second sensor unit 73 that measures the flow rate Fv2 of the second grains based on the swing angle θ2 of the swing arm 72 (see Figure 17), a support frame 74 that supports the second sensor unit 73 and the swing arm 72, and a cover body 75 that covers the upper part of the second grain sensor 70.

[0074] The second sensor unit 73 has a potentiometer built into the case, and is fastened to an inner portion of the support frame 74 by bolts. The second sensor unit 73 is provided with a rotating shaft 76 that passes through the support frame 74 and protrudes outward (toward the side wall 50), and a swinging arm 72 is attached to the rotating shaft 76 so as to be integrally rotatable. The swinging arm 72 extends downward from the rotating shaft 76, and is provided in a state in which it is located within the guide path along which the secondary object is guided by the guide portion 32C. The swinging arm 72 is supported so as to be swingable around the axis of the rotating shaft 76.

[0075] The cover body 75 is configured to cover the upper parts of the swing arm 72, the second sensor unit 73, and the support frame 74. This cover body 75 can prevent fine dust from the threshed grains that leak through the receiving net 23 from falling on the swing arm 72 or the second sensor unit 73 and impeding the measurement operation.

[0076] 13, the swing arm 72 has an extension portion that extends above the rotation shaft 76, and a coil spring 78 is tensioned between the extension portion and a spring receiving portion 77. The swing arm 72 is biased to swing toward the second article discharge port 32A by the tension force of the coil spring 78. The swing arm 72 has an upper end that abuts against a locking portion 79, and is held in a downward standby position against the spring force.

[0077] When the second object discharged by the rotary vane 32B through the second object discharge port 32A comes into contact with the swing arm 72, the pressing force of the swing arm 72 causes the swing arm 72 to swing in a direction away from the second object discharge port 32A against the biasing force of the coil spring 78. The swing angle θ2 at this time is measured by the second sensor unit 73, and the second flow rate calculation unit 81B (see FIG. 17) calculates the flow rate Fv2 of the second object based on the measurement result of the second sensor unit 73. Specifically, it is preferable to store a map or formula showing the relationship between the swing angle θ2 and the flow rate Fv2 of the second object in the second flow rate calculation unit 81B, and calculate the flow rate Fv2 of the second object based on the map or formula.

[0078] [Configuration of the hump that contacts the bucket] Details of the hump 30e shown in FIG. 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14, 15, and 16. As described above, at the discharge port 29h, the bucket 31 discharges grains while rotating 180 degrees (or approximately 180 degrees) around the rotation axis of the driven sprocket 29B. However, for example, grains may be stuck to the inside of the bucket 31. Grains stuck to the inside of the bucket 31 may not be released from the bucket 31 by the rotation of the bucket 31 alone. For this reason, if grains are stuck to the inside of the bucket 31, there is a risk that this will lead to a decrease in the conveying efficiency of the lifting device 29 and a loss of grain yield. In order to reduce such inconvenience, a rubber hump 30e is bolted to the protruding tip of the receiving portion 30d. The hump 30e is positioned so as to come into contact with the bucket 31. The impact of the contact between the hump 30e and the bucket 31 causes the grains remaining in the bucket 31 to be ejected and guided to the receiving section 30d. When the bucket 31 moves downward, the hump 30e elastically deforms downward while swinging upward. When the bucket 31 moves further downward along the return path 29E, the hump 30e and the bucket 31 separate. At this time, the elastic energy of the hump 30e is released, and the hump 30e returns to its original shape with force. When the bucket 31 separates from the hump 30e, the impact caused by the elastic energy of the hump 30e is transmitted to the bucket 31, causing the grains remaining in the bucket 31 to be ejected and fall downward. The grains that fall downward are returned to the first waste collection section 26 along the return path 29E. This configuration reduces the risk of grains sticking to the inside of the bucket 31.

[0079] [Calculating the amount of work] The calculation of the workload will be described with reference to FIG. 17. The first flow rate calculation unit 81A calculates the flow rate Fv1 of the grains flowing through the lifting device 29 and the transverse conveying device 30 based on the swing angle θ1 of the arm unit 63 measured by the first sensor unit 64. The correlation between the swing angle θ1 and the grain flow rate Fv1 is obtained, for example, by experimental data or a learning algorithm. Data on the correlation between the swing angle θ1 and the grain flow rate Fv1 obtained by the experimental data or the learning algorithm is stored in a storage device (not shown) or the like. In this embodiment, the first flow rate calculation unit 81A can calculate the grain flow rate Fv1 at a sampling period of, for example, 1 / 20 to 1 / 30 seconds. Thus, the first flow rate calculation unit 81A can calculate the grain flow rate Fv1 flowing through the lifting device 29 and the transverse conveying device 30 in real time (or approximately real time).

[0080] The second flow rate calculation unit 81B calculates the flow rate Fv2 of the second object discharged from the second object discharge port 32A based on the swing angle θ2 of the swing arm 72 measured by the second sensor unit 73. The correlation between the swing angle θ2 and the flow rate Fv2 of the second object is obtained, for example, by experimental data or a learning algorithm. Data on the correlation between the swing angle θ2 obtained by the experimental data or the learning algorithm and the flow rate Fv2 of the second object is stored in a storage device (not shown) or the like. Like the first flow rate calculation unit 81A, the second flow rate calculation unit 81B can calculate the flow rate Fv2 of the second object discharged from the second object discharge port 32A in real time (or approximately real time).

[0081] The yield receiving unit 85 receives the specific yield value Vd. Examples of the specific yield value Vd include a yield value corresponding to a known capacity of the grain tank 12, a yield value corresponding to a capacity (or remaining amount) that a transport vehicle can transport, and a yield value corresponding to a capacity that a dryer in a drying facility can dry. The specific yield value Vd may be configured to read out the capacity of the grain tank 12 stored in advance in a storage device (not shown) or the like, or may be configured to be set by an operator on an operation panel of the operation unit 9. The specific yield value Vd may also be configured to receive data from an external device via a wireless communication network. The specific yield value Vd received by the yield receiving unit 85 is sent to the work amount calculation unit 84.

[0082] The aircraft position calculation unit 88 calculates the aircraft position coordinates over time based on the positioning data output by the satellite positioning module 83. That is, the aircraft position calculation unit 88 calculates the aircraft position using satellite positioning. The calculated aircraft position coordinates over time are sent to the work amount calculation unit 84.

[0083] The workload calculation unit 84 calculates in real time the total amount of grains stored in the grain tank 12, i.e., the yield Vi, by integrating the grain flow rate Fv1 calculated by the first flow rate calculation unit 81A. Since the grain flow rate Fv1 is successively sent from the first flow rate calculation unit 81A every 1 / 20 to 1 / 30 seconds, for example, the workload calculation unit 84 can calculate the average yield Vt per unit time based on the grain flow rate Fv1.

[0084] Furthermore, the workload calculation unit 84 receives the machine's position coordinates over time calculated by the machine position calculation unit 88, and can calculate the travel distance and speed by calculating the difference in the machine's position coordinates over time. This allows the workload calculation unit 84 to calculate the average yield Vr per unit travel distance based on the grain flow rate Fv1.

[0085] Furthermore, the work amount calculation unit 84 is configured to calculate various work amounts based on the specific yield value Vd, the grain flow rate Fv1, and the position coordinates of the machine calculated by the machine position calculation unit 88. In this embodiment, the various work amounts are the work amounts until grains corresponding to the specific yield value Vd are stored in the grain tank 12. For example, if the specific yield value Vd is the capacity of the grain tank 12, the work amount calculation unit 84 calculates the work amount until the grain tank 12 is full. Also, for example, if the specific yield value Vd is the transportable capacity (or remaining amount) of the transport vehicle, the work amount calculation unit 84 calculates the work amount corresponding to the transportable capacity (or remaining amount) of the transport vehicle.

[0086] As a specific example, the workload calculation unit 84 calculates a remaining amount value Vre as the workload by the following formula. Vre = Vd-Vi The remaining amount value Vre is a value obtained by subtracting the yield Vi from the specific yield value Vd. The work amount calculation unit 84 also calculates the work time Tw as the work amount by the following formula. Tw=Vre / Vt The work time Tw is a value obtained by dividing a remaining amount value Vre, which is obtained by subtracting the yield Vi from the specific yield value Vd, by the average yield per unit time Vt. In addition, the work amount calculation unit 84 calculates a work travel distance Dw as the work amount using the following formula. Dw=Vre / Vr The work travel distance Dw is a value obtained by dividing the remaining amount value Vre, which is obtained by subtracting the yield Vi from the specific yield value Vd, by the average yield Vr per unit travel distance. In this way, the work amount calculation unit 84 calculates the amount of work required for the yield Vi of the grains obtained by the harvesting work to reach the specific yield value Vd, based on the grain flow rate Fv1.

[0087] The workload calculated by the workload calculation unit 84 (e.g., remaining amount value Vre, work time Tw, work travel distance Dw, etc.) is notified to an operator, etc. by a notification unit 87. When the notification unit 87 is, for example, a liquid crystal monitor provided in the driving unit 9, the respective calculation results of the first flow rate calculation unit 81A and the workload calculation unit 84 are displayed on the liquid crystal monitor. The notification unit 87 may be an LED lamp, a buzzer, a voice guide, etc.

[0088] When the screw conveyor 14A of the grain discharge device 14 rotates, the grains stored in the grain tank 12 are discharged outside the machine. The discharge amount calculation unit 86 calculates the amount of grains discharged from the grain tank 12 based on the rotation speed Rv of the screw conveyor 14A of the grain discharge device 14. In this embodiment, the rotation speed Rv of the screw conveyor 14A is detected by the rotation speed detection unit 14B. The discharge amount of grains discharged per unit time by the grain discharge device 14 is proportional (or approximately proportional) to the rotation speed Rv of the screw conveyor 14A. Therefore, the discharge amount of grains is calculated in real time by multiplying the rotation speed Rv of the screw conveyor 14A by time. Before the grains are discharged outside the machine, the yield Vi of the grains stored in the grain tank 12 is calculated by the work amount calculation unit 84. Therefore, the discharge amount calculation unit 86 may calculate the remaining amount of grains left inside the grain tank 12 in real time by subtracting the integrated discharge amount from the yield Vi while the grains are being discharged. The calculation result of the discharge amount calculation unit 86 is notified to an operator or the like by the notification unit 87. When the notification unit 87 is a liquid crystal monitor, the calculation result of the discharge amount calculation unit 86 is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor.

[0089] The grains stored in the grain tank 12 tend to accumulate in mountains, but with this configuration, the first grain sensor 60 detects the grain flow rate Fv1 between the lifting device 29 and the lateral conveying device 30. The configuration in which the first grain sensor 60 detects the grain flow rate Fv1 between the lifting device 29 and the lateral conveying device 30 makes it possible to calculate the amount of work with high accuracy, regardless of the shape of the grain accumulation inside the grain tank 12.

[0090] [Regarding the determination of control parameters] 17, the measurement results by the first grain sensor 60 and the measurement results by the second grain sensor 70 are transmitted to a parameter determination unit 80. The parameter determination unit 80 determines the control parameters of the threshing device 1 according to the ratio of the second grain return amount to the first grain recovery amount. The first grain recovery amount is the recovery amount of the first grain indicated by the measurement result of the first grain sensor 60, and is the grain flow rate Fv1. The second grain return amount is the return amount of the second grain indicated by the measurement result of the second grain sensor 70, and is the flow rate of the second grain. The ratio of the second grain return amount to the first grain recovery amount is the value obtained by dividing the return amount of the second grain by the recovery amount of the first grain. Here, the first grain recovery amount and the second grain return amount do not always have a constant measurement result due to the configuration of the first grain sensor 60 and the second grain sensor 70. Therefore, the parameter determination unit 80 may calculate the average value of the first grain recovery amount and the second grain return amount at a predetermined time to obtain the above ratio, or may obtain the above ratio using the instantaneous value of the first grain recovery amount and the second grain return amount obtained at a predetermined timing.

[0091] The control parameters of the threshing device 1 are device setting values ​​for setting the capacity of the threshing device 1, and specifically, threshing parameters for setting the threshing capacity of the threshing unit 41 of the threshing device 1 and sorting parameters for setting the sorting capacity of the sorting unit 42 correspond to the threshing parameters for setting the threshing capacity of the threshing unit 41 and the sorting parameters for setting the sorting capacity of the sorting unit 42. The threshing parameters for setting the threshing capacity of the threshing unit 41 correspond to the setting values ​​for setting the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 55 of the threshing drum 22 and the setting values ​​for setting the mounting angle of the dust sending valve 53a to the top plate 53. The sorting parameters for setting the sorting capacity of the sorting unit 42 correspond to the setting values ​​for setting the air volume of the sorting air from the winnower 19, the setting values ​​for setting the leakage opening of the chaff sieve, and the setting values ​​for setting the rocking speed and rocking amount of the rocking drive mechanism 43 for rocking the rocking sorting device 24. Furthermore, the amount of crops harvested by the combine can be changed by increasing or decreasing the running speed of the machine frame 2. Therefore, the running speed of the machine frame 2 is also included in the control parameters.

[0092] The parameter determination unit 80 changes the above-mentioned control parameters to determine the sorting capacity of the oscillating sorting device 24, i.e., the sorting degree (or sorting efficiency), which is the ratio of the amount of first particles recovered by the first particles recovery unit 26 to the amount of processed material leaking through the receiving net 23, so that it is appropriate.

[0093] As shown in Fig. 18, when setting a predetermined control parameter, the parameter determination unit 80 may be configured to set a first threshold value and a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value for the ratio of the amount of the second product returned to the amount of the first product recovered in advance, and set the control parameter with a setting range between the first threshold value and the second threshold value. This allows the minimum and maximum values ​​of the control parameter to be set, making it possible to ensure the control amount.

[0094] Returning to FIG. 17, the control unit 82 controls the threshing device 1 based on the control parameters. That is, the control unit 82 controls the threshing section 41 and the sorting section 42 of the threshing device 1 based on the above-mentioned control parameters. In the threshing device 1 controlled in this manner, the first grain sensor 60 and the second grain sensor 70 measure the recovery amount and the return amount, respectively, and further, the parameter determination section 80 determines the control parameters, and the control unit 82 controls the threshing device 1. Therefore, the control unit 82 performs feedback control based on the measurement results of the first grain sensor 60 and the second grain sensor 70, and while the combine is performing the harvesting work, it is possible to set appropriate control parameters in real time according to the work situation and perform the harvesting work appropriately.

[0095] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19, the larger the ratio of the amount of the second-grade returned to the amount of the first-grade recovered, the larger the leakage opening of the chaff sieve is, and the larger the ratio of the amount of the second-grade returned to the amount of the first-grade recovered, the larger the wind volume of the sorting air of the winnower 19 is. When the ratio of the amount of the second-grade returned to the amount of the first-grade recovered is large, there is a possibility that a large amount of the materials are not recovered as the first-grade materials in the oscillating sorting device 24 and are not returned as the second-grade materials, but are transported backward from the oscillating sorting device 24 as the third-grade materials. Therefore, when the ratio of the amount of the second-grade returned to the amount of the first-grade recovered is large, the leakage opening of the chaff sieve is set to be large to make it easier for the sorted materials to leak to the first-grade recovery section 26 or the second-grade recovery section 27, and the wind volume of the sorting air of the winnower 19 is increased, making it possible to transport materials other than the sorted materials behind the oscillating sorting device 24. This makes it possible to reduce the loss of the third-grade materials that are transported as the third-grade materials. On the other hand, when the ratio of the second-grade return amount to the first-grade recovery amount is small, the sorting accuracy is too high, and there is a possibility that a large amount is transported to the second-grade recovery section 27 without being recovered as the first-grade in the oscillating sorting device 24. Therefore, when the ratio of the second-grade return amount to the first-grade recovery amount is small, the leakage opening of the chaff sieve is set large to make it easier for the sorted material to leak to the first-grade recovery section 26, and the wind volume of the sorting wind of the winnower 19 is reduced to make it difficult to transport the sorted material to the rear of the oscillating sorting device 24. This makes it easier to recover the first-grade. In FIG. 19, the relationship between the leakage opening and the ratio of the second-grade return amount to the first-grade recovery amount and the relationship between the wind volume and the ratio of the second-grade return amount to the first-grade recovery amount are shown as the same characteristics, but they can be different characteristics and can be changed for each type of crop.

[0096] In some cases, even if the leakage opening of the chaff sieve is increased and the wind volume of the sorting air of the winnower 19 is increased, it is assumed that the ratio of the amount of second-grade returned to the amount of first-grade recovered does not decrease, but this is due to the amount of crops supplied to the threshing device 1 being too large. Therefore, even if the leakage opening of the chaff sieve is increased and the wind volume of the sorting air of the winnower 19 is increased, when the ratio of the amount of second-grade returned to the amount of first-grade recovered does not decrease, it is preferable for the traveling device 3 to reduce the traveling speed of the machine frame 2. This reduces the amount of crops supplied to the threshing device 1, and the threshing and sorting amounts in the threshing device 1 can be reduced, making it possible to perform the sorting process appropriately.

[0097] Furthermore, when the ratio of the amount of second-grade returned grains to the amount of first-grade recovered grains does not become small within a preset time after the chaff sieve leakage opening is increased and the amount of sorting air from the winnower 19 is increased due to an unexpected reason, or when the ratio of the amount of second-grade returned grains to the amount of first-grade recovered grains does not become small within a preset time after the traveling speed of the machine frame 2 is reduced, it is preferable for the traveling device 3 to stop the machine frame 2. This makes it possible to temporarily halt the supply of crops to the threshing device 1, thereby reducing the load related to the threshing and sorting processes in the threshing device 1. Therefore, it is now possible to process the crops in the threshing device 1.

[0098] Also, even if the leakage opening of the chaff sieve is increased and the volume of the sorting air from the winnower 19 is increased, it is possible to configure the notification unit 87 to notify if the ratio of the amount of second-grade returned to the amount of first-grade recovered does not decrease. This makes it possible to notify the operator and those around that the ratio of the amount of second-grade returned to the amount of first-grade recovered does not increase.

[0099] Other embodiments The present invention is not limited to the configurations exemplified in the above-described embodiments, and other representative embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

[0100] (1) In the above embodiment, the combine harvester is a normal type combine harvester, but the combine harvester may be a head-threshing type combine harvester. The configuration of the first grain sensor 60 shown in the above embodiment is also applicable to a head-threshing type combine harvester. For example, as shown in Figs. 20 to 24, the first grain sensor 91 may be supported on the top plate 12t of the grain tank 12. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 20 to 24, a lifting device 90 extending vertically is supported on the left side wall 12b of the grain tank 12. The lifting device 90 is the "vertical conveying section" of the present invention, and the lifting device 90 as the "vertical conveying section" is a part of the "conveying device" of the present invention. The lifting device 90 is provided with a screw conveyor 90A. The screw conveyor 90A is the "vertical screw" of the present invention, and while rotating around the vertical rotation axis P1, lifts the grains obtained by the threshing device 1 and feeds them into the grain tank 12. The screw conveyor 90A rotates clockwise in a plan view. A discharge port 12h is formed in the left side wall 12b at a location where the upper end of the lifting device 90 is located, and the discharge port 12h communicates with the internal space of the lifting device 90.

[0101] The screw conveyor 90A vertically transports grains from the bottom of the threshing device 1, and a rotating blade 90B is provided at the upper end of the screw conveyor 90A. The rotating blade 90B rotates together with the screw conveyor 90A around the rotation axis P1. The discharge port 12h is provided at the location where the rotating blade 90B is located.

[0102] In the embodiment shown in Figs. 20 to 24, the first grain sensor 91 is equipped with an arm portion 92, a sensor portion 93, and a rotating shaft 94. The arm portion 92 is provided inside the grain tank 12. The arm portion 92 is located forward of the rotating shaft center P1 of the screw conveyor 90A in the traveling direction. When the grains are released from the discharge port 12h, some of the grains come into contact with the arm portion 92, causing the arm portion 92 to swing. The swing angle θ1 of the arm portion 92 is measured by the sensor portion 93, and the grain flow rate Fv1 is calculated based on the measurement result.

[0103] In the embodiment shown in Figs. 20 to 24, a bulging portion 95 is formed on the top plate 12t of the grain tank 12. The bulging portion 95 bulges upward from the surface portion of the top plate 12t, and a bulging space 95S is formed inside the bulging portion 95. A rotating shaft 94 of the arm portion 92 is supported on the bulging portion 95. With this configuration, the arm portion 92 is supported by being suspended from the top plate 12t, which is the ceiling of the grain tank 12. The bulging portion 95 is formed so that the part of the bulging portion 95 located directly above the rotating shaft 94 is at the highest position. Also, an inclined surface 95a is formed on the bulging portion 95 at the front of the machine body, and the inclined surface 95a approaches the top plate 12t as it approaches the front of the machine body.

[0104] FIG. 20 shows a virtual line L3. The virtual line L3 extends downward from the swing axis Y2 and intersects with the upper end line of the throwing path area S1 in a direction perpendicular to the axis. The free end of the arm 92 is located on the opposite side to the side where the discharge port 12h is located from the virtual line L3 in a state where the grains do not collide with the arm 92 and the arm 92 extends downward. For this reason, the more the arm 92 swings toward the opposite side to the side where the discharge port 12h is located, the more the portion of the arm 92 that protrudes outside the range of the throwing path area S1 increases. In other words, the arm 92 is configured such that the larger the swing angle θ1, the more the arm 92 protrudes outside the throwing path area S1. The fact that the larger the swing angle θ1, the more the arm 92 protrudes outside the throwing path area S1 is the same in the embodiment shown in FIG. 21 to FIG. 24.

[0105] When the amount of the first grains discharged from the discharge port 12h increases, the arm portion 92 swings upward significantly. At this time, the swing base end side of the arm portion 92 is located above the top plate 12t and is stored in the bulging portion 95. In other words, when the amount of the first grains discharged from the discharge port 12h increases, the arm portion 92 swings upward significantly, and the proportion of the portion of the arm portion 92 that is above the grain throwing path area S1 increases. Also, the more the arm portion 92 swings upward, the greater the proportion of the portion of the arm portion 92 that is stored in the bulging portion 95 increases. Therefore, most of the first grains are dispersed into the inside of the grain tank 12 along a parabola without coming into contact with the arm portion 92.

[0106] (2) In the embodiment shown in Figs. 21 to 24, a flange portion 95b is formed on the left side of the bulging portion 95, and a stay 97 is connected to the flange portion 95b by a bolt Bo. In a plan view, a longitudinal center region of the stay 97 protrudes away from the bulging portion 95 beyond both longitudinal ends of the stay 97. A sensor unit 93 is supported in the longitudinal center region of the stay 97. The sensor unit 93 is located outside the grain tank 12 across the flange portion 95b of the bulging portion 95. In other words, the sensor unit 93 is provided in a position outside the throwing path region S1 of the grains thrown from the discharge port 12h, and is partitioned from the throwing path region S1.

[0107] A through hole is formed in the flange portion 95b of the bulging portion 95, and the rotating shaft 94 passes through the through hole. A link arm 94A is provided at the end of the rotating shaft 94 opposite to the side where the arm portion 92 is located across the flange portion 95b of the bulging portion 95, and the link arm 94A extends radially outward from the rotating shaft 94. A through hole is formed in the longitudinal center region of the stay 97, and the rotating shaft portion 93A of the sensor portion 93 passes through the through hole. A link arm 93B is connected to the tip end of the rotating shaft portion 93A of the sensor portion 93, and the link arm 93B extends radially outward. The link arm 94A and the link arm 93B are connected by a pin. As a result, the arm portion 92, which rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 94, and the sensor portion 93 are interlocked and connected via the link arm 94A, the link arm 93B, and the pin 96. With this configuration, compared to a configuration in which the sensor unit 93 and the rotating shaft 94 are directly connected, the sensor unit 93 is less likely to receive impact from the arm unit 92, and the sensor unit 93 is less likely to break down. The sensor unit 93 detects the swing angle θ1 of the arm unit 92 (see FIG. 17).

[0108] An elongated hole is formed in one of the link arms 94A and 93B, and a round hole is formed in the other of the link arms 94A and 93B. The elongated hole extends along the longitudinal direction of the one of the arms. A pin 96 is inserted through the elongated hole of the one of the arms and the round hole of the other of the arms, thereby connecting the link arms 94A and 93B by pins. Since the elongated hole is formed in one of the link arms 94A and 93B, a centering error in the pin connection between the link arms 94A and 93B is allowed. With this configuration, it is not necessary to precisely align the rotating shaft of the sensor unit 93 and the rotating shaft 94 on the same axis, and the sensor unit 93 in the first object sensor 91 can be easily assembled.

[0109] The stay 97 has insertion holes at its left and right ends for inserting the bolts Bo, and the diameter of the insertion holes is larger than the nominal diameter of the bolts Bo (for example, about 3 mm larger than the nominal diameter) and smaller than the diameter of the head of the bolts Bo. This configuration makes it easy to align the rotating shaft of the sensor unit 93 with the rotating shaft 94. That is, the sensor unit 93 in the first object sensor 91 can be easily assembled.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 24, a spring receiving portion 97a is provided on the stay 97. A coil spring 98 is stretched across the free end of the link arm 94A and the spring receiving portion 97a. The arm portion 92 is urged to swing so that the free end of the arm portion 92 approaches the discharge port 12h by the pulling force of the coil spring 98. The region of the arm portion 92 on the swing base end side abuts on the locking portion 95c, and is held in a downward standby position against the spring force of the coil spring 98. If the arm portion 92 abuts on the locking portion 95c and the biasing force of the coil spring 98 acts on the arm portion 92, the arm portion 92 is held in the downward standby position with almost no effect of the vibrations even if vibrations due to unevenness in the field or vibrations from the engine are transmitted to the arm portion 92.

[0111] (3) In the embodiment shown in Figures 21 to 24, a recessed portion Q1 is formed in the front-rear intermediate portion of the left side wall 12b of the grain tank 12 (Figure 21). The lifting device 90 is located in the recessed portion Q1. Although not shown in Fig. 21, the threshing device 1 is provided on the left side of the machine body of the grain tank 12. The lifting device 90 is located in the front-rear central area of ​​the grain tank 12 in the front-rear direction. The grains thrown from the discharge port 12h are thrown in three directions inside the grain tank 12: toward the front of the machine body, toward the right of the machine body, and toward the rear of the machine body.

[0112] A guide member 90C and a guide receiving member 90D are provided at the upper end of the lifting device 90. The guide member 90C and the guide receiving member 90D are each supported by the left side wall 12b at a location where the discharge port 12h is located. The guide member 90C is formed so as to curve along the rotation orbit of the rotary vane 90B, outside the rotation orbit of the rotary vane 90B.

[0113] A first guide portion 90e and a second guide portion 90f are formed in the guide member 90C. The second guide portion 90f is located on the front side of the aircraft body with respect to the first guide portion 90e. The first guide portion 90e is located on the left side of the aircraft body with respect to the rotary blade 90B, and the second guide portion 90f is located on the front side of the aircraft body with respect to the rotary blade 90B. In FIG. 21, a line L11 is shown as a boundary between the first guide portion 90e and the second guide portion 90f. The line L11 is located at a position overlapping with a vertical portion 90g of the guide member 90C in FIG. 22, and the vertical portion 90g in FIG. 22 is the boundary between the first guide portion 90e and the second guide portion 90f.

[0114] The vertical width of the first guide portion 90e is wider than the vertical width of the rotary blade 90B, and the first guide portion 90e covers the rotary blade 90B from above to below. The front-to-rear central portion of the first guide portion 90e is curved to follow the rotation trajectory of the rotary blade 90B. The rear portion of the first guide portion 90e extends tangentially to the outer periphery of the rotation trajectory of the rotary blade 90B, and is inclined so as to be located closer to the left-to-right center of the grain tank 12 in a plan view as it approaches the rear. Therefore, the rear portion of the first guide portion 90e is farther away from the rotation axis P1 as it approaches the rear.

[0115] The second guide portion 90f is bent relative to the first guide portion 90e so as to extend toward the center of the grain tank 12. The vertical width of the second guide portion 90f is narrower than the vertical width of the rotary vane 90B, and the second guide portion 90f covers the lower portion of the rotary vane 90B. Therefore, the front portion of the discharge port 12h is narrower than the right and rear portions of the discharge port 12h. The guide receiving member 90D is located in front of the second guide portion 90f.

[0116] Since the rotary vane 90B rotates clockwise in a plan view, most of the grains lifted by the lifting device 90 are guided to the front of the machine along the first guide portion 90e by the rotation of the rotary vane 90B. Among the grains guided to the front of the machine, grains located above the upper edge of the second guide portion 90f are thrown directly to the front of the machine. Among the grains guided to the front of the machine, grains located below the upper edge of the second guide portion 90f are turned to the right by the second guide portion 90f and thrown to the right. If the second guide portion 90f did not exist, most of the grains thrown from the discharge port 12h would tend to fly toward the front of the machine, but the second guide portion 90f suppresses the amount of grains thrown to the front of the machine.

[0117] The first guide portion 90e and the second guide portion 90f are curved. Therefore, there is little risk that the grains will get caught or get stuck between the first guide portion 90e and the second guide portion 90f. On the other hand, when the grains are guided to the right along the second guide portion 90f by the rotation of the rotary vane 90B, the second guide portion 90f tends to be elastically deformed with respect to the first guide portion 90e. When the second guide portion 90f is elastically deformed, the second guide portion 90f is received and supported by the guide receiving member 90D, so that the plastic deformation of the second guide portion 90f is prevented.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 23, the arm portion 92 is located on the left side of the machine body with respect to the rotation axis P1, and is located above the upper ends of the second guide portion 90f and the guide receiving member 90D. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 21 to 24, the arm portion 92 is provided at a corner inside the grain tank 12. When grains come into contact with the arm portion 92, the grains are bounced off by the arm portion 92, and there is a risk that the grains will deviate from the throwing path area S1 and flow in an unintended direction. With this configuration, the flow of grains is less likely to be impeded compared to a configuration in which the arm portion 92 is located on the right side of the machine body with respect to the rotation axis P1, or a configuration in which the arm portion 92 is located below the upper ends of the second guide portion 90f and the guide receiving member 90D.

[0119] (4) In the embodiment shown in Figures 21 to 24, an opening 12i is formed in a top plate 12t of a grain tank 12, and the opening 12i is covered by a lid body 12A. The lid body 12A swings up and down about a front-rear axis P2 by means of hinges 12j, 12j. As a result, the lid body 12A is configured to be able to change its state between a closed state in which the opening 12i is closed, and an open state in which the lid body 12A swings upward from the closed state to open the opening 12i.

[0120] 21, the first object sensor 91 is adjacent to the opening 12i and the lid 12A on the left side of the machine body. The hinges 12j, 12j are provided on the edge of the opening 12i on the side opposite to the side on which the first object sensor 91 is located. If the hinges 12j, 12j are provided on the edge on the side on which the first object sensor 91 is located, the lid 12A will cover the first object sensor 91, which will make it difficult for an operator to work on the first object sensor 91. In this configuration, when an operator swings the lid body 12A upward, the first object sensor 91 is located to the left of the opening 12i, so that the operator can easily work on the first object sensor 91 through the opening 12i. Also, the first object sensor 91 may be provided on the lid body 12A.

[0121] Also, as shown in FIG. 25, the first grain sensor 91 may be adjacent to the opening 12i and the lid 12A on the rear side of the machine body. In the example shown in FIG. 25, the first grain sensor 91 is located on the right side of the machine body with respect to the grain lifting device 90, and the arm portion 92 swings around the axis Y3 in the machine body's front-rear direction. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 25, the arm portion 92 swings around the axis Y3 in the machine body's front-rear direction along a direction intersecting with the machine body's left-right direction in a plan view. Due to acceleration and deceleration accompanying the traveling of the combine, a force in the front-rear direction is likely to act on the arm portion 92. In the configuration shown in FIG. 25, the arm portion 92 swings in the left-right direction. Therefore, in the calculation of the flow rate Fv1, disturbances due to acceleration and deceleration of the combine are suppressed compared to a configuration in which the arm portion 92 swings in the front-rear direction.

[0122] (5) When grains stored in the grain tank 12 are discharged, the grains inside the grain tank 12 are generally guided backward by the grain discharge device 14 (see FIG. 1). For this reason, in a typical combine harvester, grains are often biased toward the rear of the grain tank 12. For this reason, even if the arm portion 92 is simply positioned forward of the rotation axis P1 of the screw conveyor 90A in the direction of travel, when the grain tank 12 is filled with grains and reaches full capacity, the arm portion 92 is less likely to be buried in the grains compared to a configuration in which the arm portion 92 is positioned rearward of the rotation axis P1 in the direction of travel. For this reason, the arm portion 92 can swing firmly until the grain tank 12 is almost full, and the grain flow rate can be accurately measured.

[0123] (6) In the above embodiment, when the ratio of the second-grade return amount to the first-grade recovery amount is large, the parameter determination unit 80 and the control unit 82 set the leakage opening of the chaff sieve to be large, but this is not limited to this embodiment. When the leakage opening of the first chaff sieve 38 is set to be small, the grain flow rate Fv1 is reduced, and the reduced amount of the grain flow rate Fv1 is recovered as second-grade grains in the second-grade recovery section 27, thereby improving the sorting accuracy. On the other hand, if the amount recovered in the second-grade recovery section 27 increases too much, the second-grade grains overflow from the second-grade recovery section 27 and are discharged together with waste straw, etc., resulting in a third-grade loss. In order to avoid such inconvenience, for example, as shown in FIG. 26, when the flow rate Fv2 of the second-grade grains is larger than a preset third threshold value, the parameter determination unit 80 and the control unit 82 may increase the leakage opening of the first chaff sieve 38. This encourages leakage of the sorted material from the first chaff sieve 38, increasing the grain flow rate Fv1 and reducing the amount recovered in the second grain recovery section 27, thereby reducing the risk of the second grains overflowing from the second grain recovery section 27.

[0124] (7) In the above embodiment, the first sensor unit 64 is provided at a position outside the throwing path area S1 of the grains thrown from the bucket 31, in a state separated from the throwing path area S1, but is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the first sensor unit 64 may be provided inside the grain lifting device 29, in a state not separated from the throwing path area S1.

[0125] (8) In the above embodiment, the arm unit 63 swings when it comes into contact with the grains thrown by the bucket 31, but this is not limited to the embodiment. For example, if the lifting device 29 is configured as a screw conveyor, the arm unit 63 may be configured to swing when it comes into contact with grains that fall naturally from the upper end of the lifting device 29.

[0126] (9) In the above embodiment, the arm 63 swings around the swing axis Y2 located outside the throwing path area S1, but this is not limited to the embodiment. For example, the swing axis Y2 of the arm 63 may be located within the throwing path area S1.

[0127] (10) In the above embodiment, the arm 63 is configured so that the larger the swing angle θ1, the more likely it is to protrude outside the throwing path area S1, but this is not limited to the embodiment. For example, the arm 63 may be configured so that the larger the swing angle θ1, the more likely it is to be within the throwing path area S1.

[0128] (11) In the above embodiment, the arm portion 63 is provided so as to be in a drooping position when it is not in contact with grains, but this is not limited to the embodiment. For example, as long as the arm portion 63 is in contact with the locking portion 69 and the biasing force of the coil spring 68 acts on the arm portion 63, the arm portion 63 may be provided so as to be in an inclined position when it is not in contact with grains.

[0129] (12) In the above embodiment, the arm portion 63 is configured to be shorter than the vertical length of the discharge port 29h, but this is not limited to this embodiment. The arm portion 63 may be configured to have the same or approximately the same vertical length as the discharge port 29h. Alternatively, the arm portion 63 may be configured to be longer than the vertical length of the discharge port 29h.

[0130] (13) In the above embodiment, the width of the arm portion 63 is set to be narrower than the width of the opening of the bucket 31, but this is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the width of the arm portion 63 may be the same as or approximately the same as the width of the opening of the bucket 31. Alternatively, the width of the arm portion 63 may be set to be wider than the width of the opening of the bucket 31.

[0131] The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiment (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, unless a contradiction occurs. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0132] The present invention can be used in a combine harvester that harvests planted culms in a field and threshes and sorts the harvested culms using a threshing device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0133] 1: Threshing equipment 12: Grain tank 29: Grain lifting device (conveying device, vertical conveying section) 29D: Feed path (transport path) 29E: Return route 29h:Discharge port 30: Lateral feed conveying device (conveying device, lateral conveying section) 30S: Screw section (screw) 31: Bucket (throwing part) 60: First sensor (flow measurement device) 63: Arm section 64: First sensor part (sensor part) 81A: First flow rate calculation section (calculation section) S1: Throwing path area (throwing path) Y1: Machine horizontal axis Y2: Oscillation shaft center θ1: Swing angle of the arm

Claims

1. A threshing device for threshing crops; A grain tank for storing grains obtained by the threshing device; A conveying device that conveys the grains obtained by the threshing device from the threshing device to the grain tank; A flow rate measuring device that measures the flow rate of the grains conveyed by the conveying device is provided, The flow rate measuring device includes an arm section that swings in contact with the grains being conveyed, a sensor section that detects a swing angle of the arm section, and a calculation section that calculates the flow rate based on the swing angle detected by the sensor section. A contact portion that contacts the arm portion in a state where the arm portion and the grain are not in contact with each other; and a spring that biases the arm portion into a state in which the arm portion and the contact portion are in contact with each other.

2. A threshing device for threshing crops; A grain tank for storing grains obtained by the threshing device; A conveying device that conveys the grains obtained by the threshing device from the threshing device to the grain tank; A flow rate measuring device that measures the flow rate of the grains conveyed by the conveying device is provided, The flow rate measuring device includes an arm section that swings in contact with the grains being conveyed, a sensor section that detects a swing angle of the arm section, and a calculation section that calculates the flow rate based on the swing angle detected by the sensor section. The conveying device is provided with a bucket conveyor type vertical conveying section having a plurality of buckets for lifting the grains obtained by the threshing device, and a screw conveyor type horizontal conveying section having a screw rotating around a horizontal axis of the machine body and connected adjacent to the vertical conveying section, which receives the grains conveyed by the vertical conveying section, sends them horizontally, and puts them into the grain tank. A receiving section that protrudes toward the vertical conveying section with respect to the horizontal conveying section and receives grains thrown from the bucket that is inverted from an elevated position to a lowered position at the upper end of the vertical conveying section and guides the grains to the horizontal conveying section; a hump that is connected to the protruding tip of the receiving portion, protrudes to a position where it contacts the bucket, and elastically deforms in response to contact with the bucket.

3. The conveying device is provided with a throwing unit that throws grains, The combine harvester according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the arm portion swings in response to contact with grains thrown by the throwing portion.

4. The combine harvester according to claim 3 , wherein the sensor unit is provided at a position away from a throwing path of the grains thrown by the throwing unit and separated from the throwing path.

5. 5. The combine harvester according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the arm portion is configured to swing about a swing axis provided at a position outside a throwing path of the grains thrown by the throwing portion.

6. The combine harvester according to claim 5 , wherein the arm portion is configured such that the greater the swing angle, the greater the proportion of the arm portion that protrudes outside the throwing path.

7. The conveying device is provided with a bucket conveyor type vertical conveying section having a plurality of buckets for lifting the grains obtained by the threshing device, and a screw conveyor type horizontal conveying section having a screw rotating around a horizontal axis of the machine body and connected adjacent to the vertical conveying section, which receives the grains conveyed by the vertical conveying section, sends them horizontally, and puts them into the grain tank. A discharge port is provided on the side of the return path side portion of the upper end of the vertical conveying section opposite to the conveying path, through which grains thrown by the bucket that is inverted from an elevated position to a lowered position at the upper end are discharged, The lateral conveying portion is connected to the discharge port, a transfer space between the vertical conveying section and the horizontal conveying section is formed outside the discharge port and above the horizontal conveying section, A combine harvester as described in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the arm portion is configured to swing around a swing axis provided at a position higher than the screw in the transfer space and between the discharge outlet and the lateral axis of the machine body in the direction in which the vertical conveying section and the lateral conveying section are adjacent to each other.

8. The combine harvester according to claim 7, wherein the arm portion is provided in a hanging position facing the discharge outlet when not in contact with grains, and is configured to be shorter than the vertical length of the discharge outlet.

9. 9. The combine harvester according to claim 7, wherein a lateral width of the arm portion is set narrower than a lateral width of an opening of the bucket.

10. The combine harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the arm portion is provided inside the grain tank.

11. The combine harvester according to claim 10, wherein the arm portion is supported by being suspended from a ceiling of the grain tank.

12. The conveying device is provided with a vertical conveying section having a vertical screw that rotates around an up-down axis to lift the grains obtained by the threshing device and feed them into the grain tank, The combine harvester according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the arm portion is located forward of an axis of the vertical screw in a traveling direction.

13. The combine harvester according to claim 1 , wherein the arm portion swings about an axis extending along a direction intersecting a left-right direction of the machine body in a plan view.

Images