Agricultural machinery
By utilizing a control unit with flag information to determine the attitude state of the soil cultivating body, the agricultural working machine addresses the challenge of determining its posture state without increasing costs, ensuring efficient and safe operation.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023217539
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-12-25
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-19
- Estimated Expiration
- 2040-08-28
AI Technical Summary
Existing agricultural working machines face challenges in determining their attitude state without increasing costs through the use of additional sensors, which can lead to operational inconveniences and potential damage.
The agricultural working machine incorporates a control unit with a storage unit that uses flag information to determine and store the attitude state of the soil cultivating body, allowing for operation control without the need for additional sensors.
This configuration enables the agricultural working machine to determine its posture state simply and cost-effectively, preventing operational inconveniences and potential damage.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to an agricultural working machine mounted on a tractor. In particular, it relates to control for enabling expansion or contraction of the working width in the width direction of the traveling direction.
Background Art
[0002] Control in the operation of an agricultural working machine that can change the machine width or the working width to each of the deployed state and the stored state is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. This agricultural working machine has an automatic mode and a manual mode, and it is said that by operating a remote control operation unit, a plurality of operating parts provided in the agricultural working machine are operated. Further, according to Patent Document 1, in the manual mode, it is disclosed that each operating part operates only when the remote control operation unit is being pushed.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] When the agricultural working machine described in Patent Document 1 operates each operating part in the manual mode, if the operator accidentally operates the button of another operating part, depending on the posture state of the agricultural working machine, inconvenience may occur when the operating part is moved. Specifically, when an operating part at a certain part is operated, it may interfere with other parts and damage the machine body. As a means for determining the posture state of the agricultural working machine, it is conceivable to equip the operating part or the like with sensors and determine the posture state based on the signals from the sensors, and perform operation control according thereto. However, it is easily assumed that the cost will increase due to the increase in the members to be equipped. This is not convenient for the purchaser.
[0005] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an agricultural working machine capable of determining the attitude state of the agricultural working machine with a simple configuration.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention includes a working body, a soil cultivating body that is located at the rear part of the working body and can rotate vertically, a driving device that can change the attitude state to a fixed state in which the soil cultivating body is fixed so as not to rotate vertically or a fixed release state in which the fixing of the soil cultivating body is released so as to be rotatable vertically, a control unit that can control the driving device, and an operation unit that can transmit a command signal by being operated by an operator to the control unit. The control unit includes a storage unit that stores flag information, which is information indicating the attitude state of the soil cultivating body. When the control unit receives a command signal from the operation unit to change the soil cultivating body from the fixed state to the fixed release state, and after operating the driving device to make the soil cultivating body in the fixed release state and then the operation of the driving device stops, the control unit stores the flag information as the fixed release state in the storage unit. When the operation of the operation unit stops during the operation of the driving device, the control unit stops the operation of the driving device without generating the flag information as the fixed release state and does not store the flag information at the time of the stop of the operation of the driving device in the storage unit. The gist is that it is an agricultural working machine.
[0007] In order to achieve the above object, another aspect of the present invention includes a working body, a soil cultivating body that is located at the rear part of the working body and can rotate vertically, a driving device that can change the attitude of the soil cultivating body to a fixed state or a fixed release state, a control unit that can control the driving device, and an operation unit that can transmit a command signal by being operated by an operator to the control unit. The control unit includes a storage unit that stores flag information, which is information indicating the attitude state of the soil cultivating body. When the control unit receives a command signal from the operation unit to change the soil cultivating body from the fixed release state to the fixed state, at the stage where the operation is started by the operation unit, the control unit generates flag information indicating the fixed state, and after generating the flag information, operates the driving device to make the soil cultivating body Fixed stateAfter the operation of the drive device stops, the flag information is stored in the storage unit in a fixed state. When the operation of the operation unit stops during the operation of the drive device, the drive device is stopped at the time when the operation of the operation unit stops, and the flag at the time when the operation of the operation unit stops without generating flag information is stored. Information It is a gist that it is an agricultural work machine.
Effect of the Invention
[0008] According to this invention, it is possible to provide an agricultural work machine capable of determining the posture state of the agricultural work machine with a simple configuration.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0009]
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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0010] Referring to the drawings, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the description, the left side shown in FIG. 1 is the left side with respect to the traveling direction, the right side is the right side with respect to the traveling direction, the back side is the front in the traveling direction, and the front side is the rear in the traveling direction. In the description of the drawings, the same or similar parts may be denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted. In addition, the drawings used in the description are schematic, and the relationships between the dimensions of each part may be different from the actual ones. Further, various modifications can be made to the technical idea of the present invention within the technical scope defined by the claims described in the claims.
[0011] The outline of the agricultural working machine 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13. The agricultural working machine 1 is attached to a three-point link mechanism, which is a lift link provided at the rear of a tractor (not shown) that is a traveling body, and is used for soil crushing work and harrowing work.
[0012] The agricultural working machine 1 includes a first working body 11, and a second working body 11L and a second working body 11R connected to both ends of the first working body 11. The second working body 11L and the second working body 11R can change their respective working forms between a deployed posture and a stored posture by rotating about a fulcrum portion 25 provided at both ends of the frame 2 provided in the first working body 11. The deployed posture is a state in which the second working body 11L and the second working body 11R are deployed so as to extend the working width of the first working body 11, and the working width is expanded to the left and right with respect to the traveling direction. The stored posture is a state in which the second working body 11L and the second working body 11R are rotated about the fulcrum portion 25 and folded above the first working body 11 to shorten the working width and the body width.
[0013] The first working body 11 includes a frame 2 having a mounting portion 20. By connecting the mounting portion 20 and the three-point link mechanism, the agricultural working machine 1 can be lifted and lowered. Also, the agricultural working machine 1 obtains the power output from the tractor side and rotationally drives the first soil crushing portion 3 located below the frame 2. This first soil crushing portion 3 has a plurality of claws 32 on a rotor shaft 31 that rotates about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the traveling direction. By rotationally driving the claws 32 as the tractor travels, the soil can be crushed. Further, when the second working body 11L and the second working body 11R are changed to the deployed state, the power output from the tractor is also transmitted to the second soil crushing portions 3L and 3R provided in the second working body 11L and the second working body 11R respectively, causing them to rotate and drive.
[0014] Above the first soil crushing portion 3, the second soil crushing portion 3L, and the second soil crushing portion 3R in the deployed state, a first cover body 4, a second cover body 4L, and a second cover body 4R that cover the upper parts of the respective soil crushing portions are provided to prevent the soil during soil crushing from scattering to the surroundings. At the rear end of each of the first cover body 4, the second cover body 4L, and the second cover body 4R, a first leveling body 5, a second leveling body 5L, and a second leveling body 5R that are rotatable up and down are provided. By grounding them to the soil while rotating up and down respectively, the soil crushed by the first soil crushing portion 3, the second soil crushing portion 3L, and the second soil crushing portion 3R is leveled and the raking operation is performed.
[0015] Furthermore, the first leveling body 5, the second leveling body 5L, and the second leveling body 5R are composed of a first front leveling body 51, a second front leveling body 51L, and a second front leveling body 51R that rotate up and down at the rear end of each of the first cover body 4, the second cover body 4L, and the second cover body 4R, and a first rear leveling body 56, a second rear leveling body 56L, and a second rear leveling body 56R that rotate up and down at the rear end of each of these first front leveling bodies 51, the second front leveling bodies 51L, and 51R. By cooperating with each other, these first front leveling bodies 51, the second front leveling bodies 51L, and the second front leveling bodies 51R, and the first rear leveling body 56, the second rear leveling body 56L, and the second rear leveling body 56R can level the soil and mud after soil crushing evenly.
[0016] In each of the second rear soil cultivating bodies 56L and 56R in the deployed state, third working bodies 7L and 7R are arranged. The third working bodies 7L and 7R can expand the soil cultivating width of the second rear soil cultivating bodies 56L and 56R. By expanding this soil cultivating width, it is possible to cultivate the soil after crushing more uniformly. The third working bodies 7L and 7R can rotate up and down by means of rotation fulcrum portions 71 provided at the respective ends of the second rear soil cultivating bodies 56L and 56R, and can change their postures between the soil cultivating body deployed state and the soil cultivating body stored state.
[0017] Driving devices 8 are provided for each of the rotatable second working bodies 11L and 11R, the first rear soil cultivating body 56, the third working bodies 7L and 7R, and rotation driving can be performed by these driving devices 8. The driving devices 8 can be remotely operated via a control unit B when an operator operates them by means of an operation unit A. In the embodiment, although the operation unit A and the control unit B are described as being performed wirelessly, the communication method is not limited, and it may be wired.
[0018] The detailed configuration of the agricultural working machine 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13. The frame 2 is a part forming the skeleton of the first working body 11 of the agricultural working machine 1, and includes a mounting portion 20, an input case 21, a pipe frame 22, and a transmission case 23, a support frame 24.
[0019] The mounting part 20 is provided at the front central part of the first working body 11 which is at the front central part of the agricultural working machine 1, and is composed of an upper top link pin 201 and a pair of lower link pins 202 located on the left and right below it. By connecting these top link pin 201 and lower link pin 202 to a three-point link mechanism etc. (not shown) on the tractor side, the agricultural working machine 1 is mounted on the tractor so as to be able to move up and down. In the center of the mounting part 20, an input case 21 is provided, and an input shaft 211 is provided facing forward. The input shaft 211 is connected to the PTO shaft of the tractor by a universal joint (not shown) etc. to obtain the rotational power output from the tractor. A top mast 212 projects forward and upward from the upper part of the input case 21, and the top link pin 201 is provided at the upper end of this. A lower plate 213 is arranged downward from the side part of the input case 21, and the lower link pin 202 is attached to this lower plate 213.
[0020] The input case 21 is provided with a pipe frame 22 having one end connected to the input case 21 and projecting to the left and right sides respectively. The pipe frames 22 arranged on the left and right sides respectively are composed of round pipes and are arranged coaxially. At the other end of either the left or right side of the pipe frame 22, there is located a vertically long transmission case 23 extending downward and a vertically long support frame 24 extending downward from the other end of the other pipe frame 22 on the other side. The first soil crushing part 3 is provided so as to span the lower ends of the transmission case 23 and the support frame 24 below the frame 2.
[0021] The first soil crushing part 3 is a member having a rotor shaft 31 and claws 32, and is installed and supported below the pipe frame 22 between the lower end of the transmission case 23 and the lower end of the support frame 24. The rotor shaft 31 is a shaft body that is installed at the lower parts of the transmission case 23 and the support frame 24 and is rotatable. A large number of claws 32 are attached to the rotor shaft 31 at regular intervals radially in the circumferential direction and the axial direction. The rotor shaft 31 and the claws 32 are integrated to form the soil crushing part 3. The soil crushing part 3 obtains the rotational power output from the tractor through the input shaft 211, and is rotationally driven by being transmitted to the rotor shaft 31 through the input case 21 and the transmission case 23. The soil is crushed by this rotational drive.
[0022] The first soil crushing part 3 obtains the power input from the input shaft 211 and is rotationally driven. The power input from the input shaft 211 is shifted by the gears installed in the input case 211 and is transmitted into the transmission case 23 by an output shaft (not shown) passing through the pipe frame 22 protruding laterally on one side of the left and right. By arranging transmission members (not shown) such as chains and sprockets in the transmission case 23, the power of the tractor is transmitted to the first soil crushing part 3.
[0023] Above the first soil crushing part 3, a first cover body 4 is provided along and spaced apart from the outer circumference of rotation of the claws 32. The left and right side end parts of the first cover body 4 are attached to the transmission case 23 and the support frame 24. By covering the upper part of the soil crushing part 3 with the first cover body 4 in this way, scattering of the plowed soil scattered from the soil crushing part 3 upward is prevented.
[0024] Here, the second working bodies 11L and 11R that extend the body width of the agricultural working machine 1 will be described. On the left and right ends of the first cover body 4 and the first soil crushing part 3 of the first working body 11, members similar to the first cover body 4 and the first soil crushing part 3 of the first working body 11 are provided as the second working bodies 11L and 11R. The second working body 11L located on the left side in the traveling direction for working is provided with a second cover body 4L and a second soil crushing part 3L, and the second working body 11R located on the right side in the traveling direction for working is provided with a second cover body 4R and a second soil crushing part 3R, respectively. The left second working body 11L and the right second working body 11R have a symmetrical structure with respect to each other.
[0025] In the working state where the body width is expanded, the second soil crushing parts 3L and 3R are located on the same straight line on the left side in the traveling direction of the first soil crushing part 3 located at the center in the working state. Similar to the first soil crushing part 3, the second soil crushing parts 3L and 3R have second rotor shafts 31L and 31R and claws 32. The claws 32 are arranged radially and at regular intervals in the axial direction on the second rotor shafts 31L and 31R, and soil crushing work can be performed by obtaining rotational power. The power is obtained through a dog clutch 33 arranged at the end of the first soil crushing part 3. Alternatively, power is obtained by transmitting from a transmission shaft transmitted from the input case 21 of the first working body 11 to side transmission cases (not shown) provided in the second working bodies 11L and 11R.
[0026] Second cover bodies 4L and 4R are provided so as to cover the upper and side portions of the second soil crushing parts 3L and 3R. Side covers 42L and 42R are provided on the left and right sides of the second cover bodies 4L and 4R with respect to the traveling direction, respectively. Both ends of each of the second soil crushing parts 3L and 3R are supported by bearings installed in the side covers 42L and 42R, and the second soil crushing parts 3L and 3R are rotatable between the side covers 42L and 42R. The side covers 42L and 42R prevent the scattering of mud and soil generated from the second soil crushing parts 3L and 3R upward and in the width direction with respect to the traveling direction.
[0027] On the upper side of each of the second cover bodies 4L and 4R and on the side of the first working body 11, fulcrum frames 41L and 41R are provided. The fulcrum frames 41L and 41R are members protruding toward the first working body 11 and are connected to the fulcrum portion 25. The fulcrum frames 41L and 41R are integrated with the second soil crushing portions 3L and 3R, the second cover bodies 4L and 4R, and the side cover bodies 42L and 42R, and rotate upward about the fulcrum portion 25 as an axis, so that the second working bodies 11L and 11R can be switched between the working state and the stored state. The first working body 11 further includes a first soil leveling body 5. Similarly, the second working body 11L includes a second soil leveling body 5L, and the second working body 11R includes a second soil leveling body 5R.
[0028] At the rear end of the first cover body 4, a first soil leveling body 5 is provided so as to hang downward and rearward. Similarly, second soil leveling bodies 5L and 5R are provided so as to hang downward and rearward from the rear ends of the first cover bodies 4L and 4R of the left and right second working bodies 11L and 11R. Since the second soil leveling bodies 5L and 5R are attached to the respective second cover bodies 4L and 4R, when the agricultural working machine 1 is changed between the working state and the stored state, they are integrated with the first cover bodies 4L and 4R on the extension side and the soil crushing portions 3L and 3R on the extension side, and rotate about the fulcrum portion 25 as the center.
[0029] The first soil leveling body 5 includes a first front soil leveling body 51 and a first rear soil leveling body 56. Similarly, the left and right second soil leveling bodies 5L and 5R also include second front soil leveling bodies 51L and 51R and second rear soil leveling bodies 56L and 56R. The first front soil leveling body 51 has a plate 511 whose left and right widths are set to be approximately the same as those of the first cover body 4, and is rotatable up and down by a plurality of hinges 52 arranged at the front end or the upper end. The rotation fulcrum axis of the hinge 52 is directed left and right in the traveling direction and is parallel to the axis of the rotor shaft 31. Therefore, the lower side of the first front soil leveling body 51 can perform a rotation operation so as to move away from or approach the rotation diameter of the claw 32. The second front soil leveling bodies 51L and 51R also have plates 511L and 511R whose left and right widths are set to be approximately the same as those of the second cover bodies 4L and 4R, and are rotatable up and down by a plurality of hinges 52L and 52R arranged at the front end or the upper end.
[0030] Since the first front soil preparation bodies 51 and the second front soil preparation bodies 51L and 51R are arranged to cover the rear of the first soil crushing parts 3 and the second soil crushing parts 3L and 3R, it prevents the soil crushed by each soil crushing part from scattering backward. Also, during the soil crushing operation, the first front soil preparation body 51 and the second front soil preparation bodies 51L and 51R are rotated up and down and grounded to level the soil after being crushed by the first soil crushing part 3 and the second soil crushing parts 3L and 3R.
[0031] A first rear soil preparation body 56 is attached to the rear end of the first front soil preparation body 51 so as to be rotatable up and down. Similarly, second rear soil preparation bodies 56L and 56R are attached to the rear ends of the second front soil preparation bodies 51L and 51R so as to be rotatable up and down. These first rear soil preparation body 56 and second front soil preparation bodies 51L and 51R are members that are long in the width direction with respect to the traveling direction, and are rotatable in the vertical direction by providing rotation fulcrums 562, 562L, and 562R at the rear ends of the first front soil preparation body 51 and the second front soil preparation bodies 51L and 51R. During the raking operation, the first rear soil preparation body 56 that has become substantially horizontal contacts and presses the soil crushing surface after passing through the first front soil preparation body 51, thereby leveling the soil crushing surface that could not be sufficiently leveled and finished evenly by the first front soil preparation body 51 and the second front soil preparation bodies 51L and 51R with even higher precision and finishing the surface after leveling evenly.
[0032] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, on the outer sides in the width direction with respect to the traveling direction of each of the second rear soil preparation body 56L and the second rear soil preparation body 56R, third working bodies 7L and 7R that are rotatable by rotation fulcrum parts 71L and 71R are provided. The rotation fulcrum parts 71L and 71R have an axis directed in the traveling direction at the outer ends in the width direction with respect to the traveling direction of the second rear soil preparation body 56L and the second rear soil preparation body 56R. The third working bodies 7L and 7R are rotatable in the left - right direction on the sides of the second rear soil preparation body 56L and the second rear soil preparation body 56R. The third working bodies 7L and 7R are sometimes also called extended soil preparation bodies.
[0033] The third working bodies 7L and 7R can expand or contract the tilling width of the second rear tilling bodies 56L and 56R by means of a pivoting motion. It is possible to change the posture to a tilling body deployment state in which the tilling width is expanded by the third working bodies 7L and 7R, or to a tilling body storage state in which the tilling width is contracted.
[0034] The third working body 7L and the third working body 7R shown by solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicate the tilling body deployment state. The tilling body deployment state is a state in which the third working bodies 7L and 7R are positioned laterally in the width direction with respect to the traveling direction of the second rear tilling bodies 56L and 56R. In the tilling body deployment state, the tilling widths of the second rear tilling body 56L and the second rear tilling body 56R are further expanded in the left - right direction, and it is possible to till the soil after crushing more widely and uniformly.
[0035] The third working body 7L and the third working body 7R shown by two - dotted chain lines in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicate the tilling body storage state. The tilling body storage state is a state in which the third working bodies 7L and 7R pivot about the pivoting fulcrum portion 71, are positioned above the second rear tilling bodies 56L and 56R, and the tilling width is shortened. By setting the third working bodies 7L and 7R to the tilling body storage state, protrusion to the side can be prevented, and collision with other objects can be avoided except during the working time when the third working bodies 7L and 7R are used.
[0036] The agricultural working machine 1 is provided with a drive device 8 for changing the postures of the second working bodies 11L and 11R and the third working bodies 7L and 7R, and for vertically pivoting the first rear tilling body 56 and the second rear tilling bodies 56L and 56R. The drive device 8 receives and processes a signal, which is command information transmitted along with the operation of an operation unit A arranged close to the operator, by a control unit B provided in the agricultural working machine 1, and then drive - controls each actuator provided in the drive device 8. Along with this control, the second working bodies 11L and 11R, the third working bodies, the first rear tilling body 56, and the second rear tilling bodies 56L and 56R can be operated.
[0037] The drive device 8 is composed of a first drive device 81, a second drive device 84, and a third drive device 87. It drives each movable part provided on the agricultural working machine 1 to perform a driving operation. The first drive device 81 causes a rotational drive for changing the posture of each of the second working bodies 11L and 11R between the deployed posture and the stored posture. The second drive device 84 is a device that drives to change the posture of the third working bodies 7L and 7R to the soil cultivating body deployed state or the soil cultivating body stored state. The third drive device 87 is a device that drives to rotate the first rear soil cultivating body 56 and the second rear soil cultivating bodies 56L and 56R in the vertical direction.
[0038] The first drive device 81 consists of a cylinder that can expand and contract in the longitudinal direction by fluid pressure, and one end of it is attached to each of the left and right ends of the frame 2. The other end of one first drive device 81 is attached to the left fulcrum frame 41L, and by the expansion and contraction operation of the first drive device 81, the second working body 11L can be rotated. Similarly, the other end of the other first drive device 81 is attached to the right fulcrum frame 41R, and by the expansion and contraction operation of the first drive device 81, the second working body 11R can be rotated. In the case of this embodiment, by the shortening operation of the first drive device 81, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the second working bodies 11L and 11R are put into the deployed posture. Further, by the extension operation of the first drive device 81, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 5, the second working bodies 11L and 11R are put into the stored posture.
[0039] To operate the first drive device 81, it is performed by operating a button A1 corresponding to the operation of the first drive device 81 arranged on the operation unit A. Each first drive device 81 has a button A1a for shortening operation and a button A1b for extension operation, and the expansion and contraction operation can be performed by operating the corresponding buttons. Also, by operating the switching button A2, it is possible to switch between an individual mode in which each first drive device 81 expands and contracts individually on the left and right, and a simultaneous mode in which the two first drive devices 81 expand and contract simultaneously.
[0040] The second drive device 84 is provided on the second working bodies 11L and 11R, and changes the posture of the third working bodies 7L and 7R to the ground engaging body deployment state or the ground engaging body storage state. In the case of the embodiment, the second drive device 84 is provided on the left end portion in the traveling direction of the second cover body 4L and on the right end portion of the second cover body 4R. The second drive device 84 includes a motor 841 capable of outputting rotational power which is an actuator, a pinion gear 842 attached to the motor 841, a sector gear 843 meshing with the pinion gear 842, an L-shaped arm 844 provided coaxially with the rotation axis 843a of the gear 843 and rotating integrally with the gear 843, and a wire 845 connecting the arm 844 and the third working bodies 7L and 7R. The pinion gear 842 may also be referred to as the first gear 842, and the gear 843 may also be referred to as the second gear 843.
[0041] The motor 841 can rotate forward and backward, and this rotational power can be rotated so that the arm 844 swings in the left-right direction by passing through the pinion gear 842 and the gear 843. By connecting the tip portions of the arm 844 that swings left and right and the third working bodies 7L and 7R with the wire 845, the third working bodies 7L and 7R can rotate about the rotation fulcrum portions 71L and 71R. The third working bodies 7L and 7R which are extended ground engaging bodies can change their postures to the ground engaging body deployment state or the ground engaging body storage state by the operation of the second drive device 84. The third working bodies 7L and 7R shown by the solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 2 represent the ground engaging body deployment state, and the third working bodies 7L and 7R shown by the two-dot chain lines represent the ground engaging body storage state. Further, the third working bodies 7L and 7R shown by the broken lines in FIGS. 4 and 5 are in the ground engaging body storage state.
[0042] To operate the second drive device 84, it is performed by operating a button A3 corresponding to the operation of the second drive device 84 arranged on the operation unit A. The second drive device 84 has a button A3a for putting the third working bodies 7L and 7R in the soil tilling body deployment state and a button A3b for putting them in the soil tilling body storage state. By operating the buttons corresponding to each of them, it is possible to change the posture of the third working bodies 7L and 7R. Also, by operating the switching button A2, it is possible to switch between an individual mode in which the second drive devices 84 arranged on the left and right second working bodies 11L and 11R operate individually in the left and right directions, and a simultaneous mode in which the two first drive devices 81 perform telescopic operations simultaneously.
[0043] The third drive device 87 is provided on the first cover body 4 and rotates the first rear soil tilling body 56 and the second rear soil tilling bodies 56L and 56R in the vertical direction. The third drive device 87 in the embodiment is attached with an input case 21 and a top mast 212 located on the first cover body 4. When the second working bodies 11L and 11R shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are in the storage posture, only the first rear soil tilling body 56 can rotate vertically. When the second working bodies 11L and 11R shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are in the deployed posture, the left and right end portions of the second rear soil tilling bodies 56L and 56R are connected to the left and right end portions of the first rear soil tilling body 56 respectively, so that the rotation operation of the first rear soil tilling body 56 is transmitted to the second rear soil tilling bodies 56L and 56R, and the second rear soil tilling bodies 56L and 56R can rotate integrally with the first rear soil tilling body 56.
[0044] The third drive device 87 includes a motor 871 which is an actuator capable of outputting rotational power in a first rotational direction and a second rotational direction, a pinion gear 872 attached to the motor 871, a fan-shaped gear 873 meshing with the pinion gear 872, an engaging member 874 having an L-shaped engaging groove 874a and rotating as the gear 873 rotates, and an engaging rod 875 whose one end side can be engaged with the engaging groove 874a as the engaging member 874 rotates. The first rear soil cultivating body 56 is provided with a link mechanism 561 which connects the first rear soil cultivating body 56 to the frame 2 or the input case 21 and has a bendable portion 561a at an intermediate portion. The other end side of the engaging rod 875 is connected in the vicinity of this bendable portion 561a. The pinion gear 872 may also be referred to as the first gear 872, and the gear 873 may also be referred to as the second gear 873.
[0045] The link mechanism 561 can move up and down in conjunction with the up and down rotation of the first rear soil cultivating body 56. Therefore, the engaging rod 875 connected to the link mechanism 561 can also move in the longitudinal direction. When the engaging rod 875 is engaged with the engaging groove 874a of the engaging member 874, the movement in the longitudinal direction of the engaging rod 875 is blocked, so the movement of the bendable portion 561a is also blocked. As a result, the first rear soil cultivating body 56 is fixed in a state where it cannot rotate up and down. When the engaging member 874 is rotated by the motor 871 and the engagement state of the engaging member 874 with the engaging groove 874a is released, a part of the engaging groove 874a is in an open state. In the case of the embodiment, the front side of the engaging member 874 of the engaging groove 874a is opened, and the engaging rod 875 can move to the front side in the advancing direction in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the first rear soil cultivating body 56 can freely rotate upward from the position where the up and down rotation is fixed.
[0046] To operate the third drive device 84, it is performed by operating a button A4 corresponding to the operation of the third drive device 87 arranged on the operation unit A. The third drive device 87 has a button A4a for fixing the first rear soil cultivating body 56 and a button A4b for releasing the fixation of the first rear soil cultivating body 56. By operating the buttons corresponding to each of them, it is possible to fix or release the rotation of the first rear soil cultivating body 56.
[0047] With the above configuration, the agricultural working machine 1 can be set in a deployed posture or a stored posture by rotating the second working bodies 11L and 11R in the left - right direction with respect to the first working body 11. Further, the third working bodies 7L and 7R can be set in a soil - tilling body deployed state or a soil - tilling body stored state by rotating them in the left - right direction with respect to the second working bodies 11L and 11R. Also, the first rear soil - tilling body 56 can be set in a fixed state where it cannot rotate vertically with respect to the first front soil - tilling body 51, or a released - fixation state where it can rotate vertically.
[0048] When changing the second working bodies 11L and 11R from the deployed posture to the stored posture, or from the stored posture to the deployed posture, it is desirable that the third working bodies 7L and 7R be in the soil - tilling body stored state. As shown in FIG. 4, the second working bodies 11L and 11R in the stored posture are close to each other. If the second working bodies 11L and 11R and the third working bodies 7L and 7R are operated in this state, they may interfere with each other. Therefore, proper control must be performed to prevent this.
[0049] Also, the second rear soil - tilling bodies 56L and 56R connected to the first rear soil - tilling body 56 may not be properly connected if they are not in the same vertical rotation position when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction.
[0050] In order to operate properly, the control unit B needs to correctly recognize the positions of the second working bodies 11L and 11R, the third working bodies 7L and 7R, and the first rear soil - tilling body 56, and operate them only when they are in appropriate positions. This recognition is performed by the operator sending command information for operating the drive device from the operation unit through a button operation, and the control unit B generating and reading flag information in the control unit B based on the received command information.
[0051] The operation flow when changing the second working bodies 11L and 11R from the stored posture to the deployed posture will be described with reference to FIG. 14. Note that the description will refer to the case where only the second working body 11L is changed from the stored posture to the deployed posture. The cases of only the second working body 11R and of operating the second working body 11L and the second working body 11R simultaneously are the same processes as the operation of only the second working body 11L and are omitted because of duplication. When the second working body 11L is in the deployed posture, flag information F1 indicating whether the second working body 11L stored in the storage unit B1 configured in the control unit B is deployed or not is stored, used, and generated.
[0052] In step S1, the operator operates the deployment button A1a of the operation unit A. The operation unit A transmits a command signal to deploy the second working body 11L, and this command signal is received by the control unit. The control unit that has received the command signal executes step S2 and controls the second working body 11L to start the deployment operation. That is, the first drive device 81 is operated by the control unit, and the second working body 11L starts to rotate.
[0053] Next, it proceeds to step S3 to determine whether the deployment flag of the second working body 11L is OFF. That is, the flag information of the second working body 11L stored in the storage unit B1 is read and determined. If it is determined that the flag information of the second working body 11L stored in the storage unit B1 is OFF, it proceeds to the next step S4. That is, it is determined that the state of the second working body 11L at the time when the operator started the operation is the stored posture, and it proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if it is determined that the deployment flag is not OFF, it proceeds to step S6 described later. That is, depending on the flag information F1 of the second working body 11L stored in the storage unit B1 at the time when the operator started the operation, assuming that the second working body 11L is in a posture other than the stored posture, steps S4 and S5 are ignored and it proceeds to step S6.
[0054] In step S4, it is determined whether the operation time of the button A1a for deploying the second working body 11L by the operator has been continuously operated for a preset time or more. That is, it is determined whether the operation of the button A1a in step S1 is continuously performed. If the operation time of the button A1a has elapsed for a preset time or more, the process proceeds to the next step S5. If the operation time of the button A1a for deploying the second working body 11L by the operator has not been continuously operated for a preset time or more, step S5 is ignored and the process proceeds to step S6 described later.
[0055] In step S5, the control unit B generates the deployment flag, which is the flag information F1 of the second working body 11L, as ON. After generating the flag information F1, the process then proceeds to step S6. In step S6, it is determined whether the operation to deploy the second working body 11L is ongoing. That is, similar to step S4, it is determined again whether the operation of the button A1a is continuously performed. If the operation to deploy the second working body 11L is ongoing, that is, if it is determined that the operation of the button A1a is continuously performed and the control unit B is continuously receiving the command signal, the process returns to step S2 again and the above control steps are sequentially repeated. If the operation of the button A1a is not continuously performed, that is, if there is no operation of the button A1a and it is determined that the control unit B is not receiving the command signal, the process proceeds to the next step S7.
[0056] In step S7, based on the determination that there is no operation of the button A1a in step S6, the control unit B stops the operation of the first drive device 81, and the operation of the second working body 11L stops.
[0057] Next, the process proceeds to step S8, and the deployment flag, which is the current flag information F1 of the second working body 11L, is stored. In this case, in step S5, the flag information F1 generated with the deployment flag as ON is stored in the storage unit B1, and the control step ends.
[0058] According to the above control flow, in the stage of transitioning from the stored posture to the deployed posture, since the control unit determines the postures of the second working bodies 11L and 11R of the agricultural working machine 1 according to the time (operation time) when the operation unit is operated, there is no need to add a special member to the working machine side. That is, if the existing operation unit A is available, the posture of the second working body 11L can be determined according to the operation time, so that the agricultural working machine 1 can have a simple configuration. In addition, since it can be configured without adding a device and members for posture determination, it can be provided to consumers at a low cost.
[0059] The operations of each part are configured to operate only when the operator is operating the operation unit A. Therefore, if an abnormality occurs unexpectedly in the working machine and the members constituting it, the operation will stop as long as the operation is stopped. Therefore, in the case of an abnormality, etc., the operator can respond immediately if the operation is stopped. Although not shown in the figure, when the operator stops operating the operation unit A during the control flow of FIG. 14, at that stage, the process proceeds to step S7, the first control device 81 is stopped, and the flag information F1 at that stage is stored in the storage unit B1.
[0060] The flag information F1 in the case of changing the postures of the second working bodies 11L and 11R to the deployed postures is configured such that the flag information F1 is generated according to the operation time from the start of the operation on the operation unit B. For this reason, when the operation unit is accidentally and instantaneously pressed by mistake, the control unit does not switch the flag information F1, and the erroneous generation of the flag information F1 due to an erroneous operation can be prevented by a very simple method.
[0061] Furthermore, among the steps of determining the operation time when the operation unit A is operated, the operation elapsed time of the button A1a, which is the first step, is determined, and the flag information F1 is generated. Next, after determining the operation time when the operation unit A is operated, it is a control step of storing the flag information after the operation of the button A1a is stopped. For this reason, the storage of the flag information F1 due to an erroneous operation can be prevented, and the erroneous determination of the control unit can be prevented in advance.
[0062] When the second working bodies 11L and 11R are changed from the stored posture to the deployed posture, the posture of the second working bodies 11L and 11R is determined by the flag information F1 for posture determination, and thus malfunction due to accidental operation of the operation parts of the third working bodies 7L and 7R when the second working bodies 11L and 11R are stored can be prevented.
[0063] The control flow when the second working bodies 11L and 11R are changed from the deployed posture to the stored posture will be described with reference to FIG. 15. Note that the description will refer to the case where only the second working body 11L is changed from the deployed posture to the stored and deployed posture. The cases of only the second working body 11R and of operating the second working bodies 11L and 11R simultaneously are the same as the operation of only the second working body 11L and thus will be omitted due to duplication. When the second working body 11L is to be put in the stored posture, the flag information F1, which is the second working body flag information indicating whether the second working body 11L stored in the storage part B1 configured in the control part B is deployed or not, and the flag information F2, which is the third working body flag information indicating whether the third working body 7L is deployed or not, are stored or used and generated.
[0064] In step S11, the operator operates the storage button A1b of the operation part A. In response to the operation on the operation part A, the operation part A transmits a command signal. After receiving the command signal, the control part B executes step S12 and determines whether the flag information F2 indicating the tilling body deployment state or the tilling body storage state of the third working body 7L, which is the extended tilling body, stored in the storage part B1 is ON or not. That the deployment flag information of the extended tilling body is ON means that the third working bodies 7L and 7R, which are the extended tilling bodies, are in the tilling body deployment state. If the extended tilling body is in the tilling body deployment state, since the flag information F2 is ON, it is determined as YES; if it is in the tilling body storage state, it is determined that the flag information F2 is not ON.
[0065] In step S12, when it is determined that the deployment flag of the third working body 7LR, which is an extended land leveling body, stored in the storage unit B1 is not ON, that is, the flag information F2 indicating that the third working body 7LR is in the land leveling body storage state is stored, the following steps S13 and S14 are omitted, and the process proceeds to step S15 described later to continue the control flow. In step S12, when the extended land leveling body is in the land leveling body deployment state, it is determined that the flag information F2 indicates ON for deployment, and the process proceeds to the next step S13. In step S13, the control unit causes the third working body 7L, which is an extended land leveling body in the land leveling body deployment state, to perform a storage operation. For the storage operation, the second drive device 84 within the drive device 8 is driven to operate the third working body 7L into the land leveling body storage state. Next, the process proceeds to step S14, and the deployment flag information F2 of the extended land leveling body 7L is set to the OFF state. That is, the flag information F2 is generated assuming that the third working body 7L, which is an extended land leveling body, is in the land leveling body storage state. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S15.
[0066] In step S15, the second working body 11L is caused to perform a storage operation. That is, the first drive device 81 is operated to change the second working body 11L from the deployed posture to the stored posture. Then, the process proceeds to step S16, and the deployment flag of the second working body is set to OFF. That is, the flag information F1, which is the deployment information of the second working body 11L, is generated to indicate that it is stored. After generation, the process proceeds to step S17.
[0067] In step S17, the control unit B determines whether the operation of storing the second working body is ongoing. That is, it determines whether the operator has continuously operated the storage button A1b since step S1 and whether the control unit B has continuously received the command information. If it is determined that the operator has continuously operated the storage button A1b since step S1, the process returns to step S12 to repeat the control flow again. That is, as long as the storage button A1b for setting the second working body 11L to the storage posture is continuously operated, the first drive device 81 can continue to operate. If the operation is not ongoing, since the control unit B does not receive the command signal, the control unit B determines that the operation unit A has not been operated and proceeds to step S18. In step S18, the control unit B stops the operation of the first drive device 81.
[0068] After step S18, the process proceeds to step S19, where the flag information F2 of the current second working body 11L is stored in the storage unit B1 of the control unit B, and the control flow ends. That is, the control unit stores the flag information F2 of the second working body 11L as indicating storage. By step S19, the control unit B can determine that the second working body 11L is stored.
[0069] When the operation unit A is operated to store the second working body 11L, the attitude state of the second working body 11L is determined by the flag information stored in the storage unit B1 of the control unit B, and according to this determination, the third working body 7L can be automatically changed to the land preparation storage state. Therefore, the operator can change the attitude of the second working body 11L without worrying about the attitude state of the third working body 7L, reducing the burden on the operator's operation.
[0070] After the operator operates the operation unit A so as to store the second working body 11L, when the operator stops this operation, the control unit determines that the second working body 11L is in the stored posture. Therefore, there is no need to add a special member to the agricultural working machine 1, and the main body of the agricultural working machine 1 can be configured simply and inexpensively. When the second working body is changed from the deployed posture to the stored posture, the operations of the second working body 11L and the third working body 7L are configured to operate only when the operator is operating the operation unit A. Even if an abnormality or the like occurs in the agricultural working machine 1, the operator can immediately stop operating the operation unit A to stop the operation of the movable part.
[0071] When the operator stops the operation of storing the second working body 11L with the operation unit A, the flag information F1 and F2 generated in the storage unit B1 are stored. Except for the state where the second working body 11L is located on the side of the first working body 11 in the fully deployed posture, it is determined that it is in the stored posture. Thereby, the formation of an incomplete deployed posture can be prevented. When starting the operation of the operation unit A from the deployed posture to the stored posture of the second working body 11L, the posture of the third working body 7L is also judged. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the third working body 7L, which is an extended soil cultivating body, from storing the second working body while remaining in the deployed state, and to prevent damage to the agricultural working machine 1.
[0072] As described above, the operation of the second working body 11L from the deployed posture to the stored posture has been mentioned. Similarly, when only the second working body 11R, which is the working body on the right side, operates, it is accompanied by the operation of the third working body 7R and the generation of the flag information F1 and F2. Further, when the second working body 11L and the second working body 11R are simultaneously operated to the stored posture, it is accompanied by the operations of both the third working body 7L and the third working body 7R and the generation of the flag information F1 and F2.
[0073] The control flow when changing the third working bodies 7L and 7R from the soil preparation body storage state to the soil preparation body deployment state will be described with reference to FIG. 16. Note that the description refers to the case where the third working body 7L on the left side is changed from the soil preparation body storage state to the soil preparation body deployment state. The operations of only the third working body 11R on the right side and the simultaneous operations of the third working bodies 7L and 7R are the same as the operations of only the third working body 7L to be described, and are omitted because they overlap. When changing the third working body 7L to the soil preparation body deployment state, flag information F1 indicating whether the second working body 11L configured in the storage unit B1 in the control unit B is deployed or not, and flag information F2 indicating whether the third working body 7L is deployed or not are stored, used, and generated.
[0074] First, in step S21, the operator performs an operation to deploy the extended soil preparation body which is the third working body 7L. That is, the operator operates the deployment button A3a that makes the third working body 7L of the operation unit A in the deployment state. Then, the operation unit A transmits a command signal to operate the second drive device 84 so as to drive the extended soil preparation body to the deployment side. The control unit B that has received the command signal executes step S22.
[0075] In step S22, the control unit B determines whether the flag information F1 indicating the current state of the second working body 11L stored in the storage unit B1 is deployed or not. If it is determined that the flag information F1 is deployed, that is, the second working body 11L is in the deployed posture, the process proceeds to step S23. If it is determined that the flag information F1 is not deployed, that is, the second working body 11L is in the stored posture, the process proceeds to step S30 described later.
[0076] In step S23, the control unit B sets the flag information of the extended soil preparation body to deployed. That is, the control unit B generates flag information F2 indicating that the third working body 7L is in the soil preparation body deployment state.
[0077] Next, the process proceeds to step S24, and a deployment operation is started in the direction of deploying the third working body 7L which is the extended soil preparation body, and the process proceeds to step S25.
[0078] In step S25, it is determined whether it is within the deployment operation time of the extension leveling body. That is, it is determined whether the operation elapsed time from the start of the operation of button A3a of the operation unit A is within the specified time. The deployment operation time is preferably 1.0 to 2.8 seconds, and in the embodiment, it is set to 1.9 seconds. If it is not within the deployment operation time, that is, if the elapsed time from the start of the operation of button A3a has exceeded the set deployment operation time, the process proceeds to step S26. On the contrary, if it is within the deployment operation time, that is, if the elapsed time from the start of the operation of button A3a is less than the set deployment operation time, the process returns to step S24 and the control is repeated.
[0079] In step S26, the control unit B stops the deployment operation of the extension leveling body. That is, the operation of the motor 841 of the second drive device 84 is stopped. At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, the tooth surface on the rotation direction side of the pinion gear 842 which is the first gear is in a pressed state with the tooth surface of the gear 843 which is the second gear at the pressing point P. On the tooth surface side on the opposite side of the rotation direction which is symmetric to the tooth surface of the pinion gear 842 pressing against the tooth surface of the gear 843, a gap called backlash 85 is generated.
[0080] Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S27, and it is determined whether the waiting time has elapsed. The waiting time is the time elapsed after the operation of the motor 841 is stopped in step S26 and is preset. The waiting time is preferably 0.1 to 0.2 seconds, and in the embodiment, 0.15 seconds is adopted. If the control unit B determines that the waiting time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S28. If the control unit B determines that the waiting time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S26 and the control is repeated again.
[0081] In step S28, the control unit B causes a reverse operation in the direction of retracting the extension tilling body. That is, the motor 841 of the second drive device 84 is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation in step S24. Then, in step S29, it is determined whether it is within the reverse operation time of the extension tilling body. The reverse operation time is preferably a very short time of 0.005 to 0.015 seconds, and in the case of the embodiment, 0.01 seconds is adopted. In the reverse operation, the tooth surface of the first gear 842 operates within a range where it does not cross over the tooth surface of the second gear 843, and the second gear 843 does not rotate. Also, by setting the waiting time, a sudden increase in the generated electromotive force during the reverse operation is prevented. When the control unit B determines that it is not within the set reverse deployment operation time, that is, when the reverse operation time has elapsed the reverse deployment operation time, it proceeds to step S30. When the control unit B determines that the reverse operation time has not elapsed, it returns to step S28 again and repeats the control.
[0082] When proceeding to step S30, the control unit B stops the operation of the extension tilling body. That is, the reverse operation of the motor 841 of the second drive device 84 that drives the third working body 7L is stopped. When step S30 is completed, as shown in FIG. 12, the tooth surface of the pinion gear 842, which is the first gear, is released from the pressing state with the tooth surface of the gear 843, which is the second gear, and a gap 85a with a distance smaller than the backlash 85 is generated. On the tooth surface side on the opposite side of the rotation direction, which is on the symmetric side of the tooth surface of the pinion gear 842 that presses the tooth surface of the gear 843, a gap 85b with a distance smaller than the backlash 85 is generated.
[0083] When step S30 is completed, the process proceeds to step S31, where the flag information F2 of the third working body 7L and the flag information F1 of the second working body 11L, which are the current flag information, are stored in the storage unit B1 respectively, and the control flow ends. In the example of the description, when it is determined in step S23 that the flag information F1 is for deployment, the flag information F1 indicating the deployed posture of the second working body 11L and the flag information F2 indicating the deployed posture of the third working body 11L generated in step S23 are stored. Also, when it is determined in step S23 that the flag information F1 is not for deployment, since the second working body 11L and the third working body 7R proceed to step S30 while being stored, the flag information F1 indicating the stored posture of the second working body 11L and the flag information F2 indicating the stored posture of the third working body 11L are stored in the storage unit B1 respectively
[0084] The control flow when changing the third working bodies 7L and 7R from the land preparation body deployed state to the land preparation body stored state will be described with reference to FIG. 17. Note that, as in the above description, the case where the third working body 7L, which is the left - hand working body, is changed from the land preparation body deployed state to the land preparation body stored state is mentioned. The operations of only the third working body 11R, which is the right - hand working body, and the simultaneous operation of the third working bodies 7L and 7R are omitted. When the third working body 7L is in the land preparation body deployed state, the flag information F1 indicating whether the second working body 11L stored in the storage unit B1 configured within the control unit B is deployed or not, and the flag information F2 indicating whether the third working body 7L is deployed or not are stored, used, and generated
[0085] First, in step S41, the operator performs an operation to store the extended land preparation body, which is the third working body 7L. That is, the operator operates the storage button A3b on the operation unit A to set the third working body 7L to the stored state. Then, the operation unit A transmits a command signal to activate the second drive device 84 so as to drive the extended land preparation body toward the storage side. The control unit B that has received the command signal executes step S42
[0086] In step S42, the control unit B causes the extension leveling body 7L to perform a storage operation. That is, in order to place the third working body 7L in the leveling body storage state, the motor 841 of the second drive device 84 is rotated in the direction in which the third working body 7L is stored. Next, the process proceeds to step S43, and the control unit B determines whether it is within the extension leveling body storage operation time. That is, in step S41, it is determined whether the operation time elapsed since the operator operated the storage button A3b is within the range of a predetermined extension leveling body storage operation time. If the operation time is within the extension leveling body storage operation time, the process returns to step S42 again and the control is repeated. When the control unit B determines that the operation time has exceeded the extension leveling body storage operation time, the process proceeds to the next step S44.
[0087] In step S44, the control unit B stops the storage operation of the extension leveling body. That is, the rotation of the motor 841 of the second drive device 84 in the direction in which the third working body 7L is stored is stopped. At this point, as shown in FIG. 11, the tooth surface on the rotation direction side of the pinion gear 842, which is the first gear, is in a pressed state against the tooth surface of the gear 843, which is the second gear, at the pressing point P. On the tooth surface side on the opposite side of the rotation direction, which is symmetric to the tooth surface of the gear 843 that presses against the tooth surface of the pinion gear 842, a gap called backlash 85 is generated.
[0088] Next, the process proceeds to step S45, and it is determined whether the waiting time has elapsed. The waiting time is the time elapsed since the operation of the motor 841 was stopped in step S44 and is preset. The waiting time is preferably 0.1 to 0.2 seconds, and 0.15 seconds is adopted in the embodiment. When the control unit B determines that the waiting time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S44 and the control is repeated again. When the control unit B determines that the waiting time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S46.
[0089] In step S46, the control unit B operates in the reverse rotation direction, which is the direction to expand the extension leveling body 7L. That is, the motor 841 of the second drive device 84 is rotated in the direction opposite to the direction in which it was rotated in step S42.
[0090] After that, it proceeds to step S47 to determine whether it is within the reverse operation time of the extension leveling body 7L. The reverse operation time is preferably a very short time of 0.005 to 0.015 seconds, and in the case of the embodiment, 0.01 second is adopted. Therefore, in the reverse operation, the tooth surface of the first gear 842 operates within a range where it does not cross over the tooth surface of the second gear 843, and the second gear 843 does not rotate. Also, by setting the waiting time, a rapid increase in the generated electromotive force during the reverse operation is prevented.
[0091] If the control unit B determines that the reverse operation time is not within the set reverse deployment operation time, that is, the reverse operation time has elapsed beyond the set time, it proceeds to step S48. On the contrary, if the control unit B determines that the reverse operation time has not elapsed, it returns to step S46 again to repeat the control.
[0092] When it proceeds to step S48, the control unit B stops the operation of the extension leveling body 7L. That is, it stops the reverse operation of the motor 841 of the second drive device 84 that drives the third working body 7L. When step S48 is completed, as shown in FIG. 12, the tooth surface of the pinion gear 842, which is the first gear, is released from the pressing state with the tooth surface of the gear 843, which is the second gear, and a gap 85a smaller than the backlash 85 is generated. On the tooth surface side on the opposite side of the rotation direction, which is on the symmetric side of the tooth surface of the pinion gear 842 that presses against the tooth surface of the gear 843, a gap 85b smaller than the backlash 85 is generated.
[0093] When step S48 ends, it proceeds to step S49. In step S49, the control unit stores the flag information F2 of the extension leveling body 7L. That is, it generates and stores the flag information F2, which is information indicating the leveling body storage state of the third working body, which is the extension leveling body.
[0094] After finishing step S49, it proceeds to step S50, stores the flag information F2 of the third working body 7L and the flag information F1 of the second working body 11L, which are the current flag information, in the storage unit B1 respectively, and ends the control flow.
[0095] When the third working bodies 7L and 7R are changed from the soil cultivating body deployment state to the soil cultivating body storage state, the motor 841 operates to move the third working bodies 7L and 7R from the soil cultivating body deployment state to the soil cultivating body storage state. Then, after performing a reverse operation, flag information F2 indicating the posture of the third working body 11L is generated. After generation, the flag information F2 is stored in the storage unit B1. Also, unlike the case of changing the third working bodies 7L and 7R from the soil cultivating body storage state to the soil cultivating body deployment state, the storage operation is performed without judging the states of the flag information F1 and F2 associated with the start of control.
[0096] As described above, the operation of the third working body 7L only to the deployment posture or the storage posture has been mentioned. However, when only the second working body 11R, which is the working body on the right side, performs the same operation, it is accompanied by the generation of flag information F1 indicating the posture of the second working body 11R and flag information F2 indicating the posture of the third working body 7R. Further, when the third working bodies 7L and 7R are simultaneously operated to the soil cultivating body storage state or the soil cultivating body deployment state, it is accompanied by the operation including at least one of the second working bodies 11L, 11R and the third working bodies 7L, 7R and the generation of the flag information F1, F2.
[0097] When the third working bodies 7L and 7R are deployed, since it is configured to be able to deploy the third working bodies 7L and 7R according to the flag information F1 indicating the posture state of the second working body stored in the storage unit B1, it is possible to prevent the third working bodies 7L and 7R from being deployed while at least one of the second working bodies 11L and 11R remains in the stored state. Therefore, the third working bodies 7L and 7R cannot be deployed unless the conditions that the second working bodies 11L and 11L are in the deployed posture are met. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the third working bodies 7L and 7R from accidentally damaging the agricultural working machine 1 while the second working bodies 11L and 11R are in the stored state.
[0098] When the third working bodies 7L and 7R are stored, they can be stored regardless of the posture states of the second working bodies 11L and 11R. As described above, the state where the soil preparation bodies of the third working bodies 7L and 7R are deployed can only occur when the second working bodies 11L and 11R are deployed. When the second working bodies 11L and 11R are in the deployed posture, the third working bodies 7L and 7R in the soil preparation body storage state are located at the left and right ends of the agricultural working machine 1, and even if they rotate about the rotation fulcrum portions 71L and 71R, there is no interference with other members that causes self-destruction. Therefore, when storing the third working bodies 7L and 7R, the flow for determining the posture of the second working body can be omitted and the operation can be performed quickly. That is, the control flow related to the posture change of the third working bodies 7L and 7R can be made into a simple configuration.
[0099] After the third working bodies 7L and 7R are deployed and stored, since the drive device 8 is automatically stopped and then the flag information indicating the current posture is stored, there is no need to add special members to the agricultural working machine 1. That is, the main body of the agricultural working machine can be made into a simple configuration and can be configured at low cost.
[0100] When changing the posture of the third working body, the operation of the third working body only operates when the operator is operating the operation unit. Therefore, when an abnormality or the like occurs, the operation stops only by stopping the operation. Even if an abnormality or the like occurs, it is configured such that the operator can respond immediately.
[0101] Although not shown in the figure, during the control to deploy the soil preparation bodies of the third working bodies 7L and 7R shown in FIG. 16, when the operator stops operating the operation unit A, the drive device 8 is stopped at that time, and the flag state at this time is stored. That is, when the operation of the operation unit A is stopped, the control unit B determines that the command signal has stopped, forcibly shifts to step S30, executes step S31, and ends the control. This is because even if the operation to deploy the third working bodies 7L and 7R is performed slightly, it is recognized that the soil preparation bodies are in the deployed state, so that the operator can be recognized as having the intention to change the posture of the third working bodies 7L and 7R. Therefore, the posture change of the second working bodies 11L and 11R in the middle state where the third working bodies 7L and 7R change their postures can be suppressed.
[0102] On the other hand, when the operation of the operation unit is stopped while the third working bodies 7L and 7R are being stored from the cultivated land body deployment state to the cultivated land body storage state, the drive device 8 is stopped without generating and storing the flag information F2 of the third working bodies 7L and 7R in the storage state. That is, when the operator stops the operation of the operation unit A during the control to make the third working bodies 7L and 7R shown in FIG. 17 enter the cultivated land body storage state, the control flow is stopped at that time. Further, in other words, although the operation of the drive device 8 stops due to the stop of the control flow, the flag information F2 at this time is not generated and the flag information F2 is not stored in the storage unit B1.
[0103] To make the control unit B recognize the cultivated land body storage state, the third working bodies 7L and 7R cannot be recognized as being stored unless the procedure according to a predetermined control flow is followed. Therefore, the operator can be prompted to perform an operation to reliably store the third working bodies 7L and 7R. After that, even if the second working bodies 11L and 11R are operated, since the extended cultivated land bodies 7L and 7R are in the cultivated land body storage state and the control unit B recognizes the cultivated land body storage state based on the flag information F2, there is no risk that each part of the agricultural working machine 1 operates in an incorrect posture state and is damaged.
[0104] After the posture of the third working bodies 7L and 7R, which are the extended cultivated land bodies, is changed, the first gear 842 returns to a position where no pressure is applied to engage with the second gear 843, that is, it rotates reversely by a distance smaller than the backlash 85, which is the play gap between the tooth surfaces, and a series of operations are completed. Thereby, after the posture change, no engaging pressure is generated between the paired tooth surfaces, so that the tooth surfaces can be prevented from being fixed due to rust or the like caused by being left for a long time.
[0105] After the posture change, since no engaging pressure is applied to the tooth surfaces, no load is applied to the output shaft of the motor 841 connected to the first gear 842, and the motor 841 is not damaged. In particular, since the output shaft of the motor 841 is not left in a state where a load is applied for a long period of non-use time, the motor 841 can be used while being protected from damage over a long period.
[0106] Since sticking between tooth surfaces and damage to the motor 841 can be suppressed, it is possible to reduce the maintenance work of the operator and also reduce the costs related to component replacement and the like, which is economical.
[0107] The control flow when changing from the fixed state in which the rotation of the first rear soil cultivating body 56 is restricted to the rotatable unlocked state will be described with reference to FIG. 18. When changing the first rear soil cultivating body 56 from the fixed state to the unlocked state, the flag information F3, which is the soil cultivating body flag information indicating the fixed state or the unlocked state of the first rear soil cultivating body 56 and is stored in the storage unit B1 configured in the control unit B, is stored, used, and generated. Note that the fixed state of the first rear soil cultivating body 56 may also be referred to as the soil gathering posture or the soil gathering state. Also, the unlocked state of the first rear soil cultivating body 56 may also be referred to as the scraping posture or the scraping state.
[0108] First, in step S61, the operator performs an operation to set the first rear soil cultivating body 56 to the scraping state. That is, the operator operates the button A4b for releasing the fixing of the first rear working body 56 of the operation unit A. Then, the operation unit A transmits a command signal for operating the third drive device 87 so as to drive the first rear working body 56 to the unlocked state. The control unit B that has received the command signal executes step S62.
[0109] In step S62, control for operating in the scraping posture is performed. That is, the control unit B rotates the motor 871 of the third drive device 87 and rotates the engagement member 874 in a direction to release the engagement between the engagement rod 875 and the engagement groove 874a of the engagement member 874.
[0110] Next, it proceeds to step S63, and control unit B determines whether it is within the reaping operation time. That is, control unit B determines whether the operation elapsed time from the start of the operation of button A4b of operation unit A is within the specified time. The reaping operation time is preferably 1.0 to 2.8 seconds, and in the embodiment, it is set to 1.9 seconds. If it is within the reaping operation time, that is, if the elapsed time from the start of the operation of button A3b is less than the set reaping operation time, it returns to step S62 and repeats the control. If it is not within the reaping operation time, that is, if the elapsed time from the start of the operation of button A3b has exceeded the set reaping operation time, it proceeds to step S64.
[0111] In step S64, the reaping operation is stopped. That is, control unit B stops the operation of motor 871 of the third control device 87. At this point, as shown in FIG. 11, the tooth surface on the rotation direction side of pinion gear 872, which is the first gear, is in a pressed state with the tooth surface of gear 843, which is the second gear, at the pressing point P. A gap called backlash 88 is generated on the tooth surface side on the opposite side of the rotation direction, which is on the symmetric side of the tooth surface of pinion gear 872 that presses against the tooth surface of gear 873.
[0112] Thereafter, it proceeds to step S65, and determines whether the waiting time has elapsed. The waiting time is the time elapsed since the operation of motor 871 was stopped in step S64, and is preset. The waiting time is preferably 0.1 to 0.2 seconds, and in the embodiment, 0.15 seconds is adopted. If control unit B determines that the waiting time has not elapsed, it returns to step S64 and repeats the control again. If control unit B determines that the waiting time has elapsed, it proceeds to step S66.
[0113] In step S66, control unit B performs an earth moving operation in the direction of fixing the first rear soil cultivating body 56. That is, motor 871 of the third drive device 87 is rotated in the direction opposite to the direction in which it was rotated in step S62.
[0114] Next, it proceeds to step S67, and control unit B determines whether it is within the reverse operation time of motor 871. The reverse operation time is preferably a very short time of 0.005 to 0.015 seconds, and in the case of the embodiment, 0.01 second is adopted. In the reverse operation, the tooth surface of the first gear 872 operates within a range where it does not cross over the tooth surface of the second gear 873, and the second gear 873 does not rotate. Also, by setting the waiting time, a sudden increase in the generated electromotive force during the reverse operation is prevented. If control unit B determines that the reverse operation time has not elapsed, it returns to step S66 again to repeat the control. If control unit B determines that it is not within the set reverse deployment operation time, that is, the reverse operation time has elapsed beyond the reverse deployment operation time, it proceeds to step S68. By setting the waiting time, a sudden increase in the generated electromotive force during the reverse operation is prevented.
[0115] In step S68, control unit B stops the soil gathering operation. That is, control unit B stops the reverse operation of motor 871 of the third control device 87. When step S68 is completed, as shown in FIG. 12, the tooth surface of the pinion gear 872, which is the first gear, is released from the pressing state with the tooth surface of the gear 873, which is the second gear, and a gap 88a smaller than backlash 88 is generated. On the tooth surface side on the opposite side of the rotational direction, which is symmetric to the tooth surface of the pinion gear 872 that presses against the tooth surface of the gear 873, a gap 88b smaller than backlash 85 is generated.
[0116] Next, it proceeds to step S69, and control unit B turns on the scarifying flag. That is, control unit B generates the flag information F3 of the first rear soil cultivating body 56 in the scarifying state. After that, it proceeds to step S70, stores the flag information F3 indicating the current posture of the first rear soil cultivating body 56 in the storage unit B1, and the control ends.
[0117] The control flow when changing the first rear soil preparation body 56 from a rotatable unlocked state to a locked state with rotation restricted will be described with reference to FIG. 19. When changing the first rear soil preparation body 56 from the locked state to the unlocked state, the control unit B stores, uses, and generates the flag information F3 stored in the storage unit B1 configured in the control unit B, which indicates whether the first rear soil preparation body 56 is in the locked state or the unlocked state.
[0118] In step S81, the operator performs the soil gathering operation. That is, the operator operates the button A4a for fixing the first rear working body 56 of the operation unit A to the fixed state. Then, the operation unit A transmits a command signal to operate the third drive device 87 so as to drive the first rear working body 56 to the fixed state. The control unit B that has received the command signal executes step S82.
[0119] In step S82, the control unit B turns off the scarifying flag. That is, the control unit B generates a flag that is different from the scarifying flag and is the soil gathering flag using the flag information F3, which is information indicating the posture of the first rear soil preparation body 56.
[0120] Next, it proceeds to step S83, and the control unit B performs the soil gathering operation. That is, the control unit B rotates the motor 871 of the third control device 87 to rotate the engaging member 874 in the direction in which the engaging rod 875 engages with the engaging groove 874a of the engaging member 874.
[0121] Next, it proceeds to step S84, and the control unit B determines whether it is within the soil gathering operation time. That is, the control unit B determines whether the operation elapsed time from the start of the operation of the button A4a of the operation unit A is within the specified time. The soil gathering operation time is preferably 1.0 to 2.8 seconds, and in the embodiment, it is set to 1.9 seconds. If it is within the soil gathering operation time, that is, if the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the button A3a is less than the set soil gathering operation time, it returns to step S83 and repeats the control. If it is not within the soil gathering operation time, that is, if the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the button A3a has exceeded the set scarifying operation time, it proceeds to step S85.
[0122] In step S85, the soil accumulation operation is stopped. That is, the control unit B stops the operation of the motor 871 of the third control device 87. At this point, as shown in FIG. 11, the tooth surface on the rotation direction side of the pinion gear 872, which is the first gear, is in a pressed state with the tooth surface of the gear 843, which is the second gear, at the pressing point P. A gap called backlash is generated on the tooth surface side on the opposite side of the rotation direction, which is symmetric to the tooth surface of the pinion gear 872 that presses against the tooth surface of the gear 873.
[0123] Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S86 to determine whether the waiting time has elapsed. The waiting time is the time elapsed since the operation of the motor 871 was stopped in step S85 and is preset. The waiting time is preferably 0.1 to 0.2 seconds, and 0.15 seconds is adopted in the embodiment. If the control unit B determines that the waiting time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S85 and the control is repeated. If the control unit B determines that the waiting time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S87.
[0124] In step S87, the control unit B performs a raking operation in the direction of releasing the fixing of the first rear soil leveling body 56. That is, the control unit B rotates the motor 871 of the third drive device 87 in the direction opposite to the direction in which it was rotated in step S83.
[0125] Next, the process proceeds to step S88, and the control unit B determines whether it is within the reverse operation time of the motor 871. The reverse operation time is preferably a very short time of 0.005 to 0.015 seconds, and 0.01 second is adopted in the embodiment. In the reverse operation, the tooth surface of the first gear 872 operates within a range where it does not cross over the tooth surface of the second gear 873, and the second gear 873 does not rotate. Also, by setting the waiting time, a sudden increase in the generated electromotive force during the reverse operation is prevented. If the control unit B determines that the reverse operation time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S87 again and the control is repeated. If the control unit B determines that it is not within the set reverse deployment operation time, that is, the reverse operation time has elapsed beyond the reverse deployment operation time, the process proceeds to step S89.
[0126] In step S89, the control unit B stops the raking operation. That is, the control unit B stops the reverse operation of the motor 871 of the third control device 87. When step S89 is completed, as shown in FIG. 12, the tooth surface of the pinion gear 872, which is the first gear, is released from the pressing state with the tooth surface of the gear 873, which is the second gear, and a gap 88a having a distance smaller than the backlash 88 is generated. On the tooth surface side on the opposite side of the rotational direction, which is on the symmetric side of the tooth surface of the pinion gear 872 that presses against the tooth surface of the gear 873, a state is formed in which a gap 88b having a distance smaller than the backlash 85 is generated.
[0127] Next, the process proceeds to step S90, where the control unit B stores the flag information F3 indicating the current attitude state of the first rear soil cultivating body 56 in the storage unit B1, and the control ends.
[0128] According to the control flow related to the operation of the first rear soil cultivating body 56 described above, the control unit B can determine the fixed state and the fixed release state, which are the attitude states of the first rear soil cultivating body 56. Although not shown, it is expected that this flag information F3 can be utilized for other control devices and mechanisms.
[0129] The flag information F3 is generated after the operator operates the operation unit A and then the third drive device 87 actually operates when the first rear soil cultivating body 56 is in the fixed release state. On the other hand, when the first rear soil cultivating body 56 is in the fixed state, it is generated immediately after the operator operates the operation unit A. With this control configuration, it is possible to recognize that the rotatable engagement member 874 is in the fixed state at all positions other than the fixed release state shown in FIG. 10.
[0130] Since the agricultural working machine 1 of the present invention that performs the raking operation mostly works in the fixed release state, in order to ensure that the work is performed after the attitude is changed reliably, it is configured to follow the control procedure shown in FIG. 18. That is, after operating the third drive device 87 to put the first rear soil cultivating body 56 in the fixed release state, a procedure of generating and storing the flag information F3 of the fixed release is adopted, so that an improvement in the certainty of attitude determination can be expected.
[0131] When the engagement member 874 rotates and changes its posture from the unlocked state shown in Fig. 10 to the locked state shown in Fig. 9, the position of the engagement member 874 other than the position in the unlocked state shown in Fig. 10 is controlled so that it can be determined as the locked state. As a result, the control does not become complicated, and the posture of the first rear soil cultivating body 56 can be determined only by operating the operation unit A, so that the configuration of the control unit B can be simplified.
[0132] Although not shown in the figure, when the operation of the operation unit A is stopped during the control to bring the state shown in Fig. 18 to the unlocked state, the third drive device 87 is stopped without generating the flag information F3 as a flag indicating the scraping state. That is, when the operator stops the operation of the operation unit A, the control flow is stopped at that time. Although the operation of the third drive device 87 stops due to the stop of the control flow, the flag information at this time is not generated and stored. To make the control unit B recognize the posture of the first rear soil cultivating body 56 as the unlocked state which is the scraping state, it cannot be recognized as the unlocked state unless the procedure according to the predetermined control flow is followed. Therefore, the operator can be prompted to operate so that the posture of the first rear soil cultivating body 56 is surely brought to the unlocked state.
[0133] Although not shown in the figure, when the operator stops the operation of the operation unit A during the control to bring the state shown in Fig. 19 to the locked state, the third drive device 87 is stopped at that time, and the flag state at this time is stored. That is, when the operation of the operation unit A is stopped, the control unit B determines that the command signal has stopped, forcibly shifts to step S90, executes step S31, and ends the control. This is because if even a slight operation to fix the posture of the first rear soil cultivating body 56 is performed and it is recognized as the locked state, the control unit B can be made to recognize that the operator intends to change the posture of the first rear soil cultivating body 56.
[0134] Similar to the second drive device 84, after the attitude of the first rear soil cultivating body 56 is changed, the third drive device 87 returns to a position where no pressure is applied for the first gear 842 to engage with the second gear 843, that is, it rotates reversely by a distance smaller than the backlash 88 which is the play gap between tooth surfaces, and a series of operations are completed. Thereby, after the attitude change, no meshing pressure is generated between the paired tooth surfaces, so that the sticking due to rust or the like caused by long-term leaving of the tooth surfaces can be prevented.
[0135] After the attitude of the first rear soil cultivating body 56 is changed, since no meshing pressure is applied to the tooth surfaces, no load is applied to the output shaft of the motor 871 to which the first gear 872 is connected, and the motor 871 is not damaged. In particular, since the output shaft of the motor 871 is not left in a state where a load is applied for a long period of time which is the non-use time, the motor 871 can be used while being protected from damage over a long period of time.
[0136] Since sticking between tooth surfaces and damage to the motor 871 can be suppressed, the maintenance work by the operator can be reduced, and the cost related to component replacement and the like can also be reduced, which is economical.
[0137] Although the present invention has been described according to the above embodiments, the descriptions and drawings forming a part of this disclosure do not limit the present invention. Modifications of the embodiments, examples and operation techniques based on this disclosure are possible within the scope described in the claims.
Explanation of reference numerals
[0138] 1 Agricultural working machine, 11 First working body, 11L Second working body, 11R Second working body, 5 First soil tilling body, 5L Second soil tilling body, 5R Second soil tilling body, 51 First front soil tilling body, 51L Second front soil tilling body, 51R Second front soil tilling body, 56 First rear soil tilling body, 561 Link mechanism, 561a Bending part, 56L Second rear soil tilling body, 56R Second rear soil tilling body, 7L Third working body, 7R Third working body, 8 Driving device, 81 First driving device, 84 Second driving device, 841 Motor, 842 Pinion gear, 843 Gear, 87 Third driving device, 871 Motor, 872 Pinion gear, 873 Gear, 874 Engaging member, 874a Engaging groove, 875 Engaging rod, A Operating part, B Control part, B1 Memory part
Claims
1. A working body and A leveling body located at the rear of the working body and capable of rotating up and down; A drive device capable of changing the posture of the ground leveling body to a fixed state in which the ground leveling body cannot be rotated up and down, or to a released state in which the ground leveling body is released from the fixed state so that the ground leveling body can be rotated up and down; A control unit capable of controlling the drive device; An operation unit capable of transmitting a command signal to the control unit by being operated by an operator, The control unit includes a storage unit that stores flag information that is information indicating the posture state of the grading body, When the control unit receives the command signal from the operation unit to change the ground leveling body from a fixed state to an unlocked state, when the operation of the drive unit is stopped after the drive unit is operated to change the ground leveling body to an unlocked state, the control unit stores flag information as an unlocked state in the memory unit, and when the operation of the operation unit is stopped while the drive unit is in operation, the control unit stops the operation of the drive unit without generating flag information as an unlocked state, and does not store the flag information at the time when the operation of the drive unit is stopped in the memory unit. Agricultural machinery characterized by:
2. A working body and A leveling body located at the rear of the working body and capable of rotating up and down; A drive device capable of changing the position of the ground leveling body between a fixed state and a released state; A control unit capable of controlling the drive device; An operation unit capable of transmitting a command signal to the control unit by being operated by an operator, The control unit includes a storage unit that stores flag information that is information indicating the posture state of the grading body, When the control unit receives a command signal from the operation unit to change the ground leveling body from an unlocked state to a fixed state, the control unit generates flag information for changing the state to a fixed state at the time when operation is started with the operation unit, and when the operation of the drive unit is stopped after the flag information is generated and the drive unit is operated to change the ground leveling body to a fixed state, the control unit stores the flag information as a fixed state in the memory unit, and when the operation of the operation unit is stopped while the drive unit is operating, the control unit stops the drive unit at the time when the operation of the operation unit is stopped, and stores the flag information at the time when the operation of the operation unit is stopped without generating the flag information. Agricultural machinery characterized by:
Citation Information
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