Crop harvester

Abstract

To provide a crop harvester capable of reducing a burden on an operator when loading / unloading a storage container for storing harvested crops and a battery for supplying power to an electric motor as a power source of a machine body onto / from the machine body.SOLUTION: A battery for supplying power to an electric motor for driving a harvesting device of a crop harvester is configured so as to stand by itself while supporting a storage container from below in a connected state in which it is connected to a lower end part of the storage container for storing crops. A lateral width of an upper end part of the battery is smaller than a lateral width of the lower end part of the storage container. The storage container includes, on the undersurface, a pair of supported parts positioned on the right and left sides outside the upper end part of the battery, and the supported parts are configured so as to be lifted by a pair of forks of a crane device so that the storage container and the battery can be integrally loaded / unloaded onto / from a machine body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a crop harvester equipped with an electric motor as a power source.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a crop harvester including an electric motor as a power source of the machine body and a battery that supplies power to the electric motor.

[0003] Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a crop harvester in which a storage container for storing crops can be loaded and unloaded onto the machine body by a crane device provided at the rear of the machine body. In this specification, "loading and unloading" refers to both the operation of loading and the operation of unloading a load such as a storage container.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the crop harvester described in Patent Document 1, by using an electric motor instead of or together with an engine, crops can be harvested while eliminating or reducing the emission of exhaust gas. However, the remaining battery level may be insufficient during operation.

[0006] In this case, it is necessary to remove the battery from the machine body for charging. However, for the operator, the process of removing the battery from the machine body and reinstalling it after charging is extremely burdensome.

[0007] On the one hand, according to the crop harvester described in Patent Document 2, a heavy storage container containing crops can be safely loaded and unloaded by a crane device. However, on the other hand, when loading and unloading the storage container, it is necessary to attach the other ends of a plurality of ropes, one end of which is fixed to the storage container, to the hook provided at the lower end of the crane device, which has been a burden on the operator.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a crop harvester that can reduce the burden on an operator when loading and unloading a storage container for storing harvested crops and a battery for supplying power to an electric motor as a power source of the machine body.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] Such an object of the present invention is a crop harvester for harvesting crops in a field, an electric motor as a power source of the machine body, a battery which is a power source for supplying power to the electric motor, a harvesting device driven by the electric motor, a storage container for storing the crops harvested by the harvesting device, a crane device for loading and unloading the storage container onto and from the machine body, and connecting means for connecting the battery to the storage container, the crane device includes a pair of left and right forks for supporting the lower surface of the storage container, the battery is configured to be connectable and separable to and from the lower end of the storage container by the connecting means, and when in a connected state with the storage container, is configured to stand on its own while supporting the storage container from below directly under the storage container, and The left - right width of the upper end of the battery is formed to be smaller than the left - right width of the lower end of the storage container. Further, the storage container is provided with a pair of supported portions on the left and right located outside the upper end of the battery in the left - right direction on its lower surface. In the connected state, the supported portions are configured to be supported and lifted from below by the pair of forks, so that the storage container and the battery can be integrally loaded and unloaded onto / from the machine body, which is achieved by a crop harvester characterized by this.

[0010] In the present invention, a battery that supplies power to an electric motor is connected to the lower end of a storage container and is configured to stand independently while supporting the storage container from below. For this reason, in the connected state, a pair of supported portions on the left and right located outside the battery in the left - right direction on the lower surface of the storage container do not touch the ground, and a pair of forks of a crane device can be easily inserted under the pair of supported portions, and it can be loaded and unloaded onto / from the machine body. Therefore, when the operator loads and unloads the storage container, there is no need to connect the crane device and the storage container with a hook, rope, etc., and the burden on the operator when loading and unloading the storage container can be reduced.

[0011] Also, in this way, since the battery can be loaded and unloaded onto / from the machine body together with the storage container in a state where the battery is connected to the lower end of the storage container, similar to the storage container, the burden on the operator when loading and unloading the battery onto / from the machine body can be reduced.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the battery is arranged inside the left - right direction of a pair of supported portions supported by the forks of the crane device on the lower surface of the storage container, even in a connected state where the battery is connected to the storage container, the battery does not interfere with the lifting of the storage container by the pair of forks. Therefore, the storage container in the connected state can be smoothly loaded and unloaded.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, The battery includes a power - conducting connector for discharging that is connected to the power - conducting connector on the aircraft body side. The power - conducting connector for discharging is provided such that when the housing container and the battery in the connected state are loaded onto the aircraft body, it is at the same height position as the power - conducting connector on the aircraft body side. When the battery and the housing container in the connected state are slid on the aircraft body, it is connected to the power - conducting connector on the aircraft body side and is configured to supply driving power to the electric motor.

[0014] According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, since the power - conducting connector for discharging the battery is set to be at the same height position as the power - conducting connector on the aircraft body side when the battery and the housing container in the connected state are loaded onto the aircraft body, on the aircraft body, an operator can easily connect the power - conducting connector for discharging to the power - conducting connector on the aircraft body side only by sliding the battery and the housing container in the connected state.

[0015] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, The housing container includes a crop - containing portion for containing harvested crops and four side surfaces surrounding the four sides of the crop - containing portion. On at least one of the four side surfaces, a ventilation portion that communicates the crop - containing portion with the side of the housing container and a solar cell module that supplies power generated by receiving sunlight to the battery are provided. The side surface of the solar cell module is covered with an elastic body, and the solar cell module is configured to be detachable from the housing container.

[0016] According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, since a solar cell module for supplying power to the battery is provided on at least one side surface of the housing container, the battery can be charged during harvesting work or movement.

[0017] Furthermore, according to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, since a ventilation part that communicates the crop storage part with the side of the storage container is provided on the side surface of the storage container provided with the solar cell module, it is possible to ensure the air permeability of the crop storage part while generating electricity by the solar cell module. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the harvested crops from being damaged by heat or the like soon after harvesting.

[0018] In addition, according to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, since the solar cell module is detachably provided with respect to the storage container, the ventilation area and the ventilation volume can be adjusted by attaching and detaching each solar cell module from the storage container.

[0019] Furthermore, according to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, since the side surfaces of each solar cell module are covered with an elastic body, damage to the solar cell module can be suppressed.

[0020] In a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the crane device a first rear support member having a lower end fixed to the rear part of the left fork of the pair of forks and suspending the left fork, a first front support member having a lower end fixed to the front part of the left fork and suspending the left fork, a second rear support member having a lower end fixed to the rear part of the right fork of the pair of forks and suspending the right fork, a second front support member having a lower end fixed to the front part of the right fork and suspending the right fork, and a connecting plate that connects the front end parts of the pair of forks, the upper end part of the first rear support member is connected to the upper end part of the first front support member, and the upper end part of the second rear support member is connected to the upper end part of the second front support member, respectively, and further, A gap is formed between the left and right sides of the upper end of the first rear support member and the upper end of the first front support member, and between the upper end of the second rear support member and the upper end of the second front support member, for receiving an object to be lifted by the pair of forks.

[0021] According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, since a gap is formed between the left and right sides of the upper end of the first rear support member and the upper end of the first front support member, and between the upper end of the second rear support member and the upper end of the second front support member, even when the object to be lifted has a height when being loaded and unloaded by the crane device, it is possible to prevent the object to be lifted from contacting the upper end of the crane device and getting stuck.

[0022] In a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, The length of the pair of forks in the front-rear direction is set shorter than the length of the storage container in the front-rear direction.

[0023] According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to easily transfer the object to be lifted from the crane device to another forklift.

Advantages of the Invention

[0024] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to provide a crop harvester that can reduce the burden on workers when loading and unloading a storage container for storing harvested crops and a battery for supplying power to an electric motor as a power source of the machine body onto the machine body.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025]

Figure 1

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Figure 8

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Figure 12

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Figure 15

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a crop harvester 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the crop harvester 10 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a schematic left side view of the crop harvester 10 shown in FIG. 1.

[0028] Further, FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing the power mechanism of the crop harvester 10 shown in FIG. 1.

[0029] In this specification, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1, the side in the traveling direction of the crop harvester 10 is defined as the front. Unless otherwise specified, the left side in the traveling direction of the crop harvester 10 is referred to as "left", and the opposite side is referred to as "right". Also, the crop harvester 10 excluding the batteries 1 to 3 described in detail later is simply referred to as the "airframe".

[0030] The crop harvester 10 includes a main frame 4 that is substantially rectangular in plan view, a traveling device 5 provided below the main frame 4, a floor member 6 fixed to the main frame 4, a harvesting device 7 attached to the main frame 4 for harvesting crops in the field and conveying them rearward and upward, an electric motor 8 as a power source of the airframe (more specifically, a power source for the harvesting device 7 and the traveling device 5), a plurality of storage containers 13 for storing the crops harvested by the harvesting device 7, a crane device 16 for unloading the storage containers 13 from the rear of the airframe and discharging them to the rear of the airframe, a power mechanism (see FIG. 4) including first to third batteries 1 to 3 for supplying power to the electric motor 8, a main controller 11 (see FIG. 4) for controlling each device of the airframe, and a remote controller 21 (see FIG. 4) for the operator to transmit an instruction signal to the main controller 11. The electric motor 8 is a motor that drives the harvesting device 7 and the traveling device 5. The remote controller 21 is composed of a tablet-type computer and can transmit and receive various data to and from the main controller 11 by wireless communication. The traveling device 5 is composed of a pair of caterpillars in this embodiment, but may be composed of wheels or the like.

[0031] The rotational power output from the electric motor 8 is transmitted to a transmission mechanism 9 including an HST (hydrostatic continuously variable transmission) 14 through a plurality of pulleys, a closed-loop belt wound around them, a drive shaft, etc. After being shifted within the transmission mechanism 9, it is transmitted to the harvesting device 7 and the traveling device 5. As a result, while advancing by driving the traveling device 5, the crops in the field are harvested by driving the harvesting device 7. Note that the hydraulic tank 14a of the HST 14 is shown in FIG. 10.

[0032] The crop harvester 10 is provided with a GNSS receiver 26 shown in FIG. 4, and is configured to be able to perform a harvesting operation by the harvesting device 7 while traveling in the field by automatic driving without an operator boarding.

[0033] During the harvesting operation by automatic driving, the main controller 11 calculates the amount of positional deviation (departure distance) between a preset planned travel route for the field and the position of the harvester 10 acquired by the GNSS receiver 26. Then, by controlling the traveling device 5 so that the calculated amount of positional deviation becomes shorter, the crop harvester 10 autonomously travels along the planned travel route. Hereinafter, the control for controlling the traveling device 5 so that the amount of positional deviation between the position of the machine body and the planned travel route becomes shorter is referred to as "automatic driving control".

[0034] The automatic driving control is started on the condition that an instruction operation is performed by the remote controller 21 and can be stopped by an instruction operation by the remote controller 21. When the traveling device is composed of wheels, tie rods, pinion gears, rack gears, etc., in the automatic driving control, the main controller changes the direction of the wheels using a steering motor or the like.

[0035] In addition, as will be described in detail later, the crop harvester 10 can also travel based on manual operation by an operator. The planned travel route to be used for automatic driving is calculated and set by the main controller 11 from the field shape information obtained by so-called teaching by manual operation. In addition to this, it can also be downloaded from a server and set. The main controller 11 corresponds to the "control unit" of the present invention, and the remote controller 21 corresponds to the "remote terminal" of the present invention.

[0036] The harvesting device 7 is a general-purpose harvesting device including a central harvesting unit 7a for harvesting long root vegetables such as carrots and burdocks, and an outer harvesting unit 7b for harvesting head vegetables such as cabbages. The central harvesting unit 7a and the outer harvesting unit 7b are each configured to rotate a pair of endless belts to sandwich the crops in the field with the pair of belts and pull them upward and backward to harvest and convey them. The pair of endless belts are each wound around a pulley rotated by power transmitted from a speed change mechanism 9 through a drive shaft, a universal joint, etc., and are rotationally driven as the pulley rotates.

[0037] The crops harvested by the central harvesting unit 7a have their stems and leaves cut by a stem and leaf cutting unit 15 driven by the power transmitted from the speed change mechanism 9, and the mud is removed by a cleaner unit (not shown). Then, they are conveyed into a flexible container bag 18 attached to the upper part of the storage container 13 by a first conveyor 17 and stored. The first conveyor 17 is provided at the base 16b of a crane device 16 arranged substantially at the center in the width direction (left-right direction) of the machine body.

[0038] The crops harvested by the outer harvesting unit 7b are conveyed and supplied into a flexible container bag 18 attached to the upper part of the storage container 13 by a pair of second conveyors respectively arranged on the left and right of the stem and leaf cutting unit 15. The second conveyor is omitted in the drawing for the sake of clearly showing the HST 14, the electric motor 8, etc.

[0039] The crane device 16 includes a base 16b fixed to the floor member 6, a first rotating cylinder 16g with one end attached to the base 16b and the other end attached to a fixed frame (not shown) extending from the harvesting device 7, a first arm 16c rotatably attached to the upper part of the base 16b, a second arm 16d rotatably attached to the front end of the first arm 16c, a second rotating cylinder 16e for changing the rotation angle of the second arm 16d, and a pair of hanger arms 16a connected to the rear end of the second arm 16d to which the object to be lifted is attached.

[0040] The base 16b is rotated by the expansion and contraction of the first rotating cylinder 16g. The first arm 16c is rotated around the upper part of the base 16b by the expansion and contraction of a cylinder (not shown). The rear end of the second rotating cylinder 16e is fixed to the second arm 16d, and the second arm 16d is rotated by the expansion and contraction of the second rotating cylinder 16e. By changing the rotation angles of the base 16b, the first arm 16c, and the second arm 16d, the objects to be lifted such as the storage container 13 and each battery 1 - 3 can be moved back and forth and up and down. Therefore, the objects to be lifted at the rear of the aircraft can be loaded onto the rear part of the floor member 6 using the crane device 16, and the objects to be lifted located at the rear part of the floor member 6 can be unloaded to the rear of the aircraft.

[0041] Each cylinder is expanded and contracted based on the operation of the remote controller 21, and is also expanded and contracted when the control unit 32, which will be described in detail later, is operated. Note that the base of the crane device 16 may be configured to be rotatable around a vertical axis. In this case, it is possible to easily load and unload the first and second batteries 1, 2, etc. arranged on the outer floor member 6 in the width direction of the aircraft without extending a chain hook or the like from the pair of hanger arms 16a.

[0042] The crop harvester 10 includes, as a power mechanism, first to third batteries 1 to 3, an inverter 19 that adjusts the rotational speed of the electric motor 8, a power supply switching device 20 that can selectively switch the power supply source to the electric motor 8 among the first to third batteries 1 to 3, a BMS (Battery Management System) 12 that transmits a control signal to the power supply switching device 20 and switches the battery 1, 2, or 3 that supplies power to the electric motor 8, and a power conduction switching device 23 that switches the energization state from the third battery 3 to the first or second battery 1, 2. This BMS 12 corresponds to the "battery management unit" of the present invention and functions to manage so that one of the plurality of batteries 1, 2, 3 is used as a power source.

[0043] A pair of first batteries 1 and a pair of second batteries 2 arranged behind them are placed on the outer side of the machine width in the floor member 6 as shown in FIG. 1, and are located on both the left and right sides of the first conveyor 17, the second conveyor, and the cleaner section. Therefore, it can also serve as a safety guard for the conveyor and the cleaner section.

[0044] The third battery 3 is arranged in the crop placement area A on the floor member 6 sandwiched from the left and right by the pair of first batteries 1 and the pair of second batteries 2 (in other words, surrounded by the batteries 1, 2 on the left and right) in a state of being attached to the lower part of the plurality of each storage container 13 in which the harvested crop is stored in the upper part. That is, the third battery 3 is arranged at approximately the center in the width direction of the machine body together with the storage container 13. Up to three storage containers 13 are placed in the crop placement area A.

[0045] The first to third batteries 1 to 3 each have a power connection connector (electrode) 1a, 2a, or 3a for discharging, and are physically and electrically connected to the power connection connectors 24a to 24c on the aircraft side (see FIG. 4). Each of the batteries 1 to 3 is provided with a voltage device as remaining amount detection means for detecting the remaining amount (voltage value), and the remaining amount information of each of the batteries 1 to 3 detected by the voltage device is output to the BMS 12. The remaining amount information output to the BMS 12 is transmitted to the remote controller 21 through the main controller 11, and the remaining amount is displayed on the screen of the remote controller 21.

[0046] Based on the control signal output from the main controller 11, the inverter 19 controls the connection and disconnection of the power supplied from the battery and adjusts the rotational speed of the electric motor 8 by increasing or decreasing the frequency of the power supplied to the electric motor 8. When driving at least one of the traveling device 5 and the harvesting device 7, a control signal is output from the main controller 11 to the inverter 19. Then, the power supplied from any of the batteries 1 to 3 is sent to the electric motor 8 via the inverter 19.

[0047] The power supply switching device 20 is configured to be able to switch the on / off states of three switches 20a, 20b, and 20c that disconnect and connect the power supply from each of the batteries 1 to 3 to the electric motor 8 based on the control signal of the BMS 12.

[0048] When supplying the power stored in the first battery 1 to the electric motor 8, the power supply switching device 20 turns on only the switch 20a and turns off the other two switches 20b and 20c. When supplying the power stored in the second battery 2 to the electric motor 8, the power supply switching device 20 turns on only the switch 20b and turns off the other two switches 20a and 20c. Further, when supplying the power stored in the third battery 3 to the electric motor 8, the power supply switching device 20 turns on only the switch 20c and turns off the other two switches 20a and 20b.

[0049] With the on / off states of the three switches 20a, 20b, and 20c switched as described above, the electric motor 8 is driven at a rotational speed corresponding to the frequency of the power supplied from the battery 1, 2, or 3 via the inverter 19.

[0050] When the electric motor 8 is driven, the BMS 12 is configured to switch the power source of the electric motor 8 among the first to third batteries 1 to 3 in the following order of priority.

[0051] First, when the third battery 3 is connected to the energization connector 24c on the aircraft side and the remaining amount of the third battery 3 is in a high remaining amount state exceeding the threshold value (in other words, not in a low remaining amount state), the BMS 12 uses the third battery 3.

[0052] Also, when the remaining amount of the third battery 3 is in a low remaining amount state less than the threshold value or the third battery 3 is not connected to the energization connector 24c on the aircraft side, and the remaining amount of at least one of the left and right second batteries 2 is in a high remaining amount state exceeding the threshold value (in other words, not in a low remaining amount state), the BMS 12 uses the second battery 2. In this case, it may be configured to preferentially use the second battery 2 with the larger remaining amount among the left and right second batteries 2.

[0053] Furthermore, when both the second and third batteries 2 and 3 are in a low remaining amount state or not connected to the energization connectors 24b and 24c on the aircraft side, the BMS 12 uses the first battery 1. In this case, it may be configured to preferentially use the first battery 1 with the larger remaining amount among the left and right first batteries 1.

[0054] In this way, the BMS 12 is configured to use each battery in the priority order of the third battery 3 → the second battery 2 → the first battery 1. The first battery 1 is used in an emergency such as when the other batteries 2 and 3 are fully charged. As shown in FIG. 11, a safety cover 33 for protecting the first and second batteries 1 and 2 is attached to the outside of the first and second batteries 1 and 2 in the width direction of the machine body. However, in order to clearly show other members of the crop harvester 10 in the drawing, the safety cover 33 is omitted in FIG. 1 and the like. That is, the first and second batteries 1 and 2 are covered by the safety cover 33 on the outside in the width direction of the machine body, thereby preventing dust and droplets from entering the first and second batteries 1 and 2.

[0055] FIG. 5(a) is a schematic perspective view of the vicinity of the third battery 3 shown in a state where it is attached to the storage container 13, and FIG. 5(b) is a schematic perspective view of the third battery 3 alone.

[0056] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the crop harvester 10 showing how the third battery 3 is loaded into the machine body. FIG. 6 shows a state where the first and second batteries 1 and 2 are removed.

[0057] The storage container 13 includes a crop storage unit 13a for storing the flexible container 18 for storing crops, a battery storage unit 13b for storing the third battery 3, and a partition plate 13c for partitioning the crop storage unit 13a and the battery storage unit 13b.

[0058] On the left and right side surfaces of each third battery 3, a pair of front and rear claw portions 3b for fixing the third battery 3 to the housing container 13 by hooking on the partition plate 13c are provided respectively. Each claw portion 3b is constituted by a leaf spring, and the third battery 3 is detachably hooked on the partition plate 13c of the housing container 13 by these claw portions 3b and is housed in the battery housing portion 13b. The bottom of the third battery 3 attached to the housing container 13 is located above the bottom of the housing container 13 and is not grounded, so it is not easily damaged. In the following, the housing container 13 with the flexible container 18 attached to the upper part and the third battery 3 attached to the lower part will be described as the "third battery unit" 30 and the description will proceed.

[0059] Each third battery 3 includes a power - conduction connector 3a for discharging that is connected to the power - conduction connector 24c of the aircraft body, a pair of left - and - right fork - through holes 3c formed in the housing of the third battery 3, and a wireless charging unit 3d for charging the third battery 3.

[0060] The power - conduction connector 3a is arranged at a height position that is the same height as the power - conduction connector 24c on the aircraft - body side in a state where the third battery 3 is attached to the housing container 13 and the housing container 13 is placed on the floor member 6. Therefore, when an operator connects any one of the third batteries 3 to the power - conduction connector 24c on the aircraft - body side shown in FIG. 6, by sliding the third - battery unit 30 placed on the floor member 6 forward by the crane device 16, the power - conduction connector 3a of the third battery 3 can be connected to the power - conduction connector 24c. The power - conduction connector 3a is arranged on both the front and rear surfaces of the third battery 3, and the orientation of the third battery 3 is not selected.

[0061] The pair of fork - through holes 3c are configured to have a size into which the claws of a so - called forklift can be inserted. For this reason, by inserting the claws of a forklift (not shown), the third battery or the third - battery unit 30 can be transported by the forklift.

[0062] Here, on the left and right side surfaces inside each through hole 3c for the fork, as shown in FIG. 5, fork hole electrode portions 3c1 for charging are provided. For this reason, in the forklift, while a pair of claws provided with electrodes for energization are inserted into the through hole 3c for the fork, the electrodes of the pair of claws come into contact with the fork hole electrode portions 3c1, and current flows from the forklift to the third battery 3. Therefore, the third battery 3 being transported by the forklift can be charged. In addition, by arranging the fork hole electrode portions 3c1 on the side surfaces extending vertically (perpendicular to the bottom surface of the third battery 3) of the through hole 3c for the fork in this way, it is possible to suppress mud, dust, etc. from adhering to and accumulating on the fork hole electrode portions 3c1.

[0063] In the present embodiment, when each of the batteries 1 to 3 reaches a low remaining amount state, information to that effect is configured to be transmitted from the main controller 11 to the remote controller 21. When receiving the information indicating that the remaining amount has reached a low level, the remote controller 21 displays on its screen information indicating which battery has reached the low remaining amount state (for example, the number identifying the battery and an indicator showing the remaining amount).

[0064] Therefore, when the voltage of the third battery 3 connected to the energization connector 24c drops to a low remaining amount state, the operator can grasp this with the remote controller 21, and while unloading the harvesting container 13 to which the third battery 3 is attached from the rear part of the aircraft rearward by the crane device 16, slide another third battery unit 30 forward so that the third battery 3 can be connected to the energization connector 24c.

[0065] Since the third battery 3 has a storage capacity capable of storing electric power sufficient to harvest approximately one full load of crops in the flexible container 18, when the third battery 3 reaches a low remaining amount state, the flexible container 18 above it is almost full of crops.

[0066] FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the third battery unit 30 is moved onto the truck 25, and FIG. 8 is a schematic rear view showing a state in which the third battery 3 is being charged on the loading platform of the truck 25.

[0067] When the third battery 3 connected to the energization connector 24c reaches a low remaining amount state, the main controller 11 stops the harvesting operation because it is recognized that the flexible bag 18 above the third battery 3 is almost full of crops. After that, the main controller 11 moves the harvesting machine 10 to the position behind the truck 25 by automatic driving as shown in FIG. 7 on the condition that an instruction operation to move to the standby location is performed on the remote controller 21. The truck 25 is provided with a GNSS receiver (not shown), and the position information of the truck 25 acquired by the GNSS receiver is transmitted to the main controller 11 by wireless communication. When receiving the position information of the truck 25, the main controller 11 calculates a planned travel route connecting the position of its own machine and the position behind the truck 25 by a predetermined distance. Then, while starting the travel by the travel device 5, the travel device 5 is controlled so that the separation distance between the calculated planned travel route and the position of the machine body becomes short, and the harvesting machine 10 is moved to the position behind the truck 25 waiting around the field.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 7, when the crop harvesting machine 10 moves to the position behind the truck 25, the third battery unit 30 is moved onto the loading platform 25a of the truck 25 by the crane device 16 based on the operation of the operator.

[0069] The truck 25 includes a number of rollers 25b rotatably arranged on the outer portion in the width direction of the loading platform 25a, a charging space 25c provided between the left and right rollers 25b, a plurality of wireless chargers 25d arranged below the charging space 25c, and a battery 25e as the power source of the truck 25. The truck 25 is configured as a hybrid vehicle driven by a motor generator (not shown) and an engine. This motor generator receives the power output from the engine and performs regenerative driving to generate electricity. The electricity generated by the motor generator is stored in the battery 25e.

[0070] When the third battery unit 30 is moved to the loading platform 25a, the operator slides the third battery unit 30 rearward (toward the seat side of the truck 25) to a position above an arbitrary wireless charger 25d. At this time, since the lower surface of the storage container 13 is in contact with the left and right rollers 25b, the third battery unit 30 can be slid with a light force. Next, the left and right claw portions 3b are pulled to release the engagement, and the third battery 3 is removed downward from the storage container 13. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the third battery 3 reaches the left and right rollers 25b, and the wireless charging portion 3d of the third battery 3 is positioned within the charging space 25c.

[0071] A power transmission coil is provided inside each wireless charger 25d, and a power reception coil is provided inside the wireless charging portion 3d. A magnetic field is generated in the vicinity of the power transmission coil by the electric charge stored in the battery 25e. Therefore, when the wireless charging portion 3d is positioned within the charging space 25c, an induced current is generated by the magnetic field of the wireless charger 25d positioned below it, and the third battery 3 is charged. That is, the power generated by the motor generator of the truck 25 is supplied to the third battery 3 via the battery 25e.

[0072] In this way, while the third battery 3 is placed on the loading platform 25a and being charged, the storage container 13 with the flexible container 18 attached is transported by the truck 25 to the vicinity of a storage shed or the like. Then, the storage container 13 is unloaded from the loading platform 25a by a forklift with the crops stored therein and carried into the storage shed or the like by the forklift. At this time, the upper surfaces of the pair of claws of the forklift come into contact with the lower surface of the partition plate 13c and support and transport the partition plate 13c from below. After that, the flexible container 18 is removed from the storage container 13, the crops are placed in the storage shed or the like, and a new empty flexible container 18 is attached to the storage container 13 and placed on the loading platform 25a of the truck 25. Then, the storage container 13 has a fully charged other third battery 3 attached thereto and is returned onto the floor member 6 by the crane device 16.

[0073] In this manner, by making the third battery 3 used in the crop harvesting operation chargeable by the truck 25 that transports the crops, the third battery 3 can be charged by utilizing the transportation time and the waiting time in the vicinity of the field or the storage shed.

[0074] Also, while the truck 25 travels between the vicinity of the field and the storage shed, power generation is performed by the motor generator and stored in the battery 25e. The motor generator is driven by the power supplied from the battery 25e when the truck 25 is running, and is also configured to be drivable by the power supplied from the third battery 3 through a cable (not shown).

[0075] Each wireless charger 25d can be removed from the truck 25 by sliding it left and right, carried into the storage shed or the like, and the third battery 3 can also be charged in the storage shed or the like using a household power supply instead of the battery 25e. In addition, in the storage shed or the like, it is also possible to charge the third battery 3 by means of a forklift with electrodes or a dedicated charger through the fork hole electrode portions 3c1 of the pair of fork through holes 3c of the third battery 3 (see Fig. 4).

[0076] In addition, when the third battery 3 reaches a low remaining charge state, it is transferred to the cargo bed of the truck 25 by the crane device 16. Alternatively, after being lowered from the aircraft, the third battery 3 may be transported while being charged by a forklift. Also, the third battery unit 30 can be unloaded onto the ground by the crane device 16 and then transferred to the cargo bed of the truck 25 by a forklift. Furthermore, a separate crane device can be provided on the truck 25, and this crane device can be used to load the third battery unit 30 that has been unloaded onto the floor member 6 or the ground onto the cargo bed of the truck 25. Additionally, a separate forklift for lifting can be attached to the truck 25, and electrodes can be provided at the claw portion of this forklift. It can be configured such that power can be supplied to the third battery 3 from the fork hole electrode portion 3c1 until the third battery unit 30 is lifted onto the cargo bed of the truck 25. Further, when the third battery unit 30 is transported to a logistics center or the like by the truck 25, it is preferable that the platform of the logistics center functions as a charging unit for the third battery 3 and the battery 25e. By configuring it in this way, when the truck 25 moves to the platform, power can be supplied (charged) to the third battery 3 and the battery 25e simultaneously with the replacement of the storage container 13. Also, the truck 25 for transporting crops may be provided with a sub-battery in addition to the main battery 25e. In this case, it is more preferable to configure it such that power is supplied (charged) from the third battery 3 to the battery 25e or the sub-battery by the BMS of the truck 25.

[0077] On the other hand, FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing the second battery 2.

[0078] The second battery 2 includes a power - conducting connector 2a connected to the power - conducting connector 24b of the aircraft body, a pair of fork - through holes 2b formed in the housing in the same manner as the third battery 3, and a metal ring 2c for lifting disposed at the upper part. A chain hook provided on the hanger arm 16a of the crane device 16 is hooked onto this ring 2c, and the second battery 2 is loaded from the rear of the aircraft body to the rear part by the crane device 16 and unloaded from the rear part of the aircraft body to the rear.

[0079] Here, each ring 2c is configured as an electrode for charging the second battery 2. Therefore, by providing an electrode for power supply on the hook of another crane vehicle, the hook can be hooked onto the ring 2c, and the second battery 2 can be charged in the lifted state.

[0080] Also, the pair of fork - through holes 2b are configured to be large enough to insert the claws of a forklift, similar to the fork - through holes 3c of the third battery 3, and the second battery 2 can be transported by a forklift.

[0081] In addition, on the left and right side surfaces inside each fork - through hole 2b, similar to the fork - through holes 3c of the third battery 3, fork - hole electrode portions 2b1 for charging are provided. Therefore, in a forklift, while a pair of claws provided with electrodes for power supply are inserted into the fork - hole electrode portions 2b1, a current can be passed from the forklift to the second battery 2 to charge the second battery 2 during transportation (see Fig. 4). In addition, in a storage shed or the like, it is also possible to charge the second battery 2 by a dedicated charger through the fork - hole electrode portions 2b1 of the pair of fork - through holes 2b of the second battery 2 (see Fig. 4). In this way, by disposing the fork - hole electrode portions 2b1 on the side surfaces extending vertically (perpendicular to the bottom surface of the second battery 2) of the fork - through holes 2b, it is possible to prevent mud, dust, etc. from adhering to and accumulating on the fork - hole electrode portions 2b1.

[0082] The first battery 1 shown in Fig. 2 etc. is arranged at a position slightly in front of the center in the front-rear direction of the floor member 6. The internal capacity of the first battery 1 is larger in size and heavier than those of the second and third batteries 2 and 3. Therefore, even when the storage container 13 storing crops is arranged at the rear part of the machine body, the first battery 1 can balance the weight of the machine body.

[0083] On the other hand, in addition to the energization connectors 1a, 2a or 3a, each of the batteries 1 to 3 is provided with a connection connector (not shown). When a charging instruction operation to the second battery 2 is performed by the remote controller 21 in a state where the third energization cable 28c shown in Fig. 4 is connected to the connection connector of the third battery 3 and the second energization cable 28b is connected to the connection connector of the second battery 2, based on the control signal of the BMS 12, a current is sent from the third battery 3 to the voltage conversion device 27b by the energization switching device 23, and after being stepped up by the voltage conversion device 27b, it is supplied to the second battery 2 for charging.

[0084] Also, when a charging instruction operation to the first battery 1 is performed by the remote controller 21 in a state where the third energization cable 28c is connected to the connection connector of the third battery 3 and the first energization cable 28a is connected to the connection connector of the first battery 1, based on the control signal of the BMS 12, a current is sent from the third battery 3 to the voltage conversion device 27a by the energization switching device 23, and after being stepped up by the voltage conversion device 27a, it is supplied to the first battery 1 for charging.

[0085] Therefore, the operator can supply power from the third battery 3 to the first or second battery 1 or 2 for charging during the non-operating time when the harvesting operation is not being performed.

[0086] Note that it is not always necessary to boost the current from the third battery 3 by the transformers 27a and 27b. By configuring the potential of the third battery 3 to be higher than that of the first and second batteries 1 and 2, it becomes unnecessary to perform boosting during charging by the energization switching device 23. In addition, by configuring the potential of the third battery 3 to be higher than that of the first and second batteries 1 and 2, the flow direction of the current at the initial stage of charging is easily determined, malfunction of the BMS 12 can be prevented, and the battery life can be extended. In this case, when supplying power from the third battery 3 to the electric motor 8 through the power supply switching device 20, the current flowing from the third battery 3 can be stepped down and then supplied to the electric motor 8.

[0087] In addition, it is not always necessary to use the power supply cables 28a to 28c to supply power from the third battery 3 to the first and second batteries 1 and 2. For example, when a charging instruction operation is performed by the remote controller 21, it may be configured to supply power from the third battery 3 to the first or second battery 1 or 2 through the power supply connectors 24a to 24c and the power supply switching device 20. Also, it may be configured to supply power from the third battery 3 to the second battery 2 through the crane device 16 and the ring 2c.

[0088] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the crop harvester 10 showing a state in which a seat on which an operator sits is provided.

[0089] In this embodiment, the first battery 1 on the right side is lowered outside the machine by the crane device 16, and a seat 31 on which an operator sits and a control unit 32 for operating the machine body are configured to be placed at the position on the floor member 6 where the first battery 1 on the right side was originally placed. Therefore, the operator can harvest crops while driving the crop harvester 10 by manual operation using the control unit 32 while sitting on the seat 31. Operations on the control unit 32 are converted into electrical operation signals. This operation signal may be configured to be input to the main controller 11 by a connector, a cable, or the like, or may be configured to be input from the control unit 32 to the main controller 11 by wireless communication. The seat 31 is embedded and arranged at the position of the floor member 6 where the first battery 1 on the right side was originally placed, and after the first battery 1 is lowered, the operator can take out the seat 31, assemble it, and sit on it. The seat 31 is located to the right of the first conveyor 17 shown in FIG. 1, and during traveling in automatic operation, the operator can perform sorting work on the crops conveyed on the first conveyor 17 while sitting on the seat 31. <Technical significance of this embodiment>

[0090] According to the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 11, since the crop placement area A is arranged at a substantially central portion in the width direction of the machine body and the second battery 2 that is preferentially used is arranged at the rear portion of the machine body and behind the first battery 1, the second battery 2 that is charged more frequently than the first battery 1 can be smoothly and easily loaded and unloaded (loaded and unloaded) from the rear of the machine body using the crane device 16.

[0091] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since the second battery 2 can be loaded and unloaded using the crane device 16, it is possible to mount a large-sized battery as the second battery 2.

[0092] Further, according to the present embodiment, since the BMS 12 is configured to preferentially use the second battery 2 that is easy to load and unload, the remaining amount of the first battery 1 can be maintained. Therefore, even when the capacity of the second battery 2 is insufficient, the harvesting operation can be continued with the power supplied from the first battery 1, and it is possible to prevent the interruption of the harvesting operation due to insufficient battery remaining amount.

[0093] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since the third battery 3 as a power source is configured to be accommodated in the lower part of the accommodation container 13 that accommodates the crop, the third battery 3 with a high priority as a power source can be unloaded from the aircraft together with the accommodation container 13, which is highly convenient.

[0094] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the energization connector 3a for discharging the third battery 3 is arranged at a position where the height is the same as that of the energization connector 24c on the aircraft side in a state where the third battery 3 is accommodated in the battery accommodation part 13b of the accommodation container 13. Therefore, the operator can easily connect the energization connector 3a for discharging to the energization connector 24c on the aircraft side by simply sliding the accommodation container 13 on the aircraft. As a result, driving power is supplied from the third battery 3 to the electric motor 8 through the energization connector 3a and the energization connector 24c.

[0095] In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the BMS 12 is configured to preferentially use the third battery 3 as the power source of the electric motor 8 over the first battery 1 and the second battery 2, it is possible to further prevent the interruption of the harvesting operation due to insufficient battery remaining amount.

[0096] Also, according to the present embodiment, since the third battery 3 can be wirelessly charged on the loading platform 25a of the truck 25 that transports the harvested crop, the third battery 3 can be charged using the crop transportation time and the waiting time near the field or the warehouse, and the working efficiency is very good.

[0097] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since the third battery 3 is provided in the housing with a fork through-hole 3c into which the claws of the forklift are inserted, after the third battery 3 is removed from the machine body, it can be easily transported using a forklift.

[0098] In addition, since a fork hole electrode portion 3c1, which is an electrode portion for charging, is provided in the fork through-hole 3c, the third battery 3 can be charged from the fork hole electrode portion 3c1 while being transported by a forklift having claws provided with electrodes for power supply (discharge).

[0099] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the crop harvester 10 is configured to be able to automatically travel in the field based on the automatic driving control of the main controller 11, and since the remaining amounts of the respective batteries 1 to 3 are displayed on the screen of the remote controller 21, during the harvesting operation by automatic driving, when the battery reaches a low remaining amount state, the operator can grasp this on the screen of the remote controller 21 and take measures such as unloading the batteries 1 to 3 from the machine body.

[0100] In addition, according to the present embodiment, the crop placement area A for placing the storage container 13 is arranged at a substantially central portion in the width direction of the machine body (see FIG. 2), and since the first and second batteries 1 and 2 are arranged outside the crop placement area A in the width direction of the machine body, when unloading the storage container 13 filled with crops by the crane device 16, the first and second batteries 1 and 2 do not get in the way.

[0101] FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing a third battery unit 30 of a crop harvester 100 according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0102] The crop harvester 100 according to the present embodiment is configured in the same manner as the crop harvester 10 according to the above-described embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 11, except for the points described below, and thus the same effects can be obtained.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 12, the storage container 13 does not have a battery storage portion, and the portion corresponding to the partition plate 13c (see FIG. 5) of the above embodiment is the bottom plate 13d.

[0104] Two claw portions 34 each as a "connecting means" for connecting to the bottom plate 13d of the storage container 13 are attached to the front and rear portions of the third battery 3, respectively. The wireless charging portion 3d of the third battery 3 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped and angular shape, and is disposed at substantially the center of the third battery 3 and the third battery unit 30 in plan view. Further, the third battery 3 is located at substantially the center in the front-rear direction of the storage container 13 in plan view in a connected state where each claw portion 34 is hooked on the bottom plate 13d of the storage container 13 and is connected to the lower end portion of the storage container 13. In addition, each part of the third battery 3 has a rigidity sufficient to support the storage container 13 to which the flexible container bag 18 filled with crops is attached. Therefore, in a state where the third battery 3 is connected to the storage container 13 and the wireless charging portion 3d is placed on a horizontal surface (in other words, a horizontal place), the third battery unit 30 can stand on its own. That is, the third battery 3 is configured to stand on its own while supporting the storage container 13 from below directly below the storage container 13 as shown in FIG. 12 in a connected state where it is connected to the storage container 13.

[0105] As shown in Fig. 12, the left - right width (specifically, the left - right width when connected to the energization connector 24c) of the upper end portion 3e of the third battery 3 (more specifically, the housing, case of the third battery 3) is significantly narrower than the left - right width of the lower surface 13e of the storage container 13 (in other words, it is formed with a smaller dimension). In addition, except for the wireless charging portion 3d, the third battery 3 is substantially in a convex - character shape when viewed from the front as a whole. The left - right width of the upper end portion 3e of the third battery 3 is narrower than the left - right width of the lower portion 3f of the third battery 3. Therefore, when the third battery 3 is arranged at the substantially central portion in the left - right direction of the bottom plate 13d of the storage container 13 and connected to the bottom plate 13d using the claw portion 34, the left and right portions of the lower surface 13e of the storage container 13 are largely exposed. As a result, on the third battery unit 30, a pair of supported portions 13e1 that can be supported from below and lifted by a pair of forks 16f1 of the crane device 16, which will be described in detail later, or a pair of forks (claws) of other forklifts, are formed. In other words, the pair of left - right supported portions 13e1 are portions located more laterally (left and right) outside the upper end portion 3e of the third battery 3 on the lower surface 13e of the storage container 13. The storage container 13 is provided with a pair of left - right supported portions 13e1 located more laterally (in the left - right direction) outside the upper end portion 3e of the third battery 3 on its lower surface 13e.

[0106] Note that if at least the left - right width of the upper part of the third battery 3 is set (configured) to be narrower than the left - right width of the lower surface 13e of the storage container 13, a pair of left - right supported portions 13e1 are formed in the connected state. Therefore, it is not always necessary to configure the left - right width of the upper end portion 3e of the third battery 3 to be narrower than the left - right width of the lower portion 3f. However, by setting the left - right width of the upper end portion 3e of the third battery 3 to be narrower than the left - right width of the lower portion 3f, even if the third battery 3 has a large capacity, a larger left - right width can be ensured for each of the pair of supported portions 13e1. Therefore, when transporting the third battery unit 30, the interval and shape of the pair of forks do not need to be selected. In other words, the third battery unit 30 can be transported by a fork mechanism having fork claws with various left - right intervals and shapes.

[0107] When the third battery unit 30 is placed on the loading platform 25a of the truck 25 shown in FIG. 7, the pair of supported portions 13e1 come into contact with and are supported by the rotatable left and right rollers 25b. Therefore, the operator can easily move the third battery unit 30 back and forth on the loading platform 25a. At this time, with the third battery 3 being connected to the bottom plate 13d of the storage container 13, the whole of it is positioned in the charging space 25c (see FIG. 8) provided between the left and right rollers 25b and is wirelessly charged by the wireless charger 25d through the wireless charging portion 3d. When the third battery 3 is removed (in other words, separated) from the storage container 13, the wireless charging portion 3d is supported by the wireless charger 25d. Also, similar to the above-described embodiment, each wireless charger 25d can be carried into a shed or the like, and the third battery 3 can be charged in a shed or the like using a household power supply instead of the battery 25e. Note that the third battery 3 may be configured to be chargeable by electric power supplied from a household power supply through a dedicated charger and a power connection connector 3a in addition to the wireless charging portion 3d.

[0108] Also, similar to the above-described embodiment, in the connected state where the third battery 3 and the storage container 13 are connected, when these are loaded on the floor member 6, the power connection connector 3a for discharging the third battery 3 and the power connection connector 24c on the aircraft side are set to be at the same height position. Therefore, when the operator connects the third battery 3 loaded on the aircraft together with the storage container 13 to the power connection connector 24c on the aircraft side shown in FIG. 6, by sliding it forward while keeping the connected state, the power connection connector 3a of the third battery 3 can be easily connected to the power connection connector 24c.

[0109] FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing the rear part of the crop harvester 100 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, and FIG. 14 is a left side view of the crop harvester 100 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 12. In FIGS. 13 and 14, the safety cover 33 and the second battery 2 are omitted in order to clearly show the crane device 16.

[0110] In this embodiment, the crane device 16 is provided with a crane fork 16f that supports the object to be lifted from below, instead of the second arm 16d and the pair of hanger arms 16a of the above embodiment.

[0111] The crane fork 16f includes a left - right extending portion 16f2 fixed to the rear end portion of the first arm 16c, a pair of left - right front - rear extending portions 16f3 extending substantially rearward from both left and right end portions of the left - right extending portion 16f2, a pair of left - right forks 16f1 that support the object to be lifted from below, a pair of left - right front - side support members 16f4 fixed to the front portion of the fork 16f1, a pair of left - right rear - side support members 16f5 fixed to the rear portion of the fork 16f1, and a connecting plate 16f6 that connects the front end portions of the pair of forks 16f1. The upper end portion of the right - side front - side support member 16f4 (corresponding to the "second front - side support member" of the present invention) and the upper end portion of the right - side rear - side support member 16f5 (corresponding to the "second rear - side support member" of the present invention) are connected to each other and are connected to the right - side front - rear extending portion 16f3 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis Ax (see FIG. 13). The upper end portion of the left - side front - side support member 16f4 (corresponding to the "first front - side support member" of the present invention) and the upper end portion of the left - side rear - side support member 16f5 (corresponding to the "first rear - side support member" of the present invention) are fixed to each other and are rotatably connected to the left - side front - rear extending portion 16f3. Further, each front - side support member 16f4 is also fixed to the side surface of the connecting plate 16f6.

[0112] The lower end portion of the left - side front - side support member 16f4 and the lower end portion of the left - side rear - side support member 16f5 are each fixed to the left - side fork 16f1 of the pair of forks 16f1, and the left - side front - side support member 16f4 and the left - side rear - side support member 16f5 suspend the left - side fork 16f1 from above.

[0113] The lower end portion of the right - side front - side support member 16f4 and the lower end portion of the right - side rear - side support member 16f5 are each fixed to the right - side fork 16f1 of the pair of forks 16f1, and the right - side front - side support member 16f4 and the right - side rear - side support member 16f5 suspend the right - side fork 16f1 from above.

[0114] On the first arm 16c, a third rotation cylinder 16h for changing the rotation angle of a portion excluding the left and right extending portions 16f2 and the pair of front and rear extending portions 16f3 of the crane fork 16f, that is, a pair of front support members 16f4, a pair of rear support members 16f5, a pair of forks 16f1, and a connecting plate 16f6 (hereinafter referred to as the "rotating portion" 16fc) is mounted. When the third rotation cylinder 16h is extended by a predetermined amount or more, the rear end portion of the third rotation cylinder 16h contacts the right front support member 16f4.

[0115] Here, the pair of rear support members 16f5 of the crane fork 16f are heavier than the pair of front support members 16f4, and the center of gravity of the crane fork 16f is located on the rear side. For this reason, when the third rotation cylinder 16h is not in contact, each of the pair of forks 16f1 takes a posture in which the flat lower surface extends slightly downward and backward.

[0116] On the other hand, when the third rotation cylinder 16h is extended by a predetermined amount or more, as the third rotation cylinder 16h extends, the right front support member 16f4 is pushed substantially rearward. As a result, the rotating portion 16fc is integrally rotated counterclockwise in a left side view about the rotation axis Ax extending left and right. When the third rotation cylinder 16h is fully extended, each of the pair of forks 16f1 assumes a rearwardly rising posture. The connecting plate 16f6 of the crane fork 16f serves as a guard (stopper) that prevents the twisting of the pair of forks 16f1 and prevents the object to be lifted from slipping forward during loading and unloading by the crane device 16.

[0117] When lifting an object to be lifted such as the third battery unit 30 by the crane device 16 or when placing it on the ground or the floor member 6, the third rotation cylinder 16h is contracted so that the pair of forks 16f1 extend in a slightly downward and backward posture. Thereby, the pair of forks 16f1 can be easily inserted and removed directly below or from directly below the object to be lifted such as the third battery unit 30.

[0118] Also, while loading and unloading the object to be lifted, by extending the third-use cylinder 16h and setting the pair of forks 16f1 to be substantially horizontal or in a rearwardly rising posture, it is possible to prevent the object to be lifted from falling. The third-use cylinder 16h is directed rearward and slightly rightward.

[0119] When the third battery unit 30 is loaded and unloaded onto the aircraft by the crane device 16, the pair of supported portions 13e1 are supported from below and lifted by the pair of forks 16f1 of the crane fork 16f, so that it can be stably loaded and unloaded onto the aircraft. Also, when each second battery 2 is loaded and unloaded onto the aircraft by the crane device 16, it can be stably loaded and unloaded by inserting the pair of forks 16f1 into the pair of fork through holes 2b of the second battery 2. Further, when the first battery 1 is loaded and unloaded onto the aircraft by the crane device 16, with the first battery 1 in a tilted state, the pair of forks 16f1 of the crane fork 16f are inserted directly below the first battery 1, so that the first battery 1 can be loaded and unloaded. Similar to the above-described embodiment, the crane device 16 can directly transfer the third battery unit 30 and the first and second batteries 1 and 2 to the loading platform 25a of the truck 25. However, these may also be transferred from the crane device 16 to the loading platform 25a of the truck 25 via another forklift.

[0120] The length of each fork 16f1 in the front-rear direction with the lower surfaces of the pair of forks 16f1 of the crane fork 16f extending substantially in the front-rear direction (substantially horizontal direction) is set to be shorter than the length of the storage container 13 in the front-rear direction (the short side direction of the storage container 13 in plan view) (see FIG. 14). Thereby, it is possible to directly transfer the third battery unit 30 from the crane fork 16f to another forklift. Since the third battery unit 30 can be directly transferred to another forklift by the crane fork 16f without being once placed on the ground, it is possible to prevent damage to the third battery 3 when placed on a hard ground or the storage container 13 and the third battery unit 30 from tipping over on unstable ground.

[0121] Between the left and right, there is no member connecting the upper ends of the left rear support member 16f5 and the left front support member 16f4, and the upper ends of the right rear support member 16f5 and the right front support member 16f4. As a result, a gap G (see FIG. 13) is formed between the left and right to receive a lifted object (such as a harvesting container) with a certain height (to put it bluntly, the lifted object can enter, the lifted object can get in). Therefore, even for a lifted object with a certain height, it can be lifted by the pair of forks 16f1 (in other words, placed on the pair of forks 16f1 and lifted) without the lifted object contacting and getting stuck on the upper part of the crane fork 16f.

[0122] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, the storage container 13 is provided with a frame body 13g arranged in a grid pattern on its four side surfaces (the four sides of the crop storage part 13a), and a large number of solar cell modules 13f are detachably attached to this frame body. Therefore, while the storage container 13 is temporarily placed on the loading platform 25a of the truck 25 waiting around the field, during the harvesting operation by the crop harvester 100, when the crop harvester 100 is moving, etc., the solar cell modules 13f are irradiated with sunlight and power generation is performed (in other words, the solar cell modules 13f receive sunlight and perform power generation).

[0123] A soft cushion body (corresponding to the "elastic body" of the present invention) is attached to the frame body 13g surrounding the solar cell module 13f, and the side surfaces of each solar cell module 13f are covered by the soft cushion body. Thereby, damage due to contact between the solar cell modules 13f can be prevented. In addition to the solar cell modules 13f, a soft cushion body may also be attached to the periphery of the storage container 13 (for example, each side and each corner of the storage container 13 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape).

[0124] Each solar cell module 13f is detachably attached to the frame 13g. When the solar cell module 13f is attached to the frame 13g, the electric power generated by the solar cell module 13f flows through the electrodes provided on the side surface of the solar cell module 13f and the electrode pins provided on the frame 13g, and then flows through the cable arranged in the frame 13g, and is then supplied to the third battery 3 through a connector (not shown) and charged. Therefore, when the power connection connector 3a of this third battery 3 is connected to the power connection connector 24c on the aircraft side, the third battery 3 is in a pass-through state where charging and discharging are performed simultaneously. For this reason, the remaining amount of the third battery 3 can be made to last longer.

[0125] The solar cell modules 13f according to this embodiment are arranged in a checkerboard pattern, and a gap is formed between the solar cell modules 13f. Through this gap, the crop storage part 13a and the side (space) of the storage container 13 communicate with each other, so the air permeability in the vicinity of the flexible container 18 installed in the crop storage part 13a is good. In this embodiment, the four side surfaces of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped storage container 13 are each in a blow-through state, and by attaching the lattice-shaped frame 13g and the plurality of solar cell modules 13f thereto, the portions where the solar cell modules 13f are not arranged become the above-mentioned gaps. However, for example, by forming each of the four side surfaces of the storage container with a thin plate, attaching solar cell modules thereto at intervals, and cutting out the portions of the thin plate corresponding to these intervals, a gap that communicates the crop storage part and the side of the storage container can also be formed. Each solar cell module 13f can adjust the ventilation area and the ventilation volume to the crop storage part 13a by being removed from the frame 13g of the storage container 13.

[0126] In addition, in the present embodiment, a plurality of solar cell modules 13f are arranged on all of the four side surfaces surrounding the four sides of the crop storage section 13a. However, if a plurality of solar cell modules are arranged at intervals on at least one of the four side surfaces (front surface, left surface, right surface, or rear surface), it is possible to supply power to the third battery 3 while ensuring the air permeability of the crop storage section 13a.

[0127] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a plurality of solar cell modules 13f are provided on each of the four side surfaces of the storage container 13, and gaps (ventilation portions) for ensuring air permeability are formed between them. However, as shown in FIG. 15, it is also possible to arrange a single solar cell module 13f on each of the four side surfaces of the storage container 13 that are in the form of a through-passage. In this case, for example, the frame body 13g is arranged in a substantially cross shape, and the solar cell module 13f is configured to be detachable from the rectangular portion 13g1 located at the center of the frame body 13g. As a result, a gap 13h is formed around the solar cell module 13f (around the rectangular portion 13g1), and through this gap 13h, the crop storage section 13a inside the storage container 13 and the side of the storage container 13 are in a communicating state. Therefore, outside air can be supplied to the crop storage section 13a through the gap 13h, and it is possible to prevent a situation where the harvested crop is damaged by heat or the like immediately after harvesting. The gap 13h is another example of the "ventilation portion" of the present invention.

[0128] Also in this case, it is preferable to arrange a soft cushion body inside the rectangular portion 13g1 so as to cover the side surface of the solar cell module 13f. Thereby, damage to the solar cell module 13f can be suppressed while the solar cell module 13f is mounted on the storage container 13.

[0129] Also, in this case as well, it is not always necessary to provide the solar cell module 13f and the ventilation part on all four side surfaces of the storage container 13. It suffices if it is provided on at least one of the four side surfaces. Further, the four side surfaces of the storage container may be closed by a panel (plate member) or the like so as to surround the periphery of the solar cell module without providing a void. In this case, by forming ventilation holes (another example of the ventilation part) in this panel, the crop storage part and the side of the storage container can be made to communicate, and the ventilation of the crop storage part can be ensured. <Technical Significance of this Embodiment>

[0130] In the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, as shown in FIG. 12, the third battery 3 that supplies power to the electric motor 8 is detachably (connectable and separable) connected to the lower end part of the storage container 13 by claw parts 34, and is configured to stand on its own while supporting the storage container 13 from below. For this reason, when the storage container 13 and the third battery 3 are in the connected state, a pair of supported parts 13e1 located on the left and right outer sides of the third battery 3 on the lower surface 13e of the storage container 13 are not grounded, and a pair of forks 16f1 of the crane device 16 can be easily inserted under the pair of supported parts 13e1, and the storage container 13 can be loaded onto / loaded from the aircraft. Therefore, when the operator loads and unloads the storage container 13, there is no need to connect the crane device 16 and the storage container 13 by a hook, rope, or the like, and the burden on the operator when loading and unloading the storage container 13 can be reduced.

[0131] Also, since the third battery 3 can be loaded onto / loaded from the aircraft together with the storage container 13 in a state where the third battery 3 is connected to the lower end part of the storage container 13 in this way, the burden on the operator when loading and unloading the third battery 3 onto / from the aircraft can be reduced, similar to the storage container 13.

[0132] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, on the lower surface 13e of the storage container 13, since the third battery 3 is disposed on the left and right inner sides of the pair of supported portions 13e1 supported by the forks 16f1 of the crane device 16, even when the third battery 3 is connected to the storage container 13, the third battery 3 does not interfere with the lifting of the storage container 13 by the pair of forks 16f1. Therefore, the storage container 13 in the connected state can be smoothly loaded and unloaded.

[0133] In addition, according to the present embodiment, the energization connector 3a (see FIG. 12) for discharging the third battery 3 is set so that the height position is the same as that of the energization connector 24c on the aircraft side when the third battery 3 and the storage container 13 in the connected state are loaded on the aircraft (more specifically, on the floor member 6 of the aircraft), as in the above embodiment. Therefore, on the aircraft, the energization connector 3a for discharging can be easily connected to the energization connector 24c (see FIG. 6) on the aircraft side by simply sliding the third battery 3 and the storage container 13 in the connected state.

[0134] Also, according to the present embodiment, a plurality of solar cell modules 13f (see FIG. 12) are provided on each side surface of the storage container 13, and the generated electric power is configured to be able to supply power to the third battery 3. Therefore, the third battery 3 can be charged during harvesting work or movement.

[0135] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, a gap is formed between the solar cell modules 13f adjacent to each other in the substantially horizontal direction (see FIG. 12), and through this gap, the crop storage portion 13a for storing the harvested crops communicates with the side of the storage container 13. Therefore, the air permeability to the crop storage portion 13a for storing the harvested crops is good. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the harvested crops from being damaged soon after harvesting due to heat or the like.

[0136] In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the plurality of solar cell modules 13f are each detachably provided in the storage container 13, the ventilation area and the ventilation volume can be adjusted by removing each solar cell module 13f from the storage container 13.

[0137] Further, according to the present embodiment, since the side surfaces of each solar cell module 13f are covered with a soft cushioning body corresponding to the "elastic body" of the present invention, damage due to contact between the solar cell modules 13f can be suppressed.

[0138] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since a gap G (see FIG. 13) is formed between the upper ends of the left rear support member (first rear support member) 16f5 and the left front support member (first front support member) 16f4 and the upper ends of the right rear support member (second rear support member) 16f5 and the right front support member (second front support member) 16f4, even when the object to be lifted and lowered by the crane device 16 has a height, it is possible to prevent the object to be lifted from contacting the upper part of the crane device 16 and getting stuck.

[0139] In addition, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, since the length of the pair of forks 16f1 in the front-rear direction is set shorter than the length of the storage container 13 in the front-rear direction, the object to be lifted can be easily transferred from the crane device 16 to another forklift.

[0140] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0141] For example, in each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 14, the third battery 3 is configured to be chargeable from the wireless charging unit 3d and the fork hole electrode unit 3c1. In addition to these, it may be configured to be chargeable from the power connection connector 3a using a household charger. In this case, the power connection connector 3a becomes a chargeable / dischargeable connector.

[0142] Furthermore, in each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 14, although the third battery 3 is configured to be rechargeable from the first and second batteries 1 and 2, it may be configured to be rechargeable from the first battery 1 to the second battery 2. In this case, charging can be achieved by boosting the current taken out from the first battery 1 using a transformer and flowing it into the second battery 2.

[0143] Also, in each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 14, the crop harvester 10 includes the first to third batteries 1 to 3, but it is not necessarily required for the crop harvester to include the third battery 3. It may be configured with only the first and second batteries 1 and 2, and may be configured to use the second battery 2 preferentially over the first battery 1.

[0144] In addition, in each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 14, the crop harvester 10 is configured as an electric harvester that can perform harvesting operations while driving the electric motor 8 with the power supplied from the first to third batteries 1 to 3 and traveling. However, an engine may be provided separately, and a hybrid configuration using the electric motor and the engine may also be adopted.

[0145] Furthermore, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the third battery 3 is configured to be connected to the storage container 13 by the claw portion 34. However, the "connecting means" of the present invention is not limited to the claw portion. The storage container 13 and the third battery 3 may be configured to be connected by, for example, a string, a band, or the like. Also, a claw portion as the connecting means may be provided on the storage container, and the storage container and the third battery may be configured to be connected by hooking this claw portion on the third battery.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0146] 1 First battery 2 Second battery 3 Third battery 4 Main frame 5 Traveling device 6 Bed member 7 Harvesting device 8 Electric motor 9 Transmission mechanism 10 Crop harvester 11 Main controller 12 BMS 13 Storage container 14 HST 15 Stem and leaf cutting part 16 Crane device 17 First conveyor 18 Flexible container 19 Inverter 20 Power supply switching device 21 Remote controller 23 Energization switching device 24 Energization connector on the machine body side 25 Truck 26 GNSS receiver 27 Transformer 28 Energization cable 30 Third battery unit 31 Seat 32 Control part 33 Safety cover 34 Claw part

Claims

1. A crop harvester for harvesting crops in a field, comprising: an electric motor as a power source of the machine body; a battery as a power source for supplying power to the electric motor; a harvesting device driven by the electric motor; a storage container for storing the crops harvested by the harvesting device; a crane device for loading and unloading the storage container onto and from the machine body; connecting means for connecting the battery to the storage container; and the crane device includes a pair of left and right forks for supporting the lower surface of the storage container, the battery is configured to be connectable to and separable from the lower end of the storage container by the connecting means, and when in a connected state with the storage container, it is configured to stand independently while supporting the storage container from below directly below the storage container. Also, the left and right width of the upper end of the battery is formed to be smaller than the left and right width of the lower end of the storage container. Further, the storage container is provided with a pair of left and right supported portions located outside the upper end of the battery in the left and right direction on its lower surface. In the connected state, the supported portions are configured to be supported from below and lifted by the pair of forks, so that the storage container and the battery can be integrally loaded and unloaded onto and from the machine body. A crop harvester characterized by this.

2. The battery includes a power supply connector for discharging connected to a power supply connector on the machine body side, the power supply connector for discharging is provided so as to be at the same height position as the power supply connector on the machine body side when the storage container and the battery in the connected state are loaded onto the machine body. When the battery and the storage container in the connected state are slid on the machine body, they are connected to the power supply connector on the machine body side and configured to supply driving power to the electric motor. The crop harvester according to Claim 1, characterized by this.

3. The storage container includes a crop storage portion for storing the harvested crops and four side surfaces surrounding the four sides of the crop storage portion, at least one of the four side surfaces is provided with a ventilation portion communicating the crop storage portion and the side of the storage container, and a solar cell module for generating power by receiving sunlight and supplying the power to the battery. The side surface of the solar cell module is covered by an elastic body, and the solar cell module is configured to be detachable from the storage container. The crop harvester according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

4. The crane device A first rear support member having a lower end fixed to the rear portion of the left fork of the pair of forks and suspending the left fork; A first front support member having a lower end fixed to the front portion of the left fork and suspending the left fork; A second rear support member having a lower end fixed to the rear portion of the right fork of the pair of forks and suspending the right fork; A second front support member having a lower end fixed to the front portion of the right fork and suspending the right fork; A connecting plate for connecting the front end portions of the pair of forks; The upper end of the first rear support member is connected to the upper end of the first front support member, and the upper end of the second rear support member is connected to the upper end of the second front support member, respectively. Further, A gap for receiving an object to be lifted by the pair of forks is formed between the left and right of the upper end of the first rear support member and the upper end of the first front support member, and the upper end of the second rear support member and the upper end of the second front support member. The crop harvester according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

5. The longitudinal length of the pair of forks is set shorter than the longitudinal length of the storage container. The crop harvester according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

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