combine

Abstract

To provide a combine-harvester which includes a safety device that automatically shuts down transmission of the engine power to a reaping device by leaving of a driver from a seat in a steering unit having a driver seat and can eliminate a risk of trampling of raised grain culms when the presence of the driver cannot be accidentally detected in a case of preventing a caught-in accident in a movable unit of the reaping device.SOLUTION: A safety device takes a provisional action of continuing transmission of the engine power to a reaping device when it is determined that a travel device is driven by the engine power together with the reaping device and is performing reaping travel as countermeasures in a case where the presence of a driver in a steering unit cannot be accidentally detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a combine harvester for harvesting grain, and more particularly to a combine harvester provided with a safety device that automatically cuts off the transmission of engine power to a reaping device when the driver leaves the control section that includes the driver's seat. [Background technology]

[0002] Combine harvesters harvest grains (grains) by cutting rice, wheat, etc., using their cutting device to lift the standing stalks in the field. For example, if the combine is a head-threshing type, the cutting device lifts the stalks using a lifting device equipped with lifting claws, and then the stalks are cut using a cutting blade device.The cut stalks are then transported to a threshing device using a stalk transport device consisting of a raking transport device, a base transport device, a tip transport device, etc.

[0003] In the case of a general-purpose combine harvester, the standing culms in the field are raked in by a raking reel equipped with tines and harvested by a cutting blade device, and the harvested culms are transported to a threshing device by a culm transport device such as a horizontal feed auger and a vertical feeder. Furthermore, regardless of the type of combine harvester, the culms harvested and transported by the harvesting device are threshed and sorted by the threshing device, completing the series of harvesting operations.

[0004] When we consider accidents involving combine harvesters used to harvest grain, it is said that the majority of fatal accidents involve the machine tipping over or falling off the ground while moving to and from the field. However, there have also been a number of reported cases of people being caught in moving parts of the reaping or threshing equipment that are involved in the actual harvesting work. Furthermore, even if these accidents do not result in death, they are likely to result in serious injury, and therefore cannot be taken lightly.

[0005] Therefore, in recent years, as a countermeasure against entanglement accidents when threshing hand-harvested stalks, for example, an emergency stop switch has been installed on the threshing machine, and by simply pressing this switch, the engine and threshing feed chain are instantly stopped, making threshing work safer. Also, to prevent accidents such as getting caught in the working part when getting off the vehicle with the working part still in operation, it has been proposed to automatically cut off the power transmission to the running part and working part when leaving the operating part (see paragraphs 0069 and 0070 of Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-61616 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] As mentioned above, the harvesting devices of combine harvesters, which are equipped with a cutting blade device and a stalk transport device for harvesting and transporting standing culms, use many dangerous moving parts, such as clipper-type cutting blades that reciprocate left and right, and a transport chain that rotates around a drive sprocket, etc. Furthermore, these moving parts are prone to being covered with broken straw and mud, which, if accumulated, can impede the transport of culms, and once the harvested stalks become clogged in the moving parts, the reaping operation cannot be continued unless they are removed.

[0008] Therefore, these moving parts are designed with an open structure that leaves plenty of free space to prevent accumulation of straw and mud and to prevent clogging with stalks, and only the areas that are considered dangerous are covered with the minimum necessary covers. As a result, most of these moving parts are exposed to the outside of the machine, and workers can approach the moving parts to remove straw, mud, or stalks that have become stuck in the moving parts and reach out and touch them with their fingers.

[0009] If the moving parts of the harvesting device become clogged with straw or mud, or become clogged with stalks, the driver must stop the harvesting work, get off the control unit, and remove the debris. Generally, the drive speed of the harvesting device is controlled by a transmission that changes depending on the vehicle speed. Therefore, if the driver gets off the vehicle without disengaging the harvesting clutch or threshing clutch, the moving parts of the harvesting device will usually stop rotating when the vehicle comes to a halt due to the interruption of harvesting work.

[0010] However, because the reaping clutch is engaged and power transmission from the engine to the reaping device is not completely cut off, the possibility cannot be denied that this moving part may rotate unexpectedly due to some impulse. Also, by switching the auxiliary travel speed change lever provided on the control panel from working or road travel speed to neutral and then shifting the main speed change lever from the neutral position to the forward position, the reaping device can be rotated while the machine is stopped.

[0011] Therefore, if the driver interrupts the harvesting operation and gets off the control unit without disengaging the threshing clutch or harvesting clutch, and brings his or her fingers close to remove the aforementioned accumulated straw, mud, etc., or to remove a blockage of grain straw, there is a risk that the cuffs of the driver's clothing may come into contact with the rotating moving parts and the driver's fingers may become caught in them, or that the driver's fingers may come into direct contact with the moving parts and be injured.

[0012] Therefore, to prevent such entrapment accidents, when inspecting, maintaining, or cleaning a combine harvester, it is generally recommended to apply the parking brake on the machine, prevent the harvester from descending with the descent prevention device, and always stop the engine to ensure sufficient safety before carrying out the work. However, there are cases where such recommendations are not known or are not followed in the rush to complete the work, so simply following such recommendations is not enough to prevent accidents.

[0013] Another option is to provide the harvester with an emergency stop switch, like those used in threshing machines, which, when pressed, instantly stops the engine and the conveying chain of the stalk conveying device. However, this is merely an after-the-fact measure, and since the moving parts of the harvester are spread over a fairly wide area, providing multiple emergency stop switches to accommodate them would require space for the switches and would lead to a significant increase in costs, which is not desirable.

[0014] On the other hand, as described in Patent Document 1, providing a safety device that automatically cuts off the transmission of power to the reaping device (working unit) when the driver leaves the control unit is considered to be a practical and advantageous measure to prevent entanglement accidents. However, if such a safety device is provided as is, when the driver stands on the step board of the control unit to correct the direction of travel of the machine in accordance with the arrangement of standing culms while looking at the grass division bodies at the tip of the reaping device, or to remove weeds contained in the reaped culms during transport, a seat switch or the like provided in the driver's seat will detect that the driver has left their seat.

[0015] Furthermore, when the driver stands on the step board of the control section, it is not certain whether at least one of the pair of step switches on the left and right sides provided on the underside of the step board will be turned on and activated to detect the presence of the driver in the control section. If neither step switch is turned on and activated, the safety device will be activated, cutting off the power transmission to the reaping device, making it impossible to perform reaping work. Furthermore, in this case, unless the engine or the machine's travel is stopped, there is a problem that the reaping device or travel device will push down or trample the standing stalks.

[0016] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a combine harvester that is equipped with a safety device that automatically cuts off the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device when the driver leaves the control section that has a driver's seat, thereby preventing accidents where the driver is caught in the moving parts of the harvesting device, and that can eliminate the risk of trampling down standing stalks when the presence of the driver cannot be detected by chance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] In order to solve the above problems, the combine harvester of the present invention 、 In a combine harvester equipped with a safety device that automatically shuts off the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device when the driver leaves the control section that has a driver's seat, the safety device continues the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device as a measure in the event that the presence of the driver in the control section cannot be detected by chance. Interim measures It is characterized by taking

[0018] The combine of the present invention of When the safety device is unable to detect the presence of a driver in the operating section, if it is determined that the mowing device and the traveling device are being driven by engine power and mowing is being performed, Interim measures The transmission of engine power to the harvesting device is continued by taking the above-mentioned action.

[0019] Furthermore, the combine of the present invention of The safety device is characterized in that it issues a warning to the driver to encourage him or her to remain seated when the temporary measure is taken.

[0020] Moreover, the combine of the present invention of The safety device is characterized by having a restricting means that artificially prohibits its own operating control, which automatically cuts off the transmission of engine power to the mowing device when the driver leaves the control unit, thereby allowing the mowing device to be driven even when the driver leaves the control unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the combine harvester of the present invention, a safety device is provided that automatically cuts off the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device when the driver leaves the control section that includes a driver's seat. The safety device continues the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device as a measure in the event that the presence of the driver in the control section cannot be detected by chance. Interim measures Take.

[0022] Therefore, even if the driver interrupts the harvesting operation and gets off (leave the seat) from the control unit without disengaging the threshing clutch or harvesting clutch to remove straw chips or mud that has accumulated on the moving parts of the harvesting device, or to bring his fingers close to these parts to remove any blockages of grain straw, the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device is cut off, so there is no risk of the moving parts rotating unexpectedly, preventing accidents caused by getting caught in the moving parts.

[0023] Then, as a countermeasure in the event that a sensor such as a seat switch or step switch that detects the presence of the driver in the control section cannot detect the presence of the driver because the driver stands up from the driver's seat, or the sensor cannot properly detect the presence of the driver, the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device is continued. Interim measures This eliminates the risk that failure to detect someone being present (leaving the seat) will immediately cut off the transmission of engine power to the reaping device, causing the standing culms to be trampled down and making it impossible to harvest the grain.

[0024] Furthermore, when the safety device is unable to detect the presence of the driver in the operating section, if it is determined that the mowing device and the traveling device are being driven by engine power and mowing is being performed, the Interim measures Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the risk that the transmission of engine power to the reaping device will be immediately cut off when no one is present, as described above, and this will cause the standing culms to be trampled down, making it impossible to harvest the grain.

[0025] On the other hand, when the auxiliary travel speed change lever is in the neutral position and the main speed change lever is operated to the forward position, and the reaping device is rotated while the vehicle is stopped, the traveling device is not driven. Interim measures However, in this case, even if the mower is no longer driven, no particularly serious problems will occur, and this is acceptable as a safety measure.

[0029] Furthermore, if the safety device is provided with a regulating means that manually prohibits its own operating control, which automatically cuts off the transmission of engine power to the mowing device when the driver leaves the control unit, and allows the mowing device to be driven even when the driver leaves the control unit, when it is necessary to rotate the mowing device for inspection and maintenance of the mowing device, the regulating means can rotate the mowing device even if the driver is not present at the control unit, making inspection and maintenance easier. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the combine harvester as seen from diagonally forward left. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the combine harvester as seen from diagonally rear right. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] This is a power transmission diagram of a combine harvester. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of a safety device. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart of power clutch control in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart of a power clutch control according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, a three-row, head-feeding combine harvester 1 that harvests rice or wheat grains (grains) has left and right crawler traveling devices 4 mounted via a traveling frame 3 below a roughly rectangular machine body frame (machine body) 2. The left and right crawler traveling devices 4 each include a drive sprocket 6 attached to a drive shaft extending from the left and right sides of a transmission case 5, an idle wheel 7 and a track roller 8 rotatably mounted on the traveling frame 3, and rubber crawlers 9 wound around these.

[0032] Furthermore, a roughly rectangular parallelepiped-shaped driver frame 10 is integrally connected to the front right side of the machine frame 2 in the forward direction of the machine, and a control unit 11 is provided above the driver frame 10 and the front of the engine room behind it. The control unit 11 has a driver's seat 13 behind a floor (step) 12, and a front console (front operation panel) 14 is provided in front of the floor 12, and a side console (side operation panel) 15 is provided to the left of the floor 12 and the driver's seat 13.

[0033] A reaping device 16 is mounted from the front left side of the machine frame 2 to the front of the control unit 11 so that it can be raised and lowered by a hydraulic cylinder (not shown). The reaping device 16 separates the standing culms in the field into reaped culms and unreaped culms using a grass dividing body 17 and narrow guides 18 mounted at the bottom front end of the reaping device 16, and lifts the reaped culms that fall between the left and right grass dividing bodies 17 using a lifting device 19 equipped with lifting claws 19a mounted on each row. The culms are then gathered together using a raking device consisting of a protruding raking belt 20 and a star wheel 21, while the base of the culms is cut using a reciprocating cutting blade device 22.

[0034] Furthermore, the stalks cut and harvested by the cutting blade device 22 are sent rearward by the star wheel 21 of the raking device, and the stalks sent rearward are further lifted and transported rearward by left and right stalk base transport devices 23, two-stage raking transport devices 24, 25 on each side, and threshing depth ear tip / stalk base transport devices 26, 27, and are handed over to the threshing feed chain 28. Furthermore, a threshing device 29 equipped with the threshing feed chain 28 is provided on the left side of the machine frame 2 behind the reaping device 16.

[0035] The threshing device 29 has a threshing chamber and a processing chamber below a cylinder cover 30 that covers the device from above. The threshing chamber is equipped with the aforementioned threshing feed chain 28 and its clamping rails 31 that transport the stalks transported from the reaping device 16 along the threshing mouth, two threshing drums 32 and 33 equipped with threshing teeth and their receiving nets, etc. The processing chamber is also installed adjacent to the threshing chamber from the rear end tips of the threshing drums 32 and 33 toward the rear of the machine, and is equipped with a processing drum 34 and its processing net for processing straw waste mixed with grain that was not threshed in the threshing chamber.

[0036] Below the handling and processing chambers, a sorting chamber is provided, which is equipped with a oscillating flow plate 35, a first spiral 36 and a second spiral 37, a winnowing fan 38, a turbo fan 39, and a dust removal fan 40. Grains that have leaked through the receiving screens of the handling and processing chambers are sorted on the oscillating flow plate 35, and the sorted grains are transferred from the first spiral 36 to a grain tank (grain tank) 42 via a grain lifting device 41. The second grain, which contains straw and other debris, is returned to the oscillating flow plate 35 via the second spiral 37 and a second return device 43.

[0037] In addition, straw chips that reach the end of the oscillating flow plate 35, straw chips captured by the dust discharge fan 40, or straw chips discharged from the end of the processing drum 34 are discharged outside the machine behind the threshing device 29. Furthermore, the discharged straw that has completed threshing and is discharged from the threshing chamber is transported by the discharged straw conveying device 44 toward the disc-type cutter 45, and the disc-type cutter 45 shreds the discharged straw transported by the discharged straw conveying device 44 and discharges it as chopped straw at the reaping site.

[0038] When the grain tank 42 is filled with grain transferred by the grain lifting device 41 of the threshing device 29, the discharge auger 46 discharges the grain into a container or the like outside the machine. The discharge auger 46 is equipped with a horizontal screw 47 provided at the bottom of the grain tank 42 and a vertical screw 48 provided at the rear of the grain tank 42, and the vertical screw tube 48a is rotatable by an electric motor, and the vertical screw tube 48b at the tip end is swingable up and down by a hydraulic cylinder, so that the position can be changed from a storage position on the machine body to a discharge position at the rear of the machine body.

[0039] Furthermore, the power unit 49, which is located in front of the grain tank 42 and below and behind the control unit 11, is equipped with a cover frame that is erected from the right side of the aircraft frame 2 toward the center, and multiple covers 50 are attached to this cover frame to cover the periphery, forming the interior of the cover frame into an engine room. The engine room also houses a diesel engine 51, an exhaust gas aftertreatment device consisting of a DPF (diesel particulate filter), etc., and engine accessories such as a radiator and air cleaner.

[0040] The engine 51 drives the various devices of the machine, such as the reaping device 16 and the threshing device 29, and as shown in Figure 4, the engine 51 first drives the threshing device 29 and the straw discharge conveying device 44, excluding the threshing feed chain 28, via a threshing clutch 52 consisting of a belt tension clutch. The threshing feed chain 28 is driven from the threshing clutch 52 via a conveying HST (hydrostatic continuously variable transmission) 53 and a gear reduction device 54, and further drives the various devices of the reaping device 16 via the conveying HST 53 and gear reduction device 54 via a reaping clutch 55 consisting of a belt tension clutch.

[0041] The engine 51 also drives the crawler traveling device 4, and in this case, the engine 51 drives a traveling HST (hydrostatic continuously variable transmission) 57 via a traveling clutch 56. The power changed in speed by the traveling HST 57 drives the left and right drive sprockets 6 of the crawler traveling device 4 via a gear-type auxiliary transmission 58 that changes the speed between working speed and traveling speed and is provided in the transmission case 5, and a steering device 59 consisting of left and right side clutches and brakes. Furthermore, the engine 51 drives the horizontal spiral 47 and vertical spiral 48 of the discharge auger 46 via a discharge clutch 60 consisting of a belt tension clutch.

[0042] 3, the front console 14 of the control unit 11 is provided with a multi-steering lever 61 for raising and lowering the reaping device 16 and steering the machine body, a monitor panel 62 with an LCD display, a combination switch 63, key switches (not shown), etc. The other side console 15 is provided with a main speed change lever 64 for changing the speed of the traveling HST 57, an auxiliary speed change lever 65 for changing the speed of the auxiliary speed change device 58, an engine control lever 66, a power clutch switch 67 and its indicator 68 for switching the threshing clutch 52 and reaping clutch 55 on and off, and various other automatic switches and setting devices.

[0043] The combine harvester 1 has been outlined above, but next we will explain the safety device that automatically cuts off the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device 16 when the driver leaves the control unit 11, a feature of the present invention. First, this safety device has a seat switch 69 located below the driver's seat 13 in the control unit 11, which is turned on when the driver sits in the driver's seat 13 and the driver sinks into the seat. In addition, an indicator 70 is located on the side console 15 to warn the driver if he leaves his seat.

[0044] In addition, the safety device that automatically cuts off the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device 16 is configured to automatically cut off the transmission of engine power by controlling the on / off of the aforementioned harvesting clutch 55, which is provided in the power transmission path from the engine 51 to the harvesting device 16, and therefore is implemented as part of the clutch control using the power clutch switch 67 that turns on and off the threshing clutch 52 and harvesting clutch 55, which are provided in the power transmission path to the harvesting device 16.

[0045] Therefore, to explain the power clutch control, as shown in the block diagram of Figure 5, the threshing clutch 52 and the reaping clutch 55 are controlled by an electronic control unit (ECU) 71 consisting of a microcomputer or the like, and the output side of this ECU 71 is connected to lamps 72 to 74 indicating reaping, threshing and cutting, which are made up of LEDs that serve as the power clutch indicator 68, an away lamp 75 of the indicator 70 that warns the driver if he leaves his seat, and a horn 76 that sounds an alarm.

[0046] In addition, the threshing clutch 52 and the reaping clutch 55, which are composed of belt tension clutches, have threshing side linkage mechanisms and reaping side linkage mechanisms, which are composed of rods, springs, etc., operated by an electric motor 77 to switch these clutches 52, 55 on and off, so this electric motor 77 is connected to the output side of the ECU 71 via a relay circuit 78 that switches its rotation forward and backward.

[0047] On the other hand, connected to the input side of the ECU 71 are a power clutch switch 67 formed of a momentary rocker switch, a potentiometer 79 which detects the amount of operation of the electric motor 77, a transmission rotation sensor 80 which detects the rotation speed of the transmission shaft in the transmission case 5, a main speed change lever potentiometer 81 which detects the operating position of the main speed change lever 64, an auxiliary speed change lever neutral detection switch 82 provided on the auxiliary speed change lever 65, and the aforementioned seat switch 69. In addition, an emergency seat presence circuit 83 which is a male-female connector with a bullet terminal is provided in parallel with the seat switch 69.

[0048] Then, when the engine 51 is started and power transmission from the engine 51 to each part of the machine becomes possible, the ECU 71 executes the power clutch control program shown in Fig. 6. When the key switch is turned on and the ECU 71 starts up, if the ECU 71 detects in the initial control that the threshing clutch 52 and the reaping clutch 55 are not both disengaged based on the value of the potentiometer 79, the electric motor 77 is reversed so that the threshing clutch 52 and the reaping clutch 55 are both disengaged, and therefore the threshing device 29 and the reaping device 16 are not driven when the engine 51 starts.

[0049] Returning to the explanation of the control of the power clutch, the ECU 71 first determines whether the power clutch switch 67 has been operated by the driver (step S1), and if it has been operated (YES), determines whether the clutch operation is an ON operation or an OFF operation based on the operating status of the power clutch switch 67 (step S2). If it is an ON operation in this case, the ECU 71 then determines the length of time that the ON operation was performed (step S3).

[0050] Furthermore, if the operation time is long and it is determined to be a long press, the current clutch state is determined based on the value of potentiometer 79 (step S4).If the reaping clutch 55 and the threshing clutch 52 are already engaged at this point, there is no need to switch the clutches, so the system returns to normal, but if both the reaping clutch 55 and the threshing clutch 52 are disengaged or if only the threshing clutch 52 is engaged, the "Clutch (reap)" subroutine is executed, in which both the threshing clutch 52 and the reaping clutch 55 are engaged (step S5).

[0051] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S3 above that the pressing operation has been performed for a short period of time, the current clutch state is determined based on the value of potentiometer 79, as in step 4 (step S6). If the reaping clutch 55 and the threshing clutch 52 are already engaged at this point, there is no need to switch the clutches, so the system returns to normal, but if the reaping clutch 55 and the threshing clutch 52 are both disengaged, the "Clutch (threshing)" subroutine is executed, in which only the threshing clutch 52 is engaged (step S7), and if only the threshing clutch 52 is engaged, the "Clutch (reap)" subroutine is executed, in which both the threshing clutch 52 and the reaping clutch 55 are engaged (step S5).

[0052] If the off operation is selected in step S2, the duration of the off operation is determined in the same manner as in step S3 (step S8). Similarly, if the operation time is determined to be long and the button is pressed for a long time, the current clutch state is determined based on the value of potentiometer 79 (step S9). If both the reaping clutch 55 and the threshing clutch 52 are already off at this point, there is no need to switch the clutches, so the system returns to normal. However, if both the reaping clutch 55 and the threshing clutch 52 are on, or if only the threshing clutch 52 is on, the "clutch (off)" subroutine is executed, which turns off both the threshing clutch 52 and the reaping clutch 55 (step S10).

[0053] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S8 above that the pressing operation was performed for a short period of time, the current clutch state is determined based on the value of potentiometer 79, as in step 6 (step S11). If the reaping clutch 55 and the threshing clutch 52 are already disengaged at this point, there is no need to switch the clutches, so the process returns to normal, but if both the reaping clutch 55 and the threshing clutch 52 are engaged, the "clutch (threshing)" subroutine is executed, in which only the threshing clutch 52 is engaged (step S7), and if only the threshing clutch 52 is engaged, the "clutch (disengaged)" subroutine is executed, in which both the threshing clutch 52 and the reaping clutch 55 are disengaged (step S10).

[0054] The above has explained the normal control of the threshing clutch 52 and the reaping clutch 55 when the power clutch switch 67 is operated by the driver.In short, with this control, by pressing and holding the power clutch switch 67 in the on or off direction, the clutches 52, 55 can be quickly switched between a reaping operation state in which the electric motor 77 rotates forward and the threshing clutch 52 and the reaping clutch 55 are on, and a non-reaping operation state in which the electric motor 77 rotates reversely and the threshing clutch 52 and the reaping clutch 55 are off.

[0055] On the other hand, if the power clutch switch 67 is pressed in the on direction for a short time, the electric motor 77 rotates forward and both clutches 52, 55 are turned off, switching the clutches 52, 55 to a manual threshing mode with only the threshing clutch 52 turned on.If the power clutch switch 67 is pressed again in the same direction for a short time, the electric motor 77 rotates forward and both clutches 52, 55 are turned on, switching the clutches 52, 55 to a reaping mode.

[0056] Conversely, by pressing the power clutch switch 67 in the OFF direction for a short time, the electric motor 77 will rotate in the reverse direction, and if both clutches 52, 55 are engaged, only the threshing clutch 52 will be engaged. By pressing the switch again in the same direction for a short time, the electric motor 77 will rotate in the reverse direction, and both clutches 52, 55 will be disengaged, switching the clutches 52, 55 to a non-reap operation mode. By controlling the threshing clutch 52 and the reaping clutch 55 through feedback control of the electric motor 77, the effort required by the operator to switch the clutches can be significantly reduced.

[0057] When the power clutch switch 67 is operated in this manner and the clutches 52, 55 are switched to a non-cutting operation state, the off lamp 74 lights up, and when they are switched to a hand-threshing operation state, the threshing lamp 73 lights up, and when they are switched to a cut-off operation state, both the threshing lamp 73 and the cut-off lamp 72 light up, visually informing the operator of the on / off status of each clutch 52, 55.

[0058] On the other hand, the control related to the safety device, which is a feature of the present invention, is actually executed by the steps described below when the power clutch switch 67 is not operated, and if the power clutch switch 67 is not operated by the driver in the above-mentioned step S1 (NO), the ECU 71 determines the state of the seat switch 69 (step S12). In this case, if the driver is seated in the driver's seat 13 and the seat switch 69 is ON, the ECU 71 executes a seat absence warning stop subroutine (S13) and returns to normal.

[0059] However, when the driver stands up from the driver's seat 13 or leaves the control panel 11 and the seat switch 69 is turned OFF, the current clutch state is determined based on the value of the potentiometer 79 (step S14). If the reaping clutch 55 is not engaged and the threshing clutch 52 is engaged, or if the threshing clutch 52 is also disengaged, the system executes the seat absence warning stop subroutine (S13) and returns to normal.

[0060] If both the reaping clutch 55 and the threshing clutch 52 are engaged, the following steps are executed in succession: step S15, which determines whether the main speed change lever 64 is in the forward position, neutral position, or reverse position based on the value of the main speed change lever potentiometer 81; step S16, which determines whether the auxiliary speed change lever 65 is in the working position, road position, or neutral position based on the ON / OFF state of the auxiliary speed change lever neutral detection switch 82; and step S17, which determines whether the transmission shaft in the transmission case 5 is rotating or stopped based on the rotation speed detected by the transmission rotation sensor 80.

[0061] Therefore, even if both the reaping clutch 55 and the threshing clutch 52 are engaged, in step S15, if the main speed change lever 64 is not operated to the forward position (if it is in the neutral position or reverse position), the combine harvester 1 is stopped or moved in reverse. Also, in step S16, if the sub-speed change lever 65 is not operated to the working position or the road position (if it is in the neutral position), the combine harvester 1 is stopped. Furthermore, in step S17, if the transmission shaft in the transmission case 5 is not rotating (if it is stopped), the combine harvester 1 is stopped.

[0062] Therefore, in the above three cases, it is clear that the combine harvester 1 is not actually reaping, and in this case, the "Clutch (threshing)" subroutine in step 7 is executed to engage only the threshing clutch 52, and the process returns. However, if the main speed change lever 64 is operated to the forward position, the sub-speed change lever 65 is operated to the work or road position, and the transmission shaft in the transmission case 5 is rotating, it is assumed that the combine harvester 1 is traveling forward to reap, and in this case, the unattended warning subroutine in step 18 is executed, and the process returns without executing, for example, the subroutine in step 7 to engage only the threshing clutch 52.

[0063] The seat absence warning subroutine in step 18 flashes the seat absence lamp 75 of the indicator 70 and intermittently sounds the horn 76 to warn the driver to remain in the driver's seat 13. Stopping the seat absence warning in step 13 stops the flashing of the seat absence lamp 75 and the intermittent sounding of the horn 76. If the seat absence warning in step 18 is not issued, the seat absence lamp 75 is turned on or off in conjunction with the ON / OFF of the seat switch 69.

[0064] The first embodiment of the control of the safety device, which is a feature of the present invention, has been described above based on a flowchart. In short, in this first embodiment, the safety device that automatically cuts off the transmission of engine power to the mowing device 16 when the driver leaves the control unit 11 equipped with the driver's seat 13 (step S12) is realized by the ECU 71 controlling the disengagement of the mowing clutch 55, and this safety device continues the transmission of engine power to the mowing device 16 without controlling the disengagement of the mowing clutch 55 as a countermeasure in the event that the presence of the driver in the control unit 11 cannot be detected by chance. Interim measures and stops at the warning of absence (step S18).

[0065] Therefore, even if the driver interrupts the harvesting operation and gets off (leave the seat) from the control unit 11 without disengaging the threshing clutch 52 or the harvesting clutch 55 to remove straw chips, mud, etc. that have accumulated on the moving parts of the harvesting device 16, or to remove any blockages of grain straw, and brings his or her fingers close to these parts, since the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device 16 is cut off, there is no risk of the moving parts rotating unexpectedly, and so it is possible to prevent accidents involving entrapment.

[0066] Then, as a countermeasure when the seat switch 69 in the control unit 11, which detects the presence of the driver, cannot detect the presence of the driver because the driver stands up from the driver's seat 13 or when the seat switch 69 cannot detect the presence of the driver properly, the transmission of engine power to the reaping device 16 is continued. Interim measuresThis eliminates the risk that failure to detect presence (abandonment) will immediately cut off the transmission of engine power to the reaping device 16, causing standing culms to be trampled down and making it impossible to harvest grain.

[0067] Furthermore, when the safety device of the first embodiment is unable to detect the presence of the driver in the operating section 11, if it is determined that the traveling device 4 is being driven by engine power together with the mowing device 16 and is mowing (steps S15 to S17), Interim measures Therefore, the transmission of engine power to the reaping device 16 is continued. This eliminates the risk that the transmission of engine power to the reaping device 16 will be immediately cut off when non-occupancy is detected, as described above, which will cause standing culms to be trampled down, making it impossible to harvest grain.

[0068] On the other hand, in order to carry out concentrated oiling of the moving parts of the reaping device 16, threshing device 29, etc., which is performed before the start of reaping work, the traveling sub-speed change lever 65 is set to the neutral position and the main speed change lever 64 is set to the forward position, and when the reaping device 16, threshing device 29, etc. are rotated and driven in a traveling stopped state, the traveling device 4 is not driven. Interim measures The driver is not seated, and the transmission of engine power to the reaping device 16 is immediately cut off due to the detection of non-occupancy (steps S15, S16, S7). However, in this case, even if the reaping device 16 stops rotating, the driver can simply sit down and restart the centralized oiling operation, so no particularly serious problems will occur, and this is acceptable as an unavoidable safety measure.

[0069] Next, a second embodiment of the control of the safety device, which is a feature of the present invention, will be explained based on the power clutch control flowchart of Figure 7. In this embodiment, the control content of the threshing clutch 52 and the reaping clutch 55 based on the operation of the power clutch switch 67 is the same as in the first embodiment, so the explanation of steps S1 to S11 will be omitted and the explanation will start from step S12 related to the safety device.

[0070] That is, when the power clutch switch 67 is not operated, the ECU 71 determines the state of the seat switch 69 in step S12. In this case, if the driver is seated in the driver's seat 13 and the seat switch 69 is ON, the ECU 71 sets a timer to a predetermined T seconds (step S19), then executes a subroutine to stop the seat leaving warning similar to that in the first embodiment (step S13), and returns to the normal state.

[0071] However, when the driver stands up from the driver's seat 13 or leaves the control panel 11 and the seat switch 69 is turned OFF in step S12, the current clutch state is determined based on the value of the potentiometer 79 (step S14).If the reaping clutch 55 is not engaged but the threshing clutch 52 is engaged, or if the threshing clutch 52 is also disengaged, the subroutines of steps S19 and S13 are similarly executed and the process returns.

[0072] If both the reaping clutch 55 and the threshing clutch 52 are engaged, a timer counts down from T seconds to 0 seconds (step S20), and if the timer value is greater than 0 seconds, a subroutine for warning users about leaving the machine, similar to that in the first embodiment, is executed (step S18), and the process returns. However, when the timer reaches 0 seconds after T seconds, the timer stops counting down, and the "Clutch (threshing)" subroutine in step S7, in which only the threshing clutch 52 is engaged, is executed, and the process returns.

[0073] Therefore, in the second embodiment, when the presence of the driver in the control panel 11 cannot be detected, Interim measures If the temporary measure continues for a predetermined T seconds, the temporary measure is released and the transmission of engine power to the mowing device 16 is automatically cut off (step S7). In addition, when the temporary measure is taken, the safety device issues a warning to the driver to remain seated (step S18).

[0074] Therefore, even if the driver stands up from the driver's seat 13 for a while to adjust the direction of travel of the machine to match the arrangement of the standing culms while looking at the grass division body 17 attached to the tip of the harvesting device 16, or to remove weeds and the like contained in the harvested culms during transport, as long as the time is within the specified T seconds of the temporary measure, the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device 16 will continue, thereby eliminating the risk of trampling down the standing culms and making it impossible to harvest the grain.

[0075] In addition, as a result of the provisional measure, a warning is issued to urge the driver to take a seat (step S18), and if the driver takes a seat in the driver's seat 13 within the prescribed T seconds of the provisional measure, the driver can efficiently carry out the reaping work without interruption. Moreover, even if the driver is unable to take a seat in the driver's seat 13 within the prescribed T seconds, it becomes clear that the reaping device 16 has stopped driving for safety reasons, and in that case the travel stop can be immediately stopped to prevent the standing stalks from being trampled down.

[0076] As mentioned above, an emergency seat presence circuit 83 is provided on the input side of the ECU 71 in parallel with the seat switch 69, using a male / female connector. This connector is hidden in an inconspicuous location covered by the cover of the front console 14 of the control unit 11, and the male / female connector is normally disconnected.

[0077] However, when it is necessary to rotate the reaping device 16 during inspection and maintenance of the reaping device 16, such as when a brush is used to clean oily dust adhering to the conveyor chain by rotating it once, the male and female connector terminals are connected. In this way, a signal similar to that generated when the seat switch 69 detects a seated person can be sent from the emergency seating circuit 83 to the ECU 71 in a pseudo manner, so that the reaping device 16 can be rotated by the regulating means (emergency seating circuit 83) even if no one is present in the operating unit 11, facilitating inspection and maintenance.

[0078] The above has described an embodiment of the present invention, but instead of the seat switch 69 in the control panel 11 that detects the presence of a driver in the seat, the control panel 11 may be provided with a step switch as described in Patent Document 1, or a human body infrared sensor that determines the presence or absence of a person by catching infrared rays emitted by the human body, or a photoelectric sensor that emits light such as visible light or infrared rays from a light-emitting unit and detects light reflected by the human body or changes in the amount of light blocked by a light-receiving unit, or a resistive film type or capacitive type touch sensor may be incorporated into the grip of the main gearshift lever 64 or the multi-steering lever 61 to detect fingers, and the accuracy of detecting the presence of the driver can be improved by using these switches and sensors in combination.

[0079] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the safety device issues a warning to encourage the driver to take a seat when it cannot detect the presence of the driver in the control unit 11, and automatically cuts off the transmission of engine power to the reaping device 16 after a predetermined time has elapsed, but if the engine 51 is stopped at this time or the traveling clutch 56 is automatically disconnected by an actuator, it is possible to prevent the standing stalks from being trampled down while the machine is traveling to reap. The warning to encourage the driver to take a seat may be displayed in easy-to-understand text on the monitor panel 62.

[0080] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the safety device cuts off the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device 16 when the traveling device 4 is not driven and detects no one is present, and at this time the threshing clutch 52 is engaged.However, if the transporting HST 53 stops the driving rotation of the harvesting device 16 and the threshing feed chain 28 when the traveling device 4 is stopped, the threshing feed chain 28 is stopped even if the threshing device 29 is driven, so the driver cannot perform manual threshing work.

[0081] Therefore, a hand-threshing switch may be provided near an emergency stop switch A (see Figure 1) that instantly stops the engine 51 and the threshing feed chain 28 by simply pressing a switch provided on the threshing device 29, and by pressing this hand-threshing switch, the ECU 71 may control the conveying speed of the threshing feed chain 28 to the appropriate hand-threshing speed.In this case, the process may be modified to execute a clutch (off) subroutine (step S10) to cut off the transmission of engine power to the threshing device 29 together with the harvesting device 16. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1. Combine 4 Running gear 11 Control Unit 13 Driver's seat 16 Reaping device 29 Threshing equipment 51 Engine 52 Threshing Clutch 55 Reaping Clutch 69 Seat switch 71 Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 75 Away lamp 76 Horn 83 Emergency presence circuit (regulatory means)

Claims

1. A combine harvester equipped with a safety device that automatically cuts off the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device when the driver leaves the control section, which has a driver's seat.The safety device is characterized in that when it cannot detect the driver's presence in the control section, if it determines that the harvesting device and the traveling device are being driven by engine power and are in the process of harvesting, it takes temporary measures to continue the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device.

2. 2. The combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the safety device issues a warning to the driver to encourage him or her to remain seated when the temporary measure is taken.

3. A combine harvester as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the safety device is provided with a restricting means that artificially prohibits its own operating control, which automatically cuts off the transmission of engine power to the harvesting device when the driver leaves the control section, thereby allowing the harvesting device to be driven even when the driver leaves the control section.

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