combine

Abstract

To provide a combine-harvester which can efficiently move to a reaping start position of the next reaping work row regardless of the operator's maneuvering skill.SOLUTION: A combine-harvester in which a reaping device (3) is installed on the front side of a machine body that is driven by a travel device (2), and a sorting device (4) is installed to separate grains from grain culms reaped by the reaping device (3), includes: a position information reception device (51) which receives position information of the machine body; a position information acquisition member (52) which records the position information received from the position information reception device (51); and a travel calculation device (50) which calculates a first straight travel reference line (BG1) that becomes a reference of straight travel from the recorded position information. The combine-harvester also includes a process termination detection unit which detects the termination of a reaping work process. When the process termination detection unit detects the termination of the process, the combine-harvester calculates a second straight travel reference line (BG2) crossing the first straight travel reference line (BG1).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a combine harvester that harvests grain stalks with a harvesting device while traveling straight ahead. [Background technology]

[0002] In conventional combine harvesters, the machine moves in a straight line to cut the stalks, and when it reaches the end of the cutting row, it turns the machine by about 90 degrees and cuts in the perpendicular direction toward the center of the field (so-called "circumferential cutting work"). When turning the machine, there is a technology that displays an imaginary line indicating the stalk on the display to assist the operator in maneuvering (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-80496 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the technology of Patent Document 1, the operator must control the direction of travel of the machine in accordance with the virtual line, and at the same time, operations such as adjusting the height of the harvesting device are also required, which means that there is a problem that the steering assistance effect cannot be obtained, especially for operators who are unfamiliar with operating the machine.

[0005] Furthermore, depending on the shape of the field and the state of rice growth, some parts may not be harvested, or conversely, some parts may be crushed by the traveling equipment, resulting in extra work to move the field later to harvest and a reduced harvest yield.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a combine harvester that can efficiently move to the reaping start position for the next reaping row, regardless of the operator's driving skill. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention, which has solved the above problems, is as follows.

[0008] That is, the invention of claim 1 relates to a combine harvester provided with a reaping device (3) at the front of a machine body traveling on a traveling device (2) and a sorting device (4) for separating grains from the stalks harvested by the reaping device (3), the combine harvester is provided with a position information receiving device (51) for receiving position information of the machine body, a position information acquiring member (52) for recording the position information received from the position information receiving device (51), a traveling calculation device (50) for calculating a first straight traveling reference line (BG1) serving as a reference for straight traveling from the recorded position information, and a process end detection unit for detecting the end of the reaping work process, and when the process end detection unit detects the end of the process, it calculates a second straight traveling reference line (BG2) that intersects with the first straight traveling reference line (BG1), and thereafter, when the process end detection unit detects the end of the process while the combine harvester is traveling for work along a path parallel to the first straight traveling reference line (BG1), it calculates the position information of the end detection point. Passing through the reference coordinates determined based on The second straight reference line (BG2) A line parallel to the route for the next work trip. as This combine harvester is characterized by calculating the

[0009] The invention of claim 2 is the combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the end-of-travel detection unit is a stalk sensor (57) that detects the presence or absence of stalks introduced into the reaping device (3).

[0010] The invention of claim 3 is the combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the end-of-travel detection unit is an unharvested stubble sensor provided on the side of the machine body and detecting unharvested stubble. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the driving assist function can be used to drive the mower even during circular mowing work, thereby reducing the workload on the operator. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] Combine harvester front view [Figure 2] Top view of a combine harvester [Figure 3] Left side view of combine harvester [Figure 4] Engine E output rotation transmission diagram [Figure 5] Transmission diagram of engine E's output rotation to the running gear and harvesting equipment [Figure 6] Main gear shift lever diagram [Figure 7] Diagram of a continuously variable transmission [Figure 8] Schematic diagram showing a 90-degree reverse turn [Figure 9] Block diagram showing each operation device and the controlled object [Figure 10] Flowchart showing calculation control of the first straight-ahead reference line [Figure 11] (a) A schematic diagram showing a case where the first straight-line reference line is calculated, (b) A schematic diagram showing a case where the first straight-line reference line is not calculated, and (c) A schematic diagram showing a case where the first and second straight-line reference lines are calculated. [Figure 12] Flowchart showing straight-line assist control [Figure 13] Flowchart showing reverse 90-degree turn control [Figure 14] Flowchart showing another configuration of reverse 90-degree turn control [Figure 15] Flowchart showing another configuration of reverse 90-degree turn control [Figure 16] Flowchart showing the control for calculating the predicted arrival time from the distance between the current position and the straight-line reference point of the next process [Figure 17] Flowchart showing the control for calculating the predicted arrival time from the azimuth deviation between the current position and the straight-line reference point of the next process [Figure 18] Flowchart showing the travel speed control for a 90-degree reverse turn based on the difference in predicted arrival time based on distance and heading deviation. [Figure 19] Front view showing the switch panel [Figure 20] Flowchart showing control for stopping voice guidance during volume dial operation [Figure 21]Flowchart showing the control for stopping the voice guidance when the control lever is operated continuously in the left and right directions [Figure 22] Flowchart showing the control to stop the voice guidance when the vehicle is manually operated while ignoring the straight-line assistance. [Figure 23] Flowchart showing grain culm detection control by the grain culm sensor and auxiliary grain culm sensor DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the combine harvester has a traveling device 2 consisting of a pair of left and right crawlers mounted on the underside of a machine frame 1, and a reaping device 3 for harvesting stalks growing in a field mounted on the front side of the machine frame 1. In addition, a threshing device 4 for threshing and sorting the stalks harvested by the reaping device 3 is mounted on the left rear side of the reaping device 3, and a control unit 5 for an operator to ride on is mounted on the right rear side of the reaping device 3.

[0014] An engine room 6 in which an engine E is mounted is provided below the control unit 5, and a grain tank 7 for storing grain that has been threshed and sorted by the threshing device 4 is provided behind the control unit 5, and the grain stored in the grain tank 7 is discharged to the outside by a discharge auger 70 connected to the grain tank 7. A front panel 10 is provided in front of the driver's seat of the control unit 5, and a side panel 15 is provided to the left of the driver's seat.

[0015] A monitor 11 that displays the engine E output rotation speed and the like is provided on the left side of the front panel 10, and an operating lever 12 that controls the rotation of the traveling device 2 and the elevation of the reaping device 3 is provided on the right side. The position of the operating lever 12 is measured by an angle sensor 12S, such as a potentiometer, attached to the bottom of the operating lever 12.

[0016] In addition, a parking brake pedal 13 is provided on the front left part of the floor located below the front panel 10, which activates and deactivates a pair of left and right brake devices 38 provided on the transmission 21 described later, and a raking pedal 14 is provided on the front right part of the floor, which engages and disengages the mowing clutch described later.

[0017] The depression posture of the parking brake pedal 13 is measured by a sensor 13S such as a limit switch or contact sensor attached to the bottom of the parking brake pedal 13, and is measured by an angle sensor 12S such as a potentiometer or proximity sensor, and the depression posture of the pull-in pedal 14 is measured by a sensor 14S such as a limit switch or contact sensor attached to the bottom of the pull-in pedal 14.

[0018] A main speed change lever (referred to as "speed change lever" in the claims) 16 is provided at the front of the side panel 15 to operate the continuously variable transmission 20, which increases / decreases the output rotation of the engine E and switches the direction of rotation, and behind the main speed change lever 16 is provided an auxiliary speed change lever 17 to operate the transmission 21, which increases / decreases the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20, and behind the auxiliary speed change lever 17 is provided a reaper / thresh lever 18 to operate the connection and disconnection of the reaping clutch 22 and threshing clutch 23.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 4, the output rotation output from the engine E is transmitted to the continuously variable transmission 20 provided on a transmission path (the "first transmission path" in the claims) A. The output rotation of the engine E transmitted to the input shaft 44 of the continuously variable transmission 20 is accelerated or decelerated and its rotation direction is switched by the continuously variable transmission 20, and then transmitted to the transmission 21.

[0020] The output rotation of continuously variable transmission 20 transmitted to input shaft 30 of transmission 21 is accelerated or decelerated by the multi-stage gears of transmission 21, output from output shaft 34, and transmitted to traveling device 2. The traveling speed v of traveling device 2 is measured by speed sensor 2S, such as a tachometer generator attached to the track wheel or a gyro attached to machine frame 1. The output rotation output from output shaft 31 of transmission 21 is transmitted to harvesting device 3 via harvesting clutch 22.

[0021] Moreover, the output rotation output from the engine E is transmitted to the threshing device 4 via a threshing clutch 23 provided on a transmission path ("second transmission path" in the claims) B.

[0022] 5, the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20 is transmitted to the input shaft 30 of the transmission 21. The output rotation transmitted to the input shaft 30 is then transmitted to the counter shaft 32 via gears 30A, 31A, and 32A. The gear 30A is provided on the input shaft 30, the gear 31A is rotatably provided on the output shaft 31, and the gear 32A is provided on the counter shaft 32.

[0023] The output rotation transmitted to the countershaft 32 is transmitted to the countershaft 33 via the gear 32B and the gear 33A. The gear 32B is provided on the countershaft 32, and the gear 33A is provided on the countershaft 33.

[0024] The output rotation transmitted to the countershaft 33 is transmitted to the output shaft 34 via a pair of left and right gears 33B and a pair of left and right gears 34A provided on both sides of the gear 33A. The gear 33B is provided on the countershaft 33, and the gear 34A is provided on the output shaft 34 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction.

[0025] Brake devices 33C that brake the rotation of the counter shaft 33 are provided on both sides of the pair of left and right gears 33B of the counter shaft 33. As a result, when the operating lever 12 is tilted to the left, the rotation speed of the left gear 33B becomes slower than the rotation speed of the right gear 33B, causing the traveling device 2 to turn to the left in the traveling direction, and when the operating lever 12 is tilted to the right, the rotation speed of the right gear 33B becomes slower than the rotation speed of the left gear 33B, causing the traveling device 2 to turn to the right in the traveling direction.

[0026] The output rotation transmitted to the output shaft 34 is transmitted to the input shaft 35 of the traveling device 2 via a pair of left and right gears 34B and a pair of left and right gears 35A provided outside the gear 34A. The gear 34B is provided on the output shaft 34 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction, and the gear 35A is provided on the input shaft 35.

[0027] The output rotation transmitted to the countershaft 32 is transmitted to the output shaft 31 via gears 32C and 31B, or gears 32D and 31C. Gears 32C and 32D are provided on the countershaft 32, and gears 31B and 31C are provided on the output shaft 31 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction. Gears 31B and 31C can be moved left-right via a shifter 36 by operating a shifter device (not shown).

[0028] The output rotation transmitted to the output shaft 31 is transmitted to the input shaft 37 of the reaping device 3 via the reaping clutch 22 .

[0029] As shown in Figure 6, when the main speed change lever 16 is in the neutral position, the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20 is zero. When the main speed change lever 16 is shifted from the neutral position to the forward tilted position, the rotation direction of the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20 becomes forward, the same as the rotation direction of the output rotation of the engine E; increasing the tilt angle of the forward tilted position increases the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20, and decreasing the tilt angle of the front tilted position decreases the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20. When the main speed change lever 16 is shifted from the neutral position to the rear tilted position, the rotation direction of the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20 becomes reverse, opposite to the rotation direction of the output rotation of the engine E; increasing the tilt angle of the rear tilted position increases the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20, and decreasing the tilt angle of the rear tilted position decreases the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20. The attitude of the main speed change lever 16 is measured by an angle sensor 16S such as a potentiometer attached to the lower part of the main speed change lever 16.

[0030] When the sub-speed-change lever 17 is in the neutral position, the output rotation of the transmission 21 is neither increased nor decreased. When the sub-speed-change lever 17 is moved from the neutral position to a forward tilted position, the output rotation of the transmission 21 is increased, and when the sub-speed-change lever 17 is moved from the neutral position to a rearward tilted position, the output rotation transmitted from the continuously variable transmission 20 is decelerated. The position of the sub-speed-change lever 17 is measured by an angle sensor 17S such as a potentiometer attached to the bottom of the sub-speed-change lever 17.

[0031] When the cutting / threshing lever 18 is in the forward tilt position, the cutting clutch 22 and the threshing clutch 23 are disengaged. When the cutting / threshing lever 18 is in the rearward tilt position, the cutting clutch 22 and the threshing clutch 23 are engaged. When the cutting / threshing lever 18 is in the neutral position, which is between the forward tilt position and the rearward tilt position, the cutting clutch 22 is disengaged and the threshing clutch 23 is engaged. The position of the cutting / threshing lever 18 is measured by an angle sensor 18S, such as a potentiometer, attached to the bottom of the cutting / threshing lever 18.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 7, a sector gear 41 is supported on the trunnion shaft 40 of the continuously variable transmission 20, and a gear formed on the outer periphery of the sector gear 41 is engaged with a gear 42A provided on the output shaft of a forward motor (the "drive means" in the claims) 42 and a gear 43A provided on the output shaft of a reverse motor (the "drive means" in the claims). As a result, the forward motor 42 and the reverse motor 43 are driven based on the attitude of the main speed change lever 16, i.e., the measurement value of the angle sensor 16S, to rotate the trunnion shaft 40 of the continuously variable transmission 20, thereby increasing or decreasing the output rotation of the engine E and switching the rotation direction. The output rotation of the engine E is transmitted to an input shaft 44 of the continuously variable transmission 20.

[0033] Furthermore, while Figure 7 illustrates a configuration in which the trunnion shaft 40 of the continuously variable transmission 20 is rotated by a forward motor 42 and a reverse motor 43 via a sector gear 41, it is also possible to use a configuration in which an arm extending radially is supported on the trunnion shaft 40 of the continuously variable transmission 20, and a forward cylinder driven by a forward solenoid and a reverse cylinder driven by a reverse solenoid are connected to the outer periphery of this arm.

[0034] One method of harvesting rice stalks using a combine harvester is to start harvesting in a straight line from the outer periphery of the field, and when it reaches the end of the harvest, turn perpendicular to the current harvesting row, i.e., at about 90 degrees, and continue harvesting in a straight line on the next harvesting row, continuing toward the center of the field.

[0035] If the combine harvester has a running device 2 consisting of a pair of left and right crawlers, this 90-degree turn can be easily achieved by raising the harvesting device 3 at the end of the harvesting position, then driving the left and right crawlers in opposite directions to turn 90 degrees on the spot, a so-called pivot turn.

[0036] However, when pivoting, the crawler's reaction force pushes the soil in the field toward the rice plants on the unharvested side, which can cause the culms to be pushed down by the soil clumps. If this happens, the fallen culms must be pulled up by a weed splitter or lifting device during the perpendicular harvesting operation, but if the fallen seedlings are not pulled up sufficiently, they may not be harvested, and they must be harvested by hand later.

[0037] Furthermore, if the stalks are harvested with soil clumps mixed in and then handed over to the threshing device 4, the broken soil may get into the transmission system of the harvesting device 3 or the threshing device 4, causing damage due to the load.

[0038] Therefore, as an example of turning without pivot turning, as shown in Figure 8, when the end position E of the reaping work row is reached, the reaping device 3 is raised and the machine turns and travels to the deployment point T diagonally forward of the machine body. Note that the deployment point T to which the machine body is heading is located closer to the unharvested (unharvested) side N of the stalks, so the traveling device 2 starts turning after traveling straight ahead a little from the end position E of the reaping work row to prevent it from crushing the stalks.

[0039] Then, after moving forward to a position away from the unworked position, the machine switches to reverse travel and turns diagonally backward to the next process straight-line reference point NB. At this time, the machine body assumes a position perpendicular to the previous reaping work row, and the reaping device 3 moves backward to a position facing the next reaping row.

[0040] This allows the next harvesting row to harvest without soil on the field being pushed up against the unharvested culms and without causing the fallen culms to be disturbed, thereby preventing the occurrence of unharvested culms and damage caused by the inclusion of soil and other impurities.

[0041] However, when turning forward from the end of a reaping row, the reaper must move along a path that does not step on the stalks, and when turning backward toward the start of the next reaping row, the reaping device 3 must move to a position that faces the next reaping row without any deviation. Therefore, while it is sufficient if the operator is skilled in operating the combine, if the operator is not sufficiently skilled, the operator will have to repeatedly adjust the turning path and the reaping position, which will significantly reduce work efficiency and require extra effort from the operator.

[0042] Furthermore, if the operator is not skilled enough in operating the combine harvester, it is difficult to make the machine travel in a straight line along the vegetation of the stalks, which can result in snaking, leaving stalks uncut, or cutting stalks that should be harvested later.

[0043] In order to solve the above problems and to allow the vehicle to move regardless of the operator's level of proficiency, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, a GPS antenna 51 that communicates with satellites to acquire current position information is provided at at least one location on the vehicle, such as the grain tank 7 or the control unit 5. This GPS antenna 51 automatically acquires position information at predetermined intervals (e.g., 0.2 seconds), but the control unit 5 or an information terminal carried by the operator (not shown) can also acquire position information at any time by the operator, and a coordinate acquisition switch 52 is provided to record the position coordinates, which are position information, in the travel control device 50, making it possible to acquire and record specific position information.

[0044] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, a mowing clutch sensor 53 and a threshing clutch sensor 54 are provided to detect the on / off status of the mowing clutch 22 and the threshing clutch 23, and when it is determined that the mowing clutch sensor 53 and the threshing clutch sensor 54 are in the on state, i.e., the mowing operation state, the coordinate acquisition switch 52 is operated to record the first reference point A in the driving control device 50.

[0045] If the first reference point A has already been acquired, the coordinates of the first reference point A are compared with the coordinates newly acquired by operating the coordinate acquisition switch 52, or the travel distance is calculated from the detection value of the travel rotation sensor 55, which detects the rotation of the transmission system to the travel device 2, from the time the coordinates of the first reference point A were acquired, and it is determined whether the first reference point A is more than a predetermined distance (e.g., 5 to 10 m) away from the acquired coordinates.

[0046] If the travel distance is less than the predetermined distance, the position information acquired by the GPS antenna 51 is not recorded as an invalid operation, and an annunciation device (not shown) such as a buzzer notifies the user that the operation is invalid.

[0047] On the other hand, when the mower has traveled a predetermined distance or more, the position information of the position where the coordinate acquisition switch 52 was operated is recorded as the second reference point B, and the travel control device 50 calculates an imaginary line connecting the coordinates of the first reference point A and the second reference point B, as shown in Figure 11(a). When the field shape is rectangular, the smaller the difference between the X coordinate of the first reference point A and the X coordinate of the second reference point B, the more successfully the mower is traveling straight between points A and B, and therefore a first straight traveling reference line BG1 is set.

[0048] That is, when the difference between the X coordinate of the first reference point A and the X coordinate of the second reference point B exceeds the allowable value, as shown in Figure 11(b), there is a possibility that the mowing trajectory is significantly tilted, so a notice is sent that the first straight-line reference line BG1, which is used as the reference for straight-line driving, is inappropriate as a reference for straight-line driving, and the first reference point A and the second reference point B are deleted. In this case, the first reference point A and the second reference point B will be acquired again in the next process that is perpendicular to the current mowing work row, or in the process after that that is approximately parallel to the current mowing work row.

[0049] In addition to a device for communicating with satellites, the GPS antenna 51 also incorporates an ICU 51a that determines the direction (azimuth) of the aircraft using geomagnetism, a gyroscope, etc. When the first straight-line reference line BG1 is recorded in the driving control device 50 and the reaping clutch sensor 53 and the threshing clutch sensor 54 are detecting light, if a straight-line assist switch 56 provided in the cockpit 5 or information terminal is operated, the current forward direction of the aircraft acquired by the ICU 51a is compared with the direction (e.g., east-west, south-north) at the time the first straight-line reference line BG1 was acquired.

[0050] If the orientation of the first straight-line reference line BG1 and the forward direction of the aircraft are parallel, as shown in Figures 11(a) and 12, the driving control device 50 slides the first straight-line reference line BG1 in the X-axis direction and adapts it as a virtual straight-line reference line GL.

[0051] On the other hand, when the orientation of the first straight-line reference line BG1 and the forward direction of the aircraft are perpendicular to each other, as shown in Figures 11(c) and 12, the driving control device 50 generates a second straight-line reference line BG2 that is perpendicular to the first straight-line reference line BG1, i.e., a line that extends infinitely in the positive and negative directions of the X axis based on the Y coordinate of the first straight-line reference line BG1.

[0052] In addition, when the first straight-line reference line BG1 and the forward direction of the aircraft are not nearly parallel or nearly perpendicular, it is determined that the direction of travel is changing and the state is not suitable for straight-line assistance, and neither the virtual straight-line reference line GL nor the second straight-line reference line BG2 is calculated.

[0053] As a result, when the operator operates the straight-line assist switch 56 under working conditions in which the orientation of the machine is changed by 90 degrees at the end of the cutting work row and the next cutting work row is in the perpendicular direction, the machine can cut in a straight line along the first straight-line reference line BG1 or the second straight-line reference line BG2.

[0054] The travel control device 50 can turn on and off the side clutches 2a and 2b that turn on and off the transmission of power to the left and right crawlers regardless of the operation of the control lever 12. When the straight travel assist switch 56 is turned on, the first straight travel reference line BG1 or the second straight travel reference line BG2 is compared with the position coordinates acquired by the GPS antenna 51, and if a deviation of the coordinates exceeds an allowable value, the left and right side clutches 2a and 2b are turned on and off to travel along a trajectory that corresponds to straight-line mowing travel.

[0055] As a result of the above, if the initial mowing operation is performed to the extent that the first straight-line reference line BG1 can be obtained, the subsequent mowing operation can be performed from the beginning using the straight-line assistance provided by the driving control device 50, thereby preventing any stalks from being left uncut regardless of the operator's level of driving proficiency.

[0056] In addition, since the operation of the straight-line assist switch 56 is accepted when the reaping clutch sensor 53 and the threshing clutch sensor 54 are in the detection state, the straight-line assist function can be used before starting travel, making it possible to reliably reap and harvest the stalks from the reaping start position of each reaping work row.

[0057] As mentioned above, harvesting work, which requires straight-line driving, is less dependent on skill level, but we will also show a control configuration that makes turning, which changes the direction of the machine by 90 degrees, and forward and backward driving less dependent on skill level.

[0058] As shown in Figures 10 and 13, the harvesting device 3 is provided with a stalk sensor 57 that detects the entry of stalks to be harvested, and when this stalk sensor 57 changes from a detection state to a non-detection state, it can be determined that there are no more stalks to harvest, that is, that the harvesting work row has reached the end position E. An alarm device such as a buzzer will notify the operator that the stalks have reached the end position E.

[0059] This stalk sensor 57 is one aspect of the end-of-process detection unit of the present invention.

[0060] Furthermore, when the straight-line assist switch 56 is operated and the stalk sensor 57 goes into a non-detecting state while straight-line travel is being controlled by the travel control device 50, it is determined that the end position E of the harvesting work row has been reached and that the turning position where the direction of the machine body is changed by 90 degrees has been reached.

[0061] At this time, the travel control device 50 raises the harvesting device 3 to move toward the deployment point T, turns off the harvesting clutch 22 and the threshing clutch 23, operates the HST 60 with an output that allows it to travel forward at a low speed, and controls the left and right side clutches 2a and 2b to be turned on and off, respectively, to move the machine toward the side where the stalks are growing and toward a position where there are no stalks, i.e., moves it diagonally forward.

[0062] The position free of stalks can be secured either before obtaining the first straight reference line BG1 or by manually harvesting after obtaining it. If efficiency is important, another combine harvester may be used to harvest the stalks to secure space for turning.

[0063] The aircraft is moved diagonally forward, and when the angle between the forward direction of the aircraft detected by ICU 51a and the first straight-line reference line BG1 or the second straight-line reference line BG2 reaches a predetermined angle (e.g., 30 to 45 degrees), the deployment point T is reached and the driving control device 50 sets the output of HST 60 to 0 (neutral) to stop driving.

[0064] When the stalk sensor 57 no longer detects the stalks, the travel control device 50 acquires and records position information from the GPS antenna 51. The coordinates of this position information are compared with the coordinates of the first straight-line reference line BG1 or the second straight-line reference line BG2, and the travel control device 50 moves a predetermined distance (e.g., the fore-and-aft length of the registered machine) in the X-axis direction when reaping and harvesting travel has been performed along the first straight-line reference line BG1, or a predetermined distance (e.g., the length of the registered machine's front-to-back direction) in the Y-axis direction when reaping and harvesting travel has been performed along the second straight-line reference line BG2, and sets this position as the next-process straight-line reference point NB, which will be the starting point of the next reaping work row.

[0065] More specifically, when the Y coordinate value of the first straight-line reference line BG1 increases, the next-step straight-line reference point NB is set at a position where the coordinate is shifted in the positive direction of the X axis, and when the Y coordinate value decreases, the next-step straight-line reference point NB is set at a position where the coordinate is shifted in the negative direction of the X axis.Furthermore, when the X coordinate value of the second straight-line reference line BG2 decreases, the next-step straight-line reference point NB is set at a position where the coordinate is shifted in the positive direction of the Y axis, and when the X coordinate value increases, the next-step straight-line reference point NB is set at a position where the coordinate is shifted in the negative direction of the Y axis.

[0066] In addition, when cutting along the first straight-line reference line BG1, the next-process straight-line reference point NB is set so that its Y coordinate coincides with the Y coordinate of the second straight-line reference line BG2, and when cutting along the second straight-line reference line BG2, its X coordinate coincides with the X coordinate of the first straight-line reference line BG1.

[0067] When the output of the HST 60 stops, the operator operates the main speed change lever 16 to reverse, or after a certain period of time (e.g., 2 to 3 seconds) has elapsed as shown in Figure 14, the HST 60 will output in the reverse direction. At this time, if the amount of operation of the main speed change lever 16 is too great, there is a risk of the machine moving backward at high speed. Therefore, if the travel control device 50 makes the time it takes for the output of the HST 60 to increase longer than usual, or if an upper limit is set on the reverse output of the HST 60, the machine will be prevented from accidentally crushing unharvested straw.

[0068] When the vehicle starts traveling backward, the travel control device 50 controls the traveling direction by engaging and disengaging the left and right side clutches 2a, 2b so that the vehicle reaches the next-step straight-ahead reference point NB with the vehicle orientation rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise from before the turn. Then, when the vehicle reaches the coordinate position of the next-step straight-ahead reference point NB or a position considered to be its approximation, the output of the HST 60 is set to 0 (neutral) and the vehicle stops.

[0069] The operator then visually confirms that unharvested stalks are growing in a straight line at the stopping position of the machine and that one side of the harvesting device 3 is at the outer end of the unharvested stalks, then lowers the harvesting device 3 to the working height, switches the harvesting clutch 22 and threshing clutch 23 to the on state, and turns on the straight-line assist switch 56 to perform harvesting work along the second straight-line reference line BG2.

[0070] Then, when the stalk sensor 57 no longer detects the intrusion of stalks, the position coordinates of that location, if there are no abnormalities, are calculated, and the x-th reference line BGx extends infinitely in both positive and negative directions from the X-coordinate of the second straight-line reference line BG2 and is parallel to the first straight-line reference line BG1. In the next step, the y-th reference line BGy is calculated, and so on. This process is repeated until the end of the harvesting work. Note that the above x is assumed to be an odd number and y is assumed to be an even number.

[0071] As a result of the above, there is little or no need for the operator to perform the turning operation when changing the direction of the machine by 90 degrees, which reduces the operator's effort and prevents the crushing of stalks or damage to the field due to operating errors.

[0072] Furthermore, by automatically moving in a straight line to the next mowing work start position, if the mowing machine is in operation and the straight-line assist switch 56 is turned on, mowing travel will be performed on an appropriate trajectory, improving work efficiency and mowing accuracy.

[0073] When backward travel is started, as shown in FIG. 16, the distance to the next step straight-line reference point NB is calculated from the next step straight-line reference point NB and the current position coordinates acquired by the GPS antenna 51. At this time, the travel distance between two points acquired by the GPS antenna 51 over a certain period of time (e.g., 1 to 3 seconds) is calculated as a sample, and based on this sample, the predicted time to reach the next step straight-ahead reference point NB is calculated (e.g., sample = 0.25 m / sec, distance = 5.00 m (5-0.25) / 0.25 = 19 seconds remaining).

[0074] 17, when backward travel is started, the heading deviation required to reach the next step straight-line reference point NB is calculated from the next step straight-line reference point NB and the current heading of the vehicle acquired by the ICU 51. At this time, the change in heading deviation acquired by the ICU 51a over a certain period of time (e.g., 1 to 3 seconds) is calculated as a sample, and the predicted time to reach the next step straight-line reference point NB is calculated based on this sample (e.g., sample = 4 degrees / second, heading deviation until arrival is 40 degrees (36-4) / 4 = 9 seconds remaining).

[0075] These numbers are displayed on the display of the control unit 5 and counted down. If necessary, the numbers may be recalculated and changed.

[0076] In the above example, only the distance or the heading deviation is calculated and used to calculate the predicted time, but both can be calculated in parallel and displayed in parallel. In this case, the time based on the distance is the predicted arrival time at the next step straight reference point NB at the current traveling speed, and the time based on the heading deviation is the time it takes for the machine's orientation to match the next harvesting work step, so it is not a problem if the two do not match. However, if there is only one display frame, priority is given to displaying the time based on the distance at which work can actually begin.

[0077] The estimated arrival time is calculated from both the amount of heading deviation and the distance, and if both results match or are close within an allowable range, automatic reverse assist is performed.

[0078] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 18, when the predicted time based on the amount of heading deviation is longer than the predicted time based on the distance, the brake output to the traveling device 2 is increased, and control is performed to reduce the amount of change in distance and make the predicted arrival time match.

[0079] This allows the orientation of the machine body to be in a position suitable for the next mowing operation before it reaches its destination, and also prevents the machine body from moving to a position that is different from the mowing operation position of the next operation, thereby improving work efficiency and work accuracy.

[0080] Conversely, when the predicted time based on the distance is longer than the predicted time based on the amount of heading deviation, the brake output to the traveling device 2 is reduced, and the amount of change in distance is increased to match the predicted arrival time.

[0081] As a result, the orientation of the machine body is corrected while it is moving to the work start position for the next process, so priority can be given to the moving speed, improving work efficiency.

[0082] In the above configuration, coordinate information is acquired by the GPS antenna 51, so that the position information of the position where mowing ended and the position where automatic reverse assist started can be recorded, and after work it is possible to check whether any grass was left unmowed or whether the starting point of automatic reverse assist was appropriate, and the information can be used to consider areas for improvement in work from the next time onwards.

[0083] The above-mentioned reaping end position is preferably the position coordinates obtained either when the stalk sensor 57 no longer detects stalks or when the reaping device 3 is raised. However, depending on the work conditions and the operator, the reaping device 3 may be raised after moving forward a little even when there are no stalks, or the reaping device 3 may be raised at the same time as the last stalk is harvested. Therefore, it is also possible to use the position information of either the non-detection of stalks or the raising of the reaping device 3, whichever occurs first, as the reaping end position.

[0084] This allows the end position of the harvesting to be output to a field map or the like after the work is completed, allowing for checking variations in the end position of the harvesting and whether it is suitable as the starting position for the subsequent automatic reverse assist, and identifying areas for improvement for the next time onwards, thereby improving long-term work accuracy.

[0085] The automatic reverse assist function reverses while changing the body's posture to the start position of the next mowing operation. However, if, due to the influence of the start position of reverse, the body's orientation moves to a position along the first straight-line reference line BG1 or the second straight-line reference line BG2 for the next process, and it is determined that the body is in a position that is significantly shifted left or right, the mowing device 3 will not be at the position that should be the mowing position for the next process, which may result in problems such as leaving some grass uncut or creating a position where the mowing function of the mowing device 3 cannot be performed.Therefore, the driving control device 50 is configured not to activate the straight-line assist function even if the straight-line assist switch 56 is turned on.

[0086] Furthermore, when the vehicle is manually moved left or right from the first straight-line reference line BG1 or the second straight-line reference line BG2 so that there is no deviation in coordinates or it is close to within the allowable range, the straight-line assist switch 56 is turned on and the driving control device 50 performs straight-line assist control.

[0087] As shown in Fig. 19, the straight-line assist switch 56 is provided on either the left or right side of a switch panel 62 provided on the control unit 5, etc. This straight-line assist switch 56 may be used to operate both the straight-line assist and the automatic reverse assist, but an operating error may make it difficult to move to the next mowing position or may cause unnecessary movement.

[0088] To prevent this, as shown in Fig. 19, a reverse assist switch 63 may be provided on the other side of the switch panel 62, either to the left or right, so that when the reverse assist switch 63 is operated under the right conditions, the automatic reverse assist shown in Fig. 15 is performed. Also, to further prevent confusion between straight assist and automatic reverse assist, a mode selector switch 64 may be provided between the left and right of the straight assist switch 56 and the reverse assist switch 63, so that only the operation of the side set by this mode selector switch 64 is accepted.

[0089] This prevents culms from being left uncut or crushed due to incorrect operation, and by using the necessary assist functions, work can be carried out efficiently and with high precision.

[0090] The acquisition of the first reference point A and the second reference point B, and the operation of the straight-line assist and automatic reverse assist are performed by predetermined operations, but the operator cannot determine whether or not he or she has performed the operation correctly until control begins. Also, although poor communication with the satellite and abnormalities in various parts of the aircraft are indicated by indicators such as lamps, these are difficult for operators concentrating on other tasks to notice.

[0091] Therefore, as shown in Figure 10, the control system is equipped with a voice guidance device 65 with multiple preset voices, and the driving control device 50 emits the appropriate voice in accordance with the operation of levers or switches by the operator, or the switching between detection and non-detection of each sensor mounted on the machine.

[0092] For example, if the coordinate acquisition switch 52 is operated when the first reference point A has not yet been acquired, the message "Point A has been acquired" will be displayed; if the coordinate acquisition switch 52 is operated after the first reference point A has been acquired, the message "Point B has been acquired. The assist function is ready" will be displayed; if the stalk sensor 57 is not detected during straight-line assisted driving or if the straight-line assist switch 56 is operated while the harvesting device 3 is raised, the message "Assistance has ended" will be displayed.

[0093] Depending on the model, the straight-line assist can be set to a row-horizontal mode, which includes horizontal mowing, in which the mower turns 90 degrees from the mowing end position and moves on to the next process, or an alternating mowing mode, in which the mower alternates between mowing rows at one end of the field and mowing rows at the other end along a first straight-line reference line BG1 calculated by connecting points A and B, and then turns off the straight-line assist at the edge of the field while heading toward the center of the field. These multiple straight-line assist modes can be easily switched by turning the volume dial 66.

[0094] However, if the voice guide device 65 makes a sound each time a mode is switched, the worker must endure the noise while switching operations. If the volume dial 66 is operated while a sound is being spoken, the discomfort is somewhat alleviated if the setting is such that the previous sound is interrupted, but if the setting is such that the previous sound is not interrupted, the current mode becomes difficult to distinguish, increasing the discomfort.

[0095] To prevent this problem, as shown in FIG. 20, when the volume dial 66 is used to switch the straight-line assist mode or to switch between other modes, the voice guidance device 65 will not produce the corresponding sound until the driving control device 50 determines that the operating position of the volume dial 66 has not changed for a certain period of time (e.g., a little less than one second).

[0096] This prevents the worker from being bothered by noise when operating the volume dial 66, and also prevents multiple audio files from being loaded multiple times in a short period of time, which would place a burden on the driving control device 50 and the audio guide device 65. In particular, this prevents the worker from working in the wrong mode, as a control error would occur if audio files were loaded multiple times in a short period of time, resulting in the sound not corresponding to the operating position of the volume dial 66 being emitted.

[0097] As described above, by providing the ECU 51a together with the GPS antenna 51, it is possible to determine how far the vehicle is deviating from the first straight-line reference line BG1 and the second straight-line reference line BG2 during straight-line assistance.

[0098] The straight-line assist generates a speed difference between the left and right traveling devices 2 and corrects the orientation of the machine so that this misalignment is corrected, but when the misalignment becomes large due to unevenness in the field, the operator can correct the posture by operating the operating lever 12 left or right to make a larger amount of posture correction, and the machine can quickly return to the straight-line position.

[0099] Therefore, when a positional deviation of a set value or more is detected, the system is configured to issue a voice instruction to the operator to correct the direction of travel by operating the operating lever 12. Note that since there is a possibility that the operator is unaware of the deviation, does not know whether the deviation is to the left or right, or may be mistaken, the voice that is issued will specifically explain the operation in the direction approaching the straight-ahead driving position, such as "Operate the operating lever to the right (left)."

[0100] This allows deviation from the straight-ahead position to be quickly corrected, preventing the occurrence of stalks that are not cut by the cutting device 3 and preventing areas within the left and right width of the cutting device 3 from being cut without being cut, thereby improving work efficiency and accuracy.

[0101] However, if the sound continues to be emitted even after the operating lever 12 is operated in the direction to be operated when adjusting to the straight ahead position, this may cause discomfort to the operator.

[0102] Therefore, as shown in Figure 21, when the operating lever 12 is operated in the same direction for a predetermined time (e.g., 1 to 2 seconds) or more, the travel control device 50 is configured to cause the voice guidance device 65 to stop emitting the same voice. This prevents the same voice from being emitted unnecessarily multiple times, reducing the discomfort felt by the worker.

[0103] In addition, if the operating lever 12 continues to be operated in the same direction even after going beyond the straight ahead position and needs to be operated in the opposite direction, a voice will be emitted saying, "Please operate the operating lever to the right (left) direction."

[0104] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 22, when the angle formed between the virtual line indicating the direction calculated by the ECU 51a and the first straight-line reference line BG1 or the second straight-line reference line BG2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle, it is determined that the deviation is due to the operator's intentional operation of the operating lever 12, and the voice guidance device 65 stops emitting voice prompting the operator to operate in the left or right direction.

[0105] However, if the straight-line assist switch 56 is not operated to turn off the straight-line assist, the driving control device 50 will continue to attempt to control the vehicle's position to align with the first straight-line reference line BG1 or the second straight-line reference line BG2, so it may sound the message "Please turn off the assist switch" once or a predetermined number of times (e.g., 2 to 3 times).

[0106] During combine harvester harvesting operations, the harvester 3 may travel close to the edge of the paddy field. At this time, it is important for the stalk sensor 57 to detect the presence or absence of grain stalks in order to stop the harvester 3 at a position where it will not come into contact with the ridge. However, if the essential grain stalk sensor 57 malfunctions due to a broken wire or short circuit, no notification is sent even if there are no grain stalks present, and the harvester 3 may come into contact with the ridge and be damaged.

[0107] To prevent this, as shown in Figure 10, an auxiliary stalk sensor 57a is provided at a position on the machine rearward of the conventionally installed stalk sensor 57, and both sensors are configured to come into contact with the stalks being cut.

[0108] As shown in Figure 23, when the grain stalk sensor 57 is always in a detection state or always in a non-detection state, and the auxiliary grain stalk sensor 57a changes from a detection state to a non-detection state, it can be said that the grain stalk sensor 57 is malfunctioning and the auxiliary grain stalk sensor 57a is functioning normally.

[0109] Therefore, since it can be determined that the grain stalks have disappeared when the auxiliary grain stalk sensor 57a becomes non-detecting, it becomes possible to notify the worker by the alarm device.

[0110] Alternatively, when the stalk sensor 57 switches from a non-detection state to a detection state and the auxiliary stalk sensor 57a changes from a detection state to a non-detection state, it can be said that the stalk sensor 57 is malfunctioning and the auxiliary stalk sensor 57a is functioning normally.

[0111] On the other hand, when the stalk sensor 57a switches from the detection state to the non-detection state, the stalk sensor 57a is operating normally, and therefore the alarm device is activated to notify the operator.

[0112] <Method 1 for obtaining the second straight reference line> As mentioned above, the second straight-line reference line BG2 is generated at the end of the work drive on the first straight-line reference line BG1, but various acquisition methods can be used to determine the reference coordinates of the second straight-line reference line BG2, as follows.

[0113] When the grain stalk sensor 57 is used as in the above-described embodiment, the method of calculating the reference coordinates is determined depending on the position and number of the grain stalk sensors 57.

[0114] That is, the combine harvester automatically steers by determining its own control reference position based on the position information of the GPS antenna 51, but this control reference position is often not the same as the position of the grain stalk sensor 57. For this reason, the driving control device 50 stores in advance the control reference position or the distance between the GPS antenna 51 and the position of the grain stalk sensor 57, making it possible to identify the coordinates of the position where the grain stalk is not detected.

[0115] Furthermore, since the second straight-line reference line BG2 is the line through which the control reference position should pass in the next process, the reference coordinates of the second straight-line reference line BG2 are a position shifted rearward by a distance of half the width of the machine body in the direction of travel of the first straight-line reference line BG1 relative to the non-detection point of the stalk sensor 57. More specifically, the left-right distance between the right end of the reaping device (3) (the position of the right-hand grass body) and the control reference position is stored in advance, and a position shifted rearward by that distance from the non-detection point of the stalk sensor 57 is calculated.

[0116] In this case, if there are multiple stalk sensors 57, the position of the sensor that became non-detection earliest, the position of the sensor that became non-detection latest, or the average value of the positions of all the stalk sensors 57 can be used.

[0117] <Method 2 for obtaining the second straight reference line> When obtaining the second straight-line reference line BG2, the second straight-line reference line BG2 can be determined using an unharvested stalk sensor that detects the presence or absence of stalks on the side of the machine (the side where unharvested stalks remain, usually the left side) and the boundary of the stalk presence area. In this case, stalks are detected from a low position on the machine using an obstacle sensor (ultrasonic sensor, infrared sensor, LIDAR system, etc.), and when stalks are no longer detected for a certain distance, the second straight-line reference line BG2 is obtained using the final stalk position. Note that to prevent erroneous detection due to missing stalks, the final stalk position can be prevented from being determined while the stalk sensor 57 is ON or when the reaping device 3 remains lowered to the working height.

[0118] <How to adjust the second straight reference line> As described above, the second straight-line reference line BG2 is obtained by various methods, but various errors may cause the second straight-line reference line BG2 to shift toward the center of the unmowed area, resulting in areas being left unmowed. Therefore, it is preferable to set the second straight-line reference line BG2 by offsetting it toward the already-mowed area from the calculated reference coordinates, and it is preferable that the amount of offset be adjustable by the operator.

Claims

1. A combine harvester is provided with a reaping device (3) at the front of a machine body that travels on a traveling device (2), and a sorting device (4) that separates grains from the stalks harvested by the reaping device (3), The vehicle is provided with a position information receiving device (51) that receives position information of the vehicle body, a position information acquiring member (52) that records the position information received from the position information receiving device (51), and a traveling calculation device (50) that calculates a first straight running reference line (BG1) that serves as a reference for straight running from the recorded position information, a process end detection unit that detects the end of a reaping work process, and when the process end detection unit detects the end of the process, calculates a second straight-line reference line (BG2) that intersects with the first straight-line reference line (BG1); Thereafter, when the end-of-travel detection unit detects the end of the travel while the combine is working along a path parallel to the first straight-line reference line (BG1), the combine calculates a straight line passing through a reference coordinate determined based on the position information of the end detection point and parallel to the second straight-line reference line (BG2) as the path for the next work trip.

2. The combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the end-of-travel detection unit is a stalk sensor (57) that detects the presence or absence of stalks to be introduced into the reaping device (3).

3. The combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the end-of-travel detection unit is an unharvested stubble sensor provided on a side of the machine body for detecting unharvested grain stubble.

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