Work vehicles

Abstract

Work vehicles such as crawler-type transport vehicles used for transporting goods in dairy farming, pig farming, poultry farming, fruit cultivation, vegetable cultivation and greenhouse agriculture, as well as in civil engineering and construction, have a left crawler device and a right crawler device. In such work vehicles, twisting is likely to occur between the left crawler device and the right crawler device. [Solution] This crawler-type transport vehicle is equipped with a left crawler device 20L and a right crawler device 20R, and is provided with a crawler gearbox connecting member 60 that connects the left crawler gearbox 40L and the right crawler gearbox 40R, and the left gearbox output shaft 41L, left crawler drive shaft 51L, right gearbox output shaft 41R, right crawler drive shaft 51R, and crawler gearbox connecting member 60 are arranged coaxially in this crawler-type transport vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle such as a crawler-type transporter that performs article transportation work in dairy farming, pig farming, poultry farming, fruit tree cultivation, vegetable cultivation, and vinyl greenhouse agriculture, as well as in civil engineering and construction.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a crawler-type traveling vehicle in which a front crawler that protrudes forward is provided at the front of a main crawler, and a rear crawler that protrudes rearward is provided at the rear of the main crawler (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The front pulley of the main crawler and the rear pulley of the front crawler are coaxially arranged and interlockingly rotated, and the rear pulley of the main crawler and the front pulley of the rear crawler are coaxially arranged and interlockingly rotated.

[0004] The belts of the front and rear crawlers are made to perform a circumferential movement in the same direction and at the same speed as the belt of the main crawler.

[0005] The front crawler is fixed in a non-rotatable state facing obliquely upward in the front.

[0006] The rear crawler is prevented from rotating upward from the state facing rearward, and is made to rotate downward by its own weight from the state facing rearward.

[0007] In this crawler-type traveling vehicle, a front crawler that protrudes forward is provided at the front of the main crawler, and the front crawler has a structure fixed in a non-rotatable state facing obliquely upward in the front. Therefore, by simply advancing the traveling vehicle toward the ascending step portion, it is expected that the traveling vehicle can be smoothly lifted onto the upper surface side of the step portion through the front end portion of the front crawler facing obliquely upward in the front.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-63110 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] Incidentally, work vehicles such as crawler-type transport vehicles used for transporting goods in dairy farming, pig farming, poultry farming, fruit cultivation, vegetable cultivation and greenhouse agriculture, as well as in civil engineering and construction, have a left crawler device and a right crawler device.

[0010] However, the inventors noticed that in such work vehicles, twisting is likely to occur between the left crawler device and the right crawler device.

[0011] The present invention aims to provide a work vehicle that can suppress the occurrence of twisting between the left crawler device and the right crawler device, taking into consideration the conventional problems described above. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The first aspect of the present invention is a work vehicle comprising a left crawler device and a right crawler device. The left crawler device comprises a left crawler motor that generates and outputs power, a left crawler gearbox that receives the power output from the left crawler motor, a left gearbox output shaft that is supported by the left crawler gearbox and outputs the power input to the left crawler gearbox, and a left crawler drive shaft that drives the left crawler belt with the power output from the left gearbox output shaft. The right crawler device comprises a right crawler motor that generates and outputs power, a right crawler gearbox that receives the power output from the right crawler motor, a right gearbox output shaft that is supported by the right crawler gearbox and outputs the power input to the right crawler gearbox, and a right crawler drive shaft that drives the right crawler belt with the power output from the right gearbox output shaft. A crawler gearbox connecting member, which is a round pipe-shaped member, is provided to connect the left crawler gearbox and the right crawler gearbox. The work vehicle is characterized in that the left gearbox output shaft, the left crawler drive shaft, the right gearbox output shaft, the right crawler drive shaft, and the crawler gearbox connecting member are arranged coaxially. The second aspect of the present invention is that the left crawler device has a left crawler body member to which the left crawler gearbox is attached, The first work vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that the right crawler device has a right crawler body member to which the right crawler gearbox is attached. The third aspect of the present invention is that the left crawler motor is mounted to the left crawler gearbox, The second work vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that the right crawler motor is attached to the right crawler gearbox. The fourth aspect of the present invention is that the left crawler motor output shaft, which outputs the power from the left crawler motor, is parallel to the left gearbox output shaft, A third work vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that the output shaft of the right crawler motor, which outputs the power of the right crawler motor, is parallel to the output shaft of the right gearbox. First invention related to the present invention This is a work vehicle equipped with a left crawler device and a right crawler device. The left crawler device includes a left crawler motor that generates and outputs power, a left crawler gearbox that inputs the power output from the left crawler motor, a left gearbox output shaft that is supported by the left crawler gearbox and outputs the power input to the left crawler gearbox, and a left crawler drive shaft that drives a left crawler belt with the power output from the left gearbox output shaft. The right crawler device includes a right crawler motor that generates and outputs power, a right crawler gearbox that inputs the power output from the right crawler motor, a right gearbox output shaft that is supported by the right crawler gearbox and outputs the power input to the right crawler gearbox, and a right crawler drive shaft that drives a right crawler belt with the power output from the right gearbox output shaft. A crawler gearbox connecting member that connects the left crawler gearbox and the right crawler gearbox is provided. The work vehicle is characterized in that the left gearbox output shaft, the left crawler drive shaft, the right gearbox output shaft, the right crawler drive shaft, and the crawler gearbox connecting member are arranged coaxially.

[0013] A second invention related to the present invention The left crawler device has a left crawler main body member to which the left crawler gearbox is attached. The right crawler device is characterized by having a right crawler main body member to which the right crawler gearbox is attached. First invention related to the present invention This is the work vehicle.

[0014] Third invention related to the present invention The left crawler motor is attached to the left crawler gearbox. The right crawler motor is characterized by being attached to the right crawler gearbox. A second invention related to the present invention This is the work vehicle.

[0015] A fourth invention related to the present invention The left crawler motor output shaft through which the left crawler motor outputs the power is parallel to the left gearbox output shaft, and the right crawler motor output shaft through which the right crawler motor outputs the power is parallel to the right gearbox output shaft. Third invention related to the present invention The work vehicle is characterized by the above.

[0016] Fifth invention related to the present invention The crawler gearbox connecting member is a round pipe-shaped member. A fourth invention related to the present invention This is the work vehicle characterized by the above.

Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of torsion between the left crawler device and the right crawler device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] <​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Partial perspective view (5) of the vicinity of the left crawler device and the right crawler device of a crawler-type transport vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Partial perspective view (6) of the vicinity of the left crawler device and the right crawler device of a crawler-type transport vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0020] The same applies below, however, some components may not be shown in the drawings, or they may be shown in perspective or in an abbreviated form.

[0021] The crawler-type transport vehicle of the embodiment of the present invention is a crawler-type transport vehicle having a left crawler device 20L and a right crawler device 20R, and is a specific example of a work vehicle of the present invention.

[0022] While describing the operation of the crawler-type transport vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention, a method for controlling the operation of a work vehicle related to the present invention, which is realized by a controller or the like, will also be described.

[0023] (1) First, with reference to Figure 1, the configuration and operation of the crawler-type transport vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0024] Here, Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a crawler-type transport vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] The crawler-type transport vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention is an unmanned, driverless crawler-type transport vehicle capable of transporting various items.

[0026] Two pantograph-type lifters 10, each capable of independently raising and lowering items, are mounted on the upper surface of the vehicle body, side by side in the left-right direction. Each pantograph-type lifter 10 has an item-holding platform 13, which is raised and lowered by extending and retracting a lifting cylinder 12 using two X-shaped legs 11, which are mounted side by side in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, with one end of both the upper and lower ends of the legs being slidable.

[0027] State changes between various states, such as when both of the two pantograph-type lifters 10 are at their highest or lowest position, when one is at its highest or lowest position while the other is at its lowest or highest position, when both are at an intermediate position between the highest and lowest positions, and when one is at its highest or lowest position while the other is at an intermediate position, can be reversibly achieved.

[0028] (2) Next, the configuration and operation of the crawler-type transport vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail, mainly with reference to Figure 2.

[0029] Herein, Figure 2 is a schematic partial plan view of the vicinity of the left crawler device 20L and the right crawler device 20R of a crawler-type transport vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] The left crawler device 20L comprises a left crawler motor 30L, a left crawler gearbox 40L, a left gearbox output shaft 41L, and a left crawler drive shaft 51L.

[0031] The left crawler gearbox 40L is a gearbox that receives power output from the left crawler motor 30L, which generates and outputs power. The left gearbox output shaft 41L is an output shaft that is supported by the left crawler gearbox 40L and outputs the power input to the left crawler gearbox 40L. The left crawler drive shaft 51L is a drive shaft that drives the left crawler belt 52L with power output from the left gearbox output shaft 41L.

[0032] More specifically, the left crawler drive wheel unit 53L has a drive wheel driven by the left crawler drive shaft 51L and works in cooperation with the left crawler driven wheel unit 54L, which has multiple driven wheels, to drive the left crawler belt 52L with power generated by the left crawler motor 30L.

[0033] The right crawler device 20R includes a right crawler motor 30R, a right crawler gearbox 40R, a right gearbox output shaft 41R, and a right crawler drive shaft 51R.

[0034] The right crawler gearbox 40R is a gearbox that receives power output from the right crawler motor 30R, which generates and outputs power. The right gearbox output shaft 41R is an output shaft that is supported by the right crawler gearbox 40R and outputs the power input to the right crawler gearbox 40R. The right crawler drive shaft 51R is a drive shaft that drives the right crawler belt 52R with power output from the right gearbox output shaft 41R.

[0035] More specifically, the right crawler drive wheel unit 53R has a drive wheel driven by the right crawler drive shaft 51R and works in cooperation with the right crawler driven wheel unit 54R, which has multiple driven wheels, to drive the right crawler belt 52R with power generated by the right crawler motor 30R.

[0036] A crawler gearbox connecting member 60 is provided to connect the left crawler gearbox 40L and the right crawler gearbox 40R.

[0037] The differences in movement between the left crawler gearbox 40L and the right crawler gearbox 40R, due to various reasons, are averaged out by the connection of the crawler gearbox connecting member 60, thereby suppressing the occurrence of twisting between the left crawler device 20L and the right crawler device 20R.

[0038] The left gearbox output shaft 41L, the left crawler drive shaft 51L, the right gearbox output shaft 41R, the right crawler drive shaft 51R, and the crawler gearbox connecting member 60 are arranged coaxially.

[0039] The connection between the left crawler gearbox 40L and the right crawler gearbox 40R, made by the crawler gearbox connecting member 60, is a simple connection using bolt fastening. Of course, it is also conceivable that such a connection using the crawler gearbox connecting member 60 could be made using welding or other methods. However, as will be described later, even without welding, the connection using the crawler gearbox connecting member 60 with bolt fastening is sufficiently strong.

[0040] (3) Next, the configuration and operation of the crawler-type transport vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail, mainly with reference to Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.

[0041] Herein, Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are partial perspective views (parts 1 to 6) of the vicinity of the left crawler device 20L and the right crawler device 20R of a crawler-type transport vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] The left crawler device 20L has a left crawler body member 50L. The left crawler body member 50L is the member to which the left crawler gearbox 40L is attached.

[0043] Since a crawler gearbox connecting member 60 is provided to connect the left crawler gearbox 40L to the right crawler gearbox 40R, high strength is not necessarily required for attaching the gearbox to the left crawler body member 50L.

[0044] The right crawler device 20R has a right crawler body member 50R. The right crawler body member 50R is the member to which the right crawler gearbox 40R is attached.

[0045] Since a crawler gearbox connecting member 60 is provided to connect the right crawler gearbox 40R to the left crawler gearbox 40L, high strength is not necessarily required for attaching the gearbox to the right crawler body member 50R.

[0046] The plate member 80 is provided spanning between the left crawler body member 50L and the right crawler body member 50R, and is a member on which a drive control unit 70, which supplies and controls power for driving the left crawler motor 30L and the right crawler motor 30R, can be mounted.

[0047] The left crawler motor 30L is mounted to the left crawler gearbox 40L.

[0048] More specifically, the left crawler motor 30L is not directly attached to the left crawler body member 50L, but is attached to the rear side of the left crawler gearbox 40L. Of course, it is also conceivable that the left crawler motor 30L is attached to the upper side of the left crawler gearbox 40L. The left gearbox output shaft 41L and the crawler gearbox connecting member 60 are arranged coaxially, and the upper and lower sides of the left crawler gearbox 40L, as well as the front and rear sides of the vehicle body, are all sides facing empty space. Therefore, the mounting of the left crawler motor 30L, which is less likely to cause power transmission losses and vibrations as described later, can be realized with a large degree of freedom in component layout.

[0049] The right crawler motor 30R is mounted to the right crawler gearbox 40R.

[0050] More specifically, the right crawler motor 30R is not directly attached to the right crawler body member 50R, but is attached to the rear side of the vehicle body of the right crawler gearbox 40R. Of course, it is also conceivable that the right crawler motor 30R is attached to the upper side of the right crawler gearbox 40R. The right gearbox output shaft 41R and the crawler gearbox connecting member 60 are arranged coaxially, and the upper and lower sides of the right crawler gearbox 40R, as well as the front and rear sides of the vehicle body, are all sides facing empty space. Therefore, the mounting of the right crawler motor 30R, which is less likely to cause power transmission losses and vibrations as described later, can be realized with a large degree of freedom in component layout.

[0051] The left crawler motor output shaft 31L, from which the left crawler motor 30L outputs power, is parallel to the left gearbox output shaft 41L.

[0052] Power transmission from the left crawler motor output shaft 31L to the left gearbox output shaft 41L does not require a bevel gear due to the parallelism between the left crawler motor output shaft 31L and the left gearbox output shaft 41L, resulting in a power transmission that is less prone to power transmission losses and vibrations. Needless to say, a gear shift mechanism utilizing a combination of multiple gears housed inside the left crawler gearbox 40L can be realized in various forms.

[0053] The output shaft 31R of the right crawler motor 30R, which outputs power, is parallel to the output shaft 41R of the right gearbox.

[0054] Power transmission from the right crawler motor output shaft 31R to the right gearbox output shaft 41R does not require a bevel gear due to the parallelism between the right crawler motor output shaft 31R and the right gearbox output shaft 41R, resulting in a power transmission that is less prone to power transmission losses and vibrations. Needless to say, gear shifting mechanisms utilizing combinations of multiple gears housed inside the right crawler gearbox 40R can be realized in various forms.

[0055] The crawler gearbox connecting member 60 is a round pipe-shaped member.

[0056] Of course, an embodiment in which the crawler gearbox connecting member 60 is a rectangular prismatic member is also conceivable. However, a round pipe-shaped member is not only often resistant to deformation due to the high symmetry of the pipe cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the pipe, but also exhibits high resistance to pipe twisting even if lightweight due to the presence of a hollow portion in the pipe.

[0057] In other words, the left crawler gearbox 40L, which supports the left gearbox output shaft 41L, is twisted by the movement of the left gearbox output shaft 41L, the left crawler drive shaft 51L, and the left crawler motor output shaft 31L, and the right crawler gearbox 40R, which supports the right gearbox output shaft 41R, is twisted by the movement of the right gearbox output shaft 41R, the right crawler drive shaft 51R, and the right crawler motor output shaft 31R.

[0058] Therefore, the crawler gearbox connecting member 60, which connects the left crawler gearbox 40L and the right crawler gearbox 40R, is also twisted.

[0059] However, since the left gearbox output shaft 41L, the right gearbox output shaft 41R, and the crawler gearbox connecting member 60 are arranged coaxially, large displacements of both ends of the crawler gearbox connecting member 60 in the left-right direction of the vehicle body are unlikely to occur.

[0060] In other words, the crawler gearbox connecting member 60 can be twisted in a way that causes it to bend, but it is not easily twisted in a way that causes it to bend.

[0061] Since the crawler gearbox connecting member 60 exhibits high resistance to twisting in the longitudinal direction, it can be said that the connection made by the crawler gearbox connecting member 60 is sufficiently strong.

[0062] Furthermore, the program of the invention related to the present invention is a program that causes a computer to execute all or part of the steps (or processes, operations, and actions, etc.) of the work vehicle operation control method of the invention related to the present invention described above, and is a program that operates in cooperation with the computer.

[0063] Furthermore, the recording medium of the invention related to the present invention is a recording medium that records a program for causing a computer to execute all or part of the steps (or processes, operations, and actions, etc.) of the work vehicle operation control method of the invention related to the present invention described above, and is a computer-readable recording medium in which the read program is used in cooperation with the computer.

[0064] Furthermore, the "some steps (or processes, actions, and functions, etc.)" mentioned above refers to one or more of those steps.

[0065] Furthermore, the "actions of the steps (or processes, movements, and actions, etc.)" mentioned above refer to all or part of the actions of the steps mentioned above.

[0066] Furthermore, one form of use of the program of the invention related to the present invention may be that it is transmitted through a transmission medium such as the internet, light, radio waves, or sound waves, read by a computer, and operates in cooperation with the computer.

[0067] Furthermore, recording media include ROM (Read Only Memory), among others.

[0068] Furthermore, a computer is not limited to pure hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also include firmware, an OS (Operating System), and even peripheral devices.

[0069] As mentioned above, the configuration of the present invention may be implemented in software or in hardware. [Industrial applicability]

[0070] The work vehicle in this invention can suppress the occurrence of twisting between the left crawler device and the right crawler device, and is useful for use as a work vehicle such as a crawler-type transport vehicle for transporting goods in dairy farming, pig farming, poultry farming, fruit tree cultivation, vegetable cultivation and greenhouse agriculture, as well as in civil engineering and construction. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0071] 10 Pantograph-type lifter 11X legs 12 Lifting Cylinder 13. Item placement platform 20L Left Crawler Device 20R Right Crawler Device 30L Left Crawler Motor 30R Right Crawler Motor 31L Left crawler motor output shaft 31R Right crawler motor output shaft 40L Left Crawler Gearbox 40R Right Crawler Gearbox 41L Left gearbox output shaft 41R Right gearbox output shaft 50L Left Crawler Body Parts 50R Right Crawler Body Part 51L Left crawler drive axle 51R Right crawler drive shaft 52L Left Crawler Belt 52R Right Crawler Belt 53L Left Crawler Drive Wheel Unit 53R Right Crawler Drive Wheel Unit 54L Left Crawler Drive Wheel Unit 54R Right Crawler Drive Wheel Unit 60 Crawler gearbox connecting member 70 Drive control unit 80 Plate component

Claims

1. This is a work vehicle equipped with a left crawler device and a right crawler device. The left crawler device comprises a left crawler motor that generates and outputs power, a left crawler gearbox that receives the power output from the left crawler motor, a left gearbox output shaft that is supported by the left crawler gearbox and outputs the power input to the left crawler gearbox, and a left crawler drive shaft that drives the left crawler belt with the power output from the left gearbox output shaft. The right crawler device comprises a right crawler motor that generates and outputs power, a right crawler gearbox that receives the power output from the right crawler motor, a right gearbox output shaft that is supported by the right crawler gearbox and outputs the power input to the right crawler gearbox, and a right crawler drive shaft that drives the right crawler belt with the power output from the right gearbox output shaft. A crawler gearbox connecting member, which is a round pipe-shaped member, is provided to connect the left crawler gearbox and the right crawler gearbox. A work vehicle characterized in that the left gearbox output shaft, the left crawler drive shaft, the right gearbox output shaft, the right crawler drive shaft, and the crawler gearbox connecting member are arranged coaxially.

2. The left crawler device has a left crawler body member to which the left crawler gearbox is attached, The work vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the right crawler device has a right crawler body member to which the right crawler gearbox is attached.

3. The left crawler motor is mounted to the left crawler gearbox. The work vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the right crawler motor is attached to the right crawler gearbox.

4. The left crawler motor output shaft, which outputs the power from the left crawler motor, is parallel to the left gearbox output shaft. The work vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the output shaft of the right crawler motor, which outputs the power of the right crawler motor, is parallel to the output shaft of the right gearbox.

Images