Work vehicle

Abstract

To provide a work vehicle which can change an irradiation direction of a lighting apparatus.SOLUTION: A work vehicle comprises: a vehicle body 1; a support mechanism A which supports the vehicle body 1 while inclination of the vehicle body 1 is changeable; a lighting apparatus 40 which is arranged at one side in a front and rear direction of the vehicle body 1 to irradiate one side of the vehicle body 1 with light; and an irradiation direction change mechanism E which changes the irradiation direction of the lighting apparatus 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle suitable for traveling on uneven ground with irregularities.

Background Art

[0002] As such a work vehicle, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1. In this work vehicle, four traveling devices (referred to as "traveling wheels" in Patent Document 1) are supported via a folding link mechanism that can be telescopically operated by operating a hydraulic cylinder with respect to the vehicle body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a work vehicle that travels on uneven ground as described above, it is desired to install a lighting device that can illuminate the ground around the work vehicle. However, even if a lighting device is simply installed in the front part of the work vehicle, for example, the irradiation angle of the lighting changes due to the inclination of the vehicle body caused by an inclination or the like, and the lighting device irradiates a location different from the ground.

[0005] Also, in a work vehicle as described above, it is desired to change the irradiation direction according to the situation, such as irradiating the distance ahead of the work vehicle in order to confirm the traveling route in advance.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a work vehicle capable of changing the irradiation direction of a lighting device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The work vehicle of the present invention comprises a vehicle body, a cargo bed provided on the vehicle body, a support mechanism that supports the vehicle body in a state in which the inclination of the vehicle body can be changed, and a lighting device provided on one side of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction and illuminating the side on one side of the vehicle body, wherein the lighting device is supported on the vehicle body in a state in which the direction of illumination of the lighting device cannot be changed, and the support mechanism comprises a plurality of drive wheels located at the front and rear on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body, a plurality of articulated link mechanisms that support the plurality of drive wheels on the vehicle body so that they can be individually raised and lowered, and an attitude change operation mechanism that can individually change the attitude of the plurality of articulated link mechanisms, and on an inclined ground the plurality refraction The link mechanism is configured to level the cargo bed and illuminate the ground when activated.

[0008]

[0009]

[0010]

[0011]

[0012] With this configuration, the front and rear sections on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body are configured to be able to be raised and lowered by a bending link mechanism. By combining the raising and lowering movements of these bending link functions, it becomes possible to change the vehicle's posture to various positions. As a result, the direction of illumination can be changed in various directions.

[0013] In the present invention, an operating tool is provided for manually operating the attitude change operation mechanism, and it is preferable that the operating tool is provided on the other side of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction, on the opposite side of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction from the lighting device.

[0014]

[0015]

[0016] [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a side view of the work vehicle. [Figure 2] It is a rear view of the work vehicle. [Figure 3] It is a plan view of the work vehicle. [Figure 4] It is a plan view of the support mechanism. [Figure 5] It is a side view of the support mechanism. [Figure 6] It is a control block diagram. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing the irradiation direction change process of the work vehicle. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing the irradiation change mechanism of another embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] The mode for carrying out the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the direction of arrow FW in the figure is "front", the direction of arrow BK is "rear", the direction of arrow LH is "left", and the direction of arrow RH is "right". Also, the direction of arrow UP in the figure is "up", and the direction of arrow DW is "down".

[0019] 〔Overall Configuration of the Work Vehicle〕 As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the work vehicle includes a vehicle body 1 that is substantially rectangular in plan view and supports the entire vehicle, drive wheels 2 as a plurality of traveling devices that are located at the front and rear on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body 1 and support the vehicle body 1, a plurality of auxiliary wheels 3 provided corresponding to each of the plurality of drive wheels 2, a support mechanism A that supports the plurality of drive wheels 2 so that their positions can be changed with respect to the vehicle body 1, and a plurality of hydraulic motors 4 as traveling drive devices that drive the plurality of drive wheels 2 separately.

[0020] The drive wheels 2 are located at the front and rear on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body 1. In this embodiment, the work vehicle has four drive wheels 2: left front, right front, left rear, and right rear. It also has four support mechanisms A: left front, right front, left rear, and right rear. Each support mechanism A comprises a drive wheel 2, a bending link mechanism 5, and a posture change operation mechanism D that can individually change the posture of the bending link mechanism 5. In this embodiment, the posture change operation mechanism D is a plurality of hydraulic cylinders 6, 7.

[0021] The auxiliary wheels 3 and support mechanism A of the work vehicle in this embodiment are symmetrical front to back, and the work vehicle can travel in both the forward and backward directions as defined in the figure.

[0022] The vehicle body 1 is roughly rectangular in shape when viewed from above, and a flat loading area 8 (cargo bed) on the top surface of the vehicle body 1 is provided on which cargo can be loaded. The loading area 8 is a roughly rectangular section when viewed from above and extends from the right end to the left end of the vehicle body 1. The loading area 8 is configured so that cargo can be placed on it. Examples of cargo that can be placed on the loading area 8 include agricultural machinery, agricultural materials such as fertilizers and chemicals, harvested produce and harvesting baskets, and pallets on which these are placed.

[0023] The vehicle body 1 is equipped with a hydraulic supply source 9 located below the loading section 8, which supplies hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic cylinders 6 and 7 and the hydraulic motor 4; multiple hydraulic control valves 10 that adjust the supply state of hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic supply source 9; an ECU 11 (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the operation of the hydraulic control valves 10; and a battery 12 for power supply. The hydraulic supply source 9 is equipped with a hydraulic pump 9b driven by the engine 9a. The hydraulic supply source 9 is also equipped with a hydraulic fluid tank 9c, a radiator 9d, and the like. The hydraulic supply source 9 is supported by the underframe 24. The fuel tank 9e is located at a high position on the front side of the vehicle body 1.

[0024] The ECU 11 is equipped with a microcomputer and can perform various controls according to a control program. The control device C is composed of multiple hydraulic control valves 10 and the ECU 11. The battery 12 is charged by a generator driven by the power of the engine 9a. A main unit operation unit 13 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle body 1, which allows the control device C to be controlled manually.

[0025] [Support mechanism] As described above, the support mechanism A comprises a drive wheel 2, an articulated link mechanism 5, and a plurality of hydraulic cylinders 6 and 7. As shown in Figure 1, the articulated link mechanism 5 supports the plurality (specifically four) drive wheels 2 so that they can be individually raised and lowered.

[0026] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the articulated link mechanism 5 includes a base end 14 supported by the vehicle body 1, a first link 15 whose upper end is supported at the lower part of the base end 14 so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis X1, and a second link 16 whose one end is supported at the lower end of the first link 15 so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis X2 and whose other end supports a drive wheel 2.

[0027] A support bracket 17 supporting the drive wheel 2 is supported by a boss portion 18 provided at the pivoting end of the second link 16 so as to be able to pivot around the vertical axis Y. A hydraulic cylinder 20 for pivoting operation (hereinafter referred to as the pivot cylinder) is provided extending from the bracket 19 at one end of the second link 16 to the arm portion 17a provided on the support bracket 17.

[0028] Each of the multiple articulated link mechanisms 5 is equipped with multiple hydraulic cylinders 6 and 7 that can individually change the orientation of each articulated link mechanism 5. Specifically, there is a first hydraulic cylinder 6 that can change the swinging orientation of the first link 15 relative to the vehicle body 1, and a second hydraulic cylinder 7 that can change the swinging orientation of the second link 16 relative to the first link 15.

[0029] When the first hydraulic cylinder 6 is extended or retracted with the second hydraulic cylinder 7 deactivated, the first link 15, the second link 16, and the drive wheel 2 each oscillate integrally around the horizontal axis X1 of the pivot connection point to the base end 14 while maintaining a constant relative posture. When the second hydraulic cylinder 7 is extended or retracted with the first hydraulic cylinder 6 deactivated, the second link 16 and the drive wheel 2 oscillate integrally around the horizontal axis X2 of the connection point between the first link 15 and the second link 16, while maintaining a constant posture of the first link 15. With this configuration, the support mechanism A supports the vehicle body 1 in a state in which the tilt of the vehicle body 1 can be changed.

[0030] Auxiliary wheels 3 are rotatably supported at the intermediate bending points of each of the multiple bending link mechanisms 5. The auxiliary wheel 3 is made up of a wheel with approximately the same outer diameter as the drive wheel 2. The pivot shaft that pivotally connects the first link 15 and the second link 16 is extended so as to protrude outward in the width direction of the vehicle body, and the auxiliary wheel 3 is rotatably supported at the extended protruding portion of the pivot shaft.

[0031] By operating the slewing cylinder 20, the drive wheel 2 can be rotated around the vertical axis Y relative to the articulating link mechanism 5, thereby enabling a slewing operation.

[0032] The hydraulic control valve 10, which corresponds to the hydraulic motor 4, adjusts the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid, thereby changing the rotational speed of the hydraulic motor 4, and thus the rotational speed of the drive wheels 2.

[0033] [Sensor] This work vehicle is equipped with various sensors. As shown in Figure 6, each of the four first hydraulic cylinders 6 and the four second hydraulic cylinders 7 is equipped with multiple stroke sensors S1 capable of detecting the extension and retraction amount. The extension and retraction amount of each hydraulic cylinder 6, 7 is a detected value corresponding to the swing position of the first link 15 and the second link 16 that are being operated.

[0034] The vehicle body 1 is equipped with a tilt sensor S2 (corresponding to the "tilt acquisition unit" of the present invention) that detects the tilt angle of the vehicle body. The tilt sensor S2 is configured using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) with a well-known configuration. The IMU has a three-axis acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor and can detect changes in the attitude state of the vehicle body 1, specifically tilt in the longitudinal and lateral directions.

[0035] A rotation sensor S3 is provided near the drive wheel 2 to detect the rotational speed of the drive wheel 2, which is driven by a hydraulic motor 4. Based on the rotational speed of the drive wheel 2 detected by the rotation sensor S3, the supply of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic motor 4 is controlled so that the rotational speed of the drive wheel 2 reaches a target value. A pressure sensor S4 is provided to detect the pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied to the hydraulic motor 4. Based on the hydraulic fluid pressure detected by the pressure sensor S4, the supply (pressure) of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic motor 4 is controlled so that the driving torque of the drive wheel 2 reaches a target value. Each of the four slewing cylinders 20 is equipped with a stroke sensor S5 capable of detecting the extension and retraction amount.

[0036] [ECU] The ECU11 (Electronic Control Unit) includes a non-volatile memory (not shown) that stores programs corresponding to the functional units described later, and a CPU (not shown) that executes these programs. The functions of each functional unit are realized when the programs are executed by the CPU.

[0037] The ECU11 includes, as functional units, a driving control unit 31, a turning control unit 32, and a posture control unit 33 (corresponding to the "tilt changing unit" of the present invention).

[0038] When the vehicle is running with all four drive wheels 2 in contact with the ground, the driving control unit 31 controls the rotation direction and rotation speed of each of the four drive wheels 2. Specifically, based on information input by manual operation of the wheel operation handle 13a (see Figure 1) of the main unit operation unit 13 provided on the vehicle body 1, the driving control unit 31 executes a switching operation of the hydraulic control valve 10 that supplies and discharges hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic motor 4 so that the rotation speed of the drive wheels 2 detected by the rotation sensor S3 becomes the target speed and the drive torque detected by the pressure sensor S4 becomes the target value.

[0039] The slewing control unit 32 controls the slewing cylinders 20 to perform steering operations on the drive wheels 2. Specifically, the slewing control unit 32 switches the hydraulic control valves 10 that supply and discharge hydraulic fluid to the four slewing cylinders 20 based on information input by manual operation of the wheel operation handle 13a of the main unit operation unit 13.

[0040] In other words, the operator controls the driving control unit 31 and the turning control unit 32 by operating the wheel operating handle 13a, thereby controlling the steering and rotational drive of the drive wheels 2.

[0041] [Irradiation direction changing mechanism] A headlight 40 (corresponding to the "lighting device" of the present invention) is provided on one side of the vehicle body 1 in the front-rear direction (the front side in this embodiment) and illuminates the area to one side of the vehicle body 1. The main unit operation section 13 is equipped with a beam direction change switch 13b (operating tool) for manually changing the beam direction of the headlight 40. The beam direction change switch 13b may be a switch that can be pressed, a lever-type switch, or a dial-type switch. The beam direction change mechanism E for changing the beam direction of the headlight 40 will be described below.

[0042] Based on the detection information from the tilt sensor S2 and the stroke sensor S1, the attitude control unit 33 controls the operation of the four first hydraulic cylinders 6 and the four second hydraulic cylinders 7 so that the tilt angle in the front-rear direction and the tilt angle in the left-right direction from the horizontal position of the vehicle body 1 corresponds to the values ​​input by the manual operation of the irradiation direction change switch 13b on the main unit operation unit 13.

[0043] Specifically, the attitude control unit 33 performs a switching operation of the hydraulic control valve 10, which supplies and discharges hydraulic fluid to the four first hydraulic cylinders 6 and the four second hydraulic cylinders 7, based on information input by manual operation of the irradiation direction change switch 13b on the main unit operation unit 13.

[0044] In other words, the operator can change the tilt of the vehicle body 1 by operating the illumination direction change switch 13b, which controls the attitude control unit 33, and the attitude control unit 33 controls the multiple hydraulic cylinders 6, 7.

[0045] For example, as shown in Figure 7, when the headlights 40 are directed towards the ground rather than the front of the vehicle body 1, the front bending link mechanism 5 of the multiple bending link mechanisms 5 is shortened and the rear bending link mechanism 5 is extended. As a result, the work vehicle assumes a posture where the front of the vehicle body 1 is closer to the ground, and the headlights 40 provided on the vehicle body 1 are directed towards the ground.

[0046] As described above, in this embodiment, the illumination direction changing mechanism E for changing the illumination direction of the headlight 40 is composed of a bending link mechanism 5 and a plurality of hydraulic cylinders 6 and 7, and the illumination direction of the headlight 40 can be changed by changing the posture of the vehicle body 1. For example, in the case of a flat area above a slope as shown in Figure 7, when the work vehicle climbs the slope, the headlight 40 illuminates in the direction along the slope, and the flat ground above the slope is not illuminated. Therefore, by changing the illumination direction of the headlight 40, it becomes possible to illuminate the flat ground above the slope.

[0047] [Another embodiment] The following are examples of alternative embodiments that modify the above embodiments.

[0048] (1) In the above embodiment, the headlight 40, which is an illumination device, was described as being provided on the front side of the vehicle body 1 and illuminating the area in front of the vehicle body 1. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the illumination device may be provided on the rear side and the left and right sides, and configured to illuminate the area behind the vehicle body 1 and the left and right sides, respectively.

[0049] (2) In the above embodiment, the illumination direction changing mechanism E was described as having a configuration that changes the illumination direction of the headlight 40 by operating the illumination direction changing switch 13b. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the illumination direction of the headlight 40 may be changed based on the detection result of the tilt sensor S2 so that the angle of the headlight 40 with respect to the horizontal direction is kept constant. In this case, it may be configured to be switchable between a horizontal illumination mode that illuminates the horizontal direction and a ground illumination mode that illuminates the ground. Alternatively, the illumination direction may be automatically changed based on the operator's operation of the wheel operation handle 13a.

[0050] (3) In the above embodiment, the illumination direction changing mechanism E was described as being composed of a refraction link mechanism 5 and a plurality of hydraulic cylinders 6, 7, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the illumination direction changing mechanism E may be composed of a posture changing section 41 that supports the headlight 40 so that its posture can be changed, as shown in Figure 8. In this case, the headlight 40 may be changed in a configuration that changes the posture and illumination direction based on information input by manual operation of the illumination direction changing switch 13b.

[0051] (4) In the above embodiment, the posture change operation mechanism D was described as having a configuration comprising a plurality of hydraulic cylinders 6 and 7, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be composed of an electric motor that swings around the horizontal axis X1 of the pivot connection point to the base end 14 and around the horizontal axis X2 of the connection point between the first link 15 and the second link 16.

[0052] (5) In the above embodiment, the steering control and rotational drive control of the drive wheels 2 and the tilt of the vehicle body 1 were described as being performed by operating the main body operation unit 13 provided on the vehicle body 1. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the steering control and rotational drive control of the drive wheels 2 and the tilt of the vehicle body 1 may be performed by operating a remote control device configured to be remotely controllable using wireless communication.

[0053] Furthermore, the configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no inconsistencies arise. In addition, the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the object of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0054] This invention can be used in work vehicles suitable for traveling on uneven terrain. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 1: Vehicle body 2: Drive wheels 5: Refraction link mechanism 13b: Irradiation direction change switch (operating device) 8: Loading area (cargo bed) 33: Attitude control unit (tilt adjustment unit) S2: Tilt sensor (tilt acquisition unit) 40: Headlights (lighting devices) 41: Posture change section A: Support mechanism D: Posture change operation mechanism E: Irradiation direction changing mechanism

Claims

1. The vehicle body and A cargo bed provided on the vehicle body, A support mechanism that supports the vehicle body in a state in which the tilt of the vehicle body can be changed, The vehicle body is provided with a lighting device that is installed on one side in the front-rear direction and illuminates the area one side of the vehicle body, The lighting device is supported on the vehicle body in a manner that prevents the direction of illumination of the lighting device from being changed. The support mechanism comprises a plurality of drive wheels located at the front and rear on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body, a plurality of articulated link mechanisms that support the plurality of drive wheels on the vehicle body so that they can be individually raised and lowered, and an attitude change operation mechanism that can individually change the attitude of the plurality of articulated link mechanisms, and is configured such that the plurality of articulated link mechanisms operate on an inclined surface to level the cargo bed and the lighting device illuminates the ground.

2. The aforementioned posture change operation mechanism is equipped with a control tool that is operated manually, The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the operating device is provided on the other side of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction, and is located on the opposite side of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction from the lighting device.

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