Work vehicle

Abstract

This work vehicle, which is capable of autonomous travel, is provided with a support frame which is erected on a vehicle body, a support bracket 81 which is fixed in a straddling manner to a cross beam 17b2 of the support frame, a positioning unit which is attached to an upper portion of the support bracket 81, and a storage container 90 which includes a storage chamber 90A and which is attached to a lower portion of the support bracket 81, wherein the storage container 90 includes a fixed structure 92 which is attached to the support bracket 81, and a switching structure 91 which is capable of switching between a closed state and an open state.

Description

Work vehicle

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle that automatically travels using its own vehicle position calculated based on a signal from a positioning unit.

[0002] A rice transplanter described in Patent Document 1 is known as a work vehicle equipped with a positioning unit. In the rice transplanter described in Patent Document 1, the positioning unit, which has a satellite positioning module that receives radio waves from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellites, is attached to a mounting base fixed to the upper surface of a cross beam member extending in the width direction of the vehicle body of the spare seedling support frame. Furthermore, a support member extends downward from the mounting base, and a voice alarm generator is supported inside a box portion formed at the bottom of the support member.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-108621 (JP 2021-108621 A)

[0004] When the vehicle's position is calculated using radio signals from GNSS satellites, RTK-GNSS positioning (real-time kinematic GNSS) is used to improve the positioning accuracy. In RTK-GNSS positioning, a base station is installed at a known coordinate position near the work site (field), and data communication is performed between the base station and the positioning unit. The task of installing this base station at an accurate coordinate position is a burden for autonomous agricultural work. In recent years, to reduce this burden, the VRS method (network-based RTK-GNSS positioning) has been adopted in place of RTK-GNSS positioning. While this VRS method does not require the installation of a base station, it does require a VRS communication unit (virtual reference point data receiving unit) that exchanges data with a GNSS correction data distribution service. Like the positioning unit, this VRS communication unit needs to be placed in a location that is not subject to radio interference from the components of the work vehicle.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a work vehicle in which equipment such as a VRS communication unit can be installed in a location with good radio wave conditions, similar to the location of the positioning unit.

[0006] The self-driving work vehicle according to the present invention comprises a support frame erected on the vehicle body, a support bracket fixed so as to straddle the cross beam of the support frame, a positioning unit attached to the upper part of the support bracket, and a storage container having a storage chamber attached to the lower part of the support bracket, wherein the storage container comprises a fixed structure attached to the support bracket and a switching structure that can be switched between a closed state and an open state.

[0007] According to this configuration, a storage container capable of storing devices such as a communication unit is attached to a support frame erected on the vehicle body via a common support bracket along with the positioning unit. Because the positioning unit is attached in a location with good radio wave conditions (location with good reception sensitivity), the interior of the storage container attached near the positioning unit also generally has good radio wave conditions. Furthermore, because the storage container is located below the positioning unit, there is little possibility that the storage container will interfere with the radio wave conditions of the positioning unit. Furthermore, because the storage container is comprised of a switching structure that can be switched between a closed state and an open state relative to a fixed structure attached to the support bracket, setting the switching structure to the open state also facilitates access to the devices stored in the storage container.

[0008] If a switching structure that can be switched between a closed state and an open state relative to a fixed structure can maintain a constant position without detaching from the fixed structure even in the open state, it is convenient for accessing equipment stored in the storage container. For this reason, the present invention proposes that the switching structure be a displacement structure provided on the fixed structure so as to be displaceable between a closed position and an open position. Furthermore, a preferred displacement structure is proposed: a swing structure provided on the fixed structure so as to be swingable between the closed position and the open position. A swing structure has the advantage of being able to create a large opening in the open position despite simple displacement. Of course, other displacement structures, such as a vertical sliding structure, a horizontal sliding structure, or a combination of a sliding structure and a swinging structure, may also be employed. The switching structure or displacement structure may not create a substantial storage space, but may simply form one side of the storage chamber. Conversely, the switching structure or displacement structure may create a substantial storage space, and the fixed structure may simply form one side of the storage chamber.

[0009] When a work machine travels on rocky terrain, grass, or farmland, it often kicks up foreign objects during the work. To protect the equipment stored in the storage container from such foreign objects, it is preferable to form a bottom surface on the storage container and place the equipment on or above the bottom surface. For this reason, the present invention proposes that the oscillating structure form at least the bottom surface of the storage chamber.

[0010] Since the storage container is provided below the support bracket fixed to the cross beam of the support frame, the space below the storage container can be used as free space. In order to effectively utilize this free space, the present invention proposes that the oscillating structure be provided so as to be able to oscillate up and down relative to the fixed structure.

[0011] When electronic devices such as a VRS communication unit are placed in the storage chamber, a power supply socket is required to supply power to the device from the power system of the work vehicle or to charge the battery of the device. To meet this need, in the present invention, the storage chamber is formed as an electronic device storage chamber and is provided with a power supply socket.

[0012] When the equipment stored in the storage chamber is heat-generating equipment, in order to prevent the temperature inside the storage chamber from rising and to allow air to cool the heat-generating equipment, the present invention is configured so that at least one side of the storage chamber can circulate air with the outside when the switching structure is in the closed state. With this configuration, even when the storage chamber is in the closed state except for maintenance and inspection work, it is possible to prevent the inside of the storage chamber and the stored equipment from becoming too hot.

[0013] Since the storage container is located above the vehicle body, it is highly likely to vibrate depending on the conditions of the running surface. For this reason, it is preferable that the equipment stored in the storage compartment be secured in some way. For this reason, in the present invention, the storage compartment is provided with a securing mechanism for securing the equipment stored in the storage compartment. Furthermore, it is preferable that the stored equipment can be secured so that it does not fall even if it is tilted or inverted when the storage compartment is opened.

[0014] In order to prevent the storage container attached to the support frame via the support bracket from becoming unstable due to the stored equipment, it is preferable that the stored equipment and the fixing mechanism are located around the bottom of the storage container. For this reason, in the present invention, the fixing mechanism is installed on the bottom surface of the storage chamber.

[0015] The size of the equipment to be stored varies depending on the type of equipment, and the external size of the equipment may change when the equipment is replaced. To solve this problem, in the present invention, the fixing mechanism has a fixing device whose fixing position relative to the equipment is adjustable. Examples of such fixing device structures include an adjustable bolt structure, a slide structure, and a spring holding structure.

[0016] Since the storage container is attached to a support frame erected on the body of the work vehicle, it is highly likely to be exposed to wind and rain. Furthermore, if the storage compartment is designed to be ventilated to prevent it from becoming too hot, there is a high possibility that water will enter the storage compartment. In order to prevent the stored equipment from being damaged by water or the like that has entered the storage compartment, it is preferable that the stored equipment be fixed at a position high above the bottom of the storage compartment. For this reason, the fixing mechanism is configured to fix the equipment at a position above and away from the bottom of the storage compartment.

[0017] If the positioning unit is a VRS type and no base station is installed, a virtual reference point data receiving unit is required. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the positioning unit is equipped with a VRS type positioning unit, and the virtual reference point data receiving unit is stored in the storage chamber. The virtual reference point data receiving unit stored in the storage chamber can enjoy the above-mentioned advantages of the equipment stored in the storage chamber.

[0018] Fig. 1 is a side view of an automatically travelling rice transplanter. Fig. 2 is a front view of an automatically travelling rice transplanter. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a positioning unit and a storage container attached to a cross beam. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a storage container. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the storage container. Fig. 6 is a side view showing a closed position of a lower case in another embodiment. Fig. 7 is a side view showing an open position of a lower case in another embodiment.

[0019] In this specification, unless otherwise specified, "front" means the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and "rear" means the rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. In other words, the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body is the traveling direction, with the forward direction indicated by arrow F in FIG. 1 and the backward direction indicated by arrow B in FIG. 1. Furthermore, the left-right direction or lateral direction means the transverse direction of the vehicle body (vehicle body width direction) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. "Up" or "down" refers to the positional relationship in the vertical direction (perpendicular direction) of the vehicle body, and indicates the relationship regarding the height above the ground.

[0020] Next, one specific embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a side view of a transplanter (hereinafter simply referred to as a rice transplanter) that automatically travels in a field, which is an example of a work vehicle.

[0021] [Overall Structure] As shown in Figure 1, the rice transplanter is a riding four-wheel drive vehicle. A quadruple parallel linkage mechanism 13 is provided at the rear of the vehicle body 1, and is connected so as to be able to rise and fall and swing. A seedling planting device 3 is attached to the rear end region of the linkage mechanism 13 and is connected so as to be able to roll. Furthermore, the vehicle is equipped with a fertilizer applicator 4 extending from the rear end region of the vehicle body 1 to the seedling planting device 3, and a chemical sprayer 18 provided in the rear end region of the seedling planting device 3. The seedling planting device 3, fertilizer applicator 4, and chemical sprayer 18 are examples of working devices.

[0022] The vehicle body 1 includes wheels 12 as a driving mechanism, an engine 2, and a hydraulic continuously variable transmission 9 as a main transmission. The continuously variable transmission 9 is, for example, a hydrostatic transmission (HST), and changes the driving force (rotation speed) output from the engine 2 by adjusting the angles of a motor swash plate and a pump swash plate. The wheels 12 include left and right front wheels 12A that can be steered, and left and right rear wheels 12B that cannot be steered. The engine 2 and the continuously variable transmission 9 are mounted on the front of the vehicle body 1. Power from the engine 2 is supplied to the front wheels 12A, rear wheels 12B, working equipment, etc. via the continuously variable transmission 9 and the like.

[0023] As an example, the seedling planting device 3 is configured for eight rows of planting. The seedling planting device 3 includes a seedling loading table 21, eight rows of planting mechanisms 22, etc. The seedling planting device 3 can be changed to two-row, four-row, six-row, etc. planting by clutch control.

[0024] The seedling tray 21 is a platform on which eight rows of mat-shaped seedlings can be placed. The seedling tray 21 reciprocates left and right at a constant stroke corresponding to the left and right width of the mat-shaped seedlings. The vertical feed mechanism 23 vertically feeds each mat-shaped seedling on the seedling tray 21 toward the bottom of the seedling tray 21 at a predetermined pitch each time the seedling tray 21 reaches the left or right stroke end. The eight planting mechanisms 22 are rotary type and are arranged left and right at constant intervals corresponding to the spacing between the planting rows. Each planting mechanism 22 receives driving force from the engine 2 when the seedling planting clutch is engaged. The planting mechanism 22 cuts a single seedling (also referred to as a planted seedling) from the bottom of each mat-shaped seedling placed on the seedling tray 21 and plants it in the muddy soil after leveling.

[0025] The fertilizer application device 4 includes a horizontally long hopper 25, a dispensing mechanism 26, an electric blower 27, multiple fertilizer application hoses 28, and a furrow former 29 provided for each row. The hopper 25 stores granular or powdered fertilizer. The dispensing mechanism 26 is operated by power transmitted from a motor (not shown) and dispenses a predetermined amount of fertilizer from the hopper 25 at a time, equivalent to two rows.

[0026] The blower 27 generates a conveying wind that carries the fertilizer dispensed by each dispensing mechanism 26 toward the muddy surface of the field. By intermittently operating the blower 27, etc., the fertilizer applicator 4 can be switched between an operating state in which the fertilizer stored in the hopper 25 is supplied to the field in predetermined amounts at a time, and a non-operating state in which the supply is stopped.

[0027] The vehicle body 1 is provided with a driver's section 14 in its rear side area. The driver's section 14 is equipped with a steering wheel 10 for steering the front wheels, a main speed change lever 7A that adjusts the vehicle speed by changing the speed of the continuously variable transmission 9, an auxiliary speed change lever 7B that enables speed change operation of the auxiliary speed change lever, an operation control lever 11 that enables raising and lowering the seedling planting device 3 and switching its operating state, an information terminal 5 that displays (announces) various information to the operator and notifies (outputs) it, and has a touch panel that accepts input of various information, and a driver's seat 16 for the operator (driver / worker). Furthermore, a spare seedling storage device 15 that stores spare seedlings is supported on a spare seedling support frame 17 in front of the driver's section 14.

[0028] The steering wheel 10 is connected to the front wheels 12A via a steering mechanism (not shown), and the steering angle of the front wheels 12A is adjusted by rotating the steering wheel 10.

[0029] 1 and 2, the spare seedling support frame 17, which also functions as a support frame of the present invention, has a two-tiered structure consisting of a base frame 17a and an arch-shaped upper frame 17b attached to the upper end of the base frame 17a. The upper frame 17b is composed of a pair of left and right legs 17b1 and a cross beam 17b2 connecting the legs 17b1, and is positioned at a height diagonally above and in front of the driving unit 14.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, the positioning unit 8, which is a VRS type positioning unit, and the remote control receiver 70 are arranged side by side on the cross beam 17b2 of the upper frame 17b.

[0031] 3 and 4, the positioning unit 8 is made up of a satellite positioning module 8A, which is the core element of the positioning unit 8, and a housing 80 that houses the satellite positioning module 8A. A support bracket 81 that supports the positioning unit 8 is disposed so as to straddle the cross beam 17b2 and is fixed to the cross beam 17b2. The positioning unit 8 is attached to the upper part of the support bracket 81. Furthermore, a container 90 is attached to the lower part of the support bracket 81.

[0032] The storage container 90 includes an upper case 92, which is a fixed structure fixed to the support bracket 81, and a lower case 91 (an example of a switching structure), which is a swing structure attached to the upper case 92 and swings between a closed position and an open position. A storage chamber 90A is formed between the upper case 92 and the lower case 91. The upper case 92 is made of metal, and the lower case 91 is made of resin. This provides rigidity to the upper case 92 and firmly secures it to the support bracket 81. The swingable lower case 91 is also flexible, cushioning any impacts. Of course, the upper case 92 may be made of resin and the lower case 91 may be made of metal. Furthermore, both may be made of metal or both may be made of resin. In this embodiment, the satellite positioning module 8A employs a network-type RTK-GNSS positioning system (VRS system), and therefore the storage chamber 90A houses a virtual reference point data receiving unit 8B used in the VRS system. Furthermore, the storage chamber 90A can also house other electronic devices. The storage room 90A is also provided with a power supply socket 96. Here, the storage room 90A is used as a storage room for electronic devices, but it may also store other items.

[0033] The upper case 92 has a top wall 92t bolted to the support bracket 81, left and right side walls 92s extending downward from the top wall 92t, and a front wall 92f extending downward from the top wall 92t. The front wall 92f extends downward a length equal to or greater than half the depth of the storage chamber 90A. A pair of left and right open cutouts 92f1 are formed in the front wall 92f. The front ends of the side walls 92s extend downward the same length as the front wall 92f, but the remaining portions are shorter. The lower case 91 is a rectangular parallelepiped container with an open top. It has a bottom wall 91b forming the bottom of the storage chamber 90A, a pair of left and right side walls 91s, a rear wall 91r, and a front wall 91f. The upper portion of the front wall 91f terminates at the lower end of the open cutout 92f1.

[0034] The rear ends of the left and right side walls 92s of the upper case 92 and the upper rear ends of the left and right side walls 91s of the lower case 91 are connected by a swing pin 94, allowing the lower case 91 to swing up and down relative to the upper case 92. A locking mechanism 93 is provided to prevent the lower case 91 from swinging up and down and hold the lower case 91 in a closed position relative to the upper case 92. The locking mechanism 93 includes a dial 93a, a pivot arm 93b fixed to the dial 93a, and a locking bracket 93c that engages with the arm tip of the pivoting arm 93b. The dial 93a is located at the front center of the front wall 92f of the upper case 92. The locking bracket 93c is fixed to the upper part of the front wall 91f of the lower case 91 and has an engagement hole 93d into which the arm tip of the pivoting arm 93b is inserted. When the dial 93a is rotated in one direction, the arm tip of the rotating arm 93b engages with the engagement hole 93d, preventing the lower case 91 from swinging up and down and maintaining the closed state of the storage container 90. When the dial 93a is rotated in one direction, the arm tip of the rotating arm 93b disengages from the engagement hole 93d, causing the lower case 91 to swing downward and allowing the storage container 90 to open. Although not shown, a stopper can limit the extent of this open state.

[0035] As shown in detail in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 , two fixing mechanisms 97 and 98 for fixing the devices stored in the storage chamber 90A are provided on the bottom wall 91b of the lower case 91. In this embodiment, the fixing mechanism 97 is used to fix the virtual reference point data receiving unit 8B, and the fixing mechanism 98 is used to fix the power supply socket 96. The fixing mechanisms 97 and 98 may be integrated. The fixing mechanism 97 has a base 97a and a fixing member 97b provided on the base 97a. Similarly, the fixing mechanism 98 has a base 98a and a fixing member 98b provided on the base 98a. The fixing members 97b and 98b are provided on the upper surfaces of the bases 97a and 98a, respectively. In this embodiment, the upper surfaces of the bases 97a and 98a serve as fixing surfaces for the stored devices, i.e., the virtual reference point data receiving unit 8B and the power supply socket 96. Therefore, the equipment secured by the securing mechanisms 97, 98 is positioned above and away from the bottom surface of the bottom wall 91b, preventing the equipment from coming into contact with water even if a certain amount of rainwater or the like accumulates on the bottom surface. The fasteners 97b, 98b are slidable along the securing surface, allowing equipment of various sizes to be secured in any desired position. This prevents the equipment stored in the storage chamber 90A from shifting even if the storage container 90 vibrates. The fasteners 97b, 98b may be hook-and-loop fasteners or simple elastic strings if the equipment to be stored is lightweight.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows the closed position of the lower case 91 (closed state of the storage container 90) in which the lower case 91 is engaged with the upper case 92. In FIG. 4, the open position of the lower case 91 (open state of the storage container 90) in which the front end of the lower case 91 is separated from the upper case 92 is shown by a two-dot chain line. In the closed state, which is the normal state of the storage container 90, the open cutout 92f1 in the front wall 92f serves as an air vent, allowing fresh air above the operating section 14 to flow into the storage chamber 90A and cool the virtual reference point data receiving unit 8B. Furthermore, when the storage container 90 is opened for maintenance of the virtual reference point data receiving unit 8B or for taking in and out equipment stored in the storage chamber 90A, the bottom wall 91b of the lower case 91 slopes downward, allowing inspectors and drivers to easily access the storage container 90. For example, when a portable mobile phone or tablet computer is used as the virtual reference point data receiving unit 8B, easy access to the storage container 90 is advantageous.

[0037] The storage chamber 90A is provided with a power supply socket 96. If the virtual reference point data receiving unit 8B is powered by a mobile battery, the mobile battery is charged through the power supply socket 96. If a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a WiFi modem for these devices is stored in the storage chamber 90, these devices are powered and charged through the power supply socket 96. Furthermore, if the power supply socket 96 also has a data communication function, data communication is performed between the virtual reference point data receiving unit 8B and the satellite positioning module 8A through the power supply socket 96.

[0038] Although not shown in the figure, the antenna of any of the satellite positioning module 8A, virtual reference point data receiving unit 8B, and remote control receiving device 70 can be detachably attached to the support bracket 81 or storage container 90 using a magnet or the like.

[0039] Although detailed illustration is omitted, the upper frame 17b of the spare seedling support frame 17 can swing up and down relative to the base frame 17a between an upright position shown by the solid line in Fig. 1 and a sideways position shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the stacked lights 71 are provided on the side of the base frame 17a, so that interference with the upper frame 17b in the sideways position is avoided.

[0040] The positioning unit 8 outputs positioning data for calculating the position and orientation of the vehicle body 1. The positioning unit 8 includes an inertial measurement module (not shown) that detects the inclination and acceleration of the three axes of the vehicle body 1 to assist the positioning of the satellite positioning module 8A, and this inertial measurement module can also be housed in the housing 80 that houses the satellite positioning module 8A.

[0041] In the manned automatic driving mode or the unmanned automatic driving mode, the control system of the rice transplanter determines the deviation between the vehicle position calculated based on the satellite positioning data successively sent from the positioning unit 8 and the set target driving route, and automatically steers the vehicle body 1 so that it follows the target driving route.

[0042] Next, another embodiment of the container 90 attached to the lower part of the support bracket 81 that supports the positioning unit 8 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. FIG.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, this storage container 90 also consists of an upper case 192, which is a fixed structure fixed to the support bracket 81, and a lower case 191, which is a swinging structure provided on the upper case 192 so as to be swingable between a closed position and an open position, and a storage chamber 90A is formed between the upper case 192 and the lower case 191.

[0044] The upper case 192 has a top wall 192t that is bolted to the support bracket 81 and left and right side walls 192s that extend downward from the top wall 192t. In this embodiment, the front wall area is open except for the front end of the top wall 192t that hangs downward as a tongue portion. The lower case 191 has a bottom wall 191b that forms the bottom surface of the storage chamber 90A, a pair of left and right side walls 191s, a rear wall (not shown), and a front wall 191f. The front wall 191f has a cutout portion 191f1 that occupies at least the upper half of the front wall 191f.

[0045] In this alternative embodiment, the upper rear ends of left and right side walls 192s of the upper case 192 and the upper rear ends of left and right side walls 191s of the lower case 191 are connected by a swing pin 194, allowing the lower case 191 to swing up and down relative to the upper case 192. To guide the up and down swing of the lower case 191, an arc-shaped elongated hole 192s1 is formed in the side wall 192s of the upper case 192, and a guide pin 195 that fits into the elongated hole 192s1 is provided in the side wall 191s of the lower case 191. To prevent the lower case 191 from swinging up and down and hold the lower case 191 in a closed position relative to the upper case 192, a locking metal fitting 193 is provided between a tongue portion of a top wall 192t of the upper case 192 and a front wall 191f of the lower case 191.

[0046] 6 shows the closed position of the lower case 191 in which the lower case 191 is engaged with the upper case 192 (closed state of the storage container 90), and FIG. 7 shows the open position of the lower case 191 in which the front end of the lower case 191 is separated from the upper case 192 (open state of the storage container 90). When the storage container 90 is in the closed state, which is the normal state, the notch 191f1 in the front wall 191f serves as an air vent, allowing fresh air above the driving section 14 to flow into the storage chamber 90A and cool the virtual reference point data receiving unit 8B. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the storage container 90 is opened for maintenance of the virtual reference point data receiving unit 8B or for taking out or putting in equipment stored in the storage chamber 90A, the bottom wall 191b of the lower case 191 slopes forward, allowing inspectors and operators to easily access the storage container 90.

[0047] [Another embodiment] (1) In the above-described embodiment, the positioning unit 8 and the storage container 90 were provided on the cross beam 17b2 of the upper frame 17b of the spare seedling support frame 17, but they may also be provided on other components of the spare seedling support frame 17 as long as they are located in a location where communication interference is unlikely to occur.

[0048] (2) In the above-described embodiment, the storage container 90 is configured such that the upper case 92, 192 and the lower case 91, 191 can swing up and down relative to the upper case 92, 192. However, the storage container 90 may be configured such that the open and closed states are created by swinging horizontally. Also, instead of a configuration in which the open and closed states are created by swinging, a configuration in which the open and closed states are created by attaching and detaching members fixed with screws or the like may be adopted.

[0049] (3) In the above embodiment, the lower case 91, 191 was a swinging structure, but instead of a swinging structure, it may be a displacement structure such as an up-down sliding structure in which a sliding mechanism is provided in the up-down direction between the lower case 91 and the upper case 92, a horizontal sliding structure in which a sliding mechanism is provided in the front-back and left-right directions, or a combination structure of a sliding structure and a swinging structure.

[0050] (4) In the above embodiment, the "work vehicle" according to the present invention is a riding rice transplanter, but the "work vehicle" may be another type of work vehicle such as a combine harvester or a tractor.

[0051] In addition, the configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction arises. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the purpose of the present invention.

[0052] The present invention can be widely used in various agricultural vehicles such as transplanters, including rice transplanters, fertilizer applicators, mowers, and combine harvesters, as well as work vehicles such as construction machines.

[0053] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Body 8: Positioning unit 8A: Satellite positioning module 8B: Virtual reference point data receiving unit 17: Spare seedling support frame (support frame) 17a: Base frame 17b: Upper frame 17b1: Leg 17b2: Cross beam 70: Remote control receiver 80: Housing 81: Support bracket 90: Storage container 90A: Storage room 91: Lower case (switching structure, displacement structure, swing structure) 92: Upper case (fixed structure) 97: Fixing mechanism 97a: Base 97b: Fixing device 98: Fixing mechanism 98a: Base 98b: Fixing device 191: Lower case (switching structure, displacement structure, swing structure) 192: Upper case (fixed structure)

Claims

1. A work vehicle capable of automatic travel, comprising: a support frame erected on a vehicle body; a support bracket fixed to straddle a cross beam of the support frame; a positioning unit attached to the upper part of the support bracket; and a storage container having a storage chamber attached to the lower part of the support bracket, wherein the storage container comprises a fixed structure attached to the support bracket and a switching structure that can be switched between a closed state and an open state.

2. A work vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the switching structure is a displacement structure provided on the fixed structure so as to be displaceable between a closed position and an open position.

3. A work vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the displacement structure is a swing structure provided on the fixed structure so as to be swingable between the closed position and the open position.

4. A work vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said oscillating structure forms at least the bottom surface of said storage chamber.

5. A work vehicle as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the oscillating structure is arranged so as to be able to oscillate up and down relative to the fixed structure.

6. A work vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the storage compartment is formed as an electronic device storage compartment, and a power supply socket is provided in the storage compartment.

7. A work vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, when the switching structure is in the closed state, at least one side of the storage room is configured to be able to communicate with the outside.

8. A work vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a fixing mechanism for fixing equipment stored in the storage chamber is provided in the storage chamber.

9. A work vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein the fixing mechanism is installed on the bottom surface of the storage room.

10. A work vehicle as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein the fixing mechanism has a fixing device whose fixing position relative to the equipment is variable.

11. The work vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the fixing mechanism fixes the equipment at a position spaced above the bottom surface of the storage room.

12. A work vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the positioning unit is a VRS type positioning unit, and a virtual reference point data receiving unit is stored in the storage chamber.

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