JPH0221959A - Boom controller for sprayer directly mounted on tractor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the workability in a farm by providing an inclination sensor to the front wheel frame of a tractor and providing control means of controlling respective actuators and maintaining the height of respective booms from the ground surface within a prescribed range in accordance of the measurement signal of the sensor before the rear wheels of the tractor incline with the ruggedness on a traveling surface. CONSTITUTION:The front wheels 11 of the tractor 20 meets the ruggedness and the front wheel frame journaled the body 14 of the tractor 20 inclines before the rear wheels 13 of the tractor 20 meet the ruggedness when there is the ruggedness on the traveling surface during the spraying operation. This inclination is measured by the sensor 16 provided to the front wheel frame and the measurement signal of the sensor 16 is inputted to the control means. This control means calculates the inclination of a sprayer 20 when the rear wheels meet the ruggedness before the rear wheels meet the same ruggedness in accordance with the measurement signal of the sensor 16 and controls the respective actuators to move the booms 22 upward and downward. As a result, the height of the booms 22 from the ground surface or crops is maintained within the predetermined range even if the rear wheels meet the ruggedness.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an improvement in a device for controlling the height of an elongated boom of an agricultural sprayer mounted directly on a tractor.

[Prior art] A device for automatically adjusting the slope of a long puto of an agricultural soubreya according to the topography and crops was developed in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-48991.
No. 1, which is known in the art, includes a hydraulic device for tilting the boom on the frame of the sprayer. A detection device was installed on each boom, and the fluid pressure device was controlled by the detection signal from the detection device to automatically adjust the inclination of the boom.

With this method, it takes time for the detection device to detect the downward swing of the boom and for the fluid pressure device to adjust the boom's inclination, so if the sprayer itself is tilted due to uneven road surfaces, the boom's inclination can be adjusted. This could easily result in the boom hitting the ground or crops. In order to prevent this accident, a sprayer that is towed by a tractor, equipped with an inclination angle sensor on the vehicle body, and uses the signal from the inclination angle sensor to control a fluid pressure device installed in the frame of the sprayer has been developed. It was proposed in No. 1983-98302.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Since the proposed sprayer is towed by a tractor, a trolley must be provided on the sprayer, but this inevitably increases the cost of the sprayer. Further, when the sprayer is provided with a trolley for towing, the radius of rotation becomes large, resulting in a problem that the workability of the sprayer is reduced.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and its purpose is to provide a sprayer that is directly mounted on a tractor and that can automatically adjust the swing of the boom due to unevenness of the traveling road surface. It is about providing.

[Means for Achieving the Object] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs a tractor, a sprayer mounted directly on the tractor, and a sprayer mounted on the frame of the sprayer so as to be adjustable in a vertically fixed position. A central boom, left and right base booms whose base ends are rotatably attached to both ends of the central boom, and left and right extremities whose base ends are rotatably attached to the tips of the left and right base booms. boom and
The left and right actuators using fluid pressure are installed between the central boom and the left and right main booms, and the left and right actuators are installed using fluid pressure between the left and right main booms and the left and right end booms, and are attached to each boom. A device comprising: a distance sensor to the ground surface or crops; and a control means for controlling each actuator to maintain the height of each boom relative to the ground surface or crops within a predetermined range based on the measurement signal of the distance sensor, An inclination sensor is attached to the front wheel frame of the tractor, and the inclination sensor measures the relative inclination angle of the front wheel frame to the tractor body due to unevenness of the running surface, and the measured signal is inputted to the control means, and the measured signal is inputted to the control means. Each actuator is controlled to maintain the height of each boom relative to the ground or crop within a predetermined range before the rear wheels of the tractor tilt due to the same unevenness.

[Function] During the spraying work, when the running surface is flat, the control means including a microcomputer controls each actuator based on the measurement signal of the distance sensor of each boom to preset the height of each boom relative to the ground surface or crop. Keep within height range. When the running surface is uneven, when the tractor's rear wheels align with the unevenness, the soubreya mounted directly on the tractor will also tilt suddenly, so each actuator was controlled based on the &F = separation sensor of each boom. I won't be able to make it in time.

Before the rear wheels match the unevenness of the running surface, the front wheels always meet the unevenness and the front wheel frame, which is pivoted to the tractor body, tilts. The inclination is measured by the inclination sensor, and the signal thereof is input to the control means. The control means calculates the inclination of the sprayer when the rear wheels meet the same unevenness based on the measurement signal of the inclination sensor, and controls each actuator to move the boom up and down. The height of the boom relative to the ground or crop remains within a predetermined range even when the hoop conforms to irregularities.

[Example] The apparatus of the present invention will be explained based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sprayer 20 is directly mounted on the tractor IO, and the central boom 22 attached to the frame 21 of the sprayer extends left and right from behind the rear wheels 13 of the tractor 10. The front wheels 11 of the tractor 10 are the front wheel frame 1
2, and its front wheel frame 12 is swingably attached to the vehicle body 14 via a center pin 15. A distance sensor 17 and a spray nozzle 28 are arranged on the central boom 22 . The fixed side of the potentiometer type length gauge 16 is attached to the front wheel frame 12.
The displacement side is attached to the front wheel frame 12 on the upper vehicle body 14, and the inclination angle of the front wheel frame 12 with respect to the vehicle body 14 is detected.

A speed sensor 30 is attached to the tractor 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, the central boom 22 is attached to the machine frame 21 of the sprayer 20 so as to be movable up and down.
The vertical position is adjusted by moving the central actuator 23 provided between 2 forward and backward as shown by the arrows. The base ends of the left and right base booms 24L and H are rotatably attached to the left and right ends of the central boom 22, and a base actuator 25L is provided between them.
, R as shown by the arrows, and remove the former booms 24L and R.
oscillate up and down. The base ends of the front booms 28L and H are rotatably attached to the tips of the base booms 24L and H, and the front actuators 27L and R provided between them are moved forward and backward as shown by the arrows to move the front booms 26L and R up and down. oscillate. Center part of central boom 22, original and forward boom 24L, R1
Ultrasonic ground or crop distance sensors 17.18L, R128L, R are provided at the tips of 26L, R.

Center boom 22, main boom and front boom 24L, R12
Spray nozzles 28 are arranged at equal intervals in 8L and 8R. Central actuator 23, original and destination actuators 25L
, R127L, R are controlled by respective direction switching valves 33.35L, R237L, R, as shown in FIG.

Each valve can be controlled automatically or manually, and the switching dial 41 on the operation panel shown in FIG.
When set to manual, each boom can be raised and lowered by operating the solenoid of each valve using the manual operation switch 42. When the height and allowable width are set using the digital switches 43 and 44 and the switching dial 41 is set to automatic, the solenoids of each valve are controlled by a microcomputer and the height of each boom is automatically adjusted.

As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 6, the controller 50 includes a central processing unit CPU, an input/output interface, and a programmable timer, and the input interface includes each distance sensor 17, 18L, R128L, and R1 length 16.
, speed sensor 30, and digital switch 43.44 are input, and each valve 33.3 is input from the output interface.
A signal is output to the drive circuits of 5L, R137L, and R.

Next, the program control of the boom by the apparatus of the present invention during the spraying operation of the sprayer will be explained with reference to the flowchart of FIG. On the operation panel shown in FIG. 5, turn on the power switch 40, set the switching dial 41 to automatic, and set the target height and allowable width of the boom using the digital switch 43.
．． When set to 44, program control by controller 50 of FIG. 6 is started. In step 101, initialization is performed, and in steps 102 and 103, the target height and allowable width of the boom are set. Step 10
At step 4, the measurement signals from each sensor are read, and the step 105 calculates the measurement results. In step 106, a correction value based on the front wheel frame inclination is calculated. In step 107, a determination value is calculated by adding the slope correction value to the distance measurement value. In step 108, it is determined whether the determination value is greater than the sum of the target height and the allowable width, and if so, in step 109, a lowering flag is set. Otherwise, step 110
Then, it is determined whether the determination value is smaller than the value obtained by subtracting the allowable width from the target height, and if it is smaller, a rise flag is set in step 111. Otherwise, a stop flag is set in step 112. Next, in step 113, it is checked whether the mode is automatic, and in step 114, a drive signal based on the flag set is sent to the valve drive circuit. If the manual switch 42 on the operation panel in FIG. 5 is manually set, a stop signal is sent to the valve drive circuit in step 115. After that, the process returns to step 104 again. The steps from step 104 to step 115 are repeated for each valve.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the tractor is traveling on a smooth surface and the right side of the field is inclined, the controller 50 is activated by the measurement signal of the distance sensor 18R128R of the former poum 24R1 and the front boom 28R. Since the valves of the base boom 24R1 and the front boom 28R are rotated upward, the height of the base boom 24R1 and the front boom 28H relative to the ground or to the crop is maintained within the target permissible range.

As shown in FIG. 1, the running surface of the tractor 10 has four parts or convex parts. When the rear wheel 13 fits into this recess, the tractor 10 tilts as shown in FIG.

If the boom was adjusted based on the signal from the distance sensor after the rear wheel 13 got stuck in the recess, there would be a time difference, and one end boom 26L would hit the ground or the crop, while the other end boom 26R would be too far away from the crop. become. Before the rear wheel fits into this recess, as shown in FIG. 9, the front wheel 11 necessarily fits into the recess and the front wheel frame 12 tilts. When the front wheel frame 12 tilts, the length meter 16 inputs a displacement measurement signal to the controller, so step 1 of the flowchart
In step 06, the tilt correction value is calculated, and in step 107, the judgment value is the sum of the distance measurement value and the tilt correction value.As shown in Fig. 1O, the original actuators 25L and 25R are and the first actuator 27L, 2? Since R operates to raise and lower each boom 24L, R128L, R, the distance of each boom to the ground or to the crop is maintained at the target value even when the rear wheel gets stuck in the recess. When the rear wheels come out of the four-way position, the controller receives measurement signals from each sensor and adjusts the inclination of the boom, so the boom is always maintained at the target height.

In the flowchart of FIG. 11, the timing of sending the drive signal to the drive circuit in step 114 is calculated based on the speed measurement signal of the speed sensor, and the operation of each actuator ends before the rear wheel reaches the measurement position of the front wheel. As shown by the chain line in Figure 2, it is also possible to measure the inclination of the front wheel frame with an inclinometer instead of a length meter, but in this case, the inclinometers are attached to both the front wheel frame and the vehicle body to measure the relative inclination. Detects angle changes.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the device of the present invention tows a conventional sprayer with a tractor, installs an inclination sensor on the vehicle body of the tractor, and detects in advance the inclination of the sprayer due to unevenness of the running surface by the inclination of the tractor. Unlike the method of raising and lowering the sprayer's boom to maintain a constant height before the sprayer tilts due to the same unevenness, the sprayer is mounted directly on the tractor, and a tilt sensor is installed on the front wheel frame of the tractor. This method detects the inclination of the sprayer due to unevenness in advance by the inclination of the front wheel frame of the tractor, and then raises and lowers the boom to maintain a constant height before the sprayer tilts due to the same unevenness. In addition to being unnecessarily inexpensive, the sprayer has a small rotation radius unlike a drag bow, so it has the excellent effect of improving workability in the field.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are side and front views of a sprayer equipped with an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a rear view of the sprayer of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a view of the apparatus of FIG. 1. Hydraulic circuit diagram, Figure 5 is a diagram showing the operation panel of the device in Figure 1, Figure 6 is a block diagram of the equipment controller in Figure 1, and Figure 7 is a diagram corresponding to Figure 3. Indicates the condition. FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3, and shows a state in which the rear wheels of the tractor are in a recess when the device of the present invention is not used. FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2, and shows the front tractor wheel in a recess when the device of the invention is used. FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 and shows the rear wheel of the tractor in a recess when using the device of the invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing program control of the apparatus of FIG. In the figure, numeral 10 is a tractor, 11 is a front wheel, 12 is a front wheel frame, 13 is a rear wheel, 14 is a vehicle body, 18 is a length meter (tilt sensor), 20 is a sprayer, 21 is a machine frame, 22 is a central boom, 23 is the central actuator, 26 is the front boom, 2
7 is a front actuator, 28 is a distance sensor, 30 is a speed sensor, and 50 is a controller.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A tractor, a sprayer directly mounted on the tractor, a central boom attached to the frame of the sprayer so that its vertical and fixed positions can be adjusted, and a base end rotatably attached to both ends of the central boom. left and right base booms that are attached to the left and right base booms, left and right tip booms whose base ends are rotatably attached to the tips of the left and right base booms, and a fluid provided between the center boom and the left and right base booms. left and right actuators based on hydraulic pressure, left and right actuators based on fluid pressure provided between the left and right main booms and the left and right previous booms, a distance sensor attached to each boom with respect to the ground surface or crops, and the distance sensor. and a control means for controlling each actuator to maintain the height of each boom relative to the ground surface or crops within a predetermined range based on measurement signals from the sensors, the apparatus comprising: a tilt sensor on the front wheel frame of the tractor; attached,
The inclination sensor measures the relative inclination angle of the front wheel frame with respect to the vehicle body of the tractor due to unevenness of the running surface and inputs the measurement signal to the control means, and the control means adjusts the angle of inclination of the tractor based on the measurement signal of the inclination sensor. A boom control device for a tractor-mounted sprayer, characterized in that the height of each boom relative to the ground surface or crops is maintained within a predetermined range by controlling each actuator before the rear wheels are tilted due to the same unevenness.