JP2007060982A - Automatic steering system for working vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic steering system for a working vehicle, ensuring automatic changeover irrespective of manual or automatic steering case, thus eliminating conventional changeover operation troublesomeness and improving the working vehicle's operating efficiency. <P>SOLUTION: The automatic steering system for a working vehicle is equipped with a sensor(21) for detecting the course of the vehicle(1) and an actuator(25) for steering the vehicle on the detection, wherein the vehicle(1) is equipped with a control means 23 functioning to halt an automatic steering operation for a predetermined period of time and enable a manual steering operation when a steering operation is detected. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic steering device for a work vehicle such as a tractor.

Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a three-contact selector switch for selectively switching one of three control modes of a manual control mode, an assist control mode, and an auto control mode is provided. The thing of the structure provided is known.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-284804

In the prior art described above, when switching to various control modes, there is a problem that the switching operation must be performed one by one with the changeover switch, which makes the operation troublesome.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and improve work efficiency by switching automatically regardless of manual control or automatic control.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has taken the following technical means.
That is, the invention according to claim 1 is an automatic steering device for a work vehicle, which includes a sensor (21) for detecting the course of the vehicle (1) and a steering actuator (25) for steering the vehicle by the detection of the sensor. The vehicle is provided with a control means (23) that, when a steering operation is detected, stops automatic steering for a predetermined time and enables manual steering.

  When the sensor (21) for detecting the course of the vehicle (1) malfunctions and tries to deviate from the heel or heel, when the operator corrects this by manual operation, the automatic operation is cut off for a certain period of time. By switching to manual operation, it is possible to make fine adjustments, and after a certain period of time, it returns to automatic control, so there is no need to forget to return.

  The invention according to claim 2 is a sensor (21) for detecting the course of the vehicle (1), a steering actuator (25) for steering the vehicle by the detection of the sensor (21), and a ground work machine (R). In the automatic control device for a work vehicle provided with a lift actuator (11) for moving up and down the vehicle, the vehicle (1) stops the automatic steering when the work machine (R) is lifted, and the work machine Control means (23) for returning the automatic steering again when (R) is lowered is provided.

  During automatic steering control, when the operation of one stroke is completed by operating the position lever (13) and the work implement (R) is raised to a predetermined position, the automatic steering control is turned off and temporarily stopped. When the work machine (R) is lowered to the ground work position when shifting to the work of the next stroke after turning, the automatic steering control is entered to automatically return to the automatic steering control. When the work machine (R) is raised after the completion of the work in one stroke and the operation moves to the work in the next stroke, if automatic control is working, malfunction is likely to occur. On the other hand, it is possible to prevent malfunctions by turning off the automatic operation while the work implement is raised.

  In short, according to the invention of claim 1, when the operator manually performs a correction operation due to a malfunction of the course detection sensor (21), the automatic operation is interrupted for a certain period of time, and the manual operation is performed. Since the automatic operation is always resumed after a certain period of time has elapsed, there is no need to forget to return it, and there is no troublesome switching operation as in the prior art, and operability and work efficiency can be improved.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the operation of one stroke is finished and the work implement is raised during the automatic steering control, the automatic steering control is turned off and temporarily stopped. When the is lowered, the automatic steering control is automatically turned on. In short, when the work implement is lifted after the completion of the work of one stroke and shifts to the work of the next stroke, malfunction is likely to occur if automatic control is working. By turning off the automatic operation, malfunctions can be prevented.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a riding tractor as an example of a work vehicle. An engine E is mounted in a bonnet 2 at the front of the tractor body 1, and the rotational power of the engine E is transmitted in a mission case 3. The transmission is transmitted to the transmission, and the rotational power decelerated by the transmission is transmitted to the front wheels 4 and the rear wheels 5. The steering handle 6 is configured to steer the left and right front wheels 4 and 4 by the turning operation. An operation box 7 is installed on the front side of the handle 6 and a driver's seat 8 is installed on the rear side.

  A hydraulic cylinder case 9 is provided at the upper part of the mission case 3, and lift arms 10 are pivotally attached to the left and right sides of the hydraulic cylinder case 9. In the hydraulic cylinder case 9, a hydraulic lifting cylinder is provided as a lifting actuator 11 that lifts and lowers the rotary working machine R. When hydraulic oil is supplied into the hydraulic lift cylinder 11 via the lift valve 12, the lift arm 10 is turned upward. When the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic lift cylinder 11 is discharged via the lift valve 12, the lift arm 10 is lowered. It is supposed to be. 13 is a position lever for raising / lowering the work machine. The rotary work machine R is connected to a vehicle body via a three-point link mechanism such as a top link 16 and a lower link 17, and the lift arm 10 and the lower link 17 are connected by a lift rod 18. .

  The vehicle body 1 is equipped with an image recognition device (for example, a device that detects the shape of a bag or a bag using a stereo image processing mechanism) as a sensor 21 for detecting the course of the vehicle body. 21 output signals are inputted to a controller as the control means 23. On the output side of the controller 23, a steering controller for automatically controlling the steering device 24 is connected as a steering actuator 25 for steering the aircraft based on the course detection result by the image recognition device 21, and can be automatically operated. Is provided. Specifically, a hydraulic brake mechanism is configured on the left and right rear axles, and a predetermined braking force is applied to the brake mechanism while continuously changing the pressure oil supply amount by energizing a proportional electromagnetic valve, It is configured to realize a rapid turn from a gentle turn, and constitutes the current control by the energization.

  The motor 22 provided in the image recognition device 21 is configured so that the camera 22 of the image recognition device 21 is turned in the reverse direction based on the result of the turn detection when the aircraft turns and turns (180 degrees). It is configured to change direction by rotation.

  Further, the steering handle 6 is provided with a steering sensor 26 for detecting an artificial steering operation by the handle, and this detection signal is inputted to the controller 23. The controller 23 is provided with a timer device T. When the steering sensor 26 detects an artificial steering operation, the timer device T stops automatic steering for a predetermined time (2 to 3 seconds), and manually It is configured so that it can be steered with. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the system automatically returns to autopilot.

  Further, the controller 23 stops the automatic steering by the operation of the lift arm angle sensor 27 (automatic control is set to “OFF”) when the working machine R is lifted by the position lever 13 during the automatic steering. When the work machine R is lowered, a control means is provided for returning the automatic steering again by the operation of the lift arm angle sensor 27 (automatically “on” after a certain time).

  The tractor including the automatic steering device configured as described above is subjected to automatic steering control as shown in the flowcharts of the outline of the control program shown in FIGS. In FIG. 3, automatic steering control is performed when the automatic switch is ON while reading various sensors. That is, the sensor 21 output is received to detect the amount of correction in the aircraft traveling direction, the current value is set based on the detection result, the current control is performed, and the rear wheel on the predetermined side is braked based on the current control. Direction control is performed. Here, the steering sensor 26 detects whether or not the steering handle 6 is in the neutral position. In the automatic steering mode when the automatic switch is ON, the steering handle 6 does not need to be operated, so it remains neutral. However, when there are obstacles on the shore or weeds are overgrown, the operator is almost unconscious. In order to avoid this, the steering handle 6 is operated. In such a case, the steering sensor 26 is actuated to detect that it is not in the neutral position and output to the controller 23. At this time, the timer device T is activated, and the autopilot is interrupted during the timer device T operation period. Then, it follows the steering steering of the steering handle 6. When a set time of the timer device T, for example, 2 to 3 seconds elapses, the timer device T is turned off and switched to the automatic control mode again. The set time of the timer device T is set in advance, and may be configured so that it can be changed in length.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the display panel 41 of the operation box 7 is provided with a display device 41 that displays on / off of automatic control. By displaying on / off of automatic control, forgetting to turn on automatic control is prevented. be able to. That is, the display device 41 is configured in the form of a blinking lamp. When automatic control is turned on, the display device 41 blinks to allow the operator to recognize that it is in the autopilot mode. In addition to the display panel 40, the display device 41 is configured to be able to blink the marker 41a provided at the front end of the bonnet, and in the control mode by automatic control, this is displayed in blinking, so that the work situation can be seen by looking forward. The autopilot mode can be confirmed while confirming.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 shows that the image recognition device 21 having a camera provided in the front part of the tractor performs automatic steering control while detecting the shape of the kite U. When the handle is operated while the work implement is raised occasionally, the orientation of the camera of the image recognition device is automatically switched to the direction of the handle operation. The camera switches from left to right by the rotation, and in the case of left turn, the camera switches from right to left by rotation of the motor to the left. With this configuration, it is not necessary to change the camera posture every time the turn is completed, and it is convenient to continue working.

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a direction sensor 32 for detecting a rope 31 extending above the field in the front part of the tractor is provided on a support 34 at the front end of the machine body. The direction control is performed. The direction sensor 32 uses an angle sensor 32a composed of a potentiometer that changes the resistance value by rotating around the axis Q in the front-rear direction. When the body deviates from the towline, the direction sensor 32 tilts and the angle sensor 32a detects and outputs a predetermined resistance value. The controller calculates the direction and degree of displacement of the airframe and outputs a braking force to a rear wheel brake mechanism that is a steering device. The rear wheel on one side is braked to turn the aircraft toward the direction correction side. When the direction is corrected and the direction sensor 32 returns to the towline, braking is stopped and straight running is performed. Thus, since it is the structure which performs the straight-ahead control of an airframe with a tightness structure, a structure is simple and it is easy to grasp | ascertain the position which performs a straight-ahead.

  Further, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, an image recognition device with a camera 21 is provided at the front of the machine body, and the direction control is performed by detecting the rope 31 stretched over the field. That is, when the camera image is within a predetermined range of the display device, the vehicle travels straight, and when the camera image is out of this range, braking is output to the rear wheel brake mechanism that is a steering device to correct the direction. A stop / turn detection means 32 is provided at the end of the movement to stop the body when the specific shape is recognized or to turn the body. Specifically, a knot of a rope is formed, and the end of the straight-ahead control can be confirmed in combination with the image recognition device with camera 21. In addition to the knot of the leash, any thing can be used as long as it can be confirmed by the camera image.

  In the above-described embodiment, the steering device is configured to perform direction control with the left and right rear wheel brake mechanisms during automatic steering control. However, the present invention can be advantageously applied to a crawler type vehicle. Note that the steering handle 6 may be directly operated as a steering device.

  The embodiment shown in FIG. 12 relates to a work switching setting device, and a card Ca that can be inputted in advance for automatic control switching according to a target work and contents stored in the card Ca are preliminarily stored. In an agricultural machine having a work switching setting device 35 that can be input to the controller 36, when the card Ca is inserted into the work switching setting device 35, a part of the card protrudes from the setting device. The contents of the control can be described (for example, if the work contents are plows, “plow” is displayed). According to this, the operator can easily view the contents of the switching, and the switching setting can be prevented from being mistaken. Reference numeral 37 denotes a proportional electromagnetic valve for switching hydraulic oil as a control target.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the card Ca is configured so that it can be recognized by applying the insulating sheet C1 and the electrode C2 to the back and the front, so that two types of work settings can be recognized. Accordingly, two types of switching can be stored in one card, and the number of setting cards held can be reduced.

  Further, the card Ca is provided with an identification signal so that only cards registered in the controller 36 of the machine are accepted, that is, the controller accepts only the operator code set in advance. In this case, for example, it is possible to prevent a tractor card of a different type from being erroneously inserted or a malfunction caused by being inserted into a different model such as a combiner.

  Further, an identification signal is provided on the card, and the controller 36 is configured to store the identification signal and the work time. The controller stores the card number and the cumulative work time for each card. If the work time is displayed on the display unit of the display panel 40, the worker and the time for each work can be easily recognized.

Side view of tractor Schematic explanatory diagram showing the autopilot flowchart flowchart Top view of the tractor control section flowchart Top view of tractor showing autopilot operation state Perspective view of tractor showing direction control state Front view of the main part Perspective view of tractor showing direction control state Top view of the field showing the state where the rope is stretched Explanatory drawing of the main part of a work vehicle provided with the work change setting device Card insertion direction top view Plan view showing the relationship between the work change setting device and the card

Explanation of symbols

1 Vehicle (body)
6 Steering handle 10 Lift arm 11 Lifting actuator (Hydraulic lifting cylinder)
12 Lifting valve 13 Position lever 21 Path detection sensor (image recognition device)
R Rotary work machine 23 Control means (controller)
24 Steering device 25 Steering actuator (steering controller)
26 Steering sensor 27 Lift arm angle sensor T Timer device

Claims (2)

In an automatic steering device for a work vehicle, comprising a sensor (21) for detecting the course of the vehicle (1) and a steering actuator (25) for steering the vehicle by detection of the sensor.
An automatic steering device for a work vehicle, comprising: a control means (23) that, when a steering operation is detected, stops automatic steering for a predetermined time and enables manual steering. A sensor (21) for detecting the course of the vehicle (1), a steering actuator (25) for steering the vehicle (1) by the detection of the sensor (21), and a lifting actuator for lifting and lowering the ground work machine (R) (11) In an automatic steering device for a work vehicle,
The vehicle (1) has a control means (23) for stopping the automatic steering when the working machine (R) is raised, and returning the automatic steering again when the working machine (R) is lowered. An autopilot device for a work vehicle characterized by comprising:

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