JP2015174536A - Work vehicle steering device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a work vehicle having an automatic mode in which a steering handle is automatically operated by various sensors, control equipment and a steering unit and a manual mode in which the steering handle is manually operated, provided with switching means by which the modes are switched, and capable of allowing the steering unit to be easily and inexpensively installed thereon.SOLUTION: A steering unit 24 including a drive roller which is driven by abutting on a steering handle 12 is fixed to a further front side than an operation panel 13 which is arranged in front of the steering handle 12, and on which a meter or an operation tool is provided. The steering handle 12 and the drive roller 41 are driven by energizing means 44 which energizes the drive roller 41 in the direction of the steering handle 12 and by switching means 15 which can be arranged at a position where the steering handle 12 abuts on the drive roller 41, and thus, the steering handle 12 is steered.

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering device for a work vehicle that automatically operates a steering handle.

  A steering handle that performs a steering operation, an operation position detection unit that detects a steering direction of the steering handle, and a steering unit that performs a steering operation by the steering handle by a driving force of an electric motor. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a work vehicle steering apparatus shown in Patent Document 1 that includes an automatic mode that is automatically operated and a manual mode in which an operator manually operates a steering handle, and that includes switching means that switches between the automatic mode and the manual mode. It is known.

JP 2011-207407 A

  In the steering device for a work vehicle, the convenience is improved by the steering unit that can automatically operate the steering handle. On the other hand, the steering unit is provided on the side of the shaft connected to the steering handle. It is necessary to form a dedicated space for providing the unit, and it takes time to install the steering unit.

  In the present invention, there are an automatic mode in which the steering handle is automatically operated by various sensors, control devices, and a steering unit, and a manual mode in which the operator manually operates the steering handle, and the switching for switching between the automatic mode and the manual mode. An object of the present invention is to provide a work vehicle in which the steering unit can be installed simply and at low cost. The automatic mode refers to a method in which the steering unit is driven by the control of some program or the like without steering operation by the operator and the steering handle is steered, and the manual mode is the operator operating the steering handle. Refers to the method.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, first, the operation panel 13 further includes a steering unit 24 including a driving roller that contacts and drives the steering handle 12 and is provided in front of the steering handle 12 and provided with a meter or an operation tool. The urging means 44 that is fixed to the front side and that urges the driving roller 41 in the direction of the steering handle 12 and the switching means 15 that can be disposed at a position where the steering handle 12 and the driving roller 41 come into contact with each other. It is a steering device that drives the steering handle 12 and the driving roller 41 to steer the steering handle 12.

  Second, the steering unit 24 includes an attachment portion 33 provided with the drive roller 41 and an electric motor 39 that drives the drive roller 41, and a support portion 31 that fixes the attachment portion 33 to the vehicle body. It is characterized by that.

  Third, the support part 31 is fixed to an extension part 29 extending from the upper part of the operation panel 13 to the front lower side by support members 47 and 49.

  Fourth, the support portion 31 is configured to be attachable to the windshield 28 of the cabin 7 by support members 56 and 61.

  Fifth, the switching means 15 uses a tilt mechanism installed in a work vehicle.

  Sixth, at least two drive rollers 41 driven by the electric motor 39 are provided, and the drive rollers 41 come into contact with the steering handle 12 to steer the steering handle 12.

  The steering handle and the driving roller are brought into contact with each other by the urging means for urging the driving roller in the direction of the steering handle and the switching means for moving the steering handle to a position in contact with the driving roller. By switching to the mode, the steering unit can be stably steered by the steering unit. Further, since the steering unit is arranged in front of the operation panel, when the operator operates the steering handle (in the manual mode), the steering unit does not hinder the operation of the steering handle, and the operation panel can be visually checked. I do not disturb.

  The steering unit includes an attachment portion in which the drive roller and an electric motor that drives the drive roller are installed, and a support portion that fixes the attachment portion to a vehicle body. Since the support portion can be easily changed as appropriate according to the configuration on the side and can be applied to various attachment methods, versatility is improved.

  In addition, the support unit is fixed to an extension part extending from the upper part of the operation panel to the front lower side by a support member, so that the steering unit can be used, for example, using an existing bolt hole in the extension part. It can be fixed, and the retrofitting work of the steering unit is facilitated.

  If the support portion 31 is configured to be attachable to the windshield of the cabin by the support member, the installation space for the support portion can be made compact, and mounting bolt holes can be formed on the upper surface of the operation panel. The steering unit can be easily attached even if it is not.

  The automatic mode / manual mode switching means is an operation for changing the position of the steering handle by utilizing a tilt mechanism provided in the traveling aircraft, that is, a function in which the position of the steering handle can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the traveling aircraft. The automatic mode and the manual mode can be switched. Therefore, a complicated switching mechanism is not required and the cost can be kept low.

  In addition, according to the mounting portion, at least two or more driving rollers driven by an electric motor are provided, and the driving rollers abut on the steering handle, so that occurrence of slip between the driving roller and the steering handle can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to use a small and inexpensive electric motor with lower output.

1 is a side view of a tractor to which a steering device for a work vehicle according to the present invention is applied. It is a principal part perspective view which shows the switching state of a steering unit. It is a principal part side view which shows the control part in automatic mode. It is a principal part top view which shows the control part in automatic mode. It is a principal part front perspective view which shows the control part in automatic mode. FIG. 5 is a side view of a main part showing a steering unit according to another embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a main part of a steering unit according to another embodiment. FIG. 6 is a side view of a main part showing a steering unit in another embodiment 2. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a main part showing a steering unit in another embodiment 2. FIG. 10 is a side view of a main part showing a steering unit in another embodiment 3.

  FIG. 1 is a side view of a tractor to which a steering device for a work vehicle according to the present invention is applied. The tractor includes a body frame 3 supported by a pair of left and right front wheels 1 and 1 and rear wheels 2 and 2 and a bonnet 4 that covers an upper surface side of an engine (not shown) installed on the front side of the body frame 3. A traveling machine body 8 is provided, which is provided behind the bonnet 4 and includes a cabin 7 provided with a control unit 6 on which an operator gets on and steers the vehicle. A lifting link is provided behind the traveling machine body 8. 9, a working machine (not shown) such as a rotary tiller is connected so as to be movable up and down.

  The steering unit 6 includes a seat 11 on which an operator is seated, a steering handle 12 which is a steering operation tool disposed on the front side of the seat 11, an operation panel 13 disposed on the front side of the steering handle 12, and a seat 11 And a floor step 14 that is a floor provided between the steering handles 12. The operation panel 13 includes a display panel 16 that displays travel information and work information, and front switch panels 17 and 17 disposed on the left and right sides of the display panel 16.

  The column 18 of the steering handle 12 is protected on the seat 11 side by a column cover 18a, and its lower end is attached and supported on the body frame 3 side. Further, the column 18 of the steering handle 12 is supported on the side of the body frame 3 so as to be movable in the vertical (front / rear) direction, whereby the steering handle 12 can be adjusted in the vertical (front / rear) direction. A tilt mechanism 15 is configured. The tilt mechanism 15 also serves as switching means for switching between an automatic mode and a manual mode in an automatic operation device described later. Details will be described later.

  Further, an operation position detection sensor comprising a sensor such as a potentiometer for detecting the operation position of the steering handle 12 by detecting the rotational position is provided on the side of the steering shaft connected to the steering handle 12, which will be described later. Connected to the control unit.

  Further, a shaft lever 21 for operating forward (F), reverse (R), and neutral (N) of the traveling machine body is provided on one of the left and right sides (left side in the illustrated example) of the steering handle 12. An engine control lever 22 for operating the engine speed is provided on the other left and right sides (right side in the illustrated example), and a steering unit for steering the steering handle in the automatic mode is provided on the front side of the steering handle 12. It has been. Hereinafter, automatic steering using a steering unit will be described.

Next, an automatic steering method using a steering unit will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 2 is a main part perspective view showing a switching state of the steering unit, and FIGS. 3 to 5 are a main part side view, a main part plan view, and a main part perspective view showing the steering part in the automatic mode.

  When performing automatic steering using a steering unit, a photographing unit 23 for photographing a traveling state of a traveling machine body, a steering unit 24 for operating the steering handle 12, and a control unit for operating the steering unit 24 are provided. The amount of driving of the steering wheel is determined using a system comprising the control unit 26, and based on the data output from the photographing unit 23 from the manual mode in which the operator manually performs the steering operation by the switching mechanism. Automatic steering is possible by switching to the automatic mode in which the steering operation is performed via the control unit.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the photographing unit 23 is composed of a camera attached to the upper front side of the cabin and an installation part for attaching the camera. The ground and the horizon are photographed, and the photographed image (moving image) data is output to the control unit 26.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the steering unit 24 includes a driving roller that contacts the steering handle 12, an electric motor 39 that is driven by being connected to the driving roller, and an upper portion of the operation panel 13 toward the windshield 28. A support portion for supporting the steering unit 24 fixed to the extending portion 29 by a mounting hole 29a provided in the extending portion 29 and the like on a visor-like extending portion 29 extending to the front lower side. 31 and an attachment portion 33 which is attached to the support portion 31 and abuts against the steering handle 12, and includes an electric motor 39 for driving and steering the steering handle 12, an arm member 32 for attaching the drive roller 41, and the like. ing.

  The mounting portion 33 includes a bracket 37 that is detachably bolted to the support portion 31 side and is formed in a cylindrical shape that is open at the front and rear to support the battery 36 and the like, and a base that is attached to the upper surface side of the bracket 37. A plate 38, an arm member 32 that is attached to the base plate 38 so as to be turnable in the left-right direction, and a drive roller 41 that is rotationally driven by an electric motor 39 provided on one end side of the arm member 32 are provided.

  The arm member 32 is rotatably provided on a rotation shaft 42 provided on the base plate 38. The base plate 38 is provided with an arc-shaped restriction hole 38a, and a part of the arm member 32 on the side of the base plate 38 on the side of the U-shaped restriction member 43 is the restriction hole. It is comprised so that the inside of 38a may be penetrated. Thereby, the rotation range of the arm member 32 is defined.

  Further, a protruding portion 46 to which one end of an elastic member 44 for urging the arm member 32 is attached is formed on one side of the bracket 37 (right side in the illustrated example) (see FIG. 4). The other end side of the elastic member 44 is connected to the regulating member 43 of the arm member 32, and the driving roller 41 at the tip of the arm member 32 is biased toward the steering handle 12. For this reason, the driving force of the driving roller 41 in contact with the steering handle 12 is transmitted to the steering handle 12 efficiently and stably, and the steering operation by the driving roller 41 becomes more stable.

  The support portion 31 includes a first support member 47 that is fixed to the front end side of the extending portion 29 and is bent in an inverted U shape, and a pair of connections that connect the first support member 47 and the bracket 37 side. The members 48, 48, and a second support member 49 that is attached to the upper surface of the extending portion 29 and supports the lower surface of the bracket 37.

  The first support member 47 is fixed by bolts inserted into support holes 51 drilled on the left and right ends of the extended portion 29 on both ends, and is attached so as to straddle the extended portion 29 in the left-right direction. Further, the first support member 47 has a plurality of fixing holes 47a continuously formed in the left-right direction, and a pair of connecting members 48 connected to the rear end of the bracket 37 using any fixing hole 47a. , 48 and the control unit 26 are bolted. Specifically, the connecting members 38 are mounted and fixed on one of the left and right sides (right side in the illustrated example), and the control unit 26 is mounted on the other side (left side in the illustrated example).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, rotation shafts 49 a and 48 a that can adjust the angle in the front-rear direction are provided in the middle of the second support member 49 and the connecting members 48 and 48. Accordingly, the steering unit 24 can be reliably installed even if the position of the steering handle 12 or the shape of the extending portion 29 is different, so that versatility is enhanced.

  According to the support portion 31, the bracket 37 is formed by the pair of left and right connecting members 48, 48 connected to the first support member 47 and the second support member 49 disposed on the rear side of the first support member 47. By point support, even when the mounting position of the mounting portion 33 (bracket 37) is shifted left and right and back and forth, the mounting portion 33 can be mounted and fixed on the extended portion 29 in a stable state.

  According to the above configuration, the steering unit 24 for automatically steering the steering handle 12 can be disposed in the space above the extended portion 29 that is inclined downward from the upper portion of the operation panel 13 toward the front. The panel 13 does not protrude greatly upward from the upper end side, and the steering unit 24 can be prevented from obstructing the field of view and operability of the operator who performs the steering operation. Further, since a separate member for forming a space for installing the steering unit 24 is not necessary, the installation work of the steering unit 24 in the cabin 7 is simple and easy. Further, it can be attached to a work vehicle not equipped with a cabin.

  The steering handle 12 is configured so that the position setting of the steering handle 12 can be changed by the tilt mechanism 15 described above (see FIG. 2), and the steering handle 12 is forward of a predetermined position (in the illustrated example, the front end side). ) Is arranged so that the outer peripheral surface serving as the grip portion of the steering handle 12 and the drive roller 41 come into contact with each other (see FIGS. 3 to 5).

  In other words, the automatic steering method using the steering unit described above functions as a switching mechanism for switching the steering mode of the steering unit 24 by the operation of arranging the steering handle 12 forward and backward by the tilt mechanism 15. That is, the switching mechanism 15 is operated to place the steering handle 12 to the front end, and the steering handle 12 and the drive roller 41 are sufficiently brought into contact with each other to switch to the automatic mode. By switching the steering handle 12 to the position where the contact is released, the manual mode is switched.

  According to this configuration, since the existing tilt mechanism 15 is used as the switching mechanism of the steering device, the manufacturing cost of the steering device can be reduced, and the installation effort can be saved.

  At this time, the switching mechanism 15 is provided with mode switching detection means (not shown) including a detection switch for detecting that the steering handle 12 is arranged to the front end and switched to the automatic mode.

  The mode switching detection means, the operation position detection sensor, and the camera of the photographing unit 23 are connected to the input side of the control unit 26, and the electric motor 39 is connected to the output side.

  When it is detected that the control unit 26 has been switched to the automatic mode, the control unit 26 is based on the information input from the photographing unit 23 and the information on the steering direction of the steering wheel 12 detected by the operation position detecting means. The steering wheel 12 can be operated by rotating the drive roller 41 via the electric motor 39, whereby the work vehicle can be automatically steered.

  Specifically, the control unit detects a target tracking line that is a target of travel from the image output from the imaging unit 23, and performs control so as to travel along the target tracking line. The target tracking line is, for example, a field fence detected from an image. The control unit performs steering operation by controlling the output of the electric motor 39 so that the work vehicle travels along the target tracking line.

  Next, based on FIG.6 and FIG.7, a different point from the above-mentioned point is demonstrated about another Example 1 of this invention. 6 and 7 are a main part side view and a main part perspective view showing the steering unit according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the support portion 31 includes a third support member 56 that is detachably attached to the windshield 28 on the front side of the extension portion 29, and a bracket 37 that is attached to the extension portion 29. The second support member 49 supports the lower surface.

  The third support member 56 is composed of a pair of left and right suction cups 57 and 57 and a connecting member 58 for connecting the suction cups to each other, and the pair of suction cups 57 and 57 are adsorbed to the surface inside the windshield 28 of the cabin 7. By this, it is attached to the cabin 7 (traveling vehicle body 8) side. Further, the middle part of the connecting member 58 is rotatably connected to the rear end of the bracket 37 via a pair of arms 59. Since the arm 59 is rotatably connected to the connecting member 58, the direction of the suction cup can be adjusted in the vertical direction.

  According to the third support member 56 having the above-described configuration, the steering unit 24 can be stably attached even when there is no portion that can be bolted to the extended portion 29 side, so that it is compatible with various types of models. It is possible and highly versatile.

  Next, based on FIG.8 and FIG.9, a different point from the above-mentioned point is demonstrated about another Example 2 of this invention. 8 and 9 are a main part side view and a main part perspective view showing a steering unit according to another embodiment. The illustrated fourth support member 61 includes three suction cups 62, 62, 62 arranged in an inverted triangle shape, and a triangular connection member 63 that connects the suction cups 62.

  The connecting member 63 extends rearward from the upper suction cups 62, 62 aligned in the left-right direction, is rotatably attached to the rear end side of the bracket 37, and is supported from the lower surface side of the bracket 37. An arm 64 that connects the portion 37a and the rear side of the lower suction cup 62 is rotatably connected to each other.

  With the above configuration, the angle of the surface formed by the three suction cups 62, 62, 62 can be adjusted according to the inclination of the windshield 28, so that the steering unit 24 can be easily attached to various types of cabins 7. be able to. Further, since the steering unit 24 is attached to the windshield 28 without using the extending portion 29, it can be stably supported without depending on the strength of the extending portion.

  Next, a different point from the above-described point will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a side view of an essential part showing a steering unit according to another embodiment. The arm member 32 is provided with a plurality of drive rollers 41 driven by the electric motor 39 (two in the illustrated example), and when the mode is switched to the automatic mode by the switching mechanism, a plurality of grip rollers on the outer periphery of the steering handle 12 are provided. The drive roller 41 is configured to contact.

  With the above configuration, the driving force of the driving roller 41 necessary for automatically operating the steering handle 12 can be kept low, so that a cheaper electric motor 39 can be used and safety is also improved.

  Note that a center marker (not shown) may be provided in the steering unit 24 described above. By providing a center marker in the steering unit 24, it is easier for the operator of the control unit to visually recognize it than in the case where it is provided on the front side of the bonnet 4.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Steering handle 15 Switching mechanism 13 Operation panel 24 Steering unit 28 Windshield 31 Support part 33 Mounting part 39 Electric motor 41 Drive roller 47 1st support member (support member)
49 Second support member (support member)
56 Third support member (support member)
61 4th support member (support member)

Claims (6)

  In a steering apparatus for a work vehicle including a steering unit (24) including a driving roller (41) for steering the steering handle (12), the steering unit (24) is fixed to a front side of the steering handle (12), and Biasing means (44) for urging the drive roller (41) in the direction of the steering handle (12), and switching means (15) for disposing the steering handle (12) at a position in contact with the drive roller (41). ), The steering device of the working vehicle for driving and steering the steering handle (12) by bringing the steering handle (12) and the drive roller (41) into contact with each other.   The steering unit (24) includes an attachment portion (33) provided with the drive roller (41) and an electric motor (39) for driving the drive roller (41), and the attachment portion (33) fixed to the vehicle body. The work vehicle steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the work vehicle steering apparatus is configured with a supporting portion (31).   The work vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the support portion (31) is fixed to an extending portion (29) extending from the upper part of the operation panel (13) to the front lower side by a support member (47, 49). Steering device.   The steering device for a work vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the support portion (31) is configured to be attachable to the windshield (28) of the cabin (7) by a support member (56, 61).   2. The work vehicle steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit uses a tilt mechanism installed in the work vehicle.   The drive roller (41) driven by the electric motor (39) is provided at least two or more, and the drive roller (41) contacts the steering handle (12) to steer the steering handle (12). The working vehicle steering apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 5.

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