JP2024077997A - Work vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a work vehicle capable of changing the illumination direction of a lighting device. [Solution] The work vehicle is equipped with a vehicle body 1, a support mechanism A that supports the vehicle body 1 in a state in which the inclination of the vehicle body 1 can be changed, a lighting device 40 that is provided on one side of the vehicle body 1 in the front-rear direction and illuminates one side of the vehicle body 1, and an illumination direction changing mechanism E that changes the illumination direction of the lighting device 40. [Selected Figure] Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to a work vehicle that is suitable for traveling on uneven, rough terrain.

One example of such a work vehicle is described in Patent Document 1. In this work vehicle, four traveling devices (called "traveling wheels" in Patent Document 1) are supported on the vehicle body via a bending link mechanism that can be extended and retracted by operating a hydraulic cylinder.

JP 2022-93124 A

As described above, in a work vehicle that travels on uneven, rough ground, it is desirable to install a lighting device that can illuminate the ground around the work vehicle. However, even if a lighting device is simply installed in the front part of the work vehicle, the angle of illumination of the light changes when the vehicle body is tilted, for example, due to inclination, and the lighting device ends up illuminating a part other than the ground.

In addition, in the above-mentioned work vehicles, it is desirable to change the illumination direction according to the situation, such as illuminating a distant area from the work vehicle in order to check the driving destination in advance.

The object of the present invention is to provide a work vehicle that can change the direction of illumination of the lighting device.

The work vehicle of the present invention is equipped with a vehicle body, a support mechanism that supports the vehicle body in a state in which the inclination of the vehicle body can be changed, a lighting device that is provided on one side of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction and illuminates one side of the vehicle body, and an illumination direction change mechanism that changes the illumination direction of the lighting device.

According to this invention, the work vehicle is equipped with an illumination direction changing mechanism that changes the illumination direction of the lighting device, so that the work vehicle can change the illumination direction of the lighting device.

In the present invention, it is preferable that an inclination change unit is provided that controls the support mechanism to change the inclination of the vehicle body, and the irradiation direction change mechanism changes the irradiation direction of the lighting device by changing the inclination of the vehicle body.

With this configuration, the lighting device's irradiation direction is changed by changing the inclination of the vehicle body, so there is no need to provide the lighting device with a mechanism for changing the irradiation direction. As a result, the function of changing the irradiation direction can be realized without changing the configuration of the lighting device.

In the present invention, the support mechanism includes a plurality of drive wheels located at the front and rear of both the left and right sides of the vehicle body, a plurality of bending link mechanisms that support the plurality of drive wheels on the vehicle body so that they can be raised and lowered individually, and a posture change operation mechanism that can change the posture of the plurality of bending link mechanisms individually, and it is preferable that the tilt change unit controls the posture change operation mechanism to change the tilt of the vehicle body.

With this configuration, the front and rear of both the left and right sides of the vehicle body are configured to be able to be raised and lowered by the bending link mechanism, so by combining the raising and lowering actions of these bending link functions, it is possible to change the position to various positions. As a result, it is possible to change the irradiation direction in various directions.

In the present invention, it is preferable that a tilt acquisition unit is provided that detects the tilt angle of the vehicle body, and the illumination direction change mechanism changes the illumination direction of the illumination device based on the detection result of the tilt acquisition unit so that the angle of the illumination device with respect to the horizontal direction is maintained constant.

This configuration allows the lighting device to maintain a constant angle relative to the horizontal even when the vehicle body is tilted on a slope, etc.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the illumination direction change mechanism has a position change part that supports the lighting device so that the position can be changed, and the lighting device is supported on the vehicle body via the position change part.

With this configuration, the lighting device can change its position relative to the vehicle body, so the direction of illumination from the lighting device can be changed without tilting the vehicle body.

FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a process for changing the illumination direction of a work vehicle. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an illumination changing mechanism according to another embodiment.

The embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings. In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, the direction of the arrow FW in the figure is "forward", the direction of the arrow BK is "backward", the direction of the arrow LH is "left", and the direction of the arrow RH is "right". In addition, the direction of the arrow UP in the figure is "up" and the direction of the arrow DW is "down".

[Overall configuration of the work vehicle]
As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the work vehicle is equipped with a vehicle body 1 which is approximately rectangular in plan view and supports the entire vehicle, a plurality of drive wheels 2 which are located at the front and rear on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body 1 and serve as running devices to support the vehicle body 1, a plurality of auxiliary wheels 3 provided corresponding to each of the plurality of drive wheels 2, a support mechanism A which supports the plurality of drive wheels 2 so that their position can be changed relative to the vehicle body 1, and a plurality of hydraulic motors 4 which serve as running drive devices which drive each of the plurality of drive wheels 2 separately.

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

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

The vehicle body 1 is generally rectangular in plan view, and the top surface of the vehicle body 1 is provided with a flat loading section 8 on which luggage can be loaded. The loading section 8 is a generally rectangular section in plan view, and extends from the right end to the left end of the vehicle body 1. The loading section 8 is configured so that luggage can be placed on it. Examples of luggage that can be placed on the loading section 8 include agricultural machinery, agricultural supplies such as fertilizer and chemicals, harvested crops and harvest baskets, and pallets on which these are placed.

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

The ECU 11 is equipped with a microcomputer and is capable of executing various controls according to a control program. The control device C is made up of multiple hydraulic control valves 10 and the ECU 11. The battery 12 is charged by a generator driven by the power of the engine 9a. A main body operation unit 13 that can manually control the control device C is provided at the rear of the vehicle body 1.

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

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

The support bracket 17 that supports the drive wheel 2 is supported by a boss portion 18 provided at the swing side end of the second link 16 so that it can swing about the vertical axis Y. A hydraulic cylinder 20 for swing operation (hereinafter referred to as a swing cylinder) is provided between a bracket 19 on one end side of the second link 16 and an arm portion 17a provided on the support bracket 17.

A plurality of hydraulic cylinders 6, 7 are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of bending link mechanisms 5, capable of individually changing the posture of each bending link mechanism 5. That is, a first hydraulic cylinder 6 is provided that can change the swing posture of the first link 15 relative to the vehicle body 1, and a second hydraulic cylinder 7 is provided that can change the swing posture of the second link 16 relative to the first link 15.

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

The auxiliary wheels 3 are rotatably supported at the intermediate bent portions of each of the multiple bent link mechanisms 5. The auxiliary wheels 3 are configured with wheels having approximately the same outer diameter as the drive wheels 2. The support shaft that pivotally connects the first link 15 and the second link 16 is extended so as to protrude outward in the vehicle width direction, and the auxiliary wheels 3 are rotatably supported at the extended protruding portion of the support shaft.

By operating the turning cylinder 20, the drive wheel 2 can be rotated around the vertical axis Y relative to the bending link mechanism 5, thereby allowing the vehicle to be turned.

The hydraulic control valve 10 corresponding to the hydraulic motor 4 adjusts the flow rate of the hydraulic oil, thereby changing the rotation speed of the hydraulic motor 4, i.e., the rotation speed of the drive wheels 2.

[Sensor]
This work vehicle is equipped with various sensors.
6, a plurality of stroke sensors S1 capable of detecting the amount of extension/retraction operation are provided for each of the four first hydraulic cylinders 6 and the four second hydraulic cylinders 7. The amount of extension/retraction operation of each hydraulic cylinder 6, 7 is a detection value corresponding to the swing position of the first link 15 and the second link 16 that are the objects of operation.

The vehicle body 1 is equipped with a tilt sensor S2 (corresponding to the "tilt acquisition unit" of the present invention) that detects the tilt angle of the vehicle body. The tilt sensor S2 is configured using an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), which is a well-known configuration. The IMU has a three-axis acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, and can detect changes in the attitude of the vehicle body 1, specifically, tilt in the forward/backward and left/right directions.

A rotation sensor S3 is provided near the drive wheel 2 to detect the rotation speed of the drive wheel 2 driven by the hydraulic motor 4. Based on the rotation speed of the drive wheel 2 detected by the rotation sensor S3, the supply of hydraulic oil to the hydraulic motor 4 is controlled so that the rotation speed of the drive wheel 2 becomes a target value. A pressure sensor S4 is provided to detect the pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied to the hydraulic motor 4. Based on the pressure of the hydraulic oil detected by the pressure sensor S4, the supply (pressure) of hydraulic oil to the hydraulic motor 4 is controlled so that the drive torque of the drive wheel 2 becomes a target value. Each of the four slewing cylinders 20 is provided with a stroke sensor S5 capable of detecting the amount of extension/retraction operation.

[ECU]
The ECU 11 (Electronic Control Unit) includes a non-volatile memory (not shown) that stores programs corresponding to the functional units described below, and a CPU (not shown) that executes the programs. The programs are executed by the CPU to realize the functions of the functional units.

The ECU 11 has, as its functional parts, a driving control unit 31, a turning control unit 32, and a posture control unit 33 (corresponding to the "tilt change unit" of the present invention).

When the vehicle is traveling with the four drive wheels 2 in contact with the ground, the travel control unit 31 controls the rotation direction, rotation speed, etc., of each of the four drive wheels 2. Specifically, based on information input by manually operating the wheel operation handle 13a (see FIG. 1) of the main body operation unit 13 provided on the vehicle main body 1, the travel control unit 31 performs a switching operation of the hydraulic control valve 10 that supplies and discharges hydraulic oil to the hydraulic motor 4 so that the rotation speed of the drive wheels 2 detected by the rotation sensor S3 becomes the target speed and the drive torque detected by the pressure sensor S4 becomes the target value.

The slewing control unit 32 controls the slewing cylinders 20 to steer the drive wheels 2. Specifically, the slewing control unit 32 performs switching operations of the hydraulic control valves 10 that supply and discharge hydraulic oil to the four slewing cylinders 20 based on information input by manually operating the wheel operating handle 13a of the main body operation unit 13.

In other words, the operator operates the wheel operating handle 13a to control the travel control unit 31 and the turning control unit 32, thereby controlling the steering and rotational drive of the drive wheels 2.

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

The posture control unit 33 controls the operation of the four first hydraulic cylinders 6 and the four second hydraulic cylinders 7 based on the detection information of the tilt sensor S2 and the detection information of the stroke sensor S1 so that the tilt angle in the front-rear direction and the tilt angle in the left-right direction from the horizontal position of the vehicle body 1 become values corresponding to the information input by manually operating the irradiation direction change switch 13b of the main body operation unit 13.

Specifically, the posture control unit 33 performs switching operations of the hydraulic control valve 10 that supplies and discharges hydraulic oil to the four first hydraulic cylinders 6 and the four second hydraulic cylinders 7 based on information input by manually operating the irradiation direction change switch 13b of the main body operation unit 13.

In other words, the operator can control the attitude control unit 33 by operating the irradiation direction change switch 13b, and the attitude control unit 33 can control the multiple hydraulic cylinders 6, 7 to change the inclination of the vehicle body 1.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the headlights 40 are to be directed toward the ground rather than toward the front of the vehicle body 1, the front bending link mechanism 5 of the multiple bending link mechanisms 5 is contracted and the rear bending link mechanism 5 is extended. As a result, the work vehicle assumes a position in which the front side of the vehicle body 1 approaches the ground, and the headlights 40 provided on the vehicle body 1 are directed toward the ground.

Thus, in this embodiment, the illumination direction changing mechanism E that changes the illumination direction of the headlights 40 is composed of a bending link mechanism 5 and multiple hydraulic cylinders 6, 7, and the illumination direction of the headlights 40 can be changed by changing the attitude of the vehicle body 1. For example, in the case where flat ground exists on a slope as shown in FIG. 7, when the work vehicle climbs the slope, the headlights 40 will illuminate in a direction along the slope, and the flat ground above the slope will not be illuminated. Therefore, by changing the illumination direction of the headlights 40, it is possible to illuminate the flat ground above the slope.

[Another embodiment]
Hereinafter, another embodiment in which the above embodiment is modified will be described.

(1) In the above embodiment, the headlight 40, which is the lighting device, is provided on the front side of the vehicle body 1 and is configured to illuminate the area in front of the vehicle body 1. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The lighting device may be provided on the rear side or on the left and right sides and configured to illuminate the area behind the vehicle body 1 and the left and right sides, respectively.

(2) In the above embodiment, the illumination direction change mechanism E has been described as having a configuration for changing the illumination direction of the headlight 40 by operating the illumination direction change switch 13b. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the illumination direction of the headlight 40 may be changed so that the angle of the headlight 40 with respect to the horizontal direction is maintained constant based on the detection result of the tilt sensor S2. In this case, the illumination direction may be switchable between a horizontal illumination mode that illuminates the horizontal direction and a ground illumination mode that illuminates the ground. The illumination direction may also be automatically changed based on the operation of the wheel operating handle 13a by the operator.

(3) In the above embodiment, the irradiation direction change mechanism E is configured with the bending link mechanism 5 and multiple hydraulic cylinders 6, 7. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the irradiation direction change mechanism E may be configured with a position change unit 41 that supports the headlight 40 so that the position can be changed, as shown in FIG. 8. In this case, the irradiation direction may be changed by changing the position of the headlight 40 based on information input by manually operating the irradiation direction change switch 13b.

(4) In the above embodiment, the attitude-changing operation mechanism D is described as having a plurality of hydraulic cylinders 6, 7. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the attitude-changing operation mechanism D may be configured as an electric motor that swings around the horizontal axis X1 of the pivot connection point with the base end 14 and around the horizontal axis X2 of the connection point between the first link 15 and the second link 16.

(5) In the above embodiment, the steering control and rotational drive control of the drive wheels 2 and the change in the inclination of the vehicle body 1 are performed by operating the body operation unit 13 provided on the vehicle body 1. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the steering control and rotational drive control of the drive wheels 2 and the change in the inclination of the vehicle body 1 may be performed by operating a remote control device configured to be remotely controlled using wireless communication.

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, so long as no contradiction occurs. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the purpose of the present invention.

The present invention can be used in work vehicles that are suitable for traveling on uneven, rough terrain.

1: Vehicle body 2: Drive wheel 5: Bending link mechanism 33: Attitude control unit (tilt changing unit)
S2: Tilt sensor (tilt acquisition unit)
40: Headlight (lighting device)
41: Position change unit A: Support mechanism D: Position change operation mechanism E: Irradiation direction change mechanism

Claims (5)

A vehicle body,
a support mechanism for supporting the vehicle body in a state in which the inclination of the vehicle body can be changed;
A lighting device provided on one side of the vehicle body in a front-rear direction and configured to illuminate one side of the vehicle body;
A work vehicle equipped with an illumination direction changing mechanism that changes the illumination direction of the lighting device. a tilt change unit that controls the support mechanism to change the tilt of the vehicle body,
The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination direction changing mechanism changes the illumination direction of the lighting device by changing an inclination of the vehicle body. the support mechanism includes a plurality of drive wheels located at the front and rear of both the left and right sides of the vehicle body, a plurality of bending link mechanisms supporting the plurality of drive wheels on the vehicle body so as to be capable of individually raising and lowering the drive wheels, and a posture change operation mechanism capable of individually changing postures of the plurality of bending link mechanisms;
The work vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the tilt change unit changes the tilt of the vehicle body by controlling the attitude change operation mechanism. A tilt acquisition unit is provided to detect a tilt angle of the vehicle body,
The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination direction changing mechanism changes the illumination direction of the lighting device based on a detection result of the tilt acquisition unit so that an angle of the lighting device with respect to the horizontal direction is maintained constant. the illumination direction changing mechanism has a position changing part that supports the illumination device so as to be able to change its position,
The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting device is supported on the vehicle body via the position changing unit.

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