JP2024146437A - combine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a combine capable of identifying a collection container of grains, and performing automatic travel of grain discharge and automatic discharge, according to an actual installation position.SOLUTION: A reaping device 15 is provided on a machine body travelling by a travelling unit 3, a sorting device 4 for separating grains from grain culm reaped by the reaping unit 3, is provided on one of the left and right sides of the machine body, and a discharge unit 8 for discharging grains separated by the sorting device 4 to outside, is provided, in a combine. An imaging unit 82 is provided on a tip part 80 of discharge of the discharge unit 8, a control unit 200 processes overhead image data which is imaged by the imaging unit 82, the control unit 200 displays a part where the machine body stops and stays in discharge time, as a discharge possible region EA, when there is an object which may be recognized as a collection container 201 of grains, in the overhead image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 24

Description

The present invention relates to a combine harvester equipped with an automatic grain discharge mechanism.

Conventionally, there is a combine harvester equipped with an engine that generates driving force, a continuously variable transmission that moves forward and backward and increases and decreases power, a harvester that harvests stalks, a threshing device that transports the harvested stalks and threshes the grains, a grain tank that temporarily stores the threshed grains, and a discharge auger that discharges the grains from the grain tank to the outside of the machine (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2021-69286 A

When the grain tank is full or nearly full, harvesting operations must be stopped and the combine must move to a position where it can discharge the grain from the discharge auger to a transport vehicle waiting outside the field, or to a waiting position where it can meet up with a mobile transport vehicle.

It is possible to set the waiting position of the transport vehicle in advance and have the combine move to the specified location to discharge the grain, but there is a risk that a location other than the intended location will be selected when entering numerical coordinates or touching the map screen.

In addition, if the set location is not suitable for placing collection containers or trucks due to traffic volume or road shape, etc., and the location of the collection container or truck is changed after setting, the combine may end up moving to a location where it cannot discharge grain.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and provides a combine harvester that can identify the actual grain collection container and perform automatic travel and automatic grain discharge according to the actual installation position.

The invention described in claim 1 is a combine harvester in which a harvesting device (15) is provided on a machine body traveling on a traveling device (3), a sorting device (4) for separating grains from the stalks harvested by the harvesting device (3) is provided on one of the left and right sides of the machine body, and a discharge device (8) for discharging the grains separated by the sorting device (4) outside the machine, a photographing device (82) is provided at the discharge tip (80) of the discharge device (8), and a control device (200) is provided for processing overhead image data captured by the photographing device (82), and the control device (200) is configured to display the position where the machine body stops and remains during discharge as the dischargeable area (EA) in the image when an object that can be recognized as a grain collection container (201) is captured in the overhead image.

The invention described in claim 2 is the combine described in claim 1, characterized in that the outline of the dischargeable area (EA) is displayed by applying a certain percentage of reduction correction by the control device (200) based on the actual dimensions of the machine body in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions.

The invention described in claim 3 is the combine described in claim 1, characterized in that the discharge tip (80) is provided with a distance measuring device (203) that measures the distance to the collection container (201) shown in the image of the camera (82), and the control device (200) calculates a moving path based on the distance measured by the distance measuring device (203) and the acquired dischargeable area (EA), and automatically travels to a position that overlaps with the dischargeable area (EA).

The invention described in claim 4 is the combine described in claim 3, characterized in that the control device (200) rotates the discharge device (8) when it reaches the dischargeable area (EA) and engages the discharge clutch above the collection container (201) to discharge the grains, and when the discharge clutch is turned on and the discharge device (8) is extended or retracted, the discharge clutch can be manually turned on and off.

The invention described in claim 5 is the combine described in claim 4, characterized in that the control device (200) is configured to rotate the discharge device (8) alternately in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction each time a predetermined time has elapsed since the discharge clutch was connected.

The invention described in claim 6 is a combine harvester according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the discharge device (8) is configured to be rotatable up and down, an angle sensor (87) is provided to detect the angle of the up and down rotation of the discharge device (8), the photographing device (82) and the distance measuring device (203) are attached to a movable device (84) that slides forward and backward by a sliding actuator (85) and rotates up and down by a tilting actuator (86), and the control device (200) operates the sliding actuator (85) and the tilting actuator (86) in conjunction with the change in the angle of the angle sensor (87), and the attitude of the photographing device (82) and the distance measuring device (203) is changed by the sliding and rotating of the movable device (84).

According to the invention described in claim 1, by displaying a virtual line of the dischargeable area (EA) on the collection container (201) in the image, the position to which the machine should be moved during discharge operation by the discharge device (8) is known, which simplifies the operation and prevents the discharge position from shifting from the collection container (201), thereby suppressing a decrease in the harvest yield.

According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 1, by displaying the dischargeable area (EA) at a fixed percentage smaller than the actual size, when approaching the edge of the field where the collection container (201) is installed, the vehicle can be stopped at a position away from the edge of the road or the curb at the edge of the field, thereby preventing the vehicle body from being damaged by contact.

According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effects of the invention described in claim 1, the dischargeable area (EA) is acquired, and when the distance to the collection container (201) can be calculated by the distance measuring device (203), automatic driving is performed, thereby reducing the number of operating steps by the worker and reducing the labor.

According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the effects of the invention described in claim 3, even if the conditions for automatic travel and automatic discharge are met, the discharge clutch can be manually turned on and off when the discharge device (8) is extended or retracted. This allows the discharge operation to be interrupted when the position of the discharge device (8) moved by automatic discharge is actually inappropriate, thereby preventing grains from spilling out of the collection container (201) and preventing grains from spilling out and becoming unrecoverable, resulting in a reduction in the harvest yield.

According to the invention described in claim 5, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 4, by rotating the discharge device (8) at a predetermined interval during automatic discharge, it is possible to prevent uneven accumulation of grains in the collection container (201), and to prevent grains from spilling out of the collection container (201) or piled-up grains from collapsing and flying up, causing grains to escape from the collection container (201).

According to the invention described in claim 6, in addition to the effects of the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 5, the rotation angle and front-back sliding position of the movable device (84) equipped with the imaging device (82) and distance measuring device (203) change in conjunction with the up-down rotation of the discharge device (8), thereby preventing the subject from being unable to be clearly captured due to the angle of the discharge device (8), and making it easier to operate automatic travel and automatic discharge.

Left side view of combine harvester Right side view of combine harvester Top view of a combine harvester Cross-sectional view of a combine harvester's cabin Right side cross section of the combine harvester cabin Cross-sectional view of the main part of the combine harvester's cabin Right-side cross-sectional view of the main part of the combine harvester's cabin Cross-sectional view of a combine harvester's hot and cold storage unit to explain its function Cross-sectional view of the main part of the combine harvester's cabin Bottom cross-section of the combine harvester's cabin Cross-sectional view of the main part of the combine harvester's cabin Right-side cross-sectional view of the main part of the combine harvester's cabin Left side cross-sectional view of the main part of the combine harvester cabin (a) A side view of a main part in which an oil supply nozzle is provided in the winding area of the conveyor chain; (b) A rear view of a main part of the conveyor chain link. Enlarged view of the main part showing the guard body of the cutting blade A side view showing the electrically operated lifting step and the lifting operation mechanism. Schematic side view showing an electrically operated step-up/down step Close-up of the operating mechanism for the powered step-up mechanism Plan view of a combine with left and right side cameras and a rear camera Schematic diagram showing the shooting range of the left and right side cameras and the rear camera A schematic diagram showing a large imaginary circle and a small imaginary circle indicating the rotation range of the discharge auger Block diagram showing components controlled by the CPU FIG. 1A is a front view of the main part showing a state in which a camera cover covering a head camera and a distance measuring sensor is closed; FIG. 1B is a front view of the main part showing a state in which a camera cover covering a head camera and a distance measuring sensor is open; (a) A schematic diagram showing the process of recognizing a collection container by photographing with a head camera. (b) A schematic diagram showing the process of displaying an area where the container can be discharged on an image and calculating the travel distance to the collection container using a distance measuring sensor. (c) A schematic diagram showing the process of starting automatic travel to an area where the container can be discharged and performing automatic discharge work after arriving. FIG. 1A is a side view of a main part showing the attitude of a head camera and a distance measuring sensor when the discharge auger is rotated downward; FIG. 1B is a side view of a main part showing the attitude of a head camera and a distance measuring sensor when the discharge auger is rotated upward;

The following describes a combine harvester 1, which is an example of a work vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the attached drawings. Note that to facilitate understanding, directions are conveniently indicated as the front side, the rear side, the right hand side, and the left hand side as seen by the operator, but the configuration is not limited to these.

<Overall configuration of the combine>
1 to 3, the combine harvester 1 has a traveling device 4 on the lower side of a chassis 2, on which a pair of left and right traveling crawlers 3 are stretched, which travel on the soil surface, and on the left and right sides of the chassis 2, a threshing device 6 that threshes and sorts the stalks that are clamped and transported by a feed chain 5, a grain tank 7 as a storage device for temporarily storing the grains, and a grain discharging auger 8 that discharges the grains stored in the grain tank 7 to the outside of the machine, and a straw waste processing device 9 is mounted on the rear end of the threshing device 6. The grain discharging auger 8 is raised and lowered by operating an auger lifting cylinder when discharging grains.

In front of the threshing device 6, a harvesting device 15 is suspended from the front end of the chassis 2 so that it can be raised and lowered freely relative to the soil surface by a harvesting lifting cylinder. The harvesting device 15 has a grass dividing body 11 that divides the uncut stalks from the front end, a raising section 12 that raises the divided stalks, a cutting blade section 13 that cuts the raised stalks, and a supply adjustment transport section that rakes in the harvested stalks and adjusts the handling depth during transport and transfers them to the feed chain 5.

The upper rear part of the harvesting device 15 is provided with an operating device for controlling the operation of the combine harvester 1, and an operating seat 21 where the operator sits. An engine 22 is mounted below the operating seat 21, and the grain tank 7 is located at the rear. A cabin 23 is provided to cover the operating device and operating seat 21. The traveling device 4, threshing device 6, harvesting device 15, operating device, engine 22, cabin 23, etc. are mounted on the chassis 2 of the combine harvester.

The stalks harvested from the field are clamped at multiple points by conveyor chains 90 and transported from the harvesting device 15 to the threshing device 6. If these conveyor chains 90 are not lubricated regularly, they will seize due to heat generated by the conveyor drive, causing poor operation and reducing the accuracy of the conveyor.

To solve this problem, as shown in Figure 14(a), an oil nozzle 91 is provided within the winding area of the conveying chain 90, on the non-conveying side, and the ball rotates when it comes into contact with the conveying chain 90 to dispense lubricating oil. However, as shown in Figure 14(b), the oil nozzle 91 comes into contact with the outer periphery of the chain roller 92 that constitutes the conveying chain 90, and there is a problem that the lubricating oil does not easily reach the vicinity of the pin portion 92a of the chain roller 92, which is provided on a pair of chain plates 93, 93 and where the lubricating oil is primarily required.

To solve this problem, an oil supply fiber body 94 is placed within the winding area of the conveying chain 90 on the non-conveying side. The oil supply fiber body 94 stores the lubricating oil discharged from the oil supply nozzle 91, and when it comes into contact with the conveying chain 90, its fine end portion comes into contact with the pin portion 92a of the chain roller 92 to supply the lubricating oil.

It is preferable that the oil-supplying fiber body 94 be made of nanofibers, which are synthetic fibers made into a cotton-like material and can contain a large amount of lubricating oil.

In addition, since the adsorbed lubricating oil will deteriorate over time, it is advisable to make the oil supply fiber body 94 removable by clamping it in a special holder 95, for example, so that it can be easily replaced.

The monitor 35 installed in the cabin 23 also displays a grain tank full alarm when the full sensor detects that the grain tank 7 is full of grain, a fuel low alarm when the fuel low sensor detects that there is little fuel remaining in the fuel tank, and various other support messages from the control device.

The operating device is equipped with various operating tools such as a main speed change lever that operates a speed change actuator that switches between forward/reverse travel and stopping and switches the main speed change when operated forward/reverse by an operator seated in the operating seat 21, a left/right traveling actuator that operates the left/right side clutches and left/right side brakes of the left/right traveling crawlers 3, 3 when tilted left/right to perform left/right steering when traveling straight and turning in various turning modes, a steering lever that operates the harvesting lifting cylinder when operated forward/backward to raise/lower the harvesting device 15, a harvesting/removal lever that operates the harvesting/removal clutch actuator to turn the harvesting device 15 and the threshing device 6 on and off, an auger operating lever that moves the position of the discharge port 8a at the tip of the threshing auger 8 up and down by operating the auger lifting cylinder and moves it left and right by operating the left/right turning actuator, and an auger drive switching lever that operates the auger drive electromagnetic clutch that turns the drive of the threshing auger 8 on and off to discharge the grains in the grain tank 7 from the discharge port 8a to the outside of the machine.

As shown in Figures 2 and 15, the harvesting device 15 has a saw-like cutting blade 13 with the longitudinal direction in the left-right direction attached to a sliding rod 151 that reciprocates left-right by a transmission mechanism (not shown) or a harvesting blade motor 157, and is configured to cut the stalks at the base by the left-right reciprocating sliding of the cutting blade 13.

If the cutting blade 13 continues to contact hard ground when not in use, the load of the cutting device 15 can cause the cutting edge to bend, reducing the cutting power. To prevent this, when moving to a field or storing in a warehouse, a cutting blade cover 152 is attached, which almost completely covers the front, top and bottom of the cutting blade 13, and this cutting cover 152, which can deform slightly without causing any problems, is kept in contact with the ground. The part of the cutting cover 152 that comes into contact with the ground should be made of an arc-shaped or cylindrical member, which distributes the load and makes it less likely to deform, while also making it easier to maintain contact with the ground.

The cutting blade 13 is well protected by the cutting blade cover 152, but the sliding rod 151 is simply a metal plate attached to the side of the machine body, and if the metal plate comes into contact with a curb or the like and deforms, the metal plate may come into contact with the curb and end up being damaged.

In order to prevent damage to the sliding rod 151, extension guard pipes 154 are inserted into the cutting guard pipes 153 provided at the bottom of both the left and right ends of the cutting device 15, and extend toward the rear of the machine body outside the left and right sides of the cutting cover 152 and the machine body outside the sliding rod 151.

The attachment parts of the extension guard pipe 154 and the cutting guard pipe 153 are provided with connecting stays 153a, 154a that protrude upward from the machine body, and the upper protrusions of each are fitted with fixing members 155 such as bolts that pass through both pipes and are then tightened with nuts, etc., to provide a strong connection.

Furthermore, a sub-guard pipe 156 is welded between the base and end of the extension guard pipe 154, protruding further outward from the extension guard pipe 154 and toward the upper side of the aircraft.

As a result, even if the harvesting device 15 comes into contact with an obstacle, it first comes into contact with the sub-guard pipe 156, which may become dented or bent, but the harvesting device 15 is prevented from coming into contact with the extension guard pipe 154, and furthermore, damage to the sliding rod 151 is prevented, so that the drive force is not transmitted to the cutting blade section 13 of the harvesting device 15, and stalks that should have been harvested are prevented from being left behind in the field.

In addition, by fitting the two connecting stays 153a, 154a together and connecting them with the fixing member 155, it is possible to prevent the extension guard pipe 154 from rotating and coming off the cutting guard pipe 153 when a lateral pushing force is applied due to contact with an obstacle.

This makes it difficult for obstacles to come into contact with the sliding rod 151, so work is not interrupted due to a malfunction of the sliding rod 151, improving work efficiency.

In addition, the traveling crawler 3 will not step on the detached extension guard pipe 154, preventing the traveling crawler 3 from being damaged or falling off.

The connecting stay 154a on the extension guard pipe 154 side may have a hole that is widened in an arc shape so that the fixing member 155 can pass through, and the amount of protrusion of the sub-guard pipe 156 outward from the aircraft and the vertical height of the outer end may be changed by rotating the extension guard pipe 154.

<Cabin 23>
As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the cabin 23 is configured in a box shape with a cabin roof 25 provided on the upper part of a cabin frame 24 whose base is fixed to the chassis 2, and is equipped with a door 26 that opens and closes at the front and has a right glass window 26a on the right side, a left glass window 27 on the left side, a windshield window 28 on the front side, and a rear glass window 29 on the rear side.

As shown in Figures 4 to 7, an air conditioning unit 30 is provided in the upper left central position in the front-to-rear direction inside the cabin 23, and a GNSS unit 31 as a location information acquisition device and a hot/cold storage unit 32 as a storage unit for keeping PET bottles 30a, 30b, canned bottles, etc., cold and hot are provided behind the air conditioning unit 30.

The GNSS unit 31 is positioned within the left-right width of the air conditioning unit 30, and the hot/cold storage unit 32 is positioned so that its left side overlaps with the right side of the air conditioning unit 30.

In addition, by locating the GNSS unit 31 within the front-to-rear width of the hot/cold storage unit 32, it can be positioned without protruding beyond the rear of the cabin 23.

As a result, the air conditioning unit 30, GNSS unit 31, and hot/cold storage 32 can be compactly arranged in the upper left space inside the cabin 23.

In addition, the GNSS unit 31 and the hot/cold storage unit 32 are positioned by utilizing the dead space behind the air conditioning unit 30, and the air conditioning unit 30 and the hot/cold storage unit 32 are positioned so that they overlap in the left-right direction, making it possible to effectively utilize the space within the cabin 23 and preventing the unit from protruding significantly into the living space within the cabin 23 or protruding outside the cabin 23.

In addition, by installing the GNSS unit 31 inside the cabin 23, the appearance is improved.

The underside of the GNSS unit 31 is configured to be higher than the underside of the hot/cold storage unit 32, improving rear visibility.

The GNSS unit 31 is positioned to the left of the left end of the operator's seat 21, ensuring a spacious interior space.

The front duct 33F extends from the front right side of the air conditioning unit 30 toward the front of the upper part of the cabin 23, curves (detouring) so that it juts out to the left in front of the air conditioning unit 30, then extends from the left side to the right side of the front part of the cabin 23, and further extends backward on the right side of the cabin 23 all the way to the right side of the operator's seat 21.

The front duct 33F has left and right front air outlets 34a, 34b at the front of the cabin 23, and front and rear right air outlets 34c, 34d at the right of the cabin 23 as side air outlets.

In addition, the left and right front air outlets 34a, 34b located at the front of the cabin 23 are configured to blow conditioned air downward and also serve to prevent fogging of the windshield window 28 (defroster).

The monitor 35 is located in the area where the front left part of the front duct 33F is curved (detouring) to make the interior space of the cabin 23 larger.

The monitor 35 is attached so that it is embedded into the interior side of the interior panel 36, creating a sense of unity and a good appearance, as if it were embedded in the interior panel 36.

The monitor 35 is also positioned above the underside of the interior panel 36 to prevent light reflections, and is located to the left of the rearview mirror (or rearview monitor) 37 located in the center of the front left and right, making it easy for the operator seated in the operator's seat 21 to see.

In addition, a rear duct 33R is extended from the rear right side of the air conditioning unit 30 in a bifurcated manner toward the front and rear of the upper part of the cabin 23, and a left front air outlet 34e is provided as a side air outlet at the part where the forward-extending rear duct 33R reaches the left side of the operator's seat 21, and the end extended toward the rear opens at the top of the hot/cold storage 32 to blow conditioned air into the hot/cold storage 32, and a left rear air outlet 34f is provided as a rear air outlet on the opening door 32a, so that conditioned air can be blown out to the rear of the operator's seat 21 to condition the back of the pilot.

The front intake port 33Fa at the base of the front duct 33F, which is connected to the front side of the right side of the air conditioning unit 30, is wider than the rear intake port 33Ra at the base of the rear duct 33R, which is connected to the rear side of the right side of the air conditioning unit 30.

Therefore, the front duct 33F is a long duct that runs from the left to the right through the front inside the cabin 23, where the four left and right front air outlets 34a, 34b and the front and rear right air outlets 34c, 34d are provided, but a sufficient volume of conditioned air can be secured from the air conditioning unit 30 through the wide front intake 33Fa, allowing for good air conditioning.

In addition, the rear duct 33R has a relatively short path for blowing out conditioned air from the left front air outlet 34e near the air conditioning unit 30 and the left rear air outlet 34f via the hot/cold storage unit 32, so a sufficient air conditioning effect can be obtained even from the air conditioning unit 30 through the narrow rear intake 33Ra.

In addition, conditioned air is blown from the air conditioning unit 30 to the hot/cold storage 32 through the rear duct 33R, and fresh conditioned air is blown into the hot/cold storage 32 before being blown out from the left rear air outlet 34f, so the inside of the hot/cold storage 32 can always be cooled or heated with fresh conditioned air.

In addition, conditioned air is blown from the air conditioning unit 30 through the rear duct 33R to an upper position inside the hot/cold storage unit 32 and then blown out from the lower left rear air outlet 34f into the cabin 23, so the cooling and heating efficiency of the hot/cold storage unit 32 is excellent.

In addition, the left rear air outlet 34f is provided on the door 32a of the hot/cold storage unit 32, so it can be placed without having to provide additional space for the outlet, resulting in a simple and inexpensive configuration.

The front duct 33F and rear duct 33R are integrally formed from synthetic resin, and although they are separate front and rear ducts, by forming them as one unit, manufacturing costs can be reduced without increasing the number of parts.

The underside of the hot/cold storage unit 32 is positioned higher than the underside of the air conditioning unit 30, ensuring a large space inside the cabin 23.

The hot/cold storage unit 32 is located in the upper left rear of the cabin 23 and does not obstruct the forward visibility of the pilot seated in the operator's seat 21.

The hot/cold storage 32 is located behind the operator's seat 21. Therefore, even if the plastic bottles 30a, 30b, etc. inside the hot/cold storage 32 fall, they will not hit the operator sitting in the operator's seat 21.

The hot/cold storage unit 32 is located near the backrest of the operator's seat 21. Therefore, the hot/cold storage unit 32 is not far from the operator's seat 21, which is the pilot's seat, making it easy to use.

The door 32a of the hot/cold storage 32 has a pivot shaft in the front-to-rear direction at the bottom end, and the top opens downward toward the front, so that the plastic bottles 30a, 30b, etc. placed inside will not fall out even if the door 32a is opened. In addition, a hook 32b that can be operated from the outside is provided at the top of the door 32a to keep it closed.

Hoses 30c of the air conditioning unit 30 are routed underneath the hot/cold storage unit 32, making effective use of the space underneath the hot/cold storage unit 32.

The rear left glass window 27a, located behind the left glass window 27, extends to the bottom of the hot/cold storage unit 32, improving visibility to the rear left.

As shown in FIG. 8, the hot/cold storage 32 can accommodate two 500 ml PET bottles 30a horizontally, or three 350 ml PET bottles 30b vertically.

As shown in FIG. 9, the hot/cold storage 32 has a recess 32c on the inside bottom surface to prevent a 500 ml plastic bottle 30a from rolling when stored horizontally.

A space 25a is provided between the top surface of the hot/cold storage unit 32 and the cabin roof 25, so that the temperature of the cabin roof 25 is not directly transferred to the hot/cold storage unit 32.

As shown in FIG. 10, the base of the mounting portion 35a of the monitor 35 is attached to a monitor mounting hole 35b provided on the underside of the interior panel 36, giving the monitor 35 a neat appearance.

The bottom of the hot/cold storage unit 32 is attached to the cold storage unit mounting hole 32d provided on the underside of the interior panel 36, giving it a neat appearance.

In the above embodiment, an example of a hot/cold storage unit 32 is shown as a storage unit, but it may be a cold storage unit that operates using cold air from the air conditioning unit 30, or a warm storage unit that operates using hot air from the air conditioning unit 30.

In summary, the air conditioning unit 30, front duct 33F, rear duct 33R, and multiple air outlets 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e, and 34f are provided at the top of the cabin 23, ensuring a large living space inside the cabin 23.

In addition, by making the front intake 33Fa of the front duct 33F, which has a long air blowing distance, wider than the rear intake 33Ra of the rear duct 33R, which has a short air blowing distance, conditioned air can be sent evenly from the air conditioning unit 30 to the multiple air outlets 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e, and 34f around the inside of the cabin 23, making it possible to change the temperature inside the cabin 23 as evenly as possible and creating an environment that is easy to work in.

In addition, the rear duct 33R guides the conditioned air to the hot/cold storage 32 that keeps PET bottles 30a, 30b and canned bottles cool or warm, and the hot/cold storage 32 is provided with a rear air outlet 34f, so the hot/cold storage 32 can be positioned using the conditioned air guide path, ensuring a large living space inside the cabin 23.

In addition, the hot/cold storage 32 is located at the rear of the cabin 23, and its bottom is positioned higher than the bottom of the air conditioning unit 30, ensuring a large living space inside the cabin 23.

In addition, a rear air outlet 34f is provided on the opening and closing door 32a, which further reduces the space required for the air conditioning unit.

In addition, the door 32a of the hot/cold storage 32 is configured to open downwards toward the front on a pivot shaft provided at the bottom, and the hot/cold storage 32 and the rear air outlet 34f are located behind the operator's seat 21, so that conditioned air can be sent to the rear of the operator's seat 21, improving the comfort of the cabin 23. Even if the door 32a opens unintentionally and the plastic bottles 30a, 30b, etc. inside fall out, they are positioned so that they are unlikely to hit the operator seated in the operator's seat 21, ensuring safety.

In addition, the air conditioning unit 30, rear duct 33R, hot/cold storage 32, and location information acquisition device 31 can be arranged compactly by utilizing the upper space of the cabin 23, ensuring a spacious living space inside the cabin 23.

In addition, the monitor 35 is placed in a location where the front duct 33F is curved to enlarge the interior space of the cabin 23, ensuring a large living space in the cabin 23 and allowing the monitor 35 to be placed in a location where it is easily visible, enabling efficient work.

In addition, the front air outlets 34a, 34b located at the top of the windshield window 28 blow conditioned air toward the bottom of the windshield window 28, which also serves as an anti-fogging function (defroster) for the windshield window 28, preventing a decrease in visibility.

As shown in Figures 11 to 13, a wiper 40 is installed on the upper outer surface of the windshield window 28.

The cabin roof 25 protrudes forward beyond the windshield window 28 at the front of the cabin 23.

The wiper 40 has a typical structure in which its base is supported so as to be freely rotatable on an offset plate 39 fixed to the front protrusion of the cabin roof 25, and when not in operation, it is stored in a horizontal position beneath the front protrusion of the cabin roof 25.

As a result, the wiper 40 is stored under the front protrusion of the cabin roof 25 when not in operation, improving forward visibility.

A wiper motor 41 that drives the wiper 40 is provided inside the front end of the cabin roof 25. The drive shaft 41a of the wiper motor 41 passes through the offset plate 39, and by operating the rotary link mechanism of the wiper 40, the wiper 40 rotates back and forth between a horizontal inoperative position and a position facing vertically downward, wiping off water droplets and dirt adhering to the outer surface of the windshield window 28.

A washer nozzle 42 is provided in the center of the left and right of the offset plate 39, and the washer pump is activated by operating the operating device to spray cleaning water onto the outer surface of the windshield window 28.

The cabin 23 is structurally long in the vertical direction and is placed at a high position to ensure visibility, so the steps for getting on and off must be long in both vertical length and height. This means that extra time and effort must be spent moving around when getting on and off, and there is also the problem that if someone trips at a high position, the risk of injury increases accordingly.

To address this issue, as shown in Figures 16 to 18, a step lift mechanism 160 is provided at the bottom of the door 26 of the cabin 23, which has a boarding/alighting step 161 whose vertical position can be freely changed. The step lift mechanism 160 is arranged so that it fits into a recess that is recessed into the inside of the aircraft body below the door 26, and the outer side of the boarding/alighting step 161 extends 5 to 10 cm beyond the recess 162, making it easy for workers to place their feet on it, and by having the toes facing the back of the boarding/alighting step 161, it is possible to create a configuration in which workers are less likely to step off the boarding/alighting step 161 and fall while boarding or alighting.

As shown in FIG. 17, the step lifting mechanism 160 is configured by providing a pulley 164 for winding a lifting wire 163 having a boarding step 161 attached to one end thereof inside a lifting case 162, which is a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped with an opening formed on the outside of the machine body, a winch 165 for winding or rotating the lifting wire 163 below the pulley 164, and a lifting motor 166 for rotating the winch 165 in the forward or reverse direction.

Regardless of the vertical position of the boarding/disembarking step 161, even if a worker places his/her foot on it and applies a load, the boarding/disembarking step 161 is configured to always be kept taut, regardless of the amount of the boarding/disembarking wire 163 wound by the winch 165, in order to prevent the boarding/disembarking step 161 from rotating or moving downward due to the load.

As shown in Figures 16 and 18, a boarding/disembarking assistance grip 167 is arranged on the cabin roof 25 constituting the cabin 23, hanging down toward the bottom of the cabin 23. The boarding/disembarking assistance grip 167 can be adjusted in height by an auxiliary belt 168 connected to a take-up reel (not shown) provided on the cabin roof 25, and the boarding/disembarking assistance grip 167 is provided with an extension switch 169a that allows the auxiliary belt 168 to be pulled out when the operator continues to press it, and a retraction switch 169b that operates the take-up reel when pressed to take up the auxiliary belt 168 and move the boarding/disembarking assistance grip 167 closer to the cabin roof 25.

If the forward/reverse switch of the lift motor 166 is an extension switch 169a and a retraction switch 169b, the lift positions of the boarding/alighting step 161 and the boarding/alighting assistance grip 167 can be aligned to a certain extent, allowing boarding and alighting from the cabin 23 in a stable posture, improving safety.

When a worker wants to get off the cabin 23, he or she opens the door 26, picks up the boarding and alighting assistance grip 167 located near the cabin roof 25, places a foot on the boarding and alighting step 161, and then presses and holds down the extension switch 169a. This causes the auxiliary belt 168 to be pulled out and the boarding and alighting assistance grip 167 to descend, while the lifting motor 166 turns the winch 165 to rotate the lifting wire 163, which causes the lifting and alighting step 161 to move downward by approximately the same amount, shortening the distance to the ground and enabling the worker to disembark safely.

On the other hand, when a worker gets into the cabin 23, he or she picks up the boarding/alighting assistance grip 167 hanging inside the cabin 23, places their foot on the lowered boarding/alighting step 161, and then continues to press the contraction switch 169b. This retracts the auxiliary belt 168, raising the boarding/alighting assistance grip 167, and the lifting motor 166 turns the winch 165 to wind up the lifting wire 163, so that the lifting step 161 also moves upward by approximately the same amount, allowing the worker to get into the cabin 23 with a small height difference between the cabin 23 floor and the step, thereby enabling them to exit safely.

In the above combine harvester, the operator generally operates the harvester from inside the cabin 23, but due to the need to ensure the strength of the cabin 23 and to attach components, structures such as pillars obstruct the view and reduce visibility. In particular, the operator's left hand side is covered by the threshing device 6 and the harvesting device 15, making it impossible to see the ground or the stalks, which can lead to stalks being left uncut or the machine coming into contact with a wall and being damaged.

In addition, when trying to look at the rear of the machine from the cabin 23, the view is obstructed not only by the components of the cabin 23 but also by the threshing device 6, grain tank 7, and discharge auger 8, which can lead to problems such as the machine stopping in the wrong position when reversing, hitting a wall and damaging the machine, or not being able to check whether the straw is being discharged as set.

Furthermore, on the right side of the cabin 23, the pilot's boarding area is located toward the top of the aircraft, and when there is a wall nearby, the range in which the door 26 can be opened and closed is limited, which creates the problem that the pilot may get off without fully understanding the conditions below, and may get his or her feet caught in mud and slip, or get their feet dirty.

To solve these problems, as shown in Figure 19, a side mirror 51 that allows the operator to check the rear of the left side of the machine is attached to the side opposite the side where the cabin 23 is installed. A mirror stay 50 is rotatably attached, made by bending a rod material, and protrudes toward one of the left and right sides of the machine, i.e., the outer end of the threshing device 6. A left side camera 52 that can capture a wide area below is placed on the mirror stay 50 at a position closer to the base than the mounting part of the side mirror 51, or more specifically, near the bent part that faces upward to form the mounting part of the side mirror 51.

When the mirror stay 50 is rotated inward toward the inside of the machine body (counterclockwise in a plan view), it fits above the threshing device 6, including the side mirror 51 and left side camera 52, and fits into a position that does not protrude to the outside of the left or right side of the machine body or to the rear of the machine body, preventing damage to the mirror stay 50, side mirror 51, and left side camera 52 due to contact when not in use.

On the other hand, when the mirror stay 50 is rotated toward the outside of the machine body (clockwise in a plan view), the left side camera 52 projects outward beyond the outer end of the threshing device 6 and is positioned at a distance above the field surface, so that the left side camera 52 can take pictures of areas that are difficult for the worker in the cabin 23 to see, allowing him to accurately check the harvesting situation and the roughness of the field. This prevents any leftover grass from being cut, and enables the worker to work while understanding the situation at the previous work position, reducing the decrease in work efficiency.

The above-mentioned left side camera 52 can clearly capture the necessary area when capturing the outside of the left side of the machine, but when it is positioned above the threshing device 6 for storage, there is less need to capture the image. Therefore, if an extension sensor 53 capable of detecting the operation of a potentiometer or the like is provided on the mirror stay 50, and when it is determined that the left side camera 52 is outside the machine as detected by the extension sensor 53, the left side camera 52 is started, or the image captured by the left side camera 52 is sent to and displayed on the monitor 35 in the cabin 23, or on a terminal such as a tablet that is separately set up for communication, the image can be displayed on the monitor 35 or terminal only when confirmation is required.

In other words, when the extension sensor 53 detects that the left side camera 52 is located above the threshing device 6, the left side camera 52 stops taking pictures (standby mode) or stops sending video data to the monitor 35 or terminal.

As a result, the left side camera 52 does not take pictures when not needed, which reduces deterioration due to use, and also reduces communication costs and power consumption by not transmitting unnecessary data.

Next, as shown in Figure 19, a base for a rear mirror stay 54, which is made up of block stays that are rotatably connected to each other and are H-shaped in a plan view, is provided on the top of the dropper cover 9a located at the rear of the straw waste treatment device 9, and a rear camera 55 is provided at the end of the rear mirror stay 54. An extension sensor 53 is also provided on the rear mirror stay 54 to determine whether the rear camera 55 is protruding rearward of the machine body to capture the field scene at the rear of the machine body, or whether the rear mirror stay 54 is folded up above the dropper cover 9a.

When it is determined that the rear camera 55 is protruding rearward from the aircraft body, the captured image is sent to and displayed on the monitor 35 inside the cabin 23, or on a separate terminal such as a tablet that is set up for communication.

This allows the operator to view the situation behind the machine while remaining in the cabin 23, enabling them to carry out work while being aware of whether the straw is being spread as set, and how much of the stalks remain uncut or how high the stubble is.

In addition, when reversing, you can clearly see the situation behind you, which helps prevent the aircraft from hitting ridges or walls and causing damage.

Conversely, when the rear mirror stay 54 is folded above the dropper cover 9a, the rear camera 55 stops capturing images (standby mode) or stops transmitting video data to the monitor 35 or terminal.

As a result, the rear camera 55 does not take pictures when not needed, which reduces deterioration due to use, and also reduces communication costs and power consumption by not transmitting unnecessary data.

Also, as shown in FIG. 19, a right side camera 56 may be arranged above the right end of the cabin 23 so that it can be switched between a shooting position and a non-shooting position.

The right side camera 56 captures the image of the lower right side of the cabin 23, and can display the location where the worker gets on and off and the surrounding conditions on the monitor 35, etc., so that it is possible to check whether there is anything at the getting on and off location that may hinder the worker's movements, ensuring the safety of the work.

In addition, when there is no need to take pictures, the camera arm 56a of the right side camera 56 can be rotated and stored above the cabin 23, preventing the right side camera 56, which protrudes beyond the cabin 23, from coming into contact with obstacles such as walls and being damaged.

In this case, if an extension sensor 53 is also provided on the camera arm 56a so that it can determine whether the camera is in use or stored, the same effect can be obtained as with other cameras.

When the left side camera 52, rear camera 55, and right side camera 56 are all installed, the shooting range of each camera is set to a bird's-eye view of the area behind the start of the reaping end, as shown in Figure 20. This allows the operator of the machine to obtain a wide range of information other than the area directly in front of the reaping area, which is easy to see, making it less likely to come into contact with obstacles in blind spots and enabling the operator to create an efficient reaping route after observing the vegetation condition of the surrounding stalks.

The camera that provides an overhead view of the area around the combine harvester is positioned near the top of the machine, not only when in use but also when stored. If it is also mounted near the tip of the discharge auger 8, video information can be obtained from positions that are difficult to capture with other cameras when the discharge auger 8 is stopped.

However, when switching the shooting position or while the discharge auger 8 is swinging around during the stalk discharge operation, the camera's shooting position changes continuously, making it difficult to obtain information and resulting in images that may cause fatigue or motion sickness in the worker.

To prevent this, a rotation sensor 57 is provided that detects when the discharge auger 8 starts to swing and rotate. When the rotation sensor 57 detects the rotation, the image displayed on the monitor 35 is switched to the image captured by the left side camera 52, the rear camera 55, or the right side camera 56. Alternatively, the monitor 35 may not be viewed while the discharge auger 8 is rotating, and the image captured on the monitor 35 may not be displayed.

As a desirable example of combine harvesting operations, a configuration is considered in which when the rotation sensor 57 detects the rotation of the discharge auger 8, the right side camera 56 is activated and the image is displayed on the monitor 35 in order to grasp the position and condition of the grain collection container 201, which is often located on the road next to the field, before discharge begins.

This makes it easier for the operator to stop the rotation of the discharge auger 8 above the grain collection container 201, shortening the time required to align the discharge. In addition, the grains are less likely to fall out of the collection container 201, preventing the grains from being discharged outside the collection container 201.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 21, the monitor 35 may display an overhead image BV combining images captured by the left side camera 52, rear camera 55, and right side camera 56, and a virtual rotation circle S calculated from the length from the pivot point of the discharge auger 8 to its tip may be displayed on the image. The rotation circle S in this case is not the actual rotation range of the discharge auger 8, but a perfect circle with a radius equal to the length from the pivot point of the discharge auger 8 to its tip. By simplifying the calculation, the load on the control system can be reduced.

While observing the rotation circle S, the operator can determine whether there are any obstacles that may come into contact with the discharge auger 8 when it is rotated, and can move the machine so that the rotation circle S overlaps with the collection container 201, or adjust the rotation position or extension amount of the discharge auger 8, thereby efficiently collecting grains into the collection container 201 without damaging the machine.

As described above, the discharge auger 8 is structurally extendable, so the rotation circle S may be displayed by superimposing both a large imaginary circle S1 indicating the longest state and a small imaginary circle S2 indicating the shortest state on the overhead image BV displayed on the monitor 35.

This makes it easier to judge the surrounding conditions according to the set length of the discharge auger 8, even when the amount of extension of the discharge auger 8 has to be determined before it can be rotated, improving work efficiency.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the discharge auger 8 has a conveying spiral inside both the base-side conveying tube 8b and the sliding tube 8c, which slides to change its length, and a discharge head 80 that drops the grains is provided at the conveying end of this conveying spiral, i.e., the tip of the discharge auger 8, and is rotatable left and right when viewed from the front. This discharge head 80 adjusts the grain discharge position by rotating a specified amount left and right, and by depositing the grains evenly inside the collection container 201, it prevents the grains from spilling out of the container.

The outer periphery of the discharge section 8a of the discharge head 80 is equipped with a grain guide 81, which is a rectangular plate made of transparent synthetic resin such as polyvinyl chloride. The discharged grains either come into contact with the inner surface of the grain guide 81 and fall downward, or fall directly downward from the end of the conveying spiral.

On the other hand, the outer periphery of the discharge head 80, particularly the front part of the machine body, is not related to the discharge of grains and is suitable for photographing a position away from the machine body when the discharge auger 8 is fully extended.

Therefore, a head camera 82 is provided at the front end of the discharge head 80, with a range of photography of the area in front and around it, and is configured to maintain photography at least when the grain discharge operation is being performed. This camera is preferably configured to operate when the discharge auger 8 is extended.

Even if the head camera 82 is placed on the outer periphery of the discharge head 80, the lens may become dirty due to fine powder particles scattered around the discharge port 8a when the grains are discharged, or dust rising from the field, which may reduce the accuracy of the image capture.

As shown in FIG. 23, the head camera 82 is covered with a camera cover 83 that can be opened and closed by a cover motor 84, and the camera cover 83 is opened only when the discharge auger 8 extends and retracts, and is closed when grain discharge begins or when the discharge auger 8 is moved to the storage position for harvesting work.

However, assuming that there may be situations other than those described above where an operator would like to take pictures using the head camera 82, a cover switch for opening and closing the camera cover 83 may be provided.

In addition, protecting the head camera 82 would require too much cost for the opening and closing mechanism of the camera cover 83, and would require many parts to be replaced in the event of a breakdown in the electrical system. Therefore, the outer periphery of the head camera 82 can be covered with a fine mesh protective net to prevent debris such as soil of a certain size from passing through gaps in the head camera 82 and soiling the lens, etc.

The image captured by the head camera 82 from an obliquely upward angle is converted into an image file or a video file and sent to the CPU 200, which has analysis software installed. It is then determined whether or not a grain collection container 201 or a truck 202 carrying this collection container 201 is captured within the captured image range. The CPU 200 is configured to record image and video data in advance for identifying the collection container 201 and the truck 202, minimizing the occurrence of erroneous recognition.

The combine performing the discharge operation compares the direction in which the discharge auger 8 is facing with magnetic north or the virtual north direction on a virtual map to assume a direction, and records the position where the machine will stop and remain during discharge, with the head camera 82 positioned as the center, as the dischargeable area EA. Note that if the outline of the dischargeable area EA is calculated to be 5 to 10% smaller than the actual front-to-back and left-to-right width of the machine, it is possible to prevent the machine from approaching the edge of the field and colliding with it.

24(a)-(c), when a collection container 201 or truck 202 is detected in an image captured by the head camera 82, a distance measuring sensor 203 using a laser or the like is pointed in the same direction as the head camera 82, and if the distance can be calculated, the numerical value is displayed on the monitor 35 or the like. If the distance cannot be measured, a message to that effect is displayed on the monitor 35, and the drone is manually moved to a position where the object to be measured can be photographed more accurately.

If the distance cannot be measured even after the machine is moved to a position where the collection container 201 and the truck 202 are within the captured image, it is determined that the distance sensor 203 is broken or that fog or surrounding light sources are preventing measurement, and a message indicating that measurement is not possible is displayed on the monitor 35, etc. In this case, the operator moves the machine to the grain discharge position.

Next, when the distance to contact overlaps with the dischargeable area EA, the discharge auger 8 is rotated or extended toward a central position above the collection container 201.

As described above, when the combine harvester 1 moves to discharge grains but does not deviate from the dischargeable area EA, the combine harvester 1 automatically moves based on a course generated by the application of the CPU 200, and rotates the discharge auger 8 to face above the center position of the collection container 201.

This allows grains to be collected from the discharge auger 8 into the collection container 201 without the combine 1 coming into contact with the ridges, preventing grains from spilling out of the collection container 201 and becoming unrecoverable, which would result in a reduced yield.

In addition, when conditions are met, the combine harvester 1 automatically moves to the unloading area EA, greatly reducing the labor required by the operator.

During automatic movement and automatic grain discharge operation, the discharge clutch that turns on and off the power transmission to the discharge auger 8 is not accepted. As a result, even though automatic discharge is possible, if the operator mistakenly turns off the discharge clutch, the combine 1 will simply move to the discharge operation position, which will result in a problem that the operation cannot be automated and will not lead to labor savings.

However, due to some control error, the position of the discharge head 80 of the discharge auger 8, which should have been rotated to the discharge position after automatic movement, may be near the end of the collection container 201 rather than near the center, or it may be outside the collection container 201. In this case, if the discharge clutch cannot be operated, the grains will be discharged outside the collection container 201, which will require extra time and effort for the collection work, and if some grains cannot be collected, the harvest yield will be reduced.

Therefore, when the automatic discharge operation is started, the control is configured to accept the operation of the discharge clutch when the operator extends or retracts the discharge auger 8. As a result, when the discharge position of the discharge auger 8 is misaligned, the discharge clutch is disengaged to stop the discharge of grains, and the discharge auger 8 is moved to the appropriate discharge position before the discharge clutch is switched on, making it easier to collect grains and preventing a decrease in work efficiency.

During automatic discharge, the discharge auger 8 switches its rotation direction between right (clockwise) and left (counterclockwise) at predetermined intervals, preventing grains from piling up at one point in the collection container 201 and collapsing under its own weight and blowing up, flying out of the collection container 201, or preventing grains from falling to the outside from a portion of the edge of the collection container 201 where they have been unevenly piled up.

When the collection container 201 has a large capacity, the left and right rotation range of the discharge auger 8 may be biased toward the center of the collection container 201. Therefore, one of the left and right traveling crawlers 3, 3 of the combine 1 may be rotated in the forward direction and the other in the reverse direction to perform a pivot turn, and the grains may be dumped evenly into the collection container 201 by rotating the machine body.

Furthermore, during the automatic discharge operation, the rotation direction of the traveling crawlers 3, 3 can be automatically switched at predetermined time intervals, allowing for more even grain loading.

However, if the combine harvester 1 is likely to go outside the discharge area EA at this time, the timing of the pivot turn should be advanced so that work is not interrupted.

The head camera 82 and distance measurement sensor 203 should be capable of capturing images without any problems even when the tip of the discharge auger 8 is rotated upward to its maximum extent, and should be mounted at an angle adjusted so that as wide an area as possible is visible.

However, since the appropriate placement of the head camera 82 and distance measurement sensor 203 will vary depending on the position of the discharge auger 8, the field environment, the vegetation condition of the stalks, etc., the position can be adjusted using a wire or rod (not shown) from the base side of the discharge auger 8, or the position can be adjusted by operating an adjustment actuator using a switch or dial (not shown) provided inside the cabin 23.

Although this is costly, the effective range of the head camera 82 and distance sensor 203 can be adjusted appropriately to suit the work conditions, improving the accuracy of control using video.

Alternatively, as shown in Figures 25(a) and 25(b), the head motor 82 and distance measuring sensor 203 are attached to a slide rail 84 that moves back and forth by a reversible slide motor 85, and the shooting range can be changed by moving the slide rail 84. The slide rail 84 is also arranged so that it can rotate back and forth, and the forward and backward tilt angle of the head motor 82 and distance measuring sensor 203 can be changed by a reversible tilt motor 86.

The forward or reverse rotation of the slide motor 85 and tilt motor is configured to operate in accordance with the auger potentiometer 87, which detects the up and down rotation angle of the discharge auger 8.

As a result, the more the discharge auger 8 is rotated upward, the more the slide motor 84 moves the slide rail 85 toward the front of the machine, and the tilt motor 86 tilts the slide rail 85 downward. When the discharge auger 8 is rotated downward, the opposite behavior occurs.

This allows the head motor 82 and distance sensor 203 to continue capturing the subject, and when possible, automatic movement to the grain discharge position and automatic discharge can be used to reduce labor.

If the slide motor 84 and tilt motor 86 are operated in real time while the detection angle of the auger potentiometer 87 is fluctuating, the detection contents of the head motor 82 and distance measurement sensor 203 may become unstable, and it may be determined that the distance is "unmeasurable" even when it is actually possible to measure the distance.

Therefore, it is desirable not to send a signal to the slide motor 84 or tilt motor 86 until a certain amount of time has elapsed since the detection angle of the auger potentiometer 87 changed and the change stopped, and to perform photography and distance measurement after the position of the discharge auger 8 has been changed.

In addition, if the combine harvester 1 starts moving when the position change of the discharge auger 8 is completed and photographing by the head motor 82 and distance measurement sensor 203 begins, stable photographing and distance measurement will not be possible. Therefore, when the slide motor 84 and tilt motor 86 are operated and then stopped after the position change of the discharge auger 8, it is desirable to configure the discharge auger 8 to restrict the rotation operation and forward/backward movement operation of the combine harvester 1 for a specified time (e.g., about 5 to 10 seconds).

Alternatively, while forward and reverse operation itself is accepted, an upper output limit for the forward and reverse gearshift actuator can be set for a specified time (e.g., 5 to 10 seconds), allowing forward and reverse movement only at a slow speed regardless of the operating position of the gearshift lever. Note that if the output is suddenly released to the level corresponding to the operating position of the gearshift lever after the specified time has elapsed, the vehicle may suddenly accelerate from the spot and throw the operator around, so the control configuration is such that the output is gradually increased every specified time (e.g., 3 to 5 seconds), with the operating position of the gearshift lever as the upper limit.

Depending on the grounding position of the collection container 201 and the conditions of the field, it may be possible to perform the work with higher accuracy by operating the machine manually rather than by using automatic driving to the discharge position and automatic discharge. At this time, the head motor 82 and distance measurement sensor 203 acquire image and distance measurement data, and when the conditions are met, automatic movement to the discharge location and automatic discharge are initiated, and the machine may start to behave in a way that is not intended by the operator.

Therefore, it is desirable to stop the head motor 82 and distance measurement sensor 203 during manual operation, but stopping them is not desirable because the image from the head camera 82 may be used by the operator to understand the conditions around the collection container 201.

For this reason, it is advisable to provide an automatic ejection on/off switch 204 that stops the analysis software in the CPU 200 and leaves the head motor 82 and distance measurement sensor 203 in a usable state.

This prevents interference between operator operation and automatic control, allowing for stable movement and grain discharge and preventing a reduction in harvest yield.

If the automatic discharge on/off switch 204 is forgotten to be turned off and the automatic control is activated, the automatic control is interrupted by the operator extending or rotating the discharge auger 8.

The distance sensor 203 calculates distance by echoing ultrasonic waves, etc., and can be used to determine the height from the front end of the discharge head 80, i.e., the discharge head 80 when discharging grains, to the current bottom of the collection container 201.

Therefore, whether automatically or manually, when the discharge auger 8 rotates downward, the distance sensor 203 measures the distance and calculates the distance from the discharge head 80 of the discharge auger 8 to the current bottom of the collection container 201, i.e., the surface of the stored grains. When this distance is within a specified value or the specified value plus several tens of centimeters, the downward rotation of the discharge auger 8 is stopped at a timing that takes into account the distance traveled by inertia before stopping.

This allows the grains to be discharged while the discharge head 80 is inside the collection container 201, preventing the grains from spilling out.

In addition, by issuing a command to stop the downward rotation of the discharge auger 8 slightly above the actual stopping position, it is possible to prevent the discharge auger 8 from bending due to sudden braking, causing grains to fly off, and also to prevent a decrease in the durability of the discharge auger 8. It is preferable to determine whether or not to stop the discharge auger 8 from descending based on the detection value of the auger potentiometer 87.

During automatic descent, the discharge auger 8 is not allowed to be manually moved up and down or left and right. This prevents the discharge height and position from being disturbed by the operator's operation, and prevents grains from falling out of the collection container 201.

3 Traveling crawler (traveling device)
4. Threshing equipment (sorting equipment)
8. Discharge auger (discharge device)
15 Harvesting device 80 Discharge head (discharge tip)
82 Head camera (photography device)
85 Slide motor (slide actuator)
86 Tilt motor (tilt actuator)
87 Auger potentiometer (angle sensor)
200 CPU (control device)
201 Collection container 203 Distance measurement sensor (distance measurement device)
EA Dischargeable area

Claims (6)

A combine harvester is provided with a harvesting device (15) on a machine body traveling on a traveling device (3), a sorting device (4) for separating grains from the stalks harvested by the harvesting device (3) is provided on one of the left and right sides of the machine body, and a discharge device (8) for discharging the grains separated by the sorting device (4) outside the machine,
a photographing device (82) is provided at a discharge tip portion (80) of the discharge device (8), and a control device (200) is provided for processing overhead image data photographed by the photographing device (82);
The control device (200) of this combine is configured so that when an object that can be recognized as a grain collection container (201) appears in the overhead image, the position where the machine will stop and remain when unloading is displayed in the image as the unloading area (EA). The combine harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that the outline of the dischargeable area (EA) is displayed by applying a certain percentage of reduction correction by the control device (200) based on the actual dimensions of the machine body in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. A distance measuring device (203) is provided at the discharge tip (80) to measure the distance to a collection container (201) shown in an image of the photographing device (82),
The combine harvester described in claim 1, characterized in that the control device (200) calculates a moving path based on the distance obtained by measurement of the distance measuring device (203) and the acquired dischargeable area (EA), and automatically travels to a position overlapping with the dischargeable area (EA). The control device (200) is configured to rotate the discharge device (8) when the grain reaches the dischargeable area (EA) and engage a discharge clutch above the collection container (201) to discharge the grains,
4. The combine harvester according to claim 3, wherein when the discharge clutch is turned on and the discharge device (8) is extended or retracted, the discharge clutch can be manually turned on and off. The combine harvester according to claim 4, characterized in that the control device (200) is configured to rotate the discharge device (8) alternately in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction each time a predetermined time has elapsed since the discharge clutch was engaged. The discharge device (8) is configured to be vertically rotatable, and an angle sensor (87) is provided to detect the vertical rotation angle of the discharge device (8);
The photographing device (82) and the distance measuring device (203) are mounted on a movable device (84) that slides in the forward and backward directions by a sliding actuator (85) and rotates up and down by a tilting actuator (86);
The combine harvester described in any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the control device (200) is configured to operate the sliding actuator (85) and the tilting actuator (86) in conjunction with a change in the angle of the angle sensor (87), and to change the attitude of the camera device (82) and the distance measuring device (203) by sliding and rotating the movable device (84).

Images