JP2804936B2 - Harvester vehicle speed control device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle speed control device for a harvester that changes a vehicle speed in response to an increase or decrease in a load in a work unit such as a threshing unit or a cutting unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vehicle speed control device of this kind of harvester has
For example, as described in JP-A-63-123317, an isochronous engine capable of rotating at a constant speed regardless of the size of the load by adjusting the fuel supply amount in accordance with the increase or decrease of the load. The engine is used to drive the working unit and the traveling unit, and the load on the engine is detected based on the position of a rack that adjusts the fuel supply amount of the engine. The relationship between the vehicle speed corresponding to the speed gear and the load of the engine is stored in advance as a plurality of load characteristics. Based on the detected result of the engine load and the current traveling speed gear, the speed change is performed based on the load characteristics. The highest speed running speed stage is selected such that the engine load is equal to or less than the preset upper limit value of the engine load, and the shift control of the transmission is performed with the running speed stage as a target. A way, so as to adjust the speed of the traveling unit.

[0003]

However, in the above-described vehicle speed control device, when the load (engine load) of the working unit fluctuates due to working conditions or the like, the load characteristics stored in advance are sequentially selected each time. , and than travel speed stage is changed controlled so that the engine load becomes a predetermined target value, for example, in FIG. 1 due to load fluctuation, described in detail later M3
When changing the vehicle speed from the position to the H2 position,
When a plurality of the load characteristics are selected, M
The shift control is performed to the H2 position through the 4 and H1 positions, and the same shift control as described above is repeated in the subsequent work, and therefore, there is a problem that the response of the vehicle speed control is poor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to control the vehicle speed from the current vehicle speed to a new vehicle speed at which the engine load becomes a predetermined target value. The control is performed based on the change state of the vehicle speed and the engine load resulting from the control, so that the responsiveness of the vehicle speed is improved.

[0005]

A vehicle speed control device for a harvester according to the present invention includes an engine for maintaining a rotation speed at a set rotation speed regardless of the magnitude of a load, and the running unit and the working unit are driven by the engine. The harvester is configured to store the relationship between the vehicle speed and the engine load as a plurality of load characteristics in advance, and selects one of the plurality of load characteristics based on the detection result of the vehicle speed and the engine load. A harvester vehicle speed control device configured to control a load to a target vehicle speed such that the load becomes a target value set on a selected load characteristic, wherein at the target vehicle speed, the engine load is adjusted to the target value. If not, means for determining a change in vehicle speed and engine load resulting from control according to the load characteristic selected previously, and adjusting the vehicle speed based on the determined change. Characterized in that it comprises a stage.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, when the vehicle speed is controlled from the current vehicle speed to a new vehicle speed at which the engine load becomes a predetermined target value, first of all, A target vehicle speed is determined based on the selected load characteristic, a change state of the vehicle speed and an engine load resulting from the control performed to obtain the target vehicle speed is obtained, and thereafter, the vehicle speed is adjusted based on the change state. As a result, the vehicle speed can be quickly adjusted in accordance with the current situation, and the responsiveness of the vehicle speed control can be significantly improved.

[0007]

FIG. 6 shows a combine as an example of a harvester. The combiner is provided with a traveling section 2 at a lower portion of a body 1 and a threshing section 3 at an upper side. , A cutting section 4 equipped with a cutting blade 41 and a cereal stem raising device 42
The working unit of the mowing unit 4 and the threshing unit 3 and the traveling unit 2 are driven by an isochronous engine EN mounted on the body 1.

Further, an operation column 6 is arranged near a driver seat DS provided on the upper front side of the body 1, and in this embodiment, the traveling speed stage of the main transmission is changed in the embodiment. A main transmission lever 51, an auxiliary transmission lever 52 for changing the traveling speed stage of the auxiliary transmission, an accelerator lever 53 for changing the rotation speed of the engine EN, and an automatic switch 9 to be described later.
And so on.

Further, a vertical transport chain 7 is provided between the threshing unit 3 and the reaping unit 4, and a rear end side of the vertical transport chain 7 is provided opposite to a side of the threshing unit 3. The husk is conveyed to the culm conveying device 8 composed of a feed chain 81 and a sandwiching frame rod 82, and the culm cut by the cutting unit 4 is supplied to the threshing unit 3 for threshing. Near the front side of the threshing unit 3 on the upper side of the transport chain 7,
A grain culm sensor-71 is provided, and a transported grain culm is detected by a detection rod 72 protruding from below the sensor-71.

The vehicle speed control device of the combine as described above is configured as follows.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the vehicle speed control apparatus. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 10 denotes a vehicle speed control unit, reference numeral 20 denotes a shift motor for moving and operating the main transmission lever 51, and reference numeral 30 denotes rotation of the engine EN. It is a control unit.

The vehicle speed control unit 10 of the embodiment calculates the load of the engine EN with a signal corresponding to a target rack position output from an engine rotation control unit 30 described later in detail, and the load is determined to be a predetermined value. A traveling speed stage that does not exceed the upper limit value is determined, and the main transmission and the sub-transmission are subjected to speed change control in order to realize the traveling speed stage.

Further, the vehicle speed control section 10 provides a CPU for giving an output instruction based on an input signal and performing arithmetic processing.
10a and RA used for the arithmetic processing of the CPU 10a.
M10b and a ROM 10c which stores various data and control programs necessary for the arithmetic processing.

In the embodiment, the automatic switch 9 which is turned on when the combine is working is connected to the input port a1 of the vehicle speed control unit 10, and the switch 9 is turned on. The input port a1 is at a low level.

The other input ports a2, a3 and a4 include a threshing switch 11 which is turned on when a threshing clutch is engaged, and a mowing switch 12 which is turned on when a mowing clutch is engaged. And a cereal stalk switch 13 that is turned on when the detection rod 72 of the cereal stalk sensor 71 detects a cereal stalk, respectively.
Each of the input ports a2, a3, a4 is set to a high level by the ON operation of 1, 12, 13 respectively.

Further, the other input ports a5 and a6 are provided with two first and second sub-transmissions which are turned on / off by the locking position of the sub-transmission lever 52 for operating the sub-transmission. The switches 14 and 15 are connected to each other, and the input port a5 is set to a low level when the first switch 14 is turned on, and the input port a6 is set to a low level when the second switch 15 is turned on.

The sub-transmission of the embodiment has three traveling speed stages of a low speed, a middle speed and a high speed, respectively, and when the sub-speed lever 52 is located at the low speed. When the first switch 14 is turned on and the sub-shift lever 52 is at a high gear, the second
The switch 15 is turned on, and the input ports a are turned on by turning on the switches 14, 15.
By setting 5,5,6 to the low level, it is recognized that the traveling speed stages of the auxiliary transmission are a low speed stage and a high speed stage,
Further, by setting each of the input ports a5 and a6 to a high level, it is recognized that the vehicle is at the middle speed.

A shift sensor 16 composed of a potentiometer for outputting a level signal corresponding to the swing amount of the main transmission lever 51 for operating the main transmission is connected to the other input port a7. I do.

The main transmission of the embodiment has six traveling speed stages of four forward speeds, one reverse speed, and neutral, respectively, and a level signal inputted to the input port a7. Thus, it is possible to recognize in which state the traveling speed stage of the main transmission is located.

Further, an output signal from an engine rotation control unit 30 to be described later is given to another input port a8 of the vehicle speed control unit 10.

The signals input to the input ports a7 and a8 are processed by an input interface of the vehicle speed control unit 10, and are converted into digital data corresponding to the respective signal levels. The data is input to the CPU 10a of the vehicle speed control unit 10.

On the other hand, the shift motor 20 of the main shift lever 51 is connected to the two output ports b1 and b2 of the vehicle speed control unit 10, and the output ports b1 and b are connected to the output ports b1 and b2.
The high level signal output from the motor 2
0 is rotated forward and backward, and the main transmission lever 51 is rocked to a high or low speed side.

Further, at another output port b3, a notification lamp 21 for notifying the operator that the vehicle speed control operation is being performed is provided, and at another output port b4, b5. Instruction lamps 22 and 23 for instructing the operator to increase or decrease the speed of the sub-transmission lever 52 to the speed increasing and decelerating sides are respectively connected, and rollers output from the respective output ports b1, b4 and b5. According to the level signal, each of the lamps 21 and
2, 23 are turned on.

An alarm buzzer 24 for outputting various alarms is connected to the other output port b6, and the buzzer 24 is sounded by a high level signal output from the output port b6. I am trying to do it.

Further, the other output port b7 is connected to the input side of a rotation control unit 30 of the engine, which will be described later, and receives a high-level signal output from the output port b7 to output the rotation control unit 30. Control operation is performed.

On the other hand, the rotation control unit 30 detects the number of revolutions of the engine EN, and adjusts the movement of the rack of the fuel injection pump so as to make the result of the detection coincide with the set number of revolutions. This is to perform so-called isochronous control for adjustment, and on the input side of the rotation control unit 30,
A rack position detection sensor 31 including, for example, an operation transformer for detecting the position of the rack, and an engine rotation sensor 32 provided near the engine EN and detecting the number of rotations thereof are connected to each other. An operation command signal is output to the input side of the rotation control unit 30 from the output port b7 of the vehicle speed control unit 10 described above.

Also, on the output side of the rotation control unit 30,
A rack actuator 33 using, for example, a linear solenoid for driving the rack is connected, and the position of the rack is adjusted via the actuator 33 by an output signal from the rotation control unit 30 to adjust the position of the engine EN. The rotation is controlled, and the output signal from the rotation control unit 30 is transmitted to the input port a8 of the vehicle speed control unit 10.
To give to.

When the rotation speed detected by the engine rotation sensor 32 is different from the set rotation speed due to a change in the load of the working unit or the like, the rotation control unit 30 needs to return to the set rotation speed. A numerical table or an arithmetic expression for obtaining a correct set rotation speed, a numerical table or an arithmetic expression for obtaining a rack equivalent position when the engine EN is not loaded, and a numerical table or an arithmetic expression necessary for obtaining a set rotational speed from the no load rack equivalent position. A numerical table or an arithmetic expression for calculating the target rack position and a maximum allowable value of the rack at the various rotation speeds are stored.

Then, the rotation control unit 30 controls the engine rotation sensor 32 according to the load fluctuation of the working unit.
When the detected rotational speed input from the controller is different from the set rotational speed, a corrected set rotational speed is calculated, a rack position corresponding to the no-load corresponding to the corrected set rotational speed is read, and the read position and the rack position sensor are read. A target rack position necessary for obtaining the corrected rotation speed is calculated from the actual rack position input from the controller 31, and a signal corresponding to the target rack position is output to the actuator 33, and the actuator 33 The fuel supply amount to the engine EN is adjusted by controlling the movement of the rack to the target rack position by the data 33, and the rotation control is performed to maintain a constant rated rotation speed regardless of the magnitude of the load. It is.

FIG. 1 shows the traveling speed V of the combine when the engine speed is the rated speed on the horizontal axis.
The vertical axis is a graph showing a load characteristic in which the load factor E with respect to the maximum load of the engine EN is taken, and F1 shown in FIG.
To Fn are load characteristic curves obtained under various different working conditions, and these load characteristic curves F1 to Fn
Are stored in the ROM 10c of the vehicle speed control unit 10.

In FIG. 1, the symbols L, M and H indicate that the traveling speed stage of the subtransmission according to the embodiment is "low speed",
The symbols “1”, “2”, “3” and “4” indicate that the traveling speed in the main transmission of the embodiment is one forward speed, Forward two steps speed,
This indicates that the vehicle is positioned at the third forward speed and the fourth forward speed, and that the traveling speed of the combine is L1 to L4, M1 to M4, and H1 and H by the main transmission and the subtransmission.
It is controlled over two stages.

In FIG. 1, a straight line indicated by Ecmax is a maximum load factor indicating a load upper limit value for limiting a load applied to the engine EN during the vehicle speed control operation to a value equal to or less than this value. Is set to 0.95Ecmax or less, which is lower than the maximum load factor, and the set value is stored in the ROM 10c of the vehicle speed control unit 10.

When the load on the working unit fluctuates due to working conditions, the load characteristic curves F1 to Fn
Is selected and the traveling speed stage is controlled so that the load of the engine EN becomes a preset target value, the load remains at 0.95 Ecmax at this target traveling speed stage.
If the load condition has not been reached, the load condition is specified at this stage from the load ratio for this traveling speed stage, and a load characteristic curve matching this load condition is selected.

That is, in the initial target value setting, the load condition at that time is specified by the input load factor and the traveling speed stage by the main shift speed and the sub shift speed, and a load characteristic curve matching the load condition is selected. You. For example, if the current input load factor is ε ₁ and the traveling speed stage is “M3”, it is specified at the point C1 in FIG. 1 and the load characteristic curve F in FIG.
i is selected.

However, based on the load characteristic curve Fi, a value of 0.1.
Even if control is performed at the target traveling speed stage corresponding to 95Ecmax, that is, at the target traveling speed stage M4, the load becomes 0.95 at this target traveling speed stage M4.
For lower values than ECmax, for example, when the input load ratio of epsilon _2, then, from the input load factor epsilon ₂ and the target travel speed stage M4 Prefecture, the load state is identified to the point C2, the load characteristic curves in FIG. 1 Fj is selected, and 0.9 is calculated based on the curve Fj.
The target traveling speed corresponding to 5Ecmax, that is, H1 is controlled.

In the above-described combine vehicle speed control device, the engine E
In the case of controlling to a new traveling speed stage where the load of N becomes a predetermined target value, in the present invention, first, a characteristic curve S indicating a change state of the vehicle speed and the engine load resulting from the previous control is set. It is obtained as shown in FIG.
0b, and thereafter the vehicle speed is controlled to obtain the target vehicle speed determined along the characteristic curve S. Conventionally, a plurality of the load characteristic curves F1 to Fn are selected, the speed of the traveling speed stage is controlled from the M3 position to the H2 position via the M4 and H1 positions, and the same shift control as described above is repeated in the subsequent work. Therefore, the responsiveness of the vehicle speed control was poor, but in the present invention, as a result of the adjustment of the vehicle speed based on the characteristic curve S, the shift from the M3 position to the H2 position is quickly performed, and the vehicle speed control is performed. Responsiveness can be improved.

Next, the above-described vehicle speed control device will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

First, as apparent from FIG. 3, when the automatic switch 9 is turned on at the start of driving, the vehicle speed lamp 21 is turned on and the vehicle speed control unit 10 is operated (step 1). In step 2, an initial value 1 is given as a coefficient K to be multiplied to set the reference of the maximum load factor Ecmax.
The traveling speed is controlled within a range not exceeding Ecmax.

Then, the vehicle speed control unit 10 recognizes the rack position R, the main speed A of the main transmission, and the sub speed B of the auxiliary transmission, respectively (step 3). ROM 10c of the vehicle speed control unit 10 based on
The input load factor ε is calculated based on the arithmetic expression stored in the step (4) (step 4). Next, in step 5, it is determined whether or not the input load factor ε is larger than the limit load factor K · Ecmax. Is determined, and in the case of no, control is performed in step 6 by a speed increasing control subroutine described in detail later. Further, in the case of YES in the above-mentioned step 5, if a speed-up control operation by the speed-up control subroutine is completed, a timer t3 to be described later is started.
Is determined to be longer than a preset time T3 (step 7), and if yes, in step 8, a predetermined value 0.05 is subtracted from the coefficient K,
In the case of no, it is determined whether or not the main gear A is 1 while keeping the coefficient K as it is (step 9).
If possible deceleration by the shift of the main transmission stage, at step 10, the shift motor 20 is mainly gear position is reversed a predetermined amount Ru is one step change. If the result of step 9 is YES, the auxiliary gear B is set to L.
Is determined (step 11), and in the case of no , that is, when deceleration is possible by the shift of the sub-gear, the deceleration instruction lamp 23 is turned on (step 1).
2) Instruct the operator to operate the sub-shift lever 52 to the lower speed side, and determine in step 13 whether or not the traveling speed has been reduced as a result of this instruction. 24 is continued (step 14), and waits for a predetermined time T1 to prompt the operator to decelerate (step 15).
If the answer is yes in step 3, that is, if the operator decelerates as a result of the instruction, the deceleration instruction lamp 23 is turned off (step 16) and the apparatus waits for a predetermined time T2 (step 17). In step 18, it is determined whether or not the vehicle speed control unit 10 satisfies various conditions for controlling the vehicle speed. In the case of YES, the vehicle is returned to the position in step 3, and the same operation is performed thereafter. Is repeated, and in the case of no, the vehicle speed control unit 1
0 is the standby mode, and the vehicle speed control is stopped until the above various conditions are satisfied.

If the result of step 11 is YES, that is, if the main gear A is 1 and the sub gear B is
Is L, and when further deceleration operation is impossible, it is determined that some abnormality has occurred in the working unit or the like.
In step 19, the main gear is set to the neutral position by the shift motor 20, and in step 20,
After the alarm lamp 24 sounds for a certain period of time and the vehicle speed lamp 21 is turned off, the aircraft is stopped.

If the result of step 5 is NO, that is, if the input load factor ε is equal to the limit load factor K
If it is smaller than Ecmax, control is performed according to the speed increase control subroutine shown in FIG.

In the speed increase control subroutine, first, as will be apparent from FIG.
After the load characteristic curve Fi is first selected in step S21, the main gear a and the main gear a, which is one step higher than the current main gear A and sub gear B, are selected in step S22. The sub-gear b is set as a target value. For example, if the current main gear is a = 1 and the sub-gear is b = L, the target main gear is a = 2 and the sub-gear is Step b = H
Then, in step 23, it is determined whether or not the sub gear B is the target gear b. In the case of Yes, the main gear A is changed to the target gear a in step 24. The vehicle speed control is stopped in the case of YES, that is, when both the main gear A and the auxiliary gear B are the target gears a and b.

If the answer is NO in steps 23 and 24, a load factor Ei corresponding to each traveling speed stage on the load characteristic curve Fi is calculated in step 25. so,
It is determined whether the load factor Ei is greater than or equal to the limit load factor K · Ecmax.

If the result of the determination at the step 26 is YES, it is determined at a step 27 whether or not the shift stage is a = 1. The control for changing the shift speed a to the low speed side is performed, and when the determination result of the step 27 is YES, the control for changing the sub speed stage b to the low speed side is performed. After the control in step 29, the process returns to step 23.

If the result of the determination in step 26 is NO, the timer t3 for measuring the elapsed time after the end of the speed-up control operation is reset (step 30). , The sub-gear B
Is determined to be the target shift speed b. If NO, the speed increase instruction lamp 22 is turned on in step 32, and then in step 33, the sub shift speed is changed to the target shift speed b. It is determined whether or not the alarm has come to an end. If the answer is no, the alarm buzzer 24 sounds and the apparatus waits for a predetermined time T1. Is shifted to the target shift speed b, at step 36, the speed increasing ramp 2
2 is lit.

If the answer to step 31 is YES, that is, if the sub speed B has been shifted to the target speed b, then at step 37 the main speed A
Is set to the target shift speed a, and thereafter, a certain time T
After waiting two times (step 38), in step 39, the timer t3 for measuring the elapsed time after the end of the speed increasing control operation is started.

The switching control routine (step 21) performed by the speed-up control subroutine is performed when the target vehicle speed setting number is 0, that is, when the target value is set first, as described above. The current load condition is specified from ε and the traveling speed stage, and a load characteristic curve matching the current load condition, for example, Fi.
Is selected, and vehicle speed control is performed under steps 22 to 39 described above.

That is, first, as shown in FIG.
0, the vehicle speed and the load factor are detected and the RAM 10
b is taken in step 41, and it is determined in step 41 whether or not the target vehicle speed setting number is n = 0. In the case of Yes, that is, when the target vehicle speed is first set, the vehicle speed is set in step 42. ROM 10 of control unit 10
from the load characteristic curve F1~Fn stored in c, based on the current load state, for example, at a running speed stage M3, if the load factor epsilon _1, the load characteristic curve Fi is selected, after this In step 43, the target vehicle speed is determined based on the curve Fi. Next, in step 44, the set number of times n
Is set to n + 1.

If the result of step 41 is negative, that is, if n = 0 or more target settings have been made, then in step 45, the number of target settings is (n = 1). If yes, in step 46, the following equation is used based on the vehicle speed and the load factor stored in the RAM 10b : ε1 = α (v1-d) ² + β ε2 = α (v2-d Based on ² + β, a variable α value and a β value for obtaining a characteristic curve S indicating a change state of the vehicle speed and the engine load are calculated, and the vehicle speed and the load taken into the RAM 10b are calculated. The vehicle speed is determined by selecting the load characteristic curve Fj stored in the ROM 10c from the ratio (step 47), and thereafter, step 4
At 8, the set number n is set to n + 1. Note that d in the above equation is a constant arbitrarily determined by a displacement value in the X-axis direction.

If the result of the determination in step 45 is negative, it is determined in step 49 whether or not the target set number is n = 2. If yes, in step 50, the RAM 10b is determined. from ipecac's vehicle load factor, the following arithmetic expression, ε1 = α (v1-γ ) 2 + β ε2 = α (v2-γ) 2 + β ε3 = α (v3-γ) based on the ² + beta, the characteristics ipecac's speed to the RAM10b with the variable α value and β value and γ values for determining the curve S is calculated, to select the load characteristic curve Fk which stores the load factor in the ROM 10c, the load characteristics On the curve Fk
Determining the vehicle speed at (step 51), then, Step 5
In 2, the set number n is set to n + 1.

If the result of the determination at step 49 is negative, that is, if the set number n is two or more, that is, three or more, at step 53, each value of ε1 to εn and v1 to vn Thus, a characteristic curve S indicating a change state of the vehicle speed and the engine load is obtained. In step 54, the vehicle speed is determined based on the characteristic curve S.

After the vehicle speed is determined in the above switching control routine, the process returns to step 22 in FIG.
Thereafter, vehicle speed control is performed based on the flow described above.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a load characteristic graph showing a relationship between a vehicle speed and an engine load of a vehicle speed control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the vehicle speed control device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the vehicle speed control device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the vehicle speed control device.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the vehicle speed control device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the whole combine shown as an example of a harvester.

[Explanation of symbols] [Explanation of symbols]

 2… Traveling unit 3,4… Working unit EN… Engine

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An engine for maintaining a rotation speed at a set rotation speed irrespective of the magnitude of a load is provided on a harvester configured to drive a traveling unit and a working unit by the engine. The relationship is stored in advance as a plurality of load characteristics, and one of the plurality of load characteristics is selected based on the detection result of the vehicle speed and the engine load, and the engine load is selected.
A vehicle speed control device of a harvester that controls the vehicle speed to a target value set to a target value set on the set load characteristic , wherein the engine load reaches the target value at the target vehicle speed. If not, means for obtaining a change state of the vehicle speed and the engine load resulting from the control according to the load characteristic selected previously, and means for adjusting the vehicle speed based on the obtained change state. The harvester's vehicle speed controller.