JP3267518B2 - Working method for forming a flat surface in a field - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for forming a reference line on a horizontal plane or an arbitrary inclined plane by using a light beam from a light emitting device such as a laser beam, and using this reference line to level a field such as a paddy field or a field. The present invention relates to a work method for forming a flat surface in a field where flat work can be performed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When the surface of a field such as a paddy field or a field is horizontal, it may be slightly inclined so that the depth of the soil layer is reduced.
Equalizing the so-called cultivation depth results in the uniform growth of the crop, and furthermore, the uniform harvest, which can contribute to the improvement of the yield. Therefore, for example, a method of flattening the surface of a field by pulling a tilling work machine to make the cultivation depth of a field constant and then mounting a leveling work machine has been attempted. In this case, each of the above-mentioned working machines is attached to the rear part of the tractor via a link mechanism, as is well known, so that the height thereof can be adjusted.
This link mechanism generally constitutes a so-called three-point link with one upper link and two lower links, and raises and lowers the working machine by moving the lower link up and down via a lift arm operated by a hydraulic cylinder. It is configured to be able to move. When each working machine is connected to the link mechanism, the hydraulic cylinder is manually controlled by operating a manual switch (three-point link manual electric switch) provided at, for example, a rear portion of the tractor body. Thus, the lower link of the link mechanism can be moved up and down to perform vertical positioning with respect to the hitch portion of the work implement.

[0003] On the other hand, a tilling work machine mounted on the tractor is provided with a cultivation depth sensing plate which is in contact with the topsoil of a field and which knows a cultivation depth state. By detecting the angle of the tillage depth sensing plate with a rotary encoder such as a potentiometer, and feeding back the tillage depth control signal from the rotary encoder to the hydraulic cylinder control unit on the tractor side, the depth of the field can be made uniform. Is configured. A tractor suitable for using such a tilling work machine, in other words, a tractor equipped with an outlet serving as a connection function unit for receiving a tillage depth control signal from a rotary encoder at a rear portion of the tractor body is known.

[0004]

By the way, recently, a reference line of a horizontal plane or an arbitrary inclined surface is formed by a light beam from a light emitting device such as a laser beam, and this reference line is used to control a paddy field or a field. There has been proposed an operation method capable of performing a leveling operation on a field surface. In such a working method, a light receiving means for detecting its own height position is attached to the link mechanism or the working machine by using a light beam from a laser emitting device for creating a horizontal plane or an arbitrary inclined surface as a reference line, and Means for controlling the height position of the link mechanism by controlling the hydraulic cylinder on the tractor body side based on the electric signal obtained by the means, and for controlling the position of the leveling machine in accordance with the reference line first It has just been proposed by the present applicants. On the other hand, in a conventional tractor that does not assume that the above-described light beam is controlled as a reference line, a considerable remodeling is required to perform the above-described flattening operation of the field surface using a laser beam. Not only does it necessitate the purchase of a tractor with specifications for laser beam control. The present invention has been made based on such a demand, so that leveling work can be performed by laser light control even in an existing tractor, and a light beam is not required for a conventional tractor without significant modification. It is an object of the present invention to provide a work system capable of executing vertical position control of a leveling machine or the like with reference to a reference line.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a work system comprising a link mechanism for mounting a working machine, and a position control means for moving the link mechanism up and down. Applied to the agricultural tractor, and a working method for forming a flat surface with respect to the field by the agricultural tractor and the working machine, attached to the link mechanism or the working machine, a horizontal plane or any inclination A light receiving means for detecting its own height position using a light beam from a light emitting device for creating a surface as a reference line; and receiving information on the height position obtained by the light receiving means, the position of the light receiving means with respect to the reference line is raised. when present, and the pulse drive switch which outputs different pulse signals in response when present in the lower part is provided in, depending on the pulse driving switch
The pulse signal obtained from the link mechanism to a manual switch.
Received by the hydraulic control switch circuit for
In this case , a control signal is supplied to position control means for controlling the height position of the link mechanism through the switch circuit, and a flat plane parallel to the reference line is formed as a field surface or a plow bed. It is characterized by being able to do.

[0006] The working method according to the present invention is applied to an agricultural tractor provided with a link mechanism for connecting a working machine and position control means for moving the link mechanism up and down. A work method for forming a flat surface in a field by a work machine, wherein the light beam from a light emitting device, which is attached to the link mechanism or the work machine and creates a horizontal plane or an arbitrary inclined surface, is used as a reference line. A light-receiving means for detecting a height position, a D / A converter circuit for receiving information on the height position obtained by the light-receiving means, and generating an analog output corresponding to a shift amount of the position of the light-receiving means with respect to the reference line; And converts the analog signal generated by the D / A converter circuit into the analog signal.
Received by the input circuit of the tillage control signal obtained by the industrial machine,
A control signal is supplied to position control means for controlling the height position of the link mechanism through the input circuit, and a flat plane parallel to the reference line can be formed as a surface of a field or a plow bed. It is characterized by doing so.

Further, the pulse drive switch and / or the D / A converter circuit is preferably housed in a housing, and the housing is configured to be attached to the tractor body. Further, it is preferable that a signal indicating the height position of the light receiving means obtained by the light receiving means is used as a display control signal of a light receiving position indicator for displaying the light receiving position.

[0008] According to the working method performed as described above,
Attach the light receiving means to the link mechanism part of the tractor or the working machine provided at present, and supply the pulse signal to the retrofit pulse drive switch while using the electric signal obtained by the light receiving means as the display control signal of the light receiving position indicator Thus, an output with a different pulse width is obtained depending on whether the position of the light receiving means with respect to the reference line is at the upper part or at the lower part. The pulse output is supplied to a manual switch circuit (three-point link manual electric switch circuit) provided at the rear of the tractor, so that the tractor body is hardly remodeled and the leveling machine in the field is used. Can be realized.

Similarly, by using an electric signal obtained by the light receiving means as a display control signal of a light receiving position indicator and supplying the signal to an external D / A converter circuit, a link is established by the D / A converter circuit. An analog signal for controlling the height position of the mechanism can be obtained. This analog output is provided at the rear of the tractor and is supplied to an outlet that receives a feedback signal from the tillage machine, thereby making it possible to control the position of the leveling machine in the field with little modification of the tractor body. The function can be realized.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A working system according to the present invention will be described below based on an embodiment shown in the drawings, in which the working system is applied to an agricultural tractor and a working machine. The same parts in the drawings described below are denoted by the same reference numerals.
First, FIG. 1 is a side view showing a link mechanism B for connecting a working machine to a tractor body A and a working machine (leveling machine) C connected to the link mechanism B. Things. For example, a laser beam projecting device D as a light emitting means for projecting a light beam with a horizontal surface or an arbitrary inclined surface is arranged in, for example, a ridge portion of the field. As shown in FIG. 1, the laser light projecting device D is composed of a stand d1 such as a tripod and a laser light source d2 arranged on the top thereof. Although not provided with a level, so that the laser beam H projected from the laser emission source d2 can be projected with a horizontal plane or any inclined surface,
The angle can be adjusted.

A light receiving means E for receiving a laser beam H from the laser beam projecting device D is set up in a working machine C connected to the rear portion of the tractor body A in a direction perpendicular to the working machine C. Is attached to the top of the rod c1. The light receiving means E includes a plurality of photodetectors e1, e2, e3,... En so as to be able to detect their own height position using the laser beam from the laser light projecting device D as a reference line as shown in FIG. Although not shown in FIG. 2, an optical filter that blocks visible light and transmits laser light is provided on the front surface of each of the photodetectors e1, e2, e3... En. Is arranged. With such a configuration, the light receiving means E obtains, for example, an analog voltage of 4.2 V when a laser beam is projected on the photodetectors located at the upper end arranged vertically, and a laser beam is applied to the photodetector located at the center. When the beam is projected, an analog voltage of, for example, 2.6 V is obtained. When the laser beam is projected on the photodetector located at the lower end, for example, 1.
The configuration is such that the output of the analog voltage is shifted stepwise according to the incident position of the laser beam so that an analog voltage of 6 V is obtained.

On the other hand, the link mechanism B has a so-called three-point link composed of an upper link b1 and lower links b2 and b3. Each of the upper links b1 is connected to a mast of a leveling machine C by a lower link. b1 and b2 are connected to the hitch pins of the leveling machine C. An operation rod of a coupled lift cylinder b5 having one end attached to the tractor body A is pivotally attached to the lift arm b4 having one end pivotally connected to the tractor body A, The free end of the lift arm b4 is connected to two lower links b2, b3 via a lift rod b6. Therefore, the lower link b2, b3 is configured to be moved up and down via the lift arm b4 and the lift rod b6 by the operation of the lift cylinder b5 by the hydraulic pressure, and accordingly, the leveling machine C is also moved up and down. It is configured to be affected by motion. To be precise, in the initial stage of operation, the front end of the leveling machine is moved up and down, followed by the rear end. As is well known, the leveling machine C has a leveling plate c1 that protrudes in the lower direction of the frame and a pressure-reducing wheel c2 that is disposed at the rear of the leveling plate c1 and rolls on the topsoil of the leveled field. I have.

FIG. 4 shows a connection configuration of the position control means F for moving the link mechanism up and down and a laser light receiving position indicator G arranged at the driver's seat of the tractor body A. First, the position control means F includes the light receiving means E described above.
And an analog voltage as information on the height position of the light receiving means E is supplied. This analog voltage is supplied to the control circuit f1, and the control circuit f1
1 is converted into a control signal for controlling the link mechanism B. The control signal obtained by the control circuit f1 is:
It is supplied to a direction control valve f3 and a flow control valve f4 to which a hydraulic pump f2 is connected. A lift cylinder b5 is further connected to the oil amount control valve f4. The lift cylinder b5 moves a piston in the cylinder b5 in the left and right direction in the figure by hydraulic pressure injected into the cylinder via the flow control valve f4. It is configured to be driven. A rod b7 extending from the cylinder b5 is connected to a lift arm b7.
The lift arm b7 is connected to the lower links b2 and b3 via the lift rod b6 as described in FIG.
It is connected to.

With the above configuration, the position control means F converts an analog voltage as information of the height position from the light receiving means E into a control signal by the control circuit f1, and outputs the control signal to the direction control valve f3.
Control. Therefore, by the lift cylinder b5,
The position of the link mechanism B can be controlled using the laser beam as a reference line. On the other hand, a laser light receiving position indicator G is connected to the light receiving means E. The laser light receiving position indicator G is installed, for example, in front of the driver's seat of the tractor A, analyzes the analog voltage supplied from the light receiving means E, and detects the light receiving means E, that is, the work implement C above the reference line. It can be optically displayed whether it is at the bottom or at the bottom. The laser light receiving position indicator G has a function of generating a digital output in accordance with the analog voltage supplied from the light receiving means E, and the output is provided by a pulse drive switch j1 and a D / A converter j2 described later. Supplied to

The control circuit f1 is configured so that a control signal can be input from two input terminals f5 and f6. The first input terminal f5 is provided at a rear portion of the tractor body A, and receives a digital signal supplied from a manual switch X (a three-point link manual electric switch) that can move the link mechanism B up and down by manual operation. The digital signal is a pulse signal decoder f
7 and converted into an analog signal by the control circuit f1.
Is configured to be supplied. The second input terminal f6 receives a signal from a rotary encoder that outputs angle information of a tillage depth plate in the tillage machine pulled by the tractor, and is arranged at a rear portion of the tractor body. It is configured to be able to receive a signal via an outlet Y (not shown).

Next, FIG. 5 shows the pulse drive switch j described above.
1 shows a circuit block configuration when a retrofit control block J including a D / A converter 1 and a D / A converter j2 is added. As described above, the output from the laser receiver E as the light receiving means is supplied to the laser receiving position indicator G, and the digital signal from the laser receiving position indicator G is supplied to the external control block J. It has become. The retrofit control block J is housed in a housing (not shown) so that it can be attached to an appropriate portion of the tractor body A, for example. It is connected to the switch box of the provided manual switch X (3-point link manual electric switch).

The output from the D / A converter j2 is
It is provided at the rear of the tractor main body A and is connected to the outlet for inputting angle information of the burrowing plate. Therefore, the output of the pulse drive switch j1 is as shown in FIG.
And the output from the D / A converter j2 is supplied to the second input terminal f5 shown in FIG.
Is supplied to the input terminal f6. According to the configuration shown in FIG. 5, the pulse drive switch j1 and the D / A
A housing including the converter j2 is attached to an appropriate portion of the tractor main body A, and a signal line led out of the housing to receive a digital signal from the laser receiving position indicator G is connected to the laser receiving position indicator G; Also, the signal line from the pulse drive switch j1 derived from the housing is connected to a manual switch (3
By connecting to the switch box of the point link manual electric switch, the retrofitting connection is completed.

Alternatively, the signal line from the pulse drive switch j1 is not connected to the switch box of the manual switch (three-point link manual electric switch), and the signal line from the D / A converter j2 is connected to the angle of Connecting to the outlet for inputting information also completes the external connection. Which of these two signal lines is to be connected can be determined according to the specifications of the tractor used. For example, a conventional tractor has 3
A point link manual electrical switch X is provided and therefore utilizes it. Also, some recent tractors are provided with an outlet for inputting angle information of the tillage plate, and in such a tractor, the outlet Y is used.

The external control block J connected as described above receives the analog signal from the laser light receiver E as a digital signal converted by the laser light receiving position indicator G. When the output of the pulse drive switch j1 is used, the digital signal including the position information of the laser receiver E is subjected to pulse width modulation of the position information by the pulse drive switch j1. The pulse width-modulated pulse signal is supplied to a first input terminal f5 shown in FIG.
The signal is converted into an analog signal by the pulse signal decoder f7 and fed back to the control circuit f1. Therefore, the control circuit f1 sends a command to the direction control valve f3,
Up / down position control is performed on the link mechanism B in accordance with a reference line based on the laser beam H. In addition, the D / A
When the output of the converter j2 is used, the digital signal including the position information of the laser receiver E is converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter j2. This analog signal is supplied to the second input terminal f shown in FIG.
6 and fed back to the control circuit f1.
Therefore, the control circuit f1 sends a command to the direction control valve f3, and performs up / down position control on the link mechanism B in accordance with the reference line based on the laser beam H.

As described above, by preparing the laser receiver E and the external control block J housed in the housing,
An accurate leveling operation using the laser beam as a reference line can be realized, and in this case, it is not necessary to make a major modification to the tractor. In the above description, an example is shown in which both the pulse drive switch j1 and the D / A converter j2 are provided as the external control block J, but either one is housed and the tractor is owned by the user. It can be selected accordingly. In addition, although the leveling machine has been described above as a working machine, if a plow working machine is used as a working machine, a plow bed can be leveled, and in addition, a rotary plow, a soil crusher, a subsoiler, etc. Can also be applied.

[0021]

As described above, according to the working method of the present invention, the light receiving means for receiving the light beam from the light emitting device which draws the working reference plane, and the retrofit control block housed in the housing, for example, are provided. By doing so, it is possible to detect the height position of the work implement using the light beam as a reference line, and it is possible to realize an accurate position control action of the leveling work implement. Further, it is possible to realize the position control function by supplying the output of the retrofit control block to a three-point link manual electric switch circuit provided in the tractor or supplying the output to an outlet for a tillage depth control input. Can be applied to existing tractors with little need for modification of the tractor body.
It can contribute to the formation of a level surface with respect to the plow floor surface.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment in which a working method according to the present invention is applied to an agricultural tractor.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a configuration of a light receiving unit used in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a configuration of a link mechanism and a working machine arranged at a rear portion of the tractor.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a connection configuration of a position control means for moving a link mechanism up and down and a laser light receiving position indicator.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a situation in which an external control block is connected to the laser receiving position indicator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A Tractor body B Link mechanism C Working machine D Light emitting machine (laser beam emitting machine) E Light receiving means (laser light receiving apparatus) F Position control means G Laser light receiving position indicator H Laser beam J External control block f5 First input terminal f6 2nd input terminal f7 pulse signal decoder j1 pulse drive switch j2 D / A converter

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Shohei Homori 4-6-1, Nakameguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo Inside Spectra Physics Co., Ltd. (72) Toyoichi Nakayama Inano, Miura-mura, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki Prefecture 300 Tenjindai, Sugano Agricultural Machinery Co., Ltd., Ibaraki Factory (72) Inventor Yoshio Tanabe 300, Shirono Agricultural Machinery Co., Ltd., Ibaraki Factory, Sugano Agricultural Machinery Co., Ltd. Hei 8-56412 (JP, A) JP-A Hei 8-191605 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A01B 63/114 G01C 5/00 G01C 15/00

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] A link mechanism for mounting a working machine;
The present invention is applied to an agricultural tractor having position control means for moving the link mechanism up and down, and is a working method for forming a flat surface with respect to a field by using the agricultural tractor and a working machine, A light receiving unit that is attached to a mechanism or a working machine and detects its own height position using a light beam from a light emitting device that creates a horizontal plane or any inclined surface as a reference line, and information on the height position obtained by the light receiving unit. A pulse drive switch that outputs a different pulse signal depending on whether the position of the light receiving means with respect to the reference line is at the upper part or at the lower part, and obtained by the pulse drive switch. Pulse signal
Oil for moving the link mechanism up and down with a manual switch
Received by a pressure-controlled switch circuit and passed through this switch circuit.
A control signal is supplied to position control means for controlling the height position of the link mechanism, so that a flat surface parallel to the reference line can be formed as a field surface or a plow bed. A working method for forming a flat surface in a field, characterized in that: 2. A link mechanism for connecting a working machine,
The present invention is applied to an agricultural tractor having position control means for moving the link mechanism up and down, and is a working method for forming a flat surface in a field by the agricultural tractor and a working machine, wherein the link mechanism or Attached to the work machine,
A light receiving means for detecting its own height position using a light beam from a light emitting device that creates a horizontal plane or an arbitrary inclined surface as a reference line, and receiving information on the height position obtained by the light receiving means, receiving light for the reference line a D / a converter circuit for generating an analog output corresponding to the displacement amount of the position of the means is provided, the analog generated by the D / a converter circuit
The signal is input of a tillage control signal obtained by the working machine.
Received by the power circuit, to supply a control signal to the position control means for controlling the height position of the link mechanism through this input circuit , a flat surface parallel to the reference line as a field surface or a plow bed An operation method for forming a flat surface in a field, characterized in that it can be formed. Wherein said pulse drive circuit and or D / A converter circuit is accommodated in the housing, according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the housing is equal to or adapted to be attached to the tractor body 3. A working method for forming a flat surface in a field according to claim 1. 4. A signal indicating a height position of the light receiving means obtained by the light receiving means is used as a display control signal of a light receiving position indicator for displaying a light receiving position. An operation method for forming a flat surface in a field according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .