JP7388477B2 - work vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a work vehicle.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a work vehicle is known that includes a positioning device and a control device that controls a steering device and automatically travels in a field along a set route (see Patent Document 1).

JP2016-24541A

However, the automatic driving according to the above-mentioned conventional technology is only an assist function for work inside the field, and does not function outside the field. Therefore, for example, when working across multiple fields or moving between fields, the only way to do so is to manually travel.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a work vehicle that can safely and automatically travel even when moving between fields.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the purpose, a working vehicle (1) according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a traveling vehicle body (2) comprising a working device (60) connected to the vehicle body so as to be able to move up and down, and the traveling vehicle body. (2) includes a power transmission device (7) that transmits power from the power source (4) to the traveling device (5, 6), a positioning device (310) that measures the position of the own vehicle, and the traveling device ( It has a steering device (51) that steers the steering device (5, 6), and a target point registration unit (44) that receives registration of a target point to which the own vehicle moves. ), the control device (40) is configured to operate in a manual driving mode in which the traveling vehicle body (2) is driven by manual operation by an operator, and in a manual driving mode in which the traveling vehicle body (2) is driven by a manual operation by an operator; It is possible to select any automatic driving mode in which the device (51) is controlled to cause the traveling vehicle body (2) to travel, provided that the working device (60) is raised and in a non-working state. The traveling vehicle body (2) is caused to travel in the automatic driving mode to the target point registered in the target point registration section (44), and the control device (40) detects that the target point is outside the field. Conditionally, permit the registration of the target point in the target point registration section ,
The control device (40) includes:
The present invention is characterized in that the vehicle body (2) is caused to travel in the automatic travel mode on the condition that a portion corresponding to the travel route to the target point is in a closed state.

According to the work vehicle according to one aspect of the embodiment, it is possible to safely and automatically travel even when moving between fields, and it is possible to improve work efficiency.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a seedling transplanter which is a work vehicle according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of map information indicating the positions of fields and farm roads. FIG. 3 is a block diagram centered on the control device of the seedling transplanter as described above. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the travel control process in the automatic travel mode of the seedling transplanter as described above. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of map information displayed on the input display device included in the seedling transplanting machine. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the types of routes that are farm roads displayed on the input display device. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of map information displayed on the input display device same as above. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of map information displayed on the input display device same as above.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a work vehicle disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

First, the overall configuration of a seedling transplanter 1, which is a work vehicle according to an embodiment, will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a side view of the seedling transplanter 1.

In addition, below, the front-back direction of the seedling transplanter 1 refers to the straight direction of the seedling transplanter 1. The forward direction of the seedling transplanter 1 refers to the direction from the driver's seat 80 toward the steering wheel 81 in the straight-line direction of the seedling transplanter 1, and the opposite direction is defined as the backward (reverse) direction. Further, the front and back of the seedling transplanter 1 are based on the forward direction.

Moreover, the left-right direction is a direction horizontally orthogonal to the front-back direction. Here, left and right are defined toward the "front" side in the front-rear direction. That is, when the operator is seated in the cockpit and facing forward, the left hand side is the "left" and the right hand side is the "right". Furthermore, the up-down direction is a direction orthogonal to the front-back direction and the left-right direction. Therefore, the front-back direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction are orthogonal to each other in three dimensions.

The seedling transplanting machine 1 according to the present embodiment, which can carry out seedling transplanting work in a field while traveling, performs the work while traveling in a field by manual operation by an operator (also referred to as an operator or worker) on board. In addition, by controlling each part by a control system centered on a control device 40 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later, it is possible to perform predetermined tasks while automatically traveling within the field.

Further, the seedling transplanter 1 according to the present embodiment is capable of automatically traveling to a desired target point even outside the field if predetermined conditions are met.

That is, the seedling transplanting machine 1 according to the present embodiment has two modes: a "manual running mode" in which the operator runs the machine manually, and an "automatic running mode" in which the machine runs by controlling the power transmission device 7 and the steering device 51, which will be described later. You can select one of them and run.

As shown in FIG. 1, the seedling transplanter 1 includes a traveling vehicle body 2 and a working device 60. The traveling vehicle body 2 includes a vehicle body frame 3, an engine 4, front wheels 5 and rear wheels 6 that are traveling devices, a power transmission device 7, and a control section 8. The vehicle body frame 3 is the main frame of the traveling vehicle body 2.

The front wheels 5 are a pair of left and right wheels, and are rotatably connected to the front axle and mainly serve as steering wheels (steering wheels). The rear wheels 6 are a pair of left and right wheels, and are rotatably connected to the rear axle and mainly serve as driving wheels (driving wheels). Note that some seedling transplanting machines 1 are configured to be able to switch between two-wheel drive (2WD) in which rear wheels 6 drive and four-wheel drive (4WD) in which both front wheels 5 and rear wheels 6 drive. In this case, the driving wheels are both the front wheels 5 and the rear wheels 6. Note that the traveling device of the traveling vehicle body 2 may include a crawler device instead of the wheels (front wheels 5 and rear wheels 6). In this case, the traveling crawler is the drive wheel.

The power transmission device 7 includes a transmission case 10. The transmission case 10 appropriately decelerates the power (rotational power) transmitted from the engine 4 serving as the power source and transmits it to the drive wheels (here, the rear wheels 6) and a PTO (Power Take-off) shaft 11, which will be described later. It houses a transmission (transmission device 52).

The control section 8 is provided at the upper part of the traveling vehicle body 2, and includes a control seat 80, a steering wheel 81, and the like. The control section 8 of the seedling transplanter 1 according to this embodiment is covered by a sun visor 9 erected on the traveling vehicle body 2 . The base end of the vertical frame 90 of the sun visor 9 is erected from a bumper 71 provided at the front of the aircraft body. Therefore, compared to the conventional configuration in which the auxiliary seedling frame (not shown) is sandwiched between the stay and the main frame, it can be installed in a variety of models, allowing for a wider range of uses. . Further, there is no need to provide a special stay as in the conventional case, which reduces costs and does not interfere with getting on and off the control section 8.

By the way, the seedling transplanter 1 may be configured without the sun visor 9. Further, a configuration may be adopted in which a cabin is provided in place of the sun visor 9, and the control section 8 is provided inside the cabin.

In addition, the sun visor 9 has a cantilever support structure that makes it easy to handle, and since the rotation fulcrum 91 of the visor portion is not unnecessarily close to the operator's face position, it is difficult to hear squeaks, etc. No loss of sex.

The cockpit 80 is provided on a bonnet 82 that is rotatable in the vertical direction (opening/closing) with the rear portion as the center of rotation. The bonnet 82 covers the engine 4 mounted on the vehicle body frame 3 in the closed state. The engine 4 is a driving source for the seedling transplanter 1, and is a heat engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine.

The cockpit 80 is a seat for an operator. The steering wheel 81 can be operated by a driver to steer the front wheels 5, which are steered wheels. Further, a display panel capable of displaying various information is provided in front of the steering wheel 81. This display panel displays position information of the own vehicle obtained from a positioning device 310 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later, superimposed on map information of a predetermined area including the farm field, and also has an input that allows input of a desired target point. It functions as a display device 56. That is, the input display device 56 is an example of a device that functions as a navigation system specialized for farmland.

Further, the control unit 8 includes various operating pedals 83 such as a brake pedal, an accelerator pedal, a clutch pedal, and a stop pedal, and various operating levers 84 such as a forward/reverse lever, an accelerator lever, a main shift lever, and an auxiliary shift lever. For example, when the brake pedal is depressed by the driver, the braking device 53 (see FIG. 3) is activated to stop the rotation of the front wheels 5 and the rear wheels 6. This brake pedal is operated under the control of the control device 40 also in the automatic driving mode, which will be described later. That is, when the control device 40 detects a predetermined condition, it controls the braking device 53 to stop the rotation of the front wheels 5 and the rear wheels 6.

A working device 60 that performs work in the field is connected to the rear of the traveling vehicle body 2 so as to be able to rise and fall freely, and a PTO shaft (not shown) that transmits power for driving the working device 60 is interlocked and connected to the transmission case 10. . The PTO shaft transmits rotational power that has been appropriately decelerated by the transmission to a working device 60 mounted at the rear of the traveling vehicle body 2. The working device 60 in this embodiment is a seedling transplanting device 600 that is an example of a ground working device, and can plant seedlings in a field using a planting device 62.

Furthermore, a lifting device 61 for lifting and lowering the seedling transplanting device 600 is provided at the rear of the traveling vehicle body 2. By raising the working device 60, the lifting device 61 can move the working device 60 to a position where the working device 60 is in a non-working state. Further, the lifting device 61 moves the working device 60 to the ground work (seedling transplanting work) position by lowering the working device 60. The lifting device 61 includes a hydraulic lifting cylinder 63.

Further, the seedling transplanter 1 is provided with a fertilizing device 70 as one of the working devices 60 between the seedling transplanter 600 and the driver's seat 80. Reference numeral 73 indicates a hopper for storing fertilizer, and reference numeral 72 indicates a blower device for supplying the fertilizer from the hopper 73 to the field.

Furthermore, the seedling transplanter 1 includes a positioning device 310 (see FIG. 3) that can measure the position of the own vehicle and obtain vehicle position information. The positioning device 310 is, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and as shown in FIG. 1, a receiver 320 including an antenna and the like is provided in the front of the sun visor 9 of the traveling vehicle body 2.

The antenna of this receiver 320 receives radio waves from the navigation satellite 300 orbiting in the sky, acquires own vehicle position information, and performs positioning and timing in cooperation with the control device 40. Further, the control device 40 can execute a process for causing the traveling vehicle body 2 to travel automatically in an automatic travel mode, which will be described later, based on the acquired own vehicle position information.

As mentioned above, the seedling transplanter 1 according to the present embodiment has two modes: a "manual mode" in which the operator manually operates the machine, and an "automatic mode" in which the control device 40 controls the power transmission device 7 and the steering device 51 to drive the seedling transplanter 1. You can select one of the following driving modes.

In this embodiment, by operating a switch provided on an input display device 56 provided in the control section 8, it is possible to select either a "manual travel mode" or an "automatic travel mode." For example, when the automatic driving mode is selected and the start switch for driving the vehicle body 2 is operated, the "automatic driving mode" is selected and the vehicle automatically travels to the desired target point even if it is outside the field. It is now possible to move around.

That is, the seedling transplanter 1 can be driven to a predetermined target point in the automatic travel mode, as shown in FIG. 2, on the condition that the working device 60 is raised and in a non-working state. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of map information indicating the positions of fields and farm roads. Note that the positional relationships in the map information shown in FIG. 2 are based on directions in which the upper side is north, the lower side is south, the right side is east, and the left side is west.

The map information shown in FIG. 2 is displayed as an image on the input display device 56, and as shown in the figure, a plurality of farm fields are displayed together with farm roads within a certain area according to a predetermined scale. Here, for convenience, the plurality of fields are referred to as a first field 101, a second field 102, and a third field 103, and the first field 101 has a first entrance 201, and the second field 102 has a second entrance 202. , the third farm field 103 is provided with a third entrance/exit 203.

In addition, farm roads include the first farm road 401 and the second farm road 402 that run north-south, the third farm road 403 that runs east-west, and the first intersection 501, which is the intersection of the second farm road 402 and the third farm road 403, to the northeast. There is a No. 4 farm road 404 running there. Note that the first farm road 401 running north-south and the third farm road 403 running east-west intersect at a second intersection 502. Further, as shown in the map information in FIG. 2, halfway from the first intersection 501 toward the north along the second farm road 402, there is a barn 301 in which the seedling transplanter 1 and the like are stored. .

A travel route 601 of the seedling transplanter 1 shown in FIG. 2 shows a route taken by the seedling transplanter 1 from the barn 301 to the second field 102, which is a target point, in automatic travel mode. That is, assume that the operator who boarded the seedling transplanter 1 from the barn 301 and moved to the second farm road 402 inputs the second farm field 102 as a target point using the input display device 56 at that point.

The control device 40 determines that when the target point is input, the working device 60 is raised and is in a non-working state, and that the position of the sub-shift lever among the various operation levers 84 is suitable for driving on the road. On the condition that the high speed gear is selected, the vehicle switches to the automatic driving mode and automatically travels along the driving route 601 to the position closest to the second entrance 202 of the second farm field 102.

By the way, the auxiliary transmission lever constitutes a part of the auxiliary transmission included in the transmission housed in the transmission case 10 included in the power transmission device 7, and performs an operation to change the combination of gears meshing in the auxiliary transmission. It's a lever. The sub-transmission device can be switched to a plurality of gear stages capable of shifting from low speed to high speed by a combination of gears that mesh with each other.

By the way, registration of a target point is accepted and set by a registration unit 44 (see FIG. 3) that functions as a target point registration unit included in the control device 40. That is, the registration unit 44 accepts registration of a target point (for example, the second farm field 102, etc.) to which the host vehicle will move.

At this time, the control device 40 allows registration of the target point on the condition that the target point is outside the field. That is, registration of the target point is permitted on the condition that the target point is a point outside the field, such as a farm road, where the work device 60 does not work.

Here, the control system of the seedling transplanter 1 centered on the control device 40 will be explained with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram centered on the control device 40 of the seedling transplanter 1. As shown in FIG. The control device 40 in this embodiment is capable of controlling each part by electronic control, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc., and includes an engine ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 41, a traveling system ECU 42, and a work equipment system ECU 43. It includes a processing section such as, a registration section 44, and a storage section 45.

Engine ECU 41 controls the rotation speed of engine 4 and the like. The driving system ECU 42 controls the overall driving of the traveling vehicle body 2 (see FIG. 1) by controlling the steering device 51, the transmission device 52, and the braking device 53. The work equipment system ECU 43 not only controls the lifting device 61 to control the lifting and lowering of the working equipment 60, but also controls the solenoid valve 54 that turns on and off the PTO clutch 55 to control overall driving of the working equipment 60.

The registration unit 44 includes a reception unit, a setting unit, and a display unit, and the reception unit accepts registration of a target point to which the host vehicle will move. Here, it is possible to accept multiple registration points. Then, the target point accepted by the reception section is registered and set by the setting section. However, the condition for registration and setting is that both target points are outside the field. Then, the registered target point is displayed in the map information on the display panel of the input display device 56 provided in the control section 8 by the display section. Note that the registration unit 44 can generate a driving route 601 (see FIG. 2) to reach the target point based on the map information stored in the storage unit 45, and the target point is displayed together with the driving route 601. be done.

Further, for example, at the time when the first to third target points are registered in the registration unit 44, the control device 40 controls the driving route from the current location to the first target point, the travel route from the first target point to the second target point, and the like. It is also possible to generate a travel route to the point and a travel route from the second target point to the third target point.

The storage unit 45 stores map information, position information such as own vehicle position information inputted from the positioning device 310, a manual driving mode in which the traveling vehicle body 2 is driven by manual operation by an operator, and a manual driving mode in which the traveling vehicle body 2 is driven along a traveling route. A driving mode table in which the automatic driving mode for driving is registered and a driving route to the registered target point generated by the registration unit 44 are stored. Further, the storage unit 45 stores various programs including an automatic driving program for executing the automatic driving mode, and various other data necessary for driving control and operation control of the work device 60.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 40 includes a front wheel sensor 210 that detects the rotation speed of the front wheels 5, a rear wheel sensor 220 that detects the rotation speed of the rear wheels 6, and an engine rotation sensor that detects the rotation speed of the engine 4. 230 is connected.

Further, various sensors 290 are connected to the control device 40 in addition to a vehicle speed sensor 240, a turning angle sensor 250, a PTO sensor 260, a lift arm sensor 270, a front sensor 280, a rear sensor 281, and a side sensor 282.

The vehicle speed sensor 240 is used to calculate the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the aircraft, and here, the actual measured value of the vehicle speed is calculated from the detection results of the front wheel sensor 210 and the rear wheel sensor 220. The turning angle sensor 250 detects the turning angle of the front wheel 5, which is a steered wheel. That is, the turning angle sensor 250 can detect the turning state of the traveling vehicle body. Further, the PTO sensor 260 can detect rotation of the PTO shaft.

In this way, the control device 40 receives the position information of the traveling vehicle body 2 from the positioning device 310, the rotation speed of the engine 4 from the engine rotation sensor 230, the traveling speed of the traveling vehicle body 2 from the vehicle speed sensor 240, and the cutting angle of the front wheels 5 from the turning angle sensor 250. Each corner is entered.

When the seedling transplanter 1 is in the automatic driving mode, the control device 40 controls the steering cylinder connected to the steering wheel 81 while feeding back the turning angle of the front wheels 5 using the detection result of the turning angle sensor 250. As a result, the steering wheel 81 is automatically steered. The steering wheel 81, steering cylinder, and the like constitute the steering device 51. That is, when the "automatic driving mode" is selected, when the working device 60 is raised and in a non-working state, and the auxiliary gear shift lever is located in the high speed gear, the control device 40 controls the control device 40 to move to the registered target point A traveling route 601 (see FIG. 2) is derived, and the engine 4, steering device 51, transmission 52, braking device 53, lifting device 61 (see FIG. 1), etc. Control each part. Note that when there are multiple routes connecting the current point and the target point, in this embodiment, the route that connects the current point and the target point with the shortest distance is set as the driving route 601 with priority. The travel route 601 can also be set based on the presence or absence of obstacles.

Further, the front sensor 280, the rear sensor 281, and the side sensor 282 function as obstacle sensors that detect the surrounding situation of the traveling vehicle body 2, and here, they are activated when the automatic driving mode is selected. However, it does not matter if it is running all the time.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front sensor 280 and the side sensor 282 are attached to the front bumper 71 of the traveling vehicle body 2, and the rear sensor 281 is attached to the rear of the driver's seat 80, for example. Note that the mounting positions of the sensors 281 to 283 are not limited in any way and can be set as appropriate.

The front sensor 280, rear sensor 281, and side sensor 282 allow the control device 40 to recognize objects (obstacles) that are present in front, on the sides, and behind the traveling vehicle body 2. In particular, when driving with a field marker (not shown) extended, when a ridge or the like is detected, the control device 40 immediately stores the field marker to prevent the marker from colliding with the ridge or the like. can be prevented. In order to prevent malfunction, the obstacle sensor is activated only when, for example, the planting clutch of the planting device 62 (see Fig. 1) is turned on and the field marker is extended. It can also be limited to.

By the way, the front sensor 280, the rear sensor 281, and the side sensor 282 in this embodiment are configured with ultrasonic sensors and detect reflected waves from obstacles. That is, the distance to the obstacle can be detected by measuring the time from when the ultrasonic wave is emitted until the reflected wave from the obstacle is detected. Note that as the obstacle sensor, an infrared sensor may be used instead of the ultrasonic sensor, or an image sensor such as a camera may be used.

Further, the lift arm sensor 270 detects the up-and-down state of the arm that connects the traveling vehicle body 2 and the working device 60.

Further, in the control device 40, an engine ECU 41 is connected to the engine 4, a travel system ECU 42 is connected to a steering device 51, a transmission 52, and a braking device 53, and a work equipment system ECU 43 supplies power to the work equipment 60. It is connected to a solenoid valve 54 that drives a PTO clutch 55 that turns on and off transmission. Although omitted, the work equipment system ECU 43 is also connected to a lifting device that raises and lowers the work equipment 60.

In the above-described configuration, as described above, when the working device 60 is raised and is in a non-working state and the sub-shift lever is in the high speed position, the operator, for example, inputs a signal outside the field via the input display device 56. When a target point that involves driving is input, the system switches to automatic driving mode and automatically travels to the target point.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the travel control process of the seedling transplanter 1 in the automatic travel mode. Note that this travel control process is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals while the engine 4 is running.

As shown in the figure, in the travel control process of the seedling transplanter 1 according to the present embodiment, the control device 40 first determines whether or not a target point has been received (step S11). That is, it is determined whether the input display device 56 has been operated and the target point (for example, the second field 102 in FIG. 2) has been input. If there is no input of the target point (step S11: No), the travel control process ends.

When determining that the target point has been input (step S11: Yes), the control device 40 determines whether the automatic driving mode switch is turned on (step S12). If the automatic driving mode switch is not turned on (step S12: No), the driving control process is ended, and if it is determined that the automatic driving mode switch is turned on (step S12: Yes), the control device 40 It is determined whether the device 60 is in a raised state (step S13).

Note that it does not matter which one of step S11 and step S12 is performed first. The control device 40 may first determine whether the automatic driving mode switch is turned on.

When it is determined whether or not the working device 60 is in the ascending state, if the working device 60 is not in the ascending state (step S13: No), the travel control process is terminated, and if the working device 60 is in the ascending state ( Step S13: Yes), the control device 40 determines whether the working device 60 is in an inactive state (Step S14). Note that it does not matter which one of step S13 and step S14 is performed first.

Then, when the work device 60 is not in the non-operating state (step S14: No), the control device 40 ends the traveling control process, and when the work device 60 is in the non-operating state (step S14: Yes), the control device 40 executes a moving process of moving automatically to a registered target point (step S15), and when the target point is reached, the main traveling control process is ended.

In this traveling control process, when the switch provided in the input display device 56 is turned on, the control device 40 causes the traveling vehicle body 2 to travel toward the target point in automatic traveling mode, but when the target point is reached, the traveling vehicle body 2 I'm trying to stop it.

Therefore, since the seedling transplanter 1 automatically travels along farm roads outside the fields and automatically stops at the target point, it can be moved between fields very easily and work efficiency can be improved.

For example, in FIG. 2, an operator riding the seedling transplanter 1 near the barn 301 uses the input display device 56 to input the second field 102 as the target point. At that time, if the working device 60 is raised and in a non-working state, and the sub-shift lever is in the high gear position, the control device 40 generates the travel path 601 and also controls the steering device 51, the transmission 52 and the braking device 53 can be controlled to automatically travel along the travel route 601. That is, go south on the second farm road 402, turn right at the first intersection 501, go west on the third farm road 403, turn left at the second intersection 502, go south on the first farm road 401, and turn right at the first intersection 501. It stops before the entrance/exit 202. The operator then switches to manual travel mode and manually operates the traveling vehicle body 2 to enter the second farm field 102 through the second entrance/exit 202. Note that when the vehicle stops at the target point, the control device 40 may automatically switch from the automatic travel mode to the manual travel mode.

Since the control device 40 of the seedling transplanter 1 includes a front sensor 280, a rear sensor 281, and a side sensor 282, objects detected by each of the sensors 280 to 282 do not interfere with running or threaten safety. If it is recognized as an obstacle, the traveling vehicle body 2 is stopped. Then, when the obstacle is no longer recognized, automatic driving resumes. For example, when it detects that someone is near the vehicle body 2 while it is running, it stops, and when the person moves away, it resumes running. In this way, even automatic driving does not compromise safety. Note that when the vehicle recognizes an obstacle, it is preferable to significantly reduce the speed and then stop the vehicle, rather than applying the sudden brake to stop the vehicle. Further, during deceleration, a confirmation button can be displayed on the input display device 56, and the deceleration state can be maintained until the confirmation button is operated.

Furthermore, during automatic driving, as described above, the vehicle may enter an intersection (for example, the first intersection 501 or the second intersection 502). In this case, the control device 40 reduces the traveling speed before the intersection to make the vehicle go slowly.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the control device 40 temporarily stops the traveling vehicle 2 before the intersection, and then causes the vehicle to enter the intersection. In this way, the safety of autonomous driving is not compromised, even at intersections that are often dangerous.

In addition, as described above, the control device 40 is configured to control that the working device 60 is raised and in a non-working state, the gear shift lever is in the high speed position, and the sub-transmission device is switched to the high speed gear. Under this condition, the traveling vehicle body 2 is started to travel in the automatic traveling mode. Normally, when the seedling transplanter 1 is in the field, the speed change lever is located at a low speed, so it does not normally switch to the automatic driving mode. Therefore, even if it is erroneously detected whether the working device 60 is activated or not, or whether the working device 60 is in an ascending state or a descending state, there is no possibility that the vehicle will enter the automatic driving mode against its will.

Here, the map information displayed on the input display device 56 will be explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8. 5, 7, and 8 are explanatory diagrams showing examples of map information displayed on the input display device 56 included in the seedling transplanter 1, and FIG. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, farm roads 405 to 408 are displayed on the display panel of the input display device 56 by combining the route pattern 410 shown in FIG. 6(a). Also displayed are field entrances 205 and 206, intersections 503 and 504, and buildings 302 such as barns.

Both ends of the route pattern 410 are displayed in button shapes for easy recognition. Further, in FIG. 6A, a position where the ends of a plurality of farm roads meet is displayed as an intersection 503 (for example, the first intersection 501 and the second intersection 502 in FIG. 2).

As shown in FIGS. 6(b), 6(c), and 6(d), the route pattern 410 is divided into whether its ends are in a closed state or not. Here, the closed state refers to a state in which there is no possibility of general vehicles invading the farm road portion corresponding to the route in question from a general road. For example, there may be cases where one end of the route is a dead end, or where one end of the route is connected only to another field. Therefore, an end located at an intersection is not allowed to travel in automatic driving mode unless all ends of routes that have ends at the same intersection are blocked. Therefore, when generating the driving route 601 (see FIG. 2), the control device 40 refers to information as to whether the end of the route pattern is in a closed state.

In this way, the input display device 56 can display farm roads and intersections using the route pattern 410, and even if the intersection is the same, it can display intersections where general vehicles may enter and intersections where general vehicles may enter. Intersections that vehicles do not enter can be separated and displayed. For example, in FIG. 2, the driving route 601 is displayed as an intersection where general vehicles do not enter both the first intersection 501 and the second intersection 502, but the first intersection 501 is an intersection where general vehicles may enter, The second intersection 502 can also be displayed as an intersection that general vehicles cannot enter.

FIG. 6B shows that the front end (end on the left side of the page) of the route pattern 410 is in a closed state, but the rear end (end on the right side of the page) is not in a closed state. Therefore, free passage is not possible. Further, FIG. 6C shows that the rear end of the route pattern 410 is in a closed state, but the front end is not in a closed state. Therefore, free passage is not possible in this case as well. On the other hand, in FIG. 6(d), both the front end and the rear end of the route pattern 410 are in a closed state. Therefore, in this case, free passage is possible in automatic driving mode.

In the map information displayed on the input display device 56 shown in FIG. 7, the width dimension of the working device 60 of the seedling transplanter 1 and the width of the farm road are written. The road width is displayed along the farm road. On the other hand, the width dimension of the working device 60 is displayed in the dimension display area 710. Here, the input display device 56 displays the first farm road 401 to the fourth farm road 404 as in FIG. It can be seen that it cannot be passed because it is smaller than the width dimension.

In FIG. 7, impassable farm roads are shown as hatched areas 700, but on the display panel of the actual input display device 56, they can be set to a display format that is easy to see, such as displaying them in red, as appropriate. can. In other words, it is preferable to display a warning that the road is not passable.

In this way, the control device 40 in this embodiment can set a no-run zone in the map information displayed on the input display device 56.

Furthermore, the map information displayed on the input display device 56 shown in FIG. 8 has a display format that allows easy identification of areas including passable farm roads and impassable farm roads. For example, the map information displayed on the input display device 56 displays fields A to C, and the seedling transplanter 1 is located on the north side of the intersection 5100 or the intersection 5200 on the first farm road 4100 or the second farm road 4200. Suppose you are in

For example, if an operator wants to move to any of fields A to C in automatic driving mode and tries to input a target point using the input display device 56, the control device 30 transmits own vehicle position information. When generating a driving route 601 (see Figure 2) by referring to information such as whether the end of a route pattern on a farm road is in a closed state, etc., fields that cannot be set as a destination are different from others. It is expressed in form.

In FIG. 8, farm field C is displayed in dark (hatched), indicating to the operator that field C is a no-travel zone and movement to the field C in automatic driving mode is not possible. Note that the present invention is not limited to a blackout display, and any display form may be used as long as it is possible to easily distinguish between a driveable area that includes passable farm roads and a drive prohibited area that includes impassable farm roads. Note that the display format does not necessarily need to include the field selected as the target point; for example, a farm road that allows movement in automatic driving mode from the current point, and a farm road that cannot move in automatic driving mode. It is sufficient to simply display it in an identifiable manner.

In this way, even on farm roads where automatic driving was not allowed in the past, automatic driving is possible if predetermined conditions are met, making movement between fields more efficient and improving work efficiency. Furthermore, when automatically driving, a predetermined area centered around the own vehicle position can be displayed on the display panel of the input display device 56, and various information can be displayed within this area, so that farm roads outside the field can be displayed. However, safe autonomous driving can be realized.

Other configurations of the seedling transplanter 1 according to the present embodiment described above will be described below. The seedling transplanter 1 is equipped with a hydraulic continuously variable transmission (HST) (not shown) that can be controlled by a control device 40 as a transmission mechanism. In response to such HST, the control device 40 swings the trunnion in the front and rear directions multiple times (about 5 times) to relieve pressure when the neutral state is reached, but when the stop pedal of the various operation pedals 83 is depressed, When the stop pedal is released after the HST is maintained in neutral, the control device 40 first swings the trunnion from the neutral position toward the reverse side to relieve pressure.

In addition, as an example of the various sensors 290, there is a case that includes a tilt sensor that detects the front and rear inclination of the traveling vehicle body 2, and when the traveling vehicle body 2 is in a state where the traveling vehicle body 2 is in a state of rising forward, the trunnion is moved to the reverse side as described above. However, if it is detected that the trunnion is moving forward, it is prohibited to swing the trunnion to the reverse side to relieve pressure. In this case, the control device 40 swings the trunnion toward the forward direction to relieve pressure.

In addition, when the various sensors 290 include an arm sensor on the HST motor side and an arm sensor on the trunnion shaft side, while the stop pedal is depressed, when depressurizing near the neutral position of the HST, When operating from forward to neutral as the first time to release pressure, for the first time only, it is best to prohibit large swing control to the reverse side where the orifice is located to eliminate looseness, and perform pressure release control with a normal swing width. This is because the trunnion arm is restrained by the cable when the stop pedal is depressed.

Furthermore, the input display device 56 according to the present embodiment not only functions as a so-called navigation system, but also includes an operation input section that functions as an on switch and an off switch for various devices. Moreover, this operation input section is not provided with multiple units depending on the device, but for example, a predetermined switch button is provided, and by long-pressing this button, a compatible device is selected, and the selected device is You can turn it on and off. With this configuration, even the input display device 56 with a limited display size can be provided with multifunctionality. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and the like.

Further, the display panel of the input display device 56 may be configured to be, for example, a liquid crystal panel, so that a fuel gauge, an hour meter, etc. can also be displayed by default. Further, in addition to these, an indicator section may be provided on which, for example, set and input numerical values are displayed. Furthermore, the work contents can be visually and easily understood by displaying devices and the like using icons.

The embodiment described above realizes the following seedling transplanting machine 1.

(1) Power from the engine 4, which is a power source, for the traveling vehicle body 2 including the working device 60 that is connected to be able to rise and lower, and for either or both of the front wheels 5 and rear wheels 6 as the traveling device provided in the traveling vehicle body 2. The present invention includes a power transmission device 7 that transmits power, a positioning device 310 that measures the position of the own vehicle, a steering device 51 that steers the front wheels 5, and a registration unit 44 that receives registration of a target point to which the own vehicle will move. , a control device 40 that controls the steering device 51 and the working device 60, and the control device 40 controls the manual traveling mode in which the traveling vehicle body 2 is driven by manual operation by an operator, and the power transmission device 7 and the steering device 51. It is possible to select one of the automatic driving modes in which the traveling vehicle body 2 travels, and the vehicle can travel to a target point registered in the registration unit 44 on the condition that the working device 60 is raised and is in a non-working state. A seedling transplanter 1 that causes a vehicle body 2 to run in an automatic driving mode.

According to this seedling transplanter 1, it is possible to safely and automatically travel even when moving between fields, and it is possible to improve work efficiency.

(2) In (1) above, the control device 40 permits registration of the target point in the registration unit 44 on the condition that the target point is outside the field, and the registration unit 44 registers the plurality of target points. Seedling transplanter 1 that can be registered.

According to the seedling transplanter 1, for example, by registering the entrance/exit of a field as a target point, movement between fields can be performed automatically, and the effect of (1) above can be further enhanced.

(3) In (1) or (2) above, the power transmission device 7 includes a transmission device 52 including a sub-transmission device capable of switching to a plurality of gears capable of shifting from low speed to high speed, and the control device 40: A seedling transplanter 1 that selects an automatic driving mode on the condition that a gear shift lever of a sub-transmission device is switched to a high speed gear suitable for road driving.

According to the seedling transplanting machine 1, switching to the automatic driving mode in the field can be prevented as much as possible, and safety is improved.

(4) In (3) above, the control device 40 operates on the condition that the working device 60 is raised and is in a non-working state, and the auxiliary transmission of the transmission 52 is switched to the high speed gear. , a seedling transplanter 1 that starts a traveling vehicle body 2 in an automatic driving mode.

According to this seedling transplanting machine 1, the effect (3) above can be further enhanced.

(5) In any of (1) to (4) above, the position information of the own vehicle acquired from the positioning device 310 is displayed superimposed on the map information of the predetermined area including the farm field, and the desired target point is displayed superimposed on the map information of the predetermined area including the farm field. The control device 40 includes an input display device 56 that allows input, and a start switch that causes the vehicle body 2 to travel toward the target point input to the input display device 56. When the start switch is turned on, the control device 40 starts the vehicle body 2 toward the target point. A seedling transplanter 1 that causes a traveling vehicle body 2 to travel in an automatic traveling mode and stops the traveling vehicle body 2 when it reaches a target point.

According to this seedling transplanting machine 1, the effects (1) to (4) above can be further enhanced.

(6) In the above (5), the seedling transplanter 1 is configured such that the control device 40 can set a no-run area in the map information displayed on the input display device 56.

According to the seedling transplanting machine 1, the operator can easily recognize areas where the seedling transplanter cannot run, and the effect of (5) above can be further enhanced.

(7) In (5) or (6) above, the input display device 56 can display a driving route 601 that can be driven in automatic driving mode and an intersection where a plurality of farm roads intersect, and the intersection is a general road. The seedling transplanter 1 is displayed separately into a first intersection 501 where vehicles may enter and a second intersection 502 where general vehicles may not enter.

According to such a seedling transplanter 1, safety is further improved and the effect of the above (5 or (6)) can be further enhanced.

(8) In the above (7), the control device 40 causes the seedling transplanter 1 to slow down before an intersection when the traveling vehicle body 2 is traveling in the automatic travel mode.

According to this seedling transplanting machine 1, safety is further improved and the effect (7) above can be further enhanced.

(9) In the above (8), the control device 40 temporarily stops the traveling vehicle body 2 at least before the first intersection 501, and then causes the seedling transplanter 1 to enter the intersection.

According to this seedling transplanting machine 1, the effect of (8) can be further enhanced.

(10) In any one of (1) to (9) above, the vehicle includes an obstacle sensor (a front sensor 280, a rear sensor 281, and a side sensor 282) that detects the surrounding situation of the traveling vehicle body 2, and the obstacle sensor is activated when the automatic driving mode is selected, and when the control device 40 recognizes that the object detected by the external object sensor is a predetermined obstacle, the control device 40 stops the traveling vehicle body 2 and removes the object from the obstacle. Seedling transplanter 1 that resumes automatic operation when it is no longer recognized.

According to the seedling transplanter 1, the crisis avoidance ability is improved, so in addition to the effects (1) to (6) above, safety can be further enhanced.

Further advantages and modifications can be easily deduced by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the broader aspects of the invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

1 Seedling transplanter (work vehicle)
2 Traveling vehicle body 4 Engine 5 Front wheels (traveling device)
6 Rear wheel (traveling device)
7 Power transmission device 40 Control device 44 Registration unit (target point registration unit)
51 Steering device 52 Transmission device 56 Input display device 60 Working device 280 Front sensor 281 Rear sensor 282 Side sensor 310 Positioning device 501 First intersection 502 Second intersection 601 Travel route

Claims (2)

a traveling vehicle body including a working device connected to the vehicle so that it can be raised and lowered;
a power transmission device that transmits power from a power source to a traveling device included in the traveling vehicle body;
a positioning device that measures the position of the own vehicle;
a steering device that steers the traveling device;
a control device that controls the steering device and the work device, the control device having a target point registration unit that accepts registration of a target point to which the vehicle is to move;
Equipped with
The control device includes:
It is possible to select either a manual driving mode in which the traveling vehicle body travels by manual operation by an operator and an automatic driving mode in which the traveling vehicle body travels by controlling the power transmission device and the steering device,
driving the traveling vehicle body in the automatic driving mode to a target point registered in the target point registration section on the condition that the working device is raised and is in a non-working state;
The control device includes:
permitting registration of the target point in the target point registration section on the condition that the target point is outside the field ;
The control device includes:
A work vehicle, characterized in that the vehicle body travels in the automatic travel mode on the condition that a portion corresponding to the travel route to the target point is in a closed state. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the work vehicle is slowed down before an intersection where a plurality of routes intersect with the travel route that can be traveled in the automatic travel mode .