JP7447934B2 - combine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a combine harvester that reaps grain culms with a reaping device while traveling straight ahead.

In conventional combine harvesters, the machine moves straight to reap the grain culms, and when it reaches the end of the cutting row, the machine turns around 90 degrees and runs perpendicular to the harvesting direction toward the center of the field. There is a method, and there is a technology that assists the operator in maneuvering by displaying a virtual line on the display that indicates the weeding rod when changing the orientation of the aircraft. (See Patent Document 1)

Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-80496

However, with the technology of Patent Document 1, the operator must operate the machine's direction of travel in accordance with the virtual line, and at the same time, it is also necessary to perform operations such as adjusting the height of the reaping device. There is a problem that the operator cannot obtain the effect of assisting the operation.

Additionally, depending on the shape of the field and the growing state of the rice, some parts of the rice may not be able to be harvested, or some of the rice may be trampled by the traveling equipment, which results in extra man-hours for moving the rice to harvest later. At the same time, there is a problem that the yield decreases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a combine harvester that can efficiently move to the reaping start position of the next reaping work row, regardless of the operating skill of the operator.

The present invention that solves the above problems is as follows.
That is, the invention of claim 1 provides a reaping device (3) on the front side of a machine body that travels on a traveling device (2), and a sorting device (4) that separates grains from the grain culms reaped by the reaping device (3). ) is provided with a position information receiving device (51) that receives position information of the aircraft, and a position information acquisition member (52) that records the position information received from the position information receiving device (51) , A travel calculation device (50) that calculates a first straight reference line (BG1) serving as a reference for straight travel, and a travel operation in which the travel calculation device (50) runs along the first straight reference line (BG1). An assist operation member (56) for turning on and off the assist function is provided, and a reaping sensor (57) is provided for detecting the reaping operation of the reaping device (3), and when the reaping sensor (57) is in a non-detecting state, the Based on the position in the detection state, calculate a second straight reference line (BG2) perpendicular to the first straight reference line (BG1) , and move to a turning stage in which the aircraft direction is changed in the orthogonal direction; The combine harvester is characterized in that manual turning operation is allowed in the turning stage .

In the invention of claim 2, when the second straight reference line (BG2) is calculated, the current position information acquired by the position information receiving device (51) is recorded, and among the acquired position information, the aircraft The traveling device (2) moves the position coordinates in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the machine from the current position in a direction that is a predetermined distance away from the left and right sides of the machine and records it as a next process straight reference point (NB), and the traveling device (2) The combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the combine harvester automatically turns and travels toward the next step straight reference point (NB).

According to a third aspect of the invention, the traveling device (2) travels obliquely forward when the reaping sensor (57) no longer detects the grain culm, and starts traveling backward when the turning angle reaches a certain value. 3. The combine harvester according to claim 2, wherein when the switch is made, control of traveling toward the next step straight reference point (NB) is started.

The invention according to claim 4 is provided with a direction sensor (51a) that detects the direction of movement of the aircraft, and the traveling calculation device (50) is configured to detect the next step straight reference point (NB) and the position information receiving device (51a). 51) calculates the distance from the current position received, and calculates the azimuth deviation between the first straight reference line (BG1) or the second straight reference line (BG2) and the azimuth sensor (51a), and performs the traveling calculation. The device (50) automatically steers the traveling device (2) backward in a direction in which the distance becomes smaller and the azimuth deviation approaches a predetermined angle, and ends the control when the next process straight forward reference point (NB) is reached. The combine harvester according to claim 3, characterized in that:

According to the invention of claim 1, when the reaping sensor (57) stops detecting the reaping of the grain culm while the travel assist function is in operation, it is determined that the end of the reaping work strip has been reached, and the second straight reference line (BG2) is formed perpendicularly to the first straight reference line (BG1), so that the next mowing work line can also be mowed using the travel assist function, and the mowing accuracy is improved.

Furthermore, since the second straight-line reference line (BG2) can be calculated based on the first straight-line reference line (BG1), the load on the travel calculation device (50) can be suppressed.

According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 1, when calculating the second straight reference line (BG2), a position that is a predetermined distance away from the current position coordinates in the left and right direction of the aircraft is calculated. By recording it as the next process straight forward reference point (NB), the machine moves from the current reaping work row to the next reaping work row, so it can move without stepping on the grain culm, preventing a decrease in yield. be done.

In addition, since the machine automatically travels to a point away from the next reaping work row and then starts reaping, the labor of the operator is greatly reduced, and the travel position can be adjusted before resuming reaping, making it more accurate. Grain culms can be harvested well.

According to the invention of claim 3, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 2, when the vehicle travels diagonally forward from the reaping end position and the reverse operation is performed after the turning angle reaches a predetermined angle, the next step Since the traveling control toward the straight reference point (NB) is started, it becomes possible to move to a position suitable for the next step of reaping work regardless of the operator's driving skill.

According to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 3, the traveling calculation device (50) automatically steers the aircraft backward, and the distance and azimuth deviation between the next process straight reference point (NB) and the aircraft are By moving in the direction of decreasing the size, the accuracy of guiding to the next reaping work strip is improved.

Front view of combine harvester Plan view of combine harvester Left side view of combine Transmission diagram of output rotation of engine E Transmission diagram of the output rotation of engine E to the traveling device and reaping device Illustration of the main gear shift lever Diagram of continuously variable transmission Schematic diagram showing a 90 degree backward turn Block diagram showing each operating device and control target Flowchart showing calculation control of the first straight reference line (a) Schematic diagram showing the case where the first straight reference line is calculated (b) Schematic diagram showing the case where the first straight reference line is not calculated (c) Schematic diagram showing the case where the first and second straight reference lines are calculated Schematic diagram shown Flowchart showing straight-ahead assist control Flowchart showing reverse 90 degree turning control Flowchart showing reverse 90 degree turning control with different configuration Flowchart showing reverse 90 degree turning control with different configuration Flowchart showing the control to calculate the predicted arrival time from the distance between the current position and the next process straight reference point Flowchart showing the control to calculate the predicted arrival time from the azimuth deviation between the current position and the next process straight reference point Flowchart showing traveling speed control for a 90 degree reverse turn based on the difference in predicted arrival time based on distance and azimuth deviation Front view showing the switch panel Flowchart showing control to stop voice guidance during volume dial operation Flowchart showing the control to stop the audio guide when the control lever is operated continuously in the left and right directions. Flowchart showing control to stop voice guidance during manual operation ignoring straight-ahead assist Flowchart showing grain culm detection control using the grain culm sensor and auxiliary grain culm sensor

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the combine is equipped with a traveling device 2 consisting of a pair of right and left crawlers on the lower side of a body frame 1, and a reaping device 3 for harvesting grain culms growing in a field on the front side of the body frame 1. is provided. Further, a threshing device 4 for threshing and sorting the grain culms harvested by the reaping device 3 is provided on the rear left side of the reaping device 3, and a control section 5 on which an operator rides is provided on the rear right side of the reaping device 3. It will be done.

An engine room 6 in which an engine E is mounted is provided below the control section 5, and a grain tank 7 is provided at the rear of the control section 5 to store grains threshed and sorted by the threshing device 4. The grains stored in the grain tank 7 are discharged to the outside by a discharge auger 70 connected to the grain tank 7. A front panel 10 is provided in front of the pilot's seat of the control unit 5, and a side panel 15 is provided to the left of the pilot's seat.

A monitor 11 is provided on the left side of the front panel 10 to display output rotation of the engine E, etc., and an operating lever 12 for operating the rotation of the traveling device 2 and the raising and lowering of the reaping device 3 is provided on the right side. ing. Note that the attitude of the operating lever 12 is measured by an angle sensor 12S such as a potentiometer attached to the lower part of the operating lever 12.

In addition, a parking brake pedal 13 is provided on the front left side of the floor located below the front panel 10 to actuate and release a pair of left and right brake devices 38 provided in the transmission 21, which will be described later. A raking pedal 14 for connecting and disconnecting a reaping clutch, which will be described later, is provided on the front right side.

The depression posture of the parking brake pedal 13 is measured by a sensor 13S such as a limit switch or a contact sensor mounted at the bottom of the parking brake pedal 13, and is measured by an angle sensor 12S such as a potentiometer such as a proximity sensor. The depression posture of the raking pedal 14 is measured by a sensor 14S, such as a limit switch or a contact sensor, mounted on the lower part of the raking pedal 14.

A main shift lever ("shift lever" in the claims) 16 is provided at the front of the side panel 15 for operating a continuously variable transmission 20 that increases/decelerates the output rotation of the engine E and switches the rotation direction. A sub-shift lever 17 is provided on the rear side of the shift lever 16 to operate a transmission 21 that increases/decelerates the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission device 20. A mower release lever 18 is provided to operate the connection and disconnection of the clutch 23.

As shown in FIG. 4, the output rotation output from the engine E is transmitted to a continuously variable transmission 20 provided on a transmission path ("first transmission path" in the claims) A. The output rotation of the engine E, which is transmitted to the input shaft 44 of the continuously variable transmission 20, is increased or decreased and the rotation direction is switched by the continuously variable transmission 20, and then transmitted to the transmission 21.

The output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20 that is transmitted to the input shaft 30 of the transmission 21 is increased or decreased by the multi-stage gears of the transmission 21, and is output from the output shaft 34 and transmitted to the traveling device 2. Note that the traveling speed v of the traveling device 2 is measured by a speed sensor 2S such as a tacho generator mounted on a track wheel or a gyro mounted on the body frame 1. The output rotation output from the output shaft 31 of the transmission 21 is transmitted to the reaping device 3 via the reaping clutch 22.

Further, the output rotation output from the engine E is transmitted to the threshing device 4 via the threshing clutch 23 provided on the transmission path ("second transmission path" in the claims) B.

The output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20 shown in FIG. 5 is transmitted to the input shaft 30 of the transmission 21. The output rotation transmitted to the input shaft 30 is transmitted to the counter shaft 32 via a gear 30A, a gear 31A, and a gear 32A. The gear 30A is provided on the input shaft 30, the gear 31A is rotatably provided on the output shaft 31, and the gear 32A is provided on the counter shaft 32.

The output rotation transmitted to the counter shaft 32 is transmitted to the counter shaft 33 via the gear 32B and the gear 33A. The gear 32B is provided on the counter shaft 32, and the gear 33A is provided on the counter shaft 33.

The output rotation transmitted to the counter shaft 33 is transmitted to the output shaft 34 via a pair of left and right gears 33B and a pair of left and right gears 34A provided on both sides of the gear 33A. The gear 33B is provided on the counter shaft 33, and the gear 34A is provided on the output shaft 34 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction.

A brake device 33C that brakes the rotation of the counter shaft 33 is provided on both sides of the pair of left and right gears 33B of the counter shaft 33. As a result, when the operating lever 12 is tilted to the left, the rotational speed of the left gear 33B becomes slower than the rotational speed of the right gear 33B, causing the traveling device 2 to turn to the left in the traveling direction. When tilting to the right, the rotational speed of the right gear 33B becomes slower than the rotational speed of the left gear 33B, allowing the traveling device 2 to turn to the right in the traveling direction.

The output rotation transmitted to the output shaft 34 is transmitted to the input shaft 35 of the traveling device 2 via a pair of left and right gears 34B and a pair of left and right gears 35A provided outside the gear 34A. The gear 34B is provided on the output shaft 34 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction, and the gear 35A is provided on the input shaft 35.

The output rotation transmitted to the counter shaft 32 is transmitted to the output shaft 31 via the gear 32C and the gear 31B, or the gear 32D and the gear 31C. Gear 32C and gear 32D are provided on counter shaft 32, and gear 31B and gear 31C are provided on output shaft 31 so as to be slidable in the left and right direction. Further, the gear 31B and the gear 31C can be moved in the left-right direction via the shifter 36 by operating a shifter device (not shown).

The output rotation transmitted to the output shaft 31 is transmitted to the input shaft 37 of the reaping device 3 via the reaping clutch 22.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the main shift lever 16 is in the neutral position, the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20 becomes zero. When the main shift lever 16 is moved from the neutral position to the forward tilted position, the rotation direction of the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20 becomes the same forward rotation as the output rotation direction of the engine E, and the tilt angle of the front tilted position is increased. Then, the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20 is increased, and when the inclination angle of the front tilted position is decreased, the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20 is decelerated. Furthermore, when the main shift lever 16 is moved from the neutral position to the rearward tilted position, the rotational direction of the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20 becomes a reverse rotation that is opposite to the rotational direction of the output rotation of the engine E, and the rearward tilted position When the inclination angle of the continuously variable transmission 20 is increased, the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20 is increased, and when the inclination angle of the rear side inclined position is decreased, the output rotation of the continuously variable transmission 20 is decelerated. Note that the attitude of the main shift lever 16 is measured by an angle sensor 16S such as a potentiometer attached to the lower part of the main shift lever 16.

When the sub-shift lever 17 is placed in the neutral position, the output rotation of the transmission 21 is not increased or decreased. When the sub-shift lever 17 is changed from the neutral position to the forward tilted position, the output rotation of the transmission 21 is increased, and when the sub-shift lever 17 is changed from the neutral position to the rear tilted position, the continuously variable transmission 20 The output rotation transmitted from the motor is decelerated. Note that the attitude of the sub-shift lever 17 is measured by an angle sensor 17S such as a potentiometer attached to the lower part of the sub-shift lever 17.

When the reaping lever 18 is placed in the forward tilted position, the reaping clutch 22 and the threshing clutch 23 are disconnected. When the reaping lever 18 is in the rearward inclined position, the reaping clutch 22 and the threshing clutch 23 are connected. Further, when the reaping lever 18 is placed in a neutral position between the forward inclined position and the rear inclined position, the reaping clutch 22 is disconnected and the threshing clutch 23 is connected. Note that the attitude of the mower lever 18 is measured by an angle sensor 18S such as a potentiometer mounted on the lower part of the mower lever 18.

As shown in FIG. 7, a fan-shaped gear 41 is supported on the trunnion shaft 40 of the continuously variable transmission 20, and a gear formed on the outer periphery of the fan-shaped gear 41 is connected to a forward motor (also referred to as "driving means" in the claims). ) 42 and a gear 43A provided on the output shaft of a reverse motor ("driving means" in the claims) 43 are engaged. As a result, the forward motor 42 and the reverse motor 43 are driven based on the attitude of the main shift lever 16, that is, the measured value of the angle sensor 16S, and the trunnion shaft 40 of the continuously variable transmission 20 is rotated to rotate the engine E. It is possible to increase/decrease the output rotation and switch the rotation direction. Note that the output rotation of the engine E is transmitted to the input shaft 44 of the continuously variable transmission 20.

Further, FIG. 7 shows a configuration in which the trunnion shaft 40 of the continuously variable transmission 20 is rotated by the forward motor 42 and the reverse motor 43 via the sector gear 41. An arm extending in the radial direction may be supported on the trunnion shaft 40, and a forward cylinder driven by a forward solenoid and a reverse cylinder driven by a reverse solenoid may be connected to the outer periphery of this arm. can.

The method of harvesting rice grain culms using a combine harvester is to harvest in a straight line starting from the working row near the outer edge of the field, and when the end of the harvest is reached, the grain is harvested in a direction perpendicular to the current cutting working row, that is, in a direction of about 90 degrees. There is a method in which the machine turns and continues cutting while going straight on the next cutting row, continuing to cut towards the center of the field.

If the traveling device 2 is a combine harvester with a pair of left and right crawlers, this 90-degree turn can be made by raising the reaping device 3 at the reaping end position, driving the left and right crawlers in opposite directions, and turning the 90-degree turn on the spot. This can be easily achieved by making a turn, a so-called pivot turn.

However, if the turning is performed, the reaction force of the crawler will push the soil in the field toward the rice plants on the unharvested side, and there is a risk that the grain culms will be pushed down by the lumps of soil. If this happens, the grain culms that have fallen down during the orthogonal reaping operation must be lifted up using a tiller or a pulling device for harvesting, but the fallen seedlings may not be harvested unless they are raised up sufficiently, so they cannot be harvested by hand later. You will have to reap and harvest as part of your work.

Furthermore, if the grain culm is harvested with soil lumps mixed in and transferred to the threshing device 4, the broken soil may enter the transmission systems of the reaping device 3 and the threshing device 4, causing damage due to the load.

Therefore, as an example of a work in which turning is performed without using pivot turning, as shown in Fig. 8, when the end position E of the reaping work strip is reached, the reaping device 3 is raised, and the machine is turned to the deployment point T on the diagonally front side of the machine. let In addition, since the deployment point T where the aircraft is heading is located near the unharvested (uncut) side N of the grain culm, in order to prevent the traveling device 2 from crushing the grain culm, it is moved from the end position E of the reaping work row. Go straight ahead a little and then start turning.

After moving forward to a position away from the unworked position, the machine switches to reverse running and turns to the next process straight reference point NB in the backward diagonal direction. At this time, the machine body assumes a posture perpendicular to the previous cutting line, and moves backward to a position where the reaping device 3 faces the next cutting line.

This allows reaping work to be carried out in the next reaping row without bringing the soil in the field closer to the unharvested grain culms or causing the fallen grain culms, thereby preventing the generation of uncut material and the contamination of soil, etc. Damage caused by objects getting caught is prevented.

However, when turning forward from the end of the reaping work row, the reaping device 3 must move on a trajectory that does not step on grain culms, and when traveling backwards toward the starting point of the next reaping work row, the reaping device 3 must It must be moved to a position that faces the next cutting row without any deviation. Therefore, it is only necessary for the operator to be proficient in operating the combine harvester, but if the operator is not sufficiently proficient, he or she will have to adjust the swing trajectory and reaping work position many times, which will reduce work efficiency. This results in a problem of significantly lowering the amount of energy and requiring extra effort from the operator.

Furthermore, if the combine operator's skill level is low, it will be difficult to run the machine in a straight line along the vegetation of the grain culm, and the grain culm may be left uncut due to meandering, and the grain culm that should be harvested in the later process may be left uncut. There is also the problem of harvesting the grain culm first.

In order to solve the above problem and move the aircraft without being affected by the skill level of the operator, at least one location on the aircraft such as the grain tank 7 or the control section 5, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, A GPS antenna 51 is provided to communicate with satellites and obtain current position information. This GPS antenna 51 automatically acquires position information at predetermined intervals (for example, 0.2 seconds), but the operator can use the control unit 5 or an information terminal (not shown) carried by the operator at any timing. A coordinate acquisition switch 52 is provided that allows the traveling control device 50 to acquire position information and record position coordinates, which are position information, in the travel control device 50, so that specific position information can be acquired and recorded.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a reaping clutch sensor 53 and a threshing clutch sensor 54 are provided to detect whether the reaping clutch 22 and the threshing clutch 23 are on or off, and the reaping clutch sensor 53 and the threshing clutch sensor 54 are in the on state. That is, if the coordinate acquisition switch 52 is operated when it is determined that the cutting operation is in progress, the first reference point A is recorded in the travel control device 50.

If the first reference point A has already been acquired, compare the coordinates of the first reference point A with the coordinates newly acquired by operating the coordinate acquisition switch 52, or compare the coordinates of the first reference point A with the coordinates newly acquired by operating the coordinate acquisition switch 52, or From the time when the travel distance is calculated from the detected value of the travel rotation sensor 55 that detects the rotation of the transmission system to the travel device 2, the travel distance is calculated from the coordinates where the first reference point A was acquired, and the travel distance is at least a predetermined distance (e.g. 5 to 10 m) Determine whether it is far away.

If the travel distance is less than a predetermined distance, the position information acquired by the GPS antenna 51 is not recorded as an invalid operation, and a notification device (not shown) such as a buzzer is used to notify that the operation is invalid.

On the other hand, when traveling a predetermined distance or more, the position information of the position where the coordinate acquisition switch 52 is operated is recorded as the second reference point B, and the traveling control device 50 records the position information of the position where the coordinate acquisition switch 52 is operated as the second reference point B, as shown in FIG. 11(a). A virtual line connecting the coordinates of the first reference point A and the second reference point B is calculated. When the field shape is rectangular, it is judged that the smaller the difference between the X coordinate of the first reference point A and the X coordinate of the second reference point B, the more effectively the machine can move straight between points A and B for reaping. Therefore, the first straight reference line BG1 is set.

In other words, when the difference between the X coordinate of the first reference point A and the X coordinate of the second reference point B exceeds the allowable value, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the mowing trajectory is significantly oblique. Therefore, it is notified that the first straight reference line BG1, which is used as a reference for straight-ahead driving, is inappropriate as a reference for straight-ahead driving, and the first reference point A and second reference point B are deleted. . In this case, the first reference point A and the second reference point B will be reacquired in the next process perpendicular to the current reaping work line, or in the successive processes that are substantially parallel to the current reaping work line.

In addition to the communication device with the satellite, the GPS antenna 51 is equipped with an ICU 51a that determines the orientation (azimuth) of the aircraft using geomagnetism, a gyro, or the like. When the first straight line reference line BG1 is recorded in the traveling control device 50 and the reaping clutch sensor 53 and the threshing clutch sensor 54 are detected to be engaged, the straight line assist provided in the driver's seat 5 or the information terminal When the switch 56 is operated, the current orientation of the aircraft in the forward direction acquired by the ICU 51a is compared with the orientation of the first straight reference line BG1 at the time of acquisition (eg, east-west, south-north).

If the orientation of the first straight reference line BG1 and the forward direction of the aircraft are parallel, the travel control device 50 slides the first straight reference line BG1 in the X-axis direction, as shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 12. This is applied as the virtual straight reference line GL.

On the other hand, when the direction of the first straight reference line BG1 and the forward direction of the aircraft are perpendicular to each other, as shown in FIG. 11(c) and FIG. That is, a second rectilinear reference line BG2 is generated by extending the line infinitely in the positive and negative directions of the X-axis with the Y coordinate of the first rectilinear reference line BG1 as a reference.

Note that when the first straight reference line BG1 and the forward direction of the aircraft are not substantially parallel or substantially perpendicular to each other, it is determined that the direction of travel is changing and the condition is not suitable for straight-line assist, and the virtual straight reference line GL It is assumed that neither the second straight reference line BG2 nor the second straight reference line BG2 are calculated.

As a result, if the operator operates the straight-ahead assist switch 56 under a work condition in which the orientation of the machine body is changed by 90 degrees at the end of a reaping work line and the next reaping work line is in the orthogonal direction, if the operator operates the straight-ahead assist switch 56, the machine moves to the first position. Reaping travel can be performed in a straight line along the straight reference line BG1 or the second straight reference line BG2.

Note that the travel control device 50 enables the side clutches 2a and 2b, which turn on and off transmission of power to the left and right crawlers, to be turned on and off regardless of the operation of the operating lever 12. Then, when the straight-ahead assist switch 56 is turned on, the position coordinates acquired by the GPS antenna 51 are compared with the first straight-ahead reference line BG1 or the second straight-ahead reference line BG2, and a deviation of the coordinates exceeding a tolerance value occurs. When this occurs, the left and right side clutches 2a, 2b are turned on and off to cause the machine to travel on a trajectory that is straight forward reaping travel.

As described above, if the first reaping operation is performed to the extent that the first straight-line reference line BG1 can be obtained, the subsequent process can perform the reaping operation using the straight-line assistance provided by the travel control device 50 from the beginning, so that the worker's operation skills are improved. The occurrence of uncut grain culms is prevented regardless of the degree of cutting.

In addition, since the operation of the straight-line assist switch 56 is accepted when the reaping clutch sensor 53 and the threshing clutch sensor 54 are in the detection state, the straight-line assist function can be enabled before starting traveling, so each reaping work row Grain culms can be reliably harvested from the reaping start position.

The above-mentioned reaping and harvesting work, which requires straight-ahead travel, is less affected by the level of proficiency, but a control configuration is also shown that makes turning to change the direction of the machine by 90 degrees and running forward and backward less dependent on the level of proficiency.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 13, the reaping device 3 is provided with a grain culm sensor 57 that detects the entry of the grain culm to be reaped, and when the grain culm sensor 57 changes from a detection state to a non-detection state, the grain culm to be reaped It can be determined that the cutting line has disappeared, that is, the end position E of the reaping work row has been reached. This arrival is notified to the worker by a notification device such as a buzzer.

Further, when the straight-ahead assist switch 56 is operated and the grain culm sensor 57 is in a non-detecting state while the travel control device 50 is controlling the straight-ahead travel, the machine is at the end position E of the reaping work row and the direction of the machine body is It is determined that the turning position has been reached to change the position by 90 degrees.

At this time, the travel control device 50 raises the reaping device 3 toward the deployment point T, disables the reaping clutch 22 and the threshing clutch 23, and operates the HST 60 with an output that causes the HST 60 to travel at a low speed in the forward direction, and The left and right side clutches 2a and 2b are controlled to be on and off, respectively, to move the machine body toward a side where grain culms are vegetated and to a position where there are no grain culms, that is, to move the machine body diagonally forward.

In addition, the position where there is no grain culm shall be secured by performing the reaping operation manually before acquiring the first straight reference line BG1 or after acquiring the first straight reference line BG1. If efficiency is important, a separate combine harvester may be used to harvest the grain culms to provide space for turning.

When the aircraft is moved diagonally forward and the angle at which the forward direction of the aircraft detected by the ICU 51a intersects the first straight reference line BG1 or the second straight reference line BG2 reaches a predetermined angle (e.g. 30 to 45 degrees), When the deployment point T is reached, the traveling control device 50 sets the output of the HST 60 to 0 (neutral) to stop traveling.

When the grain culm sensor 57 no longer detects grain culms, the travel control device 50 acquires position information from the GPS antenna 51 and records it. The coordinates of this position information are compared with the coordinates of the first straight reference line BG1 or the second straight reference line BG2, and when reaping and harvesting travel is performed along the first straight reference line BG1, the second When reaping and harvesting travel is performed along the straight reference line BG2, the position moved a predetermined distance in the Y-axis direction (e.g., the longitudinal length of the registered machine) becomes the starting end of the next reaping work row. , is set as the next process straight reference point NB.

More specifically, when the value of the Y coordinate of the first straight reference line BG1 increases, the coordinate is shifted in the positive direction of the X axis, and when the value of the Y coordinate decreases, the coordinate is shifted in the negative direction of the X axis. The next process straight forward reference point NB is set at the position. Also, when the value of the X coordinate of the second straight reference line BG2 decreases, the coordinate is shifted in the positive direction of the Y axis, and when the value of the X coordinate increases, the coordinate is shifted in the negative direction of the Y axis. A straight process reference point NB is set.

In addition, the next process straight reference point NB shall match the Y coordinate of the second straight reference line BG2 and its own Y coordinate during the reaping work along the first straight reference line BG1, and During the reaping work, the X-coordinate of the first straight reference line BG1 and the own X-coordinate are made to match.

When the output of the HST 60 stops, the HST 60 outputs the output in the reverse direction when the operator operates the main shift lever 16 to move backward, or when a certain period of time (eg, 2 to 3 seconds) has elapsed as shown in FIG. At this time, if the amount of operation of the main shift lever 16 is too large, there is a risk of the vehicle moving backward at high speed. If an upper limit is set, it is possible to prevent the aircraft from accidentally crushing unharvested grain culms.

When the aircraft starts traveling backwards, the travel control device 50 activates the left and right side clutches so that the aircraft reaches the next process straight reference point NB with the orientation of the aircraft rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise relative to before the turn. 2a and 2b are turned on and off to control the direction of travel. When the aircraft reaches the coordinate position of the next step straight reference point NB or a position considered to be an approximate position, the output of the HST 60 is set to 0 (neutral) and stopped.

Then, the operator visually confirms that there is unharvested grain culm growing on a straight line from the machine's stopping position, and that one side of the reaping device 3 in the left and right direction is at the outer end of the unharvested grain culm. Then, by lowering the reaping device 3 to the working height, turning on the reaping clutch 22 and the threshing clutch 23, and then turning on the straight-ahead assist switch 56, the harvesting can be performed along the second straight-ahead reference line BG2. The work shall be carried out.

When the grain culm sensor 57 no longer detects the entry of the grain culm, the position coordinates of that location, if there is no abnormality, extend infinitely in positive and negative directions from the X coordinate of the second straight reference line BG2, and The x-th reference line BGx, which is parallel to the line BG1, is calculated, and in the next step, the y-th reference line BGy is calculated, and this process is repeated until the reaping operation is completed. It is assumed that x is an odd number and y is an even number.

As a result of the above, there is little or no need for the operator to operate the turning operation when changing the direction of the machine by 90 degrees, which reduces the labor of the operator and prevents the operator from crushing grain culms due to operational errors. Disturbing the field area is prevented.

In addition, by automatically moving on a straight line to the next mowing work start position, if the straight forward assist switch 56 is turned on and the straight forward assist switch 56 is in the working state, the mowing travel will be performed on an appropriate trajectory, improving work efficiency. At the same time, the cutting accuracy is also improved.

When backward travel is started, as shown in FIG. 16, the distance to the next process straight reference point NB is calculated from the next process straight line reference point NB and the current position coordinates acquired by the GPS antenna 51. At this time, the moving distance between two points acquired by the GPS antenna 51 in a certain period of time (e.g. 1 to 3 seconds) is calculated as a sample, and based on this sample, the predicted time to reach the next process straight reference point NB is calculated. Calculate (Example: Sample = 0.25m/sec, Distance = 5.00m (5-0.25)/0.25 = 19 seconds remaining).

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 17, when reverse travel is started, the azimuth deviation required to reach the next process straight reference point NB is calculated from the next process straight line reference point NB and the current orientation of the aircraft acquired by the ICU 51. calculate. At this time, the change in the azimuth deviation acquired by the ICU 51a during a certain period of time (e.g. 1 to 3 seconds) is calculated as a sample, and based on this sample, the predicted time to reach the next process straight reference point NB is calculated (e.g. : Sample = 4 degrees/second, azimuth deviation until arrival 40 degrees (36-4)/4 = 9 seconds remaining).

These numbers are displayed on the display of the control unit 5 and counted down. You may recalculate and change the values if necessary.

Note that in the above, only one of the distance and the azimuth deviation is calculated and used for calculating the predicted time, but both may be calculated in parallel and displayed in parallel. In this case, the time based on the distance is the expected arrival at the next process straight forward reference point NB at the current running speed, and the time based on the azimuth deviation is the time required until the orientation of the aircraft matches the next reaping work process. There is no problem even if the two do not match. However, when there is only one display frame, priority is given to displaying the time based on the distance at which the work can actually be started.

Note that the expected arrival time is calculated from both the azimuth deviation amount and the distance, and if both results match or are approximated within an allowable range, automatic reverse assist is performed as is.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 18, when the estimated time based on the azimuth deviation amount is longer than the estimated time based on the distance, the brake output to the traveling device 2 is increased, the amount of change in distance is reduced, and the estimated arrival time is Control shall be performed to match.

As a result, the orientation of the machine can be adjusted to a posture suitable for the next process of reaping work, and it is also possible to prevent the movement position of the machine from shifting from the next process's reaping work position, improving work efficiency and work accuracy. will improve.

Conversely, when the estimated time based on the distance is longer than the estimated time based on the azimuth deviation amount, control is performed to reduce the brake output to the traveling device 2 and increase the amount of change in distance to match the estimated arrival time. shall be taken as a thing.

As a result, the orientation of the machine body is corrected while moving to the work start position of the next process, so priority can be given to movement speed, and work efficiency is improved.

In the above configuration, the coordinate information is acquired by the GPS antenna 51, so the position information of the position where mowing ended and the position where automatic reverse assist started is recorded, and the presence or absence of uncut mowing and the starting point of automatic reverse assist are recorded. It is also possible to check after work to see if it was in the appropriate position, and use this to consider improvements for future work.

It is desirable that the above-mentioned reaping end position be the position coordinates obtained either when the grain culm sensor 57 no longer detects the grain culm or when the reaping device 3 is operated to rise. However, depending on the working conditions and the operator, the reaping device 3 may be raised after moving forward a little even when there is no grain culm, or the reaping device 3 may be raised at the same time as the last grain culm is reaped. , non-detection of the grain culm, and raising operation of the reaping device 3, a method may also be considered in which the position information when the first occurrence occurs is set as the reaping end position.

As a result, by outputting the end position of reaping on a field map etc. after work, it is possible to check for variations in the end position of reaping, check whether it is appropriate as the starting position for automatic reverse assist that will be performed afterwards, and identify points for improvement from next time onwards. Therefore, long-term work accuracy is improved.

Note that automatic reverse assist moves backward while changing the attitude of the machine to the next reaping work start position, but due to the influence of the reverse start position, etc., the direction of the machine may change to the first straight reference line BG1 or the second straight reference line for the next process. When the machine moves to a position along line BG2, if it is determined that the machine is in a position that is significantly shifted in the left and right direction, the reaping device 3 does not reach the position that should be the next process's reaping position, resulting in uncut material. , or a position where the reaping function of the reaping device 3 is not performed may occur, so even if the straight-line assist switch 56 is turned on, the travel control device 50 is configured not to operate the straight-line assist function.

Note that if the aircraft is manually operated or otherwise moved so that there is no deviation in the coordinates in the left-right direction from the first straight reference line BG1 or the second straight reference line BG2, or if the coordinates are brought closer to within the allowable range, the straight-line assist switch 56 is turned on and the aircraft starts traveling. The control device 50 performs straight-travel assist control.

Note that, as shown in FIG. 19, the straight-ahead assist switch 56 is provided on one left and right sides of a switch panel 62 provided in the control section 5 and the like. This straight-line assist switch 56 may be used to operate both the straight-line assist and the automatic reverse assist, but an operation error may make it difficult to move to the next step's reaping position or cause unnecessary movement.

In order to prevent this, as shown in FIG. 19, a reverse assist switch 63 is provided on the other left and right sides of the switch panel 62, and when the reverse assist switch 63 is operated when the conditions are met, automatic reverse as shown in FIG. 15 is performed. It may also be a configuration. In addition, in order to further prevent mistakes between straight-ahead assist and automatic reverse assist, a mode selector switch 64 is provided between the left and right sides of the straight-ahead assist switch 56 and the reverse assist switch 63, and only the operation set by this mode selector switch 64 is accepted. It may also be a configuration.

This prevents grain culms from being left uncut or crushed due to erroneous operations, and by using the necessary assist functions, highly accurate work can be performed efficiently.

Obtaining the first reference point A and second reference point B and operating the straight-ahead assist and automatic reverse assist described above are performed by predetermined operations, but the operator must check whether or not he or she has performed the operations reliably. The decision is not known until control is initiated. Additionally, although indicators such as lamps indicate failures in communication with the satellite or malfunctions in various parts of the aircraft, it is difficult for workers who are concentrating on other tasks to identify them.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the control system is equipped with a voice guide device 65 in which a plurality of voices are preset, and the travel control device 50 can control the operation of levers and switches by the operator, and the operation of each sensor mounted on the aircraft. The corresponding sound shall be emitted in accordance with the switching between detection and non-detection.

For example, if you operate the coordinate acquisition switch 52 when the first reference point A has not yet been acquired, "Point A has been acquired." If you operate the coordinate acquisition switch 52 with the first reference point A acquired, the message "B point has been acquired. The assist function is ready.", if the grain culm sensor 57 is not detected during straight-ahead assist driving, or if the straight-ahead assist switch 56 is operated with the reaping device 3 raised, " "Assist has ended." is generated.

Depending on the model, straight-line assist can be used in addition to the row horizontal mode, which includes horizontal mowing, in which the mower turns 90 degrees from the cutting end position and moves on to the next process. , reaping work is performed alternately with the reaping work row at one end of the field and the reaping work row at the other end, and at the end of the field, the straight-ahead assist is turned off and the direction is turned while aiming toward the center of the field. Mode etc. may be set. These plurality of straight-ahead assist modes can be switched by turning the volume dial 66 for better operability.

However, if the voice guide device 65 makes a sound each time the mode is switched, the operator will have to endure the noise while performing the switching operation. If the volume dial 66 is operated in the middle of pronunciation, the discomfort will be alleviated somewhat if the previous sound is interrupted, but if the setting is such that the previous sound is not interrupted, the current mode will also be determined. It will become harder and cause more discomfort.

In order to prevent this problem, as shown in FIG. When the travel control device 50 determines that there has been no change (less than a second), the voice guide device 65 is configured to emit the corresponding voice for the first time.

As a result, the operator is not bothered by noise when operating the volume dial 66, and multiple audio files are read many times in a short period of time, which places a load on the travel control device 50 and the audio guide device 65. This will be prevented. In particular, reading audio files over and over again in a short period of time can cause control errors, producing sounds that do not correspond to the operation position of the volume dial 66, and causing the operator to work in the wrong mode. Prevented.

As described above, by providing the ECU 51a together with the GPS antenna 51, it is possible to judge how far the aircraft is traveling from the first straight reference line BG1 and the second straight reference line BG2 during straight travel assist. Can be done.

Straight ahead assist corrects the orientation of the aircraft by creating a speed difference between the left and right traveling devices 2 to correct this misalignment, but if the misalignment becomes large due to unevenness in the field, the operator can By operating the operating lever 12 in the left-right direction, the amount of posture correction can be increased, and the vehicle can quickly return to the straight-ahead position.

Therefore, when a positional deviation greater than a set value is detected, a voice instruction is given to the operator to correct the traveling direction by operating the operating lever 12. Note that the operator may not be aware of the shift, or may not recognize or misunderstand whether the shift is to the left or right. Please operate the lever.'' This shall specifically explain the operation in the direction of approaching the straight-ahead travel position.

As a result, the deviation from the straight-ahead position can be corrected immediately, and grain culms that cannot be harvested by the reaping device 3 can be prevented from occurring, and areas where the reaping operation cannot be performed can be prevented from occurring within the left and right width of the reaping device 3. , work efficiency and work accuracy can be improved.

However, if the sound continues to be emitted even after operating the operating lever 12 in the direction in which it should be operated when adjusting to the straight-ahead position, it may cause discomfort to the operator.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 21, when the operating lever 12 is operated in the same direction for a predetermined period of time (for example, 1 to 2 seconds) or more, the travel control device 50 causes the voice guide device 65 to make the same sound. If the configuration is such that the same voice is not unnecessarily pronounced over and over again, the operator's discomfort can be reduced.

If the control lever 12 continues to be operated in the same direction even beyond the straight-ahead position, and you need to operate it in the opposite direction, a voice message will say, "Please operate the control lever in the right (left) direction." shall be pronounced.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 22, when the angle formed by the virtual line indicating the direction calculated by the ECU 51a and the first straight reference line BG1 or the second straight reference line BG2 is greater than a predetermined angle, the worker's intentional It is determined that the deviation is due to the operation of the operation lever 12, and the sound guidance device 65 interrupts the sound production that prompts the operation in the left and right directions.

However, if you do not operate the straight-line assist switch 56 to turn off the straight-line assist, the cruise control device 50 will continue to control the position of the aircraft along the first straight-line reference line BG1 or the second straight-line reference line BG2. Please turn off the assist switch.'' may be sounded once or a predetermined number of times (for example, 2 to 3 times).

In the reaping operation of the combine harvester, the reaping operation movement may be performed in which the reaping device 3 approaches the vicinity of the ridge. At this time, detection of the presence or absence of grain culms by the grain culm sensor 57 is important in order to stop the movement at a position where the reaping device 3 does not come into contact with the ridge, but the essential grain culm sensor 57 may fail due to disconnection or short circuit. If so, even if there are actually no grain culms, no notification is given, and the reaping device 3 may come into contact with the ridges, causing damage.

In order to prevent this, as shown in FIG. 10, an auxiliary grain culm sensor 57a is provided at a position rearward of the conventionally installed grain culm sensor 57, and is configured to come into contact with the grain culm to be harvested.

As shown in FIG. 23, when the grain culm sensor 57 is always in the detection state or always in the non-detection state and the auxiliary grain culm sensor 57a changes from the detection state to the non-detection state, the grain culm sensor 57 has failed. Therefore, it can be said that the auxiliary grain culm sensor 57a is functioning normally.

Therefore, when the auxiliary grain culm sensor 57a is not detected, it can be determined that the grain culm is gone, so that the notification device can notify the operator.

Alternatively, when the grain culm sensor 57 switches from the non-detection state to the detection state and the auxiliary grain culm sensor 57a changes from the detection state to the non-detection state, the grain culm sensor 57 is malfunctioning, and the auxiliary grain culm sensor 57a It can be said that it is functioning normally.

On the other hand, when the grain culm sensor 57a switches from the detection state to the non-detection state, since the grain culm sensor 57a is operating normally, the notification device is activated to notify the operator.

2 Traveling device 3 Reaping device 4 Threshing device (sorting device)
5 Control unit 50 Travel control device (travel calculation device)
51 GPS antenna (location information receiving device)
51a ECU (orientation sensor)
52 Coordinate acquisition switch (position information acquisition member)
56 Straight travel assist switch (assist operation member)
57 Grain culm sensor (reaping sensor)
BG1 1st straight reference line BG2 2nd straight reference line NB Next process straight reference point

Claims (4)

A combine harvester that is provided with a reaping device (3) on the front side of a machine that travels on a traveling device (2), and a sorting device (4) that separates grains from grain culms harvested by the reaping device (3),
A position information receiving device (51) for receiving position information of the aircraft is provided, a position information acquisition member (52) is provided for recording the position information received from the position information receiving device (51) ,
A travel calculation device (50) that calculates a first straight reference line (BG1) serving as a reference for straight travel, and a travel operation in which the travel calculation device (50) runs along the first straight reference line (BG1). An assist operation member (56) for turning on and off the assist function is provided,
A reaping sensor (57) is provided to detect the reaping operation of the reaping device (3), and when the reaping sensor (57) enters a non-detecting state, the first straight-travel reference is determined based on the position at which the non-detecting state occurs. A second straight reference line (BG2) perpendicular to the line (BG1) is calculated , and the aircraft moves to a turning stage in which the orientation of the aircraft is changed in the orthogonal direction, and manual turning operation is permitted in the turning stage. A combine harvester. When the second straight reference line (BG2) is calculated, the current position information acquired by the position information receiving device (51) is recorded, and among the acquired position information, a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the aircraft is recorded. The position coordinates of are moved from the current position to the left and right sides of the machine by a predetermined distance and recorded as the next process straight reference point (NB),
2. The combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the traveling device (2) automatically turns and travels toward the next process straight forward reference point (NB). When the reaping sensor (57) no longer detects the grain culm, the traveling device (2) travels diagonally forward, and when the turning angle reaches a certain value, switches to backward travel, and then moves straight to the next step. The combine harvester according to claim 2, wherein control of traveling toward a reference point (NB) is started. A direction sensor (51a) is provided to detect the direction of movement of the aircraft,
The traveling calculation device (50) calculates the distance between the next process straight reference point (NB) and the current position received by the position information receiving device (51), and also calculates the distance between the first straight reference line (BG1). Or calculate the azimuth deviation between the second straight reference line (BG2) and the azimuth sensor (51a),
The traveling calculation device (50) automatically steers the traveling device (2) backward in a direction in which the distance becomes smaller and the azimuth deviation approaches a predetermined angle, and controls when the next process straight forward reference point (NB) is reached. 4. The combine harvester according to claim 3, characterized in that the combine harvester is terminated.