JP7509407B2 - Agricultural machinery - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to agricultural machinery. In particular, it relates to a foldable agricultural machinery that allows the tilling width of the machinery to be changed.

Agricultural working machines for cultivating fields have a configuration in which the field is cultivated by a tilling rotor equipped with multiple tilling tines, and then the field is leveled by a leveling member arranged behind the tilling rotor. Although the field can be leveled by the weight of the leveling member, there are agricultural working machines equipped with a pressure mechanism that acts to press the leveling member against the field to improve the leveling and soil crushing properties. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an agricultural working machine in which a pressure mechanism with a coil spring inserted into a rod is provided between a shield cover and a leveling member (apron), and the coil spring exerts a reaction force against the upward rotation of the leveling member.

JP 2009-131173 A

Although the agricultural working machine described in Patent Document 1 can control whether or not the pressurizing mechanism is activated, that is, whether or not the ground leveling member is pressed, the only way to adjust the magnitude of the pressurization (pressurizing force) is for the operator to manually change the position of the pin that abuts the coil spring. In addition, the agricultural working machine described in Patent Document 1 only exemplifies agricultural working machines with a fixed tilling width (working width that the agricultural working machine can till), and does not consider agricultural working machines with a variable tilling width. For example, agricultural working machines in which the working section is divided into multiple parts and some of the working sections can be folded are known in the past. In the case of such folding agricultural working machines, the tilling width changes depending on whether the working section is folded or unfolded. Therefore, if the pressing mechanism applies pressure to the ground leveling member with the same magnitude regardless of the state of the working section, the force per unit width (the force applied to the ground leveling member per 1 m in the left-right direction) will differ depending on the tilling width, and there is a risk that uniform ground leveling work will not be performed. In this way, there is room for further improvement in the agricultural working machine described in Patent Document 1.

The objective of one embodiment of the present invention is to achieve uniform ground leveling regardless of the working state of the agricultural machine.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the agricultural work machine comprises a tilling rotor, a soil leveling section located behind the tilling rotor, and a pressure applying section that acts to press the soil leveling section against the field. The soil leveling section is composed of a number of soil leveling members that are rotatably connected to each other and aligned in the left-right direction, and the force that the pressure applying section applies to the soil leveling section varies depending on whether all of the soil leveling members are in an expanded state acting on the field or whether some of the soil leveling members are in a stored state acting on the field.

The agricultural work machine may further include a control unit that determines whether the agricultural work machine is in the deployed state or the stored state. The control unit may change the force that the pressure unit applies to the ground leveling unit depending on the result of the determination.

The pressure applying unit may act to align the force with which the ground leveling unit is pressed against the field in the deployed state with the force with which the ground leveling unit is pressed against the field in the stored state.

The pressure applying section may act so that the ground leveling section is pressed against the field with a substantially constant force per unit width, regardless of whether the ground leveling section is in the deployed state or the stored state.

When the width of the ground leveling portion in the stored state is Xa and the width of the ground leveling portion in the unfolded state is Xb, the force applied by the pressure applying portion to the ground leveling portion in the unfolded state may be (Xb/Xa) times the force applied by the pressure applying portion to the ground leveling portion in the stored state.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to achieve uniform ground leveling work regardless of the working state of the agricultural machine.

1A and 1B are diagrams showing the configuration of an agricultural work machine in a first embodiment, in which FIG. 1A is a top view of the agricultural work machine, and FIG. 1A and 1B are side cross-sectional views showing the configuration of a central working unit of an agricultural work machine in a first embodiment, in which FIG. 1A shows the cross-sectional structure of the central working unit, and FIG. 1A to 1C are schematic diagrams for explaining the working states of an agricultural working machine in a first embodiment, in which (A) is a diagram showing a stored state, (B) is a diagram showing a deployed state, and (C) is a diagram showing an example of a semi-deployed state. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing the configuration of an agricultural work machine in a second embodiment, in which FIG. 11A is a top view of the agricultural work machine, and FIG. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the configuration of an agricultural work machine in a third embodiment, in which FIG. 13A is a top view of the agricultural work machine, and FIG.

The agricultural working machine of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the agricultural working machine of the present invention can be implemented in many different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to the description of the examples shown below. In the drawings referred to in this embodiment, identical parts or parts having similar functions are given the same reference numerals or the same reference numerals followed by an alphabet, and repeated explanations will be omitted. For example, if the agricultural working machine of the present invention is composed of three working units, a central working unit, a left working unit, and a right working unit, the letters "C", "L", and "R" may be added after the numbers to indicate that the parts belong to each working unit.

In this specification, "up" refers to a direction moving vertically away from the field, and "down" refers to a direction moving vertically toward the field. Additionally, "front" refers to the direction in which the traveling machine body is located relative to the work machine, and "rear" refers to the direction 180° opposite from front. Additionally, "left" refers to the left when facing the direction in which the traveling machine body is located relative to the work machine, and "right" refers to the direction 180° opposite from left.

First Embodiment
[Configuration of agricultural machine 100]
The general configuration of the agricultural work machine 100 according to the first embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 1. In this embodiment, a folding tiller is exemplified as the agricultural work machine 100, but the agricultural work machine 100 is not limited to this example. For example, the agricultural work machine 100 can be applied to other folding agricultural work machines, such as a folding rotary tiller or a mower.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an agricultural work machine 100 in the first embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 1(A) is a top view of the agricultural work machine 100, and FIG. 1(B) is a rear view of the agricultural work machine 100. The agricultural work machine 100 of this embodiment has three working units: a central working unit 10C, a left working unit 10L, and a right working unit 10R. The central working unit 10C is disposed in the center of the agricultural work machine 100 and functions as the main body of the agricultural work machine 100. The left working unit 10L and the right working unit 10R are connected to both left and right ends of the central working unit 10C so that they can rotate relative to the central working unit 10C. The agricultural work machine 100 can be folded by stacking the left working unit 10L and the right working unit 10R on the central working unit 10C by rotating the left working unit 10L and the right working unit 10R upward, and can be unfolded by rotating them downward.

Here, the state in which both the left working unit 10L and the right working unit 10R are folded and stacked on the central working unit 10C is called the stored state. The stored state is a state in which the width that the agricultural work machine 100 can till (i.e., the tilling width) is reduced in the left-right direction of the agricultural work machine 100. The state in which the left working unit 10L, the right working unit 10R, and the central working unit 10C are all lined up side by side is called the unfolded state. The unfolded state is a state in which the tilling width of the agricultural work machine 100 is at its maximum. The state in which either the left working unit 10L or the right working unit 10R is folded and stacked on the central working unit 10C is called the semi-unfolded state.

Normally, the agricultural work machine 100 is stored when not in use, and is deployed when used in a field. However, depending on the area of the field, the usage conditions, etc., the agricultural work machine 100 may be used in a stored state or a semi-deployed state. The agricultural work machine 100 of this embodiment has a configuration that allows it to be used appropriately in any of the cases where the agricultural work machine 100 is used in the deployed state, stored state, or semi-deployed state. This point will be described later.

Next, the central working unit 10C will be described. The central working unit 10C includes a top mast 12 and a lower link connection unit 14 that function as a connection unit with a traveling machine (not shown) such as a tractor, a support frame 16 that extends in the left-right direction and supports the central working unit 10C, a gear box 17, a control box 18, a central shield cover 20C, a tilling rotor 21C (see FIG. 2(A)), a central apron 22C, a central leveler 24C, and an apron pressure unit 45.

The tillage rotor 21C is disposed in front of the central apron 22C and below the central shield cover 20C. In reality, in addition to these, an input shaft to which power is transmitted from the traveling machine body, and a transmission frame (chain case) that transmits the power transmitted via the gear box 17 and the support frame 16 to the claw shaft are also provided. Also, while an example in which two apron pressure parts 45 are provided is shown here, this is not limiting, and the number of apron pressure parts 45 may be one or three or more.

The top mast 12 is provided in the center of the front of the central working unit 10C, and the lower link connection parts 14 are provided at two locations, left and right, in front of the central working unit 10C. The top mast 12 and the lower link connection parts 14 provided at two locations, left and right, are each connected to a three-point link mechanism (not shown) of the traveling machine body. As a result, the agricultural work machine 100 is mounted on the rear of the traveling machine body so that it can be raised and lowered. The support frame 16 functions as the machine body of the central working unit 10C and extends in the left and right directions relative to the traveling direction of the agricultural work machine 100. A mechanism for transmitting power is arranged inside the support frame 16. The gear box 17 has the function of changing the speed of the power transmitted from the input shaft (not shown). The power changed in speed by the gear box 17 is transmitted to the transmission frame (not shown) via a power transmission mechanism arranged in the support frame 16.

The control box 18 has the function of controlling the operation of the agricultural work machine 100. Specifically, the control box 18 is provided with a control unit that handles signal processing such as processing operation signals transmitted from a remote controller (including both wired and wireless controllers) not shown and processing sensor signals transmitted from various sensors. The control unit includes electronic components such as a calculation processing unit, a storage device, and a communication device. Each moving part of the agricultural work machine 100 (electric motor, actuators such as electric cylinders, etc.) operates based on command signals transmitted from the control unit located in the control box 18.

The central shield cover 20C is provided along the support frame 16 and is positioned so as to cover the top of the tillage rotor 21C. The soil crushed by the tillage rotor 21C hits the inner wall of the central shield cover 20C and is further crushed, and then falls back into the field. In this way, the central shield cover 20C has both a function of preventing the soil stirred up by the tillage rotor 21C from scattering and a function of crushing the soil.

As shown in FIG. 2(A), the tilling rotor 21C of the central working unit 10C has a configuration in which multiple tilling tines 21Cb are attached to a claw shaft 21Ca that is supported rotatably in the left-right direction below the central shield cover 20C using flanges or holders. The tilling rotor 21C tills the field by rotating the multiple tilling tines 21Cb together with the rotation of the claw shaft 21Ca. Power input from the traveling machine body via an input shaft (not shown) is transmitted via a transmission shaft or the like in the support frame 16 and converted into rotational motion of the tilling rotor 21C.

In FIG. 1, the central apron 22C is a leveling member attached to the rear end of the central shield cover 20C so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The central leveller 24C is a leveling member attached to the central apron 22C so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The central apron 22C serves as a cover that returns mud and soil scattered by the rotation of the tilling rotor 21C of the central working unit 10C back to the field, and also serves to press the central leveller 24C against the field to perform leveling work. The central leveller 24C serves to assist the leveling work performed by the central apron 22C.

The apron pressure unit 45 has the role of suppressing the upward rotation of the central apron 22C. However, it does not completely prevent the rotation of the central apron 22C, but rather acts to press the central apron 22C against the field by the force of a member that exerts an elastic force (a coil spring in this embodiment). In other words, when the central apron 22C rotates upward from a certain position, the apron pressure unit 45 exerts an elastic force, generating a reaction force that pushes the central apron 22C back toward the field. The detailed structure of the apron pressure unit 45 will be described later.

Next, the left side working unit 10L will be described. The left side working unit 10L is equipped with a left side shield cover 20L, a tilling rotor (not shown) arranged below the left side shield cover 20L, a left side apron 22L, a left side leveller 24L, and a left side extension leveller 26L. The roles of the left side shield cover 20L, left side apron 22L, and left side leveller 24L are similar to those of the corresponding elements in the central working unit 10C described above, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

The left extension leveller 26L extends from the end of the left working unit 10L to the left of the agricultural work machine 100 and is responsible for levelling the area outside the left working unit 10L. The left extension leveller 26L is rotatably connected to the left leveller 24L and is configured so that it can be folded towards the left leveller 24L.

Next, the right-side working unit 10R will be described. The right-side working unit 10R is equipped with a right-side shield cover 20R, a tilling rotor (not shown) arranged below the right-side shield cover 20R, a right-side apron 22R, a right-side leveller 24R, and a right-side extension leveller 26R. The roles of the right-side shield cover 20R, right-side apron 22R, right-side leveller 24R, and right-side extension leveller 26R are similar to those of the corresponding elements in the left-side working unit 10L described above, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

The left working unit 10L and the right working unit 10R described above rotate vertically by a working unit rotation mechanism (not shown) provided at both ends of the central working unit 10C. This causes the agricultural work machine 100 to transition to the above-mentioned stored state, deployed state, or semi-deployed state. In the deployed state, the central working unit 10C and the left working unit 10L, and the central working unit 10C and the right working unit 10R are physically connected to each other. In other words, when the agricultural work machine 100 is in the deployed state, the central apron 22C is connected to the left apron 22L and the right apron 22R and acts on the field as a unit. Similarly, in the semi-deployed state, the central apron 22C is connected to the left apron 22L or the right apron 22R and acts on the field as a unit.

In this way, when each working unit is deployed and connected, the individual elements of each working unit (e.g., tilling rotor, apron, leveler, etc.) act on the field together with the elements of the other working units. Therefore, in this specification, terms such as "tilling rotor," "apron," and "leveler" refer to both individual elements and assemblies of multiple elements. In particular, the assembly of the individual aprons (land leveling members) of each working unit may be referred to as the "land leveling unit."

[Configuration of apron pressure section]
Fig. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the central working unit 10C of the agricultural work machine 100 in the first embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 2(A) shows the cross-sectional structure of the central working unit 10C, and Fig. 2(B) shows the planar structure of the apron pressurizing unit 45.

As shown in Figures 2(A) and 2(B), the apron pressure unit 45 includes an electric motor 201, a positioning gear 202, a support arm 203, a rod 204, and a coil spring 205. The positioning gear 202 and the support arm 203 share a common shaft 301 and are rotatably supported by a bracket 211 provided on the central shield cover 20C. The positioning gear 202 rotates about the shaft 301 by the power of the electric motor 201. Specifically, the teeth of the pinion gear 201a of the electric motor 201 and the teeth of the positioning gear 202 mesh with each other to transmit the power of the electric motor 201 to the positioning gear 202.

As shown in FIG. 2(B), the support arm 203 is composed of two plate-like members arranged facing each other, and the positioning gear 202 is arranged between the two plate-like members. The positioning gear 202 is provided with a pin 202a that protrudes in the left-right direction. The length of the pin 202a is longer than the distance between the two plate-like members that make up the support arm 203. Therefore, when the positioning gear 202 rotates toward the rear side (clockwise in FIG. 2(A)), the pin 202a is configured to abut against the sides of the two plate-like members.

The rod 204 is suspended between the rear end of the support arm 203 (the end farther from the axis 301) and a bracket 212 provided on the central apron 22C. The rear end of the support arm 203 and the upper end of the rod 204 are connected so as to be rotatable around the axis 302. The vicinity of the lower end of the rod 204 is supported by a support member 213 provided on the bracket 212. The support member 213 supports the rod 204 so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction and rotatable around the axis 303.

The coil spring 205 is attached to the rod 204. A ring-shaped fixing member 204a is provided on the upper part of the rod 204, and the upper end of the coil spring 205 is welded to the fixing member 204a. The lower end of the coil spring 205 is not fixed to the rod 204, but abuts against the support member 213, so that it does not extend below the support member 213.

In the apron pressure unit 45 having the above-described structure, when the positioning gear 202 rotates toward the rear side, the support arm 203 is pushed by the pin 202a and rotates downward. As the support arm 203 rotates downward, the rod 204 moves downward while sliding against the support member 213. When the distance between the fixed member 204a and the support member 213 becomes shorter due to the movement of the rod 204, the coil spring 205 is compressed between the fixed member 204a and the support member 213. As a result, the reaction force of the compressed coil spring 205 acts to press the central apron 22C against the field.

As described above, the compression amount of the coil spring 205 can be adjusted by controlling the rotation angle of the support arm 203 using the electric motor 201. In this case, if the compression amount of the coil spring 205 is ΔL and the spring constant is k, the force (F) that the coil spring 205 applies to the central apron 22C is expressed as F = k ΔX. That is, the apron pressurizing unit 45 of this embodiment can adjust the force (F) that the coil spring 205 applies to the central apron 22C by controlling the rotation angle of the support arm 203. In this embodiment, the rotation angle of the support arm 203 is controlled based on a signal detected by the potentiometer 206, but it is also possible to control the rotation angle of the support arm 203 using a signal detected by another sensor.

[Method of controlling the apron pressure unit]
Figure 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the working state of the agricultural work machine 100 in the first embodiment. Specifically, Figure 3(A) is a diagram showing the agricultural work machine 100 in a stored state, Figure 3(B) is a diagram showing the agricultural work machine 100 in an unfolded state, and Figure 3(C) is a diagram showing the agricultural work machine 100 in a semi-unfolded state (specifically, a state in which only the right working unit 10R of the agricultural work machine 100 is unfolded).

As shown in FIG. 3A, in the stored state, only the central apron 22C acts on the field, and the left apron 22L and the right apron 22R are folded above the central apron 22C. That is, in the stored state, the apron pressurizing unit 45 applies force only to the central apron 22C. In this embodiment, since two apron pressurizing units 45 are arranged, the force applied to the central apron 22C is actually the total force of the two apron pressurizing units 45. However, in this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the total force is described as "the force applied by the apron pressurizing unit to the ground leveling unit" (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "pressurizing force"). In addition, in this embodiment, it is desirable to operate the two apron pressurizing units 45 in a synchronized manner, and for example, it is desirable for the two apron pressurizing units 45 to press the apron with the same timing and force. Furthermore, for example, when the agricultural work machine 100 is started, the pressure state of the apron pressure unit 45 may be reset to a predetermined pressure, or pressure control may be turned off.

Here, the tilling width of the agricultural work machine 100 in the stored state is Xa. In other words, the tilling width Xa corresponds to the width of the central apron 22C. In the stored state shown in FIG. 3(A), if the force that the apron pressurizing unit 45 applies to the ground leveling portion (in this case, the central apron 22C) is F1, then the force applied per unit width to the ground leveling portion is F1/Xa. If the amount of compression of the coil spring 205 at this time is ΔL1, then F1 = k × ΔL1. Note that in this embodiment, the pressure force F1 in the stored state is set in advance.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3(B), in the unfolded state, the central apron 22C, the left apron 22L, and the right apron 22R act on the field. That is, in the unfolded state, the apron pressurizing unit 45 applies force to the entire central apron 22C, the left apron 22L, and the right apron 22R. At this time, the tilling width of the agricultural working machine 100 in the unfolded state is Xb. In this case, the tilling width Xb corresponds to the total width of the central apron 22C, the left apron 22L, and the right apron 22R. In the unfolded state shown in FIG. 3(B), if the force applied by the apron pressurizing unit 45 to the ground leveling portion (in this case, the central apron 22C, the left apron 22L, and the right apron 22R) is F2, the force applied per unit width to the ground leveling portion is F2/Xb. Furthermore, if the compression amount of the coil spring 205 at this time is ΔL2, then F2 = k × ΔL2.

When the state of the agricultural work machine 100 is switched from the stored state to the deployed state, the tilling width of the agricultural work machine 100 increases from Xa to Xb. Therefore, if the force F2 applied to the ground leveling section by the apron pressurizing unit 45 in the deployed state is set to F1, which is the same as in the stored state, the force applied to the ground leveling section per unit width becomes relatively small. In such a case, there is a risk that the ground leveling section will not be able to perform uniform ground leveling work in the deployed state. In contrast, the agricultural work machine 100 of this embodiment is controlled so that the ground leveling section is pressed against the field with a substantially constant force per unit width regardless of whether it is in the deployed state or the stored state. In other words, the agricultural work machine 100 is controlled so that the force applied per unit width to the ground leveling section by the apron pressurizing unit 45 in the stored state and the force applied per unit width to the ground leveling section in the deployed state are the same.

In the example shown in Figures 3(A) and 3(B), the force (F1/Xa) applied per unit width to the ground leveling portion in the stored state is controlled to be equal to the force (F2/Xb) applied per unit width to the ground leveling portion in the unfolded state. That is, in this embodiment, the relationship F2 = F1 x Xb/Xa holds. In other words, the force F2 applied to the ground leveling portion by the apron pressure unit 45 in the unfolded state is (Xb/Xa) times the force F1 applied to the ground leveling portion by the apron pressure unit 45 in the stored state.

The force applied by the apron pressure unit 45 to the ground leveling unit can be controlled by adjusting the compression amount of the coil spring 205. Using the above-mentioned relational expression F2 = F1 x Xb/Xa, the relationship ΔL2 = ΔL1 x (Xb/Xa) holds between the compression amount ΔL1 of the coil spring 205 in the stored state and the compression amount ΔL2 of the coil spring 205 in the deployed state. In other words, in this embodiment, the compression amount ΔL2 of the coil spring 205 in the deployed state can be controlled to be (Xb/Xa) times the compression amount ΔL1 of the coil spring 205 in the stored state.

The above-mentioned control is also the same when switching from the stored state shown in FIG. 3(A) to the semi-deployed state shown in FIG. 3(C). In the semi-deployed state shown in FIG. 3(C), the center apron 22C and the right apron 22R (or the left apron 22L) act on the field. In other words, if the tilling width of the agricultural work machine 100 in the semi-deployed state is Xc, when switching from the stored state to the semi-deployed state, the force F3 applied to the ground leveling portion by the apron pressure unit 45 in the semi-deployed state is (Xc/Xa) times the force F1 applied to the ground leveling portion by the apron pressure unit 45 in the stored state. In addition, the compression amount ΔL3 of the coil spring 205 in the semi-deployed state is (Xc/Xa) times the compression amount ΔL1 of the coil spring 205 in the stored state.

As described above, the agricultural work machine 100 of this embodiment can be changed so that the force that the apron pressure unit 45 applies to the ground leveling section is different between the deployed state in which all of the multiple ground leveling members (aprons) act on the field and the stored state in which some of the multiple ground leveling members act on the field. In other words, the agricultural work machine 100 of this embodiment is controlled so that the force applied to the ground leveling section by the apron pressure unit 45 changes in proportion to the tillage width of the ground leveling section. Therefore, regardless of the working state in which the agricultural work machine 100 performs ground leveling work, the apron pressure unit 45 acts so that the ground leveling section is pressed against the field with a substantially constant force per unit width. This makes it possible to achieve uniform ground leveling work regardless of the working state of the agricultural work machine.

In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the pressure force is increased proportionally when the working state of the agricultural work machine 100 changes from the stored state to the deployed state, but conversely, when the working state changes from the deployed state to the stored state, the pressure force can be decreased proportionally.

The control unit in the control box 18 determines whether the agricultural work machine 100 is in a stored state, an unfolded state, or a semi-unfolded state. For example, the control unit can detect the working state of the agricultural work machine 100 using a detection unit such as a sensor such as a contact switch. When the control unit (not shown) in the control box 18 shown in FIG. 1 receives a detection signal from such a sensor, the control unit transmits a command signal to the electric motor 201 according to the state of the agricultural work machine 100. Based on the command signal transmitted from the control unit, the electric motor 201 operates so that the support arm 203 (actually, the positioning gear 202) moves to an appropriate position. Thus, in this embodiment, the control unit in the control box 18 determines the working state of the agricultural work machine 100 based on the detection signal from the sensor, etc., and drives the electric motor 201 to control the apron pressure unit 45 so as to apply an appropriate force to the ground leveling unit according to the working state of the agricultural work machine 100.

The method of detecting the state of the agricultural work machine 100 is not limited to sensors, and may be determined based on an operation signal from a remote controller, for example. For example, if it is stored that an operation signal to open the left and right working units was sent as the immediately preceding operation signal, it can be determined that the agricultural work machine 100 is in an unfolded state. In addition, when the left working unit 10L and the right working unit 10R are opened or closed by the actuators, the control unit in the control box 18 can determine the state of the agricultural work machine 100 by counting the number of detections of an overcurrent flowing through the actuators at the end of the operation, that is, a current exceeding a threshold value preset in the control box 18.

(Variation 1)
The agricultural work machine 100 of this embodiment has a configuration that can accommodate any of the unfolded state, the stored state, and the semi-unfolded state of the agricultural work machine 100, but is not limited to this example, and may be configured to accommodate only two states, the unfolded state and the stored state. In this case, in the semi-unfolded state, the apron pressurizing unit 45 may be controlled to apply a force to the ground leveling unit with the same force as in either the unfolded state or the stored state.

(Variation 2)
In this embodiment, the pressure force F1 in the stored state is set in advance, but this is not limiting. The pressure force F2 in the deployed state may be set in advance, and the pressure force F1 in the stored state may be set to (Xa/Xb) times the pressure force F2, or both pressure forces F1 and F2 may be set in advance so as to satisfy the relationship F2 = F1 × (Xb/Xa).

(Variation 3)
In this embodiment, the pressure F1 in the stored state is set in advance, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the user (operator) may set it to an arbitrary value. Specifically, first, the user sets the pressure F1 in the stored state to a desired value taking into account the state of the field, etc., and stores the value in a storage device or the like included in the control unit. The agricultural work machine 100 controls the apron pressurizing unit 45 so that the pressure in the stored state becomes F1 based on the stored setting value. Thereafter, when the agricultural work machine 100 changes from the stored state to the unfolded state, the pressure F1 set by the user is multiplied by (Xb/Xa) to set the pressure in the unfolded state as F2. Conversely, the pressure F2 in the unfolded state may be set to an arbitrary value by the user, and the pressure F1 in the stored state may be multiplied by (Xa/Xb) the pressure F2.

The agricultural work machine 100 of this embodiment can set the force applied to the ground leveling section by the apron pressure unit 45 to any value. Therefore, by allowing the user to appropriately adjust the amount of pressure applied in the stored or deployed state in consideration of the condition of the field, etc., it is possible to further improve the evenness of the field.

(Variation 4)
In the first embodiment, an example has been shown in which the apron pressurizing unit 45 rotates the positioning gear 202 by the electric motor 201 to bring the pin 202a into contact with the support arm 203, thereby rotating the support arm 203 and applying pressure to the ground leveling portion. However, the configuration of the apron pressurizing unit 45 is not limited to this example.

For example, instead of a configuration in which the positioning gear 202 is rotated by the rotational motion of the electric motor 201, a configuration may be used in which the linear motion of an actuator such as an electric cylinder or hydraulic cylinder is converted into the rotational motion of a rotating member having a pin 202a. Specifically, for example, a roughly triangular plate-shaped member is used as the positioning member, and one vertex of the plate-shaped member is connected to the shaft 301. Then, of the remaining two vertices, a pin 202a is provided at one, and the rod end of the actuator is connected to the other. This makes it possible to convert the extension and contraction motion of the actuator rod into the rotational motion of the positioning member centered on the shaft 301. Furthermore, instead of an actuator such as an electric cylinder or hydraulic cylinder, it is also possible to obtain linear motion by combining an electric motor with a ball screw.

In addition, in the apron pressure unit 45 of the first embodiment, when the ground leveling unit rotates upward, the electric motor 201 prevents the support arm 203 and the positioning gear 202 from rotating forward (counterclockwise). However, this is not the only example, and it is also possible to prevent the positioning gear 202 from rotating, for example, by pressing a member that functions as a brake pad against the positioning gear 202.

Second Embodiment
In this embodiment, an agricultural work machine 100a having a different configuration from that of the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the agricultural work machine 100a in the second embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 4(A) is a top view of the agricultural work machine 100a, and Fig. 4(B) is a rear view of the agricultural work machine 100a. Note that in Fig. 4, the same components as those of the agricultural work machine 100 described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

Whereas the agricultural work machine 100 of the first embodiment has two apron pressure parts 45, the agricultural work machine 100a of this embodiment has three apron pressure parts 45a for the central working unit 10C. In this case, the force applied to the central apron 22C is the combined force of the three apron pressure parts 45a. Therefore, compared to the agricultural work machine 100 of the first embodiment, the load per apron pressure part 45a is reduced.

As described above, the apron pressure unit 45a is configured to prevent the support arm 203 and the positioning gear 202 from rotating forward (counterclockwise) by the electric motor 201 when the ground leveling unit rotates upward. In other words, the agricultural work machine 100a is configured so that the force that the ground leveling unit receives from the field is received by the electric motor 201. Therefore, by increasing the number of apron pressure units 45a, the load on each electric motor 201 can be reduced, especially in the deployed state.

Third Embodiment
In this embodiment, an agricultural work machine 100b having a different configuration from that of the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the agricultural work machine 100b in the third embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 5(A) is a top view of the agricultural work machine 100b, and Fig. 5(B) is a rear view of the agricultural work machine 100b. Note that in Fig. 5, the same components as those of the agricultural work machine 100 described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

Whereas in the agricultural work machine 100 of the first embodiment, the apron pressure unit 45 is provided only on the central working unit 10C, in the agricultural work machine 100b of this embodiment, an apron pressure unit 45b is provided not only on the central working unit 10C, but also on each of the left working unit 10L and the right working unit 10R. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the agricultural work machine 100b of this embodiment has a total of four apron pressure units 45b. In this case, the force applied to the entire ground leveling unit in the deployed state is the combined force of the four apron pressure units 45b. Therefore, for the same reason as in the second embodiment, the load per each apron pressure unit 45b is reduced.

In the agricultural work machine 100b of this embodiment, in the stored state, the apron pressure units 45b arranged on the left working unit 10L and the right working unit 10R do not function. In other words, when the agricultural work machine 100b is in the stored state, the force applied to the ground leveling unit is controlled by the two apron pressure units 45b arranged on the central working unit 10C. Furthermore, when the agricultural work machine 100b is in the semi-deployed state, the apron pressure unit 45b on either the left working unit 10L or the right working unit 10R functions, so the force applied to the ground leveling unit is controlled by the three apron pressure units.

In this way, the agricultural work machine 100b of this embodiment has at least one apron pressure unit 45b in each of the central working unit 10C, the left working unit 10L, and the right working unit 10R. Therefore, the number of apron pressure units 45b that operate changes depending on whether the agricultural work machine 100b of this embodiment is in the deployed state, semi-deployed state, or stored state, and the pressure of each apron pressure unit 45b differs. Note that in this embodiment, an example is shown in which two apron pressure units 45b are arranged in the central working unit 10C, and one each in the left working unit 10L and the right working unit 10R, but this is not limited to this example, and there is no limit to the number of apron pressure units 45b arranged in each working unit.

Fourth Embodiment
In the first to third embodiments, an example has been shown in which the force applied by the apron pressure unit to the ground leveling portion is controlled by controlling the rotation of the electric motor 201 to set the position of the support arm 203. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and it is also possible to adjust the force applied by the apron pressure unit to the ground leveling portion using other methods.

For example, instead of the apron pressure unit 45 of the first embodiment, the apron pressure unit 45a of the second embodiment, or the apron pressure unit 45b of the third embodiment, it is possible to use the angle adjustment device (corresponding to the apron pressure unit) described in JP 2009-131173 A. In the angle adjustment device described in the same publication, the force applied to the apron by the angle adjustment device is adjusted by adjusting the compression amount of the coil spring according to the position of the pin attached to the middle part of the rod. In this case, the position of the pin is adjusted manually by the operator, and the position of the pin can be changed so that the compression amount of the coil spring is appropriate depending on the working condition of the agricultural machine.

In the agricultural work machine of this embodiment, the amount of compression of the coil spring can also be adjusted depending on whether the agricultural work machine is in a stored state or an expanded state (or a semi-expanded state), and control can be performed to apply an appropriate force to the apron depending on the working state of the agricultural work machine.

Fifth embodiment
In the first to fourth embodiments, an example is shown in which the control unit in the control box 18 controls the apron pressure unit 45 based on whether the agricultural work machine is in an unfolded or stored state, but this example is not limited to this, and the user may manually control the apron pressure unit 45.

For example, when the working state of the agricultural working machine 100 changes from the stored state to the deployed state (or from the deployed state to the stored state), the user may operate a remote controller or the like to send a command signal to the control unit to execute pressure control, and the control unit may control the pressure of the apron pressure unit 45 based on the command signal.

In addition, for example, when the working state of the agricultural working machine 100 changes from the stored state to the unfolded state (or from the unfolded state to the stored state), the user may operate the remote controller to increase or decrease the pressure of the apron pressure unit 45 until an appropriate pressure is reached. In this case, the control unit may derive an appropriate pressure for the apron pressure unit 45 from the above-mentioned relationship F2 = F1 × (Xb/Xa) and notify the user of the pressure to be set via voice or a display medium.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments (including modified examples), and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, a person skilled in the art can add, delete, or modify components as appropriate based on each embodiment, and this is included in the scope of the present invention as long as it satisfies the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined as appropriate as long as there are no mutual contradictions, and technical matters common to each embodiment are included in each embodiment even if not explicitly stated.

Even if there are other effects and advantages different from those brought about by the aspects of each of the above-mentioned embodiments, if they are clear from the description in this specification or can be easily predicted by a person skilled in the art, they are naturally understood to be brought about by the present invention.

10C...central working section, 10L...left side working section, 10R...right side working section, 12...top mast, 14...lower link connection section, 16...support frame, 17...gear box, 18...control box, 20C...central shield cover, 20L...left side shield cover, 20R...right side shield cover, 21C...tillage rotor, 21Ca...tine shaft, 21Cb...tillage tine, 22C...central apron, 22L...left side apron, 22R...right side apron, 24C...central leveller, 24L...left Side leveller, 24R...right side leveller, 26L...left side extension leveller, 26R...right side extension leveller, 45...apron pressure unit, 45a...apron pressure unit, 100, 100a...farm machine, 201...electric motor, 201a...pinion gear, 202...positioning gear, 202a...pin, 203...support arm, 204...rod, 204a...fixing member, 205...coil spring, 206...potentiometer, 211, 212...bracket, 213...support member, 301-303...shaft

Claims (3)

The tilling machine includes a tilling rotor, a shield cover located above the tilling rotor, a ground leveling unit located behind the tilling rotor and connected to the shield cover so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction , a pressure unit that acts to press the ground leveling unit against a field , and a control unit that controls the pressure unit and changes the force that the pressure unit applies to the ground leveling unit ,
The ground leveling unit includes a plurality of ground leveling members arranged in the left-right direction,
The control unit controls the pressure applying unit so that the force per unit width applied to the ground leveling section in an unfolded state in which all of the ground leveling members act on the field is approximately the same as the force per unit width applied to the ground leveling section in a stored state in which some of the ground leveling members act on the field. The tilling machine includes a tilling rotor, a shield cover located above the tilling rotor, a ground leveling unit located behind the tilling rotor and connected to the shield cover so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction , a pressure unit that acts to press the ground leveling unit against a field , and a control unit that controls the pressure unit and changes the force that the pressure unit applies to the ground leveling unit ,
The ground leveling unit includes a plurality of ground leveling members arranged in the left-right direction,
The control unit controls the pressure applying unit to apply a substantially constant force per unit width to the ground leveling unit, regardless of whether all of the ground leveling members are in an deployed state acting on the field or whether some of the ground leveling members are in a stored state acting on the field. 3. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein when a width of the ground leveling portion in the stored state is Xa and a width of the ground leveling portion in the unfolded state is Xb, a force applied by the pressure applying portion to the ground leveling portion in the unfolded state is (Xb/Xa) times the force applied by the pressure applying portion to the ground leveling portion in the stored state.

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