JPH0970203A - Automatic direction controller of combine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an automatic direction controller of a combine capable of excluding control errors caused by right and left inclinations of the machine body as much as possible and carrying out the direction control in high accuracy by installing a steering action-deciding means which decides a steering action- direction, etc., based on the fuzzy inference. SOLUTION: To a combine having a direction sensor which detects a passing spot of a divider against unreaped stems and a automatic direction control unit which steers a machine body automatically depending on a detected signal by the direction sensor, an inclination sensor which detects left and right inclinations of the machine body and inputs into the automatic direction control unit is installed, while in the automatic direction control unit, a steering action- deciding means which decides steering action direction and a steering action velocity based on the fuzzy inference using detected values of the direction sensor and the inclination sensor as input variables.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention belongs to the technical field of combine direction automatic control devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, this type of combine includes
There is a device provided with a direction sensor for detecting a position where the divider passes with respect to the uncut stems and having an automatic direction control function for automatically steering the machine body based on a detection signal of the direction sensor.

[0003]

By the way, in the actual cutting operation, since the machine body tilts left and right based on the unevenness and soil quality of the field, the storage amount of the grain tank, etc. The phenomenon occurs that the direction of the aircraft changes left and right. For this reason, in an uneven field, etc., frequent direction correction operations occur during automatic direction control, making it difficult to drive stably, and direction correction operations may not be in time and uncut areas may be left uncut. There was a nature.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made for the purpose of providing a combine direction automatic control device capable of solving these problems in view of the above-mentioned circumstances. A combiner comprising a direction sensor that detects a position where the divider passes with respect to the cutting stem, and a direction automatic control unit that automatically steers the machine body based on a detection signal of the direction sensor, wherein the combine machine A tilt sensor that detects a left-right tilt and inputs it to the direction automatic control unit is provided, while the direction automatic control unit uses the detection values of the direction sensor and the tilt sensor as input variables, and based on fuzzy reasoning, the steering direction and A steering motion determining means for determining the steering motion speed is provided. In other words, it detects the passing position of the divider with respect to the uncut stem, and automatically steers the airframe based on the detection. However, the detected values of the direction sensor and the tilt sensor are used as input variables, and based on fuzzy inference. Since the steering operation direction and the steering operation speed are determined by the above, it becomes possible to perform fine direction automatic control in consideration of the lateral inclination of the machine body. As a result, even in a field with severe unevenness, stable traveling can be performed based on the smooth direction correction operation, and the disadvantage that the direction correction operation cannot be performed in time and left uncut can be solved. it can.

[0005]

Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, 1 is a combine, and the combine 1 is a pretreatment unit 2 for cutting and transporting stalks, a threshing selection unit 3 for threshing cut stalks, and for selecting threshed grains, a sorting It is composed of a grain tank 4 for storing the harvested grains, a post-processing unit 5 for discharging the threshed culms, and a pair of left and right crawler traveling units 6 provided at the bottom of the machine body. Is also the same as before.

The pretreatment unit 2 has dividers 7 arranged side by side at a front end thereof at a predetermined interval, a raising device 8 for raising stem culms introduced between the dividers 7, and a pulling device. It is composed of a cutting blade (not shown) for cutting the root part of the raised stems, a handling depth carrier 9 for transporting the trimmed stems to the threshing selection unit 3, etc. The divider 7 located at the side end is displaced outward in order to reduce the possibility of being left uncut, and secures the widest width of the stem-culm introduction path on the most cut-ground side.

Reference numeral 10 designates a pair of left and right direction sensors provided on the uncut ground side stem culm introduction path and the already cut ground side stalk culm introduction path. The direction sensor 10 makes contact with the root portion of the introduced stem culm. In order to do so, a contact lever 10a protruding inward is provided, and the passing position of the divider 7 with respect to the uncut culm can be determined based on the detection of the swing angle of the contact lever 10a. Of the left and right direction sensors 10, the left side (uncut land side) direction sensor 10 functions as a direction sensor for row cutting, which is mainly used during row cutting (cutting along the planting direction), In addition, the right direction (cutted ground side) direction sensor 10 functions as a direction sensor for side cutting, which is mainly used during side cutting (cutting orthogonal to the planting direction).

Reference numeral 11 denotes an inclination sensor provided on the traveling machine body. The inclination sensor 11 indicates a lateral inclination (rolling) of the traveling machine body due to unevenness of the field, changes in soil quality, changes in the storage amount of the grain tank 4, and the like. The detection is performed, and the detection signal is input to the control unit 12 described later via a predetermined interface circuit.

The control unit 12 is constructed by using a so-called microcomputer (including CPU, ROM, RAM, etc.), which is the direction sensor 1 described above.
0, the signal from the tilt sensor 11 and the like are input, and the left and right side clutches (side brakes) are actuated by a pair of side clutch solenoids 13a and 13b which intermittently operate via the electromagnetic switching valve 13 based on these input signals. It is designed to output a signal. That is, the control unit 12
A so-called automatic direction control routine is provided for determining the passing position of the divider 7 based on the detection signal of the direction sensor 10 and for controlling the left and right side clutches to be disengaged (steering control) based on the determination result. In the automatic direction control of the present invention, not only the detection value of the direction sensor 10 but also the detection value of the inclination sensor 11 is added as an input variable, and the steering operation direction and the steering operation speed are determined based on so-called fuzzy inference. The content of fuzzy inference will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, assuming horizontal cutting,
The input of the fuzzy inference will be described as two inputs of the right direction sensor 10 and the tilt sensor 11. In the description, PB is positive and large, PM is positive and medium, PS is positive and small, Z
O is zero, NB is negative and large, NM is negative and medium, NS
Means negative and small.

In the fuzzy inference, a first antecedent membership function having a direction sensor value as an input variable,
The second antecedent membership function with the inclination sensor value as the input variable and the consequent with the duty ratio (ON time ratio) of the PWM signal (pulse width modulation signal) for operating the side clutch solenoids 13a and 13b as the output variable Membership functions and fuzzy rules that set the relationships between the variables are preset as shown in FIG. That is, when the direction sensor value is the intermediate reference value (ZO), the left and right side clutch solenoids 13a and 13b are turned off to move the machine body straight, and when the direction sensor value is large (PB), the right side clutch solenoid is released. 13b to medium (P
If the direction sensor value is small (NB), the left side clutch solenoid 13b is small (N).
S) A basic control rule of automatic direction control such as turning on at a duty ratio and performing a direction correction operation to the left at a low speed,
Even if the direction sensor value is the provisional command intermediate reference value (ZO), if the tilt sensor value is large in the right direction (PB), the left side clutch solenoid 13b is turned on with a small (NS) duty ratio to the left direction. Direction correction operation is performed at a low speed and the tilt sensor value is large to the left (NB),
The right side clutch solenoid 13a is small (PS)
A direction correction rule corresponding to the body inclination, such as turning on at a duty ratio and performing a direction correction operation to the right at a low speed, is set in combination. Then, in fuzzy inference, for each rule set by the fuzzy rule (25 in this embodiment)
Then, the fitness of the direction sensor value and the inclination sensor value is calculated based on each antecedent membership function, and the area is obtained on the consequent membership function based on whichever value is lower,
Thereafter, the areas obtained for each rule are combined, and the center-of-gravity value in the horizontal axis direction is calculated as the side clutch solenoids 13a, 13
It is adapted to be used as the duty ratio of the PWM signal for operating b.

In the configuration as described above, the passage position of the divider 7 with respect to the uncut culm is detected by the left and right direction sensors 10, and the body is arranged in a row or a lateral direction based on the left and right side clutch control based on the detected value. Although the vehicle is run along the mowing row (border between the already-cut area and the uncut area), the detected value of the tilt sensor 11 that detects the left-right tilt of the machine body is added as an input variable, and the PWM for operating the left and right side clutch solenoids 13a and 13b The duty ratio of the signal will be determined based on fuzzy reasoning. That is, when the airframe leans to the left or right, the inclination sensor value is added to the input variable of the fuzzy inference that determines the steering direction and the steering operation speed in consideration of the fact that the traveling direction bends in the aircraft inclination direction. Even if it is possible to perform automatic control in a high direction, stable traveling is possible based on smooth direction correction operation even in a field with severe unevenness, and it is also possible to change the direction frequently due to tilting of the aircraft. As in the conventional case where the correction operation occurs, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience that the direction correction operation is not in time and the uncut portion is left uncut.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combine.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a pretreatment unit.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a direction sensor.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control concept.

5A, 5B, and 5C are membership functions used for fuzzy inference, and FIG. 5D is a fuzzy rule.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the combine showing the operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Combine 2 Pre-Processing Section 7 Divider 10 Direction Sensor 11 Tilt Sensor 12 Control Section

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A combine comprising: a direction sensor that detects a passing position of a divider with respect to an uncut stem, and an automatic direction control unit that automatically steers the machine body based on a detection signal of the direction sensor, The combine is provided with a tilt sensor that detects the lateral tilt of the aircraft and inputs it to the direction automatic control unit, while the direction automatic control unit uses the detection values of the direction sensor and the tilt sensor as input variables and based on fuzzy reasoning. An automatic direction control device for a combine, comprising steering operation determining means for determining a steering operation direction and a steering operation speed.