JP7607550B2 - Work vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a work vehicle that is suitable for traveling on uneven ground such as uneven surfaces or mountainous areas.

Conventionally, the above-mentioned work vehicle has four running wheels supported on the vehicle body via a bending link mechanism in a support mechanism, and the height of the running wheels relative to the vehicle body can be changed so that the running wheels can rotate while following the ground even if the ground is uneven (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-111985 A

However, one problem with this type of work vehicle is that it is difficult for people around to grasp the vehicle's condition, such as whether the control operations are being performed properly.

Therefore, there was a demand for a work vehicle that can travel on rough terrain that allows the vehicle condition to be easily visually checked from outside the vehicle body.

The characteristic configuration of the work vehicle of the present invention is that it comprises a vehicle body, a plurality of running devices located at the front and rear on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body, a running drive unit which drives the plurality of running devices , a lighting device which is located on the side of the vehicle and has a long light-emitting portion, and a control unit which controls the operation of the lighting device , the lighting device being provided on the side of a support mechanism which supports the plurality of running devices on the vehicle body so that they can be raised and lowered separately, and which operates in response to changes in the operating state of the support mechanism and the running devices .

According to the present invention, the support mechanism raises and lowers each of the multiple travel devices relative to the vehicle body, and the travel drive device drives the multiple travel wheels, allowing the vehicle body to travel while maintaining the correct posture even when traveling on rough terrain. In addition, the lighting device can inform an operator watching from a distance of the driving conditions inside the vehicle.

The lighting device is installed in a state where it is positioned on the side of the vehicle, and has a long light-emitting part. Therefore, for example, when driving in mountainous areas, even if the view is partially blocked by tree branches and leaves, the light-emitting state can be easily seen from a distance, making it easy to check the driving conditions inside the vehicle.

As a result, in a work vehicle capable of traveling on rough terrain, it is now possible to easily visually check the driving conditions inside the vehicle from outside the vehicle.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the lighting device comprises a vehicle body side lighting device that is provided on a lateral portion of the vehicle body and that operates in response to a change in a driving state on the vehicle body side .

With this configuration, for example, even if there is cargo loaded on top of the vehicle body, or if the work vehicle is looking at the vehicle from diagonally below the vehicle body, the view is not obstructed and the worker can easily see the light-emitting part.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the support mechanism is provided with a bending link mechanism that supports each of the plurality of traveling devices so that they can be raised and lowered relative to the vehicle body, and that the light emitting unit is provided on a side portion of the bending link mechanism.

According to this configuration, for example, by displaying the operating status of the support mechanism using a light-emitting unit, it becomes possible to easily visually check the operating status of each of the multiple bending link mechanisms.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the lighting device is provided with a plurality of light-emitting sections arranged in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction, and that the plurality of light-emitting sections are configured to emit light in different colors.

This configuration allows the light-emitting elements, each with a different color, to be associated in advance with multiple types of driving conditions inside the vehicle, so that the operator can immediately tell which type of driving condition the information relates to based on the difference in the color of the light emitted, making it easy to use.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the control device is configured to cause the light-emitting unit to emit light of different colors depending on the vehicle state.

With this configuration, workers can immediately tell the difference in vehicle condition based on the difference in the color of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit, making it easy to check the situation.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the light-emitting section is configured to be capable of displaying text information.

According to this configuration, the light-emitting section displays text information, enabling the operator to check more specific details about the driving situation inside the vehicle body from a distance.
For example, it is possible to display information that can be used to determine whether or not inspection and repair is necessary, which has the advantage of allowing for quick response.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the upper part of the vehicle body is provided with a flat loading section on which luggage can be loaded.

With this configuration, the flat loading area means that cargo can be loaded from any direction without being obstructed by protrusions, and the top of the vehicle body can be used to ensure as large a loading area as possible, improving the vehicle's usability as a work vehicle. In addition, the lighting equipment is not hidden by the loaded cargo, making it easy for workers to see the lighting equipment from a distance from the work vehicle.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the light emitting portion of the vehicle body lighting device is provided across from the vehicle lateral portion to the vehicle front portion and/or the vehicle rear portion.

With this configuration, the light-emitting portion extends not only to the sides of the vehicle but also to the front and rear of the vehicle, making it easy to check the state of the light-emitting portion even when viewed from the outside of the front or rear of the vehicle.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the control device changes the light emission state of the light emitting unit depending on the difference in the vehicle state.

According to this configuration, the light emission state of the light-emitting unit changes when it emits light, for example by making the light-emitting unit blink at different blinking cycles. This allows the worker to immediately tell the difference in the vehicle's condition from the difference in the light emission state, making it easy to check the situation.

FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction of the arrow FW shown in the drawings will be referred to as "forward", the direction of the arrow BK as "backward", the direction of the arrow RH as "right", the direction of the arrow LH as "left", the direction of the arrow UP as "up", and the direction of the arrow DW as "down".

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the work vehicle is equipped with a vehicle body 1 that is substantially rectangular in plan view and supports the entire vehicle, multiple running wheels 2 that serve as running devices supporting the vehicle body 1, multiple auxiliary wheels 3 that correspond to each of the multiple running wheels 2, a support mechanism A that supports the multiple running wheels 2 so that their positions can be changed relative to the vehicle body 1, and multiple hydraulic motors 4 that serve as running drive devices that drive each of the multiple running wheels 2.

The running wheels 2 are located at the front and rear of both the left and right sides of the vehicle body 1. In this embodiment, the work vehicle has four running wheels 2, located at the left front, right front, left rear, and right rear. It also has four support mechanisms A, located at the left front, right front, left rear, and right rear. The support mechanisms A include a bending link mechanism 5 and multiple hydraulic cylinders 6, 7 that can individually change the position of the bending link mechanism 5.

A flat loading section 8 capable of carrying luggage is provided on the top of the vehicle body 1. For example, luggage such as containers for storing harvested crops can be loaded and supported on top of this loading section 8.

The vehicle body 1 is provided with a hydraulic supply source 9 that sends hydraulic oil to the hydraulic cylinders 6, 7 and hydraulic motor 4 under the loading section 8, a valve mechanism 10 that adjusts the supply state of hydraulic oil from the hydraulic supply source 9, an ECU 11 (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the operation of the valve mechanism 10, and a battery 12 for power supply. The hydraulic supply source 9 is equipped with a hydraulic pump driven by the engine. The ECU 11 is equipped with a microcomputer and can execute various controls according to a control program. The valve mechanism 10 is equipped with multiple hydraulic control valves 13 that supply and discharge hydraulic oil or adjust the flow rate. The hydraulic control valves 13 and the ECU 11 constitute the control device C. The battery 12 is charged by a generator driven by the power of the engine.

[Support mechanism]
As described above, the support mechanism A includes the bending link mechanism 5 and the multiple hydraulic cylinders 6, 7. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the bending link mechanism 5 includes a base end portion 14 supported by the vehicle body 1, a first link 15 having an upper end portion supported on a lower portion of the base end portion 14 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis X1, and a second link 16 having one end portion supported on a lower end portion of the first link 15 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis X2 and having the running wheel 2 supported on the other end portion.

As shown in FIG. 2, the support bracket 17 that supports the running wheel 2 is supported by a boss portion 18 provided at the swinging end of the second link 16 so as to be swingable around the vertical axis Y. A hydraulic cylinder 20 for turning operation (hereinafter referred to as a turning cylinder) is provided between a bracket 19 on one end side of the second link 16 and an arm portion 17a provided on the support bracket 17.

A plurality of hydraulic cylinders 6, 7 capable of individually changing the posture of each of the four bending link mechanisms 5 are provided. That is, a first hydraulic cylinder 6 capable of changing the swing posture of the first link 15 relative to the vehicle body 1, and a second hydraulic cylinder 7 capable of changing the swing posture of the second link 16 relative to the first link 15 are provided.

When the first hydraulic cylinder 6 is extended or retracted with the second hydraulic cylinder 7 stopped, the first link 15, the second link 16, and the running wheel 2 each oscillate together around the horizontal axis X1 of the pivot connection point to the base end 14 while maintaining a constant relative posture. When the second hydraulic cylinder 7 is extended or retracted with the first hydraulic cylinder 6 stopped, the second link 16 and the running wheel 2 oscillate together around the horizontal axis X2 of the connection point between the first link 15 and the second link 16 while maintaining a constant posture of the first link 15.

The auxiliary wheels 3 are rotatably supported at the intermediate bent portions of each of the four bent link mechanisms 5 .
The auxiliary wheel 3 is configured as a wheel having approximately the same outer diameter as the running wheel 2. A support shaft that pivotally connects the first link 15 and the second link 16 is extended so as to protrude outward in the vehicle body width direction, and the auxiliary wheel 3 is rotatably supported at the extended protruding portion of the support shaft.

By operating the turning cylinder 20, the running wheel 2 can be rotated around the vertical axis Y relative to the bending link mechanism 5.

The hydraulic control valve 13 corresponding to the hydraulic motor 4 adjusts the flow rate of the hydraulic oil, thereby changing the rotation speed of the hydraulic motor 4, i.e., the rotation speed of the traveling wheels 2.

[Sensor]
This work vehicle is equipped with various sensors.
5 , a head side pressure sensor S1 and a cap side pressure sensor S2 are provided for each of the four second hydraulic cylinders 7. The head side pressure sensor S1 detects the hydraulic pressure in the head side chamber of the second hydraulic cylinder 7. The cap side pressure sensor S2 detects the hydraulic pressure in the cap side chamber of the second hydraulic cylinder 7.

Each of the four first hydraulic cylinders 6 and the four second hydraulic cylinders 7 is equipped with a plurality of stroke sensors S3 capable of detecting the amount of extension/retraction operation. The amount of extension/retraction operation of each hydraulic cylinder 6, 7 is a detection value corresponding to the swing position of the first link 15 and second link 16 that are the objects of operation.

The vehicle body 1 is equipped with a tilt sensor S4 that detects the tilt state of the vehicle body. The tilt sensor S4 is configured using an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), which is a well-known configuration. The IMU has a three-axis acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, and can detect changes in the attitude of the vehicle body 1, specifically, tilt in the forward/backward and left/right directions.

A rotation sensor S5 is provided near the running wheels 2 to detect the rotation speed of the running wheels 2 driven by the hydraulic motor 4. Based on the rotation speed of the running wheels 2 detected by the rotation sensor S5, the supply of hydraulic oil to the hydraulic motor 4 is controlled so that the rotation speed of the running wheels 2 becomes a target value. A pressure sensor S6 is provided to detect the pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied to the hydraulic motor 4. Based on the pressure of the hydraulic oil detected by the pressure sensor S6, the supply (pressure) of hydraulic oil to the hydraulic motor 4 is controlled so that the drive torque of the running wheels 2 becomes a target value. Each of the four swivel cylinders 20 is provided with a stroke sensor S7 capable of detecting the amount of extension/retraction operation.

[ECU]
The ECU 11 includes a posture control unit 100 and a driving control unit 101. When the vehicle is traveling with the four traveling wheels 2 in contact with the ground, the driving control unit 101 controls the operation of the hydraulic motor 4 for each of the four traveling wheels 2 so that the rotation speed of the traveling wheels 2 detected by the rotation sensor S5 becomes a target speed and the drive torque detected by the pressure sensor S6 becomes a target value.

When the vehicle body is moving, the posture control unit 100 performs horizontal control to control the operation of the support mechanism A so that the vehicle body 1 is in a horizontal posture based on the detection information of the inclination sensor S4.

In horizontal control, the posture control unit 100 controls the operation of the four first hydraulic cylinders 6 and the four second hydraulic cylinders 7 based on the detection information of the tilt sensor S4 so that the tilt angles in the front-to-rear direction and the left-to-right direction from the horizontal position of the vehicle body 1 become values corresponding to the horizontal position.

[Lighting equipment]
This work vehicle is provided with lighting devices 23 located on the sides of the vehicle and having elongated light-emitting units 22. The lighting devices 23 include a vehicle body side lighting device 24 provided on the side of the vehicle body 1, and a leg side lighting device 25 provided on the side of the bending link mechanism 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle-side lighting device 24 is provided with a plurality of light-emitting units 22 extending in the fore-aft direction of the vehicle, lined up in the up-down direction, and configured so that the plurality of light-emitting units 22 emit light in different colors. Thus, the fore-aft direction corresponds to the extension direction, and the up-down direction corresponds to the direction perpendicular to the extension direction. To explain further, the light-emitting units 22 are configured as an LED line tape that extends in a long, band-like shape along the horizontal direction. The LED line tape is a well-known configuration in which a large number of LED light source chips are aligned and mounted directly on the flexible substrate of the tape. The LED line tape is configured to emit a band-like light.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, four light-emitting elements 22 are provided, lined up vertically. The top row is provided with a first light-emitting element 22A that emits white light, the second row from the top is provided with a second light-emitting element 22B that emits red light, the third row from the top is provided with a third light-emitting element 22C that emits green light, and the bottom row is provided with a fourth light-emitting element 22D that emits blue light.

The leg side lighting device 25 has one fifth light-emitting element 22E, which is composed of a yellow LED line tape.

The control device C is configured to control the operation of the lighting device 23 .
The control device C is configured to illuminate different colored light-emitting elements 22A to 22D in the body side lighting device 24 and light-emitting element 22E in the leg side lighting device 25 depending on differences in the vehicle state, such as whether the vehicle is in a drivable state or not, whether an abnormality has occurred or not, the type of abnormality that has occurred, and the control state.

When the vehicle is in an operable state where hydraulic oil can be supplied from the hydraulic supply source 9, that is, when the engine is started and hydraulic oil can be supplied from the hydraulic pump, the control device C turns on the first light emitter 22A in the vehicle body lighting device 24.

When an abnormal condition is detected after travel has begun, the control device C lights or blinks the second light-emitting element 22B in the vehicle body lighting device 24 to notify the user of the abnormal condition. An example of an abnormal condition is when an excessive load is placed on the hydraulic cylinders 6, 7 or the hydraulic motor 4 due to some factor, causing the pressure sensors S1, S2, and S6 to detect excessive values.

When the vehicle is moving and traveling, if the control mode by the attitude control unit 100 or the control mode by the traveling control unit 101 changes in response to differences in road surface conditions, the control device C changes the lighting state of the third light-emitting unit 22C in the vehicle-side lighting device 24 to notify the driver of this.

When the engine is stopped and there is no risk of the vehicle body moving unexpectedly, the control device C turns on the fourth light-emitting element 22D in the vehicle body lighting device 24 to notify the driver of this fact.

The control device C also changes the lighting state of the leg side lighting device 25, i.e., the fifth light-emitting element 22E, during travel in response to the operating state of the bending link mechanism 5 and differences in the travel speed of the travel wheels 2, to notify the user of the situation. For example, it may light up when the bending link mechanism 5 is extending or retracting, or it may change the blinking cycle or brightness depending on the travel speed.

The operation of the control device C when operating the lighting device 23 is not limited to the control operations described above, but can be changed as appropriate to accommodate various other operation contents instead.

[Another embodiment]
(1) In the above embodiment, the lighting device 23 is configured with an LED line tape, but instead of this configuration, a device that is configured to display text information by arranging LED light source chips in a matrix can be used. In this configuration, it is possible to display various information related to the operation of the work vehicle, such as information that the worker should respond to, such as a display that the load is too heavy or that the engine fuel is low. Also, an error code that the maintenance worker can determine may be displayed.

(2) In the above embodiment, an LED line tape was used for the light-emitting unit 22, but various types of light-emitting display devices such as EL panels and fluorescent display tubes can be used instead of LEDs.

(3) In the above embodiment, the lighting device 23 is configured to include the body side lighting device 24 and the leg side lighting device 25. However, the lighting device 23 may be configured to include only the leg side lighting device 25 .

(4) In the above embodiment, a configuration was shown in which a plurality of light-emitting units 22 were provided lined up in the vertical direction and the plurality of light-emitting units 22 were configured to emit light in different colors from one another, but instead of this configuration, a configuration in which a single light-emitting unit is provided and the color it emits is changed in various ways may be used. Also, in the above embodiment, a configuration was shown in which a plurality of light-emitting units 22 were provided extending in the front-rear direction and lined up in the vertical direction, but a configuration in which a plurality of light-emitting units 22 were provided extending in the front-rear direction and lined up in the vertical direction may also be used.

(5) In the above embodiment, the light-emitting unit is configured to change the color of light it emits. However, instead of this configuration, the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit may be changed, for example, by changing the blinking cycle when blinking.

(6) In the above embodiment, the light-emitting unit 22 is provided on the side of the vehicle body 1, but the light-emitting unit may be provided from the side of the vehicle to the front of the vehicle, or from the side of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle. The light-emitting unit may also be provided from the side of the vehicle to each of the front and rear of the vehicle.

(7) In the above embodiment, the lighting device 23 is configured to be driven by power supplied from the control device C. However, instead of this configuration, for example, the lighting device 23 may be turned on by directly using the analog output power of a pressure sensor, a rotation sensor, etc.

(8) In the above embodiment, the traveling drive device 4 is configured with a hydraulic motor, but an electric motor may be used instead of the hydraulic motor, and the power of the engine may be transmitted via a transmission mechanism provided separately for each traveling device.

(9) In the above conventional configuration, the support mechanism A is configured to include a bending link mechanism 5 and hydraulic cylinders 6, 7. However, instead of this configuration, a hydraulic motor may be provided at the pivot point of the bending link mechanism 5, and the attitude of the bending link mechanism may be changed by the hydraulic motor.

(10) In the above embodiment, the support mechanism A is provided with a bending link mechanism 5. However, instead of this configuration, for example, a robot arm that can bend in any direction may be used to support the running wheels 2. In short, it is sufficient that the running wheels 2 are supported individually so that their height positions can be freely changed relative to the vehicle body 1, and that the vehicle body 1 is supported so that its posture can be maintained. The specific structure can be modified in various ways.

The present invention can be applied to work vehicles that are suitable for traveling on rough terrain.

1 Vehicle body 2 Running wheels (running device)
4 Travel drive device 5 Bending link mechanism 8 Loading section 22 Light emitting section 23 Lighting device A Support mechanism C Control device

Claims (9)

A vehicle body,
A plurality of traveling devices located at the front and rear of each of the left and right sides of the vehicle body;
A travel drive device that drives the plurality of travel devices;
A lighting device that is located on a side of a vehicle and has a light-emitting portion that extends in an elongated shape;
A control device for controlling the operation of the lighting device is provided .
The lighting device is provided on the side of a support mechanism that supports the multiple traveling devices on the vehicle body so that they can be raised and lowered separately, and operates in response to changes in the operating state of the support mechanism and the traveling devices . The lighting device includes:
2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle body lighting device provided on a side portion of the vehicle body and operable in response to a change in a driving condition of the vehicle body . the support mechanism is provided with a bending link mechanism that supports each of the plurality of traveling devices so that the traveling devices can be raised and lowered relative to the vehicle body,
3. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting portion is provided on a lateral side portion of the articulating link mechanism. The work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lighting device is provided with a plurality of light-emitting parts arranged in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction, and the plurality of light-emitting parts are configured to emit light in different colors. The work vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the control device is configured to cause the light-emitting unit to emit light of different colors depending on the vehicle state. A work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the light-emitting unit is configured to be capable of displaying text information. A work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which a flat loading section capable of loading cargo is provided on the upper part of the vehicle body. 3. The work vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting portion of the vehicle body lighting device is provided from the lateral portion of the vehicle to a front portion of the vehicle and/or a rear portion of the vehicle. The work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the control device changes the light emission state of the light emitting unit depending on the difference in the vehicle state.

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