JP7626003B2 - Work vehicles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a riding lawnmower equipped with a mower for mowing the lawn, and in particular to a support structure for a safety frame that is attached to the rear of the operator's seat.

A known work vehicle has a lawnmower mounted below the center front-rear section of the vehicle frame so that it can be raised and lowered, a detachable collector at the rear, a safety frame erected on top of a collector support frame that supports the collector, and an upper part of the safety frame that can be folded up (Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-47758 A

With the above technology, the safety frame can be folded up to avoid situations where the upper part of the safety frame comes into contact with branches or the roof, which would impede driving, when working under trees or storing in a barn. However, the folding operation must be done manually, which is inconvenient.

The present invention aims to provide a work vehicle with an easily foldable safety frame.

The first invention relates to a work vehicle having a safety frame (30) erected at the rear of a traveling body, the safety frame (30) having a support column (30a) and an upper frame (30b), the upper frame (30b) being connected to the support column (30a) so as to be rotatable forward and backward, and a frame cylinder (35) being provided between the support column (30a) and the upper frame (30b) for switching the upper frame (30b) between a storage position in which it is folded and a traveling position in which it is erected,
The frame cylinder (35) is provided with a stroke sensor (37), and the folding angle of the upper frame (30b) in the stored position is preset, and operation beyond that folding angle is restricted in this work vehicle.
The second present invention is a work vehicle of the first present invention, which is equipped with an inclination sensor (38) that detects the inclination of the vehicle, and is configured to switch the upper frame (30b) to a traveling position when the inclination angle is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle.
The first invention related to the present invention is a work vehicle in which a safety frame 30 is erected at the rear of a running body, the safety frame 30 having a support pillar portion 30a and an upper frame 30b, the upper frame 30b being connected to the support pillar portion 30a so as to be rotatable back and forth, and a frame cylinder 35 being provided between the support pillar portion 30a and the upper frame 30b for switching the upper frame 30b between a stored position in which it is folded and a running position in which it is erected.

A second invention related to the present invention is the first invention related to the present invention , in which the frame cylinder 35 is equipped with a stroke sensor 37, the folding angle of the upper frame 30b in the storage position is preset, and operation exceeding this folding angle is restricted.

A third invention related to the present invention is the second invention related to the present invention , which is configured to include an inclination sensor 38 that detects the inclination of the vehicle, and when the inclination angle reaches a predetermined angle or more, the upper frame 30b is switched to a running position.

According to the present invention, the upper frame 30b can be easily folded and restored to its upright position by the frame cylinder 35. In particular, when the folding storage position is set, contact with tree branches and the like can be avoided even when working in an orchard. Furthermore, the folding storage position can be set according to the physique of the worker, and the vehicle can be folded to a height that does not obstruct the driver's field of vision.
According to the first aspect of the present invention , the upper frame 30b can be easily folded and restored to its upright position by the frame cylinder 35. In particular, when the upper frame 30b is in the folded storage position, contact with tree branches and the like can be avoided even when working in an orchard.

According to the second invention related to the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first invention related to the present invention , the folding storage posture can be set according to the physique of the worker, etc., and it can be folded to a height that does not obstruct the driver's field of vision.

According to the third invention related to the present invention, in addition to the effects of the second invention related to the present invention , when there is a risk of tipping over, the upper frame 30b can be automatically placed in a running position, thereby ensuring safe running.

1 is a side view of a riding lawnmower according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a front view of a riding lawnmower according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A is a side view of a riding lawnmower according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1B is a plan view of an activation switch according to an embodiment of the present invention; 4A and 4B are side views showing the movement of an upper frame due to the extension and contraction action of a frame cylinder according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4C is a side view of a frame cylinder according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to the drawings.

The mower 2 is attached to the abdomen of the vehicle frame 1 so that it can be raised and lowered freely, and the collector 4 is removably attached to the rear of the vehicle frame 1 via the collector support frame 3. Grass cut by the mower 2 is stored in the collector 4 through the transport duct 5.

Front wheels 6, 6 and rear wheels 7, 7 are provided at the front and rear of the vehicle body frame 1, respectively, a driver's seat 9 is provided between the left and right fenders 8, 8 above the rear wheels 7, 7, and a steering handle 12 is attached to a steering post 11 on the floor 10, so that the front wheels 6, 6 can be steered in tandem.

An engine 14 is mounted inside the bonnet 13 in front of the steering handle 12. The rotational power of this engine 14 is appropriately reduced through a transmission consisting of a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission (not shown) or the like, and is configured to transmit rotation to the rear wheels 7, 7 and the cutting blade (not shown) of the mower 2, allowing the vehicle to cut grass while traveling.

The transport duct 5 has its front end connected to the rear of the mower deck 2a of the mower 2, and is formed between the treads of the left and right rear wheels 7, 7 below the driver's seat 9 to the rear of the body frame 1, and is configured to guide the grass discharged from the rear of the mower 2 toward its rear end.

The collector 4 is attached to the rear side of the collector support frame 3, which is formed at the rear of the vehicle frame 1. The collector 4 is formed in a box shape with a supply port (not shown) formed on the front side, which faces the rear end of the transport duct 5 so that the brought-in grass can be sent in. In addition, a discharge port (not shown) is provided on the rear side of the collector 4. This discharge port is configured so that the stored grass can be discharged and dropped onto the mowing ground when the dump is unloaded, and a discharge door 21 made of a punching board or the like is configured to be able to open and close facing this discharge port. The discharge door 21 is formed so that the door portion facing the discharge port and the cover portion covering the upper wall are integrally formed into an inverted L-shape when viewed from the side.

The collector 4 is connected to the collector support frame 3 via a pair of upper and lower parallel lift links 22, and can be raised and lowered by the extension and contraction of the lift cylinder 19. In addition, the discharge door 21 can be rotated upward by the extension of the dump cylinder 20, and can be floated upward.

The collector 4 is constructed by stretching a breathable net 4c around the outer periphery of a box-shaped frame 4b. A resin cover 4d is attached to the ceiling.

The vehicle body frame 1 is composed of a pair of left and right main frame sections, multiple connecting frame sections, etc., and is equipped with a front axle bracket 15 and an engine mounting frame 16 at the front, a floor section 17 and a cockpit frame 18 in the middle, and the collector support frame 3 at the rear.

The collector support frame 3 includes a shielding plate 3b formed by pressing a sheet metal material of an appropriate width to form a reinforcing bent edge around the periphery, a cylindrical horizontal frame portion (also called a horizontal frame) 3c connected to the upper side of the shielding plate 3b, vertical frame portions 3d, 3d connected to the horizontal frame portion 3c and connecting and reinforcing the shielding plate 3b, and reinforcing vertical frame portions 3e, 3e provided at the left and right ends of the horizontal frame 3c. An opening 3a is formed in the center of the shielding plate 3b, slightly offset to the left and right, through which the rear end of the transport duct 5 is inserted. The lower ends of the reinforcing vertical frame portions 3e, 3e are firmly supported by a base portion 3f fixed to the rear axle case 7a.
In this manner, the collector support frame 3 can be supported firmly and compactly at the rear of the body frame 1.

ROPS support brackets 26, 26 with base flanges 26a, 26a at the upper ends are welded and fixed to both the left and right ends of the cylindrical horizontal frame portion 3c of the collector support frame 3.

The lower end flange of the safety frame (ROPS) 30 is connected to the base flanges of the left and right ROPS support brackets 26, 26.

The safety frame (ROPS) 30 is composed of a support section 30a and an inverted U-shaped upper frame 30b. The support sections 30a are left and right support sections parallel to each other, with bracket sections fixed to the left and right, and the upper frame 30b is arranged to be rotatable in the front-rear direction around a horizontal pin 30d relative to the support sections 30a, so that it can be changed from a first position, which is an upright traveling position, to a second different position for folding and storage. The storage position in the illustrated example is a position in which it is rotated forward and laid down on its side, as shown in Figures 2 and 4 (B).

Between the support column 30a and the upper frame 30b, a frame cylinder (also called an electric hydraulic cylinder) 35 in the form of an electric hydraulic cylinder is provided. The electric hydraulic cylinder 35 is a known one composed of a hydraulic cylinder 35a, a hydraulic pump 35b that supplies hydraulic oil to the hydraulic cylinder 35a, an electric motor 35c that drives the hydraulic pump 35b, and a control unit (not shown). The frame cylinder 35 is provided on each of the left and right support columns, and is disposed inside the left and right support columns. The piston part of the frame cylinder 35 is connected to the upper frame 30b side, and the cylinder end side is connected to the support column 30a. Therefore, when the frame cylinder 35 is contracted, it is in the stored position, and when it is extended, it can return to the traveling position. An operation switch 36 is provided around the steering handle 12. The operation switch 36 has a raising side switch 36a and a lowering side switch 36b, and when the raising side switch 36a is ON, the frame cylinder 35 is extended, and when the lowering side switch 36b is ON, the frame cylinder 35 is contracted. Therefore, the upper frame 30b can be easily folded and restored to its upright position by the frame cylinder 35. In particular, when in the folded storage position, contact with tree branches and the like can be avoided even when working in an orchard.

The basic configuration is that it operates when the push is continued and stops when the push is released, but it is also possible to incorporate a mode in which the lift switch 36a is operated instantly to return to the standing position (driving position).

The frame cylinder 35 is provided with a stroke sensor 37, and the stroke amount of the standing posture (driving posture) is set as a reference value, and the shortening amount of the frame cylinder 35 can be detected. Therefore, the forward tilt angle can be calculated by converting this shortening amount into the rotation amount of the upper frame 30b. By setting the maximum shortening amount of the frame cylinder 35 in advance and matching it with the detection value of the stroke sensor 37, the upper frame 30b can be set to the maximum folding storage posture of your choice. Therefore, it is possible to incorporate a mode in which the upper frame 30b can be rotated to the maximum folding storage posture of your choice in one go by instantaneously operating the lowering switch 36b. And, if the lowering switch 36b is operated even after the set storage posture is reached, the lowering output is regulated and the operation of the frame cylinder 35 is regulated. With this configuration, the folding storage posture can be set according to the physique of the operator, and the upper frame 30b can be folded to a height that does not obstruct the driver's field of vision.

Next, the configuration for restricting the storage position of the upper frame 30b will be described. The vehicle body frame 1 is provided with an inclination sensor 38 capable of detecting left-right or front-rear inclination of the vehicle body, and when the detection value of the inclination sensor 38 exceeds a predetermined safety range, the operation of the lowering switch 36b for moving the upper frame 30b from the upright position (driving position) to the folded storage position is restricted. In addition, when the upper frame 30b is in the folded storage position, it is configured to automatically return to the upright position (driving position) due to the detection of the inclination sensor 38 exceeding the above-mentioned predetermined safety range. With this configuration, when there is a risk of tipping over, the upper frame 30b can be automatically put into the upright position (driving position), ensuring safe driving.

In the above embodiment, the operation switch 36 of the upper frame is located near the steering wheel 12, for example on the meter panel, but it may also be located on the support column 30a of the safety frame 30. Also, while an electric hydraulic cylinder is used as the frame cylinder, it may also be in the form of an electric actuator that employs a ball screw mechanism.

30 Safety frame 30a Support portion 30b Upper frame 35 Frame cylinder 36 Stroke sensor 38 Tilt sensor

Claims (2)

In a work vehicle having a safety frame (30) erected at the rear of a traveling body, the safety frame (30) includes a support column (30a) and an upper frame (30b), the upper frame (30b) is connected to the support column (30a) so as to be rotatable back and forth, and a frame cylinder (35) is provided between the support column (30a) and the upper frame (30b) for switching the upper frame (30b) between a storage position in which it is folded and a traveling position in which it is erected;
The frame cylinder (35) is provided with a stroke sensor (37), the folding angle of the upper frame (30b) in the stored position is preset, and operation beyond the folding angle is restricted . 2. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising an inclination sensor (38) for detecting an inclination of the vehicle, and configured to switch the upper frame (30b) to a traveling position when the inclination angle reaches a predetermined angle or more.

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