JP7664700B2 - Work equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a work machine, such as a sugarcane harvester.

Working machines perform various tasks while traveling, but in order to allow the driver to visually check the working conditions, some machines are designed to capture images of the working conditions using a camera and display the captured images on a monitor device installed in the driver's section.

Conventionally, a single monitor device is provided, positioned in front of the driver's seat, and when there are multiple shooting locations, the display content on the single monitor device is switched to display images shot at different locations (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2018-78836 A

In the above conventional configuration, only one type of image is displayed on one monitor device, so when the driver wants to check a different captured image, he or she must operate a switching tool to change the displayed content, which is a cumbersome operation. In addition, it is sometimes difficult to immediately tell which work state the current image represents, making the system less user-friendly.

Therefore, there was a demand for a work machine equipped with a monitor device that would display images in a manner that was easy for the operator to use and that reduced the hassle of operation.

The characteristic configuration of the working machine of the present invention is that it comprises a driving section having a driver's seat and a cabin covering the driving section, and inside the cabin are provided a meter panel that displays driving information, a plurality of monitor devices that display images of the status of each part of the machine, and a steering handle, and a rearview mirror that allows the rear of the machine to be viewed from the driver's seat is provided laterally outside one side of the cabin in the left-right direction, and the plurality of monitor devices are provided lined up one above the other and positioned at the same height as the rearview mirror at the front of the cabin and at the end on one side of the left-right direction, and the meter panel is located below the plurality of monitor devices and is positioned side-by-side with the steering handle in a rear view, and is provided with a cutting device that cuts and reaps crops, a load detection means for detecting the driving load of the cutting device, and a load display unit that displays the level of the load detected by the load detection means, and the load display unit is provided in a position horizontally adjacent to the display unit of the monitor device and is configured to light up in sequence so as to display a load that is smaller at the bottom and larger at the top depending on the size of the load .

According to the present invention, multiple monitor devices are provided in a vertical line, so that images captured at different locations can be displayed simultaneously on each monitor device. The driver can visually check the work status of multiple locations simultaneously without switching the display content. The multiple monitor devices are provided at the front of the cabin and at one end on the left or right direction, positioned at the same height as the rearview mirror, so that the driver can check the images from the multiple monitor devices and the display content of the meter panel without moving his or her line of sight significantly when driving and operating the vehicle while checking the work status in front of the vehicle and the work status in the rear of the vehicle.

Therefore, in a work machine equipped with a monitor device, it is possible to display images in a manner that is easy for the operator to use with less troublesome operation.
In the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of cameras are provided for photographing the conditions of various parts of the aircraft, and that the plurality of monitor devices simultaneously display images taken at different locations on each of the monitor devices.

In the present invention, it is preferable that a monitor cover is provided to enclose the multiple monitor devices.

When the monitor device is provided inside the cabin, a support mechanism, electrical wiring, etc. are required to support the monitor device. If such support mechanisms, electrical wiring, etc. are exposed, there is a risk that the driver may come into contact with them when operating the monitor device. Therefore, in this configuration, by providing a monitor cover that surrounds the monitor device, it is possible to prevent the support mechanism, electrical wiring, etc. from being exposed and the driver from accidentally coming into contact with them.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the rearview mirror is cantilevered on a front pillar so as to be located on the front outer side of the cabin, and that the multiple monitor devices and the meter panel are cantilevered on the front pillar so as to be located on the opposite side of the rearview mirror.

With this configuration, the front pillar, which is a sturdy member that supports the entire cabin, can support the rearview mirror and multiple monitor devices at the same height, distributed to the left and right.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the driver's section is provided with a side panel located on one side of the driver's seat in the left-right direction, the multiple monitor devices and the meter panel are arranged in a state where they are located on one side of the cabin in the left-right direction, and the meter panel is arranged at a higher position than the side panel.

With this configuration, multiple monitor devices and the meter panel are installed on the same side as the side panel, so the driver can see the meter panel and monitor devices by simply raising his or her eyes slightly from that position while operating the various operating tools provided on the side panel. Therefore, a series of visual confirmation operations can be performed with minimal movement of the eyes while performing driving operations.

In the present invention, it is preferable that a left camera that captures the situation to the left rear of the aircraft and a right camera that captures the situation to the right rear of the aircraft are provided, and that the monitor device is configured to display the image captured by the left camera and the image captured by the right camera side by side.

With this configuration, the monitor device can be used to simultaneously check the situation on the left rear of the machine and the situation on the right rear of the machine, allowing the operator to check the work situation behind the machine over a wide range.

In the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of work devices are provided behind the cabin, and that a plurality of the monitor devices display the working status of the plurality of work devices.

With this configuration, the driver can easily check the working status of multiple work tools that are located behind the cabin and cannot be seen by the driver using multiple monitor devices.

In the present invention, the working device is preferably provided with a hopper for storing crops from which impurities have been separated, and a discharge device for discharging the crops stored in the hopper to the outside of the machine body, a hopper camera for photographing the working status of the hopper, and a conveyor camera for photographing the working status of the discharge device, and the monitor device is preferably configured to display the images captured by the hopper camera and the images captured by the conveyor camera side by side.

With this configuration, the operator can easily check the state of crops stored in the hopper and the state of crops being discharged outside the machine by the discharge device by visually checking the monitor device without having to move his or her eyes significantly. As a result, the operator can see whether the amount of crops stored in the hopper is excessive or insufficient in relation to the state of crop discharge by the discharge device, making it easier to take measures such as adjusting the travel speed.

In the present invention, a cutting device that cuts and harvests crops is provided, and a load detection means is provided that detects the driving load of the cutting device, and a load display unit is provided that displays the level of the load detected by the load detection means, and it is preferable that the load display unit is provided next to the display unit of the monitor device or next to the display unit of the meter panel.

When cutting crops with the cutting device while the machine is moving, the drive load on the cutting device can become excessive due to crop blockages, etc. In such cases, it is necessary to reduce the load quickly.

In this configuration, the magnitude of the drive load is detected by the load detection means and the magnitude of the load is displayed on the load display unit. This load display unit displays the magnitude of the load as a level, making it easy for the driver to intuitively judge the magnitude of the load, and allowing subsequent measures to be taken quickly.

FIG. 2 is an overall side view of a sugarcane harvester. FIG. 2 is an overall plan view of the sugarcane harvester. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an installation state of a monitor device. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display state of another embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display state of another embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display state of another embodiment.

Below, an embodiment of the working machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings when applied to a sugarcane harvester as a working machine.

[Overall structure]
Figures 1 and 2 show the whole of the sugarcane harvester, with Figure 1 being a side view and Figure 2 being a plan view. In this embodiment, the direction indicated by the reference character (F) in Figures 1 and 2 is the front side of the machine body, and the direction indicated by the reference character (B) is the rear side of the machine body. The direction indicated by the reference character (L) in Figure 2 is the left side of the machine body, and the direction indicated by the reference character (R) in Figure 2 is the right side of the machine body.

The sugarcane harvester is configured as a wheel-propelled type, with front wheels 1 as steerable left and right front traveling devices, and rear wheels 2 as non-steerable left and right rear traveling devices that are driven to rotate, and the machine can travel by driving the rear wheels 2.

The machine body is equipped with a driving section 3, a harvesting section 4 that harvests the planted crops, a topper 5 that cuts off the upper leaves of the sugarcane, a feeder 6 as a transport device that transports the crop harvested by the harvesting section 4 rearward and upward, a separation device 7 that separates the crop (sugarcane) transported by the feeder 6 from impurities, a discharge conveyor 8 that transports the crop (harvested product) separated from the impurities diagonally upward and outward from the machine body, and an engine 9 that supplies power to each section of the machine body.

The cutting unit 4 is located at the front lower part of the machine body. The cutting unit 4 is equipped with left and right weeding devices 11 that separate and guide the crops to be harvested from the planted crops, and a cutting header 12 that cuts the crops planted in the field and sends them to the rear.

The left and right grass dividing devices 11 are equipped with a vertically oriented grass dividing rotor 13 that is driven to rotate. The left and right grass dividing devices 11 are supported on the machine frame 15 via a link mechanism 14 so that they can be raised and lowered.

The harvesting header 12 is equipped with left and right side walls 17 (see FIG. 2) that are connected to the rear of the left and right grass dividing devices 11, a roller (not shown) that pushes the crop backwards while pushing it down so that it falls forward within the area between the left and right side walls 17, and a cutting device 18 that cuts the base of the crop. The cutting device 18 is located behind the left and right grass dividing devices 11 and is equipped with a pair of left and right rotary cutters that rotate around a vertical axis driven by a hydraulic motor.

The feeder 6 has a conveying width that is approximately the same as the distance between the left and right side walls 17 of the harvesting header 12, and the conveying start end is provided at a low position that continues to the rear of the cutting device 18. The feeder 6 is provided in a rear-upward tilted position so that the crops are conveyed toward the rear and upper part of the machine body. The feeder 6 is formed as a highly rigid structure that, as a whole, forms a conveying path that is approximately rectangular and tubular.

Inside the feeder 6, although not shown, scraping rotors are provided on both the top and bottom of the crop transport path at appropriate intervals between the left and right side walls along the transport direction, and the top and bottom scraping rotors are rotated in opposite directions to sandwich the harvested crop between them and transport it backwards.

Feeder 6 is designed to shred the long crops being transported at the end of the transport so that they are a length that is easy to handle when discharged onto the transport truck.

Although not shown, the separator 7 is fitted with a fan that rotates around a vertical axis, and the ventilation action of the fan separates and discharges to the outside impurities such as fine stalks and leaves contained in the crops discharged from the conveying end of the feeder 6. In other words, the crops discharged from the rear end of the feeder 6 are subjected to the suction action of the fan on the way to being discharged, and relatively light impurities such as fine stalks and leaves are sucked upward and discharged to the outside. The crops (sugar cane), which are heavier than the impurities, fall directly downward without being sucked in by the fan.

Directly below the separator 7 and below the rear end of the feeder 6, a receiving hopper 19 is provided to receive and collect the crops discharged downward from the feeder 6. The crops received by the receiving hopper 19 are discharged to the conveying start end of the discharge conveyor 8.

The discharge conveyor 8 is supported in its entirety by a conveyor support frame 20 provided at the rear of the machine frame 15, and extends from the rear lower part of the machine toward the outside and upward of the machine. The discharge conveyor 8 is driven by a hydraulic motor (not shown), which holds and transports the crops, and drops and discharges them from the end of the transport onto the bed of a transport truck.

[Operation section]
The driver's station 3 is provided at a high position at the front of the aircraft and is covered by a cabin 10.
As shown in Fig. 4, a driver's seat 21 is provided in the center of the driver's section 3. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a handle post 23 having a steering handle 22 is provided in front of the driver's seat 21, and an accelerator pedal 24, a conveyor operation pedal 25, etc. are provided on the floor section on the left and right sides of the handle post 23. A side panel 27 having a main speed change lever 26 and a plurality of operation switches, etc. is provided on the right side of the driver's seat 21. The plurality of operation switches are used to switch the operating state of each part of the machine as described above, for example, to turn on and off the operation, change the working posture or drive speed, etc.

Inside the cabin 10, there is a meter panel 28 that displays driving information, and multiple (three) monitor devices 29, 30, 31 that display images showing the status of each part of the aircraft. Outside the cabin 10, there is a rearview mirror 32 that allows the driver to view the rear of the aircraft from the driver's seat 21. The three monitor devices 29, 30, 31 are arranged vertically and positioned at the same height as the rearview mirror 32 at the front of the cabin 10 and on the right end on one side in the left-right direction. The meter panel 28 is positioned below the three monitor devices 29, 30, 31.

The rearview mirror 32 is cantilevered by the front pillar 33 so that it is positioned outside the front of the cabin 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the rearview mirror 32 and a metal mirror cover 34 that protects the rearview mirror 32 from the planted sugarcane are provided at the left and right outer locations on the upper side of the left and right front pillars 33. The rearview mirror 32 is supported in a fixed position by a rod-shaped mirror frame 35 that extends in a roughly C-shape when viewed from the front.

A support frame 36 is provided on the outer surface of the front pillar 33, which extends vertically and has upper and lower ends connected to the front pillar 33. The rearview mirror 32 is supported on the front pillar 33 in a cantilevered manner by a mirror frame 35. The mirror frame 35 is supported on the support frame 36 so that it can swing around a vertical axis. The mirror cover 34 is formed in a plate shape that widely covers the area in front of the rearview mirror 32, and is supported in a fixed position by the mirror frame 35.

The three monitor devices 29, 30, 31 and the meter panel 28 are supported by a cantilever on the front pillar 33, positioned opposite the rearview mirror 32. The rearview mirror 32 is positioned on the right side of the right front pillar 33, and the three monitor devices 29, 30, 31 and the meter panel 28 are positioned on the left side of the right front pillar 33.

As shown in FIG. 5, a roughly U-shaped bracket 37 is fixed to the right front pillar 33 in a state corresponding to each of the three monitor devices 29, 30, and 31, and an arm 38 is extended from this bracket 37. The monitor devices 29, 30, and 31 are supported on the tip of the arm 38 via a ball joint 39 that can be held by friction so that their posture can be changed to any orientation.

As shown in FIG. 3, a monitor cover 40 that encloses the three monitor devices 29, 30, 31 is provided on the right side of the three monitor devices 29, 30, 31 that are lined up vertically. The monitor cover 40 prevents the driver sitting in the driver's seat 21 from seeing the support mechanism 41, which is composed of the bracket 37, arm 38, ball joint 39, etc. The location where the support mechanism 41 is provided also includes electrical wiring for each monitor device 29, 30, 31, but the electrical wiring is also hidden from the driver. The monitor cover 40 covers the support mechanism 41 from the rear side, but it is preferable to cover the support mechanism 41 from the front side as well as the rear side.

Each part of the machine is equipped with a camera to capture images of the work situation at that location.
As shown in Figure 1, a hopper camera 42 is provided inside the separating device 7 to photograph the state of the crops being received in the receiving hopper 19. A conveyor camera 43 is provided near the end of the conveyance path of the discharge conveyor 8 to photograph the loading state of the crops as they are discharged from the discharge conveyor 8 to a transport truck. A backup camera 44 is provided at an appropriate position on the rear of the machine body to photograph the state of the farm field after harvesting behind the machine body.

The display unit 29a of the first monitor device 29, which is located at the top of the three monitor devices 29, 30, and 31, displays an image captured by the backup camera 44. The display unit 30a of the second monitor device 30, which is located below the first monitor device 29, displays an image captured by the hopper camera 42. The display unit 31a of the third monitor device 31, which is located below the second monitor device 30, displays an image captured by the conveyor camera 43.

Although not shown, the meter panel 28 displays various information required for the vehicle to travel, such as the travel speed, the amount of fuel stored in the engine, the temperature of the engine 9, and the indicator display. The meter panel 28 is located at a higher position than the side panel 27.

As shown in FIG. 6, a load detector 45 is provided that detects the magnitude of the drive load on the rotary cutter of the cutting device 18 by measuring the pressure of hydraulic oil in the hydraulic oil supply path 18B for the hydraulic motor 18A of the cutting device 18. A load display level meter 46, which serves as a load display unit that displays the level of the load detected by the load detector 45, is provided to the left of the display unit 30a of the second monitor device 30.

As shown in FIG. 6, a control device 47 is provided that operates a load display level meter 46 in response to the output of the load detector 45. The control device 47 controls the operation of the three monitor devices 29, 30, and 31 so that the images captured by the cameras 42, 43, and 44 corresponding to each monitor device 29, 30, and 31 are displayed.

The load display level meter 46 is equipped with multiple LED lamps 48 of different light colors arranged vertically, and is configured to light up in sequence according to the size of the load, with the lower part displaying a smaller load and the upper part displaying a larger load. The light colors are different, with the lower part displaying green, the middle part displaying yellow, and the upper part displaying red. With this configuration, the driver can intuitively recognize when the load becomes excessive by visual inspection.

[Another embodiment]
(1) In the above embodiment, a different image is displayed on each of the multiple monitor devices 29, 30, and 31. However, instead of this configuration, a single monitor device may display a plurality of different images side by side, as shown in (1-1), (1-2), and (1-3).
(1-1) As shown in FIG. 7, a single monitor device 30 is configured to display an image captured by a hopper camera 42 and an image captured by a conveyor camera 43 side by side.
(1-2) A left rear camera is provided for photographing the situation to the left rear of the aircraft, and a right rear camera for photographing the situation to the right rear of the aircraft, and as shown in FIG. 8, the monitor device 30 is configured to display the images taken by the left camera and the right camera side by side.
(1-3) As shown in FIG. 9, one monitor device 30 is configured to display four images arranged vertically and horizontally: an image captured by a hopper camera 42, an image captured by a conveyor camera 43, image information from a left rear camera, and an image captured by a right rear camera.

(2) In the above embodiment, the images displayed on the monitor device are those taken by the backup camera 44, the hopper camera 42, and the conveyor camera 43. However, the images are not limited to these, and the monitor device may also capture images of the working conditions of other working devices. For example, the monitor device may capture the operating conditions of the topper 5, the conditions during transport on the discharge conveyor 8, etc.

(3) In the above embodiment, three monitor devices are provided, but two monitor devices or four or more monitor devices may be provided.

(4) In the above embodiment, a monitor cover 40 is provided to enclose the multiple monitor devices 29, 30, and 31, but such a monitor cover 40 may not be provided.

(5) In the above embodiment, the multiple monitor devices 29, 30, 31 and the meter panel 28 are supported in a cantilever manner on the front pillar 33. However, instead of this configuration, the multiple monitor devices 29, 30, 31 and the meter panel 28 may be supported on a frame erected from the handle post 23, or on a frame erected from the side panel 27, etc.

(6) In the above embodiment, the multiple monitor devices 29, 30, 31 and the meter panel 28 are configured to be located on the same side as the side panel 27 in the left-right direction, but instead of this configuration, they may be configured to be located on the opposite side of the side panel 27.

(7) In the above embodiment, the load display level meter 46 (load display unit) is configured to be provided to the left of the display unit 30a of the second monitoring device 30. However, instead of this configuration, the load display unit may be provided to the right of the display unit 30a of the second monitoring device 30, to the side of the first monitoring device 29, to the side of the third monitoring device 31, to the side of the meter panel 28, etc.

The present invention can be applied to working machines such as sugarcane harvesters.

3 Driving section 8 Discharge conveyor (working device)
10 Cabin 18 Cutting device 19 Hopper (working device)
21 Driver's seat 22 Steering wheel 27 Side panel 28 Meter panel 28a Display unit 29, 30, 31 Monitor device 30a Display unit 33 Front pillar 40 Monitor cover 42 Hopper camera 43 Conveyor camera 45 Load detector (load detection means)
46 Load display level meter (load display section)

Claims (8)

The vehicle is provided with a driver's seat and a cabin that covers the driver's seat.
The inside of the cabin is provided with a meter panel that displays driving information, a plurality of monitor devices that display images of the status of each part of the aircraft, and a steering handle,
A rearview mirror that allows the driver's seat to view the rear of the aircraft is provided on one of the left and right sides of the cabin,
The plurality of monitor devices are provided in a vertically aligned state and at the same height as the rearview mirror at the front of the cabin and at one end on the left-right direction,
the meter panel is located below the plurality of monitor devices and is located side by side with the steering wheel in a rear view,
The cutting machine includes a cutting device that cuts and reaps crops, a load detection means that detects a drive load of the cutting device, and a load display unit that displays a level of the magnitude of the load detected by the load detection means,
The load display unit is provided at a position adjacent to the display unit of the monitor device, and is configured to light up in sequence according to the size of the load, from smaller loads on the lower side to larger loads on the upper side . It is equipped with multiple cameras that capture the status of each part of the aircraft.
2. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of monitor devices simultaneously display images taken at different locations on each of the monitor devices. The work machine according to claim 1 or 2, which is provided with a monitor cover that encloses the multiple monitor devices. The rearview mirror is provided in a cantilevered state on a front pillar so as to be positioned outside a front portion of the cabin,
4. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of monitor devices and the meter panel are cantilevered on the front pillar in a state where they are located on an opposite side to the rearview mirror. The driver's section is provided with a side panel located on one side in the left-right direction with respect to the driver's seat,
the plurality of monitor devices and the meter panel are provided on one side of the cabin in a left-right direction,
The work machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the meter panel is provided at a higher position than the side panel. The vehicle is equipped with a left camera for capturing images of the situation behind the left side of the aircraft and a right camera for capturing images of the situation behind the right side of the aircraft.
6. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the monitor device is configured to display an image captured by the left camera and an image captured by the right camera side by side. A plurality of working implements are provided behind the cabin,
7. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the monitor devices display the working states of a plurality of the work implements. The working device includes a hopper for storing the crop from which impurities have been separated, and a discharge device for discharging the crop stored in the hopper to the outside of the machine body.
A hopper camera that photographs the working status of the hopper and a conveyor camera that photographs the working status of the discharge device are provided,
8. The work machine according to claim 7, wherein the monitor device is configured to display the image captured by the hopper camera and the image captured by the conveyor camera side by side.

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