JP7708166B2 - Work vehicles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to work vehicles such as agricultural tractors.

There are known work vehicles equipped with reflective materials on the vehicle body that ensure safety even when the work equipment is raised and are suitable for driving on the road (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-108687 A

However, the conventional work vehicles described above are unable to properly implement the required vehicle speed regulation control.

The present invention takes into consideration the above-mentioned problems with the conventional technology and aims to provide a work vehicle that can appropriately perform the required vehicle speed regulation control.

The first aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle speed regulation control that prohibits the setting of a main shift setting value that exceeds a main shift setting upper limit value determined according to the auxiliary shift setting value ,
A mechanism for detecting attachment of a work implement to a vehicle body is provided,
The vehicle is characterized by being provided with a control unit that determines whether or not vehicle speed restriction control is required depending on the attached work implement .

Excessive vehicle speeds caused by lack of awareness on the part of the worker are unlikely to occur.

In addition , vehicle speed restriction control can be performed according to the work machine.

The second invention is a work vehicle as described in the first invention, characterized in that it is provided with a vehicle body position measuring mechanism that measures the position of the vehicle body, and performs vehicle speed restriction control when it is determined that the vehicle body is located outside the field based on the measurement results by the vehicle body position measuring mechanism .

This allows for safe driving on the roads.

The present invention provides a work vehicle that can appropriately perform the required vehicle speed regulation control.

FIG. 1 is a left side view of an agricultural tractor according to an embodiment of the present invention; Block diagram of a control system for an agricultural tractor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a meter panel and its surroundings of an agricultural tractor according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a list of restricted working machines of an agricultural tractor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes in detail the embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

The agricultural tractor in this embodiment is an example of a work vehicle in the present invention.

The GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) mechanism 70 is an example of a vehicle body position measurement mechanism in the present invention, the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) BUS 80 is an example of a work machine attachment detection mechanism in the present invention, and the lift sensor 92 is an example of a work machine lift state detection mechanism in the present invention.

The control unit 100 is an example of a controller in the present invention, and the regulated work machine list 101 is an example of a list in the present invention.

First, the configuration and operation of the agricultural tractor of this embodiment will be specifically described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

Here, FIG. 1 is a left side view of an agricultural tractor according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control system of the agricultural tractor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

While explaining the operation of the agricultural tractor of this embodiment, we will also explain a vehicle speed regulation control method related to the present invention.

First, the basic configuration and operation of the agricultural tractor of this embodiment will be explained. Therefore, the configuration and operation related to the control unit 100 will be explained in detail later.

An engine 30 is mounted inside the bonnet at the front of the vehicle body 10.

The rotational power of the engine 30 is transmitted through various clutches inside a transmission case provided below the floor 21 of the driving unit 20. More specifically, the rotational power that has been changed in speed by a transmission 31 such as a main transmission and an auxiliary transmission is transmitted to a pair of left and right front wheels 40 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 50.

A steering wheel 23 is provided behind the engine 30, along with a dashboard cover and meter panel 27, and a forward/reverse lever 26.

The driver's seat 22 is provided behind the steering wheel 23.

A brake pedal disconnection pedal and a clutch pedal 25 are arranged on the left floor 21. A pair of left and right brake pedals and an accelerator pedal 24 are arranged on the right floor 21.

The work machine 200 is attached to the rear of the vehicle body 10 using, for example, a three-point linkage mechanism.

The work machine lifting mechanism 60 has a main cylinder, a lift arm 63, a top link 61, a pair of left and right lower links 62, a rotating cover and a side cover.

The front ends of the top link 61 and the lower link 62 are connected to the vehicle body 10, and the rear ends of the top link 61 and the lower link 62 are connected to the work machine 200. The rear end of the lift arm 63, which is rotated by the main cylinder, is connected to the lower link 62.

The rotation angle of the rotating cover is detected by a tilling depth sensor, and the rotation angle of the lift arm 63 is detected by a lift sensor 92.

Information about the work machine 200 is acquired using the ISOBUS 80 connected to the work machine 200 or an information terminal mounted on the driving unit 20, and is notified to the control unit 100.

Next, the configuration and operation of the agricultural tractor of this embodiment will be described in more detail, mainly with reference to FIG. 2.

The control unit 100 on the vehicle body 10 side is connected to the work machine control unit 210 on the work machine 200 side via ISOBUS 80. The control unit 100 stores a regulated work machine list 101, and the work machine control unit 210 stores work machine information 211.

The vehicle speed sensor 91 is a sensor that detects vehicle speed, and the gear shift sensor 93 is a sensor that detects gear shifts.

The control unit 100 performs vehicle speed restriction control when it determines that the vehicle body 10 is located outside the field based on the measurement results of the GNSS mechanism 70 that measures the position of the vehicle body 10, and determines that the work implement 200 is attached to the vehicle body 10 based on the detection results of the ISOBUS 80 that detects the attachment of the work implement 200 to the vehicle body 10.

The GNSS mechanism 70, which measures the position of the vehicle body 10, functions as a tractor self-position estimation mechanism, and field division information relating to the field position, etc., is set and recorded arbitrarily by the operator, for example. The ISOBUS 80 is a mechanism that is connected to the work implement 200 and recognizes the installation of the work implement 200.

When it is determined that the vehicle body 10 is outside the field based on the measurement results from the GNSS mechanism 70, vehicle speed restriction control is performed, improving safety when traveling on the road.

The vehicle speed restriction control prohibits the setting of the main shift setting value that exceeds the main shift setting upper limit value determined according to the sub-shift setting value.

For example, the low main speed change setting upper limit value is determined according to the high sub-speed change setting value, the medium main speed change setting upper limit value is determined according to the medium sub-speed change setting value, and the high main speed change setting upper limit value is determined according to the low sub-speed change setting value. Therefore, since the low main speed change setting upper limit value is not determined according to the medium sub-speed change setting value or the low sub-speed change setting value, unnecessary vehicle speed restriction control due to the prohibition of setting a uniform main speed change setting value is unlikely to occur.

The shift sensor 93 has a so-called sub-shift switch, so the control unit 100 can grasp the lever position of the sub-shift lever. The main shift lever is a lever for adjusting the hydraulic clutch, but the shift sensor 93 can electrically grasp the lever position or lever angle of the main shift lever, realizing an electrically controllable main shift structure. Therefore, even if the lever position itself does not change, the electrical control of the shift sensor 93 can be used to prohibit the setting of a main shift setting value that exceeds the main shift setting upper limit value determined according to the sub-shift setting value.

For example, if the attachment of the work implement 200 to the vehicle body 10 is detected, the vehicle is traveling using the operator's operation, and the vehicle body 10 is located outside the set field section, the maximum setting position of the main shift lever is regulated by a mechanical limit on the lever position or by electrical control of the shift sensor 93.

When a robotic agricultural tractor with an automatic driving function travels outside a field, if the implement 200 is attached to the vehicle body 10, the main gear shift regulation is performed automatically, so that the vehicle speed is regulated not to exceed, for example, 15 kilometers per hour. Therefore, excessive vehicle speeds due to the operator's lack of awareness are unlikely to occur.

The vehicle speed setting value, such as 15 kilometers per hour, may be determined based on the theoretical maximum vehicle speed, taking into account the tire diameter of the front wheels 40 or rear wheels 50 that has been preset.

The main shift setting upper limit is determined according to the sub-shift setting value, and the main shift setting value is not excessively small, so the vehicle speed does not become too low. And because there is no need to regulate the engine 30 speed for vehicle speed regulation control, horsepower shortages on uphill roads are unlikely to occur.

If an operator performs a setting operation for a main shift setting value that exceeds the main shift setting upper limit, information regarding vehicle speed restriction control is output to the operator.

As shown in FIG. 3, which is a partial perspective view of the vicinity of the meter panel 27 of an agricultural tractor according to an embodiment of the present invention, a warning message 28 is displayed on the meter panel 27 to warn that the vehicle speed setting value according to the "road driving speed regulation" is "15 km/h" and that the "maximum main shift" as the upper limit of the main shift setting is "5th gear". Therefore, the operator can recognize that the vehicle speed is being restricted so that it does not become too fast, making it less likely that an accident will occur.

For example, after a warning message is displayed to alert the driver that the vehicle speed setting due to the "road speed regulation" is "15 km/h," a warning message may be displayed to warn that the "maximum main shift" is "5th gear." Even if the main shift lever is in the lever position for "7th gear," the operator can easily recognize that the "maximum main shift" is "5th gear," which corresponds to the vehicle speed setting of "15 km/h."

In this way, when the operator performs a setting operation for the main shift setting value that exceeds the main shift setting upper limit, the main shift setting value is forcibly set to the main shift setting upper limit. For example, when the "maximum main shift" is "5th gear", even if the lever position of the main shift lever is changed by the operator to the lever position of "7th gear", the actual main shift setting value is forcibly set to a value corresponding to the lever position of "5th gear" by the electrical control of the shift sensor 93 described above. At this time, the lever position of the main shift lever may be changed to correspond to the lever position of "5th gear", or it does not have to be changed to the lever position of "5th gear".

Of course, if the operator sets the main shift setting value so that it does not exceed the upper limit of the main shift setting, the main shift setting value will remain unchanged. For example, if the "maximum main shift" is "8th gear" and the operator changes the lever position of the main shift lever to the "7th gear" lever position, the main shift setting value will remain unchanged at the value corresponding to the "7th gear" lever position.

As described above, the main shift setting upper limit is determined according to the sub-shift setting. Therefore, for example, when the "maximum main shift" according to the high sub-shift setting is "5th gear" and the "maximum main shift" according to the low sub-shift setting is "8th gear", even if the lever position of the sub-shift lever is changed by the operator from the lever position of the low sub-shift setting to the lever position of the high sub-shift setting, and then the lever position of the main shift lever is changed by the operator to the lever position of "7th gear", the actual main shift setting is forcibly set to a value corresponding to the lever position of "5th gear" by the electrical control of the shift sensor 93 described above. Of course, if the lever position of the sub-shift lever is recursively changed by the operator from the lever position of the high sub-shift setting to the lever position of the low sub-shift setting, the main shift setting is set to the value corresponding to the lever position of "7th gear".

Even if the control unit 100 determines that the vehicle body 10 is located within a field based on the measurement results of the GNSS mechanism 70 that measures the position of the vehicle body 10, it continues to perform vehicle speed restriction control until the field division information described above is set and recorded by the operator. With the start of setting and recording of the field division information, it is essentially determined that the vehicle body 10 is located within a field, so a smooth transition from road driving to field work is achieved with practical timing for releasing the vehicle speed restriction.

In contrast, to achieve a smooth transition from field work to road driving, driving is performed using the operator's operation, and when the distance between the vehicle body 10 and the outer periphery of the field section is equal to or less than a predetermined value, if a main gear setting value setting operation that exceeds the main gear setting upper limit is performed, a warning message as described above is displayed on the meter panel 27. Therefore, since the operator is prompted to set the main gear setting value while the vehicle body 10 is located within the field, accidents caused by a sudden deceleration of the vehicle body 10 accompanying the start of vehicle speed restriction control are unlikely to occur.

Furthermore, when driving is performed using the operator's operation and the distance between the vehicle body 10 and the outer periphery of the field section is equal to or less than a predetermined value, if a setting operation for the main gear shift setting value that exceeds the main gear shift setting upper limit is performed, not only will such a warning message be displayed on the meter panel 27, but for safety reasons, an alarm sound may be sounded externally and the vehicle may be forcibly stopped or decelerated.

For example, it is desirable to continue stopping the vehicle by turning off the main clutch or forward/reverse clutch until the main shift setting value that exceeds the main shift setting upper limit value determined according to the sub-shift setting value is no longer set. For example, when the "maximum main shift" is "5th gear," the vehicle is not allowed to start unless the operator changes the lever position of the main shift lever from the "7th gear" lever position to the "3rd gear" lever position. Therefore, even if the vehicle 10 leaves the field, the vehicle speed restriction control is not initiated, improving safety. Of course, in the field work mode, high-speed driving such as that in the road driving mode is not performed due to the work load, and so there is no danger associated with high-speed driving.

The operation of setting the main shift setting value that exceeds the main shift setting upper limit is invalidated, improving safety during on-road driving. In addition, information related to vehicle speed restriction control is output, so the operator can recognize that the vehicle speed is being restricted so that it does not increase, and does not feel any discomfort.

The work machine 200 that is determined to be attached to the vehicle body 10 is determined based on the regulated work machine list 101 of the work machines 200 that require vehicle speed regulation control.

The work machine 200 that is determined to be attached to the vehicle body 10 is determined based on the detection results of the lift sensor 92 that detects the lift state of the work machine 200 attached to the vehicle body 10.

As shown in FIG. 4, which is an explanatory diagram of the regulated work machine list 101 for an agricultural tractor according to an embodiment of the present invention, "work machine A" is "subject to speed regulation" and the "regulated lift sensor value" is "0", "work machine B" is not "subject to speed regulation" and the "regulated lift sensor value" is not applicable, and "work machine C" is "subject to speed regulation" and the "regulated lift sensor value" is "40".

The control unit 100 has a regulated work machine list 101 stored in advance as a database of work machines subject to speed regulation. Therefore, even if the work machine 200 attached to the vehicle body 10 is changed, the work machine information 211 of the work machine 200 is acquired using communication via the ISOBUS 80, and it is possible to determine whether vehicle speed regulation control is required by comparing the regulated work machine list 101 with the acquired work machine information 211.

In order to regulate the vehicle speed of the work machine 200 that requires vehicle speed regulation control in the road driving mode, the "regulated lift sensor value" is described in the regulated work machine list 101 as the regulated height, which is the comparison standard for the detection result by the lift sensor 92, taking safety into consideration.

The rotation angle of the lift arm 63, which rotates according to the rotation lines λL, λM, and λH, etc., is detected by the lift sensor 92, and the height of the work machine 200 is monitored. Therefore, taking into account the tipping angle, which is the threshold at which the work machine 200 tips over, it is possible to perform vehicle speed restriction control for the work machine 200 that is too tall.

As described above, vehicle speed restrictions are implemented as so-called electronically controlled main shift restrictions. For example, when the "maximum main shift" is "fourth gear," even if the operator changes the lever position of the main shift lever to a lever position of "fifth gear" or higher, the actual main shift setting is forcibly set to a value corresponding to the lever position of "fourth gear," and a warning message about the vehicle speed restriction is displayed on the meter panel 27.

Vehicle speed restriction control is performed only when the work machine 200 is, for example, a drug sprayer with a high center of gravity that has a small tipping angle of less than 30 degrees and requires vehicle speed restriction control, so unnecessary vehicle speed restriction control can be suppressed. Furthermore, vehicle speed restriction control is performed only when the work machine 200 is, for example, raised to a position where tipping is likely to occur and vehicle speed restriction control is actually required, so unnecessary vehicle speed restriction control can be further suppressed. Therefore, since unnecessary vehicle speed restriction control is less likely to be performed, not only is safety improved, but convenience is also improved.

The program of the invention related to the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute all or part of the steps (or processes, operations, actions, etc.) of the vehicle speed regulation control method of the invention related to the present invention described above, and is a program that operates in cooperation with a computer.

The recording medium of the invention related to the present invention is a recording medium on which a program is recorded for causing a computer to execute all or part of the steps (or processes, operations, actions, etc.) of the vehicle speed regulation control method of the invention related to the present invention described above, and is a computer-readable recording medium in which the read program is used in cooperation with a computer.

Note that "some steps (or processes, operations, actions, etc.)" mentioned above means one or some of those multiple steps.

In addition, the above-mentioned "operation of a step (or process, operation, action, etc.)" means the operation of all or part of the above-mentioned step.

In addition, one mode of use of the program of the invention related to the present invention may be a mode in which it is transmitted through a transmission medium such as the Internet, light, radio waves, or sound waves, read by a computer, and operates in cooperation with the computer.

In addition, recording media include ROM (Read Only Memory) and the like.

In addition, a computer is not limited to pure hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also include firmware, an OS (Operating System), and even peripheral devices.

As mentioned above, the configuration of the present invention may be realized in either software or hardware.

The work vehicle of the present invention can appropriately perform the required vehicle speed regulation control, and is useful for use as a work vehicle such as an agricultural tractor.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 vehicle body 20 driving unit 21 floor 22 driver's seat 23 steering wheel 24 accelerator pedal 25 clutch pedal 26 forward/reverse lever 27 meter panel 28 warning message 30 engine 31 transmission 40 front wheel 50 rear wheel 60 work equipment lifting mechanism 61 top link 62 lower link 63 lift arm 70 GNSS mechanism 80 ISOBUS
91 Vehicle speed sensor 92 Lifting sensor 93 Gear change sensor 100 Control unit 101 Restricted work machine list 200 Work machine 210 Work machine control unit 211 Work machine information

Claims (2)

a vehicle speed regulation control for prohibiting the setting of a main shift setting value exceeding a main shift setting upper limit value determined according to the auxiliary shift setting value ;
A mechanism for detecting attachment of a work implement to a vehicle body is provided,
A work vehicle comprising a control unit that determines whether or not vehicle speed restriction control is required depending on an attached work implement . 2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle body position measuring mechanism for measuring the position of the vehicle body, and performing vehicle speed restriction control when it is determined that the vehicle body is located outside the field based on the measurement results by the vehicle body position measuring mechanism .