JP7709733B2 - Sensor-equipped work claw, work machine and protective cover - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sensor-equipped work claw, a work machine, and a protective cover.

Conventionally, rotary implements and tillers are known as implements for tilling fields such as fields and rice paddies. These implements are equipped with a work rotor that tills the field, breaks soil, and performs other tasks. The work rotor is a device in which multiple work tines are attached to a tine shaft that serves as a rotating shaft, and the work tines directly act on the field as the tine shaft rotates. As a result, there is a problem that the work tines gradually wear out as tilling work continues, and tilling performance deteriorates. In light of this problem, in recent years, attempts have been made to predict the degree of wear by installing sensors on the work tines. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for evaluating the degree of wear of the work tines using a sensor attached to the work tines.

JP 2020-005535 A

During tilling work, the tines act directly on the soil, and there is a possibility that the sensor may fall off or be damaged if a mass of soil collides with it. In addition, the tines vibrate violently during tilling work as they repeatedly collide with the soil. Therefore, if the sensor is not properly attached to the tines, there is a risk that the sensor may fall off during tilling work. Thus, when tilling work is performed using tines with sensors, it is important to prevent the sensor from falling off or being damaged.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to prevent the sensor from falling off or being damaged while working with a sensor-equipped work claw.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the sensor-equipped work claw comprises a claw body, a sensor unit attached to the claw body, and a protective cover that covers the sensor unit and a portion of the claw body.

In the above-mentioned sensor-equipped work claw, the sensor unit may be provided at the ridge of the claw body.

In the above-mentioned sensor-equipped work claw, the claw body may have a mounting hole, and the protective cover may have an opening at a position corresponding to the mounting hole.

In the above-mentioned sensor-equipped work claw, the sensor unit may include an antenna. In this case, the protective cover may have a window portion at a position corresponding to the antenna. Also, the window portion may be covered with a member made of a material different from the material constituting the protective cover.

In the above-mentioned sensor-equipped work claw, the sensor unit may be disposed inside a recess provided in the claw body.

The working machine in one embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a working rotor including the sensor-equipped working claw described above.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the work machine includes a work rotor including a sensor-equipped work claw fixed to a holder, the sensor-equipped work claw has a sensor unit attached to the claw body, the sensor unit includes an antenna, and the holder covers the sensor unit and has a window portion at a position corresponding to the antenna.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the work machine has a work rotor including a sensor-equipped work claw fixed to a holder, the sensor-equipped work claw has a sensor unit provided on the claw body, and the holder covers the sensor unit and has a step in the internal space according to the shape of the sensor unit.

In the above-mentioned working machine, the sensor unit may be disposed inside a recess provided in the claw body.

The protective cover in one embodiment of the present invention is configured to cover the sensor unit attached to the claw body of the sensor-equipped work claw and a portion of the claw body.

The protective cover may have a window at a position corresponding to the antenna included in the sensor unit.

The protective cover may have a first opening provided on a first surface and a second opening provided on a second surface opposite to the first surface. In this case, the diameter of the first opening may be different from the diameter of the second opening. Also, the first opening and the second opening may each be provided in two locations.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the sensor from falling off or being damaged while working with a sensor-equipped work claw.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the working machine of the first embodiment. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the configuration of a sensor-equipped work claw of a first embodiment, in which (A) is a side view of the sensor-equipped work claw, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along A-A' in the side view of (A). FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a sensor unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a configuration of a sensor-equipped work claw in a first modified example of the first embodiment. 13 is a side view showing a configuration of a sensor-equipped work claw in a second modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing the configuration of a sensor-equipped work claw of a second embodiment, in which (A) is a side view of the sensor-equipped work claw, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along B-B' in the side view of (A). 11A and 11B are diagrams showing the configuration of a sensor-equipped work claw of a third embodiment, in which (A) is a side view of the sensor-equipped work claw, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along C-C' of the side view of (A). 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the configuration of a sensor-equipped work claw of a fourth embodiment, in which (A) is a side view of the sensor-equipped work claw, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D' of the side view of (A).

Below, a working machine equipped with a sensor-equipped work claw and a work rotor including the sensor-equipped work claw, which is one embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the sensor-equipped work claw and working machine described here can be implemented in many different forms, and should not be interpreted as being limited to the description of the example shown below. In the drawings referred to in this embodiment, identical parts or parts having similar functions are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations will be omitted.

First Embodiment
[Configuration of agricultural machine]
Fig. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of a work machine 100 in the first embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 1 shows a rotary work machine equipped with a work rotor including a plurality of work claws as the work machine 100, as viewed from the left side in the direction of travel. The work machine 100 of this embodiment broadly includes a frame 110, a shield cover 120, an apron 130, a side plate (not shown), a work rotor 150, and a control device 170.

The frame 110 is connected to a running machine (not shown) such as a tractor by a top link connection part 135 and a lower link connection part 136. The frame 110 is, for example, cylindrical, and has a power transmission shaft (not shown) inside, which leads to a chain case (not shown). This power transmission shaft plays a role in switching the direction of the rotational power transmitted from the PTO shaft of the running machine such as a tractor via a PIC (Power Input Connection) shaft 137 to the left or right direction relative to the traveling direction. The power transmission shaft in the frame 110 is connected to a chain case arranged on the side of the working machine 100, and the power is transmitted to the claw shaft 152 of the working rotor 150 by a chain transmission mechanism in this chain case.

The work rotor 150 includes a claw shaft 152 extending in the width direction of the work machine 100, and multiple work claws 154 attached to the claw shaft 152 via flanges 153. The multiple work claws 154 include a work claw curved to the left of the direction of travel (hereinafter referred to as "L claw 154L") and a work claw curved to the right (hereinafter referred to as "R claw 154R"), and are attached at predetermined intervals in the axial direction of the claw shaft 152. In the work machine 100 of this embodiment, the work rotor 150 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow R.

In this embodiment, multiple work claws 154 are attached to one flange 153 via fixing members 155. In FIG. 1, two L claws 154L and two R claws 154R are attached to one flange 153, but the type and number of work claws attached are not limited to this. Also, in this embodiment, a set bolt combining a bolt, a bolt plate, and a nut is used as the fixing member 155, but this is not limited to this example.

In this embodiment, at least one working claw 154 is fitted with a sensor unit 210 and a protective cover 220 that covers the sensor unit 210. Specifically, the sensor unit 210 for detecting information such as acceleration and pressure is attached to at least one working claw 154 with double-sided tape or an adhesive containing a curable resin, and the sensor unit 210 is protected by the protective cover 220. Therefore, soil clods and the like do not come into direct contact with the sensor unit 210 during tilling work, and the sensor unit 210 is structured to prevent it from falling off or being damaged.

In the following description, a work claw to which a sensor unit is attached is referred to as a "work claw with a sensor." However, in this specification, the term "work claw with a sensor" does not exclude configurations other than the work claw and the sensor unit. For example, in this embodiment, a work claw with a sensor refers to a work claw to which a sensor unit and a protective cover that covers the sensor unit are attached.

In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the sensor unit 210 and protective cover 220 are attached to the R claw 154R, and the R claw 154R may be referred to as the claw body. In addition, a work claw in which the sensor unit 210 and protective cover 220 are attached to the R claw 154R, which is the claw body, is called a sensor-equipped work claw 200, and is distinguished from other work claws in which the sensor unit 210 is not attached. Note that in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the sensor unit 210 and protective cover 220 are attached to the R claw 154R, but this is not limited to this example. For example, the sensor-equipped work claw 200 may be configured with the L claw 154L as the claw body, or both the L claw 154L and the R claw 154R as the claw body. The detailed configuration of the sensor-equipped work claw 200 will be described later.

The shield cover 120 is positioned to cover the upper side of the work rotor 150. Although not shown in the figure, a pair of left and right side plates are provided on the sides of the shield cover 120, and the claw shaft 152 of the work rotor 150 is supported by the side plates. The side plates are also called chain case plates, side frames, etc.

The apron 130 is disposed behind the work rotor 150 and can rotate up and down relative to the shield cover 120 around the connection part 160. Because the center of gravity of the apron 130 is behind the connection part 160, the apron 130 tends to descend under its own weight. A stainless steel leveling plate 132 is attached to the tip of the apron 130. The leveling plate 132 is configured to draw a loop from the inside to the outside of the apron 130. This leveling plate 132 levels the field that has been dug up by the work rotor 150.

The control device 170 has a function of processing signals received from the outside (e.g., a remote control signal) and transmitting signals generated internally (e.g., a control signal for a drive unit) to the outside. For example, the control device 170 controls the operation of a drive unit such as an actuator provided in the work machine 100 in response to an operation signal received when the worker operates a remote control. Furthermore, the control device 170 of this embodiment has a function of receiving detection data (sensing data) from the sensor unit 210. The control device 170 may transmit the detection data received from the sensor unit 210 to another information processing device such as a server or a mobile terminal, or may perform calculation processing based on the detection data and transmit the calculation results to another information processing device.

The working machine 100 of this embodiment described above can obtain various information (detection data) according to the type of sensor by the sensor unit 210 of the sensor-equipped work claw 200. Furthermore, since the sensor unit 210 attached to the claw body is protected by a protective cover 220, it is possible to prevent the sensor unit 210 from falling off or being damaged by a lump of soil or the like directly hitting the sensor unit 210 during tilling work. The specific configuration of the sensor-equipped work claw 200 provided in the working machine 100 is described below.

[Configuration of sensor-equipped work claw]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the sensor-equipped work claw 200 in the first embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 2(A) is a side view of the sensor-equipped work claw 200, and FIG. 2(B) is a cross-sectional view of the side view of FIG. 2(A) cut along A-A'. FIG. 2 shows an example of the sensor-equipped work claw 200 in which a sensor unit 210 and a protective cover 220 are attached to the R claw 154R (claw body). A detailed description of the example in which the L claw 154L is the claw body is omitted, but it has the same configuration as the case in which the R claw 154R is the claw body, except that the direction of curvature is different. In addition, the shape of the R claw 154R shown in FIG. 2(A) is only one example, and is not limited to this shape.

As shown in FIG. 2(A), the R claw 154R has an attachment base 154Ra and a blade portion 154Rb that extends continuously from the attachment base 154Ra. The R claw 154R also has a bladed portion 11 on one edge of the blade portion 154Rb. The bladed portion 11 is a portion that is processed to become gradually thinner, and has the function of crushing soil. The edge opposite the bladed portion 11 has a ridge portion 12. The tip of the blade portion 154Rb also has a vertex portion 13 that smoothly connects the bladed portion 11 and the ridge portion 12 in a curved shape.

Although not shown in the figure, the blade 154Rb may be divided into a vertical blade on the side closer to the mounting base 154Ra and a horizontal blade on the side farther from the mounting base 154Ra. In this embodiment, the blade 154Rb has a shape that is gently curved from the side closer to the mounting base 154Ra to the side farther from it. Specifically, the blade 154Rb of the R claw 154R shown in FIG. 2(A) is gently curved from the front side to the back side of the drawing.

In the R claw 154R shown in FIG. 2(A), the mounting base 154Ra is a portion that includes two mounting holes 14 and 15 for mounting the R claw 154R to the flange 153, and the other portion is the blade portion 154Rb. As shown in FIG. 1, the R claw 154R is mounted to the flange 153 using a fixing member 155 such as a bolt, spring washer, or nut.

During tilling work, as the work rotor 150 rotates, the R claw 154R acts on the soil with the bladed portion 11 at the front, tilling the field. The ridge 12 is the edge opposite the bladed portion 11, so it does not directly act on the soil. The ridge 12 has a width equal to the thickness of the R claw 154R. Therefore, in this embodiment, the sensor unit 210 is placed on the ridge 12 in consideration of impact resistance. Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the sensor unit 210 is placed on the ridge 12 of the mounting base 154Ra. However, this is not limited to this example, and the sensor unit 210 may be placed on the ridge 12 of the blade portion 154Rb. In this case, it is preferable to place the sensor unit 210 as close to the mounting base 154Ra as possible, taking into consideration that it will be covered with the protective cover 220. In this way, the sensor unit 210 may be placed anywhere within the range that can be covered with the protective cover 220.

As shown in Fig. 2(A) and Fig. 2(B), in the sensor-equipped work claw 200 of this embodiment, the sensor unit 210 is covered by a protective cover 220 together with a part of the claw body (specifically, the mounting base 154Ra). In this embodiment, the protective cover 220 is made of a metal material. However, this is not limited to this example, and other materials (e.g., resin materials such as engineering plastics) can also be used within a range that satisfies the required weather resistance and strength.

The protective cover 220 is provided with an insertion port for inserting the mounting base side of the nail body to which the sensor unit 210 is attached, and is configured to have a shape that follows the shape of the sensor unit 210 and the mounting base side of the nail body to which the sensor unit 210 is attached. The protective cover 220 has openings 24 and 25 at positions corresponding to the mounting holes 14 and 15 provided in the nail body to be inserted, respectively. More specifically, the openings 24 and 25 are composed of two openings with different diameters (on the opposing first surface 220a and second surface 220b of the protective cover 220). For example, as shown in FIG. 2(B), the opening 25 includes an opening 25a provided on the first surface 220a of the protective cover 220 and an opening 25b provided on the second surface 220b opposite to the first surface 220a. At this time, the diameter of the opening 25b is smaller than the diameter of the opening 25a. Specifically, the diameter of opening 25a is larger than the diameter of the head of the bolt in fixing member 155 described above, and the diameter of opening 25b is set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the threaded portion of the bolt.

The sensor-equipped work claw 200 shown in FIG. 2 is attached to the flange 153 so that the second surface 220b of the protective cover 220 faces the flange 153. Specifically, the sensor-equipped work claw 200 is attached to the flange 153 by inserting a bolt from the opening 25a of the first surface 220a in a state where the opening 25b of the second surface 220b and the mounting hole (not shown) provided in the flange 153 are aligned (superimposed). At this time, since the diameter of the opening 25a is larger than the diameter of the bolt head, the bolt head contacts the claw body (i.e., the R claw 154R). Therefore, each member is fixed by tightening the flange 153, the protective cover 220, and the R claw 154R with a bolt and a nut. In this embodiment, the opening 25a is a round hole with a diameter larger than the diameter of the bolt head, but the same effect can be obtained by configuring it as a hexagonal hole into which the bolt head fits. Note that, although the opening 25 has been described as an example here, the same applies to the opening 24. In FIG. 2(A), the opening 24a on the first surface 220a side is shown.

As described above, the sensor-equipped work claw 200 of this embodiment includes a claw body (R claw 154R in the example shown in FIG. 2), a sensor unit 210 attached to the claw body, and a protective cover 220 that covers the sensor unit 210 and a part of the claw body (mounting base 154Ra in the example shown in FIG. 2). This structure protects the sensor unit 210 from clods of soil and impacts, and prevents the sensor unit 210 from falling off or being damaged during tilling work.

[Configuration of sensor unit]
3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the sensor unit 210 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The sensor unit 210 includes a sensor section 31, a control section 32, a storage section 33, a communication section 34, and a power supply section 35. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the sensor unit 210 may include other circuit elements.

The sensor unit 31 has a function of detecting the acceleration when the sensor-equipped work claw 200 collides with the soil due to the rotation of the work rotor 150. Specifically, the sensor unit 31 includes an acceleration sensor. The acceleration sensor may be a one-axis acceleration sensor or a three-axis acceleration sensor. The sensor unit 31 may also include a gyro sensor or a magnetic sensor in addition to the acceleration sensor. Furthermore, the sensor unit 31 may include a physical quantity sensor such as a pressure sensor (strain sensor, stress sensor, etc.) or an optical sensor, and/or a soil sensor for measuring the temperature, moisture content, salinity, pH (hydrogen ion exponent), etc. of the soil, depending on the application.

The sensor unit 31 may have a unique identifier. That is, the individual sensor units 31 may be configured to be able to distinguish one from another using the identifier. The identifier may be stored in the storage unit 33, or a memory for storing the identifier may be provided separately in the sensor unit 31. The identifier is transmitted to the control device 170 together with the detection data (e.g., acceleration data) acquired by the sensor unit 31. This enables the control device 170 to identify which sensor-equipped work claw 200 transmitted the detection data.

The control unit 32 has a function of controlling each element of the sensor unit 210 by executing a program read from the memory unit 33. For example, a microcomputer including a CPU can be used as the control unit 32. For example, the control unit 32 can instruct the sensor unit 31 to perform sensing and instruct the communication unit 34 to transmit detection data.

Furthermore, the control unit 32 can monitor the remaining amount of stored power in the power supply unit 35, and when the remaining amount falls below a threshold, can instruct the power supply unit 35 to notify the user of this, or can instruct the power supply unit 35 to switch to a sleep mode. However, these controls are merely examples, and it is also possible to cause the control unit 32 to execute other controls. For example, information processing such as arithmetic processing can be performed using the detection data acquired by the sensor unit 31.

The memory unit 33 can store programs for various controls executed by the control unit 32, store detection data acquired by the sensor unit 31, etc. The above-mentioned identifier can be stored in the memory unit 33.

The communication unit 34 functions as a transmitter that transmits the detection data acquired by the sensor unit 31 and the identifier stored in the memory unit 33 to the control device 170. For example, a wireless communication module capable of short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used as the communication unit 34. The communication unit 34 includes an antenna 34a and transmits and receives data via the antenna 34a. Specifically, the communication unit 34 can emit radio waves to the outside using the antenna 34a and wirelessly output the detection data on the radio waves. Note that the communication unit 34 may have not only the function as a transmitter that transmits the detection data, but also the function as a receiver that receives control data for controlling the sensor unit 210 from the outside.

The power supply unit 35 functions as a power source for operating each element of the sensor unit 210. The power supply unit 35 may be a battery or a rechargeable battery. When a rechargeable battery is used as the power supply unit 35, the power supply unit 35 may have a power supply circuit for wireless power supply. For example, the power supply circuit may have an antenna that receives a high-frequency signal and a rectifier circuit that generates power based on the received high-frequency signal.

(Variation 1)
As shown in Fig. 3, the sensor unit 210 of this embodiment includes an antenna 34a for wireless communication. In order to efficiently emit radio waves from the antenna 34a, it is desirable to reduce metallic obstructions around the antenna 34a as much as possible. For example, it is preferable to place the antenna 34a as far away from the claw shaft 152 as possible. In addition, when the protective cover 220 is made of a metallic material, it is also effective to provide a window in the protective cover 220 to allow radio waves to pass through.

Figure 4 is a side view showing the configuration of the sensor-equipped work claw 300 in the first modified example of the first embodiment. In Figure 4, the same parts as those in the sensor-equipped work claw 200 shown in Figure 2 are indicated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4, the protective cover 320 has a window portion 26 to expose a portion of the sensor unit 210. Specifically, the window portion 26 is provided in a position on the protective cover 320 corresponding to the antenna 34a of the sensor unit 210 (a position overlapping the antenna 34a). In this case, the window portion 26 is provided on the surface opposite the surface facing the flange 153 (first surface 320a in the example shown in FIG. 4).

According to this modification 1, radio waves emitted from the antenna 34a are released to the outside through the window 26, thereby improving the wireless communication performance of the sensor unit 210. There is no particular limitation on the size of the window 26, but if the window 26 is too large, the strength of the protective cover 320 decreases and moisture and soil can easily enter through the window 26, so it is preferable to make the window 26 large enough to expose almost the entire antenna 34a.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, an opening is provided as the window portion 26 in the protective cover 320, but this is not limiting, and a notch may be provided as the window portion 26 at a position corresponding to the antenna 34a. When the window portion 26 is provided in the protective cover 320, the window portion 26 may be blocked by a member made of a material different from the material constituting the protective cover 320 itself, such as glass, resin, or rubber. For example, the inside of the window portion 26 may be filled with resin (e.g., epoxy resin), and the filled resin may then be hardened. Also, a glass plate, engineering plastic, or rubber molded to match the shape of the window portion 26 may be fitted into the window portion 26 and fixed with an adhesive or the like.

(Variation 2)
In the first embodiment of the sensor-equipped work claw 200, an example has been shown in which the sensor unit 210 is attached to the ridge 12 of the R claw 154R, but a configuration in which a recess is provided at the position of the claw body where the sensor unit 210 is to be disposed may also be used. In other words, the sensor unit 210 may be disposed inside a recess provided in the claw body.

Figure 5 is a side view showing the configuration of the sensor-equipped work claw 350 in the second modified example of the first embodiment. In Figure 5, the same parts as those in the sensor-equipped work claw 200 shown in Figure 2 are indicated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, a recess 27 is provided in the ridge 12 of the mounting base 154Ra of the R claw 154R. The recess 27 is, for example, a depression or a notch. It is desirable that the depth of the recess 27 is deeper than the height of the sensor unit 210, but this is not limited thereto, and the sensor unit 210 may protrude from the recess 27. In that case, the shape of the protective cover 220 can be adjusted to match the shape of the protruding portion.

According to this modification 2, the height of the sensor unit 210 relative to the nail body can be substantially reduced, so that the step formed on the surface of the protective cover 220 can be reduced. This makes it possible to suppress the adhesion of soil to the protective cover 220.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment, a working machine of a type in which a working claw is attached to a flange provided on a claw shaft is described as an example, but in this embodiment, a working machine of a type in which a working claw is attached to a holder provided on a claw shaft is described. In this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be focused on, and the same parts as in the first embodiment will be indicated by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the sensor-equipped work claw 400 in the second embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, Figure 6 (A) is a side view of the sensor-equipped work claw 400, and Figure 6 (B) is a cross-sectional view of the side view of Figure 6 (A) cut at B-B'. Figure 6 shows an example of the sensor-equipped work claw 400 in which the sensor unit 210 and protective cover 420 are attached to the L claw 154L (claw body). A detailed explanation of the example in which the R claw 154R is the claw body is omitted, but it has the same configuration as when the L claw 154L is the claw body, except for the difference in the direction of curvature. Also, the shape of the L claw 154L shown in Figure 6 (A) is only one example, and is not limited to this shape.

As shown in FIG. 6(A), the L claw 154L has an attachment base 154La and a blade portion 154Lb that extends continuously from the attachment base 154La. The bladed portion 11, ridge portion 12, and top portion 13 are the same as those of the R claw 154R described in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted here. The blade portion 154Lb of the L claw 154L shown in FIG. 6(A) is gently curved from the back side to the front side of the drawing.

The mounting base 154La is a portion that includes a mounting hole 16 for mounting the L claw 154L to a holder 157 fixed to the claw shaft 152, and the other portion is the blade portion 154Lb. In this embodiment, the L claw 154L is mounted to the holder 157 using a bolt 158a and a nut 158b as a fixing member 158.

In this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the sensor unit 210 is disposed on the ridge 12 of the mounting base 154La. However, this is not the only example, and the sensor unit 210 may be disposed on the ridge 12 of the blade portion 154Lb. In this case, it is preferable to dispose the sensor unit 210 as close to the mounting base 154La as possible, taking into consideration protection by the protective cover 420. In this way, the sensor unit 210 may be disposed anywhere within the range that can be covered by the protective cover 420.

As shown in Figs. 6(A) and 6(B), in the sensor-equipped work claw 400 of this embodiment, the sensor unit 210 is covered by a protective cover 420 together with a part of the claw body (specifically, the mounting base 154La). Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6(A), the sensor unit 210 is positioned so as not to overlap the holder 157, and when the L claw 154L is attached to the holder 157, the holder 157 is covered by the protective cover 420 together with the sensor unit 210. In this embodiment, the protective cover 420 is made of a metal material, but as in the first embodiment, other materials (e.g., engineering plastics, etc.) can also be used.

The protective cover 420 also has an opening 46 at a position corresponding to the mounting hole 16 provided in the nail body. More specifically, the opening 46 is composed of two openings 46a and 46b with different diameters. For example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the opening 46 includes an opening 46a provided on the first surface 420a of the protective cover 420 and an opening 46b provided on the second surface 420b opposite to the first surface 420a. At this time, the diameter of the opening 46b is smaller than the diameter of the opening 46a. Specifically, the diameter of the opening 46a is larger than the diameter of the head of the bolt 158a described above, and the diameter of the opening 46b is set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the threaded portion of the bolt 158a.

The sensor-equipped work claw 400 shown in FIG. 6 is fixed by the fixing member 158 with the mounting base 154La inserted into the internal space of the holder 157 and the protective cover 420 attached. Specifically, the bolt 158a is inserted from the first surface 420a side of the protective cover 420 through the opening 46 of the protective cover 420, the opening 56 of the holder 157, and the mounting hole 16 of the L claw 154L, in that order, and the nut 158b is attached to the second surface 420b side. A washer is provided between the nut 158b and the second surface 420b.

As shown in FIG. 6(B), the opening 56 of the holder 157 is composed of two openings 56a and 56b with different diameters. Specifically, the opening 56a has a shape that allows the head of the bolt 158a to fit into, and the opening 56b has approximately the same diameter as the opening 46b of the protective cover 420. In other words, the opening 56a is formed as a hexagonal hole, and the diameter of the opening 56b is set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the threaded portion of the bolt 158a.

Since the claw body (L claw 154L), holder 157, and protective cover 420 each have an opening of the shape described above, when bolt 158a is attached, the bolt head comes into contact with L claw 154L. In other words, the bolt 158a and nut 158b tighten the protective cover 420, holder 157, and L claw 154L, and each component is fixed in place.

As described above, in the sensor-equipped work claw 400 of this embodiment, the sensor unit 210 is protected by the protective cover 420 when it is attached to the holder 157. In other words, the protective cover 420 of this embodiment covers the holder 157 as well as the sensor unit 210, thereby protecting the sensor unit 210 from clods of soil and impacts. Therefore, a work machine equipped with a work rotor including the sensor-equipped work claw 400 of this embodiment can prevent the sensor unit 210 from falling off or being damaged during tilling work.

In this embodiment, as in FIG. 4 showing modified example 1 of the first embodiment, the protective cover 420 may be provided with a window portion (opening or notch) for passing radio waves. That is, the protective cover 420 may have a window portion at a position corresponding to the antenna 34a of the sensor unit 210. In this case, the window portion may be blocked by a member made of a material different from the material constituting the protective cover 420 itself, such as glass, resin, or rubber. In the case of the second embodiment, the window portion may be provided on either the first surface 420a, the second surface 420b, or both the first surface 420a and the second surface 420b of the protective cover 420.

Also, as in FIG. 5 shown in modified example 2 of the first embodiment, the nail body (here, L nail 154L) may be provided with a recess at the position where the sensor unit 210 is disposed. That is, the sensor unit 210 may be disposed inside a recess (e.g., a depression or a notch) provided in the nail body.

Third Embodiment
In this embodiment, an example will be described in which a holder is used as both a holder and a protective cover in a working machine of a type in which a working claw is attached to a holder provided on a claw shaft. In this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be described, and the same parts as those in the first embodiment will be indicated by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

Figure 7 is a side view showing the configuration of the sensor-equipped work claw 500 of the third embodiment. Specifically, Figure 7(A) is a side view of the sensor-equipped work claw 500, and Figure 7(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along C-C' of the side view of Figure 7(A). As with the second embodiment, Figure 7 shows an example of the sensor-equipped work claw 500 in which a sensor unit 210 is attached to the L claw 154L (claw body). The basic structure of the L claw 154L is the same as that shown in Figure 6(A), so a description thereof will be omitted here.

As shown in FIG. 7(A), in this embodiment, the holder 520 for fixing the claw body (L claw 154La) to the claw shaft 152 functions as a protective cover that protects the sensor unit 210 attached to the claw body. Therefore, the internal space (of the insertion opening) of the holder 520 for inserting the mounting base side of the claw body is formed wider than conventional holders to match the shape of the sensor unit 210. In other words, the holder 520 has a step 61 in the internal space that corresponds to the shape of the sensor unit 210, and the shape of the internal space is shaped to match the outer shape of the mounting base 154La and the sensor unit 210.

In this embodiment, the sensor unit 210 is disposed on the side of the mounting base 154La opposite the ridge 12. The reason for this is explained below.

The sensor-equipped work claw 500 rotates with the bladed portion 11 at the front as the claw shaft 152 rotates. Therefore, when the bladed portion 11 hits the soil, the mounting base 154La is pressed strongly against the holder 520 in the areas indicated by circles 62 and 63. Therefore, if the sensor unit 210 is placed on the ridge 12 of the mounting base 154La (i.e., the area indicated by circle 62), a large pressure is applied to the sensor unit 210, which may cause the sensor unit 210 to be damaged. Therefore, in this embodiment, the sensor unit 210 is placed on the opposite side of the ridge 12 to prevent the application of large pressure.

However, this embodiment does not exclude placing the sensor unit 210 in the area indicated by the circle 62 or 63. For example, if the sensor section 31 (see FIG. 3) included in the sensor unit 210 is a pressure sensor, placing it in the area indicated by the circle 62 or 63 can detect a larger pressure, thereby improving the detection accuracy.

As shown in FIG. 7B, in this embodiment, the opening 66 of the holder 520 is also composed of two openings 66a and 66b with different diameters. Specifically, the opening 66a is provided on the first surface 520a of the holder 520, and the opening 66b is provided on the second surface 520b of the holder 520. The opening 66a is formed as a hexagonal hole into which the head of the bolt 158a fits, and the diameter of the opening 66b is set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the threaded portion of the bolt 158a.

As described above, when the sensor-equipped work claw 500 of this embodiment is attached to the holder 520, the sensor unit 210 is protected by the holder 520. In other words, the holder 520 of this embodiment also functions as a protective cover, and can protect the sensor unit 210 from clods of soil and impacts. Therefore, a work machine equipped with a work rotor including the sensor-equipped work claw 500 of this embodiment can prevent the sensor unit 210 from falling off or being damaged during tilling work.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a step 61 is provided in the internal space of the holder 520 to widen only the portion where the sensor unit 210 is arranged, i.e., the width (length in the direction perpendicular to the depth direction) of the internal space is not widened overall by the height of the sensor unit 210, but is widened locally to match the shape of the sensor unit 210. With this configuration, the holder 520 can support the mounting base 154La of the L claw 154L at two points (specifically, the areas indicated by circles 62 and 63), and the sensor-equipped work claw 500 can be stably fixed.

In this embodiment, similarly to FIG. 4 shown in Modification 1 of the first embodiment, the holder 520 may be provided with a window portion (opening or notch) for passing radio waves. That is, the holder 520 may have a window portion at a position corresponding to the antenna 34a of the sensor unit 210. In this case, the window portion may be blocked by a member made of a material different from the material constituting the holder 520 itself, such as glass, resin, rubber, etc. In addition, the window portion may be provided on either the first surface 520a, the second surface 520b, or both the first surface 520a and the second surface 520b of the holder 520.

Also, as in FIG. 5 shown in modified example 2 of the first embodiment, the nail body (here, L nail 154L) may be provided with a recess at the position where the sensor unit 210 is disposed. That is, the sensor unit 210 may be disposed inside a recess (e.g., a depression or a notch) provided in the nail body.

Fourth Embodiment
In the first embodiment, an example in which the working claw is fixed to the flange using two fixing members is described, but in this embodiment, an example in which a set bolt having a bolt plate is used as the fixing member is described. In this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment are described, and the same parts as in the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the sensor-equipped work claw 600 in the first embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, Figure 8(A) is a side view of the sensor-equipped work claw 600, and Figure 8(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along D-D' of the side view of Figure 8(A). As in the first embodiment, Figure 8 shows an example of the sensor-equipped work claw 600 in which a sensor unit 210 and a protective cover 620 are attached to the R claw 154R (claw body).

As shown in FIG. 8(A), the first surface 620a of the protective cover 620 has an opening 28a that overlaps with the two mounting holes 14 and 15 of the nail body. The second surface 620b of the protective cover 620 has an opening 28b at a position corresponding to the mounting hole 15 of the nail body. Although not shown in FIG. 8, the second surface 620b of the protective cover 620 also has an opening, similar to opening 28b, at a position corresponding to the mounting hole 14 of the nail body.

In this embodiment, a set of bolts is used to attach the claw body to the flange 153. In this specification, a "set of bolts" refers to a fixing member that combines multiple bolts and a bolt plate having openings through which each of the multiple bolts is inserted. In this embodiment, the set of bolts is used in a configuration in which one bolt plate is placed between two bolts. In practice, the claw body can also be attached to the flange 153 using bolts, bolt plates, spring washers, nuts, etc.

As shown in FIG. 8(A), the opening 28a has a shape that matches the shape of the bolt plate (not shown) that is placed on the first surface 620 side, so that the bolt plate fits inside the opening 28a. With this structure, when the sensor-equipped work claw 600 is attached to the flange 153, the bolt plate comes into contact with the claw body (specifically, the mounting base 154Ra), so that the claw body can be fixed to the flange 153 by two bolts and one bolt plate.

As described above, the sensor-equipped work claw 600 of this embodiment can use a set bolt when mounting to the flange 153. This allows two bolts to be inserted at once, shortening the work time. Furthermore, the bolt plate functions similarly to a washer, dispersing the pressure between the bolt and the claw body, preventing the bolt from loosening due to wear.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments (including the following variations), and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, a person skilled in the art can add, delete, or modify components as appropriate based on each embodiment, and this is included in the scope of the present invention as long as it satisfies the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined as appropriate as long as there are no mutual contradictions, and technical matters common to each embodiment are included in each embodiment even if not explicitly stated.

Even if there are other effects and advantages different from those brought about by the aspects of each of the above-mentioned embodiments, if they are clear from the description in this specification or can be easily predicted by a person skilled in the art, they are naturally understood to be brought about by the present invention.

11...Blade portion, 12...Ridge portion, 13...Top portion, 14, 15, 16...Mounting hole, 24, 24a, 25, 25a, 25b, 28a, 28b...Opening, 26...Window portion, 27...Recess, 31...Sensor portion, 32...Control portion, 33...Memory portion, 34...Communication portion, 34a...Antenna, 35...Power supply portion, 46, 46a, 46b, 56, 56a, 56b...Opening, 61...Step, 62, 63...Circle, 66, 66a, 66b...Opening, 100...Work machine, 110...Frame, 120...Shield cover, 130...Apron, 132...Leveling plate, 135...Top link connection portion, 136...Lower link connection portion, 137...(Power Input Connection) shaft, 150...work rotor, 152...claw shaft, 153...flange, 154...work claw, 154L...L claw, 154La...mounting base, 154Lb...blade portion, 154R...R claw, 154Ra...mounting base, 154Rb...blade portion, 155...fixing member, 157...holder, 158...fixing member, 158a...bolt, 158b...nut, 160...connection portion, 170...control device, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600...work claw, 210...sensor unit, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620...protective cover, 220a, 420a, 520a, 620a...first surface, 220b, 420b, 520b, 620b...second surface

Claims (10)

The nail body and
A sensor unit attached to a base of the nail body;
a protective cover having an opening into which the base to which the sensor unit is attached is inserted, the protective cover covering the sensor unit and a part of the nail body;
Equipped with
A work claw with a sensor is attached to a claw shaft of a work rotor via a flange or holder fixed to the claw shaft . The sensor-equipped work claw according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit is provided on the ridge of the claw body. The claw body has a mounting hole,
The sensor-equipped work claw according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protective cover has an opening at a position corresponding to the mounting hole. The sensor unit includes an antenna;
The sensor-equipped work claw according to claim 1 , wherein the protective cover has a window portion at a position corresponding to the antenna. The sensor-equipped work claw according to claim 4, wherein the window portion is covered with a member made of a material different from the material constituting the protective cover. The sensor-equipped work claw according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the sensor unit is disposed inside a recess provided in the claw body. A work machine having a work rotor including a sensor-equipped work claw according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A work machine including a work rotor including a sensor-equipped work claw fixed to a holder,
The sensor-equipped work claw has a claw body and a sensor unit attached to a base of the claw body so as to protrude from the claw body ,
the holder has an opening into which the base is inserted,
an internal space of the opening is locally formed to be wide in accordance with the shapes of the base and the sensor unit to be inserted into the opening,
When the sensor-equipped work claw is fixed to the holder, the sensor unit is covered by the holder . The work machine according to claim 8 , wherein the holder has a window portion at a position corresponding to an antenna included in the sensor unit. A protective cover that is applied to the sensor-equipped work claw according to any one of claims 1 to 6 .