JP7733064B2 - Field work equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to field work machines such as rice transplanters, seed sowers, and fertilizer applicators that are equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) and are capable of automatic travel along a target route set in advance in a field.

Patent Document 1 discloses a rice transplanter with spare seedling carriers on both sides of a gate-shaped mounting frame located above the hood, and a GPS antenna control housing fixed to the center of the top of the frame. This rice transplanter teaches the driving route before autonomous driving using the GPS function. During teaching, a person holds the GPS antenna removed from the GPS antenna control housing and specifies the desired route position. An infinite straight line is generated as the target route based on the teaching route determined through this position specification, and the rice transplanter automatically drives along this target route. If the edge of the field is detected by a distance sensor using infrared or ultrasonic light while autonomously driving along the linear target route, a 180° turn is required. To ensure a headland, the rice transplanter automatically stops at a predetermined distance from the field edge. When the rice transplanter runs out of seedlings, it is necessary to move the machine to the ridge and replenish with new seedlings. When the seedling planting section of this rice transplanter is positioned on the headland and raised, if there is a seedling addition warning or fertilizer supply warning, it will not turn, but will instead autonomously drive straight towards the edge of the field and stop at the edge of the field.

JP 2008-92818 A (paragraphs 0028 to 0061, Figures 5, 7, and 8)

There is a demand for a field work machine that can perform field work using autonomous driving more easily and without requiring skilled operators.

The field work vehicle according to the present invention comprises a traveling machine body, a field work implement that performs agricultural work in a field, a GPS module that outputs positioning data, and a driving assistance unit that provides driving assistance based on the positioning data and a driving route for work driving using the field work implement, and the driving assistance unit is provided with an operation information generation section that generates operation timing information including the transition timing at which the vehicle position transitions from a work driving route to a non-work driving route that involves a change in direction of the traveling machine body when the traveling machine body turns from the work driving route to the next work driving route in a headland of the field , The operation timing information includes the timing of transition from a non-work driving route to a work driving route, which involves a change in direction of the driving vehicle, when the driving vehicle turns from a work driving route to the next work driving route, and the work driving is performed automatically by the automatic driving control unit, and the non-work driving is operated by the driver, and the driving assistance unit includes a notification information generation unit that notifies the driver of the operation timing based on the operation timing information, and notifies the driver of the end of work driving or the start of non-work driving at a slightly earlier timing, taking into account the operation time by the driver .
Moreover, the field work machine according to the present invention comprises a traveling body, a field work device that performs agricultural work in a field, a field information storage unit that stores field information including at least topographical data, a work information storage unit that stores work device information including a working width in a direction transverse to the traveling direction of the field work device, a work setting unit that sets a travel start point and a travel end point, a route calculation unit that calculates a travel route that includes a non-work travel route that requires a change of direction of the traveling body and a work travel route where traveling work is performed using the field work device based on the field information, the work device information, the travel start point, and the travel end point, a GPS module that outputs positioning data, and a driving assistance unit that provides driving assistance based on the positioning data and the travel route.

According to this configuration, when performing agricultural work using a field work implement, a travel path for the traveling vehicle suitable for the agricultural work is first calculated based on the field's topographical data read from the field information storage unit. Field work, such as rice planting, sowing, and fertilization, is performed along a straight path or a linear path with a large radius of curvature (referred to as a work travel path here), and a turning path (referred to as a non-work path) is required to transition from one work travel path to the next. Therefore, the path calculation unit determines the outline of the field from the topographical data and calculates a travel path for the field, consisting of a work travel path and a non-work travel path, starting from a set travel start point and ending at a travel end point. Furthermore, since a work width is required for travel path calculation, the work width of the field work implement to be used is also read in advance from the work information storage unit. Once the travel route has been calculated, the vehicle's position is determined based on positioning data (latitude and longitude data) obtained from the GPS module, and the driving assistance unit assists the operation of the field work machine so that the traveling machine body travels accurately along the travel route calculated by the route calculation unit. This makes it possible for the field work machine of the present invention to carry out high-quality field work without the need for tedious work such as teaching, and without the need for skilled operators.
The travel start point and travel end point may be the same, or any point (multiple points can be set) within a predetermined distance range may be set.

In many cases, farm fields have designated entry and exit points from the ridges or farm roads. In such fields, the travel start point is set by the entrance location of the field, and the travel end point is set by the exit location of the field. It is convenient if the entrance and exit locations of such fields are included in the field information in advance.

When field work equipment, such as for rice planting, sowing, or fertilizing, is traveling non-working, which involves changing direction, the operation of the field work equipment is stopped or its posture is changed to a non-working posture. Therefore, some kind of operation must be performed on the field work equipment at the end and start points of the work travel, in other words, the end and start points of the non-work travel. The timing of these end and start points is important in field work. For this reason, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the driving assistance unit includes an operation information generation unit that generates operation timing information including the work start and end operation points of the field work equipment on the travel path. In an embodiment in which such operation timing information is notified to the driver and the driver performs the necessary operation based on the notification, the driving assistance unit includes a notification information generation unit that generates notification information for notifying the driver of the operation timing based on the operation timing information. Furthermore, in an embodiment in which operations based on such operation timing information are performed automatically, the driving assistance unit includes an operation control signal generation unit that generates an operation control signal for the field work equipment based on the operation timing information.

There are many cases where field work equipment must be operated by someone who is not only unskilled in field work, but also unskilled in driving. To solve this problem, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the driving assistance unit includes an automatic driving control unit that automatically drives the traveling vehicle based on the driving route. This allows field work to be carried out stably, even if the person is unfamiliar with field work and driving field work equipment.

If the field shape is a basic one, such as a rectangle, the appropriate driving route can be determined uniquely, but if the shape is deformed, it is difficult to calculate the optimal driving route. The ideal solution in such cases is for the route calculation unit to calculate multiple driving routes, and for the driver to select the optimal one from among those multiple driving routes.

The route calculation unit may use a route algorithm based on graph theory to calculate the travel route. However, particularly in rice planting and sowing work, it is desirable to minimize the number of turns required to change direction. For this reason, it is advantageous to introduce a reduction in the number of turns as an important condition of the route algorithm. Therefore, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the route calculation unit has a route algorithm that reduces the number of turns required to reduce the number of non-work travel routes.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a basic configuration of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view of a riding rice transplanter according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a riding rice transplanter. FIG. 1 is a rear view showing a powder/granular material supplying device as a field work device mounted on a riding rice transplanter. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing the powder/granular material supplying device. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the power transmission system of a riding rice transplanter. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a power steering device. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a control system installed in the riding rice transplanter. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the travel and working operation of the riding rice transplanter along the calculated travel route.

Before describing specific embodiments of the field work machine according to the present invention, the basic configuration that characterizes the present invention will be explained using Figure 1. Here, the field work machine (hereinafter simply referred to as the work machine) is assumed to be a rice transplanter, seed sower, fertilizer applicator, or other work machine that is subject to work conditions such as the number of planting rows and the spacing between planting rows. This work machine comprises a traveling body 1 that propels itself through the field and a field work device 2 that is attached to the traveling body 1 so that its posture can be changed. This work machine is equipped with a motion control unit 6 and an electronic control unit 7 as control systems particularly relevant to the present invention. It also has a GPS module 5 that uses a GPS (Global Positioning System) to detect orientation such as latitude and longitude and output positioning data. The motion control unit 6, electronic control unit 7, and GPS module 5 are connected to the other control units via an on-board LAN, allowing them to exchange data with each other.

The operation control unit 6 includes an automatic driving control unit 61 that controls the operating devices of the engine, transmission, and steering device to enable automatic driving of the traveling vehicle 1, and an equipment control unit 62 that controls the operating devices that change the work and attitude of the field work implement 2. The electronic control unit 7 is configured with an information storage unit 71 that stores operation programs, application programs, and various data, a work setting unit 72, and a path calculation unit 73. This information storage unit 71 includes, particularly relevant to the present invention, a field information storage unit 71a that stores field information including at least topographical data, and a work information storage unit 71b that stores work implement information including the work width in the transverse direction relative to the traveling direction of the field work implement 2. Furthermore, the electronic control unit 7 includes a driving assistance unit 8.

The work setting unit 72 sets the start and end points of travel in the field where the field work device 2 is about to be used. The start point of travel is also the position where the traveling machine body 1 enters the field, and the end point of travel is also the position where the traveling machine body 1 leaves the field; the start and end points of travel are generally the same. Of course, if all of the ridges facing the farm road can be used as the start and end points of travel, they may be set in this way. The start and end points of travel are also used as the starting and end points of travel for calculating the travel route, as described below.

The path calculation unit 73 calculates a travel path that includes a non-work travel path that requires the traveling body 1 to change direction and a work travel path where the field work device 2 performs travel work, based on the field information read from the field information storage unit 71a, the work device information read from the work information storage unit 71b, and the travel start and end points set in the work setting unit 72. Specifically, the path calculation unit 73 determines the work area to be worked from the topographical data included in the field information, and calculates a travel path that fills the work area using the work width in the cross-travel direction included in the work device information. In rice planting and seeding in paddy fields, a pattern is generally adopted that repeats long straight runs followed by direction changes (180-degree turns) at the ends of the runs, and agricultural work (such as rice planting or seeding) is not performed during the direction changes. Finally, agricultural work in the work area (field) is completed by performing work travel in the area used for the direction changes (commonly referred to as the headland). The driving route is calculated so as to maintain this driving pattern as much as possible.

An example of the travel path calculation procedure is shown in Figure 1. First, the outline of the field to be worked on is determined from topographical data (map data) of the field (#a). The headland area is determined based on the working width of the field work implement 2 (row spacing x number of rows for seedling planting), and the travel start and end points (indicated by arrows in the figure) are set (#b). Because rice planting and sowing are preferably performed in a straight line, a turn-reducing path algorithm is preferably employed. Therefore, the headland is considered a non-work travel area for 180-degree direction changes, and the headland is considered a work area for the field work implement to travel and work. A travel path that provides the longest straight path possible (work travel path)—in other words, a travel path with the fewest direction changes (non-work travel path)—is calculated (#c). Once the travel path is calculated, the traveling body 1 travels along this travel path while the field work implement 2 drives, performing agricultural work in the field (#d). When traveling on a straight path (including a gently curved path with a large radius of curvature), field work by the field work implement 2 must be turned ON, and when traveling on a direction-changing path, field work by the field work implement 2 must be turned OFF. In other words, the work start operating point of the field work implement 2 is the transition point from the non-work path to the work travel path, and the work end operating point is the transition point from the work travel path to the non-work path. Finally, work on the headland and headland work travel are performed (#e).

The driving assistance unit 8 assists the field work implement in driving along the calculated travel route. The driving assistance unit 8 assists the implement in driving so that its own position, determined from the positioning data output by the GPS module 5, is located on the calculated travel route. For this purpose, the driving assistance unit 8 may include the following three functional sections: (1) an operation information generation section 81 that generates operation timing information including the work start operation point and work end operation point of the field work implement 2 along the travel route. The operation information generation section 81 generates operation timing information that defines the time when the work location of the field work implement 2 relative to the field reaches the transition point described above as the work start operation point or work end operation point. (2) a notification information generation section 82 that generates notification information to notify the driver of operation timing based on the operation timing information. The notification information generation section 82 visually or audibly notifies the driver of the start or end of work travel or non-work travel using a lamp or buzzer based on the operation timing information, allowing the driver to accurately operate the field work implement 2. If the notification information generator 82 is equipped with a voice function, operation instructions can also be given in spoken language. (3) An operation control signal generator 83 that generates an operation control signal for the field work device 2 based on operation timing information. When such an operation control signal generator 83 is installed, it is possible to automate the ON/OFF control of field work by the field work device 2. For example, in the case of a seedling planting device, the raising and lowering of the seedling planting device and the stopping and starting of the seedling planting tines are automatically performed at transition points, reducing the burden on the driver.

Furthermore, when automating not only the field work device 2 but also the operation of the traveling vehicle 1, the driving assistance unit 8 calculates the driving error by comparing the vehicle's own position based on positioning data from the GPS module 5 with the driving route, and sends this to the automatic driving control unit 61, allowing the traveling vehicle 1 to drive automatically and accurately. With regard to automatic driving, it is possible to automate only driving on the work driving route, which is approximately straight, or to automate non-work driving that involves turning.

Next, one specific embodiment of a field work machine according to the present invention will be described using the drawings. Figure 2 is a side view of a riding rice transplanter, an example of a field work machine, and Figure 3 is a plan view. The traveling body 1 has a pair of left and right front wheels 11a and a pair of left and right rear wheels 11b attached to the lower part of the body frame 10. A powder and granular material supply device 12 equipped with a powder and granular material tank 12a is provided at the rear of the traveling body 1. Connected to the rear of the traveling body 1 is a paddy field work device 2 serving as a field work machine equipped with six seedling planting mechanisms 21 arranged laterally on the body and six powder and granular material supply units 22 arranged laterally on the body.

The paddy field working machine performs seedling planting and fertilizing work by moving the traveling body 1 while the paddy field working device 2 is lowered to the lowered working state. In detail, it is configured as follows.

The traveling vehicle 1 is configured as a four-wheel drive vehicle, equipped with an engine 31 located at the front of the vehicle body and a transmission 32 for traveling and working, which receives driving force from the engine 31 and changes speed. Driving force from the engine 31 is transmitted from the transmission 32 to the front wheels 11a and rear wheels 11b, driving the front wheels 11a and rear wheels 11b for traveling. The engine 31 is covered by an engine bonnet 31a and a rear cover 31b. The traveling vehicle 1 is equipped with a driver's section 33 with a driver's seat 33a located at the rear of the vehicle body. The driver sits in the driver's section 33 to operate the vehicle. A steering handle 33b for steering the front wheels 11a is located in front of the driver's seat 33a, and an open-top floor 30 is formed between the driver's seat 33a and a steering post 33c supporting the steering handle 33b. A control panel 33d is provided around the steering post 33c. A work space 34 is provided at the rear of the traveling body 1 to be used for tasks such as supplying powder to the powder tank 13 and supplying seedlings to the paddy field work device 2. The work space 34 is equipped with work steps 34a located on both sides and behind the driver's seat 33a, and handrails 35 located on both sides of the driver's seat 33a. Furthermore, a pair of spare seedling loading platforms 39 are provided on the left and right at the front of the traveling body 1.

The paddy field working device 2 will now be described.
As shown in Figure 2, the paddy field work device 2 is supported by a link mechanism 36 that extends rearward from the body frame 10 so as to swing up and down, and by swinging the link mechanism 36 using a lifting cylinder 37, it can be raised and lowered between a lowered working state in which the ground float 23 has descended to the field surface and is in contact with the ground, and an elevated non-working state in which the ground float 23 has risen high above the field surface.

The paddy field work device 2 comprises a working unit frame 24 whose front end is supported by a link mechanism 36. The working unit frame 24 comprises a feed case 25 to which driving force from the engine 31 is transmitted via a rotating shaft 38, and three planting drive cases 26 arranged at a predetermined interval laterally along the vehicle body. A seedling planting mechanism 21 is attached to both sides of the rear end of each of the three planting drive cases 26. A seedling carrier 28 is provided above the front of the working unit frame 24 in an inclined position positioned rearward toward the lower end. Three ground floats 23 are attached to the lower part of the working unit frame 24 and arranged at a predetermined interval laterally along the vehicle body. Six powder and granular material supply units 22 serving as ground working units are arranged laterally along the vehicle body, one located near each of the six seedling planting mechanisms 21, and are supported by the three ground floats 23.

Each seedling planting mechanism 21 has two planting arms 21a and is driven by a driving force transmitted from the feed case 25 to the planting drive case 26. The tips of the planting claws on each of the two planting arms 21a move up and down in a long vertical rotational trajectory to perform seedling planting. During seedling planting, which is one type of field work, each seedling planting mechanism 21 alternately uses the two planting arms 21a to remove a single seedling for planting from the mat of seedlings on the seedling carrier 28 at the lower end, transports the removed seedlings down to the field, and plants them in the muddy soil leveled by the ground float 23.

As shown in Figure 3, the seedling carrier 28 is equipped with six seedling carrier sections 28a that line up mat-shaped seedlings laterally across the vehicle body to be supplied to the six seedling planting mechanisms 21. The seedling carrier 28 is supported by supports and supports 24a provided on the work unit frame 24 so that it can move back and forth laterally across the vehicle body. The seedling carrier 28 is transported back and forth laterally across the vehicle body in conjunction with the seedling planting movement of the seedling planting mechanisms 21 by a lateral feed mechanism provided between the seedling carrier 28 and the feed case 25, transporting the mat-shaped seedlings back and forth laterally across the vehicle body relative to the seedling planting mechanisms 21. As a result, each seedling planting mechanism 21 removes the seedlings for planting from one lateral end of the lower end of the mat-shaped seedlings placed on the seedling carrier 28 toward the other lateral end.

Each of the six seedling placement sections 28a of the seedling placement platform 28 is equipped with a vertical feed belt 28b. When the seedling placement platform 28 reaches the left or right stroke end of its horizontal transport, the vertical feed belt 28b of each seedling placement section 28a is rotated by a set stroke by a vertical feed drive mechanism 27 (see Figure 6) provided between the seedling placement platform 28 and the feed case 25, vertically feeding the mat-shaped seedlings toward the seedling planting mechanism 21 by a length equivalent to the vertical length of the seedlings removed by the seedling planting mechanism 21.

Each of the six powder and granular material supply units 22 is equipped with a furrow-making tool that protrudes downward from the ground float 23 and is connected to the powder and granular material supply pipe 14 described below. The furrows are formed in the field near the sides of the seedling planting location by the seedling planting mechanism 21, and fertilizer is supplied by the powder and granular material supply device 12 into the formed furrows. After the fertilizer has been supplied, the furrows are backfilled by the mud on the sides of the furrows being pushed in by the soil-covering members supported by the ground float 23.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the transmission structure for driving the paddy field work device 2. The driving force input from the rotating shaft 38 to the feed case 25 is transmitted to the planting output shaft 25a by a transmission built into the feed case 25, and is then input from this planting output shaft 25a to the front ends of each of the three planting drive cases 26. In each planting drive case 26, the driving force input to the planting drive case 26 is transmitted to a pair of seedling planting mechanisms 21 by a transmission mechanism having a fractional row planting clutch 29.

Therefore, when the fractional row planting clutch 29 installed inside the left-most planting drive case 26 is operated on and off, it switches on and off the transmission of power to two of the six seedling planting mechanisms 21, namely the left-most seedling planting mechanism 21 and the seedling planting mechanism 21 adjacent to the left-most seedling planting mechanism 21 (hereinafter referred to as the left-most two-row seedling planting mechanism 21L), switching the left-most two-row seedling planting mechanism 21 between a working state in which seedling planting is performed and a non-working state in which seedling planting is stopped.

The fractional row planting clutch 29 installed inside the right-end planting drive case 26 switches on and off the transmission of power to two of the six seedling planting mechanisms 21, namely the right-end seedling planting mechanism 21 and the seedling planting mechanism 21 adjacent to the right-end seedling planting mechanism 21 (hereinafter referred to as the right-end two-row seedling planting mechanism 21R), switching the right-end two-row seedling planting mechanism 21R between a working state in which seedling planting is performed and a non-working state in which seedling planting is stopped.

The fractional row planting clutch 29 installed inside the central planting drive case 26 is operated to switch on and off the transmission of power to two seedling planting mechanisms 21 (hereinafter referred to as the central two-row seedling planting mechanism 21N) between the leftmost two-row seedling planting mechanism 21L and the rightmost two-row seedling planting mechanism 21R, which are some of the six seedling planting mechanisms 21. This switches the central two-row seedling planting mechanism 21N between a working state in which seedling planting is performed and a non-working state in which seedling planting is stopped.

Therefore, hereinafter, the fractional row planting clutch 29 installed in the left-most planting drive case 26 will be referred to as the fractional row planting clutch 29L for the two left-most rows, the fractional row planting clutch 29 installed in the central planting drive case 26 will be referred to as the fractional row planting clutch 29N for the two central rows, and the fractional row planting clutch 29 installed in the right-most planting drive case 26 will be referred to as the fractional row planting clutch 29R for the two right-most rows.

The vertical feed drive mechanism 27 comprises a vertical feed output shaft 271 extending laterally outward from the front of the feed case 25, and a vertical feed drive shaft 272 rotatably supported on the back side of the seedling tray 28 in the horizontal direction of the seedling tray. The vertical feed output shaft 271 is driven to rotate by the driving force input from the rotating shaft 38 to the feed case 25, and drives a pair of left and right transmission arms 273 supported on the vertical feed output shaft 271. A passive arm 274 is supported on the vertical feed drive shaft 272 so that it rotates integrally with the arm, and fractional row vertical feed clutches 20 are installed at three locations on the vertical feed drive shaft 272.

In other words, when the seedling tray 28 reaches the left or right lateral feed stroke end, the passive arm 274 abuts one of the pair of left and right transmission arms 273, and the passive arm 274 is swung by the transmission arm 273, driving the vertical feed drive shaft 272 by a predetermined rotation angle. When the vertical feed drive shaft 272 is driven, the leftmost fractional row vertical feed clutch 20L of the three fractional row vertical feed clutches 20 transmits the driving force of the vertical feed drive shaft 272 to both vertical feed belts 28b provided on the leftmost seedling placement section 28a of the six seedling placement sections 28a and the vertical feed belt 28b provided on the seedling placement section 28a adjacent to the leftmost seedling placement section 28a (hereinafter referred to as the leftmost two row vertical feed belts 28L).

When the vertical feed drive shaft 272 is driven, the right-most of the three fractional row vertical feed clutches 20, the fractional row vertical feed clutch 20R, transmits the driving force of the vertical feed drive shaft 272 to both the vertical feed belt 28b provided on the right-most seedling placing section 28a of the six seedling placing sections 28a and the vertical feed belt 28b provided on the seedling placing section 28a adjacent to the right-most seedling placing section 28a (hereinafter referred to as the vertical feed belt 28R for the two right-most rows). When the vertical feed drive shaft 272 is driven, the driving force of the vertical feed drive shaft 272 is transmitted by the central fractional row vertical feed clutch 20N of the three fractional row vertical feed clutches 20 to the vertical feed belts 28b (referred to as the vertical feed belts 28N for the central two rows) provided on the two seedling placing sections 28a between the two seedling placing sections 28a on the left side and the two seedling placing sections 28a on the right side of the six seedling placing sections 28a.

Therefore, by switching on and off the leftmost of the three fractional row vertical feed clutches 20, the fractional row vertical feed clutch 20 switches on and off the transmission of power to the leftmost two row vertical feed belt 28L corresponding to the leftmost two row seedling planting mechanism 21L, switching the leftmost two row vertical feed belt 28L between a working state in which vertical seedling feed is performed and a non-working state in which vertical seedling feed is stopped.

Of the three fractional row vertical feed clutches 20, the central fractional row vertical feed clutch 20 is operated on and off to switch on and off the transmission of power to the central two row vertical feed belt 28N corresponding to the central two row seedling planting mechanism 21N, switching the central two row vertical feed belt 28N between an operating state in which vertical seedling feed is performed and a non-operating state in which vertical seedling feed is stopped.

Of the three fractional row vertical feed clutches 20, the rightmost fractional row vertical feed clutch 20 is operated on and off to switch on and off the transmission of power to the rightmost two-row vertical feed belt 28R corresponding to the rightmost two-row seedling planting mechanism 21R, switching the rightmost two-row vertical feed belt 28R between a working state in which vertical seedling feed is performed and a non-working state in which vertical seedling feed is stopped.

The powder and granular material supplying device 12, which is one of the field work devices, will now be described.
Fig. 4 is a rear view of the powder/granular material supplying device 12. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal side view of the powder/granular material supplying device 12. As shown in Figs. 2 to 5, the powder/granular material supplying device 12 is disposed in a position rearward of the driver's seat 33a of the traveling vehicle body 1. The powder/granular material supplying device 12 is supported by a supplying device frame 15. The supplying device frame 15 is connected to the vehicle body frame 10 via a pair of left and right front support columns 15a and a pair of left and right rear support columns 15b. The supplying device frame 15 includes a pair of front and rear support frames 15f, 15r facing laterally toward the vehicle body, which sandwich and support the upper end of a payout mechanism 16 (described later) from the front and rear (see Fig. 5).

The powder/granular material supply device 12 comprises a single powder/granular material tank 13 elongated in the lateral direction of the vehicle body, and four dispensing mechanisms 16 connected to the lower part of the powder/granular material tank 13 and aligned in the lateral direction of the vehicle body. Each dispensing mechanism 16 comprises a dispensing case 16a connected at its upper end to one of the four bottoms 13a aligned in the lateral direction of the vehicle body on the powder/granular material tank 13. Each of the four bottoms 13a of the powder/granular material tank 13 is funnel-shaped when viewed from the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle body. The left and right side walls 13b of each of the four bottoms 13a are formed as inclined walls that move inward of the bottom 13a as they approach the lower end.

As shown in Figure 5, each dispensing mechanism 16 includes the dispensing case 16a, the interior of which is connected to the storage space of the powder and granular material tank 13, as well as a dispensing rotor 16b mounted inside the dispensing case 16a so that it can rotate. The rotating dispensing rotor 16b dispenses powder and granular fertilizer stored in the powder and granular material tank 13 to the lower part of the dispensing case. More specifically, each dispensing rotor 16b has dispensing recesses formed on its circumferential surface in a line in the direction of rotation, and dispenses fertilizer (fertilizing work) by dispensing a set amount determined by the volume of the dispensing recesses, and by intermittent dispensing, with the dispensing interval determined by the spacing between the dispensing recesses.

An air inlet 16c is formed at the lower front of each payout case 16a. The air inlet 16c of each payout case 16a is connected to an electric air blower 18 via a single air duct 17 located in front of each payout mechanism 16 and facing laterally toward the vehicle body. As shown in Figure 1, an air intake duct 18a extends from the air intake of the air blower 18 to the vicinity of the engine 31. The air blower 18 draws in air whose temperature has risen due to heat dissipation from the engine 31, etc., to generate a conveying wind.

Two powder and granular material outlets 16d are formed at the lower rear of each dispensing case 16a. In the leftmost dispensing mechanism 16L of the four dispensing mechanisms 16, the two powder and granular material outlets 16d are connected to the leftmost powder and granular material supply section 22 of the six powder and granular material supply sections 22 and the powder and granular material supply section 22 adjacent to the leftmost powder and granular material supply section 22, respectively, by two powder and granular material supply pipes 14.

In the rightmost of the four dispensing mechanisms 16, the two powder and granular material outlets 16d, 16d are connected to the rightmost of the six powder and granular material supply sections 22 and to the powder and granular material supply section 22 adjacent to this rightmost powder and granular material supply section 22, respectively, by two powder and granular material supply pipes 14, 14.

In the left-side dispensing mechanism 16 of the two central dispensing mechanisms 16 of the four dispensing mechanisms 16, one of the two powder and granular material discharge outlets 16d, 16d formed in the dispensing case 16a is connected by a powder and granular material supply pipe 14 to the left-side powder and granular material supply outlet 22 of the two central powder and granular material supply sections 22 located between the two powder and granular material supply sections 22 on the left side and the two powder and granular material supply sections 22 on the right side of the six powder and granular material supply sections 22 of the paddy field work device 2. Of the four dispensing mechanisms 16, one of the two central powder and granular material outlets 16d, 16d formed on the dispensing case 16a is connected by a powder and granular material supply pipe 14 to the right powder and granular material supply part 22 of the two central powder and granular material supply parts 22 located between the two leftmost powder and granular material supply parts 22 and the two rightmost powder and granular material supply parts 22 of the six powder and granular material supply parts 22 of the paddy field work apparatus 2. The two central dispensing mechanisms 16 are configured to disable the function of dispensing powder and granular material from the powder and granular material outlet 16d to which the powder and granular material supply pipe 14 is not connected.

Therefore, the leftmost and rightmost dispensing mechanisms 16 of the four dispensing mechanisms 16 dispense fertilizer from the powder and granular material tank 13 using the dispensing rotor 16b in one dispensing case 16a, and the dispensed fertilizer is sent out from two powder and granular material outlets 16d to two powder and granular material supply pipes 14, 14 by conveying air at a temperature higher than room temperature from the blower 18, and is supplied to the powder and granular material supply section 22 at the horizontal end of the six powder and granular material supply sections 22 and the powder and granular material supply section 22 adjacent to the powder and granular material supply section 22 at the horizontal end.

The left dispensing mechanism 16 of the two central dispensing mechanisms 16 of the four dispensing mechanisms 16 dispenses fertilizer from the powder/granular material tank 13 using the dispensing rotor 16b, and delivers the dispensed powder/granular material from the powder/granular material outlet 16d to the powder/granular material supply pipe 14 by the conveying air from the blower 18 that is hotter than room temperature, and supplies it to the left powder/granular material supply section 22 of the two central powder/granular material supply sections 22 of the six. The right dispensing mechanism 16 of the two central dispensing mechanisms 16 of the four dispensing mechanisms 16 dispenses fertilizer from the powder/granular material tank 13 using the dispensing rotor 16b, and delivers the dispensed powder/granular material from the powder/granular material outlet 16d to the powder/granular material supply pipe 14 by the conveying air from the blower 18 that is hotter than room temperature, and supplies it to the right powder/granular material supply section 22 of the two central powder/granular material supply sections 22 of the six.

Although not shown, in this powder/granular material supply device 12, the leftmost of the four dispensing mechanisms 16 constitutes a left-end two-row dispensing mechanism 16 that supplies powder/granular material dispensed from the powder/granular material tank 13 to the single powder/granular material supply section 22 on the left side. The two central dispensing mechanisms 16 of the four dispensing mechanisms 16 constitute a central two-row dispensing mechanism 16 that supplies powder/granular material dispensed from the powder/granular material tank 13 to the two central powder/granular material supply sections 22. The rightmost of the four dispensing mechanisms 16 constitutes a right-end two-row dispensing mechanism 16 that supplies powder/granular material dispensed from the powder/granular material tank 13 to the two right-end two powder/granular material supply sections 22. Furthermore, a dispensing amount adjustment mechanism (not shown) is also provided that changes the number of drive rotations per unit time of the dispensing rotor 16b by rotating it, thereby changing the amount of fertilizer dispensed.

7, the steering handle 33b and the front wheels 11a are interlocked via an electric power steering device 40. More specifically, a torque sensor 42 that detects the rotational torque of the steering handle 33b is mounted on the steering shaft 41 of the steering handle 33b. An electric motor 43, which provides an assist force for rotating the steering handle 33b based on the detection results of the torque sensor 42, is interlocked with the steering shaft 11 via an electromagnetic clutch 44 and a gear mechanism 45. The steering shaft 41 and the front wheels 11a, which serve as steered wheels, are interlocked via linking mechanisms such as a pitman arm, knuckle arm, and tie rod (not shown). The detection signal from the torque sensor 42 is input to the automatic driving control unit 61 of the operation control unit 6 mounted on the traveling vehicle 1. The automatic driving control unit 61 generates a control signal based on the detection results of the torque sensor 42, etc., and drives and controls the electric motor 43 and the electromagnetic clutch 44, which switches on and off the transmission of the output of the electric motor 43, via the motor control circuit 6A. When the vehicle is traveling automatically, the electric motor 43 is controlled by a control signal from the automatic traveling control unit 61, and the steering wheel 33b is automatically operated regardless of the detection signal from the torque sensor 42.

Furthermore, although only schematically shown in Figure 7, the lifting cylinder 37 of the link mechanism 36 is driven and controlled via the solenoid control circuit 6B based on a control signal from the equipment control unit 62 of the operation control unit 6. When the lifting cylinder 37 rises, seedling planting work or fertilizing work is stopped, and when the lifting cylinder 37 descends, seedling planting work or fertilizing work is started.

The vehicle's own position, required for autonomous driving of the traveling vehicle 1, is determined from positioning data from the GPS module 5. As shown in Figure 8, the GPS module 5 comprises a GPS antenna 5A and a GPS processing circuit 5B. The GPS antenna 5A is attached to a location with good radio wave reception sensitivity—in this embodiment, the upper area of the handrail 35, as shown in Figure 2—via a quick-coupling connector 5C. The GPS processing circuit 5B is located in a control box CB (containing an electronic control unit 7) located below the driver's seat 33a. The GPS antenna 5A and GPS processing circuit 5B may be packaged and attached as a single GPS module 5 in a location with good radio wave reception sensitivity, with the GPS processing circuit 5B and control box CB connected via wire or wirelessly. Alternatively, multiple installation locations for the GPS antenna 5A or GPS module 5 may be pre-set, allowing selective installation at the optimal location depending on the region and climate. In this embodiment, the other attachment point is the top frame of the seedling tray 28, where the connection part 5C is provided.

A plate-shaped anti-reflection body, or ghost prevention body, is preferably provided below the mounting location of the GPS antenna 5A or GPS module 5 to prevent GPS radio waves from being disrupted by reflections from the water surface of the paddy field or the metal plates of the running body 1. Although not shown in the figure, a rainwater protection cover is installed on the powder and granular material supply device 12 of this riding rice transplanter, and when the GPS antenna 5A is mounted in that location, this rainwater protection cover is used as the ghost prevention body.

Figure 8 shows the control system equipped in this riding rice transplanter. This control system utilizes the basic principles of the present invention explained using Figure 1. The core of the control system is housed in the control box CB as an electronic unit.

In this embodiment, the functions of the information storage unit 71, task setting unit 72, route calculation unit 73, and driving assistance unit 8 constructed within the electronic control unit 7 have already been explained using Figure 1, so they will not be described here. The electronic control unit 7 also has a task position calculation unit 74 constructed as a functional unit other than those described above.

The coordinate position obtained from the positioning data from the GPS module 5 indicates the GPS receiving position, i.e., the position of the mounting location of the GPS antenna 5A. Therefore, to know the exact working position of the paddy field work apparatus 2 relative to the field (for example, the seedling planting position or fertilization position), it is necessary to correct the coordinate position obtained from the positioning data from the GPS module 5 using the positional deviation between the mounting location of the GPS antenna 5A and the working position of the paddy field work apparatus 2. The function of the work position calculation unit 74 is to perform this correction and calculate the field work position of the paddy field work apparatus 2.

Furthermore, the input signal processing unit 65 and notification processing unit 64 are located inside or outside the electronic control unit 7, and are each connected to the above-mentioned functional units built into the electronic control unit 7 so that they can exchange data. The input signal processing unit 65 processes signals from sensors and switches equipped on the riding rice transplanter, as well as signals input wirelessly from the outside, and transfers these signals to the necessary functional units. For example, signals specifying engine speed, wheel speed, remaining fuel, remaining number of seedlings, remaining amount of fertilizer, gear position, and the position (raised or lowered state) of the paddy field working implement (field working implement) 2 are input.

The notification processing unit 64 processes the information generated by the notification information generation unit 82 and outputs it to a notification device to notify the driver or the outside. Notification devices are typically a display 64a that displays image information and a speaker 64b that emits audio information, but buzzers and lamps are also included. The display 64a is equipped with a touch panel 66, and information input through the touch panel 66 is sent via the input signal processing unit 65 to the functional unit that requires that information.

An example of seedling planting using a riding rice transplanter configured as described above is explained using the schematic diagram in Figure 9. Here, the path calculation unit 73 sets a headland MA around the perimeter of the trapezoidal field to be worked on, with a width corresponding to the working width W, and calculates a travel path that is as long a straight-line distance as possible. For simplicity's sake, the travel path is divided into a work travel path consisting of four straight lines, a non-work travel path that is a transition path (direction change path) connecting the work paths at the headland MA, and a headland work travel path where work is finally performed on the headland MA. In other words, travel is straight within the inner area IA enclosed by the headland MA. In Figure 9, the entrance position (start point of travel) and exit position (end point of travel) of the field are indicated by outline arrows. Furthermore, the work travel path is indicated by a solid line, the non-work travel path by a dotted line, and the headland work travel path by a dashed line.

First, the rice transplanter enters the field from the entrance position and travels straight across the headland MA. When the seedling planting point by the seedling planting mechanism 21 reaches the coordinate position of the boundary between the headland MA and the inner area IA (shown as point P1 in Figure 9), the lifting cylinder 37 of the link mechanism 36 is activated to lower the paddy field work device 2 and switch the seedling planting mechanism 21 to the working state. In other words, this point P1 corresponds to the work start operating point, and when the coordinate position calculated by the work position calculation unit 74 matches the coordinate position of point P1, the operation information generation unit 81 generates operation timing information indicating that the work start operating point has been reached.

When the operation of the paddy field working apparatus 2 is in automatic mode, in response to the generation of this operation timing information, an operation control signal for the lowering operation of the paddy field working apparatus 2 by the lifting cylinder 37 and the planting operation of the seedling planting mechanism 21 is output from the operation control signal generation unit 83 to the operation control unit 6. Also, when the operation of the paddy field working apparatus 2 is in manual mode, in response to the generation of this operation timing information, notification information to that effect is generated by the notification information generation unit 82 and output to the notification processing unit 64. In manual mode, a notification encouraging manual operation is actually issued slightly earlier, taking into account the operation time by the driver.

When the straight-line work travel continues and the seedling planting point reaches the coordinate position of the boundary between the internal area IA and the headland MA (shown as point Q1 in Figure 9), the lifting cylinder 37 of the link mechanism 36 must be activated to raise the paddy field work device 2 and switch the seedling planting mechanism 21 to a non-working state in order to change direction. In other words, this point Q1 corresponds to the work end operation point, and when the coordinate position calculated by the work position calculation unit 74 matches the coordinate position of point Q1, the operation information generation unit 81 generates operation timing information indicating that the work end operation point has been reached.

Again, when the operation of the paddy field working apparatus 2 is in automatic mode, in response to the generation of this operation timing information, operation control signals for the lifting operation of the paddy field working apparatus 2 and the planting stop operation of the seedling planting mechanism 21 are output from the operation control signal generation unit 83 to the operation control unit 6. Furthermore, when the operation of the paddy field working apparatus 2 is in manual mode, in response to the generation of this operation timing information, notification information notifying the driver of a change of direction is generated by the notification information generation unit 82 and output to the notification processing unit 64. In manual mode, the notification urging manual operation is actually issued at a slightly earlier timing, taking into account the operation time by the driver.

The turning travel is non-work travel on the headland MA from point Q1, where the first straight-line work travel ends, to point P2, where the second straight-line work travel begins, and is a 180° turn travel with a large turning angle. When the coordinate position calculated by the work position calculation unit 74 reaches the coordinate position of point P2, the operation information generation unit 81 generates operation timing information indicating that the next work start operation point has been reached, and straight-line work travel in the opposite direction is performed.

The automatic driving control unit 61 may control the automatic driving of the traveling vehicle 1 in both the straight-line work driving described above and the non-work driving that involves turning, but the driver may also operate the vehicle in non-work driving that involves exceptional operations (especially turning).

In this way, when the machine reaches point Q3, where the final straight-line work run ends, it performs headland work travel along the headland work route of the headland MA. However, if the work travel conditions, such as the state of the ridges, are complex, it is better to have the traveling body 1 steered by the driver rather than automatically. Even in such cases, the burden on the driver can be reduced by issuing a warning that the traveling body 1 is approaching a corner where a turn is required.

The functions provided by the driving assistance unit 8 include not only assistance in steering the traveling vehicle 1 and operation of the paddy field work device (field work device) 2, but also assistance in replenishing materials necessary for agricultural work. The riding rice transplanter of this embodiment is equipped with a remaining amount detection unit (not shown) that detects the remaining amount of seedlings and fertilizer, and a supply failure detection unit (not shown) that detects material supply failure due to material jamming, which are themselves well known. When the remaining amount of material sent via the input signal processing unit 65 falls below a threshold level, the driving assistance unit 8 notifies the operation control unit 6 and outputs an operation control signal to stop automatic traveling. When the driving assistance unit 8 detects a supply failure via the input signal processing unit 65, it generates notification information to that effect and notifies the notification via the notification processing unit 64, and outputs an operation control signal to stop automatic traveling to the operation control unit 6. Furthermore, the route calculation unit 73 can also calculate an emergency route for the traveling vehicle 1 to automatically travel to a nearby ridge to replenish necessary materials or repair a supply failure.

The field work machine of the present invention is capable of automating not only the travel control of the traveling body 1, but also the control of the various operating devices that make up the field work device 2. Therefore, by recording the operation history data of such control information in a database, useful farming information can be obtained. In particular, by linking the operation history data with either positioning data from the GPS module 5 or map data stored in the field information storage unit 71a, or both, it can contribute to the management of agricultural work in fine plots in the field.

[Another embodiment]
(1) In the above-described embodiment, the path calculation unit 73 is built within the electronic control unit 7. However, as the path calculation algorithm becomes more complex, the required computing power increases. Therefore, a cloud network system may be adopted in which the path calculation calculation is performed by an external computer. Similarly, the information storage unit 71 may also be built within an external computer and configured to be accessed from the field work machine as needed. To do this, the field work machine must be equipped with a communication unit that can be connected to a data communication line such as the Internet.
(2) The conditions for path calculation performed by the path calculation unit 73 include the outline of the field and the entrances and exits to the field. However, other conditions may also be added, such as sunlight, ventilation, the location of the water intake, past travel paths recorded as past performance, such as the travel path and field conditions during previous work such as plowing or harrowing using a tractor, and the travel path and field conditions during harvesting work using a combine.
(3) In the above-described embodiment, it was assumed that the working width of the field work device 2 would not change while working on one field. However, if a field work device 2 with a changeable working width is used, a travel route may be calculated that changes the working width along the way.
(4) In the above-described embodiment, the path calculation unit 73 employs a turning reduction path algorithm that reduces non-work travel paths. However, other path algorithms may be selectively provided. For example, a curved path algorithm that calculates a work travel path along a curved road with a predetermined or larger radius of curvature is effective for fields with a fan shape. Furthermore, a path algorithm that calculates a precise travel path based on a rough image of the path input using an input device such as the touch panel 65 is also effective for fields with complex shapes.
(5) The field work machine according to the present invention is provided with a GPS function and a map data storage function, which can be used to provide route guidance to the field to be worked on.

The present invention can be applied not only to riding rice transplanters, but also to field work machines such as autonomous tractors equipped with field work devices.

1: Traveling machine body 12: Powder and granular material supply device 13: Powder and granular material tank 2: Field work device (paddy field work device)
21: Seedling planting mechanism 22: Powder and granular material supply section 27: Vertical feed drive mechanism 28: Seedling platform 28a: Seedling placement section 30: Floor 31a: Bonnet 33b: Steering handle 33c: Handle post 33d: Operation panel 35: Handrail 36: Link mechanism 37: Lifting cylinder 39: Spare seedling platform 40: Electric power steering device 5: GPS module 5A: GPS antenna 5B: GPS processing circuit 6: Operation control unit 61: Automatic travel control section 62: Work device control section 63: Input signal processing section 7: Electronic control unit 71: Information storage section 71a: Field information storage section 71b: Work information storage section 72: Work setting section 73: Route calculation section 74: Work position calculation section 8: Driving support unit 81: Operation information generation section 82: Notification information generation section 83: Operation control signal generation section

Claims (1)

The agricultural machine includes a traveling machine body, a field work implement that performs agricultural work in a field, a GPS module that outputs positioning data, and a driving assistance unit that provides driving assistance based on the positioning data and a driving route for work traveling using the field work implement,
the driving assistance unit is provided with an operation information generation unit that generates operation timing information including a transition timing at which the vehicle position transitions from the work travel path to a non-work travel path that involves a change in direction of the traveling vehicle when the traveling vehicle turns from the work travel path to a next work travel path in a headland of a field,
The operation timing information includes a timing of transition from a non-work traveling path to a work traveling path, which involves a change in direction of the traveling machine body, when the traveling machine body turns from the work traveling path to the next work traveling path,
The work driving is performed automatically by an automatic driving control unit, and the non-work driving is performed by a driver,
The driving assistance unit of the field work machine includes a notification information generation unit that notifies the driver of the end of work travel or the start of non-work travel at a slightly earlier timing, taking into account the operation time by the driver, as notification information for notifying the driver of operation timing based on the operation timing information.