JPS5830001B2 - Sensors for automatic steering of agricultural machinery - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sensor for automatic steering of agricultural machinery that comes into contact with a planted stem culm, moves backward, and operates a steering mechanism installed on the agricultural machinery.

In general, in agricultural machinery, automatic steering means, for example, which automatically moves the machine along a row of planted stems, is used to manually steer the machine by an operator. This is done by using a steering clutch brake (steering mechanism), and the braking effectiveness of this steering clutch brake is determined by manual operation, for example, to the extent that it is possible to turn a part of a corner, in other words, it is quite effective. It is strongly structured.

When using such strong brakes for automatic steering,
With the current method of continuously operating the steering clutch/brake while the sensor is in contact with the stem culm, the amount of steering is too large, resulting in excessive rotation.

If such excessive turning occurs, the aircraft will come into contact with the stem culm on the turning side in a short period of time, causing the aircraft to meander violently.

The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and by rationally configuring the operating range of the sensor, even if the sensor is displaced backward over a large range, the steering mechanism does not operate for a long time. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sensor for automatically steering an agricultural machine, which prevents over-turning and facilitates automatic steering of the machine as expected without insufficient turning.

That is, the automatic steering sensor for agricultural machinery of the present invention is a sensor that is moved backward when it comes into contact with a planted stem culm to operate the steering mechanism of the agricultural machinery, and within the backward displacement range of this sensor. , is characterized in that a plurality of small sensor action areas are provided with appropriate non-action areas separated from each other.

That is, since the sensor action is performed only when passing through a small range of action within the entire backward displacement range, the steering mechanism is not operated for a long time in accordance with the amount of backward displacement.

Therefore, although the sensor can be moved backwards significantly to allow the introduction of the stem culm, the operating time of the steering mechanism can be shortened to prevent excessive rotation, and the time in which it is in contact with the stem culm on the turning side can be lengthened. As a whole, the severe meandering phenomenon is reduced and stable automatic steering control is easily achieved.

Furthermore, the sensor action area is configured to span multiple locations separated by a non-action area of an appropriate range, so when the aircraft approaches the stem culm, it will pass through the action area on the lower side of the backward displacement. The sensor action activates the steering mechanism again to turn the aircraft, making it possible to avoid trampling on nearby stem culms and eliminate insufficient turning.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below based on illustrative drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a combine harvester, in which shell culm lifting devices 1 and 1 are arranged opposite to each other at the front of the machine, and a lifting and shell culm reaping device 2 is arranged behind the pulling device 1゜1. The cut husk is supplied by a rear conveyance device 3 to a threshing device 4 mounted at the rear of the machine.

Reference numeral 5.5 is a dividing rod, and a relatively long sensor 7, γ is rotatably attached to these dividing rods 5, 5.
It is biased by a spring into the shell culm detection standby position, which is almost perpendicular to the direction of movement of the aircraft.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the sensor 7 is attached to the case 6 attached to the dividing rod 5 by rotatably pivoting a shaft 8, and the sensor 7 is attached by a cam 8a attached to the shaft 8. , this cam 8a has two coil springs 9, 1 stored in the case 6.
The roller 11, which is biased at 0, is in elastic pressure contact, and the sensor attachment biases the shaft 8 to the return position (the culm detection position in which the sensor 7 enters the culm introduction path).

The shape of the cam 8a is designed to prevent the sensor 7 from suddenly returning from the backward rotation position due to the stored spring force. It is configured so that the sensor switch (described later) is not activated.

In the first range (3) where the sensor 7 contacts the culm and rotates slightly, the motion switch S for the sensor 7 is not activated, and the sensor 7 only unexpectedly rotates slightly. In this case, malfunction prevention means are taken to prevent the switch S. from operating.

Then, in the second small range (3) of constant backward displacement, the switch S is operated to operate the hydraulic control valve A, and the hydraulic pressure operates the steering clutch brake (steering mechanism) 13 installed in the traveling device 12. The structure is such that the aircraft is steered in a direction in which the sensor 7 does not hit the shell culm.

When the sensor 7 reaches the third range (2) beyond the second small range (2) and further moves backward, the operation of the switch S is stopped, and when the sensor 6 reaches the fourth small range (2), the switch S is switched again. is activated, and when the fifth range (3) is reached, it is configured to become inactive again.

In other words, within the backward displacement range of the sensor 7, a small sensor action area ■, ■ is an appropriate non-action area (third range) ■
It is located at multiple locations separated by.

According to such a configuration, if the culm is located far away from the sensor 7, the sensor T passes through the second small range (■) and then returns from the culm. When a signal is generated when passing, the steering clutch/brake 13 is activated for a short period of time to prevent the aircraft from turning too much and to prolong the time it takes to contact the culm on the turning side.

Next, if the culm is close to the sensor 7, even if the aircraft passes through the second small range ■ and turns, the sensor 7 will not come off the culm. The aircraft rotates, passes through the third range ■, reaches the fourth small range ■, activates the switch S again, activates the steering brake 13, turns the aircraft further, and corrects the lack of turning. This prevents the aircraft from accidentally stepping on the culm due to a sideslip.

In other words, although the sensor 7 rotates widely to allow the introduction of the culm, the signal that activates the steering brake 13 is short to prevent excessive rotation and to provide the fourth small range (2). This avoids insufficient turning, reduces meandering as a whole, and reduces trampling on the culm.

In addition, for the machine body equipped with the traveling device 12, the stem culm pretreatment unit 14, which is composed of the stem culm pulling devices 1, 1, the reaping device 2, and the rear conveyance device 3, is laterally displaced from side to side with respect to the machine body. (steering) is provided, and this steering mechanism is connected to the sensor 7.
The pretreatment section 14 may be configured to be actuated by action to steer the pretreatment section 14 left and right to follow the row of stem culms.

Alternatively, only the stem culm pulling devices 1, 1 may be configured so that they can be steered left and right, and the stem culm lifting device 1.1 may be configured to be steered left and right to follow the stem culm row by the aforementioned action. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings illustrate embodiments of the sensor for automatic steering of agricultural machinery according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a side view of a combine harvester, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the control device showing the relationship between the control device and the machine body, and FIG. 3
4 is a longitudinal side view of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional plan view of FIG. 3. 7...Sensor, 13...Steering mechanism,
■, ■・・・Action area, ■・・・Non-effect area.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A sensor that comes into contact with a planted stem culm and is displaced backward to activate the steering mechanism 13 of the agricultural machine, and within the backward displacement range of this sensor 7, there is a small sensor action area ■, ■
A sensor for automatic steering of agricultural machinery, characterized in that it is provided at multiple locations separated by a non-operating area of an appropriate range.