JPH025375B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The disclosed technology belongs to the technical field of automatically adjusting the cutting height of a pretreatment section of an agricultural machine.

<Summary of the gist> This invention relates to an automatic cutting height control device for a self-propelled agricultural machine having a cutting height detection sensor attached to a pre-processing section divider, and in particular, the invention relates to an automatic cutting height control device for a self-propelled agricultural machine having a cutting height detection sensor attached to a pre-processing part divider. It has a wave emitting/receiving device that detects the height of reflection of waves from the field and a control device for the wave energy of the wave emitting/receiving device. The arithmetic processing unit of the central processing unit determines the average cutting height based on the signal from the transmitter/receiver, and uses the hydraulic lifting device of the pre-processing section to adjust the height of the pre-processing section to a predetermined level. During mowing, the above-mentioned wave control device is operated in conjunction with the grain culm sensing device to weakly regulate the vibration waves, allowing grain culms to pass through, and the pre-processing section posture is always maintained at an optimal level regardless of row mowing or horizontal mowing. This invention relates to an automatic cutting height control device for a self-propelled agricultural machine.

<Prior art> As is well known, in the past, the cutting height of agricultural machinery such as a combine harvester while in motion was determined by mechanically turning a lever of a detection sensor extending downward from a divider in a pre-processing section to follow the shape of the field. According to the amount of rotation, the hydraulic elevating device of the pre-processing section is operated to make adjustments.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> Therefore, the pretreatment section responds to ups and downs in the field by moving up and down, making it difficult to maintain a stable posture.

On the other hand, when working in wet fields, the lever sank due to its own weight, making it impossible to accurately measure the cutting height.

<Object of the invention> The object of the invention is to solve the problem of automatic cutting height control of self-propelled agricultural machines such as combine harvesters based on the above-mentioned conventional technology, and to achieve a stable machine posture regardless of whether it is in dry or wet fields. Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide an excellent automatic cutting height control device which can accurately measure the cutting height even in horizontal cutting, and which is useful in the field of mechanical technology application in the agricultural industry.

<Means/effects for solving the problems> In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the structure of the present invention, which is summarized in the above-mentioned claims, is based on a superstructure provided in a pre-processing section of a self-propelled agricultural machine. A non-contact cutting height exploration sensor such as a sonic sensor measures the reflection time of vibration waves from the field by the wave emitting/receiving device of the exploration sensor, and then the central processing unit calculates the average of the measured values. If a change greater than the set change amount at the field level is detected with respect to the set value, the hydraulic lifting device of the pre-processing section is operated up and down to a predetermined value, and the output of the vibration wave during row mowing is increased. In horizontal mowing, the wave energy control device, which is installed in the divider and operates in conjunction with the grain culm sensing device whose lever rotates, weakens the waves, so that height detection from the field is inhibited by the grain culm. Technical measures have been taken to ensure that the process is carried out without being tampered with.

<Example> Next, an example of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. In addition, in each drawing, the same reference numerals are used to describe the same parts.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a combine harvester as a self-propelled agricultural machine, in which a pre-processing section 2 for two-row cutting is attached to the front part of the machine body, and dividers 3, 3, 4 are attached in the middle on both sides of the lower tip, and a crawler 5, The post-processing device 6 mounted on the hydraulic lifting device 5 is connected to the post-processing device 6 via a link 8 of a hydraulic lifting device 7 and a hydraulic cylinder 9 that engages with the link 8.

Further, the post-processing device 6 includes a pre-processing section 2 and a conveying device 1.
A threshing section 11 and a grain tank 12 are provided which are connected to each other via a grain tank.

In addition, 13 is a field and 14 is a grain culm.

On the other hand, on both sides of the intermediate divider 4, there are levers 17 of a sensing sensor 16 as a grain culm sensing device connected to an automatic steering control (ADC) device 15, which will be described later.
The levers 17, 17' extend on both sides so as to be able to return freely, and a cutting height detection sensor 19, which is electrically connected to an automatic height control (AHC) device 18, which will be described later, is located between the levers 17, 17' and the left and right sides. It is attached to the lower part of the divider 4 at the same position in the direction.

Therefore, the cutting height detection sensor 19 is
As shown in the figure, an appropriate well-known ultrasonic wave emitting/receiving device 20 as a wave emitting/receiving device is attached and directed toward the farm field 13.

In addition, 24 is a recessed part, such as a worker's footprint, which is sunk and formed between the row-cut grain culms in the field 15.

As shown in FIG. A transmitting/receiving device 20, an automatic/manual ultrasonic output control switch 25, and
Input interfaces 27 that electrically connect the cutting height setting volumes 26 are connected to an output device 29 via a central processing unit (CPU) 28, and further, from the output device 29, the circuit on the ADC device 15 side is connected. One circuit is connected to the steering clutch 31 of the crawler 6 via a hydraulic switching valve 30, and the other circuit is
It is electrically connected to an electrical ultrasonic output control volume 22 as a wave control device connected to an arithmetic processing unit 28' of the CPU 28 to adjust the output of ultrasonic waves.

Further, the AHC device 18 side is connected to the hydraulic cylinder 9 of the hydraulic lifting device 7 of the pre-processing section 2 via the hydraulic control device 33.

The ultrasonic output control volume 22 is linked to the levers 17 and 17' of the grain culm detection sensor 16, and when the levers 17 and 17' are both in the state of sensing the grain culm during horizontal mowing work, the ultrasonic output control volume 22 is connected to the levers 17 and 17' of the grain culm detection sensor 16. On the other hand, the ultrasonic transmitting/receiving device 20 is preset so as not to detect scattered reflected waves that do not reach a predetermined energy of a predetermined reflected wave.

In addition, the operation is automatic/
It is possible to selectively perform manual operations.

In the above configuration, when the combine 1 is driven in the field 13 in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 2a to perform row cutting harvesting after the cutting height is set to a predetermined value using the cutting height setting volume 26, 3a,
As shown in FIG. 3b, the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitting/receiving device 20 of the AHC device 18 is reflected from the field 13 and received, and the received signal is transmitted to the input interface 27 shown in FIG. The reflection time of the ultrasonic wave is measured from the input interface 27 by the central processing unit (CPU) 28, and the reflection time of the ultrasonic wave is measured by the arithmetic processing unit 28', for example, three times, and the average value is set separately from the above set value. It compares whether or not it exceeds the amount of fluctuation that was set, and if it exceeds it, the output device 2
9, a predetermined operating current is applied to the hydraulic switching valve 30.

Then, the hydraulic cylinder 9 is actuated by the pressure oil supplied from the hydraulic switching valve 30, and the cutting height of the pre-processing section 2 is adjusted to the set position.

Thus, the automatic steering control (ADC) device 15 operates by lever 1 provided on the intermediate divider 4 of the preprocessing section 2.
When the lever 7' comes into contact with the grain culm 14, the machine body is rotated in the mowing direction, while when the lever 17 detects the grain culm 14, the left and right drive of the crawler 5 is controlled so as to rotate the machine body in the uncut direction. The pre-processing section 2 is oriented in the direction of the grain culm 14 to perform a predetermined reaping operation.

On the other hand, even when the divider 4 faces between the grain culms 14, 14, the ultrasonic waves are strongly transmitted to the field 15, and even if the depth of the recess 24, such as an unnecessary footprint, is detected relative to the originally required level of the field 15. , since the depth is extremely unbalanced compared to the general level,
Since the amount is averaged and ignored by the arithmetic processing unit 28' and does not exceed the set variation amount, only the recessed portion 24 is not measured.

The calculation of the average height of the reflected waves by the processing unit 28 can be easily performed using the computer technology at the time of filing of this invention.

Therefore, in the horizontal mowing operation shown in FIG. 2b, that is, when the combine harvester 1 is run in the direction of arrow C, the planting row gap between the grain culms 14, 14 is generally narrower than the rows, and the space provided in the divider 4 is levers 17, 17'
sense the grain culms 14, 14 almost simultaneously.

Then, both levers 17, 17' operate as a type of horizontal mowing switching sensor, and in response to the signal, the central processing unit (CPU) 28 energizes the output control volume 22 of the mowing height detection sensor 19 from the output device 29. However, the ultrasonic output is weakened to lower the reception ability, and since the field level between grain culms is generally average, the detection of level fluctuations due to reflected waves is weakened.

Therefore, as shown in Figures 4a and b, the grain culm 1
The planting rows of 4 and 14 are unorganized and the divider 4 is set to 1.
Even if the energy reflected from the grain culm 14 is weakly attenuated even when the grain culm 14 penetrates into one plant, the grain culm 14 will not be detected regardless of whether or not there is diffuse reflection of the reflected wave, and the energy reflected from the grain culm 14 will not be detected in a wide area. Only energy is detected and height detection continues.

Therefore, even if the ultrasonic wave is incident within the short width of the footprint 24 between the rows, the output is received in a weak state, so the amount of change in the setting of the average detection signal will change relatively. However, in order not to exceed the amount, the hydraulic lifting device 7 is not raised or lowered.

Of course, even in such a case, if a field is detected where the average of the detected reflected waves exceeds the set variation amount, it goes without saying that the hydraulic lifting device 7 is raised and lowered.

It goes without saying that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various embodiments can be adopted.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, according to the present invention, in the automatic cutting height control device for a self-propelled agricultural machine, the cutting height detection sensor is made into a wave emitting/receiving device, and the vibration waves generated from the wave emitting/receiving device are used to control the field. Since the vertical gap between the front and pre-treatment parts is measured without contact, the cutting height can be accurately determined from above the water surface in wet field work, and regardless of the soft and hard ground of the field in dry field work. On the other hand, when row mowing is performed depending on the strength of the output of the wave emitting/receiving device, the cutting height is determined based on the average level of the vibration waves reflected by the processing unit under the normal output of the wave emitting/receiving device. Therefore, it does not malfunction even when the field is slightly uneven, and stable running is maintained. Therefore, the handling depth during threshing is always constant, and there is no unhandled grain or shedding, and stable operation is maintained. An excellent effect is achieved in that the harvesting work can be easily performed.

On the other hand, in horizontal mowing, the wave control device is activated by the lever of the grain culm sensing sensor, and is linked to the row cutting sensing operation of the grain culm. The vibration wave output of the grain culm is weakened, so even if the grain culm is interrupted or the grain culm planting row spacing is narrow, the vibration energy reflected from the grain culm will be attenuated and the grain culm will not be detected, and the vibration energy from the field will be reduced. The effect is that the cutting height can be measured more accurately.

Therefore, when the lever is not sensing the grain culm during row mowing, the output of the vibration wave is not weakened, and the field is widely sensed to cover a wide sensing area, regardless of field holes etc. This has the effect of being able to measure the set cutting height.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings are explanatory diagrams of one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the combine harvester in operation, FIG. 2a is a plan view of the combine 1 in the row cutting state, FIG. 3a is an enlarged front view of section A in FIG. 1, FIG. 3b is a side view of the same, FIG. 4a is a front view of the wave control device in operation, FIG. 4b is a side view of the same, and FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram. 2... Pre-processing section, 19... Cutting height exploration sensor,
18... Automatic cutting height control device, 21... Wave generation/reception device, 22... Wave energy control device, 12
... Hydraulic lifting device, 27 ... Input interface, 28 ... Central processing unit, 28' ... Arithmetic processing unit, 4 ... Divider, 16 ... Grain culm sensing device,
17,17'...Lever.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an automatic cutting height control device for a self-propelled agricultural machine having a cutting height detection sensor in a pre-processing section, the cutting height detection sensor is connected to a wave emitting/receiving device that measures the height of reflection due to waves from the field. It has a wave energy control device for the wave emitting and receiving device, and the wave emitting and receiving device calculates the average reflection height from the field by the wave through the input interface to the hydraulic lifting device of the pre-processing section and the central processing unit. The wave energy control device is connected to a grain culm sensing device provided in the divider so that the wave energy can be attenuated when the lever of the grain culm sensing device is actuated to detect horizontal mowing. An automatic cutting height control device for a self-propelled agricultural machine, characterized in that the height from the field is measured during horizontal cutting.