JP7576236B2 - Work vehicles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a work vehicle for agricultural work, and in particular to a type of work vehicle in which a work implement is attached to the rear of the traveling body.

Recently, due to deregulation of the Road Transport Vehicle Act, work vehicles can now travel on public roads with work equipment attached to the vehicle body. For this reason, it is important to ensure the visibility of the lighting devices, reflectors, and various signs (hereinafter collectively referred to as various lighting devices) provided at the rear of the vehicle body when work equipment is attached. For example, if various lighting devices are attached to the work equipment, visibility from the rear is good, but when changing the work equipment depending on the work content, various lighting devices must be attached to each work equipment attached to the vehicle body, which is time-consuming.

The following Patent Document 1 discloses a work vehicle in which various lighting devices are attached to a safety frame provided at the rear of the traveling vehicle body. With this disclosed work vehicle, various lighting devices are attached to the safety frame, so when using different work machines, it is not necessary to attach various lighting devices to each work machine.

JP 2017-7605 A

However, with the work vehicle described in Patent Document 1, due to the structure of the safety frame, it is difficult to arrange various lighting devices outside the vehicle width of the traveling vehicle body, and the range in which various lighting devices can be installed is limited. As a result, if the overall width (outermost part) of the work equipment is greater than the width of the traveling vehicle body, it becomes difficult to comply with the safety standards of the Road Transport Vehicle Act, which stipulates the installation position of various lighting devices from the outermost part. In addition, there is room for improvement for the various lighting devices installed on the safety frame, as they are hidden by the work equipment and have poor visibility. This problem is particularly noticeable when the work equipment is raised by the lifting mechanism.

Therefore, in order to solve these problems, the present invention aims to provide a work vehicle that reduces the effort required to install various lighting devices and ensures visibility.

In order to achieve the above object, the first invention provides:
A work machine intermediate coupling device is provided between the traveling vehicle body and the work machine in a detachable manner,
The work vehicle is characterized in that the work machine intermediate coupling device is provided with a various lighting device mounting frame body to which various lighting devices can be attached.

According to the first invention, a large space can be secured on the work vehicle for mounting various lighting devices, making it easy to ensure visibility. Furthermore, when the work equipment is changed for use, there is no need to mount various lighting devices on each work equipment, reducing the labor required. Also, the mounting location of various lighting devices can be unified. In addition, the wiring connecting the various lighting devices can be made shorter than when the various lighting devices are mounted on the work equipment.

The second invention is the above-mentioned first invention,
The various lighting device mounting frame body has a longitudinal direction in the vehicle width direction of the traveling vehicle body and has mounting portions for mounting various lighting devices arranged thereon;
A support frame for supporting the various lighting device mounting frames is provided,
The support frame is characterized by having a height adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the height of various lighting fixture mounting frames.

According to the second invention, in addition to the effect of the first invention, the height adjustment mechanism allows the height at which the various lighting devices are attached to be adjusted, so that visibility of the various lighting devices can be ensured regardless of the shape of the work machine, and it can be used with a variety of work machines.

The third invention is the second invention,
The various lighting device mounting frame is configured such that the overall length of the various lighting device mounting frame is such that the left end position and the right end position are located outside the traveling vehicle body,
The lamp is characterized in that it is provided with a left-right width adjustment mechanism that enables the left-right width to be adjusted by expanding and contracting the various lamp mounting frames.

According to the third invention, in addition to the effects of the second invention, the overall length of the various lighting device mounting frame is configured so that its left and right ends are located outside the traveling body, so that good visibility of the various lighting devices can be ensured even when a work machine larger than the width of the traveling body is attached. Also, the height adjustment mechanism and left/right width adjustment mechanism make it possible to make it compact when not in use.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is the third aspect of the present invention,
The support frame is characterized in that its upper end can be rotated back and forth to adjust the angle.

According to the fourth invention, in addition to the effect of the third invention, the angles of various lighting devices can be adjusted so that they are reliably visible from behind when driving on public roads.

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a work vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of the rear part of the work vehicle of FIG. FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view of the rear part of the work vehicle shown in FIG. 1 with the work implement removed. 4 is a rear view of the work vehicle with the work machine intermediate coupling device and the work machine of FIG. 1 separated therefrom. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the work machine intermediate coupling device of FIG. 6 is a left side view of the work machine intermediate coupling device of FIG. 4. FIG. FIG. 7 is a rear view of the working machine intermediate coupling device, showing the range in which various lighting devices can be attached. FIG. 8 is a left side view of the work machine intermediate coupling device M supported by the caster stand T. FIG. 9 is a rear view of a work vehicle according to a modified example.

Below, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the forward direction of the work vehicle A is referred to as the front, the opposite direction is referred to as the rear, and the right side when facing forward is referred to as the right, and the left side is referred to as the left.

<1. Overall configuration of the work vehicle>
FIG. 1 is a left side view of a work vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 1 shows a tractor 1, which is an agricultural machine, as an example of a work vehicle of the present invention.
The vehicle body A of the tractor 1 has an engine room a2 covered with a bonnet a1 at the front of the vehicle body A, and an engine E is mounted in the engine room a2.

A cabin a3 is supported on the top of the traveling vehicle body A. Inside the cabin a3, a driver's seat a5 is located at the top of a transmission case a4, and in front of the driver's seat a5 are a steering wheel a6, a forward/reverse lever a7, a parking brake (not shown), etc. Also located in front of the driver's seat a5 are a speedometer (not shown), various operation switches (not shown), etc. Located below and in front of the driver's seat a5 are driving operation tools such as a clutch pedal a8, an accelerator pedal a9, and left and right brake pedals (not shown).

The transmission case a4, located under the traveling vehicle body A, receives power from the engine E through the input shaft, changes the speed of the power through a speed change device, and transmits the power separately to the traveling system of the traveling wheels a10, a10 and the working system of the PTO shaft a11.

The driving system transmits the power of the engine E to the rear wheel differential and the front wheel differential via the forward/reverse switching unit, main transmission unit, sub transmission unit, etc. The rear wheel differential is provided with left and right brakes to brake the driving wheels a10, a10.

The other working system is structured so that the rotational driving force of the engine E is transmitted to the PTO transmission via a PTO clutch (not shown) inside the transmission case a4, and the rotational driving force is appropriately reduced according to the combination of each gear of the transmission, and is output to the outside from the PTO shaft a11 at the rear of the vehicle. As a result, when a work machine R such as a rotary tiller is attached to the traveling vehicle body A, the rotational power of the engine E is transmitted to the work machine R via the PTO shaft a11, and is configured to drive the work machine R.

A hydraulic cylinder case a13 containing a hydraulic cylinder a12 is provided above the rear of the transmission case a4, and lift arms a14, a14 that rotate due to the expansion and contraction of the hydraulic cylinder a12 are pivotally attached to both the left and right sides of this hydraulic cylinder case a13.

In addition, the PTO shaft a11 protrudes rearward from the rear of the traveling vehicle body A, and the PTO shaft a11 is docked with the extension shaft rs of the work machine R via a PTO shaft cover a15 equipped with a shaft that transmits the rotational driving force of the PTO shaft a11, thereby transmitting the rotational driving force from the PTO shaft a11 to the work machine R (see FIG. 2).

<2. Connection configuration of work machine>
2 is a partial enlarged view of the rear part of the work vehicle A in FIG. 1, and is a partial enlarged view of the rear part of the work vehicle A with the work implement R in FIG. 1 removed.
2 and 3, a lifting link mechanism is provided at the rear of the traveling vehicle body A, which is raised and lowered by a lift rod a16 rotatably attached to a lift arm a14 and is made up of a top link a17 and a lower link a18. A working machine coupling device J for coupling a working machine R is attached to the rear of this lifting link mechanism and is coupled to the top link a17 and the lower link a18.

The work machine coupling device J is configured to couple the work machine R, and is equipped with a first top hook j2 that can hook the pin r1 of the upper part of the work machine R to the upper part of the first mountain-shaped frame j1 that is curved in an approximately mountain shape, and first pin receiving parts j3, j3 that can fit the pins r2, r2 of the lower part of the work machine R on the left and right sides of the lower part of the first mountain-shaped frame j1.

Here, the work machine coupling device J in this embodiment is connected to a work machine intermediate coupling device M, which will be described later, and a detachable work machine intermediate coupling device M is interposed between this work machine coupling device J, and the work machine R is attached to the traveling vehicle body A. In other words, the work machine R is not directly connected to the work machine coupling device J, but is connected to the work machine intermediate coupling device M. Note that if the specifications of the work machine coupling device J and the work machine R match, it is also possible to directly connect the work machine R to the work machine coupling device J and attach it. In the following, it is assumed that the specifications of the work machine coupling device J and the work machine R are different.

<3. Intermediate coupling device for work equipment>
4 is a rear view of the work vehicle 1 with the work machine intermediate coupling device M and the work machine R of FIG. 1 separated, FIG. 5 is a rear view of the work machine intermediate coupling device M of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a left side view of the work machine intermediate coupling device M of FIG. 4.
This work machine intermediate connecting device M comprises a second mountain-shaped frame m1 which is curved in an approximately mountain shape, an upper plate m2 arranged on the upper part of this second mountain-shaped frame, and left and right fixed plates m3, m3 arranged on the left and right sides respectively on the lower part of this second mountain-shaped frame m2.

The upper plate m2 has a second top pin m21 made of thin round steel at its front and a hook-shaped second top hook m22 at its rear. When the work machine intermediate coupling device M is installed, this second top pin m21 is hooked onto the first top hook j2, and further, the pin r1 at the top of the work machine R is hooked onto the second top hook m22 (see Figure 2).

The left and right fixed plates m3, m3 have a lower pin m31 made of thin round steel at the front and a concave second pin receiving portion m32 at the rear. When the work machine intermediate coupling device M is installed, this lower pin m31 fits into the first pin receiving portion j3, and the pins r2, r2 at the bottom of the work machine R fit into the second pin receiving portion m32 (see Figure 2).

Here, the triangle formed by connecting the first top hook j2 and the left and right first pin receiving parts j3, j3 in the work machine coupling device J with straight lines is configured to have a different shape or size from the triangle formed by connecting the second top pin m21 and the left and right second pin receiving parts m32, m32 in the work machine intermediate coupling device M with straight lines. As a result, even if the standards of the work machine coupling device J and the work machine R are different (i.e., the positions of the pin r1 on the top of the work machine R and the pins r2, r2 on the bottom of the work machine R do not match the positions of the first top hook j2 and the first pin receiving parts j2, j2 of the work machine coupling device J for hooking/fitting them), by sandwiching the work machine intermediate coupling device M between them, the work machine intermediate coupling device M plays a role in absorbing the difference in standards, and a work machine R of a different standard from the work machine coupling device J can be attached to the traveling vehicle body A.

The work machine coupling device J is provided with a first operating lever j4, and the work machine intermediate coupling device M is provided with a second operating lever m4, which can be attached and detached with a single touch by a specific operation.

<4. Installation configuration of various lighting devices>
As shown in FIG. 5, the work machine intermediate coupling device M is provided with a various lighting device mounting frame body MK to which various lighting devices K can be attached.

This various lighting device mounting frame MK comprises a base frame mk1 fixed to the top of the second mountain-shaped frame m1, a support frame mk2 extending in the vertical direction, and various lighting device mounting frames mk3 extending in the horizontal direction. The various lighting device mounting frames mk3 are fixed horizontally to the upper ends of the two support frames mk2, mk2, which are erected on the base frame mk1, forming a frame body.

The base frame mk1 is a rod-shaped member with a circular cross section whose longitudinal direction is the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) and is fixed to the top of the second mountain-shaped frame m1 so as to penetrate the upper plate m2.

The support frame mk2 is a frame material with its length in the vertical direction, and supports the various lighting device mounting frame mk3 at its upper end, while the support mounting member mk4 is provided at its lower end. Two are attached to the base frame mk1, one on each side of the upper plate m2. The support mounting member mk4 rotatably attaches the support frame mk2 to the base frame mk1, and the support frame mk2 can be fixed by fixing means such as screws or bolts. This makes it possible to adjust the mounting angle of the support frame mk2. As a result, the support frame mk2 can be fixed in a vertical state, as well as in a forward or backward tilted state, relative to the base frame mk1 by a specified operation. This allows the angle of the various lighting devices K to be adjusted so that they can be reliably seen from behind when driving on public roads.

The support frame mk2 also has a height adjustment mechanism that adjusts the height of the various lighting device mounting frames mk3. This height adjustment mechanism is realized by constructing the support frame m2 as separate components, an upper support frame mk21 on the upper side and a lower support frame mk22 on the lower side, and drilling multiple height adjustment holes mk23, mk23, ... along the length of each frame, into which fixing members such as screws or bolts can be attached.

This makes it possible to adjust the overall length L of the support frame mk2 by changing the connection position that connects the upper support frame mk21 and the lower support frame mk22. As a result, the height position of the various lighting device mounting frames mk3 that are supported and fixed to the upper end of the support frame mk2 can be adjusted.

The various lamp mounting frame mk3 is a frame material arranged in a horizontal position with the left-right direction as the long side, and is fixed to the upper ends of the left and right support frames mk2, mk2. The various lamp mounting frame mk3 is provided with a plate-shaped mounting section mk4 having a plurality of mounting holes to which various lamps K can be attached over a predetermined range. The mounting holes of the mounting section mk4 are provided over the entire mounting section mk4 at a predetermined pitch. More specifically, the various lamps K that can be attached to the mounting section mk4 include headlights, width lights, tail lights, rear reflectors, brake lights, reverse lights, direction indicators, license plate lights, etc. In the illustrated example, the mounting sections mk4, mk4 are provided on both the left and right ends of the various lamp mounting frame mk3, but this is not limited to this, and the mounting section mk4 can be provided at any location on the various lamp mounting frame mk3.

The various lighting device mounting frame mk3 is equipped with a left-right width adjustment mechanism that can adjust its left-right width W, left end position wl, and right end position wr. This left-right width adjustment mechanism is realized by separately constructing the various lighting device mounting frame mk3 into a central frame mk31 in the center that is supported and fixed to the left and right support frames mk2, mk2, a right frame mk32 connected to the right of the central frame mk31, and a left frame mk33 connected to the left of the central frame mk31, and drilling multiple length adjustment holes mk34, mk34, ... along the length direction of each frame to which fixing members such as screws or bolts can be attached.

This makes it possible to adjust the left-right width W, left end position wl, and right end position wr of the various lighting device mounting frame mk3 by changing the connection positions at which the right frame mk32 and the left frame mk33 are connected to the central frame mk31.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the work machine intermediate coupling device M, showing the range in which various lights K can be attached by the various light mounting frames MK.
7, the various lighting device mounting frame MK has a mounting range D above the second mountain-shaped frame m1 in which various lighting devices K can be mounted by adjusting the height position, left and right width W, left end position wl, and right end position wr of the various lighting device mounting frame mk3 using the height adjustment mechanism and left and right width adjustment mechanism. This mounting range D is set by the overall length L of the support frame mk2 and the left and right width W, left end position wl, and right end position wr of the various lighting device mounting frame mk3.

The left and right end positions wl and wr of the various lighting device mounting frame mk3 can be extended outward beyond the vehicle width of the traveling vehicle body A by the left and right width adjustment mechanism, so that the mounting range D can be set wider in the left and right direction than the vehicle width of the traveling vehicle body A, and the mounting positions of the various lighting devices K in the up and down direction can be changed by the height adjustment mechanism. This ensures the visibility of the various lighting devices K regardless of the shape of the work machine R, and can accommodate various work machines R. In addition, the left and right end positions wl and wr of the overall length W of the various lighting device mounting frame mk3 are configured to be at a length that is positioned outside the traveling vehicle body A, so that the visibility of the various lighting devices K can be ensured well even when a work machine R larger than the vehicle width of the traveling vehicle body A is attached.

Also, since the various lighting device mounting frame MK is provided on the work machine intermediate coupling device M, a large space for mounting the various lighting device mounting frame MK on the work vehicle 1 can be secured, making it easier to ensure visibility. Furthermore, when the work machine R is used by changing it, there is no need to mount various lighting devices K for each work machine R, which reduces the labor. Also, the mounting locations of the various lighting devices K can be unified. In addition, compared to when the various lighting devices K are mounted on the work machine R, the wiring connecting the various lighting devices K can be made shorter. Furthermore, the various lighting device mounting frame MK can be made compact when not in use by the height adjustment mechanism and the left and right width adjustment mechanism, which is convenient. The left end position wl and the right end position wr of the various lighting device mounting frame mk3 are configured to be shortened inward from the vehicle width of the traveling vehicle body A, so that contact with the outside can be prevented when not in use.

<5. Caster stand>
FIG. 8 is a left side view of the work machine intermediate coupling device M supported by the caster stand T.
As shown in Figure 8, when the work machine intermediate coupling device M is not in use, the work machine intermediate coupling device M is supported on a caster stand T equipped with a caster t1 that can rotate in all directions and a support rod portion t2 that can be attached to and supported by the work machine intermediate coupling device M, and is configured to be easily moved.

<6. Other>
When the work machine R is attached to the working machine intermediate coupling device M mounted on the traveling vehicle body A, the extension shaft rs is not connected, which can prevent problems caused by forgetting to turn off the PTO while traveling on public roads. Also, by connecting the extension shaft rs, it is possible to work with various lighting devices K attached.

By configuring the first mountain-shaped frame j1 and the second mountain-shaped frame m1 so that they are substantially parallel in a side view, it is possible to prevent changes in the working posture of the work machine R due to the intermediate connecting device M being installed.

7. Modifications
Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Therefore, various modifications or changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, the above-described embodiment may be modified as follows. Note that the same reference numerals are used for components equivalent to those in the above-described embodiment, and the description will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described.

FIG. 9 is a rear view of the work vehicle 1 according to the modified example.
As shown in Fig. 9, the work machine intermediate coupling device M' according to the modified example has a base frame mk1' that is longer than the width of the traveling vehicle body A, and is configured so that the left and right ends are located on the left and right outer sides of the traveling vehicle body A, and a support frame mk2', a mounting frame mk3' for various lights, a mounting portion mk4', and a support mounting member mk5' are disposed on the left and right outer sides of the traveling vehicle body A when viewed from behind. The mounting frames mk3' for various lights are provided on the left and right sides, respectively. This arrangement can prevent interference between the work machine intermediate coupling device M' and the traveling vehicle body A or various members when the work machine R is raised and lowered by the lifting link mechanism.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the height adjustment mechanism of the support frame mk2 is configured to be step-wise adjustable in height by drilling height adjustment holes mk23, mk23, ..., and the left/right width adjustment mechanism of the various lighting device mounting frames mk3 is configured to be step-wise adjustable in length by drilling length adjustment holes mk34, mk34, ..., but it may also be configured to be steplessly adjustable by known stepless adjustment means. This allows for finer adjustment.

A Traveling vehicle body a1 Bonnet a2 Engine room a3 Cabin a4 Transmission case a5 Driver's seat a6 Steering handle a7 Forward/reverse lever a8 Clutch pedal a9 Accelerator pedal a10 Traveling wheels a11 PTO shaft a12 Hydraulic cylinder a13 Hydraulic cylinder case a14 Lift arm a15 PTO shaft cover a16 Lift rod a17 Top link vicinity a18 Lower link J Work machine coupling device j1 First mountain-shaped frame j2 First top hook j3 First pin receiving portion j4 First operating lever M Work machine intermediate coupling device m1 Second mountain-shaped frame m2 Upper plate m3 Fixing plate m4 Second operating lever m21 Second top pin m22 Second top hook m31 Lower pin m32 Second pin receiving portion K Various lighting devices MK Various lighting device mounting frame body mk1 Base frame mk2 Support frame mk3 Various lighting equipment mounting frame mk4 Mounting part mk5 Pillar mounting part R Work machine r1 Upper pin r2 Lower pin rs Extension shaft T Caster stand t1 Caster t2 Support rod part

Claims (2)

A work machine intermediate coupling device is provided between the traveling vehicle body and the work machine in a detachable manner,
The working machine intermediate coupling device includes a lighting device mounting frame body capable of mounting various lighting devices,
The various lighting device mounting frame body is arranged in a horizontal position with the left-right direction of the traveling vehicle body as a longitudinal direction, and has mounting parts for mounting various lighting devices, and a various lighting device mounting frame is arranged;
A support frame having a vertical direction as a longitudinal direction and supporting the various lighting device mounting frames is provided,
the support frame is separately constructed of an upper support frame on the upper side to which the various lighting device mounting frames are attached and a lower support frame on the lower side, and is provided with a height adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the height of the various lighting device mounting frames by adjusting the overall length of the support frame by a connecting position that connects the upper support frame and the lower support frame, and
The work vehicle is characterized in that the various lighting device mounting frame is provided with a plurality of mounting holes, to which various lighting devices can be attached, over a predetermined range in the left-right direction. The various lighting device mounting frame is configured such that the overall length of the various lighting device mounting frame is such that the left end position and the right end position are located outside the traveling vehicle body,
A left-right width adjustment mechanism is provided to adjust the left-right width by expanding and contracting the various lighting device mounting frames,
The work vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the support frame is rotatably attached to a base frame that is provided on the work machine intermediate coupling device with its longitudinal axis extending in the left-right direction, so that the angle can be adjusted by rotating the upper end side back and forth around the base frame.