JPH09123796A - Travel control device for autonomous vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [PROBLEMS] To ensure safety by reliably stopping a traveling vehicle during automatic traveling. SOLUTION: While the automatic mode is set (S4, S6), even if the limit switch in the interlocking mechanism is turned on by operating the hydraulic cylinder (S7: yes 9, a pulse signal is output from the vehicle speed sensor). When (S
8: yes), it is judged that the power supply from the engine 10 mounted on the vehicle to the traveling device has not been realized and the brake is applied, and the hydraulic cylinder is operated again to connect the traveling clutch and release the brake. After the execution (S9), the engine is stopped (S10) to reliably stop the traveling vehicle by so-called engine braking.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a traveling control device for an automatic traveling vehicle such as an automatic traveling type chemical sprayer (speed sprayer) in an orchard or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an automatic traveling type chemical spraying machine (speed sprayer) or the like in an orchard or the like, when an operator executes a chemical spraying work while riding on a traveling vehicle,
Considering that an operator may be exposed to a drug and may be harmful to health, the drug is sprayed while the traveling vehicle is unmanned.

In this case, an alternating current is caused to flow through an induction cable buried in the ground along a work route (induction route), and a change in the intensity of an alternating magnetic field generated from this induction cable is attached to the front portion of a traveling vehicle or the like. Detected by a pair of left and right pickup coils and other magnetic sensors, and taking the difference between the output value (voltage value) of the pair of left and right magnetic sensors that corresponds to the size of the lateral displacement of the traveling vehicle with respect to this induction cable The direction of the steered wheels in the traveling vehicle is determined so that the amount of lateral deviation (deviation amount) and the direction of lateral deviation (determination of right or left) are detected and the traveling vehicle travels along the guide cable based on the detection results. The steering control is performed by changing the value (see Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-84909).

On the other hand, when the traveling device is a four-wheel type traveling vehicle, the steering device (steering device), the traveling clutch device for connecting and disconnecting the power from the engine, and the forward traveling (backward) of the traveling vehicle. It is usually provided with a brake device for stopping the. Therefore, the applicant of the present application has previously described, in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 7-5307 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-33041, a manual mode in which an operation of an automatic traveling vehicle is manually operated (manual) and an automatic mode in which an unmanned vehicle is automatically driven. In the manual mode, both the traveling clutch petal and the brake petal are operated by the footwork of the operator to turn on the traveling clutch operating arm.
While enabling the OFF operation and the braking operation of the brake operating arm, in the automatic mode, the traveling clutch operating arm and the brake operating arm can be operated simultaneously via one actuator and the interlocking mechanism. Proposed composition.

As described above, when the traveling clutch operating arm and the brake operating arm can be operated simultaneously through one actuator and the interlocking mechanism in the automatic mode, the vehicle is decelerated during automatic traveling by an unmanned vehicle. If you want to do so or if you feel that the traveling aircraft has come off the guide route and you want to make an emergency stop, turn off the traveling clutch.
(Power off), the brake can be reliably applied without stopping the engine, and there is an advantage that the automatic driving mode is not interrupted.

[0006]

However, even if the actuator is actuated to actuate the traveling clutch to the OFF side, power may actually be generated at the traveling clutch location due to improper adjustment of the interlocking mechanism, abrasion or failure of the traveling clutch, or the like. In general, since the brake capacity is smaller than the capacity of the traveling clutch, the power of the engine causes the traveling machine body to move carelessly. In this case, there is a problem that the brake device is burned because the braking action is exerted by the brake.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above technical problems and to provide an automatic traveling vehicle which can safely perform an automatic traveling work.

[0008]

In order to achieve this object, a traveling control device for an automatic traveling vehicle according to the present invention is a traveling clutch device for interrupting power transmission from an engine mounted on the traveling vehicle to the traveling device. A brake device for stopping the traveling device, an interlocking mechanism for integrally operating the traveling clutch device and the braking device with one actuator, a vehicle speed sensor, and an automatic steering device,
When it is detected that the interlocking mechanism has been activated by the safety switch, and when a movement signal is output from the vehicle speed sensor, the actuator is activated again to connect the power through the traveling clutch device, and then the engine is turned on. The control means for controlling the stop is provided.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an automatic traveling type chemical spraying machine (speed sprayer) will be described. The speed sprayer has a driving operation section 2 provided with a handle 3 on the front side of a traveling vehicle 1, and the traveling vehicle 1 is provided with a chemical liquid tank 4 and a spraying section 5 at the rear thereof.

The spraying section 5 is provided with a large number of spray nozzles 6 facing the outer peripheral surface of the traveling vehicle 1 excluding the lower surface of the traveling vehicle 1 at appropriate intervals in a radially outward direction, and a blower 7 for sending air in the radially outward direction,
The spray nozzle 6 can be spray-controlled so as to perform spraying work in each of the three sections on the left and right and the upper surface of the traveling vehicle 1 or the two sections on the left and right. Reference numerals 8 and 8 indicate left and right front wheels,
Reference numerals 9 and 9 denote left and right rear wheels. These four wheels are so-called four-wheel drive types that can be driven by power transmitted from an engine 10 through a traveling speed change mechanism 11, respectively.
The power from 0 drives the blower 7 via the PTO output speed change transmission mechanism 12 and drives the dynamic injection pump 13 for the spray nozzle 6.

The steering device 14 with the steering wheel 3 is a power steering mechanism 15 including a mechanical or hydraulic system as shown in FIG. 3. The power steering mechanism 15 is a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 17 in a hydraulic circuit 16. When actuated and the hydraulic cylinder 17 extends, the rear wheels 9, 9 are turned to the left through the bell crank 18 having a W-shape in plan view, and the connecting rod 19 and the bell crank 20 having a V-shape in plan view are used. The front wheels 8 and 8 are changed to the right direction (when the hydraulic cylinder 17 is contracted, the front wheels are changed to the left and the rear wheels are changed to the right). It is a wheel steering type.

The hydraulic circuit 16 is shown in FIG.
Is an electromagnetic solenoid type control valve for the hydraulic cylinder 17 for automatic steering. Reference numeral 29 is an electromagnetic solenoid type control valve for controlling the hydraulic cylinder 30 as an actuator for operating the traveling clutch and the brake.
Is a control valve used in the case of manual steering operation. The control valves 29 and 28 are connected to a hydraulic pipe 31 branched from an upstream side of the control valve 23 for manual steering when hydraulic oil is fed from the hydraulic pump 22, and further, control valves for running clutch and brake operation. 29 is connected in series so as to be located upstream of the control valve 28 for automatic steering.

Therefore, when the control valve 29 is operated to a position other than the neutral position in order to operate the traveling clutch and the brake, the hydraulic cylinder 30 is preferentially operated, and the operation of the hydraulic cylinder 17 for steering is secondary. To be the target.
At the time of manual steering, the oil sent from the hydraulic pump 22 is sent to the hydraulic motor 21 via the control valve 23, and the amount of oil sent from the hydraulic motor 21 is made to be proportional to the rotation angle of the handle 3. The oil is sent to a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 17 which is attached to the steering mechanism 15. During automatic steering control, hydraulic oil is sent from the hydraulic pump 22 to the hydraulic cylinder 17 via the neutral position of the control valve 29 and the electromagnetic solenoid type control valve 28.

Reference numeral 25 is a steering angle sensor such as a potentiometer capable of detecting the steering angle of the front wheels 8. In this case, the average value of the orientation angles of the left and right wheels may be obtained and detected. The front wheels and the rear wheels may be connected via separate hydraulic cylinder type power steering mechanisms so that the front wheels and the rear wheels may be individually controlled. On the lower surface of the traveling vehicle 1, a pair of left and right magnetic sensors 26a, 26
b is provided. The magnetic sensors 26a and 26b may be pickup coils formed by winding a conductor in a coil shape, or may be Hall elements, Hall ICs, magnetoresistive elements, or magnetic transistors. By an alternating current of appropriate frequency applied to 27,
The strength of the AC magnetic field generated around the induction cable 27 can be detected. Induction cable 27
Will be laid in the trench formed along the guide route, which is the working route of the orchard, or buried underground.

Another embodiment of the means for detecting along the guide path is to detect a sign or a grove provided along the guide path by a sensor such as an ultrasonic sensor or an infrared sensor. Is also good. Next, the interlocking mechanism of the traveling clutch device and the brake device will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8. Reference numeral 60 denotes a traveling clutch having a conventionally known structure provided in association with the traveling transmission mechanism 11. Clutch petal for device (not shown), 6
Reference numeral 1 denotes a brake petal for a conventionally known hydraulic type brake mechanism (brake device), and these petals 60 and 61 are provided in a control section.

A support shaft 63 is rotatably supported by a bearing cylinder 65 supported on the back surface of a cover plate 62 of the driver's seat through a bracket 64, and one end of the support shaft 63 has the brake petal 61. The boss 61a fixed to the base of the brake arm is rotatably fitted, and the cylindrical base (boss) 67a of the operating arm 67 disposed adjacent to the brake petal 61 is fixed to the support shaft 63 via the pin 66. It is configured to integrally rotate.

The support shaft 6 extending from the other end of the bearing cylinder 65.
3, the cylindrical base portion 60a of the clutch petal 60 and the cylindrical base portion 68a of the actuating arm 68 for the clutch device are adjacent to each other and are rotatably fitted to each other. Actuating rods 69 and 70 for a brake device and a clutch device (not shown) are fixed to the cylindrical base portions 67a and 68a of the operating arms 67 and 68, respectively.

Between the operating arms 67 and 68, a case 71 having a substantially rectangular cross section and projecting from the cover plate 62 toward the driver's seat is provided. Roller-shaped pressing portions 72 and 73 are respectively projected at the tips of the two operating arms 67 and 68 in the lateral direction of the case 71, and the tips of the pressing portions 72 and 73 are formed on both left and right side surfaces of the case 71. Slot 71a,
The inside is exposed from 71b. Also, the clutch petal 60
The lower surface of the middle part of the arm portion 60b of the
7 so as to abut the upper surface of the pressing portion 72, and the lower surface of the arm portion 61b of the brake petal 61 so as to abut the upper surface of the pressing portion 73 of the operating arm 68 (FIGS. 5 and 5). 7).

In the case 71, a hydraulic cylinder 30 as an actuator, a balance arm 74 connected to a piston rod 30a of the hydraulic cylinder 30, and a pair of left and right swinging units swingably and swingably connected to the balance arm 74. It incorporates a dynamic link mechanism 75. The swing link mechanism 75 has the following configuration. That is, the cylindrical bosses 79a, 80 of the pair of left and right swing arms 79, 80 are attached to the support shaft 78 attached to the bracket 77 fixed to the inner surface of the case 71 from the reinforcing plate 76.
a is rotatably fitted, and the tip ends of the swing arms 79 and 80 are attached to the roller-like pressing portions 7 of the operating arms 67 and 68.
Face the upper surface of 2, 73 so as to abut.

The tip of a connecting arm 81 fixed to the cylindrical boss 80a of one swing arm 80 is rotatably pivotally attached to one pin 82 attached to the balance arm 74, and attached to the balance arm 74. The other end of the link 84 connected to the pin 83 is connected to the middle of the length of the other swing arm 79 via the connecting pin 85. Reference numeral 86 is a center pin that connects the piston rod 30a of the hydraulic cylinder 30 and the balance arm 74, and reference numeral 87 is a base end (upper end) of the hydraulic cylinder 30.
Is a bracket that attaches to and supports the reinforcing plate 76.
An upward biasing spring 88 is mounted on each of the arm portions 60b of the clutch petal 60 and the arm portion 61b of the brake petal 61 in the longitudinal direction, and the arm portions are not acted on by the respective pedal portions. 60b, 61b
Does not come into contact with the pressing portions 73, 72 of the operating arms 68, 67 (see FIG. 8).

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, reference numeral 90 is a protruding piece protruding from the tubular base portion 68a of the operating arm 68 for the traveling clutch, and the limit switch 91 as a safety switch is the traveling vehicle. When the actuating arm 68 is turned so that the clutch device is turned off (power cutoff), the protrusion 90 is brought into contact with the actuating arm 68 to sense that the interlocking mechanism by the hydraulic cylinder 30 is actuated. Is.

The limit switch 9 is used to detect that the interlocking mechanism by the hydraulic cylinder 30 has operated.
A safety switch such as 1 may be arranged at the tip of the hydraulic cylinder 30 on the protruding side of the piston rod 30a, or at a position where the rotation of the connecting arm 79 or 80 is sensed. In addition to the contact type, a non-contact type sensor such as a photo interrupter may be used.

In the above construction, when the traveling clutch device is manually operated (manually operated), when the clutch petal 60 is stepped on with a foot, the operating arm for the traveling clutch is formed on the lower surface of the arm portion 60b in the longitudinal direction. The pressing portion 73 of 68 is pressed downward, and the operating arm 68 is rotated downward about the support shaft 63. In conjunction with this movement, the operating rod 70 rotates to turn off (run off power) a traveling clutch device (not shown) (see FIG. 8). Similarly, when manually operating the brake device, the brake petal 6
By depressing 1, the pressing portion 72 of the operating arm 67
Can be performed by pressing downward and rotating.

Next, in the automatic mode, the piston rod 30a of the hydraulic cylinder 30 for integrally and substantially simultaneously operating the traveling clutch device and the brake device.
When the balance arm 74 is moved downward by the downward protrusion, the connecting arm 81 for the traveling clutch is rotated via the pin 82 at one end of the balance arm 74, and the swing arm is rotated integrally therewith. Actuating arm 6 at the tip of arm 80
The pressing portion 73 of No. 8 is pressed downward, the operating arm 68 for the traveling clutch is rotated downward, and the clutch is turned off. At this time, the pin 8 at the other end of the balance arm 74
3, the other swing arm 79 for braking is rotated downward via the link 84 and the connecting pin 85, and the tip of the swing arm 79 pushes down the pressing portion 72 of the brake operation arm 67 to operate. The braking operation is executed by the downward rotation of the arm 67.

In this case, the balance arm 7 pivotably swinging through the center pin 86 attached to the piston rod 30a.
When the traveling vehicle is stopped, since the rotation amount (and the rotation speed) of the traveling clutch swing arm 80 and the rotation amount (and the rotation speed) of the brake swing arm 79 are different due to the movement of No. 4, Further, it is possible to enable the operation in which the traveling clutch is turned off first and then the brake starts to be applied, and it is possible to prevent the engine from stopping during sudden braking (during an emergency stop).

In these automatic modes, the clutch petal 60 and the brake petal 61 do not rotate even if the operation arms 67 and 68 rotate downward, so that the safety of the feet of the operator in the cockpit can be ensured. . In addition, by adjusting the stroke between the interlocking portion (not shown) of the brake device and the operating rod 69 in accordance with the wear of the brake shoe, the swing arm 79 and the like related to the movement of the hydraulic cylinder 30 can be obtained. There is no need to adjust the location. It goes without saying that the above configuration is applicable not only to the chemical spraying machine but also to other automated vehicles for work.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the spray section 5, in which the liquid chemical from the chemical liquid tank 4 enters the dynamic injection pump 13 through the tank drain valve 32 and the filter 33, and through the main valve 34 and the pipe 35. Left and right and center (upper) from the chemical liquid distributor 36
To spray the spray nozzle 6 in each direction through the switching valves 37, 38, 39 of the switching valves 37, 38, 39.
The switching operation motors 37a, 38a, 39a are provided in, and it is possible to select spraying the chemical liquid only in a predetermined direction depending on the positional relationship between the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle and the object to be scattered (tree). Reference numeral 40 is a pressure regulating valve, and reference numeral 41.
Is a stop valve connected to the correction spray discharge pipe 42,
A hose (not shown) is connected to the tip of the pipe 42, and a tree that has not been sprayed with the chemical solution is manually sprayed.

Next, the operation of the traveling control will be described with reference to the functional block diagram of the control means shown in FIG. In FIG. 10, a central processing unit (CPU) 100 as a control unit executes control of a traveling vehicle by software of a microcomputer, and although not shown, a readable / writable memory (RAM) and a read only memory (ROM). And so on.

The input port of the CPU 100 is
Magnetic sensor 26 for detecting magnetism from the induction cable 27
a and 26b terminals, a limit switch 91 terminal as the safety switch, and an automatic mode setting switch 94
And the terminal of the vehicle speed sensor 92 are connected to each other to input a signal. Here, the vehicle speed sensor 92 is associated with the axle of the front wheel 8 or the rear wheel 9, and although not shown, it is composed of a slit disk that rotates integrally with the axle and a photo interrupter that senses the movement of the slit. ,
It is composed of a device that can detect the number of rotations of the axle per unit time and a magnetic sensor that senses that a protruding piece protruding from the outer circumference of the axle is approaching. When the vehicle speed sensor 92
A more predetermined pulse signal is output. The vehicle speed is calculated by the number of pulse signals per unit time. Therefore, if the number of pulse signals per unit time is large, the vehicle speed will be high.

At the output port of the CPU 100, a drive circuit 95 for an electromagnetic control valve 28 for operating the hydraulic cylinder 17 for steering, an electronic governor 93 for adjusting the fuel injection amount to adjust the output of the engine 10, It is connected to a drive circuit 96 for the electromagnetic control valve 28 of the hydraulic cylinder 30 which operates the interlocking mechanism of the traveling clutch device and the brake device. Although various sensors and drive circuits for spraying the chemical liquid are also connected to the input / output interface of the CPU 100, illustration and description thereof are omitted here.

Next, the operation of the traveling control will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 11. An operator (worker) gets on the driver's seat 2 of the traveling vehicle 1 and turns on the key switch in the driver's seat. Turn to the ON side (S
1) The control device 100 is put in a standby state (S2). From the time the power is turned on until the engine is activated, it is necessary for the operator to manually perform various tasks in order to ensure safety, so the engine is manually activated (S3). next,
It is determined whether or not the automatic mode setting switch 94 is ON (automatic mode setting state) (S4). When the automatic mode setting switch 94 is OFF (S4: no), the operator executes a manual operation (S5).

The operator selects the automatic mode setting switch 94.
When the switch is turned on (S4: yes), the operator then descends from the traveling vehicle and issues an operation instruction signal with the wireless remote control device 97 to drive the traveling vehicle along the guide cable 27 as described above. The automatic running of spraying the chemical liquid is performed while performing (S6). During this automatic steering,
When the traveling vehicle is disconnected from the guide cable or when the operator desires to stop the traveling vehicle, when a stop signal is sent from the wireless remote control device 97, the piston rod 30a of the hydraulic cylinder 30 is actuated to project, and as described above. The limit switch 91 outputs an ON detection signal on the protruding piece 90.

It is judged whether the limit switch 91 is ON (S7), and if the limit switch 91 is ON (S7).
7: yes), and then it is determined whether or not the pulse signal from the vehicle speed sensor 92 is output (S8). The limit switch 91 as the safety switch is ON (S7: yes
), And when it is determined that there is a pulse signal (S
8: yes), although the operating arm 68 for the traveling clutch is rotating, the power cut-off by the traveling clutch device is not actually realized, and the power from the engine is transmitted to the axle. , It is understood that the traveling vehicle is moving even though the braking is being applied. Therefore, if such a state is left as it is, the traveling vehicle moves while the brake is applied, so that the traveling vehicle cannot be stopped and the brake device is burned.

Therefore, in response to a command signal from the CPU 100, the piston rod 30a of the hydraulic cylinder 30 is first moved backward to connect the running clutch and release the brake (S9), and then send a command signal to the electronic governor 93. The engine is stopped (S10), and then the process returns to S1. By this control, so-called engine braking is applied when the traveling clutch is connected to the stopped engine, the traveling vehicle is reliably stopped, and burning of the brake device can be prevented.

The limit switch 91 is turned off.
In the case of (S7: no), or when it is determined that there is no pulse signal (S8: no), it is sufficient to return to S6 and continue the automatic traveling.

[0036]

As described above, in short, the traveling control device for an automatic traveling vehicle according to the present invention includes a traveling clutch device for interrupting power transmission from an engine mounted on the traveling vehicle to the traveling device and a traveling device. A braking device that
In the case where an interlocking mechanism that integrally operates the traveling clutch device and the brake device by one actuator, a vehicle speed sensor, and an automatic steering device are provided, and a safety switch detects that the interlocking mechanism has operated, When a movement signal is output from the vehicle speed sensor, a control means is provided to control the engine to be stopped after the actuator is actuated again to connect the power via the traveling clutch device. Even if the actuator is driven to integrally operate the clutch device and the brake device, the traveling clutch is connected and the brake is released again without actually leaving the state in which the power from the engine is transmitted to the traveling device. To stop the engine with the output side of the engine and the traveling device connected. While preventing burnout of the rake is of an effect that can be reliably execute the stop of the traveling vehicle.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a medicine sprayer.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the medicine sprayer.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the steering device.

FIG. 4 is a control hydraulic circuit diagram of a steering device and the like.

FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view of a traveling clutch and a brake operating portion.

6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG.

7 is a side view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 6;

8 is a side view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a mechanism block diagram of a spray unit.

FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a control unit.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of travel control.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 traveling vehicle 8,8 front wheels 9,9 rear wheels 10 engine 11 traveling speed change mechanism 12 power transmission mechanism 13 dynamic injection pump 14 steering device 16 hydraulic circuit 17 hydraulic cylinder 22 hydraulic pump 23 control valve 26a, 26b magnetic sensor 27 induction cable 28 Electromagnetic control valve for automatic steering 29 Electromagnetic control valve 30 Hydraulic cylinder 91 Limit switch 92 Vehicle speed sensor 93 Electronic governor 94 Automatic mode setting switch 95, 96 Drive circuit 97 Wireless remote control device 100 Control device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A traveling clutch device for interrupting power transmission from an engine mounted on a traveling vehicle to a traveling device,
A brake device for stopping the traveling device, an interlocking mechanism for integrally operating the traveling clutch device and the braking device by one actuator, a vehicle speed sensor, and an automatic steering device are provided, and the interlocking mechanism is operated by a safety switch. When it is detected that the vehicle has been operated, when a movement signal is output from the vehicle speed sensor, the actuator is operated again to power-connect via the traveling clutch device, and then control means for controlling the engine to stop. A travel control device for an automatic vehicle, comprising: