Title of Invention

"A Rice Transplanter"

Abstract

A working vehicle is provided with a speed changer (48) that is driven by the output of an engine (2) and changes the working speed. A working speed change operation member (30) for operating the speed of the speed changer (48) and an engine revolution change member (87) for changing the rotational speed of the engine are interlocked through a connection member (88). In a working vehicle, such as a rice planter where a speed changer for changing the working speed such as the traveling speed is driven by the engine output, the rotational speed of the engine is always set to a low value when the vehicle is, for example, in a low work speed state as in traveling or in a stationary state. This results that the engine is operated quietly and effectively for excellent work performance.

Full Text

New National Phase Patent Application in India for PCT/JP2003/0 16290 Our rcf'~ MI-0035-TN DESC ~IPTION WORKING VEHICLE TECHNICAL P1 I~LD The present invention relates to a working vehicle such as a rice-planting machine, which is provided with a seedling-placement platform and a seedling planting claw to continuously perform a seedling planting operation, a tractor or a combine harvester. EACKOROUND ART There has been conventionally a technique using a hydrostatic transmission (HST) constituted of a variable displacement-type hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor as a traveling speed change device in a ricc~ planting machine, in which only a lever for operating the speed change device is used to change an angle of a swash plate of the transmission (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2979580). Normally, in conventional rice-planting machine, during work, a vehicle speed is changed by manipulating a speed-changing lever with an acceleration lever for changing an engine speed being at a high-speed position. However, the engine is held at a high speed as long as the acceleration lever i~i not returned from the high-speed position to a low-speed position, even if the speed-changing lever is turned to a neutral-position so as to stop the machine during a seedling rooting operation, 1 s~ir~uoiiv IN]I~d 1 ~INI 0I0A\A~J Lt~: IL ~ New National Phase Patent Application in India for PCT/JP2003/o 16290 Our ref MT-0035-IN thereby inhibiting a silent work. In addition, when a hydrostatic l;ransmission is operated at a high speed with an engine being held at a low speed, there may be a fear that. an output from the engine becomes short, or when a clutch mechanism is in engaged with both the hydrostatic 1;ran~mission and the engine being held at high speed, there may be a fear that the machine is abruptly started. DISCLOSURE OF THE IN'~tNTION A working vehicle according to the preRent invention indudes a speed change device that is driven by an output of an engine and changes a working speed, wherein a working speed change operation member for operating a speed change of the speed change device and an engine revolution change member for changing a rotational speed of the engine are interlocked through a connection member. Consequently, the rotational speed of the engine is made to be low with certainty when the working vehicle travels at a low speed or is stopped, thereby silently and effectively driving the engine so as to excellently perform a work. Furthermore, the working vehicle may further include an engine revolution change operation member for operating the engine revolution change member, wherein the engine revolution change member is operated by both of the engine revolution change operation member and the working speed change operation member when the engine revolution change operation member is at a low speed position, and the engine revolution change member is operated only by the engine revolution change operation 2 ~AiN~i01IV INili/d 1 .INI 0I0)IVH I '~Ujf~i)8@—NflQ—~CiCt~ New National Phase Patent Application in India for PCT/JP2003/016290 Our ref MF0035-TN member when the engine revolution change operation member is at a high speed position. As a consequence, an optimum working speed (traveling) mode is accurately selected according to various kinds of working conditions, for example, at the time of an escape from an ill-drained paddy field, in which the working vehicle must travel at a low speed with a high torquc. thereby enhancing workability. Moreover, the engine revolution change operation member and the working speed change operation member are connected to the engine revolution change member via a bifurcated wire and, also, a resilient member is interposed between the working speed change operation member and the wire. Thus, it is possible to prevent any variation of operation by increasing an operating stroke on the side of the working speed change operation member more than th~~t on the side of the engine revolution change operation member with a simple structure using the wire and the resilient member such as a spring, so as to change the working speed at a stable rotational speed of the engine all the time, thereby enhancing working reliability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is :-in overall side view of a rice planter; FIG. 2 is an overall plan view of the rice planter; FIG. 3 is an overall front view of the rice planter; FIG. 4 is a side view of a chassis: FIG. 5 is a plan view of the chassis; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an engine unit; FIG. 7 is a side view of the engine unit FIG. S is a plan view of the engine unit; FIG. 9 is a front 3 ~t'@/9@@ d t78~9 99~9 90(XVd) S2~]NPdOIIV INiL~d 1 ~INI 0I0A~1 ~V: LI (0~)8~—NflQ—9Cul~7 New National Phase Patent Application in India for PCT/JP2003/0 16290 Our ref: MI-0035-IN view of the engine unit; FTC. 10 is a perspective illustration of the engine unit; FIG. 11 is a perspective illustration of the engine unit; FIG. 12 is a urosssectional illustration of a hood unit; FIG. 13 is a plan illustration of the hood unit; FIG. 14 is an illustration of an engine cooler unit; FIG. iSis a front illustration of the hood unit; FIG. 16 is an illustration of an engine throttle unit; FIG. 17 is an illustration of a speed change pedal unit; FIG. is is an illustration of a bifurcated wire unit; FIG. 19 is an illustration of a wire joint unit; FIG. 20 is a perspective viow of a fLxed frame unit; FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the fixed frame unit; and FIG. 22 is an illustr~iton of the bifurcated wire unit. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Examples of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a side view of the entire vehicle. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front view of the same. Fig. 4 is a side view of the vehicle body. Fig. 5 is a top view of the same. in these Figs, reference numeral 1 is a vehicle which allows an operator to get onto. The vehicle 1 is so configured that an air-cooled engine 2 is mounted on a vehicle body frame 3, front wheels 6 for paddy field are supported to both sides of a transmission case 4 via front axle cases 5, and the rear wheels 8 for paddy field arc supported on rear axle cases 7 which is positioned at the rear of the transmission case 4. Further, in the vehicle 1, spare seedling-placement platforms 10 are provided at both sides of a bonnet 9 covering the engine 2 and other components. The transmission case 4 and other 4 £A]NU0II~ INiI~'d 1 ~INI OI0AV~ tP: II (G]('tL~' 80—Nm—~Dc~ New National Phase Patent Application in India for PCT/JP2003/0 10290 'Our ref MI-0035-IN components are covered by a body cover 11 onto which an operator gets. Further, in the vehicle 1, a driver's seat 13 is attached onto the upper rear of the body cover 11 via a seat frame 12, and a steering wheel 14 is provided on the rear of the bonnet 9 and the front of the driver's seat 13. In the Figs., reference numeral 15 is a planting unit which includes a seedling-placement platform 16 for eight-row planting, a plurality of seedling planting claws 17 and the like. The synthetic resin seedling-placement platform 16 which is inclined for~vardIy with the front higher than the rear is supported on a planting case 20 in a slidable manner along a transverse direction via a lower rail 18 and a upper rail 19. The planting unit 15 further includes rotary cases 21. which arc supported by the planting cases 20 so as to rotate at a constant: speed in one direction. The rotary cases 21 are provide with a pair of claw cases 22, 22 which are installed at the positions symmetrical about the rotation axis of the cases 21, and seedling planting claws 17, 17 which are attached at the tips of the claw cases 22, 22. In the vehicle 1., a hitch bracket 23 located at the front of the planting case 20 is connected to the rear of the vehicle body via a lifting linkage 26 including a top link 24 and a lower link 25. A hydraulic lifting cylinder 27 which raises and lowers the planting unit 15 via the linkage 26 is connected to the lower link '25. The vehicle 1 is so configured that the planting claws 17 draw one planting unit of seedlings from the seedling-placement platform which is slid from side to side with the rear and front wheels 6. 8 being driven for traveling so as to successively plant seedlings. SA]N'dOIIV INiI~d 1 ~ir~JI OI0A~H New National Phase Patent Application in India for PCT/JP2003/016290 ~Our ref MI-0035-TN In the Figs., reference numeral 2S is a main shift lever, reference numeral 29 is a planting operation lever which performs turning on and off and marking operation of the planting unit 15 of the lifting and planting clutch, reference numeral 30 i~ a speed change pedal, reference numeral 31 i~ an accelerator ]ever, and refer~nc~ num~ml ~2 i~ a unit clutch lcver Further in the Figs., reference 33 is a central float for leveling two central ro~vs, reference numeral 34 are right and left side floats for leveling two side rows, reference numeral 35 are auxiliary right and left floats for leveling outermost side rows, reference numeral 36 is an cightiateral-row fertilizer distributor which discharges the fertilizer in a fertilizer hopper 37 to a lateral row furrower (not shown) of the floats 33, 34, 35 by using the wind force of a blower 38. As shown in Figs. 4 to 5, the vehicle body frame 3 is divided into three parts; a pair of front portion frames 39, a pair of middle portion frames 40 and a pair of rear portion frames 41. The engine 2 is provided on the right and left front portion frames 39. The front axle case 5 is provided on the right and left middle portion frames 40. The rear axle case 7 and a fuel tank 42 which supplies fuel to the engine 2 and the like are provided on the right and left rear portion frames 41. A front frame 43 and a base frame 44 are connected between the right and left front portion frames 39 at a front end portion and a middle portion of the front portion frames 39 to form a square frame when viewed on a plane. The engine 2 is mounted on a bracket 45 of the front portion frames 39 and the base frame 44 via vibration-absorbing rubbers 46. 6 \]NU0LL~ IN]I~d 1 INI OI0>f~V~ New National Phase Patent Application in India for PCT/JP2003/0 16290 Our ref MI-0035-IN A power steering case 47 is provided to the left front of the transmission case 4, and a hydrostatic transmission (UST) 48 is provided on the right side of the transmission case 4. A transmission input pump shaft 49 of the hydrostatic transmission 48 is protrudcd toward the front of the vehicle bod~ The pump shaft ~ i~ connected to the transmission shaft 50 in the longitudinal direction at the right lower side of the engine 2. The transmission shaft 50 is connected to an output shaft 51 of the engine 2 via a transmission belt 52 to transmit the output of the engine 2 to the hydrostatic transmission 48. The transmission case 4 and the rear axle case 7 are integrally connected by a tubular connecting frame 53 along the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle body. A traveling output shaft 54 and a PTO output shaft 55 are protruded rearward from the transmission case 4. The traveling output shaft 54 is connected to a rear input shaft 56 protruded forward from the front of the rear axle case 7 via a rear transmission shaft 57 to transmit power from the traveling output shaft 54. to the right and left rear wheels S. Moreover, the PTO output shaft 55 is connected to a countersh~ift 59 provided at a shaft bearing 58 of an upper part of the rear axle case 7 via a universal joint shaft 60. The countershaft 59 is connected to the input shaft of the planting case 20 via a universal joint shaft to transmit power from the PTO output shaft 55 to the planting unit 15. As shown in FIGS. (5 to 14, a muffler 62 for the engine 2 is attached onto the lower side of a step mount 61 on the left outward of the front portion frame 39 and, also, a battery mount 65 for a battery 64 for starting 7 S~]NH0II~ IN]IVd 1 ~I11I 0I0AVV~ 917:1 1 ']i)~D—m~—99o~ New National Phase Patent Application in India for PCT/JP2003/016290 Our ref: MI-0035-IN the engine 2 is attached to another step mount 63 on the right outward of the front portion frame 39. Additionally, an engine cooling fan 67 is accomniodated inside of a fan case 66 which is rearward of the engine 2. A cooling air intake port 68 i~ defined at substantially thc center of the rear surface of the fan case 66. A dust-proofing net 69 is stretched over the intake port 68. An oil cooler 70 of a vertical type for engine oil, transmission oil, hydra ulic stepless transmission (HST) oil and the like is disposed rearward of the intake port 68 so that a longitudinal direction of the oil cooler extends along the transverse direction of the vehicle. The oil cooler 70 is connected to and supported by a steering wheel column 73 of the steering wheel 14 via an ~jttachment board 71 and an attachment plate 72. The oil cooler 70 is forcibly cooled by using the engine cooling fan 67 without any independent cooling fan special to the oil cooler 70, thereby enhancing the cooling effect by the oil cooler 70 and achieving compact incorporation of the oil cooler 70 within a small space. Moreover, an upper portion rearward of the engine 2 is covered with a square box-like cover 74., and further, an air cleaner 75 for the engine 2 is interposed between the cover 74 and the engine 2. A cleaner chamber 77 inside of the cover 74 is allowed to communicate with a fan chamber 76 inside of the fan case 66. In the meantinac, an upper portion forward of the engine 2 is covered with an air discharge cover 78, which is formed into a gate-shaped as viewed from the front, A cooling air discharge channel 79 communicating with the cleaner chamber 77 is defined inside of the air S t73~9 99~9 90(XV]) £tSNdOIIV INiI~d 1 ~INI 0I0A~N 917:11 (G~(i)8@—Nri2—9@@~ New National Phase Patent Application in India for PCT/JP2003/016290 Our ref~ MI-00351N discharge cover 78. Also as shown in FIG. 15, cooling air through the cleaner chamber 77 is discharged to the outside through an air discharge port SO opened in front of the bonnet 9 via the air discharge channel 79, thereby suppressing an increase in temperature inside of the cleaner chamber 77. Furthermore, cool air is blown into a carburetor, thus increasing the output from the engine 2 and saving fuel consumption. Here, the air discharge port 80 is disposed above a step ha of the body cover 11. so that the air discharged from the air discharge port 80 cannot blow against the seedlings planted in drills, thus preventing any damage from being exerted on the seedlings. Additionally, also as shown in FIG. ]0, a single air introducing plate Si for merging hot air (i.e., engine cooling air) discharged forward in communication from both of the right and left sides of the engine 2 and guiding it downward is disposed at the front portion of the engine 2. The air introducing plate Si includes a confluence portion Sia, at which air flows blown from the right and left sides are merged with each other. and a lower discharge portion Sib for collecting the merged air onto the left side and then discharging it downward under the guidance, wherein the confluence portion Sla and the lower di8charge portion 81b are formed into an L shape as viewed from the front. Three upper corners (upward, rightward and lcftward, and forward) of the confluence portion Sla are formed by guide surfaces Sic that are intersected each other with an obtuse angle, so that the hot air through the engine 2 is smoothly merged at i;he confluence portion Sla. rrhe merged hot air is excellently discharged downward 9 \]NUOII~ IN]I~d 1 INI OIOAVVJ New National Phase Patent Application in India for PCT/JP2003/016290 Our ref MI-0035-IN through a discharge port 82 formed on a lower side of the discharge portion Sib, thereby enhancing a hot air discharging efficiency. A system including the output shaft 51 and the tr~insmission belt 52 is compactly contained within a space 83 defined by the confluence portion 81a and the discharge 5 portion Sib, therehy fricilitatin~ miniaturization of the machine. Electrical components 84 such as a relay relevant to the engine 2 are disposed above the covers 74 and 78. The electrical components 84 are detachably attached to a frame 85 via an electrical table 86. The frame 85 is configured to connect the front frame 43 with the steering wheel column 73 and the like. According to this construction, even in a structure in which the electrical components 84 are disposed at a position above and in the vicinity of the engine 2, it is possible to reduce an adverse influence such as direct transmission of the heat of the engine 2 to the electrical components 84 and eliminate an inconvenience of transmission of heat generated at the electrical components 84 to the air cleaner 75, thus stably maintaining performance (i.e., a quality) of each of the electrical components 84 and the air cleaner 75. As shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, a throttle lever 87 for the engine 2 is disposed at a position under the air discharge cover 78. The throttle lever 87 is interlocked with the acceleration lever 31 disposed rightward of the steering wheel 14 and the speed change pedal 30 disposed under the acceleration lever 31. through a bifurcated acceleration wire 88. Tips of bifurcated wires 88a and 88b in the accelera Lion wire 88 are connected to the speed change pedal 30 and the acceleration lever 31, respectively. In 10 ~117O,OIO ~d V8~9 99~9 9O(X~i) 3~K]NU01JA/ INi1~d 1 ~INI OI0A~H New National Phase Patent Application in India for PCT/JP2003/0 16290 Our ref: MI-00351N the meantime, a tip of a single wire S8c is connected to the throttle lever 87, so that the rotational speed of the engine can be changed by operation of either of the speed change pedal 30 and the acceleration lever 31. The speed change pedal 30 is oscillatably connected to a pedal shaft S9 via a pedal arm 90. A speed change operation cam 91 is fixedly connected to the pedal shaft 89. The operation cam 91 is connected to a control shaft 92 for adjusting an angle of a swash plate of the HST 48 (i.e., a hydraulic pump) via a speed change rod 93. There is provided a speed holding cam 96 having a notch claw 95 which is adapted to engage with a notch 94 formed at the operation cam 91. The control shaft 92 is turned around its axis to change a vehicle traveling speed by pedaling the speed change pedal 30. To the pedal arm 90 is connected an outer tube 98 of the wire 88a via an outer receiver 97. Furthermore, a resilient member such as a spring 99 is connected at a first end thereof to the tip of the wire 88a and is also connected at a second end thereof to a 6xed frame 101, to which a base end pivotal shaft 100 for the speed change pedal 30 is fixed. According to the construction, pedaling the speed change pedal 30 causes the outer l;ube 98 to move relative to the wire SSa (i.e., an inner wire). The relative movement between the outer tube 98 and the wire 88a causes the throttle lever 87 to be operated so that the vehicular speed and the rotational speed of the engine are changed. As shown in FIG. 19, the wire SSb connected to the acceleration lever 31 is connected to an arm 102 integrated with the lever 31 via a 11 O17~4.VL@ 'ci V3~9 99~9 9@(XVi) 3,kjNUOIIV INiI~d 1 ~INI OI0~A9H :11 (G]f)3O—r~1IIr'—9@O? New National Phase Patent Application in India for PCT/JP2003/0 16290 Our ref'~ MI-0035-IN locking member 103. The wire 88a that has the first end connected to the speed change pedal 30 and the wire 8Sb that has the first end connected to the acceleration lever 31 are connected at second ends thereof to a single connector 104. The connector 104 is slidably inserted within a joint 106 connected to the respective outer tubes 98 and 105 of the wires SSa and SSb. When both of the speed change pedal 30 and the acceleration lever 31. are at nonoperation positions (at 0 positions), both the wire 8Sa and the wire SSb do not apply tension force on the connector 104, so that the connector 104 is held at an initial position indicated by a virtual line in FIG. 19. On the other hand, when either one of the wires SSa and 8Sb is tensed by the operation of the speed change pedal 30 or the acceleration lever 31., the connector 104 moves inside of the joint 106 along with the single wire SSc by a predei;ermined stroke L from the initial position, as indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1.9. The movement of the wire 88c causes the throttle lever 87 to be turned onto a high speed H side. As described above, when the acceleration lever 31 serving as an engine revolution change operation member for operating the throttle lever 87 is at the non-operation position or a low-speed position, the wire 88b is loosened so that the connector 104 is at the initial position where either one of the speed change pedal 30 and the acceleration lever 31 can move the connector 104 via the corresponding wire 88a and 83b. On the other hand, when the acceleration lever 31 is at the high-speed position H, the connector 104 is moved by the stroke L onto the high-speed side where the speed change pedal 30 cannot move the connector 104 and the only acceleration 12 ~3vt7O/9L9 'd V3~9 ~9~9 90(XV~i) SA]NH0II~ IN]IVd 1 ~INI OI0A~H 617: IL (U]IbD 39—f JAr—9~KT New National Phase Patent Application in India for PCT/JP2003/0 16290 Our ref: MI-0035-IN lever 31 can move the connector 104. As a consequence, an optimum working speed (traveling) mode is accurately selected according to various kinds of working conditions, for example, at the time of an escape from an ill-drained paddy field, in which the tr~iveling vehicle must travel at a low speed with a high torque, thereby enhancing workabiitvi As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the fixed frame 101 is fixed at the fore and rear ends thereof between a fixed bracket 107 disposed at the rear end of the front portion frame 39 and an attachment member lOS disposed at the front end of the rear portion frame 41. The speed change pedal 30 is oscillatably supported at the base end thereof via the pivotal shaft 100 by a pedal mount 109 that is secured to the upper surface of the fixed frame 1.01.. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 22, the wire 88a may be configured to be connected directly to the operation cam 91 or the pedal ~rm 90 via the spring 99. As is clear from the above description, the working vehicle includes the hydrostatic transmission ~IST~ 48 that is driven by the output of the engine 2 and changes the working speed such as the vehicular speed, wherein the speed change pedal .30 serving as a working speed change operation member for operating the speed change of the HST 48 and the throttle lever 87 serving as an engine revolution change member for changing the rotational speed of the engine are interlocked through the acce1er~tion wire 88 serving as a connection member. Consecjuentlv, the rotational. speed of the engine also is made to be low with certainty when the working vehicle travels at the low speed or is stopped, thereby silently 13 FIV@/9L9d v9~9 99~9 900'NJ) SA]NUOIb INWAM 1 INI OIOAVI'N 09:1 1 (O]Ib~)30-NA~—900~ New National Phase Patent Application in India for PCT/JP2003/0 16290 Our ref: MT-0035-IN driving the engine with the effectiveness, so as to excellently perform the work. The silent work c~n be automatically achieved during the seedling rooting work or the like. Moreover, it is possible to prevent any inconvenience such as an output shortage of the engine '2 when the speed change device 48 is operated ~t the high speed H while the engine is operated at the iow speed. In addition, the working vehicle can not only travel but also be smoothly started or stopped at the low rotational speed of the engine at the time of the start or stoppage. Furthermore, the acceleration lever 31 and the speed change pedal 30 are connected to the throttle lever 87 via the bifurcated wire 88 and, also, the variation prevention spring 99 serving as the resilient member is interposed between the speed change pedal 30 and the wire 88. Thus, it is possible to prevent any variation in operation by increasing the operating stroke on the side of the speed change pedal 30 more than that on the side of the acceleration lever 31 with a simple means using the wire 88 and the spring 99, so as to change the working speed at the stable rotational speed of the engine all the time, thereby enhancing working reliability. Thus, it is possible to achieve the excellent high-speed work, in which both of the speed change pedal 30 and the acceleration lever 31 are located at the highspeed position. 14 8~KiN~i0IIV INiI"~d 1 ~INI '110 AVVI 09 : I I (Gjfi~iI) 30—Nri2—930~

Documents:

2532-DELNP-2005-Abstract-(21-01-2008).pdf

2532-delnp-2005-abstract.tif

2532-DELNP-2005-Claims-(21-01-2008).pdf

2532-delnp-2005-claims.tif

2532-delnp-2005-Correspondence Others-(03-07-2014).pdf

2532-delnp-2005-Correspondence Others-(05-08-2014).pdf

2532-delnp-2005-Correspondence Others-(06-09-2012).pdf

2532-delnp-2005-correspondence-other.tif

2532-DELNP-2005-Correspondence-Others-(09-03-2010).pdf

2532-DELNP-2005-Correspondence-Others-(21-01-2008).pdf

2532-delnp-2005-description.tif

2532-delnp-2005-drawings.tif

2532-DELNP-2005-Form-2-(21-01-2008).pdf

2532-delnp-2005-Form-3-(06-09-2012).pdf

2532-DELNP-2005-Form-3-(21-01-2008).pdf

2532-delnp-2005-form1.tif

2532-delnp-2005-form18.tif

2532-delnp-2005-form2.tif

2532-delnp-2005-form3.tif

2532-delnp-2005-form5.tif

2532-delnp-2005-GPA-(03-07-2014).pdf

2532-DELNP-2005-GPA-(21-01-2008).pdf

2532-DELNP-2005-PCT-304-(21-01-2008).pdf