Orchard crawler-type mower and control method

Abstract

The invention provides an orchard crawler-type mower and a control method, and belongs to the technical field of garden equipment. Comprising a crawler-type walking mechanism, a mower rack and a rotation adjusting assembly, a rotating frame is arranged at the top of the rack, a large straight bevel gear is driven by a rotating motor to drive the rotating frame to rotate left and right, and swinging of a mowing cutter head is achieved so as to enlarge the operation range; the rotating frame is hinged to the mowing height adjusting upper platform through four connecting rods and matched with four lifting electric cylinders to synchronously adjust the distance between the upper platform and the lower platform, and the mowing height is accurately controlled. A cross rod and a supporting rod are arranged between the connecting frames to ensure that the cutterhead is horizontal and stable. The crawler-type chassis adapts to complex terrains, and trafficability is By means of the height and range dual adjusting function, the problems of uneven stubble cutting, missing cutting and poor terrain adaptability in orchards in hills and mountains are solved, the mowing efficiency is remarkably improved, the labor intensity is reduced, and the automatic weeding machine is suitable for automatic weeding operation between plants and rows of the orchards.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of garden mowing equipment, in particular to an orchard crawler mower and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Due to the complex planting patterns and terrain, the development of inter-row and inter-plant weeding machinery in hilly and mountainous orchards has been slow. Traditional small mowers are prone to problems such as uneven cutting of grass and missed cutting of some areas. Large towed mowers, while powerful and capable, are also larger, making them less maneuverable in orchards. Unlike lawn mowers used on flat land, mowers in hilly and mountainous orchards face challenges in climbing steep slopes, operating in small spaces, and cutting too high or too low on uneven terrain. Therefore, handheld mowers are generally used, which are inefficient and labor-intensive. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In response to the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides an orchard crawler mower and a control method, which can adjust the mowing height and mowing range as needed, thereby achieving mowing in complex environments, improving mowing efficiency and reducing labor intensity.

[0004] The present invention achieves the above technical objectives through the following technical means.

[0005] The mower frame is provided with a supporting device, and a large spur bevel gear is provided on the upper end of the supporting device. The large spur bevel gear can rotate relative to the supporting device. A rotating frame is provided on the large spur bevel gear. One end of a plurality of connecting frames is hinged on the rotating frame, and the other end of the connecting frame is hinged on the cutting table height adjustment upper platform. The cutting table adjustment upper platform and the mowing height adjustment lower platform are connected by a lifting electric cylinder; a mowing disc is installed on the lower end surface of the mowing height adjustment lower platform, and the mowing guide disc is driven by a mowing motor. Four mowing knives are evenly installed on the edge of the mowing disc.

[0006] In the above scheme, the supporting device includes a rotating base and a rotating mounting frame; wherein the rotating mounting frame is installed on the lawn mower frame, and the rotating base is installed on the rotating mounting frame; the large spur bevel gear is installed on the rotating base, and the rotating motor is installed on the rotating mounting frame, and the rotating motor is provided with an active spur bevel gear meshing with the large spur bevel gear; when the rotating motor works, it drives the active spur bevel gear to rotate, and the large spur bevel gear rotates under the drive of the active spur bevel gear, so that the mowing disc is parallel to the ground with the center of the large spur bevel gear as the center, so that the mowing disc rotates left and right to increase the mowing range.

[0007] In the above solution, the lower platform for adjusting the grass cutting height and the upper platform for adjusting the grass cutting height are both arranged horizontally.

[0008] In the above solution, the rotating frame is a rectangular frame, one end of the rotating frame is detachably connected to the large straight bevel gear, and the other end protrudes from the crawler-type walking mechanism.

[0009] In the above scheme, the rotating frame has four hinge points away from the rotating axis end, one end of four identical and parallel connecting frames is hinged to it, and the other end of the connecting frame is hinged to the upper platform for adjusting the grass cutting height. The rotating frame and the upper platform for adjusting the grass cutting height are parallel and the connecting frame forms an obtuse angle with the rotating frame.

[0010] In the above scheme, a cross bar is welded between the two connecting frames near the rotation center, and a support rod is provided between the rotating frame and the cross bar for maintaining the angle between the rotating frame and the upper platform for adjusting the grass cutting height, wherein one end of the support rod is hinged to the rotating frame and the other end is hinged to the cross bar.

[0011] In the above solution, the lifting electric cylinder is installed vertically, and four lifting electric cylinders are fixed in an equidistant array at the top angles of the upper platform for adjusting the cutting table and the lower platform for adjusting the mowing height, and the mowing motor is installed at the center of the lower platform for adjusting the mowing height.

[0012] The above solution also includes a laser ranging sensor, which is installed on the lower platform for adjusting the grass cutting height; and a laser radar is installed at the front end of the mounting frame.

[0013] The mowing method of the orchard crawler mower includes the following steps:

[0014] Step 1: Initialize the lidar, laser ranging sensor and controller;

[0015] Step 2: Scan the terrain and rasterize the point cloud data to extract the ground height H ground , the laser distance sensor measures the current cutter head height H in real time current ;

[0016] Step 3: According to the preset mowing height H set and slope compensation ΔH slope , calculate H target ;

[0017] Step 4: PID control, using the discrete PID formula to generate the control variable and drive the lifting electric cylinder to adjust the cutter head height;

[0018] Step 5: If the height error exceeds the threshold (2mm), recalculate the PID output;

[0019] Step 6: Continue updating terrain data and adjusting altitude until the job is complete.

[0020] In the above scheme, terrain height extraction: After the lidar point cloud data is rasterized, the ground height H in the direction of the cutter head is extracted. ground :

[0021]

[0022] Where N is the number of valid points, z i Single point elevation value

[0023] Target height calculation: according to the preset mowing height H of the orchard set (e.g. 10cm) and terrain undulations, dynamically adjust the target height:

[0024] H target =H set +ΔH slope

[0025] ΔH slope is the slope compensation amount, which is calculated from the slope angle θ detected by the lidar:

[0026] ΔH slope =L·sinθ (L is the horizontal distance between the cutter head and the crawler chassis)

[0027] PID closed-loop control of the lifting cylinder, the central controller calculates the current height error e(t) = H in real time target -H current , obtained through the discrete PID formula:

[0028]

[0029] Where T is the control period (0.01s), and the initial parameters are calibrated to K p =0.6,K i =0.15,K a =0.05.

[0030] PID output u(k) is converted into the electric cylinder target displacement S target :

[0031]

[0032] The PID algorithm outputs the electric cylinder extension control signal to drive the four lifting electric cylinders 8 to extend and retract synchronously to ensure the mowing disc is raised and lowered horizontally;

[0033] The Kalman filter is used to fuse the lidar and laser ranging sensor data to improve the accuracy of height measurement. The state equation is as follows:

[0034]

[0035] where Kk is the Kalman gain; z k is the sensor observation value;

[0036] The laser ranging data is processed using mean filtering to suppress noise caused by grass blade vibration. If the data from a laser ranging sensor is abnormal, the controller automatically switches to the backup sensor and issues an alarm.

[0037] After starting the mower, the lidar scans the terrain 5m ahead and generates an elevation map. The controller then plans the initial height adjustment curve. During the movement, the lidar updates the terrain data every 0.1s, and the laser ranging sensor feeds back the current height H every 0.01s. current PID controller outputs electric cylinder displacement command to ensure |H target -H current |<2mm.

[0038] Compared with the existing technology, the technical effects achieved by the present invention are as follows:

[0039] The present invention outputs the electric cylinder extension and contraction control signal through the PID algorithm, adjusts the four lifting electric cylinders to work synchronously to realize the change of the mowing disc height, thereby adjusting the mowing height within a certain range; the two connecting frames are connected by a cross bar, one end of the support rod is connected to the cross bar, and the other end is connected to the rotating frame. The connection through the support rod ensures that the rotating frame is parallel to the mowing height adjustment upper platform, and at the same time ensures that the mowing disc remains horizontal; the rotating motor drives the large spur bevel gear and the rotating frame to rotate left and right through the active spur bevel gear connected to it, which can drive the mowing disc to swing within a certain range, or rotate the disc to a fixed position for mowing; the crawler chassis can adapt to the complex terrain of hilly and mountainous orchards, and can also flexibly walk in the orchard with remote control or automatic navigation, so that mowing between plants and rows can be completed.

[0040] The present invention includes a crawler-type walking mechanism, a lawn mower frame and a rotary adjustment assembly. A rotary frame is provided on the top of the frame. The large straight bevel gear driven by a rotary motor drives the rotary frame to rotate left and right, thereby realizing the swing of the mowing disc to expand the working range. The rotary frame and the upper platform for adjusting the mowing height are hinged by a four-link connection. The four lifting electric cylinders synchronously adjust the distance between the upper and lower platforms to accurately control the mowing height. Crossbars and support rods are set between the connecting frames to ensure the horizontal stability of the disc. The crawler chassis adapts to complex terrain and enhances passability. The present invention solves the problems of uneven mowing, missed mowing and poor terrain adaptability in hilly and mountainous orchards through the dual adjustment functions of height and range, significantly improves mowing efficiency, reduces labor intensity, and is suitable for automated weeding operations between plants and rows in orchards. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an orchard crawler mower;

[0042] Figure 2 It is a side view schematic diagram of an orchard crawler mower;

[0043] Figure 3 It is a top view schematic diagram of an orchard crawler mower;

[0044] Figure 4 The figure is a flow chart of the control method for an orchard crawler mower.

[0045] Reference numerals:

[0046] 1- crawler walking mechanism; 2- mower frame; 3- rotating mounting frame; 4- mowing blade; 5- mowing disc; 6- lower platform for mowing height adjustment; 7- mowing motor; 8- laser ranging sensor; 9- lifting electric cylinder; 10- upper platform for mowing height adjustment; 11- connecting frame; 12- rotating frame; 13- cross bar; 14- support rod; 15- laser radar; 16- rotating base; 17- large straight bevel gear; 18- driving straight bevel gear; 19- rotating motor; 20- central controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The following describes embodiments of the present invention in detail, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present invention, and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0048] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "axial", "radial", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0049] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediary; or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0050] Combined with attachment Figure 1 As shown, one is an orchard crawler mower, and crawler walking mechanisms 1 are installed on both sides of the mower frame 2. The crawler walking mechanism 1 includes a driving wheel, a guide wheel, a support wheel, a crawler, a tensioning mechanism, and a driving wheel drive motor. The crawler walking mechanism 1 and the mower frame 2 together constitute a crawler walking chassis.

[0051] A rotating mounting frame 3 is centrally mounted on the upper front surface of the lawn mower frame 2, and a rotating base 16 is mounted on the upper front surface of the rotating mounting frame 3. The rotating base 16 is mounted on the rotating mounting frame 3 by four bolts on its bottom edge. The rotating base 16 has four reinforcing ribs in the circumference to support the weight of the entire rotary mowing component. The large spur bevel gear 17 is mounted on the shaft inside the rotating base 16. The rotating motor is mounted on the rear side of the rotating mounting frame 3 and fixed by bolts. The active spur bevel gear 16 is mounted on the output shaft of the rotating motor 19. The active spur bevel gear 16 and the large spur bevel gear 17 are engaged for transmission. The rotating frame 12 and the large spur bevel gear 17 are connected by bolts. Therefore, the forward and reverse rotation of the rotating motor 19 will drive the rotating frame 12 to rotate left and right around the axis of the large spur bevel gear 17.

[0052] The rotating frame 12 has four hinge points away from the end of the rotating axis, and one end of four identical and parallel connecting frames 11 is hinged to it. The other end of the connecting frame 11 is hinged to the upper platform 10 for adjusting the height of mowing. The rotating frame 12 is parallel to the upper platform 10 for adjusting the height of mowing and the connecting frame 11 forms an obtuse angle with the rotating frame 12. The purpose is to ensure that the mowing blade disc 5 does not interfere with the crawler chassis and to ensure that the turning radius is sufficient to complete the weeding operation between the plants. A cross bar 13 is welded between the two connecting frames 11 near the center of rotation, and one end of the support rod 14 is hinged to the rotating frame 12. The rotating frame 12 is hinged at the other end to the cross bar 13, and the support frame 14 provides support for the connecting frame 11 to be firmly fixed at a predetermined angle; the lifting electric cylinder 9 is installed vertically, and four lifting electric cylinders 9 are fixed in an equidistant array at the top corners of the upper and lower quadrilateral platforms. The upper end of the lifting electric cylinder 9 is installed on the upper platform 10 for adjusting the mowing height, and the lower end is installed on the lower platform 6 for adjusting the mowing height; the mowing motor 7 is installed at the center of the lower platform 6 for adjusting the mowing height, and is fastened by four bolts. The mowing disc 5 is connected to the output shaft of the mowing motor for transmission; the four mowing knives 4 are evenly distributed on the outer edge of the mowing disc.

[0053] A lidar radar is mounted on the front of a rotating mounting bracket 3 atop the mower frame 2. It scans the terrain ahead at a 30Hz frequency, generating real-time 3D point cloud data to detect slopes, potholes, and obstacle heights. Laser rangefinder sensors are symmetrically mounted on either side of the mowing disc 5, pointing perpendicularly toward the ground. They measure the actual distance Hcurrent between the disc and the ground at a 100Hz frequency. This sensor data is transmitted via the CAN bus to a central controller (an embedded industrial computer). The controller incorporates a terrain analysis algorithm and a PID control module.

[0054] Terrain height extraction: After the LiDAR point cloud data is rasterized, the ground height H in the direction of the cutter head is extracted. ground :

[0055]

[0056] Where N is the number of valid points, z i Single point elevation value

[0057] Target height calculation: according to the preset mowing height H of the orchard set (e.g. 10cm) and terrain undulations, dynamically adjust the target height:

[0058] H target =H set +ΔH slope

[0059] ΔH slope is the slope compensation amount, which is calculated from the slope angle θ detected by the lidar:

[0060] ΔH slope =L·sinθ (L is the horizontal distance between the cutter head and the crawler chassis)

[0061] PID closed-loop control of the lifting cylinder, the central controller calculates the current height error e(t) = H in real time target -H current , obtained through the discrete PID formula:

[0062]

[0063] Where T is the control period (0.01s), and the initial parameters are calibrated to K p =0.6,K i =0.15,K d =0.05.

[0064] PID output u(k) is converted into the electric cylinder target displacement S target :

[0065]

[0066] The PID algorithm outputs the electric cylinder extension and contraction control signal to drive the four lifting electric cylinders 8 to extend and contract synchronously, ensuring that the mowing disc 5 is lifted and lowered horizontally.

[0067] The Kalman filter is used to fuse the lidar and laser ranging sensor data to improve the accuracy of height measurement. The state equation is as follows:

[0068]

[0069] where K k is the Kalman gain; z k is the sensor observation value.

[0070] Mean filtering is used to process laser ranging data to suppress noise caused by grass blade jitter; if the data of a laser ranging sensor is abnormal (such as exceeding the range), the controller automatically switches to the backup sensor and issues an alarm.

[0071] After starting the mower, the lidar scans the terrain 5m ahead and generates an elevation map. The controller then plans the initial height adjustment curve. During the movement, the lidar updates the terrain data every 0.1s, and the laser ranging sensor feeds back the current height H every 0.01s. current PID controller outputs electric cylinder displacement command to ensure |H target -H current |<2mm.

[0072] Throughout this specification, reference to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples" means that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0073] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it will be understood that the above embodiments are illustrative and are not to be construed as limitations on the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention without departing from the principles and purpose of the present invention.

Claims

1. An orchard crawler mower, characterized in that: The present invention comprises a lawn mower frame (2), wherein the lawn mower frame (2) is mounted on a crawler-type walking mechanism (1), and the crawler-type walking mechanism (1) is used to drive the lawn mower frame (2) to walk. A support device is mounted on the lawn mower frame (2), and a large straight bevel gear (17) is provided on the upper end of the support device. The large straight bevel gear (17) can rotate relative to the support device. A rotating frame (12) is provided on the large straight bevel gear (17), and a hinge is provided on the rotating frame (12). One end of the connecting frame (11) is connected to a plurality of connecting frames, and the other end of the connecting frame (11) is hinged on the upper platform (10) for adjusting the height of the cutting platform. The upper platform (10) for adjusting the height of the cutting platform is connected to the lower platform (6) for adjusting the height of the cutting platform via a lifting electric cylinder (9). A mowing disc (5) is installed on the lower end surface of the lower platform (6) for adjusting the height of the cutting platform. The mowing guide disc (5) is driven to work by a mowing motor (7). Four mowing knives (4) are evenly installed on the edge of the mowing disc (5).

2. The orchard crawler mower according to claim 1, characterized in that: The supporting device comprises a rotating base (16) and a rotating mounting frame (3); wherein the rotating mounting frame (3) is mounted on the mower frame (2), and the rotating base (16) is mounted on the rotating mounting frame (3); a large straight bevel gear (17) is mounted on the rotating base (16), and the rotating motor (19) is mounted on the rotating mounting frame (3); the rotating motor (19) is provided with an active straight bevel gear (18) meshing with the large straight bevel gear (17); when the rotating motor (19) works, it drives the active straight bevel gear (18) to rotate, and the large straight bevel gear (17) rotates under the drive of the active straight bevel gear (18), so that the mowing disc (5) is parallel to the ground and takes the center of the large straight bevel gear (17) as the center, so that the mowing disc (5) rotates left and right to increase the mowing range.

3. The orchard crawler mower according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower platform (6) for adjusting the grass cutting height and the upper platform (10) for adjusting the grass cutting height are both arranged horizontally.

4. The orchard crawler mower according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating frame (12) is a rectangular frame. One end of the rotating frame (12) is detachably connected to the large straight bevel gear (17), and the other end protrudes from the crawler-type walking mechanism (1).

5. The orchard crawler mower according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating frame (12) has four hinge points away from the rotation axis end, one end of four identical and parallel connecting frames (11) is hinged to the rotating frame (12), and the other end of the connecting frame (11) is hinged to the upper platform (10) for adjusting the grass cutting height. The rotating frame (12) and the upper platform (10) for adjusting the grass cutting height are parallel, and the connecting frames (11) and the rotating frame (12) form an obtuse angle.

6. The orchard crawler mower according to claim 5, characterized in that: A crossbar (13) is welded between two connecting frames (11) near the rotation center, and a support rod (14) for maintaining the angle between the rotating frame (12) and the upper platform (10) for adjusting the grass cutting height is provided between the rotating frame (12) and the crossbar (13), wherein one end of the support rod (14) is hinged to the rotating frame (12), and the other end is hinged to the crossbar (13).

7. The orchard crawler mower according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting electric cylinder (9) is installed vertically, and four lifting electric cylinders (9) are fixed in an equidistant array on the top angles of the upper platform (10) for adjusting the cutting table and the lower platform (6) for adjusting the grass cutting height, and the mowing motor (7) is installed at the center of the lower platform (6) for adjusting the grass cutting height.

8. The orchard crawler mower according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a laser distance measuring sensor (8), which is installed on the mowing height adjustment lower platform (6); and a laser radar is installed on the front end of the mounting frame (3).

9. The mowing method of an orchard crawler mower according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The steps include: Step 1: Initialize the lidar, laser ranging sensor and controller; Step 2: Scan the terrain and rasterize the point cloud data to extract the ground height H ground , the laser distance sensor measures the current cutter head height H in real time current ; Step 3: According to the preset mowing height H set and slope compensation ΔH slope , calculate H target ; Step 4: PID control, using the discrete PID formula to generate the control variable and drive the lifting electric cylinder to adjust the cutter head height; Step 5: If the height error exceeds the threshold (2mm), recalculate the PID output; Step 6: Continue updating terrain data and adjusting altitude until the job is complete.

10. The control method according to claim 9, characterized in that: Terrain height extraction: After the lidar point cloud data is rasterized, the ground height H in the direction of the cutter head is extracted. ground : Where N is the number of valid points, z i Single point elevation value Target height calculation: according to the preset mowing height H of the orchard set (e.g. 10cm) and terrain undulations, dynamically adjust the target height: H target =H set +ΔH slope ΔH slope is the slope compensation amount, which is calculated from the slope angle θ detected by the lidar: ΔH stope =L·sinθ (L is the horizontal distance between the cutter head and the crawler chassis) PID closed-loop control of the lifting cylinder, the central controller calculates the current height error e(t) = H in real time target -H current , obtained through the discrete PID formula: Where T is the control period (0.01s), and the initial parameters are calibrated to K p =0.6,K i =0.15,K d =0.

05. PID output u(k) is converted into the electric cylinder target displacement S target : The PID algorithm outputs the electric cylinder extension control signal to drive the four lifting electric cylinders 8 to extend and retract synchronously to ensure the mowing disc is raised and lowered horizontally; The Kalman filter is used to fuse the lidar and laser ranging sensor data to improve the accuracy of height measurement. The state equation is as follows: where K k is the Kalman gain; z k is the sensor observation value; The laser ranging data is processed using mean filtering to suppress noise caused by grass blade vibration. If the data from a laser ranging sensor is abnormal, the controller automatically switches to the backup sensor and issues an alarm. After starting the mower, the lidar scans the terrain 5m ahead and generates an elevation map. The controller then plans the initial height adjustment curve. During the movement, the lidar updates the terrain data every 0.1s, and the laser ranging sensor feeds back the current height H every 0.01s. current PID controller outputs electric cylinder displacement command to ensure |H target -H current |<2mm.

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