Pruning machine and method for pruning fruit trees

Abstract

The application discloses a fruit tree pruning machine, which comprises a base, two sets of pruning blade assemblies and a pose adjusting mechanism; the pose adjusting mechanism comprises a transverse translation seat, a longitudinal frame body and a rotating frame body, and further comprises oil cylinders for driving the movement of the frame bodies; the two sets of pruning blade assemblies are respectively installed on the longitudinal frame body and the rotating frame body; the longitudinal frame body is provided with a sliding frame, a fourth oil cylinder and a guide rail; the sliding frame comprises a long rod part and a sliding seat; the relative states of the longitudinal frame body, the sliding frame and the rotating frame body can be changed, so that the relative states of the two sets of pruning blade assemblies are switched between a first state and a second state; in the first state, the two sets of pruning blade assemblies are arranged in an up-down mode, and the inclination angles of the two sets of pruning blade assemblies relative to the horizontal direction are different; in the second state, the two sets of pruning blade assemblies are arranged in a left-right mode, and the inclination angles of the two sets of pruning blade assemblies relative to the horizontal direction are consistent, so that the two sets of pruning blade assemblies can meet different operation requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fruit tree pruning machine technology, and in particular to a fruit tree pruning machine and a fruit tree pruning method. Background Technology

[0002] In modern agricultural production, fruit tree pruning is one of the important management measures to ensure the healthy growth of fruit trees and improve fruit yield and quality. With the development of large-scale orchard management, traditional manual pruning methods are no longer able to meet the management needs of modern orchards due to their low efficiency, high labor intensity, and poor operational safety. Therefore, various types of mechanized fruit tree pruning equipment are gradually being promoted and applied.

[0003] Existing technologies include several devices for mechanized pruning, typically employing fixed or multi-blade combinations. These devices are mounted on tractors or specialized platforms to perform batch pruning of fruit tree branches. Patent CN111357519A discloses a fully hydraulically driven fruit tree pruning machine. This device uses a combination of upper and lower pruning units, employing multiple hydraulic cylinders to move the pruning units horizontally and vertically, as well as adjust their angles, thereby achieving contour pruning of fruit trees. This technical solution improves operational flexibility and automation through full hydraulic drive, addressing to some extent the problems of high labor intensity and low efficiency associated with manual pruning. However, this device still has significant drawbacks: its structural design focuses on pruning trees on one side, resulting in a single operational mode. In practical use, when pruning dwarf fruit trees planted in double rows with wide spacing, simultaneous lateral pruning of both sides is necessary to improve efficiency. The aforementioned existing technologies cannot meet these pruning requirements, as they can only prune one side at a time, leading to low efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Purpose of the invention: In order to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology, the present invention provides a fruit tree pruning machine and a fruit tree pruning method that can meet the needs of simultaneous pruning of the sides and top of single-row fruit trees and simultaneous pruning of the sides of double-row fruit trees.

[0005] Technical solution: To achieve the above objectives, the fruit tree pruning machine of the present invention includes a base, two sets of pruning blade assemblies and a position adjustment mechanism, wherein the position adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the position and posture of the pruning blade assemblies.

[0006] The posture adjustment mechanism includes a lateral translation seat, a longitudinal frame, and a rotating frame. It also includes a first hydraulic cylinder that drives the lateral translation seat to laterally translate relative to the base, a second hydraulic cylinder that drives the longitudinal frame to rotate relative to the lateral translation seat, and a third hydraulic cylinder that drives the rotating frame to rotate relative to the longitudinal frame. The two sets of pruning blade assemblies are respectively installed on the longitudinal frame and the rotating frame.

[0007] A sliding frame and a fourth oil cylinder for driving the sliding frame to slide relative to the longitudinal frame are installed on the longitudinal frame, and a guiding track for guiding the sliding of the sliding frame is provided on the longitudinal frame; the sliding frame is composed of a long rod part and a sliding seat which are hinged to each other; the cylinder seat of the fourth oil cylinder is rotatably connected to the longitudinal frame, and the end of the telescopic rod in the fourth oil cylinder is rotatably connected to the long rod part; the cylinder seat of the third oil cylinder is rotatably connected to the long rod part, and the end of the telescopic rod in the third oil cylinder is connected to the rotating frame body;

[0008] The relative states of the longitudinal frame body, the sliding frame and the rotating frame body can be changed, so that the relative states of the two pruning blade assemblies can be switched between a first state and a second state;

[0009] In the first state, the two pruning blade assemblies are arranged vertically, and their angles relative to the horizontal direction are different. The two pruning blade assemblies prune the sides and tops of the fruit trees on the same side; at this time, the sliding frame is in a retracted state, and the longitudinal frame body and the rotating frame body are connected and the included angle between them is an obtuse angle; the pruning blade assembly on the rotating frame body is arranged horizontally and obliquely upward, and this pruning blade assembly is placed on the outside; the pruning blade assembly on the longitudinal frame body is arranged vertically downward.

[0010] In the second state, the two pruning blade assemblies are arranged horizontally, and their angles relative to the horizontal direction are the same and the inclination directions are opposite. In this way, the two pruning blade assemblies can prune the fruit trees on both sides at the same time. At this time, the sliding seat is still placed in the guiding track, the long rod part comes out of the guiding track and rotates relative to the long rod part, the longitudinal frame body and the rotating frame body are respectively placed at both ends of the long rod part, and the three form a portal structure; the fourth oil cylinder is used to maintain the relative state between the long rod part and the rotating frame body.

[0011] Further, both the long rod part and the sliding seat are made of square pipes, and both have a notch on one side, so that edge parts are reserved on both sides of the side with the notch; guiding grooves are respectively provided on both sides of the guiding track, and the edge parts of the long rod part and the sliding seat are respectively placed in the guiding grooves. The part of the guiding track on one side of the guiding groove is placed inside the square pipe.

[0012] Specifically, the cross-section of the square pipe is in the shape of a Chinese character 'ri', that is, there are two cavities inside the square pipe, a cavity with complete four walls and a cavity with a notch on the side wall. First rotating blocks and second rotating blocks are respectively fixed at the ends of the long rod part and the sliding seat, the first rotating block and the second rotating block are rotatably connected relatively, and the first rotating block and the second rotating block respectively have parts placed in the cavity with complete four walls of the long rod part and the sliding seat.

[0013] Furthermore, a first stop is installed at the upper end of the guide rail, and a second stop is fixed on the inner side of the slide. The first stop can prevent the second stop from sliding upward, thus preventing the slide from detaching from the guide rail.

[0014] Furthermore, a transition bracket is also installed on the long rod section. The transition bracket can be adjusted in position relative to the long rod section, and the cylinder body of the third hydraulic cylinder is rotatably mounted on the transition bracket, that is, indirectly rotatably mounted on the long rod section. The transition bracket not only has an outer portion placed on the outside of the long rod section to facilitate the installation of the third hydraulic cylinder, but also has a sliding rod extending into the four-walled cavity of the long rod section. This ensures a long sliding stroke between the transition bracket and the long rod section and guarantees the reliability of the overall structure. The long rod section and slide block, made of square tubing with a H-shaped cross-section, not only ensure structural strength, but also significantly improve the compactness of the structure by making full use of its internal space.

[0015] Furthermore, a fifth hydraulic cylinder is connected between the transition bracket and the long rod. By driving the fifth hydraulic cylinder, the overall length of both the transition bracket and the long rod can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the width of the portal frame structure.

[0016] Furthermore, the pruning blade assembly includes a component base and a plurality of saw blades mounted on the component base, with a belt mechanism connecting adjacent saw blades, and the shaft of one of the saw blades connected to a hydraulic motor.

[0017] A fruit tree pruning method, applied to the aforementioned fruit tree pruning machine, includes: when it is necessary to prune the side and top of the fruit tree on one side of the machine, adjusting the relative state of the two sets of pruning blade assemblies to a first state; when it is necessary to simultaneously prune the side of the fruit tree on both sides of the machine, adjusting the relative state of the two sets of pruning blade assemblies to a second state.

[0018] When adjusting from the first state to the second state, the rotating frame is first driven to rotate by the third hydraulic cylinder, causing the rotating frame and the pruning blade assembly on it to deflect inward, that is, towards the base; then, the fourth hydraulic cylinder is controlled to extend so that the sliding frame slides upward, causing the long rod to disengage from the guide rail; then the telescopic rod of the fourth hydraulic cylinder is retracted. During the retraction process, due to the deflection torque of the sliding frame and the pruning blade assembly, the long rod rotates relative to the slide. By controlling the fourth hydraulic cylinder to adjust the long rod to a horizontal state, and by adjusting the posture of the rotating frame relative to the long rod by the third hydraulic cylinder, the relative state of the two pruning blade assemblies can be changed back to the first state.

[0019] When adjusting from the second state to the first state, the rotating frame is first driven to rotate upward by the third hydraulic cylinder, so that the rotating frame is higher than the long rod. Then, the fourth hydraulic cylinder is controlled to raise the long rod to an upright state. The longitudinal frame has anti-rotation blocks to prevent over-rotation. At this time, the rotating frame flips outward, that is, it is located on the side away from the base. Its torque can keep the long rod in an upright state. Then the fourth hydraulic cylinder retracts, the long rod establishes a sliding fit with the guide rail, and descends along the guide rail until the relative state of the two sets of pruning blade assemblies becomes the first state.

[0020] Beneficial effects: The fruit tree pruning machine and fruit tree pruning method of the present invention have the following beneficial effects: By adding a sliding frame with a special structure and by switching the relative position of the longitudinal frame, the sliding frame and the rotating frame, the two sets of pruning blade assemblies can meet different operational needs, including the operation of pruning the sides and top of a row of fruit trees at the same time, and the operation of pruning the sides of two rows of fruit trees simultaneously. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the fruit tree pruning machine in its first state;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a rear view of the fruit tree pruning machine in its first state.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the pruning blade assembly;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the combination of the longitudinal frame and the sliding frame;

[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged structural diagram of section A;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a sectional view of the combined longitudinal frame and sliding frame.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the fruit tree pruning machine in its second state;

[0028] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged structural diagram of section B;

[0029] Figure 9 This is a front view of the fruit tree pruning machine in its second state.

[0030] In the diagram: 1-Base; 2-Pruning blade assembly; 21-Seat body; 22-Saw blade; 23-Belt mechanism; 24-Hydraulic motor; 3-Position adjustment mechanism; 31-Transverse sliding seat; 32-Longitudinal frame; 33-Rotating frame; 34-First hydraulic cylinder; 35-Second hydraulic cylinder; 36-Third hydraulic cylinder; 37-Sliding frame; 37a-Long rod section; 37b-Slide seat; 38-Fourth hydraulic cylinder; 39-Guide rail; 39a-Guide groove; 310-First stop block; 311-Second stop block; 312-Transition bracket; 312a-Outer part; 312b-Sliding rod; 313-First rotating block; 314-Second rotating block; 315-Fifth hydraulic cylinder; 316-Anti-rotation block. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 The fruit tree pruning machine shown includes a base 1, two sets of pruning blade assemblies 2, and a position adjustment mechanism 3. The position adjustment mechanism 3 is used to adjust the position and posture of the pruning blade assembly 2.

[0033] The posture adjustment mechanism 3 includes a lateral translation seat 31, a longitudinal frame 32, and a rotating frame 33. It also includes a first hydraulic cylinder 34 for driving the lateral translation seat 31 to laterally translate relative to the base 1, a second hydraulic cylinder 35 for driving the longitudinal frame 32 to rotate relative to the lateral translation seat 31, and a third hydraulic cylinder 36 for driving the rotating frame 33 to rotate relative to the longitudinal frame 32. Two sets of pruning blade assemblies 2 are respectively mounted on the longitudinal frame 32 and the rotating frame 33. Through the posture adjustment mechanism 3, the position and tilt angle of the two pruning blade assemblies 2 can be adjusted.

[0034] A sliding frame 37 and a fourth hydraulic cylinder 38 for driving the sliding frame 37 to slide relative to the longitudinal frame 32 are mounted on the longitudinal frame 32. The longitudinal frame 32 has a guide rail 39 for guiding the sliding frame 37. Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the sliding frame 37 is composed of a long rod portion 37a and a slide block 37b that are hinged to each other; the cylinder seat of the fourth hydraulic cylinder 38 is rotatably connected to the longitudinal frame 32, and the end of the telescopic rod in the fourth hydraulic cylinder 38 is rotatably connected to the long rod portion 37a; the cylinder seat of the third hydraulic cylinder 36 is rotatably connected to the long rod portion 37a, and the end of the telescopic rod in the third hydraulic cylinder 36 is connected to the rotating frame 33;

[0035] The relative states of the longitudinal frame 32, the sliding frame 37 and the rotating frame 33 can be changed, so that the relative states of the two sets of pruning blade assemblies 2 can switch between the first state and the second state.

[0036] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in the first state, the two sets of pruning blade assemblies 2 are arranged vertically, and the two sets of pruning blade assemblies 2 have different inclination angles relative to the horizontal direction. The two sets of pruning blade assemblies 2 prune the side and top of the fruit tree on the same side. At this time, the sliding frame 37 is in the retracted state, the longitudinal frame 32 and the rotating frame 33 are connected and the included angle between them is obtuse. The pruning blade assembly 2 on the rotating frame 33 is arranged horizontally at the top and the pruning blade assembly 2 is placed on the outside. The pruning blade assembly 2 on the longitudinal frame 32 is arranged vertically at the bottom.

[0037] like Figure 7 and Figure 9 As shown, in the second state, the two sets of pruning blade assemblies 2 are arranged side by side, and their tilt angles relative to the horizontal direction are the same, while their tilt directions are opposite. In this way, the two sets of pruning blade assemblies 2 can prune the fruit trees on both sides simultaneously. At this time, the slide block 37b is still placed in the guide rail 39, the long rod part 37a is disengaged from the guide rail 39 and rotates relative to the long rod part 37a, the longitudinal frame 32 and the rotating frame 33 are placed at both ends of the long rod part 37a, and the three form a gate-shaped structure; the fourth hydraulic cylinder 38 is used to maintain the relative state between the long rod part 37a and the rotating frame 33.

[0038] By adopting the above structure, by adding a sliding frame 37 with a special structure, and by switching the relative positions of the longitudinal frame 32, the sliding frame 37 and the rotating frame 33, the two sets of pruning blade assemblies 2 can meet different operational needs, including simultaneous pruning of the sides and tops of a row of fruit trees, and simultaneous pruning of the sides of two rows of fruit trees.

[0039] Preferably, both the long rod portion 37a and the slide block 37b are made of square tubing, and both have a notch on one side, so that the edge portions are retained on both sides of the notched side. The guide rail 39 has guide grooves 39a on both sides, and the edge portions of the long rod portion 37a and the slide block 37b are respectively placed within the guide grooves 39a. The portion of the guide rail 39 located on one side of the guide groove 39a is placed within the square tubing. This structure, where the guide rail 39 and the square tubing interlock, effectively guides the long rod portion 37a while improving the structural compactness and reducing costs.

[0040] Specifically, the cross-section of the square tube is H-shaped, meaning the square tube has two cavities: a cavity with four complete walls and a cavity with a notch in the side wall, such as... Figure 5 and Figure 7As shown, at the end parts of the long rod part 37a and the sliding seat 37b, a first rotating block 313 and a second rotating block 314 are respectively fixed. The first rotating block 313 and the second rotating block 314 are rotatably connected relatively, and the first rotating block 313 and the second rotating block 314 respectively have parts placed in the cavities with complete four walls of the long rod part 37a and the sliding seat 37b.

[0041] Preferably, a first stop block 310 is installed at the upper end of the guiding track 39, and a second stop block 311 is fixed inside the sliding seat 37b. The first stop block 310 can prevent the second stop block 311 from sliding upwards continuously, so as to prevent the sliding seat 37b from disengaging from the guiding track 39.

[0042] Preferably, a transition bracket 312 is further installed on the long rod part 37a. The transition bracket 312 can adjust its position relative to the long rod part 37a. The cylinder body of the third oil cylinder 36 is rotatably installed on the transition bracket 312, that is, indirectly rotatably installed on the long rod part 37a. By changing the position of the transition bracket 312 relative to the long rod part 37a, the width of the above-mentioned portal-shaped structure can be changed, that is, the distance between the two pruning blade assemblies 2 in the second state can be adjusted to meet the spacing between adjacent rows of fruit trees. The transition bracket 312 not only has an outer part 312a placed outside the long rod part 37a for convenient installation of the third oil cylinder 36, but also has a sliding rod 312b extending into the cavity with complete four walls of the long rod part 37a, so as to ensure a long sliding stroke between the transition bracket 312 and the long rod part 37a and ensure the reliability of the overall structure. The long rod part 37a and the sliding seat 37b made of square pipes with a cross-section in the shape of a "day" not only ensure the structural strength, but also can significantly improve the compactness of the structure by making full use of the internal space thereof.

[0043] Preferably, a fifth oil cylinder 315 is connected between the transition bracket 312 and the long rod part 37a. By driving the fifth oil cylinder 315 to operate, the overall length of the transition bracket 312 and the long rod part 37a can be adjusted to adjust the width of the portal-shaped structure. In the second state, the positions of the longitudinal frame body 32 and the rotating frame body 33 on the left and right squares can be adjusted respectively by the first oil cylinder 34 and the fifth oil cylinder 315 to adjust the distance between the two pruning blade assemblies 2 and make the central positions of the two pruning blade assemblies 2 on the left and right squares centered relative to the base 1.

[0044] As Figure 3 shown, the pruning blade assembly 2 includes an assembly seat body 21, and further includes a plurality of saw blades 22 installed on the assembly seat body 21. A belt mechanism 23 is connected between adjacent saw blades 22, and the rotating shaft of one of the saw blades 22 is connected to a hydraulic motor 24.

[0045] A fruit tree pruning method is applied to the above-mentioned fruit tree pruning machine. The method includes: when it is necessary to prune the side and top of the fruit tree on one side of the machine, adjusting the relative state of the two sets of pruning blade assemblies 2 to a first state; when it is necessary to prune the side of the fruit tree on both sides of the machine at the same time, adjusting the relative state of the two sets of pruning blade assemblies 2 to a second state.

[0046] When adjusting from the first state to the second state, the rotating frame 33 is first driven to rotate by the third cylinder 36, causing the rotating frame 33 and the pruning blade assembly 2 on it to deflect inward, that is, towards the base 1; then, the fourth cylinder 38 is pushed out to make the sliding frame 37 slide upward, causing the long rod 37a to disengage from the guide rail 39; then the telescopic rod of the fourth cylinder 38 is retracted. During the retraction process, due to the deflection torque of the sliding frame 37 and the pruning blade assembly 2, the long rod 37a rotates relative to the slide block 37b. Then, by controlling the fourth cylinder 38 to adjust the long rod 37a to a horizontal state, and by adjusting the posture of the rotating frame 33 relative to the long rod 37a by the third cylinder 36, the relative state of the two pruning blade assemblies 2 can be changed back to the first state.

[0047] When adjusting from the second state to the first state, the rotating frame 33 is first driven to rotate upward by the third cylinder 36, so that the rotating frame 33 is higher than the long rod 37a. Then, the fourth cylinder 38 is controlled to raise the long rod 37a to the upright state. The longitudinal frame 32 has an anti-rotation block 316 to prevent over-rotation. At this time, the rotating frame 33 flips outward, that is, it is located on the side away from the base 1. Its torque can keep the long rod 37a in the upright state. Then the fourth cylinder 38 retracts, the long rod 37a establishes a sliding fit with the guide rail 39, and descends along the guide rail 39 until the relative state of the two sets of pruning blade assemblies 2 becomes the first state.

[0048] Through the coordinated operation of the third hydraulic cylinder 36 and the fourth hydraulic cylinder 38, the automatic switching between the first state and the second state can be achieved.

[0049] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fruit tree pruning machine, comprising a base (1), two sets of pruning blade assemblies (2) and a position adjustment mechanism (3); The posture adjustment mechanism (3) includes a lateral translation seat (31), a longitudinal frame (32), and a rotating frame (33), and further includes a first hydraulic cylinder (34) for driving the lateral translation seat (31) to translate relative to the base (1), a second hydraulic cylinder (35) for driving the longitudinal frame (32) to rotate relative to the lateral translation seat (31), and a third hydraulic cylinder (36) for driving the rotating frame (33) to rotate relative to the longitudinal frame (32); two sets of pruning blade assemblies (2) are respectively installed on the longitudinal frame (32) and the rotating frame (33); characterized in that: The longitudinal frame (32) is equipped with a sliding frame (37) and a fourth hydraulic cylinder (38) for driving the sliding frame (37) to slide relative to the longitudinal frame (32). The longitudinal frame (32) has a guide rail (39) for sliding the sliding frame (37). The sliding frame (37) is composed of a long rod (37a) and a slide block (37b) that are hinged to each other. The relative states of the longitudinal frame (32), the sliding frame (37) and the rotating frame (33) can be changed, so that the relative states of the two sets of pruning blade assemblies (2) can switch between the first state and the second state. In the first state, the two sets of pruning blade assemblies (2) are arranged vertically, and the two have different tilt angles relative to the horizontal direction; In the second state, the two sets of pruning blade assemblies (2) are arranged left and right, and their tilt angles relative to the horizontal direction are the same.

2. The fruit tree pruner according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the long rod (37a) and the slide (37b) are made of square tubing, and both have a notch on one side, so that the edge portions are retained on both sides of the side with the notch; the guide rail (39) has guide grooves (39a) on both sides, and the edge portions of the long rod (37a) and the slide (37b) are respectively placed in the guide grooves (39a).

3. The fruit tree pruner of claim 2, wherein, The upper end of the guide rail (39) is equipped with a first stop (310), and the inner side of the slide (37b) is fixed with a second stop (311). The first stop (310) can prevent the second stop (311) from sliding upward.

4. The fruit tree pruning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, A transition bracket (312) is also installed on the long rod (37a). The transition bracket (312) can be adjusted relative to the long rod (37a). The cylinder body of the third oil cylinder (36) is rotatably mounted on the transition bracket (312).

5. The fruit tree pruning machine according to claim 4, characterized in that, A fifth hydraulic cylinder (315) is connected between the transition bracket (312) and the long rod (37a).

6. The fruit tree pruning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pruning blade assembly (2) includes an assembly base (21) and a plurality of saw blades (22) mounted on the assembly base (21). A belt mechanism (23) is connected between adjacent saw blades (22), and the shaft of one of the saw blades (22) is connected to a hydraulic motor (24).

7. A method for pruning fruit trees, applied to the fruit tree pruning machine according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The method includes: when it is necessary to prune the side and top of the fruit tree on one side of the machine, adjusting the relative state of the two sets of pruning blade assemblies (2) to the first state; when it is necessary to prune the side of the fruit tree on both sides of the machine at the same time, adjusting the relative state of the two sets of pruning blade assemblies (2) to the second state.

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