A pickled mustard tuber harvester and its harvesting method

Abstract

This invention discloses a pickled mustard tuber harvester and harvesting method, belonging to the field of agricultural machinery technology. The harvester includes a frame, a walking mechanism, a leaf removal and root cutting mechanism, a tuber head sweeping and separating mechanism, a battery, and a control box. The leaf removal and root cutting mechanism includes a mounting frame, a rotary drive, a rotary cutter disc, and a root cutting blade assembly; the rotary cutter disc has blades and arrayed flexible striking elements; the root cutting blade is suspended behind the rotary cutter disc via a flexible connector. The tuber head sweeping and separating mechanism includes a roller with a sweeping rod, a drum with flexible striking elements, and a bottom screen plate. During operation, the rotary cutter disc first removes most of the stems and leaves, the flexible striking elements beat away the remaining stems and leaves, and the root cutting blade drags and cuts the roots; the sweeping rod sweeps the tuber heads into the drum, and the flexible striking elements tumble the tuber heads to separate the stems, leaves, and soil before outputting them. This invention achieves integrated operation of leaf removal, root cutting, collection, and cleaning; leaf removal is thorough without damaging the tuber heads; root cutting adapts to the ground surface; the structure is simple and reliable; and it improves the efficiency and quality of pickled mustard tuber harvesting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of crop harvesting equipment, specifically relating to a pickled mustard tuber harvester and its harvesting method, which realizes the integrated operation of stem and leaf removal, root adaptive cutting, and vegetable head collection and cleaning during the pickled mustard tuber harvesting process. Background Technology

[0002] Pickled mustard tuber is an important economic crop, and the degree of mechanization in its harvesting directly affects planting efficiency and economic benefits. Currently, the leaf-removing and root-cutting mechanisms of pickled mustard tuber harvesting equipment have many technical defects. For example, leaf removal and root cutting are usually separated into different workstations or completed by different mechanisms, which has become a key issue restricting the mechanization of pickled mustard tuber harvesting.

[0003] Specifically, Chinese invention patent CN212993112U discloses a leaf-removing mechanism for harvesting pickled mustard tubers. This mechanism uses a horizontal axis to drive multiple horizontal blades to rotate, using rigid blades to cut the leaves. However, this purely rigid cutting method suffers from incomplete leaf removal and is prone to damaging the tuber head. Another example is Chinese invention patent CN210016982U, which discloses a floating cutter mechanism for cutting the roots of pickled mustard tubers during harvesting. This mechanism uses an elastic element to keep the cutter pressed downwards, thus adapting to uneven ground for root cutting. While this mechanism solves the ground adaptability problem, its structure is relatively complex and does not include a leaf-removing function. To improve harvesting efficiency, small harvesters are also used, such as the pickled mustard tuber harvester disclosed in CN114651604A, which includes a head frame, a leaf-removing mechanism, a cutting mechanism, a feeding mechanism, and a tuber head impurity removal mechanism. Compared to manual harvesting, this method effectively improves harvesting efficiency. However, during the harvesting process, either the leaves are removed but the stems remain long, requiring a second manual separation of stems and leaves, or the damage is significant, harming the pickled mustard tuber and resulting in poor quality. This type of pickled mustard tuber harvester is large in size; it requires a second manual separation of stems and leaves, resulting in lower harvesting efficiency than expected; and it easily damages the mustard tuber heads, leading to poor harvesting quality.

[0004] Therefore, how to provide an integrated mechanism that can efficiently and non-destructively remove the stems and leaves of pickled mustard tubers, and can also be easily and reliably adapted to the ground for root cutting, tuber collection and cleaning, is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this invention is to provide a pickled mustard tuber harvester and its harvesting method, which solves the problems of incomplete leaf removal, easy damage to the pickled mustard tuber head, complex root cutting mechanism with poor ground adaptability, and the need for manual secondary separation of stems and leaves in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: This invention provides a pickled mustard tuber harvester, including a frame, a traveling mechanism disposed on both sides of the frame, a leaf-removing and root-cutting mechanism mounted at the front of the frame, a tuber head sweeping and separating mechanism mounted in the middle of the frame, and a battery and control box providing power to each mechanism. The frame serves as the basic structure of the entire harvester, providing robust support and stability. The traveling mechanism enables the harvester to move and adapt to different working environments. The leaf-removing and root-cutting mechanism serves as the basic framework for the leaf-removing and root-cutting components. The tuber head sweeping and separating mechanism is used to clean and separate the harvested tuber heads, improving subsequent processing efficiency. Power is provided by the battery and control box to ensure the normal operation of each mechanism. Specifically, the leaf-removing and root-cutting mechanism includes a mounting frame, a rotary drive component fixed to the mounting frame, a rotary cutter disc coaxially connected to the output end of the rotary drive component, and a root-cutting blade assembly fixed to the mounting frame. The mounting frame, as the basic framework of the entire mechanism, provides stable support, enabling the leaf-removing and root-cutting components to work effectively. The rotary cutter disc is connected to the output shaft of the rotary drive unit, which is responsible for driving the rotation of the rotary cutter disc. Multiple flexible striking elements are mounted in a circumferential array on the rotary cutter disc, rotating synchronously with it. The outer edge of the rotary cutter disc has a cutting edge, capable of initially and effectively cutting the upper stems and leaves of the pickled mustard greens. The root-cutting blade assembly includes a flexible connector and a root-cutting blade. One end of the flexible connector is fixed to the mounting frame, and the other end is connected to the root-cutting blade, allowing the root-cutting blade to move flexibly when in contact with the ground. The root-cutting blade is used to cut the roots of the pickled mustard greens and hangs behind the rotary cutter disc, contacting the ground. It is used to drag and cut the roots of the pickled mustard greens as the harvester moves forward. It is configured to float with the ground's undulations under the drag of the flexible connector and by its own gravity, ensuring that the cutting depth adapts to different terrains. This allows the root-cutting blade to better improve the cutting quality when cutting the roots of the pickled mustard greens, ensuring the integrity of the pickled mustard greens. If the root-cutting blade encounters a raised area, it is lifted, and the flexible connector loosens; after passing the raised area, the root-cutting blade falls back under gravity, the flexible connector re-tensions, and it is dragged forward. The control box is electrically connected to the rotary drive component. By adopting the above scheme and through the above structural design, the pickled mustard tuber harvester of this invention not only improves the efficiency of pickled mustard tuber harvesting but also reduces damage to the crop, providing an effective solution for modern agricultural mechanization.

[0007] Optionally, the flexible striking element is an elastic rod used to gently strike the remaining middle and lower stems and leaves after cutting by the rotary cutter disc. This helps to thoroughly remove the stems and leaves and reduce damage to the pickled mustard tuber head. Its material is silicone or rubber, which has good flexibility and elasticity, effectively buffering the striking force and reducing damage to the pickled mustard tuber head while ensuring the effectiveness of the striking effect. Its outer wall has friction textures, such as fish scales, spirals, or diamond patterns. These textures increase the friction between the striking element and the pickled mustard tuber stems and leaves, allowing the flexible striking element to better conform to the surface of the pickled mustard tuber. This ensures that the striking element fully acts on the stems and leaves during the striking process, increasing the thoroughness of leaf removal and improving the striking effect, so that the remaining stems and leaves can be effectively removed. This unified design of structure and function, and the cooperation between the flexible striking element and the rotary cutter disc, allows the striking element to promptly process the remaining stems and leaves after cutting, forming an efficient leaf removal mechanism and ensuring a smooth harvesting process.

[0008] Optionally, the flexible striking elements are arranged in a star-shaped, concentric ring, or spiral array on the rotary cutter disc. This design helps achieve a more uniform striking effect during cutting, ensuring complete coverage and removal of residual stems and leaves. Specifically, the advantages of different arrangements are as follows: the star-shaped structure generates a strong striking effect in the central area while ensuring that stems and leaves in the surrounding areas are also effectively struck, increasing the thoroughness of removal. The concentric ring design distributes the striking force evenly around the entire rotary cutter disc, suitable for processing larger areas of stems and leaves, ensuring that each cutting area receives sufficient striking. The spiral arrangement creates a stronger dynamic effect during rotation, utilizing the centrifugal force generated by rotation to allow the striking elements to strike stems and leaves more effectively, improving leaf removal efficiency.

[0009] Optionally, the root cutter is a V-shaped cutter with its sharp inner opening facing the direction of travel. This allows for more effective cutting of the root of the pickled mustard tuber, providing a better cutting angle and force distribution, thus improving the cutting effect. Furthermore, the V-shaped cutter design allows the blade to better adapt to terrain changes upon contact with the ground, ensuring effective cutting even on uneven surfaces. Each end of the V-shaped cutter is equipped with a flexible connector; this connector can be a soft rope, chain, or wire rope. This design ensures that the root cutter can flexibly respond to changes in ground undulations during cutting, maintaining a consistent cutting depth.

[0010] Optionally, the leaf removal and root cutting mechanism also includes connecting rods. One end of the connecting rod is connected to the mounting frame, and the other end is connected to a flexible connector. This connection limits the lateral sway of the root cutting blade and allows it to float vertically, avoiding interference with the flexible striking element or the rotating blade disc. This design ensures that the root cutting blade maintains a stable working posture during harvesting, preventing interference with the flexible striking element or the rotating blade disc during operation, thereby reducing potential mechanical failures and damage. The overall advantages are: improved safety, as limiting the sway of the root cutting blade or the flexible connector reduces the risk of accidental collisions during equipment operation, enhancing operational safety; improved cutting accuracy, as the connecting rods simplify maintenance. The presence of the connecting rods helps optimize the relative positions of various components, reducing wear caused by component interference, extending the equipment's service life, and simplifying maintenance. The number of connecting rods is roughly equivalent to the number of flexible connectors, ensuring that each flexible connector has a corresponding connecting rod for support and restraint. This consistent design allows the root cutting blade to maintain good stability and control during operation, avoiding inaccurate cutting due to excessive sway. The overall advantages of this design include: enhanced stability – the combination of the V-shaped cutter and corresponding flexible connectors and linkages effectively improves the stability of the root cutter, ensuring precision during the cutting process. Increased efficiency – this design not only improves cutting efficiency but also reduces damage to the pickled mustard tuber heads, thereby increasing the economic benefits of harvesting.

[0011] Optionally, the connecting rod is equipped with hooks for hanging the root cutter and wrapping the flexible connector. This design allows the root cutter and the flexible connector to be effectively connected together, ensuring a stable relative position when not in use and facilitating folding.

[0012] Optionally, there are two rotary drive units and two rotary cutter discs, symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the mounting frame. The rotary drive unit can be an electric motor or a hydraulic motor. The electric motor provides stable power output, suitable for scenarios requiring efficient continuous operation; while the hydraulic motor can provide greater torque, suitable for handling more resilient pickled mustard tuber stems and leaves. Users can choose the most suitable drive method according to specific operational needs to improve overall work efficiency and adaptability. Two root-cutting blades are correspondingly set, located behind the two rotary cutter discs. This design can cover a large working width in one operation, significantly improving harvesting efficiency. Two sets of flexible striking elements are correspondingly set to ensure that each rotary cutter disc can effectively strike the cut stems and leaves. This configuration ensures comprehensive coverage and avoids the problem of incomplete leaf removal caused by insufficient leaf removal from a single cutter disc. The overall work efficiency is improved: parallel operation, with two rotary cutter discs arranged side by side, allows the equipment to process two rows of pickled mustard tubers simultaneously in one pass, greatly improving operational efficiency, especially in large-scale planting situations, significantly shortening harvesting time. To enhance leaf removal, each rotary cutter is equipped with a flexible striking element that can target the corresponding stems and leaves, ensuring thorough and uniform removal and further improving the harvesting quality of pickled mustard tubers.

[0013] Optionally, the vegetable head sweeping mechanism includes a frame, a housing mounted on the frame, a bottom screen plate, a feed ramp, a roller, and a rotary motor for driving the roller's rotation. The outer wall of the roller is fully covered with flexible impact elements. The bottom screen plate is located below the roller, with one end connected to the feed ramp and the other end forming an outlet between it and the housing. The vegetable head sweeping mechanism also includes a roller located in front of the roller, near the feed ramp, and a drive motor for driving the roller's rotation. The outer wall of the roller is provided with multiple sets of radially extending sweeping rods. Specifically, the frame provides structural support and secures all related components. The housing forms the external protective structure of the vegetable head sweeping mechanism, ensuring the safety and stability of the internal mechanism. The bottom screen plate serves to separate and screen. It connects to the feed ramp, with the other end forming an outlet between it and the housing, facilitating the cleaning and discharge of vegetable heads. The feed ramp guides the harvested vegetable heads to the roller's inlet, ensuring that the vegetable heads smoothly enter the processing area. The flexible impact elements on the roller gently impact the vegetable heads as it rotates, helping to remove attached soil and stem / leaf impurities. A rotary motor ensures the vegetable heads are thoroughly processed. The rotation of the rollers helps guide the vegetable heads further into the drum and assists in removing any attached debris. A drive motor ensures the rollers operate effectively. A sweeping bar, operating as the rollers rotate, removes debris and soil from the vegetable heads, further enhancing the cleaning effect. The control box is electrically connected to both the drive motor and the rotary motor.

[0014] Its working principle is as follows: First, feeding and processing: After harvesting, the vegetable heads enter between the drum and the bottom screen plate through the feeding inclined plate. The rotation of the drum, combined with the action of the flexible impact element, impacts and washes the vegetable heads, removing attached soil and impurities. Second, cleaning and separation: During the processing between the drum and the bottom screen plate, the cleaned vegetable heads are discharged through the discharge port of the bottom screen plate, while the attached impurities are impacted and cleaned away, ensuring the cleanliness of the final output. Through the above design, the vegetable head sweeping and separating mechanism effectively improves the post-processing capability of the pickled mustard tuber harvester, ensuring that the harvested vegetable heads can be quickly cleaned, reducing the workload of subsequent processing.

[0015] Optionally, a rotary motor is mounted on the frame, and a driven wheel is installed on the roller's shaft. The rotary motor is connected to the driven wheel via a belt or chain. A drive motor is mounted on the frame, and an auxiliary wheel is installed on the roller's shaft. The drive motor is also connected to the auxiliary wheel via a belt or chain. Specifically, the rotary motor drives the roller's rotation, ensuring effective processing of the vegetable heads. The driven wheel ensures that the motor's rotational power is effectively transmitted to the roller, enabling its rotation. The drive motor is specifically used to drive the roller's rotation. The auxiliary wheel ensures that the power output from the drive motor is effectively transmitted to the roller, thus achieving its rotation. Its working principle is as follows: Power is transmitted through the rotary motor connected to the roller via the driven wheel, driving the roller to rotate and impacting and cleaning the incoming vegetable heads. Simultaneously, the drive motor, connected to the roller via the auxiliary wheel, ensures smooth roller rotation, assisting in the sweeping and processing of the vegetable heads. High-efficiency synchronization is achieved through a belt or chain connection, enabling efficient power synchronization between the rotary motor and the drive motor. This ensures that the rollers and drums maintain coordination during operation, guaranteeing optimal processing results for the vegetable heads. Easy maintenance is further enhanced by the belt or chain drive design, facilitating maintenance and replacement, reducing equipment maintenance costs, and extending the equipment's lifespan.

[0016] Optionally, the frame has multiple vertically arranged position adjustment mounting holes on both sides, which are pivotally connected to the chassis via pins or bolts to adjust the ground clearance of the vegetable sweeping mechanism. A rack is also fixed to the frame, and a lifting motor is mounted on the chassis. The output end of the lifting motor has a main gear that meshes with the rack, driving the frame to rotate and lift around the position adjustment mounting holes on the side furthest from the rack. Specifically, the position adjustment mounting holes are used to achieve a pivotal connection between the frame and the chassis. By fixing with pins or bolts, the user can easily adjust the ground clearance of the vegetable sweeping mechanism to adapt to different working conditions and terrain. The rack, as a key component of the lifting system, meshes with the main gear of the lifting motor to achieve frame lifting and lowering adjustment. The lifting motor is responsible for driving the frame's lifting and lowering. The output end of the lifting motor is connected to the main gear, which, through meshing with the rack, drives the frame to rotate and lift around the mounting holes on the side furthest from the rack. The control box is electrically connected to the lifting motor. Its operating principle: Height adjustment is achieved through the lifting motor, with the main gear meshing with a spur rack, allowing the frame to be raised and lowered. This allows users to quickly adjust the tilt height of the vegetable head sweeping mechanism according to changes in terrain, ensuring optimal working conditions during harvesting. Flexibility is provided by the vertically arranged adjustment holes, allowing users to select the appropriate height setting according to actual needs, thus adapting to different working environments, such as uneven ground or vegetable fields with varying growth stages. Simplicity is achieved through the use of pins or bolts for connection, making disassembly and installation of the frame simpler, facilitating maintenance and replacement.

[0017] Optionally, the walking mechanism includes tracks, guide wheels, tension wheels, drive wheels, and a traveling motor. The traveling motor is fixed to the frame and connected to the drive wheels via a transmission connection. A remote control receiver is installed in the control box for wireless communication with an external remote control. Specifically, the tracks provide good traction and stability on various terrains, suitable for different environments commonly encountered in agricultural operations, such as mud and grassland. The guide wheels ensure the tracks maintain a stable direction during movement. The tension wheels adjust the track tension, maintaining a taut state and ensuring smooth and reliable movement. The drive wheels drive the track movement and are directly connected to the traveling motor, ensuring the equipment's walking power. The traveling motor provides walking power and is electrically connected to the control box. The traveling motor is connected to the drive wheels through a power transmission system, ensuring smooth operation of the equipment. The control box contains a remote control receiver, enabling wireless communication with an external remote control for remote control of the pickled mustard green harvester. Its working principle: The walking function is achieved by the traveling motor driving the drive wheels to rotate, which in turn drives the tracks, allowing the pickled mustard green harvester to move freely in the field. The design of the guide wheels and tension wheels ensures the stability and flexibility of the tracks during operation. Remote control is achieved through a receiver inside the control box, allowing users to wirelessly control the equipment using an external remote, easily starting, stopping, and adjusting the direction of travel, thus improving operational convenience and safety.

[0018] Furthermore, this invention also provides a method for harvesting pickled mustard greens based on the aforementioned pickled mustard green harvester, comprising the following steps: Step 1: Start the walking mechanism to make the harvester move forward along the pickled mustard green planting ridge; at the same time, start the rotating drive component to drive the rotary cutter disc and its flexible striking element to rotate; Step 2: The blade of the rotary cutter disc first contacts the upper stems and leaves of the pickled mustard greens, cutting off most of them; then the high-speed rotating flexible striking element beats the middle and lower parts of the pickled mustard greens to remove the remaining stems and leaves; Step 3: The harvester continues to move forward, and the root-cutting blade hanging behind slides along the ground under the drag of the flexible connector. When the root-cutting blade encounters the root of the mustard green, it cuts off the root by its own weight and forward pulling force; Step 4: The root-cut mustard greens fall to the ground and are swept into the feeding inclined plate by the sweeping bar of the mustard greens sweeping mechanism, and enter the space between the drum and the bottom screen plate; Step 5: The drum rotates, driving the flexible striking element on it to tumble the mustard greens, so that the remaining stems, leaves and soil attached to the surface of the mustard greens are discharged through the bottom screen plate, and the cleaned mustard greens are sent out from the discharge port for collection.

[0019] Prior to this, in step five, the connection position between the mounting hole and the frame is adjusted by adjusting the position, and / or the lifting motor is started to drive the frame to rotate, thereby changing the feeding angle and ground clearance of the vegetable head sweeping mechanism to adapt to different terrains.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. The leaf removal and root cutting mechanism of this pickled mustard tuber harvester integrates blades and flexible striking elements on the same rotary blade disc to achieve graded leaf removal by "rigidly cutting off the thick stems first and then gently beating the thin leaves", which reduces the damage rate of the vegetable head while ensuring the leaf removal rate.

[0021] 2. The leaf removal and root cutting mechanism of this pickled mustard tuber harvester uses a flexible connector to directly drag the root cutting blade, which can achieve terrain-following cutting without the need for elastic elements. The structure is simple and reliable, adaptable to uneven ground, and has a good root cutting accuracy.

[0022] 3. The vegetable head sweeping and sorting mechanism of this pickled mustard tuber harvester completes the sweeping, tumbling, cleaning and output of the vegetable heads simultaneously through the combination of sweeping rod, roller with flexible impact element and bottom screen plate, without the need for manual secondary processing of stems and leaves, and with low energy consumption.

[0023] 4. The vegetable head sweeping mechanism of this pickled mustard tuber harvester has dual adjustment functions of height and angle, which can adapt to different terrains and transportation needs, and improve the field passability of the whole machine.

[0024] Other advantages, objectives, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following examination, or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention can be realized and obtained through the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the pickled mustard tuber harvester of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of the pickled mustard tuber harvester of the present invention; Figure 3 This is another perspective view of the pickled mustard tuber harvester of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a top view of the pickled mustard tuber harvester of the present invention with the outer shell removed; Figure 5 This is a perspective view highlighting the frame of the pickled mustard tuber harvester of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the exposed frame of the pickled mustard tuber harvester of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the frame and chassis of the pickled mustard tuber harvester of the present invention. Figure 8 This is a perspective view of the leaf removal and root cutting mechanism of the pickled mustard tuber harvester of the present invention; Figure 9 for Figure 8 Exploded view; Figure 10 This is a side view of another structure of the leaf removal and root cutting mechanism of the pickled mustard tuber harvester of the present invention.

[0026] Reference numerals: 1-Mounting frame, 2-Rotary drive (motor), 3-Rotating blade disc, 4-Flexible striking element (silicone rod), 5-Flexible connector (soft rope or chain), 6-Root cutting blade (V-shaped cutter), 7-Connecting rod, 8-Hook, 9-Harvester, 10-Frame, 11-Track, 12-Guide wheel, 13-Tension wheel, 14-Drive wheel, 15-Traveling motor, 16-Frame, 17-Outer shell, 18-Bottom screen plate, 19-Feeding inclined plate, 20-Drum, 21-Driven wheel, 22-Rotary motor, 23-Discharge port, 24-Position adjustment mounting hole, 25-Rack and pinion, 26-Lifting motor, 27-Roller, 28-Auxiliary drive wheel, 29-Drive motor, 30-Sweeping rod, 31-Battery, 32-Control box; A-Traveling mechanism, B-Leaf removal and root cutting mechanism, C-Vegetable head sweeping mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only, representing schematic diagrams rather than actual physical objects, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent. To better illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, some components in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual dimensions of the product. It is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings.

[0028] like Figure 1-10 As shown, the overall structure of this pickled mustard tuber harvester 9 includes a frame 10, a walking mechanism A, a leaf-removing and root-cutting mechanism B, a vegetable head sweeping mechanism C, a battery 31, and a control box 32. The walking mechanism A consists of two sets, left and right, each including tracks 11, guide wheels 12, tension wheels 13, drive wheels 14, and a traveling motor 15. The guide wheels 12, tension wheels 13, and drive wheels 14 are all rotatably mounted on the side plates of the frame 10 via bearing seats. The traveling motor 15 is fixed to the frame 10 with bolts, and its output shaft is keyed to the drive wheels 14. The tracks 11 surround the guide wheels 12, tension wheels 13, and drive wheels 14. The tension wheels 13 adjust the track tension via an eccentric shaft.

[0029] The leaf-removing and root-cutting mechanism B is bolted to the front crossbeam of the frame 10 via a mounting frame 1, and includes the mounting frame 1, a stem-removing assembly, and a root-cutting assembly. Specifically, the mounting frame 1 is used to fix the entire mechanism to the front of the harvester 9's chassis. In this embodiment, the mounting frame 1 is connected to the chassis via a height adjustment mechanism (not shown, such as a screw and nut structure, a conventional technique) to adjust the working position according to the different growth heights of the pickled mustard greens.

[0030] The stem and leaf removal assembly includes a rotary drive 2, a rotary blade disc 3, and multiple flexible striking elements 4. In this embodiment, the rotary drive 2 is a motor 2, fixed to the mounting frame 1. The output shaft of the motor 2 is fixedly connected to the center of the rotary blade disc 3. The outer edge of the rotary blade disc 3 is provided with sharp blades for quickly cutting most of the upper stems and leaves of the pickled mustard tuber during rotation. Multiple flexible striking elements 4, such as silicone rods 4, are mounted in an array on the rotary blade disc 3 and rotate synchronously with the rotary blade disc 3. The outer peripheral wall of the silicone rods 4 is provided with friction textures (such as threads) to enhance the gripping and striking effect on the stems and leaves. Along the travel direction of the harvester 9, the silicone rods 4 are located below the rotary blade disc 3. Thus, when motor 2 drives the rotary cutter disc 3 and silicone rod 4 to rotate at high speed, the upper stems and leaves of the pickled mustard tuber plant are first cut by the blades of the rotary cutter disc 3, removing most of the upper stems and leaves. Subsequently, the high-speed rotating silicone rod 4, utilizing its elasticity and surface texture, gently strikes and sweeps the lower and middle parts of the pickled mustard tuber, as well as any remaining leaves wrapped around the stem, thoroughly removing them. Due to the flexibility of the silicone rod 4, this process does not damage the pickled mustard tuber head.

[0031] The root-cutting assembly includes a flexible connector 5 and a root-cutting blade 6. In this embodiment, the flexible connector 5 is a soft rope 5, one end of which is connected to the mounting frame 1, and the other end is connected to the root-cutting blade 6. The root-cutting blade 6 is a V-shaped blade 6, with its inner opening facing the forward direction of the harvester 9. To ensure that the V-shaped blade 6 maintains a stable posture when floating, this embodiment preferably also provides an S-shaped connecting rod 7. Of course, in different examples, it can also be set as an arc or L-shaped, etc. The connecting rod 7 is set between the flexible connector 5 and the mounting frame 1 and is used to limit the swing of the root-cutting blade 6 or the flexible connector 5, that is, to avoid interference with the flexible striking element 4 or the rotary blade 3 in the vertical and horizontal directions, so that the root-cutting blade 6 can maintain a stable working posture and reduce potential mechanical failures and damage. In this way, the V-shaped blade 6 can float up and down with the undulation of the ground under the drag of the soft rope 5, and at the same time, under the restriction of the connecting rod 7, it will not sway left and right or jump up and down significantly, ensuring the accuracy of cutting. In addition, the connecting rod 7 is provided with hooks 8 for hanging the root cutting knife 6 and the flexible connector 5, so that the root cutting knife 6 and the flexible connector 5 can be effectively connected to the connecting rod 7, ensuring that they maintain a stable relative position when not in operation, and making it easy to fold.

[0032] The frame 16 of the vegetable head sweeping mechanism C is connected to the middle of the frame 10 through the position adjustment mounting holes 24. Specifically, the frame 16 has three rows of vertically arranged circular holes (position adjustment mounting holes 24) on each of its left and right sides. By selecting different hole positions with bolts, the height of the frame 16 above the ground can be changed. A roller 27 and a drum 20 are rotatably mounted on the frame 16. The roller 27 is located at the front end, and its shaft is equipped with bearings at both ends, with the bearing seats fixed to the frame 16. Multiple sets of sweeping rods 30 are welded to the outer wall of the roller 27, with several rods in each set, extending radially, with an included angle of 45°, 60°, or 90° between adjacent sets. The drive motor 29 is fixed to one side of the frame 16 and is connected to the auxiliary drive wheel 28 at the shaft end of the roller 27 via a belt. The drum 20 is located behind the roller 27, and its shaft is also mounted to the frame 16 through bearings at both ends. The outer wall of the drum 20 is fully covered with flexible impact elements 4 (the same material as the rotary cutter disc 3, but shorter in length). The rotary motor 22 is fixed to the frame 16 and is connected to the driven wheel 21 at the shaft end of the roller 20 via a chain.

[0033] The outer casing 17, bottom screen plate 18, and feed ramp 19 are all welded steel plate components, fixed to the frame 16 with screws. The front end of the feed ramp 19 extends below the sweeping rod 30, and the rear end connects to the bottom screen plate 18. The bottom screen plate 18 is a perforated steel plate, arc-shaped and wrapping around the lower half of the drum 20. A discharge port 23 of a certain width is left between its end and the outer casing 17. A receiving basket (not shown) can be hung below the discharge port 23 and on the frame 10. The outer casing 17 can cover the drum 20 and roller 27, providing protection.

[0034] In addition, a rack 25 is fixed on the frame 16. A lifting motor 26 (with a reducer) is installed at a corresponding position on the frame 10, and the gear at the output shaft end of the lifting motor 26 meshes with the rack 25. When the lifting motor 26 rotates, the frame 16 uses the bolt at the position adjustment mounting hole 24 away from the rack 25 as a hinge point to achieve pitch rotation around that point (angle adjustment range 0°~15°), thereby changing the feeding angle of the feed ramp 19. That is, during normal operation, all position adjustment mounting holes 24 on the frame 16 are fixed to the frame 10 by pins or bolts. When adjusting the angle, it is necessary to first loosen or remove some pins or bolts, leaving only one bolt at each of the two position adjustment mounting holes 24 on the side away from the rack 25 (behind the harvester 9) and symmetrically positioned as a pivot, and then start the lifting motor 26 to adjust the angle. After the adjustment is in place, the other position adjustment mounting holes 24 on the frame 16 are then locked with pins or bolts.

[0035] In the control and power section, the battery 31 (48V / 20Ah lithium battery) is fixed to the rear of the frame 10, and the control box 32 is installed above the battery 31 or on the opposite side relative to the frame 16. The control box 32 contains a microcontroller and a remote control receiver (not shown). The travel motor 15, rotary drive component 2, drive motor 29, rotary motor 22, and lifting motor 26 are all electrically connected to the control box 32 via relays. After the remote control sends a signal, the control box 32 analyzes and outputs a PWM signal to adjust the speed or forward / reverse rotation of each motor; the battery 31 provides power to the travel motor 15, rotary drive component 2, drive motor 29, rotary motor 22, lifting motor 26, and control box 32.

[0036] The working process of this pickled mustard tuber harvester is as follows: Pre-operation adjustments: Based on the height of the pickled mustard greens planting ridges and the flatness of the ground, roughly adjust the height of the vegetable head sweeping mechanism C off the ground by adjusting the position adjustment mounting hole 24; then, control the lifting motor 26 by remote control to finely adjust the feeding angle of the feeding inclined plate 19 so that its front end lightly touches the ground but does not press down excessively; then fix the frame 16 to the vehicle frame 10 by adjusting the position adjustment mounting hole 24 and its pins or bolts.

[0037] Start-up and harvesting: Remotely start the traveling motor 15, and the harvester moves forward at a certain speed (4km / h); at the same time, start the rotary drive 2 (1200rpm), drive motor 29 (1200rpm) (auxiliary wheel 28 300rpm) and rotary motor (2400rpm) (driven wheel 21 600rpm).

[0038] Leaf removal stage: As the rotary blade 3 rotates, the blade first cuts off the thick upper stem of the pickled mustard tuber; then, the silicone rod beats the middle and lower parts of the pickled mustard tuber at high speed, and its fish-scale texture increases friction, peeling the fine leaves and petioles from the surface of the tuber. Because the silicone rod is elastic, it will not cause damage or scratches when it comes into contact with the tuber.

[0039] Root cutting stage: As the harvester moves forward, the root cutting blade 6 slides along the ground, dragged by a nylon rope. The V-shaped opening helps guide the root of the vegetable head into the blade, which then cuts the root by its own weight (approximately 300g) and forward pulling force. When the ground is raised, the root cutting blade can float upward with the connecting rod 7; when it is lowered, it falls down by gravity, always keeping it close to the ground surface.

[0040] Sweeping and Separation: After the roots are cut, the vegetable heads briefly remain on the ground before being lifted by the rotating sweeping rod 30 and thrown towards the feeding inclined plate 19, sliding into the arc-shaped channel between the roller 20 and the bottom screen plate 18. The short silicone rods on the roller 20 cause the vegetable heads to tumble, rubbing against each other. Residual stems, leaves, and soil fall to the ground through the holes in the bottom screen plate 18, and are discharged from the openings on both sides of the feeding inclined plate 19. The cleaned vegetable heads are then pushed out from the discharge port 23 by the roller 20 and fall into the collection basket.

[0041] Transportation and maintenance: The lifting motor 26 is controlled by remote control to rotate and lift the vegetable head sweeping mechanism C upward, increasing the ground clearance (greater than 300mm), which facilitates the transfer of the whole machine or cleaning of the bottom screen plate.

[0042] The technical concept of this invention lies in providing a pickled mustard tuber combine harvester that integrates four functions: leaf removal, root cutting, collection, and cleaning. Through a "rigid-flexible composite" leaf removal method, a "passive adaptive" root cutting method, and a "sweeping-tumbling-separation" cleaning method, it solves the problems of incomplete leaf removal, easy damage to the tuber head, complex root cutting mechanisms, and the need for secondary manual processing of stems and leaves in existing mechanized pickled mustard tuber harvesting technologies. Its key technical features can be summarized as follows: 1) "Rigid-flexible composite" leaf removal and root cutting mechanism B Rigid cutting: The blades on the outer edge of the rotary blade 3 first cut the thick stems and leaves of the pickled mustard tuber at high speed, removing most of the stems and leaves.

[0043] Soft striking: The soft striking element 4 (such as a silicone rod) that rotates synchronously on the rotary blade 3 gently taps and sweeps the remaining fine leaves and petioles in the middle and lower parts, so as to completely remove the leaves without damaging the vegetable head.

[0044] Passive adaptive root cutting: The root cutting blade 6 is suspended behind the frame by a flexible connector 5 (such as a soft rope). Relying on its own weight and the drag force of the harvester's forward movement, it naturally floats up and down with the undulations of the ground to complete the cutting of the roots. The connecting rod 7 is set to limit the excessive swing of the root cutting blade and prevent interference with the front leaf removal component.

[0045] 2) The "sweep-tumble-separate" vegetable head sweeping and separating mechanism C Active sweeping: The roller 27 at the front end drives the radial sweeping rod 30 to rotate, actively sweeping the vegetable heads that have fallen after being cut into the subsequent processing channel.

[0046] Tumbling and cleaning: After the vegetable heads enter the arc-shaped channel between the drum 20 and the bottom screen plate 18, the drum 20, which is covered with flexible impact elements 4, rotates, causing the vegetable heads to tumble and rub against each other, so that the attached residual stems, leaves and soil are separated from the vegetable heads.

[0047] Gravity separation and output: The separated light stems, leaves and soil debris are discharged to the ground through the holes of the bottom screen plate 18, and the cleaned vegetable heads are output from the discharge port 23 under the push of the roller, realizing one-time cleaning.

[0048] 3) Modular height and angle adjustment mechanism The frame 16 of the vegetable sweeping mechanism C is coarsely adjusted from the ground by means of vertically arranged position adjustment mounting holes 24. The lifting motor 26 drives the rack 25, which enables the entire vegetable sweeping mechanism C to pitch and rotate around a specific hinge point (the rack 25) to achieve fine adjustment of the feeding angle, so as to adapt to different terrains and transportation needs.

[0049] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pickled mustard tuber harvesting machine comprising a vehicle frame (10) and traveling mechanisms (A) provided on both sides of the vehicle frame (10), characterized in that, It also includes the leaf and root cutting mechanism (B) installed in the front of the frame (10), the head of the vegetable scanning mechanism (C) installed in the middle of the frame (10), and the battery (31) and the control box (32) for each mechanism. The leaf and root cutting mechanism (B) includes a mounting frame (1), a rotating drive (2) fixed to the mounting frame (1), a rotating cutter (3) coaxially connected to the output end of the rotating drive (2), and a root cutting knife assembly fixed to the mounting frame (1). A plurality of flexible striking elements (4) are arranged circumferentially on the rotating cutter (3), and the outer edge of the rotating cutter (3) is provided with a cutting edge. The root cutting knife assembly includes a flexible connecting piece (5) and a root cutting knife (6), one end of the flexible connecting piece (5) is fixed to the mounting frame (1), the other end is connected to the root cutting knife (6), and the root cutting knife (6) is suspended behind the rotating cutter (3) and contacts the ground, used to drag the cutting mustard root when the harvester (9) is moving forward. The control box (32) is electrically connected with the rotating drive (2).

2. The pickled mustard tuber harvesting machine according to claim 1, characterized by The flexible striking element (4) is an elastic rod made of silica gel or rubber, and the outer wall is provided with friction texture, which is fish scale, thread or diamond pattern. The flexible striking element (4) is arranged in a rice-shaped, radial, star-shaped, concentric ring-shaped or spiral-shaped array on the rotating cutter (3). The flexible connecting piece (5) is a soft rope, chain or steel wire rope. The root cutting knife (6) is a V-shaped cutter, and the inside opening is directed to the forward direction.

3. The pickled mustard tuber harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein The leaf and root cutting mechanism (B) further includes a connecting rod (7), one end of which is connected to the mounting frame (1), and the other end is connected to the flexible connecting piece (5), for limiting the transverse swing of the root cutting knife (6) and allowing it to float up and down. The connecting rod (7) is provided with a hook (8) for hanging the root cutting knife (6) and winding the flexible connecting piece (5).

4. The pickled mustard tuber harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein The rotating drive (2) and the rotating cutter (3) are both two, and are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the mounting frame (1). The rotating drive (2) is a motor or a hydraulic motor. The root cutting knife (6) is correspondingly provided with two, respectively located behind the two rotating cutters (3).

5. The pickled mustard tuber harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein The head of the vegetable scanning mechanism (C) includes a frame (16), an outer shell (17) mounted on the frame (16), a bottom sieve plate (18), an inlet inclined plate (19), a roller (20), and a rotating motor (22) for driving the roller (20) to rotate. The outer wall of the roller (20) is fully paved with flexible striking elements (4). The bottom sieve plate (18) is located below the roller (20), one end of which is connected to the inlet inclined plate (19), and the other end forms a discharge port (23) with the outer shell (17). The head of the vegetable scanning mechanism (C) further includes a roller (27) located in front of the roller (20) and close to the inlet inclined plate (19), and a drive motor (29) for driving the roller (27) to rotate. The outer wall of the roller (27) is provided with a plurality of groups of radial extending sweeping rods (30). The control box (32) is electrically connected with the rotating motor (22) and the drive motor (29).

6. The pickled mustard tuber harvesting machine according to claim 5, wherein The rotary motor (22) is mounted on the frame (16), and a driven wheel (21) is provided on the shaft of the roller (20). The rotary motor (22) is connected to the driven wheel (21) via a belt or chain. The drive motor (29) is mounted on the frame (16), and a secondary drive wheel (28) is provided on the shaft of the roller (27). The drive motor (29) is connected to the secondary drive wheel (28) via a belt or chain.

7. The pickled mustard tuber harvesting machine according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by The frame (16) has multiple vertically arranged position adjustment mounting holes (24) on both sides, which are detachably pivotally connected to the frame (10) by pins or bolts to adjust the ground height of the vegetable sweeping mechanism (C); a rack (25) is also fixed on the frame (16), and a lifting motor (26) is installed on the frame (10). The output end of the lifting motor (26) is provided with a main gear that meshes with the rack (25) to drive the frame (16) to rotate and lift around the position adjustment mounting hole (24) on the side away from the rack (25); the control box (32) is electrically connected to the lifting motor (26).

8. The pickled mustard tuber harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein The walking mechanism (A) includes tracks (11), guide wheels (12), tension wheels (13), drive wheels (14), and a traveling motor (15); the traveling motor (15) is fixed to the frame (10) and is connected to the drive wheel (14) for transmission; the control box (32) is equipped with a remote control receiver for wireless communication with an external remote control; the control box (32) is electrically connected to the traveling motor (15).

9. A pickling mustard harvesting method using the pickling mustard harvesting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Start the walking mechanism (A) to make the harvester move forward along the pickled mustard green planting ridge; at the same time, start the rotary drive (2) to drive the rotary cutter disc (3) and its flexible striking element (4) to rotate; Step 2: The blade of the rotary blade (3) first contacts the upper stem and leaves of the pickled mustard tuber, cutting off most of them; then the high-speed rotating flexible striking element (4) beats the middle and lower parts of the pickled mustard tuber to remove the remaining stems and leaves; Step 3: The harvester continues to move forward, and the root cutting blade (6) hanging behind slides along the ground under the drag of the flexible connector (5). When the root cutting blade (6) encounters the root of the vegetable head, it cuts the root by its own weight and forward pulling force. Step 4: After the roots are cut, the vegetable heads fall to the ground and are swept into the feeding inclined plate (19) by the sweeping bar (30) of the vegetable head sweeping mechanism (C), and enter the space between the roller (20) and the bottom screen plate (18); Step 5: The roller (20) rotates, driving the flexible striking element (4) on it to tumble the vegetable head, so that the residual stems, leaves and soil attached to the surface of the vegetable head are discharged through the bottom screen plate (18), and the cleaned vegetable head is sent out from the discharge port (23) for collection.

10. The pickled mustard tuber harvesting method according to claim 9, wherein In step five, the connection position between the mounting hole (24) and the frame (10) is adjusted by adjusting the position, and / or the lifting motor (26) is started to drive the frame (16) to rotate, thereby changing the feed angle and ground clearance of the vegetable head sweeping mechanism (C) to adapt to different terrains.

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