Seedling mat taking-out device

Abstract

To easily take out seedling mats from seedling boxes and facilitate automation.SOLUTION: A seedling mat taking-out device includes multiple needles under a net which has the size of a seedling mat, can raise and lower the net in the vertical direction. When the net is lowered, the needles thrust the bed soil of the seedling mat, and the seedling mat is taken out from the seedling box by lifting the thrust seedling mat from the seedling box.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seedling mat removal device that can be applied to a rice transplanter or the like and that can remove seedling mats from seedling boxes in which the seedling mats are stored. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when removing seedling mats from seedling trays, workers would grab the leaves at the edge of the seedling mat, turn the mat over slightly, and then insert a seedling removal board to scoop up the seedlings (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2020-5546 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the task of removing the seedling mats by the worker is troublesome, and is also an obstacle to the automation of rice transplanters, which has become common in recent years.

[0005] The present invention takes into consideration the problems associated with the conventional seedling mat removal work and aims to provide a seedling mat removal device that can be mechanized without the need for manual labor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first aspect of the present invention is A plurality of needles are provided under a net having a size of a seedling mat, The seedling mat removal device is characterized in that the net can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction, and when the net is lowered, the needles pierce the bed soil of the seedling mat, and the seedling mat is removed from the seedling box by lifting the pierced seedling mat from the seedling box.

[0007] The second aspect of the present invention is The seedling mat removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that the needle is formed by combining two thin plates in a cross shape so that the tip of the needle is tapered, and the needle has a barbed portion.

[0008] The third aspect of the present invention is The seedling mat removal device described in claim 1 or 2 is characterized in that a seedling remover is provided to remove the seedling mat that has been pierced and lifted by the needles, and the seedling mat is removed from the needles by raising and lowering the seedling remover while pressing down on the top surface of the bed soil, so that the tip of the needle is positioned below the seedling remover to a position above the seedling remover. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the seedling mat can be removed from the seedling box and the process can be automated.

[0010] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the seedling mat can be removed from the seedling box reliably. Also, by making the needles out of thin plates, the cross-sectional area can be reduced as much as possible, and holes in the bed soil can be prevented. Also, by providing multiple barbs, when lifting the seedlings from the seedling box, the barbs can be hooked on the roots in the bed soil, and can assist in lifting the seedlings.

[0011] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the seedling mat can be removed without damaging the seedlings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a seedling mat removal system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] Plan view of the seedling mat removal system [Diagram 3] Partial perspective view of the seedling mat removal system [Figure 4] A perspective view of the seedling mat removal system's intake section. [Diagram 5]Side view of the seedling mat removal system's intake section, seedling mat, and seedling box [Figure 6] Side view of the seedling mat removal system's intake section, seedling mat, and seedling box [Figure 7] Side view of the seedling mat removal system's intake section, seedling mat, and seedling box [Figure 8] Side view of the seedling mat removal system's intake section, seedling mat, and seedling box [Figure 9] (A), (B), and (C) are perspective views of the insertion part of the seedling mat removal system. [Figure 10] A partially enlarged side view of the seedling mat removal system's intake section, seedling mat, and seedling box [Figure 11] (A) Plan view of the seedling tray and seedling mat, (B) Enlarged view of a part of the plan view [Figure 12] Schematic plan view of the seedling removal unit of the seedling mat removal system. [Figure 13] A perspective view of the extraction section of the seedling mat removal system. [Figure 14] Schematic side view of the seedling removal unit of the seedling mat removal system. [Figure 15] Schematic side view of the seedling removal unit of the seedling mat removal system. [Figure 16] Side view of the seedling mat intake section, seedling mat and extraction section of the seedling mat extraction system [Figure 17] Side view of the seedling mat intake section, seedling mat and extraction section of the seedling mat extraction system [Figure 18] Schematic side view of the seedling removal unit of the seedling mat removal system. [Figure 19] Schematic side view of the seedling removal unit of the seedling mat removal system. [Figure 20] A perspective view of the seedling removal unit and seedling trays of the seedling mat removal system. [Figure 21] A schematic perspective view of the seedling removal unit and seedling tank of the seedling mat removal system. [Figure 22] Rear view of the vehicle body, seedling removal unit, and seedling tank of the seedling mat removal system [Diagram 23] Schematic plan view of the seedling removal unit and seedling tank of the seedling mat removal system [Figure 24] Enlarged view of part of Figure 23 [Diagram 25] Side view of Fig. 24 [Figure 26] A perspective view of the empty box storage facility of the seedling mat removal system [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a multi-row frame unit of the auxiliary seedling frame unit of the seedling mat removal system. [Figure 28] A schematic side view of the seedling removal unit and auxiliary seedling frame unit of the seedling mat removal system. [Figure 29] A schematic side view of the seedling removal unit and auxiliary seedling frame unit of the seedling mat removal system. [Diagram 30] Schematic plan view of the seedling removal unit of the seedling mat removal system. [Diagram 31] (A) A schematic plan view of a seedling harvesting unit of the seedling mat removal system, (B) a schematic side view of the seedling harvesting unit, and (C) a schematic front view of the seedling harvesting unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a side view of a rice transplanter equipped with a seedling mat removal system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. In the following, forward / backward, left / right, and up / down are defined based on the traveling direction of the rice transplanter.

[0015] In Figures 1 and 2, a vehicle body 100 can run on front wheels 1 and rear wheels 2, and is equipped with an engine 3, a fertilizer applicator 4, a planting device 5, and a float 6. Furthermore, a seedling removal unit 7 (described later) is mounted above the vehicle body 100 so as to be movable in the left-right direction, and an auxiliary seedling frame unit 8 (described later) is disposed in front of the vehicle body 100. Here, reference numeral 9 denotes two rails on which the seedling removal unit 7 can move left-right. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the seedling removal unit 7 and the auxiliary seedling frame unit 8.

[0016] Next, the taking-in section 70 of the seedling harvesting unit 7 will be described.

[0017] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the intake section 70 and seedling tray 10. The intake section 70 has a flat lattice-type net section 71 and multiple piercing sections 72. The piercing sections 72 have a needle structure as described below. The piercing sections 72 are attached in parallel to the underside of the net section 71 at each intersection of the lattice. 73 is a vertical arm that holds the net section 71 and the piercing sections 72.

[0018] 4, the seedling boxes 10 storing the seedling mats 11 are disposed below the take-in section 70. The take-in section 70 takes out the seedling mats 11 from the seedling boxes 10 in the following manner.

[0019] First, as shown in Fig. 5, the net part 71 is slowly lowered so as to push aside the leaves while being swung from side to side near the upper end of the leaves 11a of the seedlings on the seedling mat 11. The swung range is less than half the distance between the needles (piercing parts 72), and it is acceptable to vibrate it very gently.

[0020] By doing this, the leaves 11a can be placed in the meshes of the net part 71 as directly above the rice or as close to it as possible, thereby reducing the chance of the leaves 11a being broken or damaged by the net part 71 as it is lowered.

[0021] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the length of the insertion portion 72 is set to be two to three times the thickness of the bed soil 11b, so that even when the mesh portion 71 is lowered and the tip of the insertion portion 72 reaches the bottom of the seedling box 10, the mesh portion 71 will not reach the top surface of the bed soil 11b, and a gap will be created between the mesh portion 71 and the top surface of the bed soil 11b.

[0022] In this way, the leaves 11a that do not fall into the meshes of the net part 71 directly above the rice seeds are not crushed by the net part 71, and a space is created for them to escape to the left and right, so that work can be done without damaging the leaves 11a of the seedling mat 11.

[0023] 8 shows the state where the net part 71 and the piercing part 72 are raised by the arm 73 after the multiple piercing parts 72 have been pierced into the bed soil 11b of the seedling mat 11 in this way. The seedling boxes 10 are heavy and cannot be lifted up together with the net part 71 and remain in place. Note that a lock may be set to hold the seedling boxes 10 at this timing.

[0024] Next, a specific example of the piercing part 72 will be described. Figure 9 (A) is a perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view, and (C) is a front view. The piercing part 72 is made by combining two thin long boards in a cross-shaped cross section, and multiple return parts 72a are formed in the part that pierces the bed soil 11b. The tip (lower end) is narrowed to make it easier to pierce the bed soil 11b. However, the tip and return parts 72a are made rounded (R).

[0025] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged view of the state in which the piercing portion 72 is pierced into the bed soil 11b, and 11c is the root.

[0026] In this way, since the piercing part 72 is made of a thin plate, the cross-sectional area can be reduced as much as possible, and the seedling mat 11 can be pierced without crushing or creating holes in the bed soil 11b. Also, by providing multiple return parts 72a, when the seedling mat 11 is removed from the seedling box 10 and lifted up, it can be caught by the roots 11c stretched in the bed soil 11b, making it easier to lift the seedling mat 11. Also, since each part is rounded, when the piercing part 72 is pierced into the bed soil 11b, it can be pierced by pushing aside as many of the roots 11c as possible without cutting them, and the return parts 72a catch the seedling mat 11, making it difficult to pull it out.

[0027] 11(A) and (B) are diagrams for explaining the arrangement and length of the mesh of the net portion 71 and the multiple piercing portions 72. FIG.

[0028] Here, the front-to-back spacing L1 between the multiple insertion portions 72 corresponds to the length of the seedlings to be removed from the seedling mat 11 at one time, and the left-to-right spacing L2 between the multiple insertion portions 72 corresponds to the length of the seedlings to be fed laterally at one time in the seedling mat 11. In this embodiment, the multiple insertion portions 72 are hung down from each intersection of the lattice of the net portion 71, so that the spacing between the meshes of the net portion 71 and the spacing between the multiple insertion portions 72 are the same.

[0029] That is, the mesh spacing of the net portion 71 and the spacing of the piercing portions 72 are set according to the seedling collection amount and the number of lateral feeds. The spacing of the piercing portions 72 in the vertical direction of the seedling mat 11 is arranged by equally dividing the length of the seedling mat 11 according to the seedling collection amount (for example, seedling collection amount 12 mm x 48 blocks = length 576 mm), and the spacing of the piercing portions 72 in the horizontal direction is arranged by equally dividing the width of the seedling mat 11 according to the number of lateral feeds (for example, number of lateral feeds 24 times x 11.5 mm = width 276 mm). In addition, the piercing portions 72 with a cross section are attached so that the thin plates are parallel to the length and width of the seedling box 10. Note that the piercing portions 72 arranged at the ends and corners of the seedling box 10 have a cross section that is T-shaped or L-shaped.

[0030] By doing this, when the seedling mat 11 taken out of the seedling box 10 is set in the planting device 5 after the piercing part 72 is removed as described below, the trace of the removed piercing part 72 is in a position that matches the size of the seedlings scraped by the planting claws of the planting device 5 at the time of planting, so that the seedlings are scraped reliably, the number of missing stalks is reduced, and planting performance is improved. In addition, the scraping load of the planting claws is reduced by the piercing part 72 after piercing, and durability is increased. However, if the seedling removal amount or the number of lateral feed times is changed, the net part 71 and the piercing part 72 must be replaced accordingly.

[0031] Next, the mechanism by which the seedling mat 11 thus pierced and lifted by the piercing portion 72 falls away from the insertion portion 72 will be described.

[0032] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the seedling harvesting unit 7, in which the take-in section 70 having the mesh section 71 and the piercing section 72 described above is disposed on the front left side (take-out position P), the belt conveyor guide device 12 is disposed immediately behind it, and the removal section 13 is waiting to the right of the guide device 12 (waiting position W). A connecting plate 14 is disposed behind the guide device 12. And 15 is a housing that houses the take-in section 70, the removal section 13, and the guide device 12. The connecting plate 14 is attached to the rear surface 15e of the housing 15. In this way, the seedling harvesting unit 7 is composed of at least the take-in section 70, the removal section 13, the guide device 12, the connecting plate 14, and the housing 15.

[0033] 13 is a perspective view of the extracting section 13 arranged at the standby position W. As shown in the figure, the extracting section 13 has comb teeth 13a, which are parallel rods longer than the length of the short side of the seedling mat 11, and a fixed frame 13b to which the comb teeth 13a are fixed. The comb teeth 13a are held in a horizontal state. The spacing and number of the comb teeth 13a correspond to the spacing and number of the multiple insertion sections 72.

[0034] 14 is a side view of the seedling removal unit 7, showing the start of the above-mentioned take-in section 70 about to lift up the seedling mat 11 stored in the seedling box 10 at the removal position P. The removal section 13 and the guide device 12 are arranged at the rear.

[0035] 15 shows the state in which the take-in unit 70 has lifted the seedling mat 11 from the seedling box 10 as described above. After that, the take-in unit 70 moves the seedling mat 11 while still hanging it to above the rear guide device 12 (not shown).

[0036] In this way, when the take-in section 70 reaches above the guide device 12 while suspending the seedling mat 11, the remover section 13 moves horizontally from the standby position W to the left (see FIG. 12).

[0037] Figure 16 shows the state in which the comb teeth 13a of the extraction section 13, which has moved horizontally, have been moved and positioned on the upper surface of the bed soil 11b of the seedling mat 11 into which the insertion section 72 has been inserted. The spacing and number of the comb teeth 13a correspond to the spacing and number of the multiple insertion sections 72, so that they can be inserted, moved and positioned between them.

[0038] 17 shows how the seedling mat 11 is removed from the inserting part 72 by moving the inserting part 72 upward relative to the comb teeth 13a while the upper surface of the bed soil 11b of the seedling mat 11 is being pressed down by the comb teeth 13a, resulting in the seedling mat 11 dropping under its own weight. In this example, the comb teeth 13a, i.e., the extracting part 13, do not move up and down, and only the inserting part 72 rises, but conversely, the comb teeth 13a side may be lowered to prevent the inserting part 72 from moving.

[0039] In this way, by pressing the bed soil 11b with a long rod-shaped comb, it is possible to press the bed soil 11b more stably than pressing it with a point or a small surface, and it can be removed without breaking cleanly. In addition, by making the comb teeth 13a into a round bar, even if the leaves 11a of the seedling mat 11 are pressed in a crushing manner, the leaves 11a are easily able to escape to the left and right of the round bar, and it is easy to prevent the leaves 11a from being broken or damaged. In addition, when removing the seedling mat 11 from the piercing part 72, the roots 11c of the seedlings are forcibly removed while they are hooked on the return part 72a provided on the piercing part 72, so that when the seedlings are subsequently scraped off with the planting claws at the time of planting, the roots 11c are cut in the part where the piercing part 72 was stuck, and the seedlings are scraped off in a block with neat corners, and it is expected that the planting performance and the durability of the planting claws will be improved.

[0040] 18 shows the state in which the dropped seedling mat 11 is placed on the guiding device 12. Reference numeral 14 denotes a connecting plate disposed behind the guiding device 12.

[0041] Figure 19 shows the state in which the intake section 70, which had moved upward, then returns to the forward removal position P, while the guide device 12 moves the seedling mat 11 on which it is placed backward and guides it onto the arch-shaped connecting plate 14.

[0042] As described above, a seedling box 10 (auxiliary seedling) containing a new seedling mat 11 is inserted from the front, the intake section 70 descends from above and is inserted into the bed soil 11b, the seedling mat 11 is lifted from the seedling box and moved rearward by about the width of one seedling mat 11, and the seedling mat 11 is removed by the extraction section 13 and dropped onto the guiding device 12, where it is guided rearward.

[0043] In this way, a seedling removal unit can be constructed that is a rectangular parallelepiped unit whose length is the length of the long side of the seedling box and the guide device 12 (1,300), whose width is the length of the short side of the seedling box and the lateral movement of the removal section 13 (600), and whose height is about twice the height of the auxiliary seedlings (400), and which automatically removes the auxiliary seedlings inserted from the front and removes only the seedling mat 11 from the rear.

[0044] Within this unit, the take-in section 70 can move up and down and back and forth, the extracting section 13 can move left and right, and the guide device 12 can move, making it possible to configure three movements.

[0045] Next, the post-treatment of the empty seedling box 10 from which the seedling mat 11 has been removed will be described.

[0046] As described later, seedling boxes 10 (auxiliary seedlings) containing new seedling mats 11 are newly supplied to the removal position P through an auxiliary seedling opening 15d provided on the front surface 15c of the housing 15 (left side of the drawing in Figure 19).

[0047] When the new seedling box 10 is sent to the removal position P, the empty seedling box 10 present there is pushed backward. The pushed-out empty seedling box 10 moves to the lower side of the guide device 12, where an empty box opening 15b is opened on the bottom surface 15a of the housing 15, so that the seedling box 10 falls down by its own weight and is discharged. That is, an empty box opening 15b large enough to allow the seedling box 10 to fall downward is provided on the bottom surface 15a of the housing 15 below the guide device 12.

[0048] Therefore, the height of the guide device 12 is set to a height that ensures a space sufficient for the seedling tray 10 to move and enter.

[0049] In addition, an empty box storage shed 16 for storing empty seedling boxes 10 is arranged below the empty box opening 15b, and the empty box storage shed 16 covers the fertilizer applicator 4 and the engine 3 from above.

[0050] In this way, the empty seedling tray 10 can be removed from the seedling harvesting unit 7 without the need for a separate power source for moving the empty seedling tray 10.

[0051] 20 is a perspective view of the seedling removal unit 7, showing how the seedling boxes 10 containing seedling mats 11 as auxiliary seedlings are supplied from the auxiliary seedling opening 15d provided on the front surface 15c of the housing 15 to the internal removal position P. Furthermore, the figure also shows how the seedling mats 11 separated from the insertion section 72 as described above are sent out by the guide device 12 from the seedling mat supply opening 15f provided on the rear surface 15e of the housing 15 to the planting device 5 side.

[0052] 21 is a perspective view showing the seedling removal unit 7 moving left and right on the rails 9 as described above. The lower end 14a of the connecting plate 14 is configured to be located above the upper end 5d of the seedling tank 5a of the raised planting device 5, and the seedling mat 11 sliding down the connecting plate 14 is supplied to the raised seedling tank 5a while sliding.

[0053] In this way, when supplying seedlings during actual operation, the planting device 5 is raised to the top, the seedling removal unit 7 is moved left or right to match the seedling tank 5a of the row to which seedlings are to be supplied, and auxiliary seedlings are supplied from the auxiliary seedling frame unit 8 from the front. The seedling mat 11 is then removed from the seedling box 10 and automatically discharged from the rear by the guide device 12. The seedling mat 11 then falls into the seedling tank 5a under its own weight, running down the connecting plate 14, and the seedling supply is automatically completed.

[0054] FIG. 22 is a rear view showing the schematic positional relationship between the vehicle body 100, the seedling harvesting unit 7, and the seedling tank 5a.

[0055] Figure 23 is a partially enlarged view of Figure 22, showing the relationship between the seedling removal unit 7, which moves left and right, and the seedling tank 5a. The seedling removal unit 7 can move left and right on the rails 9 by an electric motor 74. Figure 24 is a partially enlarged view of Figure 23, and Figure 25 is its side view. The numbers surrounded by circles symbolically indicate each row.

[0056] The seedling removal unit 7 is configured to automatically move to the row of the seedling tank 5a where seedlings are to be replenished and stop there as follows. First, as described above, the seedling removal unit 7 is mounted on the rail 9 via a power source such as an electric motor 74 so that it can automatically move left and right.

[0057] In order to indicate the current position of the seedling harvesting unit 7 moving left and right, rail stoppers 9a, 9a, 9a... are provided at the following positions on the rail 9. That is, rail stoppers 9a, 9a, 9a... are formed at positions corresponding to the respective central positions 5a-1-1, 5a-1-1, 5a-1-1... of the left fences 5a-1, 5a-1, 5a-1... of each row when the seedling tank 5a is moved to the leftmost position.

[0058] Furthermore, in order to stop the seedling removal unit 7 in accordance with the laterally moving seedling tank 5a, seedling tank stoppers 5b, 5b, 5b... are provided at the left end of the range in which the seedlings are placed in the seedling tank 5a.

[0059] On the other hand, a switch which is turned on and off by the stoppers 9a, 5b is provided on the seedling harvesting unit 7 side.

[0060] That is, in order to stop the seedling removal unit 7 in line with the laterally moving seedling tank 5a, a seedling tank switch 14b is provided on the back side of the connecting plate 14 of the seedling removal unit 7 in a position where, when pressed by the seedling tank stopper 5b, the seedling mat 11 from the seedling removal unit 7 is normally supplied to the seedling tank 5a.

[0061] A rail switch 75 which is pressed by rail stoppers 9a, 9a, 9a... is provided on the rear side of the underside of the seedling harvesting unit 7 in the same row as the seedling tank switch 14b.

[0062] In addition, the seedling cut switch 5c of the seedling tank 5a, which has been installed conventionally, is configured to know which row switch is responding. Furthermore, as an initial setting, the seedling removal unit 7 is read in which row it is on and to the right of which rail stopper 9a, 9a, 9a... it is on.

[0063] In this way, by providing the electric motor 74 and the two switches 14b, 75 in the seedling removal unit 7, the seedling removal unit 7 can be stopped in accordance with the seedling tank 5a which automatically moves laterally.

[0064] Specifically, the rail stopper 9a is placed at the center position 5a-1-1 of the left fence 5a-1 where the seedling tank 5a is at its left end, so that the seedling picking unit 7 can determine which row it can supply seedlings to. For example, in the above figure, the rail switch 75 is on the right side of the rail stopper 9a of the third row, and the controller stores that the seedling picking unit 7 is in a range where it can supply seedlings to the third row. Each time the seedling picking unit 7 moves left and right and the rail switch 75 is pressed, the number of times is counted, so it is always possible to determine which row it is located on. If it is desired to supply seedlings to the sixth row from here, the seedling picking unit 7 will start moving to the right, moving to the fourth, fifth, and sixth rows until the rail switch 75 is pressed three times.

[0065] Next, the seedling tank stopper 5b and seedling tank switch 14b can be used to align the row with the seedling supply position and stop the unit. For example, in the above diagram, the seedling removal unit 7 moving to the right to supply seedlings to the sixth row is determined by the rail stopper 9a and rail switch 75 to have entered the seedling supply range of the sixth row, and then stops when the seedling tank switch 14b is pressed.

[0066] Here, when the range of the current location of the seedling removal unit 7 is the same as the row to which the seedlings are to be supplied and the unit needs to start moving, it is not possible to know whether the seedling tank stopper 5b is on the left or right side of the seedling tank switch 14b, so in this case it will start moving to the left, and if the seedling tank switch 14b is pressed first, that will be the seedling supply position, but if the rail switch 75 is pressed first, it will determine that the unit has entered the supply range of the adjacent row, and will then move in the opposite direction to the right, moving until it reaches the point where the seedling tank switch 14b is pressed and stopping.

[0067] Here, the seedling tank stopper 5b moves left and right between the two rail stoppers 9a so that the rows are never aligned, and the seedling tank switch 14b and the rail switch 75 are arranged in rows on the seedling removal unit 7, so that the two switches are never pressed at the same time.

[0068] Fig. 26 is a perspective view of the empty box storage 16 that stores the seedling boxes 10 that have fallen from the empty box opening 15b of the seedling removal unit 7 as described above. Its width is such that it covers the entire lower part of the range in which the seedling removal unit 7 moves from side to side. The mid fertilizer applicator 4 and fertilizer hopper are disposed at the bottom near the rear end of the seedling removal unit 7, and overlap about 1 / 3 of the empty box opening 15b of the seedling box 10 in the front-to-back direction in a plan view. This portion therefore forms a downwardly sloping surface 16a from the lower rear end of the seedling removal unit 7 to the upper front end of the fertilizer hopper.

[0069] The mid-engine 3 is located in the center of the running section below the center of the seedling harvesting unit 7, and this section is formed in a box shape surrounding the front left and right of the engine 3, with the top surface 16b forming a mountain-shaped roof. Vertical surfaces 16c are provided on the left and right sides of the engine 3 at a distance equal to or greater than the length of the short side of the seedling box 10, and above these are slopes 16d that rise towards the outside of the machine body like the top surfaces of the engine 3.

[0070] In addition, the range of movement of the seedling removal unit 7 other than the areas where the above-mentioned surfaces are provided is provided with a flat surface at a position as low as possible above the components of the running section of the rice transplanter, and these surfaces are connected to form a single surface.

[0071] With such a single surface component combining horizontal, vertical and inclined surfaces, the seedling boxes 10 discharged from the seedling harvesting unit 7 are stacked along each of the inclined surfaces on the horizontal surfaces on the left and right sides of the engine 3, from which the seedling boxes 10 can be collected all at once, improving work efficiency.

[0072] Furthermore, the engine 3, the fertilizer applicator 4, and the fertilizer hopper can be surrounded from above to the left and right sides of the front by one large surface, and a greenhouse fertilizer applicator can be constructed in which the heat of the engine accumulates inside, leading to improved performance in that the fertilizer does not get wet easily. Also, the lid of the fertilizer hopper is opened and closed inside this empty box storage shed 16, so fertilizer can be replenished without getting wet even in the rain.

[0073] Furthermore, the vertical surfaces 16c on the left and right outer sides of the machine body where the seedling boxes 10 on the left and right sides of the engine 3 are stacked and the slopes 16d that rise diagonally upward from there may be structured to open 90 degrees toward the outside of the machine body with the connecting part with the lowest horizontal surface as a pivot shaft 16e (see imaginary lines in the figure). The surface 16c that is horizontal when opened 90 degrees is made strong enough for an operator to stand on. Furthermore, several horizontal grooves are formed on the diagonally hanging slope 16d, and the grooves are made so that the toes of the operator can enter but are shorter than the short side of the seedling boxes 10, so that the operator can climb up and down the rice transplanter. By opening the left and right sides 90 degrees in this way, the seedling boxes 10 can be easily collected.

[0074] Next, the above-mentioned auxiliary seedling frame unit 8 will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 27 and the above-mentioned Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the auxiliary seedling frame unit 8 is provided in front of the seedling removal unit 7.

[0075] This auxiliary seedling frame unit 8 is composed of four vertically assembled pillar members 8a and a multi-row frame unit 8b that can be raised and lowered while being supported by the pillar members 8a. The multi-row frame units 8b can be installed in multiple stages vertically on the pillar members 8a.

[0076] The multi-row frame unit 8b has multiple guide members 8c aligned in the left-right direction, and one seedling box 10 can be slidably placed on each of the adjacent pairs of guide members 8c. The guide members 8c are positioned so that the front and rear rows match up with the positions of the rows of the planting device 5. For example, they are positioned to match the position when the planting device 5 is moved to the left end. In this way, the auxiliary seedlings are prepared in front of the vehicle body 100.

[0077] As shown in Figures 28 and 29, a seedling supply arm 8d protrudes forward above the auxiliary seedling opening 15d on the front surface 15c of the housing 15 of the seedling removal unit 7, and a seedling supply plate 8e with a surface approximately parallel to the front surface 15c of the housing 15 is attached to its front end 8d1.

[0078] As mentioned above, the seedling removal unit 7 moves left and right, so the seedling supply arm 8d also moves left and right. However, at that time, the front end 8d1 of the seedling supply arm 8d protrudes forward with a margin so as not to collide with seedling boxes 10 on the multi-row frame unit 8b of the auxiliary seedling frame unit 8.

[0079] Furthermore, the rear end 8d2 of the seedling supply arm 8d protrudes inside the housing 15, and the rear end 8d2 is fixed to the above-mentioned take-in part 70. Therefore, when the piercing part 72 of the take-in part 70 moves upward of the rear guide device 12, the seedling supply arm 8d also moves backward, and accordingly the seedling supply plate 8e also moves backward, so that the auxiliary seedling box 10 placed on the guide member 8c passes through the auxiliary seedling opening 15d and is disposed at the take-out position P.

[0080] In other words, by providing a multi-row frame unit 8b that can be moved vertically in multiple rows and multiple stages, the frame can be moved up and down to match the height of the auxiliary seedling opening 15d of the seedling removal unit 7, and auxiliary supply can be made simply by sliding the auxiliary seedlings backwards.

[0081] Each auxiliary seedling lined up on the left and right can be introduced by moving the seedling removal unit 7 from left to right. When all auxiliary seedlings in one row have been used, the empty multi-row frame unit 8b moves to a position higher than the auxiliary seedling opening 15d, and the next multi-row frame unit 8b rises. The drawing shows 24 auxiliary seedling frames in 6 rows horizontally and 4 rows vertically for 8 rows planting, taking into consideration the ease of turning, but 8 rows horizontally or more may be used depending on the work environment.

[0082] To further explain the seedling supply arm 8d, first, when the net portion 71 and the insertion portion 72 are positioned at the removal position P, the seedling supply plate 8e is positioned further forward than the front position of the multi-row frame unit 8b.

[0083] At the first start, the seedling box 10 containing the seedling mat 11 is placed in advance at the take-out position P of the seedling picking unit 7.

[0084] When the seedling removal unit 7 moves to the row that is currently needed, the net section 71 and the insertion section 72 move down as described above to remove the seedling mat 11, and then move onto the rear guide device 12. At that time, when the net section 71 and the insertion section 72 are moved forward, the seedling supply arm 8d and the seedling supply plate 8e also move backward, so that the seedling supply plate 8e abuts against the auxiliary seedling box on the multi-row frame unit 8b, pushing the auxiliary seedling box backward and placing it at the removal position P. This prepares for the next row.

[0085] In addition, instead of first placing the seedling boxes 10 containing the seedling mats 11 in the seedling removal unit 7, the multi-row frame unit b can be extended in a rail-like manner or the like so that it can be moved left and right, allowing auxiliary seedling boxes 10 to be sent one after another to the seedling removal unit 7 as needed.

[0086] At the same time that the auxiliary seedling box 10 moves to the removal position P, the empty seedling box 10 that was previously at the removal position P is pushed backward and moved into the empty box opening 15b and falls by its own weight, thereby further eliminating the need for a separate empty box recovery drive mechanism.

[0087] In the above embodiment, when the seedling shortage notification is received from the seedling shortage switch 5c, in principle the vehicle body 100 is stopped and the above-mentioned operation is carried out, but it is also possible to proceed while planting without stopping.

[0088] In this case, the multi-row frame unit 8b of the auxiliary seedling frame unit 8 must also be moved laterally in synchronization with the lateral movement of the seedling tank 5a, and then the seedling removal unit 7 must be moved to the desired row to align the row and move laterally at the same time.

[0089] Next, fertilization will be explained.

[0090] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 30, 31(A), (B), and (C), from the above, in the seedling removal unit 7, the width needs to be more than twice the short side of the seedling box 10 because the comb teeth 13a must move left and right, but in areas other than the rows where the seedling boxes 10 move back and forth, only the comb teeth 13a move left and right, and the other space is left empty.

[0091] Therefore, when the seedling box 10 passes through the center of the seedling harvesting unit 7, a duct 4b is provided that connects the open space on the left and right sides from the front surface 15c to the rear surface 15e of the seedling harvesting unit 7. The shape of the duct 4b is configured to have as large a volume as possible, so that the front is high and the rear is low, while avoiding the comb teeth 13a in a side view. In addition, an openable lid 4c is provided on the front surface 15, and an openable shutter 4d is provided on the rear surface 15e. In addition, a hose 4a is used to connect the opening of the rear surface 15e to the lower mid fertilizer applicator 4 and the fertilizer hopper, avoiding the empty box storage 16 and the fertilizer hopper lid that opens and closes.

[0092] In this way, the dead space of the seedling removal unit 7 is utilized to form a fertilizer duct 4b connecting the front surface 15c to the rear surface 15e, and further, the rear surface 15e is connected to the top of the fertilizer hopper by a hose 4a. By doing so, when fertilizing the fertilizer hopper, fertilizer can be added by pouring it into the front surface 15c of the seedling removal unit 7, and the fertilizer will flow under its own weight to the fertilizer hopper and can be replenished, so that work can be done from the front of the vehicle body 100, just like when supplying seedlings.

[0093] Also, by providing a cover 4c and a shutter 4d at the front and rear of the fertilizer duct 4b, fertilizer can be stored in this area as well, and it functions as a sub-hopper. In addition, the lateral movement of the seedling removal unit 7 allows fertilizer to be evenly supplied to the entire fertilizer hopper. Also, the fertilizer hose 4a at the rear allows fertilizer to be supplied without removing the cover of the empty box storage shed 16 and without getting wet by rain or other factors.

[0094] FIG. 30 shows a case where the comb teeth 13a are arranged on one side, right, in a plan view of the seedling removal unit 7, and FIGS. 31(A), (B), and (C) show a case where the comb teeth 13a are provided in two places, on the left and right.

[0095] In addition, when the fertilizer duct 4b is provided in the seedling removal unit 7 and fertilizer is supplied to the mid fertilizer applicator 4 and the fertilizer hopper, the position of the fertilizer inlet cover 4c provided on the front surface 15c of the seedling removal unit 7 is high, so the fertilizer bag needs to be lifted up to that position. Therefore, the above-mentioned auxiliary seedling frame unit 8 is used to lift it. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, a rack 17 that can move up and down is provided on the left and right sides. The load capacity of the rack 17 is such that it can carry the fertilizer bag and also a worker can stand on it to perform the supply work. Furthermore, the independent up and down movement of each stage of the auxiliary seedling frame unit 8 and the up and down movement of this rack 17 are independent. Alternatively, it may be linked to the top stage of the auxiliary seedling frame unit 8.

[0096] In addition, FIG. 3 shows a case where the comb teeth 13a are divided into two, one on the left and one on the right, and accordingly, there are two covers 4c on the left and right.

[0097] In this way, by providing a vertically movable rack 17 on the side of the auxiliary seedling frame unit 8, fertilizer bags can be easily carried to the fertilizer inlet at the front of the seedling removal unit 7, which is located at a high position. In addition, the worker can also rise up, improving work efficiency. This rack 17 should be provided on the left and right ends of the auxiliary seedling frame unit 8 in a position that does not interfere with the auxiliary seedling frame unit 8. Another advantage is that the drive section of the auxiliary seedling frame unit 8 can be used as the mechanism for driving the rack 17.

[0098] It should be noted that the multiple insertion portions of the take-in portion do not necessarily need to be fixed at the intersections of the lattice of the plate-like net portion, and may be offset.

[0099] It is preferable that each member and device in the system of the present invention is mechanically operable, and that the above operations are performed by a control means such as a computer, although manual operation may be involved in some operations. [Industrial Applicability]

[0100] The present invention is a seedling mat removal system that can mechanically remove seedling mats from seedling boxes in which the seedling mats are stored, and is ideal for automated rice transplanters. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1 Front wheel 2 Rear wheels 3 Engine 4 Fertilizer 4a hose 4b Duct 4c lid 4d Shutter 5 Planting device 5a Seedling tank 5a-1 Left fence 5a-1-1 Center position 5b Seedling tank stopper 5c Seedling cutting switch 5d Upper end 6. Float 7. Seedling Removal Unit 70 Capture section 71 Amibe 72 Insertion section 73 Arm 74 Electric Motor 75 Rail Switch 8 Auxiliary seedling frame unit 8a Column member 8b Multi-row frame unit 8c Guide member 8d Seedling supply arm 8e Seedling supply plate 9. Rail 9a Rail stopper 10 seedling box 11 Seedling Mat 11a leaf 11b Soil bed 11c root 12 Guidance device 13 Extraction section 13a comb teeth 14 Connecting plate 14a Lower end 14b Seedling tank switch 15. Cabinet 15a Bottom 15b Empty box opening 15c front 15d Auxiliary seedling opening 15e rear 15f Seedling mat supply opening 16 Empty Box Storage 17 Rack P Eject position W Standby position

Claims

1. A plurality of needles are provided under a net having a size of a seedling mat, The seedling mat removal device is characterized in that the net can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction, and when the net is lowered, the needles pierce the bed soil of the seedling mat, and the seedling mat is removed from the seedling box by lifting the seedling mat from the seedling box.

2. 2. The seedling mat extracting device according to claim 1, wherein the needle is constructed by combining two thin plates in a cross shape so that the tip of the needle is tapered, and the needle is provided with a barbed portion.

3. The seedling mat removal device described in claim 1 or 2 is characterized in that a seedling remover is provided to remove the seedling mat that has been pierced and lifted by the needle, and the seedling mat is removed from the needle by raising and lowering the seedling remover while pressing down on the top surface of the bed soil, so that the tip of the needle is positioned below the seedling remover to a position above the seedling remover.

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