Transplanter

Abstract

To improve maintenance ability while preventing cost increase.SOLUTION: A transplanter (1) comprises: a machine body frame (5F); a front step (21) attached to the machine body frame from an upper side and is supported; a rear step (22) attached to the machine body frame from an upper side and supported, and is arranged on a rear side of the front step; an auxiliary appliance arranged below the front step in a state where the front step is attached; and fixing means (9, 50) capable of switching a state between a fixing state in which the front step is fixed to the machine body frame, and a release state in which the fixing is released. In a state of attaching the front step and the rear step to the machine body frame, a part (21a) of the front step is overlapped to a part (22a) of the rear step from an upper side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transplanter having a front step. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, a rice transplanter is known that has a traveling body and a planting device that plants seedlings behind it. In such a rice transplanter, a step is provided for an operator to stand on and work, and the rear side of the step is configured to be one step higher than the front side in order to transplant seedlings to the planting device. An example of an agricultural machine that has such a step is a transplanter that transplants vegetables.

[0003] However, if the step of the above shape is constructed as a single unit, the processing costs and the costs of transportation and storage will increase, so it is known to construct it as a separate unit consisting of a front step (front cover) and a rear step (rear cover) (see Patent Document 1). The unit in Patent Document 1 is constructed so that the front end of the rear step fits into the rear end of the front step from above to prevent the worker's feet from getting caught. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5650286 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In transplanters such as rice transplanters, auxiliary devices such as batteries are arranged below the front step, and maintenance such as inspection and replacement is required. However, as in Patent Document 1, in which the front end of the rear step is fitted from above to the rear end of the front step, there is a problem that the front step cannot be removed without removing the rear step during maintenance, and maintainability is not good. In addition, if the front step and the rear step are configured to be fixed separately, there is a problem that the number of fixing devices for fixing them increases, leading to an increase in costs.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a transplanter which is easy to maintain while preventing an increase in costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a transplanter comprising a body frame, a front step attached to and supported by the body frame from above, a rear step attached to and supported by the body frame from above and positioned rearward of the front step, accessories positioned below the front step when the front step is attached, and fixing means capable of switching between a fixed state in which the front step is fixed to the body frame and a released state in which the fixation is released, and characterized in that when the front step and the rear step are attached to the body frame, a portion of the front step overlaps a portion of the rear step from above. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent an increase in costs while improving maintainability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the rice transplanter according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top view showing the rice transplanter according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a side step is removed in the rice transplanter according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a front step is removed from the front part of the rice transplanter according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a clamp mechanism that fixes the front step according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a rear step is removed from the rear portion of the rice transplanter according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a pin of the front step according to the embodiment is inserted into a grommet installed on the vehicle frame. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an exploded oblique view showing the pin position markings of the front step and the pin position markings of the rear step in the rice transplanter according to this embodiment. [Figure 10] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which an inner end portion of a front step and a lower end portion of a bonnet according to the present embodiment overlap with each other. [Figure 11] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a rear end portion of a front step and a front end portion of a rear step according to the present embodiment overlap each other. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] [Outline of rice transplanter configuration] Hereinafter, an embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a riding rice transplanter 1, which is an example of a transplanter, has a traveling body 5 supported by front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3 as a traveling device, and a planting machine 7 is supported at the rear of the traveling body 5 via a lifting link mechanism 6 so that it can be raised and lowered. An engine 10 is mounted at the front part of the traveling body 5 as a driving source that outputs driving force, covered by a bonnet 9. The power of the engine 10 is transmitted to the rear wheels 3 via a rear axle case (not shown) arranged between the rear wheels 3, and is transmitted to the planting machine 7 via a planting clutch (not shown). This drives the planting machine 7, which picks up a single seedling from a mat seedling (not shown) and transplants it continuously into a field.

[0011] A driver's seat 11 is disposed near the center or rear of the traveling body 5, and a seat 12 on which an operator can sit is disposed in front of the driver's seat, and an operating system such as a steering handle 13 and a main speed change lever 15, as well as various switches and a display panel, are disposed in front of the driver's seat 11. The steering handle 13 is connected to the front wheels 2 by a steering device 4 disposed at the bottom of the traveling body 5. The front wheels 2 are steered according to the steering angle of the steering handle 13 by the steering operation of the steering handle 13 by the worker (operator). A fertilizer applicator 8 for spreading fertilizer is disposed behind the seat 12.

[0012] [Step configuration] Next, the configuration of the side step 20 of the rice transplanter 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs.

[0013] 1 to 4, in the rice transplanter 1, left and right side steps 20 are arranged on the left and right sides of the bonnet 9 and the driver's seat 11. The left and right side steps 20 are arranged by being attached to the machine body frame 5F constituting the traveling machine body 5, as will be described in detail later.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 4, each of the left and right side steps 20 is configured to have a front step 21 and a rear step 22 arranged behind the front step 21. The front step 21 is arranged in the front part of the traveling machine body 5, specifically, in front of the driver's seat 11 and to the side of the bonnet 9. The front step 21 is made of, for example, resin, and is formed in a flat plate shape so that an operator can stand on its upper surface 21S. In addition, auxiliary equipment such as a battery 17 (see Fig. 1) is arranged below the front step 21 attached to the machine body frame 5F.

[0015] On the other hand, the rear step 22 is disposed from the center to the rear part of the traveling body 5, specifically disposed to the side of the driver's seat 11. The rear step 22 is made of the same resin as the front step 21, and is configured to have a front upper surface (hereinafter referred to as the "front upper surface") 22S1, a rear upper surface (hereinafter referred to as the "rear upper surface") 22S2 located above the front upper surface 22S1, and a side surface portion 22b bent and formed so as to connect the front upper surface 22S1 and the rear upper surface 22S2 and extend in the vertical direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the rear step 22 is formed to have a step shape in the vertical direction, so that, for example, an operator can climb up and stand on the rear upper surface 22S2 from the driver's seat 11 through the front upper surface 22S, which makes it easy to supply fertilizer to the fertilizer applicator 8 and set mat seedlings on the planting machine 7.

[0016] [Installation of front steps] Next, the structure for mounting the front step 21 to the vehicle frame 5F will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 8, the front step 21 has a pin 21p extending downward. The pin 21p is formed at two locations, for example, at different positions in the front-rear direction, below the front step 21. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the vehicle frame 5F has two holes 5a into which the two pins 21p are inserted from above. In detail, grommets 30 made of, for example, resin are fitted into the holes 5a, and the pins 21p are inserted from above and fitted into the grommets 30. In short, the front step 21 is mounted in a manner that restricts horizontal and downward movement by being aligned and placed on the vehicle frame 5F from above, so that the pins 21p and the grommets 30 are fitted into each other.

[0018] In addition, since the pin 21p of the front step 21 cannot be seen when viewed from above, it may be difficult to align it with the grommet 30. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 9, it is conceivable to form a mark 21M, which is a guide indicating the position of the pin 21p, on the upper surface 21S of the front step 21. This makes it easier to align the front step 21 with the vehicle frame 5F when attaching the front step 21.

[0019] The front step 21 attached to the vehicle frame 5F in this manner is also held down from above by the bonnet 9, as will be described in detail later, but as shown in FIG. 4, it also has two clamp mechanisms 50 as fixing means or fixtures, and these clamp mechanisms 50 also fix the front step 21 so that it does not move upward relative to the vehicle frame 5F.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 6, the clamp mechanism 50 is configured to have a main body 51 fixed to the vehicle frame 5F, a rotating lever 52 as an operating part that can be rotated in the vertical direction relative to the main body 51, and a hook 53 connected to the rotating lever 52. One of the front steps 21 is formed with an engagement claw 21c that hooks and engages with the hook 53, protruding laterally. Since the clamp mechanism 50 configured in this manner has the manually operable rotating lever 52, the front step 21 can be switched to a fixed state in which the front step 21 is fixed to the vehicle frame 5F by rotating the rotating lever 52 downward with the hook 53 hooked on the engagement claw 21c of the front step 21, and can be switched to a released state in which the fixed state is released by rotating the rotating lever 52 upward to separate the hook 53 from the engagement claw 21c of the front step 21. That is, since the clamp mechanism 50 can be manually switched between the fixed state and the released state, there is no need to perform an operation such as tightening a screw with a tool or the like. In short, by providing the clamp mechanism 50, the front step 21 can be easily attached to the vehicle frame 5F without using tools or the like.

[0021] [Installation of rear step] Next, the structure for mounting the rear step 22 to the vehicle frame 5F will be described with reference to Figures 4, 7, and 9. Although not shown, a pin similar to the pin 21p is formed below the rear step 22 at two different positions, for example, in the left-right direction.

[0022] 4 and 7, the vehicle frame 5F has two holes 5b into which the two pins of the rear step 22 are inserted from above. Grommets 31 made of, for example, resin are fitted into the holes 5b, and the pins are inserted from above and fitted into the grommets 31. In other words, the rear step 22 is also aligned from above and placed on the vehicle frame 5F, so that the pins and the grommets 31 fit together, and the rear step 22 is mounted in such a way that horizontal and downward movement is restricted.

[0023] 9, a mark 22M that indicates the position of the pin 22p of the rear step 22 may also be formed on the rear upper surface 22S2 of the rear step 22. This makes it easier to align the rear step 22 with the vehicle frame 5F when mounting the rear step 22.

[0024] [Overlap area between bonnet and front step] Next, the overlapping portion between the bonnet 9 and the front step 21 will be described with reference to Figures 4, 5, and 10. The bonnet 9 is supported rotatably on the vehicle frame 5F and is provided switchable between an open state (see Figure 4) and a closed state (see Figure 3), and is configured to cover the above-mentioned engine 10 and auxiliary devices (not shown) such as an alternator in the closed state.

[0025] 4, 5, and 10, an inner end portion 21b (hereinafter referred to as the "inner end portion") in the left-right direction as part of the front step 21 is bent upward with respect to the upper surface 21S. As shown in Fig. 10, this inner end portion 21b is formed so as to overlap in the left-right direction as viewed from above with the lower end 9a of the side surface as part of the bonnet 9 in the closed state when the front step 21 is attached to the vehicle frame 5F.

[0026] With this configuration, when the bonnet 9 is open, the front step 21 is detachable from the vehicle frame 5F, and when the bonnet 9 is closed with the front step 21 attached to the vehicle frame 5F, the inner end 21b of the front step 21 overlaps and is pressed against the lower end 9a of the bonnet 9 from above, so that the front step 21 is fixed to the vehicle frame 5F with the bonnet 9 serving as a fixing means. The bonnet 9 can be opened by manually releasing a locking mechanism (not shown), and when it is closed, the locking mechanism is automatically locked and the front step 21 is fixed to the vehicle frame 5F, so that the front step 21 can be opened and closed manually without using any tools. The front step 21 is fixed to the vehicle frame 5F more safely by being pressed from above by the bonnet 9 on the inside, but is fixed to the vehicle frame 5F on the outside by the clamp mechanism 50 described above.

[0027] [Front step and rear step overlapping area] Next, the overlapping portion of the front step 21 and the rear step 22 will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 11. As shown in Figs. 4 and 10, in this rice transplanter 1, when the front step 21 and the rear step 22 are attached to the machine frame 5F, the rear end 21a, which is a part of the front step 21, is configured to overlap from above the front end 22a, which is a part of the rear step 22, when viewed from above. As described above, when the bonnet 9 is closed, the inner end 21b of the front step 21 is pressed from above by the lower end 9a of the bonnet 9 and fixed, and the outer side is also fixed by the clamp mechanism 50. Then, the front end 22a of the rear step 22 is pressed from above by the rear end 21a of the front step 21, and the rear step 22 is fixed to the machine frame 5F.

[0028] In addition, the front end 22a of the rear step 22 is bent downwards by the thickness of the rear end 21a of the front step 21 with respect to the front upper surface 22S1 so as to form a step downwards, and the upper surface 21S of the front step 21 and the front upper surface 22S1 of the rear step 22 are configured to be substantially flush with each other when the rear end 21a overlaps the front end 22a. This makes it difficult for an operator's foot to get caught when walking on the side step 20, improving workability.

[0029] [Summary of this embodiment] As described above, in the rice transplanter 1 according to this embodiment, when the front step 21 and the rear step 22 are attached to the machine frame 5F, the rear end 21a of the front step 21 overlaps the front end 22a of the rear step 22 from above. Therefore, by fixing the front step 21 to the machine frame 5F, the rear step 22 can be fixed to the machine frame 5F, and a fixing tool for the rear step 22 is not required, which can prevent an increase in costs. When performing maintenance on an auxiliary device such as the battery 17 below the front step 21, the front step 21 can be removed without removing the rear step 22, which can improve maintainability. In addition, when it is desired to remove only the rear step 22, the rear step 22 can be easily removed from the machine frame 5F by simply lifting the rear end 21a of the front step 21 upward.

[0030] The front step 21 is fixed by overlapping the lower end 9a of the bonnet 9 with the inner end 21b of the front step 21, that is, the front step 21 is fixed by closing the bonnet 9. This makes it possible to eliminate the need for a fastener for fixing the inner side of the front step 21 to the vehicle frame 5F, thereby preventing an increase in costs. The bonnet 9 can be opened and closed, for example, by manually releasing the locking mechanism of the bonnet 9, so that the front step 21 can be manually released from the bonnet 9 without using tools, etc., which makes it easy to attach and detach the front step 21 and improves the maintainability of the accessories below the front step 21.

[0031] In addition, the front step 21 can be attached to the body frame 5F simply by inserting the pin 21p extending downward from above into the grommet 30 in the hole 5a of the body frame 5F, making it easy to attach and remove the front step 21 and improving the maintainability of the accessories located below the front step 21.

[0032] Furthermore, the front step 21 has a mark 21M formed on the upper surface 21S thereof, which is a guide indicating the position of the pin 21p, thereby facilitating attachment of the front step 21 to the vehicle frame 5F.

[0033] Furthermore, as a fixing means for fixing the front step 21, a clamp mechanism 50 having a pivot lever 52 that can be manually switched between a fixed state and a released state is provided, making it easy to attach and detach the front step 21 and improving the maintainability of the accessories located below the front step 21.

[0034] [Possible alternative embodiments] In the present embodiment described above, the rear step 22 is held down from above by only the front step 21 and fixed to the vehicle frame 5F, but it is also possible to provide a fixing device such as a clamp mechanism on the rear or outer portion of the rear step 22 so that it can be fixed in place.

[0035] In addition, in this embodiment, the inside of the front step 21 is held down from above by the closed bonnet 9 and fixed to the vehicle frame 5F, but this is not limited to the above, and it is also possible to provide a fixing device such as a clamp mechanism on the inside part of the front step 21 so that it can be fixed.

[0036] In addition, in this embodiment, a clamp mechanism 50 is provided on the outside of the front step 21, and the front step 21 is fixed to the vehicle frame 5F by the clamp mechanism 50. However, this is not limited to the above, and the clamp mechanism may be eliminated, and the front step 21 may be fixed to the vehicle frame 5F only by the closed bonnet 9, for example.

[0037] In addition, in this embodiment, pins 21p, 22p are provided on the front step 21 and the rear step 22 and inserted into holes 5a, 5b in the vehicle frame 5F. However, this is not limited to this, and any structure may be used as long as the front step 21 and the rear step 22 can be engaged with the vehicle frame 5F from above and the degree of freedom other than in the upward direction can be restricted.

[0038] In addition, in this embodiment, the rice transplanter 1 has been described as an example of a transplanter that transplants seedlings into a field, but this is not limited to this, and the transplanter may be a transplanter that transplants vegetable seedlings into a field, that is, any type of transplanter may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1...Rice transplanter (transplanter) / 5a...Hole / 5F...Machine frame / 9...Bonnet (fixing means) / 9a...Lower end (part of the bonnet) / 10...Engine (driving source) / 17...Battery (auxiliary equipment) / 21...Front step / 21a...Rear end (part of the front step) / 21b...Inner end (part of the front step) / 21p...Pin / 21M...Mark (marker) / 22...Rear step / 22a...Front end (part of the rear step) / 50...Clamp mechanism (fixing means, fixing device) / 52...Rotating lever (operation part)

Claims

1. The body frame, a front step attached to and supported by the vehicle frame from above; A rear step that is attached to and supported by the vehicle frame from above and is disposed behind the front step; An accessory disposed below the front step when the front step is attached; a fixing means capable of switching between a fixed state in which the front step is fixed to the vehicle body frame and a released state in which the fixation is released, When the front step and the rear step are attached to the vehicle frame, a portion of the front step overlaps a portion of the rear step from above. A transplanter characterized by:

2. A drive source that outputs a drive force; a bonnet that is switchably disposed between an open state and a closed state and that covers the driving source in the closed state; the fixing means is the bonnet, The bonnet is When the bonnet is closed with the front step attached to the vehicle frame, a portion of the bonnet overlaps a portion of the front step from above to be in the fixed state; The released state is achieved by opening the hood.

2. A transplanter according to claim 1.

3. The front step has a pin extending downward, The aircraft frame has a hole into which the pin is inserted.

2. A transplanter according to claim 1.

4. The front step has a mark on an upper surface thereof indicating the position of the pin.

4. A transplanter according to claim 3.

5. The fixing means is a fixing tool having an operating part that can be manually switched between the fixed state and the released state.

2. A transplanter according to claim 1.

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