Weeder for farm field and moving weeder unit

Abstract

To provide a weeder for a farm field and a moving weeder unit which enables any one or more of efficient weeding, sterilization, or insecticide with heat and humidity in a narrow long furrow in a farm field.SOLUTION: There are provided a frame which includes a pair of leg frames arranged in parallel with a moving direction, and a top frame, and is shaped like a portal in a back view, travel devices provided in the respective leg frames, and a heat and humidity blowing body which blows out heat and humidity toward soil in front or the back of each of the travel devices.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a weeding device and a mobile weeding unit for use in farm fields, such as tea fields, that perform one or more of weeding, sterilization, and insect killing in the fields. [Background technology]

[0002] In agricultural and horticultural fields (tea and mulberry fields, vegetable gardens, etc. collectively referred to as fields), the work of removing weeds that hinder crop growth is constantly being carried out. In many cases, taking into consideration the amount of work involved, the method of killing weeds by spraying herbicides is adopted. Naturally, such herbicides have been improved in accordance with stricter legal regulations than before, and herbicides that are highly diluted and effective with a small amount sprayed are now used. However, even so, it cannot be said that there is no impact on the environment due to herbicides remaining in the ground.

[0003] Naturally, the preparation of such herbicides increases farming costs, and great care must be taken when storing them, placing a heavy burden on farmers. For this reason, a method has been proposed and is already publicly known in which weeds are killed by spraying them with moist heat such as steam or hot water (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0004] However, in order to increase the efficiency of weed control, this method sprays moist heat over a relatively wide area, and while it is effective in fields where no crops have yet been planted, it cannot be used in places such as tea fields where crops are planted throughout the year. Furthermore, when the moist heat injection device described in Patent Document 1 is applied to weeding in fields, etc., the passages between the rows are narrow, so there is a risk that the moist heat generating device itself will come into contact with the tea leaves and damage them, or that the high-temperature steam discharged from the moist heat generating device will come into contact with the tea leaves (which are a product) and cause the tea leaves to wither due to the heat of the steam. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-335344 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention was made in recognition of this background, and has as its technical objective the development of a field weeding device and a mobile weeding unit that can effectively perform one or more of weeding, sterilization, and / or insect killing using moist heat in the narrow and long inter-row areas of a field. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The weeding device for farm fields according to the present invention is characterized in comprising a gate-type frame when viewed from the rear, which includes a pair of leg frames and an upper frame arranged parallel to the direction of movement, running devices provided on each of the leg frames, and moist heat blowing bodies in front of or behind each of the running devices, which blow moist heat toward the soil.

[0008] The mobile weeding unit of the present invention is a mobile weeding unit that is attached to a driven running body that runs through a field, and is characterized in that it comprises a moist heat blowing body that blows moist heat toward the soil in front of or behind the running device of the driven running body, and a lifting device that lifts the moist heat blowing body toward the driven running body. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively perform one or more of weeding, sterilization and / or insect killing by moist heat in narrow and long furrow areas in farm fields. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing a state in which the weeding device for farm fields of the present invention is used. [Diagram 2]FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a mobile weeding unit. [Figure 4] 1A is a cross-sectional view showing a movable weeding unit; FIG. 1B is a longitudinal-sectional view showing the movable weeding unit; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a side view showing another embodiment 1 of the weeding device for farm fields according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment 2 of the weeding device for use in a farm field according to the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a longitudinal sectional view showing another embodiment 3 of the weeding device for use in a farm field according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment 4 of the weeding device for use in farm fields according to the present invention. [Figure 8] 5A and 5B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view showing another embodiment 5 of the weeding device for use in farm fields according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The best mode of the weeding device for farm fields and the farm management method using the same of the present invention is as shown in the following examples, but it is possible to make appropriate modifications to these examples within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. EXAMPLES

[0012] The present invention will be specifically described below based on the illustrated embodiment. The basic components of the weeding device 1 for farm fields of the present invention are a mobile weeding unit 2 that can move through furrow land E in a tea field F, which is an example of a farm field, and a moist heat blowing body 3 that blows moist heat S toward the furrow land E. The mobile weeding unit 2 is equipped with a moist heat shield 4 that covers the moist heat blowing body 3, and the moist heat shield 4 can set the range of action of the moist heat S supplied by the moist heat supply device 5, and specifically, the dimension L in the moving direction along the furrow land E in a plan view is made longer than the dimension D in the width direction.

[0013] A more detailed description of the structure will be given below, but first, a brief description will be given of the shape of a tea field F, which is an example of a farm field. To briefly explain the shape of a tea field F, a large number of tea ridges T are formed almost parallel to one another in the tea field F, and furrow land E for work management is formed between the ridges. Weeds G, which are the subject of the work of the present invention, tend to grow in the furrow land E.

[0014] In the above-mentioned tea field F, the device of the present invention is used to carry out one or more of the following: weeding, sterilization on the soil surface or in the soil, and / or killing of insects. First, the mobile weeding unit 2 mentioned as a basic component can be constructed by being integrated into a movable cart or the like, but considering the actual conditions of farm management, one of the preferable forms is to move it by a drive traveling machine body 10 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for example.

[0015] First, the driving and traveling machine body 10 will be described. This machine travels across tea ridges T and has a configuration similar to that of riding tea plantation management devices that have already become widespread, and it is possible to attach the mobile weeding unit 2 to an existing device as an attachment. That is, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the driving and traveling machine body 10 is provided with a traveling device 12, such as a crawler, below a leg frame 11A in a rear-view gate-type frame 11, and travels across tea ridges T with this. The upper frame 11B of the frame 11 is configured like a deck, so to speak, on which a prime mover 13 serving as a driving source is mounted, a driver's seat 14, an operating handle 15, etc. are provided, and further, a moist heat supplying device 5 is mounted. The moist heat supplying device 5 will be described later.

[0016] The mobile weeding unit 2 is attached to the rear leg frame 11A so as to be pulled by such a drive-traveling body 10. That is, the subframe 16 provided along the leg frame 11A serves as a support member to support the mobile weeding unit 2 so as to be pulled upward and rotatable. In this embodiment, the mobile weeding unit 2 is attached to the rear leg frame 11A, but it may also be attached to the front leg frame 11A, or to both the rear leg frame 11A and the front leg frame 11A.

[0017] The mobile weeding unit 2 and the moist heat blowing body 3 and moist heat shield 4 attached thereto will be described below. First, the mobile weeding unit 2 has as its main member a hood body 21, which can be expressed as a rectangular lid shape in plan view, for example, and a moist heat blowing body 3, which is, for example, a square frame shape in plan view, is formed around the lower surface of the upper plate 21a of the hood body 21. The lower surface of the hood body 21 is formed in an open state, and a shift receiving bracket 22 is formed protrudingly on the upper surface of the upper plate 21a. The shift receiving bracket 22 is supported rotatably on the subframe 16 at a rotating shaft 22a at its front end, and the mobile weeding unit 2 is pulled up rearward by the shift cylinder 23. That is, the upper end of the shift cylinder 23 is pin-connected to the upper part of the subframe 16, and the lower end of the slider of the shift cylinder 23 is pin-connected to the shift receiving bracket 22. The subframe 16 that supports these members may be fixedly attached to the frame 11, i.e., the leg frame 11A, or may be made so that its vertical position can be freely changed.

[0018] Furthermore, the hood body 21 is provided with a connection pipe 24 for connecting a moist heat supply pipe 57 near the shift receiving bracket 22. The lower end side of this connection pipe 24 opens to the inside of the hood body 21, and a moist heat receiving chamber 31 communicating with the moist heat blowing body 3 is provided here. The moist heat S is introduced into this moist heat receiving chamber 31 from the lower end open part of the connection pipe 24, and the moist heat S is introduced into the square frame-shaped moist heat blowing body 3 from a moist heat receiving port 30 opening on the inside surface of the moist heat blowing body 3. A large number of nozzle holes 32 are opened on the inside of the side surface 21b of the moist heat blowing body 3.

[0019] Furthermore, the mobile weeding unit 2 is provided with a moist heat shield 4 for applying the moist heat S from the moist heat blowing body 3 to a certain range. Since the moist heat shield 4 acts as described above, the hood body 21 in the mobile weeding unit 2 already described also substantially constitutes a part of the moist heat shield 4. Considering that the moist heat shield 4 will come into contact with the furrows E, at least the lower portion is constructed from a flexible cover sheet 41. Also, its shape in plan view can be expressed as a rectangle or ellipse longer in the longitudinal direction along the furrows E. That is, the moist heat shield 4 has a moving direction dimension L set longer than its width direction dimension D, and the range of action of the moist heat S substantially regulated by this shield is also within the same range. With this configuration, it is possible to weed within the action range suitable for the furrow land E, and suppress the regrowth of grass. Furthermore, it is possible to kill and sterilize insects or insect eggs that live on the soil surface or in the soil within the action range.

[0020] Next, the moist heat supplying device 5 that supplies the moist heat S for such a weeding action will be described. In this embodiment, the weeding device 1 for farm fields is configured by incorporating the mobile weeding unit 2 into the driving and traveling body 10, and the moist heat supplying device 5 is also mounted on the upper frame 11B of the driving and traveling body 10. That is, its main component is a moist heat generator, which is a general term for devices that generate thermal energy (moist heat S) in a moist state such as steam or hot water, and is a concept that includes so-called boilers that burn fuel and heat water or the like in a closed container with the thermal energy to obtain high-temperature, high-pressure steam. Therefore, detailed explanations and illustrations will be omitted, and the moist heat generator, which is the main component, will be generally described.

[0021] The moist heat generator is provided with a burner 52 for burning fuel (such as diesel) supplied from a fuel tank 56 on the side of a moist heat box body 51, and water in a water supply tank 55 is supplied to the moist heat box 51 through a water supply pipe, and the moist heat S is generated by using the combustion heat of the burner 52 to generate the water. An exhaust pipe 54 is connected to the burner 52.

[0022] The moist heat S stored in the moist heat box body 51 is led to the connecting pipe 24 in the mobile weeding unit 2 by the moist heat supply pipe 57. Of course, an appropriate automatic or manual valve or the like is provided on the way. Furthermore, in the present invention, a vent pipe 57A is provided by branching a part of the moist heat supply pipe 57 on the way.

[0023] The present invention has the basic configuration as described above, and the operation of the weeding device for farm fields 1 will be described below by following the working mode, and also a substantial method will be described. 1. Preparation The main part of the preparation work is the generation of moist heat S. This work is carried out in the usual way by supplying sufficient water from the water supply tank 55 to the moist heat pipe body 51, then igniting the burner 52 to boil the water in the moist heat box body 51 and storing sufficient moist heat S such as steam in the gas-liquid separation tank 53 or an appropriate surge tank. In addition, a start-up inspection of related equipment including the drive and traveling machine body 10 is of course carried out.

[0024] [2. Entry of the mobile weeding unit into the furrows] The entry into the furrow land E itself is the same as in a typical riding tea field management device, in which the driving body 10 enters by straddling the tea ridges T. In this embodiment, the mobile weeding unit 2 is attached in a towing state to both the left and right leg frames 11A of the driving body 10, so that the mobile weeding unit 2 is led to the furrow land E on both sides of a single tea ridge T.

[0025] [3. Weeding work] In this way, when the mobile weeding unit 2 enters the furrow land E, the moist heat S from the moist heat supplying device 5 is guided through the moist heat supply pipe 57 to the moist heat receiving chamber 31 of the moist heat blowing body 3, and is then blown out from the nozzle hole 32 onto the furrow land E. At this time, since the mobile weeding unit 2 is equipped with the moist heat shield 4, the moist heat S is prevented from radiating to the outside by this moist heat shield 4, and acts on the weeds G in the area covered by the moist heat shield 4, so that the weeds G are killed by the thermal energy. At this time, the action range of the moist heat S is set so that the moving direction dimension L is larger than the width direction dimension D, so that the working range can be sufficiently secured, and the moist heat S is not applied to the tea ridges T formed on both sides, and no adverse effects are caused to the tea ridges T.

[0026] [4. Turning operations] When the weeding work for one ridge is completed in this way, the weeder turns around at the so-called pillow area at the end of the tea ridge T toward the next ridge to be worked on. At this time, the outlet for the moist heat S is switched to a vent pipe 57A provided midway along the moist heat supply pipe 57 so that the moist heat S is not inadvertently applied to the tea ridge T.

[0027] Other Examples The embodiment described above is one basic and preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the following embodiment can also be mentioned within the technical concept of the present invention. In the above-described embodiment, tea ridges T are given as an example of ridges, but this is not limited to tea ridges T, and it is also suitable for mulberry fields and the like as long as the driving body 10 straddles the crops.

[0028] [Another Example 1] This is what is called a simple structure, and as shown in Fig. 5, a relatively simple cart 10A is used as the means for moving the mobile weeding unit 2. The width of the cart 10A may be narrowed sufficiently to enable it to move between one row of furrows E, or it may be configured to move across tea furrows T to perform weeding work in two rows of furrows E. The cart 10A can be moved by pushing it manually, or it can be driven by a small prime mover or motor. The necessary moist heat supply device 5 is mounted on the cart 10A, and the mobile weeding unit 2 equipped with the moist heat shield 4 and moist heat blowing body 3 is provided below, and weeding is performed by blowing out moist heat S from here.

[0029] [Another Example 2] This embodiment is shown in Fig. 6(a) and is intended to more actively avoid adverse effects of the blowing out of the moist heat S on the tea ridges T. That is, the blowing range of the moist heat S is restricted by the moist heat shield 4 so that the moist heat S does not adversely affect the tea ridges T, and to further ensure this, for example, a water spray nozzle 25 is provided on the outside of the hood body 21. As a result, when the moist heat S is blown out from below to perform weeding work, a cold water mist M is sprayed toward the outside of the mobile weeding unit 2, creating a cool air atmosphere around the tea ridges T, particularly around the lower stems.

[0030] [Other Example 3] Furthermore, the embodiment shown in FIG. 6(b) is an improvement that enables the movement of the mobile weeding unit 2 to be made smoother. That is, the furrow ground E is inevitably uneven, even if not extremely so. In order to enable smooth movement on such a ground surface, a sled-shaped skid plate 26 is provided below the hood body 21. Specifically, the skid plate 26 is rotatably supported below the hood body 21 at the longitudinal center, and balance springs 27 are provided at the front and rear, enabling the hood body 21 to smoothly follow the unevenness of the furrow ground E.

[0031] [Another Example 4] 7 is an improvement to more effectively use the thermal energy of the moist heat S blown into the hood body 21 or moist heat shield 4. That is, a flow guide 28 is provided on the inside of the hood body 21, so that the moist heat S remains within the hood body 21 and moist heat shield 4 as much as possible, allowing the high-temperature moist heat S to act on the weeds G for a long period of time.

[0032] [Another Example 5] In this embodiment, the moist heat blowing body 3 and the mobile weeding unit 2 are configured completely separately. That is, in the already described embodiment, the moist heat blowing body 3 is provided in the mobile weeding unit 2, but in this embodiment, moist heat pipes 33 are installed as equipment on both sides of the furrow land E in advance as the moist heat blowing body 3, and moist heat S is blown out from them. Specifically, automatic return type cocks 34 are provided at regular intervals in the moist heat pipes 33, and when the mobile weeding unit 2 moves, a part of them is pushed from the closed state to the open state. As a result, moist heat S is supplied from the moist heat pipes 33 to the blowing state into the mobile weeding unit 2 at the part of the cock 34 that is pushed out, thereby aiming to wither the nearby weeds G. As can be understood from this embodiment, the claims and claim 1 do not limit the mobile weeding unit 2 and the moist heat blowing body 3 to being integrated.

[0033] The weeding device for a field disclosed in the present application comprises a mobile weeding unit capable of moving between furrows in a field, and a moist heat blowing body that blows moist heat toward the furrows, the mobile weeding unit comprises a moist heat shield that covers the moist heat blowing body, the moist heat blowing body having an upper surface plate, the mobile weeding unit comprises a moist heat shield that covers the moist heat blowing body, the moist heat shield has a lower periphery made of a flexible sheet member, and is configured to expand the range of action of the moist heat to the periphery of the moist heat blowing body. According to this, the moist heat shield that covers the moist heat blowing body has a lower periphery made of a flexible sheet member so as to contact the furrows, so that effective weeding suitable for the field shape can be performed without using chemicals.

[0034] In addition to the above requirements, the weeding device for farm fields is characterized in that the rear part of the flexible sheet member in the moving direction of the mobile weeding unit is longer rearward than the front part. According to this, since the rear part of the flexible sheet member is longer rearward than the front part in the moving direction of the mobile weeding unit, effective weeding suitable for the shape of the farm field can be performed.

[0035] In addition to the above requirements, the weeding device for farm fields is characterized in that the moist heat blowing body has nozzle holes formed therein for blowing out moist heat approximately parallel to the upper surface plate. With this, the moist heat blowing body is configured to blow out moist heat from the nozzle holes approximately parallel to the upper surface plate, so that effective weeding suited to the shape of the farm field can be performed.

[0036] In addition to the above requirements, the weeding device for a farm field is characterized in that the moist heat blowing body is provided on a mobile weeding unit, and the moist heat supplying device for supplying moist heat to the moist heat blowing body is provided on a carriage incorporating the mobile weeding unit, or on a driving and traveling body for moving the mobile weeding unit. According to this, when blowing out moist heat, the moist heat blowing nozzle and the moist heat supplying device for supplying moist heat to the nozzle are provided on a movable carriage or a driving and traveling body for driving the carriage, and the equipment required for weeding is integrated, so that it is easy to use in terms of handling and workability.

[0037] In addition to the above requirements, the weeding device for farm fields is characterized in that the moist heat shield has a flow guide that causes the moist heat blown out to its inside to generate a recirculating flow. Since the moist heat shield has a flow guide, the moist heat once blown out can generate a recirculating flow, and the thermal energy can be effectively directed to the weeding work.

[0038] In addition to the above requirements, the weeding device for a farm field is characterized in that, when the weeding device for a farm field turns, the moist heat is discharged from a vent pipe provided in the moist heat supply pipe connected to the moist heat blowing body. According to this, when the weeding device for a farm field turns, the moist heat is discharged from the vent pipe provided in the moist heat supply pipe, so that the moist heat does not come into contact with the crops in the farm field and is not inadvertently applied to the rice ridges, etc.

[0039] Furthermore, the field management method disclosed in the present application is characterized in that the mobile weeding unit of the above-mentioned field weeding device is moved through the furrows and moist heat is blown into the furrows to weed the weeds that have grown in the furrows, or to sterilize or kill insects on the soil surface or in the soil. This makes it possible to weed, sterilize, or kill insects in the furrows without using chemicals and without damaging the tea ridges. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 Weeding equipment for fields 10 Drive and running body 10A Cart 11 Frame 11A Leg frame 11B Upper frame 12 Running gear (crawler) 13 Prime Mover 14 Cockpit 15 Operating handle 16 Subframe 2 Mobile weeding unit 21 Hooded Body 21a Top plate 21b Side 22 Shifter bracket 22a Rotating shaft 23 Shift cylinder 24 Connecting pipe 25 (Water) Spray Nozzle 26 Skid plate 27 Balance Spring 28 Current Conduction Guide 3. Moisture and heat outlet 30 Moist heat inlet 31 Moist heat reception room 32 Nozzle hole 33. Hot and humid piping 34 Cook 4. Moisture Heat Shield 41 Cover Sheet 5 Moist heat supply device 51 Moist heat box body 52 Burner 53 Gas-liquid separation tank 54 Exhaust stack 55 Water Tank 56 Fuel Tank 57 Moist heat supply pipe 57A Vent pipe D Width dimension E Furrow land F Tea garden G. Weeds L Moving direction dimension M Cold Water Mist S. Damp heat T Tea ridge

Claims

1. A rear-view portal-type frame including a pair of leg frames and an upper frame arranged parallel to the moving direction; A running device provided on each of the leg frames; A weeding device for use in a farm field, comprising: a moist heat blowing body for blowing moist heat toward soil in front of or behind each of the traveling devices.

2. 2. The weeding device for use in a farm field according to claim 1, wherein the moist heat blowing body is supported so as to be movable up and down.

3. 3. The weeding device for use in a farm field according to claim 1, wherein the leg frame includes a subframe that rotatably supports the moist heat blowing body.

4. A shift cylinder connected to the leg frame, 4. The weeding device for use in a farm field according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the shift cylinder pulls up the moist heat blowing body toward the leg frame.

5. 5. The weeding device for use in a farm field according to claim 1, wherein the moist heat blowing body is attached to the leg frame as an attachment.

6. 4. The weeding device for use in a farm field according to claim 3, wherein the subframe is provided so that its vertical position can be freely changed.

7. A mobile weeding unit attached to a drive traveling machine body that travels in a farm field, A moist heat blowing body that blows moist heat toward the soil in front of or behind the traveling device of the driving traveling body; A mobile weeding unit comprising: a lifting device that lifts the moist heat blowing body toward the drive traveling body.

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