Riding transplanter

Abstract

To provide a riding transplanter which assisting a traveling direction inexpensively with a simple structure because there is conventionally a riding transplanter autonomously traveling along a travel route with a controller calculating a current position with a GPS but the control system equipped with a GPS and autonomously traveling along a travel route is expensive.SOLUTION: In a riding transplanter which fits a seedling planting device 9 to a traveling vehicle body 7 and is provided with a steering wheel 34 steering and operating the travel vehicle body 7, there are provided: a traveling direction detection device 52 detecting a traveling direction of the travel vehicle body 7; and a display unit 54 which displays difference in the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle body 7 with respect to a determined reference traveling direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a riding seedling planter having a seedling planting device mounted on a traveling body. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a riding rice transplanter that autonomously travels along a travel route while a control device calculates a current position using a GPS (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-092818 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, a control system equipped with a GPS and capable of autonomously traveling along a route is expensive.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and has an object to provide a riding type seedling planter that assists in the direction of travel with an inexpensive and simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention described in claim 1 is a riding seedling planter having a seedling planting device 9 attached to a running body 7 and a handlebar 34 for steering the running body 7, which is provided with a travel direction detection device 52 that detects the travel direction of the running body 7, and a display device 54 that displays the difference in the travel direction of the running body 7 relative to a determined standard travel direction.

[0007] The invention described in claim 2 is the riding seedling planter described in claim 1, in which the reference traveling direction is set at a different angle from a predetermined direction.

[0008] The invention described in claim 3 is the riding seedling planter described in claim 1, in which the display device 54 indicates the steering direction of the handle 34.

[0009] The invention as set forth in claim 4 is the riding type seedling planter as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 3, which is provided with a display device 54 that displays an adjacent row of the traveling body 7. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a riding rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a riding rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the riding rice transplanter according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the angle setting device for a riding rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a plan view of a main part of a display device of a riding rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view for explaining the operation of the seedling planting device of the riding rice transplanter according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the main parts for explaining the operation of the seedling planting device of the riding rice transplanter according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, a riding rice transplanter 1 equipped with a fertilizer application device will be described as a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, in the riding rice transplanter 1, a seedling planting device 9 is mounted on the rear of a traveling body 7 via a lifting link device 8 so that the device can be raised and lowered, and the main body of a fertilizer applicator 6 is provided on the upper rear part of the traveling body 7. The left and right directions of the riding rice transplanter 1 in the forward direction are referred to as left and right, respectively, and the forward and backward directions are referred to as front and rear, respectively.

[0013] <Traveling vehicle 7> As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle body 7 is a four-wheel drive vehicle equipped with a pair of left and right front wheels 10, 10 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 11, 11, which are drive wheels. A transmission case 12 is arranged at the front of the vehicle body, front wheel final cases 13, 13 are provided on the left and right sides of the transmission case 12, and the left and right front wheels 10, 10 are respectively attached to left and right front wheel axles that protrude outward from each front wheel support portion of the left and right front wheel final cases 13, 13, which can change the steering direction.

[0014] In addition, the front end of the main frame 15 is fixed to the rear portion of the transmission case 12, and the rear wheel gear cases 18, 18 are supported so as to be able to roll freely, with a rear wheel rolling axis set horizontally in the center of the left and right rear end of the main frame 15 as a fulcrum, and the rear wheels 11, 11 are attached to the rear wheel axles that protrude outward from the rear wheel gear cases 18, 18.

[0015] The engine 20 is mounted on the front of the traveling body 7, and the rotational power of the engine 20 is transmitted to the transmission case 12 via the belt transmission and the HST 23. The rotational power transmitted to the transmission case 12 is changed in speed by the transmission in the case 12, and then separated into traveling power and externally taken out power and taken out. Then, a part of the traveling power is transmitted to the front wheel final cases 13, 13 to drive the front wheels 10, 10, and the rest is transmitted to the rear wheel gear cases 18, 18 to drive the rear wheels 11, 11. The externally taken out power is transmitted to a planting clutch case provided at the rear of the traveling body 7, and then transmitted to the seedling planting device 9 by the planting transmission shaft, and is also transmitted to the fertilizer application device 6 by the fertilizer application transmission mechanism.

[0016] A seat 31 is installed on the center of the traveling body 7. In front of the seat 31 is a front cover 32 incorporating various operating mechanisms, and above that is provided a handle 34 for steering the front wheels 10, 10.

[0017] The left and right sides and rear of the lower end of the front cover 32 form a horizontal floor step 35. Part of the floor step 35 is shaped like a lattice so that mud on the shoes of an operator walking on the step 35 falls into the field. The rear part above the floor step 35 forms a rear step 36 that also serves as a rear wheel fender.

[0018] The lifting link device 8 is a parallel link structure, and includes one upper link 40 and a pair of lower links 41, 41 on the left and right. The base side of each of these links 40, 41, 41 is rotatably attached to a link base frame 42, which is shaped like a portal when viewed from the rear and is erected at the rear end of the main frame 15, and a vertical link 43 is connected to the tip side of each of the links. A connecting shaft rotatably supported on the seedling planting device 9 is inserted and connected to the lower end of the vertical link 43, and the seedling planting device 9 is connected to the connecting shaft so that it can roll freely around the connecting shaft. A lifting hydraulic cylinder 46 is provided between the link base frame 42 and the vertical link 43, and by hydraulically extending and contracting the cylinder 46, the lifting link device 8 rotates up and down, and the seedling planting device 9 rises and falls while maintaining a substantially constant posture.

[0019] In particular, a straight-line driving assist system is provided, which will be described in detail below.

[0020] That is, an operation panel unit 50 is provided below the handle 34 on the top of the front cover 32, and is equipped with a control device 51, a gyro orientation sensor 52 as a direction detection device, and an angle setting device 53, and a display device 54 is provided in a front upper position of the operation panel unit 50.

[0021] The gyro orientation sensor 52 measures the angle at which the aircraft's heading is tilted from the north direction, and successively transmits the tilt angle from the north direction to the control device 51.

[0022] For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the riding rice transplanter 1 moves along the ridge P within the field F at the start of rice planting work, the gyro orientation sensor 52 measures that the direction of travel of the machine is inclined at 20 degrees from the north direction, and transmits an input signal to the control device 51 indicating that the inclination angle is 20 degrees from the north direction.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4, the angle setting device 53 is composed of a display device 53a made up of a monitor and an angle setting dial 53b.

[0024] Based on data measured by the gyro orientation sensor 52 that the aircraft's heading direction is tilted 20 degrees from the north direction, the control device 51 displays the 20 degrees in the upper section of the display device 53a.

[0025] The operator looks at the 20 degree display on the upper part of the display device 53a, decides the direction in which the aircraft will travel, and turns the angle setting dial 53b to display and set the reference travel angle of the aircraft on the lower part of the display device 53a. For example, if the reference travel direction of the aircraft is to be an angle of 20 degrees from the north direction, set it to 20 degrees.

[0026] The control device 51 then stores the angle of the reference flight direction of the aircraft that has been set (20 degrees from the north direction in FIG. 4).

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the display device 54 is composed of monitors A, B, C, and D on the upper row that display four images, and a monitor on the lower row that displays a green circle 54a in the center, yellow circles 54b, 54b on the left and right of it, and red circles 54c, 54c on both sides.

[0028] When the worker turns the angle setting dial 53b to set the machine's standard travel angle and then continues to move the machine forward to perform rice planting work, the control device 51 compares the machine's travel direction angle measured and successively transmitted by the gyro orientation sensor 52 with the set standard travel angle, and if the difference between the machine's travel direction angle and the set standard travel angle is within plus or minus 2 degrees, it determines that the machine is moving straight and lights up the green circle 54a in the center of the lower section of the display device 54.

[0029] At this time, the operator seated in seat 31 and operating the aircraft sees that the green circle 54a in the center of the lower section of the display device 54 is lit and determines that the aircraft is moving straight and that rice planting work is being carried out properly.

[0030] The control device 51 then compares the angle of the aircraft's heading direction measured and successively transmitted by the gyro orientation sensor 52 with the set reference heading angle, and if the difference between the angle of the aircraft's heading direction and the set reference heading angle is plus or minus 2 degrees or more but less than plus or minus 4 degrees, it determines that the aircraft is heading slightly to the left or right from a straight line, and lights up a yellow circle 54b in the lower row of the display device 54 on the side where the deviation occurs.

[0031] At this time, if the yellow circle 54b on the right side of the lower row of the display device 54 is lit, the operator seated in the seat 31 operating the aircraft will determine that the aircraft is moving slightly to the right from the straight ahead direction, prepare to correct the direction of travel (turn the steering wheel 34 to the left), and pay attention to the display device 54 and the direction of travel.If the yellow circle 54b on the left side of the lower row of the display device 54 is lit, the operator will determine that the aircraft is moving slightly to the left from the straight ahead direction, prepare to correct the direction of travel (turn the steering wheel 34 to the right), and pay attention to the display device 54 and the direction of travel.

[0032] Then, the control device 51 compares the angle of the aircraft's heading direction measured and successively transmitted by the gyro orientation sensor 52 with the set reference heading angle, and if the difference between the angle of the aircraft's heading direction and the set reference heading angle is plus or minus 4 degrees or more, it determines that the aircraft is heading in a direction significantly deviating to the left or right from a straight line, and lights up a red circle 54c in the lower row of the display device 54 on the side where the deviation occurs.

[0033] At this time, if the red circle 54c on the right side of the lower row of the display device 54 is lit, the operator seated in the seat 31 operating the aircraft will determine that the aircraft is moving to the right instead of going straight ahead, and will turn the steering wheel 34 to the left to correct the direction of travel until the green circle 54a is lit. If the red circle 54c on the left side of the lower row of the display device 54 is lit, the operator will determine that the aircraft is moving to the left instead of going straight ahead, and will turn the steering wheel 34 to the right to correct the direction of travel until the green circle 54a is lit.

[0034] Therefore, by using the angle setting device 53, the angle at which the aircraft's traveling direction, measured by the gyro orientation sensor 52 and displayed on the upper section of the display device 53a, is tilted from the north, the direction in which the aircraft will travel can be determined, and the reference traveling angle can be easily set by turning the angle setting dial 53b to display the aircraft's reference traveling angle on the lower section of the display device 53a.

[0035] After setting the reference travel angle, the control device 51 compares the angle of the aircraft's travel direction measured and successively transmitted by the gyro orientation sensor 52 with the set reference travel angle, and displays whether the aircraft is traveling deviating from a straight line using a green circle 54a in the center of the lower section of the display device 54, yellow circles 54b, 54b to the left and right of it, and red circles 54c, 54c on the outside on both sides.This means that an operator seated in the seat 31 can easily tell whether the aircraft is traveling along the reference direction by looking at the display device 54 while facing forward and operating the aircraft, and can easily correct the travel direction if it deviates from the reference direction.

[0036] Therefore, it is possible to obtain a riding type seedling planter that assists in the direction of travel with an inexpensive and simple configuration.

[0037] In addition, since rice planting work in field F is usually carried out in a round trip process, after the standard travel angle is set in the forward process, in the return process in which the machine body is rotated 180 degrees, the control device 51 automatically changes the standard travel angle by 180 degrees and performs the above-mentioned straight-line assist control.

[0038] In addition, in a deformed field, a reference travel angle is set each time and straight-line assist control is performed.

[0039] Next, we will explain the planted seedling display system, which allows you to easily check the condition of seedlings planted in field F.

[0040] Left and right cameras 61L, 61R for photographing the left and right outer sides C', D' of the machine body are provided on the upper parts of the left and right handrails 60, 60 provided at the left and right outer ends of the rear step 36. The left and right cameras 61L, 61R are provided so as to protrude outward from the left and right handrails 60, 60 so as not to get in the way of workers working on the rear step 36.

[0041] In addition, at the rear of the seedling planting device 9, a rear camera 66 is provided at the left and right central position (left and right central position of the body) of the upper part of a gate-shaped frame 65, the left and right bases of which are fixed to the rear of two transmission cases 70, 70 in the central part of the body extended rearward, to capture images of the rear from the left rear A' to the right rear B' of the body.

[0042] Incidentally, the gate-shaped frame 65 has left and right base portions fixed to the rear of the two transmission cases 70, 70 in the center of the machine body, and therefore also functions as a reinforcing frame for the two transmission cases 70, 70.

[0043] The control device 51 then displays images of the left and right outer sides C', D' of the machine body in the field taken by the left and right cameras 61L, 61R on the left and right monitors C, D in the upper row of the display device 54, and displays images of the rear of the field from the left rear A' to the right rear B' of the machine body taken by the rear camera 66 on monitors A, B in the center of the upper row of the display device 54.

[0044] Therefore, the operator seated in seat 31 can look forward at the front of the machine while operating the machine and looking at the display device 54 to check the status of the seedlings planted on the left and right outer sides C', D' of the machine and in the rear field from the left rear A' to the right rear B', and can easily check whether there are any missing stalks and whether the posture of the planted seedlings is good.

[0045] In order to draw the center line for the next process in the field F, the left line drawing marker 62L or the right line drawing marker 62R on the next process side changes from the stored position to the line drawing action position, but the control device 51 recognizes the left and right line drawing markers 62L, 62R on the stored position using the position detection sensors provided on the left and right line drawing markers 62L, 62R, and since the side on which the left and right line drawing markers 62L, 62R are in the stored position is the side where planting of seedlings has been completed (adjacent row), by displaying the image only on the left monitor C or right monitor D of the side where planting of seedlings has been completed (adjacent row), the worker can more easily check the planting status of the seedlings in the adjacent rows.

[0046] <Seedling planting device 9> The seedling planting device 9 has an 8-row planting configuration and is equipped with a transmission case 70 that also serves as a frame, a seedling carrier 71 that carries mat seedlings and moves back and forth from side to side, supplying seedlings one by one to the seedling outlet 71a of each row, and transports the seedlings downward by a seedling feed belt that supplies all of the seedlings in a horizontal row to the seedling outlet 71a, and a seedling planting device 72 that plants the seedlings supplied to the seedling outlet 71a in the field.

[0047] A center float 75 is provided in the center of the bottom of the seedling planting device 9, and side floats 76, 76 are provided on both the left and right sides of the center float 75. When the vehicle is advanced with these floats 75, 76, 76 in contact with the muddy surface of the farm field, the floats 75, 76, 76 slide along the muddy surface while leveling it, and the seedling planting device 72 plants seedlings in the leveled area.

[0048] Each float 75, 76, 76 is attached so that it can rotate freely so that its front end can move up and down in response to the unevenness of the field topsoil surface. During planting work, the up and down movement of the front of the center float 75 is detected by an angle of attack control sensor. In response to the detection result, the hydraulic valve that controls the lifting hydraulic cylinder 46 is switched to raise and lower the seedling planting device 9, thereby maintaining the seedling planting depth constant at all times.

[0049] The seedling planting device 9 is equipped with a soil leveling rotor 77, which is an example of a soil leveling device.

[0050] Here, when the seedling planting device 9 is raised to a non-working state when traveling on the road, etc., or when the machine is loaded onto a truck, the front portions of the left and right side floats 76, 76 located behind the left and right rear wheels 11, 11 droop, causing interference between the left and right rear wheels 11, 11 and the front portions of the left and right side floats 76, 76.

[0051] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the configuration prevents the front parts of the left and right side floats 76, 76 from sagging when the seedling planting device 9 is raised to a non-working state, thereby preventing the front parts of the left and right side floats 76, 76 from interfering with the left and right rear wheels 11, 11.

[0052] That is, one end 80a of the outer wire at one end of the bifurcated connecting wire 80, which has one end and two ends, is fixed near the link base frame 42 of the lower link 41 of the lifting link device 8, and one end 80b of the inner wire is fixed to a fixing member 81 provided on the rear wheel gear case 18 on the aircraft body side.

[0053] One end 80a of the outer wire is fixed to a connecting member 41a that connects the left and right lower links 41,41.

[0054] In addition, the middle portion of the bifurcated connecting wire 80 is inserted through a guide 82b provided on the left and right connecting members 82a that connect the left and right body frames 82, 82, so that its movement is restricted, thereby preventing interference with other members such as the ridge clutch operating member provided nearby.

[0055] Then, the other ends 80c, 80c of the left and right outer wires at the other end of the bifurcated connecting wire 80 are fixed to left and right fixing members 83, 83 provided on the left and right body frames 82, 82 on the seedling planting device 9 side, and the other ends 80d, 80d of the left and right inner wires are fixed to left and right fixing members 84, 84 provided in front of the left and right side floats 76, 76.

[0056] In addition, the other ends 80d, 80d of the left and right inner wires are connected to left and right fixed members 84, 84 provided on the front of the left and right side floats 76, 76 via tension springs, and absorb excessive pulling of the left and right inner wires when the left and right inner wires are pulled and the front parts of the left and right side floats 76, 76 are held in an upward position when the seedling planting device 9 is raised to a non-operating state.

[0057] Therefore, when rice planting work is being performed in a field with the seedling planting device 9 lowered, the left and right inner wires slacken and the front parts of the left and right side floats 76, 76 move freely up and down to follow the unevenness of the field surface, thereby providing excellent ground leveling performance, and when the seedling planting device 9 is raised to a non-working state when traveling on the road, etc., or when loading the machine onto a truck, the left and right inner wires are pulled and the front parts of the left and right side floats 76, 76 are held in an upward position, thereby appropriately preventing the front parts of the left and right side floats 76, 76 from interfering with the left and right rear wheels 11, 11.

[0058] Reference numeral 85 denotes a wire guide member provided to prevent the loosened left and right inner wires from interfering with other members.

[0059] <Fertilizer 6> The fertilizer application device 6 delivers a fixed amount of granular fertilizer stored in a fertilizer tank 90 using a delivery section 91, and guides the granular fertilizer via a fertilizer application hose 92 to a fertilizer application guide 93 attached to the floats 75, 76, 76, and drops the fertilizer into a fertilization area formed near the side of the seedling planting row by a furrow making body provided in front of the fertilizer application guide 93.

[0060] Air generated by a blower driven by an electric blower motor is blown into the fertilizer application hose 92 via an air chamber 95 that is long in the left-right direction, and the granular fertilizer in the fertilizer application hose 92 is forcibly transported by the wind pressure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 7 Running vehicle 9 Seedling planting device 34 Handle 52 Direction detection device (gyro orientation sensor) 54 Display device

Claims

1. A riding seedling planter having a seedling planting device (9) attached to a traveling body (7) and a handle (34) for steering the traveling body (7), characterized in that the riding seedling planter is provided with a traveling direction detection device (52) for detecting the traveling direction of the traveling body (7) and a display device (54) for displaying the difference in the traveling direction of the traveling body (7) with respect to a determined reference traveling direction.

2. 2. The riding seedling planter according to claim 1, wherein the reference traveling direction is set at a different angle from a predetermined direction.

3. 2. The riding seedling planter according to claim 1, wherein the display device (54) indicates the steering direction of the handle (34).

4. The riding seedling planter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a display device (54) for displaying the adjacent rows of the traveling body (7).

Images