Rice transplanter

Abstract

To provide a rice transplanter that allows a user to readily and visually check a notification device that notifies the user of a turning direction of the rice transplanter with light emission from backward and the like of the rice transplanter even when mat-formed seedlings are placed on a seeding placing base.SOLUTION: A rice transplanter includes: a machine body capable of travelling; a seedling planting device 18 provided with a seeding placing base 43 including a seeding placing surface 43s and supported to a rear part of the machine body; and a notification device 60 installed in an upward position of the seeding placing surface 43s and capable of predetermined notification with light emission.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rice transplanter in which a seedling planting device is equipped with an alarm device capable of making a predetermined alarm by emitting light. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, as described in Patent Document 1, conventional rice transplanters include those equipped with a seedling planting device that is equipped with an alarm device (called a "winker" in Patent Document 1) that emits light to indicate the turning direction of the rice transplanter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-082473 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional rice transplanters, the alarm devices were located on both sides of the seedling tray of the seedling planting device. In this configuration, when mat-shaped seedlings were placed on the seedling tray, the alarm devices were hidden by the mat-shaped seedlings. As a result, there was the inconvenience that it was difficult to visually check the alarm devices from behind the rice transplanter, etc.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a rice transplanter that allows an alarm device that notifies the rotation direction of the rice transplanter by emitting light to be easily visually confirmed from the rear of the rice transplanter, even when a mat-like seedling is placed on the seedling tray. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The rice transplanter of the present invention is provided with a mobile body, a seedling tray with a seedling loading surface, a seedling planting device supported at the rear of the body, and an alarm device located above the seedling loading surface and capable of making predetermined alerts by emitting light.

[0007] According to this invention, the alarm device is configured to be provided above the seedling loading surface on which the mat-shaped seedlings are placed. With this configuration, even when the mat-shaped seedlings are placed on the seedling loading surface, the alarm device can be configured to be positioned higher than the mat-shaped seedlings. By positioning the alarm device higher than the mat-shaped seedlings placed on the seedling loading surface, the alarm device can be easily visually confirmed from behind the rice transplanter, etc.

[0008] In the present invention, it is preferable that the alarm device is supported by a stay extending upward from the seedling planting device.

[0009] With this configuration, the alarm device can be positioned higher than the mat-shaped seedlings placed on the seedling placement surface by the simple method of supporting the alarm device with a stay extending upward from the seedling planting device.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that the alarm device be configured to be switchable between a use state and a storage state in which it is closer to the seedling loading surface than the use state by rotating the stay.

[0011] According to this configuration, by storing the alarm device, it is possible to reduce the risk of the alarm device colliding with obstacles, for example, during transportation.

[0012] In the present invention, the seedling planting device is provided with a seedling stay arranged opposite the seedling placing surface and preventing the seedlings placed on the seedling placing surface from floating up, and a support member for supporting the seedling stay on the seedling planting device, and it is preferable that the alarm device is supported by the support member.

[0013] With this configuration, the support member that supports the seedling stay on the seedling planting device is used to support the alarm device, which eliminates the need for a separate member to fasten the alarm device to the seedling planting device, thereby reducing the number of components and assembly steps.

[0014] In the present invention, it is preferable that the support member supports the seedling stay at a support position above the seedling placing surface, and the alarm device is located above the support position.

[0015] According to this configuration, the alarm device is positioned at a higher position than the support position where the seedling stay is supported by the support member, making it easier to visually check the alarm device.

[0016] In the present invention, it is preferable that the notification device is provided at each of the left and right ends of the seedling resting surface.

[0017] With this configuration, the alarm device is arranged at both the left and right ends of the seedling loading surface, making it possible to make the alarm device easily visible not only from behind but also, for example, from the side.

[0018] In the present invention, it is preferable that the notification device is a direction indicator that notifies the turning direction of the aircraft.

[0019] This configuration makes it easy to visually check whether the aircraft is turning left or right.

[0020] In the present invention, it is preferable that the notification device notifies that agricultural materials to be supplied to a farm field need to be replenished.

[0021] With this configuration, it is possible to easily confirm that agricultural materials such as mat-shaped seedlings are in short supply and need to be replenished.

[0022] In the present invention, it is preferable that the notification device notifies the occurrence or sign of an abnormality that may cause an impediment to driving operations.

[0023] This configuration makes it possible to easily check for the occurrence or signs of an abnormality that may cause a disruption to traveling operations, such as a breakdown in the vehicle.

[0024] In the present invention, a stacked light capable of providing an alarm to the outside is provided on the upper part of the support supporting the spare seedling tray, and it is preferable that the alarm device be located at a height lower than the height position of the stacked light.

[0025] According to this configuration, since the height position is different from that of the stacked lamp, it is possible to reduce the inconvenience of mistaking the stacked lamp for the alarm device even when checking from a distance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of a direction indicator. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the configuration of the direction indicator. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the direction of arrow F in the drawings will be referred to as "front," the direction of arrow B as "rear," the direction of arrow L as "left," and the direction of arrow R as "right." Furthermore, the direction of arrow U in the drawings will be referred to as "up," and the direction of arrow D as "down."

[0028] [Overall configuration of riding rice transplanter] The following describes a riding rice transplanter, which is an example of a rice transplanter according to this embodiment. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the riding rice transplanter has a body 1 equipped with right and left front wheels 2 and right and left rear wheels 3, and is configured to be able to travel.

[0029] A transmission case 4 is provided at the front of the aircraft body 1. An engine support frame 5 extending forward is connected to the transmission case 4. An engine E is supported on the engine support frame 5. The engine E is covered by a hood 6 provided at the front of the aircraft body 1.

[0030] A floor 7 is provided from the right and left sides of the hood 6 to the rear side of the hood 6. A driver's seat 8 in which a passenger can sit is provided at the rear of the floor 7. Left and right headlights 31 that can emit light are provided at the front part of the hood 6.

[0031] A pillar-shaped center mascot 32 is provided at the tip of the hood 6. The center mascot 32 is located at the center in the left-right direction of the aircraft body 1. A light-emitting lamp 32a is installed at the tip of the center mascot 32.

[0032] A plurality of spare seedling trays 10 capable of holding seedling boxes (hereinafter referred to as "seedlings" and "seedling boxes") containing mat-shaped seedlings M are arranged at the top of the right and left parts of the machine body 1. The plurality of spare seedling trays 10 are fixed to the machine body 1 and supported by a pair of front and rear support pillars 11 extending in the vertical direction. The front support pillar 11 stands upright from the engine support frame 5 of the machine body 1. The rear support pillar 11 stands upright from a portion of the machine body 1 above the front wheels 2.

[0033] A stacked light 33 is attached to the upper part of the support 11, and has a plurality of color lamps arranged vertically, which can notify the outside of the state of the rice transplanter.

[0034] An upper support member 13 is connected across the top of the right and left support columns 11. An antenna unit 14 capable of acquiring position information of the aircraft 1 using a satellite positioning system is provided in a portion of the upper support member 13 located in the left-right center of the aircraft 1. A representative example of a satellite positioning system (GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System) is the GPS (Global Positioning System).

[0035] The riding rice transplanter of the present invention can acquire and store the travel route during seedling planting work using the antenna unit 14, and can set a target travel route parallel to the stored route. After setting the target travel route in this way, the machine body 1 can be configured to automatically travel along the target travel route.

[0036] A link mechanism 15 is provided at the rear of the machine body 1. The link mechanism 15 extends rearward and is configured to be able to swing up and down. The link mechanism 15 is provided with a hydraulic cylinder 16 that operates to raise and lower the link mechanism 15.

[0037] The rear of the machine body 1 is equipped with a fertilizer applicator 17 that supplies fertilizer (an example of "agricultural materials") to the rice field surface, and a seedling planting device 18 that can plant seedlings (an example of "agricultural materials") in the field.

[0038] The upper part of the fertilizer applicator 17 is provided with a hopper 19 for storing fertilizer.

[0039] [Configuration of seedling planting device] As shown in Figure 1, the seedling planting device 18 comprises a transmission case 41 connected to the rear end of the link mechanism 15 and to which the driving force of the transmission shaft 20 is transmitted, a plurality of ground leveling floats 42, a seedling tray 43 on which mat-shaped seedlings M are placed, and a rotary planting arm 44 that is rotated by the driving force from the transmission case 41.

[0040] The seedling tray 43 is driven to reciprocate laterally in the left and right direction (horizontal to the machine body) at a predetermined stroke by the power of the engine E. As the seedling tray 43 is driven to reciprocate laterally in the left and right direction, the rotating planting arm 44 alternately picks up seedlings from the bottom of the seedling tray 43 and plants them on the rice field surface.

[0041] A chemical spraying device 21 is provided at the rear of the seedling planting device 18. The chemical spraying device 21 is a device that sprays chemicals such as herbicides onto the field. The chemical spraying device 21 is provided with a chemical hopper 22 that stores the chemicals to be sprayed onto the field.

[0042] [Seedling stand configuration] As shown in Figure 2, the seedling planting device 18 is provided with a seedling stay 50 arranged opposite the seedling placing surface 43s of the seedling placing tray 43. The seedling stay 50 prevents the middle part of the mat-like seedling M (see Figure 1) placed on the seedling placing tray 43 from bending so as to bulge away from the seedling placing surface 43s (floating phenomenon).

[0043] The seedling stay 50 comprises a plurality of main rods 50a each consisting of a long member extending in the vertical feed direction of the mat-shaped seedlings M (see Figure 1), an upper connecting member 50b provided across the upper parts of the plurality of main rods 50a, and a lower connecting member 50c provided across the lower parts of the plurality of main rods 50a.

[0044] The upper portion of the main rod 50a is bent away from the seedling-placing surface 43s. With this configuration, the upper connecting member 50b is positioned above the seedling-placing surface 43s.

[0045] The upper connecting member 50b is supported on the seedling planting device 18 by end support members 51 (corresponding to the ``support members'' of the present invention) provided at both the left and right ends of the seedling placing surface 43s, and a plurality of middle support members 52 arranged between the end support members 51.

[0046] The lower connecting member 50c is supported on the seedling planting device 18 by a plurality of lower support members 53 provided below the seedling placing surface 43s.

[0047] [Configuration of turn signals] As shown in FIG. 1, the seedling planting device 18 is equipped with left and right direction indicators 60 (corresponding to the "notification device" of the present invention). The direction indicators 60 are provided above the seedling loading surface 43s and are configured to emit light to provide predetermined notifications. In this embodiment, the direction indicators 60 notify the turning direction of the machine body 1 during automatic travel.

[0048] 3, the left and right direction indicators 60 are each supported by a stay 61. The left and right stays 61 are each supported by the end support members 51 that support the upper connecting member 50b of the seedling stay 50.

[0049] The stay 61 is configured to extend in a direction away from the seedling placing surface 43s of the seedling planting device 18 (a direction extending upward from the seedling planting device 18).

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper end of the stay 61 is provided with a mounting member 62 made of a plate-like member, fixed to the side surface of the stay 61, and bent to have a mounting surface on its upper surface.

[0051] The direction indicator 60 is supported on the mounting surface of the mounting member 62. With this configuration, the direction indicator 60 is provided in a state where it is supported by the end support members 51 at both the left and right end portions of the seedling mounting surface 43s.

[0052] The left and right stays 61 are rotatably supported by the end support members 51 via shaft members 63. With this configuration, they are rotatably supported around an axis extending in the left-right direction of the machine body. The direction indicators 60 are configured to be switchable between an in-use state and a stored state that is closer to the seedling loading surface 43s than the in-use state by rotating the stays 61.

[0053] Two support holes 64 are formed in the end support member 51. The direction indicator 60 is configured to be fixed in both the use state and the storage state by fastening bolts Bo into the support holes 64.

[0054] As described above, the upper connecting member 50b of the seedling stay 50 is positioned above the seedling placing surface 43s. The end support member 51 supports the upper connecting member 50b of the seedling stay 50 at a support position above the seedling placing surface 43s. The direction indicator 60 is positioned above the support position where the end support member 51 supports the upper connecting member 50b. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the direction indicator 60 is positioned at a height lower than the height position of the stacked lamp 33.

[0055] The direction indicator 60 not only notifies the turning direction of the machine 1 during automatic driving, but can also light up to notify that the machine has deviated from the target driving route for automatic driving and is in a material supply reservation state, which reserves the supply of mat-shaped seedlings M at a supply location.

[0056] [Another embodiment] Hereinafter, another embodiment in which the above embodiment is modified will be exemplified.

[0057] (1) In the above embodiment, the direction indicator 60 is configured to notify the turning direction of the vehicle 1 during automatic driving and to notify that a resource replenishment reservation is in progress, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the direction indicator 60 may be configured to notify that agricultural resources such as mat-shaped seedlings M, fertilizer stored in the hopper 19, and chemicals stored in the chemical hopper 22 need to be replenished.

[0058] The direction indicator 60 may also be configured to be able to notify the occurrence or signs of an abnormality, such as a malfunction of the machine body 1, that may cause an impediment to traveling operations.

[0059] Furthermore, the direction indicator 60 may be configured to be able to notify whether the vehicle is traveling straight or turning by using different display figures, patterns, colors, and blinking patterns.

[0060] (2) In the above embodiment, the direction indicator 60 is supported by the stay 61 extending upward from the seedling placing surface 43s of the seedling planting device 18, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the direction indicator 60 may be supported by a stay extending rearward from the seedling placing surface 43s of the seedling planting device 18.

[0061] (3) In the above embodiment, the direction indicator 60 is described as being configured to be switchable between a use state and a storage state, but the direction indicator 60 may also be configured as not being switchable between a use state and a storage state.

[0062] (4) In the above embodiment, the direction indicator 60 is configured to be switchable between an in-use state and a retracted state by rotating about an axis extending in the left-right direction of the aircraft, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the direction indicator 60 may be configured to be switchable between an in-use state and a retracted state by rotating about an axis extending in the fore-aft direction of the aircraft.

[0063] In addition, in the use state, the direction indicator 60 may be configured to be movable in the left-right direction of the machine body, and may be configured to be switchable between a wide state in which it is positioned laterally outward from both left and right edges of the seedling planting device 18, and a narrow state in which it is positioned laterally inward from both left and right edges of the seedling planting device 18. In this case, the direction indicator 60 may be configured to be slidable in the left-right direction of the machine body relative to the mounting surface on the upper surface of the mounting member 62, and may be configured to be switchable between the wide state and the narrow state by swinging the stay 61.

[0064] Furthermore, in the use state, the direction indicator 60 may be configured to be movable in the vertical direction and may be configured to be able to change its position in the vertical direction up to a height position higher than the height position of the upper end of the seedling placing surface 43s. In this case, the stay 61 may be configured to be extendable and retractable, so that the direction indicator 60 may be configured to be able to move in the vertical direction.

[0065] (5) In the above embodiment, the direction indicators 60 are provided at both the left and right end portions of the seedling placing surface 43s, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the direction indicator 60 may be provided at the center of the seedling placing surface 43s in the left-right direction. Also, a single direction indicator 60 may be provided only at the center of the seedling placing surface 43s in the left-right direction.

[0066] The configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, unless a contradiction arises. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the purpose of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0067] The present invention can be applied to a rice transplanter in which the seedling planting device is equipped with an alarm device that can provide a predetermined alarm by emitting light. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1: Aircraft 10: Spare seedling tray 11: Strut 18: Seedling planting device 33: Stacked light 43: Seedling tray 43s: Seedling placement surface 50: Seedling stand 51: Support member at both ends (support member) 60: Direction indicator (alarm device) 61: Stay

Claims

1. A drivable aircraft, A seedling planting device is provided with a seedling tray having a seedling placement surface and supported at the rear of the machine body; The rice transplanter is equipped with an alarm device that is located above the seedling placement surface and is capable of making predetermined alerts by emitting light.

2. The rice transplanter according to claim 1, wherein the notification device is supported by a stay extending upward from the seedling planting device.

3. The rice transplanter according to claim 2, wherein the alarm device is configured to be switchable between a use state and a storage state in which the state is closer to the seedling placement surface than the use state by rotating the stay.

4. The seedling planting device is provided with a seedling stay that is arranged opposite the seedling placement surface and prevents the seedlings placed on the seedling placement surface from floating up, and a support member that supports the seedling stay on the seedling planting device, The rice transplanter according to claim 1, wherein the notification device is supported by the support member.

5. The support member supports the seedling stay at a support position above the seedling placement surface, The rice transplanter according to claim 4, wherein the alarm device is located above the support position.

6. The rice transplanter according to claim 1, wherein the alarm device is provided at each of the left and right end portions of the seedling placing surface.

7. The rice transplanter according to claim 6, wherein the notification device is a direction indicator that notifies the turning direction of the machine body.

8. The rice transplanter according to claim 1, wherein the notification device notifies that agricultural materials to be supplied to the field need to be replenished.

9. The rice transplanter according to claim 1, wherein the notification device notifies the operator of the occurrence or signs of an abnormality that may cause a disruption to traveling operations.

10. A stacked light is provided on the upper part of the support supporting the spare seedling tray and can be notified to the outside. The rice transplanter according to claim 1, wherein the alarm device is located at a height position lower than a height position of the stacked lamps.

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