Transplanter

Abstract

To provide a transplanter which can prevent seedling discard and can suppress unnecessary consumption of seedlings in a configuration where a planting rotary body is rotationally driven by an electric motor.SOLUTION: A control unit performs, as stop control for stopping rotation of a planting rotary body, first stop control in which the planting rotary body is moved to a predetermined target phase set as a stop position of the planting rotary body with respect to a phase related to rotation of the planting rotary body, and then rotation of the planting rotary body is stopped, and performs second stop control in which the rotation of the planting rotary body at a start timing of the stop control is stopped in preference to the first stop control when a predetermined condition set in advance is satisfied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transplanter having a configuration in which a planting rotor is rotated by an electric motor. [Background technology]

[0002] In a conventional rice transplanter that continuously plants seedlings in a field using a planting device, a plate-shaped seedling mat placed on a seedling carrier that slopes downward at the rear is fed horizontally and vertically, and the planting claws of the planting device continuously scrape off the seedling mat one portion at a time to plant the seedlings. This type of rice transplanter is equipped with a rotary-type planting device as the planting device, which has a planting transmission case, a rotary case that is a planting rotor provided on both the left and right sides of the planting transmission case, and a planting claw device that includes planting claws supported by the rotary case.

[0003] Among such rice transplanters, there is one in which the rotary case is rotated using the driving force of an electric motor (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a pair of left and right rotary cases are rotated by one electric motor, and a configuration in which one electric motor is provided for each rotary case. Patent Document 1 also describes, with regard to rotary case operation control, a control in which the rotary case is stopped at a phase where the planting tines are away from the field surface (the so-called upper stop position) by driving control of the electric motor.

[0004] In addition, in the rice transplanter, the planting device is connected to the rear of the traveling body via a lifting device including a link mechanism and a hydraulic cylinder so that it can be raised and lowered. The planting device is raised when the machine is stopped at the edge of a paddy field or when the machine is moving while not working. In the raised state, the planting device positions the rotary case, planting claw device, and other installation locations at a height that is away from the field. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5335446 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The upper stop position of the rotary case is a phase set from the viewpoint of preventing the planting claws from contacting the ground when the planting device is lowered or from interfering with the seedling tray when the seedling tray is fed laterally. In a configuration in which the rotary case is driven to rotate using the driving force of an electric motor, for example, by performing a predetermined stopping operation on the rotation of the rotary case, the rotary case is controlled to move (rotate) from the phase at the time of the operation to the upper stop position and stop rotation.

[0007] If such control of the rotary case to stop at the upper stop position is performed while the planting device is raised, there is a risk that the seedlings scraped from the seedling mat by the planting claw device will be released into the air (so-called seedling discarding (empty planting)). In other words, when the rotary case is rotated from the time of the stop operation to the upper stop position while the planting device is raised, a predetermined planting operation is performed to release the scraped seedlings by the planting claw device into the field, resulting in seedling discarding.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a transplanter that is configured to rotate a planting rotor using an electric motor, and that can prevent seedlings from being discarded and reduce the waste of seedlings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The transplanter of the present invention comprises a traveling body, a planting unit supported on the traveling body and having a planting rotor that supports planting claws and is rotatably arranged, an electric motor for driving the planting rotor to rotate, a phase detection unit that detects the phase of the rotation of the planting rotor, and a control unit that controls the electric motor based on the phase detected by the phase detection unit, and the control unit performs a first stop control to stop the rotation of the planting rotor, which moves the planting rotor to a predetermined target phase set as the stop position of the planting rotor for the phase and then stops the rotation of the planting rotor, and when a predetermined condition is met, the control unit performs a second stop control that takes priority over the first stop control and stops the rotation of the planting rotor at the start of the stop control.

[0010] The transplanter of the present invention is a transplanter in which the planting unit is connected to the running body so that it can be raised and lowered, and has a seedling carrying platform for receiving seedling mats, and further comprises a lifting operation unit that instructs the planting unit to be raised and lowered, a seedling mat detection unit that detects whether a seedling mat is placed on the seedling carrying platform, and a ground detection unit that detects when the planting unit touches the ground in the field, and the specified conditions include at least one of conditions related to instructions by the lifting operation unit, conditions related to detection by the seedling mat detection unit, and conditions related to detection by the ground detection unit.

[0011] In the transplanter of the present invention, the condition for an instruction by the lifting operation unit is that the lifting operation unit has instructed the planting unit to raise, the condition for detection by the seedling mat detection unit is that the seedling mat detection unit has detected that a seedling mat has been placed on the seedling tray, and the condition for detection by the ground detection unit is that the ground detection unit has detected that the planting unit is not in contact with the ground.

[0012] In the transplanter according to the present invention, the predetermined conditions include a traveling speed of the traveling machine body being equal to or less than a threshold value.

[0013] The transplanter of the present invention is a transplanter that is equipped with a device that receives position information of the running body and automatically travels along a route set within a field based on the position information, and the specified conditions include at least one of conditions related to the position of the running body within the field, conditions related to the type of route on which the running body is located and the direction of travel of the running body, and conditions related to the travel mode of the running body.

[0014] In the transplanter of the present invention, the condition regarding the position of the running body within the field is that the running body is located within the field, the conditions regarding the type of path on which the running body is located and the direction of travel of the running body are that the running body is located at the end of the work path of the path and that the running body is traveling toward the boundary between the inside and outside of the field, and the condition regarding the travel mode of the running body is that the running body is traveling automatically.

[0015] In the transplanter of the present invention, in the first stop control, if the phase at the start of the stop control is downstream of the target phase in the rotation direction of the planting rotor and upstream of a predetermined planting phase in the rotation direction, the control unit controls the planting rotor to move to the target phase by rotating the planting rotor in the reverse direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, in a configuration in which the planting rotor is driven to rotate by an electric motor, it is possible to prevent seedlings from being discarded and to suppress the unnecessary consumption of seedlings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a left side view of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a power transmission configuration provided in a rice transplanter according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the power and power transmission configuration of a rice transplanter according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the rice transplanter according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a left side view showing the configuration of a seedling planting device and its surroundings according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the lower structure of the planting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lower structure of the planting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an automatic travel route of a rice transplanter according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of upper stop control according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of reverse rotation control in upper stop control according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The present invention aims to prevent seedlings from being wasted by devising a control method for the electric motor when stopping the rotation of the planting rotor in a configuration in which the planting rotor is rotated by an electric motor, thereby suppressing seedling disposal (empty planting), in which seedlings are released into the air. The following describes an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] The configuration of a rice transplanter 1 as a transplanter according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. In the following description, the left side (left side in Figure 2) and the right side (right side in Figure 2) when facing the front of the rice transplanter 1 will be referred to as the left side and right side of the rice transplanter 1, respectively.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rice transplanter 1 of this embodiment is a riding rice transplanter that performs planting work while traveling with an operator inside, and is used to plant seedlings sequentially in a field.

[0021] The rice transplanter 1 comprises a traveling body 2 that constitutes a self-propelled traveling section, and a planting device 3 that serves as a planting section that is provided behind the traveling body 2. The planting device 3 is connected to the rear of the traveling body 2 so that it can be raised and lowered via a lifting link mechanism 4 that includes multiple links. While traveling on the traveling body 2, the rice transplanter 1 plants seedlings in a paddy field 6 that serves as a farm scene in a field 5 using the planting device 3.

[0022] The traveling machine body 2 has a machine body frame 7, left and right front wheels 8, and left and right rear wheels 9. The machine body frame 7 is configured in a framework shape using multiple frame members, and has a front frame section 11 that forms a horizontal frame portion, and a rear frame section 12 that forms a stepped section that is one step higher behind the front frame section 11. The left and right front wheels 8 are provided below the front frame section 11, and the left and right rear wheels 9 are provided below and behind the rear frame section 12. The machine body frame 7 is supported on the field by the left and right front wheels 8 and the left and right rear wheels 9. For convenience, the rear wheels 9 are shown in FIG. 1 by virtual lines (chain double-dashed lines).

[0023] A horizontal floor 13 made of a vehicle body cover or the like is provided above the front frame 11 of the traveling body 2. A driver's unit 10 for driving and operating the traveling body 2 and the planting device 3 is provided on the floor 13. A driver's seat 15 is provided in the center of the left and right rear of the driver's unit 10. A fuel tank (not shown) is provided below the seat 15.

[0024] An operating unit 16 is provided in front of the driver's unit 10 and is operated by an operator seated in a seat 15. The operating unit 16 is provided with a dashboard 18 on which a steering wheel 17 and the like are arranged, various operating pedals such as a speed change pedal and a brake pedal, and various operating levers such as a speed change lever, a planting clutch lever, and a lift operation lever 104 (see Figure 5).

[0025] An engine 20 serving as a drive source is provided in the center of the left and right sides of the front of the machine frame 7. The engine 20 is covered by a hood 21. The engine 20 is mounted on the front of the front frame portion 11 via vibration-isolating rubber or the like. The engine 20 is, for example, a diesel engine. Note that a motor or the like may also be mounted as a drive source for the rice transplanter 1.

[0026] A transmission 22, which has a power transmission mechanism including gears, brakes, etc. built into a transmission case, is provided behind the engine 20 on the underside of the traveling body 2. The power of the engine 20 is transmitted to the transmission 22 and used to drive the front wheels 8 and rear wheels 9.

[0027] Front axle cases 25 are attached to both the left and right sides of the transmission 22. A front axle 26 is rotatably supported by the front axle case 25, and front wheels 8 are attached to the front axle 26. A power transmission mechanism provided within the front axle case 25 transmits the rotational power of the transmission 22 to the front axle 26, thereby driving the front wheels 8 to rotate.

[0028] A rear axle case 28 is provided behind the transmission 22. The rear axle case 28 is connected to the transmission 22 via a connecting frame 29 that extends in the front-to-rear direction. The rear axle case 28 receives power from the transmission 22 via a transmission shaft 31 that extends from the rear of the transmission 22 and is arranged parallel to the connecting frame 29.

[0029] The rear axle case 28 has protruding case sections 28a on both the left and right sides that protrude rearward relative to the case main body. A rear axle 32 is rotatably supported by the left and right case sections 28a, and a rear wheel 9 is attached to the rear axle 32. A power transmission mechanism provided within the rear axle case 28 transmits the rotational power of the transmission 22 to the rear axle 32, thereby driving the rear wheel 9 to rotate.

[0030] In the traveling body 2, multiple tiers (three tiers in the example shown in Figure 1) of spare seedling trays 33 are provided at positions on the left and right outside of the hood 21. Supplementary seedling mats are placed on the spare seedling trays 33. The multiple spare seedling trays 33 are supported on the traveling body 2 by spare seedling tray frames 34.

[0031] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rice transplanter 1 is configured as a hybrid rice transplanter, and includes, in addition to the engine 20, a motor generator 41 as a first rotating electric machine, an electric motor 42 as a second rotating electric machine, and a battery 43. In Figure 4, thick solid lines connecting elements indicate power lines, and thick dashed lines connecting elements indicate signal lines. Also, the outline arrows indicate the direction of power transmission.

[0032] The motor generator 41 is connected to the engine 20 via a power transmission unit so that power can be transmitted thereto. This power transmission unit is configured to directly or indirectly connect the rotating shaft of the motor generator 41 to the output shaft of the engine 20. A transmission, a clutch for switching between on and off of power, and the like are appropriately interposed between the motor generator 41 and the engine 20.

[0033] The motor generator 41 has both a function as a motor that provides power to the output of the engine 20 to assist the output of the engine 20, and a function as a generator that generates electricity by rotating with the output of the engine 20. The motor generator 41 functions as a three-phase AC motor when three-phase AC power is input, and functions as a three-phase AC generator when power is input and rotates. The motor generator 41 is controlled by a control unit 50 (see FIG. 5) provided in the rice transplanter 1 via a first inverter 46.

[0034] The electric motor 42 supplies driving force to the planting device 3. In other words, the electric motor 42 is a power source provided separately from the engine 20 as a configuration for supplying power to drive the planting device 3. The electric motor 42 is a three-phase AC motor driven by three-phase AC power. The electric motor 42 is controlled by a control unit 50 provided in the rice transplanter 1 via a second inverter 47. The configuration of the electric motor 42 (type of motor) is not particularly limited.

[0035] The battery 43 is supported at a predetermined location on the vehicle frame 7. The battery 43 is formed of a secondary battery such as a lead-acid battery or a lithium-ion battery. The battery 43 is formed, for example, by unitizing a plurality of battery modules each made of a secondary battery. The battery 43 is electrically connected to the motor generator 41 and the electric motor 42.

[0036] The battery 43 is electrically connected to the motor generator 41 via the first inverter 46 and supplies power to the motor generator 41 via the first inverter 46. The motor generator 41 can supply power to the battery 43 via the first inverter 46. In other words, the motor generator 41 can charge the battery 43. The first inverter 46 converts DC power output from the battery 43 into AC power and supplies it to the motor generator 41. The first inverter 46 also converts AC power output from the motor generator 41 into DC power and supplies it to the battery 43.

[0037] Furthermore, the battery 43 is electrically connected to the electric motor 42 via the second inverter 47, and supplies power to the electric motor 42 via the second inverter 47. The second inverter 47 converts DC power output from the battery 43 into AC power and supplies it to the electric motor 42. Note that, although the present embodiment employs a configuration in which an inverter is provided for each of the motor generator 41 and the electric motor 42, a configuration in which one inverter is shared by both may also be employed.

[0038] A junction box 48 is provided between the battery 43 and the first inverter 46 (motor generator 41) and the second inverter 47 (electric motor 42) (see FIG. 4). The junction box 48 has relays for switching the electrical connections between the battery 43 and each of the first inverter 46 and the second inverter 47 between a connected state and a disconnected state.

[0039] Junction box 48 also has a relay for switching between a connected state and a disconnected state the electrical connection between first inverter 46 and second inverter 47, in other words, the electrical connection between motor generator 41 and electric motor 42. When motor generator 41 and electric motor 42 are electrically connected to each other, it becomes possible to supply electric power generated by motor generator 41 to electric motor 42. Note that a configuration may be adopted in which each relay is provided individually, without providing junction box 48.

[0040] In the above configuration, the electric motor 42 is driven by power supplied from at least one of the battery 43 and the motor generator 41. The motor generator 41 can supply power to the electric motor 42 while charging the battery 43. The battery 43 can supply power to the motor generator 41 and the electric motor 42 simultaneously. The first inverter 46, the second inverter 47, and the junction box 48 are provided in predetermined locations in the traveling machine body 2.

[0041] The motor generator 41 is connected to the transmission 22 so as to be able to transmit power thereto. The motor generator 41 is disposed behind the transmission 22. However, the location of the motor generator 41 is not particularly limited.

[0042] When functioning as a motor, the motor generator 41 assists the output of the engine 20 via the transmission 22. When functioning as a generator, the motor generator 41 generates electricity by rotating using the driving force from the engine 20 transmitted via the transmission 22. Power is transmitted from the engine 20 to the motor generator 41, for example, so that the rotation speeds of both are the same. The electric power generated by the motor generator 41 is supplied to at least one of the battery 43 and the electric motor 42 via a first inverter 46 and a junction box 48.

[0043] The electric motor 42 is disposed above the rear axle case 28 at a position to the right of the center in the left-right direction, and is supported by the vehicle frame 7 or the like. However, the position where the electric motor 42 is disposed is not particularly limited.

[0044] The motor generator 41 and the electric motor 42 may be connected to each other so that power can be transmitted between them via a switching mechanism such as a clutch that switches between on and off of power. With this configuration, for example, if a problem occurs with the electric motor 42, the planting device 3 can be driven using the output of the engine 20 instead of the output of the electric motor 42. Furthermore, the driving force of the electric motor 42 can assist the output of the engine 20 in addition to the assistance of the engine 20 by the motor generator 41.

[0045] The planting device 3 will now be described. The planting device 3 is supported on the rear side of the traveling body 2 and functions as a ground working unit that plants seedlings in the paddy field surface 6 of the farm field 5. The planting device 3 is connected to the rear of the traveling body 2 via a lifting link mechanism 4 (see Figure 1) to the machine frame 7 so that it can be raised and lowered.

[0046] The lifting link mechanism 4 has a top link 61 extending in the front-rear direction and a pair of left and right lower links 62. The front side of each link is rotatably connected to a vertical link frame 63, and the rear side of each link is rotatably connected to a hitch bracket 64 provided on the front side of the planting device 3. The vertical link frame 63 is erected on the rear axle case 28 at the rear end of the traveling body 2 and is connected to the rear of the rear frame section 12.

[0047] The base end (front side) of a hydraulic lifting cylinder 65 is supported on the upper side of the connecting frame 29 so as to be able to rotate up and down (see Figure 1). The lifting cylinder 65, together with the lifting link mechanism 4, constitutes a lifting device that raises and lowers the planting device 3 relative to the traveling body 2. The tip end (rear side) of the lifting cylinder 65 is connected to the front end of the lower link 62. As the lifting cylinder 65 extends and retracts, each link of the lifting link mechanism 4 rotates up and down, raising and lowering the planting device 3. That is, as the lifting cylinder 65 extends, the planting device 3 descends, and as the lifting cylinder 65 retracts, the planting device 3 rises. The extension and retraction of the lifting cylinder 65 is controlled by controlling the hydraulic flow rate discharged from a hydraulic pump driven by power output from the engine 20.

[0048] The planting device 3 comprises a planting frame 71 connected to the rear side of the lifting link mechanism 4, a planting transmission case 72, a seedling carrier 73 supported by the planting frame 71, and a seedling planting device 80 driven by power transmitted from the planting transmission case 72.

[0049] The planting frame 71 is composed of multiple frame members, such as multiple vertical frames and horizontal frames, and is configured to have a roughly frame-like shape when viewed from the front. The planting frame 71 has a main frame 75 as a horizontal frame attached to its lower part. The main frame 75 is a linear frame member with a rectangular cylindrical outer shape with a roughly square cross section, and is installed horizontally so as to extend in the left-right direction. The main frame 75 is located below the seedling carrier 73 and is installed across almost the entire left-right range of the planting device 3.

[0050] The planting transmission case 72 is provided in the center of the left and right sides of the main frame 75. The planting transmission case 72 is provided in an overhanging shape so that its rear portion is positioned on the rear side of the main frame 75, and has an overhanging portion to the rear.

[0051] The planting transmission case 72 receives the driving force of the electric motor 42 via a transmission shaft 76. The planting transmission case 72 incorporates a power transmission mechanism composed of a gear train including gears such as bevel gears, and the input shaft 72a protrudes forward. The electric motor 42 has its output shaft 42a protrude toward the rear.

[0052] The front end of the transmission shaft 76 is connected to the output shaft 42a of the electric motor 42 via a universal joint 77. The rear end of the transmission shaft 76 is connected to the input shaft 72a of the planting transmission case 72 via a universal joint 78. A transmission device composed of speed increasing / decreasing gears, a speed change mechanism, etc. may be provided between the electric motor 42 and the planting transmission case 72.

[0053] The seedling carrier 73 is located above the planting transmission case 72 and behind the planting frame 71. The seedling carrier 73 has a surface on its front side (upper rear side) for receiving a seedling mat (not shown), and the surface is sloped downward toward the rear. The planting device 3 according to this embodiment has an eight-row planting configuration and has eight seedling carrier sections 79 lined up in the left-right direction (see Figure 2).

[0054] The seedling carrier 73 supplies seedling mats placed on each seedling carrier section 79 to each planting unit. The seedling carrier 73 is configured to be able to move back and forth in the left and right direction by a drive mechanism (lateral feed mechanism) not shown in the figure, so that the seedling mats are continuously fed back and forth in the left and right direction. A vertical feed mechanism is provided for the seedling carrier 73, which feeds the seedling mats on each seedling carrier section 79 vertically downward when the seedling carrier 73 reaches the left and right ends of its reciprocating movement. These horizontal feed mechanisms and vertical feed mechanisms are driven by power transmitted to the planting transmission case 72.

[0055] The seedling tray 73 is also provided with a seedling succession sensor 74 for detecting the presence or absence of a seedling mat on the seedling tray section 79 (see Figure 2). The seedling succession sensor 74 is provided at a position lower in the vertical direction and in the center in the left-right direction on each seedling tray 73. A seedling succession sensor 74 is provided for each row (each planting unit), and the seedling tray 73 has eight seedling succession sensors 74.

[0056] The seedling succession sensor 74 has, for example, a seedling detection cam that operates when it comes into contact with the bottom surface of the seedling mat placed on the seedling carrying unit 79, and a seedling detection switch that operates in response to contact with the seedling detection cam. The seedling succession sensor 74 is configured to operate the seedling detection cam and turn the seedling detection switch on / off depending on the presence or absence of a seedling mat on the seedling carrying unit 79.

[0057] Each seedling succession sensor 74 is connected to the control unit 50 via a cable including a signal line, etc. (see Figure 5). When a seedling mat is placed on the seedling placing unit 79, the output (output value) of the seedling succession sensor 74 becomes seedling mat detection (ON), and the presence of a seedling mat on the seedling placing unit 79 is detected.

[0058] During planting work, when the number of seedlings on the seedling carrier unit 79 decreases to the point where they are no longer detected by the seedling succession sensor 74, the output of the seedling succession sensor 74 changes to seedling mat non-detection (OFF). When the control unit 50 receives the OFF output from the seedling succession sensor 74, it issues an alarm and notifies the worker that it is time to succession the seedling mats on the seedling carrier unit 79. The worker replenishes seedling mats on the seedling carrier unit 79 as needed. This causes the output of the seedling succession sensor 74 to turn ON.

[0059] The seedling planting device 80 is a rotary-type planting device that has a planting transmission case 81, two rotary cases 82 as planting rotors supported on both the left and right sides of the planting transmission case 81, and a planting claw device 90 provided for each rotary case 82. The planting device 3 has eight rotary cases 82, corresponding to an eight-row planting configuration. On both the left and right sides of the planting transmission case 81, the rotary cases 82 and the two planting claw devices 90 form a planting unit.

[0060] The planting transmission case 81 has a cylindrical outer shape with the longitudinal direction being the front-to-rear direction, and its front end is fixed to the rear surface of the main frame 75, extending horizontally from the rear side of the main frame 75 toward the rear. A planting transmission case 81 is provided for every two rows, and there are four planting transmission cases 81 in the eight-row planting rice transplanter 1. The four planting transmission cases 81 are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the left-to-right direction.

[0061] The planting transmission case 81 receives power from the planting transmission case 72 via a planting transmission shaft 85 whose axial direction is in the left-right direction. In other words, the planting transmission shaft 85 interlocks and connects the power transmission mechanisms in each of the planting transmission cases 72 and 81. The planting transmission shaft 85 is rotatably supported relative to the planting transmission case 72 at a position behind the main frame 75, passing through the rear of the planting transmission case 72. The planting transmission shaft 85 is installed between the front parts of the four planting transmission cases 81, and is rotatably supported relative to the planting transmission cases 81, passing through each planting transmission case 81, extending in the left-right direction.

[0062] A pair of rotary cases 82 (two rows) are provided on both the left and right sides of the rear of the planting transmission case 81. The rotary cases 82 are rotatably attached to the planting transmission case 81 by a drive shaft 86 whose axial direction is in the left-right direction (see Figure 6). The drive shaft 86 protrudes to the left and right sides from the planting transmission case 81, and supports the left and right rotary cases 82 rotatably relative to the planting transmission case 81.

[0063] The rotary case 82 has a longitudinal outer shape, and its longitudinal center is axially supported by the planting transmission case 81. Two planting claw devices 90 are attached to the left and right outer sides of the rotary case 82. The two planting claw devices 90 are arranged on opposite sides of the rotary case 82 with respect to the position of the drive shaft 86, and are provided at both longitudinal ends of the rotary case 82.

[0064] The planting claw devices 90 are supported on both longitudinal ends of the rotary case 82 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis 87 whose rotation axis is in the left-right direction (see Figure 6). The planting claw devices 90 are connected to the rotary case 82 so as to be linked to the rotation of the rotary case 82 relative to the planting transmission case 81. The planting claw devices 90 are configured to perform a predetermined planting operation in conjunction with the rotation of the rotary case 82. By performing the planting operation, the planting claw devices 90 sequentially scrape off the seedling mat placed on the seedling carrier 73 one by one and plant them in the field. With one rotation of the rotary case 82, the two planting claw devices 90 cut seedlings one by one from the seedling mat placed on the seedling carrier 73 and plant them in the paddy field 6.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 6, the planting claw device 90 has an arm 91, a planting claw 92 fixed to the arm 91, and a pusher member 93 movable relative to the arm 91. The planting claw device 90 has a base 90a as the connection portion to the rotary case 82, and an extension portion in which the arm 91, planting claw 92, etc. extend linearly from the base 90a in a predetermined direction, with the tip of the planting claw 92 being the tip of the extension portion. Hereinafter, the direction along the extension direction of the extension portion of the planting claw device 90 will be referred to as the "claw extension direction." In addition, in the planting claw device 90, the tip side of the planting claw 92 in the claw extension direction will be referred to as the front side, and the opposite side will be referred to as the rear side.

[0066] The arm portion 91 is a substantially cylindrical portion whose cylindrical axis direction is the claw extension direction of the planting claw device 90. The arm portion 91 is an integral part of the base portion 90a and extends from the base portion 90a in the claw extension direction.

[0067] The planting claw 92 has a roughly rectangular plate-shaped claw base 92a and a bifurcated claw body 92b extending forward from one longitudinal side of the claw base 92a along the claw extension direction. The planting claw 92 has a roughly constant width overall, with the width direction being the left-right direction and the length direction being aligned with the claw extension direction. The planting claw 92 has the claw base 92a fixed to the upper side of the arm 91 by two fixing parts 96. The fixing parts 96 are fastening fixing parts that protrude upward from the arm 91 and have male threads that penetrate the claw base 92a and have nuts threaded into them. The planting claw 92 has a sharpened tip 92c of the claw body 92b.

[0068] The pusher member 93 is provided on the front side of the arm portion 91 and is configured to move back and forth along the claw extension direction relative to the arm portion 91. The pusher member 93 is provided below the claw body portion 92b of the planting claw 92. The pusher member 93 has a push rod portion 93a and a pressing piece portion 93b provided on the tip side of the push rod portion 93a.

[0069] The push rod portion 93a is a rod portion that forms a cylinder mechanism together with the arm portion 91, with the arm portion 91 serving as the cylinder portion, and extends from the tip of the arm portion 91 in the claw extension direction. The push rod portion 93a moves back and forth relative to the arm portion 91 so as to change the amount of protrusion from the arm portion 91. The pressing piece portion 93b is a portion that moves integrally with the push rod portion 93a relative to the arm portion 91, and is the portion that applies pressure to the seedling blocks scraped from the seedling mat.

[0070] The pusher member 93 is arranged to move back and forth relative to the arm portion 91 between a holding position, which is the rear end position, and a pushing position, which is the front end position. The holding position of the pusher member 93 is the standby position of the pusher member 93 in the planting claw device 90, where it holds the picked seedlings. The pushing position of the pusher member 93 is the forward end position of the pusher member 93 relative to the arm portion 91, where the planting claw device 90 has pushed out (released) the seedling blocks. The pusher member 93 is arranged to move forward relative to the arm portion 91 with a biasing force, pushing out the seedling blocks in a manner that ejects them.

[0071] In the above configuration, the rotational power generated by the electric motor 42 is transmitted to the rotary case 82 via the transmission shaft 76, the planting transmission case 72, the planting transmission shaft 85, and the planting transmission case 81. That is, the planting device 3 receives driving force from the electric motor 42 via the transmission shaft 76 in the planting transmission case 72, and the driving force input to the planting transmission case 72 is transmitted to the planting transmission shaft 85 by a power transmission mechanism within the planting transmission case 72. The rotational driving force of the planting transmission shaft 85 is distributed to the four seedling planting devices 80 and transmitted to the drive shafts 86 of the rotary cases 82 on both the left and right sides of the planting transmission case 81 via multiple transmission shafts, gears, etc. provided within the planting transmission case 81. The rotational driving of the drive shafts 86 rotates the left and right rotary cases 82, allowing the planting claw devices 90 to continuously plant seedlings. In this embodiment, eight rotary cases 82 for eight rows rotate synchronously, and eight rows are planted simultaneously.

[0072] As shown by the dashed line in Figure 6, each planting claw device 90 rotates along a trajectory A1 at the tip 92c of the planting claw 92 as the rotary case 82 rotates, scraping the seedling mat and planting the seedling blocks in one cycle. The trajectory A1 is a closed (loop-shaped) trajectory with a vertically elongated, approximately elliptical shape. The trajectory A1 is the trajectory of the body of the rice transplanter 1, i.e., it does not take into account the movement of the planting claw 92 relative to the field as the body moves forward, and is a stationary trajectory based on the body.

[0073] In the left side view shown in Figure 6, the tip 92c of the planting claw 92 moves counterclockwise on trajectory A1 (see arrow B1). Trajectory A1 is a common trajectory for the two planting claw devices 90 supported on the rotary case 82. The rotary case 82 rotates as the machine body moves forward, planting seedlings continuously in a line with a predetermined spacing between plants (seedling planting intervals) using the two planting claw devices 90.

[0074] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the planting device 3 is equipped with a plurality of floats 110 for leveling the rice field surface, which are located below the seedling planting device 80 in a side view. Note that the planting units (the rotary case 82 and the planting claw device 90) are not shown in Figures 7 and 8. Also, the floats 110 are not shown in Figure 2.

[0075] The floats 110 are provided in a height-adjustable manner on the planting device 3 that plants seedlings in the field 5. The rice transplanter 1 according to this embodiment has the following floats 110: a center float 111 located in the center in the left-right direction, inner side floats 112 provided on the left and right sides of the center float 111, and outer side floats 113 provided on the left and right outer sides of the inner side float 112. These five floats 110 are arranged symmetrically. These floats 110 support various components of the planting device 3, such as the planting transmission case 81, above the rice field surface 6.

[0076] The center float 111 and the inner side float 112 have front wide portions 111a, 112a that are roughly horizontally elongated rectangular in plan view and rear narrow portions 111b, 112b that are roughly vertically elongated rectangular in plan view, and are configured as a roughly "T" shape in plan view as a whole (see Figure 8). The outer side float 113 has a front wide portion 113a that is roughly horizontally elongated rectangular in plan view and a rear narrow portion 113b that extends rearward from a position biased to the left or right inner side of the front wide portion 113a.

[0077] The planting depth of the seedlings relative to the rice field surface 6 is adjusted by adjusting the height of the float 110, i.e., by adjusting its vertical position. In the planting device 3, a float support shaft 115 is provided below the front end of the planting transmission case 81. The float support shaft 115 is supported so as to be rotatable about its axis and extends left and right so as to cover the range in which all of the floats 110 are arranged. The float support shaft 115 is located above the front wide portions 111a, 112a, 113a of each float 110 in the front-rear direction.

[0078] A plurality of planting depth arms 120 that rotate integrally with the float support shaft 115 extend rearward. Each planting depth arm 120 supports a corresponding float 110. The tip of each planting depth arm 120 is rotatably connected to a support bracket 125 provided on the corresponding float 110.

[0079] The planting depth arm 120 has a pair of left and right arm main bodies 121 that are parallel to each other. The support bracket 125 is provided on the rear narrow portion (111b, 112b, 113b) of each float 110 and has a pair of support pieces that face each other in the left-right direction. The tip of each arm main body 121 of the planting depth arm 120 is connected and supported by a support shaft 126 that is installed between the left and right support pieces of the support bracket 125. As a result, the float 110 is supported by the planting depth arm 120 so that it can swing around the support shaft 126.

[0080] A sensing arm 128 of an elevation sensor unit 130, which is a float angle detector, is attached to the front end of the center float 111. The elevation sensor unit 130 detects changes in the float inclination angle (planting depth). A float accommodation mechanism 129 that restricts the up and down movement range of the front end of each float 110 is attached to the front end of each of the inner side float 112 and outer side float 113.

[0081] The lifting / lowering sensor unit 130 functions as a working state detection means for detecting the working state of the planting device 3. The lifting / lowering sensor unit 130 has a float angle detection sensor 131 (see FIG. 8) which forms a sensor body that detects the amount of rotation of the detection rotation shaft. The float angle detection sensor 131 is, for example, a rotary potentiometer. The float angle detection sensor 131 is connected to the control unit 50 by a cable including a signal line etc. (see FIG. 5).

[0082] The lifting / lowering sensor unit 130 detects that the planting device 3 is in contact with the paddy field surface 6 (in contact mode), which indicates that the planting device 3 is performing planting work. When the float angle detection sensor 131 in the lifting / lowering sensor unit 130 detects that the depression angle of the center float 111 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit 50 determines that the planting device 3 is not in contact with the paddy field surface 6 (in non-contact mode), i.e., that the planting device 3 is not performing planting work. Here, when the depression angle of the center float 111 is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the center float 111 is at an angle where it does not contact the paddy field surface 6, and in this state the center float 111 is in non-contact mode.

[0083] In this way, the control unit 50 uses a predetermined value for the depression angle of the center float 111 as a reference and determines that a state in which the planting device 3 is in a planting operation state when the depression angle is less than the predetermined value and part of the planting device 3 is in contact with the rice field surface 6, and a state in which the depression angle is greater than the predetermined value and the planting device 3 is not in contact with the rice field surface 6 is determined to be a non-planting operation state.

[0084] The float angle detection sensor 131, which detects the float angle, also constitutes part of a control mechanism that controls the planting depth so that the planting depth of seedlings by the planting device 3 is maintained at a set depth. To control the planting depth, a planting depth adjustment member is used. The planting depth adjustment member is connected to a part that moves due to a drive source such as a motor and rotates around the float support shaft 115 as a pivot point to adjust the planting depth. The planting depth adjustment member rotates together with the float support shaft 115. The rotation of the float support shaft 115 rotates the planting depth arms 120 that support each float 110, changing the vertical position of each float 110, i.e., the planting depth. This planting depth adjustment is performed based on a setting operation using a planting depth setting operation unit (e.g., a dial operation unit) provided on the operation unit 16.

[0085] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 5, the rice transplanter 1 is equipped with an antenna unit 150 for receiving position information from a satellite. The antenna unit 150 is configured as a positioning unit for receiving radio waves from a positioning satellite and measuring the position of the rice transplanter 1. The antenna unit 150 is equipped with a receiving device 151 as a receiving section, an inertial navigation system 152 as a computing section, a wireless communication device 153 as a communication section, and a case 154 for accommodating these devices. The antenna unit 150, including the control section 50 provided in the rice transplanter 1, constitutes an automatic steering system for the rice transplanter 1.

[0086] The receiving device 151 receives radio waves from positioning satellites, converts the received radio waves into signals, and transmits them to the inertial navigation system 152. The receiving device 151 is, for example, a GNSS receiver (GNSS antenna) that receives radio waves from a group of GNSS satellites, or a GPS receiver (GPS antenna) that receives radio waves from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites.

[0087] The inertial navigation system 152 is an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that measures acceleration in three directions using a three-axis gyro and calculates attitude and orientation data. The inertial navigation system 152 also calculates position data based on signals transmitted from the receiving device 151. The inertial navigation system 152 functions as a calculation device that calculates position data based on position information from the receiving device 151. For example, by incorporating a GNSS receiver in the inertial navigation system 152, the reliability of the attitude and orientation data calculated by the inertial navigation system 152 is improved.

[0088] By including the inertial navigation system 152, the antenna unit 150 can utilize inertial navigation, which calculates and determines positioning based on the acceleration in three directions detected by the inertial navigation system 152, even in situations where radio waves from positioning satellites cannot be received due to bad weather, radio interference, etc.

[0089] The wireless communication device 153 transmits the position data and attitude direction data calculated by the inertial navigation system 152 to the outside via wireless communication. The wireless communication device 153 is, for example, a data communication device that uses a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or mobile communication. The data transmitted from the wireless communication device 153 is received by, for example, a mobile terminal (control terminal 100) carried by the operator or an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of the rice transplanter 1, and is used to confirm the position in the field and the attitude of the rice transplanter 1 (tilts in the forward, backward, left and right directions, etc.).

[0090] The case 154 has a box-like outer shape that is substantially rectangular in plan view, and forms the outer shape of the antenna unit 150. The case 154 houses a receiving device 151, an inertial navigation system 152, and a wireless communication device 153.

[0091] As described above, the antenna unit 150 is configured as an integrated unit in which the receiving device 151, the inertial navigation system 152, and the wireless communication device 153 are housed within the case 154.

[0092] The positioning data (position data and attitude direction data) acquired by the antenna unit 150 is used to control the autonomous rice transplanter 1, which performs work while autonomously traveling along a predetermined route. The position data is used, for example, to determine whether the rice transplanter 1 is traveling along a predetermined route. The attitude direction data is used, for example, to recognize the inclination of the rice transplanter 1, and thereby to check the traveling state of the rice transplanter 1 and the state of the field. In addition, an operator can send real-time instructions to the rice transplanter 1 by receiving transmission data from the wireless communication device 153 on the control terminal 100 or the like.

[0093] 1, in this embodiment, the antenna unit 150 is disposed above the hood 21 provided at the front of the traveling body 2, with its longitudinal direction oriented left-right. The antenna unit 150 is supported by an antenna support portion including an antenna support frame 158 on the spare seedling tray frame 34 that supports the spare seedling tray 33.

[0094] The antenna support frame 158 is configured to have a gate-like shape when viewed from the front, using pipe-shaped members or the like having a predetermined bent or curved shape, and is installed in a state where it is erected above the left and right auxiliary seedling table frames 34. The antenna unit 150 is arranged above the left and right intermediate portions of the antenna support frame 158, and is fixed to the antenna support frame 158 by fasteners such as bolts via support members 159 such as support brackets and support plates. The placement position and support configuration of the antenna unit 150 in the rice transplanter 1 are not limited to this embodiment.

[0095] As described above, the rice transplanter 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with the antenna unit 150 as a device for receiving position information in a farm field, which is the work site. The configuration of the antenna unit 150 is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the configuration of the antenna unit 150 may be such that the inertial navigation system 152 is omitted by providing the receiving device 151 with the function of a calculation unit that calculates position data from the position information received by the receiving device 151.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 5, the rice transplanter 1 is equipped with a control unit 50. The control unit 50 controls each unit of the rice transplanter 1 based on input signals from various sensors and the like equipped in the rice transplanter 1. The control unit 50 is configured by connecting, via a bus or the like, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as an arithmetic processing device that constitutes an arithmetic unit that executes various arithmetic processes and controls, a storage device that constitutes a storage unit such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), an input / output device (input / output circuit) that constitutes an input / output unit such as an input / output interface for data input / output, and peripheral circuits such as a clock circuit. The CPU of the control unit 50 performs arithmetic processes in accordance with various programs including a positioning program stored in the ROM or the like.

[0097] The control unit 50 is configured to include, for example, a plurality of microcomputer units connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a controller area network (CAN). However, the configuration of the control unit 50 is not particularly limited. The control unit 50 is provided in a predetermined location in the rice transplanter 1, such as the machine frame 7.

[0098] The control unit 50 receives an input of a signal from the inertial navigation system 152, and determines the attitude, direction, etc. of the rice transplanter 1 based on the input signal. The control unit 50 also receives an input of a signal from a wireless communication device 153. The control unit 50 is configured to be able to transmit its output signal to a control terminal 100, which is a wireless communication terminal, etc.

[0099] As shown in Fig. 5, the rice transplanter 1 is equipped with a correction information terminal 140 as a correction information device. The correction information terminal 140 is a device that receives positioning correction information, which is correction information for correcting the position information (positioning information) received by the antenna unit 150, from a base station 400, which is a reference station located outside the farm field 5. An antenna 141 for receiving information from the base station 400 is connected to the correction information terminal 140. The antenna 141 is used by the correction information terminal 140 to receive information from the base station 400.

[0100] The rice transplanter 1 functions as a mobile station in relation to the base station 400, and constitutes a communication system together with the base station 400. The rice transplanter 1 receives positioning correction information from the base station 400 every moment, corrects the position information received by the antenna unit 150 based on the received positioning correction information, and acquires its own positioning information with high accuracy.

[0101] The base station 400 is a fixed base station installed at a predetermined reference position outside the field. The base station 400 is, for example, a base station independently established by a telecommunications carrier or a base station installed by a local government or the like. The base station 400 calculates the difference between its own positioning information calculated based on GNSS satellite signals received from, for example, multiple GNSS satellites (positioning satellites) at predetermined time intervals and its own previously recognized position information, and transmits this difference information as positioning correction information. The base station 400 is equipped with an antenna for receiving satellite signals used to calculate its own positioning information, and a wireless communication device for transmitting and receiving various signals to and from the antenna 141 of the correction information terminal 140 on the rice transplanter 1 side.

[0102] The base station 400 continuously generates positioning correction information, for example, at a preset cycle, and transmits a signal including the generated positioning correction information to the correction information terminal 140 of the rice transplanter 1 by a wireless communication device. The correction information terminal 140 processes the signal including the positioning correction information received by the antenna 141 and acquires the positioning correction information. The positioning correction information acquired by the correction information terminal 140 is used to correct the positioning information acquired by the antenna unit 150.

[0103] In the rice transplanter 1, the control unit 50 corrects the positioning information acquired by the antenna unit 150 using positioning correction information transmitted from the base station 400, and calculates and acquires the current position information of the rice transplanter 1. The control unit 50 acquires, for example, latitude and longitude information as the current position information of the traveling body 2 of the rice transplanter 1.

[0104] In this way, the correction information terminal 140 corrects the positioning information using the positioning correction information from the base station 400, thereby making it possible to acquire the position of the traveling machine body 2 with high accuracy. The positioning information corrected by the positioning correction information is used for the autonomous traveling of the rice transplanter 1.

[0105] The rice transplanter 1 according to this embodiment can apply a positioning method using a positioning system, in which satellite positioning information of the rice transplanter 1 (mobile station) is corrected using correction information from a base station 400 to determine the current position of the rice transplanter 1. As the positioning technology, various positioning methods can be applied, such as D (differential)-GPS positioning and RTK (real-time kinematic)-GPS positioning.

[0106] The rice transplanter 1 is capable of both automatic and manual driving. When the rice transplanter 1 is in automatic driving mode, the control unit 50 controls the steering mechanism and other components while the rice transplanter 1 travels along a preset automatic driving route. In contrast, when the rice transplanter 1 is in manual driving mode, the operator controls and operates each component.

[0107] FIG. 9 shows an example of an automatic travel route of the rice transplanter 1 in a field 5. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the field 5 (5A) has a rectangular shape. However, the shape of the field 5 (5A) is not limited to a rectangular shape. The automatic travel route 160 is set within a set field 5A that corresponds to the actual field 5. The automatic travel route 160 is generated so as to connect a work start position 161 and a work end position 162 within the field 5A. The work start position 161 and the work end position 162 are located diagonally opposite each other in the rectangular field 5A.

[0108] The automatic travel path 160 is made up of multiple straight work path sections 163 that run along the short side of the rectangular field 5A (the up-and-down direction in FIG. 9 ) and semicircular connecting path sections 164 that connect adjacent work path sections 163, forming a single path that turns back and forth multiple times. Of the automatic travel path 160, the multiple work path sections 163 are set within a main work area 165, which is a first work area within the field 5A, and the multiple connecting path sections 164 are set within an outer work area 166, which is a second work area outside the main work area 165 within the field 5A. The main work area 165 is an area within the field 5A where planting work is performed by the rice transplanter 1, and the outer work area 166 is an area where planting work is performed after planting work in the main work area 165 is completed, for example.

[0109] The multiple work path sections 163 are arranged at equal or approximately equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the field 5A (left-right direction in FIG. 9). The connection path sections 164 are located alternately on one side and the other in the lateral direction of the field 5A from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction of the field 5A, connecting the ends of adjacent work start positions 161. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the automatic travel path 160 has nine work path sections 163 and eight connection path sections 164.

[0110] The work path section 163 is a path along which planting work is performed by the planting device 3 of the traveling rice transplanter 1. The connection path section 164 is a turning circuit along which operations such as turning and turning back of the rice transplanter 1 are performed, and is a non-work path along which planting work is not performed by the planting device 3. In such an automatic travel path 160, the rice transplanter 1 makes a 180° change of direction (U-turn) at each connection path section 164, and the traveling directions of the rice transplanter 1 on adjacent work path sections 163 are opposite to each other.

[0111] During the planting operation of the rice transplanter 1 along the automatic travel path 160 in the field 5, the rice transplanter 1 traveling on the work path section 163 is in a state of proceeding toward a boundary 167 between the inside and outside of the field 5, that is, a state of proceeding toward the edge of the paddy field, and the rice transplanter 1 traveling on the connection path section 164 is in a state of turning. In other words, the traveling state of the rice transplanter 1 traveling on the automatic travel path 160 from the work start position 161 to the work end position 162 is a state of alternately traveling straight along the work path section 163 and a state of turning along the connection path section 164. In the automatic travel path 160 shown in FIG. 9, the boundary 167 toward which the rice transplanter 1 heads during operation is the boundary on the long side of the field 5 (5A), that is, the boundary on both sides of the short side of the field 5.

[0112] The rice transplanter 1 has two operating modes: an automatic operating mode in which planting work is performed while the rice transplanter 1 is automatically traveling, and a manual operating mode in which planting work is performed while the rice transplanter 1 is manually traveling. The rice transplanter 1 has, as a functional part of the control unit 50, an operating mode switching unit 170 for switching between the automatic operating mode and the manual operating mode (see FIG. 5).

[0113] The control unit 50 controls switching between the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode by switching the driving mode flag stored in a storage unit such as RAM. The driving mode switching operation is performed, for example, by operating the control terminal 100. Specifically, for example, a mode switching button is provided as an operation unit displayed on the display of the control terminal 100, and when the mode switching button is operated (touched), a mode switching signal is transmitted from the control terminal 100 to the control unit 50. Upon receiving the mode switching signal, the control unit 50 changes the driving mode flag using the driving mode switching unit 170, thereby switching the driving mode. Note that the driving mode switching operation may be performed by an operation on the device side, such as an operation of the operation unit 16 provided in the driving unit 10.

[0114] The control terminal 100 is, for example, a portable terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet-type personal computer. The control terminal 100 remotely controls the rice transplanter 1, and is configured to be able to communicate wirelessly with the rice transplanter 1 (controller 50) by means of a wireless communication unit that each of the rice transplanter 1 and the control terminal 100 has. The wireless communication unit is configured, for example, by a wireless LAN adapter or the like, and is connected to an antenna for wireless communication.

[0115] 5, the control terminal 100 has a control unit 181, an operation display unit 182, an operation unit 183, and a storage unit 184. The operation display unit 182, the operation unit 183, and the storage unit 184 are connected to the control unit 181.

[0116] The operation display unit 182 is configured to display various data and accept operations by the user. The operation display unit 182 is configured, for example, by a touch panel display. The operation unit 183 is configured to operate the control terminal 100 and includes, for example, one or more operation buttons. The storage unit 184 is configured by a storage device such as a non-volatile memory. The storage unit 184 has, as functional units, a position information storage unit 185, a field identification information storage unit 186, and an automatic travel route storage unit 187.

[0117] The position information storage unit 185 stores position information for each time received from the control terminal 100. The position information for each time is composed of, for example, time information and position information included in the received position information. When the control unit 50 transmits the position information stored in the storage unit to the control terminal 100 in real time, the position information for each time stored in the position information storage unit 185 may be information in which time information on the control terminal 100 side is added to the position information received by the control terminal 100.

[0118] The field identification information storage unit 186 stores the field identification information generated by the control unit 181. The automatic travel route storage unit 187 stores the automatic travel route information for the field 5 generated by the control terminal 100.

[0119] The control unit 181 of the control terminal 100 is configured by a microcomputer having a CPU, memory (ROM, RAM, non-volatile memory, etc.), etc. The control unit 181 has, as functional units, a farm field identification information generation unit 191 and an automatic travel route generation unit 192.

[0120] The field identification information generation unit 191 generates field identification information for identifying the position and shape of the field 5, using the positioning information of the rice transplanter 1 detected by the control unit 50 using the antenna unit 150. The field identification information is composed of, for example, position information of a plurality of characteristic points on the contour line of the field 5. If the shape of the field 5 is rectangular, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the field identification information is composed of the position coordinates of the four vertices.

[0121] The field identification information is generated, for example, as follows: The user manually operates the rice transplanter 1, causing the rice transplanter 1 to travel in a circle around the periphery of the field 5. The field identification information generation unit 191 acquires the position information for each time detected by the control unit 50 while the rice transplanter 1 is traveling in a circle, and generates the field identification information based on the acquired position information for each time. The field identification information generated in this manner is stored in the field identification information storage unit 186.

[0122] The automatic driving route generation unit 192 generates an automatic driving route based on the field identification information stored in the field identification information storage unit 186 and information required for generating an automatic driving route input by the user. The automatic driving route information generated in this manner is stored in the automatic driving route storage unit 187.

[0123] The user operates the control terminal 100 to transfer the automatic travel route information generated by the automatic travel route generation unit 192 to the storage unit in the control unit 50. After this, the user manually drives the rice transplanter 1 to move it to the work start position 161 of the automatic travel route 160, and operates the control terminal 100 to start automatic travel. As a result, the rice transplanter 1 is controlled to travel along the automatic travel route 160.

[0124] 5, the rice transplanter 1 has, as a configuration electrically connected to the input device (input circuit) of the control unit 50, in addition to the seedling succession sensor 74 and float angle detection sensor 131 described above, an operation device 101, a phase detection sensor 102 as a phase detection unit, a vehicle speed sensor 103, and a lift operation lever 104. The control unit 50 receives input signals from these devices and sensors, etc., and generates control signals based on the signals.

[0125] The operation device 101 is a device operated by an operator, and includes, for example, operation tools such as levers, switches, dials, and pedals provided on the operation unit 16. When the operation device 101 receives a predetermined operation, it outputs a signal to the control unit 50 according to the operation content.

[0126] The phase detection sensor 102 is a sensor for detecting the phase of rotation of the rotary case 82. The phase detection sensor 102 is, for example, a proximity sensor (magnetic sensor) that detects the presence or absence of metal, and detects the phase of rotation of the rotary case 82 (hereinafter simply referred to as "phase") by detecting a protrusion provided on a rotating body such as a rotating shaft that is linked to a transmission mechanism provided inside the planting transmission case 81.

[0127] The phase of the rotary case 82 detected by the phase detection sensor 102 is the angular position of the rotation around the axis of the drive shaft 86 of the rotary case 82 relative to the planting transmission case 81. The control unit 50 detects the phase of the rotary case 82 by receiving the detection signal input from the phase detection sensor 102. The control unit 50 can detect the phase of the rotary case 82 as an angular position (amount of rotation) relative to a predetermined reference position (rotation angle = 0°).

[0128] The vehicle speed sensor 103 is a sensor for detecting the vehicle speed, which is the traveling speed of the traveling machine body 2. The vehicle speed sensor 103 detects the vehicle speed by detecting the rotation speed of a rotating body such as a shaft in a drive device related to the traveling of the machine body, for example.

[0129] The control unit 50 receives an input of a detection signal from the vehicle speed sensor 103 and detects the vehicle speed. The control unit 50 controls the vehicle speed based on the detection signal from the vehicle speed sensor 103. The control unit 50 receives an input of a detection signal regarding the amount of operation of a gear shift operating member such as a gear shift lever or a gear shift pedal, generates control information based on the detection signal, and controls the vehicle speed based on the generated control information.

[0130] The lifting operation lever 104 is an operation unit for lifting and lowering the planting device 3. The control unit 50 controls the operation of the lifting cylinder 65 (see FIG. 1) via a control valve (not shown) or the like based on an operation signal from the lifting operation lever 104, thereby lifting and lowering the planting device 3. For example, by tilting the lifting operation lever 104 in one direction, the lifting cylinder 65 extends and the planting device 3 descends, and by tilting the lifting operation lever 104 in the other direction, the lifting cylinder 65 contracts and the planting device 3 ascends. The operation unit for lifting and lowering the planting device 3 may be configured with an operation tool other than a lever, such as a configuration provided with switches (lift switch, lower switch) for performing each operation to lift and lower the planting device 3.

[0131] As shown in FIG. 5 , a first inverter 46 for controlling the motor generator 41 and a second inverter 47 for controlling the electric motor 42 are connected to the control unit 50. The control unit 50 controls the first inverter 46 and the second inverter 47. That is, the first inverter 46 controls the operation of the motor generator 41 under the control of the control unit 50, and the second inverter 47 controls the operation of the electric motor 42 under the control of the control unit 50. The control unit 50 obtains information about the motor generator 41 via the first inverter 46 and obtains information about the electric motor 42 via the second inverter 47. The control unit 50 controls the operation of various relays included in a junction box 48.

[0132] The control unit 50 controls the electric motor 42, which serves as the drive source for the planting device 3, and basically controls the rotation speed of the electric motor 42 in accordance with the amount of operation of a speed change operating member such as a speed change lever. In other words, when the control unit 50 controls the drive of the electric motor 42, the rotational power input from the electric motor 42 to the drive shaft 86 of the rotary case 82 in the power transmission system of the planting device 3 changes speed together with the vehicle speed in accordance with the amount of operation of the speed change operating member.

[0133] Therefore, the rotation speed of the rotary case 82, i.e., the planting speed of the planting device 3, changes depending on the vehicle speed. In detail, the faster the vehicle speed, the shorter the rotation period of the rotary case 82, and the slower the vehicle speed, the longer the rotation period of the rotary case 82. This maintains a constant spacing between plants regardless of the traveling speed of the traveling body 2.

[0134] In this way, the control unit 50 issues rotation instructions (rotation speed instructions) to the electric motor 42 according to the vehicle speed. With regard to the spacing between plants, the rotation speed of the rotary case 82 can be changed by controlling the rotation speed of the electric motor 42 relative to the vehicle speed, thereby changing the spacing between plants.

[0135] The electric motor 42 is configured to be able to rotate in both the forward and reverse directions. That is, when the control device 50 controls the drive of the electric motor 42 via the second inverter 47, the output for forward motor rotation from the second inverter 47 is input to the electric motor 42, causing the electric motor 42 to rotate in the forward direction, and the output for reverse motor rotation from the second inverter 47 is input to the electric motor 42, causing the electric motor 42 to rotate in the reverse direction.

[0136] As described above, the rice transplanter 1 comprises a planting device 3 having a rotary case 82 that supports the planting claws 92 and is rotatably arranged, an electric motor 42 for driving the rotary case 82 to rotate, a phase detection sensor 102 for detecting the phase of the rotary case 82, and a control unit 50.

[0137] The control unit 50 controls the electric motor 42 based on the phase of the rotary case 82 detected by the phase detection sensor 102 in relation to the operation control of the rotary case 82 .

[0138] The control unit 50 controls the rotary case 82 to stop rotation by controlling the drive of the electric motor 42, thereby stopping the rotation of the rotary case 82 at a predetermined phase where the planting claws 92 move away from the field surface (paddy field surface 6). Hereinafter, with regard to the control of stopping the rotary case 82 by the control unit 50, the phase where the rotation of the rotary case 82 stops is referred to as the "upper stop position."

[0139] FIG. 6 shows the rotary case 82 in the upper stop position. When the rotary case 82 is in the upper stop position, its longitudinal direction is approximately horizontal. When the rotary case 82 is in the upper stop position, the front and rear planting claw devices 90 position the planting claws 92 in the upper and lower middle portions of the rotation range that forms a loop-shaped trajectory. The upper stop position of the rotary case 82 is set from the perspective of preventing the planting claws 92 from contacting the ground when the planting device 3 is lowered or the planting claws 92 from interfering with the seedling carrier 73 when the seedling carrier 73 is fed laterally when the planting device 3 is in a drive-stopped state (when all rows are stopped), which would cause damage to the planting claws 92 or the seedling carrier 73.

[0140] 6, the upper stop position of the rotary case 82 is the phase of the rotary case 82 when one of the two planting claw devices 90 (front and rear) has its tip 92c positioned within a predetermined phase range C1 at the front and middle of the upper and lower parts of the trajectory A1. In other words, one rotation of the rotary case 82 corresponds to one rotation of the planting claws 92 of the planting claw device 90 along the trajectory A1, and the upper stop position of the rotary case 82 is the phase in which one planting claw device 90A of the two planting claw devices 90 has its tip 92c of the planting claw 92 positioned within the phase range C1.

[0141] As shown in FIG. 6, for example, with respect to the upper stop position, if the lowest point on the locus A1 is set to a reference point P1 where the phase of the rotary case 82 (hereinafter referred to as the "rotary phase") is 0°, the phase range C1 corresponding to the upper stop position is set to a range of 240° to 300°. That is, for the points on the locus A1 shown in FIG. 6, point Pa, which defines the position of the start point of the phase range C1, corresponds to a rotary phase of 240°, and point Pb, which defines the position of the end point of the phase range C1, corresponds to a rotary phase of 300°. Note that, for the points on the locus A1, points P2, P3, and P4 correspond to points where the rotary phase is 90°, 180°, and 270°, respectively. FIG. 6 shows a state where the rotary phase is 290°.

[0142] The control unit 50 controls the rotary case 82 to stop based on the operation of the operating device 101. That is, the control unit 50 controls the rotary case 82 to stop when the operating device 101 performs a predetermined stop operation to stop the drive of the planting device 3. When the operating device 101 performs a predetermined operation to stop the drive of the planting device 3, a signal is output from the operating device 101 to the control unit 50. The control unit 50 starts to execute the control unit 50 to stop the rotary case 82 when the signal input from the operating device 101 is used as a trigger.

[0143] The operation of the operating device 101 to control the stop of the rotary case 82, that is, the stop operation of the operating device 101, is functionally equivalent to the operation of turning off the planting clutch using a planting clutch lever in a configuration that has a planting clutch for switching the connection / disconnection of rotational power in the power transmission path for the rotary case 82. Therefore, the stop operation of the operating device 101 can be assigned to the "off" operation of an existing planting clutch lever, for example.

[0144] The control unit 50 performs stop control to stop the rotation of the rotary case 82 (hereinafter referred to as "planting unit stop control") by moving the rotary case 82 to a predetermined target phase set as the stop position of the rotary case 82 and then performing upper stop control to stop the rotation of the rotary case 82. The control unit 50 basically performs upper stop control as planting unit stop control, and when predetermined conditions are met, it takes priority over the upper stop control and performs non-upper stop control to stop the rotation of the rotary case 82 at the start of the planting unit stop control.

[0145] The upper stop control is an example of a first stop control, and the non-upper stop control corresponds to a second stop control. The upper stop control and the non-upper stop control, as well as the predetermined conditions for executing the non-upper stop control, will be described below.

[0146] [About upper stop control] An example of the upper stop control will be described. As the upper stop control, the control unit 50 controls the deceleration rate of the rotational speed (= number of rotations, hereinafter referred to as "motor rotation speed") of the electric motor 42 to vary depending on the magnitude of the difference between the phase of the rotary case 82 detected by the phase detection sensor 102 (hereinafter referred to as "detected phase") and a predetermined target phase set as a stop position of the rotary case 82.

[0147] 10, in this embodiment, the control unit 50 performs upper stop control by decelerating the motor rotation speed at a predetermined deceleration rate from a state in which the motor rotation speed is maintained at a constant value, and then reducing the deceleration rate (making the degree of deceleration gentler) to further decelerate the rotation and stop the rotation of the rotary case 82. Graph G1 shows changes in the rotation speed instruction from the control unit 50 to the electric motor 42.

[0148] In graph G1 shown in FIG. 10, the vertical axis represents the motor rotation speed [min^-1] (rpm). In graph G1, the horizontal axis represents the rotary phase difference Δθ (=θa-θb), which is the difference between the target phase value θa and the detected phase value θb actually detected by the phase detection sensor 102. The horizontal axis also corresponds to the passage of time. The target phase value θa is a phase value corresponding to the upper stop position, and is set and stored in advance in a storage device or the like in the control unit 50. The target phase value θa is set to a predetermined value within a range of, for example, 240° to 300°.

[0149] In graph G1, the intersection of the vertical axis and horizontal axis corresponds to a state where the motor rotation speed is 0 and the actual-to-series error Δθ is 0. In other words, the intersection of the vertical axis and horizontal axis corresponds to a state where the detected phase value θb reaches the target phase value θa and the electric motor 42 stops, i.e., where the rotation of the rotary case 82 stops.

[0150] In the upper stop control, the control unit 50 performs control to decelerate the motor rotation speed at a first deceleration rate and then at a second deceleration rate lower than the first deceleration rate. In graph G1 shown in Fig. 10, among the sections in which the motor rotation speed is decelerated, the first deceleration section S1, which is the first half section, is a section in which the motor rotation speed is decelerated at the first deceleration rate, and the second deceleration section S2, which is the second half section, is a section in which the motor rotation speed is decelerated at the second deceleration rate. Note that the "deceleration rate" is the ratio of the speed reduction to the time.

[0151] 10, in the upper stop control, a deceleration rate switching rotation speed r2 is set, which is the motor rotation speed at which the deceleration rate of the motor rotation speed is switched from a first deceleration rate to a second deceleration rate. That is, in the process of deceleration of the motor rotation speed, when the motor rotation speed being decelerated at the first deceleration rate reaches the deceleration rate switching rotation speed r2, the deceleration rate of the motor rotation speed is switched from the first deceleration rate to the second deceleration rate. The respective values ​​of the first deceleration rate, the second deceleration rate, and the deceleration rate switching rotation speed r2 are set and stored in advance in a storage device or the like by the control unit 50.

[0152] An example of the upper portion stop control will be described using graph G1 shown in Fig. 10. In this example, the set value of the target phase value θa is set to 260°.

[0153] As shown in Figure 10, the planting unit stop control is initiated, for example, during planting work by the planting device 3, while the motor rotation speed is maintained at a constant rotation speed r1 corresponding to the vehicle speed (see section S0). That is, in section S0, the electric motor 42 rotates at a constant rotation speed r1 based on a rotation command corresponding to the vehicle speed from the control unit 50. The end point of section S0, i.e., the control start time t1 of the planting unit stop control, is the timing when the stop operation of the operating device 101 is performed as a trigger to start the control.

[0154] When a stop operation of the operating device 101 is performed, the control unit 50 first calculates a movement amount α1 required to stop the rotary case 82 at the current rotation speed and phase (control start time t1) based on the first deceleration rate, the second deceleration rate, etc. The calculated movement amount α1 is the amount of rotation (rotation angle) of the rotary case 82 until the rotary phase reaches the target phase from the current detected phase, and corresponds to the current actual difference Δθ. Specifically, for example, if the current detected phase value θb is 320°, the movement amount α1 is the amount of rotation until the rotary phase reaches 260° from 320°, and is 300° (= 40° + 260°) (see FIG. 6).

[0155] Next, a stopping operation start position for stopping the rotary case 82 at the target phase is calculated according to the movement amount α1. Here, the control unit 50 calculates the deceleration start time t2, which is the timing to start decelerating the motor rotation speed, from the calculated movement amount α1 based on the first deceleration rate, the second deceleration rate, and the deceleration rate switching rotation speed r2.

[0156] In the example shown in Figure 10, the deceleration start time t2 is after the time Δt has elapsed since the control start time t1 of the planting unit stop control, and during the time Δt, the motor rotation speed is maintained at rotation speed r1. The section of time Δt is designated as rotation speed maintenance section S3. The rotation speed maintenance section S3 is a section in which, after the start of the planting unit stop control, the state in which the vehicle speed and the motor rotation speed (the rotation speed of the rotary case 82) in section S0 continue to be linked continues.

[0157] In this way, the control unit 50 performs upper stop control by maintaining the motor rotation speed at rotation speed r1, which is the motor rotation speed at the control start time t1, from the control start time t1, which is the start time of the planting part stop control, to the deceleration start time t2, which is the time when the motor rotation speed starts to be decelerated (during the rotation speed maintenance section S3).

[0158] Depending on the control start time t1, the rotation speed holding section S3 may not occur. It is also possible to prevent the rotation speed holding section S3 from occurring, for example, even when the motor rotation speed or vehicle speed is extremely low. If the rotation speed holding section S3 does not exist, the control start time t1 and the deceleration start time t2 will coincide, and the motor rotation speed will begin to decelerate simultaneously with the start of planting unit stop control.

[0159] The control unit 50 controls the deceleration rate of the motor rotational speed in accordance with the target-to-actual difference Δθ from the deceleration start time t2 to the rotation stop time t4, when the motor rotational speed becomes zero. In other words, the link between the vehicle speed and the motor rotational speed is released, and the motor rotational speed is decelerated and stopped at a predetermined deceleration rate. As shown in FIG. 10 , the control unit 50 decelerates the motor rotational speed at a first deceleration rate from the deceleration start time t2 (first deceleration section S1), and at timing t3 when the motor rotational speed reaches the deceleration rate switching speed r2, switches the deceleration rate of the motor rotational speed to a second deceleration rate and continues to decelerate the motor rotational speed at the second deceleration rate until the rotation of the electric motor 42 stops (second deceleration section S2).

[0160] The control for switching the deceleration rate of the motor rotation speed may be performed based on the value of the actual-to-spot difference Δθ. In this case, a value θ1 for switching the deceleration rate is set for the value of the actual-to-spot difference Δθ, which decreases over time during planting unit stop control. The control unit 50 switches the deceleration rate of the motor rotation speed from the first deceleration rate to the second deceleration rate on the condition that the value of the actual-to-spot difference Δθ reaches the value θ1 after the control unit 50 begins decelerating the motor rotation speed from the deceleration start time t2. The value θ1 of the actual-to-spot difference Δθ is set and stored in advance in a storage device or the like in the control unit 50.

[0161] As described above, in the upper stop control, the motor rotation speed is decelerated using the first deceleration rate and the second deceleration rate, and two-stage deceleration and stop control is performed, in which a relatively rapid deceleration is performed followed by a relatively gradual deceleration to stop the rotary case 82. In addition, in the upper stop control, a rotation speed holding section S3 is provided in which the rotation speed r1 at the start of the planting section stop control is held from the start of control until the actual start of deceleration of the motor rotation speed.

[0162] In the example shown in FIG. 10, the section from the deceleration start time t2 to the rotation stop time t4 (section S1 + section S2) corresponds to an angle range of approximately 270° in terms of the amount of rotation of the rotary case 82. Also in the example shown in FIG. 10, the control section S4 (= section S3 + section S1 + section S2) from the control start time t1 of the planting unit stop control to the rotation stop time t4 corresponds to an angle range of approximately 340° depending on the phase of the rotary case 82 when the stop operation of the operating device 101 is performed. The control section S4 is adjusted to a maximum of approximately 340°, for example, by adjusting the control start time t1.

[0163] In the planting unit stop control, when the length of the control section S4 is within an angle range of approximately 340° in terms of the phase of the rotary case 82, after the control start time t1, that is, after the stop operation of the operating device 101, the pair of planting claw devices 90 may plant seedlings one or two times. Figure 10 shows an example of planting points H1 and H2, which are the timings at which planting is performed by the planting claw devices 90.

[0164] Planting point H1 is the timing when planting is performed by one of the two planting claw devices 90 supported by the rotary case 82, and planting point H2 is the timing when planting is performed by the other planting claw device 90. Therefore, the amount of rotation ΔU of the rotary case 82 between planting point H1 and planting point H2 is 180°.

[0165] After deceleration start time t2, the link between vehicle speed and motor rotation speed is released, so the spacing between plants based on vehicle speed is no longer maintained between planting points H1 and H2 (the spacing becomes wider), but the wider spacing is permitted to prevent the planting claw device 90 from releasing seedlings into the air, a practice known as "throwing away seedlings." In this regard, if gradual deceleration and stop control were performed, such as setting the length of control section S4 to 360° or more, damage to the power transmission mechanism of the planting unit caused by a sudden stop in the rotation of the rotary case 82 could be prevented, but planting would occur three or more times with the link between vehicle speed and motor rotation speed released after deceleration start time t2, meaning that the spacing between plants would be uncontrollable.

[0166] [About non-upper stop control] The non-upper stop control will now be described. As shown in graph G2 in Fig. 10, the control unit 50 performs non-upper stop control by stopping the rotation of the rotary case 82 at the start time t1 of the planting unit stop control. In Fig. 10, graph G2 is represented by a dashed line and is shifted from graph G1 for convenience.

[0167] In the non-upper stop control, the control unit 50 issues a rotation instruction to the electric motor 42 to stop rotation at the control start time t1. As a result, as shown in graph G2, the electric motor 42, which is driven to rotate in conjunction with the vehicle speed, suddenly reduces the motor rotation speed at the control start time t1 (see arrow F1), and the motor rotation speed becomes zero or nearly zero and stops. Note that, for convenience, graph G2 shown in FIG. 10 exaggerates the degree of reduction in motor rotation speed due to the stop operation, but in reality, it takes a considerable amount of time for the motor rotation speed to decrease.

[0168] [Regarding specified conditions] The predetermined conditions for executing the non-upper stop control (hereinafter referred to as "upper stop non-execution conditions") will be described.

[0169] Among the upper stop non-execution conditions, the conditions related to the planting device 3 will be explained. In the rice transplanter 1, the planting device 3 is connected to the traveling body 2 so that it can be raised and lowered, and has a seedling carrier 73 on which seedling mats are placed. The rice transplanter 1 is equipped with a lifting operation lever 104 as a lifting operation unit that instructs the planting device 3 to be raised and lowered, a seedling succession sensor 74 as a seedling mat detection unit that detects whether a seedling mat is placed on the seedling carrier 73, and a float angle detection sensor 131 as a ground contact detection unit that detects when the planting device 3 touches the field 5 (see Figure 5).

[0170] In such a configuration, the conditions for not executing the upper stop include at least one of the following conditions: a first condition which is a condition related to instructions from the lifting operation lever 104, a second condition which is a condition related to detection by the seedling succession sensor 74, and a third condition which is a condition related to detection by the float angle detection sensor 131.

[0171] The first condition is, for example, that an instruction to raise the planting device 3 is given by the lifting operation lever 104. That is, regarding the first condition, the control unit 50 executes non-upper stop control on the condition that an instruction to raise the planting device 3 is given by the lifting operation lever 104.

[0172] Therefore, at the control start time t1 when the stop operation of the operating device 101 is performed, if the planting device 3 is not being raised by the lifting operation lever 104, the control unit 50 executes the upper stop control as the planting unit stop control, and if the same raising operation is being performed, the control unit 50 executes the non-upper stop control in priority to the upper stop control.

[0173] The second condition is, for example, that the seedling replacement sensor 74 detects that a seedling mat is placed on the seedling carrier 73. That is, with regard to the second condition, the control unit 50 executes non-upper stop control on the condition that a seedling mat is present on the seedling carrier 73 as a result of detection by the seedling replacement sensor 74.

[0174] Therefore, at the control start time t1 when the stop operation of the operating device 101 is performed, if the detection result of the seedling succession sensor 74 is that there is no seedling mat on the seedling carrier 73, the control unit 50 executes upper stop control as planting unit stop control, and if the detection result is that there is a seedling mat on the seedling carrier 73, the control unit 50 executes non-upper stop control in priority to the upper stop control.

[0175] The third condition is, for example, that the float angle detection sensor 131 detects that the planting device 3 is not in contact with the paddy field surface 6. That is, the control unit 50 executes the non-top stop control under the condition that the detection result by the float angle detection sensor 131 indicates that the planting device 3 is not in contact with the paddy field surface 6 (non-contact mode).

[0176] Therefore, at the control start time t1 when the stop operation of the operating device 101 is performed, if the detection result from the float angle detection sensor 131 shows that the planting device 3 is in contact with the rice field surface 6 (grounding mode), the control unit 50 executes upper stop control as planting unit stop control, and if the detection result shows that the planting device 3 is not in contact with the rice field surface 6 (non-grounding mode), the control unit 50 executes non-upper stop control in priority to the upper stop control.

[0177] The upper stop non-execution condition for the planting device 3 as described above is a condition set from the following viewpoint.

[0178] That is, with regard to the first condition, when an instruction to raise the planting device 3 is issued by the lifting operation lever 104, the planting device 3 is in a raised state (non-working state), and if the upper stop control is performed in this state, there is a risk of so-called seedling discard (empty planting) occurring, in which the seedlings scraped from the seedling mat by the planting claw device 90 with the planting claws 92 are released into the air. That is, when the planting device 3 is in a raised state, as the rotary case 82 rotates from the control start time t1 of the planting unit stop control to the upper stop position while the planting device 3 is in the raised state, a predetermined planting operation is performed to release the scraped seedlings by the planting claw device 90 toward the field (see planting points H1 and H2 in Figure 10), resulting in seedling discard. Therefore, the first condition is set so that when an instruction to raise the planting device 3 is issued by the lifting operation lever 104, the upper stop control is not performed, and the non-upper stop control is performed.

[0179] Regarding the second condition, when a seedling mat is present on the seedling carrier 73, seedlings will be discarded if the planting claw device 90 performs a planting operation while the planting device 3 is raised. In other words, when no seedling mat is present on the seedling carrier 73, seedlings will not be discarded regardless of the raised or lowered state of the planting device 3. Therefore, the second condition is set so that when the seedling mat on the seedling carrier 73 is detected by the seedling repeat sensor 74, upper stop control is not performed and non-upper stop control is performed.

[0180] Regarding the third condition, the non-grounding state of the planting device 3 means that the planting device 3 is in a raised, non-working state, and if the upper stop control is performed in this state, there is a risk of seedlings being discarded. Therefore, the third condition is set so that when the float angle detection sensor 131 detects the non-grounding mode of the planting device 3, the upper stop control is not performed but the non-upper stop control is performed.

[0181] Next, the conditions related to the vehicle speed among the upper part stop non-execution conditions will be described. The upper part stop non-execution conditions include, as a fourth condition, that the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the traveling machine body 2 is equal to or less than a threshold value. That is, with regard to the fourth condition, the control unit 50 executes the upper part non-stop control on the condition that the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 103 is equal to or less than a preset threshold value.

[0182] Therefore, at the control start time t1 when the operation device 101 is stopped, if the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 103 exceeds the threshold, the control unit 50 executes the upper stop control as the planting unit stop control, and if the vehicle speed is equal to or less than the threshold, the control unit 50 executes the non-upper stop control in priority to the upper stop control. The threshold for the vehicle speed used in the planting unit stop control is set and stored in advance in a storage device or the like in the control unit 50.

[0183] The above-described upper stop non-execution conditions for the planting device 3 are conditions set from the following perspective. That is, with regard to the fourth condition, when the rice transplanter 1 is stopped or almost stopped (very slow speed state), it is a state in which planting work is not being performed by the planting device 3 (non-working state), and if the upper stop control is performed in such a state, seedling discarding may occur. Therefore, the fourth condition is set so that the upper stop control is not performed and the non-upper stop control is performed when the vehicle speed is equal to or less than the threshold. Therefore, the threshold value for the vehicle speed is a value set from the perspective of detecting that the rice transplanter 1 is stopped or almost stopped, and is set to a value within the range of 0.2 to 0.5 [m / s], for example.

[0184] Next, we will explain the conditions for not stopping the upper part, which are related to the automatic travel of the rice transplanter 1. The rice transplanter 1 is equipped with an antenna unit 150 that receives position information of the traveling body 2, and is configured to automatically travel along a route set in the field 5 (see automatic travel route 160 in Figure 9) based on the position information.

[0185] In such a configuration, the upper stop non-execution condition includes at least one of the following conditions: a fifth condition, which is a condition regarding the position of the traveling body 2 within the field 5; a sixth condition, which is a condition regarding the type of route on which the traveling body 2 is located and the direction of travel of the traveling body 2; and a seventh condition, which is a condition regarding the traveling mode of the traveling body 2.

[0186] The fifth condition is, for example, that the traveling body 2 is located within the field 5. That is, with regard to the fifth condition, the control unit 50 executes non-upper stop control on the condition that the position of the rice transplanter 1 based on the position information acquired by the antenna unit 150 is within the field 5.

[0187] Therefore, at the control start time t1 when the stop operation of the operating device 101 is performed, if the position of the rice transplanter 1 (traveling body 2) acquired by the antenna unit 150 is outside the field 5, the control unit 50 executes upper stop control as planting unit stop control, and if the position of the rice transplanter 1 is inside the field 5, the control unit 50 executes non-upper stop control in priority to the upper stop control.

[0188] The sixth condition is that the traveling machine body 2 is located at the end of the work path section 163, which is the work path among the paths that make up the automatic traveling path 160, and that the traveling machine body 2 is proceeding toward the boundary 167 between the inside and outside of the field 5. That is, with regard to the sixth condition, the control unit 50 executes non-upper stop control on the condition that the rice transplanter 1 (traveling machine body 2) is located at the end of the work path section 163 and is proceeding toward the boundary 167 of the field 5.

[0189] Therefore, at the control start time t1 when the operation device 101 is operated to stop, if the rice transplanter 1 is located in the middle of the work path section 163 on the automatic travel path 160 or in the connecting path section 164, the control unit 50 executes the upper stop control as the planting section stop control, and if the rice transplanter 1 is located at the terminal position 163a (see FIG. 9) of the work path section 163 on the automatic travel path 160 and the front of the rice transplanter 1 is facing the boundary 167, the control unit 50 executes the non-upper stop control in priority to the upper stop control. Note that the traveling machine body 2 proceeding toward the boundary 167 of the field 5 includes not only when the machine body is traveling forward but also when the machine body is traveling backward.

[0190] Here, the terminal position 163a of the work path section 163 on the automatic traveling route 160 is the boundary between the work path section 163 and the connection path section 164 on the front side in the traveling direction of the work path section 163. The terminal position 163a includes the work end position 162. The terminal position 163a may be set as a position having a certain range on the automatic traveling route 160, that is, as a position range having a length on the route of the automatic traveling route 160.

[0191] The seventh condition is that the traveling body 2 is automatically traveling. That is, regarding the seventh condition, the control unit 50 executes the non-upper stop control on the condition that the operation mode of the rice transplanter 1 is an automatic operation mode in which planting work is performed while automatically traveling.

[0192] Therefore, at the control start time t1 when the stop operation of the operating device 101 is performed, if the operation mode of the rice transplanter 1 is a manual operation mode in which manual driving is performed, the control unit 50 executes upper stop control as planting unit stop control, and if the operation mode of the rice transplanter 1 is an automatic operation mode, the control unit 50 executes non-upper stop control in priority to the upper stop control.

[0193] The upper stop non-execution condition for the automatic travel of the rice transplanter 1 as described above is a condition set from the following viewpoint.

[0194] That is, with regard to the fifth condition, when the rice transplanter 1 (traveling body 2) is located in the field 5 during automatic travel, the rice transplanter 1 is basically in a state of planting work, and therefore, when the operation device 101 is stopped in such a state, it is, for example, the timing when the rice transplanter 1 enters a non-working path such as the connection path section 164 or the timing when the planting work is completed. If the upper stop control is performed while the rice transplanter 1 is traveling on a non-working path or after the planting work is completed, there is a risk of seedlings being discarded. Therefore, the fifth condition is set so that the upper stop control is not performed but the non-upper stop control is performed when the rice transplanter 1 is located in the field during automatic operation. Note that the non-working path of the rice transplanter 1 in the field 5 includes a travel path that deviates from the automatic travel path 160 within the field 5 (for example, a travel path along the edge of a paddy field).

[0195] Regarding the sixth condition, as in the case of the fifth condition, there is a risk of seedlings being discarded if the upper stop control is performed while the rice transplanter 1 is traveling on a non-work path during automatic operation or after planting work is completed. Therefore, the sixth condition is set so that when the rice transplanter 1 is located at the terminal position 163a of the work path section 163 on the automatic travel path 160 and is proceeding toward the boundary 167, the upper stop control is not performed but the non-upper stop control is performed, as if the rice transplanter 1 is located at the terminal position 163a during automatic travel along the automatic travel path 160.

[0196] Regarding the seventh condition, when the rice transplanter 1 is in an automatic driving state, if the upper stop control is performed in such a state, there is a risk of seedlings being discarded. Therefore, the seventh condition is set so that when the operation mode of the rice transplanter 1 is in the automatic driving mode, the upper stop control is not performed but the non-upper stop control is performed.

[0197] [Regarding reverse rotation control in upper stop control] As described above, in the upper stop control, basically, the rotary case 82 is moved (rotated) in the forward rotation direction from the rotary phase at the time when the stop operation is performed by the operating device 101 (control start time t1) to stop it at the upper stop position. Here, the forward rotation direction of the rotary case 82 is the rotation direction during planting work by the planting device 3.

[0198] However, the greater the movement (rotation amount) of the rotary case 82 from the rotary phase at the control start time t1 to the upper stop position, the higher the possibility of seedling discard occurring during that rotation. Therefore, in the upper stop control, if the rotary phase at the control start time t1 is within a predetermined range, reverse rotation control is performed in which the rotary case 82 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the rotary case 82 is moved to the upper stop position and stopped there.

[0199] The control unit 50 performs the following control as reverse rotation control in the upper stop control (hereinafter referred to as "upper stop / reverse rotation control"). That is, in the upper stop control, if the rotary phase at the start time of the planting unit stop control (control start time t1) is downstream of the target phase (upper stop position) in the rotation direction (forward rotation direction) of the rotary case 82 and upstream of a predetermined planting phase in the forward rotation direction, the control unit 50 controls the rotary case 82 to move to the target phase by rotating the rotary case 82 in the reverse direction. Note that the reverse rotation of the rotary case 82 is achieved by rotating the electric motor 42 in the reverse direction.

[0200] Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, in a configuration in which the forward rotation direction of the rotary case 82 is the left rotation direction (see arrow X1) when viewed from the left side, the control unit 50 performs the following control as upper stop reverse rotation control: That is, when the rotary phase at the start of planting unit stop control is a phase corresponding to reverse phase range C2, which is a phase downstream in the forward rotation direction of phase range C1 corresponding to the upper stop position, which is the target phase, and upstream (toward the user) in the forward rotation direction of a predetermined planting phase, the control unit 50 performs control to move the rotary case 82 to the phase corresponding to phase range C1 by rotating the rotary case 82 in the reverse rotation direction (see arrow X2).

[0201] The predetermined planting phase in the upper stop reverse rotation control is the rotary phase at which the planting claw device 90 releases the seedling blocks using the pusher member 93. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the planting phase is the rotary phase corresponding to the reference point P1, which is the bottom dead center of the trajectory A1 of the claw base 92a of the planting claw 92. Therefore, the start point of the reverse phase range C2 is point Pb, which defines the end position of the phase range C1, and the end point of the reverse phase range C2 is reference point P1. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the reverse phase range C2, which is set for the rotation angle of the rotary case 82, is an angle range of 60° from point Pb (300°) to reference point P1 (0° (360°)).

[0202] In this way, when the rotary phase at the start of the planting unit stop control is such that one of the two planting claw devices 90, planting claw device 90A, positions the tip 92c of the planting claw 92 within the reverse phase range C2, the control unit 50 controls the rotary case 82 to rotate in the reverse rotation direction and move the rotary case 82 to a phase corresponding to the phase range C1 on the trajectory A1.

[0203] In Figure 11, the planting claw device 90A is shown by a two-dot chain line in a state in which the rotary phase corresponds to the reverse phase range C2 at the start of planting unit stop control. When the rotary phase corresponds to the planting claw device 90A shown by the two-dot chain line at the start of planting unit stop control, the rotary case 82 is rotated in the reverse rotation direction in which the tip 92c of the planting claw 92 moves clockwise (see arrow B2) on the trajectory A1 in the left side view shown in Figure 11. The rotary case 82 rotated in the reverse rotation direction stops at an upper stop position that positions the tip 92c of the planting claw 92 in the phase range C1, as shown by a solid line in Figure 11.

[0204] Furthermore, at the start of planting section stop control, if the rotary phase is, for example, a phase corresponding to the range of the tip 92c of the planting claw 92 in the forward rotation direction on the trajectory A1 from the reference point P1 to point Pa, basic control as upper stop control is performed. That is, by rotating the rotary case 82 in the forward rotation direction, control is performed to move the rotary case 82 to the upper stop position and stop it.

[0205] According to the rice transplanter 1 of this embodiment having the above-described configuration, in a configuration in which the rotary case 82 is driven to rotate by the electric motor 42, it is possible to prevent seedlings from being discarded and to suppress the unnecessary consumption of seedlings.

[0206] In the rice transplanter 1, the control unit 50 basically performs upper stop control as the planting unit stop control, and when the upper stop non-execution condition is met, it performs non-upper stop control in preference to the upper stop control. With this configuration, depending on the state of the rice transplanter 1, it is possible to automatically change whether to stop the rotary case 82 at the upper stop position by the upper stop control or to immediately stop the rotary case 82 by the non-upper stop control, thereby preventing or suppressing the occurrence of seedling discard.

[0207] To prevent seedling waste, there is a technique for rotating the rotary case to the upper stop position before the planting device is raised. However, this technique delays the planting device's rise by a single step, making it take time to raise the planting device. Furthermore, the rotary case rotates unintentionally, creating safety issues. Furthermore, rotating the rotary case to the upper stop position while the vehicle is stopped can enlarge the planting hole in the field (rice field surface), making the seedlings more likely to fall over. In this regard, the rice transplanter 1 according to this embodiment can disable the upper stop control under certain conditions. This prevents or suppresses seedling waste without affecting the time it takes for the planting device 3 to rise, causing the rotary case 82 to rotate unintentionally, or enlarging the planting hole in the rice field surface 6.

[0208] Furthermore, as the upper stop non-execution condition, at least one of the first to third conditions for the planting device 3 described above is used. With this configuration, the upper stop control can be disabled depending on the working state of the planting device 3, thereby preventing or suppressing the occurrence of seedling discarding.

[0209] Among the conditions for not executing the upper stop for the planting device 3, the first condition is that an instruction to raise the planting device 3 has been issued, the second condition is that a seedling mat is present on the seedling carrier 73, and the third condition is that the planting device 3 is not in a grounded state. With this configuration, the working state of the planting device 3 can be detected using the existing configuration, and the upper stop control can be appropriately disabled depending on the working state of the planting device 3, thereby effectively preventing or suppressing the occurrence of seedling waste.

[0210] In addition, the condition for not executing the upper stop is that the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a threshold value. According to this configuration, by setting the threshold value for the vehicle speed to a value corresponding to the stopped or nearly stopped state of the rice transplanter 1, the upper stop control can be prevented when the rice transplanter 1 is stopped or nearly stopped, so that the occurrence of seedling discard can be prevented or suppressed.

[0211] Furthermore, in a configuration in which the rotation speed of the rotary case 82 is linked to the vehicle speed, if the upper stop control is performed while the rice transplanter 1 is stopped or nearly stopped, when the planting claw device 90 performs the planting operation, the seedlings will be planted with closer spacing between the rows than when planting is performed at normal speed. Therefore, by performing the non-upper stop control when the vehicle speed is below a threshold, it is possible to prevent or suppress the spacing between rows from becoming narrower in parts.

[0212] Furthermore, as the upper stop non-execution condition, at least one of the fifth to seventh conditions related to the automatic travel described above is used. With this configuration, the upper stop control can be prevented depending on the working state during the automatic travel of the rice transplanter 1, the location in the field, etc., so that the occurrence of discarded seedlings can be prevented or suppressed.

[0213] Among the conditions for not executing the upper stop for the planting device 3, the fifth condition is that the traveling machine body 2 is located within the field 5, the sixth condition is that the traveling machine body 2 is located at the end of the work path portion 163 of the automatic travel path 160 and the traveling direction of the traveling machine body 2 (the orientation of the machine body) is toward the boundary 167 inside and outside the field 5, and the seventh condition is that the traveling machine body 2 is performing automatic travel. With this configuration, it is possible to use the existing configuration of the automatically traveling rice transplanter 1 to detect the working state and location in the field during automatic travel of the rice transplanter 1, and it is possible to appropriately not perform the upper stop control depending on the working state and location in the field, so that it is possible to effectively prevent or suppress the occurrence of discarded seedlings.

[0214] The planting unit stop control may be configured to execute non-upper stop control in preference to upper stop control when any one of the first to seventh conditions related to the upper stop non-execution conditions is satisfied at the control start time t1. Alternatively, the planting unit stop control may be configured to execute non-upper stop control in preference to upper stop control when multiple of the first to seventh conditions are satisfied at the control start time t1. By selecting and appropriately combining the first to seventh conditions, seedling discard can be effectively prevented or suppressed depending on the work style and work situation of the rice transplanter 1.

[0215] The upper part stop non-execution condition can be, for example, the occurrence of a predetermined abnormality (vehicle abnormality) that may cause the vehicle to stop among various abnormalities (errors) that may occur in the rice transplanter 1. According to this condition, if no vehicle abnormality has occurred at the control start time t1 when the stop operation of the operating device 101 is performed, the control unit 50 will execute upper part stop control as planting part stop control, and if a vehicle abnormality has occurred, the control unit 50 will execute non-upper part stop control in preference to the upper part stop control.

[0216] Furthermore, the control unit 50 is configured to perform upper stop reverse rotation control in the upper stop control, which rotates the rotary case 82 in the reverse direction and moves it to the upper stop position. With this configuration, in the upper stop control, the rotary case 82 can be efficiently moved (rotated) to the upper stop position, and seedlings can be prevented from being discarded in the process of moving the rotary case 82 to the upper stop position.

[0217] The above-described embodiment is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Therefore, even if it is not the above-described embodiment, various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical idea of ​​the present invention. Furthermore, the effects described in this disclosure are merely examples and are not limited, and other effects may also be obtained.

[0218] In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 50 is configured to execute planting unit stop control triggered by the input of a signal resulting from a stop operation of the operation device 101, but the trigger for initiating the planting unit stop control is not particularly limited. For example, an input signal from a controller of the antenna unit 150 or the like may be used as the trigger for initiating the planting unit stop control. That is, with regard to the planting unit stop control, the instruction unit that instructs the drive of the electric motor 42 of the planting device 3 includes not only the operation device 101, such as a lever, disposed on the operation unit 16, but also a configuration that can input an instruction signal to a configuration (control unit 50) that controls the drive of the electric motor 42, for example, when the rice transplanter 1 is traveling autonomously.

[0219] The present technology can be configured as follows: The configurations described below can be selected and combined as desired.

[0220] (1) A running body and A planting unit supported by the traveling machine body, supporting the planting claws and having a rotatably provided planting rotor; An electric motor for rotating the planting rotor; A phase detection unit that detects the phase of the rotation of the planting rotor; a control unit that controls the electric motor based on the phase detected by the phase detection unit, The control unit performs a first stop control to stop the rotation of the planting rotor, which stops the rotation of the planting rotor after moving the planting rotor to a predetermined target phase set as a stop position of the planting rotor for the phase, and when a predetermined condition set in advance is satisfied, performs a second stop control to stop the rotation of the planting rotor at the start of the stop control, prior to the first stop control. transplant machine. (2) The planting unit is connected to the traveling body so as to be able to rise and fall, and has a seedling carrier on which a seedling mat is placed, A lifting operation unit that instructs the lifting and lowering of the planting unit; a seedling mat detection unit that detects whether or not a seedling mat is placed on the seedling tray; A ground detection unit that detects the planting unit's contact with the field, The predetermined conditions include at least one of a condition regarding an instruction by the lifting operation unit, a condition regarding detection by the seedling mat detection unit, and a condition regarding detection by the ground contact detection unit. The transplanter according to (1) above. (3) The condition regarding the instruction by the lifting operation unit is that the lifting operation unit has issued an instruction to lift the planting unit, The condition for detection by the seedling mat detection unit is that the seedling mat detection unit detects that a seedling mat is placed on the seedling tray, The condition for detection by the ground contact detection unit is that the ground contact detection unit detects a non-ground contact state of the planting part. The transplanter according to (2) above. (4) The predetermined condition includes that the traveling speed of the traveling machine body is equal to or less than a threshold value. The transplanter according to (2) or (3). (5) A transplanter comprising a device for receiving position information of the traveling machine body, and automatically traveling along a route set in a field based on the position information, The predetermined conditions include at least one of a condition regarding the position of the traveling machine body in the field, a condition regarding the type of the route on which the traveling machine body is located and the traveling direction of the traveling machine body, and a condition regarding the traveling mode of the traveling machine body. The transplanter according to any one of the above (1) to (4). (6) The condition regarding the position of the traveling machine body in the field is that the traveling machine body is located in the field, the conditions regarding the type of the route on which the traveling machine body is located and the traveling direction of the traveling machine body are that the traveling machine body is located at the end of a work route among the routes, and that the traveling machine body is traveling toward the boundary between the inside and outside of the field; The condition regarding the traveling mode of the traveling machine body is that the traveling machine body is performing automatic traveling. The transplanter according to (5) above. (7) In the first stop control, when the phase at the start of the stop control is downstream of the target phase in the rotation direction of the planting rotor and upstream of a predetermined planting phase in the rotation direction, the control unit controls the planting rotor to move to the target phase by rotating the planting rotor in the reverse direction. The transplanter according to any one of the above items (1) to (6). [Explanation of symbols]

[0221] 1. Rice transplanter (transplanter) 2 Running body 3 Planting device (planting section) 5. Field 42 Electric motor 50 control section 73 Seedling stand 74 Seedling succession sensor (seedling mat detection part) 80 Seedling planting device 82 Rotary case (planting rotor) 92 Planting Claw 101 Operating device 102 Phase detection sensor (phase detection section) 104 Lifting operation lever (lifting operation part) 131 Float angle detection sensor (ground detection part) 150 Antenna Unit 160 Automated Driving Routes 163 Work path section 167 Boundary

Claims

1. A running body and A planting unit supported by the traveling machine body, supporting the planting claws and having a rotatably provided planting rotor; An electric motor for rotating the planting rotor; A phase detection unit that detects the phase of the rotation of the planting rotor; a control unit that controls the electric motor based on the phase detected by the phase detection unit, The control unit performs a first stop control to stop the rotation of the planting rotor, which stops the rotation of the planting rotor after moving the planting rotor to a predetermined target phase set as a stop position of the planting rotor for the phase, and when a predetermined condition set in advance is satisfied, performs a second stop control to stop the rotation of the planting rotor at the start of the stop control, prior to the first stop control. transplant machine.

2. The planting unit is connected to the traveling body so as to be able to rise and fall, and has a seedling carrier on which a seedling mat is placed, A lifting operation unit that instructs the lifting and lowering of the planting unit; a seedling mat detection unit that detects whether or not a seedling mat is placed on the seedling tray; A ground detection unit that detects the planting unit's contact with the field, The predetermined conditions include at least one of a condition regarding an instruction by the lifting operation unit, a condition regarding detection by the seedling mat detection unit, and a condition regarding detection by the ground contact detection unit.

2. The transplanter of claim 1.

3. The condition regarding the instruction by the lifting operation unit is that the lifting operation unit has issued an instruction to lift the planting unit, The condition for detection by the seedling mat detection unit is that the seedling mat detection unit detects that a seedling mat is placed on the seedling tray, The condition for detection by the ground contact detection unit is that the ground contact detection unit detects a non-ground contact state of the planting part.

3. The transplanter of claim 2.

4. The predetermined condition includes that the traveling speed of the traveling machine body is equal to or less than a threshold value. A transplanter according to claim 2 or claim 3.

5. A transplanter comprising a device for receiving position information of the traveling machine body, and automatically traveling along a route set in a field based on the position information, The predetermined conditions include at least one of a condition regarding the position of the traveling machine body in the field, a condition regarding the type of the route on which the traveling machine body is located and the traveling direction of the traveling machine body, and a condition regarding the traveling mode of the traveling machine body.

2. The transplanter of claim 1.

6. The condition regarding the position of the traveling machine body in the field is that the traveling machine body is located in the field, the conditions regarding the type of the route on which the traveling machine body is located and the traveling direction of the traveling machine body are that the traveling machine body is located at the end of a work route among the routes, and that the traveling machine body is traveling toward the boundary between the inside and outside of the field; The condition regarding the traveling mode of the traveling machine body is that the traveling machine body is performing automatic traveling.

6. A transplanter according to claim 5.

7. In the first stop control, when the phase at the start of the stop control is downstream of the target phase in the rotation direction of the planting rotor and upstream of a predetermined planting phase in the rotation direction, the control unit controls the planting rotor to move to the target phase by rotating the planting rotor in the reverse direction.

2. The transplanter of claim 1.

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