Head-forming vegetable harvester

Abstract

To simplify positioning when harvesting a vegetable with a formed head compared with a conventional constitution.SOLUTION: A head-formed vegetable harvester (1) includes a cutting blade (17) for cutting a rhizome part of a head-formed vegetable (21), an inclined guide part (16) disposed behind the cutting blade (17) and inclined upward toward the rear to guide the head-formed vegetable (21) cut by the cutting blade (17) rearward, and a drive system (8) and a power supply (10) disposed below a rear end part of the inclined guide part (16).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a head vegetable harvester for harvesting head vegetables such as lettuce and cabbage. [Background technology]

[0002] In a head vegetable harvester for harvesting head vegetables such as lettuce and cabbage, a configuration is known in which the head vegetable (A) is pinched from both sides and pulled out by pickup discs (8a, 8b) at the front end of the self-propelled body, the head vegetable (A) is transported rearward and upward by an intake screw (9), a lifting screw (10), and a belt conveyor (11), the sides of the head vegetable (A) are clamped between two conveying belts (20a, 20b), the root stalk (1b) of the head vegetable (A) is clamped and transported rearward by screw conveyors (3a, 3b), and the root stalk (1b) and outer leaves (1c) of the head vegetable (A) are cut by a cutter (C) (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-38 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, heading vegetables (A) are pulled out of a field (B) by sandwiching them between a pair of left and right pickup discs (8a, 8b), and it is difficult to pull them out unless the positions of the pickup discs (8a, 8b) in the vertical direction as well as the width direction of the machine are precisely aligned with the position of the heading vegetables (A) in the field (B). Therefore, due to the precision of position measurement, automatic operation is difficult in practice, and an operator must manually operate the machine and align the position, which also poses the problem of making automation and robotization difficult.

[0005] The present invention has a technical object to simplify the alignment when harvesting heading vegetables compared to conventional configurations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The above-mentioned problems of the present invention are solved by the following means. The invention described in claim 1 is a head vegetable harvester characterized by comprising: a vehicle body (2) capable of traveling on traveling devices (7, 9); a cutting blade (17) provided at the front end of the vehicle body (2) that enters between the head vegetables (21) and the field floor (11) and cuts the root and stalk portions of the head vegetables (21), the cutting blade (17) having its front end set at a height between the head vegetables (21) and the field floor (11); an inclined guide section (16) arranged behind the cutting blade (17) that slopes upward as it extends rearward and guides the head vegetables (21) cut by the cutting blade (17) rearward as the vehicle body (2) moves forward; a drive system (8) arranged below the rear end of the inclined guide section (16) that drives the traveling devices (7, 9); and a power source (10) arranged below the rear end of the inclined guide section (16).

[0007] The invention described in claim 2 is a head vegetable harvester as described in claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with a conveying member (28) that is arranged laterally in the width direction of the vehicle body (2) relative to the inclined guide section (16) and contacts the side of the head vegetable (21) to convey the head vegetable (21) rearward from the inclined guide section (16).

[0008] The invention described in claim 3 is a head vegetable harvester as described in claim 2, characterized in that it has a first conveying member (28L) arranged on one side of the inclined guide section (16) and a second conveying member (28R) arranged on the other side of the inclined guide section (16), and is provided with the conveying member (28) capable of peeling off the outer leaves of the head vegetables (21) by setting a difference between the conveying speed of the head vegetables (21) of the first conveying member (28L) and the conveying speed of the head vegetables (21) of the second conveying member (28R).

[0009] The invention described in claim 4 is a head vegetable harvester as described in claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with a heating member (402) that is provided on the inclined guide section (16) and comes into contact with the cut surface of the head vegetable (21) guided along the inclined guide section (16) by the cutting blade (17), thereby heating the cut surface of the head vegetable (21).

[0010] The invention described in claim 5 includes a connecting vehicle body (501) connected to the rear of the vehicle body (2), a rear conveying member (503) provided on the connecting vehicle body (501) and connected to the rear end of the inclined guide section (16) for conveying rearward the heading vegetables (21) sent from the inclined guide section (16), a weight measuring member (504) disposed at the front end of the rear conveying member (503) for measuring the weight of the heading vegetables (21), and a plurality of storage sections (507a to 507d) provided on the connecting vehicle body (501) and disposed at the sides of the rear conveying member (503) for storing the heading vegetables (21), The head vegetable harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises the storage sections (507a to 507d) in which the vegetables (21) are sorted according to a predetermined weight and stored individually, and a control section (300') that determines the storage section (507a to 507d) for the head vegetable (21) according to its weight based on the weight measured by the weight measuring member (504), and that slows down the transport speed of the head vegetable (21) on the rear transport member (503) when the head vegetable (21) transported by the rear transport member (503) arrives in front of the determined storage section (507a to 507d). [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the invention described in claim 1, an inclined guide section (16) is arranged behind the cutting blade (17) and inclines upward as it goes rearward to guide the head vegetables (21) cut by the cutting blade (17) rearward as the vehicle body (2) moves forward, and a drive system (8) and a power source (10) are arranged below the rear end of the inclined guide section (16), thereby simplifying the alignment of head vegetables when harvesting them compared to conventional configurations.

[0012] According to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect of the invention, the head vegetables (21) can be conveyed along the inclined guide portion (16) by the conveying member (28).

[0013] According to the invention of claim 3, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 2, by setting a difference between the conveying speed of the heading vegetables (21) of the first conveying member (28L) and the conveying speed of the heading vegetables (21) of the second conveying member (28R), the outer leaves of the heading vegetables (21) can be automatically peeled off, thereby reducing the workload of the worker.

[0014] According to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 1, by heating the cut surface of the head vegetables (21) guided through the inclined guide section (16) with the heating member (402), corrosion from the cut surface can be suppressed compared to when heating is not performed, and deterioration in the quality of the head vegetables (21) can be suppressed.

[0015] According to the invention of claim 5, in addition to the effects of the invention of any one of claims 1 to 4, the conveying speed of the heading vegetables (21) can be reduced in front of the storage section (507a to 507d) for the heading vegetables (21) according to their weight based on the weight measured by the weight measuring member (504), thereby assisting in sorting the heading vegetables (21) and reducing the workload of the worker. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a head vegetable harvester according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the head vegetable harvester of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view of the head vegetable harvester of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the control unit of the head vegetable harvester according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of Alternative Embodiment 1 of the embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of Alternative Embodiment 2 of the embodiment, and is a plan view corresponding to FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of Alternative Embodiment 2 of the embodiment, and is a side view corresponding to FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of a control unit of a head vegetable harvester according to another embodiment 2. In FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a head vegetable harvester according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the head vegetable harvester of FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view of the head vegetable harvester of FIG.

[0018] A head vegetable harvester 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a vehicle body 2. The vehicle body 2 has a pair of left and right vertical frames 3,3 extending in the front-to-rear direction. The vertical frames 3,3 are connected to each other by a plurality of horizontal frames 4 extending in the left-to-right direction. Axles 7a,7a of front wheels 7,7 are rotatably supported via brackets 6,6 on the undersides of the front ends of the vertical frames 3,3. Wheel motors 8, 8 as an example of a drive source are supported on the underside of the rear end portions of the vertical frames 3, 3. A pair of wheel motors 8, 8 are installed on the left and right. Rear wheels 9, 9 are supported on output shafts 8a, 8a of the wheel motors 8, 8. The front wheels 7 and rear wheels 9 constitute the traveling devices 7, 9 of the embodiment.

[0019] In this embodiment, the distance from the vertical frames 3 to the axles 7a of the front wheels 7 is shorter than the distance from the vertical frames 3 to the axles (output shafts 8a) of the rear wheels 9, and as a result, the vertical frames 3 are inclined upward from the front to the rear. The inclination angle α of the vertical frames 3 relative to the field scene 11 is predetermined depending on the design and specifications of the head vegetable harvester 1, the type of crop to be harvested, etc., and is preferably less than 5°, for example. In this embodiment, a hydraulic cylinder (not shown) is installed between the wheel motor 8 and the vertical frames 3, 3, and is configured to be able to adjust the distance between the axle 8a of the rear wheel 9 and the vertical frames 3, 3. Therefore, by adjusting the distance between the axle 8a of the rear wheel 9 and the vertical frames 3, 3 with the hydraulic cylinder, the tilt angle α can be adjusted.

[0020] A guide plate 16, which is an example of an inclined guide portion, is supported on the upper surfaces of the horizontal frames 4, 4 at a position between the vertical frames 3, 3 in the left-right direction. The guide plate 16 in this embodiment is disposed in a state inclined with respect to the field surface 11 at an inclination angle α, similar to the vertical frames 3, 3. Therefore, in the head vegetable harvester 1 of the embodiment, wheel motors 8, 8 are installed below the rear part of the guide plate 16. A battery 10, which is an example of a power source, is supported on the lower surface of the rear part of the guide plate 16. The battery 10 is disposed in the center in the width direction of the vehicle body 2. The battery 10 supplies power to electrical components such as the wheel motors 8, 8.

[0021] A cutting blade 17, which is an example of a cutting member, is supported at the front end of the guide plate 16. The front end of the cutting blade 17 can enter between lettuce 21, which is an example of a head vegetable (crop), and the farm field 11 to cut the roots and stems of the lettuce 21. In the embodiment, the cutting blade 17 is fixed and supported at the front end of the guide plate 16, but is not limited to this. For example, the cutting blade 17 can be configured to move back and forth in the width direction of the vehicle body 2, thereby improving the cutting ability of the lettuce 21. The cutting blade 17 is supported on both sides of the width of the body 2 with front guide plates 18 that are inclined outward in the width direction as they go forward. The front guide plates 18 can guide the lettuce 21 to the center in the width direction when the lettuce is tilted.

[0022] A distance sensor 23, an example of a measuring device, is disposed at the top end of a post 22 extending upward in front of the vertical frames 3, 3. The distance sensor 23 can measure the distance to the lettuce 21 and the field 11 ahead. Therefore, by individually changing the rotational speeds of the left and right wheel motors 8, 8 according to the relative position of the lettuce 21 measured by the distance sensor 23 and the vehicle body 2, a difference in rotational speed between the left and right rear wheels 9 can be generated, thereby steering the vehicle body 2 in the direction of travel. Furthermore, the height of the cutting blade 17 can be adjusted by controlling a hydraulic cylinder according to the distance to the field 11. Note that the distance sensor 23 is used as an example of a measuring device, but this is not limiting. A camera can also be installed and the distance can be measured by analyzing images from the camera.

[0023] Driven rolls 26, 26 are rotatably supported at the front ends of the vertical frames 3, 3, respectively. Further, driving rolls 27, 27 are supported at the rear end portions of the vertical frames 3, 3. Conveyor belts 28, 28, which are an example of a conveying member, are stretched between the driven rolls 26, 26 and the driving rolls 27, 27. The driving rolls 27, 27 are each driven by a belt drive motor (not shown). The belt drive motor can be installed in a space below the rear portions of the vertical frames 3, 3.

[0024] In the embodiment, the conveyor belts 28, 28, the conveyor belt (an example of a first conveyor member) 28L arranged on the left (one side) side and the conveyor belt (an example of a second conveyor member) 28R arranged on the right (the other side) side, can rotate at the same speed or at different speeds. By setting the conveyor belts 28, 28 at different speeds, the conveyed lettuce 21 is subjected to a twisting force by the conveyor belts 28R, 28L that are sandwiched on both sides, making it possible to peel off the outer leaves of the lettuce 21 that come into contact with the conveyor belts 28R, 28L.

[0025] The position of the front end of the conveyor belt 28 is set to be approximately the same position in the front-to-back direction as the position of the front end (cutting edge) of the cutting blade 17, but is not limited to this. By positioning the front end of the conveyor belt 28 forward of the cutting edge, it is possible to make the front end of the conveyor belt 28 come into contact with the lettuce 21 before the cutting edge, and by pushing the top of the lettuce 21 forward, the root portion of the lettuce 21 is exposed, and the exposed root portion is cut by the cutting edge of the cutting blade 17, making cutting easier. It is also possible to use the front guide plate 18 instead of the conveyor belt 28 to push the lettuce 21 forward.

[0026] In the embodiment, the conveyor belt 28 conveys rearward the lettuces 21 that are successively cut by the cutting blade 17 and placed on the guide plate 16 as the vehicle body 2 moves forward. Note that, although the embodiment in which the conveyor belt 28 is provided is illustrated, this is not limiting. Even if the conveyor belt 28 is not provided, it is also possible to convey the lettuces 21 rearward by pushing rearward the lettuces 21 that were previously placed on the guide plate 16 as the vehicle body 2 moves forward.

[0027] Alternatively, instead of the conveyor belts 28R and 28L on both sides, a conveyor belt may be provided on the guide plate 16. Furthermore, in addition to the conveyor belts 28R and 28L on both sides, a conveyor belt may be provided on the guide plate 16, for a total of three conveyor belts. By providing three conveyor belts and generating a speed difference among the three conveyor belts, it is possible to improve the ability to peel off outer leaves.

[0028] A gate-shaped connecting frame 31 is supported above the left and right drive rolls 27, 27. A positioning device 32 is supported above the connecting frame 31. In the embodiment, the positioning device 32 is used to measure the current position of the vehicle body 2 and use it for traveling and steering, but this is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to install a camera instead of the positioning device 32, determine the position of the ridges in the field (field scene 11) by image analysis, and perform steering control so that the vehicle travels along the ridges. It is also possible to provide the distance sensor 23 on the connecting frame 31.

[0029] A rear guide plate 36 is disposed at the rear end of the guide plate 16. The rear guide plate 36 is rotatably supported around its front end and is configured to be retractable and deployable relative to the head vegetable harvester 1. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the rear guide plate 36 is in the deployed state with its rear end in contact with the field area 11. Therefore, the lettuce 21 transported rearward along the guide plate 16 is guided back into the field area 11 by the rear guide plate 36. The lettuce 21 placed back into the field area 11 has already had its roots cut and its outer leaves removed by the cutting blade 17, so that it can be harvested simply by lifting it by hand. Therefore, without carrying a knife or the like, an operator can place the lettuce 21 in a basket or box while moving through the area where the head vegetable harvester 1 has passed and harvest it.

[0030] The head vegetable harvester 1 of the embodiment is configured to be able to communicate with a tablet terminal 102, which is an example of an information processing device, via a communication line 101. The communication line 101 can be any of various conventionally known wireless communication lines, such as a mobile phone line or a wireless local area network (LAN), but it is also possible to use a wired communication line via a cable. The communication target is not limited to the tablet terminal 102, and communication is also possible between a smartphone, a personal computer, or the like, which are examples of information processing devices. Furthermore, it is also possible to configure the harvester to receive control signals from a remote controller, which is an example of a terminal, via infrared communication or the like, without using the communication line 101.

[0031] Furthermore, the head vegetable harvester 1 of the embodiment is configured to be able to communicate with a server 201, which is an example of an information processing device, via a communication line 101. The server 201 stores information about the field, such as the coordinates of the field (the positions of the four corners of the field), the position of the ridges, the entrance and exit to the field, and the travel route when working in the field, and is able to distribute information about the field to the head vegetable harvester 1.

[0032] (Explanation of the control unit of the head vegetable harvester 1) FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the control unit of the head vegetable harvester according to the embodiment. The head vegetable harvester 1 of the embodiment has a control unit (an example of a control means) 300 that controls each function. The control unit 300 has an input / output interface I / O that performs input and output of signals with the outside. The control unit 300 also has a read-only memory (ROM) that stores programs and information for performing necessary processing. The control unit 300 also has a random access memory (RAM) for temporarily storing necessary data. The control unit 300 also has a central processing unit (CPU) that performs processing according to the programs stored in the ROM or the like. Therefore, the control unit 300 of the embodiment is configured with a small information processing device, a so-called microcomputer. Therefore, the control unit 300 can realize various functions by executing programs stored in the ROM or the like.

[0033] The control unit 300 receives signals from the distance sensor 23, the positioning device 32, various other sensors (not shown), the tablet terminal 102, the server 201, and other signal input elements. The distance sensor 23 measures the distance to an object (lettuce 21 or farm scene 11) in front of the vehicle body 2.

[0034] The positioning device 32 has a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 32a and an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) 32b. The GNSS receiver 32a receives positioning signals from artificial satellites and can measure the current position of the seedling transplanter. The IMU 32b measures acceleration and angular velocity and can measure the attitude of the seedling transplanter (left-right tilt and front-back tilt). Therefore, by correcting the measurement results of the GNSS receiver 32a with the IMU 32b, the current position can be measured more accurately than when the current position is measured using only the GNSS method.

[0035] The tablet terminal 102 inputs a signal to the control unit 300 to start or stop operation of the head vegetable harvester 1 in response to an input from the operator. The server 201 distributes to the head vegetable harvester 1 information about the field in which the head vegetable harvester 1 will work.

[0036] The control unit 300 can send control signals to the wheel motor 8, hydraulic cylinder S1, belt drive motor M1, etc., as examples of controlled elements, to control the running, steering, and stopping of the vehicle body 2, adjustment of the height of the cutting blade 17, driving and stopping of the conveyor belt 28, etc. The control unit 300 can also output a signal to the tablet terminal 102 to transmit and display the work status.

[0037] The control unit 300 according to the embodiment has the following functional means (program modules). The field information storage means 301 stores information about the field (field information). In this embodiment, the field information stored is information about the field (field coordinates, ridge positions, etc.) distributed from the server 201. The positioning means 302 measures the current position of the vehicle body 2 from the measurement results of the positioning device 32. The positioning means 302 of the embodiment measures the current position of the vehicle body 2 by correcting the positioning result obtained by receiving radio waves from an artificial satellite with the GNSS receiver 32a with the measurement result of the tilt of the vehicle body 2 measured with the IMU 32b.

[0038] The travel control means 303 controls the travel, steering, and stopping of the head vegetable harvester 1 via the wheel motors 8. When an instruction to start work is given from the tablet terminal 102, the travel control means 303 in this embodiment automatically causes the head vegetable harvester 1 to travel along the ridges at a predetermined travel speed based on the field information stored in the field information storage means 301 and the current position measured by the positioning means 302. When the head vegetable harvester reaches the end of the ridge, it turns and steers toward the next ridge, and when work has been completed on all the ridges, it notifies the tablet terminal 102 that work has been completed and stops traveling. It is also possible to perform forward / reverse movement and steering in response to operations from the tablet terminal 102. In other words, the travel control means 303 controls the travel of the vehicle body 2 in response to manual operations by the operator via the tablet terminal 102 up to the work start position, and when a command to start work is input, the vehicle travels automatically, and after the work is completed, the vehicle can be manually operated to travel from the work end position to the next field or warehouse.

[0039] The conveyance control means 304 controls the rotation of the conveyance belt 28 via the belt drive motor M1. When a command to start work is input from the tablet terminal 102, the conveyance control means 304 rotates the conveyance belt 28 at a predetermined rotation speed, and stops the conveyance belt 28 when the work is completed.

[0040] The crop detection means 305 detects the position and distance of the crop (lettuce 21) and the distance to the farm scene 11 based on the measurement results of the distance sensor 23. The cutting position determination means 306 determines whether the position of the cutting blade 17 corresponds to the position between the lettuce 21 and the field scene 11 based on the detection result of the crop detection means 305. In other words, it determines whether the position of the cutting blade 17, whose positional relationship with the distance sensor 23 is known, is within a predetermined range with respect to the position between the lettuce 21 and the field scene 11.

[0041] The cutting position adjusting means 307 adjusts the position of the cutting blade 17 via the hydraulic cylinder S1 based on the determination result of the cutting position determining means 306. In this embodiment, the cutting position adjusting means 307 maintains the current position of the cutting blade 17 when the position of the cutting blade 17 is within a predetermined range with respect to the position between the lettuce 21 and the field surface 11, and when it is not within the range, operates the hydraulic cylinder S1 to adjust the position of the cutting blade 17 so that it is within the range.

[0042] In the head vegetable harvester 1 of the embodiment having the above-described configuration, the guide plate 16 of the vehicle body 2 tilts upward as it goes rearward, and the wheel motor 8, battery 10, hydraulic cylinder S1, etc. are arranged using the space (gap) formed below the rear of the guide plate 16, thereby simplifying and compacting the overall configuration. A cutting blade 17 is disposed at the front end of the vehicle body 2, and as the vehicle body 2 travels, the cutting blade 17 cuts the lettuce 21 at the root stalk, and the lettuce 21 is sent rearward on the guide plate 16. Therefore, in the head vegetable harvester 1 of the embodiment, simply by adjusting the height of the cutting blade 17, it is possible to cut and harvest the rhizomes of the lettuce 21.

[0043] In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, heading vegetables (A) are sandwiched between a pair of left and right pickup discs (8a, 8b), pulled out from a field (B), and then conveyed upward by screws (9, 10), whereupon the root stalks (1b) and outer leaves (1c) are cut off by cutters (C). Therefore, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, unless the pickup discs (8a, 8b) are precisely positioned not only in the height direction but also in the width direction of the machine body relative to the heading vegetables (A), it is difficult to pull them out. In contrast, the head vegetable harvester 1 of the embodiment has a simpler configuration than that of Patent Document 1, and is capable of harvesting lettuce 21 by adjusting the height of the cutting blade 17. Therefore, the head vegetable harvester 1 of the embodiment can simplify the alignment of head vegetables (lettuce 21 or cabbage) when harvesting them, compared to conventional configurations. Therefore, while conventional techniques required manual operation for alignment, the head vegetable harvester 1 of the embodiment can be automated and robotized.

[0044] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of Alternative Embodiment 1 of the embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. In Figure 5, in the head vegetable harvester 1' of Alternative Form 1, a brush 401 as an example of a cleaning member is disposed at the front of the upper surface of the guide plate 16. The brush 401 comes into contact with the bottom of the lettuce 21 being transported rearward on the guide plate 16, and removes and cleans the soil, mud, excess water, and other debris adhering to the bottom of the lettuce 21. This allows for automatic removal of dirt from the harvested lettuce 21. The brush 401 is a fixed brush, but is not limited to this and can also be a rotating roller-type brush. Furthermore, the brush is not limited to a brush with bristles and can be any type capable of removing soil, such as a sponge or felt type.

[0045] Additionally, a heater 402, which is an example of a heating member, is disposed at the rear of the upper surface of the guide plate 16. The heater 402 comes into contact with and heats the bottom of the lettuce 21 being transported rearward on the guide plate 16, drying and solidifying the liquid (milky liquid) oozing out from the cut surface of the lettuce 21. This allows the milky liquid from the cut surface to dry and form a protective film, which prevents bacteria and the like from entering through the cut surface and causing spoilage.

[0046] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of Alternative Embodiment 2 of the embodiment, and is a plan view corresponding to FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of Alternative Embodiment 2 of the embodiment, and is a side view corresponding to FIG. 6 and 7, in Alternative Embodiment 2, a connecting vehicle body 501 is connected to the rear of the head vegetable harvester 1. The connecting vehicle body 501 is provided with four wheels 502. The coupled vehicle body 501 does not have a drive source for traveling, and is towed by the head vegetable harvester 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to provide a drive source for traveling, such as a motor, on the coupled vehicle body 501.

[0047] The connected vehicle body 501 is provided with a rear conveying belt 503 extending in the front-rear direction as an example of a rear conveying member. The rear conveying belt 503 is disposed in the center in the width direction of the connected vehicle body 501. The rear conveying belt 503 is driven to rotate by a rear belt driving motor (M2) not shown. 6 and 7, the rear end of the rear guide plate 36 is positioned at a position corresponding to the front end of the rear conveyor belt 503. Therefore, the lettuce 21 cut by the cutting blade 17 and sent rearward on the guide plate 16 is sent to the rear conveyor belt 503 via the rear guide plate 36.

[0048] A load cell 504, which is an example of a weight measuring member, is disposed at the front end of the rear conveyor belt 503. The load cell 504 measures the weight of the lettuce 21 sent onto the rear conveyor belt 503.

[0049] A pair of seats 506, 506 are supported on the left and right sides of the connecting vehicle body 501 in the center in the front-to-rear direction on the sides of the rear conveyor belt 503. A worker can sit on each seat 506. By adjusting the height of the seat surface of the seats 506 to the height of the upper surface of the rear conveyor belt 503, the worker's line of sight is not too high, making it easier to work. Storage containers 507, which are an example of a storage section, are arranged on both front and rear sides of each of the left and right seats 506, 506. In Alternative Form 2, a total of four storage containers 507 are provided, namely, an S-size container 507a, a M-size container 507b, an L-size container 507c, and an LL-size container 507d, so that the lettuces 21 can be sorted and stored according to their size (dimensions and weight).

[0050] (Description of the control unit of the head vegetable harvester 1 in another form 2) FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of the control unit of the head vegetable harvester in another form 2 of the embodiment. In addition to the distance sensor 23, the positioning device 32, the tablet terminal 102, and the server 201, a signal from the load cell 504 is also input to the control unit 300' of the head vegetable harvester 1 in another form 2 of the embodiment. The load cell 504 measures the weight of the object (lettuce 21) carried into the rear conveyor belt 503.

[0051] As an example of the controlled element, in addition to the wheel motor 8, the hydraulic cylinder S1, the belt drive motor M1, etc., the control unit 300' in another form 2 transmits a control signal to the rear belt drive motor M2 to control the driving and stopping of the rear conveyor belt 503, etc.

[0052] In addition to the aforementioned functional means 301 to 307, the control unit 300' in another form 2 has the following functional means (program modules). The weight measuring means 308 measures the weight of the lettuce 21 based on the measurement result of the load cell 504. The size discrimination means 309 discriminates the size of the lettuce 21 based on the measurement result of the weight measuring means 308. In another form 2, for the weight of the lettuce 21, the S / M threshold value Ga, the M / L threshold value Gb, and the L / LL threshold value Gc are predetermined. When the weight G1 measured by the weight measuring means 308 of the harvested lettuce 21 is G1 < Ga, it is discriminated as the S size. When Ga ≤ G1 < Gb, it is discriminated as the M size. When Gb ≤ G1 < Gc, it is discriminated as the L size. When Gc ≤ G1, it is discriminated as the LL size. Then, the containers 507a to 507d corresponding to the discriminated size are discriminated.

[0053] The rear transport control means 310 controls the rotation, deceleration, and stopping of the rear transport belt 503. The rear transport control means 310 can be configured to rotate constantly during operation (while the head vegetable harvester 1 is traveling), or it can be configured to start rotation when the load cell 504 detects weight and stop rotation when the lettuce 21 reaches the containers 507a to 507d that correspond to the weight and size. In Alternative Form 2, the rear conveyance control means 310 slows down the conveyance speed of the rear conveyor belt 503 when the lettuce 21 arrives in front of the container 507a-507d corresponding to the size of the lettuce 21 determined based on the weight, based on the determination result of the size determination means 309. It is also possible to stop the conveyor belt 503 instead of slowing down. When the rear conveyor belt 503 has slowed down, the worker at the seat 506 can manually place (transfer, store) the lettuce 21 into the container 507a-507d in front of the location where the rear conveyor belt 503 has slowed down. Therefore, since the size is automatically determined based on weight and the rear conveyor belt 503 slows down in front of the container 507a-507d to be stored, the worker at the seat 506 can assist in storing the lettuce 21 in the appropriate container 507a-507d without having to determine the size.

[0054] The outer leaves removed by the head vegetable harvester 1 are sent to the rear conveyor belt 503, but if the worker leaves them there, they can fall from the rear end of the rear conveyor belt 503 into the field and be discarded. It is also possible for the worker to pick up the outer leaves by hand from the rear conveyor belt 503 and drop them into the field below through the gap between the seat 506 and the rear conveyor belt 503 or the gap between the seat 506 and the containers 507a to 507d, where they can be discarded. In addition, in Alternative Form 2 shown in Figures 6 and 7, the connecting vehicle body 501 is shown as being connected to the head vegetable harvester 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3, but this is not limiting. It is also possible to connect the connecting vehicle body 501 to the head vegetable harvester 1' shown in Figure 5.

[0055] (Example of change) Although the head vegetable harvester 1 of the present invention is exemplified as being used with lettuce 21 as an example of a target crop, it is not limited to this. For example, it can also be used to harvest cabbage, Chinese cabbage, etc. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the processing of each of the means 301-310 is centralized in the control units 300, 300' of the head vegetable harvester 1, but this is not limiting. For example, it is also possible to disperse one or more of the means 301-310 in a personal computer, server, or the like that can communicate with the control units 300, 300' via a communication line, and perform distributed processing among multiple control units and information processing devices connected by the communication line.

[0056] Furthermore, although a vehicle operated by wheel motors 8 has been exemplified as a work vehicle, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to vehicles equipped with an engine and a motor, in which the motor assists the engine's power, so-called hybrid vehicles, and vehicles that run solely on the engine. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1,1'...head vegetable harvester, 2...car body, 7,9...Travel gear, 8...Drive system, 10...Power supply, 11...field scene, 16...Inclination guide part, 17...cutting blade, 21...head vegetables, 28...conveying member, 28L...first conveying member, 28R...second conveying member, 300, 300′…control unit, 402...heating member, 501... articulated car body, 503...rear conveying member, 504...Weight measuring member, 507a~507d...Storage section.

Claims

1. a vehicle body (2) that can run on running devices (7, 9); a cutting blade (17) provided at the front end of the vehicle body (2) and adapted to enter between the head vegetables (21) and the farm field (11) to cut the roots and stems of the head vegetables (21), the front end of the cutting blade (17) being set at a height between the head vegetables (21) and the farm field (11); an inclined guide portion (16) disposed behind the cutting blade (17) and inclined upward toward the rear to guide the head vegetables (21) cut by the cutting blade (17) rearward as the vehicle body (2) moves forward; a drive system (8) disposed below the rear end of the inclined guide portion (16) and driving the traveling device (7, 9); a power source (10) disposed below the rear end of the inclined guide portion (16); A head vegetable harvester comprising:

2. a conveying member (28) arranged laterally in the width direction of the vehicle body (2) with respect to the inclined guide section (16), and contacting the side of the head vegetables (21) to convey the head vegetables (21) rearward from the inclined guide section (16); 2. The head vegetable harvester according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. a conveying member (28) that has a first conveying member (28L) arranged on one side of the inclined guide section (16) and a second conveying member (28R) arranged on the other side of the inclined guide section (16), and that is capable of peeling off outer leaves from the heading vegetables (21) by providing a difference between the conveying speed of the first conveying member (28L) and the conveying speed of the second conveying member (28R); 3. The head vegetable harvester according to claim 2, further comprising:

4. a heating member (402) provided on the inclined guide section (16) and contacting a cut surface of the head vegetable (21) guided by the cutting blade (17) along the inclined guide section (16) to heat the cut surface of the head vegetable (21); 2. The head vegetable harvester according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. A connected vehicle body (501) connected to the rear of the vehicle body (2); a rear conveying member (503) provided on the connecting vehicle body (501) and connected to the rear end of the inclined guide section (16), for conveying the head vegetables (21) sent from the inclined guide section (16) rearward; a weight measuring member (504) disposed at the front end of the rear conveying member (503) for measuring the weight of the head vegetables (21); a plurality of storage sections (507a to 507d) provided on the connected vehicle body (501) and at the sides of the rear conveying member (503) for storing the heading vegetables (21), in which the heading vegetables (21) are sorted according to a predetermined weight and stored individually in the storage sections (507a to 507d); a control unit (300') for determining a storage unit (507a to 507d) for the head vegetables (21) based on the weight measured by the weight measuring member (504), and for slowing down the transport speed of the head vegetables (21) on the rear transport member (503) when the head vegetables (21) transported by the rear transport member (503) arrive in front of the determined storage unit (507a to 507d); 5. The head vegetable harvester according to claim 1, further comprising:

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