Tea garden weeding machine

Abstract

When performing weed removal, the goal is to minimize untreated areas, reduce damage to the treatment area due to uneven ground, and make the treated area easier to see. [Solution] The tea plantation weeding machine comprises a traveling machine body equipped with a pair of traveling devices that travel between the rows formed on the left and right sides of the tea rows, and a gate-type frame that connects the pair of traveling devices and can straddle the tea rows, and a weeding mechanism provided on the front side in the direction of travel of each of the pair of traveling devices for weeding weeds growing between the rows, the weeding mechanism comprising a processing unit that is positioned close to the ground between the rows and performs weeding processing, and a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the processing unit up and down, the processing unit being pivotally supported on a horizontal axis at the lower end of the lifting mechanism and arranged to swing freely along the direction of travel of the traveling device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a weeding machine for tea plantations.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a weeding machine for tea plantations that is used in a tea plantation where a plurality of tea fields are arranged in parallel, and weeds growing between the fields are weeded while traveling between the fields (tea plants). This weeding machine for tea plantations includes a pair of left and right traveling devices that travel by an endless belt, a gantry frame that connects the pair of left and right traveling devices and can straddle the tea trees, and a weeding mechanism provided behind each of the pair of left and right traveling devices. The weeding mechanism has a rotating body provided with a weeding treatment unit that contacts the weeds for weeding, and the rotating body rotates horizontally about an axis extending in the vertical direction (see Patent Document 1 below).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] According to the above-described conventional weeding machine for tea plantations, a weeding mechanism is provided on the rear side of each of the pair of left and right traveling devices. For this reason, the treatment unit of the weeding mechanism processes the weeds that have been stepped on and fallen by the traveling device, and there is a problem that unprocessed weeds are likely to occur, such as the weeds that have fallen under the rotating body getting under the rotating body. Also, if the rotating body of the treatment unit is arranged close to the ground in order to reduce unprocessed weeds, the rotating body is likely to collide with the unevenness of the ground, resulting in problems such as damage to the treatment unit and a decrease in treatment efficiency. Furthermore, since the weeding mechanism is provided on the rear side of the traveling device, it is difficult for the operator to visually recognize the treatment unit, and there is a problem that it is impossible to appropriately respond to the situation of the weeding treatment and the like. <H

[0005] The present invention aims to address these problems. Specifically, the objectives of the present invention are to reduce the amount of untreated weeds during weed removal, to suppress damage to the treatment area and reduction in treatment efficiency due to uneven ground, and to make the treatment area easily visible so that appropriate responses can be made according to the weed removal situation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve these problems, the present invention has the following configuration. A tea plantation weeding machine comprising a traveling machine body equipped with a pair of traveling devices that travel between the rows formed on the left and right sides of the tea plantation, and a gate-type frame that connects the pair of traveling devices and is capable of straddling the tea plantation, and a weeding mechanism provided on the front side in the direction of travel of each of the pair of traveling devices for weeding weeds growing between the rows, wherein the weeding mechanism comprises a processing unit that is positioned close to the ground between the rows and performs weeding, and a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the processing unit up and down, wherein the processing unit is pivotally supported on a horizontal axis at the lower end of the lifting mechanism and is arranged to swing freely along the direction of travel of the traveling device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] Tea plantation weeding machines with these features can reduce the amount of weeds left behind during weeding. They can also prevent damage to the processing unit and reduce processing efficiency due to uneven ground. Furthermore, the processing unit is easily visible, allowing for appropriate responses depending on the weeding situation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A side view of a tea plantation weeding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention (during operation). [Figure 2] A front view of a tea plantation weeding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] A side view (non-operating) of a tea plantation weeding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Side view of the processing unit. [Figure 5] Front view of the processing unit. [Figure 6] An explanatory diagram showing an example of changing the processing width (an example of narrowing it). [Figure 7] An explanatory diagram showing an example of changing the processing width (an example of widening it). [Figure 8] Diagram illustrating the shatterproof cover (in the lowered position). [Figure 9] Diagram illustrating the anti-scattering cover (in the raised position). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals in different figures indicate parts with the same function, and redundant explanations in each figure will be omitted as appropriate. In the following description, "front" refers to the direction along the forward direction of the aircraft, and "rear" refers to the direction opposite to the forward direction of the aircraft. Also, "up" refers to the direction away from the ground, and "down" refers to the direction towards the ground. Also, "side" refers to the direction that intersects the forward and vertical directions of the aircraft, i.e., the left and right directions.

[0010] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the tea plantation weeding machine 1 comprises a traveling body 1A and a weeding mechanism 1B. The traveling body 1A includes a pair of traveling devices 2 that travel in the furrows F formed on the left and right sides of the tea ridges G, and a gate-type frame 3 that can straddle the tea ridges G by connecting the pair of traveling devices 2. The weeding mechanism 1B is provided on the front side of the traveling body 1A and is provided on the front side in the direction of travel of each of the pair of traveling devices 2.

[0011] The traveling machine 1A is a so-called ride-on type machine and has a well-known machine configuration that can be used in general as a tea plantation management machine or a tea leaf picking machine. The pair of traveling devices 2 provided by the traveling machine 1A can be, for example, a crawler type in which the drive wheels 2A and driven wheels 2B are pivotally supported on the traveling frame 2C and an endless band (crawler) 2D is wrapped around the outside of the drive wheels 2A and driven wheels 2B. The gantry frame 3 has a pair of column frames 3A erected on the pair of traveling frames 2C on the left and right front and rear, and a beam frame 3B spanning between the pair of column frames 3A. The height of the beam frame 3B is higher than the height of the tea furrows G when the gantry frame 3 is formed on the traveling device 2.

[0012] The mobile unit 1A is equipped with a driver's seat 4, and around the driver's seat 4 are a control stick 5 and operating levers for operating the mobile unit 2, the weeding mechanism 1B, etc. The driver's seat 4 is positioned so that the operator (not shown) sitting there can see the forward direction of the mobile unit 1A directly in front of them. The mobile unit 1A is also equipped with a drive unit 6 that houses a prime mover, which is the power source, and a hydraulic pump that is rotationally driven by the prime mover. Pressurized oil discharged from the hydraulic pump is supplied to the drive unit (hydraulic motor) that drives the drive wheels 2A and the processing unit of the weeding mechanism 1B, which will be described later, via a hydraulic control device operated by the aforementioned operating levers and hydraulic hoses.

[0013] The weeding mechanism 1B is designed to remove weeds growing in the furrows F. It is positioned in front of a pair of traveling devices 2, allowing the weeding to be performed before the traveling devices 2 crush the weeds in the furrows F. The weeding mechanism 1B comprises a processing unit 10 positioned close to the ground in the furrows F for performing weeding, and a lifting mechanism 20 for raising and lowering the processing unit 10.

[0014] The elevating mechanism 20 for raising and lowering the processing unit 10 includes a lifting arm 21 whose upper end is pivotally supported by a horizontal shaft 21P on the front side of the portal frame 3, and a telescopic cylinder 22 for swinging the lifting arm 21 around the horizontal shaft 21P. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, with the telescopic cylinder 22 contracted, the lower end of the lifting arm 21 is moved downward, and as shown in FIG. 3, with the telescopic cylinder 22 extended, the lower end of the lifting arm 21 is moved upward. The raising of the processing unit 10 is performed to avoid the weeding mechanism 1B interfering with the tea field G during the turning of the traveling body 1A or the like. The traveling body 1A is turned on the headland with the processing unit 10 raised, and with the traveling device 2 entering the inter-row space F, the processing unit 10 is lowered as shown in FIG. 1 to perform the weeding operation.

[0015] The processing unit 10 is pivotally supported by a horizontal shaft 10P at the lower end of the elevating mechanism 20 and is arranged to be swingable back and forth along the traveling direction of the traveling device 2. More specifically, it is pivotally supported at the lower end of the lifting arm 21 constituting the elevating mechanism 20 and is swingable back and forth along the front-rear direction along the traveling direction of the traveling device 2. Such a processing unit 10 has a grounding wheel 11 attached to the rear side of the body of the processing unit 10, and by adjusting the height of the grounding wheel 11, the ground clearance of the processing unit 10 can be adjusted freely. Also, when the processing unit 10 is raised by the elevating mechanism 20 with the grounding wheel 11 grounded to the ground, the processing unit 10 pivotally supported swingably along the traveling direction at the lower end of the lifting arm 21 swings around the axis with the grounding wheel 11 grounded, causing the front side of the processing unit 10 to rise.

[0016] And the processing unit 10 pivotally supported by the horizontal shaft 10P will swing back and forth, to the rear side in the case of the forward operation, when a load is applied to the processing unit 10 due to unevenness, obstacles on the ground, or a large amount of grass. Thereby, even when a large load is applied to the processing unit 10, it is possible to prevent the weeding mechanism 1B from being damaged.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the processing unit 10 includes a processing unit main body 12 pivotally supported by a horizontal axis 10P at the lower end of the lifting arm 21, and a hydraulic motor 15 serving as a driving unit is attached to the processing unit main body 12. Further, the processing unit 10 includes a rotating disk 13 that rotates along the ground of the furrow F, and cutting blade bodies 14 radially arranged at the outer peripheral position of the rotating disk 13. The center of the rotating disk 13 is attached to the rotating shaft of the hydraulic motor 15 attached to the processing unit main body 12. A cover member 16 that covers the rotation of the cutting blade bodies 14 is attached to the processing unit main body 12.

[0018] Also, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the processing width of the processing unit 10 can be changed according to the width of the furrow F. When changing the processing width, the above-mentioned rotating disk 13 is replaceable, and rotating disks 13 with different diameters are attached to the rotating shaft of the hydraulic motor 15. FIG. 6 shows an example of use in a relatively narrow furrow F, and the rotating disk 13 and the cutting blade bodies 14 are selected so that the rotating outer peripheral circle 14A of the cutting blade bodies 14 has a relatively small diameter. FIG. 7 shows an example of use in a relatively wide furrow F, and the rotating disk 13 and the cutting blade bodies 14 are selected so that the rotating outer peripheral circle 14A of the cutting blade bodies 14 has a relatively large diameter.

[0019] When replacing the rotating disk 13, by sliding and adjusting the cover members 16 (side cover 16A and rear cover 16B) provided so as to surround the sides and rear of the rotating disk 13 and the cutting blade bodies 14, the rotating disk 13 and the rotating outer peripheral circle 14A of the cutting blade bodies 14 are arranged inside the cover members 16. When attaching the rotating disk 13 with a small diameter, as shown in FIG. 6, the side cover 16A and the rear cover 16B are slid and adjusted to approach the processing unit main body 12. Also, when attaching the rotating disk 13 with a large diameter, as shown in FIG. 7, the side cover 16A and the rear cover 16B are slid and adjusted to move away from the processing unit main body 12. In order to perform such sliding adjustment, the side cover 16A is provided with an adjustment hole P1 in the shape of a long hole extending in the left-right direction, and the rear cover 16B is provided with an adjustment hole P2 in the shape of a long hole extending in the front-rear direction.

[0020] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, it is preferable that the processing unit be provided with vertically adjustable dust-proof covers 17 on the left and right sides. The dust-proof covers 17 are attached to the side of a cover member 16 attached to the processing unit body 12 so as to be vertically adjustable. The vertical adjustment of the dust-proof covers 17 can be set appropriately according to the height of the weeds to be processed. Figure 8 shows the dust-proof cover 17 in the lowered position, and Figure 9 shows the dust-proof cover 17 in the raised position. Vertical adjustment is performed using adjustment holes P3 that extend vertically in an elongated shape and are provided in the dust-proof cover 17.

[0021] In this type of tea plantation weeding machine 1, the weeding mechanism 1B is located on the front side of the traveling machine body 1A. As a result, the operator seated in the driver's seat 4 of the traveling machine body 1A can smoothly perform weeding work by moving the traveling machine body 1A forward while visually checking the processing status of the processing unit 10 of the weeding mechanism 1B. Furthermore, since the processing unit 10 of the weeding mechanism 1B, which is positioned on the front side of the traveling device 2, can process weeds before they are trampled by the traveling device 2, fewer weeds fall over and pass under the processing unit 10, resulting in effective weeding with fewer unprocessed weeds.

[0022] Furthermore, if the operator can visually determine that there is a protrusion on the ground in front of the processing unit 10 during weed removal, the lifting mechanism 20 can be raised to raise the front of the processing unit 10, thereby preventing the processing unit 10 from colliding with the protrusion on the ground. This prevents damage to the processing unit 10. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0023] 1: Tea plantation weeding machine 1A: Driving unit 1B: Weeding mechanism 2: Running gear 2A: Drive wheels 2B: Driven wheels 2C: Running frame 2D: Endless belt (crawler) 3: Portal frame 3A: Column frame 3B: Beam frame 4: Driver's seat 5: Steering wheel 6: Drive unit 10: Processing unit 10P: Horizontal axis 11: Grounding wheel 12: Main unit of the processing unit 13: Rotary disc 14: Cutting blade 15: Hydraulic motor 16: Cover component 16A: Side cover 16B: Rear cover 17: Shatterproof cover 20: Lifting mechanism 21: Lifting arm 22: Telescopic cylinder F: Furrow G: Brown furrow P1, P2, P3: Adjustment hole

Claims

1. The vehicle comprises a traveling machine body equipped with a pair of traveling devices that travel between the rows formed on the left and right sides of the tea plantation, and a gate-shaped frame that connects the pair of traveling devices and is capable of straddling the tea plantation, and a weeding mechanism provided on the front side in the direction of travel of each of the pair of traveling devices for removing weeds growing between the rows, The aforementioned weeding mechanism comprises a processing unit positioned close to the ground between the rows for performing weeding, and a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the processing unit up and down. The processing unit is a tea plantation weeding machine that is pivotally supported on a horizontal axis at the lower end of the lifting mechanism and is arranged to swing freely along the direction of travel of the traveling device.

2. The processing unit comprises a rotating disc that rotates along the ground between the rows and cutting blades arranged radially on the outer circumference of the rotating disc, wherein the rotating disc is rotationally driven, as described in claim 1.

3. The processing unit is configured such that the processing width can be changed according to the width between the rows, as described in claim 1, for use as a weeding machine for tea plantations.

4. The processing unit is provided with vertically adjustable splash-proof covers on the left and right sides, as described in claim 1, for use as a weeding machine for tea gardens.

5. The lifting mechanism comprises a lifting arm whose upper end is pivotally supported on a horizontal axis at the front of the gate-shaped frame, and an extendable cylinder that swings the lifting arm around the horizontal axis, and the processing unit is pivotally supported at the lower end of the lifting arm, as described in claim 1, for weeding tea plantations.

Images