Work vehicles

Abstract

For fully automated vegetable transplanters, it is important that operators can smoothly supply seedling trays to the planting device and immediately check for planting defects such as missing plants, in order to speed up the work. Therefore, a small transplanter that allows operators to work safely while seated is desirable. [Solution] The seats are positioned above the left and right front wheels, facing backward relative to the direction of work; the seedling planting device is positioned above the left and right rear wheels, facing backward relative to the direction of work; the direction in which seedling trays are supplied to the seedling planting device is such that the seedling tray side faces the seat side; the seedling removal device is positioned above the same position on the floor of the vehicle body; and the planting hopper is positioned below the floor of the vehicle body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transplanting work vehicle for vegetables.

Background Art

[0002] There is a ride-on work vehicle having a fully automatic planting mechanism. (Patent Document 1)

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The prior art is a fully automatic seedling transplanter, which uses the centrifugal force of a rotating plate to sandwich seedlings at the upper end and plant them in the field at the lower end. Therefore, since the vertical position of the seedling tray supply device is restricted, not only is the posture of working while riding limited, but it is impossible to confirm whether the seedlings are reliably being picked up while in a seated state. Furthermore, due to the seedling picking mechanism of the rotating plate, the seedling planting device becomes long in the front-rear direction, and the vehicle also becomes long in the front-rear direction, resulting in a poor weight balance and a configuration that is difficult to turn.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a work vehicle that separates a seedling extraction device for extracting seedlings and a planting mechanism for planting the extracted seedlings with a crank mechanism, takes a distance in the vertical direction, gives freedom in the positional relationship, enables confirmation of the seedling extraction device in a seated state, shortens the overall length of the work vehicle, improves the weight balance, and makes it possible to improve the turning performance with an operation handle during walking operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The first invention is solved by the following technical means.

[0007] The seats 21 are positioned above the left and right front wheels, facing backward relative to the direction of work, the seedling planting device 50 is positioned above the left and right rear wheels, facing backward relative to the direction of work, the direction in which seedling trays 110 are supplied to the seedling planting device 50 is such that the seedling trays 110 face the seats 21, the seedling removal device 80 is positioned above the same position on the upper and lower levels of the vehicle body floor 10A, and the planting hopper 55 is positioned below the upper and lower levels of the vehicle body floor 10A.

[0008] The second invention is solved by the following technical means.

[0009] The load point 21A of the weight of the seat 21 onto the vehicle body 10 and the load point 130A of the weight of the left auxiliary seedling frame 130L and the right auxiliary seedling frame 130R are located in the center of the wheelbases of the left and right front wheels and the left and right rear wheels, the seat center axis position 21B of the seat 21 is moved closer to the left and right front wheel positions, and the auxiliary seedling frame center axis position 130B of the left auxiliary seedling frame 130L and the right auxiliary seedling frame 130R are moved closer to the left and right rear wheel positions, and the tray supply device 60 that feeds the seedling trays 110 is curved backward with respect to the direction of work, with the operating section 120 positioned below the curve.

[0010] The third invention is solved by the following technical means.

[0011] The operating frame 7, which connects the operating unit 120 and the operating handle 6, passes below the seedling tray loading unit 63 in the tray supply device 60, outside the movable range of the planting hopper 55, and connects to the vehicle body 10. The connection position 7A is positioned forward in the direction of work compared to the positions of the left rear axle 3LM and the right rear axle 3RM. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The first invention allows the seedling extraction device to be checked while seated, and also makes it possible to shorten the overall length of the work vehicle.

[0013] The second invention results in a shorter overall length for the work vehicle and an improved weight balance.

[0014] According to the third invention, it becomes possible to improve the turning performance by the operation handle during walking operation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] Perspective view from above and to the upper left front of the work vehicle of the present invention [Figure 2] Perspective view from below and to the upper left front of the work vehicle of the present invention [Figure 3] Left side view of the work vehicle of the present invention [Figure 4] Front view of the seedling planting device of the work vehicle of the present invention [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view of the left side of the seedling planting device of the work vehicle of the present invention [Figure 6] Layout diagram of the work vehicle of the present invention with an operator on board [Figure 7] Layout diagram of the work vehicle of the present invention with an operator walking and operating [Figure 8] Layout diagram of the vicinity of the seat of the work vehicle of the present invention

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.

[0017] The work vehicle shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 shows an example of the present embodiment.

[0018] In this figure, in order to show the internal structure, there are parts where the exterior cover etc. are not shown, and it may not be in the form during actual work.

[0019] The work vehicle of the embodiment of the present invention is a work vehicle for transplanting vegetable seedlings. The work vehicle is small but has a seat facing backward in the working direction on the front bonnet part, and it is possible to work while sitting on the seat of the work vehicle or to walk and work standing at the operation handle behind the vehicle.

[0020] In recent years, there has been a demand for agricultural machinery that is even more compact, maneuverable, and efficient, especially for small machines. While autonomous driving functions are effective, transplanting machines require a human operator for high-speed operation because they need to replenish the seedlings being transplanted. Therefore, there is a need for small, inexpensive work vehicles that utilize the skills of human operators.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the work vehicle 100 for transplanting seedlings of vegetables and the like comprises a vehicle body 10 equipped with a pair of left front wheels 2L and right front wheel 2R, and left rear wheel 3L and right rear wheel 3R as driving wheels; an engine 30 and transmission case 40 located at the front of the vehicle body 10 and covered by a bonnet 20; a seedling planting device 50 located at the rear of the vehicle body 10 that raises and lowers a planting hopper 55 to plant the seedlings in the field; a tray supply device 60 that supplies seedling trays 110 containing the seedlings; a seedling removal device 80 that removes the seedlings from the seedling pots 111 of the seedling trays 110 of the tray supply device 60 and supplies them to the planting hopper 55; a planting depth adjustment mechanism (not shown) including a sensor plate for maintaining a constant planting depth; a compaction wheel 5; a steering handle 6; and an operating unit 120 located in the center of the steering handle 6.

[0022] Furthermore, the tray supply device 60 and the seedling removal device 80 constitute a fully automatic transplanting material supply device 61, in which the seedling removal device 80 sequentially removes transplanting materials from the seedling trays 110 and supplies them to the planting hopper 55.

[0023] The tray supply device 60 has a seedling tray lateral feeding mechanism 61 and a seedling tray vertical feeding mechanism 62, as well as a seedling tray loading unit 63, and is a seedling transport device that loads seedling trays 110 and moves them left and right, and also moves the seedling trays 110 back and forth. The seedling removal device 80 is a seedling removal device that removes seedlings from the seedling trays 110 by the operation of a seedling removal hopper 40 along the trajectory of a rotating plate 81. The seedling planting device 50 is a seedling planting device that receives seedlings from the seedling removal device 80 by the operation of a seedling planting hopper 40 and plants them in the field.

[0024] The seedling tray vertical feeding mechanism 62 is a mechanism that feeds a seedling tray 110 in the vertical direction, in which multiple seedling pots 111 containing seedlings to be planted are arranged in a grid pattern in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0025] As the tray supply device 60 moves left and right along the lead cam axis, seedlings are picked up one by one from the horizontal rows of the seedling tray 110. When the tray supply device 60 reaches the left or right end, the seedling tray 110 is fed out one row vertically, making it ready to pick up seedlings from the next left or right row.

[0026] The seedling tray vertical feeding mechanism 62 has a seedling tray rod 64 that is locked to the seedling tray 110 and driven to feed the seedling tray 110 in the vertical direction.

[0027] During the seedling planting process, the seedling tray rod 64 is repeatedly engaged with the seedling tray 110 in a engaged state, and the seedling tray rod is repeatedly engaged with the seedling tray 110 in an unengaged state.

[0028] As the rotating contact member 65 contacts the seedling tray rod retraction cam 66, the seedling tray rod 64, which was pushed into the front-to-back space between the seedling pots 111 against the biasing force of the seedling tray rod pushing biasing member, is retracted downward. Then, as the contact member 65 contacts the seedling tray vertical feed cam 67, the seedling tray rod 64 is pushed upward against the biasing force of the seedling tray rod pulling biasing member. The movement of the seedling tray rod 64 along the trajectory of the rotating plate 81 is realized as this seedling tray vertical feed movement.

[0029] More specifically, the seedling tray 110 is composed of multiple seedling pots 111, which are cell pots, connected together, with the lower side of each seedling pot 111 having spacing in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. When the tray supply device 60 is moving in the left-to-right direction, the seedling tray rod 64, which acts as a tray feed rod, is inserted into the spacing in the front-to-back direction, extending in the left-to-right direction, preventing the seedling tray 110 from moving due to its own weight and vibration. When the tray supply device 60 reaches the left-to-right end, the seedling tray rod 64 moves downward by the seedling tray vertical feed mechanism 62, which is a moving mechanism, and moves toward the underside of the vehicle body relative to the lower end of the seedling pot 111. At this time, as it moves while contacting multiple seedling pots 111 in the left-to-right rows, the seedling tray 110 is pushed downwards toward the front of the vehicle body and begins to move. Then, when the seedling tray 110 has moved approximately one row's length, the seedling tray rod 64 moves upward and enters into the front-to-back spacing between the next seedling pot 111, restricting the movement of the seedling tray 110.

[0030] When these operations are performed correctly, the seedlings in the seedling tray 110 can be planted one by one in the field at the set spacing between plants.

[0031] The seedling removal position 80 corresponds to the position where the seedling removal tool 82, which acts as a seedling removal claw moving along the trajectory of the rotating plate 81 as shown in Figures 3 and 8, enters the seedling tray 110. By keeping the lateral and vertical movement amounts of the seedling tray 110 constant, the seedling removal tool 82 is required to move along a circular trajectory to reach the appropriate position when removing seedlings, and to enter the correct position of the seedling pot 111 in the seedling tray 110 to remove the seedlings.

[0032] A projection-like receiving portion is provided below the rod fixing position of the seedling tray rod 64 located on the upper part of the front plate of the side wall portion 68.

[0033] The side wall portion 68 of the seedling tray loading unit 63 has a notch formed in a shape based on the movement trajectory of the seedling tray rod 64, which serves as the feed rod for the seedling tray 110. At the upper front of the notch, a receiving portion is formed as a receiving projection extending toward the rear of the vehicle body, where the seedling tray rod 64 is located when the seedling tray 110 is locked. When the position of the seedling tray rod 64 tries to lower due to the weight of the seedling tray 110, the receiving portion functions as a stopper.

[0034] The lower part of the side wall 68 is angled forward relative to the trajectory of the descending seedling tray rod 64, allowing the seedling tray rod 64 to descend smoothly.

[0035] Since the central part of the front plate of the side wall 68 is tilted diagonally upward, the seedling tray rod 64 moves smoothly upward when it comes into contact with such a front plate.

[0036] Since a curved, rounded shape is formed towards the rear at the lower part of the front plate of the side wall portion 68, the seedling tray rod 64 can move smoothly backward even when it comes into contact with the lower part of the front plate when it is lowered in the rod vertical feeding motion.

[0037] Since the rear part of the front plate of the side wall 68 is cut upward at an angle, when the seedling tray rod 64 descends and moves backward, the seedling tray rod 64 is guided by this cut-off part and enters the gap of the seedling tray 110.

[0038] The seedling tray lower guide 68 is located on the rear side of the tray supply device 60, positioned perpendicular to the guide rail, and is the component that supports the bottom of the seedling tray 110.

[0039] By using the seedling tray 110, it becomes possible to transplant seedlings continuously. Rather than having a human take out seedlings one by one from the seedling cups and supply them to the planting hopper 55, if seedlings can be automatically taken out from the seedling tray 110 using the seedling extraction device 80 and supplied to the planting hopper 55 for planting, it is possible to perform the work continuously without human intervention and with improved work speed. The planting speed is increased by the automation of the seedling extraction device 80, and this is achieved by realizing a corresponding travel speed for the vehicle body 10.

[0040] While automation is advancing, there are still parts that require human intervention. One such task is transporting the seedling trays 110 to the tray supply device 60. While the seedlings within the trays 110 can be planted automatically, automatic planting beyond the trays is not possible.

[0041] The seedling trays 110 are positioned on the left and right sides of the work vehicle 100 as auxiliary seedling trays and auxiliary seedling frames. These are the left auxiliary seedling frame 130L and the right auxiliary seedling frame 130R. In Figures 1 and 3, seedling tray 110A is placed on the bottom tier of the right auxiliary seedling frame 130R. The left and right auxiliary seedling frames are arranged in three tiers vertically, and seedling trays loaded on each can be removed. The worker's task is to receive the seedling trays transported by truck or the like at the edge of the field and place them on the left and right auxiliary seedling frames. In the work vehicle 100 of this embodiment, there are three tiers on each side, and six seedling frames can be loaded at once. In other words, field work can be done continuously until the six seedling trays are used up, but it is the worker's job to transport these six seedling trays to the tray supply device 60. In this embodiment, the task is to transport seedling tray 110A to seedling tray 110 on the tray supply device 60. The diagram shows the seedling tray 110 placed on the tray supply device 60 and in the process of sliding down. After this, the seedling tray 110 falls all the way down and stops at the position of the seedling tray rod 64 in the lower section of the seedling tray lateral feeding mechanism 61.

[0042] Furthermore, the tray supply device 60 can hold two seedling trays 110. The upper seedling tray conforms to the gently curving slope of the upper part of the tray supply device 60 towards the rear, allowing for a natural flow that connects seamlessly to the lower seedling tray without crushing it, thus enabling continuous transport of the seedling trays.

[0043] Thus, the tray supply device 60 needs to be inclined rather than vertical, and this inclination is directed towards the rear of the work vehicle, towards the steering handle 6 that is operated when the work vehicle 100 is driven on foot, as shown in Figure 7. The advantages of this inclination towards the steering handle 6 will be explained in detail below.

[0044] The work vehicle 100 of the present invention is configured so that the driver sits with their back to the direction of travel. Heavy components such as the engine 30 and transmission case 40, which are the driving forces, are positioned above the left front wheel 2L and the right front wheel 2R of the work vehicle 100.

[0045] In contrast, the seedling planting device 50, including the tray supply device 60 and the planting hopper 55, and the operating unit 120 are located at the rear of the work vehicle 100, and by positioning heavy objects at the front and rear, the front-to-rear balance is maintained around the left rear wheel 3L and the right rear wheel 3R.

[0046] In this configuration, the left rear wheel 3L and the right rear wheel 3R rotate towards the ground around the 3A axis, which is the drive axis of the rear wheels, as the work vehicle 100 lifts up by crossing ridges when turning. This shortens the wheelbase with the front wheels, causing the weight balance to shift towards the rear of the work vehicle 100. Therefore, in the work vehicle 100 of the present invention, it is desirable that the weight fluctuations are caused by the weight position being slightly forward of the center position of the front and rear wheels of the work vehicle 100.

[0047] In typical small work vehicles, when used for riding, the rider's position and seat are usually located closer to the rear wheels for better balance and facing forward in the direction of travel. In this configuration, there is no operation performed while walking behind the planting device located at the rear of the work vehicle, making it a completely ride-on work vehicle.

[0048] The advantage of this invention lies in its ability to achieve high-speed planting while autonomously driving, using a small work vehicle, operated and operated by a single person, and with an inexpensive configuration that does not require positional information such as a satellite positioning device. To achieve this, during autonomous driving in a straight line, the operator may need to replenish seedling trays 110 to the tray supply device 60 in short bursts, or in some cases, continuously, in order to accommodate high-speed planting. In such high-speed operation while replenishing seedling trays, as shown in Figure 6, the operator does not need to stand on the side of the control unit 120 during autonomous driving, but remains seated in the work vehicle.

[0049] On the other hand, even if seedling trays are supplied at high speed, it is necessary to check for missing plants in the seedling pots 111 and to confirm that the seedling trays are being delivered smoothly. Furthermore, it is also necessary to check for missing plants in the planted fields.

[0050] In high-speed planting like this, when working alone, the worker sits facing backward relative to the direction of travel, and supplies seedling trays 110 to the tray supply device 60 from that direction. In order to simultaneously check the seedling pots 111 and any missing plants in the field, the tray supply device 60 must face the side where the condition of the seedling trays 110 can be seen.

[0051] In response to these challenges, the first invention provides a work vehicle 100 in which the seat 21 is positioned above the left and right front wheels and facing rearward with respect to the direction of work, the seedling planting device 50 is positioned above the left and right rear wheels and facing rearward with respect to the direction of work, the direction in which seedling trays 110 are supplied to the seedling planting device 50 is in which the seedling tray 110 side faces the seat 21 side, the seedling removal device 80 is located above the same position on the upper and lower levels of the vehicle body floor 10A, and the planting hopper 55 is located below the upper and lower levels of the vehicle body floor 10A.

[0052] As shown in Figure 6, the operator can replenish the seedling trays 110 while seated in the vehicle, and confirm that the seedling trays 110 flow smoothly down the tray supply device 60 and that there are no missing plants. Field inspection is also possible. Furthermore, the operation of the seedling extraction device 80 can be confirmed while seated, making it a highly safe configuration. The seedling extraction device 80 is protected by transparent plastic, and the human body does not come into direct contact with the extraction claws.

[0053] The second invention involves the load point 21A of the weight of the seat 21 onto the vehicle body 10, and the load point 130A of the weight of the left auxiliary seedling frame 130L and the right auxiliary seedling frame 130R, being located in the center of the wheelbases of the left and right front wheels and the left and right rear wheels, the seat center axis position 21B of the seat 21 being moved closer to the left and right front wheel positions, and the auxiliary seedling frame center axis position 130B of the left auxiliary seedling frame 130L and the right auxiliary seedling frame 130R being moved closer to the left and right rear wheel positions, and the tray supply device 60 that flows the seedling trays 110 is curved backward with respect to the direction of work, with the operating section 120 positioned below the curve.

[0054] This configuration minimizes weight balance fluctuations whether the operator is seated or moves to the control unit 120. It also reduces susceptibility to weight balance changes due to differences in the amount of auxiliary seedlings loaded. In short, while the load point for the weight-fluctuating components is located near the center of the vehicle, the seat and auxiliary frame are positioned for easier operation, improving work efficiency while maintaining weight balance.

[0055] When the tray supply device 60 faces the rear, not only is it impossible to check the seedling trays 110, but the curved direction of the top of the tray supply device 60 faces the seat side, which reduces the workspace and can result in an inconvenient layout configuration or a work vehicle that is too long. These problems can be resolved.

[0056] Furthermore, the operator stands on the side of the control unit 120 and operates it with the control handle 6. However, because the tray supply device 60 is curved backward relative to the direction of work, it does not obstruct the operator's line of sight, making it easier to check what is in front. Also, because the control unit 120 is located below the tray supply device 60, the display unit such as the LCD panel is easy to see and operate.

[0057] The third invention is that the operating frame 7 connecting the operating unit 120 and the operating handle 6 passes below the seedling tray loading unit 63 in the tray supply device 60, passes outside the movable range of the planting hopper 55, and connects to the vehicle body 10, and the connection position 7A is located forward in the direction of work travel compared to the positions of the left rear axle 3LM and the right rear axle 3RM.

[0058] This configuration achieves the following effects. The seedling tray loading unit 63 moves between the lateral feeding widths 61L by the seedling tray lateral feeding mechanism 61, as described in the configuration above. Therefore, although there is a configuration in which the operating frame passes through a width wider than the lateral feeding width 61L, in that case the operating frame will be at the position of the rear wheels, the width of the vehicle will be wider, and the rear wheels will not be at a distance that allows them to properly straddle the furrow positions.

[0059] Therefore, by routing the operating frame 7 beneath the seedling tray loading unit 63 within the tray supply device 60, it is possible to fully utilize the lateral feeding width 61L while keeping the rear wheel position within a distance that appropriately straddles the ridge position. However, since the planting hopper 55 is located below the tray supply device 60 and operates vertically, the operating frame 7 must be routed outside this range of motion so as not to interfere with planting. This ensures an effective position in the width direction for connection to the vehicle body 10.

[0060] Furthermore, when the operator pushes the operating handle 6 downwards on the operating frame 7, the left and right front wheels of the work vehicle 100 are lifted off the field, leaving only the left and right rear wheels in contact with the field. The difference in rotation between the left and right rear wheels is used to steer the vehicle while the front wheels are lifted. In this lever principle, the left rear axle 3LM and the right rear axle 3RM, which are the rotation axes of the left and right rear wheels, act as the fulcrums. The point where the operator applies force with the operating handle 6 is the point of effort, and the connection point 7A, where the operating frame 7 and the vehicle body 10 are connected, is the point of application of force. This arrangement allows the work vehicle 100 to easily lift its front wheels and turn.

[0061] In this manner, the operating frame 7 passes beneath the seedling tray loading unit 63 within the tray supply device 60, outside the movable range of the planting hopper 55, and is connected to the vehicle body 10. The connection position 7A is located further forward in the direction of work than the positions of the left rear axle 3LM and the right rear axle 3RM, thus providing a configuration that facilitates workability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 2L left front wheel 3L left rear wheel 6. Operating handle 7 Operation Frames 10. Running vehicle 10A Vehicle floor 21 seats 21A Load point 21B Seat center axis position 50 Seedling planting device 55 Planting hopper 60 Tray Feeding Device 63 Seedling tray loading unit 80 Seedling extraction device 110 seedling trays 120 Operation section 130L Left auxiliary seedling frame 130R Right auxiliary seedling frame

Claims

1. The seats (21) are positioned above the left and right front wheels, facing backward relative to the direction of work. The seedling planting device (50) is located above the left and right rear wheels, and is positioned rearward relative to the direction of work. The direction in which seedling trays (110) are supplied to the seedling planting device (50) is such that the seedling tray (110) side faces the seat (21) side. The seedling removal device (80) is located above the same position on the floor (10A) of the vehicle body, and the planting hopper (55) is located below the floor (10A) of the vehicle body.

2. The point (21A) where the weight of the seat (21) is applied to the vehicle body (10), The load point (130A) of the weight of the left auxiliary seedling frame (130L) and the right auxiliary seedling frame (130R) is located in the center of the wheelbases of the left and right front wheels and the left and right rear wheels. The seat (21) has its central axis position (21B) moved closer to the left and right front wheel positions, and the auxiliary seedling frame central axis position (130B) of the left auxiliary seedling frame (130L) and the right auxiliary seedling frame (130R) is moved closer to the left and right rear wheel positions. The tray supply device (60) that feeds the seedling trays (110) is curved backward relative to the direction of work, and the operating section (120) is located below the curved section. A work vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The operating frame (7) connecting the operating unit (120) and the operating handle (6) passes below the seedling tray loading unit (63) inside the tray supply device (60). It passes outside the movable range of the planting hopper (55) and connects to the vehicle body (10), The coupling position (7A) is located forward in the direction of work compared to the positions of the left rear axle (3LM) and the right rear axle (3RM). A work vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

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