Bud thinning device and bud thinning method

Abstract

1.0 cm (cm) growing on a one-year-old branch of a fruit tree 3 This provides a technique for removing small flower buds that are less than 50mm in size. [Solution] The bud removal device (10) comprises two rotating members (120a, 120b) whose respective rotating shafts (122) are arranged in one plane, and an adjustment unit (112) for adjusting the distance or angle between the two rotating shafts, wherein at least a portion of the outer circumference of the rotating members is made of an elastic soft member (123).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bud removal device and a bud removal method.

Background Art

[0002] There are known in the prior art a picking machine that rotates a plurality of rod-shaped flexible members to collect leaves and flowers, and an injection device that injects water at high pressure to remove flowers and flower buds (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the prior art as described above may not be able to remove small flower buds less than 1.0 (cm 3 ) growing on the annual branches of fruit trees.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention aims to develop a device and a method for more reliably removing small flower buds less than 1.0 (cm 3 ) than the prior art.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, a bud removal device according to one aspect of the present invention includes two rotating members each having a rotation axis disposed in one plane, and an adjustment unit that adjusts the distance or angle between the two rotation axes, and at least a part of the outer peripheral portion of the rotating member is formed of a soft member having elasticity.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, a bud thinning method according to one aspect of the present invention includes: an arrangement step of arranging each of the pair of rotating members on both sides of a fruit tree branch using a robot arm equipped with the bud thinning device; a contact step of bringing each of the pair of rotating members into contact with the fruit tree branch using the adjustment unit; and a movement step of moving the pair of rotating members along the fruit tree branch. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, small flower buds growing on one-year-old branches of fruit trees can be removed more reliably. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the bud removal device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart illustrating the process of thinning flower buds on fruit trees. [Figure 3] This is a schematic side view of the bud removal device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic front view of the bud removal device according to this embodiment. [Figure 5A] This is a front view showing the open state (initial state) of the adjustment section of the bud removal device according to this embodiment. [Figure 5B] This is a front view showing one of the closed states of the adjustment section of the bud removal device according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This is an illustration of a bud thinning device removing one flower bud from a branch of a fruit tree. [Figure 7] This is a partial bottom view showing a part of the adjustment section of the bud removal device according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a partial bottom view showing a part of the adjustment section of the bud removal device according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. This embodiment is a basic form of the embodiments described later. In recent years, with the decline of the agricultural population, mechanization has been desired in fruit tree cultivation as well. For example, in peach cultivation, the adjustment of the number of flower buds affects the final fruit harvest and quality. A flower bud is a bud that develops into a flower, and generally, it is rounder and thicker than a leaf bud. In this specification, a series of flower buds that have swelled from the flower buds before swelling in winter to before blooming in spring are defined as flower buds (that is, flower buds).

[0011] Therefore, it is necessary to pick more than 80% of the flower buds of the total number of flower buds within two weeks in early March. Specifically, for example, in one annual branch with a length of about 15 to 30 (cm), it is preferably to leave about 2 to 6 flower buds and then pick the rest. Since the time required for this picking work accounts for about 30% of the total working time for cultivation, automation is desired by producers. In particular, it is difficult to mechanically pick small flower buds. The flower bud picking device 10 according to this embodiment is a device for accurately picking flower buds that are, for example, less than about 1.0 (cm 3 ) in volume.

[0012] (Configuration of the flower bud picking device 10) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the flower bud picking device 10 according to this embodiment. The flower bud picking device 10 includes a support portion 110 and two rotating members 120a and 120b. Although not shown, the flower bud picking device 10 may further include a control board and a power source, and may further include a depth sensor for image processing.

[0013] The support portion 110 supports two motors 111a and 111b that rotate the two rotating members 120a and 120b respectively, and an adjustment portion 112 that adjusts the distance between the two rotating shafts 122 and 122. The support portion 110 (flower bud picking device 10) may include an attachment portion 113 that can be attached to a robot arm (manipulator, not shown).

[0014] Figures 3 and 4 are schematic side view and front view of the bud thinning device 10. Figure 3 is a partial side view showing a part of the bud thinning device 10 according to the present embodiment as viewed from line A-A of Figure 4. One or more gears are engaged with the shaft portion of the motor 111a, and a rotary shaft 122 having a predetermined length for attaching the rotary member 120a is fixed to the hole portion of the last engaged gear so as to rotate together with the motor 111a.

[0015] The motor 111a is, for example, a DC motor, and its rotational speed is adjusted by PWM control. The rotational speed of the motor in the bud thinning of peach is preferably, for example, 1200 (rpm) or more and 2500 (rpm) or less.

[0016] A co-rotating rotary member 120a is integrally attached to the rotary shaft 122. For example, the rotary member 120a is a rotary roller having a cylindrical outer shape. At least a part of the outer peripheral portion of the rotary member 120a is composed of an elastic soft member 123. This soft member 123 may be at least one of a sponge body, a sponge, and a foamed foam.

[0017] The soft member 123 is, for example, a hollow cylindrical sponge with an outer diameter of 3.0 (cm) or more and 6.0 (cm) or less, and is made of polyurethane foam, polyester, melamine foam, etc. Here, a polyurethane foam with a maximum static friction force range of 0.42 (N) or more and 0.46 (N) or less is suitable. Alternatively, a melamine foam with a maximum static friction force of 0.70 (N) or more and 0.74 (N) or less is suitable.

[0018] This outer diameter size is designed by measuring the average distance between annual branches in order to easily insert a pair of rotary members 120a and 120b (from the front to the back of the paper surface of Figure 6) into one branch TB without collision or interference with adjacent branches. The outer shape of the sponge may be conical or ellipsoidal.

[0019] As shown in Figure 6, these sponges 123, 123 are attached to the outer surfaces of the rotating members 120a, 120b. When the two rotating members 120a, 120b sandwich one branch TB, the sponges 123, 123 preferably have an elastic modulus such that they elastically deform to roughly enclose the entire outer surface of the branch TB.

[0020] The rotating members 120a and 120b are not limited to these, and may, for example, be thread-like brushes attached to the rotating shafts 122, 122, with at least one end being a free end. These brushes are made of a rod-shaped flexible material with a diameter of 0.20 cm or more and 0.60 cm or less. Examples of flexible materials that can be used include urethane rubber, silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, and nitrile rubber.

[0021] The other motor 111b and rotating member 120b are configured similarly.

[0022] Figure 4 is a partial front view showing a part of the adjustment section 112 of the bud removal device 10 according to this embodiment, as seen from line BB in Figure 3. Each of the rotating shafts 122, 122 is arranged in one plane. A pair of rotating members 120a, 120b are arranged in parallel, and the adjustment section 112 adjusts the distance between the two rotating shafts 122, 122. Here, "parallel" means approximately parallel.

[0023] The support section 110 is equipped with an elongated rectangular parallelepiped base 110B. An opening / closing motor 114 for adjusting the distance between two rotating shafts 122, 122 is fixed to the center of the base 110B via a motor mounting section 115. The motor mounting section 115 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. On both sides of the motor mounting section 115 are sliding sections 116, 116 which slide relative to the base 110B in the lateral direction (perpendicular to the axial direction of the motor 114) as shown in Figure 4. Support pins 121, 121 are pivotally attached to the center of each sliding section 116, 116.

[0024] One end of each support pin 121, 121 is pivotably connected to the control rods 118, 118, and control pins 117, 117 are attached to the other end of each control rod 118, 118. A synchronized pulley 119 is fixed to the shaft 114A of the opening / closing motor 114, and each control pin 117, 117 is pivotally attached to both edges of this pulley 119.

[0025] The distance between the control pins 117, 117 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the pulley 119. In other words, the control pins 117, 117 are pivotally attached to both ends of the pulley 119, which are approximately 180° opposite each other, with the shaft portion 114A of the opening / closing motor 114 in between. At one end of each sliding portion 116, 116, the motors 111a, 111b are fixed so that the rotating shafts 122, 122 are parallel to the shaft portion 114A of the opening / closing motor 114.

[0026] Steel shafts 124, 124 are inserted through the two sliding parts 116, 116 and the motor mounting part 115, guiding the movement in the left-right direction in the drawing, that is, in the opening and closing direction of the motor 114. The steel shafts 124, 124 restrain the movement in the up-down direction in Figure 4, which is caused by the reaction force of the rotation of the opening and closing motor 114. These steel shafts 124, 124 are positioned parallel to each other in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft portion 114A of the opening and closing motor 114.

[0027] Figure 5A is a front view showing the open state (initial state) of the adjustment section 112 of the bud removal device 10 according to this embodiment. For example, the opening / closing motor 114 is driven by angle control by a stepping motor so that the control rods 118, 118 become parallel to the two steel shafts 124, 124, and the adjustment section 112 opens (initial state).

[0028] In this closed state, the shafts of the control pins 117, 117, the shafts of the support pins 121, 121, and the shaft portion 114A of the opening / closing motor 114 are generally arranged in the same plane. In this open state, the bud thinning device 10 is positioned so that one branch TB of a fruit tree is positioned between the two rotating members 120a, 120b (see Figure 6).

[0029] Figure 5B is a front view showing one closed state of the adjustment section 112 of the bud removal device 10 according to this embodiment. For example, the opening / closing motor 114 is driven by angle control by a stepping motor so that the shaft portion 114A of the opening / closing motor 114 is at a predetermined angle. This drive causes each control rod 118, 118 to pivot around the shaft portion 114A, and both sliding portions 116 are pulled toward the shaft portion 114A and slide.

[0030] This sliding motion causes the adjustment unit 112 to move from the open state to the closed state. The predetermined angle described above corresponds to the thickness of a one-year-old branch (for example, 0.80 cm to 1.0 cm), and is, for example, the angle at which the distance between the outer surface of the rotating member 120a and the outer surface of the rotating member 120b becomes 0.95 cm. Alternatively, the degree to which the adjustment unit 112 is closed (the distance between the two rotating shafts 122, 122) may be adjusted based on feedback information from the encoder or pressure sensor of the opening / closing motor 114, or image detection technology for branch thickness.

[0031] By incorporating such a sliding mechanism, the rotating members 120a and 120b can grip branches using only one motor 114 instead of multiple motors. A return spring (not shown) may be installed between the sliding parts 116, which is at its natural length in the fully closed state and biased in the open state. This enables efficient branch gripping without requiring motor output during branch gripping.

[0032] Figure 6 is an image illustrating the bud removal device 10 removing one flower bud FB from a fruit tree branch TB. The rotation directions of the two motors 111a and 111b are opposite to each other in Figure 6, and it is effective for bud removal to set them to rotate in the same direction (opposite inward rotation) along the axial direction of the branch TB. In other words, the pair of rotating members 120a and 120b are rotatable in opposite directions to each other. Specifically, it is effective to rotate each of the rotating members 120a and 120b from top to bottom in the drawing, that is, in the opposite direction to the direction in which the flower bud sprouts, and to control the movement of the robot arm in the direction of the moment of inertia in the drawing so as to scrape off the flower bud. The adjustment unit 112 can adjust the distance between the pair of rotating members 120a and 120b, for example, from 0.50 cm to less than 5.0 cm.

[0033] The bud removal device 10 may be attached to a robot arm via the mounting portion 113 of the support portion 110 described above, and branch and flower bud detection, position determination, and bud removal work may be performed using image detection technology with a stereo camera (for example, the depth sensor described above) and AI deep learning. The robot arm is envisioned to have a five-joint structure with a reach of approximately 70 cm.

[0034] (Flow of bud removal method S1) The procedure for removing flower buds from fruit trees will be explained. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of flower bud removal method S1, which is a method for removing flower buds from fruit trees. This flower bud removal method S1 may be carried out using a robotic arm equipped with a flower bud removal device 10.

[0035] (Step S11) In step S11, with the adjustment unit 112 open, the robot arm positions the pair of rotating members 120a and 120b on either side of one branch TB of the fruit tree. In this positioning step, the bud thinning device 10 is positioned at the desired initial bud thinning position.

[0036] (Step S12) In step S12, the robot arm rotates two motors 111a and 111b in opposing inward directions at a predetermined speed (e.g., 1600 rpm), and uses the adjustment unit 112 to bring each of the pair of rotating members 120a and 120b into contact with (grip) one branch TB of the fruit tree (with the adjustment unit 112 in the closed position). In this contact step, bud removal is initiated by the rotating members 120a and 120b gripping the branch.

[0037] (Step S13) In step S13, the robot arm rotates a pair of rotating members 120a and 120b and moves them along one branch TB of the fruit tree. This movement step removes multiple flower buds FB on one branch TB by gripping and friction with the rotating member 120 which is moving itself, thereby achieving bud thinning. The frictional force at this time should preferably be between 1.1(N) and 2.7(N) to avoid removing leaf buds which are smaller than the flower buds FB.

[0038] (Effects of bud removal device 10 and bud removal method S1) Thus, the bud removal device 10 according to this embodiment comprises two rotating members 120a and 120b, each with a rotating shaft 122, 122 arranged in one plane, and an adjustment unit 112 for adjusting the distance between the two rotating shafts 122, 122, wherein at least a portion of the outer periphery of the rotating members 120a and 120b is made of an elastic soft member 123.

[0039] Furthermore, the bud thinning method S1 includes a positioning step (S11) in which a robot arm equipped with a bud thinning device 10 is used to position each of the pair of rotating members 120a and 120b on both sides of the fruit tree branch TB, a contact step (S12) in which the pair of rotating members 120a and 120b are brought into contact with the fruit tree branch TB using the adjustment unit 112, and a movement step (S13) in which the pair of rotating members 120a and 120b are moved along the fruit tree branch TB.

[0040] Therefore, according to the bud removal device 10 and bud removal method S1 of this embodiment, 1.0 (cm3 This device has the effect of more reliably removing small flower buds smaller than 500mm. It also reduces the labor burden on growers. Furthermore, the bud thinning device 10 can be applied to cultivation management such as pollination and flower disease control, and in some cases can be used for pruning branches. It can also be used for thinning flower buds of other fruit trees and for harvesting coffee.

[0041] [Embodiment 2] Other embodiments of the present invention are described below. For the sake of clarity, components having the same function as those described in the above embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0042] Figure 7 is a partial bottom view showing a part of the adjustment section 112 of the bud removal device 10 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the shaft portion 114A of the opening / closing motor 114 is connected to only one of the rotating members 120b. A first gear (pulley, spur gear, etc.) 126 is pivotally attached to the base 110B so as to mesh with the shaft portion (pinion gear) 114A of the opening / closing motor 114.

[0043] On the other hand, the first gear 126 is fixed to one end 122E of one of the rotating shafts 122. The rotating shaft 122 may be in the shape of a V (it may have a curved portion) as shown in the figure, which makes it easy to grip the branch TB as a surface, or it may be straight.

[0044] One end 122E of the other rotating shaft 122 is fixed in a predetermined position on the base 110B adjacent to the first gear 126. With this mechanism, the adjustment unit 112 can adjust the angle between the two rotating shafts 122, 122 by driving the opening / closing motor 114 to rotate only one of the rotating shafts 122 around the axis of the first gear 126.

[0045] [Embodiment 3] Other embodiments of the present invention are described below. For the sake of clarity, components having the same function as those described in the above embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0046] Figure 8 is a partial bottom view showing a part of the adjustment section 112 of the bud removal device 10 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the shaft portion 114A of the opening / closing motor 114 is connected to both rotating members 120a and 120b. A first gear (pulley, spur gear, etc.) 126, an intervening gear 128, and a second gear (pulley, spur gear, etc.) 130 are pivotally mounted on the base 110B so as to mesh with the shaft portion (pinion gear) 114A of the opening / closing motor 114.

[0047] The intervening gear 128 is meshed between the shaft 114A and the second gear 130 to enable branch gripping with a single motor 114, but a timing belt and pulley mechanism may be used instead.

[0048] The first gear 126 and the second gear 130 are fixed to one end 122E of their respective rotating shafts 122. Each rotating shaft 122 may be in a V-shape (may have a curved portion) as shown in the figure, which makes it easier to grip the branch TB as a surface, or it may be straight.

[0049] With this mechanism, the adjustment unit 112 can rotate both rotation shafts 122 around the axes of the first gear 126 and the second gear 130 by driving only one opening / closing motor 114, thereby adjusting the angle between the two rotation shafts 122, 122.

[0050] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. 〔summary〕 A bud removal device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention comprises two rotating members, each with a rotation axis arranged in one plane, and an adjustment unit for adjusting the distance or angle between the two rotation axes, wherein at least a portion of the outer circumferential portion of the rotating members is made of an elastic soft material.

[0051] With the above configuration, 1.0(cm 3It allows for more reliable removal of small flower buds that are less than ) in size.

[0052] In the bud removal device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, in embodiment 1, the pair of rotating members are arranged in parallel, and the adjustment unit adjusts the distance between the two rotating shafts.

[0053] The above configuration allows for gripping fruit tree branches of various thicknesses.

[0054] In the bud removal device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention, in embodiment 1, the pair of rotating members are arranged such that the soft members are positioned around the two rotating shafts connected to the motor.

[0055] The above configuration allows for a more secure grip on fruit tree branches of various thicknesses, and also improves the rotational friction force for removing flower buds.

[0056] In the bud removal device according to embodiment 4 of the present invention, in any one of embodiments 1 to 3, the pair of rotating members have a cylindrical outer shape.

[0057] With the above configuration, the elastic deformation allows it to roughly enclose the entire outer surface of a single branch, making it easier to remove flower buds that cover the entire outer surface.

[0058] In the bud removal device according to embodiment 5 of the present invention, in any one of embodiments 1 to 3, the pair of rotating members are rotatable in opposite directions to each other.

[0059] With the above configuration, each rotating member is rotated in the opposite direction to the direction in which the flower buds sprout, making it easier to scrape off the flower buds.

[0060] In the bud removal device according to embodiment 6 of the present invention, in any one of embodiments 1 to 3, the soft member consists of at least one of sponge, foam, and polystyrene foam.

[0061] The above configuration makes it possible to easily improve the gripping force for more securely grasping fruit tree branches of various thicknesses, and the rotational friction force for removing flower buds.

[0062] The bud removal device according to embodiment 7 of the present invention includes a mounting portion that can be attached to a robot arm, in any one of embodiments 1 to 3.

[0063] With the above configuration, the use of a robotic arm reduces the labor burden on producers. Furthermore, it can be applied to cultivation management such as pollination and flower disease control, and in some cases, it can be used for pruning branches.

[0064] A bud thinning method according to embodiment 8 of the present invention includes: an arrangement step of positioning each of the pair of rotating members on both sides of a fruit tree branch using a robot arm equipped with a bud thinning device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3; a contact step of bringing each of the pair of rotating members into contact with the fruit tree branch using the adjustment unit; and a movement step of moving the pair of rotating members along the fruit tree branch.

[0065] With the above configuration, 1.0(cm 3 It allows for more reliable removal of small flower buds (less than ) in size. Furthermore, the use of a robotic arm reduces the workload for growers. It can also be applied to cultivation management such as pollination and flower disease control, and in some cases, it can be used for pruning branches. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10...bud-picking device 110...Support part 112...Adjustment section 113...Mounting part 120... Rotating parts 122... Rotating axis 123... Soft material

Claims

1. A pair of rotating members, each with its own axis of rotation arranged in a single plane, It comprises an adjustment unit for adjusting the distance or angle between the two rotation axes, At least a portion of the outer circumference of the rotating member is made of an elastic soft material. Bud-picking device.

2. The bud removal device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of rotating members are arranged in parallel, and the adjustment unit adjusts the distance between the two rotating shafts.

3. The bud removal device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of rotating members are arranged with the soft members positioned around the two rotating shafts connected to the motor.

4. The bud removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pair of rotating members have a cylindrical outer shape.

5. The bud removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pair of rotating members are rotatable in opposite directions to each other.

6. The bud removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the soft member consists of at least one of a sponge, a foamed sponge, and a foamed sponge.

7. A bud removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a mounting portion that can be attached to a robot arm.

8. Using a robotic arm equipped with a bud removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The arrangement step involves positioning each of the pair of rotating members on both sides of the fruit tree branch, Using the adjustment unit, a contact step is performed in which each of the pair of rotating members is brought into contact with the branch of the fruit tree, A moving step of moving the pair of rotating members along the branches of the fruit tree, A method of removing buds, including [specific details omitted].

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