Weeding blades and weeding machines

Abstract

To provide a weeding blade and weeding machine that can remove weeds more easily and effectively. [Solution] The weeding machine 1 has a weeding blade 10 that vibrates by a driving means attached to the main body 20. The weeding blade 10 has a blade portion 11 and a main body mounting portion 12 for attaching the blade portion 11 to the main body 20. The blade portion 11 has a first blade portion 111 with saw-like blades 11A formed on both sides, and a second blade portion 112 provided between the first blade portion 111 and the main body mounting portion 12, with saw-like blades 11A formed on both sides. The second blade portion 112 is bent at an angle θ1 of 20° to 90° from the extending direction of the first blade portion 111 toward the upper surface side of the first blade portion 111. The length of the second blade portion 112 is 3 cm to 6 cm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to weeding blades and weeders.

Background Art

[0002] Weeds are undesirable in terms of living environment not only for people who make a living from agriculture, but for all people living their daily lives. Various methods and techniques for weeding have been conceived and refined since ancient times, and in recent years, power-driven weeders and herbicides have also been used. However, large weeders and herbicides are not suited to the daily life of ordinary households, and weeds grow rampant everywhere at any time. Recently, small electric weeders that move weeding blades by using power obtained by mechanically converting the rotation of an electric motor into reciprocating motion back and forth, or using vibration from an electric vibrator have been devised, but they have not yet achieved widespread popularity. This is considered to be because even though the main body that generates power is well manufactured, the weeding blade, which is the component that must perform the core work, is not suitable for actual operation. This is believed to result from a lack of understanding of the properties of soil where weeds grow rampant and the growth characteristics of weeds.

[0003] Soil exists everywhere on Earth, but it varies greatly depending on the mixture ratio of clay and sand. Furthermore, soil contains mixed components such as stones, decayed biological matter, and artificial substances, and its condition is affected by rain moisture and drying by sunlight. Soil changes constantly day by day and has no fixed state. For example, the condition varies greatly depending on soil hardness: weeds that can be pulled out in the morning can no longer be pulled out after midday. Generally, for field soil, after a daily rainfall of 10 mm, the soil remains soft due to rain for one day the next day; after a daily rainfall of 20 mm, it remains soft for two days including the day after next; after a daily rainfall of 30 mm, it remains soft for three days after the rain. Therefore, it is usual that agricultural work or weeding in the field cannot be performed during these periods because soil sticks to feet and sinks shoes, preventing people from entering the field. However, after two days from these periods, the soil starts to dry out and harden, becoming so hard that it cannot be dug without a pickaxe. Thus, these two to three days are the appropriate period for field work. However, because there are crops in the fields, large machinery cannot be used, and only small tools suitable for manual labor can be used. This is the same as weeding in an average household.

[0004] Next, regarding grass growth, especially germination, grass seeds located between 0.5 cm and 1.5 cm below the soil surface germinate and grow. Seeds between 0.5 cm below the soil surface die or enter a dormant state due to severe soil drying caused by direct sunlight, etc. Also, seeds deeper than 1.5 cm below the soil surface, perhaps due to soil pressure, do not have the strength to emerge to the surface even if they germinate, and die or enter a dormant state. Therefore, seeds between 0.5 cm and 1.5 cm below the soil surface sprout and their roots extend downwards into the soil. Up to a grass height of about 30 cm, this 1 cm below the soil surface is the base for grass growth, so grass can be easily removed by cutting the roots of grass between 0.5 cm and 1.5 cm below the soil surface.

[0005] Therefore, by moving the weeding blade a little deeper, about 2 cm below the ground surface, weeding can be done efficiently. It is not necessary to go any deeper than this, and digging any deeper will awaken dormant seeds, which is undesirable. The vibration from the electric motor digs only a fraction of a millimeter deep with each vibration, but with a vibration frequency of about 2000 to 3000 times per minute, it provides sufficient power for weeding even in hard soil that would normally require a pickaxe. Hidden within the hard soil are various objects such as stones, metal fragments, pottery pieces, and tree roots. A small weeding machine can quickly lift its body and pull the weeding blade out of the soil to avoid these obstacles.

[0006] Various shapes of weeding blades have been devised, such as oval-shaped blades (see, for example, Patent Document 1), clipper-shaped blades, drill-like screw-in blades, and vibrating, oscillating blades. However, for practical purposes, a simple rectangular blade is preferable for cutting grass roots. Furthermore, it is desirable that the blade be shaped to be able to move freely in all directions while maintaining a depth of about 2 cm below the ground surface regardless of the terrain, and there has been a desire for a weeding blade that can remove weeds more easily and effectively. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-148829 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] This invention was made based on these problems, and aims to provide a weeding blade and a weeding machine that can remove weeds more easily and effectively. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The weeding blade of the present invention is used by attaching a drive means to a main body which is housed inside a cover, and vibrates by the drive means, and has a blade portion which has a saw-like blade formed thereon, and a main body mounting portion which connects the blade portion to the main body, and the blade portion which has a first blade portion which extends in one direction and has saw-like blades formed on both sides, and a second blade portion which is provided between the first blade portion and the main body mounting portion and has saw-like blades formed on both sides, and the second blade portion is provided bent at an angle of 20° to 90° from the extending direction of the first blade portion toward the upper surface side of the first blade portion 111, and the length of the second blade portion is 3 cm to 6 cm.

[0010] The weeding machine of the present invention comprises a main body in which the drive mechanism is housed inside a cover, and the weeding blade of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the blade portion has a first blade portion and a second blade portion, and the second blade portion is bent at an angle of 20° to 90° from the extending direction of the first blade portion toward the upper surface of the first blade portion. Therefore, the user can hold the main body in their hand, insert the first blade portion into the ground, and move it easily and freely parallel to the ground surface at a position of about 2 cm below the ground surface. Thus, weeding can be done easily and effectively. Furthermore, even if the ground is uneven or sloped, the first blade portion can be easily inserted into the ground according to the shape of the ground surface. Moreover, the second blade portion can also be used for weeding, so weeding can be done more easily by using the second blade portion according to the shape of the ground surface.

[0012] In addition, by making the length of the second blade between 3 cm and 6 cm, resonance can be suppressed, the first blade can be easily inserted to about 2 cm below the ground surface, and soil and sand entering the main body and causing malfunctions can be suppressed.

[0013] Furthermore, if the first blade portion has a strip-shaped portion and a protruding tip portion that tapers towards the end, and the upper surface of the strip-shaped portion is formed so that the thickness decreases from the center in the width direction toward both sides, the first blade portion can be moved more easily underground. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a weeding machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows the configuration of the weeding blade used in the weeding machine. [Figure 3] Another diagram showing the configuration of the weeding blade used in the weeding machine shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This figure shows an enlarged view of the cross-sectional configuration along line II shown in Figure 2. [Figure 5] This figure illustrates a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure illustrates another variation of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0016] (One Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a weeder 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the configuration of a weeding blade 10 used in the weeder 1, FIG. 2 shows the configuration as viewed from the side, and FIG. 3 shows the configuration as viewed from above. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing a cross-sectional configuration along the line I-I shown in FIG. 2. This weeder 1 includes: a main body portion 20 in which a driving means (not shown) is housed inside a cover body 21; and a weeding blade 10 that is attached to the main body portion 20 for use and vibrates by the driving means.

[0017] The driving means includes, for example, a motor serving as a power source, and a conversion mechanism that converts the rotational driving force of the motor into a reciprocating driving force in the front-rear direction or continuous or intermittent vibration. If the driving means is configured by, for example, a vibrator, non-directional vibrations in up-down, left-right, and front-rear directions can be obtained. Therefore, compared to the case of using vibration generated by front-rear reciprocating motion, vibration can be utilized regardless of how the weeding blade 10 is attached, which is preferable.

[0018] From the front side of the cover body 21, for example, a blade attachment portion 22 for attaching the weeding blade 10 is provided in a protruding manner. The blade attachment portion 22 is configured such that the weeding blade 10 can be attached thereto by, for example, bringing a main body attachment portion 12 of the weeding blade 10 described later into contact with the blade attachment portion and fixing the same with a screw 23. The blade attachment portion 22 is connected to the driving means, and is adapted to transmit the driving force of the driving means to the weeding blade 10. From the rear side of the cover body 21, for example, an electric cord 24 for supplying electric power to the driving means is led out. On the cover body 21, for example, a grip portion 25 for an operator to hold by hand is provided on the upper side.

[0019] Furthermore, the main body portion 20 may use a main body portion of an existing electric saw, that is, a main body portion in which a driving means for vibrating a saw blade is housed inside a cover body. In that case, the saw blade of the electric saw can be replaced with the weeding blade 10 of the present embodiment for use.

[0020] The weeding blade 10 includes a blade portion 11 formed with a serrated blade 11A, and a main body attachment portion 12 for attaching the blade portion 11 to the main body portion 20. The main body attachment portion 12 is provided with, for example, a screw hole 12A for fixing to the blade attachment portion 22 of the main body portion 20 with a screw 23. It is preferable that the blade portion 11 and the main body attachment portion 12 are made of, for example, a metal material such as iron or stainless steel. This is because sufficient strength can be obtained. The entire weeding blade 10 may be integrally formed, or may be formed by joining a plurality of portions. For example, in order to reliably connect the main body attachment portion 12 to the blade attachment portion 22, it is preferable that the main body attachment portion 12 is in a flat plate shape with a thickness of about 0.2 cm to 0.3 cm. The main body attachment portion 12 is not provided with, for example, the serrated blade 11A, which will be described later, provided on the blade portion 11. In addition, the connection between the main body attachment portion 12 and the blade attachment portion 22 is not limited to the screw 23, and any connection method is acceptable as long as the connection can be achieved, such as connecting by matching the shapes of the connection portions.

[0021] The blade portion 11 includes a first blade portion 111 extending in one direction and having serrated blades 11A formed on both sides thereof, and a second blade portion 112 provided between the first blade portion 111 and the main body attachment portion 12 and having serrated blades 11A formed on both sides thereof. It is preferable that the serrated blade 11A is, for example, in the shape of an isosceles triangular ridge with a cutting depth of about 0.2 cm and an interval of about 0.2 cm. It is preferable that the serrated blade 11A has no set. That is, it is preferable that no set is formed, resulting in a blade without set. This is because if there is a set, tree roots or the like may get caught, causing the vibration of the blade portion 11 to stop.

[0022] The first blade portion 111 preferably has, for example, a strip-shaped portion 111A extending in a strip-like shape, and a tip portion 111B provided at the end of the strip-shaped portion 111A, which protrudes so as to become narrower towards the tip. The tip portion 111B is for facilitating insertion into the ground, and is preferably triangular in shape. The size of the strip-shaped portion 111A is preferably, for example, about 12 cm to 14 cm in length and about 2 cm to 3 cm in width, as this makes it easier to handle. The length of the tip portion 111B is preferably, for example, about 2 cm to 3 cm. The saw-like blades 11A are also formed, for example, on both sides of the strip-shaped portion 111A, on both sides of the tip portion 111B, and on both sides of the second blade portion 112.

[0023] The upper surface of the strip-shaped portion 111A is preferably formed in a mountain shape, for example, so that the thickness decreases from the center in the width direction toward both sides, and the bottom surface of the strip-shaped portion 111A is preferably flat, for example. This is because the first blade portion 111 can be easily moved underground. The thickness of the central part of the strip-shaped portion 111A in the width direction is preferably about 0.2 cm to 0.3 cm.

[0024] Preferably, the upper surface of the tip portion 111B is formed such that its thickness decreases from the side of the strip-shaped portion 111A towards the tip, and preferably the bottom surface of the tip portion 111B is flat. This is because it makes it easier to insert the first blade portion 111 into the ground and to move it easily.

[0025] The second blade portion 112 is bent at an angle θ1 of 20° to 90° from the extending direction of the first blade portion 111 toward the upper surface of the first blade portion 111. That is, angle θ1 is the bending angle from the extending direction of the first blade portion 111, and the angle θ2 between the upper surface of the second blade portion 112 and the upper surface of the first blade portion 111 is 90° to 170°. This allows the user to hold the main body portion 20 in their hand, insert the first blade portion 111 into the ground, and easily and freely move it parallel to the ground surface at a position of about 2 cm below the ground surface. Furthermore, even if the ground is uneven or sloped, it is possible to easily insert the first blade portion 111 into the ground according to the shape of the ground surface. For example, if the second blade portion 112 is not bent relative to the first blade portion 111 and is provided in a straight line from the main body portion 20, the main body portion 20 will hit the ground, and it will not be possible to insert the first blade portion 111 into the ground and move it parallel to the ground surface.

[0026] Furthermore, since the second blade portion 112 is positioned at an angle to the upper surface of the first blade portion 111, when the first blade portion 111 is inserted into the ground and vibrated, the inclination of the second blade portion 112 prevents soil and sand from falling and entering the main body portion 20. In addition, with this weeding blade 10, the second blade portion 112 can also be used for weeding, so by using the second blade portion 112 according to the shape of the ground surface, weeding can be done more easily. For example, in recessed areas or corners of two surfaces with different inclination angles, weeding can be done more easily by using the boundary between the first blade portion 111 and the second blade portion 112 and its vicinity.

[0027] The length of the second blade portion 112 is preferably 3 cm or more and 6 cm or less. Making the length of the second blade portion 112 longer than this may cause resonance and is therefore undesirable. Making the length of the second blade portion 112 shorter than this may make it difficult to insert the first blade portion 111 to about 2 cm below the ground surface, and may also cause soil and sand to enter the main body portion 20, which may lead to malfunction and is therefore undesirable. The width of the second blade portion 112 is preferably the same as that of the strip-shaped portion 111A, for example.

[0028] The upper surface of the second blade portion 112 is preferably formed in a mountain shape, similar to the upper surface of the strip-shaped portion 111A, such that the thickness decreases from the center in the width direction toward both sides. The bottom surface of the second blade portion 112 is preferably flat, similar to the bottom surface of the strip-shaped portion 111A. The upper surface of the second blade portion 112 is the surface that is continuous with the upper surface of the strip-shaped portion 111A, and the bottom surface of the second blade portion 112 is the surface that is continuous with the bottom surface of the strip-shaped portion 111A. The thickness of the central part of the second blade portion 112 in the width direction is preferably about 0.2 cm to 0.3 cm, similar to the strip-shaped portion 111A.

[0029] This weed remover 1 is used, for example, as follows. First, the user attaches the weeding blade 10 to the main body 20 and drives the main body 20 to vibrate the weeding blade 10. Next, the user inserts the first blade 111 into the base of the weed, and with the first blade 111 parallel to the ground surface at a position about 2 cm below the ground surface, moves the main body 20 to cut the roots of the weed and sweep them sideways. The user can easily perform weed removal by holding the main body 20 with one hand and operating it while gathering the cut weeds with the other hand.

[0030] As described above, according to this embodiment, the blade portion 11 has a first blade portion 111 and a second blade portion 112, and the second blade portion 112 is bent at an angle θ1 of 20° to 90° from the extending direction of the first blade portion 111 toward the upper surface of the first blade portion 111. Therefore, the user can hold the main body portion 20 in their hand, insert the first blade portion 111 into the ground, and move it easily and freely parallel to the ground surface at a position of about 2 cm below the ground surface. Thus, weeding can be done easily and effectively. Furthermore, even if the ground is uneven or sloped, the first blade portion 111 can be easily inserted into the ground according to the shape of the ground surface. Moreover, the second blade portion 112 can also be used for weeding, so weeding can be done more easily by using the second blade portion 112 according to the shape of the ground surface.

[0031] In addition, by making the length of the second blade portion 112 between 3 cm and 6 cm, resonance can be suppressed, the first blade portion 111 can be easily inserted to about 2 cm below the ground surface, and soil and sand can enter the main body portion 20, which can cause malfunctions.

[0032] Furthermore, if the first blade portion 111 has a strip-shaped portion 111A and a protruding tip portion 111B whose width tapers towards the tip, and the upper surface of the strip-shaped portion 111A is formed so that its thickness decreases from the center in the width direction toward both sides, the first blade portion 111 can be moved more easily underground.

[0033] (modified version) Figures 4 and 5 show modified examples of the present invention. In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the weeding blade 10 is formed with the main body mounting portion 12 and the second blade portion 112 extending in the same direction, and the main body portion 20 is formed with the blade mounting portion 22 extending linearly from the cover body 21. However, for example, as shown in Figure 4, the main body mounting portion 12 may be bent at an angle θ3 from the direction of extension of the second blade portion 112 toward the lower surface side of the second blade portion 112, or as shown in Figure 5, the blade mounting portion 22 may be bent downwards at an angle θ4. This is because increasing the bending angle θ1 of the second blade portion 112 toward the upper surface side relative to the first blade portion 111 increases the inclination angle of the main body portion 20, which may make it difficult to hold. Therefore, it is preferable to, for example, bend the main body mounting portion 12 downwards from the extending direction of the second blade portion 112 (see Figure 4), or bend the blade mounting portion 22 downwards (see Figure 5), thereby reducing the inclination angle of the main body portion 20, and making the main body portion 20 horizontal.

[0034] The bending angle θ3 of the main body mounting portion 12 toward the lower side relative to the second blade portion 112, and the bending angle θ4 of the blade mounting portion 22 toward the lower side are preferably, for example, 0° or more, and less than or equal to the bending angle θ1 of the second blade portion 112 toward the upper side relative to the first blade portion 111, and more preferably the same as the bending angle θ1 of the second blade portion 112 toward the upper side relative to the first blade portion 111.

[0035] The present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and examples and can be modified in various ways. For example, although each component has been described in detail, it is not necessary to have all of these components, and other components may be included. Also, the specific details of each component may differ. For example, in the above embodiment, the shape of the main body 20 was described in detail, but for example, it may be formed in a rod shape and may not have a gripping portion. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 1...Weeding machine, 10...Weeding blade, 11...Blade section, 11A...Saw-shaped blade, 111...First blade section, 111A...Strip-shaped section, 111B...Tip section, 112...Second blade section, 12...Main body mounting section, 12A...Screw hole, 20...Main body section, 21...Cover body, 22...Blade mounting section, 23...Screw, 24...Electrical cord, 25...Grip section

Claims

1. A weeding blade is used in which a driving means is attached to a main body that is housed inside a cover, and the driving means vibrates, It has a blade portion on which a saw-shaped blade is formed, and a body mounting portion for attaching the blade portion to the main body portion, The blade portion has a first blade portion that extends in one direction and has saw-like blades formed on both sides, and a second blade portion that is provided between the first blade portion and the main body mounting portion and has saw-like blades formed on both sides. The second blade portion is provided bent at an angle of 20° to 90° toward the upper surface of the first blade portion from the extending direction of the first blade portion, and the length of the second blade portion is 3 cm to 6 cm. A weeding blade characterized by the following features.

2. The first blade portion has a strip-shaped portion extending in a strip-like manner, and a tip portion provided at the end of the strip-shaped portion, which protrudes so that its width tapers towards the tip. The upper surface of the strip-shaped portion is formed such that its thickness decreases from the center in the width direction toward both sides, and the bottom surface of the strip-shaped portion is flat. The weeding blade according to feature 1.

3. The main body, in which the drive mechanism is housed inside the cover, The weeding blade according to claim 1 or claim 2 A weeding machine characterized by having the following features.

Images