Plant root cutting machines and root cutting tillers

Abstract

To provide a root cutter for plants, etc., capable of setting a cutting blade on an appropriate side by simple adjustment regardless of whether leaf vegetables such as spinach to be cut are on either side of the traveling direction of the root cutter. [Solution] A plant root cutter according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a front wheel, a frame to which the front wheel is attached, a rear wheel attached to the frame and positioned rearward of the front wheel, a handle attached to the frame and held by the user, a cutting blade member attached to the frame so as to extend laterally between the front and rear wheels and having a cutting blade capable of cutting plant roots, and a blade position switching mechanism that switches the cutting blade from one side to the other.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a root cutter for leafy vegetables and a cultivator for the soil, and more particularly to a root cutter and a root cultivator for plants that can sequentially cut the roots of spinach grown continuously in a field or the like when harvesting. [Background technology]

[0002] Studies are being conducted to improve the efficiency of harvesting leafy vegetables such as spinach. In such harvesting operations, the roots are generally cut using a cutting blade so as not to damage the leaves. Conventionally, instead of manually cutting the roots while bending over, a worker stands up and pushes a cart, which is equipped with a cutting blade to cut off the roots.

[0003] Furthermore, as pointed out in Patent Document 1, when growing a large number of spinach plants on a ridge, the height of the ridge may change unevenly due to factors such as wind and rain during the cultivation period, and the root cutting position may also become uneven due to factors such as uneven sunlight and soil nutrient content. Therefore, when harvesting continuously grown spinach, for example, it is preferable from the perspective of further improving work efficiency to be able to adjust the root cutting position of leafy vegetables within a certain range by operating the device, without having to adjust the height position of the cutting blade member of the device mechanism for each ridge.

[0004] In contrast to this, Patent Document 2 proposes a root-cutting device for leafy vegetables, characterized by having front wheels, rear wheels arranged in a line with the front wheels in the fore-and-aft direction, a carriage section supported by the front wheels and the rear wheels, a handle extending rearward and upward from the carriage section, a cutting blade member extending laterally from the carriage section and capable of adjusting its height position relative to the ground contact position of the front wheels and the rear wheels, and a cover that continuously covers the front side of the front wheels and the side of the carriage section to which the cutting blade member is attached. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-225541 [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3209550 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, current technologies, including those disclosed in the above-mentioned patent documents, do not adequately meet market needs, and the following problems remain. That is, the root cutters exemplified in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are certainly effective in that they allow the operator to efficiently cut the roots of spinach and the like while standing. However, the root cutters described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are premised on the installation of a cutting blade on only one side, which presents a problem of poor scalability.

[0007] The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems as an example, and aims to provide a plant root cutter etc. that can easily adjust the cutting blade to the appropriate side regardless of which side of the direction of travel of the root cutter the leafy vegetables such as spinach to be cut are on. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides a plant root cutter characterized by having (1) a front wheel, a frame to which the front wheel is attached, a rear wheel attached to the frame and positioned rearward of the front wheel, a handle attached to the frame and held by a user, a cutting blade member attached to the frame so as to extend laterally between the front wheel and the rear wheel and having a cutting blade capable of cutting plant roots, and a blade position switching mechanism that switches the blade of the cutting blade from one side to the other side.

[0009] In the plant root cutter described in (1) above, (2) it is preferable that the cutting blade member comprises the cutting blade, a support shaft that holds the cutting blade, and a shaft fixing portion that fixes the support shaft to the frame, and that the support shaft is provided with a first fixing hole that positions and fixes the cutting blade on one side, and a second fixing hole that positions and fixes the cutting blade on the other side.

[0010] Furthermore, in the plant root cutting machine described in (2) above, it is preferable that (3) it further comprises a height adjustment mechanism connected to the shaft fixing portion and adapted to change the installation height of the blade relative to the ground.

[0011] Furthermore, in the plant root cutting machine described above in (3), it is preferable that (4) it further comprises a sorting plate arranged on the frame forward of the front wheel for separating the leaves of the plant to the side.

[0012] Furthermore, in the plant root cutter described in any of (1) to (4) above, (5) it is preferable that the blade posture switching mechanism comprises a switching handle provided on the support shaft and capable of rotating the support shaft around its axis, and a fastener that can be inserted into the first fixing hole or the second fixing hole, and that the blade of the cutting blade is fixedly positioned on either one side or the other side of the lateral direction by attaching the fastener to either the first fixing hole or the second fixing hole.

[0013] Furthermore, a plant root cutting tiller according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises (6) the plant root cutting machine described in (5) above, and a tilling fork attached to the frame of the plant root cutting machine for tilling the soil in which the plants are grown. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to this invention, no matter which side of the root cutting machine's direction of travel the leafy vegetables, such as spinach, to be cut, are on, the cutting blade can be easily adjusted to the appropriate side. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of a plant root cutting cultivator including a plant root cutting machine with the cutting blade installed on the left side of the traveling direction. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of a plant root cutting cultivator including a plant root cutting machine with the cutting blade installed on the right side of the traveling direction. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a top view of a plant root cutting cultivator further equipped with a cultivating fork. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side view of a plant root cutting cultivator further equipped with a cultivating fork. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section AA in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the cross section BB in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a cutting blade provided in the plant root cutting machine of the embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of a plant root cutting tiller viewed from the rear, focusing on the tilling fork. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a tillage fork. [Figure 10] This is an image (part 1) showing an example of the plant root cutting machine of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is the second image showing an example of the plant root cutting machine of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is the third image showing an example of the plant root cutting machine of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is an image showing the main parts of the plant root cutting machine (the blade movement mechanism and part of the height adjustment mechanism). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Next, an embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described. Note that, for configurations other than those described in detail below, the structures and mechanisms of known root cutters, including those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, can be applied.

[0017] <Plant root cutter 100> A plant root cutting machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with appropriate reference to Figures 1 to 7. First, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the plant root cutting machine 100 according to this embodiment is configured to have the function of continuously cutting (cutting) the roots of plants such as spinach that are grown continuously or intermittently along ridges.

[0018] Specifically, the plant root cutter 100 of this embodiment includes a front wheel 10, a frame 20, a rear wheel 30, a handle 40, a cutting blade member 50, a blade position switching mechanism 60, and the like. Examples of plants suitable for the plant root cutting machine 100 of the present invention include leafy vegetables that have underground roots, such as spinach, stem vegetables such as asparagus, whose edible parts are above-ground stems, and flower vegetables such as broccoli, whose edible parts are flower buds, flowers, or inflorescences.

[0019] The front wheel 10 is attached to the front of a frame 20, which will be described later. A specific example of the front wheel 10 is a known tire that is rotatably supported on the frame 20. The tire used as the front wheel 10 may be a deep-groove type or one equipped with spikes, or may be a known agricultural tire that is applied as is.

[0020] The frame 20 is a frame body to which the front wheel 10 is attached. The front wheel 10 is rotatably attached to the frame 20 via a front wheel attachment part 22 and a known bearing or the like. Specific materials for the frame 20 include various known metal materials such as aluminum and steel, as well as resin materials such as reinforced plastic.

[0021] As shown in the figure, the frame 20 is configured to include a front plate mounting portion 21 to which a sorting plate 70 (described later) is attached, a front wheel mounting portion 22 to which the front wheels 10 are attached, a blade mounting portion 23 to which the cutting blade member 50 is attached, a handle mounting portion 24 to which the handle 40 is attached, a rear wheel mounting portion 25 to which the rear wheels 30 are attached, and a fork mounting portion 26 to which the tillage fork 80 is attached. There are no particular restrictions on the specific structure of each mounting portion provided on the frame 20, and various known fastening structures can be applied, such as a support structure using screws or bearings, as long as the functions of each component can be fulfilled.

[0022] The rear wheel 30 is mounted on the frame 20 and is disposed rearward of the front wheel 10. A specific example of the rear wheel 30 is a known tire that is journaled and rotatable on the frame 20, similar to the front wheel 10. The rear wheel 30 may be larger in inches than the front wheel 10, or may be the same size as the front wheel 10.

[0023] The handle 40 is attached to the frame 20. The handle 40 has a grip that can be held by a user of the plant root cutting tool 100. As shown in the figure, an angle adjustment mechanism may be installed at the joint of the handle 40 to the frame 20. There are no particular limitations on such an angle adjustment mechanism, and any known joint mechanism that can maintain an angle, such as gears or torque hinges, can be used.

[0024] The cutting blade member 50 is attached to the frame 20 so as to extend laterally between the front wheel 10 and the rear wheel 30. The cutting blade member 50 is configured so as to be able to cut off the roots of plants such as the spinach described above.

[0025] Specifically, as can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4, the cutting blade member 50 of this embodiment includes a cutting blade 51, a support shaft 52, and a shaft fixing portion 53. As shown in FIG. 7 and other figures, the cutting blade 51 includes a first blade 51a1 formed on one side, a second blade 51a2 formed on the other side opposite the first side, and an attachment portion 51b attached to a support shaft 52 (described later). As shown in the figure, the cutting blade 51 is attached near the center in the direction of travel. The cutting blade 51 of this embodiment has a double-edged structure, allowing for easy cutting of plant roots on either one or the other of the sides (described later). The material of the cutting blade 51 is not particularly limited, and examples include aluminum, other metals that have been treated with an anti-rust coating, and ceramics.

[0026] The support shaft 52 is a rod-shaped member that holds the above-mentioned cutting blade 51 via, for example, the lower end 52b. The support shaft 52 is attached to the frame 20 via a shaft fixing portion 53, which will be described later. As an example, the support shaft 52 in this embodiment is fixed via the shaft fixing portion 53 to a support pole 54a that is erected near the center of the frame 20 (between the front wheel 10 and the rear wheel 30).

[0027] 1 to 4, the shaft fixing portion 53 is fixed to a support pole 54a of the frame 20. A known fastening mechanism such as screw fastening can be applied as a specific example of the shaft fixing portion 53. In this manner, the shaft fixing portion 53 of this embodiment is configured to have the function of fixing the support shaft 52 to the frame 20.

[0028] 5 and 6, the support shaft 52 of this embodiment is provided with a first fixing hole 52c for positioning and fixing the cutting edge of the cutting blade 51 on one lateral side (for example, the right side in the traveling direction of the plant root cutter 100), and a second fixing hole 52d for positioning and fixing the cutting edge of the cutting blade 51 on the other lateral side (for example, the left side in the traveling direction of the plant root cutter 100). This makes it possible to easily and quickly set the cutting edge of the cutting blade 51 to either the right or left side in the traveling direction via a blade position switching mechanism 60, which will be described later.

[0029] As can be understood by referring to Figures 4 to 6, the plant root cutter 100 of this embodiment includes a height adjustment mechanism 54 that changes the installation height of the cutting blade 51 relative to the ground. The height adjustment mechanism 54 is connected to the shaft fixing part 53. More specifically, as shown in Figure 6 and other figures, the height adjustment mechanism 54 of this embodiment includes the support pole 54a that is erected near the center of the frame 20 and a fixing handle 54b that fixes the shaft fixing part 53 to the support pole 54a. This allows the installation height of the blade of the cutting blade 51 relative to the ground to be adjusted to any height (within the range of L1 in FIG. 5). For example, the height adjustment mechanism 54 can be used to adjust the installation height of the cutting blade 51 to an optimal value depending on the type of root cutting target. Also, if you wish to use only the cultivating fork 80 (described later), the cutting blade 51 for root cutting may be kept elevated via the height adjustment mechanism 54.

[0030] The blade position switching mechanism 60 is configured to have the function of switching the blade of the cutting blade 51 from one lateral side (for example, the right side in the traveling direction) to the other side (for example, the left side in the traveling direction). More specifically, the blade position switching mechanism 60 of this embodiment includes, for example, a switching handle 61 connected to the upper end 52a of the support shaft 52 and capable of rotating the support shaft 52 about its axis, and a fastener 62 that can be inserted into the first fixing hole 52c or the second fixing hole 52d of the support shaft 52.

[0031] Note that various known screws and bolts, such as flat head screws and hexagonal bolts, are suitable as specific examples of fastener 62. As shown in Figures 3 to 6, by attaching fastener 62 to either first fixing hole 52c or second fixing hole 52d of support shaft 52, the cutting edge of cutting blade 51 is fixedly positioned on either one side or the other side.

[0032] The sorting plate 70 is configured to have the function of separating plant leaves and the like located forward in the traveling direction during root cutting work to the side of the plant root cutting machine 100. More specifically, the sorting plate 70 of this embodiment can be exemplified as a wall-shaped member that is disposed forward of the front wheels 10 of the frame 20 and that narrows toward the front, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0033] The material of the sorting board 70 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a metal plate such as an aluminum plate or a resin plate such as a plastic plate. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the installation height of the sorting board 70 on the frame 20 may be adjustable via a known height adjustment mechanism such as a screw fastening mechanism.

[0034] <Root cutting medium cultivator for plants 200> The plant root cutting cultivator 200 is based on the plant root cutting machine 100 and is equipped with a cultivating fork 80 attached to the frame 20 to cultivate the soil in which the plants are grown. As shown in Figures 1 to 4 and 8, the cultivating fork 80 is configured to be able to be additionally attached to the frame 20 of the plant root cutting machine 100 described above. The cultivating fork 80 is attached to the frame 20 and positioned rearward of the rear wheels 30 and the cutting blade member 50. As shown in the figure as an example, the cultivating fork 80 is attached to the rear side in the direction of travel. The cultivating fork 80 is configured to have the function of further cultivating the soil after root cutting. In this way, the plant root-cutting inter-cultivator 200 of the present invention may be equipped as a standard with both the root-cutting blade 51 and the inter-cultivator fork 80. Each may be lowered to an appropriate installation height when in use, and raised to avoid getting in the way when not in use.

[0035] More specifically, as can be seen from Figure 8, the tilling fork 80 is composed of a fork 81 for tilling the soil, a fork support pole 82 for supporting the fork 81, and a fixed handle 83 with a height adjustment function for fixing the fork support pole 82 to the frame 20. The plant root-cutting cultivator 200 equipped with the fork 81 of the present invention can also perform inter-cultivation while cutting the roots of leafy vegetables such as spinach. On the other hand, if the plant root-cutting cultivator 200 is not used for inter-cultivation, the fork 81 must be raised high enough so as not to hit the spinach or other vegetables whose roots have been cut.

[0036] The width of the fork 81 (the length in the Y direction in the drawing) may be large or small, for example. For example, when using a fork 81 with a relatively large width, the fork 81 may be raised via the fixed handle 83 with a height adjustment function when performing root cutting work using the cutting blade 51. On the other hand, when using a fork 81 with a relatively small width, the fork 81 may be used for cultivating work in parallel with root cutting work using the cutting blade 51.

[0037] The height-adjustable fixed handle 83 is fixed to the fork support column 82 that is erected on the frame 20 via the fork mounting section 26, making it possible to adjust the height of the fork 81 from the ground. This allows the user to freely adjust the degree of tillage by fixing the height-adjustable fixed handle 83 to the fork support column 82 at the desired height. By providing the fixed handle 83 with a height adjustment function in this way, it is possible to raise and lower the fork 81 with a single touch. The tilling fork 80 shown in Figure 8 is just one example, and a modified tilling fork 80 shown in Figure 9 may also be used. The modified tilling fork 80 shown in Figure 9 has the tips of the forks bent towards the center. This makes it possible to increase the effectiveness of weeding and stirring the soil by bending the tips, even if the width of the forks is narrowed and the number of forks is reduced.

[0038] <Example> 10 to 13 show images of a prototype of a plant root cutter 100 as an embodiment of the present invention. The plant root cutter 100 of the present invention can stably cut the roots of leafy vegetables such as spinach that are continuously grown along ridges, and the direction of the cutting blade can be easily changed on either side of the moving direction of the root cutter.

[0039] Although the preferred embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may attempt further modifications to these embodiments and modifications within the scope of the technical idea set forth in the claims of the utility model registration, and it is understood that these modifications also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0040] This device is suitable for realizing a highly convenient plant root cutting machine or plant root cutting tiller, as it allows a variety of people to easily and quickly change the direction of the cutting blade. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 100 Root cutting machine for plants 10 Front wheels 20 frames 30 rear wheel 40 Handle 50 Cutting blade member 60 Blade position switching mechanism 70 Sorting Board 80 Cultivator Fork 200 Root cutting medium cultivator for plants

Claims

1. The front wheel and a frame to which the front wheel is attached; a rear wheel attached to the frame and positioned rearward of the front wheel; a handle attached to the frame for a user to grasp; a cutting blade member attached to the frame so as to extend laterally between the front wheels and the rear wheels, the cutting blade member having a cutting blade capable of cutting plant roots; a blade position switching mechanism that switches the blade position from one side to the other side; A plant root cutting machine comprising:

2. The cutting blade member is The cutting blade; a support shaft that holds the cutting blade; a shaft fixing portion that fixes the support shaft to the frame, The plant root cutter according to claim 1, wherein the support shaft is provided with a first fixing hole for positioning and fixing the cutting blade on the one side, and a second fixing hole for positioning and fixing the cutting blade on the other side.

3. The plant root cutting tool according to claim 2, further comprising a height adjustment mechanism connected to the shaft fixing portion for varying the installation height of the blade relative to the ground.

4. The plant root cutting machine according to claim 3 , further comprising a sorting plate disposed on the frame forward of the front wheel for separating the leaves of the plant to the sides.

5. The blade posture switching mechanism is a switching handle provided on the support shaft and rotatable around the axis of the support shaft; a fastener that can be inserted into the first fixing hole or the second fixing hole, The fastener is attached to either the first fixing hole or the second fixing hole, so that the cutting blade is fixed to either one side or the other side of the lateral side. A plant root cutter according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The plant root cutting machine according to claim 5, A plant root cutting cultivator characterized by comprising: a cultivating fork attached to a frame of the plant root cutting machine for cultivating the soil in which the plants are grown.

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