Crop handling equipment

Abstract

To provide a crop operating device capable of appropriately operating crops (fruit vegetables or fruits) without being affected by variations in the shape or holding posture of the crops.SOLUTION: A fruit vegetable harvesting device 10 includes an operating tool (e.g., a cutting mechanism 12) that operates a fruit vegetable F (e.g., cuts a stalk), a fruit vegetable holding mechanism 11 that sucks and holds the fruit vegetable F, and an advance and retreat mechanism 13 that makes the cutting mechanism 12 advance or retreat to and from the fruit vegetable F held by the fruit vegetable holding mechanism 11. The advance and retreat mechanism 13 includes an extendable arm 131 having a tip end to which the cutting mechanism 12 is attached, and the cutting mechanism 12 is held to be rotatable about a second rotation shaft 130B with respect to the arm 131.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an agricultural crop manipulation device that performs operations (such as cutting fruit stalks at harvest time) on agricultural crops (fruit vegetables or fruits). [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a fruit and vegetable harvesting device for harvesting fruit and vegetable from a branch. Patent Document 1 discloses a fruit and vegetable harvesting device that holds a fruit and vegetable with a suction hand and harvests the fruit by separating the fruit and vegetable from the abscission layer with a finger part approaching the stalk. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-184936 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The fruit and vegetable harvesting device in Patent Document 1 uses a rack and pinion mechanism to move the fingers toward the stalk. This type of fruit and vegetable harvesting device has a problem in that it cannot adequately handle variations in the shape of the fruit and the holding position.

[0005] That is, since the forward and backward movement mechanism is configured as a rack and pinion mechanism, the forward and backward movement of the fingers is limited to linear movement. Therefore, depending on the size and posture of the fruit, the fingers may not be able to move along the fruit sufficiently, which may result in damage to the fruit to be harvested or its surroundings, or the fingers may not be positioned close enough to the fruit to achieve the intended performance. In addition, fingers that simply move in a straight line cannot accommodate differences in the size and unevenness of the fruit, and cannot handle fruit under various conditions.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a crop manipulation device that can perform appropriate manipulation of agricultural crops without being affected by variations in the shape and holding posture of the agricultural crops (fruit vegetables or fruits). [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the crop manipulation device of the present invention comprises an operating tool for operating crops, a crop holding mechanism for holding the crop, and an advance / retract mechanism for moving the operating tool forward and backward relative to the crop held by the crop holding mechanism, and is characterized in that the operating tool is held rotatably relative to the advance / retract mechanism.

[0008] According to the above configuration, the advancing / retreating mechanism can not only advance and retract the operating tool, but also rotate the operating tool. Therefore, when the operating tool is brought close to the crop, the operating tool can be rotated so as to follow the surface of the crop, and the operating tool can be operated at an appropriate position relative to the crop.

[0009] The agricultural crop manipulation device may further include a drive unit that drives the advancing / retreating mechanism and the manipulation implement.

[0010] In the above-mentioned agricultural crop manipulation device, the drive section may have a plurality of drums with different diameters fixed to the same drive shaft.

[0011] In the above-mentioned agricultural crop manipulation device, the advancing and retreating mechanism may have an extendable arm portion to which the manipulation tool is attached.

[0012] In addition, the above-mentioned agricultural crop manipulation device can be configured such that the arm portion is rotatably supported relative to a frame member of the advance / retract mechanism, and the arm rotation control unit restricts the rotation of the arm portion in the initial stage when the arm portion begins to extend, and allows the rotation of the arm portion as the arm portion extends.

[0013] According to the above configuration, the advancing / retracting mechanism can cause the arm section to rotate as well as extend / retract. The rotation of the arm section can allow the operating tool to appropriately come into contact with the crop when the operating tool is brought close to the crop.

[0014] The above-mentioned agricultural crop manipulation device may further include an elastic member that biases the arm portion in a rotation direction in which the manipulation tool moves relatively closer to the agricultural crop.

[0015] According to the above configuration, the rotational movement of the arm portion can be reliably caused regardless of the posture of the agricultural crop manipulation device during use.

[0016] The agricultural crop manipulation device may be configured so that the arm portion has a plurality of split arms.

[0017] In addition, in the above-mentioned agricultural crop manipulation device, the first split arm, which is located at the front of the split arms when the arm portion is extended, rotatably holds the operating tool, and the drum connected to the operating tool via a belt and the drum connected to the first split arm via a belt can be configured to have different drum diameters.

[0018] According to the above configuration, the rotational operation of the operating tool can be performed with a simple configuration that utilizes the difference in the amount of movement of the two belts.

[0019] In addition, the above-mentioned agricultural crop manipulation device can be configured to include a load-relieving section having a leaf spring whose one end is fixed to the manipulation tool or the split arm and whose other end, which is the free end, has a protrusion protruding toward the belt side.

[0020] In addition, in the above-mentioned agricultural crop manipulation device, the load reduction portion can be configured to have an engagement groove formed in the belt and having a shape that can engage with the protrusion, and an escape groove formed adjacent to the engagement groove and extending in the longitudinal direction of the belt, and having a groove width smaller than the width dimension of the protrusion.

[0021] According to the above configuration, when the drum further rotates and the belt is pushed out after the operating tool comes into contact with the target, the protrusion of the leaf spring is allowed to escape from the engagement groove to the escape groove, thereby reducing the load on the crop, the operating tool, and the dividing arm and preventing the cutting mechanism from tilting more than necessary.

[0022] In addition, the above-mentioned agricultural crop manipulation device can be configured so that the manipulation tool is a cutting mechanism that cuts the stalk of the agricultural crop, and the cutting mechanism is a pair of scissors having a pair of cutting blades with their blade portions arranged opposite each other.

[0023] According to the above configuration, the cutting mechanism can cut the stalks of the crops, and the crop manipulation device can be used for harvesting the crops.

[0024] In addition, in the above-mentioned agricultural crop manipulation device, the cutting mechanism can be configured so that a spring is used to apply a biasing force to open the scissors, and a driving force to close the scissors is transmitted via a double-structure wire member consisting of an outer wire and an inner wire.

[0025] According to the above configuration, there is no need to provide a drive source for opening and closing the scissors integrally with the cutting mechanism, and the cutting mechanism can be made smaller in size, making it easier to insert into densely packed fruit and vegetables.

[0026] In addition, the above-mentioned agricultural crop manipulation device can be configured so that a movable pulley is provided on one blade side of the scissors, and the inner wire is looped around the movable pulley and its tip is connected to the other blade side of the scissors.

[0027] According to the above configuration, the use of the movable pulley reduces the driving force required to close the scissors, and a thin wire with a small allowable stress can be used as the inner wire. In addition, the thin wire has a small minimum bending radius, which allows the cutting mechanism to be made smaller.

[0028] The above-mentioned agricultural crop manipulation device may be configured such that a blade cover is provided on the blade side of the scissors, the blade cover covering the side of the scissors that faces the agricultural crops.

[0029] According to the above configuration, when the cutting mechanism comes into contact with the crop, the blade cover can protect the crop from being scratched. In particular, by making the tip of the cutting mechanism shaped like a ski, the blade can be prevented from piercing the crop when it comes into contact with the crop. Effect of the Invention

[0030] The crop manipulation device of the present invention has an advance / retract mechanism that moves the manipulation tool forward and backward toward the target crop, and the advance / retract mechanism can rotate the manipulation tool at the tip of the advance / retract mechanism, allowing the manipulation tool to follow the surface of the crop, thereby achieving the effect of allowing the manipulation tool to be operated at an appropriate position relative to the crop (for example, a position closer to the fruit stalk). [Brief description of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a fruit and vegetable harvesting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the advancing and retreating mechanism in the fruit and vegetable harvesting device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a top view of the fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 5(a) to 5(c) are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the fruit and vegetable harvesting device during fruit and vegetable harvesting. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing an example of a load absorbing portion. [Figure 6]6(a) and 6(b) are explanatory views showing the function of the load absorbing portion. [Figure 7] 5(a) to 5(c) are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the fruit and vegetable harvesting device during fruit and vegetable harvesting. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a cutting mechanism; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cutting mechanism; [Figure 10] 5(a) to 5(c) are explanatory views showing the operation of the cutting mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] [First embodiment] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of a crop manipulation device according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a fruit and vegetable harvesting device 10, which is an example of a crop manipulation device. The fruit and vegetable harvesting device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is attached to the tip of an arm or the like, and is used as a fruit and vegetable harvester in combination with peripheral devices such as a drive source and an operating means. In other words, the crops to be manipulated by the crop manipulation device are fruit vegetables or fruits.

[0033] The fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus 10 generally comprises a fruit and vegetable holding mechanism (crop holding mechanism) 11, a cutting mechanism (operating tool) 12, and an advancing / retreating mechanism 13. When the fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus 10 is in a basic position during use, the advancing / retreating mechanism 13 is located above the fruit and vegetable holding mechanism 11. For this reason, the up-down direction in this specification refers to the direction in which the fruit and vegetable holding mechanism 11 is located relative to the advancing / retreating mechanism 13, which is the downward direction, and the opposite direction refers to the upward direction.

[0034] The fruit and vegetable holding mechanism 11 has a suction pad 110 formed of a sponge or the like at its tip, and can adsorb and hold the fruit and vegetables to be harvested onto the suction pad 110. More specifically, the fruit and vegetable holding mechanism 11 is connected to a vacuum generating device (not shown) or the like serving as a driving source via a hose (not shown), and the fruit and vegetable holding mechanism 11 is adapted to adsorb the fruit and vegetable onto the suction pad 110 by vacuum suction from the vacuum generating device. Note that since the fruit and vegetable holding device itself that adsorbs and holds fruit vegetables by vacuum suction is publicly known, a detailed description of the fruit and vegetable holding mechanism 11 will be omitted here.

[0035] The cutting mechanism 12 cuts the stalk of the fruit vegetable to be harvested. The specific configuration of the cutting mechanism 12 will be described later. The forward / backward mechanism 13 has the cutting mechanism 12 attached to its tip and moves the cutting mechanism 12 so as to approach the fruit stalk.

[0036] In the present embodiment 1, a characteristic configuration of the advancing and retreating mechanism 13 will be described. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 1 with the arm cover 132 and drum cover 133 of the advancing and retreating mechanism 13 removed so that the internal structure of the advancing and retreating mechanism 13 can be seen. Fig. 3 is a top view of the fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 2.

[0037] 2 and 3, the advance / retract mechanism 13 has an arm section 131 consisting of multiple split arms, namely a first split arm 131A, a second split arm 131B, and a third split arm 131C. In this example, the second split arm 131B and the third split arm 131C are slidable via a V-groove. The first split arm 131A is a rod-shaped member that is inserted into a groove provided in the second split arm 131B and is slidable.

[0038] This allows the first split arm 131A to slide within the groove of the second split arm 131B, and the second split arm 131B to slide within the groove of the third split arm 131C. In this way, the first split arm 131A, the second split arm 131B, and the third split arm 131C form a telescopic mechanism, and the arm portion 131 is extendable in the front-rear direction. In this specification, the front-rear direction means the direction toward the held fruit vegetable, and the rear direction means the direction away from the fruit vegetable. In this example, the telescopic mechanism has three stages, but any number of stages may be used.

[0039] The third split arm 131C does not move in the front-rear direction, but is able to rotate about a first rotation shaft 130A relative to the frame member 130 of the advancing / retreating mechanism 13. In addition, the cutting mechanism 12 is attached to the tip (front end) of the first split arm 131A so as to be able to rotate about a second rotation shaft 130B.

[0040] The arm unit 131 is driven by a drive unit including a rotary actuator 134, a drum unit 135, a first belt 136A, and a second belt 136B to perform an extension / retraction operation. The rotary actuator 134 is an actuator that converts air pressure or hydraulic pressure into rotational motion, and is disposed at a position rearward of the arm unit 131. Note that an electric motor or the like can be used instead of the rotary actuator 134.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, the drum unit 135 is configured by arranging three drums, a large diameter drum 135A, a medium diameter drum 135B, and a small diameter drum 135C, concentrically with respect to the same rotation axis. The large diameter drum 135A has the largest outer diameter of the three drums. The small diameter drum 135C has the smallest outer diameter of the three drums. The medium diameter drum 135B has an outer diameter larger than the small diameter drum 135C and smaller than the large diameter drum 135A. In this example, the small diameter drum 135C is arranged on the opposite side of the rotary actuator 134 with respect to the large diameter drum 135A, and the medium diameter drum 135B is arranged on the same side as the rotary actuator 134 with respect to the large diameter drum 135A, but the arrangement order of these drums is not particularly limited.

[0042] In the drum unit 135, when the drive shaft is driven to rotate in the forward or reverse direction by the rotary actuator 134, the large diameter drum 135A, the medium diameter drum 135B, and the small diameter drum 135C fixed to the drive shaft rotate forward or reverse at the same rotational speed. In this specification, forward rotation means rotation in the rotation direction when the arm part 131 extends forward (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2). On the other hand, reverse rotation means rotation in the rotation direction when the arm part 131 retracts backward (clockwise direction in FIG. 2).

[0043] The first belt 136A plays a role of driving the sliding movement of the first divided arm 131A. This first belt 136A is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the medium diameter drum 135B, and although not shown in detail in the figure, its longitudinal tip end is fixed to a predetermined position on the first divided arm 131A, and its longitudinal base end is fixed to a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface of the medium diameter drum 135B. The second belt 136B plays a role of driving the sliding movement of the second divided arm 131B. This second belt 136B is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter drum 135C, and although not shown in detail in the figure, its longitudinal tip end is fixed to a predetermined position on the second divided arm 131B, and its longitudinal base end is fixed to a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter drum 135C.

[0044] Furthermore, the drive section of the advancing / retreating mechanism 13 has a cutting mechanism belt 137 for tilting the cutting mechanism 12 (rotating the operating tool). The cutting mechanism belt 137 is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter drum 135A, with its longitudinal tip end attached to the top of the cutting mechanism 12 and its longitudinal base end fixed to a predetermined position on the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter drum 135A, although not shown in detail in the figure. The number of drums in the drum unit 135 and the number of belts connected to the drum unit 135 are changed depending on the number of stages of the telescopic mechanism of the arm section 131.

[0045] In the forward / retract mechanism 13, when the drum unit 135 rotates forward, each belt wound around each drum is unwound forward. At this time, the first split arm 131A is pushed forward by the unwounding of the first belt 136A, and the second split arm 131B is pushed forward by the unwounding of the second belt 136B. At this time, due to the difference in outer diameter between the medium-diameter drum 135B around which the first belt 136A is wound and the small-diameter drum 135C around which the second belt 136B is wound, the movement amount of the first split arm 131A is larger than the movement amount of the second split arm 131B. That is, the arm portion 131 extends forward by the forward rotation of the drum unit 135. When the drum unit 135 rotates backward, the extended arm portion 131 is pulled back backward.

[0046] Furthermore, when the drum unit 135 rotates forward, the cutting mechanism belt 137 wound around the large diameter drum 135A is also unwound forward. At this time, due to the difference in outer diameter between the large diameter drum 135A and the medium diameter drum 135B, the amount of unwound cutting mechanism belt 137 is greater than the amount of unwound first belt 136A. Furthermore, since the cutting mechanism belt 137 is attached to the top of the cutting mechanism 12, the difference in the amount of movement between the cutting mechanism belt 137 and the first belt 136A causes the cutting mechanism 12 to rotate around the second rotation shaft 130B and tilt so as to lower its tip side (toward the suction pad 110).

[0047] In this embodiment, the drum around which the cutting mechanism belt 137 is wound (i.e., the large diameter drum 135A) has a larger drum diameter than the drum around which the first belt 136A is wound (i.e., the medium diameter drum 135B). However, in order to rotate (tilt) the cutting mechanism 12, it is only necessary that the payout amount of the cutting mechanism belt 137 and the payout amount of the first belt 136A are different, and it is only necessary that the drum diameter of the drum around which the cutting mechanism belt 137 is wound and the drum around which the first belt 136A is wound are different. Specifically, as long as the cutting mechanism belt 137 is attached below the second rotating shaft 130B with respect to the cutting mechanism 12, even if the drum diameter of the drum around which the cutting mechanism belt 137 is wound is smaller than the drum diameter of the drum around which the first belt 136A is wound, it is possible to tilt the cutting mechanism 12 as in this embodiment.

[0048] Since each of the above-mentioned belts is naturally flexible, if the belts buckle when the drum unit 135 rotates forward, the arm portion 131 cannot extend or retract normally, and the cutting mechanism 12 cannot tilt normally. For this reason, the advancing and retracting mechanism 13 includes an arm cover 132 and a drum cover 133 for preventing the belts from buckling, as shown in FIG.

[0049] The arm cover 132 is a plate-like member having a rectangular shape in a plan view, and is disposed above each belt in the movement area of ​​the arm portion 131 to suppress upward buckling of each belt. The arm cover 132 is attached to the second divided arm 131B, and moves in the front-rear direction together with the second divided arm 131B. The arm cover is not in contact with the first divided arm 131A or the third divided arm 131C so as not to impede the extension and contraction movement of the arm portion 131. The drum cover 133 is disposed outside the drum unit 135 to suppress buckling of each belt wound around the drum unit 135.

[0050] Next, the operation of the fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus 10 during fruit and vegetable harvesting will be described with reference to Figs. 4(a) to (c).

[0051] 4(a) shows the initial position of the fruit vegetable harvesting device 10, in which the fruit vegetable F is suction-held by the suction pad 110, but the retractable mechanism 13 has retracted the arm portion 131 to its minimum length. At this time, the arm portion 131 is held at its tip above the fruit vegetable P by the arm rotation control portion consisting of the arm cover 132 and the tail guide 138.

[0052] The configuration and operation of the arm rotation control section will be described below. First, the arm cover 132 has a tail section 132a that extends further rearward than the rear end of the second divided arm 131B. The arm section 131 is capable of rotating about the first rotating shaft 130A because the third divided arm 131C is connected to the frame member 130 via the first rotating shaft 130A. The tail guide 138 is a rail member that controls the rotation of the arm section 131 by contacting the tail section 132a. Specifically, in the initial position shown in FIG. 4(a), the rear end portion of the tail guide 138 abuts against the tail section 132a, and the rotation of the arm section 131 is restricted in the initial stage when the arm section 131 begins to extend.

[0053] When the drum unit 135 is rotated in the forward direction from the initial position in Fig. 4(a), the arm portion 131 extends accordingly. In addition, during the process of the arm portion 131 extending, a rotation occurs that lowers the tip of the arm portion 131 (bringing the cutting mechanism 12 relatively closer to the fruit vegetables). The rotation of the arm portion 131 at this time is also controlled by the arm rotation control unit. Specifically, at least during the initial process of the arm portion 131 extending, the arm portion 131 is rotated while the tail portion 132a is in contact with the tail guide 138, thereby preventing the arm portion 131 from rotating suddenly.

[0054] Here, the rail of tail guide 138 is arranged to be raised from the rear to the front. In addition, in the process of extending arm portion 131, arm cover 132 also moves forward in association with the movement of second split arm 131B. Then, when arm cover 132 moves forward, tail portion 132a moves along tail guide 138, thereby allowing the rear end of arm portion 131 to rotate upward, in other words, the tip of arm portion 131 to rotate downward.

[0055] In this way, in the advance / retract mechanism 13, the arm unit 131 rotates in accordance with the extension and retraction of the arm unit 131. As a result, the extension and retraction of the arm unit 131 moves the cutting mechanism 12 forward, and the rotation of the arm unit 131 causes the cutting mechanism 12 to descend toward the fruit vegetable F held by the suction pad 110. At this time, the cutting mechanism 12 also rotates around the second rotation shaft 130B, tilting its tip end so as to descend. By such a combined operation (extension and retraction and rotation of the arm unit 131, and tilting of the cutting mechanism 12), the cutting mechanism 12 can bring its bottom part into contact with the fruit vegetable F from above. FIG. 4(b) shows the contact position of the cutting mechanism 12 immediately after it comes into contact with the fruit vegetable F.

[0056] When the drum unit 135 is further rotated in the forward direction from the contact position in Fig. 4(b), the arm portion 131 extends further. At this time, the cutting mechanism 12 moves along the fruit vegetable F while keeping the bottom portion in contact with the fruit vegetable F, and finally reaches the cutting position shown in Fig. 4(c). At the cutting position shown in Fig. 4(c), the cutting mechanism 12 reaches the stalk of the fruit vegetable F, and the cutting mechanism 12 is operated to cut the stalk and separate the fruit vegetable F from the branches.

[0057] In the above operation, the combined action of the extension and retraction action and rotation action of the arm portion 131 and the tilt action of the cutting mechanism 12 prevents the cutting mechanism 12, which is moved by the advance and retreat mechanism 13, from piercing the fruit vegetable F. In addition, after the cutting mechanism 12 comes into contact with the fruit vegetable F, the cutting mechanism 12 can be moved along the fruit vegetable F, and the stalk can be cut at an optimal location close to the fruit vegetable F in accordance with differences in the size and unevenness of the fruit vegetable F. Furthermore, the above combined action is performed using only the rotary actuator 134 as a drive source. This is advantageous in simplifying the configuration of the fruit vegetable harvesting device 10 and reducing costs.

[0058] The downward movement of the arm portion 131 may be caused by gravity, but may be more reliably caused by an elastic member such as a spring. That is, when the fruit and vegetable harvesting device 10 is in use, if the advance / retract mechanism 13 is in a basic position located above the fruit and vegetable holding mechanism 11, the downward movement of the arm portion 131 can be caused by gravity. However, depending on the position of the fruit and vegetable harvesting device 10 when in use, it is possible that gravity does not act in a direction that causes the downward movement of the arm portion 131. In such a case, if the downward movement of the arm portion 131 is caused by the biasing force of the elastic member, the above-mentioned combined movement can be caused regardless of the position of the fruit and vegetable harvesting device 10 when in use. Note that the elastic member used in this case may be any member that generates a biasing force that causes the tip of the arm portion 131 to descend around the first rotation axis 130A with respect to the arm portion 131, and the type of the elastic member used is not particularly limited.

[0059] In addition, the position of the stalk of the fruit vegetable F held by the suction pad 110 varies depending on the size of the fruit vegetable F and the holding position of the fruit vegetable F with respect to the suction pad 110. That is, the position of the stalk may be close or far from the tip of the suction pad 110. For this reason, the extension amount of the arm portion 131 of the advance / retract mechanism 13 needs to be long enough to reach the stalk even if it is far away. On the other hand, if the stalk is close, and the arm portion 131 continues to be extended further after the cutting mechanism 12 hits the stalk, the tip of the cutting mechanism 12 may be excessively tilted, scratching the fruit vegetable, or excessive force may be applied to the blade of the cutting mechanism 12, damaging the blade.

[0060] For this reason, it is preferable that the cutting mechanism 12 and the cutting mechanism belt 137 are connected via a load absorbing portion. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing an example of the load absorbing portion. Fig. 6 is an explanatory view showing the function of the load absorbing portion.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 5, the load absorbing portion is composed of an engagement hole 1371 formed at the tip of the cutting mechanism belt 137 and a leaf spring 121 attached to the upper surface of the cutting mechanism 12. The engagement hole 1371 is formed penetrating the cutting mechanism belt 137 in the thickness direction, and has a fitting portion (fitting groove) 1371a and an escape portion (escape groove) 1371b. Specifically, the fitting portion 1371a has a substantially circular shape in a plan view, and the escape portion 1371b is connected to the fitting portion 1371a so as to extend rearward in the longitudinal direction of the cutting mechanism belt 137. The width (width in the short side direction) of the escape portion 1371b is formed smaller than the inner diameter of the fitting portion 1371a.

[0062] The leaf spring 121 has an attachment piece 121a protruding from the bottom surface at the base end for attaching the leaf spring 121 to the cutting mechanism 12, while a hemispherical protrusion 121b (see FIG. 6) protruding from the bottom surface at the tip end. The outer diameter of the protrusion 121b is set to be larger than the width of the relief portion 1371b in the engagement hole 1371 and approximately equal to the inner diameter of the fitting portion 1371a. The leaf spring 121 thus configured has its attachment piece 121a fixed to the top of the cutting mechanism 12, and the protrusion 121b provided at the tip, which is the free end, is fitted into the engagement hole 1371 of the cutting mechanism belt 137. The shape of the protrusion 121b is not limited to a hemispherical shape and can be arbitrarily changed in design, and the shape and size of the fitting portion 1371a and the relief portion 1371b can also be appropriately changed in design accordingly.

[0063] 6(a) shows a state in which the protrusion 121b of the leaf spring 121 is fitted into the fitting portion 1371a of the engagement hole 1371. At this time, the protrusion 121b is pressed against the fitting portion 1371a by the spring action of the leaf spring 121. In this state, when the cutting mechanism belt 137 advances due to the forward rotation of the drum unit 135, a force can be transmitted from the cutting mechanism belt 137 to the cutting mechanism 12 via the engagement between the protrusion 121b and the fitting portion 1371a, and the cutting mechanism 12 can be caused to perform a tilting operation.

[0064] On the other hand, if the cutting mechanism 12 hits the stalk and cannot move forward any further, and the drum unit 135 is further rotated forward, a large pressing force is generated at the fitting portion between the projection 121b and the fitting portion 1371a, and this pressing force causes the projection 121b to rise against the spring force and to rest on the relief portion 1371b as shown in Fig. 6(b). With the projection 121b resting on the relief portion 1371b, even if the cutting mechanism belt 137 moves forward due to the forward rotation of the drum unit 135, no force can be transmitted from the cutting mechanism belt 137 to the cutting mechanism 12, which reduces the load on the cutting mechanism 12 and also prevents the cutting mechanism 12 from tilting more than necessary.

[0065] Figures 7(a) to (c) show the operation of the fruit and vegetable harvesting device 10 when harvesting fruit and vegetable, and show an example of operation different from that shown in Figures 4(a) to (c). In the example of Figures 7(a) to (c), the posture of the fruit vegetable F held by the fruit vegetable holding mechanism 11 is different from that shown in the example of Figures 4(a) to (c), and the position of the stalk is closer to the fruit vegetable holding mechanism 11. For this reason, the cutting mechanism 12 comes into contact with the stalk at an earlier timing than in the example of Figures 4(a) to (c), but the action of the load absorbing section prevents the cutting mechanism 12 from tilting, and the cutting mechanism 12 can be properly aligned with the surface of the fruit vegetable F.

[0066] Although the above-mentioned load mitigating section is provided at the connection point between the cutting mechanism 12 and the cutting mechanism belt 137, a similar load mitigating section can also be provided at the connection point between the first divided arm 131A and the first belt 136A and / or the connection point between the second divided arm 131B and the second belt 136B. In this case, when the cutting mechanism 12 hits the fruit stalk and cannot move forward any further, and the drum unit 135 is further rotated in the forward direction, the arm section 131 can be prevented from extending any further and causing the cutting mechanism 12 to be pushed into the fruit stalk more than necessary.

[0067] In a fruit or vegetable harvesting apparatus 10 provided with such a load mitigating section, it is not necessary to use a sensor or the like to detect when the cutting mechanism 12 hits a fruit stalk and to stop the drum unit 135 based on that detection. This simplifies the control of the rotation of the drum unit 135, which is advantageous in reducing the cost of the fruit or vegetable harvesting apparatus 10.

[0068] [Embodiment 2] In the second embodiment, a specific configuration example of the cutting mechanism 12 will be described. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the cutting mechanism 12. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the cutting mechanism 12. However, in Fig. 9, the mounting member 127 in Fig. 8 is omitted, and the inside of the movable member 125 is illustrated as a cross section.

[0069] As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the cutting mechanism 12 according to the second embodiment is provided as scissors having a pair of cutting blades arranged with their blades facing each other. That is, the cutting mechanism 12 has a first blade member 122 serving as a stationary blade and a second blade member 123 serving as a movable blade. A fixed member 124 is attached to the first blade member 122 on the side opposite the blade portion, and a movable member 125 is attached to the second blade member 123 on the side opposite the blade portion. The movable member 125 is provided with a pulley 125a having a rotation axis in a direction perpendicular to the opening and closing surface of the scissors. A spring 126 is disposed between the fixed member 124 and the movable member 125, and the spring 126 applies a biasing force in the direction in which the scissors open.

[0070] An attachment member 127 is fixedly attached to the upper surface of the fixed member 124 so as to stand upright. The attachment member 127 has a shaft hole 127a for passing the second rotating shaft 130B near the center in the longitudinal direction. A leaf spring 121 is attached to the upper end of the attachment member 127 (the end opposite to the side connected to the fixed member 124). When the above-mentioned load absorbing portion is not provided, the cutting mechanism belt 137 may be directly attached to the upper end of the attachment member 127.

[0071] Furthermore, a blade cover 128 may be provided on the blade side of the first blade member 122 and the second blade member 123. The blade cover 128 is a resin cover arranged to cover the bottom side (the side facing the fruit vegetable) of the first blade member 122 and the second blade member 123, and protects the fruit vegetable from being scratched when the cutting mechanism 12 comes into contact with the fruit vegetable. In particular, by making the tip of the blade cover 128 into a ski-like shape (a shape that curves upward), it is possible to prevent the blade from piercing the fruit vegetable at the moment the blade comes into contact with the fruit vegetable.

[0072] In the cutting mechanism 12, the driving force for closing the scissors is transmitted from the outside by a wire member 129. The wire member 129 is a wire with a double structure of an outer wire 129A and an inner wire 129B, like a brake wire for a bicycle. The outer wire 129A is attached to the outside (opposite the movable member 125) of the fixed member 124. The inner wire 129B is attached so as to be wound around the pulley 125a, and its tip is connected to the inside of the fixed member 124. That is, the inner wire 129B is wound around the pulley 125a provided on the movable blade side of the scissors, and its tip is connected to the stationary blade side of the scissors. In the example of FIG. 9, the tip of the inner wire 129B is connected to a tensioner 140 provided on the stationary blade side of the scissors, and the length of the inner wire 129B (i.e., the tension generated when the inner wire 129B is pulled) can be adjusted by operating the tensioner 140.

[0073] 10(a) to (c) are explanatory views showing the operation of the cutting mechanism 12. Fig. 10(a) shows the initial state of the cutting mechanism 12. In this state, the scissors are opened by the biasing force of the spring 126.

[0074] When the scissors are to be closed in the cutting mechanism 12, the inner wire 129B is pulled by a drive source (such as an air cylinder or a motor) connected to the other end (the end not shown) of the wire member 129. By pulling the inner wire 129B, the pulley 125a functions as a movable pulley, as shown in Figures 10(b) and (c), and the scissors can be closed. When the pulling force of the inner wire 129B is released, the action of the spring 126 allows the scissors to open again.

[0075] In this way, by using the pulley 125a as a movable pulley, the driving force for closing the scissors can be reduced, and a thin wire with a small allowable stress can be used as the inner wire 129B. Furthermore, since a thin wire has a small minimum bending radius, it is possible to configure the cutting mechanism 12 to be small. Furthermore, it is preferable to use a polymer thread for the inner wire 129B. Since a polymer thread has a smaller minimum bending radius at the same tensile strength than a metal wire, by using a polymer thread for the inner wire 129B, the pulley 125a can be made small, and the entire cutting mechanism 12 can be made compact.

[0076] The cutting mechanism 12 according to the present embodiment is configured to be connected to an external drive source via the wire member 129, which makes it possible to separate the drive source from the cutting mechanism 12. This allows the cutting mechanism 12 itself to be made smaller, making it easier to insert the cutting mechanism 12 into densely packed fruit and vegetables.

[0077] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be limiting. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not interpreted solely by the above-described embodiments, but is defined by the claims. Also, all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims are included.

[0078] For example, in the fruit and vegetable harvesting device 10 described above, the cutting mechanism 12, which is a pair of scissors, is attached to the tip of the arm unit 131, but an operating tool other than the cutting mechanism 12 may be attached to the tip of the arm unit 131. Such an operating tool is a tool that operates on fruit vegetables, and an operating tool other than the cutting mechanism 12 may be, for example, a tool that plucks fruit vegetables from their stalks by a method other than cutting (for example, a finger portion as disclosed in Patent Document 1), or a tool that covers fruit vegetables with a bag. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10 Fruit and vegetable harvesting device (crop handling device) 11 Fruit and Vegetable Holding Mechanism (Agricultural Crop Holding Mechanism) 110 Suction Pad 12 Cutting mechanism (operating device) 121 Leaf spring (load relief part) 121a Mounting piece 121b Protrusion 122 First blade member 123 Second blade member 124 Fixing member 125 Movable parts 125a Pulley 126 Spring 127 Mounting material 127a Shaft hole 128 Blade Cover 129 Wire material 129A Outer Wire 129B Inner Wire 13 Advancement / retraction mechanism 130 Frame members 130A First Rotating Shaft 130B Second rotating shaft 131 Arm section 131A First Split Arm 131B Second split arm 131C 3rd division arm 132 Arm cover (arm rotation control section) 132a Tail section 133 Drum Cover 134 Rotary actuator (drive unit) 135 Drum unit (drive unit) 135A Large diameter drum 135B Medium diameter drum 135C small diameter drum 136A First Belt (Drive Part) 136B Second belt (drive section) 137 Cutting mechanism belt (drive unit) 1371 Engagement hole (load relaxation part) 1371a Fitting part (fitting groove) 1371b Relief section (relief groove) 138 Tail guide (arm rotation control unit)

Claims

1. An operating tool for operating the crops; a crop-holding mechanism for holding the crop; an advancing / retreating mechanism for advancing / retreating the operating tool relative to the crop held by the crop holding mechanism; a drive unit that drives the advance / retract mechanism and the operation tool, The operating tool is rotatably held by the advancing / retracting mechanism, The agricultural crop manipulation device, wherein the drive unit has a plurality of drums having different diameters fixed to the same drive shaft.

2. 2. The crop manipulation device according to claim 1, The agricultural crop manipulation device, characterized in that the advancing and retreating mechanism has a freely extendable arm portion to which the manipulation tool is attached.

3. 3. The crop manipulation device according to claim 2, The arm portion is rotatably supported by a frame member of the advancing / retracting mechanism, A crop manipulation device comprising an arm rotation control unit that restricts rotation of the arm unit in an initial stage when the arm unit begins to extend, and allows rotation of the arm unit as the arm unit extends.

4. 4. The crop manipulation device according to claim 3, A crop manipulation device comprising: an elastic member for urging the arm portion in a rotation direction in which the manipulation tool moves relatively closer to the crop.

5. 3. The crop manipulation device according to claim 2, 13. A crop handling device, comprising: a first arm portion having a first end and a second end;

6. 6. The crop manipulation device according to claim 5, Among the split arms, a first split arm located at the front when the arm portion extends rotatably holds the operating tool, A crop manipulation device, characterized in that the drum connected to the manipulation implement via a belt and the drum connected to the first split arm via a belt have different drum diameters.

7. 7. A crop manipulation device according to claim 6, A crop manipulation device characterized in that it is provided with a load-relieving part having a leaf spring whose one end is fixed to the manipulation tool or the split arm and whose other end, which is the free end, has a protrusion protruding toward the belt.

8. 8. A crop manipulation device according to claim 7, The load alleviation portion is A fitting groove is formed in the belt and has a shape that allows the protrusion to be fitted therein; a relief groove formed adjacent to the engagement groove so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the belt and having a groove width smaller than a width dimension of the projection.

9. A crop manipulation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The operating tool is a cutting mechanism for cutting the stem of the agricultural product, 2. A crop manipulation device, wherein the cutting mechanism is a pair of scissors having a pair of cutting blades with their blade portions opposed to each other.

10. 10. The crop manipulation device of claim 9, The cutting mechanism is characterized in that a spring applies a biasing force to open the scissors, and a driving force to close the scissors is transmitted via a double-structure wire member consisting of an outer wire and an inner wire.

11. 11. A crop manipulation device according to claim 10, A movable pulley is provided on one blade side of the scissors, The crop manipulation device is characterized in that the inner wire is wound around the movable pulley and has a tip connected to the other blade side of the scissors.

12. The fruit and vegetable handling device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, A fruit or vegetable handling device, characterized in that a blade cover is provided on the blade side of the scissors, and the blade cover covers the side of the scissors facing the agricultural crops.

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