Root edge spraying device and root edge spraying vehicle equipped with the same

Abstract

To provide a root-periphery sprayer capable of quickly returning a parallel link mechanism rotationally turned in the left / right sides around a support shaft, to a central position and quickly suppressing swing in a case of being lifted when a vehicle turns, and root periphery spraying vehicle including the root periphery sprayer.SOLUTION: A root periphery sprayer includes a boom part 5 extending in a substantially left / right horizontal direction from a travel vehicle 2, a plurality of mounting bases 6 fixed to the boom part 5 at prescribed intervals apart from each other, spray nozzle lifting / lowering mechanisms 7 each connected to each mounting base 6 and vertically movably supporting a spray nozzle 76 for spraying liquid drug, by a four-link mechanism, and connecting members 8 each connecting the mounting base 6 to the spray nozzle lifting / lowering mechanism 7. Each connecting member 8 has an inclined support shaft 81 inclined in the vertical direction with respect to a longitudinal horizontal shaft and the spray nozzle lifting / lowering mechanism 7 is left / right swingably journaled to the inclined support shaft 81.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a root-edge spraying device for spraying liquid agents or the like at the base of the roots of agricultural crops planted in a field, and to a root-edge spraying vehicle equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, spraying of herbicides and fungicides has been carried out to promote the growth of crops planted in fields and to eliminate pests. For example, legumes such as soybeans, adzuki beans, and kidney beans are relatively short crops, and therefore their growth is easily hindered by weeds. In addition, infection with sclerotinia rot, gray mold, and other diseases can cause significant damage to yield and quality. Therefore, spraying of herbicides and fungicides is extremely important.

[0003] On the other hand, there is a problem with beans in that their growth will stop if the herbicide comes into contact with the growing point at the tip of the stem, etc. Therefore, for beans, it is necessary to spray the liquid agent at the base of the roots so that it does not come into contact with the growing point.

[0004] As a method for spraying liquid agents near the roots, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 5-21678 discloses an invention relating to a root-edge sprayer using a four-bar link mechanism (Patent Document 1). According to Patent Document 1, the foot spring of the root-edge sprayer can move the spray nozzle up and down by contacting the ground, so that the agent can be sprayed consistently near the roots of crops regardless of the height of the ground. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 5-21678 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Incidentally, in conventional spraying devices including the invention described in Patent Document 1, as shown in Figure 15, a four-bar link mechanism is supported by a horizontally arranged support shaft (horizontal support shaft), and when it comes into contact with an obstacle such as crops, as shown in Figure 16, the four-bar link mechanism rotates around the horizontal support shaft, and the lower link rod is moved upwards and to the side to prevent damage to the crops.

[0007] However, as shown in Figure 16, even if the hoe comes into contact with the ground while rotating left and right and receives resistance from the ground, no force is generated to return it to the center position because the contact part and the direction of travel are parallel. Therefore, the four-bar link mechanism remains extended downward and cannot return to the central origin position. In this way, when the four-bar link mechanism does not return to the center position, the angle of the spray nozzle and the distance between the spray nozzle and the crop change, resulting in a problem of spraying at the crop instead of at the roots.

[0008] In addition, when turning around at the turning point in the field, the plant must be lifted up once, turned around, and then the root-edge spraying device must be placed in the next furrow. However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, the lateral swing of the four-link mechanism when turning is difficult to stop. For this reason, it is necessary to wait until the swing stops to a certain extent, which is a problem of wasting time.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve the problems described above, and aims to provide a root-edge spraying device and a root-edge spraying vehicle equipped with the same, which can quickly return a four-bar link mechanism that rotates left and right around a support axis to a central position and quickly suppress shaking when lifted when the vehicle turns. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The root-edge spraying device of the present invention is a root-edge spraying device that is attached to a traveling vehicle and sprays a liquid agent at the roots of agricultural crops planted in a field, in order to solve the problem of quickly returning a four-bar link mechanism that rotates left and right around a support shaft to a central position, and has a boom section that extends in a substantially horizontal direction to the left and right from the traveling vehicle, a plurality of mounting bases that are fixed to the boom section at a predetermined interval, a spray nozzle up and down mechanism that is connected to each mounting base and supports a spray nozzle that sprays the liquid agent so that it can move up and down via the four-bar link mechanism, and a connecting member that connects the mounting base and the spray nozzle up and down mechanism, and the connecting member has an inclined support shaft that is inclined in the vertical direction with respect to a horizontal axis in the fore-and-aft direction, and the spray nozzle up and down mechanism is supported on the inclined support shaft so that it can swing left and right.

[0011] In addition, as one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of making it easier to quickly return the four-bar link mechanism that rotates left and right around the support shaft to a central position and suppressing shaking when lifted when the vehicle turns, the connecting member may have a oscillating rod having one end fixed to the spray nozzle up and down mechanism and the other end supported by the inclined support shaft so that it can swing freely, a pair of left and right clamping members that oscillate in an outward opening direction to the left and right with the inclined support shaft as a fulcrum while clamping the oscillating rod, and a position return spring that is connected to the open ends of the clamping members and biases the clamping members toward the center, thereby returning the spray nozzle up and down mechanism fixed to the oscillating rod to the central position.

[0012] Furthermore, as one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of preventing the four-bar link mechanism from swinging backward and to the left and right when it comes into contact with an obstacle such as a crop and damaging the obstacle, and of quickly returning the four-bar link mechanism tilted backward and to the left and right to a central position, the inclined support axis may be inclined vertically within a range of 15 degrees to 80 degrees with respect to the horizontal axis.

[0013] In addition, as one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of stabilizing the up and down movement of a four-bar link mechanism that follows the ups and downs of the ground, the spray nozzle up and down mechanism has a front fixed link fixed to the connecting member at the front, an upper link and a lower link rotatably connected to the front fixed link, and a rear nozzle support link rotatably connected to each end of the upper link and the lower link while keeping them in a parallel state, and a vertical movement stabilization spring may be provided between the upper link and the lower link to exert an elastic force in the vertical direction to stabilize the up and down movement of the rear nozzle support link.

[0014] Furthermore, as one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of increasing the height of the rear nozzle support link relative to the ground so that it can move forward while pushing aside weeds, the spraying nozzle up and down mechanism may be equipped with tines having a straight section hanging down in a straight line from the rear nozzle support link, an elastic section curved forward from the lower end of the straight section, and a ground contact section extending horizontally rearward from the lower end of the elastic section.

[0015] The root-edge spraying vehicle of the present invention is configured so that the root-edge spraying device is mounted at the front position of the running vehicle in order to solve the problem of quickly returning a four-bar link mechanism that rotates left and right around a support axis to a central position. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, the four-bar link mechanism that rotates left and right about the support shaft can be quickly returned to the center position, and shaking when lifted during vehicle cornering can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a root-edge spraying vehicle according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] This is an oblique view showing the root-edge spraying vehicle in this embodiment with the boom section folded. [Diagram 3] A side view showing the root-edge spraying device of this embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a root spraying device according to another embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1 is a perspective view showing the mounting base, the connecting member, and the front fixed link of the spray nozzle up and down mechanism in this embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a side view showing the mounting base, the connecting member, and the front fixed link of the spray nozzle up and down mechanism in this embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is a diagram showing the mounting base and the connecting member as viewed from the direction A in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a clamping member in the present embodiment. [Figure 9] 1 is a rear view showing a state in which the spray nozzle up / down mechanism in this embodiment is rotated left / right around an inclined support shaft as a fulcrum. [Figure 10] 10 is a plan view of FIG. 9, showing the action of the spray nozzle up / down mechanism returning to the center position due to the resistance force with the ground as indicated by the arrow. FIG. [Figure 11] This is a view from the axial direction of the inclined support shaft, showing the state in which the mounting base, connecting member, and front fixed link are opened to the limit angle in the left and right outward opening directions in this embodiment, and shows the action of returning the spray nozzle up and down mechanism to the center position by the position return spring. [Figure 12] 5 is a schematic diagram showing a method for adjusting the spray range by changing the height of the spray nozzle in this embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] 5 is a schematic diagram showing a method for adjusting the spray range by changing the angle of the spray nozzle in this embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the spray nozzle up / down mechanism moves up and down in accordance with the undulations of the ground in this embodiment. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a conventional root-edge spraying device. [Figure 16] This is a plan view showing a conventional root-edge spraying device swung left and right by a horizontal support shaft. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Below, one embodiment of the root-edge spraying device and the root-edge spraying vehicle equipped with the same according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] 1, the root edge spraying vehicle 1 of this embodiment mainly comprises a traveling vehicle 2, a root edge spraying device 3 mounted in a front position of the traveling vehicle 2, and a liquid agent supplying device 4 that supplies a liquid agent to the root edge spraying device 3. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0020] The traveling vehicle 2 is a vehicle capable of self-propelling in a field, and examples thereof include a tractor to which an agricultural attachment can be attached, a vehicle dedicated to root-edge spraying, etc. In this embodiment, the traveling vehicle 2 is configured as a tractor, and a boom sprayer 21 is attached to the rear as an agricultural attachment capable of spraying a liquid agent from above the crops.

[0021] The root-edge spraying device 3 is mounted on the traveling vehicle 2 and is used to spray a liquid agent at the roots of agricultural crops in a field. As shown in Figure 3, the root-edge spraying device 3 of this embodiment has a boom section 5 that extends in a substantially horizontal direction to the left and right at the front position of the traveling vehicle 2, a mounting base 6 fixed to the boom section 5, a spray nozzle up-down mechanism 7 connected to the mounting base 6, and a connecting member 8 that connects the mounting base 6 and the spray nozzle up-down mechanism 7.

[0022] The boom section 5 is for mounting the root-edge spraying device 3 to the traveling vehicle 2, and extends in a substantially horizontal direction to the left and right at the front position of the traveling vehicle 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the boom section 5 in this embodiment is configured to be foldable, so that it can be folded when traveling on a road or when storing in a garage. The boom section 5 is also configured to be liftable, so that it can be lifted up so that the spray nozzle lifting mechanism 7 and the like do not come into contact with the crops when turning at a turning point in the field.

[0023] The mounting base 6 is configured to fix the spray nozzle up and down mechanism 7, etc. to the boom section 5, and in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, has an insertion section 61 that is formed in an approximately U-shape when viewed from the side and into which the boom section 5 is fitted, and a fastening fixing section 62 consisting of a bolt and a nut that fastens the open end side of this insertion section 61.

[0024] The configuration of the mounting base 6 is not limited to the configuration consisting of the insertion portion 61 and the fastening fixing portion 62, but can be appropriately selected from configurations that can be fixed to the boom portion 5.

[0025] The spray nozzle up-down mechanism 7 uses a four-joint link mechanism to move the spray nozzle 76 up and down in accordance with the undulations of the ground. As shown in FIG. 3, the spray nozzle up-down mechanism 7 in this embodiment has a front fixed link 71 arranged vertically at the front and fixed to the connecting member 8, an upper link 72 and a lower link 73 connected to the front fixed link 71, a rear nozzle support link 74 connected to each end of the upper link 72 and the lower link 73, a tine 75 suspended from the rear nozzle support link 74, a spray nozzle 76 attached to the rear nozzle support link 74 or the tine 75, and a vertical movement stabilizing spring 77 that stabilizes the vertical movement of the rear nozzle support link 74.

[0026] The front fixed link 71 is a member fixed to the connecting member 8 in a vertically oriented state at the front side of the four-bar link mechanism, and corresponds to the fixed link in the four-bar link mechanism. The front fixed link 71 in this embodiment is made of a cylindrical rod material so as not to damage the crops upon contact.

[0027] The upper link 72 is rotatably connected to the front fixed link 71 near its upper end.

[0028] The lower link 73 is formed to have the same length as the upper link 72, is lower than the upper link 72, and is rotatably connected to the front fixed link 71 at a substantially vertically intermediate position. In addition, the front end of the lower link 73 extends forward from the front fixed link 71, and the tip is tapered like the bottom of a boat so as not to scrape off and damage the stems and leaves of the crops.

[0029] The rear nozzle support link 74 is a member that is rotatably connected to each end of the upper link 72 and the lower link 73 while keeping them parallel to each other, and that moves up and down while maintaining its parallelism with the front fixed link 71 .

[0030] In this embodiment, the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 comprises a so-called parallel link mechanism in which the upper link 72 and the lower link 73 are of the same length and arranged in parallel, and the front fixed link 71 and the rear nozzle support link 74 are of the same length and arranged in parallel, but this is not limited to this and the links may be of different lengths and arranged in a non-parallel manner.

[0031] Like skis, the tines 75 guide the up-down and left-right movement of the spray nozzle up-down mechanism 7 in accordance with the contours of the ground and the resistance to the ground, and have the function of pushing aside weeds such as vines and sometimes cutting them as they move forward.The tines 75 have a straight section 751 that hangs down in a straight line from the rear nozzle support link 74, an elastic section 752 formed at the lower end of this straight section 751, and a contact section 753 that extends from the lower end of this elastic section 752 and comes into contact with the ground.

[0032] The straight section 751 is intended to hold the spray nozzle 76 at a position high above the ground so that it does not come into contact with weeds, etc., and is suspended in a straight line from the rear nozzle support link 74.

[0033] The elastic portion 752 is a portion formed to absorb impacts caused by uneven ground conditions, and in this embodiment, is curved forward from the lower end of the straight portion like a bulbous bow, which is a type of ship's bow shape.

[0034] The ground contact portion 753 is a portion that comes into contact with the ground, extends horizontally rearward from the lower end of the elastic portion 752, and has its rear end bent upward. When the spray nozzle up-down mechanism 7 rotates left-right around the inclined support shaft 81, the ground contact portion 753 receives resistance from the ground with the rear open like a wedge in skiing, and guides the spray nozzle up-down mechanism 7 to return to the center position.

[0035] In this embodiment, the tines 75 are formed by bending a rod-shaped steel material so as to maintain strength and prevent foreign matter from getting caught in the bent steel material.

[0036] The spray nozzle 76 is a nozzle for spraying a liquid agent such as a herbicide, and is attached to the rear nozzle support link 74 or the tines 75. The spray nozzle 76 in this embodiment is a nozzle that can spray in a fan shape. The spray nozzle 76 is attached to the straight portion 751 of the tine 75 suspended from the rear nozzle support link 74, and is configured so that the spray height and spray angle can be adjusted.

[0037] The vertical movement stabilization spring 77 is a spring for stabilizing the vertical movement of the rear nozzle support link 74, and is provided to exert an elastic force in the vertical direction between the upper link 72 and the lower link 73. As shown in Fig. 3, the vertical movement stabilization spring 77 in this embodiment is provided to connect a position slightly rearward from the front-to-rear center of the upper link 72 to a position slightly forward from the front-to-rear center of the lower link 73, and is configured to contract in response to a pressure applied from the ground.

[0038] The four-bar link mechanism of the spray nozzle up-down mechanism 7 is not limited to one in which the front fixed link 71 is oriented vertically, but may be inclined in the front-rear direction. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the upper end of the front fixed link 71 may be fixed to the connecting member 8 in a state in which it is inclined backward so as to be perpendicular to the swing rod 82.

[0039] Next, the connecting member 8 will be described. The connecting member 8 is a member that connects the mounting base 6 and the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7, and as shown in Figures 5 to 7, has an inclined support shaft 81 for axially supporting the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 so that it can swing left and right, a swinging rod 82 that connects the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 and the inclined support shaft 81, a pair of left and right clamping members 83 that clamp the swinging rod 82, and a position return spring 84 that biases the open ends of these clamping members 83 so as to draw them toward the center.

[0040] The inclined support shaft 81 is a shaft for supporting the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 so that it can swing left and right, and is inclined in the up / down direction with respect to a horizontal axis in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the inclined support shaft 81 is inclined downward toward the front, as shown in Figures 3 and 6. By inclining the inclined support shaft 81 in this manner, when the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 rotates left and right, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the rear side opens outward to the left and right like a wedge in skiing.

[0041] The inclination angle of the inclined support shaft 81 is not particularly limited, but in order to allow the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 to easily swing left and right when it comes into contact with agricultural crops, and to allow it to easily tilt left and right in a planar view when it swings left and right, it is preferable that the inclination angle be within the range of 15 degrees to 80 degrees with respect to the horizontal axis, and more preferably within the range of 30 degrees to 45 degrees.

[0042] The inclination direction of the inclined support shaft 81 is not limited to a downward inclination toward the front, and although not shown, it may be inclined upward toward the front.

[0043] The swing rod 82 is a rod that connects the spray nozzle up-down mechanism 7 and the inclined support shaft 81, with one end fixed to the spray nozzle up-down mechanism 7 and the other end pivotally supported by the inclined support shaft 81 so as to be swingable. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the swing rod 82 in this embodiment is formed of a rod having a substantially circular cross section, extends forward and upwardly from a substantially central position between the connection position of the upper link 72 and the connection position of the lower link 73 of the front fixed link 71, and is pivotally supported so as to be perpendicular to the inclined support shaft 81.

[0044] The clamping member 83 clamps the oscillating bar 82 from the left and right, allowing it to swing in response to the left and right swinging of the oscillating bar 82. While clamping the oscillating bar 82, the clamping member 83 is supported so that it can swing in an outward opening direction to the left and right, with the inclined support shaft 81 as a fulcrum.

[0045] 7 and 8, the clamping member 83 in this embodiment is formed in a U-shaped cross section on the rear side of the inclined support shaft 81, and extends in the front side of the inclined support shaft 81 to form an L-shape in the opposite direction to the rear side. The pair of clamping members 83 are arranged so that the open sides of the U-shape face each other and are shifted in the up-down direction and overlap each other, and are each journaled by the inclined support shaft 81.

[0046] As a result, the clamping member 83 provided on the right side is restricted from swinging to the left when its L-shaped extending portion abuts against the rear surface of the mounting base 6, so that it can only swing in the right outward opening direction from the position where it abuts against the swing bar 82 in the central position. Similarly, the clamping member 83 provided on the left side is restricted from swinging to the right when its L-shaped extending portion abuts against the rear surface of the mounting base 6, so that it can only swing in the left outward opening direction from the position where it abuts against the swing bar 82 in the central position.

[0047] Furthermore, when one of the clamping members 83 is swung in the outward opening direction, it is hooked onto the other L-shaped extending portion and cannot be swung any further in the outward opening direction.

[0048] The position return spring 84 is a spring for biasing the clamping member 83 to pull it toward the center to return the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 fixed to the swing rod 82 to the center position, and connects the open ends of the pair of left and right clamping members 83, 83. As shown in FIG. 7, the position return spring 84 in this embodiment is connected to the tips of the spring connecting parts 85, 85 extending from the pair of left and right clamping members 83, 83 toward the left and right outer directions. By adjusting the biasing force of this position return spring 84, it is configured to be possible to adjust the balance between the ease of swinging so that the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 does not damage agricultural crops or the like when it comes into contact with them, and the ease of returning the swinging spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 to the center position.

[0049] The liquid agent supplying device 4 is for supplying the liquid agent to the root-edge spraying device 3, and mainly includes a storage tank 41 for storing the liquid agent and a supply pump 42 for supplying the stored liquid agent to the root-edge spraying device 3. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the storage tank 41 in this embodiment is mounted on the rear side of the traveling vehicle 2. The supply pump 42 is attached to the storage tank 41, and is configured to supply the liquid agent to the spray nozzle 76 via a hose or the like.

[0050] Next, the operation of each component of the root edge spraying device 3 of this embodiment and the root edge spraying vehicle 1 equipped with it will be described.

[0051] In the root-edge spraying vehicle 1, the boom section 5 is deployed in a substantially horizontal direction to the left and right as shown in Fig. 1. Then, although not shown, the positions of the spray nozzles 76 are determined so that they are disposed between the ridges.

[0052] The liquid agent supplying device 4 supplies the liquid agent in the storage tank 41 to the root-edge spraying device 3 by the supply pump 42. The spraying nozzle 76 sprays the supplied liquid agent in a fan shape downward. At this time, the height and angle of the spraying nozzle 76 are set to adjust the spraying range so that the sprayed liquid agent hits the root-edge of the crop. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the spraying range can be widened by increasing the height of the spraying nozzle 76, and the spraying range can be narrowed by decreasing the height. Also, as shown in FIG. 13, the spraying range can be widened by making the angle of the spraying nozzle shallower with respect to the ground, and the spraying range can be narrowed by making the angle deeper.

[0053] The grass species targeted by the herbicide applied using the root-edge spraying device 3 of this embodiment and the root-edge spraying vehicle 1 equipped with it are not particularly limited, but include grass species belonging to the Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Solanaceae, Fabaceae, Convolvulaceae, Polygonaceae, Cyperaceae, Asteraceae, Caryophyllaceae, Equisetaceae, Commelinaceae, Amaranthaceae, Portulacaceae, Cucurbitaceae, and Malvaceae families, etc., and preferred examples include Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Caryophyllaceae, and Polygonaceae.

[0054] Examples of the active ingredient of the herbicide include one compound and a combination of two or more compounds selected from glufosinate and its salts, glufosinate-P and its salts, glyphosate and its salts, paraquat, diquat, imazamox and its salts, metamitron, phenmedipham, S-metolachlor, dimethenamid-P, fluazifop-P, sethoxydim, clethodim, quizalofop-ethyl, etc. Examples of the salt form of glufosinate, glufosinate-P, glyphosate, and imazamox include ammonium salt, potassium salt, sodium salt, diethylamine salt, triethylamine salt, etc., and ammonium salt is preferred for glufosinate, and sodium salt or ammonium salt is preferred for glufosinate-P.

[0055] The diseases that the fungicide targets are: gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) of tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, eggplants, beans, potatoes, onions, and other vegetables, wheat rust (Puccina recondite), wheat powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis), potato soft rot (Erwinia carotovora carotovora), potato late blight (Phytophthora infestans), potato summer blight (Alternaria solani), potato silver scab (Spondylocladium atrovirens), potato black leg disease (Erwinia carotovora atroseptica), potato scab (Streptomyces scabies), potato black bruise (Thanatephorus cucumeris), soybean downy mildew (Peronospora manshurica, soybean purple spot (Cercosporakikuchii), adzuki bean rust (Uromyces phaseoli), adzuki bean anthracnose (Colletotrichum phaseolorum), onion soft rot (Erwinia carotovora carotovora), onion white rot (Phytophthora porri), onion gray rot (Botrytis allii), onion downy mildew (Peronospora destructor), carrot black leaf spot (Alternaria dauci), radish white rust (Albugo macrospora), radish anthracnose (Colletotrichum higginsianum), radish white spot (Pseudocercosporella capsellae), radish wakka disease (Albugo macrospora), sugar beet root rot (Aphanomyces larvis), sugar beet leaf rot (Thanatephorus cucumeris), sugar beet brown spot (Cercospora beticola), etc., but preferably potato soft rot (Erwinia carotovora carotovora), potato blight (Phytophthora infestana), sugar beet root rot (Albugo macrospora), sugar beet leaf rot (Thanatephoruscucumeris) and sugar beet brown spot (Cercospora beticola).

[0056] Examples of the active ingredient of the fungicide include a compound selected from azoxystrobin, flutolanil, furametpyr, mepronil, cymoxanil, tetraconazole, difenoconazal, cyproconazole, fenbuconazole, streptomycin, oxytetracycline, kasugamycin, basic copper chloride, basic copper sulfate, cupric hydroxide, ethaboxam, maneb, manzeb, oxolinic acid, benthiavalicarb isopropyl, amethoctrazine, dimethomorph, oxathiapiproline, famoxadone, tetrachloroisophthalonitrile, dimethomorph, amisulbrom, cyazofamid, metalaxyl M, fluopicolide, propamocarb hydrochloride, mandipropamid, and the like, and a combination of two or more compounds.

[0057] The amounts of herbicide and fungicide applied using the root-edge spraying device 3 of this embodiment and the root-edge spraying vehicle 1 equipped with it can be changed appropriately within a substantial range depending on the use environment, application time, application method, weather conditions, etc., but for herbicides, the amount of active ingredient per 10 ares is preferably within the range of 1 g to 3000 g, more preferably within the range of 2 g to 300 g. For fungicides, the amount of active ingredient per 10 ares is preferably within the range of 0.01 kg to 10 kg, more preferably within the range of 100 g to 400 g.

[0058] In the spray nozzle lifting mechanism 7 while traveling, the rear nozzle support link 74 moves up and down in accordance with the undulations of the ground, as shown in Fig. 14. In this embodiment, the spray nozzle lifting mechanism 7 uses a four-joint link mechanism, so the rear nozzle support link 74 moves up and down while remaining parallel to the front fixed link 71. Therefore, the spray nozzle 76 maintains a constant height above the ground and an unchanged angle to the ground, allowing the spray nozzle 76 to continue spraying the liquid agent near the roots.

[0059] The vertical movement stabilization spring 77 exerts a force to press the rear nozzle support link 74 downward by the elastic force in the vertical direction when it contracts. Since the rear nozzle support link 74 is pressed down against the ground, the vertical movement according to the undulations of the ground is stabilized. Therefore, even when spraying at high speed, the position of the spray nozzle 76 relative to the ground can be stabilized by suppressing bouncing due to the undulations.

[0060] The tines 75 can absorb shocks caused by uneven ground conditions due to the elastic portion 752. The elasticity of the elastic portion 752 also allows the tines 75 to easily follow uneven ground conditions. Since the tines 75 are made of rod-shaped steel, they can push aside weeds such as vines and sometimes even cut them as they move forward. The straight portion 751 keeps the spray nozzle 76 in a high position, preventing foreign matter from getting caught around the spray nozzle 76.

[0061] Furthermore, the front end of the lower link 73 is tapered like the bottom of a boat, so that any agricultural products that come into contact with it can be deflected to the left or right without shearing off or damaging the stems and leaves.

[0062] When the spray nozzle up and down mechanism 7 comes into contact with crops, it swings left and right around the inclined support shaft 81 as a fulcrum, as shown in Figures 9 and 10. This reduces the force of the collision with the crops, preventing damage to the crops.

[0063] Furthermore, when the spray nozzle lifting / lowering mechanism 7 swings left and right, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, it tilts so that the rear side opens outward, like a wedge in skiing. In this embodiment, the ground contact portion 753 is formed horizontally and functions like a ski. Therefore, when traveling forward in this state, the spray nozzle lifting / lowering mechanism 7 (tines 75) receives resistance from the ground on the sides. This resistance acts as a force that tries to push the spray nozzle lifting / lowering mechanism 7 back to the center position. Therefore, the tilted spray nozzle lifting / lowering mechanism 7 is automatically returned to the center position by the resistance received from the ground.

[0064] In addition, as the spray nozzle up-down mechanism 7 swings, the swinging rod 82 of the connecting member 8 swings about the inclined support shaft 81. At this time, the clamping member 83 on the swinging side is pushed by the swinging rod 82 and swings in the same direction, as shown in Fig. 11. On the other hand, the clamping member 83 on the opposite side to the swinging direction of the swinging rod 82 does not swing in the swinging direction from the central position because the front side extended in an L-shape is restricted by the rear surface of the mounting base 6. Therefore, the position return spring 84 connected to the open ends of the pair of clamping members 83, 83 is pulled outward by the swinging clamping members 83.

[0065] When the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 is released from the swinging force, the swinging clamping member 83 is pulled to the center position by the contracting force of the position return spring 84. The swinging rod 82 and the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 fixed to the swinging rod 82 are pulled to the center position by the position return spring 84, and are pushed by the clamping member 83 to return to the center position.

[0066] In this way, if the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 oscillates left / right during spraying, the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 can automatically return to the center position due to the resistance force from the ground and the contraction force of the position return spring 84, and the spray nozzle 76 can be stabilized in the desired position in the left / right direction.

[0067] When the root-edge spraying vehicle 1 is turned around at the turning point in the field, the root-edge spraying device 3 is lifted up so as not to come into contact with the crops. The spray nozzle up-down mechanism 7, which is lifted up to a height where it does not come into contact with the ground, swings left and right around the inclined support shaft 81 as a fulcrum due to vibrations during turning, etc.

[0068] At this time, since the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 is supported by the inclined support shaft 81, gravity acts as a force to stop the swinging of the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7. In addition, the position return spring 84 applies a force to return the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 fixed to the swing rod 82 to the center position, so the swinging can be stopped early. Therefore, the root-side spraying vehicle 1 is easy to position even in situations where the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 is likely to swing, such as after turning, improving workability.

[0069] When spraying tall crops, such as those in the later stages of growth, a four-joint link mechanism with the front fixed link 71 tilted as shown in Fig. 4 can be used to increase the height from the mounting position (position of the mounting base 6) to the ground. This makes it possible to avoid contact with the crops. By setting the initial angles (the angles when the tines 75 are in contact with the flat ground) of the upper link 72 and the lower link 73 relative to the front fixed link 71 to a substantially right angle, the range of movement of the rear nozzle support link 74 and the tines 75 in the vertical direction can be increased, improving the ability to follow the undulations of the ground, reducing resistance from the ground, and suppressing vertical vibration of the tines 75.

[0070] According to the root-edge spraying device 3 of this embodiment and the root-edge spraying vehicle 1 equipped with the same as described above, the following effects can be achieved. 1. Since the inclined support shaft 81 is inclined with respect to the horizontal axis, when the spray nozzle up and down mechanism 7 supported by the shaft comes into contact with agricultural crops or the like and swings from side to side, the resistance force from the ground allows the spray nozzle up and down mechanism 7 to automatically return to the center position. 2. Similarly, when the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 swings, the biasing force of the position return spring 84 can return the swinging spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7 to the center position. 3. If the spray nozzle up / down mechanism 7, which has been raised to a height where it does not touch the ground, wobbles due to vibrations when the traveling vehicle 2 turns, the shaking can be quickly stopped by its own gravity as well as the biasing force of the position return spring 84. 4. By providing the vertical movement stabilizing spring 77 between the upper link 72 and the lower link 73, the rear nozzle support link 74 can be pressed down on the ground, thereby stabilizing vertical movement in response to the unevenness of the ground.

[0071] The root-edge spraying device and the root-edge spraying vehicle equipped with the same according to the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate. For example, the spray nozzle 76 may be adapted to adjust the height and angle by remote control using a hydraulic motor or an electric motor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1. Root-edge spraying vehicle 2. Vehicles 3 Root spray device 4 Liquid supply device 5 Boom section 6 Mounting stand 7 Spray nozzle up / down mechanism 8 Connecting members 21 Boom sprayer 41 Storage Tank 42 Supply Pump 61 Inset part 62 Fastening fixing part 71 Front fixed link 72 Top link 73 Downlink 74 Rear nozzle support link 75 Tyne 76 Spray Nozzle 77 Vertical movement stabilizing spring 81 Tilt support shaft 82 Swinging bar 83 Clamping member 84 Position return spring 85 Spring connection part 751 Straight section 752 Elastic part 753 Grounding part

Claims

1. A root-edge spraying device that is attached to a traveling vehicle and sprays a liquid agent at the root of a crop planted in a field, A boom section extending in a substantially horizontal direction to the left and right from the traveling vehicle; A plurality of mounting bases are fixed to the boom section at predetermined intervals; a spray nozzle lifting mechanism that supports a spray nozzle that is connected to each mounting base and sprays a liquid agent so that the spray nozzle can move up and down using a four-joint link mechanism; a connecting member that connects the mounting base and the spray nozzle up-down mechanism; It has The connecting member has an inclined support shaft inclined in the vertical direction relative to a horizontal axis in the front-to-back direction, and the spray nozzle up-down mechanism is supported on the inclined support shaft so that it can swing left and right.This is the root-edge spraying device.

2. The connecting member comprises a swinging rod having one end fixed to the spray nozzle up / down mechanism and the other end supported by the inclined support shaft so as to be freely swingable, a pair of left and right clamping members which swing in an outward opening direction to the left and right with the inclined support shaft as a fulcrum while clamping the swinging rod, and a position return spring which is connected to the open ends of the clamping members and biases the clamping members to pull them toward the center, thereby returning the spray nozzle up / down mechanism fixed to the swinging rod to a central position.The root-edge spraying device described in claim 1.

3. The root-edge spraying device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the inclined support shaft is inclined in the vertical direction within a range of 15 degrees to 80 degrees relative to the horizontal axis.

4. The spray nozzle up and down mechanism has a front fixed link fixed to the connecting member at the front, an upper link and a lower link rotatably connected to the front fixed link, and a rear nozzle support link rotatably connected to each end of the upper link and the lower link in a parallel state, and a vertical movement stabilization spring is provided between the upper link and the lower link to exert an elastic force in the vertical direction to stabilize the vertical movement of the rear nozzle support link, a root-edge spraying device as described in any of claims 1 to 3.

5. The spray nozzle up / down mechanism is provided with a tine having a straight section hanging down in a straight line from the rear nozzle support link, an elastic section curved forward from the lower end of the straight section, and a ground contact section extending horizontally rearward from the lower end of the elastic section. A root-edge spraying device as described in claim 4.

6. A root-edge spraying vehicle comprising a root-edge spraying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 mounted at a front position of a traveling vehicle.

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