Soil sampling device

Abstract

To surely recover a recovery can from soil collected from the underground.SOLUTION: A soil collecting device 1 includes: a lifting mechanism 10 for moving the collecting tube 2 down to a lower position deeper than the surface of soil by a predetermined depth and moving the collecting tube 2 to an upper position above the surface of the soil; and pressing shaft 11 arranged in the collecting tube 2 to be movable in an upper direction and a lower direction. The pressing shaft 11 is moved lower in the collecting tube 2 and presses the soil in the collecting tube 2 when the collecting tube 2 is in a lower position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a soil sampling device for sampling soil from a farm field to be subjected to soil analysis. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a soil surveying device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as a technique for collecting soil. The soil investigation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a ground environment investigation device that prevents the collapse of the investigation hole and performs an accurate ground environment investigation. This soil investigation device is equipped with a core sampler that samples the soil. When sampling the soil, the core sampler is inserted into the investigation hole, and soil collection (sampling) can be realized. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-20531 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The soil survey device in Patent Document 1 collects soil using a bottomed, hollow, columnar soil sampling member (core sampler) that is deployed with its opening facing downward. The soil sampling member is pressed or driven into the soil while rotating or not, and the soil is filled into the internal cavity of the bottomed, hollow columnar body, and then the soil is collected by pulling it up. Here, when the soil sampling member is pressed into the soil, the air present in the internal cavity may interfere with the pressing-in, etc. For this reason, the soil sampling member of Patent Document 1 is pre-formed with a small hole indicated by the symbol 1c. By providing such a small hole, the air in the hollow portion can be dispersed, making it easy to press or drive the soil sampling member into the soil.

[0005] However, if the above-mentioned small hole is provided in the soil sampling member, there is a possibility that air may flow back from the outside into the internal cavity through the small hole when the soil sampling member is pulled up. In other words, it is possible that the collected soil may fall due to being pushed by the backflowing air. Therefore, the soil survey device of Patent Document 1 may not be able to reliably collect soil. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a soil sampling device that can reliably collect soil by firmly retaining the soil collected from underground in a sampling tube. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The technical means of the present invention for solving this technical problem is characterized by the following points. The soil collecting device includes a collection tube, a lifting mechanism for lowering the collection tube to a lowered position at a predetermined depth from the soil surface and for lifting the collection tube to an elevated position above the soil surface, and a pushing shaft arranged in the collection tube so as to be movable up and down. When the collection tube is in the lowered position, the pushing shaft moves down within the collection tube to compact the soil in the collection tube. When the lifting mechanism lifts the collection tube from the lowered position to the raised position, the lifting mechanism lifts the pushing shaft to the raised position together with the collection tube. .

[0007] The soil sampling device includes a sampling tube, a lifting mechanism for lowering the sampling tube to a lowered position at a predetermined depth below the soil surface and lifting the sampling tube to an elevated position above the soil surface, and a pushing shaft disposed within the sampling tube so as to be movable up and down. a collection canister for collecting soil collected in the collection tube, and a scraping member that moves horizontally relative to the collection canister, the collection canister having an opening that opens upward, the pushing shaft descending within the collection tube when the collection tube is in the raised position to push out the soil within the collection tube toward the collection canister, When the collection tube is in the lowered position, the soil is compacted by descending within the collection tube; The scraping member passes over the opening of the collection canister after the pushing shaft pushes out soil within the collection tube.

[0008] The soil sampler is a collection can for collecting the soil collected in the collection tube; and a scraper member that moves relatively in a horizontal direction toward the collection can. A moving mechanism for moving the collection can horizontally and,the collection can has an opening that opens upward, a partition plate that separates the collection tube from the upper and lower positions is provided between the raised and lowered positions of the collection tube, and a window is formed in the partition plate to allow the collection tube to pass when the collection tube is raised or lowered, the moving mechanism moves the collection can in the horizontal direction so that the opening passes under the window, and when the opening passes under the window, the inner edge of the window functions as the scraping member.

[0009] The soil collection device has a moving mechanism that is provided below the partition plate and has a throttle member that rotates around a rotation axis facing in the vertical direction, and the throttle member has a plurality of collection cans that are equally spaced around the rotation axis, and the inner edge of the window is positioned on the rotational orbit of the collection cans that rotate around the rotation axis in a plan view. In the soil collecting device, the scraping member has a blade tip that is inclined with respect to the moving direction of the collection can.

[0010] The soil sampler includes an adjustment mechanism that allows the height of the scraping member to be adjusted relative to the opening. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, the soil collected from underground can be securely retained in the collection tube, thereby enabling the soil to be collected reliably. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a usage mode of the soil collecting device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the soil sampler with the sampler tube in the lowered position. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the soil sampler with the sampler tube in a raised position. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 illustrates the extension and retraction of the pushing shaft when the collection tube is in the raised position. [Diagram 5]FIG. 13 illustrates a comparison of extension and retraction of the pushing shaft when the collection tube is in a lowered position. [Figure 6] This is a plan view comparing the rotation state of the throttle member and the positional relationship of the scrape member to the collection can in (a) the case where the collection can and the collection tube are aligned vertically, and (b) the case where the collection tube is positioned between adjacent collection cans. [Figure 7] 13 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a throttle member, a collection can, and a scrape member in another embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 1(a) shows soil scraping using a scraping member with a right-angled blade tip, FIG. 1(b) shows soil scraping using a scraping member with an inclined blade tip, and FIG. 1(c) shows soil scraping using a scraping member with a height adjustment mechanism. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a procedure for collecting soil in a collection tube. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the procedure for transferring collected soil to a collection can. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a usage state of the soil collection device 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 are schematic side views showing the overall configuration of the soil collection device 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 shows a state in which the collection pipe 2 is in a lowered position, in other words, the collection pipe 2 is lowered below the soil surface. Fig. 3 shows a state in which the collection pipe 2 is in an elevated position, in other words, the collection pipe 2 is elevated above the soil surface.

[0014] The soil collection device 1 is connected to the rear of a work vehicle 3 such as a tractor so that it can be towed, and can move through a field while being towed by the work vehicle 3 to collect soil at a predetermined location. In this embodiment, the soil collection device 1 of the present invention will be described using an example of the soil collection device 1 in which the work vehicle 3 is a tractor. However, the work vehicle 3 is not limited to a tractor. The overall configuration of a work vehicle 3 to which a soil collection device 1 is connected will now be briefly described with reference to FIG.

[0015] The work vehicle 3 (tractor) comprises a body 4 and a traveling device 5. A cabin 6 is mounted on the body 4. A driver's seat is provided inside the cabin 6. A connecting part 7 consisting of a three-point link mechanism is provided at the rear of the body 4. The connecting part 7 is capable of attaching and detaching a working device (implement), and is also capable of raising and lowering the working device (implement). The working device (implement) of the present invention is a soil collection device 1.

[0016] Although not shown in the figure, the traveling device 5 has a traveling body on each of the left and right sides. The traveling device 5 is a device having a front wheel 5a and a rear wheel 5b. The front wheel 5a may be a tire type. The rear wheels 5b may also be of either a tire type or a crawler type. The vehicle body 4 is supported on a traveling device 5. A prime mover 8 is mounted on the vehicle body 4. The prime mover 8 is a gasoline engine, a diesel engine, an electric motor, or a hybrid type having a diesel engine and an electric motor. Power generated by the prime mover 8 is transmitted to the drive wheels of the traveling device 5 to operate the traveling device 5, and can also be transmitted to a working device via a PTO shaft.

[0017] A three-point link mechanism is used for the connecting part 7 that connects the soil collecting device 1 of this embodiment. The three-point link mechanism (connecting part 7) provided at the rear of the vehicle body 4 is detachably connectable to a connecting frame 9 provided at the front of the soil collecting device 1. The three-point link mechanism has a top link 7a and two lower links 7b, and these links 7a, 7b are capable of swinging up and down using a hydraulic actuator. The soil collecting device 1 can be raised and lowered relative to the work vehicle 3 by driving (swinging) the three-point link mechanism (connecting part 7).

[0018] 2 and 3, the soil collecting device 1 includes a collecting tube 2, a lifting mechanism 10, a pushing shaft 11, a collection can 12, a scraping member 13, and a throttle member 14. All of these members are attached to a device body 15. The device body 15 is equipped with a connecting frame 9. The three-point link mechanism (connecting portion 7) of the work vehicle 3 is attached to the connecting frame 9. By attaching the device body 15 to the work vehicle 3, the collection pipe 2 and other members arranged on the device body 15 can be towed by the work vehicle 3. In other words, the soil collection device 1 can be moved to any position in the field by the work vehicle 3, and soil can be collected at various locations in the field. However, the soil collection device 1 is not limited to a mobile type attached to the work vehicle 3, but may be a stationary type installed at a soil collection location in the field. In the case of a stationary type, a device body 15 without a connecting frame 9 provided in advance can also be used.

[0019] In this embodiment, the soil collection apparatus 1 is a mobile type having a connecting frame 9. Therefore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, the soil collection apparatus 1 is assumed to be a mobile type. The connecting frame 9 is provided at the rear of the device body 15. The connecting frame 9 is provided along the vertical direction. An upper connecting eye 9u that connects the top link 7a of the three-point link mechanism is formed at the upper part of the connecting frame 9. A plurality (three) of the upper connecting eyes 9u are provided at the upper part of the connecting frame 9 at intervals in the vertical direction. A lower connecting eye 9d that connects the lower link 7b of the three-point link mechanism is formed at the lower part of the connecting frame 9. In the case of this embodiment, the upper connecting eye 9u and the lower connecting eye 9d are formed as holes through which a connecting pin can be inserted, and the soil collecting device 1 and the connecting part 7 of the work vehicle 3 are connected by inserting the connecting pin into each of the upper connecting eye 9u and the lower connecting eye 9d.

[0020] The soil collecting device 1 is provided with a collection tube 2, a lifting mechanism 10, and a pushing shaft 11 at the front of the device body 15 (before the center in the front-rear direction). The soil collecting device 1 is also provided with a collection can 12 and a throttle member 14. The soil collecting device 1 is also provided with a scraping member 13. Specifically, the device body 15 extends horizontally from the rear (the lower end of the connecting frame 9) to the front. The device body 15 has a crank-shaped cross-sectional shape that bends upward at the midpoint in the front-rear direction and bends forward at the end of the upward extension. The device body 15 is provided with the collection tube 2, the lifting mechanism 10, and the pushing shaft 11 at the front end bent in the crank shape. The device body 15 is also provided with the collection can 12, the scraping member 13, and the throttle member 14 at the midpoint in the front-rear direction.

[0021] The sampling tube 2 is inserted into the soil from the soil surface to collect soil samples for soil analysis into the hollow tube. In the following explanation, the soil collected in the sampling tube 2 will be referred to as sample soil S, and may be distinguished from other soils in the field. The collection tube 2 is made of a metal material such as steel and is formed into a tubular shape (cylindrical in the present embodiment) that extends in the vertical direction. The collection tube 2 is a long tube that is long in the vertical direction. Since the lower end of the collection tube 2 penetrates the soil surface and enters the ground, the lower end of the collection tube 2 may be sharpened by grinding in order to reduce resistance when entering the soil. In addition, the injection needle As shown in the figure, the lower end of the sampling tube 2 may be inclined with respect to the vertical direction when viewed from the side, thereby reducing resistance when entering the soil.

[0022] As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a restricting member 16 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the collection tube 2 to restrict the depth of penetration of the collection tube 2 into the soil. The restricting member 16 is formed in a flange shape and is arranged to surround the collection tube 2 from the outer peripheral side. The lower surface of the restricting member 16 is formed in a flat surface extending along the horizontal direction. The restricting member 16 restricts the penetration of the collection tube 2 into the soil by bringing the flat lower surface 16a into surface contact with the soil surface. Therefore, the length from the lower end of the collection tube 2 to the restricting member 16 is the same as the penetration depth of the collection tube 2. In other words, the depth of the soil to be collected can be changed by changing the attachment position of the restricting member 16. For example, when collecting soil 300 mm deep from the soil surface, it is preferable that the attachment position of the restricting member 16 from the lower end of the collection tube 2 is at least 300 mm or more.

[0023] At the upper end of collection tube 2, large diameter section 2a is formed, which has a larger outer diameter than the lower section and the vertical middle section of collection tube 2. Large diameter section 2a is formed to have a larger inner diameter as well as an outer diameter than the collection tube 2 below large diameter section 2a. More specifically, steps are formed on both the inner and outer circumferential surfaces between large diameter section 2a of collection tube 2 and the collection tube 2 below large diameter section 2a. Hereinafter, the step formed on the inner circumferential surface of collection tube 2 is referred to as inner circumferential step 2b, and the step formed on the outer circumferential surface of collection tube 2 is referred to as outer circumferential step 2c.

[0024] Inner peripheral step 2b has a horizontal step surface facing upward. The underside of pushing actuator body 17 (described later) comes into surface contact with the step surface of inner peripheral step 2b, thereby restricting downward movement of pushing actuator body 17. In other words, inner peripheral step 2b defines the insertion position of pushing actuator body 17 into collection tube 2 at the same height as large diameter portion 2a. Outer peripheral step 2c has a horizontal step surface facing downward. The step surface of outer peripheral step 2c comes into surface contact with the upper surface of support part 18 of device body 15, which will be described later, thereby restricting downward movement of collection tube 2. In other words, outer peripheral step 2c determines the insertion position of collection tube 2 into support part 18 of device body 15 to be at the same height as support part 18.

[0025] Next, the lifting mechanism 10 for lifting and lowering the collection tube 2 will be described. The lifting mechanism 10 is a mechanism that lowers the collection tube 2 to a lowered position that is at a predetermined depth below the soil surface, and also raises the collection tube 2 to an upper position above the soil surface. In other words, the lifting mechanism 10 raises and lowers the collection tube 2 between the upper and lower positions. As shown in Fig. 2, the lowered position is a position where the lower end of the sampling tube 2 is located a depth D below the soil surface. The depth D that defines the lowered position varies depending on the type of crop to be cultivated in the soil and the components to be analyzed in the soil, but in this embodiment, the depth D is 100 mm to 600 mm. For example, in the case of field soil for cultivating general leafy vegetables, the depth D may be as shallow as 100 mm to 300 mm. However, in the case of cultivated soil for fruit trees whose roots grow deep, the depth D is set to a deep value of 300 mm to 600 mm.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, when the collection tube 2 is in the raised position, the lower end of the collection tube 2 is located a height H above the soil surface. The height H that defines the raised position is set higher than the installation height of the scraping member 13, which will be described later, so as not to physically interfere with the scraping member 13. In the case of this embodiment, the scraping member 13 is installed at an installation height of 150 mm above the soil surface. Therefore, the height H that defines the above-mentioned raised position is set to 200 mm or more, which is slightly higher than 150 mm, in consideration of safety. There is no upper limit to the height H. However, if the height H is made too large, it takes time and effort to raise and lower the collection tube 2, which is inefficient. Therefore, the height H is set to 500 mm or less.

[0027] Specifically, the lifting mechanism 10 has an actuator 19, a first support arm unit 20, and a second support arm unit 21. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the actuator 19 is arranged along the vertical direction and is expanded and contracted in the vertical direction by an electric or hydraulic actuator such as an electric motor or a hydraulic actuator. The actuator 19 in this embodiment has an actuator body 22 at the lower part when viewed relatively. An expandable rod 23 is actuated at the upper part of the actuator body 22. The actuator 19 is disposed so as to be extendable and contractible upward from the actuator body 22. The actuator 19 is supported by two members, a first support arm portion 20 at the top and a second support arm portion 21 at the bottom.

[0028] First support arm unit 20 is a plate member that bends in a crank shape from the upper front portion to the lower rear portion. The front end of first support arm unit 20 is connected to the upper end of extendable rod 23. The rear end of first support arm unit 20 is connected to large diameter portion 2a of collection tube 2. In other words, first support arm unit 20 supports large diameter portion 2a of collection tube 2 with respect to the upper end of extendable rod 23.

[0029] Moreover, the second support arm portion 21 is a plate member that is bent in a crank shape from the lower front to the upper rear. The front end of the second support arm portion 21 is connected to the lower end of the actuator body 22. The rear end of the second support arm portion 21 is connected to the support portion 18 of the device body 15. In other words, the second support arm portion 21 fixes the lower end of the actuator body 22 to the support portion 18 of the device body 15 so that it does not move.

[0030] The second support arm portion 21 is connected to the lower end of the actuator body 22 and to the support portion 18 of the device body 15. Therefore, when actuator 19 extends, telescopic rod 23 extends upward from actuator body 22. At this time, the lower end of actuator body 22 does not move because it is connected to support part 18 of device body 15 by second support arm part 21. Therefore, telescopic rod 23 extends upward from fixed actuator body 22. Then, large diameter part 2a supported at the upper end of telescopic rod 23 by first support arm part 20 also moves upward, and collection tube 2 is pulled upward.

[0031] When actuator 19 is retracted, extensible rod 23 moves downward relative to fixed actuator body 22, and collection tube 2 is pulled downward. Support part 18 is a cylindrical part that supports collection tube 2, and is formed at the front end of device body 15. The inner diameter of support part 18 is larger than the outer diameter of collection tube 2 below large diameter portion 2a. Therefore, collection tube 2 below large diameter portion 2a can be inserted into support part 18 from the inner periphery side. Furthermore, the inner diameter of support part 18 is smaller than the outer diameter of large diameter portion 2a. Therefore, when collection tube 2 is inserted into the inner periphery side of support part 18 from above, the step surface of outer periphery step 2c formed at the lower end of large diameter portion 2a comes into surface contact with support part 18 from above. In this way, downward movement of collection tube 2 relative to support part 18 is restricted, and collection tube 2 is supported by support part 18.

[0032] In the above example, the actuator 19 is configured to contract to move the extendable rod 23 downward, thereby pulling the collection tube 2 downward. However, the actuator 19 may be configured to extend to move the extendable rod 23 downward. Next, the pushing shaft 11 and the pushing actuator 24 that moves the pushing shaft 11 in the up and down direction will be described.

[0033] 4 and 5, the pushing shaft 11 is a rod-shaped member arranged in the collection tube 2 so as to be able to move up and down, and has the function of pushing down the soil taken into the collection tube 2. The pushing shaft 11 in this embodiment includes a first shaft 11a arranged below the pushing actuator 24, and a second shaft 11b arranged further below the first shaft 11a. Note that, although this embodiment shows an example in which the two shafts 11a, 11b are connected in the longitudinal direction, the pushing shaft 11 may be a single shaft that is connected seamlessly from top to bottom.

[0034] Specifically, the outer diameter of pushing shaft 11 is larger than the inner diameter of collection tube 2 located below inner peripheral step 2b (large diameter portion 2a). This allows pushing shaft 11 to move vertically inside collection tube 2. Pushing actuator 24 is inserted from above into large diameter portion 2a of collection tube 2. The outer diameter of pushing actuator 24 is smaller than the inner diameter of large diameter portion 2a of collection tube 2, and is larger than the inner diameter of the collection tube 2 located below large diameter portion 2a. Therefore, when pushing actuator 24 is inserted from above into the inside of large diameter portion 2a, the inner diameter of large diameter portion 2a is formed. The lower surface of pushing actuator 24 comes into surface contact with the step surface of inner peripheral step 2 b. Then, with pushing actuator 24 supported by inner peripheral step 2 b, it becomes possible to extend or retract pushing shaft 11 alone in the vertical direction within collection tube 2.

[0035] The pushing actuator 24 may be fixed to the large diameter portion 2a by screwing or fastening. For example, a threaded portion that can be screwed to the outer circumferential surface of the pushing actuator 24 and the inner circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 2a may be formed in advance. In this way, the pushing actuator 24 can be fixed to the inside of the large diameter portion 2a by screwing. In addition, if a fastener or the like is provided that penetrates the large diameter portion 2a and reaches the outer circumferential surface of the pushing actuator 24 while the pushing actuator 24 is inserted inside the large diameter portion 2a, the pushing actuator 24 can be fixed to the inside of the large diameter portion 2a by the fastener or the like.

[0036] The pushing actuator 24 may be an electric or hydraulic actuator, such as an electric motor or a hydraulic actuator, that expands and contracts the pushing shaft 11 in the vertical direction. The above-mentioned pushing shaft 11 has the following two functions. One of the functions is to compact the collected soil sample S. That is, when the collection tube 2 is in the lowered position, the pushing shaft 11 moves down inside the collection tube 2 to compact the soil inside the collection tube 2. Specifically, as shown in the second drawing from the left in FIG. 9, when the collection tube 2 is in the lowered position, the lower end of the collection tube 2 is located below the soil surface GL, and the soil S is inside the collection tube 2. Even when the collection tube 2 moves down, the lower end 11c of the pushing shaft 11 (second shaft 11b) is located above the lower end of the collection tube 2 before the pushing shaft 11 compresses the soil sample S. As a result, a space 32 for accommodating the soil S is formed between the lower end 11c of the pushing shaft 11 and the lower end of the collection tube 2. That is, when the pushing shaft 11 is lowered to a predetermined position, the space surrounded by the inner wall of the sampling tube 2 and the lower end 11c of the pushing shaft 11 becomes the space 32 for containing the soil S. The soil S is contained in the space 32.

[0037] Next, the pushing shaft 11 is further lowered from the predetermined position to compact the soil sample S. At this time, the lower end 11c of the pushing shaft 11 moves downward within the space 32 to push the soil sample S from above. The soil sample S in the collection tube 2 is surrounded by the lower layer soil at the bottom and the tube wall of the collection tube 2 at the sides. Therefore, when the soil sample S in the collection tube 2 is pushed downward with the lower end of the pushing shaft 11, the soil sample S is compressed within the space 32 because the movement of the soil sample S is restricted in all directions. Then, the compressed soil sample S is firmly compacted (fixed) to the inner circumferential surface of the collection tube 2 within the space 32. The soil sample S compacted within the collection tube 2 is less likely to fall than when it is not compacted. Therefore, it is possible to lift or move the collection tube 2 from the ground without dropping the soil sample S.

[0038] In order to reliably achieve the function of compacting the sample soil S described above, it is preferable that the lower end 11c of the pushing shaft 11 be formed into a substantially flat surface so that the sample soil S in the space 32 can be sufficiently pressed. The other function is to peel off the sample soil S compacted in the collection tube 2. When the collection tube 2 is in the raised position, the pushing shaft 11 descends in the collection tube 2 to push the soil in the collection tube 2 toward the collection can 12. Specifically, the pushing shaft 11 pushes the sample soil S compacted in the collection tube 2, peeling off the sample soil S from the inner peripheral surface of the collection tube 2 and promoting the dropping of the sample soil S from the collection tube 2. When dropping the sample soil S from the collection tube 2, the lower end 11c of the pushing shaft 11 descends to the height of the lower end of the collection tube 2, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 10. Thus, when the sample soil S is to be peeled off, the lower end 11c of the pushing shaft 11 is lowered to the height of the lower end of the collection tube 2 or lower when the pushing shaft 11 is in the lowest position. As a result, there is no space 32 between the lower end 11c of the pushing shaft 11 and the lower end of the sampling tube 2, so that the compacted soil sample S can be dropped reliably into the sampling tube 2.

[0039] More specifically, when the collection tube 2 is pulled upward, the pushing shaft 11 is The pushing actuator 24 is contracted to the side of the pushing actuator 24 (see the right diagram in FIG. 5). That is, when the lifting mechanism 10 raises the collection tube 2 from the lowered position to the raised position, the lifting mechanism 10 raises the pushing shaft 11 together with the collection tube 2 to the raised position. Then, with the collection tube 2 positioned above the collection can 12, the pushing shaft 11 is extended downward again from the pushing actuator 24 (see the left diagram in FIG. 5). Then, the lower end of the pushing shaft 11 extended downward comes into contact with the soil sample S in the collection tube 2, and the soil sample S can be peeled off in the collection tube 2 using the pushing force (pushing force) of the pushing actuator 24, and the soil sample S can be promoted to fall. This method of forcibly peeling off the soil sample S using the pushing force of the pushing actuator 24 is advantageous especially when the soil sample S is firmly fixed in the collection tube 2, such as clayey soil. In this way, the soil sample S does not remain in the collection tube 2, and the soil can be collected reliably.

[0040] The soil collection device 1 includes the collection tube 2, lifting mechanism 10, and pushing shaft 11 described above, so that the soil sample S is collected in the collection can 12 quickly and efficiently. Therefore, it is preferable that the collection can 12 is also loaded efficiently so as to be able to adequately accommodate the operations of the collection tube 2, lifting mechanism 10, and pushing shaft 11. Therefore, the soil collection device 1 of this embodiment includes a loading mechanism that loads the collection can 12 for collecting the soil sample S in a short time.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 6, the loading mechanism for collection canisters 12 includes a plurality of collection canisters 12 and a throttle member 14 that moves only one of the plurality of collection canisters 12 along the movement axis of collection tube 2. The multiple collection cans 12 are all cylindrical members with a bottom and have the same shape. Each collection can 12 has an opening 12a that opens upward. A ring-shaped flange portion 12b is formed in the collection can 12 so as to surround the periphery of the opening 12a. By providing the flange portion 12b around the periphery of the opening 12a, the soil sample S that falls off the opening 12a can be received by the flange portion 12b and collected in the collection can 12, improving the efficiency of collecting the soil sample S into the collection can 12.

[0042] The opening 12a of the collection can 12 is formed with a diameter equal to or slightly larger than that of the collection tube 2, so that the sample soil S in the collection tube 2 can be collected without spilling. The volume of the collection can 12 is smaller than the amount of sample soil S collected in the collection tube 2. This is because the soil sample S collected in the collection tube 2 that is used for soil analysis is limited to that present at a predetermined depth (for example, 100 mm or deeper as described above) from the soil surface. If soil on the surface is used for soil analysis, accurate analysis may be difficult due to humus or foreign matter, so it is generally preferable to collect soil at a predetermined depth (for example, 100 mm or deeper) from the ground surface as the sample soil S in the collection can 12. Therefore, the collection can 12 of this embodiment is not designed to collect all of the sample soil S collected in the collection tube 2. For example, the collection can 12 of this embodiment is capable of collecting soil at a predetermined depth (for example, 100 mm or deeper). However, even if an attempt is made to collect soil (surface soil) shallower than a predetermined depth (e.g., 100 mm), the collection can 12 is already full of previously collected soil. Therefore, the soil shallower than the predetermined depth (e.g., 100 mm) spills out of the can and is not collected in the can. To enable selective collection of such soil (collection of only soil deeper than the predetermined depth), the collection can 12 of this embodiment is set to a volume such that the can is filled with sample soil S excluding the surface soil.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2 etc., the throttle member 14 is disposed at a midpoint in the front-rear direction of the device body 15. As shown in FIG. 6, the throttle member 14 is a flat plate member that is disposed along the horizontal direction and has a gear shape in a plan view. On the outer periphery of the throttle member 14, convex edge portions 14a that protrude in the outer periphery direction away from the center and concave edge portions 14b that are concave toward the center are formed alternately in the circumferential direction. A plurality of each of the convex edge portions 14a and the concave edge portions 14b are formed (10 in this embodiment), and are disposed alternately in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the collection cans 12 are disposed at the tips of the convex edge portions 14a.

[0044] A rotary shaft 14c is formed in the center of the throttle member 14 with its axis oriented in the vertical direction. A rotary motor 26 is provided to rotate the rotary shaft 14c around an axis facing downward. Therefore, when the rotary motor 26 rotates, the rotational driving force of the rotary motor 26 is transmitted to the rotary shaft 14c via the worm gear, and the rotary shaft 14c rotates around the axis facing up and down. In conjunction with the rotation of the rotary shaft 14c, the throttle member 14 also rotates around the axis of the rotary shaft 14c (see arrow TD in FIG. 6).

[0045] In the above-described throttle member 14, the distance from the axis of the rotating shaft 14c to the tip of the convex edge portion 14a is equal for each of the convex edge portions 14a. In other words, the distance from the axis of the rotating shaft 14c to the collection canisters 12 is equal for all of the collection canisters 12. Therefore, when the throttle member 14 rotates, all of the collection canisters 12 move on the same rotational path R centered on the rotational shaft 14c of the throttle member 14. As shown by the two-dot chain line in Figures 6(a) and (b), this rotational path R is a circular path centered on the axis of the rotating shaft 14c and passes through the centers of the multiple collection canisters 12.

[0046] One soil transfer position T from the collection tube 2 to the collection canister 12 is provided on the rotational track R. The soil transfer position T is located at the intersection of the movement axis (vertical axis) of the collection tube 2 and the rotational track R. In other words, by rotating the throttle member 14, it becomes possible to sequentially move (load) multiple collection canisters 12 one by one to the soil transfer position T along the rotational track R. For example, Figure 6(a) shows a positional relationship in which the collection tube 2 is located above (directly above) the collection canister 12, which is attached to the outer periphery of the throttle member 14. In other words, in Figure 6(a), the collection canister 12 and the collection tube 2 are lined up in the vertical direction. Because the collection tube 2 is located above (directly above) the collection canister 12, when the soil sample S collected in the collection tube 2 is dropped downward, the dropped soil is collected in the collection canister 12.

[0047] Once the soil has been collected in the collection canister 12, the throttle member 14 is further rotated about the axis facing in the vertical direction. In the case of this embodiment, the collection canisters 12 are arranged at 36° intervals based on the axis of the rotation shaft 14c, so the throttle member 14 is further rotated 18°. This changes the position of the collection canister 12, which was located at the soil transfer position T, to the position shown in Figure 6(b).

[0048] Fig. 6(b) shows a positional relationship in which collection tube 2 is located between adjacent collection canisters 12 in a plan view. In other words, in Fig. 6(b), collection tube 2 is located between adjacent collection canisters 12 in a plan view. As described above, collection canister 12 is disposed at the tip of convex edge 14a, but concave edge 14b between convex edge 14a is formed to be recessed in an arc shape toward rotation shaft 14c of throttle member 14. Therefore, in the position shown in Fig. 6(b), throttle member 14 does not physically interfere with collection tube 2, and collection tube 2 can be moved freely up and down.

[0049] Scrape member 13 moves horizontally relative to collection can 12. This relative movement includes a case in which scrape member 13 is fixed and collection can 12 moves, and a case in which collection can 12 is fixed and scrape member 13 moves. The embodiment described below is the former case. The scraping member 13 is a plate member that is fixed so as not to move to the device body 15. In the case of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the scraping member 13 is a rectangular plate member.

[0050] The scraping member 13 is disposed so that its lower edge faces the horizontal direction and is located slightly above the opening 12a of the collection can 12. The scraping member 13 is also attached at a position intersecting the rotational path R. Therefore, when the throttle member 14 rotates around the axis of the rotation shaft 14c, the collection can 12 moves on the rotational path R and passes slightly below the lower edge of the scraping member 13.

[0051] Here, as shown in the lower circle in Fig. 6(a), after the pushing shaft 11 pushes out the soil in the sampling tube 2, excess sample soil S is piled up (pile up) above the opening 12a of the collection can 12. In this state, the throttle member 14 rotates to move the collection can 12. Then, as shown in the lower circle in Fig. 6(b), the collection can 12 passes slightly below the lower edge of the scraping member 13. At this time, as viewed from the collection can 12, the lower edge of the scraping member 13 passes horizontally slightly above the opening 12a. Then, the scraping member 13 passing horizontally scrapes off the sample soil S accumulated above the opening 12a.

[0052] That is, in the soil collecting device 1 of this embodiment, the scraping member 13 moves relatively in the horizontal direction toward the collection can 12. At this time, the scraping member 13 passes above the opening 12a of the collection can 12 after the pushing shaft 11 pushes out the soil inside the collection tube 2. This allows the scraping member 13 to remove excess sample soil S above the top end of the collection can 12 (protruding from the top end).

[0053] The height at which the scraping member 13 is attached is set so that the lower edge of the scraping member 13 is located slightly above the opening 12a of the collection can 12. In other words, when the throttle member 14 rotates around the axis of the rotating shaft 14c, the collection can 12 also rotates together with the throttle member 14. At this time, if the scraping member 13 is installed at a height at which it moves horizontally relative to the rotating collection can 12 slightly above, the scraping member 13 scrapes off the sample soil S located above the opening of the collection can 12. The soil scraped off by the scraping member 13 is the soil located near the surface layer in the field before collection. Therefore, the sample soil S collected in the collection can 12 is reliably free of humus and foreign matter that are abundant near the surface layer, making it possible to collect a sample optimal for soil analysis.

[0054] In the above-described example, the scraping member 13 is a rectangular plate member arranged on the device body 15 with its lower edge facing horizontally, but a member other than a plate member can also be used as the scraping member 13. 7(a), for example, a partition plate 28 is provided between the raised and lowered positions of collection tube 2 to separate the upper and lower positions. In the illustrated example, this partition plate 28 is the bottom plate of device body 15. Next, a window 29 is formed in partition plate 28 (the bottom plate of device body 15) to allow collection tube 2 to pass in the vertical direction. Then, a movement mechanism 30 is provided to move collection canister 12 horizontally so that opening 12a of collection canister 12 passes under window 29.

[0055] The above-mentioned moving mechanism 30 may use a throttle member 14 that uses rotation to move the collection canister 12 to the soil transfer position T. However, the moving mechanism 30 for the collection canister 12 is not limited to the above-mentioned throttle member 14, and the movement of the collection canister 12 does not have to utilize rotation. For example, a moving mechanism 30 that moves the collection canister 12 horizontally in a straight line relative to the soil transfer position T may be used. Also, a moving mechanism 30 that moves the collection tube 2 itself relative to the collection canister 12 may be used. In other words, the moving mechanism 30 for the collection canister 12 may be any mechanism that can move the collection canister 12 horizontally relative to the collection tube 2.

[0056] Even when the above-described moving mechanism 30 is used, when the opening 12a of the collection canister 12 passes under the window 29, the inner edge 29a of the window 29 functions as the scraping member 13 to remove excess sample soil S above the upper end of the collection canister 12. In this case, as shown in Fig. 7(b), the inner edge 29a of the window 29 is disposed on the rotational path R of the collection canister 12 rotating around the rotational axis 14c in a plan view (so as to cross the rotational path R), and functions as the scraping member 13.

[0057] That is, as shown in Fig. 7, the soil collection device 1 may include a movement mechanism 30 that moves the collection can 12 horizontally, and a partition plate 28 that separates the collection tube 2 from the upper and lower positions is provided between the raised and lowered positions. In this case, a window 29 that allows the collection tube 2 to pass when the collection tube 2 rises or falls is formed in the partition plate 28. The movement mechanism 30 also moves the collection can 12 horizontally so that the opening 12a passes under the window 29, and causes the inner edge 29a of the window 29 to function as the scraping member 13 when the opening 12a passes under the window 29.

[0058] Also, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the edge of the scraping member 13 on the side that comes into contact with the soil can be cut in an inclined shape (a straight line shape inclined vertically). In other words, by using a scraping member 13 with an inclined sharp cutting edge 13b as shown in FIG. 8(b) instead of the scraping member 13 with a right-angled cutting edge 13a as shown in FIG. 8(a) (perpendicular to the vertical direction), the soil cutting ability can be improved. As a result, even hard soil can be cut. This allows for reliable removal of contaminants, making it possible to carry out accurate soil analysis using soil that has been precisely measured.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 8(c), an adjustment mechanism 31 can be provided that can adjust the height of the scraping member 13 relative to the opening 12a of the collection can 12. For example, if the soil to be collected is not shape-retentive like sand, making the height of the scraping member 13 too high may cause the pile to collapse as it is scraped off, making it impossible to collect the soil sample S accurately. In such a case, by keeping the height of the scraping member 13 low, the amount of soil sample S collected in the collection can 12 can be precisely adjusted, making it possible to perform a more accurate soil analysis.

[0060] Next, a soil collecting method using the soil collecting apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described. 9 shows a state in which the sampling tube 2 is in a raised position above the soil surface (state before soil sampling). When soil is to be sampled from this state, first, the actuator 19 is retracted, and the sampling tube 2 connected to the pushing shaft 11 via the first support arm portion 20 is lowered.

[0061] Then, as shown in the second diagram from the left in Figure 9, the collection tube 2 penetrates the soil surface and enters the soil, and the soil sample S enters the hollow collection tube 2. When the collection tube 2 descends to the lowered position, the soil sample S is collected inside the collection tube 2. At this time, the volume of the soil sample S collected in the collection tube 2 is slightly compressed by the pressure of the collection tube 2, and becomes slightly smaller than the volume of the original soil (the soil before it was collected).

[0062] As shown in the second diagram from the right end of FIG. 9, the soil sample S collected in the collection tube 2 is further pressed and compacted by the pushing shaft 11. Specifically, the rod-shaped pushing shaft 11 is extended downward from the pushing actuator body 17, and the soil sample S in the collection tube 2 is compressed by the lower end of the pushing shaft 11. In this way, the soil sample S is compacted in the collection tube 2, and the compacted soil sample S is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the collection tube. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the soil sample S from falling even if the collection tube 2 is raised.

[0063] As shown in the rightmost drawing of Fig. 9, when compression of the soil sample S is completed, the actuator 19 is extended upward, and the collection tube 2 is pulled upward. At this time, as the collection tube 2 is raised from the lowered position to the raised position, the pushing shaft 11 is also raised together with the collection tube 2. In this way, the pushing shaft 11 is raised above the soil sample S, and it is possible to perform a preparatory operation for forcibly peeling the soil sample S from the collection tube 2 using the pushing shaft 11.

[0064] The leftmost drawing in Fig. 10 shows the state in which the sampling tube 2 is raised to the upper position and the pushing shaft 11 is retracted (the state before the soil falls). First, the throttle member 14 is rotated about the axis of the rotating shaft 14c, and the collection canister 12 attached to the throttle member 14 is moved to the soil transfer position T directly below the raised sampling tube 2 (see the upper drawing in Fig. 6(a)). When the collection can 12 has moved to the soil transfer position T, the rotation of the throttle member 14 is temporarily stopped. Then, as shown in the second diagram from the left in Fig. 10, the pushing shaft 11 is lowered again to forcibly peel the soil sample S from the collection tube 2, and the peeled soil sample S is dropped into the collection can 12. At this time, since the volume of the soil sample S is larger than the volume of the collection can 12, the excess soil sample S on the surface side is not collected in the collection can 12, but is piled up on top of the collection can 12 (see the diagram in the lower circle in Fig. 6(a)).

[0065] When the collection of the soil samples S is complete, the throttle member 14 is further rotated around the axis of the rotating shaft 14c. This causes the collection can 12, which has now collected the soil samples S, to move horizontally. The collection can 12, which has now collected the soil samples S, then moves to the scraping member 13. The scraping member 13 is attached so as to cross the rotational path R of the collection can 12 (see FIG. 6). The collection can 12 is also attached so that the opening 12a passes slightly below the lower edge of the scraping member 13. Therefore, when the throttle member 14 is rotated, the scraping member 13 moves horizontally relative to the collection can 12 slightly above the opening 12a, scraping off the excess soil that has piled up in a heap on the opening 12a.

[0066] As a result, as shown in the rightmost diagram of Fig. 10, the soil piled up above the opening 12a, in other words, the soil located near the surface in the field before collection, is scraped off. Then, only the sample soil S that does not contain humus or foreign matter can be collected in the collection can 12, and it becomes possible to perform an accurate soil analysis using the sample soil S that is suitable for the soil analysis. According to the soil collecting device 1 of the above embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.

[0067] The soil collecting device 1 comprises a collection tube 2, a lifting mechanism 10 which lowers the collection tube 2 to a descended position at a predetermined depth below the soil surface and raises the collection tube 2 to an elevated position above the soil surface, and a pushing shaft 11 arranged within the collection tube 2 so as to be movable up and down, and when the collection tube 2 is in the descended position, the pushing shaft 11 descends within the collection tube 2 to compact the soil within the collection tube 2.

[0068] According to this configuration, the soil sample S is compressed inside the collection tube 2 by being pressed against the pushing shaft 11. The compressed soil sample S is pressed strongly against the inner circumferential surface of the collection tube 2 and adheres to the inner circumferential surface. The soil sample S adhered to the inner circumferential surface of the collection tube 2 in this manner does not easily fall off. Therefore, in the above-mentioned soil collection device 1, the soil collected from underground can be firmly retained inside the collection tube 2, and the soil can be reliably collected.

[0069] In the soil collecting device 1, when the lifting mechanism 10 lifts the sampling tube 2 from the lowered position to the raised position, it lifts the pushing shaft 11 together with the sampling tube 2 to the raised position. According to this configuration, the soil sample S firmly retained in the collection tube 2 can be peeled off and reliably collected in the collection can 12. That is, the collection tube 2 in which the soil sample S has been collected is raised by the lifting mechanism 10 in order to transfer the soil sample S to the collection can 12. The collection tube 2 then rises from the lowered position to the raised position. At this time, the pushing shaft 11 provided in the collection tube 2 is changed from an extended state to a retracted state at the same time as the collection tube 2 rises. In this way, when transferring the soil sample S to the collection can 12, preparations can be made to peel off the soil sample S in the collection tube 2 using the pushing shaft 11.

[0070] The soil collection device 1 comprises a collection can 12 for collecting soil collected in the collection tube 2, and a scraping member 13 that moves horizontally relative to the collection can 12, the collection can 12 having an opening 12a that opens upward, and when the collection tube 2 is in the raised position, the pushing shaft 11 descends within the collection tube 2 to push the soil within the collection tube 2 towards the collection can 12, and the scraping member 13 passes above the opening 12a of the collection can 12 after the pushing shaft 11 has pushed out the soil within the collection tube 2.

[0071] According to this configuration, the scraper 13 passing above the opening 12a of the collection can 12 can scrape off the excess soil piled up on the opening 12a. In other words, the soil piled up on the opening 12a is nothing other than the soil located near the surface in the field before collection. The soil located near the surface in the field contains substances that are not suitable for analysis, such as humus and foreign matter. Therefore, by scraping off the excess soil, only the sample soil S that does not contain humus or foreign matter can be collected in the collection can 12. As a result, the above-mentioned soil collection device 1 can perform accurate soil analysis using the sample soil S that is suitable for soil analysis.

[0072] The soil collection device 1 is equipped with a moving mechanism 30 that moves the collection can 12 horizontally, and a partition plate 28 that separates the collection tube 2 from the upper and lower positions is provided between the raised and lowered positions of the collection tube 2. The partition plate has a window 29 that allows the collection tube 2 to pass through when the collection tube 2 rises or falls, and the moving mechanism 30 moves the collection can 12 horizontally so that the opening 12a passes below the window 29, and when the opening 12a passes below the window 29, the inner edge of the window 29 functions as a scraping member 13.

[0073] According to this configuration, it is possible to simply form a window 29 in the bottom plate of the device body 15 without providing a separate scraping member 13. In other words, if a plate member is provided as the scraping member 13, the device configuration becomes complicated. However, if the window 29 is simply formed in the bottom plate of the device body 15, it becomes possible to scrape off excess soil while maintaining a simple device configuration.

[0074] The soil collection device 1 has a moving mechanism 30 that is provided below the partition plate 28 and has a throttle member 14 that rotates around a rotation axis 14c facing in the vertical direction, and the throttle member 14 has a plurality of collection cans 12 that are equally spaced around the rotation axis 14c, and the inner edge of the window 29 is positioned on the rotational orbit R of the collection cans 12 that rotate around the rotation axis 14c in a plan view.

[0075] According to this configuration, the collection can 12 can be moved to the soil transfer position T in a short time and efficiently using the moving mechanism 30 that rotates the throttle member 14. That is, the soil collection device 1 using the above-mentioned collection tube 2, the pushing shaft 11, and the lifting mechanism 10 can collect the soil sample S in a short time. In the soil collection device 1 of the present invention, it is also necessary to collect the collected soil sample S in the collection can 12 in a short time in accordance with the collection of the soil. Therefore, by using the above-mentioned moving mechanism 30, it is possible to perform the operations from collection to recovery of the soil in a short time. In addition, since multiple collection cans 12 can be arranged in a small circular space centered on the rotation axis 14c, the soil collection device 1 can be configured compactly.

[0076] In the soil collecting device 1, the scraping member 13 has a blade tip that is inclined with respect to the moving direction of the collection can 12. According to this configuration, even hard soil can be easily scraped off by the scraping member 13 with an inclined cutting edge. In other words, since the soil can be reliably removed, it is also possible to perform accurate soil analysis using soil that has been precisely measured.

[0077] The soil collecting device 1 is provided with an adjustment mechanism 31 capable of adjusting the height of the scraping member 13 relative to the opening 12a. According to this configuration, by adjusting the height of the scraping member 13 using the adjustment mechanism 31, it is possible to adjust the scraping member 13 to a height that corresponds to the properties of the soil sample S. As a result, the amount of soil sample S collected in the collection can 12 can be precisely adjusted, making it possible to perform more precise soil analysis.

[0078] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1 Soil sampling device 2 Collection tube 3. Work vehicles 10 Lifting mechanism 11 Push shaft 12 Collection cans 12a opening 13 Scrape member 14 Throttle member 28 Partition 29 Windows 30 Moving mechanism 31 Adjustment mechanism R rotation orbit GL Soil surface

Claims

1. A collection tube; a lifting mechanism that lowers the sampling tube to a lowered position at a predetermined depth from the soil surface and lifts the sampling tube to an elevated position above the soil surface; A pushing shaft arranged in the collection tube so as to be movable up and down; Equipped with the pushing shaft descends within the collection tube when the collection tube is in the lowered position to compact the soil within the collection tube; When the lifting mechanism lifts the collection tube from the lowered position to the raised position, the lifting mechanism lifts the pushing shaft to the raised position together with the collection tube. Soil sampling equipment.

2. A collection tube; a lifting mechanism that lowers the sampling tube to a lowered position at a predetermined depth from the soil surface and lifts the sampling tube to an elevated position above the soil surface; A pushing shaft arranged in the collection tube so as to be movable up and down; a collection canister for collecting the soil collected in the collection tube; A scraping member that moves relatively in a horizontal direction toward the collection can; Equipped with The collection can has an opening that opens upward, When the collection tube is in the raised position, the pushing shaft moves down within the collection tube to push the soil within the collection tube toward the recovery canister, and when the collection tube is in the lowered position, the pushing shaft moves down within the collection tube to compact the soil within the collection tube; A soil collecting device in which the scraping member passes above an opening of the collection canister after the pushing shaft pushes out the soil within the collection tube.

3. a collection canister for collecting the soil collected in the collection tube; A scraping member that moves relatively in a horizontal direction toward the collection can; a movement mechanism for horizontally moving the collection can, The collection can has an opening that opens upward, A partition plate is provided between the raised position and the lowered position of the collection tube to separate the upper and lower portions, a window is formed in the partition plate to allow the collection tube to pass when the collection tube moves up or down; the moving mechanism moves the collection can in a horizontal direction so that the opening passes under the window; 2. The soil sampler of claim 1, wherein an inner edge of the window functions as the scraping member when the opening passes under the window.

4. the moving mechanism has a throttle member that is provided below the partition plate and rotates about a rotation axis that faces in a vertical direction, The throttle member has a plurality of collection cans disposed at equal intervals around the rotation shaft, 4. The soil collecting device according to claim 3, wherein an inner edge of the window is disposed on a rotational path of the collection can that rotates around the rotation axis in a plan view.

5. The scraping member has a blade tip that is inclined with respect to the moving direction of the collection can.

5. A soil sampling device according to claim 3 or 4.

6. 5. The soil collecting device according to claim 2, further comprising an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the scraping member relative to the opening.

Images