Distribution machine

Abstract

To spray an appropriate amount of liquid drug on necessary areas.SOLUTION: In a spraying work machine which includes a liquid drug spraying apparatus that sprays liquid drug to the side of a travel vehicle body and in which the liquid drug spraying apparatus includes release devices that control the release of the liquid drug at predetermined intervals, a blower device that blows air in a prescribed direction is provided in the travel vehicle body, a blowing path that distributes the air released from the blower device in the longitudinal direction of the liquid drug spraying apparatus and directs the air downward before and after the liquid drug released from the release device is provided, the blowing path consists of: a telescopic air duct that moves the air in the longitudinal direction of the liquid drug spraying apparatus and toward the outer end, and multiple air-blowing nozzles that blow the air from the air duct toward the front and rear of the release devices and the lower side of the machine body, suction ports of the multiple air-blowing nozzles have smaller diameters as they are provided on the machine body outer side, and all the air outlets have the same shape.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 36

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a spraying work machine equipped with a spraying device such as a side boom.

Background Art

[0002] Conventional spraying work machines include a chemical liquid tank for storing the chemical liquid to be sprayed at the rear of a traveling vehicle body, and are provided with side booms that are telescopic and deploy on both the left and right sides of the machine body to spray the chemical liquid. The left and right side booms are composed of a fixed boom and a sliding boom, and spraying nozzles for spraying chemicals are arranged at predetermined intervals on the fixed boom and the sliding boom. (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Although the chemicals discharged from each spraying nozzle may experience some forward and backward displacement due to the inertia and vibration caused by the traveling of the traveling vehicle body, they are blown downward at high speed by the pressure in the liquid supply pipe. Therefore, basically, an appropriate amount is supplied to the crops directly below.

[0005] And a technique for controlling the spraying width end position is disclosed so that the spraying width end position coincides with the boundary of the already sprayed area. However, when strong winds are blowing during work, the supplied chemicals are affected by the wind and may be blown upward or blown away in the left-right direction of the machine body, resulting in no chemicals being sprayed near the spraying width end position and the boundary of the already sprayed area. There are problems such as the occurrence of poor growth and the influence of pests and diseases due to the lack of the effect of the chemicals, and the reduction of the yield and quality of the harvested product. The technology to prevent crops from coming into contact with the front and rear wheels has not been disclosed.

[0006] This invention addresses the problems of the past and enables the application of chemicals to an appropriate spraying area even when strong winds are blowing. And, to prevent the crops from coming into contact with the front and rear wheels. The objective is to provide a spraying machine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention of claim 1 is a spraying machine in which the spraying range of a chemical agent can be changed by changing the extension of the mobile boom (103) in the left and right sides of the traveling body (1), the side boom (10) having a base boom (101) and a movable boom (103) that can slide along the base boom (101), and an extension motor (106) for moving the movable boom (103), the extension motor (106) for driving the movable boom (103) to change the extension of the mobile boom (103) in the left and right directions of the machine, The vehicle body (1) is equipped with a receiving antenna (140) for receiving signals from a satellite and a control device (200). The control device (200) is configured to calculate and acquire the spraying end position of the work strip, and drives the telescopic motor (106) to change the lateral extension of the mobile boom (103) of the machine body so that the spraying end position of the currently spraying work and the spraying end position of the adjacent strip overlap by a predetermined distance. The structure is as follows: A grass-splitting nozzle (511) is provided at the bottom of the vehicle body (1) to blow air, and the air blown from the grass-splitting nozzle (511) is configured to blow on the outside and inside of the front wheels (2) that support the vehicle body (1), and on the outside and inside of the rear wheels (3). The spraying machine is characterized by the following features. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the invention of claim 1, by ensuring that the spraying end position currently being sprayed and the spraying end position of an adjacent row overlap by a predetermined distance, the occurrence of unsprayed areas due to the effects of wind and other factors can be suppressed. This prevents poor growth and damage from pests and diseases, improving the quality and yield of the harvested crop.

[0009] Also, The wind from the weed-dividing nozzle (511) prevents the stems and leaves of the crops from coming into contact with the front wheel (2) and rear wheel (3), thus preventing a decrease in the quality and yield of the harvested crop.

[0010] In addition, by blowing air downward from the vehicle body, it is possible to continuously impart a flow to the air on the lower side of the traveling vehicle body (1), thereby preventing the air heated by the heat dissipation of the engine or the like of the traveling vehicle body (1) from accumulating on the lower side of the vehicle body and preventing the crops from being weakened by the high temperature.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] [Figure 1] Side view of the work vehicle [Figure 2] Plan view of the work vehicle [Figure 3] Perspective view of the transmission case seen from the front [Figure 4] Perspective view of the transmission case seen from the rear [Figure 5] Perspective view of the transmission case seen from the lower rear side [Figure 6] Schematic cross-sectional view of the transmission case [Figure 7] Enlarged view of the clutch inside the transmission case [Figure 8] Perspective view of the front case of the transmission case seen from the front [Figure 9] Perspective view of the front case of the transmission case seen from the inside [Figure 10] Perspective view of the center case of the transmission case seen from the front [Figure 11] Perspective view of the center case of the transmission case seen from the rear [Figure 12] Perspective view of the rear case of the transmission case seen from the inside [Figure 13] Perspective view of the rear case of the transmission case seen from the rear [Figure 14] Front view of the clutch plate [Figure 15] Partial enlarged view near the PTO shaft in FIG. 6 [Figure 16] (a) Front view of the main part showing the side boom in the contracted state, (b) Plan view of the main part showing the side boom in the contracted state [Figure 17] (a) Front view of the main part showing the side boom in the extended state, (b) Plan view of the main part showing the side boom in the extended state [Figure 18] Side view of the main part of the opening and closing nozzle [Figure 19] (a) Front view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle in the open state, (b) Front view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle where the spraying switching pin contacts the switching cock, (c) Front view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle in the intermediate state, (d) Front view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle in the closed state [Figure 20] (a) Plan view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle in the open state, (b) Plan view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle where the spraying switching pin contacts the switching cock, (c) Plan view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle in the intermediate state, (d) Plan view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle in the closed state [Figure 21] (a) Front view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle of another configuration example in the open state, (b) Front view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle of another configuration example where the spraying switching pin contacts the switching cock, (c) Front view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle of another configuration example in the intermediate state, (d) Front view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle of another configuration example in the closed state [Figure 22] (a) Plan view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle of another configuration example in the open state, (b) Plan view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle of another configuration example where the spraying switching pin contacts the switching cock, (c) Plan view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle of another configuration example in the intermediate state, (d) Plan view of the main part showing the opening and closing nozzle of another configuration example in the closed state [Figure 23] (a) Front view of the main part showing the overlap of the chemical spraying ranges between nozzles, (b) Plan view of the main part showing the overlap of the chemical spraying ranges between nozzles [Figure 24] Block diagram showing the input and output systems of each part of the machine body [Figure 25] Flow chart showing the telescopic movement of the side boom by manual operation and automatic control [Figure 26] Schematic diagram showing a field work map with coloring applied to the locations where the chemical spraying operation was performed [Figure 27] Flow chart showing the telescopic control of the side boom where chemicals are sprayed overlapping near the ends of adjacent strips [Figure 28] Front view of the main part showing the state where the side boom end has not reached the adjacent strip [Figure 29] Front view of the main part showing the state where the side boom end is at a position partially overlapping the adjacent strip [Figure 30] Front view of the main part showing the state in which the end of the side boom overlaps with the spraying position of the adjacent row to perform pesticide spraying work. [Figure 31] A schematic diagram showing a field work map with areas where pesticide spraying has been carried out colored. [Figure 32] A flowchart showing the color control of field work maps corresponding to pesticide spraying operations. [Figure 33] (a) Front view of the main components showing the side boom and air duct in the retracted state, (b) Top view of the main components showing the side boom and air duct in the retracted state [Figure 34] (a) Front view of the main section showing the side boom and air duct in the extended state, (b) Top view of the main section showing the side boom and air duct in the extended state [Figure 35] A schematic diagram showing the air blower with the joint connecting the left and right air ducts attached. [Figure 36] A plan view of the main components showing that the intake port of the discharge nozzle becomes smaller in diameter towards the outside of the aircraft body. [Figure 37] Side view showing the vehicle body with the air blower attached. [Figure 38] Plan view showing the vehicle body with the air blower attached. [Figure 39] (a) Front view of the main part showing the air duct with the pressure relief nozzle attached, (b) Top view of the main part showing the air duct with the pressure relief nozzle attached [Figure 40] Side view showing the vehicle body with air-powered grass-cutting devices attached near the front and rear wheels. [Figure 41] Plan view showing the vehicle body with air-powered grass-cutting devices attached near the front and rear wheels. [Figure 42] Side view of the vehicle body with grass-splitting air ducts installed from the front wheels to the rear wheels. [Figure 43] Plan view showing the grass-splitting air duct installed on the vehicle body from the front wheels to the rear wheels. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments of the present invention, a work vehicle used for spraying agricultural chemicals will be used as an example of the work vehicle.

[0013] In this application, the side of the work vehicle 1 that is in the direction of travel is defined as the front, the opposite side as the rear, the left side in the direction of travel as the left direction, and the right side in the direction of travel as the right direction.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the work vehicle 1 is a vehicle for spraying pest control chemicals, and is equipped with front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3. The engine (not shown) is covered by a bonnet 4 located on the front of the vehicle body 1. Behind the bonnet 4 is a control unit 5, which is equipped with a steering wheel 6 and a seat 8.

[0015] A chemical tank 9 for storing the chemical solution is detachably mounted behind the seat 8. The work vehicle 1 is also equipped with a hydraulic continuously variable transmission (HST), which is a mechanism that can adjust the forward and reverse direction of the vehicle's movement and speed, and an engine start restriction device that restricts engine starting.

[0016] Furthermore, support brackets 12a protruding in the left-right direction are provided on both the left and right sides of the front of the work vehicle 1, and a lifting link 12, composed of upper and lower link bodies, is rotatably supported on each of the left and right support brackets 12a. The upper and lower link bodies of the lifting link 12 are configured to interlock with each other, and a retractable lifting cylinder 13 is provided on the lower link body of the lifting link 12 so as to connect the lower link body of the lifting link 12 to the support bracket 12a, so that the lifting link 12 can be rocked up and down by extending or retracting the lifting cylinder 13.

[0017] Furthermore, the lifting link 12 extends to a position in front of the bonnet 4, and the front frame 11 is attached to the front end of the lifting link 12 so as to connect the left and right lifting links 12. Therefore, by simultaneously extending and retracting the left and right lifting cylinders 13, the front frame 11 can be raised and lowered via the left and right lifting links 12 which move up and down.

[0018] At both ends of the front frame 11, a pair of left and right side booms 10, which serve as an example of a work device for spraying chemicals, are mounted so as to be rotatable on an axis in the vertical direction. Boom rotation cylinders 109, 109 are provided for each of the left and right side booms 10, allowing them to be individually extended and folded in the left and right directions. Multiple nozzles 100 are mounted on the side booms 10, and a front boom 110 is mounted on the front frame 11, with multiple front nozzles 111 provided at equal intervals in the left and right directions. The nozzles 100 on each side boom 10 and each front nozzle 111 on the front boom 110 are configured to receive chemicals from the chemical tank 9 and spray the chemicals in a mist. Note that the right side boom 10 is omitted from the figure 1.

[0019] The storage position is when the side boom 10 is rotated inward in the left-right direction of the machine, then rotated downward in the left-right direction of the machine, and aligned along both sides of the vehicle. The chemical spraying position is when the side boom 10 is rotated forward and upward in the left-right direction of the machine, then rotated outward in the left-right direction of the machine, and extended to the left and right. In the storage position, the side boom 10 can be placed on the boom supports 15 provided on both the left and right sides of the work vehicle 1, thereby maintaining the side boom 10 in a position that is diagonally upward and rearward of the vehicle.

[0020] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the transmission case 20 mounted on the work vehicle of this embodiment, viewed from the front to the rear; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the transmission case 20 viewed from the rear to the front; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the transmission case 20 of Figure 4 viewed from the bottom side.

[0021] In Figures 3 to 5, 21 is the front case, 22 is the central case, 22a is the bottom surface of the central case 22, and 23 is the rear case. Furthermore, 24 is the input shaft for power transmission from the engine, and 25 and 26 are the first and second hydraulic pumps. Also, 27 is the shaft for engaging and disengaging the clutch (described later), 28 is the rear lift valve, and 29 is the drive output shaft for the front wheel 2. Additionally, 30 is the hydraulic continuously variable transmission (HST), and 31 is the clutch lubrication hole. Furthermore, 32 is the PTO shaft for work equipment such as a boom sprayer, 33 is the live PTO output shaft (additional transmission shaft) (described later), 34 is the vehicle speed sensor, 35 is the drain, 36 is the sub-transmission shaft, 37 is the breather, and 38 is the drive output shaft that transmits the driving force to drive the rear wheel 3.

[0022] Furthermore, the inside of the transmission case 20 has the structure shown in Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the whole, and Figure 7 is an enlarged view centered on the clutch 55.

[0023] First, let's explain the front case 21 in detail. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the front case 21 seen from the front, and Figure 9 is a perspective view of the front case 21 seen from the rear. In Figures 8 and 9, the ball bearings of the shaft are omitted. The input shaft 24 is held by the input bearing 21a. A gear 40 is connected to the rear end of the input shaft 24. A gear 41, which is fixed to the clutch drive shaft 42, meshes with the gear 40. The front end of the clutch drive shaft 42 is supported by the clutch front bearing 43 formed in the front case 21. Here, 55 is the clutch.

[0024] Furthermore, gear 41 meshes with gear 44 located below it, and this gear 44 is fixed to a gear pump drive shaft 45 that drives the first hydraulic pump 25. The gear pump bearing 46, which is the bearing for this gear pump drive shaft 45, is formed in the front case 21.

[0025] On the other hand, a gear 47 attached to a shaft 48 meshes with the gear 40 above it, and the tip of this shaft 48 is supported by a bearing 49 formed in the front case 21. Furthermore, the rear end of the shaft 48 is supported by a bearing 50a provided on a part of the bearing plate portion 50 attached to the central case 22. A gear 51 is attached near the center of the shaft 48, and a gear 52 meshes with the gear 51, and the gear 52 is fixed to the live PTO output shaft 33 described above. The front end of this live PTO output shaft 33 is supported by a bearing 54 formed in the front case 21, and the rear end is pivotally supported by a bearing 50b formed in the bearing plate portion 50, and is also able to protrude rearward and be used as a live PTO output shaft.

[0026] When engine power is input from the input shaft 24, gear 40 rotates. This rotation causes the meshing gear 47 to rotate, which in turn causes shaft 48 to rotate. The rotation of shaft 48 causes gear 51 to rotate, which in turn causes the meshing gear 52 to rotate.

[0027] As a result, the live PTO output shaft 33, which is fixed to the gear 52, rotates, and driving force from the engine is extracted to the outside. Since this driving force is extracted upstream (upper) of the clutch 55, it is not affected by whether the clutch 55 is engaged or disengaged, and driving force can be extracted as long as the engine is running.

[0028] Furthermore, gear 40 meshes with gear 41, and since gear 41 is fixed to the clutch drive shaft 42, the engine's driving force is also transmitted from the input shaft 24 to this clutch drive shaft 42. The clutch drive shaft 42 is connected to the clutch 55. Therefore, the driving force transmitted to the clutch drive shaft 42 is affected by whether the clutch 55 is engaged or disengaged.

[0029] Furthermore, gear 44 meshes with gear 41, and the engine's driving force is transmitted from the input shaft 24 to the gear pump drive shaft 45, to which gear 44 is fixed. The rotation of this gear pump drive shaft 45 drives the first hydraulic pump 25. The first hydraulic pump 25 pumps oil into the working hydraulic system. The second hydraulic pump 26, which is attached to the front case 21, is driven by a similar mechanism.

[0030] Next, the central case 22 and the rear case 23 will be described. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the central case 22 is removable from the front case 21 and the rear case 23 by a bolt mechanism. As shown in Figure 6, A shows the interface between the front case 21 and the central case 22, and B shows the interface between the central case 22 and the rear case 23. The central case 22 is fixed to the frame of the running body 1' of the work vehicle 1 by a connecting part 53 (see Figure 11). Figure 12 is a perspective view of the rear case 23 seen from the inside, and Figure 13 is a perspective view seen from the rear outside.

[0031] Inside the central case 22, the aforementioned bearing plate portion 50 is formed at the front position, and the clutch bearing plate portion 57 is formed at the central position.

[0032] A clutch 55 is positioned between the front bearing plate portion 50 and the clutch bearing plate portion 57, and the clutch drive shaft 42 is pivotally supported by the bearing portion 60 of the clutch bearing plate portion 57 via the clutch 55. Furthermore, the rear portion of the clutch drive shaft 42 passes through the hole 61 (see Figure 11) in the bearing portion 60 and is pivotally supported by the clutch drive shaft bearing 62 of the rear case 23.

[0033] Furthermore, since the HST drive shaft is supported by the rear case 23, it is either cantilevered by the rear case 23 or fixed to the HST itself.

[0034] Furthermore, since the drive shaft is long in the front-to-back direction, it is supported by the front case 21, the middle case 22, and the rear case 23.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, a speed change gear 70 is fixed to the clutch drive shaft 42, and this speed change gear 70 meshes with a gear 71 (loosely fitted gear) that is freely rotatably mounted on the shaft of the PTO shaft 32 for the work device.

[0036] The rotation of this gear 71 is transmitted to the PTO shaft 32 by a mechanism described later, which is the rotation of the clutch drive shaft 42. Therefore, the rotation of this working device PTO shaft 32 is controlled by the engagement and disengagement of the clutch 55. Note that 32a is a PTO bearing provided in the rear case 23.

[0037] On the other hand, a gear 63 is further attached to the clutch drive shaft 42, and this gear 63 meshes with the HST input gear 64. The HST output gear 65 is connected to the front wheel drive output shaft 29 and the rear wheel drive output shaft 38 via three gear mechanisms 66, 67, and 68. In Figure 8, 29a is the bearing for the front wheel drive output shaft 29. Therefore, the output shifted by the HST 30 is transmitted to the drive output shafts 29 and 38. Here, 30a is the HST input side, and 30b is the HST output side. Also, 72 and 73 are the HST input bearing and the HST output bearing, respectively.

[0038] In this way, the transmission case 20 is divided into front, middle, and rear sections, and the middle case 22 is fixed to the frame of the vehicle body 1' of the work vehicle 1 (connecting section 53), which allows maintenance work inside the case to be performed without removing the entire transmission case 20 from the machine.

[0039] Next, the clutch 55 in this embodiment has a wet structure rather than a so-called dry structure. That is, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the clutch drive shaft 42 is supported at both ends (43, 62) by the front case 21 and the rear case 23, and an oil passage is formed between the shaft and the support part. Lubricating oil is supplied from the clutch lubrication hole 31. This lubricating oil returns the hydraulic pressure of the pest control machine (operating hydraulic system) back to the oil passage of the clutch drive shaft 42.

[0040] The clutch 55 is constructed by housing multiple clutch plates 55b inside a clutch case 55a, and mounting the clutch case 55a on a clutch drive shaft 42. Furthermore, the clutch drive shaft 42 has a passage for hydraulic fluid, which can supply hydraulic fluid to the inner circumference of the clutch plates 55b. In addition, the clutch case 55a has a return hole that returns the hydraulic fluid that has entered the clutch case 55a back to the hydraulic circuit. Figure 14 shows a clutch plate 55b, and as indicated by arrow C, a communication hole 92 is formed from the inner circumference to the outer circumference.

[0041] Because the clutch 55 has this structure, by supplying hydraulic fluid into the clutch case 55a from the passage of the clutch drive shaft, it is possible to prevent the clutch plate 55b from seizing and becoming immobile, thereby ensuring reliable switching of the drive transmission and the work transmission.

[0042] Furthermore, by forming a return hole in the clutch case 55a, the hydraulic fluid that has entered the clutch case 55a can be returned to the transmission case 20, thereby preventing an increase in internal pressure and a shortage of hydraulic fluid.

[0043] Furthermore, by forming the communication hole 92, the hydraulic fluid that has entered between the clutch plate 55b and the clutch case 55a can be moved to the outside of the clutch case 55a, thus preventing problems from occurring due to the hydraulic fluid becoming old and no longer returning to the flow path.

[0044] In other words, since the communication holes 92 are formed by penetrating the clutch plate 55b in one or more places toward the outer edge, when it is immersed in the hydraulic fluid stored in the transmission case 20, the hydraulic fluid can enter the communication holes 92 from that point and permeate the inside of the clutch case 55a (this phenomenon occurs especially when the vehicle is stopped). Also, when the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the clutch drive shaft 42 causes the hydraulic fluid that has entered the communication holes 92 to be scattered to the outside of the clutch case 55a, the hydraulic fluid will be sent into the transmission case 20. In other words, the configuration allows for both the entry of hydraulic fluid into the interior and the release of hydraulic fluid to the outside.

[0045] Figure 15 is a partially enlarged view of Figure 6, focusing on the PTO shaft 32 for work equipment such as a boom sprayer.

[0046] As described above, a speed change gear 70 is fixed to the clutch drive shaft 42, and this speed change gear 70 meshes with a gear 71 (loosely fitted gear) that is freely rotatably mounted on the shaft of the PTO shaft 32 for the working device. This gear 71 meshes with a first counter gear 75 fixed to the counter shaft 76. Another second counter gear 77 is fixed to this counter shaft 76, and this second counter gear 77 meshes with a gear 78 fixed to the shaft of the PTO shaft 32. Note that 71a is a grooved washer.

[0047] Therefore, the rotation of the clutch drive shaft 42 causes the gear 70 to rotate, which is transmitted to the loosely fitted gear 71, which is transmitted to the first counter gear 75, which is transmitted to the counter shaft 76, which is transmitted to the second counter gear 77, which is transmitted to the gear 78, and as a result, is transmitted to the PTO shaft 32 and rotates.

[0048] On the other hand, 90 is a lubrication oil supply pipe that returns and discharges hydraulic fluid from the work hydraulic system into the transmission case 20. 79 is the outlet 79 of the lubrication oil supply pipe 90, which is provided in the rear case 23. The outlet 79 of the lubrication oil supply pipe 90 is located on the upper side inside the transmission case 20, above the work drive force transmission mechanism. Here, the transmission mechanism is a mechanism for transmitting drive force to the work mechanism, and is, for example, a PTO shaft 32, which is an example of the work drive shaft of the present invention.

[0049] This structure allows for reliable lubrication of the upper transmission mechanism, which is prone to lubrication shortages, by draining the hydraulic fluid from the upper side of the transmission case 20. This reduces wear and seizure, thus preventing a decrease in the durability of the transmission case 20.

[0050] In this case, the transmission case 20 itself also serves as the oil tank. The aforementioned first hydraulic pump 25 pumps the oil from this oil tank back to the drive cylinder as hydraulic fluid.

[0051] Furthermore, a diffusion member is rotatably mounted on the PTO shaft (work transmission shaft) 32 to receive and diffuse the hydraulic fluid discharged from the discharge port 79. An example of the diffusion member of the present invention is the free-rotating gear 71 described above.

[0052] The rotation of the gear 71 of the diffusion member provided on the PTO shaft 32 allows the hydraulic fluid to be diffused over a wide area by centrifugal force, further preventing wear and seizure due to insufficient hydraulic fluid.

[0053] Furthermore, the gear 71, which is the diffusion member, has oil passages 91 into which hydraulic fluid can enter. This makes it easier to diffuse the hydraulic fluid over a wide area, not just in the direction of rotation. It is desirable to provide multiple oil passages 91. For example, four at 90-degree intervals around the shaft. This also has the effect of allowing lubricating oil to flow into the inside of the gear 71.

[0054] Since the gear 71, which acts as a diffusion member, rotates in a certain direction, the hydraulic fluid tends to be sprayed somewhat unevenly in the direction of rotation. However, by forming the oil passage hole 911 through the gear 71, the hydraulic fluid that enters the interior from the discharge port 79 is discharged by centrifugal force at locations other than where it is repelled by the blade portion (corresponding to the gear teeth) of the gear 71, making it easier for the hydraulic fluid to diffuse to the downstream side in the direction of rotation.

[0055] The lubrication oil supply pipe 90 is mounted on the front or rear side of the transmission case 20, and an orifice is formed in the discharge port 79 of the lubrication oil supply pipe 90, with the orifice facing the inside of the transmission case 20. This allows the hydraulic fluid to be scattered over a greater distance.

[0056] As described above, the hydraulic fluid that returns from the spraying machine to the transmission case 20 (operating hydraulic system) has two systems: one that returns from the clutch lubrication hole 31 via the clutch 55, and another that returns from the outlet 79 of the lubrication oil supply pipe 90 on the rear case 23 of the transmission case 20. In addition, there is also a system in which the hydraulic fluid discharged from the lifting valve and the lower link cylinder returns to the transmission case 20 from the main valve located on the side of the transmission case 20.

[0057] The left and right side booms 10, 10 are configured to be extendable and retractable in order to adjust the range over which pest control chemicals are sprayed. As shown in Figures 1, 2, 16(a)(b), and 17(a)(b), base booms 101 are provided at the left and right ends of the front frame 11 so as to be rotatable in the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively. A slide frame 102 is provided on the upper part of the base boom 101 so as to be slidable along the base boom 101, and a movable boom 103 is provided on the slide plate 102. By sliding the slide plate 102 left and right, the extension of the movable boom 103 in the horizontal direction of the machine can be changed, thereby changing the amount of extension and retraction, in other words, the range over which chemicals are sprayed.

[0058] Specifically, a driven pulley 104 is rotatably provided on the end side (rear side of the machine body or outside of the machine body) of the base boom 101, and a boom extension motor 106 that drives a drive pulley 105 is provided on the base side (front side of the machine body or inside of the machine body) of the base boom 101, and an extension wire 107 is brought into contact with the drive pulley 105 and the driven pulley 104, and both ends of the extension wire 107 are connected to the mounting bends 102a, 102a at the left and right ends of the slide plate 102, respectively. Furthermore, a rotary encoder 108 is provided on the side of the drive pulley 105 to calculate the amount of sliding of the moving boom 103 from the rotation caused by contact with the extension wire 107.

[0059] Furthermore, the sensor for the extension and retraction amount of the side boom 10 may be replaced with a sensor that calculates the amount of sliding of the moving boom 103 from the reflection time of the emitted ultrasonic or laser, instead of the rotary encoder 108 described above.

[0060] With the above configuration, when the boom extension motor 106 is activated, the extension wire 107 slides along the slide frame 102 in the left-right direction, thereby changing the amount of left-right protrusion of the mobile boom 103 supported by the slide frame 102, and thus changing the spraying range of the chemical.

[0061] The base boom 101 and the mobile boom 103 are provided with the aforementioned nozzles 100 at predetermined intervals, and a set amount of chemical is sprayed by adjusting the opening degree of each nozzle 100 and the output setting of the chemical pump 9a that delivers the chemical from the chemical tank 9.

[0062] When the side boom 10 is fully extended, that is, when the amount of the mobile boom 103 protruding outwards from the machine body is at its maximum, it becomes possible to supply the chemical to the set range by spraying the chemical from all nozzles 100. However, when the left and right lengths of the side boom 10 are not at their maximum, the spraying range of some nozzles 100 may be the same, or may largely overlap, and if all nozzles 100 are open, there is a problem that the chemical will be used excessively. Furthermore, there is a problem that the excessive supply of chemicals will cause poor crop growth or chemical residue in the harvested crop, reducing its market value.

[0063] To prevent the occurrence of the above-mentioned problems, as well as problems such as pesticide shortages and uneven application leading to pests and diseases, the nozzle 100 installed on the base boom 101 is configured as follows. As shown in Figures 18 to 20, a chemical flow path 122 through which the chemical passes is formed inside the opening / closing nozzle body 121, and a switching pivot shaft 123 with a switching flow path 123a is rotatably inserted into the chemical flow path 122 to enable switching between an open state and a closed state. The bent portion (corner) of an L-shaped (or V-shaped, or V-shaped) switching cock 124 is inserted into the switching pivot shaft 123, and the opening / closing nozzle 120 is configured such that the opening and closing state of the chemical flow path 122 is switched by rotating the switching cock 124.

[0064] As shown in Figures 19(a) to (d) and 20(a) to (d), the switching cock 124 is configured to rotate within a range of approximately 180 degrees and has a first contact portion OC that contacts the spray switching pin 112 when switched from the open state to the closed state, and a second contact portion CO that contacts the spray switching pin 112 when switched from the closed state to the open state, with either the first contact portion OC or the second contact portion CO facing the movement path of the spray switching pin 112. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 19(a) to (d), when the switching cock 124 is rotated 90 degrees, the switching flow path 123a is rotated 45 degrees, and when it is rotated 180 degrees, it is rotated 90 degrees.

[0065] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 21 and 22, limit pins 125 may be provided at least two times on the opening / closing nozzle base 121 to prevent misalignment between the drug flow path 122 and the switching flow path 123a due to excessive rotation.

[0066] Furthermore, a spray switching pin 112 is provided at the lower part of the slide frame 102, protruding toward the base boom 101. The spray switching pin 112 contacts a portion of the switching cock 124 that protrudes downward, thereby switching between the on and off states of each opening / closing nozzle 120.

[0067] As shown in Figures 16(a)(b) and 17(a)(b), the mobile boom 103 is not equipped with the above-mentioned opening / closing nozzle 120, but is instead equipped with a continuously spraying nozzle 130 that can only be adjusted for opening degree, so that the chemical is continuously sprayed while the side boom 10 is in spraying operation, regardless of the change in the spraying range of the side boom 10.

[0068] As described above, nozzle 100 is a component name that includes the on / off nozzle 120 and the continuously spraying nozzle 130. Furthermore, the spraying range of the on / off nozzle 120, the continuously spraying nozzle 130, and the front nozzle 110 is cone-shaped in the plan view shown in Figure 23(b), and triangular in the front (rear) view shown in Figure 23(a) during operation.

[0069] As shown in Figures 24 and 25, the boom extension motor 106 operates in response to manual operation by the operator or extension / retraction signals from a control program, moving the mobile boom 103 and extending / retracting the side boom 10. The manual adjustment switch (not shown), which adjusts the length by manual operation, is activated only during operation by the control device 200 sending a signal to the boom extension motor 106. When the operation is stopped, the boom extension motor 106 stops at a position corresponding to a predetermined nozzle pitch P, as described later, and the spraying range of the mobile boom 103 is changed.

[0070] This allows the operator to visually monitor the condition of the crops and spray pesticides to the optimal area. On the other hand, the operator must operate the extension and retraction of one or both of the side booms 10, 10 while driving the vehicle 1, which places a significant burden on the operator.

[0071] The extension and retraction of the side boom 10 by the control program shall be performed by moving the distance between multiple open / closed nozzles 120 or continuously spraying nozzles 130, i.e., the nozzle pitch P (e.g., 300 mm), in units of the left-right distance between them, or the nozzle pitch P (e.g., 300 mm), with each signal.

[0072] This allows the spraying width of the side boom 10 to be automatically switched, so the operator can concentrate on operating the work vehicle 1, and deviations in the direction of travel are less likely to occur.

[0073] Furthermore, this prevents the spraying area from becoming too wide, leading to overlapping areas being supplied with pesticides and causing poor crop growth. It also prevents the occurrence of pests in areas not sprayed, thus preventing crops from wilting and becoming unharvestable due to pests and diseases.

[0074] The boom extension motor 106 is connected to the control device 200 and operates or stops in response to control signals. When a stop signal is issued from the control device 200, the boom extension motor 106 is intended to operate for at least the duration of extension or retraction of the nozzle pitch P.

[0075] Furthermore, when the mobile boom 103 moves in the extension direction, the control configuration stops while switching the opening / closing nozzle 120, which is located furthest outside the machine body within the extension range, from the closed state to the open state. Similarly, when the mobile boom 103 moves in the retraction direction, the control configuration stops while switching the opening / closing nozzle 120, which is located furthest outside the machine body within the retraction range, from the open state to the closed state. In other words, the intermediate state is the state shown in Figures 19(c) and 20(c), where the spray switching pin 112 is located between the left and right sides of the first contact point OC and the second contact point CO.

[0076] The boom extension motor 106 is configured to stop abruptly when it receives a signal from the control device 200 due to a manual stop operation or the fulfillment of stop conditions, at the point when the rotary encoder 108 detects a predetermined rotation angle. The rotation angle of the rotary encoder 108 is detected either by providing a separate angle-detecting sensor (not shown) or by calculating it from the rotation angle of the rotating body that the rotary encoder 108 is reading.

[0077] Alternatively, the system may be configured to stop after receiving a stop signal, and then rotate to a predetermined angle by inertia.

[0078] In this stop control configuration, when the operation to move the mobile boom 103 stops, the spray switching pin 112 rotates the switching cock 124 by approximately 45 degrees, stopping in an intermediate position between the open and closed states.

[0079] The above intermediate state is one in which the switching channel 123a is obliquely in contact with the chemical channel 122 in the vertical direction of the machine, that is, the channels are in communication, albeit narrow, and if the chemical flow rate and pump pressure are sufficient, a smaller amount of chemical than the set amount is sprayed from the on / off nozzle 120 due to the internal pressure. At this time, the amount of chemical sprayed is less than when the on / off nozzle 120 is in the open state, and the spraying area is in the shape of an isosceles triangle with a small apex angle, or a cylindrical shape.

[0080] As described above, when the boom extension motor 106 stops, the selector valve 124 of the on / off nozzle 120, which is located furthest outside the machine in the modified spraying range, moves to the intermediate position. This allows the chemical to be sprayed from this on / off nozzle 120 in a smaller amount and over a narrower area than the set amount.

[0081] This ensures that when the spraying range of the side boom 10 is changed, sufficient pesticide can be supplied even near the outer edge of the spraying range. This prevents crops from being affected by pests and diseases due to pesticide shortages, thus preventing a decrease in market value and yield.

[0082] Furthermore, since less pesticide is supplied to the outer edges than to other areas, the consumption of excess pesticide is suppressed, and the adverse effects on crop growth due to excessive pesticide supply are prevented.

[0083] As shown in Figures 16 and 17, at least one continuously spraying nozzle 130 is provided on the base side of the base boom 101, and when the mobile boom 103 is retracted to its maximum extent, the front end of the mobile boom 103 and the slide frame 102 will stop at a position closer to the end than the continuously spraying nozzle 130 provided at the outermost end of the base frame 101. At this time, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, the continuously spraying nozzles 130 provided at predetermined intervals on the mobile boom 103 and the opening / closing nozzles 120 provided at predetermined intervals on the base frame 101 will be arranged to overlap in the front-rear direction of the machine during spraying work and in the left-right direction of the machine when stored.

[0084] Furthermore, of the continuously spraying nozzles 130 provided on the mobile boom 103, at least one, two in this application, from the end side shall be spaced apart from the end of the base boom 101 and shall not overlap with the opening / closing nozzles 120.

[0085] With the above configuration, when the mobile boom 103 is retracted to its maximum extent, the pesticide is sprayed only by the continuously spraying nozzles 130 which are arranged at a constant nozzle pitch P, thus preventing excessive consumption of pesticide. This helps to prevent crop growth problems and reduce operating costs.

[0086] Furthermore, by providing continuous spray nozzles 130 that do not overlap with other nozzles on the base side of the base boom 101 and the end side of the mobile boom 103, a set amount of chemical agent can be stably supplied to the left and right sides of the traveling vehicle body 1 and the outer ends of the side booms 10, regardless of the extension and retraction amount of the side booms 10.

[0087] As shown in Figure 26, one possible scenario in which the side boom 10 described above is automatically extended and retracted using the control device 200 is to overlap the end of an adjacent work row that has finished spraying chemicals with the end of the current work row by a predetermined distance. Chemicals are sprayed from the end of the work row from a normally open nozzle 130 located near the outer end of the mobile boom 103. However, the spraying range of the outermost normally open nozzle 130 does not overlap with other normally open nozzles 130 or open / closed nozzles 120, so the amount of chemicals sprayed may be reduced due to the influence of wind direction, etc.

[0088] However, if the goal is to reduce the amount of pesticide sprayed, it is desirable to use the end of the adjacent sprayed row as a boundary line, and to control the extension and retraction of the side boom 10 so that the outer end of the boom always stays as far away from the adjacent row as possible, using this boundary line as a reference. With this spraying control, the overlap of pesticide spraying locations is minimized, and the amount of pesticide used is reduced.

[0089] On the other hand, although the amount of chemical used will increase, in order to perform chemical spraying at the end of the work row in the same way as the chemical spraying positions of the other nozzles 100 (open / close nozzles 120, continuous spray nozzles 130), it is desirable to position the outermost continuous spray nozzle 130 near the end of the adjacent row so that the chemical spraying positions overlap.

[0090] To control the extension and retraction of the side boom 10 as described above, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 24, the vehicle body 1 is equipped with a receiving antenna 140 that communicates with a satellite to acquire positional information. The control device 200 performs processing to record the coordinates received by the receiving antenna 140 and the amount of movement of the mobile boom 103 detected by the rotary encoder 108 at the time of reception, and also installs a spraying record application 201 on a virtual field work map FM, or makes it available via a cloud server, which displays the work rows where chemical spraying work was performed and the ends of these work rows using coloring, differences in linearity, etc.

[0091] Regarding the control device 200 described above, since it is necessary to perform various control calculations simultaneously, a high-performance device is required to do this with a single unit. However, if the processing load is large, there is a risk that it will need to be replaced in a short period of time.

[0092] Therefore, the control device 200 is configured by combining a first CPU 202 that controls the extension and retraction control and deployment and storage control of the side booms 10, 10, a second CPU 203 that processes signal information obtained from the receiving antenna 140, and a third CPU 204 that determines whether the side booms 10, 10 are in a spraying state or a non-spraying state and controls the coloring of the spraying record application 201.

[0093] As described above, by distributing different controls to multiple CPUs, each CPU only bears the load of its own control processing, and since multiple controls are executed in parallel, the aircraft's actions in response to the controls are performed accurately.

[0094] However, each of the CPUs 202-204 mentioned above may not perform single tasks, but rather perform parallel processing depending on the situation.

[0095] Furthermore, when one of the left or right side booms 10, 10 is extended and spraying is stopped, the first CPU 202 can grasp the posture of the side boom 10, and the third CPU 204 can determine whether spraying is being performed. This prevents the spraying record application 201 from coloring and recording areas where spraying has not been performed. This increases the reliability of the spraying record.

[0096] In the above example, when the side boom 10 is determined to be in a non-spraying state, the spraying record application 201 is not colored in that area. However, it is also possible to color it with a different color to indicate that it is in a non-spraying state.

[0097] Furthermore, the satellites that the receiving antenna 140 communicates with should be GNSS, GLONAS, Michibiki, etc., which allow for stable reception of satellite signals at the work site. An IMU or similar device may be installed near the receiving antenna 140 or at another location on the vehicle body 1 to allow for control of operations other than chemical spraying.

[0098] Furthermore, in order to improve reception accuracy, it is desirable to install the receiving antenna 140 as high as possible on the upper part of the vehicle body 1. If a cabin is provided to surround the seat 8, the receiving antenna 140 should be installed on the roof of this cabin and near the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle. If a locating device is provided behind the seat 8, the receiving antenna 140 should be installed on top of the locating device and near the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle. At this time, there is a certain distance between the receiving antenna 140 and the side boom 10 in the front-rear direction, so if accuracy is to be further improved, the control device 200 should be made to correct the front-rear distance between the receiving antenna 140 and the side boom 10.

[0099] To minimize the front-to-rear distance between the side boom 10 and the receiving antenna 140, the antenna pole can be erected with the antenna protruding upward from the bonnet 4, or an antenna frame can be provided that straddles the bonnet 4.

[0100] Alternatively, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a receiving antenna 140 that provides high reception accuracy even at a low position may be attached to the surface of the bonnet 4. In either case, if the receiving antenna 140 is placed near the center of the left and right sides of the aircraft, it is possible to achieve a nearly equal distance between it and either of the left and right side booms 10, 10, thereby preventing bias in position detection accuracy.

[0101] Furthermore, a steering potentiometer 141 is provided to detect the amount of operation of the steering handle 6 of the vehicle body 1. When an amount of operation is detected that can be considered as causing the vehicle body 1 to turn by operating the steering handle 6, the control device 200 determines whether the left or right side is outward in the direction of the turn.

[0102] Furthermore, when the handle potentiometer 141 detects an amount of operation that can be considered as a slewing operation, the control device 200 retracts the boom rotation cylinder 109 of the side boom 10 corresponding to the outward side in the slewing direction, switching the side boom 10 to an upward tilted position toward the outward side in the slewing direction. This prevents the outward-facing side boom 10 from contacting and being damaged by the slope or wall at the edge of the furrow.

[0103] Furthermore, depending on the planting arrangement of crops near the turning position at the edge of the field, the automatic shut-off button during turning may be operated to stop the supply of chemicals to the left and right side booms 10, 10 and the front boom 110 during turning, or the spraying of chemicals from the left and right side booms 10, 10 and the front boom 110 may be arbitrarily turned off.

[0104] With the above configuration, under working conditions where it is necessary to spray pesticides while turning, sufficient pesticides can be supplied to crops near the turning position, preventing them from being affected by pests and diseases due to pesticide shortages.

[0105] On the other hand, if there are no crops near the turning position, the supply of pesticides can be stopped, thus reducing pesticide consumption and lowering agricultural costs.

[0106] The control device 200 records the left-right width of the vehicle body 1 and the length of the base boom 101 when it is extended to the side of the vehicle. The distance from the left-right center position of the vehicle body where the receiving antenna 140 is mounted to the outer end of the base boom 101 is output as a constant value. If the mounting position of the receiving antenna 140 and the outer end of the extended base boom 101 are offset in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, a correction value using trigonometric functions shall be applied.

[0107] Furthermore, although the left-right position of the mobile boom 103 fluctuates with the amount of extension and retraction, the mounting distance between the spray nozzles 130, the so-called nozzle pitch P, is always set to 30 cm, and this 30 cm is used as one unit detected by the rotary encoder 108, allowing the control device 200 to calculate the current amount of extension and retraction.

[0108] After the above-described turning travel control, when it is determined that the next work condition has been reached, as shown in Figure 27, that is, when the detected value of the handle potentiometer 141 can be considered as a non-turning operation, the control device 200 calculates the extension and retraction amount of the outer end of the side boom 10 on the turning side, i.e., the moving boom 103, which is calculated from the position coordinates currently received via the receiving antenna 140 and the detected value of the rotary encoder 108 on the side that was located on the turning side during turning travel.

[0109] Then, the difference in the left-right direction between the end position of the adjacent row where the chemical spraying work was previously performed, corresponding to the acquired current position coordinates, and the center position in a plan view of the continuously spraying nozzle 130 located on the outermost part of the current moving boom 103 is calculated. Based on the calculated difference, the boom extension motor 106 is activated, and the operation of the boom extension motor 106 is stopped in accordance with the detection by the rotary encoder 108.

[0110] As shown in Figure 28, when the continuously spraying nozzle 130, which is located at the outer end of the mobile boom 103, is located within the width of the current work row and does not extend into the adjacent row, the control device 200 extends the mobile boom 103 toward the adjacent row by the nozzle pitch P, i.e., 300 mm, at regular intervals.

[0111] Then, as shown in Figure 30, if the detection value indicates that the continuously spraying nozzle 130 is positioned above the adjacent row beyond its end EX, that is, if it is calculated that the spraying range of the continuously spraying nozzle 130 extends 150 mm or more into the end EX of the adjacent row, the control device 200 calculates the distance X between the center of the continuously spraying nozzle 130 and the recorded end position of the adjacent row. If this distance X is 150 mm or more, the control device 200 stops the boom extension motor 106 because it has adequately secured an overlapping spraying position for one continuously spraying nozzle 130 in the adjacent row.

[0112] Furthermore, if the boom extension motor 106 continues to operate due to inertia even after being stopped, the system may be configured to emit a stop signal for the boom extension motor 106 approximately 20-30 mm before reaching its destination (this value may vary depending on factors such as the motor's performance and the structure of the boom extension mechanism).

[0113] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 29, when the separation distance X is less than 150 mm, the spraying range of approximately 300 mm, which is the size of one spray nozzle 130, does not fully cover the adjacent row. Therefore, in order to ensure that it covers the entire area, the boom extension motor 106 is activated to move the nozzle by one nozzle pitch P, i.e., 300 mm.

[0114] For each position coordinate that matches the position coordinate obtained from the adjacent row, the boom position is calculated as described above. The boom extension motor 106 is not operated as long as the spraying range of approximately 300 mm, which is the size of one spray nozzle 130, is within the adjacent row. However, if it is detected that the spraying range of the outermost spray nozzle 130 extends from the end of the adjacent row into the current work area, the boom extension motor 106 is activated to move the boom 103, which moves 300 mm + distance X, towards the adjacent row.

[0115] Furthermore, since position coordinates are often acquired multiple times in a short period of time, calculating the boom spraying range each time would place a heavy load on the control device 200. Additionally, if extension signals are continuously transmitted, the mobile boom 103 of the side boom 10 repeatedly extends and retracts in a short period of time, which could prevent the continuously spraying nozzle 130 from remaining in the appropriate spraying position. Therefore, if the comparison of position information between adjacent rows and the current work row is performed at predetermined intervals or after passing a predetermined number of points, the calculation frequency of the control device 200 will be reduced, alleviating the load. Moreover, the mobile boom 103 can be kept in a position where the outermost continuously spraying nozzle 130 can spray chemicals in the appropriate location, enabling the supply of a sufficient amount of chemical to overlapping spraying locations.

[0116] Alternatively, the control device 200 may be configured to calculate the difference in coordinates between at least two points in the left-right direction caused by the lateral displacement of the vehicle body 1, and if the difference in coordinates exceeds an acceptable range, even if the number of points is within a predetermined time or within a predetermined value, the control device 200 may send an operation signal to the boom extension motor 106.

[0117] With the above configuration, the pesticide can be automatically sprayed in overlapping manner near the ends of adjacent rows. As a result, the pesticide is supplied in the same way as other on / off nozzles 120s, continuously spraying nozzles 130s, or in places where an on / off nozzle 120 and a continuously spraying nozzle 130 are adjacent to each other. This prevents the crop from being affected by pests and diseases due to a shortage of pesticide, which can lead to a decrease in commercial value and yield.

[0118] Further details about the spraying record application 201 will be provided below.

[0119] As shown in Figure 24, the base booms 101 of the left and right side booms 10 and the front boom 110 are provided with left and right side spray switches 301L, 301R and a center spray switch 302, which are used to determine whether or not the device is in a state to spray chemicals.

[0120] As shown in Figure 32, the on / off determination of these side spray switches 301L, 301R and center spray switch 302 is determined by whether or not a signal is sent to the third CPU 204. This third CPU 204 then replaces the area corresponding to the location where spraying has been determined to be on, as shown in Figure 31, with a specified color and line on the virtual map FM recorded in the spraying record application 201.

[0121] This replacement is performed in real time as the vehicle body 1 moves forward, so if the operator is watching the display, it will appear as if the screen is being repainted; therefore, the replacement can also be described as coloring. At this time, in order to make the coloring in real time in conjunction with the forward movement of the vehicle body 1, the signal information acquired from the receiving antenna 140 is processed by the second CPU 203, and the range to be colored is changed in association with the on / off switching of the left and right side spray switches 301L, 301R and the center spray switch 302 each time the signal is acquired.

[0122] Furthermore, since the amount of extension of the mobile boom 103, which constitutes the side booms 10, 10, differs depending on the settings and extension / retraction control, the current extension / retraction amount of the mobile boom 103 input to the first CPU 202 is transmitted to the third CPU 204, and the colored range indicating spraying work in the left-right direction of the machine is increased or decreased.

[0123] When the rotary encoder 108 is used to detect the extension and retraction amount of the mobile boom 103, the first CPU 202 determines the current protrusion amount based on the rotational speed detected by the rotary encoder 108. For example, if the distance between adjacent opening and closing nozzles 120 is defined as the nozzle pitch P (e.g., 300 mm), and one rotation detected by the rotary encoder 108 is defined as the same distance as the nozzle pitch P, the protrusion amount can be calculated from the rotational speed.

[0124] The third CPU 204 then expands or contracts the colored range in accordance with the rotational speed detected by the rotary encoder 108. The rotational speed detected by the rotary encoder 108 when the mobile boom 103 is not extended at all, in other words, when it is fully retracted, is set to 0. By adding this rotational speed, the amount of extension of the mobile boom 103 and the corresponding colored range can be determined.

[0125] When using lasers or ultrasound for detection, the distance is calculated from the time required for reflection, and the first CPU 202 determines the most approximate protrusion amount.

[0126] With the above configuration, the field work map FM can be colored according to the actual pesticide application work, making it easier to visually determine how the pesticide application work was carried out in the field. For example, if there are many uncolored areas, it becomes easier to determine that there is some problem with the extension control settings of the side booms 10,10 or the operation of the vehicle body 1, as well as where the effects of pesticide shortage are likely to occur, making it easier to plan subsequent work and countermeasures.

[0127] On the other hand, when the side booms 10,10 are extended and retracted to intentionally create overlapping spraying positions with adjacent rows, it becomes easier to visually determine whether the width of the overlapping spraying position is appropriate, making it easier to identify areas for improvement in the pesticide spraying operation.

[0128] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 26 and 31, the overlapping areas can be made clearer by changing the intensity of the color used (e.g., making it darker) or by adding shading lines, which will make it easier to understand the work content.

[0129] The left and right side booms 10, 10 described above spray chemicals downward from the opening / closing nozzle 120 and the continuously spraying nozzle 130. By forming a narrow passage for the chemical solution, the chemical is ejected at high speed due to pressure.

[0130] Even so, since the field is a well-ventilated area, in other words, an area with few obstructions when the wind blows, strong winds particularly affect the direction of pesticide application. When the sprayed pesticide is carried away by the wind, some areas will receive a large amount of pesticide unevenly, while other areas will receive no pesticide at all, leading to problems such as differences in growth rate and increased susceptibility to diseases and pests.

[0131] Furthermore, if the chemical solution is dispersed by the wind and adheres to the vehicle body 1, it will take extra time to clean up after the work is completed. In addition, if workers are exposed to the chemical, they may be affected by it.

[0132] To prevent this problem, as shown in Figures 33(a)(b) and 34(a)(b), the base boom 101 constituting the side boom 10 is provided with an extendable, for example, bellows-shaped base duct 501, and the movable boom 103 is provided with a sliding duct 502 that can slide together to form an air duct 500. Multiple blowing nozzles 503 that blow out air are arranged in the air duct 500 at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction of the machine when it is deployed to the working position. The sliding duct 502 has a smaller diameter than the base duct 501, making it easier for air to reach locations far from the air intake. Furthermore, if the sliding duct 502 is conical or pyramidal in shape, with a smaller diameter towards the outer end, even if the left-right length of the side boom 10 is increased, it is possible to deliver air to locations far from the supply port and to deliver sufficient air to the blowing nozzles 503 located closer to the outside of the machine.

[0133] The outer end of the base duct 501 and the inner end of the slide duct 502 are connected by a highly elastic connecting hose (not shown).

[0134] The multiple discharge nozzles 503 are positioned at the same location as, or as close as possible to, the open / close nozzles 120 and the continuously spraying nozzles 130. However, unlike the open / close nozzles 120, the open / closed state is not switched by the position of the moving boom 103 when moved left or right. Depending on the extension and retraction of the side boom 10, the multiple discharge nozzles 503 may be positioned in front of or behind some of the open / close nozzles 120, resulting in an air-blowing state.

[0135] Then, the outlet of an air blower 504, which blows out the inhaled air at high speed, is connected to the inside of the base duct 501. This air blower 504 may be attached to each of the left and right air ducts 500, but if it is a hydraulic motor the hydraulic circuit will become complicated, and if it is an electric motor the power consumption will increase, so as shown in Figure 35, it is preferable to provide a branch joint 506 at the outlet of one air blower 504 and connect the inside ends of the left and right base ducts 501, 501 to this branch joint 506.

[0136] As shown in Figures 37 and 38, the air intake port 504a of the air blower 504 is located on the bottom side of the vehicle body 1 and below the engine, transmission case 20, HST 30, etc., so that the air at the bottom of the vehicle body 1 is not heated by the exhaust heat from the engine, transmission case 20, and HST 30 before it is sent to the left and right air ducts 500, 500.

[0137] This increases the air temperature below the vehicle body 1, preventing crops located below the vehicle from being exposed to high temperatures or from coming into contact with the heated bottom of the vehicle body 1, thus preventing the crops from weakening or wilting, and thus preventing a decrease in the quality and yield of the harvested crop.

[0138] In particular, when the vehicle 1 is stopped or moving at a low speed, it is possible to prevent some crops from being weakened by concentrated exposure to high heat.

[0139] Furthermore, because the air beneath the vehicle body 1 is at a low temperature, the engine and HST30, etc., are less likely to overheat, thus preventing work interruptions and equipment damage.

[0140] The blowing nozzle 503 has an intake port 503a on its upper side to take in air blown into the base duct 501 or slide duct 502, and a blowing port 503b on its lower side to blow out air. However, if the intake ports 503a are of approximately the same diameter, air can enter more easily from the air ducts 500 located inside the aircraft body, making it difficult for air to reach the parts located outside the aircraft body, resulting in weaker or uneven airflow outside the aircraft body.

[0141] In order to supply sufficient air to the outer edge of the aircraft, in addition to forming the slide duct 502 with a smaller diameter towards the outer edge of the aircraft as described above, and ensuring sufficient airflow by increasing the output of the air blower 504, it is preferable that the intake port 503a of the discharge nozzle 503 provided in the slide duct 502 be made smaller in diameter towards the outer edge of the aircraft, as shown in Figure 36.

[0142] Furthermore, the outlet 503b of the discharge nozzle 503 may be designed to blow air in a cone-shaped area, or to blow air in a straight line downwards from multiple positions in the left-right direction, so that the air is blown out in a plate-like shape when viewed from the front or rear. In addition, the air discharge ranges of each discharge nozzle 503 should overlap to minimize gaps in the airflow.

[0143] With the above configuration, a wall of air, a so-called air curtain, can be formed on the front and rear sides of the side boom 10, extending downwards over a width approximately the same as the left-right width of the side boom 10. As a result, the chemicals blown out from the opening / closing nozzle 120 and the normally open nozzle 130 can be contained within the front-to-back width of the front and rear air curtains.

[0144] This prevents the random scattering of pesticides due to wind in the field, ensuring uniform application of pesticides within the field, reducing pesticide consumption, and preventing deterioration of crop quality due to oversupply, as well as contamination of surrounding soil and water.

[0145] Furthermore, by spraying pesticides while bending the crops with an air curtain blown downwards, the pesticides can be more easily delivered not only to the upper parts of the crops but also to the area near the roots. This makes the crops less susceptible to pests and diseases, preventing poor growth and a decrease in the quality and yield of the harvested produce.

[0146] Furthermore, the air blown out from the discharge nozzle 503 located at the outermost end of the slide duct 502 does not overlap with the discharge range of the outer part of the machine, resulting in a situation where the chemical can be scattered to the side of the machine.

[0147] To prevent this, the outermost nozzle 503c, which is positioned on the outermost side, should have its outlet 503b facing the vehicle body 1 more than the other discharge nozzles 503. Furthermore, those positioned at the front of the vehicle should be positioned with the outlet 503b facing the rear of the vehicle, and those positioned at the rear of the vehicle should be positioned with the outlet facing the front of the vehicle.

[0148] The arrangement of the outermost nozzles 503c at the front and rear causes the air blown out from the outer end of the aircraft to create diagonal walls at the outer end of the air curtain when viewed from above, thereby covering the spraying range of the side boom 10 and preventing the chemical from being blown away by the wind.

[0149] The air duct 500 described above requires a strong airflow from the air blower 504 to generate an air curtain that is less affected by wind blowing across the field, and the internal pressure tends to rise even if the discharge nozzle 503 is always open. Therefore, the fixed duct 501 and the sliding duct 502 are provided with a pressure relief nozzle 505 that opens using the pressure when the inside of the air duct 500 becomes overpressurized. It would suffice to provide just one pressure relief nozzle 505 with a large discharge diameter when open, but if the air inside the air duct 500 is rapidly discharged, there will be insufficient air to be blown out as an air curtain, and in particular, air may not be blown out from the discharge nozzle 503 near the outer end of the machine, which uses the internal pressure to deliver air, potentially causing the generation of the air curtain to stop in some areas.

[0150] To prevent this, as shown in Figure 39, the outlet of the pressure relief nozzle 505 may be made the same shape as the discharge nozzle 503, and furthermore, the pressure relief nozzle 505 may be provided at approximately the same interval as the discharge nozzle 503, and at the front and rear of the upper side of the air duct 500, so that an air curtain is also formed above the side boom 10 when the overpressure condition is relieved.

[0151] This prevents damage to the air duct 500 due to increased internal pressure, prevents the chemicals from being supplied while being affected by wind, and also prevents the formation of an air curtain above the side boom 10 when an overpressure state occurs, thereby preventing the air mixed with the chemicals from rising upwards due to the recoil from contact with the ground or crops.

[0152] By suppressing the swirling air near the top of the side boom 10, exposure of workers to air mixed with chemicals is prevented.

[0153] The pressure relief nozzle 505 described above may be one that can be switched to a constantly open state, and when air is supplied from the air blower 504 to the air duct 500, an air curtain may be constantly formed above the side boom 10.

[0154] In this case, the pressure relief nozzles 505 may be formed with inclined angles on the front and rear sides of the aircraft, respectively, to form an air curtain diagonally above the side boom 10 in the front-rear direction.

[0155] This prevents the air mixed with chemicals and soil from being blown upwards above the side boom 10, thus preventing interference with the operation of the vehicle body 1 and the side boom 10, and also prevents the chemicals and soil from affecting the health of the workers.

[0156] Furthermore, since chemicals and soil can be returned to the field, poor growth of cultivated crops and damage from pests and diseases are less likely to occur, and the soil with components and properties suitable for cultivation is less likely to be lost from the field, thus maintaining the quality of the field.

[0157] The air curtain described above is generated within the spraying range of the left and right side booms 10, 10, but has almost no effect on the front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3 located inside the spraying range, or on the area below the vehicle body 1 between them.

[0158] The vehicle body 1, used as a riding cultivator for spraying pesticides, straddles the rows where growing crops are planted between the left and right front wheels 2,2 and the left and right rear wheels 3,3. However, since the left and right front wheels 2,2 and the left and right rear wheels 3,3 travel in the narrow gaps between crops, there is a risk that the stems and leaves of crops may get caught in the axles, etc., when they get close to the front wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3. To avoid this, it is common to equip the vehicle body 1 with a weed-separating rod that contacts the stems and leaves of crops and pushes them away from the front wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3. However, when the crops are no longer in contact with the weed-separating rod, they may recoil and return to the side where the front wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3 are located, and as a result, the stems and leaves may get caught in the axles, etc.

[0159] To prevent this, as shown in Figures 40 and 41, an air weed-separating device 510 is provided on the outside and inside of the front wheel 2 and rear wheel 3, and on the underside of the vehicle body 1, with one weed-separating nozzle 511 on the inside and outside of the vehicle body, or multiple nozzles at predetermined intervals, to blow air onto the crops that are approaching the front wheel 2 and rear wheel 3 to separate them.

[0160] Furthermore, the air supply source for the air-based weed-cutting device 510 may be the air blower 504 if sufficient wind power can be secured, but another air blower (not shown) may be used to stably generate an air curtain around the side boom 10. In particular, when working with crops that are spaced far apart, do not bend easily, and do not come into contact with the front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3 even when wind is blowing, and when the crops are short, there is no point in blowing air from the weed-cutting nozzle 511, so it is better to have a separate air blower for weed-cutting that can be switched on and off to reduce the consumption of unnecessary power and fuel.

[0161] When multiple grass-splitting nozzles 511 are provided, those installed at the front end of the machine shall be positioned further forward than the front end of the front wheel 2, and those installed at the rear end of the machine shall be positioned further rearward than the rear end of the rear wheel 3.

[0162] As shown in Figure 40, the sides of the front wheel 2 and rear wheel 3 are equipped with front and rear wheel guards 2a and 3a, respectively, to prevent soil and other debris from entering. The grass-splitting nozzle 511 can keep the stems and leaves away from the front wheel 2 and rear wheel 3 even when continuously blowing downwards, but by blowing wind towards the wheel guards 2a and 3a, which act as walls, from either the outside or inside of the machine, and reflecting the wind, the wind can be guided in a direction that moves it away from the front wheel 2 and rear wheel 3, thereby keeping the stems and leaves even further away from them.

[0163] Therefore, of the grass-splitting nozzles 511, those positioned on the outside of the front wheel 2 and rear wheel 3 of the machine body are inclined toward the inside of the machine body, and those positioned on the inside of the machine body are inclined toward the inside of the machine body.

[0164] This prevents the stems and leaves from coming into contact with the front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3, getting caught in the rotation and becoming entangled with the axle, etc., and being torn off, or being crushed by the front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3. This prevents damage to crops during cultivation and reduces the quality and yield of the harvested produce.

[0165] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 42 and 43, the air grass-splitting device 510 may be configured such that grass-splitting air ducts 512 are arranged on both the left and right sides of the bottom of the vehicle body 1, extending in the front-to-rear direction of the machine, and grass-splitting nozzles 511 are also provided between the front and rear of the front wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3 to blow out air for grass-splitting. In this configuration as well, the grass-splitting nozzles 511 provided at the front end of the machine are positioned further forward than the front end of the front wheels 2, and the grass-splitting nozzles 511 provided at the rear end of the machine are positioned further rear than the rear end of the rear wheels 3.

[0166] With the above configuration, the crops continue to receive wind from above for weed separation until the vehicle body 1 has completely passed over them. This prevents them from coming into contact with the front wheels 2 or rear wheels 3 when the airflow is interrupted, thus preventing damage to the crops during cultivation and reducing the quality and yield of the harvested produce.

[0167] Furthermore, by continuously blowing air downwards from the aircraft, it is possible to maintain airflow beneath the vehicle body 1. This prevents the air heated by the engine and HST 30 of the vehicle body 1 from accumulating beneath the aircraft, thus preventing crops from being weakened by high temperatures.

[0168] Furthermore, since the air blower can be connected to either the front or rear of the grass-splitting air duct 512, 512, the vegetation routing can be simplified.

[0169] Furthermore, the weed blower 511 has an outlet from which wind is blown out in a spiral pattern. This design minimizes interference between the winds blown from the weed blower 511 at the outlet side, and the vortex expands downwards, making it easier to separate the crops from the front wheel 2 and rear wheel 3. [Industrial applicability]

[0170] This invention is ideal for a spraying machine for chemicals and other substances, equipped with an extendable side boom for spraying chemicals onto a field. [Explanation of symbols]

[0171] 1. Running vehicle 2 Front wheels 3 Rear wheels 10. Side boom (liquid spraying device) 101 Base boom 103 Mobile boom 106 Telescopic motor 120 Opening / closing nozzle (discharge device) 130 Continuous spray nozzle (continuous discharge device) 140 Receiving antenna 200 control device 500 Air duct (airflow path) 501 Base duct (air duct) 502 Slide duct (air duct) 503 Discharge nozzle 503a Inlet 503b Air outlet 503c outermost nozzle 504 Air blower (air blower) 505 Pressure relief nozzle 510 Air-powered grass divider 511 Grass-dividing nozzle

Claims

[Claim 1] In a spraying machine in which the spraying range of a chemical agent can be changed by changing the extension of the mobile boom (103) in the left and right sides of the traveling vehicle body (1), the side boom (10) having a base boom (101) and a movable boom (103) that can slide along the base boom (101), and an extension motor (106) for moving the movable boom (103), the spraying range of a chemical agent can be changed by changing the extension of the movable boom (103) in the left and right directions of the machine body by driving the extension motor (106), The vehicle body (1) is equipped with a receiving antenna (140) for receiving signals from a satellite and a control device (200). The control device (200) is configured to calculate and acquire the position of the spraying end of the work strip, and to drive the telescopic motor (106) so that the position of the spraying end currently being sprayed and the position of the spraying end of an adjacent strip overlap by a predetermined distance, thereby changing the extension of the mobile boom (103) in the left-right direction of the machine body. A spraying machine characterized in that a grass-spraying nozzle (511) for blowing air is provided at the lower part of the traveling vehicle body (1), and the air blown out from the grass-spraying nozzle (511) is configured to blow on the outside and inside of the front wheels (2) that support the traveling vehicle body (1), and on the outside and inside of the rear wheels (3).

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