Work vehicles

Abstract

I realized that the task of sending the empty seedling trays, after the seedlings have been removed, to the auxiliary workers performing auxiliary tasks on the ridge where the seedling trays are being supplied is not always easy. [Solution] The rice transplanter 10 plantes seedlings in a field while moving, and comprises a seedling tray mounting base 20 on which seedling trays 70 supplied from the front of the vehicle body are placed, a seedling tray slide rail 30 positioned to the side of the seedling tray mounting base 20 on which empty seedling trays 70 after seedlings have been removed are slid toward the seedling tray supply side, a seedling tray transfer mechanism 40 for transferring the empty seedling trays 70 from the seedling tray mounting base 20 to the seedling tray slide rail 30, and a seedling tray feeding mechanism 50 for sending the empty seedling trays 70 that have been transferred to the seedling tray slide rail 30 toward the seedling tray supply side, wherein the transfer of empty seedling trays 70 by the seedling tray transfer mechanism 40 and the sending of empty seedling trays 70 by the seedling tray feeding mechanism 50 are performed using cable traction from the seedling tray supply side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle such as a rice transplanter.

Background Art

[0002] In a seedling transplanter having a plurality of spare seedling frames for placing a seedling box or seedlings on a support frame provided on a traveling vehicle body, a seedling box placing member for placing the seedling box on the plurality of spare seedling frames is provided outside or inside the vehicle body. The seedling box placed on the seedling box placing member is supported in an inclined posture toward the outside of the vehicle body. Among the constituent members of the seedling box placing member, a seedling transplanter in which the front and rear sides of the bottom portion supporting the seedling box are bent upward is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the inventor has noticed that the work of sending the empty seedling box after the seedlings are taken out toward the auxiliary worker who performs auxiliary work on the ridge on the seedling box supply side is not always easy.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a work vehicle that can more efficiently send an empty seedling box after the seedlings are taken out toward an auxiliary worker who performs auxiliary work on the ridge on the seedling box supply side in consideration of the above-described conventional problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention is a work vehicle that plants seedlings in a field while traveling, a seedling box placing table for placing a seedling box supplied from the front side of the vehicle body, A seedling tray slide rail is positioned to the side of the seedling tray mounting base, which slides the empty seedling trays toward the seedling tray replenishment side after the seedlings have been removed. A seedling tray transfer mechanism for transferring the empty seedling trays from the seedling tray mounting base to the seedling tray slide rail, A seedling tray feeding mechanism that sends the empty seedling trays that have been transferred to the seedling tray slide rail toward the seedling tray supply side, It is equipped with, The work vehicle is characterized in that the removal of empty seedling trays by the seedling tray transfer mechanism and the delivery of empty seedling trays by the seedling tray feeding mechanism are performed using cable traction from the seedling tray supply side.

[0007] The second aspect of the present invention includes a cable pulling lever mechanism located on the seedling tray supply side, which is rotatable around a lever pivot point member. The first work vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that the removal and delivery of the empty seedling trays are performed in accordance with the operation of the lever of the cable pulling lever mechanism.

[0008] The third aspect of the present invention is that the cable pulling lever mechanism comprises a rod-shaped lever body member and a grip lever member rotatably attached to the lever body member, A seedling tray transfer cable for removing the empty seedling trays and a seedling tray delivery cable for sending out the empty seedling trays are provided. One of the seedling tray transfer cable and the seedling tray feed cable is connected to the lever body member. The second work vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that the other of the seedling tray transfer cable and the seedling tray feeding cable is connected to the grip lever member.

[0009] The fourth aspect of the present invention is that the cable pulling lever mechanism has a rod-shaped lever body member, A seedling tray transfer cable for removing the empty seedling trays and a seedling tray delivery cable for sending out the empty seedling trays are provided. The lever pivot point member is positioned midway along the length of the lever body member. The seedling tray transfer cable is connected to one end of the lever body member, with the lever pivot point member as the reference point. The second work vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that the seedling tray feeding cable is connected to the other rod end of the lever body member with respect to the lever pivot point member.

[0010] The fifth aspect of the present invention is that the lever pivot point member is positioned midway along the length of the lever body member, One of the seedling tray transfer cable and the seedling tray feed cable is connected to one rod end of the lever body member with respect to the lever pivot point member. The third work vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that the grip lever member is attached to the other rod end side of the lever body member with respect to the lever pivot point member.

[0011] The sixth aspect of the present invention is that one of the seedling tray transfer cable and the seedling tray delivery cable is the seedling tray transfer cable, A fifth work vehicle of the present invention, characterized in that the other of the seedling tray transfer cable and the seedling tray feeding cable is the seedling tray feeding cable.

[0012] The seventh aspect of the present invention is that the seedling tray transfer mechanism has a seedling tray transfer arm member that slides the empty seedling tray down and removes the empty seedling tray, The sixth work vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that the seedling tray transfer arm member has a frame portion in the left-right direction of the vehicle body that contacts the empty seedling tray from below when the seedling tray transfer cable is pulled and pushes the empty seedling tray upward, and a bearing portion in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body that is supported so as to rotate when the seedling tray transfer cable is pulled.

[0013] The eighth aspect of the present invention is that the seedling tray feeding mechanism has a bendable seedling tray feeding rod member that contacts the empty seedling tray and feeds out the empty seedling tray, The seedling box feeding rod member has a rod upper end portion in the left-right direction of the vehicle body that abuts against the empty seedling box from the rear and pushes the empty seedling box by the cable traction of the seedling box feeding cable, and a rod lower end portion in the left-right direction of the vehicle body that is pivotally supported by the cable traction of the seedling box feeding cable, and is a seventh working vehicle of the present invention.

[0014] A ninth aspect of the present invention is a working vehicle according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, characterized in that a lower end portion of the box on the rear side of the vehicle body of the empty seedling box transferred to the seedling box slide rail is recessed toward the front side of the vehicle body.

[0015] A tenth aspect of the present invention is that the seedling box slide rail has a plurality of seedling box slide rail members. When the empty seedling box is slid toward the seedling box replenishment side, the plurality of seedling box slide rail members are arranged in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. A working vehicle according to a ninth aspect of the present invention, characterized in that the height of the plurality of arranged seedling box slide rail members decreases toward the seedling box replenishment side.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to more efficiently send out the empty seedling box after the seedlings are taken out toward the auxiliary worker who performs auxiliary work on the edge on the seedling box replenishment side.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] (a) Left side view of the rice transplanter according to the embodiment of the present invention, (b) Plan view of the rice transplanter according to the embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2] Partial left side view (Part 1) of the rice transplanter according to the embodiment of the present invention [Figure 3] Partial left side view (Part 2) of the rice transplanter according to the embodiment of the present invention [Figure 4] Partial perspective view (Part 1) near the seedling box transfer mechanism of the rice transplanter according to the embodiment of the present invention [Figure 5]Partial perspective view (part two) of the vicinity of the seedling tray transfer mechanism of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Partial perspective view (part 3) of the vicinity of the seedling tray transfer mechanism of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Partial perspective view (part 4) of the vicinity of the seedling tray transfer mechanism of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Partial perspective view (5) of the vicinity of the seedling tray transfer mechanism of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Partial perspective view (6) of the vicinity of the seedling tray transfer mechanism of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] Partial perspective view (part 1) of the vicinity of the cable pulling lever mechanism of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] Partial perspective view (part two) of the vicinity of the cable pulling lever mechanism of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] Partial perspective view (3) of the vicinity of the cable pulling lever mechanism of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] Partial perspective view (part 4) of the vicinity of the cable pulling lever mechanism of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] Partial perspective view (5) of the vicinity of the cable pulling lever mechanism of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] Partial perspective view (1) of the vicinity of the seedling tray feeding mechanism of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] Partial perspective view (part two) of the vicinity of the seedling tray feeding mechanism of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] Partial perspective view (3) of the vicinity of the seedling tray feeding mechanism of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] Partial left side view of the vicinity of the cable traction lever mechanism of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] Diagram (Part 1) illustrating an embodiment of a rice transplanter according to the present invention. [Figure 20] Diagram (Part Two) illustrating an embodiment of a rice transplanter according to the present invention. [Figure 21] Diagram (3) illustrating an embodiment of a rice transplanter according to the present invention. [Figure 22] Diagram (Part 4) illustrating an embodiment of a rice transplanter according to the present invention. [Figure 23] Diagram (5) illustrating an embodiment of a rice transplanter according to the present invention. [Figure 24] (a) Explanatory diagram of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention (part 6), (b) Explanatory diagram of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention (part 7) [Figure 25] Diagram (8) illustrating an embodiment of a rice transplanter according to the present invention. [Figure 26] Diagram (9) illustrating an embodiment of a rice transplanter according to the present invention. [Figure 27] (a) Explanatory diagram of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention (No. 10), (b) Explanatory diagram of a rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention (No. 11) [Figure 28] Diagram (12) illustrating an embodiment of a rice transplanter according to the present invention. [Figure 29] Diagram (13) illustrating an embodiment of a rice transplanter according to the present invention. [Figure 30] Diagram (14) illustrating an embodiment of a rice transplanter according to the present invention. [Figure 31] Diagram (15) illustrating an embodiment of a rice transplanter according to the present invention. [Figure 32] Diagram (16) illustrating an embodiment of a rice transplanter according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0019] The same applies below, however, some components may not be shown in the drawings, or they may be shown in perspective or in an abbreviated form.

[0020] The rice transplanter 10 in the embodiment of the present invention is a rice transplanter 10 that plants seedlings in a field while driving, and is a specific example of a work vehicle in the present invention.

[0021] While describing the operation of the rice transplanter 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a method for controlling the operation of a work vehicle related to the present invention, which is realized by a controller or the like, will also be described.

[0022] (1) First, the configuration and operation of the rice transplanter 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described, mainly with reference to Figures 1(a), 1(b), 2, and 3.

[0023] Here, Figure 1(a) is a left side view of the rice transplanter 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1(b) is a top view of the rice transplanter 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 2 and 3 are partial left side views (the first and second) of the rice transplanter 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] After the seedlings have been removed, the empty seedling trays 70 are moved by an auxiliary worker performing auxiliary work on the ridge on the seedling tray supply side to a seedling tray slide rail 30, which is a so-called seedling tray return rail located to the side of the seedling tray mounting platform 20, by the operation of the seedling tray transfer mechanism 40, and then sent out toward the front of the vehicle by the operation of the seedling tray feeding mechanism 50. The distance from the empty seedling trays 70 moved to the seedling tray slide rail 30 to the seedling tray supply side is not small, and the busy onboard worker supplying seedlings to the seedling planting unit 11 is often unable to push the empty seedling trays 70 toward the seedling tray supply side. The seedling tray transfer mechanism 40 and the seedling tray feeding mechanism 50 reduce the workload on the auxiliary worker, thus promoting efficiency through work sharing.

[0025] The seedling tray platform 20 is a platform on which seedling trays 70 supplied from the front of the vehicle are placed.

[0026] Typically, the seedling tray support stand 20 is a lower reserve seedling frame, as will be described later, but there are also possible configurations in which the seedling tray support stand 20 is another reserve seedling frame or a dedicated support stand.

[0027] The seedling tray slide rail 30 is a rail positioned to the side of the seedling tray mounting base 20, on which empty seedling trays 70, after seedlings have been removed, are slid toward the seedling tray replenishment side.

[0028] Typically, the seedling tray slide rail 30 is configured to be joined together from a plurality of seedling tray slide rail members 31, as will be described later. However, it is also conceivable that the seedling tray slide rail 30 is composed of a single member attached to the vehicle body or the like.

[0029] The seedling tray transfer mechanism 40 is a mechanism that transfers empty seedling trays 70 from the seedling tray mounting base 20 to the seedling tray slide rail 30.

[0030] The removal of the empty seedling trays 70 is carried out by pushing them upward, as will be explained later, but it is also conceivable that the removal of the empty seedling trays 70 may be carried out by, for example, pushing them away.

[0031] The seedling tray feeding mechanism 50 is a mechanism that sends the empty seedling trays 70 that have been transferred to the seedling tray slide rail 30 toward the seedling tray replenishment side.

[0032] The empty seedling trays 70 are delivered by pushing them in, as will be explained later, but it is also conceivable that the empty seedling trays 70 may be delivered by, for example, pushing them out.

[0033] The removal of empty seedling trays 70 by the seedling tray transfer mechanism 40 and the delivery of empty seedling trays 70 by the seedling tray feeding mechanism 50 are performed using cable pulling from the seedling tray supply side.

[0034] It is also conceivable that the removal of empty seedling trays 70 by the seedling tray transfer mechanism 40 and the delivery of empty seedling trays 70 by the seedling tray feeding mechanism 50 may be performed using a chain drive or by rod rotation.

[0035] The cable pulling lever mechanism 60 is a mechanism located on the seedling tray supply side that can be rotated around the lever pivot point member 61.

[0036] It is also conceivable that the cable pulling lever mechanism 60 may be attached not only using the seedling tray slide rail 30, but also using the seedling tray mounting base 20 or the like.

[0037] The removal and delivery of empty seedling trays 70 are performed in accordance with the operation of the lever of the cable pulling lever mechanism 60.

[0038] The operation of the cable traction lever mechanism 60 for unloading and sending out empty seedling trays 70 is performed by lever operation around a common lever pivot member 61, as will be described later. However, it is also conceivable that such a cable traction lever mechanism 60 may be operated by lever operation around different lever pivot members 61.

[0039] The seedling tray slide rail 30 has a plurality of seedling tray slide rail members 31.

[0040] Typically, the multiple seedling tray slide rail members 31 are three members, each attached to the upper, middle, and lower spare seedling trays of a so-called three-tier spare seedling tray mounting unit that is deployed on at least one of the left and right sides of the vehicle body. The flexible configuration, which utilizes not only the jointing of such multiple seedling tray slide rail members 31 but also the deflection provided by the seedling tray transfer cable 42 and the seedling tray feed cable 52, does not hinder the state transition of the spare seedling tray mounting unit between the stacked state and the deployed state.

[0041] When an empty seedling tray 70 is slid toward the seedling tray replenishment side, the multiple seedling tray slide rail members 31 are arranged in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle body.

[0042] As the state of the spare seedling tray mounting unit transitions from a stacked state to an unfolded state, the seedling tray slide rail members 31 attached to the upper spare seedling frame, the seedling tray slide rail members 31 attached to the middle spare seedling frame, and the seedling tray slide rail members 31 attached to the lower spare seedling frame are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, from the front to the rear.

[0043] The height of the multiple seedling tray slide rail members 31 arranged in a row decreases towards the seedling tray supply side.

[0044] Even a small reduction in the height of the seedling tray slide rail member 31 is expected to effectively assist the smooth delivery of empty seedling trays 70 by the seedling tray feeding mechanism 50.

[0045] Furthermore, the lower end of the empty seedling tray 70 that has been transferred to the seedling tray slide rail 30 may be recessed toward the front of the vehicle.

[0046] The lower end of the seedling tray 70 on the rear side of the vehicle body is formed to be recessed toward the front of the vehicle body by machining the shape of the seedling tray portion 70p, so that the contact of the upper end 51u of the rod with the empty seedling tray 70, as will be described later, occurs at a sufficient height. This ensures that a component of the contact force pushing the empty seedling tray 70 toward the front of the vehicle body is secured, and is expected to effectively assist the smooth delivery of the empty seedling tray 70 by the seedling tray feeding mechanism 50.

[0047] (2) Next, the configuration and operation of the rice transplanter 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail, mainly with reference to Figures 3 to 18.

[0048] Here, Figures 4 to 9 are partial perspective views (parts 1 to 6) of the vicinity of the seedling tray transfer mechanism 40 of the rice transplanter 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figures 10 to 14 are partial perspective views (parts 1 to 5) of the vicinity of the cable pulling lever mechanism 60 of the rice transplanter 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figures 15 to 17 are partial perspective views (parts 1 to 3) of the vicinity of the seedling tray feeding mechanism 50 of the rice transplanter 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 18 is a partial left side view of the vicinity of the cable pulling lever mechanism 60 of the rice transplanter 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] The cable pulling lever mechanism 60 has a rod-shaped lever body member 62. A seedling tray transfer cable 42 for transferring empty seedling trays 70 and a seedling tray feed cable 52 for sending out empty seedling trays 70 are provided. The lever pivot point member 61 is positioned midway along the rod length of the lever body member 62. The seedling tray transfer cable 42 is connected to one rod end of the lever body member 62 with respect to the lever pivot point member 61. The seedling tray feed cable 52 is connected to the other rod end of the lever body member 62 with respect to the lever pivot point member 61.

[0050] As shown in Figure 3, the front ends of the two cables, the seedling tray transfer cable 42 and the seedling tray delivery cable 52, are connected to a lever body member 62 located on the front side of the vehicle body, and the lever pivot point member 61 is located between the seedling tray transfer cable 42 and the seedling tray delivery cable 52. The removal of empty seedling trays 70 by the seedling tray transfer mechanism 40 and the delivery of empty seedling trays 70 by the seedling tray delivery mechanism 50 are performed using cable pulling by a single lever body member 62. This versatile lever configuration, which utilizes two lever rotation directions corresponding to lever pushing and lever pulling by an assistant, not only contributes to cost reduction but also contributes to reducing operational errors that are easily caused by an excessive number of operating parts. This is because the cable pulling of the seedling tray transfer cable 42 and the cable pulling of the seedling tray delivery cable 52 are not performed simultaneously, and therefore the removal operation of empty seedling trays 70 by the seedling tray transfer mechanism 40 and the delivery operation of empty seedling trays 70 by the seedling tray delivery mechanism 50 are not performed simultaneously.

[0051] The seedling tray transfer mechanism 40 has a seedling tray transfer arm member 41 that slides empty seedling trays 70 down to remove them. The seedling tray transfer arm member 41 has a frame portion 41f in the left-right direction of the vehicle body that contacts the empty seedling trays 70 from below when pulled by the cable of the seedling tray feed cable 52 and pushes the empty seedling trays 70 up, and a bearing portion 41b in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body that is supported so as to rotate when pulled by the cable of the seedling tray transfer cable 42.

[0052] As shown in Figures 4 to 11, the lever body member 62 is installed on the upper spare seedling frame, and when the lever gripping member 64 attached to the lever body member 62 is pushed by an assistant against the weight of the seedling tray transfer arm member 41 from the lever neutral position, the seedling tray transfer cable 42 is pulled and the empty seedling tray 70 is pushed up.

[0053] It is preferable that a cable pulley 42p or the like is inserted as needed to adjust the cable routing direction for the removal of empty seedling trays 70, so that the bearing portion 41b is rotated by the cable pulling of the seedling tray transfer cable 42.

[0054] The seedling tray feeding mechanism 50 has a bent-shaped seedling tray feeding rod member 51 that contacts an empty seedling tray 70 to feed out the empty seedling tray 70. The seedling tray feeding rod member 51 has an upper rod end 51u in the left-right direction of the vehicle body that contacts the empty seedling tray 70 from behind when pulled by the seedling tray feeding cable 52 to push the empty seedling tray 70, and a lower rod end 51d in the left-right direction of the vehicle body that is supported so as to rotate when pulled by the seedling tray feeding cable 52.

[0055] As shown in Figures 12 to 17, when the lever gripping member 64 is pulled by an assistant against the return force of the lever return spring 65 from the lever neutral position, the seedling tray feeding cable 52 is pulled and the empty seedling trays 70 are pushed toward the front of the vehicle.

[0056] When the lower end 51d of the rod, which is rotatably mounted on the seedling tray slide rail 30, is rotated, the upper end 51u of the rod pushes the lower end of the empty seedling tray 70 on the rear side of the vehicle body, and the empty seedling tray 70 is pushed toward the front of the vehicle body. When the lower end 51d of the rod is not rotated in this manner, it is recessed so as to contact the bottom of the seedling tray slide rail 30, and therefore does not obstruct the removal of the empty seedling tray 70.

[0057] In order to push in the empty seedling trays 70 without knocking them away, it is preferable that the length of the rod arm 51a, which rotates in a vertical plane from the front to the rear of the vehicle body, be sufficiently large. This is because the pushing distance of the empty seedling trays 70 coincides with approximately twice the length of the rod arm 51a. However, it is preferable that the length of the rod arm 51a does not exceed the height of the empty seedling trays 70 that have been moved to the seedling tray slide rail 30, so that the upper end 51u of the rod does not come off the empty seedling trays 70 during rotation and the pushing is performed firmly.

[0058] The cable pulling lever mechanism 60 may also have a grip lever member 63 that is rotatably attached to the lever body member 62. One of the seedling tray transfer cable 42 and the seedling tray feed cable 52 is connected to the lever body member 62. The other of the seedling tray transfer cable 42 and the seedling tray feed cable 52 is connected to the grip lever member 63.

[0059] As shown in Figure 18, when the lever gripping member 64 is pressed, the seedling tray transfer cable 42 is pulled and the empty seedling tray 70 is pushed up. However, when the grip lever member 63 is gripped by an assistant against the return force of the lever return spring 65, the seedling tray feed cable 52 is pulled and the empty seedling tray 70 is pushed towards the front of the vehicle.

[0060] One of the seedling tray transfer cable 42 and the seedling tray feed cable 52 is connected to one rod end of the lever body member 62, with respect to the lever pivot point member 61. The grip lever member 63 is attached to the other rod end of the lever body member 62, with respect to the lever pivot point member 61.

[0061] As described above, the empty seedling trays 70 are removed by the seedling tray transfer mechanism 40 using cable traction by the lever body member 62, and the empty seedling trays 70 are sent out by the seedling tray feeding mechanism 50 using cable traction by the grip lever member 63. This multi-lever configuration promotes user-friendly separation of functions and contributes to reducing operational errors caused by shared parts.

[0062] One of the seedling tray transfer cable 42 and the seedling tray feed cable 52 is the seedling tray transfer cable 42. The other of the seedling tray transfer cable 42 and the seedling tray feed cable 52 is the seedling tray feed cable 52.

[0063] The lever return spring 65 is inserted, for example, at a position between the cable inner fixing hole position Ph and the cable outer fixing notch position Pn of the seedling tray feeding cable 52. The insertion of the lever return spring 65 enables the return rotation of the lower end of the rod 51d toward the rear of the vehicle body without requiring manual operation, thus enabling a smooth transition to operations such as the next empty seedling tray 70 transfer.

[0064] It is also conceivable that one of the seedling tray transfer cable 42 and seedling tray feed cable 52 is the seedling tray feed cable 52, and the other of the seedling tray transfer cable 42 and seedling tray feed cable 52 is the seedling tray transfer cable 42. However, it is preferable that the seedling tray transfer cable 42 is firmly pulled by an assistant in a relaxed posture, so that the lever gripping member 64 is sufficiently pushed from the lever neutral position against the weight of the seedling tray transfer arm member 41, etc., so that the relatively heavy frame portion 41f contacts the empty seedling tray 70 from below and firmly pushes up the empty seedling tray 70.

[0065] (3) Next, the configuration and operation of the rice transplanter 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail, mainly with reference to Figures 19 to 32.

[0066] Figures 19 to 32 are explanatory diagrams (1 to 16) of an embodiment of the rice transplanter 10 in the present invention.

[0067] (3A) First, we will explain fertilizer transport in detail, mainly referring to Figures 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24(a) and 24(b), 25, and 26.

[0068] As shown in Figures 19 to 21, the fertilizer inlet unit 101 is located on the right side of the fertilizer hopper 102, behind the seat of the rice transplanter 10, and below the fertilizer hopper 102. Because the fertilizer inlet is located low, there is no need to lift fertilizer bags or other items high when replenishing fertilizer, resulting in a user-friendly design that reduces the workload on the operator.

[0069] By using a conveyor drive motor 103, such as a spring conveyor drive motor, or a blower 104, fertilizer is transported from the fertilizer input unit 101 to the left and right fertilizer hoppers 102. By inputting fertilizer into the fertilizer input unit 101, fertilizer can be easily replenished to the left and right fertilizer hoppers 102.

[0070] A fertilizer hopper tube 105, which transports fertilizer from the fertilizer inlet unit 101 to the left and right fertilizer hoppers 102, is provided as a conveyor tube or blower tube, penetrating the inside of both fertilizer hoppers 102 from the right end of the right fertilizer hopper to the left end of the left fertilizer hopper. Fertilizer can be supplied to the entire fertilizer hoppers 102 using only a single fertilizer inlet unit 101.

[0071] The fertilizer drop holes 106 are provided in the fertilizer hopper tube 105 in the same number as the number of seedling planting rows to which fertilizer is applied. This simple configuration allows for the supply of fertilizer to the entire fertilizer hopper 102 on both the left and right sides.

[0072] The size of the fertilizer drop holes 106 increases from the upstream side of the fertilizer hopper tube 105's conveying channel to the downstream side. Since the size of the fertilizer drop holes 106 is larger on the downstream side of the conveying channel where the fertilizer flow rate is smaller, it is possible to supply fertilizer evenly to the left and right fertilizer hoppers 102.

[0073] As shown in Figure 22, the vehicle makes a 90-degree left turn at the edge of the field, followed by a stop, and the fertilizer is supplied from the right side of the vehicle, which is on the outside of the turn. Since the fertilizer input unit 101 is located on the side of the vehicle, it is not necessary to board the vehicle while carrying heavy fertilizer bags.

[0074] As shown in Figure 23, when a rice transplanter 10, such as a robotic rice transplanter, determines that the amount of fertilizer b measured by a fertilizer level sensor installed inside the fertilizer hopper 102 is less than the required amount of fertilizer a calculated from the round-trip distance between the opposing ridges, the machine stops at the 90-degree turning position of the next machine turn, and the operator replenishes the fertilizer. Since the machine stops during turning only when the amount of fertilizer remaining is low, it is less likely to induce meaningless operations by the operator due to unnecessary machine stops.

[0075] As shown in Figures 24(a) and 24(b), when a route is used in which the turn at the edge of the bank is a right turn rather than the left turn described above, the round-trip route to the bank is set to skip over one of the seedling planting process routes as needed. Although the fertilizer input unit 101 is located on the right side of the vehicle body, when a right turn is performed, the fertilizer input unit 101 is located on the inside of the turn, making it difficult to replenish the fertilizer at the edge of the bank. By performing a left turn to return to the route that was skipped, the opposite turning direction appears, making it easy to replenish the fertilizer at the edge of the bank.

[0076] As shown in Figure 25, when the field is located to the left of the straight line from the path teaching start position to the path teaching end position, a path where the turn at the edge of the field is a right turn is used, so the round-trip path to the edge of the field is set to skip over one seedling planting process path as needed. When teaching is performed for a rice transplanter 10 such as a robotic rice transplanter, the direction of the round-trip process is determined, and a path that facilitates fertilizer replenishment at the edge of the field is generated.

[0077] As shown in Figure 26, in the case described above where a path is used in which the turning at the edge of the ridge is a right turn, when the amount of fertilizer b measured by the fertilizer remaining amount sensor installed inside the fertilizer hopper 102 is smaller than the required amount of fertilizer a calculated from the round-trip distance between the opposing ridges, the round-trip path toward the ridge is set to skip one seedling planting process path. Since the path change to set the round-trip path to skip one seedling planting process path is performed only when the amount of fertilizer remaining is small, an efficient path is generated that is less likely to cause an unnecessary increase in the turning distance at the edge of the ridge.

[0078] (3B) Next, fertilizer transport will be explained in more detail, mainly with reference to Figures 27(a) and 27(b), 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32.

[0079] As shown in Figures 27(a) and 27(b), a flexible fertilizer hopper tube 105 passes through the interior of the left and right fertilizer hoppers 102 so that the fertilizer transported by the fertilizer transport device of the rice transplanter 10 fills the entire left and right fertilizer hoppers 102. Because the left and right fertilizer hoppers 102 are connected in this way, individual fertilizer filling is unnecessary, resulting in a user-friendly design that reduces the workload on the operator.

[0080] The conveyor 201 is located inside the fertilizer hopper tube 105, which passes through the left and right fertilizer hoppers 102, and transports the fertilizer. User-friendly fertilizer transport is automatically performed by the conveyor 201, such as a spiral conveyor or a spring conveyor.

[0081] The fertilizer tank's fertilizer inlet unit 101 is provided not only on the right side of the vehicle body but also on the left side. This allows for fertilizer to be added from both the left and right sides of the vehicle body, improving work efficiency.

[0082] When the turn performed at the edge of the field is a left turn, it is determined that the fertilizer was loaded into the fertilizer loading unit 101 located on the right side of the vehicle body. When the turn performed at the edge of the field is a right turn, it is determined that the fertilizer was loaded into the fertilizer loading unit 101 located on the left side of the vehicle body. The direction in which the spiral member of the conveyor 201, such as a spiral conveyor, is rotated is changed as needed.

[0083] Fertilizer sensors for detecting the presence of fertilizer are provided in fertilizer input units 101 located on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body. When it is determined that fertilizer is present in the fertilizer input unit 101, the fertilizer is transported toward the center of the machine in a direction of rotation of the spiral member corresponding to the side where the fertilizer is present.

[0084] When seedling planting is performed, the fertilizer input unit 101 is positioned inward relative to the width of the seedling planting unit 11 in the left-right direction of the vehicle body.

[0085] As shown in Figure 28, fertilizer drop holes 106 are provided in the fertilizer hopper tube 105, with the hole size increasing from the upstream side of the conveying channel to the downstream side, thereby regulating the amount of fertilizer dropped. Since the hole size of the fertilizer drop holes 106 is larger on the downstream side of the conveying channel where the fertilizer flow rate is small, the fertilizer is evenly filled into the entire fertilizer hoppers 102 on both the left and right sides.

[0086] As shown in Figure 29, a hole shutter is installed at the fertilizer drop hole 106, and its opening and closing is based on measurements from a fertilizer level sensor located inside the fertilizer hopper 102. Fertilizer is supplied only to the hopper section of the fertilizer hopper 102 where the fertilizer level is low. Unnecessary fertilizer supply to the hopper section where the fertilizer level is high is suppressed, resulting in efficient fertilizer filling.

[0087] As shown in Figure 30, the upper part of the guide of the conveyor 201, which resembles a spiral conveyor, is open, and the fertilizer introduced through the opened fertilizer hopper lid is evenly distributed throughout the left and right fertilizer hoppers 102. Since fertilizer can be directly added by opening the fertilizer hopper lid, convenience is improved.

[0088] As shown in Figure 31, when a blower is used to blow air to spread fertilizer from the fertilizer hopper 102, the belt drive of the conveyor 201 by the conveyor drive motor 103, such as the spiral conveyor drive motor, is not performed. This suppresses an excessive increase in power consumption, making it less likely for the battery to run out of charge, a phenomenon known as battery failure.

[0089] When the conveyor drive motor 103 is driving the belt, control is performed to automatically increase the engine speed. When power consumption increases, the engine speed is automatically increased, which increases the amount of power generated for battery storage, so the battery charge is less likely to decrease excessively.

[0090] As shown in Figure 32, by utilizing the misalignment of the spiral member of the conveyor 201, such as a spiral conveyor, vibrations are generated due to the rotation of the spiral member for fertilizer transport. The fertilizer in the fertilizer hopper 102 is leveled by these vibrations.

[0091] When the motor load of the conveyor drive motor 103 of the conveyor 201, such as a spiral conveyor drive motor, exceeds a predetermined level, the direction of rotation of the spiral member of the conveyor drive motor 103 is reversed. The motor load of the conveyor drive motor 103 is reduced by the loosening of the fertilizer inside the fertilizer conveying cylinder due to this reverse rotation of the spiral member, making it less likely for the conveyor drive motor 103 to be damaged.

[0092] After one such reverse spiral rotation, the spiral member quickly returns to its original forward rotation direction. Since the number of reverse spiral rotations is predetermined, the fertilizer can be properly loosened without the need to add any new sensors to measure the degree of fertilizer loosening.

[0093] If, after the spiral member's rotation direction has been restored as described above, the motor load of the conveyor drive motor 103 exceeds a predetermined level again, even though a predetermined amount of time has not elapsed, the spiral member rotates in the reverse direction twice. Subsequently, the number of such reverse spiral member rotations is increased by one each time. Not only can the fertilizer be properly loosened without the addition of a new sensor to measure the degree of fertilizer loosening, but the fertilizer can also be loosened gradually, so damage to the conveyor drive motor 103 due to excessive motor load is almost nonexistent.

[0094] Furthermore, the program of the invention related to the present invention is a program that causes a computer to execute all or part of the steps (or processes, operations, and actions, etc.) of the work vehicle operation control method of the invention related to the present invention described above, and is a program that operates in cooperation with the computer.

[0095] Furthermore, the recording medium of the invention related to the present invention is a recording medium that records a program for causing a computer to execute all or part of the steps (or processes, operations, and actions, etc.) of the work vehicle operation control method of the invention related to the present invention described above, and is a computer-readable recording medium in which the read program is used in cooperation with the computer.

[0096] Furthermore, the "some steps (or processes, actions, and functions, etc.)" mentioned above refers to one or more of those steps.

[0097] Furthermore, the "actions of the steps (or processes, movements, and actions, etc.)" mentioned above refer to all or part of the actions of the steps mentioned above.

[0098] Furthermore, one form of use of the program of the invention related to the present invention may be that it is transmitted through a transmission medium such as the internet, light, radio waves, or sound waves, read by a computer, and operates in cooperation with the computer.

[0099] Furthermore, recording media include ROM (Read Only Memory), among others.

[0100] Furthermore, a computer is not limited to pure hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also include firmware, an OS (Operating System), and even peripheral devices.

[0101] As mentioned above, the configuration of the present invention may be implemented in software or in hardware. [Industrial applicability]

[0102] The work vehicle in this invention can more efficiently deliver empty seedling trays, after the seedlings have been removed, to auxiliary workers performing auxiliary work on the ridge where the seedling trays are supplied, and is useful for use as a work vehicle such as a rice transplanter. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0103] 10 Rice transplanter 11 Seedling planting unit 20 Seedling tray stand 30 Seedling tray slide rails 31 Seedling tray slide rail component 40 Seedling tray transfer mechanism 41 Seedling tray transfer arm component 41b Bearing section 41f Frame section 42 Seedling tray transfer cable 42p Cable Pulley 50 Seedling tray feeding mechanism 51 Seedling tray feeding rod member 51a Rod arm 51d Lower end of rod 51u Upper end of rod 52 Seedling tray feeding cable 60 Cable pulling lever mechanism 61 Lever pivot point member 62 Lever body component 63 Grip lever component 64 Lever gripping member 65 Lever return spring 70 Seedling box 70p Seedling box part 101 Fertilizer Inlet Unit 102 Fertilizer Hopper 103 Conveyor drive motor 104 Blower 105 Fertilizer Hopper Tube 106 Fertilizer drop hole 201 Conveyor Ph Cable inner fixing hole position Pn Cable outer fixing part notch position

Claims

1. It is a work vehicle that plants seedlings into the field while moving, A seedling tray mounting platform on which seedling trays supplied from the front of the vehicle are placed, A seedling tray slide rail is positioned to the side of the seedling tray mounting base, which slides the empty seedling trays toward the seedling tray replenishment side after the seedlings have been removed. A seedling tray transfer mechanism for transferring the empty seedling trays from the seedling tray mounting base to the seedling tray slide rail, A seedling tray feeding mechanism that sends the empty seedling trays that have been transferred to the seedling tray slide rail toward the seedling tray supply side, It is equipped with, A work vehicle characterized in that the removal of the empty seedling trays by the seedling tray transfer mechanism and the delivery of the empty seedling trays by the seedling tray feeding mechanism are performed by using cable traction from the seedling tray supply side.

2. It is equipped with a cable pulling lever mechanism located on the seedling tray supply side, which can be rotated around a lever pivot point member. The work vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the removal of the empty seedling trays and the delivery of the empty seedling trays are performed in accordance with the operation of the lever of the cable pulling lever mechanism.

3. The cable pulling lever mechanism comprises a rod-shaped lever body member and a grip lever member rotatably attached to the lever body member. A seedling tray transfer cable for removing the empty seedling trays and a seedling tray delivery cable for sending out the empty seedling trays are provided. One of the seedling tray transfer cable and the seedling tray feed cable is connected to the lever body member. The work vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the other of the seedling tray transfer cable and the seedling tray feeding cable is connected to the grip lever member.

4. The cable pulling lever mechanism has a rod-shaped lever body member, A seedling tray transfer cable for removing the empty seedling trays and a seedling tray delivery cable for sending out the empty seedling trays are provided. The lever pivot point member is positioned midway along the length of the lever body member. The seedling tray transfer cable is connected to one end of the lever body member, with the lever pivot point member as the reference point. The work vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the seedling tray feeding cable is connected to the other rod end of the lever body member with respect to the lever pivot point member.

5. The lever pivot point member is positioned midway along the length of the lever body member. One of the seedling tray transfer cable and the seedling tray feed cable is connected to one rod end of the lever body member with respect to the lever pivot point member. The work vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the grip lever member is attached to the other rod end side of the lever body member with respect to the lever pivot point member.

6. The seedling tray transfer cable and the seedling tray delivery cable are, The work vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that the other of the seedling tray transfer cable and the seedling tray feeding cable is the seedling tray feeding cable.

7. The seedling tray transfer mechanism has a seedling tray transfer arm member that slides the empty seedling tray down and removes the empty seedling tray, The work vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that the seedling tray transfer arm member has a frame portion in the left-right direction of the vehicle body that contacts the empty seedling tray from below when the seedling tray transfer cable is pulled and pushes the empty seedling tray upward, and a bearing portion in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body that is supported so as to rotate when the seedling tray transfer cable is pulled.

8. The seedling tray feeding mechanism has a bendable seedling tray feeding rod member that contacts the empty seedling tray and feeds out the empty seedling tray, The work vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the seedling tray feeding rod member has an upper end in the left-right direction of the vehicle body that contacts the empty seedling tray from the rear when the seedling tray feeding cable is pulled and pushes the empty seedling tray, and a lower end in the left-right direction of the vehicle body that is supported so as to be rotated when the seedling tray feeding cable is pulled.

9. The work vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that the lower end of the empty seedling tray on the rear side of the vehicle body of the empty seedling tray that has been transferred to the seedling tray slide rail is recessed toward the front side of the vehicle body.

10. The seedling tray slide rail has a plurality of seedling tray slide rail members, When the empty seedling tray is slid toward the seedling tray supply side, the plurality of seedling tray slide rail members are arranged in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. The work vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that the height of the multiple seedling tray slide rail members arranged in a row decreases toward the seedling tray supply side.

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