field edge

Abstract

To provide a path ridge whose height can be partially lowered to promote automation of agricultural work.SOLUTION: A path ridge 11 forming a boundary of a divided farm field is provided with a deformation portion 12 whose height position can be moved to a lower position that matches a farm field surface. In addition, the deformation portion 12 has two flat plate-like bodies 13 each of which has a pivot base end 13a and a pivot tip 13b and which are lined up in a width direction of the path ridge. The pivot tips 13b, 13b of both plate-like bodies 13, 13 can be moved between a lowered position oriented in a horizontal direction along the farm field surface and a raised position facing upward relative to the horizontal direction along the farm field surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a ridge, and more particularly to a ridge for partitioning a paddy field into a predetermined size.

Background Art

[0002] With the decrease in the rural population in recent years, the need for agricultural technologies related to labor saving and manpower reduction has been increasing. Therefore, as next-generation agriculture, the introduction of smart agriculture utilizing ICT (Information and Communication Technology), IoT (Internet of Things), and RT (Robot Technology) has been promoted. In the water management of paddy fields, a system utilizing information and communication technology has been developed. On the other hand, driverless agricultural machines such as tractors utilizing robot technology have been developed. In the field of driverless travel, it is essential to generate a travel route that covers the entire field using satellite positioning technology. However, since the field is partitioned with private farm roads, ridges, etc. as boundary lines, it is difficult to obtain the exact shape of the field from general map data. Therefore, a travel route generation device that acquires the outer shape data of the field surface through manual outer shape teaching travel around the field surface has been developed and is in operation. For such travel route generation, the position coordinates of the entrances and exits for the tractor to enter and exit the field surface are also acquired, and the positions of the entrances and exits are registered in the outer shape data of the field surface (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Unmanned farm machinery is aiming for a gradual transition to a higher level of operation, from unmanned operation within a field under supervision to unmanned operation including inter-field movement under remote supervision. For example, as shown in Figure 7, when moving from field A to field B, which is a work area, the machine will travel via a farm road, but entering and exiting the fields will involve moving through a sloping path with a difference in elevation from the field surface. Therefore, although some degree of driving control is possible, achieving precise management presents a high technical hurdle. On the other hand, there is also the idea of ​​moving over the levees to adjacent fields. However, as shown in Figure 8, the cross-section of levees constructed in typical field improvement projects is standardized as a trapezoid with a height (H) of 30 cm, a top width (W) of 30 cm, and a slope gradient of approximately 1:1. Therefore, it is not practical to directly cross levees of this shape, and attempting to do so would not only destabilize the machine but also damage the levees.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a field levee that can be partially lowered in height to promote the automation of agricultural work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the levee of the present invention is a levee that forms the boundary of a partitioned field, It has an area corresponding to the entire width in the direction of the levee width, It is characterized by having a deformable section that allows the height position to be moved to a lower position that matches the field surface.

[0007] Furthermore, the deformable portion has two flat plate-like bodies, each having a rotating base end and a rotating tip, arranged in the direction of the ridge width, and is characterized in that the rotating tips of both plate-like bodies can be moved to a lowered position facing horizontally along the field surface and to an raised position facing upward relative to the horizontal direction along the field surface.

[0008] Furthermore, it is equipped with an expandable and contractible tube installed below the two plate-like bodies, which expands by obtaining pressurized fluid and pushes up the rotating tip from a flattened state, and the two plate-like bodies are arranged with their rotating tips facing each other. Lower position It is characterized by being considered as such.

[0009] In addition, the two plate-like bodies have a floating structure that follows changes in the water level due to irrigation water, and a follow-up restricting means that restricts the following by a certain amount, and their pivot base ends face each other. Lower position It is characterized by being considered as such. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The levee of the present invention is equipped with a deformable section that can be moved to a low position that matches the field surface. For example, in unmanned operation of a robotic tractor, if the area of ​​the deformable section is set to the width of the tractor's vehicle (approximately 2m), movement between adjacent fields becomes easy through the flat deformable section. Furthermore, by introducing levee equipped with such deformable sections in agricultural and rural development projects, it becomes possible to irrigate across fields, similar to terraced rice paddies, even in paddy fields where irrigation and drainage channels are separated. This makes it possible to manage water with a small number of water inlets, and allows for the low-cost introduction of water management systems utilizing ICT. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a levee showing one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is also a diagram showing the main configuration of the operating system of the deformation part. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the plate-like body in the deformed section has been moved to a lowered position. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the plate-like body in the deformed section has been moved to the raised position. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the present invention, where the plate-like body in the deformed section has been moved to a lowered position. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the plate-like body in the deformed section has been moved to the raised position. [Figure 7]This is a diagram of a field demarcated by typical ridges and embankments of farm roads, illustrating conventional technology. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of a typical levee, illustrating conventional technology. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Figures 1 to 6 illustrate the ridge of the present invention. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the ridge 11 is an earthen ridge that forms the boundary of a field divided in a field improvement project (for example, a rice field divided into a rectangular shape with a long side of 100m), and is equipped with a deformable section 12 in a part of the longitudinal direction that can be moved to a lower position (the state in Figures 1 and 3) that matches the field surface G. The entire field is leveled to a horizontal state, and adjacent fields A and B are each managed by the same cultivator (organization).

[0013] Most of the levee 11 is formed in a uniform trapezoidal shape with a cross-section of, for example, a height (H) of 30 cm, a top width (W) of 30 cm, and a slope gradient of approximately 1:1 (see also Figure 8). The deformed section 12 is provided, for example, in a location relatively close to a farm road, and its area is a rectangular area of ​​the size necessary to serve as a road surface for agricultural machinery (e.g., a robotic tractor). For example, the area of ​​the deformed section 12 is approximately 2 m in the longitudinal direction of the levee and approximately 1 m in the width direction of the levee (left-right direction in Figure 3), corresponding to the entire width, so that the soil structure portion constituting the levee 11 and the deformed section 12 are closely continuous (Figure 1).

[0014] The deformable section 12 has two flat plate-like bodies 13, each having a rotating base end 13a and a rotating tip end 13b, arranged side by side in the direction of the ridge width. The plate-like bodies 13 have sufficient strength to withstand the movement of agricultural machinery tracks, and for example, a plastic sheet formed by molding a long rectangular surface to a certain thickness (for example, about 3 to 5 mm) is used.

[0015] The pivot base end 13a and the pivot tip end 13b are formed by the plate ends extending in the longitudinal direction of the plate-like body 13. With the pivot tip ends 13b, 13b of the two plate-like bodies 13, 13 facing each other, the pivot tip ends 13b are configured to be pivotable vertically about the pivot base end 13a. In this case, for the fixation of the plate-like body 13, for example, a bendable rubber sheet 14 is used. One half of the rubber sheet 14 is buried and fixed in the ground, and the other half is fixed to the lower surface of the plate-like body 13. In addition, a well-known hinge mechanism may be used for such a pivoting mechanism.

[0016] Thereby, the deformation part 12 can be moved to a lowered position (FIG. 3) in which the pivot base ends 13a, 13a of the two plate-like bodies 13, 13 are aligned with the boundary line between the ridge (non-agricultural land) 11 and the fields (agricultural land) A, B, and the pivot tip ends 13b, 13b of the two plate-like bodies 13, 13 are directed in the horizontal direction along the field surface G, and a raised position (FIG. 4) in which it is directed upward with respect to the horizontal direction along the field surface G.

[0017] The vertical movement of the plate-like bodies 13, 13 is powered. For example, a rubber tube (a tube that can expand and contract) 15 is installed at a position below the two plate-like bodies 13, 13 and including the pivot tip ends 13b, 13b. As shown in FIG. 2, high-pressure air (pressurized fluid) from the compressor device 16 is supplied to the rubber tube 15, and the rubber tube 15 is changed from a flat state (solid line in FIG. 2) to an expanded state (imaginary line in FIG. 2). In other words, as shown in FIG. 4, the pivot tip ends 13b, 13b of the plate-like bodies 13, 13 can be pushed up to an appropriate height (for example, about 15 cm). The rubber tube 15 has a length corresponding to the length of the plate-like body 13, and a hose connection part 15a to which a hose 17 from the compressor device 16 is connected is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction.

[0018] The compressor device 16 is a general-purpose device that is installed in a designated location where a power source is available and basically comprises a compressor body 16b driven by an electric motor 16a and a tank 16d equipped with a high-pressure air discharge section 16c, and extracts the desired high-pressure air from the tank 16d. Furthermore, a controller (not shown) built into the compressor device 16 can receive remote control signals from a portable information terminal (e.g., a smartphone) 18 held by the field manager, and can control the power supply and the switching of valves provided in the high-pressure air discharge section 16c, thereby supplying high-pressure air to the rubber tube 15 or discharging air from inside the tube.

[0019] In the irrigation season, when agricultural water is not supplied to the field, the levee 11 configured in this way has its deformable section 12 in a non-operational state (flattened rubber tube 15), as shown in Figure 3. As a result, both plate-like bodies 13, 13 are held in the lowered position, and the upper surfaces of both plate-like bodies 13, 13, that is, the flat surfaces along the field surface, become a travel path, allowing the robot tractor to travel from field A to field B, or vice versa (see also Figure 1). On the other hand, during the irrigation season, when water is supplied to fields A and B, the compressor device 16 is driven and controlled, thereby putting the deformable section 12 into an operational state (expanded rubber tube 15). At this time, as shown in Figure 4, both plate-like bodies 13, 13 are held in a raised position with their rotating tips 13b, 13b both above the water surface, creating a levee section with a roughly isosceles triangle cross-section using the upper surfaces of both plate-like bodies 13, 13 as hypotenuses, and the irrigation water for fields A and B is separated by the deformed section 12.

[0020] As described above, the levee 11 of the present invention is equipped with a deformable section 12 that can move the height position (height position of the plate-like body 13) to a low position that matches the field surface G. For example, in unmanned operation of a robot tractor, if the area of ​​the deformable section 12 is set to the width of the tractor's vehicle (approximately 2m), movement between adjacent fields becomes easy through the flat deformable section 12. Furthermore, by introducing a levee 11 equipped with such a deformable section 12 in agricultural and rural development projects, it becomes possible to irrigate across fields, similar to terraced rice paddies, even in paddy fields where irrigation and drainage channels are separated. This makes it possible to manage water with a small number of water inlets, and allows for the low-cost introduction of water management systems utilizing ICT.

[0021] Figures 5 and 6 show a modified example of the present invention, specifically the ridge 21. In the following description, components identical to those shown in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions are omitted. In this modified example, the power transmission means, including the rubber tube 15, is removed from the deformable portion 12 provided on the ridge 11 of the above embodiment, allowing the height position of the deformable portion 22 (the height position of the plate-like body 13) to be changed without requiring power.

[0022] The two plate-like bodies 13, 13 in the deformed section 22 have a floating structure that follows the rising and falling of the water level due to irrigation water. The floating structure is made of a material that has a specific gravity lower than water overall, such as a hollow shape, for example, plastic. Alternatively, the floating structure may be formed by sealing a buoyancy-retaining material such as foamed plastic inside, and various conventionally known structures can be adopted.

[0023] The rotating base end 13a and rotating tip end 13b are plate ends extending in the longitudinal direction of the plate-like body 13, and the rotating base ends 13a, 13a of the two plate-like bodies 13, 13 are facing each other, and the rotating tip end 13b is configured to rotate up and down around the rotating base end 13a. In this case, the plate-like body 13 is fixed by, for example, a flexible rubber sheet 14, with one half of the rubber sheet 14 buried and fixed in the ground, and the other half attached to the lower surface of the plate-like body 13. Here, the plate-like body 13 is provided with a follow-up restricting means that restricts its follow-up to changes in water level rise by a certain amount. This follow-up restricting means is a member that restricts only the upward rotation of the plate-like body 13, and although not shown in the figure, for example, a hinge mechanism having a rotation angle holding function (locking function) can be employed.

[0024] As a result, the deformable section 22 can move the rotating tips 13b, 13b of both plate-like bodies 13, 13 to a lowered position (Figure 5) that is horizontally aligned with the field surface G, and to an raised position (Figure 6) that is upward relative to the horizontal direction along the field surface G, while aligning the rotating tips 13b, 13b of both plate-like bodies 13, 13 with the boundary line between the levee (non-agricultural land) 21 and the fields (agricultural land) A, B.

[0025] Furthermore, in this modified configuration, the same functions and effects as the levee 11 in the above-described example are achieved. Moreover, in this example, during the non-irrigation period, it forms a flat levee shape along the field surface G, while during the irrigation period, it can float up according to the water depth of the paddy field to stop the water. At this time, due to the function of the follow-up regulating means, that is, the function of maintaining the rotation angle of the plate-like body 13, the height can be kept constant at the set raised position even when the water depth is increased (right side of Figure 6).

[0026] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the levee can be applied to various types of levees, such as structures in which a levee sheet is laid on an earthen levee, or levees made of concrete, plastic, etc. Regarding the cross-sectional shape of the levee, while a trapezoidal shape was exemplified in the embodiments, it is not limited to this, and various shapes, such as triangular shapes, are conceivable. Moreover, the area of ​​the deformable section can be arbitrarily defined, and can be made to an appropriate size considering usage scenarios such as the passage of agricultural machinery or irrigation across fields. In addition, the height of the deformable section can be arbitrarily determined as long as it can be deformed into a flat surface corresponding to the field surface, and the top (highest point) position in the raised position is arbitrary.

[0027] Furthermore, the components of the deformable part are diverse, and if these various parts are integrated (unitized), manufacturing, transportation, and installation work will be simplified. In addition, when powering the deformable part, for example, high-pressure water may be used as the pressurized fluid, in which case the tubes can be expanded with water pumped from a pump. Moreover, the material, shape, and quantity of the tubes are also arbitrary. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0028] 11…Ridge, 12…Deformed part, 13…Plate-shaped body, 13a…Rotating base end, 13b…Rotating tip, 14…Rubber sheet, 15…Rubber tube, 15a…Hose connection part, 16…Compressor device, 16a…Electric motor, 16b…Compressor body, 16c…High-pressure air discharge part, 16d…Tank, 17…Hose, 18…Portable information terminal, 21…Ridge, 22…Deformed part

Claims

1. On the ridges that form the boundaries of partitioned fields, It has a region corresponding to the entire width in the levee width direction, and is equipped with a deformable section that can be moved to a low position that matches the field surface. The deformable portion comprises two flat plate-like bodies, each having a rotating base end and a rotating tip, arranged in the direction of the levee width, and is characterized in that the rotating tips of both plate-like bodies can be moved to a lowered position facing horizontally along the field surface and to an raised position facing upward relative to the horizontal direction along the field surface.

2. It is provided with an expandable and contractible tube installed on the lower side of the two plate-like bodies, which expands by obtaining pressurized fluid and pushes up the rotating tip from a flattened state, The levee according to claim 1, characterized in that the two plate-like bodies are positioned with their rotating ends facing each other to form the lowered position.

3. The levee according to claim 1, characterized in that the two plate-like bodies have a floating structure that follows changes in the water level rise due to irrigation water and a follow-restricting means that restricts the following by a certain amount, and their respective pivot base ends face each other to form the lowered position.

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