Device serving as agrochemical drone or the like

Abstract

This device serving as an agrochemical drone or the like is characterized in that propellers 104 are provided within a duct 103, agricultural material storage 102 is provided in the duct 103, an agrochemical, seeds, or the like are loaded in the agricultural material storage 102, the duct 103 is made to float above a field or trees, and agrochemicals, seeds, or the like are scattered from the duct 103, thereby reducing human labor and farm work such as pest control while increasing efficiency.

Description

Pesticide drones and other devices

[0001] The present invention relates to an agricultural chemical sprayer for spraying chemicals and seeds, and a method of using the sprayer.

[0002] Spraying pesticides on large rice fields and other areas is labor-intensive and hard work, so pesticide spraying is carried out using powered sprayers (motorized sprayers), self-propelled motorized sprayers, helicopter sprayers, or unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) only approves pesticide spraying using water-diluted liquids or granules, and drones spray pesticides by spraying (e.g., Patent Document 1) or granular pesticides by diffuse spraying (e.g., Patent Document 2) or seed sowing. However, powdered pesticides are not approved by the MAFF, and drone spraying is rarely used due to the risk of fine powders becoming airborne. Instead, the only method used is to propel (or have workers carry) agricultural supply tanks containing powdered pesticides over the ground, and then pressure-pump the powdered pesticide using a motor or engine to spray it.

[0003] Mito 3217561 Patent 2018-130064 Patent 2023-131582

[0004] In spraying using unmanned aircraft such as drones (see Patent Documents 1 and 2, and the inventor's patent for a helicopter-based aerial spraying device), liquid, granular, or powdered pesticides are loaded onto the drone and sprayed from the air for long periods of time to cover a wide area. This requires increased buoyancy, but increasing the propeller size to handle large amounts of pesticide presents a risk of danger. Furthermore, larger drones, due to their round shape, present the problem of missed spraying in spaces around the sides and corners of rice fields. With known drones, spraying 30 to 40 liters, for example, requires a maximum payload of 40 kg or more, resulting in a propeller diameter of 1.2 m and an overall size of nearly 3 m. These drones are large, heavy, and expensive, making them difficult for anyone to operate. Furthermore, as in Patent Document 3, a technology in which an operator carries an agricultural supply warehouse containing pesticides on their back and pressure-feeds them to a drone via a tube may make the drone lighter, but it requires a long hose, which poses the risk of the hose becoming tangled and crashing. Furthermore, when spraying with an unmanned aircraft such as a drone, if the pesticide is liquid or granular, the pressure-feed spray or the weight of the granules prevents it from flying up due to downwash after spraying. However, with fine powders such as powdered pesticides, there is the issue that they can fly up after pressure-feeding and spread to the surrounding area, causing health hazards. Furthermore, with unmanned drones, there is the issue that drone operation is difficult when the rice field shape is different or undulating, as the drone must be operated automatically from a distance. This invention solves these issues.

[0005] The present invention, which solves the above-mentioned problems, is a device such as a drone for spraying pesticides, which is characterized by having a contra-rotating propeller inside a first duct, a second duct outside the first duct, and is configured to float at a height that prevents crops from being sucked into the duct, and to spray pesticides from the center or inner wall of the first duct.

[0006] According to the present invention, by installing a contra-rotating propeller inside the duct and combining it with ground effect, a large buoyancy force is generated in a small space, allowing the propeller to be made smaller, the main body to be lighter, and the spraying efficiency of pesticides to be high. Furthermore, the sprayer reduces the amount of powdered pesticides that are blown up, and seeds can be spread automatically, reducing the risk of lodging in rice crops. Furthermore, the present invention moves at low altitude, and by providing first and second ducts inside and outside, the gap between them becomes an air intake, improving spraying efficiency. The sprayed powder can be sucked in efficiently, preventing the powdered pesticide from spreading to the surrounding area and reducing the amount of pesticide required. This has the effect of preventing health hazards.

[0007]

[0023] Figures showing a first embodiment of the present invention, (A) a top view and (B) a cross-sectional view.

[0024] Figures showing a second embodiment of the present invention, (A) a top view and (B) a cross-sectional view.

[0025] Figures showing a third embodiment of the present invention, (A) a top view and (B) a cross-sectional view.

[0026] Figures showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention, (A) a top view and (B) a cross-sectional view.

[0027] Figures showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention, (A) a top view and (B) a cross-sectional view.

[0028] Figures showing a sixth embodiment of the present invention, (A) a top view and (B) a cross-sectional view.

[0029] Figures showing a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] As mentioned above, there are many problems with the current method of spraying pesticides and seeds using drones. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention that solves these problems will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0009] [First Embodiment] Figure 1 shows a drone illustrating a first embodiment of the present invention. This is a pesticide drone developed by the inventor of the Ukuruma (FV) (Patent Application No. 2023-177916). As shown in Figures 1(A) and 1(B), the drone has a contra-rotating propeller for torque control within a duct. A farm supply hopper 102 is provided, and the combined effects of downwash 60 and ground effect 61 cause the drone to rise slightly above the ground. A portion of the air ejected by the propeller is ejected from a transport nozzle 309, propelling the drone to spray pesticides and seeds 106. Figure 1 shows a pesticide drone using a single-ducted fan device to spray pesticides and seeds from outside the duct. Powdered pesticides, seeds, etc. are placed in the farm supply hopper 102, and sprayed toward the ground from the end of a pipe 105 attached to the periphery of the duct 103 (Figure 1(B)). In the single-ducted fan spraying method shown in Figure 1(B), an air intake opening (not shown) is provided on the side of the duct 103. Downwash air 60, delivered by the contra-rotating propellers 104, reflects off the ground, killing pests that have escaped to the underside of leaves, or is blown toward the crops 5 and lifted up. Agricultural products, such as pesticides, stored in the agricultural supply storehouse 102 are sprayed 106 through a product pipe 105 attached to the outer surface of the duct 103 along the inclined surface 1021 of the funnel-shaped agricultural supply storehouse (hopper). The spray direction of the product pipe 105 may be adjusted to minimize the spread of sprayed pesticides onto the crops using ground effect 61. As previously mentioned, sprayed pesticides may be sprayed onto the ground through the propeller and motor shaft in the center of the duct. Furthermore, a skirt 110 may be attached to the edge (lower end) of the duct. Further, although the agricultural product pipes 105 provided on the outer peripheral surface are provided at four locations in FIG. 1, the number is not limited to this.

[0010] [Second Embodiment] Figure 2 shows the second embodiment of the present invention, a pesticide drone that sprays from a propeller shaft using a double ducted fan device. Spraying passes through the central propeller of the duct and the motor shaft, directing spraying toward the ground (Figure 2). Note that the invention that separates the double duct and central spraying is the sixth embodiment of the present invention. In the double ducted fan spraying method shown in Figure 2, air delivered by the contra-rotating propellers 104 is blown toward the ground or crops 5 as downwash 60. All or part of the air is then sucked in 62 through the gap 109 between the outer duct 107 and the inner duct 103, and the ejected air returns to the propeller 104. This mechanism minimizes the amount of air 61 expelled from the ducted fan pesticide drone of the present invention, resulting in high efficiency. The agricultural material is then guided from an agricultural material storage (hopper) 102 located at the center of the propeller 104 inside the duct 103 to the propeller shaft via an inclined section 1021, and sprayed from the center via the hopper's vertical section 1022, where it is dispersed to the outside. The pesticides are suppressed and efficiently sprayed onto the crops 5. A skirt 110 is also provided to improve buoyancy and suppress the dispersion of the pesticides. To prevent the intake air and pesticides from damaging the propeller, filters 108 are provided at the intake port of the gap 109 between the inner and outer ducts and at the upper entrance of the duct 103 containing the propeller 104. Reference numeral 101 denotes the pesticide inlet. The powder inside the agricultural material storage 102 is moved by gravity and vibration alone, or by a screw-shaped rotating shaft or the like located inside the agricultural material storage, and is guided to the lower outer periphery or center of the duct and sprayed (not shown). The screw-shaped rotating shaft may be connected to a propeller shaft by a gear or a belt. An operator flies the unmanned drone of the present invention by operating it or using an automatic program, and moves it by spraying air from the movement nozzle 309 to sow seeds in rice fields, exterminate pests, or spray pesticides.

[0011] The floating height of the present invention is controlled to a constant distance using a height measurement sensor and / or an image sensor. The floating height is set so that the lower part of the duct does not come into contact with the crops. If the floating height is too high, the pesticide will diffuse into the surrounding area, resulting in loss and posing a health hazard to nearby people. If the floating height is too low, the pesticide will be ineffective in controlling pests and there is a risk of contact with the ground. It is preferable to set the gap between the ground and the present invention to 0.1 m to 1 m or less. Furthermore, it is preferable that the pesticide has an average particle size of 50 microns or more. Powders of less than 50 microns tend to diffuse and float violently, so it is preferable to form them into granules of approximately 1 mm to 5 mm diameter using known techniques or to increase the particle size by adding moisture or the like before spraying. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to powdered pesticides; liquid pesticides equipped with a liquid pressure shower head or a granular feeding mechanism, and granular pesticides such as seeds, are also included in the present invention.

[0012] According to the first or second embodiment of the present invention, the combination of single or double ducts, contra-rotating propellers, and ground effect provides powerful buoyancy, allowing for smaller size and lighter weight. Furthermore, while the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) requires drones to spray only water-diluted liquids or granular pesticides, the present invention is significantly more effective than conventional spraying methods when spraying powdered pesticides. This is because the single or double ducted fan and low-altitude flight (floating movement) of less than 1 meter above the ground prevents crop entrapment, enabling ground effect and downwash to effectively eliminate pests that have escaped to the undersides of leaves. This minimizes the amount of sprayed pesticide and other agricultural products required.

[0013] [Third embodiment] Figure 3 shows an agricultural drone 2 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which pesticides pass through multiple ducts and a propeller shaft.

[0014] Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, with (A) being a top view and (B) being a side view. Four single- or double-ducted fans, as in embodiment 1, are combined, with the upper central section utilized as a storage facility for agricultural materials (pesticides, fertilizer, seeds, etc.) 202. An air pressure inlet 201 (63) is provided at the top of the storage facility, allowing the pesticides in the storage facility to be compressed downward and sprayed out 206 during flight. The lifting capacity of the single- or double-ducted fans is adjusted to match the capacity and load weight of the storage facility, and the air output of each of the four ducted fans is adjusted relative to each other to allow movement forward, backward, left, and right. As mentioned above, the top of the storage facility is designed with an air intake 201 structure that can receive wind 63 during movement, further compressing and transporting the powder with the wind. If pressure is insufficient, a pressure-feeding mechanism such as a screw may be installed. The air intake 201 is oriented in the direction of the drone's movement, i.e., the direction in which pressure is applied to the pesticides in the storage facility. The agricultural chemicals move through a gap 2022 or a propeller shaft (not shown) of a ducted fan connected by an inclination 2021 of the hopper 202. In addition, a moving jet nozzle 309 may be provided for the movement of the present invention.

[0015] Powders and liquids in the agricultural material storage are sprayed using a screw-type rotating shaft or a compressor. An on-off valve may be provided at the bottom of the agricultural material storage 202. Power is supplied by a battery or the capacitor of the present invention, and the duct 203 may be formed as a hollow capacitor that serves both as a duct and a power source. Some or all of the ducts of the four single- or double-ducted fans may be double-ducted fans (duct configuration shown in Figure 2). A skirt 110 may be provided at the end of the duct 203. The skirt may be a skirt that surrounds the outer periphery of the four ducted fans of the present invention.

[0016] According to the third embodiment of the present invention, by combining four sets of single- or double-ducted fans, stable buoyancy can be achieved, and the space in the center of the four sets of single- or double-ducted fans can be used as a storage space for agricultural supplies such as pesticides. Downwash flows upward in the center, and the double-layer configuration effectively prevents powdered pesticides from diffusing to the outside. Furthermore, the strong downwash provides a ground effect, enabling pesticides to be applied to the undersides of leaves where pests are present, thereby achieving a revolutionary effect of eradicating them. Furthermore, by incorporating a skirt around the periphery, ground effects and downwash are generated by combining the four ducted fans of the present invention, widening the width of pesticide spraying and strengthening the downwash, thereby increasing the effectiveness of evenly applying pesticides to the undersides of crop leaves.

[0017] [Fourth Embodiment] Figure 4 shows an unmanned drone 2 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4(A) is a top view, and (B) is a side view showing the powder being sprayed. The unmanned drone 2 according to the third embodiment of the present invention is applied to a tree or shrub 51 with a sturdy trunk that will not be toppled even with the downwash 60 of the present invention. The drone 2 is lifted to a height of 0.1 to 1 m above the tree and sprays powdered pesticide. The downwash 60 causes the pesticide to bounce off the ground 61, allowing it to reach the undersides of the leaves, improving the effectiveness of the pesticide.

[0018] [Fifth Embodiment] Figure 5 shows a drone 3 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. A contra-rotating propeller 304 is mounted at the center of a duct 303, located under and above a chair. This drone is operated by a worker sitting in a chair. Hopper 301, 302 for agricultural materials such as pesticides and seeds are mounted in the backrest. Driving power is supplied by a conventional battery or a capacitor invented by the inventor, located under the chair 307, in the backrest, or through a duct 303 that also serves as a capacitor and duct. The propeller 304 may be driven by an electric motor or a hydrogen engine. The duct may be a single or double duct, and the inventor's invention, with an air intake (duct configuration shown in Figure 2), may be used. Spraying 306 is performed while moving from the agricultural material storage 301 in the backrest. Air jetted from the overhead duct 3, which stabilizes the drone's vertical movement, is prevented from directly hitting the worker by an overhead shield 308, displacing the air around the worker. This prevents the worker from being sprayed with pesticides, maintaining their health and preventing the scattering of powdered pesticides to unnecessary areas. The present invention has the effect of enabling even spraying in any forest or rice field while checking the situation. Furthermore, since the operation is performed from the drone, it is highly accurate and easy to operate. The present invention also includes unmanned drones that can be remotely controlled by a person or automatically flown by a program.

[0019] [Sixth Embodiment] Figure 6 shows a drone 4 illustrating a sixth embodiment of the present invention. There is one ducted fan, on which a worker sits, and agricultural material storage hoppers 402 are provided on both sides of the ducted fans (403, 404) and the worker. Figure 6(A) is a top view of the present invention with a worker on board, and (B) is a side view. The agricultural material storage can be loaded with the maximum amount of pesticides, etc., enabling spraying over a large area.

[0020] [Seventh Embodiment] Figure 7 shows a seventh embodiment of the present invention. It shows a drone and a charging station 7. The unmanned drone 2 of the second embodiment is operated manually rather than automatically, and the drone is equipped with an automatic energy supply (electricity, hydrogen, etc.) and a pesticide / seed charging station 7. A line sensor for measuring the amount of depletion is provided on the drone of the present invention, and the drone returns to the automatic charging station 7 to add pesticides, seeds, etc. to the agricultural supply tank 8 of the drone of the present invention. This allows for spraying without manual intervention. The automatic battery supply unit 9 supplies power via an electromagnetic coil or the like. Alternatively, power may be supplied via a contact system. The system of the present invention can be programmed to repeatedly perform spraying operations, enabling it to be performed day and night, even in large rice fields. The station system of the present invention can be installed not only for the unmanned drones of the present invention (1, 2), but also for the drones of the present invention (3, 4) that can carry a drone operator.

[0021] The invention has great industrial applicability because it can safely and uniformly apply powdered pesticides and seeds without manpower, which is especially important in times of labor shortage.

[0022] 1 Pesticide drone etc. device of the present invention 101 Agricultural product injection port 102 Agricultural material storage, hopper 1021 Inclined funnel-shaped hopper 1022 Vertical part of hopper attached to propeller shaft 103 Duct 104 Propeller 105 Agricultural product (for spraying pesticides etc.) pipe 106 Sprayed pesticide, pesticide 107 Outer duct 108 Filter 109 Gap between inner duct and outer duct 110 Skirt 2 Pesticide drone etc. device of the present invention (4 sets) 201 Air intake port, also agricultural product injection port 202 Agricultural material storage, hopper 2021 Inclined funnel-shaped hopper 2022 Vertical part of hopper attached to gap of connected ducted fan 203 Duct 204 Propeller 205 Agricultural product pipe 206 Sprayed agricultural agent, agricultural chemical 3. Pesticide drone or other device of the present invention (human-operated) 301 Agricultural product injection port, support pole also used as agricultural material storehouse 302 Agricultural material storehouse, hopper 303 Duct 304 Contra-rotating propeller rotated by battery, capacitor, or hydrogen energy 305 Agricultural product pipe (for spraying pesticides, etc.) 306 Sprayed agricultural agent, agricultural chemical 307 Battery or capacitor 308 Overhead shield 309 Portable spray nozzle (jet nozzle, swivel, etc.) 4. Pesticide drone or other device of the present invention (human-operated large hopper) 401 Agricultural product injection port 402 Agricultural material storehouse, hopper 403 Duct 404 Contra-rotating propeller rotated by battery, capacitor, or hydrogen energy 405 Agricultural product pipe 406 Sprayed agricultural agent, agricultural chemical 407 Battery or capacitor 5 Crops, fields, etc. 51 Forests, trees, shrubs 6 Air flow 60 Downwash 61 Ground effect 62 Downwash return air (suction) 63 Air flow due to movement (air) 7 Automatic charging station 8 Pesticide supply unit 9 Energy supply unit such as battery 10 Spraying location such as rice field 11 Flight path of the pesticide drone or other device of the present invention

Claims

1. A pesticide drone or other device characterized in that a propeller is installed inside a duct, a storage facility for agricultural materials is installed in the duct so that pesticides and seeds can be placed inside, the duct is levitated above fields or trees, and the pesticides, seeds, etc. can be sprayed from the duct, thereby reducing and increasing the efficiency of agricultural work such as pest control and human labor.

Images