JP2023074955A - root crop harvester - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a root crop harvester capable of reducing a load on sorting work of an auxiliary worker, and reducing sorting errors.SOLUTION: A root crop harvester includes: a pullout conveyor; a stem and leaf-cutting part for cutting the stems and leaves of harvested crops; imaging means for imaging crops before the stems and leaves are cut; a control device for acquiring the information of images; a first conveyor for conveying cut and dropped crops to a first housing part; and a second conveyor for conveying cut and dropped crops to a second housing part. The stem and leaf-cutting part includes a holding conveyer, a first cutting part and a second cutting part, and a switching device for switching the first cutting part between a cutting state of enabling cutting, and a standby state of disabling cutting. The control device includes determination means for determining the quality of crops from the information of images, and puts the first cutting part into a cutting state when it determines that the crops are non-defective, and puts the first cutting part into a standby state when it determines that they are defective.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a root vegetable harvester that mainly harvests root vegetables such as carrots.

As a root vegetable harvester of this type, for example, Patent Document 1 below discloses that root crops such as carrots to be harvested (hereinafter referred to as "harvested product") are harvested by harvesting units arranged at one end on the right and left sides of the machine body. Then, after transporting it toward the rear of the machine body to process the stems and leaves, it is further transported to the left and right other end sides of the machine body and stored in a storage section.

In addition, a work seat is provided at the rear part of the machine body of the root vegetable harvester, and an auxiliary worker sits on the work seat so as to manually sort the harvested products in the middle of transportation. It should be noted that this assistant worker mainly performs sorting work to remove damaged items, non-standard items such as crotch cracks, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "defective items" for convenience) that require sorting from the harvested items. .

JP-A-2005-333917

However, in the conventional root crop harvester, the auxiliary worker must visually check the harvested products that are continuously transported on the machine one by one. In addition, there is a risk of human error, such as overlooking an object to be sorted, ie, a defective product, among a large number of non-defective products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a root vegetable harvester capable of reducing the burden of sorting work on an assistant worker and reducing sorting errors.

Such objects of the present invention are
a pulling-out conveying device for pinching foliage of a root vegetable and conveying it upward to pull out the root vegetable from a field for harvesting;
a foliage cutting unit that cuts the foliage of the crop harvested by the drawing and conveying device;
imaging means for imaging the harvest before the foliage is cut by the foliage cutting unit;
a control device for acquiring information of the image captured by the imaging means;
a first conveyer for conveying the harvested product, which has been cut by the foliage cutting unit and has fallen, to a first storage unit;
a second conveyer for conveying the harvested material, the foliage of which has been cut by the foliage cutting unit, to a second storage unit;
The foliage cutting part is
a nipping and conveying device that nips and conveys foliage of the crop harvested by the drawing and conveying device to the rear;
a first cutting unit that cuts the foliage of the harvest being transported by the pull-out transport device or the clamping transport device;
A second cutting section that cuts foliage of the harvested material being conveyed, the second cutting section being arranged downstream of the first cutting section in the conveying direction of the pull-out conveying device and the clamping conveying device. a cut of
a switching device for switching the first cutting unit between a cutting state in which the foliage of the crop can be cut and a retracted state in which the foliage cannot be cut;
The first conveyer conveys the harvested product whose stems and leaves have been cut by the first cutting unit,
The second conveyer conveys the harvested material whose stems and leaves have been cut by the second cutting unit,
The control device comprises a judgment means for judging the quality of each harvested product being conveyed from the information of the image, and when the harvested product is judged to be non-defective, the first cutting unit is set in a cutting state, This is achieved by a root vegetable harvester characterized by controlling the switching device so as to bring the first cutting section into the retracted state when the harvested product is determined to be defective.

According to the present invention, each crop is photographed (imaged) before the stems and leaves are cut, that is, while being conveyed by a pull-out conveying device or a clamping conveying device, and based on the information of the image, each harvest being conveyed If the harvested product is good or bad, the stems and leaves are cut by the first cutting unit located on the upper side in the conveying direction, and the harvested product is transported to the first storage using the first conveyer. If the harvested product is defective, the first cutting unit located on the upper side in the conveying direction is retracted, and the second cutting unit located on the lower side in the conveying direction cuts the foliage. Since the harvested products can be cut and transported to the second container using the second transport conveyor, the burden of the sorting work on the assistant worker can be reduced, and sorting errors can be reduced.

Further, such an object of the present invention is
a pulling-out conveying device for pinching foliage of a root vegetable and conveying it upward to pull out the root vegetable from a field for harvesting;
a foliage cutting unit that cuts the foliage of the crop harvested by the drawing and conveying device;
imaging means for imaging the harvest before the foliage is cut by the foliage cutting unit;
a control device for acquiring information of the image captured by the imaging means;
a first conveyer for conveying the harvested product, which has been cut by the foliage cutting unit and has fallen, to a first storage unit;
a second conveyer for conveying the harvested material, the foliage of which has been cut by the foliage cutting unit, to a second storage unit;
The foliage cutting part is
a nipping and conveying device that nips and conveys foliage of the crop harvested by the drawing and conveying device to the rear;
a first cutting unit that cuts the foliage of the harvest being transported by the pull-out transport device or the clamping transport device;
A second cutting section that cuts foliage of the harvested material being conveyed, the second cutting section being arranged downstream of the first cutting section in the conveying direction of the pull-out conveying device and the clamping conveying device. a cut of
a switching device for switching the first cutting unit between a cutting state in which the foliage of the crop can be cut and a retracted state in which the foliage cannot be cut;
The first conveyer conveys the harvested product whose stems and leaves have been cut by the first cutting unit,
The second conveyer conveys the harvested material whose stems and leaves have been cut by the second cutting unit,
The control device is provided with a judgment means for judging the quality of each of the harvested products being conveyed from the information of the image, and when it is judged that the harvested products are defective, the first cutting section is brought into a cutting state. , the root vegetable harvester is characterized in that the switching device is controlled to bring the first cutting portion into the retracted state when the harvested product is determined to be non-defective.

According to the present invention, each crop is photographed (imaged) before the stems and leaves are cut, that is, while being conveyed by a pull-out conveying device or a clamping conveying device, and based on the information of the image, each harvest being conveyed If the harvested product is defective, the foliage is cut by the first cutting unit located on the upper side in the conveying direction, and the harvested product is transferred to the first conveyor using the first conveyer. When the harvested product can be transported to the storage unit and the harvested product is a non-defective product, the first cutting unit located on the upper side in the transporting direction is retracted, and the stems and leaves are cut by the second cutting unit located on the lower side in the transporting direction. Since the harvested products can be cut and transported to the second container using the second transport conveyor, the burden of the sorting work on the assistant worker can be reduced, and sorting errors can be reduced.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention (citing 1 or 2)
The first cutting section is configured to be rotatable by the switching device. In the cutting state, the first cutting section is rotated to a position where the stems and leaves of the harvested material being conveyed can be cut. The stems and leaves of the crop being transported are rotated to a position where they cannot be cut.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention,
The foliage cutting unit includes an alignment device for aligning the vertical position of the harvested product before foliage is cut,
The alignment device comprises an endless alignment chain and a sprocket around which the alignment chain is wound,
The sprocket is provided with a rotation speed measurement sensor that measures the rotation speed of the sprocket,
The control device multiplies the measurement result obtained from the rotational speed measurement sensor by the diameter of the sprocket to calculate the conveying distance of the harvested product, and determines the timing of switching the state of the first cutting section.

According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the conveying distance of the harvested material is calculated by multiplying the number of rotations of the sprocket of the alignment device for aligning the vertical position of the harvested material by the diameter of the sprocket, and the first cutting section Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first cutting unit from cutting the harvested material that is not intended to be cut by the first cutting unit, and to prevent the cutting of the subsequent harvested material. be prepared for

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention,
Equipped with a work seat for sorting the harvest,
The work seat is provided at a position facing the first conveyor,
The first conveyor and the second conveyor are provided adjacent to each other,
The second conveyer is configured to be capable of conveying the harvested crops to the second container arranged near the work seat.

According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the harvested defective products are conveyed to the second container positioned near the work seat where the sorting operation is performed, so that the automatically sorted defective product can be harvested. It is easy for the auxiliary worker sitting on the work seat to check the object.

Further, according to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second conveyer is configured to be capable of conveying the harvested crops to the second container disposed near the work seats for sorting, and Since the work seats are provided at a position facing the first conveyer, the harvested products that are judged to be defective and are transported to the second storage section are taken out of the harvested products that can be handled as good products. It can be easily transferred by hand onto one transport conveyor.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to provide the root vegetable harvester which can reduce the burden of an auxiliary worker's sorting work, and can reduce a sorting error.

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a root vegetable harvester according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a plan view of the root crop harvester shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a left side view of a foliage cutting section of the root vegetable harvester shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a plan view of a foliage cutting section of the root vegetable harvester shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a control block diagram of the control device of the root vegetable harvester shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the control of the control device. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing image processing by the control device shown in FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the fixed blade shown in FIG. 4; FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the root vegetable harvester shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the rear right side. 10 is a drawing showing the vicinity of the bucket shown in FIG. 9. FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic rear view of a root crop harvester according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a hydraulic circuit of the root crop harvester shown in FIG. 11;

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the embodiments, the left side is called "left" and the right side is called "right" in the forward direction F of the aircraft, the forward direction is called forward, and the backward direction is called rear, but the definitions of these directions are as follows. It does not limit the configuration of the present invention. Further, hereinafter, the left-right direction is also referred to as the "body width direction". In this embodiment, a carrot harvester for harvesting carrots will be described as an example of a root vegetable harvester.

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a root vegetable harvester according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the root vegetable harvester shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the root crop harvester 1 is composed of a traveling section A for traveling the machine body, a control section B for the operator to operate the machine body, and a harvest W from the field. a harvesting section C that takes over the harvested material W from the harvesting section C and cuts the foliage w1, and conveys the harvested material W from one left and right end side (left side) of the machine body to the other left and right end side (right side). It comprises a first conveyor ef1 and a second conveyor ef2, a storage section g1 and a container g2 for storing the harvested material W, and a mounting table g5 for placing the first storage section g1. Each configuration will be explained below.

First, the configuration of the traveling portion A will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the traveling section A has a pair of left and right traveling crawlers a2 (a2L, a2R) below a body frame a1 that constitutes the body. The traveling crawler a2 (a2L, a2R) includes left and right drive sprockets a3, a3, left and right driven wheels a4, a4, and left and right belts a6, a6 wound around a plurality of rollers a5, a5, . The fuselage can travel by being rotated by driving the drive sprockets a3, a3. As shown in FIG. 1, the left and right drive sprockets a3, a3 are attached to left and right drive shafts a9, a9 extending from a mission case a8 to which the power of an engine a7 is transmitted. The power of the engine a7 is transmitted.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the rear part of the machine body is provided with a step floor a10 provided on the upper part of the machine body frame a1 and a work seat a11 provided on the step floor a10. The worker can get on the floor a10 and sit on the work seat a11 to sort the harvest W.

Next, the configuration of the control section B will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the control unit B has an engine cover b1 with an engine a7 installed on the upper right side of the body frame a1, and a control seat b2 mounted on the upper part of the engine cover b1. ing. Further, in front of the operator's seat b2, there are provided a shift control lever b3 for switching between running speed and forward/backward movement, and a machine body control lever b4 for manipulating left/right turning of the machine body and pulling-out height of the harvesting section C, which will be described later. The pull-out height refers to the height at which the harvested material W is pulled out, and is adjusted by changing the vertical position of the harvesting section C with respect to the traveling section A.

Next, the configuration of the harvesting section C will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, the harvesting section C is arranged on the left side of the machine body, and picks up the stems and leaves w1 of the harvested material W and conveys them backward and upward while pulling them out of the field for harvesting. c1.

The pull-out conveying device c1 has a vertical lifting device c2 for raising the stems and leaves w1 of the harvested material at its front, a horizontal lifting device c3 for scooping up the stems and leaves w1 raised by the vertical lifting device c2, and a horizontal lifting device c3 for scooping up the stems and leaves w1 of the crop. A dividing rod c4 that lifts the stems and leaves w1 that are in the ground to make it easier for the vertical lifting device c2 and the horizontal lifting device c3 to raise the stems and leaves w1; left and right vibrating soilers c6, c6 for loosening the left and right soil by vibration.

Further, the drawing and conveying device c1 includes a pair of left and right driven pulleys c8, c8 rotatably mounted on the front side of the machine body of the pair of left and right drawing frames c7, c7, and a pair of left and right driving pulleys c9, c9 mounted on the rear side of the machine body. , a pair of left and right nipping and conveying belts c10, c10 which are wound between the pair of left and right driven pulleys c8, c8 and the pair of left and right drive pulleys c9, c9 to pull out the harvest W and convey it upward to the rear of the machine body. , a plurality of tension rollers c11, c11, . By pressing the surfaces of the two to each other, a pull-out conveying path is configured such that the upper rear side is the lower side in the conveying direction.

With this configuration, the pull-out transport device c1 fulfills the function of rearwardly upwardly transporting the crop W that has been pulled out and harvested from the field.

In addition, the pulling-out conveying device c1 can adjust the height at which the harvested material C is pulled out by moving the harvesting part C up and down by means of the pulling-out height adjusting means. The excavation height adjusting means includes a rotating frame c13 which is vertically rotatable about a left and right horizontal shaft c12 disposed above the machine body frame a1, and a rear arm of the rotating frame c13. A transmission case c14 which is arranged at an end portion, transmits a driving force to the left and right drive pulleys c9, c9, and is rotatable up and down around a rotation fulcrum, and is connected between the body frame a1 and the rotation frame c13. is provided with an elevating cylinder c15 that can be expanded and contracted by the operation part B, and when the operator performs a predetermined operation in the operation part B, the elevating cylinder c15 expands and contracts, and in conjunction with this, the pull-out conveying device c1 is designed to move up and down. As a result, the position can be adjusted up and down according to the appropriate height of the harvested material W to be pulled out, and the carrots are prevented from being left unpulled out, thereby improving the work efficiency.

Next, the foliage cutting section D will be described.

3 is a left side view of the foliage cutting section D of the root vegetable harvester 1 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a plan view of the foliage cutting section D of the root vegetable harvester 1 shown in FIG. is.

As shown in FIG. 3 or 4, the stem and leaf cutting section D is located behind the left and right transmission cases d4, d4 that receive the driving force transmission from the above-described transmission case c14 (see FIG. 1), and the harvesting section C, A position aligning device D1 for aligning the position of the harvested material W, a pinching and conveying device D2 for conveying the harvested material W from the harvesting section C, pinching the stems and leaves of the harvested material W to the rear, and grasping the stems and leaves of the harvested material W being transported. A foliage cutting device for cutting, and a remaining leaf conveying device D4 for holding the upper part of the foliage and conveying it to the rear of the fuselage are provided.

As shown in FIG. 3, the positioning device D1 and the foliage cutting device are arranged below the pinching and conveying device D2. showing.

The left and right transmission cases d4, d4 are configured to be able to transmit power by meshing a plurality of gears therein, and can transmit power to each device of the foliage cutting section D to drive them.

The pair of left and right alignment devices D1, D1 includes a pair of left and right front alignment parts D1a and a pair of left and right rear alignment parts D1b, as indicated by thick lines in FIG. 3 and an endless alignment chain d13 wound around the drive sprocket 2 and the driven sprocket 3 and rotated.

A guide body d15 is provided so as to cover the upper surface, the lower surface, and the inner side surface in the width direction of the aligning chain d13, and the harvested product is With the foliage w1 of W lightly sandwiched from the left and right, the upper surface of the root w2 of the harvested material W conveyed rearward and upward by the pull-out conveying device c1 is brought into contact with the lower surface of each guide body d15. The vertical positions of the roots w2 of the crop W can be aligned.

The nipping and conveying device D2 endlessly winds the left and right foliage conveying belts d23, d23 around the left and right foliage conveying drive pulleys d21, d21 and the left and right foliage conveying driven pulleys d22, d22, thereby removing the foliage from the pull-out conveying device c1. It fulfills the function of taking over the foliage w1 of the crop W and conveying it to the rear of the machine body. The nipping and conveying device D2 is disposed on the upper outer peripheries of the left and right transmission cases d4, d4 and below the transfer end side of the drawing and conveying device c1, that is, below the rear portion of the drawing and conveying device c1.

As a foliage cutting device, the root vegetable harvester 1 according to the present embodiment is a unit arranged at a position substantially between a pair of left and right front side alignment portions D1a and a pair of left and right rear side alignment portions D1b in the front-rear direction. It has one fixed blade d35 and a pair of left and right rotary cutting blades d34, d34. The fixed blade d35 is an example of the "first cutting section" of the present invention, and the pair of left and right rotating cutting blades d34, d34 is an example of the "second cutting section".

In this embodiment, as will be described in detail later, the stems and leaves w1 of the harvested material W that is good are cut with a fixed blade d35, and the stems and leaves w1 of the harvested material W that is defective are cut with a pair of left and right rotary cutting blades d34 and d34. configured to disconnect.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pair of left and right rotary cutting blades d34, d34 are positioned behind the pair of left and right position aligning devices D1, D1, that is, in the conveying direction formed by the pull-out conveying device c1 and the clamping conveying device D2. (see FIG. 1), it is provided downstream of the fixed blade d35.

As shown in FIG. 3, left and right bearings d32 and d32 are rotatably attached to the cutting blade rotation shafts d31 and d31 that support the left and right cutting blade rotation shafts d31 and d31. Left and right support plates d33, d33 are attached to the support plates d33, d33, and a pair of left and right rotary cutting blades d34, d34 are attached to the support plates d33, d33.

The pair of left and right rotary cutting blades d34, d34 are circular rotary blades, and the edges of the blades overlap each other near the left and right central portions of the pair of left and right positioning devices D1, D1. Harvested material W conveyed rearward within a conveying area 8 defined by the left-right direction inner surfaces of the closed-loop alignment chains d13 and the pair of left and right foliage removal conveying belts d23, d23. The stems and leaves w1 of the plant can be sandwiched and cut by a pair of left and right rotary cutting blades d34, d34, and the roots w2 can be dropped.

On the other hand, the single fixed blade d35 is arranged between the pair of left and right front alignment portions D1a and the pair of left and right rear alignment portions D1b. The stems and leaves w1 of the harvested good product W just started are cut by the fixed blade d35, and the stems and leaves w1 of the harvested defective product W are cut by a pair of left and right rotating cutting blades d34, d34 as follows. , the harvested product W harvested in the harvesting section C can be sorted into non-defective products and defective products.

FIG. 5 is a control block diagram of the control device of the root vegetable harvester 1 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the control of the control device M, and FIG. 7 is shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing image processing by a control device; The control device M performs the processing shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, imaging devices s1 corresponding to the "imaging means" of the present invention are provided outside the pair of left and right front alignment portions D1a in the left and right direction. In the process of aligning the positions of the harvested products W, the harvested products W located in front of the fixed blade d35 are imaged from two directions.

Specifically, a limit switch s7 (see FIG. 5) for detecting the timing of imaging by a pair of left and right imaging devices s1 is arranged at a position facing the transport area 8 of the front alignment part D1a. When the foliage w1 of the harvested material W conveyed in the area 8 comes into contact with the bar of the limit switch s7 and is turned on, the control device M transmits an imaging signal to each pair of imaging devices s1.

As a result, the mirror covering the image sensor in each imaging device s1 is rotated upward, and images from two directions of the harvested product W in contact with the bar of the limit switch s7, that is, two images, are picked up and controlled. Information about the captured image is transmitted to the device M (step s1). The image of the harvested materials W being transported in the transport area 8 shows that all the harvested materials W harvested by the harvesting section C are being transported backward and each of the harvested materials W has reached the position of the fixed blade d35. obtained before

It should be noted that it is not always necessary to arrange the limit switch s7 for detecting the timing of imaging at the front part of the front alignment part D1a. , and by arranging a limit switch in front of the shoulder aligning bar, the timing for imaging each harvest may be measured. In this case, it is desirable to arrange a pair of left and right imaging devices at an intermediate position of the shoulder aligning bar, and direct the lens from the laterally outer side of the aligning section toward the center (toward the transport area).

The control device M shown in FIG. 5 includes a CPU that performs arithmetic processing and a memory that can read and write information necessary for the arithmetic processing. The CPU operates according to various control programs stored in the memory. As a result, various functions shown in the blocks of the control device M are realized. When the control device M acquires the image information of the harvested product W, the following image processing unit m1 and sorting object determination unit m2 function.

Specifically, first, the image processing unit m1 acquires image information, converts the image information so that the imaged crop W has a dot shape (step s2), and the sorting object determination unit m2 pass to

In FIG. 7, P1 and P2 show image information captured by the imaging device s1 on the left and converted into dot shapes by the processing of the image processing unit m1, respectively.

After acquiring the converted image information, the sorting object determination unit m2 stores the image information in the image information storage unit m21, and based on the acquired image information, determines whether the harvest W in the image is good or not. It is determined whether or not there is (step s3), and data resulting from the determination is stored in the program.

Specifically, the sorting object determination unit m2 analyzes the shapes WP1 and WP2 in which the harvested product W is displayed in dots for each of the image information P1 and P2, and counts the number of protrusions. In the example of FIG. 6, the image information P1 has two protrusions wp1 and wp1, and the image information P2 has two protrusions wp2 and wp2. At this time, the sorting object determination unit m2 determines that the number of projections wp2 of the image information P1 is two or more and that the number of projections wp2 of the image information P2 is two or more, and the imaged harvest It is determined that the product W is defective. That is, under these conditions, if the harvested product W is a carrot and the root w2 of the carrot is cracked, it can be determined as a defective product. Therefore, when the number of projections on the harvested product W is one as a result of the analysis, the sorting target object determination unit m2 of the control device M determines that the harvested product W is a non-defective product.

In this way, by using the two pieces of image information P1 and P2 obtained by imaging the harvested product W from the left and right at different angles to determine whether the product is defective, the range in which the harvested product W can be imaged is expanded. Accuracy of determination can be improved. It should be noted that the aforementioned conditions for judging defective products are just an example, and various conditions such as the number, width, size, and color of protrusions can be set according to the needs for sorting the quality of harvested products. For example, if the color of the harvested product is out of a predetermined range, it is recognized that the harvested product is damaged, so it may be determined as a defective product. The sorting object determination unit m2 is an example of the "determination means" of the present invention.

If the result of determination by the sorting object determination unit m2 is that the harvest W is non-defective, the single fixed blade d35 is used to cut the foliage w1 of the harvest W as follows.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the fixed blade d35 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 8, the fixed blade d35 is attached to a plate-shaped plate 4. As shown in FIG. The plate 4 is fixed to a shaft 18 that is rotated by the drive of an actuator 7 constructed by an electromagnetic solenoid located below the plate 4. When the shaft 18 is rotated, the plate 4 is positioned to the left rear of the actuator 7. The knob 5, the shaft 6 extending from the knob 5 to the fixed blade d35 through the plate 4, and the fixed blade d35 are integrally rotated.

The fixed blade d35 is rotated about the shaft 18 by the drive of the actuator 7, and is between a cutting state in which it is positioned within the conveying area 8 shown in FIG. It is configured to be switchable with . That is, the actuator 7 is an example of the "switching device" of the present invention.

In the cutting state indicated by the thick line in FIG. 4 and the solid line in FIG.

In this embodiment, the fixed blade d35 is in the cutting state by default (standard state), and as a result of the determination by the sorting object determination unit m2, if the harvested product W is a non-defective product, the control device M causes the actuator 7 is not driven, the fixed blade d35 is held in the cutting state.

When the harvested material W is conveyed backward in the conveying area 8 while the fixed blade d35 is in the cutting state, the foliage w1 of the harvested material W comes into contact with the fixed blade d35 and is cut. , a portion of the harvested product W, which is a root vegetable, including the root w2) falls from the foliage cutting portion D. That is, the conveying area 8 is a position where the foliage w1 of the harvested material W can be cut.

A non-defective crop W from which the foliage w1 has been cut by the fixed blade d35 rolls on the first conveyer ef1 shown in FIGS. It is conveyed to a storage bag g1 (a so-called flexible container bag). That is, the first conveyer ef1 receives a non-defective crop W from which the foliage w1 has been cut by the fixed blade d35, and conveys it to the storage bag g1. The storage bag g1 is an example of the "first storage section" of the present invention, but the "first storage section" is not limited to the storage bag as long as it can store the harvested product W of good quality. .

In this embodiment, the vertical position of the fixed blade d35 can be changed by turning the knob 5, and the cutting position of the harvested material W can be adjusted.

As shown in FIG. 2, support arms ef4, ef4 are connected to the transfer end of the first transfer conveyor ef1, and a hanging hanger ef3 is attached to the support arms ef4, ef4. The suspension hanger ef3 supports the storage bag g1 placed on the placement table g5 with the upper opening thereof opened widely, thereby allowing the harvest discharged from the end of the first transport conveyor ef1 to be transported. The object W can be properly accommodated in the accommodation bag g1.

On the other hand, if the harvested product W is found to be defective as a result of the determination by the sorting object determining unit m2, the control device M immediately drives the actuator 7 to switch the fixed blade d35 to the retracted state (step s4).

As a result, the fixed blade d35 is not positioned within the conveying area 8, and the stems and leaves w1 of the defective crop W are not cut by the fixed blade d35, and the pair of left and right rotating cutting blades d34, d34, The harvested product W (the part containing the root w2) which is cut by d34 and is defective is dropped onto the second conveyer ef2.

The harvested defective product W whose foliage w1 has been cut by the pair of left and right rotating cutting blades d34, d34 rolls on the second conveyer ef2 shown in FIGS. It is conveyed to the container g2 placed near the work seat a11 (specifically, on the left side of the work seat a11). That is, the container g2 is an example of the "second container" of the present invention, and the second conveyer ef2 is a defective crop W whose foliage w1 is cut by a pair of rotating cutting blades d34, d34. is received and transported to container g2.

On the other hand, the defective crop W cut by the pair of left and right rotary cutting blades d34, d34 is conveyed backward in the conveying area 8, approaches the pair of left and right rotary cutting blades d34, d34, and is fixed as shown in FIG. When the blade d35 deviates from the rotational locus T (when the defective crop W is conveyed to a position just behind the rotational locus T shown in FIG. 8), the fixed blade d35 in the retracted state It is rotated to the right and returned to the cutting state.

Here, the drive sprocket 2 of the front side alignment part D1a is provided with a rotation speed measurement sensor s3 (see FIG. 5) for measuring (detecting) the rotation speed of the drive sprocket 2. The unit m22 calculates the number of revolutions of the driving sprocket 2 from the imaging time acquired by the timing unit m23 to the current time from the measurement result of the number of revolutions measuring sensor s3. By multiplying by the diameter (PCD) of the defective product W, the movement distance of the alignment chain d13 after the defective product W contacts the limit switch s7, that is, the defective product W comes into contact with the limit switch s7 The conveying distance Lx of the harvested material W after being harvested can be calculated.

Then, the conveying distance Lx after the defective harvested material W comes into contact with the limit switch s7 is the position ( 8), the control device M drives the actuator 7 again to move the stationary blade d35 in the retracted state. It is configured to switch to a disconnected state.

With this configuration, the fixed blade d35 that is rotated and switched to the cutting state can be prevented from coming into contact with the defective harvested material W being conveyed backward, and the defective harvested material W can be prevented from rotating. Since the fixed blade d35 can be switched to the cutting state immediately after passing the motion locus T, it is possible to prepare for the cutting of the succeeding crop W that contacts the limit switch s7 next time.

In addition, since the conveying direction of the crop W until the foliage w1 is cut is the front-rear direction, from the position of the limit switch s7 arranged at the position facing the conveying area 8 of the front alignment section D1a, the defective harvest The conveying distance Lx to the position where W deviates from the rotational locus T of the fixed blade d35 is the distance from the position of the limit switch s7 to the position where the defective crop W deviates from the rotational locus T of the fixed blade d35. Approximately equal to the distance in the direction.

In this embodiment, the rotation speed measurement sensor s3 is provided on the driving sprocket 2 shown in FIG. By multiplying the number by the diameter of the driven sprocket 3, the conveying distance Lx may be calculated.

The control for sorting the harvested material W by cutting the foliage w1 of the non-defective harvested material W with the fixed blade d35 and cutting the foliage w1 of the defective harvested material W with the pair of left and right rotary cutting blades d34, d34 has been described above. is added, the control device M sequentially performs the processing shown in FIG.

As described above, in this embodiment, each harvest W is imaged by the pair of imaging devices s1, and the quality of each harvest W is automatically determined. w1 is cut by a fixed blade d35, and if the harvested product W is defective, the foliage w1 of the harvested product W is cut by a pair of left and right rotating cutting blades d34, d34. Since the defective harvested products W can be automatically sorted into the containers g2, the burden of the sorting work on the assistant worker can be reduced, and sorting errors can be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 2, a partition 9 is provided between the first conveyer ef1 and the second conveyer ef2, and sorted non-defective harvested products W and defective harvested products. W is not mixed.

On the other hand, the remaining leaf conveying device D4 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is disposed above the clamping and conveying device D2, and left and right removed leaf conveying drive pulleys are attached to the upper ends of the left and right first output shafts d6, d6. d41, d41 are provided.

Further, left and right discharged leaf transport driven pulleys d42, d42 are rotatably mounted above the left and right transmission cases d4, d4. A plurality of left and right discharged leaf conveying tension pulleys d43, d43, . . .

Then, the left and right leaf discharge transfer belts d44, d44 are endlessly connected to the left and right leaf removal transfer driving pulleys d41, d41, the left and right leaf removal transfer driven pulleys d42, d42, and the left and right leaf removal transfer tension pulleys d43, d43, . By being wound, the stems and leaves w2 are transported toward the rear of the body while holding the upper part of the stems and leaves w2 before and after cutting.

In addition, a leaf discharge chute d45 for discharging leaves to the field is provided below the end portions of the pinching and conveying device D2 and the residual leaf conveying device D4 (see FIG. 1). The leaves conveyed by D4 are dropped and supplied to the leaf release chute d45 and discharged to the field.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the root vegetable harvester 1 shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the rear right side.

10 is a drawing showing the vicinity of the bucket shown in FIG. 9, FIG. 10(a) is a schematic perspective view of the vicinity of the bucket, and FIG. 10(b) is an empty container supporting container. FIG. 10(c) is a schematic side view showing the vicinity of the bucket supporting the full container; FIG.

As shown in FIG. 9, on the left side of the work seat a11, there is arranged a bucket 10 on which a container g2 containing defective harvested products W is placed.

As shown in FIG. 10(a), the bucket 10 includes a bottom portion 10c, a front wall portion 10a, left and right wall portions 10b, and a plurality of rollers 13 spanning the left and right wall portions 10b. is open, and is attached to the rear part of the fuselage so as to be able to rotate in the vertical direction. A bottom portion 10 c of the bucket 10 is connected to the traveling frame by a gas damper 11 .

When the defective harvested material W harvested by the withdrawal conveying device c1 of the harvesting section C is conveyed by the second conveying conveyor ef2 into the container g2 placed on the plurality of rollers 13 of the bucket 10, The gas damper 11 is gradually contracted by the weight of the container g2, and the bucket 10 is rotated downward. Then, when the container g2 becomes full, as shown in FIG. 10(c), the container g2 tilted further downward is smoothly slid backward and downward by a plurality of rollers 13 and discharged onto the field. be done.

Therefore, the operator does not need to discharge the container g2 out of the machine by himself/herself every time the container g2 containing the defective harvested material W becomes full, thereby improving workability. Note that the containers g2 discharged onto the field are collectively collected using a working vehicle after the harvesting work, as in the conventional case.

As shown in FIG. 9, on the upper left of the bucket 10, a container holder 17 for loading a spare container g2 containing the harvested material W is arranged.

According to this embodiment, each harvested material before the foliage is cut, that is, while being transported by the clamping and transporting device D2, is photographed (imaged), and based on the information of the image, each harvested material W being transported is captured. If the harvested product W is acceptable, the stems and leaves w1 are cut by a fixed blade d35 located on the upper side in the conveying direction (see FIG. 1), and the harvested product W is transferred to the first conveyer ef1. If the harvested product W is defective, the fixed blade d35 positioned on the upper side in the transfer direction is switched to the retracted state, and a pair of left and right blades positioned on the lower side in the transfer direction The rotary cutting blades d34, d34 cut the stems and leaves w1, and the harvested material W can be conveyed to the container g2 by using the second conveyer ef2, so that the burden of the sorting work on the assistant worker can be reduced, and sorting errors can be reduced. can be done.

Further, according to this embodiment, the control device M multiplies the number of revolutions of the driving sprocket 2 of the alignment device D1 for aligning the vertical position of the harvested material W by the diameter of the driving sprocket 2 to convey the harvested material W. Since the distance Lx is calculated and the timing for switching the state of the fixed blade d35 between the cutting state and the retracted state is determined, the defective crop W that is not scheduled to be cut by the fixed blade d35 can be removed by the fixed blade d35. It is possible to prevent the harvested material W from being cut at d35 and conveyed to the storage bag g1, and prepare for the cutting of the subsequent harvested material W conveyed in the conveying area 8.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the harvested defective product W whose foliage w1 has been cut by the pair of left and right rotating cutting blades d34, d34 is transported by the second conveyer ef2 to the vicinity of the work seat a11 where sorting work is performed. , the auxiliary worker sitting on the work seat a11 can easily check the automatically sorted defective harvest W.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the second conveyer ef2 is configured to be capable of conveying the harvested material W to the container g2 placed near the work seat a11 where the sorting work is performed, and the work seat a11 is provided at a position facing the first conveyer ef1, as shown in FIG. Harvested products W that can be handled as non-defective products can be taken out, manually transferred onto the first conveyer ef1, and easily re-sorted into the storage bags g1.

FIG. 11 is a schematic rear view of the root vegetable harvester 1 according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a drawing showing the hydraulic circuit of the root vegetable harvester 1 shown in FIG.

The root crop harvester 1 according to this embodiment is configured as a crane in which the support arm ef4 connects two arms 14 and 15 so as to be rotatable. , the storage bag g1 can be transported to the right of the fuselage.

However, the full storage bag g1 weighs about 200 kg, and if the storage bag g1 were to be transported to the right side of the aircraft while it was running, the aircraft could overturn. In addition, if the support arm ef4 is operated by hydraulic force while the vehicle is running, the oil to the power steering circuit is cut off, so there is a problem that the vehicle cannot turn.

In view of this situation, in this embodiment, in the support arm ef4 (crane) control unit shown in FIG. 12, an electromagnetic check valve 16 is also provided on the cylinder compression side, A throttle is provided, and a potentiosensor detects the operation of the speed change operation lever b3 (see FIG. 2) to the neutral position (the position where the machine body stops), and the speed change operation lever b3 is in a position other than the neutral position, that is, the forward position or the The operation of the support arm ef4 is restricted by control while it is operated to the reverse position.

In this way, by restricting the operation of the support arm ef4 during traveling, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the support arm ef4 is operated during traveling and cause the body to overturn, and it is possible to stably perform turning traveling. .

It should be noted that while the speed change operation lever b3 is being operated to a position other than the neutral position, instead of or in addition to restricting the operation of the support arm ef4, it is configured to warn the operator with a buzzer sound. good too. Accordingly, it is possible to call attention to the work vehicle.

Except for the above points, the root vegetable harvester 1 according to this embodiment is configured in the same manner as the root vegetable harvester 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIGS.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, which are also included in the scope of the invention. Needless to say.

For example, in each embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 12, the first cutting section provided on the upper side in the conveying direction is configured by the fixed blade d35, and the second cutting section provided on the lower side is Although it is configured with a rotating round blade, the first cutting section may be configured with a rotating round blade, and the second cutting section may be configured with a fixed blade.

1 to 12, when the harvested product W is defective as a result of the determination by the sorting object determination unit m2 of the control device M, an example of the first cutting unit The fixed blade d35 is configured to be switched to a retracted state in which cutting is impossible, but as a result of the determination, if the harvested product is a defective product, the foliage of the harvested product is cut by the first cutting section in the cutting state. and conveying the dropped harvested material to a first storage unit (for example, a container) by the first conveyor, and switching the first cutting unit to the retracted state when the harvested material is non-defective as a result of the determination, The stems and leaves of the harvested material are cut by the second cutting section arranged on the lower side than the first cutting section, and the fallen harvested material is transferred to the second storage section (for example, the "storage bag") by the second conveyer. It may be configured for transport.

Furthermore, in each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 12, by rotating the first cutting portion (fixed blade d35), a cutting state in which foliage can be cut and a retracted state in which cutting is not possible are performed. However, it is possible to simply move the first cutting part between a position inside the conveying area and a position outside the conveying area while maintaining the posture of the first cutting part. , and switchable between a disconnectable state and a disconnectable state.

In each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 12, the first cutting section is configured to be in the cutting state by default, but by default it is in the retracted state, and the non-defective harvested material is fixed. The first cutting portion may be switched to the cutting state only when it approaches the blade d35, and may be returned to the retracted state after cutting. In addition, the operator may set whether the default state (standard state) is in the cutting state or in the retracted state. By setting the first cutting section to the cutting state only when a non-defective product is approaching, the frequency of driving the actuator is reduced and the wear and deterioration of parts is suppressed. be able to.

Furthermore, in each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 12, the harvested crops whose stems and leaves are cut by the fixed blade d35 or the rotary cutting blades d34 and d34 are conveyed as they are by the conveyer ef1 or ef2. However, a device for removing the stems and leaves remaining in the harvested product from which the stems and leaves have been cut may be provided separately, and the harvested product from which the stems and leaves have been removed by this device may be conveyed to the respective storage units by the first and second conveyors. .

Further, in each embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 12, the imaging device s1 captures an image of the harvest immediately after the transportation by the clamping and transportation device is started, and the foliage is cut. The timing of and the timing of cutting may be before the foliage is pinched by the pinching and conveying device, that is, while it is being conveyed by the pulling and conveying device c1, or both the pinching and conveying device and the pulling and conveying device c1 It may be while the stems and leaves are being pinched and transported.

Furthermore, in each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 12, as shown in FIG. 4, the pair of imaging devices s1 are oriented so as to be able to image the harvest W positioned immediately in front of the fixed blade d35. Therefore, if the harvested product W is defective, the control device M immediately drives the actuator 7 after the determination and switches the fixed blade d35 to the retracted state. s1 is configured to be able to image a more forward position, and as a result of the judgment of the quality of the harvest based on the image information, if the harvest is defective, it is calculated from the rotation speed of the drive sprocket and the diameter of the drive sprocket. Based on the conveying distance, the actuator may be driven to switch the fixed blade to the retracted state at the point in time (timing) when the defective crop is conveyed to a position immediately in front of the fixed blade.

A Traveling part a1 Body frame a2 Traveling crawler a3 Left/right driving sprocket a4 Left/right driven wheel a5 Wheel a6 Left/right belt a7 Engine a8 Mission case a9 Left/right drive shaft a10 Step floor a11 Work seat B Control part b1 Engine cover b2 Control seat b3 Shift operation Lever b4 Body control lever C Harvesting part c1 Pulling and conveying device c2 Vertical pulling device c3 Horizontal pulling device c4 Divider rod c5 Gauge wheel c6 Horizontal vibration soiler c7 Pulling frame c8 Driven pulley c9 Driving pulley c10 Sandwiching and conveying belt c11 Tension roller c12 Left and right horizontal shaft c13 Rotating frame c14 Transmission case c15 Elevating cylinder D Stem and leaf cutting part D1 Alignment device D2 Holding and conveying device D4 Remaining leaf conveying device d1 Left and right pair of first gear units d2 Second gear unit d3 Left and right transmission shafts d4 Left and right Transmission case d5 Left and right second output shafts d6 Left and right first output shafts d11 Alignment drive sprocket d12 Alignment driven sprocket d13 Alignment chain d14 Guide cover d15 Alignment guide body d16 Biasing spring d17 Alignment tension sprocket d18 Left and right rotation Axis d21 Left and right foliage conveying drive pulleys d22 Left and right foliage conveying driven pulleys d23 Stems and leaves discharging conveying belt d31 Cutting blade rotating shaft d32 Bearing d33 Support plate d34 Rotating cutting blade d35 Fixed blade d41 Leaf discharging conveying driving pulley d42 Leaf discharging driven pulley d43 Exhaust leaf transport tension pulley d44 leaf discharge transport belt d45 leaf discharge chute ef1 first transport conveyor ef2 second transport conveyor ef3 suspension hanger ef4 support arm g1 storage bag (first storage section)
g2 container (second storage unit)
g5 Mounting table g6 Storage bag M Control device m1 Image processing unit m2 Sorting target object determination unit m21 Image information storage unit m22 Feed distance calculation unit m23 Timing unit S Harvest sorting unit s1 Imaging device s2 Optical sensor s3 Rotation speed measurement sensor s4 Sorting device s5 Defective product storage unit s7 Limit switch s51 Shooter frame s52 Rotating shaft s53 Elastic body s41 Hinge s42 Sorting plate s43 Round bar s44 Rod s45 Rotating plate s46 Rotating shaft s47 Sorting actuator s511 Outer frame s512 Inner frame 2 Drive sprocket 3 Driven Sprocket 4 Plate 5 Knob 6 Shaft 7 Actuator 8 Transfer area 9 Partition 10 Bucket 11 Gas damper 12 Bucket mounting position 13 Roller 14 Arm 15 Arm 16 Electromagnetic check valve 17 Container holder

Claims (5)

a pulling-out conveying device for pinching foliage of a root vegetable and conveying it upward to pull out the root vegetable from a field for harvesting;
a foliage cutting unit that cuts the foliage of the crop harvested by the drawing and conveying device;
imaging means for imaging the harvest before the foliage is cut by the foliage cutting unit;
a control device for acquiring information of the image captured by the imaging means;
a first conveyer for conveying the harvested product, which has been cut by the foliage cutting unit and has fallen, to a first storage unit;
a second conveyer for conveying the harvested material, the foliage of which has been cut by the foliage cutting unit, to a second storage unit;
The foliage cutting part is
a nipping and conveying device that nips and conveys foliage of the crop harvested by the drawing and conveying device to the rear;
a first cutting unit that cuts the foliage of the harvest being transported by the pull-out transport device or the clamping transport device;
A second cutting section that cuts foliage of the harvested material being conveyed, the second cutting section being arranged downstream of the first cutting section in the conveying direction of the pull-out conveying device and the clamping conveying device. a cut of
a switching device for switching the first cutting unit between a cutting state in which the foliage of the crop can be cut and a retracted state in which the foliage cannot be cut;
The first conveyer conveys the harvested product whose stems and leaves have been cut by the first cutting unit,
The second conveyer conveys the harvested material whose stems and leaves have been cut by the second cutting unit,
The control device comprises a judgment means for judging the quality of each harvested product being conveyed from the information of the image, and when the harvested product is judged to be non-defective, the first cutting unit is set in a cutting state, A root vegetable harvester, characterized in that, when the harvested product is determined to be defective, the switching device is controlled so as to bring the first cutting section into a retracted state. a pulling-out conveying device for pinching foliage of a root vegetable and conveying it upward to pull out the root vegetable from a field for harvesting;
a foliage cutting unit that cuts the foliage of the crop harvested by the drawing and conveying device;
imaging means for imaging the harvest before the foliage is cut by the foliage cutting unit;
a control device for acquiring information of the image captured by the imaging means;
a first conveyer for conveying the harvested product, which has been cut by the foliage cutting unit and has fallen, to a first storage unit;
a second conveyer for conveying the harvested material, the foliage of which has been cut by the foliage cutting unit, to a second storage unit;
The foliage cutting part is
a nipping and conveying device that nips and conveys foliage of the crop harvested by the drawing and conveying device to the rear;
a first cutting unit that cuts the foliage of the harvest being transported by the pull-out transport device or the clamping transport device;
A second cutting section that cuts foliage of the harvested material being conveyed, the second cutting section being arranged downstream of the first cutting section in the conveying direction of the pull-out conveying device and the clamping conveying device. a cut of
a switching device for switching the first cutting unit between a cutting state in which the foliage of the crop can be cut and a retracted state in which the foliage cannot be cut;
The first conveyer conveys the harvested product whose stems and leaves have been cut by the first cutting unit,
The second conveyer conveys the harvested material whose stems and leaves have been cut by the second cutting unit,
The control device is provided with a judgment means for judging the quality of each of the harvested products being conveyed from the information of the image, and when it is judged that the harvested products are defective, the first cutting section is brought into a cutting state. 2. A root vegetable harvester characterized in that, when the harvested product is determined to be a non-defective product, the switching device is controlled to bring the first cutting section into a retracted state. The first cutting section is configured to be rotatable by the switching device. In the cutting state, the first cutting section is rotated to a position where the stems and leaves of the harvested material being conveyed can be cut. 3. The root vegetable harvester according to claim 1, wherein the root vegetable harvester is rotated to a position where foliage of the harvested material being conveyed cannot be cut. The foliage cutting unit includes an alignment device for aligning the vertical position of the harvested product before foliage is cut,
The alignment device comprises an endless alignment chain and a sprocket around which the alignment chain is wound,
The sprocket is provided with a rotation speed measurement sensor that measures the rotation speed of the sprocket,
The control device multiplies the measurement result obtained from the rotational speed measurement sensor by the diameter of the sprocket to calculate the transport distance of the harvested material, and determines the timing of switching the state of the first cutting section. The root vegetable harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by: Equipped with a work seat for sorting the harvest,
The work seat is provided at a position facing the first conveyor,
The first conveyor and the second conveyor are provided adjacent to each other,
2. The root vegetable harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein said second conveyer is configured to be capable of transporting the harvested material to said second container disposed near said work seat.

Images