JP5588717B2 - Automatic pruning device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic pruning device for raising and lowering a tree trunk and cutting a branch extending from the tree trunk.

  As this type of automatic pruning device, as shown in Patent Document 1, the pruning machine main body is moved up and down spirally with respect to the trunk, and provided in the upper part of the pruning machine main body in the middle of the vertical movement. There is a thing which cuts a branch with a chain saw. This automatic pruning device is configured such that one of a plurality of traveling wheels provided in the circumferential direction of the trunk is a driving wheel and the other is a driven wheel.

  However, in the case of moving up and down spirally, the travel distance until the pruning machine main body is moved to a predetermined height becomes longer, not only the movement time becomes longer, but also the pruning work takes a long time accordingly. There is a problem of becoming. In order to stably move the pruning machine main body up and down with one drive wheel or to shorten the movement time, it is conceivable to increase the output of the drive motor that drives the drive wheel. Increase in weight and weight, and there is a problem that the vertical movement of the pruning machine body is hindered. Although it is conceivable to use a high output and small motor, there is a problem in terms of cost.

  On the other hand, as shown in Patent Document 2, the pruner body is moved up and down vertically with respect to the trunk, and a cutting machine such as a chain saw or an electric circular saw provided on the upper portion of the pruner body is turned around the trunk. There is something that cuts branches. The driving wheel of this automatic pruning device is composed of an upper roller and a lower crawler, which are connected up and down by a traveling wheel arm. The traveling wheel arm is connected to the branching machine main body by a parallelogram link, and moves forward and backward with respect to the trunk so that the positional relationship of the upper roller and the lower crawler with respect to the trunk does not change. It is configured. The plurality of driving traveling wheels are connected by a universal joint so that the tree trunk and the branching machine main body are concentric.

  However, it is inevitable that some of the driving traveling wheels slip due to the unevenness of the trunk, and since each of the driving traveling wheels is individually driven by the driving motor, The height position of the traveling wheel may be different, and the branching machine main body is inclined with respect to the trunk. Then, not only is it difficult to realize stable traveling, but also a problem arises in that the cutting machine provided in the pruning machine main body comes into contact with the trunk or is too far away from the trunk.

JP 2000-295931 A JP 60-114128 A

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. In the present invention, in which the pruning machine main body is moved up and down substantially linearly with respect to the tree trunk, stable elevating movement is realized and the branch with respect to the tree trunk is realized. The main problem is to allow the posture of the main body to be controlled appropriately.

  That is, the automatic pruning apparatus according to the present invention is provided so as to surround the trunk, and includes a pruning machine main body having a cutting mechanism for cutting the trunk branch, and the pruning machine main body. Three or more elevating and moving mechanisms that move the pruning machine main body up and down substantially linearly with respect to the tree trunk, and each of the elevating and lowering mechanisms rotate and drive in contact with the tree trunk; A drive motor that rotationally drives the upper and lower wheels, a connection support that rotatably connects and supports the upper and lower wheels, and a substantially center of the connection support that is provided in the branching machine main body. An advancing / retreating drive unit that pivotally supports the part and moves the connecting support forward / backward with respect to the trunk and presses and contacts the upper and lower wheels, and is interposed between the connecting support and the advancing / retreating drive unit. The connection support for the advance / retreat drive unit An inclination angle detection unit for detecting the inclination angle of each of the elevating and lowering mechanisms, and adjusting the posture of the branching machine body with respect to the trunk based on the inclination angle of the connecting support obtained from the inclination angle detection unit of each lifting and lowering movement mechanism Therefore, the drive motor is controlled.

  If it is such, since each up-and-down movement mechanism supports an upper wheel and a lower wheel with a connection support body, since the connection support body is pivotally supported with respect to an advancing / retreating drive part, a trunk Regardless of the unevenness, the upper and lower wheels can be reliably brought into contact with the trunk, and the upper and lower wheels can be prevented from slipping. Further, by detecting the angle of inclination of the connecting support relative to the advance / retreat drive unit, it becomes possible to calculate the relative height position of the plurality of elevating movement mechanisms using the detected angle, and the trunk of the branching machine main body. It becomes possible to detect the posture with respect to. At this time, since the upper and lower wheels are driven by the individual drive motors in each lifting / lowering movement mechanism, the posture of the branching machine main body can be adjusted by controlling the drive motors. Thereby, the dispersion | variation in the positional relationship of the cutting mechanism provided in the pruning machine main body and the branch of a trunk can be eliminated, and a pruning operation | work can be performed reliably.

  When the cutting mechanism is composed of a cutting machine such as a chain saw and a turning mechanism for turning the cutting machine around the trunk, the cutting machine is caught between the cutting surfaces of the branches in the middle of cutting the branches, Problems such as breakage occur. In order to solve such a problem, the cutting mechanism includes a cutting machine including a disk-shaped rotary blade and a rotary blade driving unit that rotationally drives the rotary blade, and the cutting machine is arranged in a substantially tangential direction of the trunk. And a cutting mechanism and a rotation mechanism for rotating the straight movement mechanism around the trunk on the branching machine main body, and the cutting mechanism is used to move the cutting machine to a branch of the trunk. It is preferable that the cutting machine is moved straight in order to cut the branches of the trunk by the linear movement mechanism after being rotated and moved to the vicinity.

When the cutting machine rotates around the trunk while the pruning machine main body is stopped with respect to the trunk, the branching machine main body may be inclined due to the load point moving in the pruning machine main body. It is done. In order to eliminate the inclination of the pruning machine main body accompanying the movement of the cutting machine, it is provided between the connection support and the advance / retreat drive unit, and the connection support for the advance / retreat drive unit. It is desirable to have a biasing mechanism that applies a biasing force in a direction to return the tilt of the connection support when the body tilts to cancel the tilt. In this way, since the inclination can be eliminated by the urging mechanism, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in adjusting the posture of the branching machine main body in addition to controlling the drive motor as described above.

  According to the present invention configured as described above, in the apparatus that moves the pruner main body up and down substantially linearly with respect to the tree trunk, it achieves stable up-and-down movement and preferably the posture of the pruner main body with respect to the tree trunk. Can be controlled.

It is a mimetic diagram showing the whole automatic pruning device composition concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a partial cross section top view in the pruning machine main body of the embodiment. It is a top view of the automatic pruning apparatus of the embodiment. It is a state figure of the pruning machine main body in the open position and closed position of the embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the raising / lowering moving mechanism of the embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the periphery structure of the arm part and connection support body in the raising / lowering moving mechanism of the embodiment. It is a mimetic diagram showing the state where the connection support object of the embodiment inclined. It is a figure which shows the structure of the control apparatus of the embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the control apparatus of the embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure and detection method of the upper branch detection part of the embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an automatic pruning apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The automatic pruning device 100 according to the present embodiment moves the trunk T up and down while holding the trunk T, and cuts the branch T1 of the trunk T. As shown in FIG. A branching machine main body 2 having a cutting mechanism 4 for cutting the branch T1 of the trunk T, which is provided so as to surround the circumference, and a branching machine main body 2 provided on the branching machine main body 2 to the trunk T On the other hand, it includes three elevating and moving mechanisms 3 that move up and down substantially linearly.

  The pruning machine main body 2 is a structure that can be attached to and detached from the trunk T and has a substantially annular shape in a plan view that is configured to surround the outer peripheral surface of the trunk T.

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pruning machine main body 2 includes an upper plate 21, a lower plate 22, and a plurality of connecting plates 23 that connect the upper plate 21 and the lower plate 22. ing. The upper plate 21 and the lower plate 22 are formed from wooden flat plates having substantially the same shape. The connecting plate 23 is formed of a wooden flat plate provided approximately radially between the upper plate 21 and the lower plate 22. Thus, the weight reduction of the pruning machine main body 2 is achieved by forming the upper plate 21, the lower plate 22, and the connecting plate 23 from wood. Each connection plate 23 is formed with a plurality of through holes (not shown) for reducing the weight of the pruning machine body 2. Further, in order to increase the strength of the pruning machine main body 2, a reinforcing material (not shown) such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, or Kepler fiber is appropriately bonded to the upper plate 21, the lower plate 22, and the connecting plate 23. . The upper plate 21, the lower plate 22, and the connecting plate 23 are not limited to wood, and may be made of resin that can be reduced in weight and strength.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pruning machine main body 2 is divided into two parts, a first element body 201 and a second element body 202, and the first element body 201 and the second element body 202 are The hinge unit 203 is coupled so that it can be opened and closed. In the present embodiment, the first element body 201 is divided into approximately 2/3, the second element body 202 is divided into approximately 1/3, and the second element body 202 is separated from the first element body 201 by the hinge portion 203. It can be opened and closed freely.

  The second element body 202 is configured to be openable and closable between the open position P and the closed position Q with respect to the first element body 201 (see FIG. 4). The open position P is a position where the tree T can be inserted into the central opening of the first element body 201 when the second element body 202 rotates outward with respect to the first element body 201 (FIG. 4A). )). The closing position Q is a locking claw provided at one of the free end portion of the second element body 202 or the corresponding portion of the first element body 201 when the first element body 201 and the second element body 202 are substantially in close contact with each other. The second element body 202 is fixed to the first element body 201 by locking 204 to the locked portion 205 provided on the other side (FIG. 4B). In addition, the division | segmentation aspect of the 1st element body 201 and the 2nd element body 202 is not restricted above, For example, you may divide | segmented every 1/2 division.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the cutting mechanism 4 includes a cutting machine 41, a rectilinear mechanism 42 that linearly moves the cutting machine 41, a rotating mechanism 43 that rotates and moves the cutting machine 41 and the rectilinear mechanism 42, and a cutting machine. And a distance adjusting mechanism 44 for adjusting the distance between 41 and the surface of the trunk T.

  The cutting machine 41 includes a disk-shaped rotary blade 41a and a rotary blade drive unit 41b that rotationally drives the rotary blade 41a. The rotary blade drive unit 41b is a drive motor (BM) in which the rotary blade 41a is connected to the end of the rotary drive shaft, and ON / OFF is controlled by the control device 5 described later. Further, the cutting machine 41 is configured to be positioned in the order of the rotary blade 41a and the rotary blade drive unit 41b with respect to the tree trunk T, and extends from the tree trunk T so that the rotary blade 41a can be as close as possible to the tree trunk T. The branch T1 can be cut from the base end.

  The rectilinear mechanism 42 is provided to be interposed between the cutting machine 41 and the rotating mechanism 43, and slides the cutting machine 41 linearly along the substantially tangential direction of the trunk T. Specifically, the rectilinear mechanism 42 drives a slide part 421 connected to the cutting machine 41, a guide rail part 422 that linearly slides the slide part 421, and the slide part 421 on the guide rail part 422. And an actuator unit (not shown in FIG. 3) using a servo motor (SM1) or the like.

  This straight-advancing mechanism 42 moves the cutting machine 41 straight in the direction along the substantially tangential direction of the tree trunk T, and is provided so that the guide rail portion 422 coincides with the direction along the substantially tangential direction of the tree trunk T. ing. The actuator unit 423 may be a ball screw or trapezoidal screw mechanism or a rack and pinion mechanism. The actuator unit is controlled by the control device 5 as will be described later.

  The rotation mechanism 43 is provided between the rectilinear mechanism 42 and the pruning machine body 2, and the cutting machine 41 and the rectilinear mechanism 42 are integrally rotated around the trunk T on the pruning machine body 2. It is something to be made. Specifically, the rotation mechanism 43 is provided with a guide rail portion 422 of the rectilinear mechanism 42 and is rotated on the upper surface of the branching machine main body 2, and the rotation plate 431 is used as the upper plate of the branching machine main body 2. 21 and a rotation drive unit (not shown in FIG. 3) that is provided on the rotation plate 431 or the upper plate 21 of the pruning machine body 2 and that rotates the rotation plate 431. ).

  The rotary plate 431 has a partial annular shape in which a part of the annular ring having substantially the same shape as the upper plate 21 of the pruning machine body 2 is cut out. In addition to the cutting machine 41 and the like, the rotating plate 431 is provided with a control device 5 on the side opposite to the part where the cutting machine 41 is provided. As a result, the center of gravity of the rotating plate 431 becomes closer to the center and is configured to be easily rotated. A plurality of guide portions 432 are provided on the outer edge portion and the inner edge portion of the rotating plate 431 and come into contact with the outer edge of the upper plate 21.

  The guide portion 432 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of idle wheels provided on the upper plate 21 of the pruning machine body 2, and the idle wheels are arranged along the rotation direction of the rotary plate 431. The rotational drive unit is disposed below the control device 5 and is composed of a rotational drive guard motor (GM1), a drive tire, and a suspension device using a tension spring. Move the rotation. The rotational drive guard motor (GM1) is on / off controlled by a control device 5 described later.

  In addition, the cutting mechanism 4 includes a distance adjusting mechanism 44 that moves the distance between the straight trajectory of the cutting machine 41 and the tree trunk T closer to or away from each other. The distance adjusting mechanism 44 is provided between the rectilinear mechanism 42 and the rotating mechanism 43, and includes a rail portion 441 that extends along the radial direction of the trunk T, and a slide portion that slides on the rail portion 441. 442 and a drive unit (not shown in FIG. 3) using a servo motor (SM2) or the like that drives the slide unit 442. The drive unit may use a ball screw or trapezoidal screw mechanism, or may use a rack and pinion mechanism. The servo motor (SM2) of the drive unit is controlled by the control device 5 as will be described later. With this distance adjustment mechanism 44, in the ascending / descending process, when the outer diameter of the trunk T is different in each part, the branch T1 can be cut at each part so that the remaining branch remains as little as possible. On the trunk side of the cutting machine 41, a distance sensor (PSD1) such as an optical position sensor for detecting the distance between the cutting machine 41 and the surface of the trunk T is provided. Based on the detection signal from the distance sensor (PSD1), the control device 5 controls the drive motor (SM2) of the drive unit.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the elevating and moving mechanism 3 is provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the branching machine main body 2, and three of them are equally arranged at 120 degrees in this embodiment. These elevating and moving mechanisms 3 are arranged radially with respect to the center of the branching machine main body 2 between the upper plate 21 and the lower plate 22. Specifically, two lifting / lowering mechanisms 3 are provided in the first element body 201, and one lifting / lowering mechanism 3 is provided in the second element body 202.

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the elevating / lowering mechanism 3 is driven to rotate and drive the upper wheel 31 a and the lower wheel 31 b and the upper wheel 31 a and the lower wheel 31 b that are driven to rotate in contact with the tree trunk T. Motors (GM2) 32a, 32b, a connection support 33 that rotatably connects and supports the upper wheel 31a and the lower wheel 31b, and a branching machine main body 2, and a substantially central portion of the connection support 33 can be rotated. And an advancing / retreating drive unit 34 that moves the connecting support 33 forward and backward relative to the trunk T and presses and contacts the upper wheel 31a and the lower wheel 31b against the trunk T.

  The upper wheel 31a and the lower wheel 31b are wheels having the same shape, and both are configured using sponge tires or rubber tires having excellent cushioning properties so as to be in close contact with the surface of the trunk T regardless of the irregularities of the trunk T. Yes. Individual drive motors 32a and 32b are connected to the upper wheel 31a and the lower wheel 31b, respectively, and the upper wheel 31a and the upper wheel drive motor 32a, and the lower wheel 31b and the lower wheel drive motor 32b are connected to each other. 33 is connected and supported.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the connection support 33 has one end (upper end) connected to the upper wheel 31a and the upper wheel drive motor 32a, and the other end (lower end) connected to the lower wheel 31b and the lower wheel drive motor 32b. Has been. At this time, the upper wheel drive motor 32a and the lower wheel drive motor 32b are connected so as to be located on the same side so that they do not interfere with the drive motors 32a, 32b of the other lifting / lowering movement mechanisms 3. In the present embodiment, the drive motor 32 is configured to be located on the counterclockwise side in the top view in all the raising / lowering movement mechanisms 3. A distance sensor (PSD2) such as an optical position sensor for detecting the distance between the upper and lower ends of the connection support 33 and the trunk surface is provided in the vicinity of the upper wheel 31a and the lower wheel 31b of the connection support 33, respectively. It has been.

  The advancing / retreating drive unit 34 causes the upper and lower wheels 31a and 31b connected by the connecting support 33 to move forward and backward radially with respect to the trunk T by moving the connecting support 33 forward and backward. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the advancing / retreating drive unit 34 includes an arm unit 341 that rotatably supports a substantially central portion of the connection support 33 by a rotation shaft 341a as a support shaft, and a forward / backward movement of the arm unit 341. It has a guide member 342 that guides in the direction, and an actuator portion 343 that moves the arm portion 341 forward and backward along the guide member 342. The actuator unit 343 is provided on the guide member 342 side, for example, a drive motor 343a such as a servo motor (SM3), a ball screw or trapezoidal screw 343b rotated by the drive motor 343a, and the arm unit 341 side. And a nut member 343c. The arm part 341 or the guide member 342 is provided with an arm position sensor (PTM1) for detecting the position of the arm part with respect to the guide member 342. The arm position sensor includes a one-turn wire linkage including a tension spring, a wire and a pulley, and a potentiometer connected to the pulley. Based on the detection signal from the arm position sensor, the control device 5 controls the drive motor 343a of the actuator unit 343.

  The advancing / retreating drive unit 34 has a suspension mechanism 344, which buffers the pressure applied to the actuator unit 343 when the upper wheel 31a and the lower wheel 31b are pressed against the trunk T, and detects the pressure. An arm pressure sensor (PTM2) 345 is included. A detection signal from the arm pressure sensor 345 is transmitted to the control device 5, and the control device 5 that has received the detection signal controls the actuator unit 343 based on the detection signal, and controls the upper wheel 31 a and the lower wheel at a constant pressure. The ring 31b is in contact with the trunk T.

  Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the elevation moving mechanism 3 of the present embodiment includes an inclination angle detection unit 35 that detects an inclination angle θ of the connection support 33 with respect to the advance / retreat drive unit 34. FIG. 7 shows a state where the connection support 33 is inclined.

  The inclination angle detection unit 35 is provided between the connection support 33 and the advance / retreat drive unit 34, and includes an angle sensor (PTM 3) 351 provided on the arm unit 341 and one end of the angle sensor 351. And the other end of the connecting support 33 is connected to one end of the connecting support 33 so as to be freely rotatable. When the connection support 33 is inclined with respect to the arm portion 341 (the reference angle is an angle at which the arm portion 341 and the connection support 33 are in a right angle state (reference position)), the angle connected to the connection shaft 352 accordingly. The sensor 351 detects the angle accompanying the movement of the connecting shaft 352 (see FIG. 7). A detection signal from the angle sensor 351 is transmitted to the control device 5, and the control device 5 that has received the angle signal calculates an inclination angle θ of the connection support 33 with respect to the arm portion 341. In the present embodiment, the inclination angle θ is a lower angle formed by the arm portion 341 and the coupling support 33, but may be an upper angle.

  Then, the control device 5 detects the posture of the branching machine main body 2 with respect to the trunk T based on the inclination angle θ obtained from each lifting and lowering moving mechanism 3, so that the posture of the branching machine main body 2 is reliably pruned. Adjust to a posture that can be performed easily. Specifically, the control device 5 calculates the angle of the upper plate 21 of the branching machine main body 2 with respect to a plane orthogonal to the central axis of the trunk T based on the inclination angle θ obtained from each lifting and moving mechanism 3, It is determined whether or not the angle of the upper plate 21 of the pruning machine body 2 is within a predetermined angle range. When the pruning machine main body 2 is in the normal position, the angle of the upper plate 21 of the pruning machine main body 2 with respect to a plane orthogonal to the central axis C of the trunk T is approximately 0 degrees. As a method for detecting the posture of the pruning machine main body 2, for example, it is calculated from the difference between the inclination angles θ obtained from the up-and-down movement mechanisms 3, or from the difference between the average value and each inclination angle θ. It can be considered.

  When the angle of the upper plate 21 of the pruning machine main body 2 is outside the range of the predetermined angle, the drive motors 32a of the upper and lower wheels 31a and 31b of each lifting and lowering moving mechanism 3 are set so that the angle falls within the predetermined range. , 32b is feedback-controlled to adjust the relative height position between the up-and-down moving mechanisms 3. Specifically, when the control device 5 determines that one of the three lifting / lowering mechanisms 3 is delayed, the control device 5 determines the number of rotations of the drive motors 32a and 32b of the delayed lifting / lowering mechanism. It controls so that it may raise from the rotation speed of the drive motors 32a and 32b of the other raising / lowering moving mechanism 3. FIG.

  When the rotary plate 431 rotates on the branching machine main body 2 during ascending / descending, the rotary encoder RE1 and the control device 5 calculate the relative center of gravity position of the rotary plate 431 and the branching machine main body 2 to move up and down. By appropriately controlling the rotational speeds of the drive motors 32a and 32b of each moving mechanism 3, predictive control is performed so as to eliminate the inclination of the branching machine main body 2 that is being lifted and lowered.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the elevating / lowering mechanism 3 of this embodiment is configured such that when the cutting machine 41 moves on the pruning machine main body 2 by the cutting mechanism 4, the pruning machine main body 2 is moved by its weight. When tilted with respect to the trunk T, it has a biasing mechanism 36 that applies a biasing force in a direction to cancel the tilt and cancels the tilt of the branching machine main body 2.

  The urging mechanism 36 eliminates the inclination by applying an urging force in a direction to return the inclination of the connection support 33 in order to eliminate the inclination of the connection support 33 with respect to the advance / retreat drive unit 34. Specifically, the urging mechanism 36 is provided between the coupling support 33 and the advance / retreat drive unit 34, and includes a servo motor (SM4) 361 provided on the arm part 341 of the advance / retreat drive unit 34, A link mechanism 362 that converts the rotational motion of the servo motor 361 into a linear motion and transmits the linear motion to the connection support 33.

  As shown in FIG. 6 in particular, the link mechanism 362 includes a disc portion 362a provided on the rotation shaft of the servomotor 361, a first arm 362b having one end connected to an eccentric position of the disc portion 362a, and one end Are connected between the servo motor 361 and the connection support 33 in the arm portion 341, and the other end is connected to the other end of the first arm 362b, and a substantially central portion of the second arm 362c. And a third arm 362 d provided on the connection support 33. The third arm 362d is provided with coil springs 362e and 362f on both sides so as to sandwich the connecting portion 362c1 of the second arm 362c. In this way, by interposing the coil springs 362e and 362f between the second arm 362c and the third arm 362d, the force (torque) generated between the servo motor 361 and the connection support 33 is buffered, thereby the servo motor 361. Is prevented from breaking down.

  Further, in the link mechanism 362, even when the connection support 33 is inclined with respect to the arm portion 341 when the automatic pruning device 100 moves up and down the trunk T, the coil spring that is externally fitted to the third arm 362d. 362e and 362f expand and contract. If the cutting machine 31 is rotated in this state, the buffer function may not be exhibited because one of the coil springs 362e and 362f is contracted too much. At this time, the urging mechanism 36 moves the second arm 362c by rotating the servo motor 361 by the control device 5, so that the coil springs 362e and 362f are within an allowable expansion / contraction range in which a buffer function can be exhibited. It is configured to return.

  Next, the control device 5 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the control device 5 of the present embodiment includes an upper main control unit 51 that performs branch position recognition, branch movement proximity control, and branch cutting control, and a first mechanism that controls the rotation mechanism 43. A sub-control unit 52, a second sub-control unit 53 that controls the cutting machine 41, the rectilinear mechanism 42, and the distance adjustment mechanism 44, a third sub-control unit 54 that controls the display module, and a lower part that performs elevation control and attitude control The main control part 55 and the 4th-6th sub-control parts 56-58 which control each raising / lowering moving mechanism 3 are provided.

  In the present embodiment, the upper main control unit 51 and the lower main control unit 55 are configured using SH2 microcomputers, and the other first to sixth sub-control units 52 to 54 and 56 to 58 are PIC24 microcomputers. It is configured using. The upper main control unit 51, the first sub control unit 52, and the second sub control unit 53 are serially connected, and the lower main control unit 55 and the fourth to sixth sub control units 56 to 58 are serially connected. Has been. The upper main control unit 51 and the lower main control unit 55 are configured to be capable of serial communication through a wireless module. The upper main control unit 51 is provided on the rotation plate 431 on the rotation driving unit 433, and the lower main control unit 55 is provided between the upper plate 21 and the lower plate 22. The main control units 51 and 55 and the sub control units 52 to 54 and 56 to 58 are not limited to the microcomputer, and are configured using a dedicated or general-purpose computer including a CPU, a memory, an input / output interface, and the like. Also good. Further, either one of the upper main control unit 51 and the lower main control unit 55 may have the other function, and any of the sub control units 52 to 54 and 56 to 58 is another sub control unit. It may be provided with the function. One control unit may have the functions of all the control units.

  The upper main control unit 51 has a function of integrating and managing the entire automatic pruning device 100, and includes various sensors (an arm position sensor PTM1, an arm pressure sensor PTM2, a distance sensor PSD2, and the like) attached to each lifting and moving mechanism 3. Information from the inclination sensor (angle sensor) PTM3) is once processed by the lower main control unit 55 via the fourth to sixth sub-control units 56 to 58 that control the respective elevating and moving mechanisms 3, and this lower main The data is transmitted from the control unit 55 to the upper main control unit 51 via the wireless module. The upper main control unit 51 then transmits various sensor information transmitted from the lower main control unit 55, various sensors attached to the cutting mechanism 4 (distance sensor PSD1, ultrasonic sensor USS1), and various types attached to the rotating mechanism 43. The sensors (distance sensor PSD3, ultrasonic sensors USS2, USS3) are processed, and the state transitions to an executable state at that time, and a series of operations necessary for pruning are repeated.

  The lower main control unit 55 is attached to each lifting / lowering moving mechanism 3 until receiving a command (interrupt processing) from the upper main control unit 51 in addition to the communication relay function with the upper main control unit 51. Various sensor information is collected via the 4th-6th sub-control parts 56-58, and the control which can be processed independently is performed independently of the upper main control part 51. FIG.

  Next, the operation of the automatic pruning apparatus 100 will be described.

  First, the first element body 201 and the second element body 202 of the pruning machine main body 2 are opened, the trunk T is inserted into the central opening of the first element body 201, and the second element body 202 is rotated to rotate the second element body 202. The automatic pruning device 100 is set on the trunk T by engaging the locking portion 204 provided on the body 202 with the locked portion 205 of the first element body 201.

  Thereafter, the automatic pruning apparatus 100 is activated by turning on a power switch (not shown) of the automatic pruning apparatus 100. Thereafter, by setting the 3P toggle switch for “push”, “stop”, and “retreat” of the advance / retreat drive unit 34 of the elevating / lowering moving mechanism 3 to “press”, the control device 5 allows the advance / retreat drive unit of the elevating / lowering moving mechanism 3 34, the upper wheel 31a and the lower wheel 31b are pressed and brought into contact with the tree trunk T, and the upper wheel drive motor 32a and the lower wheel drive motor 32b are controlled to rotate the upper wheel 31a and the lower wheel 31b. Thereby, the automatic pruning device 100 rises linearly along the trunk T.

  At this time, the control device 5 uses three ultrasonic sensors (USS1 to USS3, see FIG. 3) arranged at intervals of 120 degrees on the upper surface of the rotating plate 431 before or after the start of climbing. In the process of moving the rotary plate 431 by one third, the distance data to the branch T1 is continuously collected in order (USS1 → USS2 → USS3 → USS1 →). Then, the control device 5 combines the data obtained from the three locations to obtain continuous data for one round, and finds the minimum value of the distance to the branch T1 and its inflection point (position), and should move upward and close. Specify the branch position. In order to recognize that the control device 5 has made one-third rotation, the mechanical rotary encoder RE1 connected to the idler wheel provided in the vicinity of the drive tire of the rotation drive unit 433 responds to the rotation angle. The generated pulse (48/1 rotation) is successively measured and converted into a movement distance, and the rotation drive unit 433 is driven until it becomes equal to one-third of the orbit of one round on which the idler wheel moves on the upper plate 21. Drive the tire.

  When the branch T1 is found in the branch search range (for example, within 100 cm) by the above method, the control device 5 moves up and down to raise the branch machine body 2 toward the branch T1 at the minimum distance from the automatic pruning device 100. The mechanism 3 is controlled. And the control apparatus 5 detects the raising / lowering distance of the branching machine main body 2 with the raising / lowering distance detection part (for example, rotary encoder RE2) provided in the connection support body 33 of the raising / lowering moving mechanism 3, and predetermined | prescribed distance (for example, said branch) After moving a distance slightly shorter than the distance from T1, specifically, the distance from the touch plate sensor (not shown) to the branch T1 is about 5 cm), the upper wheel driving motor 32a and the lower wheel driving motor 32b are stopped.

  After stopping, the control device 5 controls the cutting machine 41 based on the detection signal obtained from the upper branch detection unit 6 provided on the rotating plate 431, specifically, in the vicinity of the cutting machine 41 on the rotating plate 431. The position of the branch T1 is detected. As shown in FIG. 10, the upper branch detection unit 6 includes a distance sensor 61 (PSD4) such as an optical position sensor, and a servo motor 62 (rotating and moving the distance sensor 61 left and right with respect to the upper direction). SM5) and a holder 63 that is connected to the rotating shaft 621 of the servo motor 62 and has a substantially L-shape in which the distance sensor 61 is provided.

  Specifically, the angle θ formed by the perpendicular T and the optical axis of the optical position sensor 61 with respect to the center line of the rotation axis 621 of the servo motor 62 with respect to the upward optical position sensor 61 (PSD4) attached to the servo motor 62. Is rotated by a predetermined angle (for example, 3 degrees) in multiple steps (for example, 17 steps), and the horizontal distance d is calculated from the distance L to the branch T1 measured by the optical position sensor 61 and the optical axis angle θ. The vertical distance h is calculated. Specifically, if the minimum value L is found between the obtained values L1 and L2 of the optical position sensor 61 when the rotation angle of the servo motor 62 is rotated stepwise from θ1 to θ2, the rotation at that time is found. The angle θ is the direction of the branch T1, and the horizontal distance d = L × sin (θ) and the vertical distance h = L × cos (θ) are obtained from the distance L and the angle θ. Note that L1 = L = L2 may be obtained depending on the shape or the like of the branch T1 (small diameter or undulation). In this case, the intermediate point is θ.

  When the horizontal distance d between the cutting machine 41 and the branch T1 is a predetermined value (for example, less than 1 cm), the touch plate moves from below toward the branch T1 until the touch plate sensor provided on the cutting mechanism 4 reacts. After slightly raising the vertical so as to press, the operation moves to the cutting operation of the branch T1. If the vertical distance h is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the above search operation is performed again.

  When the horizontal distance d exceeds the predetermined distance, the rotating plate 431 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 43 so that the horizontal distance d becomes the predetermined distance. At this time, the moving distance is detected by the rotary encoder RE1 connected to the idler wheel.

  If no branch is found in the search range, 100 cm while the three ultrasonic sensors USS1 to USS3 on the rotating plate 431 are spirally rotated while the rotating plate 431 is normally rotated simultaneously with the start of climbing. The upward rotation movement search is performed until the branch T1 is found within, and when it is found, the third rotation movement of the rotating plate 431 and the branch search using the ultrasonic sensors (USS1 to USS3) are performed again.

  The control device 5 detects the distance between the cutting machine 41 and the trunk T based on the detection signal from the optical position sensor (PSD1) provided on the trunk side of the cutting machine 41, and the distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If so, a driving unit (not shown) of the distance adjusting mechanism 44 is controlled to bring the cutting machine 41 close to the trunk T. And after making the distance of the cutting machine 41 and the trunk T into a predetermined value, the control apparatus 5 stops the drive part of the distance adjustment mechanism 44, controls the rotary blade drive part 41b, and rotates the rotary blade 41a.

  Further, the control device 5 rotates the rotary blade 41a of the cutting machine 41 and then drives the actuator unit 423 of the linear movement mechanism 42 to move the cutting machine 41 straightly toward the branch T1. As a result, the branches are cut. After cutting the branch T1, the control device 5 controls the actuator unit 423 of the rectilinear mechanism 42 to return the cutting machine 41 to the initial position (retracted position), stop the operation of the cutting machine 41, and also adjust the distance adjusting mechanism. The drive unit 44 is controlled to return the distance between the cutting machine 41 and the trunk T to a position where the distance between the cutting machine 41 and the trunk T is not more than 2 cm, for example, and does not interfere with the trunk T during lifting.

  Then, the control device 5 controls the upper wheel drive motor 32a and the lower wheel drive motor 32b of the lifting / lowering movement mechanism 3 to raise the automatic pruning device 100 linearly again along the trunk T. The subsequent operation is the same as described above.

  Accordingly, the control device 5 receives the angle detection signal from the angle sensor 351 of the tilt angle detection unit 35 provided in each lifting / lowering movement mechanism 3 at any time during the ascending process of the trunk T, and the tilt angle θ of the connection support 33. Is monitoring. And the control apparatus 5 adjusts the attitude | position of the branching machine main body 2 by feedback-controlling the rotation speed of those upper wheel 31a and lower wheel 31b based on inclination-angle (theta) of each raising / lowering moving mechanism 3. As shown in FIG. .

  Further, the control device 5 supports the connection support obtained from the angle sensor 351 of the inclination angle detection unit 35 in accordance with the rotational movement of the cutting machine 41 when the pruning machine body 2 stops at the tree trunk and the cutting mechanism 4 operates. When the inclination angle θ of the body 33 changes, the urging mechanism 36 is controlled in a direction to cancel the change in the inclination angle θ. That is, when a part of the lifting / lowering moving mechanism 3 is lowered by the movement of the cutting machine 41, in other words, when the inclination angle θ of the connection support 33 with respect to the arm portion 341 is increased, the direction in which the inclination angle θ is returned. In addition, the servo motor 361 is driven to apply a pressing force to the lower portion of the connection support 33 via the link mechanism 362. Thereby, the inclination of the pruning machine main body 2 accompanying the rotational movement of the cutting machine 41 can be eliminated, and the pruning work can be performed reliably and accurately.

<Effect of this embodiment>
According to the automatic pruning device 100 according to the present embodiment configured as described above, each lifting and lowering moving mechanism 3 supports the upper wheel 31a and the lower wheel 31b by the connection support 33, and the connection support 33 is driven forward and backward. Since the shaft 34 is rotatably supported with respect to the portion 34, the upper wheel 31a and the lower wheel 31b can be reliably brought into contact with the tree trunk T regardless of the unevenness of the tree trunk T. It is possible to prevent the ring 31b from slipping. In addition, by detecting the inclination angle of the connection support 33 with respect to the advance / retreat drive unit 34, the relative height positions of the plurality of lifting / lowering movement mechanisms 3 can be calculated using the detected angle, and the pruning machine can be calculated. The posture of the main body 2 with respect to the tree trunk T can be detected. At this time, since the upper and lower wheels 31a and 31b are driven by the individual drive motors 32a and 32b, each of the elevating and moving mechanisms 3 controls the drive motors 32a and 32b to control the branching machine main body 2. The posture can be adjusted. Thereby, the dispersion | variation in the positional relationship of the cutting mechanism 4 provided in the pruning machine main body 2 and the branch of the trunk T can be eliminated, and a pruning operation | work can be performed reliably.

<Other modified embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

  For example, although the automatic pruning device 100 of the above-described embodiment is configured by the three lifting / lowering movement mechanisms 3, the automatic pruning apparatus 100 may include four or more lifting / lowering movement mechanisms 3.

  Moreover, although the cutting mechanism 4 of the said embodiment is comprised by the one cutting machine 41, you may have two or more cutting machines 41. FIG.

  Furthermore, the urging mechanism 36 of the above embodiment is provided on only one of the connection supports 33 in order to avoid interference with other members, but may be provided on both of the connection supports 33.

  In addition, the automatic pruning apparatus 100 of the above embodiment is configured to rotate the cutting machine 41 by the rotating mechanism 43 after stopping the lifting operation by the lifting / lowering mechanism 3. The operation and the rotation operation by the rotation mechanism 43 may be performed simultaneously. In addition, the operation order of the up-and-down movement mechanism, the rotation mechanism, the rectilinear mechanism, and the distance adjustment mechanism is not limited to the above embodiment, and each mechanism operates individually, and a plurality of mechanisms operate simultaneously. Also good.

  In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the upper wheel drive motor 32a and the lower wheel drive motor 32b are provided to individually drive the upper wheel 31a and the lower wheel 31b. You may comprise so that 31b may be rotationally driven by a common drive motor.

  In addition, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Automatic pruning device T ... Trunk T1 ... Branch 2 ... Pruning machine main body 3 ... Elevating / moving mechanism 31a ... Upper wheel 31b ... Lower wheel 32 ... Drive Motor 33 ... Connection support 34 ... Advance / retreat drive unit 35 ... Inclination angle detection unit 41 ... Cutting machine 41a ... Rotary blade 41b ... Rotary blade drive unit 42 ... Linear advance mechanism 43 ... Rotation mechanism

Claims (3)

A branching machine main body provided to surround the trunk and having a cutting mechanism for cutting the branches of the trunk;
Three or more elevating and moving mechanisms provided on the pruning machine main body to move the pruning machine main body up and down substantially linearly with respect to the tree trunk;
Each of the elevating and moving mechanisms
An upper wheel and a lower wheel that are driven to rotate in contact with the trunk;
A drive motor for rotationally driving the upper and lower wheels;
A connection support that rotatably connects and supports the upper and lower rings,
An advancing / retracting drive provided in the pruning machine main body, rotatably supporting a substantially central portion of the connection support body, and moving the connection support body forward / backward with respect to the trunk to press-contact the upper and lower wheels. And
An inclination angle detection unit that is provided between the connection support and the advance / retreat drive unit and detects an inclination angle of the connection support relative to the advance / retreat drive unit;
An automatic pruning device that controls the drive motor to adjust the posture of the pruning machine main body with respect to the trunk based on the tilt angle of the connecting support obtained from the tilt angle detection unit of each lifting and lowering moving mechanism. The cutting mechanism is
A cutting machine comprising a disk-shaped rotary blade and a rotary blade drive unit that rotationally drives the rotary blade;
A rectilinear mechanism for causing the cutting machine to travel straight along a substantially tangential direction of the tree trunk;
A rotating mechanism for rotating the cutting machine and the linearly moving mechanism around a tree trunk on the branching machine main body;
2. The automatic pruning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the cutting machine is rotated and moved to the vicinity of a trunk branch by the rotation mechanism, the cutting machine is moved straight to cut the trunk branch by the linear movement mechanism. It is provided between the connection support and the advance / retreat drive unit, and when the connection support is inclined with respect to the advance / retreat drive unit, an urging force is applied in a direction to return the inclination of the connection support. The automatic pruning device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an urging mechanism for eliminating the inclination by giving.