JP7399071B2 - vegetable harvester - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vegetable harvester.

Conventionally, as a vegetable harvesting machine, for example, the vegetable harvesting machine described in Patent Document 1 is known. The description in Patent Document 1 includes a conveying section (referred to as a "picking and conveying device [2]" in the document) that is configured to be able to rise and fall and that pulls out crops from a field and conveys them toward the rear of the machine.

JP2017-63675A

In the vegetable harvester described in Patent Document 1, the height position of the conveyance section can only be determined visually. That is, the vegetable harvester described in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of accurately grasping the height position of the conveying section.

In view of the above situation, there is a need for a vegetable harvester that can accurately determine the height position of the conveying section.

A feature of the present invention is that the vegetable harvester is configured to be able to move up and down by swinging around a swing axis extending along the left-right direction of the machine , and is equipped with a conveying section that pulls out crops from the field and transports them toward the rear of the machine. The machine includes a support part that supports the transport part so as to be able to swing around the swing axis, and a detection device that detects a height position of the transport part , and the transport part is tilted forward. provided in an inclined state, and equipped with a soil-breaking blade for loosening soil around the crops in the field at the front end, and the detection device detects a swing angle of the conveyance unit around the swing axis, It is supported by the support part .

According to this characteristic configuration, the height position of the transport section is detected by the detection device. Thereby, the height position of the transport section can be determined based on the detection result of the detection device.
That is, it is possible to realize a vegetable harvesting machine that can accurately grasp the height position of the conveyance section.
In addition, the detection device is supported by a support section that has enough supporting force to support the transport section, which is a heavy object. This allows the detection device to be firmly supported.

According to this characteristic configuration, when the detection device detects the swing angle of the transport section, the detection device detects the swing angle of the transport section near the swing axis. Thereby, the detection device can be configured simply.

Here, the swing axis is usually located at a relatively high position in the aircraft body. According to this characteristic configuration, the detection device is also located at a relatively high position in the aircraft body. This makes it difficult for crops in the field to come into contact with the detection device.

Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable that the transport section is provided at a position offset to one side in the left-right direction of the machine body, and the detection device is arranged on the lateral inner side of the machine body with respect to the transport section.

According to this characteristic configuration, the detection device is surrounded from the lateral outside of the body by the transport section and the like. This makes it difficult for crops in the field to come into contact with the detection device.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the detection device has a swingable detection arm, and when the detection arm contacts the transport section, the swing angle of the transport section around the swing axis is determined. It is preferable that the detection arm is configured to contact the transport section from below.

According to this characteristic configuration, when the transport section swings around the swing axis, the transport section comes into contact with the detection arm from above. Thereby, the swing angle of the conveyance section can be easily detected.

Furthermore, in the present invention, a driver is provided with a driver's seat, and the driver's seat includes a driver's seat, and the driver's seat is disposed on one side in the left-right direction of the aircraft with respect to the driver's seat, and the driver's seat is arranged on one side in the left-right direction of the aircraft, and is configured to operate the conveyor to move up and down. The vehicle has a lift lever and an operation lever disposed on the other side in the left-right direction of the aircraft with respect to the driver's seat, and the operation lever is provided with a lift switch for raising and lowering the transport section. suitable.

According to this characteristic configuration, the lift lever is located on one side in the left-right direction of the machine with respect to the driver, and the lift switch is located on the other side in the left-right direction of the machine with respect to the driver. Thereby, the driver can appropriately select the one that is easy to reach from among the lift lever and the lift switch. Furthermore, the lift switch can be operated without the driver taking his hand off the operating lever.

Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable that the lift switch is arranged above other switches in the operation lever.

According to this characteristic configuration, it is easy for the driver to reach the lift switch with his/her finger while gripping the operating lever.

It is a left side view showing a carrot harvester. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the driving section. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the main shift lever. FIG. 3 is a right side view showing the support structure of the transport section and the mounting structure of the height position sensor. FIG. 3 is a rear view showing the support structure of the transport section and the mounting structure of the height position sensor.

Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the following explanation, the direction of arrow F is "the front of the aircraft," the direction of arrow B is "the rear of the aircraft," the direction of arrow L is "the left of the aircraft," and the direction of arrow R is "the right of the aircraft." "way".

[Overall configuration of carrot harvesting machine]
FIG. 1 shows a carrot harvester (corresponding to the "vegetable harvester" according to the present invention). This harvesting machine includes a traveling body 1, an engine E, a driving section 2 in which a driver rides, a transporting section 3 that pulls out crops from the field and transports them toward the rear of the machine, and a system that collects harvested crops. A collecting section 4, a post-transporting section 5 that transports the crops from the transporting section 3 toward the collecting section 4, and a cutter 6 that cuts the crops into a main part (a part to be harvested) and other parts (leaf parts, etc.). It is equipped with.

The traveling body 1 includes a crawler traveling device 7 and a body frame 8 supported by the crawler traveling device 7. A support frame 9 is provided on the traveling body 1. The support frame 9 supports the transport section 3 and the like.

The driving unit 2 is provided at a position offset to the right side of the traveling body 1. The engine E is provided below the operating section 2. The transport section 3 is provided at a position offset to the left side of the traveling body 1. The recovery section 4 is provided at the rear of the driving section 2. The rear conveyance section 5 is provided from below the rear part of the conveyance section 3 (below the cutter 6) to the collection section 4. The cutter 6 is provided between the rear part of the conveyance section 3 and the rear conveyance section 5.

The conveyance section 3 is provided in a state of being inclined downward toward the front. The transport section 3 is configured to be able to swing up and down around a swing axis X1 extending along the left-right direction of the machine body. The conveyance section 3 includes a soil-breaking blade 10 that is provided at the front end of the conveyance section 3 and loosens the soil around the crops in the field, and a conveyance belt 11 that pulls out the crops from the field and conveys them toward the rear of the machine. is provided.

According to such a configuration, as the traveling body 1 moves forward, the soil-breaking blade 10 vibrates while being penetrated into the field, and the soil around the crops is loosened by the soil-breaking blade 10. The crops are pulled out of the field by the conveyor belt 11 and conveyed toward the rear of the machine. After the crop is cut into parts to be harvested and leaves etc. by the cutter 6, the parts to be harvested are supplied to the rear conveyance section 5, and the leaves etc. are discharged from the rear end of the conveyance section 3. It will fall on the field. Then, in the rear conveyance section 5, the parts to be harvested are conveyed to the collection section 4, and are sorted by an assistant. Finally, in the collection section 4, the parts to be harvested are collected into a collection bag (flexible container bag), not shown.

A hydraulic cylinder 12 is provided as an actuator for driving the conveyance section 3 up and down. The hydraulic cylinder 12 is provided across the body frame 8 and the transport section 3 . As the hydraulic cylinder 12 expands and contracts, the conveying section 3 swings around the swing axis X1 and moves up and down.

A work clutch (not shown) is provided on a power transmission path from the engine E to the work devices (transport unit 3, rear transport unit 5, cutter 6, etc.). The work clutch is configured to be switchable between an engaged state in which power from the engine E is transmitted to the work device, and an off state in which power from the engine E is not transmitted to the work device.

[Operation department]
As shown in FIG. 2, the driver section 2 includes a driver's seat 13, a front panel 14, and a side panel 15. The front panel 14 is provided with a meter panel 16 and an operation lever 17 (corresponding to the "elevating lever" according to the present invention). The meter panel 16 is configured to display engine speed, vehicle speed, remaining amount of fuel, etc. The operating lever 17 is used to steer the traveling body 1 and to operate the transport section 3 to move up and down. The operating lever 17 is arranged at the right end of the front panel 14. That is, the operating lever 17 is arranged on the right side with respect to the driver's seat 13.

The side panel 15 is provided with a main shift lever 18 (corresponding to the "operation lever" according to the present invention) and a working clutch lever 19. The main shift lever 18 is used to shift a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission as a main transmission (not shown) that shifts the power from the engine E. By changing the speed of the main transmission device using the main speed change lever 18, it is possible to switch forward, reverse, and stop the traveling body 1, and to change the speed steplessly. The working clutch lever 19 is used to switch the working clutch between the engaged state and the disengaged state. The main shift lever 18 and the working clutch lever 19 are arranged on the left side with respect to the driver's seat 13.

As shown in FIG. 3, the main shift lever 18 is provided with an auxiliary shift switch 20 (corresponding to "another switch" according to the present invention) and a lift switch 21. The auxiliary transmission switch 20 is for operating a gear type transmission as a auxiliary transmission (not shown) that changes the speed of the power from the main transmission. The lift switch 21 is for raising and lowering the transport section 3. The lift switch 21 includes a rise switch 21A and a fall switch 21B.

The lift switch 21A is used to raise the transport section 3 to a raised position. In this embodiment, the raised position is set to a height position before the conveyance section 3 reaches its upper limit. Specifically, the raised position is set to the height position of the conveyance section 3 when the hydraulic cylinder 12 extends to just before the stroke end. When the lift switch 21A is pressed once (press and release operation), the conveying section 3 will rise to the above-mentioned raised position.

The lowering switch 21B is for lowering the transport section 3 to the lowering position. In the present embodiment, the lowering position is set to a height position before the transport section 3 reaches its lowering limit. Specifically, the lowered position is set to a height position before the soil-breaking blade 10 touches the field. When the lowering switch 21B is pressed once (pushing and releasing), the transport section 3 is lowered to the lowered position.

The sub-shift switch 20 and the lift switch 21 are provided on the side (right side) of the main shift lever 18 on the driver's seat 13 side. In the main shift lever 18 , the lift switch 21 is arranged above the auxiliary shift switch 20 . Specifically, in the main shift lever 18, the up switch 21A, the down switch 21B, and the auxiliary shift switch 20 are arranged in this order from the top.

[Support structure of transport section]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the support frame 9 is provided with a horizontal frame 22 extending along the left-right direction of the aircraft body. The transport section 3 is supported by the horizontal frame 22 so as to be swingable around the swing axis X1. The transport section 3 is equipped with a transport section frame 23. The transport section frame 23 supports the transport belt 11 and the like. The transport section frame 23 includes left and right main frames 24, left and right vertical frames 25, and a support shaft 26. The main frame 24 extends in a downwardly inclined posture. The support shaft 26 is provided across the lower end of the left vertical frame 25 and the lower end of the right vertical frame 25.

Left and right support sections 27 are provided that support the conveyance section 3 so as to be able to swing around the swing axis X1. The conveyance section 3 is supported by left and right support sections 27 via a support shaft 26 so as to be swingable around a swing axis X1. The left end of the support shaft 26 projects to the left from the left vertical frame 25 and is rotatably supported by the left support portion 27 . The right end portion of the support shaft 26 projects to the right from the right vertical frame 25 and is rotatably supported by the right support portion 27 .

The support portion 27 includes a bearing portion 28 that rotatably supports the support shaft 26, and a pedestal 29 on which the bearing portion 28 is placed and fixed. The bearing portion 28 is placed on a pedestal 29 and fixed with bolts. The pedestal 29 is fixed to the horizontal frame 22 by welding.

[Height position sensor]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a height position sensor 30 (corresponding to the "detection device" according to the present invention) is provided to detect the height position of the transport section 3. Specifically, the height position sensor 30 detects the swing angle of the transport section 3 around the swing axis X1. In this embodiment, height position sensor 30 is a potentiometer.

The height position sensor 30 has a swingable detection arm 30a, and detects the swing angle of the transport unit 3 around the swing axis X1 when the detection arm 30a contacts the transport unit 3. It is configured as follows. The detection arm 30a is configured to be swingable around a swing axis X2 extending along the left-right direction of the machine body. That is, the detection arm 30a is configured to be swingable around a swing axis X2 that is parallel to the swing axis X1. The detection arm 30a is equipped with a pin 30b that contacts the transport section 3. The pin 30b is configured to contact the right main frame 24 from below.

The height position sensor 30 is arranged near the swing axis X1. Specifically, the height position sensor 30 is arranged below the main frame 24 on the right side and above the support section 27 on the right side. The height position sensor 30 is disposed on the rear side of the swing axis X1 and above the swing axis X1. The height position sensor 30 is arranged on the lateral inner side (right side) of the body with respect to the transport section 3 . That is, the height position sensor 30 is arranged on the collecting section 4 side with respect to the conveying section 3. A harness 31 is connected to the height position sensor 30. The harness 31 is arranged along the horizontal frame 22.

The height position sensor 30 is attached to a mounting stay 32 and supported by the right support section 27 via the mounting stay 32. The attachment stay 32 includes an attachment portion 33 to which the height position sensor 30 is attached, and a connection portion 34 connected to the right pedestal 29.

The attachment portion 33 is provided so as to be inclined upward toward the front. That is, the height position sensor 30 is attached to the attachment part 33 in a state where it is tilted upward toward the front. The height position sensor 30 is attached to the right side surface of the attachment part 33. The detection arm 30a is located on the left side with respect to the attachment part 33. The mounting portion 33 has a hole (not shown) through which the swing shaft of the detection arm 30a passes. The connecting portion 34 is welded and fixed to the left side of the right pedestal 29 while being abutted from the left side.

[Another embodiment]
(1) In the embodiment described above, the height position sensor 30 is arranged near the swing axis X1. However, the height position sensor 30 does not have to be placed near the swing axis X1.

(2) In the embodiment described above, the height position sensor 30 is supported by the support section 27. However, the height position sensor 30 may be supported by a member other than the support portion 27. For example, the height position sensor 30 may be supported by the horizontal frame 22.

(3) In the embodiment described above, the height position sensor 30 is arranged on the lateral inner side (right side) of the body with respect to the transport section 3. However, the height position sensor 30 may be arranged on the outside (left side) of the body with respect to the transport section 3 .

(4) In the above embodiment, the pin 30b is configured to contact the main frame 24 from below. However, the pin 30b may be configured to contact the main frame 24 from above.

(5) In the above embodiment, the lift switch 21 is arranged above the sub-shift switch 20 in the main shift lever 18 . However, in the main shift lever 18, the lift switch 21 may be arranged below the auxiliary shift switch 20.

(6) In the above embodiment, the “other switch” according to the present invention is the sub-shift switch 20. However, the "other switch" according to the present invention may be a switch other than the sub-shift switch 20.

(7) In the embodiment described above, the lift switch 21 is provided on the main shift lever 18. However, the lift switch 21 may be provided on a member other than the main shift lever 18. For example, the lift switch 21 may be provided on the side panel 15.

(8) In the above embodiments, the "detection device" according to the present invention is a potentiometer. However, the "detection device" according to the present invention is not limited to a potentiometer.

For example, the "detection device" according to the present invention may be a stroke sensor of the hydraulic cylinder 12. In this case, by detecting the stroke of the hydraulic cylinder 12 with the stroke sensor, the height position of the conveying section 3 can be determined based on the detection result of the stroke sensor.

Alternatively, the "detection device" according to the present invention may be a ground sensor. In this case, by detecting whether the front end of the transport section 3 is in contact with the field using the ground sensor, the height position of the transport section 3 can be determined based on the detection result of the ground sensor.

Alternatively, the "detection device" according to the present invention may be a camera. In this case, by photographing the front end of the transport section 3 and the surrounding field with a camera, the height position of the transport section 3 can be determined based on the captured image of the camera.

(8) In the embodiment described above, the collecting section 4 is configured to collect into a collecting bag. However, the collection unit 4 may be configured to collect into a collection container.

The present invention can be used not only for carrot harvesting machines but also for radish harvesting machines and cabbage harvesting machines.

2 Operation section 3 Transport section 13 Driver seat 17 Operation lever (elevating lever)
18 Main gear shift lever (operation lever)
20 Sub-shift switch (other switches)
21 Elevation switch 27 Support part 30 Detection device 30a Detection arm X1 Swing axis

Claims (5)

A vegetable harvesting machine that is configured to be able to move up and down by swinging around a swing axis extending along the left-right direction of the machine , and includes a conveying section that pulls out crops from a field and transports them toward the rear of the machine,
a support part that supports the conveyance part so as to be swingable around the swing axis;
A detection device that detects the height position of the transport section ,
The conveyance section is provided in a state of being inclined downward in the front, and is provided with a soil breaking blade for loosening soil around the crops in the field at the front end,
The detection device detects a swing angle of the conveying section around the swing axis, and the vegetable harvesting machine is supported by the support section . The transport section is provided at a position biased to one side in the left-right direction of the machine,
The vegetable harvesting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the detection device is arranged on a lateral inner side of the machine body with respect to the conveyance section. The detection device has a swingable detection arm, and is configured to detect a swing angle of the transport unit around the swing axis when the detection arm contacts the transport unit. is,
The vegetable harvester according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the detection arm is configured to contact the conveyance section from below. Equipped with a driving section for the driver to board,
The driving section is
driver seat and
an elevating lever disposed on one side in the left-right direction of the aircraft with respect to the driver's seat, and for operating the transport section up and down;
an operating lever disposed on the other side in the left-right direction of the aircraft with respect to the driver's seat;
The vegetable harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the operating lever is provided with a lift switch for raising and lowering the conveyance section. 5. The vegetable harvester according to claim 4 , wherein the lift switch is arranged above other switches in the operating lever.

Images