JPH04251028A - Seeding plant - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the accuracy of counting the number of already seeded seeding boxes by means of an optical sensor in the case when already seeded seeding boxes conveyed on a conveyer are dropped sequentially onto a supporting device, and piled up in a seeding plant. CONSTITUTION:An optical sensor 7 incorporating a light emitter 7a and a light receiver 7b arranged opposite to each other is provided in a vertical space between a holding device 5 and a supporting device 6, and there are provided a first control means which judges that a seeding box 2 is dropped when the light from the light emitter 7a to the light receiver 7b is interrupted and a second control means which neglects interruption of light caused by drop of anything such as a water drop other than a seeding box 2 during a predetermined period after light interruption by dropping of the seeding box 2.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a seeding plant in which soil and seeds are continuously put into seedling boxes for growing seedlings for planting crops, and the present invention relates to a structure for transporting and processing seeded seedling boxes after seeding. Regarding.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art An example of the above-mentioned seeding plant is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-171120. In this seeding plant, the sown seedling boxes (1 in the above publication) are transported by a conveyor (12 in the above publication), and the boxes are lifted one by one by a vertical conveyance device (10 in the above publication), and the transfer device (1) According to 16) of the above-mentioned publication, the seedling growing box is transferred from the upper end of the vertical transport device to a holding device (not shown in the above-mentioned publication) above the transport carriage (17) of the above-mentioned publication. Then, the seedling growing boxes are dropped from the holding device and are stacked one after another on the transport vehicle. (equivalent) is configured to gradually decrease. In the above-mentioned configuration, when a predetermined number of seedling boxes are stacked on a transport vehicle, this transport vehicle is automatically transferred to another transport device and sent to the germination chamber, and a new transport vehicle is placed on the elevator, and the elevator is moved to a predetermined position. It is configured to rise to the position of In this case, as a sensor for counting the number of seedling boxes stacked on the carrier, an optical non-contact type sensor using infrared rays or laser is placed between the upper and lower sides of the holding device and the supporting device.

0003

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] The sensor for counting seedling boxes described above is constructed by arranging a light emitter and a light receiver facing each other, and if a seedling box falls and passes between the light emitter and the light receiver. When the seedling raising box blocks the light from the light emitter, it is counted that the seedling raising box has fallen. In such seeding plants, watering is often done at the same time as seeding in the seedling boxes, so when the seedling boxes are dropped one after another from the holding device, one seedling box is dropped before the next one is placed. Until the seedlings are dropped, water from irrigation may fall from the seedling box on the holding device in the form of drops. Therefore, if this drop passes between the emitter and receiver and blocks the light even momentarily, the sensor will judge that the seedling boxes have fallen, so there may be more seedling boxes on the transport vehicle than there actually are. It will be counted like this. An object of the present invention is to reduce counting errors when using an optical sensor as described above.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] The feature of the present invention is that the above-mentioned seeding plant is constructed as follows. In other words, an optical sensor in which a light emitter and a light receiver are arranged facing each other is provided between the upper and lower sides of the holding device and the supporting device.
a first control means that determines that the seedling nursery box has fallen when the light from the emitter to the light receiver is interrupted; When a predetermined number of seedling growing boxes are stacked on the support device based on the detection by the first control means, the seedling growing boxes supported by this support device are moved to a predetermined position of another transport device. and third control means for actuating the support device in a different manner.

[0005]

[Operation] With the configuration as described above, the status of the light emitter 7a and the light receiver 7b of the sensor for 2-count seedling box is as follows.
For example, the state is as shown in FIG. That is, light for counting is emitted from the light emitter 7a, and this light for counting is received by the light receiver 7b. If the seedling raising box 2 falls or something other than the seedling raising box 2 falls, such as a drop, and blocks the counting light, the non-light receiving signal X1,
X2 is obtained from the photoreceiver 7b. And one seedling box 2
When the seedling box 2 falls and the non-light receiving signal X1 is obtained, the seedling raising boxes 2 are counted. Next, even if a non-light receiving signal X2 is obtained during a predetermined time T after the seedling raising boxes 2 are counted, this is ignored. In this case, if the time from when one seedling growing box 2 falls until the next seedling growing box 2 falls can be estimated, the predetermined time T is set to be slightly shorter than this time. As a result, after the predetermined time T elapses, 2
The second seedling growing box 2 falls and is counted, and after this, the elapse of the predetermined time T and the counting of the seedling growing boxes 2 are repeated.

[0006]

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, even if objects other than the seedling growing boxes, such as drops, fall on the way, this can be ignored, and the accuracy of counting the number of seedling growing boxes has been improved. This makes it easier to perform post-processing after transferring the seedling box from the supporting device to the conveying device.

[0007]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained based on the drawings. FIG. 2 shows the latter half of the seeding plant, in which seedling raising boxes 2 that have been supplied with bed soil, sown, and covered with soil are sent from the left side of the page by the first conveyor 1. Each seedling growing box 2 is successively lifted upward from the end of the first conveyor 1 by the vertical conveyor 3. As shown in FIG. 4, this vertical conveyance device 3 has a pair of chains 3a arranged on the left and right sides of the terminal end of the first conveyor 1, and a large number of support claws 3b are fixed to the chains 3a to drive the chains 3a rotationally. It is configured in such a way.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a transfer device 4 is disposed at the upper end of the vertical conveyance device 3. This transfer device 4 has a structure in which three sets of arms 4b are fixed to a rotationally driven rubber belt 4a, and the seedling raising boxes 2 that have reached the upper end of the vertical conveyance device 3 are pushed by the arms 4b and transferred to the holding device 5. exchange.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the holding device 5 is composed of a member having an L-shaped cross section, and the left and right members can be driven to swing left and right. Therefore, when the seedling growing box 2 at the upper end of the vertical conveyance device 3 is sent into the holding device 5 by the transfer device 4, the holding device 5 opens left and right and the holding device 5
The upper seedling growing box 2 is dropped downward.

A support device 6 for receiving the seedling box 2 is arranged below the holding device 5. This support device 6 has a pair of left and right chains 6a that are rotationally driven in the same way as the vertical conveyance device 3, and has a total of four sets of support claws 6b and 6c fixed to two locations on each of both chains 6a. It is composed of As shown in FIG. 2, between the upper and lower sides of the holding device 5 and the supporting device 6, an optical counter 7 (corresponding to an optical sensor) is constructed by disposing a light emitter 7a and a light receiver 7b facing each other. is provided. As a result, when the seedling box 2 falls from the holding device 5 and blocks the light from the light emitter 7a to the light receiver 7b, it is determined that the seedling box 2 has fallen, and one of the supporting claws 6b of the support device 6 In this way, the seedling boxes 2 are stacked on the support claws 6b of the support device 6.

In this case, the state of the light emitter 7a and the light receiver 7b of the counter 7 is as shown in FIG. That is, light for counting is constantly emitted from the light emitter 7a, and this light for counting is received by the light receiver 7b. If the seedling raising box 2 falls or something other than the seedling raising box 2 falls, such as a drop, and blocks the counting light, non-light receiving signals X1 and X2 with different temporal lengths are obtained from the light receiver 7b. It will be done. A relatively long non-light receiving signal X1 is the case when the seedling nursery box 2 falls, and a relatively short non-light receiving signal X2
This is considered to be a case where something other than the seedling raising box 2 fell.

Then, when the first seedling raising box 2 falls and a relatively long non-light receiving signal X1 is emitted, a count signal Y for the seedling raising box 2 is emitted and the seedling raising box 2 is counted (the first (equivalent to control means). Then, a predetermined time T is elapsed after the count signal Y corresponding to the first seedling raising box 2 is emitted.
Even if the non-light receiving signal X2 is issued during this period, it is ignored (corresponding to the second control means). In this case, the predetermined time T is set to be slightly shorter than the time from when the holding device 5 drops one seedling growing box 2 until it drops the next seedling growing box 2. Then, after the predetermined time T has elapsed, the second seedling growing box 2 falls and is counted, and after this, the elapse of the predetermined time T and the counting of the seedling growing box 2 are repeated.

When the counter 7 detects that a predetermined number of seedling boxes 2 have been stacked on one of the support claws 6b of the support device 6, the support claw 6b is driven downward, and the support claw 6b is moved downwardly. 3, the other support claw 6c comes into contact with the third sensor 10, and based on this, the support claw 6b temporarily stops at position A1. Thereafter, the support device 6 is driven again, but since the support device 6 does not reach the predetermined drive speed rapidly from the stopped state, the support device 6 is driven at a relatively low speed until the predetermined drive speed is reached. The seedling boxes 2 from 6b are transferred to the second conveyor 11
(corresponding to the conveying device) (corresponding to the predetermined position of the conveying device) (corresponding to the third control means).

When the support claw 6b reaches the position where it contacts the first sensor 8, the transfer of the seedling box 2 to the front end of the second conveyor 11 is completed.
Based on the detection by the sensor 8, the control device (not shown) confirms that the transfer of the seedling raising box 2 has been completed. When the support claw 6b reaches the position where it contacts the first sensor 8, the other support claw 6c comes below the holding device 5 and receives the seedling box 2. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a contact type second sensor 9 is provided at the front end of the second conveyor 11 to detect the presence or absence of the seedling raising box 2. As described above, when the seedling raising box 2 is transferred to the front end of the second conveyor 11, the second sensor 9 detects the presence of the seedling raising box 2, the second conveyor 11 is driven, and the seedling raising box 2 is moved to the front end of the second conveyor 11. It is sent to the right side of the page.

[Another embodiment] In the above embodiment, the first
The seedling growing boxes 2 from the conveyor 1 were sequentially lifted by the upper and lower conveyor 3 and then dropped onto the support device 6, but the position of the support device 6 was lower than the first conveyor 1, The seedling growing box 2 may be directly dropped onto the support device 6 from the rear end. Further, instead of the second conveyor 11, a conveyance vehicle as disclosed in the above-mentioned publication may be used.

[0016]Although reference numerals are written in the claims for convenience of comparison with the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the structure shown in the accompanying drawings.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

[Figure 1] Time chart showing the status of the light emitter and receiver on the optical counter and the count status of the seedling nursery box

[Figure 2] Side view of the vicinity of the transfer device and support device in the seeding plant

[Figure 3] Front view of the vicinity of the support device, holding device, and second conveyor

[Figure 4] Front view of the vicinity of the first conveyor and vertical conveyor

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Conveyor 2 Seedling box 4 Transfer device 5 Holding device 6 Support device 7 Sensor 7a Sensor light emitter 7b Sensor receiver 11 Conveyance device T Predetermined time

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A transfer device (4) for sequentially transferring sown seedling raising boxes (2) from a conveyor (1) to a holding device (5) disposed above a support device (6); When the seedling growing box (2) is transferred from the transfer device (4) to the holding device (5), the seedling growing box (2) is released and the seedling growing box (2) is transferred to the supporting device (6).
), the seeding plant is configured such that the holding device (5) is activated sequentially so that the seeding plant is dropped onto
) is provided between the upper and lower sides of the holding device (5) and the supporting device (6), so that when the light from the light emitter (7a) to the light receiver (7b) is blocked, the seedling box (2) falls. The first thing to judge is
a control means, a second control means that ignores the interruption of the light during a predetermined time (T) after the interruption of the light due to the drop of the seedling raising box (2), and a detection of the first control means. When a predetermined number of seedling boxes (2) are stacked on the support device (6) based on this, the seedling boxes (2) supported by this support device (6) are moved to a predetermined position on another transport device (11). and third control means for actuating the support device (6) to change the seeding plant.