JPH07102012B2 - Seed supply mechanism of seed gel coating device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a seed feeding mechanism in a seed gel coating apparatus for coating seeds with a gel containing a nutritional substance or a bactericide and having elasticity. is there.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, seeds are generally sown without being coated, but the seeds are coated to protect the seeds from animal feeding damage and to be subjected to pretreatment such as sterilization and germination promotion treatment before sowing the seeds. There are coated seeds.

Conventional coated seeds are those in which clay, fine sand, or a mixture of sugars is sprayed onto the seed surface by spraying a binder such as CMC, and a fungicide, oxygen generator, etc. are added to the coating agent. In some cases.

These are cases where the coating is relatively hard, but there is also a soft coating which coats the seed with a gel or gelatinous substance that swells when it contains water.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, in the conventional coating technique, no example was found of coating seeds with an aqueous gel that hardens only the surface layer.

For this purpose, the applicant has developed a seed gel coating apparatus for dropping seeds onto a film-formed gel to coat the seeds with a gel film, and spheroidizing the seeds. There is a problem that occasional grain breakage occurs because seeds are not supplied on the gel film.

The present invention is intended to solve such a problem, and provides a seed supply mechanism of a seed coating lowering device that surely supplies seeds onto a gel film.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the seed supply mechanism of the gel coating apparatus for seeds of the present invention comprises a seed container which is provided to be movable up and down and accommodates seed therein, and a rotating unit capable of rotating 180 degrees in an intermediate portion. Is fixed, and the hollow needles provided at both ends are arms positioned alternately above the seed container and at the seed supply position of the seed processing device, and one end communicates with the hollow needle and the other end via a solenoid valve. A pipeline communicating with the air pressure source and the negative pressure source, a suction pressure switch for detecting that the pipeline has reached a predetermined negative pressure, raising and lowering of the seed container, switching of the solenoid valve, and rising. When the suction pressure switch does not detect that the pipeline of the hollow needle housed in the seed container has reached a predetermined negative pressure, a control unit for raising and lowering the seed container again is provided, and one of the above Seeds sucked by the hollow needle are The other hollow needle sucks the seeds in parallel with dropping.

[Action]

Seed supply mechanism of the gel coating processing apparatus for seeds configured as described above, one hollow needle is positioned directly above the seed container, when the seed container in the descending limit rises, the one hollow needle Is inserted into the seed in the seed container, the conduit of one hollow needle communicates with the negative pressure source by switching the solenoid valve, and the seed is sucked at the tip of the hollow needle.

When the suction pressure switch detects that the hollow needle pipe has reached a predetermined negative pressure, the seed container descends, the arm rotates 180 degrees, and the hollow needle that sucked the seed is the seed of the seed processing device. The hollow needle is positioned at the feed position, and by switching the solenoid valve, the conduit of the one hollow needle communicates with the air pressure source, and seeds are dropped and fed onto the gel film formed below the seed feed position.

In parallel with this, the seed container rises and the other hollow needle is inserted into the seed in the seed container, the conduit of the other hollow needle communicates with the negative pressure source, and the seed at the tip of the hollow needle. Is sucked.

The arm then rotates 180 degrees and returns to the old position, completing one cycle of seed supply.

If the hollow needle contained in the rising seed container does not suck the seeds, the suction pressure switch does not detect that the hollow needle conduit has reached a predetermined negative pressure, so the seed container is lowered. The temperature is raised again, and the seed adsorption operation is performed again.

By repeating the above operation, the seeds in the seed container are successively supplied to the gel film.

〔Example〕

 Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the seed supply mechanism A and its peripheral equipment,
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of FIG. 1 as seen in the direction of the arrow X, and the gantry 3 is mounted on the shelf 2 provided inside the casing 1 (see FIG. 1).

In the gantry 3, a wall plate 3b is provided on one side (right side in FIG. 2) of the lower plate 3a, a linear shaft 3c is erected on the other side, and an upper plate 3d is provided on the upper ends of the wall plate 3b and the linear shaft 3c. The lower end of a rotary support shaft 6 provided in the central portion of the arm 5 is connected to the rotary portion of the rotary actuator 4 mounted on the upper plate 3d of the pedestal 3, and the hollow ends of the arm 5 are hollow. The needles 7 and 8 are fixed (see FIG. 2).

One end of a flexible pipe line 10 is attached to a pipe joint 9 attached to the upper end of one hollow needle 7, and the other end of the pipe line 10 is connected to a solenoid valve 13 connected to a pneumatic pressure source 11 and a negative pressure source 12. Connect and pipeline
A suction pressure switch 14 that detects that the inside of the conduit 10 has reached a predetermined negative pressure is provided in the pipe 10.

Similarly, a pipe fitting attached to the upper end of the other hollow needle 8.
One end of a flexible pipe line 16 is attached to the pipe 15, and the other end of the pipe line 16 is connected to a solenoid valve 17 connected to the air pressure source 11 and the negative pressure source 12. A suction pressure switch 18 is provided to detect that the pressure has reached a predetermined negative pressure.

On the outer peripheral surface of the linear shaft 3c of the gantry 3, a slider 19 which is vertically moved by a direct-acting air cylinder (not shown) is annularly inserted, and a plate 20 mounted on the slider 19 is attached.
A seed container 21 for accommodating seeds therein is attached to the end of the, and a fiber switch (not shown) for detecting the rising height of the seed container 21 is attached to a fiber bracket 22 provided on the side surface of the slider 19. .

The rotary portion of the rotary actuator 4 is rotatable within a range of 180 degrees, and the hollow needles 7 and 8 are positioned at the seed supply position directly above the seed container 21 and on the opposite side thereof. The seed supply position is directly above the gel film formed by the cutting plunger 28 of the nozzle part B provided in the seed processing apparatus.

Rotary switches 23 and 24 are provided in the vicinity of the rotation support shaft 6, and the rotary switch 23 detects that one hollow needle 7 is positioned directly above the seed container 21, and the rotary switch 24 Detects that one hollow needle 7 is positioned directly above the nozzle portion B.

The nozzle body 25 of the nozzle portion B forming a gel film is attached to the wall plate 3b of the frame 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the nozzle portion B, a gel channel 26 is formed inside the nozzle body 25, and the gel channel 26 communicates with a plunger hole 27 that penetrates the nozzle body 25 in the longitudinal direction. A valve seat 27a is formed at the lower end of 27 and the plunger hole 27
A tubular cutting plunger 28 is inserted into the.

The cutting plunger 28 is provided with a pressure receiving portion 28a in the middle of the outer peripheral surface, and a tapered valve 28b is formed at the lower end, and the cutting plunger 28 has its upper end surface pressed by a spring (not shown) so that the valve 28b is seated. It is in contact with 27a.

A gel compression plunger 29 is inserted into the gel flow path 26, and when the gel compression plunger 29 moves in a direction to press the gel in the gel flow path 26, the gel presses the pressure receiving portion 28a and the cutting plunger 28 rises. Then it is designed to open the valve.

A pipe joint 31 is provided on the upper part of the gel storage tank 30 installed on the shelf 2, and one end of a pipe line 32 penetrating the pipe joint 31 has a gel storage tank 30.
The other end of the conduit 32, which is inserted inside, communicates with the gel flow path 26 via a ball check valve 33 attached to the wall plate 3b.

In the pipe fitting 31, the gel in the gel storage tank 30 is a ball check valve.
The gel flow path 26 is supplied via 33.

Next, the operation of the seed supply mechanism A will be described together with the operation of the nozzle portion B related thereto.

(State before start of automatic operation) As shown in FIG. 2, one hollow needle 7 is located directly above the seed container 21 and the other hollow needle 8 is located directly above the cutting plunger 28 of the nozzle part B. The position of the hollow needle 7 is confirmed by the rotary switch 23.

Further, it is confirmed that the seed container 21 is in the lower limit by a lower limit switch (not shown), and the conduit 10 of the hollow needle 7 is emptied by the solenoid valve 13 and the conduit 16 of the hollow needle 8 is emptied by the solenoid valve 17. It is cut off from the pressure source 11 and the negative pressure source 12.

(Start of automatic operation) When the automatic operation button of the controller (not shown) is operated, the slider is moved by the direct-acting air cylinder (not shown).
19 moves up along the linear shaft 3c, and one hollow needle 7 is inserted into the seed of the seed container 21 that has moved up together with the slider 19.

When the fiber switch detects that the slider 19 has reached the ascending limit, the solenoid valve 13 is actuated and the pipe line 10 causes the negative pressure source 12
And one hollow needle 7 sucks the seeds.

When the hollow needle 7 sucks the seed, the negative pressure source in the conduit 10 becomes large, so that the suction pressure switch 14 detects that the conduit 10 has a predetermined negative pressure.

On the other hand, when the seed container 21 descends but the pipeline 10 does not reach a predetermined negative pressure, the seed container 21 again rises to suck the seed, and the hollow needle 7 on one side surely sucks the seed. To the next operation.

Suction pressure switch 14 confirms seed aspiration and seed container
When the lower limit switch confirms that 21 has finished descending, a solenoid valve (not shown) for rotary rotation is actuated to rotate the rotary actuator 4, and the hollow needle 7 on one side disconnects the plunger of the nozzle portion B. Positioned just above 28,
This positioning is detected by the rotary switch 24, the seed container 21 rises again, and the operation of the solenoid valve 13 causes one of the conduits 16 to communicate with the pneumatic source 11, so that the seeds adsorbed by the hollow needle 7 are removed. To fall.

In parallel with this, the solenoid valve 17 is actuated, the conduit 16 of the other hollow needle 8 communicates with the negative pressure source 11, and the hollow needle 8 sucks the seed.

On the other hand, the gel film is formed and cut at the nozzle portion in synchronization with the seed supply operation.

That is, in the nozzle portion B, the cutting plunger 28, which is pressed against the pressure receiving portion 28a by the operation of the gel compression plunger 29, rises to open the valve, and the gel flowing out from the lower end of the plunger hole 27 forms a film.

The formed gel film hangs down by its own weight, and then, when the cutting plunger 28 is closed, the gel film falls because it cannot support its own weight, but some gel remains at the lower end of the plunger hole 27 to form a new gel film. It forms and hangs down by its own weight (see Fig. 3 (f)).

Since the formation of this new gel film is performed in synchronization with the seed supply mechanism, the seed S is dropped and supplied to this new gel film (see FIG. 3 (b)), and the seeds are suspended in the hanging gel film. The S is wrapped in the middle (see FIG. 3C).

Next, the gel compression plunger 29 pressurizes the gel in the gel flow path 26, the pressure cutting portion 28a pressurizes the cutting plunger 28 to open, and the gel flows out from the lower end of the plunger hole 27. The periphery of the seed S is coated with gel (see FIG. 3 (d)), and after a predetermined time, the gel compression plunger 29 retracts, the pressure in the gel flow channel 26 decreases, the cutting plunger 28 closes, and the gel film is formed. Falls without supporting its own weight (see Fig. 3 (e)), but some gel remains at the lower end of the plunger hole 27 to form a new gel film and hangs down due to its own weight (Fig. 3 (f)). reference).

The falling seed coating gel is spheroidized during the falling, is supplied to the curing agent in the curing agent tank installed below, the surface of the seed coating gel is cured, further transferred to the washing tank, and adhered to the surface The hardener is washed.

〔The invention's effect〕

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects.

(1) If the seed is not sucked into the hollow needle, the suction of the seed is confirmed by the operation of moving the seed container up and down again to change the position of the seed in the seed container and then sucking the seed again with the hollow needle. Since the seeds are supplied by being positioned at the seed supply position and then the seeds are supplied, there is no possibility that gel coating is performed while seeds are not supplied, that is, so-called grain breakage occurs.

Further, since the gel coating is formed in accordance with the seed supplying operation, the seed is not supplied too early or too late, and the seed is contained in the spherical gel film.

(2) Since the operation of the seed supply mechanism and the operation of the nozzle part can be changed by a sequence program, the gel film is cut after a plurality of seeds are supplied, and the number of enclosed seeds is arbitrarily selected. You can do it.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a front view of a seed feeding mechanism A and its peripheral equipment, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the arrow X in FIG. 1, and FIG. (A)-(f) is explanatory drawing of the gel coating process of a seed. A ... Seed supply mechanism, B ... Nozzle part, S ... Seed, 3
…… Stand, 3b …… Wall plate, 3c …… Linear shaft, 4 ……
Rotary actuator, 5 ... Arm, 6 ... Rotating support shaft, 7,8 ... Hollow needle, 10 ... Pipe line, 11 ... Air pressure source, 12 ...
… Negative pressure source, 13 …… Solenoid valve, 14 …… Suction pressure switch, 16
...... Pipe, 17 …… Solenoid valve, 18 …… Suction pressure switch, 19
...... Slider, 21 ...... Seed container, 23,24 ...... Rotary switch, 25 ...... Nozzle body, 26 ...... Gel channel, 28 ......
Cutting plunger, 29 …… Gel compression plunger.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A seed container which is vertically movable and has a seed contained therein, and a rotating portion which can be rotated by 180 degrees is fixed to an intermediate portion, and hollow needles provided at both ends are directly above the seed container. Arms that are alternately positioned at the seed supply position of the seed processing device, a pipe line having one end communicating with the hollow needle and the other end communicating with an air pressure source and a negative pressure source via an electromagnetic valve, and the pipe line A suction pressure switch for detecting that a predetermined negative pressure has been reached, raising and lowering of the seed container, controlling switching of the electromagnetic valve, and the pipe line of the hollow needle accommodated in the rising seed container has a predetermined When the suction pressure switch does not detect that a negative pressure has been reached, a control unit that raises and lowers the seed container again is provided, and the seed sucked by one of the hollow needles is dropped at the seed supply position. And the other hollow needle sucks seeds. Seed supply mechanism of seed gel coating device.