JPH10248414A - Water level controller for paddy field - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water level controller for a paddy field capable of automatically controlling irrigation/water stoppage to the paddy field, performing water management best for the growth of rice plants and being manufactured at a low cost in a relatively simple structure. SOLUTION: This water level controller 1 is composed of an electric motor 25, the opening and closing means of an irrigation path to the paddy field driven by the motor 25, the water level detection means of constitution capable of detecting the paddy field water level of at least two or more points and a control means for controlling the opening and closing means for each time band for which one day is divided into at least two or more based on information from the water level detection means. In the opening and closing means, irrigation path is closed by crushing the hose 7 by a weight 21 by motor drive in the case of constituting the irrigation path by a flexible hose 7 and the irrigation path is closed by a water stop valve by the motor drive connected to an irrigation pipe 30 in the case of constituting the irrigation path by the rigid pipe 30.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water level controller for agricultural use, particularly for automatically adjusting a water level in a paddy field or the like.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the water management of rice cultivation paddy fields, in cold regions such as the northern region of Japan, especially in regions where there is a lot of cold damage due to fading, etc., it is essential to secure the root temperature using the heat insulation effect of water. By using a so-called deep water with a high water level, suppression of ineffective splitting can be achieved, and effects such as thickening of rice stalk can be obtained. In addition, the growth of weeds can be suppressed, and the amount of herbicide to be added can be reduced, thereby making it possible to produce safer and more environmentally friendly rice.

In general, the adjustment of the inflow of water into a paddy field ("irrigation") has been performed manually. For such adjustment, a system has been adopted in which a weir provided in a water tap or a water channel on the paddy field side is opened to constantly supply water, and a drain groove is provided on the other side of the paddy field to flow overflowing water.

[0004] However, from the standpoint of managing water without lowering the temperature of the paddy field as much as possible, in this method of constantly flowing water, the water that has been warmed during the daytime is poured out as it is. It was not necessarily good for the training of the children. In addition, fertilizers with high nutrients flow out together with the drainage to not only reduce the fertilizer application effect, but also cause the fertilizers that have been washed away to cause eutrophication and the like, thereby causing environmental pollution.

[0005] Therefore, the above-mentioned problems and recent labor shortages,
Due to the trend of reducing the burden of agricultural work, there has been a demand for a mechanized automatic water level control device for paddy fields.

[0006]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an apparatus for this purpose, a float (not shown) which rises and falls according to the water level of a paddy field is provided, and a hydraulic or hydraulic pressure supply means is operated by an auxiliary valve which is opened and closed according to the vertical movement. There was a device that opened and closed the main valve to keep the water level constant.

[0007]

However, in the above method, the water level to be measured is limited to a certain point, and it is necessary to manually move the float position up and down each time to change the measured water level. . Also, in the case of a device that is provided with an auxiliary valve or that is opened and closed by hydraulic pressure or hydraulic pressure, the mechanism is complicated, so it is not only easy to break down and its reliability is difficult, but also expensive and installed in each paddy field However, there is also a disadvantage that the burden on the farmers becomes excessive.

As described above, in water management of paddy fields, it is desired to maintain the water temperature of the paddy fields as low as possible, so that during the daytime water is stopped and the water level is kept low. It is common practice to keep water levels high by watering at night. There has been no device that automatically performs this operation without human intervention.

[0009]

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and automatically controls irrigation and stoppage of water in a paddy field to perform the best water management for growing rice, and to achieve a relatively simple operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a water level controller for a paddy field which has a structure and can be manufactured at low cost.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows. A paddy water level controller according to the present application includes an electric motor, a means for opening and closing an irrigation channel to a paddy field driven by the motor, a water level detecting means configured to detect at least two or more paddy water levels, And control means for controlling the opening / closing means for each time zone obtained by dividing 24 hours a day into at least two or more based on information from the means.

In the opening / closing means, when the irrigation channel is constituted by a flexible hose, the irrigation channel is closed by crushing the hose with a motor-driven holding means, and the irrigation channel is formed by a rigid pipe. When configured, the irrigation channel is closed by a motor-driven water stop valve connected to the irrigation pipe.

Further, the water level detecting means may use a pressure sensor for detecting the air pressure in a closed space having a paddy water level formed in communication with the paddy water and judging the paddy water level.

The control means divides 24 hours a day into a time zone mainly in the daytime and a time zone mainly in the night, and the time zone mainly in the daytime is at the low water level and in the nighttime. Maintain the high water level during the main period.

Further, if the control means is controlled at predetermined intervals, the power consumption can be reduced.

[0015]

According to the above arrangement, the water level of the paddy field is detected by the water level detecting means, and based on the detected information, the opening / closing means is controlled to perform irrigation or water stoppage in accordance with a preset time zone.
Control is performed to maintain a predetermined water level.

[0016]

Next, an example of an embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the entire embodiment. FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view showing an installation state in a paddy field. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views showing an operation state, in which FIG.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a water stop state. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a main part in an enlarged manner.

The paddy water level controller 1 of the present embodiment mainly includes a housing 10 for holding the entire equipment, an opening / closing means 2 for closing or opening an irrigation channel, and a water level detecting means for detecting a paddy water level. 3 and control means 4.

The housing 10 has a leg portion 11 formed by facing face plates, and a gate-shaped structure formed by a storage case 12 which is bridged and held above the leg portion. The storage case 12 has a box shape that is open upward, and includes a power supply 13 made of a dry battery or a battery, and an electric motor 25 driven by the power supply 13.
And a control means 4 for controlling the motor 25, and a pressure sensor 31 constituting the water level detecting means 3. The upper opening is closed by a lid 14 that can be opened and closed.

The opening / closing means 2 comprises a weight receiver 20 arranged and fixed so as to bridge the lower part of the housing 10, and a columnar weight 21 which moves up and down and abuts the weight receiver 20 at the lower limit. ing. The weight 21 is held so that one end thereof is rotatably supported between the other ends of a pair of arms 22 rotatably supported between the legs 11 of the housing 10. It is configured so as to be swingable as a rotation axis, and is vertically moved by drawing an arc by pulling up a pulling string 24 connected to an erecting rod 23 bridged over the other end of the pair of arms 22. (See FIG. 3).

The upper end of the traction string 24 is pulled by a motor 25. That is, the motor 25 is disposed in the storage case 12 and driven by the power supply 13 which is also stored. The power supply 13 may be supplied from the outside, but since the controller 1 is installed in a paddy field and power distribution is usually difficult, a dry cell, a battery, or a solar cell if possible is used. Is preferred.

The upper end of the traction string 24 is wound around a pulley 26 attached to the tip of the output shaft. By the rotation of the pulley 26 driven by the motor 25, the pulling string 24 is wound up to lift the weight 21 (arrow a), and conversely, unwind and lower the weight 21 by its own weight (arrow b). The upper limit and lower limit of the weight 21 are provided with two sets of limit switches (not shown) so as to be associated with the pulley 26, and are operated at the upper and lower positions of the weight 21 to stop the motor 25. In addition,
As the motor 25, a gear motor is generally used, and a motor capable of obtaining high torque even with low power is used.

The water level detecting means 3 comprises an air trap pipe (hereinafter, “pipe”) 30 and a pressure sensor 31. The pipe 30 has a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end and an open lower end, and is formed of, for example, a resin pipe such as a vinyl chloride pipe. A flexible ventilation hose (for example, a vinyl hose) 32 is connected to the closed upper end so as to communicate with the internal space, and the other end is connected to the pressure sensor 31 so that the air pressure in the pipe 30 is reduced. To the pressure sensor 31. By closing the open end side of the pipe 30 in the water, a closed space 34 having a water level surface (“paddy water level surface”) 33 at the same level as the water level of the paddy field is formed in the upper part of the pipe 30, The air pressure in the closed space 34 changes according to the change. This air pressure is led to the pressure sensor 31 via the ventilation hose 32. The pressure sensor 31 utilizes the fact that the inductance value of the LC circuit changes according to the change in air pressure and the oscillation frequency changes.

The arrangement of the pipe 30 depends on the leg 1 of the housing 10.
1 may be attached to the outer surface of the pad 1, but preferably, at a position in the paddy field which is separated from the controller 1 by a predetermined distance (the length range of the ventilation hose 32), the standing stake 15 is provided.
And hold it. A low-level water scale 35 and a high-level water scale 36 are marked on the side surface of the pipe 30. Based on these marks, the position of the pipe 30 is adjusted so that the daytime and nighttime water levels become the desired values, respectively. Is adjusted up and down (see FIG. 4). This value needs to be changed depending on the growing condition of the rice, and is appropriately performed by a human hand every season.

The control means 4 comprises a control section 42 mainly composed of a microcomputer ("microcomputer"), and mainly includes a 24-hour timer, an observer of the resonance frequency, and a motor drive control circuit. A specific configuration example of the control means 4 and its operation will be described later.

[0025]

Next, the operation of the embodiment configured as described above will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the controller 1 is installed such that the anchor pile 16 attached to the leg portion 11 pierces a predetermined position in the paddy field 5 (for example, near the gutter channel 6). One end of the flexible irrigation hose 7 is connected to the side surface of the gutter channel 6 beside the paddy field so as to be able to take water, and the other end is a weight 21 and a weight receiver 20.
And then open into the paddy field 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the weight 21 is raised, no force is applied to the irrigation hose 7, so that water freely flows toward the paddy field 5 (arrow (c)). When the weight 21 is lowered, the irrigation hose 7 is crushed by the weight 21 to close the irrigation channel, and the water is stopped (B).

Control means 4 for driving motor 25
The center of the control is a pressure sensor 31 and a control unit 42 by a microcomputer. As described above, an electric signal whose oscillation frequency changes according to the water level is obtained from the pressure sensor 31. The pipe 30 communicated with the pressure sensor 31
Sets a first level, which is a low-level water scale 35 determined according to the season, and a second level, which is a high-level water scale 36, and installs them in a paddy field in accordance with these (see FIG. 4). .).

The control unit 42 recognizes the current time by a 24-hour timer, and based on this time, first, a time zone mainly in the daytime (“daytime zone”) and a time zone mainly in the nighttime (“nighttime”). Time period ”). For example, the daytime is 4
From time to 20:00, the night time zone is from 20:00 to 4:00. During the daytime, the weight is moved up and down so that the water level does not fall below the low level water scale 35 to control irrigation and water stoppage. On the other hand, in the night time zone, the same control is performed so that the water level does not fall below the high level water scale 36.

That is, the scale 3 where the water level is set
If it is lower than 5, or 36, the pulley 26 is rotated by the motor 25 to lift the weight 21 (arrow a), and the holding of the irrigation hose 7 is released. Conversely, when the water level is high, the pulley 26 is rotated in the reverse direction to lower the weight 21 (arrow b), and the irrigation hose 7 is crushed to stop water (FIG. 3).
reference). The lowering of the weight 21 depends on the weight of the weight itself. The pulley 26 is associated with a limit switch (not shown) at the upper limit position or the lower limit position of the weight 21, and the motor drive is stopped by the detection of the limit switch. When the water level is within a predetermined level, the motor 25 is not driven.

If the above control and motor drive are to be performed continuously for 24 hours, it is necessary to constantly monitor the oscillation frequency and drive the motor. Since a paddy field generally does not have a commercial power supply, the controller 1 is driven by a dry battery or a battery, so that it is better to reduce power consumption as much as possible. Therefore, since water is supplied by the irrigation hose 7 and the paddy field is generally wide and the water level does not change rapidly, it is sufficient to operate it intermittently once every several tens or once an hour. It is. Therefore,
In the present invention, it is preferable that only the timer of the microcomputer is operated during other times when the microcomputer is not operated, and the power supply to other parts is cut off.

[0031]

Next, the structure and operation of the control means 4 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a control unit. In the figure, 40 is a power switch, 41 is a power stabilizing circuit, 4
Reference numeral 2 denotes a control unit mainly composed of a microcomputer, 43 denotes a motor drive circuit, 44 and 45 denote relays, 46 and 47 denote limit switches, and 48 denotes a changeover switch. The other elements that are the same as those shown in the above-mentioned figures are given the same numbers.

When the power switch 40 is turned on, the power of the control unit 42 is activated, and the 24-hour timer in the microcomputer starts working. The power is supplied to the pressure sensor 31 by turning on the relays 44 and 45 every predetermined time. After the power is turned on, when the oscillation frequency is stabilized, the oscillation frequency is measured for a predetermined time by a timer. The relationship between the pressure and the oscillation frequency has, for example, the characteristics shown in FIG. 6. By replacing the change in the water level with the change in the air pressure, the change in the water level can be basically known continuously.

The control unit 42 detects the water level,
If the water level is out of the predetermined value, either forward or reverse signal is sent to the motor drive circuit 43 for operating the weight. When the motor 25 is driven by the motor drive circuit 43 and reaches the upper limit or the lower limit, the limit switch 46 or 47 operates. This signal is sent to the control unit 4
2 detects and stops the motor drive.

After that, the power supply is cut off by operating the relays 44 and 45, and only the timer function in the microcomputer is operated. In this control, the above control is intermittently performed in order to save power consumption. That is, the relays 44 and 45 are used at predetermined time intervals using the timer function.
Is operated, and the above operation is repeatedly performed.

The changeover switch 48 is a switch for forcibly stopping water, and is normally set to operate automatically. However, depending on the growing state of the rice, it is necessary to middle-dry or drop water. By switching to water stoppage, the weight is forcibly lowered to close the irrigation channel.

[0036]

[Other Embodiments] In the above embodiment, the opening / closing means 2 has a structure in which the irrigation passage is closed by holding and crushing the irrigation hose 7 with the weight 21 up and down. However, the invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to select and use various valve devices for supplying and stopping the existing pipeline water flow.

For example, when the irrigation channel is constituted by a rigid pipe 9, a water stop valve 8 as schematically shown in FIG.
May be used. That is, a disc-shaped valve body 81 having a rotation axis 80 perpendicular to the flow path on the inner surface of the pipeline is rotated via a reduction mechanism including a pinion gear 82 attached to the motor 25 and a gear 83 meshing with the pinion gear 82. From that, irrigation
Water stoppage may be adjusted (arrow d). At this time, the drive control of the motor 25 is performed according to the control means 4. In the drawings, those having the same numbers as those in the above-mentioned drawings correspond to the same elements.

[0038]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained. Since watering and stopping of water in the paddy field can be automatically performed, the labor for agricultural work can be reduced, and water does not overflow or dry up. It can be performed. Furthermore, by controlling the time zone by dividing the time zone into two or more, it is possible to maintain the optimum paddy water level according to the time zone.

According to the configuration of the second aspect, it can be realized with a simple structure, and has an effect that not only the number of failures is small but also reliability is obtained, but also it can be manufactured at low cost. According to the configuration of the third aspect, it can be used in a place where a water faucet has already been installed, thereby improving versatility and widening the applicable range.

According to the configuration of the fourth aspect, as compared with the conventional flow type or the like, not only is the structure simpler, there is also no problem due to clogging of dust, etc., reliable operation can be ensured even for long-term use, and reliability is improved. Can be done.

According to the configuration of the fifth aspect, it is possible to control the accurate water level of the paddy field in accordance with the daytime and nighttime zones, and as a result, it is possible to realize conditions suitable for rice cultivation, and particularly to prevent cold damage such as burning. A more remarkable effect can be expected in cold-season rice cultivation with fear.

According to the configuration of claim 6, power consumption can be reduced, and even when a dry battery is used as a power source, the operation can be sufficiently continued without replacement for about five months during the rice cultivation season.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the entire embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view showing an installation state of the present embodiment in a paddy field.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an operation state of the embodiment;
(A) is a cross-sectional view showing a watering state, and (B) is a waterstop state.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing an enlarged main part of the installed state of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a control unit according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a characteristic diagram of a pressure sensor.

FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway perspective view schematically showing an embodiment of the opening / closing means of the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Paddy water level controller 10 Housing 13 Power supply 15 Support pile 16 Anchor pile 2 Opening / closing means 20 Weight receiver 21 Weight 22 Arm body 23 Construction rod 24 Towing string 25 Motor 3 Water level detecting means 30 Pipe 31 Pressure sensor 32 Vent hose 4 Control means 5 Paddy field 6 Gutter channel 7 Irrigation hose

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An electric motor, a means for opening and closing an irrigation channel to a paddy field driven by the motor, a water level detecting means configured to detect at least two or more paddy water levels, A water level controller for a paddy field, comprising: control means for controlling the opening / closing means in each time zone obtained by dividing 24 hours a day into at least two hours based on information. 2. The opening / closing means according to claim 1, wherein when the irrigation channel is constituted by a flexible hose, the irrigation channel is closed by crushing the hose with a motor-driven holding means. Water level controller for paddy fields. 3. The opening / closing means according to claim 1, wherein when the irrigation channel is constituted by a rigid pipe, the irrigation channel is closed by a motor-driven water stop valve connected to the irrigation pipe. Water level controller for paddy fields. 4. A water level detecting means for detecting a water level of a paddy field by detecting an air pressure in an enclosed space having a water level of the paddy field formed in communication with the water of the paddy field. Or the water level controller for paddy fields described in 3. 5. The control means divides 24 hours a day into a time zone mainly in the daytime and a time zone mainly in the night, and the time zone mainly in the daytime is at a low level water level and 5. The water level controller for a paddy field according to claim 1, wherein a high level water level is maintained in a time zone mainly at night. 6. The water level controller for a paddy field according to claim 1, wherein the control means performs control at predetermined intermittent times.