JP6239428B2 - Granular material dispersion device and work vehicle equipped with the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention mainly relates to a configuration for rotating a hopper in a fertilizer provided in a rice transplanter.

  Conventionally, a fertilizer applicator provided on the body of a rice transplanter is known. This fertilizer spreader applies solid granular fertilizer to the ground. The fertilizer applicator includes a hopper that is a container for storing fertilizer. Such a fertilizer applicator is described in Patent Document 1, for example.

  Patent document 1 is disclosing the structure which can rotate the upper fertilizer provided with the hopper upwards. The fertilizer disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a first upper fertilizer and a second upper fertilizer, and the first upper fertilizer and the second upper fertilizer can be divided into left and right and rotated upward. It is configured to be able to. Since patent document 1 can discharge | emit the fertilizer in a 1st upper fertilizer and a 2nd upper fertilizer easily by this, it can perform maintenance, such as cleaning in the said 1st upper fertilizer and a 2nd upper fertilizer, easily. I can do it.

  In the configuration of Patent Document 1, the driving force from the engine is input to the first upper fertilizer through the clutch. Moreover, patent document 1 is provided with the connection mechanism for transmitting motive power from a 1st upper fertilizer to a 2nd upper fertilizer.

JP 2010-130932 A

  In Patent Document 1, when the first upper fertilizer or the second upper fertilizer is rotated, the connection by the connection mechanism is released. Moreover, in the structure of patent document 1, in order to rotate a 1st upper fertilizer, in addition to a connection member, the operation | work which cancels | releases the connection of a clutch is also considered necessary.

  For this reason, in the structure of patent document 1, the procedure required in order to rotate a 1st upper fertilizer becomes complicated, and it cannot be said that the said 1st upper fertilizer can be rotated easily. In addition, when the first upper fertilizer applicator is rotated, if the clutch or the coupling mechanism is forgotten to be disconnected, the clutch or the coupling mechanism may be damaged.

  Furthermore, since the configuration of Patent Document 1 requires a clutch and a coupling mechanism, the configuration of the fertilizer applicator is complicated, leading to an increase in cost.

  Moreover, patent document 1 is provided with the fertilizer conveyance part which guides the fertilizer drawn | fed out by the 1st upper fertilizer and the 2nd upper fertilizer. The fertilizer transfer section has a connecting pipe to which a transfer hose is connected. The connecting pipe is a substantially cylindrical member arranged such that the longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction.

  In the fertilizer transport section having such a configuration, deposits may accumulate inside the connection pipe, and the connection pipe may be clogged with fertilizer. Therefore, maintenance such as periodic cleaning of the inside of the connecting pipe is required.

  In this regard, Patent Document 1 facilitates maintenance such as cleaning in the first upper fertilizer and the second upper fertilizer by rotating the first upper fertilizer and the second upper fertilizer upward. However, the fertilizer transport section cannot be rotated upward. For this reason, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, it is difficult to say that maintenance such as cleaning of the inside of the connecting pipe can be easily performed.

  This invention is made in view of the above situation, The main objective is to provide the fertilizer which can rotate an upper fertilizer (supply part) easily. Another object of the present invention is to provide a configuration capable of easily cleaning the inside of the connecting pipe provided in the transport unit.

Means and effects for solving the problems

  The problems to be solved by the present invention are as described above. Next, means for solving the problems and the effects thereof will be described.

According to the viewpoint of this invention, the following granular material spreading | diffusion apparatuses are provided. In other words, the granular material spraying device includes a drive output gear, a supply unit, and a transport unit. The drive output gear is rotationally driven by a drive force from a drive source. The supply unit supplies a granular material. The said conveyance part conveys the granular material supplied from the said supply part to the ground. The supply unit includes a supply unit that supplies the granular material by a predetermined amount and supplies the granular material to the transport unit, and a drive input gear to which a driving force for driving the supply unit is input. The supply unit is configured to be movable between a work position at which the granular material can be supplied to the transport unit and an open position separated from the transport unit. When the supply unit is in the working position, the drive output gear and the drive input gear mesh with each other. Further, the drive input gear is separated from the drive output gear by moving the supply unit from the work position toward the open position.

  As described above, the transmission of the drive from the drive source to the feeding unit is realized by the meshing of the gears, and the gears are separated when the supply unit is moved to the open position. Thereby, when moving a supply part to an open position, the operation of the clutch for canceling the connection between the supply part and the drive source becomes unnecessary. Further, since the clutch becomes unnecessary, there is no possibility that the clutch is forgotten to be broken and damaged.

  The granular material spraying device is preferably configured as follows. That is, this granular material spraying apparatus includes a plurality of the supply units. The drive input gear included in each supply unit can mesh with the drive output gear.

  Since the drive input gear for receiving the drive force from the drive output gear is provided in each of the plurality of supply units, the drive force can be transmitted from one drive output gear to each supply unit. Therefore, a connection mechanism for transmitting driving force between the plurality of supply units is not necessary. In addition, the operation of releasing the connection mechanism is not required, and there is no possibility that the connection mechanism is forgotten to be broken and damaged.

  In the above granular material spraying device, the drive source is preferably an electric motor.

  For example, it is conceivable to drive the granular material spraying device by the driving force of the engine, but in this case, since it is necessary to provide a driving force transmission mechanism from the engine to the driving output gear, freedom of arrangement of the driving output gear The degree becomes lower. In this respect, as described above, the drive source of the granular material spraying apparatus is an electric motor, so that the drive source can be freely arranged as compared with the engine, and the degree of freedom of arrangement of the drive output gear is increased.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a work vehicle is provided that includes the above-described granular material spraying device and a vehicle body that can travel by mounting the granular material spraying device.

  Since this work vehicle can easily perform maintenance of the granular material spraying device, it is possible to prevent clogging of the supply unit and the transport unit. Therefore, it can drive | work, spraying a granular material stably.

The side view which shows the whole structure of the rice transplanter which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The rear view of a fertilizer applicator. The top view of a fertilizer applicator. The rear view which shows a mode that the supply part was rotated. The side view of a fertilizer applicator. Side surface sectional drawing of a fertilizer applicator. The side view which shows a mode that a feeding part is spaced apart from a conveyance part. Side surface sectional drawing which shows a mode that a feeding part is spaced apart from a conveyance part. Side surface sectional drawing which shows a modification.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of a rice transplanter 1 as a work vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the rice transplanter 1 includes a vehicle body 2, a planting unit 3 disposed behind the vehicle body 2, and a fertilizer applicator 8.

  The vehicle body 2 includes a pair of left and right front wheels 4 and a rear wheel 5, and is configured to be able to travel by the driving force of the engine 10. In addition, a driver's seat 6 on which an operator rides is provided at a position between the front wheel 4 and the rear wheel 5 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 2. In front of the driver seat 6, a steering handle 7 for the operator to steer the vehicle body 2 is disposed.

  In addition, spare seedling stands 9 are provided on the left and right of the steering handle 7. A seedling box containing spare mat seedlings can be mounted on the spare seedling stand 9.

  The planting part 3 is connected to the rear of the vehicle body 2 via a lifting link mechanism 12. Further, a PTO shaft 13 for outputting the driving force of the engine 10 to the planting unit 3, a lifting cylinder 14 for driving the planting unit 3 up and down, and the like are disposed at the rear part of the vehicle body 2.

  The elevating link mechanism 12 has a parallel link structure including a top link 18, a lower link 19 and the like. Further, the elevating cylinder 14 is connected to the lower link 19. By extending and retracting the elevating cylinder 14, the entire planting unit 3 can be moved up and down.

  The planting unit 3 includes a seedling stage 17 and a plurality of planting units 20.

  Each planting unit 20 is configured as a rotary planting device provided with two planting claws 22 in a rotating case 21. The rotating case 21 is rotationally driven by the driving force input from the PTO shaft 13 so as to plant seedlings. In addition, the rice transplanter of this embodiment is comprised as a 4-row planting rice transplanter, and is equipped with the planting unit 20 for 4 strips arranged in the left-right direction of the vehicle body.

  The seedling placing stand 17 is arranged above the planting unit 20 and is configured to be able to place a mat seedling. In addition, since the rice transplanter of this embodiment is 4 row planting, the seedling mounting stand 17 is comprised so that the mat seedlings for 4 strips can be mounted side by side in the left-right direction of a vehicle body.

  The seedling stage 17 includes a transport mechanism (a well-known vertical feed mechanism and horizontal feed mechanism) that supplies the mat seedlings to the planting units 20. Thereby, since a seedling can be sequentially supplied with respect to each planting unit 20, each planting unit 20 can plant a seedling.

  The fertilizer applicator (granular material spraying device) 8 is a device for spraying solid granular fertilizer (granular material) on a field. The fertilizer applicator 8 includes a hopper 27, a feeding unit 11, a transport unit 33, a blower 37, and an air supply pipe 38.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the hopper 27 is disposed at a position between the driver's seat 6 and the seedling stage 17 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. As shown in FIG. 2, the hopper 27 includes a hopper body 30 and a lid portion 31. The hopper body 30 is configured as a container having an open top, and fertilizer is accommodated in the hopper body 30. The lid portion 31 is disposed so as to cover the open portion at the top of the hopper body 30.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the lower portion of the hopper body 30 is a passage portion 32 formed in a funnel shape so as to become thinner as it goes downward. The lower part of the passage part 32 is opened. Accordingly, the fertilizer in the hopper body 30 flows downward through the passage portion 32.

  Next, the feeding unit 11 will be described. The feeding portion 11 is disposed below the hopper 27. The feeding unit 11 is configured to feed the fertilizer supplied from the hopper 27 downward little by little.

  The feeding unit 11 includes a feeding case 28. The feeding case 28 is configured as a hollow case. The feeding case 28 is configured to be attached to the lower portion of the passage portion 32 of the hopper body 30. As shown in FIG. 6, the feeding case 28 has a fertilizer inflow space 25 therein. The fertilizer inflow space 25 communicates with the passage portion 32. Accordingly, the fertilizer supplied from the hopper 27 flows into the fertilizer inflow space 25.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the feeding tray 15 is disposed in the lower part of the fertilizer inflow space 25 inside the feeding case 28. The feeding tray 15 is a member formed in a substantially disc shape. A rotating shaft 23 is fixedly provided at the shaft center of the feeding tray 15.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a driven bevel gear 34 is fixedly provided on the rotating shaft 23 of the feeding tray 15. Further, the drive shaft 26 is rotatably supported by the feeding case 28. A drive-side bevel gear 35 is fixedly provided on the drive shaft 26 as shown in FIG. The driving side bevel gear 35 is arranged so as to mesh with the driven side bevel gear 34.

  A driving force output from the electric motor 50 as a driving source is input to the driving shaft 26 (details will be described later). The driving force is transmitted to the rotary shaft 23 via the bevel gears 34 and 35. Thereby, the feeding tray 15 is rotationally driven around the rotation shaft 23.

  The feeding tray 15 is formed with a plurality of feeding holes 24 penetrating the feeding tray 15 in the thickness direction. The feeding hole 24 is formed in a size that can accommodate a predetermined amount (about 1 to several grains) of fertilizer. Thereby, the fertilizer in the fertilizer inflow space 25 is taken into the feeding hole 24 by a predetermined amount. In this manner, when the predetermined amount of fertilizer is taken into the feeding hole 24, the feeding tray 15 is driven to rotate, so that the feeding hole 24 in the state in which the fertilizer is taken moves around the rotation shaft 23. And when the position of the delivery hole 24 corresponds to a predetermined delivery position, the said fertilizer taken in the said delivery hole 24 is comprised so that it may discharge | release below. With the above configuration, the fertilizer in the hopper 27 can be fed downward by a predetermined amount (from one to several grains).

  Next, the air supply pipe 38 and the blower 37 will be described. The air supply pipe 38 is a substantially pipe-shaped member, and is disposed along the left-right direction of the vehicle body as shown in FIG. One end of the air supply pipe 38 (the right end in the present embodiment) is closed, and the blower 37 is connected to the other end (the left end in the present embodiment). Has been. The air supply pipe 38 is fixedly provided so as not to move relative to the vehicle body 2. The blower 37 is configured to send air into the air supply pipe 38.

  Next, the transport unit 33 will be described. The transport unit 33 includes an introduction unit 40, a connection path 41, a transport hose 42, and a spray port 43.

  The introduction part 40 is disposed below the feeding case 28. As shown in FIG. 8 and the like, the upper portion of the introduction portion 40 is open and connected to the lower end portion of the feeding case 28. Moreover, the introduction part 40 is formed in the funnel shape so that it may become thin gradually as it progresses below.

  The connection path 41 is disposed below the introduction part 40. As shown in FIG. 6 and the like, the connection path 41 is formed in a circular tube shape and is disposed substantially along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 2. A lower end portion of the introduction portion 40 is connected to an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of the connection path 41. As a result, the internal space of the connection path 41 communicates with the introduction part 40. Therefore, the fertilizer fed by the feeding unit 11 is introduced into the connection path 41 through the introduction unit 40. In the present embodiment, the introduction part 40 and the connection path 41 are integrally formed.

  An air supply pipe 38 is connected to the front end of the connection path 41. As a result, the air flow generated by the blower 37 is supplied into the connection path 41 via the air supply pipe 38. The air flow flows backward in the connection path 41. Thereby, the fertilizer introduced in the connection path 41 can be conveyed toward the back on the said airflow. The connection path 41 is fixedly arranged with respect to the vehicle body 2 so as not to move relative to the air supply pipe 38.

  A conveyance hose 42 is connected to the rear end of the connection path 41. The conveyance hose 42 is a tubular member having flexibility. A spray port 43 is provided at the end of the transport hose 42 opposite to the connection path 41 (FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 1, the spray port 43 is provided close to the ground. Therefore, the fertilizer is carried on the air flow generated by the blower 37, is transported through the transport hose 42 to the spray port 43, and is discharged from the spray port 43 toward the ground.

  According to the fertilizer applicator 8 configured as described above, the fertilizer in the hopper 27 is fed by a predetermined amount by the feeding unit 11 and can be transported to the ground by the transport unit 33 and sprayed.

  In addition, since the rice transplanter of this embodiment is 4 row planting, the fertilizer applicator 8 of this embodiment has four feeding parts 11 and four conveyance parts 33 so that four fertilizers can be sprayed simultaneously. These are provided side by side in the left-right direction of the vehicle body 2 (see FIG. 2).

  Moreover, the hopper 27 of this embodiment is comprised so that the fertilizer for 2 strips may be accommodated. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the lower portion of the hopper body 30 is divided into two forks to form two passage portions 32. The feeding portion 11 is connected to each passage portion 32. Thereby, the fertilizer can be supplied to the two feeding parts 11 by one hopper 27. Therefore, the fertilizer applicator 8 of the present embodiment has two hoppers 27 arranged side by side in the left-right direction of the vehicle body so as to accommodate the fertilizers for four strips. Here, the left hopper 27 may be referred to as a left hopper 27L, and the right hopper 27 may be referred to as a right hopper 27R.

  As described above, the fertilizer applicator 8 has the drive shaft 26 for rotationally driving the feeding tray 15 of the feeding unit 11. In the present embodiment, the two feeding portions 11 are configured to be driven by a single drive shaft 26. Therefore, the fertilizer applicator 8 of this embodiment has two drive shafts 26. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the fertilizer applicator 8 includes a left drive shaft 26L and a right drive shaft 26R. The left and right drive shafts 26L and 26R are independent of each other.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the left drive shaft 26L is disposed across the two feeding portions 11 connected to the left hopper 27L. By inputting a driving force to the left driving shaft 26L, the two feeding parts 11 connected to the left hopper 27L can be driven simultaneously.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the right drive shaft 26 </ b> R is disposed across the two feeding portions 11 connected to the right hopper 27 </ b> R. By inputting a driving force to the right drive shaft 26R, the two feeding parts 11 connected to the right hopper 27R can be driven simultaneously.

  Next, the rotation mechanism of the hopper 27 will be described.

  That is, the fertilizer applicator 8 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to rotate the hopper 27 so that the fertilizer in the hopper 27 can be discharged to the outside. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, with the lid portion 31 removed from the hopper body 30, the hopper body 30 is rotated so that the upper open portion faces downward (state shown in FIG. 4). The fertilizer in the main body 30 can be discharged. Moreover, since the hopper body 30 can be rotated as described above, maintenance such as cleaning the inside of the hopper body 30 can be easily performed.

  The configuration that enables the hopper 27 to rotate will be described in detail as follows. That is, the fertilizer applicator 8 of this embodiment includes a rotation shaft 46, a rotation stay 47, and a support stay 48. As described above, the fertilizer applicator 8 of the present embodiment has the two hoppers 27 (the left hopper 27L and the right hopper 27R) arranged in the left-right direction of the vehicle body. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the rotation shaft 46, the rotation stay 47, and the support stay 48 are respectively provided on the left side and the right side of the fertilizer applicator 8. In the following description and drawings, the structure on the left side is indicated when “L” is appended to the reference numeral, and the structure on the right side is indicated when “R” is appended after the reference numeral.

  The support stay 48 is fixed to the air supply pipe 38. That is, the support stay 48 is fixed to the vehicle body 2. The left support stay 48 </ b> L is disposed in the vicinity of the left end of the air supply pipe 38. The right support stay 48R is disposed in the vicinity of the right end of the air supply pipe 38.

  A rotating shaft 46 is supported on the support stay 48. The rotation shaft 46 is disposed in parallel with the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. The left rotation shaft 46L is supported by the left support stay 48L, and the right rotation shaft 46R is supported by the right support stay 48R.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation stay 47 is disposed substantially along the vertical direction. The lower end of the rotation stay 47 is supported by the support stay 48 via the rotation shaft 46. Thereby, the rotation stay 47 can rotate around the rotation shaft 46 with respect to the support stay 48. The left rotation stay 47L is supported by the left support stay 48L via the left rotation shaft 46L. The right rotation stay 47R is supported by the right support stay 48R via the right rotation shaft 46R.

  The upper end of the rotating stay 47 is fixed to the hopper body 30. Thereby, the hopper 27 can be rotated around the rotation shaft 46. Specifically, the upper end of the left rotating stay 47L is fixed to the left side surface of the hopper body 30 of the left hopper 27L. As a result, the left hopper 27L can be rotated around the left rotation shaft 46L in the upper left direction (see the thick arrow A in FIG. 4). Further, the upper end portion of the right rotating stay 47R is fixed to the right side surface of the hopper body 30 of the right hopper 27R. As a result, the right hopper 27R can be rotated to the upper right around the right rotation shaft 46R (see the thick arrow B in FIG. 4).

  In the present embodiment, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3, the blower 37 can be retracted in a direction away from the left hopper 27 </ b> L. This is because, as shown in FIG. 2, the blower 37 is disposed immediately on the left side of the left hopper 27L, and therefore interferes with the position of the blower 37 when the left hopper 27L rotates. . Therefore, as described above, by allowing the blower 37 to be retracted from the left hopper 27L, the left hopper 27L can be rotated upward without interfering with the blower 37.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a handle 36 is provided corresponding to each of the left and right hoppers 27. The handle 36 is fixed to the hopper 27. Therefore, the operator can rotate the hopper 27 upward about the rotation shaft 46 by grasping the handle and lifting it. As shown in FIG. 3, the handle 36 of the present embodiment is disposed so as to protrude forward (toward the driver's seat 6) from the hopper 27. Thereby, the operator can easily perform the turning operation of the hopper 27 from the driver seat 6 side.

  In the present embodiment, the hopper 27 is configured to rotate integrally with the two feeding parts 11 connected to the hopper 27 when rotating around the rotation shaft 46 ( (See FIG. 4). Therefore, when the hopper 27 is rotated, an operation of separating the hopper 27 from the feeding portion 11 is not necessary.

  In order to allow the hopper 27 and the feeding part 11 to rotate integrally around the rotation shaft 46, the feeding part 11 needs to be separated from the transport part 33. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the feeding unit 11 is configured to be separated upward from the introduction unit 40 of the transport unit 33.

Further, as described above, since the driving shaft 26 is supported by the feeding case 28 of the feeding portion 11, it can be said that the hopper 27 rotates integrally with the driving shaft 26. Specifically, the left drive shaft 26L rotates integrally with the left hopper 27L around the left rotation shaft 46L. Also, the right drive shaft 26R is right hopper 27R and integrally rotated around the right pivot shaft 46R.

  As described above, in the fertilizer applicator 8 of the present embodiment, the hopper 27, the two feeding portions 11 attached to the hopper 27, and the drive shaft 26 arranged across the two feeding portions 11 are It can rotate integrally around the moving shaft 46. Here, the hopper 27, the feeding unit 11, and the drive shaft 26 supply fertilizer to the transport unit 33. Therefore, in the following description, among the configurations of the fertilizer applicator 8, the configuration that rotates around the rotation shaft 46 is collectively referred to as a “supply unit”.

  More specifically, the left hopper 27L, the two feeding portions 11 attached to the left hopper 27L, and the left drive shaft 26L can rotate integrally around the left rotation shaft 46L (see FIG. 4 (see bold line arrow A). Therefore, these are collectively referred to as the “left supply unit”. Further, the right hopper 27R, the two feeding portions 11 attached to the right hopper 27R, and the right drive shaft 26R can be rotated integrally around the right rotation shaft 46R (the thick line in FIG. 4). (See arrow B). Therefore, these are collectively referred to as the “right supply unit”.

  As described above, in the fertilizer applicator 8 of the present embodiment, the left and right supply units can rotate around the rotation shaft 46, respectively. Accordingly, the left and right supply units can move between the working position (FIGS. 2 and 3) and the open position (FIG. 4), respectively.

  Here, the “work position” of the supply unit refers to a position when the supply unit is in a state in which fertilizer can be supplied to the transport unit 33. Specifically, each of the two feeding units 11 included in the supply unit is connected to the upper end of the introduction unit 40 of the corresponding transport unit 33 (the state illustrated in FIGS. 2, 5, and 6). The “working position” of the supply unit. In this state, by inputting a driving force to the drive shaft 26 provided in the supply unit, the feeding trays 15 of the two feeding units 11 provided in the supply unit are respectively driven to rotate, and two pieces of fertilizer are fed out by a predetermined amount. Thus, the fertilizer can be supplied to the corresponding transport unit 33.

  By rotating the supply unit at the “working position” upward around the rotation shaft 46, the supply unit can be separated from the transport unit 33 (for example, the state of FIG. 4). The position of the supply unit in this state is referred to as “open position”. The supply unit in this state cannot supply fertilizer to the conveyance unit 33.

  Subsequently, a characteristic configuration of the present embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the left supply unit is set to the “working position”, the left drive shaft 26 </ b> L is arranged to be substantially parallel to the left-right direction of the vehicle body. The left supply section has a left drive input gear 49L fixedly provided on the left drive shaft 26L. The left drive input gear 49L is disposed in the vicinity of the end portion on the side close to the right supply portion (the right end portion) of the both ends of the left drive shaft 26L. The left drive input gear 49L is a spur gear (spur gear).

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the right supply unit is set to the “working position”, the right drive shaft 26 </ b> R is disposed so as to be substantially parallel to the left-right direction of the vehicle body. Further, the right supply unit has a right drive input gear 49R fixedly provided on the right drive shaft 26R. The right drive input gear 49R is disposed in the vicinity of the end portion on the side close to the left supply portion (left end portion) among the both end portions of the right drive shaft 26R. The right drive input gear 49R is a spur gear (spur gear).

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the left and right supply units are both set to the “working position”, the left and right drive shafts 26 </ b> L so that the axis lines of the left drive shaft 26 </ b> L and the right drive shaft 26 </ b> R coincide. , 26R are arranged. At this time, the left and right drive input gears 49L and 49R are arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the vehicle body 2 is provided with an electric motor 50 that is a drive source of the fertilizer applicator 8. The electric motor 50 is fixedly disposed so as not to move relative to the vehicle body 2. The output shaft of the electric motor 50 is provided so as to be substantially parallel to the left-right direction of the vehicle body 2. A drive output gear 51 is fixedly provided on the output shaft. The drive output gear 51 is a spur gear (spur gear).

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the left drive input gear 49 </ b> L is arranged to mesh with the drive output gear 51 when the left supply unit is set to the “working position”. By driving the electric motor 50 in this state, the rotational driving force is transmitted to the left drive shaft 26L via the drive output gear 51 and the left drive input gear 49L. Thereby, the two feeding parts 11 with which the left supply part is equipped can be driven.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the right drive input gear 49 </ b> R is arranged to mesh with the drive output gear 51 when the right supply unit is set to the “working position”. By driving the electric motor 50 in this state, the rotational driving force is transmitted to the right drive shaft 26R via the drive output gear 51 and the right drive input gear 49R. Thereby, the two feeding parts 11 with which the right supply part is equipped can be driven.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the left and right drive input gears 49 </ b> L and 49 </ b> R are arranged so that they can mesh with one drive output gear 51 at the same time. With the above configuration, the driving force can be transmitted from the single drive output gear 51 to the left and right drive shafts 26L and 26R.

  In the above-described Patent Document 1, since the driving force is input only to the right driving shaft (first input shaft), the driving force is transmitted to the left driving shaft (second input shaft). Therefore, a connection mechanism that connects the left and right drive shafts is necessary. In this regard, in the present embodiment, the driving force is transmitted from the single drive output gear 51 to the left and right drive shafts 26L and 26R, so that the right drive shaft 26R is driven to the left drive shaft 26L. There is no need to transmit power. Therefore, the fertilizer applicator 8 of the present embodiment does not have a connection mechanism that connects the left and right drive shafts 26L and 26R. Thereby, the fertilizer applicator 8 can be comprised simply.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the shaft center (right drive shaft 26 </ b> R in FIG. 5) of the drive input gear 49 (right drive input gear 49 </ b> R in FIG. 5) is more than the shaft center of the drive output gear 51. It is placed at a high position. In other words, the drive input gear 49 (right drive input gear 49R in the case of FIG. 5) is arranged so as to mesh with the drive output gear 51 from above.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7, the drive input gear 49 (the right drive input gear 49R in the case of FIG. 7) moves upward to disengage the drive output gear 51, and It is possible to move away from the drive output gear 51 (see the thick arrow in FIG. 7). On the contrary, the drive input gear 49 can be meshed with the drive output gear 51 by approaching the drive output gear 51 from above.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the left drive input gear 49L is separated upward from the drive output gear 51 by moving the left supply unit from the “work position” to the “open position”. (See the thick arrow A in FIG. 4). As a result, the connection between the output shaft of the electric motor 50 and the left drive shaft 26L is released. Conversely, the left drive input gear 49L and the drive output gear 51 can be engaged with each other by moving the left supply section from the “open position” to the “work position” (state of FIG. 2). . As a result, the output shaft of the electric motor 50 and the left drive shaft 26L are connected.

  Thus, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the output shaft of the electric motor 50 and the left drive shaft 26L are connected by moving the left supply portion around the left rotation shaft 46L. Or it can be cut. The connection and disconnection are realized by separating or approaching the left drive input gear 49L and the drive output gear 51. Therefore, a clutch or the like for realizing the connection and disconnection is unnecessary. Therefore, in this embodiment, no clutch is provided between the output shaft of the electric motor 50 and the left drive shaft 26L.

  Similarly, the right drive input gear 49R can be separated upward from the drive output gear 51 by moving the right supply section from the “work position” to the “open position” (FIG. 4). (See bold arrow B). As a result, the connection between the output shaft of the electric motor 50 and the right drive shaft 26R is released. On the contrary, the right drive input gear 49R and the drive output gear 51 can be engaged with each other by moving the right supply section from the “open position” to the “work position” (state of FIG. 2). . As a result, the output shaft of the electric motor 50 and the right drive shaft 26R are connected.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the right supply unit is moved around the right rotation shaft 46R, thereby connecting the output shaft of the electric motor 50 and the right drive shaft 26R. Or it can be cut. The connection and disconnection are realized by separating or approaching the right drive input gear 49R and the drive output gear 51. Therefore, a clutch or the like for realizing the connection and disconnection is unnecessary. Therefore, in the present embodiment, no clutch is provided between the output shaft of the electric motor 50 and the right drive shaft 26R.

  In addition, in the above-mentioned patent document 1, when rotating a supply part (upper fertilizer machine), operation which cut | disconnects a clutch and a connection mechanism was required. For this reason, when forgetting the operation which cuts | disconnects a clutch or a connection mechanism when rotating a supply part, there existed a possibility of damaging the said clutch or a connection mechanism.

  In this respect, since the fertilizer applicator 8 of the present embodiment does not have the clutch and the coupling mechanism as described above, the problem that the clutch and the coupling mechanism are damaged does not occur. In addition, when the supply unit is moved around the rotation shaft 46, it is not necessary to operate the clutch or the coupling mechanism. Therefore, the supply unit can be moved around the rotation shaft 46 with a simple operation.

  By the way, the clutch of patent document 1 controls connection / disconnection of an engine and a supply part (upper fertilizer). In the configuration of Patent Document 1, if the clutch is omitted, the supply unit cannot be disconnected from the engine, and the supply unit cannot be stopped. Therefore, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the clutch is an essential configuration in order to separate and stop the supply unit from the engine.

  On the other hand, in the rice transplanter 1 of this embodiment, the electric motor 50 is provided as a dedicated drive source for driving the supply unit. Since the electric motor 50 can be controlled independently of the engine 10, the electric motor 50 may be stopped to stop the supply unit. Thus, in the fertilizer applicator 8 of this embodiment, since the electric motor 50 is provided as a drive source dedicated to the supply unit, a clutch for separating and stopping the supply unit from the engine is unnecessary. As a result, the clutch can be omitted as described above.

  In the rice transplanter 1 of the present embodiment, if the drive source of the supply unit is the engine 10, it is necessary to provide a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting drive from the engine 10 to the drive output gear 51. For this reason, it is difficult to dispose the drive output gear 51 at the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle body due to layout restrictions of the drive transmission mechanism. As a result, it becomes difficult to dispose the drive output gear 51 at a position where the left and right drive input gears 49L and 49R can mesh with each other.

  In this respect, since the electric motor 50 can be relatively freely disposed on the vehicle body, there is no particular difficulty in disposing the drive output gear 51 at the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle body 2. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the drive output gear 51 is disposed at the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle body 2, so the left and right drive input gears 49 </ b> L with respect to the drive output gear 51. 49R can mesh with each other.

  Patent Document 1 describes an operation member for performing an operation of releasing the above-described coupling mechanism. In Patent Document 1, the operation member is disposed in the vicinity of the handle (second gripping portion). Therefore, the operator can release the connection of the connection mechanism by holding the operation member together with the handle (second holding portion). Here, since the operation member needs to be disposed in the vicinity of the coupling mechanism, the handle (second grip portion) needs to be disposed in the vicinity of the coupling mechanism. As described above, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the position of the handle is restricted.

  In this respect, since the fertilizer applicator 8 of the present embodiment does not have the clutch and the coupling mechanism as described above, an operation member for operating the clutch or the coupling mechanism is also unnecessary. Therefore, there is no restriction that the handle 36 must be disposed in the vicinity of the operation member. Thus, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the handle 36 can be freely arranged. Accordingly, the handle 36 can be disposed at a position where the operator can easily grasp it, so that the operation of moving the supply unit by grasping the handle 36 can be easily performed.

  Next, maintenance of the transport unit 33 will be described.

  As described above, in the fertilizer applicator 8 of the present embodiment, the supply unit can be separated from the introduction unit 40 of the transport unit 33 by rotating the supply unit upward. Thereby, the internal space of the introducing | transducing part 40 can be exposed (refer FIG. 8). Therefore, according to said structure, the effect that the inside of the introducing | transducing part 40 etc. can be performed easily is also acquired.

  However, even if the supply unit is rotated upward as described above, the inside of the connection path 41 is hardly exposed (see FIG. 8). Therefore, it is difficult to clean the inside of the connection path 41. Therefore, in this embodiment, a cleaning member 52 is provided inside the connection path 41 so that the inside of the connection path 41 can be easily cleaned.

  The cleaning member 52 only needs to clean at least a portion through which the fertilizer passes in the longitudinal direction of the connection path 41. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6 and the like, the cleaning member 52 of the present embodiment is connected to a downstream side (rear side) end of the connection path 41 from a location where the introduction part 40 is connected in the connection path 41. It is provided in the area between. The cleaning member 52 is configured to be rotatable around the axis of the connection path 41 inside the connection path 41. As described above, by rotating the cleaning member 52 in the connection path 41, the deposits accumulated on the inner peripheral wall surface of the connection path 41 can be scraped off. Thereby, clogging of fertilizer etc. can be prevented.

  By the way, it is also conceivable that the cleaning member 52 is composed of, for example, a brush. However, if something like a brush is arranged in the connection path 41, it will be an obstacle when the fertilizer passes through the connection path 41.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the cleaning member 52 is composed of a wire (wire). More specifically, the cleaning member 52 of the present embodiment is configured in a coil shape (a spiral wire shape) having a diameter corresponding to the inner peripheral diameter of the connection path 41 by appropriately bending the wire.

  As described above, since the cleaning member 52 is made of a wire rod, the space occupied by the cleaning member 52 in the connection path 41 is very small. Thereby, the bad influence which it has on the conveyance of the fertilizer in the connection path 41 can be suppressed to the minimum. In particular, in this embodiment, since the cleaning member 52 is coiled, the fertilizer can pass through the axial center. Thereby, conveyance of the fertilizer in the connection path 41 is not prevented by the cleaning member 52.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the extending | stretching part 53 extended toward the front from the cleaning member 52 is provided. The extending portion 53 is a wire rod (wire) that is arranged so as to coincide with the axis of the connection path 41 and is formed integrally with the cleaning member 52. As shown in FIG. 6, the extending portion 53 is disposed so as to protrude from the front end portion of the connection path 41 and further pass through the inside of the air supply pipe 38. A passage hole is formed in the peripheral wall of the air supply pipe 38 so that the extending portion 53 can be passed back and forth. Thereby, the extending | stretching part 53 is arrange | positioned so that it may protrude toward the front from the air supply pipe | tube 38. FIG.

  An operation unit 55 is provided at the front end of the extending unit 53. The operation part 55 is fixedly provided with respect to the extending part 53, and is configured in a lever shape so that an operator can operate it with a finger. The operator can rotate the operation unit 55 around the longitudinal direction of the extending unit 53. Thereby, the operator can rotate the cleaning member 52 inside the connection path 41 around the axis of the connection path 41. Thereby, the inside of the connection path 41 can be cleaned.

  As described above, the operation unit 55 is provided in front of the air supply pipe 38. That is, the operation part 55 is arrange | positioned at the driver's seat 6 side. Therefore, the operator can operate the operation unit 55 from the driver seat 6 side. Thereby, since operation of the operation part 55 can be performed easily, the cleaning in the connection path 41 by the cleaning member 52 can be performed easily.

  As described above, the fertilizer applicator 8 of this embodiment includes the drive output gear 51, the supply unit, and the transport unit 33. The drive output gear 51 is rotationally driven by a driving force from an electric motor 50 that is a driving source. The supply unit supplies solid granular fertilizer. The conveyance part 33 conveys the fertilizer supplied from the supply part to the ground. The supply unit includes a feeding unit 11 that feeds the fertilizer by a predetermined amount and supplies the fertilizer to the transport unit 33, and a drive input gear 49 to which a driving force for driving the feeding unit 11 is input. The supply unit is configured to be movable between an operation position where the fertilizer can be supplied to the conveyance unit 33 (FIG. 2) and an open position separated from the conveyance unit 33 (FIG. 4). When the supply unit is in the working position, the drive output gear 51 and the drive input gear 49 are engaged with each other. Further, the drive input gear 49 is separated from the drive output gear 51 by moving the supply unit from the work position toward the open position.

  As described above, the transmission of the drive from the electric motor 50 as the drive source to the feeding unit 11 is realized by the meshing of the gears, and the gears are separated when the supply unit is moved to the open position. Thereby, when moving a supply part to an open position, the operation of the clutch for canceling the connection between the supply part and the electric motor 50 becomes unnecessary. Further, since the clutch becomes unnecessary, there is no possibility that the clutch is forgotten to be broken and damaged.

  Moreover, as demonstrated above, the fertilizer applicator 8 of this embodiment is provided with two supply parts on the left and right. A drive input gear 49 provided in each supply unit can mesh with the drive output gear 51.

  Since the drive input gear 49 for receiving the drive force from the drive output gear 51 is provided in each of the two supply units, the drive force can be transmitted from one drive output gear 51 to each supply unit. Therefore, a connection mechanism for transmitting driving force between the plurality of supply units is not necessary. In addition, the operation of releasing the connection mechanism is not required, and there is no possibility that the connection mechanism is forgotten to be broken and damaged.

  Moreover, as demonstrated above, the fertilizer applicator 8 of this embodiment is comprised as follows. That is, the transport unit 33 includes an introduction unit 40, a connection path 41, a transport hose 42, and a cleaning member 52. The introduction unit 40 is supplied with the fertilizer from the supply unit and has a substantially funnel shape. The connection path 41 is connected to the lower end portion of the introduction portion 40 and is configured in a substantially tubular shape. The conveyance hose 42 is connected to the connection path 41 and conveys the fertilizer to the ground. The cleaning member 52 is configured to be rotatable around the axis of the connection path 41 inside the connection path 41.

  As described above, by providing the cleaning member 52, the inside of the connection path 41 can be cleaned, so that deposits can be prevented from accumulating in the connection path 41.

  Moreover, as demonstrated above, in the fertilizer applicator 8 of this embodiment, the cleaning member 52 is comprised from the wire.

  As described above, since the cleaning member 52 is made of a wire, the space occupied by the cleaning member 52 in the connection path 41 is very small. Therefore, when the fertilizer is conveyed through the connection path 41, the cleaning member 52 does not get in the way.

  As described above, the rice transplanter 1 of the present embodiment includes the fertilizer applicator 8, the vehicle body 2 on which the fertilizer applicator is mounted, and the electric motor 50 as a drive source. Yes.

  For example, it is conceivable to drive the fertilizer applicator 8 with the driving force of the engine 10 of the vehicle body 2, but in this case, it is necessary to provide a driving force transmission mechanism from the engine 10 to the driving output gear 51. The degree of freedom of arrangement of the gear 51 is reduced. In this respect, as described above, by using the electric motor 50 as the drive source of the fertilizer applicator 8, the electric motor 50 can be freely arranged regardless of the engine 10 of the vehicle body 2, and thus the drive output gear 51 can be freely arranged. The degree increases.

  Next, a modification of the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the description of this modification, the same or similar members as those in the above-described embodiment may be denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and description thereof may be omitted.

  The modification shown in FIG. 9A is configured such that the cleaning member 52 can be reciprocated along the axial direction of the connection path 41. Thus, the inside of the connection path 41 can be cleaned by reciprocating the cleaning member 52 in the connection path 41.

  In the modification of FIG. 9A, the operation unit 55 is configured to be slidable along the axial direction (front-rear direction) of the connection path 41. Therefore, the operator can reciprocate the cleaning member 52 in the connection path 41 along the axis of the connection path 41 by moving the operation unit 55 back and forth. In the modification of FIG. 9A, an urging member 60 configured as a compression coil spring is disposed between the operation unit 55 and the air supply pipe 38. Thereby, the operation part 55 is urged | biased toward the front (left side of FIG. 9). Therefore, the operator can reciprocate the cleaning member 52 inside the connection path 41 by pushing the operation unit 55 rearward (right side in FIG. 9) and then releasing the push. .

  In the modification shown in FIG. 9B, the connection path 41 is automatically rotated by the wind generated by the blower 37. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9B, a wind receiving portion 61 is provided in the extending portion 53. The wind receiving portion 61 is disposed inside the air supply pipe 38. The wind receiving portion 61 has a shape capable of receiving air flowing in the air supply pipe 38 and is fixed to the extending portion 53. Since the air flow generated by the blower 37 is supplied to the air supply pipe 38, the air flow acts on the wind receiving portion 61, and the extending portion 53 can be rotated around the axis.

  According to this, the cleaning member 52 can be rotated in the connection path 41 by the action of the air flow generated by the blower 37. The cleaning member 52 continues to rotate while the blower 37 is supplying an air flow. That is, since the cleaning by the cleaning member 52 can be performed automatically and continuously, the inside of the connection path 41 can always be kept clean, and deposits can be reliably prevented from accumulating in the connection path 41. In the modification of FIG. 9B, since the wind of the blower 37 is used to rotate the cleaning member 52, it is not necessary to separately provide a drive source for rotating the cleaning member 52, and fertilization The machine 8 can be configured simply.

  The preferred embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, but the above configuration can be modified as follows, for example.

  In the above-described embodiment, the feeding unit 11 is provided with a plurality of feeding holes 24 penetrating in the thickness direction in the disc-shaped feeding tray 15, and the feeding tray 15 is arranged around the rotation shaft 23 arranged in a substantially vertical direction. It is configured to rotate. However, the configuration of the feeding unit 11 is not limited to this, and any configuration may be used as long as the fertilizer can be fed out by a predetermined amount. For example, the feeding unit 11 may have a configuration in which a plurality of feeding holes are provided around a cylindrical feeding roll, and the feeding roll is rotationally driven around a rotation axis arranged in a substantially horizontal direction.

  In the above embodiment, when the left and right supply units are in the “working state” (FIGS. 2 and 3), the left and right drive input gears 49L and 49R are arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction. Not limited to this. In short, it is only necessary that the left and right drive input gears 49L and 49R can simultaneously mesh with one drive output gear 51, and the axis lines of the left and right drive input gears 49L and 49R do not necessarily have to coincide. .

  Although the fertilizer applicator 8 of the said embodiment spreads the fertilizer for 4 strips, and the supply parts on either side supply the fertilizer for 2 strips, respectively, there is no intent to limit to this. For example, as the fertilizer applicator 8 for spraying the fertilizer for 6 strips, the left and right supply units can supply the fertilizer for 3 strips. However, it is not necessary for the supply parts on the left and right to supply the same number of fertilizers. For example, in the fertilizer applicator 8 that sprays the fertilizer for 6 strips, the left supply unit can supply 4 fertilizers and the right supply unit can supply 2 strips of fertilizer. .

Configuration of the present invention is not limited to the fertilizer machine, granules (particle-like solids) can widely apply it to granulate spraying device for spraying on the ground.

1 Rice transplanter (work vehicle)
2 Vehicle 8 Fertilizer applicator (granular material spreading device)
11 Feeding part 33 Conveying part 49 Drive input gear 51 Drive output gear

Claims (4)

A drive output gear that is rotationally driven by a driving force from a drive source, a supply unit that supplies granular material,
A transport unit that transports the granular material supplied from the supply unit to the ground;
With
The supply unit
A feeding unit that feeds the granular material by a predetermined amount and supplies the granular material;
A drive input gear to which a driving force for driving the feeding portion is input;
With
The supply unit is configured to be movable between a work position where the granular material can be supplied to the transport unit and an open position separated from the transport unit,
When the supply unit is in the working position, the drive output gear and the drive input gear mesh with each other,
The granular material spraying apparatus, wherein the drive input gear is separated from the drive output gear by moving the supply unit from the work position toward the open position. The granular material spraying device according to claim 1,
A plurality of the supply units are provided,
The granular material spraying device, wherein the drive input gear included in each supply unit can mesh with the drive output gear. The granular material spraying device according to claim 1 or 2,
The granular material spraying device, wherein the drive source is an electric motor. The granular material spraying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
A vehicle body equipped with the granular material spraying device;
A work vehicle comprising:

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