JP7527239B2 - Rice transplanter - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rice transplanter equipped with a spare seedling transport device that transports a seedling mat, which is a mat made by gathering multiple seedlings, to the seedling loading platform of the seedling planting device.

For example, the rice transplanter disclosed in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a spare seedling transport device (referred to as a "spare seedling supply device" in the document), which transports seedling mats to the seedling placement platform of the seedling planting device. The spare seedling transport devices are arranged on either side of the boarding section (referred to as a "boarding driver's section" in the document) in a plan view.

JP 2020-5546 A

The rice transplanter disclosed in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a drive body (referred to as an "actuator" in the document) that drives the spare seedling transport device to swing back and forth, and when the spare seedling transport device swings forward, a worker positioned at the edge of the field can supply seedling mats from the edge of the field to the front of the spare seedling transport device. However, in the rice transplanter disclosed in Patent Document 1, the spare seedling transport device is positioned to the left and right of the boarding section, with the height of the spare seedling transport device overlapping with the height of the boarding section. For this reason, the left and right views of the passenger positioned at the boarding section are easily blocked by the spare seedling transport device, and the configuration makes it difficult for the passenger to get on and off the boarding section. For this reason, there is room for improvement in the structure of the spare seedling transport device.

The object of the present invention is to provide a rice transplanter that does not impede the boarding and disembarking of the passenger from the boarding section, provides good visibility of the field from the boarding section, and is equipped with a spare seedling transport device that makes it easy to replenish seedling mats.

The rice transplanter of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a traveling body that travels through a field, a seedling planting device that is connected to the rear of the traveling body and has a seedling carrying platform on which a seedling mat made by collecting a number of seedlings into a mat shape is placed, the seedling planting device planting seedlings in the field and capable of planting a number of seedling rows, a boarding section that is provided on the traveling body and has a passenger seat on which a passenger can sit, a spare seedling transporting device that is connected to the traveling body while being located in front of the seedling planting device and has a transport mechanism that transports the seedling mat to the seedling carrying platform via above the boarding section , the spare seedling transporting device has a number of transport mechanisms corresponding to the number of planting rows of the seedling planting device, the transport mechanism is provided in a drivable manner, and is equipped with a first drive body that drives the spare seedling transporting device to swing up and down around a swing fulcrum that is oriented horizontally and provided above the boarding section, and a rear transport section that is provided behind the plurality of transport mechanisms and slides down the seedling mats transported by the plurality of transport mechanisms to transport them to the seedling carrying platform .

According to the present invention, the spare seedling transport device is configured to be able to swing around a swinging fulcrum that is located to the side of the machine body and is provided above the boarding section, and the spare seedling transport device is configured to pass the seedling mat above the boarding section. As a result, it is possible to configure the spare seedling transport device to be located above the boarding section by swinging upward. As a result, compared to a configuration in which the spare seedling transport device is located to the side of the machine body of the boarding section, the spare seedling transport device is less likely to block the left and right visibility of the passenger, and the passenger can easily get on and off the boarding section. In addition, by swinging the spare seedling transport device downward, a worker positioned at the edge of the field can supply seedling mats from the edge of the field to the front part of the spare seedling transport device. This realizes a rice transplanter equipped with a spare seedling transport device that does not interfere with the boarding and disembarking of the passenger riding on the boarding section, has good visibility of the field from the boarding section, and is easy to replenish seedling mats.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the spare seedling transport device has a left-right width that spans the planting row of the seedling planting device, and the first drive body is configured to be able to change the position of the spare seedling transport device between a lowered position in which the spare seedling transport device is tilted upward and rearward so that the front end of the spare seedling transport device is located below the upper end of the passenger seat, and an elevated position in which the spare seedling transport device swings upward from the lowered position so that the front end of the spare seedling transport device is located forward and above the passenger seat.

According to this configuration, the spare seedling transport device has a width that spans the planting rows of the seedling planting device, so the spare seedling transport device can transport seedling mats to the seedling placement platform for each planting row of the seedling planting device. In addition, compared to a configuration in which the spare seedling transport device is narrower than the left-right width of the seedling planting device, the spare seedling transport device can accommodate a larger number of seedling mats. In addition, the first drive body is configured to change the position of the spare seedling transport device between a lowered position and an elevated position, and in the lowered position, the front end of the spare seedling transport device is located lower than the upper end of the passenger seat. Therefore, when the spare seedling transport device is in the lowered position, a worker positioned at the edge of the field can easily supply seedling mats from the edge of the field to the front end of the spare seedling transport device. In addition, by changing the position of the spare seedling transport device to the elevated position, the left-right field of vision of the passenger is less likely to be blocked by the spare seedling transport device, and it is easier for the passenger to get on and off at the boarding section.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the spare seedling transport device is configured so that when in the raised position, the height of the front end of the spare seedling transport device and the height of the swing fulcrum are the same or approximately the same.

With this configuration, when the spare seedling transport device is in an elevated position, the position of the spare seedling transport device approaches horizontal. Therefore, even if the rice transplanter is traveling in the field and the spare seedling transport device vibrates, the seedling mat received by the spare seedling transport device is supported stably without falling off the spare seedling transport device.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the front end of the spare seedling transport device is located forward of the front end of the traveling body when in the lowered position.

This configuration allows workers positioned at the edge of the field to more easily feed seedling mats from the edge of the field to the front end of the spare seedling transport device.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the first driving body is constituted by an electric hydraulic cylinder.

With this configuration, the first driving body is an electric hydraulic cylinder, so even if the rice transplanter engine is not running, the first driving body can be driven only by the power supply.

In the present invention, the spare seedling transport device is configured to be able to store a plurality of the seedling mats along the longitudinal direction of the machine body, and the transport mechanism is provided with an endless rotating body that feeds and transports the seedling mats along the longitudinal direction of the machine body, a second driving body that rotates and drives the endless rotating body, a first detection unit that detects the seedling mats at the front end of the transport mechanism, and a second detection unit that detects the seedling mats at the rear end of the transport mechanism. The control unit is also provided with a control unit that drives and controls the second driving body, and the control unit is preferably configured to rotate the second driving body so that the seedling mat is fed and transported backward a predetermined distance when the first detection unit detects the seedling mat and the second detection unit does not detect the seedling mat, and not to rotate the second driving body when the second detection unit detects the seedling mat regardless of the detection state of the first detection unit.

With this configuration, the seedling mat is transported to the seedling placement platform by the second driving body rotating the endless rotating body, so the transport mechanism is realized with a simple configuration. In addition, the first detection unit detects the seedling mat at the front of the transport mechanism, so the transport mechanism can transport the seedling mat supplied by the worker to the side where the seedling placement platform is located. In addition, the transport mechanism stops based on the detection result of the second detection unit, reducing the risk that the worker will accidentally supply too many seedling mats to the spare seedling transport device.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the first detection unit is provided with two detection devices lined up along the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism and spaced apart a distance shorter than the length of the seedling mat in the conveying direction, and the first detection unit enters a seedling mat detection state when the two detection devices detect the seedling mat, and enters a seedling mat non-detection state when at least one of the two detection devices does not detect the seedling mat, and the control unit is configured to rotate the second drive body when the first detection unit is in the seedling mat detection state , and not to rotate the second drive body when the first detection unit is in the seedling mat non-detection state .

Because the front part of the transport mechanism is the area where seedling mats are supplied, for example, there is a risk that an operator may accidentally touch the first detection unit. In this case, if the first detection unit is a single detection device, there is a risk that the transport mechanism may malfunction or cause a false detection. In this configuration, the two detection devices are aligned along the transport direction of the transport mechanism and are separated by a distance shorter than the length of the seedling mats in the transport direction. Therefore, when seedling mats are supplied to the transport mechanism, the two detection devices can detect one seedling mat. Furthermore, the control unit only performs control when both of the two detection devices detect the seedling mat. Therefore, even if an operator accidentally touches one of the detection devices, the transport mechanism is less likely to malfunction or cause a false detection.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the predetermined distance is set to be a predetermined extra length longer than the length of the seedling mat in the transport direction.

With this configuration, the seedling mat is transported a distance longer than the length of one mat during one feeding and transport. Therefore, when multiple seedling mats are supplied to one transport mechanism, the multiple seedling mats are lined up at intervals along the transport direction of the transport mechanism. As a result, when two adjacent seedling mats pass through the first and second detection units, the first and second detection units each detect the seedling mat on the downstream side in the transport direction, and then temporarily enter a non-detection state before detecting the seedling mat on the upstream side in the transport direction. This prevents the first and second detection units from detecting two adjacent seedling mats in succession, and avoids unexpected malfunctions or false detections of the transport mechanism.

In the present invention , it is preferable that the second driving body in each of the plurality of transport mechanisms is controlled to be driven separately.

With this configuration, the worker can supply seedling mats for each planting row. Furthermore, when the transport mechanism stops based on the detection result of the second detection unit, the worker can supply seedling mats to the transport mechanism corresponding to the other planting rows. In other words, by providing multiple transport mechanisms corresponding to the number of planting rows, the seedling mats are arranged in a balanced manner on the left and right according to the planting rows, compared to when there is only one transport mechanism. Furthermore, while the amount of seedling mats placed on the seedling placement table often varies for each planting row, with this configuration, the worker can, for example, supply seedlings only to planting rows that need to be replenished on the seedling placement table. This avoids the risk of unnecessary seedling supply being made to planting rows that do not need to be replenished on the seedling placement table, and appropriate seedling supply is made to planting rows that need to be replenished on the seedling placement table.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the control unit is configured to be switchable between a forward rotation control state in which the second driving body is driven and controlled so as to feed and transport the seedling mat to the side where the seedling tray is located, and a reverse rotation control state in which the second driving body is driven and controlled so as to feed and transport the seedling mat to the side opposite the side where the seedling tray is located.

With this configuration, when there are any excess mat seedlings, the worker can easily collect the seedling mats by switching the rotation direction of the second driving body.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the first driving body is a hydraulic cylinder, and has a first link driven by the hydraulic cylinder and a second link which transmits the power of the first link to the spare seedling transporting device, and is provided with a link mechanism which is operated by the hydraulic cylinder to perform up and down swinging operation of the spare seedling transporting device.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the spare seedling transporting device is configured so that the transport path of the transport mechanism is a straight path from the starting end to the terminal end when viewed from the side of the traveling body, regardless of the up and down swinging.

This is a side view of a rice transplanter having a spare seedling transport device, with the front transport part of the spare seedling transport device in a lowered position. This is a side view of a rice transplanter having a spare seedling transport device, in which the front transport section of the spare seedling transport device is in an elevated position. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a rice transplanter having a spare seedling transport device. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the main parts showing the front transport section of the spare seedling transport device. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4) showing the front transport section and scoop section of the spare seedling transport device. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4) showing the front transport section and scoop section of the spare seedling transport device. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4) showing the front transport section and scoop section of the spare seedling transport device. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control unit that drives a belt conveying motor. FIG. 4 is a flowchart relating to drive control of a belt conveying motor. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of another embodiment relating to drive control of a belt conveying motor.

[Basic configuration of riding rice transplanter]
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In Fig. 1 to Fig. 3, the arrow "F" indicates the front of the aircraft, the arrow "B" indicates the rear of the aircraft, the arrow "U" indicates the upper side of the aircraft, the arrow "D" indicates the lower side of the aircraft, the arrow "L" indicates the left side of the aircraft, and the arrow "R" indicates the right side of the aircraft.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the riding rice transplanter is equipped with a traveling body C capable of traveling in a field. The traveling body C has a pair of left and right steering wheels 10, 10 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 11, 11. The pair of left and right steering wheels 10 are provided at the front of the traveling body C and are configured to freely change the direction of the traveling body C, and the pair of left and right rear wheels 11 are provided at the rear of the traveling body C. A boarding section 23 where various driving operations are performed is provided in the center of the traveling body C. The boarding section 23 is provided on the traveling body C across the width of the traveling body C and has a boarding seat 23A on which a passenger can sit. In addition, a seedling planting device W is supported and connected to the rear of the traveling body C so that it can rise and fall, and the seedling planting device W is configured to be able to plant seedlings in the field. The seedling planting device W can plant eight rows of seedlings at a time. The seedling planting device W is connected to the rear of the traveling body C via a link mechanism 17 so that it can be raised and lowered. The link mechanism 17 is raised and lowered by the extension and contraction of the lifting hydraulic cylinder 16.

At the front of the traveling body C, an engine 13 capable of driving the steering wheels 10 and rear wheels 11 for traveling, and an openable bonnet 12 are provided. The bonnet 12 has an inclined surface that slopes upward toward the rear and houses the engine 13. Although not described in detail, at least one of the steering wheels 10 and the rear wheels 11 is provided with a known HST (hydrostatic stepless transmission, not shown) as a transmission mechanism for transmitting the power of the engine 13. The power of the engine 13 is transmitted to the steering wheels 10 and rear wheels 11 via the transmission mechanism, and the power after the transmission is transmitted to the seedling planting device W via an electric motor-driven planting clutch (not shown).

The seedling planting device W is equipped with four transmission cases 18, eight rotating cases 19, a ground leveling float 21, and a seedling carrying platform 22. The rotating cases 19 are supported rotatably on the left and right sides of the rear of each transmission case 18. A pair of rotary planting arms 20 is provided at both ends of each rotating case 19. The ground leveling float 21 is used to level the rice field surface, and multiple floats 21 are provided in the seedling planting device W. Mat-shaped seedlings for planting are placed on the seedling carrying platform 22.

The seedling planting device W drives the seedling carrier 22 back and forth sideways while rotating each rotating case 19 with the power transmitted from the transmission case 18, and alternately takes out seedlings from the bottom of the seedling carrier 22 with each planting arm 20 and plants them on the rice field surface of the farm field. Although not described in detail, the seedling planting device W plants seedlings using the planting arms 20 provided on multiple rotating cases 19.

[About the spare seedling transport device]
A spare seedling transport device 30 is provided above the boarding section 23. The spare seedling transport device 30 is connected to the traveling body C while being located in front (above the front) of the seedling planting device W. The spare seedling transport device 30 has a left-right width spanning the planting rows of the seedling planting device W, and overlaps with the boarding seat 23A of the boarding section 23 in a plan view. The spare seedling transport device 30 is provided with a front transport section 31 and a rear transport section 32, and the front transport section 31 is configured to be able to swing up and down around a swing fulcrum X1 at the rear end of the machine body facing sideways.

The rear conveying section 32 is inclined so that it is positioned lower toward the rear. The front conveying section 31 is equipped with a conveying mechanism 40, which conveys a seedling mat, which is a mat formed by gathering multiple seedlings, to the rear and transfers it to the rear conveying section 32. In this embodiment, the seedling planting device W can plant eight rows of seedlings at a time, so eight conveying mechanisms 40 are arranged in parallel on the left and right corresponding to the number of rows planted by the seedling planting device W. The seedling mat transferred from the front conveying section 31 to the rear conveying section 32 is guided to the seedling placement table 22 below while sliding on the rear conveying section 32. In other words, the conveying mechanism 40 conveys it to the seedling placement table 22 via above the boarding section 23. The front conveying section 31 and the rear conveying section 32 are configured to be able to perform reciprocating lateral feed drive to the left and right in conjunction with the reciprocating lateral feed drive of the seedling placement table 22.

The traveling vehicle body C is provided with left and right side frames 24, 24, which are erected upward on both the left and right sides of the passenger seat 23A. A rear support frame section 25 is connected to the side frames 24, 24. The upper end of the rear support frame section 25 extends laterally along the swing fulcrum X1. At both left and right ends of the upper end of the rear support frame section 25, the rear support frame section 25 is bent downward, and the lower ends at both left and right ends of the rear support frame section 25 are connected to the side frames 24, 24. The rear end of the front conveying section 31 is swingably connected to the upper end of the rear support frame section 25. The front end of the rear conveying section 32 is supported by the rear support frame section 25.

Front support frame parts 26, 27 are provided on both the left and right sides of the bonnet 12. An electric hydraulic cylinder 28 and a link mechanism 33 are supported on each of the front support frame parts 26, 27. The link mechanism 33 is pivotally supported on each of the front support frame part 26 and the support receiving part 34 at the front part of the front conveying part 31. The "first driving body" of the present invention is constituted by the electric hydraulic cylinder 28.

The link mechanism 33 is provided with a base boom section 33A (corresponding to a first link) and a tip arm section 33B (corresponding to a second link) , and the base boom section 33A and the tip arm section 33B are pivotally connected to each other. One end of the base boom section 33A is pivotally supported to the front support frame section 26, and the other end of the base boom section 33A is pivotally supported to the tip arm section 33B. The longitudinal center portion of the base boom section 33A is pivotally supported to the upper end of the electric hydraulic cylinder 28. One end of the tip arm section 33B is pivotally supported to the base boom section 33A, and the other end of the tip arm section 33B is pivotally supported to the support receiving section 34.

The electric hydraulic cylinder 28 is pivotally supported on the front support frame section 27 and the base boom section 33A, and the extension and contraction of the electric hydraulic cylinder 28 causes the base boom section 33A to swing up and down, and the support receiving section 34 to move up and down. As a result, the front transport section 31 is configured to be able to swing up and down around the swing fulcrum X1. In other words, the electric hydraulic cylinder 28 drives the front transport section 31 of the spare seedling transport device 30 to swing up and down around the swing fulcrum X1, which is located above the boarding section 23 and faces the side of the machine body.

The electric hydraulic cylinder 28 is configured to change the position of the spare seedling transport device 30 between a lowered position and an elevated position. When the electric hydraulic cylinder 28 is retracted, the base end boom section 33A and the tip arm section 33B of the link mechanism 33 are folded, and the front transport section 31 is tilted downward toward the front. In this state, the support receiving section 34 at the front of the front transport section 31 is supported and placed on the mounting frame section 35 provided in front of the front support frame section 27. This state is the lowered position of the spare seedling transport device 30.

In the lowered position, the front transport section 31 of the spare seedling transport device 30 is tilted upward and rearward. As shown by line L1 in FIG. 1, in the lowered position, the front end of the spare seedling transport device 30 is located lower than the upper end of the passenger seat 23A. Also, in the lowered position, the front end of the spare seedling transport device 30 is located lower than the upper end of the bonnet 12. In the lowered position, the front end of the spare seedling transport device 30 is located forward of the front end of the traveling vehicle body C. In this state, the operator can supply seedling mats to the spare seedling transport device 30 from the front of the vehicle body. For example, if a ridge is located in front of the vehicle body, the operator can supply seedling mats from the ridge to the spare seedling transport device 30.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the electric hydraulic cylinder 28 is extended, the base end boom section 33A and the tip arm section 33B of the link mechanism 33 are extended forward and upward, and the front conveying section 31 is aligned horizontally from front to rear.

In the raised position, the front transport section 31 of the spare seedling transport device 30 swings upward more than in the lowered position, and the front end of the spare seedling transport device 30 is positioned forward and above the boarding section 23. When the spare seedling transport device 30 is in the raised position, the height of the front end of the spare seedling transport device 30 and the height of the swing fulcrum X1 are the same or approximately the same. In this state, the front of the boarding section 23 is open. Therefore, a passenger riding on the boarding section 23 can see the field in front of the vehicle without their forward view being obstructed by the front transport section 31. This state is the raised position of the spare seedling transport device 30.

[About the transport mechanism of the spare seedling transport device]
As shown in Figs. 4 to 7, the conveying mechanism 40 includes an endless rotating belt 41 and a plurality of rollers 43. The endless rotating belt 41 corresponds to the "endless rotating body" of the present invention. Although not shown in Figs. 4 to 7, an electric belt conveying motor 42 (see Fig. 8) is provided at the end of the conveying mechanism 40 in the conveying direction, and the belt conveying motor 42 is provided in a region below the swing fulcrum X1. The "second driving body" of the present invention is composed of the belt conveying motor 42. A plurality of rollers 43 are arranged along the conveying direction, and each of the rollers 43 can rotate around a lateral axis of the machine body. The endless rotating belt 41 is wound around the roller 43 at the front end and the roller 43 at the rear end, and the roller 43 at the rear end is driven to rotate by the belt conveying motor 42. In other words, the belt conveying motor 42 drives the endless rotating belt 41 to rotate. The endless rotating belt 41 is driven to rotate between the roller 43 at the front end and the roller 43 at the rear end so as to circulate between an upper conveying path and a lower return path.

The surface portion of the upper transport path of the endless rotating belt 41 is the seedling mat placement surface 41s. In the upper transport path, the seedling mat is placed on the endless rotating belt 41, and the seedling mat is sent and transported toward the rear of the machine body by the rotation of the endless rotating belt 41. That is, the transport mechanism 40 is provided with a placement surface 41s that supports and transports the seedling mat, and the seedling mat is sent and transported over the placement surface 41s by the transport mechanism 40.

The width of the endless rotating belt 41, i.e., the width of the placement surface 41s, is narrower than the width of the seedling mat when viewed in the conveying direction. The front conveying section 31 is provided with sliding guide sections 31G, which are arranged on either side of the placement surface 41s. The roots of the seedling mat in the areas located on the left and right sides of the placement surface 41s come into sliding contact with the sliding guide sections 31G when being conveyed backward, but since the sliding guide sections 31G are formed into a flat surface, there is almost no friction between the roots of the seedling mat and the sliding guide sections 31G. The sliding guide sections 31G are cut out in the area where the rod section 53 described below is located, and are perforated in the areas where the seedling supply switch 45, belt switch 46, and fourth sheet detection switch 47 described below are located.

The loading surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 has a length that allows four seedling mats to be loaded along the transport direction. In this embodiment, the four seedling mats are referred to as the first, second, third, and fourth mats from the front. In other words, the spare seedling transport device 30 is configured to be able to store multiple seedling mats along the transport direction (front-to-back direction of the machine body). In this embodiment, eight transport mechanisms 40 are arranged in parallel on the left and right. Therefore, the spare seedling transport device 30 is configured to be able to store 32 seedling mats. The loading surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 has a first locking portion 44A and a second locking portion 44B formed as multiple locking portions 44.

The first engaging portion 44A protrudes from both the left and right sides of the mounting surface 41s as viewed in the conveying direction and bites into the roots of the seedling mat. The second engaging portion 44B protrudes from the left-right center of the mounting surface 41s as viewed in the conveying direction and is larger than the first engaging portion 44A.
The second locking portion 44B has an inclined surface portion 44c and a rising surface portion 44d. The inclined surface portion 44c is inclined toward the side away from the placement surface portion 41s toward the downstream side in the conveying direction. The rising surface portion 44d rises in a direction perpendicular (or approximately perpendicular) to the conveying direction between the placement surface portion 41s and the rear end portion of the inclined surface portion 44c in the conveying direction. In other words, the second locking portion 44B is formed in a triangular shape by the inclined surface portion 44c and the rising surface portion 44d when viewed from the side of the machine body. As a result, even if the front conveying section 31 is inclined downward toward the front, the seedling mat placed on the placement surface portion 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 is firmly locked and conveyed by the first locking portion 44A and the second locking portion 44B without slipping on the placement surface portion 41s. In this way, the conveying mechanism 40 is configured to convey the seedling mat backward.

[About the scooping part of the spare seedling transport device]
The front end of the spare seedling transport device 30 extends forward beyond the front end of the traveling body C.
Therefore, when the rice transplanter stops at the edge of the ridge in the field with the ridge adjacent to the front of the traveling body C, and the spare seedling transport device 30 tilts downward, the operator can supply seedling mats from the ridge to the front end of the spare seedling transport device 30. When the operator supplies seedling mats to the rice transplanter, he or she generally scoops up the seedling mats from the seedling box with a scooping board and places them on the seedling placement table 22 or a spare seedling table (not shown). In this embodiment, the spare seedling transport device 30 is used as the spare seedling table. In this embodiment, the front end of the spare seedling transport device 30 is provided with a scooping unit 50, and the operator can supply the seedling mats to the spare seedling transport device 30 without using a general scooping board. That is, the spare seedling transport device 30 is provided with the scooping unit 50 at the part where the transport start end of the transport mechanism 40 is located, and the scooping unit 50 scoops up the seedling mats placed on the seedling box from the seedling box.

As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the scooping unit 50 is provided upstream of the transport start end of the transport mechanism 40 in the transport direction. The scooping unit 50 separates the seedling mat placed in the seedling box from the seedling box. The scooping unit 50 is equipped with a plate-shaped scooping plate 51, a bottom support 52, and left and right rods 53, 53. The scooping plate 51 extends forward from the transport start end of the transport mechanism 40. The bottom support 52 is provided below the scooping plate 51.

The left and right rod portions 53, 53 are arranged on either side of the loading surface portion 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 while being positioned within the range of the width of the seedling mat when viewed in the conveying direction, and extend along the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 40. The left and right sliding contact guide portions 31G, 31G are cut out along the extending direction of the rod portion 53 in the region where the left and right rod portions 53, 53 are located.
The rear end of each of the left and right rod portions 53, 53 serves as a swing fulcrum X2, and each of the rod portions 53, 53 is configured to be able to swing up and down about the swing fulcrum X2.

The bottom receiving portion 52 is configured so that it can abut against the bottom of the seedling box from below below the scooping plate portion 51. The scooping plate portion 51 and the bottom receiving portion 52 are separated by a distance equivalent to the height of the rising parts of the four corners of the seedling box, and a gap portion S is formed between the scooping plate portion 51 and the bottom receiving portion 52. For this reason, the scooping portion 50 is configured so that the seedling box can be inserted into the gap portion S. The worker pulls up the end of the seedling mat placed in the seedling box, and pushes the seedling box into the gap portion S with the root portion of the seedling mat positioned above the scooping plate portion 51. As a result, the seedling mat and the seedling box are separated by the scooping plate portion 51, and the seedling mat is guided to the conveying start end of the conveying mechanism 40 while sliding on the scooping plate portion 51. In this way, when the seedling box is inserted into the gap S, the scooping unit 50 is configured to separate the seedling mat from the seedling box and slide it over the scooping plate unit 51, guiding it to the transport start end of the transport mechanism 40.

The loading surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 is present at the transport start end of the transport mechanism 40. In other words, when an operator pushes a seedling box into the gap S, the seedling mat slides up to the loading surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41. The seedling box is pushed in downward relative to the transport direction of the transport mechanism 40. Therefore, the seedling box pushed into the gap S is tilted backward and downward relative to the transport direction of the transport mechanism 40.

As described above, the first locking portion 44A is formed on the mounting surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41. Therefore, if the roots of the seedling mat get caught on the first locking portion 44A while the seedling mat is sliding to the mounting surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41, the roots of the seedling mat will become rough. To avoid such inconvenience, when the seedling mat slides to the mounting surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41, the left and right rod portions 53, 53 lift the seedling mat upward relative to the first locking portion 44A and the second locking portion 44B. At this time, the left and right rod portions 53, 53 are pushed upward by the push-up portion P. The push-up portion P is provided in the gap portion S. In this embodiment, the push-up portion P is provided with a leaf spring member 54 and a contact member 55.

In other words, the left and right rod sections 53, 53 are configured to be able to change between a state in which they are positioned below the placement surface section 41s when viewed in the transport direction, and a state in which they are pushed up by the push-up section P above the placement surface section 41s when viewed in the transport direction and guide the seedling mat onto the placement surface section 41s (hereinafter referred to as the "pushed-up state").

The leaf spring member 54 is supported by the front end of the scooping plate 51 and extends from the scooping plate 51 to the rear side of the gap S (the side where the seedling box is pushed in). In other words, the leaf spring member 54 extends from the tip of the scooping plate 51 toward the gap S, and is inclined so that the further away from the tip of the scooping plate 51 it is from the conveying direction, the lower it is positioned. In addition, the front ends (upper end in the conveying direction) of the left and right rod portions 53, 53 extend to the gap S, and the abutment member 55 is welded and fixed to the front end of the rod portion 53. In other words, the abutment member 55 is supported by the front end of the rod portion 53.
The abutment member 55 is adjacent to the leaf spring member 54 on the rear side of the aircraft. The abutment member 55 is provided with a sliding surface portion, which is in sliding contact with the leaf spring member 54. In this embodiment, the left and right leaf spring members 54, 54 abut against the abutment members 55, 55 of the left and right rod portions 53, 53, respectively.

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, when the seedling box is pushed into the gap S, the leaf spring member 54 is pushed up by the insertion tip of the seedling box and comes into contact with the abutment member 55. The abutment member 55 is pressed by the leaf spring member 54 and is pushed upward while sliding against the leaf spring member 54. As a result, the rod portion 53 swings upward together with the abutment member 55 around the swing fulcrum X2. In this way, the push-up portion P is provided in the gap S and pushes the rod portion 53 upward as viewed in the transport direction as the seedling box is inserted. In other words, when the seedling box inserted into the gap S presses the leaf spring member 54, the leaf spring member 54 pushes up the abutment member 55. As a result, the push-up portion P changes the rod portion 53 from a state in which it is located below the placement surface portion 41s as viewed in the transport direction to the above-mentioned pushed-up state.

It is possible that the left and right width of the seedling box is wider than at least one of the left and right widths of the transport mechanism 40 and the scooping unit 50. In such a case, it is possible that the abutment member 55 of one of the rod units 53, 53 located on both the left and right sides of the transport mechanism 40 will not abut the left and right rising parts of the seedling box, and one of the rod units 53 may not be pushed up as intended. In order to avoid such inconvenience, as shown in FIG. 4, abutment members 55A and 55B are provided as abutment members 55. The abutment member 55A is welded and fixed to the front end of one rod unit 53. The abutment member 55B is welded and fixed to the front end of each of the two rod units 53, 53. The abutment member 55B is configured to be wider than the abutment member 55A.

The abutment member 55B is welded to the front end of the left (left or right side) rod portion 53 of the right scooping portion 50 (one of the left or right sides) and the right (left or right side) rod portion 53 of the left scooping portion 50 (the other of the left or right sides) of the left scooping portion 50 (the other of the left or right sides). Therefore, the two rod portions 53, 53 connected to the abutment member 55B swing up and down integrally around the swing fulcrum X2. In a plan view, the abutment member 55B overlaps with the leaf spring member 54 of the left scooping portion 50 (one of the left or right sides) and the leaf spring member 54 of the right scooping portion 50 (the other of the left or right sides) of the left scooping portion 50 (the other of the left or right sides) of the right scooping portion 50 (the other of the left or right sides). With this configuration, even with the wide seedling boxes described above, the rods 53, 53 located on the left and right of the transport mechanism 40 to which the seedlings are being fed are firmly pushed upward by the contact between the left and right rising parts of the wide seedling box and the contact member 55B. Note that the contact member 55 shown in Figures 5 to 7 is the contact member 55A shown in Figure 4, but even if it is the contact member 55B, the rods 53 and the contact member 55B will swing as shown in Figures 5 to 7.

When the worker pushes the seedling box further into the gap S, the insertion tip of the seedling box is inserted further back than the extended end of the leaf spring member 54. At this time, the left and right rising parts of the seedling box (the left and right parts of the rising parts at the four corners) press against the abutting member 55, so that the pushing-up part P is configured to maintain the pushed-up state of the rod part 53. Then, the seedling mat moves to the mounting surface part 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 while sliding on the scooping plate part 51 and the left and right rod parts 53, 53. At this time, since the rod part 53 is in the pushed-up state, it is located above the upper ends of the multiple first locking parts 44A when viewed in the conveying direction. Therefore, the seedling mat slides above the mounting surface part 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 with the root part of the seedling mat located above the first locking part 44A. As a result, the roots of the seedling mat do not get caught on the first locking portion 44A while the seedling mat slides to the mounting surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41. Also, the left and right central regions of the seedling mat bend, but the left and right central regions of the seedling mat slide against the inclined surface 44c of the second locking portion 44B. Because the inclined surface 44c is inclined upward toward the rear, the seedling mat does not get caught on the inclined surface 44c, and slides smoothly above the mounting surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 by the left and right rod portions 53, 53 and the inclined surface portion 44c. Also, because the seedling mat is supported by the left and right rod portions 53, 53 and the second locking portion 44B, which is configured larger than the first locking portion 44A, the seedling mat is guided to the mounting surface 41s while avoiding sliding contact with the first locking portion 44A.

When the worker pulls the seedling box out of the gap S with the seedling mat separated (or nearly separated) from the seedling box, the contact member 55 is no longer subjected to a pressing force, and the left and right rods 53, 53 swing downward around the swing fulcrum X2. The left and right rods 53, 53 then move downward below the mounting surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 when viewed in the conveying direction, and the seedling mat is placed on the mounting surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41. With this configuration, the seedling mat slides up to the mounting surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 without the roots of the seedling mat getting caught in the first locking portion 44A. At this time, the seedling mat is positioned across the placement surface 41s and the scoop plate 51 of the endless rotating belt 41 in the front-to-rear direction, but when more than 50% of the seedling mat is placed on the placement surface 41s in the front-to-rear direction, the seedling mat is sufficiently locked to the first locking portion 44A and the second locking portion 44B. Then, when the endless rotating belt 41 rotates by the belt conveying motor 42, the seedling mat is sent and conveyed backward.

5 to 7, a folded surface 54a is formed on the lower part of the leaf spring member 54 (the part on the side where the extended end is located). In addition, a folded surface 55c is formed on the lower part of the abutting member 55. The folded surface 54a is bent upward on the part on the side where the extended end of the leaf spring member 54 is located. In addition, the folded surface 55c is bent upward on the lower part of the abutting member 55. In other words, the extended tip of the leaf spring member 54 and the lower part of the abutting member 55 are each bent so as to face the conveying direction side of the conveying mechanism 40.
This reduces the risk of the seedling box getting caught on the extended tip of the leaf spring member 54 or the lower part of the abutment member 55 when the worker pulls the seedling box out of the gap S, allowing the worker to smoothly pull the seedling box out of the gap S.

The leaf spring members 54, 54 are located on the left and right sides of the folded surface portion 55c of the abutting member 55B. In other words, the folded surface portion 55c of the abutting member 55B is located between the leaf spring member 54 on the left side (the other side) of the right scooping portion 50 (one of the left and right sides) and the leaf spring member 54 on the right side (one of the left and right sides) of the left scooping portion 50 (the other side) of the left scooping portion 50 (the other side).

[Regarding transport control of the transport device]
When the seedling mat is supplied from the scooping section 50 to the spare seedling conveying device 30, the conveying mechanism 40 conveys the seedling mat backward by rotating the endless rotating belt 41 with the belt conveying motor 42 so that the operator can continue to supply the seedling mat to the spare seedling conveying device 30.

3 and 4, a seedling supply switch 45 and a belt switch 46 are provided side by side on the side of the endless rotating belt 41 at the conveying start end of the conveying mechanism 40. The separation distance between the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 is shorter than the length in the front-rear direction of the seedling mat placed on the placement surface portion 41s of the endless rotating belt 41. In other words, the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 are arranged front and rear in the first area of the spare seedling conveying device 30. Therefore, when the seedling mat is supplied from the scooping unit 50 to the front of the spare seedling conveying device 30, both the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 are stepped on by the side of the seedling mat. The "first detection unit" of the present invention is composed of the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46. In other words, the "first detection unit" of the present invention is provided with the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 as two detection devices. One of the left and right sliding guide parts 31G, 31G is perforated corresponding to the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46. The seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 are arranged in a line along the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 40 and are spaced apart from each other by a distance shorter than the length of the seedling mat in the conveying direction. The seedling supply switch 45 is located in front of the belt switch 46. The seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 are so-called limit switches. A triangular member is provided on the upper part of each of the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46, and the triangular member is biased so as to protrude above the upper surface part of the sliding guide part 31G. When the side part of the seedling mat placed on the mounting surface part 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 steps on the seedling supply switch 45, the triangular member of the seedling supply switch 45 slides below the upper surface part of the sliding guide part 31G, and the seedling supply switch 45 is turned on. In addition, when the side of the seedling mat placed on the placement surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 steps on the belt switch 46, the triangular member of the belt switch 46 slides downward from the upper surface of the sliding guide portion 31G, and the belt switch 46 is turned on. When the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 are stepped on, they are turned on, and when they are not stepped on, they are turned off. When the seedling supply switch 45 is switched from the OFF state to the ON state, it detects that one seedling mat has been securely transferred from the seedling box to the front of the spare seedling transport device 30 via the scooping unit 50. When the belt switch 46 is switched from the ON state to the OFF state, it detects that one seedling mat has been transported backward by one seedling mat from the front of the spare seedling transport device 30. In this way, the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 detect the seedling mat at the front of the transport mechanism 40. The respective states of the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 are sent to the control unit 60 (see Figure 8).

A fourth sheet detection switch 47 is provided on the side of the endless rotating belt 41 at the conveying end of the conveying mechanism 40. The "second detection unit" of the present invention is composed of the fourth sheet detection switch 47. One of the left and right sliding contact guide parts 31G, 31G is perforated corresponding to the fourth sheet detection switch 47. The fourth sheet detection switch 47 is also a limit switch, and a triangular member is provided on the upper part of the fourth sheet detection switch 47, and the triangular member is biased so as to protrude above the upper surface part of the sliding contact guide part 31G. When the side of the seedling mat conveyed to the conveying end of the conveying mechanism 40 by the endless rotating belt 41 steps on the fourth sheet detection switch 47, the triangular member slides below the upper surface part of the sliding contact guide part 31G, and the fourth sheet detection switch 47 is turned ON. In other words, the fourth sheet detection switch 47 is turned ON when stepped on, and turned OFF when not stepped on. With this configuration, the fourth detection switch 47 detects the seedling mat at the rear end of the transport mechanism 40. The state of the fourth detection switch 47 is sent to the control unit 60 (see Figure 8).

As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 60 controls the drive of the belt conveying motor 42 based on the detection results of the seedling supply switch 45, the belt switch 46, and the fourth sheet detection switch 47, and can automatically feed and convey the seedling mats supplied from the scoop unit 50 to the conveying start end of the conveying mechanism 40. In FIG. 8, one seedling supply switch 45, one belt switch 46, one fourth sheet detection switch 47, and one belt conveying motor 42 are shown, but eight sets of seedling supply switches 45, belt switches 46, four fourth sheet detection switches 47, and belt conveying motors 42 are connected to the control unit 60 according to the eight rows of conveying mechanisms 40. The control unit 60 is configured to drive and control the belt conveying motors 42 in each of the multiple conveying mechanisms 40 separately. The amount of seedling mats placed on the seedling placement table 22 often varies for each planting row, but with this configuration, the operator can, for example, supply seedlings only to the planting rows that need to be replenished on the seedling placement table 22. This avoids the risk of unnecessary seedling replenishment to planting rows on the seedling placement table 22 that do not require replenishment, and allows appropriate seedling replenishment to be performed on planting rows on the seedling placement table 22 that do require replenishment.

As described above, the seedling mat that has been transported to the end of the transport mechanism 40 is transported further backward, and is then sent from the rear end of the front transport section 31 to the seedling platform 22 below while sliding on the rear transport section 32. However, the seedling planting device W rolls left and right like a typical device. Therefore, if the seedling mat is supplied to the seedling platform 22 unevenly to one side, the seedling planting device W may tilt to one side overall, causing the rear transport section 32 and the seedling platform 22 to shift position left and right, and the seedling mat may not be guided properly to the seedling platform 22. To avoid such inconveniences, it is desirable to have a configuration in which the seedling mat is sent to the seedling platform 22 evenly from the rear end of the front transport section 31 to the left and right.

As shown in the flow chart of FIG. 9, the control unit 60 first judges whether the seedling supply switch 45 has been switched from an OFF state to an ON state (step #01). If the seedling supply switch 45 is in the OFF state (step #01: No), the belt conveying motor 42 is not rotated and the flow chart ends. If the seedling supply switch 45 has been switched from an OFF state to an ON state (step #01: Yes), the control unit 60 judges whether the fourth sheet detection switch 47 is in the OFF state (step #02). If the fourth sheet detection switch 47 is in the ON state (step #02: No), the belt conveying motor 42 is not rotated and the flow chart ends. If the fourth sheet detection switch 47 is in the OFF state (step #02: Yes), the control unit 60 drives the belt conveying motor 42 by a predetermined rotation amount (step #03). In this embodiment, the predetermined rotation amount is one seedling mat.
In other words, when the seedling supply switch 45 is switched from OFF to ON and the fourth sheet detection switch 47 is in the OFF state, the control unit 60 drives the belt conveying motor 42 to rotate the endless rotating belt 41 by the distance of one seedling mat.

In this embodiment, the "length of one seedling mat" is a distance that is set to be a preset length longer than the length in the transport direction of the seedling mat placed on the placement surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41. Therefore, the multiple seedling mats placed side by side in the front-to-rear direction on the placement surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the front-to-rear direction without interfering with each other.
The length of one seedling mat is set to be longer than the length of the seedling mat in the front-rear direction by the dimension of the belt switch 46 in the front-rear direction, for example.

When the endless rotating belt 41 has completed rotating by one seedling mat, the control unit 60 determines whether the belt switch 46 has switched from the ON state to the OFF state (step #04). It is possible that the belt switch 46 remains ON when the endless rotating belt 41 has completed rotating by one seedling mat. In this case, it is possible that the seedling mat is unexpectedly caught during transport and is not transported as intended, remaining at the front of the spare seedling transport device 30. Even if the seedling mat is transported as intended, it is possible that a new seedling mat is placed at the front of the spare seedling transport device 30 during the transport of the seedling mat, and the belt switch 46 is stepped on by the new seedling mat. For this reason, if the belt switch 46 remains ON (step #04: No), the control unit 60 performs error processing and outputs an alarm (alarm notification). This allows the operator to notice the abnormality of the spare seedling transport device 30 and perform the work of sorting the seedling mats in the spare seedling transport device 30. When the belt switch 46 switches from the ON state to the OFF state (Step #04: Yes), the flowchart ends.

Each time a seedling mat is supplied from the scooping unit 50 to the spare seedling transport device 30, both the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 are stepped on by the side of the seedling mat and turned ON, and the seedling mat placed on the mounting surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 is sent and transported backward by the length of one seedling mat. After the seedling mat has been sent and transported backward, a supply space for one seedling mat is secured at the transport start end of the transport mechanism 40. At this time, the seedling supply switch 45 is no longer stepped on by the seedling mat and returns to the OFF state, and the belt switch 46 is no longer stepped on by the seedling mat and returns to the OFF state.

9 may include a process for checking that both the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 have returned to the OFF state. In this check process, if at least one of the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 is in the ON state, the control unit 60 may be configured to perform error processing and output an alarm. The control unit 60 may be configured not to drive and control the belt conveying motor 42 unless the alarm is reset. In addition to the process for determining whether the seedling supply switch 45 has switched from the OFF state to the ON state in step #01, there may be a process for determining whether the belt switch 46 has switched from the OFF state to the ON state. In this case, if the belt switch 46 has not switched to the ON state, the control unit 60 may be configured to determine that the belt switch 46 is abnormal, perform error processing, and output an alarm. In this case, the control unit 60 may also be configured not to drive and control the belt conveying motor 42 unless the alarm is reset.

The seedling mat that has been sent and transported to the end of the transport mechanism 40 trips the fourth detection switch 47, which turns on. At this time, three seedling mats are placed in a row, front to back, on the loading surface 41s of one endless rotating belt 41. Even if the operator supplies the fourth seedling mat from the scooping unit 50 to the spare seedling transport device 30, the fourth detection switch 47 is in the ON state, so the result is No in step #02 of FIG. 9, and the seedling mat placed on the loading surface 41s of the endless rotating belt 41 is not sent and transported. This avoids the risk of the seedling mat being supplied to the seedling loading platform 22 in a biased left or right direction without the operator realizing it.

In addition, with the configuration of this embodiment, multiple seedling mats are spaced apart a predetermined distance in the front-to-rear direction without interfering with each other. Therefore, when the endless rotating belt 41 rotates by the amount of one seedling mat, the belt switch 46 and the fourth detection switch 47 are always switched to the OFF state. This eliminates the risk of the belt switch 46 and the fourth detection switch 47 being continuously stepped on by two seedling mats lined up one behind the other, and avoids the risk of the belt conveyor motor 42 continuing to rotate excessively due to malfunction or erroneous detection.

In this way, the control unit 60 is configured to automatically rotate the belt conveying motor 42 so that the seedling mat is conveyed backward by the distance of one seedling mat when the seedling supply switch 45 detects a seedling mat and the fourth sheet detection switch 47 does not detect a seedling mat. In addition, the control unit 60 is configured not to automatically rotate the belt conveying motor 42 when the fourth sheet detection switch 47 detects a seedling mat, regardless of the detection state of the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46.

The control unit 60 is also configured to be able to switch the belt conveying motor 42 between a forward control state and a reverse control state. In the forward control state, the control unit 60 drives and controls the belt conveying motor 42 so as to feed and convey the seedling mat to the side where the seedling placing table 22 is located. In the reverse control state, the control unit 60 drives and controls the belt conveying motor 42 so as to feed and convey the seedling mat to the side opposite the side where the seedling placing table 22 is located. With this configuration, if there are any seedlings left over after the planting work of the rice transplanter is completed, the worker can easily collect the seedling mat by switching the rotation direction of the belt conveying motor 42.

[Another embodiment]
The present invention is not limited to the configurations exemplified in the above-described embodiments, and other representative embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

(1) In the above-described embodiment, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9, the control unit 60 determines whether the seedling supply switch 45 has switched from an OFF state to an ON state to drive the belt conveying motor 42, and after driving of the belt conveying motor 42 has ended, determines whether the belt switch 46 has switched from an ON state to an OFF state, but is not limited to this embodiment.
For example, the configuration shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10 may be used. In the flowchart of FIG. 10, the control unit 60 first determines whether the seedling supply switch 45 is ON (step #11). If the seedling supply switch 45 is OFF (step #11: No), the belt conveying motor 42 is not rotated and the flowchart ends. If the seedling supply switch 45 is ON (step #11: Yes), the control unit 60 next determines whether the belt switch 46 is ON (step #12). If the belt switch 46 is OFF (step #12: No), the belt conveying motor 42 is not rotated and the flowchart ends. In this way, the condition for rotating the belt conveying motor 42 includes both the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 being ON. This prevents the belt conveying motor 42 from malfunctioning even if, for example, an operator accidentally touches the seedling supply switch 45 or the belt switch 46 when replenishing the spare seedling conveying device 30 with seedling mats.

If the belt switch 46 is ON (step #12: Yes), the control unit 60 determines whether the fourth detection switch 47 is OFF (step #13). If the fourth detection switch 47 is ON (step #13: No), the belt conveying motor 42 is not rotated and the flow chart ends. If the fourth detection switch 47 is OFF (step #13: Yes), the control unit 60 drives the belt conveying motor 42 by a predetermined rotation amount (step #14). In other words, in the flow chart shown in FIG. 10, when both the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 are ON and the fourth detection switch 47 is OFF, the control unit 60 rotates the endless rotating belt 41 by one seedling mat using the belt conveying motor 42.

(2) In the above embodiment, when the seedling mat is supplied from the scooping unit 50 to the front of the spare seedling transport device 30, both the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 are stepped on the side of the seedling mat, but this is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the belt switch 46 may be arranged in the area where the second and subsequent seedling mats are placed in the spare seedling transport device 30. For example, if the belt switch 46 is arranged in the area where the second seedling mat is placed, the belt switch 46 switches from the OFF state to the ON state when the seedling mat is sent backward from the area of the first sheet to the area of the second sheet. For this reason, the control of step #04 shown in FIG. 9 may be configured to determine whether the belt switch 46 has switched from the OFF state to the ON state. In addition, the multiple seedling mats are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the front-to-rear direction without interfering with each other. Therefore, when a seedling mat is fed backward from the second area to the third area, and another seedling mat is fed backward from the first area to the second area, the belt switch 46 first switches from the ON state to the OFF state, and then switches from the OFF state to the ON state. Therefore, in the control of step #04 shown in FIG. 9, the belt switch 46 may be configured to switch to the OFF state once, and then determine whether it has switched to the ON state.

(3) In the above embodiment, the control unit 60 automatically rotates the belt conveying motor 42 when the seedling supply switch 45 is switched from the OFF state to the ON state and the fourth sheet detection switch 47 is in the OFF state, but this is not limited to this embodiment. For example, a switch for driving the belt conveying motor 42 may be provided, and the belt conveying motor 42 may be driven when the switch is operated by an operator. In this case, when the seedling supply switch 45 is switched from the OFF state to the ON state and the fourth sheet detection switch 47 is in the OFF state, an alarm device (e.g., a buzzer, voice guidance, an operation screen, etc.) may be configured to notify the operator that the switch can be operated. Then, when the operator operates the switch, the belt conveying motor 42 may be configured to rotate so that the seedling mat is sent and conveyed backward by the distance of one sheet. In short, the control unit 60 is configured to rotate the belt conveying motor 42 so that the seedling mat is conveyed backward by the distance of one seedling mat when the seedling supply switch 45 detects a seedling mat and the fourth mat detection switch 47 does not detect a seedling mat.

(4) In the above embodiment, the transport mechanism 40 is provided with an endless rotating belt 41 as an endless rotating body, but the endless rotating belt 41 may not be provided. For example, the transport mechanism 40 may be provided with an endless rotating chain as an endless rotating body, and a bucket may be attached to the endless rotating chain, or a plate for locking transport may be attached to the endless rotating chain. In other words, it is preferable to provide a spare seedling transport device 30 having a transport mechanism 40 that transports the seedling mat to the seedling loading platform 22 via above the boarding section 23. Alternatively, the transport mechanism 40 may be a roller conveyor.

(5) In the above embodiment, the first driving body is constituted by an electric hydraulic cylinder 28, but for example, the first driving body may be constituted by a hydraulic cylinder driven by a hydraulic motor, or may be constituted by an electric linear guide. In other words, the first driving body may be configured to drive the spare seedling transport device 30 to swing up and down around a swing fulcrum X1 that is provided above the boarding section 23 and faces the side of the machine body.

(6) In the above-described embodiment, the spare seedling transport device 30 is configured so that the height of the front end of the spare seedling transport device 30 and the height of the swing fulcrum X1 are the same or approximately the same when the spare seedling transport device 30 is in the raised position, but this is not limited to the embodiment. For example, the spare seedling transport device 30 may be tilted upward or downward at the rear when in the raised position.

(7) The front conveying section 31 and the rear conveying section 32 of the spare seedling conveying device 30 may be configured to be able to swing up and down integrally around the swing fulcrum X1. Also, the rear conveying section 32 may not be provided. In other words, the electric hydraulic cylinder 28 as the first driving body may be configured to swing the spare seedling conveying device 30 up and down around the swing fulcrum X1.

(8) In the above-described embodiment, the front end of the spare seedling transport device 30 is located forward of the front end of the traveling body C when in the lowered position, but this is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the front end of the spare seedling transport device 30 may be configured to be located rearward of the front end of the traveling body C when in the lowered position.

(9) In the above embodiment, the second driving body is constituted by an electric belt conveying motor 42, but the second driving body may also be constituted by a hydraulic motor.

(10) In the above embodiment, two detection devices, namely the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46, are provided as the first detection unit, but the configuration may also be such that only one of the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 is provided. For example, a single switch that serves as both the seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 may be provided at the location where the belt switch 46 is provided. In this case, the control of step #01 shown in FIG. 9 may be configured to determine whether the single switch has switched from an OFF state to an ON state. Also, the control of step #04 shown in FIG. 9 may be configured to determine whether the single switch has switched from an ON state to an OFF state.

(11) The seedling supply switch 45 and the belt switch 46 do not have to be limit switches, and may be, for example, a magnetic switch, a camera sensor capable of image recognition processing, a pressure sensor, or an optical sensor.

(12) In the above embodiment, the fourth-sheet detection switch 47, which is a limit switch, is provided as the second detection unit, but the fourth-sheet detection switch 47 is not limited to a limit switch. For example, the fourth-sheet detection switch 47 may be a magnet switch, a camera sensor capable of image recognition processing, a pressure sensor, or an optical sensor.

(13) The first detection unit and the second detection unit may be configured to, for example, detect the current value of the belt conveyor motor 42 and calculate the number of seedling mats placed on the placement surface 41s based on the current value.

The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiment (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, unless a contradiction arises.
Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The present invention can be applied to rice transplanters equipped with a spare seedling transport device that transports a seedling mat, which is a mat made by gathering multiple seedlings, to the seedling loading platform of the seedling planting device.

22: Seedling carrying platform 23: Boarding section 23A: Boarding seat 28: Electric hydraulic cylinder (first driving body)
30: Spare seedling transport device 31: Front transport section (spare seedling transport device)
32: Rear transport unit (spare seedling transport device)
33 : Link mechanism
33A : Base boom section (first link)
33B : Tip arm portion (second link)
40: Conveying mechanism 41: Endless rotating belt (endless rotating body)
42: Belt conveying motor (second driving body)
45: Seedling supply switch (first detection unit, detection device)
46: Belt switch (first detection portion, detection device)
47: 4th detection switch (second detection part)
60: Control unit C: Traveling body W: Seedling planting device X1: Swing fulcrum

Claims (12)

A traveling machine that travels in a field;
a seedling planting device connected to the rear of the traveling body, having a seedling carrying platform on which a seedling mat formed by collecting a plurality of seedlings is placed, planting seedlings in a field and capable of planting a plurality of seedling rows ;
A boarding section provided on the traveling aircraft body and having a boarding seat on which a passenger can sit;
a spare seedling transport device connected to the traveling body in a state of being located in front of the seedling planting device and having a transport mechanism for transporting the seedling mat to the seedling loading platform via above the boarding section;
The spare seedling transport device includes a plurality of transport mechanisms corresponding to the number of planting rows of the seedling planting device,
The transport mechanism is provided to be drivable,
A first drive body that drives the spare seedling transport device to swing up and down around a swing fulcrum that is provided above the boarding section and faces the machine body in a lateral direction;
The rice transplanter is equipped with a rear transport section provided behind the multiple transport mechanisms and which slides down the seedling mats transported by the multiple transport mechanisms and transports them to the seedling loading table . The spare seedling transport device has a left-right width that spans the planting row of the seedling planting device,
The rice transplanter described in claim 1, wherein the first driving body is configured to change the position of the spare seedling transporting device between a lowered position in which the spare seedling transporting device is tilted upward and rearward so that the front end of the spare seedling transporting device is positioned lower than the upper end of the passenger seat, and an raised position in which the spare seedling transporting device swings upward from the lowered position so that the front end of the spare seedling transporting device is positioned forward and above the passenger seat. The rice transplanter according to claim 2, wherein the spare seedling transport device is configured so that when in the raised position, the height of the front end of the spare seedling transport device and the height of the swing fulcrum are the same or approximately the same. The rice transplanter according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the front end of the spare seedling transport device is located forward of the front end of the traveling body when in the lowered position. The rice transplanter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first driving body is constituted by an electric hydraulic cylinder. The spare seedling transport device is configured to be able to store a plurality of the seedling mats along the front-rear direction of the machine body,
The conveying mechanism is provided with an endless rotating body that feeds and conveys the seedling mat along the front-rear direction of the machine body, a second driving body that rotates and drives the endless rotating body, a first detection unit that detects the seedling mat at the front end of the conveying mechanism, and a second detection unit that detects the seedling mat at the rear end of the conveying mechanism,
A control unit is provided to drive and control the second driving body,
The control unit is configured to rotate the second drive body so that the seedling mat is transported backward a predetermined distance when the first detection unit detects the seedling mat and the second detection unit does not detect the seedling mat, and to not rotate the second drive body when the second detection unit detects the seedling mat regardless of the detection state of the first detection unit. A rice transplanter as described in any one of claims 1 to 5. The first detection unit is provided with two detection devices arranged along the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism and spaced apart from each other by a distance shorter than the length of the seedling mat in the conveying direction;
The first detection unit is in a seedling mat detection state when the two detection devices detect the seedling mat, and is in a seedling mat non-detection state when at least one of the two detection devices does not detect the seedling mat,
The rice transplanter described in claim 6, wherein the control unit is configured to rotate the second drive body when the first detection unit is in the seedling mat detection state , and not to rotate the second drive body when the first detection unit is in the seedling mat non-detection state . The rice transplanter according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the preset distance is set to be a preset extra length longer than the length of the seedling mat in the transport direction. The rice transplanter according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the control unit is configured to separately control the drive of the second driving body in each of the plurality of conveying mechanisms. The rice transplanter according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the control unit is configured to be switchable between a forward control state in which the second driving body is driven and controlled so as to feed and transport the seedling mat to the side where the seedling tray is located, and a reverse control state in which the second driving body is driven and controlled so as to feed and transport the seedling mat to the side opposite the side where the seedling tray is located. The first driving body is a hydraulic cylinder,
The rice transplanter described in claim 1 is equipped with a link mechanism having a first link driven by the hydraulic cylinder and a second link that transmits the power of the first link to the spare seedling transporting device, and is operated by the hydraulic cylinder to perform up and down swinging operation of the spare seedling transporting device . The rice transplanter according to claim 1, wherein the spare seedling transporting device is configured so that, regardless of vertical oscillation, the transport path of the transport mechanism is a straight path from the starting end to the terminal end when viewed from the side of the traveling body .

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