Automatic feeding device and method for seedling bed of transplanter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11510359-B2
Application number	US-202016936253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2020
Priority date	Dec 17, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

An automatic feeding device and method for a seedling bed of a transplanter, comprising: a bracket installed on the transplanter; several trays, obliquely arranged on the bracket downwards, and the bottom of the trays being provided with release mechanisms for releasing the rice seedling bed; a conveyor belt, arranged on the bracket; a photoelectric sensor, arranged on the transplanting platform; and a controller, in communication connection with the photoelectric sensor, when the photoelectric sensor detects that the height of the remaining rice seedling bed on the transplanting platform is lower than the height of the photoelectric sensor. Only one driver is needed to operate, so that the labor input is greatly reduced, and the labor intensity is reduced; meanwhile, the space is saved by the reduction of the number of workers, enabling more seedling raw materials to be stored.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic feeding device for a seedling bed of transplanter, comprising:
a bracket, installed on the transplanter;
several trays, obliquely arranged on the bracket downwards and used for placing the rice seedling bed, and bottom of the trays being provided with release mechanisms for releasing the rice seedling bed;
a conveyor belt, arranged on the bracket, and positioned at the bottom of the tray, an end of the conveyor belt being connected with a transplanting platform of the transplanter;
a photoelectric sensor, arranged on the transplanting platform and used for detecting the height of the remaining rice seedling bed on the transplanting platform;
a controller, in communication connection with the photoelectric sensor, for sending a signal for controlling the tray to release the rice seedling bed, when the photoelectric sensor detects that the height of the remaining rice seedling bed on the transplanting platform is lower than the height of the photoelectric sensor.

2. The automatic feeding device tor a seedling bed of a transplanter according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanism comprises a movable baffle arranged at an end of the tray and a steering engine for controlling rotation of the movable baffle.

3. The automatic feeding device for a seedling bed of a transplanter according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket is mounted with a motor for controlling transmission of the conveyor belt, and the motor is in communication connection with the controller.

4. The automatic feeding device for a seedling bed of a transplanter according to claim 1 , wherein the trays are arranged in several rows and mounted on the bracket.

5. The automatic feeding device for a seedling bed of a transplanter according to claim 4 , wherein each row of the trays is correspondingly provided with the corresponding photoelectric sensor and conveyor belt.

6. The automatic feeding device for a seedling bed of a transplanter according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyor belt is connected with the transplanting platform through a rubber connector.

7. An automatic feeding method for a seedling bed of a transplanter, which is realized based on an automatic feeding device for a seedling bed of a transplanter, comprising
a bracket, installed on the transplanter;
several trays, obliquely arranged on the bracket downwards and used for placing the rice seedling bed, and bottom of the trays being provided with release mechanisms for releasing the rice seedling bed;
a convey belt, arranged on the bracket, and positioned at the bottom of the tray, an end of the conveyor belt being connected with a transplanting platform of the transplanter;
a photoelectric sensor, arranged on the transplanting platform and used for detecting the height of the remaining rice seedling bed on the transplanting platform;
a controller, in communication connection with the photoelectric sensor, for sending a signal for controlling the tray to release the rice seedling bed, when the photoelectric sensor detects that the height of the remaining rice seedling bed on the transplanting platform is lower than the height of the photoelectric sensor,
wherein, the method comprising the following steps:
step 1) assuming that the trays are arranged in several rows, with N trays in each row, loading each tray with a rice seedling bed of a fixed size, with release, mechanisms at the bottom of the trays ail in a closed state;
step 2) initializing each electronic device to enable the electronic device to operate normally;
step 3) using a variable j to represent a serial number of an inclined tray to be released in each row, and initializing the variable j to be 1;
step 4) detecting a return value of the photoelectric sensor in a row at issue, and if the return value is “no need of supplement”, continuing to detect;
step 5) if the return value is “in need of supplement”, judging whether the variable j at the moment is equal to N, and if the variable j is equal to N, indicating that the rice seedling bed loaded in the row are completely used up;
step 6) if j does not reach N, controlling the steering engine of the jth inclined tray in the row to rotate and releasing the seedling bed;
step 7) controlling transmission of the conveyor belt, and conveying the seedling bed to the transplanting platform of the transplanter;
step 8) adding 1 to the value of the variable j, and continuing to detect the return value of the photoelectric sensor.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the release mechanism comprises a movable baffle arranged at an end of the tray and a steering engine for controlling rotation of the movable baffle.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the bracket is mounted with a motor for controlling transmission of the conveyor belt, and the motor is in communication connection with the controller.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the e trays are arranged in several rows and mounted on the bracket.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein each row of the trays is correspondingly provided with the corresponding photoelectric sensor and conveyor belt.

12. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the conveyor belt is connected with the transplanting platform through a rubber connector.

Assignees

• Univ Zhejiang

Inventors

• Bao Yidan
• He Yong
• Yu Yue
• Liu Yufei

Classifications

• A01C11/006 Primary

  Other parts or details or planting machines · CPC title

• A01C11/003

  for aquatic plants; for planting underwater, e.g. rice · CPC title

• A01C11/025 Primary

  Transplanting machines using seedling trays; Devices for removing the seedlings from the trays · CPC title