Main vehicle and auxiliary vehicle cooperative glue collecting robot for multi-posture glue bowls
By designing a collaborative rubber-collecting robot with a multi-axis robotic arm and an end effector, the problems of insecure gripping of rubber cups and incomplete scraping of rubber in rubber plantations have been solved. This has enabled the adjustment of the rubber cups' posture and fully automated operation, thereby improving rubber collection efficiency.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511166534.6
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-20
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-11
- Estimated Expiration
- 2045-08-20
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, rubber harvesting in rubber plantations suffers from problems such as high labor costs, low efficiency, unstable gripping of rubber cups leading to slippage, incomplete scraping of rubber, and difficulty in gripping due to dry rubber adhering to the outer wall of the rubber cup.
Design a collaborative glue collection robot for multi-posture glue bowls, employing a multi-axis robotic arm and end effector, including a glue bowl grasping main vehicle and a glue collection auxiliary vehicle. Utilizing a bowl opening and closing assembly and a glue scraping assembly, the robot achieves posture adjustment of the glue bowls, unbinding of adhesives, and fully automated operation throughout the entire process.
It achieves fully automated continuous operation of the glue bowl, effectively lifting, straightening and cleaning the glue bowl, improving glue collection efficiency and solving the problems of glue bowl slippage and incomplete glue scraping.
Smart Images

Figure CN120918078A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to a master-slave cooperative glue collection robot for multi-posture glue bowls. Background Technology
[0002] Natural rubber is an important industrial raw material and resource, widely used in many fields such as industry, agriculture, national defense, transportation, machinery manufacturing, medicine and health, and daily life, with consumption demand maintaining a year-on-year growth trend. Natural rubber is mainly obtained by tapping rubber trees, which are perennial tall trees, reaching 20-30 meters in height and 25-40 centimeters in diameter at breast height, with smooth, grayish-white bark. Tapping involves making oblique cuts in the outer bark and phloem of the rubber tree, allowing the latex to flow naturally from the cuts and be collected. This is generally done at least once every two days. Due to the latex's characteristic of collecting by its own flow, tapping and collection are mainly carried out at night or in the early morning. The latex is mainly collected by rubber bowls (also called rubber cups), which are hung on the rubber tree by a cup rack.
[0003] The main problems with latex harvesting in rubber plantations are: 1. Manual harvesting is extremely physically demanding, difficult, and inefficient; 2. In most automated harvesting robots, the rubber bowls are easily slipped due to varying angles, and the tilted gripping angle makes it difficult to accurately align the inner wall of the bowl with the scraper, resulting in incomplete scraping; 3. When latex spills onto the outer wall of the bowl, it becomes stuck to the bowl and prevents it from being properly gripped. To address these problems, this application proposes structural improvements to the latex harvesting system. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a main and auxiliary vehicle cooperative glue collection robot that can adjust the posture of glue bowls, untie glue bowls that are stuck together, and facilitate the gripping and scraping of glue bowls.
[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is: a master-slave cooperative glue collection robot for multi-pose glue bowls, comprising: The rubber cup gripper includes a main vehicle chassis, on which a multi-axis robotic arm is mounted. The end of the multi-axis robotic arm is equipped with an end effector, and the end effector is also equipped with a recognition component. The end effector includes a robotic arm mounting plate, on which a horizontal cup gripping assembly and an opening / closing cup support assembly located below the cup gripping assembly are provided. Below the robotic arm mounting plate is a cup support mounting plate. A lifting adjustment assembly is provided between the cup support mounting plate and the robotic arm mounting plate. The inner end of the opening / closing cup support assembly is rotatably mounted on the cup support mounting plate. A swing adjustment assembly is also provided between the robotic arm mounting plate and the opening / closing cup support assembly. The swing adjustment assembly can drive the opening / closing cup support assembly to rotate and switch between a horizontal posture and a vertical posture below. The opening and closing cup support assembly includes an annular support plate with a support plate opening in the middle. The annular support plate is surrounded by several telescopic clips and an opening and closing clamping assembly that drives the several telescopic clips to extend simultaneously to close the support plate opening or retract when they are open. During the process of the opening and closing clamping assembly driving the several telescopic clips to extend simultaneously, the several telescopic clips cooperate to push the outer wall of the plastic cup. After the several telescopic clips are fully extended, they seal the support plate opening and can lift the plastic cup. The adhesive collection sub-vehicle includes a sub-vehicle chassis, on which an adhesive storage tank is installed, and an adhesive scraping component is provided at the top edge of the adhesive storage tank.
[0006] As a preferred technical solution, the rubber cup clamping assembly includes a gripper mounting frame fixed to the robotic arm mounting plate. The gripper mounting frame is connected to arc-shaped grippers that open or close in cooperation with each other. The inner surface of the arc-shaped grippers is covered with a silicone pad. The inner ends of the two arc-shaped grippers are respectively fixed with gripper driven gears. The two gripper driven gears mesh with each other and are respectively connected to the gripper mounting frame through rotating shafts. The gripper mounting frame is also equipped with a gripper arm opening and closing motor. The output end of the gripper arm opening and closing motor is fixed with a gripper driving gear. The gripper driving gear meshes with one of the gripper driven gears.
[0007] As a preferred technical solution, the opening and closing bowl holder assembly includes a bowl holder mounting frame, a bowl holder mounting arm is fixed to one side of the bowl holder mounting frame, and the inner end of the bowl holder mounting arm is rotatably connected to the bowl holder mounting plate.
[0008] As a preferred technical solution, the swing adjustment assembly includes a bowl support swing motor fixed to the robotic arm mounting plate, a take-up and release turntable fixed to the output end of the bowl support swing motor, a rope wound on the take-up and release turntable, and the free end of the rope passing over the guide wheel and fixedly connected to the bowl support mounting arm.
[0009] As a preferred technical solution, the annular support plate is fixedly installed on the bowl support mounting bracket. A ring-shaped drive plate and a clamping plate opening / closing assembly for driving the ring-shaped drive plate to rotate are coaxially arranged below the ring-shaped support plate. The ring-shaped drive plate has a drive plate opening corresponding to the opening of the support plate. A plurality of telescopic clamping plates are disposed between the ring-shaped support plate and the ring-shaped drive plate. A plurality of straight grooves are arranged on the lower surface of the ring-shaped support plate. A linear slider corresponding to the straight grooves is provided on the upper surface of the telescopic clamping plates. A plurality of arc-shaped grooves are arranged on the surface of the ring-shaped drive plate. A drive column corresponding to the arc-shaped grooves is rotatably connected to the telescopic clamping plates. When the ring-shaped drive plate rotates, the arc-shaped grooves push the drive column to move along the arc-shaped grooves, causing the linear slider to slide out or retract along the straight grooves.
[0010] As a preferred technical solution, the linear slide groove extends obliquely from the outer side of the annular support plate toward the support plate opening, and the arc-shaped slide groove extends obliquely from the outer side of the annular drive plate toward the support plate opening. When the drive column is pressed by the arc-shaped slide groove and slides inward along the arc-shaped slide groove, the telescopic clip gradually extends as the linear slider slides inward along the linear slide groove. When the drive column is pressed by the arc-shaped slide groove and slides outward along the arc-shaped slide groove, the telescopic clip gradually retracts as the linear slider slides outward along the linear slide groove.
[0011] As a preferred technical solution, the telescopic clip is triangular in shape, and two adjacent telescopic clips are fitted together. During the extension of the telescopic clip, one side of the telescopic clip can contact the outer wall of the rubber cup.
[0012] As a preferred technical solution, the clamp opening and closing assembly includes an auxiliary plate fixed to the annular drive plate, a clamp driven gear fixed to the bottom end of the auxiliary plate, an auxiliary bracket fixedly connected to the bowl support mounting arm, a clamp opening and closing motor fixed to the auxiliary bracket, a clamp driving gear fixed to the output end of the clamp opening and closing motor, and the clamp driving gear meshing with the clamp driven gear.
[0013] As a preferred technical solution, the lifting and adjusting assembly includes a vertical guide rail fixed to the robotic arm mounting plate, the bowl support mounting plate slides and lifts along the vertical guide rail, a bowl support lifting motor is also fixed on the robotic arm mounting plate, an adjusting screw is fixed to the output end of the bowl support lifting motor, and the bowl support mounting plate is also threadedly connected to the adjusting screw.
[0014] As a preferred technical solution, the glue scraping assembly includes a glue scraping bracket fixed to the side wall of the glue storage tank, a glue scraping motor fixed on the glue scraping bracket, a glue scraping shaft fixedly connected to the output end of the glue scraping motor, the glue scraping shaft extending toward the glue storage tank, and a plurality of glue scraping blades fixed to the end of the glue scraping shaft.
[0015] Due to the adoption of the above technical solutions, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The main and auxiliary vehicle collaborative glue collection robot provided by the present invention has the capability of fully automated continuous operation from glue bowl clamping, tilting, cleaning to resetting; and also provides an innovative structure of the opening and closing bowl support assembly. By utilizing the extension and retraction of the telescopic clamping plates, it can not only lift the glue bowl and assist in straightening the glue bowl, but also clamp and rub the outer wall of the glue bowl to break the dry glue on the outer wall of the glue bowl, which is conducive to the smooth removal of the glue bowl. This structure is ingeniously designed, realizes multiple uses of one machine, and completes the glue collection operation well. Attached Figure Description
[0016] The following figures are intended only to illustrate and explain the present invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Wherein: Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rubber cup gripper for the main vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the end effector of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the end effector from another angle in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a structural exploded view of the end effector of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the opening and closing bowl support assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is an enlarged view of a partial structure of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the position of a single telescopic clip before and after telescopic extension in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a diagram showing the state of several telescopic clips when they are open, according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a diagram showing the state of several telescopic clips after they are closed according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 This is the state when the tilted rubber bowl is clamped in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the adhesive collection sub-vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; In the diagram: 100 - Glue cup gripping main vehicle; 101 - Main vehicle chassis; 102 - Multi-axis robotic arm; 103 - Identification component; 200 - Glue collection auxiliary vehicle; 201 - Glue storage tank; 202 - Glue scraper bracket; 203 - Glue scraper motor; 204 - Glue scraper shaft; 205 - Glue scraper blade; 300 - End effector; 301 - Robotic arm mounting plate; 302 - Bowl support mounting plate; 303 - Gripper mounting bracket; 304 - Arc-shaped gripper; 305 - Gripper opening and closing motor; 306 - Annular support plate; 307 - Telescopic clamping plate; 308-Bowl support mounting bracket; 309-Bowl support mounting arm; 310-Annular drive plate; 311-Linear slide rail; 312-Linear slider; 313-Arc-shaped slide rail; 314-Drive column; 315-Auxiliary plate; 316-Clamping plate driven gear; 317-Auxiliary bracket; 318-Clamping plate opening and closing motor; 319-Clamping plate driving gear; 320-Bowl support swing motor; 321-Rope; 322-Guide wheel; 323-Limit stop; 324-Vertical guide rail; 325-Bowl support lifting motor; 326-Adjusting screw. Detailed Implementation
[0017] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. In the following detailed description, only certain exemplary embodiments of the invention are described by way of illustration. Undoubtedly, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are illustrative in nature and not intended to limit the scope of the claims.
[0018] like Figure 1 As shown, a collaborative glue-collecting robot for multi-posture glue bowls includes a glue bowl grasping main vehicle 100 and at least one glue-collecting auxiliary vehicle 200. The glue bowl grasping main vehicle 100 and the glue-collecting auxiliary vehicle 200 work together. The glue bowl grasping main vehicle 100 is used to grasp the glue bowl, and the glue-collecting auxiliary vehicle 200 is used to scrape and collect the glue. There can be one, two, or more glue-collecting auxiliary vehicles 200, with multiple auxiliary vehicles working together to collect glue intermittently.
[0019] The main vehicle chassis and the sub-vehicle chassis share the same structure, both employing a four-wheel independent suspension design and equipped with deep-tread wide tires to enhance obstacle-crossing capabilities in woodland terrain. The chassis structure includes pre-installed support brackets for control modules, battery modules, and connections to various modules. The main vehicle chassis houses the computing control platform, multi-axis robotic arm, and end effector, responsible for latex cup identification, gripping, and transport operations. The sub-vehicle chassis carries the computing control platform, latex storage tank, and latex scraping assembly, used for latex collection and latex cup cleaning.
[0020] The computing and control platform is installed above the central part of the main and auxiliary vehicle chassis, housing an embedded industrial control computer and equipped with an image processing unit, path planning module, and data storage module. This platform integrates multi-source information fusion algorithms, capable of simultaneously processing visual information, GPS data, and the position information of the main and auxiliary vehicles to complete task scheduling and control command distribution. Externally, it is equipped with a rainproof shell and a cooling fan. 5G and satellite communication antennas are located on the top of the main and auxiliary vehicles for data transmission between the two vehicles and communication with the remote control center. With the help of GPS / BeiDou modules, the position information of the main and auxiliary vehicles can be acquired synchronously, enabling path sharing, collaborative positioning, and precise docking, ensuring smooth operational continuity.
[0021] See Figure 2 The rubber cup gripping vehicle 100 includes a vehicle chassis 101, on which a multi-axis robotic arm 102 is mounted. An end effector 300 is mounted at the end of the multi-axis robotic arm 102, and an identification component 103 is also provided on the end effector 300. The multi-axis robotic arm 102 can be a six-axis robotic arm, used to drive the end effector 300 to adjust its position. The identification component 103 is used to identify the position and posture of the rubber cup. The identification component 103 includes a vision camera, a lidar, and an infrared night vision module, which can accurately identify the rubber tree, the rubber cup, and its hanging position, adapting to different rubber harvesting times during the day and night, providing a data foundation for gripping and path planning.
[0022] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 The end effector 300 includes a robotic arm mounting plate 301, which serves as the mounting base for the end effector 300. The robotic arm mounting plate 301 is connected to the end of the multi-axis robotic arm 102. The robotic arm mounting plate 301 is provided with a horizontal cup clamping assembly and an opening and closing cup support assembly located below the cup clamping assembly. Below the robotic arm mounting plate 301 is a cup support mounting plate 302. A lifting adjustment assembly is provided between the cup support mounting plate 302 and the robotic arm mounting plate 301. The inner end of the opening and closing cup support assembly is rotatably mounted on the cup support mounting plate 302. A swing adjustment assembly is also provided between the robotic arm mounting plate 301 and the opening and closing cup support assembly. The swing adjustment assembly can drive the opening and closing cup support assembly to rotate and switch between a horizontal posture and a vertical posture below. The cup clamping assembly is used to clamp the cup. The cup opening and closing assembly has an open state and a closed state. In the closed state, the cup can be straightened by lifting it. In the open state, the cup can be released by applying force to the outer wall of the cup. The lifting adjustment assembly can adjust the height of the cup opening and closing assembly. The swing adjustment assembly is used to switch the horizontal and vertical positions of the cup opening and closing assembly to meet different usage needs.
[0023] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 The cup gripping assembly includes a gripper mounting frame 303 fixed to the robotic arm mounting plate 301. Arc-shaped grippers 304, which open or close in cooperation, are connected to the gripper mounting frame 303. The inner surface of each arc-shaped gripper 304 is covered with a silicone pad. A gripper driven gear is fixed to the inner end of each of the two arc-shaped grippers 304. The two gripper driven gears mesh with each other and are connected to the gripper mounting frame 303 via rotating shafts. A gripper arm opening / closing motor 305 is also mounted on the gripper mounting frame 303. A gripper drive gear is fixed to the output end of the gripper arm opening / closing motor 305, and the gripper drive gear meshes with one of the gripper driven gears. When the gripper arm opening / closing motor 305 operates, the gripper drive gear rotates, driving both gripper driven gears to rotate simultaneously, causing the two arc-shaped grippers 304 to swing inward or outward simultaneously, gripping or releasing the cup.
[0024] See Figures 5 to 7 The opening and closing cup support assembly includes an annular support plate 306 with a support plate opening in the middle. The annular support plate 306 is surrounded by a plurality of telescopic clamping pieces 307 and an opening and closing clamping assembly that drives the plurality of telescopic clamping pieces 307 to extend and close the support plate opening or retract and open. During the process of the opening and closing clamping assembly driving the plurality of telescopic clamping pieces 307 to extend simultaneously, the plurality of telescopic clamping pieces 307 cooperate to push the outer wall of the plastic cup. After the plurality of telescopic clamping pieces 307 are fully extended, they seal the support plate opening and can lift the plastic cup.
[0025] The opening and closing bowl holder assembly includes a bowl holder mounting bracket 308, and a bowl holder mounting arm 309 is fixed to one side of the bowl holder mounting bracket 308. The inner end of the bowl holder mounting arm 309 is rotatably connected to the bowl holder mounting plate 302.
[0026] The annular support plate 306 is fixedly installed on the bowl support mounting bracket 308. A ring drive plate 310 and a clamping plate opening / closing assembly for driving the ring drive plate 310 to rotate are coaxially arranged below the annular support plate 306. The ring drive plate 310 has a drive plate opening corresponding to the opening of the support plate. A plurality of telescopic clamping plates 307 are disposed between the annular support plate 306 and the ring drive plate 310. A plurality of straight sliding grooves 311 are arranged on the lower surface of the annular support plate 306. The upper surface of 7 is provided with a linear slider 312 that extends into the linear groove 311. The surface of the annular drive plate 310 is provided with a plurality of arc-shaped grooves 313. The telescopic clamp 307 is rotatably connected with a drive column 314 that extends into the arc-shaped groove 313. When the annular drive plate 310 rotates, the arc-shaped groove 313 will push the drive column 314 to move along the arc-shaped groove 313, thereby driving the linear slider 312 to slide out or slide back along the linear groove 311.
[0027] The clamp opening and closing assembly includes an auxiliary plate 315 fixed to the annular drive plate 310. A clamp driven gear 316 is fixed to the bottom end of the auxiliary plate 315. An auxiliary bracket 317 is fixedly connected to the bowl support mounting arm 309. A clamp opening and closing motor 318 is fixed to the auxiliary bracket 317. A clamp driving gear 319 is fixed to the output end of the clamp opening and closing motor 318. The clamp driving gear 319 meshes with the clamp driven gear 316. When the clamp opening and closing motor 318 runs, the auxiliary plate 315 rotates through the clamp driving gear 319 and the clamp driven gear 316, thereby causing the annular drive plate 310 to rotate, realizing the extension and retraction of the telescopic clamp 307.
[0028] The linear slide groove 311 extends obliquely from the outer side of the annular support plate 306 toward the support plate opening, and the arc-shaped slide groove 313 extends obliquely from the outer side of the annular drive plate 310 toward the support plate opening. When the drive column 314 is pressed by the arc-shaped slide groove 313 and slides inward along the arc-shaped slide groove 313, the linear slider 312 slides inward along the linear slide groove 311, and the telescopic clamp 307 gradually extends outward. When the drive column 314 is pressed by the arc-shaped slide groove 313 and slides outward along the arc-shaped slide groove 313, the linear slider 312 slides outward along the linear slide groove 311, and the telescopic clamp 307 gradually retracts. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the closing process of a single telescopic clip 307 from the outside to the inside. The dashed line represents the state before complete closure, and the solid line represents the state after complete closure. Figure 9 This is a diagram showing the state of several telescopic clips 307 before they are fully closed. Figure 10 This is a diagram showing the state after several telescopic clips 307 are fully closed.
[0029] See Figures 7 to 9 The telescopic clip 307 is triangular in shape, and two adjacent telescopic clips 307 are fitted together. During the extension of the telescopic clip 307, one side of the telescopic clip 307 can contact the outer wall of the rubber cup.
[0030] When the glue bowl is glued to the bowl rack with dry glue, this device has several ways to break the dry glue, as follows: 1. When the rubber bowl is obviously tilted, insert the opening and closing bowl support assembly into the bottom of the rubber bowl from below. Then, when all the telescopic clips 307 are extended at the same time, since all the telescopic clips 307 are evenly arranged in the circumference and the extension and retraction are synchronized, the simultaneous extension of all the telescopic clips 307 will force the tilted rubber bowl to be concentric with the annular support plate 306, thereby causing the rubber bowl to move from tilted to upright, loosening and destroying the dry glue on the outer wall of the rubber bowl, thereby releasing the glue from the adhesive. 2. Controlling the telescopic clamping piece 307 to extend and clamp and release multiple times instantaneously. One side of the telescopic clamping piece 307 applies pressure to the outer wall of the glue bowl. When it contacts the outer wall of the glue bowl, it quickly rubs against the outer wall of the glue bowl, providing the glue bowl with a component force that has a rotational tendency. When several telescopic clamping pieces 307 extend and clamp simultaneously multiple times instantaneously, a frictional force can be formed that forces the glue bowl to rotate instantaneously. This causes the glue bowl to rotate instantaneously, shearing and destroying the dry adhesive between the outer wall of the glue bowl and the bowl holder, thereby releasing the glue bowl from its adhesive. Third, when the dry adhesive on the outer wall of the glue bowl is too strong and the above two methods cannot break the dry adhesive, a third method can be used. Specifically, the upper part and the lower part of the glue bowl are clamped by the arc-shaped gripper 304 and the telescopic clamp 307 respectively. Then, the multi-axis robotic arm 102 drives the end effector 300 to rotate the glue bowl horizontally, shearing and breaking the dry adhesive between the outer wall of the glue bowl and the bowl frame, thereby releasing the glue bowl from its adhesion.
[0031] The choice between the three methods depends on the location and condition of the glue bowl, and multiple methods can also be used in combination.
[0032] The opening and closing bowl support assembly of this device utilizes the extension and retraction of the telescopic clamp 307 to not only lift the plastic bowl and assist in straightening it, but also to clamp the plastic bowl and break the dry glue on the outside of the bowl, facilitating the smooth removal of the plastic bowl. This ingenious structural design achieves multiple uses in one machine.
[0033] The rubber bowl for collecting rubber liquid is typically made of ceramic, while the telescopic clamp 307 can be made of metal. To increase the friction between the telescopic clamp 307 and the rubber bowl, anti-slip textures can be added to the surface of the side of the telescopic clamp 307 that contacts the rubber bowl. Alternatively, the telescopic clamp 307 can be made of a harder rubber material, such as high-styrene rubber (HS-860). Rubber materials increase friction with the ceramic bowl, and because they combine the toughness of rubber with the rigidity of plastic, they can support the rubber bowl.
[0034] The swing adjustment assembly includes a bowl-shaped swing motor 320 fixed to the robotic arm mounting plate 301. A retraction turntable is fixed to the output end of the bowl-shaped swing motor 320, and a rope 321 is wound around the turntable. The free end of the rope 321 passes over a guide wheel 322 and is fixedly connected to the bowl-shaped mounting arm 309. When the bowl-shaped swing motor 320 operates, it drives the retraction turntable to rotate, causing the rope 321 to release or retract. When the rope 321 is released, the opening and closing bowl-shaped assembly swings downwards to a vertical position. When the rope 321 is retracted, the opening and closing bowl-shaped assembly swings upwards to a horizontal position. When the opening and closing bowl-shaped assembly is in a horizontal position, a limit stop 323 is provided on the bowl-shaped mounting plate 302 to restrict the bowl-shaped mounting arm 309 from continuing to swing upwards, ensuring that the opening and closing bowl-shaped assembly remains horizontal at all times.
[0035] The lifting and adjusting assembly includes a vertical guide rail 324 fixed to the robotic arm mounting plate 301. The bowl support mounting plate 302 slides and lifts along the vertical guide rail 324. A bowl support lifting motor 325 is also fixed to the robotic arm mounting plate 301. An adjusting screw 326 is fixed to the output end of the bowl support lifting motor 325. The bowl support mounting plate 302 is also threadedly connected to the adjusting screw 326. When the bowl support lifting motor 325 is running, it can drive the adjusting screw 326 to rotate, causing the bowl support mounting plate 302 and the clamp opening and closing assembly on it to rise and fall. At the same time, the bowl support swing motor 320 correspondingly controls the winding and unwinding of the rope 321, so that the clamp opening and closing assembly rises and falls in the same posture.
[0036] The latex collection auxiliary vehicle 200 includes an auxiliary vehicle chassis on which a latex storage tank 201 is mounted. A latex scraper assembly is also provided at the top edge of the latex storage tank 201. The large-capacity latex storage tank 201 is installed at the center of the auxiliary vehicle chassis, which can meet the needs of long-term, centralized collection of latex from multiple rubber trees. The connection between the tank and the chassis is detachable for easy replacement or cleaning.
[0037] The glue scraping assembly includes a glue scraping bracket 202 fixed to the side wall of the glue storage tank 201. A glue scraping motor 203 is fixed on the glue scraping bracket 202. A glue scraping shaft 204 is fixedly connected to the output end of the glue scraping motor 203. The glue scraping shaft 204 extends toward the glue storage tank 201, and multiple glue scraping blades 205 are fixed to the end of the glue scraping shaft 204. When the glue scraping motor 203 is running, it can drive the glue scraping blades 205 to rotate. During glue scraping, the glue bowl is clamped and moved above the glue storage tank 201, and the glue liquid in the glue bowl is poured into the glue storage tank 201. Then the glue bowl is moved to the glue scraping blades 205. The rotating glue scraping blades 205 can clean the glue liquid from the inner wall of the glue bowl. The glue bowl and the glue scraping blades 205 fit better after being straightened, which can ensure that the glue liquid is cleaned thoroughly.
[0038] This invention provides a master-slave cooperative glue-collecting robot with adjustable glue bowls, possessing fully automated continuous operation capabilities from glue bowl positioning, gripping, tilting, cleaning to resetting. Its specific workflow is as follows: Step 1: Target Positioning and Path Planning After the identification component 103 on the main vehicle is activated, it uses a combination of vision and lidar to identify rubber trees and their latex bowls that have not yet completed their latex collection tasks within the forest area. The identification results are processed by the computing and control platform, which automatically plans the optimal path and controls the main vehicle chassis to travel along the set route to the vicinity of the target rubber tree. The No. 1 auxiliary vehicle chassis simultaneously receives the path data and uses a 5G communication module to maintain a fixed distance from the main vehicle while coordinating its movement. Finally, after the main vehicle completes its positioning, it stops beside it and enters a collaborative operation state. The No. 2 auxiliary vehicle waits at its origin for instructions from the No. 1 auxiliary vehicle. It is deployed when the No. 1 auxiliary vehicle is about to be full of latex to ensure the continuity of latex collection.
[0039] Step 2: Plastic Bowl Pose Recognition and End-Factory Alignment After the main vehicle stops, the identification component 103 on the end effector 300 begins to operate, accurately identifying the specific position, orientation, and tilt angle of the rubber tree's rubber cup. The identification data is transmitted to the main vehicle control platform, which automatically calculates the optimal motion trajectory for the robotic arm. Subsequently, the robotic arm starts and moves the end effector 300 above the target rubber cup, completing precise alignment.
[0040] Step 3: Clamping and adjusting the multi-position glue cups, and releasing the glued glue cups. See Figure 11This diagram illustrates the clamping of an inclined plastic bowl. In this configuration, the inclined bowl is not firmly gripped, making it prone to slippage and hindering precise glue application. The process of clamping and adjusting the multi-position plastic bowl involves the following steps: The opening and closing bowl support assembly in the end effector 300 activates first. The bowl support swing motor 320 reverses to release the rope 321, causing the opening and closing bowl support assembly to lower under gravity. Subsequently, the plastic bowl clamping assembly activates. The clamping arm opening and closing motor 305 drives the gears, causing the two arc-shaped grippers 304 to open and close, clamping the plastic bowl. At this point, the plastic bowl may not be perfectly horizontal. To straighten the rubber cup, the cup holder swing motor 320 rotates forward to retract the rope 321, allowing the opening and closing cup holder assembly to return to a horizontal position under the action of the limit stop 323, and the telescopic clamp 307 to fully extend. At this time, the clamp arm opening and closing motor 305 reverses to drive the gear and slowly release the rubber cup with a certain tilt angle, so that the bottom of the rubber cup coincides with the plane of the telescopic clamp 307. At this time, the rubber cup returns to a horizontal position. Then, the clamp arm opening and closing motor 305 drives the gear to make the arc-shaped clamp 304 close and clamp the rubber cup again, thus straightening the rubber cup. If the rubber cup in the rubber plantation is placed abnormally, for example, when the edge of the rubber cup is only 1-3 cm above the rubber tree cup holder, and the arc-shaped clamp 304 cannot guarantee effective and stable clamping, the rubber cup can be lifted with the help of the opening and closing cup holder assembly before clamping, and then the multi-position rubber cup adjustment and clamping operation can be performed.
[0041] The procedure for releasing the glued bowl: When the bowl is glued, the bowl clamping assembly cannot remove it smoothly, so the bowl needs to be loosened beforehand. At this time, the bowl support lifting motor 325 on the end actuator 300 reverses to lower the opening and closing bowl support assembly. Then, the clamp opening and closing motor 318 rotates forward, driving the annular drive plate 310 to rotate through gear transmission, causing the normally closed telescopic clamp 307 to open. Then, after the center of the clamp opening and closing motor 318 is aligned with the bottom of the bowl, the bowl support lifting motor 325 rotates forward, driving the clamp opening and closing motor 318 upward. At this time, the bottom of the bowl is covered by the opened bowl support. Then, the clamp opening and closing motor 318 reverses, and the opened telescopic clamp 307 extends and rubs the bottom of the bowl several times, loosening the dry glue on the outside of the bowl. Finally, the bowl is clamped by the bowl clamping assembly.
[0042] When clamping plastic bowls of varying heights, the height of the opening and closing bowl support assembly and the plastic bowl clamping assembly can be adjusted by the bowl support lifting motor 325 to match the different heights of the plastic bowls and perform the clamping operation.
[0043] Step 4: Pour the latex into the storage container 201 The robotic arm starts according to the path planning, slowly moving the end effector 300 holding the glue bowl to the opening of the glue storage tank 201 above the auxiliary vehicle. After reaching the designated position, the end effector 300 completes the glue bowl flipping action, allowing the latex to naturally pour into the tank, achieving centralized collection of latex liquid. After pouring is complete, the robotic arm drives the end effector 300 to return to its initial angle.
[0044] Step 5: Automatic removal of residual adhesive After the tilting is complete, the robotic arm moves the end effector 300, which holds the glue bowl, to the scraping assembly on the auxiliary vehicle. The glue bowl is rotated 90° and gradually comes into contact with the scraping blade 205 from the front. The scraping assembly is started by a stepper motor, causing multiple scraping blades 205 to rotate evenly, thoroughly removing any remaining dry glue and impurities from the inner wall of the glue bowl. The scraping time is generally 3-5 seconds, during which the robotic arm keeps the bowl stable. At this point, because the angle of the glue bowl perfectly matches the scraping blade 205, a good scraping effect is achieved.
[0045] Step Six: Reset, Replace, and Record Operation Completed After the rubber is scraped off, the robotic arm moves the end effector 300 back to the target rubber tree and accurately places the cleaned rubber cup back into its original position on the wire ring of the cup holder. The completion of this placement action signifies the end-of-cycle rubber collection for that tree. The control system simultaneously records the image information, operation trajectory, and rubber volume data for this operation and automatically updates the work schedule, initiating the work cycle for the next rubber tree.
[0046] Step Seven: Coordination between Sub-Car No. 1 and Sub-Car No. 2 When the amount of latex collected by auxiliary vehicle 1 reaches a certain quantity in the latex storage tank 201 (the auxiliary vehicle has a built-in pressure sensor to monitor the amount of latex in the storage tank 201 in real time), it sends a command to auxiliary vehicle 2. Upon receiving the command, auxiliary vehicle 2 departs from the origin and heads towards the location of auxiliary vehicle 1. When auxiliary vehicle 2 reaches the location of auxiliary vehicle 1, auxiliary vehicle 1 has completed collecting latex, and the latex storage tank 201 is more than 80% full. At this point, auxiliary vehicle 2 takes over the latex storage from auxiliary vehicle 1, and auxiliary vehicle 1 returns to the origin along the same route, emptying the latex storage tank 201, and awaits the departure command from auxiliary vehicle 2. This process is repeated to achieve continuous latex collection and improve the efficiency of the latex collection work.
[0047] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A master-slave cooperative glue-collecting robot for multi-pose glue bowls, characterized in that, include: The rubber cup gripper includes a main vehicle chassis, on which a multi-axis robotic arm is mounted. The end of the multi-axis robotic arm is equipped with an end effector, and the end effector is also equipped with a recognition component. The end effector includes a robotic arm mounting plate, on which a horizontal cup gripping assembly and an opening / closing cup support assembly located below the cup gripping assembly are provided. Below the robotic arm mounting plate is a cup support mounting plate. A lifting adjustment assembly is provided between the cup support mounting plate and the robotic arm mounting plate. The inner end of the opening / closing cup support assembly is rotatably mounted on the cup support mounting plate. A swing adjustment assembly is also provided between the robotic arm mounting plate and the opening / closing cup support assembly. The swing adjustment assembly can drive the opening / closing cup support assembly to rotate and switch between a horizontal posture and a vertical posture below. The opening and closing cup support assembly includes an annular support plate with a support plate opening in the middle. The annular support plate is surrounded by several telescopic clips and an opening and closing clamping assembly that drives the several telescopic clips to extend simultaneously to close the support plate opening or retract when they are open. During the process of the opening and closing clamping assembly driving the several telescopic clips to extend simultaneously, the several telescopic clips cooperate to push the outer wall of the plastic cup. After the several telescopic clips are fully extended, they seal the support plate opening and can lift the plastic cup. The adhesive collection sub-vehicle includes a sub-vehicle chassis, on which an adhesive storage tank is installed, and an adhesive scraping component is provided at the top edge of the adhesive storage tank.
2. The master-slave cooperative glue collection robot for multi-pose glue bowls as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The cup gripping assembly includes a gripper mounting frame fixed to the robotic arm mounting plate. The gripper mounting frame is connected to arc-shaped grippers that open or close in cooperation with each other. The inner surface of the arc-shaped grippers is covered with a silicone pad. The inner ends of the two arc-shaped grippers are respectively fixed with gripper driven gears. The two gripper driven gears mesh with each other and are respectively connected to the gripper mounting frame through rotating shafts. The gripper mounting frame is also equipped with a gripper arm opening and closing motor. The output end of the gripper arm opening and closing motor is fixed with a gripper driving gear. The gripper driving gear meshes with one of the gripper driven gears.
3. The master-slave cooperative glue collection robot for multi-pose glue bowls as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The opening and closing bowl holder assembly includes a bowl holder mounting frame, a bowl holder mounting arm is fixed to one side of the bowl holder mounting frame, and the inner end of the bowl holder mounting arm is rotatably connected to the bowl holder mounting plate.
4. The master-slave cooperative glue collection robot for multi-pose glue bowls as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The swing adjustment assembly includes a bowl-shaped swing motor fixed to the robotic arm mounting plate. The output end of the bowl-shaped swing motor is fixed with a take-up and release turntable. A rope is wound on the take-up and release turntable, and the free end of the rope passes around the guide wheel and is fixedly connected to the bowl-shaped mounting arm.
5. The master-slave cooperative glue collection robot for multi-pose glue bowls as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The annular support plate is fixedly installed on the bowl support mounting bracket. A ring drive plate and a clamp opening and closing assembly for driving the ring drive plate to rotate are coaxially arranged below the annular support plate. The ring drive plate has a drive plate opening corresponding to the opening of the support plate. A plurality of telescopic clamps are arranged between the annular support plate and the annular drive plate. A plurality of straight grooves are arranged on the lower surface of the annular support plate. A linear slider corresponding to the straight groove is provided on the upper surface of the telescopic clamp. A plurality of arc-shaped grooves are arranged on the surface of the annular drive plate. A drive column corresponding to the arc-shaped groove is rotatably connected to the telescopic clamp. When the annular drive plate rotates, the arc-shaped groove will push the drive column to move along the arc-shaped groove, causing the linear slider to slide out or slide back along the straight groove.
6. The master-slave cooperative glue collection robot for multi-pose glue bowls as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The linear slide groove extends obliquely from the outer side of the annular support plate toward the support plate opening, and the arc-shaped slide groove extends obliquely from the outer side of the annular drive plate toward the support plate opening. When the drive column is pressed by the arc-shaped slide groove and slides inward along the arc-shaped slide groove, the linear slider slides inward along the linear slide groove, and the telescopic clip gradually extends. When the drive column is pressed by the arc-shaped slide groove and slides outward along the arc-shaped slide groove, the linear slider slides outward along the linear slide groove, and the telescopic clip gradually retracts.
7. The master-slave cooperative glue collection robot for multi-pose glue bowls as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The telescopic clip is triangular in shape, and two adjacent telescopic clips are fitted together. During the extension of the telescopic clip, one side of the telescopic clip can contact the outer wall of the rubber cup.
8. The master-slave cooperative glue collection robot for multi-pose glue bowls as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The clamp opening and closing assembly includes an auxiliary plate fixed to the annular drive plate. A clamp driven gear is fixed to the bottom end of the auxiliary plate. An auxiliary bracket is fixedly connected to the bowl support mounting arm. A clamp opening and closing motor is fixed to the auxiliary bracket. A clamp driving gear is fixed to the output end of the clamp opening and closing motor. The clamp driving gear meshes with the clamp driven gear.
9. The master-slave cooperative glue collection robot for multi-pose glue bowls as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting and adjusting assembly includes a vertical guide rail fixed to the robotic arm mounting plate. The bowl support mounting plate slides and lifts along the vertical guide rail. A bowl support lifting motor is also fixed to the robotic arm mounting plate. An adjusting screw is fixed to the output end of the bowl support lifting motor. The bowl support mounting plate is also threadedly connected to the adjusting screw.
10. A master-slave cooperative glue-collecting robot for multi-pose glue bowls as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The glue scraping assembly includes a glue scraping bracket fixed to the side wall of the glue storage tank, a glue scraping motor fixed on the glue scraping bracket, a glue scraping shaft fixedly connected to the output end of the glue scraping motor, the glue scraping shaft extending toward the glue storage tank, and a plurality of glue scraping blades fixed to the end of the glue scraping shaft.
Citation Information
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