Automatic oyster opener

Abstract

The application discloses an automatic oyster opening machine, which comprises a rack, a positioning seat and a taper head, the taper head is located above the positioning seat, the positioning seat is provided with an inclined surface, a bottom surface and a first clamping surface, the first clamping surface is inclined to the side of the inclined surface or perpendicular to the bottom surface, the inclined surface, the bottom surface and the first clamping surface jointly form a first limiting groove, the inclined surface is provided with a second limiting groove communicated with the first limiting groove, the taper head is connected with a lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism is used for driving the taper head to drop and squeeze into a raw oyster on the inclined surface, the rack is further provided with a horizontal moving mechanism, the horizontal moving mechanism is used for driving the positioning seat or the taper head to move away from each other, so that the taper head squeezed into the raw oyster can pry open the oyster shell. Compared with the prior art, the application can complete the drilling into the raw oyster and the prying of the shell by using one taper head under the cooperation of the positioning seat, and the overall structure is simple; secondly, the raw oyster is easy to load and unload, the posture is easy to adjust, and the oyster opening efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of oyster shucking technology, and in particular to an automatic oyster shucking machine. Background Technology

[0002] In the catering, retail, food processing, and oyster farming industries, the oyster shucking and meat extraction process still heavily relies on manual labor. However, manual shucking has several significant drawbacks: low efficiency, high labor costs, operators are easily injured by tools or sharp oyster shells, and hygiene standards are difficult to standardize. Patent application CN109122806A discloses an oyster shucking device, which consists of a lifting device, an upper fixing device, a lower fixing device, a shucking device, and a control console. The workflow is as follows: after the oyster is placed on the lower fixing device, the lifting device drives the upper fixing device downwards, so that the upper and lower fixing devices together secure the oyster; then, a worker aligns the shucking tool with the oyster opening and, driven by an electromagnet, inserts the tool into the oyster to pry open the shell. This shucking device has the following shortcomings: firstly, the oyster's fixing structure is complex, involving multiple steps; secondly, when the shucking tool is inserted shallowly, the two oyster shells open only slightly, while to increase the opening depth, the shucking tool needs to be inserted deeper, which can easily damage the oyster meat. In addition, this prying method requires a lot of power to pry open the upper and lower fixing devices. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides an automatic oyster shucking machine to solve the problems of complex existing oyster shucking structures, complicated oyster fixing methods, and high energy consumption in prying open oysters.

[0004] This invention provides an automatic oyster shucking machine, including a frame, a positioning seat and a cone head on the frame, the cone head being located above the positioning seat, the positioning seat having an inclined surface, a bottom surface and a first engaging surface, the first engaging surface being inclined towards the inclined surface or perpendicular to the bottom surface, the inclined surface, the bottom surface and the first engaging surface together forming a first limiting groove, the inclined surface having a second limiting groove communicating with the first limiting groove, the cone head being connected to a lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism being used to drive the cone head to descend and squeeze into the oyster on the inclined surface, the frame also having a horizontal moving mechanism, the horizontal moving mechanism being used to drive the positioning seat or the cone head to move back to back, so that the cone head squeezed into the oyster pry open the oyster shell.

[0005] Preferably, the frame is provided with an oyster-cutting mechanism on one side of the positioning seat, the oyster-cutting mechanism including an oyster knife that can rotate into the first limiting groove.

[0006] Preferably, the positioning seat is provided with an unloading mechanism, which is used to remove the oysters from the positioning seat.

[0007] Preferably, the frame is equipped with a laser positioning mechanism, which is used to locate the gap of the oyster and align it with the cone.

[0008] Preferably, the bottom of the second limiting groove is provided with a third limiting groove, and the third limiting groove is connected to the second limiting groove.

[0009] Preferably, a second contact surface is provided above the first contact surface, the distance between the second contact surface and the inclined surface is greater than the distance between the first contact surface and the inclined surface, and the second contact surface is connected to the first contact surface through a connecting surface.

[0010] Preferably, the oyster-cutting mechanism includes a worm gear and a first motor, and the oyster knife is connected to the first motor via the worm gear.

[0011] Preferably, the laser positioning mechanism includes two line lasers, and the intersection of the laser beams emitted by the two line lasers is located in the direction of travel of the cone head.

[0012] Preferably, the unloading mechanism includes a lever and a second motor. The positioning seat is provided with a first mounting groove adapted to the second motor. The positioning seat is also provided with a clearance groove adapted to the lever. The clearance groove is connected to a second limiting groove and a third limiting groove respectively. The opening of the clearance groove extends to the bottom surface.

[0013] Preferably, the horizontal moving mechanism includes an electric telescopic rod, the piston rod of which is fixed to a positioning seat, and the positioning seat slides horizontally along the guide rail of the frame.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, this invention provides limited restraint to the oyster through an inclined plane, an included angle C, and a second limiting groove. When the cone drills downwards into the oyster shell, it effectively ensures that the oyster remains stationary (the inclined plane and included angle C prevent the oyster from sliding downwards under the pressure of the cone, and the second limiting groove effectively prevents the oyster from swaying left and right when squeezed by the cone). Secondly, the limited restraint facilitates the cone turning over the oyster shell A to pry it open. Thirdly, the limited restraint allows for fine-tuning of the oyster's placement so that the gap between the shells aligns with the cone. Through this structural design, with the cooperation of the positioning seat, a single cone can be used to drill into and pry open the oyster. The overall structure is simple, eliminating the need for additional clamps to fix the oyster or additional pry tools to open the shell. Furthermore, loading and unloading the oyster is simple, and the posture adjustment is easy, reducing the difficulty of operation and improving the efficiency of oyster opening. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram from another perspective of the present invention; Figure 3 This is the front view of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning seat of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a physical drawing of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the various stages of oyster shell opening in this invention.

[0017] Figure label: 1. Frame, 2. Positioning seat, 3. Cone head, 4. Lifting mechanism, 5. Horizontal moving mechanism, 6. Oyster meat cutting mechanism, 7. Unloading mechanism, 8. Linear laser, 9. Wastewater box, 11. Guide rail, 21. Inclined surface, 22. Bottom surface, 23. First locking surface, 24. First limiting groove, 25. Second limiting groove, 26. Third limiting groove, 27. Second locking surface, 28. Connecting surface, 61. Oyster knife, 71. Lever, 72. Second motor. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0019] See attached document Figure 2This embodiment provides an automatic oyster shucking machine, including a frame 1. The frame 1 is provided with a positioning seat 2 and a cone head 3. The cone head 3 is located above the positioning seat 2. The positioning seat 2 is provided with an inclined surface 21, a bottom surface 22 and a first locking surface 23. The first locking surface 23 is inclined towards the inclined surface 21 or perpendicular to the bottom surface 22. The inclined surface 21, the bottom surface 22 and the first locking surface 23 together form a first limiting groove 24. The inclined surface 21 is provided with a second limiting groove 25 that communicates with the first limiting groove 24. The cone head 3 is connected to a lifting mechanism 4. The lifting mechanism 4 is used to drive the cone head 3 to descend and squeeze into the oyster on the inclined surface 21. The frame 1 is also provided with a horizontal moving mechanism 5. The horizontal moving mechanism 5 is used to drive the positioning seat 2 or the cone head 3 to move back to back so that the cone head 3 squeezed into the oyster pry open the oyster shell. In this invention, oysters are placed on an inclined surface 21, with two oyster shells facing the inclined surface 21 and the first locking surface 23 respectively (oyster shell facing the first locking surface 23 is oyster shell A, and oyster shell facing the inclined surface 21 is oyster shell B). The lower end of the oyster is locked within the angle C formed by the first locking surface 23 and the bottom surface 22. Part of oyster shell B is embedded in the second limiting groove 25. The posture of the oyster is slightly adjusted so that the tail gap is aligned with the cone head 3. The lifting mechanism 4 is activated, and the lifting mechanism 4 drives the cone head 3 to move downward and squeeze into the gap of the oyster. The cone head 3 stops after entering the oyster shell. Then, the horizontal moving mechanism 5 is activated, and the horizontal moving mechanism 5 drives the cone head 3 to move horizontally or the positioning seat 2 to move horizontally, so that the positioning seat 2 and the cone head 3 move back to back. The cone head 3 flips oyster shell A towards the first locking surface 23. Oyster shell B, because it is lying at an angle and is restricted by the angle C between the first locking surface 23 and the bottom surface 22, hardly moves. When oyster shell A is flipped upwards and attached to the upper end of the first contact surface 23, the horizontal moving mechanism 5 stops. At this time, the two oyster shells open, and the oyster can be removed manually or with a tool. This invention provides limited restraint to the oyster through the inclined surface 21, the included angle C, and the second limiting groove 25. When the cone 3 drills downwards between the oyster shells, it effectively ensures that the oyster remains stationary (the inclined surface 21 and the included angle C prevent the oyster from sliding downwards under the pressure of the cone 3, and the second limiting groove 25 effectively prevents the oyster from swaying left and right when squeezed by the cone 3). Secondly, the limited restraint facilitates the cone 3 to flip oyster shell A, thereby prying open the oyster shell. Thirdly, the limited restraint allows for fine-tuning of the oyster's placement so that the gap between the oyster shells aligns with the cone 3. With this structural design, the oyster can be drilled and pried open with a single cone 3, in conjunction with the positioning seat 2. The overall structure is simple, and there is no need to add other clamps to fix the oyster or add other pry tools to pry open the oyster shell. Secondly, the loading and unloading of oysters is simple and the posture is easy to adjust, which reduces the difficulty of operation and improves the efficiency of opening oysters.

[0020] As another embodiment of the present invention: refer to the appendix Figure 1The frame 1 has an oyster-cutting mechanism 6 on one side of the positioning seat 2. The oyster-cutting mechanism 6 includes an oyster knife 61 that can rotate into the first limiting groove 24. When the cone head 3 flips the oyster shell A toward the first locking surface 23, the two oyster shells open. (Refer to the attached diagram.) Figure 3 The oyster shell A is basically parallel to the first contact surface 23. At this time, the direction of the adductor muscle (oyster adductor column) becomes horizontal, forming an optimal angle (90°) with the feed direction of the subsequent cutting oyster knife 61. This ensures that the oyster knife 61 can cleanly and neatly cut the oyster adductor column, achieving the separation of the two oyster shells. The working process of the oyster muscle cutting mechanism 6 is as follows: the oyster muscle cutting mechanism 6 is activated, the oyster knife 61 cuts the adductor muscle downward along the inner wall of the oyster shell A, and then returns to the initial position. Through this structural design, the oyster meat can be automatically separated from the oyster shell after it is pried open.

[0021] In another embodiment of the present invention, the positioning seat 2 is provided with an unloading mechanism 7, which is used to remove oysters from the positioning seat 2. One method is that the unloading mechanism 7 uses a lever 71 to pick up the oysters from the first limiting groove 24; another method is that the unloading mechanism 7 flips the positioning seat 2 to allow the oysters to fall out of the first limiting groove 24; a third method is that the unloading mechanism 7 uses grippers to clamp the oysters out of the first limiting groove 24.

[0022] As another embodiment of the present invention: the frame 1 is provided with a laser positioning mechanism, which is used to position the gap of the oyster so that it is aligned with the cone head 3.

[0023] As another embodiment of the present invention: refer to the appendix Figure 4 The bottom of the second limiting groove 25 is provided with a third limiting groove 26, which is connected to the second limiting groove 25. The second limiting groove 25 is located between the third limiting groove 26 and the first limiting groove 24. The second limiting groove 25 restricts the two sides of the oyster shell, and the third limiting groove 26 restricts the middle part of the oyster shell. The two work together to further constrain the oyster more stably.

[0024] In another embodiment of the present invention: a second locking surface 27 is provided above the first locking surface 23. The distance between the second locking surface 27 and the inclined surface 21 is greater than the distance between the first locking surface 23 and the inclined surface 21. The second locking surface 27 is connected to the first locking surface 23 through a connecting surface 28. The first locking surface 23, the connecting surface 28, and the second locking surface 27 form a stepped structure. When the oysters are small, they are placed on the inclined surface 21, with the lower end of the oyster wedged into the angle formed by the first locking surface 23 and the bottom surface 22. When the oysters are large, they are placed on the inclined surface 21, with the lower end of the oyster wedged into the angle formed by the second locking surface 27 and the connecting surface 28. This structural design allows for the placement of different batches of oysters.

[0025] In another embodiment of the present invention: the slope of the first snap-fit ​​surface 23 is greater than the slope of the inclined surface 21, that is, the angle between the first snap-fit ​​surface 23 and the horizontal plane is greater than the angle between the inclined surface 21 and the horizontal plane, and the second snap-fit ​​surface 27 is parallel to the first snap-fit ​​surface 23.

[0026] In another embodiment of the present invention, the slope of the bottom of the second limiting groove 25 is less than the slope of the inclined surface 21.

[0027] In another embodiment of the present invention, the oyster knife 61 has serrations on the side near the blade, and the front end of the oyster knife 61 has an inwardly protruding arc-shaped groove on the side near the blade. This structural design facilitates the cutting of the adductor muscle.

[0028] One embodiment of the oyster adductor muscle cutting mechanism 6: The oyster adductor muscle cutting mechanism 6 includes a worm gear and a first motor. The oyster knife 61 is connected to the first motor via the worm gear. The worm gear has the advantages of a large reduction ratio, self-locking characteristics, and smooth operation, enabling it to output high torque at a relatively low motor speed, thereby driving the oyster knife 61 to slowly and powerfully cut the adductor muscle (oyster adductor muscle). This design avoids the impact and vibration that may be generated during high-speed cutting, effectively protecting the integrity of the oyster meat. At the same time, the self-locking characteristic prevents the oyster knife 61 from accidentally retracting during the cutting process, improving the safety and reliability of the operation.

[0029] Specifically, the oyster knife 61 is parallel to the first contact surface 23.

[0030] One implementation of the laser positioning mechanism: The laser positioning mechanism includes two linear lasers 8. The laser beams emitted by the two linear lasers 8 are orthogonally distributed in space. Specifically, one laser beam is projected vertically from directly above, forming a longitudinal bright line on the surface of the positioning seat 2. A portion of this longitudinal bright line is located within the third limiting groove 26. The other beam is projected from one side, forming a transverse bright line. The intersection point of the laser beams emitted by the two linear lasers 8 is located in the traveling direction of the cone head 3. The oyster is placed on the inclined surface 21, with the intersection point located on the surface of the positioning seat 2 or the oyster. When adjusting the oyster's posture, aligning the gap with the intersection point allows the gap to be aligned with the cone head 3. This design facilitates quick and easy adjustment of the oyster's posture.

[0031] As another embodiment of the present invention: the linear laser 8 is fixed on the frame 1 by adjusting the screw, and the intersection point can be finely adjusted within ±5mm by adjusting the screw to adapt to the size difference of different batches of oysters.

[0032] One embodiment of the unloading mechanism 7: The unloading mechanism 7 includes a lever 71 and a second motor 72. A first mounting groove adapted to the second motor 72 is provided in the positioning seat 2. A clearance groove adapted to the lever 71 is also provided in the positioning seat 2. The clearance groove communicates with a second limiting groove 25 and a third limiting groove 26 respectively. The opening of the clearance groove extends to the bottom surface 22. The lever 71 is inclined relative to the first engaging surface 23. The second motor 72 drives the lever 71 in the clearance groove to rotate upwards. The lever 71 picks up the oyster from the first limiting groove 24, thus completing the unloading of the oyster. The second motor 72 rotates in the opposite direction, and the lever 71 returns to its initial position.

[0033] Specifically, lever 71 is made of PLA material, with its end covered with silicone, which reduces the impact on positioning seat 2 when picking out oysters.

[0034] Specifically, the second motor 72 is a servo motor, and the rotation angle of the lever 71 can be adjusted by programming.

[0035] One embodiment of the horizontal moving mechanism 5: The horizontal moving mechanism 5 drives the positioning seat 2 to move. The horizontal moving mechanism 5 includes an electric telescopic rod. The piston rod of the electric telescopic rod is fixed to the positioning seat 2. The lower end of the positioning seat 2 slides horizontally along the guide rail 11 of the frame 1.

[0036] One embodiment of the lifting mechanism 4: The lifting mechanism 4 includes an electric telescopic rod and a guide rod. The cone head 3 is fixed to the piston rod of the electric telescopic rod by a clamping plate. The clamping plate is slidably connected to the guide rod fixed on the frame 1.

[0037] In another embodiment of the present invention, two limit switches are installed on the frame 1, one upper and one lower. The limit switches cooperate with the clamping plate to control the stroke of the cone 3. For example, the upper limit switch ensures that the cone 3 is fully retracted to a safe height; the lower limit switch can limit the depth of the cone 3 entering the oyster shell (about 10-12 mm).

[0038] Specifically, the angle between the inclined plane 21 and the horizontal plane is 45°-60°, and this structural design facilitates the natural positioning of oysters under the action of gravity.

[0039] As another embodiment of the present invention: a first limit switch is provided at the oyster cutting mechanism 6 to limit the stroke of the oyster knife 61, and a second limit switch is provided in front of the positioning seat 2 on the frame 1 to limit the stroke of the positioning seat 2.

[0040] As another embodiment of the present invention: a sewage box 9 is provided below the positioning seat 2, and a sewage discharge hole is provided on the positioning seat 2. The sewage discharge hole is connected to the second limiting groove 25 and the third limiting groove 26. Sewage or dirt may be generated during the shell opening process. It is discharged into the sewage box 9 in time through the sewage discharge hole to avoid it remaining on the positioning seat 2 and affecting the subsequent oyster shell opening.

[0041] In this invention, the user places the oyster on the inclined surface 21, with part of the oyster shell located within the second limiting groove 25, and the top of the oyster wedged within the included angle C. The oyster is moved laterally until its tail gap coincides with the intersection of the laser beam. Then, the lifting mechanism 4 is activated, the cone head 3 descends, and the cone head 3 squeezes into the oyster through the gap. After reaching the predetermined depth, the lifting mechanism 4 is closed, and the oyster shell is slightly opened by the cone head 3, completing the pre-opening of the oyster. The horizontal moving mechanism 5 is activated, pulling the positioning seat 2 backward. Oyster shell A is blocked by the cone head 3 and flips upward, while oyster shell B remains stationary. When oyster shell A is vertically distributed, the horizontal moving mechanism 5 is closed, at which point the oyster opening is completed. The cone head 3 rises to the edge of the oyster shell, the oyster muscle cutting mechanism 6 is activated, driving the oyster knife 61 to cut the adductor muscle (oyster column) downward along the inner wall of oyster shell A. The oyster knife 61 returns to the initial position, and the oyster muscle cutting mechanism 6 is closed. Cone 3 rises and leaves the oyster, unloading mechanism 7 is activated, lever 71 rotates upward to pick the oyster out of positioning seat 2, lever 71 returns to the initial position, and unloading mechanism 7 is closed. Horizontal movement mechanism 5 is activated to push positioning seat 2 forward to the initial position, starting the opening of the next oyster.

[0042] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1) Separation of posture between drilling stage and oyster column cutting stage: When drilling, the oyster is placed at a large angle and gravity is used to help the tail of the oyster to fit tightly against the positioning seat 2 to ensure the drilling position accuracy. 2) Pre-opening allows for a breakthrough at the weakest point of the shell seam with relatively small axial force. The cone tip "wedges" into the seam and gently pushes open the shell, rather than forcibly crushing it. This transforms uncontrollable shell edge bursting into a controllable, targeted breakthrough, effectively avoiding uncontrollable shell bursting, reducing the risk of oyster shell fragments mixing into the oyster meat, and ensuring the integrity and cleanliness of the finished oyster meat. Secondly, pre-opening can also significantly reduce the load and energy consumption of subsequent prying actions.

[0043] 3) The four major functions of positioning drilling, posture transformation, cutting and separation, and unloading and cleaning are integrated into the frame 1 to realize automatic oyster shell opening, oyster meat separation and automatic unloading.

[0044] 4) With the help of the positioning seat 2, a cone 3 can be used to drill into and pry open the oyster shell without the need for additional fixing clamps or special tools to pry open the oyster shell. The overall structure is simple and helps to reduce the space occupied by the whole machine.

[0045] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic oyster shucking machine, characterized in that, The device includes a frame, on which a positioning seat and a cone are mounted. The cone is located above the positioning seat. The positioning seat has an inclined surface, a bottom surface, and a first engaging surface. The first engaging surface is inclined towards the inclined surface or perpendicular to the bottom surface. The inclined surface, the bottom surface, and the first engaging surface together form a first limiting groove. The inclined surface has a second limiting groove communicating with the first limiting groove. The cone is connected to a lifting mechanism, which drives the cone to descend and squeeze into the oyster on the inclined surface. The frame also has a horizontal moving mechanism, which drives the positioning seat or the cone to move back to back, so that the cone squeezed into the oyster pry open the oyster shell.

2. The automatic oyster shucking machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame has an oyster-cutting mechanism on one side of the positioning seat, the oyster-cutting mechanism including an oyster knife that can rotate into the first limiting groove.

3. The automatic oyster shucking machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning seat is equipped with a unloading mechanism, which is used to remove oysters from the positioning seat.

4. The automatic oyster shucking machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame is equipped with a laser positioning mechanism, which is used to locate the gap of the oyster and align it with the cone.

5. The automatic oyster shucking machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the second limiting groove is provided with a third limiting groove, which is connected to the second limiting groove.

6. The automatic oyster shucking machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, A second contact surface is provided above the first contact surface. The distance between the second contact surface and the inclined surface is greater than the distance between the first contact surface and the inclined surface. The second contact surface is connected to the first contact surface through a connecting surface.

7. The automatic oyster shucking machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The oyster-cutting mechanism includes a worm gear and a first motor, and the oyster knife is connected to the first motor via the worm gear.

8. The automatic oyster shucking machine according to claim 4, characterized in that, The laser positioning mechanism includes two line lasers, and the intersection of the laser beams emitted by the two line lasers is located in the direction of travel of the cone head.

9. The automatic oyster shucking machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The unloading mechanism includes a lever and a second motor. The positioning seat is provided with a first mounting groove adapted to the second motor. The positioning seat is also provided with a clearance groove adapted to the lever. The clearance groove is connected to a second limiting groove and a third limiting groove respectively. The opening of the clearance groove extends to the bottom surface.

10. The automatic oyster shucking machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The horizontal moving mechanism includes an electric telescopic rod, the piston rod of which is fixed to a positioning seat, and the positioning seat slides horizontally along the guide rail of the frame.

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