Bowl dispensing robot and bowl filling system

Abstract

The present invention discloses a bowl sorting robot and a bowl loading system, wherein the bowl sorting robot comprises three or more bowl sorting units for separating bowls, a bracket, a positioning component, and a linkage system for driving the bowl sorting units to work synchronously; the bracket is provided with a bowl drop opening, and the bowl sorting units are movable and distributed on the edge of the bowl drop opening, wherein the moving direction of the bowl sorting units is perpendicular to the center line of the bowl drop opening and close to the center of the bowl drop opening or away from the center of the bowl drop opening; after the bowl sorting units move to a position suitable for performing bowl sorting, the positioning component fixes the bowl sorting units. The technology of the present invention can have the effect of adapting to bowls of different specifications.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a bowl distributing robot and a bowl filling system. Background Art

[0002] With the advancement of science and technology, the catering vending industry has developed rapidly, and its technology is also changing with each passing day. In the field of catering vending, bowl separation technology is indispensable. Commonly used bowls, especially disposable bowls used for takeout, often have a horizontally folded outward rim with a circular folded edge. To separate the stacked bowls, you only need to embed the bowl separation unit into the folded edge between the bowls.

[0003] However, bowls on the market have various specifications, which also lead to various sizes of bowl mouths and sides. The bowl sorting technology in the prior art is often used to sort bowls of specific specifications, and cannot be used to sort bowls of various specifications. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a bowl-dividing robot and a bowl-filling system based on the bowl-dividing robot.

[0005] The bowl-sorting robot provided by the present invention comprises three or more bowl-sorting units for separating bowls, a bracket, a positioning component and a linkage system for driving the bowl-sorting units to work synchronously; the bracket is provided with a bowl-dropping opening, and the bowl-sorting units are movably distributed on the edge of the bowl-dropping opening, wherein the moving direction of the bowl-sorting units is perpendicular to the center line of the bowl-dropping opening and close to the center of the bowl-dropping opening or away from the center of the bowl-dropping opening; after the bowl-sorting units move to a position suitable for performing bowl sorting, the positioning component fixes the bowl-sorting units.

[0006] In some embodiments, the bowl-dividing unit can be slidably distributed on the edge of the bowl-dropping mouth, wherein the sliding direction of the bowl-dividing unit is perpendicular to the center line of the bowl-dropping mouth and is close to the center of the bowl-dropping mouth or away from the center of the bowl-dropping mouth.

[0007] A certain margin is set for the width of the bowl mouth, and the width of the bowl mouth is the maximum bowl mouth specification that can be separated. Bowls smaller than the maximum bowl mouth specification can be re-enclosed into a smaller "bowl mouth (or fulcrum)" by adjusting the positions of the bowl units of each component. The part of the bowl-dividing unit used for dividing the bowls extends out of the edge of the bowl mouth to support and separate the bowls. The specific length of the part used for dividing the bowls extending out of the bowl mouth is determined by the width of the bowl mouth to be separated, and finally the bowl-dividing unit forms a fulcrum for supporting and dividing the bowls. The bowl-dividing unit is designed to be slidably distributed on the edge of the bowl mouth, and the length of the part of the bowl-dividing unit used for dividing the bowls extending out of the bowl mouth is changed to form a fulcrum suitable for the bowl mouth of the bowl.

[0008] Here, the bowl dividing unit plays the role of supporting the stacked bowls and separating the bowls. More than three bowl dividing units constitute more than three bowl supporting points and separation points. The stacked bowls are placed in the space enclosed by more than three bowl units and supported by the bowl dividing units. Moreover, the forward and reverse reciprocating swing of the bowl dividing units can separate the stacked bowls and make them fall through the bowl opening. The bowl dividing unit of the present invention can move along the inside of the bowl opening or away from the inside of the bowl opening, that is, the space enclosed by more than three bowl units can be adjusted, so that bowls with different bowl opening widths (or bowl sizes) can be supported and separated, thereby accommodating bowls of different specifications.

[0009] In some embodiments, the support includes a lifting platform and supporting feet for supporting the lifting platform; the bowl-dropping opening is arranged on the lifting platform, and the bowl-splitting unit is slidably mounted on the lifting platform. The height of the bowl-dropping opening can be changed as the lifting platform is raised or lowered, that is, the solution of the present invention can adapt to the separation of bowls of different depths.

[0010] In some embodiments, the bowl opening is circular, and the number of the bowl units is four groups; the four groups of bowl units are evenly distributed on the edge of the circular bowl opening.

[0011] In some embodiments, the lifting platform is provided with a first threaded hole corresponding to the sliding track of each group of bowl units; each bowl dividing unit includes a combination plate for dividing bowls and a slide plate, and the combination plate is rotatably mounted on the slide plate; the slide plate is provided with a sliding groove, and the positioning component is a screw; after the slide plate drives the combination plate to move to a position suitable for performing bowl dividing, the screw passes through the sliding groove and the first threaded hole to fix the slide plate to the lifting platform.

[0012] The movement of the bowl separation unit is achieved through a slide plate. According to the size of the bowls to be separated, after the bowl separation unit moves to the corresponding position (after the slide plate drives the combination plate to move to a position suitable for performing bowl separation), a screw is passed through the slide groove on the slide plate and screwed into the first threaded hole to fix it.

[0013] In some embodiments, the combined piece includes a dividing piece, a supporting piece and a rotating shaft; the dividing piece protrudes from the dividing part, and the supporting piece protrudes from the supporting part; the dividing part and the supporting part intersect at an angle m, the dividing part and the supporting part extend outward from the edge of the bowl mouth, and the head of the dividing part extends outward from the edge of the supporting part, wherein m is an acute angle; the dividing part is fixed above the supporting part, and a gap d is set between the fitting surfaces of the dividing part and the supporting part, and the gap d is the thickness of the outer edge of the bowl to be separated.

[0014] Here, the supporting part and the dividing part can be understood as "the part of the bowl dividing unit used for dividing the bowls". When in use, the separated bowls are stacked on the supporting sheet. When an external power source drives the supporting sheet or the dividing sheet (the two can be fixed as one), the supporting sheet and the dividing sheet rotate around the rotating shaft at the same time (the rotating shaft, the dividing sheet and the supporting sheet can also be fixed as one, and the driving shaft drives the dividing sheet and the supporting sheet to swing). Since the dividing part and the supporting part intersect at an angle m, and since a gap d is set between the fitting surfaces of the dividing part and the supporting part, and the gap d is the thickness of the outer edge of the bowls to be separated, the dividing part and the supporting part swing so that the dividing part is embedded in the gap between the first bowl and the second bowl adjacent thereto, thereby separating the first bowl. As the dividing part and the supporting part continue to swing in the same direction, the dividing part is completely embedded in the gap between the first bowl and the second bowl, so that the dividing part supports the second bowl and the bowls stacked above the second bowl. Then, the supporting part continues to rotate to another extreme position of the edge, so that the first bowl loses support and automatically falls through the bowl drop mouth under the action of gravity. The first bowl is the bottom bowl in contact with the support portion (ie, the first bowl is the bottommost bowl when the bowls are counted from bottom to top), and the stacked bowls can be separated by repeating the above steps.

[0015] In some embodiments, the linkage system includes a telescopic link and a power device that drives the telescopic link to swing back and forth; both ends of the telescopic link are respectively hinged to adjacent bowl units, and the power device drives any telescopic link or bowl unit to make all bowl units swing back and forth synchronously.

[0016] In some embodiments, the power device is a push rod; the push rod is slidably connected to any one of the slides, and the push rod pushes the bowl unit on the slide to which the push rod is connected to swing back and forth, thereby driving all the bowl units to swing back and forth synchronously through a linkage system.

[0017] The push rod can be understood as the telescopic rod of the pneumatic cylinder, that is, the pneumatic cylinder is installed on; the push rod is slidably connected to any one of the slide plates, and when the bowl unit is adjusted, the pneumatic cylinder moves with the slide plate.

[0018] In some embodiments, at least three groups of baffles and sliders are further included for limiting the bowls; the baffle portion (739) of the baffle is in the shape of a "human" and the baffle is rotatably connected to the slider, which is slidably installed on the edge of the bowl opening, and the sliding direction of the slider is perpendicular to the center line of the bowl opening and close to the center of the bowl opening or away from the center of the bowl opening.

[0019] The blocking rod is used to block the stacked bowls to be separated to prevent the bowls from tilting or falling. The distance between the blocking rod and the center of the bowl mouth can be adjusted by a slider. The blocking portion (739) is in the shape of a "human", that is, the blocking portion (739) is in an angle shape, which can clamp the angle of a polygon to position (trilateral, quadrilateral, hexagonal and octagonal, etc.). Since the blocking portion (739) can rotate with the blocking rod, when it is suitable for clamping bowls with different polygons, the direction of the blocking portion (739) can be adjusted as needed.

[0020] In some embodiments, the support sheet is a "Y"-shaped structure, the telescopic connecting rod is hinged to the top two branches of the "Y"-shaped structure, and the bottom branch of the "Y"-shaped structure serves as a supporting portion.

[0021] The two telescopic connecting rods are respectively connected to the two branches at the top of the "Y"-shaped structure, and then the two telescopic connecting rods are alternately pulled (or pushed) to drive the bowl-dividing unit to swing back and forth, ultimately achieving the purpose of dividing the bowl.

[0022] In some embodiments, a sensor is further included, wherein the sensor is used to sense the number of bowls. When the number of bowls decreases to a predetermined value, the sensor detects a signal and transmits a signal to remind the user to add more bowls.

[0023] This solution can maintain the continuity of bowl distribution. When the bowls are almost distributed, the bowls are added in a trapezoidal shape to avoid delaying their use. The sensor can sense the height of the stacked bowls through a photoelectric sensor. When the height of the bowls drops to a certain value (which can be preset as needed), it indicates that it is time to add bowls. A pressure sensor can also be used. Other sensors for detecting the number of fallen bowls can count, for example, the number of reciprocating swings of the assembly plate. The pressure sensor is set at the extreme position of the reciprocating swing. When it swings to the extreme position, it pushes the pressure sensor to count the signal.

[0024] Based on the above-mentioned bowl-sorting robot, the present invention also provides a bowl-filling system, which includes a bowl-filling table, a bowl-sorting robot and a first manipulator; the bowl-filling table includes a first station, a second station and a third station arranged in sequence, and the bowl-sorting robot is located directly above the second station; the first manipulator moves between the first station, the second station and the third station; the bowl separated from the bowl-sorting robot is grasped by the first manipulator and moved to the first station to load food, and the first manipulator grasps the bowl loaded with food and moves to the third station via the second station for processing in the next step.

[0025] When in use, the bowl-separating mechanism separates individual bowls, and the bowls fall into the first manipulator from the bottom. After the manipulator grabs the bowl, it moves to the first station to load the food. After loading the food, since there is no bowl at the second station at this time, there is space at the bottom for the first manipulator to pass through. The first manipulator moves the bowl to the second station, and then to the third station for the next step (adding auxiliary materials or capping). This process makes full use of the characteristics of the bowl-separating mechanism - intermittent bowl dropping, and space is set at the bottom of the bowl mouth, and stations (the first station and the third station) are set before and after the bowl-dropping mechanism, and the second station is reused in time-sharing, thereby simplifying the design of the bowl-loading system. The dropping of bowls, loading of food, and capping or adding of auxiliary materials are designed nearby, saving space and simplifying the structure.

[0026] In some embodiments, the next step of the processing is to seal the bowl, and the bowl holding table also includes a bowl cover stacking station and a second manipulator, and the second manipulator moves between the bowl cover stacking station and the third station; the second manipulator moves to the bowl cover stacking station to grab the bowl cover and then moves to the third station, and puts the bowl cover into the bowl filled with food at the third station.

[0027] In some embodiments, a bowl cover storage device is also included; a through hole for the bowl covers to pass through is set at the bowl cover stacking station; the bowl cover storage device includes a cover stacking position and a slide rail located below the through hole; the cover stacking position is slidably installed on the slide rail; a lifting push plate is also included below the through hole, wherein a gap is set at the bottom of the cover stacking position for the lifting push plate to pass through; after the bowl covers are stacked upside down on the cover stacking position, the cover stacking position is pushed along the slide rail to directly below the through hole, at this time, the lifting push plate is opposite to the gap in the cover stacking position; when in use, the lifting push plate rises to send the upside down stacked bowl covers out of the through hole for the second robot to grab.

[0028] This technical solution makes it convenient and efficient to install bowl covers. The cover stacking position is pulled out, and after the bowl covers are placed, the cover stacking position is pushed in along the slide rail (horizontally placed) so that the bowl covers are aligned with the through holes. The lifting push plate can support the bowl covers and lift them step by step so that a single bowl rises to expose the through holes, making it easier for the second robot to grab them.

[0029] In some embodiments, the second manipulator includes a moving plate, a pressure ring adapted to the width of the edge of the bowl cover, and a suction cup; the pressure ring and the suction cup are respectively fixed to the bottom of the moving plate.

[0030] The suction cup is used to suck the bowl cover on the top of the bowl cover stacking position. When the second manipulator drives the bowl cover to move to just above the bowl mouth of the bowl on the third station, the second manipulator drives the bowl cover down, and the pressure ring presses the edge of the bowl cover to make it cover the bowl mouth. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a bowl-distributing robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the support structure of the bowl-distributing robot is shown;

[0033] Figure 3 and Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a combined sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a bowl-dividing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the linkage system structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 7 for Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the working principle of the bowl-dividing unit shown;

[0037] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the working principle of a bowl-distributing robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a baffle structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of a telescopic connecting rod structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a bowl filling system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Fig.12 for Fig.11 A partial enlarged schematic diagram in the middle;

[0042] Fig.13 for Fig.11 Schematic diagram of the working principle of the medium bowl system;

[0043] Fig.14 Schematic diagram of the structure of a storage bowl cover device according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] The drawings are only used for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limitations on this patent. In order to better illustrate this embodiment, some parts of the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the size of the actual product. For those skilled in the art, it is understandable that some well-known structures and their descriptions in the drawings may be omitted.

[0046] In the description of the invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, which can be said to be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the invention can be understood according to specific circumstances. The technical solution of the invention is further explained below in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments.

[0047] It should be noted that any bowl with a bowl mouth that folds outward horizontally can be applied to the technology of the present invention. It can be understood that other items similar to bowls, such as cups, can also be separated using the technology of the present invention.

[0048] refer to Figures 1 to 10 The bowl-sorting robot of the present invention comprises three or more bowl-sorting units 101 for separating bowls, a bracket 30, a positioning component 10121 and a linkage system for driving the bowl-sorting units 101 to work synchronously; the bracket 30 is provided with a bowl-dropping opening 301, and the bowl-sorting units 101 are movably distributed on the edge of the bowl-dropping opening 301, wherein the moving direction of the bowl-sorting unit 101 is perpendicular to the center line of the bowl-dropping opening 301 and is close to the center of the bowl-dropping opening 301 or away from the center of the bowl-dropping opening 301; after the bowl-sorting unit 101 moves to a position suitable for performing bowl sorting, the positioning component fixes the bowl-sorting unit 101.

[0049] The above-mentioned “movement” method can drive the bowl-dividing unit 101 to move close to the center of the bowl-dropping mouth 301 or away from the bowl-dropping mouth 301 through the telescopic rod. The embodiment of the present invention adopts a sliding movement, that is, the bowl-dividing unit 101 can be slidably distributed on the edge of the bowl-dropping mouth 301, wherein the sliding direction of the bowl-dividing unit 101 is perpendicular to the center line of the bowl-dropping mouth 301 and close to the center of the bowl-dropping mouth 301 or away from the center of the bowl-dropping mouth 301.

[0050] Regarding the understanding of “after the bowl dividing units 101 move to a position suitable for performing bowl dividing”, the bowl dividing units 101 are movable. When they move close to the bowl falling mouth 301, the bowl dividing units 101 move closer to each other, and each bowl dividing unit 101 encloses a bowl dividing area of ​​a certain size to support the edge of a bowl mouth of a specific size; when they move away from the bowl falling mouth 301, the bowl dividing units 101 move away from each other, and each bowl dividing unit 101 also encloses a bowl dividing area of ​​a certain size to support the edge of another type of bowl mouth of a specific size with a larger bowl mouth. It can be seen that when the bowl dividing units 301 are adjusted to be suitable for specific bowls, the bowl dividing units 301 are fixed by the positioning components, waiting for the bowl dividing work to be performed, thereby adapting to the separation of bowls with different bowl mouths.

[0051] The simultaneous movement of three or more bowl separation units 101 for separating bowls can adjust the size of the bowl receiving area formed by them, so as to place (support) bowls of different bowl mouth sizes to accommodate the separation of bowls of different calibers.

[0052] When in use, each bowl-dividing unit 101 serves as a supporting point and a bowl-dividing point, and plays the role of supporting the stacked bowls and separating the bowls. More than three bowl-dividing units 101 constitute more than three bowl-dividing support points and separation points. The stacked bowls are placed in the space (bowl loading area) enclosed by more than three bowl units and supported by the bowl-dividing units 101, and the forward and reverse reciprocating swing of the bowl-dividing units 101 can separate the stacked bowls and drop them through the bowl-dropping mouth 301; the bowl-dividing units 101 of the present invention can move along the center of the bowl-dropping mouth 301 or move away from the center of the bowl-dropping mouth 301, that is, the space (bowl loading area) enclosed by three or more bowl units 101 can be adjusted. In this way, the technology of the present invention can support and separate bowls with different bowl mouth widths (or bowl sizes), thereby having the effect of adapting to bowls of different specifications.

[0053] In order to more specifically illustrate the technical principle of the present invention, an embodiment of the present invention can be designed as follows:

[0054] refer to Figure 2 and Figures 6 to 8 The bowl opening 301 is circular, and the number of the bowl division units 101 is four;

[0055] The four groups of bowl units 101 are evenly distributed on the edge of the circular bowl opening 301. To achieve the function of the bowl units 101 approaching and dispersing the bowl opening 301 of the bowl units 101, the following design can be used. Figure 2 and Figure 7 The lifting platform 3 is provided with a first threaded hole 302 corresponding to the sliding track of each component bowl unit 101 (the first threaded hole 302 is located at the sliding track of each component bowl unit 101). Figure 2 In the figure, the dotted line part encloses the sliding track of each group of bowl units 101 in the four groups of bowl units 101, that is, the arrows M1, M2, M3 and M4 respectively represent the sliding directions of the four groups of bowl units 101 evenly distributed on the edge of the bowl opening 301, and their sliding directions are perpendicular to the center line t of the bowl opening 301, that is, directions M1, M2, M3 and M4; the four groups of bowl units 101 and the connecting lines between them can be enclosed into a square or rectangle with the four groups of bowl units 101 as corners, so that the four groups of bowl units 101 can slide on the diagonal lines of the enclosed square or rectangle. Figure 5 and Figure 7 The sliding of the bowl-dividing unit 101 can be realized by using a slide plate 1011, that is, each bowl-dividing unit 101 includes a combination piece 1012 for dividing bowls and a slide plate 1011, and the combination piece 1012 is rotatably mounted on the slide plate 1011; the combination piece 1012 here can also use a dividing wheel, and the specific technology is as shown in the patent

[0056] The cup-distributing cam disclosed in CN201710767977.X. In the technology of the present invention, reference is made to Figure 5 The slide plate 1011 is provided with a slide groove 10111, and the positioning component is a screw 10121; after the slide plate 1011 drives the combination plate 1012 to move to a position suitable for performing bowl separation, the screw 10121 passes through the slide groove 10111 and the first threaded hole 302 to fix the slide plate 1011 to the lifting platform 3.

[0057] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment of the present invention, the combined piece 1012 includes a splitting piece 81, a supporting piece 82 and a rotating shaft 83; the splitting piece 81 protrudes from the splitting portion 811, and the supporting piece 82 protrudes from the supporting portion 821; the splitting portion 811 and the supporting portion 821 intersect at an angle m, and more preferably, the size of m can be adjusted, and the head of the splitting portion 811 extends out of the edge of the supporting portion 821, wherein m is an acute angle; the splitting portion 811 is fixed above the supporting portion 821, and a gap d is set between the fitting surfaces of the splitting portion 811 and the supporting portion 821, and the gap d is the thickness of the outer edge of the bowl to be separated.

[0058] In order to realize the function that the angle m can be adjusted, the present invention provides a solution of an implementation mode, that is, comprising a fixing bolt group; a circular arc groove with the rotating shaft as the center passes through the supporting plate and the dividing plate at the same time;

[0059] When adjusting the angle m, the dividing part and the supporting part rotate around the rotating shaft. After adjusting the angle m, the fixing bolt group passes through the circular arc groove to fix the relative position of the dividing part and the supporting part. The fixing bolt group includes a bolt and a nut matched with the bolt. After the bolt passes through the circular arc groove, the nut is tightened. Through friction, the relative position of the dividing part and the supporting part can be fixed, thereby fixing the angle m. When in use, the nut can be loosened to readjust, so that the dividing part and the supporting part can rotate around the rotating shaft. Since the circular arc groove takes the rotating shaft as the center of the circle, when the dividing part and the supporting part rotate around the rotating shaft, the fixing bolt group located in the circular arc groove does not affect the adjustment. When the required angle m is adjusted, it can be directly tightened through the nut. The fixing bolt group can be disassembled in a disorderly manner, which is convenient for adjustment. The m angle is adjustable and can adapt to the separation of bowls of various shapes (circular, square, hexagonal, octagonal and other polygons, elliptical, and edges of bowls with curved shapes of various curvatures).

[0060] Furthermore, d can also be designed to be adjustable, which can be achieved by setting a number of gaskets of specific thickness, and the gaskets are placed between the dividing part and the supporting part. Increasing or decreasing the number of gaskets can achieve the adjustment function of d. More preferably, each stacked gasket is designed with an arc groove for the bolt to pass through, so that the bolt (tightening bolt assembly) also has the function of fixing the gasket.

[0061] The working principle of the combined sheet 1012 according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows:

[0062] When in use, the bowl-dividing unit 101 adjusts its position according to the size of the bowl mouth and fixes it, so that the separated bowls are stacked on the supporting sheet 82. When an external power source drives the supporting sheet 82 or the dividing sheet 81 (the two can be fixed as one), the supporting sheet 82 and the dividing sheet 81 rotate around the rotating shaft 83 at the same time (the rotating shaft, the dividing sheet and the supporting sheet can also be fixed as one, and the driving shaft drives the dividing sheet and the supporting sheet to swing). Since the dividing portion 811 and the supporting portion 821 intersect at an angle m, and since a gap d is set between the fitting surfaces of the dividing portion 811 and the supporting portion 821, the gap d is the distance between the dividing portion 811 and the supporting portion 821 to be separated. The thickness of the outer edge of the bowl, the dividing part 811 and the supporting part 821 swing, so that the dividing part 811 is embedded in the gap between the first bowl and the second bowl adjacent thereto, thereby separating the first bowl, and as the dividing part and the supporting part continue to swing in the same direction, the dividing part 811 is completely embedded in the gap between the first bowl and the second bowl, so that the dividing part 811 supports the second bowl and the bowls stacked on the second bowl, and then the supporting part continues to rotate to another extreme position of the edge, so that the first bowl loses support and automatically falls through the bowl drop mouth 301 under the action of gravity. The first bowl is the bottom bowl in contact with the supporting part (that is, the first bowl is the bottommost bowl when the bowls are counted from the bottom to the top), and the stacked bowls can be separated by repeating the above steps. The angle m between the supporting part and the dividing part is an acute angle, which can ensure that during the supporting and dividing working stages, the stacked bowls are supported to avoid them being suspended in the air. If they are suspended in the air and the swinging speed is too slow, the whole stack of bowls will fall down. With this acute angle design, the bowls are supported at any moment of the bowl dividing work (the supporting part and the dividing part are cyclically supported), which can avoid this situation, and the operation is stable with a low failure rate.

[0063] The linkage system includes a telescopic link 70 and a power device that drives the telescopic link 70 to swing back and forth; the two ends of the telescopic link 70 are respectively hinged to adjacent bowl units 101 (the hinge points are not common), and the power device drives any telescopic link 70 or bowl unit 101 to make all bowl units 101 swing back and forth synchronously.

[0064] refer to Figure 6 , Figure 7In the embodiment of the present invention, four groups of bowl units 101 are used, and every two adjacent bowl units 101 are connected by a telescopic connecting rod 70, so a total of four telescopic connecting rods 70 are used. Taking the four groups of bowl units 101 and the telescopic connecting rods 70 enclosing a square as an example, when the four groups of bowl units 101 are adjusted according to the specifications of the bowl mouths to be separated, the length of the telescopic connecting rod 70 is adjusted to reconnect the bowl units 101, and the four groups of bowl units 101 slide on the diagonal of the square as a trajectory, which determines that each group of bowl units 101 can be positioned by the pulling or pushing force of two telescopic connecting rods 70. When all the telescopic connecting rods 70 are connected, the telescopic connecting rods 70 and the bowl units 101 can not only be positioned (the positioning is more firm with the positioning component), but also can transmit motion. The swing of any telescopic connecting rod 70 or the swing of any group of bowl units 101 can realize the synchronous swing of each bowl unit 101 through the linkage of each telescopic connecting rod 70, thereby achieving the effect of bowl division. Such a linkage system has the purpose of both positioning and transmitting motion, and is simple and reliable. Figure 1 , Figure 6 , Figure 8 The power device mentioned above can be a push rod 71; the push rod 71 is slidably connected to any one of the slide plates 1011, and the push rod 71 pushes the bowl unit 101 on the slide plate 1011 connected to the push rod 71 to swing back and forth, thereby driving all the bowl units 101 to swing back and forth synchronously through the linkage system.

[0065] refer to Figure 8 The push rod 71 here can be a cylinder telescopic rod. In the figure, the arrow st shows the telescopic direction of the cylinder telescopic rod. In this way, the power device can be understood as a cylinder, that is, the cylinder is installed on any slide plate 1011. Since the adjustment of the bowl unit 101 (that is, the sliding of the bowl unit 101) is driven by the slide plate 1011, the relative positions of the bowl units 101 (the formed bowl loading area) are adjusted according to the specifications of the bowl mouth. There is a problem here, that is, the power source must also be adjusted accordingly, and the convenience of disassembly and installation must be considered.

[0066] The technical solution of the present invention can drive the sliding of the bowl unit 101 through the design of the slide plate 1011, that is, the position of the bowl unit 101 can be adjusted according to the specifications of the bowl mouth of the bowl. At the same time, the power source (push rod 71 or cylinder) is installed on any slide plate 1011 (the shape and size of the slide plate 1011 can be changed as needed to install the power source), and the bowl unit 101 on the slide plate 1011 is driven to swing. In this way, the power source and the connection relationship with the bowl unit 101 on the slide plate 1011 are always fixed, that is, they do not need to be changed with the adjustment of the bowl unit 101. Each time the adjustment is made, the power unit (cylinder) moves with the slide plate 1011 and is stationary relative to the bowl unit 101 on the slide plate 1011. In this way, once the position adjustment of each group of bowl units 101 is completed, the telescopic connecting rod 70 readjusts the length and connects each group of bowl units 101, the power unit can drive the bowl unit 101 on the slide 1011 where it is located to swing, and the synchronous action of each bowl unit 101 is realized through the linkage of each telescopic connecting rod 70, and finally the bowl division function is realized. In addition, in order to facilitate the connection between the push rod 71 and the bowl unit 101, any other transition means can be used, for example, a remote rod 72 can be added, and the remote rod 72 is fixed to the rotating shaft. The swing limit of the bowl unit 101 is realized by controlling the extension and contraction of the push rod 71, and the sensing control can be performed by means of sensors. Similarly, a photoelectric sensor can also be set near the bowl drop mouth to sense whether there are stacked bowls. After the stacked bowls are separated, the photoelectric sensor cannot sense the stacked bowls, and the push rod is controlled to stop working, and an empty bowl signal can be sent to remind the user to add bowls. Or a height sensor can be installed on the stop rod to measure the height of the bowls, or the number of times the push rod is pushed is calculated to calculate the number of bowls that have fallen, and the remaining bowls are obtained to remind the user to add bowls.

[0067] Regarding the design of the telescopic connecting rod 70, an implementation method provided by the present invention is as follows: Fig.10 , including a pull rod 91, a first mounting rod 92 and a second mounting rod 93. Threaded holes are respectively arranged at both ends of the pull rod 91. The threads in the threaded holes at both ends of the pull rod 91 have opposite rotation directions. One end of the first mounting rod 92 is provided with an external thread matching the internal thread of a threaded hole of the pull rod 91, and the other end of the first mounting rod 92 is used for hinged connection to the bowl unit 101 (support sheet); similarly, one end of the second mounting rod 93 is provided with an external thread matching the internal thread of another threaded hole of the pull rod 91, and the other end of the second mounting rod 93 is used for hinged connection to the bowl unit 101 (support sheet).

[0068] When in use, one end of the first mounting rod 92 and the second mounting rod 93 are respectively hinged to the adjacent bowl unit 101 (support plate), and the other ends of the first mounting rod 92 and the second mounting rod 93 are respectively connected to the threaded holes at both ends of the pull rod 91. When the pull rod 91 is rotated in the same direction, the first mounting rod 92 and the second mounting rod 93 can be simultaneously extended into the threaded holes of the pull rod 91, and the telescopic connecting rod can be shortened. When the pull rod 91 is rotated in the opposite direction, the first mounting rod 92 and the second mounting rod 93 can be simultaneously extended out of the threaded holes of the pull rod 91, and the telescopic connecting rod can be extended. It can be seen that the telescopic connecting rod 70 of the present embodiment can simultaneously meet the rigid connection of the bowl unit 101, so as to facilitate the linkage between them. During installation, it is also convenient to make small adjustments in real time to ensure that the lengths of each telescopic connecting rod 70 are consistent; and then each bowl unit 101 is limited to slide on the diagonal of the enclosed square (rectangle, square), and the connected telescopic connecting rod 70 and bowl unit 101 form a self-contained system, which can be positioned and linked to facilitate the transmission of power, and the adjustment is also convenient (by rotating each pull rod 91).

[0069] In one embodiment of the present invention, the bracket 30 includes a lifting platform 3 and a support leg 304 for supporting the lifting platform 3; the bowl-dropping opening 301 is arranged on the lifting platform 3, and the bowl-splitting unit 101 is slidably mounted on the lifting platform 3. The height of the bowl-dropping opening can be changed as the lifting platform is raised and lowered. In a specific embodiment, through holes can be distributed at the height of the support leg 304, and a connecting piece can be arranged on the side wall of the lifting platform 3. Through slots matching the through holes are distributed on the connecting piece, and screws are simultaneously passed through the through holes and the through slots for connection, and through holes of different heights correspond to different adjustable heights. That is, the solution of the present invention can adapt to the separation of bowls of different depths.

[0070] refer to Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Fig. 9 , and also includes a stopper 73 and a slider 74 for limiting the bowls; the bottom of the stopper 73 is rotatably connected to the slider 74, and the slider 74 is slidably installed on the edge of the bowl-dropping mouth 301, and the sliding direction of the slider 74 is perpendicular to the center line of the bowl-dropping mouth 301 and close to the center of the bowl-dropping mouth 301 or away from the center of the bowl-dropping mouth 301. The slider 74 is preferentially distributed between every two adjacent bowl-dropping units 101, and it can have a positioning function to prevent the stacked bowls from tilting or falling. The bottom of the stopper 73 is rotatably connected to the slider 74, and the stopper 73 can be adaptively rotated and adjusted. The sliding and fixing of the slider 74 can refer to the sliding and fixing scheme of the above-mentioned slide plate. In the figure, arrows y1, y2, X1, and X2 represent the sliding directions of the slider 74.

[0071] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4The support piece 82 of one embodiment of the present invention may be designed as follows: the support piece 82 is a "Y"-shaped structure, the telescopic link 70 is hinged to the two top branches of the "Y"-shaped structure, and the bottom branch of the "Y"-shaped structure serves as a support portion 821. In this way, the two hinge points of the telescopic link 70 connected to the same bowl unit 101 are at a certain distance, which is also convenient for installation and connection.

[0072] refer to Figures 11 to 14 The present invention also provides a bowl loading system, including a bowl loading platform 234, a bowl separating mechanism and a first manipulator 123; the bowl loading platform 234 includes a first station 113, a second station 112 and a third station 111 arranged in sequence, and the bowl separating mechanism 1 is located directly below the second station 112; the first manipulator 123 moves between the first station 113, the second station 112 and the third station 111; more specifically, vertical plates are erected on the side walls of the first station 113, the second station 112 and the third station 111, and the first manipulator 123 is slidably installed on the vertical plates. The height of the first manipulator 123 is located below the bowl separating mechanism 1 so as to catch the bowl 2 dropped from the bowl drop mouth 901; the bowl 2 separated from the bowl separating mechanism is grabbed by the first manipulator 123 and moved to the first station 113 to load food, and the first manipulator 123 grabs the bowl 2 loaded with food and moves to the third station 111 via the second station 112 to carry out the next step of processing. The processing of the next step process may be: adding auxiliary materials or sealing the bowl.

[0073] When in use, the bowl separating mechanism 1 separates a single bowl 2, and the bowl 2 falls into the first manipulator from the bottom bowl opening 901 (specifically, the first manipulator can be a ring-shaped structure, and its ring size can be based on the outer wall of the bowl). After the manipulator grabs the bowl 2, it moves to the first station 113 to load the food. After the food is loaded, since there is no bowl at the second station 112 at this time, there is space for the first manipulator 123 to pass through the bottom of the bowl separating mechanism 1 (directly below the bowl opening 901). The first manipulator 123 moves with the bowl 2 to the second station 112, and then moves to the third station 111 for the next step of processing (adding auxiliary materials or capping). This process makes full use of the characteristics of the bowl-dropping mechanism - intermittent dropping of bowls, and dropping of bowls from the bottom of the bowl dropping mouth, that is, space is set at the bottom of the bowl dropping mouth, and workstations (the first workstation and the third workstation) are respectively set before and after the bowl-dropping mechanism, and the second workstation is reused in time-sharing, thereby simplifying the design of the bowl-loading system, and the dropping of bowls, loading of food, and sealing or adding of auxiliary materials are designed nearby, saving space and simplifying the structure.

[0074] Preferably, the bowl holding table 234 also includes a bowl cover stacking station 114 and a second manipulator 124, and the second manipulator 124 moves between the bowl cover stacking station 114 and the third station 111; the second manipulator 124 moves to the bowl cover stacking station 114 to grab the bowl cover 31, then moves to the third station 111, and covers the bowl cover 31 with the bowl after the food is put into the third station 111.

[0075] The bowl cover storage device 444 is also included; the bowl cover stacking station 114 is provided with a through hole 1146 for the bowl cover 31 to pass through; the bowl cover storage device 444 includes a cover stacking position 11423 and a (horizontal) slide rail 1144 located below the through hole 1146; the cover stacking position 11423 is slidably mounted on the slide rail 1144; a lifting push plate 1141 is also included below (may be directly below) the through hole 1146, wherein the bottom of the cover stacking position 11423 is provided for the lifting push plate 1141 to pass through. 41 passes through the gap 11421; after the bowl cover 31 is stacked upside down on the cover stacking position 11423 (the edge of the gap 11421 is used to drag the upside-down bowl cover), the cover stacking position 11423 is pushed along the slide rail 1144 to the bottom of the through hole 1146. At this time, the lifting push plate 1141 is opposite to the gap 11421 of the cover stacking position 11423 and is located at the bottom of the bowl cover pile; when in use, the lifting push plate 1141 rises to send the upside-down stacked bowl covers 31 out of the through hole 1146. The lifting and lowering movement of the lifting push plate 1141 can be achieved by a cylinder, a lead screw, etc. This technical solution is convenient and efficient in installing the bowl cover. After the cover stacking position is pulled out and the bowl cover is placed, the cover stacking position is pushed in along the slide rail (horizontally placed) so that the bowl cover is opposite to the through hole. The lifting push plate can support the bowl cover and lift it step by step, so that a single bowl rises to expose the through hole, which is convenient for the second manipulator to grab.

[0076] Preferably, the second manipulator 124 comprises a moving plate 1241, a pressing ring 1243 adapted to the width of the edge of the bowl cover, and a suction cup 1242; the pressing ring 1243 and the suction cup 1242 are respectively fixed to the bottom of the moving plate 1241. The suction cup is used to suck the bowl cover at the top of the bowl cover stacking position, and when the second manipulator drives the bowl cover to move to the top of the bowl mouth of the bowl on the third station, the second manipulator drives the bowl cover to descend, and the pressing ring presses the edge of the bowl cover to cover the bowl mouth.

[0077] In the figure, the positional relationship is only used for illustrative purposes and cannot be understood as a limitation of this patent; obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are only examples for clearly illustrating the invention, and are not limitations on the implementation methods of the invention. For ordinary technicians in the relevant field, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to list all the implementation methods here.

Claims

1. A bowl-distributing robot, characterized in that: It comprises three or more bowl separation units (101) for separating bowls, a bracket (30), a positioning component, and a linkage system for driving the bowl separation units (101) to work synchronously; The support (30) is provided with a bowl-dropping opening (301), and the bowl-splitting unit (101) is movably distributed on the edge of the bowl-dropping opening (301), wherein the moving direction of the bowl-splitting unit (101) is perpendicular to the center line of the bowl-dropping opening (301) and is close to the center of the bowl-dropping opening (301) or away from the center of the bowl-dropping opening (301); after the bowl-splitting unit (101) moves to a position suitable for performing bowl-splitting, the positioning component fixes the bowl-splitting unit (101); Each group of bowl units (101) comprises a combination piece (1012) for dividing bowls and a slide plate (1011), wherein the combination piece (1012) is rotatably mounted on the slide plate (1011); the slide plate (1011) is provided with a slide groove (10111), and the positioning component is a screw (10121); after the slide plate (1011) drives the combination piece (1012) to move to a position suitable for dividing the bowls, the screw (10121) passes through the slide groove (10111) and the first threaded hole (302) to fix the slide plate (1011) to the lifting platform (3); The combined sheet (1012) comprises a split sheet (81), a supporting sheet (82) and a rotating shaft (83); The dividing piece (81) protrudes from the dividing portion (811), and the supporting piece (82) protrudes from the supporting portion (821); the dividing portion (811) and the supporting portion (821) intersect to form an angle m, the dividing portion (811) and the supporting portion (821) extend outward from the edge of the bowl opening (301), and the head of the dividing portion (811) extends out from the edge of the supporting portion (821), wherein m is an acute angle; The dividing portion (811) is fixed above the supporting portion (821), and a gap d is provided between the fitting surfaces of the dividing portion (811) and the supporting portion (821), wherein the gap d is the thickness of the outer edge of the bowl to be separated; The linkage system comprises a telescopic connecting rod (70) and a power device for driving the telescopic connecting rod (70) to swing back and forth; The two ends of the telescopic connecting rod (70) are respectively hinged to the adjacent bowl-dividing units (101), and the power device drives any telescopic connecting rod (70) or bowl-dividing unit (101) to make all the bowl-dividing units (101) swing back and forth synchronously; The power device is a push rod (71); the push rod (71) pushes the bowl unit (101) on the slide plate (1011) connected to the push rod (71) to swing back and forth, thereby driving all the bowl units (101) to swing back and forth synchronously through the linkage system; It also includes at least three groups of blocking rods (73) and sliders (74) for limiting the bowls; the blocking portion (739) of the blocking rod (73) is in the shape of a "human"; the blocking rod (73) is rotatably connected to the slider (74), and the slider (74) is slidably installed on the edge of the bowl-dropping mouth (301), and the sliding direction of the slider (74) is perpendicular to the center line of the bowl-dropping mouth (301) and is close to the center of the bowl-dropping mouth (301) or away from the center of the bowl-dropping mouth (301); The support plate (82) is a "Y"-shaped structure, the telescopic connecting rod (70) is hinged to the top two branches of the "Y"-shaped structure, and the bottom branch of the "Y"-shaped structure serves as a support portion (821).

2. The bowl-distributing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bowl dividing unit (101) can be slidably distributed on the edge of the bowl falling mouth (301), wherein the sliding direction of the bowl dividing unit (101) is perpendicular to the center line of the bowl falling mouth (301) and is close to the center of the bowl falling mouth (301) or away from the center of the bowl falling mouth (301).

3. The bowl-distributing robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The support (30) comprises a lifting platform (3) and supporting feet (304) for supporting the lifting platform (3); The bowl drop opening (301) is arranged on a lifting platform (3), and the bowl separation unit (101) is slidably mounted on the lifting platform (3).

4. The bowl-distributing robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bowl opening (301) is circular, and the number of the bowl division units (101) is four groups; The four groups of bowl units (101) are evenly distributed on the edge of the circular bowl opening (301).

5. The bowl-distributing robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lifting platform (3) is provided with a first threaded hole (302) corresponding to the sliding track of each component bowl unit (101).

6. The bowl-distributing robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: It also includes a sensor, which is used to sense the number of bowls. When the number of bowls is reduced to a predetermined value, the sensor detects a signal and transmits a signal to remind you to add more bowls.

7. Bowl filling system, characterized in that, It comprises a bowl-carrying table (234), a bowl-carrying robot according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and a first manipulator (123); The bowl receiving platform (234) comprises a first station (113), a second station (112) and a third station (111) arranged in sequence, and the bowl distributing robot is located directly above the second station (112); the first manipulator (123) moves between the first station (113), the second station (112) and the third station (111); The bowl (2) separated from the bowl-separating robot is grasped by the first manipulator (123) and moved to the first station (113) to be filled with food. After the first manipulator (123) grasps the bowl (2) filled with food, it is moved to the third station (111) via the second station (112) to be processed in the next step.

8. The bowl filling system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The next step is to seal the bowls. The bowl holding platform (234) further comprises a bowl cover stacking station (114) and a second manipulator (124). The second manipulator (124) moves between the bowl cover stacking station (114) and the third station (111). The second robot (124) moves to the bowl cover stacking station (114), grabs the bowl cover (31), and then moves to the third station (111), and covers the bowl cover (31) with the food-filled bowl (2) located at the third station (111).

9. The bowl filling system according to claim 8, characterized in that: Also included is a storage bowl cover device (444); The bowl cover stacking station (114) is provided with a through hole (1146) for the bowl covers (31) to pass through; the bowl cover storage device (444) comprises a cover stacking position (11423) and a slide rail (1144) located below the through hole (1146); the cover stacking position (11423) is slidably mounted on the slide rail (1144); A lifting push plate (1141) is also included below the through hole (1146), wherein a gap (11421) is provided at the bottom of the stacking position (11423) for the lifting push plate (1141) to pass through; After the bowl covers (31) are stacked upside down on the cover stacking position (11423), the cover stacking position (11423) is pushed along the slide rail (1144) to directly below the through hole (1146). At this time, the lifting push plate (1141) is directly opposite to the gap (11421) of the cover stacking position (11423); when in use, the lifting push plate (1141) rises to send the upside down stacked bowl covers (31) out of the through hole (1146) for the second robot (124) to grab.

10. The bowl filling system according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The second manipulator (124) comprises a moving plate (1241), a pressure ring (1243) adapted to the edge width of the bowl cover (31), and a suction cup (1242); The pressure ring (1243) and the suction cup (1242) are respectively fixed to the bottom of the movable plate (1241).

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