Retrieving device, food processing equipment and driving method thereof

Abstract

A retrieval device, food processing equipment, and a driving method thereof. The retrieval device includes a gripper and a driving assembly for driving the gripper; the driving assembly includes a driving element and a flexible driving portion, the flexible driving portion including a first flexible driving portion and a second flexible driving portion, the first end of the first flexible driving portion and the second end of the second flexible driving portion being fixedly connected and configured to be commonly connected to the gripper, the driving element being configured to drive the first and second flexible driving portions to drive the gripper to move along a first direction; the flexible driving portion includes a bendable portion and a straight portion, the straight portion including at least a first end and a second end and extending along the first direction, the bendable portion including a portion outside the straight portion, the first and second portions being bendable in the bendable portion and bending in opposite directions, and the first and second flexible driving portions being fixedly connected in the straight portion to maintain a straight state. The retrieval device can grasp objects more stably and accurately.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a fetching device, food processing equipment, and a driving method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Currently, more and more convenience stores, supermarkets, office buildings, airports, train stations, and other places are introducing instant food vending systems to meet consumer demand. For example, these systems can sell instant noodles, rice, sandwiches, and other products. These products can be pre-placed within the vending system. Users simply enter their desired items into the system's input panel, and the products are then "prepared" and delivered to the system, enabling self-service shopping. Summary of the Invention

[0003] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a picking device, which includes a gripper and a drive assembly, the gripper is configured to grip an object, the drive assembly is configured to drive the gripper, the drive assembly includes a drive element and a soft drive part, the soft drive part includes a first soft drive part and a second soft drive part, the first soft drive part includes a first end, the second soft drive part includes a second end, the first end and the second end are fixedly connected and configured to be commonly connected to the gripper, the drive element is configured to drive the first soft drive part and the second soft drive part to drive the gripper to move along a first direction; the soft drive part includes a bendable part and a straight part, the straight part includes at least the first end of the first soft drive part and the second end of the second soft drive part and extends along the first direction, the bendable part includes a first part of the first soft drive part outside the straight part and a second part of the second soft drive part outside the straight part, in the bendable part, the first part and the second part are bendable and the bending directions are opposite, in the straight part, the first soft drive part and the second soft drive part are fixedly connected to maintain a straight state.

[0004] For example, in the object-picking device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the flexible driving part further includes: a linear fixing plate located in the linear portion, and the first flexible driving part and the second flexible driving part are fixed to the linear fixing plate to maintain the linear state.

[0005] For example, in the object-retrieving device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first flexible driving part and the second flexible driving part are symmetrically arranged.

[0006] For example, in the object-retrieving device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first flexible driving part and the second flexible driving part are M-shaped as a whole.

[0007] For example, in the picking device provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first flexible driving part includes a first drag chain, the second flexible driving part includes a second drag chain, the linear fixing plate includes a first linear fixing plate and a second linear fixing plate, the first linear fixing plate is arranged in the first drag chain, and the second linear fixing plate is arranged in the second drag chain, and the first linear fixing plate and the second linear fixing plate are fixedly connected by a fixing member, thereby fixing the first drag chain and the second drag chain.

[0008] For example, in the object-picking device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the length of the first soft driving part and the second soft driving part in the straight part is L1, and the length in the bendable part is L2, wherein L1:L2 is 1:(0.9-1.1).

[0009] For example, in the object-retrieving device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving assembly further includes a bracket, the driving element is fixed on the bracket, and the driving element is configured to drive the gripper to move along the first direction on the first side of the bracket.

[0010] For example, in the object-retrieving device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the maximum length of the bendable portion on the first side of the bracket is L3, wherein L1:L3 is 1:(0.7-0.9).

[0011] For example, in the object-picking device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first flexible driving part further includes a third end, the second flexible driving part further includes a fourth end, and the third end and the fourth end are fixed on the bracket.

[0012] For example, in the object-picking device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving element includes a first driver and a driving wheel connected to the output end of the first driver, the driving wheel is in contact with the first soft driving part and the second soft driving part, and is configured to rotate under the drive of the first driver to drive the first soft driving part and the second soft driving part to drive the gripper to move along the first direction.

[0013] For example, in the object-picking device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving wheel includes a plurality of engaging parts, and the driving wheel is configured to rotate under the drive of the driving motor so that the plurality of engaging parts engage with different parts of the first soft driving part and the second soft driving part in sequence along the first direction, so as to drive the first soft driving part and the second soft driving part to drive the gripper to move along the first direction.

[0014] For example, in the object-picking device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving element further includes a guide wheel provided on at least one side of the driving wheel in the first direction.

[0015] For example, in the object-picking device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving element also includes a cable and / or air tube arranged in at least one of the first flexible driving part and the second flexible driving part, and the cable and / or air tube is connected to the gripper.

[0016] For example, the object-picking device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure also includes a base and a slide rail arranged on the base, the slide rail extends perpendicular to the first direction, the bracket is slidably connected to the slide rail, and is configured to be movable along the slide rail along the second direction.

[0017] For example, in the object-picking device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the gripper includes a object-picking part, an opening and closing control part, and an object sensing element; the opening and closing control part is configured to control the switching state of the object-picking part, and the object sensing element is configured to detect the position of the object to be grasped.

[0018] For example, in the object-picking device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving element also includes a cable and an air tube arranged in at least one of the first flexible driving part and the second flexible driving part; the opening and closing control part includes a controller, and the air tube is connected to the controller; the cable is connected to the object sensing element.

[0019] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a food processing device, which includes a food storage device and a retrieval device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the food storage device is configured to store food, and the retrieval device is configured to grab the food from the food storage device.

[0020] For example, in the food processing equipment provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the food storage device includes a box body, a cover body and a cover body driving unit; the box body has a picking opening, the cover body is configured to open or close the picking opening, and the cover body driving unit is configured to drive the cover body to open or close the box body.

[0021] For example, in the food processing equipment provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the height of the box along the first direction is L4, and the length of the first flexible driving part and the second flexible driving part in the straight part is L1, wherein L1:L4 is 1:(1.6-2.0).

[0022] For example, in the food processing equipment provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cover driving part includes a cover driver and a connecting part; the cover driver includes a first telescopic part, the first telescopic part has a first telescopic end, and the connecting part includes a first connecting end and a second connecting end, the first connecting end and the second connecting end are respectively connected to the first telescopic end and the cover, wherein the middle part of the connecting part located between the first connecting end and the second connecting end is fixed to the box body by a hinge.

[0023] For example, in the food processing equipment provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the food storage device also includes multiple inventory channels, multiple detection parts and a detection element; the multiple inventory channels are located in the box body, and are configured to be rotatable so that at least one inventory channel among the multiple inventory channels is exposed by the pickup opening, the multiple detection parts respectively correspond to the multiple inventory channels, and the detection element is configured to determine the inventory channel exposed by the pickup opening by detecting the positions of the multiple detection parts.

[0024] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a driving method for food processing equipment, comprising: moving the gripper of the picking device to above the picking opening of the box body of the food storage device, using the driving assembly to drive the gripper to move toward the box body along the first direction, and extending the gripper into the box body, driving the gripper to grab the food in the box body, and using the driving assembly to drive the gripper to extend from the box body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only relate to some embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than limiting the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 1 A side view of a retrieval device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 2 Another side view of the object-retrieving device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of the flexible drive portion of the object-picking device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 4 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the flexible drive portion of the object-retrieving device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a flexible drive portion of a retrieval device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure retracting a gripper;

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a flexible driving portion of a retrieval device provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure extending out of a gripper;

[0032] Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of a driving wheel of a retrieval device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 8A A side view of a gripper of a retrieval device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 8B A schematic diagram of a gripper of a picking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure approaching an object to be picked up;

[0035] Figure 8C A schematic diagram of a gripper of a picking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure gripping an object to be gripped;

[0036] Figure 9 Another side view of the gripper of the object-retrieving device provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 10 A side view of a food processing device provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 11 Another side view of the food processing equipment provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 12 A schematic structural diagram of a cover driving unit of a food processing device provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of a cover driving unit of a food processing device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure opening a cover;

[0041] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of the operation of a food processing device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] Figure 15 A side view of a food storage device of a food processing device provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 16 A schematic top view of a food storage device of a food processing device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] Figure 17 A side view of a regular device for food processing equipment provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Figure 18A schematic top view of a regularization device for food processing equipment according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] Figure 19 Another side view of the tidying device of the food processing equipment provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] Figure 20 A partial side view of a tidying device in a tidying apparatus for food processing equipment provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] Figure 21 A schematic side view of another portion of a tidying device in a tidying apparatus for food processing equipment provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0049] Figure 22 A schematic diagram of a food packaged in a packaging bag according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0050] Figure 23 Another schematic diagram of a food packaged in a packaging bag according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] Figure 24 A side view of a bag cutting and transferring device for food processing equipment provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0052] Figure 25 A schematic top view of a bag cutting and transferring device for a food processing device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0053] Figure 26 A schematic diagram of a bag cutting and food transfer device for food processing equipment provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more clear, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure should have the usual meanings understood by persons of ordinary skill in the field to which this disclosure belongs. The words "first", "second" and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Words such as "include" or "comprise" mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Words such as "connect" or "connected" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0056] The quick-frozen food hot-drinking vending system is an automatic vending system that integrates freezing or refrigerating food and heating food. For example, food can be frozen or refrigerated in the system in advance to extend its storage time and ensure its quality. When the user places an order, the system can heat the food and then deliver it.

[0057] During the vending process, the operation of a quick-frozen food hot vending system typically includes taking the food out of the freezer, opening the food packaging, placing the food into the pot, heating the food, and discharging the food. Each of these processes requires corresponding components to complete.

[0058] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a picking device, food processing equipment and a driving method thereof, wherein the picking device includes a gripper and a driving assembly, the gripper is configured to grip an object, the driving assembly is configured to drive the gripper, the driving assembly includes a driving element and a soft driving part, the soft driving part includes a first soft driving part and a second soft driving part, the first soft driving part includes a first end, the second soft driving part includes a second end, the first end and the second end are fixedly connected and configured to be commonly connected to the gripper, the driving element is configured to drive the first soft driving part and the second soft driving part to drive the gripper to move along a first direction; the soft driving part includes a bendable part and a straight part, the straight part includes at least the first end of the first soft driving part and the second end of the second soft driving part and extends along the first direction, the bendable part includes a first part of the first soft driving part outside the straight part and a second part of the second soft driving part outside the straight part, in the bendable part, the first part and the second part are bendable and the bending directions are opposite, in the straight part, the first soft driving part and the second soft driving part are fixedly connected to maintain a straight state.

[0059] The above-mentioned picking device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a straight part and a bendable part. The straight part can realize stable and accurate grasping of objects, and the bendable part can save the space occupied by the soft driving part by bending, thereby reducing the space occupied by the entire picking device, for example, the space in the height direction of the food processing equipment using the picking device; at the same time, the bendable part can also increase the extension length of the straight part along the first direction, thereby realizing long-distance grasping of objects, thereby realizing the picking of objects arranged in the longitudinal direction of the entire food storage device with the minimum space occupied by the picking device, for example, the space in the height direction; in this way, the compactness of the entire picking device and the food processing equipment can be improved, the space occupied in the longitudinal direction can be reduced, and the extension length of the picking device in the longitudinal direction can be increased, thereby increasing the picking distance in the longitudinal direction.

[0060] The food processing equipment provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes the above-mentioned picking device, which can realize functions such as automatic food grabbing and can be used in fields such as automatic food vending.

[0061] The object-retrieving device, food processing equipment, and driving method thereof disclosed in the present invention are described below through several specific embodiments.

[0062] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a device for retrieving objects. Figure 1 shows a side view of the object-taking device, Figure 2 Another side view of the object-retrieving device is shown. Figure 3 The figure shows the overall schematic diagram of the soft driving part of the object-picking device.

[0063] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the object-picking device includes a gripper 2-15 and a drive assembly, wherein the gripper 2-15 is configured to grip an object, and the drive assembly is configured to drive the gripper 2-15 to achieve the gripping function. The drive assembly includes a drive element 2-6 and a soft drive portion.

[0064] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the soft driving part includes a first soft driving part 11 and a second soft driving part 12, the first soft driving part 11 includes a first end 11-1, the second soft driving part 12 includes a second end 12-1, the first end 11-1 and the second end 12-1 are fixedly connected and configured to jointly connect the clamper 2-15 to jointly drive the clamper 2-15, and the driving element 2-6 is configured to drive the first soft driving part 11 and the second soft driving part 12 to drive the clamper 2-15 to move along the first direction R1.

[0065] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the soft driving portion includes a bendable portion 2-1 and a straight portion 2-2 ( Figure 3 The straight portion 2-2 includes at least the first end 11-1 of the first flexible driving portion 11 and the second end 12-1 of the second flexible driving portion 12 and extends along the first direction R1; the bendable portion 2-1 includes a first portion 2-11A of the first flexible driving portion 11 outside the straight portion 2-2 and a second portion 2-12A of the second flexible driving portion 12 outside the straight portion 2-2.

[0066] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in the bendable portion 21-1, the first portion 2-11A and the second portion 2-12A are bendable, and during the object-retrieving process, the two bend in opposite directions (shown as bending to the left and right, respectively). In the straight portion 2-2, the first flexible driving portion 11 and the second flexible driving portion 12 are fixedly connected to maintain a straight state. Thus, the flexible driving portion includes a bendable soft driving portion and a non-bendable rigid driving portion that maintains a straight state.

[0067] In the actual object-picking process, the first portion 2-11A and the second portion 2-12A included in the bendable portion change at the bending portion as the gripper moves in the vertical direction, so that the gripper moves up and down while carrying the object.

[0068] For example, in some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, the flexible drive unit further includes a linear fixing plate 2-3, which is located on the linear portion 2-2. The first flexible drive unit 11 and the second flexible drive unit 12 are fixed to the linear fixing plate 2-3 on the linear portion 2-2 to maintain the linear state of the linear portion 2-2. For example, the linear fixing plate 2-3 may be a linearly extending metal plate, alloy plate, or other plate-like object with a certain strength.

[0069] For example, in the straight portion 2-2, the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12 can also be directly fixed together using a fixing device, such as a steel rope, steel wire, etc., or the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12 can also be fixed together by a buckle. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this.

[0070] For example, in some embodiments, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12 are symmetrically arranged to maintain the consistency of the working state and thus maintain the stability of the driving process. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first flexible driving portion 11 and the second flexible driving portion 12 are M-shaped as a whole.

[0071] For example, Figure 4 FIG. 1 shows a partial structural diagram of the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12. In some embodiments, as Figure 4 As shown, the first flexible drive unit 11 includes a first drag chain, and the second flexible drive unit 12 includes a second drag chain, thereby forming a flexible chain drive unit. The first drag chain and the second drag chain are arranged "back to back", and the linear fixing plate 2-3 includes a first linear fixing plate 2-3-1 and a second linear fixing plate 2-3-2. The first linear fixing plate 2-3-1 is arranged in the first drag chain, and the second linear fixing plate 2-3-2 is arranged in the second drag chain. The first linear fixing plate 2-3-1 and the second linear fixing plate 2-3-2 are fixedly connected by a fixing member 2-3-3, thereby fixing the first drag chain and the second drag chain. For example, the first linear fixing plate 2-3-1 and the second linear fixing plate 2-3-2 are symmetrically arranged, and the fixing member 2-3-3 can be a fixing member such as a bolt. In this case, the first linear fixing plate 2-3-1 and the second linear fixing plate 2-3-2 have through holes or threads that cooperate with the bolts.

[0072] For example, Figure 5 Schematic diagram showing the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12 fully retracting the gripper 2-15, Figure 6 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12 extending the gripper 2-15 to take an object. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, when the first soft driving part 11 and the second soft driving part 12 fully retract the clamper 2-15, the bending position of the first soft driving part 11 and the second soft driving part 12 is located at the top end of the straight part 2-2. When the clamper 2-15 is gradually extended, the straight part 2-2 gradually moves away from the bending position of the first soft driving part 11 and the second soft driving part 12, and the bendable part 2-2 assists the clamper 2-15 to extend.

[0073] For example, in some embodiments, the length of the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12 in the straight portion 2-2 is L1, and the length of the bendable portion (the length of the bendable portion when it is straightened) is L2, wherein L1:L2 is 1:(0.9-1.1). Figure 5 As shown, the height occupied by the straight portion 2-2 is substantially the same as the height occupied by the bendable portion 2-1. At this time, the first flexible driving portion 11, the second flexible driving portion 12 and the clamp 2-15 are in the retracted state; Figure 6As shown, when the first soft driving part 11 and the second soft driving part 12 drive the clamper 2-15 to extend, the bendable part 2-1 of the first soft driving part 11 and the second soft driving part 12 can also partially extend in a straight line to lengthen the extension distance of the clamper 2-15, so that the maximum extension distance of the clamper 2-15 is, for example, 1.7-1.9 times the length L1 of the straight part 2-2.

[0074] Therefore, compared to using only a straight-up and straight-down driving part without a flexible driving part, the use of the flexible driving part can extend the maximum extension distance of the gripper 2-15. In other words, when the maximum extension distance of the gripper 2-15 is constant, the storage space of the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12 can be reduced. For example, the storage height will be described in detail later.

[0075] For example, in some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, the drive assembly further includes a bracket 2-9, and a drive element 2-6 is fixed to the bracket 2-9. The drive element 2-6 is configured to drive the gripper 2-15 to move along the first direction R1 on the first side (the lower side in the figure) of the bracket 2-9 and perform operations such as grasping. For example, the bendable portion 2-1 bends on the second side (the upper side in the figure) of the bracket 2-9 to achieve functions such as storage.

[0076] For example, in some embodiments, the maximum length of the bendable portion 2-2 on the first side of the bracket 2-9 (the lower side in the figure) is L3, wherein L1:L3 is 1:(0.7-0.9), for example, 1:0.8 or 1:0.9, etc., thereby allowing the maximum extension distance of the clamp 2-15 to be, for example, 1.7-1.9 times the length L1 of the straight portion 2-2, for example, 1.8 times, 1.9 times, etc.

[0077] For example, in some embodiments, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first flexible driving part 11 also includes a third end 11-2, and the second flexible driving part 12 also includes a fourth end 12-2. The third end 11-2 and the fourth end 12-2 are fixed on the 2-6 bracket to maintain the stability of the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12.

[0078] For example, in some embodiments, the driving element 2-6 includes a first driver. For example, the first driver is a driving motor (ie, a device indicated by the identifier 2-6) and a driving wheel 2-8 connected to an output end of the first driver, such as Figure 1 and 2As shown, the drive motor is fixed to the bracket 2-9 via the motor bracket 2-7, and the drive wheel 2-8 is in contact with the first flexible drive portion 11 and the second flexible drive portion 12. The drive wheel 2-8 is configured to rotate under the drive of the first driver to drive the first flexible drive portion 11 and the second flexible drive portion 12 to drive the gripper 2-15 to move along the first direction R1. For example, there are two drive wheels 2-8, and the two drive wheels 2-8 are in contact with the first flexible drive portion 11 and the second flexible drive portion 12 respectively, and the rotation of the two drive wheels 2-8 is synchronized.

[0079] For example, Figure 7 An enlarged schematic diagram of the driving wheel 2-8 is shown, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the driving wheel 2-8 includes a plurality of engaging portions 2-8-1, and the driving wheel 2-8 is configured to rotate under the drive of the driving motor so that the plurality of engaging portions 2-8-1 sequentially engage different parts of the first flexible driving portion 11 and the second flexible driving portion 12 along the first direction R1, for example, grooves or grooves between adjacent sections of the drag chain, so as to drive the first flexible driving portion 11 and the second flexible driving portion 12 to drive the gripper 2-15 to move along the first direction R1. For example, the first flexible driving portion 11 and the second flexible driving portion 12 include protrusions 2-8-2 that cooperate with the plurality of engaging portions 2-8-1 to assist the driving wheel 2-8 in achieving a more stable and accurate driving action.

[0080] For example, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the driving element further includes a guide slide 2-4 and a guide wheel 2-5 provided on at least one side of the driving wheel 2-8 in the first direction R1. The guide slide 2-4 is fixed on the bracket 2-9 and is used to define the movement trajectory of the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12. The guide wheel 2-5 is configured to confine the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12 on the guide slide 2-4 to prevent the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12 from deviating from the guide slide 2-4, thereby ensuring the accuracy and stability of the movement of the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12.

[0081] For example, in some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12 can be a hollow structure. In this case, the driving element can also include a cable and / or air tube P arranged in at least one of the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12, one end of the cable and / or air tube P is connected to the clamper 2-15, and the other end is connected to the controller to control the working state of the clamper 2-15.

[0082] For example, in some embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the retrieval device further includes a base 2-13 and a slide rail 2-11 disposed on the base 2-13. The slide rail 2-11 extends in a second direction R2 perpendicular to the first direction R1. The bracket 2-9 is slidably connected to the slide rail 2-11 and is configured to move along the slide rail 2-11 in the second direction R2. Thus, the retrieval device can drive the gripper 2-15 to move in both the first direction R1 and the second direction R2.

[0083] For example, in some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, the picking device also includes a driver (such as a driving motor) 2-10 and a driving gear 2-12. A rack that cooperates with the driving gear 2-12 is provided on the slide rail 2-11. The rack is connected to the bracket 2-9, so that the driving motor 2-10 can drive the bracket 2-9 to move along the slide rail 2-11.

[0084] For example, the object-picking device also includes a controller, which is communicatively connected to the driving element, the above-mentioned driving motor 2-10 and the gripper 2-15, so as to control the working status of the above-mentioned various devices and realize functions such as automatic object picking by the gripper 2-15.

[0085] For example, in some embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the picking device may further include a supporting rail 2-14 arranged on the base, and the extension direction of the supporting rail 2-14 is the same as the extension direction of the rail 2-11. For example, the bracket 2-9 is also slidably connected to the supporting rail 2-14 to move along the rail 2-11 and the supporting rail 2-14 at the same time, thereby increasing the movement stability of the bracket 2-9.

[0086] For example, Figure 8A Shows the front structural diagram of the gripper, Figure 9 A side view of the gripper is shown. Figure 8A and Figure 9 As shown, the gripper 2-15 includes a picking portion 2-5-1, an opening and closing control portion 2-5-2, and an object sensing element 2-5-4. The opening and closing control portion 2-5-2 is configured to control the opening and closing state of the picking portion 2-5-1. The end of the picking portion 2-5-1 has a clamp 2-5-3 for gripping / fixing objects. The object sensing element 2-5-4 is configured to detect the position of the object A to be grasped.

[0087] For example, the opening and closing control part 2-5-2 can be a driving device such as a pneumatic cylinder or an electric cylinder, and the object sensing element 2-5-4 can be an optical sensing device. For example, the optical sensing device can be a slot-type optical sensing device, including a light emitter and a light receiver arranged relatively to each other, and including a detection rod 2-5-3. The detection rod 2-5-3 is retractable. When the detection rod 2-5-3 touches the object to be clamped, the detection rod 2-5-3 is pushed between the emitter and the light receiver by the object to be clamped, so that the light receiver cannot receive light, thereby judging that the clamper 2-15 has reached the object to be clamped; when the detection rod 2-5-3 does not touch the object to be clamped, the detection rod 2-5-3 extends out of the space between the light emitter and the light receiver, so as not to block the light path between the emitter and the light receiver. At this time, it can be judged that the clamper 2-15 has not reached the object to be clamped.

[0088] For example, in other embodiments, the object sensing element 2-5-4 may also be an optical sensing device in other forms. For example, the object sensing element 2-5-4 is configured to emit light, and the light can be emitted through the detection rod 2-5-3. When the detection rod 2-5-3 touches the object A to be grasped, the light can be fully reflected by the object A to be grasped, and then propagated back to the object sensing element 2-5-4 through the detection rod 2-5-3. When the object sensing element 2-5-4 detects that the intensity of the propagated light is greater than a threshold value, it is determined that the detection rod 2-5-3 touches the object A to be grasped, and the opening and closing control unit 2-5-2 controls the object picking unit 2-5-1 to clamp to grasp the object A to be grasped.

[0089] Thus, the object-grabbing portion 2-5-1 can grasp the object in time, preventing the gripper 2-15 from continuing to move downward and destroying the state of the object A to be grasped.

[0090] For example, Figure 8B The figure shows the process of the gripper 2-15 gradually approaching the object A to be grasped, during which the object-grabbing part 2-5-1 is in an open state. Figure 8C As shown, when the object sensing element 2-5-4 senses that the picking part 2-5-1 touches the object to be grasped A, the opening and closing control part 2-5-2 controls the picking part 2-5-1 to clamp to clamp the object to be grasped A.

[0091] For example, in some embodiments, the clamp 2-5-3 of the gripper 2-15 is replaceable. For example, different clamps can be selected according to the shape of the object A to be grasped, such as a rectangular straight clamp, an arc-shaped clamp for elliptical materials, or a suction device in the form of a suction cup, etc., which are any clamps that can achieve the grasping function.

[0092] For example, in some examples, the driving element includes a cable and an air tube P arranged in at least one of the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12; the opening and closing control part 2-5-2 includes a controller, such as a control cylinder, and the air tube connects the control cylinder and the controller to control the working state of the cylinder through the controller; the cable connects the object sensing element 2-5-4 and the controller so that the controller can obtain the sensing information of the object sensing element 2-5-4, and then control the operation of the gripper 2-15 and other devices.

[0093] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the gripper 2-15 of the picking device can be driven to move in a first direction R1 and a second direction R1 respectively, and the part 2-2 of the soft driving part of the picking device close to the gripper 2-15 is a hard straight part, so that the gripper 2-15 can be prevented from shaking during the grasping process and accurate grasping can be achieved; on the other hand, the soft driving part also has a bendable part 2-1, which can be driven to assist the gripper 2-15 to extend a longer distance and achieve a smaller storage space when the gripper 2-15 is retracted.

[0094] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a food processing device, Figure 10 and Figure 11 Schematic diagrams of the side of the food processing equipment in different directions are shown respectively. Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the food processing equipment includes a food storage device 1 and a picking device 2 provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The food storage device 1 is configured to store food, and the picking device 2 is configured to grab food from the food storage device 1.

[0095] For example, in some embodiments, the food storage device 1 can have a refrigeration function, such as being implemented as a freezer, to achieve the effect of keeping food fresh. For example, the food storage device 1 includes a box body 1-1, a lid body 1-2, and a lid body drive unit 4. The box body 1-1 has a food access opening 2-3, the lid body 1-2 is configured to open or close the food access opening 2-3, and the lid body drive unit 4 is configured to drive the lid body 1-2 to open or close the box body 1-1. For example, the lid body drive unit 4 is communicatively connected to a controller to realize the function of automatically opening or closing the box body 1-1.

[0096] For example, Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the structure of the cover driving part is shown. In some embodiments, Figure 12As shown, the cover driving part 4 may include a cover driving part 4-2 and a connecting part 4-5. The cover driving part 4-2 includes a first telescopic part 4-2-1. The first telescopic part 4-2-1 has a first telescopic end 4-2-2. The connecting part 4-4 includes a first connecting end 4-4-1 and a second connecting end 4-4-2. The first connecting end 4-4-1 and the second connecting end connection 4-4-2 respectively connect the first telescopic end 4-2-2 to the cover 1-2. The middle part of the connecting part 4-4 between the first connecting end 4-4-1 and the second connecting end connection 4-4-2 is fixed to the box body 1-1 by a hinge (for example, hinge 4-3). Therefore, when the cover driving part 4-2 drives the first telescopic end 4-2-2 to extend, the connecting part 4-5 can rotate around the hinge 4-3 to lift the cover 1-2, as shown in FIG. Figure 13 shown.

[0097] For example, Figure 12 As shown, the cover drive unit 4 also includes a cylinder bracket 4-1, which is fixed to the box body 1-1. The cover drive 4-2 includes a fixed end opposite to the first telescopic portion 4-2-1, and the fixed end is fixed to the cylinder bracket 4-1. For example, the cover drive 4-2 can be a drive device such as an electric cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder.

[0098] For example, in some embodiments, Figure 10 As shown, the height of the box 1-1 along the first direction R1 is L4, and the length of the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12 in the straight part 2-2 is the above-mentioned L1, then L1:L4 is 1:(1.6-2.0), thus, with the assistance of the bendable part 2-1 of the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12, even if the length of the straight part 2-2 is much smaller than the height L4 of the box 1-1, the first flexible driving part 11 and the second flexible driving part 12 can also drive the clamper 2-15 to reach the bottom of the box 1-1.

[0099] For example, Figure 14 shows a working schematic diagram of food processing equipment, such as Figure 14As shown, the height of the ground is 0, and the food processing equipment also includes a moving wheel 10, so as to facilitate the movement of the food processing equipment. Under the action of the soft drive part of the picking device 2, the lowest height that the gripper 2-15 can reach (relative to the ground) is 220mm, which basically reaches the bottom of the food storage device 1 that can store food, so that the food located at the bottom of the food storage device 1 can be taken. However, in contrast, when other picking devices only have a straight portion 01 and do not have a bendable portion, the straight portion 10 moves straight up and down, and the lowest height that can be reached (relative to the ground) is 670mm, which can only reach the middle part of the box 1-1, and the food that can be taken is limited; if the length of the straight portion 10 is extended, then when the gripper 2-15 is retracted, the overall height of the food processing equipment is higher, which will exceed the height of the door of an ordinary house, or even exceed the height of the house. The food processing equipment as a whole is bulky and not easy to transport and place.

[0100] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 14 As shown, by providing a soft driving part, the extension length of the gripper 2-15 can be increased and the setting space can be saved. In some embodiments, the height of the food storage device 1 is 1980 mm, which meets the placement requirements of ordinary houses and is easy to transport and place.

[0101] For example, in some embodiments, Figure 14 As shown, the height of the bracket 2-9 is 1400 mm, the height of the gripper 2-15 when fully retracted is 1220 mm, the height of the top surface of the box body 1-1 is 1150 mm, and the height of the delivery port of the food storage device 1 is 900 mm (detailed introduction later).

[0102] For example, Figure 15 shows a side view of a food storage device, Figure 16 Schematic diagram of a food storage device from above. Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, in some embodiments, the food storage device 1 further includes a plurality of storage channels 6, a plurality of detection portions 5-7, and a detection element 5-5. The plurality of storage channels 6 are located within the housing 1-1 and are configured to rotate so as to expose at least one of the plurality of storage channels 6 to the access opening 2-3, thereby facilitating the gripper 2-15 to grip food from the storage channel 6. For example, the plurality of detection portions 5-7 correspond to the plurality of storage channels 6, respectively, and the detection element 5-8 is configured to determine the storage channel 6 exposed by the access opening 2-3 by detecting the positions of the plurality of detection portions 5-7.

[0103] For example, multiple inventory channels 6 are set on the rotating shaft 5-1, and the rotating shaft 5-1 extends out of the box body 1-1 through the opening at the bottom of the box body 1-1. The rotating shaft 5-1 is connected to the driven gear 5-2, and the driven gear 5-2 cooperates with the driving gear 5-3. The driving motor 5-4 controls the driving gear 5-3 to rotate, thereby driving the driven gear 5-2 to rotate, and then driving the rotating shaft 5-1 to rotate, thereby achieving the effect of driving multiple inventory channels 6 to rotate.

[0104] For example, in some embodiments, multiple inventory channels 6 are interconnected to form a rotating cage, and the bottom 5-6 of the rotating cage is fixed on the rotating shaft 5-1, so that multiple inventory channels 6 are set on the rotating shaft 5-1 and driven to rotate by the rotating shaft 5-1.

[0105] For example, in some embodiments, the food stored in the housing 1-1 of the food storage device 1 is in block form, such as noodle or rice blocks. Each of the multiple storage channels 6 has a food channel with positioning points to define the storage location of the food, such as "plug-in channel positioning points," thereby facilitating access by the gripper 2-15. For example, the multiple storage channels 6 are arranged vertically, with corresponding channels corresponding to the food shapes. The channels are provided with positioning grooves that match the food shapes to ensure that the food positions are substantially consistent.

[0106] For example, multiple detection parts 5-7 are set on the driven gear 5-2, and the setting positions of the multiple detection parts 5-7 correspond to multiple inventory channels 6 respectively. When one inventory channel 6 among the multiple inventory channels 6 is exposed by the picking opening 2-3, the detection part 5-7 corresponding to the inventory channel 6 is rotated to a position where it can be detected by the detection element 5-5, so that the detection element 5-5 can determine the inventory channel 6 exposed by the picking opening 2-3.

[0107] For example, the driving motor 5 - 4 and the detection element 5 - 5 may also be connected to the controller for communication so as to control the selection of the inventory channel 6 exposed by the pickup opening 2 - 3 through the controller.

[0108] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller may be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), etc., or may be a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other processor that can realize the control function, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this.

[0109] For example, in some embodiments, the food processing equipment may further include a tidying device for tidying the food packaging bags. Figure 17 A side view of the regularization device is shown, Figure 18 FIG. 4 shows a schematic top view of the regularization device. Figure 17 and Figure 18As shown, the regularization device includes a regularization track 3-1 and a regularization device 3-5. The regularization track 3-1 has an entrance IN and an exit OU. The regularization track 3-1 includes a first limiter 3-1-1 and a second limiter 3-1-2. The first limiter 3-1-1 and the second limiter 3-1-2 are relatively arranged to form a straight track portion P1 and a gradual track portion P2 located on the side of the straight track portion P1 close to the entrance IN; in the straight track portion P1, the first limiter 3-1-1 and the second limiter 3-1-2 are parallel to each other, and in the gradual track portion P2, the distance between the first limiter 3-1-1 and the second limiter 3-1-2 gradually decreases in the direction from the entrance IN to the exit OU. The regularization device 3-5 is arranged above the straight track portion P1 of the regularization track 3-1, and is configured to press down the object A to be regularized that enters the straight track portion P1.

[0110] Thus, the regularizing device 3-5 regularizes the object A to be regularized in the first direction R1 (vertical direction in the figure), and the straight track portion P1 and the gradient track portion P2 regularize the object A to be regularized in the second direction R2 (horizontal direction in the figure) perpendicular to the first direction R1.

[0111] For example, in some embodiments, the distance D2 between the first and second stoppers 3-1-1, 3-1-2 on the side of the gradually changing track portion P2 near the outlet OUT is equal to the distance D3 between the first and second stoppers 3-1-1, 3-1-2 on the straight track portion P1. For example, the distance D1 between the first and second stoppers 3-1-1, 3-1-2 at the inlet IN is 1.3-1.8 times the distance D2. The gradually changing track portion P2 can provide a guide for the object A to be shaped, so that the object A to be shaped entering from the inlet IN is gradually aligned with the straight track portion P1.

[0112] For example, in some embodiments, the height of the first limit member 3-1-1 and the second limit member 3-1-2 does not exceed half the thickness of the object A to be regularized, and the distance D3 between the first limit member 3-1-1 and the second limit member 3-1-2 in the straight track portion P1 is slightly greater than the length of the object A to be regularized.

[0113] For example, Figure 19 Another side view of the regularization device is shown. Figure 19As shown, in some embodiments, the tidying device also includes a first tidying bracket 3-2, which is arranged on the side of the first limit member 3-1-1 of the linear track portion P1 away from the second limit member 3-1-2, and the tidying device includes a first downward-pressing telescopic device 3-3 arranged on the first tidying bracket 3-2, and the first downward-pressing telescopic device 3-3 includes a first telescopic end 3-5 and a first pressure wheel 3-4 arranged at the first telescopic end 3-5, and the first pressure wheel 3-4 is configured to be able to roll along the surface of the object to be tidyed A in the linear track portion P1 under the drive of the first telescopic end 3-5, so as to tidy up, for example, the packaging bag of the object to be tidyed A.

[0114] For example, the first downward-pressing telescopic device 3-3 has a first fixed end 3-6 opposite to the first telescopic end 3-5, and the first fixed end 3-6 is hinged on the first regular bracket 3-2 so that the first fixed end 3-6 can rotate relative to the first regular bracket 3-2, as shown in FIG. Figure 20 As shown, the first pressing wheel 3-4 can roll along the surface of the object A to be regularized under the drive of the first telescopic end 3-5.

[0115] For example, in some embodiments, the first downward-pressing telescopic component 3 - 3 includes a telescopic driving component such as a pneumatic cylinder or an electric cylinder.

[0116] For example, in some embodiments, the tidying device also includes a second tidying bracket 3-6, which is arranged on the side of the second limit member 3-1-2 of the linear track portion P1 away from the first limit member 3-1-1, and the tidying device also includes a second downward-pressing telescopic device 3-7 arranged on the second tidying bracket 3-6, and the second downward-pressing telescopic device 3-7 includes a second telescopic end 3-8 and a second pressure wheel 3-9 arranged at the second telescopic end 3-8, and the second pressure wheel 3-9 is configured to be driven by the second telescopic end 3-8 to roll along the surface of the object to be tidyed in the linear track portion P1, so as to tidy up, for example, the packaging bag of the object to be tidyed.

[0117] For example, the second downward-pressing telescopic device 3-7 has a second fixed end 3-10 opposite to the second telescopic end 3-8, and the second fixed end 3-10 is hinged on the second regular bracket 3-6 so that the second fixed end 3-10 can rotate relative to the second regular bracket 3-6, for example, Figure 21 The rotation shown.

[0118] For example, in some embodiments, the first aligning bracket 3-2 and the second aligning bracket 3-6 are symmetrically arranged, and the first downward-pressing and stretching device 3-3 and the second downward-pressing and stretching device 3-6 are symmetrically arranged. Thus, the aligning device can achieve the aligning effect on the object A on opposite sides of the object A.

[0119] For example, the second downward-pressing telescopic device 3 - 6 has the same structure as the first downward-pressing telescopic device 3 - 3 and is a telescopic driving device such as a cylinder or an electric cylinder.

[0120] For example, Figure 22 A schematic plan view of a packaging bag is shown. Figure 22 As shown, the middle portion A1 of the packaging bag in a regular state covers the food, and the two sides of the middle portion A1 have transverse seals A2. In some embodiments, the packaging bag may have an irregular shape, for example, Figure 23 As shown, wrinkles appear on the transverse seals A2 on both sides of the packaging bag. In this case, if such a packaging bag is directly cut, it may cause abnormal cutting and the food in the packaging bag is still difficult to fall out.

[0121] In the above case, the regularization device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can be used for Figure 23 The irregular shaped packaging bag shown is fully regularized so that it has a substantially Figure 22 For example, when using a tidying device, refer to Figure 18 The transverse seals A2 on both sides of the packaging bag enter the gradient track portion P2 from the opening IN along the first limit piece 3-1-1 and the second limit piece 3-1-2. Under the guidance of the first limit piece 3-1-1 and the second limit piece 3-1-2, the packaging bag gradually enters the straight track portion P1. At this time, the position of the packaging bag is corrected. Afterwards, the regularizing device above the first limit piece 3-1-1 and the second limit piece 3-1-2 is opened, so that the first telescopic end 3-5 of the first downward-pressing telescopic device 3-3 drives the first pressing wheel 3-4 to roll along the surface of the object to be regularized A to the transverse seal A2 on this side, thereby regularizing the shape of the transverse seal A2 on this side. At the same time, the second telescopic end 3-8 of the second downward-pressing telescopic device 3-7 drives the second pressing wheel 3-9 to be configured to roll along the surface of the object to be regularized A at the second telescopic end 3-8 to the transverse seal A2 on the other side, thereby regularizing the shape of the transverse seal A2 on this side, thereby regularizing the position and shape of the packaging bag, so as to facilitate subsequent accurate bag cutting and other operations.

[0122] For example, in some embodiments, the food processing equipment may further include a bag cutting and transfer device. Figure 24 Shows a side view of the bag cutting and transfer device, Figure 25 Schematic diagram of the bag cutting and transfer device from above. Figure 24 and Figure 25 As shown, the bag cutting part of the bag cutting and transferring device includes a bracket 7-1, a clamping jaw 7-3 (for example, a pair of clamping jaws), a clamping jaw drive cylinder 7-2, a cutter 7-5, a cutter drive cylinder 7-4 and a fixed support plate 7-6 and other structures.

[0123] For example, the fixed support plate 7-6 is fixed on the bracket 7-1 and is used to carry food with packaging bags. The cutter drive cylinder 7-4 is used to drive the cutter 7-5 to cut the food packaging bag, for example, at a position within the transverse seal, so as to remove the transverse seal and expose the food. The clamp drive cylinder 7-2 drives the clamp 7-3 to open and close, so as to realize the function of clamping or releasing the food packaging bag.

[0124] For example, the transfer part of the bag cutting and transfer device includes structures such as the bracket 8-1, the clamping claw 8-3, the clamping claw drive cylinder 8-2, the flip plate 8-5, the flip plate drive cylinder 8-4, the transfer slide rail 8-6 ​​and the transfer drive cylinder 8-7.

[0125] For example, the flap 8-5 is fixed to the bracket 8-1 and is used to carry the packaged food together with the fixed support plate 7-6, and to tilt the food when necessary so that the food falls to a predetermined location. For example, there are two clamping jaws 8-3, which are used to clamp the packaged bag together with the clamping jaws 7-3, for example, to clamp the four corners of the packaged bag to facilitate the bag cutting operation of the cutter 7-5. The clamping jaw drive cylinder 8-2 is configured to drive the clamping jaws 8-3 to open and close to achieve the function of clamping or releasing the food packaged bag. The flap 8-5 is configured to be driven by the transfer drive cylinder 8-7 and can move along the transfer slide 8-6 to deliver the cut food to the designated location.

[0126] For example, during a specific operation, after the arranging device has arranged the packaging bag of the food, the arranged packaging bag is sent to the flap 8-5 and the fixed support plate 7-6 by, for example, a gripping device. For example, the bearing area of ​​the flap 8-5 is larger than the bearing area of ​​the fixed support plate 7-6, so that the food is mainly carried on the flap 8-5. After the food with the packaging bag is placed on the flap 8-5 and the fixed support plate 7-6, the clamp 7-3 and the clamp 8-3 are used to clamp the four corners of the packaging bag respectively to stabilize the position and shape of the packaging bag, and then the cutter drive cylinder 7-4 is used to drive the cutter 7-5 to cut the packaging bag, for example, to cut off the horizontal seal of the packaging bag on the side where the cutter 7-5 is located. At this time, the clamp 8-3 always clamps the packaging bag of the food. For example, the transfer drive cylinder 8-7 can be used to drive the flap 8-5 to move to a specified position along the transfer slide 8-6, such as the position of the pot used for processing food, and then the flap drive cylinder 8-4 can be used to drive the flap 8-5 to flip, such as Figure 26 As shown, the food in the packaging bag can fall into the pot by gravity, so that processing operations such as food steaming and cooking can be carried out.

[0127] For example, a trash can is provided at one end of the slide rail 8-6. After the food falls into the pot, the transfer drive cylinder 8-7 can be used to drive the flap 8-5 to move along the transfer slide rail 8-6 ​​to the position of the trash can, and then the clamp drive cylinder 8-2 is used to drive the clamp 8-3 to open, so that the food packaging bag falls into the trash can.

[0128] For example, in some embodiments, when the bag cutting fails and the transverse seal of the packaging bag is not completely cut off, the food will not fall into the pot. At this time, the flap 8-5 moves along the transfer slide rail 8-6 ​​to the position of the trash can, and the food falls into the trash can together with the packaging bag.

[0129] For example, in some embodiments, a group of photoelectric switches can be set at the mouth of the trash can. If the food cannot be put in due to bag opening failure, the flap 8-5 will bring the food into the recycling bin along with the packaging, thereby triggering the photoelectric switch to notify the subsequent mechanism to stop the next action and wait for the next feeding.

[0130] For example, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the clamping drive cylinder 7-2, the cutter drive cylinder 7-4, the clamping drive cylinder 8-2, the flip drive cylinder 8-4 and the transfer drive cylinder 8-7 can all adopt driving devices such as pneumatic cylinders or electric cylinders, and can all be connected to the controller to achieve automatic operation.

[0131] For example, the cooked food can be placed in a disposable bowl and output from a delivery port of the food processing equipment to be provided to the user.

[0132] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, since the tidying device can tidy the food packaging bags, the probability of successful bag cutting can be greatly improved, food waste can be avoided, and the automatic vending process can be carried out smoothly, thereby improving the user experience.

[0133] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a driving method for food processing equipment, which driving method includes: moving the gripper of the picking device to above the picking opening of the box body of the food storage device, using a driving component to drive the gripper to move toward the box body along the first direction, and extending the gripper into the box body, driving the gripper to grab the food in the box body, and using the driving component to drive the gripper to extend from the box body to take out the food.

[0134] For example, the driving methods adopted in the embodiments of the present disclosure can all be executed by a controller, thereby achieving fully automatic operation.

[0135] For example, in the above-mentioned driving process, after the gripper of the picking device is moved to the top of the picking opening of the box body of the food storage device, the cover driving part 4 can be used to open the cover body 1-2 of the food storage device 1, and then the driving component is used to drive the gripper 2-15 to move along the first direction R1 toward the box body 1-1, and extend the gripper 2-15 into the box body 1-1. When the object sensing element 2-5-4 of the gripper 2-15 senses that it is touching the food packaging bag, the gripper 2-15 is driven to perform a gripping operation, and then the gripper 2-15 is driven to extend from the box body 1-1 and deliver the food to the entrance IN of the regularizing device.

[0136] For example, the gripper 2-15 can be used to push the food along the gradient track portion P2 of the arranging device into the straight track portion P1, and then the arranging device can be controlled to arranging the packaging bag of the food entering the straight track portion P1. After the arranging operation is completed, for example, the gripper 2-15 is used to place the food on the flip plate 8-5 and the fixed support plate 7-6, and then the bag cutting and transferring device is controlled to complete bag cutting, transferring, cooking, shipping and other operations.

[0137] In summary, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, due to the limited vertical moving space, the picking device adopts an M-shaped soft (for example, chain-type) drive assembly, which has two chains that can be bent in one direction back to back to be driven. The middle part of the M-shaped soft drive assembly is a straight part, which acts as a hard rod to ensure the accuracy of the subsequent process. This design can solve the space limitation problem under relatively precise conditions; in addition, the gripper of the picking device can replace the gripper according to the shape of the object to be gripped to meet the needs of gripping different objects.

[0138] On the other hand, in the embodiments disclosed herein, because the items to be clamped, such as food, have a certain amount of free movement space in the package, the packaging bag itself may also be distorted. Therefore, when opening the bag, it is necessary to ensure that the cutter action is effective and cannot cut the food or the transverse seal, both of which will result in bag opening failure. By providing a regularizing device, the protection belt can be given a preset position and shape, thereby facilitating the cutter's bag cutting operation. For example, by setting the entrance of the regularizing device as a gradient track portion, that is, a bell mouth, the packaged object is pushed along the bell mouth into the straight track portion using a gripper. Since the detection rod in the gripper presses on the packaging bag, the friction force can slow down the displacement of the packaging bag caused by lateral thrust during the straightening process. If the food is not centered in the packaging bag, the food will be squeezed toward the straight track portion by the offset force, and then move toward the center of the packaging bag, achieving the effect of the food being straightened while the packaging bag is basically not moved. In addition, by pressing the packaging bag downward and pushing it outward on both sides by the regularizing device, the transverse seal is squeezed and stretched, ensuring a relatively flat transverse seal.

[0139] Therefore, the food processing equipment provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can automatically and accurately realize operations such as food grabbing, putting in, cooking, and shipping, thereby improving the user experience.

[0140] There are a few points to note:

[0141] (1) The drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure only relate to the structures related to the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other structures may refer to conventional designs.

[0142] (2) For the sake of clarity, the thicknesses of layers or regions in the drawings used to describe the embodiments of the present disclosure are exaggerated or reduced, i.e., these drawings are not drawn to scale. It is understood that when an element is referred to as being "on" or "under" another element, the element may be "directly" on or "under" the other element, or intervening elements may be present.

[0143] (3) In the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present disclosure and the features therein may be combined with each other to form new embodiments.

[0144] The above are only specific embodiments of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The protection scope of the present disclosure should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A device for retrieving objects, comprising: a gripper configured to grip an object, and A drive assembly configured to drive the gripper, wherein the drive assembly includes a drive element and a flexible drive portion, the flexible drive portion includes a first flexible drive portion and a second flexible drive portion, the first flexible drive portion includes a first end portion, the second flexible drive portion includes a second end portion, the first end portion and the second end portion are fixedly connected and configured to be commonly connected to the gripper, and the drive element is configured to drive the first flexible drive portion and the second flexible drive portion to drive the gripper to move along a first direction; The flexible driving portion includes a bendable portion and a straight portion, the straight portion includes at least a first end portion of the first flexible driving portion and a second end portion of the second flexible driving portion and extends along the first direction, the bendable portion includes a first portion of the first flexible driving portion outside the straight portion and a second portion of the second flexible driving portion outside the straight portion, in the bendable portion, the first portion and the second portion are bendable and have opposite bending directions, and in the straight portion, the first flexible driving portion and the second flexible driving portion are fixedly connected to maintain a straight state; Wherein, the soft driving part further includes: A linear fixing plate located in the linear portion, the first flexible driving portion and the second flexible driving portion are fixed to the linear fixing plate to maintain the linear state; The first flexible driving part includes a first drag chain, the second flexible driving part includes a second drag chain, the linear fixing plate includes a first linear fixing plate and a second linear fixing plate, the first linear fixing plate is arranged in the first drag chain, the second linear fixing plate is arranged in the second drag chain, and the first linear fixing plate and the second linear fixing plate are fixedly connected by a fixing member, thereby fixing the first drag chain and the second drag chain; The driving element includes a first driver and a driving wheel connected to the output end of the first driver. The driving wheel is in contact with the first soft driving part and the second soft driving part, and is configured to rotate under the drive of the first driver to drive the first soft driving part and the second soft driving part to drive the clamper to move along the first direction.

2. The object-retrieving device according to claim 1, wherein: The first flexible driving portion and the second flexible driving portion are symmetrically arranged.

3. The object-retrieving device according to claim 2, wherein: The first flexible driving portion and the second flexible driving portion are M-shaped as a whole.

4. The object-retrieving device according to claim 1, wherein: The length of the first flexible driving portion and the second flexible driving portion in the straight portion is L1, and the length of the second flexible driving portion in the bendable portion is L2, wherein L1:L2 is 1:(0.9-1.1).

5. The object-retrieving device according to claim 1, wherein: The driving assembly further includes a bracket, and the driving element is fixed on the bracket. The driving element is configured to drive the gripper to move along the first direction on the first side of the support.

6. The object-retrieving device according to claim 5, wherein: The maximum length of the bendable portion on the first side of the bracket is L3, wherein L1:L3 is 1:(0.7-0.9).

7. The object-retrieving device according to claim 5, wherein: The first flexible driving part further includes a third end portion, and the second flexible driving part further includes a fourth end portion. The third end portion and the fourth end portion are fixed on the bracket.

8. The object-retrieving device according to claim 1, wherein: The driving wheel includes a plurality of engaging parts, and the driving wheel is configured to rotate under the drive of the first driver so that the plurality of engaging parts engage with different parts of the first soft driving part and the second soft driving part in sequence along the first direction, so as to drive the first soft driving part and the second soft driving part to drive the clamper to move along the first direction.

9. The object-retrieving device according to claim 1, wherein: The driving element further includes a guide wheel disposed on at least one side of the driving wheel in the first direction.

10. The object-retrieving device according to claim 1, wherein: The driving element further includes a cable and / or an air tube provided in at least one of the first flexible driving portion and the second flexible driving portion. The cables and / or air tubes are connected to the gripper.

11. The object-retrieving device according to claim 5, further comprising a base and a slide rail provided on the base. The slide rail extends along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the bracket is slidably connected to the slide rail and is configured to be movable along the slide rail along the second direction.

12. The object-retrieving device according to claim 1, wherein: The gripper comprises: Retrieval Department, an opening and closing control unit configured to control the opening and closing state of the taking unit, and The object sensing element is configured to detect the position of the object to be grasped.

13. The object-retrieving device according to claim 12, wherein: The driving element further includes a cable and an air tube disposed in at least one of the first flexible driving portion and the second flexible driving portion; The opening and closing control unit includes a controller, and the air pipe is connected to the controller; The cable is connected to the object sensing element.

14. A food processing device comprising: A food storage device configured to store food, The retrieval device according to any one of claims 1 to 13 is configured to grab the food from the food storage device.

15. The food processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein: The food storage device comprises: The box has an opening for picking up goods. a cover configured to open or close the pickup opening, and The cover driving unit is configured to drive the cover to open or close the box.

16. The food processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein The height of the box along the first direction is L4, and the length of the first flexible driving part and the second flexible driving part in the straight part is L1. Among them, L1:L4 is 1:(1.6-2.0).

17. The food processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein: The cover driving unit includes: The cover driver comprises a first telescopic portion, wherein the first telescopic portion has a first telescopic end, The connecting portion includes a first connecting end and a second connecting end, wherein the first connecting end and the second connecting end are respectively connected to the first telescopic end and the cover body. Wherein, the middle portion of the connecting portion located between the first connecting end and the second connecting end is fixed to the box body by hinge.

18. The food processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein: The food storage unit also includes: A plurality of inventory channels are located in the box body and are configured to rotate so that at least one inventory channel among the plurality of inventory channels is exposed by the access opening. A plurality of detection parts, corresponding to the plurality of inventory channels respectively, The detection element is configured to determine the inventory channel exposed by the access opening by detecting the positions of the plurality of detection parts.

19. A method for driving a food processing device according to claim 14, comprising: Move the gripper of the picking device to above the picking opening of the box body of the food storage device, The driving assembly is used to drive the gripper to move along the first direction toward the box body, and the gripper is extended into the box body, driving the gripper to grab the food in the box, and The driving assembly is used to drive the gripper to extend from the box body.

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