A vibrating device for shaking crabs from a crab pot

Abstract

This invention provides a crab trap vibration device for shaking off crabs. It has a gantry-type structure and includes a crab trap clamping module, a crab trap high-speed impact module, a crab trap conveying module, and a frame. The crab trap clamping module is used to clamp and release the crab trap, and includes a self-centering four-claw gripper, a synchronously moving arm unit, and a gripper limiting unit. The crab trap high-speed impact module is used to achieve high-speed movement and impact of the crab trap, and includes a lifting cylinder unit, a guiding motion unit, and a gripper impact wall unit. The crab trap conveying module is used to move the crab trap, and includes a conveyor belt unit and an intelligent recognition unit. By completing multiple vibrations and impacts of the crab trap, the device achieves efficient and automated separation of the crab trap and the crab, improving the safety and economy of fishery production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a crab cage vibration device. Background Technology

[0002] Swimming crabs are prized for their abundant, plump, and nutritious meat, making them an important economic species in coastal areas of my country and a primary target for crab trap fishing vessels. During crab trap fishing operations, the unloading process begins manually or mechanically. After unloading, the crab traps containing the swimming crabs are separated from the main cable and transported on a conveyor belt. Workers then open the knots on the top of the traps and remove the bait boxes.

[0003] In subsequent operations, workers flip the crab traps, ensuring the opening faces downwards, and manually tap or smash the traps at the funnel to detach the swimming crabs and allow them to enter the funnel. The crabs and traps are then transported separately on their respective conveyor belts. The crab trap fishing boats operate approximately four times a day, unloading around 3,000 traps each time. Workers perform tens of thousands of flipping and smashing operations daily, resulting in high labor intensity, significant safety hazards, and low automation levels.

[0004] To reduce costs and improve the safety of fishery production, there is an urgent need to design a series of automated fishing equipment for swimming crabs. Chinese patents (publication number: CN 110521683 A) and related patents disclose an automatic unhooking and retrieval device for crab traps, achieving automated processing of the trap unloading process. However, there are no reports on an automatic separation device for crab traps and crabs used on fishing boats—specifically, the device proposed in this patent that achieves separation of crab traps and crabs through automation and high impact. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem solved by this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an automatic crab cage vibration device for shaking off crabs.

[0006] The solution of the present invention is: a crab trap vibration device for shaking off crabs, including a frame and a crab trap clamping module, a crab trap impact module, and a crab trap conveying module installed on the frame;

[0007] The crab trap clamping module is positioned above the crab trap conveying module. The crab trap conveying module is used to convey the crab trap to the area below the crab trap clamping module, where the crab trap clamping module clamps the crab trap. The crab trap clamping module is mounted on the crab trap impact module.

[0008] The crab cage, the crab cage clamping module, and the crab cage impact module form a two-stage vibration. The first-stage vibration is the up-and-down movement of the crab cage impact module, and the second-stage vibration is the up-and-down movement of the crab cage clamping module, which is embedded in the first-stage vibration, relative to the crab cage impact module due to inertial collision. Under the action of the above two-stage vibration, the crab escapes from the cage.

[0009] Preferably, the crab cage clamping module includes a synchronous moving arm unit, a self-centering gripper, and a gripper limiting unit; the synchronous moving arm unit includes a left arm, a right arm, a clamping cylinder, and a synchronous moving component;

[0010] The left arm and the right arm are respectively positioned on both sides of the crab cage conveying module and connected to the synchronous movement component. The extension and retraction of the clamping cylinder realizes the synchronous separation and clamping of the left arm and the right arm under the drive of the synchronous movement component.

[0011] The self-centering gripper is used to release and clamp the crab cage by following the separation and clamping of the left and right arms, and drives the crab cage to move up and down under the drive of the crab cage impact module; the gripper limiting unit is used to realize the position positioning of the self-centering gripper when clamping the crab cage, and to limit the rotation angle of the self-centering gripper during the up and down movement.

[0012] Preferably, the synchronous movement component includes a synchronous gear, a left rack, a right rack, a left guide rail, and a right guide rail. The left rack and the right rack are arranged vertically and fixedly mounted on the left and right arms. The left rack and the right rack mesh with the intermediate synchronous gear to achieve synchronous opposite-direction movement. The left arm and the right arm are fixedly mounted on the sliders of the left and right guide rails to achieve linear movement.

[0013] Preferably, the self-centering gripper has a serrated structure and is used to fix the longitudinal reinforcing ribs of the crab cage when clamping.

[0014] Preferably, the crab cage impact module includes a lifting cylinder unit, a vertical movement unit, a guide shaft, and a gripper impact wall unit;

[0015] The gripper impact wall unit includes two gripper impact walls, left and right. The two gripper impact walls have the same structure, both being U-shaped frame structures. The left and right gripper impact walls are respectively installed on the left arm and the right arm. The U-shaped opening faces the clamping direction. The guide shaft is installed inside the U-shaped opening, and a self-centering gripper is mounted on it. The self-centering gripper moves linearly along the up and down direction of the guide shaft under the positioning action of the guide shaft.

[0016] The crab cage clamping module is fixedly installed on the slide of the upper and lower motion unit, and achieves linear motion in the upper and lower directions under the drive of the lifting cylinder unit.

[0017] Preferably, the gripper limiting unit includes a positioning cylinder and a rotation limiting block. When the crab cage is clamped, the positioning cylinder extends to move the self-centering gripper to the root of the gripper impact wall, thereby positioning the self-centering clamp. When the crab cage impacts, the positioning cylinder retracts. The rotation limiting block is concave in shape and is used to limit the rotation angle of the self-centering gripper.

[0018] Preferably, the lifting cylinder unit is a double-acting cylinder. By changing the intake speed and time, the lifting cylinder can achieve the rising speed and falling speed, thereby achieving different vibration impact frequencies of the crab cage, with an impact frequency of 0.5~3Hz.

[0019] Preferably, the crab cage conveying module includes a conveyor belt unit and an intelligent recognition unit; the conveyor belt unit is a two-column conveyor belt, driven by a motor to rotate, and the synchronous movement of the two conveyor belts is achieved by a synchronous shaft. The conveyor belt has a funnel inside for removing crabs that have been vibrated and separated from the device; there are baffles on both sides of the conveyor belt unit to limit the movement of the crab cage in a specific direction; the intelligent recognition unit is used to determine the stopping and stopping status of the crab cage at a specific position of the conveyor belt unit, and to determine whether the crab cage has left the specific position of the conveyor belt unit.

[0020] Preferably, the intelligent recognition unit includes a stop photoelectric recognition component and a departure photoelectric recognition component. The stop photoelectric recognition component is a proximity switch placed on a small lifting cylinder. When the small lifting cylinder is in the raised state, the crab cage is blocked by the small lifting cylinder when it moves to this position and cannot continue to move along the conveyor belt unit. At the same time, the stop photoelectric recognition component detects that the crab cage has moved to this position and starts the clamping operation. The departure photoelectric recognition component is a retroreflective photoelectric sensor installed on the conveyor belt unit to determine whether the crab cage has left a specific position on the conveyor belt unit.

[0021] Preferably, the frame is a gantry structure and is fixedly mounted on the ship.

[0022] The advantages of this invention compared to the prior art are:

[0023] This invention achieves efficient and automated separation of the crab trap from the crab by using a device to perform multiple vibrations and impacts, thereby improving the safety and economy of fishery production.

[0024] (1) The device integrates a conveyor belt, an impact module, a centering gripper, and an intelligent recognition module, realizing the full automation of shaking the crabs off the crab cage. (2) The high-speed impact module uses collision impact to replace the shaking impact of the conveyor, which greatly increases the impact force and effectively improves the crab escape rate. (3) The device adopts a biomimetic four-hand design (with four fingers and movable wrists) to self-center and grasp the crab cages in different postures, fixing the horizontal and vertical ribs of the crab cages to achieve reliable impact. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a crab cage vibration device for shaking off crabs;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the crab cage conveyor module;

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the structural relationship between the stop photoelectric recognition component and the small lifting cylinder;

[0028] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the crab cage clamping module in its open state;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the closed state structure of the crab cage clamping module;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of the high-speed impact module for crab cages.

[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the structural relationship between the self-centering gripper, guide shaft, and gripper impact wall unit.

[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a self-centering gripper;

[0033] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the synchronous movement component;

[0034] Crab cage clamping module 1, crab cage high-speed impact module 2, crab cage conveying module 3, and frame 4;

[0035] Conveyor belt unit 31 and intelligent recognition unit 32, two-row conveyor belt 311, funnel 312, baffle 313, stop photoelectric recognition component 321, exit photoelectric recognition component 322, small lifting cylinder 323.

[0036] Synchronous moving arm unit 11, self-centering gripper 12, gripper limiting unit 13 / left arm 111, right arm 112, clamping cylinder 113, synchronous moving assembly 114;

[0037] Lifting cylinder unit 21, up and down movement unit 22, guide shaft 23 and gripper impact wall unit 24;

[0038] Self-centering gripper 12, positioning cylinder 131, rotation limit block 132, guide shaft 23, left gripper impact wall 241

[0039] Left arm 111, right arm 112, synchronous gear 1141, left rack 1142, right rack 1143, left guide rail 1144, right guide rail 1145. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention, in conjunction with the appendix. Figure 1-9 The technical solutions of the present invention will be further described below, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, a crab trap vibration device for shaking off crabs according to the present invention includes a crab trap clamping module 1, a crab trap high-speed impact module 2, a crab trap conveying module 3, and a frame 4. Figure 2 As shown, the crab cage conveying module 3 is installed on the frame 4 to realize the movement of the crab cages. It includes a conveyor belt unit 31 and an intelligent recognition unit 32. The conveyor belt unit 31 is a two-row conveyor belt 311, which is driven by a motor to rotate. The synchronous movement of the two conveyor belts is realized by a synchronous shaft. There is a funnel 312 inside the conveyor belt to remove the crabs that have been vibrated and separated from the equipment. The crab cages move in the conveyor belt unit 31. The intelligent recognition unit 32 includes a stop photoelectric recognition component 321 and a departure photoelectric recognition component 322. The stop photoelectric recognition component 321 is a proximity switch placed on a small lifting cylinder 323. At this time, the small lifting cylinder 323 is in the lifted state. When the crab cage moves to this position, it is blocked by the stop photoelectric recognition component 321 and cannot continue to move along the conveyor belt unit 31. At the same time, the stop photoelectric recognition component 321 recognizes that the crab cage has moved to this position and starts the clamping operation.

[0042] like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the crab cage clamping module 1 is positioned above the crab cage conveying module 3, and includes a synchronous moving arm unit 11, a self-centering gripper 12, and a gripper limiting unit 13, used to clamp and release the crab cage. The synchronous moving arm unit 11 includes a left arm 111, a right arm 112, a clamping cylinder 113, and a synchronous moving assembly 114, wherein the left arm 111 and the right arm 112 are respectively positioned on opposite sides of their respective crab cage conveying modules 3. In the initial state, the clamping cylinder 113 extends, and the left arm 111 and the right arm 112 are synchronously separated by the synchronous moving assembly 114, allowing the crab cage to pass through the inside of the crab cage clamping module 1, driven by the crab cage conveying module 3; when a signal is received from the stop photoelectric recognition component 321, the clamping cylinder 113 retracts, and the left arm 111 and the right arm 112 are synchronously clamped by the synchronous moving assembly 114, and the crab cage is clamped by the self-centering gripper 12.

[0043] like Figure 6 As shown, after clamping, the high-speed impact module 2 of the crab cage is used to realize the high-speed movement and impact of the crab cage, including a lifting cylinder unit 21, a vertical movement unit 22, a guide shaft 23, and a gripper impact wall unit 24. The crab cage clamping module 1 is fixedly installed on the slide of the vertical movement unit 22, and realizes linear movement in the vertical direction under the drive of the lifting cylinder unit 21. The self-centering gripper 12 can move linearly in the vertical direction along the guide shaft 23 under the positioning action of the guide shaft 23.

[0044] The lifting cylinder unit is a double-acting cylinder. By changing the intake speed and time, the lifting cylinder's rising and falling speeds can be achieved, thereby realizing different vibration and impact frequencies of the crab cage. The system's impact frequency is 0.5~3Hz.

[0045] like Figure 7As shown, there are four self-centering grippers 12, which are installed in pairs on the left gripper impact wall 241 on the left arm and the right gripper impact wall on the right arm. The self-centering grippers 12 are connected to the left and right arms through guide shafts 23 and can rotate around the guide shafts 23 to achieve automatic centering during clamping and clamping of crab cages of different diameters. The self-centering grippers 12 drive the crab cage to move upward along the guide shafts 23, and the gripper impact walls 24 move upward together. When the guide shafts 23 have traveled halfway, the gripper impact walls 241 and 242 begin to move downward under the drive of the lifting cylinder unit 21. At this time, the self-centering grippers 12 drive the crab cage to continue moving upward due to inertia. Then, the self-centering grippers 12 impact and collide with the gripper impact walls 24, and the above movement is repeated to achieve the impact vibration of the crab cage, thereby enabling the crab to escape from the cage. The impact frequency of the system is 0.5 to 3 times per second. After the impact, the crab separates from the crab cage. At this time, the clamping cylinder 113 extends, and the self-centering gripper 12 releases the crab cage. The crab cage continues to flow via the conveyor belt unit 31.

[0046] The aforementioned photoelectric recognition component 322 is a retroreflective photoelectric sensor, installed on the conveyor belt unit 31. When the crab cage passes the photoelectric recognition component 322, the system determines that the crab cage has completed clamping and impact vibration. At this time, the small lifting cylinder 323 lifts up to carry out the crab removal operation of the next crab cage.

[0047] Preferably, before the crab trap clamping module operates, the gripper limiting unit 13 includes a positioning cylinder 131 and a rotation limiting block 132. When the crab trap clamps, the positioning cylinder 131 extends to move the self-centering gripper 12 to the root of the gripper impact wall, thus positioning the self-centering clamp. When the crab trap impacts at high speed, the positioning cylinder 131 retracts, allowing the self-centering clamp 12 to move vertically along the guide shaft. The rotation limiting block is concave to limit the rotation angle of the self-centering clamp.

[0048] Preferred, such as Figure 9 As shown, the synchronous movement assembly 114 includes a synchronous gear 1141, a left rack 1142, a right rack 1143, a left guide rail 1144, and a right guide rail 1145. The left rack 1142 and the right rack 1143 are arranged vertically and fixedly mounted on the left arm 111 and the right arm 112. The left rack 1142 and the right rack 1143 mesh with the intermediate synchronous gear 1141 to achieve synchronous opposite-direction movement. The left arm 111 and the right arm 112 are fixedly mounted on the sliders of the left guide rail 1144 and the right guide rail 1145 to achieve linear movement.

[0049] Preferably, the self-centering gripper 12 has a serrated structure and is used to fix the longitudinal reinforcing ribs of the crab cage when clamping.

[0050] The frame of this invention is used to directly and permanently mount the crab cage conveying module and the lifting cylinder unit, and is fixedly mounted on the ship, forming a gantry structure.

[0051] The above description is only the best specific embodiment of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0052] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make possible changes and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention by utilizing the methods and techniques disclosed above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solutions of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A crab cage vibration device for shaking off crabs, characterized in that: Includes a frame and crab cage clamping module, crab cage impact module and crab cage conveying module mounted on the frame; The crab trap clamping module is positioned above the crab trap conveying module. The crab trap conveying module is used to convey the crab trap to the area below the crab trap clamping module, where the crab trap clamping module clamps the crab trap. The crab trap clamping module is mounted on the crab trap impact module. The crab cage, the crab cage clamping module, and the crab cage impact module form two levels of vibration. The first level of vibration is the up-and-down movement of the crab cage impact module, and the second level of vibration is the up-and-down movement of the crab cage clamping module embedded in the first level of vibration relative to the crab cage impact module due to inertial collision. Under the action of the above two levels of vibration, the crab escapes from the cage. The crab cage clamping module includes a synchronous moving arm unit, a self-centering gripper, and a gripper limiting unit; the synchronous moving arm unit includes a left arm, a right arm, a clamping cylinder, and a synchronous moving component; The left arm and the right arm are respectively placed on both sides of the crab cage conveying module and connected to the synchronous moving component. The extension and retraction of the clamping cylinder realizes the synchronous separation and clamping of the left arm and the right arm under the drive of the synchronous moving component. The self-centering gripper is used to release and clamp the crab cage by following the separation and clamping of the left and right arms, and drives the crab cage to move up and down under the drive of the crab cage impact module; the gripper limiting unit is used to realize the position positioning of the self-centering gripper when clamping the crab cage, and to limit the rotation angle of the self-centering gripper during the up and down movement. The crab cage impact module includes a lifting cylinder unit, a vertical movement unit, a guide shaft, and a gripper impact wall unit. The gripper impact wall unit includes two gripper impact walls, left and right. The two gripper impact walls have the same structure, both being U-shaped frame structures. The left and right gripper impact walls are respectively installed on the left arm and the right arm. The U-shaped opening faces the clamping direction. The guide shaft is installed inside the U-shaped opening, and a self-centering gripper is mounted on it. The self-centering gripper moves linearly along the up and down direction of the guide shaft under the positioning action of the guide shaft. The crab cage clamping module is fixedly installed on the slide of the upper and lower motion unit, and under the drive of the lifting cylinder unit, it achieves linear motion in the upper and lower directions. The gripper limiting unit includes a positioning cylinder and a rotation limiting block. When the crab cage is clamped, the positioning cylinder extends to move the self-centering gripper to the root of the gripper impact wall, thereby positioning the self-centering clamp. When the crab cage impacts, the positioning cylinder retracts. The rotation limiting block is concave in shape and is used to limit the rotation angle of the self-centering gripper.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The synchronous movement component includes a synchronous gear, a left rack, a right rack, a left guide rail, and a right guide rail. The left and right racks are arranged vertically and fixedly mounted on the left and right arms. The left and right racks mesh with the intermediate synchronous gear to achieve synchronous opposite-directional movement. The left and right arms are fixedly mounted on the sliders of the left and right guide rails to achieve linear movement.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The self-centering gripper has a serrated structure and is used to fix the longitudinal reinforcing ribs of the crab cage when clamping.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting cylinder unit is a double-acting cylinder. By changing the intake speed and time, the lifting cylinder can achieve the rising and falling speeds, thereby achieving different vibration and impact frequencies of the crab cage, with an impact frequency of 0.5~3Hz.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crab cage conveying module includes a conveyor belt unit and an intelligent recognition unit. The conveyor belt unit is a two-column conveyor belt, driven by a motor to rotate. The synchronous movement of the two conveyor belts is achieved by a synchronous shaft. The conveyor belt has a funnel inside to remove the crabs that have been vibrated and separated from the equipment. There are baffles on both sides of the conveyor belt unit to limit the movement of the crab cages in a specific direction. The intelligent recognition unit is used to determine the stopping and stopping status of the crab cages at specific positions on the conveyor belt unit, and to determine whether the crab cages have left the specific positions on the conveyor belt unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The intelligent recognition unit includes a stop photoelectric recognition component and a departure photoelectric recognition component. The stop photoelectric recognition component is a proximity switch placed on a small lifting cylinder. When the small lifting cylinder is in the raised position, the crab cage is blocked by the small lifting cylinder and cannot continue to move along the conveyor belt unit. At the same time, the stop photoelectric recognition component detects that the crab cage has moved to this position and starts the clamping operation. The departure photoelectric recognition component is a retroreflective photoelectric sensor installed on the conveyor belt unit to determine whether the crab cage has left a specific position on the conveyor belt unit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame is a gantry structure and is fixedly mounted on the ship.

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