Automatic wood ear fungus bag placing and collecting machine and method

Abstract

The present application relates to a fungus bag handling machine, more particularly to an automatic fungus bag placing and collecting machine and method. To solve the efficiency and quality problems of the current manual fungus bag placing and collecting, the following scheme is adopted: including a vehicle frame, a walking mechanism for driving the vehicle frame to move, and a placing and collecting mechanism mounted on the vehicle frame; the placing and collecting mechanism includes a multi-connection variable-distance mechanical gripper and a moving assembly for driving the multi-connection variable-distance mechanical gripper to move in the moving direction and the vertical direction. The multi-connection variable-distance mechanical gripper with multiple mechanical hands adjusts the distance between the mechanical hands to meet the fungus bag release with different distances and meet the fungus bag placement time distance requirements. The moving assembly adjusts the position of the multi-connection variable-distance mechanical gripper in the Y-axis and Z-axis, and the vehicle frame moves to change the position of the multi-connection variable-distance mechanical gripper, thereby replacing manual work to complete the fungus bag dispersion, placing and collecting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to machinery for handling Auricularia auricula-judae spawn bags, and more specifically, to an automatic placement and collection machine and method for Auricularia auricula-judae spawn bags. Background Technology

[0002] In the large-scale production of edible fungi such as black fungus, the handling of the spawn bags in the field is a crucial step, including the dispersion, placement, and collection of the bags. Traditionally, these processes were mainly carried out manually, which suffers from low efficiency, high costs, and inconsistent quality. The limitations of manual handling are particularly pronounced in large-scale production, making it difficult to meet the efficiency and quality requirements of modern agricultural production.

[0003] Proper placement of the spawn bags is crucial for ensuring optimal growth conditions for wood ear mushrooms, affecting not only mycelial growth but also the final yield and quality. However, uneven placement by hand can lead to inconsistent spacing between spawn bags, negatively impacting the growth environment and preventing optimal yield and quality. Furthermore, manual collection of spawn bags is both physically demanding and inefficient.

[0004] Therefore, given the current inefficiencies and quality issues associated with the manual placement and collection of mushroom bags, there is an urgent need for an automated mechanical solution to improve the automation level of edible fungi production such as wood ear mushrooms, reduce reliance on manual labor, and enhance production efficiency and output quality. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides an automatic placement and collection machine and method for mushroom spawn bags, the purpose of which is to use machinery to replace manual labor in the dispersion, placement and collection of mushroom spawn bags.

[0006] The above objectives are achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] An automatic placement and collection machine for wood ear fungus bags includes a frame, a traveling mechanism that drives the frame, and a placement and collection mechanism installed on the frame.

[0008] The placement and collection mechanism includes a multi-pitch mechanical gripper and a moving component that drives the multi-pitch mechanical gripper to move in the direction of travel and in the vertical direction.

[0009] A method for automatically placing and collecting Auricularia auricula-judae spawn bags, using the aforementioned automatic Auricularia auricula-judae spawn bag placing and collecting machine, includes the following steps:

[0010] S1. A row of mushroom bags is picked up and released at the first station by the first multi-pole variable-pitch mechanical gripper. The first station realizes the collection of wood ear fungus and the removal of the top membrane of the mushroom bags.

[0011] S2. The second multi-link variable pitch mechanical gripper will pick up the mushroom bag after completing step S1 and place it back on the ridge, or prepare a special mushroom bag box and put the mushroom bag back into the mushroom bag box to realize the collection of mushroom bags.

[0012] S3. In a row of mushroom bags on the ridge, the distance between adjacent mushroom bags is about 10-20cm. The distance between mushroom bags in the mushroom bag box is less than 10cm. Therefore, adjust the distance of the lever-type four-finger mechanical claw according to the distance between the mushroom bags.

[0013] Preferably, in S1 to S3, the image information of the mushroom bag is identified by the camera module, the image processing module is used to process the image acquired by the camera module to extract the position, size and shape of the mushroom bag, and the spatial position calculation module is used to calculate the specific position and orientation of the mushroom bag in space, so as to cooperate with the execution module to drive the moving component and the multi-link variable pitch mechanical gripper to grasp and release the mushroom bag.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the automatic placement and collection machine and method for Auricularia auricula-judae spawn bags of the present invention are as follows:

[0015] By incorporating multiple robotic arms and a multi-link variable-pitch mechanical gripper, the spacing between the robotic arms can be adjusted to accommodate different release intervals for the mushroom bags, meeting the varying placement distances of the bags on the raised beds and in the bag boxes. The position of the multi-link variable-pitch mechanical gripper on the Y and Z axes is adjusted using a moving component, and its position is also changed by the movement of the vehicle frame, thus replacing manual labor in distributing, placing, and collecting the mushroom bags. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a left view of an automatic placement and collection machine for fungus spawn bags according to the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 Front view of the automatic collection and placement machine for mushroom spawn bags;

[0018] Figure 3 A 3D diagram of an automatic collection and placement machine for wood ear fungus spawn bags;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the walking mechanism;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-stage variable-pitch mechanical gripper;

[0021] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A magnified view of a portion of point a;

[0022] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the gripper lifting mechanism Figure 1 ;

[0023] Figure 8Schematic diagram of the gripper lifting mechanism Figure 2 . Detailed Implementation

[0024] An automatic collection and placement machine for wood ear fungus bags, reference Figures 1 to 4 The system includes a walking mechanism 1 that walks on a preset track 101, the preset track 101 having grooves, a frame 2 driven by the walking mechanism 1 to move, and a placement and collection mechanism installed on the frame 2.

[0025] The placement and collection mechanism includes a moving component and a multi-pitch mechanical gripper 4 mounted on the moving component. The moving component is used to drive the multi-pitch mechanical gripper 4 to move in the Y and Z axis directions.

[0026] Among them, reference Figure 4 The traveling mechanism 1 includes: a wheel train retainer 111, a traveling motor 102 with its output shaft laterally mounted fixed to the wheel train retainer 111, a drive wheel 104 fixed to the output shaft of the traveling motor 102, a rubber wheel 109 rotatably connected to the lower side of the wheel train retainer 111, a driven pulley fixed to the side end of the rubber wheel 109, and the drive wheel 104 and the driven pulley being connected by a synchronous belt 103, thereby driving the rubber wheel 109 to move forward or backward using the traveling motor 102; a driven gear 107 fixed to the upper end of the wheel train retainer 111, a shaft fixed to the rotation center of the driven gear 107, and a frame connecting plate 108 and a steering motor fixing plate 110 rotatably connected to the shaft, located above the driven gear 107; the frame connecting plate 108 and the steering motor fixing plate 110 are connected to the shaft. The motor mounting plates 110 are arranged one above the other and fixed to each other. A steering motor 106 is fixed to the steering motor mounting plate 110. A driving pinion 105 is fixed to the output shaft of the steering motor 106. The driving pinion 105 meshes with the driven gear 107 to drive the driven gear 107 to rotate, thereby changing the direction of travel of the rubber wheel 109. Auxiliary wheel retainers 112 are fixed to the left and right sides of the wheel system retainer 111. An auxiliary wheel 113 is rotatably connected to the auxiliary wheel retainer 112 and rolls against the wall of the preset track 101. There is a 2-3mm gap between the auxiliary wheel 13 and the side of the preset guide rail. The walking mechanism 1 has four, and four frame connecting plates 108 are fixed to the four corners of the lower end of the frame 2.

[0027] The moving component includes a gripper lifting mechanism 5 connected to a multi-pitch mechanical gripper 4, and a gripper translation mechanism 6 connected to the gripper lifting mechanism 5.

[0028] The gripper lifting mechanism 5 includes: a lifting mechanism fixed base plate 501 and a lifting mechanism upper and lower movable base plate 506. A reducer right-angle connector 502 is fixedly connected to the lifting mechanism fixed base plate 501. A reducer fixing plate 503 is fixedly connected to the reducer right-angle connector 502. A reduction motor is fixedly connected to the reducer fixing plate 503. A drive gear 505 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the reduction motor. A vertical lifting rack 504 is fixedly connected to the lifting mechanism upper and lower movable base plate 506. The drive gear 505 meshes with the lifting rack 504. A vertical linear guide right-angle connector 508 is fixedly connected to the lifting mechanism fixed base plate 501. A vertical linear guide rail connecting plate 507 is fixedly connected to the 8th plate, and a vertical linear guide rail is fixedly connected to the vertical linear guide rail connecting plate 507. The lifting mechanism's upper and lower movable base plate 506 is provided with a groove that cooperates with the vertical linear guide rail, so that the vertical linear guide rail can slide up and down along the groove. Preferably, a small cam roller bracket 509 is fixedly connected to the lifting mechanism fixed base plate 501, and a large cam roller 511 is rotatably connected to the small cam roller bracket 509. The large cam roller 511 rolls and rubs against the lifting rack 504. A small cam roller 510 is rotatably connected to the reducer fixed plate 503, and the axis of the small cam roller 510 is perpendicular to the axis of the large cam roller 511.

[0029] The linear movement principle of the gripper translation mechanism 6 and the gripper lifting mechanism 5 is the same. The gripper translation mechanism 6 is a rack and pinion linear drive mechanism, which is the prior art. It drives the gripper lifting mechanism 5 to translate back and forth on the frame 2. For example, a frame is erected between the two gripper translation mechanisms 6. The base of the gripper translation mechanism 6 is fixed to the frame. The lifting mechanism fixing plate 501 is fixed to the frame. The rack of the gripper translation mechanism 6 extends back and forth and is fixed to the frame 2. A second reduction motor is fixed to the base of the gripper translation mechanism 6. A gear is fixed to the output shaft of the second reduction motor. The gear meshes with the rack for transmission. The base of the gripper translation mechanism 6 is slidably connected to the guide rail at the upper end of the frame 2 and can only move back and forth. When the second reduction motor drives the gear to rotate, the gear moves back and forth on the rack, thereby driving the base of the gripper translation mechanism 6, the frame, the gripper lifting mechanism 5 and the multi-link variable pitch mechanical gripper 4 to move back and forth.

[0030] The multi-link variable pitch mechanical gripper 4 includes: a frame 406 and a lever-type four-finger mechanical gripper 407. A bevel gear-ball screw lifting module is installed on the frame 406. The bevel gear-ball screw lifting module is existing technology and is not limited. Other products with lifting functions, such as electric cylinders, can also be used. The actuating part of the bevel gear-ball screw lifting module is a lifting connecting block 405 for the outer shell. If an electric cylinder is used, the moving end of the electric cylinder is fixedly connected to the variable pitch outer shell 401, and the electric cylinder is fixedly connected to the frame 406.

[0031] To further explain, a variable pitch housing 401 is fixedly connected to the housing lifting connecting block 405. The variable pitch housing 401 is provided with an inclined straight slot 401a. A cylinder connecting plate 402 is fixedly connected to the frame 406. A cylinder is fixedly connected to the upper end of the cylinder connecting plate 402. The housing of the cylinder is fixedly connected to the upper end of the frame 406. A horizontal guide rod is fixedly connected to the lower end of the cylinder connecting plate 402. Multiple sliders are slidably connected to the guide rod. A gripper control rod 403 of a lever-type four-finger mechanical claw 407 is fixedly connected to each slider.

[0032] The lever-type four-finger mechanical gripper 407 includes a mechanical gripper base 407a, with a mechanical finger 407b hinged to each of the four circumferences of the mechanical gripper base 407a. A connecting base 407d is located below the mechanical gripper base 407a, above the center of each of the four mechanical fingers 407b. One end of a connecting rod 407d is hinged to each of the four circumferences of the connecting base 407d, and the other ends of the four connecting rods 407d are respectively hinged to the mechanical fingers 407b. A gripper control rod 403 is fixed to the upper end of the connecting base 407d, passing through and sliding on the mechanical gripper base 407a from bottom to top. The mechanical gripper base 407a is slidably connected to the frame 406 and can only slide left and right.

[0033] The lever-type four-finger mechanical gripper 407 opens and closes its mechanical fingers 407b by raising and lowering the gripper control rod 403. The raising and lowering of the control cylinder connecting plate 402 further controls the raising and lowering of the gripper control rod 403, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the mechanical fingers 407b. When the connecting rod 407d tends to be horizontal, the mechanical fingers 407b are opened; when the tilt of the connecting rod 407d increases, the mechanical fingers 407b are closed.

[0034] To further explain, each gripper control lever 403 is slidably connected to a gripper pitch slider 404. The lower end of the gripper pitch slider 404 is slidably connected to the frame 406 to achieve only left and right sliding, which is the same as the sliding scheme of the mechanical gripper base 407a slidably connected to the frame 406. Both are achieved by the cooperation of guide rails and guide grooves. The guide rails are fixed to the frame 406, and the guide grooves are set on the lower end of the gripper pitch slider 404 and the mechanical gripper base 407a. A guide wheel with a rim is fixed to each of the front and rear ends of the gripper pitch slider 404. The guide wheel located on the front side is matched in the corresponding inclined straight groove 401a. That is, there is a guide wheel located on the front side in an inclined straight groove 401a. When the pitch control housing 401 is raised and lowered, the left and right positions of the guide wheel located on the front side can be changed, thereby adjusting the spacing of the lever-type four-finger mechanical gripper 407.

[0035] On the other hand, the variable pitch housing 401 can also be two symmetrically arranged, so that the guide wheel located on the rear side can also cooperate with the variable pitch housing 401 on the rear side.

[0036] The system includes six lever-type four-finger robotic grippers 407, resulting in six inclined straight slots 401a. Preferably, the three inclined straight slots 401a on the left and the three on the right are mirror-symmetrically arranged. The inclination of the three inclined straight slots 401a on the left increases from left to right, and their angle with the horizontal plane is acute. Conversely, the inclination of the three inclined straight slots 401a on the right decreases from left to right. This results in smaller movement amplitude on the inner side of the lever-type four-finger robotic grippers 407 and larger movement amplitude on the outer side. In practice, the inclination degree and number of straight slots 401a during processing can be changed by adjusting the spacing of the four-finger robotic grippers 407 as needed.

[0037] The lifting mechanism's movable base plate 506 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the frame 406.

[0038] Preferably, there are two placement and collection mechanisms, and the two placement and collection mechanisms are connected to the frame 2 in the same way.

[0039] Furthermore, the frame 2 is also equipped with a multi-section mushroom harvesting and top film removal mechanism 3 located below the multi-section variable pitch mechanical gripper 4. The multi-section variable pitch mechanical gripper 4 picks up the mushroom bags located on the ridge and accurately places them into the multi-section mushroom harvesting and top film removal mechanism 3 to achieve the harvesting of mushrooms. The multi-section mushroom harvesting and top film removal mechanism 3 is used to achieve the harvesting of mushrooms and the removal of the top film of the mushroom bags.

[0040] After the mushroom bag is carried and placed by the first set of multi-link variable-pitch mechanical grippers 4, and the mushroom harvesting and top membrane removal are completed, the second set of multi-link variable-pitch mechanical grippers 4 can pick up the mushroom bag and place it back on the ridge, or a special mushroom bag box 7 can be prepared and the mushroom bag can be placed back into the mushroom bag box 7 to realize the collection of mushroom bags.

[0041] Alternatively, the second set of multi-stage variable-pitch mechanical grippers 4 can directly remove the mushroom bags from the mushroom box and place them on the raised bed, completing the placement of the mushroom bags. The position of the mushroom bag box 7 is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, during operation, only one set of multi-section variable pitch liftable mechanical grippers can be retained, and the multi-section mushroom harvesting and top film removal mechanism 3 is not required. The multi-section mushroom harvesting and top film removal mechanism 3 can be temporarily disassembled.

[0042] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3The mushroom spawn bags are generally regular cylinders. In mushroom cultivation practice, a row typically contains six spawn bags, corresponding to the aforementioned multi-unit arrangements, where each multi-unit arrangement consists of six bags. The spacing between adjacent spawn bags is approximately 15cm. However, the spawn bags are generally placed close together in the spawn box. Therefore, the spacing of the mechanical grippers needs to be adjusted during the placement of the spawn bags from the spawn box onto the raised beds according to certain requirements, and during the collection of spawn bags from the raised beds back into the spawn box. When removing spawn bags from the spawn bag box 7 and placing them on the raised beds, and when returning spawn bags from the raised beds to the spawn box, the distance between the spawn bags can be changed to facilitate the placement and collection of the spawn bags.

[0043] When the automatic mushroom bag placement and collection machine is working, its functions are coordinated and controlled by the vision system to achieve accurate frame movement, mushroom bag positioning, mushroom bag grabbing, mushroom bag collection, and mushroom harvesting.

Claims

1. An automatic placement and collection machine for mushroom spawn bags, comprising a frame, a traveling mechanism for driving the frame, and a placement and collection mechanism mounted on the frame; Its features are, The placement and collection mechanism includes a multi-pitch mechanical gripper and a moving component that drives the multi-pitch mechanical gripper to move in the direction of the vehicle frame's travel and in the vertical direction. The moving component includes a gripper lifting mechanism connected to a multi-stage variable pitch mechanical gripper, and a gripper translation mechanism connected to the gripper lifting mechanism; both the gripper lifting mechanism and the gripper translation mechanism are rack and pinion linear drive mechanisms. The gripper lifting mechanism is used to drive the multi-stage variable pitch mechanical gripper to lift, and the gripper translation mechanism is used to drive the multi-stage variable pitch mechanical gripper to move back and forth. The gripper translation mechanism is mounted on the frame. The multi-stage variable pitch mechanical gripper includes: a variable pitch housing and a frame. A ball screw lifting module is fixedly connected to the frame. The ball screw lifting module is used to drive the variable pitch housing to lift. The variable pitch housing is provided with an inclined straight slot. A cylinder connecting plate is fixedly connected to the frame. A cylinder is fixedly connected to the upper end of the cylinder connecting plate. The housing of the cylinder is fixedly connected to the upper end of the frame. A guide rod is fixedly connected to the lower end of the cylinder connecting plate. Multiple sliders are slidably connected to the guide rod. A lever-type four-finger mechanical gripper is fixedly connected to each slider. The lever-type four-finger mechanical gripper includes a gripper control rod. The gripper control rod is fixedly connected to the slider. The fixed end of the lever-type four-finger mechanical gripper is slidably connected to the lower part of the frame. Each gripper control lever is slidably connected to a gripper pitch slider. Each end of the gripper pitch slider is fixed with a guide wheel with a rim. The guide wheels roll on the frame. The guide wheels located on the front side correspond to an inclined straight slot in terms of number and position. The guide wheels located on the front side fit into the corresponding inclined straight slot. The lifting mechanism's upper and lower movable base plates are fixed to the upper end of the frame. The automatic placement and collection method for wood ear fungus spawn bags includes the following steps: S1. A row of mushroom bags is picked up and released at the first station by the first multi-pole variable-pitch mechanical gripper. The first station realizes the collection of wood ear fungus and the removal of the top membrane of the mushroom bags. S2. The second multi-link variable pitch mechanical gripper will pick up the mushroom bag after completing step S1 and place it back on the ridge, or prepare a special mushroom bag box and put the mushroom bag back into the mushroom bag box to realize the collection of mushroom bags. S3. In a row of mushroom bags on the ridge, the distance between adjacent mushroom bags is 10-20cm. The distance between mushroom bags in the mushroom bag box is less than 10cm. Therefore, adjust the distance of the lever-type four-finger mechanical claw according to the distance between the mushroom bags.

2. The automatic placement and collection machine for mushroom spawn bags according to claim 1, wherein the walking mechanism comprises: The wheel system is a cage with a travel motor fixed to it. A drive pulley is fixed to the output shaft of the travel motor. A rubber wheel is rotatably connected to the lower side of the wheel system cage. A driven pulley is fixed to the side end of the rubber wheel. The drive pulley and the driven pulley are connected by a synchronous belt drive, thereby using the travel motor to drive the rubber wheel to move forward or backward. The upper end of the wheel system retainer is fixedly connected to a driven gear, and a shaft is fixedly connected to the rotation center of the driven gear. A frame connecting plate and a steering motor fixing plate located above the driven gear are rotatably connected to the shaft. The frame connecting plate and the steering motor fixing plate are fixedly connected to each other. A steering motor is fixedly connected to the steering motor fixing plate. A driving pinion is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the steering motor. The driving pinion meshes with the driven gear for transmission. The walking mechanism has four plates, and the four frame connecting plates are respectively fixed to the four corners of the lower end of the frame.

3. The automatic placement and collection machine for fungal spawn bags according to claim 1, wherein, The gripper lifting mechanism includes: a fixed lifting mechanism base plate and a vertically movable lifting mechanism base plate. A reducer right-angle connector is fixedly attached to the fixed lifting mechanism base plate. A reducer fixing plate is fixedly attached to the reducer right-angle connector. A first reduction motor is fixedly attached to the reducer fixing plate. A drive gear is fixedly attached to the output shaft of the first reduction motor. A vertical lifting rack is fixedly attached to the vertically movable lifting mechanism base plate. The drive gear meshes with the lifting rack. A vertical linear guide right-angle connector is fixedly attached to the fixed lifting mechanism base plate. A vertical linear guide connecting plate is fixedly attached to the vertical linear guide right-angle connector. A vertical linear guide is fixedly attached to the vertical linear guide connecting plate. A vertical linear guide is fixedly attached to the vertical linear guide connecting plate. The vertically movable lifting mechanism base plate is provided with a groove that mates with the vertical linear guide, allowing the vertical linear guide to slide up and down along the groove. The vertically movable lifting mechanism base plate is fixedly attached to the upper end of a multi-stage variable-pitch mechanical gripper.

4. The automatic placement and collection machine for fungus spawn bags according to claim 3, wherein there are two gripper translation mechanisms, and a frame is fixedly connected between the two gripper translation mechanisms; Any gripper translation mechanism includes: The base, rack, gear, and second geared motor are fixed to the frame. The lifting mechanism fixing plate is fixed to the frame. The rack extends front and rear and is fixed to the frame. The second geared motor is fixed to the base. The gear is fixed to the output shaft of the second geared motor. The gear and rack mesh and drive each other. A horizontal linear guide rail is provided at the upper end of the frame. The base is slidably connected to the horizontal linear guide rail.

5. The automatic placement and collection machine for mushroom bags according to claim 1, wherein there are six lever-type four-finger mechanical claws, the three inclined straight slots on the left and the three inclined straight slots on the right are arranged in a mirror symmetrical manner, and the inclination of the three inclined straight slots on the left increases from left to right, and the angle between them and the horizontal plane is an acute angle.

6. The automatic placement and collection machine for mushroom spawn bags according to claim 5, wherein there are two placement and collection mechanisms, and the two placement and collection mechanisms are connected to the frame in the same way.

7. The automatic placement and collection machine for fungal spawn bags according to claim 1, characterized in that, In S1 to S3, the camera module identifies the image information of the mushroom bag, the image processing module processes the image acquired by the camera module to extract the position, size and shape of the mushroom bag, and the spatial position calculation module calculates the specific position and orientation of the mushroom bag in space, so as to cooperate with the execution module to drive the moving component and the multi-link variable pitch mechanical gripper to grasp and release the mushroom bag.

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