A palm fruit harvesting device and method

Abstract

The application discloses a palm fruit harvesting device and a harvesting method. The device comprises a vehicle body, a picking mechanism is arranged at the front end of the vehicle body, and a collecting mechanism is arranged at the rear end of the vehicle body. The picking mechanism comprises a telescopic mechanical arm, the upper end of the mechanical arm is connected with a steering mechanism, the steering mechanism is connected with a pitching mechanism, the pitching mechanism is connected with a horizontally telescopic insertion needle and a cutter. The collecting mechanism comprises a vehicle compartment, a translation door is connected to the rear side of the vehicle compartment, a collecting fork capable of moving up and down is connected above the translation door, a fruit pushing frame connected with the translation door is arranged below the collecting fork, and the fruit pushing frame is arranged around the outside of the collecting fork. The picking mechanism and the collecting mechanism are arranged as two independent individuals. The insertion needle and the cutter work cooperatively to realize picking. The up and down movement of the collecting fork and the fruit pushing frame realizes the mechanized collection of fruits. The picking and collecting are fast and convenient, labor is saved, and the harvesting efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural machinery, specifically disclosing a palm fruit harvesting device and harvesting method. Background Technology

[0002] Palm fruits grow on large bunches of fruit on palm trees, each bunch containing approximately 2,000 fruits. These bunches are quite large and heavy, typically weighing 20-30 kilograms. Once ripe, the palm fruits are typically harvested by workers climbing high up the palm trees and using knives to cut them down, or by attaching a knife to the end of an extended pole and cutting the fruits from the ground, allowing them to fall to the ground under gravity. Workers on the ground then collect the bunches. Because palm trees are tall and the bunches are large and heavy, the physical exertion on the workers is considerable, resulting in relatively low harvesting efficiency.

[0003] Patent 202010589530.X discloses a device for pruning and harvesting palm trees in an orchard. This device uses a hydraulic cylinder at the end of a robotic arm to drive a moving blade towards a fixed blade to cut the palm fruit. The fruit is then placed into a collection box at the end of the robotic arm. Since palm fruit grows at the branch fork between the petiole and the trunk, the device requires the fixed and moving blades to be positioned around the palm fruit stalk before harvesting. This action is very difficult, almost impossible to achieve. Furthermore, palm fruit is very heavy, and the collection box cannot collect too many fruits at once. This forces the robotic arm to repeatedly move the fruit up and down to the ground or onto a transport vehicle, which is not economically feasible.

[0004] Patent 202311806036.4 discloses an unmanned electric palm fruit harvesting robot. This patent first uses a gripping device at the upper end of the robotic arm to grasp the palm fruit, and then uses hydraulic shears to cut the palm fruit. The structure of the hydraulic shears in this patent also has the problem of needing to hug the palm fruit stem, which is not easy to implement. Grabbing the palm fruit also suffers from low efficiency due to repeated transfer. Therefore, it is not an ideal palm fruit harvesting device. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention discloses a palm fruit harvesting device. This device sets the picking mechanism and the collecting mechanism as two independent entities. The picking mechanism uses a needle and a cutting knife to work together, while the collecting mechanism uses a collecting fork and the up-and-down movement of a fruit-pushing frame to achieve mechanized fruit collection. The picking and collecting are quick and convenient, saving labor and improving harvesting efficiency.

[0006] A palm fruit harvesting device includes a vehicle body, a picking mechanism installed at the front end of the vehicle body, and a collecting mechanism installed at the rear end of the vehicle body;

[0007] The harvesting mechanism includes a telescopic robotic arm, the upper end of which is connected to a steering mechanism, which is connected to a pitch mechanism, which is connected to a horizontally telescopic pin and a cutter, and the pin and cutter are each connected to a telescopic mechanism.

[0008] The collection mechanism includes a carriage, a sliding door connected to the rear of the carriage, a collection fork that can move up and down connected to the side of the sliding door near the carriage, and a fruit-pushing frame connected to the sliding door is provided below the collection fork, the fruit-pushing frame being arranged around the outside of the collection fork.

[0009] Preferably, translation cylinders are symmetrically installed on the left and right sides of the carriage, and the other end of the translation cylinder is connected to the sliding door.

[0010] Preferably, a telescopic guide rail is installed between the carriage and the sliding door to provide guidance and support. There are two sets of telescopic guide rails, symmetrically distributed about the left and right center lines of the sliding door.

[0011] Preferably, the collecting fork is connected to a vertical first telescopic cylinder, which is connected to the sliding door.

[0012] Preferably, the fruit-pushing frame is connected to the sliding door via a vertical second telescopic cylinder.

[0013] Preferably, a position sensor is installed inside the carriage.

[0014] Preferably, the robotic arm includes a mechanical lifting mechanism, which is connected to a hydraulic lifting mechanism; the actuator of the hydraulic lifting mechanism is connected to a steering mechanism.

[0015] Preferably, the mechanical lifting mechanism includes a frame, a drive wheel is mounted on the base of the frame, a driven wheel is mounted on the upper end of the frame, a drive chain is connected between the drive wheel and the driven wheel, a lifting platform is connected to the portion of the drive chain located between the drive wheel and the driven wheel, and the hydraulic lifting mechanism is connected to the lifting platform.

[0016] Preferably, the hydraulic lifting mechanism includes a double-rod hydraulic cylinder, with a lower hydraulic rod at the lower end of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder and the lower hydraulic rod connected to the lifting platform. An upper hydraulic rod is provided at the upper end of the double-rod hydraulic cylinder, and the upper end of the upper hydraulic rod is connected to a steering mechanism.

[0017] Preferably, the steering mechanism and the pitch mechanism are both steering cylinders, and the telescopic mechanism is a telescopic cylinder.

[0018] This invention also discloses a method for harvesting palm fruit, comprising the following steps:

[0019] Step 1: The robotic arm rises to the location of the palm fruit, inserts a pin into the palm fruit to fix it in place, and starts the cutter to move forward and cut the palm fruit stem.

[0020] Step 2: Through the combined movement of the steering mechanism and the pitch mechanism, the needle pulls the cut palm fruit away from the branch. Adjust the pitch angle of the cutter and extend the cutter forward. The cutter pushes the palm fruit off the needle, and the palm fruit falls freely to the ground or directly into the carriage.

[0021] Step 3: For the fallen palm fruits, the sliding door moves backward and separates from the rear of the carriage, revealing the fruit-pushing frame. The collecting fork moves downward, picks up the palm fruits, and then lifts them up.

[0022] Step 4: The sliding door returns to its initial position. At this time, the palm fruit is brought into the carriage along with the movement of the sliding door. The fruit-pushing frame moves downward, pushing the palm fruit to separate from the collecting fork.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0024] This invention sets the picking mechanism and the collecting mechanism as two independent mechanisms, and integrates the two independent mechanisms into a vehicle body to drive their movement. The picking mechanism uses the needle and the cutter to work together, and the collecting mechanism uses the up and down movement of the collecting fork and the fruit pushing frame to realize the mechanized collection of the fruit. Picking and collecting are fast and convenient, saving labor and improving harvesting efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is an overall structural diagram of the invention;

[0027] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of A in the middle;

[0028] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of B in the middle;

[0029] In the diagram, 1. Double-acting hydraulic cylinder, 2. Lifting platform, 3. Driven wheel, 4. Drive chain, 5. Drive wheel, 6. Base, 7. Carriage, 8. Sliding door, 9. Sliding cylinder, 10. Lifting frame, 11. Hanger, 12. Fruit pushing frame, 13. Second telescopic cylinder, 14. First telescopic cylinder, 15. Collecting fork, 16. Lifting cylinder, 17. Pin, 18. First horizontal telescopic cylinder, 19. First pitch mechanism, 20. Horizontal rotation cylinder, 21. Second pitch mechanism, 22. Second horizontal telescopic cylinder, 23. Cutter, 24. Position sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0031] like Figure 1-3 As shown, this invention discloses a palm fruit harvesting device. The device has a picking mechanism installed at the front end of the vehicle body and a collecting mechanism installed at the rear end of the vehicle body. The two devices move together with the vehicle body under different palm trees to carry out separate picking and collecting work. They coordinate with each other and work independently, improving the efficiency of picking and collecting and freeing up labor.

[0032] The harvesting mechanism includes a base 6 connected to the front end of the vehicle body 7. Two uprights on the base 6 connect to an upper crossbeam, forming a stable and robust rectangular frame robotic arm. A motor-driven drive wheel 5 is installed on the upper surface of the base between the two uprights. A driven wheel 3 is installed in the middle of the crossbeam. A drive chain 4 connects the drive wheel and the driven wheel, and a lifting platform 2 is connected to the drive chain between the drive wheel and the driven wheel. The motor drives the drive wheel 5 to rotate, and under the guiding transmission of the drive chain 4 and the driven wheel 3, the lifting platform 2 moves up and down with the movement of the drive chain 4, realizing the first stage of the robotic arm's lifting and lowering actions.

[0033] To ensure control accuracy and lifting stability, this application employs a double-outlet hydraulic cylinder lifting device to achieve two-stage lifting and lowering actions. The lower end of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder 1 is equipped with a lower hydraulic rod, the lower end of which is connected to the lifting platform 2. The upper end of the double-outlet hydraulic cylinder is equipped with an upper hydraulic rod, the upper end of which is connected to a steering mechanism. This steering mechanism is a horizontal rotating cylinder 20 that can rotate around a vertical axis in the horizontal plane. Driven by the horizontal rotating cylinder, the needle 17 and the cutter 23 at the end of the harvesting mechanism can be oriented in different directions. The output end of the steering mechanism is connected to an adapter plate. The upper end of the adapter plate is connected to a first pitch mechanism 19, which is connected to a first horizontal telescopic cylinder 18. The end of the first horizontal telescopic cylinder is connected to the needle 17. The lower end of the adapter plate is connected to a second pitch mechanism 21, the end of which is connected to a second horizontal telescopic cylinder 22. The end of the second horizontal telescopic cylinder 22 is connected to the cutter 23. The pitch mechanism is a vertically rotating cylinder that can rotate about a horizontal axis in the vertical direction. A swing plate is connected to the output end of the vertically rotating cylinder. The first horizontal telescopic cylinder 18 and the second horizontal telescopic cylinder 22 are respectively connected to their corresponding swing plates. The rotation of the swing plate can amplify the pitch angle, or the first and second horizontal telescopic cylinders can be directly connected to the output end of the vertically rotating cylinder.

[0034] The collection mechanism includes a liftable fruit-pushing frame 12 and a liftable collection fork 15 mounted on the sliding door 8. A sliding cylinder 9 is symmetrically installed on each of the left and right sides of the carriage 7, with its movable end connected to the sliding door 8. A lifting frame 10 is installed on the side of the sliding door closest to the carriage 7. This lifting frame is connected to the sliding door via a lower lifting cylinder 16. Guide wheels are provided on both sides of the lifting frame, and guide grooves are provided on the sliding door to cooperate with the guide wheels. Driven by the lifting cylinder 16, the lifting frame 10 drives the guide wheels to roll up and down along the guide grooves, adjusting the position of the lifting frame. A hanger 11 with a cross-shaped structure is installed at the top of the lifting frame 10. A first telescopic cylinder 14 is installed at the intersection of the hangers, with the lower end of the first telescopic cylinder connected to the collection fork 15. This collection fork has a multi-tooth structure, with a sharp lower end to facilitate lifting and moving the palm fruit under friction after insertion.

[0035] A second telescopic cylinder 13 is connected to each of the four ends of the hanger. The lower ends of the four second telescopic cylinders are connected to the fruit-pushing frame 12. The fruit-pushing frame is a hollow rectangular structure, that is, the fruit-pushing frame is arranged around the outside of the collecting fork. The up and down movement of the fruit-pushing frame and the collecting fork do not interfere with each other.

[0036] Two sets of telescopic guide rails are symmetrically installed at the bottom of carriage 7 about the left and right center lines of the carriage. The other end of the telescopic guide rails is connected to the sliding door 8 to provide guidance and support for the movement of the sliding door.

[0037] The carriage is equipped with a position sensor 24, which is used to determine the positional distance between the sliding door and the carriage.

[0038] When in use, the device drives the lifting platform 2 to rise according to the height of the palm fruit, and drives the double-rod hydraulic cylinder to operate. After the upper and lower hydraulic rods extend, the picking head located at the upper end of the upper hydraulic rod rises to the position of the palm fruit. The first pitch mechanism 19 adjusts the angle. After the angle is adjusted, the first horizontal telescopic cylinder 18 drives the insert pin 17 to extend and insert into the palm fruit to fix it. The second pitch mechanism 21 adjusts the angle, and the second horizontal telescopic cylinder 22 drives the cutter 23 to move forward to cut the palm fruit stem. Through the combined movement of the steering mechanism and the pitch mechanism, the insert pin 17 moves the cut palm fruit above and behind its original position, detaching it from the branch. The steering mechanism drives the insert pin to rotate directly above the carriage 7, adjusts the pitch angle of the cutter, and extends the cutter forward. The cutter pushes the palm fruit off the insert pin, and the palm fruit falls into the carriage below.

[0039] Due to sensor positioning errors or uneven terrain, some palm fruits may accidentally fall outside the truck bed. If the road ahead is open, the palm fruits can be pushed out and fall to the ground. For fallen palm fruits, the truck body moves above them, the lateral cylinder 9 pushes the lateral door 8 to separate from the truck bed 7, the first telescopic cylinder 14 extends, inserts the collection fork 15 into the palm fruit, and the first telescopic cylinder retracts, lifting the palm fruit. Then, the lateral cylinder 9 retracts, causing the lateral door 8 to return to its position in contact with the truck bed, and the position sensor 24 controls the lateral cylinder to stop. The second telescopic cylinder 13 extends, pushing the fruit-pushing frame 12 downwards to the location of the palm fruit and continuing to move downwards. At this time, the collection fork 15 is fixed, so the palm fruit separates from the collection fork under the pushing force of the fruit-pushing frame and falls into the truck bed. The entire collection process requires no manual intervention, is highly automated, and saves labor.

[0040] In this device, cameras are installed above the needle, above the cutter, and below the vehicle body. The cameras are connected to a controller installed inside the vehicle body via a data cable. The controller controls the corresponding drive mechanism based on the image information collected and transmitted by the cameras, and works in conjunction with the movement of the actuator to fix, cut, and collect the palm fruit.

[0041] A horizontal guide groove is also provided on the sliding door. When there are too many palm fruits in one position in the carriage, the hanger can be moved left and right along the horizontal guide groove to position the palm fruits to be pushed down on the left or right side of the carriage. The position sensor can also be adjusted to position the palm fruits to be pushed down on the front or rear side of the carriage. When the palm fruits in the carriage are covered with a layer, the lifting cylinder 16 drives the lifting frame 10 to rise a certain distance and push down the second layer of palm fruits in the carriage.

[0042] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of harvesting palm fruits, characterized in that, The method is realized by using the following device: The vehicle body is provided with picking mechanism at the front end and collecting mechanism at the rear end; The picking mechanism comprises a telescopic mechanical arm, the upper end of the mechanical arm is connected with a steering mechanism, the steering mechanism is connected with a pitching mechanism, the pitching mechanism is connected with a horizontally telescopic needle (17) and a cutting knife (23), the needle and the cutting knife are respectively connected with a set of telescopic mechanism; The collecting mechanism comprises a carriage (7), the rear side of the carriage is connected with a translation door (8), the left and right sides of the carriage (7) are symmetrically provided with translation cylinders (9), the other end of the translation cylinders is connected with the translation door (8); the side of the translation door close to the carriage is connected with a collecting fork (15) which can move up and down, the lower side of the collecting fork is provided with a fruit pushing frame (12) connected with the translation door, the fruit pushing frame is arranged around the outer side of the collecting fork; The picking method comprises the following steps: Step 1, the mechanical arm rises to the position of the palm fruit, the needle (17) is inserted into the palm fruit to fix the palm fruit, the cutting knife (23) is started to move forward to cut off the fruit stem of the palm fruit; Step 2, the needle (17) drives the cut palm fruit to separate from the branch, the pitching angle of the cutting knife (23) is adjusted, the cutting knife is extended forward, the cutting knife pushes the palm fruit out of the needle, and the palm fruit falls freely; Step 3, the vehicle body moves to the front of the palm fruit, the translation door (8) moves backward to separate from the rear end of the carriage (7), the collecting fork (15) and the fruit pushing frame (12) are leaked out, the collecting fork moves downward, and the palm fruit is lifted after being inserted; Step 4, the translation door (8) is reset to the initial position, at this time, the palm fruit is brought into the carriage (7) along with the movement of the translation door (8), the fruit pushing frame (12) moves downward to separate the palm fruit from the collecting fork (15).

2. A method of harvesting oil palm fruits as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, The telescopic guide rail is installed between the carriage (7) and the translation door (8) to provide guiding and supporting functions.

3. A method of harvesting oil palm fruits as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The collecting fork (15) is connected with a vertical first telescopic cylinder (14), and the first telescopic cylinder is connected with the translation door (8).

4. A method of harvesting oil palm fruits as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, The fruit pushing frame is connected with the translation door (8) through a vertical second telescopic cylinder (13).

5. A method of harvesting oil palm fruits as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, The inside of the carriage (7) is provided with a position sensor (24).

6. A method of harvesting oil palm fruits as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, The mechanical arm comprises a mechanical lifting mechanism, the mechanical lifting mechanism is connected with a hydraulic lifting mechanism, and the execution end of the hydraulic lifting mechanism is connected with the steering mechanism.

7. A method of harvesting oil palm fruits as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that, The mechanical lifting mechanism comprises a rack, a driving wheel (5) is installed on the base of the rack, a passive wheel (3) is installed at the upper end of the rack, a driving chain (4) is transmissionally connected between the driving wheel and the passive wheel, the part of the driving chain between the driving wheel and the passive wheel is connected with a lifting platform (2), and the hydraulic lifting mechanism is connected with the lifting platform.

8. A method of harvesting oil palm fruits as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that, The hydraulic lifting mechanism comprises a double-out-rod hydraulic cylinder (1), the lower end of the double-out-rod hydraulic cylinder is provided with a lower hydraulic rod, the lower hydraulic rod is connected with the lifting platform (2), the upper end of the double-out-rod hydraulic cylinder is provided with an upper hydraulic rod, and the upper end of the upper hydraulic rod is connected with the steering mechanism.

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