Pepper picking device with elastic tooth spacing regularly changed

Abstract

The application provides a pepper picking device with elastic teeth with regular changes in elastic tooth spacing, comprising a middle shaft, a plurality of linear guides surrounding the middle shaft, a plurality of groups of elastic tooth seats and elastic teeth arranged on the linear guides, a plurality of telescopic mechanisms, a plurality of push rods, and a pair of cylindrical cams. During rotation of the middle shaft, the telescopic mechanisms are driven to telescope at a predetermined regularity by cooperation of the push rods and the cylindrical cams, thereby driving the groups of elastic tooth seats and elastic teeth to change in spacing at a predetermined regularity, so that the groups of elastic teeth can clamp and then release the pepper fruits during travel of the picking vehicle, thereby simulating the process of picking peppers by human fingers. This not only reduces the labor intensity of workers, greatly improves picking efficiency, and saves labor and time costs, but also effectively avoids various problems such as missing picking of pepper fruits due to excessively large elastic tooth spacing, and unstable picking of pepper fruits due to insufficient elastic tooth clamping force and friction, thereby improving the net picking rate and the non-damage rate of pepper mechanized picking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of agricultural fruit and vegetable harvesting devices, specifically relating to a spring-tooth type chili harvesting device with regularly changing spring tooth spacing. Background Technology

[0002] my country is a major agricultural country, with many regions producing chili peppers, which are a vital cash crop in many southern cities. Currently, chili pepper harvesting in most areas still relies heavily on manual labor, resulting in low efficiency. Furthermore, the harvest season is characterized by frequent rainfall, making chili peppers prone to rotting if not harvested promptly, thus placing a heavy workload on harvesters. With technological advancements, more and more regions are using machines for harvesting. The development of agricultural robotics has offered new possibilities for chili pepper harvesting. However, most existing agricultural robots are not specifically designed for chili pepper harvesting, resulting in low accuracy, missed harvests, and the need for workers to re-harvest, which can also damage the peppers.

[0003] Currently, some chili harvesting devices exist, including a toothed chili harvesting device with a roller and multiple toothed prongs on its outer circumference. As the device moves, the roller rotates, and the toothed prongs clamp the fruit portion of the chili and move it tangentially along the roller, thus separating the fruit portion from the stem and achieving automatic harvesting. The elasticity of the toothed prongs minimizes damage to the fruit portion. However, existing toothed chili harvesting devices still have shortcomings. For example, smaller chili fruits (whose width is less than the distance between the toothed prongs) are prone to being missed; also, for chili fruits tightly connected to the stem, the friction generated by the toothed prongs is insufficient to harvest them; furthermore, some larger chili fruits may not be clamped by the toothed prongs, resulting in them being tangentially pressed and harvested but not being thrown to the designated location.

[0004] Therefore, the existing toothed chili-picking device still needs further improvement in terms of stability and accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention addresses the aforementioned problems and aims to provide a chili harvesting device that can achieve more stable and accurate chili fruit harvesting. The invention employs the following technical solution:

[0006] This invention provides a spring-tooth type chili pepper harvesting device with a regularly varying spacing between the spring teeth, used for harvesting chili pepper fruits. The device features the following technical characteristics: a central shaft rotatably mounted on the frame of a harvesting vehicle; multiple linear guide rails respectively disposed on the outer periphery of the central shaft, with both ends fixedly connected to the central shaft and extending in the same direction as the axial direction of the central shaft; multiple sets of spring tooth seats and spring teeth respectively disposed on the multiple linear guide rails and movable along the extending direction of the linear guide rails; multiple telescopic mechanisms corresponding to the multiple sets of spring tooth seats and spring teeth, each telescopic mechanism driving multiple spring tooth seats and spring teeth in a set to change the spacing; multiple push rods respectively disposed at both ends of the multiple telescopic mechanisms, used to push the corresponding telescopic mechanism to extend or retract; and a pair of cylindrical cams coaxially disposed at both ends of the central shaft and fixed to the frame, used to cooperate with the push rods to realize the extension and retraction of the telescopic mechanisms, thereby driving the spring tooth seats and spring teeth to change the spacing according to a predetermined pattern, clamping and then releasing the chili pepper fruits.

[0007] The spring-tooth chili-picking device with regularly changing spring tooth spacing provided by the present invention may also have the following technical features: the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical cam has a curved abutment surface, the abutment surface is perpendicular to the axial direction of the cylindrical cam, and the two ends of the push rod abut against the abutment surfaces of a pair of cylindrical cams respectively. When the intermediate shaft rotates, the push rod slides along the abutment surface and correspondingly pushes the telescopic mechanism to extend and retract. The curved shape of the abutment surface causes the multiple spring teeth in a group to first maintain a predetermined first spacing, then decrease to a predetermined second spacing, then maintain the second spacing, and then increase to the first spacing.

[0008] The spring-tooth type chili-picking device with regularly changing spring tooth spacing provided by the present invention may also have the following technical features: when the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical cam is unfolded into a flat state, viewed from a direction perpendicular to the unfolded outer peripheral surface, a pair of abutment surfaces form two parallel curves. The curves include a first segment to a fifth segment connected in sequence. When the push rod slides along the unfolded abutment surface, it moves at a constant linear speed along the first segment, at a cosine acceleration along the second segment, at a constant linear speed along the third segment, at a cosine acceleration symmetrical to that along the second segment, and at a constant linear speed along the fifth segment. When the push rod slides along the abutment surface portion corresponding to the second segment, the spacing of the corresponding set of spring teeth decreases from the first spacing to the second spacing. When the push rod slides along the abutment surface portion corresponding to the fourth segment, the spacing of the corresponding set of spring teeth increases from the second spacing to the first spacing.

[0009] The spring-tooth type chili-picking device with regularly changing spring tooth spacing provided by the present invention may also have the following technical features, wherein, in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical cam, the first segment corresponds to 0° to 90°, the second segment corresponds to 90° to 135°, the third segment corresponds to 135° to 225°, the fourth segment corresponds to 225° to 270°, and the fifth segment corresponds to 270° to 360°.

[0010] The spring-tooth type chili-picking device with regularly varying spring tooth spacing provided by the present invention may also have the following technical features: it further includes two discs, which are coaxially disposed at both ends of the intermediate shaft, wherein the two ends of the linear guide rails are respectively fixed on the two discs, and the plurality of linear guide rails are evenly distributed along the circumference of the discs, the discs have a plurality of guide holes, the inner wall of the guide holes is parallel to the axial direction of the discs, the plurality of push rods pass through the plurality of guide holes, and the outer side of the push rods contacts the inner wall of the guide holes.

[0011] The spring-tooth type chili-picking device with regularly changing spring tooth spacing provided by the present invention may also have the following technical features: the linear guide rail is an outer sliding surface guide rail, the cross-section of the linear guide rail is non-circular, the spring tooth seat is annular in shape matching the cross-sectional shape of the linear guide rail, and is movably fitted on the linear guide rail; one end of the spring tooth is fixed to the outer surface of the spring tooth seat; the telescopic mechanism is a scissor mechanism with multiple central rotating shafts for telescopic purposes, and each spring tooth seat in a group is connected to one of the central rotating shafts.

[0012] The spring-tooth type chili-picking device with regularly varying spring tooth spacing provided by the present invention may also have the following technical features: the cross-section of the linear guide rail is polygonal, the spring tooth seat is a polygonal ring that matches the cross-sectional shape of the linear guide rail, the spring tooth is a bent round rod with one end fixed to an outer surface of the spring tooth seat, and multiple spring teeth in a group have the same angle.

[0013] The spring-tooth type chili-picking device with regularly varying spring tooth spacing provided by the present invention may also have the following technical features: the linear guide rail is an inner sliding surface guide rail, the linear guide rail has an installation groove inside, and an outer side has a slot communicating with the installation groove. The extension direction of the slot is the length direction of the linear guide rail. The spring tooth seat is a block shape that matches the cross-sectional shape of the installation groove and is movably embedded in the installation groove. One end of the spring tooth is fixed on the outer surface of the spring tooth seat and located at the slot. The telescopic mechanism includes multiple springs, which are respectively arranged in the installation groove and located between two adjacent spring tooth seats.

[0014] The spring-tooth type chili-picking device with regularly varying spring tooth spacing provided by the present invention may also have the following technical features: the cross-section of the mounting groove is rectangular, the spring tooth seat is a cuboid block that matches the cross-sectional shape of the mounting groove, the two ends of the spring abut against the opposing sides of two adjacent spring tooth seats, the parameters of multiple springs arranged in the same linear guide rail are the same, the spring teeth are bent round rods, and the angles of multiple spring teeth in a group are the same.

[0015] The spring-tooth type chili-picking device with regularly changing spring tooth spacing provided by the present invention may also have the following technical features: it further includes one or more pairs of bearings, and the intermediate shaft is connected to the frame through the one or more pairs of bearings.

[0016] Invention Function and Effect

[0017] The spring-tooth type chili-picking device according to the present invention, which features a regularly changing spring tooth spacing, includes an intermediate shaft, multiple linear guide rails surrounding the intermediate shaft, multiple sets of spring tooth seats and spring teeth arranged on the linear guide rails, multiple telescopic mechanisms, multiple push rods, and a pair of cylindrical cams. During the rotation of the intermediate shaft, the push rods and cylindrical cams work together to drive the telescopic mechanisms to extend and retract according to a predetermined pattern, thereby causing each set of spring tooth seats and spring teeth to change pitch according to a predetermined pattern. This allows each set of spring teeth to clamp and then release the chili peppers during the movement of the picking vehicle. By regularly changing the spring tooth spacing, the device simulates the process of picking chili peppers with human fingers, picking mature chili peppers from the plant. This not only reduces the labor intensity of workers bending over and helps protect their health, but also greatly improves picking efficiency and saves manpower and time costs compared to manual picking. Furthermore, it effectively avoids various problems such as missed chili peppers due to excessively large spring tooth spacing and unstable picking of chili peppers due to insufficient clamping force and friction, thus improving the net harvest rate and damage-free rate of mechanized chili pepper picking. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a front cross-sectional view of the toothed chili pepper harvesting device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the AA-direction cross-section of the central structure;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the spring tooth, guide rail and push rod in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cylindrical cam in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a front cross-sectional view of the toothed chili pepper harvesting device in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the BB-direction cross-section of the central structure;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the spring tooth, guide rail and push rod in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0025] Figure label:

[0026] 1. Intermediate shaft; 2. Left axle disc; 3. Right axle disc; 4. Left bearing; 5. Right bearing; 6. Frame; 7. Left cylindrical cam; 71. Left abutment surface; 8. Right cylindrical cam; 9. Linear guide rail; 10. Spring tooth; 11. Spring tooth seat; 12. Telescopic mechanism; 13. Push rod. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of the present invention easy to understand, the following describes in detail the spring-tooth type chili harvesting device with regularly changing spring tooth spacing, in conjunction with embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0028] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0029] <Example 1>

[0030] This embodiment provides a spring-tooth type chili pepper harvesting device with regularly varying spring tooth spacing, which is installed on the frame of a harvesting vehicle and is used to automatically harvest chilies during the movement of the harvesting vehicle. The harvesting vehicle may also have a conveyor belt for receiving the chili peppers harvested by the spring-tooth type chili pepper harvesting device, a storage box for temporarily placing the chili peppers, and other structures. Other structures of the harvesting vehicle can adopt corresponding structures in the prior art, which will not be described in detail here.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a front cross-sectional view of the toothed chili pepper harvesting device in this embodiment. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the AA-direction cross-section of the central structure. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the spring tooth, guide rail and push rod in this embodiment.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, the spring-tooth chili-picking device of this embodiment includes a central shaft 1, a left disc 2, a right disc 3, a left bearing 4, a right bearing 5, a frame 6, a left cylindrical cam 7, a right cylindrical cam 8, multiple linear guide rails 9, multiple spring teeth 10, multiple spring tooth seats 11, multiple telescopic mechanisms 12, and multiple push rods 13.

[0033] The intermediate shaft 1 is a round rod. The left and right ends of the intermediate shaft 1 are connected to the frame 6 via a left bearing 4 and a right bearing 5, respectively, allowing the intermediate shaft 1 to rotate relative to the frame. The intermediate shaft 1 is horizontally mounted on the frame 6.

[0034] The left and right discs 2 and 3 are both circular plates with essentially the same dimensions. They are coaxially fixed at the left and right ends of the intermediate shaft 1, and are positioned closer to the center of the intermediate shaft 1 than the left and right bearings 4 and 5, serving as end plates for mounting. Figure 3 As shown, the left and right disks 2 and 3 have multiple narrow fan-shaped guide holes (grooves) in the middle of their surfaces. The inner walls of the guide holes are parallel to the axial direction of the disks.

[0035] The left cylindrical cam 7 and the right cylindrical cam 8 are symmetrically mounted on the frame 6 and fitted onto the intermediate shaft 1, located on the outer side of the left disc 2 and the right disc 3 respectively (i.e., further away from the center of the intermediate shaft 1 relative to the corresponding left disc 2 or right disc 3).

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cylindrical cam in this embodiment.

[0037] like Figure 4 As shown, the left cylindrical cam 7 is generally cylindrical in shape, with a through hole in the middle for mounting on the intermediate shaft 1. Its outer circumference has irregularly shaped annular protrusions, creating a groove on its outer surface. This groove has a curved wall, which, for ease of description, is referred to as the left abutment surface 71 (first abutment surface). The left abutment surface 71 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the left cylindrical cam 7, and its specific curvature is set according to the pitch requirements of the spring tooth 10. The right cylindrical cam 8 has the same structure as the left cylindrical cam 7, and it has a right abutment surface (second abutment surface). The mounting orientation of the two cylindrical cams ensures that, viewed axially from the intermediate shaft 1, the left abutment surface 71 and the right abutment surface are two parallel curves.

[0038] The linear guide rail 9 is a polygonal rod with its two ends fixedly connected to the left disk 2 and the right disk 3, respectively. Multiple linear guide rails 9 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the left disk 2 and the right disk 3 to guide the movement (pitch change) of the spring tooth 10. In this embodiment, a total of eight linear guide rails 9 are provided, each with a hexagonal cross-section and all being external sliding surface guide rails. In an alternative embodiment, the cross-section of the linear guide rail 9 can also be other polygonal shapes, such as square or octagonal, or its cross-section can also be circular with one or more straight sides.

[0039] The spring tooth 10 is used to harvest chili peppers. It is a round rod with a bend at one point, and the bend angle is obtuse. The spring tooth 10 is made of elastic material and has a certain length.

[0040] The spring tooth holder 11 is annular in shape, matching the cross-sectional shape of the linear guide rail 9, and is used to mount the spring tooth 10 on the linear guide rail 9. In this embodiment, the spring tooth holder 11 is a hexagonal annular shape, matching the cross-section of the linear guide rail 9. The spring tooth holder 11 is fitted onto the linear guide rail 9 and can move along its length without axial rotation. One end of the spring tooth 10 is fixed to an outer surface of the spring tooth holder 11, and the extending direction of this end of the spring tooth 10 is approximately perpendicular to the outer surface of the spring tooth holder 11. Figure 3 As shown, multiple spring tooth seats 11 and spring teeth 10 are sleeved on each linear guide rail 9, and the multiple spring teeth 10 on the same linear guide rail 9 face the same direction.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, a set of spring teeth 10 is provided on each linear guide rail 9. All spring teeth 10 face the same circumferential direction, and the spring teeth 10 are arranged radially outward in the distribution circumference of the multiple linear guide rails 9, so that the spring teeth 10 can reach into the branches and leaves of the chili pepper tree to harvest the chili peppers during use. In this embodiment, the number of spring teeth 10 in each set of spring teeth 10 is the same.

[0042] The telescopic mechanism 12 is used to adjust the distance between multiple spring tooth seats 11 and spring teeth 10 on the same linear guide rail 9. The telescopic mechanism 12 is a scissor mechanism (quadrilateral linkage mechanism) and includes multiple X-shaped linkage components, that is, the middle parts of two linkages are connected by a central pivot to form an X shape. Each spring tooth seat 11 is connected to the central pivot of one of the X-shaped components in the telescopic mechanism 12, so that the distance between multiple spring tooth seats 11 and spring teeth 10 in a group can be adjusted by the scissor mechanism.

[0043] For each set of spring tooth seats 11 and spring teeth 10, two push rods 13 are fixed on the two outermost spring tooth seats 11, that is, fixed at both ends of the corresponding telescopic mechanism 12, to drive the telescopic mechanism 12 to extend and retract, thereby realizing the pitch change of that set of spring teeth 10. In this embodiment, the push rod 13 is an L-shaped rod, including a longer rod part and a shorter rod part. One end of the longer rod part is fixed to one end of the telescopic mechanism 12, and the length direction of the longer rod part is consistent with the length direction of the telescopic mechanism 12. The longer rod part passes through one of the guide holes on the left disk 2 or the right disk 3 and contacts the inner wall of the guide hole, thereby being guided by it. The shorter rod part is located on the outside of the left disk 2 or the right disk 3, embedded in the slide groove of the corresponding disk, and abuts against the left abutment surface 71 or the right abutment surface of the slide groove. As the intermediate shaft 1 rotates, the two push rods 13 will rotate accordingly and come into contact with different parts of the left abutment surface 71 and the right abutment surface, thereby driving the telescopic mechanism 12 to extend and retract according to the bending shape of the abutment surface.

[0044] During operation, as the harvesting vehicle moves, the central shaft 1 rotates, causing the left disc 2, right disc 3, multiple linear guides 9, multiple push rods 13, and multiple spring teeth 10 to rotate. Simultaneously, one end of each push rod 13 slides along a regularly spaced groove (abutment surface) of its corresponding cylindrical cam, thereby causing multiple telescopic mechanisms 12 to extend and retract regularly along the axial direction of the central shaft 1. This, in turn, causes multiple sets of spring teeth 10 to change pitch regularly, allowing the spring teeth 10 to enter the branches and leaves of the chili pepper plant with a wider spacing. Then, as the central shaft 1 rotates, the spacing of the spring teeth 10 decreases, clamping and harvesting the chili peppers. The clamping force and tangential force are used to harvest the chili peppers and then throw them backward. Afterward, the spacing of the spring teeth 10 returns to its original wider spacing, and the above process is repeated for the next harvest.

[0045] In this embodiment, the left abutment surface 71 of the left cylindrical cam 7 and the right abutment surface of the right cylindrical cam 8 each contain five different segments connected in sequence. The push rod 13 will be in different motion states when sliding along different segments. If the outer circumferential surface (circumferential surface) of the cylindrical cam is unfolded to a flat state, and viewed from a direction perpendicular to the unfolded outer circumferential surface, the two abutment surfaces will be unfolded into two parallel curves. If the push rod 13 is allowed to slide along the unfolded abutment surfaces, its motion states are as follows: when sliding along the first unfolded segment (0° to 90°), it is a uniform linear motion; when sliding along the second unfolded segment (90° to 135°), it is a cosine acceleration motion; when sliding along the third unfolded segment (135° to 225°), it is a uniform linear motion; when sliding along the fourth unfolded segment (225° to 270°), it is a cosine acceleration motion symmetrical to the second segment in the axial direction of the cylindrical cam; and when sliding along the fifth unfolded segment (270° to 360°), it is a uniform linear motion.

[0046] Accordingly, when harvesting chili peppers using the aforementioned device, the initial state begins when the spring teeth 10 come into contact with the chili pepper at their closest point to the ground (approximately corresponding to 45° in the aforementioned angle, with the push rod 13 approximately in the middle of the first section); as the push rod 13 slides along the first section of the contact surface, the spacing of the corresponding set of spring teeth 10 remains at an initially wider spacing (the first spacing); then, after the intermediate shaft 1 rotates 45°, the push rod 13 slides along the second section, and the spacing of this set of spring teeth 10 uniformly and evenly contracts (from the first spacing to the second spacing), thus clamping the chili pepper fruit; then, after the intermediate shaft 1 rotates 90°, the push rod 13 slides along the third section, and the spacing of this set of spring teeth 10 uniformly contracts (from the first spacing to the second spacing), thus clamping the chili pepper fruit; then, after the intermediate shaft 1 rotates 90°, the push rod 13 slides along the third section, and the spacing of this set of spring teeth 10 uniformly contracts (from the first spacing to the second spacing), thus clamping the chili pepper fruit; The spacing of the set of spring teeth 10 (the second spacing) remains unchanged, and as the intermediate shaft 1 continues to rotate 180° (i.e., from 90° to 270°), the spacing of the set of spring teeth 10 remains unchanged (maintaining the second spacing), so the chili peppers will not leak or fall out during this period; then, after the intermediate shaft 1 rotates 270°, the spacing of the set of spring teeth 10 is evenly and uniformly relaxed (from the second spacing to the first spacing), and as the intermediate shaft 1 continues to rotate 45° (i.e., from 270° to 315°), the spring teeth 10 release the chili peppers and put them down; finally, the intermediate shaft 1 rotates another 90° to return to the above initial state.

[0047] In this embodiment, the first spacing is set to a spacing value greater than the average diameter of the chili pepper fruit, and the second spacing is set to a spacing value slightly smaller than the average diameter of the chili pepper fruit.

[0048] Understandably, multiple push rods 13, evenly distributed along the circumference, contact different parts of the two contact surfaces. Therefore, during the harvesting process, at the same time, the spacing between multiple sets of spring teeth 10 is different, and they take turns harvesting in turn.

[0049] In other words, in this embodiment, the process of human fingers picking chili peppers can be well simulated by the above-mentioned regular variable distance, thereby improving the net harvest rate and damage-free rate of mechanized chili pepper picking.

[0050] Functions and effects of Example 1

[0051] The spring-tooth chili-picking device with a regularly changing spring tooth spacing provided in this embodiment includes an intermediate shaft, multiple linear guide rails surrounding the intermediate shaft, multiple sets of spring tooth seats and spring teeth arranged on the linear guide rails, multiple telescopic mechanisms, multiple push rods, and a pair of cylindrical cams. During the rotation of the intermediate shaft, the push rods and cylindrical cams work together to drive the telescopic mechanisms to extend and retract according to a predetermined pattern, thereby causing each set of spring tooth seats and spring teeth to change pitch according to a predetermined pattern. As the picking vehicle moves, each set of spring teeth can clamp and then release the chili peppers. By changing the regular spacing of the spring teeth, the process of picking chili peppers with human fingers is simulated, and mature chili peppers are picked from the plant. This not only reduces the labor intensity of workers bending over and helps protect their health, but also greatly improves picking efficiency and saves manpower and time costs compared to manual picking. Furthermore, it can effectively avoid various problems such as missed chili peppers due to excessively large spring tooth spacing and unstable picking of chili peppers due to insufficient clamping force and friction of the spring teeth, thus improving the net harvest rate and damage-free rate of mechanized chili pepper picking. Furthermore, for existing harvesting vehicles, customized design and installation can generally be carried out according to the vehicle structure and space, so that the spring-tooth chili harvesting device provided in the embodiment can be easily integrated into the existing harvesting system, thereby improving the overall harvesting efficiency.

[0052] In this embodiment, the cylindrical cam has a curved contact surface perpendicular to its axis. During the rotation of the intermediate shaft, the push rod abuts against different parts of the contact surface, thereby enabling the spring tooth to adjust its pitch according to the shape of the contact surface. Furthermore, when different harvesting requirements arise, only the cylindrical cam with a different contact surface structure needs to be replaced. This very convenient operation allows the spring tooth-type chili harvesting device to be adapted to different application scenarios.

[0053] Furthermore, the two contact surfaces of a pair of cylindrical cams are symmetrically arranged in the axial direction. Each contact surface contains five different sections. The push rod slides along the five different sections in sequence, which can sequentially achieve the following: maintaining the tooth spacing at a relatively wide first spacing, reducing the tooth spacing at a uniform distance to a second spacing, maintaining the tooth spacing at the second spacing, and restoring the tooth spacing at a uniform distance to a relatively wide first spacing. This can effectively simulate the operation of human fingers when picking peppers, allowing the teeth to easily insert into the branches and leaves of the pepper tree and hold the pepper for a period of time after clamping it, thus ensuring that the pepper is picked without leaking or falling out.

[0054] Furthermore, two spokes are installed at both ends of the intermediate shaft. The spokes have guide holes in the middle. The push rod passes through the guide holes. Under the guidance of the guide holes, the push rod can move stably along the axial direction of the intermediate shaft, thereby ensuring the stability of the spring tooth pitch change and helping to extend the service life of the components.

[0055] Furthermore, the linear guide rail is an outer sliding rail with a polygonal cross-section, and the spring tooth seat is a matching ring fitted on it. Therefore, the spring tooth seat and the spring teeth on it can only translate along the axial direction and cannot rotate, thus effectively realizing the picking function. Moreover, the spring teeth are very easy to assemble and disassemble, and the number of spring teeth can be easily adjusted so that the device can be better adapted to different application scenarios.

[0056] In addition, the toothed chili-picking device of the embodiment also has the advantages of compact and reasonable structure, easy assembly and maintenance.

[0057] <Example 2>

[0058] This embodiment provides a toothed chili pepper harvesting device. In this embodiment, the same symbols are assigned to the same constituent elements as in Embodiment 1, and the corresponding descriptions are omitted.

[0059] Compared with Embodiment 1, the difference lies in the structure of the linear guide rail 9, the tooth seat 11, the telescopic mechanism 12, and the push rod 13 in the spring-tooth chili picking device of this embodiment.

[0060] Figure 5 This is a front cross-sectional view of the toothed chili pepper harvesting device in this embodiment. Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the BB direction. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the spring tooth, guide rail and push rod in this embodiment.

[0061] like Figures 5 to 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the linear guide 9 is an inner slide rail guide with a rectangular frame cross-section. The outer side of the linear guide 9 (the outer side of the distribution circumference of the multiple linear guides 9) has an axially extending groove, and the interior of the linear guide 9 is a rectangular mounting groove that communicates with the groove.

[0062] The spring tooth seat 11 is a cuboid block that matches the mounting groove. It can fit into the mounting groove of the linear guide 9 and can move along the extension direction of the mounting groove without axial rotation.

[0063] The structure of the spring tooth 10 is the same as in Embodiment 1. One end of the spring tooth 10 is fixed to a surface of the spring tooth seat 11 and located at the slot, while the other end of the spring tooth 10 is located outside the linear guide rail 9. That is, the spring tooth 10 and the spring tooth seat 11 are fixedly integrated, with the spring tooth seat 11 installed inside the linear guide rail 9, and the spring tooth 10 extending outward from the slot of the linear guide rail 9. The width of the slot is not less than the diameter of the spring tooth 10, but less than the cross-sectional dimension of the spring tooth seat 11.

[0064] In this embodiment, the telescopic mechanism 12 includes multiple springs. Each spring is disposed in the mounting groove of the linear guide rail 9 and located between two adjacent spring tooth seats 11, with both ends of the spring abutting against the opposing sides of the two spring tooth seats 11. The multiple springs in the same linear guide rail 9 have the same parameters, thereby enabling equidistant and uniform pitch change.

[0065] The push rod 13 is in a right-angled Z-shape, with one end fixed to the outermost spring tooth seat 11 and the other end located on the outer side of the corresponding cylindrical cam. The push rod 13 also passes through one of the guide holes on the cylindrical cam. When the push rod 13 slides along the contact surface, it can push the spring tooth seat 11 axially, causing the spring between the spring tooth seats 11 to compress, thereby realizing the pitch change of a set of spring teeth 10.

[0066] In this embodiment, the other structures are the same as in Embodiment 1, and the working process of the device is also basically the same as in Embodiment 1, so it will not be described again.

[0067] Example 2: Function and Effect

[0068] The spring-tooth type chili harvesting device with regularly varying spring tooth spacing provided in this embodiment uses linear guides, spring tooth seats, telescopic mechanisms, and push rods with different structures, but its overall working principle is the same as that of Embodiment 1. Therefore, it can also achieve the technical effect of improving the net harvesting rate and damage-free rate of mechanized chili harvesting. In addition, the telescopic mechanism of this embodiment uses multiple springs, and the springs only need to be installed between two adjacent spring tooth seats, so the installation and maintenance of the telescopic mechanism are more convenient.

[0069] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of specific implementations of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the scope of the description of the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are only for illustrating the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A spring-tooth type chili-picking device with regularly varying spacing between the spring teeth, used for picking chili fruits, characterized in that, include: The intermediate shaft is rotatably mounted on the frame of the harvesting vehicle; Multiple linear guides are respectively disposed on the outer periphery of the intermediate shaft, with both ends fixedly connected to the intermediate shaft, and their extension direction is consistent with the axial direction of the intermediate shaft; Multiple sets of spring tooth seats and spring teeth are respectively arranged on the multiple linear guide rails and can move along the extension direction of the linear guide rails, wherein the spring teeth are in the shape of bent round rods; Multiple telescopic mechanisms, each corresponding to multiple sets of spring tooth seats and spring teeth, each telescopic mechanism is used to drive multiple spring tooth seats and spring teeth in a set to change pitch; Multiple push rods are respectively disposed at both ends of the multiple telescopic mechanisms, for pushing the corresponding telescopic mechanism to extend or retract; and A pair of cylindrical cams are coaxially mounted at both ends of the intermediate shaft and fixed to the frame. They cooperate with the push rod to extend and retract the telescopic mechanism, thereby causing the spring tooth seat and spring teeth to change pitch according to a predetermined pattern, clamping and then releasing the chili pepper fruit. The cylindrical cam has a curved contact surface on its outer peripheral surface. The contact surface is perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical cam. The two ends of the push rod respectively abut against the contact surfaces of the pair of cylindrical cams. When the intermediate shaft rotates, the push rod slides along the contact surface and correspondingly pushes the telescopic mechanism to extend or retract. The curved shape of the contact surface causes the plurality of spring teeth in a group to first maintain a predetermined first spacing, then decrease to a predetermined second spacing, then maintain the second spacing, and then increase to the first spacing. When the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical cam is unfolded into a flat state, viewed from a direction perpendicular to the unfolded outer peripheral surface, the pair of abutment surfaces appear as two parallel curves. The curve comprises a first to a fifth segment connected sequentially. When the push rod slides along the unfolded contact surface, it undergoes uniform linear motion along the first segment, cosine acceleration motion along the second segment, uniform linear motion along the third segment, cosine acceleration motion symmetrical to that along the second segment along the fourth segment, and uniform linear motion along the fifth segment. As the push rod slides along the abutment surface portion corresponding to the second segment, the spacing of the corresponding set of spring teeth decreases from the first spacing to the second spacing. When the push rod slides along the abutting surface portion corresponding to the fourth segment, the spacing of the corresponding set of spring teeth increases from the second spacing to the first spacing.

2. The spring-tooth type chili harvesting device with regularly varying spring tooth spacing according to claim 1, characterized in that: in, In the circumferential direction of the cylindrical cam, the first segment corresponds to 0° to 90°, the second segment corresponds to 90° to 135°, the third segment corresponds to 135° to 225°, the fourth segment corresponds to 225° to 270°, and the fifth segment corresponds to 270° to 360°.

3. The spring-tooth type chili harvesting device with regularly varying spring tooth spacing according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Two disks are coaxially mounted at both ends of the intermediate shaft. The linear guide rails are fixed at both ends to the two disks, and the plurality of linear guide rails are evenly distributed along the circumference of the disks. The disk has multiple guide holes. The inner wall of the guide hole is parallel to the axial direction of the disk. The plurality of push rods pass through the plurality of guide holes respectively, and the outer side of the push rods contacts the inner wall of the guide holes.

4. The spring-tooth type chili harvesting device with regularly varying spring tooth spacing according to claim 1, characterized in that: in, The linear guide is an external sliding surface guide. The cross-section of the linear guide is non-circular. The spring tooth seat is annular in shape, matching the cross-sectional shape of the linear guide rail, and is movably fitted onto the linear guide rail. One end of the spring tooth is fixed to the outer surface of the spring tooth seat. The telescopic mechanism is a scissor mechanism with multiple central pivots for telescopic extension, and each of the spring teeth in a group is connected to one of the central pivots.

5. The spring-tooth type chili harvesting device with regularly varying spring tooth spacing according to claim 4, characterized in that: in, The linear guide rail has a polygonal cross-section. The spring tooth seat is a polygonal ring that matches the cross-sectional shape of the linear guide rail. One end of the spring tooth is fixed to an outer surface of the spring tooth seat, and multiple spring teeth in a group have the same angle.

6. The spring-tooth type chili harvesting device with regularly varying spring tooth spacing according to claim 1, characterized in that: in, The linear guide is an inner sliding surface guide. The linear guide rail has a mounting groove inside, and an outer surface has a slot that communicates with the mounting groove. The extension direction of the slot is the length direction of the linear guide rail. The spring tooth seat is a block shape that matches the cross-sectional shape of the mounting groove, and is movably embedded in the mounting groove. One end of the spring tooth is fixed to the outer surface of the spring tooth seat and is located at the groove. The telescopic mechanism includes multiple springs, which are respectively disposed in the mounting groove and located between two adjacent spring tooth seats.

7. The spring-tooth type chili harvesting device with regularly varying spring tooth spacing according to claim 6, characterized in that: in, The mounting groove has a rectangular cross-section. The spring tooth seat is in the shape of a cuboid block that matches the cross-sectional shape of the mounting groove. The two ends of the spring respectively abut against the opposing sides of the two adjacent spring tooth seats. The parameters of the multiple springs disposed in the same linear guide are the same. The spring teeth are in the shape of bent round rods, and multiple spring teeth in a group have the same angle.

8. The spring-tooth type chili harvesting device with regularly varying spring tooth spacing according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: One or more pairs of bearings, the intermediate shaft being connected to the frame via the one or more pairs of bearings.

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