Intelligent efficient low-loss garlic sprout harvester

By designing the pre-processing mechanism and clamping and conveying mechanism of the intelligent, efficient and low-damage garlic scape harvester, the problem of low success rate of needle puncture and clamping in existing garlic scape harvesters has been solved, achieving efficient and low-damage garlic scape harvesting results.

CN119183784BActive Publication Date: 2026-05-05QINGDAO UNIV OF TECH
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
QINGDAO UNIV OF TECH
Filing Date
2024-11-06
Publication Date
2026-05-05

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing garlic scape harvesters have a low success rate during the needle-piercing and clamping process and are difficult to adapt to different garlic scape characteristics, resulting in damage and low efficiency.

Method used

A smart, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester was designed, which adopts a pre-processing mechanism and a clamping and conveying mechanism. The pre-processing mechanism achieves the switching between needle-piercing and clamping modes through strip plates and holding blocks, and combines visual and mechanical sensors for precise identification and control. The clamping and conveying mechanism adapts to different garlic scape thicknesses through a belt pressing mechanism.

Benefits of technology

It improved the success rate of needle insertion and removal, reduced damage to garlic scapes and leaves, and achieved efficient and precise garlic scape harvesting.

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Abstract

This invention discloses an intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester, comprising a walking base on which a divider, a pre-processing mechanism, a clamping and conveying mechanism, and a storage bin are mounted. The pre-processing mechanism includes a needle holder, needles, and a pushing mechanism, as well as a strip plate arranged parallel to the needle holder, with through holes corresponding to each needle. A guide mechanism and a spring are provided between the strip plate and the needle holder, the spring causing the strip plate to tend to move away from the needle holder. The pre-processing mechanism also includes a holding block and a driving component, the holding block being able to enter or leave the space between the needle holder and the strip plate under the action of the driving component. In this invention, on the one hand, different functional states can be determined according to the characteristics of the garlic scape for needle piercing or clamping operations. On the other hand, it can effectively improve the success rate of needle penetration into the garlic scape, ensuring that the needles can be successfully pulled out of the garlic scape, preventing damage to the garlic scape and leaves due to untimely needle removal.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural harvesting machinery technology, and in particular to an intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester. Background Technology

[0002] Garlic scapes, a popular vegetable, have high nutritional value in many parts of China and Asia. They are not only delicious but also rich in vitamins and minerals, contributing positively to human health. In the market, garlic scapes are favored by consumers for their unique flavor and nutritional value, making them an indispensable ingredient on many family tables. However, despite the high demand and economic value of garlic scapes, their harvesting process faces certain challenges. Due to their unique growth pattern, slender and easily broken stems, and uneven distribution in the field, existing agricultural machinery cannot achieve efficient and damage-free automated harvesting. Therefore, in most cases, manual harvesting is still necessary. This labor-intensive method not only increases production costs but also limits the further large-scale development of the garlic scape industry.

[0003] In the prior art, patent CN107455077A discloses a garlic scape harvester, which includes a frame, a garlic stalk guide device, a clamping and lifting device, a garlic scape cutting device, and a transmission system. The garlic scape cutting device includes a needle assembly and an anvil. The needle assembly can slide left and right under the drive of the drive mechanism. This patent has the following disadvantages: (1) This patent can only cut garlic scapes by needle piercing. However, in the actual harvesting process, depending on the specific characteristics of the garlic scapes, some garlic scapes are suitable for needle piercing, while others are suitable for clamping. In addition, in this patent, since the position of the garlic scapes is not fixed, if the garlic scapes shake during the needle piercing process, it will reduce the success rate of needle piercing. After needle piercing, during the needle pulling out process, the garlic scapes and garlic leaves may be difficult to pull out in time, and the movement of the machine will cause damage to the garlic scapes or garlic leaves. (2) The clamping and lifting device based on the roller body used in this patent cannot or is inconvenient to adjust the clamping force according to the thickness of the garlic scape, resulting in poor adaptability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Purpose of the invention: In order to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology, the present invention provides an intelligent, efficient and low-damage garlic scape harvester that can effectively improve the success rate of needle piercing and needle removal, and can switch between needle piercing and clamping modes.

[0005] Technical solution: To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester, which includes a walking base on which a divider, a pre-processing mechanism, a clamping and conveying mechanism, and a storage bin are mounted. The pre-processing mechanism is mounted on the divider and includes a needle holder, a plurality of needles arranged in a linear array on the needle holder, and a pushing mechanism for reciprocating translation of the needle holder.

[0006] The pretreatment mechanism further includes a strip plate arranged parallel to the needle holder, the strip plate having through holes corresponding to each needle body, through which the needle body can pass; a guide sliding mechanism and a spring are provided between the strip plate and the needle holder, the spring causing the strip plate to have a tendency to move away from the needle holder;

[0007] The pretreatment mechanism further includes a holding block and a driving component, wherein the holding block can enter or leave between the needle holder and the strip plate under the action of the driving component.

[0008] Furthermore, the pretreatment mechanisms are arranged in pairs, with the needle tips of the two sets of pretreatment mechanisms arranged opposite each other.

[0009] With the above structure, the pretreatment mechanism can switch between two functional states as needed. Specifically, the first functional state is the clamping mode. In this mode, the holding block is placed between the needle seat and the strip plate, so that the relative position of the needle seat and the strip plate is fixed and the end of the needle body does not protrude from the strip plate. At this time, when the pushing mechanism moves the needle seat, the strip plate acts on the garlic scape to clamp it.

[0010] The second functional state is the needle-piercing mode. In this mode, the holding block does not completely fix the relative state between the needle holder and the strip plate. At this time, the holding block can move in a translational motion in the direction of approaching and moving away from the needle holder. In the initial state, and the end of the needle does not protrude from the strip plate, during operation, when the pushing mechanism moves the needle holder, the strip plates corresponding to the two sets of pre-treatment mechanisms in the same pair pre-compress the garlic scape. As the needle holder continues to move closer to the strip plate, the spring between the needle holder and the strip plate is compressed, causing the needle tip to pass through the through hole of the strip plate to pierce the garlic scape. After piercing, as the pushing mechanism moves the needle holder away from the garlic scape, the needle retracts first, and then the strip plate leaves the garlic scape, thus ensuring that the needle is easily pulled out.

[0011] Furthermore, the driving component includes a screw portion that engages with the needle seat in a helical pair and a driving portion capable of rotating the screw portion; the end of the screw portion is connected to the retaining block. By rotating the screw portion, the position of the retaining block can be changed, allowing the retaining block to be fully inserted between the needle seat and the strip plate, partially inserted between them, or completely disengaged from between them.

[0012] Furthermore, the drive unit is a manual knob or a motor, thus enabling the screw unit to rotate manually or electrically.

[0013] Preferably, the retaining block is wedge-shaped with an inclined surface, and the strip plate also has an inclined surface. Using this structure, the maximum extension length of the needle can be limited by adjusting the position of the retaining block relative to the needle seat. This allows for a targeted breaking scheme tailored to the characteristics of the garlic scape, resulting in optimal control parameters and ensuring effective breaking.

[0014] Furthermore, the system also includes a vision sensor mounted on the clamping and conveying mechanism. The control system can perform image acquisition, preprocessing, feature extraction, and classification of the garlic scapes based on the images acquired by the vision sensor to determine the optimal clamping position. This vision sensor can identify, filter, and acquire images and related data within 0.01 seconds, achieving accurate identification and positioning of the garlic scapes.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes a mechanical sensor installed between the pushing mechanism and the needle seat to collect clamping and breaking forces in real time, and the control system adjusts the magnitude of the thrust applied by the pushing mechanism through feedback adjustment.

[0016] Furthermore, it also includes a needle holder position sensor and a ground position sensor, which are used to detect the position of the needle holder and the distance between the divider and the ground, respectively. In this way, the control system can know the opening distance between the pretreatment mechanisms and the height of the divider in real time, facilitating accurate row-to-row harvesting and ensuring an appropriate harvesting height.

[0017] Furthermore, the clamping and conveying mechanism includes a pair of conveyor belts, each conveyor belt having a guide plate at its front end. The guide plate is tapered, wider at the back and narrower at the front. The guide plate facilitates the feeding of garlic scapes that have been needled or clamped into the pair of conveyor belts. The conveyor belts clamp the garlic scapes and lift them upwards, completely separating the garlic scapes from the garlic leaves and conveying them upwards.

[0018] Furthermore, the clamping and conveying mechanism also includes a belt surface pressing mechanism acting on the belt surface of the conveyor belt. The belt surface pressing mechanism includes a plate extending front and rear, and a pressing rod installed on the plate. The pressing rod presses against the inner side of the belt surface. The plate has a transversely arranged adjustment groove. The end of the pressing rod is placed in the adjustment groove, and the end of the pressing rod can be adjusted along the adjustment groove.

[0019] Furthermore, a flat belt is provided between the clamping and conveying mechanism and the storage bin, the flat belt being able to carry all the garlic scapes conveyed by the clamping and conveying mechanism and transport the garlic scapes to the storage bin.

[0020] Beneficial effects: The intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] (1) By improving the pre-treatment mechanism and setting up strip plates and holding blocks, on the one hand, different functional states can be determined according to the characteristics of garlic scapes to carry out needle-piercing or clamping operations on garlic scapes. On the other hand, it can effectively improve the success rate of needles penetrating garlic scapes and ensure that the needles can be successfully pulled out of the garlic scapes, preventing the situation where the needles are not pulled out in time and damage the garlic scapes and leaves.

[0022] (2) By setting a belt pressing mechanism for the conveyor belt of the clamping and conveying mechanism, the clamping force of the conveyor belt on the garlic scape can be guaranteed, and the position of the pressing rod can be adjusted laterally as needed to meet the clamping and conveying needs of garlic scapes of different thicknesses. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 A side view of the structure of an intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester;

[0024] Figure 2 A top view of the intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester;

[0025] Figure 3 A first-person perspective 3D structural diagram of an intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester;

[0026] Figure 4 A second-view 3D structural diagram of an intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the pre-processing mechanism, that is... Figure 3 Enlarged structural diagram of section A;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the pre-processing mechanism in pinch-off mode;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of the pretreatment mechanism in the first state under needle puncture mode;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the pretreatment mechanism in the second state under needle puncture mode;

[0031] Figure 9 This is a structural diagram of the clamping and conveying mechanism.

[0032] In the diagram: 1-Walking base; 2-Pre-processing mechanism; 21-Needle holder; 22-Needle body; 23-Pushing mechanism; 24-Strip plate; 25-Spring; 26-Holding block; 27-Drive component; 271-Screw part; 272-Drive part; 3-Clamping and conveying mechanism; 31-Conveyor belt; 32-Guide plate; 33-Plate body; 33a-Adjusting groove; 34-Pressure rod; 4-Storage bin; 5-Flat belt. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] like Figures 1 to 4 The intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester shown includes a walking base 1, on which a divider 6, a pre-processing mechanism 2, a clamping and conveying mechanism 3, and a storage bin 4 are mounted; the pre-processing mechanism 2 is mounted on the divider 6. Figure 5 As shown, the pretreatment mechanism 2 includes a needle holder 21, a plurality of needles 22 arranged in a linear array on the needle holder 21, and a pushing mechanism 23 for reciprocating translation of the needle holder 21.

[0035] The pretreatment mechanism 2 further includes a strip plate 24 arranged parallel to the needle holder 21. The strip plate 24 has through holes corresponding to each needle body 22, through which the needle body 22 can pass. A guide sliding mechanism and a spring 25 are provided between the strip plate 24 and the needle holder 21. The spring 25 causes the strip plate 24 to have a tendency to move away from the needle holder 21.

[0036] The pretreatment mechanism 2 further includes a retaining block 26 and a driving component 27. The retaining block 26 can enter or leave between the needle holder 21 and the strip plate 24 under the action of the driving component 27. A flexible sheath (not shown in the figure) can be connected between the strip plate 24 and the needle holder 21. The sheath encloses the retaining block 26 and the driving component 27, and also encloses the gap between the strip plate 24 and the needle holder 21 to prevent foreign objects from entering.

[0037] Preferably, the pretreatment mechanisms 2 are arranged in pairs, with the needle tips of the two sets of needle bodies 22 of the pretreatment mechanisms 2 arranged opposite each other.

[0038] Using the above structure, the pre-processing mechanism 2 can switch between two functional states as needed. Specifically, the first functional state is the pinch-off mode, such as... Figure 6 As shown, in this mode, the holding block 26 is placed between the needle seat 21 and the strip plate 24, so that the relative position of the needle seat 21 and the strip plate 24 is fixed, and the end of the needle body 22 does not protrude from the strip plate 24. At this time, when the pushing mechanism 23 moves the needle seat 21, the strip plate 24 acts on the garlic scape to cut it off.

[0039] The second functional state is the acupuncture mode, such as... Figure 7 As shown, in this mode, the retaining block 26 does not completely fix the relative state between the needle holder 21 and the strip plate 24. At this time, the retaining block 26 can perform translational movement in the direction closer to and farther from the needle holder 21. In the initial state, as... Figure 7 As shown, the end of the needle body 22 does not protrude from the strip plate 24. During operation, when the pushing mechanism 23 moves the needle seat 21, the strip plates 24 corresponding to the two sets of pre-treatment mechanisms 2 in the same pair pre-press the garlic scape. As the needle seat 21 continues to move closer to each other, the spring 25 between the needle seat 21 and the strip plate 24 is compressed, causing the needle tip of the needle body 22 to pass through the through hole of the strip plate 24 to pierce the garlic scape. Figure 8 As shown. After the puncture is completed, as the pushing mechanism 23 moves the needle seat 21 away from the garlic scape, the needle body 22 retracts first, and then the strip plate 24 leaves the garlic scape, thus ensuring that the needle is pulled out smoothly.

[0040] As can be seen, by adopting the above structure and setting the strip plate 24 and the retaining block 26, on the one hand, different functional states can be determined according to the characteristics of the garlic scape to perform the needle-piercing or clamping operation. On the other hand, it can effectively improve the success rate of the needle 22 piercing the garlic scape and ensure that the needle 22 can be successfully pulled out of the garlic scape, preventing the situation where the needle 22 is not pulled out in time and damages the garlic scape and garlic leaves.

[0041] Preferably, the driving component 27 includes a screw portion 271 that is helically coupled to the needle seat 21 and a driving portion 272 capable of rotating the screw portion 271; the end of the screw portion 271 is connected to the retaining block 26. By rotating the screw portion 271, the position of the retaining block 26 can be changed, allowing the retaining block 26 to be fully inserted between the needle seat 21 and the strip plate 24, partially inserted between them, or completely disengaged from between them.

[0042] Preferably, the drive unit 272 is a manual knob or a motor, so that the screw unit 271 can be driven to rotate manually or electrically.

[0043] Preferably, the retaining block 26 is wedge-shaped with an inclined surface, and the strip plate 24 also has an inclined surface. With this structure, by adjusting the position of the retaining block 26 relative to the needle seat 21, the maximum extension length of the needle body 22 can be limited. In this way, a targeted breaking scheme can be fully realized according to the characteristics of garlic scapes, forming optimal control parameters and ensuring the breaking effect.

[0044] Preferably, the garlic scape harvester of the present invention further includes a sensor group. Based on the data collected by the sensor group, the control system can obtain the status of each component in the garlic scape harvester and make adaptive adjustments accordingly to achieve better harvesting results. Specifically, the garlic scape harvester has the following sensors:

[0045] (1) Visual sensor. The control system can perform image acquisition, preprocessing, feature extraction, and classification of garlic scapes based on images acquired by the visual sensor to determine the optimal clamping position of the garlic scapes. The visual sensor can identify, filter, and acquire images and related data within 0.01s, achieving accurate identification and positioning of garlic scapes.

[0046] (2) A mechanical sensor installed between the pushing mechanism 23 and the needle seat 21 is used to collect clamping and breaking forces in real time. The control system adjusts the magnitude of the thrust applied by the pushing mechanism 23 through feedback adjustment.

[0047] (3) A needle seat position sensor and a ground position sensor are used to detect the position of the needle seat 21 and the distance between the divider 6 and the ground, respectively. In this way, the control system can know the opening distance between the pretreatment mechanisms 2 and the height of the divider 6 in real time, which helps to ensure accurate row-to-row harvesting and appropriate harvesting height.

[0048] (4) GPS positioning module, used to obtain the real-time location of the equipment.

[0049] Based on the aforementioned sensor group, sensor data fusion can be carried out, integrating multiple sensor data sources to form a multi-sensor fusion collaborative control strategy. Each actuator uses multiple sensors to acquire parameters in real time, compares and analyzes detection errors, and selects the optimal parameters. An Android intelligent display and control terminal is used to realize parameter input and real-time display, and CAN bus communication is used to realize the algorithm design of each main parameter. Indoor and field tests and analyses are used to evaluate the performance of the intelligent control system.

[0050] Preferably, such as Figure 9 As shown, the clamping and conveying mechanism 3 includes a pair of conveyor belts 31. Each conveyor belt 31 has a guide plate 32 at its front end. The guide plate 32 is a cone shape that is pointed at the front and wide at the back. The garlic scapes that have been needled or clamped can be easily guided into the pair of conveyor belts 31 through the guide plate 32. The conveyor belts 31 clamp the garlic scapes and lift them upward, so that the garlic scapes are completely separated from the garlic leaves and are conveyed upward.

[0051] The clamping and conveying mechanism 3 further includes a belt surface pressing mechanism acting on the belt surface of the conveyor belt 31. The belt surface pressing mechanism includes a plate 33 extending front and rear, and a pressing rod 34 mounted on the plate 33. The pressing rod 34 presses against the inner side of the belt surface. The plate 33 has a transversely arranged adjustment groove 33a. The end of the pressing rod 34 is placed in the adjustment groove 33a, and the end of the pressing rod 34 can be adjusted along the adjustment groove 33a.

[0052] By setting a belt surface pressing mechanism for the conveyor belt 31 of the clamping and conveying mechanism 3, the clamping force of the conveyor belt 31 on the garlic scapes can be guaranteed, and the position of the pressing rod 34 can be adjusted laterally as needed to meet the clamping and conveying needs of garlic scapes of different thicknesses.

[0053] A flat belt 5 is provided between the clamping and conveying mechanism 3 and the storage bin 4. The flat belt 5 can carry all the garlic scapes conveyed by the clamping and conveying mechanism 3 and transport the garlic scapes to the storage bin 4.

[0054] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A smart, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester, comprising a walking base (1), on which a divider (6), a pre-processing mechanism (2), a clamping and conveying mechanism (3), and a storage bin (4) are mounted; the pre-processing mechanism (2) is mounted on the divider (6), and the pre-processing mechanism (2) comprises a needle holder (21), a plurality of needles (22) arranged in a linear array on the needle holder (21), and a pushing mechanism (23) for reciprocating translation of the needle holder (21); characterized in that: The pretreatment mechanism (2) further includes a strip plate (24) arranged parallel to the needle holder (21). The strip plate (24) has through holes corresponding to each needle body (22), through which the needle body (22) can pass. A guide sliding mechanism and a spring (25) are provided between the strip plate (24) and the needle holder (21). The spring (25) causes the strip plate (24) to have a tendency to move away from the needle holder (21). The pretreatment mechanism (2) further includes a holding block (26) and a driving component (27), wherein the holding block (26) is able to enter or leave between the needle seat (21) and the strip plate (24) under the action of the driving component (27).

2. The intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pretreatment mechanisms (2) are arranged in pairs, with the needle tips of the needle bodies (22) of the two sets of pretreatment mechanisms (2) arranged opposite each other.

3. The intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive component (27) includes a screw portion (271) that is helically coupled with the needle seat (21) and a drive portion (272) that enables the screw portion (271) to rotate; the end of the screw portion (271) is connected to the retaining block (26).

4. The intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive unit (272) is a manual knob or a motor.

5. The intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a vision sensor installed on the clamping and conveying mechanism. The control system can perform image acquisition, preprocessing, feature extraction and classification of garlic scapes based on the images acquired by the vision sensor in order to determine the optimal clamping position of the garlic scapes.

6. The intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a mechanical sensor installed between the push mechanism (23) and the needle seat (21) for real-time acquisition of clamping and breaking forces, and the control system adjusts the magnitude of the thrust applied by the push mechanism (23) through feedback adjustment.

7. The intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a needle holder position sensor and a ground position sensor, which are used to detect the position of the needle holder (21) and the distance between the divider (6) and the ground, respectively.

8. The intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping and conveying mechanism (3) includes a pair of conveyor belts (31), each of which has a guide plate (32) at its front end, the guide plate (32) being tapered with a pointed front and a wider rear.

9. The intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester according to claim 8, characterized in that, The clamping and conveying mechanism (3) further includes a belt surface pressing mechanism acting on the belt surface of the conveyor belt (31). The belt surface pressing mechanism includes a plate (33) extending forward and backward, and a pressing rod (34) installed on the plate (33). The pressing rod (34) presses against the inner side of the belt surface. The plate (33) has a transversely arranged adjustment groove (33a). The end of the pressing rod (34) is placed in the adjustment groove (33a), and the end of the pressing rod (34) can be adjusted along the adjustment groove (33a).

10. The intelligent, efficient, and low-damage garlic scape harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that, A flat belt (5) is provided between the clamping and conveying mechanism (3) and the storage bin (4). The flat belt (5) can carry all the garlic scapes conveyed by the clamping and conveying mechanism (3) and transport the garlic scapes to the storage bin (4).

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Young garlic shoot harvesting machine

    CN107455077A

  • Electric powered work machine and voltage suppressing circuit for electric powered work machine

    CN109153113A