An automated sea urchin shell and gut removal device

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of seafood processing technology, specifically relating to an automated device for removing the shells and viscera of sea urchins. The automated device for removing the shells and viscera of sea urchins is characterized by comprising: a shell-opening module (100), a shell-removing module (200), a sea urchin viscera separation module (300), a storage and conveying module (400), and a control module (6); the shell-opening module (100), shell-removing module (200), sea urchin viscera separation module (300), and storage and conveying module (400) are electrically connected to the control module (6), and under the control of the control module (6), the removal and collection of the sea urchin shells and viscera are completed. This invention achieves rapid cutting of the sea urchin shell, clean removal of the sea urchin meat from the shell, and rapid separation of the sea urchin meat from the viscera, with a high degree of automation, greatly improving processing efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of seafood processing technology, specifically relating to an automated device for removing the shells and viscera of sea urchins. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous advancement of fishery technology and the increase in labor costs, automated and intelligent fishery machinery and equipment have become an inevitable trend in agricultural development. Sea urchin processing, as a crucial link in fishery production, is characterized by a large workload, long processing time, and high labor intensity. Therefore, the development of automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal devices is of great significance.

[0003] With the continuous development of marine aquaculture, the variety and quantity of seafood are constantly increasing, and the demand for sea urchins is also steadily rising. However, traditional sea urchin processing still relies on manual processing, which is not only costly in terms of labor, low output, large land area, and food safety issues due to non-standard operation, but also lacks automation. Existing sea urchin processing equipment cannot achieve automated processing, making it difficult to cut the sea urchin shell, resulting in incomplete separation of the sea urchin meat from the shell and waste. Furthermore, the difficulty in separating the sea urchin meat from the viscera deteriorates the quality of the sea urchin meat, hindering its widespread use. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a highly efficient and automated sea urchin processing device. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention addresses the problems of high cost, low output, large footprint, food safety issues caused by non-standard operations, difficulty in cutting sea urchin shells, incomplete separation of sea urchin meat from the shell, difficulty in separating sea urchin meat from viscera, lack of automation, and low efficiency in existing sea urchin processing technologies. The invention provides an automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device, characterized by comprising: a shell-opening module, a shell-removing module, a sea urchin viscera separation module, a storage and conveying module, and a control module. The shell-opening module, shell-removing module, sea urchin viscera separation module, and storage and conveying module are electrically connected to the control module, and under the control of the control module, the removal and collection of sea urchin shells and viscera are completed.

[0005] The opening module described above includes a storage compartment and a clamping device disposed at the bottom of the storage compartment;

[0006] The storage and conveying module includes: a box for holding sea urchins and a conveyor belt; stacked collection basins are installed inside the box; two sets of cylinders are installed with symmetrical holes on both sides of the box; the cylinders push the first block and the second block through the holes on both sides of the box to enter and exit, and the first block and the second block are retractably set on the lower edge of the box for sequentially placing the collection basins.

[0007] The storage chamber entrance is provided with the upper wall of the box, and the storage chamber outlet is provided with a valve. The storage chamber is funnel-shaped to enable automatic filling of sea urchins into the valve; the valve rotates 360° to fill the sea urchins into the clamping device.

[0008] The clamping device includes a pair of symmetrical clamping bodies and gears; the clamping body is a plate-shaped structure with a concave cross-section and a base plate, and each clamping body has two shell-opening cylinders symmetrically arranged on its side wall; the shell-opening cylinder is equipped with a rotatable cutter, which is located at the end of the clamping body. After the clamping body clamps the sea urchin, the shell-opening cylinder pushes the cutter to insert into the middle of the sea urchin and then rotates to open the sea urchin's shell.

[0009] Two clamping bodies clamp the outer wall of the sea urchin, each with two racks vertically arranged. The ends of the two racks pass through two clamping track platforms. The two clamping track platforms are fixedly connected by a connecting rod. The gears are fixed on the clamping track platforms and form a gear and rack mechanism through their cooperation with the racks. The two racks drive the two clamping bodies to complete the horizontal clamping and releasing actions respectively.

[0010] The deshelling module includes a lifting track and a perforated box; a meat-removing knife is installed at the lower part of the opening of the perforated box; the meat-removing knife is set at an acute angle to the opening of the perforated box; the two ends of the lifting track are respectively fixed to the bottom of the box and the upper wall of the box; the lifting track passes vertically through the clamping track platform; the clamping track platform can move up and down vertically along the lifting track; a deshelling ball screw is arranged parallel to the clamping track platform; a deshelling ball screw nut is fitted on the deshelling ball screw and fixedly installed on the side wall of the clamping track platform; driven by the deshelling ball screw nut, the clamping track platform is driven to move precisely vertically along the lifting track and stop at the designated position;

[0011] The perforated box is fixed to the side wall of the box body. Sea urchin shell collection chambers are respectively provided on both side walls of the perforated box body, and the bottom edges of the two side walls of the perforated box body are respectively fitted to the inner side of the opening of the sea urchin shell collection chamber. The sea urchin shell collection chamber adopts a slanted triangular bucket-shaped structure to avoid the accumulation of sea urchin shells, and the sea urchin shell collection chamber adopts a detachable structure. The sea urchin shell collection chamber is located at the bottom of the box body. Four box body support columns are provided at the four corners of the bottom of the box body to support the lifting track, the box body, and the sea urchin shell collection chamber.

[0012] The sea urchin viscera separation module includes a visual sensor and a three-degree-of-freedom cantilevered manipulator; the visual sensor is installed on the side wall of the perforated box, and a spotlight fixedly installed on the side wall of the perforated box is installed below the visual sensor to illuminate the visual sensor;

[0013] The three-degree-of-freedom cantilever assisted manipulator includes a first ball screw mechanism, a second ball screw mechanism, a third ball screw mechanism, a first track platform, a second track platform, a third track platform, and a manipulator mechanism;

[0014] The three-degree-of-freedom cantilevered manipulator is positioned between four support columns that are perpendicular to the ground and distributed on both sides of the conveyor belt.

[0015] The first ball screw mechanism includes: a first set of bearings and a first ball screw, and a second set of bearings; the first set of bearings and the first ball screw are parallel to each other and are disposed between two support columns; the second set of bearings are parallel to each other and are disposed between another two support columns; the first ball screw is driven by a first motor;

[0016] The first track platform includes a track platform one, a first track platform ball screw nut, a track platform two, a first set of bearing seats, and a second set of bearing seats; the first track platform ball screw nut and the first set of bearing seats are disposed on the track platform two, and the first set of bearing seats respectively mates with the first set of bearings; the first track platform ball screw nut mates with the first ball screw; the second set of bearing seats respectively mates with the second set of bearings;

[0017] The second ball screw mechanism includes a third set of bearings, a fourth set of bearings, and a second ball screw. The fourth set of bearings is parallel to the second ball screw and is vertically mounted on the second track platform. The third set of bearings is parallel to each other and is mounted on the first track platform. The second ball screw is driven by a second motor.

[0018] The second track platform includes track platform three, a second track platform ball screw nut, track platform four, a third set of bearing seats, and a fourth set of bearing seats; the second track platform ball screw nut and the third set of bearing seats are mounted on track platform three, and the third set of bearing seats mates with the third set of bearings; the second track platform ball screw nut mates with the second ball screw; the fourth set of bearing seats mates with the fourth set of bearings.

[0019] The third ball screw mechanism comprises a fifth set of bearings and a third ball screw, which are parallel to each other and are respectively positioned between track platform three and track platform four; the third ball screw is driven by a third motor.

[0020] The third track platform includes track platform five, and the upper part of track platform five is equipped with the fifth set of bearing seats and the ball screw nut of the third track platform.

[0021] The fifth set of bearings mates with the fifth set of bearing housings; the third ball screw mates with the ball screw nut of the third track platform.

[0022] The bottom of the track platform is equipped with a robotic arm for sorting sea urchin viscera.

[0023] According to the above-described automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device, the perforated box and sea urchin shell collection chamber are made of aluminum alloy plate, and the perforated box has a hollow center.

[0024] The automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device described above is characterized in that the valve is made of martensitic stainless steel and is a hollow hemispherical shape.

[0025] According to the above-described automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device, the height of the collection basin inside the box is less than the vertical distance between the first block and the second block.

[0026] The collection basin is made of polypropylene, and each of its inner walls has a U-shaped groove.

[0027] According to the above-described automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device, the feature is that the inner wall of the clamping body is arranged with pits, the pit height being 1-5mm.

[0028] According to the above-described automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device, the feature is that a thin-film pressure sensor is provided on the clamping inner wall of the clamping body, and the thin-film pressure sensor is provided on the inner wall of the clamping body to control the clamping force of the sea urchin and prevent the sea urchin from being crushed.

[0029] According to the above-described automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device, the characteristic feature is that the meat-removing blade is set at an acute angle to the opening of the perforated box.

[0030] According to the above-described automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device, the feature is that the meat-removing blade is shovel-shaped; the distance between the clamping body and the meat-removing blade is determined by force measurement through a thin-film pressure sensor; the meat-removing blade is rotatably set at the opening of the perforated box so that it fits against the inner wall of the sea urchin during rotation, thereby removing all the sea urchin meat.

[0031] The automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device described above is characterized in that the conveyor belt is made of polyurethane material.

[0032] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0033] 1. The clamping device of the present invention includes a pair of symmetrical clamping bodies and gears; the clamping body is a plate-shaped structure with a concave cross-section and a base plate, and two shell-opening cylinders are symmetrically arranged on the side wall of each clamping body; the shell-opening cylinder is equipped with a rotatable cutter, which is located at the end of the clamping body. After the clamping body clamps the sea urchin, the shell-opening cylinder pushes the cutter to insert into the middle of the sea urchin, thereby realizing the automatic and rapid shell opening of the sea urchin, with good shell opening position and high efficiency.

[0034] 2. The sea urchin viscera separation module of this invention includes a vision sensor and a three-degree-of-freedom cantilevered manipulator. The vision sensor is mounted on the side wall of the perforated box, and a spotlight fixed to the side wall below the vision sensor provides illumination. The three-degree-of-freedom cantilevered manipulator does not require real-time online calculations; instead, it performs calculations only after completing one sea urchin viscera clamping operation. Based on the three-dimensional clamping information, it moves precisely. Compared to a four-degree-of-freedom manipulator, the three-degree-of-freedom cantilevered manipulator has a simpler structure, faster information processing, and improves sea urchin processing efficiency.

[0035] 3. The shell-removing module of the present invention includes a lifting track and a perforated box; a meat-removing knife is provided at the lower part of the opening of the perforated box; the meat-removing knife is set at an acute angle with the opening of the perforated box; the meat-removing knife is shovel-shaped; the distance between the clamping body and the meat-removing knife is determined by measuring the force through a thin-film pressure sensor; the meat-removing knife is rotatably set at the opening of the perforated box so that it fits against the inner wall of the sea urchin during rotation, so that all the sea urchin meat is removed, the sea urchin meat is completely removed, and little remains are left inside the shell.

[0036] 4. The present invention enables the collection basins to be placed sequentially by the linkage of the first and second blocks. By placing a large number of stacked collection basins at once, the device can automatically place the basins, saving a lot of manpower and time costs.

[0037] 5. The inner wall of the clamping body of this invention has arranged pits, which can hold the sea urchin firmly and can efficiently remove the shell and impurities from sea urchins of different diameters. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 Schematic diagram A of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 2 A top view of the structural schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 3 Schematic diagram B of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the storage compartment and valve of this invention.

[0042] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the shell-opening module structure of this invention.

[0043] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the shell removal module structure of this invention.

[0044] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the sea urchin viscera removal module of this invention.

[0045] Figure 8 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the box body, conveyor belt, and collection basin of the present invention.

[0046] In the diagram: Shell opening module: 100; Shell removal module: 200; Sea urchin viscera separation module: 300; Storage and conveying module: 400; Box body: 1; Box body support column: 3; Conveyor belt: 4; Storage compartment: 24; Control module: 6; Two sets of cylinders: 2.1-2.2; First stop block: 28.1; Second stop block: 28.2; Valve: 25; Vision sensor: 14; Searchlight: 15; Two shell opening cylinders: 16; Thin-film pressure sensor: 17; Clamping body: 18; Gear: 22; Rack: 23; Lifting rail: 20; Perforated box body: 26; Shell removal ball screw: 21 Meat removal blade: 27; Shelling ball screw nut: 210; Sea urchin shell collection bin: 11.1-11.2; Support column: 9.1-9.4; First set of bearings: 7.7-7.8; First ball screw: 8.3; Second set of bearings: 7.1-7.2; First motor: 48.3; Track platform one: 32.1; First track platform ball screw nut: 35.2; Track platform two: 32.2; First set of bearing seats: 34.3-34.4; Second set of bearing seats: 44.3-44.4; First track platform ball screw nut: 35.2; Third set of bearings: 5 3.3-53.4; Fourth group bearing: 7.5-7.6; Second ball screw: 8.2; Second motor: 48.2; Drive; Track platform three: 31.1; Second track platform ball screw nut: 36.2; Track platform four: 31.2; Third group bearing housing: 36.3-36.4; Fourth group bearing housing: 37.3-37.4; Second track platform ball screw nut: 36.2; Fifth group bearing: 7.3-7.4; Third ball screw: 8.1; Third motor: 48.1; Drive track platform five: 37.5; Fifth group bearing housing: 34.1- 34.2; Third track platform ball screw nut: 35.1; Robot: 33; First collection basin: 10.1; Second collection basin: 10.2; Third collection basin: 10.3; Thirtieth collection basin: 30.3; Clamping device: 101; Cutting tool: 160; Clamping track platform: 180; Three-degree-of-freedom cantilever auxiliary robot: 310; First ball screw mechanism: 311; Second ball screw mechanism: 312; Third ball screw mechanism: 313; First track platform: 321; Second track platform: 322; Third track platform: 323; Robot mechanism: 314. Detailed Implementation

[0047] Preferred Implementation

[0048] like Figures 1 to 8As shown, the automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device includes: a shell opening module 100, a shell removal module 200, a sea urchin viscera separation module 300, a storage and conveying module 400, and a control module 6. The shell opening module 100, shell removal module 200, sea urchin viscera separation module 300, and storage and conveying module 400 are electrically connected to the control module 6, and under the control of the control module 6, the removal and collection of sea urchin shells and viscera are completed.

[0049] The shell-opening module 100 includes a storage compartment 24 and a clamping device 101 disposed at the lower part of the storage compartment 24;

[0050] The storage and conveying module 400 includes: a box 1 for holding sea urchins and a conveyor belt 4; the box 1 is equipped with stacked third collection basins 10.3 and thirtieth collection basins 30.3; two sets of cylinders 2.1-2.2 are symmetrically perforated on both sides of the box 1; the cylinders 2.1-2.2 push the stops 28.1-28.2 through the holes on both sides of the box 1, and the stops 28.1-28.2 are respectively locked at the lower edges of the third collection basin 10.3 and the thirtieth collection basin 30.3 for sequentially placing the third collection basin 10.3 and the thirtieth collection basin 30.3;

[0051] The inlet of the storage chamber 24 is provided on the upper wall of the box body 1, and the outlet of the storage chamber 24 is provided with a valve 25. The storage chamber 24 is funnel-shaped to realize automatic filling of sea urchins into the valve 25. The valve 25 rotates 360° under the drive of the motor to fill the sea urchins into the clamping device 101.

[0052] The clamping device 101 includes a pair of symmetrical clamping bodies 18 and a gear 22. The clamping body 18 is a plate-shaped structure with a concave cross-section and a base plate. Each clamping body 18 has two shell-opening cylinders 16 symmetrically arranged on its side wall. The shell-opening cylinder 16 is equipped with a sharp rotatable blade 160. The blade 160 is located at the end of the clamping body 18. After the clamping body 18 clamps the sea urchin, the shell-opening cylinder 16 pushes the blade 160 to insert into the middle of the sea urchin and rotates it to open the sea urchin's shell.

[0053] Two clamping bodies 18 clamp the outer wall of the sea urchin, each with two vertically arranged racks 23. The ends of the two racks 23 pass through two clamping track platforms 180. The two clamping track platforms 180 are fixedly connected by a connecting rod 19. The gear 22 is fixed on the clamping track platform 180 and forms a gear and rack mechanism by cooperating with the racks 23. The two racks 23 drive the two clamping bodies 18 to complete the horizontal clamping and releasing actions respectively.

[0054] The shelling module 200 includes a lifting rail 20 and a perforated box 26; a meat-removing knife 27 is provided at the lower part of the opening of the perforated box 26; the meat-removing knife is set at an acute angle to the opening of the perforated box 26; the two ends of the lifting rail 20 are respectively fixedly set on the bottom of the box 1 and the upper wall of the box 1; the lifting rail 20 passes vertically through the clamping rail platform 180; the clamping rail platform 180 can move up and down in the vertical direction along the lifting rail 20; a shelling ball screw 21 is arranged parallel to the clamping rail platform 180; a shelling ball screw nut 210 is fitted on the shelling ball screw 21 and fixedly set on the side wall of the clamping rail platform 180; under the drive of the shelling ball screw nut 210, the clamping rail platform 180 is driven to move precisely in the vertical direction along the lifting rail 20 and stop at the designated position;

[0055] The perforated box 26 is fixed to the side wall of the box 1. Sea urchin shell collection chambers 11.1-11.2 are respectively provided on the two side walls of the perforated box 26. The bottom edges of the two side walls of the perforated box 26 are respectively fitted to the inner sides of the openings of the sea urchin shell collection chambers 11.1-11.2. The sea urchin shell collection chambers 11.1-11.2 adopt a slanted triangular bucket-shaped structure to avoid the accumulation of sea urchin shells and affect the normal working environment. The sea urchin shell collection chambers 11.1-11.2 adopt a detachable structure for convenient handling of sea urchin shells. The sea urchin shell collection chambers 11.1-11.2 are located at the bottom of the box 1. Four box support columns 3 are provided at the four corners of the bottom of the box 1 to support the lifting track 20, the box 1, and the sea urchin shell collection chambers 11.1-11.2.

[0056] The sea urchin viscera separation module 300 includes a vision sensor 14 and a three-degree-of-freedom cantilever auxiliary manipulator 310. The vision sensor 14 is installed on the side wall of the perforated box 26, and a searchlight 15 fixedly installed on the side wall of the perforated box 26 is provided below the vision sensor 14 to illuminate the vision sensor 14.

[0057] The three-degree-of-freedom cantilevered manipulator 310 includes a first ball screw mechanism 311, a second ball screw mechanism 312, a third ball screw mechanism 313, a first track platform 321, a second track platform 322, a third track platform 323, and a manipulator mechanism 314.

[0058] The three-degree-of-freedom cantilevered manipulator 310 is positioned between four support columns 9.1-9.4 on both sides of the conveyor belt 4, perpendicular to the ground.

[0059] The first ball screw mechanism 311 includes: a first set of bearings 7.7 and 7.8 and a first ball screw 8.3, and a second set of bearings 7.1-7.2; the first set of bearings 7.7 and 7.8 and the first ball screw 8.3 are parallel to each other and are arranged between two support columns 9.2 and 9.3; the second set of bearings 7.1-7.2 are parallel to each other and are arranged between two other support columns 9.1 and 9.4; the first ball screw 8.3 is driven by a first motor 48.3.

[0060] The first track platform 321 includes a first track platform 32.1, a first track platform ball screw nut 35.2, a second track platform 32.2, a first set of bearing seats 34.3-34.4, and a second set of bearing seats 44.3-44.4. The first track platform ball screw nut 35.2 and the first set of bearing seats 34.3-34.4 are mounted on the second track platform 32.2. The first set of bearing seats 34.3-34.4 mate with the first set of bearings 7.7 and 7.8, respectively. The first track platform ball screw nut 35.2 mates with the first ball screw 8.3. The second set of bearing seats 44.3-44.4 mate with the second set of bearings 7.1-7.2, respectively.

[0061] The second ball screw mechanism 312 includes a third set of bearings 53.3 and 53.4, a fourth set of bearings 7.5-7.6, and a second ball screw 8.2. The fourth set of bearings 7.5-7.6 is parallel to the second ball screw 8.2 and is vertically mounted on the second track platform 32.2. The third set of bearings 53.3 and 53.4 is parallel to each other and is mounted on the first track platform 32.1. The second ball screw 8.2 is driven by a second motor 48.2.

[0062] The second track platform 322 includes track platform three 31.1, second track platform ball screw nut 36.2, track platform four 31.2, third set of bearing seats 36.3-36.4, and fourth set of bearing seats 37.3-37.4; the second track platform ball screw nut 36.2 and the third set of bearing seats 36.3-36.4 are mounted on track platform three 31.1, the third set of bearing seats 36.3-36.4 respectively mate with the third set of bearings 53.3 and 53.4; the second track platform ball screw nut 36.2 mates with the second ball screw 8.2; the fourth set of bearing seats 37.3-37.4 respectively mate with the fourth set of bearings 7.5-7.6;

[0063] The third ball screw mechanism 313 comprises a fifth set of bearings 7.3-7.4 and a third ball screw 8.1. The fifth set of bearings 7.3-7.4 and the third ball screw 8.1 are parallel to each other, and their two ends are respectively set between track platform three 31.1 and track platform four 31.2. The third ball screw 8.1 is driven by a third motor 48.1.

[0064] The third track platform 323 includes track platform five 37.5, and the upper part of track platform five 37.5 is provided with the fifth set of bearing seats 34.1-34.2 and the third track platform ball screw nut 35.1;

[0065] The fifth set of bearings 7.3-7.4 are respectively fitted to the fifth set of bearing housings 34.1-34.2; the third ball screw 8.1 is fitted to the third track platform ball screw nut 35.1;

[0066] The control method for the three-degree-of-freedom cantilever assisted manipulator 310 can be adopted from patent document CN109129158A: A precision milling and forming machine tool based on a novel parallel tool system and its control method. The control method described therein controls the first ball screw mechanism 311, the second ball screw mechanism 312, the third ball screw mechanism 313, the first track platform 321, the second track platform 322, the third track platform 323, and the manipulator mechanism 314 of the three-degree-of-freedom cantilever assisted manipulator 310. The three-degree-of-freedom cantilever assisted manipulator 310 has high structural rigidity, small cumulative error of tool trajectory, and easy accuracy assurance; it will not produce multi-axis interference and singularity problems in algorithm analysis; and it greatly improves accuracy.

[0067] The bottom of the track platform 5 37.5 is equipped with a robotic arm 33 for sorting sea urchin viscera.

[0068] The perforated housing 26 and the sea urchin shell collection chambers 11.1-11.2 are made of aluminum alloy plates, with the perforated housing 26 having a hollow center. To further reduce weight, the sea urchin shell collection chambers 11.1-11.2 adopt a slanted triangular structure to prevent sea urchin shells from accumulating and affecting the normal working environment.

[0069] The valve 25 is made of martensitic stainless steel and is a hollow hemispherical shape, which effectively resists seawater corrosion. Its hollowed-out design allows sea urchins to pass through sequentially.

[0070] A collection basin is provided inside the box 1; the height of the collection basin is less than the vertical distance between the first stop 28.1 and the second stop 28.2;

[0071] The shape of the collection basins ensures that, when stacked, the gap between the edges of the upper and lower collection basins is greater than the vertical distance between the first stop block 28.1 and the second stop block 28.2. This gap allows the upper collection basin to be supported by the second stop block while the lowermost collection basin is supported by the first stop block. The first collection basin 10.1, the second collection basin 10.2, the third collection basin 10.3, and the thirtieth collection basin 30.3 are made of polypropylene. This design reduces cost and weight while ensuring food safety. Each of the polypropylene collection basins has a U-shaped groove on its inner wall to prevent the lower collection basin from being properly disposed of when the first stop block 28.1 is in the retracted state due to pressure differences caused by airtightness when the collection basins are stacked in the box.

[0072] The inner wall of the clamp 18 is arranged with pits, the pit height being 1-5mm. These round holes, which serve a fixing function, are relatively shallow, effectively preventing the sea urchin from falling off while securing it.

[0073] A thin-film pressure sensor 17 is installed on the inner clamping wall of the clamping body 18. The thin-film pressure sensor 17 controls the clamping force of the sea urchin to prevent it from being crushed. By detecting the clamping force, the thin-film pressure sensor 17 determines the size of the gap between the two symmetrical clamping bodies to accommodate sea urchins of different diameters, thus achieving good processing results for sea urchins of various diameters.

[0074] The meat-removing knife 27 is set at an acute angle to the opening of the perforated box 26.

[0075] The meat-removing knife 27 is shovel-shaped; the distance between the clamping body 18 and the meat-removing knife 27 is determined by measuring the force through the thin-film pressure sensor 17. The meat-removing knife 27 is rotatably set at the opening of the perforated box 26 so that it fits against the inner wall of the sea urchin when rotating, and all the sea urchin meat is removed.

[0076] The collection basin is conveyed by a conveyor belt 4, which is made of polyurethane material. This material meets food hygiene standards, allows direct contact with food, and is also a durable conveying product. The conveyor belt 4 meshes with the drive wheel 30, driving the conveyor belt 4 and the driven wheel 29 to rotate. The conveyor belt 4, drive wheel 30, and driven wheel 29 are all independent components, facilitating easy replacement and installation.

[0077] The working process of this invention is as follows:

[0078] The first stop 28.1 and the second stop 28.2 are initially in the extended state. A large number of collection basins are stacked in the box, with the bottom basin supported by the second stop 28.2. The second stop 28.2 retracts, the stacked collection basins fall and are supported by the first stop 28.1, while the second stop 28.2 extends. The first stop 28.1 retracts, the bottom collection basin is placed onto conveyor belt 4, and the remaining collection basins are supported by the second stop 28.2. The first stop 28.1 extends, awaiting the next placement. Conveyor belt 4 moves the collection basins to the designated area of ​​the shelling module 200 and then stands by. After the shelling module 100, shelling module 200, and sea urchin viscera separation module 300 complete one cycle, the above collection basin placement process is repeated.

[0079] Sea urchins are placed in a funnel-shaped storage chamber 24. After the collection basin reaches the designated area of ​​the shelling module 200, the valve 25 at the lower end of the storage chamber 24 rotates 180°, and one sea urchin falls into the clamping device 101. The valve 25 then rotates back to its reset position, ready for operation. After the sea urchin falls into the clamping device 101, the motor drives the gear 18 to rotate, and the clamping device 101 clamps the sea urchin until the membrane pressure sensor 17 receives pressure reaching the threshold. At this time, the shell-opening cylinder 16 extends, and the blade 160 inserts into the sea urchin. The initial position of the clamping device 101 is with a gap of 3 cm between the two clamping bodies 18. The motor drives the gear 18 to rotate, the clamping device 101 separates, and the blade 160 breaks the sea urchin in half. Due to the fixation of the blade 160 and the clamping bodies 18, one half of the sea urchin shell is fixed in the clamping body 18. The meat-removing blade 27 rotates to an angle of -30° with the horizontal plane. The motor drives the shell-removing ball screw 21 to rotate. Under the action of the shell-removing ball screw 21 and the ball screw nut 210, and with the connecting rod 19 fixing the left and right symmetrical clamping track platforms 180, the clamping body 18 moves downward to the meat-removing processing area. The meat-removing blade 27 rotates, separating the sea urchin shell from the meat. The sea urchin meat falls into the collection basin in the designated area of ​​the shell-removing module through the movement of the meat-removing blade 27. The motor drives the gear 18 to rotate, the two clamping bodies 18 separate further, the shell-opening cylinder 16 retracts, the blade 160 retracts, and the sea urchin shell falls into the collection chambers 11.1-11.2. The clamping device 101 resets. The above steps are repeated until there is a certain amount of sea urchin meat in the collection basin, one process ends, and the machine is in standby mode.

[0080] The searchlight 15 illuminates the working area of ​​the sea urchin viscera separation module 300. The visual sensor 14 transmits the environmental parameters in the collection basin to the information processor 6. The location of the inedible sea urchin viscera is determined by calculation. The identification method of the visual sensor 14 can be the method described in the patent document: A scallop viscera removal device (CN218773274U): the black sea urchin viscera are identified and processed from the yellow sea urchin meat, and the location of the sea urchin viscera is calculated and grasped by the robotic arm 33.

[0081] With the cooperation of the first ball screw mechanism 311, the first track platform 321, the second ball screw mechanism 312, the second track platform 322, and the third ball screw mechanism 313, the robotic arm 33 moves horizontally to directly above the identification position, opens, moves vertically downward, clamps the viscera, then moves upward and then horizontally above the first collection basin 10.1, opens, and places the viscera into the first collection basin 10.1. The above steps are repeated until visual recognition indicates no viscera remain, at which point the system enters standby mode.

[0082] When the sea urchin shelling module 100, shell removal module 200, and sea urchin viscera separation module 300 are all idle, the storage and conveying module 400 delivers a collection basin. The collection basin is conveyed to a designated location by a conveyor belt. The sea urchin is shelled in the sea urchin shell removal module 100, and the meat and viscera fall into the collection basin. The collection basin is then conveyed to the working area of ​​the sea urchin viscera separation module 300, where the viscera are removed to obtain the edible product.

[0083] The above describes the specific workflow and working principle of each component of the present invention. The circuits and electronic components involved in the automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device are all existing technologies. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated device for removing the shell and viscera of sea urchins, characterized in that, include: The shell-opening module (100), shell-removing module (200), sea urchin viscera separation module (300), storage and transportation module (400), and control module (6) are respectively electrically connected to the control module (6). Under the control of the control module (6), the removal and collection of sea urchin shells and viscera are completed. The shell-opening module (100) includes a storage compartment (24) and a clamping device (101) disposed at the lower part of the storage compartment (24). The storage and conveying module (400) includes: a box (1) for holding sea urchins and a conveyor belt (4); stacked collection basins are provided inside the box (1); two sets of cylinders (2.1-2.2) are symmetrically perforated on both sides of the box (1); the cylinders (2.1-2.2) push the first stop (28.1) and the second stop (28.2) through the holes in the side walls of the box (1) to enter and exit; the first stop (28.1) and the second stop (28.2) are retractably provided on the lower edge of each collection basin for sequentially dispensing the collection basins; The storage chamber (24) has an inlet with a box body (1) on the upper wall and an outlet with a valve (25). The storage chamber (24) is funnel-shaped to enable automatic filling of sea urchins into the valve (25). The valve (25) rotates 360° to fill the sea urchins into the clamping device (101). The clamping device (101) includes a pair of symmetrical clamping bodies (18) and a gear (22); the clamping body (18) is a plate-shaped structure with a concave cross-section and a base plate. Each clamping body (18) has two shell-opening cylinders (16) symmetrically arranged on its side wall; the shell-opening cylinder (16) is provided with a rotatable cutter (160), which is located at the end of the clamping body (18). After the clamping body (18) clamps the sea urchin, the shell-opening cylinder (16) pushes the cutter (160) to insert into the middle of the sea urchin and rotates to open the shell of the sea urchin. Two clamping bodies (18) clamp the outer wall of the sea urchin and two racks (23) are vertically arranged on each side. The ends of the two racks (23) pass through two clamping track platforms (180). The two clamping track platforms (180) are fixedly connected by a connecting rod (19). The gear (22) is fixed on the clamping track platform (180) and forms a gear and rack mechanism by cooperating with the racks (23). The two racks (23) drive the two clamping bodies (18) to complete the horizontal clamping and releasing actions respectively. The shelling module (200) includes a lifting rail (20) and a perforated box (26); a meat-removing knife (27) is provided at the lower part of the opening of the perforated box (26); the meat-removing knife is set at an acute angle to the opening of the perforated box (26); the two ends of the lifting rail (20) are respectively fixedly set at the bottom of the box (1) and the upper wall of the box (1); the lifting rail (20) passes vertically through the clamping rail platform (180); the clamping rail platform (180) can move up and down in the vertical direction along the lifting rail (20); a shelling ball screw (21) is set parallel to the clamping rail platform (180); a shelling ball screw nut (210) is fixedly set on the side wall of the clamping rail platform (180) and driven by the shelling ball screw nut (210), the clamping rail platform (180) is driven to move precisely in the vertical direction along the lifting rail (20) and stop at the designated position; The perforated box (26) is fixed to the side wall of the box (1). Sea urchin shell collection chambers (11.1-11.2) are respectively provided on the two side walls of the perforated box (26). The bottom edge of the two side walls of the perforated box (26) is respectively attached to the inner side of the opening of the sea urchin shell collection chamber (11.1-11.2). The sea urchin shell collection chamber (11.1-11.2) adopts a slanted triangular bucket-shaped structure to avoid the accumulation of sea urchin shells. The sea urchin shell collection chamber (11.1-11.2) adopts a detachable structure. The sea urchin shell collection chamber (11.1-11.2) is located below the bottom of the box (1). Four box support columns (3) are set at the four corners of the bottom of the box (1) to support the lifting track (20), the box (1), and the sea urchin shell collection chamber (11.1-11.2). The sea urchin viscera separation module (300) includes a vision sensor (14) and a three-degree-of-freedom cantilever auxiliary manipulator (310); the vision sensor (14) is set on the side wall of the perforated box (26), and a searchlight (15) fixedly set on the side wall of the perforated box (26) is provided below the vision sensor (14) to illuminate the vision sensor (14); The three-degree-of-freedom cantilevered manipulator (310) includes a first ball screw mechanism (311), a second ball screw mechanism (312), a third ball screw mechanism (313), a first track platform (321), a second track platform (322), a third track platform (323), and a manipulator mechanism (314). The three-degree-of-freedom cantilevered manipulator (310) is set between four support columns (9.1-9.4) that are perpendicular to the ground and distributed on both sides of the conveyor belt (4); The first ball screw mechanism (311) includes: a first set of bearings (7.7, 7.8) and a first ball screw (8.3), and a second set of bearings (7.1-7.2); the first set of bearings (7.7, 7.8) and the first ball screw (8.3) are parallel to each other and are arranged between two support columns (9.2, 9.3); the second set of bearings (7.1-7.2) are parallel to each other and are arranged between two other support columns (9.1, 9.4); the first ball screw (8.3) is driven by a first motor (48.3); The first track platform (321) includes a track platform one (32.1), a first track platform ball screw nut (35.2), a track platform two (32.2), a first set of bearing seats (34.3-34.4), and a second set of bearing seats (44.3-44.4); the first track platform ball screw nut (35.2) and the first set of bearing seats (34.3-34.4) are mounted on the track platform two (32.2), and the first set of bearing seats (34.3-34.4) respectively mate with the first set of bearings (7.7, 7.8); the first track platform ball screw nut (35.2) mates with the first ball screw (8.3); the second set of bearing seats (44.3-44.4) respectively mate with the second set of bearings (7.1-7.2); The second ball screw mechanism (312) includes a third set of bearings (53.3, 53.4), a fourth set of bearings (7.5-7.6), and a second ball screw (8.2). The fourth set of bearings (7.5-7.6) and the second ball screw (8.2) are parallel to each other and are vertically arranged on the second track platform (32.2). The third set of bearings (53.3, 53.4) are parallel to each other and are arranged on the first track platform (32.1). The second ball screw (8.2) is driven by a second motor (48.2). The second track platform (322) includes track platform three (31.1), second track platform ball screw nut (36.2), track platform four (31.2), third set of bearing seats (36.3-36.4), and fourth set of bearing seats (37.3-37.4); the second track platform ball screw nut (36.2) and the third set of bearing seats (36.3-36.4) are set on track platform three (31.1), and the third set of bearing seats (36.3-36.4) respectively cooperate with the third set of bearings (53.3, 53.4); the second track platform ball screw nut (36.2) cooperates with the second ball screw (8.2); the fourth set of bearing seats (37.3-37.4) respectively cooperate with the fourth set of bearings (7.5-7.6); The third ball screw mechanism (313) comprises a fifth set of bearings (7.3-7.4) and a third ball screw (8.1). The fifth set of bearings (7.3-7.4) and the third ball screw (8.1) are parallel to each other, and their two ends are respectively set between the third track platform (31.1) and the fourth track platform (31.2). The third ball screw (8.1) is driven by a third motor (48.1). The third track platform (323) includes track platform five (37.5), and the upper part of track platform five (37.5) is provided with the fifth set of bearing seats (34.1-34.2) and the ball screw nut of the third track platform (35.1). The fifth set of bearings (7.3-7.4) are respectively matched with the fifth set of bearing housings (34.1-34.2); the third ball screw (8.1) is matched with the third track platform ball screw nut (35.1); The bottom of the track platform five (37.5) is equipped with a robotic arm (33) for sorting sea urchin viscera.

2. The automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The perforated box (26) and the sea urchin shell collection chamber (11.1-11.2) are made of aluminum alloy plates, and the perforated box (26) has a hollow center.

3. The automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve (25) is made of martensitic stainless steel and is a hollow hemispherical shape.

4. The automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the collection basin set inside the box (1) is less than the vertical distance between the first block (28.1) and the second block (28.2); The collection basin is made of polypropylene, and each of its inner walls has a U-shaped groove.

5. The automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the clamp (18) is arranged with pits, the height of which is 1-5mm.

6. The automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A thin-film pressure sensor (17) is provided on the inner wall of the clamping body (18). The thin-film pressure sensor (17) is provided on the inner wall of the clamping body (18) to clamp the sea urchin, so as to control the clamping force of the sea urchin and prevent the sea urchin from being crushed.

7. The automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The meat-removing knife (27) is set at an acute angle to the opening of the perforated box (26).

8. The automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The meat-removing knife (27) is shovel-shaped; the distance between the clamping body (18) and the meat-removing knife (27) is determined by measuring the force through the thin film pressure sensor (17). The meat-removing knife (27) is rotatably set at the opening of the perforated box (26) so that it fits against the inner wall of the sea urchin when rotating, and all the sea urchin meat is removed.

9. The automated sea urchin shell and viscera removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveyor belt (4) is made of polyurethane material.

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