Picking and recycling paw for fruit harvesting

Abstract

The invention discloses a picking and recycling gripper for fruit harvesting. The picking and recycling gripper comprises a recycling pipeline and a gripper mechanism. The claw mechanism comprises a claw seat, a claw part, a sliding sleeve and a driving mechanism; the sliding sleeve can drive all the claw parts to open and close; the driving mechanism comprises a motor, a lead screw and a lead screw nut; the driving mechanism further comprises a first transmission part fixed to a middle shaft of the motor and a second transmission part fixed to the claw base, and the claw base can rotate relative to the recycling pipeline. A seat body of the motor is fixed on the sliding seat; the lead screw nut is fixed relative to the recovery pipeline; a first transmission relation can be established between the lead screw and the lead screw nut, and the lead screw and the lead screw nut can be separated from each other; the first transmission part and the second transmission part can establish a second transmission relation and can be separated from each other. According to the fruit picking device, the continuous process that one motor drives all the claw parts to be closed firstly and then rotate and screw fruits is achieved, cost is saved, the control difficulty is lowered, the whole picking action is completed at a time, and the picking efficiency is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of fruit harvesting machinery, in particular to a picking and recovery claw for fruit harvesting. Background Art

[0002] In modern agriculture, with the increase of labor costs and the advancement of technology, automated picking equipment has gradually become an important means to improve production efficiency and reduce labor intensity. Especially for fragile crops such as fruits and vegetables, the traditional manual picking method is not only inefficient, but also labor-intensive and labor-intensive, and the cost of employment is high. The applicant's prior application CN115226496A discloses a spherical fruit picking and recovery device and method, which includes a hose and a picking manipulator, the picking manipulator is located next to the hose nozzle, and the relative state of the two can be switched between a working state and an avoidance state. The picking manipulator includes a seat bracket mounted on the end rotating joint of the mechanical arm and a plurality of claws mounted on the seat bracket, and also includes a telescopic bracket that drives all claws to open and close synchronously through a connecting rod, the driving motor drives the telescopic bracket to translate through a screw, and the end joint of the robot drives the seat bracket to rotate, that is, driving the picking manipulator requires two actuators to drive the claw body to close and drive the seat bracket to twist, which is costly, and the two actuators need to be driven by control software to work in coordination. In addition, the fruits picked by the picking robot in this solution may fall outside the pipe mouth and cause unnecessary losses. In view of this, the citrus picking machine provided in the prior art CN 102656997 A directly installs the claw hand on the end of the pipe of the conveying pipe, which is more conducive to the entry of the fruit into the conveying pipe. The patent also includes a plurality of jaws that can be opened and closed and a driving mechanism for driving the jaws to open and close. The opening and closing of the claws is achieved by driving the clamping sleeve with a handle, and the claw hand is driven by a motor to rotate to twist the fruit. That is, two power sources are required to work together to achieve the picking of the fruit. The collaborative process will reduce the picking efficiency of the fruit. Summary of the invention

[0003] Purpose of the invention: In order to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a picking and recovery claw for fruit harvesting which has low cost, a continuous picking process and can improve picking efficiency.

[0004] Technical solution: To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the fruit harvesting picking and recovery claw of the present invention comprises a recovery pipe and a claw mechanism installed at the end of the recovery pipe;

[0005] The gripper mechanism comprises a gripper seat, a claw, a sleeve and a driving mechanism; the gripper seat is a cylindrical structure installed at the end of the recovery pipe; a plurality of claws are rotatably installed on the gripper seat, and all the claws are arranged around the gripper seat, the sleeve is slidably sleeved on the outside of the gripper seat, and can drive all the claws to open and close; the driving mechanism comprises a motor, a lead screw and a lead screw nut, and the motor is drivingly connected to the lead screw;

[0006] The driving mechanism further comprises a first transmission member fixed on the central axis of the motor, and a second transmission member fixed on the gripper seat, and the gripper seat can rotate relative to the recovery pipe; the seat of the motor is fixed on a sliding seat that can slide relative to the end of the recovery pipe, and the lead screw nut is fixed relative to the recovery pipe;

[0007] The lead screw and the lead screw nut can establish a first transmission relationship to drive the sleeve to move, and the two can be disengaged from each other; the first transmission member and the second transmission member can establish a second transmission relationship to drive the claw hand seat to rotate, and the two can be disengaged from each other. Of the first transmission relationship and the second transmission relationship, when one transmission relationship is disengaged, the other transmission relationship has been established. Preferably, the two transmission relationships are not established at the same time most of the time, and when one transmission relationship is about to be disengaged, the other transmission relationship has been established, and the two transmission relationships have a short coexistence time. The lead screw and the central axis of the motor are integrally formed, and the lead screw and the first transmission member are placed on both sides of the motor seat. In this way, when the motor drives the lead screw to operate to close all the claws, the first transmission member approaches the second transmission member, and when the lead screw and the lead screw nut are disengaged from each other, the second transmission relationship has been established.

[0008] Furthermore, the first transmission member and the second transmission member are both friction wheels, and both have conical surfaces. When the two transmission wheels establish a second transmission relationship, power is transmitted between the two by friction. In addition, the first transmission member and the second transmission member can also be gears, preferably the above-mentioned friction wheel form.

[0009] Furthermore, a plurality of push rods arranged in a circumferential array are fixed on the slide seat, and the push rods are in contact with the slide sleeve. The slide seat acts on the slide sleeve through the push rods, which can transmit axial force on the one hand, and does not hinder the gripper seat from driving the slide sleeve to rotate on the other hand, and the friction between the push rods and the slide sleeve is small.

[0010] Furthermore, a connecting rod is connected between the sliding sleeve and each of the claws, and both ends of the connecting rod are rotatably connected to the components connected thereto, so that the sliding sleeve can synchronously drive all the claws to perform opening and closing movements.

[0011] Furthermore, an elastic mechanism is provided between the claw hand seat and the sliding sleeve, and the elastic mechanism applies a force to the sliding sleeve so that the sliding sleeve has a tendency to move away from the claw portion.

[0012] Furthermore, a plurality of axial grooves are arranged on the outer wall of the gripper seat, and a guide sliding block embedded in the axial groove is formed on the inner side of the sliding sleeve; and the elastic mechanism includes a spring acting on each of the guide sliding blocks.

[0013] When the screw rotates forward and all the claws are closed, the screw and the screw nut disengage. Thereafter, when the screw continues to rotate forward, the screw nut presses against the end of the screw to act as a non-return mechanism. The elastic action of the spring allows the screw to re-engage with the screw nut to re-establish the first transmission relationship after the screw rotates in the opposite direction.

[0014] Furthermore, the elastic mechanism also includes an adjustment mechanism corresponding to each spring, the adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment screw mounted on the gripper seat, and an adjustment nut mounted on the adjustment screw; the spring abuts against the adjustment nut. By changing the position of the adjustment nut relative to the adjustment screw, the stiffness of the spring can be changed.

[0015] In addition, the position of the push rod relative to the slide can be adjusted, or a buffer spring with greater stiffness is provided between the push rod and the slide, and the stiffness of the buffer spring is much greater than the stiffness of the spring, preferably the latter, so that by changing the position of the adjusting screw relative to the claw hand seat, the maximum closing angle of the claw can be limited to prevent the claw from damaging the fruit. The slide pushes the sliding sleeve to move through the push rod to close the claw. When the guide slider is pressed by the adjusting screw, the sliding sleeve stops moving and the claw stops closing. Thereafter, if the slide continues to move, the buffer spring is compressed to keep the position of the claw unchanged.

[0016] Furthermore, the claw is made of a flexible material and has a hollow outer frame. The outer frame is in a triangular shape and has a plurality of ribs arranged in parallel.

[0017] With the above structure, initially, all claws are in a relatively open state, and the first transmission relationship is in an established state, and the second transmission relationship is in a disengaged state. The mechanical arm equipped with the picking and recovery claws operates to make the claw mechanism face the fruit to be picked, so that the fruit is placed between all claws; then, the motor runs in the forward direction, and the first transmission relationship between the lead screw and the lead screw nut drives the slide to move axially relative to the recovery pipe, and the slide pushes the sleeve to translate in the radial direction of the claw seat through the push rod, so that all claws synchronously move toward the middle and envelope the fruit to be picked; the motor continues to rotate to disengage the first transmission relationship and engage the second transmission relationship, so that the motor can make the claw grab the fruit, and then the claw seat drives all claws to rotate through the second transmission relationship established by the first transmission member and the second transmission member, thereby realizing the twisting effect on the fruit, so that the fruit is separated from the branches or vines. After the fruit is picked, the motor runs in the reverse direction. At this time, the spring pushes the lead screw and the lead screw nut to re-establish the first transmission relationship, and the first transmission member is disengaged from the second transmission member; the motor continues to run in the reverse direction to reopen all the claws, and the fruit falls into the recovery pipe and enters the fruit collecting box along the recovery pipe.

[0018] Beneficial effects: The fruit harvesting and recycling claw of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] (1) Through the structural design of the driving mechanism, when the motor is running, the claws can be closed to envelop the fruit through the first transmission relationship, and then the claw hand seat can be rotated through the second transmission relationship to realize the twisting and picking of the fruit. A continuous process is achieved in which a motor drives all claws to close first and then rotate to twist the fruit, which not only saves costs and reduces the difficulty of control, but also the entire picking action is completed in one go, with high picking efficiency.

[0020] (2) The two transmission parts are set in the form of friction wheels, which are convenient for the two transmission parts to engage with each other without the risk of engagement failure. Moreover, if a jam occurs during the process of turning the fruit, the structure of the friction wheel is conducive to protecting the structure and the motor, thereby avoiding damage to the claw structure or the motor.

[0021] (3) The setting of the elastic mechanism can help the disengaged lead screw and lead screw nut to re-establish the first transmission relationship, and by adjusting the positions of the adjusting screw and the adjusting nut in the elastic mechanism, the spring stiffness can be adjusted, and the maximum closing angle of the claw can be adjusted.

[0022] (4) Through the structural design of the claws, one surface of the outer frame can be deformed as needed to wrap the fruit as a clamping surface, thereby achieving a larger area of ​​contact with the fruit and preventing the fruit from being damaged. In the subsequent twisting process, it can also prevent the fruit's skin from being damaged by tangential friction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1A diagram showing the opening state of the picking and recovering claws for fruit harvesting;

[0024] Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the fruit harvesting picking and recovery claws in the open state;

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The enlarged structure diagram of the middle C part;

[0026] Figure 4 A diagram showing the closed state of the picking and recovering claws for fruit harvesting;

[0027] Figure 5 It is a partial structural diagram of the picking and recovery claw in the preferred embodiment.

[0028] In the figure: A-recovery pipeline; B-claw mechanism; 1-claw seat; 1a-axial groove; 2-claw; 2a-outer frame; 2b-rib body; 3-sleeve; 3a-guide slider; 4-connecting rod; 5-driving mechanism; 51-motor; 52-screw; 53-screw nut; 54-first transmission member; 55-second transmission member; 56-slide seat; 57-thrust rod; 58-buffer spring; 6-elastic mechanism; 61-spring; 62-adjusting screw; 63-adjusting nut. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0030] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 The picking and recovery gripper for fruit harvesting shown includes a recovery pipe A and a gripper mechanism B installed at the end of the recovery pipe A.

[0031] The gripper mechanism B includes a gripper seat 1, a claw 2, a sleeve 3 and a driving mechanism 5; the gripper seat 1 is a cylindrical structure installed at the end of the recovery pipe A; a plurality of claws 2 are rotatably installed on the gripper seat 1, and all the claws 2 are arranged around the gripper seat 1, the sleeve 3 is slidably sleeved on the outside of the gripper seat 1, and it can drive all the claws 2 to open and close; a connecting rod 4 is connected between the sleeve 3 and each claw 2; the two ends of the connecting rod 4 are rotatably connected to the parts connected thereto. In this way, the sleeve 3 can synchronously drive all the claws 2 to open and close.

[0032] The driving mechanism 5 includes a motor 51, a lead screw 52 and a lead screw nut 53, wherein the motor 51 is drivingly connected to the lead screw 52. The driving mechanism 5 also includes a first transmission member 54 fixed on the central axis of the motor 51, and a second transmission member 55 fixed on the gripper seat 1, and the gripper seat 1 can rotate relative to the recovery pipe A; the seat of the motor 51 is fixed on a slide seat 56 that can slide relative to the end of the recovery pipe A, and the lead screw nut 53 is fixed relative to the recovery pipe A.

[0033] The lead screw 52 and the lead screw nut 53 can establish a first transmission relationship to drive the sliding sleeve 3 to move, and the two can be disengaged from each other; the first transmission member 54 and the second transmission member 55 can establish a second transmission relationship to drive the gripper seat 1 to rotate, and the two can be disengaged from each other. When one of the first transmission relationship and the second transmission relationship is disengaged, the other transmission relationship has been established.

[0034] Preferably, the two transmission relationships are not established at the same time most of the time. When one transmission relationship is about to be disengaged, the other transmission relationship has been established, and the two transmission relationships coexist for a short time.

[0035] The lead screw 52 is integrally formed with the central axis of the motor 51, and the lead screw 52 and the first transmission member 54 are placed on both sides of the motor seat. In this way, when the motor 51 drives the lead screw 52 to operate and close all the claws 2, the first transmission member 54 approaches the second transmission member 55. When the lead screw 52 and the lead screw nut 53 are disengaged from each other, the second transmission relationship has been established, and a continuous process of one motor driving all the claws 2 to close first and then rotate and twist the fruit can be realized, which not only saves costs and reduces the difficulty of control, but also the entire picking action is completed in one go, and the picking efficiency is high. The first transmission member 54 and the second transmission member 55 are both friction wheels, and both have conical surfaces. When the two transmission wheels establish the second transmission relationship, power is transmitted between the two through friction.

[0036] In addition, both the first transmission member 54 and the second transmission member 55 can also be gears, preferably in the form of the above-mentioned friction wheels. The two friction wheels are easy to engage with each other, and there is no risk of engagement failure. If a jam occurs during the process of turning the fruit, the structure of the friction wheel is beneficial to protecting the structure and the motor, avoiding damage to the claw structure or the motor.

[0037] A plurality of push rods 57 arranged in a circumferential array are fixed on the slide seat 56, and the push rods 57 are in contact with the slide sleeve 3. The slide seat 56 acts on the slide sleeve 3 through the push rods 57, which can transmit axial force on the one hand, and does not hinder the gripper seat 1 from driving the slide sleeve 3 to rotate on the other hand, and the friction between the push rods 57 and the slide sleeve 3 is small.

[0038] Preferably, an elastic mechanism 6 is provided between the claw hand seat 1 and the sliding sleeve 3 , and the elastic mechanism 6 applies a force to the sliding sleeve 3 so that the sliding sleeve 3 has a tendency to move away from the claw portion 2 .

[0039] A plurality of axial grooves 1a are arranged on the outer wall of the gripper seat 1, and a guide slider 3a embedded in the axial groove 1a is formed on the inner side of the sliding sleeve 3; the elastic mechanism 6 includes a spring 61 acting on each guide slider 3a.

[0040] When the screw 52 rotates forward to close all the claws 2, the screw 52 and the screw nut 53 are disengaged. Thereafter, when the screw 52 continues to rotate forward, the screw nut 53 presses against the end of the screw 52 to act as a non-return mechanism. The elastic effect of the spring 61 allows the screw 52 to re-mate with the screw nut 53 to re-establish the first transmission relationship after the screw 52 rotates in the opposite direction.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, the elastic mechanism 6 also includes an adjustment mechanism corresponding to each spring 61, the adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment screw 62 installed on the gripper seat 1, and also includes an adjustment nut 63 installed on the adjustment screw 62; the spring 61 resists the adjustment nut 63. By changing the position of the adjustment nut 63 relative to the adjustment screw 62, the stiffness of the spring 61 can be changed.

[0042] In addition, the position of the push rod 57 relative to the slide 56 can be adjusted, or, as Figure 5 As shown, a buffer spring 58 with greater rigidity is arranged between the top rod 57 and the slide 56. The rigidity of the buffer spring is much greater than the rigidity of the spring 61, preferably the latter. In this way, by changing the position of the adjusting screw 62 relative to the claw hand seat 1, the maximum closing angle of the claw 2 can be limited to prevent the claw 2 from scratching the fruit. The slide 56 pushes the sliding sleeve 3 to move through the top rod 57 to close the claw 2. When the guide slider 3a is pressed by the adjusting screw 62, the sliding sleeve 3 stops moving and the claw 2 stops closing. Thereafter, if the slide 56 continues to move, the buffer spring 58 is compressed to keep the position of the claw 2 unchanged.

[0043] The claw 2 is made of a flexible material and has a hollow outer frame 2a. The outer frame 2a is triangular in shape and has a plurality of parallel ribs 2b arranged inside. With the structure of the claw 2, one surface of the outer frame 2a can be deformed as required as a clamping surface to wrap around the fruit, thereby achieving a larger area of ​​contact with the fruit, preventing the fruit from being damaged by clamping, and preventing the outer skin of the fruit from being damaged by tangential friction during the subsequent twisting process.

[0044] Using the above structure, initially, if Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, all claws 2 are in a relatively open state, and the first transmission relationship is in an established state, and the second transmission relationship is in a disengaged state. The mechanical arm equipped with the picking and recovery claws operates to make the claw mechanism B face the fruit to be picked, so that the fruit is placed between all claws 2; then, the motor 51 runs forward, and the first transmission relationship between the screw 52 and the screw nut 53 drives the slide 56 to move axially relative to the recovery pipe A. The slide 56 pushes the sleeve 3 to translate in the radial direction of the claw seat 1 through the push rod 57, so that all claws 2 are synchronously moved toward the middle (as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the motor 51 envelops the fruit to be picked; the motor 51 continues to rotate to disengage the first transmission relationship and engage the second transmission relationship. In this way, the motor 51 can make the claw 2 grab the fruit, and then the second transmission relationship established by the first transmission member 54 and the second transmission member 55 makes the claw seat 1 drive all the claws 2 to rotate, so as to achieve the twisting effect on the fruit, so that the fruit is separated from the branch or vine. After the fruit is picked, the motor 51 runs in the reverse direction. At this time, the spring 61 pushes the lead screw 52 and the lead screw nut 53 to re-establish the first transmission relationship, and the first transmission member 54 is disengaged from the second transmission member 55; the motor 51 continues to run in the reverse direction, so that all the claws 2 can be reopened, and the fruit falls into the recovery pipe A and enters the fruit collection box along the recovery pipe A.

[0045] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A picking and recovery gripper for fruit harvesting, comprising a recovery pipe (A) and a gripper mechanism (B) installed at the end of the recovery pipe (A); The gripper mechanism (B) comprises a gripper seat (1), a claw (2), a sliding sleeve (3) and a driving mechanism (5); the gripper seat (1) is a cylindrical structure mounted on the end of the recovery pipe (A); a plurality of claws (2) are rotatably mounted on the gripper seat (1), and all the claws (2) are arranged around the gripper seat (1); the sliding sleeve (3) is slidably sleeved on the outer side of the gripper seat (1), and can drive all the claws (2) to open and close; the driving mechanism (5) comprises a motor (51), a lead screw (52) and a lead screw nut (53); the motor (51) is drivingly connected to the lead screw (52); Features: The driving mechanism (5) further comprises a first transmission member (54) fixed on the central axis of the motor (51), and a second transmission member (55) fixed on the gripper seat (1), and the gripper seat (1) is capable of rotating relative to the recovery pipe (A); the seat body of the motor (51) is fixed on a sliding seat (56) capable of sliding relative to the end of the recovery pipe (A), and the lead screw nut (53) is fixed relative to the recovery pipe (A); The lead screw (52) and the lead screw nut (53) can establish a first transmission relationship to drive the sleeve (3) to move, and the two can be disengaged from each other; the first transmission member (54) and the second transmission member (55) can establish a second transmission relationship to drive the gripper seat (1) to rotate, and the two can be disengaged from each other.

2. The fruit harvesting and collecting claw according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first transmission member (54) and the second transmission member (55) are both friction wheels, and both have a conical surface. When the two transmission wheels establish a second transmission relationship, power is transmitted between the two through friction.

3. The fruit harvesting and collecting claw according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of push rods (57) arranged in a circumferential array are fixed on the slide seat (56), and the push rods (57) are in contact with the slide sleeve (3).

4. The fruit harvesting and collecting claw according to claim 1, characterized in that: A connecting rod (4) is connected between the sliding sleeve (3) and each claw portion (2); both ends of the connecting rod (4) are rotatably connected to the components connected thereto.

5. The fruit harvesting and collecting claw according to claim 1, characterized in that: An elastic mechanism (6) is provided between the claw hand seat (1) and the sliding sleeve (3), and the elastic mechanism (6) applies a force to the sliding sleeve (3) so that the sliding sleeve (3) has a tendency to move away from the claw portion (2).

6. The fruit harvesting and collecting claw according to claim 4, characterized in that: A plurality of axial grooves (1a) are provided on the outer wall of the gripper seat (1); a guide slider (3a) embedded in the axial groove (1a) is formed on the inner side of the sliding sleeve (3); and the elastic mechanism (6) comprises a spring (61) acting on each guide slider (3a).

7. The fruit harvesting and collecting claw according to claim 6, characterized in that: The elastic mechanism (6) further comprises an adjustment mechanism arranged corresponding to each spring (61), the adjustment mechanism comprising an adjustment screw (62) mounted on the gripper seat (1), and an adjustment nut (63) mounted on the adjustment screw (62); the spring (61) abuts against the adjustment nut (63).

8. The fruit harvesting picking and recovery gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The claw part (2) is made of a flexible material and has a hollow outer frame (2a). The outer frame (2a) is in a triangular shape and has a plurality of ribs (2b) arranged in parallel.

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