A picking and recovering hand for fruit harvesting

Abstract

The application discloses a picking and recycling hand claw for fruit harvesting, which comprises a recycling pipeline and a claw hand mechanism; the claw hand mechanism comprises a claw hand seat, claw parts, 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 on the central shaft of the motor and a second transmission part fixed on the claw hand seat, and the claw hand seat can rotate relative to the recycling pipeline; the seat body of the motor is fixed on a sliding seat, and the lead screw nut is fixed relative to the recycling pipeline; the lead screw and the lead screw nut can establish a first transmission relationship and can be separated from each other; the first transmission part and the second transmission part can establish a second transmission relationship and can be separated from each other. In the application, one motor drives all the claw parts to continuously close and then rotate and screw the fruits, thereby saving cost, reducing control difficulty, and achieving a whole picking action and high picking efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fruit harvesting machinery technology, and in particular to a fruit harvesting and recovery gripper. Background Technology

[0002] In modern agriculture, with rising labor costs and technological advancements, automated harvesting equipment has gradually become an important means of improving production efficiency and reducing labor intensity. Especially for fragile crops such as fruits and vegetables, traditional manual harvesting methods are not only inefficient but also labor-intensive and costly. The applicant's prior application CN115226496A discloses a spherical fruit harvesting and recovery device and method, including a flexible hose and a harvesting robot. The harvesting robot is located next to the hose opening, and their relative states can switch between working and avoidance states. The harvesting robot includes a base bracket mounted on the rotary joint at the end of the robot arm and multiple claws mounted on the base bracket. It also includes a telescopic bracket that drives all claws to open and close synchronously via a linkage. A drive motor drives the telescopic bracket to translate via a lead screw, and the robot's end joint drives the base bracket to rotate. In other words, driving the harvesting robot requires two actuators to drive the claws to close and the base bracket to rotate, resulting in high costs. Furthermore, the two actuators need to be driven by control software for coordinated operation. In addition, the fruit picked by the picking robot in this solution may fall outside the pipe opening, causing unnecessary losses. In view of this, the citrus picking machine provided in the prior art CN 102656997 A directly installs the claws at the end of the conveyor pipe, which is more conducive to the fruit entering the conveyor pipe. This patent also includes multiple claws that can open and close, as well as a drive mechanism to drive the claws to open and close. The claws need to be opened and closed by a handle drive sleeve, and the claws are rotated by a motor to twist the fruit. That is, two power sources need to work together to pick the fruit. The collaborative process will reduce the fruit picking efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Purpose of the invention: In order to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology, the present invention provides a fruit harvesting and recycling gripper that is low in cost, allows for continuous harvesting, and can improve harvesting efficiency.

[0004] Technical solution: To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a fruit harvesting and recovery gripper, which includes a recovery pipe and a gripper mechanism installed at the end of the recovery pipe;

[0005] The gripper mechanism includes a gripper base, grippers, a sliding sleeve, and a drive mechanism. The gripper base is a cylindrical structure installed at the end of the recycling pipe. Multiple grippers are rotatably mounted on the gripper base, and all grippers are arranged around the gripper base. The sliding sleeve is slidably sleeved on the outside of the gripper base and can drive all grippers to open and close. The drive mechanism includes a motor, a lead screw, and a lead screw nut, and the motor is drivenly connected to the lead screw.

[0006] The drive mechanism further includes a first transmission component fixed on the central shaft of the motor, and a second transmission component fixed on the claw holder, wherein the claw holder is rotatable relative to the recycling pipe; the motor base is fixed on a slide block that is slidable relative to the end of the recycling pipe, and the lead screw nut is fixed relative to the recycling pipe.

[0007] The lead screw and the lead screw nut can establish a first transmission relationship to drive the sliding sleeve to move, and they can disengage from each other; the first transmission member and the second transmission member can establish a second transmission relationship to drive the claw seat to rotate, and they can disengage from each other. When one of the first and second transmission relationships disengages, the other transmission relationship has already been established. Preferably, the two transmission relationships are not established simultaneously most of the time; when one transmission relationship is about to disengage, the other transmission relationship has already been established, and the two transmission relationships coexist briefly. The lead screw and the central shaft of the motor are integrally formed, and the lead screw and the first transmission member are respectively placed on both sides of the motor housing. Thus, during the process of the motor driving the lead screw to close all the claws, the first transmission member moves closer to the second transmission member. When the lead screw and the lead screw nut disengage from each other, the second transmission relationship has been established.

[0008] Furthermore, both the first and second transmission components are friction wheels, and both have a conical surface. Once the two transmission wheels establish a second transmission relationship, power is transmitted between them through friction. Additionally, both the first and second transmission components can also be gears, preferably in the form of the aforementioned friction wheels.

[0009] Furthermore, a plurality of push rods arranged in a circumferential array are fixed on the slide block, and the push rods contact the slide sleeve. The slide block acts on the slide sleeve through the push rods, which can transmit axial force on the one hand, and does not hinder the claw 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; both ends of the connecting rod are rotatably connected to their respective connected components. In this way, 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 base and the sliding sleeve, and the elastic mechanism applies a force to the sliding sleeve so that the sliding sleeve tends to move away from the claw.

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

[0013] When the lead screw rotates forward and closes all the claws, the lead screw disengages from the lead screw nut. When the lead screw continues to rotate forward, the lead screw nut abuts against the end of the lead screw to prevent backflow. The elasticity of the spring allows the lead screw to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the lead screw can re-engage with the lead screw nut to re-establish the first transmission relationship.

[0014] Furthermore, the elastic mechanism also includes an adjustment mechanism corresponding to each spring. The adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment screw mounted on the claw base and an adjustment nut mounted on the adjustment screw; the spring abuts against the adjustment nut. The stiffness of the spring can be changed by altering the position of the adjustment nut relative to the adjustment screw.

[0015] Furthermore, the position of the push rod relative to the slide can be adjusted, or a more rigid buffer spring can be installed between the push rod and the slide. The stiffness of the buffer spring is much greater than that of the spring, preferably the latter. In this way, by changing the position of the adjusting screw relative to the claw holder, the maximum closing angle of the claw can be limited, preventing the claw from damaging the fruit. The slide pushes the sliding sleeve to close the claw via the push rod. When the guide slider is stopped by the adjusting screw, the sliding sleeve stops moving, and the claw stops closing. Afterward, if the slide continues to move, the buffer spring is compressed to keep the claw position unchanged.

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

[0017] Using the above structure, initially, all claws are in a relatively open state, the first transmission relationship is established, and the second transmission relationship is disengaged. The robotic arm equipped with the picking and retrieval claws rotates so that the claw mechanism faces the fruit to be picked, placing the fruit between all the claws. Then, the motor rotates in the forward direction, and the first transmission relationship between the lead screw and the lead screw nut pushes the slide to move axially relative to the retrieval pipe. The slide pushes the sliding sleeve to move radially on the claw seat through the push rod, so that all the claws move towards the center synchronously and envelop the fruit to be picked. The motor continues to rotate, which can disengage the first transmission relationship and engage the second transmission relationship. In this way, after the claws grasp the fruit, the second transmission relationship established by the first and second transmission components causes the claw seat to drive all the claws to rotate, realizing the twisting action on the fruit and separating the fruit from the branches or vines. After the fruit is picked, the motor reverses its rotation. At this time, the spring pushes the lead screw and lead screw nut to re-establish the first transmission relationship, and the first transmission component disengages from the second transmission component. The motor continues to reverse its rotation, which can reopen all the claws, allowing the fruit to fall into the recycling pipe and enter the fruit collection box along the recycling pipe.

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

[0019] (1) Through the structural design of the drive mechanism, when the motor is running, the claws can first close to envelop the fruit through the first transmission relationship, and then the claw hand seat can rotate through the second transmission relationship to achieve the twisting and picking of the fruit. This realizes a continuous process in which one motor drives all the claws to close first and then rotate to twist the fruit, which not only saves costs and reduces the difficulty of control, but also makes the whole picking action seamless and efficient.

[0020] (2) The two transmission components are set as friction wheels. The two transmission components are easy to engage and there is no risk of engagement failure. In addition, if jamming occurs during the process of turning the knob on the fruit, the structure of the friction wheel helps to protect the structure and motor and avoid damage to the claw structure or motor.

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

[0022] (4) Through the structural design of the claw, one side of the outer frame can be deformed as needed to enclose the fruit, so as to achieve a larger area of ​​contact with the fruit and prevent the fruit from being crushed. In the subsequent twisting process, it can also prevent the fruit skin from being damaged by tangential friction. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1A diagram showing the open state of the harvesting and recycling hand for fruit harvesting;

[0024] Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the open state of the harvesting and recycling hand for fruit harvesting;

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged structural diagram of section C;

[0026] Figure 4 A diagram showing the closed state of the harvesting and recycling hand used for fruit harvesting;

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

[0028] In the diagram: A - Recycling pipe; B - Claw mechanism; 1 - Claw seat; 1a - Axial groove; 2 - Claw part; 2a - Outer frame; 2b - Rib; 3 - Sliding sleeve; 3a - Guide slider; 4 - Connecting rod; 5 - Drive mechanism; 51 - Motor; 52 - Lead screw; 53 - Lead screw nut; 54 - First transmission component; 55 - Second transmission component; 56 - Slide seat; 57 - Top rod; 58 - Buffer spring; 6 - Elastic mechanism; 61 - Spring; 62 - Adjusting screw; 63 - Adjusting nut. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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

[0031] The claw mechanism B includes a claw base 1, claw parts 2, a sliding sleeve 3, and a drive mechanism 5. The claw base 1 is a cylindrical structure installed at the end of the recycling pipe A. Multiple claw parts 2 are rotatably mounted on the claw base 1, and all claw parts 2 are arranged around the claw base 1. The sliding sleeve 3 is slidably sleeved on the outside of the claw base 1 and can drive all claw parts 2 to open and close. A connecting rod 4 is connected between the sliding sleeve 3 and each claw part 2. Both ends of the connecting rod 4 are rotatably connected to their respective connected components. Thus, the sliding sleeve 3 can synchronously drive all claw parts 2 to perform opening and closing movements.

[0032] The drive mechanism 5 includes a motor 51, a lead screw 52, ​​and a lead screw nut 53, with the motor 51 and the lead screw 52 being drivenly connected. The drive mechanism 5 also includes a first transmission component 54 fixed on the central shaft of the motor 51, and a second transmission component 55 fixed on the gripper base 1, the gripper base 1 being rotatable relative to the recycling pipe A; the seat of the motor 51 is fixed on a slide block 56 that is slidable relative to the end of the recycling pipe A, and the lead screw nut 53 is fixed relative to the recycling 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 they can disengage from each other; the first transmission member 54 and the second transmission member 55 can establish a second transmission relationship to drive the claw holder 1 to rotate, and they can disengage from each other. When one of the first and second transmission relationships disengages, the other transmission relationship has already been established.

[0034] Preferably, the two transmission relationships are not established simultaneously most of the time. When one transmission relationship is about to disengage, the other transmission relationship has already been established, and the two transmission relationships coexist for a short period of time.

[0035] The lead screw 52 and the central shaft of the motor 51 are integrally formed, and the lead screw 52 and the first transmission component 54 are respectively placed on both sides of the motor base. Thus, as the motor 51 drives the lead screw 52 to close all the claws 2, the first transmission component 54 moves closer to the second transmission component 55. When the lead screw 52 and the lead screw nut 53 disengage, the second transmission relationship is established. This allows for a continuous process where one motor drives all the claws 2 to close first and then rotate to twist the fruit, saving costs, reducing control difficulty, and making the entire harvesting action seamless and efficient. Both the first transmission component 54 and the second transmission component 55 are friction wheels, and both have conical surfaces. When the two transmission wheels establish the second transmission relationship, power is transmitted between them through friction.

[0036] In addition, the first transmission component 54 and the second transmission component 55 can also be gears, preferably in the form of the friction wheels described above. The two friction wheels are easy to engage and there is no risk of engagement failure. Furthermore, if jamming occurs during the process of turning the knob on the fruit, the structure of the friction wheels helps to protect the structure and the motor, preventing damage to the claw structure or the motor.

[0037] Multiple push rods 57 arranged in a circular array are fixed on the slide block 56, and the push rods 57 are in contact with the slide sleeve 3. The slide block 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 claw 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 base 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 tends to move away from the claw 2.

[0039] The outer wall of the claw base 1 is provided with a plurality of axial grooves 1a, and the inner side of the sliding sleeve 3 is formed with a guide block 3a that is embedded in the axial groove 1a; the elastic mechanism 6 includes a spring 61 acting on each of the guide blocks 3a.

[0040] When the lead screw 52 rotates forward and closes all the claws 2, the lead screw 52 disengages from the lead screw nut 53. Afterward, when the lead screw 52 continues to rotate forward, the lead screw nut 53 abuts against the end of the lead screw 52 to play a stop-return role. The elasticity of the spring 61 allows the lead screw 52 to re-engage with the lead screw nut 53 after it rotates in the opposite direction to re-establish the first transmission relationship.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, the elastic mechanism 6 further includes an adjustment mechanism corresponding to each spring 61. The adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment screw 62 mounted on the claw base 1 and an adjustment nut 63 mounted on the adjustment screw 62; the spring 61 abuts against 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] Furthermore, the position of the push rod 57 relative to the slide 56 can be adjusted, or, as... Figure 5 As shown, a stiffer buffer spring 58 is provided between the push rod 57 and the slide 56. The stiffness of the buffer spring is much greater than that of the spring 61, preferably the latter. Thus, by changing the position of the adjusting screw 62 relative to the claw seat 1, the maximum closing angle of the claw 2 can be limited, preventing the claw 2 from damaging the fruit. The slide 56 pushes the sliding sleeve 3 to close the claw 2 via the push rod 57. When the guide slider 3a is stopped by the adjusting screw 62, the sliding sleeve 3 stops moving, and the claw 2 stops closing. Afterward, 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 part 2 is made of a flexible material and has a hollow outer frame 2a. The outer frame 2a is triangular in shape and has multiple parallel ribs 2b inside. With this claw part 2 structure, one side of the outer frame 2a serves as the clamping surface and can deform as needed to envelop the fruit, achieving a larger contact area with the fruit and preventing damage. During subsequent twisting, it also prevents the fruit's outer skin from being damaged by tangential friction.

[0044] Using the above structure, initially, as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, all claws 2 are in a relatively open state, the first transmission relationship is established, and the second transmission relationship is disengaged. The robotic arm equipped with the picking and retrieval claws rotates so that the claw mechanism B faces the fruit to be picked, placing the fruit between all claws 2. Then, the motor 51 rotates in the forward direction, and the first transmission relationship between the lead screw 52 and the lead screw nut 53 pushes the slide 56 to move axially relative to the retrieval pipe A. The slide 56 pushes the sliding sleeve 3 to move radially in the claw seat 1 through the push rod 57, so that all claws 2 move towards the center synchronously (e.g., Figure 4 (As shown) and wraps around the fruit to be picked; the motor 51 continues to rotate, which can disengage the first transmission relationship and engage the second transmission relationship. In this way, the motor 51 can make the claw 2 grasp the fruit, and the second transmission relationship established by the first transmission member 54 and the second transmission member 55 can make the claw seat 1 drive all the claws 2 to rotate, realizing the twisting action of the fruit, so that the fruit is separated from the branch or vine. After the fruit is picked, the motor 51 rotates 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 and the second transmission member 55 disengage; the motor 51 continues to rotate in the reverse direction, which can make all the claws 2 reopen, and the fruit falls into the recycling pipe A and enters the fruit collection box through the recycling pipe A.

[0045] 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 picking and recovering hand for fruit harvesting, comprising a recovering pipe (A) and a hand mechanism (B) mounted at the end of the recovering pipe (A); The hand mechanism (B) comprises a hand seat (1), a claw (2), a sliding sleeve (3) and a driving mechanism (5); the hand seat (1) is a cylindrical structure mounted at the end of the recovering pipe (A); a plurality of claws (2) are rotatably mounted on the hand seat (1), and all the claws (2) are arranged around the hand seat (1); the sliding sleeve (3) is slidably sleeved on the outside of the hand 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), and the motor (51) is drivingly connected with the lead screw (52). Characterized in that: The driving mechanism (5) further comprises a first transmission member (54) fixed on the central shaft of the motor (51) and a second transmission member (55) fixed on the hand seat (1), and the hand seat (1) can rotate relative to the recovering pipe (A); the seat body of the motor (51) is fixed on a sliding seat (56) which can slide relative to the end of the recovering pipe (A), and the lead screw nut (53) is fixed relative to the recovering pipe (A); 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 can be disconnected from each other; the first transmission member (54) and the second transmission member (55) can establish a second transmission relationship to drive the hand seat (1) to rotate and can be disconnected from each other; When one of the first transmission relationship and the second transmission relationship is disconnected, the other one has been established; A resilient mechanism (6) is arranged between the hand seat (1) and the sliding sleeve (3), and the resilient mechanism (6) applies a force to the sliding sleeve (3) to make the sliding sleeve (3) have a tendency to move away from the claw (2).

2. The picking and retrieving hand of claim 1, wherein, The first transmission member (54) and the second transmission member (55) are both friction wheels and have a conical surface part, and when the two transmission wheels establish the second transmission relationship, power is transmitted therebetween through friction.

3. The picking and retrieving hand of claim 1, wherein, A plurality of top rods (57) are fixed on the sliding seat (56) in a circumferential array, and the top rods (57) are in contact with the sliding sleeve (3).

4. The picking and retrieving hand of claim 1, wherein, A connecting rod (4) is connected between the sliding sleeve (3) and each claw (2); the two ends of the connecting rod (4) are rotatably connected with the components connected therewith.

5. The picking and retrieving hand of claim 4, wherein, A plurality of axial grooves (1a) are arranged on the outer wall of the hand seat (1), and the inside of the sliding sleeve (3) is formed with a guide sliding block (3a) embedded in the axial grooves (1a); the resilient mechanism (6) comprises a spring (61) acting on each guide sliding block (3a).

6. The picking and retrieving hand of claim 5, wherein, The elastic mechanism (6) further comprises an adjusting mechanism arranged corresponding to each spring (61), the adjusting mechanism comprises an adjusting screw (62) mounted on the claw hand seat (1), and further comprises an adjusting nut (63) mounted on the adjusting screw (62); the spring (61) abuts against the adjusting nut (63).

7. The picking and retrieving hand of claim 1, wherein, The claw part (2) is made of flexible material, has a hollow outer frame body (2a), the outer frame body (2a) is triangular in shape, and a plurality of parallel layout rib bodies (2b) are arranged in the outer frame body (2a).

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