Manipulator system and automatic milking equipment applying same

Abstract

A manipulator system and automatic milking equipment applying the same, the manipulator system comprises a fixed seat and a mechanical arm arranged on the fixed seat, and the manipulator system is characterized in that one end of the mechanical arm far away from the fixed seat can extend forwards and is connected with a manipulator capable of squeezing breasts. The manipulator comprises a mounting base, the rear side of the mounting base is connected with the mechanical arm, and a milking assembly capable of being freely opened and closed is hinged to the front side of the mounting base. The device further comprises an auxiliary disinfection assembly, the auxiliary disinfection assembly comprises a rotating rod, one end of the rotating rod is hinged to the upper side of the mounting base, the rotating rod can rotate front and back, the other end of the rotating rod is hinged to an ultraviolet lamp tube, and the ultraviolet lamp tube can rotate to the position between the two clamping plate sets. A containing groove is formed in one side of the rotating rod and penetrates to the end, away from the mounting base, of the rotating rod, and the ultraviolet lamp tube can be contained in the containing groove. And the auxiliary disinfection assembly can disinfect the clamping plates, bacteria breeding is reduced, the manipulator does not need to be frequently disassembled for disinfection, and the efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of milking equipment, in particular to a manipulator system and automatic milking equipment using the manipulator system. Background Art

[0002] Milking is an important part of farmers' efficient and large-scale production of dairy products. Since manual milking is time-consuming, labor-intensive and inefficient, more and more farmers use mechanical equipment for milking. When using a manipulator to squeeze the udder, it is easy to get contaminated with milk stains or dust. Moreover, when the temperature of the milking environment is high, the milk stains attached to the manipulator are easy to deteriorate, leading to an increase in bacteria. The current manipulator needs to work continuously for a period of time when cleaning, for example, it can only be removed for cleaning and disinfection after completing a batch of milking work. The interval is long and it is easy to breed bacteria. If the cleaning frequency is blindly increased, such as removing the manipulator for cleaning after each cow is milked, the milking interval will be too long, affecting the milking efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to solve the technical problems existing in the above-mentioned background technology, the present invention provides a manipulator system and an automatic milking device using the same.

[0004] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0005] A robot system comprises a fixing seat and a robot arm arranged thereon, wherein one end of the robot arm away from the fixing seat can extend forward and is connected to a robot arm capable of squeezing a breast.

[0006] The manipulator comprises a mounting seat, the rear side of which is connected to the mechanical arm, and the front side of which is hinged with a milking assembly that can be opened and closed freely; the mounting seat is provided with a mounting cavity that passes through to the front side thereof, and a slider is slidably arranged inside the mounting seat, and the milking assembly comprises two clamping plate groups arranged opposite to each other, and the rear side of the clamping plate groups is hingedly connected to the slider through a hinge rod.

[0007] A driving mechanism for driving the slider to slide forward and backward is also connected to the side of the slider away from the hinge rod.

[0008] It also includes an auxiliary disinfection component, which includes a rotating rod with one end hinged to the upper side of the mounting seat and capable of rotating forward and backward, and an ultraviolet light tube hinged to the other end of the rotating rod, and the ultraviolet light tube is configured to be able to rotate between the two clamping plate groups. A receiving groove is provided on one side of the rotating rod, and the receiving groove passes through the end of the rotating rod away from the mounting seat, and the ultraviolet light tube is configured to be able to be received in the receiving groove.

[0009] It also includes a control module that can control the actions of the robotic arm, robotic hand and auxiliary disinfection components respectively.

[0010] Before milking, ensure that the auxiliary disinfection component is in the initial state, that is, the ultraviolet lamp is stored in the receiving slot, the rotating rod is horizontally arranged above the mounting seat, the mechanical arm is controlled to drive the mechanical hand to the breast position, the milking component is opened and moved to the two splint groups respectively located on both sides of the breast, the driving mechanism is started, and the slider is driven to move back and forth, so as to control the opening and closing of the milking component and perform milking. After a certain period of time, the mechanical hand is controlled to stay away from the breast, and then the rotating rod of the auxiliary disinfection component is controlled to rotate 180°, and the ultraviolet lamp is controlled to rotate out of the receiving slot to between the two splint groups, and the splints are disinfected to ensure the cleanliness of the splints and reduce bacterial growth. There is no need to frequently disassemble the mechanical hand for disinfection, and the disinfection effect is ensured while improving the milking efficiency.

[0011] Furthermore, the two splint groups include two splints arranged up and down, which disperse the force and facilitate the replacement of a splint without replacing the entire splint group.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, the splint is configured to be S-shaped, including a first arc segment and a second arc segment arranged front and back, and the centers of the two first arc segments are opposite, so that the arc splint can better fit the contour of the breast.

[0013] Further preferably, the accommodating groove is arranged on the side of the rotating rod away from the two splint groups, so that after the ultraviolet lamp tube is received in the accommodating groove, when the rotating rod is rotated to the initial state, the ultraviolet lamp tube faces the upper side of the mounting seat, and the accommodating groove cover of the rotating rod is arranged above the ultraviolet lamp tube to form a protective cover, which can not only avoid damage but also prevent dust from falling into.

[0014] As a further preferred solution, rubber layers are provided on opposite sides of the two splint sets to reduce the foreign body sensation generated by the splints when squeezing the breasts and reduce stimulation to the breasts.

[0015] In order to improve the stability and integrity between the two splint groups, a connecting rod is further provided between the two splint groups. The connecting rod is arc-shaped, and both ends of the connecting rod are respectively hingedly connected to the two second arc-shaped segments, and the center of the circle is set toward the front. At the same time, the arc-shaped connecting rod fits the contour of the breast better to avoid damage to the breast caused by sharp edges.

[0016] The rotation range of the ultraviolet lamp tube is 0-270°, ensuring that the ultraviolet lamp tube can be rotated backward into the receiving groove and can also be rotated forward between the two clamping plate groups. Moreover, the maximum rotation angle of 270° enables the ultraviolet lamp tube to extend into different heights between the two clamping plate groups, thereby increasing the irradiation range.

[0017] To ensure that the ultraviolet lamp can reach the corresponding position of the two clamping plate groups, the rotation range of the rotating rod is 0-180°. The rotating rod can drive the ultraviolet lamp to rotate between the two clamping plate groups, and can also rotate 180° to store it above the mounting base to save space.

[0018] Preferably, the two clamping plate groups are provided with a first distance sensor capable of detecting the opening and closing effect of the milking assembly.

[0019] Furthermore, in order to avoid the existence of sharp edges that may cause damage to the breast, the edges of the splint are chamfered.

[0020] The invention also discloses an automatic milking device, comprising the above-mentioned manipulator system.

[0021] Through the above design, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0022] The present invention discloses a manipulator system and automatic milking equipment using the same, which integrate the manipulator with an auxiliary disinfection component. The auxiliary disinfection component can use fragmented time to disinfect the splint, ensure the cleanliness of the splint, and reduce bacterial growth. A certain degree of disinfection can be automatically performed during the interval of milking or waiting time, which can extend the operation time of automatic milking and reduce the frequency of centralized cleaning and disinfection of the manipulator. Moreover, this auxiliary disinfection does not require disassembly of the manipulator, thereby improving efficiency while ensuring the disinfection effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In the attached picture:

[0024] Figure 1 A top view of the clamping state of the manipulator in the embodiment;

[0025] Figure 2 A top view of the robot arm in an open state in the embodiment;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Middle AA section view;

[0027] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the auxiliary disinfection component in the embodiment;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the use of the auxiliary disinfection component in the embodiment;

[0029] The components represented by the reference numerals in the figure are:

[0030] 1. Robotic arm; 2. Robotic hand; 21. Mounting seat; 22. Milking assembly; 221. Clamp group; 2211. Clamp; 222. Articulated rod; 23. Sliding block; 24. Connecting rod; 25. First distance sensor; 3. Auxiliary disinfection assembly; 31. Rotating rod; 32. Ultraviolet lamp; 33. Receiving slot; 34. Second distance sensor; 4. Breast. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Example

[0033] See also Figure 1 , Figure 2 The present invention first discloses a manipulator system for use in automatic milking equipment, including a fixed seat and a manipulator 1 arranged thereon, wherein one end of the manipulator 1 away from the fixed seat can extend forward and is connected to a manipulator 2 capable of squeezing a breast 4.

[0034] The robot arm 1 is configured to drive the robot hand 2 to adjust three degrees of freedom so as to more efficiently position the breast 4 .

[0035] In this embodiment, the manipulator 2 includes a mounting seat 21, the rear side of which is connected to the manipulator arm 1, and the front side is hinged with a milking assembly 22 that can be opened and closed freely; the mounting seat 21 is provided with a mounting cavity that passes through to the front side thereof, and a slider 23 is slidably provided inside the mounting seat 21. The milking assembly 22 includes two clamping plate groups 221 arranged opposite to each other, and the rear side of the clamping plate groups 221 is hingedly connected to the slider 23 through a hinge rod 222.

[0036] Furthermore, the two clamping plate groups 221 include two clamping plates 2211 arranged one above the other, which disperse the force and facilitate the replacement of a clamping plate 2211 without replacing the entire clamping plate group 221.

[0037] As a preferred embodiment, the splint 2211 is configured to be S-shaped, including a first arc segment and a second arc segment arranged front and back, and the centers of the two first arc segments are opposite, so that the arc splint 2211 can better fit the contour of the breast 4.

[0038] As a further preferred solution, rubber layers are provided on opposite sides of the two clamping plate groups 221 to reduce the foreign body sensation generated by the clamping plates 2211 when squeezing the breasts 4 and to reduce stimulation to the breasts 4.

[0039] Furthermore, in order to avoid the existence of sharp edges that may cause damage to the breast 4, the edges of the splint 2211 are chamfered.

[0040] In order to improve the stability and integrity between the two splint groups 221, a connecting rod 24 is further provided between the two splint groups 221. The connecting rod 24 is arc-shaped, and both ends of the connecting rod 24 are respectively hingedly connected to the two second arc segments, and the center of the circle is set toward the front. At the same time, the arc-shaped connecting rod 24 fits the contour of the breast 4 better to avoid damage to the breast 4 due to sharp edges.

[0041] As a preferred embodiment, in order to ensure the milking effect of the milking assembly 22, a first distance sensor 25 capable of detecting the opening and closing effect of the milking assembly 22 is provided on the second arc segment of the two splint groups 221, and it is arranged on the second arc segment to ensure that its detection effect will not be affected by the breast 4.

[0042] In this embodiment, a driving mechanism for driving the slider 23 to slide forward and backward is connected to the side of the slider 23 facing away from the hinge rod 222 .

[0043] Preferably, the driving mechanism is a cylinder, which has a compact structure, light weight and occupies little space.

[0044] See also Figure 3 , control the robot arm 1 to drive the robot 2 to the position of the breast 4, open the milking assembly 22 and move it to the two clamping plate groups 221 respectively located on both sides of the breast 4, start the driving mechanism, drive the slider 23 to move back and forth, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the milking assembly 22 to perform milking, wherein the arc-shaped clamping plate 2211 and the connecting rod 24 can better fit the contour of the breast 4, and the edge of the clamping plate 2211 has no sharp corners, thereby avoiding damage and friction to the breast 4.

[0045] See also Figure 3 , Figure 4 The manipulator system also includes an auxiliary disinfection component 3, which includes a rotating rod 31 with one end hinged to the upper side of the mounting seat 21 and capable of rotating forward and backward. The other end of the rotating rod 31 is hinged to an ultraviolet lamp tube, and the ultraviolet lamp tube is configured to have one end hinged to the rotating rod 31 and the other end capable of rotating between the two splint groups 221.

[0046] In this embodiment, a receiving groove 33 is provided on one side of the rotating rod 31 . The receiving groove 33 extends to an end of the rotating rod 31 away from the mounting seat 21 , and the ultraviolet lamp tube is configured to be received in the receiving groove 33 .

[0047] To ensure that the ultraviolet lamp tube 32 can reach the corresponding position of the two clamping plate groups 221, the rotation range of the rotating rod 31 is 0-180°. The rotating rod 31 can drive the ultraviolet lamp tube 32 to rotate between the two clamping plate groups 221, and can also rotate 180° to store it above the mounting base 21 to save space.

[0048] The rotation range of the ultraviolet lamp tube is 0-270°, ensuring that the ultraviolet lamp tube 32 can be rotated backward into the receiving groove 33, and can also be rotated forward between the two clamping plate groups 221. Moreover, the maximum rotation angle of 270° enables the ultraviolet lamp tube 32 to extend into different heights between the two clamping plate groups 221, thereby increasing the irradiation range.

[0049] Further preferably, the accommodating groove 33 is arranged on the side of the rotating rod 31 away from the two splint groups 221, so that after the ultraviolet lamp 32 is received in the accommodating groove 33, when the rotating rod 31 is rotated to the initial state, the ultraviolet lamp 32 faces the upper side of the mounting seat 21, and the accommodating groove 33 of the rotating rod 31 is covered above the ultraviolet lamp 32 to form a protective cover, which can not only avoid damage but also prevent dust from falling.

[0050] See also Figure 3 For example, a second distance sensor 34 is provided at the front side of the hinged end between the rotating rod 31 and the mounting seat 21 to detect whether there is an obstacle in front of it to avoid collision when the ultraviolet lamp 32 is rotated out.

[0051] Integrating the manipulator 2 with the auxiliary disinfection component 3 can quickly disinfect the splint 2211, ensure the cleanliness of the splint 2211, reduce bacterial growth, and eliminate the need to frequently disassemble the manipulator 2 for disinfection, thereby improving efficiency while ensuring the disinfection effect.

[0052] The manipulator 2 system also includes a control module that can control the actions of the manipulator arm 1, the manipulator 2 and the auxiliary disinfection component 3 respectively.

[0053] Preferably, the control module controls the manipulator system to perform actions through the following procedures:

[0054] Before milking, ensure that the auxiliary disinfection assembly 3 is in the initial state, that is, the ultraviolet lamp 32 is stored in the receiving groove 33, the rotating rod 31 is horizontally arranged above the mounting seat 21, and the robot arm 1 is controlled to drive the robot hand 2 to the breast 4 position.

[0055] During the milking process, the driving mechanism is started to open the milking assembly 22 and move it until the two clamping plate groups 221 are respectively located on both sides of the breast 4, and the driving mechanism is started again to control the continuous opening and closing of the milking assembly 22 to perform the milking action.

[0056] As a preference but not limitation, during the milking process, if the first distance sensor 25 detects that the distance change between the two second arc segments does not reach the preset range or deviates from the preset curve, that is, the opening and closing effect of the milking component 22 does not meet the preset conditions, a warning feedback distance sensor is promptly issued.

[0057] As a preference but not limitation, the control module can also collect milk collection data from the electronic metering milk bucket in real time, and dynamically adjust the opening amplitude of the milking assembly 22 according to the real-time milk collection amount.

[0058] The control module can not only implement the disinfection action based on the manual trigger signal of the staff, but also automatically identify the idle state of the manipulator 2 according to the combined signal of the first distance sensor 25 and the second distance sensor 34 in combination with the system clock control circuit, and automatically start the disinfection of the manipulator 2 when it is detected that the manipulator 2 is in the downtime waiting time, specifically:

[0059] See also Figure 5After the second distance sensor 34 determines that there is no obstacle on the path of the rotating rod 31, the rotating rod 31 of the auxiliary disinfection component 3 is controlled to rotate 180°. If the second distance sensor 34 identifies an obstacle during the rotation, the rotating rod 31 stops rotating, then rotates back to the initial state and issues a warning. If the distance sensor does not identify an obstacle, the next step is continued, the ultraviolet lamp 32 is controlled to rotate out of the accommodating groove 33 to above the two splint groups 221, and the ultraviolet lamp 32 is continued to be controlled to rotate until its non-hinged end extends between the two splint groups 221, and the ultraviolet lamp 32 is turned on to disinfect the splint 2211.

[0060] After the disinfection timing is completed or terminated based on a manual trigger signal from a staff member, the control module turns off the ultraviolet lamp 32 , and rotates the ultraviolet lamp 32 and the rotating rod 31 in sequence to ensure that the auxiliary disinfection assembly 3 is stored above the mounting seat 21 .

[0061] In this way, the auxiliary disinfection component 3 can make full use of the fragmented time during the intervals or waiting times of milking to perform auxiliary disinfection on the splint, thereby ensuring the cleanliness of the splint and reducing bacterial growth, thereby extending the operation time of automatic milking and reducing the frequency of centralized cleaning and disinfection of the manipulator 2. Moreover, this auxiliary disinfection does not require disassembly of the manipulator, thereby improving efficiency and production capacity while ensuring the disinfection effect.

Claims

1. A robot system, comprising a fixed base and a robot arm (1) arranged thereon, characterized in that: The end of the mechanical arm (1) away from the fixing seat can be extended forward and is connected to a mechanical hand (2) capable of squeezing the breast (4); The manipulator (2) comprises a mounting seat (21), the rear side of which is connected to the manipulator arm (1), and the front side of which is hingedly provided with a milking assembly (22) that can be opened and closed freely; The mounting seat (21) is provided with a mounting cavity extending to the front side thereof, and a slider (23) is slidably provided inside the mounting seat; the milking assembly (22) comprises two clamping plate groups (221) arranged opposite to each other, and the rear side of the clamping plate groups is hingedly connected to the slider (23) via a hinge rod (222); A driving mechanism for driving the slider (23) to slide forward and backward is also connected to the side of the slider (23) facing away from the hinge rod (222); The auxiliary disinfection assembly (3) further comprises a rotating rod (31) having one end hinged to the upper side of the mounting seat (21) and capable of rotating forward and backward, and an ultraviolet light tube (32) hinged to the other end of the rotating rod (31), wherein the ultraviolet light tube (32) is arranged to be capable of rotating between the two clamping plate groups (221); A receiving groove (33) is provided on one side of the rotating rod (31), the receiving groove (33) passes through an end of the rotating rod (31) away from the mounting seat (21), and the ultraviolet lamp tube (32) is configured to be received in the receiving groove (33); It also includes a control module capable of respectively controlling the actions of the robot arm (1), the robot hand (2) and the auxiliary disinfection component (3).

2. A robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two clamping plate groups (221) include two clamping plates (2211) arranged one above the other.

3. A robot system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The clamping plate (2211) is configured to be S-shaped, comprising a first arc segment and a second arc segment disposed front and rear, and the centers of the two first arc segments are opposite to each other.

4. A robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The accommodating groove (33) is arranged on a side of the rotating rod (31) away from the two clamping plate groups (221).

5. A robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The opposite sides of the two clamping plate groups (221) are both provided with rubber layers.

6. A robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A connecting rod (24) is also provided between the two clamping plate groups (221); the connecting rod (24) is arc-shaped, and its center is arranged toward the front side.

7. A robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotation range of the ultraviolet lamp tube (33) is 0-270°.

8. A robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotation range of the rotating rod (31) is 0-180°.

9. A robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two clamping plate groups (221) are provided with a first distance sensor (25) capable of detecting the opening and closing effect of the milking assembly (22).

10. An automatic milking device, characterized in that: A robot system comprising any one of claims 1-9.

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