An automatic processing device for cutting and removing impurities of salted sea cucumber raw materials

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of sea cucumber processing, and discloses an automatic cutting and impurity removing processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials. The main body of the frame is used for supporting the conveying device, the pressing device, the expanding device and the material collecting device. The conveying device is used for continuously and automatically conveying the sea cucumber and ensuring that the sea cucumber is conveyed to the corresponding position without damage to the quality of the sea cucumber. The cutting device is used for cutting open the abdomen of the sea cucumber to expose the inside of the sea cucumber. The pressing device is used for pressing and fixing the sea cucumber so that the cutting device cuts the abdomen of the sea cucumber. The expanding device is used for expanding the curled cortex of the cut sea cucumber to expose the sand mouth part of the head of the sea cucumber. The sand mouth removing device is used for positioning the sand mouth part of the head of the sea cucumber and completely removing the sand mouth part. The spraying device is used for cleaning the inside of the abdominal cavity of the sea cucumber during the processing and washing the sand and other impurities in the abdomen of the sea cucumber. The material collecting device is used for uniformly collecting the processed sea cucumber, which is convenient for subsequent processing operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of sea cucumber processing technology and relates to an automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials. Background Technology

[0002] The pre-processing of salted sea cucumber raw materials includes a series of operations such as abdominal dissection, removal of the sand mouth, and cleaning. This is a crucial step in ensuring the appearance and edible quality of the sea cucumber product. For high-quality sea cucumber products, the pre-processing requirements are particularly stringent, mainly manifested in the following aspects: In terms of dissection, the cut line must be continuous and straight, located along the midline of the abdomen, and the tail end must be left uncut; in terms of impurity removal, the sand mouth must be completely removed, the abdominal cavity must be free of scratches, and impurities such as silt and sand adhering to the abdominal fascia and folds must be removed. Due to the strict process specifications and complex operations involved, existing mechanized processing methods are insufficient to meet these technical requirements. The pre-processing of high-quality sea cucumber products is primarily done manually, which is time-consuming and inefficient. High-quality, automated equipment for dissecting and removing impurities from salted sea cucumber raw materials is urgently needed in the sea cucumber industry.

[0003] Currently, my country has researched and invented some equipment for the pre-processing of salted sea cucumber raw materials, which are generally processing equipment for gutting sea cucumbers. For example, patent CN212185021U discloses a processing method in which a conical plug-in end post is inserted into the sea cucumber and the sea cucumber is moved downwards, and then gutted by a blade. This method uses manual control to prevent the head and tail from being completely cut open. Patents CN220987460U and CN221307050U, for example, fix the sea cucumber and use the reciprocating motion of a blade to completely cut open the head and tail of the sea cucumber, improving the efficiency of gutting sea cucumbers. Traditional mechanical devices cannot achieve automatic gutting of sea cucumbers. Adding sensor devices can improve its accuracy. For example, patent CN207590040U uses a signal transmitter to detect sea cucumbers on a conveyor belt and control the gutting movement of the blade. In addition, there are some processing equipment for removing the sand mouth from sea cucumbers. For example, patent CN111631253A describes a method where the sea cucumber is held in a mesh clamp, its abdomen is cut open with a handheld cutting knife, and then a scraper equipped with a buffer spring is used to scrape out the viscera, mucus, and other impurities. Patents CN215958092U and CN220712734U use a support component to open the sea cucumber's abdomen and then use a scraping component to remove the sand mouth. In current factory processing, processing equipment for only a single processing step cannot meet the needs of high-efficiency factory production. Therefore, it is necessary to design equipment that can automate the processing of sea cucumbers to improve processing efficiency and quality. For example, patent CN114052064A proposes a control system for sea cucumber processing equipment that uses a fully automatic cutting device to cut open the abdomen of the aligned sea cucumber and remove the sand mouth. This method completes the process of cutting open the sea cucumber and removing the sand mouth.

[0004] The above-mentioned methods for cutting and removing impurities from salted sea cucumber raw materials still have many shortcomings in meeting the pre-processing requirements of high-quality sea cucumber products: (1) It is impossible to accurately cut sea cucumber raw materials of different body lengths. There may be problems such as the cutting line deviating from the midline of the abdomen, the head and tail of smaller sea cucumbers being completely cut open, and larger sea cucumbers not being completely cut open. (2) When using the scraping method to remove the sand mouth, if the scraper is too high, it cannot completely remove the sand mouth close to the head of the sea cucumber. If the scraper is too low, it will damage the inner wall of the abdominal cavity of the sea cucumber and affect the appearance of the sea cucumber. (3) The simple spreading component does not fully consider the curled structure of the sea cucumber. Directly spreading the sea cucumber leads to the failure of the operation. In addition, the processing efficiency is reduced by manually positioning the abdominal position of the sea cucumber. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned shortcomings, this invention provides an automated cutting and impurity removal device for salted sea cucumber raw materials. Sea cucumbers are placed on a grooved conveyor belt and conveyed sequentially, with their abdomens facing upwards and aligning with the center mark line of the grooves. An industrial camera positions and measures the sea cucumbers, and a pressing device secures them, ensuring a continuous and straight cut line during abdominal cutting, positioned along the midline of the abdomen, while leaving the tail uncut. Then, an expanding device expands the curled skin of the sea cucumber to fully expose the sand mouth at the head. An industrial camera positions the exposed sand mouth, and a contour-following mechanical claw simulates manual removal to remove the sand mouth, ensuring complete removal of the sand mouth from the sea cucumber's head without scratching the abdominal cavity wall. This process cleans the abdominal cavity wall, achieving high-quality pre-processing of salted sea cucumber raw materials.

[0006] The technical solution of this invention:

[0007] An automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials includes a frame body 1, a conveying device 2, a cutting device 3, a pressing device 4, a spreading device 5, a sand mouth removal device 6, a spraying device 7, and a collecting device 8. The frame body 1 supports the conveying device 2, the pressing device 4, the spreading device 5, and the collecting device 8. The conveying device 2 continuously and automatically transports the sea cucumbers, ensuring that the sea cucumbers are transported to the corresponding positions without damage to their quality. The cutting device 3 cuts open the abdomen of the sea cucumber to expose its interior. The pressing device 4 presses down and fixes the sea cucumber so that the cutting device 3 can cut the abdomen of the sea cucumber. The spreading device 5 spreads the curled skin of the cut sea cucumber to expose the sand mouth part of the sea cucumber's head. The sand mouth removal device 6 locates the sand mouth part of the sea cucumber's head and removes it completely. The spraying device 7 cleans the interior of the sea cucumber's abdominal cavity during processing and washes away mud and other impurities from the abdomen. The collecting device 8 collects the processed sea cucumbers for subsequent processing operations.

[0008] The main frame 1 is a frame structure welded from stainless steel, including bearing seat holes 11, protective plates 12, motor support frames 13, pressing device guide rails 14, expansion device support frames 15, and unloading guide plates 16. The main frame 1 is mainly composed of support legs and front and rear side plates on the upper part of the support legs. The front end is provided with an integral sealing plate, and the rear end is provided with an unloading guide plate 16 for connecting the receiving device 8 to collect the processed sea cucumbers. Bearing seat holes 11 are symmetrically opened on the front and rear side plates. A protective plate 12 is provided on the inner side of the front end of the front side plate to prevent mud and sand from splashing during the washing of sea cucumbers. A motor support frame 13 is provided below the front end of the side plates. A pressing device guide rail 14 is provided in the middle of the front side plate to support the pressing device 4 to fix the sea cucumbers. An expansion device support frame 15 is provided near the end of the rear side plate to support the expansion device 5 to flatten the sea cucumber skin.

[0009] The conveying device 2 includes a conveying motor 21, a conveying drive sprocket 22, a conveying chain 23, a conveying driven sprocket 24, a conveying drive shaft 25, a drive pulley 26, a conveying belt 27, a driven pulley 28, and a conveying driven shaft 29. The drive motor 21 is fixed to the motor support frame 13 via an L-shaped fastener. The conveying drive sprocket 22 is connected to the conveying motor 21 via a key. The conveying drive shaft 25 mates with the bearing seat hole 11 to achieve rotation. The conveying driven sprocket 24 and two drive pulleys 26 are respectively mounted on the conveying drive shaft 25, with the two drive pulleys 26 respectively positioned on both sides of the conveying belt 27. The conveying driven sprocket 24 is connected to the conveying drive shaft 25 via a key, simultaneously conveying... Driven sprocket 24 and conveyor drive sprocket 22 are driven by conveyor chain 23; drive pulley 26 and conveyor drive shaft 25 are connected by key; conveyor driven shaft 29 is also connected to two driven pulleys 28 by key, and conveyor driven shaft 29 is engaged with bearing seat hole 11 to achieve rotation; conveyor belt 27 is installed on drive pulley 26 and driven pulley 28, and is driven by drive motor 21 to rotate conveyor drive sprocket 22, which in turn drives conveyor driven sprocket 24 to rotate through conveyor chain 23, causing drive pulley 26 on conveyor drive shaft 25, which is rotatably connected to drive drive pulley 24, to rotate. Drive pulley 26 drives driven pulley 28 to rotate by driving conveyor belt 27, forming a continuous belt conveyor;

[0010] The cutting device 3 includes a first base 31, a first truss manipulator 32, a first drive motor 33, a first cylinder 34, a first industrial camera 35, an end-effector cutting tool holder 36, and a cutting blade 37. The first base 31 is located at the bottom of the left and right sides of the main body of the cutting device to stabilize the first truss manipulator 32 and prevent it from tipping over. The first truss manipulator 32 supports the end-effector cutting tool holder 36 and the cutting blade 37 to achieve precise cutting of the sea cucumber's abdomen. The first drive motor 33 and the first cylinder 34 are respectively located on the upper end of the first truss manipulator 32 to drive its flexible movement within the operating space. The first industrial camera 35 is connected and fixed to the truss at the upper end of the first truss manipulator 32 to photograph the sea cucumber. After converting the acquired image to grayscale, Gaussian filtering is used for noise reduction to decrease noise points in the image. Then, the image is converted to a binary image for easy contour extraction. The edges of the sea cucumber are extracted using the Canny edge detection algorithm, and then all contours in the image are identified and extracted, finally finding the largest contour. By fitting an ellipse to the sea cucumber's outline, the center position and head area of ​​the sea cucumber are determined, and the corresponding coordinate information is provided. Based on the position coordinates, the gantry robot is controlled to move precisely, ensuring that the cutting position is accurately aligned with the sea cucumber's head, the cutting line is along the midline of the sea cucumber's abdomen, and the cutting length is 80% of the midline of the abdomen, ensuring that the tail end is not cut off.

[0011] The end-cutting blade holder 36 includes a blade holder base 361, a cutting device bearing support 362, a cutting blade bearing 363, and a cutting blade drive motor 364. The cutting device bearing support 362 is fixed on the blade holder base 361 to support the end-cutting blade holder 36 for stability. The cutting blade bearing 363 and the cutting blade drive motor 364 are disposed between the two cutting device bearing supports 362 and cooperate with the cutting blade 37 to support the cutting blade 37 to rotate and cut the sea cucumber.

[0012] The pressing device 4 includes a pressing plate 41, an L-shaped fixing plate 42, and a pressing cylinder 43. The pressing plate 41 cooperates with the pressing device guide rail 14 to constrain the movement trajectory of the pressing device 4. The L-shaped fixing plate 42 is fixedly connected to the pressing plate 41. After the pressing cylinder 43 is installed on it, it is fixed to the outer side of the pressing device guide rail 14 by bolts to support the movement of the pressing device 4 and fix the sea cucumber.

[0013] The expansion device 5 includes an expansion cylinder 51 and a U-shaped expansion member 52 with an elbow. The expansion cylinder 51 is fixed to the connection and located below the mechanical gripper 66. It is used to expand the curled skin structure of the sea cucumber in order to expose and obtain the sand mouth structure of its head.

[0014] The aforementioned sand-mouth removal device 6 includes a second base 61, a second truss manipulator 62, a second drive motor 63, a second cylinder 64, a second industrial camera 65, and a mechanical gripper 66. The second base 61 is located at the bottom of the left and right sides of the main body of the device, ensuring the stability of the second truss manipulator 62 and preventing it from tipping over. The second truss manipulator 62 supports the mechanical gripper 66 to achieve precise removal of the sand mouth portion of the sea cucumber. The second drive motor 63 and the second cylinder 64 are respectively located on the upper end of the second truss manipulator 62, driving it to move flexibly within the operating space. The second industrial camera 65 is fixed to the truss at the upper end of the second truss manipulator 62. By photographing the opened sea cucumber, the image is first converted to grayscale to simplify subsequent processing. Then, a threshold segmentation method is applied to binarize the image, effectively separating the sea cucumber and sand mouth area from the background. By analyzing the binary image, the accurate coordinate information of the sand mouth is determined. Finally, based on the positioning results, the mechanical gripper precisely removes the sea cucumber sand mouth by simulating human hand movements.

[0015] The mechanical gripper 66 is mounted on the sand removal device 6 and is fixedly connected to the second truss manipulator 62 via an end connector 661 with a certain angle, simulating the human wrist. The mechanical gripper cylinder 662 cooperates with the gripper 663 and is fixedly connected to the end connector 661 by bolts to support the mechanical gripper 66 in positioning and removing the sea cucumber sand mouth.

[0016] The spraying device 7 includes a base 71, a water inlet 72, a spraying support column 73, and a spraying hole 74. The spraying support column 73 is fixed on the base 71 and is used to support the spraying device 7. The water inlet 72 is opened on the spraying support column 73 and connected to an external water pipe so that the spraying hole 74 can effectively clean the mud and other impurities on the belly of the sea cucumber.

[0017] The receiving device 8 is connected to the frame body 1 via the unloading guide plate 16. By placing an appropriate amount of water in the device trough, the quality of the sea cucumbers will not be damaged after collection and processing.

[0018] Effects and benefits of the present invention:

[0019] (1) The automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials of the present invention has a cutting device that uses an industrial camera to locate the position of the sea cucumber in real time, measure the length of the sea cucumber, and realize automatic cutting by the cutting knife. It uses vision technology to control the cutting knife to cut at the midline of the sea cucumber's abdomen, avoiding the problem that traditional knives can not fully adapt to sea cucumbers of different sizes due to only performing a single reciprocating motion. In addition, the pressing device can control the amount of downward pressure to fix the sea cucumber in the U-shaped groove of the conveyor belt, avoiding the sea cucumber from shifting during cutting, which would damage the product and affect the appearance of the sea cucumber.

[0020] (2) The automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials of the present invention has an expansion device with a U-shaped bent head, which is gradually inserted into the abdomen of the cut sea cucumber from the head, so that the abdominal cavity of the sea cucumber is fully expanded. The expansion device and the U-shaped groove clamp and fix the expanded sea cucumber, so that the sand mouth of the head and the fascia and folds in the abdominal cavity that are prone to hiding small silt and sand particles are exposed, which facilitates the convenience and reliability of subsequent sand mouth removal and silt and sand particle cleaning operations. In addition, the sand mouth removal device adopts a contour mechanical gripper, which simulates the way of manually clamping and removing the sand mouth of the sea cucumber, and removes the sand mouth of the exposed head of the sea cucumber, avoiding the incomplete removal of the sand mouth caused by the traditional scraping method and damage to the sea cucumber skin, which affects the appearance.

[0021] (3) The automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials of the present invention adopts a U-shaped grooved belt conveyor. On the one hand, the U-shaped structure, in conjunction with the pressing device and the expanding device, ensures the stability of the sea cucumber during the cutting and sand mouth removal process, further improving the processing effect. On the other hand, during the uninterrupted continuous feeding process of the conveyor belt, the cutting device and the sand mouth removal device work simultaneously, significantly improving the processing efficiency. This system can automatically complete the cutting of the sea cucumber's abdomen, the removal of the sand mouth from the head, and simultaneously clean the sea cucumber's abdominal cavity, thereby achieving full automation and improving the equipment's productivity. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the frame body and the receiving device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0024] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of the conveying device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0025] Figure 3B This is a partial schematic diagram of the conveying device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention, during the conveying of sea cucumbers.

[0026] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram of the cutting device and the end cutting blade holder of the automated cutting and impurity removal device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0027] Figure 5A This is a schematic diagram of the pressing device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0028] Figure 5B This is a partial schematic diagram of the cutting device and pressing device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention, in the process of cutting the abdomen of the sea cucumber.

[0029] Figure 6A This is a schematic diagram of the expansion device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0030] Figure 6B This is a partial schematic diagram of the expansion device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing apparatus for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention, in the process of expanding the curled skin of the sea cucumber.

[0031] Figure 7A and Figure 7B This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sand-removing device and the end mechanical gripper of the automated cutting and impurity-removing processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0032] Figure 7C This is a partial schematic diagram of the sand-removing device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing apparatus for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention, in the process of removing the sand mouth from the sea cucumber.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the spraying device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0034] In the diagram: 1. Main frame; 2. Conveying device; 3. Cutting device; 4. Pressing device; 5. Expanding device; 6. Sand removal device; 7. Spraying device; 8. Receiving device; 11. Bearing seat hole; 12. Protective plate; 13. Motor support frame; 14. Pressing device guide rail; 15. Expanding device support frame; 16. Unloading guide plate; 21. Conveying motor; 22. Conveying drive sprocket; 23. Conveying chain; 24. Conveying driven sprocket; 25. Conveying drive sprocket; 26. Drive pulley; 27. Conveying belt; 28. Driven pulley; 29. ​​Conveying driven shaft; 31. First base; 32. First truss manipulator; 33. First drive motor; 34. First pneumatic... 35. Cylinder; 36. First industrial camera; 37. End-effector cutter holder; 38. Cutting blade; 39.1. Blade holder base; 30.2. Cutting device bearing support; 31.3. Cutting blade bearing; 32.3.4. Cutting blade drive motor; 43.4. Lower pressure plate; 44.4. L-shaped fixing plate; 45.5. Lower pressure cylinder; 56.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.6.6.6.6.6.6.6.6.7.6 ... Detailed Implementation

[0035] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and technical solutions.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown in this embodiment, an automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials includes a frame body 1, a conveying device 2, a cutting device 3, a pressing device 4, a supporting device 5, a sand-removing device 6, a spraying device 7, and a receiving device 8. The frame body 1 is used to support the conveying device 2, the pressing device 4, the supporting device 5, and the receiving device 8, and to determine the position of each device. The conveying device 2 is used to continuously and automatically transport the sea cucumbers, ensuring that the sea cucumbers are transported to each processing device without damage to their quality. The cutting device 3 is used to cut open the abdomen of the sea cucumber. The process involves exposing the interior of the sea cucumber; the pressing device 4 is used to press down and fix the sea cucumber so that the cutting device 3 can cut the abdomen of the sea cucumber; the expanding device 5 is used to expand the curled skin of the cut sea cucumber, exposing the sand mouth part of the sea cucumber's head; the sand mouth removal device 6 is used to locate the sand mouth part of the sea cucumber's head and remove it completely; the spraying device 7 is used to clean the interior of the sea cucumber's abdominal cavity during the sand mouth removal process and to rinse away the mud and other impurities in the sea cucumber's abdomen; the collecting device 8 is used to collect the processed sea cucumbers uniformly for subsequent processing operations.

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main frame and the receiving device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 As shown, the main frame 1 is a frame structure welded from stainless steel of different sizes, including bearing seat holes 11, protective plates 12, motor support frames 13, pressing device guide rails 14, expansion device support frames 15, and unloading guide plates 16. Bearing seat holes 11 are symmetrically arranged on the front and rear sides of the main frame 1; a protective plate 12 is provided on the inner front side of the main frame 1 to prevent mud and sand from splashing during sea cucumber washing; a motor support frame 13 is provided below the front end of the main frame 1; a pressing device guide rail 14 is provided in the middle of the main frame 1 to support the pressing device 4 in fixing the sea cucumber; an expansion device support frame 15 is provided on the rear side of the main frame 1, with holes for supporting the expansion device 5 to flatten the sea cucumber skin; and an unloading guide plate 16 is provided on the rear side of the main frame 1 to connect to the receiving device 8 to collect the processed sea cucumber.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, the receiving device 8 is connected to the frame body 1 via the unloading guide plate 16. By placing an appropriate amount of water in the device trough, the quality of the sea cucumbers after collection and processing will not be damaged.

[0039] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of the conveying device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 3A As shown, the conveying device 2 includes a conveying motor 21, a conveying drive sprocket 22, a conveying chain 23, a conveying driven sprocket 24, a conveying drive shaft 25, a drive pulley 26, a conveying belt 27, a driven pulley 28, and a conveying driven shaft 29. The drive motor 21 is connected and fixed to the motor support frame 13 at the lower end of the front side of the frame body 1 via an L-shaped fastener. The conveying drive sprocket 22 is connected to the conveying motor 21 via a key. The bearing seat hole 11 is located on the front side of the frame body 1 and is used to support the rotation of the conveying drive shaft 25. The conveying driven sprocket 24 and two drive pulleys 26 are respectively disposed on the conveying drive shaft 25, wherein the two drive pulleys are respectively disposed on both sides of the conveying belt 27. The conveying driven sprocket 24 and the conveying drive shaft 25 are connected via a key. The conveyor belt is connected, with the driven sprocket 24 and the driving sprocket 22 connected by the conveyor chain 23 for transmission. The driving pulley 26 is connected to the driving shaft 25 by a key. The driven shaft 29 is also connected to two driven pulleys 28 by a key. The driven shaft 29 is connected to the bearing seat hole 11 on the rear side of the frame body 1 to support rotation. The conveyor belt 27 is mounted on the driving pulley 26 and the driven pulley 28. The drive motor 21 drives the driving sprocket 22 to rotate, which in turn drives the driven sprocket 24 to rotate through the conveyor chain 23. This causes the driving pulley 26 on the driving shaft 25, which is connected to the driven sprocket 24, to rotate. The driving pulley 26 drives the driven pulley 28 to rotate by driving the conveyor belt 27, forming a continuous belt transmission. Figure 3B This is a partial schematic diagram of the conveying device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing apparatus for salted sea cucumbers provided in this embodiment of the invention, in the process of conveying sea cucumbers. The conveyor belt 27 is a grooved conveyor belt, and its groove is U-shaped, which can better fit the arc shape of the sea cucumber's back, reduce the rolling and sliding of the sea cucumber during the conveying process, and make the position of the sea cucumber more stable during the conveying process; the marking line located in the middle of the groove is used to ensure that the center line of the abdomen of the sea cucumber is in the same position as the marking line when it is cut.

[0040] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram of the cutting device and the end cutting blade holder of the automated cutting and impurity removal device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 4A and Figure 4BAs shown, the cutting device 3 is used to cut the abdomen of sea cucumbers and includes a first base 31, a first truss manipulator 32, a first drive motor 33, a first cylinder 34, a first industrial camera 35, an end-effector cutting tool holder 36, and a cutting blade 37. The first base 31 is located at the bottom of the left and right sides of the main body of the cutting device, providing support and fixation for the first truss manipulator 32. The first truss manipulator 32 supports the end-effector cutting tool holder 36 and the cutting blade 37, and fixes their positions to ensure precise opening of the sea cucumber's abdomen. The first drive motor 33 and the first cylinder 34 are respectively located on the upper end of the first truss manipulator 32, providing the power for precise movement of the truss manipulator. The first industrial camera 35 is bolted to the truss at the upper end of the first truss manipulator 32, providing a camera for the upper abdomen of the conveying device 2. The sea cucumber is precisely positioned, and the opening and body length are determined to ensure accurate cutting with the cutting blade while leaving the tail end uncut. The pressing device 4 also works to cut the sea cucumber, ensuring the incision is not too deep to avoid excessive damage to the flesh. The cutting blade is kept at a shallow angle to the sea cucumber body and slides slowly to avoid injury. The end-cutting blade holder 36 includes a blade holder base 361, a cutting device bearing support 362, a cutting blade bearing 363, and a cutting blade drive motor 364. The blade holder base 361 is bolted to the cutting device bearing support 362 to ensure the stability of the end-cutting blade holder 36. The cutting blade bearing 363 works precisely with the cutting blade drive motor 364 and is mounted on the cutting device bearing support 362 in conjunction with the cutting blade 37, providing stable support for the cutting blade 37 and enabling efficient rotary cutting during the sea cucumber cutting process.

[0041] Figure 5A This is a schematic diagram of the pressing device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 5A As shown, the pressing device 4 includes a pressing plate 41, an L-shaped fixing plate 42, and a pressing cylinder 43. The pressing plate 41 is disposed on the pressing device guide rail 14 to constrain the movement trajectory of the pressing device 4. The L-shaped fixing plate 42 is fixedly connected to the pressing cylinder 43 and then fixed to the upper outer side of the pressing device guide rail 14 by bolts to fix the position of the cylinder and support the pressing device 4 to move up and down, thereby realizing the pressing and fixing of the sea cucumber. Figure 5B This is a partial schematic diagram of the cutting device and pressing device of the automatic sea cucumber processing apparatus provided in this embodiment of the invention, during the cutting of the sea cucumber's abdomen. Figure 5BThis is a partial schematic diagram of the cutting and pressing devices of the automated cutting and impurity removal device for salted sea cucumbers provided in this embodiment of the invention, during the cutting of the sea cucumber's abdomen. The pressing plate 41 is located directly above the sea cucumber, and the pressing cylinder 43 provides downward pressure to fix the sea cucumber. During the pressing process, the sea cucumber deforms, making the skin fit more closely to the U-shaped groove conveyor belt 27, avoiding damage to the skin due to excessive downward pressure. An industrial camera is used to photograph the sea cucumber to accurately identify and determine the starting point of the cutting. The accurate positioning of the cutting starting point directly affects the subsequent processing quality. Through the image data captured by the camera, the system can calculate the optimal cutting position. Then, the first gantry robot 32 moves up, down, left, and right, flexibly adjusting the position of the cutting blade 37 so that it can accurately align with the sea cucumber's abdomen for cutting. The cutting blade 37 is controlled by the cutting blade drive motor 364 to achieve a smooth cutting action. To ensure the required cutting depth, the cutting blade 37 works in conjunction with the lower pressure plate 41. This design not only guarantees consistent cutting depth but also effectively prevents damage to the sea cucumber's body wall from excessive cutting. This ensures a clean and smooth cut while protecting the sea cucumber's integrity, preventing a decline in product quality. The cutting endpoint is fixed one centimeter from the sea cucumber's tail. This pre-set fixed point ensures that each cutting ends at a precise distance. When the cutting blade 37 reaches the endpoint, an industrial camera monitors the entire sea cucumber in real time, ensuring the blade stops rotating at the precise position to prevent over-cutting or under-cutting. Finally, after the cutting blade stops moving, the first gantry robot arm 32 moves upward, completing one full cutting process.

[0042] Figure 6A This is a schematic diagram of the expansion device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 6A As shown, the expansion device 5 is used to expand the curled skin of the sea cucumber to fully expose the sand mouth part of its head. It includes an expansion cylinder 51 and a U-shaped expansion component 52. The expansion cylinder 51 is fixed to the expansion device support frame 15 by bolts. The U-shaped expansion component 52 is assembled on the expansion cylinder 51 and located below the mechanical gripper 66. It is used to expand the curled skin structure of the sea cucumber to facilitate the exposure and acquisition of the sand mouth structure of its head. Figure 6B This is a partial schematic diagram of the expansion device of the automated cutting and impurity removal processing apparatus for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention, during the expansion of the curled skin of the sea cucumber. The U-shaped expansion member 52 is located at the front end of the sea cucumber being processed. During the expansion process, its arc-shaped and downward-curving front end structure can apply force more evenly, avoiding excessive local force that could damage the sea cucumber skin and affect its appearance. In addition, the U-shaped expansion member 52 can effectively avoid interference with the grippers 663 of the mechanical gripper 66, thus preventing any impact on the removal of sand mouth.

[0043] Figure 7A and Figure 7B This is a schematic diagram of the sand-removing device and the end mechanical gripper of the automated cutting and impurity-removing processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials provided in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 7A and Figure 7B As shown, the sand-mouth removal device 6 is used for precise removal of the sand mouth from the head of sea cucumbers. It includes a second base 61, a second truss manipulator 62, a second drive motor 63, a second cylinder 64, a second industrial camera 65, and a mechanical gripper 66. The second base 61 is located at the bottom of the left and right sides of the main body of the device to ensure the stability of the second truss manipulator 62 and prevent it from tipping over. The second truss manipulator 62 supports the mechanical gripper 66 to achieve precise removal of the sand mouth from the sea cucumber. The second drive motor 63 and the second cylinder 64 are respectively located on the upper end of the second truss manipulator 62, driving its flexible movement within the operating space. The second industrial camera 65 is bolted to the truss at the upper end of the second truss manipulator 62. By photographing the opened sea cucumber, the image is first converted to grayscale to simplify subsequent processing. Then, a threshold segmentation method is applied to binarize the image, effectively separating the sea cucumber and sand mouth area from the background. By analyzing the binary image, the accurate coordinates of the sand mouth are determined, and the mechanical gripper 66 is manipulated to remove the sand mouth of the sea cucumber by simulating a human hand. Given the diverse shapes of the sand mouth, damage to the sea cucumber's flesh and inner wall must be avoided during removal, especially near the sand mouth. The mechanical gripper 66 is mounted on the sand mouth removal device 6 to ensure efficient and precise gripping. The mechanical gripper 66 is connected to the main body of the device via an end connector 661, the upper part of which is inclined, creating an angle between the mechanical gripper 66 and the vertical direction. This design gives the mechanical gripper 66 non-linear motion characteristics during operation, ensuring its gripping trajectory is curved. This curved motion design helps achieve highly precise gripping during sea cucumber processing, especially for gripping the root area. Through this optimized angle, the mechanical gripper 66 can more flexibly avoid other parts of the sea cucumber, ensuring precise targeting and gripping of the root without damaging surrounding tissues, especially in the delicate process of removing the sand mouth. Mechanical gripper cylinder 662 cooperates with gripper 663 and is fixedly connected to end connector 661 by bolts to support mechanical gripper 66 in positioning and removing sea cucumber sand mouth. Figure 7CThis is a partial schematic diagram of the sand-mouth removal device in the automated cutting and impurity removal processing apparatus for salted sea cucumbers provided in this embodiment of the invention, during the removal of the sand mouth from the sea cucumber. The mechanical gripper 66 is located directly above the sea cucumber being processed, forming a certain angle with the vertical direction through the end connector 661. When the mechanical gripper 66 grasps the sand mouth, its trajectory is arc-shaped. The purpose of this design is to ensure that when the mechanical gripper 66 contacts the inner wall of the sea cucumber, the gripper 663 adopts a structure similar to nail clippers, with cutting tips only on the inner side. This allows the outer part to accurately tangent to the inner wall of the sea cucumber without damaging it, thus achieving effective separation of the sand mouth from the inner wall. Through this design, regardless of the shape of the sand mouth, it can be accurately removed, ensuring processing precision and consistency. During the gripping process, the mechanical gripper 66 remains in a clamped state, ensuring sufficient clamping force to support the stable operation of the sea cucumber. During the sand mouth removal process, the mechanical gripper 66 provides sufficient stability and control, ensuring that the sand mouth is completely separated. This not only avoids sand residue affecting subsequent processing, but also ensures the efficiency of the entire processing and the quality of the finished product.

[0044] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the spray system in the automated cutting and impurity removal device for salted sea cucumber raw materials of the present invention. According to the diagram, the spray device 7 consists of a base 71, a water inlet 72, a spray support column 73, and spray holes 74. The spray support column 73 is used to stabilize and support the entire spray system, while the water inlet 72 is connected to an external water pipe to ensure a continuous water supply during processing. When removing the sand mouth, the design of the spray holes 74 effectively cleans the mud and other impurities from the sea cucumber's abdomen, ensuring the efficiency and cleanliness of the cutting and impurity removal process.

[0045] The descriptions of the exemplary embodiments presented above are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms described. Obviously, those skilled in the art can make many changes and variations based on the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described to explain the specific principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling other those skilled in the art to understand, implement, and utilize the various exemplary embodiments of the invention and their various alternatives and modifications. The scope of protection of the present invention is intended to be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automated cutting and impurity removal device for salted sea cucumber raw materials, characterized in that, The automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials includes a frame body (1), a conveying device (2), a cutting device (3), a pressing device (4), a supporting device (5), a sand mouth removal device (6), a spraying device (7), and a receiving device (8). The frame body (1) is used to support the conveying device (2), the pressing device (4), the supporting device (5), and the receiving device (8). The conveying device (2) is used to continuously and automatically transport the sea cucumbers and ensure that the sea cucumbers are transported to the corresponding positions without damage to their quality. The cutting device (3) is used to cut open the abdomen of the sea cucumber and expose its interior. The pressing device (4) is used to press down and fix the sea cucumber so that the cutting device (3) can cut the abdomen of the sea cucumber. The supporting device (5) is used to expand the curled skin of the cut sea cucumber and expose the sand mouth part of the sea cucumber's head. The sand mouth removal device (6) is used to position the sand mouth part of the sea cucumber's head and remove it completely. The spraying device (7) is used to clean the inside of the abdominal cavity of the sea cucumber during the processing and to wash away the mud and other impurities in the abdomen of the sea cucumber; the collecting device (8) is used to collect the processed sea cucumbers in a unified manner to facilitate subsequent processing operations. The main frame (1) is a frame structure welded from stainless steel, including bearing seat holes (11), protective plates (12), motor support frames (13), pressing device guide rails (14), expansion device support frames (15), and unloading guide plates (16). The main frame (1) is mainly composed of support legs and front and rear side plates on the upper part of the support legs. A pressing device guide rail (14) is provided in the middle of the front side plate to support the pressing device (4) to fix the sea cucumber. An expansion device support frame (15) is provided near the end of the rear side plate to support the expansion device (5) to flatten the sea cucumber skin. The conveying device (2) includes a conveyor belt (27), which is a grooved conveyor belt with a U-shaped groove that is closer to the arc shape of the sea cucumber's back. The cutting device (3) includes a first base (31), a first truss manipulator (32), a first drive motor (33), a first cylinder (34), a first industrial camera (35), an end-effector cutting tool holder (36), and a cutting blade (37). The first base (31) is provided at the bottom of the left and right sides of the main body of the cutting device to keep the first truss manipulator (32) stable and prevent it from tipping over. The first truss manipulator (32) is used to support the end-effector cutting tool holder (36) and the cutting blade (37) to achieve precise cutting of the sea cucumber abdomen. The first drive motor (33) and the first cylinder (34) are respectively provided at the upper end of the first truss manipulator (32) to drive it in operation. The machine moves flexibly within the space; the first industrial camera (35) is connected and fixed on the truss at the upper end of the first truss robot (32) to take pictures of the sea cucumber; the end cutting blade holder (36) includes a blade holder base (361), a cutting device bearing support (362), a cutting blade bearing (363), and a cutting blade drive motor (364); the cutting device bearing support (362) is fixed on the blade holder base (361) to support the end cutting blade holder (36) to be stable; the cutting blade bearing (363) and the cutting blade drive motor (364) are set between the two cutting device bearing supports (362) and cooperate with the cutting blade (37) to support the cutting blade (37) to rotate and cut the sea cucumber; The pressing device (4) includes a pressing plate (41), an L-shaped fixing plate (42), and a pressing cylinder (43); the pressing plate (41) cooperates with the pressing device guide rail (14) to constrain the movement trajectory of the pressing device (4); the L-shaped fixing plate (42) is fixedly connected to the pressing plate (41), and the pressing cylinder (43) is installed on it and fixed to the outer side of the pressing device guide rail (14) by bolts to support the movement of the pressing device (4) and fix the sea cucumber. The pressing device (4) can control the magnitude of the pressing force to fix the sea cucumber in the U-shaped groove of the conveyor belt (27); The aforementioned sand-removing device (6) includes a second base (61), a second truss manipulator (62), a second drive motor (63), a second cylinder (64), a second industrial camera (65), and a mechanical gripper (66). The second base (61) is provided at the bottom of the left and right sides of the main body of the sand-removing device to keep the second truss manipulator (62) stable and prevent it from tipping over. The second truss manipulator (62) is used to support the mechanical gripper (66) to achieve precise removal of the sand mouth part of the sea cucumber. The second drive motor (63) and the second cylinder (64) are respectively provided at the upper end of the second truss manipulator (62) and drive it to move flexibly within the operating space. The second industrial camera (65) is fixed on the truss at the upper end of the second truss manipulator (62) and is used to take pictures of the opened sea cucumber. The mechanical gripper (66) is mounted on the sand removal device (6) and is fixedly connected to the second truss manipulator (62) via an end connector (661) that simulates the human wrist with a certain angle; the mechanical gripper cylinder (662) cooperates with the gripper (663) and is fixedly connected to the end connector (661) by bolts to support the mechanical gripper (66) in positioning and removing the sea cucumber sand mouth; The expansion device (5) includes an expansion cylinder (51) and a U-shaped expansion member (52); the expansion cylinder (51) is fixed on the expansion device support frame (15) and located below the mechanical gripper (66) to expand the curled skin structure of the sea cucumber in order to expose and obtain the sand mouth structure of its head.

2. The automated cutting and impurity removal device for salted sea cucumber raw materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body of the frame (1) has an integral sealing plate at the front end and a discharge guide plate (16) at the rear end for connecting the receiving device (8) to collect the processed sea cucumbers; bearing seat holes (11) are symmetrically opened on the two side plates; a protective plate (12) is provided on the inner side of the front end of the front side plate to prevent mud and sand from splashing when rinsing the sea cucumbers; a motor support frame (13) is provided below the front end of the two side plates.

3. The automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials according to claim 2, characterized in that, The conveying device (2) further includes a conveying motor (21), a conveying drive sprocket (22), a conveying chain (23), a conveying driven sprocket (24), a conveying drive shaft (25), a drive pulley (26), a conveying belt (27), a driven pulley (28), and a conveying driven shaft (29). The conveying motor (21) is fixed to the motor support frame (13) via an L-shaped fastener. The conveying drive sprocket (22) is connected to the conveying motor (21) via a key. The conveying drive shaft (25) engages with the bearing seat hole (11) to achieve rotation. The conveying driven sprocket (24) and two drive pulleys (26) are respectively mounted on the conveying drive shaft (25), with the two drive pulleys (26) respectively mounted on both sides of the conveying belt (27). The conveying driven sprocket (24) is connected to the conveying drive shaft (25) via a key. The driven sprocket (24) and the driving sprocket (22) are driven by the conveying chain (23); the driving pulley (26) and the driving shaft (25) are connected by a key; the driven shaft (29) is also connected to two driven pulleys (28) by a key, and the driven shaft (29) is engaged with the bearing seat hole (11) to achieve rotation; the conveyor belt (27) is installed on the driving pulley (26) and the driven pulley (28), and the driving sprocket (22) is driven to rotate by the conveying motor (21), which drives the driven sprocket (24) to rotate through the conveying chain (23), so that the driving pulley (26) on the driving shaft (25) connected to the driven sprocket (24) rotates. The driving pulley (26) drives the driven pulley (28) to rotate by driving the conveyor belt (27), thus forming a continuous belt conveyor.

4. The automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials according to claim 3, characterized in that, The spraying device (7) includes a base (71), a water inlet (72), a spraying support column (73), and a spraying hole (74); the spraying support column (73) is fixed on the base (71) to support the spraying device (7); the water inlet (72) is opened on the spraying support column (73) and connected to an external water pipe so that the spraying hole (74) can effectively clean the mud and other impurities on the belly of the sea cucumber.

5. The automated cutting and impurity removal processing device for salted sea cucumber raw materials according to claim 4, characterized in that, The receiving device (8) is connected to the frame body (1) via the unloading guide plate (16). The receiving device (8) puts an appropriate amount of water in the trough so that the sea cucumbers will not be damaged after collection and processing.

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