Forest fruit picking auxiliary exoskeleton device

Abstract

The invention relates to agricultural picking auxiliary machinery, in particular to a forest fruit picking auxiliary exoskeleton device. The invention relates to a picking auxiliary exoskeleton device, and aims to provide a picking auxiliary exoskeleton device which has an auxiliary holding function so as to reduce the arm load of an operator, and has the characteristics of simple structure and convenience in use. According to the technical scheme, the forest fruit picking auxiliary exoskeleton device is characterized by comprising a fixed platform, a shoulder rotating structure connected to the upper portion of the fixed platform, a force increasing structure installed on the fixed platform and a power source; the fixing platform comprises a fixing bottom plate and a waist fixing piece installed below the fixing bottom plate through a clamping plate connecting piece. The shoulder rotating structure comprises a motor connected with the fixed platform through a vertically-arranged shoulder connecting rod, a shoulder rotating piece coaxially connected with a motor shaft through a horizontally-arranged shoulder abduction shaft, and an arm support connected with the shoulder rotating piece through a shoulder supporting rod.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an agricultural picking auxiliary machine, specifically a fruit and forest picking auxiliary exoskeleton device. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, a fruit and forest vibration picking machine is a portable device that realizes fruit picking through the principle of mechanical vibration. It mainly controls the vibration component to act on the fruit branch through the handle, so that the ripe fruit falls off the branch due to vibration, and is suitable for the picking of easily detachable fruits such as cherries, dates, walnuts, and olives. Its handheld design combines flexibility and portability, and can operate in complex terrains such as hills and terraced fields, which improves the efficiency of fruit and forest picking to a certain extent, so it has been widely used in small and medium-sized orchards.

[0003] In recent years, with the popularization of fruit and forest vibration picking machines, their limitations in actual operations have gradually emerged. Affected by the structural design, the overall length of the existing equipment is relatively large, resulting in a significant increase in the arm load of the operator during long-term holding, making it difficult to maintain continuous operation, and thus causing a decline in picking efficiency. Especially for agricultural operators with weak strength such as the elderly and women, the excessive arm load not only increases physical consumption, but also may cause health risks such as joint injuries and muscle strains due to muscle fatigue or improper postures.

[0004] Therefore, it has become an urgent need in the industry to develop an agricultural assistance device with a simple structure, convenient operation and controllable cost. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies in the above background art, and provide a picking auxiliary exoskeleton device, which should have an auxiliary holding function to reduce the arm load of the operator, and has the characteristics of simple structure and convenient use.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A fruit and forest picking auxiliary exoskeleton device, characterized in that it includes a fixed platform, a shoulder rotation structure connected above the fixed platform, a force-increasing structure installed on the fixed platform, and a power source;

[0008] The fixed platform includes a fixed bottom plate and a waist fixing member installed below the fixed bottom plate through a splint connecting member;

[0009] The shoulder rotation structure includes a motor connecting the fixed platform through a vertically arranged shoulder connecting rod, a shoulder rotating member coaxially connecting the motor shaft through a horizontally arranged shoulder abduction shaft, and an armrest connecting the shoulder rotating member through a shoulder support rod;

[0010] The force-increasing structure includes a first slide rail vertically arranged and provided with a first slider, a steel wire rope with one end connected to the first slider and the other end extending upward to be connected to the shoulder rotating member, a first linear spring vertically installed below the first slide rail and with the top end connected to the first slider, and an adjusting assembly.

[0011] The adjusting assembly includes a fixed baffle installed on the left side of the fixed bottom plate and provided with an adjustable stop block, a second slide rail arranged in parallel on the left side of the first slide rail and provided with a second slider, a second linear spring vertically installed and applying force to the top end of the second slider at the bottom end, and a rotating bracket rotatably installed on the second slider.

[0012] On the side of the fixed baffle away from the fixed bottom plate, a folded edge is made to fold forward. Baffles are respectively installed at the upper and lower ends of the L-shaped installation groove between the folded edge and the fixed bottom plate. A number of adjusting holes are arranged at equal intervals in sequence up and down in the middle of the folded edge.

[0013] The adjustable stop block is located between the upper and lower two baffles of the L-shaped installation groove, and a plug that can be inserted and matched with the adjusting hole is provided on the left side, and a second contact surface with an inclined upper end is provided on the right side. The length of the adjustable stop block is less than the length of the L-shaped installation groove.

[0014] The left side of the first slider is a first contact surface with the middle part protruding leftward; the upper end of the first slider is connected to the shoulder rotating member through a steel wire rope.

[0015] The middle part of the rotating bracket is hinged to the second slider through a bearing; cylindrical roller bearings installed at the left and right ends of the rotating bracket are respectively in contact and cooperation with the second contact surface and the first contact surface.

[0016] A round hole connecting piece provided with a rotating hole is installed at the top end of the shoulder connecting rod; the shoulder abduction shaft is rotatably installed in the rotating hole of the round hole connecting piece; the axis of the rotating hole is perpendicular to the shoulder connecting rod.

[0017] The waist fixing piece includes a first clamping plate and a second clamping plate connected by screws.

[0018] The armrest is of a U-shaped groove structure and is provided with a number of rope holes, and an installation belt that can be fixed to the user's arm is inserted into the rope holes.

[0019] The power supply connects the motor and the provided hand-held switch.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0021] 1. The present invention is an upper limb exoskeleton device with dual modes of active assistance and passive assistance. In the active mode, the motor can drive the upper limb exoskeleton to assist the user in performing the upward movement and improve the user's gripping ability. In the passive mode, the force-increasing structure can provide a stable supporting force to assist the user in holding heavy objects or tools for a long time. Compared with the traditional passive assistance exoskeleton device, it is more intelligent in terms of movement assistance. Even when the power supply is disconnected, it still has the characteristics of passive assistance, meeting the upward operation scenario in agricultural work.

[0022] 2. The present invention is designed with an adjustment component, which can change the force supply threshold of the internal force-increasing structure according to the needs of different working scenarios, and can flexibly adapt to various working environments or the individual differences of users. Whether it is a long-term weightlifting operation or a short-term repetitive labor scenario, a customized assistance experience can be obtained.

[0023] 3. The force-increasing structure of the present invention simulates the supporting effect generated by the human muscles during labor load in the process of movement, which can effectively reduce the muscle burden of the user and improve the operation comfort and efficiency.

[0024] 4. The shoulder rotating part of the present invention has a rotational degree of freedom and is more conformable to the movement curve of the human shoulder during use, which can improve the comfort of the user and extend the service life of the device. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] Figure 1 is the three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 is the front view structural schematic diagram of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 is the left view structural schematic diagram of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 is the force-increasing structure schematic diagram (with a fixed bottom plate) of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 5 is the cross-sectional view of the shoulder rotating part of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 6 is one of the working principle schematic diagrams of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 7 is another working principle schematic diagram of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 8 is the third working principle schematic diagram of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 9It is the fourth schematic diagram of the working principle of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 10 It is the fifth schematic diagram of the working principle of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 11 It is the schematic diagram of the installation structure of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Reference numerals:

[0037] Armrest 1, fixed baffle 2, second linear spring 3, adjustable stop 4, rotating bracket 5, cylindrical roller bearing 5.1, second slider 6, second slide rail 7, shoulder rotating member 8, shoulder abduction axis 9, spring support seat 10, fixed base plate 11, first slide rail 12, first slider 13, first linear spring 14, spring fixing screw 14.1, waist fixing member 15, first clamping plate 15.1, second clamping plate 15.2, clamping plate connecting member 15.3, motor 16, shoulder support rod 17, shoulder connecting rod 18, motor bracket 19, round hole connecting member 21, steel wire rope 22, baffle 23, flanging 24. Detailed implementation manners

[0038] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments.

[0039] As Figure 2 shown, the up-down, front-back, left-right directions defined Figure 2 are the up-down, front-back, left-right directions of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] As Figure 1 shown, the fruit picking auxiliary exoskeleton device includes a fixed platform, a shoulder rotation structure, a force increasing structure, a power source and a hand-held switch. The shoulder rotation structure is installed at the upper end of the fixed platform, and the shoulder rotation structure is used to fix the user's arm and complete actions such as lifting; the force increasing structure is installed on the fixed platform to provide assistance for the user to work.

[0041] The fixed platform includes a fixed base plate 11, a waist fixing member 15 and an adjusting component.

[0042] As Figure 1 shown, the waist fixing member includes a first clamping plate 15.1, a second clamping plate 15.2 and a clamping plate connecting member 15.3. Both the first clamping plate and the second clamping plate are arc-shaped structures that fit the human waist, and both are provided with a plurality of screw holes; a convex platform with a screw hole is provided on the concave surface of the first clamping plate, and the lower end of the clamping plate connecting member is provided with a thread to be screwed into the screw hole of the convex platform, and the upper end of the clamping plate connecting member is fixed to the lower end of the fixed base plate by a screw; after a waist belt is sandwiched between the first clamping plate and the second clamping plate, the screw is screwed in and fixed, and the user fixes the whole device on the body by putting on the waist belt.

[0043] AsFigure 3 As shown in Figure 4 Figure 4 , the adjusting component includes a fixed baffle 2 and an adjustable stop block 4.

[0044] One side of the fixed baffle is arranged parallel to the fixed bottom plate and is fixedly connected to the fixed bottom plate by screws. On the other side of the fixed baffle, there is a folded edge 24 that folds forward, thereby forming an L-shaped installation groove between the folded edge and the fixed bottom plate. There are baffles 23 both above and below the L-shaped installation groove, and there are several adjusting holes arranged at equal intervals in sequence up and down in the middle of the folded edge.

[0045] The length of the adjustable stop block is less than the length of the L-shaped installation groove, and it is arranged between the upper and lower two baffles of the L-shaped installation groove; on the left side of the adjustable stop block, there is a plug that can be inserted into the adjusting hole in a matching manner, and on the right side, there is a second contact surface with an inclined upper end; by the plug's insertion and matching with different adjusting holes, the position height of the adjustable stop block in the L-shaped installation groove can be changed.

[0046] As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 5 Figure 5 , the shoulder rotation structure includes a shoulder connecting rod 18, a motor bracket 19, a motor 16, a shoulder abduction shaft 9, a shoulder rotating member 8, and an armrest 1, a round hole connecting member 21.

[0047] The motor bracket is connected to the upper end of the fixed bottom plate through a vertically arranged shoulder connecting rod 18. The lower end of the shoulder connecting rod is fixed to the fixed bottom plate by screws.

[0048] The motor (preferably a brushless motor) is installed on the motor bracket and the motor is powered on. The shoulder abduction shaft is coaxially connected to the rotating shaft horizontally extended by the motor. The shoulder rotating member is fixed to the shoulder abduction shaft and is rotatably hinged to the motor bracket.

[0049] As shown in Figure 5 Figure 5 , a round hole connecting member is provided at the upper end of the shoulder connecting rod. The round hole at the upper end of the round hole connecting member cooperates with the shoulder abduction shaft, so that the shoulder rotating member can rotate within a certain range with the central axis of the aforementioned round hole as the rotation center. After the motor is powered on, it can drive the shoulder abduction shaft to play a certain boosting role.

[0050] The armrest is connected to the shoulder rotating member through the shoulder support rod. The armrest is of a U-shaped groove structure to adapt to the shape of the user's arm. Corresponding rope holes are provided on both sides of the armrest, and straps are threaded through the rope holes to fix the user's arm in the armrest.

[0051] When the user raises the arm with the armrest tied, the shoulder rotating member will rotate accordingly.

[0052] As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the force - increasing structure includes a first slide rail 12, a first slider 13, a spring fixing screw 14.1, a second slide rail 7, a second slider 6, a spring support seat 10, a first linear spring 14, a second linear spring 3, and a rotating bracket 5.

[0053] The first slide rail is installed on the right side of the fixed base plate and vertically extends on the fixed base plate.

[0054] The first slider is installed on the first slide rail and can be vertically slidably positioned on the first slide rail; the upper end of the first slider is connected to the shoulder rotating member through a steel wire rope 22 and slides up and down with the swing of the shoulder rotating member; the lower end of the first slider is provided with the first linear spring, and the upper and lower ends of the first linear spring are respectively connected to the lower end of the first slider and the spring fixing screw installed at the lower end of the fixed base plate. The left side surface of the first slider is a first contact surface with a middle part protruding leftward to form an arc surface.

[0055] The second slide rail is installed on the left side of the fixed base plate, and the second slide rail is parallel to the first slide rail.

[0056] The second slider is installed on the second slide rail and can be vertically slidably positioned on the second slide rail; the upper end of the second slider is connected to the second linear spring, and the upper and lower ends of the second linear spring are respectively connected to the spring support seat installed on the fixed base plate and the second slider.

[0057] The middle part of the rotating bracket is rotatably positioned on the second slider through a horizontally arranged rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is installed on the second slider through a bearing; a limiting structure (the limiting structure includes several protruding nails horizontally protruding from the rotation trajectory of the rotating bracket) is provided on the second slider to limit the rotation angle of the rotating bracket. It can be Figure 4 seen that cylindrical roller bearings 5.1 are installed at the ends of the two arms that the rotating bracket overhangs. The cylindrical roller bearing on the right is in contact and cooperation with the first contact surface, and the cylindrical roller bearing on the left is in contact and cooperation with the second contact surface of the adjustable stop block.

[0058] The power supply supplies power to the motor, and the hand - held switch controls the power supply.

[0059] As Figure 10 shown, when wearing this exoskeleton device, first, a fault detection is carried out on the exoskeleton device. After the inspection is completed, the exoskeleton device is carried on the waist and fastened with a waistband. Subsequently, the exoskeleton arm support is fastened to the middle part of the upper arm of the upper limb with a strap to ensure there is no excessive gap. Finally, ensure that the hand - held switch is fully charged and place it near the user for convenient operation. The power supply required for the exoskeleton system is preferably a DC regulated power supply and is placed around the user.

[0060] Based on the above structure, the present invention selects a motor as the active assisting unit, enabling the exoskeleton device to have an active mode driven by the motor and a passive mode driven by the force - increasing structure.

[0061] In the active mode, the motor and the force - increasing structure work together. Based on the activation of the force - increasing structure, fine compensation control is provided to make the assisting process smoother and more natural. This motor has characteristics such as fast response, small volume, and low noise, and is suitable for auxiliary or rehabilitation scenarios with high requirements for action continuity and comfort. The motor - driven method can also achieve intelligent response through an external control system or sensor signals, further expanding the active control function of the exoskeleton.

[0062] In summary, the picking - assisting exoskeleton device provided by the present invention, through the coordinated linkage of the above - mentioned series of mechanical structures, realizes the intelligent recognition of the upper - limb movement state of the user, the triggering and release of elastic assistance, the flexible adjustment of the assisting angle, and the rapid reset of the assisting function without relying on a complex electrical system. At the same time, the device is compact in structure, easy to operate, and natural in response, with good adaptability and scalability, and is suitable for a variety of human - machine collaboration, physical assistance, and rehabilitation training scenarios.

[0063] The working principle of the present invention:

[0064] 1. Figure 6 As shown, it is in the non - working state.

[0065] When in the passive mode, as Figure 7 shown, when the user's upper arm performs a downward rotation movement, the armrest drives the shoulder rotating part to rotate accordingly. This rotation action drives the first slider to move upward along the first slide rail through the wire rope system. While the first slider moves upward, it drives the second slider to move vertically upward along the second slide rail, thereby compressing the second linear spring. The second linear spring deforms and stores elastic energy. The direction of the restoring force generated during this elastic deformation process is vertically downward, and it is transmitted to the armrest through the force - increasing structure and finally acts on the user's upper arm to provide an upward lifting force, thus achieving the purpose of assistance; when in the active mode, the motor is powered on to drive the shoulder abduction axis to rotate, driving the shoulder rotating part to lift, assisting the user to complete the arm - lifting action and further reducing the muscle load.

[0066] 2. As Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown in the figure, when the assistance of the exoskeleton device is not required, the user's arm moves downward to drive the passive slider to continue moving upward. The cylindrical roller bearing on the left side of the rotating bracket will gradually move to the inclined surface of the adjustable stop. Eventually, the cylindrical roller bearing on the left side of the rotating bracket enters the vacancy above the inclined surface and is blocked by the upper baffle. The rotating bracket rotates counterclockwise and the cylindrical roller bearing on the right side disengages from the first slider. At this time, the second linear spring quickly rebounds to its original length, and the rotating bracket rotates clockwise to its original position, so that the elastic energy stored in the second linear spring is released completely, and the assistance function of the exoskeleton device is actively cut off.

[0067] 3. As Figure 10 shown in the figure, at this time, the device is in the standby state after the assistance function is cut off. When the user needs to use the exoskeleton for assistance again, only need to lift the upper limb to the predetermined angle again. At this time, the first linear spring returns to its original length, and the active slider moves back under the rotating bracket along the first slide rail and enters the standby state for preparing assistance again.

[0068] 4. By adjusting the relative position relationship between the adjustable stop and the fixed baffle, the position where the rotating bracket disengages from the active slider when the passive slider moves upward can be changed, thereby controlling the trigger of the assistance function.

[0069] On the premise of not affecting the original picking function, the device effectively reduces the load on the operator's arm, improves the operation comfort and safety by optimizing the mechanical structure or adding auxiliary support design, especially provides a more friendly use experience for the group with weaker strength, and helps to achieve efficient and easy fruit and forest picking operations.

[0070] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are given in the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described in this specification. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosure of the present invention more thorough and comprehensive.

Claims

1. An auxiliary exoskeleton device for fruit and forestry picking, characterized in that: It includes a fixed platform, a shoulder rotation structure connected above the fixed platform, a force-increasing structure installed on the fixed platform, and a power source; The fixed platform includes a fixed bottom plate (11) and a waist fixing member (15) installed under the fixed bottom plate through a splint connecting member (15.3); The shoulder rotation structure includes a motor (16) connecting the fixed platform through a vertically arranged shoulder connecting rod (18), a shoulder rotating member (8) coaxially connecting the motor shaft through a horizontally arranged shoulder abduction shaft (9), and an armrest (1) connected to the shoulder rotating member through a shoulder support rod (17); The force-increasing structure includes a first slide rail (12) vertically arranged and provided with a first slider (13), a steel wire rope (22) with one end connected to the first slider and the other end extending upward to connect the shoulder rotating member, a first linear spring (14) vertically installed under the first slide rail and with its top connected to the first slider, and an adjustment assembly.

2. The fruit picking auxiliary exoskeleton device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjustment assembly includes a fixed baffle (2) installed on the left side of the fixed bottom plate and provided with an adjustable stop block (4), a second slide rail (7) arranged in parallel on the left side of the first slide rail and provided with a second slider (6), a second linear spring (3) vertically installed and applying force to the top of the second slider at the bottom, and a rotating bracket (5) rotatably installed on the second slider.

3. The fruit and forestry picking auxiliary exoskeleton device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A folded edge (24) that folds forward is made on one side of the fixed baffle away from the fixed bottom plate. Baffles (23) are respectively installed at the upper and lower ends of the L-shaped installation groove between the folded edge and the fixed bottom plate. A number of adjustment holes are arranged at equal intervals in sequence up and down in the middle of the folded edge.

4. The fruit and forest tree picking auxiliary exoskeleton device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The adjustable stop block is located between the upper and lower two baffles of the L-shaped installation groove, and a plug that can be inserted and matched with the adjustment hole is provided on the left side, and a second contact surface with an inclined upper end is provided on the right side.

5. The fruit and forestry picking auxiliary exoskeleton device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The left side of the first slider is a first contact surface with a convex middle part to the left; the upper end of the first slider is connected to the shoulder rotating member through a steel wire rope (22).

6. The fruit picking auxiliary exoskeleton device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The middle part of the rotating bracket is hinged to the second slider through a bearing; cylindrical roller bearings (5.1) installed at the left and right ends of the rotating bracket are respectively in contact and cooperation with the second contact surface and the first contact surface.

7. The fruit picking auxiliary exoskeleton device according to claim 6, characterized in that: A round hole connecting member (21) provided with a rotating hole is installed at the top of the shoulder connecting rod; the shoulder abduction shaft is rotatably installed in the rotating hole of the round hole connecting member; the axis of the rotating hole is perpendicular to the shoulder connecting rod.

8. The fruit picking auxiliary exoskeleton device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The waist fixing member includes a first clamping plate (15.1) and a second clamping plate (15.2) connected by screws.

9. The fruit-picking auxiliary exoskeleton device according to claim 8, wherein: The armrest is of a U-shaped groove structure and is provided with a number of rope holes, and an installation belt that can be fixed to the user's arm is inserted into the rope holes.

10. The fruit and forest tree picking auxiliary exoskeleton device according to claim 9, wherein: The power source is connected to the motor and a provided hand switch.

Images