Full-automatic manipulator for plant sorting

Abstract

The invention discloses a full-automatic manipulator for plant sorting, and relates to the technical field of manipulators, the full-automatic manipulator comprises a manipulator body, a connecting pipe is arranged at the execution end of the manipulator body, a material suction pipe is attached to the connecting pipe, the material suction pipe is communicated with a negative pressure source, and the material suction pipe is adapted to be capable of generating negative pressure under the driving of the negative pressure source; therefore, the materials at the connecting pipe are sucked into the material suction pipe; and the manipulator body is further adapted to receive the transfer command from the detection mechanism and control the connecting pipe to be transferred to a target position. The detection mechanism can recognize materials on conveying devices such as a conveying belt, after the sundries are recognized, the manipulator can transfer the connecting pipe to the position above the sundries, and the sundries can be sucked into the material suction pipe under the negative pressure effect of the material suction pipe. Compared with the prior art, the manipulator disclosed by the invention can be used for adsorbing and sorting foreign matters in materials in a targeted manner, so that the precision of sorting operation is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of manipulators, and in particular to a fully automatic manipulator for plant sorting. Background Art

[0002] Tobacco production begins with tobacco leaves, which are air-dried, screened, and then fermented naturally or artificially to enhance flavor. Cut into uniform strands, the leaves are then flavored with natural flavorings. Finally, they are dried to control humidity and packaged for storage to maintain their aroma and quality.

[0003] During tobacco processing, it's necessary to sort out any debris mixed within the leaves. Traditionally, this has been done manually, resulting in low efficiency. With technological advancements, vibrating screens and drum screens have emerged as alternative methods for sorting, but these methods suffer from poor sorting accuracy and limited specificity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a fully automatic robot for plant sorting.

[0005] The object of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions: A fully automatic robot for plant sorting includes a robot body, an execution end of the robot body is provided with a connecting pipe, a suction pipe is attached to the connecting pipe, the suction pipe is connected to a negative pressure source, and the suction pipe is adapted to generate negative pressure under the drive of the negative pressure source, thereby sucking the material at the connecting pipe into the suction pipe; the robot body is also adapted to receive a transfer command from a detection mechanism and control the connecting pipe to be transferred to a target position.

[0006] Preferably, the manipulator body is a spider manipulator.

[0007] Preferably, the detection mechanism is a visual detection mechanism.

[0008] Preferably, the robot body is adapted to move the connecting pipe to different positions on the conveying surface of the conveyor belt.

[0009] Preferably, a first diameter-changing mechanism is provided at the end of the connecting pipe, and the first diameter-changing mechanism includes an adjusting unit and a diameter-changing unit. The diameter-changing unit includes a plurality of adjusting blocks arranged along the circumferential direction, and a feeding port is defined between the plurality of adjusting blocks. The adjusting unit can drive the plurality of adjusting blocks to move, thereby changing the diameter of the feeding port; the adjusting unit is electrically connected to the detection mechanism.

[0010] Preferably, the adjustment unit includes a rotatable ring gear, the adjustment block is slidably adapted to the connecting tube, and several adjustment blocks are assembled in sequence along the circumferential direction, the outer peripheral wall of the adjustment block includes a driving surface, a connecting surface, a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface along the circumferential direction, the first inclined surface is attached to the second inclined surface of the adjacent adjustment block, a toothed structure is provided on the driving surface, and a gear is meshed between the toothed structure and the ring gear.

[0011] Preferably, a driving member for driving the ring gear to rotate is provided on the side wall of the connecting pipe.

[0012] Preferably, a second diameter-changing mechanism is further provided in the connecting pipe, and the second diameter-changing mechanism is adapted to have a distribution port opposite to the feeding port, and the distribution port is adapted to decrease as the feeding port increases; a cutter is provided on the connecting wall of the feeding port.

[0013] Preferably, the rotating shaft of the gear extends into the connecting pipe, the second diameter-changing mechanism includes a dividing block arranged on the rotating shaft of the gear, the dividing block includes several diameter-changing parts with different diameters along the circumferential direction, the dividing port is defined between several of the dividing blocks, and the cutter is arranged on the outer peripheral wall of the dividing block.

[0014] Preferably, a plurality of sliding cavities are constructed along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral wall of the dividing block, the cutter seal is slidingly adapted to the sliding cavity, the dividing block is adapted to the rotating shaft of the gear through a spline structure, and a liquid storage bag is also provided on the rotating shaft of the gear, and the liquid storage bag is communicated with each of the sliding cavities; when the dividing block moves away from the side of the first diameter-changing mechanism, the liquid storage bag is squeezed and the internal fluid of the liquid storage bag is pumped into the sliding cavity.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. The detection mechanism can identify materials on conveying devices such as conveyor belts. When debris is detected, the robot moves the connecting tube over the debris. Under the negative pressure of the suction pipe, the debris is sucked into the suction pipe. Compared with existing technologies, the robot of this invention can specifically absorb and sort foreign matter in the material, thereby improving the accuracy of the sorting operation.

[0016] 2. A variable diameter feeding port is provided at the end of the connecting pipe. For example, when adsorbing foreign matter with a smaller area, the diameter of the feeding port can be controlled to be reduced accordingly, thereby reducing the possibility of normal materials being sucked into the connecting pipe and making the sorting accuracy higher. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of an embodiment; Figure 2 It is a structural diagram of the robot body; Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the first diameter-changing mechanism (in which the internal and external tooth structures of the gear ring are not shown, and the tooth structure is shown in the form of dotted lines); Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the second diameter-changing mechanism in one state; Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of another state of the second diameter-changing mechanism; Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of the moving state of the material dividing block (only one cutter is shown schematically).

[0018] Figure numerals: 1. Robot body; 2. Connecting pipe; 3. Suction pipe; 4. Detection mechanism; 5. Conveyor belt; 6. First diameter-changing mechanism; 7. Adjustment unit; 8. Diameter-changing unit; 9. Feed port; 10. Ring gear; 11. Driving surface; 12. Connecting surface; 13. First inclined surface; 14. Second inclined surface; 15. Tooth structure; 16. Gear; 17. Driving member; 18. Second diameter-changing mechanism; 19. Feeding port; 20. Cutter; 21. Feeding block; 23. Liquid storage capsule; 24. Adjustment block. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions of the present invention in conjunction with the embodiments. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] like Figures 1 to 6 Figure 1 shows a fully automatic robot for plant sorting, comprising a robot body 1. For example, the robot body 1 can be a three-axis or multi-axis robot. In a preferred embodiment, the robot body 1 can also be a spider robot. A connecting tube 2 is provided at the actuating end of the robot body 1, to which is attached a suction tube 3. The suction tube 3 is connected to a negative pressure source (not shown). This negative pressure source creates a negative pressure within the suction tube 3, which in turn creates a negative pressure at the end of the connecting tube 2, drawing in the material.

[0021] The manipulator body 1 further includes a control unit (not shown), which is capable of receiving a transfer command from the detection mechanism 4 and then controlling the execution end of the manipulator body 1 to transfer, especially to transfer the connecting tube 2 to the target position.

[0022] In a specific example, detection mechanism 4 can be a visual inspection mechanism 4 , and the material moves beneath it on a conveyor belt 5 . During this time, the visual inspection mechanism 4 photographs and inspects the material on the conveying surface of the conveyor belt 5 . For example, if the material's color, size, or area are detected as foreign matter, the coordinates of the material are transmitted to the control unit. The robot body 1 then moves the connecting tube 2 over the material. Under the action of negative pressure, the material is sucked into the suction tube 3 .

[0023] For example, the suction pipe 3 can guide the sucked material into a storage bin (not shown). After the sorting operation is completed or when the storage bin is full, the sorted foreign matter is uniformly processed.

[0024] During the actual operation of the robot, the inventors discovered that the diameter of the connecting tube 2 is crucial to the sorting effect. If the diameter of the connecting tube 2 is too small, large foreign objects may not be sucked into the connecting tube 2. If the diameter of the connecting tube 2 is too large, other normal materials beside the foreign objects may be accidentally sucked into the connecting tube 2. In either case, the sorting effect is ultimately degraded.

[0025] To address the above technical issues, the present invention provides a first diameter-reducing mechanism 6 at the end of the connecting tube 2, specifically comprising an adjustment unit 7 and a diameter-reducing unit 8. The diameter-reducing unit 8 comprises a plurality of circumferentially arranged adjustment blocks 24, with a feed port 9 defined between the adjustment blocks 24. The adjustment unit 7 is capable of driving the adjustment blocks 24 to move, thereby varying the diameter of the feed port 9.

[0026] Adjustment unit 7 is particularly adapted to be electrically connected to detection mechanism 4. Detection mechanism 4 transmits material size information to adjustment unit 7, which then drives the movement of several adjustment blocks 24 to adjust the feed opening 9 to the desired diameter. For example, a virtual circumscribed circle is created based on the material's size, and the diameter of feed opening 9 is 1-2 mm larger than this virtual circumscribed circle. This ensures that the material can be drawn into connecting tube 2 while effectively preventing materials other than the target material from being accidentally drawn into connecting tube 2.

[0027] In some embodiments, the first diameter-changing mechanism 6 can actually be configured as an iris mechanism known in the art. For example, the adjustment unit 7 can be a rotatable cam disc (not shown) having a plurality of cam slots formed therein, and the adjustment block 24 is provided with a camshaft that fits within the cam slots. When the cam disc rotates, the cam slots push the camshaft, thereby causing the adjustment block 24 to slide radially, ultimately changing the diameter of the feed opening 9.

[0028] As another configuration, the adjustment unit 7 includes a rotatable ring gear 10, and the adjustment block 24 is slidably adapted to the end of the connecting pipe 2, and in particular, the sliding direction of the adjustment block 24 is tangential. Unlike the adjustment block 24 in the above configuration, several adjustment blocks 24 in this configuration are spliced together in sequence along the circumferential direction. The outer peripheral wall of the adjustment block 24 specifically includes a driving surface 11, a connecting surface 12, a first inclined surface 13 and a second inclined surface 14 that are joined along the circumferential direction. After splicing, the first inclined surface 13 will fit the second inclined surface 14 of the adjacent adjustment block 24. At this time, a relatively closed feed port 9 is formed between the several adjustment blocks 24. This makes this configuration less likely to cause accidental inhalation of non-target materials.

[0029] The drive surface 11 is preferably provided with a toothed structure 15, which can be similar to a rack structure. A gear 16 meshes between the toothed structure 15 and the ring gear 10. When the ring gear 10 rotates, the gear 16 rotates synchronously, pushing the toothed structure and causing the adjustment block 24 to slide. From a partial view of the first and second inclined surfaces 13, the first inclined surface 13 slides along the second inclined surface 14, causing the size of the feed opening 9 to change accordingly.

[0030] For example, a drive member 17 for rotating the ring gear 10 may be provided on the side wall of the connecting tube 2. In a preferred embodiment, the drive member 17 may be a motor, and the outer wall of the ring gear 10 may be provided with external teeth that mesh with the drive teeth on the motor's output shaft. In other embodiments, the drive member 17 may be a cylinder hinged to the connecting tube 2, with the cylinder's output shaft pivotally connected to a connecting lug on the outer wall of the ring gear 10. When the cylinder is pushed out, the cylinder's output shaft drives the ring gear 10 to rotate.

[0031] The inventors also found that since the sizes of the materials sucked in are different, on the one hand, materials that are too large will cause the storage density of the storage bin to decrease, which requires frequent cleaning of the storage bin, reducing the efficiency of the sorting operation; on the other hand, materials that are too large may also cause blockage of the suction pipe 3 and the subsequent pipeline system.

[0032] To address the above technical issues, the present invention further incorporates a second diameter-reducing mechanism 18 within the connecting tube 2. Similarly, a feed opening 19 is constructed within the second diameter-reducing mechanism 18, located opposite the feed opening 9. Uniquely, the second diameter-reducing mechanism 18 adjusts the diameter of the feed opening 19 in the opposite direction of the feed opening 9. That is, as the feed opening 9 increases, the feed opening 19 decreases. Furthermore, a cutter 20 is provided on the connecting wall, or rather, on the inner wall, of the feed opening 9.

[0033] As you can imagine, when the feed opening 9 is enlarged to accommodate larger materials, the feed splitting opening 19 is reduced. At this point, the spacing between the cutters 20 decreases. Subsequently, under the action of negative pressure, the material passes through the feed opening 9, where the cutters 20 separate and fragment it, crushing and reducing its size. Conversely, when the feed opening 9 is reduced to accommodate smaller materials, the feed splitting opening 19 is enlarged. At this point, the material passing through the feed opening 9 is less likely to come into contact with the cutters 20. This is because the material already meets the expected size, eliminating the need for redundant crushing. This also reduces wear on the cutters 20, extending their service life.

[0034] In some embodiments, the shaft of gear 16 is adapted to extend into connecting tube 2, while second reducing mechanism 18 comprises only a distributor block 21 disposed on the shaft of gear 16, with distributor block 21 comprising several circumferentially varying diameter sections. In a specific example, distributor block 21 can be understood as a disc structure eccentrically mounted on the shaft of gear 16. As the diameter of feed opening 9 changes, the rotation of gear 16 drives the distributor blocks 21 to rotate synchronously, and the distances between the distributor blocks 21 also change accordingly, allowing the size of feed opening 19 to be adjusted.

[0035] Accordingly, the cutter 20 is disposed on the outer peripheral wall of the dividing block 21. In a preferred embodiment, the outer peripheral wall of the dividing block 21 is also circumferentially configured with a plurality of sliding cavities (not shown), each of which is sealed and slidably fitted with a cutter 20. Furthermore, the dividing block 21 and the rotating shaft of the gear 16 are adapted to a spline structure, which enables the dividing block 21 to move axially along the rotating shaft. A liquid reservoir 23 is also disposed on the rotating shaft, which is connected to each sliding cavity via a pipe. The schematic operation process of the present invention is as follows: 1. In the initial state, the diameters of the feeding port 9 and the distributing port 19 are substantially the same; 201. The first diameter-changing mechanism 6 drives the feed port 9 to reduce its diameter, and the diameter of the feed opening 19 increases accordingly. The connecting pipe 2 is then moved by the robot body 1 to the target small-sized material. The material is sucked into the connecting pipe 2 and passes through the feed opening 19 with virtually no obstruction until it is guided by the suction pipe 3 to the storage bin. 202. The first diameter-changing mechanism 6 drives the diameter of the feeding port 9 to increase, and the diameter of the distributing port 19 decreases accordingly. Subsequently, the connecting tube 2 is moved by the manipulator body 1 to the target large-sized material, and the material will be sucked into the connecting tube 2, but will be blocked at a number of distributing blocks 21. Under the action of negative pressure, the material together with the several distributing blocks 21 will simultaneously move away from the side of the first diameter-changing mechanism 6. At this time, the liquid storage capsule 23 will be squeezed and the internal fluid will be pressed into the sliding cavity, which will further push out the cutter 20; when the distributing block 21 reaches the limit of movement, the material will yield and deform under the action of negative pressure and pass through the distributing port 19. At this time, the ejected cutter 20 can fully cut the material.

[0036] It can be understood that during the above-mentioned operation, when the dividing block 21 is driven to rotate by the rotating shaft, the cutter 20 is in the initial position retracted into the dividing block 21. At this time, it is not easy for the cutters 20 to collide and interfere with each other between adjacent dividing blocks 21; and when the dividing block 21 moves and squeezes the liquid storage capsule 23, especially the cutter 20 at the dividing port 19 will be pushed out, and the cutter 20 that interferes with the adjacent dividing block 21 will remain in the retracted state. At this time, the cutter 20 at the dividing port 19 will fully cut the material.

[0037] The foregoing description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the form disclosed herein and should not be construed as excluding other embodiments. Rather, the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments and can be modified within the scope of the concept described herein through the above teachings or techniques or knowledge in the relevant field. Modifications and variations made by those skilled in the art that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention are intended to be protected by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fully automatic manipulator for plant sorting, comprising a manipulator body (1), characterized in that: The execution end of the manipulator body (1) is provided with a connecting pipe (2), a suction pipe (3) is attached to the connecting pipe (2), the suction pipe (3) is connected to a negative pressure source, and the suction pipe (3) is adapted to generate negative pressure under the drive of the negative pressure source, thereby sucking the material at the connecting pipe (2) into the suction pipe (3); The manipulator body (1) is also adapted to receive a transfer command from a detection mechanism (4) and control the connection tube (2) to be transferred to a target position.

2. The fully automatic robot for plant sorting according to claim 1 is characterized by: The manipulator body (1) is a spider manipulator.

3. The fully automatic robot for plant sorting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection mechanism (4) is a visual detection mechanism.

4. The fully automatic robot for plant sorting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot body (1) is adapted to move the connecting pipe (2) to different positions on the conveying surface of the conveyor belt (5).

5. The fully automatic robot for plant sorting according to claim 1 is characterized by: The end of the connecting pipe (2) is provided with a first diameter-changing mechanism (6), the first diameter-changing mechanism (6) includes an adjusting unit (7) and a diameter-changing unit (8), the diameter-changing unit (8) includes a plurality of adjusting blocks (24) arranged along the circumference, a feed port (9) is defined between the plurality of adjusting blocks (24), and the adjusting unit (7) can drive the plurality of adjusting blocks (24) to move, thereby changing the diameter of the feed port (9); The regulating unit (7) is electrically connected to the detecting mechanism (4).

6. The fully automatic robot for plant sorting according to claim 5, characterized in that: The adjustment unit (7) includes a rotatably arranged ring gear (10), the adjustment block (24) is slidably adapted to the connecting pipe (2), and a plurality of the adjustment blocks (24) are sequentially assembled along the circumferential direction. The outer peripheral wall of the adjustment block (24) includes a driving surface (11), a connecting surface (12), a first inclined surface (13) and a second inclined surface (14) along the circumferential direction. The first inclined surface (13) is attached to the second inclined surface (14) of the adjacent adjustment block (24). A toothed structure (15) is provided on the driving surface (11), and a gear (16) is meshed between the toothed structure (15) and the ring gear (10).

7. The fully automatic robot for plant sorting according to claim 5, characterized in that: A driving member (17) for driving the gear ring (10) to rotate is provided on the side wall of the connecting pipe (2).

8. The fully automatic robot for plant sorting according to claim 6, characterized in that: A second diameter-changing mechanism (18) is further provided in the connecting pipe (2), and the second diameter-changing mechanism (18) is adapted to have a material distribution opening (19) opposite to the material passage opening (9), and the material distribution opening (19) is adapted to decrease as the material passage opening (9) increases; A cutter (20) is provided on the connecting wall of the feeding port (9).

9. The fully automatic robot for plant sorting according to claim 8, characterized in that: The rotating shaft of the gear (16) extends into the connecting pipe (2), and the second diameter-changing mechanism (18) includes a dividing block (21) arranged on the rotating shaft of the gear (16), and the dividing block (21) includes a plurality of diameter-changing portions with different diameters along the circumferential direction, and the dividing opening (19) is defined between the plurality of dividing blocks (21), and the cutter (20) is arranged on the outer peripheral wall of the dividing block (21).

10. The fully automatic robot for plant sorting according to claim 9, characterized in that: A plurality of sliding cavities are formed on the outer peripheral wall of the material dividing block (21) along the circumferential direction, and the cutter (20) is sealingly and slidingly adapted to the sliding cavities. The material dividing block (21) is adapted to the rotating shaft of the gear (16) through a spline structure. A liquid storage capsule (23) is also provided on the rotating shaft of the gear (16), and the liquid storage capsule (23) is communicated with each of the sliding cavities. When the distribution block (21) moves away from the first diameter-changing mechanism (6), the liquid storage bag (23) is squeezed and the fluid inside it is pumped into the sliding cavity.

Images