An automated gripping method for forage planting and a robotic arm

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of robotic arm technology, and more specifically, to an automated gripping method for forage planting and a robotic arm, comprising the following steps: S1, positioning the robotic arm to the target cultivation pot and initializing it to the expansion mode; S2, switching the robotic arm to the first-level gripping mode, so that the robotic arm fits against the side wall of the cultivation pot and is located below the rim of the pot; S3, moving the robotic arm upward to lift the cultivation pot, and the weight of the cultivation pot causes the top of the rim of the pot to be pressed firmly by the robotic arm; S4, switching the robotic arm to the second-level gripping mode, so that the pressing state of the robotic arm on the rim of the cultivation pot is locked. This invention solves the problems of low efficiency, high labor intensity and easy error in manual handling of cultivation pots during forage planting and cultivation, and the problems of poor stability or easy damage to the rim of the cultivation pot when the existing automated equipment picks up the cultivation pot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic arms, and more specifically, to an automated gripping method for forage planting and a robotic arm. Background Technology

[0002] In the process of forage planting and cultivation, automated operation is of great significance for improving production efficiency and reducing labor costs. Especially in the forage cultivation stage, it is necessary to move the cultivation pots from low to high positions or transfer them between different cultivation racks. This process has traditionally relied on manual labor, which has problems such as low efficiency, high labor intensity and easy error.

[0003] Although some automated equipment exists on the market, current automated equipment generally uses rods to lift the cultivation pots or clamps to hold and transport them. First, the method of lifting the cultivation pots with rods results in poor stability of the cultivation pots. During transportation, when there are bumps, the cultivation pots will also be bumped and may slip along the opening of the rod. When clamping the cultivation pots, due to the different materials of the cultivation pots, the clamping force of the clamps can easily cause some cultivation pots to break along the edge.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, an automated forage planting clamping method and a robotic arm are proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0006] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention provides an automated gripping method and robotic arm for forage planting, in order to solve the problems mentioned in the background art, where traditional manual handling of cultivation pots is inefficient, labor-intensive, and prone to errors, while existing automated equipment has problems such as poor stability or easy damage to the rim of the cultivation pot when picking up the pots.

[0007] (II) Technical Solution

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an automated clamping method for forage planting, comprising the following steps:

[0009] S1. Locate the target cultivation pot and initialize the robotic arm to expansion mode;

[0010] S2. The robotic arm switches to the first-level gripping mode, so that the robotic arm fits against the side wall of the cultivation basin and is located below the edge of the basin;

[0011] S3. The upward-moving robotic arm lifts the cultivation basin, and the weight of the cultivation basin causes the top edge of the basin to be pressed firmly by the robotic arm.

[0012] S4. The robotic arm switches to the secondary clamping mode, locking the robotic arm in a tight gripping state on the edge of the cultivation pot.

[0013] The present invention also provides the following technical solution: an automated forage planting robot, applied to the automated forage planting clamping method, comprising a base plate, a moving mechanism provided on the base plate, and a clamping drive mechanism fixedly installed on the moving mechanism, the clamping drive mechanism being provided with two sets of clamping rods, and each set of clamping rods being provided with a pressing mechanism and a locking mechanism;

[0014] Both sets of clamping rods have limit grooves on opposite sides, and the locking mechanism is located in the limit grooves. Both sides of the top of the two sets of clamping rods have movable cavities that communicate with the limit grooves, and the pressing mechanism is located in the movable cavities.

[0015] The clamping mechanism includes a clamping assembly rotatably mounted in the movable cavity, and a driving assembly for driving the clamping assembly;

[0016] The clamping drive mechanism is provided with a first-level clamping, a second-level clamping, and an expansion mode. In the first-level clamping mode, the clamping support rod moves upward with the moving mechanism to lift the cultivation pot and cause the drive component to move downward. In the second-level clamping mode, the locking mechanism is plugged into and matched with the downward-moving drive component.

[0017] The present invention is further configured such that the clamping drive mechanism includes a housing disposed on the moving mechanism, a cam block and a clamping assembly disposed in the cavity of the housing, and a drive motor disposed on the top of the housing and fixedly connected to the axis of the cam block;

[0018] The clamping assembly includes two sets of movable blocks slidably mounted within the housing cavity, and a tension spring disposed between the two sets of movable blocks.

[0019] The present invention is further configured such that the cam block is provided with an expansion point, a primary clamping point and a secondary clamping point, and the included angle between the expansion point, the primary clamping point and the secondary clamping point and the line connecting them to the axis of the cam block is 60 degrees.

[0020] The expansion point, primary clamping point and secondary clamping point are provided in two sets, and the line connecting the two sets of expansion points, primary clamping points and secondary clamping points passes through the cam block axis.

[0021] The present invention is further configured such that a strip-shaped groove is formed at the bottom of the housing;

[0022] The bottom of the movable block is provided with a guide block, and the guide block and the strip groove are slidably matched.

[0023] The present invention is further configured such that a clearance groove is provided at the top of the side of the moving block near the cam block, and a locking block is provided in the clearance groove;

[0024] The cam block has L-shaped positioning rods of the same size at both the primary and secondary clamping points on its upper sidewall.

[0025] The present invention is further configured such that the pressing assembly includes a rotating wheel rotatably mounted in the movable cavity, a connecting rod disposed on the circumferential side wall of the rotating wheel, and a pressing block integrally formed with the connecting rod;

[0026] The included angle between the connecting rod and the pressure block is acute, and the circumferential sidewall of the rotating wheel is provided with a ring array of toothed blocks.

[0027] The present invention is further configured such that the driving component includes a rack disposed in the movable cavity, a pressure plate disposed at the top of the rack, and a first spring disposed on one side of the rack and fixedly connected to the bottom end of the pressure plate;

[0028] One side of the rack is attached to the inner wall of the movable cavity, and the other side of the rack meshes with the tooth block. The rack is matched and inserted into the communication area between the movable cavity and the limiting groove.

[0029] The present invention is further configured such that the rack has a locking hole, and the locking hole is connected to the locking mechanism;

[0030] The locking mechanism includes an abutting component disposed in the limiting groove, and a locking rod disposed at one end of the abutting component;

[0031] The locking rod and the locking hole are matched.

[0032] The present invention is further configured such that a retaining ring is provided inside the limiting groove, and the abutting component is provided on one side of the retaining ring;

[0033] The abutment assembly includes a second spring sleeved around the circumference of the locking rod, an abutment rod disposed at the end of the second spring away from the retaining ring, and a ball bearing disposed at the end of the abutment rod away from the retaining ring.

[0034] The present invention is further configured such that the moving mechanism includes a horizontal electric slide table disposed on the base plate, and a longitudinal electric slide table disposed on the horizontal electric slide table.

[0035] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0036] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides an automated gripping method for forage planting and a robotic arm, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0037] 1. This invention uses a clamping rod to lift the cultivation pot. When the cultivation pot is lifted by the clamping rod, its own weight pushes the drive component downward, which in turn drives the pressing component to rotate and press the edge of the cultivation pot, effectively preventing the cultivation pot from shaking and slipping during transportation. Through the cooperation of the pressing mechanism and the clamping rod, the stability of the forage cultivation pot during transportation is significantly improved. At the same time, the locking mechanism is connected and matched with the drive component in the secondary clamping state to lock the pressing state of the pressing component, ensuring that even if the cultivation pot jumps off due to uneven ground, the pressing component can maintain a stable pressing effect, further improving the stability of transportation.

[0038] 2. Through the unique design of the clamping component and the driving component, the present invention converts the weight of the cultivation pot itself into a driving force on the clamping component during the handling process. This causes the clamping component to apply appropriate pressure to the edge of the cultivation pot, which not only ensures the firmness of the clamping, but also avoids damage to the edge of the pot due to excessive clamping force. This design, which uses gravity as the clamping force, not only simplifies the mechanical structure, but also improves the reliability and safety of the clamping. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automated robotic arm for pasture planting.

[0040] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping drive mechanism, clamping rod, pressing mechanism, and locking mechanism.

[0041] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the drive motor, housing, and cam block.

[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping assembly.

[0043] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the expansion point, primary clamping point, secondary clamping point, and L-shaped positioning rod on the cam block.

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the comparison of the distances from the expansion point, primary clamping point, and secondary clamping point on the cam block to the axis.

[0045] Figure 7 This is a front view of the cross-sectional structure of the movable cavity and limiting groove on the clamping rod.

[0046] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the rack structure.

[0047] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded cross-section of the movable cavity and limiting groove on the clamping rod.

[0048] In the diagram: 1. Base plate; 2. Moving mechanism; 201. Horizontal electric slide; 202. Longitudinal electric slide; 3. Clamping drive mechanism; 301. Housing; 302. Drive motor; 303. Strip groove; 4. Clamping support rod; 401. Limiting groove; 402. Movable cavity; 5. Pressing mechanism; 6. Locking mechanism; 601. Locking rod; 7. Pressing assembly; 701. Rotary wheel; 702. Connecting rod; 703. Pressing block; 704. Tooth block; 8. Drive assembly; 801. Tooth 802. Pressure plate; 803. Spring No. 1; 804. Locking hole; 9. Cam block; 901. Expansion point; 902. Primary clamping point; 903. Secondary clamping point; 904. L-shaped positioning rod; 10. Clamping assembly; 1001. Moving block; 1002. Tension spring; 1003. Guide block; 1004. Clearance groove; 1005. Locking block; 11. Abutment assembly; 1101. Spring No. 2; 1102. Abutment rod; 1103. Ball bearing; 12. Retaining ring. Detailed Implementation

[0049] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0050] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains.

[0051] In this invention, unless otherwise stated, the directional terms such as "up" and "down" generally refer to the directions shown in the accompanying drawings, or to the vertical, perpendicular, or gravitational direction; similarly, for ease of understanding and description, "left" and "right" generally refer to the left and right shown in the accompanying drawings; "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours of each component itself, but the above directional terms are not intended to limit this invention.

[0052] For examples, please refer to Figure 1 - Figure 9 An automated clamping method for forage planting includes the following steps:

[0053] S1. Locate the target cultivation pot and initialize the robotic arm to expansion mode;

[0054] S2. The robotic arm switches to the first-level gripping mode, so that the robotic arm fits against the side wall of the cultivation basin and is located below the edge of the basin;

[0055] S3. The upward-moving robotic arm lifts the cultivation basin, and the weight of the cultivation basin causes the top edge of the basin to be pressed firmly by the robotic arm.

[0056] S4. The robotic arm switches to the secondary clamping mode, locking the robotic arm in a tight gripping state on the edge of the cultivation pot.

[0057] An automated forage planting robot includes a base plate 1, a moving mechanism 2 is provided on the base plate 1, and a clamping drive mechanism 3 is fixedly installed on the moving mechanism 2. The clamping drive mechanism 3 is provided with two sets of clamping rods 4, and each set of clamping rods 4 is provided with a pressing mechanism 5 and a locking mechanism 6.

[0058] Each of the two sets of clamping rods 4 has a limiting groove 401 on opposite sides, and the locking mechanism 6 is set in the limiting groove 401. Each of the two sets of clamping rods 4 has a movable cavity 402 on both sides of the top end that communicates with the limiting groove 401, and the pressing mechanism 5 is set in the movable cavity 402.

[0059] The clamping mechanism 5 includes a clamping assembly 7 rotatably mounted in the movable cavity 402, and a driving assembly 8 for driving the clamping assembly 7;

[0060] The clamping drive mechanism 3 is equipped with a first-level clamping, a second-level clamping, and an expansion mode. In the first-level clamping mode, the clamping rod 4 moves upward with the moving mechanism 2 to lift the cultivation pot and cause the drive component 8 to move downward. In the second-level clamping mode, the locking mechanism 6 is inserted and matched with the downward-moving drive component 8.

[0061] This invention is fixedly installed on a mobile device via a base plate. When cultivating forage grass, the cultivation rack is high and difficult to move and pick up manually. Therefore, it is necessary to use a robotic arm to pick up and remove the cultivation pots at high positions. By fixing this invention to a mobile device, the robotic arm can pick up cultivation pots at different positions.

[0062] In practical operation, the present invention moves the robotic arm to the corresponding position via a movable device. At this time, the moving mechanism 2 moves the clamping drive mechanism 3 to the corresponding position according to the position of the high-level cultivation basin, causing the clamping rods 4 to be inserted below the cultivation basin. The clamping drive mechanism 3 is initially in an expanded mode, with the distance between the two sets of clamping rods 4 greater than the size of the cultivation basin. The clamping drive mechanism 3 first performs a primary clamping, bringing the two sets of clamping rods 4 close to each other and against the side wall of the cultivation basin, positioning the clamping rods 4 below the rim of the cultivation basin. After the primary clamping, the moving mechanism 2 drives the clamping drive mechanism 3 upwards, thereby causing the clamping rods 4 to move upwards and lift the cultivation basin. When the cultivation pot is in use, its own weight pushes the drive component 8 downward. During the downward movement of the drive component 8, the clamping component 7 rotates, thereby clamping the edge of the cultivation pot and improving the stability of the grip. When the clamping component 7 clamps the edge of the cultivation pot, the bottom end of the drive component 8 moves down and inserts into the limiting groove 401. At this time, the clamping drive mechanism 3 performs secondary clamping, and the clamping rod 4 moves closer to the side wall of the cultivation pot, so that the locking mechanism 6 and the drive component 8 move and connect, preventing the drive component 8 from moving upward, thereby locking the clamping component 7. Otherwise, when the mobile device moves, if the ground is uneven and the cultivation pot jumps out, the clamping component 7 will also rotate and expand, and will not be able to perform the clamping function.

[0063] The clamping drive mechanism 3 includes a housing 301 disposed on the moving mechanism 2, a cam block 9 and a clamping assembly 10 disposed in the cavity of the housing 301, and a drive motor 302 disposed on the top of the housing 301 and fixedly connected to the axis of the cam block 9.

[0064] The clamping assembly 10 includes two sets of movable blocks 1001 slidably mounted in the cavity of the housing 301, and a tension spring 1002 disposed between the two sets of movable blocks 1001.

[0065] The cavity inside the housing 301 is an open cavity. The end of the housing 301 away from the cavity opening is fixedly connected to the moving mechanism 2. The cam block 9 is located between two sets of moving blocks 1001. The tension spring 1002 pulls the two sets of moving blocks 1001 toward the center, so that the two sets of moving blocks 1001 always fit against the side wall of the cam block 9. Then, the cam block 9 is driven to rotate by the drive motor 302, thereby realizing the switching of the first-level clamping, second-level clamping and expansion modes of the clamping drive mechanism 3.

[0066] The clamping rod 4 is located at one end of the movable block 1001 near the opening of the chamber, and the clamping rod 4 and the movable block 1001 are integrally formed.

[0067] The cam block 9 is provided with an expansion point 901, a primary clamping point 902 and a secondary clamping point 903, and the included angle between the expansion point 901, the primary clamping point 902 and the secondary clamping point 903 and the line connecting them to the axis of the cam block 9 is 60 degrees.

[0068] There are two sets of expansion point 901, primary clamping point 902 and secondary clamping point 903, and the line connecting the two sets of expansion point 901, primary clamping point 902 and secondary clamping point 903 passes through the axis of cam block 9.

[0069] Two sets of expansion points 901, primary clamping points 902, and secondary clamping points 903 enable them to drive and push the two moving blocks 1001. The expansion points 901, primary clamping points 902, and secondary clamping points 903 are naturally transitioned by an arc surface. The diameters of the circles drawn with the axis of the cam block 9 as the center are: expansion point 901 > primary clamping point 902 > secondary clamping point 903.

[0070] Initially, the drive motor 302 drives the expansion point 901 of the cam block 9 to rotate until it abuts against the moving block 1001, thereby causing the two moving blocks 1001 to expand to both sides of the cavity of the housing 301 and causing the tension spring 1002 to be in a stretched state. After the clamping rod 4 is inserted into the bottom of the cultivation basin, the drive motor 302 drives the cam block 9 to rotate 60 degrees. Under the pulling action of the tension spring 1002, the two moving blocks 1001 move closer to each other and abut against the first-level clamping point 902 on the cam block 9. At this time, the clamping rod 4 moves closer to each other as the two moving blocks 1001 move closer to each other, so that it is located below the edge of the cultivation basin. Then, it moves upward through the moving mechanism 2, so that the clamping rod 4 lifts the cultivation basin.

[0071] A strip groove 303 is provided at the bottom of the housing 301;

[0072] The bottom of the movable block 1001 is provided with a guide block 1003, and the guide block 1003 and the strip groove 303 slide in a matching manner.

[0073] By setting the guide block 1003, the moving block 1001 is prevented from detaching from the cavity of the housing 301, and the moving block 1001 is able to move linearly along the strip groove 303.

[0074] The top of the movable block 1001 near the cam block 9 has a clearance groove 1004, and a locking block 1005 is provided in the clearance groove 1004.

[0075] Both the primary clamping point 902 and the secondary clamping point 903 on the upper side wall of the cam block 9 are equipped with L-shaped positioning rods 904 of the same size.

[0076] When the cam block 9 pushes the moving block 1001 against the primary clamping point 902 and the secondary clamping point 903, the moving block 1001 achieves primary and secondary clamping. Since the primary and secondary clamping between the moving blocks 1001 is pulled by the tension spring 1002, it is not stable enough. When the primary clamping point 902 and the secondary clamping point 903 push the moving block 1001 against the primary clamping point 902 and the secondary clamping point 903, the L-shaped positioning rod 904 on the primary clamping point 902 and the secondary clamping point 903 also moves to correspond to the locking block 1005, so that the moving block 1001 cannot move along the direction of the strip groove 303, thus making its clamping reliable.

[0077] The clamping assembly 7 includes a rotating wheel 701 rotatably mounted in the movable cavity 402, a connecting rod 702 disposed on the circumferential side wall of the rotating wheel 701, and a pressure block 703 integrally formed with the connecting rod 702;

[0078] The included angle between the connecting rod 702 and the pressure block 703 is an acute angle, and the toothed blocks 704 are arranged in a ring array on the circumferential side wall of the rotating wheel 701.

[0079] The drive assembly 8 includes a rack 801 disposed in the movable cavity 402, a pressure plate 802 disposed at the top of the rack 801, and a first spring 803 disposed on one side of the rack 801 and fixedly connected to the bottom of the pressure plate 802.

[0080] One side of the rack 801 is attached to the inner wall of the movable cavity 402, and the other side of the rack 801 meshes with the tooth block 704. The rack 801 is matched and inserted into the communication area between the movable cavity 402 and the limiting groove 401.

[0081] After the cam block 9 performs the first-stage clamping, the moving mechanism 2 drives the clamping support rod 4 to move upward and lift the cultivation pot. The edge of the cultivation pot pushes the pressure plate 802 downward, thereby squeezing the first spring 803 and driving the rack 801 downward. Through the meshing of the rack 801 and the tooth block 704, the downward movement of the rack 801 drives the rotating wheel 701 to rotate, thereby driving the connecting rod 702 to rotate, and thus causing the pressure block 703 to press against the top edge of the cultivation pot.

[0082] It should be noted that during the first-level clamping, the clamping component 7 is in an expanded state and located on the side of the cultivation basin. In addition, when the pressure block 703 rotates to fit and press against the top edge of the cultivation basin, its contact surface is an arc surface, so its contact is linear.

[0083] The rack 801 has a locking hole 804, and the locking hole 804 is connected to the locking mechanism 6;

[0084] The locking mechanism 6 includes a contact component 11 disposed in the limiting groove 401, and a locking rod 601 disposed at one end of the contact component 11;

[0085] Locking rod 601 and locking hole 804 are mated together.

[0086] After the rack 801 is pushed down by the edge of the cultivation basin, when it drives the pressing block 703 of the pressing component 7 to press the top of the edge of the cultivation basin, the bottom of the rack 801 is in contact with the bottom of the limiting groove 401. At this time, the drive motor 302 drives the cam block 9 to rotate. Under the action of the tension spring 1002, the cam block 9 switches from the first-level clamping point 902 to the second-level clamping point 903 and is in contact with the side wall of the cam block 9. The two moving blocks 1001 move closer to each other, so that the abutting component 11 is pushed into the limiting groove 401 by the side wall of the cultivation basin. After the abutting component 11 retracts into the limiting groove 401, it drives the locking rod 601 to move, so that the locking rod 601 and the locking hole 804 on the rack 801 are inserted, thereby preventing the rack 801 from moving upward. Thus, the pressing state of the pressing component 7 is locked.

[0087] A retaining ring 12 is provided inside the limiting groove 401, and the abutting component 11 is provided on one side of the retaining ring 12;

[0088] The abutment assembly 11 includes a second spring 1101 sleeved around the circumference of the locking rod 601, an abutment rod 1102 disposed at the end of the second spring 1101 away from the retaining ring 12, and a ball bearing 1103 disposed at the end of the abutment rod 1102 away from the retaining ring 12.

[0089] First, the retaining ring 12 is set in the limiting groove 401 and located on one side of the downward insertion area of ​​the rack 801. Its setting can limit the lower end of the rack 801. It should be noted that the rack 801 is located in the area between the clamping component 7 and the inner wall of the movable cavity 402. The clamping component 7 and the inner wall of the movable cavity 402 make the rack 801 only able to move up and down. After the rack 801 moves down into the limiting groove 401, there is no limiting effect of the inner wall of the movable cavity 402 on the lower end of the rack 801. This allows the rack 801 to rotate around the junction of the movable cavity 402 and the limiting groove 401. Therefore, the setting of the retaining ring 12 can limit the rack 801, thereby ensuring that the rack 801 moves vertically up and down.

[0090] Secondly, the two ends of the second spring 1101 abut against the ends of the retaining ring 12 and the abutment rod 1102, respectively. The locking rod 601 is fixedly installed at the end of the abutment rod 1102 near the second spring 1101, and the locking rod 601 can pass through the middle of the retaining ring 12. In the initial state, under the action of the second spring 1101, the end of the abutment rod 1102 where the ball 1103 is located protrudes outside the limiting groove 401. The locking rod 601 is located on the side of the retaining ring 12 away from the insertion area of ​​the rack 801, so that it does not affect the normal downward movement of the rack 801. Under the first-level clamping, the end of the abutment rod 1102 abuts against the side wall of the cultivation basin. At this time, the movement... When the moving mechanism 2 drives the clamping rod 4 to move upward and lift the cultivation basin, the ball bearing 1103 abuts against the side wall of the cultivation basin, so that when it moves upward, it will not move the cultivation basin upward together. As a result, the edge of the cultivation basin cannot move downward to push the driving component 8. After the pressing component 7 presses the top of the cultivation basin, the driving motor 302 drives the cam block 9 to rotate and switch to the secondary clamping state, so that the abutting rod 1102 abuts against the side wall of the cultivation basin and retracts into the limiting groove 401. This allows the locking rod 601 to be inserted into the locking hole 804 on the rack 801, so that the rack 801 cannot move upward, thereby locking the pressing state of the pressing component 7.

[0091] The moving mechanism 2 includes a horizontal electric slide 201 mounted on the base plate 1 and a longitudinal electric slide 202 mounted on the horizontal electric slide 201.

[0092] The sliding direction of the horizontal electric slide 201 is the same as the direction of the clamping rod 4 inserted into the bottom of the cultivation basin. The vertical electric slide 202 is fixedly installed on the slide of the horizontal electric slide 201, and the vertical electric slide 202 is used to control the up and down movement of the clamping rod 4.

[0093] Of all the solutions mentioned above, those involving the connection between two components can be selected according to the actual situation, such as welding, bolt and nut connection, bolt or screw connection, or other known connection methods, which will not be elaborated here. For all the fixed connections mentioned above, welding is preferred. Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automated robotic arm for forage planting, characterized by: It includes a base plate (1), on which a moving mechanism (2) is provided, and a clamping drive mechanism (3) is fixedly installed on the moving mechanism (2). The clamping drive mechanism (3) is provided with two sets of clamping rods (4), and each set of clamping rods (4) is provided with a pressing mechanism (5) and a locking mechanism (6). Both sets of clamping rods (4) have limit grooves (401) on opposite sides, and the locking mechanism (6) is located in the limit grooves (401). Both sets of clamping rods (4) have movable cavities (402) on both sides of the top end that communicate with the limit grooves (401), and the pressing mechanism (5) is located in the movable cavities (402). The clamping mechanism (5) includes a clamping assembly (7) rotatably mounted in the movable cavity (402) and a driving assembly (8) for driving the clamping assembly (7). The clamping drive mechanism (3) is provided with a first-level clamping, a second-level clamping and an expansion mode. In the first-level clamping mode, the clamping rod (4) moves up with the moving mechanism (2) to lift the cultivation pot and cause the drive component (8) to move down. In the second-level clamping mode, the locking mechanism (6) is plugged into and matched with the moving drive component (8). The clamping drive mechanism (3) includes a housing (301) disposed on the moving mechanism (2), a cam block (9) and a clamping assembly (10) disposed in the cavity of the housing (301), and a drive motor (302) disposed on the top of the housing (301) and fixedly connected to the axis of the cam block (9). The clamping assembly (10) includes two sets of movable blocks (1001) slidably mounted in the cavity of the housing (301), and a tension spring (1002) disposed between the two sets of movable blocks (1001). The cam block (9) is provided with an expansion point (901), a primary clamping point (902) and a secondary clamping point (903), and the included angle between the expansion point (901), the primary clamping point (902) and the secondary clamping point (903) and the line connecting them to the axis of the cam block (9) is 60 degrees. The expansion point (901), the first-level clamping point (902) and the second-level clamping point (903) are provided in two sets, and the line connecting the two sets of expansion points (901), first-level clamping points (902) and second-level clamping points (903) passes through the axis of the cam block (9); The bottom of the housing (301) is provided with a strip groove (303); The bottom of the movable block (1001) is provided with a guide block (1003), and the guide block (1003) and the strip groove (303) are slidably matched; The moving block (1001) has a clearance groove (1004) at the top of the side near the cam block (9), and a locking block (1005) is provided in the clearance groove (1004). The cam block (9) has L-shaped positioning rods (904) of the same size at both the primary clamping point (902) and the secondary clamping point (903) on the upper side wall of the cam block (9); The clamping assembly (7) includes a rotating wheel (701) rotatably mounted in the movable cavity (402), a connecting rod (702) disposed on the circumferential side wall of the rotating wheel (701), and a pressure block (703) integrally formed with the connecting rod (702). The included angle between the connecting rod (702) and the pressure block (703) is an acute angle, and the circumferential sidewall of the rotating wheel (701) is provided with a ring array of toothed blocks (704). The drive assembly (8) includes a rack (801) disposed in the movable cavity (402), a pressure plate (802) disposed at the top of the rack (801), and a first spring (803) disposed on one side of the rack (801) and fixedly connected to the bottom of the pressure plate (802). One side of the rack (801) is attached to the inner wall of the movable cavity (402), and the other side of the rack (801) meshes with the tooth block (704). The rack (801) is matched and inserted into the communication area of ​​the movable cavity (402) and the limiting groove (401). The rack (801) has a locking hole (804), and the locking hole (804) is connected to the locking mechanism (6); The locking mechanism (6) includes an abutting component (11) disposed in the limiting groove (401) and a locking rod (601) disposed at one end of the abutting component (11). The locking rod (601) and the locking hole (804) are mated together; The gripping method of the automated forage planting robot includes the following steps: S1. Locate the target cultivation pot and initialize the robotic arm to expansion mode; S2. The robotic arm switches to the first-level gripping mode, so that the robotic arm fits against the side wall of the cultivation basin and is located below the edge of the basin; S3. The upward-moving robotic arm lifts the cultivation basin, and the weight of the cultivation basin causes the top edge of the basin to be pressed firmly by the robotic arm. S4. The robotic arm switches to the secondary clamping mode, locking the robotic arm in a tight gripping state on the edge of the cultivation pot.

2. The automated forage planting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting groove (401) is provided with a retaining ring (12), and the abutting component (11) is provided on one side of the retaining ring (12); The abutment assembly (11) includes a second spring (1101) sleeved around the circumference of the locking rod (601), an abutment rod (1102) disposed at the end of the second spring (1101) away from the retaining ring (12), and a ball (1103) disposed at the end of the abutment rod (1102) away from the retaining ring (12).

3. The automated forage planting robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The moving mechanism (2) includes a horizontal electric slide (201) disposed on the base plate (1) and a longitudinal electric slide (202) disposed on the horizontal electric slide (201).

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