Lobster head and tail separation equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses lobster head and tail separation equipment which comprises a rack, a mechanical arm and a separation assembly, the rack is provided with a machining position, one end of the mechanical arm is installed on the rack, the other end of the mechanical arm is used for clamping lobsters, the mechanical arm is used for placing the lobsters at the machining position one by one, and the separation assembly comprises a visual controller and two clamping pieces. The two clamping pieces are arranged at the two ends of the processing position respectively, each clamping piece comprises an adjusting unit and a clamping unit, the clamping units are used for clamping the heads or the tails of the lobsters, the adjusting units are in transmission connection with the clamping units so as to drive the clamping units to move relative to the rack, the visual probes are used for scanning the lobsters located at the processing position, and the controller is connected with the clamping units and the adjusting units. The controller controls the adjusting unit and the clamping unit so that the clamping unit can clamp and drag the head and the tail of the lobster located at the processing position. The head and the tail of the lobster are separated in a dragging mode, so that the lobster can be broken at the fragile junction of the head and the tail, and the separation quality of the head and the tail of the lobster is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aquatic product processing, specifically to a device for separating the head and tail of lobsters. Background Technology

[0002] Lobster heads contain heavy metals that are harmful to the human body. People need to remove the heads of lobsters before eating them. Removing the heads of lobsters is an important process in automated shelling equipment.

[0003] Existing lobster head removal devices can be found in patent application number CN202411227780.3, which includes a frame, a conveyor belt, and a cutting mechanism. The conveyor belt is used to transport the lobsters and has several slots that limit the lobsters and prevent them from tilting. The cutting mechanism then cuts the lobsters to separate their heads and tails. However, the different sizes and curvatures of lobsters make it difficult for the cutting mechanism to align with the junction of the head and tail, resulting in potential deviations in the cutting position.

[0004] Therefore, how to correctly separate the head and tail of a lobster is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned technical deficiencies and propose a lobster head and tail separation device to solve the technical problem in the prior art that it is difficult to correctly separate the head and tail of the lobster at the junction.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: This invention provides a device for separating the head and tail of a lobster, comprising: A frame on which processing positions are located; A robotic arm, with its fixed end mounted to the frame and its free end used to grip lobsters, is used to place lobsters one by one at the processing position; and The separation assembly includes a controller and two clamping members, which are respectively located at both ends of the processing position. Each clamping member includes an adjustment unit and a clamping unit. The clamping unit is used to clamp the head or tail of the lobster. The adjustment unit is drivenly connected to the clamping unit to drive the clamping unit to move relative to the frame. The controller is communicatively connected to both the clamping unit and the adjustment unit. The controller controls the adjustment unit and the clamping unit to make the clamping unit clamp and drag the head and tail of the lobster located at the processing position.

[0007] In some embodiments, the adjustment unit includes a lifting seat, a lifting drive unit, and a translation drive unit. The lifting seat is slidably disposed on the frame in a vertical direction. The lifting drive unit is induced to drive the lifting seat to move relative to the frame. The clamping unit is slidably disposed on the lifting seat in a horizontal direction. The translation drive unit is induced to drive the clamping unit to slide relative to the lifting seat.

[0008] In some embodiments, the frame has a plurality of guide holes, and the lifting seat has a plurality of guide rods, which are movably inserted through the plurality of guide holes in a corresponding manner.

[0009] In some embodiments, the lifting drive unit includes a lifting cylinder, the cylinder body of which is mounted on the frame, and the piston rod of which is connected to the lifting seat.

[0010] In some embodiments, the clamping unit has a wire hole, the translation drive unit includes a motor and a lead screw, the lead screw is rotatably mounted on the lifting seat, and the lead screw is screwed to the wire hole, and the motor is driven to drive the lead screw to rotate.

[0011] In some embodiments, the clamping unit includes a gripper cylinder.

[0012] In some embodiments, the robotic arm includes a body and a gripper. One end of the body is mounted on the frame, and the other end is connected to the gripper. The body can move the gripper in three-dimensional space and rotate the gripper relative to the body. The controller is communicatively connected to the body. The vision probe detects the orientation of the lobster gripped by the gripper. The controller controls the body according to the orientation of the lobster gripped by the gripper so that the lobsters placed at the processing position are facing the same direction.

[0013] In some embodiments, the processing position is provided with a placement slot and a pick-and-place slot that extends laterally through the placement slot.

[0014] In some embodiments, a first outlet and a second outlet are provided at both ends of the processing position.

[0015] In some embodiments, the frame has a first guide cone surrounding the first outlet and a second guide cone surrounding the second outlet.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the lobster head and tail separation device provided by the present invention has the following advantages: First, a robotic arm grips the lobster and places it in the processing position. Then, the controller operates the adjustment unit and the gripping unit to align the gripping unit with the lobster's head or tail. The two gripping units then move in opposite directions. Since the junction between the lobster's head and tail is the most vulnerable part, a dragging method is used to separate the lobster's head and tail, causing the lobster to break at the most vulnerable junction, thus completing the head and tail separation operation and ensuring the quality of the separation. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the lobster head and tail separation device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the separate component structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping member structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a partial schematic diagram of point A provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: frame 100, guide hole 110, placement slot 120, pick-and-place slot 130, first outlet 140, second outlet 150, robotic arm 200, body 210, gripper 220, separation assembly 300, vision probe 310, controller 320, clamping component 330, adjustment unit 331, lifting seat 3311, guide rod 33111, lifting drive unit 3312, translation drive unit 3313, motor 33131, lead screw 33132, clamping unit 332, threaded hole 3321, gripper cylinder 3322, conveyor belt 400. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0019] To address the technical problem that lobster decapitation devices struggle to correctly separate the head and tail of lobsters at the junction, this invention provides a lobster head and tail separation device. This device utilizes a vision probe 310 to acquire the head and tail position information of the lobster at the processing location, and then adjusts the clamping components based on this information, ensuring the clamping components are aligned with the lobster's head and tail.

[0020] It should be noted that the crayfish head and tail separation device of the present invention is used for the separation of the head and tail of crayfish, etc. For ease of explanation, in the present invention, only the application of the crayfish head and tail separation device to the separation of the head and tail of crayfish is used as an example for explanation.

[0021] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a lobster head-tail separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The lobster head-tail separation device includes a frame 100, a robotic arm 200, and a separation component 300. The frame 100 has a processing position. One end of the robotic arm 200 is mounted on the frame 100, and the other end is used to grip the lobster. The robotic arm 200 is used to place the lobsters one by one into the processing position. The separation component 300 includes a view controller 320 and two gripping members 330. The two gripping members 330 are respectively located at both ends of the processing position. The gripping members 330 include adjustment... Unit 331 and clamping unit 332 are used to clamp the head or tail of the lobster. Adjustment unit 331 is connected to clamping unit 332 to drive clamping unit 332 to move relative to frame 100. Vision probe 310 is used to scan the lobster located at the processing position. Controller 320 is connected to clamping unit 332 and adjustment unit 331 respectively. Controller 320 controls adjustment unit 331 and clamping unit 332 so that the clamping unit clamps and drags the head and tail of the lobster located at the processing position.

[0022] In this embodiment, the robotic arm 200 first grips the lobster and places it in the processing position. Then, the vision probe 310 acquires the head and tail position information of the lobster in the processing position. Next, the controller 320 controls the adjustment unit 331 and the gripping unit 332 according to the head and tail position information of the lobster in the processing position, so that the gripping unit 332 is aligned with the head or tail of the lobster. Then, the two gripping units 332 move in opposite directions. Since the junction of the head and tail of the lobster is the most vulnerable part of the lobster, the head and tail of the lobster are separated by dragging. This causes the lobster to break at the most vulnerable junction, thereby completing the separation operation of the lobster's head and tail and ensuring the quality of the separation.

[0023] Based on the above embodiments, in some embodiments, the separation component 300 further includes a vision probe 310, which is used to scan the lobster located at the processing position to obtain the head and tail position information of the lobster located at the processing position. The controller 320 is connected to the vision probe 310, the clamping unit 332 and the adjustment unit 331 respectively. The controller 320 controls the adjustment unit 331 and the clamping unit 332 according to the head and tail position information of the lobster located at the processing position so that the clamping unit 332 aligns with and clamps the head and tail of the lobster located at the processing position.

[0024] It should be emphasized that the choice of vision probe 310 is diverse. Vision probe 310 can be a camera, a camera, or a radar probe, etc. In a preferred embodiment, vision probe 310 is a CCD industrial camera. CCD industrial cameras have high shooting accuracy, which can more accurately grasp the position information of the lobster's head and tail.

[0025] In some embodiments, the adjustment unit 331 includes a lifting seat 3311, a lifting drive unit 3312, and a translation drive unit 3313. The lifting seat 3311 is slidably disposed on the frame 100 in the vertical direction. The lifting drive unit 3312 is connected to the lifting seat 3311 to drive the lifting seat 3311 to move relative to the frame 100. The clamping unit 332 is slidably disposed on the lifting seat 3311 in the horizontal direction. The translation drive unit 3313 is connected to the clamping unit 332 to drive the clamping unit 332 to slide relative to the lifting seat 3311. The lifting drive unit 3312 drives the lifting seat 3311 to move, thereby adjusting the height of the lifting seat 3311. The clamping unit 332 is slidably disposed on the lifting seat 3311, so that the clamping unit 332 can slide horizontally along the lifting seat 3311. Under the combined action of the translation drive unit 3313 and the lifting drive unit 3312, the clamping unit 332 can move in the vertical plane, thereby aligning the clamping unit 332 with the head or tail of the lobster.

[0026] In some embodiments, the frame 100 has a plurality of guide holes 110, and the lifting seat 3311 has a plurality of guide rods 33111, which are movably inserted through the plurality of guide holes 110 in a one-to-one correspondence. The guide holes 110 can guide the guide rods 33111, thereby allowing the lifting seat 3311 to slide relative to the frame 100.

[0027] Based on the above embodiments, in some embodiments, the lifting drive unit 3312 includes a lifting cylinder, the cylinder body of the lifting cylinder is mounted on the frame 100, the piston rod of the lifting cylinder is connected to the lifting seat 3311, and the piston rod of the lifting cylinder moves relative to the cylinder body of the lifting cylinder, thereby pushing the lifting seat 3311 to move.

[0028] In some embodiments, the clamping unit 332 has a threaded hole 3321, and the translation drive unit 3313 includes a motor 33131 and a lead screw 33132. The lead screw 33132 is rotatably mounted on the lifting base 3311, and the lead screw 33132 is screwed to the threaded hole 3321. The motor 33131 drives the lead screw 33132 to rotate. The motor 33131 drives the lead screw 33132 to rotate. Since the lead screw 33132 and the threaded hole 3321 are screwed together, the rotating lead screw 33132 can push the clamping unit 332 to move relative to the lifting base 3311.

[0029] Any implementation of the clamping unit 332 that can hold the head and tail of the lobster is feasible. In some embodiments, the clamping unit 332 includes a gripper cylinder 3322. The gripper cylinder 3322 is a standard part, and those skilled in the art can select a gripper cylinder 3322 of appropriate specifications according to actual needs.

[0030] In some embodiments, there are multiple processing positions and multiple separation components 300, with each separation component 300 corresponding to one of the processing positions. Each processing position can hold one lobster, and the two gripping units 332 of each set of separation components 300 can grip the lobster's head and tail respectively, thereby separating the lobster's head and tail. The robotic arm 200 can alternately place the lobsters at the various processing positions, thereby improving the lobster processing efficiency.

[0031] In some embodiments, the robotic arm 200 includes a body 210 and a gripper 220. One end of the body 210 is mounted to the frame 100, and the other end is connected to the gripper 220. The body 210 can move the gripper 220 in three-dimensional space and rotate the gripper 220 relative to the body 210. The controller 320 is communicatively connected to the body 210. A vision probe 310 detects the orientation of the lobster gripped by the gripper 220. The controller 320 controls the body 210 according to the orientation of the lobster gripped by the gripper 220 to ensure that the lobsters placed at the processing position are facing the same direction. In this way, after the lobster's head and tail are separated, the head and tail are located at opposite ends of the processing position, making it easier for the operator to collect the lobster's head and tail.

[0032] In some embodiments, the processing position is provided with a placement groove 120 and a pick-and-place groove 130 extending transversely through the placement groove 120. The placement groove 120 is used to position the lobster to facilitate the subsequent head and tail separation operation, while the pick-and-place groove 130 corresponds to the claw 220. When the claw 220 clamps the lobster and places it into the pick-and-place groove 130, the claw 220 is partially embedded in the pick-and-place groove 130, allowing the lobster to be smoothly placed into the placement groove 120.

[0033] In some embodiments, a first outlet 140 and a second outlet 150 are provided at both ends of the processing position. After the two clamping units 332 separate the head and tail of the lobster, the two clamping units 332 can release the lobster head and tail respectively, and the lobster head and tail will fall into the first outlet 140 and the second outlet 150 respectively.

[0034] Based on the above embodiments, in some embodiments, the frame 100 has a first guide cone surface surrounding the first outlet 140 and a second guide cone surface surrounding the second outlet 150. The first and second guide cone surfaces serve a guiding function to facilitate the lobster head and lobster tail entering the first outlet 140 and the second outlet 150, respectively.

[0035] To better understand this invention, the following is combined with... Figures 1 to 5 The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below: First, the robotic arm 200 grips the lobster and places it in the placement slot 120. The placement slot 120 is used to position the lobster for subsequent head-to-tail separation. Then, the vision probe 310 acquires the head and tail position information of the lobster at the processing position. Next, the controller 320 controls the translation drive unit 3313 and the lifting drive unit 3312 based on the head and tail position information. Under the combined action of the translation drive unit 3313 and the lifting drive unit 3312, the gripping unit 332 can move in a vertical plane, thereby aligning the gripping unit 332 with the lobster's head or tail. Subsequently, the two gripping units 332 move in opposite directions to separate the lobster's head and tail. After the two gripping units 332 have separated the lobster's head and tail, they can release the lobster head and tail respectively, which will then fall into the first outlet 140 and the second outlet 150. The aforementioned lobster head and tail separation device allows the clamping unit 332 to be aligned with the head or tail of the lobster, ensuring that the clamping unit 332 can correctly clamp the head and tail of the lobster, and ensuring that the head and tail of the lobster can be smoothly separated from each other, so that the lobster head and tail separation device can be used for lobsters of different sizes.

[0036] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper" and "lower," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0037] It should be noted that in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0038] The specific embodiments of the present invention described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention. Any other corresponding changes and modifications made in accordance with the technical concept of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for separating the head and tail of a lobster, characterized in that, include: A frame on which processing positions are located; A robotic arm, with its fixed end mounted on the frame and its free end used to grip lobsters, is used to place lobsters one by one at the processing position. as well as The separation assembly includes a controller and two clamping members, which are respectively located at both ends of the processing position. Each clamping member includes an adjustment unit and a clamping unit. The clamping unit is used to clamp the head or tail of the lobster. The adjustment unit is drivenly connected to the clamping unit to drive the clamping unit to move relative to the frame. The controller is communicatively connected to both the clamping unit and the adjustment unit. The controller controls the adjustment unit and the clamping unit to make the clamping unit clamp and drag the head and tail of the lobster located at the processing position.

2. The lobster head and tail separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment unit includes a lifting seat, a lifting drive unit, and a translation drive unit. The lifting seat is slidably disposed on the frame in the vertical direction. The lifting drive unit is driven to the lifting seat to move the lifting seat relative to the frame. The clamping unit is slidably disposed on the lifting seat in the horizontal direction. The translation drive unit is driven to the clamping unit to move the clamping unit relative to the lifting seat.

3. The lobster head and tail separation device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The frame has several guide holes, and the lifting seat has several guide rods, which are movably inserted through the several guide holes in a corresponding manner.

4. The lobster head and tail separation device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lifting drive unit includes a lifting cylinder, the cylinder body of which is mounted on the frame, and the piston rod of which is connected to the lifting seat.

5. The lobster head and tail separation device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The clamping unit has a wire hole, and the translation drive unit includes a motor and a lead screw. The lead screw is rotatably mounted on the lifting seat and is screwed to the wire hole. The motor is connected to the lead screw to drive the lead screw to rotate.

6. The lobster head and tail separation device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The clamping unit includes a gripper cylinder.

7. The lobster head and tail separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robotic arm includes a body and a gripper. One end of the body is mounted on the frame, and the other end is connected to the gripper. The body can move the gripper in three-dimensional space and rotate the gripper relative to the body. The controller is communicatively connected to the body. The vision probe detects the orientation of the lobster gripped by the gripper. The controller controls the body according to the orientation of the lobster gripped by the gripper to ensure that the lobsters placed at the processing position are facing the same direction.

8. The lobster head and tail separation device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The processing position is provided with a placement slot and a pick-and-place slot that extends horizontally through the placement slot.

9. The lobster head and tail separation device according to claim 7, characterized in that, Furthermore, a first outlet and a second outlet are provided at both ends of the processing position.

10. The lobster head and tail separation device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The frame has a first guide cone surface surrounding the first outlet and a second guide cone surface surrounding the second outlet.

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