Manipulator for processing stuffed food

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of food grabbing, in particular to a mechanical arm for processing stuffed food, which comprises a plurality of movable clamping jaws for clamping food, a plurality of elastic liquid bags and a magnetic coil, the elastic liquid bag penetrates through the clamping jaw, an inner bag body and an outer bag body are arranged on the inner side and the outer side of the clamping jaw, and the inner bag body and the outer bag body communicate with each other and are filled with magnetorheological fluid; the magnetic coil is located on the periphery of the communicating position of the inner bag body and the outer bag body. Through controllable viscosity change of magnetorheological fluid in the elastic liquid bag, accurate adjustment of clamping force is achieved, meanwhile, wrapping clamping of food is achieved through deformation of the inner bag body, clamping stability and adaptability are improved, and the problem that the surface of the food is deformed or damaged due to local stress is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food gripping technology, and in particular to a robotic arm for processing stuffed foods. Background Technology

[0002] In the automated processing of stuffed foods (such as steamed buns, dumplings, glutinous rice balls, and pies), robotic arms are key equipment for material transfer, sorting, and plating, and their gripping performance directly affects product quality and production efficiency.

[0003] Existing robotic arms for processing stuffed foods mostly employ rigid mechanical grippers or traditional negative pressure suction cups for grasping operations. Rigid mechanical grippers directly hold the food using mechanical force. However, due to the soft texture and uneven distribution of fillings in stuffed foods, precise control of the gripping force is difficult: excessive gripping force can easily cause deformation such as dents and wrinkles in the food, or even cause the filling to be squeezed out; insufficient gripping force may result in unstable gripping and slippage. Traditional negative pressure suction cups rely on a tight seal between the food surface and the suction cup. For stuffed foods with uneven surfaces, wrinkles, or containing oil or moisture, seal failure and insufficient suction are prone to occur. Furthermore, excessive negative pressure can easily create circular indentations on the food surface, affecting the appearance and integrity.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, this application proposes a robotic arm for processing stuffed foods. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a robotic arm for processing stuffed foods, in order to solve the problem that current robotic arms are prone to deformation after grasping food.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A robotic arm for processing stuffed foods, the robotic arm comprising multiple movable grippers for holding the food, and further comprising: Multiple elastic liquid capsules, each elastic liquid capsule penetrating a gripper and having an inner capsule and an outer capsule on the inner and outer sides of the gripper, the inner capsule and the outer capsule being connected and filled with magnetorheological fluid; A magnetic coil is located on the outer periphery of the junction between the inner and outer capsules.

[0007] Furthermore, a buffer surface is provided on the side of the gripper near the inner side of the robotic arm. The buffer surface is a semi-cylindrical surface, and the portion of the inner bladder that fits against the buffer surface is fixed to the buffer surface.

[0008] Furthermore, a plurality of elastic liquid bladders are provided on each of the grippers, and the elastic liquid bladders are distributed along the length direction of the gripper.

[0009] Furthermore, the robotic arm also includes a support frame, on which are provided elongated, radiating limiting holes. The gripper is slidably connected to the inner side of the limiting holes. The robotic arm also includes: A driving component is used to drive the gripper to slide along the limiting hole.

[0010] Furthermore, the driving component is a disc structure with a vortex-shaped driving hole on it, and the gripper is provided with a driving post, which is slidably connected to the inside of the driving hole. The robotic arm also includes: A drive motor is used to drive the drive component to rotate on the bracket.

[0011] Furthermore, the robotic arm also includes: At least three rolling sleeves are rotatably connected to the ends of the grippers, and at least two of the rolling sleeves are in contact with one side of the inner wall of the limiting hole, and at least one rolling sleeve is in contact with the other side of the inner wall of the limiting hole.

[0012] Furthermore, four rolling sleeves are provided, each contacting the same inner wall of the limiting hole in pairs.

[0013] Furthermore, the drive motor is connected to the drive component via a reduction gear assembly.

[0014] Furthermore, the robotic arm also includes: An image acquisition component is located inside the gripping space formed by the grippers and is used to acquire the projection of the food. The control mechanism of the robot arm controls the movement distance of the grippers based on the initial position of the grippers and the outer contour projection of the food.

[0015] In summary, the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art: The robotic arm for processing stuffed foods disclosed in this invention achieves precise adjustment of clamping force by controlling the viscosity change of the magnetorheological fluid inside the elastic liquid bladder, effectively avoiding damage to the outer skin of stuffed foods. At the same time, the deformation of the inner bladder enables the food to be wrapped and clamped, improving clamping stability and adaptability, and preventing deformation or damage to the food surface caused by localized force. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a robotic arm for processing stuffed food disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the robotic arm for processing stuffed food disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a front view of the robotic arm for processing stuffed food disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Sectional view of AA.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the interaction between the drive unit and the gripper in a robotic arm for processing stuffed food, as disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the gripper structure of a robotic hand for processing stuffed food disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure label: 100, Bracket; 110, Upper base plate; 120, Lower base plate; 121, Limiting hole; 122, Roller; 130, Connecting rod bolt; 200, Gripper; 201, Buffer surface; 202, Mounting groove; 203, Coil hole; 210, Clamping plate; 211, Drive column; 220, Fastening screw; 230, Rolling sleeve; 240, Elastic liquid bladder; 241, Inner bladder; 242, Outer bladder; 250, Magnetic coil; 260, Cover plate; 300, Drive component; 301, Drive hole; 400, Drive motor; 410, Driving wheel; 420, Driven wheel; 430, Reduction assembly; 431, Driven pulley; 432, Driving pulley; 433, Reduction shaft; 500, Image acquisition assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] Example 1

[0025] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a robotic arm for processing stuffed food. The robotic arm includes a support 100, grippers 200, a drive member 300, and a drive motor 400. Multiple grippers 200 are provided, and the grippers 200 slide radially along the support 100. The drive member 300 rotates on the support 100 and drives the multiple grippers 200 to move synchronously. The drive motor 400 drives the drive member 300 to rotate. Multiple elastic liquid bladders 240 are provided on each gripper 200. Each elastic liquid bladder 240 penetrates the gripper 200 and has an inner bladder 241 and an outer bladder 242 on both the inner and outer sides of the gripper 200 (relative to the inner and outer sides of the robotic arm). The inner bladder 241 and the outer bladder 242 are connected and filled with magnetorheological fluid. A magnetic coil 250 is also provided on the outer periphery of the connection between the inner bladder 241 and the outer bladder 242.

[0026] In this embodiment, when the robotic arm grips stuffed food, the drive motor 400 drives the drive component 300 to rotate, and the drive component 300 drives the grippers 200 to move synchronously, causing multiple grippers 200 to close. When the inner capsule 241 adheres to the food, the inner capsule 241 is deformed under pressure. Under pressure, the internal magnetorheological fluid flows into the outer capsule 242 through the channel between the inner capsule 241 and the outer capsule 242. The inner capsule 241 adheres to the food surface to form an adaptive envelope shape. At the same time, the magnetic coil 250 is energized to generate a magnetic field, which increases the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid and locks the deformation state, thereby realizing flexible gripping and force feedback control of stuffed food. Simultaneously, due to the effect of the magnetic field, the magnetorheological fluid applies a small pressure to the food surface (insufficient to cause significant deformation of the food), thereby gripping the food. When transferring the food, the robotic arm connected to the robotic arm or other spatial movement mechanism drives the robotic arm to move, thereby realizing the transfer of the food.

[0027] The robotic arm for processing stuffed foods disclosed in this invention achieves precise adjustment of clamping force by controlling the viscosity change of the magnetorheological fluid inside the elastic liquid bladder 240, effectively avoiding damage to the outer skin of stuffed foods. At the same time, the deformation of the inner bladder 241 enables the food to be wrapped and clamped, improving clamping stability and adaptability, and preventing deformation or damage to the food surface caused by localized force.

[0028] Specifically, in this embodiment, the support 100 includes an upper base plate 110 and a lower base plate 120. Both the upper base plate 110 and the lower base plate 120 are disc structures. The upper base plate 110 and the lower base plate 120 are connected by connecting rod bolts 130. The connecting rod bolts 130 are double-ended studs, and their two ends are connected to the upper base plate 110 and the lower base plate 120 respectively through nut structures. The connecting rod bolts 130 are evenly distributed around the axis of the upper base plate 110 in the circumferential direction to form a stable support structure. In this embodiment, four connecting rod bolts 130 are provided.

[0029] The lower substrate 120 is provided with a limiting hole 121. The limiting hole 121 is an elongated hole that extends outward from the center in a divergent manner. The end of the gripper 200 is slidably connected to the inner side of the limiting hole 121 and slides along the direction of the limiting hole 121 to achieve radial extension and retraction, thereby adapting to the food clamping requirements of different sizes and performing clamping actions.

[0030] like Figures 2-4 , Figure 6 As shown, the gripper 200 is a square rod-shaped structure. A clamping plate 210 is provided at the end of the gripper 200 connected to the lower base plate 120. The clamping plate 210 is fixedly connected to the gripper 200 by fastening screws 220. The ends of the gripper 200 and the clamping plate 210 clamp the limiting hole 121, which limits the gripper 200 axially, preventing it from disengaging from the guide track of the limiting hole 121 during radial sliding, ensuring smooth and reliable movement. The fastening screws 220 pass through the clamping plate 210 and lock onto the gripper 200, achieving a stable structural connection.

[0031] Preferably, in this embodiment, a rolling sleeve 230 is also fitted onto the fastening screw 220. The rolling sleeve 230 is rotatably connected to the fastening screw 220 and is located between the gripper 200 and the clamping plate 210, that is, the rolling sleeve 230 is located inside the limiting hole 121. At least three rolling sleeves 230 are provided, of which at least two rolling sleeves 230 are in contact with one side of the inner wall of the limiting hole 121, and at least one rolling sleeve 230 is in contact with the other side of the inner wall of the limiting hole 121. Thus, during the radial sliding of the gripper 200, the rolling sleeve 230 reduces frictional resistance and maintains the stability and centering of the gripper 200 during the sliding process, avoiding jamming or wear caused by off-center loading. The rolling sleeve 230 is made of a high-hardness wear-resistant material. In this embodiment, four rolling sleeves 230 are provided. Each rolling sleeve 230 contacts the inner wall of the limiting hole 121 on the same side in pairs, ensuring balanced force on both sides, further improving the smoothness of sliding and structural stability, while reducing the risk of wear during long-term use. The outer peripheral surface of the rolling sleeve 230 is polished to reduce contact friction with the inner wall of the limiting hole 121, improve motion efficiency, and extend the service life of the component.

[0032] Preferably, the gripper 200 has a buffer surface 201 on the side near the inner side of the robot arm. The buffer surface 201 is a semi-cylindrical surface. The portion of the inner bladder 241 that fits against the buffer surface 201 is fixed to the buffer surface 201 by adhesive bonding. This allows the inner bladder 241 to cover the buffer surface 201 when it expands, adapting to different curved surfaces of food, such as non-circular foods like dumplings. This prevents stress concentration at the edge of the gripper 200 when gripping food, which could cause the food surface to dent and leave gripping marks. It also improves the gripping fit and safety.

[0033] The gripper 200 has a mounting groove 202 on the side facing away from the buffer surface 201. The mounting groove 202 is a groove structure. The outer capsule 242 is located inside the mounting groove 202. The buffer surface 201 and the mounting groove 202 are connected through a coil hole 203. The magnetic coil 250 is located inside the coil hole 203. The elastic liquid capsule 240 passes through the through hole structure of the magnetic coil 250, so that the inner capsule 241 and the outer capsule 242 are connected to form a pressure transmission channel. When the inner capsule 241 is attached to the food surface, the magnetorheological fluid inside the inner capsule 241 enters the inner side of the outer capsule 242, pushing the magnetorheological fluid in the outer capsule 242 to flow in a direction, and the outer capsule 242 expands. When the food is released, the magnetorheological fluid inside the outer capsule 242 flows back to the inner capsule 241, achieving flexible contraction and restoring the initial shape. At the same time, the pressure inside the inner capsule 241 and the outer capsule 242 remains balanced.

[0034] The magnetic coil 250 is fixed to the inside of the coil hole 203 by adhesive bonding to ensure that it does not shift or loosen during pressure transmission.

[0035] In this embodiment, a plurality of elastic liquid bladders 240 are provided on a single gripper 200. The elastic liquid bladders 240 are distributed along the length direction of the gripper 200, that is, the end of the gripper 200 away from the lower substrate 120 points towards the lower substrate 120.

[0036] Preferably, a cover plate 260 is also provided on the outer side of the mounting groove 202. The cover plate 260 serves to protect the outer bladder 242. In this embodiment, a sliding groove structure is provided on the outer side of the mounting groove 202. The cover plate 260 is installed in the sliding groove by sliding fit and can move back and forth along the sliding groove to realize the disassembly of the cover plate 260. The cover plate 260 is fixed in the sliding groove by interference fit.

[0037] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the clamping plate 210 is provided with a drive column 211, the drive member 300 is a disc structure, the drive member 300 is provided with a drive hole 301, the drive hole 301 is a spiral hole, the drive column 211 is slidably connected to the inner side of the drive hole 301, the drive member 300 is rotatably connected to the lower base plate 120, the drive motor 400 drives the drive member 300 to rotate, during the rotation of the drive member 300, the drive column 211 moves along the spiral trajectory of the drive hole 301, driving the gripper 200 to move radially outward or inward, thereby clamping food and adjusting the clamping range of the robot to adapt to food of different sizes. In this embodiment, the lower base plate 120 is provided with a roller 122, the center of the drive member 300 is provided with a through hole structure, the roller 122 is inserted into the through hole structure of the drive member 300 to achieve axial limit of the drive member 300 and prevent it from axially moving during rotation.

[0038] In this embodiment, four grippers 200 and four drive holes 301 are provided, and the four drive holes 301 are evenly distributed around the axis of the drive member 300.

[0039] Preferably, a driven wheel 420 is fixedly connected to the driving component 300. The driven wheel 420 is a spur gear. A driving wheel 410 is rotatably connected to the upper base plate 110. The driving wheel 410 is also a spur gear. The driving motor 400 drives the driving wheel 410 to rotate. The driving wheel 410 and the driven wheel 420 mesh and transmit power through gear meshing, ensuring that the driving component 300 rotates smoothly and is accurately positioned.

[0040] Preferably, a reduction assembly 430 is further provided between the drive motor 400 and the drive pulley 410 to achieve speed reduction transmission, thereby achieving precise control. In this embodiment, the reduction assembly 430 includes a driven pulley 431, a drive pulley 432, and a reduction shaft 433. The reduction shaft 433 passes through the upper base plate 110 and is rotatably connected to the upper base plate 110. The driven pulley 431 and the drive pulley 410 are respectively fixedly connected to both ends of the reduction shaft 433. The drive motor 400 is fixedly connected to the upper base plate 110, and the drive pulley 432 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 400. The outer diameter of the driven pulley 431 is larger than that of the driving pulley 432. The driven pulley 431 and the driving pulley 432 are connected by a synchronous belt. When the drive motor 400 rotates, it drives the driving pulley 432 to rotate, and the driven pulley 431 rotates in the same direction through the synchronous belt transmission. Because there is a diameter difference between the driven pulley 431 and the driving pulley 432, a reduction ratio is formed, which reduces the speed of the driving pulley 410, enhances the torque output of the drive component 300, and realizes precise control of the clamping force. The gear meshing and reduction mechanism ensures that the robot arm moves smoothly and responds sensitively during the clamping process, and is suitable for various food packaging scenarios.

[0041] In this embodiment, the robotic arm connected to the robotic hand is fixed to the upper base plate 110.

[0042] It should be noted that a dust cover can also be provided on the outside of the bracket 100, and the dust cover is set based on user selection.

[0043] Example 2

[0044] As another embodiment of the present invention, this embodiment differs from Embodiment 1 in that the robotic arm further includes; An image acquisition component 500 is fixedly connected to the center of the bracket 100 by screws, and the image acquisition component 500 is located inside the clamping space formed by the gripper 200. The image acquisition component 500 is used to acquire the projection of the food, thereby controlling the moving distance of the gripper 200, so that while the inner capsule 241 deforms, the body of the gripper 200 does not contact the food, avoiding excessive clamping force. The moving distance of the gripper 200 and the distance from the food surface during clamping are set by experience during equipment debugging.

[0045] The image acquisition component 500 is an industrial camera or a depth camera, and the image acquisition component 500 transmits the acquired food outline information to the robot control system in real time.

[0046] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this invention and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0047] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used in this invention to describe various information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, first information may also be referred to as second information without departing from the scope of this invention, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to a determination."

[0048] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A mechanical hand for processing stuffed food products, said mechanical hand comprising a plurality of movable grippers to achieve gripping of the food product, characterized in that, The mechanical hand further comprises: a plurality of elastic liquid bags, which are arranged through the clamping jaw and are provided with an inner bag body and an outer bag body on both sides of the clamping jaw, and are filled with magnetorheological fluid in the inner bag body and the outer bag body; a magnetic coil, which is arranged at the outer periphery of the communication between the inner bag body and the outer bag body.

2. The mechanical hand for processing stuffed food products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping jaw is provided with a buffer surface on the side close to the inner side of the mechanical hand, the buffer surface is a semi-cylindrical surface, and the part of the inner bag body close to the buffer surface is fixed to the buffer surface.

3. The mechanical hand for processing stuffed food products according to claim 1, characterized in that, A plurality of elastic liquid bags are arranged on a single clamping jaw, and the elastic liquid bags are distributed along the length direction of the clamping jaw.

4. The mechanical hand for processing stuffed food products according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The mechanical hand further comprises a support, which is provided with a plurality of limiting holes in a diverging distribution and a strip shape, and the clamping jaw is slidingly connected to the inner side of the limiting hole, and the mechanical hand further comprises: a driving member, which is used to drive the clamping jaw to slide along the limiting hole.

5. The mechanical hand for processing stuffed food products according to claim 4, characterized in that, The driving member is in a disc structure, and is provided with a vortex-shaped driving hole, the clamping jaw is provided with a driving column, the driving column is slidingly connected to the inner side of the driving hole, and the mechanical hand further comprises: a driving motor, which is used to drive the driving member to rotate on the support.

6. The mechanical hand for processing stuffed food products according to claim 4, characterized in that, The mechanical hand further comprises: at least three rolling sleeves, which are rotationally connected to the end of the clamping jaw, and at least two rolling sleeves are in contact with the inner wall of one side of the limiting hole, and at least one rolling sleeve is in contact with the inner wall of the other side of the limiting hole.

7. The mechanical hand for processing stuffed food products according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rolling sleeves are provided with four rolling sleeves, and two rolling sleeves are in contact with the inner wall of the same side of the limiting hole.

8. The mechanical hand for processing stuffed food products according to claim 5, characterized in that, The driving motor is connected with the driving member through a speed reduction assembly.

9. The mechanical hand for processing stuffed food products according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The mechanical hand further comprises: an image acquisition assembly, which is arranged on the inner side of the clamping space formed by the clamping jaw, and is used to acquire the projection of the food, and the control mechanism of the mechanical hand controls the moving distance of the clamping jaw based on the initial position of the clamping jaw and the projection of the outer contour of the food.

Images