Actuator and meal assisting robot

Abstract

The invention provides an actuator and a meal assisting robot. The actuator comprises a shell, a rotating disc and a plurality of translation pieces. Preformed holes are formed in the peripheral wall of the shell, and a plugging assembly is arranged on the shell. The turntable is coaxially arranged in the shell and is in transmission connection with a rotation driving component; an annular containing space is formed between the outer circumferential wall of the rotary disc and the inner circumferential wall of the shell, and a plurality of guide grooves are formed in the outer circumferential wall of the rotary disc at intervals in the circumferential direction. The plurality of translation pieces are arranged in the plurality of guide grooves in a one-to-one correspondence manner, and each translation piece has a degree of freedom of axially moving along the corresponding guide groove and is in transmission connection with a linear driving component. Each translation piece is provided with an execution element, and the needed execution elements can extend out of the outer side of the shell by rotating the rotary disc and driving the translation pieces to move so as to be matched with a mechanical arm for use. According to the actuator and the meal assisting robot provided by the invention, different execution elements can be quickly switched, so that a user can conveniently collect different foods, and the dining efficiency of the user is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of assistive feeding equipment technology, specifically relating to an actuator and a meal-assisting robot. Background Technology

[0002] A meal-assisting robot is a feeding aid designed specifically for people with mobility impairments. Its main function is to replace traditional manual feeding methods, thereby enhancing the user's autonomy, reducing the user's psychological stress, and also reducing the workload of caregivers.

[0003] In existing technologies, the core module of a meal-assisting robot is its motion execution system, which includes a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm and actuators (spoons, forks, tongs, etc.) installed at the end of the robotic arm. When performing the feeding action, the robotic arm controls the actuator to move to the food position, then moves the food to the user's mouth, and finally the robotic arm controls the actuator to reset, completing the "feeding, delivery, and return" meal-assisting action.

[0004] When a user consumes different types of food, different actuators need to be switched after each feeding action. Specifically, after using a spoon to scoop liquid food (such as porridge or soy milk), if the user wants to eat solid food (such as diced meat or carrot chunks), the end effector of the robotic arm, which has already been positioned, needs to be moved to the actuator switching station to release the spoon and assemble an actuator (such as a clamp or fork) that is compatible with the solid food, in order to perform the next feeding action. The entire process consumes a lot of time and reduces the user's eating efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides an actuator and a dining robot, which are designed to flexibly switch between different actuators to ensure the user's dining efficiency.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows:

[0007] An actuator is provided for connection to the end effector of a robotic arm, comprising:

[0008] The shell adopts a hollow cylindrical structure, and its outer peripheral wall has a reserved hole that communicates with the interior; the shell is also provided with a sealing component for sealing the reserved hole;

[0009] A turntable, coaxially disposed within the housing, and driven by a rotational drive component; an annular receiving space is formed between the outer peripheral wall of the turntable and the inner peripheral wall of the housing, and the outer peripheral wall of the turntable has a plurality of guide grooves spaced circumferentially thereon; and

[0010] Multiple translational members are arranged one-to-one in multiple guide grooves. Each translational member has a degree of freedom to move along the axial direction of the corresponding guide groove and is connected to a linear drive member for driving its movement.

[0011] Each of the translational members is provided with an actuating element, which is one of a spoon, a fork, and a clamp. When the guide groove faces the reserved hole, the linear drive member can drive the translational member to move so that the corresponding actuating element extends to the outside of the housing.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the turntable includes:

[0013] A central body, coaxially disposed within the housing, has a degree of freedom to rotate about its own central axis, and is drively connected to the rotation drive component; the central body has multiple extension arms on its outer periphery, the multiple extension arms being spaced apart circumferentially along the central body, and an installation space is formed between two adjacent extension arms circumferentially along the central body; and

[0014] Multiple docking components are fitted one-to-one into multiple installation spaces, and the number of docking components is greater than or equal to the number of translational components;

[0015] The guide grooves are formed one-to-one on the outer wall of the same number of docking members; and the outer end face of the extension arm is aligned with the outer end face of the docking member to form the receiving space between it and the inner peripheral wall of the housing.

[0016] In one possible implementation, when the docking member is embedded in the corresponding mounting space, the inner end face of the docking member abuts against the outer peripheral wall of the central body;

[0017] The outer end of the extension arm has a protrusion extending circumferentially along the central body, and the outer end face of the docking member is provided with a groove suitable for the protrusion to be inserted into, so as to restrict the docking member from moving radially outward along the central body.

[0018] Furthermore, the extension arm has limiting grooves on both sides facing the central body in the circumferential direction, and both sides of the docking member have limiting pieces suitable for embedding into the limiting grooves, so as to restrict the docking member from moving axially along the central body.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the translational member has a receiving groove on its end face facing the bottom of the guide groove, and an anti-detachment frame is provided at the opening of the receiving groove.

[0020] The linear drive component includes a linear cylinder fixedly disposed in the receiving groove. The power output shaft of the linear cylinder extends through the anti-detachment frame and is connected to the bottom of the guide groove.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the blocking component includes:

[0022] A baffle, employing an arc-shaped structure adapted to the outer peripheral wall of the housing, is slidably connected to the outer peripheral surface of the housing along its circumference; an arc-shaped driven rack is fixedly connected to the baffle, the central axis of which is aligned with the central axis of the housing; and

[0023] The second rotating motor is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the housing. Its power output axis is parallel to the axis of the housing, and its power output end is connected to a transmission gear that meshes with the driven rack.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the housing has a through hole at its center communicating with its interior, and the turntable is provided with a drive shaft that passes through the through hole and extends outward.

[0025] The rotation drive component includes a second rotation motor fixedly disposed on the outside of the housing, and the power output shaft of the second rotation motor is connected to the drive shaft for transmission.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the actuator further includes:

[0027] A water storage device, used to hold liquid, is fixedly mounted on the robotic arm and located on one side of the housing facing its own axial direction;

[0028] A water spray assembly is fixedly mounted on the housing and is used to spray high-pressure water toward the receiving space;

[0029] A water pumping pipe is connected to the containing space and is equipped with a pump body for providing pumping force;

[0030] The water spray assembly is connected to the outlet of the water storage device via a first telescopic pipe, and the outlet of the pump body is connected to the inlet of the water storage device.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the pumping pipe includes:

[0032] Multiple water pipes are disposed on the side of the housing facing the water storage component, and each water pipe is connected to the receiving space; and

[0033] A water collection pipe is fixedly installed on the housing and is connected to multiple water pipes; a second telescopic pipe is connected to the center of the water collection pipe, and the second telescopic pipe is connected to the pump body.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the water spray assembly and the water pumping pipe are arranged side by side along the axial direction of the reserved hole;

[0035] When the reserved hole faces upward, the water pumping pipe is positioned above the water spraying assembly, so that after the water spraying assembly inputs liquid into the receiving space, a circulating liquid is formed with a liquid level higher than that of the water pumping pipe.

[0036] The pump body draws out the circulating liquid through the pumping pipe and inputs it into the water storage device, forming a cleaning system based on liquid circulation that acts on the actuator.

[0037] In this embodiment, since the turntable has the degree of freedom to rotate around an axis within the housing, and the translational component has the degree of freedom to move linearly within the guide groove, the actuator, with its fixed connection to the end of the robotic arm, can autonomously and quickly switch between different functional actuators (such as spoons and forks). When the user needs to change the type of food, the turntable is rotated by rotating the drive component, causing the translational component carrying the target actuator to move to a position aligned with the pre-drilled hole. Subsequently, the linear drive component can push the translational component, causing the actuator on it to extend linearly outward from the housing for use.

[0038] In the aforementioned process, the switching path of the actuators changes from the large-scale spatial movement of the robotic arm in existing technologies (returning from the working point to the switching station and then starting again) to the micro-rotation of the turntable inside the actuator and the short-range linear motion of the translational components. Since all actuators are integrated within the limited space around the turntable, the stroke of their switching motion is much smaller than the overall stroke of the robotic arm. Therefore, according to kinematic principles, when both the moving mass and the moving distance are significantly reduced, the time and energy consumption required to complete the action are also significantly reduced. This drastically shortens the individual "feeding-delivery-switching-refeeding" cycle, fundamentally improving the smoothness of alternating between multiple foods.

[0039] The actuator provided in this embodiment, compared with the prior art, can transform the external tool changing process, which originally relied on the large-scale movement and complex positioning of the robotic arm, into the micro-precision movement of the actuator's internal components. Simultaneously, this compact integrated design also integrates the storage and switching functions of multiple actuator components, thereby reducing the requirements for the robotic arm's operating space and positioning accuracy, eliminating the need for additional dedicated tool switching stations and complex grasping mechanisms on the robot body, and reducing the overall system complexity, manufacturing cost, and control difficulty. This allows the meal-assisting robot to achieve both high efficiency and high reliability, effectively improving the user experience.

[0040] The technical solution adopted in this application also provides a meal-assisting robot, including the actuator proposed in any of the foregoing claims.

[0041] In this embodiment of the application, since the meal-assisting robot integrates the aforementioned actuator, it has the following beneficial effects:

[0042] (i) It achieves a seamless and smooth dining experience when dealing with diverse dietary scenarios;

[0043] For example, when a user has breakfast, they need to first have a sip of porridge, then a bite of fried egg, and finally some fruit. Current robotic systems require a lengthy process of "returning to its original position - moving to the switching station - changing tools - returning to the plate" each time food is switched, frequently interrupting the dining rhythm.

[0044] In this application, after a user finishes eating, with just one command, the meal-assisting robot can quickly switch the spoon to a fork or tongs by rotating the turntable and moving the translational component at the current position, and continue to eat the next bite of food.

[0045] The entire process is almost seamless, reducing the interval between eating various foods by more than 70%, making the dining process smoother and greatly maintaining the user's dining experience.

[0046] (ii) The system configuration of the meal-assisting robot has been simplified, improving the overall reliability and home applicability;

[0047] For example, in home environments or hospital wards where desktop space is limited, traditional meal-assisting robots require a spacious movement path to a fixed tool switching station for the robotic arm, which places high demands on the layout, and the complex mechanism and numerous movements increase the risk of failure.

[0048] In this application, by integrating the tool library (i.e., the actuator) into the end effector of the robotic arm, the need for a separate external switching station is eliminated. At the same time, the body structure of the meal-assisting robot is more compact, the motion path planning is greatly simplified, and the "grasping-releasing" action, which requires high precision in tool execution and is prone to interference, is no longer needed.

[0049] This not only reduces the manufacturing cost of robots, but also makes them more adaptable to ordinary household environments, and the system operates more stably and reliably, effectively reducing maintenance needs and potential failure rates.

[0050] (iii) It has created a more hygienic and safer food processing environment;

[0051] In traditional switching processes, unused spoons and forks are often exposed to the external environment, making them susceptible to dust or contamination. At the same time, during the movement of the robotic arm, exposed sharp actuators (such as forks) also pose a potential collision risk.

[0052] In this application, the housing and the sealing components constitute a sealed storage space; based on this, idle actuators can be safely stored inside the housing, avoiding external contamination, ensuring food hygiene, and significantly improving the safety of the device when it is running near the user, making it particularly suitable for deployment in medical and elderly care institutions that require high standards of hygiene and safety.

[0053] The meal-assisting robot provided in this embodiment, compared with the prior art, organically combines efficiency, reliability and user experience through the innovation of actuators. It optimizes the execution steps of alternating multiple foods during the user's eating process, ensuring the smoothness and efficiency of the user's meal, maintaining their interest in eating, and effectively ensuring the safety of the meal process. Attached Figure Description

[0054] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the actuator provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0055] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Rear view;

[0056] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of line AA in the middle;

[0057] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the shell used in the embodiments of this application;

[0058] Figure 5 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the layout of the housing and the second rotating motor used in the embodiments of this application from an explosion perspective;

[0059] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the sealing component used in the embodiments of this application;

[0060] Figure 7 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the shell and rotation drive component used in the embodiments of this application from an exploded view.

[0061] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the water pumping pipe and pump body used in the embodiments of this application from an explosive perspective;

[0062] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of the casing and water spray assembly used in the embodiments of this application from a partial cross-sectional perspective;

[0063] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the turntable used in the embodiments of this application;

[0064] Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the central body used in the embodiments of this application;

[0065] Figure 12 This is one of the three-dimensional structural schematic diagrams of the docking components used in the embodiments of this application;

[0066] Figure 13 This is a second three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the docking component used in the embodiments of this application;

[0067] Figure 14 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the translational component, actuating element, and linear drive component used in the embodiments of this application from an exploded view.

[0068] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0069] 1. Shell; 11. Reserved hole; 12. Through hole;

[0070] 2. Turntable; 21. Center body; 211. Extension arm; 212. Protrusion; 213. Limiting groove; 214. Drive shaft; 22. Connecting part; 221. Guide groove; 222. Groove; 223. Limiting piece;

[0071] 3. Translational component; 31. Receiving groove; 32. Anti-detachment frame;

[0072] 4. Sealing assembly; 41. Baffle; 411. Driven rack; 42. Second rotating motor; 421. Transmission gear;

[0073] 5. Water storage components;

[0074] 6. Water spray assembly; 61. First telescopic pipe;

[0075] 7. Pumping pipe; 71. Water supply pipe; 72. Water collection pipe; 721. Second expansion joint;

[0076] 8. Pump body;

[0077] 9. Actuating elements;

[0078] 10. Rotational drive component; 20. Linear drive component. Detailed Implementation

[0079] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0080] The directions or similar terms used throughout this invention, such as "front," "back," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," and "side," are mainly for reference to the directions in the accompanying drawings. These directions or similar terms are only used to assist in explaining and understanding the embodiments of this invention and are not intended to limit this invention.

[0081] Please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 14 The actuator provided in this application will now be described. The actuator proposed in this application is used to connect to the end effector of a robotic arm. The actuator includes a housing 1, a turntable 2, and a plurality of translational members 3.

[0082] The housing 1 adopts a hollow cylindrical structure; a reserved hole 11 communicating with the interior is opened on its outer peripheral wall. In order to seal the reserved hole 11, a sealing component 4 is provided on the housing 1; in actual use, the reserved hole 11 can be sealed by the sealing component 4 to prevent dust and liquid from passing through.

[0083] The turntable 2 is coaxially disposed inside the housing 1; and the turntable 2 is connected to a rotation drive member 10 for driving its rotation, and the rotation drive member 10 is also used to control the timing and angle of the rotation of the turntable 2.

[0084] The outer peripheral wall of the turntable 2 has multiple guide grooves 221 spaced apart along its circumference. This design allows the turntable 2 to rotate precisely within the housing 1, thereby aligning the different guide grooves 221 sequentially with the reserved holes 11.

[0085] Multiple translational members 3 are arranged one-to-one within multiple guide slots 221; each translational member 3 has a degree of freedom to move axially along the corresponding guide slot 221. Each translational member 3 is connected to a linear drive member 20 for driving its movement. This structure enables the translational members 3 to perform stable linear telescopic motion within the selected guide slot 221.

[0086] Each translational member 3 is provided with an actuator 9; and the outer diameter of the turntable 2 is smaller than the inner diameter of the housing 1; based on this, an annular receiving space is formed between the outer peripheral wall of the turntable 2 and the inner peripheral wall of the housing 1, which can be used to store the actuator 9.

[0087] In this embodiment, the actuator 9 is one of a spoon, fork, and tongs, or it can be other tableware, or a mechanical element that can pick up and put down food, such as a suction cup.

[0088] When the guide groove 221 faces the reserved hole 11, the linear drive component 20 can drive the translation component 3 to move, so that the corresponding actuator 9 extends to the outside of the housing 1. This enables the rapid switching and deployment of different functional actuators 9 without the need to move the entire robotic arm to an external tool station.

[0089] In this embodiment, since the turntable 2 has the degree of freedom to rotate around an axis within the housing 1, and the translational member 3 has the degree of freedom to move linearly within the guide groove 221, the actuator, with its fixed connection to the end of the robotic arm, can achieve autonomous and rapid switching of different functional actuators 9. When the user needs to change the type of food, the turntable 2 is rotated by rotating the drive member 10, causing the translational member 3, which carries the target actuator 9, to move to a position aligned with the pre-drilled hole 11; subsequently, the linear drive member 20 can push the translational member 3, causing the actuator 9 on it to extend linearly to the outside of the housing 1 for use.

[0090] In the above process, the switching path of the actuator 9 changes from the large-scale movement of the robotic arm in space in the prior art to the micro-rotation of the turntable 2 inside the actuator and the short-range linear motion of the translational component 3. Since all actuators 9 are integrated within the limited space around the turntable 2, the stroke of their switching motion is much smaller than the overall stroke of the robotic arm; according to kinematic principles, when both the moving mass and the moving distance are greatly reduced, the time and energy consumption required to complete the action are also significantly reduced. This greatly shortens the single meal assistance cycle and fundamentally improves the smoothness of alternating multiple foods.

[0091] Compared with the prior art, the actuator provided in this embodiment can transform the external tool changing process, which originally relied on the large-scale movement and complex positioning of the robotic arm, into the micro-precision movement of the internal components of the actuator. The compact integrated design integrates the storage and switching functions of multiple actuators 9 into one, thereby reducing the requirements for the robotic arm's working space and positioning accuracy. It eliminates the need to set up a dedicated tool switching station and complex grasping mechanism on the robot body, reducing the overall system complexity, manufacturing cost and control difficulty. This makes the meal assistance robot both efficient and reliable, effectively improving the user experience.

[0092] In some embodiments, such as Figures 10 to 13 As shown, the turntable 2 includes a central body 21 and multiple docking parts 22.

[0093] The central body 21 is coaxially disposed inside the housing 1; the central body 21 has the degree of freedom to rotate about its own central axis and is connected to the aforementioned rotation drive member 10 for transmission.

[0094] The outer periphery of the central body 21 has multiple extension arms 211; the multiple extension arms 211 are spaced apart along the circumference of the central body 21, and a fan-shaped installation space is formed between two adjacent extension arms 211 along the circumference of the central body 21.

[0095] Multiple connectors 22 are fitted into multiple installation spaces in a one-to-one correspondence, and each connector 22 adopts a fan-shaped structure that matches the installation space.

[0096] In this embodiment, the number of docking members 22 is greater than or equal to the number of translational members 3; in this embodiment, the number of docking members 22 is six, and the number of translational members 3 is three. Based on this, multiple guide grooves 221 are correspondingly formed on the outer walls of the same number of docking members 22.

[0097] By adopting this design, multiple working positions (i.e., docking parts 22 without guide grooves 221) can be left idle, thereby increasing the movement angle when switching between different actuators 9 and making it easier to control. On the other hand, this modular design facilitates the installation and replacement of docking parts 22 with different functions, improving maintainability and adaptability.

[0098] Furthermore, the outer end face of the extension arm 211 is aligned with the outer end face of the docking member 22 to form the aforementioned receiving space between it and the inner peripheral wall of the housing 1.

[0099] In some embodiments, such as Figures 10 to 13 As shown, when the docking member 22 is embedded in the corresponding installation space, the inner end face of the docking member 22 abuts against the outer peripheral wall of the central body 21, thereby preventing the docking member 22 from moving toward the central body 21. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the docking member 22 is embedded into the installation space along the axial direction of the central body 21.

[0100] The outer end of the extension arm 211 has a protrusion 212 extending circumferentially along the central body 21, and the outer end face of the docking member 22 is provided with a groove 222 suitable for the protrusion 212 to be inserted. By inserting the docking member 22 into the installation space, the protrusion 212 can be inserted into the groove 222, thereby restricting the docking member 22 from moving radially outward along the central body 21 and effectively preventing the docking member 22 from coming out under the action of centrifugal force.

[0101] The extension arm 211 has limit grooves 213 on both sides of the center body 21 in the circumferential direction, and the docking member 22 has limit pieces 223 on both sides that are suitable for embedding into the limit grooves 213. Normally, the limit pieces 223 are made of elastic material to achieve an interference fit between the side of the extension arm 211 and the side of the docking member 22, thereby restricting the docking member 22 from moving axially along the center body 21.

[0102] The above structure ensures that the docking part 22 is reliably constrained, guaranteeing the stability of the docking part 22 during rotation.

[0103] In some embodiments, such as Figure 14 As shown, the translation member 3 has a receiving groove 31 on the end face facing the bottom of the guide groove 221; an anti-detachment frame 32 is provided at the opening of the receiving groove 31.

[0104] The aforementioned linear drive component 20 includes a linear cylinder fixedly installed in the receiving groove 31; the power output shaft of the linear cylinder extends through the anti-detachment frame 32 and is connected to the bottom of the guide groove 221.

[0105] The built-in linear drive design is compact, integrating the drive components inside the translation component 3, making full use of the limited space; at the same time, the anti-detachment frame 32 ensures the reliability of power transmission and prevents the cylinder from detaching from the translation component 3 during movement.

[0106] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 6 As shown, the sealing assembly 4 includes a baffle 41 and a second rotating motor 42.

[0107] The baffle 41 adopts an arc-shaped structure that is adapted to the outer peripheral wall of the housing 1; the baffle 41 is slidably connected to the outer peripheral surface of the housing 1 along the circumference of the housing 1.

[0108] An arc-shaped driven rack 411 is fixedly connected to the side of the baffle 41 facing the central axis of the housing 1. The central axis of the arc surface of the driven rack 411 coincides with the central axis of the housing 1. That is to say, the arc-shaped baffle 41 can completely fit against the outer wall of the housing 1, achieving a complete seal of the reserved hole 11. In actual use, a sealing strip can also be installed at a specific position on the inner side of the baffle 41 to ensure its sealing effect on the reserved hole 11.

[0109] The second rotating motor 42 is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the housing 1. Its power output axis is parallel to the axis of the housing 1, and its power output end is connected to a transmission gear 421 that meshes with the driven rack 411.

[0110] This gear and rack transmission method can precisely control the sliding position of the baffle 41, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the reserved hole 11.

[0111] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 , Figure 7 and Figure 11 As shown, the housing 1 has a through hole 12 at its center that communicates with its interior; the turntable 2 is provided with a drive shaft 214 that passes through the through hole 12 and extends out.

[0112] The aforementioned rotation drive component 10 includes a second rotation motor 42 fixedly disposed on the outside of the housing 1; the power output shaft of the second rotation motor 42 is connected to the drive shaft 214 for transmission.

[0113] This central drive layout enables direct and efficient power transmission, allowing the entire turntable 2 to rotate via a single drive shaft 214, thus simplifying the transmission structure.

[0114] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 9 As shown, the actuator also includes a water storage unit 5, a water spraying assembly 6, and a water pumping pipe 7.

[0115] The water reservoir 5 is used to hold the cleaning liquid and is fixedly mounted on the robotic arm, located on one side of the housing 1 facing its own axis. This design allows the cleaning water source to be located nearby, greatly reducing the length of the delivery pipeline and fluid resistance.

[0116] The water spray assembly 6 is fixedly mounted on the inner wall of the housing 1, with its spray nozzle facing the annular receiving space formed by the turntable 2 and the inner wall of the housing 1. The water spray assembly 6 integrates a miniature pressurized water pump, the inlet of which is directly connected to the outlet of the water storage component 5 via a first telescopic pipe 61. This first telescopic pipe 61 performs the primary task of delivering liquid from the water storage component 5 into the water spray assembly 6. In other words, when the water spray assembly 6 is activated, it can spray the liquid in the water storage component 5 at a high pressure. This high-pressure water flow can effectively impact and remove food residue remaining on the surface of the actuator 9 and the inner wall of the receiving space.

[0117] Specifically, the process by which the water spray assembly 6 achieves its water spraying function is as follows: When the control system issues a cleaning command, the miniature pressurized water pump integrated inside the water spray assembly 6 starts; the pump actively draws cleaning liquid from the water storage unit 5 and pressurizes the liquid inside. The pressurized liquid is then sprayed out at high speed through the nozzle at the front end of the water spray assembly 6, forming one or more focused high-pressure water jets. This high-pressure water jet can directly impact the surface of the actuator 9 located in the receiving space, the exposed part of the translational member 3, and the inner walls of the housing 1 and the turntable 2, thereby effectively washing away food residue and oil stains adhering to these components during the eating process.

[0118] The inlet end of the water pumping pipe 7 is connected to the bottom area of ​​the containing space; the outlet end of the water pumping pipe 7 is connected to a pump body 8 for providing suction. The outlet of the pump body 8 is connected to the inlet of the water storage device 5 through a pipe. This loop design constitutes a complete liquid circulation path, realizing the circulation, filtration and reuse of the cleaning fluid; at the same time, the continuous suction of the pump body 8 can promptly discharge liquid containing dirt from the clean area, avoiding secondary sedimentation.

[0119] The key improvement in this embodiment lies in combining the cleaning process with the rotational motion of the turntable 2. When the water spray assembly 6 continuously sprays cleaning fluid into the receiving space, the rotation drive component 10 can synchronously drive the turntable 2 to rotate. The rotation of the turntable 2 has two important functions: First, it allows all the actuators 9 set on the translational component 3 and the guide grooves 221 of the multiple docking components 22 to pass through the water spray area in sequence, thereby ensuring that each actuator 9 and every corner can be evenly rinsed by the high-pressure water flow without dead angles, avoiding blind spots that may exist in static cleaning; Second, the centrifugal force generated when the turntable 2 rotates helps to throw out the liquid and residue adhering to the complex curved surfaces (such as the concave surface of a spoon) and structural gaps of the actuator 9, enhancing the cleaning effect.

[0120] Meanwhile, the pump body 8 continuously draws out the sewage from the bottom of the containment space through the water pipe 7 and transports it back to the water storage unit 5 for sedimentation or filtration for recycling. This "dynamic rotary flushing and synchronous pumping" design forms a highly efficient, water-saving, and automated internal self-cleaning system. The beneficial effect of this system is that it can quickly and automatically clean the inside of the actuator and all tools before and after each switching of the actuator 9 or after a meal, without the need for manual disassembly and cleaning. This not only greatly improves the hygiene level of the equipment but also significantly reduces the workload of caregivers.

[0121] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 8 As shown, the water pumping pipe 7 includes multiple water supply pipes 71 and water collection pipes 72.

[0122] Multiple water pipes 71 are arranged on the side of the housing 1 facing the water storage component 5; each water pipe 71 is connected to the receiving space. In this embodiment, there are two water pipes 71 arranged symmetrically with respect to the center plane of the housing 1.

[0123] The water collection pipe 72 is fixedly mounted on the housing 1 and is connected to multiple water pipes 71; a second telescopic pipe 721 is connected to the center of the water collection pipe 72, and the second telescopic pipe 721 is connected to the pump body 8. This flow collection design gathers multiple water inlets into a single outlet, simplifying the connection structure with the pump body 8.

[0124] The reason for using telescopic pipes is to adapt to the special situation when the water storage component 5 and the housing 1 are installed in different areas of the robotic arm, at which time there will be relative movement between the water storage component 5 and the housing 1; in order to avoid pipe pulling, a pipe with telescopic characteristics is used to perform the water delivery task.

[0125] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the water spray assembly 6 and the water pumping pipe 7 are arranged side by side along the axial direction of the reserved hole 11.

[0126] The water spray assembly 6 is fixedly installed in the bottom area of ​​the inner wall of the housing 1, with its spray nozzles facing directly towards the receiving space. The water inlet of the water pumping pipe 7 is located in the top area of ​​the inner wall of the housing 1, above the water spray assembly 6. This spatial layout is designed based on the principles of gravity and fluid dynamics.

[0127] The cleaning cycle works as follows: When the self-cleaning program is started, the micro water pump integrated inside the water spray assembly 6 starts working, drawing cleaning fluid from the water storage unit 5 and spraying it obliquely upward from the bottom into the receiving space at a certain pressure. The continuously sprayed liquid accumulates in the receiving space, and the liquid level gradually rises until it covers the water inlet of the top water pumping pipe 7, thus forming a temporary "cleaning fluid pool".

[0128] At this point, the independent pump 8 begins operation, continuously drawing liquid from the top of the liquid surface through the water pumping pipe 7. This suction action creates a negative pressure zone at the top, which, together with the continuous water injection from the bottom spray assembly 6, forms a strong vertical liquid circulation. The relatively clean liquid injected at the bottom flows upward, rinsing the turntable 2, the actuator 9, and the inner wall of the housing 1, while the dirty liquid containing the washed-down residue is quickly drawn away at the top.

[0129] To achieve optimal cleaning results, the liquid circulation process works in conjunction with the rotational motion of the turntable 2. That is, while water spraying and pumping occur simultaneously, the rotational drive component 10 drives the turntable 2 to rotate; this rotation of the turntable 2 has three beneficial effects:

[0130] Firstly, it ensures that all actuators 9 and structural surfaces on the circumference can be uniformly subjected to the impact and scrubbing of the fluid, eliminating cleaning dead zones.

[0131] Secondly, the centrifugal force generated by rotation helps to throw off the residue attached to the complex curved surface, thus improving the peeling efficiency.

[0132] Third, the rotational motion creates lateral turbulence in the liquid, which, when superimposed on the vertical circulating flow, forms complex turbulence, greatly enhancing the mixing and cleaning intensity.

[0133] The pump body 8 transports the pumped sewage to a filter unit (usually located inside the water storage unit 5) for processing. The liquid after filtering out solid residues can be returned to the water storage unit 5 for recycling, thus forming an efficient and water-saving closed-loop cleaning system.

[0134] This integrated self-cleaning solution can be quickly activated after meals or during tool switching, and can complete a thorough cleaning without disassembling any parts, significantly improving the hygiene standards of the equipment and the user experience, while greatly reducing the labor costs of later maintenance.

[0135] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of this application also provide a meal-assisting robot, including the actuator proposed in any of the foregoing claims.

[0136] In this embodiment of the application, since the meal-assisting robot integrates the aforementioned actuator, it has the following beneficial effects:

[0137] In handling diverse dietary scenarios, a seamless and smooth dining experience is achieved. For example, if a user needs to have porridge, then a fried egg, and finally fruit for breakfast, existing technologies require a lengthy tool switching process. However, in this application, after the user finishes eating, only one command is needed for the dining robot to quickly switch the execution element 9 at the current position via the rotation of the turntable 2 and the linear motion of the translational component 3. The entire process reduces the interval between alternating foods by more than 70%, effectively maintaining the user's dining interest.

[0138] This invention simplifies the system configuration of the meal-assisting robot, improving its overall reliability and suitability for home use. In home environments or hospital wards with limited desktop space, traditional meal-assisting robots require planning a spacious path to a fixed tool station; this application eliminates the need for a separate external switching station by integrating the tool library into the end effector of the robotic arm. The robot structure is more compact, motion path planning is simplified, and it no longer needs to perform tool grasping and releasing actions that are prone to interference, reducing manufacturing costs and maintenance requirements.

[0139] This creates a more hygienic and safer food processing environment. In traditional switching processes, idle tools are exposed to the external environment; in this application, the housing 1 and the sealing assembly 4 form a sealed storage space, preventing the idle actuator 9 from external contamination. Simultaneously, the design of housing it within the housing 1 eliminates the risk of collision from exposed sharp tools during robotic arm movement, making it particularly suitable for the high standards required by medical and elderly care institutions.

[0140] The meal-assisting robot provided in this embodiment, compared with the prior art, organically combines efficiency, reliability and user experience through the innovation of actuators; it optimizes the execution steps of alternating multiple foods during the user's eating process, ensuring the smoothness and efficiency of the user's meal, maintaining their interest in eating, and effectively ensuring the safety of the meal process.

[0141] The above content is only a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An actuator for connection to the end effector of a robotic arm, characterized in that, include: The shell adopts a hollow cylindrical structure, and its outer peripheral wall has a reserved hole that communicates with the interior; the shell is also provided with a sealing component for sealing the reserved hole; A turntable, coaxially disposed within the housing, and driven by a rotational drive component; an annular receiving space is formed between the outer peripheral wall of the turntable and the inner peripheral wall of the housing, and the outer peripheral wall of the turntable has a plurality of guide grooves spaced circumferentially thereon; and Multiple translational members are arranged one-to-one in multiple guide grooves. Each translational member has a degree of freedom to move along the axial direction of the corresponding guide groove and is connected to a linear drive member for driving its movement. Each of the translational members is provided with an actuating element, which is one of a spoon, a fork, and a clamp. When the guide groove faces the reserved hole, the linear drive member can drive the translational member to move so that the corresponding actuating element extends to the outside of the housing.

2. The actuator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The turntable includes: A central body, coaxially disposed within the housing, has a degree of freedom to rotate about its own central axis, and is drively connected to the rotation drive component; the central body has multiple extension arms on its outer periphery, the multiple extension arms being spaced apart circumferentially along the central body, and an installation space is formed between two adjacent extension arms circumferentially along the central body; and Multiple docking components are fitted one-to-one into multiple installation spaces, and the number of docking components is greater than or equal to the number of translational components; The guide grooves are formed one-to-one on the outer wall of the same number of docking members; and the outer end face of the extension arm is aligned with the outer end face of the docking member to form the receiving space between it and the inner peripheral wall of the housing.

3. The actuator as described in claim 2, characterized in that, When the docking member is embedded in the corresponding installation space, the inner end face of the docking member abuts against the outer peripheral wall of the central body; The outer end of the extension arm has a protrusion extending circumferentially along the central body, and the outer end face of the docking member is provided with a groove suitable for the protrusion to be inserted into, so as to restrict the docking member from moving radially outward along the central body. Furthermore, the extension arm has limiting grooves on both sides facing the central body in the circumferential direction, and both sides of the docking member have limiting pieces suitable for embedding into the limiting grooves, so as to restrict the docking member from moving axially along the central body.

4. The actuator as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The translational member has a receiving groove on its end face facing the bottom of the guide groove, and an anti-detachment frame is provided at the opening of the receiving groove. The linear drive component includes a linear cylinder fixedly disposed in the receiving groove. The power output shaft of the linear cylinder extends through the anti-detachment frame and is connected to the bottom of the guide groove.

5. The actuator as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The blocking assembly includes: A baffle, employing an arc-shaped structure adapted to the outer peripheral wall of the housing, is slidably connected to the outer peripheral surface of the housing along its circumference; an arc-shaped driven rack is fixedly connected to the baffle, the central axis of which is aligned with the central axis of the housing; and The second rotating motor is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the housing. Its power output axis is parallel to the axis of the housing, and its power output end is connected to a transmission gear that meshes with the driven rack.

6. The actuator as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The housing has a through hole at its center that communicates with its interior, and the turntable is provided with a drive shaft that passes through the through hole and extends outward. The rotation drive component includes a second rotation motor fixedly disposed on the outside of the housing, and the power output shaft of the second rotation motor is connected to the drive shaft for transmission.

7. The actuator as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The actuator further includes: A water storage device, used to hold liquid, is fixedly mounted on the robotic arm and located on one side of the housing facing its own axial direction; A water spray assembly is fixedly mounted on the housing and is used to spray high-pressure water toward the receiving space; A water pumping pipe is connected to the containing space and is equipped with a pump body for providing pumping force; The water spray assembly is connected to the outlet of the water storage device via a first telescopic pipe, and the outlet of the pump body is connected to the inlet of the water storage device.

8. The actuator as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, The water pumping pipe includes: Multiple water pipes are disposed on the side of the housing facing the water storage component, and each water pipe is connected to the receiving space; and A water collection pipe is fixedly installed on the housing and is connected to multiple water pipes; a second telescopic pipe is connected to the center of the water collection pipe, and the second telescopic pipe is connected to the pump body.

9. The actuator as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, The water spray assembly and the water pumping pipe are arranged side by side along the axial direction of the reserved hole; When the reserved hole faces upward, the water pumping pipe is above the water spraying assembly, so that after the water spraying assembly inputs liquid into the receiving space, a circulating liquid is formed with the liquid level higher than that of the water pumping pipe. The pump body draws out the circulating liquid through the pumping pipe and inputs it into the water storage device, forming a cleaning system based on liquid circulation that acts on the actuator.

10. A meal-assisting robot, characterized in that, The actuator includes any one of claims 1-9.

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