A fully automated robotic cooking platform

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of cooking equipment technology and discloses a fully automatic robotic cooking platform, comprising: a base; a food storage unit including a storage rack with multiple sets of conveyor channels containing multiple food preservation boxes; a bowl feeding unit including a lifting platform and a lifting drive mechanism, with multiple bowls placed on the lifting platform; a noodle cooking unit including a noodle cooking main body containing multiple sets of noodle cooking baskets; a soup heating unit including a soup heating main body containing a soup ladle; and a collaborative robot with a multi-functional gripping mechanical claw at its end effector. This fully automatic robotic cooking platform has the advantages of high integration, strong versatility, high standardization, and strong continuous working capability, effectively improving the efficiency and quality of food preparation in the catering industry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cooking equipment technology, and more specifically to a fully automated robotic cooking platform. Background Technology

[0002] In high-frequency fast-food scenarios such as noodle cooking, traditional cooking methods rely heavily on manual labor for the entire process. From ingredient storage, utensils retrieval, noodle cooking, to broth preparation, seasoning addition, and final product serving, each step requires dedicated personnel. This not only results in high labor costs but also presents several intractable drawbacks: First, manual operation is highly subjective; varying levels of skill and process control among operators make it difficult to achieve precise and consistent cooking times, compromising the stability of food quality. Second, manual operation is inefficient; during peak dining hours, relying solely on manual labor cannot handle the concentrated demand, easily leading to delays, process chaos, and negatively impacting the customer experience. Third, manual operation poses significant hygiene and safety risks; hand contact and inconsistent operating procedures can lead to food contamination and unclean utensils, failing to meet food hygiene and safety management requirements. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an automated cooking platform capable of unmanned production. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a fully automatic robot cooking platform with high integration, strong versatility, high standardization, strong continuous working ability, and the ability to effectively improve the efficiency and quality of food preparation in the catering industry.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A fully automated robotic cooking platform, comprising: Base; The food storage section includes a storage rack, which has multiple sets of cargo channels, and multiple food preservation boxes are placed in the cargo channels; The food bowl supply unit includes a lifting platform and a lifting drive mechanism for driving the lifting platform to reciprocate in a vertical direction, wherein multiple food bowls are placed on the lifting platform. The noodle cooking stove includes a noodle cooking stove body, and multiple sets of noodle cooking baskets are installed inside the noodle cooking stove body; A soup heating unit includes a soup stove body, and a soup ladle is provided inside the soup stove body; And a collaborative robot, the end effector of which is equipped with a multi-functional gripping mechanical claw adapted to grasp the food preservation box, the eating bowl, the noodle cooking basket and the soup spoon.

[0005] As a further improvement to the above technical solution: The machine base is also equipped with a condiment rack and a food serving table, and the condiment rack is equipped with food tongs for picking up condiments.

[0006] The multi-functional gripping mechanical claw includes two sets of opposing gripping components and a clamping drive module for driving the gripping components to move closer or further apart from each other. The gripping components include planar adapter gripping blocks and arc-surface adapter gripping blocks.

[0007] The planar adapter clamping block includes a first mounting plate, which has a clamping surface, and the clamping surface is provided with a buckle protrusion and a limiting protrusion.

[0008] The buckle protrusion includes at least two sets of horizontally extending walls, and a clamping and positioning groove is formed between the two sets of horizontally extending walls.

[0009] The planar adapter clamping block has two sets of vertical extension walls on the side away from the clamping surface, and an assembly groove is formed between the two sets of vertical extension walls.

[0010] The arc-shaped adapter clamping block includes an integrally bent second mounting plate, a horizontal connecting plate, a vertical connecting plate, and a clamping plate. A clearance groove is formed between the horizontal connecting plate and the clamping plate. An arc-shaped clamping groove is provided on the clamping plate. The second mounting plate is embedded in the assembly groove.

[0011] The noodle cooking basket, the soup ladle, and the food clamp are each equipped with a connecting block adapted to the clamping assembly.

[0012] The lifting drive mechanism includes a lead screw, a lead screw nut threaded onto the lead screw, and a drive motor for driving the lead screw to rotate. The lifting platform is fixedly mounted on the lead screw nut.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: The fully automated robotic cooking platform of this invention is applicable to scenarios such as unmanned intelligent catering and automated noodle cooking. It includes an ingredient storage unit, a bowl supply unit, a noodle cooking unit, a soup heating unit, and a collaborative robot. It can realize automatic ingredient retrieval and placement, automatic tableware supply, automatic ingredient cooking, automatic soup addition, and automatic meal serving. The entire process is unmanned. The overall structure is compact and the movements are smoothly connected. It can also achieve universal gripping of various kitchen utensils through specially designed multi-functional gripping mechanical claws. It has the advantages of high integration, strong versatility, high standardization, and strong continuous working ability, which can effectively improve the efficiency and quality of meal serving in the catering industry. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fully automated robotic cooking platform.

[0015] Figure 2This is a structural diagram of the food storage section.

[0016] Figure 3 A structural diagram of the food bowl supply department.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the food bowl supply section from another angle.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the noodle cooking stove.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the heating element for noodle soup.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the condiment rack.

[0021] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-functional gripper.

[0022] Figure 9 This is a breakdown diagram of a multi-functional gripper.

[0023] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the planar adapter clamping block.

[0024] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram showing the fit between the planar adapter clamp and the connecting block.

[0025] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the structure of the curved surface adapter clamp.

[0026] Figure 13 Example diagram of how the curved surface adaptable clamping block holds a food bowl.

[0027] Figure 14 This is an example diagram of a multi-functional gripper holding a food storage container.

[0028] Figure 15 This is an example diagram of a multi-functional gripper holding a noodle cooking basket.

[0029] Figure 16 This is an example diagram of a multi-functional gripper holding a soup spoon.

[0030] Figure 17 This is an example diagram of a multi-functional gripper and a food clamp.

[0031] Legend: 1. Base; 2. Food storage section; 201. Storage rack; 202. Cargo channel; 203. Food preservation box; 3. Eating bowl supply section; 301. Lifting platform; 302. Lifting drive mechanism; 3021. Lead screw; 3022. Lead screw nut; 3023. Drive motor; 303. Eating bowl; 4. Noodle cooking unit; 401. Noodle cooking unit body; 402. Noodle cooking basket; 5. Noodle soup heating unit; 501. Noodle soup heating unit body; 502. Soup ladle; 6. Collaborative robot; 7. Multifunctional gripping mechanical claw; 701. Gripping assembly; 702. Clamping drive. 8. Motion module; 801. Condiment rack; 9. Food clamp; 10. Food serving table; 11. Planar adapter clamp; 1001. First mounting plate; 1002. Clamping surface; 1003. Buckle protrusion; 1004. Limiting protrusion; 11. Curved adapter clamp; 1101. Second mounting plate; 1102. Horizontal connecting plate; 1103. Vertical connecting plate; 1104. Clamping plate; 1105. Clearance groove; 1106. Curved clamping groove; 12. Horizontal extension wall; 13. Clamping positioning groove; 14. Vertical extension wall; 15. Assembly groove; 16. Connecting block. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0033] like Figures 1 to 17 As shown, the fully automatic robotic cooking platform of this embodiment includes: a base 1; an ingredient storage unit 2, including a storage rack 201, with multiple sets of cargo channels 202 inside the storage rack 201, and multiple ingredient preservation boxes 203 placed inside the cargo channels 202; a food bowl supply unit 3, including a lifting platform 301 and a lifting drive mechanism 302 for driving the lifting platform 301 to move back and forth in the vertical direction, with multiple food bowls 303 placed on the lifting platform 301; a noodle cooking unit 4, including a noodle cooking unit body 401, with multiple sets of noodle cooking baskets 402 inside the noodle cooking unit body 401; a noodle soup heating unit 5, including a noodle soup heating unit body 501, with a soup ladle 502 inside the noodle soup heating unit body 501; and a collaborative robot 6, the end effector of the collaborative robot 6 being equipped with a multi-functional gripping mechanical claw 7 for adapting to and grasping the ingredient preservation boxes 203, food bowls 303, noodle cooking baskets 402 and soup ladles 502. This fully automated robotic cooking platform is applied to scenarios such as unmanned intelligent catering and automated noodle cooking. It includes an ingredient storage unit 2, a bowl supply unit 3, a noodle cooking unit 4, a soup heating unit 5, and a collaborative robot 6. It can realize automatic ingredient retrieval and placement, automatic tableware supply, automatic ingredient cooking, automatic soup addition, and automatic meal serving. The entire process is unmanned. The overall structure is compact and the movements are smoothly connected. It also has the advantages of high integration, strong versatility, high standardization, and strong continuous working ability through a specially designed multi-functional gripping mechanical claw 7, which can effectively improve the efficiency and quality of meal serving in the catering industry.

[0034] Preferably, the base 1 is also provided with a seasoning rack 8 and a food serving table 9, and the seasoning rack 8 is provided with a food clamp 801 for picking up seasonings.

[0035] Preferably, the multi-functional gripping mechanical claw 7 includes two sets of opposing gripping components 701 and a clamping drive module 702 for driving the gripping components 701 closer to or further apart. Each gripping component 701 includes a planar adapting gripper 10 and an arc-shaped adapting gripper 11. In this embodiment, the planar adapting gripper 10 is mainly used to grip the food storage container 203, the noodle cooker 402, the soup ladle 502, and the food tongs 801, while the arc-shaped adapting gripper 11 is mainly used to grip the eating bowl 303, allowing a single mechanical claw to accommodate the gripping needs of various kitchen utensils with different shapes. Specifically, the planar adapting gripper 10 is located in the upper working space closer to the clamping drive module 702, and the arc-shaped adapting gripper 11 is located in the lower working space further away from the clamping drive module 702, effectively preventing interference and obstruction between the gripping working spaces of different kitchen utensils, resulting in a more rational arrangement.

[0036] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the clamping drive module 702 is a common drive component with clamping function on the market, which belongs to the prior art. The specific model of the clamping drive module 702 is not limited here, as long as it can meet the functional requirements of driving the clamping components 701 to move closer or further apart.

[0037] Preferably, the planar adapter clamping block 10 includes a first mounting plate 1001, the first mounting plate 1001 having a clamping surface 1002, and the clamping surface 1002 being provided with a snap-fit ​​protrusion 1003 and a limiting protrusion 1004. In this embodiment, as... Figure 11 As shown, the planar adapter clamping block 10 has a clamping surface 1002, a snap-fit ​​protrusion 1003, and a limiting protrusion 1004. The connecting block 16 has a snap-fit ​​groove corresponding to the snap-fit ​​protrusion 1003 and a limiting groove corresponding to the limiting protrusion 1004. When clamping the connecting block 16, the snap-fit ​​protrusion 1003 on the clamping surface 1002 is embedded in the snap-fit ​​groove, and the limiting protrusion 1004 on the clamping surface 1002 is embedded in the limiting groove. The clamping surface 1002 abuts against the side of the connecting block 16, which can prevent the connecting block 16 from shifting during the clamping and transfer process, effectively improve the clamping stability, ensure the consistency of the position of the connecting block 16 each time it is clamped, and facilitate subsequent precise alignment operations.

[0038] Preferably, the snap-fit ​​protrusion 1003 includes at least two sets of horizontally extending walls 12, with a clamping and positioning groove 13 formed between the two sets of horizontally extending walls 12. In this embodiment, as... Figure 10 and Figure 14As shown, the buckle protrusion 1003 is composed of at least two sets of parallel horizontal extension walls 12, and a clamping positioning groove 13 is formed between the two sets of horizontal extension walls 12. In actual operation, the side of the food preservation box 203 can be inserted into the clamping positioning groove 13. The food preservation box 203 is limited by the two sets of horizontal extension walls 12 to prevent the food preservation box 203 from flipping or misaligning, thus effectively improving the clamping stability of the food preservation box 203.

[0039] Preferably, the planar adapter clamping block 10 has two sets of vertically extending walls 14 on the side away from the clamping surface 1002, and an assembly groove 15 is formed between the two sets of vertically extending walls 14. In this embodiment, as... Figure 10 As shown, a recessed assembly groove 15 is formed between the two sets of vertical extension walls 14. The arc-shaped adapter clamp 11 is embedded in the assembly groove 15 to realize the positioning and assembly between the planar adapter clamp 10 and the arc-shaped adapter clamp 11. The structure is compact and the positioning accuracy is high, which can effectively improve the assembly efficiency between the planar adapter clamp 10 and the arc-shaped adapter clamp 11.

[0040] Preferably, the curved surface adapter clamping block 11 includes an integrally bent second mounting plate 1101, a horizontal connecting plate 1102, a vertical connecting plate 1103, and a clamping plate 1104. A clearance groove 1105 is formed between the horizontal connecting plate 1102 and the clamping plate 1104. The clamping plate 1104 has an arc-shaped clamping groove 1106. The second mounting plate 1101 is embedded in the assembly groove 15. In this embodiment, as... Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the second mounting plate 1101, the horizontal connecting plate 1102, the vertical connecting plate 1103, and the clamping plate 1104 are integrally bent and formed structures. The clamping plate 1104 has an arc-shaped clamping groove 1106 at one end away from the vertical connecting plate 1103. The two sets of opposing arc-shaped clamping grooves 1106 can achieve a ring-shaped clamping of the eating bowl 303. When clamped, the outer wall of the eating bowl 303 can fit into the arc-shaped clamping groove 1106. The curvature of the arc-shaped clamping groove 1106 can be adaptively adjusted according to the actual size of the eating bowl 303. At the same time, a clearance groove 1105 is formed between the horizontal connecting plate 1102 and the clamping plate 1104, which can avoid the corners of the eating bowl 303 and prevent rigid compression damage to the eating bowl 303, effectively improving the clamping stability of the eating bowl 303.

[0041] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the first mounting plate 1001 has several sets of first mounting through holes, and the second mounting plate 1101 has several sets of second mounting through holes. During assembly, the second mounting plate 1101 of the arc-shaped adapter clamping block 11 is first embedded in the assembly groove 15 of the flat adapter clamping block 10. Then, the fastening screws are passed through the first mounting through holes and the second mounting through holes in sequence, and finally threadedly connected to the threaded holes on the mounting base of the clamping drive module 702, so as to realize the fastening assembly of the flat adapter clamping block 10, the arc-shaped adapter clamping block 11 and the clamping drive module 702. The screws are detachable and locked, which has the advantages of convenient and quick installation and disassembly, good connection stability and high replacement and maintenance efficiency.

[0042] Preferably, the noodle cooking basket 402, the soup ladle 502, and the food tongs 801 are each equipped with a connecting block 16 adapted to the clamping assembly 701. In this embodiment, as... Figure 13 As shown, the curved surface adapter 11 can cooperate to hold the eating bowl 303, such as Figures 14 to 17 As shown, the clamping positioning groove 13 on the planar adapter clamping block 10 can cooperate to clamp the food preservation box 203. The noodle cooker 402, soup ladle 502 and food clip 801 are equipped with connecting blocks 16. The buckle protrusion 1003 and the limiting protrusion 1004 on the planar adapter clamping block 10 can cooperate to clamp the connecting block 16. Thus, the multi-functional gripping mechanical claw 7 can be adapted to grip the food preservation box 203, the eating bowl 303, the noodle cooker 402, the soup ladle 502 and the food clip 801. This makes the mechanical claw compatible with the gripping needs of various kitchen utensils of different shapes. It has the advantages of good versatility and high flexibility of use. The gripping conditions can be switched without changing the gripper accessories, which effectively improves the gripping efficiency.

[0043] Preferably, the lifting drive mechanism 302 includes a lead screw 3021, a lead screw nut 3022 threaded onto the lead screw 3021, and a drive motor 3023 for driving the lead screw 3021 to rotate. The lifting platform 301 is fixedly mounted on the lead screw nut 3022. In this embodiment, the lifting drive mechanism 302 adopts a lead screw transmission mechanism, which has the advantages of good operational stability, strong load-bearing capacity, and high positioning accuracy. In other embodiments, the lifting drive mechanism 302 can also adopt components with reciprocating movement functions such as synchronous belt transmission mechanism, gear and rack transmission mechanism, and chain transmission mechanism, and is not limited to this embodiment.

[0044] In practical applications, the end effector of the collaborative robot 6 drives the multi-functional gripper 7 to transfer food between different areas. Before cooking begins, the multi-functional gripper 7 uses the planar adapter gripper 10 to remove the food preservation box 203 from the storage rack 201, and then pours the food from the food preservation box 203 into the noodle cooking basket 402 in the noodle cooker body 401 for cooking. Then, the multi-functional gripper 7 uses the curved adapter gripper 11 to remove the eating bowl 303 from the eating bowl supply section 3. The lifting drive mechanism 302 drives the lifting platform 301 to rise, raising the eating bowl 303 on the lifting platform 301 for later use. Then, the multi-functional gripper 7 places the eating bowl 303 on the condiment rack 8. Then, the multi-functional gripper 7... The multi-functional gripper 7 uses a planar adapter gripper 10 to remove the noodle cooking basket 402 from the noodle cooker body 401 and pour the cooked ingredients into the eating bowl 303 on the condiment rack 8. Then, the multi-functional gripper 7 uses a planar adapter gripper 10 to remove the soup ladle 502 from the noodle soup cooker body 501 and pour the soup into the eating bowl 303 on the condiment rack 8. Then, the multi-functional gripper 7 uses a planar adapter gripper 10 to hold the food tongs 801 and pick up seasonings such as coriander, pickled vegetables, and chili peppers into the eating bowl 303. Finally, the multi-functional gripper 7 uses a curved adapter gripper 11 to transfer the eating bowl 303 from the condiment rack 8 to the serving table 9. The above is a complete fully automatic cooking process.

[0045] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For those skilled in the art, improvements and modifications obtained without departing from the inventive concept should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automated robotic cooking platform, characterized in that, include: Base (1); The food storage section (2) includes a storage rack (201), which is provided with multiple sets of cargo channels (202), and multiple food preservation boxes (203) are placed in the cargo channels (202). The food bowl supply unit (3) includes a lifting platform (301) and a lifting drive mechanism (302) for driving the lifting platform (301) to move back and forth in the vertical direction. Multiple food bowls (303) are placed on the lifting platform (301). The noodle cooking stove (4) includes a noodle cooking stove body (401), and multiple sets of noodle cooking baskets (402) are provided inside the noodle cooking stove body (401). The noodle soup heating unit (5) includes a noodle soup stove body (501), and a soup ladle (502) is provided inside the noodle soup stove body (501). And a collaborative robot (6), the end of which is equipped with a multi-functional gripping mechanical claw (7) for adapting to gripping the food preservation box (203), the eating bowl (303), the noodle cooking basket (402) and the soup spoon (502).

2. The fully automated robotic cooking platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base (1) is also provided with a seasoning rack (8) and a food serving table (9), and the seasoning rack (8) is provided with food clips (801) for picking up seasonings.

3. The fully automated robotic cooking platform according to claim 2, characterized in that, The multi-functional gripping mechanical claw (7) includes two sets of oppositely arranged gripping components (701) and a clamping drive module (702) for driving the gripping components (701) to move closer or further apart from each other. The gripping components (701) include a planar adapter gripping block (10) and an arc-shaped adapter gripping block (11).

4. The fully automated robotic cooking platform according to claim 3, characterized in that, The planar adapter clamp (10) includes a first mounting plate (1001), the first mounting plate (1001) has a clamping surface (1002), and the clamping surface (1002) is provided with a buckle protrusion (1003) and a limiting protrusion (1004).

5. The fully automated robotic cooking platform according to claim 4, characterized in that, The buckle protrusion (1003) includes at least two sets of horizontal extension walls (12), and a clamping positioning groove (13) is formed between the two sets of horizontal extension walls (12).

6. The fully automated robotic cooking platform according to claim 5, characterized in that, The planar adapter clamping block (10) has two sets of vertical extension walls (14) on the side away from the clamping surface (1002), and an assembly groove (15) is formed between the two sets of vertical extension walls (14).

7. The fully automated robotic cooking platform according to claim 6, characterized in that, The arc-shaped adapter clamp (11) includes an integrally bent second mounting plate (1101), a horizontal connecting plate (1102), a vertical connecting plate (1103), and a clamping plate (1104). A clearance groove (1105) is formed between the horizontal connecting plate (1102) and the clamping plate (1104). An arc-shaped clamping groove (1106) is provided on the clamping plate (1104). The second mounting plate (1101) is embedded in the assembly groove (15).

8. The fully automated robotic cooking platform according to claim 7, characterized in that, The noodle cooking basket (402), the soup ladle (502), and the food clamp (801) are each equipped with a connecting block (16) that is compatible with the clamping assembly (701).

9. The fully automated robotic cooking platform according to claim 8, characterized in that, The lifting drive mechanism (302) includes a lead screw (3021), a lead screw nut (3022) threaded onto the lead screw (3021), and a drive motor (3023) for driving the lead screw (3021) to rotate. The lifting platform (301) is fixedly mounted on the lead screw nut (3022).

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