Material box and driving assembly alignment method, material feeding device and cooking robot

Abstract

The application discloses a material box and driving assembly alignment method, a material feeding device and a cooking robot, and relates to the technical field of intelligent cooking. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring weight detection data output by a weighing assembly, and determining whether the material box is in an inserting state according to the weight detection data; when it is determined that the material box is in the inserting state, controlling a motor to drive an outer spline to rotate by a preset angle at a preset frequency, and acquiring a weight variance and a weight absolute value based on the current weight detection data each time the rotation is performed; if the weight variance is greater than a preset variance threshold and / or the weight absolute value is not within a preset weight range, the next rotation is continuously performed until the acquired weight variance is less than the preset variance threshold and the weight absolute value is within the preset weight range. The method realizes automatic alignment between the material box and the driving assembly, improves the alignment success rate and alignment efficiency, significantly shortens the alignment time and reduces the user operation difficulty, and greatly improves the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent cooking technology, and in particular to a method for aligning a seasoning box and a drive component, a seasoning device, and a cooking robot. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing demand for automation and large-scale production in the catering industry, intelligent cooking equipment for catering enterprises is gradually being applied. To meet the needs of standardized operations in the kitchen and the preparation of multiple types of dishes, related equipment typically needs to have the ability to accurately and controllably add various seasonings. In such application scenarios, replaceable seasoning boxes are usually set up to store different seasonings separately, and an automatic feeding structure is used to achieve on-demand dispensing of various seasonings. The seasoning box can achieve quantitative delivery through a screw structure, and a motor at the drive end drives the screw to rotate, thereby conveying the seasonings to the outlet and into the cooking container. For easy replacement and cleaning by users, the seasoning box and the drive component are usually connected in a detachable manner, such as through splines, toothed structures, or plug-in structures to achieve power transmission. However, in actual applications, due to factors such as assembly tolerances or unstable user operation, it is often difficult for the output end of the drive component and the screw structure inside the seasoning box to achieve accurate alignment in one go during the seasoning box insertion process. Especially when there is circumferential misalignment between the external spline and the internal teeth, collision interference is likely to occur, resulting in the seasoning box not being fully inserted or not inserted in place. Therefore, how to achieve rapid and reliable alignment between the drive assembly and the screw structure and reduce the difficulty of user operation during the insertion of the material box has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for aligning the ingredient box and the drive component, a feeding device, and a cooking robot to solve the problem that the ingredient box and the drive component of the existing intelligent cooking equipment are difficult to align quickly.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for aligning a material box and a drive assembly, applied in a feeding device. The feeding device includes at least a material box, a drive assembly, and a weighing assembly. The material box contains a screw for conveying materials, and the screw is connected to a screw sleeve. The screw sleeve contains internal teeth. The drive assembly includes a motor and an external spline connected to the motor. The external spline can extend into the screw sleeve and mesh with the internal teeth. The method includes: Obtain the weight detection data output by the weighing component, and determine whether the material box is in the insertion state based on the weight detection data; When it is determined that the material box is in the insertion state, the motor is controlled to drive the external spline to rotate at a preset frequency and a preset angle, and the weight variance and weight absolute value are obtained based on the current weight detection data at each rotation. If the weight variance is greater than a preset variance threshold and / or the absolute weight value is not within a preset weight range, then continue with the next rotation until the obtained weight variance is less than the preset variance threshold and the absolute weight value is within the preset weight range.

[0005] Preferably, acquiring the weight detection data output by the weighing component and determining whether the material box is in the insertion state based on the weight detection data includes: Obtain reference weight data, wherein the reference weight data is the weight data output by the weighing component when the material box is not inserted; The weight detection data is compared with the baseline weight data to obtain the weight change data; When the weight change data is greater than a preset incremental threshold, it is determined that the material box is in the insertion state.

[0006] Preferably, the preset angle is obtained through the following steps: Obtain the thickness parameters of each internal tooth in the circumferential direction; The angle of the interference zone corresponding to each internal tooth is determined based on the thickness parameter. The preset angle is determined based on the angle of the interference zone.

[0007] Preferably, the preset frequency is obtained according to the following steps: Obtain the sampling period for the weight detection data of the weighing component; The weight stabilization time required for the weight detection data output by the weighing component to stabilize after each preset angle rotation of the external spline; The single rotation detection cycle is determined based on the weight detection data sampling period and the weight stabilization time. The preset frequency is determined based on the single rotation detection cycle.

[0008] Preferably, obtaining the weight variance and absolute weight value based on the current weight detection data at each rotation includes: Multiple sets of weight detection data output by the weighing component are continuously collected within a preset time window during each rotation; The weight variance and average weight are determined based on the multiple sets of weight detection data, and the average weight is used as the absolute weight value.

[0009] Preferably, the method further includes: When the weight variance is less than a preset variance threshold and the absolute value of the weight is within the preset weight range, the motor is controlled to output a preset drive voltage in open-loop drive mode. The Hall detection signal output by the Hall sensor is acquired, and the actual speed of the motor is determined based on the Hall detection signal; When the actual rotational speed is less than the preset rotational speed threshold, it is determined that the external spline is limited by the screw sleeve and the alignment is successful.

[0010] Preferably, the preset driving voltage is less than the operating voltage for driving the screw to perform normal feeding.

[0011] Preferably, the method further includes: If the weight variance is still greater than the preset variance threshold and / or the absolute value of the weight is still not within the preset weight range after the number of rotations reaches the preset number threshold, then the alignment is determined to have failed. If the alignment fails, an error message is output and / or the motor is stopped from continuing to drive.

[0012] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a feeding device, the device comprising: The material box is equipped with a screw for conveying materials. The screw is connected to a screw sleeve, which has internal teeth. The material box is also equipped with a discharge port. The drive assembly includes a motor and an external spline connected to the motor. The external spline can extend into the screw sleeve after the material box is inserted and mesh with the internal teeth to drive the screw to rotate and convey the material to the discharge port. Weighing components are used to output weight detection data; A control module configured to perform the alignment method of the hopper and drive assembly as described in any of the first aspects.

[0013] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide a cooking robot, the cooking robot comprising: A cooking apparatus, including a cooking container and a heating element for heating the cooking container; A feeding device, as described in claim 8, is used to feed materials into the cooking container.

[0014] In summary, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The material box and drive component alignment method, feeding device, and cooking robot provided in this invention utilize weight detection data output by a weighing component as a judgment basis to accurately identify the material box insertion state. After determining that the material box is in the insertion state, the motor is controlled to drive the external spline to rotate gradually at a preset frequency and preset angle, allowing the external spline to make small adjustments in the circumferential direction. This enables the material box to gradually enter the position that matches the internal teeth of the screw sleeve, reducing bumping and jamming, even in the event of assembly deviations or initial misalignment. Furthermore, during each rotation, the weight variance and absolute weight are calculated based on the weight detection data to effectively distinguish between unstable insertion and stable alignment, improving the accuracy of the judgment. This invention can achieve automatic alignment between the material box and drive component without adding complex structures, improving the alignment success rate and efficiency, significantly shortening the alignment time, reducing the difficulty of user operation, and greatly improving the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly introduced below. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort, and these are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the alignment method between the material box and the drive component according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will now be described in detail. To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only configured to explain the present invention and are not configured to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can be practiced without some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is merely intended to provide a better understanding of the present invention by illustrating examples of the invention.

[0019] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0020] Example 1 This invention provides a method for aligning a material box with a drive component. This method is applied to the feeding device of a cooking robot or intelligent cooking equipment, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the feeding device 10 includes a material box 11, a drive assembly 12, and a weighing assembly 15. The material box 11 contains a screw for conveying materials. One end of the screw is connected to a screw sleeve 21, and the inner wall of the screw sleeve 21 has internal teeth 22 for power transmission with the drive assembly 12. The drive assembly 12 includes a motor and an external spline 31 connected to the motor output. After the material box 11 is inserted into the installation position, the external spline 31 can extend into the screw sleeve 21 and mesh with the internal teeth 22, thereby driving the screw to rotate and realize material conveying. The weighing assembly 15 includes a weighing sensor 14 and at least two support rods 13. The side wall of the material box 11 has a groove structure 41 that cooperates with the support rods 13. When the material box 11 is inserted, the groove 41 fits onto the support rods 13, allowing the weight of the material box 11 itself and the weight of the materials inside to be transmitted to the weighing sensor 14 through the support rods 13, thereby outputting corresponding weight detection data. Preferably, the feeding device 10 is provided with a magnetic positioning structure (not shown). When the material box 11 is inserted into place, a clear sense of placement can be formed by the attraction of a pair of magnetic elements through the magnetic positioning structure, so that the user can perceive that the material box 11 has been basically inserted into place and stop applying force.

[0021] Please see Figure 2 The alignment method between the material box and the drive component specifically includes the following steps: S1: Obtain the weight detection data output by the weighing component, and determine whether the material box is in the insertion state based on the weight detection data; S2: When it is determined that the material box is in the insertion state, control the motor to drive the external spline to rotate at a preset frequency and a preset angle, and obtain the weight variance and weight absolute value based on the current weight detection data during each rotation; S3: If the weight variance is greater than the preset variance threshold and / or the absolute weight value is not within the preset weight range, continue to perform the next rotation until the obtained weight variance is less than the preset variance threshold and the absolute weight value is within the preset weight range.

[0022] In this embodiment, a weighing component is used to detect whether the material box has entered the assembly position. After confirming that the material box is in the inserted state, the motor is controlled to drive the external spline to perform circumferential fine adjustments at a certain frequency and angle. During each fine adjustment, the weighing data is used to determine whether the alignment is complete. If not, the rotation continues until the preset judgment condition is met, thereby achieving automatic alignment between the material box and the drive component. It can be understood that the weight variance is used to characterize the degree of fluctuation of the weight data over a period of time. Large fluctuations usually indicate that the material box is still in a wobbling, transitional, or unstable insertion state. The absolute weight value is used to characterize the actual load level borne by the weighing component. When it is within the preset weight range, it usually indicates that the material box has basically fallen into the target installation position. By using both the weight variance and the absolute weight value as the judgment criteria, misjudgments caused by relying solely on a single weight change can be avoided. This coordinates the rotation adjustment of the external spline with the actual insertion state of the material box, thereby improving the alignment success rate and reducing the risk of mis-engagement or material leakage in case of misalignment.

[0023] It is worth noting that the preset weight range here can be determined based on the actual weight of the material box under different loading conditions. For example, the weight of the empty material box (without material) can be used as the lower limit of the preset weight range, and the weight of the fully loaded material box (with material) can be used as the upper limit of the preset weight range, thus forming a weight range covering the actual operating conditions of the material box. Furthermore, in practical applications, the preset weight range can be appropriately expanded or contracted according to the installation structure, weighing error, and environmental disturbances. For example, a certain margin can be set based on the upper and lower limits to avoid misjudgment due to measurement errors or instantaneous fluctuations.

[0024] In one embodiment, acquiring the weight detection data output by the weighing component and determining whether the material box is in the insertion state based on the weight detection data includes: Obtain the baseline weight data, which is the weight data output by the weighing component when the material box is not inserted; The weight measurement data is compared with the baseline weight data to obtain the weight change data; When the weight change data exceeds the preset incremental threshold, it is determined that the material box is in the insertion state.

[0025] Specifically, the system first acquires baseline weight data output by the weighing assembly when the material box is not inserted. This data reflects the weight reference value of the weighing assembly in an unloaded or uninserted state. Then, during the material box insertion process, real-time weight detection data is acquired and compared with the baseline weight data to obtain the corresponding weight change data. This weight change data characterizes the load increment caused by the material box and its internal material being loaded onto the weighing assembly. When this increment exceeds a preset threshold, it indicates that the material box has effectively loaded the weighing assembly, thus determining that the material box is in the insertion state. In other words, the insertion state is reliably identified using the direct physical quantity of weight change.

[0026] In one embodiment, the preset frequency is obtained according to the following steps: The sampling period for obtaining weight detection data of the weighing component; The weight stabilization time required for the weight detection data output by the weighing component to stabilize after each preset angle rotation of the external spline; The single rotation detection cycle is obtained based on the sampling period of the weight detection data and the weight stabilization time. The preset frequency is determined based on the single rotation detection cycle.

[0027] Specifically, the weight detection data sampling period of the weighing component represents the time interval between two consecutive weight data outputs; the weight stabilization duration reflects the dissipation of the influence of the rotational action on the weighing signal. The single rotation detection period is determined based on these two time parameters. Preferably, the single rotation detection period is the sum of several weight detection data sampling periods and the weight stabilization duration, ensuring that one or more valid weight detection data can be obtained after one rotation of the external spline. The weight stabilization duration ensures that the weight detection data has stabilized from a fluctuating state, thereby avoiding the next rotation before the weight data has stabilized or been fully collected, improving the accuracy of alignment judgment. Finally, a preset frequency is determined based on the single rotation detection period. For example, the single rotation detection period is approximately 0.3 seconds to 0.8 seconds, corresponding to a preset frequency of 1.25Hz to 3.33Hz.

[0028] In one embodiment, the preset angle is obtained through the following steps: Obtain the thickness parameters of each internal tooth in the circumferential direction; The angle of the interference zone corresponding to each internal tooth is determined based on the thickness parameters. The preset angle is determined based on the angle of the interference zone.

[0029] In this embodiment, the rotational step angle of the external spline is determined by converting the geometric dimensions of the internal teeth into circumferential angle information. Specifically, the thickness parameters of each internal tooth in the circumferential direction are first obtained. These thickness parameters characterize the range occupied by a single internal tooth on the circumference and can be equivalently converted into a corresponding angle range. Based on this angle range, the interference zone angle can be determined, which is the circumferential interval where the tips of the external spline teeth collide with the tips of the internal teeth and cannot enter the tooth groove. Further, a preset angle is set to an angle value no greater than the interference zone angle, so that the external spline can gradually disengage from the current interference position and enter the adjacent meshable interval after each rotation, thereby achieving a gradual alignment process without initial alignment. For example, if there are 6 internal teeth in the screw sleeve, the circumferential pitch angle between adjacent internal teeth is 60°; assuming that the angle range corresponding to a single internal tooth in the circumferential direction is 12°, this 12° can be used as the interference zone angle. In this case, the preset angle can be set to an angle value between 6° and 12°, for example, 8°, so that the external spline can gradually cross the current interference zone after each rotation, and enter the tooth groove position after one or two small angle adjustments, so as to achieve smooth meshing with the internal teeth.

[0030] In one embodiment, if alignment is not achieved after the first rotation at a preset angle, subsequent rotation angles are adaptively adjusted. Specifically, after each rotation, the current state is evaluated based on the weight variance and absolute weight value. If it is determined that the current state is still in the interference zone or an unstable insertion state, the next rotation angle is reduced proportionally from the original preset angle, for example, adjusting the rotation angle to 1 / 2 to 2 / 3 of the previous rotation. In this way, the external spline gradually transitions from larger step sizes to smaller step sizes, thereby avoiding crossing the target position or repeatedly entering the interference zone due to excessively large angles when approaching the meshing zone.

[0031] Furthermore, the adjustment strategy can be refined based on the weight change trend after multiple rotations. When the weight variance gradually decreases and the absolute weight value gradually approaches the preset range, it indicates that the alignment is nearing completion. At this point, the rotation angle is further reduced, allowing the external spline to enter the tooth groove position with finer angle steps. When the weight data changes significantly or shows no obvious improvement, the current angle can be maintained or a larger angle can be appropriately restored to improve the ability to escape the interference zone. Through the above dynamic adjustment method, a larger angle is used to quickly cross the interference zone in the initial stage, and a smaller angle is used for fine alignment in the subsequent stage. This allows the overall alignment process to be completed in fewer rotations, while reducing the probability of top-collision impact and repeated attempts. Thus, while ensuring the alignment success rate, alignment efficiency and process stability are further improved.

[0032] In one embodiment, determining the weight variance and absolute weight based on weight detection data at each rotation includes: Multiple sets of weight detection data output by the weighing component are continuously collected within a preset time window during each rotation; The weight variance and average weight are determined based on multiple sets of weight measurement data, and the average weight is used as the absolute weight.

[0033] Specifically, a preset time window is set for continuously collecting and statistically processing the weight data output by the weighing component after each rotation of the external spline, thereby obtaining characteristic quantities for determining the alignment status. Based on these data, the weight variance is calculated, which characterizes the degree of fluctuation in the weight signal. When the material box is shaking or unstable, the variance is relatively large. Simultaneously, multiple sets of data within this time window are averaged to obtain the average weight, which is used as the absolute weight value to characterize the actual load level currently applied to the weighing component. This preset time window can be determined based on the weight detection data sampling period of the weighing component and the weight stabilization time required for the weight detection data to stabilize. Its length is not less than the weight stabilization time and covers multiple weight detection data sampling periods. Preferably, the preset time window matches the single rotation detection period, ensuring that after the external spline completes one rotation, the stabilization of the weight detection data and the collection of multiple sets of data are completed within the time interval before the next rotation, thus guaranteeing that the alignment determination during each rotation is based on stable and sufficient weight detection data.

[0034] In one embodiment, the method further includes: When the weight variance is less than the preset variance threshold and the absolute weight value is within the preset weight range, the control motor outputs the preset drive voltage in the open-loop drive state. The Hall detection signal output by the Hall sensor is acquired, and the actual speed of the motor is determined based on the Hall detection signal; When the actual rotational speed is less than the preset rotational speed threshold, it is determined that the external spline is limited by the screw sleeve and the alignment is successful.

[0035] In this embodiment, after initially determining that the material box has been stably inserted based on the weight variance and absolute weight value, the alignment result is further verified by the motor's operating status. Specifically, when the weight variance is less than a preset variance threshold and the absolute weight value is within a preset weight range, the motor is controlled to enter an open-loop drive state and output a preset drive voltage. The open-loop drive state refers to the motor operating at a set voltage without closed-loop control of speed or position. Subsequently, the Hall detection signal output by the Hall sensor in the motor is acquired, and the actual speed of the motor is calculated based on this signal. When the actual speed is lower than a preset speed threshold, it indicates that the motor output shaft is subject to significant resistance and its rotation is restricted. This indicates that the external spline has formed a rigid fit with the screw sleeve and is subject to a limiting effect, thus completing the alignment. By introducing the physical characteristic of motor resistance as a supplementary judgment condition, misjudgments caused by relying solely on weight data can be avoided, further improving the reliability of alignment confirmation.

[0036] Preferably, the preset drive voltage is lower than the operating voltage for normal screw feeding, so that the motor outputs only a small torque in open-loop drive mode. Under this voltage condition, if the external spline has not yet formed an effective engagement with the internal teeth of the screw sleeve, the motor can drive the external spline to rotate to a certain extent; however, when the external spline has engaged with the internal teeth and is subject to a limiting effect, the motor's output torque is insufficient to overcome the limiting resistance, and its speed will decrease significantly or even approach a stop. By setting a drive voltage lower than that for normal feeding, the alignment status can be detected using the motor's resistance characteristics without triggering actual screw feeding, thereby avoiding misfeeding of materials and improving detection reliability.

[0037] In one embodiment, the method further includes: If the weight variance is still greater than the preset variance threshold and / or the absolute weight value is still not within the preset weight range after the number of consecutive rotations reaches the preset number threshold, then the alignment is determined to have failed. If the alignment fails, output an error message and / or stop the motor from continuing to drive.

[0038] In this embodiment, the alignment process is constrained by setting an upper limit on the number of rotations to avoid efficiency reduction or structural risks caused by prolonged ineffective attempts. Specifically, after the external spline rotates multiple times at a preset angle, if the number of consecutive rotations reaches a preset threshold, but the corresponding weight variance is still greater than a preset variance threshold and / or the absolute weight value is still not within a preset weight range, it indicates that the material box has not formed a stable stress state or has not reached the target installation position, and the current alignment process can be determined to have failed. The number of consecutive rotations represents the upper limit of the number of alignment attempts, and the preset threshold can be set based on structural fit characteristics or experience. Furthermore, after determining that alignment has failed, an abnormal prompt message is output and / or the motor drive is stopped to avoid continuous motor operation causing mechanical wear or increased energy consumption. Simultaneously, the user is prompted to check or manually align the device, thereby improving the safety and reliability of the device operation.

[0039] In summary, the alignment method for the material box and drive assembly provided in this invention utilizes weight detection data output by the weighing component as a judgment basis. This allows for real-time reflection of force changes during material box insertion, thus achieving accurate identification of the insertion state. After determining that the material box is in the insertion state, the motor drives the external spline to rotate gradually at a preset frequency and angle. This allows for small-scale circumferential adjustments to the external spline, enabling it to gradually enter a position matching the internal teeth even with assembly deviations or initial misalignment, reducing bumping and jamming. Each rotation calculates the weight variance and absolute weight based on the weight detection data. The weight variance reflects whether the current force is stable, and the absolute weight reflects whether the material box has reached the target load-bearing state. The combined judgment of these two factors effectively distinguishes between unstable insertion and stable alignment, improving judgment accuracy. This invention achieves automatic alignment between the material box and drive assembly without adding complex structures, helping to improve alignment success rate and reduce abnormal insertion and misfeeding. The method in this embodiment allows the external spline to complete the alignment process in one or two rotations, and the overall alignment and insertion process can be completed in about 1 second, thereby significantly shortening the alignment time and meeting the efficiency requirements of high-frequency feeding and continuous operation scenarios.

[0040] Example 2 Please see Figure 1 This invention provides a feeding device 10, which includes: Material box 11, the material box is equipped with a screw for conveying materials, the screw is connected to a screw sleeve, the screw sleeve is equipped with internal teeth, and the material box is equipped with a discharge port; The drive assembly 12 includes a motor and an external spline connected to the motor. The external spline can extend into the screw sleeve after the material box is inserted and mesh with the internal teeth to drive the screw to rotate and convey the material to the discharge port. Weighing component 15 is used to output weight detection data; A control module (not shown) is configured to perform the alignment method of the hopper and drive assembly as described in Embodiment 1.

[0041] The feeding device provided in this embodiment achieves stable material conveying by incorporating a meshable internal gear and external spline structure between the material box and the drive assembly. This ensures reliable transmission of motor output to the screw. Simultaneously, a weighing component monitors the force on the material box in real time, and the control module uses this weight data to determine the insertion status and alignment process of the material box, allowing for adjustments to the alignment process based on actual force conditions. During material box insertion, the weighing component reflects whether the material box has entered a bearing state, preventing premature drive operation. During alignment, the external spline is controlled to rotate in stages, and the weight change is used for judgment. This allows for gradual engagement even with assembly deviations, reducing issues such as collisions and jamming. This structure eliminates the need for complex mechanical alignment mechanisms, achieving automatic alignment and status confirmation between the material box and the drive assembly. This improves alignment success rate and material conveying stability while reducing the risk of misfeeding.

[0042] Example 3 Based on embodiments one and two above, this invention provides a cooking robot, comprising: a cooking device and a feeding device. The cooking device includes a cooking container and a heating element for heating the cooking container, used for heating food ingredients. The feeding device is used to feed materials into the cooking container, the materials being seasonings, including salt, monosodium glutamate, pepper, and sauces. By combining the feeding device with the cooking device, seasonings can be added in a set manner during the cooking process, thereby achieving automated control of the cooking process, improving seasoning accuracy and cooking consistency, and is suitable for large-scale production scenarios in catering enterprises.

[0043] It should be clarified that the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations and processes described above and shown in the figures. For the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of known methods are omitted here. In the above embodiments, several specific steps are described and shown as examples. However, the method process of the present invention is not limited to the specific steps described and shown. Those skilled in the art can make various changes, modifications, and additions, or change the order of steps, after understanding the spirit of the present invention.

[0044] The functional blocks shown in the above-described structural diagram can be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. When implemented in hardware, they can be, for example, electronic circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), appropriate firmware, plug-ins, function cards, etc. When implemented in software, the elements of this invention are programs or code segments used to perform the required tasks. The programs or code segments can be stored on a machine-readable medium or transmitted over a transmission medium or communication link via data signals carried in a carrier wave. "Machine-readable medium" can include any medium capable of storing or transmitting information. Examples of machine-readable media include electronic circuits, semiconductor memory devices, ROM, flash memory, erasable ROM (EROM), floppy disks, CD-ROMs, optical disks, hard disks, fiber optic media, radio frequency (RF) links, etc. Code segments can be downloaded via computer networks such as the Internet, intranets, etc.

[0045] It should also be noted that the exemplary embodiments mentioned in this invention describe methods or systems based on a series of steps or apparatus. However, this invention is not limited to the order of the steps described above; that is, the steps can be performed in the order mentioned in the embodiments, or in a different order, or several steps can be performed simultaneously.

[0046] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, modules, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here. It should be understood that the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for aligning a material box and a drive assembly, characterized in that, The method is applied in a feeding device, which includes at least a material box, a drive assembly, and a weighing assembly. The material box contains a screw for conveying material. The screw is connected to a screw sleeve, which has internal teeth. The drive assembly includes a motor and an external spline connected to the motor. The external spline can extend into the screw sleeve and mesh with the internal teeth. The method includes: Obtain the weight detection data output by the weighing component, and determine whether the material box is in the insertion state based on the weight detection data; When it is determined that the material box is in the insertion state, the motor is controlled to drive the external spline to rotate at a preset frequency and a preset angle, and the weight variance and weight absolute value are obtained based on the current weight detection data at each rotation. If the weight variance is greater than a preset variance threshold and / or the absolute weight value is not within a preset weight range, then continue with the next rotation until the obtained weight variance is less than the preset variance threshold and the absolute weight value is within the preset weight range.

2. The alignment method between the material box and the drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of acquiring the weight detection data output by the weighing component and determining whether the material box is in the insertion state based on the weight detection data includes: Obtain reference weight data, wherein the reference weight data is the weight data output by the weighing component when the material box is not inserted; The weight detection data is compared with the baseline weight data to obtain the weight change data; When the weight change data is greater than a preset incremental threshold, it is determined that the material box is in the insertion state.

3. The alignment method between the material box and the drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset angle is obtained through the following steps: Obtain the thickness parameters of each internal tooth in the circumferential direction; The angle of the interference zone corresponding to each internal tooth is determined based on the thickness parameter. The preset angle is determined based on the angle of the interference zone.

4. The alignment method between the material box and the drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset frequency is obtained according to the following steps: Obtain the sampling period for the weight detection data of the weighing component; The weight stabilization time required for the weight detection data output by the weighing component to stabilize after each preset angle rotation of the external spline; The single rotation detection cycle is determined based on the weight detection data sampling period and the weight stabilization time. The preset frequency is determined based on the single rotation detection cycle.

5. The alignment method between the material box and the drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of obtaining the weight variance and absolute weight value based on the current weight detection data at each rotation includes: Multiple sets of weight detection data output by the weighing component are continuously collected within a preset time window during each rotation; The weight variance and average weight are determined based on the multiple sets of weight detection data, and the average weight is used as the absolute weight value.

6. The method for aligning the material box and the drive assembly according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the weight variance is less than a preset variance threshold and the absolute value of the weight is within the preset weight range, the motor is controlled to output a preset drive voltage in open-loop drive mode. The Hall detection signal output by the Hall sensor is acquired, and the actual speed of the motor is determined based on the Hall detection signal; When the actual rotational speed is less than the preset rotational speed threshold, it is determined that the external spline is limited by the screw sleeve and the alignment is successful.

7. The method for aligning the material box and the drive assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The preset driving voltage is less than the operating voltage for driving the screw to perform normal feeding.

8. The method for aligning the material box and the drive assembly according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the weight variance is still greater than the preset variance threshold and / or the absolute value of the weight is still not within the preset weight range after the number of rotations reaches the preset number threshold, then the alignment is determined to have failed. If the alignment fails, an error message is output and / or the motor is stopped from continuing to drive.

9. A feeding device, characterized in that, The device includes: The material box is equipped with a screw for conveying materials. The screw is connected to a screw sleeve, which has internal teeth. The material box is also equipped with a discharge port. The drive assembly includes a motor and an external spline connected to the motor. The external spline can extend into the screw sleeve after the material box is inserted and engage with the internal teeth to drive the screw to rotate and convey the material to the discharge port. Weighing components are used to output weight detection data; A control module configured to perform the alignment method of the hopper and drive assembly as described in any one of claims 1-8.

10. A cooking robot, characterized in that, The cooking robot includes: A cooking apparatus, including a cooking container and a heating element for heating the cooking container; A feeding device, as described in claim 8, is used to feed materials into the cooking container.

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