Fruit and vegetable picking end executing mechanism

Abstract

The utility model relates to a tail end executing mechanism of a picking device, belongs to the technical field of agricultural fruit and vegetable picking, and discloses a fruit and vegetable picking tail end executing mechanism which comprises a support, a shearing mechanism, a flexible clamping mechanism and a visual sensor. And a shearing mechanism, a visual sensor and a flexible clamping mechanism are sequentially and fixedly arranged on the other side of the bracket from top to bottom. The fruit and vegetable clamping mode of a gripper of the flexible clamping mechanism is a clamping method with an elastic body, damage to the surfaces of the fruits and the vegetables is avoided, and the maturity of the fruits and the vegetables can be judged through a visual sensor. The fruit and vegetable picking device is simple in structure, damage-free and timely picking of fruits and vegetables can be achieved through the flexible clamping mechanism and the visual sensor, practicability is greatly improved, and the fruit and vegetable picking device is suitable for picking work of various fruits and vegetables.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a terminal execution mechanism, belonging to the technical field of agricultural fruit and vegetable picking, in particular to a fruit and vegetable picking terminal execution mechanism. Background Art

[0002] With the development of agricultural modernization, the fruit and vegetable planting industry has gradually tended to be large-scale and automated. However, due to the complexity of picking operations and their strong seasonality, fruit and vegetable picking still relies mainly on manual labor. According to relevant statistics, picking operations account for 33%-55% of the labor in the entire fruit and vegetable production process. Picking is labor-intensive and has low work efficiency. At present, some new types of automatic pickers have appeared on the market, which can replace manual picking to a certain extent, greatly improving picking efficiency and saving labor costs. In the prior art, a mechanism for judging the position and volume of fruits and vegetables is generally provided on the actuator of the picker to determine whether to perform the picking action, and the picking is completed by cutting or twisting. In addition, in order to avoid damage to the fruit and vegetable body caused by the picking gripper, the existing means generally design the gripper according to the shape of the fruit. Although the picking speed of the above-mentioned picking mechanical device is much higher than that of manual labor, the following problems still exist: the gripper material is mostly hard, which can easily cause damage to the skin of fruits and vegetables, and cannot ensure damage-free picking, which reduces the quality of fruit and vegetable products. In addition, the gripper has a single shape and a fixed structure. Even if a soft material is provided on the gripper to prevent collision, it is still not suitable for picking fruits and vegetables with irregular shapes or fruits and vegetables with large size differences. Utility Model Content

[0003] In order to solve the above deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a fruit and vegetable picking end-effector, which can adapt to the irregular shapes of fruits and vegetables and the size differences between fruits and vegetables through a flexible clamping mechanism to achieve the purpose of non-destructive picking of fruits and vegetables.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: a fruit and vegetable picking end-effector, including a bracket, a shearing mechanism, a flexible clamping mechanism, and a visual sensor. One side of the bracket is fixed on the picking robot arm, and the other side of the bracket is fixed with the shearing mechanism, the visual sensor, and the flexible clamping mechanism in sequence from top to bottom; the flexible clamping mechanism includes a gripper and a gripper driving device for driving the hand-turning gripping action, and the gripper includes two elastic clamping parts arranged opposite to each other.

[0005] As a limitation of the present invention: the elastic clamping part is a U-shaped frame structure, including a vertical arm arranged vertically, an upper horizontal arm and a lower horizontal arm connected to the two ends of the vertical arm, the upper horizontal arm and the lower horizontal arm are arranged toward the front end, and several groups of through holes are correspondingly opened on the upper horizontal arm and the lower horizontal arm, and an elastic body is fixed in the upper and lower opposite through holes.

[0006] As a limitation of the present utility model: the gripper drive device includes a first cylinder, a driving push rod, a slider assembly, and a gripper fixing frame. The first cylinder is fixed on the bracket and fixedly connected to the gripper fixing frame. The slider assembly is slidably set on the gripper fixing frame. The first cylinder is connected to the driving push rod, the slider assembly, and the gripper in sequence.

[0007] As a definition of the present invention: the slider assembly includes a first slider and a second slider, the rear end of the first slider is fixedly connected to the push rod, and the first slider has inclined surfaces on both sides; the second slider includes two sliders arranged on both sides of the first slider, and the contact surface of the second slider with the first slider is an inclined surface adapted to the first slider. The first slider and the second slider are slidably connected, and the two second sliders are arranged on the gripper fixing frame for sliding in the left and right directions.

[0008] As a limitation of the present utility model: an inclined groove is provided on the inclined surface of the second slider, and a protrusion corresponding to the inclined groove is fixed on the inclined surface of the first slider; linear grooves along the left and right directions are respectively provided on the upper surface and lower surface where the gripper fixing frame contacts the second slider, and a protrusion corresponding to the linear groove is provided on the second slider.

[0009] As a limitation of the present invention: the visual sensor is located behind the gripper, and the visual sensor includes a visible light band image sensor for detecting target fruits and vegetables and sensing the position of target fruits and vegetables, and also includes an infrared band image sensor and an ultraviolet band image sensor for determining the maturity of fruits and vegetables.

[0010] As a limitation of the present utility model: the shearing mechanism includes a second cylinder, a scissors fixing plate, a scissor blade, a driving block, and a rotating shaft. The second cylinder and the scissors fixing plate are fixedly connected to the bracket. The rotating shaft is fixed on the scissors fixing plate. The scissor blade includes two pieces hinged on the rotating shaft. The second cylinder is connected to the driving block and the scissor blade in sequence. The second cylinder controls the opening and shearing action of the scissor blade through the driving block.

[0011] As a limitation of the present invention: the scissor blades are located above the gripper.

[0012] Due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0013] (1) The flexible clamping mechanism of the present invention adopts an elastomer component, which can clamp fruits and vegetables while avoiding damage to the surface of fruits and vegetables, thereby reducing the damage rate of fruits and vegetables. The clamping space included in the elastomer is large enough to cope with a variety of fruit shapes of different sizes, especially fruits and vegetables with irregular shapes. It can adapt to various irregular shapes and different sizes of fruits and vegetables, thereby achieving the purpose of non-destructive picking of various fruits and vegetables.

[0014] (2) The slider assembly of the utility model has a simple structure. The first slider and the second slider are arranged by sliding on an inclined plane. The opening and closing action of the gripper can be achieved by pushing and retracting the first cylinder, which is highly practical.

[0015] (3) The visual sensor provided by the present invention uses the visible light band to calculate the relative position between the target fruit and vegetable and the end effector, so as to guide the position of the robotic arm; the infrared band and ultraviolet band are used to determine the maturity of the fruit and vegetable through an algorithm, thereby improving the quality and maturity consistency of the fruit and vegetable products and achieving timely picking of the fruit and vegetable;

[0016] (4) The shearing mechanism of the utility model cooperates with the gripper to perform shearing, and the shear blades can be replaced accordingly according to different picking targets, making the picker more widely used.

[0017] To sum up, the utility model aims to provide a fruit and vegetable picking terminal actuator, which is a vision-based, flexible automatic fruit and vegetable picking terminal actuator. The flexible gripper can avoid damage to fruits and vegetables during the picking process, and can also adapt to the irregular shapes of fruits and vegetables and the size differences between fruits and vegetables to achieve the purpose of timely and damage-free picking of fruits and vegetables. At the same time, it can also judge the maturity of fruits and vegetables, significantly improve the picking quality and efficiency, and is suitable for the picking processes of various fruits and vegetables. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of the flexible clamping mechanism of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0021] In the figure: 1- bracket, 2- first cylinder, 3- gripper fixing frame, 4- driving push rod, 5- gripper, 6- elastic body, 7- first slider, 8- second slider, 9- inclined slide, 10- linear slide, 11- visual sensor, 12- second cylinder, 13- scissor fixing plate, 14- scissor blade, 15- driving block, 16- rotating shaft. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following describes preferred embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the fruit and vegetable picking end actuator described herein is a preferred embodiment and is only used to illustrate and explain the present invention, and does not constitute a limitation of the present invention.

[0023] The directional terms or positional relationships such as "up", "down", "left" and "right" described in the present invention are based on the directional relationships in the drawings of the present invention specification and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the content protected by the present invention. Example

[0024] This embodiment Figure 1 、 Figure 2 As shown, a fruit and vegetable picking end-effector mechanism includes a bracket 1, a shearing mechanism, a flexible clamping mechanism, and a visual sensor 11. One side of the bracket 1 is fixed on a picking robot arm (not shown in the figure), and the other side of the bracket 1 is fixed with the shearing mechanism, the visual sensor 11, and the flexible clamping mechanism in sequence from top to bottom.

[0025] The flexible clamping mechanism includes a gripper 5 and a gripper driving device for driving the gripping action of the rotating handle 5. The gripper includes two elastic clamping parts arranged opposite to each other. The gripper driving device includes a first cylinder 2, a gripper fixing frame 3, a slider assembly, and a driving push rod 4. The first cylinder 2 is fixed on the bracket 1 and fixedly connected to the gripper fixing frame 3. The gripper fixing frame 3 is provided with a slider assembly. The gripper is fixedly connected to the slider assembly. The first cylinder 2 is connected to the slider assembly through the driving push rod 4 and drives the gripper on the slider assembly to open and close. The gripper 5 includes two elastic clamping parts arranged opposite to each other. Specifically, the elastic clamping part is a U-shaped frame structure, including a vertical arm arranged vertically, an upper horizontal arm and a lower horizontal arm connected to the two ends of the vertical arm. The upper horizontal arm and the lower horizontal arm are arranged toward the front end. A plurality of groups of through holes are correspondingly opened on the upper horizontal arm and the lower horizontal arm, and an elastic body 6 is fixed in the upper and lower opposite through holes.

[0026] like Figure 2 As shown, the slider assembly of the flexible clamping mechanism includes a first slider 7 and a second slider 8. The first slider 7 is fixedly connected to the push rod at the rear end, and has inclined surfaces on both sides of the first slider 7. The second slider 8 includes two corresponding sliders arranged on either side of the first slider 7, and the front ends of the two second sliders 8 are respectively fixedly connected to the two grippers 5. The contact surface between the second slider 8 and the first slider 7 is an inclined surface that matches the inclined surface of the first slider 7, and the first slider 7 and the second slider 8 are slidingly arranged. Specifically, the first slider 7 and the second slider 8 are slidingly connected via an inclined groove 9 arranged along the inclined surface. The inclined groove 9 is provided on the inclined surface of the second slider, and a protrusion corresponding to the inclined groove 9 is fixed on the inclined surface of the first slider. Linear grooves 10 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the gripper fixing frame 3 where they contact the second slider 8. The linear grooves 10 are arranged horizontally in the left-right direction. The second slider 8 is provided with a protrusion corresponding to the linear grooves 10. The protrusions slide within the linear grooves 10, allowing the second slider 8 to retract toward the center or move to the sides under the drive of the first slider 7, thereby driving the grippers 5 to open and close.

[0027] The visual sensor 11 is located between the shearing mechanism and the flexible clamping mechanism, and behind the gripper 5. It is used to calculate the relative position of the target fruits and vegetables and determine their maturity. It also adjusts the end position of the robotic arm based on the target fruit and vegetable's position information, ultimately controlling the shearing mechanism and the flexible clamping mechanism to harvest the fruits and vegetables. Specifically, the visual sensor 11 includes a visible light image sensor, an infrared image sensor, and an ultraviolet image sensor. The visible light image sensor is used to detect the target fruits and vegetables and sense their position; the infrared image sensor and the ultraviolet image sensor are used to determine the maturity of the fruits and vegetables. The sensing principle of the visual sensor 11 is implemented using existing means. The visual sensor 11 is control-connected to the robotic arm control system.

[0028] The shearing mechanism includes a second cylinder 12, a scissor fixing plate 13, a scissor blade 14, a drive block 15, and a rotating shaft 16. The second cylinder 12 and the scissor fixing plate 13 are fixedly connected to the bracket 1. The rotating shaft 16 is fixed to the scissor fixing plate 13. The scissor blade 14 includes two pieces hinged on the rotating shaft 16. The second cylinder 12 is connected to the drive block 15 and the scissor blade 14 in sequence. The second cylinder 12 controls the opening and shearing action of the scissor blade 14 through the drive block 15. The opening and closing process of the scissor blade 14 and the coordination of the drive block 15 can adopt existing technology. In addition, the scissor blade 14 is located above the gripper 5.

[0029] When using this embodiment, the first cylinder 2 and the second cylinder 12 are controlled and connected to the picking robot arm. The external picking robot arm first transports the picking end actuator to the appropriate picking area. When the visual sensor 11 detects the target fruits and vegetables, it guides the robot arm to perform precise positioning and judges whether the maturity of the fruits and vegetables meets the picking requirements. If it meets the requirements, the driving push rod 4 of the first cylinder 2 of the flexible clamping mechanism is driven backward, and the first slider 7 moves backward, driving the second slider 8 to retract toward the middle, so that the left and right grippers 5 are retracted, and then clamp the target fruits and vegetables. Then, the second cylinder 12 of the shearing mechanism is controlled to push the driving block 15 forward, thereby driving the scissor blades 14 to close, so as to shear the fruits and vegetables. Then, the second cylinder 12 is controlled to push the driving block 15 backward, and the scissor blades 14 are opened; the driving push rod 4 of the first cylinder 2 drives the first slider 7 forward, thereby driving the second slider 8 to separate to the left and right, and the two grippers are opened to release the fruits and vegetables, completing a fruit and vegetable picking operation.

[0030] Although the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are as described above, the contents thereof are merely embodiments adopted to facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art of the present invention may make any modifications and changes in the form and details of the implementation without departing from the core technical solutions disclosed in the present invention. However, the scope of protection defined by the present invention shall still be subject to the scope defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fruit and vegetable picking end effector, characterized by: It includes a bracket, a shearing mechanism, a flexible clamping mechanism, and a visual sensor. One side of the bracket is fixed on the picking robot arm, and the other side of the bracket is fixed with the shearing mechanism, the visual sensor, and the flexible clamping mechanism in sequence from top to bottom; the flexible clamping mechanism includes a gripper and a gripper driving device for driving the hand-turning gripping action, and the gripper includes two elastic clamping parts arranged opposite to each other.

2. The fruit and vegetable picking end effector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic clamping part has a U-shaped frame structure, including a vertical arm arranged vertically, an upper horizontal arm and a lower horizontal arm connected to the two ends of the vertical arm, the upper horizontal arm and the lower horizontal arm are arranged toward the front end, and several groups of through holes are correspondingly opened on the upper horizontal arm and the lower horizontal arm, and an elastic body is fixed in the upper and lower opposite through holes.

3. The fruit and vegetable picking end effector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gripper drive device includes a first cylinder, a driving push rod, a slider assembly, and a gripper fixing frame. The first cylinder is fixed on the bracket and fixedly connected to the gripper fixing frame. The slider assembly is slidably set on the gripper fixing frame. The first cylinder is connected to the driving push rod, the slider assembly, and the gripper in sequence.

4. The fruit and vegetable picking end-effector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The slider assembly includes a first slider and a second slider. The rear end of the first slider is fixedly connected to the push rod, and the first slider has inclined surfaces on both sides. The second slider includes two sliders arranged on both sides of the first slider relative to each other, and the surface of the second slider in contact with the first slider is an inclined surface adapted to the first slider. The first slider and the second slider are slidably connected, and the two second sliders are arranged on the gripper fixing frame to slide in the left and right directions.

5. The fruit and vegetable picking end effector according to claim 4, characterized in that: An inclined groove is provided on the inclined surface of the second slider, and a protrusion corresponding to the inclined groove is fixed on the inclined surface of the first slider; linear grooves along the left and right directions are respectively provided on the upper surface and lower surface where the gripper fixing frame contacts the second slider, and a protrusion corresponding to the linear groove is provided on the second slider.

6. The fruit and vegetable picking end effector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The visual sensor is located behind the gripper and includes a visible light band image sensor for detecting target fruits and vegetables and sensing the position of target fruits and vegetables, as well as an infrared band image sensor and an ultraviolet band image sensor for determining the maturity of fruits and vegetables.

7. The fruit and vegetable picking end effector according to claim 6, characterized in that: The shearing mechanism includes a second cylinder, a scissors fixing plate, a scissor blade, a driving block, and a rotating shaft. The second cylinder and the scissors fixing plate are fixedly connected to the bracket. The rotating shaft is fixed on the scissors fixing plate. The scissor blade includes two pieces hinged on the rotating shaft. The second cylinder is connected to the driving block and the scissor blade in sequence. The second cylinder controls the opening and shearing action of the scissor blade through the driving block.

8. The fruit and vegetable picking end effector according to claim 7, characterized in that: The scissor blades are located above the gripper.

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