End execution mechanism for tomato picking

Abstract

The utility model provides an end actuating mechanism for tomato picking, which comprises a manipulator flange and a quick-change mounting plate, a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate are arranged through the quick-change mounting plate, then a base is arranged through the two connecting plates, and a first chute, a second chute and a central hole are arranged on the base. Clamping jaws are arranged on the sliding blocks of the sliding grooves, and the end faces, close to the center hole, of the first sliding block and the second sliding block are arranged to be in a rack shape; a gear motor is arranged between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate, an output shaft of the gear motor penetrates through the center hole and is fixedly connected with a gear, and the gear is meshed with the end face racks of the first sliding block and the second sliding block respectively. By means of the end executing mechanism for tomato picking, fruits can be firmly clamped while pedicels are cut off, damage to surrounding fruits and branches is avoided, and the success rate of one-time picking is effectively increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of machinery, and in particular to an end effector for tomato harvesting. Background Technology

[0002] There are two main existing methods for harvesting tomatoes. The first method involves using a suction cup to first adhere to the tomato, pull it apart from the fruit cluster, and then clamp and rotate the fruit to separate the stem. During this rotation, the end effector inevitably comes into contact with surrounding fruits, causing damage to adjacent tomatoes. On the one hand, because tomato stems are relatively thin and flexible, the suction cup is not easy to pull and separate the target tomato from the cluster; forceful pulling can easily damage the main stem, resulting in poor harvesting efficiency. On the other hand, the harvesting process relies heavily on the adhesion between the suction cup and the tomato, leading to poor harvesting stability. The second method involves using a mechanism to clamp the fruit and then using the rotation of the wrist joint in two vertical directions to simulate the action of a human hand breaking the stem to harvest the tomato. This method requires a large rotation space to ensure the "breaking" action of the end effector. However, clusters of tomatoes are adjacent to each other, making it difficult to provide sufficient rotation space. If the binding force between the fruit stalk and the fruit is strong and the clamping force is weak, the fruit and stalk cannot be effectively separated. Strong clamping force can easily damage the fruit skin and affect the fruit's storage time. In addition, the "twisting" process will generate significant vibration, which can easily affect adjacent tomato clusters. If the binding force between the fruit and stalk of adjacent tomato clusters is weak, it will directly cause the fruit to fall off and be damaged.

[0003] Therefore, existing tomato harvesting terminal execution mechanisms have problems such as low harvesting efficiency, poor harvesting stability, inability to effectively separate fruit from stem, easy damage to fruit skin, and easy impact on neighboring tomatoes. Utility Model Content

[0004] This utility model is proposed in view of the above-mentioned technical problems, and provides an end effector for tomato harvesting that can cut the fruit stem while stably holding the fruit, with a high success rate and without damaging the surrounding fruit and branches, thus improving its practicality.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an end effector for tomato harvesting is provided, comprising a robotic arm flange and a quick-change mounting plate. One side of the quick-change mounting plate is connected to the robotic arm flange, and the other side of the quick-change mounting plate is provided with a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate. A base is provided at the other end of the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate, the base having a first sliding groove, a second sliding groove, and a central hole located between the first sliding groove and the second sliding groove. The first sliding groove is slidably connected to a first slider, the first slider being connected to a clamping jaw. The second sliding groove is slidably connected to a second slider, the second slider being connected to a shearing jaw. The end faces of the first slider and the second slider near the central hole are both configured as racks. A reduction motor is provided between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate, the output shaft of the reduction motor passing through the central hole and fixedly connected to a gear, the gear meshing with the racks on the end faces of the first slider and the second slider, respectively.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an end effector for tomato harvesting as described in the first aspect is provided, wherein the gripping jaws are provided with serrated grooves, blade grooves and at least one gripping groove; and the shearing jaws are provided with shearing blades and pre-compression plates.

[0007] This structure allows the tomato stem to be locked into a serrated groove to restrict the movement of the fruit. The cutting blade is embedded in the blade groove to cut off the stem, while the clamping groove and the pre-compression plate work together to hold the fruit in place.

[0008] According to a third aspect of the present invention, an end effector for tomato harvesting as described in the second aspect is provided, wherein a shearing blade is fixed to the upper surface of a shearing gripper body so that the cutting edge of the shearing blade is embedded in the blade groove of the gripper.

[0009] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, an end-effector for tomato harvesting, as described in the third aspect, is provided, wherein a pre-compression plate is fixed to the side end face of the shearing claw body by at least one screw so that the pre-compression plate abuts against the clamping groove of the clamping claw.

[0010] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, an end-effector for tomato harvesting, as described in the fourth aspect, is provided, wherein a pre-compression spring is provided between the pre-compression plate and the stop screw.

[0011] This structure allows the clamping groove and the pre-compression plate to firmly hold the fruit while avoiding damage to the peel.

[0012] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, an end effector for tomato harvesting as described in the first aspect is provided, wherein a first step is provided at the connection between the first slider and the clamping claw; and a second step is provided at the connection between the second slider and the shearing claw.

[0013] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, an end effector for tomato harvesting as described in the first aspect is provided, wherein a base is provided with a first baffle and a second baffle at both ends of the first slide groove and the second slide groove, respectively, the first baffle being provided with a first abutment plate and the second baffle being provided with a second abutment plate.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: by controlling the opening and closing of the clamping claw and the shearing claw through the forward and reverse rotation of the geared motor, the fruit is firmly clamped while the fruit stem is cut off, avoiding damage to the surrounding fruit and branches, and effectively improving the success rate of one-time harvesting.

[0015] Specific embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in detail with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, indicating how the principles of the present invention can be adopted.

[0016] It should be understood that the embodiments of this utility model are not limited thereto. Features described and / or shown for one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for features in other embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which form part of the specification, are provided to further understand the present invention and illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention. Together with the text description, they serve to explain the principles of the present invention, wherein the same reference numerals are used to denote the same elements throughout.

[0018] In the attached diagram:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the end effector mechanism for tomato harvesting according to this utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the end effector of this utility model used for tomato harvesting;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a partial exploded view of the gripper connection part of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a partial enlarged view of the gripper part of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the foregoing and other features of this utility model will become apparent from the following description. Specific embodiments of this utility model are specifically disclosed in the description and drawings, illustrating some implementations in which the principles of this utility model can be adopted. It should be understood that this utility model is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0024] This utility model provides an end effector for tomato harvesting. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the end effector mechanism for tomato harvesting according to this utility model. Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the end effector mechanism for tomato harvesting according to this utility model. Figure 3 This is a partial exploded view of the gripper connection part of this utility model. Figure 4 This is a partially enlarged view of the gripper portion of this utility model. (See attached image.) Figure 1-4 As shown, the end effector for tomato harvesting includes a robotic arm flange 1 and a quick-change mounting plate 2. One side of the quick-change mounting plate 2 is connected to the robotic arm flange 1, and the other side of the quick-change mounting plate 2 is provided with a first connecting plate 3 and a second connecting plate 4. The first connecting plate 3 and the second connecting plate 4 are connected to the quick-change mounting plate 2. The other end of the quick-change mounting plate 2 is provided with a base 5. The base 5 has a first sliding groove 501, a second sliding groove 502, and a central hole 503 located between the first sliding groove 501 and the second sliding groove 502. The first sliding groove 501 is slidably connected to a first slider 6, and the first slider 6 is connected to a clamping claw 7. The second sliding groove 502 is slidably connected to a second slider 8, and the second slider 8 is connected to a shearing claw 9. The end faces of the first slider 6 and the second slider 8 near the central hole 53 are both set as racks. A reduction motor 10 is provided between the first connecting plate 3 and the second connecting plate 4. The output shaft of the reduction motor 10 passes through the central hole 503 and is fixedly connected to a gear 11. The gear 11 meshes with the racks on the end faces of the first slider 6 and the second slider 8, respectively. Therefore, when the geared motor 10 rotates in both directions to drive the gear 11 to rotate, it drives the first slider 6 and the second slider 8, which mesh with the gear 11, to move in their respective grooves, thereby driving the opening and closing of the clamping jaws 7 and the shearing jaws 9. When the clamping jaws 7 and the shearing jaws 9 are closed, the tomato stems are cut and clamped. Then, the closed clamping jaws 7 and the shearing jaws 9 carry the harvested tomato fruit to the designated position and open to place the harvested tomato fruit.

[0025] In one embodiment of this utility model, see Figure 3 , 4The clamping jaws 7 are provided with serrated grooves 701, blade grooves 702, and at least one clamping groove. Multiple clamping grooves can improve the stability of clamping. According to the preferred embodiment of this utility model, three clamping grooves are provided, and one clamping groove 703 is marked in the figure. The shearing jaws 9 are provided with shearing blades 901 and pre-compression plates 902. The serrated grooves 701, blade grooves 702, and clamping grooves 703 are arranged sequentially from top to bottom on the side end face of the clamping jaws 7 near the shearing jaws 9. The body of the shearing jaws 9 has multiple through holes along the upper and lower surfaces and the side. The shearing blades 901 are fixed to the upper surface of the body of the shearing jaws 9 through the upper and lower openings so that the cutting edge of the shearing blades 901 can be embedded in the blade grooves 702 of the clamping jaws 7. The pre-compression plates 902 are fixed to the side end face of the body of the shearing jaws 9 by at least one plug screw so that the pre-compression plates 902 abut against the clamping grooves 703 of the clamping jaws 7. According to one embodiment of this utility model, four locking screws are provided, one of which is marked as 903 in the example. Thus, during harvesting, the tomato stem to be harvested is first inserted into the serrated groove 701 to restrict the movement of the fruit. Then, the cutting blade 901 is inserted into the blade groove 702 to cut the stem. Simultaneously, multiple clamping grooves 703 cooperate with the pre-compression plate 902 to hold the fruit. Preferably, a pre-compression spring is provided between the pre-compression plate 902 and each locking screw, one of which is marked as 904 in the example. Therefore, pressing the pre-compression plate 902 will cause a certain degree of elasticity, allowing the clamping grooves 703 and the pre-compression plate 902 to firmly hold the fruit while avoiding damage to the fruit peel.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a step portion 81 is provided at the connection between the second slider 8 and the shearing claw 9. Correspondingly, the shearing claw 9 is provided with a first step portion matching the step portion 81 at the connection with the second slider 8. The matching of the two steps improves the convenience and reliability of assembly. Similarly, the connection between the first slider 6 and the clamping claw 7 is also provided with mutually matching second and third steps. Further, the base 5 is provided with two baffles at both ends of the first slide groove 501 and the second slide groove 502, one of which is marked as baffle 504 in the figure. By providing two baffles at both ends of the slide groove, the first slider 6 and the second slider 8 are limited to the extreme positions of outward movement within their respective slide grooves, preventing them from sliding out of the slide grooves and causing the claw to fall off. Further, a first abutment plate 505 is provided on the first baffle plate 504. Correspondingly, another second baffle plate is also provided with another second abutment plate. The contact of the two abutment plates prevents the first slider 6 and the second slider 8 from the extreme positions of inward movement within their respective slide grooves, preventing the sliders from disengaging from the extreme positions of meshing with the gear 11.

[0027] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, and many features and advantages of these embodiments become apparent from this detailed description. Furthermore, since many modifications and alterations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, the embodiments of the present invention are not intended to be limited to the precise structures and operations illustrated and described, but rather to encompass all suitable modifications and equivalents.

Claims

1. An end effector for tomato harvesting, characterized in that, The end effector for tomato harvesting includes a robotic arm flange and a quick-change mounting plate. One side of the quick-change mounting plate is connected to the robotic arm flange, and the other side of the quick-change mounting plate is provided with a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate. A base is provided at the other end of the quick-change mounting plate where the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate are connected. The base has a first sliding groove, a second sliding groove, and a central hole located between the first sliding groove and the second sliding groove. The first sliding groove is slidably connected to a first slider, which is connected to a clamping jaw. The second sliding groove is slidably connected to a second slider, which is connected to a shearing jaw. The end faces of the first slider and the second slider near the central hole are both configured as racks. A reduction motor is provided between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate. The output shaft of the reduction motor passes through the central hole and is fixedly connected to a gear. The gear meshes with the racks on the end faces of the first slider and the second slider, respectively.

2. The end effector for tomato harvesting according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping jaws are provided with serrated slots, blade slots and at least one clamping slot; the shearing jaws are provided with shearing blades and pre-compression plates.

3. The end effector for tomato harvesting according to claim 2, characterized in that, The shearing blade is fixed to the upper surface of the shearing jaw body so that the cutting edge of the shearing blade is embedded in the blade groove of the clamping jaw.

4. The end effector for tomato harvesting according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pre-compression plate is fixed to the side end face of the shearing jaw body by at least one screw so that the pre-compression plate abuts against the clamping groove of the clamping jaw.

5. The end effector for tomato harvesting according to claim 4, characterized in that, A preload spring is provided between the preload plate and the stop screw.

6. The end effector for tomato harvesting according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first slider and the clamping jaws are provided with a first step at the connection point; the second slider and the shearing jaws are provided with a second step at the connection point.

7. The end effector for tomato harvesting according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base is provided with a first baffle and a second baffle at both ends of the first slide groove and the second slide groove, respectively. The first baffle is provided with a first abutment plate and the second baffle is provided with a second abutment plate.

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