Parallel transmission arm device and milking robot

Abstract

The utility model relates to a parallel transmission arm device and a milking robot, and belongs to the technical field of milking animal milking equipment.The parallel transmission arm device comprises a mechanical arm with the function of moving along the Y axis and the Z axis, the Y axis is in the body length direction of a four-footed lactating animal, the Z axis is in the vertical direction, and a milking execution mechanism is arranged on the mechanical arm. The rotation driving assembly drives the mechanical arm to rotate in the vertical plane where the body width direction of the four-footed lactating animal is located, interpolation motion compensation of the mechanical arm in the vertical direction is combined, the milking executing mechanism conducts linear motion in the body width direction of the four-footed lactating animal, the linear motion is regarded as the movement of the mechanical arm along the X axis, and the linear motion is regarded as the movement of the mechanical arm along the Y axis. The mechanical arm can move in a linear mode along the Y axis, the Z axis and the X axis, it is guaranteed that nipples of a four-foot lactating animal are always located in the visual angle of the visual camera, accurate control is achieved, and more importantly, the transmission advantage of the parallel mechanical arm can be achieved within the narrow shell width range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of milking equipment for dairy animals, specifically relating to a parallel transmission arm device and a milking robot. Background Technology

[0002] With rapid economic development, the demand for dairy products has increased significantly, driving the development of animal husbandry. The introduction of efficient and intelligent milking robots is a trend in animal husbandry. Milking robots can greatly save daily labor costs on farms, reduce labor intensity, and improve milking efficiency. During operation, the robotic arm drives the milking actuator to move under the quadrupedal lactating animal. For example, the space divider and milking platform system of CN104284581B milking station system includes an upper arm and a lower arm. The upper arm can rotate around a vertical axis, and the lower arm is rotatably connected to the upper arm. The lower arm is connected to the milking machine (milking actuator). The arm and milking machine can be folded in a scissor-like shape in the parking position. In this system, the upper and lower arms are connected in series, i.e., a serial robotic arm is used. The control algorithm for a serial robotic arm is more complex than that for a parallel robotic arm, and may even require additional motion control boards to achieve motion control, increasing manufacturing costs. Simultaneously, milking... The machine is equipped with a vision camera at the top. With the help of the vision camera's precise positioning, the milk cup assembly on the milking machine adheres to the teats of the milking animals. However, since the serial robotic arm achieves positioning by rotating each joint axis, the vision camera rotates synchronously with the milking machine during the rotation of the serial robotic arm. This can easily lead to the milking animal's teats deviating from the vision camera's field of view. In other words, it cannot be guaranteed that the milking animal's teats will always be within the vision camera's field of view. Furthermore, situations where the teats are outside the field of view are uncontrollable. For example, if the teats detach from the cup, it is impossible to take timely countermeasures. Correspondingly, the position data of the milking animal's teats acquired by the vision camera is also discontinuous, which in turn affects the positioning accuracy of the milk cups. Utility Model Content

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, a parallel transmission arm device and milking robot are proposed to solve the technical problems of complex control algorithms, high manufacturing costs, inability to guarantee that the teats of the milking animal are always within the field of view of the vision camera, and the discontinuous teat position data acquired by the vision camera, which affects the positioning accuracy of the milk cup.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0005] In a first aspect, this utility model provides a parallel transmission arm device for milking quadrupedal lactating animals. It is capable of supporting the movement of a milking actuator and is positioned on the side of the quadrupedal lactating animal along its length. It includes a robotic arm with movement functions along the Y-axis and Z-axis. The Y-axis is along the length of the quadrupedal lactating animal, and the Z-axis is along the vertical direction. The milking actuator is mounted on the robotic arm. It also includes a rotary drive assembly that drives the robotic arm to rotate in the vertical plane containing the width of the quadrupedal lactating animal. Combined with interpolation compensation of the robotic arm's movement along the vertical Z-axis, the milking actuator mounted on the robotic arm can perform linear movement along the width of the quadrupedal lactating animal. This linear movement is considered as the robotic arm moving along the X-axis.

[0006] The technical solution is further configured such that the robotic arm is a parallelogram four-bar linkage mechanism, with the upper and lower links arranged along the X-axis direction, and the lengths of the upper and lower links being shorter than the lengths of the other two links. The upper link is integrated with the rotary drive assembly, and one hinge axis of the upper link serves as the drive shaft of the rotary drive assembly. The link connected to the hinge axis serves as the active arm, and the opposite link of the active arm serves as the driven arm. The milking actuator is fixed on the lower link. When the active arm rotates, it causes the robotic arm to rotate and swing in the XZ plane, and keeps the milking actuator in a horizontal position during the movement.

[0007] The technical solution is further configured such that a clearance groove is provided near the bottom hinge shaft of the active arm to avoid the bottom hinge shaft of the driven arm, and a clearance groove is provided on the driven arm to avoid the strength reinforcement part of the active arm, so that when the robotic arm rotates and swings to the limit angle in the XZ plane, the active arm and the driven arm are in contact and maintain sufficient mechanical strength.

[0008] This technical solution is further configured such that the rotary drive assembly is a worm gear transmission driven by a rotary drive motor. The worm gear is integrated with the active arm, and the worm is supported on the rotary drive bracket by bearings. The rotary drive bracket is integrated with the upper connecting rod. The rotary drive motor is connected to the worm gear transmission, and the worm gear meshes with the worm. The rotary drive motor drives the worm to rotate, thereby driving the active arm integrated with the worm gear to rotate, realizing the rotational swing of the robotic arm in the XZ plane.

[0009] The technical solution is further configured such that the rotary drive assembly is a combination mechanism of cylinder, gear, and rack. The gear is integrated with the active arm, the rack is mounted on the rotary drive bracket, the rotary drive bracket is integrated with the upper connecting rod, the rack meshes with the gear, and one end of the rack is connected to the cylinder rod. The cylinder drives the rack to move linearly, thereby driving the active arm integrated with the gear to rotate, thus realizing the rotational swing of the robotic arm in the XZ plane.

[0010] The technical solution is further configured to include a Y-axis guide beam, on which a linear guide rail is provided, and a linear guide rail slider coupled to the linear guide rail is provided on the rotary drive bracket, which can realize that the robotic arm fixed on the rotary drive bracket can move linearly along the Y-axis.

[0011] The technical solution is further configured such that an active synchronous pulley and a driven synchronous pulley are respectively provided at both ends of the Y-axis guide beam, and a synchronous belt connects the active synchronous pulley and the driven synchronous pulley. The synchronous belt is fixedly connected to the rotary drive bracket through a pressure plate tensioning assembly.

[0012] The technical solution is further configured such that a ball spline pair is provided at the shaft of the active synchronous pulley, the ball spline nut is fixed to the active synchronous pulley as a whole, the ball spline shaft passes through the active synchronous pulley and the Y-axis guide beam, and extends to connect to the Y-axis drive assembly. The Y-axis drive assembly drives the active synchronous pulley to rotate through the ball spline shaft, and drives the robotic arm to move linearly along the Y-axis through the synchronous belt.

[0013] The technical solution is further configured to include a Z-axis drive assembly fixed on the Y-axis guide beam, which is a combination transmission of a Z-axis drive motor, a reducer and a Z-axis gear. The Z-axis gear meshes with a Z-axis rack arranged in the vertical direction. The Z-axis drive motor drives the Z-axis gear to rotate through the reducer, thereby driving the Y-axis guide beam and the robotic arm arranged on the Y-axis guide beam to move linearly along the Z-axis.

[0014] Secondly, this utility model also provides a milking robot, including a shell, a milking actuator and the aforementioned parallel transmission arm device, wherein the shell is arranged along a direction parallel to the body length of the four-legged lactating animal;

[0015] The robotic arm carries the milking actuator, which is equipped with a vision camera to locate the teats of the quadrupedal lactating animal and provide positioning data for the robotic arm's movements. When the robotic arm rotates and swings along the XZ plane to the storage position, both the parallel-drive arm device and the milking actuator can be contained within the housing, achieving the transmission advantages of the parallel robotic arm within the narrow housing width. An opening is provided on the side of the housing closest to the quadrupedal lactating animal. When the milking actuator engages with the quadrupedal lactating animal's teat and begins milking under the drive assembly, only the milking actuator and part of the robotic arm extend out of the opening on one side of the housing.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0017] The robotic arm can move linearly along the Y, Z, and X axes. Correspondingly, the vision camera mounted on the milking actuator also moves in translational motion relative to the quadrupedal lactating animal's teat, ensuring that the teat remains within the camera's field of view. The position data provided by the vision camera is continuous, which helps to achieve precise control. At the same time, it can take timely measures to deal with unexpected situations such as the milk cup falling off during the positioning process. The robotic arm includes a parallel-drive active arm and a driven arm, realizing the linkage between the active and driven arms. This helps to reduce control complexity and can be implemented directly using PLC programming without adding motion control boards, which helps to reduce manufacturing costs. The parallel-drive arm device and the milking actuator can be contained inside the housing, realizing the transmission advantages of the parallel robotic arm within the narrow housing width. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is an assembly diagram of the parallel transmission arm device and the milking actuator in the embodiment of this utility model, with the robotic arm in its non-retracted state.

[0019] Figure 2 This is an assembly diagram of the parallel transmission arm device and the milking execution mechanism in the embodiment of the present invention, with the robotic arm in the retracted state.

[0020] Figure 3 This is an assembly diagram of the robotic arm and rotary drive assembly in a stowed state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is an assembly diagram of the robotic arm and rotary drive assembly at the swing limit in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 5 This is an assembly diagram of the robotic arm and rotary drive assembly in an embodiment of the present invention, which are positioned between the stowed state and the swing limit.

[0023] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Side view;

[0024] Figure 7 for Figure 3 Side view;

[0025] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Sectional view of AA;

[0026] Figure 9 This is a rear view of the parallel transmission arm device in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 10 for Figure 9 BB section view;

[0028] Figure 11 This is a side view of the robot in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 12 As an embodiment of this utility model Figure 11 CC section view;

[0030] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm in a non-storage state in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0031] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm in a stowed state in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] In the attached diagram: 100, milking actuator; 200, robotic arm; 201, driving arm; 202, driven arm; 203, upper connecting rod; 204, lower connecting rod; 205, drive shaft of the rotary drive assembly; 206, first clearance groove; 207, second clearance groove; 300, rotary drive assembly; 301, rotary drive motor; 302, rotary drive bracket; 303, worm gear; 304, worm; 305, guide rail slider; 400, Y-axis drive assembly; 401, Y-axis guide rail beam; 402, Y-axis drive motor; 403, ball spline shaft; 404, synchronous belt; 500, Z-axis drive assembly; 501, Z-axis drive motor; 502, Z-axis rack; 600, vision camera; 700, housing. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this utility model, the technical solution of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Based on the embodiments in this application, other similar embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should all fall within the scope of protection of this application. Furthermore, the directional terms mentioned in the following embodiments, such as "up," "down," "left," and "right," are only for reference to the directions in the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for illustrative purposes and not for limiting the creation of this utility model.

[0034] According to an embodiment of this utility model, a parallel transmission arm device is provided. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figures 1 to 2This is a milking device for quadrupedal lactating animals. It supports the movement of a milking actuator 100 and is positioned on the side of the quadrupedal lactating animal along its length. It includes a robotic arm 200 with movement along the Y-axis and Z-axis. The Y-axis is along the length of the quadrupedal lactating animal, and the Z-axis is vertical. The milking actuator 100 is mounted on the robotic arm 200. It also includes a rotary drive assembly 300, which drives the robotic arm 200 to rotate in the vertical plane containing the width of the quadrupedal lactating animal. Combined with interpolation compensation of the robotic arm 200 in the vertical Z-axis direction, the milking actuator 100 mounted on the robotic arm 200 can move linearly along the width of the quadrupedal lactating animal. This linear movement is considered as the robotic arm moving along the X-axis. The robotic arm 200 includes a parallel-drive active arm and a driven arm, enabling linkage between the active and driven arms.

[0035] It should be noted that the robotic arm 200 has the function of moving along the Y-axis and Z-axis. Simultaneously, the rotary drive assembly 300 drives the robotic arm 200 to rotate in the vertical plane containing the width of the quadrupedal lactating animal. Combined with the interpolation motion compensation of the robotic arm 200 in the vertical Z-axis direction, the milking actuator 100 mounted on the robotic arm 200 can move linearly along the width of the quadrupedal lactating animal. This linear motion is considered as the robotic arm 200 moving along the X-axis. The milking actuator 100 only needs to move linearly along the Y-axis, Z-axis, and X-axis, i.e., translate along the Y-axis, Z-axis, and X-axis. Correspondingly, the vision camera 600 mounted on the milking actuator 100 is positioned relative to the quadrupedal lactating animal. The mammalian nipple also undergoes translational motion, ensuring that the quadrupedal lactating animal's nipple remains within the field of view of the vision camera 600. The position data provided by the vision camera 600 is continuous, which helps to achieve precise control. At the same time, it can take timely measures to deal with unexpected situations such as the milk cup falling off during the positioning process. The robotic arm 200 includes a parallel-drive active arm and a driven arm, realizing the linkage between the active arm and the driven arm, which helps to reduce control complexity and can be implemented directly by PLC programming without adding motion control boards. The rotary drive component 300 and the Z-axis drive component 500 that drives the robotic arm 200 to move in the vertical direction of the Z-axis together serve as the X-axis drive component. The two work together to make the robotic arm 200 move along the X-axis.

[0036] Specifically, when the robotic arm 200 moves along the Y-axis, it can change the position of the milking actuator 100 along the length of the quadrupedal lactating animal; please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1When the rotary drive assembly 300 drives the robotic arm 200 to rotate upwards in the vertical plane containing the width of the quadrupedal lactating animal, the robotic arm 200 simultaneously moves downwards along the vertical direction of the Z-axis. At this time, the robotic arm 200 moves outwards along the X-axis, and its angle with the X-axis gradually decreases to approach the quadrupedal lactating animal, preparing for the milk cup assembly in the milking actuator 100 to adhere to the teat of the quadrupedal lactating animal. At this time, the robotic arm 200 is in the working state (i.e., the non-retracted state); please refer to Figure 2 When the rotary drive assembly 300 drives the robotic arm 200 to rotate downward in the vertical plane containing the width of the quadrupedal lactating animal, the robotic arm 200 moves vertically along the Z-axis. At this time, the robotic arm 200 moves inward along the X-axis, and the angle between it and the X-axis gradually increases to move away from the quadrupedal lactating animal. When the robotic arm 200 moves to a near-vertical state, it can be stored.

[0037] In the parallel drive arm device of this embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 5 , Figure 13 as well as Figure 14 The robotic arm 200 is a parallelogram four-bar linkage mechanism. The upper link 203 and the lower link 204 are arranged along the X-axis direction, and the lengths of the upper link 203 and the lower link 204 are shorter than the lengths of the other two links. The upper link 203 is integrated with the rotary drive assembly 300. One hinge axis of the upper link 203 serves as the drive shaft 205 of the rotary drive assembly. The link connected to the hinge axis serves as the active arm 201, and the opposite link of the active arm 201 serves as the driven arm 202. The milking execution mechanism 100 is fixed on the lower link 204. When the active arm 201 rotates, it causes the robotic arm 200 to rotate and swing in the XZ plane, and keeps the milking execution mechanism 100 in a horizontal position during the movement.

[0038] It should be noted that the active arm 201, driven arm 202, upper link 203, and lower link 204 form a parallelogram four-bar linkage. The four links remain parallel throughout the movement. Therefore, when the active arm 201 rotates, it drives the driven arm 202, upper link 203, and lower link 204 in a coordinated manner. Specifically, the drive shaft 205 of the rotary drive assembly is integrated with the active arm 201. When the drive shaft 205 of the rotary drive assembly 300 rotates, it drives the active arm 201 to rotate synchronously, thereby driving the driven arm 202, upper link 203, and lower link 204 in a coordinated manner. Furthermore, the parallelogram four-bar linkage offers high stability, is less prone to wobbling and shaking, thus improving the accuracy and stability of the robotic arm 200; it also has a large range of motion and strong load capacity, enabling the robotic arm 200 to withstand greater loads (milking actuator 100) and meet higher operational requirements.

[0039] Specifically, both the active arm 201 and the driven arm 202 adopt a double-arm structure to improve the strength and stability of the robotic arm 200. At the same time, the bottoms of the two active arms and the bottoms of the two driven arms are respectively connected to different sides of the first connecting end of the lower connecting rod 204. The lower connecting rod 204 extends away from the robotic arm 200 to form a second connecting end that connects to the milking execution mechanism 100. In addition, a gap is left between the first connecting end of the lower connecting rod 204 and the milking execution mechanism 100 to accommodate the active arm 201.

[0040] In the parallel drive arm device of this embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 6 The active arm 201 has a clearance groove near the bottom hinge shaft to avoid the bottom hinge shaft of the driven arm 202. This clearance groove is the first clearance groove 206. The driven arm 202 has a clearance groove to avoid the strength reinforcement part of the active arm 201. This clearance groove is the second clearance groove 207. This ensures that when the robotic arm 200 rotates and swings to the limit angle in the XZ plane, the active arm 201 and the driven arm 202 are in contact and maintain sufficient mechanical strength.

[0041] Please see Figure 3 When the robotic arm 200 is in the retracted state, the gap between the active arm 201 and the driven arm 202 is at its maximum; as the active arm 201 rotates, the gap between the active arm 201 and the driven arm 202 gradually decreases. Please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 5 and Figure 6 At this point, the robotic arm 200 is between its retracted state and its swing limit; after the active arm 201 and the driven arm 202 are in contact, the swing limit is at its swing limit. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 4 At this time, the bottom hinge shaft of the driven boom 202 is embedded in the first clearance groove 206, and the strength-enhancing part of the drive boom 201 is embedded in the second clearance groove 207 to avoid interference.

[0042] In the parallel drive arm device of this embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 8 , Figure 13 as well as Figure 14 The rotary drive assembly 300 is a worm gear transmission driven by a rotary drive motor 301. The worm gear 303 is integrated with the active arm 201. The worm 304 is supported on the rotary drive bracket 302 by bearings. The rotary drive bracket 302 is integrated with the upper connecting rod 203. The rotary drive motor 301 is connected to the worm 304 for transmission. The worm gear 303 meshes with the worm 304. The rotary drive motor 301 drives the worm 304 to rotate, which in turn drives the active arm 201 integrated with the worm gear 303 to rotate, realizing the rotational swing of the robotic arm 200 in the XZ plane.

[0043] It should be noted that the worm 304 is arranged vertically and is supported on the rotary drive bracket 302 by bearings, meaning that the worm 304 can rotate relative to the rotary drive bracket 302. The rotary drive bracket 302 has two shaft holes, and hinge shafts connected to the active arm 201 and the driven arm 202 are respectively installed in the two shaft holes. The part located between the two shaft holes serves as the upper connecting rod 203. The worm wheel 303 is fixed to the periphery of the hinge shaft and is integrated with the active arm 201 by a pin. The rotary drive motor 301 is connected to the worm 304 through a two-stage reduction gear. The rotary drive motor 301 drives the worm 304 to rotate, which in turn drives the active arm 201 integrated with the worm wheel 303 to rotate, realizing the rotational swing of the robotic arm 200 in the XZ plane.

[0044] In some other embodiments, the rotary drive assembly 300 may also be a combination of a cylinder, a gear, and a rack. The gear is integrated with the active arm 201 via a pin. The rack is slidably mounted on the rotary drive bracket 302, which is integrated with the upper connecting rod 203. The rack meshes with the gear, and one end of the rack is connected to the cylinder rod. The cylinder drives the rack to move linearly, thereby rotating the active arm 201 integrated with the gear, thus realizing the rotational swing of the robotic arm 200 in the XZ plane.

[0045] In the parallel drive arm device of this embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 10 It also includes a Y-axis guide beam 401, on which a linear guide rail is provided. A linear guide rail slider 305 coupled with the linear guide rail is provided on the rotary drive bracket 302, which can realize that the robotic arm 200 fixed on the rotary drive bracket 302 can move linearly along the Y-axis.

[0046] It should be noted that the Y-axis guide beam 401 and the linear guide are both set along the Y-axis direction. At the same time, the Y-axis guide beam 401 can slide along the column in the vertical direction. Through the combined action of the linear guide and the linear guide slider 305, the robotic arm 200 fixed on the rotary drive bracket 302 is made to move linearly along the Y-axis.

[0047] In the parallel drive arm device of this embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 12 The two ends of the Y-axis guide beam 401 are respectively provided with an active synchronous pulley and a driven synchronous pulley. The synchronous belt 404 connects the active synchronous pulley and the driven synchronous pulley. The synchronous belt 404 is fixedly connected to the rotary drive bracket 302 through a pressure plate tensioning assembly.

[0048] It should be noted that the timing belt 404 is an open timing belt. The two ends of the open timing belt are tensioned and fixedly connected to the rotary drive bracket 302 through the pressure plate tensioning assembly. Through the transmission between the active timing pulley, the driven timing pulley and the timing belt 404, the rotary drive bracket 302, the robotic arm 200 and the milking actuator 100 are driven to move linearly along the Y-axis.

[0049] Specifically, the shaft of the active synchronous pulley is provided with a ball spline pair, and the ball spline nut is fixed to the active synchronous pulley as a whole. The ball spline shaft 403 passes through the active synchronous pulley and the Y-axis guide beam 401, and extends to connect to the Y-axis drive assembly 400. The Y-axis drive assembly 400 includes a Y-axis drive motor 402. In order to shorten the overall width of the parallel transmission arm device, the Y-axis drive motor 402 is located at the top of the column. A transmission assembly is provided between the output end of the Y-axis drive motor 402 and the top of the ball spline shaft 403. This transmission assembly can also adopt a structure combining a synchronous belt and a synchronous pulley. The Y-axis drive motor 402 drives the ball spline shaft 403 to rotate, which in turn drives the active synchronous pulley to rotate. The synchronous belt 404 drives the robotic arm 200 to move linearly along the Y-axis.

[0050] In the parallel drive arm device of this embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 12 It also includes a Z-axis drive assembly 500 fixed on the Y-axis guide beam 401, which is a combination transmission of Z-axis drive motor 501, reducer and Z-axis gear. The Z-axis gear meshes with the Z-axis rack 502 arranged in the vertical direction. The Z-axis drive motor 501 drives the Z-axis gear to rotate through the reducer, thereby driving the Y-axis guide beam 401 and the robotic arm 200 arranged on the Y-axis guide beam 401 to move linearly along the Z-axis.

[0051] Specifically, the Z-axis drive motor 501, the reducer and the Z-axis gear are located on one side of the driven synchronous pulley, and the Z-axis rack 502 is located on the column.

[0052] According to an embodiment of this utility model, a milking robot is provided. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figures 1 to 14 It includes a housing 700, a milking actuator 100, and the aforementioned parallel transmission arm device, wherein the housing 700 is arranged parallel to the body length direction of the quadrupedal lactating animal;

[0053] The robotic arm 200 carries the milking actuator 100. When the robotic arm 200 rotates and swings along the XZ plane to the storage position, the parallel transmission arm device and the milking actuator 100 can both be contained inside the housing 700. Within the narrow width of the housing 700, the transmission advantage of the parallel robotic arm is realized. The housing 700 has an opening on the side near the quadrupedal lactating animal. When the milking actuator 100 engages with the quadrupedal lactating animal's teat and begins milking under the drive of the drive assembly, only the milking actuator 100 and part of the robotic arm 200 extend out of the opening on one side of the housing.

[0054] It should be noted that the housing 700 is designed with a narrow upper part and a wide lower part. The upper width of the housing 700 is slightly larger than the maximum width of the Y-axis guide beam 401, and the lower width of the housing 700 is slightly larger than the width of the milking actuator 100. This allows the robotic arm 200 to rotate and swing along the XZ plane to the storage position, while the Y-axis guide beam 401 and all components mounted on it can be stored in the upper part of the housing, and the robotic arm 200 and the milking actuator 100 can be contained in the lower part of the housing. This allows for lifting and storage within a narrow width range, while also demonstrating the transmission advantages of the parallel robotic arm. Furthermore, when milking robots are applied to milking turntables, there are limitations on the width of the milking actuator and arm device. In principle, the narrower the better to save space and enable the milking turntable to carry more quadrupedal lactating animals. Compared with existing serial robotic arms, this application does not require expanding the space in the width direction of the shell. In other words, the space occupied by this application in the width direction is basically the same as that of serial robotic arms, and it can also be applied to milking turntables.

[0055] In the milking robot of this embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 14 It also includes a vision camera 600 installed on the milking actuator 100 to locate the teats of the quadrupedal lactating animal and provide positioning data for the movement of the robotic arm 200.

[0056] It should be noted that the robotic arm 200 drives the milking actuator 100 to move to a position below the teat of the quadrupedal lactating animal, preparing for milking. The installation height of the vision camera 600 is lower than the inlet height of the milk cup end of the vertically positioned milk cup assembly in the milking actuator 100, preventing interference from the vision camera 600 during the process of the milk cup assembly adsorbing the teat. The vision camera 600 is used to acquire the position of the quadrupedal lactating animal's teat, providing positioning data for the robotic arm 200's movements and assisting in the precise adsorption of the milk cup assembly. Simultaneously, the milking actuator 100 only needs to translate along the Y-axis, Z-axis, and X-axis. Correspondingly, the vision camera 600 also translates relative to the quadrupedal lactating animal's teat, ensuring that the quadrupedal lactating animal's teat is always within the field of view of the vision camera 600. The position data provided by the vision camera 600 is continuous, which helps to achieve precise control and allows for timely responses to unexpected situations such as the milk cup detaching during the positioning process.

[0057] The present invention has been described in detail above. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the scope of this application should still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A parallel-drive arm device for milking quadrupedal lactating animals, capable of supporting the movement of a milking actuator, and disposed on the side of the quadrupedal lactating animal along its length, comprising a robotic arm with movement functions along a Y-axis and a Z-axis, the Y-axis along the length of the quadrupedal lactating animal and the Z-axis along the vertical direction, the milking actuator being disposed on the robotic arm, characterized in that, It also includes a rotary drive assembly that drives the robotic arm to rotate in the vertical plane containing the width of the quadrupedal lactating animal. Combined with the interpolation motion compensation of the robotic arm in the vertical Z-axis direction, the milking actuator mounted on the robotic arm can move linearly along the width of the quadrupedal lactating animal. This linear motion is regarded as the movement of the robotic arm along the X-axis.

2. The parallel transmission arm device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robotic arm is a parallelogram four-bar linkage. The upper and lower links are arranged along the X-axis, and the lengths of the upper and lower links are shorter than the lengths of the other two links. The upper link is integrated with the rotary drive assembly. One hinge axis of the upper link serves as the drive shaft of the rotary drive assembly. The link connected to the hinge axis serves as the active arm, and the opposite link of the active arm serves as the driven arm. The milking actuator is fixed on the lower link. When the active arm rotates, it causes the robotic arm to rotate and swing in the XZ plane, and keeps the milking actuator in a horizontal position during the movement.

3. The parallel transmission arm device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The active arm has a clearance groove near the bottom hinge shaft to avoid the bottom hinge shaft of the driven arm, and the driven arm has a clearance groove to avoid the strength reinforcement part of the active arm, so that when the robotic arm rotates and swings to the limit angle in the XZ plane, the active arm and the driven arm are in contact and maintain sufficient mechanical strength.

4. The parallel transmission arm device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rotary drive assembly is a worm gear transmission driven by a rotary drive motor. The worm gear is integrated with the active arm. The worm is supported on the rotary drive bracket by bearings. The rotary drive bracket is integrated with the upper connecting rod. The rotary drive motor is connected to the worm gear transmission. The worm gear meshes with the worm. The rotary drive motor drives the worm to rotate, which in turn drives the active arm integrated with the worm gear to rotate, realizing the rotational swing of the robotic arm in the XZ plane.

5. The parallel transmission arm device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rotary drive assembly is a combination mechanism of cylinder, gear, and rack. The gear is integrated with the active arm, and the rack is mounted on the rotary drive bracket. The rotary drive bracket is integrated with the upper connecting rod. The rack meshes with the gear, and one end of the rack is connected to the cylinder rod. The cylinder drives the rack to move linearly, which in turn drives the active arm integrated with the gear to rotate, thereby realizing the rotational swing of the robotic arm in the XZ plane.

6. A parallel transmission arm device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, It also includes a Y-axis guide beam, on which a linear guide rail is provided. A linear guide rail slider coupled to the linear guide rail is provided on the rotary drive bracket, which can realize that the robotic arm fixed on the rotary drive bracket can move linearly along the Y-axis.

7. The parallel transmission arm device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The two ends of the Y-axis guide beam are respectively provided with an active synchronous pulley and a driven synchronous pulley. The synchronous belt connects the active synchronous pulley and the driven synchronous pulley. The synchronous belt is fixedly connected to the rotary drive bracket through a pressure plate tensioning assembly.

8. The parallel transmission arm device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The active synchronous pulley has a ball spline pair at its shaft. The ball spline nut is fixed to the active synchronous pulley as a whole. The ball spline shaft passes through the active synchronous pulley and the Y-axis guide beam and extends to the Y-axis drive assembly. The Y-axis drive assembly drives the active synchronous pulley to rotate through the ball spline shaft and drives the robotic arm to move linearly along the Y-axis through the synchronous belt.

9. The parallel transmission arm device according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a Z-axis drive assembly fixed on the Y-axis guide beam, which is a combination of a Z-axis drive motor, a reducer and a Z-axis gear. The Z-axis gear meshes with a Z-axis rack arranged in the vertical direction. The Z-axis drive motor drives the Z-axis gear to rotate through the reducer, thereby driving the Y-axis guide beam and the robotic arm arranged on the Y-axis guide beam to move linearly along the Z-axis.

10. A milking robot, characterized in that, The device includes a housing, a milking actuator, and a parallel-drive arm device as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the housing is arranged parallel to the length of the four-legged lactating animal. The robotic arm carries the milking actuator, which is equipped with a vision camera to locate the teats of the quadrupedal lactating animal and provide positioning data for the robotic arm's movements. When the robotic arm rotates and swings along the XZ plane to the storage position, both the parallel-drive arm device and the milking actuator can be contained within the housing, achieving the transmission advantages of the parallel robotic arm within the narrow housing width. An opening is provided on the side of the housing closest to the quadrupedal lactating animal. When the milking actuator engages with the quadrupedal lactating animal's teat and begins milking under the drive assembly, only the milking actuator and part of the robotic arm extend out of the opening on one side of the housing.

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