Capsicum frutescens harvesting integrated flexible end effector

Abstract

The utility model relates to an integrated flexible end effector for capsicum frutescens harvesting. The device comprises a flexible clamping mechanism, a rotary posture adjusting mechanism, a fruit stem separating mechanism and a jet conveying mechanism, capsicum frutescens can be clamped through the flexible clamping mechanism, the posture of the capsicum frutescens can be finely adjusted through the rotary posture adjusting mechanism, fruits and fruit stems can be conveniently cut and separated by the fruit stem separating mechanism, and the capsicum frutescens can be conveyed to a collecting frame through the jet conveying mechanism. According to the scheme, only the posture of capsicum frutescens needs to be finely adjusted, large-amplitude rotation is not needed, and therefore the perfectness rate of picked fruits is increased; and the capsicum frutescens is collected in a blowing manner, so that the problem of blockage is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of chili pepper harvesting technology, and in particular to a flexible end effector for integrated chili pepper harvesting. Background Technology

[0002] Bird's eye chili has a large consumer market and high economic value, but the labor costs involved in harvesting it are also enormous. Unlike most chilies, bird's eye chilies exhibit simultaneous flowering and fruiting, making it difficult for traditional chili harvesters to meet the harvesting demands.

[0003] Chinese patent provides an integrated end effector for harvesting small red chilies, with publication number CN118511733A. It includes an end-mounted frame, a housing, a variable clamping device, a rotary shearing device, a collecting device, a vision recognition system, and a control system. The end-mounted frame is located at the rear end of the housing and is used to connect to a small red chili harvesting robot. The rotary shearing device, in conjunction with the variable clamping device, is installed inside the housing and extends through the front end of the housing, used to clamp and rotate the small red chilies. The rotary shearing device cuts the small red chilies. The vision recognition system is electrically connected to the control system and is used to detect the growth posture of the small red chilies. The control system is electrically connected to the variable clamping device, the rotary shearing device, and the collecting device respectively, controlling the operation of these three devices.

[0004] This device, through its targeted design, can automatically harvest chili peppers, reducing labor costs. However, it still has flaws in actual use. The device has two main defects. First, when the rotary shearing device separates the chili pepper from its stem, it uses a method that rotates the chili pepper so that the stem collides with the cutter to cut it. This method requires a large rotation of the chili pepper, which can easily tear and damage the fruit. Second, the collecting device uses a suction method to collect the chili peppers. Because the chili pepper is long and narrow, the suction process can easily cause blockage of the conveyor tube, affecting harvesting efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address or partially address the problems existing in related technologies, this application provides a flexible end effector for harvesting small red chilies. When separating the fruit from the stem, this device only requires minor adjustments to the posture of the small red chilies without large-scale rotation, thereby improving the integrity rate of harvested fruits. Furthermore, it uses a spray method to collect the small red chilies, avoiding clogging problems.

[0006] This application provides a flexible end effector for harvesting small red chilies, including a flexible clamping mechanism. The flexible clamping mechanism is mounted on a robotic arm via an end-mounted bracket. The flexible clamping mechanism includes a parallel cylinder, a first clamping plate, and a second clamping plate. The first clamping plate and the second clamping plate are respectively fixed to two grippers of the parallel cylinder. The parallel cylinder can drive the first clamping plate and the second clamping plate to move closer or further apart. It also includes:

[0007] A rotational attitude adjustment mechanism includes a first flexible clamping plate, a second flexible clamping plate, and a motor. The first flexible clamping plate is rotatably mounted on the end of a first clamping plate, and the second flexible clamping plate is symmetrically rotatably mounted on the end of a second clamping plate. The second flexible clamping plate can be driven to rotate by the motor.

[0008] The stem separation mechanism is mounted on a flexible clamping mechanism and includes a telescopic cylinder, a curved slider, a limiting slide rail, and a cutter. A limiting slide rail is fixedly connected to the first clamping plate, and a curved slider is slidably connected inside the limiting slide rail. A cutter is fixedly connected to the end of the curved slider. The telescopic cylinder can drive the curved slider to make curved movements inside the limiting slide rail, thereby driving the cutter to cut off the stem of the chili pepper.

[0009] The spray conveying mechanism includes a spray barrel and a flexible body. The spray barrel is fixedly installed at the end of a telescopic cylinder, and the axis of the spray barrel is on the same horizontal plane as the center point of the flexible clamp. The flexible body is provided inside the spray barrel, and an airflow channel is opened at the center of the flexible body. The spray barrel is also provided with an air inlet that connects to the airflow channel.

[0010] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first flexible clamp is fixedly connected to the first connecting frame, and the first connecting frame is rotatably mounted on the end of the first clamp.

[0011] Optionally, in some embodiments, the second flexible clamp is fixedly connected to the second connecting frame, the second connecting frame is rotatably mounted on the end of the second clamping plate, and a driven pulley is also fixedly connected to the second connecting frame; the motor is fixedly mounted on the second clamping plate, and a driving pulley is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor, and the driving pulley and the driven pulley are connected by a belt.

[0012] Optionally, in some embodiments, a sliding frame is fixedly connected to the end of the telescopic cylinder, and a sliding rod is fixedly connected to the sliding frame. The axial direction of the sliding rod is consistent with the axial direction of the spray barrel. The end of the sliding rod is hinged to one end of a connecting rod, and the other end of the connecting rod is hinged to a curved slider.

[0013] Optionally, in some embodiments, a limiting buckle corresponding to the slide rod is also fixedly connected to the first clamp, and the slide rod and the limiting buckle are slidably connected.

[0014] Optionally, in some embodiments, the spray barrel has a cylindrical structure with an air inlet at the air inlet end and a flexible body installed at the exhaust end, the flexible body having a conical structure on the side facing the chili pepper.

[0015] The technical solution provided in this application may include the following beneficial effects:

[0016] This application separates the fruit and stem by using a static chili pepper and a moving cutting blade. During the cutting process, there is no need to rotate the chili pepper significantly; only minor adjustments to its posture are needed to facilitate cutting, thus avoiding damage to the fruit and ensuring its integrity. Furthermore, the chili peppers are collected by spraying, preventing clogging issues.

[0017] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the more detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals generally represent the same components in the exemplary embodiments thereof.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this application;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a top view of this application;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the fruit stalk separation device of this application;

[0022] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the front end of the first clamping plate in this application;

[0023] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the front end of the second clamping plate in this application;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the curved slider structure of this application;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the limiting slide rail structure of this application.

[0026] Figure label:

[0027] 1-End fixing frame, 2-Flexible clamping mechanism, 3-Rotational adjustment mechanism, 4-Fruit stem separation mechanism, 5-Spraying and conveying mechanism, 6-Telescopic cylinder, 7-Parallel cylinder, 8-Fixed component, 9-First gripper, 10-Slide rod, 11-First clamping plate, 12-Air inlet, 13-Limit buckle, 14-First connecting frame, 15-First flexible clamping plate, 16-Spray barrel, 17-Second flexible clamping plate, 18-Second connecting frame, 19-Driven pulley, 20-Second clamping plate, 21-Belt, 22-Drive pulley, 23-Motor, 24-Connecting block, 25-Sliding frame, 26-Second gripper, 27-Screw, 28-Connecting shaft, 29-Connecting rod, 30-Pin, 31-Curved slider, 32-Limiting slide rail, 33-Cutter, 34-Flexible body, 35-First bearing, 36-Second bearing. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Embodiments of this application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While embodiments of this application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this application may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make this application more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of this application to those skilled in the art.

[0029] It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., may be used in this application to describe various information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0030] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0031] Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] See Figure 1-7 A flexible end effector for harvesting small red chilies, comprising:

[0033] The flexible clamping mechanism 2 is mounted on the harvesting robot arm via the end fixing frame 1. The flexible clamping mechanism 2 includes a parallel cylinder 7, a first clamping plate 11, and a second clamping plate 20. The parallel cylinder 7 is provided with a first gripper 9 and a second gripper 26. The parallel cylinder 7 can drive the first gripper 9 and the second gripper 26 to move closer or further apart. The first clamping plate 11 is fixed to the first gripper 9 by screws 27, and the second clamping plate 20 is fixed to the second gripper 26 by screws 27, so that the parallel cylinder 7 can drive the first clamping plate 11 and the second clamping plate 20 to move closer or further apart, thereby clamping or releasing the chili peppers.

[0034] Rotational attitude adjustment mechanism 3, see Figure 4 , Figure 5 The rotation adjustment mechanism 3 includes a first flexible clamping plate 15, a second flexible clamping plate 17, and a motor 23. The first flexible clamping plate 15 is made of a flexible material, such as silicone, to avoid pinching the chili peppers during harvesting. The first flexible clamping plate 15 is fixedly connected to the first connecting frame 14, and the first connecting frame 14 is rotatably mounted on the end of the first clamping plate 11 through the first bearing 35. The second flexible clamping plate 17 is symmetrically and rotatably mounted at the end of the second clamping plate 20. The second flexible clamping plate 17 can be driven to rotate by the motor 23, thereby adjusting the posture of the chili peppers for easier collection. Specifically, the second flexible clamping plate 17 is also made of flexible material and is fixedly connected to the second connecting frame 18. The second connecting frame 18 is rotatably mounted at the end of the second clamping plate 20 via the second bearing 36, and a driven pulley 19 is also fixedly connected to the second connecting frame 18. The motor 23 is fixedly mounted on the second clamping plate 20, and a driving pulley 22 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor 23. The driving pulley 22 and the driven pulley 19 are connected by a belt 21, allowing the motor 23 to drive the second flexible clamping plate 17 to rotate, thus adjusting the posture of the chili peppers. The motor 23 is a stepper motor.

[0035] Fruit stalk separation mechanism 4, see Figure 3The fruit stem separation mechanism 4 is mounted on the flexible clamping mechanism 2, including a telescopic cylinder 6, a curved slider 31, a limiting slide rail 32, and a cutter 33. The limiting slide rail 32 is fixedly connected to the first clamping plate 11. The limiting slide rail 32 has an arc-shaped groove for guiding the curved slider 31. The curved slider 31 is slidably connected to the limiting slide rail 32. A cutter 33 is fixedly connected to the end of the curved slider 31. The telescopic cylinder 6 can drive the curved slider 31 to make curved movements within the limiting slide rail 32, thereby... The moving cutter 33 cuts off the stem of the small chili pepper, thus separating the small chili pepper fruit; specifically, the telescopic cylinder 6 is fixedly connected to the parallel cylinder 7 by the fixing part 8, the end of the telescopic cylinder 6 is fixedly connected to the sliding frame 25, the sliding frame 25 is fixedly connected to the sliding rod 10, the axis of the sliding rod 10 is consistent with the axis of the spray barrel 16, and the end of the sliding rod 10 is fixedly connected to the connecting shaft 28. One end of the connecting rod 29 is hinged to the connecting shaft 28, and the other end is hinged to the curved slider 31 through the pin 30.

[0036] In use, the telescopic cylinder 6 extends, causing the sliding frame 25 to move forward, which in turn moves the sliding rod 10 forward. This, in turn, pushes the curved slider 31 via the connecting rod 29, causing it to move in a curved path within the limiting slide rail 32. This, in turn, moves the cutter 33 closer to and cuts the stem of the chili pepper, completing the separation. Furthermore, to prevent the sliding rod 10 from shifting during movement and to ensure the stability of the cutting process, a corresponding limiting buckle 13 is fixedly connected to the first clamping plate 11. The sliding rod 10 and the limiting buckle 13 are slidably connected, and the limiting buckle 13 restricts the direction of movement of the sliding rod 10.

[0037] The spray conveying mechanism 5 includes a spray barrel 16 and a flexible body 34. The spray barrel 16 is fixedly installed at the end of the telescopic cylinder 6 via a connecting block. The spray barrel 16 has a cylindrical structure, and the axis of the spray barrel 16 is on the same horizontal plane as the center point of the flexible clamping plate. Its air inlet end is provided with an air inlet 12, which is connected to an external air supply device. The flexible body 34 is fixedly installed at the exhaust end. The flexible body 34 is made of flexible material, and an airflow channel connecting the air inlet 12 is opened at the center of the flexible body 34. The side of the flexible body 34 facing the chili pepper has a conical structure, which facilitates the wrapping of the chili pepper. In use, when the telescopic cylinder 6 drives the stem separation mechanism 4 to cut the stem of the chili pepper, it will simultaneously drive the spray barrel 16 forward. Under the action of the pushing force, the flexible body 34 comes into contact with the chili pepper fruit and undergoes elastic deformation, thereby wrapping the chili pepper fruit. After the chili pepper stem is cut off, the flexible clamping mechanism 2 resets and releases the chili pepper. At this time, the chili pepper will remain at the flexible body 34. By injecting compressed air into the air inlet 12, the compressed air acts on the chili pepper along the airflow channel and finally sprays the chili pepper out. By adjusting the intensity of the compressed air, the spray distance of the chili pepper can be controlled. With the help of the collection frame, the chili pepper can be collected.

[0038] It should be noted that this device needs to be used in conjunction with a harvesting robotic arm, a vision recognition system, and a control system. All three are existing technologies and are not the focus of this application, so they will not be described in detail here.

[0039] Specific work process:

[0040] The coordinates of the chili peppers are determined by a visual recognition system. A harvesting robotic arm moves the device to the designated position, where a parallel cylinder 7 moves the first clamping plate 11 and the second clamping plate 20 closer together. The first flexible clamping plate 15 and the second flexible clamping plate 17 then clamp the chili peppers, with the clamping position close to the stem, reserving space for the subsequent spraying barrel 16 to wrap the peppers. After clamping the peppers, a motor 23 rotates the second flexible clamping plate 17 to fine-tune the pepper's posture, aligning the pepper's orientation parallel to the axis of the spraying barrel 16, with the tip of the pepper aligned with the flexible body 34, completing the posture adjustment. Next, the telescopic cylinder 6 extends. The sliding rod 10 drives the curved slider 31 to make a curved motion, so that the cutter 33 cuts the stem, realizing the separation of stem and fruit. During this process, the spray barrel 16 moves forward to approach the chili pepper fruit and finally wraps the chili pepper fruit with the flexible body 34. After the cutting is completed, the parallel cylinder 7 resets, the first flexible clamping plate 15 and the second flexible clamping plate 17 release the chili pepper fruit, the telescopic cylinder 6 resets, and the cutter 33 is retracted. Finally, the harvesting robot arm drives the device to move, so that the spray barrel 16 is aligned with the collection frame. Compressed air is supplied to the air inlet 12 through the external air supply equipment to spray the chili pepper and make it fall into the collection frame, completing the harvesting operation.

[0041] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, relationships 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 "include," "contain," or any other variations 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.

[0042] The various embodiments of this application have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or improvement of the technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A flexible end effector for harvesting and picking up chili peppers, comprising a flexible clamping mechanism (2) mounted on a robot arm through an end fixing frame (1), the flexible clamping mechanism (2) comprising a parallel cylinder (7), a first clamping plate (11) and a second clamping plate (20), the first clamping plate (11) and the second clamping plate (20) being respectively fixedly connected at two clamping jaws of the parallel cylinder (7), and the first clamping plate (11) and the second clamping plate (20) being capable of being driven by the parallel cylinder (7) to move towards or away from each other, characterized in that: Also includes ​ The rotation posture adjusting mechanism (3) includes a first flexible chuck (15), a second flexible chuck (17) and a motor (23). The first flexible chuck (15) is rotatably installed at the end of the first clamping plate (11). The second flexible chuck (17) is rotatably installed at the end of the second clamping plate (20). The second flexible chuck (17) is driven to rotate by the motor (23). The fruit stalk separating mechanism (4) is installed on the flexible clamping mechanism (2) and includes a telescopic cylinder (6), a curved slider (31), a limiting slide rail (32) and a cutter (33). The first clamping plate (11) is fixedly connected with the limiting slide rail (32). The limiting slide rail (32) is slidably connected with the curved slider (31). The curved slider (31) is fixedly connected with the cutter (33) at the end. The curved slider (31) is driven to move in a curve in the limiting slide rail (32) by the telescopic cylinder (6), so as to drive the cutter (33) to cut off the fruit stalk of the small chili. The spray conveying mechanism (5) includes a spray bucket (16) and a flexible body (34). The spray bucket (16) is fixedly installed at the end of the telescopic cylinder (6) and the axis of the spray bucket (16) is in the same horizontal plane as the center point of the flexible chuck. The flexible body (34) is arranged in the spray bucket (16). The center of the flexible body (34) is provided with an airflow passage. The spray bucket (16) is further provided with an air inlet (12) connected with the airflow passage.

2. The flexible end effector for harvesting jalapeno peppers of claim 1, wherein: The first flexible chuck (15) is fixedly connected with the first connecting frame (14). The first connecting frame (14) is rotatably installed at the end of the first clamping plate (11).

3. The flexible end effector for harvesting jalapenos of claim 2, wherein: The second flexible chuck (17) is fixedly connected with the second connecting frame (18). The second connecting frame (18) is rotatably installed at the end of the second clamping plate (20). The second connecting frame (18) is further fixedly connected with a driven pulley (19). The motor (23) is fixedly installed on the second clamping plate (20). The output shaft of the motor (23) is fixedly connected with a driving pulley (22). The driving pulley (22) and the driven pulley (19) are connected by a belt (21).

4. The flexible end effector for harvesting jalapenos of claim 1, wherein: The telescopic cylinder (6) is fixedly connected with a sliding frame (25). The sliding frame (25) is fixedly connected with a sliding rod. The axis of the sliding rod is consistent with the axis of the spray bucket (16). The end of the sliding rod (10) is hingedly connected with one end of a connecting rod (29). The other end of the connecting rod (29) is hingedly connected with the curved slider (31).

5. The flexible end effector for harvesting jalapenos of claim 4, wherein: The first clamping plate (11) is further fixedly connected with a limiting buckle (13) corresponding to the sliding rod. The sliding rod is slidably connected with the limiting buckle (13).

6. The flexible end effector for harvesting jalapenos of claim 1, wherein: The spray bucket (16) is in a cylindrical structure. The air inlet (12) is arranged at the air inlet end. The flexible body (34) is arranged at the air outlet end. The side of the flexible body (34) facing the small chili is in a conical structure.

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