Fruit picking manipulator clamping jaw

Abstract

The utility model provides a clamping jaw of a fruit picking manipulator. The clamping jaw comprises a base, at least two jaw rods, a driving mechanism, a force feedback jaw head and a spiral telescopic mechanism, the claw rods are hinged to the same end of the base; the driving mechanism is provided with a movable end for driving the claw rods to rotationally fold and unfold; the force feedback claw head comprises a flexible clamping piece and a pressure sensor, and the pressure sensor is installed on the claw rod, connected with the flexible clamping piece and used for feeding back a clamping pressure value; the spiral telescopic mechanism is provided with a movable end capable of being spirally telescopic, and the movable end of the spiral telescopic mechanism is connected with the base. According to the fruit picking device, the claw rods are driven by the driving mechanism to form clamping and unclamping, clamping with stable force is formed, after clamping is conducted through the spiral telescopic mechanism, spiral contraction is provided, fruits are twisted from branches and pulled away, and the damage probability of the fruits is reduced; clamping, twisting and pulling actions are formed through mechanical driving, and the fruit picking efficiency and quality are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of fruit picking equipment, specifically to a gripper for a fruit picking robot. Background Technology

[0002] Fruit picking grippers are an important tool for fruit picking. While facilitating the picking operation for workers, their design must not only adapt to the diverse shapes and distribution of fruits, but also avoid damaging the fruits while achieving rapid picking.

[0003] For example, Chinese Patent 202121159423.X discloses a handheld fruit picking tool, which includes a handheld long pole with an operating slide sleeve fitted on it. Symmetrically installed pull rods are connected to the operating slide sleeve. A top mounting base is fixed to the head of the handheld long pole, and a top slide rod is fixedly installed on the top of the top mounting base. A gripper slide sleeve is fitted on the outside of the top slide rod. At least three sets of linkage-type gripper mechanisms are evenly distributed between the gripper slide sleeve and the top mounting base. The other end of the pull rod is connected to the gripper slide sleeve and drives it to slide along the top slide rod to drive the linkage-type gripper mechanism to perform a clamping action.

[0004] Regarding the aforementioned existing technology, the opening and closing of the clamp can adapt to the diverse shapes of fruits. However, the clamping of the fruit requires manual operation. After clamping, the fruit needs to be manually pulled to detach from the branch. During the pulling process, the clamping force is prone to change, which can damage the fruit. Furthermore, the pulling process can also easily damage the fruit stem. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to overcome the above-mentioned technical deficiencies and propose a fruit picking robot gripper to solve the technical problems in the prior art where, after gripping, the fruit needs to be manually pulled to detach from the branch, the gripping force is easily changed during the pulling process, resulting in damage to the fruit, and the fruit stem is also easily damaged during the pulling process.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] This utility model provides a gripper for a fruit-picking robotic arm, comprising:

[0008] Base;

[0009] At least two claw bars, each of which is hinged to the same end of the base;

[0010] The drive mechanism has a movable end that drives the pawl to rotate and retract; and

[0011] The spiral telescopic mechanism has a spirally telescopic movable end, which is connected to the base.

[0012] In some embodiments, the helical telescopic mechanism includes a telescopic component, a helical guide, and a telescopic rod. The telescopic end of the telescopic component is movably connected to the telescopic rod, driving the telescopic rod to move linearly. The helical guide is disposed on the outside of the telescopic rod, guiding the telescopic rod to rotate helically when the telescopic rod moves linearly.

[0013] In some embodiments, the spiral guide includes a guide cylinder and a guide block. The guide block is disposed on the inner side of the guide cylinder, and the outer side of the telescopic rod is provided with a spiral groove. The guide block is slidably connected to the inner side of the spiral groove. The telescopic end of the telescopic assembly is connected to the telescopic rod, driving the telescopic rod to move axially along the guide cylinder.

[0014] In some embodiments, the telescopic end of the telescopic assembly is rotatably connected to the telescopic rod, and the telescopic end of the telescopic assembly is provided with a limiting member to restrict the relative displacement between its telescopic end and the telescopic rod in its telescopic direction.

[0015] In some embodiments, the limiting member includes a limiting block disposed on the telescopic end of the telescopic assembly, and a limiting groove corresponding to the limiting block is provided on the telescopic rod. The limiting block is rotatably connected to the inner side of the limiting groove and is smaller than the groove opening diameter of the limiting groove.

[0016] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism includes a telescopic drive mechanism, a connector, and a transmission rod. The telescopic drive mechanism is installed inside the base. The telescopic end of the telescopic drive mechanism is connected to the connector. The transmission rod corresponds one-to-one with the claw rod and is hinged to the outer side of the claw rod. The end of the transmission rod away from the claw rod is hinged to the connector.

[0017] In some embodiments, the connector includes a connecting rod and a connecting frame. The connecting rod is installed at the telescopic end of the telescopic drive mechanism. The top of the connecting frame is provided with a connecting end that connects to the connecting rod. The outer side of the connecting frame is provided with a hinge end that is hinged to the claw rod, corresponding to the claw rod.

[0018] In some embodiments, the base includes a support base and a cover, the claw rods are all hinged to the bottom of the support base, the cover is detachably installed on the top of the support base, and the drive mechanism is installed on the support base with its movable end extending through to the bottom of the support base.

[0019] In some embodiments, a force feedback claw head is further included, comprising a flexible clamping member and a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is mounted on the claw bar and connected to the flexible clamping member for feedback of the clamping pressure value. The flexible clamping member includes a flexible pad with a plurality of flexible anti-slip protrusions.

[0020] In some embodiments, a controller is also included, which is electrically connected to the pressure sensor and the telescopic drive mechanism. When the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor is greater than or equal to a set pressure value, the controller controls the drive mechanism to stop driving the claw rod to rotate and retract.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the fruit picking robot gripper provided by this utility model uses a drive mechanism to drive the gripper bar to form a clamping and opening action, creating a stable gripping force. Then, after clamping, the spiral telescopic mechanism provides spiral contraction, twisting and pulling the fruit off the branch, reducing the probability of fruit damage. The mechanical drive forms clamping, twisting and pulling actions, improving the efficiency and quality of fruit picking. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the gripper of the fruit-picking robot provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the gripper opening of the fruit picking robot provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the gripper of the fruit-picking robotic arm provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0025] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the spiral telescopic mechanism of the gripper of the fruit-picking robot provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the spiral telescopic mechanism of the gripper of the fruit-picking robot provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a control block diagram of the gripper of the fruit-picking robot provided in this embodiment of the utility model.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0029] 1. Base; 11. Support base; 12. Cover;

[0030] 2. Claw bar;

[0031] 3. Drive mechanism; 31. Telescopic drive mechanism; 32. Connecting component; 321. Connecting rod; 322. Connecting frame; 33. Transmission rod; 301. Connecting end; 302. Hinge end;

[0032] 4. Force feedback claw head; 41. Clamping component; 411. Flexible pad; 412. Flexible anti-slip protrusion; 42. Pressure sensor;

[0033] 5. Controller;

[0034] 6. Helical telescopic mechanism; 61. Telescopic assembly; 62. Helical guide; 621. Guide cylinder; 622. Guide block; 623. Helical groove; 63. Telescopic rod; 64. Limiting component; 641. Limiting block; 642. Limiting groove. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model.

[0036] To address the issues of manual fruit-grabbing, which requires manual operation and subsequent twisting and pulling of the harvesting tool, resulting in low efficiency due to reliance on operator skill, this invention provides a robotic gripper for fruit harvesting. This gripper is driven by a mechanism to clamp and open, with pressure sensors providing feedback on clamping force to prevent excessive force. A spiral extension mechanism retracts after clamping, twisting and pulling the fruit off the branch. This mechanical drive enables automated clamping, twisting, and pulling actions, improving both the efficiency and quality of fruit harvesting.

[0037] It should be noted that the fruit-picking robotic gripper described in this utility model is used for, but not limited to, fruits. For ease of explanation, this utility model only uses the application of the fruit-picking robotic gripper to fruits as an example. The principle of the fruit-picking robotic gripper applied to other types of equipment is essentially the same as that applied to fruits, and will not be elaborated here.

[0038] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 3The fruit-picking robotic gripper includes a base 1, at least two gripper bars 2, a drive mechanism 3, a force feedback gripper head 4, and a spiral telescopic mechanism 6. The gripper bars 2 are all hinged to the bottom end of the base 1 and are distributed circumferentially; preferably, there are four gripper bars 2. The drive mechanism 3 has movable ends that drive the gripper bars 2 to rotate and retract, and is electrically driven. The closing and unfolding of the gripper bars 2 correspond to the gripper clamping and releasing the fruit, respectively. The force feedback gripper head 4 includes a flexible gripper 41 and a pressure sensor 42, which is mounted on the gripper bar. 2. It is connected to the flexible clamping member 41 and is used to provide feedback on the clamping pressure value. The force feedback claw 4 is the end that contacts and clamps the fruit. The flexible clamping member 41 contacts the fruit, provides flexible contact, and provides pressure feedback to the pressure sensor 42 to detect the magnitude of the clamping force. The spiral telescopic mechanism 6 has a spirally telescopic movable end, which is connected to the base 1. It drives the base 1, claw 2, drive mechanism 3 and force feedback claw 4 to rotate and move away from the fruit branch, forming a twist and contraction after clamping the fruit, breaking the fruit off the branch.

[0039] Understandably, the pressure sensor 42 can be connected to the display screen via communication. After the digital signal is processed and transmitted, the clamping force value is displayed on the screen. The start and stop of the drive mechanism 3 can be manually controlled according to the value displayed on the screen, which makes it easy to control the clamping force.

[0040] It should be noted that the specific communication component used to transmit and display the pressure value is existing technology, and existing mature components can be used, so it will not be elaborated on here.

[0041] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 In order to form a spiral telescopic action, the spiral telescopic mechanism 6 includes a telescopic component 61, a spiral guide 62, and a telescopic rod 63. The telescopic end of the telescopic component 61 is movably connected to the telescopic rod 63, driving the telescopic rod 63 to move linearly. The spiral guide 62 is disposed on the outside of the telescopic rod 63, guiding the telescopic rod 63 to rotate spirally when the telescopic rod 63 moves linearly.

[0042] Specifically, the spiral guide 62 includes a guide cylinder 621 and a guide block 622. The guide block 622 is fixedly connected to the inner side of the guide cylinder 621. A spiral groove 623 is formed on the outer side of the telescopic rod 63. The guide block 622 is slidably connected to the inner side of the spiral groove 623. The telescopic end of the telescopic assembly 61 is connected to the telescopic rod 63, driving the telescopic rod 63 to move axially along the guide cylinder 621. When the telescopic rod 63 slides along the guide cylinder 621, the guide block 622 slides relative to the spiral groove 623, pushing the telescopic rod 63 to spirally extend and retract, i.e., to have displacement along the axial direction and to rotate during displacement, achieving the effects of torsion and tension. The telescopic assembly 61 is coaxially connected to the guide cylinder 621, and the telescopic end of the telescopic assembly 61 is inserted into the inner side of the guide cylinder 621 and rotatably connected to the telescopic rod 63.

[0043] It should be noted that the telescopic component 61 can be any existing mechanism with telescopic action, such as an electric push rod, a hydraulic push rod, or a pneumatic push rod, and is not limited to any one of these mechanisms.

[0044] Furthermore, in order to both drive the telescopic rod 63 to displacement during the telescopic component 61's telescopic movement and avoid interfering with the rotation of the telescopic rod 63, the telescopic end of the telescopic component 61 is rotatably connected to the telescopic rod 63. The telescopic end of the telescopic component 61 is provided with a limiting member 64 to restrict the relative displacement between its telescopic end and the telescopic rod 63 in its telescopic direction. The limiting member 64 pushes and pulls the telescopic rod 63 during the telescopic movement.

[0045] Specifically, the limiting member 64 includes a limiting block 641 disposed on the telescopic end of the telescopic assembly 61. The telescopic rod 63 has a limiting groove 642 corresponding to the limiting block 641. The limiting block 641 is rotatably connected to the inner side of the limiting groove 642 and is smaller than the groove opening diameter of the limiting groove 642. That is, the limiting groove 642 is a stepped groove with the opening smaller than the diameter of the inner groove. Correspondingly, the limiting block 641 is a stepped rod with the diameter inserted into the inner groove larger than the diameter of the rod part penetrating the groove opening. Thus, during the telescopic assembly 61's extension and retraction, it provides pushing and pulling. Furthermore, lubricating oil is injected between the limiting block 641 and the limiting groove 642 to reduce the probability of jamming.

[0046] Understandably, in order to provide smooth relative rotation, ball bearings may also be provided between the limit block 641 and the limit groove 642, which will not be elaborated on here.

[0047] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 3To enable the opening and closing of the grippers, the drive mechanism 3 includes a telescopic drive mechanism 31, a connecting member 32, and a transmission rod 33. The telescopic drive mechanism 31 is installed inside the base 1. The telescopic end of the telescopic drive mechanism 31 is connected to the connecting member 32. The transmission rod 33 corresponds one-to-one with the gripper 2 and is hinged to the outer side of each gripper 2. The end of the transmission rod 33 away from the gripper 2 is hinged to the connecting member 32. Through the telescopic drive mechanism 31, the connecting member 32 is pushed to move linearly. The moving position is located at the geometric center axis of each gripper 2. During the linear movement, each transmission rod 33 is driven to push the gripper 2 to rotate synchronously, thereby causing the grippers to close or open.

[0048] Specifically, the connector 32 includes a connecting rod 321 and a connecting frame 322. The connecting rod 321 is installed on the telescopic end of the telescopic drive mechanism 31. The top of the connecting frame 322 is provided with a connecting end 301 that connects to the connecting rod 321. The outer side of the connecting frame 322 is provided with a hinge end 302 that corresponds to the claw rod 2 and is hinged to the claw rod 2. The connecting end 301 is connected to the connecting rod 321, and the hinge end 302 is hinged to the claw rod 2. The hinge position is preferably the upper middle part of the claw rod 2.

[0049] Understandably, the drive mechanism 3 can also adopt a flipping mechanism that corresponds one-to-one with each claw bar 2, that is, each claw bar 2 is equipped with a hydraulic telescopic rod to form a rotation action.

[0050] It should be noted that the telescopic drive mechanism 31 can be any existing mechanism with telescopic action, such as an electric push rod, a hydraulic push rod, or a pneumatic push rod, and is not limited to any one of them.

[0051] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 To facilitate the installation and maintenance of the telescopic drive mechanism 31, the base 1 includes a support base 11 and a cover 12. The claw rods 2 are all hinged to the bottom of the support base 11. The cover 12 is detachably installed on the top of the support base 11. The drive mechanism 3 is installed on the support base 11, and its movable end extends through to the bottom of the support base 11. By opening the cover 12, the telescopic drive mechanism 31 can be disassembled and assembled, facilitating subsequent maintenance. The cover 12 also provides protection for the telescopic drive mechanism 31, offering safety protection.

[0052] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 To avoid damage to the fruit during clamping, the flexible clamping member 41 includes a flexible pad 411, which can be made of rubber or silicone. The flexible pad 411 is provided with a number of flexible anti-slip protrusions 412 to provide anti-slip performance.

[0053] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 6 To prevent excessive clamping force and provide automatic clamping force control, a controller 5 is also included. This controller is electrically connected to the pressure sensor 42 and the drive mechanism 3. When the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor 42 is greater than or equal to the set pressure value, the controller 5 controls the drive mechanism 3 to stop driving the claw 2 to rotate and retract. That is, when the pressure value is too high, the controller 5 controls the telescopic drive mechanism 31 to stop telescopic driving, preventing the claw 2 from continuing to retract, thus controlling the clamping force.

[0054] Understandably, controller 5 can be a programmable logic controller, which can be operated using existing equipment and conventional control programs in this technical field. As this is existing technology, it will not be elaborated on further here.

[0055] It should be noted that the telescopic component 61 that starts the telescopic drive mechanism 31 or the spiral telescopic mechanism 6 can also be electrically connected to the controller 5 and has a corresponding control button installed, which can send corresponding control signals, such as starting the opening and closing of the gripper or starting the spiral telescopic movement. This will not be elaborated on further here.

[0056] To better understand this utility model, the following is combined with... Figures 1 to 6 The technical solution of this utility model is described in detail as follows: The fruit is placed in the area between multiple force feedback claws 4. The telescopic drive mechanism 31 retracts, driving the connecting piece 32 to move, pulling the transmission rod 33 and causing the claw 2 to retract. The force feedback claws 4 clamp the fruit, and the pressure sensor 42 provides feedback on the clamping force. After the set clamping force is reached, the controller 5 stops the retraction of the telescopic drive mechanism 31, thus completing the clamping of the fruit. Then, the telescopic component 61 of the spiral telescopic mechanism 6 retracts. Under the guidance of the relative sliding of the guide block 622 and the spiral groove 623, the telescopic rod 63 is guided to rotate as it moves away from the fruit branch, twisting and pulling the fruit away from the branch.

[0057] The specific embodiments of this utility model described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this utility model. Any other corresponding changes and modifications made based on the technical concept of this utility model should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A gripper for a fruit-picking robotic arm, characterized in that, include: Base; At least two claw bars, each of which is hinged to the same end of the base; The drive mechanism has a movable end that drives the pawl to rotate and retract; and The spiral telescopic mechanism has a spirally telescopic movable end, which is connected to the base.

2. The fruit-picking robotic gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spiral telescopic mechanism includes a telescopic component, a spiral guide, and a telescopic rod. The telescopic end of the telescopic component is movably connected to the telescopic rod, driving the telescopic rod to move linearly. The spiral guide is disposed on the outside of the telescopic rod, guiding the telescopic rod to rotate spirally when the telescopic rod moves linearly.

3. The fruit-picking robotic gripper according to claim 2, characterized in that, The spiral guide includes a guide cylinder and a guide block. The guide block is disposed on the inner side of the guide cylinder. The outer side of the telescopic rod is provided with a spiral groove. The guide block is slidably connected to the inner side of the spiral groove. The telescopic end of the telescopic assembly is connected to the telescopic rod, driving the telescopic rod to move along the axial direction of the guide cylinder.

4. The fruit-picking robotic gripper according to claim 3, characterized in that, The telescopic end of the telescopic component is rotatably connected to the telescopic rod, and the telescopic end of the telescopic component is provided with a limiting member to restrict the relative displacement between its telescopic end and the telescopic rod in its telescopic direction.

5. The fruit-picking robotic gripper according to claim 4, characterized in that, The limiting component includes a limiting block disposed on the telescopic end of the telescopic assembly. The telescopic rod has a limiting groove corresponding to the limiting block. The limiting block is rotatably connected to the inner side of the limiting groove and is smaller than the groove opening diameter of the limiting groove.

6. The gripper of the fruit-picking robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving mechanism includes a telescopic driving mechanism, a connecting member, and a transmission rod. The telescopic driving mechanism is installed inside the base. The telescopic end of the telescopic driving mechanism is connected to the connecting member. The transmission rod corresponds one-to-one with the claw rod and is hinged to the outer side of the claw rod. The end of the transmission rod away from the claw rod is hinged to the connecting member.

7. The fruit-picking robotic gripper according to claim 6, characterized in that, The connector includes a connecting rod and a connecting frame. The connecting rod is installed on the telescopic end of the telescopic drive mechanism. The top of the connecting frame is provided with a connecting end that connects to the connecting rod. The outer side of the connecting frame is provided with a hinge end that is hinged to the claw rod, corresponding to the claw rod.

8. The gripper of the fruit-picking robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base includes a support base and a cover. The claw rods are all hinged to the bottom of the support base. The cover is detachably installed on the top of the support base. The drive mechanism is installed on the support base, and its movable end extends through to the bottom of the support base.

9. The gripper of the fruit-picking robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a force feedback claw, comprising a flexible clamping component and a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is mounted on the claw bar and connected to the flexible clamping component to provide feedback on the clamping pressure value. The flexible clamping component includes a flexible pad with a plurality of flexible anti-slip protrusions.

10. The gripper of the fruit-picking robotic arm according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes a controller, which is electrically connected to the pressure sensor and the drive mechanism. When the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor is greater than or equal to the set pressure value, the controller controls the drive mechanism to stop driving the claw rod to rotate and retract.

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