A marigold gripper

Abstract

The utility model relates to picking equipment technical field discloses a marigold gripper, including installation bottom plate, the bottom connection four stand columns of installation bottom plate, four the bottom end connection fixed plate of stand column, four connecting rods are hinged on the fixed plate, and the connecting rod is connected to grab petal, still include rotating assembly for driving four grab petal to carry out picking operation, shearing assembly is used for exerting shearing force to the flower stem of marigold when picking marigold. Through the setting of rotating assembly, make the rotating block rotate through four arc -shaped pieces drive four connecting rods and four grab petal to open and aggregate action, thereby the grabbing action of marigold flower, realize the automation picking, improve picking efficiency, through the cooperation of curved groove ring and adjusting rod, can adjust the grabbing strength of four grab petal according to the picking demand, thereby satisfy only picking petal and together with the flower stem picking multiple picking methods.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of harvesting equipment technology, specifically to a marigold gripper. Background Technology

[0002] Marigolds possess several important values. In the ornamental field, their bright colors, diverse flower shapes, and long flowering period contribute unique charm to garden landscapes and courtyard decorations, making them highly valuable for ornamental purposes. From a medicinal perspective, they contain flavonoids, terpenes, and other components, possessing anti-inflammatory and antibacterial medicinal effects. In industry, marigolds are a key raw material for extracting natural lutein, which has wide and important applications in many industries such as food, health products, cosmetics, and animal feed. In marigold planting bases, the harvesting of marigolds is mostly done manually.

[0003] However, the existing technology has the following problems:

[0004] With the increase in labor costs, harvesting large-scale planting areas requires a significant investment of manpower, leading to higher labor costs. Furthermore, manual harvesting is less efficient and can easily delay the optimal harvesting time during peak season, thus affecting the yield and quality of marigolds. In addition, different workers have different harvesting standards, resulting in inconsistent flower quality, which can easily lead to damage and mis-harvesting, affecting subsequent processing. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a marigold gripper to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology of low efficiency and high labor cost of manual marigold harvesting, as detailed below.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] A marigold gripper, connected to the robotic arm of a harvesting robot, serves as the end effector of the harvesting robot. It includes a mounting base plate, a rotating assembly, several actuators, a fixed plate, and several shearing assemblies, wherein the number of actuators is the same as the number of shearing assemblies.

[0008] Each actuator includes a column, a connecting rod, a ball head, and a gripper. The upper end of the column is mounted on the bottom of the mounting base plate. The bottom end of each column is connected to a fixing plate. Each connecting rod is hinged to the fixing plate. Each connecting rod is connected to each gripper. The end of each connecting rod away from the gripper is connected to the ball head.

[0009] The rotating assembly includes a rotating block, a rotating motor, and several arc-shaped plates. The number of arc-shaped plates is the same as the number of actuators. The rotating block is rotatably disposed between a fixed plate and a mounting base plate. The top surface of the mounting base plate is connected to the rotating motor. The output end of the rotating motor passes through the mounting base plate and is connected to the top of the rotating block. The inner wall of the rotating block is connected to each arc-shaped plate. Each arc-shaped plate slides in contact with the corresponding ball head in sequence during movement. A coil spring is provided at the hinge between the connecting rod and the fixed plate.

[0010] Each shearing assembly is disposed on each gripper flap. Each shearing assembly includes a connecting braking unit, an elastic unit, and a blade. The connecting braking unit is connected to the bottom surface of the fixed plate and cooperates with the connecting rod. The elastic unit is disposed on the inner side of the gripper flap and is connected to the connecting braking unit. The blade is connected to the bottom end of the elastic unit and is ejected by the elastic unit during movement.

[0011] In one possible implementation, there are four actuators and four shearing components.

[0012] In one possible implementation, each rotating component further includes a sliding shaft, a dial shaft, an adjusting rod, and a curved groove ring. Each sliding shaft passes through and is slidably connected to the inner wall of the rotating block. All the arc-shaped pieces are arranged in a circumferential array around the center of the rotating block. The end of each sliding shaft away from the center of the rotating block is connected to each arc-shaped piece. The end of the sliding shaft away from the arc-shaped piece is connected to the dial shaft. The bottom of the rotating block is movably connected to the adjusting rod. The outer wall of the adjusting rod passes through and is connected to the curved groove ring, and the bottom end of the adjusting rod passes through the fixing plate. The bottom end of the adjusting rod is provided with a handle.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the curved groove ring is located inside the rotating block, and the curved groove ring is provided with a number of arc-shaped grooves. The number of arc-shaped grooves is the same as that of the dial shaft, and each dial shaft is slidably connected to each arc-shaped groove.

[0014] As one possible implementation, the rotating block is provided with a spring inside, one end of the spring is connected to the top of the adjusting rod, and the other end of the spring is connected to the inner wall of the rotating block;

[0015] The rotating block is also provided with a first limiting gear and a second limiting gear inside. The first limiting gear and the second limiting gear are respectively set inside the spring. The top of the adjusting rod is connected to the first limiting gear, and the inner wall of the rotating block is connected to the second limiting gear. The first limiting gear and the second limiting gear mesh.

[0016] As one possible implementation, the outer wall of the adjusting rod is provided with a pointer, and the bottom surface of the fixing plate is provided with a dial.

[0017] As one possible implementation, the rotating assembly further includes a dust removal structure, which includes a plurality of arc-shaped airbags, the number of which is the same as the number of arc-shaped plates. Each arc-shaped airbag is connected to the top surface of the fixed plate. When each arc-shaped plate moves, it slides in contact with each arc-shaped airbag in sequence. Each arc-shaped airbag is provided with two jet pipes.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the connecting braking unit includes an abutment rod, a slider, a rebound seat, and a push-pull rod, and the elastic unit includes a square tube and an elastic strip;

[0019] The abutment rod is set on the bottom surface of the fixed plate, the slider is set on the inner wall of the connecting rod and is slidably connected to the inner wall of the connecting rod, the push-pull rod is hinged to the bottom end of the slider, the square tube is connected to the inner side of the gripper, the elastic strip is slidably connected to the inner wall of the square tube, the top end of the elastic strip penetrates through the square tube, the top end of the elastic strip is hinged to the end of the push-pull rod away from the slider, the blade is connected to the bottom end of the elastic strip, and the blade extends out of the square tube until it protrudes from the bottom end of the square tube during operation.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the connecting braking unit further includes a return spring, the slider is provided with an inclined surface, the inclined surface slides in contact with the abutment rod during operation, the spring-loaded seat is connected to the connecting rod, the spring-loaded seat is connected to the return spring, and the end of the return spring away from the spring-loaded seat is connected to the slider.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the shearing assembly further includes a rotating rod, two flipping blades, a grooved rod, two connecting rods, and a roller. The gripping petal has a through groove, the rotating rod is disposed in the through groove of the gripping petal and is rotatably connected, the two flipping blades are disposed on the outer wall of the rotating rod and are fixedly connected, the grooved rod is connected to the outer wall of the rotating rod, the two connecting rods are connected to the bottom end of the slider, the roller is connected to the two connecting rods, the grooved rod has a sliding groove, the roller is slidably connected to the sliding groove of the grooved rod, and the two flipping blades are disposed on the inner side of the gripping petal.

[0022] The beneficial effects are:

[0023] 1. This utility model, by setting up a rotating component, enables the rotating block to drive four connecting rods and four gripping petals to perform opening and closing actions through four arc-shaped plates during rotation, thereby realizing automated harvesting of marigold flowers and improving harvesting efficiency. Through the coordinated action of the curved groove ring and the adjusting rod, the gripping force of the four gripping petals can be adjusted according to harvesting needs to adapt to diverse harvesting methods, such as harvesting only petals or harvesting along with the flower stem.

[0024] 2. By setting up a dust removal structure, this utility model enables eight air jets to clean the hinged parts of the four connecting rods during the harvesting process, thereby reducing dust accumulation at the hinged parts of the connecting rods and the fixed plate and ensuring the lubrication of the connecting rod rotation.

[0025] 3. This utility model, by setting a shearing component, realizes the automatic pop-out function of four blades when picking flower stems for shearing operations, thereby facilitating the picking of four petals and preventing the petals from moving upwards before the flower stem is completely cut off, which would damage the petals. At the same time, through the configuration of the flipping blades, the eight flipping blades can automatically flip upwards during the picking of flower stems to restore the petals that have been flipped downwards due to the petal-grabbing action, preventing some petals from falling off due to excessive downward flipping and ensuring the integrity of the overall appearance of the petals. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the flap structure of this utility model;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating component structure of this utility model;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating block structure of this utility model;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the curved groove ring structure of this utility model;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the adjusting rod structure of this utility model;

[0033] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the first limiting gear structure of this utility model;

[0034] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the shearing component structure of this utility model;

[0035] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the slider structure of this utility model;

[0036] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the blade structure of this utility model;

[0037] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the flipping plate structure of this utility model.

[0038] The reference numerals in the attached drawings are explained as follows: 1. Mounting base plate; 2. Column; 3. Fixing plate; 4. Rotary motor; 5. Connecting rod; 51. Ball head; 6. Gripper; 7. Rotating assembly; 71. Rotating block; 72. Arc-shaped piece; 73. Sliding shaft; 74. Dial shaft; 75. Adjusting rod; 76. Groove ring; 77. First limit gear; 78. Second limit gear; 79. Pointer; 710. Dial; 8. Dust removal structure; 81. Arc-shaped airbag; 82. Jet pipe; 9. Shearing assembly; 91. Abutment rod; 92. Slider; 93. Rebound seat; 94. Push-pull rod; 95. Square tube; 96. Elastic strip; 97. Blade; 98. Rotating rod; 99. Flipping piece; 910. Groove rod; 911. Connecting rod; 912. Roller. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of this utility model will be described in detail below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other implementation methods obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0040] Example 1

[0041] A marigold gripper, which serves as the end effector of a harvesting robot; please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the specific structure includes a mounting base plate 1, a rotating assembly 7, several actuators, a fixed plate 3, and several shearing assemblies 9. The number of actuators is the same as the number of shearing assemblies 9. Each actuator includes a column 2, a connecting rod 5, a ball head 51, and a gripper 6. The upper end of the column 2 is mounted on the bottom of the mounting base plate 1, and the bottom end of each column 2 is connected to the fixed plate 3. Each connecting rod 5 is hinged to the fixed plate 3, and each connecting rod 5 is connected to each gripper 6. The end of each connecting rod 5 away from the gripper 6 is connected to the ball head 51. The rotating assembly 7 includes a rotating block 71, a rotating motor 4, and several arc-shaped plates 72. The number of arc-shaped plates 72 is the same as the number of actuators. The rotating block 71 is rotatably disposed between the fixed plate 3 and the mounting base plate 1. A rotary motor 4 is connected to the top surface of the mounting plate 1. The output end of the rotary motor 4 passes through the mounting plate 1 and is connected to the top of the rotating block 71. The inner wall of the rotating block 71 is connected to each arc-shaped piece 72. Each arc-shaped piece 72 slides in contact with the corresponding ball head 51 in sequence during movement. A coil spring is provided at the hinge of the connecting rod 5 and the fixed plate 3. Each shearing assembly 9 is respectively provided on each gripper 6. Each shearing assembly 9 includes a connecting braking unit, an elastic unit and a blade 97. The connecting braking unit is connected to the bottom surface of the fixed plate 3 and cooperates with the connecting rod 5. The elastic unit is located inside the gripper 6 and is connected to the connecting braking unit. The blade 97 is connected to the bottom end of the elastic unit. The blade 97 is ejected by the elastic unit during movement.

[0042] During marigold flower harvesting, four blades are designed to automatically pop out for precise cutting of the flower stems, while four petals are easily picked. This mechanism effectively prevents the petals from moving upwards before completely cutting the flower stem, thus avoiding damage to the petals. Additionally, by incorporating flipping blades, eight blades automatically flip upwards when the petals are picking the flower stem, helping the petals return to their original position. This design prevents petals from falling off due to excessive downward movement, ensuring the overall aesthetic appeal and integrity of the petals.

[0043] The rotary motor 4 is connected to the end of the harvesting robot's robotic arm, and the entire gripper serves as the end effector of the harvesting robot. In other words, this marigold gripper is the gripper that performs the grasping action. In this embodiment, there are four actuators and four shearing components, resulting in four columns, four connecting rods, four ball heads, and four gripping petals. There are also four arc-shaped plates 72. The inner wall of the rotating block 71 is connected to four arc-shaped plates 72. The end of the connecting rod 5 furthest from the gripping petal 6 is connected to a ball head 51. During movement, the four arc-shaped plates 72 sequentially slide into contact with the four ball heads 51. A coil spring is provided at the hinge point between the connecting rod 5 and the fixed plate 3. Due to the coil spring, the ball heads at the top of the four connecting rods 5... 51 maintains pressure on the arc-shaped plates 72. When the four arc-shaped plates 72 rotate, the four ball heads 51 slide along the arc surfaces of the four arc-shaped plates 72, and the four connecting rods 5 swing accordingly. During the rotation of the four arc-shaped plates 72 to 45 degrees, the four gripping petals 6 converge inward. During the next 45-degree rotation of the four arc-shaped plates 72, the four gripping petals 6 open accordingly. Through the setting of the rotating component 7, when the rotating block 71 rotates, it drives the four connecting rods 5 and the four gripping petals 6 to open and converge through the four arc-shaped plates 72, thereby grasping and picking the stems of marigold flowers, realizing automated picking of marigold flowers and improving picking efficiency.

[0044] In a specific embodiment, such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the rotating assembly 7 also includes four sliding shafts 73, all of which are slidably connected to the inner wall of the rotating block 71. Four arc-shaped plates 72 are arranged in a circular array around the center of the rotating block 71. The ends of the four sliding shafts 73 away from the center of the rotating block 71 are respectively connected to the four arc-shaped plates 72, and the ends of the sliding shafts 73 away from the arc-shaped plates 72 are connected to the deflector shafts 74. An adjusting rod 75 is movably connected to the bottom of the rotating block 71. A curved groove ring 76 is connected to the outer wall of the adjusting rod 75. The curved groove ring 76 is located inside the rotating block 71 and has four arc-shaped grooves. The four deflector shafts 74 are slidably connected to the four arc-shaped grooves of the curved groove ring 76. The curved groove ring 76 rotates counterclockwise. When rotating, the four arc-shaped grooves drive the four pivot shafts 74 to move away from the center of the rotating block 71. Conversely, when the curved groove ring 76 rotates clockwise, the four arc-shaped grooves drive the four pivot shafts 74 to move closer to the center of the rotating block 71. The bottom end of the adjusting rod 75 passes through the fixed plate 3, and the bottom end of the adjusting rod 75 is provided with a handle. When the sliding shaft 73 moves away from the center of the rotating block 71, the bending amplitude of the arc-shaped piece 72 can be increased. At this time, when the arc-shaped piece 72 moves, the amplitude of the swing of the connecting rod 5 driven by the ball head 51 also increases. Therefore, when the bending amplitude of the four arc-shaped pieces 72 is adjusted to the maximum, the bottom ends of the four gripping petals 6 can contact each other after they converge.

[0045] Furthermore, such as Figure 6 , Figure 7As shown, a spring is installed inside the rotating block 71. One end of the spring is connected to the top of the adjusting rod 75, and the other end of the spring is connected to the inner wall of the rotating block 71. The top of the adjusting rod 75 is connected to the first limiting gear 77, and the inner wall of the rotating block 71 is connected to the second limiting gear 78. The first limiting gear 77 and the second limiting gear 78 mesh. During operation, the rotary motor 4 rotates, which in turn drives the rotating block 71 to rotate, and then drives the adjusting rod 75 to rotate. The adjusting rod 75 is reset upward by the elastic force of the spring. At this time, the first limiting gear 77 and the second limiting gear 78 contact and mesh. The first limiting gear 77 maintains elastic pressure on the second limiting gear 78. The first limiting gear 77 and the second limiting gear 78 cooperate to play a limiting role, preventing the adjusting rod 75 and the curved groove ring 76 from rotating due to the counter-thrust force of the four pivot shafts 74.

[0046] In one embodiment, such as Figure 8 As shown, the outer wall of the adjusting rod 75 is connected to the pointer 79, and the bottom surface of the fixing plate 3 is connected to the scale 710. The pointer 79 rotates with the adjusting rod 75. The scale 710 has multiple scale lines, which can display the bending amplitude of the arc-shaped piece 72 in stages, making it easy to observe and control. When the pointer 79 points to the maximum scale line, the four petals 6 can clamp the flower stem when they converge. Through the cooperation of the curved groove ring 76 and the adjusting rod 75, the gripping force of the four petals 6 can be adjusted according to the picking needs, thereby meeting different picking methods.

[0047] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown, the rotating assembly 7 also includes a dust removal structure 8, which includes four arc-shaped airbags 81. The four arc-shaped airbags 81 are all connected to the top surface of the fixed plate 3. When the four arc-shaped plates 72 move, they slide in contact with the four arc-shaped airbags 81 in sequence. Two jet pipes 82 are connected to the arc-shaped airbags 81. When the four arc-shaped plates 72 rotate, they squeeze the four arc-shaped airbags 81. When the arc-shaped airbags 81 contract, the air inside them is ejected through the two jet pipes 82. When the four arc-shaped plates 72 rotate back to their original position, the four arc-shaped airbags 81 will be filled with gas again. At the hinge of each connecting rod 5 and the fixed plate 3, there are two jet pipes 82 to spray and clean the position. Through the setting of the dust removal structure 8, the eight jet pipes 82 can spray and clean the hinge of the four connecting rods 5 during the harvesting operation, thereby reducing the dust adhesion at the hinge of the connecting rods 5 and the fixed plate 3 and maintaining the lubrication of the rotation of the connecting rods 5.

[0048] The shearing component 9 applies a shearing force to the flower stalk of the marigold during harvesting, as in one embodiment, such as... Figures 8-11As shown, there are four shearing components 9, which are respectively set on four gripping petals 6. Each shearing component 9 includes an abutment rod 91, a slider 92, a spring seat 93, a push-pull rod 94, a square tube 95, an elastic strip 96, and a blade 97. The abutment rod 91 is connected to the bottom surface of the fixed plate 3. The slider 92 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the connecting rod 5. The push-pull rod 94 is hinged to the bottom end of the slider 92. The square tube 95 is connected to the inner side of the gripping petals 6. The elastic strip 96 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the square tube 95. The elastic strip 96 is made of elastic material and can slide inside the arc-shaped square tube 95. The top end of the elastic strip 96 penetrates the square tube 95. The top end of the elastic strip 96 is hinged to the end of the push-pull rod 94 away from the slider 92. The blade 97 is connected to the bottom end of the elastic strip 96. The blade 97 protrudes from the bottom end of the square tube 95 during movement.

[0049] Furthermore, to better achieve the shearing function, the slider 92 is provided with an inclined surface. During the movement, the inclined surface of the slider 92 slides in contact with the abutment rod 91. When the inclined surface of the slider 92 contacts the abutment rod 91, it slides downward along the abutment rod 91, causing the slider 92 to move downward. As the slider 92 moves downward, it drives the elastic strip 96 to move downward along the inner wall of the square tube 95 via the push-pull rod 94. During the downward movement of the elastic strip 96, the blade 97 is pushed out of the bottom of the square tube 95. Therefore, when the four gripping petals 6 are about to converge into place, the four blades 97 extend out, and the return seat 93 connects. On the connecting rod 5, a return spring is connected to the return seat 93. The end of the return spring away from the return seat 93 is connected to the slider 92. After the four gripping petals 6 open, the slider 92 disengages from the abutment rod 91. The return seat 93 drives the slider 92 to return to its original position through the elastic force of the return spring. The push-pull rod 94, elastic strip 96 and blade 97 return to their original positions accordingly. Through the setting of the shearing component 9, the four blades 97 can automatically pop out when picking the flower stem to cut the flower stem, which makes it easier for the four gripping petals 6 to be picked and avoids the gripping petals 6 moving upward without cutting the flower stem, which would damage the petals.

[0050] It is worth noting that the shearing assembly 9 also includes a rotating rod 98, two flipping plates 99, a grooved rod 910, two connecting rods 911, and a roller 912. The gripping petal 6 has a through groove, and the rotating rod 98 is rotatably mounted in the through groove of the gripping petal 6. Both flipping plates 99 are connected to the outer wall of the rotating rod 98, and the grooved rod 910 is connected to the outer wall of the rotating rod 98. Both connecting rods 911 are connected to the bottom end of the slider 92, and the roller 912 is connected to the two connecting rods 911. The grooved rod 910 has a sliding groove, and the roller 912 is slidably connected to the sliding groove of the grooved rod 910. Both flipping plates 99 are located on the gripping petal 6. On the inner side, when the roller 912 moves downward, it can drive the groove rod 910 and the rotating rod 98 to rotate through the slide groove. When the rotating rod 98 rotates, it can drive the two flipping pieces 99 to flip upward. Therefore, when the eight flipping pieces 99 on the four petals 6 flip upward, they can push the petals they come into contact with upward, so that the petals that have fallen downward are reset. Through the setting of the flipping pieces 99, when the four petals 6 are picking the flower stem, the eight flipping pieces 99 can automatically flip upward, thereby pushing the petals that have fallen downward due to the influence of the petals 6 back to their original positions, preventing some petals from falling off due to excessive downward flipping, thus ensuring the overall appearance quality of the petals.

[0051] The following working principle can be achieved through the structures of the above specific embodiments:

[0052] A mounting bracket is formed by mounting base plate 1, four uprights 2, and fixing plate 3. Mounting base plate 1 can be connected to external drive components to achieve displacement. After receiving the picking command from the picking robot, the rotary motor 4 rotates, driving the rotating block 71 to rotate. The rotating block 71 drives the four arc-shaped plates 72 to rotate. Due to the setting of the coil spring, the ball heads 51 at the top of the four connecting rods 5 maintain pressure on the arc-shaped plates 72. At this time, the four gripping petals 6 open outward. When the four arc-shaped plates 72 rotate forty-five degrees, the rotary motor 4 stops rotating. During this process, the four ball heads 51 slide along the arc surface of the four arc-shaped plates 72, so that the four ball heads 51 drive the four connecting rods 5 to swing using the lever principle. The four gripping petals 6 converge inward. When the four arc-shaped plates When 72 rotates to 45 degrees, the four ball heads 51 are located at the top of the curved position of the four arc-shaped pieces 72, that is, at the crest of the arc-shaped pieces 72. The four petals 6 are fully gathered. When picking, the four petals 6 first wrap around the outside of the marigold petals. Then the rotating motor 4 starts. After the four petals 6 are gathered, they completely wrap around the marigold petals. At this time, the mounting base plate 1 is raised. The four petals 6 lift the marigold flower upward to complete the picking. When it reaches the storage area, the rotating motor 4 starts again. The rotating block 71 rotates 45 degrees again. The four ball heads 51 slide between the four arc-shaped pieces 72. During this process, the four ball heads 51 move closer to each other. The four petals 6 open and the marigold flower falls down, completing the picking of a marigold.

[0053] Marigold harvesting can be broadly divided into two methods: picking only the petals and picking the flower stems as well. The above process describes the method of picking only the petals. When it is necessary to pick the flower stems as well, the rotary motor 4 is started, which in turn drives the rotating block 71 to rotate. This, in turn, drives the adjusting rod 75 to rotate in the opposite direction. Then, the adjusting rod 75 is pulled down and rotated counterclockwise. The adjusting rod 75 drives the curved groove ring 76 to rotate counterclockwise. When the curved groove ring 76 rotates counterclockwise, it drives the four pivot shafts 74 to move away from the rotating block through the four arc grooves. Conversely, when the curved groove ring 76 rotates clockwise, it drives the four dial shafts 74 to move closer to the center of the rotating block 71 through the four arc grooves. When the dial shafts 74 move, they drive the sliding shafts 73 to move synchronously. Since the arc plate 72 is elastically set, when the sliding shafts 73 move away from the center of the rotating block 71, the bending amplitude of the arc plate 72 can be increased, that is, the distance between the crest of the arc plate 72 and the center of the rotating block 71 increases. At this time, when the arc plate 72 moves, the amplitude of the swing of the connecting rod 5 driven by the ball head 51 also increases.

[0054] Therefore, when the bending amplitude of the four arc-shaped pieces 72 is adjusted to the maximum, the bottom ends of the four petals 6 can contact each other after they converge. When the adjusting rod 75 is rotated, the pointer 79 follows the adjustment rod 75. The scale 710 has multiple scale lines, which can display the bending amplitude of the arc-shaped pieces 72 in stages, making it easy to observe and control. When the pointer 79 points to the maximum scale line, the four petals 6 can clamp the flower stem when they converge, and the flower stem can be picked together. When only the petals need to be picked, the adjusting rod 75 is rotated so that the pointer 79 points to the minimum scale line. The swing amplitude of the four petals 6 when they converge can also be understood as the grasping force. The bending amplitude of the four arc-shaped pieces 72 can be flexibly adjusted according to the different sizes of marigolds, thereby adjusting the grasping force of the four petals 6.

[0055] While the four arc-shaped plates 72 rotate, they remain in contact with the four arc-shaped air bladders 81. Similar to the four ball heads 51, the four arc-shaped air bladders 81 contract due to the pressure from the four arc-shaped plates 72. When the arc-shaped air bladders 81 contract, the internal air is expelled through the two jet pipes 82. The two jet pipes 82 on each arc-shaped air bladder 81 point to the hinge joints of the connecting rods 5 and the fixed plate 3 on both sides of the air bladder. Therefore, each hinge joint of the connecting rod 5 and the fixed plate 3 has two jet pipes 82 for air cleaning. By setting the dust removal structure 8, the eight jet pipes 82 can air clean the hinge joints of the four connecting rods 5 during the harvesting operation, thereby reducing dust accumulation at the hinge joints of the connecting rods 5 and the fixed plate 3 and ensuring lubrication when the connecting rods 5 rotate.

[0056] In the harvesting operation, if the flower stem is harvested along with the flower, taking the shearing component 9 as an example, when the connecting rod 5 is about to reach the predetermined position, the inclined surface of the slider 92 contacts the abutment rod 91. Subsequently, the inclined surface slides down along the abutment rod 91, causing the slider 92 to descend. During the descent of the slider 92, the push-pull rod 94 drives the elastic strip 96 to slide down the inner wall of the square tube 95. Because the elastic strip 96 is made of elastic material, it can slide smoothly within the curved square tube 95. During the descent, the elastic strip 96 pushes the blade 97 out of the bottom of the square tube 95. Therefore, when the four gripping petals 6 are about to close, the four blades 97 are exposed. These blades 97 are slightly staggered, and when the four gripping petals 6 are fully closed, parts of the blades 97 overlap. During the movement, the blades 97 can cut the flower stem, facilitating the harvesting operation of the four gripping petals 6. This avoids the four gripping petals 6 being unable to cut the flower stem due to the harvesting of harder flower stems, thus affecting the efficiency of the harvesting operation. When the four petals 6 open, the slider 92 disengages from the abutment rod 91, and the return seat 93, through the elastic force of the return spring, drives the slider 92 to return to its original position. The push-pull rod 94, elastic strip 96, and blade 97 also return to their original positions. When only the petal picking operation mode is selected, the swing amplitude of the four connecting rods 5 is reduced, so that the slider 92 will not contact the abutment rod 91 during the swing of the connecting rods 5, and the blade 97 will not be exposed, thus avoiding the blade 97 from scratching the petals during the picking process.

[0057] During the harvesting of marigolds, some petals may come into contact with the four petal 6 and flip down as they move downwards. When the slider 92 moves downwards, the two connecting rods 911 drive the roller 912 downwards. The roller 912, in turn, drives the groove rod 910 and the rotating rod 98 to rotate via a sliding groove. The rotating rod 98, in turn, drives the two flipping pieces 99 upwards. Therefore, when the eight flipping pieces 99 on the four petal 6 flip upwards, they can push the contacting petals upwards, restoring the flipped petals to their original position. When the slider 92 moves upwards, the roller 912 moves upwards accordingly. This causes the rotating rod 98 and the two flipping plates 99 to rotate downwards and reset. When only the petals are picked, because the bottom of the four petal grabbers 6 is close to the bottom of the petals, the downward tilt of some petals is relatively small, which has little impact on the quality of the petals. However, when picking the petals along with the flower stem, the petal grabbers 6 need to move to a position far away from the bottom of the petals, which causes some petals to tilt downwards more, which may cause the petals to fall off. At this time, the upward tilting of the eight flipping plates 99 can turn the tilted petals back to their original position, thus ensuring the overall quality of the petals.

[0058] By setting the shearing component 9, the four blades 97 can automatically pop out when picking the flower stem to cut the flower stem, making it easier for the four petals 6 to be picked and preventing the petals 6 from moving upwards without cutting the flower stem, which would damage the petals. By setting the flipping pieces 99, when the four petals 6 are picking the flower stem, the eight flipping pieces 99 can automatically flip upwards, thereby turning back the petals that have been flipped downwards by the petals 6, preventing some petals from falling off due to excessive downward flipping, thus ensuring the overall appearance quality of the petals.

[0059] It should be clarified that in all the foregoing embodiments, the marigold gripper, which serves as the end effector of the harvesting robot, must be controlled by the harvesting robot. All actions performed by the marigold gripper during operation must follow the control instructions of the harvesting robot. However, in all embodiments, the harvesting robot is not the primary improvement target of this utility model. Therefore, any harvesting robot capable of connecting to and controlling the operation of the marigold gripper can serve as the carrier device for the marigold gripper of this utility model.

[0060] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A marigold gripper, connected to the robotic arm of a harvesting robot, serving as the end effector of the harvesting robot, characterized in that: It includes a mounting base plate, a rotating assembly, several actuators, a fixed plate, and several shearing assemblies, with the number of actuators being the same as the number of shearing assemblies; Each actuator includes a column, a connecting rod, a ball head, and a gripper. The upper end of the column is mounted on the bottom of the mounting base plate. The bottom end of each column is connected to a fixing plate. Each connecting rod is hinged to the fixing plate. Each connecting rod is connected to each gripper. The end of each connecting rod away from the gripper is connected to the ball head. The rotating assembly includes a rotating block, a rotating motor, and several arc-shaped plates. The number of arc-shaped plates is the same as the number of actuators. The rotating block is rotatably disposed between a fixed plate and a mounting base plate. The top surface of the mounting base plate is connected to the rotating motor. The output end of the rotating motor passes through the mounting base plate and is connected to the top of the rotating block. The inner wall of the rotating block is connected to each arc-shaped plate. Each arc-shaped plate slides in contact with the corresponding ball head in sequence during movement. A coil spring is provided at the hinge between the connecting rod and the fixed plate. Each shearing assembly is disposed on each gripper flap. Each shearing assembly includes a connecting braking unit, an elastic unit, and a blade. The connecting braking unit is connected to the bottom surface of the fixed plate and cooperates with the connecting rod. The elastic unit is disposed on the inner side of the gripper flap and is connected to the connecting braking unit. The blade is connected to the bottom end of the elastic unit and is ejected by the elastic unit during movement.

2. The marigold gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are four actuators and four shearing components.

3. A marigold gripper according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Each rotating assembly also includes a sliding shaft, a dial shaft, an adjusting rod, and a curved groove ring. Each sliding shaft passes through and is slidably connected to the inner wall of the rotating block. All the arc-shaped pieces are arranged in a circumferential array around the center of the rotating block. The end of each sliding shaft away from the center of the rotating block is connected to each arc-shaped piece. The end of the sliding shaft away from the arc-shaped piece is connected to the dial shaft. The bottom of the rotating block is movably connected to the adjusting rod. The outer wall of the adjusting rod passes through and is connected to the curved groove ring, and the bottom end of the adjusting rod passes through the fixing plate. The bottom end of the adjusting rod is provided with a handle.

4. A marigold gripper according to claim 3, characterized in that: The curved groove ring is located inside the rotating block. The curved groove ring is provided with a number of arc-shaped grooves. The number of arc-shaped grooves is the same as that of the dial shaft, and each dial shaft is slidably connected to each arc-shaped groove.

5. A marigold gripper according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rotating block is equipped with a spring inside, one end of which is connected to the top of the adjusting rod, and the other end of which is connected to the inner wall of the rotating block. The rotating block is also provided with a first limiting gear and a second limiting gear inside. The first limiting gear and the second limiting gear are respectively set inside the spring. The top of the adjusting rod is connected to the first limiting gear, and the inner wall of the rotating block is connected to the second limiting gear. The first limiting gear and the second limiting gear mesh.

6. A marigold gripper according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outer wall of the adjusting rod is provided with a pointer, and the bottom surface of the fixing plate is provided with a dial.

7. A marigold gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating assembly also includes a dust removal structure, which includes several arc-shaped airbags. The number of arc-shaped airbags is the same as the number of arc-shaped plates. Each arc-shaped airbag is connected to the top surface of the fixed plate. When each arc-shaped plate moves, it slides in contact with each arc-shaped airbag in sequence. Each arc-shaped airbag is provided with two jet pipes.

8. A marigold gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting braking unit includes an abutment rod, a slider, a rebound seat, and a push-pull rod; the elastic unit includes a square tube and an elastic strip. The abutment rod is set on the bottom surface of the fixed plate, the slider is set on the inner wall of the connecting rod and is slidably connected to the inner wall of the connecting rod, the push-pull rod is hinged to the bottom end of the slider, the square tube is connected to the inner side of the gripper, the elastic strip is slidably connected to the inner wall of the square tube, the top end of the elastic strip penetrates through the square tube, the top end of the elastic strip is hinged to the end of the push-pull rod away from the slider, the blade is connected to the bottom end of the elastic strip, and the blade extends out of the square tube until it protrudes from the bottom end of the square tube during operation.

9. A marigold gripper according to claim 8, characterized in that: The connecting braking unit also includes a return spring. The slider has an inclined surface, which slides in contact with the abutment rod during operation. The spring-loaded seat is connected to the connecting rod and the spring-loaded seat is connected to the return spring. The end of the return spring away from the spring-loaded seat is connected to the slider.

10. A marigold gripper according to claim 9, characterized in that: The shearing assembly further includes a rotating rod, two flipping blades, a grooved rod, two connecting rods, and a roller. The gripping petal has a through groove, the rotating rod is disposed in the through groove of the gripping petal and is rotatably connected, the two flipping blades are disposed on the outer wall of the rotating rod and are fixedly connected, the grooved rod is connected to the outer wall of the rotating rod, the two connecting rods are connected to the bottom end of the slider, the roller is connected to the two connecting rods, the grooved rod has a sliding groove, the roller is slidably connected to the sliding groove of the grooved rod, and the two flipping blades are disposed on the inner side of the gripping petal.

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