A pineapple eye removal end effector

Abstract

The utility model discloses a pineapple eye-removing end effector, including first paw, second paw and parallel open-close type air cylinder, first paw with parallel open-close type air cylinder swing joint, second paw with parallel open-close type air cylinder swing joint, first paw and second paw's eye-removing paw depth all are >=13mm, first paw and second paw's eye-removing paw angle all are >=40 DEG. Parallel open-close type air cylinder is under the control of external air pressure, realizes the closure and the opening of paw, has carried out the structural design and the optimization to eye-removing paw, sets up the profiling pineapple eye-removing paw according to pineapple fruit eye shape feature, makes end effector can adapt to the shape of pineapple fruit eye and clamps, thereby reaches better eye-removing effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of agricultural machinery structure technology, and in particular to a pineapple eye-removing end effector. Background Technology

[0002] Before pineapples can be eaten directly or processed into other products, they need to be peeled and have their eyes removed. This process is particularly tedious, especially for large-scale processing. Currently, manual methods use V-shaped eye-removing knives to remove the eyes along a spiral or pyramidal eye-removing clamps to remove them one by one. These methods are inefficient, labor-intensive, and time-consuming, requiring significant investment of manpower and resources, which greatly increases the cost of pineapple processing. Existing machine methods for removing eyes are relatively crude. One method involves the machine directly cutting off the flesh within the thickness of the eye along with the eye and peel. While this saves manpower and increases production efficiency, more than 1 / 6 of the flesh is discarded, resulting in considerable waste. Another method combines machine vision technology to achieve individual eye removal or eye removal along a spiral, but lacks design for the end effector.

[0003] Therefore, designing a pineapple eye removal end effector that is suitable for automated operations and can adapt to the morphological characteristics of pineapple eyes to reduce waste is of great significance for reducing labor intensity and improving production efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] To overcome the problems existing in related technologies, this utility model provides a pineapple eye removal end effector. The parallel opening and closing type cylinder realizes the closing and opening of the first and second grippers under the control of external air pressure. The structure of the eye removal gripper has been designed and optimized to achieve a better eye removal effect.

[0005] This utility model provides a pineapple eye removal end effector, which includes a first gripper, a second gripper, and a parallel opening and closing type cylinder;

[0006] The first gripper is movably connected to the parallel opening and closing type cylinder;

[0007] The second gripper is movably connected to the parallel opening and closing cylinder. The depth of the eyeless gripper of both the first gripper and the second gripper is ≥13 mm, and the angle of the eyeless gripper of both the first gripper and the second gripper is ≥40°.

[0008] Furthermore, the output end of the parallel opening and closing cylinder is provided with a retraction rod, one side of which is connected to the first gripper connecting rod.

[0009] Furthermore, the other side of the retractable rod is connected to the second gripper linkage.

[0010] Furthermore, the front ends of the first claw and the second claw are blades, and the blades are provided with arc-shaped structures;

[0011] The blade has a cylindrical reinforcing rib on its arc-shaped structure.

[0012] Furthermore, the blade tip shape is linear.

[0013] This invention provides a pineapple eye removal end effector. A parallel-opening cylinder, under external air pressure control, enables the first and second grippers to close and open. The eye-removing grippers have undergone structural design and optimization. Based on the morphological characteristics of the pineapple's eyes, the eye-removing gripper is designed using contour mapping. Through kinematic and dynamic simulations, the eye-removing trajectory and contact force of the end effector are determined. Furthermore, finite element analysis is used to analyze the equivalent stress and overall deformation of the eye-removing gripper, and the structure is optimized and the material strength is checked, thereby achieving a better eye-removing effect. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals generally represent like parts.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the pineapple eye-removing end effector of this utility model;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a curve showing the change in contact force between the blade tip and the pineapple flesh in this utility model.

[0017] Figure 3 This is the overall deformation diagram of the existing technology before the removal of eyes and claws;

[0018] Figure 4 This is the equivalent force diagram of the existing technology before the removal of the eye and gripper.

[0019] Figure 5 This is the equivalent force diagram of the unmodified eyeless claw in this utility model;

[0020] Figure 6 This is the overall deformed diagram of the unmodified eyeless claw in this utility model;

[0021] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the existing technology before the removal of eyes and claws;

[0022] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the unmodified eyeless claw structure of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 9This is a diagram of the blade tip trajectory in Experiment 1 of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 10 This is a diagram of the blade tip trajectory in Experiment 2 of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 11 This is a diagram of the blade tip trajectory in Experiment 3 of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the working state of the pineapple eye-removing end effector in an embodiment of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0028] Please refer to Figure 1 This utility model provides a pineapple eye-removing actuator, which includes a first gripper 1, a second gripper 2, and a parallel opening and closing cylinder 3; the first gripper 1 is movably connected to the parallel opening and closing cylinder 3; the second gripper 2 is movably connected to the parallel opening and closing cylinder 3; the eye-removing gripper depth of both the first gripper 1 and the second gripper 2 is ≥13 mm; the eye-removing gripper angle of both the first gripper 1 and the second gripper 2 is ≥40°.

[0029] Specifically, analysis of the pineapple eye and its cross-sectional shape revealed that the pineapple eye is characterized by a frustum-shaped top and a conical indentation at the bottom. The depth of the pineapple eye is primarily 9-10 mm, reaching a maximum of 13 mm. The angle distribution is mainly 28-32°, with a maximum of 40°. During the structural design, to meet the design objectives and remove as many pineapple eyes as possible, the depth of the eye-removing claws in both the first claw 1 and the second claw 2 is ≥13 mm; the angle of the eye-removing claws in both the first claw 1 and the second claw 2 is ≥40°.

[0030] To ensure successful removal of the pineapple eyes, a shearing force of approximately 65N is required. The parallel-opening cylinder 3 is an MHZ2-25 parallel-opening cylinder, characterized by high motion precision, convenient control, large output torque, and low cost. Specific parameters are shown in the table below.

[0031] Table 1: Cylinder Parameters

[0032] model Body size Inner diameter clamping force Opening and closing schedule Use pressure weight MHZ2-25 102.7×63×33.6mm 104N 14mm 0.1-0.7MPa 420g

[0033] To facilitate a more intuitive understanding of the displacement, velocity, and acceleration curves during the motion process, and to determine whether the mechanism has completed the expected motion, the working units are set to mm, kg, N, s, and deg. The 3D model of the end effector is imported into the ADAMS simulation software in Parasolid (*.x_t) format to obtain a virtual prototype. Constraints between parts are determined; fixed joints are used for parts that need to be fixed, and translational joints are used for parts that need to move.

[0034] That is, the first gripper 1 and the second gripper 2 adopt translational joints, and the parallel opening and closing type cylinder uses translational joints between itself and the ground to simulate the parallel opening and closing type cylinder driving the end effector.

[0035] The contact force between the first gripper 1 and the second gripper 2 and the pineapple is set, i.e., a lateral thrust of 65N is applied by the left and right cylinders. The contact force between the end effector components is the contact between rigid bodies, while the contact between the chuck tip and the pineapple is the contact between a rigid body and a flexible body, thus simulating the operation of the end effector; please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 2 In this embodiment, after the blade tips of the first claw 1 and the second claw 2 come into contact with the pineapple flesh, the maximum contact force is 79.43N.

[0036] Furthermore, the output end of the parallel opening and closing type cylinder is provided with a translation rod; one side of the translation rod is connected to the first gripper 1 connecting rod, and the other side of the translation rod is connected to the second gripper 2 connecting rod.

[0037] For details, please refer to Figure 12 Driven by the linear motor 4, the end effector moves forward. At this time, the first gripper 1 and the second gripper 2 are inserted around the pineapple eye. When the translation rod moves inward, because one side of the translation rod is connected to the first gripper 1 and the other side is connected to the second gripper 2, the connecting rods push the first gripper 1 and the second gripper 2 to move parallel in a relatively close direction, clamping the pineapple eye and separating it from the pineapple flesh. When the linear motor 4 drives the end effector to move backward, the end effector removes the pineapple eye from the pineapple fruit. At this time, the translation rod moves outward, causing the connecting rods to pull the first gripper 1 and the second gripper 2 to move parallel in a mutually distant direction, releasing the pineapple eye and completing the removal of the single pineapple eye.

[0038] Furthermore, the front ends of the first claw 1 and the second claw 2 are blades; the blades are provided with arc-shaped structures; and the arc-shaped structures of the blades are provided with cylindrical reinforcing ribs.

[0039] Furthermore, the blade tips are all linear in shape, which increases the contact area between the blade tip and the pineapple flesh, reduces the contact pressure at the blade tip, and lowers the risk of blade damage during operation.

[0040] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 By performing finite element analysis on the conventional blade tip shape, it can be found that the maximum stress location of the conventional blade tip shape is at the contact point between the blade tip and the fruit pulp. That is, when removing the eyes from pineapple, the conventional blade tip shape converges at a point, and the force is concentrated at a single point when in contact with the pineapple, resulting in stress concentration at a single tip. The pineapple eye-removing end effector provided in this embodiment of the invention has a blade shape designed with linear convergence, which makes the force-bearing area of ​​the end effector larger, and the stress borne by the end effector when removing the eyes from the pineapple pulp is also dispersed.

[0041] Specifically, the pineapple pulp end effector provided in this embodiment adds a cylindrical reinforcing rib outside the arc of the blade, extending downwards along the blade tip to improve the overall structural rigidity of the end effector. The transition area is rounded to optimize the overall smoothness of the blade's arc, so that when the first claw 1 and the second claw 2 enter the pineapple pulp, the first claw 1 and the second claw 2 can be subjected to force at a line contact position, thus optimizing the force distribution of the end effector.

[0042] Please refer to Figures 5 to 8 According to the solution results, the deformation at the apex has been improved from 0.28 mm to 0.1 mm, and the maximum stress value has been improved from 507.62 MPa to 77.34 MPa, which is less than the yield strength of 6061 aluminum alloy of 276 MPa, thus satisfying the structural strength and stiffness requirements.

[0043] The upper limit of the cylinder clamping speed depends on the input air pressure of the air pump. The working air pressure of the MHZ2-25 cylinder is 0.1-0.7MPa. When the working air pressure is 0.7MPa, its maximum number of cycles per minute can reach 180C.PM, which means that it completes one clamping and opening motion every 0.02s, with clamping lasting 0.01s and opening lasting 0.01s.

[0044] Table 2. Matching of Cylinder Clamping Speed ​​and Linear Motor Speed

[0045] Serial Number Input air pressure (MPa) Cylinder clamping time / s Linear motor speed / mm·s⁻¹ Time to complete eye removal / seconds Experiment 1 0.7 0.01 1500 0.026 Experiment 2 0.7 0.01 1300 0.04 Experiment 3 0.7 0.01 650 0.05

[0046] In ADAMS, the function for setting up the gripper translation drive is:

[0047] STEP(time, 0, 0, 0.01, -7)+STEP(time, 0.02, -7, 0.03, 7).

[0048] Linear motor translation drive setting function:

[0049] Experiment 1:

[0050] STEP( time , 0 , 0 , 0.01 , -3)+STEP( time , 0.01 , 0 , 0.018 , -13)+STEP( time , 0.018 , -13 , 0.026 , 13);

[0051] Experiment 2:

[0052] STEP( time , 0 , 0 , 0.01 , -3)+STEP( time , 0.01 , 0 , 0.02 , -13)+STEP( time , 0.02 , -13 , 0.03 , 13);

[0053] Experiment 3:

[0054] STEP( time , 0 , 0 , 0.01 , -3)+STEP( time , 0.01 , 0 , 0.03 , -13)+STEP( time , 0.03 , -13 , 0.04 , 13);

[0055] Please refer to Figures 9 to 11 The results showed that when the linear motor speed was 1300 mm / s, the trajectory of the blade tip best matched the shape of the pineapple eye, and the entire process of removing the eye from a single pineapple took 0.106 seconds. By observing the blade tip trajectory, it was found that the parallel opening and closing type cylinder uses an oblique line to conform to the conical shape of the pineapple eye to complete the gripping of the pineapple eye.

[0056] This utility model provides a pineapple eye removal end effector. A parallel-opening cylinder, under external air pressure control, enables the first and second grippers to close and open. The eye-removing grippers have undergone structural design and optimization. Based on the morphological characteristics of the pineapple's eyes, the eye-removing gripper is designed using contour mapping. Kinematic and dynamic simulations determine the eye-removing trajectory and contact force of the end effector. Finite element analysis is then used to determine the equivalent stress and overall deformation of the eye-removing gripper, and the structure is optimized and material strength is checked, thereby achieving a better eye-removing effect.

[0057] Furthermore, the pineapple eye-removing end effector provided in the embodiments of this utility model has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principle and implementation of this utility model. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core idea of ​​this utility model. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation and application scope based on the idea of ​​this utility model. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

Claims

1. A pineapple eye-removing end effector, characterized in that, The pineapple eye-removing end effector includes a first gripper, a second gripper, and a parallel opening and closing type cylinder; The first gripper is movably connected to the parallel opening and closing type cylinder; The second gripper is movably connected to the parallel opening and closing type cylinder; The depth of the eyeless claw in both the first and second claws is ≥13 mm; The angle of the eyeless claws of both the first claw and the second claw is ≥40°.

2. The pineapple eye-removing end effector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The output end of the parallel opening and closing type cylinder is equipped with a retractable rod; One side of the retractable rod is connected to the first gripper connecting rod.

3. The pineapple eye-removing end effector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The other side of the retractable rod is connected to the second gripper linkage.

4. The pineapple eye-removing end effector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front ends of the first claw and the second claw are blades; The blade has an arc-shaped structure. The blade has a cylindrical reinforcing rib on its arc-shaped structure.

5. The pineapple eye-removing end effector according to claim 4, characterized in that, The blade tip is linear in shape.

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