A motion robot arm for fruit picking

Abstract

The utility model discloses a motion mechanical arm for picking fruit trees belongs to agricultural machinery technical field. The motion mechanical arm includes picking car, mechanical arm, picking mechanism, fixed frame, hopper and collection box, wherein picking mechanism realizes stable and reliable clamping through gear connecting rod structure, and its clamping arm is equipped with antiskid strip, fixed frame is installed on picking car, hopper is installed on fixed frame, and collection box is located below it, the inner wall of hopper is inclined plane, rotatably is equipped with plastic rotating plate in the inside, and the inner bottom wall of collection box is equipped with buffer pad, and together constitute complete multistage buffer collection system, the utility model discloses the structure, and the fruit under picking successively carries out multistage buffering through the hopper inclined plane, rotating plate and buffer pad, effectively avoids the damage of fruit in the collection process due to the collision, and stable and reliable picking action improves the fruit intact rate and commodity quality of automatic picking significantly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of agricultural machinery technology, and in particular to a robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of agricultural modernization, the scale of fruit tree planting is expanding daily. However, the harvesting process still largely relies on traditional manual labor. Manual harvesting is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also faces increasing difficulties in finding and hiring labor due to rising labor costs and a shrinking agricultural workforce, severely hindering the sustainable development of the fruit industry.

[0003] To address these issues, automated harvesting technology has emerged, with robotic arms being the mainstream technological development direction. Existing robotic arms typically have gripper-type end effectors at their ends. After sensing and identifying the position and ripeness of the fruit through vision systems, the robotic arm is controlled to move and drive the grippers to grasp the fruit, then pulls or twists it off the branch.

[0004] However, existing technologies generally have shortcomings in transferring harvested fruit to collection containers. In pursuit of overall harvesting efficiency, robotic arms typically move quickly to the ground or above a large collection box on the harvesting vehicle after gripping the fruit, and then release the gripper directly. Since fruits (such as apples, peaches, and pears) are usually quite fragile, they will directly collide with the rigid inner wall of the collection box or other already harvested fruit during their free fall. This direct, unbuffered collision easily causes scratches and dents on the fruit surface, and even damages internal tissues, severely affecting the fruit's commercial quality and subsequent storage life, significantly diminishing the practical value of automated harvesting.

[0005] To address this problem, a robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting is proposed. Utility Model Content

[0006] To overcome the above shortcomings, this utility model provides a robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting, aiming to improve the problem that the existing technology lacks an effective buffer structure, which easily leads to surface damage or internal tissue damage to the fruit due to collision, thereby affecting the commercial quality of the fruit.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting, comprising: a harvesting vehicle, a robotic arm mounted on the harvesting vehicle, a harvesting mechanism mounted at the end of the robotic arm, and a collection box; further comprising a fixed frame, a feeding hopper mounted on the fixed frame, and a buffer pad disposed in the collection box.

[0008] The inner wall of the hopper is inclined, and a rotating plate for blocking and releasing the fruit is rotatably provided inside it.

[0009] The fixed frame is fixedly installed on the harvesting vehicle, and the feeding hopper is located on the fixed frame and above the collection box, thereby forming a multi-level buffer collection system;

[0010] Preferably, the harvesting mechanism includes a support frame, an electric motor mounted on the support frame, a drive wheel driven by the electric motor, a driven wheel one and a driven wheel two connected to the drive wheel, a connecting shaft connected to the driven wheel one and the driven wheel two, a connecting rod driven by the connecting shaft, a transmission rod driven by the driven wheel two, a clamping rod connected to the connecting rod and the transmission rod, and a clamping arm driven by the clamping rod.

[0011] Preferably, the harvesting mechanism further includes a support rod, one end of which is rotatably connected to the support frame and the other end is rotatably connected to the clamping arm;

[0012] Preferably, the clamping arm is provided with a rubber anti-slip strip;

[0013] Preferably, the driven wheel one and the driven wheel two are meshed with each other;

[0014] Preferably, the rotating plate is made of plastic.

[0015] Preferably, the present invention further includes a knob, which is connected to the rotating plate to drive it to rotate;

[0016] Preferably, the buffer pad is disposed on the inner bottom wall of the collection box.

[0017] This utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] 1. In this utility model, by setting up a multi-stage buffer collection system consisting of a hopper, a rotating plate, and a buffer pad, double buffer protection is achieved for the harvested fruit. The fruit first decelerates and slides down in the inclined hopper and is initially buffered by the plastic rotating plate. Then it falls onto the buffer pad at the bottom of the collection box for final buffering. This reduces the impact force caused by collision and falling of the fruit during the collection process, effectively avoiding bumps, scratches, and internal tissue damage to the fruit, and significantly improving the integrity rate and commercial value of the fruit harvested automatically.

[0019] 2. In this invention, a gear system and multi-link mechanism driven by an electric motor achieve smooth and highly repeatable clamping action. Simultaneously, the support rod enhances the structural rigidity of the clamping arm, effectively preventing swaying and displacement during fruit clamping and movement. The rubber anti-slip strips on the clamping arm increase friction without damaging the fruit peel, ensuring stable fruit gripping with minimal clamping force and further reducing the risk of physical damage to the fruit. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting proposed in this utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the top structure of a fruit-picking vehicle with a robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting, as proposed in this utility model.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the picking mechanism of a robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting proposed in this utility model;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping arm structure of a robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting proposed in this utility model;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the hopper structure of a robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting proposed in this utility model.

[0025] Legend:

[0026] 1. Harvesting vehicle; 2. Robotic arm; 3. Harvesting mechanism; 301. Support frame; 302. Electric motor; 303. Drive wheel; 304. Connecting shaft; 305. Driven wheel one; 306. Driven wheel two; 307. Transmission rod; 308. Clamping rod; 309. Connecting rod; 310. Clamping arm; 311. Support rod; 312. Rubber anti-slip strip; 4. Fixing frame; 5. Feed hopper; 6. Turning plate; 7. Knob; 8. Collection box; 9. Buffer pad. 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 of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0028] Reference Figures 1-5This utility model provides an embodiment of a robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting, which aims to solve the problem of fruit damage caused by mechanical harvesting in the prior art; it includes a harvesting vehicle 1, a robotic arm 2, a harvesting mechanism 3, and a collection box 8. The harvesting vehicle 1 is the mobile carrier of the entire device. The robotic arm 2 is fixedly mounted on the harvesting vehicle 1. The harvesting mechanism 3 is mounted on the free end of the robotic arm 2 away from the harvesting vehicle 1 and includes a fixed frame 4, a feeding hopper 5, a rotating plate 6, a knob 7, and a buffer pad 9. The fixed frame 4 is firmly fixed to the vehicle body of the harvesting vehicle 1 by welding or bolts. The feeding hopper 5 is fixedly mounted on the upper part of the fixed frame 4. The collection box 8 is detachably placed on the lower part of the fixed frame 4 and is located directly below the feeding hopper 5 to receive the fruit falling from the feeding hopper 5.

[0029] Specifically, the hopper 5 is a container structure with an open top. Inside, there are one or more inclined inner walls for guiding the fruit to slide. Inside the hopper 5, near its discharge port, a rotating plate 6 is rotatably connected via a shaft. The rotating plate 6 is preferably made of plastic and is sized to block the discharge port of the hopper 5. It also includes a knob 7, one end of which extends outside the hopper 5 for easy operation, and the other end is fixedly connected to the rotating plate 6. By manually or automatically turning the knob 7, the rotating plate 6 can be rotated around its shaft, thereby opening or closing the discharge port of the hopper 5 to control the timing of the fruit falling. A cushioning pad 9 is laid on the inner bottom wall of the collection box 8. The cushioning pad 9 can be made of elastic materials such as sponge, foamed rubber, or silicone to provide final cushioning protection for the fruit falling from the hopper 5 and prevent the fruit from being damaged by impact.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the internal structure of the harvesting mechanism 3 achieves the opening and closing action of its end clamping arm 310 through a series of gears and connecting rods in precise coordination. The harvesting mechanism 3 includes a support frame 301 as a base, and an electric motor 302 is fixedly mounted on the support frame 301 by bolts, serving as the power source for the entire harvesting action. The output shaft of the electric motor 302 is coaxially fixedly connected to a drive wheel 303. A driven wheel 305 and a driven wheel 306 are also rotatably mounted on the support frame 301. The teeth of the drive wheel 303 mesh with the teeth of the driven wheel 305 and the driven wheel 306 to form a reliable gear transmission relationship.

[0031] Driven wheel 1 305 and driven wheel 2 306 are respectively coaxially fixedly connected to connecting shafts 304. One end of connecting rod 309 is rotatably connected to each connecting shaft 304. One end of transmission rod 307 is also eccentrically rotatably connected to driven wheel 2 306. One end of clamping rod 308 is rotatably connected to the other end of connecting rod 309 and the other end of transmission rod 307 respectively. Clamping arms 310 are respectively fixedly connected to the corresponding clamping rods 308, so that the single rotational motion of electric motor 302 can be converted into a pair of clamping arms 310 synchronous and precise opening and closing motion through the above gear linkage mechanism.

[0032] To ensure the stability of the clamping process and prevent the clamping arm 310 from shaking when subjected to force, the harvesting mechanism 3 also includes a support rod 311. One end of the support rod 311 is rotatably connected to the support frame 301 via a pin, and the other end is also rotatably connected to the middle of the clamping arm 310 via a pin, forming a stable support structure. In order to prevent damage to the fruit peel and provide sufficient friction to prevent slippage when clamping the fruit, rubber anti-slip strips 312 are fixedly pasted on the opposite inner surfaces of each clamping arm 310.

[0033] Working principle: When using this robotic arm to harvest fruit trees, firstly, the harvesting cart 1 serves as the mobile carrier of the entire device, which can move flexibly within the orchard, carrying the robotic arm 2 and other components to the location of the fruit trees to be harvested. The robotic arm 2 is mounted on the harvesting cart 1 and can extend and rotate in multiple directions, thereby adjusting the position of the harvesting mechanism 3 so that it is close to the fruit to be harvested. After harvesting, the fruit is collected through the hopper 5 and the collection box 8.

[0034] When the robotic arm 2 moves the harvesting mechanism 3 to a suitable harvesting position, the electric motor 302 of the harvesting mechanism 3 starts. The electric motor 302 drives the drive wheel 303 to rotate, and the drive wheel 303, under force, drives the driven wheel 305 to rotate. The driven wheel 305 then drives the driven wheel 306, which meshes with it, to rotate. The driven wheels 305 and 306 respectively drive the connecting shaft 304 connected to them to rotate, which in turn drives the connecting rod 309 to rotate. At the same time, the rotation of the driven wheel 306 also causes the transmission rod 307 to move. 307 and connecting rod 309 simultaneously drive clamping rod 308 to open and close. At the same time, one end of support rod 311 rotates on support frame 301, and the other end is rotatably connected to clamping arm 310, providing a stable fulcrum for clamping arm 310 and preventing clamping arm 310 from shaking or shifting during fruit clamping, thus enabling clamping arm 310 to open and close. Rubber anti-slip strip 312 on clamping arm 310 can increase the friction between it and the fruit, ensuring stable fruit clamping and preventing fruit from slipping. After clamping the fruit, robotic arm 2 drives harvesting mechanism 3 to move and harvest the fruit.

[0035] During the harvesting process, the robotic arm 2 drives the harvesting mechanism 3 to deliver the harvested fruit to the top of the hopper 5. Then, the clamping arm 310 releases, and the fruit falls into the hopper 5. During this process, because the inner wall of the hopper 5 is inclined, the fruit slides freely inside the hopper 5 and is blocked by the rotating plate 6 inside the hopper 5. The rotating plate 6 is made of plastic and can provide cushioning for the fruit. Then, turning the knob 7 can drive the rotating plate 6 to rotate, controlling the opening and closing of the discharge port of the hopper 5, so that the fruit can smoothly enter the collection box 8. The buffer pad 9 inside the collection box 8 can cushion the falling fruit and prevent the fruit from being damaged by impact. Finally, the collection box 8 is used to collect and store the harvested fruit.

Claims

1. A robotic arm for harvesting fruit from trees, comprising: Picking vehicle (1); A robotic arm (2) is mounted on the harvesting vehicle (1); The picking mechanism (3) is installed at the end of the robotic arm (2); And the collection box (8); The feature is that it also includes a fixed frame (4) installed on the picking vehicle (1), a feeding hopper (5) installed on the fixed frame (4), and a buffer pad (9) disposed in the collection box (8); the collection box (8) is disposed below the feeding hopper (5); The inner wall of the hopper (5) is inclined, and a rotating plate (6) is rotatably connected inside the hopper (5).

2. The robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The harvesting mechanism (3) includes: Support frame (301); An electric motor (302) mounted on the support frame (301), a drive wheel (303) driven by the electric motor (302), and driven wheel one (305) and driven wheel two (306) connected to the drive wheel (303). A connecting shaft (304) is connected to the driven wheel one (305) and the driven wheel two (306); a connecting rod (309) is driven by the connecting shaft (304); The transmission rod (307) driven by the driven wheel (306), the clamping rod (308) connected to the connecting rod (309) and the transmission rod (307), and the clamping arm (310) driven by the clamping rod (308).

3. The robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting according to claim 2, characterized in that: The harvesting mechanism (3) also includes a support rod (311), one end of which is rotatably connected to the support frame (301), and the other end is rotatably connected to the clamping arm (310).

4. The robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting according to claim 2, characterized in that: A rubber anti-slip strip (312) is provided on the clamping arm (310).

5. A robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driven wheel one (305) and the driven wheel two (306) mesh with each other.

6. A robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating plate (6) is made of plastic.

7. A robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting according to claim 1, characterized in that: It further includes a knob (7) connected to the rotating plate (6) to drive it to rotate.

8. A robotic arm for fruit tree harvesting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The buffer pad (9) is disposed on the inner bottom wall of the collection box (8).

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