Mechanical paw for automatic detection of animal drinking water nozzle

Abstract

The utility model relates to automatic detection equipment technical field discloses a kind of mechanical paw for animal automatic drinking water nozzle detection, including test machine body and the longitudinal guide rail being set to the surface of body, further include steering transport component, the component contains sliding bracket, horizontal guide rail, cylinder, motor and pneumatic finger, sliding bracket moves back and forth along longitudinal guide rail, horizontal guide rail is fixed in sliding bracket top and is carried out left and right movement with cylinder, cylinder drives motor and pneumatic finger vertical lifting, motor drives pneumatic finger to rotate around vertical axis, by four-axis linkage structure, flexible capture and multidimensional attitude correction to special-shaped water nozzle are realized.The utility model solves the problem that existing transfer mechanism cannot adjust the angle of water nozzle, leading to assembly difficulty, has compact structure, high transfer precision, beneficial effect of effectively preventing product twist and sliding, significantly improves detection feeding efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automated testing equipment technology, and in particular to a mechanical claw for detecting automatic drinking spouts in animals. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of modern livestock farming, automatic animal drinking systems have become standard equipment. Among these systems, the drinking nozzles, as the core component that directly contacts the animals and controls water flow, have their production quality directly impacting farming efficiency. Therefore, before leaving the factory, the nozzles must undergo rigorous testing for sealing and water flow performance. On automated testing production lines, mechanical devices pick up the nozzles to be tested from the feeding conveyor belt and transfer them to a dedicated testing base.

[0003] However, most existing feeding and transfer devices use simple linear cylinder combinations, which can only achieve single-position movement of the product in the horizontal or vertical direction. Since animal drinking nozzles typically have irregular geometric shapes (such as elbows, threaded interfaces, or specific pressing handles), and the horizontal orientation of the product is often random or inconsistent with the orientation of the testing equipment's base interface during feeding and conveying, if the transfer mechanism lacks angle adjustment capabilities, forcibly pressing the mismatched nozzle into the testing base can easily damage the nozzle interface, cut the seal ring, or even cause the testing equipment to jam and stop.

[0004] Currently, to address this issue, some production lines rely on manual placement or additional turning stations. This not only increases the equipment's footprint and manufacturing costs but also severely limits the improvement of testing efficiency. Therefore, developing an integrated device capable of simultaneously achieving precise displacement and attitude angle correction during high-speed transfer has become a pressing technical challenge in the field of automated testing.

[0005] Therefore, this utility model proposes a mechanical claw for detecting automatic drinking fountains in animals to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of the fact that existing animal drinking spout detection devices cannot simultaneously achieve precise position movement and posture angle adjustment during the loading and transfer process, resulting in problems such as directional deviation, assembly jamming, and low loading efficiency when dealing with irregularly shaped spouts, this utility model aims to provide a mechanical claw for automatic animal drinking spout detection with an improved structure that can effectively solve the above problems.

[0007] This utility model provides a mechanical claw for detecting automatic drinking spouts in animals, comprising: a testing machine body, and a longitudinal guide rail disposed on the surface of the testing machine body; and a steering and transport assembly, the steering and transport assembly comprising a sliding bracket, a transverse guide rail, a cylinder, a motor, and a pneumatic finger.

[0008] The steering and transport component achieves flexible spatial grasping and attitude correction through a multi-axis linkage design.

[0009] Furthermore, the sliding bracket is slidably connected to the longitudinal guide rail via a longitudinal slider and reciprocates back and forth along the length of the longitudinal guide rail; the transverse guide rail is fixedly connected to the top of the sliding bracket, and a transverse slide block is slidably connected to the transverse guide rail; the cylinder is fixedly installed on the transverse slide block and reciprocates left and right along the length of the transverse guide rail with the transverse slide block; the output end of the cylinder is provided with a lifting connecting plate, and the cylinder is fixedly connected to the housing of the motor via the lifting connecting plate, and the motor can perform vertical lifting and lowering movements following the extension and retraction of the cylinder; the pneumatic finger is fixedly connected to the output shaft end of the motor, and the pneumatic finger can rotate around the vertical axis under the drive of the motor, thereby achieving precise control of the product gripping angle.

[0010] Preferably, the length direction of the transverse guide rail is perpendicular to the length direction of the longitudinal guide rail, and the extension and retraction direction of the cylinder is perpendicular to the length direction of the transverse guide rail, thereby constructing a standard XYZ three-axis rectangular coordinate system motion platform to ensure the mathematical controllability and mechanical stability of the motion trajectory.

[0011] Preferably, an L-shaped connecting plate is provided between the cylinder and the motor. The vertical surface of the L-shaped connecting plate is fixedly connected to the end of the piston rod of the cylinder, and the horizontal surface of the L-shaped connecting plate is fixedly connected to the top of the motor housing. This rigid connection structure effectively transmits the lifting force and enhances the shock resistance of the assembly during high-frequency lifting.

[0012] Preferably, the sliding bracket includes a horizontal mounting plate and a guide slide fixed to the bottom of the horizontal mounting plate. The guide slide is connected to the guide surface of the longitudinal guide rail. The transverse guide rail is fixed to the upper surface of the horizontal mounting plate by bolts, thus realizing the compact integration of the longitudinal motion unit and the transverse motion unit.

[0013] Preferably, the pneumatic finger includes a pneumatic drive body and two opposing gripping claws. The two gripping claws are slidably connected to the bottom of the pneumatic drive body, and the inner sides of the two gripping claws are provided with anti-slip textures adapted to the shape of animal drinking spouts to increase gripping friction and prevent irregular products from slipping or deflecting during high-speed transfer.

[0014] Preferably, the outer side of the test machine body is provided with an installation step, and the longitudinal guide rail is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the installation step by screws. This design optimizes the installation height of the guide rail and facilitates cleaning and maintenance by maintenance personnel.

[0015] Preferably, a limit sensor is also provided on the transverse guide rail. The limit sensor is used to detect the extreme position of the cylinder during the transverse movement in real time to prevent mechanical collision and ensure the safe operation of the equipment.

[0016] Preferably, the cylinder is a double-acting cylinder with an anti-torsion structure, the motor is a servo motor or a stepper motor, and the motor is fixedly connected to the top of the pneumatic finger through a flange to meet the high-precision requirements for angle control.

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

[0018] 1. This utility model, by setting up a steering and transportation component including longitudinal guide rails, transverse guide rails, cylinders and motors, constructs a four-axis linkage system integrating horizontal displacement, vertical lifting and angular rotation. It solves the problem that existing linear transfer mechanisms cannot adjust the posture of irregular water nozzles, resulting in installation alignment failure. It achieves the technical effect of flexibly and accurately correcting the orientation of water nozzles according to the needs of the detection base during the rapid grabbing and transportation of products, realizing automated anti-torsion and precise assembly.

[0019] 2. This utility model, through the cylinder output end driving the motor and pneumatic fingers to lift and lower as a whole, and the motor driving the pneumatic fingers to rotate independently, solves the problem of excessive end load or sluggish action caused by the dispersed drive source arrangement of traditional robotic arms. It achieves a compact structure, small motion inertia, and can simultaneously complete lifting, reversing and lateral movement within one action cycle, significantly improving the technical effect of automated detection and feeding cycle.

[0020] 3. This utility model solves the problem of small, irregular water nozzles easily shifting or slipping during high-speed start-stop by using a precise combination of guide rails and sliders in the longitudinal and lateral movement dimensions, combined with the anti-slip texture design on the pneumatic finger gripper. It achieves stable operation, high repeatability, and can effectively adapt to the gripping needs of water nozzles of different specifications. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a mechanical claw for detecting automatic drinking spouts in animals, as proposed in this utility model.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the steering and transport assembly of a mechanical claw for detecting automatic drinking fountains in animals, as proposed in this utility model.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic finger of a mechanical claw for detecting automatic drinking spouts in animals, as proposed in this utility model.

[0024] Legend:

[0025] 1. Test machine body; 2. Steering and transport components; 201. Transverse guide rail; 202. Longitudinal guide rail; 203. Cylinder; 204. Motor; 205. Pneumatic finger; 206. Sliding bracket. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 This utility model provides a mechanical claw for detecting automatic drinking spouts for animals, which aims to solve the structural defects in the prior art that make it difficult to simultaneously achieve precise displacement and attitude angle adjustment when automatically transferring irregularly shaped small products, resulting in low loading efficiency and inaccurate positioning.

[0028] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the mechanical claw for testing automatic drinking fountains for animals mainly includes a testing machine body 1 as the main support structure, and a steering and transport component 2 which is mechanically mounted on the surface of the testing machine body 1 and used to perform product gripping and transfer actions. The testing machine body 1 provides a stable installation platform and operating space for the entire testing process, while the steering and transport component 2 is used to achieve multi-dimensional spatial movement on the testing machine body 1 to complete the loading, turning and unloading actions of the product.

[0029] Specifically, the outer side of the test machine body 1 is integrally formed or welded with an installation step. The upper surface of the installation step extends horizontally in the front-back direction. The longitudinal guide rail 202 is fastened to the upper surface of the installation step by screws. The longitudinal guide rail 202 serves as a motion reference in the Y-axis direction and is used to guide the steering transport assembly 2 to adjust its front-back position. The sliding bracket 206 in the steering transport assembly 2 is located above the longitudinal guide rail 202. The bottom of the sliding bracket 206 is provided with a longitudinal slider that is fixedly connected to it. The longitudinal slider and the guide surface of the longitudinal guide rail 202 are slidably connected, so that the sliding bracket 206 can move smoothly back and forth along the length of the longitudinal guide rail 202 under the drive of the ground, thereby realizing the coarse positioning or fine adjustment of the mechanical gripper in the longitudinal direction.

[0030] The sliding bracket 206 serves as an intermediate carrier connecting longitudinal and lateral movements. Its main structure includes a horizontally mounted plate and a guide slide located at the bottom of the horizontal mounting plate. The guide slide is the component that cooperates with the longitudinal guide rail 202. The upper surface of the horizontal mounting plate is used to support the lateral movement mechanism. Through this layered structural layout, the longitudinal and lateral degrees of freedom are effectively physically integrated, providing a stable mechanical foundation for subsequent complex transfer operations.

[0031] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the mechanical claw for detecting the automatic drinking spout of the animal also includes a transverse guide rail 201, and the transverse guide rail 201 forms a specific structural fit and connection relationship with the aforementioned sliding bracket 206 and cylinder 203.

[0032] Please refer to the following carefully. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The core structure will be described in detail below:

[0033] The transverse guide rail 201 has a straight guiding structure extending horizontally along its length, and the length direction of the transverse guide rail 201 is perpendicular to the length direction of the longitudinal guide rail 202. The transverse guide rail 201 is firmly mounted on the upper surface of the horizontal mounting plate of the sliding bracket 206 by bolts, and its function is to provide a stable lateral movement reference for the subsequent cylinder 203, ensuring that the product can make precise left and right displacements in the horizontal plane.

[0034] Meanwhile, a transverse slide block is slidably mounted on the transverse guide rail 201. This transverse slide block forms a precise sliding fit with the guide surface of the transverse guide rail 201. The housing of the cylinder 203 is fixedly connected to the transverse slide block by screws or a mounting plate. This orthogonally arranged guide rail-slider fit structure ensures that the cylinder 203 maintains extremely high straightness and stability when it is driven by the transverse guide rail 201, effectively resisting the inertial deflection force generated by high-speed movement.

[0035] Furthermore, the cylinder 203, as the actuator for Z-axis lifting motion, has its output end, the piston rod end, fixedly connected to the motor 204 via a connector. Specifically, an L-shaped connecting plate is provided between the cylinder 203 and the motor 204. The vertical surface of this L-shaped connecting plate is fixed to the piston rod end of the cylinder 203 with fasteners, while its horizontal surface is fixedly connected to the top of the motor 204 housing. This connection method allows the motor 204 to perform vertical lifting motion following the extension and retraction of the cylinder 203, thereby achieving adjustment of the product's height.

[0036] Motor 204 serves as the power source for the rotational motion along the θ-axis. Its output shaft is fixedly connected to the top of pneumatic finger 205 via a flange. Pneumatic finger 205 can rotate around a vertical axis under the precise drive of motor 204 to correct the product's posture angle. The pneumatic circuit control within pneumatic finger 205 and the circuit control of motor 204 can be implemented using conventional PLCs or controllers by those skilled in the art. Their specific internal structures are well-known in the field and will not be described in detail here.

[0037] Based on the above embodiments, the present invention may further include the following preferred technical solutions:

[0038] As a preferred embodiment, in order to enhance the stability and bending moment resistance of the connection structure between cylinder 203 and motor 204, the connection between cylinder 203 and motor 204 is specifically designed as an L-shaped connecting plate. The L-shaped connecting plate is preferably made of high-strength aluminum alloy or stainless steel. Its vertical surface is fastened to the end of piston rod of cylinder 203 by multiple bolts, and its horizontal surface is firmly fixed to the top of housing of motor 204 by screws. This L-shaped structure is not only easy to install, but also effectively shares the inertial torque generated by motor 204 and pneumatic finger 205 during rapid movement.

[0039] As another preferred embodiment, in order to improve the stability of the sliding bracket 206 during movement and reduce wear, the specific structure of the sliding bracket 206 includes a horizontal mounting plate and a guide slide fixed to the bottom of the horizontal mounting plate. The guide slide is equipped with a self-lubricating bushing or ball assembly, which forms a low-friction sliding fit with the guide surface of the longitudinal guide rail 202. The transverse guide rail 201 is vertically installed on the upper surface of the horizontal mounting plate by high-strength bolts to ensure the perpendicularity accuracy of the X-axis and Y-axis.

[0040] As another preferred embodiment, in order to ensure that the pneumatic finger 205 can firmly grasp animal drinking spouts of different sizes and prevent the products from slipping, the inner contact surfaces of the two gripping claws of the pneumatic finger 205 are processed with anti-slip textures. The anti-slip textures can be diamond knurling or strip toothed textures, which can significantly increase the friction between the gripping claws and the product surface.

[0041] As another preferred embodiment, in order to facilitate the installation and height adjustment of the longitudinal guide rail 202, a special installation step is provided on the outer side of the test machine body 1. The longitudinal guide rail 202 is fixed to the precision-machined upper surface of the installation step by countersunk screws. This design makes the installation reference surface of the guide rail higher than the side wall of the machine body, which facilitates subsequent maintenance and cleaning.

[0042] As another preferred embodiment, in order to prevent the moving parts from exceeding their stroke range and causing equipment damage, a limit sensor is provided at the end area of ​​the transverse guide rail 201 or the longitudinal guide rail 202. The limit sensor can be a photoelectric switch or a micro switch, used to detect the limit position of the cylinder 203 or the sliding bracket 206 in real time and feed back a signal to the control system.

[0043] As another preferred embodiment, in order to prevent the cylinder 203 from rotating when lifting heavy objects, thereby affecting the angular accuracy, the cylinder 203 is preferably a double-acting cylinder with an anti-torsion structure, such as a double-rod cylinder or a cylinder with a guide rod, to ensure that the piston rod does not rotate circumferentially during extension and retraction.

[0044] As another preferred embodiment, in order to meet the control requirements of different precision and speed, the motor 204 can be a servo motor or a stepper motor according to the actual working conditions, and the output shaft of the motor 204 is connected to the pneumatic finger 205 through a flange. The use of the flange increases the connection rigidity and ensures the effective transmission of rotational torque.

[0045] The working principle of this mechanical claw for detecting automatic drinking fountains in animals is as follows:

[0046] When the automated feeding process is started, the feeding equipment delivers the animal drinking spout to be tested to the predetermined picking position. At this time, the control system issues a command, and the pneumatic finger 205 moves under the drive of the air source. The two gripping claws with anti-slip texture close and firmly grip the outer wall of the product to complete the gripping action.

[0047] Subsequently, in order to adapt to the installation direction of the subsequent unloading device base, the motor 204 starts, driving the pneumatic finger 205 connected to the flange to rotate around the vertical axis, adjusting the product to a precise preset angle. At the same time or immediately afterward, the cylinder 203 is activated, the piston rod retracts, and the motor 204 and the pneumatic finger 205 are lifted upward as a whole through the L-shaped connecting plate, so that the product is removed from the loading station. The anti-torsion structure inside the cylinder 203 ensures the angular stability during the lifting process.

[0048] Next, in order to transport the product from the loading area to the unloading area, the transverse guide rail 201 drives the transverse slide block on it to move the cylinder 203 assembly horizontally along the X-axis. At the same time, according to the specific coordinates of the unloading position, the longitudinal guide rail 202 drives the sliding bracket 206 to make fine adjustments to its position along the Y-axis. Through the linkage or step-by-step action of the X-axis and Y-axis, the product is accurately transported to the top of the unloading equipment base.

[0049] Finally, once the alignment is confirmed, cylinder 203 actuates again, the piston rod extends, and the product descends to the base installation height. Pneumatic fingers 205 open to release the product, completing the installation. Then, the transport component 2 resets, ready for the next cycle of gripping and transferring. Throughout the process, the precise cooperation of each guide rail and slider, as well as the angle control of motor 204, effectively solves the problems of position deviation and posture torsion of the product during the transfer process.

[0050] 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 mechanical gripper for detecting automatic drinking fountains in animals, comprising: The test machine body (1) and the longitudinal guide rail (202) fixedly connected to the surface of the test machine body (1). The mechanical claw is characterized in that it further includes a steering and transport assembly (2), which includes a sliding bracket (206), a transverse guide rail (201), a cylinder (203), a motor (204), and a pneumatic finger (205). The sliding bracket (206) is slidably connected to the longitudinal guide rail (202) via a sliding block, and reciprocates along the length direction of the longitudinal guide rail (202); The bottom of the transverse guide rail (201) is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the sliding bracket (206), and the length direction of the transverse guide rail (201) is perpendicular to the length direction of the longitudinal guide rail (202). The housing of the cylinder (203) is fixedly connected to the slider of the transverse guide rail (201), and the cylinder (203) can reciprocate along the length direction of the transverse guide rail (201) following the slider. The piston rod end of the cylinder (203) is fixedly connected to the housing of the motor (204) through a connector. The motor (204) can move vertically up and down following the extension and retraction of the cylinder (203). The extension and retraction direction of the cylinder (203) is perpendicular to the length direction of the transverse guide rail (201). The pneumatic finger (205) is fixedly connected to the output shaft end of the motor (204), and the pneumatic finger (205) can rotate around the vertical axis under the drive of the motor (204).

2. The mechanical gripper for detecting automatic drinking fountains in animals according to claim 1, characterized in that, An L-shaped connecting plate is provided between the motor (204) and the piston rod end of the cylinder (203). The vertical surface of the L-shaped connecting plate is fixedly connected to the piston rod end of the cylinder (203), and the horizontal surface of the L-shaped connecting plate is fixedly connected to the top of the housing of the motor (204).

3. The mechanical gripper for detecting automatic drinking spouts in animals according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sliding bracket (206) includes a horizontal mounting plate and a guide slide fixed to the bottom of the horizontal mounting plate. The guide slide is connected to the guide rail surface of the longitudinal guide rail (202). The transverse guide rail (201) is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the horizontal mounting plate by bolts.

4. The mechanical gripper for detecting automatic drinking spouts in animals according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pneumatic finger (205) includes a pneumatic drive body and two opposing gripping claws. The two gripping claws are slidably connected to the bottom of the pneumatic drive body, and the inner sides of the two gripping claws are provided with anti-slip textures adapted to the shape of an animal's drinking spout.

5. The mechanical gripper for detecting automatic drinking spouts in animals according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer side of the test machine body (1) is provided with an installation step, and the longitudinal guide rail (202) is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the installation step by screws.

6. The mechanical gripper for detecting automatic drinking fountains in animals according to claim 1, characterized in that, Limit sensors are also provided on the transverse guide rail (201) or the longitudinal guide rail (202), and the limit sensors are used to detect the extreme movement positions of the cylinder (203) or the sliding bracket (206) on the corresponding guide rail.

7. The mechanical gripper for detecting automatic drinking fountains in animals according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cylinder (203) is a double-acting cylinder, and the piston rod end of the cylinder (203) is provided with an anti-torsion structure.

8. The mechanical gripper for detecting automatic drinking fountains in animals according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motor (204) is a servo motor or a stepper motor, and the pneumatic finger (205) is fixedly connected to the output shaft end of the motor (204) via a flange.

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