Fruit harvesting tool

Abstract

To provide a structurally new fruit harvesting tool capable of more reliably and easily cutting a fruit stem and capable of suppressing great variation in the length of the fruit stem extending from a fruit after harvest.SOLUTION: A fruit harvesting tool 10, which harvests a fruit 16 by cutting a fruit stem 20, comprises an inner peripheral side member 36 and an outer peripheral side member 38, which are arranged to be relatively movable in a circumferential direction on the outer peripheral side of the fruit 16. The inner peripheral side member 36 and the outer peripheral side member 38 have pinching end edge parts 50 and 76 that pinch the fruit stem 20 by getting closer to each other by relative movement in the circumferential direction. At least one of the pinching end edge part 50 of the inner peripheral side member 36 and the pinching end edge part 76 of the outer peripheral side member 38 is provided with a cutting blade 90.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fruit harvesting tool that harvests fruit by, for example, cutting the fruit stalk that connects the branch to the fruit. [Background technology]

[0002] Harvesting work is hard work for agricultural workers, and fruit harvesting in particular is physically demanding due to the lack of automation. Under these circumstances, fruit harvesting devices are proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2021-36821 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2022-67417 (Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-36821 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-67417 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the harvesting robot described in Patent Document 1 twists a harvesting ring that passes through the fruit to tear off the stalk, which has the problem that its applicable uses are limited to things that can be harvested by tearing, such as tomatoes and apples.

[0005] In addition, the harvesting hand described in Patent Document 2 is equipped with a hand section that grips the fruit stalk and a scissors section that swings relatively around a support shaft to cut the fruit stalk, and has a complex structure.In addition, if the fruit stalk is hard, the fruit stalk is sent toward the tip of the scissors section when cutting with the scissors section, making it difficult to cut.

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a fruit harvesting tool with a novel structure that can cut fruit stalks more reliably and easily and can reduce the large variation in the length of the fruit stalks extending from the fruit after harvesting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The following describes preferred embodiments for understanding the present invention, but the embodiments described below are merely examples and may be appropriately combined with one another. Multiple components described in each embodiment may be recognized and employed independently to the greatest extent possible, and may also be appropriately combined with any of the components described in other embodiments. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and various other embodiments may be realized.

[0008] The first aspect is a fruit harvesting tool that cuts fruit stalks to harvest fruit, and includes an inner peripheral member and an outer peripheral member that are arranged on the outer periphery of the fruit so that they can move relatively circumferentially. The inner peripheral member and the outer peripheral member have clamping edge portions that approach each other through relative circumferential movement and clamp the fruit stalk, and at least one of the clamping edge portions of the inner peripheral member and the outer peripheral member is provided with a cutting blade.

[0009] According to this aspect, the fruit stalk sandwiched between the pinched edge of the inner circumferential member and the pinched edge of the outer circumferential member is cut by a cutting blade provided on at least one of the pinched edge of the inner circumferential member and the pinched edge of the outer circumferential member, which approach each other in the circumferential direction. That is, by moving the inner circumferential member and the outer circumferential member relative to each other in the circumferential direction, the fruit stalk is automatically cut by a shearing action between the pinched edge of the inner circumferential member and the pinched edge of the outer circumferential member, and the fruit is harvested. This eliminates the need for operations such as pinching the fruit stalk or cutting it with scissors, as described in, for example, Patent Document 2, and allows the fruit stalk to be cut more reliably and easily.

[0010] The above-described fruit stalk cutting operation is performed with the fruit contained within the inner peripheral member, so that the amount of protrusion of the fruit stalk toward the outer peripheral side is more or less uniform when the fruit is contained within the inner peripheral member. In particular, when cutting the fruit stalk, the inner peripheral member and the outer peripheral member move relative to each other in the circumferential direction, so that even if the fruit stalk abuts against one of the clamping edges and the fruit and fruit are rotated in the circumferential direction, the cutting blade also moves in the circumferential direction, so that the cutting position of the fruit stalk is approximately uniform, and large variations in the length of the fruit stalk after cutting can be suppressed.

[0011] In this invention and the description of this specification, fruit is interpreted in the broadest sense as a harvestable object produced above ground by a plant, which can be harvested by cutting the branch-like part (fruit stalk) extending from the fruit, and is not limited to being edible; fruit stalk is also interpreted in the broadest sense as the part of the plant that is cut when harvesting the fruit, and includes, for example, the branch-like part of a single fruit or the branch-like part of an aggregate fruit, as well as the main trunk part of the tree.

[0012] In the second aspect, in the fruit harvesting tool described in the first aspect, at least one of the inner side member and the outer side member forms a tubular holding portion that covers the fruit circumferentially, thereby holding the fruit whose stalk has been cut in a contained state and preventing it from falling directly.

[0013] According to this embodiment, for example, it is possible to prevent the fruit from falling to the ground during harvesting, and to avoid damage or deformation of the fruit having a relatively thin skin (especially the outer skin).

[0014] A third aspect is a fruit harvesting tool according to the first or second aspect, wherein the cutting blade is detachable from the inner peripheral member and / or the outer peripheral member.

[0015] According to this aspect, the cutting blade can be changed to a different shape or material depending on the fruit to be harvested, making the fruit harvesting tool of the present invention applicable to multiple types of fruit. Furthermore, by sharpening the removed cutting blade or replacing it with a new cutting blade, the cutting performance of the cutting blade can be maintained without replacing the entire fruit harvesting tool, thereby substantially improving the durability of the fruit harvesting tool.

[0016] In a fourth aspect, in the fruit harvesting tool described in the third aspect, the cutting blade is formed by a flat blade, and a blade holder portion is provided on the outer side member to detachably fix the flat blade, and the flat blade is fixed to the blade holder portion in a state in which the cutting blade protrudes obliquely from the outer side of the outer side member toward the inner side and toward the narrow end edge portion of the inner side member.

[0017] According to this aspect, by employing a flat blade as the cutting blade, the shape of the cutting blade can be simplified, and the cutting blade can be manufactured easily and inexpensively.

[0018] In a fifth aspect, in a fruit harvesting tool described in any one of the first to fourth aspects, at least one of the clamping edge portion of the inner peripheral member and the clamping edge portion of the outer peripheral member is provided with a circumferential protrusion that protrudes in opposing circumferential directions at the tip end portion where the fruit stalk is inserted between the opposing circumferential edges of the two clamping edge portions.

[0019] According to this aspect, a circumferential protrusion is provided on a tip end portion of at least one of the clamping edge portions of the inner peripheral member and the outer peripheral member, protruding in the circumferentially opposing direction of the clamping edge portions. Therefore, when harvesting fruit (cutting the fruit stalk), with the fruit contained inside the inner peripheral member, the fruit stalk protruding outward through the circumferentially opposing gap between the clamping edge portions comes into contact with the circumferential protrusion, preventing the fruit stalk from unintentionally slipping out from the circumferentially opposing gap between the clamping edge portions and becoming unable to be cut.

[0020] In a sixth aspect, in the fruit harvesting tool described in the fifth aspect, the circumferential protrusion has an inclined guide surface that gradually protrudes in opposing circumferential directions toward the tip side where the insertion opening for the fruit stalk is located between the opposing circumferential end edges.

[0021] According to this aspect, when harvesting fruit, the inner and outer peripheral members are moved relative to one another in the circumferential direction, and the inclined guide surface provided on the circumferential protrusion allows the fruit stalk to be pulled in and positioned more reliably between the circumferentially opposing clamping edge portions, thereby enabling the subsequent cutting of the fruit stalk by the cutting blade to be carried out stably.

[0022] In a seventh aspect, in a fruit harvesting tool described in any one of the first to sixth aspects, at least one of the inner side member and the outer side member has a base end tubular portion extending circumferentially and a plurality of comb tooth-shaped portions protruding from the base end tubular portion toward the tip side, so that the fruit stalk can be inserted between adjacent comb tooth-shaped portions in the circumferential direction, and the pinching edge portion is formed by the comb tooth-shaped portions.

[0023] According to this aspect, the pinching edge portion is formed by comb-tooth-shaped portions provided at multiple locations in the circumferential direction, so that the circumferential width dimension between the pinching edge portion of the inner peripheral member and the pinching edge portion of the outer peripheral member can be reduced. For example, when cutting a fruit stalk, the inner peripheral member and the outer peripheral member move relative to each other in the circumferential direction, so that even when the fruit stalk abuts against one of the pinching edge portions and the fruit stalk and fruit are rotated and displaced in the circumferential direction, the amount of circumferential displacement of the fruit stalk and fruit can be reduced, and the fruit stalk can be quickly cut by the cutting blade.

[0024] The eighth aspect is a fruit harvesting tool described in any one of the first to seventh aspects, which is provided with a drive mechanism that exerts a relative circumferential moving force on the inner side member and the outer side member.

[0025] According to this aspect, for example, by employing an electric drive mechanism, the relative circumferential movement of the inner and outer peripheral members and the subsequent cutting of the fruit stalk by the cutting blade can be performed automatically. [Effects of the Invention]

[0026] The fruit harvesting tool of the present invention allows for more reliable and easier cutting of fruit stalks, and also reduces large variations in the length of fruit stalks extending from fruit after harvesting. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a specific example of a robotic harvesting system including a fruit harvesting tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a fruit harvesting tool according to an embodiment of the present invention in an initial state; [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view of the fruit harvester shown in FIG. [Figure 4] IV-IV cross section in Figure 2 [Figure 5] VV cross section in Figure 2 [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the fruit harvester shown in FIG. 2; [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the outer peripheral member of the fruit harvesting tool shown in FIG. 2 has been rotated by a predetermined amount in the circumferential direction relative to the inner peripheral member. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a front view of the fruit harvester shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a specific example of a robotic harvesting system 14 configured by mounting a fruit harvesting tool 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention on a harvesting robot 12. By employing such a robotic harvesting system 14, fruit 16 can be harvested automatically. While the type of fruit 16 harvested by the robotic harvesting system 14 in this embodiment is not limited, it is preferable for the fruit 16 to grow at a certain height above the ground G, such as on a tree. For example, various fruits of the Rutaceae and Rosaceae families are suitable for harvesting. These fruits 16 generally grow at the tips of stalks 20 extending from branches 18, and the fruit harvesting tool 10 harvests the fruit 16 by cutting the stalks 20.

[0030] The specific structure of the harvesting robot 12 is not limited, but for example, the harvesting robot 12 is equipped with a robot arm 22 that can rotate, extend, and bend, and the fruit harvester 10 of this embodiment is attached to the tip of this robot arm 22. This allows the orientation of the fruit harvester 10, the direction in which it approaches the fruits 16, the distance from the fruits 16, etc. to be appropriately changed. As such a robot arm 22, for example, a known robot arm configured including multiple link mechanisms is used, and the base end of the robot arm 22 is fixed to the base 24 of the harvesting robot 12.

[0031] The harvesting robot 12 also includes an imaging unit 26, such as a camera, and a control unit 28 that analyzes images captured by the imaging unit 26 and controls the operation of the robot arm 22. The imaging unit 26 is preferably fixed near the fruit harvester 10, such as at the tip of the robot arm 22, or may be fixed to the fruit harvester 10. The imaging unit 26 may be configured to capture still images and / or videos. The control unit 28 may include, for example, a known microcomputer and is housed inside the base 24. For example, the control unit 28 performs known image processing or other analysis on the images captured by the imaging unit 26 to determine the direction in which the fruit 16 grows relative to the branch 18 (the direction in which the stalk 20 extends), the distance between the fruit 16 and the fruit harvester 10, the position of the fruit 16 hidden by leaves, and the like, and the control unit 28 determines the direction in which the fruit harvester 10 approaches the fruit 16. Furthermore, based on this determination, the control unit 28 controls the robot arm 22 to move the fruit harvesting tool 10 toward the fruit 16 from an appropriate direction. The distance between the fruit 16 and the fruit harvesting tool 10 may be measured by, for example, a distance sensor provided in the imaging unit 26 or a part other than the imaging unit 26.

[0032] The harvesting robot 12 may be equipped with a travel unit 30 including, for example, a motor, wheels, etc., and this travel unit 30 may be controllable by, for example, the control unit 28. The travel direction of the harvesting robot 12 can be changed by changing the direction of the wheels of the travel unit 30. Then, for example, the control unit 28 can ascertain the surrounding terrain and obstacles from images captured by the imaging unit 26, thereby selecting the optimal route from the waiting area to the work position and causing the harvesting robot 12 to travel according to this route.

[0033] In this embodiment, the harvesting robot 12 is equipped with a harvesting basket 32. The harvesting basket 32 ​​is tiltably attached to the base 24, for example, so that the harvesting basket 32 ​​can be maintained in a horizontal position even when the ground G is inclined (i.e., when the harvesting robot 12 is inclined). The tilting of the harvesting basket 32 ​​may be controlled by the control unit 28 using a level sensor or the like. The harvesting basket 32 ​​and the fruit harvesting tool 10 are connected by a flexible tube 34 that serves as a transport device, and the fruits 16 harvested by the fruit harvesting tool 10 are transported and stored in the harvesting basket 32 ​​through the tube 34.

[0034] The fruit harvesting tool 10 of this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 2 to 8. The fruit harvesting tool 10 is cylindrical overall and has a double-tube structure including an inner circumferential member 36 and an outer circumferential member 38, both of which are cylindrical. The inner circumferential member 36 and the outer circumferential member 38 are arranged coaxially with their central axes and overlap each other in the radial direction. A slight gap is formed between the inner circumferential member 36 and the outer circumferential member 38 in the radial direction, allowing the inner circumferential member 36 and the outer circumferential member 38 to move relative to each other in the circumferential direction. Both the inner circumferential member 36 and the outer circumferential member 38 are hard members, and are formed from, for example, synthetic resin or metal, although synthetic resin is preferable from the standpoint of weight. Although the orientation of the fruit harvesting tool 10 is not limited, in the following description, as a general rule, up refers to up in Figure 3, down refers to down in Figure 3, front refers to right in Figure 4, rear refers to left in Figure 4, left refers to left in Figure 3, and right refers to right in Figure 3.

[0035] The inner peripheral member 36 has a cylindrical shape as a whole and includes a base-side tubular portion 40 extending in the circumferential direction and a plurality of comb-tooth-shaped portions 42 protruding from the base-side tubular portion 40 toward the distal end. In this embodiment, the inner peripheral member 36 is disposed so as to extend in the front-rear direction and has an inner hole 44 penetrating in the front-rear direction. The base-side tubular portion 40 is disposed on the rear side, and each comb-tooth-shaped portion 42 protrudes from the distal end (front end) of the base-side tubular portion 40 toward the distal side (front side). In this embodiment, the two comb-tooth-shaped portions 42 are formed with a certain circumferential dimension and are disposed spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction.

[0036] The inner peripheral member 36 also includes a lower peripheral wall portion 46 that protrudes forward from the front end of the base-side tubular portion 40 at a lower portion of the base-side tubular portion 40. The lower peripheral wall portion 46 has a certain circumferential dimension and is spaced apart from the comb-tooth portions 42 in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the lower peripheral wall portion 46 has a circumferential dimension of approximately half the circumference and covers approximately the lower half of the inner peripheral member 36 in the state shown in FIG. 2 and other figures. That is, in the state shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the comb-tooth portions 42 are located in the upper portion of the inner peripheral member 36. The comb-tooth portions 42, the lower peripheral wall portion 46, and the space inside the base-side tubular portion 40 form an inner hole 44 of the inner peripheral member 36 that extends in the front-to-rear direction.

[0037] Furthermore, the circumferential gaps between the comb-tooth portions 42 and between the comb-tooth portions 42 and the lower peripheral wall portion 46 define notched storage recesses 48 into which fruit stalks 20 extending from the fruits 16 are inserted and positioned when harvesting the fruits 16, as described below. In other words, assuming a virtual cylindrical peripheral wall portion constituting the front portion of the inner peripheral member 36, each storage recess 48 has a front opening 49 that opens forward and is formed to penetrate the peripheral wall portion in the thickness direction, and the portions of this peripheral wall portion other than the storage recesses 48 define the comb-tooth portions 42 and the lower peripheral wall portion 46. The circumferential ends of the comb-tooth portions 42 and the lower peripheral wall portion 46 that define both circumferential sides of each storage recess 48 define an inner peripheral clamping edge 50 that clamps the fruit stalk 20 between itself and a clamping edge portion (outer peripheral clamping edge 76) provided on the outer peripheral member 38, as described below. The lower peripheral wall portion 46 can also be understood as a comb-tooth portion 42 having a larger circumferential dimension than the other two, and as a plurality of comb-tooth portions 42 protruding forward from the base-end tubular portion 40, with the circumferential gaps between the comb-tooth portions 42 forming the respective accommodating recesses 48. In other words, it can also be understood that the circumferential ends of each comb-tooth portion 42 form an inner peripheral narrow edge portion 50.

[0038] A retaining projection 52 that projects outward is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the base end (rear end) of the base-end tubular portion 40. This retaining projection 52 prevents the sliding bearing 100, which will be described later, from slipping out rearward. In this embodiment, the retaining projection 52 is formed in an annular shape over the entire circumferential direction.

[0039] In this embodiment, a cylindrical extension tube portion 54 is connected to the base end (rear end) of the inner circumferential member 36. The extension tube portion 54 has an inner hole 56 penetrating in the front-rear direction and is formed of the same material as the inner circumferential member 36 and the outer circumferential member 38. The extension tube portion 54 has approximately the same outer diameter and inner diameter as the inner circumferential member 36. By connecting the inner circumferential member 36 and the extension tube portion 54 in the front-rear direction, the inner hole 44 of the inner circumferential member 36 and the inner hole 56 of the extension tube portion 54 communicate with each other in the front-rear direction. By connecting the extension tube portion 54 to the base end of the inner circumferential member 36 in this manner, the length dimension (front-rear direction dimension) of the inner circumferential member 36 is substantially extended. The method for connecting the inner circumferential member 36 and the extension tube portion 54 is not limited, and known connecting methods such as welding, adhesive bonding, press fitting, concave-convex fitting, bolt (screw) fastening, etc. may be used. In this embodiment, as will be described later, a tube 34 leading to the harvest basket 32 ​​is connected to the extension tubular portion 54, and the harvested fruits 16 are transferred to the harvest basket 32. Therefore, in this embodiment, a tubular holding portion 57 is configured to include the inner circumferential member 36 and the extension tubular portion 54, and the tubular holding portion 57 circumferentially covers the fruits 16, holds the cut fruits 16 in a contained state, and prevents them from falling directly to the ground G.

[0040] The outer circumferential member 38 has an overall cylindrical shape and is disposed in a direction extending in the front-rear direction in this embodiment. In particular, in this embodiment, the outer circumferential member 38 has a generally stepped cylindrical shape, with a large-diameter cylindrical portion 58 having a large diameter at its base end (rear end) and a small-diameter cylindrical portion 60 having a small diameter at its tip end (front end). That is, an annular stepped portion 62 extending in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction is provided between the large-diameter cylindrical portion 58 and the small-diameter cylindrical portion 60. The large-diameter cylindrical portion 58 protrudes rearward from the outer circumferential end of the stepped portion 62, and the small-diameter cylindrical portion 60 protrudes forward from the inner circumferential end of the stepped portion 62. The inner holes of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 58 and the small-diameter cylindrical portion 60 form an inner hole 64 that penetrates the outer circumferential member 38 in the front-rear direction.

[0041] The large-diameter cylindrical portion 58 has a large-diameter circumferential wall portion 66 that extends continuously around the entire circumferential direction. The inner diameter of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 60 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the inner peripheral member 36 (particularly the base-end cylindrical portion 40), and the inner diameter of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 58 (large-diameter circumferential wall portion 66) is larger than the inner diameter of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 60. As a result, when the inner peripheral member 36 and the outer peripheral member 38 are assembled together as described below, a substantially cylindrical accommodation space 68 having a certain length in the front-to-rear direction is formed radially between the base-end cylindrical portion 40 of the inner peripheral member 36 and the large-diameter circumferential wall portion 66 of the outer peripheral member 38. The front portion of this accommodation space 68 is closed by the stepped portion 62, and an annular retaining projection 52 projects radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the base-end cylindrical portion 40 at the rear end of the accommodation space 68. The housing space 68 houses the sliding bearings 100 and spacers 106 described below.

[0042] The small-diameter cylindrical portion 60 has a small-diameter peripheral wall portion 70 that extends circumferentially with a certain circumferential dimension. In this embodiment, the small-diameter peripheral wall portion 70 has a circumferential dimension that is slightly larger than half a circumference, and in the initial state shown in FIG. 2 etc., the small-diameter peripheral wall portion 70 covers a lower portion of the tip portion (front end portion) of the outer peripheral side member 38.

[0043] Furthermore, when a virtual cylindrical peripheral wall portion constituting the front portion (small-diameter cylindrical portion 60) of the outer peripheral member 38 is imagined, the peripheral wall portion can be understood to have a forward opening 72 that opens forward and a storage recess 74 that penetrates the peripheral wall portion in the thickness direction. Similar to the storage recess 48 of the inner peripheral member 36, the storage recess 74 is a notched portion into which a fruit stalk 20 extending from a fruit 16 is inserted and positioned when harvesting the fruit 16, as described below. That is, the virtual peripheral wall portion constituting the small-diameter cylindrical portion 60 in this embodiment is formed with the storage recess 74 having a circumferential dimension slightly smaller than half the circumference, and the portion of this peripheral wall portion other than the storage recess 74 constitutes the small-diameter peripheral wall portion 70. The circumferential ends of the small-diameter peripheral wall portion 70 that constitute both sides of the storage recess 74 constitute an outer-side clamping edge portion 76 that sandwiches the fruit stalk 20 between itself and the inner-side clamping edge portion 50.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a pair of circumferential protrusions 78, 78 protruding in the circumferential direction from each outer peripheral narrow edge 76 toward the inside of the storage recess 74 are provided at the front opening 72, which is the tip portion of the storage recess 74 into which the fruit stalk 20 is inserted when harvesting the fruit 16 (described later). That is, the circumferential protrusions 78 protrude in directions approaching each other, and the front opening 72 of the storage recess 74 is defined by the circumferential space between these circumferential protrusions 78. Therefore, the opening dimension (circumferential dimension) of the front opening 72 is smaller than the circumferential dimension of the storage recess 74 by the amount of each circumferential protrusion 78. Each circumferential protrusion 78 has a certain degree of dimension in the front-to-rear direction.

[0045] In particular, in this embodiment, each circumferential protrusion 78 has an inclined guide surface 80 whose circumferential protrusion dimension gradually increases toward the tip side (front side) where the insertion opening (front opening 72) for the fruit stalk 20 is located. Each of these inclined guide surfaces 80 is provided at the rear portion of the protruding tip surface of each circumferential protrusion 78.

[0046] Furthermore, an outer circumferential side gear 82 is provided on the large diameter cylindrical portion 58 of the outer circumferential side member 38 of this embodiment as a drive mechanism that applies a circumferential moving force to the inner circumferential side member 36. As shown in Fig. 6, the outer circumferential side gear 82 is an annular member that is extrapolated onto the large diameter cylindrical portion 58 and fixed thereto by, for example, screws or bolts (not shown). In this embodiment, the outer circumferential side gear 82 is a double helical gear, and a plurality of cogwheels 84 are provided continuously around the entire circumferential surface of the outer circumferential side gear 82.

[0047] The cogwheel 84 of the outer gear 82 meshes with a cogwheel 88 provided on a motor-side gear 86 fixed to an output shaft extending from an electric motor (not shown). For example, with the inner member 36 (and the extension tubular portion 54) fixed, operating the motor to rotate the output shaft about its central axis causes the motor-side gear 86 to rotate, and the outer gear 82 meshing with the motor-side gear 86 to rotate about its central axis. As a result, the outer member 38 can move about its central axis (circumferential direction) relative to the inner member 36 (and the extension tubular portion 54). Therefore, the drive mechanism of this embodiment includes not only the outer gear 82, but also the motor-side gear 86 and the electric motor. As shown in FIG. 1 , when the fruit harvester 10 of this embodiment is attached to a robot arm 22, the electric motor can be fixed to the robot arm 22 to which the fruit harvester 10 is attached, for example. In addition, this electric motor may be electrically connected to, for example, the control unit 28 in the harvesting robot 12 and controlled by a control signal from the control unit 28.

[0048] Here, a cutting edge 90 is provided on at least one of the outer peripheral pinching edges 76 of the outer peripheral member 38. In this embodiment, a cutting edge 90 is provided on each of the outer peripheral pinching edges 76. In particular, in this embodiment, each cutting edge 90 is formed by a flat blade 92. Specifically, each flat blade 92 protrudes from the outer peripheral side of the outer peripheral member 38 toward the inner peripheral side, and each cutting edge 90 (cutting edge) is formed at the protruding tip of each flat blade 92.

[0049] More specifically, in the small-diameter cylindrical portion 60 of the outer-periphery-side member 38, each flat blade 92 (each cutting blade 90) is detachably attached to the outer peripheral surface at both circumferential ends of the small-diameter peripheral wall portion 70 that constitutes each outer peripheral clamping edge portion 76. That is, a blade holder portion 94 that detachably fixes each flat blade 92 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of each outer peripheral clamping edge portion 76. In this embodiment, an outer peripheral protrusion 96 that protrudes in a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the front as shown in FIG. 3 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of each outer peripheral clamping edge portion 76, and the base end portion of each flat blade 92 (the portion opposite the cutting blade 90) is overlapped and fixed on the upper surface of each outer peripheral protrusion 96. The upper surface of each outer peripheral protrusion 96 is inclined inward in the left-right direction as it extends upward, and each flat blade 92 overlapping the upper surface of each outer peripheral protrusion 96 also protrudes obliquely, inclining inward in the left-right direction as it extends upward. In other words, one (left side in FIG. 3 ) outer peripheral protrusion 96 and the cutter (flat blade 92) attached thereto are gradually inclined inward toward one circumferential side, while the other (right side in FIG. 3 ) outer peripheral protrusion 96 and the cutter (flat blade 92) attached thereto are gradually inclined inward toward the other circumferential side. The base end of each flat blade 92 is detachably fixed to each outer peripheral protrusion 96, for example, by a screw (not shown). Each outer peripheral protrusion 96 is integrally provided with a generally arch-shaped or gate-shaped separation prevention portion 98 that covers each flat blade 92 from above and prevents the flat blade 92 from separating. The outer peripheral protrusions 96 and the separation prevention portions 98 constitute the blade holder portion 94 of this embodiment.

[0050] That is, each flat blade 92 is inserted into each of the generally arch-shaped or gate-shaped separation prevention portions 98 while being overlapped with each of the outer peripheral projections 96. Then, the base end portion of each flat blade 92 is fixed to each of the outer peripheral projections 96 with a screw, thereby fixing each flat blade 92 to each of the blade holder portions 94. Furthermore, each flat blade 92 can be removed from each of the blade holder portions 94 by releasing the fastening with the screw.

[0051] The pair of plain bearings 100, 100 allows the inner peripheral side member 36 and the outer peripheral side member 38 to smoothly rotate relative to each other in the circumferential direction. Of course, it is sufficient that the inner peripheral side member 36 and the outer peripheral side member 38 are able to rotate relatively around the central axis; for example, a rolling bearing or the like can be used instead of the plain bearing 100, or the inner peripheral side member 36 and the outer peripheral side member 38 can be made to rotate relatively by directly sliding between their inner and outer fitted surfaces, without the use of a separate bearing member. Each plain bearing 100 is composed of an inner ring 102 and an outer ring 104.

[0052] Furthermore, a spacer 106 is provided between the pair of plain bearings 100, 100. The spacer 106 in this embodiment is generally cylindrical overall, and has a double-cylindrical structure consisting of an outer peripheral cylindrical portion 108 and an inner peripheral cylindrical portion 110. This outer peripheral cylindrical portion 108 is located on the outer peripheral side in the front-to-rear direction intermediate portion of the cylindrical accommodation space 68, ensuring the front-to-rear distance between the outer rings 104 of the plain bearings 100 arranged at both front-to-rear direction ends of the accommodation space 68. Furthermore, the inner peripheral cylindrical portion 110 is located on the inner peripheral side in the front-to-rear direction intermediate portion of the cylindrical accommodation space 68, ensuring the front-to-rear distance between the inner rings 102 of the plain bearings 100. The inner cylindrical portion 110 of the spacer 106 may be fixed to each inner ring (inner peripheral portion) 102 of the pair of plain bearings 100, 100, or the outer cylindrical portion 108 of the spacer 106 may be fixed to each outer ring (outer peripheral portion) 104 of the pair of plain bearings 100, 100.

[0053] Each of these sliding bearings 100 and spacers 106 is fitted onto the inner peripheral member 36 from the front and assembled between the inner peripheral member 36 and the outer peripheral member 38. The inner ring 102 of the rear sliding bearing 100 is positioned in the axial direction by abutting against a retaining projection 52 that projects outward from the rear end of the inner peripheral member 36. Meanwhile, the outer ring 104 of the front sliding bearing 100 is positioned by abutting against the outer peripheral member 38. In each sliding bearing 100 of this embodiment, the sliding surfaces of the inner ring (inner peripheral portion) 102 and the outer ring (outer peripheral portion) 104 have a concave-convex fit that extends with a constant cross section all around the circumferential direction, and they function to position the inner peripheral member 36 and the outer peripheral member 38 in the radial and thrust directions. However, it is possible to provide a thrust direction positioning mechanism for the inner peripheral member 36 and the outer peripheral member 38 separately from the bearing members, and the positioning function provided by the bearing members is not essential.

[0054] 2 and other figures, the fruit harvesting tool 10 in an assembled state (initial state) has the lower peripheral wall portion 46 of the inner peripheral member 36 and the small-diameter peripheral wall portion 70 of the outer peripheral member 38 located on the lower side. The small-diameter peripheral wall portion 70 has a longer circumferential dimension than the lower peripheral wall portion 46, and therefore an outer peripheral pinched edge portion 76 formed by both circumferential ends of the small-diameter peripheral wall portion 70 extends circumferentially so as to cover from the outside each of the accommodating recesses 48 between the lower peripheral wall portion 46 and each of the comb-tooth-shaped portions 42. As a result, the outer peripheral pinched edge portion 76 formed by both circumferential ends of the small-diameter peripheral wall portion 70 and the inner peripheral pinched edge portion 50 formed by the circumferential ends of each of the comb-tooth-shaped portions 42 are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction, and each of the comb-tooth-shaped portions 42 is located diagonally above each outer peripheral pinched edge portion 76. In this embodiment, blade holders 94 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of each outer clamping edge 76, and each flat blade 92 is fixed obliquely. As a result, each cutting edge 90, which is the protruding tip of each flat blade 92, protrudes obliquely from the outer peripheral side toward the inner peripheral side of the outer peripheral member 38, and toward the inner peripheral clamping edge 50 that faces the outer peripheral clamping edge 76 in the circumferential direction.

[0055] Furthermore, in the assembled fruit harvesting tool 10, each circumferential protrusion 78 protrudes from the front end of each outer clamping edge 76 in the circumferential direction between each outer clamping edge 76 and each inner clamping edge 50. Each inclined guide surface 80 of each circumferential protrusion 78 is inclined gradually toward each inner clamping edge 50 toward the tip side (front end side) where the insertion opening (respective front openings 49, 72) for the fruit stalk 20 to be inserted between each outer clamping edge 76 and each inner clamping edge 50 in the circumferential direction is located. In the initial state shown in Figure 2 etc., the accommodating recesses 48 between the comb-tooth-shaped portions 42 in the circumferential direction are open forward and penetrate the inner peripheral member 36 in the radial direction, while the outer peripheral side of the front opening 49 of each accommodating recess 48 between each comb-tooth-shaped portion 42 and the lower peripheral wall portion 46 is covered by each circumferential protrusion 78.

[0056] As described above, the fruit harvester 10 of this embodiment is attached to the robot arm 22 of the harvesting robot 12. In particular, in this embodiment, the extension tubular portion 54 (and the inner peripheral member 36) of the fruit harvester 10 is attached to the tip of the robot arm 22. The extension tubular portion 54 (and the inner peripheral member 36) may be tiltable relative to the tip of the robot arm 22, for example, and the tilting of the extension tubular portion 54 (and the inner peripheral member 36) relative to the robot arm 22 may be controlled by the control unit 28. The robot arm 22 holds not only the fruit harvester 10 but also an electric motor (not shown), and the outer peripheral gear 82 of the fruit harvester 10 and the electric motor gear 86 mesh with each other. Furthermore, one end of the tube 34 is fixed to the extension tubular portion 54 of the fruit harvester 10, and the inner hole 44 of the inner peripheral member 36 and the inner hole 56 of the extension tubular portion 54 communicate with the inner hole of the tube 34. Furthermore, the other end of the tube 34 is fixed to the harvesting basket 32, and the inner hole of the tube 34 further communicates with the internal space of the harvesting basket 32. In short, the cylindrical holding portion 57 communicates with the harvesting basket 32 ​​via the tube 34.

[0057] Below, we will explain a specific example of a method for harvesting fruit 16 using a robotic harvesting system 14 configured by attaching the fruit harvesting tool 10 of this embodiment to a harvesting robot 12. Note that the method for harvesting fruit 16 using the fruit harvesting tool 10 (method of using the fruit harvesting tool 10) is not limited to the following description.

[0058] First, harvesting robot 12 equipped with fruit harvesting tool 10 is brought close to a tree bearing fruit 16 to be harvested. The approach of harvesting robot 12 to the tree may be automatic, with control unit 28 controlling traveling unit 30 based on images acquired by imaging unit 26, or it may be remotely controlled, with control unit 28 wirelessly controlling traveling unit 30 while an operator checks images acquired by imaging unit 26 on a separate monitor, or an operator may manually bring harvesting robot 12 close to the target tree.

[0059] Then, as the harvesting robot 12 approaches the target tree, it captures an image of the entire tree or a portion of the tree using the imaging unit 26. The images (still images and / or videos) captured by the imaging unit 26 are analyzed by the control unit 28 through appropriate image processing, etc., to determine, for example, whether the captured image contains fruit 16 to be harvested. Because such fruit 16 may be hidden by branches and leaves, it is possible to capture images at multiple locations around the tree. Note that the criteria for determining whether or not to harvest the fruit 16 are not limited, and may be, for example, color, size, shape, etc. If the captured image does not contain fruit 16 to be harvested, another location on the tree is captured, or the harvesting robot 12 is moved to the next tree.

[0060] When a fruit 16 suitable for harvesting is found in the captured image, the control unit 28, for example, determines the attachment of the fruit 16, specifically the direction in which the fruit stalk 20 extends, from the captured image, etc., and determines the direction in which the fruit harvesting tool 10 should approach the fruit 16 and the distance between the fruit 16 and the fruit harvesting tool 10. In other words, when multiple fruits 16 grow on a single tree, the direction in which the fruit stalks 20 extend is generally not constant, and the fruit harvesting tool 10 must be moved closer so that the fruit stalks 20 extending from the fruit 16 to be harvested are inserted into the respective storage recesses 48, 74 of the fruit harvesting tool 10 and cut by the cutting blade 90. Then, based on the approach direction to the fruit 16 determined by the control unit 28, the robotic arm 22 is rotated, extended, and bent to move the fruit harvesting tool 10 closer to the fruit 16.

[0061] 2 and 3 , the fruit harvester 10 is brought even closer to the fruit 16, and the fruit 16 is accommodated within the inner bore 44 of the inner peripheral member 36. At the same time, the fruit stalk 20 extending from the fruit 16 is inserted through the front opening 49 of the accommodation recess 48, and the fruit stalk 20 is positioned within the accommodation recess 48. As a result, the outer periphery of the fruit 16 is covered by the inner peripheral member 36 and the outer peripheral member 38, and in particular, the lower portion of the fruit 16 is covered by the lower peripheral wall portion 46 and the small-diameter peripheral wall portion 70. The lower end of the fruit 16 may rest on the inner periphery of the lower peripheral wall portion 46, or may be spaced apart from the inner periphery of the lower peripheral wall portion 46. The fruit stalk 20 extending from the fruit 16 protrudes outward (upward) from the fruit harvester 10 through the accommodation recess 48 of the inner peripheral member 36 and the accommodation recess 74 of the outer peripheral member 38. 2 and other figures show the inner peripheral member 36, outer peripheral member 38, and extension tube 54 that make up the fruit harvesting tool 10 as extending in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction (front-to-back direction), but the orientation of the fruit harvesting tool 10 when harvesting the fruit 16 is not limited to this. However, it is preferable that the fruit harvesting tool 10 be inclined so that, for example, the front side (the small-diameter tube 60 side) is positioned higher than the rear side (the extension tube 54 side) when the fruit 16 is placed in the inner hole 44 of the inner peripheral member 36 so that the fruit 16 does not fall out of the fruit harvesting tool 10 when the fruit stalk 20 is cut.

[0062] Next, when the control unit 28 determines, for example, based on an image captured by the imaging unit 26, that "a fruit 16 is accommodated in the inner hole 44 of the inner periphery side member 36, and the fruit stalk 20 protrudes outward through each of the accommodation recesses 48, 74," the control unit 28 activates the electric motor (not shown) to rotate the output shaft of the electric motor about its central axis. This causes the motor gear 86 to rotate about its central axis, and simultaneously causes the outer periphery side gear 82 meshing with the motor gear 86 to rotate about its central axis. The inner periphery side member 36 (extension tubular portion 54) is attached to the robot arm 22 and is in a non-displaceable state, while the outer periphery side gear 82 is fixed to the outer periphery side member 38. Therefore, the rotation of the outer periphery side gear 82 about its central axis causes the outer periphery side member 38 to rotate in the circumferential direction relative to the inner periphery side member 36. Figures 7 and 8 show a state in which the outer periphery side member 38 has been rotated in the circumferential direction relative to the inner periphery side member 36 from the initial state shown in Figure 2, etc. 7 and 8 show a state in which the outer peripheral member 38 is rotated counterclockwise in the front view shown in FIG. 8 by a predetermined circumferential dimension relative to the inner peripheral member 36 which is in a non-displaced state.

[0063] That is, in the initial state shown in Fig. 3, by rotating the outer peripheral member 38 counterclockwise relative to the inner peripheral member 36, the right cutting blade 90 (flat blade 92) approaches from the right side the fruit stalk 20, which protrudes outward (upward) through the receiving recesses 48 between the comb-like portions 42. Then, as this cutting blade 90 abuts against the fruit stalk 20 from the right side, the fruit stalk 20 is pressed by the cutting blade 90, and the fruit stalk 20 and fruit 16 are rotated about the central axis in the same direction as the cutting blade 90 (outer peripheral member 38) (counterclockwise in Fig. 8). As a result, the fruit stalk 20 and fruit 16 are rotated and displaced until the fruit stalk 20 abuts against the circumferential end (inner peripheral clamping edge 50) of the left comb-like portion 42, and the fruit stalk 20 is sandwiched between the inner peripheral clamping edge 50 and the cutting blade 90 provided on the outer peripheral clamping edge 76. In other words, the inner clamping edge 50 and the cutting blade 90 provided on the outer clamping edge 76 move toward each other through relative circumferential movement to clamp the fruit stalk 20. Further counterclockwise rotation of the outer member 38 from this state causes the cutting blade 90 to cut the fruit stalk 20, as shown in Figure 8. This frees the fruit 16 within the inner hole 44 of the inner member 36.

[0064] As described above, when the outer peripheral member 38 is rotated relative to the inner peripheral member 36, even if the fruit stalk 20 is not fully positioned within the storage recess 48, for example, slightly forward of the front opening 49 of the storage recess 48, the outer peripheral member 38 can be rotated to abut the inclined guide surface 80 of the circumferential protrusion 78 against the fruit stalk 20, thereby moving the fruit stalk 20 rearward along the inclined guide surface 80, thereby stably positioning the fruit stalk 20 within the storage recess 48. Furthermore, if the fruit stalk 20 is relatively hard, there is a risk that the cutting blade 90 will press the fruit stalk 20 when cutting it, causing it to slip forward through the front opening 49 of the storage recess 48. However, the circumferential protrusion 78 prevents the fruit stalk 20 from slipping forward.

[0065] After the fruit stalks 20 are cut, the fruit harvester 10 is tilted, for example, by the control unit 28 so that the front is positioned above the rear, and the fruits 16 are transferred and stored in the harvest basket 32 ​​through the inner hole 44 of the inner circumferential member 36, the inner hole 56 of the extension tubular portion 54, and the tube 34. This completes the harvesting of the fruits 16.

[0066] After harvesting the desired fruit 16, the fruit harvesting tool 10 is moved closer to another fruit 16 to be harvested. At this time, after harvesting the fruit 16, for example, the outer periphery of the front opening 49 of the storage recess 48 between each of the comb-like portions 42 is covered by the circumferential protrusion 78, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, while the storage recess 48 between the left comb-like portion 42 and the lower peripheral wall portion 46 is not covered by anything, opens forward through the front opening 49, and penetrates radially through the inner peripheral member 36. Therefore, when harvesting the next fruit 16, the fruit stalk 20 can be inserted through the front opening 49 into the storage recess 48 between the left comb-like portion 42 and the lower peripheral wall portion 46. However, when harvesting the next fruit 16, for example, the output shaft of the motor may be rotated in the opposite direction to that used when harvesting the first fruit 16, and the outer peripheral member 38 may be rotated clockwise in Figure 8 relative to the inner peripheral member 36, returning the outer peripheral member 38 to the initial position shown in Figure 2, etc. Alternatively, the outer peripheral member 38 may be further rotated clockwise from the state shown in Figure 2, etc., so that the fruit stalk 20 extending from the next fruit 16 can be inserted into the storage recess 48 between the right comb-tooth portion 42 and the lower peripheral wall portion 46.

[0067] 7 and 8, when the next fruit 16 is harvested from the state of the fruit harvester 10 shown in Figures 7 and 8, the control unit 28 controls the fruit harvester 10 based on the image captured by the imaging unit 26 to move the fruit harvester 10 closer to the fruit 16, placing the fruit 16 in the inner hole 44 of the inner peripheral member 36 and causing the fruit stalk 20 to protrude outward through the receiving recess 48 between the left comb-like portion 42 and the lower peripheral wall portion 46 and the receiving recess 74 of the outer peripheral member 38. From this state, the control unit 28 operates the motor to rotate the outer peripheral member 38 clockwise in Figure 8 relative to the inner peripheral member 36, thereby clamping the fruit stalk 20 between the inner peripheral clamping edge 50 of the left comb-like portion 42 and the left cutting blade 90. Further rotating the outer peripheral member 38 clockwise cuts the fruit stalk 20, harvesting the fruit 16. Thereafter, the fruits 16 are placed in the harvest basket 32 ​​by performing the same operations as described above.

[0068] That is, as mentioned above, even within a single tree, the direction in which fruits 16 grow (the direction in which fruit stalks 20 grow) varies, and the direction in which the fruit harvesting tool 10 approaches each fruit 16 may differ. Here, the inner peripheral member 36 is provided with three circumferentially spaced storage recesses 48, and the outer peripheral member 38 is provided with a storage recess 74 with a relatively large circumferential dimension. As a result, by rotating the outer peripheral member 38 relative to the inner peripheral member 36 depending on the direction in which the fruit stalk 20 grows from the target fruit 16, it is possible to select which of the three storage recesses 48 to insert the fruit stalk 20 into. Therefore, even if the direction in which the fruit stalks 20 grow varies among fruits 16, the lower peripheral wall 46 can be stably positioned below the fruit 16, and the lower peripheral wall 46 can receive the fruit 16 after the fruit stalk 20 has been cut.

[0069] With the fruit harvesting tool 10 of this embodiment configured as described above, when a fruit 16 is placed in the inner hole 44 of the inner peripheral member 36 and the fruit stalk 20 extending from the fruit 16 protrudes outward from the fruit harvesting tool 10 through the receiving recess 48 of the inner peripheral member 36 and the receiving recess 74 of the outer peripheral member 38, by rotating the outer peripheral member 38 relative to the inner peripheral member 36, the fruit stalk 20 is sandwiched between the inner peripheral clamping edge 50 and the cutting blade 90 provided on the outer peripheral clamping edge 76. Further rotation of the outer peripheral member 38 causes the fruit stalk 20 to be cut by the cutting blade 90. In other words, by simply placing the fruit 16 and fruit stalk 20 in the fruit harvesting tool 10 and rotating the outer peripheral member 38 relative to the inner peripheral member 36, the fruit stalk 20 can be cut and the fruit 16 can be harvested. This allows for more reliable and easier cutting of the fruit stalk 20 than, for example, fruit harvesting tools of conventional configurations.

[0070] Furthermore, for example, when harvesting fruits 16 that are larger than a certain standard size, the size of the fruits 16 can be made more or less uniform. Therefore, the length from the fruit 16 placed in the inner hole 44 of the inner periphery member 36 to the portion of the fruit stalk 20 cut by the cutting blade 90 can be made more or less uniform, and the length of the fruit stalk 20 extending from the fruit 16 after cutting can be made substantially uniform. In particular, when cutting the fruit stalk 20, the fruit 16 and fruit stalk 20 are pressed by the cutting blade 90 and rotated about the central axis together with the outer periphery member 38 (cutting blade 90). Therefore, even if the fruit stalks 20 of multiple fruits 16 extend in different directions, the fruits can be cut in a similar manner, and variation in the length of the fruit stalks 20 after cutting can be reduced. In particular, when cutting the stalk immediately adjacent to the fruit, there is a risk that the fruit may be pulled when the stalk is cut, resulting in damage or deformation of the fruit. However, in this embodiment, since each cutting edge 90 is provided on the outer peripheral member 38, the stalk 20 can be cut at a position some distance away from the fruit 16, thereby reducing the risk of damage or deformation of the fruit 16 as described above.

[0071] The fruit harvesting tool 10 includes a tubular holding section 57, which includes an inner peripheral member 36 and an extension tubular section 54, that holds the fruits 16 whose stalks 20 have been cut off in a contained state and prevents them from falling directly to the ground G. In this embodiment, a tube 34 leading to the harvesting basket 32 ​​is connected to the extension tubular section 54, and the fruits 16 harvested by the fruit harvesting tool 10 are harvested into the harvesting basket 32 ​​via the tube 34 while being prevented from falling to the ground G by the tubular holding section 57. This prevents the fruits 16 whose stalks 20 have been cut off from falling to the ground G, preventing deformation or damage to the fruits 16.

[0072] In this embodiment, each cutting blade 90 is detachably attached to the outer periphery member 38. When the cutting efficiency of the cutting blade 90 decreases, the cutting efficiency of the cutting blade 90 can be maintained by replacing the cutting blade 90 with a new one. Furthermore, by removing and storing the cutting blade 90 when the fruit harvesting tool 10 is not in use, the risk of injury to the operator can be reduced. In particular, by attaching the cutting blade 90 to the outer periphery member 38, the above-mentioned replacement and removal work can be easily performed. Furthermore, by replacing the cutting blade 90, the material and shape can be changed, and the fruit harvesting tool 10 of the present invention can be used when harvesting multiple types of fruit 16.

[0073] In particular, in this embodiment, the cutting blade 90 is provided on the flat blade 92, and the outer peripheral member 38 is provided with a blade holder portion 94 for fixing the flat blade 92. In other words, if the cutting blade is provided on the inner peripheral member, the cutting blade needs to be curved in accordance with the curvature of the inner peripheral member depending on the protruding dimension of the cutting blade, but by fixing the cutting blade 90 to the outer peripheral member 38, it is possible to use the flat blade 92, and the cutting blade 90 (flat blade 92) can be easily obtained on the market.

[0074] Furthermore, the distal end (front portion) of each outer peripheral clamping edge 76 of the outer peripheral member 38 is provided with a circumferential protrusion 78 that protrudes in the circumferential direction. This prevents the fruit stalk 20 from unintentionally slipping forward from between the inner peripheral clamping edge 50 and the outer peripheral clamping edge 76 (cutting blade 90) when the fruit stalk 20 is sandwiched between the inner peripheral clamping edge 50 and the outer peripheral clamping edge 76 and cut by the cutting blade 90.

[0075] In particular, each of the circumferential protrusions 78 has, at its protruding tip surface (circumferential end surface), an inclined guide surface 80 that is inclined in a direction in which the circumferential protrusion dimension increases toward the tip. As a result, even when cutting a fruit stalk 20, for example, if the fruit stalk 20 is not completely contained between the inner pinching edge 50 and the outer pinching edge 76 (cutting blade 90) in the circumferential direction and is positioned slightly forward, the fruit stalk 20 can be displaced between the inner pinching edge 50 and the outer pinching edge 76 (cutting blade 90) along the inclination of the inclined guide surface 80 by rotating the outer member 38 relative to the inner member 36, and further rotation of the outer member 38 allows the cutting blade 90 to stably cut the fruit stalk 20.

[0076] The inner peripheral member 36 has a plurality of comb-tooth-shaped portions 42 that protrude forward, and both circumferential ends of the comb-tooth-shaped portions 42 form an inner peripheral narrow edge portion 50. In this embodiment, the inner peripheral member 36 has a lower peripheral wall portion 46 in addition to the two comb-tooth-shaped portions 42, and a total of three accommodating recesses 48 are formed circumferentially spaced apart from one another by the circumferential spaces between the comb-tooth-shaped portions 42 and between the comb-tooth-shaped portions 42 and the lower peripheral wall portion 46. When harvesting the fruit 16, by changing the relative circumferential positions of the inner and outer peripheral members 36 and 38, it is possible to select one of three storage recesses 48 into which the fruit stalks 20 extending from the fruit 16 are inserted. Even if the directions in which the fruit stalks 20 extend differ for multiple fruits 16, the lower peripheral wall portion 46 of the inner peripheral member 36 can be stably positioned below the fruit 16, and the lower peripheral wall portion 46 can more reliably receive the fruit 16 after the fruit stalks 20 have been cut.

[0077] An outer gear 82 is fixed to the outer member 38 as a drive mechanism that applies a circumferential moving force to the inner member 36. The outer gear 82 is meshed with an electric motor gear 86 provided on the electric motor side (not shown), and by operating the electric motor, the outer member 38 can be rotated relative to the inner member 36, and the fruit stalk 20 located circumferentially between the inner clamping edge 50 and the outer clamping edge 76 (cutting blade 90) can be automatically cut without any special cutting operation.

[0078] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the specific descriptions.

[0079] In the above embodiment, the cutting blade 90 is provided on the outer peripheral pinching edge 76 of the outer peripheral member 38. However, instead of or in addition to the outer peripheral pinching edge, a cutting blade may also be provided on the inner peripheral pinching edge of the inner peripheral member, and the fruit stalk may be cut in a scissors-like manner by the cutting blades provided on the inner peripheral pinching edge and the outer peripheral pinching edge. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the outer peripheral member 38 is provided with two outer peripheral pinching edges 76, and the inner peripheral member 36 is provided with two comb-like portions 42 and one lower peripheral wall portion 46, resulting in a total of six inner peripheral pinching edges 50. However, the fruit harvesting tool of the present invention may have at least one inner peripheral pinching edge and one outer peripheral pinching edge. The number of comb-like portions is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more. For example, multiple comb-like portions may be provided intermittently around the entire circumference. Such comb-like portions may be provided on the outer peripheral member instead of or in addition to the inner peripheral member. That is, like the inner peripheral member, the outer peripheral member may have a base-side tubular portion and multiple comb-like portions protruding from the base-side tubular portion toward the tip. However, comb-like portions are not essential to the fruit harvesting tool of the present invention. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each outer peripheral clamping edge 76 is provided with a cutting blade 90. However, for example, if multiple outer peripheral clamping edges are provided, a cutting blade may be provided on only one of the outer peripheral clamping edges. Or, if multiple inner peripheral clamping edges are provided, a cutting blade may be provided on only one of the inner peripheral clamping edges.

[0080] In the above embodiment, both the inner circumferential member 36 and the outer circumferential member 38 were generally cylindrical, but this is not a limitation. Also, in the above embodiment, the tubular holding portion 57, which holds the fruit 16 whose stalk 20 has been cut and prevents it from falling directly to the ground G, was configured to include the inner circumferential member 36 and the extension tubular portion 54. However, this is not a limitation, and the shape of the tubular holding portion is not limited. That is, the inner circumferential member and the extension tubular portion, which are attached to the robot arm and placed in a non-displaceable state during fruit harvesting, may be, for example, half-tubular (including cylindrical and rectangular) members that open upward. The inner circumferential member may be formed in a mesh or slatted shape, i.e., a gap sufficient to prevent the harvested fruit from falling. Furthermore, the shape of the outer circumferential member is not a limitation, as long as it is fitted around the inner circumferential member and can be displaced in the circumferential direction. For example, in the above embodiment, the outer circumferential member 38 was generally cylindrical with a step, but it may also be a generally straight tubular (including cylindrical and rectangular) member. Taking the above-described embodiment as an example, the outer peripheral member may be composed solely of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 60, which is generally annular or C-shaped and equipped with the cutting blades 90. Alternatively, the outer peripheral member may be, for example, a half-tubular member that opens upward, and the inner peripheral member may be a generally annular or C-shaped member. Furthermore, an extension cylindrical portion may be connected to the outer peripheral member. In this case, the cylindrical holding portion that holds the fruit in a contained state and prevents it from falling directly to the ground may include the outer peripheral member, or may include both the inner peripheral member and the outer peripheral member. However, the extension cylindrical portion is not essential to the fruit harvesting tool according to the present invention.

[0081] In the fruit harvesting tool of the present invention, the cylindrical holding portion that prevents the fruit from falling directly to the ground is not essential. For example, if the fruit to be harvested is an orange or other fruit with a relatively thick skin (especially the outer skin), the stalk may be cut and the fruit may fall directly to the ground through the inner hole of the inner peripheral member without providing an extension tube or tube. Even in the case of fruits with a relatively thin skin, such as mandarin oranges or apples, a net or sheet may be stretched around the tree to catch the fruit that passes through the inner hole of the inner peripheral member and prevent it from falling to the ground. In this way, if the fruit is allowed to fall to the ground or if a means for preventing the fruit from falling to the ground is separately adopted, the cylindrical holding portion may not be provided.

[0082] In the above embodiment, both the inner peripheral member 36 and the outer peripheral member 38 are made of synthetic resin, and the separate cutting blades 90 are later fixed to the outer peripheral member 38. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the inner peripheral member and / or the outer peripheral member may be formed as an integrally molded product having the cutting blades integrally therewith, or the inner peripheral member and / or the outer peripheral member may be made of metal, and cutting edges may be formed at the inner peripheral clamping edge of the inner peripheral member and / or the outer peripheral clamping edge of the outer peripheral member, thereby providing the cutting blades integrally therewith. Note that even when the cutting blades are provided on the inner peripheral member, it is preferable that the cutting blades be detachable.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the cutting blade 90 is configured as a flat blade 92, but this is not limited to this. For example, the cutting blade may be configured as a cutting edge of a blade that curves in accordance with the curvature of the inner peripheral member or the outer peripheral member, and the location where the cutting blade is provided is not limited as long as it is at least one of the inner peripheral clamping edge and the outer peripheral clamping edge. In short, it is sufficient that a cutting blade that performs a cutting action on a fruit stalk inserted therebetween by relative rotation of the inner peripheral member and the outer peripheral member is provided between the inner peripheral and outer peripheral clamping edges where the fruit stalk is to be cut.

[0084] In the above embodiment, a circumferential protrusion 78 protruding in the circumferential direction is provided at the front end of each outer clamping edge 76, but when multiple outer clamping edges are provided, a circumferential protrusion may be provided on only one outer clamping edge, or may be provided on one or more inner clamping edges instead of or in addition to the outer clamping edges. Note that in the above embodiment, an inclined guide surface 80 is provided at the protruding tip of each circumferential protrusion 78, but these circumferential protrusions and inclined guide surfaces are not essential to the fruit harvesting tool of the present invention.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the drive mechanism that exerts a relative circumferential moving force on the inner circumferential member 36 and the outer circumferential member 38 includes the outer circumferential gear 82 and the electric motor gear 86. However, this is not limited to this. That is, the drive mechanism is not limited to an embodiment using an electric motor. For example, the outer circumferential member may be manually moved in the circumferential direction relative to the inner circumferential member. Furthermore, even when a drive mechanism using an electric motor is employed, the outer circumferential gear that meshes with the electric motor gear does not need to be provided along the entire circumferential direction. It may be provided along a portion of the circumferential direction and may reciprocate. Alternatively, instead of the outer circumferential gear, for example, an inner circumferential gear may be provided as a drive mechanism fixed to the inner circumferential member, and the electric motor gear may be meshed with the inner circumferential gear, thereby allowing the inner circumferential member to move in the circumferential direction relative to the outer circumferential member during fruit harvesting (cutting the fruit stalks).

[0086] While the above embodiment illustrates a robotic harvesting system 14 in which a fruit harvester 10 is attached to a harvesting robot 12, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the fruit harvester according to the present invention can have any frame structure. For example, a manually operable fruit harvester can be provided by employing a long, portable frame that can be held by hand and providing inner and outer peripheral members at the tip of the portable frame that cut the fruit stalk by relative circumferential movement. Furthermore, as in the above embodiment, a robotic harvesting system can be provided that can fully automatically navigate to the target fruit, recognize the fruit, and harvest the fruit. Alternatively, a semi-automatic robotic harvesting system can be provided in which an operator remotely controls the robotic harvesting system via a monitor, for example.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the inner peripheral member 36 and the extension tubular portion 54 form the tubular holding portion 57, and the extension tubular portion 54 (tubular holding portion 57) is connected to the harvesting basket 32 ​​by the tube 34, so that the harvested fruits 16 are stored in the harvesting basket 32. However, this is not limited to this configuration. For example, the inner peripheral member or the extension tubular portion may have a bottom wall portion that closes the rear opening, so that the harvested fruits are stored in the inner peripheral member or the extension tubular portion. The fruits stored in the inner peripheral member or the extension tubular portion in this manner may be removed from the rear opening by opening the bottom wall portion by making the bottom wall portion openable, or they may be removed from the front opening by tilting the fruit harvesting tool.

[0088] The fruit harvesting tool of the present invention can also cut tree branches and leaves that get in the way when harvesting fruit, for example. In other words, the fruit harvesting tool of the present invention can also be used to cut off branches and leaves that get in the way for the purpose of harvesting fruit. By cutting off the branches and leaves in this way, it becomes easier to find fruit that is hidden by the leaves, for example. In this case, the desired branches and leaves can be cut by inserting the branches and leaves to be cut into the inner hole of the inner member and rotating the inner and outer members relative to each other. Alternatively, if the fruit is hidden by the branches and leaves, the fruit can be harvested along with the branches and leaves that are hiding the fruit. Therefore, in this invention, the term "fruit stalk" is not interpreted in a limited sense and includes branch-like parts.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the state in which the inner circumferential side member 36 and the outer circumferential side member 38 are in the positions shown in Figure 2, etc., has been described as the "initial state." However, the state in which the inner circumferential side member 36 and the outer circumferential side member 38 are in the positions shown in Figures 7 and 8 may also be the "initial state." [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 10 Fruit harvesting tools 12 Harvesting robot 14 Robotic Harvesting System 16 Fruit 18 branches 20 Fruit stalk 22 Robot Arm 24 base 26 Imaging unit 28 Control Unit 30 Running part 32 Harvest Basket 34 tubes 36 Inner circumference side member 38 Outer periphery member 40 Proximal tubular part 42 Pectinate part 44 Inner hole 46 Lower peripheral wall 48 Recessed storage area 49 Front opening 50 Inner circumference side narrow edge (snip edge) 52 Stopper protrusion 54 Extension cylinder part 56 Inner hole 57 Cylindrical holding part 58 Large diameter cylinder 60 Small diameter cylinder part 62 Stepped part 64 Inner hole 66 Large diameter peripheral wall 68 Containment Space 70 Small diameter peripheral wall section 72 Front opening 74 Storage recess 76 Narrow edge on outer periphery (narrow edge) 78 Circumferential protrusion 80 Inclined guideway 82 Outer gear (drive mechanism) 84 Coil gear 86 Motor side gear (drive mechanism) 88 Coil gear 90 cutting edge 92 Flat blade 94 Blade holder part 96 Outer periphery protrusion 98 Anti-detachment part 100 Plain bearing 102 Inner circle 104 outer ring 106 Spacer 108 Outer cylindrical part 110 Inner cylindrical part G ground

Claims

1. A fruit harvesting tool that cuts the fruit stalk to harvest the fruit, The fruit has an inner circumferential member and an outer circumferential member disposed on the outer circumferential side of the fruit so as to be relatively movable in a circumferential direction, The inner peripheral member and the outer peripheral member have pinching edges that approach each other by relative movement in the circumferential direction and pinch the fruit stalk, A cutting blade is provided on at least one of the narrow end edge of the inner peripheral member and the narrow end edge of the outer peripheral member.

2. At least one of the inner peripheral side member and the outer peripheral side member 2. The fruit harvesting tool according to claim 1, further comprising a cylindrical holding portion that holds the fruit in a circumferential direction and prevents the fruit from falling directly after the stalk has been cut.

3. 3. The fruit harvesting tool according to claim 1, wherein the cutting blade is detachable from the inner peripheral member and / or the outer peripheral member.

4. The cutting edge is constituted by a flat blade, The outer peripheral member is provided with a blade holder portion for detachably fixing the flat blade, 4. The fruit harvesting tool according to claim 3, wherein the flat blade is fixed to the blade holder portion in a state in which the cutting blade protrudes obliquely from the outer periphery of the outer periphery member toward the inner periphery and toward the narrow end edge portion of the inner periphery member.

5. A fruit harvesting tool as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the clamping edge portions of the inner peripheral member and the outer peripheral member has a circumferential protrusion that protrudes in opposite circumferential directions at the tip end portion where the fruit stalk is inserted between the opposing circumferential edge portions.

6. A fruit harvesting tool as described in claim 5, wherein the circumferential protrusion has an inclined guide surface that gradually protrudes in opposite circumferential directions toward the tip side where the insertion opening for the fruit stalk is located between the circumferentially opposing end edges.

7. At least one of the inner peripheral side member and the outer peripheral side member is The stator includes a base end cylindrical portion extending in a circumferential direction and a plurality of comb-like portions protruding from the base end cylindrical portion toward the tip end side, 3. A fruit harvesting tool according to claim 1, wherein the fruit stalk can be inserted between adjacent comb-tooth portions in the circumferential direction, and the pinched edge portion is formed by the comb-tooth portions.

8. 3. The fruit harvesting tool according to claim 1, further comprising a drive mechanism that applies a relative circumferential moving force to the inner peripheral member and the outer peripheral member.

Images