JPH0582162B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a method for supporting a stalk of a captured fruit or vegetable between the ends of a semi-circular cutter and a semi-circular arc-shaped handle support. The cutter and the handle supporting member are pivoted so as to be swingable in and out between a protruding state and a retracted state to form a passage for introducing fruits and vegetables between them, and a swinging operation mechanism for the cutter and the handle support member is captured. The present invention relates to a handle cutting device for a fruit and vegetable harvesting hand that is configured to automatically change the operating position of the protruding side according to the position of the handle of the fruits and vegetables.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in the above-mentioned type of handle cutting device for a fruit and vegetable harvesting hand, both ends of the semicircular-arc-shaped cutter and the semi-circular-arc-shaped handle support member are pivoted around a coaxial center so as to be swingable in and out. Atsuta (Jitsugan Showa 61-)
(See No. 38034, etc.)

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the conventional structure described above, both ends of the semicircular arc-shaped cutter and the semicircular arc-shaped handle support member are pivoted around the coaxial core so as to be able to swing in and out. The trajectories are located on the same circumference. For example, when cutting the handle of a flat fruit vegetable such as a mandarin orange, it is necessary to If the distance is not made long, there is a risk that the cutter or handle support member may collide with and damage the caught fruits and vegetables when the handle of the caught fruits and vegetables is projected between them to be supported. The disadvantage was that the parts were larger.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to reduce the size of the cutter and the handle support member, and to protrude the handle of the captured fruits and vegetables to support it between them. To prevent a cutter or a handle support member from colliding with and damaging the captured fruits and vegetables.

[Means for solving problems]

A characteristic configuration of the handle cutting device for a fruit and vegetable harvesting hand according to the present invention is such that one of the cutter and the handle support member is pivotally mounted around a fixed axis on the hand side, and the handle support member and an extending end of a pivot member extending from the one end in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the other of the cutters, when viewed in a direction along the fixed axis. Its functions and effects are as follows.

[Effect]

That is, with respect to one of the cutter and the handle supporting member, which are pivotably mounted around a fixed axis on the hand side, from one end thereof, the blade is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cutter and the handle support member. As the position of the other pivot point pivoted on the extending end side of the pivot member extending in the direction of It moves around the fixed axis on the hand side, and as a result, the other tip end swings in an elliptical orbit with respect to the fixed axis.

By the way, the cutter is pivotally mounted around a fixed axis on the hand side, the handle support member is pivoted to the pivot member extending from the end of the cutter, and, as an example of flat fruits and vegetables, To explain the case of harvesting mandarin oranges as an example, when the handle of the fruit vegetable is positioned upward with respect to the cutter and the handle support member, the pivot of the handle support member 18 as shown in FIG. Fulcrum Q
is located on the front side of the hand with respect to the fixed axis P, and the fruit and vegetables trapping space formed between the cutter 17 and the handle support member 18 is moved in the hand front-rear direction in accordance with the flat shape of the fruit and vegetables. Since the cutter 17 and handle support member 18 are swung in the expanded state, even if the cutter 17 and handle support member 18 are small, there is no risk of them coming into contact with fruits and vegetables.

On the other hand, when the handle of fruits and vegetables is placed sideways, as shown in FIG. Since the catching space for the fruits and vegetables expands in the vertical direction of the hand in accordance with the flat shape of the fruits and vegetables, there is no risk of damaging the fruits and vegetables.

In other words, the position of the pivot point Q of the handle support member 18 is
The handle support member 18 is automatically changed up and down and back and forth according to the direction of the handle of the fruits and vegetables captured between the handle support member 18 and the cutter 17, and the handle support member 18 is swung around the changed pivot point. As the handle support member 18 is moved, it draws an elliptical trajectory so as to avoid the captured fruits and vegetables. In addition, in the figure, 10 is cutter 1
This is a vacuum pad for adsorbing and holding fruits and vegetables caught between the handle support member 18 and the handle support member 18. However, this vacuum pad 10 is not a component of the present invention.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Therefore, one pivot point of the cutter and the handle support member is configured to automatically move up and down and back and forth according to the direction of the handle of the fruit and vegetables to be captured, so the cutter and handle support member can be made smaller. While aiming at this, it has been possible to suppress damage to the fruits and vegetables caught by the cutter and handle support member.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 7, a boom 1 is attached to the vehicle body 2 so as to be able to move up and down and rotate freely, an auxiliary boom 3 is attached to the boom 1 so as to be able to swing freely in the horizontal direction, and a working manipulator 4 equipped with a harvesting hand H
is attached to the tip of the auxiliary boom 3 to constitute a working machine for fruit harvesting. In addition, in the figure, 5
is a hydraulic cylinder for lifting the boom, 6 is an electric motor for swinging the boom, 7 is an electric motor for swinging the auxiliary boom,
K is a storage box for storing the harvested fruits.

The working manipulator 4 consists of a multi-jointed telescopic arm 8 and a harvesting hand H attached to the tip of the telescopic arm 8. The telescoping arm 8 is rotated around the vertical axis X by the electric motor 9a, and swung around the horizontal axis Y by the electric motor 9b.
It is configured to be expanded and contracted at c.

If the harvesting hand H is invented, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a vacuum pad 10 made of soft rubber is externally fitted onto the tip of the ventilation pipe 11 with its suction port facing the front side of the hand. and a branch pipe 12 for ventilation is provided at the base of the ventilation pipe 11,
A telescopic bellows-type suction hose 13 is connected to the branch pipe 12.
The proximal end of the telescopic arm 8 is bolted to the distal end of the telescopic arm 8. However, the suction hose 13
Although not shown, it is connected to the intake pump on the vehicle body 2 side through piping.

Further, a stalk cutting device for cutting the stalk, or so-called stalk, of the fruit captured while being attracted to the vacuum pad 10, and a trapping part case 15 are provided.

To explain the trapping part case 15, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, it has a proximal end portion 15a that is externally supported on the vent pipe 11 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction of the hand, and an upper portion on the distal end thereof. an upper cover portion 15b fixed to the base end portion 15a;
The lower cover portion 15c is fixed to the lower part of the tip side of the
An air cylinder 16 for sliding the capture part case 15 in and out is interposed between the base end portion 15a and the branch pipe 12. Thus, the structure can be freely switched between a state in which the suction port of the vacuum pad 10 is located on the front side of the trapping part case 15 and a state in which the fruit sucked by the vacuum pad 10 is taken into the inside of the trapping part case 15. It has been done.

To explain the upper cover part 15b and the lower cover part 15c, they are formed into a hemispherical shape so as to cover the outer periphery of the hand, and a piece of fruit is placed in the part facing the suction port of the vacuum pad 10. An opening 24 for fruit passage is opened as an entrance for fruits and vegetables having a size that allows the fruit to pass therethrough.

Further, the opening 2 of the upper cover portion 15b
A slit-like groove 25 is formed in a portion adjacent to the vacuum pad 10, into which the fruit stalk is inserted.
It is designed so that only the fruits to be harvested that have been adsorbed in the trap can be taken into the trapping part case 15, and the handle can be smoothly moved when taking them in (see FIG. 8B).

Further, a discharge port for discharging the stalk-cut fruit held in the catcher case 15 is opened at the lower rear side of the lower cover portion 15c, and a shutter 26 for opening and closing the discharge port is provided. ,
It is fixed to the lower part of the proximal end portion 15a of the capturing part case 15 so as to be openable and closable by an air cylinder 27 for opening and closing.

In addition, in FIG. 2, S ₁ is the vacuum pad 10.
Negative pressure sensor that detects when fruit is adsorbed to the
S ₂ is a light reflection type proximity sensor that detects when the vacuum pad 10 approaches a set distance to the fruit to be harvested, S ₃ is an image sensor that detects the direction in which the fruit to be harvested is located, and S ₄ is the sensor for detecting the position of the fruit to be harvested. 1
7 and a potentiometer for detecting the swinging position of the handle support member 18, and 28 is a strobe device that emits light at a set amount of light in synchronization with the imaging processing by the image sensor _S3 , and is suitable regardless of the surrounding brightness. It is designed so that image processing can be performed depending on the amount of light.

The handle cutting device will be explained with reference to Figs.
As shown in FIG. 6, a fixed blade 17a in the shape of a band and a semi-circular arc and a movable blade in the form of a band and a semi-circular arc connected to the fixed blade 17a so as to be relatively slidable in the longitudinal direction of the blade. Both ends of a hair clipper-shaped cutter 17 consisting of a blade body 17b are pivoted on both left and right sides of the tip of the proximal end portion 15a of the capture portion case 15 so as to be swingable around a fixed axis P, and are also provided with a handle support to be described later. The pivot member 17c that pivotally supports the member 18 is moved from the end of the cutter 17 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cutter 17, at both left and right ends, as viewed in a direction along the fixed axis P. The both ends of the handle support member 18 in the shape of a strip and a semi-circular arc are aligned with the horizontal axis Q on the extended end side of the pivot support member 17c.
It is pivoted around it so that it can swing freely. In order to make each of the cutter 17 and the handle support member 18 protrude toward the front side of the hand so as to support the handle of the captured fruit between them, and to form a passage between them for introducing the fruit. The hand is configured to be swingable in and out so as to be switched to a state in which the hand is retracted to the rear side (see FIG. 1).

To explain the structure of the handle support member 18, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a pair of upper and lower band-shaped plate members 18a and 18b are arranged vertically at intervals. They are fixed together via spacers 18c so that.

That is, as will be described later, when the swinging operation is stopped with the handle supported between the cutter 17 and the handle support member 18, the tip end side of the blade portion of the cutter 17 is connected to the pair of upper and lower plate members 18a, 18b to prevent the supported handle from shifting.

The swing operation mechanism A that swings the cutter 17 and the handle support member 18 can automatically change the operating position on the protruding side according to the position of the fruit and vegetable handle captured by the cutter 17 and the handle support member 18. In addition, an air cylinder 20 for driving the slide of the cutter 17 is provided, so that the cutter 17 can be moved when the cutter 17 is swung toward the protruding side, that is, when the cutter 17 is erected.
The handle is supported between the handle support member 18 and the fruit handle at a position corresponding to the orientation of the handle of the fruit, and the supported handle is cut by sliding the movable blade 17b (see (See Figure 8).

To explain the cutting operation mechanism B that slides the movable blade body 17b, as shown in FIG. A face gear 31 that can freely engage the pinion 30 and has teeth arranged in the longitudinal direction of the blade is fixed to the end of the movable blade 17b so as to be relatively rotatable on the right pivot pin 29. It has been done. However, the pinion 30 is provided with teeth along a circumference centered on the fixed axis P.

Then, the rack 3 that engages with the pinion 30
2 is connected to the air cylinder 20 via the relay member 33 so as to be slidable in the front and back direction of the hand.
It is connected to.

That is, as the air cylinder 20 is slid back and forth once, the pinion 30 is rotationally driven, and the face gear 31 that engages with the pinion 30 slides along the longitudinal direction of the blade, thereby fixing the A movable blade 17b connected to the blade 17a slides relative to the fixed blade 17a to perform a cutting operation. However, due to the action of the face gear 31 fixed to the end of the movable blade body 17b moving along the outer periphery of the pinion 30 while maintaining the engaged state, the cooperation between the movable blade body 17b and the air cylinder 20 is prevented. While maintaining this, the movable blade body 17b is allowed to swing around the fixed axis P.

To explain the swinging operation mechanism A that swings the cutter 17 and handle support member 18, as shown in FIGS. An electric motor 19 for swing operation equipped with a speed reduction mechanism 34 is connected to an output shaft 35.
is provided in a state extending in the capturing part case 15 toward the front of the hand, and the output shaft 3
a first gear 37 that is rotationally driven by a worm gear 36 fixed to the tip of the second gear 37;
And a third gear 39 meshing with this second gear 38
each of the proximal end portion 15 of the trapping part case 15.
a, and the third gear 3
9, a differential mechanism 21 is interlocked and connected to swing the cutter 17 and the handle support member 18 so as to support the handle of the fruit caught between them at a position that matches the orientation of the handle. There is.

To explain the differential mechanism 21, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a support shaft 40 of the third gear 39 is rotatably supported around the fixed axis P, and the cutter 17 is pivotally supported by the support shaft 40 around the fixed axis P in a freely swingable state. The input gear 4 is connected to the support shaft 40.
1, and the handle support member 18 is fixed so that the output gear 42 meshing with the input gear 41 is rotated so that the handle support member 18 is oscillated around the horizontal axis Q. It is attached to the left end. In addition, in FIG. 3, 43 is the input gear 4.
1 and the output gear 42 from falling off.

Next, the operation of the differential mechanism 21 will be explained.

The output gear 42 is rotationally driven by the electric motor 19 via the input gear 41, and accordingly, the output gear 42 planetarily rotates along a circumference centered on the fixed axis P. , while changing the position of the horizontal axis Q toward the lower side of the hand and toward the rear, the handle support member 18 is swung toward the upper side of the hand around its pivot point, that is, the horizontal axis Q. , the handle support member 18 is swung upward in an elliptical orbit.

Furthermore, since the output gear 42 is pivotally supported by the pivot member 17c extending from the end of the cutter 17, as the output gear 42 rotates planetarily relative to the input gear 41, the pivot member 17c 17c is moved downward around the fixed axis P, and as a result, the cutter 17 is swung downward at the same time as the handle support member 18 is swung upward.

However, if the cutter 17 comes into contact with the fruit stem first, the pivot member 17c will not be able to touch the fixed axis P.
Since the rotation of the surroundings is prevented, the swinging of the cutter 17 is stopped, but the input gear 4
Since the output gear 42 is driven via 1,
The handle support member 18 continues to be swung around the horizontal axis Q at the position where the cutter 17 has stopped swinging.

On the other hand, if the handle support member 18 contacts the fruit handle first, the input gear 41 of the output gear 42
With the planetary rotation relative to the handle, the end of the handle support member 18 moves toward the rear side of the hand along the circumference around the fixed axis P, using the tip of the handle support member 18 in contact with the handle as a fulcrum. At the same time, the pivot member 17c on the cutter 17 side is swung toward the rear of the hand along a circumference centered on the fixed axis P, and as a result, the handle support While the upward swinging of the member 18 is maintained, the cutter 17 continues to swing downwardly.

The completion of the raising operation in which the cutter 17 and the handle support member 18 support the fruit handle between them is detected by the potentiometer _S4 interlocked with the first gear 38. That will happen.

In other words, as shown in FIG. With the standing operation stopped, the handle support member 18 or the cutter 17 on the other side
It is designed so that it can continue to be operated standing up. Moreover, the pivot point of the handle support member 18 is the pivot point of the cutter 17.
As the hand swings, the hand changes continuously from the front side to the rear side. Therefore, when the fruit stalk is facing upward, the pivot point of the handle support member 18, that is, as shown in FIG. The horizontal axis Q is located on the front side of the hand relative to the fixed axis P, and the capture space in the hand front-rear direction between the fixed axis P and the tip of the handle support member 18 is widened, The fruit is swung back and forth with respect to the catching space without coming into contact with the flat fruit.

On the other hand, if the fruit stalk is positioned horizontally,
As shown in FIG. The cutter 17 or the handle support member 18 is swung while expanding the space in the vertical direction, and does not come into contact with the fruit, which is flat in the vertical direction with respect to the catching space.

In other words, the position of the pivot point of the handle support member 18 is automatically changed up and down and forward and backward according to the orientation of the handle of the fruit and vegetable caught between the handle support member 18 and the cutter 17, and Since the handle support member 18 is swung around the pivot point, the handle support member 18 draws an elliptical orbit so as to avoid the captured fruit. In addition, the protruding positions of the cutter 17 and the handle support member 18 can be automatically changed in accordance with the position of the handle of the captured fruit.

Next, a procedure for automatically causing the harvesting hand H to approach a fruit to be harvested, cutting the handle of the captured fruit, and harvesting the fruit will be described.

First, the vacuum pad 10 is positioned at a preset approach start position and is set so as to face a predetermined range in which the fruits to be harvested are located, and then the strobe device 28 is turned on to emit light. Image processing is performed using image sensor _S3 .

However, the imaging field of view of the image sensor S ₃ is limited to the movement of the vehicle body 2, the rotation and elevation of the boom 1,
The orientation of the harvesting hand H, that is, the vacuum pad 10, can be changed and set by horizontally swinging the auxiliary boom 3, and rotating or swinging the telescopic arm 8 relative to the auxiliary boom 3 back and forth.

Next, the captured image information is taken in and image processing is performed to remove the background such as branches and leaves and extract image information corresponding only to the fruit to be harvested, thereby determining the direction in which the fruit to be harvested is located.

While maintaining the state in which the suction port of the vacuum pad 10 faces toward the fruit to be harvested, the harvesting hand H is approached in a state of moving at high speed along a horizontal or nearly horizontal direction toward the direction in which the fruit to be harvested is located. Then, the telescopic arm 8 is extended.

Then, after starting the approach, the proximity sensor
Upon detecting that S ₂ has come within a set distance from the fruit to be harvested, the suction operation of the vacuum pad 10 is started.

After the suction operation of the vacuum pad 10 is started, the harvesting hand H is moved forward by a set distance (for example, a distance corresponding to the operating distance of the proximity sensor _S2 ) toward the fruit to be harvested, and the negative pressure sensor _S1 is activated.
With the ON operation, the vacuum pad 1
0, and at the same time, the catching part case 15 is projected forward to take the fruit to be harvested into the catching part case 15, and the fruit is positioned within the operating range of the handle cutting device. (See Figure 8B).

After the fruit is taken into the trapping part case 15, the motor 19 for raising and lowering is driven in normal rotation in order to raise the cutter 17 and handle support member 18 toward the side. Then, based on the information detected by the potentiometer _S4 , the rising operation is temporarily stopped at an intermediate position on the front side of the rising operation completion position, and the vacuum pad 1
Stop the suction operation of 0 and move the entire harvesting hand H.
By retreating a set distance toward the front and lower side of the fruit, the length of the handle to be cut by the cutter 17 is adjusted so that the cutter 17 comes into contact with the captured fruit. The position of the handle relative to the cutter 17 is corrected so that the length is as short as possible (see FIG. 8B).

Thereafter, based on the information detected by the potentiometer S ₄ , the cutter 17 and the handle support member 18 are continuously operated to stand up forward until the raising operation is completed, and the handle of the fruit is moved from the cutter 1 to the front side.
7 and the handle support member 18, and cut the handle with the cutter 17 (8th
(See Figure C).

After cutting, the harvesting hand H is returned to the location where the storage box K is located while maintaining the state in which the fruit with the stalk cut is stored in the trapping part case 15, and then the harvesting hand H is returned to the location where the storage box K is located. Open it downward and discharge the harvested fruit (see Figure 8 D).

After the harvested fruit is discharged, the cutter 17 and the handle support member 18 are retracted rearward to the retracting completion position based on the information detected by the potentiometer _S4 , and the catcher case 15 is The suction port of the vacuum pad 10 is retracted to the rear side of the hand so that the suction port of the vacuum pad 10 is connected to the capture part case 15.
After returning to the initial position in which the opening 24 protrudes forward, the shutter 26 is closed to complete the harvesting operation for one fruit.

After finishing the harvest operation for one fruit,
The harvesting hand H is returned to its approach starting position to prepare for the next approach.

[Another example]

In the above embodiment, the cutter 17 is pivotably supported around the fixed axis P on the hand side, and the handle support member 1
8 is pivotally supported on the extending end side of the pivot support member 17c extending from the end of the cutter 17 in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cutter 17, but the handle support member 18 may be pivotally supported around a fixed axis P, and the cutter 17 may be pivotally supported on a pivot member extending from the handle support member 18.

Further, in the above embodiment, the cutter 17 is swung from above to the bottom, and the handle support member 18 is swung from the bottom to the top. The position of 18 may be replaced. Further, in the above embodiment, the cutter 17 and the handle support member 18 are made to swing vertically around the horizontal axis with respect to the hand, but they may also be made to swing around the vertical axis. Katsuta 17
The swinging direction and arrangement of the handle support member 18 can be changed in various ways.

Further, in carrying out the present invention, various changes can be made to the configuration of each part, such as the specific configuration of the harvesting hand H and the specific configuration of the telescoping arm 8 provided for guiding the harvesting hand H toward the harvesting target.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case of harvesting fruits was illustrated, but the present invention can also be applied to harvesting of vegetables such as tomatoes. Further, the present invention can be applied to works other than harvesting work, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

Incidentally, although reference numerals are written in the claims section for convenience of reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the structure of the attached drawings.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the handle cutting device for the fruit and vegetable harvesting hand according to the present invention, and FIGS. , Fig. 3 is a cutaway plan view of the same, Fig. 4 is a front view of the same, Fig. 5 is a cutaway left side view of the main part showing the structure of the swing mechanism, and Fig. 6 is a cutaway cutaway of the main part showing the structure of the cutter operating mechanism. Right side view, Figure 7 is an overall side view of the fruit harvesting machine, Figure 8 is A, B, C,
D is an explanatory diagram of the harvesting operation. 17... Katsuta, 18... Handle support member, 17c
... Pivotal support member, A ... Rocking operation mechanism, P ... Fixed shaft core.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A state in which both ends of the semicircular-arc-shaped cutter 17 and the semi-circular-arc-shaped handle support member 18 are projected to support the handle of the captured fruits and vegetables between them, and a passage for introducing the fruits and vegetables between them. The swing operation mechanism A for the cutter 17 and the handle support member 18 is moved to the protruding side in accordance with the position of the handle of the captured fruits and vegetables. A handle cutting device for a fruit and vegetable harvesting hand configured to automatically change an operating position, wherein one of the cutter 17 and the handle support member 18 is swung around a fixed axis P on the hand side. The handle support member 18 and the cutter 17 are pivoted freely, and the other of the handle support member 18 and the cutter 17 is moved from the one end perpendicularly or approximately to the longitudinal direction thereof when viewed in a direction along the fixed axis P. A handle cutting device for a fruit and vegetable harvesting hand which is pivotally supported on the extending end side of a pivot member 17c extending in the orthogonal direction.