JPH0671377B2 - Hands for harvesting fruits and vegetables - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a vacuum pad for adsorbing fruits and vegetables to be harvested, which is projected toward the front side of the hand with its suction port facing the front side of the hand. The present invention relates to a fruit harvesting hand provided with a cutter for cutting the handle of fruit and vegetables adsorbed on the vacuum pad, the hand being provided so as to be switchable between a position and a position for cutting a pattern retracted to the rear side of the hand.

[Conventional technology]

In such a fruit and vegetable harvesting hand, for example, as disclosed in JP-A-59-106215, after capturing the fruit and vegetables in a state where the vacuum pad is projected from the hand, a vacuum pad is used. By retreating to the rear side of the hand, the fruits and vegetables to be harvested are moved to a position for cutting the handle by the cutter.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

By the way, many fruits and vegetables such as mandarin oranges, apples and tomatoes are often grown side by side in close contact. In the conventional structure, the vacuum pad is used to cut the handle to remove the fruits and vegetables. When retracted, the handle will be pulled into the case that holds only the adsorbed fruit and vegetables, and the handle will be cut with the cutter provided in the case. There is a risk that the handle for cutting the fruit and vegetables may be operated to cut the fruit and vegetables in a state where the fruit and vegetables do not sufficiently enter the case, and cutting the handle in that state may damage the fruit and vegetables.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to be able to cut only a handle of a harvest target even for fruits and vegetables arranged in a close state, and at the time of cutting the handle. An object of the present invention is to provide a hand for harvesting fruits and vegetables which can prevent the fruits and vegetables to be harvested from being damaged.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the fruit and vegetable harvesting hand according to the present invention has, in the initial structure, an outer peripheral portion of the band and a fruit and vegetable passage opening on the suction port front side of the vacuum pad. A cover body having a shape is provided, and the cover body is provided with a slit-like groove having a width that allows the handle of the fruit and vegetables that has penetrated into the fruit and vegetable passage opening to be inserted. To do.

The operation and effect of this characteristic configuration are as follows.

[Action]

That is, when the target fruits and vegetables adsorbed by the vacuum pad are moved to the handle cutting position by the movement of the vacuum pad to the back of the hand, the target fruits and vegetables are moved into the cover through the passage opening. , Other fruits and vegetables located near the fruits and vegetables are prevented from passing through the passage opening so as to be located outside the cover body. That is, only the fruits and vegetables to be harvested can be taken inside the cover body. Also, when the harvested fruit and vegetables adsorbed to the vacuum pad are moved into the cover, if the handle of the target fruit and vegetables is caught in the passage opening, the handle will enter the slit groove and smoothly move to the handle cutting position. You will be guided.

As a result, even if the cutter is operated for cutting the handle, other fruits and vegetables or the fruits and vegetables to be harvested that have been moved into the cover are not damaged by the cutter.

〔The invention's effect〕

Therefore, even if the fruits and vegetables are lined up closely, the fruits and vegetables to be harvested are clearly separated from each other, and the fruits and vegetables are not damaged in cutting in a good state. ,
In addition, the harvested fruit and vegetables were made to have a pattern at the cutting position by the slit-shaped groove, and it was possible to perform good pattern cutting without causing damage to the harvested fruit and vegetables.

〔Example〕

 Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 5, in a fruit harvesting device mainly used for harvesting apples and tangerines, the boom (1) is attached to the vehicle body (2) so that it can be raised and lowered and turned freely, and the auxiliary boom (3) is rocked horizontally. It is freely attached to the boom (1) and the working manipulator (4) is attached to the tip of the auxiliary boom (3).

However, in the figure, (5) is a boom lifting cylinder, (6) is a boom swing electric motor, and (7) is an auxiliary boom swing electric motor.

The working manipulator (4) comprises an articulated telescopic arm (8) and a harvesting hand (H) attached to the tip of the arm (8). The telescopic arm (8) is
The electric motor (9a) is swung around a vertical axis (X), and the electric motor (9b) is swung around a horizontal axis (Y). However, in the figure (9c)
Is an electric motor for arm extension / contraction operation.

Explaining the harvesting hand (H), as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a U-shaped base frame (10) in plan view
The telescopic arm (8) is bolted to the tip of the base frame (10), and the catch case (11) is bolted to the tip of the base frame (10).

The ventilation pipe (12) is slidably supported in the tubular portion (11a) of the capturing portion case (11) in the hand front-rear direction, and the soft rubber vacuum pad (13) is attached to the suction port. The ventilation pipe (12) is externally fitted to the front end of the ventilation pipe (12), the ventilation branch pipe (14) is externally fitted to the base of the ventilation pipe (12), and the branch pipe (14) is fitted to the ventilation pipe (14). , A telescopic bellows-type hose (15) is connected, and the bellows-type hose (15) is connected to the intake pump (1) as shown in FIG.
6) is connected to the pipe. Also, vacuum pad (13)
A negative pressure sensor (S ₁ ) that detects that the fruit has
It is attached to the branch pipe (14).

A photo-type proximity sensor (S ₂ ) is provided to detect that the harvesting hand (H) has approached the fruit to be harvested. In other words, the sensor body (17) that houses the light emitting unit, the light receiving unit, etc.
While holding it in the branch pipe (14), the optical fiber cable (18) for projecting and receiving light fed from the sensor main body (17) is passed through the inside of the ventilation pipe (14) and inside the vacuum pad (13). Extension, and the extension end,
It is supported by a vacuum pad (13) by a holder (19).

A handle cutting device for cutting a soybean handle, which is a soybean handle, of a fruit that is captured while being adsorbed on the vacuum pad (13) is provided.

That is, both ends of the strip plate-shaped and semi-arcuate hair clipper type cutter (21) and the strip plate-shaped and semi-circular arc-shaped support member (22) are provided around the coaxial core in the capturing portion case (11). The cutter (21) and the handle support member (22) are pivotally attached to each other to form a state in which the cutter (21) and the handle support member (22) are projected so as to support the trapped fruit and vegetables between them and a passage for introducing the fruit and vegetables therebetween. It is possible to swing back and forth so as to switch to a retracted state as much as possible. Then, the cutter (21) and the handle support member (22)
An electric motor (M) for swinging the cutter is provided, and an air cylinder (24) for driving the slide of the cutter (21) is provided, so that the cutter (21) is swung toward the protruding side, that is, in association with the standing operation. Supports the handle between the handle and the handle support member (22),
The supported handle is cut by the operation of the cutter (21).

The cutter (21) and the handle support member (22) are interlockingly connected to the electric motor (M) via the differential mechanism (25) so that either the cutter (21) or the handle support member (22) is connected. In the case where the cutter (21) or the handle support member (22) that has been previously contacted is stopped from standing up, the handle support member (22) or cutter (21) on the other side is stopped. The stand up operation can be continued. That is, the cutter (21)
The protrusion positions of the handle support member (22) and the handle support member (22) are automatically changed according to the position of the captured fruit handle.

Also, set the limit switch (S ₃ ) for detecting the completion of the standing operation and the limit switch (S ₄ ) for detecting the completion of the withdrawal operation.
The projection (2) attached to the input gear (26) of the differential mechanism (25).
It is provided so that it can be operated in 7).

An air cylinder (20) for moving the vacuum pad (13) in and out is interposed between the trap case (11) and the ventilation pipe (14). That is, the vacuum pad (13) can be switched between a catching position in which the vacuum pad (13) is projected forward of the cutter (21) in the retracted position and a handle cutting position in which the vacuum pad (13) is retracted rearward of the hand. I am doing it.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a hemispherical net-like cover body (28) that covers the outer peripheral portion of the hand is attached to the tip portion of the capturing portion case (11). Then, the vacuum pad (13) of the cover body (28)
A passage opening (29) having a size that allows one fruit to pass through is formed at a position facing the suction opening of the cover body (28), and is an upper side portion of the cover body (28) and the passage opening (29). A slit-like groove (30) through which a fruit handle is inserted is formed in a portion close to, so that when harvesting fruits as described later, as shown in FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b). In addition, only the fruits to be harvested can be taken into the cover body (28), and the pattern can be moved smoothly during the taking.

Incidentally, (28a) in the figure is a cylindrical auxiliary cover body that covers a portion of the harvesting hand (H) other than the portion covered by the cover body (28).

As shown in FIG. 5, the telescopic camera (S ₀ ) as an image pickup means for picking up the fruit to be harvested is provided with the telescopic arm (8).
It is provided inside the proximal arm (8a). By the way, the image pickup range of this TV camera (S ₀ ) includes movement of the vehicle body (2), turning and raising / lowering of the boom (1), horizontal swing of the auxiliary boom (3), telescopic arm (8) and auxiliary boom (3).
It will be set by turning or swinging back and forth.

As shown in FIG. 6, a control device (31) including a microcomputer includes a detection information of the television camera (S ₀ ), a detection information of the negative pressure sensor (S ₁ ), and a proximity sensor (S _2). ) Detection information, the detection information of the limit switch (S ₃ ) for detecting the stand-up operation completion, and the detection information of the limit switch (S ₄ ) for detecting the completion of the retreat operation, and the information and the previously stored information are stored. The control valve (32) of the lifting cylinder (5) of the boom (1), the drive controller (33) of the swing motor (6) of the boom (1), and the auxiliary boom (3) based on the information thus obtained. The controller (34) for driving the swinging motor (7), the controller (35) for driving the swinging motor (9a) for the telescopic arm (8), and the electric motor (9b) for swinging the telescopic arm (8). Drive controller (36a), telescopic arm ( 8) Expansion / contraction electric motor (9c)
Drive controller (36b), cutter (21), drive controller (37) of the electric motor (M) for raising and lowering the handle support member (22), and air cylinder (20) for moving in and out of the vacuum pad (13). ) For the control air valve (38) for the operation air cylinder (24) for the cutter (21)
a) and outputting an operation command to each of the control valves (39b) for controlling suction operation of the vacuum pad (13) to guide the harvesting hand (H) to the fruit to be harvested,
Also, the fruits are automatically harvested.

That is, in the control device (31), a hand guiding means that guides the harvesting hand (H) toward the target fruit in a state where the suction port of the vacuum pad (13) is directed toward the target fruit, and Each of the hand driving means for automatically operating the induced harvesting hand (H) to cut the fruit stem of the fruit to be harvested for harvesting is constituted.

Next, each of the above means will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

In other words, the video camera (S ₀ ) captures the image of the area where the fruits to be harvested are located, removes the background of branches and leaves, and performs image processing to extract image information that corresponds to only the fruits of interest. , Calculate the direction in which the extracted fruit is located.

Next, based on the calculated direction, the expansion / contraction operation of the expansion / contraction arm (8) is performed while maintaining the state in which the suction port of the vacuum pad (13) is directed toward the fruit to be harvested,
Let the harvesting hand (H) approach the target fruit.

After this approach operation, when it is determined that the hand (H) has approached the harvest target fruit within the set distance based on the detection information of the proximity sensor (S ₂ ), the suction operation of the vacuum pad (13) is performed. Is started. However, when the proximity sensor (S ₂ ) does not operate even when the approach distance becomes equal to or greater than the set value, it is determined that the harvesting is impossible, the telescopic arm (8) is shortened, and the harvesting hand (H ) To the approach start position.

After the suction operation of the vacuum pad (13), the harvesting hand (H) is moved forward by a set distance (for example, 30 to 50 mm) toward the fruit to be harvested, and based on the detection information of the negative pressure sensor (S ₁ ). Determine whether or not the target fruit has been adsorbed, and if it adsorbs as desired, vacuum pad (13)
And simultaneously move the harvesting hand (H) forward along the moving direction of the vacuum pad (13) to take in the fruit to be harvested into the cover body (28) and the cutter (21). ) Move to the operating range.
However, when the negative pressure sensor (S ₁ ) does not operate, it is determined that harvesting is not possible, the vacuum pad (13) is projected, the suction operation is stopped, and the expansion arm (9) is ) Is shortened and the harvesting hand (H) is returned to the approach start position.

Then, after the fruit to be harvested is taken into the harvesting hand (H), the cutter (21) and the handle support member (22) are erected to the front side, and the erection operation completion detection switch (S). Based on the detection information in ₃ ), it is determined whether or not the stand-up operation has been completed. When the standing operation is completed, the suction operation of the vacuum pad (13) is stopped, the harvesting hand (H) is retracted in that state, and the cutter (21) is positioned on the base side of the handle. After that, the cutter (21) is operated to cut the handle.
Immediately after cutting, the suction operation of the vacuum pad (13) is started to adsorb the fruit after cutting the handle again, and then the cutter (21) and the handle support member (22) are connected to the switch for detecting the completion of the withdrawal operation (S ₄ ） Loop until it operates. Subsequently, the telescopic arm (8) is shortened, the harvesting hand (H) is returned to the approach start position, the vacuum pad (13) is projected, and the suction operation thereof is stopped, so that The harvest operation for fruits is completed. However, if the standing-up operation completion detection switch (S ₃ ) does not operate and the standing-up operation is not completed, it is judged that there is a problem such as another object such as a branch being caught, and the cutter (21)
And the handle support member (22) is laid down until the retraction operation completion detection switch (S ₄ ) is operated, and the telescopic arm (8) is shortened in the same manner as when the suction of the vacuum pad (13) is stopped. Return the harvesting hand (H) to the approach start position.

In addition, when a plurality of fruits are extracted based on the imaging information of one time to calculate the direction in which the fruits to be harvested are located as described above, for example, the fruits on the upper side to the fruits on the lower side are sequentially ordered. The operation is continued in the order of harvesting or harvesting the largest fruit, that is, the fruit closest to the harvesting hand (H) in order. Therefore, every time the harvesting operation for one fruit is completed, the presence or absence of the unharvested fruit is discriminated, and the harvesting operation described above is repeated until no one fruit can be extracted in the imaging range.

[Another embodiment]

In carrying out the present invention, a specific configuration of the harvesting hand (H),
The configuration of each part such as the specific configuration of the telescopic arm (8) provided for guiding the harvesting hand (H) can be changed in various ways.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the case of harvesting fruits is illustrated, but the invention can be applied to harvesting vegetables such as tomatoes.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the vacuum pad (13) is moved by using the cylinder (20) has been illustrated, but the specific structure of the moving means can be changed in various ways. The point is that the vacuum pad (13) is used for capturing. It is advisable to switch between the position and the handle cutting position.

When the cover body (28) is provided, its shape, material and the like can be variously changed. It is even better if the passage (29) for passage of fruits and vegetables can be changed and adjusted according to the size of the fruits and vegetables. An example of the structure for changing and adjusting the size of the passage port (29) will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. The cover body (28) is moved to and from the base case (28A) and the cover. A cylindrical member (41) that is composed of a plurality of arc-shaped members (28B) that are freely fitted, and is slidably operated by an electric motor (40) using a rack and pinion mechanism, and each arc-shaped member (28B). ) Is connected by using a push-pull link (42), and accordingly, the passage opening (29) formed between the tip ends of the arc-shaped members (28B) by adjusting the withdrawal of the arc-shaped members (28B). ) Is adjustable. However, in the case of this embodiment, the slit groove (30) is formed over the entire circumference of the peripheral portion of the passage port (29).

[Brief description of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of a hand for harvesting fruits and vegetables according to the present invention. Fig. 1 is a cutaway side view of the harvesting hand, Fig. 2 is a cutaway bottom view of the hand, and Fig. 3 is a cover body. Front view, FIG. 4 is a side view of the cover, FIG. 5 is a side view of the fruit harvester, FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a control configuration, FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing control operation, and FIG. 8 ( (A) and (b) are side views showing the fruit harvesting state, and FIGS. 9 and 10 are a cutaway side view and a front view of another embodiment. (13) …… vacuum pad, (21) …… cutter, (28) …… cover body, (29) …… passage port, (30) …… slit groove.

Claims (2)

[Claims] A vacuum pad (13) for adsorbing fruits and vegetables to be harvested, with its suction port facing the front side of the hand, has a catching position protruding toward the front side of the hand and a handle retracted toward the rear side of the hand. A hand for harvesting fruits and vegetables, which is provided at a cutting position so as to be switchable, and has a cutter (21) for cutting the handle of the fruits and vegetables adsorbed to the vacuum pad (13), the outer circumference of the hand. A cover body (28) having a fruit and vegetable passage opening (29) on the front side of the suction port of the vacuum pad (13).
8) A hand for harvesting fruits and vegetables, wherein a slit-like groove (30) having a width that allows insertion of the handle of the fruits and vegetables that has penetrated into the passage (29) for passage of fruits and vegetables is formed. . 2. The cover body (28) has the passage opening (2).
The hand for harvesting fruit and vegetables according to claim 1, wherein the size of 9) is variable and adjustable.