JP3514323B2 - Vacuum harvester - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vacuum harvester for harvesting fruits such as cherry tomatoes and cherries and apples. 2. Description of the Related Art In this kind of harvesting machine, there is a manipulator of a harvesting robot in which various crops are adsorbed by vacuum pressure and harvested. Means for improving the adsorbability of the manipulator using a suction device of a high vacuum force are generally employed. [0003] However, in the case of such means for increasing only the suction force, a high-performance suction device is required, which is not only uneconomical, but also, for example, the harvest of mini tomatoes. There were drawbacks, such as the occasional looseness and damage to the tomatoes during adsorption, which impaired the commercial value of the crop. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a vacuum harvester in which a cultivated crop is adsorbed to a suction port of a harvesting hand to perform the harvesting. In a vacuum harvester provided with hand control means for detecting and determining the retreat direction of the harvest hand , the crop is sucked.
It is detected by the adsorption sensor that it was adsorbed on the body
The bending direction of the delamination part,
In the direction opposite to the bending direction of the delamination.
Deciding the retreat direction of the harvest hand and retreating the hand
To ensure that the crop is detached from the stalk, and that the harvest accuracy and efficiency
Can be improved. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a control circuit diagram of the harvester, FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the harvester, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the harvester, where (1) moves on a traveling rail (2) with a traveling wheel (3). The bogie of the harvesting machine (4), (5) is a vacuum suction type harvesting hand that is supported via a hand base (7) on an up / down movement guide (6) that is set up substantially at the center of the bogie (1), (8) ) Is a visual sensor that is installed on the hand stand (7) and images the mini tomato (A), which is the fruit of the cultivated crop in front of the hand (5), and (9) is a mini sensor that is suction-harvested by the hand (5). A transfer hose for transferring the tomato (A) to a container (10) mounted on the trolley (1); (11) a motor for moving the guide (6) in the traveling direction of the trolley (1); 12) For hand table horizontal rotation for rotating the guide (6) around the longitudinal axis of the lower base end And (13) a motor for vertically moving the hand stand (7) along the guide (6), and (14) a mini tomato (A) which is a target for harvesting the hand (5). And (15) a hand vertical rotation motor for moving the hand (5) up and down around a rotation fulcrum shaft (16). (5) The tomato (A) is configured to be sucked by a suction body (17), which is a suction port, which is attached to the front end so as to be freely openable and closable, with a vacuum suction force, and harvesting is performed. As shown in FIG. 4, the harvesting hand (5)
Is a mini tomato inside using a circular pipe (5a) (A)
And the upper and lower mouths (17a) and (17b) of the suction body (17), which is divided into two in a vertical semi-circular shape when viewed from the front of the hand (5), is formed outside the tip of the hand (5). Attached to the upper and lower sides via a fixing plate (19) and an opening / closing shaft (20) so that the hand (5) and the suction body (17) can be opened and closed.
An elastic seal member (21) for covering the seam gap from the inside from the hand (5) and the suction body (17) is provided. The suction body (17) is formed in a tapered conical shape having a small inner diameter at the front end and a large inner diameter at the rear end, and is usually between the upper and lower mouth bodies (17a) and (17b). While the closed state is maintained by the tension spring (22) to be stretched, the open wire (23) connected to the upper and lower mouth bodies (17a) and (17b) is rearward (frontward) by the excitation operation of the hand suction port opening solenoid (24). When pulling to the crop side), the upper and lower mouth bodies (17a) and (17b) are opened and the mini tomato (A) adsorbed to the front end mouth (17c) of the suction body (17) is put in the hand (5). Is configured to be taken into the transfer path (18) by a vacuum suction force. Further, after a lapse of a certain time from the adsorption of the mini tomato (A) to the suction body (17), the tomato (A)
A cutter (25) that cuts the stem (B), which is the stalk of the fruit (the fruit (A) detaches from the delamination (C))
The cutter rotating body (27) is rotatably fitted and supported on a cutter receiving cylinder (26) on the outer circumference of the pipe (5a), and the base end of the cutter (25) is connected to a piston rod ( A cutter front-rear cylinder (28) fixed to the tip of 28a) is fixedly supported on the outer periphery of the front end side of the rotating body (27), and the cutter (25) is moved forward and backward by the cylinder (28). A gear (29) formed on the outer periphery of a rear end of the rotating body (27); and a receiving cylinder (26).
Gear (31) of the low-speed rotation motor (30) fixed to the vehicle
And the cutter (25) is rotated on the same circumference of the pipe (5a) by the motor (30). [0010] Furthermore, a pressure-sensitive fruit infarction sensor for judging that the mini tomato (A) is separated from the fruit stalk (B) at the front end mouth (17c) of the suction body (17) due to a temporary increase in output. A light emitting element (33a) and a light receiving element (33b) for detecting passage of the tomato (A) in the transport path (18) are provided in the middle of the pipe (5a) of the hand (5) while burying (32). A transport sensor (33) comprising:
An adsorption sensor (34), which is a vacuum pressure sensor for detecting adsorption of the tomato (A) based on an increase in the degree of vacuum in the transport path (18), is provided, and the tomato (A) of the suction body (17) is provided. The sensor (3) detects the various working conditions of adsorption, detoxification of tomato (A) from decoy (B) after adsorption, and transport of tomato (A) through transport path (18) after deisolation.
2) It is configured to automatically detect in (33) and (34). As shown in FIG. 1, a traveling switch (3) for driving the traveling device (35) of the harvester (4) to travel the machine body.
6), a harvesting switch (37) for automatically operating the harvesting hand (5) to perform a harvesting operation, and the various sensors (8) and (3).
2) A control circuit (3) for input connection between (33) and (34)
8), a suction device (39) and an alarm device (40) which are connected to the traveling device (35) and the transport path (18), and the various motors (11), (12) and (1).
3) (14) (15) (30) and the solenoid (2
A control circuit (38) is connected to the cutter forward / backward solenoid (41) for operating the cylinder (28) 4), and various sensors (8), (32), (33) are turned on when the harvesting switch (37) is turned on. ) The automatic harvesting operation of the mini tomato (A) is performed based on the detection of (34). This embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. During the harvesting operation, when the visual sensor (8) detects the mini tomato (A), the hand (5) is moved to a position where the mini tomato (A) is located at a predetermined front position of the harvesting hand (5). The position of the hand (5) is controlled and then the hand (5) is controlled to move forward to the mini tomato (A) side, so that the hand (5) is pulled into the front end (17c) of the suction body (17) by the vacuum suction force in the hand (5). The tomato (A) is adsorbed, and when the adsorption sensor (34) detects an increase in the degree of vacuum of a certain degree or more, it is determined that the mini tomato (A) is adsorbed on the suction body (17), When it is determined that the suction is not performed, the suction position of the hand (5) is corrected by the visual sensor (8). At the time of adsorption detection, the visual sensor (8) detects the bending direction of the delamination (C), which is the direction of the stalk (B), and determines the bending direction of the delamination (C). In the opposite direction,
The retreat direction of the hand (5) is determined and the hand (5) is retreated, that is, the hand (5) is viewed from the front and is delaminated (C).
When the part is bent to the left, the hand (5) is moved backward to the right, and when bent to the right, the hand (5) is moved backward. When the detachment sensor (32) detects a temporary increase in the contact pressure of the miniature tomato (A) at the front end mouth (17c), the tomato (A) is detached from the corn (B). And the upper and lower mouth (1) of the suction body (17)
7a) and (17b) are opened, the tomato (A) is taken into the transport path (18) by the vacuum suction force in the hand (5), and then the position of the transport sensor (33) in the transport path (18) is miniature tomato. When the sensor (33) detects the passage of (A), the suction body (17) is closed. On the other hand, if the mini tomato (A) does not come off from the stalk (B) after a certain period of time after the retreat of the hand (5), the cutter (25) is advanced and the hand (5) is advanced. ) Is advanced forward from the front end opening (17c) and rotated one turn or a predetermined angle in the left or right direction to cut the tomato (B) of the tomato (A) which cannot be detached by vacuum suction force. 25) Cut with it. The suction body (17) is opened after the tomato (A) is sucked and harvested from the tomato (B) by the hand (5) or after the tomato (B) is cut and harvested by the cutter (25). Nevertheless, when the conveyance of the tomato (A) is not detected, it is determined that some abnormality has occurred on the way, and an abnormality alarm is generated. Thus, by repeating such an operation, about 500 to 600 tomatoes per hour (A)
Can be harvested efficiently. When the tomato (A) is sucked and harvested by the hand (5), after the tomato (A) is adsorbed, the hand (5) is moved in the direction opposite to the bending direction of the delamination (C) portion. The tomato (A) is more easily detached from the stalks (B) by retreating the tomatoes, and therefore economically good without compromising the commercial value of the tomato (A) with relatively weak vacuum force Harvest can be made possible. When it is not possible to harvest the tomato (A) by such suction suction of the hand (5), the tomato (A) is cut off with the cutter (25), so that the tomato (A) is forcibly sucked. Inconveniences such as looseness in harvesting and damage to the tomato (A) and trees are eliminated, and reliable harvesting while maintaining commercial value can be performed. The one shown in FIG. 6 uses a bellows hose (9a) between the hand (5) and the container (10), and a rotating motor (43) via a rotating fitting (42) to the hand (5). By rotating the hand (5) after adsorbing the mini tomato (A) by connecting the rotation shaft (43a) of the mini tomato (A), the mini tomato (A) is cut from the fruit stalk (B) and harvested. Things. FIGS. 7 and 8 show an example of a configuration in which the opening diameter of the front end opening (17c) of the hand suction body (17) is variable, and a plurality of suction bodies (17) are provided. A suction fitting (45) is fitted around the outer periphery of the suction piece (44) formed of divided suction pieces (44) and combined in a cylindrical shape.
The opening and closing of the opening (17c) of the mouth (17c) can be adjusted according to the size of the small and large tomato (A) by changing the inner diameter of the aperture fitting (45) by the forward / reverse drive of the motor (46). It is configured so that Further, in FIG. 9, the harvesting hand (5) and the body of the harvester (4) are divided, and a visual sensor (8) is mounted on an endless rail (47) laid above the field.
The harvesting hand (5) having a suspension is supported and suspended automatically via a suspension member (48), and the harvester (4) and the hand (5) for traveling in the field are controlled by a radio-controlled transmitter (49) for remote operation. ) And a receiver (50), the harvester (4) following the hand (5) is automatically driven, and the mini tomato (A) harvested by the hand (5) is collected by the harvester (4). The harvester (4), which is housed in the container (10) and has high stability of the hand (5) to enable high-precision movement while maintaining relatively low stability and accuracy, is used in the field. The vehicle is designed to be driven to improve economy and efficiency. As is apparent from the above embodiments, the present invention provides a vacuum in which the cultivated crop (A) is adsorbed to the suction port (17) of the harvesting hand (5) and the harvest is performed. In a vacuum harvester , a hand control means (38) for detecting a direction of a fruit handle (B) of a crop (A) for harvesting and determining a retreat direction of a harvesting hand (5) is provided.
The suction sensor detects that (A) is adsorbed by the suction body (17).
As detected by (34), it is in the direction of the stalk (B)
The bending direction of the delamination (C) portion is detected by the visual sensor (8).
In the direction opposite to the bending direction of the delamination (C).
Decide the retreat direction of the harvest hand (5) and leave the hand (5)
The crop (A) is surely separated from the stalk (B).
To improve harvesting accuracy and efficiency
For example, aggressive yields on mini tomatoes (A), etc.
Harvests and damages tomatoes (A) and trees
Can be eliminated, and minimizing
We can prevent the commercial value of tomato (A) from decreasing
Things. [0023]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a control circuit diagram of a harvester. FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the harvester. FIG. 3 is an overall front view of the harvester. FIG. 4 is an explanatory side view of a harvesting hand unit. FIG. 5 is a flowchart. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a rotating structure of a harvesting hand unit. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing an opening and closing structure of a suction port of a harvesting hand. FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing an opening / closing structure of a suction port of a harvesting hand. FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a hanging traveling state of the harvesting hand. [Description of Signs] (4) Harvester (5) Harvest Hand (17) Suction Body (Suction Port) (17c) Mouth (25) Cutter (38) Control Circuit (Control Means) (A) Mini Tomato (Crop) (B) Stem (fruit)

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-88916 (JP, A) JP-A-63-137614 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A01D 46/24

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] In a vacuum harvester in which a cultivated crop (A) is adsorbed to a suction port (17) of a harvesting hand (5) and the harvest is performed, the crop (A) is harvested. Detect the fruit pattern (B) direction,
In a vacuum harvester provided with a hand control means (38) for determining the retreat direction of the harvest hand (5) , the crop (A) is
The suction sensor (34) detects that the suction body (17) has been sucked.
Delamination is in the direction of the stalk (B) as detected by
The bending direction of the part (C) is detected by the visual sensor (8).
In the direction opposite to the bending direction of the delamination (C),
Decide the retreat direction of the hand (5) and retreat the hand (5)
A vacuum harvester characterized by having