Back to results
US 12,751,369 B2Granted
End effector for harvesting plants
AssigneeAutomated Harvesting Solutions, LLC
InventorsAnthony Wisdom, Ian Mintz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An end effector includes a housing, a first door pivotably coupled to the housing, and a second door pivotably coupled to the housing. An actuator operably couples to the first door and the second door, and is configured to transition the first door and the second door between (i) a closed state in which access to an interior of the housing is restricted and (ii) an opened state in which access to the interior of the housing is permitted. A cutting mechanism is configured to sever an edible portion of a plant from a remaining portion of the plant.
Claims20
A machine for harvesting an edible portion of a plant, the machine comprising:
- an end effector including:
- a housing having:
- an upper portion with a top and a bottom,
- a lower portion coupled to the bottom of the upper portion,
- a first door hingedly coupled to the upper portion, at a location between the top and the bottom, and configured to rotate about a first axis extending in a direction between the top and the bottom of the upper portion, the first door being configured to selectively permit or restrict access to an interior of the housing, and
- a second door hingedly coupled to the upper portion, at a location between the top and the bottom, and configured to rotate about a second axis extending in a direction between the top and the bottom of the upper portion, the second door configured to selectively permit or restrict access to the interior of the housing,
- a cutting mechanism including a blade,
- a first actuator coupled to the first door and the second door, the first actuator being configured to transition the first door and the second door between an open state and a closed state, and
- a second actuator coupled to the cutting mechanism, the second actuator being configured to transition the blade between a first position in which the blade is disposed external to the housing and a second position in which the blade is disposed at least partially internal to the housing;
- and
- a robotic arm coupled to the end effector, the robotic arm providing the end effector with at least three degrees of movement.
8 more elements
An end effector, comprising:
- a housing including:
- a top portion, and
- a bottom portion including a first end and a second end;
- a first door pivotably coupled to the top portion of the housing, the first door including a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
- a second door pivotably coupled to the top portion of the housing, the second end including a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
- an actuator operably coupled proximate to the first end of the first door and proximate to the first end of the second door, the actuator being configured to transition the first door and the second door between (i) a closed state in which access to an interior of the housing is restricted and (ii) an opened state in which access to the interior of the housing is permitted;
- and
- a cutting mechanism including a blade configured to sever an edible portion of a plant from a remaining portion of the plant, the blade being disposable at least partially within a gap distance defined between (i) the second end of the first door and the first end of the bottom portion and (ii) the second end of the second door and the first end of the bottom portion.
5 more elements
An end effector, comprising:
- a housing;
- a door;
- a rail;
- a slide disposable along the rail;
- a linkage coupled to the door and the slide;
- a first actuator coupled to the slide, the first actuator being configured to displace the slide along the rail to transition the door between a closed state and an opened state via an engagement between the linkage and the slide;
- a cutting mechanism including a blade;
- a second actuator coupled to the cutting mechanism, the second actuator being configured to transition the blade between an extended position and a retracted position;
- and
- a receptacle configured to receive an edible portion of a plant, wherein:
- in the closed state of the door and the extended position of the blade, access to the receptacle is restricted, and
- in the opened state of the door or the retracted position of the blade, access to the receptacle is permitted.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.