Patent Publication Number: US-2023143464-A1

Title: Automated station comprising a processing tool for edible liquids and assembling method thereof

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO THE RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is the national phase entry of International Application No. PCT/IB2021/052995, filed on Apr. 12, 2021, which is based upon and claims priority to Italian Patent Application No. 102020000007939, filed on Apr. 15, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention refers to an automatic robotic arm or other automated station for processing edible fluids, e.g. for the preparation of alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks in an automated bar, e.g. through a computerized control. 
     BACKGROUND 
     It is known to prepare a drink or other edible liquid food using an automatic robotic arm. 
     The need is also felt to create a preparation tool (or end effector) in order to increase the useful life and decrease the costs of construction and replacement in case of damage, as well as the creation of a tool that guarantees the tightness of liquids during all stages of preparation or at least limit the fall of drops/liquids 
     SUMMARY 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a robotic arm or other automated station capable of satisfying at least in part the requirements specified above. 
     The object of the present invention is achieved by means of an automated station preferably comprising a robotic arm having a tool comprising a releasable mechanical coupling adapted to be carried to a free end portion of the robotic arm; a linear actuator having a power input adapted to be releasably connected with a power line, e.g. pneumatic or hydraulic, preferably carried by the robotic arm; a container for edible liquids; a closure movable via the linear actuator between a closed position where the edible liquid is in the container so that, for example, the liquid is shaken by the action of the robotic arm and an open position where the edible liquid is poured in a controlled way out of the container through the action of the robotic arm; and a lever arm pivoted and connected between the linear actuator and the closure so as to reduce the load applied by the actuator to decrease a first force resulting from closure on a fluid seal in said closed position with respect to a second applied force from the actuator to the lever arm. 
     The pivoted lever arm is simple to make and maintain and this also leads to a reduction in related costs. Furthermore, the reduction of the force allows the use of actuators available in product catalogs, and therefore relatively inexpensive and widely available on the market. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, the pivoted lever arm comprises a first end connected to the closure and a second end connected to the linear actuator, thus creating a second class lever, the first end being connected to the closure so that the closure can rotate and/or translate with respect to the first end, i.e. there is at least one degree of freedom, so as to adapt in the closed position to a leading edge of the container. 
     The closure is not rigidly connected to the first end portion but a relative movement is allowed which can be obtained in various ways e.g. by means of a deformable rubber connecting rod, a rigid connecting rod with at least one braked hinge which maintains the angular position of the closure when only the weight force of the closure is applied to the hinge. When instead, e.g. through contact with the leading edge, a limit load is applied to the closure via the linear actuator, the braked hinge allows the closure to be adapted to the leading edge. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the linear actuator has a sleeve and a stem movable with respect to the sleeve, the stem being fixed to a support of the container and the sleeve being fixed to said arm. 
     In this way, the linear actuator is mounted upside down, e.g. with the jacket upwards and the stem downwards when the container is in a substantially vertical position to contain the liquid and the closure is open. This favors the evacuation of any drops of edible liquid by gravity without the latter entering the gap between the stem and the liner. In fact, especially when the container is in a vertical position upwards and the closure is open, the edible liquid has fallen onto the shirt e.g. during the agitation of the container when the closure is closed, it also moves downwards on the stem and does not cross the gap between the stem and the liner. This gap is protected by a seal which is thus safeguarded. Furthermore, the liquid is often sugar-based and the above avoids the contamination of internal components of the jacket and therefore their degradation due to corrosion. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the closure has a wet surface arranged towards the inside of the container when the closure is closed, in which the wet surface comprises one or more projections. 
     The projections, depending on the shape, slow down or block drops of liquid moving by gravity when the closure is open. In this way, the drops of liquid that fall by gravity from the closure when the latter is open are reduced and dirty the surfaces arranged under the tool, requiring consequent cleaning operations. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, the projections and the corresponding grooves have a tangential path with respect to an axis of the closure and are preferably concentric or spiral. 
     In this way, the drops of liquid are hindered with particular effectiveness in the downward movement by gravity when the closure is open. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, the container is releasably connected to a frame of the tool defining a fulcrum of the lever arm. 
     In this way, when a replacement of the container is necessary, for example due to damage after a collision, a new container is easily assembled while the other interfaces of the tool, e.g. the power supply of the linear actuator, the pivoted lever arm etc. remain installed on the end portion of the robotic arm. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, the container has at least one transparent portion. 
     In this way, a visual inspection is possible during the preparation of liquid food e.g. while the end portion is moving to shake. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, the container is made of a material having a first breaking load which is lower than a second breaking load of a frame material. 
     In this way, in the event of a collision, the container, which has a relatively low replacement and construction cost, is damaged by safeguarding the other, more expensive components of the tool which in the meantime has been stopped by its automatic control system. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the container comprises a bottom with a hole and the releasable connection comprises a screw or other releasable clamping element though the hole, a fluid seal being interposed between the screw and the bottom and compressed at least partially when the screw is tightened to rigidly connect the container to the frame. 
     Other advantages of the present invention are discussed in the description and cited in the dependent claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is described below on the basis of non-limiting examples illustrated by way of example in the following figures, which refer respectively to: 
         FIG.  1    is a front view of an automatic station for the preparation of drinks comprising a robotic arm according to the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is an exploded view of a tool carried by an end portion of the robotic arm of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is a side view of the tool of  FIG.  2   ; 
         FIG.  4    is an enlarged partial side view of an upper portion of  FIG.  2   ; and 
         FIG.  5    is a photograph of an enlarged detail of the tool in  FIG.  2   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG.  1    indicates by  1 , as a whole, a robotic station comprising a first and a second articulated robotic arm R 1 , R 2  resting on a counter  4 . A plurality of supports  5  are arranged above the counter  4  to keep the bottles of edible fluids upside down, for example ingredients of beverages or drinks. The robotic arms R 1 , R 2  and the counter  4  are visible from the outside of the robotic station through an opening  6  which, in the embodiment of  FIG.  1   , is a through window delimited above and below, being the right and left fully open. In this way, the preparation of the food is fully visible to an individual in the vicinity of the robotic station. 
     On the opposite side of the opening  6  with respect to the robotic arms R 1 , R 2  there is a dividing wall  7  which delimits the counter  4  and defines a plurality of accesses  9  to which one or both arms R 1 , R 2  approach during the execution of the procedure of preparation of a food. Each access  9  corresponds to a respective functional module  10  comprising an electromechanical or pneumatic device for treating or releasing an ingredient of the food. Preferably one or more functional modules  10  also comprise sensors or containers connected together with the electromechanical or pneumatic device to perform a treatment operation of the relevant ingredient. For example, the functional modules include slicers, ice grinders, dispensers, in particular dispensers of fluid but not liquid or granular ingredients. For example, a fluid but not liquid ingredient is a sauce, a pasta, a cream, whipped cream. Furthermore, some functional modules are provided to perform operations on objects, such as for example a cup dispenser or a washing and disinfection module of an end tool  11  carried by at least one of the robotic arms R 1 , R 2 . Preferably further functional modules are arranged in the area below the work surface of the counter  4 . The partition wall  7  and the counter  4  shield from view and/or protect the functional modules  10  from tampering and/or access by unauthorized personnel. 
     According to the embodiment of the figure, tool  11  is implemented to seal a container and allow bartending operations such as mixing, stirring or the like. 
       FIG.  2    illustrates tool  11  in greater detail. Tool  11  comprises a support structure  12  releasably connected to a free end portion of the robotic arm R 1 , a container  13  for edible liquids e.g. shaped like a cup and carried by the support structure  12 , a movable closure  14  to selectively close the container  13 , a lever mechanism  15  to move the closure  14  between an open position shown in the  FIG.  2    and a closed position in which the liquid is trapped in the container  13  to perform one or more bartending operations. The mechanism is operated by means of a preferably pneumatic linear actuator  16  and functionally connected to a compressed air system of the robotic station. 
     Preferably ( FIG.  3   ) mechanism  15  is an unfavorable lever with respect to the linear actuator  16  i.e. the force of the actuator is reduced by the geometry of the lever when applied to the closure  14 . In this regard, the lever mechanism  15  comprises an arm  17  pivoted asymmetrically on the support structure  12  so that a first distance between the fulcrum F and a point of application of force of the linear actuator on the arm is less than a second distance between the fulcrum F and a connection point between the closure  14  and the arm  17 . Preferably, the support structure  12  has an inverted T shape having an lower left branch  18  configured to connect to the free end portion of the robotic arm R 1 , a lower right branch  19  carrying the container  13  and an elongated central body  20  which, on the opposite longitudinal part of the branches  18  and  19 , defines the fulcrum F of the lever mechanism  15 . 
     From one part of the elongated central body  20 , arm  17  carries closure  14  preferably by means of a connection with at least one degree of freedom so that the closure is movable with respect to the arm in order to be able to best adapt to a leading edge  21  of container  13  when the latter is closed. Even more preferably, the degree of freedom is angular about a substantially transverse axis, preferably perpendicular to that of the closure. According to the embodiment of the figures, an elongated connecting element, e.g. a screw V, is coaxial to the axis A of closure  14  and is housed with radial play in arm  17 . This play is preferably closed by one or more elastic elements e.g. o-ring E ( FIG.  2   ). 
     Opposed longitudinally to the edge  21 , container  13  comprises a bottom  22  rigidly connected to the lower right branch  19 . The connection is releasable and preferably comprises a screw  23  passing through bottom  22  in a hole. In order to avoid liquid leakage through the releasable connection, a fluid seal  24  ( FIG.  2   ) is provided, which is activated when the connection is tightened. In the example shown, the fluidic seal  24  is an o-ring that is compressed by a head of screw  23  when the latter is tightened on lower right branch  19 . Similarly, it is possible to adapt a bayonet connection, snap etc. It is also possible that the container has brackets or other projections without any holes and that the container is fixed to branch  19  or to body  20  by means of such brackets e.g. by means of a shape coupling. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, bottom  22  is perforated when the container  13  is made of glass or other fragile and transparent material so that it is possible to see from the outside at least the level of liquid contained in container  13 . More generally, the container is made of a material having a breaking load lower than that of support structure  12  so that, in the event of an accidental impact, container  13  is damaged, even so as to be unusable, before causing further damage to the support structure and/or an actuation unit of the robotic arm R 1 . By means of the releasable connection, even an irreparably damaged container  13  can be replaced quickly and at low cost. 
     On the opposite side of container  13  with respect to elongated central body  20 , linear actuator  16  is mounted in such a way as to limit or prevent the entry of drops of edible liquid between the moving parts. The actuator includes a jacket  25  and a stem  26  removable from jacket  25 . The actuator can be both fluidic and electromechanical, e.g. rotary motor connected to a rack carried by the rod by means of a sprocket. As shown in the figures, jacket  25  is connected to mechanism  15  and stem  26  to the support structure  12 . In this way, when tool  11  is in a position such that leading edge  21  is upwards ( FIG.  3   ), a drop of liquid moves by gravity without penetrating the gap between the stem and the jacket. 
       FIG.  5    shows a wet face  30  of the closure  14 , i.e. the face facing the liquid in container  13  when the latter is closed and full. In order to avoid the dispersion by gravity of drops of edible liquid when closure  14  is open, wet face  30  defines at least one protuberance  31  arranged in relief in the same direction as an axis of the closure  14 . This protuberance hinders the gravity fall of the liquid drops when the closure is open. Furthermore, preferably, protuberance  31  protrudes when the closure is in the open position such that an untrapped drop falls by gravity into container  13  when tool  11  is with an axis of container  13  in the rest position such that a quantity maximum allowable liquid in the container remains inside container  13  even when closure  14  is open. With reference to the figures, an example of this rest position is that in which an axis of container  13  is in a vertical position, i.e. that of  FIG.  5   . In  FIG.  5   , a preferred embodiment is illustrated in which a plurality of protuberances  31  is provided, each of which has a crest that follows a tangential path, in particular circular and concentric, with respect to an axis of cover  13 . 
       FIG.  5    further shows a fluidic seal  32 , e.g. a ring preferably of a material based on silicone or other elastomer for food, which is pressed on the leading edge  21  by linear actuator  16  when container  13  is closed. 
     Finally, it is clear that it is possible to make changes or variants to the automatic robotic arm R 1  described and illustrated here without departing from the scope of protection as defined by the attached claims. 
     For example, container  13  can be completely transparent or only partially. 
     Furthermore, tool  11  can be releasably connected to a non-anthropomorphic robotic arm, such as the one illustrated in  FIG.  1   , but moved with at least one degree of freedom e.g. by translation along three orthogonal Cartesian axes. In general, tool  11  can be mounted on board an automatic station which includes a mechanism implemented to collect ingredients and perform one or more bartending operations.