关键词: 橡胶树, 割胶装备, 切割仿形机构, 割胶轨迹, 限深限厚

Abstract: As latex harvested from rubber trees, rubber tapping is an important way to harvest latex. Traditional tapping technology is professional, difficult and high labor intensity. The research and development of mechanical rubber tapping equipment has become an important direction to crack the constraints of the industry in past ten years. In order to improve rubber tapping machinery quality and stability, and reduce rubber tree injury, the rubber tapping trajectory equation was established according to the traditional manual tapping method, and a mechanism composed of guider, slope assemblage and cutting knife was designed in the research, which could limit the cutting depth and thickness. The theoretical forces of the key components were also analyzed. Using a hand-held automatic rubber tapping machine as the test body, the cutting feeler mechanism designed was tested in rubber tapping. The results showed that the cutting feeler mechanism could fit the tapping surface and trajectory better, cut out the strip-shaped bark, limit cutting depth and thickness and reduce rubber tree damage. The average cutting current was stable between 1.0 A and 1.5 A. Compared to traditional tapping method, bark consumption was on average less than 10% compared with set upper value and tapping depth was increased at 8%. The design was verified, which met the technical requirements of rubber cutting operation. The cutting feeler mechanism proposed in this study is meaningful to improve cutting quality, stability and practicality. This research provides a reference for the subsequent development of mechanized and intelligent rubber tapping mechanism.

Key words: Hevea brasiliensis, rubber tapping machine, cutting feeler mechanism, tapping trajectory, cutting depth and bark thickness control