Multi-flexible-body parallel manipulator based on gas driving

Abstract

According to the multi-flexible-body parallel manipulator based on gas driving, a main body comprises a flexible mechanical arm and a clamping mechanism, the flexible mechanical arm comprises a mounting bottom plate and a corrugated pipe, and the corrugated pipe is made of a flexible material, is of a hollow structure and can stretch or retract by changing the inflation degree. The clamping mechanism is composed of four inflatable fingers, the inflatable fingers are inflated by air pipes to bend inwards or outwards, and the driving device is in transmission connection with the base to drive the base to rotate; the corrugated pipe is mainly responsible for achieving arm bending movement of the mechanical arm, the driving device can achieve rotation of the clamping mechanism, and the grabbing strength and the bearing capacity of the mechanical arm can be improved through cooperation of the multiple inflation fingers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a multi-flexible body parallel manipulator based on gas drive, belonging to the technical field of manipulator equipment. Background Art

[0002] Since the invention of robots, domestic and foreign scholars have been conducting research on robotic arms. The rapid development of materials science and intelligent manufacturing technology has provided a foundation for various forms of robotic arm research. At present, industrial robots are gradually replacing human labor. As the working environment and the types of objects that robots face become more and more complex, robotic arms need higher environmental adaptability. Traditional industrial robotic arms have relatively large rigidity and have certain limitations when grasping brittle and fragile materials. They also have poor ability to coordinate and interact with the external environment. They are easy to interfere with other objects in complex working environments, causing damage, and their safety performance cannot be guaranteed.

[0003] Rope-type robotic arms have overcome the shortcomings of traditional industrial robotic arms to a certain extent, but they often require the support of objects to function, and they lack adaptability to different object sizes in practical applications, so it is difficult to customize them for irregular objects.

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the above-mentioned traditional industrial manipulators and rope-type manipulators, flexible bionic manipulators have gradually entered people's field of vision. However, most of the existing flexible manipulators can only grasp light objects, and their scope of use is limited. Some flexible manipulator designs have improved their grasping ability to a certain extent by equipping them with auxiliary devices, but their flexibility is still insufficient. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-flexible body parallel manipulator based on gas drive, which increases the upper limit of grasping strength and grasping object mass while achieving multiple degrees of freedom, so as to solve the problems raised in the above background technology.

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] A multi-flexible parallel manipulator based on gas drive, the main body includes a flexible manipulator arm, a driving device and a clamping mechanism, the flexible manipulator arm includes a mounting base and six flexible bellows mounted on the mounting base, the flexible bellows are hollow structures and made of flexible materials, evenly distributed at 60° angle intervals, and can be extended or contracted by inflation to achieve arm bending movement of the manipulator, the driving device is transmission-connected to the mounting base to drive the base to rotate to achieve rotation of the clamping mechanism, the clamping mechanism is composed of four soft inflatable fingers, the soft inflatable fingers include a main body and a first air pipe connected to the main body, the soft inflatable fingers are inflated by the air pipe to achieve inward or outward bending.

[0008] The purpose of the present invention can also be further achieved by the following technical measures:

[0009] Furthermore, the flexible robotic arm is a flexible unit formed by six flexible bellows drivers connected in parallel, which belongs to a flexible parallel actuator. The structural size change of each driver is converted into a posture change of the active end of the actuator through overall flexible deformation, and its structural shape changes continuously during transmission.

[0010] Furthermore, the flexible mechanical arm has multiple degrees of freedom. When one end is fixed, the length of the six flexible bellows actuators changes, and the other movable end can move within a certain spatial range. When the length is determined, the position and posture of the flexible pneumatic arm and the clamping mechanism are also determined accordingly.

[0011] Furthermore, the lower end cover 103 of the flexible bellows 102 is fixed to the connecting cover 302 , and the upper end cover 101 can be connected to an external inflation device to inflate the flexible bellows 102 .

[0012] Furthermore, the four inflatable tubes 301 are concentrated by the sleeve 303, and the soft inflatable fingers 305 fixed on the mounting base are inflated along the air tube fixing groove 306 to control the extension and contraction thereof.

[0013] Furthermore, the soft inflatable finger 305 is connected to the mounting base plate 307 through a fixing member 308. The soft inflatable finger 305 adopts a beam-like structure with a claw-shaped top. A plurality of cavities are irregularly distributed inside the finger body. The inflatable tube 301 can be connected from one end for inflation. When positive pressure occurs, the air cavity expands and squeezes, causing the finger to bend inward. When negative pressure occurs, the air cavity contracts, causing the finger to bend outward.

[0014] Furthermore, the soft inflatable finger 305 has an asymmetric structure, so that one side is more easily deformed than the other side.

[0015] Furthermore, a groove is left on the fitting surface at the bottom of the soft inflatable finger 305 , so that the bottom of the finger can bend more easily following the top, and the clamping ability of the clamping mechanism 3 is improved.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the main body of the multi-degree-of-freedom pneumatic soft bionic manipulator of the present invention includes a flexible manipulator arm and a clamping mechanism. The flexible manipulator arm includes a mounting base plate and a bellows. The bellows is made of flexible material and has a hollow structure. It can be extended or contracted by changing the degree of inflation. The clamping mechanism consists of four inflatable fingers. The inflatable fingers are inflated by the trachea to achieve inward or outward bending. The driving device is connected to the base to drive the base to rotate. The bellows is mainly responsible for realizing the arm bending movement of the manipulator. The driving device can realize the rotation of the clamping mechanism. The cooperation of multiple inflatable fingers can improve the grasping strength and carrying capacity of the manipulator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the pneumatic flexible arm of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 It is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of the local structure of the pneumatic multi-flexible body parallel manipulator of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the interior of the clamping mechanism of the pneumatic multi-flexible body parallel manipulator of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the control flow of the pneumatic multi-flexible body parallel manipulator of the present invention;

[0022] Among them: pneumatic flexible arm-1, driving device-2, clamping mechanism-3, upper end cover-101, flexible bellows-102, lower end cover-103, inflation tube-301, connecting cover-302, sleeve-303, fixing hole-304, soft inflation finger-305, air tube fixing groove-306, mounting base plate-307, fixing part-308. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] See also Figures 1 - 4 The present invention provides a multi-flexible parallel manipulator based on gas drive, including a pneumatic flexible manipulator arm 1, a driving device 2 and a clamping mechanism 3. The pneumatic flexible manipulator arm 1 includes a mounting base plate 307 and six flexible bellows 102 mounted on the mounting base plate. The flexible bellows 102 is a hollow structure and is made of flexible material. It is evenly distributed at 60° and can be extended or contracted by inflation. It is mainly responsible for realizing the arm bending movement of the pneumatic flexible manipulator arm 1. The driving device 2 is transmission-connected to the mounting base plate 307 to drive the base to rotate, and can control the rotation of the clamping mechanism 3. The clamping mechanism 3 is composed of four soft inflatable fingers 305. The soft inflatable fingers 305 include a main body and four inflatable tubes 301 connected to the main body. The soft inflatable fingers 305 are inflated by the inflatable tubes 301 to achieve inward or outward bending.

[0025] The pneumatic flexible robotic arm 1 is a flexible unit formed by six flexible bellows 102 connected in parallel, and is a flexible parallel actuator. The structural size change of each flexible bellows 102 can be converted into a posture change of the active end of the clamping mechanism 3 through overall flexible deformation, and its structural shape changes continuously during transmission.

[0026] The pneumatic flexible robotic arm 1 has multiple degrees of freedom. When one end is fixed and the lengths of the six flexible bellows 102 change, the other movable end can move within a certain spatial range. When the lengths are determined, the positions and postures of the pneumatic flexible robotic arm 1 and the clamping mechanism 3 will also be correspondingly determined.

[0027] The lower end cover 103 part of the flexible bellows 102 is fixed to the connection cover 302, and the upper end cover 101 part can be connected to an external inflation device to inflate the flexible bellows 102.

[0028] Four inflatable tubes 301 are centralized through a sleeve 303 and inflate the soft inflatable fingers 305 fixed on the mounting base plate along the air tube fixing groove 306 to control their expansion and contraction.

[0029] The soft inflatable fingers 305 are connected to the mounting base plate 307 through fixing parts 308. The soft inflatable fingers 305 adopt a beam-like structure, with a claw-shaped top. Multiple cavities are irregularly distributed inside the finger body. The inflatable tube 301 can be inserted from one end for inflation. When under positive pressure, the air cavity expands and squeezes, causing the finger to bend inward. When under negative pressure, the air cavity contracts, causing the finger to bend outward.

[0030] The soft inflatable fingers 305 are designed as an asymmetric structure, making one side easier to deform than the other side.

[0031] The fitting surface at the bottom of the soft inflatable fingers 305 has grooves, making it easier for the bottom of the fingers to follow the bending of the top and improving the clamping ability of the clamping mechanism 3.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 5 , the control of the pneumatic multi-flexible body parallel manipulator includes two parts: air pressure output and circuit control. The air pressure pump outputs air pressure through the inflatable tube 301 as the power source of the flexible manipulator. The main control device is responsible for realizing digital-to-analog conversion and adjusting the air pressure magnitude at the output end, acting on the flexible bellows 102 and the soft inflatable fingers 305. The circuit control part uses a 24V DC power supply to supply power to the proportional valve, air pressure sensor, and solenoid valve. The solenoid valve is used to control the on-off of the inflatable tube 301, and the air pressure sensor monitors the air pressure in the inflatable tube 301. When the manipulator completes the work, the solenoid valve is closed to release the air, and the air pressure in the inflatable tube 301 gradually decreases, and the manipulator returns to the initial state.

[0033] In addition to the above embodiments, the present invention can also have other implementation manners. All technical solutions formed by equivalent replacement or equivalent transformation fall within the protection scope required by the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-flexible body parallel manipulator based on gas drive, characterized in that: The invention comprises a pneumatic flexible mechanical arm (1), a driving device (2) and a clamping mechanism (3); the pneumatic flexible mechanical arm (1) comprises a mounting base plate (307) and six flexible bellows (102) mounted on the mounting base plate; the flexible bellows (102) are hollow structures and made of flexible materials, and are evenly distributed at 60° angle intervals. They are extended or contracted by inflation to achieve arm bending movement of the pneumatic flexible mechanical arm (1); the driving device (2) is transmission-connected to the mounting base plate (307) to drive the base to rotate to achieve rotation of the clamping mechanism (3); the clamping mechanism (3) is composed of four soft inflatable fingers (305); the soft inflatable fingers (305) comprise a main body and four inflatable tubes (301) connected to the main body; the soft inflatable fingers (305) are inflated by the inflatable tubes (301) to achieve inward or outward bending.

2. The multi-flexible body parallel manipulator based on gas drive according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pneumatic flexible mechanical arm (1) is a flexible unit formed by six flexible bellows (102) connected in parallel, and belongs to a flexible parallel actuator. The structural size change of each flexible bellows (102) is converted into a position change of the active end of the clamping mechanism (3) through overall flexible deformation, and its structural shape changes continuously during transmission.

3. The multi-flexible body parallel manipulator based on gas drive according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pneumatic flexible robotic arm (1) has multiple degrees of freedom. When one end is fixed and the length of the six flexible bellows (102) changes, the other movable end can move. When the length is determined, the position and posture of the pneumatic flexible robotic arm (1) and the clamping mechanism (3) are also determined accordingly.

4. The multi-flexible body parallel manipulator based on gas drive according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lower end cover (103) of the flexible bellows (102) is fixed to the connection cover (302), and the upper end cover (101) is connected to an external inflation device to inflate the flexible bellows (102).

5. The multi-flexible body parallel manipulator based on gas drive according to claim 1, characterized in that: The four inflatable tubes (301) are concentrated through a sleeve (303) and inflate the soft inflatable fingers (305) fixed on the mounting base plate along the air tube fixing groove (306) to control the expansion and contraction of the soft inflatable fingers.

6. The multi-flexible body parallel manipulator based on gas drive according to claim 1, characterized in that: The soft inflatable finger (305) is connected to the mounting base plate (307) via a fixing member (308). The soft inflatable finger (305) adopts a beam-like structure with a claw-shaped top. A plurality of cavities are irregularly distributed inside the finger body. An inflatable tube (301) is connected from one end for inflation. When positive pressure is applied, the air cavity expands and squeezes, causing the finger to bend inwards. When negative pressure is applied, the air cavity contracts, causing the finger to bend outwards.

7. The multi-flexible body parallel manipulator based on gas drive according to claim 1, characterized in that: The soft inflatable finger (305) has an asymmetric structure, so that one side is more easily deformed than the other side.

8. The multi-flexible body parallel manipulator based on gas drive according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fitting surface at the bottom of the soft inflatable finger (305) is provided with a groove, so that the bottom of the finger can more easily follow the bending of the top, and the clamping ability of the clamping mechanism (3) is improved.

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