Rail transfer device of electric power tunnel inspection robot and working method

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of electric power robots, and particularly relates to a rail transfer device of an electric power tunnel inspection robot and a working method.The rail transfer device comprises a main hanging bracket assembly arranged in an electric power tunnel, and the main hanging bracket assembly is provided with a vertical guide rail; the movable hanging rail assembly is movably connected to the main hanging frame assembly to bear and drive the robot to achieve rail transfer. The movable hanging rail assembly comprises a hanging rail connected to the bottom of the I-shaped hanging frame. The top of the I-shaped hanging bracket is connected with one end of a chain, and the other end of the chain penetrates through the driving assembly and then is connected with the counterweight assembly. A horizontal adjusting and positioning assembly is arranged on the fixed pull rod assembly connected with the I-shaped hanging bracket; a guide wheel of the horizontal adjusting and positioning assembly is clamped and fixed with the guide rail; adjustable wheel carrier assemblies are arranged at the four corners of the fixed pull rod assembly and abut against stand columns of the main hanging bracket assembly. The movable hanging rail assembly is driven to be in accurate butt joint with and separated from the high rail and the low rail, and high accuracy and high safety in the transferring process are guaranteed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The embodiment of the present application belongs to the technical field of electric power robots, and particularly relates to a rail changing device of an electric power tunnel inspection robot and a working method. BACKGROUND

[0002] The statements in this section merely refer to the background art of the present application and do not necessarily constitute the prior art.

[0003] In a city electric power tunnel, cables are usually laid along the tunnel direction, and the tunnel structure often forms a large slope or even a vertical drop due to ground topography (such as mountainous cities) or work well connection and other factors. Such complex terrain restricts the operation of the inspection robot in the tunnel.

[0004] When the tunnel slope exceeds the design climbing limit of the robot, the robot cannot continue to move forward, resulting in interruption of the inspection. Even if the climbing ability is improved by improving the robot structure (such as increasing the rail friction), the effect is limited, and the transmission structure is easily complicated to cause slipping problems, and the energy consumption is significantly increased.

[0005] When the height difference between two adjacent sections of the tunnel is too large, a vertical work well is usually used as a transfer between the two ends of the track, and the robot itself does not have a vertical lifting function and cannot directly cross the height difference between the high and low tracks in the vertical work well, which seriously limits its passing ability on the whole line.

[0006] Therefore, simply relying on the performance upgrade of the robot itself cannot fundamentally solve the problem of adaptability to complex terrain, and the structural modification has high investment and high energy consumption, and does not have universality and economy. SUMMARY

[0007] The present application provides a rail changing device of an electric power tunnel inspection robot and a working method, which solves the problem that the inspection robot cannot pass through in a complex electric power tunnel due to a large slope or a vertical drop. By providing a special rail changing device, the robot can be safely and stably lifted and lowered between high and low tracks, thereby breaking through the limitation of its movement range, expanding the inspection coverage, enhancing the adaptability and practicality of the robot in the entire tunnel network, and avoiding complex and inefficient modification of the robot itself.

[0008] In order to achieve the above purpose, the present application adopts the following technical solutions: The first aspect of the present application discloses a rail changing device of an electric power tunnel inspection robot, comprising: A main hanger assembly is arranged in the electric power tunnel and has a guide rail arranged in the vertical direction; The movable hanging rail assembly is movably connected to the main hanger assembly and is used to carry and drive the robot to change the rail; the movable hanging rail assembly comprises a hanging rail connected to the bottom of the I-shaped hanger, which is used to carry the robot; the top of the I-shaped hanger is connected to one end of a chain, and the other end of the chain passes through a driving assembly and is connected to a counterweight assembly; a horizontal adjustment and positioning assembly is arranged on a fixed pull rod assembly connected to the I-shaped hanger, and a guide wheel of the horizontal adjustment and positioning assembly is clamped and fixed to a guide rail; four corner points of the fixed pull rod assembly are provided with adjustable wheel frame assemblies, and the adjustable wheel frame assemblies abut against columns of the main hanger assembly.

[0009] Further, the main hanger assembly comprises a plurality of columns arranged side by side, the top ends of the columns are connected to the tunnel through a surrounding beam, and the guide rail is connected to the columns through a fixed cross beam.

[0010] Further, the hanging rail is provided with a robot positioning Hall element for sending a positioning signal when the robot runs to a set position; the end of the hanging rail is provided with a rail positioning Hall element for sending a positioning signal when the robot leaves the end of the hanging rail.

[0011] Further, the fixed pull rod assembly comprises a plurality of groups of pull rods passing through the I-shaped hanger, the plurality of groups of pull rods are arranged side by side and are fixedly connected to the I-shaped hanger, the two ends of the plurality of groups of pull rods are connected through corresponding fixed rods, and a fixed frame with the I-shaped hanger as the core is formed.

[0012] Further, the horizontal adjustment and positioning assembly is arranged on the fixed rod, the horizontal adjustment and positioning assembly has at least two guide wheels, the two guide wheels clamp the guide rail in the main hanger assembly, and the horizontal direction of the movable hanging rail assembly in the main hanger assembly is limited.

[0013] Further, the driving assembly comprises a counterweight hanger and a motor hanger arranged side by side, the counterweight hanger and the motor hanger have corresponding chain wheels, the motor hanger is provided with a motor, the output shaft of the motor is connected to a speed reducer, and the speed reducer is provided with an encoder; one end of the chain is connected to the I-shaped hanger, and the other end of the chain passes through the chain wheels on the motor hanger and the counterweight hanger and is connected to the counterweight assembly; the motor drives the chain wheels to rotate to drive the chain to displace after speed reduction, and the movable hanging rail assembly is driven to move vertically under the cooperation of the counterweight assembly.

[0014] Further, the adjustable wheel frame assembly has a scissor frame, one end of the scissor frame is provided with a positioning wheel, the positioning wheel abuts against the column in the main hanger assembly, the adjustable wheel frame assembly restricts the movement and rotation freedom in the horizontal plane when the movable hanging rail assembly moves vertically, and the movable hanging rail assembly is prevented from overturning and shaking.

[0015] Further, the counterweight assembly comprises a counterweight block movably connected to a counterweight protection frame, the counterweight protection frame is fixedly connected to the main hanger assembly, and the counterweight block has a set weight ratio with the total load of the movable hanging rail assembly.

[0016] Furthermore, the movable rail assembly is equipped with a fall protection component, which includes a vertically moving floating body. The end of the floating body is connected to the fall protection main body via a compression spring. The floating body is connected to a rack, with gears meshing on both sides of the rack. Each gear is connected to a corresponding eccentric wheel, and each gear and its corresponding eccentric wheel rotate around their respective gear shaft. The eccentric wheel clamps the guide rail in the main hanger assembly. When the movable rail assembly falls abnormally, the floating body overcomes the abnormal fall under the elastic action of the compression spring and drives the rack to move upward. The rack further drives the gears and eccentric wheels to rotate. By reducing the gap between the two eccentric wheels, the friction between the eccentric wheels and the guide rail is increased, thus achieving braking and fall protection.

[0017] The second aspect of the present invention discloses a method for operating a track-changing device of a power tunnel inspection robot, comprising the following steps: The robot operates within the overhead rail assembly; When the robot approaches the vertical trajectory changing device, the movable hanging rail assembly moves vertically under the drive of the drive assembly, and stops when it reaches the height of the hanging rail assembly. The hanging rail in the movable hanging rail assembly connects with the hanging rail assembly. The robot runs along the suspended rail assembly and the movable rail assembly at the same height until it reaches the set position of the movable rail assembly. It uses the positioning magnet inside the robot and the positioning Hall element of the movable guide rail to determine the position information. When the robot receives the position signal, it stops running. Driven by the drive component, the movable rail assembly moves vertically to the next height position until the hanging rail in the movable rail assembly connects with the hanging rail assembly at the next height position. The robot runs along the connected hanging rail assembly and the hanging rail, then moves away from the movable hanging rail assembly, completing the track change.

[0018] Compared with existing technologies, one or more of the above technical solutions have the following beneficial effects: 1. By designing a vertically lifting movable rail assembly, a reliable "rail bridge" is built between previously impassable vertical working wells or steep road sections, enabling robots to safely and smoothly transfer between high and low rails. This fundamentally solves the problem of inspection interruption caused by terrain undulations and greatly expands the inspection coverage of the robot.

[0019] 2. The device integrates multiple positioning and guidance mechanisms. Hall sensors enable precise sensing of the track connection and the robot's position on the moving track. The composite guidance system, consisting of adjustable wheel frame components and horizontal adjustment positioning components, effectively constrains the horizontal movement and rotational freedom of the moving track during the lifting process, preventing overturning and swaying, and ensuring high precision and high stability throughout the track changing process.

[0020] 3. When an accident such as chain breakage causes the movable rail assembly to stall and fall, the anti-fall component can instantly trigger mechanical braking using the principle of inertia, reliably locking it on the guide rail, effectively avoiding the risk of equipment and robot falling, and providing crucial safety assurance for operations in high-risk environments such as vertical shafts.

[0021] 4. By introducing counterweights, the weight of the movable track assembly and most of the robot's own weight is balanced, significantly reducing the load and energy consumption of the drive motor and achieving highly efficient and energy-saving operation. This not only reduces long-term operating costs but also reduces the impact on the motor and transmission system, extending the service life of the device. Therefore, this solution is superior to the traditional approach of individually modifying robots in terms of versatility and cost-effectiveness. Attached Figure Description The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the track-changing device provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of a track-changing device provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the overhead rail assembly structure provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the main hanger assembly structure provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the movable rail assembly provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the driving component structure provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the counterweight component structure provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a fall arrestor component structure provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 9 A structural schematic diagram of a fall protection component provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention from another perspective; Figure 10 A partial cross-sectional view of a fall arrestor assembly provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention. Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the adjustable scissor-type positioning wheel assembly provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 12A schematic diagram of the structure when the hanging rail assembly and the movable hanging rail assembly are connected according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 13 A partial cross-sectional view of the hanging rail assembly and the movable hanging rail assembly when they are connected, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 14 A schematic diagram of a low-rail state and a movable rail-mounting assembly connecting to a low-rail, provided for one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 15 A schematic diagram illustrating a robot entering and positioning itself on a moving track, provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention. Figure 16 A schematic diagram of the connection between the movable rail assembly and the high rail provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of a robot moving off the track, provided for one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] Figures 1-2 In the middle: 1. Tunnel environment, 2. Suspended rail assembly, 3. Robot, 4. Main gantry assembly, 5. Movable suspended rail assembly, 6. Drive assembly, 7. Counterweight assembly, 8. Fall protection assembly; Figure 3 In the middle: 21 tie rod, 22 hanging rail, 23 guide rail positioning magnet, 24 limiting guide positioning component A; Figure 4 In the middle: 41 support beam, 42 surrounding beam, 43 column, 44 guide rail, 45 fixed crossbeam; Figure 5 In the middle: 51 I-beam hanger, 52 tie rod fixing column, 53 fixed tie rod assembly, 54 adjustable wheel frame assembly, 55 positioning wheel, 56 adjustable stud nut assembly, 57 tie rod fixing flange assembly, 58 track positioning Hall element, 59 limit guide positioning component B, 510 robot positioning Hall element, 511 hanging rail, 512 horizontal adjustment positioning assembly, 513 hanging rail hanger assembly, 514 tie rod fixing column assembly.

[0024] Figure 6 In the middle: 61 motor, 62 brake, 63 reducer, 64 sprocket assembly, 65 wheel axle, 66 counterweight hanger, 67 encoder, 68 motor hanger; Figure 7 In the middle: 71 counterweight protective frame, 72 counterweight block; Figures 8-9 In the middle: 81 Fall arrestor body, 82 Gear, 83 Rack, 84 Eccentric wheel, 85 Gear shaft, 86 Compression spring, 87 Fall arrestor fixing frame, 88 Floating body; Figure 11 In the middle: 91 positioning wheel body, 92 adjustable scissor wheel frame, 93 adjustable stud, 94 wheel axle. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0026] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are exemplary and intended to provide further illustration of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0027] This solution presents a track-changing device and working method for a power tunnel inspection robot. A movable "movable rail assembly" is designed as a liftable track bridge. The drive system controls the assembly to precisely dock and separate from the high and low tracks respectively. Hall sensors are integrated to achieve docking and precise positioning of the robot. By adopting a scissor wheel mechanism to prevent swaying, a counterweight system for energy saving, and a fall arrestor for safety braking, the high precision, low energy consumption, and high safety of the transfer process are ensured.

[0028] like Figures 1-2 As shown, both the robot 3 and the track-changing device are in the tunnel environment 1. The area where the track has a height difference has a suspended rail assembly 2. The track-changing device is located between adjacent suspended rail assemblies 2 and includes a main hanger assembly 4 fixed in the tunnel environment 1. The main hanger assembly 4 is movably connected to the movable hanging rail assembly 5. The movable hanging rail assembly 5 is equipped with a counterweight assembly 7 and a fall protection assembly 8.

[0029] The movable rail assembly 5 connects with the hanging rail assembly 2 where the robot 3 is located. The robot 3 moves from the hanging rail assembly 2 to the movable rail assembly 5. The drive assembly 6 drives the movable rail assembly 5, together with the robot 3, to rise / fall to another height position and connect with another set of hanging rail assemblies 2 at that position. The robot 3 then moves out of the movable rail assembly 5, completing the track change.

[0030] The suspension rail assembly 2 consists of two types of rails that are connected by the rail changing device, and the two rails are located at different heights.

[0031] In this embodiment, the suspension rail assemblies 2 at both locations have the same structure. Taking the structure of one set of suspension rail assemblies 2 as an example, as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the suspension rail 22 is connected to the bottom of the pull rod 21. One end of the suspension rail 22 is provided with a guide rail positioning magnet 23 and a limiting guide positioning component A24. When this end is connected to the movable hanging rail assembly 5, the guide rail positioning Hall element in the movable hanging rail assembly 5 interacts with the guide rail positioning magnet 23 to send a positioning signal, which determines that the height position of the suspension rail 22 corresponds to that of the movable hanging rail assembly 5, and the track changing action can be performed.

[0032] like Figure 4As shown, the main hanger assembly 4 includes at least four columns 43 arranged in parallel. The top of the four columns 43 is connected to a surrounding beam 42. A support beam 41 is provided in the surrounding beam 42. A fixed crossbeam 45 is provided on the columns 43. Through the above structure, a frame-type main hanger assembly 4 is formed.

[0033] The main hanger assembly 4 is equipped with a vertically arranged guide rail 44, which is used to guide the movable hanging rail assembly 5 to achieve vertical movement during track changing.

[0034] In this embodiment, four surrounding beams 42 form the outer frame, thereby fixing the two middle support beams 41 as the suspension beams of the drive assembly 6. Four columns 43 are connected below the surrounding beams 42. The four columns 43 are then connected laterally by six fixed crossbeams 45 to form the main frame of the hanger assembly.

[0035] like Figure 5 As shown, the movable rail assembly 5 includes an I-beam hanger 51, with multiple tie rods passing through the I-beam hanger 51 and fixed by a tie rod fixing flange assembly 57. The bottom of the I-beam hanger 51 is connected to a rail 511 via a rail hanger assembly 513. The rail 511 is equipped with a robot positioning Hall element 510, and the end of the rail 511 is equipped with a track positioning Hall element 58 and a limiting guide positioning element B59. The rail 511 is used to connect with the rail assembly 2 and support the robot 3.

[0036] Multiple tie rods are arranged side by side, and the ends of the tie rods are connected and fixed by fixing rods. The tie rods and fixing rods form a fixed tie rod assembly 53. The fixed tie rod assembly 53 and the I-beam hanger 51 form a fixed frame with the I-beam hanger 51 as the core.

[0037] In the fixed tie rod assembly 53, the end of the tie rod passing through the I-beam hanger 51 is connected to the horizontal adjustment and positioning assembly 512 via the tie rod fixed central column 52. The horizontal adjustment and positioning assembly 512 is used to change the position of the movable hanging rail assembly 5 on the horizontal plane to ensure that the hanging rail 511 can be reliably connected to the hanging rail assembly 2.

[0038] The horizontal adjustment and positioning component 512 is not limited to a specific structure, but can be a guide wheel with a locking mechanism. The rotation of the guide wheel drives the movable hanging rail component 5 to change its horizontal position, and the locking mechanism locks the current horizontal position after the horizontal position changes.

[0039] Adjustable wheel frame assemblies 54 are provided at the four corners of the fixed tie rod assembly 53. Each adjustable wheel frame assembly 54 has a scissor frame, with an adjustable stud nut assembly 56 at one end and a positioning wheel 55 at the other end. The positioning wheel 55 abuts against the column 43. A total of eight positioning wheels 55 in the adjustable wheel frame assembly 54 abut against the column 43, which are used to constrain the degree of freedom of movement and rotation in the horizontal plane when the movable rail assembly 5 rises or falls, and to prevent the movable rail assembly 5 from tipping over and swaying.

[0040] In this embodiment, the core component of the movable hanging rail assembly is the I-beam hanger, which is the structurally strongest component. Three sets of six tie rods pass through the I-beam hanger, and are secured to the central column position by tie rod fixing flange assemblies on both sides. The four corners are fixed by four fixing column assemblies with one tie rod at each end and two tie rods at each end. The central column is fixed by two tie rods, thus securing the central axis. This forms a robust and fixed frame with the I-beam hanger at its core.

[0041] At each of the four corners of the frame, a set of adjustable scissor-type wheel frames is fixed. There are two adjustable scissor-type wheel frames in a set, connected by an axle. One end of each frame has a positioning wheel mounted on it, and the other end is fixed to the nut or stud of the adjustable stud-nut assembly. The other adjustable scissor-type wheel frame is configured similarly, except that the former is fixed to the stud of the adjustable stud-nut assembly, while the latter is fixed to the nut. When the nut of the adjustable stud-nut assembly is adjusted, the angle of the adjustable scissor-type wheel frame changes, causing the positioning wheel to extend or retract. These four sets of adjustable scissor-type wheel frames are positioned on the four columns of the main hanger assembly. By adjusting the adjustable stud-nut, the eight positioning wheels can contact the columns and slide freely, thus providing horizontal positioning of the I-beam hanger. Simultaneously, because the two positioning wheels on each set of adjustable scissor-type wheel frames are arranged vertically, the rotational freedom of the entire movable rail assembly is restricted, preventing the assembly from tipping over vertically.

[0042] In this embodiment, the horizontal adjustment and positioning component 512 has two sets. Each set of horizontal adjustment and positioning components 512 is divided into two guide wheels. The two guide wheels clamp the guide rail 44 in the main hanger assembly 4 (the guide rail 44 can be T-shaped). At the same time, the adjusting bolts on the left and right sides of the horizontal adjustment and positioning component 512 can be rotated to finely adjust the position and control the force of the positioning wheel on the T-shaped guide rail. This can realize the limitation of the entire movable hanging rail assembly in the direction of the I-beam hanger. Combined with the limitation of the adjustable scissor wheel frame group, the overall limitation of the movable hanging rail assembly in the horizontal direction in the hanger assembly can be realized.

[0043] In this embodiment, the movable rail assembly 5 undergoes slight deformation during use. The resulting motion allowance can be divided into horizontal and vertical components. The horizontal component can be fine-tuned using the adjustable wheel frame assembly 54 and the horizontal adjustment positioning assembly 512 to address the deformation issue. The vertical component can be accurately positioned using Hall effect sensors to adjust the encoder's angle positioning, thereby determining the accurate lifting height. Therefore, even with deformation, the structure of the movable rail assembly 5 can still guarantee positioning accuracy during movement.

[0044] Drive component 6 is used to drive the movable rail component 5 to rise or fall. The structure of drive component 6 is as follows: Figure 6 As shown, it includes a counterweight hanger 66 and a motor hanger 68 arranged side by side. The counterweight hanger 66 and the motor hanger 68 have corresponding sprockets. The sprockets rotate around the wheel shaft 65. The sprockets on the counterweight hanger 66 and the motor hanger 68 are connected by a chain to form a sprocket group 64. A motor 61 is mounted on the motor hanger 68. The output shaft of the motor 61 is connected to a reducer 63, which drives the sprocket assembly 64 to rotate. One end of the chain is connected to the I-beam hanger 51, and the other end passes through the sprockets on the motor hanger 68 and the counterweight hanger 66 before connecting to the counterweight assembly 7. The motor 61 drives the movable rail assembly 5 to rise or fall. An encoder 67 is mounted on the reducer 63 to determine the displacement of the movable rail assembly 5 during rise or fall, which is used to control the connection between the movable rail assembly 5 and the rail assembly 2.

[0045] In this embodiment, the motor drives the reducer, which, after speed ratio changes, drives the sprocket assembly to rotate. The sprocket assemblies are transmitted through a chain. A movable rail assembly 5 hangs below the motor hanger, and a counterweight assembly hangs below the counterweight hanger. The motor hanger and counterweight hanger are respectively fixed to the support beam and the surrounding beam of the main hanger assembly.

[0046] like Figure 7 As shown, the counterweight assembly 7 includes a counterweight block 72 movably connected to the counterweight protective frame 71, which is fixedly connected to the main hanger assembly 4. The weight of the counterweight block, based on energy consumption and efficiency calculations, can be selected as 1 / 2 of the total load capacity of the movable rail assembly. The counterweight block is suspended by a chain via a sprocket assembly from the counterweight hanger in the drive assembly, and moves up and down within the counterweight protective frame. When the movable rail assembly rises, the counterweight block falls, and vice versa. The drive is provided by a motor and a reducer.

[0047] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the fall protection assembly 8 includes a fall protection body 81, a fall protection body fixing frame 87 connected to one side of the fall protection body 81, a vertically movable floating body 88 provided on the fall protection body fixing frame 87, and the end of the floating body 88 connected to the fall protection body 81 through a compression spring 86. The floating body 88 is connected to the rack 83, and gears 82 mesh on both sides of the rack 83. Each gear 82 is connected to a corresponding eccentric wheel 84, and each gear 82 and the corresponding eccentric wheel 84 rotate around their respective gear shaft 85.

[0048] Gear 82 and its corresponding eccentric wheel 84 rotate synchronously. Floating body 88 is fixedly installed with rack 83 and moves vertically on the fall arrestor body 81 synchronously. Below floating body 88 is compression spring 86, which is fixed to the fall arrestor body 81. When stationary, floating body 88 exerts pressure on compression spring 86, causing compression spring 86 to be in a compressed state. The entire assembly is installed on the two tie rods fixed to the central column 52 in the middle of the movable hanging rail assembly, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the fall arrestor body 81 and the fall arrestor fixing frame 87 are connected by fixing bolts, and the fall arrestor fixing frame 87 is connected to the fall arrestor body through four screw holes. Figure 5 The tie rod is fixed to the central column 52, and the floating body 88, the compression spring 86 and the rack 83 are linked together.

[0049] Two eccentric wheels 84 clamp the guide rail 44 in the main hanger assembly 4 (the guide rail 44 has a T-shaped cross-section, and the eccentric wheels 84 clamp the web of the guide rail 44), but do not clamp tightly, and there is a certain gap, which is a loose state. When the movable hanging rail assembly 5 moves along the vertical direction where the guide rail 44 is located, since the speed is close to uniform, or the start and stop are both with low acceleration, the eccentric wheels 84 always remain in a loose state. When an accident occurs, the movable hanging rail assembly 5 falls rapidly with the acceleration of gravity, the floating body 81 moves upward under the force of the compression spring 86, and drives the rack to move upward. The rack 83 drives the eccentric wheels 84 to rotate in the middle direction through the gear 82. The gap between the two eccentric wheels 84 is reduced, clamping the guide rail 44. The friction will increase rapidly to achieve braking, and then brake the entire movable hanging rail assembly 5.

[0050] When the movable rail assembly 5 does not have downward gravitational acceleration, since the floating body 88 is not weightless, the compression spring 86 will be compressed downward by the weight of the floating body 88 until the force is balanced. Since the floating body 88 and the rack 83 have a downward displacement in a relatively weightless state, they will drive the eccentric wheel 84 to rotate, thereby unlocking the guide rail.

[0051] In the above structure, the floating body 81 is connected to the anti-fall body 81 through the compression spring 86, so that the floating body 81 is fixed in a non-rigid manner.

[0052] During normal, uniform, or low-speed movement: the movable track assembly, the fall arrestor body, the gears, the eccentric wheel, the rack, and the floating body move together as a whole, pulled by the chain, at a slow and uniform speed. At this time, the floating body's own weight (downward) and the supporting force of the compression spring below it (upward) are essentially balanced. The compression spring is compressed, but the entire system is in a relatively static equilibrium state, and the floating body does not move relative to the fall arrestor body. The eccentric wheel therefore remains relaxed.

[0053] In the event of an accident and rapid descent, the anti-fall main body, gears, and eccentric wheel will accelerate downwards along with the movable rail assembly. The floating body is not rigidly fixed; it has a compression spring underneath. According to Newton's first law (law of inertia), this floating body has a tendency to maintain its original state of rest or uniform motion.

[0054] When the entire fall arrestor suddenly experiences a huge downward acceleration, the floating body, relative to this accelerating downward frame of reference, will exhibit a "relatively upward" tendency due to inertia. This inertial force overcomes the floating body's own weight and the slight preload of the compression spring, causing the floating body to move upward relative to the accelerating fall arrestor, at which point braking is triggered.

[0055] When braking is triggered, the floating body moves upward, causing the rack fixed to it to also move upward. The rack drives the gear to rotate, and the gear shaft drives the eccentric wheel to rotate inward. The gap between the two eccentric wheels decreases rapidly, eventually clamping tightly onto the T-shaped guide rail, achieving emergency braking through enormous friction.

[0056] The adjustable wheel frame assembly 54 has a scissor frame, one end of which is provided with an adjustable stud nut assembly 56, and the other end is provided with a positioning wheel 55, which abuts against the column 43.

[0057] like Figure 11 As shown, in this embodiment, the scissor frame is an adjustable scissor-type wheel frame 92, the positioning wheel 55 includes a positioning wheel body 91, and the adjustable stud nut assembly 56 includes an adjustable stud 93; the adjustable scissor-type wheel frame 92 achieves opening and closing adjustment through the wheel axle 94, and one end of the adjustable scissor-type wheel frame 92 is provided with a positioning wheel 55 (positioning wheel body 91). By adjusting the length of the adjustable stud nut assembly 56 at the other end, the opening angle of the adjustable scissor-type wheel frame 92 is changed, thereby adjusting the vertical distance of the positioning wheel 55 in the adjustable wheel frame assembly 54.

[0058] In this embodiment, four sets of adjustable wheel frame assemblies 54, with a total of eight positioning wheels 55, abut against the column 43 respectively. This is used to constrain the motion and rotational freedom in the horizontal plane when the movable rail assembly 5 rises or falls, and to prevent the movable rail assembly 5 from overturning or shaking.

[0059] When a robot needs to be vertically lifted or lowered while running on a track, the following series of procedures will be performed, taking robot lifting as an example, and combining... Figures 14-17 The working method of the above-mentioned track-changing device is described.

[0060] like Figure 14As shown, when the robot approaches the vertical track-changing device, it issues a track-changing request. The control system responds by issuing a track-changing command. The movable track assembly descends under the drive of the drive assembly, initiating the connection between the movable track and the track in the suspended track assembly. When the limiting guide A24 and limiting guide B59 installed on both are inserted together, the track positioning Hall element 58 and guide rail positioning magnet 23, when the two guide rails are aligned, issue a positioning signal. Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the control system responds at this time, and the movable rail assembly stops moving.

[0061] like Figure 15 As shown, after receiving the signal that the movable rail and the lower rail have been connected in place, the robot begins to move until it reaches the middle position of the movable guide rail below the movable rail assembly. The positioning information is determined by the positioning magnet inside the robot and the positioning Hall element of the movable guide rail. When the robot receives the positioning signal, it stops. At the same time, the robot's positioning information is also acquired by the control system.

[0062] like Figure 16 As shown, the control system issues a command, and the movable rail assembly is driven by the drive assembly to move up to the high rail position. At this time, the movable rail connects with the high rail, and the limit guide A and limit guide B installed on the two rails are inserted together. Then, the positioning Hall element and positioning magnet installed therein send a positioning signal when the two guide rails are aligned. At this time, the control system responds, and the movable rail assembly stops moving.

[0063] like Figure 17 As shown, after receiving the information that the robot has been properly connected to the track, it starts up and moves away from the movable track.

[0064] At this point, a robot's trajectory change process from low orbit to high orbit is completed. Similarly, when the robot moves from high orbit to low orbit, executing a process in the opposite direction can complete the trajectory change process from high orbit to low orbit.

[0065] By designing a vertically lifting movable rail assembly as a "track bridge," the bottleneck of the inspection robot's passage in tunnel sections with large slopes or vertical drops is effectively solved, enabling it to seamlessly connect high and low tracks and realize fully automated inspection in complex tunnel environments, greatly enhancing the application value of the robot.

[0066] It integrates a track docking and robot positioning system powered by Hall sensors, combined with a multi-guidance and anti-tipping mechanism consisting of adjustable wheel frame components and horizontal adjustment positioning components, ensuring high precision and stability of the movable rail during lifting and lowering and docking with the fixed rail, thus guaranteeing the smooth operation of the robot transfer process.

[0067] In the event of an accidental fall, this component can instantly trigger the eccentric wheel clamping brake using the principle of inertia, reliably locking the movable rail and effectively preventing the equipment and robot from falling, thus ensuring the safety of the entire system operation.

[0068] By introducing a counterweight system, most of the weight of the movable rail assembly and the robot is balanced, which significantly reduces the load and energy consumption of the drive motor, improves energy utilization efficiency, makes the system run more smoothly, reduces wear on key transmission components, and extends the service life of the equipment.

[0069] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A track-changing device for a power tunnel inspection robot, characterized in that, include: The main hanger assembly, installed inside the power tunnel, has guide rails arranged in the vertical direction; A movable rail assembly is movably connected to the main hanger assembly and is used to support and drive the robot to change tracks. The movable rail assembly includes a rail connected to the bottom of the I-beam hanger, which supports the robot. One end of a chain is connected to the top of the I-beam hanger, and the other end of the chain passes through the drive assembly and is connected to the counterweight assembly. A fixed tie rod assembly connected to the I-beam hanger is provided with a horizontal adjustment and positioning component, the guide wheel of which is clamped and fixed to the guide rail. Adjustable wheel frame assemblies are provided at the four corners of the fixed tie rod assembly, and the adjustable wheel frame assemblies abut against the columns of the main hanger assembly.

2. The track-changing device for a power tunnel inspection robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The main support assembly includes multiple columns arranged in parallel. The tops of the columns are connected to the tunnel via a surrounding beam, and the guide rail is connected to the columns via a fixed crossbeam.

3. The track-changing device for a power tunnel inspection robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The rail is equipped with a robot positioning Hall element, which is used to send a positioning signal when the robot moves to a set position; the end of the rail is equipped with a track positioning Hall element, which is used to send a positioning signal when the robot leaves the end of the rail.

4. The track-changing device for a power tunnel inspection robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed tie rod assembly includes multiple sets of tie rods passing through the I-beam hanger. The multiple sets of tie rods are arranged in parallel and fixedly connected to the I-beam hanger. The two ends of the multiple sets of tie rods are connected by corresponding fixed rods to form a fixed frame with the I-beam hanger as the core.

5. The track-changing device for a power tunnel inspection robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The horizontal adjustment and positioning component is mounted on the fixed rod. The horizontal adjustment and positioning component has at least two guide wheels. The two guide wheels clamp the guide rail in the main hanger assembly, thereby limiting the horizontal movement of the movable hanging rail assembly in the main hanger assembly.

6. The track-changing device for a power tunnel inspection robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a counterweight hanger and a motor hanger arranged in parallel. The counterweight hanger and the motor hanger have corresponding sprockets. The motor hanger is equipped with a motor, and the output shaft of the motor is connected to a reducer. The reducer is equipped with an encoder. One end of the chain is connected to the I-beam hanger, and the other end passes through the sprockets on the motor hanger and the counterweight hanger before being connected to the counterweight assembly. After being reduced in speed, the motor drives the sprocket to rotate, which in turn drives the chain to move vertically with the cooperation of the counterweight assembly.

7. The track-changing device for a power tunnel inspection robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustable wheel frame assembly has a scissor frame, one end of which is provided with a positioning wheel. The positioning wheel abuts against the column in the main hanger assembly. When the movable rail assembly moves vertically, the adjustable wheel frame assembly constrains the motion and rotational freedom in the horizontal plane, preventing the movable rail assembly from overturning and swaying.

8. The track-changing device for a power tunnel inspection robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The counterweight assembly includes a counterweight block movably connected to the counterweight protection frame, the counterweight protection frame being fixedly connected to the main hanger assembly, and the total load capacity of the counterweight block and the movable rail assembly having a set weight ratio.

9. The track-changing device for a power tunnel inspection robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The movable rail assembly is equipped with a fall protection component, which includes a vertically moving floating body. The end of the floating body is connected to the fall protection main body via a compression spring. The floating body is connected to a rack, with gears meshing on both sides of the rack. Each gear is connected to a corresponding eccentric wheel, and each gear and its corresponding eccentric wheel rotate around their respective gear shaft. The eccentric wheel clamps the guide rail in the main hanger assembly. When the movable rail assembly falls abnormally, the floating body overcomes the abnormal fall under the elastic action of the compression spring and drives the rack to move upward. The rack further drives the gears and eccentric wheels to rotate. By reducing the gap between the two eccentric wheels, the friction between the eccentric wheels and the guide rail is increased, thus achieving braking and fall protection.

10. A method for operating the track-changing device of the power tunnel inspection robot as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The robot operates within the overhead rail assembly; When the robot approaches the vertical trajectory changing device, the movable hanging rail assembly moves vertically under the drive of the drive assembly, and stops when it reaches the height of the hanging rail assembly. The hanging rail in the movable hanging rail assembly connects with the hanging rail assembly. The robot runs along the suspended rail assembly and the movable rail assembly at the same height until it reaches the set position of the movable rail assembly. It uses the positioning magnet inside the robot and the positioning Hall element of the movable guide rail to determine the position information. When the robot receives the position signal, it stops running. Driven by the drive component, the movable rail assembly moves vertically to the next height position until the hanging rail in the movable rail assembly connects with the hanging rail assembly at the next height position. The robot runs along the connected hanging rail assembly and the hanging rail, then moves away from the movable hanging rail assembly, completing the track change.

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