Amphibious unmanned vehicle walking mechanism with wheel-track interchange function

Abstract

The invention discloses an amphibious unmanned vehicle walking mechanism with a wheel-track interchange function, and mainly relates to the field of amphibious vehicles. The traveling mechanism adopts a modular design relatively independent of a vehicle body, and mainly consists of a turnover lifting piece and an interchangeable tire / crawler traveling piece. The overturning and lifting part drives the walking part to be wholly overturned upwards or downwards through the cooperative action of the overturning oil cylinder and the lifting oil cylinder, so that when the amphibious vehicle runs in water, the walking mechanism can be overturned out of the water surface, the streamline of the vehicle body is kept, and the water resistance is reduced; and the ground can be reliably grounded when the vehicle runs on land. The hydraulic motor is used for driving and providing power, and the pin shaft is used for quick connection and separation, so that the tire walking part and the crawler walking part can be integrally and quickly interchanged to adapt to different application scenes such as hard road surfaces or sand beaches, sludge and the like. According to the amphibious vehicle, the overwater high speed performance and the land complex terrain trafficability of the amphibious vehicle are effectively considered, the application range of the amphibious vehicle is widened, and the use efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention mainly relates to the field of amphibious vehicles, specifically an amphibious unmanned vehicle locomotive mechanism with wheel-track interchangeability. Background Technology

[0002] Amphibious unmanned vehicles (UAVs) are autonomous vehicles capable of traveling both on land and water, used in scenarios such as flood relief, disaster relief, and transporting supplies between shorelines. These applications vary widely. Some are designed for structured environments like docks, where the water-to-land transition occurs on hard surfaces, while others are suited for beaches and muddy terrain, requiring strong cross-terrain mobility. Generally, the requirements for amphibious UAVs are high water speed and, depending on the application scenario, strong mobility.

[0003] Traditional amphibious vehicles struggle to meet both requirements. On one hand, to reduce weight and increase land speed, wheeled locomotives are often used; on the other hand, to adapt to more environments, especially sandy or muddy ones, triangular or long tracks are often preferred. However, tracked structures are heavy and often disrupt the streamlined shape of amphibious vehicles in water, resulting in slow speeds on both land and water. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an amphibious unmanned vehicle locomotive that can balance high-speed water travel with navigating complex land terrain, and flexibly adjust its locomotive mode according to mission scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0004] (a) Purpose of the invention The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and provide an amphibious unmanned vehicle locomotive mechanism with interchangeable wheel and track functionality. This locomotive mechanism is independent of the vehicle body and can be equipped with either tires or tracks, allowing users to flexibly configure it according to mission scenarios. Furthermore, when traveling on water, this locomotive mechanism can tip out of the water, maintaining the vehicle's streamlined shape in the water, reducing drag, and ensuring high-speed travel in water.

[0005] (II) Technical Solution To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, this invention adopts a modular design that is relatively independent of the vehicle body, following the core concept of "modular design + hydraulic drive tilting". It mainly consists of two parts: a tilting and lifting component and a traveling component. The two are quickly connected and separated through a swing arm pin and a lifting cylinder pin.

[0006] The tilting and lifting mechanism is an intermediate structure connecting the vehicle body and the walking mechanism, and it also serves to drive the walking mechanism to tilt up / down. It includes a main pin, a tilting cylinder, a lifting cylinder, a rotating arm, and tilting cylinder pins. The main pin, fixed at one end to the amphibious unmanned vehicle body and connected to the rotating arm at the other end, bears the main weight of the walking mechanism and is the core load-bearing component connecting the walking mechanism and the vehicle body. The tilting cylinder is connected to the vehicle body via a tilting cylinder pin, and its extension and retraction drive the rotating arm to rotate around the main pin, thus achieving the tilting action of the walking mechanism. The lifting cylinder is connected to the walking mechanism's rotating arm via a lifting cylinder pin, and its extension and retraction adjust the relative position of the walking mechanism and the rotating arm, cooperating with the tilting cylinder to achieve the lifting / lowering action of the walking mechanism. The rotating arm, hinged at one end to the main pin and connected to the walking mechanism's rotating arm at the other end via a rotating arm pin, is the intermediate component transmitting power to the tilting and lifting cylinders. To ensure precise control of the movement, displacement sensors are installed on both the tilting cylinder and the lifting cylinder, respectively, to monitor the extension and retraction of the cylinders in real time and to accurately control the tilting angle and lifting height of the moving parts.

[0007] The traveling components are functional execution modules, divided into tire-based and tracked types. These two types are functionally interchangeable modules, with symmetrical structures and unified interfaces to ensure compatibility with the same tilting and lifting component. Each includes a traveling component arm, a rotary hydraulic motor, and corresponding tires or tracks. The traveling component arm, hinged to the tilting and lifting component's arm via a pivot pin, bears the main weight of the traveling component and serves as the connecting component between them. The rotary hydraulic motor, acting as the drive source, draws power from the vehicle's hydraulic system via hydraulic hoses to drive the tires or tracks. The rotary hydraulic motors on both the tire-based and tracked traveling components are identical in model, ensuring power interface compatibility. The tires or tracks are adapted for hard surfaces and sandy or muddy terrain, respectively, serving as execution components of the traveling component to achieve land travel.

[0008] Both the tilting and lifting components and the traveling components utilize hydraulic hoses to transmit power: the vehicle's hydraulic power system is connected to the tilting cylinder, lifting cylinder, and rotary hydraulic motor via hydraulic hoses, replacing the traditional rigid power transmission method. The advantage of this design is that the hydraulic hoses can flexibly deform with the tilting and lifting of the traveling components, without rigid constraints, ensuring that the traveling mechanism can freely perform tilting and lowering actions while guaranteeing stable power transmission.

[0009] (III) Beneficial Effects Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: 1. Excellent water performance: The walking mechanism can be lifted as a whole above the water surface, so that when the amphibious unmanned vehicle is working on the water, the part of the vehicle body in the water maintains a complete streamlined structure, which greatly reduces the resistance of water travel and supports the amphibious unmanned vehicle to travel at high speed on the water.

[0010] 2. Strong and flexible land mobility: Through modular design, an amphibious unmanned vehicle can be flexibly configured with a tire-based walking mechanism (suitable for hard surfaces, high speed and high efficiency) or a tracked walking mechanism (suitable for soft surfaces such as beaches, mud, and tidal flats, with strong mobility) depending on the usage scenario, thereby giving full play to the optimal performance of the amphibious unmanned vehicle in different environments.

[0011] 3. Easy interchangeability: The wheel and track interchange process is achieved through pin connection and hydraulic quick-connect coupling. The steps are clear, simple and easy to operate, and no additional spare parts are required. This facilitates rapid equipment changeover in field or front-line conditions, improving the adaptability and operational efficiency of the equipment.

[0012] 4. Highly efficient and reliable power transmission: The system uses a hydraulic motor drive and hydraulic hoses to transmit power, resulting in a compact structure and flexible layout. This avoids complex mechanical transmission mechanisms and facilitates the flipping and modular design of the walking mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of a single walking mechanism of the present invention; Wherein: 1-Tilting cylinder, 2-Tilting cylinder pin, 3-Main pin, 4-Rotating arm, 5-Rotating arm pin, 6-Lifting cylinder, 7-Lifting cylinder pin, 8-Rotating arm mounting hole, 9-Traveling component swing arm, 10-Lifting cylinder connector mounting hole, 11-Rotating hydraulic motor; Figure 2 These are schematic diagrams of the walking mechanism of the present invention in water and land driving conditions; Figure 2 -a indicates tire mode for water travel; Figure 2 -b indicates the tire mode for land driving. Figure 2 -c indicates the tracked mode for water travel. Figure 2 -d indicates the tracked mode for land travel. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the operation of the tilting hydraulic cylinder and the lifting hydraulic cylinder of the walking mechanism of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the interchangeability of the tire-mounted walking component and the track-mounted walking component of the walking mechanism of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0015] As attached Figure 1 As shown, the walking mechanism proposed in this invention mainly consists of two parts: a tilting and lifting component and a tire / track walking component.

[0016] The tilting and lifting mechanism is an intermediate mechanism connecting the vehicle body and the walking mechanism, and also undertakes the function of driving the walking mechanism to tilt up / lower. It includes a main pin, a tilting cylinder, a lifting cylinder, a rotating arm, a tilting cylinder pin, and a lifting cylinder pin. The main pin, fixed at one end to the amphibious unmanned vehicle body and connected to the rotating arm at the other end, bears the main weight of the walking mechanism and is the core load-bearing component connecting the walking mechanism and the vehicle body. The tilting cylinder is connected to the vehicle body via a tilting cylinder pin, and drives the rotating arm to rotate around the main pin by extending and retracting the cylinder, thus achieving the tilting action of the walking mechanism. The lifting cylinder is connected to the walking mechanism's rotating arm via a lifting cylinder pin, and adjusts the relative position of the walking mechanism and the rotating arm by extending and retracting the cylinder, cooperating with the tilting cylinder to achieve the lifting / lowering action of the walking mechanism. The rotating arm, hinged at one end to the main pin and connected to the walking mechanism's rotating arm at the other end via a rotating arm pin, is an intermediate component that transmits power to the tilting and lifting cylinders. To ensure precise control of the movement, displacement sensors are installed on both the tilting cylinder and the lifting cylinder, respectively, to monitor the extension and retraction of the cylinders in real time and to accurately control the tilting angle and lifting height of the moving parts.

[0017] The traveling components are functional execution modules, divided into tire-based and tracked types. These two types are functionally interchangeable modules, with symmetrical structures and unified interfaces to ensure compatibility with the same tilting and lifting component. Each includes a traveling component arm, a rotary hydraulic motor, and corresponding tires or tracks. The traveling component arm, hinged to the tilting and lifting component's arm via a pivot pin, bears the main weight of the traveling component and serves as the connecting component. The rotary hydraulic motor, acting as the drive source, draws power from the vehicle's hydraulic system via hydraulic hoses to drive the tires or tracks. The rotary hydraulic motors on the tire-based and tracked traveling components are identical in model, ensuring power interface compatibility. The tires or tracks are adapted for hard surfaces and sandy or muddy terrain, respectively, serving as execution components of the traveling component to achieve land travel.

[0018] Both the tilting and lifting components and the traveling components utilize hydraulic hoses to transmit power: the vehicle's hydraulic power system is connected to the tilting cylinder, lifting cylinder, and rotary hydraulic motor via hydraulic hoses, replacing the traditional rigid power transmission method. The advantage of this design is that the hydraulic hoses can flexibly deform with the tilting and lifting of the traveling components, without rigid constraints, ensuring that the traveling mechanism can freely perform tilting and lowering actions while guaranteeing stable power transmission.

[0019] To maintain the streamlined shape of the amphibious unmanned vehicle while operating in water and to preserve its high-speed performance on water, this invention achieves the water-based tilting of the walking mechanism by controlling the actions of the tilting and lifting cylinders. (See attached diagram) Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 -a and Figure 2 -c indicates the state of the walking mechanism when it is flipped out of the water while traveling on water, ensuring the streamlined shape of the vehicle body; Figure 2 -b and Figure 2 -d indicates that the running gear is reliably grounded when traveling on land.

[0020] The tilting and lifting movements of the traveling mechanism are precisely controlled by a hydraulic system, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 3 As shown. By combining the extension and retraction of the tilting cylinder and the lifting cylinder, and using the matching displacement sensor to provide real-time position feedback, the tilting angle and lifting height of the walking mechanism can be precisely controlled, enabling complex posture adjustments.

[0021] Wheel and track interchangeability is shown in the attached document. Figure 4 As shown. The tire-mounted and track-mounted running gears are independent modules that can be connected to the same tilting and lifting component. For interchangeability, only the connecting pins and hydraulic lines need to be removed to replace the entire running gear. Because the interfaces are standardized and the drive methods are consistent, the interchange process is quick and reliable. The steps for wheel-track interchange are as follows: Step 1: Determine whether to configure the amphibious unmanned vehicle with tires or tracks based on the application scenario. When the application needs to pass through environments such as beaches, silt, and mudflats, a tracked walking mechanism is required; otherwise, a tire walking mechanism is required. Step 2: The amphibious unmanned vehicle is stably placed on the support frame; Step 3: Disconnect the hydraulic hose of the rotary hydraulic motor; Step 4: Unscrew the pivot pin between the tilting and lifting component and the traveling component; Step 5: Unscrew the connecting pin between the lifting cylinder and the traveling arm; Step Six: Use a forklift or crane to lift the replaced tire / track moving parts away; Step 7: Use a forklift or crane to lift the tire / track moving parts that need to be replaced to the corresponding position; Step 8: Align the swing arm mounting hole and the swing arm pin hole, and at the same time align the lifting cylinder pin hole with the lifting cylinder connector mounting hole on the traveling component; Step 9: Install the swing arm pin and the lifting cylinder pin; Step 10: Connect the hydraulic hose to the rotary hydraulic motor; Step 11: Replacement complete.

[0022] This invention proposes a walking mechanism for an amphibious unmanned vehicle that utilizes a hydraulic system and modular design to achieve wheel-track interchangeability. This design ensures, on the one hand, that the amphibious unmanned vehicle maintains a streamlined shape and supports its high-speed performance in water; on the other hand, the relatively independent and modular walking mechanism enables rapid interchange of tires and tracks, greatly expanding the performance and application scenarios of the amphibious unmanned vehicle and improving its operational efficiency.

[0023] The examples provided in this invention are merely for better illustrating the process of the method of this invention, and do not affect the methodological concept and technical solution proposed in this patent. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, any improvements and modifications made without departing from the principles of this invention should be considered within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0024] The above description, in conjunction with specific embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of the present invention. It should not be construed that the specific implementation of the present invention is limited to these descriptions. For those skilled in the art, various simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and all such modifications and substitutions should be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A locomotive mechanism for an amphibious unmanned vehicle with interchangeable wheel and track functions, characterized in that: It includes a tilting and lifting component connected to the vehicle body and a traveling component detachably connected to the tilting and lifting component; The tilting and lifting component includes a tilting cylinder for driving the entire walking mechanism to rotate around the vehicle body and a lifting cylinder for adjusting the grounding angle of the walking component. The walking component is either a tire-based walking component or a track-based walking component. By replacing the entire tire-based or track-based walking component, the wheel-track interchangeability function can be achieved.

2. The amphibious unmanned vehicle locomotive mechanism with wheel-track interchangeability as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The tilting and lifting component is fixed to the vehicle body by a main pin and a tilting cylinder pin, and the main pin bearing bears the main weight of the traveling mechanism.

3. The amphibious unmanned vehicle locomotive mechanism with wheel-track interchangeability as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The walking component is a functional execution module, which is divided into two types: tire walking component and track walking component. They are functionally interchangeable modules. The two have symmetrical structures and unified interfaces to ensure that they can be adapted to the same tilting and lifting component.

4. The amphibious unmanned vehicle locomotive mechanism with wheel-track interchangeability as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The tilting and lifting component is connected to the traveling component via a pivot arm pin and a lifting cylinder pin, and the pivot arm pin bears the main weight of the traveling component.

5. An amphibious unmanned vehicle locomotive mechanism with wheel-track interchangeability as described in claim 1 or 3, characterized in that: Both the tilting cylinder and the lifting cylinder are equipped with displacement sensors to monitor and control the extension and retraction of the cylinders, thereby enabling precise tilting and lifting actions of the walking mechanism.

6. The amphibious unmanned vehicle locomotive mechanism with wheel-track interchangeability as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Both the tilting and lifting component and the traveling component use hydraulic hoses to transmit power, ensuring that the traveling mechanism can freely tilt and lower itself, while ensuring stable power transmission.

7. The amphibious unmanned vehicle locomotive mechanism with wheel-track interchangeability according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydraulic motors installed on the tire-mounted and track-mounted components are the same type of rotary hydraulic motors, with compatible mechanical and power interfaces.

8. A method for interchangeable wheel and track mechanisms based on any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Determine whether to configure tire-based or track-based running gear based on the application scenario; Step 2: Securely place the amphibious unmanned vehicle on the support frame; Step 3: Disconnect the hydraulic hose connected to the hydraulic motor on the traveling component; Step 4: Unscrew the pivot pin between the tilting and lifting component and the traveling component; Step 5: Unscrew the lifting cylinder pin between the lifting cylinder and the traveling arm; Step Six: Lift off the moving parts being replaced; Step 7: Hoist the moving parts to be replaced to the corresponding installation position; Step 8: Align the swing arm mounting hole and the swing arm pin hole, and at the same time align the lifting cylinder pin hole with the lifting cylinder connector mounting hole on the traveling component; Step 9: Install the swing arm pin and the lifting cylinder pin; Step 10: Connect the hydraulic hoses to the hydraulic motor; Step 11: Complete the replacement.

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