A new type of mechanical claw that imitates the front claw of a beaver

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of robot technology. The purpose is to provide a new type of mechanical claw that imitates the front paw of a beaver, which should have the characteristics of simple structure, small size, and suitable for movement in complex environments. The technical solution is: a new type of mechanical claw that imitates the front paw of a beaver, characterized in that: the mechanical claw includes a sole frame and three claw branches arranged on the sole frame; the claw branch includes a steering gear, a transmission structure that sequentially connects three finger joints through an actuating structure, and transmits the steering gear power to the actuating structure to drive the finger joints to move; in the claw branch, the first finger joint is fixed to the sole frame, and the latter finger joint can be swingably positioned on the former finger joint; the actuating structure includes a driving gear rotatably arranged on one of the finger joints, a driven gear fixed on another finger joint and meshing with the driving gear, a bending pull rod coaxially fixed to the driving gear, and an extension pull rod fixed to the driven gear.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of robots, and in particular relates to a novel mechanical claw imitating a beaver's front claw. Background Art

[0002] In order to improve the degree of machine automation and enhance work efficiency, the research on robots is very important. Mechanical claws, as common end effectors of robots, occupy a very important position.

[0003] The research of bionic robot technology is one of the hot spots of robot research at this stage. For various aquatic animals, each has its own unique way of swimming. For beavers, they mainly rely on the power of their hind limbs and the special structure of their flippers when swimming, and their forelimbs play a smaller role when swimming. However, when beavers grab objects, the grasping ability and practical efficiency of their forelimbs are stronger than those of their hind limbs, which also reflects the coordinated division of labor of the animal's limbs. With the excellent grasping ability of the forelimbs, they can even build an 850-meter-long dam that can be seen from space, which can be called a super moat. Therefore, the bionic research on the beaver's forelimbs has certain value.

[0004] The existing mechanical claws are driven by hydraulic or motor drive, and the rotation joints of the claws are controlled by belt drive or four-linkage. Due to their own limitations, these methods make the claw structure complex and large in size. In complex environments, the applicability is low and inconvenient. Therefore, it is necessary to design a new mechanical claw mechanism. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies in the above-mentioned background technology and to provide a new type of mechanical claw imitating the front paw of a beaver. The mechanical claw should have the characteristics of simple structure, small size and suitable for movement in complex environments.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is:

[0007] A new type of mechanical claw imitating the front claw of a beaver, characterized in that: the mechanical claw comprises a sole frame and three claw branches arranged on the sole frame;

[0008] The foot claw branch includes a steering gear, three finger joints connected in sequence through an actuating structure, and a transmission structure for transmitting steering gear power to the actuating structure to drive the finger joints to move; in the foot claw branch, the first finger joint is fixed to the sole frame, and the next finger joint can be swingably positioned on the previous finger joint;

[0009] The actuating structure includes a driving gear rotatably arranged on one of the knuckles, a driven gear fixed on the other knuckle and meshing with the driving gear, a bending pull rod coaxially fixed to the driving gear, and a stretching pull rod fixed to the driven gear; the transmission structure includes three winding drums coaxially fixed to the steering gear shaft and four tension ropes respectively connecting the winding drums with the bending pull rod and the stretching pull rod;

[0010] The swing axis of the knuckle is coaxial with the rotation axis of the driving gear, the bending pull rod and the stretching pull rod are respectively arranged on both sides of the claw branch, and the tension rope connecting the bending pull rod and the stretching pull rod is also respectively arranged on both sides of the claw branch and is wound on the winding drum in opposite directions.

[0011] The finger joints include a first finger joint fixed to the sole frame, a second finger joint swingably positioned on the first finger joint, and a third finger joint swingably positioned on the second finger joint.

[0012] In the actuating structure, the first driving gear is coaxially fixed with the first connecting shaft and rotatably arranged on the first finger joint, the second driving gear is coaxially fixed with the second connecting shaft and rotatably arranged on the second finger joint, the first driven gear is fixed on the second finger joint through the first mounting shaft and meshes with the first driving gear, and the second driven gear is fixed on the third finger joint through the second mounting shaft and meshes with the first driving gear.

[0013] In the actuating structure, the first bending pull rod is fixed to the first connecting shaft, the second bending pull rod is fixed to the second connecting shaft, the first extension pull rod is fixed to the first mounting shaft, the second extension pull rod is fixed to the second mounting rod, the second finger joint is swingably positioned on the first connecting shaft, and the third finger joint is swingably positioned on the second connecting shaft.

[0014] In the transmission structure, the first curved winding drum, the second curved winding drum, the first extending winding drum and the second extending winding drum are coaxially fixed on the steering gear shaft, one end of the first tension rope is wound around the first curved winding drum and the other end is fixed to the first curved pull rod, one end of the second tension rope is wound around the second curved winding drum and the other end is fixed to the second curved pull rod, one end of the third tension rope is wound around the first extending winding drum and the other end is fixed to the first extending pull rod, one end of the fourth tension rope is wound around the second extending winding drum and the other end is fixed to the second extending pull rod.

[0015] In the transmission structure, the first tension rope and the second tension rope are wound on the winding drum in the same direction, the third tension rope and the fourth tension rope are wound on the winding drum in the same direction, and the first tension rope and the third tension rope are wound on the winding drum in opposite directions.

[0016] A limiting structure is also provided between two adjacent knuckles of the claw branch; the limiting structure includes a first limiting rod rotatably hinged on one of the knuckles, a slide cylinder rotatably hinged on the other knuckle, and a second limiting rod rotatably hinged on the first limiting rod and axially slidably positioned in the slide cylinder.

[0017] The claw branch is also provided with a sleeve for guiding the pulling rope.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0019] 1. The actuating structure between the knuckles of the present invention is a gear pair, which has the characteristics of high transmission efficiency and stable transmission efficiency;

[0020] 2. The power source of the present invention is an electrically driven steering gear, which has a wider application range, lighter weight and simpler structure than the general hydraulic drive.

[0021] 3. The present invention uses a tension rope with a tensile load as a transmission structure between the steering gear and the actuating structure, which is similar to a belt transmission structure. Due to the lightweight and convenient structural characteristics of the tension rope, the structure of the present invention is more compact and can enhance the adaptability in various complex environments;

[0022] 4. The present invention controls each claw branch to move in coordination through multiple steering gears, thereby realizing complex movements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is one of the three-dimensional structural schematic diagrams of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is the second schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 It is the third schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the first and second knuckles.

[0027] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the connection between the second and third knuckles.

[0028] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the sole frame, the steering gear, the winding drum and the first finger joint in the present invention.

[0029] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the second limiting rod and the slide cylinder in the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, a new type of mechanical claw imitating the front claw of a beaver comprises a sole frame 1 and three claw branches. The sole frame is composed of an upper frame plate 1.1 and a lower frame plate 1.2. Each claw branch comprises three finger joints, a steering gear 10, a transmission structure, and an actuating structure and a limiting structure connected between adjacent finger joints.

[0032] The finger joints include a first finger joint 2.1, a second finger joint 2.2 and a third finger joint 2.3 arranged in sequence, the first finger joint is fixed between the upper frame plate and the lower frame plate of the sole frame, the second finger joint is swingably positioned on the first finger joint, and the third finger joint is swingably positioned on the second finger joint. The actuating structure and the limiting structure are arranged between the first finger joint and the second finger joint and between the second finger joint and the third finger joint.

[0033] In the actuating structure, the first connecting shaft and the first mounting shaft are arranged between the first knuckle and the second knuckle, the second connecting shaft and the second mounting shaft are arranged between the second knuckle and the third knuckle, the first connecting shaft 3.1 is rotatably positioned on the first knuckle, the first driving gear 4.1 is coaxially fixed to the first connecting shaft, the first mounting shaft 5.1 is fixed to the second knuckle, the first driven gear 6.1 is coaxially fixed to the first mounting shaft and meshes with the first driving gear, the second connecting shaft 3.2 is rotatably positioned on the second knuckle, the second driving gear 4.2 is coaxially fixed to the second connecting shaft, the second mounting shaft 5.2 is fixed to the third knuckle, and the second driven gear 6.2 is coaxially fixed to the second mounting shaft and meshes with the second driving gear.

[0034] The second finger joint is swingably positioned on the first connecting shaft, and the third finger joint is swingably positioned on the second connecting shaft, and the swing axis of the second finger joint is parallel to the swing axis of the third finger joint. The right end of the first connecting shaft is provided with a first curved pull rod 7.1 (such as Figure 4 As shown), the right end of the second connecting shaft is provided with a second curved pull rod 7.2 (as shown Figure 5 The left end of the first mounting shaft is provided with a first extension rod 8.1 (as shown in Figure 4 The left end of the second mounting shaft is provided with a second extension rod 8.2 (as shown in Figure 5 shown).

[0035] In the limiting structure, the first limiting rod 11 is rotatably hinged on the first finger joint and the second finger joint, the slide cylinder 13 is slidably positioned on the second finger joint and the third finger joint, the second limiting rod 12 is rotatably hinged on the first limiting rod and can be axially slidably positioned in the slide cylinder, the slide cylinder is provided with an axially extending limiting groove 14, and the second limiting rod is provided with a limiting block 15 (to control the sliding distance of the second limiting rod) which can slide along the limiting groove.

[0036] The transmission structure includes four winding drums fixed coaxially with the steering gear shaft and four tension ropes connecting each winding drum with the bending pull rod and the extension pull rod respectively. The winding drum includes a first bending winding drum 9.1, a second bending winding drum 9.2, a first extension winding drum 9.3 and a second extension winding drum 9.4. The four winding drums are fixed as a whole and fixed to the steering gear shaft through a steering plate 9.5.

[0037] Among the tension ropes, one end of the first tension rope (omitted in the figure) is wound around the first curved winding drum and the other end is fixed to the first curved pull rod, one end of the second tension rope (omitted in the figure) is wound around the second curved winding drum and the other end is fixed to the second curved pull rod, one end of the third tension rope (omitted in the figure) is wound around the first extension winding drum and the other end is fixed to the first extension pull rod, one end of the fourth tension rope (omitted in the figure) is wound around the second extension winding drum and the other end is fixed to the second extension pull rod. The first tension rope and the second tension rope are wound around the winding drum in the same direction, the third tension rope and the fourth tension rope are wound around the winding drum in the same direction, and the first tension rope and the third tension rope are wound around the winding drum in opposite directions.

[0038] A plurality of first sleeves 16.1 and a plurality of second sleeves 16.2 are provided on one side of the first finger joint, and a plurality of third sleeves 16.3 and a plurality of fourth sleeves 16.4 are provided on the other side. A plurality of fifth sleeves 16.5 and a plurality of sixth sleeves 16.6 are respectively provided on both sides of the second finger joint. The first tension rope is fixed to the first curved rod after passing through the first sleeve, the third tension rope is fixed to the first extension rod after passing through the third sleeve, the second tension rope is fixed to the second curved rod after passing through the second sleeve and the fifth sleeve, and the fourth tension rope is fixed to the second extension rod after passing through the fourth sleeve and the sixth sleeve.

[0039] In the present invention, when the steering engine is working, it drives the winding drum to rotate, and the winding drum drives the actuating structure to move through the tension rope, and the actuating structure drives the finger joints to rotate to achieve the bending and extension of the claw branches. The specific principle is as follows:

[0040] 1. Bending:

[0041] When the first curved winding drum tightens the first tension rope, the first tension rope pulls the first curved pull rod, the first curved pull rod drives the first driving gear to rotate, and the first driving gear drives the first driven gear to rotate, so that the second knuckle is bent. Similarly, the second curved winding drum also rotates in the same direction to tighten the second tension rope, the second tension rope pulls the second curved pull rod, the second curved pull rod drives the second driving gear to rotate, and the second driving gear drives the second driven gear to rotate, so that the third knuckle is bent, and the claw branch completes the bending movement. At the same time, the limiting structure can play a protective role to prevent excessive bending of the knuckles (the angle between adjacent knuckles varies in the range of 150-180°). At the same time, the first extension winding drum releases the third tension rope to cooperate with the swing of the first extension pull rod, and the second extension winding drum releases the fourth tension rope to cooperate with the swing of the second extension pull rod.

[0042] 2. Stretch

[0043] When the first extension winding drum tightens the third tension rope, the third tension rope pulls the first extension pull rod to make the second knuckle swing in the opposite direction and gradually straighten, and the first driven gear on the second knuckle drives the first driving gear to rotate in the opposite direction to return the first curved pull rod. Similarly, the second extension winding drum also rotates in the same direction to tighten the fourth tension rope, and the fourth tension rope pulls the second extension pull rod to make the third knuckle swing in the opposite direction and gradually straighten, and the second driven gear on the third knuckle drives the second driving gear to rotate in the opposite direction to return the second curved pull rod, and the claw branch completes the extension movement. At the same time, the first curved winding drum releases the first tension rope to cooperate with the swing of the first curved pull rod, and the second curved winding drum releases the second tension rope to cooperate with the swing of the second curved pull rod.

Claims

1. A new type of mechanical claw imitating the front claw of a beaver, characterized by: The mechanical claw comprises a sole frame (1) and three claw branches arranged on the sole frame; The claw branch comprises a steering gear (10), three finger joints connected in sequence via an actuating structure, and a transmission structure for transmitting steering gear power to the actuating structure to drive the finger joints to move; in the claw branch, the first finger joint is fixed to the sole frame, and the next finger joint is swingably positioned on the previous finger joint; The actuating structure includes a driving gear rotatably arranged on one of the knuckles, a driven gear fixed on the other knuckle and meshing with the driving gear, a bending pull rod coaxially fixed to the driving gear, and a stretching pull rod fixed to the driven gear; the transmission structure includes four winding drums coaxially fixed to the steering gear shaft and four tension ropes respectively connecting the winding drums with the bending pull rod and the stretching pull rod; The swing axis of the knuckle is coaxial with the rotation axis of the driving gear, the bending pull rod and the stretching pull rod are respectively arranged on both sides of the claw branch, and the tension rope connecting the bending pull rod and the stretching pull rod is also respectively arranged on both sides of the claw branch and wound on the winding drum in opposite directions; The finger joints include a first finger joint (2.1) fixed to the sole frame, a second finger joint (2.2) swingably positioned on the first finger joint, and a third finger joint (2.3) swingably positioned on the second finger joint; In the actuating structure, the first driving gear (4.1) is coaxially fixed with the first connecting shaft (3.1) and rotatably arranged on the first finger joint, the second driving gear (4.2) is coaxially fixed with the second connecting shaft (3.2) and rotatably arranged on the second finger joint, the first driven gear (6.1) is fixed on the second finger joint via the first mounting shaft (5.1) and meshes with the first driving gear, and the second driven gear (6.2) is fixed on the third finger joint via the second mounting shaft (5.2) and meshes with the first driving gear; In the actuating structure, the first bending pull rod (7.1) is fixed to the first connecting shaft, the second bending pull rod (7.2) is fixed to the second connecting shaft, the first stretching pull rod (8.1) is fixed to the first mounting shaft, the second stretching pull rod (8.2) is fixed to the second mounting rod, the second finger joint (2.2) is swingably positioned on the first connecting shaft, and the third finger joint (2.3) is swingably positioned on the second connecting shaft; In the transmission structure, a first curved wire drum (9.1), a second curved wire drum (9.2), a first stretching wire drum (9.3) and a second stretching wire drum (9.4) are coaxially fixed on the steering gear rotating shaft; one end of the first tension rope is wound around the first curved wire drum and the other end is fixed to the first curved pull rod; one end of the second tension rope is wound around the second curved wire drum and the other end is fixed to the second curved pull rod; one end of the third tension rope is wound around the first stretching wire drum and the other end is fixed to the first stretching pull rod; one end of the fourth tension rope is wound around the second stretching wire drum and the other end is fixed to the second stretching pull rod; In the transmission structure, the first tension rope and the second tension rope are wound on the winding drum in the same direction, the third tension rope and the fourth tension rope are wound on the winding drum in the same direction, and the first tension rope and the third tension rope are wound on the winding drum in opposite directions.

2. The novel mechanical claw imitating the front claw of a beaver according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A limiting structure is also provided between two adjacent knuckles of the claw branch; the limiting structure comprises a first limiting rod (11) rotatably hinged on one of the knuckles, a slide cylinder (13) rotatably hinged on the other knuckle, and a second limiting rod (12) rotatably hinged on the first limiting rod and axially slidably positioned in the slide cylinder.

3. The novel mechanical claw imitating the front claw of a beaver according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The claw branch is also provided with a sleeve for guiding the pulling rope.

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