Tilting Wheel-Type Legs of a Multi-Legged Wheeled Robot

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tiltable wheeled foot of a multi-legged wheeled robot. It solves the technical problems such as unreasonable design in the prior art. It includes a lifting mechanism and a walking wheel body arranged at the lower end of the lifting mechanism. A rolling drive mechanism capable of driving the walking wheel body to roll and a rotation drive mechanism capable of driving the circumferential rotation of the walking wheel body are provided on the lifting mechanism. An angle-adjustable included angle is formed between the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism and the rolling central axis of the walking wheel body. A tilt and angle adjustment drive mechanism is also provided on the lifting mechanism. The advantages are as follows: It can not only realize the rolling, horizontal turning and lifting of the walking wheel body, but also realize the tilting of the entire wheeled foot, with complete functions and wide application range. When multiple walking wheel bodies cooperate with each other, they can successfully pass through road conditions such as rough roads and steps, and can easily cross various complex natural terrains.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot, and more particularly to a tiltable wheeled foot of a multi-legged wheeled robot. Background Art

[0002] Wheeled feet are relatively common components in the field of robots. Wheeled feet have a fast moving speed and simple control, but their obstacle-crossing ability is too poor, and they usually cannot meet the application scenarios of stairs or complex terrains. To ensure the normal operation of a wheeled mobile robot in a rugged environment, enhance its mobility performance, and minimize the impact of vibrations generated during movement on uneven ground on the robot's body detection equipment, it is crucial to optimize its walking mechanism.

[0003] To solve the above problems, people have conducted long-term explorations. For example, a Chinese patent discloses a multi-legged wheeled platform robot [Application No.: 201810914062.1], which includes a platform vehicle body. A plurality of walking wheel bodies are provided on the platform vehicle body, and each walking wheel body is respectively connected to a wheel body walking drive mechanism. The distance between two adjacent walking wheel bodies in the front and rear of the platform vehicle body is fixed. Each walking wheel body is connected to a wheel body lifting drive mechanism that can drive the walking wheel body to lift in the vertical direction. When the platform vehicle body climbs a step, one of the walking wheel bodies lifts, and at least two of the remaining walking wheel bodies are located on the same horizontal plane and are respectively in contact with the step so that the platform vehicle body remains horizontal.

[0004] Although the above solution solves to some extent the problem that a multi-legged robot cannot move on complex sections, for example, it realizes functions such as a multi-legged robot climbing stairs, etc., but this solution still has problems: poor stability during walking, and it is easy to overturn when performing actions such as turning. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a tiltable wheeled foot of a multi-legged wheeled robot for the above problems.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: The tiltable wheeled feet of this multi-legged wheeled robot are arranged on the robot body and include a lifting mechanism and a walking wheel body arranged at the lower end of the lifting mechanism. A rolling drive mechanism capable of driving the walking wheel body to roll and a steering drive mechanism capable of driving the walking wheel body to rotate horizontally are provided on the lifting mechanism. It is characterized in that an angle-adjustable included angle is formed between the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism and the rolling central axis of the walking wheel body. The lifting mechanism is also provided with an inclination and angle adjustment drive mechanism capable of driving the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism to incline relative to the vertical direction and adaptively adjusting the included angle during the inclination of the lifting central axis. When the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism is vertically arranged, the rolling central axis of the walking wheel body is horizontally arranged so that the included angle is a right angle, and when the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism is inclined relative to the robot body, the included angle is an acute angle.

[0007] The lifting of the walking wheel body can be realized through the lifting mechanism. When multiple walking wheel bodies cooperate with each other, the robot can walk on complex roads. Under normal conditions, when the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism is vertically arranged, the rolling central axis of the walking wheel body is horizontally arranged, that is, the included angle is a right angle. When it is necessary to improve the walking stability, for example, turning, climbing slopes, etc., in order to lower the center of gravity, the inclination and angle adjustment drive mechanism can drive the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism to incline relative to the vertical direction and adaptively adjust the included angle during the inclination of the lifting central axis. In this way, the robot has higher stability during walking and is not prone to tipping.

[0008] In the tiltable wheeled feet of the above multi-legged wheeled robot, the inclination and angle adjustment drive mechanism includes a first rotating connection structure arranged between the lower end of the lifting mechanism and the walking wheel body and a second rotating connection structure arranged between the lifting mechanism and the robot body. The second rotating connection structure is located above the first rotating connection structure. The first rotating connection structure is a driving movable joint, and the second rotating connection structure is a driving movable joint. In order to realize the inclination of the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism relative to the vertical direction, the lifting mechanism is driven to incline by the first rotating connection structure and the second rotating connection structure. Among them, the first rotating connection structure can also adopt a passive movable joint. Obviously, a locking structure is required at this time to realize the positioning after inclination or verticality.

[0009] In the tiltable wheeled feet of the above multi-legged wheeled robot, the inclination and angle adjustment drive mechanism can drive the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism to incline outward relative to the robot body; the rotation central axis of the second rotating connection structure is parallel to the horizontal central axis of the robot body. The inclination and angle adjustment drive mechanism reduces the center of gravity of the entire robot body, thereby improving stability.

[0010] In the tiltable wheeled foot of the above multi-legged wheeled robot, the angle range of the included angle is 0 - 90 degrees.

[0011] In the tiltable wheeled foot of the above multi-legged wheeled robot, the belt-driven movable joint includes a swing drive motor. The motor body of the swing drive motor is connected to the walking wheel body, and the power output shaft of the swing drive motor is connected to the lifting mechanism. Specifically, the belt-driven movable joint includes an upper part and a lower part. A horizontally arranged swing drive motor is provided between the upper part and the lower part. The motor body and the power shaft of the swing drive motor are respectively connected to the upper part and the lower part. The lower part is connected to the power shaft of the steering drive motor through a transmission shaft, and the upper part is fixedly connected to the lower end of the lead screw. Under the action of the swing drive motor, the upper and lower parts of the belt drive perform an opening and closing action, thereby driving the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism to tilt outward or inward relative to the robot body.

[0012] In the tiltable wheeled foot of the above multi-legged wheeled robot, the second rotational connection structure includes a hinge structure provided between the lifting mechanism and the robot body. A motor is fixed on the robot body, and the output shaft of the motor is connected to the lifting mechanism and can drive the lifting mechanism to swing.

[0013] In the tiltable wheeled foot of the above multi-legged wheeled robot, the lifting mechanism includes a nut sleeve and a lead screw. The lead screw is threadedly connected to the nut sleeve. The nut sleeve is connected to a lifting driver capable of driving the nut sleeve to rotate. The hinge structure is provided between the nut sleeve and the robot body.

[0014] In the tiltable wheeled foot of the above multi-legged wheeled robot, the hinge structure includes a hinge shaft provided on a rotating cylinder and a hinge hole provided on the robot body. The nut sleeve is circumferentially rotatably arranged inside the circumferential direction of the rotating cylinder. The hinge shaft is rotatably connected to the hinge hole. The lifting driver is fixed on one side of the rotating cylinder, and a speed reduction structure is provided between the lifting driver and the nut sleeve.

[0015] In the tiltable wheeled foot of the above multi-legged wheeled robot, the rolling drive mechanism includes a rolling drive motor. The power shaft of the rolling drive motor is connected to the walking wheel body. The rolling drive motor is fixed inside a cover. The steering drive mechanism includes a fixed seat fixedly connected to the rolling drive motor and located at the upper end of the cover. The fixed seat is provided with a wheel body steering motor, and the power shaft of the wheel body steering motor is connected to the belt-driven movable joint. A protective plate is provided on the outer circumference of the fixed seat. That is, the rolling drive mechanism drives the walking wheel body to roll to realize the walking movement of the robot body, and the steering drive motor is used to drive the walking wheel body to rotate horizontally.

[0016] In the tiltable wheel foot of the above-mentioned multi-legged wheeled robot, a limit disk that can abut against the screw sleeve is provided at the upper end of the lead screw, and a strip-shaped hole for the lead screw to pass through is provided on the robot body. Preferably, the strip-shaped hole extends along the tilt movement direction of the lead screw, and the limit disk can prevent the lead screw from disengaging from the screw sleeve when lifting and lowering.

[0017] Compared with the existing technology, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: it can not only realize the rolling, horizontal steering, and lifting of the walking wheel body, but also realize the tilting of the entire wheel foot, with complete functions and a wide range of applications. When multiple walking wheel bodies cooperate with each other, they can successfully pass through rough roads, steps and other road conditions, and can easily cross various complex natural terrains. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 is Figure 1 the enlarged view at A in

[0020] Figure 3 is a side view of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of Embodiment 1 of the present invention from another perspective;

[0022] Figure 5 is a schematic partial structural diagram of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0024] In the figure, robot body 1, strip-shaped hole 11, lifting mechanism 2, screw sleeve 21, rotating cylinder 211, lead screw 22, lifting drive 23, limit disk 24, walking wheel body 3, rolling drive mechanism 4, rolling drive motor 41, cover body 42, fixed seat 43, wheel body steering motor 44, protective plate 45, steering drive mechanism 5, tilt and angle adjustment drive mechanism 6, first rotational connection structure 61, swing drive motor 611, upper part 612, lower part 613, second rotational connection structure 62, hinge shaft 621, hinge hole 622, included angle α. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The following further describes the present utility model in detail with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0026] Embodiment 1

[0027] As Figures 1-6As shown in the figure, the tiltable wheeled feet of this multi-legged wheeled robot are arranged on the robot body 1, and include a lifting mechanism 2 and a walking wheel body 3 arranged at the lower end of the lifting mechanism 2. A rolling drive mechanism 4 capable of driving the walking wheel body 3 to roll and a steering drive mechanism 5 capable of driving the walking wheel body 3 to rotate horizontally are provided on the lifting mechanism 2. An angle-adjustable included angle α is formed between the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism 2 and the rolling central axis of the walking wheel body 3. Preferably, the angle range of the included angle α here is 0-90 degrees. An inclination and angle adjustment drive mechanism 6 is also provided on the lifting mechanism 2, which can drive the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism 2 to incline relative to the vertical direction and adaptively adjust the angle of the included angle α during the inclination of the lifting central axis. When the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism 2 is vertically arranged, the rolling central axis of the walking wheel body 3 is horizontally arranged, so that the included angle α is a right angle, and when the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism 2 is inclined relative to the robot body 1, the included angle α is an acute angle.

[0028] In this embodiment, the lifting of the walking wheel body 3 can be realized through the lifting mechanism 2. When multiple walking wheel bodies 3 cooperate with each other, the robot can walk on complex roads. Under normal conditions, when the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism 2 is vertically arranged, the rolling central axis of the walking wheel is horizontally arranged, that is, the included angle α is a right angle. When it is necessary to improve the walking stability, for example, turning, climbing slopes, etc., in order to lower the center of gravity, the inclination and angle adjustment drive mechanism 6 can drive the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism 2 to incline relative to the vertical direction and adaptively adjust the angle of the included angle α during the inclination of the lifting central axis, so that the robot has higher stability when walking and is not prone to tipping over.

[0029] Specifically, the inclination and angle adjustment drive mechanism 6 in this embodiment includes a first rotating connection structure 61 arranged between the lower end of the lifting mechanism 2 and the walking wheel body 3 and a second rotating connection structure 62 arranged between the lifting mechanism 2 and the robot body 1. The second rotating connection structure 62 is located above the first rotating connection structure 61. The first rotating connection structure 61 is a driveable movable joint, and the second rotating connection structure 62 is a driveable movable joint.

[0030] That is to say, the inclination and angle adjustment drive mechanism 6 here can drive the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism 2 to incline outward relative to the robot body 1; the rotation central axis of the second rotating connection structure 62 is parallel to the horizontal central axis of the robot body 1, and the center of gravity of the entire robot body 1 is lowered through the inclination and angle adjustment drive mechanism 6, thereby improving the stability.

[0031] Specifically, the first rotational connection structure 61 here, that is, the belt-driven movable joint, includes a swing drive motor 611. The motor body of the swing drive motor 611 is connected to the walking wheel body 3, and the power output shaft of the swing drive motor 611 is connected to the lifting mechanism 2. For example, the belt-driven movable joint includes an upper part 612 and a lower part 613. A horizontally arranged swing drive motor 611 is provided between the upper part 612 and the lower part 613. The motor body and the power shaft of the swing drive motor 611 are respectively connected to the upper part 612 and the lower part 613. The lower part 613 is connected to the power shaft of the wheel body steering motor 44 through a transmission shaft. The upper part 612 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the lead screw 22. Under the action of the swing drive motor 611, the belt-driven upper part 612 and the lower part 613 perform an opening and closing action, thereby driving the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism 2 to move obliquely outward or inward relative to the robot body. Among them, the second rotational connection structure 62 includes a hinge structure provided between the lifting mechanism 2 and the robot body 1. A motor is fixed on the robot body 1, and the output shaft of the motor is connected to the lifting mechanism 2 and can drive the lifting mechanism 2 to swing.

[0032] Among them, the lifting mechanism 2 here includes a nut sleeve 21 and a lead screw 22. The lead screw 22 is in threaded connection with the nut sleeve 21. The nut sleeve 21 is connected to a lifting driver 23 capable of driving the nut sleeve 21 to rotate. The hinge structure is provided between the nut sleeve 21 and the robot body 1. By driving the nut sleeve 21 through the lifting driver 23, the lead screw 22 is lifted and lowered.

[0033] Further, the hinge structure here includes a hinge shaft 621 provided on the rotating cylinder 211 and a hinge hole 622 provided on the robot body 1. The nut sleeve 21 is circumferentially rotatably arranged on the inner side of the circumferential direction of the rotating cylinder 211. The hinge shaft 621 is rotatably connected to the hinge hole 622. The lifting driver 23 is fixed on one side of the rotating cylinder 211, and a speed reduction structure is connected between the lifting driver 23 and the nut sleeve 21. Obviously, by driving the nut sleeve 21 to rotate circumferentially in the rotating cylinder 211 through the lifting driver 23, the nut sleeve 21 can drive the lead screw 22 to be lifted and lowered. The output shaft of the motor fixed on the robot body 1 is connected to the hinge shaft 621.

[0034] Preferably, a limit disk 24 that can abut against the nut sleeve 21 is provided at the upper end of the lead screw 22, and a strip-shaped hole 11 for the lead screw 22 to pass through is provided on the robot body 1. Preferably, the strip-shaped hole 11 extends along the inclined movement direction of the lead screw 22. The limit disk 24 here can prevent the lead screw 22 from disengaging from the nut sleeve 21 during the lifting and lowering process.

[0035] Preferably, the rolling drive mechanism 4 here includes a rolling drive motor 41. The power shaft of the rolling drive motor 41 is connected to the walking wheel body 3. The rolling drive motor 41 is fixed inside the cover body 42. The steering drive mechanism 5 includes a fixed seat 43 fixedly connected to the rolling drive motor 41 and located at the upper end of the cover body 42. The fixed seat 43 is provided with a wheel body steering motor 44, and the power shaft of the wheel body steering motor 44 is connected to the belt drive movable joint. A protective plate 45 is provided on the circumferential outer side of the fixed seat 43. That is, the walking wheel body 3 is driven by the rolling drive motor 41 to roll to realize the walking movement of the robot body 1. The rolling central axis of the walking wheel body is horizontally arranged relative to the ground. The wheel body steering motor 44 is used to drive the walking wheel body 3 to rotate horizontally relative to the ground. The steering central axis of the wheel body steering motor 44 is vertically arranged relative to the ground and the walking wheel body 3 is located on one side of the steering central axis.

[0036] The principle of this embodiment is as follows: When in use, when the robot body 1 is equipped with multiple tiltable wheel feet, when the walking wheel body 3 needs to be lifted or lowered, the screw sleeve 21 is driven by the lifting driver 23 to realize the lifting of the screw rod 22. Under the action of the swing drive motor 611, the belt drive movable joint realizes the opening and closing action. Thus, the screw rod 22 moves obliquely outward or inward relative to the robot body 1 to reduce the center of gravity of the robot body 1 and improve the stability during walking or turning. At the same time, combined with the horizontal rotation and walking functions of the walking wheel body 3, it can successfully pass through road conditions such as rough terrain and steps and can easily cross various complex natural terrains.

[0037] Embodiment Two

[0038] The structure, principle, and implementation steps of this embodiment are similar to those of Embodiment One. The difference is that one of the first rotational connection structure 61 and the second rotational connection structure 62 in this embodiment is a belt drive movable joint, and the other is a passive movable joint. Among them, the passive movable joint needs to be equipped with a locking structure to realize the positioning after tilting or being vertical.

[0039] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the spirit of the present invention. Those skilled in the art of the present invention can make various modifications or supplements to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to replace them, but will not deviate from the spirit of the present invention or exceed the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0040] Although terms such as robot body 1, strip-shaped hole 11, lifting mechanism 2, screw sleeve 21, rotating cylinder 211, lead screw 22, lifting drive 23, limit disk 24, walking wheel body 3, rolling drive mechanism 4, rolling drive motor 41, cover body 42, fixed seat 43, wheel body steering motor 44, protective plate 45, steering drive mechanism 5, tilt and angle adjustment drive mechanism 6, first rotational connection structure 61, swing drive motor 611, second rotational connection structure 62, hinge shaft 621, hinge hole 622, included angle α, etc. are used more frequently in this text, it does not exclude the possibility of using other terms. The use of these terms is only for more conveniently describing and explaining the essence of the present invention; interpreting them as any kind of additional limitation is contrary to the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tiltable wheeled foot of a multi-legged wheeled robot is provided on the robot body (1), and includes a lifting mechanism (2) and a walking wheel body (3) provided at the lower end of the lifting mechanism (2). A rolling drive mechanism (4) capable of driving the walking wheel body (3) to roll and a steering drive mechanism (5) capable of driving the walking wheel body (3) to rotate horizontally are provided on the lifting mechanism (2). It is characterized in that An angle-adjustable included angle (α) is formed between the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism (2) and the rolling central axis of the walking wheel body (3). An inclination and angle adjustment drive mechanism (6) capable of driving the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism (2) to incline relative to the vertical direction and adaptively adjusting the angle of the included angle (α) during the inclination of the lifting central axis is also provided on the lifting mechanism (2). When the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism (2) is vertically arranged, the rolling central axis of the walking wheel body (3) is horizontally arranged so that the included angle (α) is a right angle, and when the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism (2) is inclined relative to the robot body (1), the included angle (α) is an acute angle; the inclination and angle adjustment drive mechanism (6) includes a first rotation connection structure (61) provided between the lower end of the lifting mechanism (2) and the walking wheel body (3) and a second rotation connection structure (62) provided between the lifting mechanism (2) and the robot body (1). The second rotation connection structure (62) is located above the first rotation connection structure (61). The first rotation connection structure (61) is a driveable movable joint, and the second rotation connection structure (62) is a driveable movable joint; the second rotation connection structure (62) includes a hinge structure provided between the lifting mechanism (2) and the robot body (1). A motor is fixed on the robot body (1). The output shaft of the motor is connected to the lifting mechanism (2) and can drive the lifting mechanism (2) to swing; the lifting mechanism (2) includes a screw sleeve (21) and a lead screw (22). The lead screw (22) is threadedly connected to the screw sleeve (21). The screw sleeve (21) is connected to a lifting driver (23) capable of driving the screw sleeve (21) to rotate. The hinge structure is provided between the screw sleeve (21) and the robot body (1); the hinge structure includes a hinge shaft (621) provided on a rotating cylinder body (211) and a hinge hole (622) provided on the robot body (1). The screw sleeve (21) is circumferentially rotatably arranged inside the circumferential side of the rotating cylinder body (211). The hinge shaft (621) is rotatably connected to the hinge hole (622). The lifting driver (23) is fixed on one side of the rotating cylinder body (211), and the lifting driver (23) is connected to the screw sleeve (21) through a reduction structure; a limit disk (24) that can abut against the screw sleeve (21) is provided at the upper end of the lead screw (22), and a strip-shaped hole (11) for the lead screw (22) to pass through is provided on the robot body (1).

2. The tiltable wheeled foot of a multi-legged wheeled robot according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The described tilting and angle adjustment driving mechanism (6) can drive the lifting central axis of the lifting mechanism (2) to be tilted and arranged outward relative to the robot body (1); the rotation central axis of the second rotation connection structure (62) is parallel to the horizontal central axis of the robot body (1).

3. The tiltable wheeled foot of the multi-legged wheeled robot according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle range of the included angle (α) is 0 - 90 degrees.

4. The tiltable wheeled foot of the multi-legged wheeled robot according to claim 1 or 2 or 3, characterized in that the belt-driven movable joint includes a swing driving motor (611), the motor body of the swing driving motor (611) is connected to the walking wheel body (3), and the power output shaft of the swing driving motor (611) is connected to the lifting mechanism (2).

5. The tiltable wheeled foot of the multi-legged wheeled robot according to claim 1, characterized in that the rolling driving mechanism (4) includes a rolling driving motor (41), the power shaft of the rolling driving motor (41) is connected to the walking wheel body (3), the rolling driving motor (41) is fixed in the housing (42), the steering driving mechanism (5) includes a fixed seat (43) fixedly connected to the rolling driving motor (41) and located at the upper end of the housing (42), the fixed seat (43) is provided with a wheel body steering motor (44), and the power shaft of the wheel body steering motor (44) is connected to the belt-driven movable joint, and a protective plate (45) is provided on the circumferential outer side of the fixed seat (43).

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