An adaptive bottom-seating mechanism for underwater robots

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of underwater robots, and in particular to an adaptive bottom-seating mechanism for underwater robots. The mechanism comprises a power unit, a bottom-seating frame, an active swing arm, a driven connecting rod and a base, wherein the base is arranged above the bottom-seating frame, and the base is hinged to the bottom-seating frame through a plurality of sets of driven connecting rods; the power unit is arranged on the base, one end of the active swing arm is hinged to the bottom-seating frame, and the other end is hinged to the output end of the power unit, and the power unit is used to drive the active swing arm to swing, thereby driving the base to perform lifting and lowering actions. The present invention has the function of adaptively adjusting the bottom-seating height, and can be adaptively adjusted according to different seabed substrates to prevent being washed away by the ocean current or adsorbed by the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of underwater robots, and in particular to an adaptive bottom-sitting mechanism for underwater robots. Background Art

[0002] Underwater robots can be used as ocean element observation platforms to implement detailed and long-term observation tasks, and are powerful tools for studying the circulation of ocean elements. Among them, conventional autonomous underwater robots are mainly used for small and medium-scale observations of horizontal profiles, underwater gliders and self-sinking and floating profile detection buoys are mainly used for large-scale observations of vertical profiles, and deep-sea landers are mainly used for fixed-point observations on the seabed. In order to achieve an organic combination of fixed-point observations on the seabed and profile observations, some autonomous underwater robots with resident functions have been developed. Resident autonomous underwater robots provide a new technical means for studying the circulation of ocean elements.

[0003] The bottom-seating mechanism is an important component of a resident autonomous underwater robot, and its design faces many challenges. Due to the complex seabed environment, the position of the underwater robot on the seabed will be affected by a series of factors such as ocean currents, seabed topography and even marine life, which will eventually cause it to drift away from the operation area and cause mission failure. In order to achieve stable observation of the operating posture and avoid posture adjustment observation when buried by mud and sand, the underwater robot is usually required to have sufficient bottom-seating stability when sitting on the bottom to maintain the posture, and at the same time have sufficient anti-adsorption performance to achieve detachment from the seabed.

[0004] The bottom stability and anti-adsorption performance of underwater robots are closely related to the type of seabed substrate. The types of seabed substrates can be divided into silt, small gravel and large stone formations. Among them, silt is colloidal, soft in texture and has strong adsorption capacity; small gravel is granular, hard in texture and has strong adsorption capacity; large stone formations are block-shaped, hard in texture and have almost no adsorption capacity. There are large differences in the coupling between different seabed substrates and the bottom stability and anti-adsorption performance of underwater robots, and the method of designing them separately for different types of substrates cannot improve the environmental adaptability of resident underwater robots. Therefore, it is very necessary to develop a bottom-sitting mechanism that can adapt to different seabed substrates. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems existing in the existing bottom-seating mechanisms of underwater robots, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an adaptive bottom-seating mechanism for an underwater robot, which can adapt to different seabed conditions and provide support for the underwater robot to perform fixed-point observation tasks on the seabed.

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

[0007] An adaptive bottom-seating mechanism for an underwater robot comprises a power unit, a bottom-seating frame, an active swing arm, a driven connecting rod and a base, wherein the base is arranged above the bottom-seating frame, and the base is hinged to the bottom-seating frame through a plurality of sets of driven connecting rods; the power unit is arranged on the base, one end of the active swing arm is hinged to the bottom-seating frame, and the other end is hinged to the output end of the power unit, and the power unit is used to drive the active swing arm to swing, thereby driving the base to perform lifting and lowering actions.

[0008] There are three groups of driven connecting rods, two groups of driven connecting rods are symmetrically arranged on both sides of one end of the base frame, and the third group of driven connecting rods and the active rocker arm are respectively arranged on both sides of the other end of the base frame.

[0009] The driven connecting rod includes a base connecting rod and a bottom sitting rocker rod, wherein one end of the base connecting rod and the bottom sitting rocker rod are hinged to each other, the other end of the base connecting rod is fixedly connected to the base, and the other end of the bottom sitting rocker rod is hinged to the bottom sitting frame.

[0010] The seat frame is a rectangular frame formed by connecting two seat connecting tubes and two seat rods, wherein the two seat rods are arranged in parallel, the active rocker arm is hinged to one of the seat rods, and the three groups of driven connecting rods are distributed on the two seat rods.

[0011] The base rod and the base connecting pipe are made of carbon fiber composite materials, and the bottom of the base rod is provided with an oblique sawtooth groove.

[0012] The base is provided with a power unit support seat located above the active swing arm, and the power unit is arranged on the power unit support seat.

[0013] The power unit includes a sealed housing and a fixed end plate, a motor, a worm gear mechanism and an output shaft arranged in the sealed housing, wherein the output shaft is mounted on the fixed end plate through an angular contact ball bearing I and the end thereof extends out of the sealed housing; the motor and the worm gear mechanism are both arranged on the fixed end plate, and the motor drives the output shaft to rotate through the worm gear mechanism.

[0014] The worm gear mechanism includes a worm and a worm wheel, wherein the worm is mounted on the rear side of the fixed end plate through an angular contact ball bearing II, and the worm wheel is sleeved on the output shaft and meshes with the worm; the motor is arranged on the front side of the fixed end plate and the output end is connected to the worm through a gear transmission mechanism.

[0015] The gear transmission mechanism includes a spur gear I and a spur gear II, wherein the spur gear I is installed at the output end of the motor through a set screw I; the spur gear II is installed at the end of the worm through a set screw II, and the spur gear II is meshed with the spur gear I.

[0016] The sealed shell includes a rear end cover, a cylindrical shell and a front end cover, wherein the rear end cover and the front end cover are respectively arranged at the rear end and the front end of the cylindrical shell, and are sealed by a radial sealing ring I; the front end cover is provided with an axial hole for the output shaft to pass through, and the output shaft and the axial hole are sealed by a radial sealing ring II; the fixed end plate is installed on the front end cover through a metal flange support rod.

[0017] The advantages and positive effects of the present invention are:

[0018] 1. The present invention has the function of adaptively adjusting the bottom height, and can be adaptively adjusted according to different seabed substrates to prevent being washed away by the ocean current or adsorbed by the substrate.

[0019] 2. The present invention adopts the bionic design of oblique serrations imitating crocodile teeth and cheetah claws, taking into account both the bottom stability and anti-adsorption performance.

[0020] 3. The present invention adopts a frame structure, which can carry more scientific payloads compared to a rotating body structure.

[0021] 4. The present invention adopts a worm gear transmission mechanism with self-locking performance, which can ensure zero power consumption maintenance at a specific bottom height within the adjustable height range.

[0022] 5. The present invention has a simple and reliable structure and excellent anti-corrosion performance, and can be widely used in resident underwater robots. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of an adaptive bottom-seating mechanism for an underwater robot according to the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 A side view of an adaptive bottom-seating mechanism for an underwater robot according to the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a partial structural schematic diagram of the bottom seat rod in the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the power unit in the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 It is a side view of the power unit in the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 It is a partial cross-sectional view of the power unit in the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an underwater robot self-adaptive bottom-seating mechanism installed on the underwater robot according to the present invention;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the lowest bottom-sitting posture of the underwater robot in the present invention;

[0031] In the figure: 1 is a power unit, 2 is a power unit support seat, 3 is a base connecting rod, 4 is a bottom-seating swing rod, 5 is a bottom-seating connecting pipe, 6 is a bottom-seating rod, 7 is a base, 8 is an underwater robot, 9 is an output shaft, 10 is a set bolt, 11 is a plug screw, 12 is a deep groove ball bearing, 13 is an oblique serrated groove, 14 is a rear end cover, 15 is a countersunk screw, 16 is a cylindrical hull, 17 is a radial sealing ring I, 18 is a front end cover, 19 is a metal flange support rod, 20 is a fixed end plate, 21 is an angular contact ball bearing I, 22 is a radial sealing ring II, 23 is a motor, 24 is a bearing seat, 25 is a worm, 26 is an angular contact ball bearing II, 27 is a worm wheel, 28 is a cylindrical pin, 29 is a locking nut, 30 is a spur gear I, 31 is a set screw II, 32 is a spur gear II, 33 is a set screw I, 34 is a bushing, and 35 is an active rocker arm. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0033] like Figure 1-2 As shown, the present invention provides an adaptive bottom-seating mechanism for an underwater robot, comprising a power unit 1, a bottom-seating frame, an active rocker arm 35, a driven connecting rod and a base 7, wherein the base 7 is arranged above the bottom-seating frame, and the base 7 is hinged to the bottom-seating frame through a plurality of sets of driven connecting rods; the power unit 1 is arranged on the base 7, one end of the active rocker arm 35 is hinged to the bottom-seating frame, and the other end is hinged to the output end of the power unit 1, and the power unit 1 is used to drive the active rocker arm 35 to swing, thereby driving the base 7 to perform lifting and lowering actions.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, there are three groups of driven connecting rods, two groups of driven connecting rods are symmetrically arranged on both sides of one end of the base frame, and the third group of driven connecting rods and the active rocker arm 35 are respectively arranged on both sides of the other end of the base frame.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the driven connecting rod includes a base connecting rod 3 and a bottom rocker rod 4, wherein one end of the base connecting rod 3 and the bottom rocker rod 4 are hinged to each other, the other end of the base connecting rod 3 is fixedly connected to the base 7, and the other end of the bottom rocker rod 4 is hinged to the bottom frame.

[0036] like Figure 1As shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, the bottom frame is a rectangular frame connected by two bottom connection tubes 5 and two bottom rods 6, wherein the two bottom rods 6 are arranged in parallel, the active swing rod 35 is hinged to one of the bottom rods 6, and three sets of driven connecting rods are distributed on the two bottom rods 6. Specifically, the lower end of the active swing rod 35 is connected to the bottom rod 6 through a deep groove ball bearing 12, and the deep groove ball bearing 12 is fixedly connected to the bottom rod 6 through a plug screw 11. The connection method of the bottom swing rod 4 to the bottom rod 6 is the same as that of the active swing rod 35.

[0037] Furthermore, the bottoms of the two bottom rods 6 are provided with oblique sawtooth grooves 13, such as Figure 3 As shown. The two bottom-seating rods 6 are inspired by the oblique sawtooth shape of crocodile teeth and cheetah claws, which can make the bottom-seating mechanism adapt to various seabed topography and take into account the bottom-seating stability and anti-adsorption performance. The bottom-seating rods 6 and the bottom-seating connecting pipes 5 are made of carbon fiber composite materials, which can reduce the navigation load of the underwater robot to a certain extent and ensure that the part of the mechanism that contacts the seabed for a long time is not corroded.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, a power unit support seat 2 located above the active swing arm 35 is provided on the base 7, and the power unit 1 is arranged on the power unit support seat 2.

[0039] like Figure 4-6 As shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, the power unit 1 includes a sealed housing and a fixed end plate 20, a motor 23, a worm gear mechanism and an output shaft 9 arranged in the sealed housing, wherein the output shaft 9 is mounted on the fixed end plate 20 through an angular contact ball bearing Ⅰ21 and the end thereof extends out of the sealed housing, and the output shaft 9 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the active rocker arm 35 through a fixing bolt 10; the motor 23 and the worm gear mechanism are both arranged on the fixed end plate 20, and the motor 23 drives the output shaft 9 to rotate through the worm gear mechanism.

[0040] like Figure 4 As shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, the sealed housing includes a rear end cover 14, a cylindrical cabin shell 16 and a front end cover 18, wherein the rear end cover 14 and the front end cover 18 are respectively arranged at the rear end and the front end of the cylindrical cabin shell 16, and are sealed by a radial sealing ring Ⅰ17 to ensure that the internal power assembly is isolated from the external environment. The front end cover 18 is provided with an axial hole for the output shaft 9 to pass through, and the output shaft 9 and the axial hole are sealed by a radial sealing ring Ⅱ22; the fixed end plate 20 is installed on the front end cover 18 through a plurality of metal flange support rods 19, and the front and back sides of the fixed end plate 20 are provided with slots and openings, which can realize the support of the power transmission assembly in a limited and narrow space.

[0041] Specifically, the worm gear mechanism includes a worm 25 and a worm wheel 27, wherein the worm 25 is installed on the rear side of the fixed end plate 20 through an angular contact ball bearing II 26, the angular contact ball bearing II 26 is arranged in the bearing seat 24, and a sleeve 34 is sleeved on the worm 25, and the sleeve 34 is used to axially limit the angular contact ball bearing II 26. The worm wheel 27 is sleeved on the output shaft 9 and axially limited by the shoulder on the output shaft 9, the worm wheel 27 is connected to the output shaft 9 through a cylindrical pin 28, and a locking nut 29 is provided at the end of the output shaft 9, and the locking nut 29 locks the worm wheel 27; the worm wheel 27 and the worm 25 are located on the same side and meshingly drive, realizing deceleration while having a self-locking characteristic, which can ensure zero power consumption maintenance at a specific bottom height within the adjustable height range. The motor 23 is arranged on the front side of the fixed end plate 20 and the output end is connected to the worm 25 through a gear transmission mechanism.

[0042] like Figure 6 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the gear transmission mechanism includes a spur gear I30 and a spur gear II32, wherein the spur gear I30 is mounted on the output end of the motor 23 by a set screw I33; the spur gear II32 is mounted on the end of the worm 25 by a set screw II31, and the spur gear II32 is meshed with the spur gear I30.

[0043] In the embodiment of the present invention, the power unit 1 uses the motor 23 as a driving source to drive the active swing arm 35 and the bottom-sitting swing arm 4 to swing within a certain range. The active swing arm 35 and the bottom-sitting swing arm 4 can realize relative rotation with the bottom-sitting rod 6 through hinge connection, and the bottom-sitting rods 6 on the left and right sides and the bottom-sitting connecting pipes 5 on the front and rear sides are fixed by screws to form a rectangular frame for contacting the seabed.

[0044] like Figure 7-8 As shown, the underwater robot 8 is fixed on the base 7, and the active swing rod 35 is driven by the power unit 1 to swing, thereby adjusting the height of the base 7 and the underwater robot 8.

[0045] The specific working process of the present invention is as follows:

[0046] During the navigation of the underwater robot 8, the bottom support rod 6 is retracted to the bottom of the vehicle. Figure 8As shown. When the underwater robot 8 is stationed and seated on the bottom, the motor 23 receives a driving signal, and drives the output shaft 9 to rotate after being decelerated by the worm gear mechanism. The output shaft 9 is rigidly connected to the active swing rod 35, and the active swing rod 35 and the seated swing rod 4 are hinged with the seated rod 6 to realize the rotation of the active swing rod 35 and the seated swing rod 4, so that the rectangular frame composed of the seated connecting pipe 5 and the seated rod 6 can be translated and dropped, and the falling height is adjusted according to the detected seabed bottom type. When the seabed bottom type is detected to be silt, it is easy to be buried by silt after long-term work, so the maximum height of the seat should be used; small sand and gravel use medium height to sit on the bottom, and for large stones, there is a risk of being easily washed away, so the minimum height of the seat should be used. After landing on the seabed, the oblique serrated groove 13 on the seated rod 6 is inserted into the soft foundation of the seabed to keep the overall stability. When the presence of ocean currents and undercurrent impacts is detected, the motor 23 is driven again to adaptively adjust the height of the bottom seating mechanism and change the center of gravity position of the underwater robot 8, thereby avoiding the threat of being washed away by the ocean currents and allowing the underwater robot 8 to accurately complete the on-site measurement of the seabed.

[0047] The present invention provides an adaptive bottom-seating mechanism for an underwater robot, which has the function of adaptively adjusting the bottom-seating height, has the advantages of high bottom-seating stability, excellent anti-adsorption performance, strong load-carrying capacity, etc., and can be widely used in underwater robots that have the need for bottom-seating operations.

[0048] The above description is only an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, expansion, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention are included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An adaptive bottom-seating mechanism for an underwater robot, characterized in that: The invention comprises a power unit (1), a base frame, an active swing rod (35), a driven connecting rod and a base (7), wherein the base (7) is arranged above the base frame, and the base (7) is hinged to the base frame via a plurality of sets of driven connecting rods; the power unit (1) is arranged on the base (7), one end of the active swing rod (35) is hinged to the base frame, and the other end is hinged to the output end of the power unit (1), and the power unit (1) is used to drive the active swing rod (35) to swing, thereby driving the base (7) to perform a lifting action; The driven connecting rods are in three groups, wherein two groups of the driven connecting rods are symmetrically arranged on both sides of one end of the base frame, and the driven connecting rods and the active rocker rod (35) of the third group are respectively arranged on both sides of the other end of the base frame; The seat frame is a rectangular frame formed by connecting two seat connection tubes (5) and two seat rods (6), wherein the two seat rods (6) are arranged in parallel, the active swing rod (35) is hinged to one of the seat rods (6), and the three groups of driven connecting rods are distributed on the two seat rods (6); The base rod (6) and the base connecting pipe (5) are made of carbon fiber composite material, and the bottom of the base rod (6) is provided with an oblique sawtooth groove (13); The power unit (1) comprises a sealed housing and a fixed end plate (20) arranged in the sealed housing, a motor (23), a worm gear mechanism and an output shaft (9), wherein the output shaft (9) is mounted on the fixed end plate (20) via an angular contact ball bearing I (21) and an end portion thereof extends out of the sealed housing; the motor (23) and the worm gear mechanism are both arranged on the fixed end plate (20), and the motor (23) drives the output shaft (9) to rotate via the worm gear mechanism; The underwater robot (8) is fixed on the base (7), and the active swing rod (35) is driven by the power unit (1) to swing, thereby adjusting the height of the base (7) and the underwater robot (8); The driven connecting rod comprises a base connecting rod (3) and a base swing rod (4), wherein one end of the base connecting rod (3) and the base swing rod (4) are hinged to each other, the other end of the base connecting rod (3) is fixedly connected to the base (7), and the other end of the base swing rod (4) is hinged to the base frame.

2. The adaptive bottom-seating mechanism for an underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base (7) is provided with a power unit support seat (2) located above the active swing arm (35), and the power unit (1) is arranged on the power unit support seat (2).

3. The adaptive bottom-seating mechanism for an underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The worm gear mechanism comprises a worm (25) and a worm wheel (27), wherein the worm (25) is mounted on the rear side of the fixed end plate (20) via an angular contact ball bearing II (26), and the worm wheel (27) is sleeved on the output shaft (9) and meshes with the worm (25); the motor (23) is arranged on the front side of the fixed end plate (20) and the output end is connected to the worm (25) via a gear transmission mechanism.

4. The adaptive bottom-seating mechanism for an underwater robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The gear transmission mechanism comprises a spur gear I (32) and a spur gear II (30), wherein the spur gear I (32) is mounted on the output end of the motor (23) via a set screw I (33); the spur gear II (30) is mounted on the end of the worm (25) via a set screw II (31), and the spur gear II (30) is meshed with the spur gear I (32).

5. The adaptive bottom-seating mechanism for an underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealed housing comprises a rear end cover (14), a cylindrical hull (16) and a front end cover (18), wherein the rear end cover (14) and the front end cover (18) are respectively arranged at the rear end and the front end of the cylindrical hull (16), and are sealed by a radial sealing ring I (17); the front end cover (18) is provided with an axial hole for the output shaft (9) to pass through, and the output shaft (9) and the axial hole are sealed by a radial sealing ring II (22); the fixed end plate (20) is mounted on the front end cover (18) via a metal flange support rod (19).

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