A contact friction wheel type charging mechanism and method of use

Abstract

A contact friction wheel type charging mechanism and a method for using the same belong to the technical field of charging devices for downhole inspection robots, and comprise an up-and-down floating frame body, the lower end of the up-and-down floating frame body is provided with a pair of clamping devices for clamping driven wheels of a robot to be charged, and the up-and-down floating frame body is slidingly installed on an up-and-down linear sliding rail mechanism.The contact friction wheel type charging mechanism drives the rotation of a polyurethane wheel through a motor reducer of the charging mechanism to contact the polyurethane wheel on an explosion-proof generator of a robot body, drives the rotation of the explosion-proof generator on the robot through the friction force to transmit torque, the motor rotor cuts the magnetic induction line to generate an induced electromotive force to generate an electric current to charge the battery of the robot, and the charging mechanism has a self-adaptive position adjusting mechanism, which can adjust the position of the charging mechanism according to the position of the robot to achieve an ideal power generation position to drive the power generation generator to charge.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of charging devices for underground inspection robots, specifically relating to a contact friction wheel charging mechanism and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] Underground inspection robots operate in flammable and explosive environments, so the requirements for the robot's battery and charging method are very strict. Coal mine underground inspection equipment and auxiliary mechanisms must meet all the requirements of "GB3836-2010".

[0003] The existing charging methods for underground inspection robots have the following problems:

[0004] Most underground inspection robots use wireless charging. The highest explosion protection standard for wireless charging technology is Class II gas explosion protection, which is not suitable for charging in the Class I explosion protection environment of coal mines.

[0005] The socket-type charging method is mostly used for fixed equipment in underground mines for power supply. However, it is not convenient or intelligent when used as a charging method, as it requires manual plugging and unplugging, which is not conducive to unmanned operation in underground mines.

[0006] Non-contact flexible coupling charging requires precise positioning of the robot and the charging mechanism, making it difficult to implement on-site. Furthermore, the charging efficiency is somewhat reduced, and the charging time is relatively long.

[0007] Pin-type rotary charging also requires high positioning accuracy for the robot, which is not conducive to on-site implementation. In addition, the explosion-proof motor of the robot body is large, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of the robot. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to propose a contact friction wheel charging mechanism and its usage method, which addresses the problems of existing charging methods for inspection robots on the market, such as not meeting the requirements for Class I explosion-proof environments, having harsh operating conditions, high positioning accuracy requirements, low charging efficiency, and requiring manual charging by operators on-site.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0010] A contact friction wheel charging mechanism includes upper and lower floating frames. The lower end of the upper and lower floating frames is equipped with a clamping device for clamping the driven wheels of the robot to be charged. The upper and lower floating frames are slidably mounted on upper and lower linear slide rail mechanisms.

[0011] The floating frame includes a rectangular frame made of square tubes, on which an H-shaped frame made of square tubes is installed, and the top of the H-shaped frame is connected by a horizontal tube to form a fixed frame.

[0012] The clamping device includes a clamping linear slide rail slider assembly, which is bolted to the bottom of the upper and lower floating frames. Linear slide rail limit blocks, mounted on the upper and lower floating frames, are arranged at both ends of the clamping linear slide rail slider assembly. The tops of the active clamping frame and the driven clamping frame are bolted to corresponding sliders on the clamping linear slide rail slider assembly. A motor is bolted to one bottom end of the active clamping frame, and a drive wheel located on the other side of the active clamping frame is mounted at the end of the motor's output shaft. A floating wheel is installed at the bottom of the driven clamping plate. A first rack is fixedly installed on the top of the driven clamping frame by bolts and a rack limiting angle steel. A second rack is fixedly installed on the top of the active clamping frame by bolts and a rack limiting angle steel. A gear shaft is installed between the first rack and the second rack, and the optical axis of the gear shaft is connected to a bearing seat installed on the upper and lower floating frames. A cylinder connecting plate is installed on the top of the active clamping frame, which is vertically arranged. The cylinder connecting plate is connected to the cylinder floating joint of the clamping cylinder. The clamping cylinder is installed on the upper and lower floating frames.

[0013] The active clamping frame and the driven clamping frame have the same structure, both including a connecting plate. One end of the connecting plate has an outwardly protruding protrusion, and the bottom of the connecting plate is integrally formed with a pair of clamping plates. The two sides of the pair of clamping plates are provided with stiffening plates.

[0014] The upper and lower linear slide rail mechanism includes an L-shaped frame composed of square tubes. The vertical square tubes of the L-shaped frame and the horizontal square tubes connected to the vertical square tubes are reinforced by triangular rib plates. Reinforcing plates are also installed at the four bottom corners of the L-shaped frame by bolts. Upper and lower linear slide rail slider assemblies are fixedly installed on the vertical square tubes of the L-shaped frame by bolts. The L-shaped frame is connected to the upper and lower floating frames through the sliders on the upper and lower linear slide rail slider assemblies. At the same time, the top and bottom of the L-shaped frame and the upper and lower floating frames are connected by adjustment components.

[0015] A method of using a contact friction wheel charging mechanism includes the following steps:

[0016] The robot control system detects that the robot's battery is low and needs charging. The robot moves forward or backward to the charging station, and a proximity switch on the robot determines whether it has entered the charging station. After the robot enters the charging station and stops, the extended clamping cylinder receives the information and the cylinder rod retracts. Through the meshing of gears with the first and second racks, it transmits tension, driving the active and driven clamping frames to move towards the center on the clamping linear slide rail slider assembly and clamping them. This causes the drive wheel and floating wheel to move towards the center and clamp the driven wheel. The vertical movement of the upper and lower floating frames on the upper and lower linear slide rail slider assembly and the vertical displacement of the springs compensate for the positional deviation between the charging mechanism and the robot. After the robot and the charging mechanism are aligned and clamped, the explosion-proof motor starts running at its rated speed, driving the explosion-proof electric motor on the robot body to run at its rated generating speed and generate current to charge the robot's battery.

[0017] The technical effects of this invention are as follows:

[0018] This invention relates to a contact friction wheel charging mechanism. A motor reducer drives a polyurethane wheel to rotate, which then contacts the polyurethane wheel on the robot's explosion-proof motor. Torque is transmitted through friction, causing the explosion-proof motor on the robot to rotate. The motor rotor cuts magnetic lines of force, generating an induced electromotive force that produces current to charge the robot's battery. The charging mechanism features an adaptive position adjustment mechanism, allowing it to adjust its position according to the robot's location to achieve an ideal power generation position, thereby driving the generator motor for charging. This charging mechanism can perform charging in unmanned environments and meets the relevant standards of GB3836-2010, providing a safe and reliable charging method for underground operations. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a first-view schematic diagram of the contact friction wheel charging mechanism of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a second-view schematic diagram of the contact friction wheel charging mechanism of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a side view of the contact friction wheel charging mechanism of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping device of the contact friction wheel charging mechanism of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the upper and lower linear slide rail slider mechanism of the contact friction wheel charging mechanism of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the upper and lower floating frame structure of the contact friction wheel charging mechanism of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the master-slave clamping frame of the contact friction wheel charging mechanism of the present invention;

[0026] 1-Fixed frame, 2-Adjusting rod, 3-Adjusting spring, 4-Floating cylinder joint, 5-Clamping cylinder, 6-Up and down floating frame, 7-Up and down linear slide rail slider assembly, 8-Clamping linear slide rail slider assembly, 9-Linear slide rail limit block, 10-Active clamping frame, 11-Gear shaft, 12-First rack, 13-Explosion-proof motor, 14-Drive wheel, 15-Floating wheel, 16-Driven wheel, 17-Rack limit angle steel, 18-Driven clamping frame, 19-Bearing seat, 20-Cylinder seat, 21-Second rack, 22-Cylinder mounting plate, 23-Rectangular frame, 24-H-type frame, 25-Horizontal tube, 26-Cylinder connecting plate, 27-Connecting plate, 28-Protrusion, 29-Clamping plate, 30-Rib plate, 31-L Frame structure, 32-triangular stiffener plate, 33-reinforcing plate, 34-first base, 35-second base, 36-third base, 37-fourth base. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0028] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, a contact friction wheel charging mechanism includes an upper and lower floating frame 6. The lower end of the upper and lower floating frame 6 is equipped with a clamping device for clamping the driven wheel 16 of the robot to be charged, and the upper and lower floating frame 6 is slidably mounted on an upper and lower linear slide rail mechanism.

[0029] The floating frame 6 includes a rectangular frame 23 composed of square tubes, and a base plate located between two square tubes arranged along the length direction is installed on the rectangular frame 23. A through hole is opened on the base plate. Cylinder mounting plates 22 are installed on both sides of the rectangular frame 23. An h-shaped frame 24 composed of square tubes is installed on the rectangular frame 23, and the top of the h-shaped frame 24 is connected to form a fixed frame 1 through a horizontal tube 25.

[0030] The clamping device includes a clamping linear slide rail slider assembly 8, which is bolted to a rectangular frame 23 and arranged along the length of the rectangular frame 23. Linear slide rail limiting blocks 9, mounted on the rectangular frame 23, are arranged at both ends of the clamping linear slide rail slider assembly 8. One end of the top of the active clamping frame 10 is bolted to two sliders on one of the clamping linear slide rail slider assemblies 8, and the other end is bolted to two corresponding sliders on the other clamping linear slide rail slider assembly 8. Similarly, one end of the top of the driven clamping frame 18 is bolted to two sliders on one of the clamping linear slide rail slider assemblies 8, and the other end is bolted to two corresponding sliders on the other clamping linear slide rail slider assembly 8. The clamping side of the active clamping frame 10 is directly opposite the clamping side of the driven clamping frame 18. An explosion-proof motor 13 is bolted to the bottom of one side of the frame 10, and a drive wheel 14 located on the other side of the active clamping frame 10 is installed at the end of the output shaft of the explosion-proof motor 13. Floating wheels 15 arranged vertically are installed at the bottom of the driven clamping plate. A first rack 12 is bolted to the top of the driven clamping frame 18 and fixed to the top of the frame 18 by bolts and a rack limiting angle steel 17. A second rack 21 is bolted to the top of the active clamping frame 10 and fixed to the top of the frame 10 by bolts and a rack limiting angle steel 17. A gear shaft 11 meshes with both the first rack 12 and the second rack 21, and the optical axis of the gear shaft 11 passes through a through hole on the base plate and its end is rotatably mounted to a bearing seat 19 mounted on the base plate. A vertically arranged cylinder connecting plate 26 is installed on the top of the active clamping frame 10, and the cylinder connecting plate 26 is connected to the cylinder floating joint 4 of the clamping cylinder 5. The cylinder is mounted on the cylinder mounting plate 22 of the rectangular frame 23 of the upper and lower floating frame 6 via the cylinder seat 20.

[0031] The active clamping frame 10 and the driven clamping frame 18 have the same structure, both including a connecting plate 27. One end of the connecting plate 27 is provided with an outwardly protruding protrusion 28. The protrusion 28 on the connecting plate of the active clamping frame 10 is arranged opposite to the protrusion 28 on the connecting plate of the driven clamping frame 18. The bottom of the connecting plate 27 is integrally formed with a clamping plate 29. The clamping plates 29 are provided with stiffening plates 30 on both sides, and the stiffening plates 30 are arranged close to the clamping side of the clamping plate 29.

[0032] The upper and lower linear slide rail mechanism includes an L-shaped frame 31 composed of square tubes. The vertical square tubes of the L-shaped frame 31 and the horizontal square tubes connected to the vertical square tubes are connected and reinforced by triangular rib plates 32. Reinforcing plates 33 are also installed at the four bottom corners of the L-shaped frame 31 by bolts. Upper and lower linear slide rail slider assemblies 7 are fixedly installed on the vertical square tubes of the L-shaped frame 31 by bolts. The L-shaped frame 31 is connected to the upper and lower floating frame 6 through the sliders on the upper and lower linear slide rail slider assemblies 7. Adjustment components are installed on the upper and lower horizontal square tubes of the L-shaped frame 31. At the same time, the adjustment components are connected to the top horizontal tube and the rectangular frame 23 on the h-shaped frame 24 of the upper and lower floating frame 6.

[0033] The upper adjustment assembly includes a first base 34 with a limit rod and a second base 35 with an adjustment rod 2. The limit rod is fixedly installed on the first base 34 to prevent the adjustment spring 3 from swinging. The adjustment rod 2 is threadedly connected to the second base 35. The adjustment spring 3 is initially compressed by rotating the adjustment rod 2. The first base 34 and the second base 35 are respectively installed on the top of the L-shaped frame 31 and the top of the upper and lower floating frame 6. The adjustment spring 3 is installed between the first base 34 and the second base 35. One end of the adjustment spring 3 is welded to the first base 34, and the other end of the adjustment spring 3 is welded to the disc on the adjustment rod 2.

[0034] The lower adjustment assembly includes a third base 36 with a limit rod and a fourth base 37 with an adjustment rod 2. The limit rod is fixedly installed on the third base 36 to prevent the adjustment spring 3 from swinging. The adjustment rod 2 is threadedly connected to the fourth base 37. The adjustment spring 3 is initially compressed by rotating the adjustment rod 2. The third base 36 and the fourth base 37 are respectively installed at the bottom of the L-shaped frame 31 and the bottom of the upper and lower floating frame 6. Two adjustment springs 3 are installed between the third base 36 and the fourth base 37. One end of the two adjustment springs 3 is welded to the third base 36, and the other end of the two adjustment springs 3 is welded to the disc on the corresponding adjustment rod 2.

[0035] The working principle of the upper and lower linear slide rail mechanism is as follows: First, by rotating the upper and lower adjusting rods 2, the upper and lower adjusting springs 3 are initially compressed. When the robot enters the charging station, if there is a positional deviation between the robot and the charging mechanism, since the track height of the robot to the power supply station remains unchanged, the fourth base 37 of the lower adjusting component and the second base 35 of the upper adjusting component move upward simultaneously. At the same time, the upper and lower floating frame moves upward along the upper and lower linear guide slider assembly 7. At this time, the upper adjusting spring 3 is compressed and the lower adjusting spring 3 is extended, thereby compensating for the positional deviation between the charging mechanism and the robot through the upward displacement of the upper and lower floating frame 6. When the robot finishes charging, the upper adjusting spring 3 releases its elastic potential energy and moves downward to return to its initial position under the action of the gravity of the upper and lower floating frame 6 and the clamping device.

[0036] A method of using a contact friction wheel charging mechanism includes the following steps:

[0037] The robot control system detects that the robot's battery is low on power and needs to be charged. The robot moves forward or backward to the charging station, and the proximity switch on the robot determines whether the robot has entered the charging station.

[0038] After the robot enters the charging station and stops, the clamping cylinder 5, which is in the extended state, receives the information and the cylinder rod retracts. Through the meshing of gear 11 with the first rack 12 and the second rack 21, it transmits the tension, which drives the active clamping frame 10 and the driven clamping frame 18 to move towards the center on the clamping linear slide rail slider assembly 8 and clamp. This causes the drive wheel 14 and the floating wheel 15 to clamp towards the center and clamp the driven wheel 16. The positional deviation between the charging mechanism and the robot is compensated by the movement of the upper and lower floating frame 6 on the upper and lower linear slide rail slider assembly 7 and the upper and lower displacement of the spring 3.

[0039] After the robot and the charging mechanism are aligned and clamped, the explosion-proof motor 13 starts to run at the rated speed, driving the explosion-proof electric motor on the robot body to run at the rated generating speed and generate current to charge the robot's battery.

[0040] 1. The explosion-proof motor 13 drives the explosion-proof electric motor of the robot body to rotate, generating a rotor that cuts magnetic field lines to generate an induced electromotive force and generate current to charge the robot's battery.

[0041] 2. Utilizing the advantages of explosion-proof motors that comply with the relevant provisions of GB3836-2010, while also having a smaller size than explosion-proof generators;

[0042] 3. The charging mechanism can adaptively adapt and compensate for positional errors, ensuring that the charging mechanism meets the specified positional requirements.

[0043] 4. The friction wheel is made of polyurethane-coated material. The polyurethane contains antistatic agents and has the characteristics of wear resistance and a high coefficient of friction.

[0044] Currently, under experimental conditions on the experimental platform, driven by a 48V, 750W explosion-proof motor 13, the explosion-proof motor 13 drives the drive wheel 14 to rotate at a rated speed of 3000rpm, which in turn drives the explosion-proof electric motor on the robot body to rotate at a rated generating speed of 1500rpm to generate electricity. The customized explosion-proof motor is used as a generator for reverse charging. The explosion-proof motor 13 has a power of 750W, a rated voltage of 24V, and a rated speed of 1500rpm. During the experiment, the overall structure operated smoothly, and the explosion-proof electric motor can generate a rated current of ≥12A, which can charge the robot with a charging power of approximately 300W. Subsequent experiments can further increase the power of the explosion-proof electric motor to improve the charging power.

Claims

1. A contact friction wheel type charging mechanism, characterized in that, The system includes an upper and lower floating frame, the lower end of which is equipped with a clamping device for clamping the driven wheels of the robot to be charged. The upper and lower floating frame is slidably mounted on an upper and lower linear slide rail mechanism. The upper and lower floating frame includes a rectangular frame composed of square tubes, and an H-shaped frame composed of square tubes is mounted on the rectangular frame. The top of the H-shaped frame is connected by a horizontal tube to form a fixed frame. The clamping device includes a clamping linear slide rail slider assembly, which is bolted to the bottom of the upper and lower floating frames. Linear slide rail limit blocks, mounted on the upper and lower floating frames, are arranged at both ends of the clamping linear slide rail slider assembly. The tops of the active clamping frame and the driven clamping frame are bolted to corresponding sliders on the clamping linear slide rail slider assembly. A motor is bolted to one bottom end of the active clamping frame, and a drive wheel located on the other side of the active clamping frame is mounted at the end of the motor's output shaft. A floating wheel is installed at the bottom of the driven clamping plate. A first rack is fixedly installed on the top of the driven clamping frame by bolts and a rack limiting angle steel. A second rack is fixedly installed on the top of the active clamping frame by bolts and a rack limiting angle steel. A gear shaft is installed between the first rack and the second rack, and the optical axis of the gear shaft is connected to a bearing seat installed on the upper and lower floating frames. A cylinder connecting plate is installed on the top of the active clamping frame, which is vertically arranged. The cylinder connecting plate is connected to the cylinder floating joint of the clamping cylinder. The clamping cylinder is installed on the upper and lower floating frames.

2. The contact friction wheel charging mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The active clamping frame and the driven clamping frame have the same structure, both including a connecting plate. One end of the connecting plate has an outwardly protruding protrusion, and the bottom of the connecting plate is integrally formed with a pair of clamping plates. The two sides of the pair of clamping plates are provided with stiffening plates.

3. The contact friction wheel charging mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper and lower linear slide rail mechanism includes an L-shaped frame composed of square tubes. The vertical square tubes of the L-shaped frame and the horizontal square tubes connected to the vertical square tubes are reinforced by triangular rib plates. Reinforcing plates are also installed at the four bottom corners of the L-shaped frame by bolts. Upper and lower linear slide rail slider assemblies are fixedly installed on the vertical square tubes of the L-shaped frame by bolts. The L-shaped frame is connected to the upper and lower floating frames through the sliders on the upper and lower linear slide rail slider assemblies. At the same time, the top and bottom of the L-shaped frame and the upper and lower floating frames are connected by adjustment components.

4. The method of using the contact friction wheel charging mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The robot control system detects that the robot's battery is low and needs charging. The robot moves forward or backward to the charging station, and a proximity switch on the robot determines whether it has entered the charging station. After the robot enters the charging station and stops, the clamping cylinder in the charging mechanism, which is in an extended state, receives the information and retracts its cylinder rod. Through the meshing of gears with the first and second racks, it transmits tension, driving the active and driven clamping frames to move towards the center on the clamping linear slide rail slider assembly and clamping them together. This causes the drive wheel and floating wheel to move towards the center and clamp the driven wheel. The movement of the upper and lower floating frames on the upper and lower linear slide rail slider assemblies and the contraction of the springs compensate for the positional deviation between the charging mechanism and the robot. After the robot and the charging mechanism are aligned and clamped, the explosion-proof motor starts running at its rated speed, driving the explosion-proof electric motor on the robot body to run at its rated generating speed and generate current to charge the robot's battery.

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