A 3D printing-based soft robot mold and its manufacturing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a soft robot mold based on 3D printing and a manufacturing method thereof, which are used to form a soft model of a soft robot. The soft robot is formed by connecting two soft models with the same structure through a connection surface, and includes an outer forming mold, an air cavity mold and an inner forming mold. The outer forming mold is arranged above the air cavity mold, and the inner forming mold is used to form the connection surface of the soft model; an arc-shaped groove is arranged at the lower end of the outer forming mold; the air cavity mold includes a mold substrate, two support members arranged along the length direction of the mold substrate, and more than two baffles arranged at intervals along the length direction of the support members. The baffles on both sides of the support member are arranged oppositely, and a first gap is arranged between the baffles on both sides of the support member. The height of the highest point of the baffle is less than the groove depth of the lowest point of the arc-shaped groove. The mold of the present invention is convenient to manufacture, and the formed soft robot has good structural stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of robot moulds, and in particular relates to a soft robot mould based on 3D printing and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In the field of industrial automation, with the development of industrial technology, soft robots are increasingly used. For example, the grasping action at the end of the robot arm is mainly completed by a rigid robot claw or a vacuum suction cup. However, rigid robot claws are difficult to control the force, so it is difficult to achieve non-destructive grasping of soft and fragile objects. Vacuum suction cups are difficult to adapt to irregular objects with rough surfaces and holes during transportation. This leads to limitations in the application scenarios of both. The flexible manipulator includes flexible fingers and a fixed seat. The flexible fingers are made of elastic materials and can grasp soft and fragile objects without damaging the objects themselves.

[0003] The existing Chinese patent application number is 201810448310.8, and the Chinese patent document with the publication date of 2019.06.04 discloses a mold and method for manufacturing a soft robot. The mold includes an upper mold, a lower mold, a bottom mold and a wavy component; the upper mold and the lower mold are of the same height, the upper mold is provided with a positioning groove, and the lower mold is provided with a positioning protrusion that cooperates with the positioning groove; the wavy component is provided with a left positioning step and a right positioning step, and the lower mold is provided with two positioning grooves that cooperate with the left positioning step and the right positioning step respectively; the overall height of the wavy component is lower than the height of the upper mold. The mold structure of the present invention is simple, easy to use, low-cost and effective, and the manufactured soft robot has a special setting of a bow-shaped air cavity. When inflating and deflation, the deformation speed of the soft robot is faster, and it can be used in the fields of fast movement and fast grasping.

[0004] However, the invention lacks an external forming mold as a limitation. The open space at the top will cause the upper end of the soft robot to be uneven when the silicone material is poured, and more trimming will be required later. At the same time, the air cavity mold of the formed soft robot is arranged through grooves on the left and right sides, so that when the air cavity is inflated, the upper and lower sides of the air cavity mold are not arranged symmetrically, resulting in irregular deformation when subjected to force, thereby affecting the stability of the product. In addition, the manufacturing process requires the air cavity mold to be formed by splicing first, which makes the manufacturing complicated. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a soft robot mold based on 3D printing and a manufacturing method thereof, which is easy to manufacture and has good structural stability of the soft robot.

[0006] To achieve the above object, a soft robot mold based on 3D printing is used to form a soft model of a soft robot. The soft robot is formed by connecting two soft models with the same structure through a connection surface, and includes an outer forming mold, an air cavity mold and an inner forming mold. The outer forming mold is arranged above the air cavity mold, and the inner forming mold is used to form the connection surface of the soft model; an arc-shaped groove is provided at the lower end of the outer forming mold; the air cavity mold includes a mold substrate, two support members arranged along the length direction of the mold substrate, and more than two baffles arranged at intervals along the length direction of the support members. The support members are arranged on one side surface of the mold substrate. The baffle includes a first side surface, a second side surface and an arc surface. The second side surface of the baffle is vertically connected to one side surface of the mold substrate, and both ends of the arc surface are respectively connected to the first side surface and the second side surface. The second side surface of the baffle is fixedly connected to the outside of the support member. The baffles on both sides of the support member are arranged oppositely, and a first gap is provided between the baffles on both sides of the support member. The height of the highest point of the baffle is less than the groove depth of the lowest point of the arc-shaped groove.

[0007] With the above settings, when the mold is used, the silicone material is injected into the outer forming mold, and then the air cavity mold is embedded in the outer forming mold to extrude the excess silicone material. After the silicone material solidifies, a soft model without an inner surface is formed. The lower surface of the soft model without an inner surface is covered on the inner forming mold that has been injected with silicone material. After the silicone material solidifies, repeat the above operations to obtain more than two identical soft models. Only need to fit the air cavity mold on the outer forming mold without additional splicing of the forming mold, which is convenient for manufacturing. At the same time, since the air cavity mold is formed by a plurality of baffles arranged at intervals along the length direction of the mold substrate, and the baffles on both sides of the support member are arranged oppositely and have a first gap, gaps are provided in both the length direction and the width direction of the mold substrate for the formed soft model. When ventilated, a buffer space is provided for the deformation of the soft model, preventing deformation at different positions on the outside of the soft robot, which may lead to poor product stability, and effectively improving the reliability of the product.

[0008] Further, a groove is provided at the upper end of the inner forming mold, a protrusion is provided at the edge of the groove, and an overflow groove is provided on one side of the protrusion. The lower end of the overflow groove is higher than or equal to the upper end surface of the inner forming mold.

[0009] With the above settings, by providing a groove on the inner forming mold, the silicone material can be poured into the groove, and then the lower surface of the soft model can be placed into the groove for re-fixing and forming. When the soft model is placed into the groove, the excess silicone material can flow out through the overflow groove on one side of the protrusion, preventing it from affecting the formed soft model. The structure is simple and practical.

[0010] Further, the size of the mold substrate is larger than the size of the notch of the arc-shaped groove.

[0011] With the above settings, when the air cavity template is embedded into the outer forming template, after the excess silicone material flows out, the mold substrate can cover the notch of the arc-shaped groove, helping the silicone material to form in the mold and preventing external factors from affecting it. The structure is simple.

[0012] Further, the size of the groove opening of the inner forming mold is set to match the size of the notch of the arc-shaped groove.

[0013] With the above settings, the inner surface formed on the inner forming mold matches the outer surface size of the soft body model formed by the outer forming mold, so as to facilitate the accurate fitting of two or more soft body models.

[0014] Further, the support member includes a cylinder and a pillar. One side of the pillar is connected to the lower side surface of the mold substrate, and the other side of the pillar is connected to the side wall of the cylinder; the cylinder and the pillar penetrate through the arc-shaped baffle for connection.

[0015] With the above settings, by setting the support member, an air vent is realized in the soft body model. One side of the pillar is connected to the lower side surface of the mold substrate. The pillar is used to facilitate the connection of the front and rear baffles when the air cavity mold is printed using 3D printing technology. The other side of the pillar is connected to the side wall of the cylinder to leave a larger air vent channel inside the soft body model when forming the soft body model. The structure is simple.

[0016] Further, a through hole is provided at the position corresponding to the first gap and in the middle of the mold substrate.

[0017] With the above settings, after the soft body model is formed, when the soft body model is separated from the upper mold, the through hole plays a role in balancing the air pressure between the soft body model and the upper mold at this time. It can also help the soft body model to separate from the upper mold better by connecting a blowing tool to the through hole. The structure is simple.

[0018] Further, a fixing groove is provided on one side of the baffle located on the second side and is arranged away from the second side. The fixing groove is connected to the support member.

[0019] With the above settings, the fixing connection between the baffle and the support member is realized by providing fixing grooves matching the support member on both sides of the baffle. The structure is reliable and convenient for connection.

[0020] The present invention also discloses a manufacturing method of a soft robot based on 3D printing, and the specific steps are as follows:

[0021] (1) Pour the silicone material into the arc-shaped groove of the outer forming mold;

[0022] (2) Insert the side of the air cavity mold with the baffle into the arc-shaped groove of the outer forming mold until the air cavity mold fits with the outer forming mold, and extrude the excess extruded silicone material.

[0023] (3) Let the silicone materials of the air cavity mold and the outer forming mold solidify after fitting.

[0024] (4) After the silicone material solidifies, pull out the air cavity mold from the outer forming mold.

[0025] (5) Blow out the solidified silicone material through the through hole to form a soft model without an inner surface.

[0026] (6) Pour silicone material into the groove of the inner forming mold.

[0027] (7) Place the surface of the soft model on the first side in the groove of the inner forming mold and wait for the silicone material to solidify.

[0028] (8) After the silicone material solidifies, pull out the soft model from the inner forming mold and at the same time pull out the support member to form the soft model.

[0029] (9) Repeat steps (1)-(8) to form another soft model.

[0030] (10) Bond and fix the two soft models along the surface where the first side is located through an adhesive material, and the soft robot is formed.

[0031] In the above method, the silicone material is injected into the outer forming mold, then the air cavity mold is inserted into the outer forming mold, and the excess silicone material is extruded. After the silicone material solidifies, a soft model without an inner surface is formed. The lower surface of the soft model without an inner surface is covered on the inner forming mold that has been injected with silicone material. After the silicone material solidifies, repeat the above operations to obtain two or more identical soft models. Only need to fit the air cavity mold on the outer forming mold, without additional splicing of the forming mold, and the product forming is reliable.

[0032] Further, step (3) includes: forming the outer forming mold, the air cavity mold and the inner forming mold by 3D printing.

[0033] With the above settings, multiple molds are formed by 3D printing technology, and the mold manufacturing is convenient and reliable.

[0034] Further, step (10) includes: coating the bonding surface of the two soft models with an adhesive material and fitting and fixing them after aligning the two ends of the two soft models respectively.

[0035] With the above settings, by aligning the two ends of the two soft models and then fitting and fixing them, it can ensure that the two soft models form a soft robot with a relatively tight fit. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0036] Figure 1 This is the assembly drawing of the upper die and the lower die in the present invention.

[0037] Figure 2 This is the exploded view of the upper die and the lower die in the present invention.

[0038] Figure 3 This is the structural schematic diagram of the lower die in the present invention.

[0039] Figure 4 This is the front view of the upper die in the present invention.

[0040] Figure 5 This is the bottom view of the upper die in the present invention.

[0041] Figure 6 This is the structural schematic diagram of the fixed base in the present invention.

[0042] Figure 7 This is the structural schematic diagram of the soft model in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 8 This is the structural schematic diagram of the soft robot in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 9 is Figure 8 the cross-sectional view taken along A-A in

[0045] Figure 10 is Figure 8 the cross-sectional view taken along B-B in Detailed Description of the Invention

[0046] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0047] Embodiment 1.

[0048] As Figures 1 - 10As shown in the figure, a soft robot mold based on 3D printing is used to form a soft model 5 of a soft robot 6. The soft robot 6 is formed by connecting two soft models 5 with the same structure through a connecting surface, and includes an outer forming mold 2, an air cavity mold 1 and an inner forming mold 3. The outer forming mold 2 is arranged above the air cavity mold 1, and the inner forming mold 3 is used to form the connecting surface 51 of the soft model 5. An arc-shaped groove 21 is arranged at the lower end of the outer forming mold 2. The air cavity mold 1 includes a mold substrate 11, two support members 12 arranged along the length direction of the mold substrate 11, and more than two baffles 13 arranged at intervals along the length direction of the support members. In this embodiment, more than two baffles 13 are arranged at equal intervals along the length direction of the support members. The support members 12 are arranged on one side surface of the mold substrate 11. The baffle 13 includes a first side surface 131, a second side surface 132 and an arc surface 133. The second side surface 132 of the baffle 13 is vertically connected to one side surface of the mold substrate 11, and both ends of the arc surface 133 are respectively connected to the first side surface 131 and the second side surface 132. The second side surface 132 of the baffle 13 is fixedly connected to the outside of the support member 12. The baffles 13 located on both sides of the support member 12 are arranged oppositely, and a first gap 14 is arranged between the baffles 13 located on both sides of the support member 12. In this embodiment, the first gap 14 between every two oppositely arranged baffles is equal. The height A of the highest point of the baffle 13 is less than the groove depth of the lowest point of the arc-shaped groove 21.

[0049] As Figure 6 shown in the figure, a groove 31 is arranged at the upper end of the inner forming mold 3. A protrusion 32 is arranged at the edge of the groove 31, and an overflow groove 33 is arranged on one side of the protrusion 32. The lower end of the overflow groove 33 is higher than or equal to the upper end surface of the inner forming mold 3.

[0050] By arranging the groove 31 on the inner forming mold 3, the silicone material can be poured into the groove 31, and then the lower surface of the soft model 5 without a connecting surface is placed into the groove, and the soft model 5 is fixed again. When the soft model 5 without a connecting surface is placed into the groove, through the overflow groove 33 on one side of the protrusion 31, the excess silicone material can flow out, preventing it from affecting the formed soft model 5. The structure is simple and practical and convenient.

[0051] As Figure 2 shown in the figure, the size of the mold substrate 11 is larger than the size of the notch of the arc-shaped groove 21.

[0052] When the air cavity mold 1 is embedded into the outer forming mold 2, after the excess silicone material flows out, the mold substrate 11 can cover the notch of the arc-shaped groove 21, ensuring that the air cavity mold 1 enters and fits on the outer forming mold 2, and ensuring the depth of the air cavity mold 1 entering the outer forming mold 2. At the same time, it prevents the influence of external factors. The structure is simple.

[0053] As Figure 2 and6 As shown, the opening size of the groove 31 of the inner forming die 3 is set to match the notch size of the arc-shaped groove 21.

[0054] With the above settings, the inner surface formed on the inner forming die 3 matches the outer surface size of the soft model 5 formed by the outer forming die 2, facilitating the accurate fitting of two or more soft models 5.

[0055] As Figure 4 and 5 shown, the support member 12 includes a cylinder 122 and a support column 121. One side of the support column 121 is connected to the lower side surface of the die substrate 11, and the other side of the support column 121 is connected to the side wall of the cylinder 122; the cylinder 122 and the support column 121 penetrate through the arc-shaped baffle 13 for connection.

[0056] In this embodiment, on one side of the baffle 13 located at the second side surface 132, there is a fixing groove 134 arranged away from the second side surface 132. The fixing groove 134 is connected to the support member 12. In this embodiment, the support member 12 is arranged to expose outside the fixing groove 134 on the side away from the second side surface 132. This can not only fix the connection between the support member and the baffle, but also facilitate the extraction of the support member after the soft model is formed.

[0057] With the above settings, the fixing connection between the baffle 13 and the support member 12 is realized by arranging fixing grooves 134 matching the support member 12 on both sides of the baffle 13, with a reliable structure and convenient connection.

[0058] By setting the support member 12, an air vent is left in the soft model 5. One side of the support column 121 is connected to the lower side surface of the die substrate. The support column 121 is used to conveniently connect the front and rear baffle plates 13 when the air cavity die 1 is printed using 3D printing technology. The other side of the support column 121 is connected to the side wall of the cylinder 122 to leave a relatively large air vent passage inside the soft model 5 when the soft model 5 is formed, with a simple structure.

[0059] As Figure 4 shown, a through hole 4 is provided at the position corresponding to the first gap 14 and in the middle of the die substrate 11.

[0060] After the soft model 5 is formed, when the soft model is separated from the upper die 1, the through hole 4 plays a role in balancing the air pressure between the soft model 5 and the upper die 1 at this time. Additionally, by connecting a blowing tool to the through hole 4, it can help the soft model 5 separate from the upper die 1 better, with a simple structure.

[0061] When this mold is in use, inject the silicone material into the outer forming mold 2, then embed the air cavity mold 1 into the outer forming mold 2, and extrude the excess silicone material. After the silicone material solidifies, a soft model 5 without an inner surface is formed. Cover the lower surface of the soft model 5 without an inner surface on the inner forming mold 3 that has been injected with silicone material. After the silicone material solidifies, repeat the above operations to obtain two or more identical soft models 5. The manufacturing is convenient. At the same time, since the air cavity mold 1 is formed by a plurality of baffles 13 arranged at intervals along the length direction of the mold substrate 11, and the baffles 13 on both sides of the support member 12 are arranged oppositely and have a first gap 14, gaps are provided in both the length direction and the width direction of the air cavity mold 1 on the mold substrate 11, and gaps are provided in both the length direction and the width direction of the soft model 5 after molding. When ventilated, a buffer space is provided for the deformation of the soft model 5, preventing deformation at different positions on the outer side of the soft robot 6, which may lead to poor product stability.

[0062] Embodiment Two.

[0063] As Figures 1 - 10 shown, a manufacturing method of a soft robot manufactured using the mold of Embodiment One is as follows:

[0064] (1) Pour the silicone material into the arc-shaped groove 21 of the outer forming mold 2;

[0065] (2) Embed the side of the air cavity mold 1 with the baffle 13 into the arc-shaped groove 21 of the outer forming mold 2 until the air cavity mold 1 fits with the outer forming mold 2, and extrude the excess extruded silicone material;

[0066] (3) Let the silicone material of the air cavity mold 1 and the outer forming mold 2 that are waiting to fit solidify;

[0067] (4) After the silicone material solidifies, pull out the air cavity mold 1 from the outer forming mold 2;

[0068] (5) Blow out the solidified silicone material through the through hole 4 to form a soft model 5 without an inner surface;

[0069] (6) Pour silicone material into the groove of the inner forming mold 3;

[0070] (7) Place the surface of the soft model 5 on the first side 131 in the groove 31 of the inner forming mold 3 and wait for the silicone material to solidify;

[0071] (8) After the silicone material solidifies, pull out the soft model 5 from the inner forming mold 3, and at the same time pull out the support member to form the soft model 5;

[0072] (9) Repeat steps (1)-(8) to form another soft model 5;

[0073] (10) Bond and fix the two soft models 5 along the surface where the first side surface 131 is located through an adhesive material, thus forming the soft robot 6. In this embodiment, the adhesive material can be a silicone material or other materials with adhesive properties.

[0074] In the above method, inject the silicone material into the outer forming mold, then embed the air cavity mold 1 into the outer forming mold 2, extrude the excess silicone material, and after the silicone material solidifies, form the soft model 5 without an inner surface. Cover the lower surface of the soft model 5 without an inner surface on the inner forming mold 3 that has been injected with the silicone material. After the silicone material solidifies, repeat the above operations to obtain two or more identical soft models 5. The manufacturing is convenient and the product forming is reliable.

[0075] Step (3) includes: Place the bonded air cavity mold 1 and outer forming mold 2 into a vacuum drying oven and wait for the silicone material to solidify.

[0076] With the above settings, drying is carried out in the vacuum drying oven to achieve the solidification of the silicone material, which is efficient and reliable.

[0077] Step (10) includes: Coat the bonding surface of the two soft models 5 with an adhesive material and then bond and fix them by aligning the two ends of the two soft models 5 respectively.

[0078] With the above settings, after aligning the two ends of the two soft models 5 and then bonding and fixing them, it can ensure that the two soft models 5 form a soft robot 6 with a relatively tight fit.

[0079] In this embodiment, the outer forming mold, air cavity mold, and inner forming mold are formed by 3D printing. Forming the mold by 3D printing is an existing technology and will not be elaborated here. Using this method to form the mold is convenient and reliable in operation.

[0080] In the above method, inject the silicone material into the outer forming mold, then embed the air cavity mold into the outer forming mold, extrude the excess silicone material, and after the silicone material solidifies, form the soft model without an inner surface. Cover the lower surface of the soft model without an inner surface on the inner forming mold that has been injected with the silicone material. After the silicone material solidifies, repeat the above operations to obtain two or more identical soft models. Just fit the air cavity mold on the outer forming mold without the need to additionally splice the forming molds. The manufacturing is simple and the product forming is reliable.

Claims

1. A 3D printing-based soft robot mold for forming a soft model of a soft robot, wherein the soft robot is formed by connecting two soft models with the same structure through a connection surface, and is characterized in that: It includes an outer forming die, an air cavity die and an inner forming die. The outer forming die is arranged below the air cavity die, and the inner forming die is used for forming the connecting surface of the soft model. An arc-shaped groove is provided at the lower end of the outer forming die. The air cavity die includes a die substrate, two support members arranged along the length direction of the die substrate, and more than two baffles arranged at intervals along the length direction of the support members. The support members are arranged on one side surface of the die substrate. The baffle includes a first side surface, a second side surface and an arc surface. The second side surface of the baffle is vertically connected to one side surface of the die substrate, and both ends of the arc surface are connected to the first side surface and the second side surface respectively. The second side surface of the baffle is fixedly connected to the outer side of the support member. The baffles located on both sides of the support member are arranged oppositely, and a first gap is provided between the baffles located on both sides of the support member. Therefore, gaps are provided in both the length direction and the width direction of the die substrate for the air cavity die, and gaps are provided in both the length direction and the width direction of the soft model after molding. When ventilated, a buffer space is provided for the deformation of the soft model. The height of the highest point of the baffle is less than the groove depth of the lowest point of the arc-shaped groove. A groove is provided at the upper end of the inner forming die, a protrusion is provided at the edge of the groove, and an overflow groove is provided on one side of the protrusion. The lower end of the overflow groove is higher than or equal to the upper end surface of the inner forming die. When the air cavity die is embedded into the outer forming die, after the excess silicone material flows out, the die substrate can cover the notch of the arc-shaped groove, ensuring that the air cavity die enters and fits on the outer forming die, and ensuring the depth of the air cavity die entering the outer forming die.

2. The 3D printing-based soft robot mold according to claim 1, characterized in that: The size of the die substrate is larger than the size of the notch of the arc-shaped groove.

3. The 3D printing-based soft robot mold according to claim 2, characterized in that: The opening size of the groove of the inner forming die is matched with the notch size of the arc-shaped groove.

4. The 3D printing-based soft robot mold according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support member includes a cylinder and a pillar. One side of the pillar is connected to the lower side surface of the die substrate, and the other side of the pillar is connected to the side wall of the cylinder. The cylinder and the pillar penetrate through the arc-shaped baffle for connection.

5. The 3D printing-based soft robot mold according to claim 1, characterized in that: A through hole is provided at the position corresponding to the first gap and in the middle of the die substrate.

6. The 3D printing-based soft robot mold according to claim 4, characterized in that: A fixing groove extending away from the second side surface is provided on one side of the baffle located on the second side surface, and the fixing groove is connected to the support member.

7. A method for manufacturing a soft robot using the mold according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The specific steps are as follows: (1) Pour the silicone material into the arc-shaped groove of the outer forming die. (2) Embed the side of the air cavity die with the baffle into the arc-shaped groove of the outer forming die until the air cavity die fits with the outer forming die, and squeeze out the excess extruded silicone material. (3) Let the silicone material of the air cavity die and the outer forming die after waiting for fitting solidify. (4) After the silicone material solidifies, pull out the air cavity die from the outer forming die. (5) Blow out the solidified silicone material through the through hole to form a soft model without an inner surface. (6) Pour the silicone material into the groove of the inner forming die. (7) Place the surface of the soft model located on the first side surface in the groove of the inner forming die and wait for the silicone material to solidify. (8) After the silicone material solidifies, pull out the soft model from the inner forming die and at the same time pull out the support member to form the soft model. (9) Repeat steps (1)-(8) to form another soft model. (10) Two soft models are bonded and fixed along the surface where the first side is located, thus forming a soft robot.

8. The method for manufacturing a soft robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: Before step (1), it also includes: forming an outer forming mold, an air cavity mold, and an inner forming mold by 3D printing.

9. The method for manufacturing a soft robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: Step (10) includes: applying an adhesive material on the connection surfaces of the two soft models and then bonding and fixing them after aligning the two ends of the two soft models respectively.

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