A flexible propulsion system and a tunneling machine

Abstract

The present invention discloses a flexible propulsion system and a tunneling machine. The flexible propulsion system includes a shield body (203) and more than three cutterhead spatial position adjustment mechanisms. Each cutterhead spatial position adjustment mechanism comprises a driving unit (204), a rear connecting rod (202) and a front connecting rod (201). The rear end of the front connecting rod (201) is hinged to the front end of the rear connecting rod (202), and the rear end of the rear connecting rod (202) is connected to the driving unit (204). The driving unit (204) can drive the rear connecting rod (202) to move back and forth, and all the driving units (204) are located inside the shield body (203). The flexible propulsion system and the tunneling machine can realize the excavation of any cross-section of a rock tunnel, solve the problem of cylinder protection, extend the service life of the cylinder and improve the reliability of the equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of tunnel construction, specifically to a flexible propulsion system and a tunneling machine incorporating the flexible propulsion system. Background Art

[0002] A tunnel boring machine (TBM) is a large-scale tunnel excavation equipment integrating technologies such as machinery, electronics, hydraulics, and lasers, and plays an important role in the construction of mountain tunnels and urban subway projects. Currently, the excavation cross-section of this type of tunneling machine is basically circular. Although there are also a small number of cases where it can complete non-circular cross-sections such as rectangular and horseshoe-shaped cross-sections, all of these non-circular cross-sections are applied to the excavation of soft soil tunnels and have not been seen in rock tunnel projects. Moreover, once the excavation cross-section of this type of tunneling machine is determined, it cannot be changed again during application. Its excavation shape is single, and the application range is limited, and it cannot perform arbitrary cross-section excavation. Currently, in rock tunnels, more and more projects use non-circular cross-sections such as horseshoe-shaped cross-sections for the formed cross-section. If a traditional circular tunneling machine is used for excavation, it will inevitably increase the project excavation volume. At the same time, a part of the extra excavated material needs to be backfilled, which not only increases the project cost but also prolongs the construction period.

[0003] A roadheader is mostly used in tunnels constructed by the drill-and-blast method. This tunneling machine breaks rock through the combined action of the rotation of the cutting head and the swing of the boom. An ordinary roadheader can only be used in tunnels with relatively low rock strength, and its working efficiency is low for tunnels with relatively high rock strength.

[0004] The hydraulic cylinder arrangement of an ordinary roadheader is in series. The disadvantage of this arrangement method is that the overall structural stiffness is poor, and it cannot perform excavation work on hard rock cross-sections. Chinese patent document CN 209129616 U, with a publication date of July 19, 2019, discloses "A flexible-arm tunneling machine supported by a parallel robot and capable of excavating tunnels with arbitrary cross-sections". This equipment can achieve the excavation of arbitrary cross-sections in rock tunnels, but the hydraulic cylinders are exposed outside, and the slag and stones falling during tunneling are likely to damage the hydraulic cylinders, reducing the reliability and service life of the equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To solve the above problem of the hydraulic cylinders being exposed outside, the present invention provides a flexible propulsion system and a tunneling machine. The flexible propulsion system and the tunneling machine can achieve the excavation of arbitrary cross-sections in rock tunnels, and at the same time can protect the hydraulic cylinders in the shield, extend the service life of the cylinders, and improve the reliability of the equipment.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problems is:

[0007] A flexible propulsion system, which includes a shield body and more than three cutter head spatial position adjustment mechanisms. Each cutter head spatial position adjustment mechanism comprises a driving unit, a rear connecting rod and a front connecting rod. The rear end of the front connecting rod is hinged to the front end of the rear connecting rod, and the rear end of the rear connecting rod is connected to the driving unit. The driving unit can drive the rear connecting rod to move back and forth, and all the driving units are located inside the shield body.

[0008] A tunneling machine, which includes a cutter head system, a flexible propulsion system, a slag discharging system, a traveling system, a rear support system, an electric control system and a main frame;

[0009] The cutter head system and the flexible propulsion system are arranged front and rear. The flexible propulsion system is the above-mentioned flexible propulsion system. The front end of the front connecting rod is hinged to the cutter head system, and the cutter head system has six degrees of freedom;

[0010] The shield body is fixed on the main frame. The slag discharging system passes through the shield body. The rear support system is located at the rear of the main frame, and the traveling system is located below the main frame.

[0011] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The flexible propulsion system can freely adjust the cutting angle and position of the cutter head system, realize the excavation of tunnels with special-shaped cross-sections, and at the same time can solve the problem of cylinder protection, effectively improve the problems of over-excavation and under-excavation, and accurately achieve the primary forming of the excavation surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The specification drawings forming a part of this application are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The schematic embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation to the present invention.

[0013] Figure 1 is the front view schematic diagram of the tunneling machine of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 is the left view schematic diagram of the tunneling machine of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 is the top view schematic diagram of the tunneling machine of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 4 is the three-dimensional schematic diagram of the tunneling machine of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 5 is along Figure 1 the sectional view schematic diagram in the A-A direction in

[0018] Figure 6 is the sectional view schematic diagram of the cutter head system and the flexible propulsion system along Figure 1 the A-A direction in

[0019] Figure 7 is the partial sectional view schematic diagram of the flexible propulsion system.

[0020] Figure 8 It is a front view schematic diagram of the slag discharging system.

[0021] Figure 9 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the slag discharging system.

[0022] Figure 10 It is a schematic diagram of the rear support system.

[0023] Figure 11 It is a schematic diagram when the flexible propulsion system described in the present invention is used on a conventional TBM.

[0024] The description of the reference numerals in the drawings is as follows:

[0025] 1. Cutter head system; 2. Flexible propulsion system; 3. Slag discharging system; 4. Traveling system; 5. Rear support system; 6. Electric control system; 7. Mainframe; 8. Outer shield of TBM;

[0026] 101. Disc cutter; 102. Cutter holder; 103. Cutter head drive; 104. Cutter head back plate;

[0027] 201. Front connecting rod; 202. Rear connecting rod; 203. Shield; 204. Drive unit; 205. Cylinder mounting seat; 206. Guide groove; 207. Front limit block; 208. Rear limit block;

[0028] 301. Mucking machine; 302. Mucking wheel; 303. Mucking oil cylinder; 304. Mucking connecting piece; 305. Slag discharging conveyor;

[0029] 501. Support leg; 502. Support oil cylinder; 503. Support connecting piece;

[0030] 801. Support connecting piece;

[0031] 2031. Small diameter section; 2032. Large diameter section; 2033. Inner convex rib. Specific embodiments

[0032] It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments in this application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0033] A flexible propulsion system includes a shield 203 and more than three cutter head spatial position adjustment mechanisms. The cutter head spatial position adjustment mechanism includes a drive unit 204, a rear connecting rod 202, and a front connecting rod 201. The rear end of the front connecting rod 201 is hinged to the front end of the rear connecting rod 202, and the rear end of the rear connecting rod 202 is connected to the drive unit 204. The drive unit 204 can drive the rear connecting rod 202 to move forward and backward. The drive unit 204 is all located inside the shield 203, as Figures 1 to 7as shown

[0034] The driving unit 204 provides power for the forward and backward movement of the rear connecting rod 202. The entire driving unit 204 (i.e., all its components) is located inside the shield body 203. The driving unit 204 (which can be an oil cylinder, an electric cylinder, a gasoline engine driving mechanism, a diesel engine driving mechanism, etc., such as a horizontal forward-pushing hydraulic cylinder) is protected by the shield body 203, which can prevent the slag stones falling from the rock wall from damaging the driving unit 204 during operation and improve the service life of the flexible propulsion system. The driving unit 204 can also provide power for the tunneling of the cutter head system 1. The cutter head spatial position adjustment mechanism can also be called the cutter head spatial position adjustment and propulsion mechanism. The rear end of the front connecting rod 201 is hinged to the front end of the rear connecting rod 202 through a ball joint or a Hooke joint.

[0035] In this embodiment, the shield body 203 is of a cylindrical structure. A plurality of guide grooves 206 are provided on the inner surface of the shield body 203. The extending direction of the guide grooves 206 is parallel to the axis direction of the shield body 203. Both the guide grooves 206 and the axis of the shield body 203 extend in the front-rear direction. The cross-section of the guide grooves 206 can be rectangular or inverted T-shaped, etc. The rear connecting rods 202 correspond to the guide grooves 206 one by one. The rear connecting rods 202 are arranged in the guide grooves 206 in a matching manner. The rear connecting rods 202 are in sliding fit with the guide grooves 206, that is, the rear connecting rods 202 can slide back and forth along the guide grooves 206.

[0036] In this embodiment, along the axis direction of the shield body 203, the inner surface of the shield body 203 includes a small-diameter section 2031 and a large-diameter section 2032 arranged front and rear. The guide grooves 206 are located in the small-diameter section 2031. The guide grooves 206 penetrate through the small-diameter section 2031. The axis of the driving unit 204 is parallel to the axis of the shield body 203. The driving unit 204 can be an oil cylinder or an electric cylinder. The driving unit 204 includes a cylinder barrel and a piston rod. The cylinder barrel of the driving unit 204 is located in the large-diameter section 2032, as Figures 1 to 7 as shown

[0037] In this embodiment, an inner convex rib 2033 is provided at the front end of the inner surface of the shield body 203. The inner convex rib 2033 is located between two adjacent guide grooves 206. The inner convex rib 2033 extends along the circumferential direction of the shield body 203. A rear limit block 208 is provided at the rear end of the rear connecting rod 202. The rear limit block 208 is located inside the shield body 203. When the rear connecting rod 202 moves forward, the inner convex rib 2033 can block the rear limit block 208 and prevent both the rear limit block 208 and the rear connecting rod 202 from moving forward continuously, as Figure 7 as shown

[0038] The front end of the piston rod of the driving unit 204 is hinged to the rear limiting block 208 at the rear end of the rear connecting rod 202. Along the circumferential direction of the shield body 203, the rear limiting block 208 is located inside the rear connecting rod 202. The width of the rear limiting block 208 is greater than the distance between two adjacent inner convex ribs 2033, so that the inner convex ribs 2033 can block the rear limiting block 208. The function of setting the inner convex ribs 2033 to block the rear limiting block 208 is to prevent the front end of the piston rod of the driving unit 204 from protruding out of the shield body 203 to protect the driving unit 204 (playing the role of hard limit and protection).

[0039] In this embodiment, a front limiting block 207 is provided at the front end of the rear connecting rod 202. The front limiting block 207 is located outside the shield body 203. When the rear connecting rod 202 moves backward, the front end of the shield body 203 can block the front limiting block 207 and prevent both the front limiting block 207 and the rear connecting rod 202 from moving backward continuously.

[0040] The front limiting block 207 has an annular structure. The front limiting block 207 is fixedly sleeved outside the rear connecting rod 202. Along the circumferential direction of the shield body 203, the width of the front limiting block 207 is greater than the width of the guiding groove 206, so that the front end of the shield body 203 can block the front limiting block 207. The function of setting the front limiting block 207 is to prevent the rear end of the front connecting rod 201 from entering the shield body 203 to protect the driving unit 204 (playing the role of hard limit and protection).

[0041] In this embodiment, the flexible propulsion system further includes an electric control system 6. To prevent the occurrence of a collision, along the direction from the rear to the front, a forward limit sensor, a home sensor, and a backward limit sensor are sequentially provided on the rear connecting rod 202. The forward limit sensor, the home sensor, and the backward limit sensor are all connected to the electric control system 6. The forward limit sensor, the home sensor, and the backward limit sensor can sense whether the rear connecting rod 202 is in the forward limit position, the home position, or the backward limit position. The flexible propulsion system 2 is a key core structure. The driving unit 204 is equipped with a high-precision wire rope sensor for real-time sensing of the extension distance of the piston rod of the driving unit 204. The high-precision wire rope sensor is also connected to the electric control system 6.

[0042] In this embodiment, the flexible propulsion system includes six of the cutter head spatial position adjustment mechanisms. The six cutter head spatial position adjustment mechanisms are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the shield body 203. The six cutter head spatial position adjustment mechanisms are pairwise grouped into three groups (adjustment propulsion groups), that is, there are two cutter head spatial position adjustment mechanisms in each adjustment propulsion group. The three adjustment propulsion groups are evenly arranged on a circle (the included angle between them is 120°).

[0043] Inside the rear end of the shield body 203, there is an oil cylinder mounting seat 205. The driving unit 204 includes a cylinder barrel and a piston rod. The rear end of the rear connecting rod 202 is hinged to the front end of the piston rod of the driving unit 204, and the rear end of the cylinder barrel of the driving unit 204 is hinged to the oil cylinder mounting seat 205. The oil cylinder mounting seat 205 is also divided into 3 groups (oil cylinder seat groups), and each oil cylinder seat group has two oil cylinder mounting seats 205. The included angle between two adjacent oil cylinder seat groups is 120°.

[0044] The following introduces a roadheader. The flexible propulsion system includes a cutter head system 1, a flexible propulsion system 2, a slag discharging system 3, a traveling system 4, a rear support system 5, an electric control system 6, and a main frame 7.

[0045] The cutter head system 1 and the flexible propulsion system 2 are arranged front and rear. The flexible propulsion system 2 is the above-mentioned flexible propulsion system. The front end of the front connecting rod 201 is hinged to the cutter head system 1. The cutter head system 1 has six degrees of freedom relative to the shield body 203. The shield body 203 is fixed on the main frame 7. The slag discharging system 3 passes through the shield body 203. The rear support system 5 is located at the rear of the main frame 7. The traveling system 4 can be a crawler or wheel traveling system, and the traveling system 4 is located below the main frame 7.

[0046] In this embodiment, the front end of the front connecting rod 201 is hinged to the cutter head system 1 through a ball joint or a Hooke joint. The cutter head system 1 includes hob cutters 101, cutter holders 102, a cutter head drive 103, and a cutter head back plate 104. The front end of the front connecting rod 201 is hinged to the cutter head back plate 104 of the cutter head system 1 through a ball joint or a Hooke joint.

[0047] The hob cutters 101 are installed on the cutter holders 102. The cutter holders 102 are installed on the cutter head back plate 104. The cutter head drive 103 is fixed on the cutter head back plate 104. During operation, both the cutter head back plate 104 and the cutter head drive 103 remain stationary. The cutter head drive 103 can be composed of a motor or a hydraulic motor plus a speed reducer. The cutter head drive 103 rotates the cutter holders 102 and the hob cutters 101, as Figures 1 to 7 shown.

[0048] The slag discharging system 3 includes a slag scraping machine 301, slag scraping wheels 302, slag scraping oil cylinders 303, slag scraping connectors 304, and a slag discharging conveyor 305. The slag scraping machine 301 scrapes the fallen slag stones into the slag discharging conveyor 305 through the rotation of the slag scraping wheels 302. The driving method of the slag scraping wheels 302 can be a motor or a hydraulic motor. The slag scraping oil cylinders 303 are responsible for the lifting of the slag scraping machine 301. The angle of the slag scraping machine 301 is controlled by the telescoping of the slag scraping oil cylinders 303. One end of the slag scraping oil cylinder 303 is hinged to the slag scraping machine 301, and the other end of the slag scraping oil cylinder 303 is hinged to the main frame 7. One end of the slag scraping connector 304 is hinged to the slag scraping machine 301, and the other end of the slag scraping connector 304 is fixedly connected to the main frame 7. The form of the slag discharging conveyor 305 can be various forms, such as a belt conveyor, a scraper conveyor, etc., asFigures 8 to 9 as shown

[0049] The rear support system 5 includes support legs 501, support cylinders 502 and support connectors 503. One end of the support cylinder 502 is hinged to the support leg 501, and the other end of the support cylinder 502 is hinged to the support connector 503. The support cylinder 502 changes the angle of the support leg 501 by telescoping the cylinder. The support connector 503 is fixedly connected to the main frame 7, as Figure 10 shown

[0050] The cutter head system 1 is a rock cutting device, and realizes propulsion rotary rock breaking by the rotation of the cutter head system 1 in cooperation with the flexible propulsion system 2. The flexible propulsion system 2 enables the cutter head system 1 to have six degrees of freedom. The mucking system 3 is responsible for transporting the muck cut at the front end to the rear end of the equipment. The traveling system 4 provides the power for the whole machine to move. The rear support system 5 supports the whole machine to ensure the stability of the equipment during operation. The electric control system 6 includes various electrical control components and hydraulic control systems, etc., to monitor and control the operation of the whole machine. The main frame 7 plays a role in supporting and connecting each component.

[0051] In addition, for the form of the whole machine drive of the flexible propulsion system, it is not limited to crawler, and can be wheel drive or used by being mounted on a conventional TBM, etc. For example, when the flexible propulsion system is used by being mounted on a conventional TBM, the flexible propulsion system further includes a TBM outer shield 8. The TBM outer shield 8 has a cylindrical structure. The shield 203 is sleeved inside the TBM outer shield 8, and the shield 203 is entirely located inside the TBM outer shield 8. The axis of the shield 203 is parallel to the axis of the TBM outer shield 8. The cutter head system 1 is located outside the TBM outer shield 8. The shield 203 and the TBM outer shield 8 are fixedly connected through a support connector 801, as Figure 11 shown

[0052] The working process of the flexible propulsion system and the tunneling machine is introduced below.

[0053] The flexible propulsion system moves to the working position, the cutter head drive 103 drives the cutter head to rotate, and the flexible propulsion system 2 realizes the six-degree-of-freedom movement of the cutter head system 1 by the action of six drive units 204, the rear connecting rod 202 and the front connecting rod 201. The cutters on the cutter head system 1 realize the propulsion rock breaking of the rock under the combined action of the rotational force of the cutter head drive 103 and the driving force of the flexible propulsion system 2. The mucking system 3 transports the cut muck to the rear of the machine body, and then it is transported out of the tunnel by other devices. The traveling system 4 is used for the movement and transfer of the whole machine. The rear support system 5 is in a supporting state during the operation of the equipment to ensure the stability of the equipment.

[0054] For the convenience of understanding and description, absolute position relationships are used in the present invention for expression. Without special explanation, the orientation word "front" herein means perpendicular toFigure 1 the paper surface and points to the direction outside the paper surface, the orientation word "rear" means perpendicular to Figure 1 the paper surface and points to the direction inside the paper surface. The present invention is described from the observation perspective of the reader or user, but the above orientation words should not be understood or interpreted as limiting the protection scope of the present invention.

[0055] As mentioned above, the above are only specific embodiments of the present invention and cannot limit the scope of the invention implementation. Therefore, the replacement of equivalent components or the equivalent changes and modifications made according to the protection scope of the present invention patent should still fall within the scope covered by this patent. In addition, the technical features in the present invention can be freely combined and used between technical features, between technical features and technical solutions, between technical solutions and technical solutions, and between embodiments and embodiments.

Claims

1. A flexible propulsion system, characterized in that, The flexible propulsion system includes a shield body (203) and more than three cutter head spatial position adjustment mechanisms. Each cutter head spatial position adjustment mechanism includes a driving unit (204), a rear connecting rod (202), and a front connecting rod (201). The front end of the front connecting rod (201) can be hinged to the cutter head system (1); the rear end of the front connecting rod (201) is hinged to the front end of the rear connecting rod (202), and the rear end of the rear connecting rod (202) is connected to the driving unit (204). The driving unit (204) can drive the rear connecting rod (202) to move forward and backward, and all of the driving units (204) are located inside the shield body (203). A plurality of guiding grooves (206) are provided on the inner surface of the shield body (203). The guiding grooves (206) and the axis of the shield body (203) both extend in the front-rear direction. The rear connecting rod (202) is disposed in the guiding grooves (206) in a matching manner, and the rear connecting rod (202) is in sliding fit with the guiding grooves (206). An inner convex rib (2033) is provided at the front end of the inner surface of the shield body (203), and a rear limit block (208) is provided at the rear end of the rear connecting rod (202). When the rear connecting rod (202) moves forward, the inner convex rib (2033) can block the rear limit block (208) and prevent the rear limit block (208) and the rear connecting rod (202) from continuing to move forward. A front limit block (207) is provided at the front end of the rear connecting rod (202). When the rear connecting rod (202) moves backward, the front end of the shield body (203) can block the front limit block (207) and prevent the front limit block (207) and the rear connecting rod (202) from continuing to move backward.

2. The flexible propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rear end of the front connecting rod (201) is hinged to the front end of the rear connecting rod (202) through a ball joint or a Hooke joint.

3. The flexible propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that Along the axis direction of the shield body (203), the inner surface of the shield body (203) includes a small-diameter section (2031) and a large-diameter section (2032) arranged front to back. The guiding grooves (206) are located in the small-diameter section (2031). The driving unit (204) is an oil cylinder or an electric cylinder. The driving unit (204) includes a cylinder barrel and a piston rod, and the cylinder barrel of the driving unit (204) is located in the large-diameter section (2032).

4. The flexible propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible propulsion system further includes an electric control system (6). Along the direction from the rear to the front, a forward limit sensor, a home position sensor, and a backward limit sensor are sequentially provided on the rear connecting rod (202). The forward limit sensor, the home position sensor, and the backward limit sensor are all connected to the electric control system (6).

5. The flexible propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible propulsion system includes six cutter head spatial position adjustment mechanisms. The six cutter head spatial position adjustment mechanisms are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the shield body (203). The six cutter head spatial position adjustment mechanisms are grouped into three pairs. An oil cylinder mounting seat (205) is provided inside the rear end of the shield body (203). The driving unit (204) is an oil cylinder or an electric cylinder. The driving unit (204) includes a cylinder barrel and a piston rod. The rear end of the rear connecting rod (202) is hinged to the front end of the piston rod of the driving unit (204), and the rear end of the cylinder barrel of the driving unit (204) is hinged to the oil cylinder mounting seat (205).

6. A roadheader, characterized in that, The flexible propulsion system includes a cutter head system (1), a flexible propulsion system (2), a muck discharging system (3), a traveling system (4), a rear support system (5), an electric control system (6), and a mainframe (7); The cutter head system (1) and the flexible propulsion system (2) are arranged front and back. The flexible propulsion system (2) is the flexible propulsion system described in claim 1. The cutter head system (1) has six degrees of freedom; The shield body (203) is fixed to the mainframe (7). The muck discharging system (3) passes through the shield body (203). The rear support system (5) is located at the rear of the mainframe (7), and the traveling system (4) is located below the mainframe (7).

7. The roadheader according to claim 6, characterized in that, The front end of the front connecting rod (201) is hinged to the cutter head system (1) through a ball joint or a Hooke joint. The tunneling machine further includes a TBM outer shield body (8). The TBM outer shield body (8) has a cylindrical structure. The shield body (203) is sleeved inside the TBM outer shield body (8). The shield body (203) and the TBM outer shield body (8) are fixedly connected through a support connecting member (801).

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