Heavy-duty robotic arm quick-change connector for Tokamak maintenance

Abstract

The present invention discloses a heavy-duty mechanical arm quick-change joint for maintenance of a tokamak device, comprising a locking device and an end effector joint, wherein the locking device comprises a screw nut and a hollow screw; the hollow screw comprises a threaded section and a non-threaded section, and a first boss and a second boss are arranged on the non-threaded section; the locking device is provided with a locking ball and a small lever; the end effector joint is provided with a locking groove and a guide groove; the first boss, the locking ball, and the locking groove constitute a matching locking action unit; the second boss, the small lever, and the guide groove constitute a matching guide action unit. The present invention greatly reduces the axial and radial dimensions of the docking mechanism, can meet the high-precision docking of a low-precision mechanical arm with an end tool, and can achieve low-profile, large-caliber, heavy-load, high-precision, and efficient locking. The present invention can achieve tight locking, high power transmission efficiency, high connector alignment accuracy, and large guide tolerance, and is suitable for quick replacement of a remote-operated maintenance mechanical arm in a tokamak device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a heavy-duty mechanical arm quick-change joint for maintaining a Tokamak device. Background Art

[0002] The Tokamak nuclear fusion device is a device that uses magnetic confinement to achieve controlled nuclear fusion. It has many advantages and is the best choice for dealing with future energy crises. As a new generation of devices that demonstrate the feasibility of continuous large-scale fusion energy safe and stable power generation, the Tokamak nuclear fusion device currently designed by China has a much larger overall structure and internal component size than previous devices. The large components that need to be maintained in the vacuum chamber of the Tokamak nuclear fusion device can weigh up to tons. The operation of the Tokamak nuclear fusion device will also bring radiation problems, and personnel cannot approach during internal maintenance. Therefore, after the Tokamak device has been running for a period of time, it is necessary to use a fully automatic remote-controlled heavy-duty manipulator to maintain the internal components. During the maintenance process, a series of operations such as cutting, welding, testing, and cleaning will be involved. This requires that the front end of the heavy-duty manipulator can deploy the above-mentioned different types of maintenance tools, that is, a set of quick-change joints is required - various tools can be automatically and quickly docked and deployed, providing electrical and pneumatic docking, and can bear high loads and operate stably in a radiation environment. Although the existing quick-change connector (201910985777.0) for remote-operated maintenance manipulators in tokamaks can meet the requirements of quick-change connectors for manipulators in radiation environments, provide electrical interfaces, and bear high loads, it still has problems such as the inability to lock tightly in principle, low power transmission efficiency and inability to provide higher locking force, floating connectors at both ends with the risk of misalignment, and low precision of the manipulator that makes the quick-change connector unusable. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a heavy-duty mechanical arm quick-change joint for maintenance of a Tokamak device, which can realize precise alignment of connectors, tight locking and high power transmission efficiency. The heavy-duty mechanical arm quick-change joint for maintenance of a Tokamak device of the present invention comprises a locking device and an end effector docking joint that cooperate with each other, the locking device comprises a locking device body and a locking core mechanism, the locking core mechanism is a ball screw mechanism, the ball screw mechanism comprises a screw nut that can rotate in situ and a hollow screw that can move linearly, the screw nut is connected to a gear plate, and the gear plate is driven by a driving motor; the hollow screw comprises a threaded section and a non-threaded section, and the non-threaded section is provided with a first boss and a second boss; the locking device body is provided with a locking ball and a small lever; the end effector docking joint is provided with a locking groove and a guide groove; the first boss, the locking ball, and the locking groove constitute a matching locking action unit; the second boss, the small lever, and the guide groove constitute a matching guiding action unit.

[0004] For the heavy-duty manipulator quick-change joint for maintenance of the Tokamak device described above, preferably, a guide cone surface is provided on the locking device body, a guide cone hole is provided on the end effector docking head, and the guide cone surface and the guide cone hole are slidably docked. With such a design, when the locking device and the end effector docking head are docked, the overall action of the locking device can achieve touch docking and smooth guidance of the initial docking process, thereby achieving radial guidance.

[0005] For the heavy-duty mechanical arm quick-change joint for maintenance of the Tokamak device described above, preferably, the small lever can rotate around the central axis fixed on the locking device body, and the two ends of the small lever are respectively provided with rolling body 1 and rolling body 2, and both rolling body 1 and rolling body 2 have smooth surfaces. After the above-mentioned touch docking, the hollow screw, as the main body of the axial action of the locking core mechanism, continues to move axially straight downward, and the second boss acts as a guide head and touches the rolling body 2 of the small lever. At the same time, the rolling body 1 also slides in the guide groove. Due to the existence of the balancing force of many small levers, the guide position of the second boss maintains the axial direction, effectively eliminating the axial docking error and ensuring the precision of the locking.

[0006] For the heavy-duty robotic arm quick-change joint for maintenance of the Tokamak device described above, preferably, the first boss includes a first conical surface, a small plane, and a second conical surface. The first conical surface is used for preliminary locking, and the second conical surface is locked in place. However, when the locking ball reaches the second conical surface and is locked, if the force is reduced and the locking ball wants to loosen, the small plane structure blocks the continued movement of the locking ball, thereby achieving tight locking and high-precision locking. At the same time, it also prevents the risk of the end effector falling off when the power is accidentally unloaded.

[0007] For the heavy-duty mechanical arm quick-change joint for maintenance of the Tokamak device described above, preferably, the lower end of the hollow screw is connected to a rotation-stopping annular plate, the edge of the rotation-stopping annular plate is provided with a plurality of rotation-stopping protrusions, a rotation-stopping groove is provided on the locking device body, and the rotation-stopping protrusion is located in the rotation-stopping groove. The rotation-stopping protrusion is stuck in the rotation-stopping groove and has only axial movement space but cannot rotate, which can prevent the rotation of the hollow screw and can also achieve axial guiding effect. Considering the stability, production cost and complexity, generally designing three rotation-stopping protrusions can basically meet the needs.

[0008] For the heavy-duty manipulator quick-change connector for maintenance of the Tokamak device, preferably, a guide pin is provided on the locking device body, and a guide pin hole is provided on the end effector docking head. This design can avoid the problem of rotation of the connector during docking.

[0009] For the heavy-duty manipulator quick-change connector for maintenance of the Tokamak device described above, preferably, a male connector is provided on the locking device body, and a female connector is provided on the end effector butt joint. The locking device body of the present invention is not a movable end, and the male connector is designed on the locking device body, so the cable connected to the male connector will not be frequently pulled, making the electrical connection more reliable.

[0010] The present invention adopts a hollow large-diameter ball screw as a power source, which is more efficient, has a larger output axial force, and is more reliable in locking; the locking device not only ensures the tight locking effect, but also prevents the risk of the end effector falling off when the screw power is accidentally unloaded; through the cooperation of the locking device and the end effector butt joint, a large floating amount can be achieved, thereby eliminating the large error between the two docking devices before docking. Through the cooperation of two sets of mechanisms - the locking device and the end effector butt joint - the function of guiding first and then locking is achieved in the axial direction, and the tapered hole is used for radial guidance, with large tolerances in both the axial and radial directions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the separation structure of the locking device and the end effector docking joint of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional three-dimensional structure of the locking device.

[0013] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the locking device (the locking device is in an initial unlocked state).

[0014] Figure 4 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the structure after the locking device and the end effector docking joint are docked.

[0015] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the split structure of the locking device and the end effector docking joint (the locking device is in a locked state).

[0016] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the first boss structure.

[0017] In the figure: 100, locking device; 200, end effector joint; 1, driving motor; 2, locking device body; 3, ball screw mechanism; 31, hollow screw; 32, screw nut; 4, small lever; 41, rolling element one; 42, rolling element two; 5, guide cone surface; 6, guide cone hole; 7, locking groove; 8, guide groove; 9, anti-rotation annular plate; 91, anti-rotation protrusion; 92, anti-rotation groove; 10, locking ball; 11, connector female; 12, gear plate; 13, first boss; 14, second boss; 15, guide pin; 16, guide pin hole; 17, locking ball rolling groove; 18, rolling bearing; 19, small plane; 20, second cone surface; 21, connector male; 22, second cone surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The following embodiments are further descriptions of the content of the present invention as an explanation of the technical content of the present invention, but the essential content of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Ordinary technicians in this field can and should know that any simple changes or replacements based on the essential spirit of the present invention should fall within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0019] like Figure 1-5 As shown, the heavy-duty manipulator arm quick-change joint for maintenance of a tokamak device of the present invention comprises a locking device 100 and an end effector docking joint 200 that cooperate with each other, the locking device 100 comprises a locking device body 2 and a locking core mechanism, the locking core mechanism is a ball screw mechanism 3, the ball screw mechanism 3 comprises a screw nut 31 that can rotate in situ and a hollow screw 32 that can move linearly, the hollow screw 32 has a hollow large diameter; the screw nut 31 is connected to the gear plate 12 and driven to rotate by it, the gear plate 12 is mounted on the locking device body 2 through a rolling bearing 18, and the gear plate 12 is driven by a driving motor 1; the hollow screw 32 comprises a threaded section and a non-threaded section, the non-threaded section is provided with a plurality of first bosses 13 and a plurality of second bosses 14, the threaded section and the screw nut 31 form a ball screw mechanism, so that when the screw nut rotates in situ, the hollow screw moves linearly without rotating.

[0020] The locking device body 2 is provided with a guide cone surface 5, and the end effector docking joint 200 is provided with a guide cone hole 6. The guide cone hole 6 slides and docks with the locking device body 2 at the initial docking stage, playing a preliminary radial guiding role, and finally the guide cone surface 5 slides and docks with the guide cone hole 6. When the locking device and the end effector docking joint are docked, the overall action of the locking device is used to achieve touch docking and smooth guidance of the initial docking process, thereby achieving radial guidance.

[0021] The locking device body 2 is provided with a plurality of locking balls 10 and a plurality of small levers 4; the end effector joint 200 is provided with a locking groove 7 corresponding to the position of the locking ball 10 and a guide groove 8 corresponding to the position of the small lever 4; the second boss 14, the small lever 4, and the guide groove 8 constitute a matching guide action unit. The second boss 14 moves axially with the hollow screw, continuously touching the small lever 4 to rotate it, and the small lever 4 can rotate around the central axis fixed to the locking device body 2, and the two ends of the small lever are respectively provided with a rolling body 1 41 and a rolling body 2 42, and the rolling body 1 41 and the rolling body 2 42 both have smooth surfaces;

[0022] After the above-mentioned contact docking, the hollow screw 32, as the main body of the axial action of the locking core mechanism, continues to move axially straight downward, and the second boss 14 acts as a guide head and contacts the rolling body 2 42 of the small lever 4. At the same time, the rolling body 1 41 also slides in the guide groove 8, that is, when the locking ball 10 is located between the groove 17 and the third boss 15, the rolling body 2 of the small lever 11 is pressed downward by the locking body 9, while the rolling body 1 41 presses the guide groove 8 upward. Due to the existence of the balancing force of many small levers, the guide position of the second boss maintains the axial direction, effectively eliminating the axial docking error and ensuring the locking precision.

[0023] The first boss 13, the locking ball 10, and the locking groove 7 constitute a locking action unit. The driving motor 1 drives the gear plate 12 to rotate, and the gear plate 12 drives the screw nut 31 to rotate. According to the principle of ball screw, the hollow screw 32 moves axially in a straight line. The first boss 13 moves axially with the hollow screw 32, and continuously squeezes the locking ball until the locking ball 10 is pressed between the first boss 13 and the locking groove 17, thereby forming a locking state. A locking ball hole for accommodating the locking ball 10 is provided on the locking device body.

[0024] like Figure 6 The first boss 13 is designed with a first conical surface 22, a small plane 19, and a second conical surface 20. As the hollow screw continues to move axially downward, the first boss 13, the locking ball 10, and the locking groove 7 form a matching locking action unit, and the locking ball 10 is pressed between the first boss 13 and the locking groove 7. If the first boss is just a conventional spherical surface, arc surface, or cylindrical surface, then once the pressing force is insufficient, the pressed locking ball is easy to loosen, resulting in a problem of loose locking and low locking accuracy. However, in the present invention, when the locking ball is under-forced and wants to loosen, the presence of the small plane structure blocks the continued movement of the locking ball, thereby achieving tight locking and high locking precision. At the same time, it also prevents the risk of the end effector falling off when the power is accidentally unloaded.

[0025] The locking device body 2 is provided with a stop groove 92, the lower end of the hollow lead screw 32 is connected to a stop ring plate 9, the edge of the stop ring plate 9 is provided with a stop protrusion 91, and the stop protrusion 91 is arranged in the stop groove 92. With such a design, because the hollow lead screw is driven to move linearly by the rotation of the lead screw nut, the hollow lead screw may also be driven to produce a slight rotation tendency. To prevent the rotation of the hollow lead screw, a stop ring plate is connected to the lower end of the hollow lead screw, and a stop protrusion is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the stop ring plate. When the hollow lead screw moves downward, the stop protrusion can move downward with it, but the stop protrusion is stuck in the stop groove and cannot rotate, thereby avoiding the rotation of the hollow lead screw. On the other hand, the stop protrusion is stuck in the stop groove and has only axial movement space but cannot rotate, which can also achieve a certain axial guiding effect.

[0026] In the present invention, the main body of the axial action (active end) is a hollow screw, and the male connector is designed on the locking device body, and the locking device body is not a active end, so the cable connected to the male connector will not be frequently pulled, making the electrical connection more reliable. In the usual design, the male connector is installed on the piston ring, which is the active end. When it moves, it will inevitably cause the cable connected to the male connector to shake frequently, which is easy to cause failures and affect the service life. At the same time, the male connector of the present invention and the female connector basically maintain corresponding positions, without floating, and the docking is precise.

[0027] The working process of the present invention is as follows: preliminary docking, the guide cone hole 6 of the end effector docking joint 200 contacts the end of the locking device to achieve radial guidance, and under the action of the mechanical arm (driving the locking device body 2), the two docking mechanism parts gradually approach along the axial and radial directions, and in consideration of the accuracy of the mechanical arm, approach to the extent that the mechanical arm cannot approach. At this time, under the guidance and protection of the axial guide pin, the connector has been initially docked and axially pulled in, the position of the mechanical arm is fixed, and under the drive of the drive motor 1, the hollow screw 32 moves toward the docking interface, and the second end face boss 14 is first used to push the small lever 4 to rotate, so that the locking device approaches the end effector docking joint and is gradually pulled in (the gradual pulling process has a certain guiding effect, and also increases the axial floating tolerance, which is conducive to the docking of the docking mechanism that requires a long range of heavy load), the connector is gradually docked and locked, and within the action range of the locking ball 10, the locking ball 10 is initially locked with the first cone 22, and then contacts with the small plane 19, and then the second cone 20 is locked. The present invention realizes the function of guiding first and then locking in the axial direction through the cooperation of two groups of mechanisms - the locking device and the end effector joint - and guides in the radial direction through the tapered hole; a hollow large-diameter ball screw is used as the power source, which is more efficient, has a larger output axial force, and is more reliable in locking; the locking device of the present invention not only ensures the effect of tight locking, but also prevents the risk of the end effector falling off when the screw power is accidentally unloaded; a large floating amount can be achieved through the cooperation of the locking device and the end effector joint, thereby eliminating the large error between the two docking devices before docking. The quick-change connector of the present invention can achieve tight locking, high power transmission efficiency, high connector alignment accuracy, and large guiding tolerance, and is suitable for quick replacement of remote-operated maintenance robot arms in tokamak devices.

[0028] It should be noted that the above-mentioned technical contents of the present invention are only for explanation and clarification to enable those skilled in the art to understand the technical essence of the present invention, so the technical contents are not used to limit the substantial protection scope of the present invention. The substantial protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the claims. Those skilled in the art should know that any modification, equivalent substitution and improvement based on the substantial spirit of the present invention shall be within the substantial protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A heavy-duty robotic arm quick-change joint for maintenance of a tokamak device, comprising a locking device (100) and an end effector joint (200) that cooperate with each other, wherein the locking device (100) comprises a locking device body (2) and a locking core mechanism, and is characterized in that: The locking core mechanism is a ball screw mechanism (3), the ball screw mechanism (3) comprising a screw nut (31) that can rotate in situ and a hollow screw (32) that can move linearly, the screw nut (31) being connected to a gear plate (12), the gear plate (12) being driven by a drive motor (1); the hollow screw (32) comprising a threaded section and a non-threaded section, the non-threaded section being provided with a first boss (13) and a second boss (14); a locking ball (10) and a small lever (4) being provided on the locking device body (2); and an end effector docking joint. (200) is provided with a locking groove (7) and a guide groove (8); the small lever (4) can rotate around a central axis fixed on the locking device body (2); the two ends of the small lever (4) are respectively provided with a rolling body 1 (41) and a rolling body 2 (42); the rolling body 1 (41) and the rolling body 2 (42) both have smooth surfaces; the first boss (13), the locking ball (10), and the locking groove (7) constitute a matching locking action unit; the second boss (14), the small lever (4), and the guide groove (8) constitute a matching guiding action unit.

2. The heavy-duty manipulator quick-change joint for maintenance of a Tokamak device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A guide cone surface (5) is provided on the locking device body (2), a guide cone hole (6) is provided on the end effector docking joint (200), and the guide cone surface (5) and the guide cone hole (6) are slidably docked.

3. The heavy-duty manipulator quick-change joint for maintenance of a Tokamak device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first boss (13) comprises a first conical surface (22), a small plane (19), and a second conical surface (20).

4. The heavy-duty manipulator quick-change joint for maintenance of a Tokamak device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the hollow lead screw (32) is connected to a rotation-stopping annular plate (9), a plurality of rotation-stopping protrusions (91) are provided on the edge of the rotation-stopping annular plate (9), a rotation-stopping groove (92) is provided on the locking device body (2), and the rotation-stopping protrusions (91) are located in the rotation-stopping groove (92).

5. The heavy-duty manipulator quick-change joint for maintenance of a Tokamak device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: At least three rotation-stopping protrusions (91) are provided on the rotation-stopping annular plate (9).

6. The heavy-duty manipulator quick-change joint for maintenance of a Tokamak device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A male connector (21) is provided on the locking device body (2), and a female connector (11) is provided on the end effector docking head (200).

7. The heavy-duty manipulator quick-change joint for maintenance of a Tokamak device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A guide pin (15) is provided on the locking device body (2), and a guide pin hole (16) is provided on the end effector docking joint (200).

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