Pneumatic Tightening Type Traveling Mechanism and Pipeline Robot Assembly

Abstract

The present invention provides a pneumatic tensioning type walking mechanism and a pipeline robot assembly to solve the problems that the existing snake-shaped pipeline robot is not conducive to turning and walking in the pipeline and is not convenient to exit the pipeline; the walking mechanism includes an olive-shaped outer housing, two groups of wheel row assemblies, an airbag and a composite cable; the inside of the outer housing is hollow, and two symmetrical structural holes are provided on the outer housing; the airbag is arranged between the two groups of wheel row assemblies, a rigid sealing edge is arranged on the outer side of the airbag, the sealing edge is fixedly connected inside the outer housing, and two parallel slide rails are respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the long side of the sealing edge, and the slide rails are perpendicular to the sealing edge; the wheel row assembly includes a pressing plate, sliders are respectively fixedly connected to the two long sides of the pressing plate, the sliders are slidably connected to the corresponding slide rails, tension springs are respectively arranged on the two short sides of the pressing plate, and the tension springs are connected to the short side of the sealing edge; the composite cable is inserted into the outer housing, and the composite cable includes a cable, an air pipe and a traction rope, the cable is connected to the drive motor on the wheel row assembly, and the air pipe is connected to the airbag.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of pipeline robot equipment, and particularly to a pneumatic tensioning type walking mechanism and a pipeline robot assembly. Background Art

[0002] Robots are designed to replace people in working in extreme environments such as "dirty", "dangerous" and "tight". Among them, pipeline robots are mechanical devices that can walk along the inner wall of pipelines, generally configured in a "snake" shape. It can be used to carry one or more sensors and operating devices. Through unique motion control technology, it can achieve slender and flexible movements. Even in a narrow and poorly visible environment, it can perform high-precision inspections and equipment data collection. It is a difficult problem for pipeline robots to rotate and walk on their own through elbows in the pipeline. Currently, the rotation methods of pipeline robots have the following defects;

[0003] 1. Poor passing performance. Since the outer contour of the pipeline robot is square, interference is likely to occur between the outside and the inner wall of the pipeline during turning, which is not conducive to turning in the pipeline;

[0004] 2. Difficult to recover. The pipeline robot that has completed the task needs to run backward to return. If a failure occurs, it is difficult to exit the pipeline;

[0005] 3. Large turning resistance. The spring is used to push the runner to adapt to the pipe diameter. When passing through a bend, the spring is further compressed and deformed, increasing its elastic force, resulting in an increase in the turning resistance of the pipeline robot;

[0006] 4. Poor environmental tolerance. Without a sealed cabin section, it is not convenient to carry instruments. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of the above situation, in order to overcome the defects of the prior art, the present invention provides a pneumatic tensioning type walking mechanism and a pipeline robot assembly to solve the problems that the existing snake-shaped pipeline robot is not conducive to turning and walking in the pipeline and is not convenient to exit the pipeline.

[0008] The technical solution is as follows: the present invention includes a walking mechanism and a pipeline robot assembly, wherein the walking mechanism includes an olive-shaped outer shell, two sets of wheel row assemblies, an airbag and a composite cable; the outer shell is hollow, and two symmetrical structural holes are provided on the outer shell, and the driving wheels on the two sets of wheel row assemblies correspond to the two structural holes one by one; the airbag is arranged between the two sets of wheel row assemblies, and a hard edge seal is provided on the outer side of the airbag, which is fixedly connected to the outer shell and centered between the two structural holes, and two parallel sliding rails are respectively provided on the front and rear sides of the long side of the edge seal, and the sliding rails are perpendicular to the edge seal; the wheel row assembly includes a pressure plate, and sliders are respectively fixedly connected to the two long sides of the pressure plate, and the sliders are slidably connected to the slide rails on the corresponding sides, and tension springs are respectively provided on the two short sides of the pressure plate, and the tension springs are connected to the short sides of the edge seal; the composite cable is inserted into the outer shell, and the composite cable includes a cable, an air pipe and a traction rope, the cable is connected to the driving motor on the wheel row assembly, and the air pipe is connected to the airbag.

[0009] Preferably, a universal joint or a camera is installed at the tip of the outer shell, and the two outer shells are connected by the universal joint.

[0010] Preferably, the airbag also includes one or two air nozzles, a throttle valve and an overflow valve. The air nozzle is connected to the air pipe and is fixedly connected to the short side of the edge seal. The throttle valve is arranged in the air nozzle and is fixedly connected to the long side of the edge seal.

[0011] Preferably, two mounting brackets are fixedly connected to the outer side of the pressure plate, and the two mounting brackets are arranged side by side along the long side of the pressure plate. A driving motor and a driving wheel are provided on the mounting brackets. The output end of the driving motor is transmission-connected to the driving wheel, and the driving wheel can freely enter and exit the structural hole.

[0012] Preferably, the universal joint comprises a square connecting ring and two connecting seats, the two connecting seats are hinged to the connecting ring in a cross shape, and a wire hole passing through the outer shell is provided on the connecting seat.

[0013] Preferably, the pipeline robot assembly includes a towing module and a pipeline connection module; the towing module includes a closable protective shell, which is similar in shape to the outer shell, and a universal joint is provided at the tip of the protective shell; the pipeline module includes a cable connector and an air pipe connector, and the pipeline connection module is connected to the walking mechanism through a composite cable.

[0014] Preferably, one walking mechanism assembly, one towing module and one pipeline connection module constitute the minimum assembly unit of the pipeline robot assembly.

[0015] Preferably, when the outer shells of the two walking mechanisms are connected, the planes where the structural holes on the two outer shells are located are vertical.

[0016] Preferably, the pipeline connection module is connected to an external control module through a cable and to an external air source module through an air pipe; the control module is used to control the drive motor, throttle valve, camera inside the traveling mechanism, and the operating equipment carried inside the protective shell, and the air source module is used to regulate the air pressure inside the airbag.

[0017] Adopting the technical solution provided by the present invention, compared with the existing well-known technologies, it has the following remarkable effects:

[0018] 1. By setting an olive-shaped outer shell and a protective shell, the three-dimensional structure of the outer shell is formed by a minor arc rotating around its chord for one week. Such a design fits better with the elbow of the pipeline. After calculation, the traveling mechanism will not interfere with the inner wall of the pipeline when turning.

[0019] 2. By arranging an airbag acting between two pressing plates inside the outer shell, the airbag is fixed inside the outer shell through edge sealing. By adjusting the air pressure inside the airbag, the positions of the two pressing plates are changed, so as to squeeze the control drive wheel against the inner wall of the pipeline. Under the action of the overflow valve, the maximum squeezing force of the drive wheel on the inner wall of the pipeline can be controlled. Compared with the spring push, the resistance suffered during the operation of the traveling mechanism can be reduced; and with the cooperation of the tension spring, when the air pressure inside the airbag drops, the pressing plate drives the drive wheel to disengage from the extrusion of the inner wall of the pipeline, and then the entire pipeline robot assembly can be dragged out of the pipeline through the composite cable.

[0020] 3. By the coordinated setting of the traveling mechanism, the towing module and the pipeline connection module, a set of pipeline robot components can be freely combined to meet different load requirements, so that different operation scenarios can be more flexibly adapted. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the traveling mechanism of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the traveling mechanism of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the traveling mechanism of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the wheel row assembly and the airbag of the traveling mechanism of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the smallest combination unit of the pipeline robot assembly of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 is another combination and matching method of the pipeline robot assembly of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 7It is a schematic diagram of the connection mode of the two walking mechanisms of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of two states of the driving wheel under the control of the airbag of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 9 This is a reference diagram for the molding and calculation of the outer shell of the present invention.

[0030] Explanation of the numbers in the schematic diagram:

[0031] 1. Outer shell; 2. Airbag; 3. Composite cable; 4. Structural hole; 5. Edge sealing; 6. Slide rail; 7. Pressure plate; 8. Slider; 9. Protective shell; 10. Tension spring; 11. Cable; 12. Air pipe; 13. Universal joint; 14. Camera; 15. Air nozzle; 16. Throttle valve; 17. Overflow valve; 18. Mounting bracket; 19. Drive motor; 20. Drive wheel; 21. Connecting ring; 22. Connecting seat; 23. Pipe connection module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic tensioning walking mechanism and a pipeline robot assembly, so as to enable the serpentine pipeline robot to carry equipment through the pipeline bend smoothly and exit the pipeline smoothly after the operation is completed.

[0034] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the movement mode of the pneumatic tensioning walking mechanism of the present invention in the pipeline is described by taking the minimum assembly unit of the pipeline robot assembly as an example.

[0037] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2 As shown, the running mechanism includes an olive-shaped outer shell 1, two sets of wheel assembly, an air bag 2 and a composite cable 3; the outer shell 1 is hollow inside and has two symmetrical structural holes 4 formed therein, and the driving wheels 20 on the two sets of wheel assembly correspond to the two structural holes 4 one by one;

[0038] Specifically, if Figure 9 As shown, referenceFigure 9 As shown in ①, the three-dimensional structure of the outer shell 1 is formed by rotating a minor arc around its chord by 360 degrees. The radius of the minor arc is r1, the central angle it subtends is δ, and let the chord length be L;

[0039] According to the chord length formula, it can be known that

[0040] The diameter perpendicular to the chord bisects this chord. The intersection points of this diameter and the arc are a, and the intersection point with the chord is b. Let the length of the line segment ab be d;

[0041] Then

[0042] Refer to Figure 9 As shown in ②, the inner diameter of the pipeline is R. The longitudinal section at the bend of the pipeline is two concentric arcs, and the radius of the outer arc is r2;

[0043] Among them, R > 2d; r2 > r1, it is determined that the outer shell 1 can enter the pipeline and can smoothly pass through the bend;

[0044] Figure 9 ③ and ④ are schematic diagrams of the traveling mechanism passing through the bend.

[0045] Furthermore, as Figure 3 shown, the above-mentioned wheel arrangement assembly includes a pressure plate 7. Two mounting brackets 18 are fixedly connected to the outside of the pressure plate 7. The two mounting brackets 18 are arranged side by side along the long side direction of the pressure plate 7. A driving motor 19 and a driving wheel 20 are arranged on the mounting bracket 18. The output end of the driving motor 19 is in transmission connection with the driving wheel 20, and the driving wheel 20 can freely enter and exit the structure hole 4.

[0046] As Figure 3 shown, the above-mentioned airbag 2 is arranged between two groups of wheel arrangement assemblies. A rigid sealing edge 5 is provided on the outer side of the airbag 2. The sealing edge 5 is fixedly connected inside the outer shell 1 and is centered between two structure holes 4 for supporting the airbag 2 to keep the position of the airbag 2 stable. Two parallel slide rails 6 are respectively provided on the front and rear sides of the long side of the sealing edge 5. The slide rails 6 are perpendicular to the sealing edge 5. A plurality of slide rails 6 surround the outside of the airbag 2. The pressure plate 7 is located in front of the plurality of slide rails 6. Sliders 8 are respectively fixedly connected to the two long sides of the pressure plate 7. The sliders 8 are slidably connected to the corresponding slide rails 6 to ensure the stable and reliable sliding of the pressure plate 7 without deviation. Pulling springs 10 are respectively provided on the two short sides of the pressure plate 7. The two pulling springs 10 are respectively connected to the two short sides of the sealing edge 5;

[0047] Furthermore, as Figure 3 、 Figure 8As shown in the figure, the above-mentioned airbag 2 further includes a nozzle 15, a throttle valve 16 and a relief valve 17. The nozzle 15 is connected to the air pipe 12. The nozzle 15 is fixedly connected to the short side of the edge seal 5. The throttle valve 16 is arranged inside the nozzle 15. The throttle valve 16 is fixedly connected to the long side of the edge seal 5. When the airbag 2 is filled, the airbag 2 extrudes the two pressing plates 7 outwards. The pressing plates 7 approach the structural hole 4. The tension spring 10 is stretched. The driving wheel 20 presses against the inner wall of the pipeline, realizing the self-adaptation to the inner diameter of the pipeline, so that the traveling mechanism advances along the inner wall of the pipeline. When the pressure relief valve reaches the air pressure threshold, it automatically deflates and reduces the pressure, preventing the driving wheel 20 from over-pressing against the inner wall of the pipeline, and avoiding the situation that the movement of the pipeline robot assembly is affected due to the increase in the resistance of the traveling mechanism; when the airbag 2 deflates, the tension spring 10 returns to its original shape, pulling the two pressing plates 7 to move towards the inside of the outer shell 1. The driving wheel 20 is separated from the extrusion of the inner wall of the pipeline. In this way, the pipeline robot assembly can be easily dragged out of the pipeline through the cable, without having to withdraw from the pipeline by the reverse operation of the driving wheel 20, avoiding the situation that the pipeline robot assembly is blocked in the pipeline and cannot be taken out due to equipment failure.

[0048] As Figure 2 , Figure 3 shown, among the two tips of the above-mentioned outer shell 1, a universal joint 13 is installed on one tip, and a camera 14 is installed on the other tip. The camera 14 is located at the very front of the pipeline robot and is used to photograph the situation inside the pipeline and provide a vision for operating the robot.

[0049] As Figure 5 shown, the above-mentioned pipeline robot assembly includes a towing module and a pipeline connection module 23; the above-mentioned towing module includes a closable protective shell 9. The protective shell 9 can be opened and is used to carry the electrical equipment for the operation. The composite cable 3 can pass through the protective shell 9. The protective shell 9 is similar in shape to the outer shell 1, and the volume of the protective shell 9 is smaller than that of the outer shell 1; the above-mentioned pipeline module includes a cable 11 connector and an air pipe 12 connector. The pipeline connection module 23 is connected to the traveling mechanism through the composite cable 3.

[0050] As Figure 5 shown, the outer shell 1 of the traveling mechanism is connected to the protective shell 9 of the towing module through the universal joint 13, and the protective shell 9 is connected to the pipeline connection module 23 through the universal joint 13.

[0051] Furthermore, as Figure 2 , Figure 5 shown, the above-mentioned universal joint 13 includes a square connecting ring 21 and two connecting seats 22. The two connecting seats 22 are cross-hinged on the connecting ring 21 respectively. Through holes are provided on the connecting seats 22, and the composite cable passes through the through holes and is inserted into the universal joint 13.

[0052] As Figure 5As shown, the above-mentioned composite cable 3 is respectively inserted into the traveling mechanism and the towing module, and is connected to the pipeline connection module 23. The composite cable 3 includes a cable 11, an air pipe 12, and a towing rope. The cable 11 is connected to the drive motor 19 on the wheel row assembly, and can also be electrically connected to the equipment carried in the protective shell 9 in the towing module. The air pipe 12 is connected to the airbag 2.

[0053] After the pipeline connection module 23, the towing module, and the traveling mechanism are connected in series, the three form the smallest combined unit of the pipeline robot. The pipeline connection module 23 is connected to an external control module through the cable 11 (not shown in the figure) and is connected to an external air source module through the air pipe 12 (not shown in the figure); both the control module and the air pressure module are prior arts. The control module can control the drive motor 19, throttle valve 16, camera 14 inside the traveling mechanism, and the operating equipment carried inside the protective shell 9, and can also control the air source module to adjust the air pressure of the airbag 2.

[0054] The working principle of this embodiment is as follows. When the pipeline robot composed of the smallest combined unit is working, first, the traveling mechanism is placed into the pipeline. The camera 14 on the outer shell 1 can observe the situation inside the pipeline. The air source module increases the air pressure in the air pipe 12, so that the airbag 2 is filled. The slider 8 on the pressure plate 7 slides outward along the slide rail 6, and the tension spring 10 is stretched until the drive wheel 20 presses against the inner wall of the pipeline. Then, the drive motor 19 is started, and the drive motor 19 drives the drive wheel 20 to rotate. The traveling mechanism walks along the inner wall of the pipeline, carrying the towing module and the pipeline connection module 23 and gradually moving deeper into the pipeline; when encountering a bend, the olive-shaped traveling mechanism can carry the towing module and the pipeline connection module 23 and pass through smoothly.

[0055] When the pipeline robot finishes its operation, there are two ways for the pipeline robot to exit the pipeline. One is that the drive wheel 20 reverses to withdraw the pipeline robot from the pipeline; the other is that the control module and the air source module act to reduce the air pressure in the airbag 2. The airbag 2 shrinks, and with the cooperation of the spring tension, the pressure plate 7 moves towards the inside of the outer shell 1, and the drive wheel 20 no longer presses against the inner wall of the pipeline. At this time, pulling the composite cable 3 can drag the entire pipeline robot assembly out of the pipeline, which saves the reverse movement of the drive wheel 20 and avoids blocking in the pipeline when the traveling mechanism moves backward.

[0056] Embodiment 2

[0057] Embodiment 2 of the present invention further illustrates the assembly method of the pipeline robot assembly by taking the assembly of three traveling mechanisms as an example.

[0058] As Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 6 、 Figure 7As shown in the figure, in the three traveling mechanisms, a universal joint 13 and a camera 14 are respectively installed on the outer casing 1 of the traveling mechanism at the forefront. A nozzle 15 is provided on the airbag 2 inside the traveling mechanism. Universal joints 13 are respectively installed on the outer casings 1 of the remaining two traveling mechanisms, and two nozzles 15 are provided on the airbags 2 inside them. The airbags 2 in the three traveling mechanisms are connected in series to the air pipe 12 through the nozzles 15, and the air pressure inside the airbag 2 is regulated by the air source module. The towing module is connected between the pipeline connection module 23 and the traveling mechanism through the universal joint 13.

[0059] Two traveling mechanisms are provided at the forefront of the pipeline robot assembly, and the planes where the structural holes 4 are located on the outer casings 1 of the two traveling mechanisms are perpendicular, that is, the driving wheels 20 on the two connected traveling mechanisms are arranged offset from each other, making the pipeline robot more stable when passing through the pipeline.

[0060] The pipeline robot assembly configured in this way has more powerful power, can carry heavier operation equipment, and complete operations in complex situations.

[0061] According to the specific embodiments provided by the present invention, the following technical effects are disclosed in the present invention:

[0062] The present invention has a novel concept and a clever structure. By setting the olive-shaped outer casing 1 and the protective shell 9, the three-dimensional structure of the outer casing 1 is formed by a minor arc rotating around its chord for one week. Such a design fits the elbow of the pipeline better. After calculation, the traveling mechanism will not interfere with the inner wall of the pipeline when turning. By arranging an airbag 2 acting between two pressing plates 7 inside the outer casing 1, the airbag 2 is fixed inside the outer casing 1 through the sealing edge 5. By adjusting the air pressure inside the airbag 2, the positions of the two pressing plates 7 are changed, so as to press the control driving wheel 20 against the inner wall of the pipeline. And under the cooperative action of the tension spring 10, when the air pressure inside the airbag 2 drops, the pressing plate 7 drives the driving wheel 20 to disengage from the extrusion of the inner wall of the pipeline, and then the entire pipeline robot assembly can be dragged out of the pipeline through the composite cable 3. Through the cooperative setting of the traveling mechanism, the towing module and the pipeline connection module 23, a set of pipeline robot assemblies can be freely combined to meet different load requirements, so that different operation scenarios can be more flexibly applied.

[0063] In this specification, each embodiment is described in a progressive manner. The key point of each embodiment is to illustrate the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts among the embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0064] In this article, specific examples are used to elaborate on the principles and implementation manners of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and its core idea of the present invention; at the same time, for those of ordinary skill in the art, according to the idea of the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation manners and application scopes. In summary, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation on the present invention.

Claims

1. Pneumatic tensioning type walking mechanism, characterized in that, The walking mechanism includes an olive-shaped outer housing, two sets of wheel row assemblies, an airbag, and a composite cable; The interior of the outer housing is hollow, and two symmetrical structural holes are provided on the outer housing. The drive wheels on the two sets of wheel row assemblies respectively correspond to the two structural holes one by one; The airbag is arranged between the two sets of wheel row assemblies. A rigid sealing edge is provided on the outer side of the airbag. The sealing edge is fixedly connected inside the outer housing and is centered between the two structural holes. Two parallel slide rails are respectively provided on the front and rear sides of the long side of the sealing edge, and the slide rails are perpendicular to the sealing edge; The wheel row assembly includes a pressure plate. Sliders are fixedly connected to the two long sides of the pressure plate. The sliders are slidably connected to the corresponding slide rails. Tension springs are respectively provided on the two short sides of the pressure plate, and the tension springs are connected to the short sides of the sealing edge; The composite cable is inserted into the outer housing. The composite cable includes a cable, an air pipe, and a towing rope. The cable is connected to the drive motor on the wheel row assembly, and the air pipe is connected to the airbag.

2. The pneumatic tensioning type traveling mechanism according to claim 1, wherein A universal joint or a camera is installed at the tip of the outer housing, and the two outer housings are connected by a universal joint.

3. The pneumatic tensioning type traveling mechanism according to claim 1, wherein The airbag further includes one or two air nozzles, a throttle valve, and an overflow valve. The air nozzle is connected to the air pipe. The air nozzle is fixedly connected to the short side of the sealing edge, and the throttle valve is arranged in the air nozzle and is fixedly connected to the long side of the sealing edge.

4. The pneumatic tensioning type traveling mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that Two mounting brackets are fixedly connected to the outer side of the pressure plate. The two mounting brackets are arranged in parallel along the long side direction of the pressure plate. A drive motor and a drive wheel are provided on the mounting brackets. The output end of the drive motor is in transmission connection with the drive wheel, and the drive wheel freely enters and exits the structural hole.

5. The pneumatic tensioning type traveling mechanism according to claim 2, wherein, The universal joint includes a square connecting ring and two connecting seats. The two connecting seats are cross-hinged to the connecting ring respectively, and a wire passing hole penetrating the outer housing is provided on the connecting seat.

6. Pipeline robot assembly, comprising the pneumatic tensioning type walking mechanism according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, It further includes a towing module and a pipeline connection module; The towing module includes a closable protective shell. The shape of the protective shell is olive-shaped, and a universal joint is provided at the tip of the protective shell; The pipeline connection module includes a cable connector and an air pipe connector. The pipeline connection module is connected to the walking mechanism through a composite cable.

7. The pipeline robot assembly according to claim 6, wherein One walking mechanism, one towing module, and one pipeline connection module form the minimum combination unit of the pipeline robot assembly.

8. The pipeline robot assembly according to claim 7, wherein, When the outer housings of the two walking mechanisms are connected, the planes where the structural holes on the two outer housings are located are perpendicular.

9. The pipeline robot assembly according to claim 8, wherein, The pipeline connection module is connected to an external control module through a cable and to an external air source module through an air pipe; the control module is used to control the drive motor, throttle valve, camera inside the walking mechanism, and the operation equipment carried inside the protective shell, and the air source module is used to regulate the air pressure inside the airbag.

Images