A driving device for a rope-driven super-redundant mechanical arm

Abstract

The present invention discloses a driving device for a rope-driven super-redundant manipulator, comprising a frame for installing the driving device, and a multi-channel driving module uniformly installed in the frame. The driving module comprises a steel wire rope, a tension sensor, a fine-tuning component, an absolute value encoder, a guide wheel component, an optical axis, a ball screw, a slide assembly, a screw support seat, an optical axis support seat, a coupling, and a driving motor. The driving motor drives the ball screw to make the slide assembly translate along the optical axis, thereby controlling the steel wire rope and driving the super-redundant manipulator to move. The present invention realizes high-precision displacement control by using a ball screw and an absolute value encoder, and has high driving accuracy. The movable pulley shortens the screw stroke and improves the load capacity of the driving module. The fine-tuning component is combined with the tension sensor, and the preload force of each driving rope can be accurately adjusted, and real-time force feedback can be provided. The replaceable front guide assembly allows the driving device to be compatible with super-redundant manipulator arm bodies of different diameters.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of rope-driven robots, in particular to a driving device for a rope-driven super-redundant mechanical arm. Background Art

[0002] The rope-driven super-redundant manipulator is driven by a steel wire rope. The drive mechanism and the actuator are separated. The motor, controller and other drive devices can be placed at the rear, which greatly reduces the mass and volume of the manipulator body, making it compact and flexible in movement, while also avoiding the adverse effects of the external environment on the drive mechanism. The number of degrees of freedom of the super-redundant manipulator far exceeds the six degrees of freedom required for three-dimensional space tasks. Therefore, compared with traditional joint-type rigid manipulators, it is more slender and dexterous, has excellent environmental adaptability and high obstacle avoidance capabilities, and can pass through narrow non-structural environments to complete operational tasks.

[0003] The high-precision control of the super-redundant manipulator depends on the performance of the drive mechanism. At present, most of the drive devices of super-redundant manipulators only realize displacement feedback of the wire rope that drives the manipulator. However, for the emerging force control method, it is necessary to increase the direct force feedback of the wire rope. Although the wire rope drive method simplifies the structure of the front-end manipulator, in the actual installation process, the fine-tuning pre-tightening of the wire rope is still a cumbersome problem. It is urgent to combine force feedback to build a convenient and precise pre-tightening force adjustment mechanism. In addition, under different working conditions, the diameter of the super-redundant manipulator used may be different, so it is necessary to realize that the drive device is compatible with manipulators of different sizes. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a high-load, high-precision drive device that can adjust the rope preload force to address the problems of the above-mentioned prior art, which is used for displacement, speed and force control of a super-redundant robotic arm and is compatible with robotic arms of different sizes.

[0005] The technical solution to achieve the purpose of the present invention is: a driving device for a rope-driven super-redundant mechanical arm, the device comprising a front panel, a front guide assembly, a front panel connecting rod, a front support plate, a driving module, a front and rear support plate connecting rod, a rear support plate, a motor mounting plate connecting rod, a motor mounting plate, a rear panel connecting rod, a rear panel, and a bottom plate; the front panel, the front support plate, the rear support plate, the motor mounting plate, and the rear panel are arranged in parallel in sequence, and one end of each plate is fixedly mounted on the bottom plate, and the other end is connected and fixed in sequence through a plurality of groups of front panel connecting rods, front and rear support plate connecting rods, motor mounting plate connecting rods, and rear panel connecting rods to form a frame of the driving device; the multi-channel driving modules are distributed in a circle and evenly installed in the frame, the driving module comprises a steel wire rope, the steel wire rope is connected to the super-redundant mechanical arm through the front guide assembly arranged on the front panel, and the driving module realizes driving the super-redundant mechanical arm by changing the length of the steel wire rope at the end of the super-redundant mechanical arm.

[0006] Furthermore, each of the driving modules also includes a tension sensor, a fine-tuning assembly, an absolute encoder, a guide wheel assembly, an optical axis, a ball screw, a slide assembly, a screw support seat, an optical axis support seat, a coupling and a driving motor; one side of the tension sensor is fixed to the front panel, and the other side is fixedly connected to the fine-tuning assembly; the absolute encoder and the guide wheel assembly are both installed on the side of the front support plate close to the front panel; one end of the ball screw passes through a screw support seat installed on the front support plate and is inserted into the absolute encoder, and the other end passes through another screw support seat installed on the rear support plate and is connected to one end of the coupling, and the other end of the coupling is connected to the driving motor installed on the motor mounting plate; The two ends of the optical axis are respectively installed between the front support plate and the rear support plate through an optical axis support seat, and are parallel to the ball screw; the slide assembly is installed on the optical axis and the ball screw, and can move along the axial direction of the two; one end of the wire rope is connected to the super-redundant mechanical arm, and the other end passes through the front guide assembly and the guide wheel assembly in sequence, then passes through the slide assembly and goes out around it in the reverse direction, and finally connects to the fine-tuning assembly; the tension sensor measures the tension of the wire rope, and loosens or tightens the wire rope in combination with the fine-tuning assembly to meet the pre-tightening requirements; under the action of the drive motor, the ball screw rotates, driving the slide assembly to translate along the optical axis, thereby controlling the change in the length of the wire rope at the end of the super-redundant mechanical arm, and driving the super-redundant mechanical arm to move.

[0007] Furthermore, the front guide assembly includes a front guide wheel frame, a front guide wheel and a front guide wheel pressure plate; 3*n front guide wheels are circumferentially installed in the wheel groove of the front guide wheel frame and fixed by a front guide wheel pressure plate fixed on the front guide wheel frame, thereby limiting the displacement of the front guide wheel so that it can only rotate; 3*n steel wire ropes are respectively wound around the 3*n front guide wheels to realize the guidance of the 3*n steel wire ropes, and n is the number of segments of the super-redundant robotic arm.

[0008] Furthermore, the front guide assembly can be replaced in size specifications to enable the drive device to be compatible with super-redundant robotic arm bodies of different diameters.

[0009] Furthermore, the number of groups of the front panel connecting rods, the front and rear support plate connecting rods, the motor mounting plate connecting rods and the rear panel connecting rods is n.

[0010] Furthermore, the fine-tuning assembly includes a worm gear seat, a worm, a clamping screw, an adjusting screw, a worm gear and a worm gear shaft; the worm gear is mounted on a worm gear shaft fixed in the worm gear seat, the worm is fixed on two support seats on the worm gear seat and is in contact with the worm gear, an adjusting screw is provided at one end of the worm gear, and the clamping screw is tightened on the worm gear to fix the wire rope; by rotating the adjusting screw, the worm gear is driven to rotate, and the wire rope is wound up or released, thereby adjusting the preload force.

[0011] Furthermore, the guide wheel assembly includes a guide wheel seat, a guide pulley and a guide pulley support shaft; the guide pulley is supported on the guide wheel seat through the guide pulley support shaft and can rotate around the guide pulley support shaft; three through holes are arranged at the bottom of the guide wheel seat, wherein the guide wheel seat is fixed to the front support plate through the through holes on both sides, and the wire rope passes through the middle through hole and is wound around the guide pulley.

[0012] Furthermore, the slide assembly includes a slide base, a movable pulley shaft, a movable pulley, a ball screw nut and a linear bearing; the ball screw nut and the linear bearing are directly fixed to the slide base by screws, the movable pulley shaft is fixed to the slide base by a retaining ring, and passes through the movable pulley, so that the movable pulley can only rotate around the movable pulley shaft; the slide base is provided with two through holes below the movable pulley, the wire rope is passed through one of the through holes, wrapped around the movable pulley, and then passed through the other through hole.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following significant advantages:

[0014] (1) High-precision displacement control is achieved by using a ball screw and an absolute encoder. The drive accuracy is high and 0.1 mm screw displacement control can be achieved.

[0015] (2) The use of a movable pulley mechanism shortens the screw stroke and improves the load capacity of the drive module. Under the condition of a 25kg load on the wire rope, the drive module can achieve a load capacity of 50kg.

[0016] (3) The preload force can be fine-tuned by using a worm gear adjustment mechanism and a tension sensor. The preload force of each drive rope can be precisely adjusted and real-time force feedback can be provided, which facilitates the design of the control system.

[0017] (4) The replaceable front guide wheel frame allows the drive device to be compatible with super-redundant robotic arms of different diameters.

[0018] The present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is an overall three-dimensional diagram of the driving device of the rope-driven super-redundant mechanical arm of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a single drive module in .

[0021] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the front guide assembly in.

[0022] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the fine-tuning components in .

[0023] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the guide wheel assembly in.

[0024] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the slide assembly in . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0026] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0027] In one embodiment, in combination Figure 1, provides a driving device for a rope-driven super-redundant manipulator, the device comprises a front panel 1, a front guide assembly 2, a front panel connecting rod 3, a front support plate 4, a driving module 5, a front and rear support plate connecting rod 6, a rear support plate 7, a motor mounting plate connecting rod 8, a motor mounting plate 9, a rear panel connecting rod 10, a rear panel 11, and a bottom plate 12; the front panel 1, the front support plate 4, the rear support plate 7, the motor mounting plate 9, and the rear panel 11 are arranged in parallel in sequence, and one end of each plate is fixedly mounted on the bottom plate 12, and the other end is sequentially connected through a plurality of groups of front panels The connecting rod 3, the front and rear support plate connecting rods 6, the motor mounting plate connecting rod 8 and the rear panel connecting rod 10 are connected and fixed to form the frame of the driving device; the 3*n (n is the number of sections of the super redundant mechanical arm, and each section of the mechanical arm is controlled by 3 steel wires) road driving modules 5 are distributed in a circle and evenly installed in the frame. The driving module 5 includes a steel wire rope 51, and the steel wire rope 51 is connected to the super redundant mechanical arm through the front guide component 2 set on the front panel 1. The driving module 5 drives the super redundant mechanical arm by changing the length of the steel wire rope 51 at the end of the super redundant mechanical arm. The number of groups of the front panel connecting rod 3, the front and rear support plate connecting rod 6, the motor mounting plate connecting rod 8 and the rear panel connecting rod 10 is n.

[0028] Further, in one embodiment, in combination Figure 2Each driving module further comprises a tension sensor 52, a fine-tuning assembly 53, an absolute value encoder 54, a guide wheel assembly 55, an optical axis 56, a ball screw 57, a slide assembly 58, a screw support seat 59, an optical axis support seat 510, a coupling 511 and a driving motor 512; one side of the tension sensor 52 is fixed on the front panel 1, and the other side is fixedly connected to the fine-tuning assembly 53; the absolute value encoder 54 and the guide wheel assembly 55 are both mounted on the front support plate 4 on one side close to the front panel 1; one end of the ball screw 57 passes through a screw support seat 59 mounted on the front support plate 4 and is inserted into the absolute value encoder 54, and the other end passes through another screw support seat 59 mounted on the rear support plate 7 and is connected to one end of the coupling 511, and the other end of the coupling 511 is connected to the driving motor 5 mounted on the motor mounting plate 9. 12; The two ends of the optical axis 56 are respectively installed between the front support plate 4 and the rear support plate 7 through an optical axis support seat 510, and are parallel to the ball screw 57; the slide assembly 58 is installed on the optical axis 56 and the ball screw 57, and can move along the axial direction of the two; one end of the wire rope 51 is connected to the super-redundant mechanical arm, and the other end passes through the front guide assembly 2 and the guide wheel assembly 55 in turn, then passes through the slide assembly 58 and goes out around it in the reverse direction, and finally connects to the fine-tuning assembly 53; the tension sensor 52 measures the tension of the wire rope 51, and loosens or tightens the wire rope 51 in combination with the fine-tuning assembly 53 to meet the pre-tightening requirements; under the action of the drive motor 512, the ball screw 57 rotates, driving the slide assembly 58 to translate along the optical axis 56, thereby controlling the change of the length of the wire rope 51 at the end of the super-redundant mechanical arm, and driving the super-redundant mechanical arm to move.

[0029] Further, in one embodiment, in combination Figure 3 The front guide assembly 2 includes a front guide wheel frame 21, a front guide wheel 22 and a front guide wheel pressure plate 23; 3*n front guide wheels 22 are circumferentially installed in the wheel groove of the front guide wheel frame 21, and are fixed by the front guide wheel pressure plate 23 fixed on the front guide wheel frame 21, so as to limit the displacement of the front guide wheel 22 so that it can only rotate; 3*n steel wire ropes are respectively wound around the 3*n front guide wheels 22 to realize the guidance of 3*n steel wire ropes 51, and n is the number of segments of the super redundant robotic arm.

[0030] Here, the front guide assembly 2 can be replaced in size to enable the drive device to be compatible with super-redundant robotic arm bodies of different diameters.

[0031] Further, in one embodiment, in combination Figure 4The fine-tuning assembly includes a worm gear seat 531, a worm 532, a clamping screw 533, an adjusting screw 534, a worm wheel 535 and a worm wheel shaft 536; the worm wheel 535 is installed on a worm wheel shaft 536 fixed in the worm gear seat 531, the worm 532 is fixed on two support seats on the worm gear seat 531, and is in contact with the worm wheel 535, an adjusting screw 534 is provided at one end of the worm 532, and the clamping screw 533 is tightened on the worm wheel 535 to fix the wire rope 51; by rotating the adjusting screw 534, the worm wheel 535 is driven to rotate, and the wire rope 51 is wound up or released, thereby adjusting the preload.

[0032] Further, in one embodiment, in combination Figure 5 The guide wheel assembly 55 includes a guide wheel seat 551, a guide pulley 552 and a guide pulley support shaft 553; the guide pulley 552 is supported on the guide wheel seat 551 through the guide pulley support shaft 553 and can rotate around the guide pulley support shaft 553; three through holes are set at the bottom of the guide wheel seat 551, and the guide wheel seat 551 is fixed on the front support plate 4 through the through holes on both sides, and the wire rope 51 passes through the middle through hole and is wound around the guide pulley 552.

[0033] Further, in one embodiment, in combination Figure 6 The slide assembly 58 includes a slide base 581, a movable pulley shaft 582, a movable pulley 583, a ball screw nut 584 and a linear bearing 585; the ball screw nut 584 and the linear bearing 585 are directly fixed to the slide base 581 by screws, the movable pulley shaft 582 is fixed to the slide base 581 by a retaining ring, and passes through the movable pulley 583, so that the movable pulley 583 can only rotate around the movable pulley shaft 582; the slide base 581 is provided with two through holes below the movable pulley 583, and the wire rope 51 passes through one of the through holes, is wound around the movable pulley 583, and then passes through the other through hole.

[0034] The working process of the driving device is as follows: for a certain driving module 5, one end of the steel wire rope 51 is connected to the super redundant mechanical arm, and the other end passes through the front guide wheel frame 21 of the front guide assembly 2 and is wound around the front guide wheel 22, and then passes through the guide wheel seat 551 of the guide wheel assembly 55 and is wound around the guide pulley 552, and then passes through the slide base 581 of the slide assembly 58, passes through the movable pulley 583, and finally connects to the worm gear 535 of the fine adjustment assembly 53, and is fixed by the clamping screw 533. The tension of the steel wire rope 51 can be monitored by the tension sensor 52. If the pre-tightening requirement is not met, the rotating adjustment screw 534 of the fine adjustment assembly 53 is rotated, and the rotating adjustment screw 534 will drive the worm 532 to rotate, and then drive the worm gear 535 to rotate, so as to roll up or release the steel wire rope 51. There are 18 groups of such drive modules 5 (n=6). After the 18 groups of drive modules 5 are fine-tuned, the position of the current slide assembly 58 can be fed back through the absolute encoder 54. According to the control requirements of the super-redundant robot arm, the drive motor 512 of the corresponding module can be controlled to rotate, and the ball screw 57 is driven to rotate through the coupling 511. When the screw rotates, the ball screw nut 584 is subjected to force. The slide assembly 58 is guided by the optical axis 56 under the action of the linear bearing 585 and moves horizontally, thereby pulling the wire rope 51 to move, and finally controlling the movement of the super-redundant robot arm. By replacing the front guide assembly, the drive device can be compatible with super-redundant robot arm bodies of different diameters.

[0035] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the above embodiments and descriptions are only for explaining the principles of the present invention. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the present invention may have various changes and improvements, and these changes and improvements all fall within the scope of the present invention to be protected.

Claims

1. A driving device for a rope-driven super-redundant manipulator, characterized in that: The device comprises a front panel (1), a front guide assembly (2), a front panel connecting rod (3), a front support plate (4), a driving module (5), a front and rear support plate connecting rod (6), a rear support plate (7), a motor mounting plate connecting rod (8), a motor mounting plate (9), a rear panel connecting rod (10), a rear panel (11), and a bottom plate (12); the front panel (1), the front support plate (4), the rear support plate (7), the motor mounting plate (9), and the rear panel (11) are sequentially arranged in parallel, and one end of each panel is fixedly mounted on the bottom plate (12), and the other end is fixedly mounted on the bottom plate (12). The drive device frame is formed by connecting and fixing a plurality of front panel connecting rods (3), front and rear support plate connecting rods (6), motor mounting plate connecting rods (8) and rear panel connecting rods (10) in sequence; the multi-channel drive modules (5) are distributed in a circumference and evenly installed in the frame; the drive module (5) comprises a steel wire rope (51); the steel wire rope (51) is connected to the super-redundant mechanical arm through a front guide assembly (2) arranged on the front panel (1); the drive module (5) drives the super-redundant mechanical arm by changing the length of the steel wire rope (51) at the end of the super-redundant mechanical arm; Each driving module further comprises a tension sensor (52), a fine-tuning assembly (53), an absolute value encoder (54), a guide wheel assembly (55), an optical axis (56), a ball screw (57), a slide assembly (58), a screw support seat (59), an optical axis support seat (510), a coupling (511) and a driving motor (512); one side of the tension sensor (52) is fixed on the front panel (1), and the other side is fixedly connected to the fine-tuning assembly (53); the absolute value encoder (54) and the guide wheel assembly (55) are both mounted on the front support plate (4) on one side close to the front panel (1); one end of the ball screw (57) passes through a screw support seat (59) mounted on the front support plate (4) and is inserted into the absolute encoder (54); the other end passes through another screw support seat (59) mounted on the rear support plate (7) and is connected to one end of the coupling (511); the other end of the coupling (511) is connected to a driving device mounted on the motor mounting plate (9). The motor (512) is provided; the two ends of the optical axis (56) are respectively installed between the front support plate (4) and the rear support plate (7) through an optical axis support seat (510), and are parallel to the ball screw (57); the slide assembly (58) is installed on the optical axis (56) and the ball screw (57), and can move along the axial direction of the two; one end of the steel wire rope (51) is connected to the super redundant mechanical arm, and the other end passes through the front guide assembly (2) and the guide wheel assembly (55) in sequence, and then passes through the slide assembly The component (58) is passed through the component (58) in the reverse direction and finally connected to the fine-tuning component (53); the tension sensor (52) measures the tension of the wire rope (51), and loosens or tightens the wire rope (51) in combination with the fine-tuning component (53) to meet the pre-tightening requirement; under the action of the drive motor (512), the ball screw (57) rotates, driving the slide assembly (58) to translate along the optical axis (56), thereby controlling the change of the length of the wire rope (51) at the end of the super-redundant mechanical arm, and driving the super-redundant mechanical arm to move; The front guide assembly (2) comprises a front guide wheel frame (21), a front guide wheel (22) and a front guide wheel pressure plate (23); 3*n front guide wheels (22) are circumferentially mounted in wheel grooves of the front guide wheel frame (21) and fixed by a front guide wheel pressure plate (23) fixed on the front guide wheel frame (21), thereby limiting the displacement of the front guide wheel (22) so that it can only rotate; 3*n steel wire ropes are respectively wound around the 3*n front guide wheels (22) to achieve the guidance of the 3*n steel wire ropes (51), where n is the number of segments of the super redundant mechanical arm.

2. The driving device of the rope-driven super-redundant manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front guide assembly (2) can be replaced in size and specifications, so as to enable the drive device to be compatible with super-redundant mechanical arm bodies of different diameters.

3. The driving device of the rope-driven super-redundant manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of groups of the front panel connecting rods (3), the front and rear support plate connecting rods (6), the motor mounting plate connecting rods (8) and the rear panel connecting rods (10) is n.

4. The driving device of the rope-driven super-redundant manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fine-tuning assembly comprises a worm gear seat (531), a worm (532), a clamping screw (533), an adjusting screw (534), a worm gear (535) and a worm gear shaft (536); the worm gear (535) is mounted on a worm gear shaft (536) fixed in the worm gear seat (531); the worm gear (532) is fixed on two support seats on the worm gear seat (531) and is in contact with the worm gear (535); an adjusting screw (534) is arranged at one end of the worm gear (532); the clamping screw (533) is tightened on the worm gear (535) to fix the wire rope (51); by rotating the adjusting screw (534), the worm gear (535) is driven to rotate, and the wire rope (51) is wound up or released, thereby adjusting the preload force.

5. The driving device of the rope-driven super-redundant manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide wheel assembly (55) comprises a guide wheel seat (551), a guide pulley (552) and a guide pulley support shaft (553); the guide pulley (552) is supported on the guide wheel seat (551) through the guide pulley support shaft (553) and can rotate around the guide pulley support shaft (553); three through holes are arranged at the bottom of the guide wheel seat (551), wherein the guide wheel seat (551) is fixed to the front support plate (4) through the through holes on both sides, and the steel wire rope (51) passes through the middle through hole and is wound around the guide pulley (552).

6. The driving device of the rope-driven super-redundant manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slide assembly (58) comprises a slide base (581), a movable pulley shaft (582), a movable pulley (583), a ball screw nut (584) and a linear bearing (585); the ball screw nut (584) and the linear bearing (585) are directly fixed to the slide base (581) by screws, the movable pulley shaft (582) is fixed to the slide base (581) by a retaining ring, and passes through the movable pulley (583), so that the movable pulley (583) can only rotate around the movable pulley shaft (582); the slide base (581) is provided with two through holes below the movable pulley (583), and the steel wire rope (51) passes through one of the through holes, is wound around the movable pulley (583), and then passes through the other through hole.

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