Walking device and method combining bionic force-increasing crawler and low-disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy substrate

Abstract

The present invention relates to a walking device combining a bionic force-increasing crawler and a low-disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy substrates, comprising: a skateboard device; and two sets of crawler devices arranged on both sides thereof; the crawler device includes a lightweight frame composed of rods, and two sets of sprocket devices are fixed on both sides of the lightweight frame; the sprocket device includes a double-headed sprocket at the front and the back respectively, and two parallel chains are fixed on the double-headed sprockets at the front and the back respectively, and a plurality of bionic crawler teeth are fixedly spaced between the two parallel chains; so that: the interior of the entire crawler device is a hollow lightweight structure; the skateboard device includes a mud sled plate and an infinitely variable lifting device; the body of the infinitely variable lifting device is fixedly integrated with the lightweight frames on both sides, and its ejector rod is connected downward to the mud sled plate, and by pushing the mud sled plate downward, the crawler device can be lifted upward.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a deep - sea crawler ore collector, and particularly to a traveling device combining a bionic force - increasing crawler and a low - disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy seabed, belonging to the technical field of deep - sea ore collection. Background Art

[0002] As an important part of the deep - sea mining system, the ore collector directly acts on the soft and muddy seabed soil, which is a key factor determining the stability of the ore collection process and sediment disturbance. Due to the low shear strength and obvious rheological properties of deep - sea sediments, it is easy for the crawler to slip, resulting in a reduction in the traction force of the crawler and endangering the working efficiency of the ore collector. Moreover, the physical and mechanical properties of deep - sea sediments vary greatly in different regions. It is an urgent need in deep - sea ore collection engineering to study an ore collector that can walk stably on different soft and muddy seabed soils.

[0003] Chinese patent document CN217151936U (publication date: August 9, 2022) discloses a hydraulic - mechanical composite ore collector for polymetallic nodules, which includes components such as a mobile chassis, a crushing mechanism, an ore collection device, a rotating mechanism, a robotic arm, and an ore collection cabin. Although the device has a compact structure, the mechanical ore collection head causes great disturbance to the environment.

[0004] Chinese patent document CN114620209B (publication date: December 23, 2022) discloses an ore collection device and method capable of adapting to multi - terrain work and improving walking conditions, which consists of a crawler - type ore collector, outer crawler plates, a plurality of telescopic devices, and a driving device. Although the device can use water flow to clean the sediments adhering in the crawler gaps, the additional hydraulic and telescopic devices bring greater self - weight to the ore collector, and the final result may be uneconomical, leading to slow walking or even stopping.

[0005] Chinese patent document CN112127893A (publication date: December 25, 2020) discloses a deep - sea self - propelled suspended ore collection machine, which mainly consists of a floating body, a collection device, and a navigation and control system. The device adopts a suspended box structure, which reduces the disturbance to the soil during ore collection. However, as ore particles are continuously collected into the floating body, the buoyancy cannot balance the load, resulting in insufficient collection capacity. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a traveling device combining a bionic force - increasing crawler and a low - disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy seabed, solve the engineering practical problems such as large self - weight, unstable walking, weak terrain adaptability, poor economic efficiency, and large environmental disturbance existing in the prior art solutions, and propose an ore collection device that can adapt to walking on complex terrains, reduce disturbance, and walk efficiently.

[0007] The present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] A walking device combining a bionic force - increasing crawler and a low - disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy substrates, comprising: a skateboard device 2; two sets of crawler devices 1 provided on both sides thereof; the crawler device 1 includes a lightweight frame 7 composed of rods, and two sets of sprocket devices are fixed on both sides of the lightweight frame 7; the sprocket device includes a double - headed sprocket at the front and the back respectively, and two parallel chains 5 are fixed on the double - headed sprockets at the front and the back respectively, and a plurality of bionic crawler teeth 4 are fixedly spaced between the two parallel chains 5; such that: the entire interior of the crawler device 1 is a hollow lightweight structure; the skateboard device 2 includes a mud sled plate 9 and an infinitely variable lifting device 3; the body of the infinitely variable lifting device 3 is integrally fixed with the lightweight frames 7 on both sides, and its lifting rod is connected downward to the mud sled plate 9, and by pushing the mud sled plate 9 downward, the crawler device 1 can be lifted upward.

[0009] Preferably, the skateboard device 2 further includes an upper bottom plate 15, a lower bottom plate 11, and a sliding lead screw 10. The lower end of the lower bottom plate 11 is fixedly connected to the mud sled plate 9, and the upper end is fixedly connected to the upper bottom plate 15 through the sliding lead screw 10, and the upper bottom plate 15 is fixedly connected to the lightweight frames 7 on both sides thereof.

[0010] Preferably, one of the double - headed sprockets at the front and the back is a driving wheel 8.

[0011] Preferably, a set of parallel idler wheels 6 is also fixedly provided at the lower part of the lightweight frame 7.

[0012] Preferably, the infinitely variable lifting device 3 includes a waterproof motor I 12; the infinitely variable lifting device 3 is powered by the waterproof motor I 12, drives eight sliding lead screws 10 to expand and contract, and further controls the distance between the upper bottom plate 15 and the lower bottom plate 11 to realize the lifting function of the mud sled plate 9.

[0013] Preferably, the front end of the skateboard device 2 should be flush with the front end of the bottom of the lightweight frame 7.

[0014] Preferably, the structure between the bionic crawler teeth 4 and the chain is detachable.

[0015] Preferably, the bionic crawler teeth 4 are composed of a straight - plate part at the root and an arc - shaped part at the end, and the arc - shaped part bends backward.

[0016] A walking method combining a bionic force - increasing crawler and a low - disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy substrates, using the above - mentioned walking device combining a bionic force - increasing crawler and a low - disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy substrates;

[0017] When the ore collector is traveling under a downhill or flat - bottom working condition, the mud sled plate 9 is lowered through the infinitely variable lifting device 3, and the lowering height satisfies the condition that the crawler device 1 is lifted off the ground; at this time, all power is provided by the self - weight of the ore collector and the thruster;

[0018] When the ore collector is traveling on an uphill or slippery section, the mud skid plate 9 rises through the stepless lifting device 3, and the rising height meets the requirement that the mud skid plate 9 is in close contact with the ground. At this time, all the power is provided by the bionic tooth for earth pushing and the thruster;

[0019] When the ore collector is already in a working condition of slipping or even sinking, the mud skid plate 9 is pressed down through the stepless lifting device 3 to raise the height of the crawler device 1. Through the action of the teeth for earth pushing and the thruster, the effect of self-rescue from entrapment is achieved.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0021] 1) [Maintain the walking stability and low disturbance of the ore collector]: On the one hand, based on the bionics principle, a bionic force-increasing tooth for the crawler is designed. The theoretical, experimental and simulation results show that this structure can provide greater traction force for the crawler to prevent the ore collector from slipping and sinking. On the other hand, the lightweight hollow crawler design can effectively prevent sediments from adhering to the crawler while reducing the self-weight of the crawler vehicle, further improving the phenomenon of insufficient traction force and effectively reducing the disturbance to the sediments.

[0022] 2) [Improve the all-terrain adaptability of the ore collector]: Fully considering the influence of the bottom boundaries of different regions and terrains on the ore collector, a walking mode of free switching between the skateboard and the crawler is proposed. When on flat ground or downhill, a low-resistance skateboard and thruster power combination is adopted. When going uphill or in an area prone to subsidence, it advances by the traction force generated by the bionic force-increasing teeth for earth pushing. When the ore collector is already in a sunken state, the lifting function of the skateboard can be used to lift the whole ore collector to achieve the function of self-rescue from entrapment. The present invention can help the ore collector adapt to the complex terrain environment of the seabed during ore collection work. Description of the Drawings

[0023] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional view of the walking device of the present invention combining the bionic force-increasing crawler and the low-disturbance skateboard for soft bottom sediments.

[0024] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the crawler device in

[0025] Figure 3 is Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the skateboard device and the stepless lifting device in

[0026] In the figure, 1. Crawler device, 2. Skateboard device, 3. Stepless lifting device, 4. Bionic teeth, 5. Chain, 6. Idler wheel, 7. Lightweight frame, 8. Driving wheel, 9. Mud skid plate, 10. Sliding lead screw, 11. Lower bottom plate, 12. Waterproof motor I, 13. Waterproof motor II, 14. Worm and worm gear reducer, 15. Upper bottom plate. Detailed Embodiment

[0027] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0028] See Figures 1-3 , the present invention is based on bionic design, extracts the geometric morphology of the surface of the buffalo hoof, and optimizes the design of the crawler. Theoretical and simulation results show that the bionic crawler has higher traction than the straight crawler, can effectively improve the traction of the ore collector, and prevent it from slipping and sinking.

[0029] Based on the above bionic design crawler, the present invention utilizes the low friction characteristic between the skateboard and the mud, and installs a lifting device, which can switch the walking mode at will according to the terrain. When going downhill, the sliding plate descends, lifting the crawler off the ground, and moving forward by sliding on the skateboard; when going uphill or on flat ground, combined with the greater traction provided by the lightweight bionic crawler and the thruster, moving forward steadily, providing a solution for walking in complex terrains during deep-sea ore collection.

[0030] Based on the idea of lightweight, the present invention designs a hollow crawler plate. By hollowing out a large amount of metal structures between the crawlers, not only the load is reduced, the disturbance to the sediment is reduced, but also the risk of sediment adhesion in the crawler gaps is greatly reduced.

[0031] I. Overall introduction:

[0032] As Figures 1-3 shown, a walking method combining a bionic force-increasing crawler and a low-disturbance skateboard for soft bottom sediments mainly consists of three parts: a crawler device 1, a skateboard device 2, and an infinitely variable lifting device 3.

[0033] Among them, the crawler device 1 is composed of bionic crawler teeth 4, a chain 5, idler wheels 6, a lightweight frame 7, a driving wheel 8, etc.

[0034] The skateboard device 2 is composed of a mud sled plate 9, a sliding lead screw 10, a lower bottom plate 11, an upper bottom plate 15, etc.

[0035] The infinitely variable lifting device 3 is composed of a waterproof motor I 12, a waterproof motor II 13, a worm and worm gear reducer 14, etc.

[0036] II. Introduction to the crawler part:

[0037] The crawler device 1 is powered by the waterproof motor II 13. The worm and worm gear reducer 14 rotates the driving wheel 8 to realize the periodic movement of the chain 5, and then drives the bionic crawler teeth 4 arranged at certain intervals on the chain 5 to move forward, realizing the overall walking effect of the ore collector.

[0038] A hollow design is adopted between the two chains 5 of the crawler device 1 on the same side, greatly reducing the self-weight of the ore collector.

[0039] The bionic track teeth 4 and the chain adopt a detachable design, which is convenient for replacing the worn parts after the ore collection operation is completed.

[0040] The bionic track teeth 4 are composed of a straight plate part with a length of L and an arc part with a radius of R. The direction of the arc bends backward. According to theoretical, experimental and simulation results, such a structure can bring greater traction to the ore collector.

[0041] The idler wheels 6 and the drive wheel 8 are connected by a high-strength and low-weight frame 7 to maintain the overall strength, stiffness and stability.

[0042] III. Introduction to the lifting device part:

[0043] The stepless lifting device 3 is powered by a waterproof motor I12, which drives eight sliding lead screws 10 to expand and contract, thereby controlling the distance between the upper bottom plate 15 and the lower bottom plate 11, and realizing the lifting function of the mud skid plate 9.

[0044] To prevent different grounding centers of gravity from resulting in different eccentric distances when the mud skid plate 9 slides and the crawler travels, the front end of the skateboard device 2 should be flush with the front end of the bottom of the frame 7.

[0045] When the ore collector is traveling on a downhill or flat ground condition, the mud skid plate 9 is lowered by the stepless lifting device 3, and the lowering height should be such that the crawler device 1 is lifted off the ground, and all the power is provided by the self-gravity of the ore collector and the thruster.

[0046] When the ore collector is traveling on an uphill or slippery section, the mud skid plate 9 is raised by the stepless lifting device 3, and the raising height should be such that the mud skid plate 9 is in contact with the ground, as much as possible increasing the grounding area of the ore collector and reducing slipping and sinking. At this time, all the power is provided by the bionic track teeth 4 for earth pushing and the thruster.

[0047] When the ore collector is already in a condition of slipping or even sinking, the mud skid plate 9 is pressed down by the stepless lifting device 3 to raise the height of the fuselage, and through the action of the track teeth for earth pushing and the thruster, the effect of self-rescue from entrapment is achieved.

[0048] Generally speaking, the present invention has the following two innovative design points:

[0049] 1) Maintaining the walking stability and low disturbance of the ore collector:

[0050] During previous sea trial operations, the collector dredge encountered problems such as slipping and even subsidence, which seriously affected the mining efficiency. The adhesion force of the soil on the collector dredge even caused difficulties in recovering the collector dredge. To solve this problem, on the one hand, based on the bionics principle, the present invention designs a bionic force-increasing tread tooth. Theoretical, experimental, and simulation results show that this structure can provide greater traction for the crawler and prevent the collector dredge from slipping and subsiding. On the other hand, the lightweight hollow crawler design can effectively prevent sediments from adhering to the crawler while reducing the self-weight of the crawler vehicle, further improving the problem of insufficient traction and effectively reducing the disturbance to the sediments.

[0051] 2) Improve the all-terrain adaptability of the collector dredge:

[0052] Previous studies have shown that the physical parameters and mechanical properties of deep-sea sediments in different regions vary significantly, and there is a certain slope on the seabed of the mining area, which has increased the difficulty of developing the collector dredge. To solve this problem, the present invention fully considers the influence of the bottom boundaries of different regions and terrains on the collector dredge, and proposes a walking mode of switching between a skateboard and a crawler. When on flat ground or going downhill, a low-resistance skateboard and thruster power combination is used. When going uphill or in areas prone to subsidence, the collector dredge advances using the traction generated by the bionic force-increasing tread teeth to push the soil. When the collector dredge is already in a subsidence state, the lifting function of the skateboard can be used to lift the entire collector dredge to achieve the function of self-rescue from entrapment. The present invention can help the collector dredge adapt to the complex seabed terrain environment during the ore collection operation.

[0053] The above are the preferred embodiments of the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art can also make various transformations or improvements based on this. Without departing from the general concept of the present invention, these transformations or improvements should fall within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

Claims

1. A walking device combining a bionic force - increasing crawler and a low - disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy substrates, characterized in that: It includes: A skateboard device (2); two sets of crawler devices (1) arranged on both sides thereof; The crawler device (1) includes a light - weight frame (7) composed of rods, and two sets of sprocket devices are fixed on both sides of the light - weight frame (7); the sprocket device includes a double - headed sprocket at the front and back respectively, and two parallel chains (5) are fixed on the double - headed sprockets at the front and back respectively, and a plurality of bionic crawler teeth (4) are fixedly spaced between the two parallel chains (5); so that: the interior of the entire crawler device (1) is a hollow light - weight structure; The skateboard device (2) includes a mud sled plate (9) and an infinitely variable lifting device (3); the body of the infinitely variable lifting device (3) is fixedly integrated with the light - weight frames (7) on both sides, and its lifting rod is connected downward to the mud sled plate (9), and the mud sled plate (9) can be pushed downward to lift the crawler device (1) upward.

2. The walking device combining a bionic force-increasing crawler and a low-disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy substrates according to claim 1, characterized in that: The skateboard device (2) further includes an upper bottom plate (15), a lower bottom plate (11), and a sliding lead screw (10). The lower end of the lower bottom plate (11) is fixedly connected to the mud sled plate (9), and the upper end is fixedly connected to the upper bottom plate (15) through the sliding lead screw (10), and the upper bottom plate (15) is fixedly connected to the light - weight frames (7) on both sides thereof.

3. The walking device combining the bionic force-increasing crawler and the low-disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy substrates as claimed in claim 1, wherein: One of the double - headed sprockets at the front and back is a driving wheel (8).

4. The walking device combining the bionic force-increasing crawler and the low-disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy substrates as claimed in claim 1, wherein: A set of parallel idler wheels (6) is also fixedly provided at the lower part of the light - weight frame (7).

5. The walking device combining the bionic force-increasing crawler and the low-disturbance skateboard for soft bottom soil, characterized in that: The infinitely variable lifting device (3) includes a waterproof motor I (12); the infinitely variable lifting device (3) is powered by the waterproof motor I (12) to drive the eight sliding lead screws (10) to expand and contract, thereby controlling the distance between the upper bottom plate (15) and the lower bottom plate (11) to realize the lifting function of the mud sled plate (9).

6. The walking device combining the bionic force-increasing crawler and the low-disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy substrates according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front end of the skateboard device (2) should be flush with the front end of the bottom of the light - weight frame (7).

7. The walking device combining a bionic force-increasing crawler and a low-disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy substrates according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structure between the bionic crawler teeth (4) and the chain is detachable.

8. The walking device combining a bionic force-increasing crawler and a low-disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy substrates according to claim 1, wherein: The bionic crawler teeth (4) are composed of a straight - plate part at the root and an arc - shaped part at the end, and the arc - shaped part bends backward.

9. A walking method combining a bionic force-increasing crawler and a low-disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy substrates, characterized in that: Adopt the walking device combining a bionic force - increasing crawler and a low - disturbance skateboard for soft and muddy substrates according to any one of claims 1 - 8; When the ore collector is traveling on a downhill or flat - bottom working condition, the mud sled plate (9) is lowered through the infinitely variable lifting device (3), and the lowering height satisfies the condition that the crawler device (1) is lifted off the ground; at this time, all power is provided by the self - weight of the ore collector and the thruster; When the ore collector is traveling on an uphill or slippery section, the mud sled plate (9) is raised through the infinitely variable lifting device (3), and the raising height satisfies the condition that the mud sled plate (9) is in contact with the ground; at this time, all power is provided by the bionic crawler teeth (4) for pushing soil and the thruster; When the ore collector is in a working condition of slipping or even sinking, the mud sled plate (9) is pressed downward through the infinitely variable lifting device (3) to raise the height of the crawler device (1), and through the action of the crawler teeth for pushing soil and the thruster, the effect of self - rescue from trouble is achieved.

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