A load pneumatic detection arm based on paper folding bending structure

Abstract

The application discloses a load pneumatic detection arm based on a paper folding bending structure, which comprises a paper folding bending structure and an inflation system; the inflation system inflates the inner cavity of the paper folding bending structure to make the paper folding bending structure unfold, and the paper folding bending structure is contracted by inhaling the inner cavity, so that the bending telescopic drive instead of the axial telescopic drive can be realized; the material of the paper folding bending structure is a multilayer composite material, and the material is sequentially composed of an air-tight layer, a main structure layer and an elastic layer from inside to outside; the detection arm further comprises upper and lower two supporting inclined beams which are connected through springs and hinges, are used for elastic shock absorption, and are used for maintaining the stability of the paper folding bending structure in the folding and unfolding process and realizing the bearing of heavy objects in the case of bending and unfolding of the paper folding detection arm. The load pneumatic detection arm based on the paper folding bending structure has the advantages of simple operation mode, certain load bearing capacity, low power consumption and development cost.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of aerospace and satellite detection technology, and particularly relates to a load aerodynamic detection arm based on a paper folding bending structure. BACKGROUND

[0002] In recent years, robot technology has become a key technology in the field of aerospace and satellites. It integrates mechanical, electronic, computer, material, sensor, control technology and artificial intelligence, and reflects the intelligent and automated research level of a country. At the same time, it is also an important symbol of the high-tech strength of a country. Developed countries have successively invested huge amounts of money in this field for research.

[0003] Currently, robots applied to aerospace and satellite detection include crawling robots and wheeled robots with cameras mounted on the body. The crawling robot has problems such as complex operation and poor environmental adaptability. The camera of the wheeled robot cannot accurately reach the detection point of the parts inside the aerospace machine that need to be detected. Compared with traditional robots, the load aerodynamic detection arm based on a paper folding bending structure that can be used for detecting aerospace and satellites and can adapt to narrow and complex environments can be installed on the top of the wheeled robot to enter the machine inside for accurate positioning detection, has a simple operation mode, a certain load-to-weight ratio, low power consumption and development cost, and certain positioning ability. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to improve the problem that the traditional wheeled robot with a camera cannot flexibly deliver the camera to the part detection point for detection. A load aerodynamic detection arm based on a paper folding bending structure is provided, which can be installed on the top of the wheeled robot and can follow the wheeled robot to enter the inside of large parts such as aerospace and satellites for detection of key parts such as blades. The connection part of the load aerodynamic detection arm based on a paper folding bending structure and the wheeled robot can increase a steering engine to improve its degree of freedom, so that the detection arm is more flexible and can efficiently and accurately complete the detection task.

[0005] The technical scheme adopted by the present application is as follows:

[0006] A load aerodynamic detection arm based on a paper folding bending structure, characterized in that the detection arm comprises a paper folding bending structure and an inflation system; the inflation system inflates the inner cavity of the paper folding bending structure to drive it to unfold, and the paper folding bending structure is folded to the initial state by means of negative pressure generated by inhaling from the inner cavity, so as to realize repeatable folding and unfolding drive.

[0007] Preferably, the material of the paper folding bending structure is a multi-layer composite material, which comprises, from inside to outside, an airtight layer, a main structure layer and an elastic layer.

[0008] Preferably, the detecting arm further comprises an upper end cover plate, a gyroscope sensor, a battery, a lower end cover plate, an upper support inclined beam, a lower support inclined beam and an air inlet.

[0009] Preferably, the upper end cover plate is fixed with the gyroscope sensor and the battery, the gyroscope sensor is used to monitor the bending angle of the origami bending structure in real time when the origami bending structure is inflated, and the battery is used to power the gyroscope sensor.

[0010] Preferably, the lower end cover plate is provided with the air inlet connected with the inflation system, and the upper end cover plate is closed.

[0011] Preferably, the inner sides of the upper and lower end cover plates are connected with the two ends of the origami bending structure respectively, and the outer sides of the upper and lower end cover plates are connected with the upper and lower support inclined beams respectively, the two support inclined beams are connected by springs and hinges in combination, the springs play the role of elastic shock absorption to maintain the stability of the origami bending structure in the folding and unfolding bending process, and the support inclined beams play the role of supporting the whole mechanism and the load.

[0012] Preferably, the two support inclined beams are made of polyester sheet.

[0013] Preferably, the main structure layer is made of corrugated plastic plate.

[0014] Preferably, the air-tight layer is made of kapton plastic film.

[0015] Preferably, the elastic layer is made of silicone rubber.

[0016] Preferably, the origami bending structure comprises a triangular face and a quadrilateral face, and can realize bending and stretching movement rather than axial stretching and contraction movement.

[0017] Preferably, the upper end cover plate is fixed with the gyroscope sensor and the battery, the gyroscope sensor is used to monitor the bending angle of the origami bending structure in real time when the origami bending structure is inflated, and the battery is used to power the gyroscope sensor, the origami bending structure can reach the required bending angle by adjusting the air pressure supplied by the inflation system in real time.

[0018] Preferably, the origami bending structure has a 120° opening and closing angle when fully unfolded.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present application are:

[0020] The present application adopts a load pneumatic detecting arm based on the origami bending structure, which has a higher folding rate and a small volume in the folded state compared with the traditional rigid mechanical arm.

[0021] The load pneumatic detection arm based on the origami bending structure adopts a gas driving inflation system to inflate and unfold the origami bending structure through the air inlet, and can be folded to the initial state after inhaling, so that repeated folding and unfolding driving can be realized, and good fatigue resistance is achieved.

[0022] The load pneumatic detection arm based on the origami bending structure adopts upper and lower support inclined beams, and the two support inclined beams are connected by spring hinges for elastic damping to keep the driver stable during folding and unfolding, and the two support inclined beams are folded and unfolded with the detection arm, so that the size of the detection arm during folding is not affected, and the support inclined beams play a certain supporting role during unfolding of the detection arm, can carry objects within 2 kg, and can install a camera, a laser transceiver and other functional objects at the top end of the detection arm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 is a folding structure schematic diagram of a load pneumatic detection arm based on an origami bending structure;

[0024] Figure 2 is an unfolding structure schematic diagram of a load pneumatic detection arm based on an origami bending structure;

[0025] Figure 3 is a multi-layer composite material structure schematic diagram of the origami bending structure driver;

[0026] Figure 4 is an upper and lower end cover plate schematic diagram;

[0027] Fig. 5(a), Fig. 5(b) is an upper and lower support inclined beam structure schematic diagram;

[0028] Figure 6 is a structure schematic diagram of the upper and lower two support inclined beams when folding;

[0029] Figure 7 is a structure schematic diagram of the upper and lower two support inclined beams when unfolding;

[0030] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the origami bending structure limiting the maximum unfolding angle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following will be combined with the drawings Figures 1 to 8Further explanation of the solutions of the present application is given. It should be noted that the embodiments in the present application and the technical features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict. It should be noted that all the technical and scientific terms used in the present application have the same meaning as that generally understood by the ordinary skilled in the art to which the present application belongs. The present application discloses that the "including" or "containing" and similar words mean that the elements or objects before the words cover the elements or objects listed after the words and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1 , the unfolding structure of a load aerodynamic detection arm based on a paper folding bending structure of the present application is as follows: including a paper folding bending structure 1, an upper end cover plate 2, a gyroscope sensor 21, a battery 22, a lower end cover plate 3, an upper support inclined beam 4, a lower support inclined beam 5, an air inlet 6 and an inflation system.

[0033] The paper folding bending structure 1 is composed of triangular faces and quadrilateral faces of the same size and shape. The skirt of the paper folding structure is composed of multiple quadrilaterals, and the rest is composed of multiple triangles. The two ends thereof are connected with the upper end cover plate 2 and the lower end cover plate 3 by glue, and are sealed and fixed. The air inlet 6 provided on the lower end cover plate 3 is inflated by the inflation system, and the gas enters the inner cavity of the paper folding bending structure 1 to drive the paper folding bending structure to unfold, so as to realize bending expansion drive rather than axial expansion drive. The material of the paper folding bending structure is a multi-layer composite material, which ensures the air tightness when the inflation system inflates the inner cavity of the paper folding bending structure. The upper and lower end cover plates 2 and 3 are connected with two upper and lower support inclined beams 4 and 5 of the same size and shape by glue, respectively. The two support inclined beams are connected in a combination of spring and hinge. The spring plays a role of elastic shock absorption to maintain the stability of the paper folding bending structure in the folding and unfolding bending process. The support inclined beams play a role of supporting the entire mechanism and the load, as shown in Figure 2 .

[0034] Further, the maximum angle of the paper folding bending structure when it is completely bent and unfolded is determined by the number of triangular faces and quadrilateral faces it is composed of, as shown in Figure 8If the number of triangular and quadrilateral faces is reduced, for example, the dotted line 2, the angle of the paper folding bending structure is 90°. If it is further reduced, for example, the dotted line 3, the angle reaches 60°, and if it is further reduced, the angle will continue to change; if the number is increased, the angle will also change. In practical application, it can be adjusted according to the engineering needs. Specifically, it can be adjusted according to the maximum angle between the target detection surface and the horizontal surface. For example, the damage detection of the aero-engine blade, the surface of which is perpendicular to the ground, so the bending angle needs to be controlled to 90° by the inflation system, at this time the mirror surface of the camera is parallel to the aero-engine blade (the camera is placed horizontally on the upper end cover plate, and the flat camera is selected when the camera is selected, so that the vertical size can be minimized, of course, it can also not be selected. In addition to this effect, the camera can also change the angle with the change of the bending angle of the paper folding bending detection arm).

[0035] It should be noted that the number of triangular and quadrilateral faces is increased or reduced, the angle of the paper folding bending structure will change, the angle change here refers to the angle between the upper end cover plate and the horizontal surface when the paper folding bending structure is fully expanded, which is equivalent to a starting angle. And this angle can also be determined by the air pressure in the inflation system leading to the inside of the paper folding bending structure, that is, the paper folding bending structure has not reached the maximum expansion condition, at this time the angle between the upper end cover plate and the horizontal surface will change.

[0036] The role of the gyroscope is that when the inflation system injects gas into the inside of the paper folding bending structure, the internal air pressure increases, and the paper folding bending structure begins to bend and expand. When it expands to a certain extent (not the maximum extent), the gyroscope sensor measures the angle of the upper end cover plate at this time, which is the required angle, and the inflation system maintains the air pressure at this time and no longer injects gas into the inside of the paper folding bending structure, but maintains this state. Figure 3 As shown, the multi-layer composite material structure is sequentially from inside to outside airtight layer, main structure layer and elastic layer. The airtight layer can be selected to be a foldable film material Kapton suitable for space conditions, which has outstanding fatigue resistance, radiation resistance, airtightness and chemical stability. When the inflation system inflates the inside of the paper folding bending structure, the airtight layer prevents the leakage of the gas in the structure and maintains the air pressure.

[0037] The main body structure layer and the air-tight layer are bonded by adhesive, which serves as the main framework of the origami bending structure driver, improves the strength and rigidity of the structure, bears the pressure load generated in the inner cavity of the inflated origami bending structure, and limits the excessive expansion of the main body structure. The polyester sheet has excellent mechanical properties, heat resistance, oil resistance and chemical resistance, and high reliability, and is one of the selectable materials for the main body structure layer.

[0038] The elastic layer, as the outermost layer, is bonded with the main body structure layer by adhesive, which can make the pneumatic bending origami probe arm have elasticity. This part can use silicone rubber material, which has good aging resistance, shear resistance, electrical insulation and shock absorption capacity, and is used to buffer or eliminate local vibration or impact generated during the expansion and contraction of the origami bending structure, thereby enhancing the stability and durability of the probe arm.

[0039] In an embodiment, the origami bending structure 1 is driven to expand by being inflated in the inner cavity through the inflation system, and is folded to the initial state by generating negative pressure in the inner cavity through air suction, so as to realize the repeated folding and expanding motion, and the highest expansion operation frequency is 0.5 Hz.

[0040] In an embodiment, the upper end cover plate 2 and the lower end cover plate 3 are both flanges, the lower end cover plate 3 is provided with an air inlet 6 and connected with the inflation system, the upper end cover plate 2 is closed, and the surface of the upper end cover plate 2 is connected with a gyroscope sensor 21 and a battery 22. The gyroscope sensor 21 is used to monitor the bending angle of the origami bending structure 1 in real time, and the bending angle during the bending and expanding process of the origami bending structure 1 can be adjusted by artificially adjusting the air pressure supplied by the inflation system to meet the needs of people. The battery 22 is used to supply power to the gyroscope sensor 21 to make it work normally. The upper and lower end cover plates are bonded and sealed with the two ends of the origami bending structure 1 by glue, and the whole sealed cavity can withstand 1.5 standard atmospheres, such as Figure 4 The gyroscope sensor 21 and the battery 22 are arranged on the inner lower part of the upper end cover plate 2. This arrangement mainly considers saving space, because the top needs to carry a camera and other objects, and needs to provide as much space as possible for carrying. If placed on the top, the top space may be reduced, and the camera and other objects cannot be installed properly and well. Moreover, since a wire needs to be connected between the battery and the gyroscope, the gyroscope and the battery can only be installed on one side of the movable cover plate, which is the upper end cover plate 2 in this case, so as to detect the pose and other information of the origami bending structure. Because the lower end cover plate 3 is fixed, it cannot be installed on the lower end cover plate 3.

[0041] In an embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5(a), the upper support inclined beam 4 comprises a first bottom plate 41, a first side wall 42, a first middle hole 43, and a first notch 44. The first bottom plate 41 is preferably rectangular, and the first notch 44 is preferably rectangular and arranged at the short side of the rectangle, particularly at the center of the short side, and extends inward from the side along the direction of the long side. The length of the first notch 44 can be determined according to the pre-tightening force generated by the spring when stretched. If the length of the notch is too long, the spring will be permanently deformed (plastic deformation) when stretched, which will lose the original elasticity and the deformation reset function. If the length of the notch is too small, the spring will not be stretched to the desired position, and the elastic shock absorption will not be able to maintain the stability of the origami bending structure during the folding and unfolding process. The first middle hole 43 is arranged at the top end of the inner side of the first notch 44, and has a certain distance from the first notch 44. The distance only needs to be enough for the hook of the spring to have enough space to fix, and the shape of the middle hole can be changed arbitrarily. The first side wall 42 is arranged on the same side of the first notch 44 and extends upward from the side along the direction of the long side. The side wall has two functions. First, the support inclined beam itself is unstable when fully unfolded (i.e., at 180°) without the side wall. Second, for the origami bending structure, the side wall can stabilize the support inclined beam during the support process and has a certain limiting function. If there is no side wall, the support inclined beam may be over-unfolded (more than 180°), which will not be able to support. In addition, the height of the side wall is arbitrary and does not need to be too high, because too high will increase the mass.

[0042] In an embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5(b), the lower support inclined beam 5 comprises a second bottom plate 51, a second side wall 52, a second middle hole 53, and a second notch 54. The lower support inclined beam 5 has the same structure as the upper support inclined beam 4.

[0043] In an embodiment, the upper and lower support inclined beams 4 and 5 are connected between the upper and lower cover plates 2 and 3, respectively, and are connected by hinges and springs between the two support inclined beams, as shown in Fig. 6. Figure 6 The ends of the springs are fixed between the notches and middle holes of the two support inclined beams, and the hinges are arranged between the notches of the two support inclined beams. The length of the hinge is only required to be able to be arranged between the two support inclined beams. The hinge connection can satisfy the foldability between the two support inclined beams, and the spring connection is used for elastic shock absorption to maintain the stability of the origami bending structure during the folding and unfolding process. The two support inclined beams follow the origami bending structure 1 to unfold from the initial angle of V shape to a straight line state, which can realize the support function of resisting tension, compression, and lateral torsion.

[0044] It needs to be further explained that the preferred support inclined beam bending angle is between 90°-180°, which plays a supporting role, and the lower limit and minimum angle mainly depend on the downward gravity of the camera and other objects carried by the upper end cover plate of the origami bending structure in the unfolding process, which can make the support inclined beam play a supporting role. The reason mainly lies in the gyroscope sensor, which can control the inflation amount of the inflation system, so that the origami bending structure can theoretically bend at any angle, for example, 0-120°, between which the minimum angle is combined with the minimum angle of the support inclined beam when it plays a supporting role. The existence of the support inclined beam enables the origami bending structure to bear a certain load during bending and unfolding. Because if the origami bending structure is unfolded at the beginning with a small bending angle, the support force at this time is mainly borne by the bending structure itself, and as the bending angle increases, the gravity of the load begins to be borne by the support inclined beam. Further, the connection between the upper and lower end cover plates and the upper and lower support inclined beams is not always fixed, that is, connected by glue to achieve a fixed state. If the upper end cover plate and the upper support inclined beam are connected by glue (fixed), and the lower end cover plate and the lower support inclined beam are also connected by glue (fixed), a dead point position will be generated. The dead point position means that the mechanism cannot continue to move after moving to the dead point position, and the origami bending structure cannot continue to bend and unfold, and is stuck, so it lacks freedom. In order to meet the certain supporting role of the support inclined beam and eliminate the dead point position, the present application adopts the mode of one end fixed and the other end hinged to increase the degree of freedom, that is, one end is connected by glue and the other end is connected by a hinge, which can avoid the stuck state, as shown in Figure 2 If both ends are hinged, it cannot play a supporting role. One end fixed and the other end hinged can play a supporting role and avoid being stuck.

[0045] Specifically, the present application selects the fixed connection (glue connection) between the upper end cover plate and the upper support inclined beam, and the hinged connection (hinge connection) between the lower end cover plate and the lower support inclined beam, as shown in Figure 2 The reason is as follows: if the fixed connection is at the lower end, it cannot move according to the original unfolding and folding path of the origami bending structure itself, and if the fixed connection is at the upper end, it can move according to the original unfolding and folding path of the origami bending structure itself.

[0046] In an embodiment, the two support inclined beams 4, 5 can be made of polyester sheet material, which can provide certain structural strength and rigidity.

[0047] In an embodiment, the main structure layer, the air-tight layer and the elastic layer in the multi-layer composite material can be connected by resin-based glue.

[0048] The origami bending structure-based load aerodynamic detection arm disclosed in the present application has the advantages of simple operation mode, certain load capacity, low power consumption and low development cost.

[0049] Specifically, the simple operation mode: the application adopts a single driver to drive, and the folding and unfolding of the origami structure are driven by gas, and the application can realize the unfolding of the origami structure while bending 120° opening and closing angle through a drive. By adding functional objects such as cameras and laser transceivers on the basis of this folding and unfolding mode, it can be applied to the detection of aerospace and satellite fields, and the operation is simple, only by controlling the size of the input gas pressure (0-15kpa) can realize the folding and unfolding movement of the detection arm. When the gas pressure given by the inflation system reaches 15kpa, the origami bending structure load detection arm can be completely bent and unfolded, that is, the origami bending structure has a 120° opening and closing angle.

[0050] A certain degree of load capacity: small cameras and laser transceiver objects can be carried on the top of the detection arm, and because the application has upper and lower support inclined beams, when the detection arm is unfolded, the two support inclined beams are unfolded at the same time, which can support objects weighing less than 2kg.

[0051] Low power consumption: the application can complete the folding and unfolding of the detection arm by inflating and deflating the inner cavity of the origami detection arm through the inflation system, without other operations, so a small air pump can solve the driving problem, so the power consumption is relatively low.

[0052] Low development cost: the materials used in the application can be purchased at a low price on the market, and the application only needs to use gas drive, which can be solved by a small air pump, and the structure design is simple, so the development cost is low.

[0053] Based on the above advantages, the load pneumatic detection arm based on the origami bending structure disclosed in the application can be widely used in the field of aerospace and satellite detection.

[0054] Finally, it should be noted that: the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all embodiments, based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor belong to the scope of protection of the present application. The above only describes some exemplary embodiments of the application by way of illustration, and it is not necessary to modify the described embodiments in various ways without deviating from the spirit and scope of the application for those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above figures and descriptions are illustrative in nature and should not be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A load pneumatic detection arm based on origami bending structure, characterized in that, the detection arm comprises an origami bending structure and an inflation system; the inflation system inflates the inner cavity of the origami bending structure to drive it to unfold, and the origami bending structure is folded to the initial state by the way of generating negative pressure by inhaling from the inner cavity, so as to realize the repeatable folding and unfolding driving; the material of the origami bending structure is a multi-layer composite material, which is in turn airtight layer, main structure layer and elastic layer from inside to outside; the detection arm further comprises an upper end cover plate, a gyroscope sensor, a battery, a lower end cover plate, an upper support inclined beam, a lower support inclined beam and an air inlet; the inner sides of the upper end cover plate and the lower end cover plate are connected with the two ends of the origami bending structure respectively, and the outer sides of the upper end cover plate and the lower end cover plate are connected with the upper support inclined beam and the lower support inclined beam respectively, and the two support inclined beams are connected by the combination of spring and hinge; the gyroscope sensor is used to monitor the bending angle of the origami bending structure in real time when it is inflated; the main structure layer and the airtight layer are bonded by adhesive, which acts as the main skeleton of the origami bending structure driver, improves the strength and rigidity of the structure, bears the pressure load generated in the inner cavity of the inflated origami bending structure, and limits the excessive expansion of the main structure; the elastic layer as the outermost layer is bonded with the main structure layer by adhesive, so that the pneumatic bending origami detection arm has elasticity, and this part adopts silicone rubber material, which has good aging resistance, shear resistance, electrical insulation and shock absorption capacity, and is used to buffer or eliminate the local vibration or impact generated in the expansion and contraction process of the origami bending structure, so as to enhance the stability and durability of the detection arm; the upper support inclined beam and the lower support inclined beam are used for elastic shock absorption to keep the driver stable during folding and unfolding, and the two support inclined beams are folded and unfolded with the detection arm, which does not affect the size of the detection arm when it is folded, and the support inclined beams play a certain supporting role when the detection arm is unfolded.

2. The load-pneumatic detection arm based on the origami bending structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, the upper end cover plate is fixed with the gyroscope sensor and the battery, and the battery is used to power the gyroscope sensor.

3. The load-pneumatic detection arm based on the origami bending structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, the lower end cover plate is provided with the air inlet connected with the inflation system; and the upper end cover plate is closed.

4. The load-pneumatic detection arm based on the origami bending structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, the upper support inclined beam and the lower support inclined beam adopt polyester sheet.

5. The load-pneumatic detection arm based on the origami bending structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, the main structure layer adopts corrugated plastic plate.

6. The load-pneumatic detection arm based on the origami bending structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, the airtight layer adopts kapton plastic film.

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