Flexible mechanism based on curved beam structure

Abstract

The application provides a flexible mechanism based on a curved beam structure, which comprises an outer wall plate, an inner wall plate, an internal structure and a displacement driver; one end of the outer wall plate is connected with one end of the inner wall plate, and the other end of the outer wall plate is used for connecting external equipment; the external equipment, the outer wall plate and the inner wall plate form a triangular area; one end of the internal structure is connected with the outer wall plate, and the other end of the internal structure is connected with the outer wall plate; the internal structure comprises a curved beam; or the internal structure comprises a curved beam and a straight beam; one end of the displacement driver is mounted on the external equipment, and the other end of the displacement driver is connected with the inner wall plate or the internal structure; the displacement driver can realize the overall deformation of the flexible mechanism by driving the inner wall plate or the internal structure. The curved beam is used as the internal structure, and the curved beam has higher flexibility than the straight beam, so that the flexible mechanism structure can realize local small deformation, overall large deformation, high rigidity and continuous bending effect, and the problems of small deformation and large driving force of the traditional flexible mechanism are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aerospace machinery, and more specifically, to a flexible mechanism based on a bending beam structure. Background Technology

[0002] Flexible structures are hinge-free integrated structures that have advantages such as easy assembly, fewer parts, and less friction and wear, and can be used in fields such as robotic tool end gripping.

[0003] Traditional flexible mechanisms use straight beams as the basic unit for structural design. However, straight beams have drawbacks such as being prone to instability due to deformation, having limited effective deformation (which is essentially material deformation), small deformation amount, and requiring large deformation driving forces. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a flexible mechanism based on a bending beam structure.

[0005] According to the present invention, a flexible mechanism based on a bending beam structure includes an outer wall panel, an inner wall panel, an internal structure, and a displacement actuator.

[0006] One end of the outer wall panel is connected to one end of the inner wall panel, and the other end of the outer wall panel is used to connect to external equipment;

[0007] The external equipment, outer wall panel, and inner wall panel form a triangular region; the internal structure is located within the triangular region; one end of the internal structure is connected to the outer wall panel, and the other end is connected to the inner wall panel.

[0008] The internal structure includes curved beams; or the internal structure includes both curved beams and straight beams;

[0009] One end of the displacement actuator is mounted on the external device, and the other end is connected to the inner wall panel or internal structure;

[0010] The displacement actuator can achieve the overall deformation of the flexible mechanism by driving the inner wall plate or internal structure.

[0011] Preferably, one end of the outer wall panel is integrally connected, bonded, or riveted to one end of the inner wall panel.

[0012] Preferably, the other end of the outer wall panel is connected to external equipment by adhesive or riveting.

[0013] Preferably, the thickness of the outer wall panel is uniform or non-uniform;

[0014] The thickness of the inner wall panel may be uniform or non-uniform;

[0015] Preferably, the outer wall panel is a metal plate, a composite material plate, or a hybrid material plate composed of metal and composite materials;

[0016] The inner wall panel is a metal plate, a composite material plate, or a mixed material plate composed of metal and composite materials.

[0017] Preferably, the outer wall panel is a solid structure, a hollow structure, or a mesh structure;

[0018] The inner wall panels can be solid, hollow, or mesh.

[0019] Preferably, the internal structure is made of metallic materials, composite materials, or a mixture of metallic and composite materials.

[0020] Preferably, the internal structure is integrally connected to the outer wall panel, or is bonded or riveted together;

[0021] The internal structure is integrally connected to the inner wall panel, or is bonded or riveted together.

[0022] Preferably, the number of the bending beams is multiple;

[0023] The plurality of curved beams are a first curved beam rib and a second curved beam rib, which are arranged in parallel. The two ends of the first curved beam rib are connected to the outer wall panel and the inner wall panel, respectively; the two ends of the second curved beam rib are connected to the outer wall panel and the inner wall panel, respectively.

[0024] Preferably, the bending beam has the following structure:

[0025] The curved beam includes a first curved section and a second curved section. The two ends of the first curved section are connected to the outer wall panel and the inner wall panel, respectively. The two ends of the second curved section are connected to the midpoint of the first curved section and the outer wall panel, respectively.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0027] 1. This invention uses a curved beam as the internal structure. Since the curved beam has higher flexibility than the straight beam, it can enable the flexible mechanism to achieve small local deformation, large overall deformation, high rigidity, and continuous bending effect, thus solving the problem of small deformation and large driving force in traditional flexible mechanisms.

[0028] 2. Compared with straight beam elements, bending beams use structural deformation instead of material deformation, and the deformation range that can be achieved within the material yield stress range is significantly higher than that of straight beams. They are less prone to instability and have a smaller deformation driving force. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0030] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention when it bends upward;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention when it bends downwards.

[0033] As shown in the figure.

[0034]

[0035] Detailed Implementation

[0036] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0037] This invention provides a flexible mechanism based on a bending beam structure, including an outer wall plate 1, an inner wall plate 2, an internal structure 12, and a displacement actuator;

[0038] One end of the outer wall panel 1 is connected to one end of the inner wall panel 2, and the other end of the outer wall panel 1 is used to connect to the external device 6; in a preferred embodiment, the right end 3 of the outer wall panel is connected to the right end 4 of the inner wall panel, and the left end 5 of the outer wall panel is used to connect to the external device 6.

[0039] The external device 6, the outer wall panel 1, and the inner wall panel 2 form a triangular region; the internal structure 12 is located within the triangular region; one end of the internal structure 12 is connected to the outer wall panel 1, and the other end is connected to the inner wall panel 2. In a preferred embodiment, the external device 6 is a robotic gripper arm, and the external device 6 has a protruding structure 7, which is a triangular plate structure, and the other end of the outer wall panel 1 is mounted on the triangular plate structure.

[0040] The internal structure 12 includes curved beams; or the internal structure 12 includes curved beams and straight beams 18; that is, the internal structure 12 is designed with curved beams as the basic flexible components, or with curved beams and straight beams 18 (i.e., curved beams with a curvature of 0) as the basic flexible components. These beams are connected and arranged in any way within the inner and outer wall panels, and the curvature and cross-sectional shape of the beams are not limited.

[0041] One end of the displacement actuator is mounted on the external device 6, and the other end is connected to the inner wall panel 2 or the internal structure 12, in a manner including but not limited to bonding or riveting.

[0042] One end of the outer wall panel 1 is integrally connected, bonded, or riveted to one end of the inner wall panel 2. In a preferred embodiment of integral connection, one end of the outer wall panel 1 and one end of the inner wall panel 2 are integrally formed, thus eliminating the need for additional connection work.

[0043] The other end of the outer wall panel 1 is connected to the external equipment 6 by adhesive or riveting.

[0044] The thickness of the outer wall panel 1 is uniform or non-uniform; the thickness of the inner wall panel 2 is uniform or non-uniform.

[0045] The outer wall panel 1 is a metal plate, a composite material plate, or a mixed material plate composed of metal and composite materials. The outer wall panel 1 is a single piece of material or a laminated material. The inner wall panel 2 is a metal plate, a composite material plate, or a mixed material plate composed of metal and composite materials. The inner wall panel 2 is a single piece of material or a laminated material.

[0046] The outer wall panel 1 is a solid structure, a hollow structure, or a mesh structure; the inner wall panel 2 is a solid structure, a hollow structure, or a mesh structure.

[0047] The internal structure 12 is made of metal, composite material, or a mixture of metal and composite material. The internal structure 12 is either a single piece of material or a layered material. The internal structure 12 is integrally connected, bonded, or riveted to the outer wall panel 1; the internal structure 12 is also integrally connected, bonded, or riveted to the inner wall panel 2.

[0048] The displacement actuator is a linear motor actuator, which includes a fixed end 8, a driving end 9, and a telescopic rod 10. The driving end 9 moves linearly. The fixed end 8 is fixed to the external device 6, and the driving end 9 is connected to the upper surface 11 of the inner wall panel 2. Alternatively, the driving end 9 can be directly connected to the internal structure 12 via adhesive or riveting. This invention uses the telescopic rod 10 of the motor actuator to provide single-point displacement input to the flexible mechanism via the driving end 9. In other words, this invention achieves overall deformation and bending of the flexible mechanism through the movement of the driving end. Specifically, as shown... Figure 2 As shown, the flexible mechanism bends upward by extending the telescopic rod 10 of the motor driver, as... Figure 3 As shown, the flexible mechanism bends downward by shortening the telescopic rod 10 of the motor driver.

[0049] This invention optimizes the design of the internal structure and the geometric dimensions of the inner and outer wall panels by size optimization. The internal structure 12 adopts a bending beam as the basic flexible component and applies a discrete topology optimization method to comprehensively design the deformation requirements of the inner and outer wall panels.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment, the beam structure in the internal structure 12 needs to be connected to the lower surface 19 of the outer wall panel 1 and the upper surface 11 of the inner wall panel. Preferably, the internal structure 12 and the outer wall panel 1 are manufactured as an integral structure without the need for additional connection work. Alternatively, the internal structure 12 and the outer wall panel 1 can be connected together by bonding or by riveting.

[0051] The number of curved beams is multiple, and the multiple curved beams are arranged in parallel. In a preferred embodiment, the multiple curved beams are a first curved beam rib 13 and a second curved beam rib 14, which are arranged in parallel. The two ends of the first curved beam rib 13 are respectively connected to the outer wall panel 1 and the inner wall panel 2; the two ends of the second curved beam rib 14 are respectively connected to the outer wall panel 1 and the inner wall panel 2.

[0052] The curved beam can also have the following structure: the curved beam includes a first curved part 15 and a second curved part 16, the two ends of the first curved part 15 are respectively connected to the outer wall panel 1 and the inner wall panel 2, and the two ends of the second curved part 16 are respectively connected to the midpoint 17 of the first curved part 15 and the outer wall panel 1.

[0053] The internal structure 12 may also include both curved beams and straight beams 18, that is, the internal structure 12 may also be a combination of curved beams and straight beams, such as... Figure 1 As shown. It is worth noting that the design of the internal structure is not limited to... Figure 1 The arrangement, number, thickness, and curvature of the beams are shown.

[0054] The upper and lower surfaces of this invention are continuous, and the overall large-angle bending of the flexible mechanism is achieved through the deformation of the internal bending beam structure. It can be used in fields such as robotic tool end gripping.

[0055] This invention employs a curved beam as its internal structure. Because curved beams have higher flexibility than straight beams, they enable flexible mechanisms to achieve small local deformations, large overall deformations, high stiffness, and continuous variable bending, thus solving the problems of small deformation and large driving force in traditional flexible mechanisms. Compared to straight beam units, curved beams utilize structural deformation instead of material deformation, resulting in a significantly increased deformation range within the material's yield stress range. This makes them less prone to instability and reduces the deformation driving force.

[0056] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0057] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Claims

1. A flexible mechanism based on a bending beam structure, characterized in that, It includes an outer wall panel (1), an inner wall panel (2), an internal structure (12), and a displacement actuator; One end of the outer wall panel (1) is connected to one end of the inner wall panel (2), and the other end of the outer wall panel (1) is used to connect to external equipment (6); The external equipment (6), the outer wall panel (1), and the inner wall panel (2) form a triangular region; the internal structure (12) is located within the triangular region; one end of the internal structure (12) is connected to the outer wall panel (1), and the other end is connected to the inner wall panel (2); The internal structure (12) includes a curved beam; or the internal structure (12) includes both a curved beam and a straight beam; One end of the displacement actuator is mounted on the external device (6), and the other end is connected to the inner wall plate (2) or the internal structure (12); The displacement actuator can achieve the overall deformation of the flexible mechanism by driving the inner wall plate (2) or the internal structure (12).

2. The flexible mechanism based on a bending beam structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the outer wall panel (1) is integrally connected to one end of the inner wall panel (2).

3. The flexible mechanism based on a bending beam structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The other end of the outer wall panel (1) is connected to the external equipment (6) by adhesive or riveting.

4. The flexible mechanism based on a bending beam structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the outer wall panel (1) is uniform or non-uniform; The thickness of the inner wall panel (2) is uniform or non-uniform.

5. The flexible mechanism based on a bending beam structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer wall panel (1) is a metal plate, a composite material plate, or a mixed material plate composed of metal and composite materials; The inner wall panel (2) is a metal plate, a composite material plate, or a mixed material plate composed of metal and composite materials.

6. The flexible mechanism based on a bending beam structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer wall panel (1) is a solid structure, a hollow structure or a mesh structure; The inner wall panel (2) is a solid structure, a hollow structure or a mesh structure.

7. The flexible mechanism based on a bending beam structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The internal structure (12) is made of metal, composite material or a mixture of metal and composite material.

8. The flexible mechanism based on a bending beam structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The internal structure (12) is integrally connected with the outer wall panel (1); The internal structure (12) is integrally connected with the inner wall panel (2).

9. The flexible mechanism based on a bending beam structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the curved beams is multiple; The plurality of curved beams are a first curved beam rib (13) and a second curved beam rib (14), which are arranged in parallel. The two ends of the first curved beam rib (13) are connected to the outer wall panel (1) and the inner wall panel (2) respectively; the two ends of the second curved beam rib (14) are connected to the outer wall panel (1) and the inner wall panel (2) respectively.

10. The flexible mechanism based on a bending beam structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bending beam has the following structure: The curved beam includes a first curved section (15) and a second curved section (16). The two ends of the first curved section (15) are connected to the outer wall panel (1) and the inner wall panel (2) respectively. The two ends of the second curved section (16) are connected to the midpoint (17) of the first curved section (15) and the outer wall panel (1) respectively.

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