A dual-mode magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears

Abstract

The present invention discloses a dual-mode operation magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears, which mainly consists of a thruster housing sealing component, a duct tire composite component, a magnetic coupling transmission component, a planetary gear power switching component and a thruster steering component; the thruster housing sealing component consists of three parts: a planetary gear section housing, a motor section housing and a drive section housing; the magnetic coupling transmission component consists of three parts: a propeller outer rotor component, an isolation sleeve and an inner rotor component; the present invention can be carried in devices such as ROVs and AUVs as a vector underwater thruster, and can be used as a driving steering hub in land robots. The thruster housing sealing component is used to achieve reliable sealing underwater, and different power transmission directions are achieved through planetary gear fixation, so that amphibious operation can be achieved and driving force can be provided for the robot on the underwater road.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of underwater propellers, in particular to propellers for underwater robot systems such as ROVs and AUVs, and specifically to a dual-mode operation propeller for amphibious robots. Background Art

[0002] At present, the application of underwater robots is becoming more and more common in scenarios such as underwater resource exploration and facility inspection. The thruster is the key equipment as the power source of the robot.

[0003] Existing underwater propulsion systems mostly use dynamic seals for power take-off shafts, which have limited lifespans, and their sealing ability is significantly affected by assembly, resulting in insufficient reliability. Furthermore, traditional propulsion systems can only provide thrust underwater through propeller rotation; when operating on land, they require a separate land-based drive system. This results in a complex overall robot structure and excessive mass, posing new reliability challenges. Currently, magnetic coupling transmissions are mostly used in magnetic pumps. However, their use in underwater propulsion systems in uncertain environments is prone to magnet corrosion, and the oversized magnetic coupling transmission components are often required to transmit high torque. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to meet the requirements of amphibious robots for the power and reliability of driving components, solve the problems of driving components being unable to operate amphibiously, too many components and excessive weight when working separately on land and water, and insufficient underwater sealing reliability, realize reliable and efficient underwater propulsion and independent driving on land, and amphibious dual-mode operation, the present invention provides a dual-mode operation magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears, which gives the robot the ability to move underwater and on land.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to address the deficiencies of the prior art is: a dual-mode magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears, comprising a thruster housing sealing component, a duct-tire composite component, a magnetic coupling transmission component, a planetary gear power switching component, and a thruster steering component;

[0006] The thruster housing sealing component consists of three parts: the planetary gear section housing, the motor section housing, and the drive section housing. The drive section housing and the motor section housing are connected by an intermediate sealing adapter. The motor section housing and the intermediate sealing adapter are provided with O-ring grooves and threaded holes, and the O-rings and screws are used to fix the entire unit to achieve reliable underwater static sealing.

[0007] The conduit-tire composite component comprises a rubber tire, a conduit and a conduit support rod, wherein the rubber tire is fixed to the outer wall of the conduit, and the conduit is connected to the planetary gear segment housing via the conduit support rod;

[0008] The magnetic coupling transmission component includes a propeller outer rotor component, an isolation sleeve and an inner rotor component;

[0009] The propeller outer rotor component includes a wear-resistant material, a deflector cover, a propeller, an outer rotor magnetic steel, and an outer rotor bracket. The wear-resistant material is inverted on the deflector cover, the deflector cover is inverted on the outer rotor bracket, the outer rotor magnetic steel is assembled in the outer rotor bracket, and the outer rotor bracket cooperates with the propeller hub to form a sealing structure.

[0010] The inner rotor component includes an inner rotor magnetic steel and an inner rotor bracket, and the inner rotor magnetic steel is assembled on the inner rotor bracket;

[0011] The isolation sleeve isolates the inner rotor magnetic steel from the working environment of the outer rotor magnetic steel. The inner rotor component is sealed inside the isolation sleeve through an O-ring, and the propeller outer rotor component is coaxially sleeved on the isolation sleeve;

[0012] The planetary gear power switching component includes a gear retaining ring, a sun gear, planetary gears, a planetary carrier and an outer ring gear, and two different output routes of the motor are achieved by fixing different components;

[0013] One end of the outer gear ring is provided with a threaded hole for fixing the gear retaining ring to prevent the planet gear from axial movement, and the other end is provided with a screw groove for cooperating with the screw on the planet gear segment housing to realize power switching; the planet gear segment housing and the side of the planet carrier are provided with threaded holes for use during power switching, and the planet gear segment housing is equipped with rolling bearings to support the planet carrier and the outer gear ring respectively; the sun gear is fixed to the output stepped shaft of the motor through a key and a shaft end fixing nut; one side of the planet carrier is a disc-shaped structure for assembling the planet gear, and the other side is a shaft system for driving the inner rotor component to rotate; the sun gear, planet gears, and outer gear ring are meshed in sequence;

[0014] The thruster steering component is fixed on the motor section housing and is used to achieve underwater vector propulsion and land operation direction control.

[0015] Furthermore, the planetary gear power switching component, the motor, and the motor drive are respectively assembled inside the planetary gear section housing, the motor section housing, and the drive section housing, thereby improving the underwater pressure resistance and drive heat dissipation capabilities.

[0016] Furthermore, the duct-tire composite component is used to achieve underwater rectification and land support. The inner wall of the duct adopts the linear shape of the No. 19A duct to achieve efficient underwater propulsion, and the duct support rod is used to improve the overall strength and enhance the safety of land operation.

[0017] Furthermore, the inner and outer rotor magnets adopt a Halbach array method to achieve greater torque transmission with the same size.

[0018] Furthermore, the torque transmitted by the motor to the inner rotor is further transmitted to the outer rotor through the magnetic coupling of the inner and outer rotors, thereby driving the outer rotor component of the propeller to rotate underwater to generate thrust.

[0019] Furthermore, O-ring grooves are provided at both ends of the outer rotor bracket to achieve reliable underwater static sealing of the outer rotor magnet.

[0020] Furthermore, one side of the planetary carrier is a disc-shaped structure, and three shafts for supporting planetary gears are provided on the disc surface. The planetary gears are mounted on the shafts through needle bearings. The other side of the planetary carrier is a shaft system, and a keyway is provided at the end of the shaft system for driving the inner rotor component to rotate.

[0021] Furthermore, the thruster steering component includes a thruster steering rod, which is fixed on the motor segment housing. A bevel gear is installed on the upper end of the thruster steering rod, which cooperates with the bevel gear of the robot body motor output shaft to realize underwater vector propulsion and land operation direction control.

[0022] Furthermore, the power transmission routes when used in different scenarios are:

[0023] When used for propulsion work underwater, the screw groove on the outer gear ring is circumferentially fixed to the planetary gear segment housing by screws, and the planetary carrier is not circumferentially fixed. After the power is transmitted from the sun gear and the planetary gear to the planetary carrier, it drives the inner rotor component of the magnetic coupling transmission component to rotate, and the outer rotor component of the propeller is driven to rotate by the magnetic force of the inner and outer rotor magnets.

[0024] When moving on land, the planetary carrier is fixed to the planetary gear segment housing using screws through the threaded holes on the side. The outer ring gear is not circumferentially fixed. The power is transmitted from the sun gear and planetary gears to the outer ring gear and the planetary gear segment housing. The planetary gear segment housing is connected to the duct tire composite component through the duct support rod to drive it to rotate.

[0025] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the dual-mode magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears provided by the present invention can meet the requirements of amphibious robots for the power and reliability of driving components, solve the problems that driving components cannot operate amphibiously, there are too many components and too much weight when working separately on land and water, and the underwater sealing reliability is insufficient, and realize reliable and efficient underwater propulsion and independent driving on land, and amphibious dual-mode operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 This is the appearance rendering;

[0027] Figure 2 This is the overall exploded view of the thruster;

[0028] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view of the propeller outer rotor component;

[0029] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the planetary gear power switching component;

[0030] Figure 5 This is the appearance diagram of the propeller steering component;

[0031] Figure 6 This is the inner rotor magnetic steel array diagram;

[0032] Figure 7 This is the appearance diagram of the intermediate seal adapter;

[0033] Figure 2 Middle: 1. Rubber tire, 2. Conduit, 3. Conduit support rod, 4. Propeller outer rotor component, 5. Isolation sleeve, 6. Inner rotor component, 7. Planetary gear power switching component, 8. Propeller steering component, 9. Propeller housing sealing component;

[0034] Figure 3 Middle: 41. Wear-resistant material, 42. Nose cover, 43. Propeller, 44. Outer rotor magnet, 45. Outer rotor bracket.

[0035] Figure 4 Middle: 71. Gear retaining ring, 72. Sun gear, 73. Planet gear, 74. Planet carrier, 75. Outer ring gear, 76. Planet gear segment housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0037] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a dual-mode magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears, including a duct-tire composite component, a magnetic coupling transmission component, a planetary gear power switching component 7, a thruster housing sealing component 9 and a thruster steering component 8.

[0038] The thruster housing sealing component 9 is mainly composed of three parts: the planetary gear section housing 76, the motor section housing, and the drive section housing. The planetary gear power switching component 7, the motor, and the motor drive are respectively assembled therein to improve the underwater pressure resistance and drive heat dissipation capabilities; the drive section housing and the motor section housing are connected through an intermediate sealing adapter. The motor section housing and the intermediate sealing adapter are provided with O-ring grooves and threaded holes, such as Figure 7 As shown, the overall underwater reliable static seal is achieved by fixing with O-rings and screws.

[0039] The tube-tire composite component is used to achieve underwater rectification and land support, and includes a rubber tire 1, a tube 2 and a tube support rod 3. The rubber tire 1 is fixed to the outer wall of the tube 2 by screws, and the inner wall of the tube 2 adopts the linear shape of the No. 19A tube to achieve efficient underwater propulsion. The tube 2 is threadedly connected to the planetary gear segment housing 76 through the tube support rod 3. The tube support rod 3 can improve the overall strength and improve the safety of land operation.

[0040] The magnetic coupling transmission component includes a propeller outer rotor component 4 , an isolation sleeve 5 and an inner rotor component 6 .

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, the propeller outer rotor component 4 includes a wear-resistant material 41, a guide head cover 42, a propeller 43, an outer rotor magnet 44 and an outer rotor bracket 45. The torque transmitted to the inner rotor by the motor is further transmitted to the outer rotor through the magnetic coupling of the inner and outer rotors, thereby driving the propeller outer rotor component 4 to rotate underwater and generate thrust; the guide head cover 42 is buckled on the outer rotor bracket 45, and the wear-resistant material 41 is buckled on the guide head cover 42, which can reduce the friction loss when the propeller rotates and reduce the fluid resistance when the propeller reverses; the propeller 43 can adopt Ka4- 70 propeller; the outer rotor magnet 44 can adopt a Halbach array to form a cylindrical structure; the outer rotor magnet 44 is assembled in the outer rotor bracket 45. Specifically, the outer rotor magnet 44 of the Halbach array is circumferentially attached to the outer rotor bracket 45, which can increase the maximum torque that can be transmitted when the inner and outer rotors are coupled; the outer rotor bracket 45 and the hub of the propeller 43 cooperate to form a sealing structure to prevent the magnet from contacting and corroding with seawater; specifically, O-ring grooves are provided at both ends of the outer rotor bracket 45 to achieve reliable underwater static sealing of the outer rotor magnet 44.

[0042] The inner rotor component 6 includes an inner rotor magnet and an inner rotor bracket. The inner rotor magnet is assembled on the inner rotor bracket. Specifically, the dovetail groove of the inner rotor bracket is matched with the protrusion of the inner rotor magnet.

[0043] The isolation sleeve 5 isolates the inner rotor magnet from the working environment of the outer rotor magnet 44; the inner rotor component 6 is sealed inside the isolation sleeve 5 through an O-ring; and the propeller outer rotor component 4 is coaxially sleeved on the isolation sleeve 5.

[0044] like Figure 4 As shown, the planetary gear power switching component 7 includes a gear retaining ring 71, a sun gear 72, planetary gears 73, a planetary carrier 74 and an outer ring gear 75, and two different output routes of the motor are achieved by fixing different components.

[0045] One end of the outer ring gear 75 is provided with a threaded hole for fixing the gear retaining ring 71 to prevent the planet gears 73 from axial movement, and the other end is provided with a screw groove for cooperating with the screws on the planetary gear segment housing 76 to realize power switching; threaded holes are provided on the sides of the planetary gear segment housing 76 and the planetary carrier 74 for use during power switching, and rolling bearings are installed in the planetary gear segment housing 76 to support the planetary carrier 74 and the outer ring gear 75 respectively; the sun gear 72 is fixed to the output stepped shaft of the motor through a key and a shaft end fixing nut; the planetary gears 73 are assembled on the planetary carrier 74 through needle bearings; the sun gear 72, the planetary gears 73, and the outer ring gear 75 are connected in sequence by gear meshing; specifically, one side of the planetary carrier 74 is a disc-shaped structure, and three shafts for supporting the planetary gears 73 are provided on the disc surface. The planetary gears 73 are mounted on the shafts through needle bearings, and the other side of the planetary carrier 74 is a shaft system, and a keyway is provided at the end of the shaft system for driving the inner rotor component 6 to rotate.

[0046] like Figure 5 As shown, the thruster steering component 8 includes a thruster steering rod, which is fixed on the motor segment housing. A bevel gear is installed on the upper end of the thruster steering rod, which cooperates with the bevel gear of the robot body motor output shaft to realize underwater vector propulsion and land operation direction control.

[0047] like Figure 6 As shown, the inner and outer rotor magnets use a Halbach array to achieve greater torque transmission at the same size. The power transmission route when used in different scenarios is as follows: when used for propulsion operation underwater, the screw slots on the outer ring gear 75 are circumferentially fixed to the planetary gear segment housing 76 via screws, and the planet carrier 74 is not circumferentially fixed. Power is transmitted from the sun gear 72 and planetary gears 73 to the planet carrier 74, which drives the inner rotor component 6 of the magnetic coupling transmission component to rotate. The magnetic force of the inner and outer rotor magnets drives the propeller outer rotor component 4 to rotate. When moving on land, the planet carrier 74 is fixed to the planetary gear segment housing 76 using screws through the threaded holes on the side. The outer ring gear 75 is not circumferentially fixed. Power is transmitted from the sun gear 72 and planetary gears 73 to the outer ring gear 75 and the planetary gear segment housing 76. The planetary gear segment housing 76 is connected to the duct tire composite component via the duct support rod 3 to drive its rotation. [Example 1]

[0048] The thruster is installed in the amphibious robot. When the robot runs underwater, the thruster becomes the power source of the underwater robot.

[0049] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 4As shown, the propeller as a whole realizes the control of the propeller and the output of the motor driving force to the sun gear 72 in the planetary gear power switching component 7 through the bevel gear of the propeller steering component 8. The outer ring gear 75 is fixed to the planetary gear segment housing 76 by screws. The power is transmitted from the sun gear 72 and the planetary gear 73 to the planetary carrier 74, which drives the inner rotor component 6 of the magnetic coupling transmission component to rotate. The motor torque is transmitted through the push-pull action of the N and S poles of the inner and outer rotor magnets to drive the propeller outer rotor component 4 to rotate, thereby driving the propeller integrated with the outer rotor to rotate, and cooperating with the propeller steering component 8 to realize the vector propulsion of the underwater robot, thereby improving the flexibility of the overall movement.

[0050] [Example 2]

[0051] The propeller is installed in the amphibious robot. When the robot is running on land, the propeller becomes an independently controlled drive wheel.

[0052] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, when in land motion, the propeller control and motor drive power are output to the sun gear 72 in the planetary gear power switching unit 7. The planet carrier 74 is secured to the planetary gear segment housing 76 using screws through threaded holes in its side. The outer ring gear 75 is not circumferentially fixed. Power is transmitted from the sun gear 72 and planetary gears 73 to the outer ring gear 75 and the planetary gear segment housing 76. The planetary gear segment housing 76 is connected to the duct-tire composite component via the duct support rod 3 to drive its rotation. Each propeller has a steering drive function, providing greater control flexibility than conventional two-wheel drive.

[0053] Those skilled in the art will readily be able to make various changes and modifications based on the textual description, drawings, and claims provided herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Any modifications or equivalent variations of the above embodiments based on the technical spirit and essence of the invention shall fall within the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A dual-mode magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears, characterized in that: It includes thruster housing sealing components, duct tire composite components, magnetic coupling transmission components, planetary gear power switching components and thruster steering components; The thruster housing sealing component consists of three parts: the planetary gear section housing, the motor section housing, and the drive section housing. The drive section housing and the motor section housing are connected by an intermediate sealing adapter. The motor section housing and the intermediate sealing adapter are provided with O-ring grooves and threaded holes, and the O-rings and screws are used to fix the entire unit to achieve reliable underwater static sealing. The conduit-tire composite component comprises a rubber tire, a conduit and a conduit support rod, wherein the rubber tire is fixed to the outer wall of the conduit, and the conduit is connected to the planetary gear segment housing via the conduit support rod; The magnetic coupling transmission component includes a propeller outer rotor component, an isolation sleeve and an inner rotor component; The propeller outer rotor component includes a wear-resistant material, a deflector cover, a propeller, an outer rotor magnetic steel, and an outer rotor bracket. The wear-resistant material is inverted on the deflector cover, the deflector cover is inverted on the outer rotor bracket, the outer rotor magnetic steel is assembled in the outer rotor bracket, and the outer rotor bracket cooperates with the propeller hub to form a sealing structure. The inner rotor component includes an inner rotor magnetic steel and an inner rotor bracket, and the inner rotor magnetic steel is assembled on the inner rotor bracket; The isolation sleeve isolates the inner rotor magnetic steel from the working environment of the outer rotor magnetic steel. The inner rotor component is sealed inside the isolation sleeve through an O-ring, and the propeller outer rotor component is coaxially sleeved on the isolation sleeve; The planetary gear power switching component includes a gear retaining ring, a sun gear, planetary gears, a planetary carrier and an outer ring gear, and two different output routes of the motor are achieved by fixing different components; One end of the outer gear ring is provided with a threaded hole for fixing the gear retaining ring to prevent the planet gear from axial movement, and the other end is provided with a screw groove for cooperating with the screw on the planet gear segment housing to realize power switching; the planet gear segment housing and the side of the planet carrier are provided with threaded holes for use during power switching, and the planet gear segment housing is equipped with rolling bearings to support the planet carrier and the outer gear ring respectively; the sun gear is fixed to the output stepped shaft of the motor through a key and a shaft end fixing nut; one side of the planet carrier is a disc-shaped structure for assembling the planet gear, and the other side is a shaft system for driving the inner rotor component to rotate; the sun gear, planet gears, and outer gear ring are meshed in sequence; The thruster steering component is fixed on the motor segment housing and is used to achieve underwater vector propulsion and land operation direction control.

2. A dual-mode magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears according to claim 1, characterized in that: The planetary gear power switching component, motor, and motor drive are respectively assembled inside the planetary gear section housing, motor section housing, and drive section housing to improve underwater pressure resistance and drive heat dissipation capabilities.

3. The dual-mode magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears according to claim 1, characterized in that: The duct-tire composite component is used to achieve underwater rectification and land support functions, and the duct support rod is used to improve the overall strength and enhance the safety of land operation.

4. The dual-mode magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner and outer rotor magnets adopt the Halbach array method to achieve greater torque transmission with the same size.

5. The dual-mode magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears according to claim 1, characterized in that: The torque transmitted by the motor to the inner rotor is further transmitted to the outer rotor through the magnetic coupling of the inner and outer rotors, thereby driving the propeller outer rotor component to rotate underwater to generate thrust.

6. The dual-mode magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer rotor bracket has O-ring grooves at both ends to achieve reliable underwater static sealing of the outer rotor magnet.

7. The dual-mode magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears according to claim 1, characterized in that: One side of the planetary carrier is a disc-shaped structure with three shafts for supporting planetary gears on the disc. The planetary gears are mounted on the shafts through needle bearings. The other side of the planetary carrier is a shaft system with a keyway at the end of the shaft system for driving the inner rotor component to rotate.

8. The dual-mode magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thruster steering component includes a thruster steering rod, which is fixed on the motor segment housing. A bevel gear is installed on the upper end of the thruster steering rod, which cooperates with the bevel gear of the robot body motor output shaft to realize underwater vector propulsion and land operation direction control.

9. The dual-mode magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears according to claim 1, characterized in that: When working underwater, the screw grooves on the outer gear ring are circumferentially fixed to the planetary gear segment housing by screws, and the planetary carrier is not circumferentially fixed. The power is transmitted from the sun gear and the planetary gear to the planetary carrier, which drives the inner rotor component of the magnetic coupling transmission component to rotate, and the outer rotor component of the propeller is driven to rotate through the magnetic force of the inner and outer rotor magnets.

10. The dual-mode magnetic coupling thruster based on planetary gears according to claim 1, characterized in that: When moving on land, the planetary carrier is fixed to the planetary gear segment housing using screws through the threaded holes on the side. The outer ring gear is not circumferentially fixed. The power is transmitted from the sun gear and planetary gears to the outer ring gear and the planetary gear segment housing. The planetary gear segment housing is connected to the duct tire composite component through the duct support rod to drive it to rotate.

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