A shaftless vector thruster for underwater robots

Abstract

The present invention relates to a shaftless vector thruster for underwater robots, belonging to the technical field of underwater robot thrusters. The purpose is to address the problems of the prior art, such as large limitations, complex structures that are difficult to maintain, and a narrow scope of application. The present invention includes a power drive mechanism disposed at the end of a robot body, a vector adjustment mechanism disposed between the robot body and the power drive mechanism, and a power supply unit, wherein power is supplied to the power drive mechanism and the vector adjustment mechanism via the power supply unit. The power drive mechanism includes: a drive mechanism housing, a drive mechanism sealing shell disposed within the drive mechanism housing and forming a spherical pair with a spherical surface on the inner surface, a rotating motor disposed within the drive mechanism sealing shell and fixedly connected to the inner wall of the drive mechanism sealing shell, and a propeller welded to the rotating motor. The drive mechanism sealing shell is adjusted to perform spherical motion relative to the drive mechanism housing by the vector adjustment mechanism, and the propeller is driven to rotate by the rotating motor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of underwater robot propulsion, and in particular relates to an axisless vector propulsion device applied to an underwater robot. Background Art

[0002] Due to their small size, excellent maneuverability, and high concealment, underwater vehicles (AUVs) are well-suited for civilian tasks such as submarine pipeline laying, seabed surveys, and underwater equipment maintenance, as well as military tasks such as submarine mine clearance, reconnaissance, and search and rescue. At low speeds, conventional thrusters and rudders alone are unable to provide sufficient steering force, necessitating the use of vector thrusters to enhance the maneuverability of AUVs.

[0003] Currently, propeller-based vector propulsion systems, both domestically and internationally, are primarily categorized into traditional propellers, variable-vector propellers, and podded propulsion systems. Traditional propeller-based vector propulsion systems employ multiple fixed propellers, or a combination of fixed and dual-vector propellers, arranged around the underwater vehicle. These systems are subject to significant limitations due to their non-streamlined design and low utilization of some of the fixed propellers. Variable-vector propellers are specialized propulsion systems whose blade pitch angles periodically change during one rotation. These systems are complex and difficult to maintain. Podded propulsion systems utilize a sealed pod containing the vessel's propellers. This approach combines the fixed power source and rudder functions of traditional marine propulsion systems, saving significant space. However, these systems require a separate compartment, which can compromise the maneuverability of the underwater vehicle. Consequently, their applicability is limited, making them suitable only for ocean-going vessels and icebreakers. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to propose an axisless vector thruster for underwater robots, so as to solve the problems of the existing technology such as large limitations, complex structure that is not conducive to maintenance and narrow scope of application; and to realize underwater propulsion of the robot with three degrees of freedom motion.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an axisless vector thruster for an underwater robot, comprising a power drive mechanism disposed at the end of a robot body, a vector adjustment mechanism disposed between the robot body and the power drive mechanism, and a power supply unit, wherein the power drive mechanism and the vector adjustment mechanism are powered by the power supply unit;

[0006] The power drive mechanism comprises:

[0007] a drive mechanism housing, one end of which is sealed and fixedly connected to the robot body, and the inner surface of the drive mechanism housing is spherical as a whole;

[0008] A driving mechanism sealing shell is arranged inside the driving mechanism housing and forms a spherical pair with the spherical surface of the inner surface, and the driving mechanism sealing shell is adjusted by the vector adjustment mechanism to perform spherical movement relative to the driving mechanism housing;

[0009] a rotating motor disposed in the driving mechanism sealed housing and fixedly connected to the inner wall of the driving mechanism sealed housing, wherein the rotating motor is sealed by the driving mechanism sealed housing;

[0010] and a propeller, wherein the propeller is welded to the rotating motor and driven to rotate by the rotating motor.

[0011] The robot body comprises:

[0012] Cylindrical control compartment shell;

[0013] And a tail section shell body which is detachably and vertically fixedly connected to one end of the interior of the control compartment shell body, and the power drive mechanism is connected to the end of the control compartment shell body where the tail section shell body is located.

[0014] The vector adjustment mechanism includes three groups of vector adjustment units with the same structure and evenly distributed around the circumference, and each group of vector adjustment units includes:

[0015] A servo connected to the outer wall of the tail section of the robot body through a servo fixing member;

[0016] A rocker arm having one end connected to the output end of the servo;

[0017] A connecting shaft having one end rotatably engaged with the other end of the rocker arm;

[0018] A connecting rod with one end forming a spherical pair with the other end of the connecting shaft;

[0019] And a ball joint is arranged on the outer wall surface of the driving mechanism sealing shell, and the other end of the connecting rod and the ball joint form a spherical pair.

[0020] The drive mechanism housing is provided with three cylindrical grooves corresponding to the connecting rods of the three sets of vector adjustment units, and the cylindrical grooves provide movement space for the connecting rods. The motion drive mechanism housing includes:

[0021] A lower shell, one end of which is detachably and sealedly fixedly connected to one end of the control compartment shell of the robot body;

[0022] An upper shell detachably connected to the other end of the lower shell;

[0023] And three water inlet holes are evenly distributed on the side wall of the lower shell body, and the water inlet holes and the cylindrical grooves are staggered.

[0024] The driving mechanism sealed housing comprises:

[0025] A motor housing, wherein the outer surface of the motor housing is spherical and forms a spherical pair with the drive mechanism housing, and the ball joint of the vector adjustment mechanism is arranged on the outer wall surface of the motor housing;

[0026] Two symmetrically arranged motor support structures, wherein the motor support structures are located inside the motor housing;

[0027] Two sealing O-rings, the sealing O-rings being installed in the shoulder grooves of the contact support between the motor support structure and the motor housing;

[0028] and two support bearings, wherein the support bearings are arranged between the motor support structure and the motor housing, the outer rings of the support bearings are installed on the inner surface of the motor housing, and the inner rings of the support bearings are fixed to the motor support structure.

[0029] The rotating motor includes a multi-pole winding stator, a stator winding, a permanent magnet and a permanent magnet rotor arranged in sequence from the outer ring to the inner ring; the outer wall surface of the multi-pole winding stator is fixedly connected to the inner wall surface of the driving mechanism sealing shell, and the stator winding is installed on the inner wall surface of the multi-pole winding stator. The permanent magnets are four permanent magnets of the same shape, which are burned to the outer wall surface of the permanent magnet rotor, and the permanent magnet rotor is fixedly connected to the motor support structure.

[0030] The propeller comprises:

[0031] A propeller center shaft disposed at the position of the axis of the rotating motor;

[0032] and four blades with the same structure evenly distributed around the circumference. The blades are evenly distributed on the inner wall surface of the permanent magnet rotor, fixedly connected to the permanent magnet rotor, and the blades are all burned onto the propeller center shaft.

[0033] The power supply unit includes a battery arranged in the control compartment shell of the robot body and a watertight connector A and a watertight connector B installed on the tail section shell of the underwater robot body. The battery is connected to the power drive mechanism through the watertight connector A for power supply, and the battery is connected to the vector regulation mechanism through the watertight connector B for power supply.

[0034] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: in a shaftless vector thruster applied to an underwater robot, the propeller is built into the power drive mechanism, which can effectively avoid the entanglement of the propeller with underwater plants, etc., and improve the reliability and operational stability of the underwater robot. The vector adjustment mechanism composed of a servo, a rocker arm, a connecting shaft, a connecting rod and a ball joint has a reliable structure, is easy to implement, and is easy to achieve vector propulsion. The present invention does not have a traditional propeller shaft, which effectively improves the propulsion efficiency of the thruster and makes it easy to achieve long-duration operation of the underwater robot. The present invention modularizes the shaftless vector thruster applied to underwater robots and can be applied to underwater robots of different structural types and operating types. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of an axisless vector thruster used in an underwater robot according to the present invention.

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of an underwater robot main body and a power supply unit in a shaftless vector thruster applied to an underwater robot according to the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a partial exploded view of a vector adjustment mechanism in a shaftless vector thruster for an underwater robot according to the present invention;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a front and sectional view of a power drive mechanism in a shaftless vector thruster for an underwater robot according to the present invention;

[0039] Figure 5 This is an axonometric diagram of a power drive mechanism in a shaftless vector thruster for an underwater robot according to the present invention;

[0040] Figure 6 This is a diagonal cross-sectional view of a power drive mechanism in a shaftless vector thruster for an underwater robot according to the present invention;

[0041] Figure 7 This is a partial isometric diagram of a power drive mechanism and a vector adjustment drive mechanism in a shaftless vector thruster for an underwater robot according to the present invention;

[0042] Among them: 1. Robot body, 101. Tail section shell, 102. Control cabin section shell, 2. Vector adjustment mechanism, 201. Servo, 202. Servo fixing part, 203. Rocker arm, 204. Connecting shaft, 205. Connecting rod, 206. Ball joint, 3. Power drive mechanism, 301. Drive mechanism shell, 3011. Upper shell, 3012. Lower shell, 3013. Water inlet, 302. Drive mechanism sealing shell, 3021 , motor housing, 3022, sealing O-ring, 3023, support bearing, 3024, motor support structure, 303, rotating motor, 3031, multi-pole winding stator, 3032, stator winding, 3033, permanent magnet, 3034, permanent magnet rotor, 304, propeller, 3041, blade, 3042, propeller center shaft, 4, power supply unit, 401, battery, 402, watertight connector A, 403, watertight connector B. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] See also Figure 1-Figure 7 The shaftless vector thruster for an underwater robot of the present invention includes a power drive mechanism 3 connected to the tail section of the end of a robot body 1 by bolts, a vector adjustment mechanism 2 provided between the robot body 1 and the power drive mechanism 3, and a power supply unit 4. The power supply unit 4 supplies power to the power drive mechanism 3 and the vector adjustment mechanism 2.

[0045] The power drive mechanism 3 includes:

[0046] A drive mechanism housing 301, one end of which is sealed and fixedly connected to the robot body 1, and the inner surface of the drive mechanism housing 301 is a spherical surface;

[0047] A driving mechanism sealed housing 302 is provided inside the driving mechanism housing 301 and forms a spherical pair with the spherical surface of the inner surface, and the driving mechanism sealed housing 302 is adjusted by the vector adjustment mechanism 2 to perform spherical motion relative to the driving mechanism housing 301;

[0048] A rotating motor 303 is disposed in the driving mechanism sealed housing 302 and fixedly connected to the inner wall of the driving mechanism sealed housing 302, and the rotating motor 303 is sealed by the driving mechanism sealed housing 302;

[0049] and a propeller 304 , wherein the propeller 304 is welded to the rotating motor 303 , and the rotating motor 303 drives the propeller 304 to rotate.

[0050] The driving mechanism housing 301 is connected to the driving mechanism sealing shell 302 to form a spherical pair. The inner wall surface of the driving mechanism sealing shell 302 is fixedly connected to the rotating motor 303 , and the propeller 304 is welded to the rotating motor 303 .

[0051] The robot body 1 includes:

[0052] A cylindrical control compartment housing 102;

[0053] The tail section shell 101 is detachably and vertically fixedly connected to one end of the interior of the control section shell 102 , and the power drive mechanism 3 is connected to the end of the control section shell 102 where the tail section shell 101 is located.

[0054] The power supply unit 4 includes a battery 401 arranged in the control compartment shell 102 of the robot body 1 and a watertight connector A402 and a watertight connector B403 installed on the tail section shell 101 of the underwater robot body 1. The battery 401 is connected to the power drive mechanism 3 through the watertight connector A402 for power supply, and the battery 401 is connected to the vector regulation mechanism 2 through the watertight connector B403 for power supply.

[0055] The watertight connector A402 and the watertight connector B403 are installed on the tail section housing 101 through threads, the battery 401 is installed on the robot body 1 through bolts, and the tail section housing 101 is connected to the underwater robot control compartment through bolts.

[0056] The vector adjustment mechanism 2 includes three groups of vector adjustment units with the same structure and evenly distributed around the circumference. Each group of vector adjustment units includes:

[0057] A servo 201 connected to the outer wall of the tail section housing 101 of the robot body 1 through a servo fixing member 202;

[0058] A rocker arm 203 having one end connected to the output end of the servo 201;

[0059] A connecting shaft 204 having one end rotatably engaged with the other end of the rocker arm 203;

[0060] A connecting rod 205 having one end and the other end of the connecting shaft 204 forming a spherical pair;

[0061] A ball joint 206 is provided on the outer wall surface of the driving mechanism sealing shell 302 , and the other end of the connecting rod 205 and the ball joint 206 form a spherical pair fit.

[0062] The servo 201 is fixed to the servo fixing part 202 by bolts, and the servo fixing part 202 is installed on the outer wall of the tail section housing 101 by bolts at an interval of 120 degrees. The rocker arm 203 is connected to the servo 201 to form a revolute pair, and is connected to the connecting shaft 204 to form a revolute pair. The connecting rod 205 is connected to the connecting shaft 204 to form a spherical pair. The ball joint 206 is fixed to the outer wall of the motor housing 3021 at an interval of 120 degrees. The shaft end of the connecting rod 205 is annular, forming a spherical pair with the ball joint 206.

[0063] During vector adjustment, the servo 201 drives the rocker arm 203 to rotate. The connecting shaft 204 converts the curved motion of the rocker arm 203 into up and down motion of the connecting rod 205. The connecting rod 205 and the ball joint 206 in each vector adjustment unit cooperate to enable the power drive mechanism 3 to perform spherical rotation relative to the underwater robot body 1. The vector adjustment mechanism 2 is electrically connected to the watertight connector A402 provided on the tail section housing.

[0064] The drive mechanism housing 301 is provided with three cylindrical grooves corresponding to the connecting rods 205 of the three sets of vector adjustment units. The cylindrical grooves provide movement space for the connecting rods 205. The motion drive mechanism housing 301 includes:

[0065] A lower shell 3012, one end of which is detachably and sealedly fixedly connected to one end of the control compartment shell 102 of the robot body 1;

[0066] An upper housing 3011 detachably connected to the other end of the lower housing 3012;

[0067] And three water inlet holes 3013 are evenly distributed on the side wall of the lower shell 3012, and the water inlet holes 3013 and the cylindrical grooves are staggered.

[0068] The upper housing 3011 and the lower housing 3012 are connected by bolts. Three water inlet holes 3013 are set on the lower housing 3012 at 120 degrees apart, and each water inlet hole 3013 is separated by 60 degrees from the adjacent connecting rod 205. To prevent the drive mechanism housing 301 from obstructing the movement of the connecting rod 205, the diameter of the cylindrical groove is set to 1.5 times the maximum diameter of the connecting rod 205.

[0069] The driving mechanism sealed housing 302 includes:

[0070] The motor housing 3021 has a spherical outer surface, forming a spherical pair with the drive mechanism housing 301, and the ball joint 206 of the vector adjustment mechanism 2 is arranged on the outer wall of the motor housing 3021;

[0071] Two symmetrically arranged motor support structures 3024 , the motor support structures 3024 being located inside the motor housing 3021 ;

[0072] Two sealing O-rings 3022 , the sealing O-rings 3022 being installed in the shoulder grooves where the motor support structure 3024 contacts and supports the motor housing 3021 ;

[0073] And two support bearings 3023, the support bearings 3023 are arranged between the motor support structure 3024 and the motor housing 3021, the outer rings of the support bearings 3023 are installed on the inner surface of the motor housing 3021, and the inner rings of the support bearings 3023 are fixed to the motor support structure 3024.

[0074] The inner surface of the drive mechanism housing 301 is spherical, with three cylindrical grooves providing space for the connecting rod 205 to move. The outer surface of the drive mechanism sealing housing 302 is spherical, forming a spherical pair with the drive mechanism housing 301. During vector adjustment, the vector adjustment mechanism 2 pushes the drive mechanism sealing housing 302 to rotate within the spherical grooves within the drive mechanism housing 301 around the center of the drive mechanism sealing housing 302.

[0075] The rotating motor 303 includes a multi-pole winding stator 3031, stator windings 3032, permanent magnets 3033, and a permanent magnet rotor 3034, arranged in order from outer to inner. The outer wall of the multi-pole winding stator 3031 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the drive mechanism sealed housing 302. The stator windings 3032 are mounted on the inner wall of the multi-pole winding stator 3031. The permanent magnets 3033 are four identically shaped permanent magnets welded to the outer wall of the permanent magnet rotor 3034, which is fixedly connected to the motor support structure 3024. When the rotating motor 303 is in motion, the permanent magnet rotor 3034 rotates relative to the motor housing 3021. The permanent magnets 3033 are four identically shaped permanent magnets wound around the outer wall of the permanent magnet rotor 3034. The stator windings 3032 are mounted on the inner wall of the multi-pole winding stator 3031.

[0076] The propeller 304 includes:

[0077] A paddle center shaft 3042 disposed at the axis position of the rotating motor 303;

[0078] And four blades 3041 with the same structure are evenly distributed around the circumference. The blades 3041 are evenly distributed on the inner wall of the permanent magnet rotor 3034 and are fixedly connected to the permanent magnet rotor 3034. The blades 3041 are all sintered to the central axis of the propeller 304.

Claims

1. A shaftless vector thruster for underwater robots, characterized in that: The robot comprises a power drive mechanism (3) arranged at the end of a robot body (1), a vector adjustment mechanism (2) arranged between the robot body (1) and the power drive mechanism (3), and a power supply unit (4), wherein power is supplied to the power drive mechanism (3) and the vector adjustment mechanism (2) via the power supply unit (4); The power drive mechanism (3) comprises: a drive mechanism housing (301), one end of the drive mechanism housing (301) being sealed and fixedly connected to the robot body (1), and the inner surface of the drive mechanism housing (301) being a spherical surface as a whole; A driving mechanism sealing shell (302) is arranged inside the driving mechanism housing (301) and forms a spherical pair with the spherical surface of the inner surface, and the driving mechanism sealing shell (302) is adjusted by the vector adjustment mechanism (2) to perform spherical motion relative to the driving mechanism housing (301); a rotating motor (303) disposed in the driving mechanism sealing shell (302) and fixedly connected to the inner wall surface of the driving mechanism sealing shell (302), wherein the rotating motor (303) is sealed by the driving mechanism sealing shell (302); and a propeller (304), wherein the propeller (304) is welded to the rotating motor (303), and the propeller (304) is driven to rotate by the rotating motor (303); The robot body (1) comprises: A cylindrical control compartment housing (102); and a tail section housing (101) detachably and vertically fixedly connected to one end of the interior of the control compartment housing (102), wherein the power drive mechanism (3) is connected to the end of the control compartment housing (102) where the tail section housing (101) is located; The vector adjustment mechanism (2) comprises three groups of vector adjustment units with the same structure and uniformly distributed around the circumference, and each group of vector adjustment units comprises: A steering gear (201) connected to the outer wall surface of the tail section housing (101) of the robot body (1) via a steering gear fixing member (202); a rocker arm (203) having one end connected to an output end of the servo (201); A connecting shaft (204) having one end rotatably engaged with the other end of the rocker arm (203); A connecting rod (205) having one end and the other end of the connecting shaft (204) forming a spherical pair; A ball joint (206) is provided on the outer wall surface of the driving mechanism sealing shell (302), and the other end of the connecting rod (205) and the ball joint (206) form a spherical pair fit.

2. The axisless vector thruster for underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive mechanism housing (301) is provided with three cylindrical grooves corresponding to the connecting rods (205) of the three groups of vector adjustment units, and the cylindrical grooves provide movement space for the connecting rods (205). The drive mechanism housing (301) includes: A lower shell (3012), one end of which is detachably sealed and fixedly connected to one end of the control compartment shell (102) of the robot body (1); an upper shell (3011) detachably connected to the other end of the lower shell (3012); and three water inlet holes (3013) uniformly distributed on the side wall of the lower shell (3012) in a circumferential manner, wherein the water inlet holes (3013) and the cylindrical grooves are arranged in an alternating manner.

3. The axisless vector thruster for underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving mechanism sealed housing (302) comprises: A motor housing (3021), wherein the outer surface of the motor housing (3021) is spherical and forms a spherical pair with the drive mechanism housing (301), and the ball joint (206) of the vector adjustment mechanism (2) is arranged on the outer wall surface of the motor housing (3021); Two symmetrically arranged motor support structures (3024), wherein the motor support structures (3024) are located inside the motor housing (3021); Two sealing O-rings (3022), the sealing O-rings (3022) being installed in the shoulder grooves of the motor support structure (3024) and the motor housing (3021); and two support bearings (3023), wherein the support bearings (3023) are arranged between the motor support structure (3024) and the motor housing (3021), the outer rings of the support bearings (3023) are mounted on the inner surface of the motor housing (3021), and the inner rings of the support bearings (3023) are fixed to the motor support structure (3024).

4. The axisless vector thruster for underwater robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rotating motor (303) comprises a multi-pole winding stator (3031), a stator winding (3032), a permanent magnet (3033) and a permanent magnet rotor (3034) arranged in sequence from the outer ring to the inner ring; the outer wall surface of the multi-pole winding stator (3031) is fixedly connected to the inner wall surface of the driving mechanism sealing shell (302); the stator winding (3032) is installed on the inner wall surface of the multi-pole winding stator (3031); the permanent magnet (3033) is four permanent magnets of the same shape, which are sintered to the outer wall surface of the permanent magnet rotor (3034); and the permanent magnet rotor (3034) is fixedly connected to the motor support structure (3024).

5. The axisless vector thruster for underwater robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The propeller (304) comprises: A paddle center shaft (3042) arranged at the axis position of the rotating motor (303); and four blades (3041) of the same structure evenly distributed around the circumference, wherein the blades (3041) are evenly distributed on the inner wall surface of the permanent magnet rotor (3034), fixedly connected to the permanent magnet rotor (3034), and the blades (3041) are all sintered onto the central axis of the propeller (304).

6. The axisless vector thruster for underwater robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The power supply unit (4) comprises a battery (401) arranged in a control compartment housing (102) of the robot body (1) and a watertight connector A (402) and a watertight connector B (403) mounted on a tail section housing (101) of the underwater robot body (1); the battery (401) is connected to the power drive mechanism (3) via the watertight connector A (402) for power supply, and the battery (401) is connected to the vector control mechanism (2) via the watertight connector B (403) for power supply.

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