A fixed platform mechanism for ice coring operations

Abstract

The present invention discloses a fixed platform mechanism for ice coring operations. The drill tool fixing unit includes a fixed frame, a drill tool clamp, and a clamp bracket. The fixed frame is hollow and annular, with one end of the clamp bracket connected to the inner side of the fixed frame; the other end of the clamp bracket is connected to the drill tool clamp. The balancing fixing unit includes a mechanical arm; a control unit includes a processing module, a motor, a gyroscope, and a control unit protective shell. The motor and gyroscope are mounted inside the control unit protective shell, which is connected to the inner wall of the fixed frame. The gyroscope is used to calibrate the center of gravity and feed back signals to the processing module. The processing module is connected to the motor to transmit instructions to determine the rotation angle. The motor output shaft is connected to a connecting shaft connecting the mechanical arm and the control unit housing to control the rotation of the mechanical arm. The upper protective cover is adaptively connected to the fixed frame. The present invention ensures that the mechanism and drill tool always remain perpendicular to the center of the earth on complex glacial landforms.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of flexible bionic robots, and in particular to a fixed platform mechanism for ice coring operations based on bionic principles. Background Art

[0002] Flexible robots have the characteristics of high flexibility, deformability and energy absorption, have strong adaptability to the environment, and have important application value under extreme working conditions.

[0003] Glacial landforms are a mysterious continent. Whether in the polar regions or high-altitude ice fields, they hold a treasure trove of knowledge for scientific exploration. Ice cores are like keys to unlock this treasure trove, possessing immense research value in glaciology, climatology, biology, and other fields. To obtain ice cores, scientists from around the world have conducted extensive scientific drilling and developed a variety of ice coring tools. Due to the varying ice thicknesses encountered in different glacial landforms, the drill tools required for ice coring vary in size. Traditional fixtures are often one-to-one, corresponding only to a specific size. This means that surveys require not only drill tools of varying sizes, but also corresponding drill tools. Furthermore, developing ice coring tools presents a further challenge: conventional fixtures and mounting mechanisms often have the same rotation angle for each arm. This makes it impossible to maintain the center of gravity of the entire device perpendicular to the Earth's center of gravity even in glacial landforms with varying heights and sizes, such as ice rocks and ice caps. Consequently, the drill tools cannot perform ice coring tasks properly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention addresses the technical problem that a clamp with a single movement mode is difficult to fix on complex terrains such as snow ripples, ice cracks, exposed rocks, and sea ice, and provides a fixed platform mechanism for ice coring operations.

[0005] In order to achieve the above technical objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions.

[0006] Provided is an ice coring operation fixed platform mechanism, comprising: a drilling tool fixing unit, a balance fixing unit, a control unit and an upper protective cover;

[0007] The drilling tool fixing unit includes a fixing frame, a drilling tool clamp and a clamp bracket;

[0008] The fixed frame is in a hollow ring shape, one end of the clamp bracket is connected to the inner wall of the fixed frame; the other end of the clamp bracket is connected to the drilling fixture;

[0009] The balancing and fixing unit includes a mechanical arm;

[0010] The control unit includes a processing module, a motor, a gyroscope and a control unit protective shell, wherein the processing module, the motor and the gyroscope are installed inside the control unit protective shell, and the control unit protective shell is connected to the inner wall of the fixed frame;

[0011] The gyroscope is used to feed back signals to the processing module by calibrating the center of gravity. The processing module is connected to the motor to transmit instructions to determine the rotation angle. The motor output shaft is connected to the connecting shaft of the robot arm and the control unit housing through a coupling to control the rotation of the robot arm;

[0012] The upper protective cover is adaptively connected to the fixed frame.

[0013] Furthermore, the balancing and fixing unit includes six identical robotic arms, and the six robotic arms are respectively connected to respective control units.

[0014] Furthermore, the fixed frame is in the shape of a hollow ring, and an annular groove is provided at the upper end of the fixed frame for fixing the upper protective cover.

[0015] Furthermore, a clamp slot is provided on the inner side of the fixed frame, the outer side surface of the clamp bracket cooperates with the clamp slot, and threaded holes are provided on the outer side surface of the clamp bracket and the fixed frame. The outer side surface of the clamp bracket is connected and fixed to the inner side of the fixed frame by passing bolts through the threaded holes on the outer side surface of the clamp bracket and the threaded holes on the fixed frame.

[0016] Furthermore, the center of the fixture bracket is connected to a protruding center connecting plate, and the drill fixture includes interconnected connecting side surfaces and outer fixture fixing surfaces; the front end surface of the center connecting plate is grooved for inserting the connecting side surfaces of the drill fixture; threaded holes are opened on both sides of the center connecting plate, and the connecting side surfaces are provided with multiple threaded holes at different distances from the front end, and the drill fixture is connected to the fixture bracket by passing bolts through the threaded holes on the center connecting plate and the threaded holes on the connecting side surfaces.

[0017] Furthermore, the outer clamp fixing surface is an arc-shaped surface.

[0018] Furthermore, the robotic arm includes a hemisphere, and the end surface of the hemisphere is a planar structure.

[0019] Furthermore, a barb is provided on the outer side of the planar structure.

[0020] The beneficial technical effects achieved by the present invention are:

[0021] The mechanism provided by the present invention can control the rotation angle of each robotic arm through the control unit of each robotic arm, so that the mechanism and the drilling tool always remain perpendicular to the center of the earth on glacial landforms surrounded by ice rocks of varying sizes and heights, ice caps, etc., ensuring that the entire work can be carried out in glacial landforms;

[0022] The balancing fixing unit provided by the present invention, i.e., six mechanical arms, are respectively connected to the outside of the control unit protective shell through connecting shafts; the upper layer of the drilling tool fixing unit is provided with a protective cover to protect the internal structure. The structure is simple, easy to implement, and suitable for ice surface working environments;

[0023] Traditional fixtures have numerous and complex internal parts, making them difficult to carry. This mechanism, when not in operation, is designed to facilitate movement and protect the internal control unit in order to cope with complex terrain. The entire platform is spherical when not in operation and can roll on the glacier surface for easy movement and portability.

[0024] Traditional clamps can only be used for drill tools of one size. This mechanism has multiple threaded holes engraved on the drill tool clamp to achieve the work of clamping drill tools of different sizes and gears; the traditional clamp mechanism support structure cannot be firmly positioned on the glacier surface, which makes it unusable in complex polar environments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] To more clearly describe the working process and principle of the entire fixed platform mechanism, an example of the implementation method will be briefly introduced below using the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 A front elevation view of the platform mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention when not in operation;

[0027] Figure 2 A front view of the platform mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention after being opened in a non-working state;

[0028] Figure 3 A front view of the platform mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention in a non-working state;

[0029] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the platform mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention in a non-working state;

[0030] Figure 5 Isometric drawings of the mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present invention, in which each mechanical arm rotates to different angles during operation;

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the working state of the mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention, in which the mechanism adapts to the complex environment and operates smoothly in glacial landforms by adjusting the rotation angle of the robotic arm;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a front view of a drill fixture suitable for three sizes of gears in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 A top view of a drill fixture suitable for three sizes of gears in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 9This is a front view of the cooperation relationship between the drilling tool fixture and the fixture bracket in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 10 A top view of the cooperation relationship between the drill fixture and the fixture bracket in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 11 This is a left view of the cooperation relationship between the drill fixture and the fixture bracket in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 12 This is a front view of the matching relationship between the control unit protective shell and the robotic arm according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 13 This is a side view of the cooperation relationship between the control unit protective shell and the robotic arm according to an embodiment of the present invention; the figure numbers in the figure are:

[0039] 1-Upper protective cover; 2-Drilling fixture; 3-Fixture bracket; 4-Fixture slot; 5-Control unit protective shell; 6-Hook; 7-Robot arm; 8-Fixed frame; 9-Annular surface; 10-Center connecting plate; 11-Arcuate surface; 12-Second connecting hole; 13-Connecting side; 14-Bolt; 15-Robot arm connecting plate; 16-Connecting shaft; 17-Ice coring drill. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following will provide a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] Example 1: Figures 1 to 13 As shown, a fixed platform mechanism for ice coring operation includes: a drilling tool fixing unit, a balance fixing unit, a control unit and an upper protective cover;

[0042] The drilling tool fixing unit includes a fixing frame 8, a drilling tool clamp 2 and a clamp bracket 3;

[0043] The fixed frame 8 is hollow and annular, and the annular fixed frame 8 is arranged at the outermost side. One end of the clamp bracket 3 is connected to the inner wall of the fixed frame 8; the other end of the clamp bracket 3 is connected to the drilling fixture 2;

[0044] The balancing and fixing unit includes a mechanical arm 7;

[0045] The control unit includes a processing module, a motor, a gyroscope (not shown in the figure) and a control unit protective shell 5. The processing module, motor and gyroscope are installed inside the control unit protective shell 5 to drive the robotic arm 7 to rotate and maintain the center of gravity of the entire device.

[0046] The upper protective cover 1 is adaptively connected to the fixed frame 8 .

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, the annular fixed frame 8 is connected to the upper protective cover 1 , the drilling tool clamp 2 , the clamp bracket 3 and the control unit are arranged in the hollow part of the fixed frame 8 ; the mechanical arm 7 is arranged at the lower end of the fixed frame 8 .

[0048] Optionally, in a specific embodiment, the balancing and fixing unit includes six identical robotic arms 7 , and the six robotic arms 7 are respectively connected to respective control units.

[0049] The control unit protective shell 5 is threadedly connected to the inner wall of the fixed frame 8. Inside the control unit, a gyroscope and a signal processing module are welded to the circuit board. The gyroscope calibrates the center of gravity by measuring the current posture of the entire mechanism and feeds the measurement signal back to the processing module. The processing module is used to determine the swing angle of the manipulator arm 7 based on the measurement signal and transmit control instructions to the motor. The motor drives the manipulator arm 7 to swing according to the control instructions, which is used to adjust the posture of the entire mechanism to keep the ice coring drill 17 clamped by the drill fixture unit always pointing vertically to the center of the earth. One end of the manipulator arm 7 is free, and the other end is provided with a manipulator arm connecting plate 15. The manipulator arm connecting plate 15 is connected to the output shaft of the motor via a connecting shaft 16. The connecting shaft 16 is hinged to the control unit protective shell 5, thereby controlling the swing of the manipulator arm 7.

[0050] Optionally, the control unit protective shell 5 is an annular structure with an outer diameter of 200±5mm, an inner diameter of 160±5mm and a span of 30°. The control unit protective shell 5 is provided with two mounting holes for threaded connection to the inner side of the fixed frame 8. The center distance of the mounting holes is 22±2mm, and the center distance of the circle is 5±1mm from the top of the control unit protective shell 5. A 6mm groove is opened on the outside, and connection holes with a direct diameter of 2.5±1mm and a depth of 3±1mm are opened at both ends to connect to the robotic arm 7.

[0051] A groove is provided at the lower end of the control unit protective shell 5 to provide space for the connection and rotation of the robot arm 7. Holes with a diameter of 2.5 mm and a depth of 3 mm are provided at both ends of the groove. A robot arm connecting plate 15 is welded to the upper end of the robot arm 7. The robot arm connecting plate 15 has a through hole with a diameter of 2.5 mm. A connecting shaft 16 is provided in the through hole. The connecting shaft 16 is used to match the robot arm 7 with the control unit protective shell 5, and the rotation is controlled by the motor output. In this embodiment, the connecting shaft 16 and the through hole on the robot arm connecting plate 15 are interference fit, the connecting shaft 16 is hinged to the control unit protective shell 5, and the motor is connected to the connecting shaft 16 for transmission, thereby driving the robot arm 7. The connecting shaft 16 and the through hole on the robot arm connecting plate 15 can also be clearance fit, and then the motor directly drives the robot arm 7 to swing through a connecting rod mechanism or the like.

[0052] Optionally, the upper protective cover 1 is a hollow hemisphere with an outer diameter of 212±5mm and an inner diameter of 208±5mm, and a 212×208mm annular protrusion with a height of 1mm is welded at the bottom for keyway matching to fix the upper protective cover 1 and the drill fixing unit.

[0053] Optionally, the entire fixed platform mechanism can be made of ordinary steel material.

[0054] Under different terrains, when working, except for the swinging of the robotic arm 7 to maintain the center of gravity, all other parts of the entire device remain stationary. Through gyroscope control and motor drive, the six robotic arms 7 rotate at different angles to find a balanced state. The gyroscope and motor in the protective shell 5 of the control unit connected to the upper end of each robotic arm 7 will drive the robotic arm 7 to deflect at different angles to keep the entire mechanism always pointing vertically to the center of the earth. After the position of the mechanism is fixed, the upper protective cover 1 is removed, the ice coring drill 17 is clamped on the drill fixture 2, and the drill system is started to complete the ice coring sampling and exploration operation.

[0055] Optionally, the robotic arm 7 is approximately 1 / 6 of a hemisphere, has a span of 58°, an outer diameter of 200±5mm, an inner diameter of 180±5mm, a distance of 90mm between the bottom plane and the top, a barb 6 with an outer diameter of 4±1mm is installed on the bottom plane, and a robotic arm connecting plate 15 is installed on the top. The rectangular part of the robotic arm connecting plate 15 is 20mm long, 5mm high, and 5mm wide, the semi-cylindrical part is 20mm long and 5mm in diameter, and a connecting shaft with a diameter of 2.5±1mm and a length of 3±1mm is provided at the center of the circle. The rotational freedom of each robotic arm 7 is 120°.

[0056] Optionally, the end face of the robotic arm 7 is a planar structure.

[0057] Example 2: Based on the above example, in this example, a barb 6 is installed at the tail end of each robotic arm 7 to increase friction, so that it can be better fixed on the glacial landform.

[0058] Barb 6 is welded to the lower end of the robotic arm 7 to increase contact stress and friction, making it easier to secure the mechanism to uneven terrain with low friction coefficients, such as ice and ice sheets. Barb 6 operates on a similar principle to a baton, automatically controlling its extension and retraction to adjust its length to the specific environment without requiring circuit control.

[0059] In a specific embodiment, the fixed frame 8 is optionally annular with an inner diameter of 200±5mm and an outer diameter of 220±5mm. An annular groove with an inner diameter of 208±2mm, an outer diameter of 212±2mm and a depth of 1mm is provided on the upper end of the fixed frame 8 to fix the upper protective cover 1.

[0060] Example 3: Based on the above examples, this example provides an ice coring operation fixed platform mechanism, which is provided with three clamp slots 4 on the inner side for fixing the clamp bracket 3. The three clamp slots 4 are 120° apart, and the bottom of the clamp slot 4 is 19±1mm away from the upper end of the fixed frame 8. The height of each clamp slot 4 is 16mm and the depth is 13.3±1mm. The innermost side of the clamp slot 4 is 3±1mm away from the inner side of the fixed frame 8. The thickness of the clamp slot 4 is 1±1mm. The clamp slot 4 is provided with two M5 threaded holes, which are 40mm apart. The threaded holes are 6.5±1mm away from the upper end of the clamp slot 4 and 4.8±1mm away from the outer side of the clamp slot 4. The two holes are symmetrical about the center of the clamp slot 4.

[0061] like Figure 10 As shown, the outer side of the clamp bracket 3 is an annular surface 9 for mating with the clamp slot 4 provided on the upper end of the fixed frame 8. The annular surface 9 on the outer side of the clamp bracket 3 has an annular surface diameter of 200±5mm, a thickness of 1.3±1mm, and a height of 18.3±1mm. The entire annular surface spans 40°, and the annular surface 9 is perforated with two M5 threaded holes 40mm apart. The center-welded protruding center connecting plate 10 is used to mate with the drill fixture 2. It has a width of 22±1mm and a height of 5±1mm. The center of the annular surface 9 is 21.6±1mm away from the front end face of the center connecting plate 10. M2 holes (first connecting holes) are opened on both sides of the center connecting plate 10, with the center of the circle 9.8±1mm away from the front end face. The front end face of the center connecting plate 10 has an 8×2mm groove. The drill fixture 2 includes interconnected connecting side surfaces 13 and an outer clamp fixing surface.

[0062] The groove is used for inserting the connecting side 13 of the drill clamp 2 .

[0063] The tail end of the drill clamp 2 is 8±1mm wide and 2±1mm high. The rear end face of the tail end is 35±1mm away from the front end of the arcuate face. A 3-stage M2 threaded hole (second connecting hole 12) is provided at the tail end. The drill clamp 2 is connected to the clamp bracket 3 with a bolt 14 (through the first connecting hole and one of the second connecting holes 12) on the connecting side 13. The center distance between adjacent second connecting holes 12 is 5±1mm. The drill clamp 2 can clamp ice coring drill tools 17 with a diameter range of 120, 130, and 140mm. The outer clamp fixing surface at the front end of the drill clamp is a curved surface 11 with an inner diameter of 100mm, a thickness of 5±1mm, a height of 10±1mm, and a span of 60°.

[0064] Traditional fixtures can only correspond to drill tools of a specific size. This means that when conducting survey tasks, not only drill tools of different sizes but also drill tools of corresponding sizes must be prepared. This mechanism has three threaded holes in the drill tool fixture to clamp drill tools of different sizes. It can optionally correspond to three different sizes of drill tools: 120mm, 130mm, and 140mm, realizing a one-to-many size range and effectively improving the efficiency of fixture adaptation.

Claims

1. A fixed platform mechanism for ice coring operations, characterized in that: include: A drilling tool fixing unit, a balance fixing unit, a control unit and an upper protective cover (1); The drilling tool fixing unit comprises a fixing frame (8), a drilling tool fixture (2) and a fixture bracket (3), and the upper protective cover (1) is mounted on the fixing frame (8); The fixed frame (8) is in a hollow ring shape, and one end of the clamp bracket (3) is connected to the inner wall of the fixed frame (8); the other end of the clamp bracket (3) is connected to the drilling fixture (2); The balancing and fixing unit includes a mechanical arm (7); The control unit comprises a processing module, a motor, a gyroscope and a control unit protective shell (5), wherein the processing module, the motor and the gyroscope are respectively installed inside the control unit protective shell (5), and the control unit protective shell (5) is connected to the inner wall of the fixed frame (8); The gyroscope is used to measure the posture of the entire mechanism and feed back the measurement signal to the processing module. The processing module is used to determine the swing angle of the mechanical arm (7) based on the measurement signal and transmit a control instruction to the motor. The motor drives the mechanical arm (7) to swing according to the control instruction, and is used to adjust the posture of the entire mechanism to keep the ice coring drill (17) clamped by the drill fixing unit always pointing vertically to the center of the earth; The balancing and fixing unit comprises six identical mechanical arms (7), and the six mechanical arms (7) are respectively connected to respective control units; The inner wall of the fixed frame (8) is provided with a clamp slot (4), the outer side surface of the clamp bracket (3) cooperates with the clamp slot (4), the outer side surface of the clamp bracket (3) and the fixed frame (8) are both provided with threaded holes, and the outer side surface of the clamp bracket (3) is connected and fixed to the inner wall of the fixed frame (8) by passing bolts through the threaded holes; The center of the fixture bracket (3) is connected to a protruding center connecting plate (10), and the drilling fixture (2) includes interconnected connecting side surfaces (13) and an outer fixture fixing surface; the front end surface of the center connecting plate (10) is grooved for inserting the connecting side surface (13) of the drilling fixture (2); first connecting holes are opened on both sides of the center connecting plate (10), and the connecting side surface (13) is provided with a plurality of second connecting holes (12) at different distances from the front end, and a bolt is passed through the first connecting hole of the center connecting plate (10) and one of the second connecting holes of the connecting side surface (13) to connect the drilling fixture (2) to the fixture bracket (3).

2. The fixed platform mechanism for ice coring operations according to claim 1, characterized in that: An annular groove is provided at the upper end of the fixed frame (8) for fixing the upper protective cover (1).

3. The fixed platform mechanism for ice coring operations according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer clamp fixing surface is an arc-shaped surface (11).

4. The fixed platform mechanism for ice coring operations according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the mechanical arm (7) is a free end, and the other end is provided with a mechanical arm connecting plate (15). The mechanical arm connecting plate (15) is transmission-connected to the output shaft of the motor via a connecting shaft (16), and the connecting shaft (16) is hinged to the control unit protective shell (5).

5. The fixed platform mechanism for ice coring operations according to claim 4, characterized in that: A barb is provided at the free end of the mechanical arm (7).

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