A foldable and unfoldable sub-ice road sign structure

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of underwater robot technology, and in particular to a foldable and unfoldable under-ice road sign structure. It comprises a soft QR code cloth, a multi-link mechanism, a main shaft and a stop handle, wherein the outer side of the multi-link mechanism is covered with a soft QR code cloth, and the multi-link mechanism has the function of folding and unfolding; the main shaft passes through the center of the multi-link mechanism, and the main shaft provides a driving force for the folding and unfolding of the multi-link mechanism by rotating; the stop handle can be arranged on the outer side of the main shaft in an axially relative sliding manner, the stop handle is positioned and connected to the multi-link mechanism, and the stop handle is used to be fixed to the ice surface. The present invention has a compact structure and a small folded volume. It can pass through a narrow ice hole and realize folding and unfolding under the ice, realizing the deployment and recovery of road signs under the ice, greatly reducing the requirements for the size of the ice hole, reducing the workload of on-site ice hole excavation, and reducing the difficulty of the supporting equipment of the under-ice robot operating on the ice surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of underwater robots, and in particular to a foldable and unfoldable underwater road sign structure. Background Art

[0002] Under-ice robots, especially those in polar regions, operate below the ice surface, where high latitudes significantly increase their navigation and positioning challenges. Under-ice landmarks, as auxiliary navigation devices, can provide position calibration for under-ice robots through robot vision recognition, improving their positioning accuracy.

[0003] Polar regions have thick ice, with multi-year ice reaching thicknesses of up to two meters. This makes drilling holes in these ice layers prohibitive, making it difficult to create larger holes. Consequently, a foldable and deployable sub-ice signpost is urgently needed. It must be compact, expandable beneath the ice to facilitate robot vision recognition, and foldable enough to fit through narrow ice holes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In response to the above problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a foldable and unfoldable under-ice road sign structure, which realizes the folding and unfolding of the road sign under the ice and the deployment and recovery in narrow ice caves. It has the characteristics of compact structure, convenient storage, simple operation, and easy implementation.

[0005] The object of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] The present invention provides a foldable and expandable under-ice road sign structure, comprising a QR code soft cloth, a multi-link mechanism, a main shaft and a stop handle, wherein the outer side of the multi-link mechanism is covered with the QR code soft cloth, and the multi-link mechanism has folding and unfolding functions; the main shaft passes through the center of the multi-link mechanism, and the main shaft provides driving force for the folding and unfolding of the multi-link mechanism through rotation; the stop handle can be arranged on the outer side of the main shaft in an axially relative sliding manner, the stop handle is positioned and connected to the multi-link mechanism, and the stop handle is used to be fixed to the ice surface.

[0007] The multi-link mechanism includes an upper foldable support seat, a telescopic link unit and a lower foldable support seat, wherein the upper foldable support seat and the lower foldable support seat are arranged in parallel, and the upper foldable support seat and the lower foldable support seat are connected by multiple groups of telescopic link units. The telescopic link unit can be extended and retracted in the horizontal direction, and the upper foldable support seat and the lower foldable support seat can both be expanded to the surroundings or gathered to the center.

[0008] There are four groups of telescopic link units, so that the multi-link mechanism has a cubic structure after being unfolded.

[0009] The upper foldable support base and the lower foldable support base have the same structure, both including a central support, a support rod and a corner support, wherein the central support is hinged to the four support rods to form a cross structure, and the ends of the four support rods are respectively hinged to the four corner supports, and the corner supports are used to connect with the telescopic link unit.

[0010] The angle support includes an angle support body and hinge ears I, hinge ears II and hinge ears III arranged on the angle support body, wherein hinge ears II and hinge ears III are right-angle structures, hinge ears I is located at the right angle, hinge ears I is hinged to the support rod, and hinge ears II and hinge ears III are respectively hinged to the two adjacent groups of telescopic connecting rod units.

[0011] The telescopic connecting rod unit is formed by hingedly connecting one or more scissor rod assemblies in sequence.

[0012] The middle and lower part of the main shaft is provided with an external thread and a retaining ring groove, the lower end of the main shaft is provided with a limiting boss, the upper end of the main shaft passes through the lower foldable support seat and the upper foldable support seat from bottom to top, and the lower foldable support seat is axially limited by the limiting boss and the retaining ring arranged in the retaining ring groove; the upper foldable support seat is connected to the external thread on the main shaft.

[0013] The upper portion of the main shaft is provided with a plurality of through holes along the axial direction, and the through holes are used for a through rod to pass through, and the main shaft is rotated by the through rod.

[0014] The stop handle is a T-shaped structure, and the lower end is positioned and connected to the upper foldable support seat. The head of the stop handle is stuck outside the ice hole and fixed to the ice surface.

[0015] The two-dimensional code soft cloth contains the location information of the current road sign.

[0016] The advantages and positive effects of the present invention are:

[0017] 1. The present invention solves the problem of deploying and recovering sub-ice road signs in narrow ice holes: The present invention proposes a foldable and deployable sub-ice road sign structure, which enables the deployment and recovery of sub-ice road signs through narrow ice holes.

[0018] 2. The present invention reduces the difficulty of working on the ice: digging an ice hole is not easy. The present invention reduces the requirement for a large-sized ice hole and can realize the function of a road sign in a narrow ice hole, thereby reducing the difficulty of working on the ice.

[0019] 3. The present invention is easy to store: the present invention has a compact volume after folding, which is convenient for transportation and storage.

[0020] 4. The present invention has greater strength: the present invention is a multi-link mechanism, which is supported by internal connecting rods after unfolding, and has greater strength and can withstand the impact of underwater water flow. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a foldable and deployable under-ice road sign structure according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the multi-link mechanism in the present invention in an expanded state;

[0023] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the folded state of the multi-link mechanism of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the upper and lower corner supports in the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the main shaft in the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the application of a foldable and unfoldable under-ice road sign structure of the present invention.

[0027] In the figure: 100-QR code soft cloth, 200-multi-link mechanism, 300-spindle, 301-perforation, 302-external thread, 303-circlip groove, 304-limiting boss, 400-stop handle, 500-through rod, 1-upper center support, 2-telescopic link unit, 3-upper support rod, 4-upper corner support, 5-lower corner support, 6-lower center support, 7-lower support rod, 41-corner support body, 42-hinge ear I, 43-hinge ear II, 44-hinge ear III. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific examples.

[0029] like Figure 1 、 Figure 6 As shown, the present invention provides a foldable and deployable ice signpost structure, comprising a soft QR code cloth 100, a multi-link mechanism 200, a main shaft 300, and a stop handle 400. The multi-link mechanism 200 is coated with the soft QR code cloth 100, which contains the current signpost's location information. The multi-link mechanism 200 has folding and unfolding functions; the main shaft 300 passes through the center of the multi-link mechanism 200, and its rotation provides the driving force for the folding and unfolding of the multi-link mechanism 200; the stop handle 400 is axially slidably disposed outside the main shaft 300, is fixedly connected to the multi-link mechanism 200, and is used to secure the signpost to the ice surface. The present invention enables the deployment and retrieval of ice signposts through narrow ice holes, reducing the difficulty of personnel working on the ice surface. When folded, the signpost is compact, making it easy to transport and store.

[0030] like Figure 2、 Figure 3 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the multi-link mechanism 200 includes an upper foldable support seat, a telescopic link unit 2 and a lower foldable support seat, wherein the upper foldable support seat and the lower foldable support seat are arranged in parallel, and the upper foldable support seat and the lower foldable support seat are connected by multiple groups of telescopic link units 2, each telescopic link unit 2 can be telescoped in the horizontal direction, and the upper foldable support seat and the lower foldable support seat can both be expanded to the surroundings or gathered to the center.

[0031] In this embodiment of the present invention, four telescopic linkage units 2 are provided, giving the multi-link mechanism 200 a cubical structure when deployed. The upper and lower foldable support bases have identical structures, each comprising a central support, support rods, and corner supports. The central support is hinged to the four support rods to form a cross-shaped structure. The ends of the four support rods are hinged to the four corner supports, which are used to connect to the telescopic linkage units 2.

[0032] Specifically, if Figure 2 As shown, the upper foldable support base includes an upper central support 1, an upper support rod 3 and an upper corner support 4, wherein the upper central support 1 is hinged with four upper support rods 3 to form an upper cross-shaped structure, and the ends of the four upper support rods 3 are hinged with four upper corner supports 4 respectively, and the upper corner supports 4 are used to connect with the upper end of the telescopic link unit 2. Figure 3 As shown, when folded and stored, with the upper central support 1 as the center, the four upper support rods 3 are folded upward and gathered toward the center.

[0033] Specifically, if Figure 2 As shown, the lower foldable support structure includes a lower central support 6, a lower support rod 7 and a lower corner support 5, wherein the lower central support 6 is hinged with four lower support rods 7 to form a lower cross-shaped structure, and the ends of the four lower support rods 7 are hinged with four lower corner supports 5 respectively, and the lower corner supports 5 are used to connect with the lower end of the telescopic link unit 2. Figure 3 As shown, when folded and stored, with the lower central support 6 as the center, the four lower support rods 7 are folded downward and gathered toward the center.

[0034] Furthermore, there are four QR code soft cloths 100, which are arranged on the four surfaces of the multi-link mechanism 200 respectively. The upper two sides of the QR code soft cloth 100 are pressed against the upper corner supports 4 of the multi-link mechanism 200 at both ends by screws, and the lower two sides of the QR code soft cloth 100 are connected to the adjacent QR code soft cloth 100 by ropes. The QR code soft cloth 100 contains the location information of the current road sign.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , in the embodiment of the present invention, the upper corner support 4 and the lower corner support 5 have the same structure and are installed in opposite directions. Figure 4As shown, the upper corner support 4 and the lower corner support 5 both include a corner support body 41 and hinge ears Ⅰ42, hinge ears Ⅱ43 and hinge ears Ⅲ44 arranged on the corner support body 41, wherein the hinge ears Ⅱ43 and hinge ears Ⅲ44 are right-angle structures, the hinge ears Ⅰ42 is located at the right angle, the hinge ears Ⅰ42 is hinged to the upper support rod 3 or the lower support rod 7, and the hinge ears Ⅱ43 and hinge ears Ⅲ44 are respectively hinged to the two adjacent groups of telescopic link units 2.

[0036] In the embodiment of the present invention, the telescopic link unit 2 is formed by one or more scissor-type lever assemblies hinged in sequence. Preferably, the telescopic link unit 2 comprises two sets of hinged scissor-type lever assemblies, with the upper ends of the telescopic link unit 2 hinged to two adjacent upper corner supports 4, and the lower ends of the telescopic link unit 2 hinged to two adjacent lower corner supports 5. The scissor-type lever assembly is formed by two connecting rods hinged at their midsections.

[0037] like Figure 5 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, an external thread 302 and a retaining ring groove 303 are provided at the middle and lower parts of the main shaft 300, and a limiting boss 304 is provided at the lower end of the main shaft 300. The upper end of the main shaft 300 passes through the lower center support 6 and the upper center support 1 from bottom to top in sequence. The main shaft 300 is placed in the flange sleeve in the lower center support 6 through a smooth cylinder. The lower center support 6 is axially limited by the limiting boss 304 and the retaining ring arranged in the retaining ring groove 303 to prevent the main shaft 300 from being separated from the lower center support 6; the upper center support 1 is connected to the external thread 302 on the main shaft 300. When the main shaft 300 rotates, the upper center support 1 can move axially relative to the main shaft 300.

[0038] Furthermore, a plurality of through holes 301 are provided in the axial direction on the upper portion of the main shaft 300 , and the through holes 301 are used for the penetration rod 500 to pass through, and the rotation of the main shaft 300 is achieved by manually penetration rod 500 .

[0039] In this embodiment of the present invention, the stop handle 400 is T-shaped, with its lower end fixedly connected to the upper center support 1. The head of the stop handle 400 is positioned outside the ice hole and fixed to the ice surface. Specifically, the stop handle 400 is sleeved onto one side of the main shaft 300, with its lower head fixed to the upper center support 1. To remove it, it can be pulled out along the axial direction.

[0040] like Figure 6 As shown, when working, the under-ice road sign is folded and lowered through the ice hole to below the ice layer, the stop handle 400 is fixed to the ice surface, and the main shaft 300 is rotated by the penetrating rod 500 to realize the deployment of the multi-link mechanism 200 and the QR code soft cloth 100, and then the penetrating rod 500 is fixed to the ice surface, thus realizing the deployment and fixation of the under-ice road sign, and vice versa, it can be folded and recovered.

[0041] The present invention provides a foldable and deployable under-ice road sign structure, the working principle of which is as follows:

[0042] In the stowed state, the foldable ice signpost structure features a QR code soft cloth 100 fixed integrally to the multi-link mechanism 200, while the main shaft 300, stop handle 400, and through rod 500 are stored separately. To operate, the main shaft 300 is threaded upward through the lower center support 6 and the upper center support 1, threadedly connected to the upper center support 1 until the upper surface of the limiting boss 304 at the lower end of the main shaft 300 contacts the lower surface of the lower center support 6, and the retaining spring is placed in the retaining spring groove 303 at the bottom of the main shaft 300. The stop handle 400 is then slid in from one side of the main shaft 300 until its lower end engages the upper center support 1. The entire structure is then lowered through the ice hole until the multi-link mechanism 200 reaches the surface of the ice, and the stop handle 400 is then secured to the ice surface. The through-rod 500 is passed through the through-hole 301 at the upper end of the main shaft 300. The main shaft 300 is rotated by the through-rod 500 to adjust the distance between the upper center support 1 and the lower center support 6, thereby driving the deployment of the multi-link mechanism 200. The through-rod 500 is further adjusted to the appropriate through-hole 301, and the through-rod 500 is fixed to the ice surface or the stop handle 400. At this time, the QR code soft cloth 100 is flattened. The QR code soft cloth contains the location information of the current landmark. The under-ice robot recognizes the QR code on the landmark in the water, thereby calibrating the current position of the under-ice robot. After deployment, the main shaft 300, the upper support rod 3 and the lower support rod 7 can provide a certain strength for the multi-link mechanism 200 to prevent water flow from impacting the multi-link mechanism 200 and causing damage.

[0043] The above process is reversed to store.

[0044] In summary, the present invention boasts a compact structure and a small size when folded, allowing it to pass through narrow ice holes and then unfold. The unfolded QR code soft cloth can be used for target recognition and position correction by under-ice robots. Once folded, the entire structure can be retrieved through narrow ice holes. This invention enables the deployment and retrieval of road signs under ice, significantly reducing the required ice hole size, the workload of on-site ice hole excavation, and the difficulty of operating under-ice robot equipment on the icy surface.

[0045] The above description is only an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, expansion, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention are included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A foldable and deployable under-ice road sign structure, characterized in that: The invention comprises a QR code soft cloth (100), a multi-link mechanism (200), a main shaft (300) and a stop handle (400), wherein the outer side of the multi-link mechanism (200) is covered with the QR code soft cloth (100), and the multi-link mechanism (200) has a folding and unfolding function; the main shaft (300) passes through the center of the multi-link mechanism (200), and the main shaft (300) provides a driving force for the folding and unfolding of the multi-link mechanism (200) by rotating; the stop handle (400) is arranged on the outer side of the main shaft (300) so as to slide relative to the main shaft (300) in the axial direction, the stop handle (400) is positioned and connected to the multi-link mechanism (200), and the stop handle (400) is used to be fixed to the ice surface; The multi-link mechanism (200) comprises an upper foldable support seat, a telescopic link unit (2) and a lower foldable support seat, wherein the upper foldable support seat and the lower foldable support seat are arranged in parallel, and the upper foldable support seat and the lower foldable support seat are connected by multiple groups of telescopic link units (2), the telescopic link units (2) can be telescoped in the horizontal direction, and the upper foldable support seat and the lower foldable support seat can both be expanded to the periphery or gathered to the center; The middle and lower part of the main shaft (300) is provided with an external thread (302) and a retaining ring groove (303); the lower end of the main shaft (300) is provided with a limiting boss (304); the upper end of the main shaft (300) passes through the lower foldable support seat and the upper foldable support seat in sequence from bottom to top; the lower foldable support seat is axially limited by the limiting boss (304) and the retaining ring provided in the retaining ring groove (303); the upper foldable support seat is connected to the external thread (302) on the main shaft (300).

2. The foldable and deployable under-ice road sign structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The telescopic link units (2) are four groups, so that the multi-link mechanism (200) forms a quadrilateral structure after being unfolded.

3. The foldable and deployable under-ice road sign structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper foldable support base and the lower foldable support base have the same structure, both comprising a central support, a support rod and an angle support, wherein the central support is hinged to the four support rods to form a cross-shaped structure, and the ends of the four support rods are respectively hinged to the four angle supports, and the angle supports are used to connect to the telescopic connecting rod unit (2).

4. The foldable and deployable under-ice road sign structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The corner support comprises a corner support body (41) and hinge ears I (42), hinge ears II (43) and hinge ears III (44) arranged on the corner support body (41), wherein the hinge ears II (43) and hinge ears III (44) are in a right-angle structure, the hinge ears I (42) are located at the right angle, the hinge ears I (42) are hinged to the support rod, and the hinge ears II (43) and hinge ears III (44) are respectively hinged to the two adjacent groups of telescopic connecting rod units (2).

5. The foldable and deployable under-ice road sign structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The telescopic connecting rod unit (2) is formed by hingedly connecting one or more scissor rod assemblies in sequence.

6. The foldable and deployable under-ice road sign structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper portion of the main shaft (300) is provided with a plurality of through holes (301) along the axial direction. The through holes (301) are used for a through rod (500) to pass through, and the main shaft (300) is rotated by the through rod (500).

7. The foldable and deployable under-ice road sign structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stop handle (400) is a T-shaped structure, and the lower end is positioned and connected to the upper foldable support seat, and the head of the stop handle (400) is stuck outside the ice hole and fixed to the ice surface.

8. The foldable and deployable under-ice road sign structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two-dimensional code soft cloth (100) contains the location information of the current road sign.

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