An elephant trunk robot

Abstract

The application discloses an elephant trunk robot and relates to the technical field of robots, which comprises a base and an elephant trunk body, one end of the elephant trunk body is connected with the base, and the other end is connected with an executing mechanism; the elephant trunk body comprises a main beam with a bending self-recovery function and a plurality of partitions, the plurality of partitions are coaxially arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the elephant trunk body and have diameters decreasing in sequence; a plurality of pneumatic springs are uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction between adjacent partitions; the main beam coaxially penetrates through the plurality of partitions and is connected with the plurality of partitions; the application adopts the pneumatic springs as the executing elements of the bending action joints, has simple structure, light weight, good weather resistance, convenient combination and replacement, lower manufacturing cost and can be manufactured in large quantities; in the natural state, the main beam is used for the shape of the elephant trunk body, and in the working process, the main beam is used for limiting the bending angle of the action joints, so that the service life of the joints is not affected by excessive bending.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to an elephant-trunk robot. Background Technology

[0002] A robotic arm is a structural form of robot. Traditional robotic arms are composed of rigid links, typically with series, parallel, or hybrid series-parallel structures. These robotic arms are characterized by discrete joints and rigid connections. Another type is the continuous robotic arm, based on biomimetic features such as octopus arms or elephant trunks. Because continuous robotic arms can undergo flexible deformation at any point, they possess strong obstacle avoidance capabilities, better adapt to unstructured environments, and are better at grasping irregular objects. These robotic arms can either grasp objects by attaching gripping devices to their ends, like traditional robotic arms, or they can use the arm itself to roll up objects. Structurally, these robotic arms are powerful, exhibiting good compliance and adaptability.

[0003] Traditional biomimetic robotic arms based on elephant trunk organs, such as the invention patent application number "201210514688.6" entitled "A Bionic Elephant Trunk Robot," include a frame, an elephant trunk cover, an elephant trunk mechanism, and a manipulator. The elephant trunk mechanism comprises multiple joint units connected in series. One end of the elephant trunk mechanism is suspended from the frame, and the other end is connected to the manipulator. The elephant trunk cover covers the outside of the elephant trunk mechanism. Each joint unit includes an upper platform, a lower platform, a motor, and an electric cylinder. By extending and retracting the electric cylinder, the tilt angle of the upper and lower platforms is changed, thereby enabling the biomimetic elephant trunk robot to perform movements such as extension, flexion, peristalsis, and lateral movement.

[0004] However, each joint uses multiple electric cylinders and motors, which increases the cost and results in a larger weight of the joint unit and higher energy consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an elephant trunk robot to solve the problems existing in the prior art. It has a simple structure, is lightweight and has good weather resistance, is easy to assemble and replace, has a lower manufacturing cost, and the main beam helps to maintain the stability of its structure.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: The present invention provides an elephant trunk robot, including a base and an elephant trunk body. One end of the elephant trunk body is connected to the base, and the other end is connected to an actuator. The elephant trunk body includes a main beam with a self-recovering bending function and several partitions. The partitions are coaxially spaced along the extension direction of the elephant trunk body and their diameters decrease sequentially. Several pneumatic springs are evenly distributed circumferentially between adjacent partitions. The main beam coaxially passes through the partitions and is connected to the partitions.

[0007] Preferably, the main beam has a cavity inside, and the cavity is provided with wires for electrically connecting the base and the actuator.

[0008] Preferably, the main beam includes a pressure-resistant rubber tube, the sidewall of which is connected to the partition, and the conductor is disposed in the pressure-resistant rubber tube.

[0009] Preferably, three pneumatic springs are provided between adjacent partitions.

[0010] Preferably, a plurality of connecting ropes are connected between adjacent partitions, and the plurality of connecting ropes are parallel to the frustum-shaped side surface; the ends of the plurality of connecting ropes are evenly spaced and fixed to the partitions along the circumference of the partitions; the length of the connecting ropes is not greater than the distance between two adjacent partitions in the direction of the frustum-shaped side surface when the pneumatic spring reaches its rated pressure value.

[0011] Preferably, the partition plate has several through holes evenly distributed along its edge, and bolts are inserted through the through holes. Nuts are installed on the bolts, and the nuts and bolts are located on the two sides of the partition plate, respectively. Several pull ropes are evenly distributed along the circumference of the elephant trunk body, and the two ends of the pull ropes are fixed to the bolts in the two end partition plates, respectively. The middle part of the pull ropes is wrapped around the two ends of the bolts to form a ring structure distributed on both sides of the partition plate, and the two ring structures are pressed and fixed by the nuts and bolts, respectively.

[0012] Preferably, the pull rope is a steel wire rope with a PU layer wrapped on the outside, and the diameter of the steel wire rope is 2mm to 5mm.

[0013] Preferably, each of the partitions is provided with a plurality of wire holes, and a main air supply pipe is provided in the wire holes. The main air supply pipe is connected to a plurality of branch air supply pipes, and the branch air supply pipes are connected to the pneumatic spring through a control valve group.

[0014] Preferably, the control valve assembly includes a pneumatically controlled pressure reducing valve and a pneumatically controlled self-locking valve.

[0015] Preferably, the number of the main air supply pipes is equal to the number of the pneumatic springs between the adjacent partitions; a protective cover is provided on the outside of the elephant trunk body.

[0016] The present invention achieves the following technical effects compared to the prior art:

[0017] 1. This invention uses a pneumatic spring as the actuator for bending the joint. It has a simple structure, is lightweight and weather-resistant, easy to assemble and replace, has lower manufacturing costs, and can be mass-produced. Since the pneumatic spring uses compressed gas as a power source, its bending process is smooth and noiseless, and its operation is more energy-efficient.

[0018] 2. In this invention, the front end of the elephant trunk body is subjected to less force and the end end is subjected to more force. Therefore, the diameter of the end partition gradually increases from the front end to the end end, and the specifications of the pneumatic springs between adjacent partitions also gradually increase. Larger specifications of pneumatic springs have greater thrust, which can meet the force requirements and is more in line with the biomimetic principle.

[0019] 3. In this invention, the main beam has a certain rigidity, and its maximum bending angle is less than the maximum angle that the elephant trunk body can bend in one direction. In its natural state, the main beam is used to position the shape of the elephant trunk body. During operation, the main beam is used to limit the bending angle of the joints to avoid excessive bending of the joints and affect their service life.

[0020] 4. The main functions of the pull rope in this invention are twofold: firstly, to facilitate the maintenance of the shape of the protective cover; and secondly, to further limit the bending angle of the joints, thereby preventing excessive bending and ensuring the stability of the joints during operation. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the elephant-trunk robot in this invention;

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the elephant trunk;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the bending structure of a joint.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a top view of the moving joint;

[0026] The components include: 1. base; 2. protective cover; 3. gripper; 4. main beam; 5. partition; 6. pneumatic spring; 7. pull rope; 8. bolt; 9. wire hole; 10. air inlet; and 11. bolt fixing hole. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] The purpose of this invention is to provide an elephant trunk robot to solve the problems existing in the prior art. It has a simple structure, is lightweight and has good weather resistance, is easy to assemble and replace, has a lower manufacturing cost, and the main beam helps to maintain the stability of its structure.

[0029] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0030] like Figures 1-4 As shown, this embodiment provides an elephant trunk robot, including a base 1 and an elephant trunk body. A protective cover 2 is provided on the outside of the elephant trunk body, and the protective cover 2 can be made of skin. One end of the elephant trunk body is connected to the base 1, and the other end is connected to an actuator, which can be a gripper 3 or a working mechanism with other functions. The elephant trunk body includes a main beam 4 with a bending self-restoring function and several partitions 5. The components between two adjacent partitions 5 can be regarded as a joint. The several partitions 5 are arranged coaxially at intervals along the extension direction of the elephant trunk body and their diameters decrease sequentially, so that the elephant trunk body is frustum-shaped in its natural state. Several pneumatic springs 6 are evenly distributed circumferentially between adjacent partitions 5, and the pneumatic springs 6 are connected to a pneumatic supply mechanism. A circular hole is provided at the center of the partition 5, and the main beam 4 passes through each circular hole in sequence to connect with the several partitions 5.

[0031] In use, the air supply mechanism inflates one or more pneumatic springs 6 between the two partitions 5. The inflated pneumatic springs 6 extend, and the partitions 5 flip towards the side with the uninflated pneumatic springs 6, thus bending one of the joints. By controlling the inflation of one or more pneumatic springs 6 in multiple joints, the elephant trunk can be bent into the desired shape. After deflating the inflated pneumatic springs 6, combined with the resetting action of the main beam 4, the elephant trunk returns to its natural state.

[0032] In this embodiment, a pneumatic spring 6 is used as the actuator for bending the joint. The pneumatic spring 6 is typically composed of rubber, nylon mesh, and a metal end cap. The metal end cap has an air inlet 10 and a bolt fixing hole 11. It has a simple structure, is lightweight, has good weather resistance, is easy to assemble and replace, has lower manufacturing costs, and can be mass-produced. Because the pneumatic spring 6 uses compressed gas as its power source, its bending process is smooth and noiseless, and its operation is more energy-efficient. Simultaneously, in this embodiment, the front end of the elephant trunk experiences less force, therefore the diameter of the front partition 5 is the smallest; the end of the elephant trunk experiences greater force, therefore the diameter of the end partition 5 is the largest. The size of the pneumatic spring 6 between adjacent partitions 5 gradually increases from the front to the end. Larger-sized pneumatic springs 6 have greater thrust, which can meet the force requirements and is more in line with biomimetic principles.

[0033] In this embodiment, the main beam 4 has a certain rigidity, and its maximum bending angle is less than the maximum angle that the elephant trunk body can bend in one direction (i.e., the pneumatic spring 6 on the same side of the elephant trunk body is inflated, while the pneumatic spring 6 on the other side is not inflated). In its natural state, the main beam 4 is used to position the shape of the elephant trunk body. During operation, the main beam 4 is used to limit the bending angle of the joints, preventing excessive bending of the joints from affecting their service life.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the main beam 4 is a pressure-resistant rubber tube with an internal cavity containing wires for electrically connecting the control module and actuator in the base 1. In this embodiment, "pressure-resistant" in the pressure-resistant rubber tube refers to the main beam 4's resistance to radial deformation under external compressive force. Since the main beam 4 is located in the middle of several pneumatic springs 6 in this embodiment, the sidewalls of the pneumatic springs 6 may compress the main beam 4 when it inflates, causing significant radial deformation and potentially compressing the internal wires. When the main beam 4 bends, the compressed wires risk breaking. By placing the main beam 4 within the pressure-resistant rubber tube in this embodiment, this problem can be effectively avoided.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, three pneumatic springs 6 are provided between adjacent partitions 5.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, several connecting ropes are also connected between adjacent partitions 5. These connecting ropes are all parallel to the frustum-shaped side surface, with their ends connected to the edge of the partition 5. The length of the connecting ropes is no greater than the distance between two adjacent partitions 5 in the frustum-shaped side surface direction when the pneumatic spring 6 reaches its rated pressure value.

[0037] The connecting ropes mentioned above are intermittently installed, meaning that connecting ropes are installed between adjacent partitions 5. To facilitate the installation of the connecting ropes, in this embodiment, several through holes are evenly provided along the edge of the partition 5, and bolts 8 are inserted through the through holes. Nuts are installed on the bolts 8, and the nuts and bolts on the bolts 8 are located on both sides of the partition 5. Several pull ropes 7 are evenly provided along the circumference of the elephant trunk body, and the length of the pull ropes 7 is greater than the length of the inclined surface of the elephant trunk body. The two ends of the pull ropes 7 are respectively fixed to the bolts 8 in the two end partitions 5; the middle part of the pull ropes 7 is wrapped around the two ends of the bolts 8 to form a ring structure distributed on both sides of the partition 5, and the two ring structures are respectively tightened and fixed by nuts and bolts. When setting the pull ropes 7, the middle part of the pull ropes 7 is first wrapped around the bolts 8 of the middle partition 5. The pull ropes 7 located on the upper side of the partition 5 extend upward and wrap around the bolts 8 one by one, and the pull ropes 7 located on the lower side of the partition 5 extend downward and wrap around the bolts 8 one by one. Then inflate all pneumatic springs 6 to their rated pressure values, ensuring the maximum distance between adjacent partitions 5. At this point, tighten the nuts on the partitions 5. Since the pull rope 7 is wrapped around the bolts 8, the distance between the nut and the partition 5, and between the nut and the partition 5, is covered by the wrapped portion of the pull rope 7. After tightening the nuts, the nuts and bolts press the wrapped portion of the pull rope 7 firmly. When locking the nuts, tighten them from the middle outwards towards both sides on the partitions 5. Finally, fix both ends of the pull rope 7. This achieves the purpose of quickly setting up the pull rope 7. In its natural state, the pull rope 7 is in a bent position.

[0038] The main functions of the pull rope 7 are twofold: firstly, to facilitate the maintenance of the shape of the protective cover 2; and secondly, to further limit the bending angle of the joints, preventing excessive bending and ensuring the stability of the joints during operation.

[0039] Specifically, in this embodiment, the pull rope 7 is a steel wire rope with a PU layer wrapped on the outside, and the diameter of the steel wire rope is 2mm to 5mm.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, several partitions 5 are provided with several through holes 9, and a main air supply pipe is installed in each through hole 9, which is connected to an air pump. Several branch air supply pipes are connected to the main air supply pipes, which are connected to pneumatic springs 6 via a control valve assembly. The control valve assembly includes a pneumatically controlled precision pressure reducing valve and a pneumatically controlled self-locking valve. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the pneumatic springs 6 at corresponding positions in each actuating joint share a single main air supply pipe, and the branch air supply pipes, the pneumatically controlled precision pressure reducing valve, and the pneumatically controlled self-locking valve are located between two adjacent partitions 5. The structure and function of the pneumatically controlled precision pressure reducing valve and the pneumatically controlled self-locking valve are well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number of main gas supply pipes is equal to the number of pneumatic springs 6 between adjacent partitions 5, and three springs are also provided.

[0042] Any adaptive changes made according to actual needs are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0043] It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An elephant-trunk robot, characterized in that, The device includes a base and a trunk-shaped body. One end of the trunk-shaped body is connected to the base, and the other end is connected to an actuator. The trunk-shaped body includes a main beam with a self-recovering bending function and several partitions. The partitions are coaxially spaced along the extension direction of the trunk-shaped body and their diameters decrease sequentially. The trunk-shaped body is frustum-shaped in its natural state. Several pneumatic springs are evenly distributed circumferentially between adjacent partitions. The main beam coaxially passes through and connects to the partitions. Several connecting ropes are connected between adjacent partitions, and all of the connecting ropes are parallel to the frustum-shaped side surface; along the circumference of the partition, the ends of the connecting ropes are evenly spaced and fixed to the partition; the length of the connecting rope is not greater than the distance between two adjacent partitions in the direction of the frustum-shaped side surface when the pneumatic spring reaches its rated pressure value. The partition plate has several through holes evenly distributed along its edge. Bolts are inserted through the through holes, and nuts are installed on the bolts. The nuts and bolts are located on opposite sides of the partition plate. Several pull ropes are evenly distributed along the circumference of the elephant trunk body. The two ends of the pull ropes are fixed to the bolts in the two end partition plates. The middle part of the pull ropes is wrapped around the two ends of the bolts to form a ring structure distributed on both sides of the partition plate. The two ring structures are pressed and fixed by the nuts and bolts respectively. In its natural state, several of the connecting ropes are in a bent state. When the pneumatic spring reaches its rated pressure value, the connecting rope at the corresponding position is in a taut state.

2. The elephant-trunk robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main beam has a cavity inside, and wires for electrically connecting the base and the actuator are provided in the cavity.

3. The elephant-trunk robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The main beam includes a pressure-resistant rubber tube, the sidewall of which is connected to the partition plate, and the conductor is disposed in the pressure-resistant rubber tube.

4. The elephant-trunk robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, Three pneumatic springs are provided between adjacent partitions.

5. The elephant-trunk robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pull rope is a steel wire rope with a PU layer wrapped on the outside, and the diameter of the steel wire rope is 2mm to 5mm.

6. The elephant-trunk robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Each of the partitions is provided with a plurality of wire holes, and a main air supply pipe is provided in each wire hole. The main air supply pipe is connected to a plurality of branch air supply pipes, and the branch air supply pipes are connected to the pneumatic spring through a control valve group.

7. The elephant-trunk robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, The control valve group includes a pneumatically controlled pressure reducing valve and a pneumatically controlled self-locking valve.

8. The elephant-trunk robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, The number of the main air supply pipes is equal to the number of the pneumatic springs between the adjacent partitions; a protective cover is provided on the outside of the elephant trunk body.

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