A pipe robot

Abstract

The application discloses a pipeline robot, which comprises a telescopic steering mechanism and anchor mechanisms connected to both sides of the telescopic steering mechanism; the telescopic steering mechanism comprises a telescopic steering driver, a first rotary disc assembly, a second rotary disc assembly and a plurality of telescopic rod assemblies, the telescopic rod assemblies are hinged between the first rotary disc assembly and the second rotary disc assembly, the first rotary disc assembly and the second rotary disc assembly can drive the telescopic rod assemblies to rotate, the telescopic steering driver is installed on the telescopic rod assemblies to drive the telescopic rod assemblies to translate and steer; the anchor mechanisms comprise a piston rod, a plurality of anchor rods arranged on the periphery of the piston rod, a driving rod and an anchor driver for driving the piston rod to telescopically extend, the piston rod can drive the driving rod to move so as to push the anchor rods to tightly contact or separate from the inner wall of the pipeline; the telescopic steering driver and the anchor driver are both shape memory alloy drivers. The pipeline robot provided by the application can effectively reduce the volume of the pipeline robot and realize light weight.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pipeline inspection equipment, and in particular to a pipeline robot. Background Technology

[0002] Inspecting rigid micropipes involves a significant workload, and manual operation is often insufficient for direct access or comprehensive inspection. Micropipe robots primarily employ two movement methods: differential pressure-driven and autonomous. The latter is further divided into various driving mechanisms, including micro-motor drive, hydraulic drive, pneumatic drive, piezoelectric drive, shape memory alloy drive, and electromagnetic drive.

[0003] In the existing technology, the structure of micro pipeline robots basically adopts a fixed configuration and size parameters. However, as the internal environment of the pipe changes, the fixed configuration and size parameters cannot bring out the full performance of the robot. At the same time, the driving method in the existing technology results in the pipeline robot being large in size and having a low power-to-weight ratio, making it unable to adapt to the inspection of pipelines of different diameters, with a narrow range of applications, thus leading to high pipeline inspection costs.

[0004] Therefore, how to improve the applicability of pipeline robots is a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a pipeline robot that can inspect pipelines of different diameters, is easy to control, and moves flexibly.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] A pipeline robot includes: a telescopic steering mechanism and an anchoring mechanism connected to both sides of the telescopic steering mechanism;

[0008] The telescopic steering mechanism includes a telescopic steering driver, a first turntable assembly, a second turntable assembly, and several telescopic rod assemblies. The telescopic rod assemblies are hinged between the first turntable assembly and the second turntable assembly. The first turntable assembly and the second turntable assembly can drive the telescopic rod assembly to rotate. The telescopic steering driver is mounted on the telescopic rod assembly to drive the telescopic rod assembly to translate and steer.

[0009] The anchoring mechanism includes a piston rod, a plurality of anchoring rods and a drive rod arranged around the piston rod, and an anchoring actuator for driving the piston rod to extend and retract. The piston rod can drive the drive rod to move, thereby pushing the anchoring rod to adhere to or separate from the inner wall of the pipe.

[0010] Both the telescopic steering actuator and the anchoring actuator are shape memory alloy actuators.

[0011] Preferably, the first turntable assembly includes a first inner turntable and a first outer turntable that can rotate relative to each other, and the second turntable assembly includes a second inner turntable and a second outer turntable that can rotate relative to each other; a plurality of the telescopic rod assemblies are hinged between the first inner turntable and the second inner turntable, and a plurality of the telescopic rod assemblies are hinged between the first outer turntable and the second outer turntable; the anchoring mechanism is connected to the first outer turntable or the second outer turntable.

[0012] Preferably, the telescopic rod assembly includes a first rod, a second rod, a third rod, and a fourth rod, wherein the first rod, the second rod, the third rod, and the fourth rod are sequentially hinged from the first turntable assembly to the second turntable assembly; the first rod and the second rod, the second rod and the third rod, and the third rod and the fourth rod can all be bent under the action of the telescopic steering actuator.

[0013] Preferably, the telescopic steering actuator includes a creep actuator and a steering actuator, one end of the creep actuator is connected to the first turntable assembly or the second turntable assembly, and the other end is connected between the second rod and the third rod; the two ends of the steering actuator are respectively connected to the two opposite ends of the second rod and the third rod.

[0014] Preferably, both ends of the second rod and the third rod that are opposite to each other are equipped with fixed seats, and the steering drive is connected to the fixed seats.

[0015] Preferably, the number of the telescopic rod assembly, the anchor rod, and the drive rod are all at least four sets, arranged symmetrically along the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively.

[0016] Preferably, the anchoring mechanism further includes a sleeve, a portion of the piston rod and the anchoring actuator are installed inside the sleeve, and the anchoring actuator can drive the piston rod to move; both ends of the anchoring rod are respectively hinged to both ends of the sleeve, and the anchoring rod and the sleeve form a parallelogram; one end of the driving rod is hinged to the end of the piston rod away from the sleeve, and the other end is hinged to the anchor to push and pull the anchoring rod.

[0017] Preferably, the piston rod has a locking part at one end near the sleeve, one end of the anchoring actuator is fixed to the sleeve, and the other end is fixed to the locking part; when the anchoring actuator extends or retracts, it can pull the locking part to move towards or away from the sleeve, so that the driving rod pushes and pulls the anchoring rod.

[0018] Preferably, the anchoring mechanism further includes a reset driver, one end of which is connected to the snap-fit ​​portion and the other end of which is connected to the end of the sleeve away from the piston rod. The reset driver can drive the piston rod to reset when the anchoring driver loses its force.

[0019] Preferably, the anchor rod includes an anchor main rod and a first anchor connecting rod and a second anchor connecting rod located on both sides of the anchor main rod. The first anchor connecting rod and the second anchor connecting rod are arranged in parallel between the anchor main rod and the sleeve, and the drive rod is connected between the anchor main rod and the second anchor connecting rod.

[0020] The pipeline robot provided by this invention includes: a telescopic steering mechanism and an anchoring mechanism connected to both sides of the telescopic steering mechanism; the telescopic steering mechanism includes a telescopic steering driver, a first turntable assembly, a second turntable assembly, and a plurality of telescopic rod assemblies, the telescopic rod assemblies being hinged between the first turntable assembly and the second turntable assembly, the first turntable assembly and the second turntable assembly being able to drive the telescopic rod assemblies to rotate, the telescopic steering driver being mounted on the telescopic rod assemblies to drive the telescopic rod assemblies to translate and steer; the anchoring mechanism includes a piston rod, a plurality of anchoring rods and a drive rod arranged around the piston rod, and an anchoring driver for driving the piston rod to extend and retract, the piston rod being able to drive the drive rods to move thereby pushing the anchoring rods to adhere to or separate from the inner wall of the pipeline; both the telescopic steering driver and the anchoring driver are shape memory alloy drivers. The pipeline robot provided by this invention utilizes the telescopic steering mechanism to provide power for forward movement and turning, and utilizes the anchoring mechanism to support the inner wall of the pipeline, thereby achieving the creeping forward movement of the telescopic steering mechanism and the anchoring mechanism. It can move in common curved pipe sections and variable diameter pipes to adapt to different working conditions. At the same time, the use of shape memory alloy actuators as the main driving force can effectively reduce the size of the pipeline robot and achieve lightweighting.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the telescopic steering actuator includes a peristaltic actuator and a steering actuator. One end of the peristaltic actuator is connected to the first or second turntable assembly, and the other end is connected between the second rod and the third rod. The two ends of the steering actuator are respectively connected to the opposite ends of the second rod and the third rod. This configuration, utilizing the peristaltic actuator, drives the first rod and the second rod and / or the third rod and the fourth rod to bend, thereby achieving the extension and retraction of the telescopic steering mechanism and completing translation; utilizing the steering actuator, drives the second rod and the third rod to bend, thereby achieving the steering of the telescopic steering mechanism; it is convenient to control, highly efficient, and allows for flexible movement. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art 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.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the pipeline robot provided by the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2-1 for Figure 1 The isometric view of the telescopic steering mechanism in the pipeline robot shown.

[0025] Figure 2-2 for Figure 1 Top view of the telescopic steering mechanism in the pipeline robot shown;

[0026] Figure 2-3 for Figure 1 Left view of the telescopic steering mechanism in the pipeline robot shown;

[0027] Figure 3-1 for Figure 1 The isometric view of the anchoring mechanism in the pipeline robot shown.

[0028] Figure 3-2 for Figure 1 Top view of the anchoring mechanism in the pipeline robot shown;

[0029] Figure 3-3 for Figure 1 Left view of the anchoring mechanism in the pipeline robot shown;

[0030] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the pipeline robot during turning.

[0031] Figure 5 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the process of the pipeline robot during its peristaltic movement.

[0032] The components include: a telescopic steering mechanism 100; a telescopic steering driver 110; a creeping driver 111; a steering driver 112; a first turntable assembly 120; a first inner turntable 121; a first outer turntable 122; a second turntable assembly 130; a second inner turntable 131; a second outer turntable 132; a telescopic rod assembly 140; a first rod 141; a second rod 142; a third rod 143; a fourth rod 144; a fixed seat 145; an anchoring mechanism 200; a piston rod 210; an anchoring rod 220; a first anchoring link 221; an anchoring main rod 222; a second anchoring link 223; a drive rod 230; an anchoring driver 240; a locking part 241; a reset driver 242; and a sleeve 250. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The core of this invention is to provide a pipeline robot that has a wide range of applications, a simple structure, and a small size.

[0034] 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.

[0035] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the pipeline robot provided by the present invention; Figure 2-1 for Figure 1 The isometric view of the telescopic steering mechanism in the pipeline robot shown.

[0036] Figure 2-2 for Figure 1 Top view of the telescopic steering mechanism in the pipeline robot shown; Figure 2-3 for Figure 1 Left view of the telescopic steering mechanism in the pipeline robot shown; Figure 3-1 for Figure 1 The isometric view of the anchoring mechanism in the pipeline robot shown. Figure 3-2 for Figure 1 Top view of the anchoring mechanism in the pipeline robot shown; Figure 3-3 for Figure 1 Left view of the anchoring mechanism in the pipeline robot shown; Figure 4 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the pipeline robot during turning. Figure 5 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the process of the pipeline robot during its peristaltic movement.

[0037] In this embodiment, the pipeline robot includes: a telescopic steering mechanism 100 and an anchoring mechanism 200 connected to both sides of the telescopic steering mechanism 100.

[0038] The telescopic steering mechanism 100 includes a telescopic steering driver 110, a first turntable assembly 120, a second turntable assembly 130, and a plurality of telescopic rod assemblies 140. The telescopic rod assemblies 140 are hinged between the first turntable assembly 120 and the second turntable assembly 130. The first turntable assembly 120 and the second turntable assembly 130 can drive the telescopic rod assemblies 140 to rotate. The telescopic steering driver 110 is mounted on the telescopic rod assemblies 140 to drive the telescopic rod assemblies 140 to translate and steer.

[0039] The anchoring mechanism 200 includes a piston rod 210, a plurality of anchoring rods 220 and a drive rod 230 arranged around the piston rod 210, and an anchoring actuator 240 for driving the piston rod 210 to extend and retract. The piston rod 210 can drive the drive rod 230 to move, thereby pushing the anchoring rods 220 to adhere to or separate from the inner wall of the pipe.

[0040] Both the telescopic steering actuator 110 and the anchoring actuator 240 are shape memory alloy actuators.

[0041] Preferably, the telescopic steering actuator 110 is a telescopic steering spring, and the anchoring actuator 240 is an anchoring spring. Both the telescopic steering spring and the anchoring spring are preferably shape memory alloy springs, which have good deformation effect and occupy little space.

[0042] Specifically, this pipeline robot is mainly used in rigid micropipes, which typically refer to pipes with diameters in the millimeter range, primarily used in industrial and aerospace fields, with diameters ranging from 20mm to 45mm. The anchoring mechanism 200 includes a front anchoring mechanism and a rear anchoring mechanism, which supports the inner wall of the pipe. The telescopic steering mechanism 100 connects the front and rear anchoring mechanisms, and its function is to extend, retract, and steer. Utilizing the first turntable assembly 120 and the second turntable assembly 130, the telescopic steering mechanism 100 can drive the two ends of the telescopic rod assembly 140 to rotate. When several sets of telescopic rod assemblies 140 are arranged circumferentially around the first turntable assembly 120, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the telescopic steering mechanism 100 can perform translational movements. When several sets of telescopic rod assemblies 140 are arranged side-by-side in the circumferential direction of the first turntable assembly 120, as... Figure 4As shown, the telescopic steering mechanism 100 serves a steering function; the telescopic rod assembly 140 is designed to facilitate bending, and the bending of the telescopic rod assembly 140 is achieved by the telescopic steering actuator 110; the anchoring mechanism 200 uses the extension and retraction of the piston rod 210 to drive the drive rod 230 to move, and the drive rod 230 causes the anchor rod 220 to deform, so as to fit against or move away from the inner wall of the pipe. When the anchor rod 220 moves away from the inner wall of the pipe, the anchoring mechanism 200 can move freely in the pipe; when the anchor rod 220 fits against the inner wall of the pipe, the corresponding anchoring mechanism 200 is fixed in position in the pipe; and both the telescopic steering actuator 110 and the anchoring actuator 240 are shape memory alloy actuators. Alloy (SMA) refers to a material composed of two or more metallic elements that exhibits shape memory effect through thermoelasticity and martensitic phase transformation and its inverse. Using shape memory alloy actuators as the driving force, the deformation and deformation speed of the telescopic steering actuator 110 and the anchoring actuator 240 are controlled by adjusting the magnitude and duration of the energization, thereby achieving control over the movement direction and speed of the entire pipeline robot. The actuators made of shape memory alloys have a simple structure, rapid action, and noiseless operation, thus further reducing the size of the pipeline robot and lowering energy consumption.

[0043] The pipeline robot provided by this invention uses a telescopic steering mechanism 100 to provide power for forward movement and turning, and uses an anchoring mechanism 200 to support the inner wall of the pipeline, thereby realizing the creeping forward movement of the telescopic steering mechanism 100 and the anchoring mechanism 200. It can move in common curved pipe sections and variable diameter pipes to adapt to different working conditions. At the same time, the use of shape memory alloy actuators as the main driving force can effectively reduce the size of the pipeline robot and achieve lightweighting.

[0044] In some implementations, such as Figures 2-1 to 2-3As shown, the first turntable assembly 120 includes a first inner turntable 121 and a first outer turntable 122 that are rotatable relative to each other, and the second turntable assembly 130 includes a second inner turntable 131 and a second outer turntable 132 that are rotatable relative to each other; a plurality of telescopic rod assemblies 140 are hinged between the first inner turntable 121 and the second inner turntable 131, and a plurality of telescopic rod assemblies 140 are hinged between the first outer turntable 122 and the second outer turntable 132; an anchoring mechanism 200 is connected to the first outer turntable 122 or the second outer turntable 132. Specifically, a micro motor, preferably a micro stepper motor, is provided between the first inner turntable 121 and the first outer turntable 122, and between the second inner turntable 131 and the second outer turntable 132, thereby realizing the rotation of the first inner turntable 121 relative to the first outer turntable 122, and the rotation of the second inner turntable 131 relative to the second outer turntable 132. Furthermore, both the first outer turntable 122 and the second outer turntable 132 have hollow portions in their middle parts. The first inner turntable 121 is installed in the hollow portion of the first outer turntable 122, and the second inner turntable 131 is installed in the hollow portion of the second outer turntable 132. The telescopic rod assembly 140 has multiple sets, preferably four sets. At least two sets of telescopic rod assemblies 140 are connected between the first inner turntable 121 and the second inner turntable 131, and at least two sets of telescopic rod assemblies 140 are connected between the first outer turntable 122 and the second outer turntable 132. Furthermore, as... Figure 2-3 As shown, the telescopic rod assembly 140 connecting the first inner turntable 121 and the second inner turntable 131 is arranged in a radially offset manner on the first inner turntable 121, and the telescopic rod assembly 140 connecting the first outer turntable 122 and the second outer turntable 132 is also arranged in a radially offset manner on the first outer turntable 122. This arrangement is to facilitate the merging of the two sets of telescopic rod assemblies 140 located on the first inner turntable 121 and the first outer turntable 122, as well as the two sets of telescopic rod assemblies 140 located on the second inner turntable 131 and the second outer turntable 132. Steering can only be achieved after the telescopic rod assemblies 140 are merged.

[0045] In some embodiments, the telescopic rod assembly 140 includes a first rod 141, a second rod 142, a third rod 143, and a fourth rod 144, which are sequentially hinged from the first turntable assembly 120 to the second turntable assembly 130. The first rod 141 and the second rod 142, the second rod 142 and the third rod 143, and the third rod 143 and the fourth rod 144 can all be bent under the action of the telescopic steering actuator 110. Furthermore, the second rod 142 and the third rod 143, as well as the third rod 143 and the fourth rod 144, are all connected by ball joints, enabling rotation in two degrees of freedom. The first rod 141 and the first turntable assembly 120, the first rod 141 and the second rod 142, the third rod 143 and the fourth rod 144, and the fourth rod 144 and the second turntable assembly 130 can all be connected by comb joints, enabling rotation in one degree of freedom. The first rod 141, the second rod 142, the third rod 143, and the fourth rod 144 in each set of telescopic rod assemblies 140 are positioned in the same way and telescopically extend and retract, ensuring the stable movement of the pipeline robot.

[0046] Specifically, in the two collapsible telescopic rod assemblies 140, when a steering operation is required, the steering actuator 112 located between the second rod 142 and the third rod 143 in one telescopic rod assembly 140 retracts, causing the second rod 142 and the third rod 143 in that telescopic rod assembly 140 to bend. At this time, the relative positions of the first turntable assembly 120 and the second turntable assembly 130 change, causing the second rod 142 and the third rod 143 in the other telescopic rod assembly 140 to bend, thereby achieving the steering purpose. Of course, the steering actuator 112 located between the second rod 142 and the third rod 143 in the other telescopic rod assembly 140 can also extend and retract. It should be noted that, for the convenience of arranging the steering actuator 112, in the two collapsible telescopic rod assemblies 140, the steering actuator 112 is installed on the opposite side, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the steering drive 112 is installed between A and B, and between C and D, and the mounting seats in the two sets of telescopic rod assemblies 140 that can be joined together can fit together on their adjacent sides to facilitate steering.

[0047] In some embodiments, the telescopic steering actuator 110 includes a peristaltic actuator 111 and a steering actuator 112. One end of the peristaltic actuator 111 is connected to the first turntable assembly 120 or the second turntable assembly 130, and the other end is connected between the second rod 142 and the third rod 143. The two ends of the steering actuator 112 are respectively connected to the opposite ends of the second rod 142 and the third rod 143. With this configuration, the peristaltic actuator 111 drives the first rod 141 and the second rod 142 and / or the third rod 143 and the fourth rod 144 to bend, thereby achieving the extension and retraction of the telescopic steering mechanism 110 and completing translation. The steering actuator 112 drives the second rod 142 and the third rod 143 to bend, thereby achieving the steering of the telescopic steering mechanism 110. This configuration is convenient to control, highly efficient, and allows for flexible movement. Specifically, the peristaltic actuator 111, through its own extension and retraction, changes the bending angle of the first rod 141 and the second rod 142, as well as the third rod 143 and the fourth rod 144, thereby enabling the extension and retraction of the telescopic steering mechanism 100, which in turn drives the anchoring mechanism 200 forward. Similarly, the steering actuator 112, through its own extension and retraction, changes the bending angle of the second rod 142 and the third rod 143, thereby enabling the telescopic steering mechanism 100 to turn, which in turn drives the anchoring mechanism 200 to turn. It should be noted that the peristaltic actuator 111 can also be connected to the opposite ends of the first rod 141 and the second rod 142, or the opposite end of the third rod 143 and the fourth rod 144. In other words, the peristaltic actuator 111 can also be independent of the first turntable assembly 120 or the second turntable assembly 130, allowing for bending of either the first rod 141 and the second rod 142, or the third rod 143 and the fourth rod 144.

[0048] In some embodiments, fixed seats 145 are installed at both ends of the second rod 142 and the third rod 143 that are opposite to each other, and the steering actuator 112 is connected to the fixed seats 145. Specifically, the extension direction of the fixed seat 145 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the corresponding second rod 142 or third rod 143, and a pull ring is provided on the side of the fixed seat 145 for mounting the steering actuator 112. It should be noted that in the initial state, there is an angle between the first rod 141 and the second rod 142, and between the third rod 143 and the fourth rod 144, so the peristaltic actuator 111 does not need to be installed with the aid of other structures, which facilitates the operation of the peristaltic actuator 111; while the second rod 142 and the third rod 143 can be in a straight line extension state, and the bending of the second rod 142 and the third rod 143 by the steering actuator 112 is achieved by the fixed seats 145.

[0049] In some embodiments, the number of telescopic rod assemblies 140, anchor rods 220, and drive rods 230 are all at least four sets, arranged symmetrically along the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively. Specifically, such as... Figures 2-1 to 2-3 as well as Figures 3-1 to 3-2 As shown, the telescopic rod assembly 140, the anchor rod 220, and the drive rod 230 are arranged in two sets in the vertical direction and two sets in the horizontal direction to ensure stable movement.

[0050] In some implementations, such as Figures 3-1 to 3-3 As shown, the anchoring mechanism 200 also includes a sleeve 250, a portion of the piston rod 210 and an anchoring actuator 240 are all installed inside the sleeve 250, and the anchoring actuator 240 can drive the piston rod 210 to move; the two ends of the anchoring rod 220 are respectively hinged to the two ends of the sleeve 250, and the anchoring rod 220 and the sleeve 250 form a parallelogram; one end of the drive rod 230 is hinged to the end of the piston rod 210 away from the sleeve 250, and the other end is hinged to the anchor to push and pull the anchoring rod 220. Specifically, one end of the piston rod 210 extends into the sleeve 250, which restricts the movement direction of the piston rod 210. The anchoring actuator 240 is installed inside the sleeve 250. Through the extension and retraction of the anchoring actuator 240, one end of the piston rod 210 is displaced relative to the sleeve 250, thereby driving the piston rod 210 to move relative to the sleeve 250. The piston rod 210 pushes the drive rod 230 to move, and the drive rod 230 pulls or pushes the anchoring rod 220 to move. Specifically, when the piston rod 210 moves away from the sleeve 250, the drive rod 230 pulls the anchoring rod 220, separating the anchoring rod 220 from the inner wall of the pipe. When the piston rod 210 moves closer to the sleeve 250, the drive rod 230 pushes the anchoring rod 220, making the anchoring rod 220 stick tightly to the inner wall of the pipe.

[0051] In some embodiments, the piston rod 210 has a locking portion 241 at one end near the sleeve 250. One end of the anchoring actuator 240 is fixed to the sleeve 250, and the other end is fixed to the locking portion 241. When the anchoring actuator 240 extends or retracts, it can pull the locking portion 241 to move towards or away from the sleeve 250, so that the drive rod 230 pushes and pulls the anchoring rod 220. Specifically, the locking portion 241 facilitates the fixing of the anchoring actuator 240. Preferably, the locking portion 241 is disc-shaped, and the diameter of the locking portion 241 is close to the inner wall diameter of the sleeve 250. The disc-shaped locking portion 241 ensures that the piston rod 210 moves smoothly and is not easily deviated.

[0052] In some embodiments, the anchoring mechanism 200 further includes a reset actuator 242. One end of the reset actuator 242 is connected to the snap-fit ​​portion 241, and the other end is connected to the end of the sleeve 250 away from the piston rod 210. The reset actuator 242 can drive the piston rod 210 to reset when the anchoring actuator 240 loses its force. Specifically, the reset spring is preferably a common spring. When the anchoring actuator 240 is de-energized and returns to room temperature, the reset spring can pull the anchoring actuator 240 to extend rapidly, and the piston rod 210 moves towards the sleeve 250, thereby causing the anchoring rod 220 to quickly adhere to the inner wall of the pipe. This method can improve the extension and retraction efficiency of the anchoring mechanism 200, thereby improving the movement efficiency of the pipe robot. Of course, a reset spring is the preferred option, but it is also possible to omit the reset spring and rely solely on the action of the anchoring actuator 240 to drive the piston rod 210 to move.

[0053] In some embodiments, the anchor rod 220 includes an anchor main rod 222 and a first anchor connecting rod 221 and a second anchor connecting rod 223 located on both sides of the anchor main rod 222. The first anchor connecting rod 221 and the second anchor connecting rod 223 are arranged in parallel between the anchor main rod 222 and the sleeve 250, and the drive rod 230 is connected between the anchor main rod 222 and the second anchor connecting rod 223. Specifically, the anchoring main rod 222 is located between the first anchoring link 221 and the second anchoring link 223. As the main component connecting to the inner wall of the pipe, the anchoring main rod 222 preferably has a cross-sectional dimension larger than that of the first anchoring link 221 or the second anchoring link 223. The material of the anchoring main rod 222 is preferably a high-strength and wear-resistant material to improve its service life. The anchoring main rod 222, the first anchoring link 221, the second anchoring link 223 and the sleeve 250 together form a parallelogram. By utilizing the inclination of the first anchoring link 221 and the second anchoring link 223, the distance between the anchoring main rod 222 and the sleeve 250 can be varied, thereby achieving tightness or separation from the inner wall of the pipe.

[0054] In one specific embodiment, the pipeline robot employs a peristaltic motion, comprising a telescopic steering mechanism 100 and an anchoring mechanism 200. The anchoring mechanism 200 supports the pipe wall. The telescopic steering mechanism 100 achieves structural elongation and contraction through changes in the angles between the members of the telescopic rod assembly 140, thereby driving the morphological robot to complete the peristaltic forward movement. The telescopic steering mechanism 100 further achieves turning by merging the telescopic rod assembly 140 with the morphological structure. It relies on shape memory alloy drive and stepper micro motor drive, and achieves switching of motion direction and speed by controlling the energizing time and setting the drive parameters. Specifically, the anchoring mechanism 200 is divided into front and rear parts, each part including a piston rod 210, an anchoring actuator 240, an anchoring rod 220, a drive rod 230, a return spring, and a sleeve 250. Four anchoring rods 220 and drive rods 230 are evenly distributed around the central piston rod 210, with each anchoring rod 220 and drive rod 230 spaced apart. The anchor rod 220 and drive rod 230 together consist of four rods. The piston rod 210 and sleeve 250 form a reciprocating slider. The sleeve 250 has a built-in actuator consisting of a single-pass shape memory alloy actuator and a return spring. The anchor actuator 240 deforms due to the phase change of the shape memory alloy at high and low temperatures, which acts on the piston rod 210 part inside the sleeve 250. Under the push of the piston rod 210, the anchor rod 220 can be controlled to expand and contract, thereby adhering to and leaving the inner wall of the pipe. The telescopic steering mechanism 100 must both enable the robot to move forward and backward in a creeping motion and to perform steering. The entire mechanism consists of four sets of telescopic rod assemblies 140, hinged horizontally and vertically at 90° intervals to two rotatable turntable assemblies. Each telescopic rod assembly 140 is an eight-bar linkage. The telescopic rod assemblies 140 of the telescopic steering mechanism 100 are hinged together by revolute joints. Specifically, the first rod 141 and the second rod 142, the third rod 143 and the fourth rod 144, and their symmetrically positioned members are connected by ball joints. This allows it to have degrees of freedom to rotate around the z-axis and y-axis, so as to achieve the purpose of steering and telescopic movement of the mechanism; in the horizontal telescopic rod assembly 140, the second rod 142 and the third rod 143 and their symmetrically positioned rods are connected by a revolute joint in the vertical direction; in the vertical telescopic rod assembly 140, the second rod 142 and the third rod 143 and their symmetrically positioned rods are connected by a revolute joint in the horizontal direction; the purpose of the above revolute joint design is to serve as a steering drive joint when the rods in the two directions are combined.

[0055] Furthermore, such as Figure 4As shown, when the telescopic rod assembly 140 of the telescopic steering mechanism 100 is engaged and turning: the two rotatable turntable assemblies are controlled by a micro stepper motor. The first turntable assembly 120 can merge one of the horizontal telescopic rod assemblies 140 into the vertical direction, and the second turntable assembly 130 can rotate in the opposite direction to merge one of the vertical telescopic rod assemblies 140 into the horizontal direction. The merged telescopic steering mechanism 100 can still perform telescopic movements through the first rod 141 and the fourth rod 144 and their symmetrically positioned rods, and as a preparatory action for the next steering movement, the merged second rod 142 and the third rod 143 can rotate left and right through a revolute joint. The telescopic steering spring is arranged as an actuator on the telescopic steering mechanism 100. One end of the peristaltic spring in the telescopic steering spring is located at the connection between the second rod 142 and the third rod 143, and the other end is located at the connection between the turntable assembly and the first rod 141. Alternatively, one end of the peristaltic spring is located at the connection between the second rod 142 and the third rod 143, and the other end is located at the connection between the turntable assembly and the fourth rod 144. Other symmetrical positions are arranged in the same way. The steering spring in the telescopic steering spring is arranged between the second rod 142 and the third rod 143 to control the pipeline robot to turn after the telescopic rod assembly 140 is merged. When the pipeline robot moves to the curved pipe section, the steering actuator 112 on the steering side retracts, and the steering actuator 112 on the other side stretches to form an antagonistic force, bending the entire body to the next pipe section. At this time, the peristaltic actuator 111 responsible for the telescopic movement continues to push the telescopic steering mechanism 100, which, together with the anchoring mechanism 200, makes the robot move to the next pipe section. When the rear anchoring mechanism 200 begins to enter the next pipe segment, the steering drive 112 on the steering side extends and the steering drive 112 on the other side shortens until both sides return to their original length. At this time, the fuselage returns from the bent state to the initial state.

[0056] The pipeline robot, during its peristaltic process, such as Figure 5 As shown:

[0057] (1) After the pipeline robot enters the pipeline, the anchoring mechanisms 200 on both sides support the pipe wall;

[0058] (2) The anchoring driver 240 of the front anchoring mechanism drives the anchoring rod 220 away from the pipe wall, while the rear anchoring mechanism remains in the state of supporting the pipe wall.

[0059] (3) The telescopic steering driver 110 of the telescopic steering mechanism 100 drives the connecting rod assembly to extend; the front anchoring mechanism drives the anchoring rod 220 to support the pipe wall;

[0060] (4) The anchor starter of the rear anchoring mechanism drives the anchor rod 220 away from the pipe wall, while the front anchoring mechanism remains in the state of supporting the pipe wall.

[0061] (5) The telescopic steering driver 110 of the telescopic steering mechanism 100 drives the connecting rod assembly to retract, and the rear anchoring mechanism drives the support rod to support the pipe wall.

[0062] This pipeline robot avoids the problems of large size and low power-to-weight ratio associated with traditional drive methods. Instead, it utilizes actuators made of shape memory alloys, resulting in a simple structure, rapid movement, and noiseless operation, replacing motors, hydraulic systems, and pneumatic devices. Shape memory alloys offer significant advantages in miniaturizing and lightening robots. Furthermore, the variable-cell mechanism of this pipeline robot possesses characteristics of structural transformation, variable degrees of freedom, and the ability to form multiple stable configurations, providing a novel approach for micro-pipeline robots.

[0063] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0064] The pipeline robot provided by this invention has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the embodiments above are merely for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this invention without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A pipe robot, characterized in that, include: Telescopic steering mechanism (100) and anchoring mechanism (200) connected to both sides of the telescopic steering mechanism (100). The telescopic steering mechanism (100) includes a telescopic steering driver (110), a first turntable assembly (120), a second turntable assembly (130), and a plurality of telescopic rod assemblies (140). The telescopic rod assembly (140) is hinged between the first turntable assembly (120) and the second turntable assembly (130). The first turntable assembly (120) and the second turntable assembly (130) can drive the telescopic rod assembly (140) to rotate. The telescopic steering driver (110) is mounted on the telescopic rod assembly (140) to drive the telescopic rod assembly (140) to translate and steer. The anchoring mechanism (200) includes a piston rod (210), a plurality of anchor rods (220) arranged around the piston rod (210), a drive rod (230), and an anchoring actuator (240) for driving the piston rod (210) to extend and retract. The piston rod (210) can drive the drive rod (230) to move, thereby pushing the anchor rods (220) to adhere to or separate from the inner wall of the pipe. Both the telescopic steering actuator (110) and the anchoring actuator (240) are shape memory alloy actuators; The first turntable assembly (120) includes a first inner turntable (121) and a first outer turntable (122) that can rotate relative to each other; the second turntable assembly (130) includes a second inner turntable (131) and a second outer turntable (132) that can rotate relative to each other; a plurality of the telescopic rod assemblies (140) are hinged between the first inner turntable (121) and the second inner turntable (131); a plurality of the telescopic rod assemblies (140) are hinged between the first outer turntable (122) and the second outer turntable (132); the anchoring mechanism (200) is connected to the first outer turntable (122) or the second outer turntable (132); The telescopic rod assembly (140) includes a first rod (141), a second rod (142), a third rod (143), and a fourth rod (144). The first rod (141), the second rod (142), the third rod (143), and the fourth rod (144) are sequentially hinged from the first turntable assembly (120) to the second turntable assembly (130). The telescopic steering actuator (110) includes a peristaltic actuator (111) and a steering actuator (112). One end of the peristaltic actuator (111) is connected to the first turntable assembly (120) or the second turntable assembly (130), and the other end is connected between the second rod (142) and the third rod (143). The two ends of the steering actuator (112) are respectively connected to the two opposite ends of the second rod (142) and the third rod (143). Furthermore, when the telescopic rod assembly (140) of the telescopic steering mechanism (100) is engaged and turns: the first turntable assembly (120) and the second turntable assembly (130) merge the telescopic rod assembly (140); when the pipeline robot moves to the curved pipe section, the steering drive (112) on the steering side retracts, and the steering drive (112) on the other side extends, bending the entire body to the next pipe section. The peristaltic drive (111) continues to push the telescopic steering mechanism (100), cooperating with the anchoring mechanism (200) to make the pipeline robot move to the next pipe section.

2. The pipe robot of claim 1, wherein, The first rod (141) and the second rod (142), the second rod (142) and the third rod (143), and the third rod (143) and the fourth rod (144) can all be bent under the action of the telescopic steering actuator (110).

3. The pipe robot of claim 1, wherein, The second rod (142) and the third rod (143) are each mounted with a fixed seat (145) at their opposite ends, and the steering drive (112) is connected to the fixed seat (145).

4. The pipe robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The telescopic rod assembly (140), the anchor rod (220), and the drive rod (230) are each in at least four groups, arranged symmetrically along the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively.

5. The pipe robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The anchoring mechanism (200) further includes a sleeve (250), a portion of the piston rod (210) and the anchoring actuator (240) are installed inside the sleeve (250), and the anchoring actuator (240) can drive the piston rod (210) to move; the two ends of the anchoring rod (220) are respectively hinged to the two ends of the sleeve (250), and the anchoring rod (220) and the sleeve (250) form a parallelogram; one end of the driving rod (230) is hinged to the end of the piston rod (210) away from the sleeve (250), and the other end is hinged to the anchoring rod (220) to push and pull the anchoring rod (220).

6. The pipe robot of claim 5, wherein, The piston rod (210) has a locking part (241) at one end near the sleeve (250). One end of the anchoring actuator (240) is fixed to the sleeve (250), and the other end is fixed to the locking part (241). When the anchoring actuator (240) extends or retracts, it can pull the locking part (241) to move towards or away from the sleeve (250), so that the drive rod (230) pushes and pulls the anchoring rod (220).

7. The pipe robot of claim 6, wherein, The anchoring mechanism (200) further includes a reset driver (242), one end of which is connected to the snap-fit ​​part (241), and the other end is connected to the end of the sleeve (250) away from the piston rod (210). The reset driver (242) can drive the piston rod (210) to reset when the anchoring driver (240) loses its force.

8. The pipe robot of claim 5, wherein, The anchor rod (220) comprises an anchor main rod (222) and a first anchor connecting rod (221) and a second anchor connecting rod (223) located on both sides of the anchor main rod (222), the first anchor connecting rod (221) and the second anchor connecting rod (223) are arranged in parallel between the anchor main rod (222) and the sleeve (250), and the driving rod (230) is connected between the anchor main rod (222) and the second anchor connecting rod (223).

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