A rod-driven robotic arm for a charging robot for electric vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rod-driven mechanical arm for a charging robot for electric vehicles, comprising a drive box; an operating arm mounted on the drive box via a mounting frame, the operating arm comprising a plurality of arm segments connected in sequence, each arm segment being connected to the drive box via at least three flexible drive rods; the drive box comprising a drive box bracket connected to the mounting frame and a plurality of drive assemblies for retracting and releasing each flexible drive rod to bend the plurality of arm segments, the plurality of drive assemblies being all mounted on the drive box bracket. The present invention replaces ropes as driving members with flexible drive rods, thereby increasing the structural rigidity and load strength of the entire operating arm relative to traditional rope-driven flexible operating arms; with the aid of mechanical properties, the arm segments of the operating arm only require two flexible drive rods that move synchronously and in opposite directions in two degrees of freedom to achieve precise control of the bending of the arm segments, and can achieve synchronous drive through a single set of drive assemblies, thereby simplifying the drive box structure and effectively reducing costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of flexible robots, and in particular to a rod-driven mechanical arm of a charging robot for electric vehicles. Background Art

[0002] Electric vehicle charging is typically accomplished through charging stations, requiring users to manually plug and unplug the charging gun into the charging port. This physical connection, using a charging cable and plug, can be slightly more inconvenient than wireless charging. However, this physical connection can essentially be achieved through automated alignment and plugging by intelligent robots. This offers significant advantages over wireless charging, which requires precise parking, and can more easily implement designs such as smart garages.

[0003] However, conventional intelligent robots are either complex in structure, occupy a lot of space and are expensive, or are inferior to rope-driven robots, lack rigidity and cannot meet the load strength requirements of plugging and unplugging charging guns at the charging port. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a rod-driven mechanical arm of a charging robot for an electric vehicle, aiming to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is a rod-driven mechanical arm for a charging robot for electric vehicles, which includes: a drive box; an operating arm set on the drive box through a mounting frame, the operating arm including a plurality of arm segments connected in sequence, each arm segment being connected to the drive box through at least three flexible drive rods; wherein the drive box includes a drive box bracket connected to the mounting frame and a plurality of drive components for retracting and extending each flexible drive rod to allow the plurality of arm segments to bend, and the plurality of drive components are all set on the drive box bracket.

[0006] Furthermore, each arm segment is driven by 2n+2 flexible drive rods, which are symmetrically arranged on the arm segment along the center of the arm segment; each set of drive components includes a motor arranged on a drive box bracket and a reciprocating structure driven by the motor output shaft, and the reciprocating structure is respectively connected to the two centrally symmetrical flexible drive rods, and drives the two centrally symmetrical flexible drive rods to reciprocate synchronously and in opposite directions.

[0007] Furthermore, the reciprocating structure includes: a synchronous rotating shaft driven by the motor output shaft; a first synchronous wheel and a second synchronous wheel arranged on the synchronous rotating shaft; a third synchronous wheel and a fourth synchronous wheel rotatably arranged on the drive box bracket and close to one end of the operating arm, the rotating shafts of the third synchronous wheel and the fourth synchronous wheel are basically coaxial and basically parallel to the synchronous rotating shaft; a first belt sleeved between the first synchronous wheel and the third synchronous wheel; a second belt sleeved between the second synchronous wheel and the fourth synchronous wheel; and two transmission members respectively connected to the opposite sides of the first belt and the second belt, the two transmission members respectively connecting the two centrally symmetrical flexible drive rods at one end away from the arm segment.

[0008] Furthermore, the drive box bracket includes an upper support plate connected to the mounting frame and a fixed plate connected to the upper support plate at one end away from the mounting frame through the support frame; the reciprocating structure also includes a first rotating bracket arranged on the upper support plate, a second rotating bracket arranged on the fixed plate, a first gear arranged on the synchronous rotating shaft and a second gear arranged on the output shaft of the motor, wherein the third synchronous wheel and the fourth synchronous wheel are respectively rotatably connected to the first rotating bracket, the first synchronous wheel and the second synchronous wheel are rotatably connected to the second rotating bracket through the synchronous rotating shaft, the first gear and the second gear are engaged, the motor is fixed to the fixed plate and the output shaft of the motor and the synchronous rotating shaft are basically perpendicular.

[0009] Furthermore, the reciprocating structure also includes a tensioning wheel rotatably arranged on the second rotating bracket, the first belt and the second belt respectively pass around the tensioning wheel on the other side of the transmission member, and the rotating shaft of the tensioning wheel is basically parallel to the synchronous rotating shaft.

[0010] Furthermore, the drive box also includes a guide rail assembly, which includes: a guide rail arranged on the support frame along the extension direction of the operating arm; and a slider slidably installed on the guide rail, and the slider is fixedly connected to the transmission member.

[0011] Furthermore, the transmission member includes: a clamping portion that clamps the opposite sides of the first belt and the second belt respectively through a clamping tooth plate; a sliding portion fixed to the slider; and a connecting portion connected to the end of the flexible driving rod away from the arm segment.

[0012] Furthermore, the fixed disks include multiple fixed disks, which are distributed in sequence along the extension direction of the operating arm, and the motor of the driving assembly that drives the flexible driving rod of each arm segment and the second rotating bracket are respectively arranged on the corresponding fixed disks.

[0013] Furthermore, each arm segment includes: two or more articulated arms; and a universal joint connecting two adjacent articulated arms; wherein, a plurality of through holes are opened along the circumference of the articulated arm, and the 2n+2 flexible driving rods connecting each arm segment in the operating arm are all passed through the through holes of each articulated arm in the corresponding arm segment, and the flexible driving rods connected in the arm segment at the rear end of the operating arm pass through the through holes of each articulated arm in the arm segment at the front end of the operating arm in turn.

[0014] Furthermore, the articulated arm includes one or more first articulated arms and a second articulated arm arranged at the rear end of the arm segment; the first articulated arm includes a disk portion and first rotating connecting parts arranged on both sides of the disk portion, and the rotating axes of the two first rotating connecting parts are basically perpendicular; the second articulated arm includes a disk portion and second rotating connecting parts arranged on both sides of the disk portion, and the rotating axes of the two second rotating connecting parts are basically intersecting; the universal joint is rotationally connected between the first rotating connecting parts of two adjacent first articulated arms or rotationally connected between the first rotating connecting parts of the adjacent first articulated arms and the second rotating connecting parts of the second articulated arm; a plurality of through holes are opened on the disk portion, and a guide ring is provided in the through hole, and a flexible drive rod is passed through the guide ring; in each arm segment, the other end portions of the 2n+2 flexible drive rods connecting the arm segment are fixed with stoppers on both sides of the disk portion of the second articulated arm, and the stoppers are in contact with the disk portion on the side close to the disk portion, and the outer diameter of the stoppers is larger than the inner diameter of the through holes.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention include:

[0016] The continuous flexible operating arm of the present invention uses a flexible driving rod instead of a rope as a driving part. The flexible robotic arm locates the charging port of the car through the visual positioning system it carries, and drives the charging gun according to the planned route through the flexible driving rod to align and insert it into the charging port of the car. Compared with the traditional rope-driven flexible operating arm, the flexible driving rod provides the flexible operating arm with a working space close to that of the rope-driven operating arm due to its bendable feature, while increasing the structural stiffness and load strength of the entire operating arm. At the same time, based on the pressure-bearing characteristics of the flexible driving rod, through kinematic analysis, the arm segment of the operating arm only needs two flexible driving rods that move synchronously and in opposite directions in two degrees of freedom to achieve precise control of the bending of the arm segment, and the flexible driving rods that move synchronously and in opposite directions can be synchronously driven by a single set of driving components, which simplifies the structure of the drive box and effectively reduces costs.

[0017] In addition, additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a general schematic diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a drive box with its outer shell removed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the connection structure of a group of drive components and other components according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4Schematic diagram of the connection structure of some driving components according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a single arm segment connected to a drive box according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A in the enlarged view.

[0024] The above drawings contain the following reference numerals.

[0025] 1000, arm segment;

[0026] 1100, first articulated arm; 1110, disk; 1111, through hole; 1120, first rotating connector; 1140, guide ring;

[0027] 1200, universal joint; 1210, mounting surface; 1230, bearing; 1240, rotating shaft; 1250, washer;

[0028] 1300, second articulated arm; 1310, second rotating connecting member;

[0029] 1400, flexible drive rod;

[0030] 1500, mounting frame;

[0031] 1600, stop-back piece;

[0032] 2000, drive box;

[0033] 2100, drive box bracket; 2110, upper support plate; 2120, fixed plate; 2121, first fixed plate; 2122, second fixed plate; 2123, third fixed plate; 2130, lower support plate; 2140, support frame;

[0034] 2200, drive assembly; 2210, third synchronous pulley; 2211, fourth synchronous pulley; 2220, first synchronous pulley; 2221, second synchronous pulley; 2230, first belt; 2231, second belt; 2240, transmission member; 2241, clamping portion; 2242, sliding portion; 2243, connecting portion; 2244, clamping gear plate; 2250, first gear; 2260, second gear; 2270, synchronous shaft; 2280, motor; 2290, tensioning pulley; 2291, first rotating bracket; 2292, second rotating bracket;

[0035] 2300, guide rail assembly; 2310, guide rail; 2320, slider;

[0036] 2400, driver. Implementation Method

[0037] The following will be combined with the embodiments and drawings to clearly and completely describe the concept, specific structure and technical effects of the present invention so as to fully understand the purpose, scheme and effect of the present invention. It should be noted that the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other unless there is a conflict.

[0038] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, when a feature is referred to as being "fixed" or "connected" to another feature, it may be directly fixed or connected to the other feature or indirectly fixed or connected to the other feature. Furthermore, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," and "bottom" used in this disclosure are intended solely to describe the relative positions of the components of the disclosure as shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0039] In addition, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art. The terms used in this specification are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any combination of one or more of the related listed items.

[0040] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various elements in the present disclosure, these elements should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish elements of the same type from each other. For example, a first element may also be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may also be referred to as a first element without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0041] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, a rod-driven robotic arm for an electric vehicle charging robot according to the present invention includes a drive box 2000 and a manipulator arm. The manipulator arm is mounted on the drive box 2000 via a mounting bracket 1500. The manipulator arm comprises a plurality of sequentially connected arm segments 1000, each of which is connected to the drive box 2000 via at least three flexible drive rods 1400. The drive box 2000 includes a drive box bracket 2100 connected to the mounting bracket 1500 and a plurality of drive assemblies 2200 for retracting and extending each flexible drive rod 1400 to bend the plurality of arm segments 1000. The plurality of drive assemblies 2200 are mounted on the drive box bracket 2100. Specifically, the drive box 2000 controls the reciprocating movement of the flexible drive rods 1400 of the corresponding arm segment 1000, according to the charging port position to be aligned with the manipulator arm, to achieve multiple degrees of freedom of motion in the yaw and pitch directions of the corresponding arm segment 1000, thereby enabling the charging gun loaded on the manipulator arm to align with the vehicle's charging port and perform insertion and removal operations.

[0042] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 5 , each arm segment 1000 is driven by 2n+2 (in the present invention, n is a positive integer) flexible drive rods 1400, and the 2n+2 flexible drive rods 1400 are symmetrically arranged on the arm segment 1000 along the center of the arm segment 1000. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each arm segment 1000 is preferably driven by 4 flexible drive rods 1400 to simplify the structure of the rod-driven robotic arm and reduce costs. The 4 flexible drive rods 1400 are symmetrically arranged on the arm segment 1000 along the center of the arm segment 1000, and each degree of freedom is driven separately by two groups of drive components 2200. Each group of drive components 2200 includes a motor 2280 arranged on a drive box bracket 2100 and a reciprocating Structure, the reciprocating structure is respectively connected to the two centrally symmetrical flexible drive rods 1400, and drives the two centrally symmetrical flexible drive rods 1400 to reciprocate synchronously and in opposite directions. Specifically, the output shaft of the motor 2280 drives the two output ends of the reciprocating structure to move synchronously in opposite directions, thereby driving the two relatively flexible drive rods 1400 to move synchronously in opposite directions. Through kinematic analysis, when the ends of the two relatively flexible drive rods 1400 are fixed to the end of the arm segment 1000, the synchronous reverse movement of the two relatively flexible drive rods 1400 can accurately drive the arm segment 1000 to achieve precise control of one degree of freedom, so that the number of drive components 2200 in the drive box 2000 can be halved, so as to further reduce the cost of the rod-driven robotic arm.

[0043] Reference Figure 3In order to avoid position interference between the reciprocating mechanisms of the drive components 2200 in the drive box 2000 and affect the layout of the drive box 2000, the reciprocating structure includes: a synchronous rotating shaft 2270 driven by the output shaft of the motor 2280; a first synchronous wheel 2220 and a second synchronous wheel 2221 arranged on the synchronous rotating shaft 2270; a third synchronous wheel 2210 and a fourth synchronous wheel 2211 rotatably arranged on the drive box bracket 2100 and close to one end of the operating arm, the rotating axes of the third synchronous wheel 2210 and the fourth synchronous wheel 2211 are basically coaxial and basically parallel to the synchronous rotating shaft 2270; a first belt 2230 sleeved between the first synchronous wheel 2220 and the third synchronous wheel 2210; a first belt 2230 sleeved between the second synchronous wheel 2221 and the fourth synchronous wheel 2211, the second belt 2231 between the first and second synchronous wheels 2220 and 2221 are connected to the two ends of the synchronous rotating shaft 2270 and are designed to be symmetrical along the center of the drive box bracket 2100, and the third synchronous wheel 2210 and the fourth synchronous wheel 2211 are also designed to be symmetrical along the center of the drive box bracket 2100, so that the first synchronous wheel 2220, the third synchronous wheel 2210 and the first belt 2230 are synchronized and symmetrical with the corresponding flexible drive rod 1400, so that the drive box 2000 can achieve counterweight balance; and two transmission members 2240 respectively connected to the opposite sides of the first belt 2230 and the second belt 2231, and the two transmission members 2240 are respectively connected to the two symmetrical flexible drive rods 1400 at one end away from the arm section 1000. Specifically, when the motor 2280 drives the synchronous rotating shaft 2270 to rotate in the first clockwise direction, the first synchronous wheel 2220, the second synchronous wheel 2221, the third synchronous wheel 2210, and the fourth synchronous wheel 2211 are all driven to rotate in the first clockwise direction, and the first belt 2230 sleeved on the first synchronous wheel 2220 and the third synchronous wheel 2210 and the second belt 2231 sleeved on the second synchronous wheel 2221 and the fourth synchronous wheel 2211 are all driven in the first clockwise direction, that is, the two transmission members 2240 respectively connected on the opposite sides of the first belt 2230 and the second belt 2231 are driven to move synchronously in opposite directions, thereby driving the ends of the two centrally symmetrical flexible driving rods 1400 in an arm segment 1000 to perform reverse synchronous motion, thereby realizing precise control of one degree of freedom of the arm segment 1000.

[0044] Reference Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4In order to reduce the lateral volume of the drive box 2000 and simplify the rod-driven mechanical arm structure of the present invention, the drive box bracket 2100 includes an upper support plate 2110 connected to the mounting frame 1500 and a fixed plate 2120 connected to the end of the upper support plate 2110 away from the mounting frame 1500 through a support frame 2140; the reciprocating structure also includes a first rotating bracket 2291 provided on the upper support plate 2110, a second rotating bracket 2292 provided on the fixed plate 2120, and a first gear provided on the synchronous rotating shaft 2270. 2250 and a second gear 2260 arranged on the output shaft of the motor 2280, wherein the third synchronous wheel 2210 and the fourth synchronous wheel 2211 are respectively rotatably connected to the first rotating bracket 2291, the first synchronous wheel 2220 and the second synchronous wheel 2221 are rotatably connected to the second rotating bracket 2292 through the synchronous rotating shaft 2270, the first gear 2250 and the second gear 2260 are engaged, the motor 2280 is fixed to the fixed disk 2120 and the output shaft of the motor 2280 and the synchronous rotating shaft 2270 are basically perpendicular.Specifically, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the number of arm segments 1000 of the operating arm is preferably 3. Since the maximum movement strokes of the flexible drive rod 1400 required for the movement of different arm segments 1000 are inconsistent, the movement strokes of the transmission member 2240 that drives the flexible drive rod 1400 corresponding to each arm segment 1000 are also inconsistent. Therefore, the fixed disk 2120 includes multiple fixed disks 2120, and the number of fixed disks 2120 is consistent with the number of arm segments 1000, which is set to 3, namely the first fixed disk 2121, the second fixed disk 2122 and the third fixed disk 2123. The first fixed disk 2121, the second fixed disk 2122 and the third fixed disk 2123 are distributed in sequence in the drive box 2000 along the extension direction of the operating arm and are arranged in layers, that is, the distances between the first fixed disk 2121, the second fixed disk 2122 and the third fixed disk 2123 and the upper support disk 2110 gradually increase, and the motor of the drive assembly 2200 that drives the flexible drive rod 1400 of each arm segment 1000 2280 and the second rotating bracket 2292 are respectively arranged on the corresponding fixed disk 2120, that is, the motor 2280 and the second rotating bracket 2292 of the driving component 2200 corresponding to the first arm segment 1000 are arranged on the first fixed disk 2121, the motor 2280 and the second rotating bracket 2292 of the driving component 2200 corresponding to the second arm segment 1000 are arranged on the second fixed disk 2122, and the motor 2280 and the second rotating bracket 2292 of the driving component 2200 corresponding to the third arm segment 1000 are arranged on the third fixed disk 2123, so that the stroke of the transmission member 2240 for controlling the movement of the first arm segment 1000, the second arm segment 1000 and the third arm segment 1000 respectively increases gradually, and the horizontal and vertical space in the driving box 2000 is fully utilized, so that the synchronous rotating shaft 2270 of the driving component 2200 of each arm segment 1000 is staggered in the longitudinal direction along the extension direction of the operating arm, and does not interfere with each other, making the layout of the driving box 2000 more compact and reasonable.

[0045] Specifically, in order to avoid interference between the driving components 2200 of the same arm segment 1000 on the same horizontal plane, the first rotating bracket 2291 and the second rotating bracket 2292 of each group of driving components 2200 are distributed along circles with different diameters.

[0046] In addition, refer to Figure 2 The output shaft of the motor 2280 is axially substantially parallel to the extension direction of the operating arm, and in order to further reduce the lateral volume of the drive box 2000, the motors 2280 are staggered, so that the first gear 2250 and the second gear 2260 preferably employ mutually meshing umbrella-shaped teeth.

[0047] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4In order to ensure that the first belt 2230 and the second belt 2231 can remain tensioned and prevent the first belt 2230 and the second belt 2231 from slipping when the motor 2280 drives the first synchronous pulley 2220 and the second synchronous pulley 2221 to rotate, thereby affecting the bending control of the arm section 1000, the reciprocating structure also includes a tensioning pulley 2290 that is rotatably arranged on the second rotating bracket 2292. The first belt 2230 and the second belt 2231 respectively pass around the tensioning pulley 2290 on the other side of the transmission member 2240, and the rotating shaft of the tensioning pulley 2290 is basically parallel to the synchronous rotating shaft 2270. Specifically, in an embodiment of the present invention, the tensioning pulley 2290 can adopt a smooth tensioning pulley 2290, and the tensioning pulley 2290 adopts the inner ring side contact tensioning or the outer ring side contact tensioning of the belt according to actual needs.

[0048] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 In order to make the first belt 2230 and the second belt 2231 accurately reciprocate and transmit the flexible drive rod 1400 when rotating, and to prevent the belts from driving the flexible drive rod 1400 to move and cause deflection due to the compliance, the number of support frames 2140 is consistent with the number of flexible drive rods 1400, and the positions are relative. The drive box 2000 also includes a guide rail assembly 2300, and the guide rail assembly 2300 includes: a guide rail 2310 arranged on each support frame 2140 along the extension direction of the operating arm, a guide rail 2310 installation recess is provided on the support frame 2140, and the guide rail 2310 is arranged in the installation recess; and a sliding installation The slider 2320 on the guide rail 2310 is fixedly connected to the transmission member 2240. The cooperation of the guide rail 2310 and the slider 2320 effectively limits the transmission member 2240 to move only along the extension direction of the operating arm when driven by the belt, avoiding obvious deformation of the transmission member 2240 when subjected to a large torque, thereby ensuring the strength and movement accuracy of the driving flexible drive rod 1400; specifically, the length of the guide rail 2310 is determined according to the stroke of the transmission member 2240 in each group of reciprocating structures, that is, the slider 2320 connected to the corresponding transmission member 2240 is consistent with the movement stroke of the transmission member 2240.

[0049] It should be mentioned that, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the guide rail 2310 is a linear guide rail 2310 , and the slider 2320 is a linear slider 2320 .

[0050] Reference Figure 4In order to facilitate the layout of the drive box 2000 and improve the assembly efficiency, the transmission member 2240 includes: a clamping portion 2241 that respectively clamps the first belt 2230 and the second belt 2231 on opposite sides through a clamping tooth plate 2244, and the clamping portion 2241 and the clamping tooth plate 2244 are screwed together by bolts to clamp and fix the first belt 2230 or the second belt 2231 after the position is adjusted; a sliding portion 2242 fixed to the slider 2320, and the sliding member effectively prevents the transmission member 2240 from swinging during the transmission process. Affects the transmission accuracy; and the connecting part 2243 connected to the end of the flexible drive rod 1400 away from the arm segment 1000, the connecting part 2243 clamps the end of the flexible drive rod 1400 through a bolt to ensure a tight connection between the flexible drive rod 1400 and the transmission member 2240. Specifically, the position where the connecting part 2243 clamps the flexible drive rod 1400 corresponds to the position where the flexible drive rod 1400 penetrates the upper support plate 2110 to reduce the sliding friction between the flexible drive rod 1400 and the drive box 2000.

[0051] In addition, refer to Figure 2 At the end of the third fixed plate 2123 away from the upper support plate, the drive box bracket 2100 also includes a lower support plate 2130 connected to the outer shell. The lower support plate 2130 is provided with a driver 2400 and a circuit board that are electrically connected to multiple motors 2280 respectively to realize the operation of the drive box 2000; it should be mentioned that the upper support plate 2110 is connected to the outer shell.

[0052] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6Each arm segment 1000 includes: two or more articulated arms and a universal joint 1200 connecting two adjacent articulated arms; wherein the articulated arms include one or more first articulated arms 1100 and a second articulated arm 1300 provided at the rear end of the arm segment 1000, the first articulated arm 1100 includes a disk portion 1110 and first rotating connectors 1120 provided on both sides of the disk portion 1110, the second articulated arm 1300 includes a disk portion 1110 and second rotating connectors 1310 provided on both sides of the disk portion 1110 The disk portion 1110 of the first articulated arm 1100 and the second articulated arm 1300 are both provided with a plurality of through holes 1111 along the circumference, and the four flexible driving rods 1400 connecting each arm segment 1000 in the operating arm are all passed through the through holes 1111 of the disk portion 1110 of each first shutdown arm and the second articulated arm 1300 in the corresponding arm segment 1000, and after passing through the through holes 1111 of the disk portion 1110 of the second articulated arm 1300, they are respectively abutted against both sides of the disk portion 1110 of the second articulated arm 1300 and have an outer diameter larger than the through holes 1111. The stopper 1600 with the inner diameter of the hole 1111 is fixed to the disk portion 1110 of the second articulated arm 1300, that is, one end of the flexible driving rod 1400 of the arm segment 1000 is only fixed to the second articulated arm 1300, and the flexible driving rod 1400 of the arm segment 1000 drives the second articulated arm 1300 to rotate a certain angle and bend, and the remaining first articulated arms 1100 are all relative to each other through the shape of the four bent flexible driving rods 1400 around the universal joints 1200 between the adjacent first articulated arms 1100. The corresponding angles are linked, and due to the bending characteristics of the flexible drive rod 1400, the arm segment 1000 maintains an overall bent arm shape; and the flexible drive rod 1400 connected to the arm segment 1000 at the rear end of the operating arm passes through the through holes 1111 of the disk portion 1110 of each first joint arm 1100 and second joint arm 1300 in the arm segment 1000 at the front end of the operating arm in turn, so that the flexible drive rod 1400 of the arm segment 1000 at the rear end of the operating arm is deformed synchronously, so as to achieve the effect of keeping the alignment direction of the end of the operating arm unchanged.

[0053] It should be noted that the retaining member 1600 is preferably a retaining ring fastened to the flexible driving rod 1400 by a top screw.

[0054] Further, refer to Figure 6The rotating axes of the first rotating connectors 1120 on both sides of the disk 1110 are basically vertical, and the rotating axes of the second rotating connectors 1310 on both sides of the disk 1110 basically intersect, and the intersection angle is 30°. The universal joint 1200 is rotatably connected between the first rotating connectors 1120 of the two adjacent first joint arms 1100 and rotatably connected between the first rotating connectors 1120 of the adjacent first joint arms 1100 and the second rotating connectors 1310 of the second joint arm 1300. The 30° angle between the rotating axes of the two second rotating connectors 1310 of the second joint arm 1300 can make the installation positions of the adjacent arm segments 1000 staggered by 30°, that is, the angle between the through holes 1111 at the corresponding positions between the adjacent arm segments 1000 is 30°, so that the positional relationship between the flexible driving rod 1400 passing through the next arm segment 1000 and the first rotating connector 1120 of the first joint arm 1100 is consistent.

[0055] Furthermore, since the flexible driving rod 1400 will bend when passing through the through hole 1111, it is necessary to reduce the friction between the through hole 1111 and the flexible driving rod 1400 to extend the service life of the robotic arm and improve the smoothness of the movement. Therefore, a guide ring 1140 is fixed in the through hole 1111 to reduce the friction between the flexible driving rod 1400 and the through hole 1111. The guide ring 1140 is preferably a silicon carbide guide ring 1140 with high material hardness, smooth surface and low friction coefficient.

[0056] In addition, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flexible driving rod 1400 is preferably a hard material rod with elasticity, such as a carbon fiber rod, a shape memory nickel-titanium alloy rod, etc.

[0057] It should be mentioned that the disc portion 1110 and the universal joint 1200 of the first articulated arm 1100 and the second articulated arm 1300 are all hollow in design to facilitate the wiring of the charging cable.

[0058] Reference Figure 6 The outer side of the universal joint 1200 is provided with four mutually perpendicular mounting surfaces 1210 along both ends thereof connected to the first rotating connector 1120 or the second rotating connector 1310. A shaft hole is provided on the mounting surface 1210, and a bearing 1230 with a baffle is mounted in the shaft hole. The baffle of the bearing 1230 is located inside the hollow interior of the universal joint 1200. A rotating shaft 1240 passes through the bearings 1230 in sequence and is fixedly connected to the first rotating connector 1120 or the second rotating connector 1310, thereby achieving a rotational connection between the universal joint 1200 and the first rotating connector 1120 or the second rotating connector 1310. Specifically, a friction-reducing washer 1250 is further provided on the rotating shaft 1240 between the mounting surface 1210 and the first rotating connector 1120 or the second rotating connector 1310. The washer 1250 is preferably a copper washer 1250.

[0059] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments. As long as the technical effects of the present invention are achieved by the same means, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure shall be included within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Within the scope of protection of the present invention, its technical solutions and / or implementation methods may be modified and varied in various ways.

Claims

1. A rod-driven robotic arm for a charging robot for electric vehicles, characterized in that: include: Drive box (2000); An operating arm is arranged on the drive box (2000) via a mounting frame (1500), the operating arm comprising a plurality of arm segments (1000) connected in sequence, each arm segment (1000) being connected to the drive box (2000) via at least three flexible drive rods (1400); The drive box (2000) comprises a drive box bracket (2100) connected to the mounting frame (1500) and a plurality of drive assemblies (2200) for retracting and extending each flexible drive rod (1400) to bend the plurality of arm segments (1000), and the plurality of drive assemblies (2200) are all arranged on the drive box bracket (2100); Each arm segment (1000) is driven by 2n+2 flexible drive rods (1400), and the 2n+2 flexible drive rods (1400) are symmetrically arranged on the arm segment (1000) along the center of the arm segment (1000); each group of the drive components (2200) comprises a motor (2280) arranged on the drive box bracket (2100) and a reciprocating structure driven by the output shaft of the motor (2280); the reciprocating structure is respectively connected to the two centrally symmetrical flexible drive rods (1400), and drives the two centrally symmetrical flexible drive rods (1400) to synchronously reciprocate in opposite directions; Wherein, the reciprocating structure includes: A synchronous rotating shaft (2270) drivingly connected to the output shaft of the motor (2280); A first synchronous wheel (2220) and a second synchronous wheel (2221) provided on the synchronous rotating shaft (2270); Rotating a third synchronous wheel (2210) and a fourth synchronous wheel (2211) disposed on the drive box bracket (2100) and close to one end of the operating arm, wherein the rotation axes of the third synchronous wheel (2210) and the fourth synchronous wheel (2211) are substantially coaxial and substantially parallel to the synchronous rotation axis (2270); a first belt (2230) sleeved between the first synchronous wheel (2220) and the third synchronous wheel (2210); a second belt (2231) sleeved between the second synchronous wheel (2221) and the fourth synchronous wheel (2211); and Two transmission members (2240) are respectively connected to opposite sides of the first belt (2230) and the second belt (2231), and the two transmission members (2240) are respectively connected to one end of two centrally symmetrical flexible drive rods (1400) away from the arm section (1000); The drive box bracket (2100) includes an upper support plate (2110) connected to the mounting frame (1500) and a fixed plate (2120) connected to one end of the upper support plate (2110) away from the mounting frame (1500) via a support frame (2140), wherein the fixed plates (2120) include a plurality of fixed plates (2120), which are sequentially distributed along the extension direction of the operating arm, and a motor (2280) of a drive assembly (2200) that drives the flexible drive rod (1400) of each arm segment (1000) is arranged on the corresponding fixed plate (2120).

2. The rod-driven mechanical arm of the charging robot for electric vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reciprocating structure further comprises a first rotating bracket (2291) provided on the upper supporting plate (2110), a second rotating bracket (2292) provided on the fixed plate (2120), a first gear (2250) provided on the synchronous rotating shaft (2270), and a second gear (2260) provided on the output shaft of the motor (2280), wherein the third synchronous wheel (2210) and the fourth synchronous wheel (2211) are respectively rotatably connected to the first rotating bracket (2291), the first synchronous wheel (2220) and the second synchronous wheel (2221) are rotatably connected to the second rotating bracket (2292) via the synchronous rotating shaft (2270), the first gear (2250) and the second gear (2260) are engaged, the motor (2280) is fixedly connected to the fixed plate (2120), and the output shaft of the motor (2280) and the synchronous rotating shaft (2270) are substantially perpendicular.

3. The rod-driven mechanical arm of the charging robot for electric vehicles according to claim 2, characterized in that: The reciprocating structure further comprises a tensioning wheel (2290) rotatably arranged on a second rotating bracket (2292), the first belt (2230) and the second belt (2231) respectively pass around the tensioning wheel (2290) on the other side relative to the transmission member (2240), and the rotating shaft of the tensioning wheel (2290) is substantially parallel to the synchronous rotating shaft (2270).

4. The rod-driven mechanical arm of the charging robot for electric vehicles according to claim 2, characterized in that: The drive box (2000) further comprises a guide rail assembly (2300), wherein the guide rail assembly (2300) comprises: a guide rail (2310) provided on the support frame (2140) along an extending direction of the operating arm; and A slider (2320) is slidably mounted on the guide rail (2310), and the slider (2320) is fixedly connected to the transmission member (2240).

5. The rod-driven mechanical arm of the charging robot for electric vehicles according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transmission member (2240) comprises: The clamping tooth plate (2244) cooperates with the clamping portions (2241) on opposite sides of the first belt (2230) and the second belt (2231); a sliding portion (2242) fixedly connected to the slider (2320); and A connecting portion (2243) connected to the end of the flexible driving rod (1400) away from the arm segment (1000).

6. The rod-driven mechanical arm of the charging robot for electric vehicles according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second rotating bracket (2292) is arranged on the corresponding fixed plate (2120).

7. The rod-driven mechanical arm of the charging robot for electric vehicles according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the arm segments (1000) comprises: Two or more articulated arms; and a universal joint (1200) connecting two adjacent articulated arms; A plurality of through holes (1111) are provided along the circumference of the articulated arm, 2n+2 flexible drive rods (1400) connecting each arm segment (1000) in the operating arm are all passed through the through holes (1111) of each articulated arm in the corresponding arm segment (1000), and the flexible drive rods (1400) connected to the arm segment (1000) at the rear end of the operating arm sequentially pass through the through holes (1111) of each articulated arm in the arm segment (1000) at the front end of the operating arm.

8. The rod-driven mechanical arm of the charging robot for electric vehicles according to claim 7, characterized in that: The articulated arm comprises one or more first articulated arms (1100) and a second articulated arm (1300) arranged at the rear end of the arm segment (1000); The first articulated arm (1100) comprises a first disk portion and first rotating connecting members (1120) arranged on both sides of the first disk portion, and the rotating axes of the two first rotating connecting members (1120) are substantially perpendicular; The second articulated arm (1300) comprises a second disk portion and second rotating connecting members (1310) arranged on both sides of the second disk portion, and the rotating axes of the two second rotating connecting members (1310) intersect; The universal joint (1200) is rotatably connected between the first rotating connecting members (1120) of two adjacent first joint arms (1100) or is rotatably connected between the first rotating connecting member (1120) of the adjacent first joint arm (1100) and the second rotating connecting member (1310) of the second joint arm (1300); A plurality of through holes (1111) are provided on the first disk portion and the second disk portion, a guide ring (1140) is provided in the through hole (1111), and the flexible driving rod (1400) is passed through the guide ring (1140); In each arm segment (1000), the other end portions of the 2n+2 flexible drive rods (1400) connecting the arm segment (1000) are fixed with retaining members (1600) on both sides of the second disk portion of the second articulated arm (1300), the retaining member (1600) is in contact with the second disk portion on a side close to the second disk portion, and the outer diameter of the retaining member (1600) is greater than the inner diameter of the through hole (1111).

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