Rotating mechanism and quadruped robot

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of rotating mechanism and quadruped robot, comprising: first rotating body includes first rotating end;And second rotating body includes second rotating end, second rotating end is rotatably connected with first rotating end and is matched to constitute rotating joint, second rotating end and first rotating end are designed with shape intermatching, to make second rotating end and first rotating end cooperate to form safety gap between them.Since first rotating end and second rotating end are designed with shape intermatching and form safety gap, the width of the safety gap is less than the minimum diameter of the user's finger, so that when rotating mechanism swings in use, even if the user's finger touches rotating joint, the finger cannot accidentally extend into safety gap, and will not be injured by rotating mechanism, which can effectively eliminate the potential safety hazard of hand clamping, thereby improving the product safety and user experience of quadruped robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mechanical equipment safety protection technology, and in particular to a rotating mechanism and a quadruped robot. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with the continuous development and progress of science and technology, various products with specific functions have appeared in different scenarios such as people's work and life. In order to achieve purposes such as walking and exercise, these products are equipped with rotating mechanisms. However, the gaps at the joints of existing rotating mechanisms are relatively large. If people accidentally put their fingers into the gaps at the joints during use, the rotating mechanism can easily cause finger pinching and injury, affecting product safety and user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a rotating mechanism and a quadruped robot to solve the safety hazards of pinching fingers in existing technologies, which reduce product safety and user experience.

[0004] On one hand, this application provides a rotating mechanism, which includes:

[0005] A first rotating body, the first rotating body including a first rotating connecting end; and

[0006] The second rotating body includes a second rotating connection end, which is rotatably connected to and cooperates with the first rotating connection end to form a rotating joint. The second rotating connection end and the first rotating connection end are designed to be mutually matched in shape so that a safe gap is formed between the second rotating connection end and the first rotating connection end.

[0007] The rotating mechanism described above can be applied to, for example, a quadruped robot. During use, it is mounted on the robot's main body. The second rotating body rotates and swings relative to the first rotating body, and / or the first rotating body rotates and swings relative to the robot's main body, thereby providing the quadruped robot with walking capability. Specifically, the first rotating body is rotatably connected to the second rotating body's second rotating body via a first rotating connection end, forming a rotating joint. This meets the swinging walking requirements of the rotating mechanism. Furthermore, because the first and second rotating connection ends employ a shape-matching design, a safe gap can be formed between them. The width of this safe gap is smaller than the minimum diameter of a user's finger. Therefore, even if a user's finger touches the rotating joint during the swinging operation, the finger cannot accidentally enter the safe gap and will not be pinched by the rotating mechanism. This effectively eliminates the potential safety hazard of pinching fingers, thereby improving the product safety and user experience of the quadruped robot.

[0008] The technical solution of this application will be further described below:

[0009] In one embodiment, one of the first rotating connection end and the second rotating connection end is configured as a notch or groove, and the other of the first rotating connection end and the second rotating connection end is configured as a joint body, which is rotatably mounted in the notch or groove via a rotating shaft.

[0010] In one embodiment, the safety gap includes a first safety gap, a second safety gap, and a third safety gap. The groove wall of the notch groove mates with the top surface of the joint body to form the first safety gap. The first groove sidewall of the notch groove mates with the first side surface of the joint body to form the second safety gap. The second groove sidewall of the notch groove mates with the second side surface of the joint body to form the third safety gap.

[0011] In one embodiment, the width of the safety gap remains constant during the relative rotation of the first rotating body and the second rotating body.

[0012] In one embodiment, the second rotating connection end is provided with an abutment portion. When the rotating mechanism is in a folded state, the abutment portion abuts against the first rotating connection end so that a safe space is formed between the folded side of the second rotating body and the folded side of the first rotating body.

[0013] In one embodiment, the folded side of the second rotating body is provided with a first clearance recess, and the first clearance recess and the folded side of the first rotating body cooperate to form a safety space.

[0014] In one embodiment, the folded side of the first rotating body is provided with a second clearance recess, and the second clearance recess and the folded side of the second rotating body cooperate to form a safety space.

[0015] In one embodiment, the folding side of the second rotating body is provided with a first clearance recess, and the folding side of the first rotating body is provided with a second clearance recess. The first clearance recess and the second clearance recess are arranged opposite to each other and cooperate to form a safe space.

[0016] In one embodiment, the rotating mechanism further includes a limiting rib disposed at the first rotating connection end, the limiting rib being used to prevent a finger from being inserted into the rotating mechanism.

[0017] In one embodiment, the second rotating connection end is further provided with a limiting engagement part, which abuts against the limiting rib when the rotating mechanism is in its maximum extended state.

[0018] On the other hand, this application also provides a quadruped robot, which includes:

[0019] The main body of the robot; and

[0020] Four rotating mechanisms as described above are rotatably mounted on the robot body and arranged in a rectangular pattern. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying 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 This is a schematic diagram of the quadruped robot in this application;

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Another structural diagram from another perspective;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating mechanism in the normal deployed state in this application;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating mechanism in the folded state.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating mechanism in its fully extended state.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0029] 100. Quadruped robot; 10. Rotating mechanism; 11. First rotating body; 111. First rotating connection end; 112. Second clearance recess; 12. Second rotating body; 121. Second rotating connection end; 121a. Abutment part; 121b. Limiting mating part; 122. First clearance recess; 13. Limiting rib; 20. Robot body; 30. Safety clearance; 40. Safety space. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0031] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, an embodiment of this application illustrates a quadruped robot 100, comprising a robot body 20 and four rotating mechanisms 10. The four rotating mechanisms 10 are rotatably mounted on the robot body 20 and arranged in a rectangular pattern. In use, the rotating mechanisms 10 can mimic the walking posture of a quadruped animal to enable the quadruped robot 100 to perform walking, jumping, running, and other movements. This allows the quadruped robot 100 to replace humans in tasks such as exploration, rescue, and patrol.

[0032] Understandably, the robot body 20 is used to mount the rotating mechanism 10, and also houses functional components such as a controller, battery, and drive motor. The controller controls the movement of the quadruped robot 100. The battery powers the electrical components on the quadruped robot 100, ensuring it has a certain range of operation. The drive motor is connected to the rotating mechanism 10 to provide the power required for its swinging motion.

[0033] Of course, in other embodiments, the quadruped robot 100 may also include functional components such as a navigation device and a task execution terminal (such as a mechanical gripper), which can be configured according to actual needs.

[0034] It should be noted that the rotating mechanism 10 in other embodiments can also be equipped and applied in products such as wheelchairs and fitness equipment, depending on the actual needs.

[0035] Please continue reading. Figures 3 to 5 This application illustrates a rotating mechanism 10 according to one embodiment, comprising a first rotating body 11 and a second rotating body 12. It is readily understood that the first rotating body 11 is the thigh of the quadruped robot 100, and the second rotating body 12 is the lower leg of the quadruped robot. The first rotating body 11 is directly connected to a drive motor, which drives the first rotating body 11 to swing back and forth. The first rotating body 11 is connected to the second rotating body 12 through a transmission mechanism, thereby enabling the first rotating body 11 to drive the second rotating body 12 to swing back and forth, achieving the purpose of walking.

[0036] In addition, the bottom of the second rotating body 12 is provided with feet. The feet are preferably made of elastic, wear-resistant materials, such as wear-resistant rubber. This provides cushioning and shock absorption during the movement of the quadruped robot 100, and increases friction with the ground to prevent slippage, ensuring the structural safety and walking stability of the quadruped robot 100. Alternatively, the feet can also be air bags, foam pads, etc.

[0037] For example, the first rotating body 11 includes a first rotating connection end 111; the second rotating body 12 includes a second rotating connection end 121, the second rotating connection end 121 is rotatably connected to the first rotating connection end 111 and cooperates to form a rotating joint, and the second rotating connection end 121 and the first rotating connection end 111 are designed to be mutually matched in shape so that a safety gap 30 is formed between the second rotating connection end 121 and the first rotating connection end 111.

[0038] In summary, implementing the technical solution of this embodiment will have the following beneficial effects: The rotating mechanism 10 of the above solution is applied to the quadruped robot 100 and is installed on the robot body 20 during use. The second rotating body 12 rotates and swings relative to the first rotating body 11 and / or the first rotating body 11 rotates and swings relative to the robot body 20, thereby providing the quadruped robot 100 with walking ability. Specifically, the first rotating body 11 is rotatably connected to the second rotating body 121 of the second rotating body 12 via the first rotating connection end 111, so that the first rotating connection end 111 and the second rotating connection end 121 form a rotating joint, which meets the swinging walking needs of the rotating mechanism 10. Since the first rotating connection end 111 and the second rotating connection end 121 adopt a shape matching design, a safety gap 30 can be formed between the first rotating connection end 111 and the second rotating connection end 121. The size of the safety gap 30 is smaller than the minimum diameter of the user's finger. Therefore, when the rotating mechanism 10 swings during use, even if the user's finger touches the rotating joint, the finger cannot be accidentally inserted into the safety gap 30 and will not be pinched by the rotating mechanism 10. This effectively eliminates the potential safety hazard of pinching the hand, thereby improving the product safety and user experience of the quadruped robot 100.

[0039] In some embodiments, one of the first rotating connecting end 111 and the second rotating connecting end 121 is configured as a notch, and the other of the first rotating connecting end 111 and the second rotating connecting end 121 is configured as a joint body. The joint body is rotatably installed in the notch through a rotating shaft. When the joint body is inserted into the notch, its two opposite sides can contact the two sidewalls of the notch, achieving a positioning effect. Furthermore, when the second rotating body 12 rotates relative to the first rotating body 11, the two sets of contact mating surfaces can also guide and limit the second rotating body 12, ensuring the stability of the second rotating body 12's posture. In addition, the joint body is conveniently installed in the notch through a rotating shaft, resulting in a simple and compact installation structure.

[0040] Specifically, in this embodiment, the bottom of the notch is formed as a concave arc surface, and the top surface of the joint body is formed as a convex arc surface. The shapes of the convex arc surface and the concave arc surface are designed to match, ensuring that the safety gap is smaller than the minimum diameter of a finger while preventing interference problems.

[0041] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the notch is specifically a U-shaped groove extending through both ends. Therefore, after the joint body is inserted into the notch, three assembly gaps are formed between the two: the bottom and the two sides. These three assembly gaps collectively constitute a safety gap 30. That is, the safety gap 30 includes a first safety gap, a second safety gap, and a third safety gap. The groove wall of the notch mates with the top surface of the joint body to form the first safety gap; the first groove sidewall of the notch mates with the first side surface of the joint body to form the second safety gap; and the second groove sidewall of the notch mates with the second side surface of the joint body to form the third safety gap. In this way, when a user's fingers extend towards the bottom or sides of the rotating joint, the first, second, and third safety gaps can all prevent the fingers from entering the rotating joint, thereby preventing finger pinching accidents and greatly improving safety.

[0042] Furthermore, during the relative rotation of the first rotating body 11 and the second rotating body 12, the width of the safety gap 30 remains unchanged. This ensures that no finger will be pinched if it accidentally extends into the safety gap 30 during the entire rotation of the second rotating body 12 relative to the first rotating body 11.

[0043] Please continue reading. Figure 4Furthermore, based on any of the above embodiments, the second rotating connecting end 121 is provided with an abutment portion 121a. When the rotating mechanism 10 is in the folded state, the abutment portion 121a abuts against the first rotating connecting end 111 so that the folded side of the second rotating body 12 and the folded side of the first rotating body 11 cooperate to form a safety space 40. When the second rotating body 12 folds and converges towards the first rotating body 11, the abutment portion 121a abuts against the first rotating connecting end 111, which can prevent the second rotating body 12 from folding excessively. That is, the second rotating body 12 can avoid excessive convergence with the iron leg and form a safety space 40 of sufficient size. The width of the safety space 40 (that is, the shortest straight distance between the second rotating body 12 and the first rotating body 11) is greater than the minimum diameter of a finger, so that when a finger is inserted into the safety space 40, it will not be pinched by the second rotating body 12 and the first rotating body 11.

[0044] Furthermore, the folded side of the second rotating body 12 is provided with a first clearance recess 122, which cooperates with the folded side of the first rotating body 11 to form the safety space 40. Alternatively, as an alternative to the above embodiment, the folded side of the first rotating body 11 is provided with a second clearance recess 112, which cooperates with the folded side of the second rotating body 12 to form the safety space 40. Alternatively, as an alternative to the above two embodiments, the folded side of the second rotating body 12 is provided with a first clearance recess 122, and the folded side of the first rotating body 11 is provided with a second clearance recess 112, which are opposite to each other and cooperate to form the safety space 40.

[0045] In any of the above solutions, by designing the first avoidance recess 122 and / or the second avoidance recess 112, when the second rotating body 12 folds and gathers towards the first rotating body 11 to the maximum extent, the safety space 40 is guaranteed to have sufficient volume, thereby satisfying the requirement that the quadruped robot 100 has a small folding volume while also achieving the purpose of preventing hand pinching.

[0046] Preferably, in this application, the first clearance recess 122 is provided on the folded side of the second rotating body 12, while the second clearance recess 11 is provided on the folded side of the first rotating body 11. The first clearance recess 122 and the second clearance recess 112 can be recessed structures in the shape of an arc, a square, a trapezoid, etc., and can be selected according to actual needs.

[0047] It should be noted that the folded side of the second rotating body 12 and the folded side of the first rotating body 11 mentioned above specifically refer to the sides of the second rotating body 12 and the first rotating body 11 facing the head of the quadruped robot 100. That is, when the rotating mechanism 10 retracts its legs, the second rotating body 12 rotates and converges towards the head of the quadruped robot 100 and closes to the first rotating body 11.

[0048] Please continue reading. Figure 5 In addition, based on any of the above embodiments, the rotating mechanism 10 further includes a limiting rib 13, which is disposed at the first rotating connection end 111 and is used to prevent fingers from entering the interior of the rotating mechanism 10.

[0049] Furthermore, the second rotating connection end 121 is also provided with a limiting engagement part 121b, which abuts against the limiting rib 13 when the rotating mechanism 10 is in its maximum extended state. The abutment between the limiting engagement part 121b and the limiting rib 13 can prevent the rotating mechanism 10 from being over-extended, causing the second rotating body 12 and the first rotating body 11 to fit too tightly and pinch the fingers.

[0050] In this embodiment, the limiting rib 13 is an integrally formed or detachably disposed on the side wall of the notch and near the bottom of the notch.

[0051] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0052] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

[0053] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0054] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0055] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0056] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0057] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

Claims

1. A rotating mechanism, characterized in that, include: A first rotating body, the first rotating body including a first rotating connection end; as well as The second rotating body includes a second rotating connection end, which is rotatably connected to and cooperates with the first rotating connection end to form a rotating joint. The second rotating connection end and the first rotating connection end are designed to be mutually matched in shape so that a safe gap is formed between the second rotating connection end and the first rotating connection end. One of the first rotating connection end and the second rotating connection end is configured as a notch or groove, and the other of the first rotating connection end and the second rotating connection end is configured as a joint body, which is rotatably installed in the notch or groove via a rotating shaft.

2. The rotating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The safety gap includes a first safety gap, a second safety gap, and a third safety gap. The groove wall of the notch groove cooperates with the top surface of the joint body to form the first safety gap. The first groove sidewall of the notch groove cooperates with the first side surface of the joint body to form the second safety gap. The second groove sidewall of the notch groove cooperates with the second side surface of the joint body to form the third safety gap.

3. The rotating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the relative rotation of the first rotating body and the second rotating body, the width of the safety gap remains unchanged.

4. The rotating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second rotating connection end is provided with an abutment portion. When the rotating mechanism is in the folded state, the abutment portion abuts against the first rotating connection end so that the folded side of the second rotating body and the folded side of the first rotating body cooperate to form a safe space.

5. The rotating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second rotating body has a first clearance recess on its folded side, and the first clearance recess and the folded side of the first rotating body cooperate to form a safety space.

6. The rotating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rotating body has a second clearance recess on its folded side, and the second clearance recess and the folded side of the second rotating body cooperate to form a safety space.

7. The rotating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second rotating body has a first clearance recess on its folded side, and the first rotating body has a second clearance recess on its folded side. The first clearance recess and the second clearance recess are arranged opposite to each other and cooperate to form a safe space.

8. The rotating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating mechanism also includes a limiting rib, which is disposed at the first rotating connection end and is used to prevent fingers from being inserted into the rotating mechanism.

9. The rotating mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that, The second rotating connection end is also provided with a limiting engagement part, which abuts against the limiting rib when the rotating mechanism is in its maximum extended state.

10. A quadruped robot, characterized in that, include: Robot body; as well as Four rotating mechanisms as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, the four rotating mechanisms being rotatably mounted on the robot body and arranged in a rectangular pattern.

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