A flexible rotary actuator

Abstract

This invention relates to a flexible rotary actuator, comprising a fixing member with a fixed stop, a rotating member rotatably connected to the fixing member and equipped with a baffle, and two pressure regulating members for driving the rotating member to rotate. One end of each pressure regulating member is fixedly mounted on both sides of the fixed stop, and the other end is connected to both sides of the baffle. When unfolded, the pressure regulating members form a fan shape. The pressure difference between the two pressure regulating members drives the rotating member to rotate. This invention utilizes the pressure difference between the two pressure regulating members to generate different forces on the baffle, causing the baffle to rotate and thus driving the rotating disk to rotate, thereby achieving the function of driving rotation. When the pressure in the two pressure regulating members is the same, the baffle is subjected to forces of the same magnitude but opposite direction, thus the baffle can be fixed, and the entire device achieves self-locking, greatly improving tensile and compressive strength and safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of flexible actuators, and more specifically to a flexible rotary actuator. Background Technology

[0002] Flexible actuation is a soft, sensitive, and powerful actuation technology that can enhance a robot's capabilities several times over, and even make it more flexible. The current trend is for scientists to draw inspiration from nature, mimicking the organs of organisms to create more powerful actuation technologies and more flexible robots—a principle known as biomimicry. Based on biomimicry, scientists often mimic the behavior of human muscles during movement to design robot actuation components. Ideally, the designed actuation components could even be stronger, faster-responding, and more flexible than human muscles. Due to its advantages of being lightweight, compliant, and safe, flexible actuators have become a key research focus in the field of robotics and are being applied in medical rehabilitation, rescue operations, and industrial production, showing promising development prospects.

[0003] Existing technology discloses a foldable flexible bending actuator and its application. The foldable flexible bending actuator includes a foldable airbag and a fluid pipe connected to its bottom. The foldable airbag has multiple fluid chambers inside, which can hold various fluids. External fluid is introduced into the fluid chambers of the foldable airbag through the fluid pipes. By filling or draining fluid into the fluid chambers, the extension and contraction movements of the bending actuator can be controlled. The disclosed foldable flexible bending actuator is simple to manufacture, low in cost, and lightweight, and its output torque and power density per unit mass are significantly higher than those of traditional bending actuators.

[0004] However, in the above scheme, when the internal pressure of the foldable airbag changes, the foldable airbag will definitely deform and rotate. There is no other force to counteract it, which makes the device unable to achieve self-locking. Therefore, the device in the above scheme has insufficient tensile and compressive strength, and the inability of the device to achieve self-locking may cause the driven object to move too fast and injure people due to excessive pressure in the airbag. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide a flexible rotary actuator to solve the problem that flexible pneumatic components in the prior art cannot achieve self-locking.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A flexible rotary actuator, characterized in that it comprises a fixing member with a fixed stop, a rotating member rotatably connected to the fixing member and provided with a baffle, and a pressure regulating member for driving the rotating member to rotate. There are two pressure regulating members, one end of which is fixedly installed on both sides of the fixed stop, and the other end is connected to both sides of the baffle. When unfolded, the pressure regulating members are fan-shaped. The pressure difference between the two pressure regulating members can drive the rotating member to rotate.

[0008] In the above technical solution, the fixing component is fixed to an external fixed object, and the pressure regulating component can adjust the pressure. When the pressure in the pressure regulating component changes, the pressure regulating component deforms and unfolds into a fan shape. One end of the pressure regulating component abuts against a fixed stop, and the other end pushes the baffle to rotate, thereby causing the rotating component to rotate relative to the fixing component. Since there are two pressure regulating components arranged opposite to each other, the thrust generated by the deformation of the two airbag groups acts on both sides of the baffle. When the pressure in the two airbags is the same, no matter how the pressure changes, both sides of the baffle are always subjected to thrust of equal magnitude and opposite direction. Therefore, the baffle can be fixed, and the device achieves a self-locking function. Safety is improved.

[0009] Preferably, the pressure regulating component is an airbag assembly, which consists of several interconnected airbags. An air nozzle is located at one end of the airbag assembly near the fixed block. The airbags are interconnected, thus ensuring that the pressure within the airbag assembly is constant. When inflating or deflating, the pressure within the entire airbag assembly changes, causing the airbag assembly to deform under atmospheric pressure. The air nozzle is located at the fixed end of the airbag assembly to prevent axial movement due to deformation, facilitating the inflation and deflation of the airbag assembly.

[0010] Preferably, the fixing component further includes a base plate and a bushing. The bushing is fixedly installed on the base plate and located on one side of the fixing block, with the axis of the bushing perpendicular to the base plate. The base plate increases the contact area between the device and the external fixing object, resulting in better stability. The axis of the bushing being perpendicular to the base plate defines the axis of rotation.

[0011] Preferably, the rotating component further includes a rotating shaft and a rotating disk. The rotating disk is fixedly installed at one end of the rotating shaft, and the axis of the rotating disk is on the same straight line as the axis of the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is installed in the bushing, which restricts the rotating shaft to rotate only around the axis. Therefore, the rotating component can only rotate around the axis, and there will be no eccentric force caused by eccentric rotation, which makes the rotation stability of the rotating component better.

[0012] Preferably, the rotating shaft and the bushing are connected by a bearing. The bearing can reduce the coefficient of friction between the rotating shaft and the bearing, ensure the rotational accuracy of the shaft, reduce energy consumption, and improve accuracy and compliance.

[0013] Preferably, it also includes a sliding part, which is fixedly installed on the fixing member. The airbag assembly is installed on the sliding part and slidably connected to the sliding part. The sliding part is used to guide the movement direction of the airbag assembly, so that the airbag assembly can accurately deform around the axis without deviating, resulting in better accuracy. Compared with other connection methods, the sliding connection has less friction and less damage to the components.

[0014] Preferably, the sliding part consists of several annular guide rails, with both ends of the annular guide rails fixedly mounted on the fixed stop blocks. The axis of the annular guide rails and the axis of the bushing are on the same straight line. Each airbag has a number of through holes equal to the number of annular guide rails. The annular guide rails pass through the through holes sequentially to string all the airbags together. When the airbag assembly deforms, the through holes will slide relative to the annular guide rails, resulting in better flexibility.

[0015] Preferably, the fixing block further includes a fixing block and several disassembly blocks. Installation grooves are formed between the connected disassembly blocks and between the disassembly blocks and the fixing block. The annular guide rail is installed in the installation groove. The disassembly block furthest from the base plate is fixedly connected to the fixing block by fastening bolts, and the other disassembly blocks are locked in place by friction. When the fastening bolts are tightened, the friction between the disassembly blocks and between the disassembly blocks and the fixing block increases, locking the annular guide rail and disassembly blocks onto the fixing block, resulting in better stability. When the fastening bolts are loosened, the disassembly blocks can be separated and the annular guide rail installed in the installation groove can be removed, facilitating replacement and maintenance of the annular guide rail, thus improving convenience.

[0016] Preferably, the through hole is enclosed by a metal bushing. The metal bushing reduces the friction between the airbag assembly and the annular guide rail, making the airbag assembly move more smoothly and with better flexibility. The metal bushing avoids wear caused by direct contact between the airbag assembly and the guide rail, and it is also easier to replace, providing greater convenience.

[0017] Preferably, the fixed stop block has symmetrical mounting grooves on both sides connected to the airbag assembly; the air nozzle of the airbag assembly is located in the mounting groove; the air-conducting end of the air nozzle extends out of the mounting groove. The mounting groove strengthens the fixation of the air nozzle, preventing the air nozzle from moving erratically due to the impact force generated by the air column during inflation and deflation, which could lead to the disconnection of the air tube and the air nozzle, resulting in better stability and higher safety.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: By adjusting the pressure in the two pressure regulating components, different forces of different magnitudes and opposite directions are generated on the baffle, driving the baffle to rotate and thus driving the rotating disk to rotate, thereby realizing the function of driving the rotating component to rotate. This driving method has strong controllability. When the pressure in the two pressure regulating components is the same, the baffle is subjected to forces of the same magnitude and opposite directions, so the baffle can be fixed and the entire device can be self-locked, which greatly improves the tensile and compressive resistance and safety. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible rotary actuator according to the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a flexible rotary actuator according to the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fixing member and sliding part of a flexible rotary actuator according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating component of a flexible rotary actuator according to the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the airbag assembly of a flexible rotary actuator according to the present invention.

[0024] The components include: 1. Fixing parts; 101. Fixing block; 1011. Air nozzle groove; 1012. Fixing block; 1013. Disassembly block; 1014. Fastening bolt; 102. Base plate; 1021. Mounting hole; 103. Bushing; 2. Rotating parts; 201. Baffle; 202. Rotating shaft; 203. Rotating disk; 204. Bearing; 205. Bearing retainer; 3. Pressure regulating parts; 301. Airbag assembly; 3011. Air nozzle; 3012. Through hole; 4. Sliding part; 401. Circular guide rail; 402. Arc-shaped guide rail. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments are only for illustrating the present invention and not for limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings only show the components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0027] Example 1

[0028] like Figure 1-5 The illustration shows an embodiment 1 of a flexible rotary actuator, comprising a fixing member 1 with a fixing block 101, a rotating member 2 rotatably connected to the fixing member 1 and provided with a baffle 201, and a pressure regulating member 3 for driving the rotating member 2 to rotate. The fixing member 1 also includes a base plate 102 and a bushing 103. The bushing 103 is fixedly installed on the base plate 102 and located on one side of the fixing block 101, with the axis of the bushing 103 perpendicular to the base plate 102. The rotating member 2 also includes a rotating shaft 202 and a rotating disk 203, with the rotating disk 203 fixedly installed on the base plate 102. One end of the rotating shaft 202 has its axis aligned with the axis of the rotating disk 203. The rotating shaft 202 is installed inside the bushing 103. The rotating shaft and the bushing 103 are connected by two rolling bearings 204. The inner ring of the rolling bearing 204 is connected to the rotating shaft 202, and the outer ring of the rolling bearing 204 is connected to the base plate 102. A bearing retainer 205 is installed inside the sleeve near the base plate 102. The bearing retainer 205 abuts against the inner ring of the rolling bearing 204 near the fixed disk for axial fixation. In this embodiment, the pressure regulating component 3 is an airbag assembly 301. There are two airbag assemblies 301. One end of each airbag assembly 301 is fixedly installed on both sides of the fixed stop block 101, and the other end is connected to both sides of the baffle 201. When the airbag assembly 301 is deployed, it forms a fan shape. The pressure difference between the two airbag assemblies 301 can drive the rotating component 2 to rotate.

[0029] Specifically, the base plate 102 is fixed to an external fixed object, ensuring the overall stability of the device. There are two airbag assemblies 301 arranged opposite each other. The fixed ends of the two airbag assemblies 301 are located on either side of the fixed block 101, while the movable ends abut against the baffle 201 of the rotating component 2. The airbag assemblies 301 can be inflated or deflated via air nozzles 3011, thereby changing the internal air pressure. When the air pressure changes, the airbag assemblies 301 deform into a fan shape. When inflated, the air pressure inside the airbag assemblies 301 increases, causing them to expand. Since the end of the airbag assembly 301 closest to the fixed block 101 is fixed and will not move, the end connected to the baffle 201 will move and generate thrust. When deflated, the air pressure inside the airbag assembly 301 decreases. When the airbag assembly 301 is compressed, the end of the airbag assembly 301 connected to the baffle 201 deforms, generating a tensile force. When one airbag assembly 301 inflates while the other deflates, or when both airbag assemblies 301 inflate or deflate simultaneously, and the air pressure of one airbag assembly 301 is greater than that of the other, different thrust or tension forces will be generated at both ends of the baffle 201. The baffle 201 will then rotate to one side, thereby driving the rotating disk 203, which is fixedly connected to it, to rotate around the axis of the bushing 103. The rotating disk 203 is connected to the object to be driven, thus enabling the device to drive rotation. The rotating shaft 202 is connected to the bearing 204 of the bushing 103, restricting the rotating shaft 202 to axial rotation only, preventing eccentric forces caused by eccentric rotation, and improving the stability of the rotating component 2. The bearing 204 also reduces the coefficient of friction, ensuring the rotational accuracy of the shaft, reducing energy consumption, and providing better compliance and accuracy. When the internal pressure of the two airbag assemblies 301 is equal, the deformation of the two airbag assemblies 301 is the same. The baffle 201 is subjected to forces of equal magnitude but opposite direction at both ends, thus the baffle 201 remains stationary. The rotating disk 203 fixed to the baffle 201 also remains stationary. When the pressure between the two airbag assemblies 301 is kept equal, the rotating disk 203 can be fixed regardless of the air pressure inside the airbag assemblies 301, thereby achieving self-locking of the device. In actual operation, the operator can adjust the air pressure in the two airbag assemblies 301 to be the same to achieve the self-locking state, thereby improving the tensile and compressive strength of the device and increasing its load-bearing capacity.

[0030] In addition, another embodiment of the pressure regulating component 3 is provided. In this embodiment, the pressure regulating component 3 is a deformable liquid cavity. By injecting or extracting liquid, a large pressure change in the liquid cavity can be achieved. In addition, a gas-liquid mixture can be injected to achieve deformation of the liquid cavity, thereby changing the force on both sides of the baffle 201, so that the baffle 201 drives the rotating component 2 to rotate or self-lock.

[0031] The beneficial effects of this embodiment are as follows: the different pressures in the two airbag assemblies 301 generate different forces on the baffle 201, causing the baffle 201 to rotate and thus driving the rotating disk 203 to rotate, thereby realizing the function of driving the rotating component 2 to rotate. When the pressures in the two airbag assemblies 301 are the same, the baffle 201 is subjected to forces of the same magnitude but opposite directions, so the baffle 201 can be fixed, and the entire device achieves self-locking, which greatly improves the tensile and compressive strength and safety. The air nozzle 3011 is set at the fixed end of the airbag assembly 301 to prevent the air nozzle 3011 from moving axially with the deformation of the airbag assembly 301, which facilitates the inflation and deflation of the airbag assembly 301. The rotating shaft 202 is installed in the bushing 103, so the rotating component 2 rotates around the axis without the eccentric force caused by eccentric rotation, which makes the rotation stability of the rotating component 2 better. The bearing 204 can also reduce the coefficient of friction, ensure the rotational accuracy of the shaft, and improve the smoothness and accuracy.

[0032] Example 2

[0033] A second embodiment of a flexible rotary actuator differs from embodiment 1 in that, as... Figure 3 As shown, it also includes a sliding part 4. The airbag assembly 301 is mounted on the sliding part 4 and slidably connected to the sliding part 4. The sliding part 4 is used to guide the movement direction of the airbag assembly 301. In this embodiment, the sliding part 4 consists of three equally spaced annular guide rails 401. The fixed block 101 also includes a fixed block 1012 and three disassembly blocks 1013. Three mounting grooves are formed between the connected disassembly blocks 1013 and between the disassembly blocks 1013 and the fixed block 1012. The three annular guide rails 402 are respectively installed in the three mounting grooves. The disassembly block 1013 furthest from the base plate 102 is fixedly connected to the fixed block 1012 by a fastening bolt 1014, and the other disassembly blocks 1013 are locked by friction. The axis of the annular guide rail 401 is on the same straight line as the axis of the bushing 103. Each airbag is provided with three equally spaced through holes 3012. The through holes 3012 are wrapped by a metal bushing. The annular guide rail 401 passes through the through holes 3012 in sequence to string all the airbags together.

[0034] Specifically, the through holes 3012, enclosed by metal bushings, on the airbag assembly 301 pass through the annular guide rail 401. When the airbag assembly 301 deforms, the through holes 3012 slide relative to the annular guide rail 401, allowing the airbag assembly 301 to rotate accurately around the axis without deviation, resulting in better accuracy. Compared to other connection methods, the sliding connection has less friction, better flexibility, and less damage to components. When the fastening bolts 1014 are tightened, the friction between the disassembly blocks 1013 and between the disassembly blocks 1013 and the fixing blocks 1012 increases, locking the annular guide rail 401 and the disassembly blocks 1013 onto the fixing blocks 1012, resulting in better stability. When the fastening bolts 1014 are loosened, the disassembly blocks 1013 can be separated, and the annular guide rail 401 installed in the mounting groove can be removed, facilitating the replacement and maintenance of the annular guide rail 401, thus improving convenience.

[0035] Another embodiment of the sliding part 4 is provided here. Unlike the embodiment described above, the sliding part 4 consists of three arc-shaped guide rails 402. The arc-shaped guide rails 401 are curved, and their two ends are fixedly installed on both sides of the fixed stop block 101. The fixing method can be welding, integral molding, etc. This embodiment uses arc-shaped guide rails 402, which provides better stability. Therefore, the deformation of the airbag assembly can be made more stable. However, the limitation is that the arc-shaped guide rails 402 are not easy to disassemble, which is not conducive to the replacement and maintenance of the arc-shaped guide rails 402.

[0036] Another embodiment of the sliding part 4 is provided here. Unlike the embodiment described above, the sliding part 4 is located at both ends of the bushing 103. The sliding part 4 is provided with an annular groove, the axis of which is collinear with the axis of the bushing 103. A slider is provided on the airbag assembly 301, and the slider is slidably connected to the annular groove. However, this embodiment is not as compliant as the annular guide rail 401.

[0037] Example 3

[0038] Embodiment 3 of a flexible rotary actuator differs from Embodiments 1 and 2 in that, as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the fixed block 101 has symmetrical air nozzle grooves 1011 on both sides connected to the airbag assembly 301; the air nozzles 3011 of the airbag assembly 301 are located in the air nozzle grooves 1011 respectively; the air-venting end of the air nozzle 3011 extends out of the air nozzle groove 1011 and a number of mounting holes 1021 are provided on the bottom plate 102.

[0039] Specifically, the nozzle groove 1011 strengthens the fixation of the nozzle 3011, preventing the nozzle 3011 from moving erratically due to the impact force generated by the air column during inflation and deflation, which could lead to a disconnection between the air tube and the nozzle 3011. This results in better stability and higher safety. The mounting hole 1021 facilitates the fixing of the device to external objects. The connection method can be a threaded connection, riveting connection, or other easily detachable connection methods, which further enhances stability and broadens applicability. The bushing 103 can be located at any position on the base plate 102, thus adapting to different specific implementation schemes.

[0040] The remaining features and technical effects of this embodiment are consistent with those of Embodiments 1 and 2.

[0041] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments provided to fully illustrate the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the present invention are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible rotary drive, characterized in that The utility model provides a pressure regulating device, including fixed part (1) who sets up fixed block (101), rotatory part (2) who sets up baffle (201) with rotatory connection with fixed part (1) and pressure regulating part (3) for driving rotatory part (2) rotation, pressure regulating part (3) is two, pressure regulating part (3) is air bag group (301), air bag group (301) is formed by a plurality of air bag group (301) mutual series connection and intercommunication, one end of air bag group (301) is equipped with air tap (3011) near fixed block (101), one end of two pressure regulating part (3) is fixedly installed on both sides of fixed block (101) respectively, and the other end is connected with both sides of baffle (201) respectively, when pressure regulating part (3) unfolds, it is fan-shaped, the pressure difference between two pressure regulating part (3) can drive rotatory part (2) rotation, fixed part (1) still includes bottom plate (102) and shaft sleeve (103), shaft sleeve (103) is fixedly installed on bottom plate (102) and is located in one side of fixed block (101), the axis of shaft sleeve (103) is perpendicular to bottom plate (102), rotatory part (2) still includes rotating shaft (202) and rotating disc (203), rotating disc (203) is fixedly installed on one end of rotating shaft (202), the axis of rotating disc (203) is on the same straight line with the axis of rotating shaft (202), and rotating shaft (202) is installed in shaft sleeve (103).

2. A flexible rotary drive according to claim 1, wherein, The rotating shaft (202) and the shaft sleeve (103) are connected through a bearing (204).

3. A flexible rotary drive according to claim 1, wherein, It also includes a sliding part (4) fixedly installed on the fixed part (1); the air bag group (301) is installed on the sliding part (4) and is in sliding connection with the sliding part (4); the sliding part (4) is used for guiding the movement direction of the air bag group (301).

4. A flexible rotary drive according to claim 3, wherein, The sliding part (4) is composed of a plurality of annular guide rails (401); the annular guide rails (401) are installed on the fixed block (101); the axis of the annular guide rail (401) is on the same straight line with the axis of the shaft sleeve (103); each air bag is provided with a through hole (3012) corresponding to the number of annular guide rails (401); the annular guide rails (401) pass through the through holes (3012) in sequence to string all air bags.

5. A flexible rotary drive according to claim 4, wherein, The fixed block (101) further includes a fixed block (1012) and a plurality of disassembly blocks (1013), and mounting grooves are formed between the connected disassembly blocks (1013) and between the disassembly blocks (1013) and the fixed block (1012); the annular guide rails (401) are installed in the mounting grooves; the disassembly block (1013) farthest from the bottom plate (102) is fixedly connected with the fixed block (1012) through a fastening bolt (1014) and locks the other disassembly blocks (1013) through friction.

6. A flexible rotary drive according to claim 5, wherein, The through hole (3012) is wrapped by a metal shaft sleeve.

7. A flexible rotary drive according to claim 1, wherein, The fixed block (101) is provided with symmetrical air nozzle grooves (1011) on two sides connected with the air bag group (301); the air nozzle (3011) of the air bag group (301) is located in the air nozzle groove (1011); one end of the air nozzle (3011) for air communication extends out of the air nozzle groove (1011).

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