A rope drive device and a cable-driven continuum robot

Abstract

The present invention discloses a rope driving device and a cable-driven continuum robot, comprising a base and at least one rope driving mechanism mounted on the base. Each rope driving mechanism includes a braking mechanism and a traction mechanism. The braking mechanism includes an electromagnet, a steel ball disc, spring steel balls and a return spring; the traction mechanism includes a motor and a winding wheel. When the electromagnet is powered off, the steel ball disc disengages from the electromagnet under the elastic force of the return spring, and at least some of the spring steel balls thereon pop out and are embedded in the corresponding steel ball card slots on the winding wheel, and the winding wheel is stuck and stops rotating. The present invention can perform emergency braking through the spring steel balls of the braking mechanism when the cable-driven continuum robot experiences an accidental power failure, giving a pre-tightening force to the rope, so that the continuum robot maintains its current position and posture, ensuring the safety and human-machine interaction of the continuum robot without damaging it.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of cable-driven continuum robots, and particularly relates to a cable driving device and a cable-driven continuum robot. Background Art

[0002] As an important branch of modern robotics technology, the background and development of cable-driven continuum robots have been evolving continuously following the progress of science and technology and the requirements of engineering applications. Although traditional rigid robots have significant advantages in load capacity and movement speed, their limited degrees of freedom and low flexibility limit the application scope of robots. With the emergence of continuum robots, especially cable-driven continuum robots, these limitations have been gradually overcome.

[0003] The cable driving device is a key part of the cable-driven continuum robot, which is directly related to the operation efficiency, stability of the continuum robot and the expansion of its application fields. In the traditional cable driving device of the continuum robot, the cables are often wound around small wire wheels or have no definite extension direction, which will make the tension of the cables uneven and unstable, and the service life of the cables will also be reduced; in addition, when the continuum robot system loses power, the motor stops working, which will cause the cables to lose the pre-tension force, and the continuum robot will change its current state due to its own gravity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main object of the present invention is to provide a cable driving device and a cable-driven continuum robot, so as to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the foregoing invention object, the technical solutions adopted by the present invention include: A cable driving device, comprising:

[0006] A base, the base includes at least one side plate, and the side plate includes an outer side plate and an inner side plate which are oppositely arranged;

[0007] At least one cable driving mechanism installed on the base, each cable driving mechanism includes a braking mechanism and a traction mechanism, the braking mechanism includes an electromagnet installed in the outer side plate and a steel ball disc, a spring steel ball and a return spring installed in the inner side plate, the return spring is located between the outer side plate and the steel ball disc, and a plurality of the spring steel balls are circumferentially arranged on the steel ball disc; the traction mechanism includes a motor and a wire wheel, the motor is fixed on the inner side plate, the wire wheel surrounds the outside of the motor, and one end of the wire wheel is rotatably connected to the inner side plate, the other end is connected to the motor shaft of the motor, and steel ball slots which are matched with the spring steel balls on the steel ball disc are circumferentially arranged on the end surface of the wire wheel opposite to the inner side plate;

[0008] When the electromagnet is energized, it adsorbs the steel ball disc, the return spring is compressed, the spring steel balls on the steel ball disc retract into the inner plate, and the winding wheel rotates freely under the drive of the motor to wind and unwind the rope; when the electromagnet is de-energized, the steel ball disc disengages from the electromagnet under the elastic force of the return spring, and at least some of the spring steel balls on it pop out and are embedded into the corresponding steel ball slots on the winding wheel, and the winding wheel is stuck and stops rotating.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, there is an offset between the spring steel balls on the steel ball disc and the steel ball slots on the winding wheel, and the offset amount between each pair of spring steel balls and steel ball slots gradually increases.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, when the arc length corresponding to the minimum rotation unit of the winding wheel is less than the diameter of the spring steel ball, in the power-off state, the winding wheel has spring steel balls stuck into the corresponding steel ball slots on it at any angle.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the arc length corresponding to the minimum rotation unit of the winding wheel is expressed as: 2 mR / n 2 , where m represents the number of spring steel balls embedded in the steel ball slots, R represents the radius of the winding wheel, n represents the number of spring steel balls and the number of steel ball slots, and both m and n are natural numbers greater than 1.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, each of the rope driving mechanisms further includes a traction assembly, the traction assembly includes a traction slider and a guide rail, the traction slider is mounted on the guide rail and contacts the winding wheel, and the rope is wound around the winding wheel through the traction slider, and when the winding wheel rotates radially, it drives the traction slider to move linearly along the guide rail.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the rope driving device further includes a rope guiding channel for supporting the rope, and the rope on the winding wheel passes through the rope guiding channel.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the base further includes a bottom plate that can be freely opened and closed, and the side plate is vertically mounted on the bottom plate.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the base includes a first side plate and a second side plate arranged opposite to each other left and right, and at least one of the rope driving mechanisms is provided on each of the first side plate and the second side plate.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, one or more sets of the cable driving mechanisms are arranged on the first side plate and the second side plate. Each set of the cable driving mechanisms is composed of two cable driving mechanisms which are respectively arranged on the first side plate and the second side plate and are arranged opposite to each other left and right. If there are multiple sets, the multiple sets of the cable driving mechanisms are distributed in the up-down direction and / or the front-back direction of the side plate. And when the multiple sets of the cable driving mechanisms are distributed in the front-back direction on the side plate, the multiple sets of the cable driving mechanisms distributed in the front-back direction are arranged in a staggered manner in sequence from low to high or from high to low in the direction from front to back.

[0017] The present invention also discloses another technical solution: a cable-driven continuum robot, including the above-mentioned cable driving device.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are at least as follows:

[0019] 1. The cable driving device capable of realizing rapid and precise braking disclosed by the present invention can perform emergency braking through the spring steel balls of the braking mechanism when the cable-driven continuum robot accidentally loses power, giving a pre-tightening force to the cable, so that the continuum robot maintains its current position and posture. And when the external force is large, the stuck spring steel balls will break away from the card slots, while another part of the spring steel balls will be embedded in the card slots to provide the pre-tightening force, ensuring the safety and human-machine interaction of the continuum robot without damaging it.

[0020] 2. The specially designed enclosed winding wheel of the present invention traction the cable, enclosing the servo motor inside the winding wheel, minimizing the occupied space as much as possible. And the winding wheel with a larger diameter not only makes the tension of the cable more uniform and stable, but also reduces the bending stress of the cable and prolongs the service life of the cable.

[0021] 3. The present invention has a simple structure and is convenient to control. It can be applied to any cable-driven continuum robot that needs emergency braking when losing power to maintain the pose of the continuum robot, and has a wide application prospect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments recorded in the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the cable driving device of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2It is a schematic structural diagram after the side plate of the rope drive device of the present invention is disassembled;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a front view structural diagram of the rope drive device of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 It is a side view structural diagram of the rope drive device of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the rope drive device (without winding wheel) of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the rope drive mechanism (steel ball retracted, winding wheel rotating freely) of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the rope drive mechanism (ball ejected, braking the winding wheel) of the present invention Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the principle of offset steel ball braking;

[0030] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the principle of offset steel ball braking;

[0031] Figure 9a It is a mechanical structural diagram of the spring steel ball, Figure 9b It is Figure 9a The cross-sectional structural diagram in the A-A direction of.

[0032] Reference numerals:

[0033] [[ID=4)]1. Base, 11. Bottom plate, 12. Side plate, 121. Inner side plate, 122. Outer side plate, 2. Rope drive mechanism, 21. Braking mechanism, 211. Electromagnet, 212. Steel ball disc, 2121. Magnet, 213. Spring steel ball, 2131. Steel ball, 2132. Spring, 214. Return spring, 22. Traction mechanism, 221. Motor, 222. Winding wheel, 223. Bearing, 224. Motor shaft, 225. Steel ball card slot, 3. Rope, 4. Traction assembly, 41. Traction slider, 42. Guide rail, 5. Rope guiding channel. Detailed implementation manners

[0034] The present invention will be more fully understood through the following detailed implementation manners which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Specific embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are only exemplary of the present invention, and the present invention can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, the specific functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but only as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to adopt the present invention in any appropriate detailed embodiment in different ways.

[0035] The present invention proposes a new power-off braking scheme for a cable drive device, and optimizes the cable drive device of a cable-driven continuum robot. While ensuring the motion stability and accuracy of the continuum robot, it can maintain the current position and posture when the continuum robot system suddenly loses power.

[0036] As Figures 1 to 5 shown, a cable drive device disclosed by the present invention mainly includes a base 1 and at least one cable drive mechanism 2 installed on the base 1. Preferably, the base 1 of the present invention adopts a separable design, which is convenient for the installation of each part of the cable drive mechanism 2, and at the same time is convenient for the replacement of the cable 3 and subsequent maintenance. It specifically includes two parts. One part is a bottom plate 11 that can be freely opened and closed, and the other part is at least one side plate installed on the bottom plate 11. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 11 is horizontally arranged at the bottom of the entire device, and two vertical side plates 12 are arranged opposite to each other on the left and right on the bottom plate 11. The side plates 12 are used to install the cable drive mechanism 2. Specifically, each side plate 12 includes two inner and outer side plates, that is, an inner side plate 121 and an outer side plate 122. During implementation, both the bottom plate 11 and the side plates 12 are preferably made of lightweight and high-strength aluminum alloy materials.

[0037] Each cable drive mechanism 2 includes a braking mechanism 21 and a traction mechanism 22. Among them, the braking mechanism 21 includes an electromagnet 211, a steel ball disk 212, a spring steel ball 213, and a return spring 214. The electromagnet 211 is installed in the outer side plate 122, and the steel ball disk 212, the spring steel ball 213, and the return spring 214 are installed in the inner side plate 121. Specifically, in this embodiment, in the middle of one side of the steel ball disk 212 is a magnet 2121 (such as magnetic material iron), which can interact with the electromagnet 211 (such as mutual attraction). On the other side, a plurality of spring steel balls 213 are circumferentially arranged. A plurality of spring steel balls 213 are evenly distributed circumferentially on the steel ball disk 212, and the spring steel balls 213 and the steel ball disk 212 are in interference fit. A plurality of through holes corresponding to the positions of the spring steel balls 213 (not shown in the figure) are provided on the inner side plate 121 to facilitate the spring steel balls 213 to retract or pop out of the inner side plate 121.

[0038] The return spring 214 is located between the outer side plate 122 and the steel ball disk 212, and is specifically sleeved outside the magnet 2121 of the steel ball disk 212, and its two ends are respectively in contact with the outer side plate 122 and the steel ball disk 212. By energizing and de-energizing the electromagnet 211, the movement of the steel ball disk 212 can be controlled. Specifically, after the electromagnet 211 is energized, it can attract the steel ball disk 212, and at the same time the return spring 214 is compressed, and the spring steel balls 213 on the steel ball disk 212 retract into the inner side plate 121, and the wire winding wheel of the above-mentioned traction mechanism 22 can rotate freely to realize the winding and unwinding of the cable 3, as Figure 6On the contrary, when the electromagnet 211 is powered off, the electromagnet 211 stops working, the return spring 214 is released from compression, and a positive stress is applied to the steel ball disc 212. The steel ball disc 212 is separated from the electromagnet 211 and contacts the inner plate 121. At least one spring steel ball 213 passes through the perforation on the inner plate 121 and pops out of the inner plate 121, which can effectively brake the winding wheel of the traction mechanism 22, so that the winding wheel is stuck and cannot rotate freely. Figure 7 shown.

[0039] The traction mechanism 22 specifically includes a motor 221 and a reel 222. The motor 221 is fixed to the inner plate 121 (specifically, fixed to the inner surface of the inner plate 121) and serves as the power source of the traction mechanism 22. During implementation, it can be implemented using a servo motor, and the servo motor adopts a high-precision, high-torque robot joint motor. The reel 222 is surrounded by the outside of the motor 221, that is, the reel 222 is enclosed, and its outer side is used to wind the rope 3. One end of the reel 222 is rotatably connected to the inner plate 121, specifically, it can be rotatably connected to the inner plate 121 via a large-diameter bearing 223, and the other end is connected to the motor shaft 224 of the motor 221. Specifically, the motor shaft 224 is fixed to the motor 221 with screws and can rotate with the motor 221. The motor shaft 224 and the reel 222 can be connected by a spline, so that the transmission of motion and force between the motor 221 and the reel 222 has higher precision. The motor 221 drives the winding wheel 222 to rotate via the motor shaft 224. The present invention encloses the motor 221 within the winding wheel 222, which can greatly save space. Furthermore, the enclosed winding wheel 222 not only provides a more stable and uniform rope tension for the rope-driven continuum robot, but also reduces the bending stress of the wound rope, reduces rope fatigue damage, and extends its service life.

[0040] A steel ball retaining groove 225 that cooperates with the spring steel ball 213 on the steel ball disc 212 is circumferentially provided on the end surface of the winding wheel 222 opposite to the inner plate 121. When the system is powered on, the motor 221 rotates to drive the winding wheel 222 to work, thereby achieving the purpose of retracting and releasing the rope 3. When the system is powered off, the braking mechanism 21 takes effect, and the steel ball disc 212 fits with the inner plate 121 due to the action of the reset spring 214, and the spring steel ball 213 pops out and embeds into the steel ball retaining groove 225 on the winding wheel 222, clamping the winding wheel 222 and preventing the winding wheel 222 from rotating freely, thereby applying a pre-tightening force to the rope 3 when the system is powered off, maintaining the position and posture of the continuum robot before the power is cut off. In this embodiment, Figure 9a and Figure 9bAs shown, there is a spring 2132 inside the spring steel ball 213 itself. When the steel ball 2131 is subjected to a normal stress, the internal spring 2132 is compressed, and the steel ball 2131 is pressed into the shell of the spring steel ball 213. When the spring steel ball 213 corresponds to the steel ball slot 225, due to the elastic force of the internal spring 2132, the steel ball 2131 will pop out and embed into the steel ball slot 225.

[0041] Preferably, there is an offset between the spring steel balls 213 on the steel ball disc 212 and the steel ball slots 225 on the winding wheel 222, that is, each spring steel ball 213 in the braking mechanism 21 is not aligned with the steel ball slot 225 in the traction mechanism 22 in terms of position, but has a certain offset. And the offset amount between each pair of spring steel balls 213 and steel ball slots 225 gradually increases. For example, Figure 8 in the figure, the No. 1 and No. 4 spring steel balls are aligned with the corresponding steel ball slots, there is an offset of 1 unit between the No. 2 spring steel ball and the No. 5 spring steel ball and the corresponding steel ball slots, and there is an offset of 2 units between the No. 3 and No. 6 spring steel balls and the corresponding steel ball slots. So the offset amount gradually increases. Assuming the winding wheel rotates counterclockwise by one unit, as Figure 8 shown in d, at this time, the No. 2 spring steel ball and the No. 5 spring steel ball are embedded in the slots, and so on. When the braking mechanism 21 comes into play. Only a part of the spring steel balls 213 can correspond to the steel ball slots 225 at each angle, that is, they can just be embedded into the steel ball slots 225 to lock the winding wheel 222. The spring steel balls 213 that do not correspond to the steel ball slots 225 are compressed due to the normal stress, and the steel balls 2131 are pressed into the inner side plate 121. And at each angle that the winding wheel 222 turns, a part of the spring steel balls 213 can be embedded into the steel ball slots 225, that is, no matter at which angle the winding wheel 222 is when the system is powered off, it will be effectively and timely braked, and the existing braking error is very small.

[0042] Only a part of the spring steel balls 213 can be embedded into the steel ball slots 225 at each angle that the winding wheel 222 rotates, and the resistance provided by the spring steel balls 213 embedded in the steel ball slots 225 is sufficient to brake the winding wheel 222. As Figure 8 shown in (a), taking six spring steel balls 213 as an example, at this time, the arrangement of the steel ball slots 225 on the winding wheel 222 is as Figure 8 shown in (b), and the corresponding relationship between the spring steel balls 213 and the steel ball slots 225 is as Figure 8As shown in Figure 8 (c), at this time, two spring steel balls 213 of No. 1 and No. 4 are embedded in the corresponding steel ball slots 225, and the braking winding wheel 222. For the remaining spring steel balls 213, due to the normal stress of the winding wheel 222, the internal spring 2132 is compressed, and the steel ball 2131 is pressed into the inner plate 121. Rotate the winding wheel 222 counterclockwise by one unit, and the two spring steel balls 213 of No. 1 and No. 4 are disengaged from the steel ball slots 225, and the spring steel balls 213 of No. 2 and No. 5 are embedded in the steel ball slots 225, as shown in Figure 8 (d); Rotate the winding wheel 222 counterclockwise by one more unit, the spring steel balls 213 of No. 2 and No. 5 are disengaged from the steel ball slots 225, and the spring steel balls 213 of No. 3 and No. 6 are embedded in the steel ball slots 225, as shown in Figure 8 (e). It is not difficult to find that no matter how many units are rotated, whether it is rotated counterclockwise or clockwise, some spring steel balls 213 are embedded in the steel ball slots 225 of the winding wheel 222. The present invention can also expand this method. By increasing the number of spring steel balls 213, steel ball slots 225, and the number of steel balls embedded in the steel ball slots, the angle corresponding to the minimum rotation unit will become smaller, and thus the braking accuracy will also be improved. The relationships among the number of spring steel balls, the number of steel ball slots, the number of spring steel balls embedded in the steel ball slots, the angle corresponding to the minimum rotation unit, and the arc length corresponding to the minimum rotation unit are shown in the following table:

[0043] ;

[0044] Table 1 Relationship table of steel balls, slots, steel balls embedded in slots, and the angles and arc lengths corresponding to the minimum rotation unit

[0045] In Table 1, R represents the radius of the winding wheel 222. In this embodiment, the radius R of the winding wheel 222 is 57.5 mm, and the diameter of the spring steel ball 213 is 4 mm. When the number of spring steel balls 213 and the number of steel ball slots 225 are n, and the number of spring steel balls 213 embedded in the steel ball slots 225 is m (both m and n are natural numbers greater than 1), it can be obtained that the number of rotation units of one week of the winding wheel 222 is n 2 / m, then the central angle corresponding to each rotation unit is 2 m / n 2 , and the arc length corresponding to each rotation unit is 2 mR / n 2。It is not difficult to find that the more the number of spring steel balls 213 and the number of steel ball grooves 225, the smaller the angle and arc length corresponding to the minimum rotation unit, and the higher the braking accuracy. In this embodiment, the number of spring steel balls 213 embedded in the steel ball grooves 225 is 2. Through calculation, when the number of spring steel balls 213 and steel ball grooves 225 is 14, the arc length corresponding to each rotation unit is less than the diameter of the spring steel ball 213, that is, no matter at which angle the wire reel is when the continuum robot is powered off, there must be a spring steel ball 213 that can be embedded in the steel ball groove 225, and the error is very small. The error can also be further reduced by increasing the number of spring steel balls 213 and steel ball grooves 225.

[0046] In this embodiment, the base 1 includes a first side plate and a second side plate arranged opposite to each other left and right. At least one cable driving mechanism 2 is arranged on both the first side plate and the second side plate. In this embodiment, four cable driving mechanisms 2 are arranged on each of the first side plate and the second side plate, that is, a total of eight cable driving mechanisms 2 are arranged. These eight cable driving mechanisms 2 are divided into four groups. Each group of cable driving mechanisms is composed of two cable driving mechanisms 2 arranged on the first side plate and the second side plate and opposite to each other left and right. And the four groups of cable driving mechanisms are distributed in the up-down direction and the front-back direction of the side plate 12, and the two groups of cable driving mechanisms 2 distributed in the front-back direction are arranged in a staggered manner in sequence from low to high or from high to low in the front-to-back direction. In this embodiment, among the two groups of cable driving mechanisms 2 distributed in the front-back direction, the rear cable driving mechanism 2 is higher than the front cable driving mechanism 2, which can prevent the cable 3 extended from the rear cable driving mechanism 2 from interfering with the front one. Of course, in other alternative embodiments, the number of cable driving mechanisms 2 and the side plate 12 can be set according to actual needs, and the present invention does not limit this. For example, the number of cable driving mechanisms 2 can be increased or decreased accordingly according to the number of degrees of freedom required by the cable-driven continuum robot.

[0047] Preferably, each cable drive mechanism 2 further includes a traction assembly 4. In this embodiment, a traction assembly 4 is provided on the front side of each winding wheel 222. The traction assembly 4 includes a traction slider 41 and a guide rail 42. Among them, the traction slider 41 is mounted on the guide rail 42 and contacts the winding wheel 222. In this embodiment, the traction slider 41 is specifically meshed with the winding wheel 222. The guide rail 42 is connected between the first side plate and the second side plate. In this embodiment, each group of cable drive mechanisms 2 shares a guide rail 42. Of course, they may not share it. The cable 3 is wound around the winding wheel 222 through the traction slider 41. When the winding wheel 222 rotates radially to wind and unwind the cable 3, it will drive the traction slider 41 to move linearly left and right along the guide rail 42. Since the movement of the traction slider 41 is generated by the rotation of the winding wheel 222, when the winding wheel 222 rotates and pulls the cable 3, while the cable 3 generates a radial movement, the traction slider 41 will also move in the same direction, determining the movement trajectory of the cable 3 inside the continuum robot base and reducing the unnecessary friction generated when the cable 3 undergoes a radial movement. In this embodiment, the traction slider 41 is made of a photosensitive resin material. There is a meshing relationship between the traction slider 41 and the winding wheel 222, and it can move left and right on the guide rail 42 as the winding wheel 222 rotates.

[0048] In addition, preferably, the cable drive device further includes a cable guiding channel 5 for supporting the cable 3, which can prevent the cable 3 from sagging due to gravity, thereby affecting the movement of the front traction mechanism 22. In this embodiment, two horizontally extending cable guiding channels 5 are provided at the upper and lower front ends of the first side plate and the second side plate. The cable 3 on the winding wheel 222 passes through the corresponding cable guiding channel 5, that is, the cables 3 on the two upper rear winding wheels 222 pass through the upper cable guiding channel 5, and the cables 3 on the two lower rear winding wheels 222 pass through the lower cable guiding channel 5.

[0049] In addition, the cable 3 of the present invention uses a steel wire rope. The cable 3 is wrapped with a Bowden tube from the traction slider 41 to the continuum robot joint part to prevent unnecessary interference between different cables 3.

[0050] The present invention also discloses a cable-driven continuum robot, including the above-mentioned cable drive device, the structure of which can be specifically referred to the above description and will not be elaborated here.

[0051] A rope-driven device and rope-driven continuum robot provided by embodiments of the present invention have the following advantages: 1. The rope-driven device disclosed in the present invention, which can achieve rapid and precise braking, can be used to perform emergency braking in the event of an unexpected power outage on the rope-driven continuum robot through the spring steel balls in the braking mechanism, providing a preload on the rope, allowing the continuum robot to maintain its current position and posture. Furthermore, when a large external force is applied, the stuck spring steel balls will disengage from the slots, while the remaining spring steel balls will reengage to provide preload, thereby ensuring the safety and human-machine interaction of the continuum robot without damaging it. 2. The specially designed enclosed reel of the present invention pulls the rope, enclosing the servo motor within the reel, minimizing the space occupied. Furthermore, the larger diameter of the reel not only makes the rope tension more uniform and stable, but also reduces the bending stress of the rope, thereby extending the rope's service life. 3. The present invention has a simple structure and is easy to control. It can be applied to any rope-driven continuum robot that requires emergency braking in the event of a power outage to maintain the position and posture of the continuum robot, and has broad application prospects.

[0052] The various aspects, embodiments, features and examples of the present invention should be considered as illustrative in all respects and are not intended to limit the present invention, the scope of which is defined solely by the claims. Other embodiments, modifications and uses will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

[0053] The use of headings and sections in this disclosure is not meant to limit the disclosure; each section may apply to any aspect, embodiment, or feature of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A rope drive device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A base, the base comprising at least one side panel, the side panel comprising an outer side panel and an inner side panel arranged opposite to each other; At least one rope drive mechanism is installed on the base, each rope drive mechanism includes a braking mechanism and a traction mechanism, the braking mechanism includes an electromagnet installed in the outer plate and a steel ball disk, a spring steel ball and a return spring installed in the inner plate, the return spring is located between the outer plate and the steel ball disk, and a plurality of spring steel balls are circumferentially arranged on the steel ball disk; the traction mechanism includes a motor and a winding wheel, the motor is fixed to the inner plate, the winding wheel surrounds the outside of the motor, and one end thereof is rotatably connected to the inner plate, and the other end is connected to the motor shaft of the motor, and a steel ball clamping groove that cooperates with the spring steel balls on the steel ball disk is circumferentially arranged on the end surface of the winding wheel opposite to the inner plate; When the electromagnet is energized, it attracts the steel ball disc, the return spring is compressed, the spring steel balls on the steel ball disc are retracted into the inner plate, and the winding wheel rotates freely under the drive of the motor to reel in and release the rope; when the electromagnet is de-energized, the steel ball disc separates from the electromagnet under the elastic force of the return spring, and at least part of the spring steel balls on it pops out and embeds into the corresponding steel ball slots on the winding wheel, and the winding wheel is stuck and stops rotating.

2. A rope drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is an offset between the spring steel balls on the steel ball disc and the steel ball clamping slots on the winding wheel, and the offset between each pair of spring steel balls and the steel ball clamping slots gradually increases.

3. A rope drive device according to claim 1, wherein: When the arc length corresponding to the minimum rotation unit of the winding wheel is smaller than the diameter of the spring steel ball, in the power-off state, the spring steel ball of the winding wheel is clamped into the corresponding steel ball clamping groove at any angle.

4. A rope drive device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The arc length corresponding to the minimum rotation unit of the winding wheel is expressed as: 2 mR / n 2 , where m represents the number of spring steel balls embedded in the steel ball card slots, R represents the radius of the winding wheel, n represents the number of spring steel balls and the number of steel ball card slots, and both m and n are natural numbers greater than 1.

5. The rope drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the rope drive mechanisms also includes a traction assembly, which includes a traction slider and a guide rail. The traction slider is installed on the guide rail and in contact with the winding wheel. The rope is wound around the winding wheel through the traction slider. When the winding wheel rotates radially, it drives the traction slider to move linearly along the guide rail.

6. A rope drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rope drive device further includes a rope guide channel for supporting the rope, and the rope on the winding wheel passes through the rope guide channel.

7. The rope drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base also includes a bottom plate that can be opened and closed freely, and the side plates are vertically installed on the bottom plate.

8. A rope drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The base includes a first side plate and a second side plate that are oppositely arranged on the left and right sides, and at least one rope driving mechanism is arranged on each of the first side plate and the second side plate.

9. A rope drive device according to claim 8, characterized in that: One or more groups of the rope drive mechanisms are provided on the first side panel and the second side panel, and each group of the rope drive mechanisms is composed of two rope drive mechanisms respectively provided on the first side panel and the second side panel and arranged opposite to each other on the left and right. If there are multiple groups, the multiple groups of rope drive mechanisms are distributed in the up and down directions and / or front and back directions of the side panels, and when the multiple groups of rope drive mechanisms are distributed front and back on the side panels, the multiple groups of rope drive mechanisms distributed in the front and back directions are staggered in sequence from low to high or from high to low from front to back.

10. A cable-driven continuum robot, characterized in that: The robot includes the rope drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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