Manipulator fixing and moving contact sensing detection device and method based on spherical surface

Abstract

The invention discloses a manipulator fixing and moving contact sensing detection device and method based on a spherical surface. The device is arranged between a first component and a second component and comprises a sphere arranged on the second component, and the sphere and a spherical contact seat on the first component form a spherical hinge structure; the spherical contact seat has elasticity or adopts a floating support structure; and a first force sensor is mounted on the spherical contact seat and is used for detecting the pressure of the sphere on the spherical contact seat. Through the arrangement of the elastic spherical hinge structure, force detection can be achieved, meanwhile, the influence of lateral force on the force sensor can be weakened, the amplitude of relative swing is reduced, most of lateral displacement (lateral force) influencing the measurement precision and the service life of the sensor is reduced, and therefore accurate measurement and the service life of the sensor at each position are guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of detection, and in particular to a device and method for fixing and sensing a manipulator. Background Art

[0002] With the development of manipulator and robot technology, many industrial production processes are rapidly evolving towards automation and unmanned operations.

[0003] In the field of industrial automation, the contact sensing of manipulators is becoming more and more important, especially in the field of heavy manipulators and heavy industry, such as slag removal manipulators, which has become a bottleneck for promotion and application, and to some extent hindered the application of new technologies such as automation and robots and the realization of unmanned operation.

[0004] The working characteristics of the molten metal slag manipulator in the metallurgical industry are high operating rate, fast speed, large load, high ambient temperature, large dust, and complex electromagnetic environment. Therefore, the sensor is required to operate reliably and with less maintenance, and the sensor must quickly and accurately capture the sensor data of the end actuator. Therefore, analog sensing based on optics and radar cannot adapt to such scenarios due to its slow speed and easy drift of accuracy.

[0005] Mechanical sensors are ideal detection methods for such scenarios due to their direct contact method and circuit-based transmission. However, the force sensor in this scenario is usually set between two large components, and the force at the end is deduced by detecting the contact pressure between the two components. Because there is a lateral component of the eccentric force between the components relative to the center of the sensor. In addition, relative to the lateral force of the force sensor, there is also a certain amount of swing between the components, which will also generate lateral force. Moreover, due to errors and operating environment, swinging is inevitable, and relative swinging will also cause the force sensor to be subjected to frequent and large lateral forces. Obviously, factors such as lateral force and swinging force will seriously affect the measurement accuracy and service life of the force sensor. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention proposes a spherical-based fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device and method for a manipulator, the purpose of which is to solve the problem of measuring accuracy and service life of sensors for lateral force and relative swing force influence between mutually fixed parts.

[0007] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A spherical surface-based fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device for a manipulator, arranged between a first component and a second component, the spherical surface-based fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device for a manipulator comprising a sphere arranged on the second component, the sphere and the spherical contact seat on the first component forming a ball hinge structure; The spherical contact seat used for moving contact is elastic or adopts a floating support structure; The spherical contact seat is provided with a first force sensor, and the first force sensor is used to detect the pressure of the ball on the spherical contact seat.

[0008] As a further improvement of the fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device of the manipulator based on the spherical surface: the spherical contact seat has elasticity, which means that the spherical contact seat includes a seat body with elasticity; A spherical concave surface is provided on the seat body, a countersunk hole is provided at the center of the spherical concave surface, and the first force sensor is installed in the countersunk hole; the spherical concave surface is in sliding contact with the sphere, and the inner end of the first force sensor is in contact with the sphere, or a bowl-shaped synovial membrane is fixed on the spherical concave surface, and the inner surface of the synovial membrane is in sliding contact with the sphere, and the sphere transmits force to the first force sensor through the synovial membrane.

[0009] As a further improvement of the spherical-based fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device for a manipulator: the floating support structure refers to: the spherical contact seat includes a seat body and a ball-jointed support bowl; the seat body is provided with a concave hole, and the concave hole is used to place a first force sensor; the ball-jointed support bowl is provided with a spherical concave surface for sliding contact with the outer surface of the sphere, and is also provided with a raised portion located on the back side of the spherical concave surface, the raised portion plays a role in positioning the support bowl (11) and the seat body, and slidingly cooperating with the seat body concave hole, and is used to transmit force to the first force sensor.

[0010] As a further improvement of the spherical-based manipulator fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device: four groups of spherical contact seats are installed inside the first component, which are respectively located on the upper side, lower side, left side and right side of the sphere.

[0011] As a further improvement of the spherical-based manipulator fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device: a portion of the second component extends into the first component, and an end plate is provided on the extended portion; the four sides of the end plate are used to contact the inner wall of the first component.

[0012] As a further improvement of the spherical-based manipulator fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device: one or more groups of second force sensors are also installed in the inner wall of the first component, and the second force sensors are located on the front side and / or the rear side of the end plate, and are used to detect the interaction force between the end plate and the first component along the front-to-back direction.

[0013] The present invention also provides a contact sensing detection method based on spherical fixed and mobile surfaces: the connection between the second component and the first component is achieved through a ball hinge structure with an elastic or floating support structure, and a first force sensor is arranged at the ball hinge structure to detect the pressure between the second component and the first component.

[0014] As a further improvement of the above-mentioned spherical fixed and mobile contact sensing detection method: an end plate is arranged on the portion of the second component extending into the first component, and the four sides of the end plate are used to contact the interior of the first component.

[0015] As a further improvement of the detection method based on spherical fixed and mobile contact sensing: two sets of second force sensors are installed in the inner wall of the first component, and the second force sensors are located on both sides of the end plate to detect the interaction force between the end plate and the first component in the front-to-back direction.

[0016] As a further improvement of the above-mentioned spherical fixed and mobile contact sensing detection method: The seat body is provided with a spherical concave surface, the center of which is provided with a countersunk hole, in which the first force sensor is installed; the spherical concave surface is in sliding contact with the sphere, and the inner end of the first force sensor is in contact with the sphere, or a bowl-shaped sliding membrane is fixed on the spherical concave surface, and the inner surface of the sliding membrane is in sliding contact with the sphere, and the sphere transmits force to the first force sensor through the sliding membrane; or, The spherical contact seat includes a seat body and a ball joint support bowl; the seat body is provided with a concave hole, and the concave hole is used to place the first force sensor; the ball joint support bowl is provided with a spherical concave surface for sliding contact with the outer surface of the sphere, and is also provided with a protrusion located on the back side of the spherical concave surface, the protrusion is slidably matched with the concave hole and is used to transmit force to the first force sensor.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. The present invention realizes simple and reliable fixation of the second component in the first component through the ball hinge structure, which bears the interaction force between the first component and the second component. By setting the spherical contact seat to be elastic or floating, when the working end of the second component is subjected to force, the ball hinge not only plays a buffering role, but also provides the micro displacement required by the sensor for measurement, so that the ball applies force to the embedded first force sensor to achieve force measurement.

[0018] 2. When the spherical contact seat includes a floating ball joint support bowl, the ball joint support bowl is in sliding contact with the sphere, and the protrusion and the concave hole are slidingly matched, which further reduces and eliminates the lateral force generated by the rotation of the spherical surface on the sensor, and can also promote the free movement of the ball joint and reduce friction.

[0019] 3. The sensor is arranged at the center of the spherical contact seat. When the second component is subjected to force, the tiny pressure of the ball on the spherical contact seat will be concentrated on generating the axial detection force of the sensor, thereby ensuring the measurement accuracy and life of the sensor.

[0020] 4. The present invention further arranges the first force sensor between the portion of the second component extending into the first component and the first component and arranges an end plate. A certain gap is left between the end plate and the inner wall of the first component to allow the second component to move slightly and avoid affecting the normal operation of the sensor. At the same time, it is contactable with the first component to prevent the second component from twisting at a large angle and fix it in the horizontal and vertical directions, thereby supporting the ball joint structure to bear forces in all directions.

[0021] 5. A second force sensor is also provided on the front and rear sides of the end plate to detect the force applied to the second component in the front and rear directions, thereby enabling the present invention to achieve all-round tactile perception of the working end in up and down, left and right, and front and back directions.

[0022] 6. This ball hinge structure also has the advantages of simple structure, easy maintenance, and strong ability to withstand continuous force and impact force. It can be used not only in metallurgical slag scooping machines, but also in other situations where manipulators require tactile perception. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of embodiment 1; Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the floating support structure part in the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The technical solution of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings: Example 1

[0025] like Figure 1 A spherical surface-based fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device for a manipulator is provided between a fixed arm 10 as a first component and a movable arm 7 as a second component.

[0026] In this embodiment, the front end of the movable arm 7 is also connected to the working box 1, the output shaft at the bottom of the working box 1 is connected to the rotary shaft 2, and the lower end of the rotary shaft 2 is connected to the slag shovel 3. The fixed arm 10 drives the movable arm 7, the working box 1, the slag shovel 3, etc. to move, and the working box 1 drives the slag shovel 3 to rotate to achieve the functions of scooping and scraping slag. A soft sealing device 4 is provided between the fixed arm 10 and the movable arm 7.

[0027] The sensing detection device comprises a sphere arranged on the movable arm 7 , and the sphere and the spherical contact seat on the fixed arm 10 form a ball hinge structure.

[0028] In this embodiment, the ball is located in the fixed arm 10, and four groups of spherical contact seats are installed inside the fixed arm 10, which are respectively located on the upper side, lower side, left side and right side of the ball. In other optional embodiments, the spherical contact seat can also be located outside the fixed arm 10, which is more convenient for maintenance and replacement of wearing parts.

[0029] Furthermore, the spherical contact seat for moving contact includes an elastic seat body 6. The seat body 6 is provided with a spherical concave surface for sliding contact with the sphere, and a countersunk hole is provided at the center of the spherical concave surface, in which the first force sensor 5 is installed. The first force sensor 5 is used to detect the pressure between the sphere and the spherical contact seat. The sensor is arranged at the center of the spherical surface, which is conducive to eliminating the lateral force on the sensor. In this embodiment, the inner end of the first force sensor 5 directly contacts the sphere.

[0030] When the slag pick 3 is subjected to force, the ball joint plays a role of fixing and buffering, and mainly produces a slight displacement up, down, left and right, so that the ball exerts force on the embedded first force sensor to achieve force measurement, and can also weaken the influence of the lateral force on the force sensor, and reduce the amplitude of relative swing, and reduce most of the lateral displacement (lateral force) that affects the measurement accuracy and life of the sensor, thereby ensuring the measurement accuracy and life of the sensors at various positions.

[0031] A part of the movable arm 7 extends into the fixed arm 10, and an end plate 9 is provided at the rear end of the extended part. The four sides of the end plate 9 are used to contact the inner wall of the fixed arm 10. A certain gap is left between the end plate 9 and the inner wall of the first component to allow the second component to move slightly and avoid affecting the normal operation of the sensor. At the same time, the end plate 9 can contact the first component to prevent the second component from twisting at a large angle and fix it in the horizontal and vertical directions. It can also play a supporting role when necessary to reduce the force on the ball joint.

[0032] Two groups of second force sensors 8 are also installed in the inner wall of the fixed arm 10. The second force sensors 8 are located at the front and rear sides of the end plate 9 and are used to detect the interaction force of the end plate 9 in the front-to-back direction. The second force sensor 8 can also be a group, located at the front or rear side of the end plate 9.

[0033] The implementation method is: A ball is arranged on the movable arm 7 to form a ball hinge fixing structure with an elastic spherical contact seat on the fixed arm 10. At the same time, a first force sensor 5 is arranged at the center of the seat body 6 to detect the pressure between the ball and the spherical contact seat.

[0034] Furthermore, an end plate 9 is provided on the portion of the movable arm 7 extending into the fixed arm 10 , and the periphery of the end plate 9 is used to contact the inside of the fixed arm 10 .

[0035] Furthermore, two groups of second force sensors 8 are installed in the inner wall of the fixed arm 10 . The second force sensors 8 are located on both sides of the end plate 9 and are used to detect the interaction force between the end plate 9 and the fixed arm 10 along the front-rear direction. Example 2

[0036] The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the concave surface of the seat body is not in direct contact with the ball, but a bowl-shaped sliding membrane is arranged between the elastic seat body and the ball, and the sliding membrane is fixed on the seat body as a part of the spherical contact seat, and the inner surface is in sliding contact with the ball. The ball transmits the force to the first force sensor 5 through the sliding membrane. The function of the sliding membrane is mainly to further reduce the lateral force generated by the ball joint ball on the first force sensor when it rotates. Example 3

[0037] The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the spherical contact seat adopts a floating support structure.

[0038] Specifically, Figure 2 The spherical contact seat includes a seat body 6 and a ball joint support bowl 11. The seat body is provided with a concave hole, and the concave hole is used to place the first force sensor 5. The ball joint support bowl 11 is provided with a spherical concave surface for sliding contact with the outer surface of the sphere, and is also provided with a protrusion located on the back side of the spherical concave surface, and the protrusion is slidably matched with the concave hole on the seat body 6 and is used to transmit force to the first force sensor 5. Both the sliding contact and the protrusion can further reduce the lateral force on the sensor, and at the same time, the floating structure formed by the protrusion and the concave hole can realize stable sensor axial measurement of the sensor, ensuring its measurement accuracy and life.

Claims

1. A spherical surface-based manipulator fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device, arranged between a first component and a second component, characterized in that: The spherical surface-based fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device for a manipulator comprises a sphere arranged on a second component, wherein the sphere and the spherical contact seat on the first component form a ball hinge structure; The spherical contact seat used for moving contact is elastic or adopts a floating support structure; A first force sensor (5) is mounted on the spherical contact seat, and the first force sensor (5) is used to detect the pressure of the ball on the spherical contact seat.

2. The spherical surface-based manipulator fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spherical contact seat is elastic in that: the spherical contact seat comprises an elastic seat body (6); The seat body (6) is provided with a spherical concave surface, the center portion of which is provided with a countersunk hole, in which the first force sensor (5) is installed; the spherical concave surface is in sliding contact with the sphere, and the inner end of the first force sensor (5) is in contact with the sphere, or a bowl-shaped sliding membrane is fixed on the spherical concave surface, and the inner surface of the sliding membrane is in sliding contact with the sphere, and the sphere transmits force to the first force sensor (5) through the sliding membrane.

3. The spherical surface-based manipulator fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The floating support structure refers to: a spherical contact seat including a seat body (6) and a ball-joint support bowl (11); a recessed hole is provided on the seat body, and the recessed hole is used to place a first force sensor (5); the ball-joint support bowl (11) is provided with a spherical concave surface for sliding contact with the outer surface of the sphere, and is also provided with a raised portion located on the back side of the spherical concave surface, the raised portion serves to position the support bowl (11) and the seat body (6), and to slide with the recessed hole of the seat body (6), and is used to transmit force to the first force sensor (5).

4. The spherical surface-based manipulator fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Four groups of spherical contact seats are installed inside the first component, which are respectively located on the upper side, the lower side, the left side and the right side of the sphere.

5. The spherical surface-based fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device for a manipulator as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: A portion of the second component extends into the first component, and an end plate (9) is provided on the extended portion; the periphery of the end plate (9) is used to contact the inner wall of the first component.

6. The spherical surface-based fixed and mobile contact sensing detection device for a manipulator as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: One or more sets of second force sensors (8) are also installed in the inner wall of the first component. The second force sensors (8) are located on the front side and / or the rear side of the end plate (9) and are used to detect the interaction force between the end plate (9) and the first component in the front-to-back direction.

7. A spherical fixed and mobile contact sensing detection method, characterized in that: The connection between the second component and the first component is achieved through a ball hinge structure with an elastic or floating support structure, and a first force sensor (5) is arranged at the ball hinge structure for detecting the pressure between the second component and the first component.

8. The spherical fixed and mobile contact sensing detection method according to claim 7, characterized in that: An end plate (9) is arranged on the portion of the second component extending into the first component, and the periphery of the end plate (9) is used to contact the interior of the first component.

9. The spherical fixed and mobile contact sensing detection method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Two groups of second force sensors (8) are installed in the inner wall of the first component. The second force sensors (8) are located on both sides of the end plate (9) and are used to detect the interaction force between the end plate (9) and the first component in the front-rear direction.

10. The spherical fixed and mobile contact sensing detection method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The seat body (6) is provided with a spherical concave surface, the center portion of which is provided with a countersunk hole, in which the first force sensor (5) is installed; the spherical concave surface is in sliding contact with the sphere, and the inner end of the first force sensor (5) is in contact with the sphere, or a bowl-shaped sliding membrane is fixed on the spherical concave surface, and the inner surface of the sliding membrane is in sliding contact with the sphere, and the sphere transmits force to the first force sensor (5) through the sliding membrane; or, The spherical contact seat comprises a seat body (6) and a ball joint support bowl (11); the seat body is provided with a concave hole, the concave hole being used to place a first force sensor (5); the ball joint support bowl (11) is provided with a spherical concave surface for sliding contact with the outer surface of the sphere, and is also provided with a raised portion located on the back side of the spherical concave surface, the raised portion slidingly cooperates with the concave hole and is used to transmit force to the first force sensor (5).

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