Propeller thruster and four-footed amphibious robot

Abstract

The invention provides a propeller thruster and a four-footed amphibious robot, and the propeller thruster comprises a connecting seat which is provided with a first hollow cavity; the propelling driving component comprises a propelling driving motor arranged in the first hollow cavity and a propelling rotating shaft driven by the propelling driving motor, and the propelling rotating shaft is provided with a second hollow cavity; the switching driving part comprises a switching driving piece arranged in the second hollow cavity and a switching transmission assembly in transmission connection with the switching driving piece; and the paddle component comprises a plurality of paddle units which are arranged along the circumference of the propelling rotating shaft at intervals. The switching transmission assembly is driven by the switching driving piece in a transmission mode, one end of the swing rod is driven to move, the paddle blades swing relative to the propelling rotating shaft so that the paddle blades can be opened by different angles, and the propelling driving motor is used for controlling the moving speed of the propeller thruster. When the paddle blades are attached to the propelling rotating shaft, the connecting base and the propelling rotating shaft form a leg structure, and therefore the amphibious function is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of amphibious robots, and in particular to a propeller thruster and a quadruped amphibious robot. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of robotics technology, quadruped amphibious robots are gradually used in rescue, detection, scientific research and other fields. These fields have put forward higher requirements on the maneuverability, stability and adaptability of robots. Therefore, designing an efficient, controllable and adaptable propeller thruster has become an important direction for the research and development of quadruped amphibious robots.

[0003] When designing a propeller thruster for a quadruped amphibious robot, many factors need to be considered, including the shape, size, material of the propeller, the selection of the motor, the design of the control system, etc. Through continuous testing and optimization, a propeller thruster that meets performance requirements and has good economic efficiency can be designed.

[0004] This type of robot needs to overcome a variety of complex environments, including uneven terrain on land and natural factors such as water currents and waves in water. Therefore, the requirements for the propulsion system are extremely high, and it needs to provide sufficient traction on land and efficient propulsion in water.

[0005] The applicant found that the existing quadruped amphibious robots have the following problems and shortcomings:

[0006] 1. Volume and weight limitations: Quadruped amphibious robots need to switch freely between land and water, so there are strict requirements on the volume and weight of propeller thrusters. How to reduce the volume and weight while ensuring propulsion efficiency is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0007] 2. Structural complexity: The above patent cases all have complex transmission structures and are not flexible in changing postures in water;

[0008] 3. There are inflexibility, inconvenience, obstacles and safety hazards when changing the water and land forms. Summary of the invention

[0009] Based on this, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a propeller thruster and a quadruped amphibious robot, and its specific technical solutions are as follows:

[0010] In one aspect, a propeller thruster comprises:

[0011] The connecting seat is provided with a first hollow cavity;

[0012] A propulsion drive component, comprising a propulsion drive motor disposed in the first hollow cavity, and a propulsion rotating shaft driven by the propulsion drive motor, wherein the propulsion rotating shaft is provided with a second hollow cavity;

[0013] A switching drive component, comprising a switching drive member disposed in the second hollow cavity, and a switching drive assembly drivingly connected to the switching drive member;

[0014] The blade component includes a plurality of blade units arranged at intervals along the circumference of the propulsion rotating shaft. The blade unit includes a swing rod and a blade hinged on the propulsion rotating shaft. One end of the swing rod is driven by the switching transmission assembly to swing, and the other end is hinged on the blade.

[0015] The above-mentioned propeller thruster drives the switching transmission assembly through the switching drive member, drives one end of the swing rod to move, causes the paddle blades to swing relative to the propulsion rotating shaft to open at different angles, and the propulsion drive motor drives the propulsion rotating shaft to rotate to generate different thrusts, thereby controlling the movement speed of the propeller thruster; at the same time, when the opening angle of the paddle blades is 0°, that is, the paddle blades are attached to the propulsion rotating shaft, the connecting seat and the propulsion rotating shaft form a leg trunk structure, thereby realizing the amphibious function.

[0016] Furthermore, the switching transmission assembly includes a switching transmission screw driven to rotate by the switching drive member, and a switching screw seat transmission-connected to the switching transmission screw; one end of the swing rod is hinged on the switching screw seat.

[0017] Furthermore, the propulsion rotating shaft is connected to the connecting seat via a rotating connection structure; the rotating connection structure includes a positioning retaining ring arranged on the propulsion rotating shaft, a pressure cover arranged on the connecting seat, and a first bearing unit arranged between the positioning retaining ring and the pressure cover.

[0018] Furthermore, the propulsion rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the connecting seat via a first sealing structure, and the switching transmission assembly is rotatably connected to the propulsion rotating shaft via a second sealing structure; the first sealing structure includes a first sealing ring arranged on the side of the pressure cover facing the propulsion rotating shaft; the second sealing structure includes a second sealing ring arranged on the side of the propulsion rotating shaft facing the switching transmission assembly.

[0019] Furthermore, the propulsion rotating shaft is provided with a third hollow cavity and a swinging long groove arranged on the circumference of the third hollow cavity; the transmission end of the propulsion rotating shaft is connected to the output end hub of the propulsion driving motor through a coupling; and the swing rod passes through the swinging long groove.

[0020] Furthermore, the switching transmission screw is rotatably connected in the third hollow cavity through a second bearing unit.

[0021] Furthermore, the paddle blades include a blade seat and an inclined blade arranged obliquely to the center line of the propulsion rotating shaft.

[0022] On the other hand, a quadruped amphibious robot includes a robot body and four power devices arranged on the robot body; the power devices include the propeller thrusters.

[0023] Furthermore, the power device also includes a connecting arm, a first driving component for driving the connecting arm to swing relative to the robot body, a second driving component for driving the connecting seat to swing relative to the connecting arm, a supporting foot hinged at the end of the propulsion rotating shaft, and a third driving component for driving the supporting foot to swing relative to the propulsion rotating shaft.

[0024] Furthermore, it also includes a working manipulator arranged on the robot body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention can be further understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, but the emphasis is placed on illustrating the principles of the embodiments. In different views, the same reference numerals designate corresponding parts.

[0026] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of a propeller thruster according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0027] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of a propeller thruster according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a propulsion drive component according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 is a distribution structure diagram of a power device of a quadruped amphibious robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of an amphibious robot in an underwater diving posture according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of an amphibious robot in an underwater snorkeling posture according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of an amphibious robot in an underwater forward diving posture according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Description of reference numerals:

[0034] 1. Connecting seat; 2. Propulsion drive component; 3. Switching drive component; 4. Paddle component; 5. Robot body; 6. Power device; 7. Working manipulator;

[0035] 101, first hollow cavity; 201, second hollow cavity; 202, third hollow cavity; 203, swinging long groove;

[0036] 21. propulsion drive motor; 22. propulsion rotating shaft; 23. rotating connection structure; 24. first sealing structure; 25. coupling;

[0037] 231, positioning retaining ring; 232, gland; 233, first bearing unit;

[0038] 31. Switching drive member; 32. Switching transmission assembly; 34. Second sealing structure; 35. Second bearing unit;

[0039] 321, switch the transmission screw rod; 322, switch the screw rod seat;

[0040] 40. blade unit; 41. swing rod; 42. blade; 43. blade seat; 44. oblique blade;

[0041] 61. Connecting arm; 62. First driving component; 63. Second driving component; 64. Supporting foot; 65. Third driving component. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with its embodiments. It should be understood that the specific implementation methods described herein are only used to explain the present invention and do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0043] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

[0044] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used herein in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0045] The “first” and “second” mentioned in the present invention do not represent specific quantities and orders, but are merely used to distinguish names.

[0046] On the one hand, if Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a propeller thruster in one embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0047] The connecting seat 1 is provided with a first hollow cavity 101;

[0048] The propulsion driving component 2 comprises a propulsion driving motor 21 disposed in the first hollow cavity 101 and a propulsion rotating shaft 22 driven by the propulsion driving motor 21, wherein the propulsion rotating shaft 22 is provided with a second hollow cavity 201;

[0049] The switching driving component 3 includes a switching driving member 31 disposed in the second hollow cavity 201 and a switching driving assembly 32 drivingly connected to the switching driving member 31;

[0050] The blade component 4 includes a plurality of blade units 40 arranged at intervals along the circumference of the propulsion rotating shaft 22. The blade unit 40 includes a swing rod 41 and a blade 42 hinged on the propulsion rotating shaft 22. One end of the swing rod 41 is driven by the switching transmission assembly 32 to swing, and the other end is hinged on the blade 42.

[0051] The above-mentioned propeller thruster drives the switching transmission assembly 32 through the switching drive member 31, drives one end of the swing rod 41 to move, causes the paddle blades 42 to swing relative to the propulsion rotating shaft 22 so that the paddle blades 42 open at different angles, and the propulsion drive motor 21 drives the propulsion rotating shaft 22 to rotate to generate different thrusts, thereby controlling the moving speed of the propeller thruster; at the same time, when the opening angle of the paddle blades 42 is 0°, that is, the paddle blades 42 are attached to the propulsion rotating shaft 22, the connecting seat 1 and the propulsion rotating shaft 22 form a leg structure, thereby realizing the amphibious function.

[0052] In one embodiment, the switching transmission assembly 32 includes a switching transmission screw 321 driven to rotate by the switching drive member 31, and a switching screw seat 322 connected to the switching transmission screw 321; one end of the swing rod 41 is hinged on the switching screw seat 322. In this way, the switching drive member 31 drives the switching transmission screw 321 to rotate, and drives the switching screw seat 322 on the switching transmission screw 321 to move along the axis centerline of the propulsion rotation shaft 22, so that the paddle blades 42 open at different angles.

[0053] In one embodiment, the propulsion rotating shaft 22 is connected to the connection seat 1 through a rotation connection structure 23; the rotation connection structure 23 includes a positioning retaining ring 231 provided on the propulsion rotating shaft 22, a pressure cover 232 provided on the connection seat 1, and a first bearing unit 233 provided between the positioning retaining ring 231 and the pressure cover 232. In this way, the position of the first bearing unit 233 is limited by the positioning retaining ring 231 and the pressure cover 232, so as to ensure that the switching transmission screw 321 rotates smoothly relative to the propulsion rotating shaft 22, so that the switching drive member 31 can flexibly control the blades 42 to open at different angles.

[0054] In one embodiment, the propulsion rotating shaft 22 is rotatably connected to the connecting seat 1 through a first sealing structure 24, and the switching transmission assembly 32 is rotatably connected to the propulsion rotating shaft 22 through a second sealing structure 34; the first sealing structure 24 includes a first sealing ring arranged on the side of the gland 232 facing the propulsion rotating shaft 22; the second sealing structure 34 includes a second sealing ring arranged on the side of the propulsion rotating shaft 22 facing the switching transmission assembly 32. In this way, the first sealing structure 24 and the second sealing structure 34 can prevent water from entering the control circuit and the servo motor from the axial gap of the propulsion rotating shaft 22 when the propeller thruster moves underwater, which is safe and reliable.

[0055] In one embodiment, the propulsion rotating shaft 22 is provided with a third hollow cavity 202 and a swinging long groove 203 arranged on the circumference of the third hollow cavity 202; the transmission end of the propulsion rotating shaft 22 is connected to the output end hub of the propulsion driving motor 21 through a coupling 25; and the swing rod 41 passes through the swinging long groove 203. In this way, the integrally formed propulsion rotating shaft 22 has high structural strength, and at the same time, can effectively reduce the number of installation gaps, and is safe and reliable.

[0056] In one embodiment, the switching transmission screw 321 is rotatably connected in the third hollow cavity 202 via a second bearing unit 35 .

[0057] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment, the paddle blade 42 includes a blade seat 43 and an inclined blade 44 arranged obliquely to the center line of the propulsion rotation shaft 22 .

[0058] On the one hand, if Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7As shown, a quadruped amphibious robot in one embodiment of the present invention comprises a robot body 5 and four power devices 6 arranged on the robot body 5; the power device 6 comprises a propeller thruster. In this way, the switching drive member 31 flexibly controls the blades 42 to open at different angles to generate different thrusts, which can control the overall running speed and posture of the robot, and realize the free switching of the amphibious running mode. In addition, the power device 6 has a simple mechanical transmission structure, is easy to manufacture, realizes simple function control, is light in weight, and has low cost, and is convenient for free switching between land and water.

[0059] In one embodiment, the power device 6 also includes a connecting arm 61, a first driving component 62 for driving the connecting arm 61 to swing relative to the robot body 5, a second driving component 63 for driving the connecting seat 1 to swing relative to the connecting arm 61, a supporting foot 64 hinged at the end of the propulsion rotating shaft 22, and a third driving component 65 for driving the supporting foot 64 to swing relative to the propulsion rotating shaft 22. In this way, the first driving component 62 drives the connecting arm 61 to swing relative to the robot body 5, the second driving component 63 drives the connecting seat 1 to swing relative to the connecting arm 61, and the third driving component 65 drives the supporting foot seat 64 to swing relative to the propulsion rotating shaft 22. By controlling the rotation speed of the servo motor in each driving component and cooperating with the sensor and the control system, the posture of each joint of the leg can be adjusted to realize functions such as floating, diving, moving forward, backward and turning; at the same time, by changing the speed of the servo motor and the direction of the paddle blade 42, the speed and heading of the robot can be accurately controlled; it is suitable for a variety of water environments, including fresh water, sea water and water flows with different flow rates; in addition, when the paddle blade 42 is attached to the propulsion rotating shaft 22, the connecting seat 1 and the propulsion rotating shaft 22 form a leg trunk structure, and the power device 6 can be used as a leg to support the robot body 5, and the function of ground movement is realized by controlling each driving component.

[0060] In one embodiment, a working manipulator 7 is further included on the robot body 5. In this way, the working manipulator 7 on the robot body 5 is used to perform various underwater and land works, thereby improving the applicability of the quadruped amphibious robot.

[0061] In one embodiment, the support foot 64 includes a connecting portion and a supporting portion; the supporting portion includes a hollow step. In this way, when the power device 6 can be used as a leg to support the robot body 5, the bottom contact area of ​​the hollow step is large, and the power device 6 moves stably and reliably on the ground, thereby ensuring the stability of the robot body 5 moving on the ground.

[0062] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described 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.

[0063] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A propeller thruster, characterized in that: include: The connecting seat (1) is provided with a first hollow cavity (101); A propulsion drive component (2), comprising a propulsion drive motor (21) disposed in the first hollow cavity (101), and a propulsion rotating shaft (22) driven by the propulsion drive motor (21), wherein the propulsion rotating shaft (22) is provided with a second hollow cavity (201); A switching drive component (3) comprising a switching drive member (31) disposed in the second hollow cavity (201), and a switching drive assembly (32) drivingly connected to the switching drive member (31); The paddle component (4) comprises a plurality of paddle units (40) arranged at intervals along the circumference of the propulsion rotating shaft (22), wherein the paddle unit (40) comprises a swing rod (41) and a paddle blade (42) hinged on the propulsion rotating shaft (22), wherein one end of the swing rod (41) is driven by the switching transmission assembly (32) to swing, and the other end is hinged on the paddle blade (42).

2. A propeller thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The switching transmission assembly (32) comprises a switching transmission screw (321) driven to rotate by the switching driving member (31), and a switching screw seat (322) drivingly connected to the switching transmission screw (321); One end of the swing rod (41) is hinged on the switching screw seat (34).

3. A propeller thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The propulsion rotating shaft (22) is connected to the connecting seat (1) via a rotating connecting structure (23); The rotating connection structure (23) comprises a positioning retaining ring (231) arranged on the propulsion rotating shaft (22), a pressure cover (232) arranged on the connecting seat (1), and a first bearing unit (233) arranged between the positioning retaining ring (231) and the pressure cover (232).

4. A propeller thruster according to claim 3, characterized in that: The propulsion rotating shaft (22) is rotatably connected to the connection seat (1) via a first sealing structure (24), and the switching transmission assembly (32) is rotatably connected to the propulsion rotating shaft (22) via a second sealing structure (34); The first sealing structure (24) comprises a first sealing ring arranged on the side of the gland (232) facing the propulsion rotating shaft (22); The second sealing structure (34) comprises a second sealing ring arranged on the side of the propulsion rotating shaft (22) facing the switching transmission assembly (32).

5. A propeller thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The propulsion rotating shaft (22) is provided with a third hollow cavity (202) and a swinging long groove (203) arranged on the circumference of the third hollow cavity (202); The transmission end of the propulsion rotating shaft (22) is connected to the output end hub of the propulsion driving motor (21) via a coupling (25); The swing rod (41) passes through the long swing slot (203).

6. A propeller thruster according to claim 5, characterized in that: The switching transmission screw rod (321) is rotatably connected in the third hollow cavity (202) via a second bearing unit (35).

7. A propeller thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The paddle blade (42) comprises a blade seat (43) and an inclined blade (44) arranged obliquely to the center line of the propulsion rotation shaft (22).

8. A quadruped amphibious robot, characterized in that: It comprises a robot body (5) and four power devices (6) arranged on the robot body (5); The power device (6) comprises a propeller thruster as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The quadruped amphibious robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The power device (6) further comprises a connecting arm (61), a first driving component (62) for driving the connecting arm (61) to swing relative to the robot body (5), a second driving component (63) for driving the connecting seat (1) to swing relative to the connecting arm (61), a supporting foot seat (64) hinged at the end of the propulsion rotating shaft (22), and a third driving component (65) for driving the supporting foot seat (64) to swing relative to the propulsion rotating shaft (22).

10. The quadruped amphibious robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes a working manipulator (7) arranged on the robot body (5).

Images