Pump and valve integrated flexible manipulator

Abstract

The invention provides a pump and valve integrated flexible manipulator, and relates to the technical field of flexible robots. The liquid outlet end of the magnetic liquid storage mechanism communicates with the liquid inlet end of the flexible clamping mechanism, and the magnetic liquid storage mechanism is used for outputting high-pressure magnetic liquid to the flexible clamping mechanism; the electromagnetic stop valve is communicated between the liquid outlet end of the magnetic liquid storage mechanism and the liquid inlet end of the flexible clamping mechanism; when the electromagnetic stop valve is powered off, the high-pressure magnetic liquid can flow into the flexible clamping mechanism, so that the flexible clamping mechanism expands to be in a clamping state, and the high-pressure magnetic liquid can also flow back into the magnetic liquid storage mechanism, so that the flexible clamping mechanism contracts to be in an opening state; when the electromagnetic stop valve is powered on, the high-pressure magnetic liquid is blocked in the magnetic liquid storage mechanism and / or the flexible clamping mechanism. The control valve group is greatly simplified, and the effects of integrating the pump and the valve and reducing the size of equipment are achieved, so that the control valve can be applied to compact scenes or scenes with high mobility requirements, and has good application prospects and wide application range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of flexible robots, and in particular to a flexible manipulator with integrated pump and valve. Background Art

[0002] Flexible manipulators can work flexibly in complex spaces and effectively grasp fragile and irregular objects. They are widely used in food processing, medicine, and electronic manufacturing.

[0003] Flexible manipulators are mostly driven by pressurized fluid, usually air or water. Although pressurized fluid drive has the advantages of fast response speed and high power density, it usually requires pressure source equipment such as air pumps and hydraulic pumps and complex control valve groups. These devices usually have a certain size and are difficult to miniaturize, which limits the application of flexible manipulators in certain scenarios with high compactness or mobility requirements.

[0004] In view of this, how to provide a flexible manipulator that integrates a pump and valve and reduces the overall volume of the equipment is a problem that technical personnel in this field urgently need to solve. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a flexible manipulator with integrated pump and valve to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a flexible manipulator with integrated pump and valve, comprising:

[0007] Flexible clamping mechanism;

[0008] A magnetic liquid storage mechanism, whose liquid outlet is connected to the liquid inlet of the flexible clamping mechanism, and the magnetic liquid storage mechanism is used to output high-pressure magnetic liquid to the flexible clamping mechanism;

[0009] The electromagnetic stop valve is connected between the liquid outlet end of the magnetic liquid storage mechanism and the liquid inlet end of the flexible clamping mechanism; when the electromagnetic stop valve is powered off, the high-pressure magnetic liquid flows out from the liquid outlet end of the magnetic liquid storage mechanism and flows into the flexible clamping mechanism through the electromagnetic stop valve, and the high-pressure magnetic liquid can expand the flexible clamping mechanism to a clamping state, or the high-pressure magnetic liquid flows out from the liquid inlet end of the flexible clamping mechanism and flows into the magnetic liquid storage mechanism through the electromagnetic stop valve, and the flexible clamping mechanism contracts to an open state; when the electromagnetic stop valve is powered on, the high-pressure magnetic liquid is blocked in the magnetic liquid storage mechanism and / or the flexible clamping mechanism.

[0010] Furthermore, the flexible clamping mechanism comprises:

[0011] Two flexible clamps, one end of which is connected and the other ends extend in different directions, forming a clamping area between the two flexible clamps;

[0012] A flexible outer wall is integrally connected to the flexible clamping claw, and a plurality of magnetic fluid chambers are enclosed between the flexible outer wall and the flexible clamping claw, wherein the magnetic fluid chambers are located on a side of the flexible clamping claw away from the clamping area;

[0013] A communicating pipe has one end communicating with the plurality of magnetic fluid chambers and the other end communicating with the electromagnetic stop valve.

[0014] Furthermore, the flexible clamping mechanism further comprises:

[0015] A base, the flexible clamp and / or the flexible outer wall are fixed on the base, and the connecting pipe is fixed on the base.

[0016] Furthermore, the electromagnetic stop valve comprises:

[0017] A valve body, wherein a meandering magnetic fluid flow channel is defined in the valve body, one end of the magnetic fluid flow channel is connected to the liquid outlet end of the magnetic fluid storage mechanism, and the other end is connected to the liquid inlet end of the flexible clamping mechanism;

[0018] The electromagnet is fixedly arranged on the valve body or adjacent to the valve body. When the electromagnet is energized, it can form a magnetic field in the valve body. The viscosity of the high-pressure magnetic fluid in the magnetic fluid flow channel is increased and adsorbed at the bend of the magnetic fluid flow channel. The high-pressure magnetic fluid outside the magnetic fluid flow channel is blocked in the magnetic fluid storage mechanism and / or the flexible clamping mechanism.

[0019] Furthermore, the magnetic fluid flow channel is arranged in a winding manner from top to bottom, and the electromagnet is arranged on the upper surface of the valve body.

[0020] Furthermore, the magnetic fluid storage mechanism is a flexible corrugated liquid storage cylinder filled with magnetic fluid, and when the magnetic fluid storage mechanism is pressurized, high-pressure magnetic fluid is output to the flexible clamping mechanism.

[0021] The present invention discloses the following technical effects:

[0022] The magnetic fluid is used as the pressure fluid to drive the flexible clamping mechanism, and the electromagnetic stop valve is used to control the on and off of the pressure fluid. When the electromagnetic stop valve is powered on, the high-pressure magnetic fluid can be blocked in the flexible clamping mechanism, thereby maintaining the clamping state of the flexible clamping mechanism; when the electromagnetic stop valve is powered off, the high-pressure magnetic fluid can flow into the flexible clamping mechanism or flow back into the magnetic fluid storage mechanism. Compared with the prior art, the control valve group is greatly simplified, and the pump and valve are integrated into one, reducing the size of the equipment, so that the present application can be applied to scenes with compactness or high mobility requirements, and has good application prospects and a wide range of applications. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0024] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible clamping mechanism;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electromagnetic stop valve;

[0027] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the magnetic fluid storage mechanism;

[0028] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the clamping state of the flexible clamping mechanism;

[0029] Among them, 1. flexible clamping mechanism; 101. flexible clamping claw; 102. flexible outer wall; 103. magnetic fluid chamber; 104. connecting pipe; 105. base; 2. magnetic fluid storage mechanism; 201. liquid outlet; 3. electromagnetic stop valve; 301. valve body; 302. magnetic fluid flow channel; 303. electromagnet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0032] The embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible manipulator with integrated pump and valve, comprising:

[0033] Flexible clamping mechanism 1;

[0034] A magnetic liquid storage mechanism 2, whose liquid outlet end is connected to the liquid inlet end of the flexible clamping mechanism 1, and the magnetic liquid storage mechanism 2 is used to output high-pressure magnetic liquid to the flexible clamping mechanism 1;

[0035] The electromagnetic stop valve 3 is connected between the liquid outlet end of the magnetic liquid storage mechanism 2 and the liquid inlet end of the flexible clamping mechanism 1; when the electromagnetic stop valve 3 is powered off, the high-pressure magnetic liquid flows out from the liquid outlet end of the magnetic liquid storage mechanism 2 and flows into the flexible clamping mechanism 1 through the electromagnetic stop valve 3, and the high-pressure magnetic liquid can expand the flexible clamping mechanism 1 to a clamping state, or the high-pressure magnetic liquid flows out from the liquid inlet end of the flexible clamping mechanism 1 and flows into the magnetic liquid storage mechanism 2 through the electromagnetic stop valve 3, and the flexible clamping mechanism 1 contracts to an open state; when the electromagnetic stop valve 3 is powered on, the high-pressure magnetic liquid is blocked in the magnetic liquid storage mechanism 2 and / or the flexible clamping mechanism 1.

[0036] In this embodiment, the flexible clamping mechanism 1 is located at the front end of the device, the magnetic fluid storage mechanism 2 is located at the rear end of the device, and the electromagnetic stop valve 3 is located between the two.

[0037] In this embodiment, the flexible clamping mechanism 1 includes:

[0038] Two flexible clamping jaws 101, one end of which is connected, and the other ends extend in different directions, respectively. There is a certain angle between the two flexible clamping jaws 101 to form a clamping area;

[0039] The flexible outer wall 102 is integrally connected to the flexible clamp 101, and a plurality of magnetic fluid chambers 103 are enclosed between the flexible outer wall 102 and the flexible clamp 101. The magnetic fluid chambers 103 are located on the side of the flexible clamp 101 away from the clamping area. Specifically, the magnetic fluid chambers 103 are generally in the shape of long columns and are evenly spaced along the length direction of the flexible clamp 101. The bottom of the magnetic fluid chamber 103 is spaced a certain distance from the flexible clamp 101, so that the plurality of magnetic fluid chambers 103 can be interconnected.

[0040] A communication pipe 104, one end of which is sealed and penetrates the flexible outer wall 102 and communicates with the plurality of magnetic fluid chambers 103, and the other end of which is communicated with the electromagnetic stop valve 3;

[0041] The base 105 , the connected ends of the two flexible clamping jaws 101 and one end of the flexible outer wall 102 are fixed on the base 105 , and the communicating pipe 104 is also fixed on the base 105 .

[0042] In this embodiment, the electromagnetic stop valve 3 includes:

[0043] The valve body 301 defines a magnetic fluid flow channel 302 which is arranged in a winding manner from top to bottom. One end of the magnetic fluid flow channel 302 is connected to the liquid outlet end of the magnetic fluid storage mechanism 2, and the other end is connected to the connecting pipe 104. Both ends of the magnetic fluid flow channel 302 are bidirectional inlets and outlets. The magnetic fluid flow channel 302 can flow in both directions into the magnetic fluid storage mechanism 2 or the connecting pipe 104. The winding magnetic fluid flow channel 302 can reduce the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid and extend the flow distance of the magnetic fluid.

[0044] The electromagnet 303 is fixed on the upper surface of the valve body 301 by bonding. When the electromagnet 303 is energized, the electromagnet 303 can form a magnetic field inside the valve body 301. The viscosity of the high-pressure magnetic fluid in the magnetic fluid channel 302 is increased and adsorbed at the bend of the magnetic fluid channel 302. The high-pressure magnetic fluid outside the magnetic fluid channel 302 is blocked in the magnetic fluid storage mechanism 2 and / or the flexible clamping mechanism 1.

[0045] In this embodiment, the magnetic liquid storage mechanism 2 is a flexible corrugated liquid storage cylinder, which is filled with magnetic liquid. The magnetic liquid is a micro-nano composite magnetorheological liquid, which is prepared by mixing and doping micron magnetic particles and nano magnetic particles and then dispersing them in a silicone oil-based carrier liquid. The bottom of the magnetic liquid storage mechanism 2 is provided with a liquid outlet 201 (i.e., a liquid outlet end).

[0046] When the magnetic fluid storage mechanism 2 is pressurized, compression is generated. In this embodiment, a driving mechanism is added on the basis of the magnetic fluid storage mechanism 2. The driving mechanism is used to compress the magnetic fluid storage mechanism 2. A base can be set adjacent to one side of the magnetic fluid storage mechanism 2 and the driving mechanism is set on the base. The driving mechanism can be: a micro electric push rod, a stepper motor screw slide, a new type of intelligent response telescopic material, etc. The pressure generated by the compression forces the magnetic fluid to be pressurized to form a high-pressure magnetic fluid and flow from the liquid outlet 201 to the magnetic fluid flow channel 302.

[0047] In this embodiment, the flexible clamping mechanism 1 is made of a flexible photosensitive resin and is processed and formed using standard light-curing 3D printing processing equipment and technology. The use of flexible materials such as flexible photosensitive resins can enable the flexible clamping mechanism 1 to meet different environmental requirements and achieve a stronger gripping effect. The light-curing 3D printing processing method ensures the flexibility, environmental friendliness and density of the overall structure, so that the flexible manipulator with integrated pumps and valves can adapt well to the surrounding environment, thereby achieving flexible gripping.

[0048] The specific working process is as follows:

[0049] In the initial state, there is no magnetic fluid in the magnetic fluid chamber 103 , and the two flexible clamping jaws 101 are in an open state.

[0050] When clamping action is required, the magnetic fluid storage mechanism 2 is pressed to pressurize the internal magnetic fluid to form high-pressure magnetic fluid. The high-pressure magnetic fluid flows into the magnetic fluid flow channel 302 of the valve body 301 along the liquid outlet 201 at the bottom, flows downward along the magnetic fluid flow channel 302, and finally flows into the connecting pipe 104, and enters the magnetic fluid chamber 103 from the connecting pipe 104.

[0051] The flexible clamp 101 and the flexible outer wall 102 have good compressive deformation capabilities, so the high-pressure magnetic fluid in the magnetic fluid chamber 103 causes the flexible clamp 101 and the flexible outer wall 102 to expand and change from an open state to a clamping state, forming a clamping action on the target (the deformation principle of the flexible clamp 101 belongs to the prior art and will not be repeated here).

[0052] If it is necessary to maintain the clamping action, after the flexible clamping claw 101 and the flexible outer wall 102 are changed into the clamping state, the electromagnet 303 is energized, and the electromagnet 303 generates a magnetic field in the valve body 301. Under the influence of the magnetic field, the micron magnetic particles and the nano magnetic particles in the high-pressure magnetic fluid form a multi-chain structure, and the micron magnetic particles build the main part of the chain structure. The nano magnetic particles are adsorbed around the micron magnetic particles, which plays a role in stabilizing the chain structure, and the overall viscosity of the magnetic fluid is improved. Since the magnetic fluid flow channel 302 is arranged in a winding manner, the high-pressure magnetic fluid will agglomerate and adsorb at the bend. The high-pressure magnetic fluid adsorption will gradually block the magnetic fluid flow channel 302 and reduce the flow of the high-pressure magnetic fluid, and finally make the high-pressure magnetic fluid completely stop flowing. At this time, the high-pressure magnetic fluid in the magnetic fluid chamber 103 and the magnetic fluid storage mechanism 2 does not flow, and the high-pressure magnetic fluid pressure and the clamping state in the magnetic fluid chamber 103 can be maintained. After maintaining the clamping state, the pressing force of the magnetic fluid storage mechanism 2 can be stopped.

[0053] When the clamping action is completed and the target needs to be released, the electromagnet 303 is powered off to restore the connection between the magnetic fluid chamber 103 and the magnetic fluid storage mechanism 2. The magnetic fluid can flow back from the magnetic fluid chamber 103 to the magnetic fluid storage mechanism 2, and the flexible clamp 101 and the flexible outer wall 102 lose their expansion power and return to the open state, allowing the target to be detached.

[0054] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0055] The embodiments described above are only descriptions of the preferred modes of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Without departing from the design spirit of the present invention, various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by ordinary technicians in this field should all fall within the protection scope determined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible manipulator with integrated pump and valve, characterized in that: include: Flexible clamping mechanism (1); A magnetic liquid storage mechanism (2), the liquid outlet end of which is in communication with the liquid inlet end of the flexible clamping mechanism (1), and the magnetic liquid storage mechanism (2) is used to output high-pressure magnetic liquid to the flexible clamping mechanism (1); The electromagnetic stop valve (3) is connected between the liquid outlet end of the magnetic liquid storage mechanism (2) and the liquid inlet end of the flexible clamping mechanism (1); when the electromagnetic stop valve (3) is powered off, the high-pressure magnetic liquid flows out from the liquid outlet end of the magnetic liquid storage mechanism (2) and flows into the flexible clamping mechanism (1) through the electromagnetic stop valve (3), and the high-pressure magnetic liquid can expand the flexible clamping mechanism (1) to a clamping state, or the high-pressure magnetic liquid flows out from the liquid inlet end of the flexible clamping mechanism (1) and flows into the magnetic liquid storage mechanism (2) through the electromagnetic stop valve (3), and the flexible clamping mechanism (1) contracts to an open state; when the electromagnetic stop valve (3) is powered on, the high-pressure magnetic liquid is blocked in the magnetic liquid storage mechanism (2) and / or the flexible clamping mechanism (1).

2. A flexible manipulator with integrated pump and valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible clamping mechanism (1) comprises: Two flexible clamping jaws (101), one end of which is connected and the other end of which extends in different directions, so that a clamping area is formed between the two flexible clamping jaws (101); A flexible outer wall (102) is integrally connected to the flexible clamp (101); a plurality of magnetic fluid chambers (103) are formed between the flexible outer wall (102) and the flexible clamp (101); and the magnetic fluid chambers (103) are located on a side of the flexible clamp (101) away from the clamping area; A communication pipe (104) is connected to the plurality of magnetic fluid chambers (103) at one end and connected to the electromagnetic stop valve (3) at the other end.

3. The flexible manipulator with integrated pump and valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flexible clamping mechanism (1) further comprises: A base (105), the flexible clamp (101) and / or the flexible outer wall (102) are fixed on the base (105), and the connecting pipe (104) is fixed on the base (105).

4. The flexible manipulator with integrated pump and valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electromagnetic stop valve (3) comprises: A valve body (301), wherein a meandering magnetic fluid flow channel (302) is defined in the valve body (301), one end of the magnetic fluid flow channel (302) is connected to the liquid outlet end of the magnetic fluid storage mechanism (2), and the other end is connected to the liquid inlet end of the flexible clamping mechanism (1); The electromagnet (303) is fixedly arranged on the valve body (301) or arranged adjacent to the valve body (301). When the electromagnet (303) is energized, the electromagnet (303) can form a magnetic field inside the valve body (301), and the viscosity of the high-pressure magnetic fluid in the magnetic fluid flow channel (302) is increased and adsorbed at the bend of the magnetic fluid flow channel (302). The high-pressure magnetic fluid outside the magnetic fluid flow channel (302) is blocked in the magnetic fluid storage mechanism (2) and / or the flexible clamping mechanism (1).

5. The flexible manipulator with integrated pump and valve according to claim 4, characterized in that: The magnetic fluid flow channel (302) is arranged in a winding manner from top to bottom, and the electromagnet (303) is arranged on the upper surface of the valve body (301).

6. The flexible manipulator with integrated pump and valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The magnetic liquid storage mechanism (2) is a flexible corrugated liquid storage cylinder, which is filled with magnetic liquid. When the magnetic liquid storage mechanism (2) is pressurized, it outputs high-pressure magnetic liquid to the flexible clamping mechanism (1).

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