A rigid-flexible coupling execution end with self-driven chain claw

Abstract

The application discloses a rigid-flexible coupling execution end with a self-driven chain claw and relates to the technical field of flexible robots, which comprises a deformation assembly in communication with high-pressure fluid, the deformation assembly changes from a first mode to a second mode when the high-pressure fluid flows into the deformation assembly, one end of a driving line is connected with the deformation assembly, and the self-driven chain claw is composed of a plurality of hollow chain claw units which are sequentially hinged. When the flexible outer supporting claw expands and deforms outward, the length change of the driving line caused by the deformation drives the self-driven chain claw to change from a flexible mode to a rigid hook claw mode. Compared with the prior art, the execution end can be converted into a rigid mode while retaining flexibility, rigid hook claws can better complete the grabbing operation for objects with complex outer diameters, the driving line is integrally arranged in the execution end, the structure is more compact and reasonable, and the execution end has good application prospect and wide application range.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of flexible robot technology, in particular to a rigid-flexible coupling execution end with self-driven chain claws. BACKGROUND

[0002] Flexible manipulators can be flexibly operated in limited space, effectively grasp fragile and complex objects, and are widely used in manufacturing, medicine, aerospace and other fields.

[0003] Existing flexible manipulators mostly use the operation mode of grabbing from the outer diameter of the grabbed object, but the grabbing effect is not ideal for objects with complex outer diameters. In addition, the end of the existing flexible manipulator is usually a flexible clamping end made of flexible material, and the clamping end needs to have a certain rigidity under certain special working conditions, and the flexible clamping end cannot meet the above requirements.

[0004] Therefore, how to provide a flexible manipulator capable of grabbing complex outer diameter objects and having rigidity under special working conditions is a problem that those skilled in the art need to solve. SUMMARY

[0005] The purpose of the present application is to provide a rigid-flexible coupling execution end with self-driven chain claws to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the present application provides a rigid-flexible coupling execution end with self-driven chain claws, comprising:

[0007] A deformation assembly in communication with high-pressure fluid, when high-pressure fluid flows into the deformation assembly, the deformation assembly changes from a first form to a second form;

[0008] A drive line connected to one end of the deformation assembly;

[0009] A self-driven chain claw composed of a plurality of hollow chain claw units connected in sequence, the chain claw unit at the leading end is connected to the deformation assembly; the other end of the drive line penetrates the plurality of chain claw units in sequence and is connected to the chain claw unit at the tail end;

[0010] When the deformation assembly changes from the first form to the second form, the straight line distance between the two ends of the drive line becomes shorter, and the drive line can drive the self-driven chain claw to change from a flexible form to a rigid hook claw form.

[0011] Further, the deformation assembly comprises:

[0012] A clamping end with a pressure fluid inlet opened through the upper and lower surfaces;

[0013] a plurality of flexible outer support claws, which define an expansion chamber inside, one end of the flexible outer support claws being connected to the clamping end, the other end extending away from the clamping end, gaps being provided between adjacent flexible outer support claws, the expansion chamber being in communication with the pressure fluid inlet;

[0014] a connecting portion, the other end of the flexible outer support claws being integrally connected to the connecting portion, the connecting portion being connected to the chain claw unit at the leading end.

[0015] Further, the flexible outer support claws comprise:

[0016] a fan-shaped expansion assembly, which defines the expansion chamber inside, the fan-shaped expansion assembly and the flexible outer support claw side wall surrounding a communication flow channel, the expansion chamber being in communication with the communication flow channel;

[0017] a pressure fluid flow channel, one end of which being in communication with the pressure fluid inlet, the other end being in communication with the communication flow channel;

[0018] the fan-shaped expansion assembly and the flexible outer support claw side wall are both made of flexible material, when high-pressure fluid flows into the expansion chamber, the fan-shaped expansion assembly and the flexible outer support claw expand outward, and the deformation assembly changes from a first form to a second form.

[0019] Further, a driving wire fixing assembly is arranged inside the flexible outer support claw, the driving wire fixing assembly being arranged apart from the fan-shaped expansion assembly, the driving wire being connected to one of the flexible outer support claws, one end of the driving wire being connected to the driving wire fixing assembly, the other end being led out from the gaps between the plurality of flexible outer support claws.

[0020] Further, a first pin hole is arranged on the connecting portion, a second pin hole is arranged on the chain claw unit at the leading end, the first pin hole and the second pin hole being positionally corresponding and being inserted with a fixed pin.

[0021] Further, the chain claw unit comprises:

[0022] a housing, which is hollow inside, a first hinge member and a second hinge member being arranged at the front end and the rear end of the housing respectively, the first hinge member and the second hinge member between adjacent chain claw units being hingedly connected by a connecting pin; a wire hole being provided at the front end and the rear end of the housing, the wire hole being in communication with the inside of the housing, the other end of the driving wire being sequentially threaded through the plurality of chain claw units through the wire hole;

[0023] When the deformation assembly changes from the first form to the second form, the straight-line distance between the two ends of the driving wire becomes shorter, the driving wire drives the plurality of chain claw units to rotate in the same direction and changes from a flexible form to a rigid hook claw form.

[0024] Further, the chain claw unit at the tail end is provided with a through hole penetrating the side wall, and the other end of the driving wire is led out from the through hole and connected and / or limited on the chain claw unit.

[0025] The present application discloses the following technical effects:

[0026] When the flexible outer support claw expands and deforms outwardly, the length change of the driving wire caused by the deformation drives the self-driving chain claw to change from a flexible form to a rigid hook claw form. Compared with the prior art, the execution end is flexible while the execution end can be converted into a rigid form, which can better complete the grabbing operation for objects with complex outer diameters. In addition, the driving wire is integrally arranged in the execution end, and the structure arrangement is more compact and reasonable, which has good application prospect and wide application range. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only constitute some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor on the basis of these drawings.

[0028] Figure 1 Structure schematic diagram of the present application;

[0029] Figure 2 Structure schematic diagram of the deformation assembly;

[0030] Figure 3 Internal structure diagram of the deformation assembly;

[0031] Figure 4 Structure schematic diagram of the self-driving chain claw;

[0032] Figure 5 Structure schematic diagram of the back of the self-driving chain claw;

[0033] Figure 6 Structure schematic diagram of the root unit of the chain claw;

[0034] Figure 7 Structure schematic diagram of the joint unit of the chain claw;

[0035] Figure 8 Structure schematic diagram of the tip unit of the chain claw;

[0036] Figure 9 Structure schematic diagram of the first form and the second form of the deformation assembly;

[0037] Figure 10 Structure schematic diagram of the second form of the deformation assembly;

[0038] Figure 11 Figure 9 is a schematic view of a self-driven chain claw hook shape in a second shape of the transformation assembly;

[0039] 1, transformation assembly; 101, pressure fluid inlet; 102, clamping end; 103, flexible outer support claw; 10301, pressure fluid flow channel; 10302, communication flow channel; 10303, fan-shaped expansion assembly; 104, first pin hole; 105, connecting part; 106, drive wire fixing assembly; 2, fixed pin; 3, self-driven chain claw; 301, chain claw root unit; 30101, second pin hole; 302, chain claw section unit; 303, chain claw tip unit; 30301, through hole; 304, wire hole; 305, first hinged part; 306, second hinged part; 4, connecting pin; 5, drive wire. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0041] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0042] The rigid-flexible coupling execution end with a self-driven chain claw provided by the embodiments of the present application comprises:

[0043] The transformation assembly 1 is in communication with high-pressure fluid, and when high-pressure fluid flows into the transformation assembly 1, the transformation assembly 1 changes from a first shape to a second shape;

[0044] The drive wire 5 is connected to the transformation assembly 1 at one end;

[0045] The self-driven chain claw 3 is composed of a plurality of hollow chain claw units which are sequentially hinged, and the chain claw unit at the head end is connected to the transformation assembly 1; the other end of the drive wire 5 sequentially penetrates through the plurality of chain claw units and is connected to the chain claw unit at the tail end;

[0046] When the transformation assembly 1 changes from the first shape to the second shape, the straight-line distance between the two ends of the drive wire 5 becomes shorter, and the drive wire 5 can drive the self-driven chain claw 3 to change from a flexible shape to a rigid hook shape.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the transformation assembly 1 comprises:

[0048] The clamping end 102 is provided with the pressure fluid inlet 101 through the upper and lower surfaces;

[0049] a plurality of flexible outer support claws 103, which define an expansion chamber inside, are connected together at one end and connected to the lower surface of the clamping end 102, and extend away from the clamping end 102 at the other end, and have gaps between adjacent flexible outer support claws 103, and the expansion chamber is in communication with the pressure fluid inlet 101;

[0050] a connecting portion 105, to which the other end of the flexible outer support claw 103 is integrally connected, and which is connected to the chain claw unit at the leading end.

[0051] In this embodiment, the flexible outer support claw 103 comprises:

[0052] a fan-shaped expansion assembly 10303, which defines an expansion chamber inside, and which, together with the side wall of the flexible outer support claw 103, forms a communication flow channel 10302, and the expansion chamber is in communication with the communication flow channel 10302;

[0053] a pressure fluid flow channel 10301, one end of which is in communication with the pressure fluid inlet 101, and the other end of which is in communication with the communication flow channel 10302;

[0054] The fan-shaped expansion assembly 10303 and the side wall of the flexible outer support claw 103 are both made of flexible material, and when high-pressure fluid flows into the expansion chamber, the fan-shaped expansion assembly 10303 and the flexible outer support claw 103 expand outward, and the deformation assembly 1 changes from the first form to the second form.

[0055] In this embodiment, the flexible outer support claw 103 is provided with a drive wire fixing assembly 106 inside, the drive wire fixing assembly 106 is arranged in a spaced manner with the fan-shaped expansion assembly 10303, the drive wire 5 is connected to one flexible outer support claw 103, and one end of the drive wire 5 is connected to the drive wire fixing assembly 106, and the other end of the drive wire 5 is led out from the gap between the plurality of flexible outer support claws 103; the drive wire 5 has four, and the flexible outer support claw 103 has four.

[0056] In this embodiment, the connecting portion 105 is provided with a first pin hole 104, and the chain claw unit at the leading end is provided with a second pin hole 30101, and the first pin hole 104 and the second pin hole 30101 are positionally corresponding and inserted with the fixed pin 2. When the first pin hole 104, the second pin hole 30101 and the fixed pin 2 cooperate, sufficient deformation space should be provided, and when the deformation assembly 1 changes from the first form to the second form, the connecting portion 105 expands outward, and the fixed pin 2 should not interfere with the connecting portion 105, while ensuring the stability of the connection.

[0057] In the embodiment, the chain claw unit comprises: a shell with a hollow interior, a first hinge 305 and a second hinge 306 arranged at the front and rear ends respectively, and the first hinge 305 and the second hinge 306 between adjacent chain claw units are hinged by a connecting pin 4; a wire hole 304 is formed at the front and rear ends of the shell and communicates with the interior of the shell, and the other end of the driving wire 5 penetrates the plurality of chain claw units in turn through the wire hole 304; when the deformation assembly 1 changes from the first form to the second form, the straight line distance between the two ends of the driving wire 5 becomes shorter, and the driving wire 5 drives the plurality of chain claw units to rotate in the same direction and changes from a flexible form to a rigid hook claw form.

[0058] In the embodiment, the chain claw unit at the leading end is a chain claw root unit 301, the chain claw unit at the tail end is a chain claw tip unit 303, and the rest are chain claw section units 302. The length of the chain claw root unit 301 is slightly longer, and the chain claw root is not provided with a first hinge 305. The chain claw tip unit 303 has a sharp end, and the overall shape of the plurality of chain claw units is similar to a scorpion tail. When the chain claw unit deforms, the deformation effect is also similar to the bending tail of a scorpion. The chain claw tip unit 303 is not provided with a second hinge 306.

[0059] In the embodiment, the chain claw tip unit 303 penetrates the side wall to form a through hole 30301, and the other end of the driving wire 5 is drawn out from the through hole 30301 and connected and / or limited on the chain claw unit.

[0060] In the embodiment, the deformation assembly 1 is integrally processed and molded by light curing of flexible photosensitive resin. The use of flexible photosensitive resin, such flexible material, can make the execution end meet different environmental requirements, achieve better molding effect and deformation effect. The light curing 3D printing processing mode ensures the flexibility, environmental friendliness and density of the overall structure, so that the flexible manipulator with pump and valve integration can well adapt to the surrounding environment, and then realize flexible grabbing. The self-driving chain claw 3, the fixed pin 2 and the connecting pin 4 are integrally processed and molded by light curing of rigid photosensitive resin.

[0061] The specific working process is as follows:

[0062] When it is necessary to grab an object, high-pressure fluid enters the flexible outer support claw 103 through the pressure fluid inlet 101, flows into the fan-shaped expansion chamber along the pressure fluid flow channel 10301 and the communication flow channel 10302, and under the action of high-pressure fluid, the fan-shaped expansion assembly 10303 and the flexible outer support claw 103 expand and deform outwardly, and the deformation assembly 1 changes from the first form to the second form (the principle of deformation of the flexible outer support claw 103 affected by high-pressure fluid belongs to the prior art, which is not described here).

[0063] The four flexible outer support claws 103 expand synchronously outward, and the four drive wires 5 move synchronously with the flexible outer support claws 103. When the deformation assembly 1 changes to the second shape, the drive wires 5 move outward significantly, and thus the straight-line distance between the two ends of the drive wires 5 is shortened, generating a pulling force on each chain claw unit. Specifically, the chain claw joint unit 302 and the chain claw tip unit 303 rotate around the connecting pin 4 as the center, and the chain claw root unit 301 rotates slightly around the fixed pin 2 as the center, and finally forms a stable and rigid hook claw shape.

[0064] When the grabbing operation is completed, the high-pressure fluid is discharged, the four flexible outer support claws 103 return to the initial shape, the deformation assembly 1 changes to the first shape, the distance between the two ends of the drive wires 5 is lengthened, and each chain claw unit loses the pulling force, and changes from the hook claw shape to the flexible shape again.

[0065] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "transverse", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only used to facilitate the description of the present application, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0066] The above-described embodiments are only descriptions of the preferred modes of the present application, and do not limit the scope of the present application. Without departing from the design spirit of the present application, various modifications and improvements to the technical solutions of the present application made by those skilled in the art should fall within the protection scope of the present application as defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A rigid-flexible coupled executive end-effector with self-driven chain claw, characterized in that, The utility model relates to a kind of self-propelled chain claw and drive line, comprising: Deformation component (1) is communicated with high-pressure fluid, when high-pressure fluid flows into deformation component (1), the deformation component (1) changes from first form to second form; Drive line (5), one end is connected with the deformation component (1); Self-propelled chain claw (3) is sequentially articulated by a plurality of hollow claw units, the claw unit at the head is connected with the deformation component (1);The other end of the drive line (5) sequentially penetrates a plurality of claw units and is connected on the claw unit at the tail; When the deformation component (1) changes from first form to second form, the straight-line distance between the two ends of the drive line (5) is shortened, and the drive line (5) can drive the self-propelled chain claw (3) to change from flexible form to rigid hook claw form; The deformation component (1) comprises: Clamping end (102), pressure fluid inlet (101) is opened through upper and lower surfaces; A plurality of flexible outer support claws (103) are defined inside the expansion chamber, one end of the flexible outer support claw (103) is connected with the clamping end (102), the other end extends away from the clamping end (102), and there is a gap between adjacent flexible outer support claws (103), and the expansion chamber is communicated with the pressure fluid inlet (101); Connecting part (105), the other end of the flexible outer support claw (103) is integrally connected with the connecting part (105), and the connecting part (105) is connected with the claw unit at the head; The flexible outer support claw (103) comprises: Fan-shaped expansion component (10303) is defined inside the expansion chamber, the fan-shaped expansion component (10303) and the flexible outer support claw (103) side wall form a communication flow channel (10302), and the expansion chamber is communicated with the communication flow channel (10302); Pressure fluid flow channel (10301), one end is communicated with the pressure fluid inlet (101), and the other end is communicated with the communication flow channel (10302); The fan-shaped expansion component (10303) and the flexible outer support claw (103) side wall are made of flexible material, and when high-pressure fluid flows into the expansion chamber, the fan-shaped expansion component (10303) and the flexible outer support claw (103) expand outward, and the deformation component (1) changes from first form to second form; The flexible outer support claw (103) is provided with a drive line fixing component (106) inside, the drive line fixing component (106) is spaced apart from the fan-shaped expansion component (10303), the drive line (5) is connected with one of the flexible outer support claws (103), and one end of the drive line (5) is connected with the drive line fixing component (106), and the other end is led out from the gap between a plurality of flexible outer support claws (103); The connecting part (105) is provided with a first pin hole (104), and the claw unit at the head is provided with a second pin hole (30101), the first pin hole (104) and the second pin hole (30101) are positionally corresponding and inserted into a fixed pin (2); The claw unit comprises: The shell is hollow inside, and first and second hinges (305, 306) are arranged at the front and rear ends respectively, the first and second hinges (305, 306) between adjacent claw units are hinged through a connecting pin (4); a wire hole (304) is arranged at the front and rear ends of the shell and communicates with the inside of the shell, and the other end of the driving wire (5) penetrates the plurality of claw units through the wire hole (304) in sequence; When the deformation assembly (1) changes from the first form to the second form, the straight line distance between the two ends of the driving wire (5) becomes shorter, the driving wire (5) drives the plurality of claw units to rotate in the same direction and changes from the flexible form to the rigid hook claw form; The claw unit at the tail end penetrates the through hole (30301) arranged in the side wall, the other end of the driving wire (5) is led out from the through hole (30301) and connected and / or limited on the claw unit.

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