Spiral multi-mode motion duct robot

Abstract

The application discloses a spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot in the field of robots, which comprises a front rotating unit, an intermediate transmission unit and a rear driving unit, one end of the intermediate transmission unit is connected with the front rotating unit, the other end of the intermediate transmission unit is connected with the rear driving unit, power provided by the rear driving unit acts on the front rotating unit through the intermediate transmission unit, the front rotating unit is driven to rotate and turn, and linear advancing motion and turning motion of the robot are realized; the rear driving unit is used for driving the front rotating unit to rotate, spiral movement of the robot is realized, a turning mechanism is used for realizing turning of the robot, different pipelines can be adapted to, a telescopic rotating arm is further arranged on the front rotating unit, the front shell of the intermediate transmission unit and the rear shell of the rear driving unit are provided with telescopic arms, and the rotating arm and the telescopic arms are passively adjusted through springs, so that pipelines with different diameters can be adapted to.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotics, and more particularly to a spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot. Background Technology

[0002] Pipeline systems are a crucial component of modern industry, urban infrastructure, and special environments, encompassing fields such as oil, natural gas, water resource transportation, chemical production, and nuclear industry. With the increasing scale and service life of pipeline systems, internal corrosion, blockages, and cracks pose serious threats to their safety and stability. Regular inspection and maintenance are indispensable to ensure normal pipeline operation. Existing pipeline inspection and maintenance equipment generally suffers from poor adaptability, susceptibility to slippage, and insufficient obstacle-crossing ability when facing complex pipeline environments (such as vertical or variable-diameter pipelines). Therefore, this invention proposes a helical pipeline robot. Through innovative power transmission and structural design, it achieves stable helical motion and flexible steering within the pipeline, thus adapting to various complex pipeline operating conditions.

[0003] Pipeline robots can be categorized based on their propulsion method into tracked pipeline robots, wheeled pipeline robots, walking pipeline robots, magnetically attached pipeline robots, and spiral pipeline robots. Tracked pipeline robots achieve linear propulsion by generating friction between their tracks and the inner wall of the pipeline. These robots are suitable for pipelines with larger diameters and can provide high thrust. However, their motion stability is poor in curved pipelines or environments with smooth pipe walls, making them prone to slippage or jamming. Wheeled pipeline robots use wheels as their moving parts, relying on rolling friction for propulsion, and have high movement speeds and low energy consumption. These robots are more suitable for straight or large-radius curved pipelines, but they are prone to slipping in wet or lubricated pipelines and have limited climbing ability. Walking pipeline robots use mechanical legs to mimic biological walking, propelling themselves within the pipeline. They are highly adaptable and can operate stably in uneven or complex pipeline environments, but their movement speed is relatively slow and their control system is complex. Magnetically attached pipeline robots rely on magnetic devices to adhere to the inner or outer wall of the pipeline for movement. These robots are primarily suitable for metal pipes, especially for vertical or curved pipes where they offer strong stability, but they cannot be used on non-metallic pipes.

[0004] In summary, existing pipeline robots suffer from low adaptability and are unable to adapt to complex pipelines. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot that enables the robot to flexibly turn within a pipeline, adapt to curved and complex pipelines, and can adapt to pipelines of different sizes to a certain extent.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the following technical solution is adopted:

[0007] This invention provides a spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot, 1. comprising a front rotating unit, an intermediate transmission unit and a rear driving unit, wherein one end of the intermediate transmission unit is connected to the front rotating unit and the other end is connected to the rear driving unit, and the power provided by the rear driving unit acts on the front rotating unit through the intermediate transmission unit, driving the front rotating unit to perform rotational and turning motions, so as to realize the robot's linear propulsion and turning motions;

[0008] The front rotating unit includes a rotating body connected to the intermediate transmission unit and a retractable rotating arm mounted on the rotating body;

[0009] The intermediate transmission unit includes a helical drive mechanism for realizing robot movement and a steering mechanism for realizing robot steering.

[0010] The rear drive unit includes a helical drive motor for driving the helical drive mechanism and a steering motor for driving the steering mechanism;

[0011] The intermediate transmission unit also includes a front housing, and the screw drive mechanism and the steering mechanism are both disposed in the front housing. The front housing is connected to the rear housing in the rear drive unit. One end of the front housing is connected to the rear drive unit through a needle roller bearing, and the other end is symmetrically provided with two U-shaped notches.

[0012] The rear drive unit also includes a rear housing and a rear cover. The rear cover is installed at one end of the rear housing, and the other end is connected to the front housing in the intermediate transmission unit through a needle roller bearing. The screw drive motor and the steering motor are both located inside the rear housing.

[0013] Optionally, at least three rotating arms are provided, and the three rotating arms are evenly spaced on the rotating body. Each rotating arm includes a helical spring, a sliding rail, a sliding rod, and a rotating wheel. One end of the sliding rail is connected to the rotating body, and the other end is movably connected to the sliding rod. The helical spring is disposed on the outer wall of the sliding rail and the sliding rod. The rotating wheel is installed at the end of the sliding rod, and the rotating wheel forms a 10° angle with the rotating body.

[0014] Optionally, the helical drive mechanism includes a rear drive shaft, a driving bevel gear, an intermediate bevel gear, and a driven bevel gear. One end of the rear drive shaft is connected to the helical drive motor, and the other end is connected to the driving bevel gear. The driving bevel gear is connected to the driven bevel gear through the intermediate bevel gear. The driven bevel gear is connected to the rotating body through the front drive shaft.

[0015] Optionally, the screw drive motor is connected to the rear drive shaft via a screw drive coupling.

[0016] Optionally, the steering mechanism includes a driving spur gear, a driven spur gear, a driving bevel gear, a driven bevel gear, a lower intermediate shaft, and an outer connecting rod. The driving spur gear is connected to the steering motor, and the driving spur gear meshes with the driven spur gear. The driven spur gear is connected to the driving bevel gear, and the driving bevel gear meshes with the driven bevel gear. The driving bevel gear contains two bearings, which are connected to the rear drive shaft. The driven bevel gear is connected to the lower intermediate shaft. One end of the outer connecting rod is connected to the lower intermediate shaft, the other end is connected to the upper intermediate shaft, and the middle part is connected to the front drive shaft. An inner connecting rod is also connected between the upper and lower intermediate shafts. The middle part of the inner connecting rod is connected to the rear drive shaft, and the rear drive shaft is connected to the screw drive motor.

[0017] Optionally, the steering motor is connected to the drive spur gear via a steering coupling.

[0018] Optionally, two telescopic arms are symmetrically provided on the outer side of the front housing, and passive wheels are installed on the telescopic arms.

[0019] Optionally, three telescopic arms are evenly arranged circumferentially on the outer side of the rear housing, and driven wheels are arranged on the telescopic arms.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects achieved by the present invention are as follows:

[0021] 1. This invention drives the front rotating unit to rotate through the rear driving unit, realizing the helical movement of the robot. The rotational motion of the front rotating unit is converted into the linear propulsion motion of the robot as a whole. The robot can be turned through the steering mechanism to adapt to pipes with different layouts. The front rotating unit is also equipped with a telescopic rotating arm to adapt to pipes with different diameters. It can move efficiently in curved, vertical or complex pipe environments and has strong adaptability.

[0022] 2. The front housing of the intermediate transmission unit and the rear housing of the rear drive unit of the present invention are provided with telescopic arms, wherein the wheels on the telescopic arms of the intermediate transmission unit are rotary wheels, and both the rotating arm and the telescopic arm are passively adjusted by springs.

[0023] 3. This invention sets up two motors to drive the steering mechanism and the helical drive mechanism respectively. The two mechanisms can operate simultaneously without interfering with each other, thereby realizing the robot's steering and movement.

[0024] 4. The spiral pipe robot of the present invention can achieve climbing motion in vertical pipes and ±90° turning in T-shaped pipes. The spiral pipe robot of the present invention can move in continuously curved pipes in three-dimensional space because the length of the robot is only about 200mm.

[0025] 5. Both the steering mechanism and the screw mechanism are implemented using gears, which makes the transmission process more stable. They are both located inside the front housing, reducing contact with the outside world and preventing debris in the pipes from affecting the transmission of the mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a front view structural diagram of the spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the AA section of the spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the spiral drive principle of the spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot in this embodiment of the invention;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the steering principle of the spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot in this embodiment of the invention;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the rolling principle of the spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot in this embodiment of the invention;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the T-pipe in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the curved pipe in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0036] 1. Front Rotating Unit; 101. Rotating Body; 102. Helical Spring; 103. Sliding Rail; 104. Sliding Rod; 105. Rotating Wheel; 2. Intermediate Transmission Unit; 201. Outer Connecting Rod; 202. Driven Bevel Gear; 203. Upper Intermediate Shaft; 204. Intermediate Bevel Gear; 205. Driving Bevel Gear; 206. Inner Connecting Rod; 207. Driving Spur Gear; 208. Front Transmission Shaft; 209. Driven Steering Bevel Gear 210. Wheel; 211. Front housing; 212. Lower intermediate shaft; 213. Rear drive shaft; 214. Driven wheel; 215. Active steering bevel gear; 216. Needle roller bearing; 217. Driven spur gear; 3. Rear drive unit; 301. Steering coupling; 302. Steering motor; 303. Screw drive motor; 304. Screw drive coupling; 305. Rear housing; 306. Rear cover; 4. T-shaped pipe; 5. Bend pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention or its application or use.

[0038] Example 1

[0039] This embodiment provides a spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot, including a front rotation unit 1, an intermediate transmission unit 2, and a rear drive unit 3. One end of the intermediate transmission unit 2 is connected to the front rotation unit 1, and the other end is connected to the rear drive unit 3. The power provided by the rear drive unit 3 is applied to the front rotation unit 1 through the intermediate transmission unit 2, driving the front rotation unit 1 to perform rotational and turning motions to achieve linear propulsion and turning motions of the robot.

[0040] The front rotating unit includes a rotating body 101 connected to the intermediate transmission unit 2 and a retractable rotating arm mounted on the rotating body 101;

[0041] The intermediate transmission unit 2 includes a helical drive mechanism for realizing robot movement and a steering mechanism for realizing robot steering.

[0042] The rear drive unit 3 includes a helical drive motor 303 for driving the helical drive mechanism and a steering motor 302 for driving the steering mechanism.

[0043] The robot is approximately 200mm long and is equipped with a camera. When placed inside a pipe, the robot moves within the pipe to detect corrosion, blockages, cracks, and other issues. The data and feedback from the camera are wirelessly transmitted to a terminal to monitor the progress of the task.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the rotating body 101 is cylindrical and connected to the intermediate transmission unit 2. A rotating arm is mounted on the cylindrical side wall. The power of the rear drive unit 3 is transmitted to the rotating body 101 through the intermediate transmission unit 2. When the power is output through the screw drive motor 303, the power is transmitted to the rotating body 101 through the screw drive mechanism. The rotating body 101 rotates around its central axis, and the rotating arm rotates along with the rotating body 101. During the rotation of the rotating arm, the end of the rotating arm is in close contact with the pipe wall and rotates, realizing spiral forward or backward movement within the pipe. When the power is output through the steering motor 302, the entire front rotating unit 1 rotates left and right through the rotation mechanism, thereby enabling the robot to turn.

[0045] Example 2

[0046] This embodiment provides a spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot based on Embodiment 1, with the following differences:

[0047] There are three rotating arms mounted on the rotating body 101. The three rotating arms are evenly arranged on the side wall of the rotating body 101, and the included angle between two adjacent rotating arms is 120°.

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown, the rotating arm includes a helical spring 102, a sliding rail 103, a sliding rod 104, and a rotating wheel 105. One end of the sliding rail 103 is mounted on the side wall of the rotating body 101, and the other end is slidably connected to the sliding rod 104. The sliding rod 104 can move within the sliding rail 103. The other end of the sliding rod 104 is mounted with a rotating wheel 105. A helical spring 102 is provided on the outer wall of the sliding rod 104 and the sliding rail 103. One end of the helical spring 102 abuts against the side wall of the rotating body 101, and the other end abuts against the rotating wheel 105. The helical spring 102 is mounted on the outer wall of the sliding rod 104 and the sliding rail 103 by the restriction of the rotating body 101 and the rotating wheel 105.

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown, the angle between the side of the rotating wheel 105 and the front end face of the rotating body 101 is 10 degrees. When the rotating arm rotates, the rotating wheel 105 moves in a spiral motion after contacting the inner wall of the pipe.

[0050] As the rotating arm enters the pipe, the rotating wheel 105 and sliding rod 104 move towards the rotating body 101, compressing the helical spring 102 and generating a certain preload. After the rotating arm enters the pipe, the elastic force of the helical spring 102 causes the rotating wheel 105 to generate a normal force against the inner wall of the pipe. After the rotating wheel 105 contacts the inner wall of the pipe, since the helical spring 102 is still in a compressed state, it exerts a force perpendicular to the inner wall of the pipe on the rotating wheel 105, increasing the friction between the rotating wheel 105 and the inner wall of the pipe, thereby enabling the robot to climb in the vertical pipe. When the rotating wheel 105 encounters an obstacle, the rotating wheel 105 compresses the helical spring 102, causing the sliding rod 104 to move within the sliding track 103, thus overcoming the obstacle.

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, the helical drive mechanism in the intermediate transmission unit 2 includes a rear transmission shaft 212, an active bevel gear 205, an intermediate bevel gear 204, and a driven bevel gear 202. One end of the rear transmission shaft 212 is connected to the output end of the helical drive motor 303 via a helical drive coupling 304, and the other end is connected to the active bevel gear 205. The output power of the helical drive motor 303 drives the active bevel gear 205 to rotate. The active bevel gear 205 meshes with the intermediate bevel gear 204, and the intermediate bevel gear 204 meshes with the driven bevel gear 202. The power is transmitted from the active bevel gear 205 to the intermediate bevel gear 204, and then to the driven bevel gear 202. The driven bevel gear 202 is connected to the rotating body 101 via a front transmission shaft 208. After the power is transmitted to the driven bevel gear 202, it drives the rotating body 101 to rotate via the front transmission shaft 208, thereby realizing the rotation of the rotating arm and enabling the front rotating unit 1 to drive the entire robot to move.

[0052] like Figure 3As shown, the steering mechanism in the intermediate transmission unit 2 includes a driving spur gear 207, a driven spur gear 216, a driving steering bevel gear 214, a driven steering bevel gear 209, a lower intermediate shaft 211, and an outer connecting rod 201. The driving spur gear 207 is connected to the output end of the steering motor 302 via a steering coupling 301. The driving spur gear 207 meshes with the driven spur gear 216, and the driven spur gear 216 is fixedly connected to the driving steering bevel gear 214. The driving steering bevel gear 214 is connected to the rear drive shaft 212. Two bearings are arranged in the middle, with the driving steering bevel gear 214 meshing with the driven steering bevel gear 209. Power is output from the steering motor 302 and transmitted to the driving spur gear 207 through the steering coupling 301. The driving spur gear 207 drives the driven spur gear 216 to rotate. Since the driving steering bevel gear 214 is fixed together with the driven spur gear 216, the driving steering bevel gear 214 will rotate synchronously with the driven spur gear 216. The driving steering bevel gear 214 drives the driven steering bevel gear 209 to move. A lower intermediate shaft 211 is connected to the driven steering bevel gear 209. The lower intermediate shaft 211 is connected to one end of the outer connecting rod 201, the other end of the outer connecting rod 201 is connected to the upper intermediate shaft 203, and the middle part is connected to the front drive shaft 208. The power of the driven steering bevel gear 209 is transmitted to the outer connecting rod 201 through the lower intermediate rotating shaft 211. The outer connecting rod 201 is driven by the lower intermediate rotating shaft 211 and rotates together with it. Since the middle part of the outer connecting rod 201 is connected to the front drive shaft 208, as the outer connecting rod 201 rotates together with the lower intermediate rotating shaft 211, the front drive shaft 208 rotates along with the outer connecting rod 201, thereby driving the entire front rotating unit 1 to rotate together, thus realizing the left and right rotation of the entire front rotating unit 1.

[0053] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the screw drive mechanism and the steering mechanism are both located inside the front housing 210, and the screw drive motor 303 and the steering motor 302 are both located inside the rear housing 305. One end of the front housing 210 is connected to one end of the rear housing 305 via a needle roller bearing 215. The other end of the rear housing 305 is connected to the rear cover 306. Two driven wheels 213 are symmetrically installed on the front housing 210, and three driven wheels 213 are arranged circumferentially on the rear housing 305. The driven wheels 213 have a telescopic structure similar to the rotating wheel 105, which is installed on the front housing 210 and the rear housing 305. Through the preload of the helical spring 102, stable movement is achieved within the pipe wall.

[0054] like Figure 1 , Figure 3As shown, two symmetrically arranged U-shaped notches are also provided on the front outer shell 210. When the robot moves in the T-shaped pipe 4 or the curved pipe 5, the front rotating unit 1 needs to turn. The direction of the two U-shaped notches needs to be consistent with the direction in which the target pipe needs to turn in space. The front rotating unit 1 rotates at the two U-shaped notches. Since the direction of the pipe placed by the robot is random, it cannot be guaranteed that the direction of the two U-shaped notches of the front outer shell 210 will be exactly consistent with the direction in which the target pipe needs to turn in space during the turning process. Therefore, when the two directions are inconsistent, such as... Figure 7 As shown, when the front rotating unit 1 forces a turn, it will be subject to the resistance of the inner wall of the pipe, which will force the driven steering bevel gear 209 to drive the outer connecting rod 201, the lower intermediate rotating shaft 211, the upper intermediate rotating shaft 203, and the front housing 210 to rotate circumferentially around the active steering bevel gear 214 and the front drive shaft 208. The front housing 210 and the rear housing 305 are connected by a needle roller bearing 215. Therefore, the rear housing 305 remains stationary during the rotation of the front housing 210.

[0055] Both the upper intermediate shaft 203 and the lower intermediate shaft 211 are connected to the front housing 210 via bearings. The upper intermediate shaft 203 and the lower intermediate shaft 211 are connected by an inner connecting rod 206 and an outer connecting rod 201. A bearing is placed between the front drive shaft 208 and the outer connecting rod 201. During steering, the direction of the U-shaped notch in the front housing 210 needs to be consistent with the direction in which the target pipeline needs to turn in space. When the two directions are inconsistent, the output power of the steering motor 302 is transmitted to the outer connecting rod 201, such as... Figure 7 As shown, when the front rotating unit 1 forces a turn, it encounters resistance from the inner wall of the pipe. This forces the driven steering bevel gear 209 to drive the outer connecting rod 201, lower intermediate rotating shaft 211, upper intermediate rotating shaft 203, and front housing 210 to rotate circumferentially around the driving steering bevel gear 214 and the front drive shaft 208. The front housing 210 and the rear housing 305 are connected by a needle roller bearing 215. Therefore, during the rotation of the front housing 210, the rear housing 305 remains stationary. When their directions are aligned, the resistance between the front rotating unit 1 and the inner wall of the pipe disappears, as... Figure 6 As shown, the power transmitted to the outer connecting rod 201 will act on the front drive shaft 208, which will drive the front rotating unit 1 to achieve steering. During the steering process, the driven bevel gear 202 on the front drive shaft 208 will rotate around the intermediate bevel gear 204.

[0056] When the driven steering bevel gear 209 rotates circumferentially, it drives the front housing 210 to rotate circumferentially around the active steering bevel gear 214 via the lower intermediate shaft 211 and the upper intermediate shaft 203. This adjusts the direction of the U-shaped notch on the front housing 210 to be consistent with the direction the target pipe needs to turn in space. The front drive shaft 208 drives the front rotation unit 1 to rotate toward the U-shaped notch. The resistance disappears, the driven steering bevel gear 209 stops rotating, and begins to be driven to rotate by the active steering bevel gear 214. At the same time, the screw drive motor 303 is turned on and acts on the front rotation unit 1 through the screw drive mechanism to move forward in a screw. After the front rotation completes the turn, the steering motor 302 is turned off, and the screw drive motor 303 continues to output power, so that the robot can continue to move forward through the bend of the T-shaped pipe 4 or the bend of the curved pipe 5.

[0057] The torque τ of the screw drive motor 303 satisfies the following formula:

[0058]

[0059] in: R For the pipe radius, k This is the stiffness coefficient of the helical spring. d The pre-compression length of the spring inside the pipe. M For robot quality, α The angle between the rotating wheel and the rotating body. g This is the acceleration due to gravity.

[0060] This is to ensure that the output power enables the robot to move smoothly in the vertical direction inside the pipe.

[0061] like Figure 5 As shown, the unit body on the front rotating unit 1 is driven to rotate, which in turn causes the rotating arm and rotating body 101 on it to rotate. The angle between the rotating wheel 105 and the rotating body 101 is utilized to achieve this rotational motion. α The friction between the rotating wheel 105 and the inner wall of the pipe enables the rotating wheel 105 to move in a spiral motion on the inner wall of the pipe, thereby enabling the robot to move.

[0062] like Figure 6 As shown, the steering mechanism is driven by the steering motor 302 and acts on the front drive shaft 208. The driven bevel gear 202 on the front drive shaft 208 rotates around the intermediate bevel gear 204. The front drive shaft 208 drives the front rotating unit 1, realizing the left and right rotation of the front rotating unit 1, thereby realizing the robot's steering in the pipeline.

[0063] like Figure 7The steering mechanism driven by the steering motor 302 acts on the driven steering bevel gear 209. Due to the resistance of the inner wall of the pipe to the front rotating unit 1 and the front drive shaft 208, the steering motion cannot be reversed. This forces the driven steering bevel gear 209 to move circumferentially around the active steering bevel gear 214, thereby driving the rotation of the front shell 210. This ensures that the connecting line of the two U-shaped notches on the front end of the front shell 210 is aligned with the direction to be turned. When the two directions are aligned, the resistance between the front rotating unit 1 and the inner wall of the pipe disappears. Since the driven steering bevel gear 209 has a tendency to rotate during its circumferential motion, it automatically starts to turn after the resistance disappears, thus turning the front rotating unit 1. This, together with the screw drive motor 303 and the screw drive mechanism, acts on the front rotating unit 1, enabling the robot to achieve linear propulsion and pass through the bends of the pipe.

[0064] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0065] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot, characterized in that, It includes a front rotating unit, an intermediate transmission unit, and a rear drive unit. One end of the intermediate transmission unit is connected to the front rotating unit, and the other end is connected to the rear drive unit. The power provided by the rear drive unit acts on the front rotating unit through the intermediate transmission unit, driving the front rotating unit to perform rotational and steering movements, so as to realize the robot's linear propulsion and steering movements. The front rotating unit includes a rotating body connected to the intermediate transmission unit and a retractable rotating arm mounted on the rotating body; The intermediate transmission unit includes a helical drive mechanism for realizing robot movement and a steering mechanism for realizing robot steering. The rear drive unit includes a helical drive motor for driving the helical drive mechanism and a steering motor for driving the steering mechanism; The intermediate transmission unit also includes a front housing, and the screw drive mechanism and the steering mechanism are both disposed in the front housing. The front housing is connected to the rear housing in the rear drive unit. One end of the front housing is connected to the rear drive unit through a needle roller bearing, and the other end is symmetrically provided with two U-shaped notches. The rear drive unit also includes a rear housing and a rear cover. The rear cover is installed at one end of the rear housing, and the other end is connected to the front housing in the intermediate transmission unit through a needle roller bearing. The screw drive motor and the steering motor are both located inside the rear housing.

2. The spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least three rotating arms are provided, and the three rotating arms are evenly spaced on the rotating body. Each rotating arm includes a helical spring, a sliding rail, a sliding rod, and a rotating wheel. One end of the sliding rail is connected to the rotating body, and the other end is movably connected to the sliding rod. The helical spring is disposed on the outer wall of the sliding rail and the sliding rod. The rotating wheel is installed at the end of the sliding rod, and the rotating wheel forms a 10° angle with the rotating body.

3. The spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The helical drive mechanism includes a rear drive shaft, a driving bevel gear, an intermediate bevel gear, and a driven bevel gear. One end of the rear drive shaft is connected to the helical drive motor, and the other end is connected to the driving bevel gear. The driving bevel gear is connected to the driven bevel gear through the intermediate bevel gear. The driven bevel gear is connected to the rotating body through the front drive shaft.

4. The spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, The screw drive motor is connected to the rear drive shaft via a screw drive coupling.

5. The spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steering mechanism includes a driving spur gear, a driven spur gear, a driving bevel gear, a driven bevel gear, a lower intermediate shaft, and an outer connecting rod. The driving spur gear is connected to the steering motor, and the driving spur gear meshes with the driven spur gear. The driven spur gear is connected to the driving bevel gear, and the driving bevel gear meshes with the driven bevel gear. The driving bevel gear contains two bearings, which are connected to the rear drive shaft. The driven bevel gear is connected to the lower intermediate shaft. One end of the outer connecting rod is connected to the lower intermediate shaft, the other end is connected to the upper intermediate shaft, and the middle part is connected to the front drive shaft. An inner connecting rod is also connected between the upper and lower intermediate shafts. The middle part of the inner connecting rod is connected to the rear drive shaft, and the rear drive shaft is connected to the screw drive motor.

6. The spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The steering motor is connected to the drive spur gear via a steering coupling.

7. The spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two telescopic arms are symmetrically arranged on the outer side of the front housing, and passive wheels are installed on the telescopic arms.

8. The spiral multi-mode motion pipeline robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, Three telescopic arms are evenly arranged circumferentially on the outer side of the rear shell, and passive wheels are arranged on the telescopic arms.

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