Pipeline robot driven by Mecanum wheels

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of robots, and discloses a Mecanum wheel driven pipeline robot which comprises a working unit, the working unit comprises a steering mechanism and two moving parts connected to the head end and the tail end of the steering mechanism, and the steering mechanism drives the moving parts to steer. Each group of moving parts comprises a driving mechanism and two Mecanum wheels connected to the driving mechanism; wherein the driving mechanism comprises a brushless direct current motor, a shaft gear and two end face gears, the brushless direct current motor is fixed in the motor bin, the shaft gear is fixedly connected to an output shaft of the brushless direct current motor, the two end face gears are rotationally connected to the motor bin and located on the two sides of the shaft gear, and the end face gears are meshed with the shaft gear; the Mecanum wheels are connected to the end face gears in a one-to-one correspondence mode, the two Mecanum wheels are distributed on the two sides of the shaft gear in a mirror image mode, and the pipeline robot driven by the Mecanum wheels can work in a small-diameter complex pipeline.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of robots, and in particular to a pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel. Background Art

[0002] With the acceleration of urbanization and the continuous improvement of infrastructure, the complexity and maintenance difficulty of pipeline systems are increasing. Traditional manual inspection methods are not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also pose safety risks and can no longer meet the needs of efficiency and accuracy.

[0003] Nowadays, pipeline robots integrate a variety of advanced technologies and have the functions of autonomous walking, information collection, defect detection and repair in complex pipeline environments. They can operate in narrow, dangerous or toxic environments that are difficult for personnel to enter, greatly ensuring the safety of personnel. With the rapid development of microelectronics, computers and automation technology, pipeline robot technology has become more mature. In recent years, thanks to the integrated application of high-precision sensors, advanced machine vision algorithms and intelligent control systems, the detection accuracy, stability and intelligence level of robots have achieved a qualitative leap. These technological innovations enable robots to penetrate deep into the pipeline and conduct all-round and no-dead-angle inspections. Even tiny cracks, corrosion points or deposits can be accurately captured and transmitted to the control center in real time.

[0004] For example, wheeled spiral pipeline robots can indeed perform efficient and safe cleaning operations in special environments such as water pipelines, but such pipeline robots used in large underground projects such as tunnels and natural gas pipelines are too large and heavy. For example, soft pipeline robots can reach the appropriate diameter and can use their soft advantages to enter complex and narrow pipelines, but their driving ability, movement speed and structural rigidity are small, and they are generally used for pipeline exploration, with limited operating functions. Therefore, there is currently no more suitable robot for small-diameter complex pipelines, which require high flexibility and high robot rigidity. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel, which can operate in a small-diameter complex pipeline.

[0006] The invention provides a pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel, comprising a working unit, wherein the working unit comprises: a steering mechanism and two groups of moving parts connected at both ends of the steering mechanism, the steering mechanism drives the moving parts to turn, each group of moving parts comprises a driving mechanism and two Mecanum wheels connected thereto; wherein the driving mechanism comprises: a brushless DC motor, a shaft gear and two end face gears, the brushless DC motor is fixed in a motor compartment, the shaft gear is fixed on an output shaft of the brushless DC motor, the two end face gears are rotatably connected to the motor compartment and are located on both sides of the shaft gear, and the end face gears are meshed with the shaft gear; the two Mecanum wheels are connected to the end face gears in a one-to-one correspondence, and the two Mecanum wheels are distributed on both sides of the shaft gear in a mirror image.

[0007] Optionally, each Mecanum wheel includes a plurality of diameter-changing units in an annular array, and the moving component also includes a diameter-changing mechanism that drives the diameter-changing unit to move toward or away from the center of the Mecanum wheel, and each diameter-changing unit includes two parallel Mecanum wheel rollers and an A-type support frame and a B-type support frame connected to both sides of the Mecanum wheel rollers, and the A-type support frame and the B-type support frame are arranged in a centrally symmetrical manner.

[0008] Optionally, each set of variable diameter mechanisms includes a slide bar fixedly connected to the A-type support frame and the B-type support frame, and a push-pull assembly that drives the slide bar to move closer to or away from the center of the Mecanum wheel.

[0009] Optionally, the push-pull assembly includes: a fixed disc and a fixed sleeve connected to both sides of the Mecanum wheel, the fixed disc is fixedly connected to the end gear, and corresponding positions of the fixed disc and the fixed sleeve are provided with linear slide grooves distributed centrally and symmetrically along their radial directions; a movable disc, rotatably connected to a side of the fixed sleeve away from the Mecanum wheel, and corresponding positions of the movable disc are provided with arcuate slide grooves distributed centrally and symmetrically along their radial directions; a servo motor, fixedly connected to the fixed sleeve, the output shaft of the servo motor is fixed to the movable disc, the sliding rod passes through the A-type support frame and the B-type support frame, and the two ends of the sliding rod are correspondingly slidably connected to the linear slide groove and the arcuate slide groove.

[0010] Optionally, each Mecanum wheel includes four diameter-changing units that are centrally symmetrical, and the corresponding fixed disc and the fixed sleeve have four linear grooves, and the movable disc has four arc grooves.

[0011] Optionally, the motor bin is cylindrical as a whole, a fixing groove is opened in the middle of the motor bin, the brushless DC motor is fixed in the fixing groove, and the output shaft of the brushless DC motor is perpendicular to the extension direction of the motor bin, and the end gear is rotatably sleeved on the motor bin.

[0012] Optionally, the steering mechanism includes: a corrugated airbag having a plurality of independent chambers distributed along its circumference, wherein both ends of the corrugated airbag are respectively connected to the moving parts; and an inflation and deflation assembly respectively connected to each independent chamber to inflate and deflate the independent chamber.

[0013] Optionally, both ends of the corrugated airbag are respectively connected with sealing connectors, and the sealing connectors clamp the head and tail ends of the corrugated airbag in the radial direction.

[0014] Optionally, multiple working units are connected via corrugated airbags.

[0015] Optionally, the inflation and deflation assembly is connected to each independent chamber via an air pipe, and the air pipe passes through the end face gear.

[0016] The technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art: A pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel provided in an embodiment of the present invention can operate in a small-diameter complex pipeline. It can adapt to the complex pipeline as the direction of the pipeline changes through a steering mechanism. It can walk in the pipeline by driving the Mecanum wheel to move through a driving mechanism. The brushless DC motor in the driving mechanism starts to drive the shaft gear to rotate, and indirectly drives the two Mecanum wheels to coaxially reverse at the same speed through the end gear transmission principle, so as to realize the flexible movement of the robot in the pipeline. The driving mechanism can ensure that it has better rigidity. When encountering a complex pipeline such as a blockage or obstacle in the pipeline, it can still walk and work normally. Compared with the traditional driving method of one motor driving one Mecanum wheel, the single motor in the present invention drives the shaft gear to rotate, and the brushless DC motor in the driving mechanism drives the shaft gear to rotate, and indirectly drives the two Mecanum wheels to reverse at the same speed through the end gear transmission principle, so as to realize the flexible movement of the robot in the pipeline. A motor drives two Mecanum wheels, making the robot more compact. While ensuring the motor torque output, the axial size of the robot along the pipeline is effectively shortened, making it adaptable to complex and narrow congested pipelines. The two rotating Mecanum wheels are designed on the same axis, so that the two Mecanum wheels can offset each other's torque on the axis, which not only reduces the load on the axis, but also prevents the motor compartment and the steering mechanism from rotating relative to the inner wall of the pipeline. The moving parts and the steering mechanism are combined to achieve rigidity and flexibility, ensuring that the robot can turn while having the corresponding load-bearing capacity. If a working device needs to be loaded on the robot, the coaxial reversal mechanism can ensure the stability of the working device's feeding and ensure that it can operate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 A simulation diagram of a pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel passing through a bend in a pipeline provided in an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 A simulation diagram of a pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel before turning in a pipeline provided in an embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 A simulation diagram of a pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel after turning in a pipeline provided by an embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the overall structure after the driving mechanism and the diameter-changing mechanism provided in the embodiment of the invention are connected; Figure 5A schematic diagram of the structure of a driving mechanism provided in an embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 An exploded view of a drive mechanism provided for an embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a diameter-changing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the invention; Figure 8 An exploded view of a diameter-changing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 9 A schematic structural diagram of a B-type variable diameter unit provided in an embodiment of the invention; Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the structure of an A-type variable diameter unit provided in an embodiment of the invention; Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the structure of a fixed sleeve provided in an embodiment of the invention; Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the structure of a steering mechanism provided by an embodiment of the invention; Fig.13 An exploded view of a steering mechanism provided for an embodiment of the invention; Fig.14 A conceptual diagram of a connectable mechanism of a Mecanum wheel-driven pipeline robot provided in an embodiment of the invention.

[0018] Description of reference numerals: 1. Driving mechanism; 101. Connecting nut; 102. Shaft; 103. Bearing; 104. Motor compartment; 105. Face gear; 106. Air pipe; 107. Brushless DC motor; 108. Shaft gear; 2. Variable diameter mechanism; 201. Fixed disc; 202. Variable diameter unit; 203. Fixed sleeve; 204. Moving disc; 205. Servo motor; 206. Sliding rod; 207. Locking screw; 208. Type B support frame; 209. McLennan roller; 210. Type A support frame; 3. Steering mechanism; 301. Corrugated airbag; 302. Sealing connector; 303. Bidirectional thrust tapered roller bearing; 4. Pipeline; 5. Connectable unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] A specific implementation of the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but it should be understood that the protection scope of the present invention is not limited by the specific implementation.

[0020] In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms “center”, “longitudinal”, “lateral”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “up”, “down”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inside”, “outside”, “axial”, “radial”, “circumferential”, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the technical solutions of the present invention and simplifying the description, 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 cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0021] Existing robots are unable to operate in complex, narrow and congested pipes.

[0022] To this end, an embodiment of the present invention provides a Mecanum wheel-driven pipeline robot that can operate in small-diameter complex pipelines.

[0023] At least one embodiment of the present invention provides a pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel, comprising a working unit, wherein the working unit comprises: a steering mechanism, two groups of moving parts connected to the head and tail ends of the steering mechanism, each group of moving parts comprises a driving mechanism and two Mecanum wheels connected thereto, wherein the driving mechanism comprises: a brushless DC motor, a shaft gear and two end face gears, the brushless DC motor is fixed in a motor compartment, the shaft gear is fixed to the output shaft of the brushless DC motor, the two end face gears are rotatably connected to the motor compartment and are located on both sides of the shaft gear, the end face gears are meshed with the shaft gear, the two Mecanum wheels are connected to the end face gears one by one, and the two Mecanum wheels are distributed on both sides of the shaft gear in a mirror image.

[0024] In the pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel provided in the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention, the steering mechanism can adapt to complex pipelines as the direction of the pipeline changes, and the driving mechanism drives the Mecanum wheel to move so that the robot can walk in the pipeline, wherein the brushless DC motor in the driving mechanism starts to drive the shaft gear to rotate, and indirectly drives the two Mecanum wheels to coaxially reverse at the same speed through the end gear transmission principle.

[0025] The present invention is described below by several specific embodiments. In order to keep the following description of the embodiments of the present invention clear and concise, the detailed description of known functions and known components may be omitted. When any component of the embodiments of the present invention appears in more than one accompanying drawings, the component may be represented by the same reference numeral in each of the accompanying drawings.

[0026] refer to Figures 1 to 6 , Figure 1 A simulation diagram of a pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel passing through a bend in a pipeline provided in an embodiment of the invention, Figure 2A simulation diagram of a pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel before turning in a pipeline provided in an embodiment of the invention. Figure 3 A simulation diagram of a pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel after turning in a pipeline provided by an embodiment of the invention, Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the overall structure after the driving mechanism and the diameter-changing mechanism provided in the embodiment of the invention are connected is shown in FIG. Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a driving mechanism provided by an embodiment of the invention, Figure 6 An exploded diagram of a driving mechanism provided for an embodiment of the invention, such as Figures 1 to 6As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel 2, including a working unit, the working unit including: a steering mechanism 3 and two groups of moving parts connected at the head and tail ends of the steering mechanism 3, the steering mechanism 3 drives the moving parts to turn, it should be understood that the steering mechanism 3 is the core control part of the robot, responsible for adjusting the movement direction of the robot, it is connected at the head and tail ends of the two groups of moving parts to ensure that the robot can perform precise steering operations in the pipeline, the steering mechanism 3 is not only responsible for adjusting the direction of the robot, but also may integrate sensors (such as gyroscopes, accelerometers, etc.) to achieve more precise posture control, by real-time feedback of the geometric shape of the inner wall of the pipeline and the movement state of the robot, the steering mechanism can dynamically adjust the Mecanum wheel 2 angle and speed, to ensure the stable operation of the robot in the complex pipeline, the general steering mechanism 3 includes a steering drive unit and / or a transmission mechanism, a steering actuator, a sensor and feedback system and a control system, and no restrictions are imposed on the components here, as long as the steering can be achieved, each group of moving parts includes a driving mechanism 1 and two Mecanum wheels 2 connected thereto, wherein the driving mechanism 1 includes: a brushless DC motor 107, a shaft gear 108 and two end gears 105, the brushless DC motor 107 is fixed in the motor compartment 104, and the motor compartment 104 may be integrated with a heat dissipation device (such as a heat sink or a fan) to ensure that the brushless DC motor 107 does not overheat during long-term operation, and the core of the driving mechanism 1 is a brushless DC motor 107, which is fixed in the motor compartment 104. The brushless DC motor has the characteristics of high efficiency, low noise and long life, and is suitable for use in pipeline robots. The shaft gear 108 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the brushless DC motor 107. The two end gears 105 are rotatably connected to the motor compartment 104 and are located on both sides of the shaft gear 108. The end gears 105 are meshed with the shaft gear 108. The shaft gear 108 is responsible for transmitting the rotational power of the brushless DC motor 10 to the end gears 105. The bearings 103 are symmetrically mounted on the short shaft 102. The short shaft 102 is connected to both ends of the motor compartment 104. The two Mecanum wheels 2 are connected to the end gears 105 in a one-to-one manner. The two Mecanum wheels 2 are mirror-distributed on both sides of the shaft gear 108. The two Mecanum wheels 2 are mirror-distributed on both sides of the shaft gear 108. The layout of the Mecanum wheel 2 enables the robot to achieve omnidirectional movement in the pipeline, including forward, backward, sideways and rotation. In the present invention, the roller of the Mecanum wheel 2 can be made of highly wear-resistant materials (such as polyurethane or rubber) to adapt to the materials of the inner wall of different pipelines (such as metal, plastic or concrete). The end gear 105 transmits power to the Mecanum wheel 2. The design of the end gear 105 enables the two Mecanum wheels 2 to rotate independently, thereby achieving flexible movement of the robot. The pipeline robot provided by the embodiment of the present invention adopts a modular design, and each component (such as the micro-steering mechanism, the drive mechanism, the Mecanum wheel 2, etc.) can be replaced or upgraded independently, which improves the maintainability and scalability of the robot and enables it to adapt to the complex and changeable pipeline environment.At present, wireless signals may be interfered in long-distance or complex pipelines. Optical fiber communication or repeater technology can be used to ensure stable communication between the robot and the control center. By introducing machine learning algorithms, the robot can learn the characteristics of the pipeline environment, optimize its movement path and task execution strategy, and improve work efficiency. Lightweight materials such as carbon fiber or high-strength aluminum alloy can be considered to further reduce the weight of the robot and improve its movement speed and energy efficiency.

[0027] The two groups of moving parts are respectively connected to the head and tail sides of the steering mechanism 3 along the axial direction, and can be combined into a robot unit in a standard manner and continue to be spliced ​​when moving in the pipeline and turning.

[0028] A pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel provided in an embodiment of the present invention can operate in a small-diameter complex pipeline. It can adapt to the complex pipeline as the direction of the pipeline changes through a steering mechanism. It can walk in the pipeline by driving the Mecanum wheel to move through a driving mechanism. The brushless DC motor in the driving mechanism starts to drive the shaft gear to rotate, and indirectly drives the two Mecanum wheels to coaxially reverse at the same speed through the end gear transmission principle, so as to realize the flexible movement of the robot in the pipeline. The driving mechanism can ensure that it has better rigidity. When encountering a complex pipeline such as a blockage or obstacle in the pipeline, it can still walk and work normally. Compared with the traditional driving method of one motor driving one Mecanum wheel, the single motor in the present invention drives the shaft gear to rotate, and the brushless DC motor in the driving mechanism drives the shaft gear to rotate, and indirectly drives the two Mecanum wheels to reverse at the same speed through the end gear transmission principle, so as to realize the flexible movement of the robot in the pipeline. A motor drives two Mecanum wheels, making the robot more compact. While ensuring the motor torque output, the robot's axial size along the pipeline is effectively shortened, making it adaptable to complex and narrow congested pipelines. The two rotating Mecanum wheels are designed on the same axis, so that the two Mecanum wheels can offset each other's torque on the axis, which not only reduces the load on the axis, but also prevents the motor compartment and the steering mechanism from rotating relative to the inner wall of the pipeline. The combination of rigidity and flexibility is achieved through the moving parts and the steering mechanism, ensuring that the robot can turn while having the corresponding load-bearing capacity. If a working device needs to be loaded on the robot, the coaxial reversing mechanism can ensure the stability of the working device's feeding and ensure that it can operate. By replacing or adding modules, the robot can expand its functions, such as adding a camera module for visual inspection inside the pipeline, installing a robotic arm module for clearing blockages in the pipeline or performing simple repairs, and carrying a gas sensor module for detecting the concentration of harmful gases in the pipeline.

[0029] refer to Figures 7 to 10 , Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a diameter-changing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the invention, Figure 8 An exploded view of a diameter-changing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of a B-type variable diameter unit provided in an embodiment of the invention, Fig.10A schematic diagram of the structure of the A-type variable diameter unit provided in the embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. Figures 7 to 10 As shown, each Mecanum wheel 2 includes a plurality of diameter-changing units 202 in an annular array, each of which can move independently to realize the overall diameter-changing function of the Mecanum wheel 2. The number of diameter-changing units 202 depends on the size and design requirements of the Mecanum wheel 2. Generally, the more diameter-changing units 202 there are, the higher the diameter-changing accuracy and adaptability of the Mecanum wheel 2 are, but the complexity of the structure will also be increased. The moving parts also include a diameter-changing mechanism that drives the diameter-changing unit 202 to move toward or away from the center of the Mecanum wheel 2. Each diameter-changing unit 202 includes two parallel Mecanum rollers 209 and an A-type support frame 210 and a B-type support frame 208 connected to both sides of the Mecanum roller 209. The A-type support frame 210 and the B-type support frame 208 are arranged in a centrally symmetrical manner. The Mecanum roller 209 is the part of the Mecanum wheel 2 that directly contacts the inner wall of the pipe, and is usually made of a highly wear-resistant material (such as polyurethane or rubber) to increase friction and reduce wear. The A-type support frame 210 is a support frame 210 that is connected to the inner wall of the pipe. 0 is arranged symmetrically with the B-type support frame 208 to form a stable support structure, ensuring that the wheat wheel roller 209 can remain parallel during movement. The A-type support frame 210 and the B-type support frame 208 are usually made of lightweight and high-strength materials (such as aluminum alloy or carbon fiber) to reduce the overall weight and improve the rigidity of the structure. The design of the support frame may include reinforcing ribs or hollow structures to further optimize its mechanical properties. The symmetrical design of the A-type support frame 210 and the B-type support frame 208 ensures the stability of the wheat wheel roller 209 during movement and reduces the possibility of vibration and offset. The variable diameter mechanism is the core component that drives the variable diameter unit 202 to move, and usually includes the following components: drive motor: used to provide power, which can be a stepper motor, servo motor or brushless DC motor, transmission mechanism: such as a screw, gear set or connecting rod mechanism, used to convert the rotational motion of the motor into linear movement of the variable diameter unit, and guide device: such as a guide rail or slide groove, used to ensure that the variable diameter unit remains stable during movement. Diameter changing process: When the diameter changing mechanism receives the control signal, the drive motor drives the diameter changing unit 202 to move closer to or away from the center of the Mecanum wheel 2 through the transmission mechanism. This process can dynamically adjust the diameter of the Mecanum wheel 2 to adapt to pipes of different sizes. Diameter changing accuracy and control: The diameter changing mechanism may be equipped with a high-precision sensor (such as a photoelectric encoder or a linear displacement sensor) to monitor the position of the diameter changing unit 202 in real time and feed the data back to the control system to achieve precise diameter adjustment.

[0030] In order to adapt to the movement in the pipeline, the hub of the Mecanum wheel 2 is redesigned in the driving mechanism 1. The face gear 105 is combined with the hub of the Mecanum wheel 2 through the fixed disk 201. In order to realize the movement in the vertical pipeline, a diameter-changing mechanism is designed for the Mecanum wheel 2. The complete Mecanum wheel 2 hub is symmetrically divided into multiple diameter-changing units 202. The diameter-changing mechanism can drive the diameter-changing units 202 to move to realize the active diameter change of the Mecanum wheel 2, increase the friction of the Mecanum wheel 2 in the vertical pipeline, and in the complex pipeline with bends, branches or diameter changes, the diameter-changing function of the Mecanum wheel 2 can help the robot better adapt to the changes in the geometric shape of the pipeline.

[0031] Reference again Figure 8 Each set of variable diameter mechanism includes a slide bar 206 fixedly connected to the A-type support frame 210 and the B-type support frame 208, and a push-pull assembly that drives the slide bar 206 to move closer to or away from the center of the Mecanum wheel 2. The variable diameter unit 202 is provided with a through hole whose aperture is closely matched with the outer diameter of the slide bar 206. It should be understood that the slide bar 206 is one of the core components of the variable diameter mechanism, fixedly connected to the A-type support frame 210 and the B-type support frame 208. The slide bar 206 is usually made of high-strength material (such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy) and has good rigidity and wear resistance. The main function of the slide bar 206 is to support the variable diameter unit 202 and ensure that it remains stable during movement. The length and number of the slide bars 206 depend on the size and design requirements of the Mecanum wheel 2. The push-pull assembly is a key component for driving the slide bar to move, and generally includes the following parts: a drive motor: provides power, which may be a stepper motor, a servo motor or a brushless DC motor; a transmission mechanism: such as a lead screw, a gear set or a connecting rod mechanism, which is used to convert the rotational motion of the motor into the linear movement of the slide bar 206. When the push-pull assembly receives a control signal, the drive motor drives the slide bar 206 to move toward or away from the center of the Mecanum wheel 2 through the transmission mechanism. The movement of the slide bar 206 will drive the A-type support frame and the B-type support frame to move synchronously, thereby adjusting the position of the Mecanum wheel roller 209 to achieve diameter change.

[0032] In this embodiment, refer again to Figures 7 to 10The push-pull assembly includes: a fixed disc 201 and a fixed sleeve 203 connected to both sides of the Mecanum wheel 2, the fixed disc 201 is fixedly connected to the end face gear 105, and the corresponding positions of the fixed disc 201 and the fixed sleeve 203 are provided with linear slide grooves distributed symmetrically along their radial directions; a movable disc 204 is rotatably connected to the side of the fixed sleeve 203 away from the Mecanum wheel 2, and the corresponding position of the movable disc 204 is provided with arc-shaped slide grooves distributed symmetrically along its radial directions; a servo motor 205 is fixedly connected to the fixed sleeve 203, the output shaft of the servo motor 205 is fixed to the movable disc 204, the slide rod 206 passes through the A-type support frame 210 and the B-type support frame 208, and the servo motor 205 is fixed by a nut so as to be embedded in the fixed sleeve 2 03, the moving disc 204 is fixed to the other end face of the servo motor 205 by a nut to ensure that the servo motor 205 can drive the moving disc 204 to rotate relative to the fixed sleeve 203, the fixed disc 201 and the reducer unit 202 with the motor axis as the center. The two ends of the slide bar 206 are correspondingly connected to the linear slide groove and the arc slide groove. The processing accuracy of the linear slide groove and the arc slide groove directly affects the working performance of the push-pull component. The slide groove is usually processed by high-precision CNC machine tools to ensure its smooth contour and precise size. The surface of the slide groove may be hardened or coated with a wear-resistant coating to reduce the friction and wear of the slide rod during movement. The selection of the servo motor needs to consider its torque, speed and control accuracy. Usually, a low-speed, high-torque servo motor is selected to meet the power requirements of the push-pull component. The control signal of the servo motor is sent by the robot's main control system, and the precise adjustment of the slide rod position is achieved through a closed-loop control algorithm.

[0033] The brushless DC motor 107 in the driving mechanism 1 starts to drive the shaft gear 108 to rotate, and indirectly drives the two Mecanum wheels 2 to coaxially and uniformly reverse through the transmission principle of the end gear 105. When the two Mecanum wheels 2 reverse, the Mecanum rollers 209 of the reducer unit 202 thereon are driven to reverse. According to the transverse movement characteristic of the Mecanum wheels, the driving mechanism 1 drives the two reducer mechanisms installed with the A-type support frame 210 and the B-type support frame 208 to coaxially reverse, and can drive the robot to move forward and backward in the pipeline. The slide bar 206 passes through the arc groove of the movable disc 204, the linear groove of the fixed sleeve 203, the through hole of the reducer unit 202 and the linear groove of the fixed disc 201 in sequence, and is finally fixed by the locking screw 207 so that the fixed sleeve 203, the reducer unit 202 and the fixed disc 201 do not rotate relative to each other. When the movable disc 204 rotates, the arc groove of the movable disc 204 pushes the side of the slide bar 206 to make it slide, but since it is constrained by the linear grooves of the fixed sleeve 203 and the fixed disc 201 during the sliding process, the slide bar 206 only slides along the linear groove. The end face gear 105 in the driving mechanism 1 has radially circumferentially distributed keys that cooperate with the keyways on the fixed disc 201 and the fixed sleeve 204 in the reducer mechanism. There are multiple square keys on the side of the end face gear 105, which are respectively embedded in multiple square holes on the side of the fixed disc 201 and fixed by welding.

[0034] Compared with the common screw motor driven diameter reduction, it does not need to install a screw and related connecting rod mechanism placed along the axial direction of the pipeline, thereby reducing the axial size of the robot and making the overall structure of the robot more compact. The servo motor 205 of the diameter reduction mechanism is at the center of the moving disc 204, and the overall structure is centrally symmetrical. Compared with the diameter reduction method through radial support, its structure is simpler, and the synchronization of the diameter reduction driving unit is good. There is no need to install a driving element separately for each diameter reduction unit, so that it can better adapt to complex and narrow pipelines, and also provides a basis for carrying other working units.

[0035] In the embodiment of the present invention, reference Fig.11 Each Mecanum wheel 2 includes four diameter-changing units 202 which are symmetrical with each other. There are four linear slide grooves on the corresponding fixed disk 201 and the fixed sleeve 203, and four arc-shaped slide grooves on the movable disk 204. The movable disk 204, the servo motor 205, the fixed sleeve 203, and the fixed disk 201 are coaxially distributed in sequence along the axis of the servo motor 205. When the servo motor 205 drives the movable disk 204 to rotate relative to the fixed sleeve 203, the fixed disk 201, and the diameter-changing unit 202 around the motor axis, the four slide bars 206 and the four diameter-changing units 202 respectively fixed thereto slide back and forth in the radial direction of the fixed disk 201 in the linear slide grooves of the fixed disk 201 and the fixed sleeve 203 under the drive of the four arc-shaped grooves of the movable disk 204. According to this principle, the active diameter change of the Mecanum wheel 2 can be realized by distributing four diameter-changing units along the circumferential direction.

[0036] For details, please refer to Figure 6 The motor bin 104 is cylindrical as a whole, and a fixing groove is opened in the middle of the motor bin 104. The brushless DC motor 107 is fixed in the fixing groove, and the output shaft of the brushless DC motor 107 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the motor bin 104. The end gear 105 is rotatably sleeved on the motor bin 104. The motor bin 104 is designed to be cylindrical as a whole, which can serve as a supporting structure of the brushless DC motor 107 and can also be used as a connecting shaft to connect the end gear 105, thereby further reducing the weight of the robot.

[0037] refer to Fig.12 and Fig.13 , Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the structure of a steering mechanism provided by an embodiment of the invention, Fig.13 An exploded view of a steering mechanism provided by an embodiment of the invention, such as Fig.12 and Fig.13 As shown, the steering mechanism 3 includes: a corrugated airbag 301 and an inflation and deflation component. The contraction and expansion of the corrugated airbag 301 can be controlled by an external air pump and a reversing valve to indirectly control the robot to turn within a certain angle in the pipeline. The corrugated airbag 301 has a plurality of independent chambers distributed along its circumference. The two ends of the corrugated airbag 301 are respectively connected to the moving parts, and the inflation and deflation components are respectively connected to each independent chamber to inflate and deflate the independent chamber. The corrugated airbag 301 consists of three airbags of the same structure, i.e., independent chambers, which are bonded along the circumference. The bonding surfaces are bonded with special glue, which ensures flexible micro-steering capability while also occupying a small radial size. The inner ring of the bidirectional thrust tapered roller bearing 303 of the steering mechanism 3 is interference-connected with the moving disc 204 of the reducer to ensure that the steering mechanism 3 and the reducer do not rotate synchronously. The sealing connector 302 of the steering mechanism 3 and the connecting nut 101 of the driving mechanism 1 are connected by an embedded pin. The corrugated airbag 301 has three independent air cavities, and the sealing connector 302 can be controlled to bend along the axial direction of the pipeline by controlling the contraction or expansion of the air cavities through sequential inflation and deflation. When the robot turns, the independent inflation and deflation of the three independent air cavities of the corrugated airbag 301 is controlled by the reversing valve. When one air cavity is exhausted and the other two air cavities are inflated, the expansion of the inflation cavity and the contraction of the exhaust cavity will cause the corrugated airbag 301 to bend toward the exhaust cavity side, thereby using the deformation force of the corrugated airbag 301 to lift and push the reducer of the drive mechanism 1 connected to it that needs to turn through the curve.

[0038] Obstacle crossing: The steering mechanism 3 can control the independent inflation and deflation of the three independent air chambers of the corrugated airbag 301 through an external air pump and a reversing valve. When one air chamber is exhausted and the other two air chambers are inflated, the expansion of the inflation chamber and the contraction of the exhaust chamber will cause the corrugated airbag 301 to bend toward the exhaust chamber side, thereby driving the robot to turn within a certain angle or shrink and stretch as a whole in the pipeline through the deformation force of the corrugated airbag 301. The expansion or contraction of the corrugated airbag itself will push or pull the adjacent driving mechanism 1 and the reducing mechanism to move passively in the pipeline. When the corrugated airbag bends, it will lift the adjacent driving mechanism 1 and the reducing mechanism. When encountering an obstacle, the two sections of the corrugated airbag will lift the adjacent driving mechanism 1 and the reducing mechanism in sequence. At the same time, the reducing mechanism shrinks and the diameter becomes smaller until the original diameter is restored after crossing the obstacle.

[0039] Turning and turning: The steering mechanism 3 can indirectly control the robot to turn within a certain angle or shrink and stretch as a whole in the pipeline by controlling the contraction and expansion of the bellows through an external air pump and a reversing valve, so that the robot can be controlled to turn at a certain angle. The expansion or contraction of the bellows airbag itself will push or pull the adjacent drive mechanism 1 and the reducer to move passively in the pipeline. When the bellows airbag bends, it will lift the adjacent drive mechanism 1 and the reducer. When entering a curve, the bellows bends and lifts the drive mechanism 1 and the reducer of the previous section, causing them to rotate to a corresponding angle, and then the bellows airbag stretches to push it through the curve, and then the reducer of the previous section increases its diameter and tightens with the inner wall of the pipeline to increase friction, and the bellows will shrink to pull the next section of the drive mechanism 1 and the reducer into the pipeline. The above process is repeated to achieve the robot's turning and turning in the pipeline.

[0040] Due to the different diameters of the inner walls of pipes in engineering applications, it is better to modify the McReels with different diameters rather than using McReels of different diameters. The cam principle and iris mechanism used in the McReels enable a single McReel to achieve diameter change. Because a single McReel is driven by a servo motor, each McReel can control the diameter change size individually. With the centrally placed corrugated airbag, the McReel can cooperate with the airbag to inflate and deflate to achieve the functions of active obstacle crossing and active cornering in the pipeline. The software structure of the steering mechanism 3 increases the flexibility of the robot in the curved pipe.

[0041] Specifically, the two ends of the corrugated airbag 301 are respectively connected to sealing connectors 302, which clamp the head and tail ends of the corrugated airbag 301 radially and are fixed by bolts. The bidirectional thrust tapered roller bearing 303 is divided into two, which are respectively embedded in the grooves on the sealing connector 302, so as to realize the sealing connection between the corrugated airbag 301 and the moving disc 204 while ensuring relative rotation.

[0042] Optionally, multiple working units are connected via corrugated airbags 301 .

[0043] Optionally, the inflation and deflation assembly is connected to each independent chamber via an air pipe 106 , the air pipe 106 passes through the end gear 105 , the corrugated airbag 301 in the steering mechanism 3 is sealedly connected to the air pipe 106 , and the corrugated airbag 301 is inflated and deflated via the air pipe 106 .

[0044] The Mecanum wheel-driven pipeline robot provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects: Fully automated control operations can be achieved. The brushless DC motor in the drive mechanism is controlled by remote cables to control the robot to move forward, backward and remain stationary. The air pressure reversing valve is used to inflate and deflate the centrally placed corrugated airbag through the air pipe to control its contraction and bending direction. The rotation angle of the servo motor in the variable diameter mechanism is controlled by remote cables to indirectly control the diameter of each wheat wheel, ensuring that the robot head is at the optimal working angle.

[0045] like Fig.14 As shown, since two driving mechanisms, a steering mechanism and four Mecanum wheels are used as a standard combination, the entire robot is symmetrical head to tail, so the standard combination can be further spliced ​​into a robot unit to enter a deeper pipeline, and the robot formed by the connectable unit 5 can operate in the pipeline 4. It can change the diameter autonomously to adapt to different pipe diameters, which can reduce the health cost, engineering cost and labor cost of manual cleaning, reduce the accident rate, and improve production efficiency.

[0046] The above inventions are only several specific embodiments of the present invention. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. Any changes that can be conceived by those skilled in the art should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pipeline robot driven by a Mecanum wheel, characterized in that: The invention comprises a working unit, wherein the working unit comprises: a steering mechanism (3) and two groups of moving parts connected to the front and rear ends of the steering mechanism (3), wherein the steering mechanism (3) drives the moving parts to turn, and each group of the moving parts comprises a driving mechanism (1) and two Mecanum wheels (2) connected thereto; wherein: The driving mechanism (1) comprises: a brushless DC motor (107), a shaft gear (108) and two end face gears (105); the brushless DC motor (107) is fixed in a motor compartment (104); the shaft gear (108) is fixedly connected to an output shaft of the brushless DC motor (107); the two end face gears (105) are rotatably connected to the motor compartment (104) and are located on both sides of the shaft gear (108); the end face gears (105) are meshed with the shaft gear (108); The two Mecanum wheels (2) are connected to the end face gear (105) in a one-to-one correspondence, and the two Mecanum wheels (2) are distributed on both sides of the shaft gear (108) in a mirror-image manner.

2. The Mecanum wheel driven pipeline robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the Mecanum wheels (2) comprises a plurality of diameter-changing units (202) in an annular array, the moving component further comprising a diameter-changing mechanism for driving the diameter-changing units (202) to move towards or away from the center of the Mecanum wheel (2), each of the diameter-changing units (202) comprising two parallel Mecanum wheel rollers (209) and an A-type support frame (210) and a B-type support frame (208) connected to both sides of the Mecanum wheel rollers (209), the A-type support frame (210) and the B-type support frame (208) being arranged in a centrally symmetrical manner.

3. The Mecanum wheel driven pipeline robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each set of the diameter-changing mechanisms comprises a slide bar (206) fixedly connected to the A-type support frame (210) and the B-type support frame (208), and a push-pull assembly that drives the slide bar (206) to move toward or away from the center of the Mecanum wheel (2).

4. The Mecanum wheel driven pipeline robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The push-pull assembly comprises: A fixed disc (201) and a fixed sleeve (203) connected to both sides of the Mecanum wheel (2), the fixed disc (201) being fixedly connected to the end face gear (105), and linear slide grooves in a circular array along their radial direction are provided at corresponding positions of the fixed disc (201) and the fixed sleeve (203); A movable disc (204) is rotatably connected to a side of the fixed sleeve (203) away from the Mecanum wheel (2), and a corresponding position of the movable disc (204) is provided with arc-shaped sliding grooves in a circular array along its radial direction; The servo motor (205) is fixedly connected to the fixed sleeve (203), the output shaft of the servo motor (205) is fixed to the movable disc (204), the sliding rod (206) passes through the A-type support frame (210) and the B-type support frame (208), and the two ends of the sliding rod (206) are correspondingly slidably connected to the linear sliding groove and the arc sliding groove.

5. The Mecanum wheel driven pipeline robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: Each of the Mecanum wheels (2) comprises four diameter-changing units (202) which are centrally symmetrical, and the corresponding linear slide grooves on the fixed disc (201) and the fixed sleeve (203), and the arc-shaped slide grooves on the movable disc (204) are four each.

6. The Mecanum wheel driven pipeline robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motor bin (104) is cylindrical in shape as a whole, a fixing groove is provided in the middle of the motor bin (104), the brushless DC motor (107) is fixed in the fixing groove, and the output shaft of the brushless DC motor (107) is perpendicular to the extension of the motor bin (104), and the end face gear (105) is rotatably sleeved on the motor bin (104).

7. The Mecanum wheel driven pipeline robot according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The steering mechanism (3) comprises: A corrugated airbag (301) has a plurality of independent chambers distributed along its circumference, and both ends of the corrugated airbag (301) are respectively connected to the moving parts; The inflation and deflation components are respectively connected to each of the independent chambers to inflate and deflate the independent chambers.

8. The Mecanum wheel driven pipeline robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: Both ends of the corrugated airbag (301) are respectively connected to sealing connectors (302), and the sealing connectors (302) clamp the head and tail ends of the corrugated airbag (301) in the radial direction.

9. The Mecanum wheel driven pipeline robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The plurality of working units are connected via a corrugated airbag (301).

10. The Mecanum wheel driven pipeline robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The gas filling and deflation assembly is connected to each of the independent chambers via an air delivery pipe (106), and the air delivery pipe (106) passes through the end face gear (105).

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