Wall-attached type steering negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a wall-attached type steering negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot which is used for climbing on the surface of a cylinder, the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot comprises a connecting base, an adsorption mechanism, a driving mechanism and a walking wheel assembly, the adsorption mechanism comprises a wall-attached plate and an air suction component, and the air suction component is rotationally connected with the connecting base around a first rotating axis; a wall attaching plate is arranged on one side, in the first direction, of the connecting base and connected with the air suction component, the wall attaching plate and the air suction component jointly define a negative pressure adsorption channel, the surface, away from the connecting base, of the wall attaching plate is provided with a cylindrical attaching face, the cylindrical attaching face is used for being attached to the surface of a cylinder, and the wall attaching plate is a plate capable of being bent and deformed. The air suction component is used for sucking and removing at least part of air in the negative pressure adsorption channel so that the wall attaching plate can be adsorbed to the surface of the cylinder. By means of the cylinder attaching face and by means of bending deformation of the wall attaching plate, the wall attaching plate can adapt to the uneven change of the surface of the cylinder, and the reliability of negative pressure adsorption is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of robot technology, and in particular to a negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot with wall-adhering steering capability. Background Art

[0002] In modern construction and maintenance, the safety and structural integrity of bridges are of vital importance. However, bridge inspection and maintenance usually involve high-altitude operations and complex environments, which bring huge safety risks and operational difficulties to workers. In order to improve efficiency and reduce manual operations, wall-climbing robots came into being. These robots are able to move autonomously or semi-autonomously on vertical or inclined bridge surfaces to complete various inspection and maintenance tasks.

[0003] In the prior art, the adsorption devices of wall-climbing robots mainly include electrostatic adsorption, magnetic adsorption, negative pressure adsorption and bionic adsorption. The electrostatic adsorption device achieves the adsorption of the robot by generating electrostatic force. It can adsorb the surfaces of various materials and can adapt to a certain degree of surface roughness, but it is also very sensitive to environmental conditions, especially dust and humidity, which will significantly reduce its adsorption effect. The magnetic adsorption device uses magnetic force to adsorb the surface of ferromagnetic materials. This technology can provide a stable and fast-response adsorption force, but because it can only be used on the surface of ferromagnetic materials, its application is limited. The bionic adsorption device imitates the adsorption method of organisms in nature (such as geckos or octopuses), adopts special materials and structural designs, significantly increases the adsorption contact area, and provides a strong adsorption force, but the bionic adsorption device is usually difficult to adapt to smooth surfaces, and the manufacturing process is complicated and the cost is high. Compared with the limitations of other adsorption solutions, the negative pressure adsorption device generates negative pressure in a sealed space to adsorb the robot to the surface. It is more suitable as an adsorption device for wall-climbing robots that need to operate in dusty, noisy, vibrating, or poor natural conditions for bridge inspection and maintenance.

[0004] The defect of the existing wall-climbing robot is that it can only be relatively effectively adsorbed on smooth surfaces and has high requirements for surface flatness. For bridge piers with cylindrical surfaces, the existing wall-climbing robot cannot provide sufficient adsorption force. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a wall-sticking steering negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot, which can improve the problem of insufficient adsorption force of existing negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robots on cylindrical surfaces.

[0006] The present application provides a wall-sticking steering negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot for crawling on the surface of a cylinder. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot comprises a connecting seat, an adsorption mechanism, a driving mechanism and a walking wheel assembly. The adsorption mechanism comprises a wall-sticking plate and an air suction component. The air suction component is rotatably connected to the connecting seat around a first rotation axis. A wall-sticking plate is provided on one side of the connecting seat along a first direction. The wall-sticking plate and the air suction component are connected. The wall-sticking plate and the air suction component jointly define a negative pressure adsorption channel. The surface of the wall-sticking plate facing away from the connecting seat has a cylindrical abutment surface. The cylindrical abutment surface is used to fit with the surface of the cylinder. The wall-sticking plate is A plate that can be bent and deformed, an air suction component is used to absorb at least part of the air in the negative pressure adsorption channel so that the wall-adhering plate is adsorbed on the surface of the cylinder, and walking wheel assemblies are respectively arranged on both sides of the connecting seat along the second direction, and each walking wheel assembly is individually connected to a driving mechanism, and the driving mechanism is used to drive the walking wheel assembly to rotate relative to the connecting seat so that part of the walking wheel assembly is attached to or separated from the surface of the cylinder, the extension direction of the first rotation axis is the same as the first direction, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the axis of the cylindrical abutment surface is respectively perpendicular to the first direction X and the second direction.

[0007] The wall-adhering plate has a cylindrical abutment surface, which can be applied to the surface of the cylinder to reduce the surface gap between the wall-adhering plate and the cylinder during the wall climbing process. At the same time, the wall-adhering plate is a plate that can bend and deform. During the adsorption process, the wall-adhering plate can produce a moving bending deformation to make the wall-adhering plate more closely attached to the surface of the cylinder, especially when the surface of the cylinder is uneven (rough bridge pier surface). The wall-adhering plate bends under negative pressure to adapt to the surface changes of the cylinder, and can reduce the amount of air entering between the wall-adhering plate and the cylinder to generate a stronger adsorption force, so that the wall-adhering plate can be more stably adsorbed on the surface of the cylinder, thereby improving the reliability of the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot crawling on the rough cylindrical surface.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present application, the air suction component includes a turntable, which is connected to the wall plate, and an annular groove is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the turntable, the axis of the annular groove coincides with the axis of the turntable, and the extension direction of the axis of the annular groove is the same as the first direction, the connecting seat is provided with a mounting hole, the inner wall of the mounting hole is provided with an annular protrusion, the axis of the annular protrusion coincides with the axis of the mounting hole, the annular protrusion is located in the annular groove, and the turntable can rotate relative to the connecting seat, and the wall plate and the turntable are connected.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present application, the walking wheel assembly includes a walking wheel, a mounting seat and a walking drive motor. The mounting seat is rotatably connected to the connecting seat. The mounting seat is installed with a walking drive motor. The motor shaft of the walking drive motor is drivingly connected to the walking wheel. The walking drive motor is used to drive the walking wheel to rotate. The driving mechanism is drivingly connected to the mounting seat. The driving mechanism is used to drive the mounting seat to rotate relative to the connecting seat so that the walking wheel abuts or separates from the surface of the cylinder.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present application, the walking wheel includes a wheel body and a buffer portion, the buffer portion is located on the outer peripheral surface of the wheel body and is arranged around the axis of the wheel body, the buffer portion is connected to the wheel body and is arranged around the outer peripheral surface of the wheel body, the interior of the buffer portion has a first cavity surrounding the wheel body and a plurality of second cavities extending along the axis of the wheel body, the plurality of second cavities are spaced and evenly arranged along the circumference of the wheel body, and the plurality of second cavities are connected to the first cavity to form a buffer cavity.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present application, the driving mechanism includes a movable part and an electric push rod, the movable part is slidably connected to the connecting seat along a first direction, the movable part has a guide groove extending along a second direction, the mounting seat has a limiting portion, the limiting portion is slidably connected to the guide groove along the second direction, and the limiting portion is spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the mounting seat relative to the connecting seat along the first direction, the electric push rod is drivingly connected to the movable part, and the electric push rod is used to drive the movable part to move relative to the connecting seat along the first direction.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present application, the air suction component also includes a turntable, which is rotatably connected to the connecting seat, and an air suction port is provided at the bottom of the turntable, and the wall plate is arranged around the air suction port. The robot also includes a seal, which is arranged between the wall plate and the turntable, and the seal is arranged around the air suction port. The seal is used to seal the gap between the connecting seat and the wall plate, and the seal, the wall plate and the air suction port jointly define a partial negative pressure air suction channel.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot also includes a support rod, an adjusting nut and a connecting rod, one end of the support rod is connected to the wall plate, the other end of the support rod is connected to the turntable, the axis of the support rod is perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical abutment surface, and the extension direction of the axis of the support rod is the same as the first direction, along the plane direction perpendicular to the axis of the support rod and the axis of the cylindrical abutment surface, two connecting rods are respectively provided on both sides of the support rod, and the four connecting rods are arranged in a rectangular array on the side of the wall plate facing the turntable, one end of the connecting rod is connected to the wall plate, the turntable is provided with a connecting hole, the other end of the connecting rod is inserted into the connecting hole, and the turntable is provided with adjusting nuts on both sides along the first direction, and the adjusting nuts are threadedly connected to the connecting rods.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the sealing member is an airbag surrounding the inhalation port, and the airbag is in a compressed state.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present application, the air suction component also includes a fan, and the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot also includes a controller and a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is arranged on the wall plate, and the pressure sensor is used to detect the pressure between the wall plate and the cylindrical surface. The fan is located on the side of the connecting seat away from the wall plate, and the air inlet of the fan is connected to the air suction port. The pressure sensor and the fan are respectively communicated with the controller. The controller is used to control the increase of the fan speed according to the pressure not reaching the preset pressure, and is used to control the fan to maintain the current speed according to the pressure reaching the preset pressure.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present application, the controller is communicatively connected to the electric push rod, and the controller is also used to control the thrust of the lifting mechanism according to the fan speed to control the pressure between the walking wheel and the surface of the cylinder.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present application, the edges of the wall-attached plate are connected to the abutment surface via arc surfaces; or, the edges of the wall-attached plate are chamfered to the abutment surface;

[0018] In some embodiments of the present application, a cleaning component is provided on at least one side of the connecting seat along the axial direction of the cylindrical abutment surface, and the cleaning component is used to clean dust on the surface of the cylinder.

[0019] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present application. Moreover, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to represent the same components. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 This is an axonometric diagram of a negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot from a first perspective according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A local enlarged view at location I;

[0023] Figure 3 An axonometric diagram of a negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot from a second perspective according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 4A partial cross-sectional view of a negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot in one embodiment of the present application, in which a support rod and a connecting rod are respectively connected to a wall-attaching plate and a turntable, and the cross-sectional plane passes through the axis of the support rod and the axis of the connecting rod;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of a walking wheel in a negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 6 for Figure 5 AA section view;

[0027] Figure 7 for Figure 6 BB cross-sectional view;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a structural block diagram of the connections among a controller, a drive mechanism, a fan, and a pressure sensor in a negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to one embodiment of the present application.

[0029] The reference numerals in the specific implementation manner are as follows:

[0030] 10. Connecting seat;

[0031] 20. adsorption mechanism; 21. wall-adhering plate; 211. cylindrical abutting surface; 22. air suction component; 221. rotating disk; 222. fan;

[0032] 40. Travel wheel assembly; 41. Travel wheel; 411. Wheel body; 412. Buffering part; 4121. Buffering cavity; 41211. First cavity; 41212. Second cavity; 42. Mounting seat; 421. Position limiting part; 43. Travel driving motor; 44. Buffering member; 441. Buffering cavity; 4411. First cavity; 4412. Second cavity;

[0033] 50. driving mechanism; 51. movable part; 511. guide groove; 52. electric push rod;

[0034] 60. sealing member; 70. supporting rod; 80. adjusting nut; 90. connecting rod; 100. controller; 110. pressure sensor; 120. negative pressure adsorption channel;

[0035] X, first direction; Y, second direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The following embodiments of the technical solution of the present application are described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application, and are therefore only used as examples, and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0037] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by technicians in the technical field to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0038] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is more than two, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0039] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0040] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there may be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0041] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "multiple" refers to more than two (including two). Similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two groups (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two pieces (including two pieces).

[0042] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0043] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0044] The present application provides a negative pressure adsorption wall climbing robot, such as Figure 1-Figure 8 As shown, the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot is used for crawling on the surface of a cylinder. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot includes a connecting seat 10, an adsorption mechanism 20, a driving mechanism 50 and a walking wheel assembly 40. The adsorption mechanism 20 includes a wall-attaching plate 21 and an air suction component 22. The air suction component 22 is rotatably connected to the connecting seat 10 around a first rotation axis. The connecting seat 10 is provided with a wall-attaching plate 21 on one side along a first direction X. The wall-attaching plate 21 and the air suction component 22 are connected. The wall-attaching plate 21 and the air suction component 22 jointly define a negative pressure adsorption channel 120. The surface of the wall-attaching plate 21 facing away from the connecting seat 10 has a cylindrical abutment surface 211. The cylindrical abutment surface 211 is used to fit with the surface of the cylinder. The wall-attaching plate 21 is a The bent and deformed plate, the air suction component 22 is used to absorb at least part of the air in the negative pressure adsorption channel 120 so that the wall-attached plate 21 is adsorbed on the surface of the cylinder, and the connecting seat 10 is respectively provided with walking wheel assemblies 40 on both sides along the second direction Y, and each walking wheel assembly 40 is individually connected to a driving mechanism 50, and the driving mechanism 50 is used to drive the walking wheel assembly 40 to rotate relative to the connecting seat 10 so that part of the walking wheel assembly 40 is attached to or separated from the surface of the cylinder, and the extension direction of the first rotation axis is the same as the first direction X, the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular, and the axis of the cylindrical abutment surface 211 is perpendicular to the first direction X and the second direction Y respectively.

[0045] The wall-attaching plate 21 can be made of a material with good elasticity and wear resistance to improve its fit with the surface of the cylinder and its service life, such as a nylon plate, a polytetrafluoro plate, a polyurethane plate or a PVC plate.

[0046] The connection between the wall plate 21 and the connection seat 10 includes but is not limited to screw connection, screw connection or clamping connection.

[0047] The driving mechanism 50 may be an electric push rod, a hydraulic push rod or a cylinder, etc. The specific selection may be made according to the usage scenario.

[0048] The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot can walk along the axial direction of the cylinder, or along the circumference of the cylinder. The axis of the walking wheel assembly 40 is perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical contact surface 211, and the driving mechanism 50 drives the walking wheel assembly 40 to contact the surface of the cylinder. When the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot walks along the circumference of the cylinder, and the walking wheel assemblies 40 on both sides of the connecting seat 10 rotate in opposite directions, the driving mechanism 50 drives the walking wheel assembly 40 to move toward the connecting seat 10, so that the walking wheel assembly 40 rotates 90° to change the walking direction. When walking along the circumference of the cylinder, the walking wheel assemblies 40 on both sides of the connecting seat 10 rotate in the same direction.

[0049] The wall plate 21 has a cylindrical abutment surface 211, which can be applied to the surface of the cylinder to reduce the surface gap between the wall plate 21 and the cylinder during the wall climbing process. At the same time, the wall plate 21 is a plate that can bend and deform. During the adsorption process, the wall plate 21 can produce a moving bending deformation to make the wall plate 21 more closely attached to the surface of the cylinder, especially when the surface of the cylinder is uneven (rough bridge pier surface). The wall plate 21 bends under negative pressure to adapt to the surface changes of the cylinder, and can reduce the amount of air entering between the wall plate 21 and the cylinder to generate a stronger adsorption force, so that the wall plate 21 can be more stably adsorbed on the surface of the cylinder, thereby improving the reliability of the negative pressure adsorption wall climbing robot crawling on the rough cylindrical surface.

[0050] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the air suction component 22 includes a turntable 221, which is connected to the wall plate 21. An annular groove is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the turntable 221. The axis of the annular groove coincides with the axis of the turntable 221, and the extension direction of the axis of the annular groove is the same as the first direction X. The connecting seat 10 is provided with a mounting hole, and the inner wall of the mounting hole is provided with an annular protrusion. The axis of the annular protrusion coincides with the axis of the mounting hole, the annular protrusion is located in the annular groove, and the turntable 221 can rotate relative to the connecting seat 10, and the wall plate 21 and the turntable 221 are connected.

[0051] As an example, the turntable 221 includes a circular plate and a pressure ring. The outer surface of the circular plate has a limiting protrusion surrounding its own axis. The circular plate and the pressure ring are detachably connected and are coaxially arranged. The circular plate and the pressure ring can be connected by screws or bolts. The protrusions and the pressure ring are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the circular plate and jointly define an annular groove. During installation, the limiting protrusion of the circular plate is first abutted against the annular protrusion of the connecting seat 10, and then the pressure ring is connected to the circular plate to limit the axial movement of the annular protrusion along the turntable 221.

[0052] Through the setting of the turntable 221, when the walking wheel assembly 40 turns, since the wall-adhering plate 21 is connected to the turntable 221, the wall-adhering plate 21 maintains adsorption with the cylinder. While maintaining the adsorption of the wall-adhering plate 21 with the cylinder, the turntable 221 and the connecting seat 10 can be rotated relative to each other to realize the turning action, so as to meet the walking of the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot in different directions and improve the flexibility of the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 As shown, the walking wheel assembly 40 includes a walking wheel 41, a mounting seat 42 and a walking drive motor 43. The mounting seat 42 is rotatably connected to the connecting seat 10. The walking drive motor 43 is installed on the mounting seat 42. The motor shaft of the walking drive motor 43 is drivingly connected to the walking wheel 41. The walking drive motor 43 is used to drive the walking wheel 41 to rotate. The driving mechanism 50 is drivingly connected to the mounting seat 42. The driving mechanism 50 is used to drive the mounting seat 42 to rotate relative to the connecting seat 10 so that the walking wheel 41 abuts against or separates from the surface of the cylinder.

[0054] By driving the walking wheel 41 to fit or separate from the surface of the cylinder through the driving mechanism 50, it can better adapt to cylinders of different diameters, thereby enhancing the adaptability of the crawling robot. By adjusting the force of the driving mechanism 50 acting on the walking wheel assembly 40, the pressure of the walking wheel 41 on the surface of the cylinder can be accurately adjusted, reducing the situation where adsorption failure caused by excessive pressure or slipping of the walking wheel 41 caused by insufficient pressure, thereby improving the stability and reliability of crawling.

[0055] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 5-Figure 7 As shown, the walking wheel 41 includes a wheel body 411 and a buffer portion 412, the buffer portion 412 is located on the outer peripheral surface of the wheel body 411 and is arranged around the axis of the wheel body 411, the buffer portion 412 is connected to the wheel body 411 and is arranged around the outer peripheral surface of the wheel body 411, the interior of the buffer portion 412 has a first cavity 41211 surrounding the wheel body 411 and a plurality of second cavities 41212 extending along the axis of the wheel body 411, the plurality of second cavities 41212 are spaced and evenly arranged along the circumference of the wheel body 411, and the plurality of second cavities 41212 are connected to the first cavity 41211 to form a buffer cavity 4121.

[0056] The buffer member 44 and the wheel body 411 may be integrally formed by injection molding, or may be fixed by bonding.

[0057] The buffer member 44 can be manufactured by injection molding or 3D printing.

[0058] The buffer member 44 may be made of elastic material such as polyurethane or rubber.

[0059] When the buffer 44 of the walking wheel 41 contacts the surface of the cylinder, the driving mechanism 50 can cause the buffer 44 to deform, which increases the contact area between the buffer 44 and the cylinder to reduce the probability of slipping during walking. When the thrust of the driving mechanism 50 is too large, the buffer 44 deforms to compress the buffer cavity 4121 to avoid rigid contact between the walking wheel 41 and the surface of the cylinder, thereby reducing the situation where the wheel body 411 has too large a thrust and causes adsorption failure, thereby improving the reliability of adsorption.

[0060] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 2 As shown, the driving mechanism 50 includes a movable member 51 and an electric push rod 52. The movable member 51 is slidably connected to the connecting seat 10 along the first direction X. The movable member 51 has a guide groove 511 extending along the second direction Y. The mounting seat 42 has a limiting portion 421. The limiting portion 421 is slidably connected to the guide groove 511 along the second direction Y, and the limiting portion 421 is spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the mounting seat 42 relative to the connecting seat 10 along the first direction X. The electric push rod 52 is drivingly connected to the movable member 51, and the electric push rod 52 is used to drive the movable member 51 to move relative to the connecting seat 10 along the first direction X.

[0061] The electric push rod 52 and the walking drive motor 43 can be respectively connected to the controller 100 for communication. The controller 100 can control the thrust of the electric push rod 52 to adjust the pressure between the walking wheel 41 and the surface of the cylinder, thereby preventing slipping during walking, and reducing the probability of adsorption failure of the crawling robot due to excessive thrust of the electric push rod 52, thereby improving the reliability of the crawling robot. The controller 100 can also control the walking drive motor 43 to rotate according to the received walking instruction.

[0062] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 3 As shown, an air intake port is provided at the bottom of the turntable 221, and the wall plate 21 is arranged around the air intake port. The robot also includes a seal 60, which is arranged between the wall plate 21 and the turntable 221. The seal 60 is arranged around the air intake port. The seal 60 is used to seal the gap between the connecting seat 10 and the wall plate 21. The seal 60, the wall plate 21 and the air intake port jointly define a partial negative pressure air intake channel.

[0063] The seal 60 may be a rubber or silicone member, one end of the seal 60 may be bonded to the connection seat 10, and the other end of the seal 60 may be bonded to the wall plate 21 to achieve a better sealing effect. In other embodiments, one end of the seal 60 may abut against the connection seat 10, and the other end of the seal 60 may abut against the wall plate 21, so that the seal 60 can be replaced in time when it is damaged.

[0064] The wall-attached plate 21 is provided with a suction port connected to the air inlet, and the suction port may be one or more. For example, the suction port may be a port with a larger area, or the suction port may be a plurality of ports with smaller areas and spaced apart. For example, when there are a plurality of suction ports, the suction ports may be arranged in a rectangular array.

[0065] The setting of the sealing member 60 can reduce the amount of external air entering the negative pressure suction channel, so that during the adsorption process of the wall plate 21, the negative pressure adsorption channel 120 can maintain a relatively stable negative pressure to ensure the adsorption effect.

[0066] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot also includes a support rod 70, an adjusting nut 80 and a connecting rod 90. One end of the support rod 70 is connected to the wall plate 21, and the other end of the support rod 70 is connected to the turntable 221. The axis of the support rod 70 is perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical abutment surface 211, and the extension direction of the axis of the support rod 70 is the same as the first direction X. Along the plane direction perpendicular to the axis of the support rod 70 and the axis of the cylindrical abutment surface 211, two connecting rods 90 are respectively provided on both sides of the support rod 70. The four connecting rods 90 are arranged in a rectangular array on the side of the wall plate 21 facing the turntable 221. One end of the connecting rod 90 is connected to the wall plate 21, and the turntable 221 is provided with a connecting hole. The other end of the connecting rod 90 is penetrated through the connecting hole. Adjusting nuts 80 are respectively provided on both sides of the turntable 221 along the first direction X, and the adjusting nuts 80 are threadedly connected to the connecting rod 90.

[0067] The support rod 70 and the connecting seat 10 can be connected by nuts, riveted or welded.

[0068] The connecting rod 90 and the wall plate 21 can be fixed by welding or clamping. For example, a clamping slot is provided on the side of the wall plate 21 facing the connecting seat 10, and one end of the connecting rod 90 is provided with a buckle or protrusion structure, and one end of the connecting rod 90 is clamped with the clamping slot.

[0069] By adjusting the nut 80, the position of the connecting rod 90 relative to the connecting seat 10 along the first direction X can be adjusted. Due to the support of the wall plate 21 by the support rod 70, the wall plate 21 can be bent and deformed to change the curvature of the cylindrical abutment surface 211, so that the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot can crawl cylinders of different diameters, thereby improving the applicability of the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot.

[0070] In some embodiments of the present application, the sealing member 60 is an air bag surrounding the inhalation port, and the air bag is in a compressed state.

[0071] The sealing member 60 is set to be an annular rubber airbag or a silicone airbag, and a proper amount of gas is injected into the airbag. During the sealing process, due to the tightening force of the adjusting nut 80, the airbag is compressed to reduce the gap between the wall plate 21 and the connecting seat 10 to seal, so as to reduce the leakage of the negative pressure adsorption channel 120 during the adsorption process and improve the reliability of adsorption; at the same time, when the curvature of the cylindrical abutment surface 211 is changed by adjusting the position of the connecting rod 90 relative to the connecting seat 10, the wall plate 21 will be bent and deformed, thereby changing the distance between the wall plate 21 and the connecting seat 10 along the first direction X to an unequal distance. It is difficult to seal using a conventional sealing ring, but the airbag is compressed and can be deformed, which can adapt to the change in distance during the adjustment process to play a better sealing role, thereby ensuring the effect of negative pressure adsorption and improving the reliability of adsorption. When the position of the connecting rod 90 and the connecting seat 10 is not adjustable, the sealing member 60 can also be a non-airbag special-shaped sealing ring.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 8 As shown, the air suction component 22 also includes a fan 222, and the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot also includes a controller 100 and a pressure sensor 110. The pressure sensor 110 is arranged on the wall plate 21. The pressure sensor 110 is used to detect the pressure between the wall plate 21 and the cylindrical surface. The fan 222 is located on the side of the connecting seat 10 away from the wall plate 21. The air inlet of the fan 222 is connected to the air suction port. The pressure sensor 110 and the fan 222 are respectively communicated with the controller 100. The controller 100 is used to control the increase of the rotation speed of the fan 222 according to the pressure not reaching the preset pressure, and is used to control the fan 222 to maintain the current rotation speed according to the pressure reaching the preset pressure.

[0073] In one example, the adsorption mechanism 20 may be composed of a cover body, an impeller and a motor. The impeller is driven to rotate by the motor to realize the flow of air. The cover body sets the impeller cover on the connecting seat 10, and the cover body is provided with an exhaust port.

[0074] When the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot is stationary, the controller 100 controls the rotation speed of the fan 222 to be not lower than the first preset rotation speed. When the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot is walking, the controller 100 controls the rotation speed of the fan 222 to be not lower than the second preset rotation speed, and the second preset rotation speed is greater than the first preset rotation speed.

[0075] The pressure sensor 110 may be disposed inside the wall-attached plate 21, and the wall-attached plate 21 may be made of a composite plate by bonding or integral injection molding. The pressure sensor 110 may be a thin film pressure sensor or a piezoelectric pressure sensor.

[0076] Therefore, according to the specific use environment, the pressure between the wall plate 21 and the cylindrical surface can be adjusted by controlling the rotation speed of the fan 222, so that the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot can adjust the rotation speed of the fan 222 in real time according to the actual crawling environment during the crawling process, so as to have sufficient adsorption force on the cylindrical surface that is not flat (such as local protrusions), so that the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot can stably adsorb on the surface of the cylinder, such as a cylindrical bridge pier with protrusions or indentations on the surface.

[0077] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 7 As shown, the controller 100 is in communication connection with the electric push rod 52 , and the controller 100 is also used to control the thrust of the electric push rod 52 according to the rotation speed of the fan 222 to control the pressure between the walking wheel 41 and the surface of the cylinder.

[0078] During walking, the controller 100 controls the thrust of the electric push rod 52 according to the rotation speed of the fan 222 to control the pressure between the walking wheel 41 and the surface of the cylinder. Specifically, after the controller 100 controls the rotation speed of the fan 222 to be not lower than the second preset rotation speed, the controller 100 controls the electric push rod 52 to increase the thrust accordingly to increase the pressure between the walking wheel 41 and the surface of the cylinder, thereby increasing the friction between the walking wheel 41 and the surface of the cylinder, preventing the walking wheel 41 from slipping, and preventing the adsorption failure caused by too small adsorption force. When the negative pressure adsorption wall climbing robot stops walking, the controller 100 controls the electric push rod 52 to reduce the pressure between the walking wheel 41 and the surface of the cylinder, and then controls to reduce the rotation speed of the fan 222, but the rotation speed of the fan 222 is not lower than the first preset rotation speed.

[0079] In some embodiments of the present application, the edges of the wall-attached plate 21 are connected to the abutment surface via arc surfaces; or, the edges of the wall-attached plate 21 are chamfered to the abutment surface.

[0080] The side refers to the peripheral edge portion of the wall-adhering plate 21 adjacent to the cylindrical abutting surface 211 .

[0081] The arc surface or chamfer can better adapt to the subtle uneven changes on the surface of the cylinder, so that the wall plate 21 can move across the uneven surface of the cylinder, making the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot move more smoothly and reducing the possibility of the wall plate 21 being stuck; at the same time, since the wall plate 21 is a plate that can bend and deform, when the wall plate 21 passes over the uneven surface of the cylinder, it can bend and deform to use the surface of the cylinder, thereby improving the reliability of adsorption.

[0082] In some embodiments of the present application, along the axial direction of the cylindrical abutment surface 211 , at least one side of the connecting seat 10 is provided with a cleaning component, and the cleaning component is used to clean dust on the surface of the cylinder.

[0083] The cleaning component can be a cleaning brush or a cleaning sponge, etc. The cleaning component can be fixed to the side of the wall plate 21 away from the fan 222 by screw connection or bonding.

[0084] When the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot is walking, a cleaning component can be set at the front end of the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot to clear the dust on the surface of the cylinder, so that the wall plate 21 can be more closely attached to the surface of the cylinder, thereby reducing air leakage during the adsorption process and making the adsorption more reliable.

[0085] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and they should all be included in the scope of the claims and specification of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any way. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions that fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wall-adhering, steering, negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot, the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot is used to crawl on the surface of a cylinder, characterized in that: The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot comprises a connecting seat, an adsorption mechanism, a driving mechanism and a walking wheel assembly, the adsorption mechanism comprises a wall-attaching plate and an air suction component, the air suction component is rotatably connected to the connecting seat around a first rotation axis, the connecting seat is provided with the wall-attaching plate on one side along the first direction, the wall-attaching plate and the air suction component are connected, the wall-attaching plate and the air suction component jointly define a negative pressure adsorption channel, the surface of the wall-attaching plate facing away from the connecting seat has a cylindrical abutment surface, the cylindrical abutment surface is used to fit with the surface of the cylinder, the wall-attaching plate is a plate that can be bent and deformed, and the air suction component is used to transfer the negative pressure At least part of the air in the adsorption channel is sucked away so that the wall plate is adsorbed on the surface of the cylinder. The walking wheel assemblies are respectively arranged on both sides of the connecting seat along the second direction. Each of the walking wheel assemblies is individually connected to a driving mechanism. The driving mechanism is used to drive the walking wheel assembly to rotate relative to the connecting seat so that part of the walking wheel assembly is attached to or separated from the surface of the cylinder. The extension direction of the first rotation axis is the same as the first direction, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the axis of the cylindrical abutment surface is respectively perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

2. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air suction component includes a turntable, which is connected to the wall plate, and an annular groove is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the turntable, the axis of the annular groove coincides with the axis of the turntable, and the extension direction of the axis of the annular groove is the same as the first direction, the connecting seat is provided with a mounting hole, the inner wall of the mounting hole is provided with an annular protrusion, the axis of the annular protrusion coincides with the axis of the mounting hole, the annular protrusion is located in the annular groove, and the turntable can rotate relative to the connecting seat, and the wall plate is connected to the turntable.

3. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The walking wheel assembly includes a walking wheel, a mounting seat and a walking drive motor. The mounting seat is rotatably connected to the connecting seat. The walking drive motor is installed on the mounting seat. The motor shaft of the walking drive motor is drivingly connected to the walking wheel. The walking drive motor is used to drive the walking wheel to rotate. The driving mechanism is drivingly connected to the mounting seat. The driving mechanism is used to drive the mounting seat to rotate relative to the connecting seat so that the walking wheel abuts or separates from the surface of the cylinder.

4. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The walking wheel includes a wheel body and a buffer portion, wherein the buffer portion is located on the outer peripheral surface of the wheel body and is arranged around the axis of the wheel body, the buffer portion is connected to the wheel body and is arranged around the outer peripheral surface of the wheel body, the interior of the buffer portion has a first cavity surrounding the wheel body and a plurality of second cavities extending along the axis of the wheel body, the plurality of second cavities are spaced and evenly arranged along the circumference of the wheel body, and the plurality of second cavities are connected to the first cavity to form a buffer cavity.

5. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The driving mechanism includes a movable part and an electric push rod, the movable part is slidably connected to the connecting seat along the first direction, the movable part has a guide groove extending along the second direction, the mounting seat has a limiting portion, the limiting portion is slidably connected to the guide groove along the second direction, and the limiting portion is spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the mounting seat relative to the connecting seat along the first direction, the electric push rod is drivingly connected to the movable part, and the electric push rod is used to drive the movable part to move relative to the connecting seat along the first direction.

6. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The air suction component also includes a turntable, which is rotatably connected to the connecting seat, and an air suction port is provided at the bottom of the turntable, and the wall-attached plate is arranged around the air suction port. The robot also includes a seal, which is arranged between the wall-attached plate and the turntable, and is arranged around the air suction port. The seal is used to seal the gap between the connecting seat and the wall-attached plate. The seal, the wall-attached plate and the air suction port jointly define a portion of the negative pressure air suction channel.

7. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot also includes a support rod, an adjusting nut and a connecting rod, one end of the support rod is connected to the wall plate, and the other end of the support rod is connected to the turntable, the axis of the support rod is perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical abutment surface, and the extension direction of the axis of the support rod is the same as the first direction, along the plane direction perpendicular to the axis of the support rod and the axis of the cylindrical abutment surface, two connecting rods are respectively provided on both sides of the support rod, and four connecting rods are arranged in a rectangular array on the side of the wall plate facing the turntable, one end of the connecting rod is connected to the wall plate, and the turntable is provided with a connecting hole, and the other end of the connecting rod is penetrated into the connecting hole, and the adjusting nuts are respectively provided on both sides of the turntable along the first direction, and the adjusting nuts are threadedly connected to the connecting rods.

8. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The sealing member is an air bag surrounding the air inlet, and the air bag is in a compressed state.

9. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The air suction component also includes a fan, and the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot also includes a controller and a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is arranged on the wall plate, and the pressure sensor is used to detect the pressure between the wall plate and the cylindrical surface. The fan is located on the side of the connecting seat away from the wall plate, and the air inlet of the fan is connected to the air suction port. The pressure sensor and the fan are respectively communicated with the controller. The controller is used to control the increase of the fan speed according to the pressure not reaching the preset pressure, and is used to control the fan to maintain the current speed according to the pressure reaching the preset pressure.

10. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: The controller is in communication connection with the electric push rod, and the controller is also used to control the thrust of the electric push rod according to the rotation speed of the fan, so as to control the pressure between the walking wheel and the surface of the cylinder.

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