Underwater propeller carrying functional manipulator and application of underwater propeller

Abstract

The invention discloses an underwater propeller carrying a functional manipulator and application of the underwater propeller. The underwater propeller comprises a propelling mechanism and a grabbing mechanism. The propelling mechanism comprises a flow guide cover, and a mounting frame is fixedly arranged on the outer side wall face of the flow guide cover. A propeller assembly and a driving assembly for driving the propeller assembly to rotate are arranged in the flow guide cover; the propeller assembly and the grabbing mechanism are connected through a speed reducer, and the propeller assembly serves as one of power sources of the grabbing mechanism. According to the underwater propeller carrying the functional manipulator and the application of the underwater propeller, the driving assembly drives the propeller and the transmission shaft to rotate together, then the six-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm is connected with the transmission shaft, and then power on the transmission shaft is transmitted to the six-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm through the speed reducer; the transmission shaft is used as one of power sources of the six-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm, power consumption is reduced, and energy is saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of underwater propellers, and in particular to an underwater propeller equipped with a functional manipulator and applications thereof. Background Art

[0002] In the field of underwater environmental resource exploitation, the development of underwater propulsion technology is of vital importance. Underwater propulsion mainly provides power for AUV and ROV, and is an important guarantee for achieving endurance in underwater environment. Land resources are increasingly scarce, and the acquisition of seabed oil and gas, minerals, marine energy and other biological resources in underwater resource exploitation is very important. The existing types of propulsion mainly include: propeller propulsion, water flow propulsion, water jet propulsion, turbine propulsion, magnetic propulsion, fin propulsion, hydraulic propulsion and sonic propulsion, etc. Most of the existing propulsion devices mainly realize functional propulsion and have no additional functions. When encountering extreme underwater conditions such as entanglement in water plants, obstacles, insufficient tail thrust, etc., the propulsion devices are easily damaged and reliability is reduced.

[0003] The underwater manipulator is an important component of the underwater robot and is used to perform various tasks, such as maintenance, sampling, equipment layout, etc. The underwater manipulator is usually made of corrosion-resistant, pressure-resistant, and high-strength materials. In the underwater environment, the manipulator usually needs to work for a long time to excavate and explore the underwater environment and perform major operations. In the prior art, under long-term working conditions, the power guarantee of the manipulator needs to be provided by batteries, which has the disadvantages of large power consumption and energy loss, and a large number of power sources are set. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned defects or deficiencies in the prior art, it is desired to provide an underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator and its application.

[0005] The present invention provides an underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator, comprising a propulsion mechanism and a grasping mechanism; the propulsion mechanism comprises a fairing, on the outer wall of which a mounting frame is fixedly provided; a propeller assembly and a driving assembly for driving the propeller assembly to rotate are provided inside the fairing; the propeller assembly and the grasping mechanism are connected via a reducer, so as to use the propeller assembly as one of the power sources of the grasping mechanism.

[0006] Furthermore, the air deflector is configured to be conical, an annular baffle ring is fixedly disposed inside the air deflector, the circumferential outer side of the baffle ring is fixedly connected to the inner wall surface of the air deflector, and the baffle ring is coaxially disposed with the air deflector.

[0007] Furthermore, the propeller assembly includes a transmission shaft and a propeller, wherein the shaft end of the propeller is fixedly connected to one end of the transmission shaft; the propeller is arranged inside the fairing on one side close to its closing end.

[0008] Furthermore, one end of the transmission shaft away from the propeller is arranged to pass through the middle part of the baffle ring, and the transmission shaft is rotationally connected to the baffle ring.

[0009] Furthermore, the driving assembly includes a mounting box, a single-head driving motor, a transmission assembly and a first battery; wherein,

[0010] The installation box is installed inside the air deflector through a support rod and is located between the baffle ring and the reducer; the installation box includes an upper box and a lower box formed in one piece, and the upper box is connected to the interior of the lower box; the transmission shaft seal is rotatably arranged to penetrate the lower box;

[0011] The single-head driving motor is fixedly arranged on one side of the interior of the upper box;

[0012] The transmission assembly is disposed between the single-head drive motor and the transmission shaft, and is used to transmit the power of the single-head drive motor to the transmission shaft;

[0013] The first battery is fixedly arranged on the top surface inside the upper box, and the first battery is electrically connected to the single-head driving motor.

[0014] Furthermore, the transmission assembly includes a rotating shaft arranged inside the upper box body, one end of the rotating shaft rod is rotatably installed on a side surface of the upper box body away from the single-head drive motor, and the other end is fixedly connected to the transmission end of the single-head drive motor; a driving gear is fixedly provided on the circumferential outer side of the rotating shaft rod, and a driven gear is fixedly provided on the circumferential outer side of the transmission shaft located inside the lower box body corresponding to the driving gear, and the driving gear is meshed with the driven gear.

[0015] Furthermore, the input shaft of the reducer is fixedly connected to an end of the transmission shaft away from the propeller through a coupling.

[0016] Furthermore, the driving assembly includes a housing, a double-headed driving motor and a second battery; wherein,

[0017] The shell is cylindrical and coaxial with the air guide cover; the baffle ring is fixedly sleeved on the outer circumferential side of the shell;

[0018] The double-headed drive motor is fixedly arranged inside the shell, and both ends of the rotating shaft of the double-headed drive motor are sealed and rotatably passed through the two ends of the shell; one end of the rotating shaft of the double-headed drive motor close to the baffle ring is fixedly connected to the end of the transmission shaft away from the propeller, and the end of the rotating shaft of the double-headed drive motor away from the baffle ring is fixedly connected to the input shaft of the reducer through a coupling;

[0019] The second battery is fixedly disposed inside the shell, and the second battery is electrically connected to the double-head drive motor.

[0020] Furthermore, the grasping mechanism includes a six-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm, and a rotating chassis of the six-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the reducer.

[0021] The invention discloses an underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator and its application in an underwater robot.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0023] The underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator of the present invention and its application drive the propeller and the transmission shaft to rotate together through the arranged driving assembly, and then connect the six-degree-of-freedom manipulator with the transmission shaft, so as to transmit the power on the transmission shaft to the six-degree-of-freedom manipulator through the reducer, thereby realizing the secondary utilization of the energy of the propulsion mechanism, that is, the transmission shaft is used as one of the power sources of the six-degree-of-freedom manipulator, thereby reducing power consumption and saving energy.

[0024] Alternatively, a dual-head drive motor can be used to connect to the rotating chassis of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm to reduce the number of power source settings.

[0025] It should be understood that the contents described in the summary of the invention are not intended to limit the key or important features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Other features of the present invention will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments made with reference to the following drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 The figure is a schematic diagram of the cross-section structure of a feasible propulsion mechanism and a reducer after assembly;

[0029] Figure 3It is a schematic structural diagram of another possible cross section after the propulsion mechanism and the reducer are assembled;

[0030] Numbers in the figure: 1. fairing; 2. mounting frame; 3. baffle ring; 4. transmission shaft; 5. propeller; 6. upper box; 7. lower box; 8. support rod; 9. single-head drive motor; 10. rotating shaft; 11. driving gear; 12. driven gear; 13. first battery; 14. housing; 15. double-head drive motor; 16. second battery; 17. coupling; 18. reducer; 19. six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm; 191. rotating chassis; 192. upper arm; 193. lower arm; 194. robotic claw; 195. joint motor; 196. temperature and humidity sensor; 20. propeller assembly; 21. drive assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the relevant invention, rather than to limit the invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0032] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0033] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 , an embodiment of the present invention provides an underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator, including a propulsion mechanism and a grasping mechanism; that is, the propulsion mechanism is used as one of the power sources of the grasping mechanism, which reduces the number of power sources that need to be installed in the grasping mechanism and also reduces power consumption;

[0034] Specifically, the propulsion mechanism includes a fairing 1, on the outer wall of which a mounting frame 2 is fixedly provided, and is connected to the underwater robot through the mounting frame 2; a propeller assembly 20 and a driving assembly 21 for driving the propeller assembly 20 to rotate are provided inside the fairing 1; the propeller assembly and the grasping mechanism are connected through a reducer 18, which is used to use the propeller assembly as one of the power sources of the grasping mechanism.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, the air deflector 1 is configured as a through-type conical cylinder, and an annular baffle ring 3 is fixedly disposed inside the air deflector 1. The circumferential outer side of the baffle ring 3 is fixedly connected to the inner wall surface of the air deflector 1, and the baffle ring 3 is coaxially disposed with the air deflector 1.

[0036] The function of the baffle ring 3 is to prevent debris such as water plants from entering the blades of the propeller 5 , thereby interfering with the rotation of the transmission shaft 4 .

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the propeller assembly 20 includes a transmission shaft 4 and a propeller 5, wherein the shaft end of the propeller 5 is fixedly connected to one end of the transmission shaft 4; the propeller 5 is disposed inside the fairing 1 on one side close to its closing end.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, one end of the transmission shaft 4 away from the propeller 5 is arranged to pass through the middle of the baffle ring 3, and the transmission shaft 4 and the baffle ring 3 are rotationally connected.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, please refer to Figure 2 The driving assembly 21 includes a mounting box, a single-head driving motor 9, a transmission assembly and a first battery 13; wherein,

[0040] The installation box is installed inside the air deflector 1 and located between the baffle ring 3 and the reducer 18 through the support rod 8; the installation box includes an integrally formed upper box 6 and a lower box 7, and the upper box 6 is connected to the lower box 7;

[0041] The transmission shaft connected to the propeller 5 is sealed and rotatably penetrates the lower box 7, and is further connected to the grabbing mechanism through the reducer 18;

[0042] A single-head driving motor 9 is fixedly arranged on one side of the interior of the upper box body 6;

[0043] The transmission assembly is arranged between the single-head drive motor 9 and the transmission shaft 4, and is used to transmit the power of the single-head drive motor 9 to the transmission shaft 4;

[0044] The first battery 13 is fixedly disposed on the top surface of the upper box body 6 , and the first battery 13 is electrically connected to the single-head driving motor 9 .

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, the transmission assembly includes a rotating shaft 10 arranged inside the upper box body 6, one end of the rotating shaft 10 is rotatably installed on a side surface of the upper box body 6 away from the single-head drive motor 9, and the other end is fixedly connected to the transmission end of the single-head drive motor 9; a driving gear 11 is fixedly sleeved on the circumferential outer side of the rotating shaft 10, and a driven gear 12 is fixedly sleeved on the circumferential outer side of the transmission shaft 4 located inside the lower box body 7 corresponding to the driving gear 11, and the driving gear 11 is meshed with the driven gear 12.

[0046] In a preferred embodiment, the input shaft of the reducer 18 is fixedly connected to an end of the transmission shaft 4 away from the propeller 5 via a coupling 17 .

[0047] Its working principle is:

[0048] The single-head drive motor 9 drives the driving gear 11 to rotate, and the driving gear 11 is meshed with the driven gear 12, so that the driven gear 12 rotates, driving the transmission shaft 4 to rotate, realizing the rotation of the propeller 5, and the transmission shaft 4 transmits power to the grasping mechanism through the reducer 18, and the speed is reduced through a large reduction ratio. It is connected with the rotating chassis 191 in the six-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm 19 in the grasping mechanism to realize the output of the rotating chassis 191, ensure the supply of freedom, and reduce the number of power sources of the grasping mechanism.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 The driving assembly 21 includes a housing 14, a double-headed driving motor 15 and a second battery 16; wherein,

[0050] The housing 14 is cylindrical and is coaxially arranged with the air deflector 1; the baffle ring 3 is fixedly sleeved on the outer circumferential side of the housing 14;

[0051] The double-headed driving motor 15 is fixedly arranged inside the housing 14, and both ends of the rotating shaft of the double-headed driving motor 15 are sealed and rotatably passed through both ends of the housing 14;

[0052] The double-headed driving motor 15 is a double-headed shaft-out type motor.

[0053] One end of the rotating shaft of the double-headed driving motor 15 close to the baffle ring 3 is fixedly connected to the end of the transmission shaft away from the propeller 5, and the end of the rotating shaft of the double-headed driving motor 15 away from the baffle ring 3 is fixedly connected to the input shaft of the reducer 18 through a coupling 17;

[0054] The second battery 16 is fixedly disposed inside the housing 14 , and the second battery 16 is electrically connected to the double-head driving motor 15 .

[0055] In a preferred embodiment, the grasping mechanism includes a six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 19, and the rotating chassis 191 of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 19 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the reducer 18; specifically, a connecting shaft is fixedly provided on the rotating chassis of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 19, and the connecting shaft and the output shaft of the reducer 18 can be connected through a coupling or a flange assembly.

[0056] Its working principle is:

[0057] Double-head output is achieved through a double-head drive motor 15, one end of which is connected to the transmission shaft 4 on the propeller 5 to realize the rotation of the propeller 5; the other end is connected to the rotating chassis 191 of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 19 through a reducer 18 to realize the output of the rotating chassis 191, ensure the supply of degrees of freedom, and reduce the number of power sources of the grasping mechanism.

[0058] An underwater propeller equipped with a functional manipulator can be installed on an underwater robot via a mounting frame 2 .

[0059] Among them, the rotating chassis 191 of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 19 is fixedly connected to one end of the rotating shaft of the transmission shaft 4 or the double-headed drive motor 15 through the reducer 18, which is used to realize the output of its rotating chassis 191 and ensure the supply of freedom; the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 19 includes a rotating chassis 191, an upper arm 192, a lower arm 193, a robotic gripper 194, etc., and the rotating chassis 191 of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 19 and its upper arm 192, the upper arm 192 of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 19 and its lower arm 193, and the lower arm 193 of the six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 19 and its robotic gripper 194 are all connected by an integrated joint motor 195 for additional drive; among them, the temperature and humidity sensor 196 carried on the robotic gripper 194 can detect the temperature, humidity and other information under the hand.

[0060] In the description of this specification, the terms "connection", "installation", "fixation" and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0061] In the description of this specification, the description of the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0062] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An underwater propeller equipped with a functional manipulator, characterized in that: It includes a propulsion mechanism and a grasping mechanism; the propulsion mechanism includes a fairing, and a mounting frame is fixedly arranged on the outer wall of the fairing; a propeller assembly and a driving assembly for driving the propeller assembly to rotate are arranged inside the fairing; the propeller assembly and the grasping mechanism are connected through a reducer, so as to use the propeller assembly as one of the power sources of the grasping mechanism.

2. The underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air guide cover is configured to be conical, and an annular baffle ring is fixedly disposed inside the air guide cover. The circumferential outer side of the baffle ring is fixedly connected to the inner wall surface of the air guide cover, and the baffle ring is coaxially disposed with the air guide cover.

3. The underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The propeller assembly comprises a transmission shaft and a propeller, wherein the shaft end of the propeller is fixedly connected to one end of the transmission shaft; the propeller is arranged inside the deflector on one side close to the closing end thereof.

4. The underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator according to claim 3, characterized in that: One end of the transmission shaft away from the propeller passes through the middle of the baffle ring, and the transmission shaft is rotationally connected to the baffle ring.

5. The underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator according to claim 4, characterized in that: The driving assembly includes a mounting box, a single-head driving motor, a transmission assembly and a first battery; wherein, The installation box is installed inside the air deflector through a support rod and is located between the baffle ring and the reducer; the installation box includes an upper box and a lower box formed in one piece, and the upper box is connected to the interior of the lower box; the transmission shaft seal is rotatably arranged to penetrate the lower box; The single-head driving motor is fixedly arranged on one side of the interior of the upper box; The transmission assembly is disposed between the single-head drive motor and the transmission shaft, and is used to transmit the power of the single-head drive motor to the transmission shaft; The first battery is fixedly arranged on the top surface inside the upper box, and the first battery is electrically connected to the single-head driving motor.

6. The underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator according to claim 5, characterized in that: The transmission assembly includes a rotating shaft arranged inside the upper box body, one end of the rotating shaft rod is rotatably installed on a side surface of the upper box body away from the single-head drive motor, and the other end is fixedly connected to the transmission end of the single-head drive motor; a driving gear is fixedly sleeved on the circumferential outer side of the rotating shaft rod, and a driven gear is fixedly sleeved on the circumferential outer side of the transmission shaft located inside the lower box body corresponding to the driving gear, and the driving gear is meshed with the driven gear.

7. The underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator according to claim 6, characterized in that: The input shaft of the reducer is fixedly connected to an end of the transmission shaft away from the propeller through a coupling.

8. The underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The driving assembly includes a housing, a double-head driving motor and a second battery; wherein, The shell is cylindrical and coaxial with the air guide cover; the baffle ring is fixedly sleeved on the outer circumferential side of the shell; The double-headed drive motor is fixedly arranged inside the shell, and both ends of the rotating shaft of the double-headed drive motor are sealed and rotatably passed through the two ends of the shell; one end of the rotating shaft of the double-headed drive motor close to the baffle ring is fixedly connected to the end of the transmission shaft away from the propeller, and the end of the rotating shaft of the double-headed drive motor away from the baffle ring is fixedly connected to the input shaft of the reducer through a coupling; The second battery is fixedly disposed inside the shell, and the second battery is electrically connected to the double-head drive motor.

9. The underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The grasping mechanism comprises a six-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm, and a rotating chassis of the six-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the reducer.

10. Use of the underwater propulsion device equipped with a functional manipulator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 in an underwater robot.

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