Negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot capable of reversing by rotating switching wheel set

Abstract

The invention discloses a negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot capable of reversing by rotating a switching wheel set, and relates to the technical field of robots. The negative-pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot comprises a connecting base, an adsorption mechanism, a wall-attaching plate and a walking wheel assembly, the wall-attaching plate is connected to the side, in the first direction, of the connecting base, 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; a negative pressure adsorption channel is defined by the wall attaching plate, the connecting base and the adsorption mechanism jointly, the adsorption mechanism is arranged on the other side, in the first direction, of the connecting base, and the adsorption mechanism is used for adsorbing 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 capable of switching directions by rotating a switching wheel set. 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 negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot that can change direction by rotating a switching wheel group, which can improve the problem of insufficient adsorption force of existing wall-climbing robots on cylindrical surfaces.

[0006] The present application provides a negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot that can switch directions by rotating a switching wheel group, and is used for crawling on the surface of a cylinder. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot includes a connecting seat, an adsorption mechanism, a driving mechanism, a wall-adhering plate and a walking wheel assembly. The connecting seat is connected to a wall-adhering plate on one side along a first direction, and the surface of the wall-adhering plate facing away from the connecting seat has a cylindrical abutment surface, and the cylindrical abutment surface is used to fit with the surface of the cylinder. The wall-adhering plate is a plate that can be bent and deformed. The wall-adhering plate, the connecting seat and the adsorption mechanism jointly define a negative pressure adsorption channel, and the adsorption mechanism is provided on the other side of the connecting seat along the first direction. The adsorption mechanism is used to absorb at least part of the air in the negative pressure adsorption channel so that the wall plate is adsorbed on the surface of the cylinder. The connecting seat is respectively provided with walking wheel assemblies on both sides along the second direction and on both sides along the third direction. The walking wheel assembly is rotatably connected to the connecting seat. The driving mechanism is drivingly connected to the walking wheel assembly. 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 first direction, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to each other, and the extension direction of the axis of the cylindrical abutment surface is the same as the second direction or the third direction.

[0007] The wall-attaching plate has a cylindrical abutment surface, which can be attached to the surface of the cylinder to reduce the surface gap between the wall-attaching plate and the cylinder during the wall climbing process. At the same time, the wall-attaching plate is a plate that can bend and deform. During the adsorption process, the wall-attaching plate can be bent and deformed to make the wall-attaching plate more closely attached to the surface of the cylinder, especially when the surface of the cylinder is uneven (rough pier surface). The wall-attaching plate bends under negative pressure to adapt to the surface changes of the cylinder to generate stronger adsorption force, especially for negative pressure adsorption wall climbing machines. When a person is walking, if the walking wheel assemblies on both sides of the connecting seat walk along the second direction, and the walking wheels on both sides of the connecting seat along the third direction are separated from the cylindrical surface, or if the walking wheel assemblies on both sides of the connecting seat along the third direction are walking, and the walking wheels on both sides of the connecting seat along the second direction are separated from the cylindrical surface, the bending deformation of the wall plate can reduce the amount of air entering between the wall plate and the cylinder, so that the wall 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 surface of the cylinder.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present application, the walking wheel assembly includes a walking wheel, a mounting seat and a motor, the driving mechanism includes an electric push rod, the mounting seat is rotatably connected to the connecting seat, the motor is installed on the mounting seat, the motor shaft of the motor is transmission-connected to the walking wheel, one end of the electric push rod is rotatably connected to the connecting seat around a first axis, the other end of the electric push rod is rotatably connected to the mounting seat around a second axis, the axis of rotation of the mounting seat relative to the connecting seat, the first axis and the second axis are parallel to each other and spaced apart, and the electric push rod is used to drive part of the walking wheel to fit or separate from the surface of the cylinder.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present application, the four sides of the wall-attached plate are connected to the cylindrical abutment surface through arc surfaces; or, the four sides of the wall-attached plate are chamfered to the cylindrical abutment surface.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present application, the walking wheel assembly also includes a buffer component, which is connected to the walking wheel and is arranged around the outer peripheral surface of the walking wheel. The interior of the buffer component has a first cavity surrounding the walking wheel and a plurality of second cavities extending along the axis of the walking wheel. The plurality of second cavities are spaced and evenly arranged along the circumference of the walking wheel, 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, an air intake port is provided at the bottom of the connecting seat, and the wall plate is arranged around the air intake port. The robot also includes a seal, which is provided between the wall plate and the connecting seat, and the seal is arranged around the air intake port. The seal is used to seal the gap between the connecting seat and the wall plate. The seal, the wall plate and the air intake port jointly define a negative pressure air intake channel.

[0012] 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, and the other end of the support rod is connected to the connecting seat, 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, and two connecting rods are respectively provided on both sides of the support rod along the plane direction perpendicular to the axis of the support rod and the axis of the cylindrical abutment surface, and the four connecting rods are arranged in a rectangular array on the side of the wall plate facing the connecting seat, one end of the connecting rod is connected to the wall plate, and the connecting seat is provided with a connecting hole, and the other end of the connecting rod is passed through the connecting hole, and the connecting seat is respectively provided with adjusting nuts on both sides along the first direction, and the adjusting nuts are threadedly connected to the connecting rods.

[0013] 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.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the adsorption mechanism includes a fan, a controller and a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is arranged on the wall plate. 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. The air inlet of the fan is connected to the air intake 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.

[0015] 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 electric push rod according to the fan speed to control the pressure between the walking wheel and the surface of the cylinder.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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

[0018] 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:

[0019] 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;

[0020] Figure 2 An axonometric diagram of a negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot from a second perspective according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A local enlarged view at location I;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the connection between the walking wheels and the buffer member in a negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 4 AA section view;

[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 5 BB cross-sectional view;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a structural block diagram of the connections among a controller, an electric push rod, a fan, and a pressure sensor in a negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to one embodiment of the present application.

[0026] The reference numerals in the specific implementation manner are as follows:

[0027] 10. Connecting seat;

[0028] 20. Adsorption mechanism; 21. Fan;

[0029] 30. Wall plate; 31. Cylindrical contact surface; 32. Side edge; 33. Chamfer;

[0030] 40. Travel wheel assembly; 41. Travel wheel; 42. Mounting seat; 43. Motor; 44. Buffer; 441. Buffer cavity; 4411. First cavity; 4412. Second cavity;

[0031] 50. driving mechanism; 60. sealing member; 70. supporting rod; 80. adjusting nut; 90. connecting rod; 100. controller; 110. pressure sensor; 120. negative pressure adsorption channel;

[0032] X, first direction; Y, second direction; Z, third direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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).

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] According to the implementation mode of this application, Figure 1-Figure 7As shown, a negative pressure adsorption wall climbing robot is provided, which is used for crawling on the surface of a cylinder. The negative pressure adsorption wall climbing robot comprises a connecting seat 10, a driving mechanism 50, an adsorption mechanism 20, a wall-attaching plate 30 and a walking wheel assembly 40. The connecting seat 10 is connected to the wall-attaching plate 30 on one side along the first direction X. The surface of the wall-attaching plate 30 facing away from the connecting seat 10 has a cylindrical abutting surface 31. The cylindrical abutting surface 31 is used to fit with the surface of the cylinder. The wall-attaching plate 30 is a plate that can be bent and deformed. The wall-attaching plate 30, the connecting seat 10 and the adsorption mechanism 20 jointly define a negative pressure adsorption channel 120. The connecting seat 10 is provided with the adsorption mechanism 20 on the other side along the first direction X. The adsorption mechanism 20 is used to absorb at least part of the air in the negative pressure adsorption channel 120 so that the wall-attaching plate 30 is adsorbed on the surface of the cylinder. The connecting seat 10 is provided with walking wheel assemblies 40 on both sides along the second direction Y and on both sides along the third direction Z, respectively. The walking wheel assembly 40 is rotatably connected to the connecting seat 10, and the driving mechanism 50 is drivingly connected to the walking wheel assembly 40. 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 in contact with or separated from the surface of the cylinder. The first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z are perpendicular to each other, and the extension direction of the axis of the cylindrical contact surface 31 is the same as the second direction Y or the third direction Z.

[0042] The wall-attaching plate 30 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.

[0043] The number of the traveling wheel assemblies 40 on the same side of the connecting seat 10 along the second direction Y can be one or more.

[0044] The number of the traveling wheel assemblies 40 on the same side of the connecting seat 10 along the third direction Z may be one or more.

[0045] Figure 1 The example shows that the number of the running wheel assembly 40 on the same side of the connecting base 10 along the second direction Y is one, and the number of the running wheel assembly 40 on the same side of the connecting base 10 along the third direction Z is one.

[0046] The connection between the wall plate 30 and the connecting seat 10 includes but is not limited to screw connection, screw connection or clamping connection.

[0047] The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot can walk along the axial direction of the cylinder, or along the circumferential direction of the cylinder. When the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot walks, the running wheel assemblies 40 on both sides of the connecting seat 10 along the second direction Y are in contact with the surface of the cylinder, and the running wheel assemblies 40 on both sides of the connecting seat 10 along the third direction Z are separated from the surface of the cylinder; or the running wheel assemblies 40 on both sides of the connecting seat 10 along the third direction Z are in contact with the surface of the cylinder, and the running wheel assemblies 40 on both sides of the connecting seat 10 along the second direction Y are separated from the surface of the cylinder.

[0048] The wall plate 30 has a cylindrical abutment surface 31, which can be abut against the surface of the cylinder to reduce the surface gap between the wall plate 30 and the cylinder during the wall climbing process. At the same time, the wall plate 30 is a plate that can bend and deform. During the adsorption process, the wall plate 30 can be bent and deformed so that the wall plate 30 can be more closely abutted against the surface of the cylinder, especially when the surface of the cylinder is uneven (rough pier surface). The wall plate 30 can bend and deform under negative pressure to adapt to the surface changes of the cylinder to produce a stronger adsorption force.

[0049] 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 motor 43, the driving mechanism 50 includes an electric push rod, the mounting seat 42 is rotatably connected to the connecting seat 10, the motor 43 is installed on the mounting seat 42, the motor shaft of the motor 43 is transmission-connected to the walking wheel 41, one end of the electric push rod is rotatably connected to the connecting seat 10 around a first axis, the other end of the electric push rod is rotatably connected to the mounting seat 42 around a second axis, the axis of rotation of the mounting seat 42 relative to the connecting seat 10, the first axis and the second axis are parallel to each other and spaced apart, and the electric push rod is used to drive the walking wheel 41 to fit or separate from the surface of the cylinder.

[0050] For the convenience of expression, the travel wheel assembly 40 of the connecting seat 10 along the second direction Y is the first travel wheel assembly, and the electric push rod rotatably connected to the mounting seat 42 of the first travel wheel assembly is the first electric push rod. The travel wheel assembly 40 of the connecting seat 10 along the third direction Z is the second travel wheel assembly, and the electric push rod rotatably connected to the mounting seat 42 of the second travel wheel assembly is the second electric push rod.

[0051] The electric push rod can be replaced by a hydraulic push rod or a cylinder and can be set according to actual usage requirements.

[0052] When the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot walks along the second direction Y, the second walking wheel assembly is driven by the second electric push rod, so that the walking wheel 41 of the second walking wheel assembly is close to the surface of the cylinder, and the first walking wheel assembly is driven by the first electric push rod, so that the walking wheel 41 of the first walking wheel assembly is separated from the surface of the cylinder; when the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot walks along the third direction Z, the first walking wheel assembly is driven by the first electric push rod, so that the walking wheel 41 of the first walking wheel assembly is close to the surface of the cylinder, and the second walking wheel assembly is driven by the second electric push rod, so that the walking wheel 41 of the second walking wheel assembly is separated from the surface of the cylinder. By switching the above two groups of different walking wheel assemblies 40, the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot can crawl generally along the circumference of the cylinder or along the axial direction of the cylinder. As an example, the motor 43, the first electric push rod and the second electric push rod are respectively connected to the controller 100 for communication. According to the received walking instructions, the controller 100 controls the first electric push rod and the second electric push rod to drive the walking wheel assembly 40 in different directions of the connecting seat 10 to perform opposite actions, so that the first walking wheel assembly or the second walking wheel assembly can walk. The instructions received by the controller 100 can be manually input operation instructions. During the walking process, the controller 100 can control the thrust of the first electric push rod or the thrust of the second electric push rod so that the walking wheel 41 has sufficient friction with the surface of the cylinder to reduce the slipping during the walking process, that is, it is necessary to overcome the static friction between the wall plate 30 and the surface of the cylinder so that the wall plate 30 slides relative to the surface of the cylinder.

[0053] By driving the electric push rod to make part of the walking wheel 41 fit or separate from the surface of the cylinder, the robot can better adapt to cylinders of different diameters, thus enhancing the adaptability of the crawling robot. The electric push rod can accurately adjust the pressure of the walking wheel 41 on the surface of the cylinder, reduce the situation where the adsorption fails due to excessive pressure or the walking wheel 41 slips due to insufficient pressure, and improve the stability and reliability of crawling.

[0054] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 3 As shown, the surrounding side edges 32 of the wall-mounted plate 30 and the cylindrical abutment surface 31 are connected by arc surfaces; or, there are chamfers 33 between the surrounding side edges 32 of the wall-mounted plate 30 and the cylindrical abutment surface 31.

[0055] The side edge 32 refers to the peripheral edge portion of the wall plate 30 adjacent to the cylindrical abutment surface 31 .

[0056] The arc surface or chamfer 33 can better adapt to the subtle uneven changes on the surface of the cylinder, so that the wall plate 30 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 30 being stuck; at the same time, since the wall plate 30 is a plate that can bend and deform, when the wall plate 30 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.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 2 As shown, an air intake port is provided at the bottom of the connecting seat 10, and the wall plate 30 is arranged around the air intake port. The robot also includes a seal 60, which is arranged between the wall plate 30 and the connecting seat 10. 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 30. The seal 60, the wall plate 30 and the air intake port jointly define a negative pressure air intake channel.

[0058] 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 30 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 30, so that the seal 60 can be replaced in time when it is damaged.

[0059] The wall-attached plate 30 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.

[0060] 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-attached plate 30, the negative pressure adsorption channel can maintain a relatively stable negative pressure to ensure the adsorption effect.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 and Figure 2As 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 30, and the other end of the support rod 70 is connected to the connecting seat 10. The axis of the support rod 70 is perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical abutment surface 31, 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 31, 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 30 facing the connecting seat 10. One end of the connecting rod 90 is connected to the wall plate 30, and the connecting seat 10 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 connecting seat 10 along the first direction X, and the adjusting nuts 80 are threadedly connected to the connecting rod 90.

[0062] The connecting rod 90 and the wall plate 30 can be fixed by welding or clamping. For example, a clamping slot is provided on the side of the wall plate 30 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.

[0063] The support rod 70 and the wall-attached plate 30 may be fixed by welding or clamping. The support rod 70 and the connection seat 10 may be connected by nuts, or may be fixed by welding or clamping. For example, the support rod 70 has an external screw that passes through the screw hole of the connection seat 10 and is threadedly connected to the support rod 70 by a nut, and nuts are respectively provided on both sides of the connection seat 10 along the first direction X.

[0064] 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 support rod 70 on the wall plate 30, the wall plate 30 can be bent and deformed to change the curvature of the cylindrical abutment surface 31, 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] For example, the sealing member 60 is configured as an annular rubber airbag or a silicone airbag, and a proper amount of gas is injected into the airbag. During the sealing process, the airbag is compressed due to the tightening force of the adjusting nut 80 to reduce the seal on the gap between the wall plate 30 and the connecting seat 10, so as to reduce the leakage of the negative pressure adsorption channel during the adsorption process and improve the reliability of adsorption. At the same time, when the curvature of the cylindrical abutment surface 31 is changed by adjusting the position of the connecting rod 90 relative to the connecting seat 10, the wall plate 30 will bend and deform, thereby changing the distance between the wall plate 30 and the connecting seat 10 along the first direction X to an unequal distance. It is difficult to seal using a conventional sealing ring, while the airbag is compressed and can be deformed to adapt to the change in distance during the adjustment process to achieve a better sealing effect, thereby ensuring the effect of negative pressure adsorption and improving the reliability of adsorption.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 and Figure 7 The adsorption mechanism 20 includes a fan 21, a controller 100 and a pressure sensor 110. The pressure sensor 110 is arranged on the wall plate 30. The pressure sensor 110 is used to detect the pressure between the wall plate 30 and the cylindrical surface. The fan 21 is located on the side of the connecting seat 10 away from the wall plate 30. The air inlet of the fan 21 is connected to the air intake port. The pressure sensor 110 and the fan 21 are respectively communicated with the controller 100. The controller 100 is used to control the increase of the speed of the fan 21 according to the pressure not reaching the preset pressure, and is used to control the fan 21 to maintain the current speed according to the pressure reaching the preset pressure.

[0068] 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.

[0069] When the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot is stationary, the controller 100 controls the rotation speed of the fan 21 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 21 to be not lower than the second preset rotation speed, and the second preset rotation speed is greater than the first preset rotation speed.

[0070] The pressure sensor 110 can be disposed inside the wall-attached plate 30, which can be made of a composite plate, which can be made by bonding multiple plates together or by integral injection molding. The pressure sensor 110 can be a thin film pressure sensor or a piezoelectric pressure sensor.

[0071] Therefore, according to the specific use environment, by controlling the rotation speed of the fan 21, the pressure between the wall plate 30 and the cylindrical surface can be adjusted, so that the negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot can adjust the rotation speed of the fan 21 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.

[0072] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 7 The controller 100 is in communication connection with the electric push rod, and the controller 100 is also used to control the thrust of the electric push rod according to the rotation speed of the fan 21 to control the pressure between the walking wheel 41 and the surface of the cylinder.

[0073] During walking, the controller 100 controls the thrust of the electric push rod according to the rotation speed of the fan 21 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 21 to be not lower than the second preset rotation speed, the controller 100 controls the electric push rod 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 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 21, but the rotation speed of the fan 21 is not lower than the first preset rotation speed.

[0074] In some embodiments of the present application, a cleaning component (not shown in the figure) is provided on at least one side of the connecting seat 10 along the axial direction of the cylindrical abutment surface 31, and the cleaning component is used to clean dust on the surface of the cylinder.

[0075] The cleaning component can be a cleaning brush or cleaning cotton.

[0076] 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 30 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.

[0077] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4-Figure 6The walking wheel assembly 40 also includes a buffer member 44, which is connected to the walking wheel 41 and is arranged around the outer circumferential surface of the walking wheel 41. The interior of the buffer member 44 has a first cavity 4411 surrounding the walking wheel 41 and a plurality of second cavities 4412 extending along the axis of the walking wheel 41. The plurality of second cavities 4412 are spaced and evenly arranged along the circumference of the walking wheel 41, and the plurality of second cavities 4412 are connected to the first cavity 4411 to form a buffer cavity 441.

[0078] The buffer member 44 and the travel wheel 41 may be integrally formed by injection molding, or may be fixed by bonding.

[0079] The buffer member 44 can be manufactured by injection molding or 3D printing.

[0080] The buffer member 44 may be made of elastic material such as polyurethane or rubber.

[0081] The buffer member 44 may be a part of the traveling wheel 41 .

[0082] When the buffer 44 of the running wheel 41 contacts the surface of the cylinder, the buffer 44 can be deformed under the drive of the electric push rod, 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 electric push rod is too large, the buffer 44 is deformed to compress the buffer cavity 441 to avoid rigid contact between the running wheel 41 and the surface of the cylinder, thereby reducing the situation of adsorption failure caused by excessive thrust of the electric push rod and improving the reliability of adsorption.

[0083] 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 negative pressure adsorption wall climbing robot that can be switched by rotating a switching wheel set, 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, a wall-attaching plate and a walking wheel assembly. The connecting seat is connected to the wall-attaching plate on one side along a first direction. The surface of the wall-attaching plate facing away from the connecting seat has a cylindrical abutment surface, and 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. The wall-attaching plate, the connecting seat and the adsorption mechanism jointly define a negative pressure adsorption channel. The adsorption mechanism is provided on the other side of the connecting seat along the first direction. The adsorption mechanism is used to absorb at least part of the air in the negative pressure adsorption channel. , so that the wall plate is adsorbed on the surface of the cylinder, the connecting seat is respectively provided with the walking wheel assembly on both sides along the second direction and on both sides along the third direction, the walking wheel assembly is rotatably connected to the connecting seat, the driving mechanism is drivingly connected to the walking wheel assembly, 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 first direction, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to each other, and the extension direction of the axis of the cylindrical abutment surface is the same as the second direction or the third direction.

2. 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 motor, the driving mechanism includes an electric push rod, the mounting seat is rotatably connected to the connecting seat, the motor is installed on the mounting seat, the motor shaft of the motor is transmission-connected to the walking wheel, one end of the electric push rod is rotatably connected to the connecting seat around a first axis, the other end of the electric push rod is rotatably connected to the mounting seat around a second axis, the axis of rotation of the mounting seat relative to the connecting seat, the first axis and the second axis are parallel to each other and spaced apart, and the electric push rod is used to drive the walking wheel to fit or separate from the surface of the cylinder.

3. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: An air intake port is provided at the bottom of the connecting seat, and the wall plate is arranged around the air intake port. The robot also includes a seal, which is provided between the wall plate and the connecting seat, and is arranged around the air intake port. The seal is used to seal the gap between the connecting seat and the wall plate. The seal, the wall plate and the air intake port jointly define the negative pressure air intake channel.

4. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to claim 3, 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 connecting seat, 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 connecting seat, one end of the connecting rod is connected to the wall plate, and the connecting seat is provided with a connecting hole, and the other end of the connecting rod is penetrated through the connecting hole, and the connecting seat is respectively provided with the adjusting nuts on both sides along the first direction, and the adjusting nuts are threadedly connected to the connecting rod.

5. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sealing member is an air bag surrounding the air inlet, and the air bag is in a compressed state.

6. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: The adsorption mechanism includes a fan, a controller and a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is arranged on the wall plate. 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. The air inlet of the fan is connected to the air intake 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.

7. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to claim 6, 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.

8. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The walking wheel assembly also includes a buffer component, which is connected to the walking wheel and is arranged around the outer peripheral surface of the walking wheel. The interior of the buffer component has a first cavity surrounding the walking wheel and a plurality of second cavities extending along the axis of the walking wheel. The plurality of second cavities are spaced and evenly arranged along the circumference of the walking wheel, and the plurality of second cavities are connected to the first cavity to form a buffer cavity.

9. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: There are chamfers between the four sides of the wall-attached plate and the cylindrical abutment surface; and / or there are chamfers between the four sides of the wall-attached plate and the cylindrical abutment surface.

10. The negative pressure adsorption wall-climbing robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: Along the axial direction of the cylindrical abutment surface, at least one side of the connecting seat is provided with a cleaning component, and the cleaning component is used to clean dust on the surface of the cylinder.

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