Wheel foot device comprising clutch mechanism and equipment comprising wheel foot device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a wheel foot device comprising: a connecting member for mounting the wheel foot device to an object to be supported; comprising a connecting part and a supporting part, the connecting part is used for mounting a connecting component, and the supporting part comprises a motor mounting hole; comprising a foot driving motor, a sole component and a first connecting plate, the foot driving motor is installed in the motor installation hole, the sole component is fixedly connected with the first end of the first connecting plate, and the first connecting plate is installed to be capable of being driven by the foot driving motor so as to rotate around the central axis of the motor installation hole; comprising a hub, a tire, a wheel rolling bearing and a wheel bearing compression ring, the tire is mounted on the hub, and the hub is mounted on the supporting part through the wheel rolling bearing and the wheel bearing compression ring and can rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole; and a clutch mechanism configured to cause the tire to be driven by the foot drive motor when in the foot mode. The present disclosure also relates to an apparatus comprising at least one such wheel foot device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of electromechanical technology, and in particular, to a wheel-foot device including a clutch mechanism, and also to a device including the wheel-foot device. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of robotics technology, legged and wheeled robots have attracted more and more attention from researchers. On the one hand, legged robots have good agility and passability, and are basically bionic structures, so they have always been an important focus of many studies. But on the other hand, wheeled robots have the characteristics of high speed, stability and durability that legged robots still cannot achieve. Therefore, most of the existing commercial robots still use wheeled structures as a means of movement. By integrating the wheel structure and the foot structure and having a compact structure, a wheel-foot device can be obtained, which can achieve the characteristics of high speed, stability and durability in the wheel mode, and can have good agility and passability in the foot mode.

[0003] However, in such a wheel-foot device, when a passive wheel without a hub motor is used, since the passive wheel has no power and can slide freely, the passive wheel may slip relative to the sole member of the wheel-foot device in the foot mode. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a wheel-foot device is provided, comprising: a connecting member, which is used to install the wheel-foot device to an object to be supported; a bracket, which comprises a connecting portion and a supporting portion, the connecting portion is used to install the connecting member, and the supporting portion comprises a motor mounting hole; a foot module, which comprises: a foot drive motor, a foot bottom member, a first connecting plate and a foot active flange, wherein the foot drive motor is installed in the motor mounting hole, the foot bottom member is fixedly connected to the first end of the first connecting plate, the second end of the first connecting plate is fixedly connected to the foot active flange, and the foot active flange is installed to be driven by the foot drive motor so as to rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole; a wheel module, which comprises a wheel hub, a tire, a wheel rolling bearing and a wheel bearing pressure ring, wherein, The tire is mounted on the wheel hub, and the wheel hub is mounted on the supporting portion through the wheel rolling bearing and the wheel bearing pressure ring, and can rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole; a clutch mechanism, which includes a clutch movable plate, a clutch pressure plate, a track ring and a guide block, wherein the clutch movable plate is mounted on the wheel rim of the tire, the clutch pressure plate is mounted on the foot active flange, the clutch movable plate and the clutch pressure plate are both arranged to surround the motor mounting hole, the track ring is mounted on the bracket and is arranged to be fixed around the motor mounting hole at one end of the motor mounting hole close to the foot active flange, one end of the guide block is fixedly connected to the clutch pressure plate, and the other end is received in a track groove extending in a circumferential direction in the outer circumferential surface of the track ring. Wherein, in the wheel mode, the sole structure is lifted up, so that the object is supported only by the tire, wherein the clutch pressure plate is separated from the clutch movable plate so that the tire can rotate freely; in the foot mode, the sole structure is lowered, so that the object is supported by the sole structure and the tire together, wherein the clutch pressure plate is engaged with the clutch movable plate so that the tire is driven by the foot drive motor.

[0005] According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the surface of the clutch pressure plate engaging with the clutch movable plate includes a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of recessed portions, and the surface of the clutch movable plate engaging with the clutch pressure plate includes corresponding recessed portions with complementary shapes and corresponding protrusions with complementary shapes, so that when the clutch pressure plate engages with the clutch movable plate, the protrusions of the clutch pressure plate are received in the corresponding recessed portions of the clutch movable plate, and the recessed portions of the clutch pressure plate receive the corresponding protrusions of the clutch movable plate.

[0006] According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the clutch pressure plate and the clutch movable plate are configured such that: when the clutch pressure plate is engaged with the clutch movable plate, the friction force between the surfaces of the clutch pressure plate and the clutch movable plate that contact each other keeps the clutch movable plate unable to rotate relative to the clutch pressure plate.

[0007] According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the clutch pressure plate includes a guide column, which extends perpendicularly to the surface of the clutch pressure plate for engagement, and the guide column is configured to pass through a corresponding hole on the foot active flange when the clutch pressure plate is mounted on the foot active flange.

[0008] According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the clutch mechanism further includes a spring corresponding to the guide column, and the spring is configured to be located between the clutch pressure plate and the foot active flange and surround the guide column, thereby maintaining pressure on the clutch pressure plate.

[0009] According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the first connecting plate is integral with the foot active flange.

[0010] According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the foot module also includes a second connecting plate, a foot follower flange, a foot follower flange bearing and a foot follower flange bearing pressure ring, wherein the first end of the second connecting plate is fixedly connected to the foot sole component, the second end of the second connecting plate is fixedly connected to the foot follower flange, and the foot follower flange is installed on the support portion through the foot follower flange bearing and the foot follower flange bearing pressure ring and can rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole.

[0011] According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the second connecting plate is integral with the foot follower flange.

[0012] According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the foot follower flange bearing is a rolling bearing or a sliding bearing.

[0013] According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the tire includes a plurality of sub-tires, and the wheel hub and the plurality of sub-tires constitute an omnidirectional wheel.

[0014] According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the multiple sub-tires are divided into two groups of sub-tires, and each group of sub-tires is mounted on the wheel hub to form a wheel rim, wherein the two wheel rims formed by the two groups of sub-tires are arranged to be located side by side on the wheel hub and both surround the wheel hub, and along the circumferential direction of the two wheel rims, the sub-tires of one wheel rim are alternately arranged with the sub-tires of the other wheel rim.

[0015] According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the connecting member includes a connecting flange installed at a connecting portion of the bracket.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a device is provided, which includes the wheel-foot device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure and its various exemplary embodiments.

[0017] According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the device includes a robot.

[0018] The wheel-foot device according to the present disclosure achieves at least the following beneficial technical effects: the foot drive motor is embedded in the supporting part of the bracket, which can simplify the structure of the wheel-foot device and make its structure compact; the wheel-foot device can switch between the wheel mode and the foot mode, thereby, the foot bottom component can be completely retracted when not needed, and will not affect the movement of the tire in the wheel mode; when in the foot mode, the foot bottom component can achieve support alone or together with the tire, and when the common support is performed, the locking action of the clutch mechanism prevents the tire from rotating freely, thereby avoiding the slippage of the tire, thereby forming a larger support surface at the bottom of the wheel-foot device, which is beneficial to increase the stability of the support and increase the maximum load that can be borne. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings; in the accompanying drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 The structure of a wheel-foot device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown in the form of a stereogram;

[0021] Figure 2 The structure of a wheel-foot device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown in the form of a partially cutaway perspective view;

[0022] Figure 3 The structure of a wheel-foot device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown in the form of an exploded view;

[0023] Figure 4 The structure of the clutch mechanism in the wheel-foot device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown in the form of a partial exploded view;

[0024] Figure 5A Schematically shows a track ring in a clutch mechanism of a wheel-foot device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 5B Schematically illustrates various functional segments of a track groove of a track ring in a clutch mechanism of a wheel-foot device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 6 Schematically illustrates a usage scenario of a wheel-foot device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0027] Figure 7 The structure of a device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown in the form of a block diagram.

[0028] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are only schematic illustrations of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure, nor are they necessarily drawn to scale. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, identical or similar features are indicated by identical or similar reference numerals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can fully understand and implement the technical solutions according to the present disclosure.

[0030] It should be understood that the wheel-foot device according to the present disclosure can be applied to devices such as robots to support and control their motion. At present, with the research and progress of artificial intelligence technology, artificial intelligence technology has been widely used in many fields, such as common smart homes, smart wearable devices, virtual assistants, smart speakers, smart marketing, unmanned driving, automatic driving, drones, digital twins, virtual people, robots, artificial intelligence generated content (AIGC), conversational interaction, smart medical care, smart customer service, game AI, etc. Therefore, devices such as robots can use artificial intelligence technology to control the wheel-foot device according to the present disclosure to achieve intelligent support and motion control.

[0031] Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the theory, method, technology and application system that uses digital computers or machines controlled by digital computers to simulate, extend and expand human intelligence, perceive the environment, acquire knowledge and use knowledge to obtain the best results. In other words, artificial intelligence is a comprehensive technology in computer science that attempts to understand the essence of intelligence and produce a new intelligent machine that can respond in a similar way to human intelligence. Artificial intelligence is to study the design principles and implementation methods of various intelligent machines so that machines have the functions of perception, reasoning and decision-making.

[0032] Artificial intelligence technology is a comprehensive discipline that covers a wide range of fields, including both hardware-level and software-level technologies. Basic artificial intelligence technologies generally include sensors, dedicated artificial intelligence chips, cloud computing, distributed storage, big data processing technology, pre-trained model technology, operation / interaction systems, mechatronics and other technologies. Among them, the pre-trained model is also called a large model or a basic model. After fine-tuning, it can be widely used in downstream tasks in various major directions of artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence software technology mainly includes computer vision technology, speech processing technology, natural language processing technology, and machine learning / deep learning.

[0033] Specifically in the present application, a robot device including a wheel-foot device according to the present invention can utilize artificial intelligence technology to intelligently select the working mode of the wheel-foot device (i.e., select the foot mode or the wheel mode) based on environmental perception, computer vision, behavioral decision-making, path planning, motion control, etc., so as to provide stable support and flexible motion control for the robot device.

[0034] See also Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 ,in, Figure 1 The structure of a wheel-foot device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown in the form of a stereogram. Figure 2 The partially cutaway perspective view schematically shows Figure 1 The structural details of the wheel-foot device 100 are shown in FIG. Figure 3 The exploded view schematically shows Figure 1 The various components of the wheel-foot device 100 shown in FIG. Figure 4 The partially exploded view schematically shows Figure 1 The structure of the clutch mechanism of the wheel-foot device 100 is shown in FIG.

[0035] As shown in these drawings, the wheel-foot device 100 includes a connecting member 110 , a bracket 120 , a foot module 130 , a wheel module 140 and a clutch mechanism 150 .

[0036] The connecting member 110 may be mounted on a bracket 120, which is used to mount the wheel-foot device 100 to an object to be supported, such as a robot, an instrument platform, etc. Figures 1 to 4In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting member 100 may be a connecting flange, which can be connected to a corresponding flange component on the object to be supported, thereby facilitating the convenient installation of the wheel-foot device 100 to the object to be supported. It should be understood that the connecting member 110 may be a component having any suitable form according to actual needs, as long as it can realize the function of installing the wheel-foot device 100 to the object to be supported. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the connecting member 110 may also be a threaded fastener such as a bolt, or the connecting member 110 may also be a buckle or slot component such as an elastic buckle, which can be snap-fitted with a corresponding slot or buckle component in the object to be supported. The present disclosure does not impose any restrictions on the specific type of the connecting member 110.

[0037] The bracket 120 is the main supporting member in the wheel-foot device 100, which is used to install various components in the wheel-foot device 100 (for example, the foot module 130 and the wheel module 140, which will be described in detail below), and when the wheel-foot device 100 is used for support, it bears the load applied by the supported object and transmits the load applied by the supported object to the tire and / or foot structure of the wheel-foot device 100. Figure 2 As shown, the bracket 120 may include a connecting portion 121 and a supporting portion 122, and the connecting portion 121 and the supporting portion 122 are integrated. The connecting portion 121 can be used to install the connecting member 110 of the wheel-foot device 100, such as a connecting flange. The supporting portion 122 may include a motor mounting hole 122-1, which is used to accommodate the foot drive motor 131 of the foot module, and the foot drive motor 131 is used to drive the foot structure in the foot module 140 of the wheel-foot device 100 to rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole 122-1. Therefore, in the wheel-foot device 100 according to the present disclosure, by providing the motor mounting hole 122-1 in the supporting portion 122 of the bracket 120, the foot drive motor 131 is installed in the wheel-foot device 100 in an embedded manner, omitting the transmission structure required for installing the motor in an external manner, saving the installation space required for the external installation of the motor, thereby making the structure of the wheel-foot device 100 compact and eliminating the risk of interference with the movement of the supported object (such as a robot). In addition, the bracket 120 can be made of any suitable material, such as but not limited to metal materials such as aluminum, aluminum alloy, or iron-based alloy. The present disclosure does not impose any limitation on the material used for the bracket 120.

[0038] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the wheel-foot device 100 shown, the foot module 130 includes: a foot drive motor 131, a foot bottom member 132, a first connecting plate 133, a second connecting plate 134, a foot active flange 135, a foot driven flange 136, a foot driven flange bearing 137 and a foot driven flange bearing pressing ring 138. Figure 1and Figure 2 As shown, the foot drive motor 131 is installed in the motor mounting hole 122-1 of the support portion 122 of the bracket 120, and the rotation center axis of the output end of the foot drive motor 131 coincides with the center axis of the motor mounting hole 122-1. The foot drive motor 131 can be any suitable type of motor, such as a brushed motor or a brushless motor, etc., and the present disclosure does not impose any restrictions on the type of the foot drive motor 131. In addition, in some embodiments, the foot drive motor 131 can also be integrated with modules such as a drive circuit board, a brake, and an encoder.

[0039] The foot bottom member 132, the first connecting plate 133 and the second connecting plate 134 together constitute the foot structure of the wheel-foot device 100, which can rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole 122-1 under the drive of the foot drive motor 131. The first ends of the foot bottom member 132 and the first connecting plate 133 and the second connecting plate 134 are fixedly connected. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the sole member 132 may further include a sole rubber, which may be securely fixed to the sole member 132 by, for example, bonding. The second end of the first connecting plate 133 may be fixedly connected to the foot active flange 135. For example, the second end of the first connecting plate 133 may be joined to the foot active flange 135 by shape matching, and then a secure fixed connection is achieved between the two by using a set screw. The foot active flange 135 is then fixedly connected to the output end of the foot drive motor 131. Thus, the first connecting plate 133 is installed to be driven by the foot drive motor 131, so that it can rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole 122-1, thereby driving the sole member 132 and the second connecting plate 134 to rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole 122-1.

[0040] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the first connecting plate 133 and the foot active flange 135 may be integrated. In this case, the foot active flange 135 is actually formed directly at the second end of the first connecting plate 133, so there is no separate foot active flange, but the two are formed as one component. By directly forming the foot active flange at the second end of the first connecting plate 133, the number of parts required for the wheel-foot device can be reduced, thereby facilitating the manufacture, assembly and maintenance of the wheel-foot device.

[0041] like Figure 2As shown, the second end of the second connecting plate 134 can be fixedly connected to the foot follower flange 136. For example, the second end of the second connecting plate 134 can be engaged with the foot follower flange 136 through shape matching, and then a fastening screw is used to achieve a firm fixed connection between the two. However, in other embodiments of the present disclosure, the second connecting plate 134 and the foot follower flange 136 can be integrated, which can reduce the number of parts required for the foot module, thereby facilitating the manufacture, assembly and maintenance of the wheel-foot device. The foot follower flange 136 can be mounted on the supporting portion 122 of the bracket 120 through a foot follower flange bearing 137 and a foot follower flange bearing pressure ring 138, and is configured to be able to rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole 122-1. Specifically, as Figure 2 As shown, the inner ring of the foot follower flange bearing 137 is mounted on the support portion 122 of the bracket 120 of the wheel-foot device 100, and is arranged to surround the motor mounting hole 122-1 of the support portion 122. The foot follower flange 136 is mounted on the outer ring of the foot follower flange bearing 137 and surrounds the outer ring, thereby enabling the foot follower flange 136 to rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole 122-1. The foot follower flange bearing pressure ring 138 is installed to press against the support portion 122 and the inner ring of the foot follower flange bearing 137, thereby limiting the position of the foot follower flange bearing 137 on the support portion 122 in the direction along the central axis of the motor mounting hole 122-1. With the above structure, when the foot drive motor 131 drives the first connecting plate 133 to rotate, the first connecting plate 133 can drive the second connecting plate 134 to rotate, thereby enabling the lifting and lowering of the foot sole member 132. The foot follower flange bearing 137 can be any suitable type of bearing, including but not limited to a rolling bearing or a sliding bearing. Compared with a rolling bearing, a sliding bearing has a lower rotational performance than a rolling bearing, but its structure is simpler, so it can be used in situations where the load of the wheel-foot device is small.

[0042] Figures 1 to 4The foot structure of the wheel-foot device 100 shown includes two connecting plates, namely a first connecting plate 133 and a second connecting plate 134. The use of two connecting plates can make the force on the foot structure of the wheel-foot device 100 more uniform when bearing loads, the load distribution is more balanced, and thus it can withstand a larger load. However, it should be understood that in other embodiments of the present disclosure, when the load borne is small or there are restrictions on the weight of the wheel-foot device, the wheel-foot device may also have only one connecting plate, for example, only the first connecting plate 133 and the foot bottom member 132, and thus the second connecting plate 134, the foot follower flange 136, the foot follower flange bearing 137 and the foot follower flange bearing pressure ring 138 can be omitted. In this way, the number of components required for the wheel-foot device can be reduced, which is beneficial to the manufacture, assembly and maintenance of the wheel-foot device. In some embodiments, the sole member 132, the first connecting plate 133, and the second connecting plate 134 can be formed by using a carbon plate made of a carbon fiber composite material, but it is also possible to use other suitable materials, for example, the sole member 132, the first connecting plate 133, and the second connecting plate 134 can also be made of aluminum or other suitable metal materials. The present disclosure does not impose any restrictions on the materials used by the sole member 132, the first connecting plate 133, and the second connecting plate 134.

[0043] From the above analysis, it can be seen that according to the wheel-foot device 100 disclosed in the present invention, by providing a foot module 130 that can be driven by a foot drive motor 131, the foot structure can be lifted or lowered according to actual needs, thereby achieving a more flexible support mode. In addition, the foot drive motor 131 is installed in the motor mounting hole 122-1 in an embedded manner, saving the installation space required for an externally installed motor, making the wheel-foot device 100 compact in structure and eliminating the risk of interference with the movement of the supported object.

[0044] exist Figures 1 to 4 In the wheel-foot device 100 shown, the wheel module 140 includes: a wheel hub 141, a tire 142, wheel rolling bearings 143-1, 143-2 and a wheel bearing pressure ring 144. The tire 142 is mounted on the wheel hub 141, and the wheel hub 141 is mounted on the support portion 122 of the bracket 120 through the wheel rolling bearings 143-1, 143-2 and the wheel bearing pressure ring 144, thereby allowing the wheel hub 141 to rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole 122-1 of the support portion 122, and allowing the tire 142 to rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole 122-1 of the support portion 122. As a result, the wheel-foot device 100 can be used in its wheel mode. Figures 1 to 4 In the wheel-foot device 100 shown in FIG. 1 , the tire 142 includes a plurality of sub-tires 142-1, and these sub-tires 142-1 and the wheel hub 141 together form an omnidirectional wheel. Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the plurality of sub-tires 142-1 are divided into two groups, each group of sub-tires forming a wheel rim, so that in the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of sub-tires 142-1 form two wheel rims 142-2 and 142-3. The two wheel rims 142-2 and 142-3 are arranged to be located side by side on the wheel hub 141 and surround the wheel hub 141, and when observed along the direction extending along the central axis of the motor mounting hole 122-1, along the circumferential direction of the two wheel rims 142-2 and 142-3, the sub-tires 142-1 in the wheel rim 142-2 and the sub-tires 142-1 in the wheel rim 142-3 are staggered. It should be understood that the plurality of sub-tires 142-1 are arranged in such a staggered manner, which is conducive to avoiding possible motion interference between adjacent sub-tires when rotating.

[0045] The inner rings of the wheel rolling bearings 143-1 and 143-2 are fixedly mounted on the support portion 122 of the bracket 120 and surround the motor mounting hole 122-1 in the support portion 122, and the central axis of the inner ring coincides with the central axis of the motor mounting hole 122-1. The wheel hub 141 is fixedly mounted on the outer rings of the wheel rolling bearings 143-1 and 143-2, thereby enabling the wheel hub 141 to rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole 122-1. The wheel bearing pressure ring 144 is installed to press against one side of the wheel hub 141 close to the connecting portion 121 of the bracket 120 and the outer ring of the wheel rolling bearing 143-2, and the inner ring of the wheel rolling bearing 143-2 presses against a step on the support portion 122, and the track ring 151 can be fixedly mounted at the other side of the bracket 120 close to the wheel hub 141, and the track ring 151 presses against the inner ring of the wheel rolling bearing 143-1. In this way, the positions of the wheel rolling bearings 143-1, 143-2 and the wheel hub 141 on the support portion 122 are defined along the central axis of the motor mounting hole 122-1. It should be understood that the wheel rolling bearings 143-1, 143-2 may be any suitable type of rolling bearings, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the wheel foot device 100 includes two wheel rolling bearings 143-1, 143-2. ​​However, this is not necessary, and the wheel foot device 100 may include fewer or more wheel rolling bearings according to actual needs. For example, in some embodiments not illustrated in the present disclosure, by providing a suitable number of annular grooves around the motor mounting hole in the support portion of the bracket, and providing corresponding annular grooves in the wheel hub, wheel rolling bearings can be provided in the corresponding pair of annular grooves, so that the wheel hub is mounted on the support portion and can rotate around the motor mounting hole. As a non-limiting example, the number of annular groove pairs, and therefore the number of wheel rolling bearings, can be one or three, etc.

[0046] like Figure 2 , Figure 3and Figure 4 As shown, the clutch mechanism 150 includes a clutch movable plate 153, a clutch pressure plate 152, a track ring 151 and a guide block 154. The clutch movable plate 153 has an annular shape, is mounted on a wheel rim 142-2 of the tire 142, and is configured to surround the motor mounting hole 122-1, so that it can rotate together with the tire 142. The clutch pressure plate 152 also has an annular shape, is mounted on the foot active flange 135 and is also configured to surround the motor mounting hole 122-1, so that it can rotate together with the foot active flange 135. The clutch movable plate 153 and the clutch pressure plate 152 have engaging surfaces opposite to each other, which can be engaged with or separated from each other under the joint action of the track ring 151 and the guide block 154, which will be described in detail below. Figure 4 As shown, the engagement surfaces of the clutch movable disc 153 and the clutch pressure plate 152 may have protrusions and recesses that are complementary in shape to each other to form teeth for engaging with each other. For example, the engagement surface of the clutch movable disc 153 may have a protrusion 153-1 and a recess 153-2, and the engagement surface of the clutch pressure plate 152 may have a corresponding recess 152-1 and a protrusion 152-2, and the protrusion 153-1 is complementary in shape to the recess 152-1, and the recess 153-2 is complementary in shape to the protrusion 152-2. Thus, when the clutch movable disc 153 and the clutch pressure plate 152 are engaged with each other, the teeth formed by the corresponding protrusions and recesses on the engagement surfaces of the two can engage with each other, so that the clutch movable disc 153 cannot rotate relative to the clutch pressure plate 152, and then the tire 142 can be driven by the foot active motor 131. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the engagement surfaces of the clutch pressure plate 152 and the clutch movable plate 153 have a high friction coefficient, so that when the clutch pressure plate 152 and the clutch movable plate 153 are engaged, the friction between the engagement surfaces of the two that contact each other is sufficient to keep the clutch movable plate 153 from rotating relative to the clutch pressure plate 152, thereby allowing the tire 142 to be driven by the active motor 131. Figure 4 The track ring 151 is mounted on the bracket 120 and is arranged to be fixed around the motor mounting hole 122-1 at one end of the motor mounting hole 122-1 close to the foot active flange 135. One end of the guide block 154 can be fixed on the clutch pressure plate 152, and the other end thereof can be received in a track groove extending in the circumferential direction in the outer peripheral surface of the track ring 151, so as to be able to slide along the track groove.

[0047] See also Figure 5A , which schematically shows Figures 1 to 4 Detail of the track ring 151 in the clutch mechanism 150 of the wheel-foot device 100 shown in FIG. Figure 5AAs shown, the outer circumferential surface of the track ring 151 has a track groove 151-1. The track groove 151-1 extends along the circumferential direction and has different widths at different sections, thereby enabling the guide block 154 received therein to move along the axial direction of the track ring 151 (i.e., along the Figure 5A The track ring 151 moves in the direction of the axis L shown in FIG.

[0048] The track groove 151-1 extends along the circumferential direction in the outer circumferential surface of the track ring 151, but it should be understood that it does not have to extend the entire circumference in the outer circumferential surface of the track ring 151, but can be set to extend within a corresponding circumferential range according to actual needs (for example, the rotation angle range of the active flange 135). Figure 5B , which schematically shows according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 5A The track groove 151-1 of the track ring 151 shown in FIG. Figure 5B As shown, along the circumferential direction, within the range of a circumferential angle of 0 to 20 degrees, the clutch pressure plate 152 and the clutch movable plate 153 are completely decoupled, at which point their engagement surfaces are completely separated from each other, and the clutch movable plate 152 can rotate freely; within the range of a circumferential angle of 20 to 45 degrees, the clutch pressure plate 152 and the clutch movable plate 153 are semi-engaged (for the case where the engagement surface includes teeth for engagement) or there is a small friction force between the two (for the case where the engagement surface relies on friction force), at which point their engagement surfaces change from being completely separated to gradually approaching or even contacting; within the range of a circumferential angle of 45 to 135 degrees, the clutch pressure plate 152 and the clutch movable plate 153 are completely coupled or engaged, at which point their engagement surfaces are completely engaged with each other (that is, for the case where the engagement surface includes teeth for engagement, the teeth of the two engagement surfaces engage with each other, and for the case where friction force is relied on, the friction force between the two engagement surfaces is large enough to keep the two from rotating relative to each other). It should be understood that Figure 5B The design of each functional segment of the track groove 151 - 1 shown is only exemplary and not restrictive. According to actual needs, the track groove 151 - 1 can have any other suitable design, which is not limited by the present disclosure.

[0049] Continue to see Figure 3 and Figure 4The clutch pressure plate 152 includes a guide post 152-3, which extends perpendicularly to the surface of the clutch pressure plate 152 for engagement and is configured such that when the clutch pressure plate 152 is mounted on the foot active flange 135, the guide post 152-3 passes through a corresponding hole on the foot active flange 135. The clutch mechanism 150 may further include a spring 155 corresponding to the guide post 152-3, which is configured such that it is located between the clutch pressure plate 152 and the foot active flange 135 and surrounds the guide post 152-3 to apply pressure to the clutch pressure plate 152. The guide post 152-3 allows the clutch pressure plate 152 to engage and disengage relative to the clutch movable plate 153 without applying an additional load to the foot active flange 135. The spring 155 can work together with the guide block 154 to make the clutch pressure plate 152 engage with the clutch movable plate 153, and the pressure applied by the spring 155 to the clutch pressure plate 152 is also helpful to prevent the clutch pressure plate 152 that has been engaged with the clutch movable plate 153 from accidentally disengaging. In addition, when the engagement surface includes a tooth structure for meshing, the spring 155 is also helpful to keep the clutch pressure plate 152 relative to the clutch movable plate 153 moving to the angle of tooth alignment to achieve meshing when the teeth of the clutch pressure plate 152 and the clutch movable plate 153 are not aligned, thereby making the clutch mechanism 150 more reliable and more robust.

[0050] See also Figure 6 , which schematically shows Figures 1 to 4 The use of the wheel-foot device 100 shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, during the use of the wheel-foot device 100: when in the wheel mode A, the first connecting plate 133 is driven by the foot drive motor 131 to rotate counterclockwise as shown in the figure, so that the foot sole member 132 is lifted, so that only the tire 142 contacts the support surface; when in the foot mode B, the first connecting plate 133 is driven by the foot drive motor 131 to rotate clockwise as shown in the figure, so that the foot sole member 132 is lowered, so that the tire 142 and the foot sole member 132 can contact the support surface together. When in the wheel mode A, the clutch movable plate 153 and the clutch pressure plate 152 of the clutch mechanism 150 are completely separated from each other, so that the clutch movable plate 153 can rotate freely relative to the clutch pressure plate 152, so that the tire 142 and the wheel hub 141 can also rotate freely. When in the foot mode B, the clutch movable plate 153 and the clutch pressure plate 152 of the clutch mechanism 150 engage with each other, so that the clutch movable plate 153 cannot rotate freely relative to the clutch pressure plate 152, thereby making the tire 142 and the wheel hub 141 driven by the foot drive motor 131.

[0051] Therefore, according to the wheel-foot device 100 disclosed in the present invention, at least the following beneficial technical effects are achieved: the foot drive motor is embedded in the supporting part of the bracket, which can simplify the structure of the wheel-foot device and make its structure compact; the wheel-foot device can switch between the wheel mode and the foot mode, thereby, the foot sole component can be completely retracted when not needed, and will not affect the movement of the tire in the wheel mode; when in the foot mode, the foot sole component can achieve support alone, and can also achieve support together with the tire, and when performing joint support, the locking action of the clutch mechanism prevents the tire from rotating freely, thereby avoiding slippage of the tire, thereby forming a larger support surface at the bottom of the wheel-foot device, which is beneficial to increase the stability of the support and increase the maximum load that can be borne.

[0052] See also Figure 7 , which schematically shows the structure of a device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure in the form of a block diagram. Figure 7 As shown, the device 300 includes n wheel-foot devices 310-1 to 310-n, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1. When n is 1, the device 300 includes one wheel-foot device 310-1. The wheel-foot devices 310-1 to 310-n can be implemented as a combination of Figures 1 to 4 The wheel-foot device 100 and their various embodiments are described. In some exemplary embodiments, the device 300 can be implemented as a robot. However, it should be understood that the device 300 is not limited to this. According to actual needs, the device 300 can be implemented as any device that can be supported by a wheel-foot device, such as but not limited to a robot, an instrument platform, etc. Compared with the solution of an external motor, the use of the wheel-foot device according to the present disclosure can make the structure of devices such as robots more compact, and the built-in motor will not affect the movement of the entire robot. In addition, when the wheel-foot device is in the foot mode, its sole structure can achieve support alone, and can also achieve support together with the tire, and when the joint support is performed, the locking action of the clutch mechanism prevents the tire from rotating freely, thereby avoiding the slippage of the tire, thereby forming a larger support surface at the bottom of the wheel-foot device, which is conducive to increasing the stability of the support and increasing the maximum load that can be borne.

[0053] Taking a four-legged robot dog as an example, when the wheel-foot device according to the present invention is used, it can have a variety of deformations to meet a variety of scenarios, such as: a four-wheel mode, which is used for passing scenes with flat terrain and some low-difficulty obstacles, and is suitable for a steady-state mobile environment that can withstand high loads; a two-wheel mode, which has a two-wheel mode similar to a balance car, and is suitable for an environment that can move quickly; a four-legged mode, this mode enables the robot to maintain high stability even in a complex environment, and the four-legged mode can climb stairs in a steady state; a two-legged mode, which allows the robot to reach a steady state in a general environment. The above modes enable the four-legged robot dog to pass through most human life scenes. Since the wheel-foot device according to the present invention has a compact structure and a variety of deformation forms, it can meet the various needs of wheeled robots and footed robots, is conducive to the steady-state fixation of the robot in a complex environment, and can also greatly reduce the weight and structural complexity of the robot. In addition, in the four-legged mode and the two-legged mode, the sole structure can work together with the tire to achieve support. The locking action of the clutch mechanism prevents the tire from rotating freely, thereby avoiding tire slippage. A larger supporting surface is formed at the bottom of the wheel-foot device, which is beneficial to increase the stability of the support and increase the maximum load that can be sustained.

[0054] The terms used in this disclosure are only used to describe the various embodiments in the disclosure and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used in the disclosure, the singular forms "one", "an" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is also to be understood that the terms "include" and "comprise" when used in the disclosure refer to the presence of the features described, but do not exclude the presence of one, one or more other features or add one or more other features. As used in the disclosure, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. can be used to describe various features in the disclosure, these features should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one feature from another feature.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It is also understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the relevant art and / or the context of this specification, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this disclosure.

[0056] In the description of this specification, the description of the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" 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 disclosure. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, without contradicting each other and without violating technical principles, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, or may omit some technical features from the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, and the embodiments or examples obtained based on such combination, combination or omission are also considered to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0057] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail in conjunction with some exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure is not to be limited to the specific forms described. Rather, the scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wheel-foot device, characterized in that: include: A connecting member, which is used to mount the wheel-foot device to an object to be supported; A bracket, comprising a connecting portion and a supporting portion, wherein the connecting portion is used to mount the connecting member, and the supporting portion comprises a motor mounting hole; A foot module, comprising: a foot drive motor, a foot bottom member, a first connecting plate and a foot active flange, wherein the foot drive motor is installed in the motor mounting hole, the foot bottom member is fixedly connected to a first end of the first connecting plate, the second end of the first connecting plate is fixedly connected to the foot active flange, and the foot active flange is installed to be driven by the foot drive motor so as to be able to rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole; A wheel module, comprising a wheel hub, a tire, a wheel rolling bearing and a wheel bearing pressure ring, wherein the tire is mounted on the wheel hub, and the wheel hub is mounted on the support portion through the wheel rolling bearing and the wheel bearing pressure ring, and can rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole; A clutch mechanism, comprising a clutch movable plate, a clutch pressure plate, a track ring and a guide block, wherein the clutch movable plate is mounted on the wheel rim of the tire, the clutch pressure plate is mounted on the foot active flange, the clutch movable plate and the clutch pressure plate are both arranged to surround the motor mounting hole, the track ring is mounted on the bracket and arranged to be fixed around the motor mounting hole at one end of the motor mounting hole close to the foot active flange, one end of the guide block is fixedly connected to the clutch pressure plate, and the other end is received in a track groove extending in a circumferential direction in the outer circumferential surface of the track ring; in: In the wheeled mode, the sole member is lifted, so that the object is supported only by the tire, wherein the clutch pressure plate is separated from the clutch movable plate to allow the tire to rotate freely; In the foot mode, the foot sole member is lowered, so that the foot sole member and the tire jointly support the object, wherein the clutch pressure plate is engaged with the clutch movable plate so that the tire is driven by the foot drive motor.

2. The wheel-foot device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the clutch pressure plate engaging with the clutch movable plate includes a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of recessed portions, and the surface of the clutch movable plate engaging with the clutch pressure plate includes corresponding recessed portions with complementary shapes and corresponding protrusions with complementary shapes, so that when the clutch pressure plate engages with the clutch movable plate, the protrusions of the clutch pressure plate are received in the corresponding recessed portions of the clutch movable plate, and the recessed portions of the clutch pressure plate receive the corresponding protrusions of the clutch movable plate.

3. The wheel-foot device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clutch pressure plate and the clutch movable plate are configured such that when the clutch pressure plate is engaged with the clutch movable plate, friction between surfaces of the clutch pressure plate and the clutch movable plate in contact with each other holds the clutch movable plate so as to be unable to rotate relative to the clutch pressure plate.

4. The wheel-foot device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clutch pressure plate includes a guide column, which extends perpendicularly to the surface of the clutch pressure plate for engagement, and the guide column is configured to pass through a corresponding hole on the foot active flange when the clutch pressure plate is mounted on the foot active flange.

5. The wheel-foot device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The clutch mechanism further comprises a spring corresponding to the guide column, wherein the spring is arranged to be located between the clutch pressure plate and the foot active flange and surround the guide column, so as to keep applying pressure to the clutch pressure plate.

6. The wheel-foot device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first connecting plate is integral with the foot active flange.

7. The wheel-foot device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The foot module also includes a second connecting plate, a foot follower flange, a foot follower flange bearing and a foot follower flange bearing pressure ring, wherein the first end of the second connecting plate is fixedly connected to the foot bottom component, the second end of the second connecting plate is fixedly connected to the foot follower flange, and the foot follower flange is installed on the support portion through the foot follower flange bearing and the foot follower flange bearing pressure ring and can rotate around the central axis of the motor mounting hole.

8. The wheel-foot device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second connecting plate is integral with the foot follower flange.

9. The wheel-foot device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The foot follower flange bearing is a rolling bearing or a sliding bearing.

10. The wheel-foot device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tire includes a plurality of sub-tires, and the hub and the plurality of sub-tires constitute an omnidirectional wheel.

11. The wheel-foot device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The multiple sub-tires are divided into two groups of sub-tires, each group of sub-tires is installed on the wheel hub to form a rim, wherein the two rims formed by the two groups of sub-tires are arranged to be located side by side on the wheel hub and both surround the wheel hub, and along the circumferential direction of the two rims, the sub-tires of one rim are alternately arranged with the sub-tires of the other rim.

12. The wheel-foot device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting member includes a connecting flange installed at a connecting portion of the bracket.

13. An apparatus comprising a wheel-foot arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that The device includes a robot.

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