Pipeline robot capable of changing motion modes, combined robot and walking method

Abstract

The invention discloses a pipeline robot capable of changing motion modes. The pipeline robot comprises a robot body and a motion conversion assembly. The machine body comprises a front machine body shell, a rear machine body shell, an electromagnetic clutch assembly, a transmission shaft and a driving motor. The front machine body shell is hollow, and the electromagnetic clutch assembly is fixed in the front machine body shell. The rear machine body shell is hollow, the driving motor is fixed in the rear machine body shell, and an output shaft of the driving motor extends out of the front end of the rear machine body shell; one end of the transmission shaft is fixedly connected with the electromagnetic clutch assembly, and the other end is fixedly connected with an output shaft of the driving motor; the motion conversion assembly is connected with the transmission shaft. The pipeline robot is driven by a single motor to complete diameter changing and spiral advancing, motion modes are changed through rotation of the joint motors, and the pipeline robot can conveniently pass through bent pipes with various curvatures.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of pipeline robots, and more specifically, to a pipeline robot with changeable motion modes, a combined robot and a walking method. Background Art

[0002] With the acceleration of urbanization and industrialization, various pipeline systems are crucial in urban drainage, petroleum, chemical and other industries. Oil and gas chemical pipelines are eroded by media and pressure shocks for a long time and are prone to damage. At this time, pipeline robots are needed to replace manual inspection, repair and cleaning.

[0003] Since pipeline robots need to perform inspection, repair, cleaning and other tasks in pipelines of different sizes and orientations, they need to have a certain ability to change diameters to adapt to pipelines of different diameters; they need to have a certain ability to pass through curved pipes to be able to pass smoothly through pipelines of different curvatures; they need to have a certain ability to climb grades to be able to operate stably in horizontal and vertical pipelines.

[0004] The invention patent with patent publication number CN119114544A (publication date 2024.12.13) discloses a multi-mode compound motion robot for cleaning ash pipes under ash silos. The invention equips the head and tail spiral mechanisms with switchable support wheels and drive wheels, and arranges gear racks and guide rails so that the robot can realize spiral movement, peristalsis, and spiral peristalsis. Its disadvantages are: the overall axial dimension of the robot is large, and four motors drive four drive wheels respectively to realize spiral movement, which makes the control complex and the cost high; the flexibility is insufficient, and it cannot actively turn to adapt to curved pipes; it is only supported by support wheels or drive wheels in vertical pipes, and there are problems such as unstable operation and easy slippage. Summary of the invention

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a pipeline robot with a changeable motion mode, which can change the diameter and move in a spiral through a single motor drive, change the motion mode through the rotation of the joint motor, and can easily pass through curved pipes of various curvatures. At the same time, the present invention also provides a combined robot, which can change multiple motion modes, stably walk and hover in horizontal and vertical pipelines, and can actively pass through curved pipes. In addition, the present invention also provides a walking method of the robot.

[0006] The pipeline robot with changeable motion modes of the present invention comprises a body and a motion conversion component; the body comprises a front body shell, a rear body shell, an electromagnetic clutch component, a transmission shaft, and a drive motor; the front body shell is hollow, and the electromagnetic clutch component is fixed inside the front body shell; the rear body shell is hollow, and the drive motor is fixed inside the rear body shell, and its output shaft extends from the front end of the rear body shell; one end of the transmission shaft is fixedly connected to the electromagnetic clutch component, and the other end is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the drive motor; the motion conversion component is connected to the transmission shaft.

[0007] Furthermore, the motion conversion assembly includes a variable diameter mechanism and a moving mechanism. The variable diameter mechanism includes a rotating disk and three variable diameter units evenly distributed along the circumferential direction. The moving mechanism includes three moving units. The rotating disk is in the shape of a three-blade disk, the boss hole in the middle of which is fixed at the middle shoulder of the transmission shaft, and the three blade disks outside thereof are evenly distributed circumferentially, and each blade disk is connected to a group of variable diameter units; each group of variable diameter units includes a connecting rod, a U-shaped guide sleeve, a telescopic rod sleeve I, a telescopic rod I, a spring I, a pressure sensor, and a limit pin I; the rear part of the front body shell is a flat three-blade boss, and each leaf of the three-blade boss is provided with A U-shaped guide sleeve, a telescopic rod sleeve I passes through the U-shaped guide sleeve; the two ends of the connecting rod are respectively hinged with the hinge seat II at the tail end of the telescopic rod sleeve I and the hinge hole on the turntable; the small shaft section of the telescopic rod I extends into the telescopic rod sleeve I, the pressure sensor is installed on the top of the small shaft section of the telescopic rod I, the spring I is placed in the telescopic rod sleeve I, and its two ends are respectively in contact with the bottom of the telescopic rod sleeve I and the pressure sensor, the limit pin I is vertically connected to the small shaft section of the telescopic rod I and passes through the limit slots I symmetrically arranged on both sides of the telescopic rod sleeve I; the support plate on the top of the telescopic rod I is connected to a moving unit.

[0008] Furthermore, the three blade disks and the three-blade boss are initially arranged in a staggered manner.

[0009] Furthermore, each mobile unit includes a joint motor, a connecting rod I, a connecting rod II, a support shaft, a bearing seat assembly, an electromagnet assembly, a mounting frame, a bearing assembly, a rotating shaft, and a driving wheel; the joint motor and the bearing seat assembly are respectively fixed at the two ends of the top support plate of the telescopic rod I; one end of the support shaft is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the joint motor, and the other end is connected to the bearing in the bearing seat assembly; the connecting rod I and the connecting rod II are arranged vertically, and the tail ends of both are fixedly connected to the middle of the support shaft, and the central axes of the connecting rod I, the connecting rod II, and the telescopic rod I are located in the same plane; the electromagnet assembly is fixed to the top of the connecting rod II; the mounting frame is fixed to the top of the connecting rod I, the bearing assembly is installed in the hole of the mounting frame, the middle section of the rotating shaft cooperates with the bearing assembly, and a driving wheel is installed at both ends.

[0010] Furthermore, the pipeline robot also includes an auxiliary support mechanism installed on the rear body shell, the auxiliary support mechanism includes three groups of auxiliary support units evenly distributed in the circumferential direction; each group of auxiliary support units includes a telescopic rod sleeve II, a telescopic rod II, a spring II, a limit pin II, and a universal wheel assembly; the tail end of the telescopic rod sleeve II is fixedly connected to the rear body shell, the small shaft section of the telescopic rod II extends into the sleeve of the telescopic rod sleeve II, the spring II is placed in the telescopic rod sleeve II, and its two ends are respectively in contact with the bottom of the telescopic rod sleeve II and the top surface of the small shaft section of the telescopic rod II, the limit pin II is vertically connected to the small shaft section of the telescopic rod II and passes through the limit slots II symmetrically arranged on both sides of the telescopic rod sleeve II; a universal wheel assembly is connected to the support plate end at the top of the telescopic rod II.

[0011] Furthermore, the pipeline robot also includes a detection unit, which includes an ultrasonic sensor and at least one camera. The ultrasonic sensor is fixedly connected to a boss at the front end of the front body shell, and two cameras are evenly installed at 180 degrees on the upper and lower sides of the rear body shell.

[0012] The invention discloses a combined robot, which comprises two pipeline robots with transformable motion modes, one in front and one in the back, and a connecting unit in the middle. The connecting unit comprises a connecting plate, a universal joint assembly, and two groups of telescopic mechanisms symmetrically arranged relative to the center of a body; each group of telescopic mechanisms comprises a connecting block and an electric push rod; a hinge seat I is fixed on the inner wall of a rear body shell of a front pipeline robot, and two ends of the connecting block are respectively hinged to the hinge seat I and the extended end of the electric push rod; a hinge seat III on the front end of the connecting plate is hinged to the tail end of the electric push rod, and the middle part of the rear end is fixedly connected to the middle part of the front end of the front body shell of a rear pipeline robot through the universal joint assembly.

[0013] The walking method of the pipeline robot with changeable motion modes of the present invention includes: ① spiral travel: the joint motor rotates to make the connecting rod I and the telescopic rod I coaxially aligned, the driving wheel is in close contact with the inner wall of the pipeline, and the robot spirally runs along the direction of the pipeline axis to achieve rapid walking; ② stable stop: the joint motor rotates to make the connecting rod II and the telescopic rod I coaxially aligned, the electromagnet assembly is in close contact with the inner wall of the pipeline, and the robot is stably stopped at any position in the pipeline, thereby achieving detection and other tasks.

[0014] The walking method of the combined robot of the present invention includes: ① spiral travel: when the combined robot runs in a horizontal pipeline, the joint motors in the front and rear pipeline robots are driven, the connecting rod I and the telescopic rod I are coaxially aligned, so that the driving wheel is close to the pipe wall to perform spiral motion to achieve fast walking; ② stable stop: the joint motors in the front and rear pipeline robots rotate, the connecting rod II and the telescopic rod I are coaxially aligned, the electromagnet assembly is close to the inner wall of the pipeline, and the robot is stably stopped at any position in the pipeline; ③ creeping operation: when the robot runs in a vertical or inclined pipeline, the robot first stops stably, and then the diameter-changing mechanisms of the front and rear pipeline robots are respectively controlled to perform diameter-changing movement, and the electric push rod is cooperated to perform telescopic movement, so that the robot creeps stably in the vertical pipeline; ④ bending pipe steering: Ⅰ, the robot first stops stably at the intersection of the curved pipeline, Ⅱ, two electric push rods perform telescopic movement (one long and one short), so that the front robot is tilted and actively turned to the curved pipeline, Ⅲ, the front robot runs stably, so that the rear robot enters the curved pipeline; Ⅳ, then the rear robot is turned and is coaxial with the front robot.

[0015] The specific steps of the creeping operation of the combined robot of the present invention are as follows: I. The combined robot is in the initial creeping stage, the electromagnet assembly and the universal wheel assembly of the front and rear pipeline robots are close to the inner wall of the pipeline, and the electric push rod is in the initial retracted state; II. The electromagnet assembly of the front pipeline robot is retracted through the diameter-changing mechanism, and only the universal wheel assembly is close to the inner wall of the pipeline; III. The electric push rod is extended to drive the front pipeline robot to move by relying on the universal wheel assembly, and the rear pipeline robot still relies on the electromagnet assembly to be close to the inner wall of the pipeline; IV. The electromagnet group of the front pipeline robot is extended through the diameter-changing mechanism to be close to the inner wall of the pipeline; V. The electromagnet assembly of the rear pipeline robot is retracted through the diameter-changing mechanism, and only the universal wheel assembly is close to the inner wall of the pipeline; VI. The electric push rod is retracted to drive the rear pipeline robot to move by relying on the universal wheel assembly, and the front pipeline robot still relies on the electromagnet assembly to be close to the inner wall of the pipeline; VII. The electromagnet assembly of the rear pipeline robot is extended through the diameter-changing mechanism to be close to the inner wall of the pipeline; VIII. The combined robot can realize creeping advancement in the pipeline by reciprocating in sequence.

[0016] The advantages of the robot of the present invention are: 1. The pipeline robot realizes the change of diameter and spiral travel by a single motor drive through the cooperation control of the driving motor and the electromagnetic clutch assembly; 2. The pipeline robot changes the motion mode through the rotation of the joint motor: when the driving wheel is close to the pipe wall, the robot performs spiral motion, the operation speed is fast and the efficiency is high; when the electromagnet assembly is adsorbed and close to the pipe wall, the robot stops steadily; the electromagnet assembly can be replaced with functional devices such as cleaning or detection, so that the robot can complete different work tasks during the spiral motion process; 3. The pipeline robot has a compact structure and a small axial size, and the universal wheel assembly enables the robot to have good adaptability to bending pipes when performing spiral motion, and can easily pass through bending pipes of various curvatures; the support of the universal wheel enables the robot to walk stably in inclined and vertical pipes: 4. The combined robot can realize the transformation of various motion modes such as spiral advance and retreat in horizontal pipes, creeping advance and retreat in vertical and inclined pipes, and stable stop at any position in various pipes, and can actively turn to pass through the bending pipe, overcoming the problems that the robot cannot climb or even slide in the vertical pipe. The robot of the present invention can be widely used in various pipeline environments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional diagram of the pipeline robot of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 is a front view of the pipeline robot of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a right side view of the pipeline robot of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pipeline robot body of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the motion conversion assembly of the pipeline robot of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the pipeline robot mobile unit of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of the auxiliary support mechanism of the pipeline robot of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 8 is a three-dimensional diagram of the combined robot of the present invention;

[0026] Fig. 9 is a front view of the combined robot of the present invention;

[0027] Fig.10It is a right side view of the combined robot of the present invention;

[0028] Fig.11 It is a structural schematic diagram of a combined robot connection unit of the present invention;

[0029] Fig.12 Schematic diagram of different operation modes of the pipeline robot of the present invention in a pipeline;

[0030] Fig.13 Schematic diagram of different operation modes of the combined robot of the present invention in a pipeline;

[0031] Fig.14 It is a schematic diagram of the specific peristaltic process of the combined robot of the present invention in the pipeline.

[0032] In the figure: 1, front housing; 101, boss; 102, three-leaf boss; 2, rear housing; 201, hinge seat Ⅰ; 3, electromagnetic clutch assembly; 4, transmission shaft; 5, drive motor; 6, ultrasonic sensor; 7, camera; 8, turntable; 801, boss hole; 802, hinge hole; 803, leaf disk; 9, connecting rod; 10, U-shaped guide sleeve; 11, telescopic rod sleeve Ⅰ; 1101, hinge seat Ⅱ; 1102, limit groove Ⅰ; 12, telescopic rod Ⅰ; 13, spring Ⅰ; 14, pressure sensor; 15, limit pin Ⅰ; 16, joint Motor; 17. Connecting rod I; 18. Connecting rod II; 19. Support shaft; 20. Bearing seat assembly; 21. Electromagnet assembly; 22. Mounting frame; 23. Bearing assembly; 24. Rotating shaft; 25. Driving wheel; 26. Telescopic rod sleeve II; 2601. Limiting groove II; 27. Telescopic rod II; 28. Spring II; 29. ​​Limiting pin II; 30. Universal wheel assembly; 31. Connecting block; 32. Electric push rod; 3201. Extending end; 3202. Tail end; 33. Connecting plate; 3301. Hinge seat III; 34. Universal joint assembly; 35. Electronic components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following is a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] Example 1

[0035] from Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4It can be seen that the pipeline robot with changeable motion modes of the present invention includes a body and a motion conversion component; the body includes a front body shell 1, a rear body shell 2, an electromagnetic clutch component 3, a transmission shaft 4, and a drive motor 5; the front body shell 1 is hollow, and the electromagnetic clutch component 3 is fixed inside the front body shell 1; the rear body shell 2 is hollow, and the drive motor 5 is fixed inside the rear body shell 2, and its output shaft extends from the front end of the rear body shell 2; one end of the transmission shaft 4 is fixedly connected to the electromagnetic clutch component 3, and the other end is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 5; the motion conversion component is connected to the transmission shaft 4.

[0036] The pipeline robot of the present invention realizes single motor drive to complete diameter change and spiral movement through the coordinated control of the driving motor 5 and the electromagnetic clutch assembly 3: when the electromagnetic clutch assembly 3 is closed, there is no relative movement between the transmission shaft 4 and the electromagnetic clutch assembly 3, and the driving motor 5 drives the transmission shaft 4 to rotate, thereby driving the front body shell 1 and the motion conversion assembly to rotate and perform spiral movement, so that the robot moves forward in the pipeline; when the electromagnetic clutch assembly 3 is disconnected, there is relative rotational movement between the transmission shaft 4 and the electromagnetic clutch assembly 3, and the driving motor 5 only drives the transmission shaft 4 to rotate, thereby driving the motion conversion assembly to achieve diameter change. Therefore, the spiral movement and diameter change control of the pipeline robot of the present invention are simple and the cost is low.

[0037] Example 2

[0038] from Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5It can be seen that the pipeline robot of the present invention: the motion conversion component includes a reducing mechanism and a moving mechanism, the reducing mechanism includes a turntable 8, three reducing units evenly distributed along the circumferential direction, and the moving mechanism includes three moving units; the turntable 8 is in the shape of a three-leaf disk, the middle boss hole 801 of which is fixed at the middle shoulder of the transmission shaft 4, and the three blade disks 803 outside it are evenly distributed circumferentially, and each blade disk 803 is connected to a group of reducing units; each group of reducing units includes a connecting rod 9, a U-shaped guide sleeve 10, a telescopic rod sleeve Ⅰ11, a telescopic rod Ⅰ12, a spring Ⅰ13, a pressure sensor 14, and a limit pin Ⅰ15; the rear part of the front body shell 1 is a flat three-leaf boss 102, and each leaf of the three-leaf boss 102 is provided with a U-shaped The guide sleeve 10, the telescopic rod sleeve Ⅰ11 passes through the U-shaped guide sleeve 10; the two ends of the connecting rod 9 are respectively hinged to the hinge seat Ⅱ1101 at the rear end of the telescopic rod sleeve Ⅰ11 and the hinge hole 802 on the turntable 803; the small shaft section of the telescopic rod Ⅰ12 extends into the telescopic rod sleeve Ⅰ11, the pressure sensor 14 is installed on the top of the small shaft section of the telescopic rod Ⅰ12, the spring Ⅰ13 is placed in the telescopic rod sleeve Ⅰ11, and its two ends are respectively in contact with the bottom of the telescopic rod sleeve Ⅰ11 and the pressure sensor 14, the limit pin Ⅰ15 is vertically connected to the small shaft section of the telescopic rod Ⅰ12 and passes through the limit grooves Ⅰ1102 symmetrically arranged on both sides of the telescopic rod sleeve Ⅰ11; the support plate at the top of the telescopic rod Ⅰ12 is connected to a moving unit.

[0039] The pipeline robot of the present invention realizes single motor drive to complete diameter change and spiral movement through the coordinated control of the driving motor 5 and the electromagnetic clutch assembly 3: 1. When the electromagnetic clutch assembly 3 is closed, there is no relative movement between the transmission shaft 4 and the electromagnetic clutch assembly 3, and the driving motor 5 drives the transmission shaft 4 to rotate, thereby driving the front body shell 1, the turntable 8, the diameter change unit, and the moving unit to rotate, so that the robot can perform spiral movement along the axis direction of the pipeline. At this time, the diameter change unit plays a supporting role, and the spring I in the diameter change unit can realize a small range of passive diameter change, and has a certain buffering capacity: when the aperture of the pipeline becomes smaller in a small range, its inner wall will press the moving unit, and the spring I13 will be compressed by the telescopic rod I12 to realize the moving unit and the pipeline. The cooperation of the pipeline, when the aperture of the pipeline increases in a small range, the spring Ⅰ13 will push the telescopic rod Ⅰ12 and the mobile unit to move outward under the action of its elastic force, so as to realize the cooperation between the mobile unit and the pipeline; that is, the robot has the ability to change the diameter and buffer in a small range during walking; second, when the electromagnetic clutch assembly 3 is disconnected, there is a relative rotational movement between the transmission shaft 4 and the electromagnetic clutch assembly 3, and the driving motor 5 only drives the transmission shaft 4 to rotate, thereby driving the turntable 8 to rotate, and then driving the telescopic rod sleeve Ⅰ11, the telescopic rod Ⅰ12, and the mobile unit to move up and down through the connecting rod 9 to realize active diameter change; the pressure sensor 14 is used to receive the pressure signal, and when the pressure signal reaches a predetermined value, the active diameter change movement is stopped; when the diameter change is completed, the robot continues to walk. Therefore, the pipeline robot of the present invention can conveniently complete the diameter change through the coordinated control of the driving motor 5 and the electromagnetic clutch assembly 3, so that the pipeline robot can realize rapid travel in pipelines of different diameters.

[0040] The three leaf disks 803 and the three-leaf boss 102 are initially arranged in a staggered manner to provide the diameter-changing mechanism with enough space to move up and down and thus change the diameter.

[0041] The U-shaped guide sleeve 10 is used to limit and guide the telescopic rod sleeve Ⅰ11.

[0042] Among them, the pressure sensor 14 is used to receive and transmit the pressure exerted on the diameter-changing mechanism. During the robot's active diameter-changing process: when the pressure signal reaches a predetermined value, the active diameter-changing movement needs to be stopped to ensure that the robot moves in a suitable space to prevent it from being damaged.

[0043] In summary, the overall axial size of the pipeline robot of the present invention is relatively small, and variable diameter and spiral motion can be achieved through a single motor, with simple control and low cost.

[0044] Example 3

[0045] from Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 , Figure 6It can be seen that the pipeline robot of the present invention: each mobile unit includes a joint motor 16, a connecting rod Ⅰ17, a connecting rod Ⅱ18, a support shaft 19, a bearing seat assembly 20, an electromagnet assembly 21, a mounting frame 22, a bearing assembly 23, a rotating shaft 24, and a driving wheel 25; the joint motor 16 and the bearing seat assembly 20 are respectively fixed at the two ends of the top support plate of the telescopic rod Ⅰ12; one end of the support shaft 19 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the joint motor 16, and the other end is connected to the bearing in the bearing seat assembly 20; the connecting rod Ⅰ17 and the connecting rod Ⅱ18 are arranged vertically, and the tail ends of both are fixedly connected to the middle part of the support shaft 19, and the central axes of the connecting rod Ⅰ17, the connecting rod Ⅱ18 and the telescopic rod Ⅰ12 are located in the same plane; the electromagnet assembly 21 is fixed to the top of the connecting rod Ⅱ18; the mounting frame 22 is fixed to the top of the connecting rod Ⅰ17, the bearing assembly 23 is installed in the hole of the mounting frame 22, the middle section of the rotating shaft 24 cooperates with the bearing assembly 23, and a driving wheel 25 is installed at both ends.

[0046] The mounting frame 22 is connected to the connecting rod Ⅰ17 through an inclined plane, so that the driving wheel 25 forms a certain angle with the robot's forward direction, which is the helix angle. The adsorption end of the electromagnet assembly 21 is an arc surface, so that it fits the inner wall of the circular pipe better. The electromagnet assembly 21 and the driving wheel 25 connected to the connecting rod Ⅰ17 and the connecting rod Ⅱ18 can be interchangeable.

[0047] The pipeline robot of the present invention can realize the transition between the two modes of spiral operation and stable stop in the pipeline through the action of the joint motor 16: when the robot needs to run quickly in the pipeline, the joint motor 16 rotates to align the connecting rod Ⅰ17 with the telescopic rod Ⅰ12 coaxially, so that the driving wheel 25 is close to the inner wall of the pipeline, and the robot runs spirally along the direction of the pipeline axis; when the robot needs to stop at a certain position in the pipeline to perform activities such as detection, repair and cleaning, the joint motor 16 rotates to align the connecting rod Ⅱ18 with the telescopic rod Ⅰ12 coaxially, so that the electromagnet assembly 21 is tightly adsorbed on the inner wall of the pipeline, and the robot stops stably at any position in the pipeline. In addition, the electromagnet assembly 21 can be replaced with a functional device such as cleaning or detection, so that the robot can complete different work tasks during the spiral movement.

[0048] The robot of the present invention can conveniently switch between the walking mode and the stabilizing mode. The robot has a fast running speed and high efficiency when walking, and has good stability when stabilizing.

[0049] Example 4

[0050] from Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 7It can be seen that the pipeline robot of the present invention: it also includes an auxiliary support mechanism installed on the rear body shell 2, the auxiliary support mechanism includes three groups of auxiliary support units evenly distributed in the circumferential direction; each group of auxiliary support units includes a telescopic rod sleeve Ⅱ26, a telescopic rod Ⅱ27, a spring Ⅱ28, a limit pin Ⅱ29, and a universal wheel assembly 30; the tail end of the telescopic rod sleeve Ⅱ26 is fixedly connected to the rear body shell 2, the small shaft section of the telescopic rod Ⅱ27 extends into the sleeve of the telescopic rod sleeve Ⅱ26, the spring Ⅱ28 is placed in the telescopic rod sleeve Ⅱ26, and its two ends are respectively in contact with the bottom of the telescopic rod sleeve Ⅱ26 and the top surface of the small shaft section of the telescopic rod Ⅱ27, the limit pin Ⅱ29 is vertically connected to the small shaft section of the telescopic rod Ⅱ26 and passes through the limit grooves Ⅱ2601 symmetrically arranged on both sides of the telescopic rod sleeve Ⅱ26; the support plate end at the top of the telescopic rod Ⅱ27 is connected to a universal wheel assembly 30.

[0051] The rear housing 2 is preferably a hexagonal prism to facilitate the installation and fixation of the auxiliary support unit and the electronic components 35 .

[0052] When the robot performs spiral motion, since the universal wheel assembly 30 can always be in close contact with the inner wall of the pipe, that is, it has good adaptability to pipe bending, the robot can easily pass through pipes with various curvatures. At the same time, the universal wheel can play a stabilizing supporting role, so that the robot can walk stably in inclined or vertical pipes.

[0053] Example 5

[0054] from Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 7 It can be seen that the pipeline robot of the present invention: it also includes a detection unit, the detection unit includes an ultrasonic sensor 6 and at least one camera 7, the ultrasonic sensor 6 is fixedly connected to the boss 101 at the front end of the front body shell 1, and the two cameras 7 are evenly installed at 180° on the upper and lower sides of the rear body shell 2.

[0055] The ultrasonic sensor 6 senses the situation in the pipeline: the installation positions of the two cameras 7 ensure that when the robot runs in any motion mode in the pipeline, it can obtain a complete image in front of the robot without causing image loss or occlusion.

[0056] The rear housing 2 is also provided with electronic components 35, including a communication module, a power module, a processor, a microcontroller, and a memory. The communication module is used for data transmission, the power module can provide power support, the processor and the microcontroller are used for data processing and task execution, and the memory is used to store the collected data and programs. The information obtained by the ultrasonic sensor 6 and the camera 7 is received and processed by the electronic components 35 to determine the robot's motion mode and the corresponding action.

[0057] Example 6

[0058] from Figure 8 , Fig. 9 , Fig.10 , Fig.11 It can be seen that the present invention is a combined robot: it includes two front and rear pipeline robots with convertible motion modes, and a connecting unit in the middle, the connecting unit includes a connecting plate 33, a universal joint assembly 34, and two groups of telescopic mechanisms symmetrically arranged relative to the center of the body; each group of telescopic mechanisms includes a hinge seat Ⅰ201, a connecting block 31, an electric push rod 32, and a hinge seat Ⅲ3301; the hinge seat Ⅰ201 is fixed on the inner wall of the rear body shell 2 of the front pipeline robot, and the two ends of the connecting block 31 are respectively hinged to the hinge seat Ⅰ201 and the protruding end 3201 of the electric push rod 32; the hinge seat Ⅲ3301 on the front end of the connecting plate 33 is hinged to the tail end 3202 of the electric push rod 32, and the middle part of the rear end is fixedly connected to the middle part of the front end of the front body shell 1 of the rear pipeline robot through the universal joint assembly 34.

[0059] In view of the fact that the pipeline robot with convertible motion modes of the present invention has a compact structure and may be insufficiently powered, making it unable to climb or even slide down in a vertical pipeline, the combined robot of the present invention adopts two pipeline robots, so that spiral operation, stable stop, and creeping operation modes can be realized in the pipeline: when the combined robot is running in a horizontal pipeline, the joint motors 16 in the front and rear pipeline robots are driven, and the connecting rod Ⅰ17 is coaxially aligned with the telescopic rod Ⅰ12, so that the driving wheel 25 is close to the pipe wall and performs spiral motion, with fast running speed and high efficiency; when the combined robot is running in a vertical or inclined pipeline, the joint motors 16 in the front and rear pipeline robots are driven, and the connecting rod Ⅱ18 is coaxially aligned with the telescopic rod Ⅰ12, so that the electromagnet assembly 21 is adsorbed and close to the inner wall of the pipeline, and then the diameter-changing mechanisms of the front and rear pipeline robots are respectively controlled to perform diameter-changing motion, and the electric push rod 32 in the connecting unit is cooperated to perform telescopic motion, so that the robot can stably creep in the vertical pipeline; at the same time, the robot can stop stably at any position in the pipeline to perform detection, repair and cleaning work. In addition, the active steering of the robot can be achieved through the coordinated movement of the two electric push rods 32 in the connecting unit, and the universal wheel assembly 30 in the auxiliary support unit facilitates the robot to pass through curved pipes of various curvatures.

[0060] In summary, when the robot of the present invention performs spiral motion, since the universal wheel assembly 30 can always be in close contact with the inner wall of the pipe, that is, it has good adaptability to pipe bending, the robot can easily pass through curved pipes of various curvatures. At the same time, the universal wheel can play a stabilizing supporting role, so that the robot can walk stably when in inclined or vertical pipes.

[0061] Example 7

[0062] The walking method of the pipeline robot capable of changing the motion mode of the present invention is as follows: Fig.12 As shown: ① Spiral travel: The joint motor 16 rotates to align the connecting rod Ⅰ17 with the telescopic rod Ⅰ12 coaxially, and the driving wheel 25 is close to the inner wall of the pipeline. The robot runs spirally along the axis of the pipeline to achieve fast walking, as shown in FIG. Fig.12 (a); at this time, the electromagnet assembly 21 can be replaced with a functional device such as cleaning or detection, so that the robot can complete different work tasks during the spiral motion; ② Stable stop: the joint motor 16 rotates to align the connecting rod II 18 and the telescopic rod I 12 coaxially, and the electromagnet assembly 21 fits tightly against the inner wall of the pipeline. The robot stops stably at any position in the pipeline, thereby realizing detection and other tasks, such as Fig.12 (b) as shown.

[0063] Example 8

[0064] The walking method of the combined robot of the present invention is as follows Fig.13 As shown: ① Spiral travel: When the combined robot runs in a horizontal pipeline, the joint motors 16 in the front and rear pipeline robots are driven, and the connecting rod Ⅰ17 is coaxially aligned with the telescopic rod Ⅰ12, so that the driving wheel 25 is close to the pipe wall and performs spiral movement to achieve fast walking, such as Fig.13 (a) as shown; ② Steady stop: the joint motor 16 in the front and rear pipeline robots rotates, the connecting rod II 18 and the telescopic rod I 12 are coaxially aligned, the electromagnet assembly 21 fits tightly against the inner wall of the pipeline, and the robot stops firmly at any position in the pipeline, such as Fig.13 (b) as shown; ③ Peristaltic operation: When the robot is running in a vertical or inclined pipeline, the robot first stops steadily, and then controls the diameter-changing mechanisms of the front and rear pipeline robots to perform diameter-changing movements respectively, and cooperates with the electric push rod 32 to perform telescopic movements, so that the robot can stably peristalsis in the vertical pipeline; ④ Bend pipe steering: I. The robot first stops steadily at the intersection of the curved pipeline, II. The two electric push rods 32 perform telescopic movements (one long and one short), so that the front robot tilts and actively turns into the curved pipeline, III. The front robot runs stably, so that the rear robot enters the curved pipeline; IV. The rear robot realizes turning and is coaxial with the front robot.

[0065] Example 9

[0066] The specific steps of the creeping operation of the combined robot of the present invention are as follows: Fig.14 As shown: Ⅰ, the combined robot is in the initial stage of creeping, the electromagnet assembly 21 and the universal wheel assembly 30 of the front and rear pipeline robots are close to the inner wall of the pipeline, and the electric push rod 32 is in the initial retracted state, such as Fig.14 (a) as shown; Ⅱ, the front of the pipeline robot electromagnet assembly 21 through the diameter reducing mechanism retracted, only the universal wheel assembly 30 close to the inner wall of the pipeline, such as Fig.14(b) as shown; III, the electric push rod 32 extends, driving the front pipeline robot to move by the universal wheel assembly 30, and the rear pipeline robot still relies on the electromagnet assembly 21 to cling to the inner wall of the pipeline, such as Fig.14 (c) as shown; IV, the electromagnet assembly 21 of the front pipeline robot extends close to the inner wall of the pipeline through the diameter reducing mechanism, such as Fig.14 (d) as shown; V, the electromagnet assembly 21 of the pipeline robot behind is retracted through the diameter reducing mechanism, and only the universal wheel assembly 30 is close to the inner wall of the pipeline, such as Fig.14 (e) as shown; VI, the electric push rod 32 retracts, driving the pipeline robot behind to move by the universal wheel assembly 30, and the pipeline robot in front still relies on the electromagnet assembly 21 to cling to the inner wall of the pipeline, such as Fig.14 (f) as shown; VII, the electromagnet assembly 21 of the pipeline robot behind extends close to the inner wall of the pipeline through the diameter reducing mechanism, such as Fig.14 As shown in (g), at this time, the pipeline robot is the same as the initial state of creeping, only the position in the pipeline changes, VIII, reciprocating in sequence, the combined robot can realize creeping forward in the pipeline.

[0067] In summary, the advantages of the robot of the present invention are: 1. The pipeline robot realizes the change of diameter and spiral movement through the coordinated control of the driving motor and the electromagnetic clutch assembly; 2. The pipeline robot changes the motion mode through the rotation of the joint motor: when the driving wheel is close to the pipe wall, the robot performs spiral motion, with fast running speed and high efficiency; when the electromagnet assembly is adsorbed and close to the pipe wall, the robot stops steadily; the electromagnet assembly can be replaced with functional devices such as cleaning or detection, so that the robot can complete different work tasks during the spiral motion; 3. The pipeline robot has a compact structure and a small axial size, and the universal wheel assembly enables the robot to have good adaptability to bending pipes when performing spiral motion, and can easily pass through bends of various curvatures; the support of the universal wheel enables the robot to walk stably in inclined and vertical pipes: 4. The combined robot can realize the transformation of various motion modes such as spiral advance and retreat in horizontal pipes, creeping advance and retreat in vertical and inclined pipes, and stable stop at any position in various pipes, and can actively turn to pass through bends, overcoming the problems of the robot being unable to climb or even slide in vertical pipes.

[0068] The above is a detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention, but the content is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and cannot be considered to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. All equivalent changes and improvements made within the scope of the present invention should still fall within the scope of the patent coverage of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pipeline robot with changeable motion modes, characterized by: The invention comprises a machine body and a motion conversion component; the machine body comprises a front machine body shell (1), a rear machine body shell (2), an electromagnetic clutch component (3), a transmission shaft (4), and a drive motor (5); the front machine body shell (1) is hollow, and the electromagnetic clutch component (3) is fixed inside the front machine body shell (1); the rear machine body shell (2) is hollow, and the drive motor (5) is fixed inside the rear machine body shell (2), and its output shaft extends from the front end of the rear machine body shell (2); one end of the transmission shaft (4) is fixedly connected to the electromagnetic clutch component (3), and the other end is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the drive motor (5); and the motion conversion component is connected to the transmission shaft (4).

2. The pipeline robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motion conversion component comprises a diameter-changing mechanism and a moving mechanism. The diameter-changing mechanism comprises a rotating disk (8) and three diameter-changing units evenly distributed along the circumferential direction. The moving mechanism comprises three moving units. The rotating disk (8) is in the shape of a three-leaf disk, wherein a boss hole (801) in the middle is fixed at the middle shoulder of a transmission shaft (4), and three blade disks (803) outside the rotating disk are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction. Each blade disk (803) is connected to a group of diameter-changing units. Each group of diameter-changing units comprises a connecting rod (9), a U-shaped guide sleeve (10), a telescopic rod sleeve I (11), a telescopic rod I (12), a spring I (13), a pressure sensor (14), and a limit pin I (15). The rear part of the front body shell (1) is a flat three-leaf boss (102), each leaf of the three-leaf boss (102) is provided with a U-shaped guide sleeve (10), and the telescopic rod The sleeve I (11) passes through the U-shaped guide sleeve (10); the two ends of the connecting rod (9) are respectively hinged to the hinge seat II (1101) at the rear end of the telescopic rod sleeve I (11) and the hinge hole (802) on the turntable (803); the small shaft section of the telescopic rod I (12) extends into the telescopic rod sleeve I (11), the pressure sensor (14) is installed on the top of the small shaft section of the telescopic rod I (12), the spring I (13) is placed in the telescopic rod sleeve I (11), and its two ends are respectively in contact with the bottom of the telescopic rod sleeve I (11) and the pressure sensor (14), the limit pin I (15) is vertically connected to the small shaft section of the telescopic rod I (12) and passes through the limit slots I (1102) symmetrically arranged on both sides of the telescopic rod sleeve I (11); the support plate at the top of the telescopic rod I (12) is connected to a moving unit.

3. The pipeline robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The three leaf disks (803) and the three-leaf boss (102) are initially arranged in a staggered manner.

4. The pipeline robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each mobile unit comprises a joint motor (16), a connecting rod I (17), a connecting rod II (18), a support shaft (19), a bearing seat assembly (20), an electromagnet assembly (21), a mounting frame (22), a bearing assembly (23), a rotating shaft (24), and a driving wheel (25); the joint motor (16) and the bearing seat assembly (20) are respectively fixed at the two ends of the top support plate of the telescopic rod I (12); one end of the support shaft (19) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the joint motor (16), and the other end is connected to the bearing in the bearing seat assembly (20); the connecting rod The connecting rod Ⅰ (17) and the connecting rod Ⅱ (18) are arranged vertically, and the tail ends of both are fixedly connected to the middle part of the support shaft (19), and the central axes of the connecting rod Ⅰ (17), the connecting rod Ⅱ (18) and the telescopic rod Ⅰ (12) are located in the same plane; the electromagnet assembly (21) is fixed to the top end of the connecting rod Ⅱ (18); the mounting frame (22) is fixed to the top end of the connecting rod Ⅰ (17), the bearing assembly (23) is installed in the hole of the mounting frame (22), the middle section of the rotating shaft (24) is matched with the bearing assembly (23), and a driving wheel (25) is installed at both ends.

5. The pipeline robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention also comprises an auxiliary support mechanism installed on the rear body shell (2), the auxiliary support mechanism comprises three groups of auxiliary support units uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction; each group of auxiliary support units comprises a telescopic rod sleeve II (26), a telescopic rod II (27), a spring II (28), a limit pin II (29), and a universal wheel assembly (30); the tail end of the telescopic rod sleeve II (26) is fixedly connected to the rear body shell (2), the small shaft section of the telescopic rod II (27) extends into the sleeve of the telescopic rod sleeve II (26), the spring II (28) is placed in the telescopic rod sleeve II (26), and its two ends are respectively in contact with the bottom of the sleeve of the telescopic rod sleeve II (26) and the top surface of the small shaft section of the telescopic rod II (27); the limit pin II (29) is vertically connected to the small shaft section of the telescopic rod II (26) and passes through the limit slots II (2601) symmetrically arranged on both sides of the telescopic rod sleeve II (26); and a universal wheel assembly (30) is connected to the support plate end at the top of the telescopic rod II (27).

6. The pipeline robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a detection unit, which includes an ultrasonic sensor (6) and at least one camera (7). The ultrasonic sensor (6) is fixedly connected to a boss (101) at the front end of the front body shell (1), and two cameras (7) are evenly installed at 180 degrees on the upper and lower sides of the rear body shell (2).

7. A combined robot, characterized in that: It comprises two front and rear pipeline robots with transformable motion modes as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, and a connecting unit in the middle, wherein the connecting unit comprises a connecting plate (33), a universal joint assembly (34), and two sets of telescopic mechanisms symmetrically arranged relative to the center of the body; each set of telescopic mechanisms comprises a connecting block (31) and an electric push rod (32); a hinge seat Ⅰ (201) is fixed to the inner wall of the rear body shell (2) of the front pipeline robot, and the two ends of the connecting block (31) are respectively hinged to the hinge seat Ⅰ (201) and the protruding end (3201) of the electric push rod (32); a hinge seat Ⅲ (3301) on the front end of the connecting plate (33) is hinged to the tail end (3202) of the electric push rod (32), and the middle part of the rear end is fixedly connected to the middle part of the front end of the front body shell 1 of the rear pipeline robot through the universal joint assembly (34).

8. A walking method for a pipeline robot with a changeable motion mode, characterized in that: ① Spiral movement: The joint motor rotates to align the connecting rod Ⅰ with the telescopic rod Ⅰ coaxially, and the driving wheel is close to the inner wall of the pipe. The robot runs in a spiral along the axis of the pipe to achieve fast walking; ② Stable stop: The joint motor rotates to align the connecting rod Ⅱ with the telescopic rod Ⅰ coaxially, and the electromagnet assembly is close to the inner wall of the pipe. The robot stops stably at any position in the pipe, thereby realizing detection and other tasks.

9. A walking method for a combined robot, characterized in that: ① Spiral movement: When the combined robot runs in a horizontal pipeline, the joint motors in the front and rear pipeline robots are driven, and the connecting rod Ⅰ and the telescopic rod Ⅰ are coaxially aligned, so that the driving wheel is close to the pipe wall and performs spiral movement to achieve fast walking; ② Stable stop: The joint motors in the front and rear pipeline robots rotate, the connecting rod Ⅱ and the telescopic rod Ⅰ are coaxially aligned, the electromagnet assembly is close to the inner wall of the pipeline, and the robot stops stably at any position in the pipeline; ③ Creeping operation: When the robot runs in a vertical or inclined pipeline, the robot first stops stably, and then controls the diameter-changing mechanisms of the front and rear pipeline robots to perform diameter-changing movement respectively, and cooperates with the electric push rod to perform telescopic movement, so that the robot creeps stably in the vertical pipeline; ④ Bend pipe steering: Ⅰ, the robot first stops stably at the intersection of the curved pipeline, Ⅱ, the two electric push rods perform telescopic movement (one long and one short), so that the front robot tilts and actively turns to the curved pipeline, Ⅲ, the front robot runs stably, so that the rear robot enters the curved pipeline; Ⅳ, then the rear robot is turned and coaxial with the front robot.

10. The walking method of the combined robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: The specific steps of step ③ creeping operation are: Ⅰ, the combined robot is in the initial creeping stage, the electromagnet assembly and the universal wheel assembly of the front and rear pipeline robots are close to the inner wall of the pipeline, and the electric push rod is in the initial retracted state; Ⅱ, the electromagnet assembly of the front pipeline robot is retracted through the diameter reducing mechanism, and only the universal wheel assembly is close to the inner wall of the pipeline; Ⅲ, the electric push rod is extended to drive the front pipeline robot to move by relying on the universal wheel assembly, and the rear pipeline robot still relies on the electromagnet assembly to be close to the inner wall of the pipeline; Ⅳ, the electromagnet group of the front pipeline robot is extended through the diameter reducing mechanism to be close to the inner wall of the pipeline; Ⅴ, the electromagnet assembly of the rear pipeline robot is retracted through the diameter reducing mechanism, and only the universal wheel assembly is close to the inner wall of the pipeline; Ⅵ, the electric push rod is retracted, driving the rear pipeline robot to move by relying on the universal wheel assembly, and the front pipeline robot still relies on the electromagnet assembly to be close to the inner wall of the pipeline; Ⅶ, the electromagnet assembly of the rear pipeline robot is extended through the diameter reducing mechanism to be close to the inner wall of the pipeline; Ⅷ, reciprocating in sequence, the combined robot can realize creeping forward in the pipeline.

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