Pneumatic soft driver and machining die

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of soft robots, in particular to a pneumatic soft driver and a machining die, the soft driver comprises a soft structure and a fixed rigid device, the soft structure is composed of a sector ring body and a sector body, a vent hole and a first sector ring body cavity are formed in the sector ring body, a plurality of second sector ring body cavities are formed in the sector body, and the first sector ring body cavity and the second sector ring body cavity are communicated through the vent hole. The fixed rigid device is rapidly assembled in a clamping mode, and the hollow cylindrical piece penetrates through the upper connecting piece and is communicated with the vent hole. When air pressure is input, the sector ring bodies expand in the radial direction, the sector bodies are bent, and under the synergistic effect of the sector ring bodies and the sector bodies, the single soft driver can achieve composite actions such as grabbing and wrapping. The machining mold adopts modular design, the manufacturing process is simple, and the mold can be repeatedly used. The system has the advantages of simplified structure, flexible control and low cost, and is suitable for complex unstructured environment interaction tasks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of soft robots, and particularly to a pneumatic soft actuator and a processing mold. Background Art

[0002] When traditional rigid robots interact with the natural environment, their compliance is limited, and they can only perform parallel movement or rotational movement, with limited adaptability to complex unstructured environments and difficulty in being applied to complex unstructured environments. Soft actuators are mainly made of soft or extensible materials and have characteristics such as inherent compliance, infinite degrees of freedom, continuous deformability, and safe interaction. Due to their material flexibility and multi-degree-of-freedom deformation characteristics, soft actuators have become a research hotspot for solving this problem, and among them, the pneumatic drive method is widely used due to its simple structure and convenient control.

[0003] However, existing pneumatic soft actuators still have significant defects. Most designs can only achieve a single bending motion, and multiple soft actuators need to work together to complete composite tasks such as grasping and wrapping, resulting in high system complexity, increased costs, and difficult control. At the same time, the design of multiple actuators requires additional rigid connection components, leading to structural redundancy and reduced flexibility. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic soft actuator and a processing mold to solve the problems mentioned in the above background art.

[0005] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides a pneumatic soft actuator, including a soft structure and a fixed rigid device. The soft structure is adhesively formed by a clamping module, a main body frame, and an end cover. The clamping module is arranged at one end of the main body frame, the end cover is arranged on the top of the main body frame, the main body frame includes a sector ring body and a sector body, a ventilation hole is arranged inside the clamping module, a first sector ring body cavity is arranged inside the sector ring body, and a plurality of second sector ring body cavities are arranged inside the sector body. The plurality of second sector ring body cavities form a pneumatic network structure;

[0006] The fixed rigid device includes an upper connecting piece, a lower connecting piece, and a hollow cylindrical piece. The hollow cylindrical piece penetrates through the upper connecting piece and is communicated with the ventilation hole, and the upper connecting piece and the lower connecting piece are connected to the clamping module by a clamping method.

[0007] Preferably, the ventilation hole, the first sector ring body cavity, and the second sector ring body cavity are communicated to form a continuous gas path.

[0008] Preferably, the shape of the radial cross-section of the soft structure is set as a sector.

[0009] Preferably, a groove is provided on the outer side of the sector ring body.

[0010] Preferably, the gas passes through the hollow cylindrical member and successively through the cavity of the first sector ring body and the cavity of the second sector ring body. When the air pressure increases, the sector ring body expands radially, and the sector-shaped body bends towards the sector ring body.

[0011] Preferably, when the air pressure reaches a set value, the expansion surface of the sector ring body contacts the bending surface of the sector-shaped body and generates a cooperative force.

[0012] A processing mold for a pneumatic soft actuator includes a main body mold, an end cover mold, and a clamping mold. The main body mold includes a base mold, side plates, a cover plate mold, and a top plate. The cover plate mold, the side plates, and the top plate are all fixed to the base mold. The base mold, the side plates, the cover plate mold, and the top plate enclose a cavity for forming the sector ring body and the sector-shaped body.

[0013] The end cover mold is used for forming the end cover, and the clamping mold is used for forming the clamping module.

[0014] Preferably, a square pouring hole is provided at one end of the cover plate mold, and the square pouring hole is used for injecting liquid silicone.

[0015] Preferably, a positioning post is provided on one side of the base mold, and a positioning hole is provided on one side of the side plate. The positioning post and the positioning hole are used for positioning and connecting the base mold and the side plate.

[0016] Therefore, the pneumatic soft actuator and the processing mold provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects: By providing a sector ring body and a sector-shaped body, the soft structure can achieve radial expansion of the sector ring body and directional bending of the sector-shaped body under a single pneumatic input. The expansion of the sector ring body and the bending of the sector-shaped body act synergistically to complete operations such as wrapping and grasping, without relying on multiple independent actuators, greatly simplifying the structure and reducing the control difficulty.

[0017] By connecting the soft structure and the fixed rigid device in a clamping manner, rapid assembly and disassembly can be carried out, reducing redundant rigid components and improving flexibility and lightweight level.

[0018] Based on the casting molding process, including a main body mold, an end cover mold, and a clamping mold. The main body mold includes a base mold, side plates, a cover plate mold, and a top plate. The main body mold is used for forming the sector ring body and the sector-shaped body. The end cover mold is used for forming the end cover, and the clamping mold is used for forming the clamping module. By adopting a modular processing mold, rapid mold assembly and demolding can be achieved, simplifying the manufacturing process. At the same time, the molds can be reused, reducing the production cost. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1 Schematic structural diagram of a pneumatic soft actuator in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 Exploded view of a pneumatic soft actuator in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 Exploded view of a pneumatic soft actuator from another perspective in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 Cross-sectional view of a pneumatic soft actuator in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 Exploded view of the main mold of a pneumatic soft actuator in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 Schematic structural diagram of the base mold in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 Schematic structural diagram of the side plate in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 8 Cross-sectional view of the processing mold in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the clamping mold in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the end cap mold in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Reference numerals

[0030] 1. Soft body structure; 101. Sector ring body; 102. Vent hole; 103. First sector ring body cavity; 104. Sector body; 105. Second sector ring body cavity; 106. Groove; 107. Clamping module; 108. End cap; 2. Fixed rigid device; 201. Upper connecting piece; 202. Lower connecting piece; 203. Hollow cylindrical piece; 3. Base mold; 301. Positioning column; 4. Side plate; 401. Positioning hole; 5. Cover plate mold; 6. Top plate; 7. Square pouring hole. Detailed implementation manners

[0031] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of the present invention is usually placed during use. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0032] In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "arrangement", "installation", and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0033] The following will describe in detail some embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Without conflict, the following embodiments and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0034] Embodiment

[0035] As Figure 1-10 shown, a pneumatic soft actuator of the present invention includes a soft structure 1 and a fixed rigid device 2. The soft structure 1 is composed of a clamping module 107, a main body frame, and an end cover 108 adhesively connected to each other. The clamping module 107 is arranged at one end of the main body frame, and the end cover 108 is arranged on the top of the main body frame. The main body frame includes a fan-shaped ring body 101 and a fan-shaped body 104. An air vent 102 is arranged inside the clamping module 107, a first fan-shaped ring body cavity 103 is arranged inside the fan-shaped ring body 101, and a plurality of second fan-shaped ring body cavities 105 are arranged inside the fan-shaped body 104. The plurality of second fan-shaped ring body cavities 105 form a pneumatic network structure.

[0036] The fixed rigid device 2 includes an upper connecting member 201, a lower connecting member 202, and a hollow cylindrical member 203. The hollow cylindrical member 203 penetrates through the upper connecting member 201 and is communicated with the air vent 102. The upper connecting member 201 and the lower connecting member 202 are connected to the clamping module 107 by a clamping method.

[0037] The air vent 102, the first fan-shaped ring body cavity 103, and the second fan-shaped ring body cavities 105 are communicated to form a continuous gas path.

[0038] The shape of the radial cross-section of the soft structure 1 is set to be fan-shaped, and a groove 106 is arranged on the outer side of the fan-shaped ring body 101.

[0039] The gas passes through the hollow cylindrical member 203 and sequentially passes through the first fan-shaped ring body cavity 103 and the second fan-shaped ring body cavities 105. When the air pressure increases, the fan-shaped ring body 101 expands radially, and the fan-shaped body 104 bends towards the fan-shaped ring body 101. When the air pressure reaches the set value, the expanded surface of the fan-shaped ring body 101 contacts the bent surface of the fan-shaped body 104 and generates a cooperative force, and operations such as wrapping, grasping, and clamping can be performed.

[0040] A processing mold for a pneumatic soft actuator, comprising a main body mold, an end cover mold and a clamping mold. The main body mold includes a base mold 3, side plates 4, a cover plate mold 5 and a top plate 6. The cover plate mold 5, the side plates 4 and the top plate 6 are all fixed to the base mold 3. The base mold 3, the side plates 4, the cover plate mold 5 and the top plate 6 enclose a cavity for forming a sector ring body 101 and a sector body 104. The end cover mold is used for forming an end cover 108, and the clamping mold is used for forming a clamping module 107. When assembling the main body mold, first assemble the cover plate mold 5 and the base mold 3, then assemble the side plates 4, and finally assemble the top plate 6. When demolding, disassemble the top plate 6, the side plates 4 and the cover plate mold 5 in sequence.

[0041] One end of the cover plate mold 5 is provided with a square pouring hole 7 for injecting liquid silicone. The cover plate mold 5 and the base mold 3 enclose a cavity for forming the sector ring body 101, and the top plate 6 and the side plates 4 and the base mold 3 enclose a cavity for forming the sector body 104.

[0042] One side of the base mold 3 is provided with a positioning post 301, and one side of the side plate 4 is provided with a positioning hole 401. The positioning post 301 and the positioning hole 401 are used for positioning and connecting the base mold 3 and the side plate 4.

[0043] The working principle of a pneumatic soft actuator of the present invention: When gas flows in through the hollow cylinder, through the ventilation hole 102, it enters the first sector ring cavity 103 inside the sector ring body 101, and the sector ring body 101 expands radially. When gas enters the second sector ring cavity 105 inside the sector body 104, the sector body 104 bends towards the sector ring body 101. When the air pressure reaches a certain value, the bending surface of the sector body 104 contacts the expanding surface of the sector ring body 101 to generate a cooperative force, which can grasp objects with smaller sizes or can be used as a separate soft gripper.

[0044] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify or equivalently replace the technical solutions of the present invention, and these modifications or equivalent replacements cannot make the modified technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pneumatic soft actuator, characterized in that: The invention comprises a soft structure and a fixed rigid device, wherein the soft structure is composed of a card-joint module, a main frame and an end cover bonded to each other, the card-joint module is arranged at one end of the main frame, the end cover is arranged at the top of the main frame, the main frame comprises a fan ring body and a fan-shaped body, a vent is arranged inside the card-joint module, a first fan ring body cavity is arranged inside the fan-shaped body, a plurality of second fan ring body cavities are arranged inside the fan-shaped body, and the plurality of second fan ring body cavities constitute an aerodynamic network structure; The fixing rigid device comprises an upper connecting member, a lower connecting member and a hollow cylindrical member, wherein the hollow cylindrical member passes through the upper connecting member and is connected to the vent hole, and the upper connecting member and the lower connecting member are connected to the clamping module by means of a clamping engagement.

2. A pneumatic soft actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vent hole, the first sector ring body cavity and the second sector ring body cavity are connected to form a continuous air path.

3. A pneumatic soft actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shape of the radial cross section of the soft structure is set to be fan-shaped.

4. A pneumatic soft actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: A groove is arranged on the outer side of the fan ring body.

5. A pneumatic soft actuator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gas passes through the first sector ring body cavity and the second sector ring body cavity in sequence through the hollow cylindrical member. When the gas pressure increases, the sector ring body expands radially, and the sector-shaped body bends toward the direction of the sector ring body.

6. A pneumatic soft actuator according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the air pressure reaches a set value, the expansion surface of the fan ring body contacts the curved surface of the fan-shaped body and generates a synergistic force.

7. A processing mold for a pneumatic soft actuator as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: It comprises a main body mold, an end cover mold and a clamping mold, wherein the main body mold comprises a base mold, a side plate, a cover plate mold and a top plate, wherein the cover plate mold, the side plate and the top plate are all fixed to the base mold, and the base mold, the side plate, the cover plate mold and the top plate enclose a cavity for molding the fan ring body and the fan-shaped body; The end cover mold is used to form the end cover, and the clamping mold is used to form the clamping module.

8. The processing mold of a pneumatic soft drive according to claim 7, characterized in that: A square casting hole is provided at one end of the cover plate mold, and the square casting hole is used for injecting liquid silicone.

9. A processing mold for a pneumatic soft actuator according to claim 8, characterized in that: A positioning column is arranged on one side of the base mold, and a positioning hole is arranged on one side of the side plate. The positioning column and the positioning hole are used for positioning and connecting the base mold and the side plate.

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