Pneumatic soft actuator and processing mold

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of soft robot, in particular to a pneumatic soft driver and a processing mold, the soft driver comprises a soft structure and a fixed rigid device, the soft structure is composed of a fan ring body and a fan-shaped body, the fan ring body is internally provided with a ventilation hole and a first fan ring body cavity, the fan-shaped body is internally provided with a plurality of second fan ring body cavities, the fixed rigid device is quickly assembled through clamping, and a hollow cylindrical part penetrates through an upper connecting piece and is in communication with the ventilation hole. When air pressure is input, the fan ring body expands radially, the fan-shaped body bends, and under the synergistic action of the two, a single soft driver can realize composite actions such as grabbing and wrapping. The processing mold adopts a modular design, a manufacturing process is simple, and the mold can be repeatedly used. The application has the advantages of structural simplification, flexible control and low cost, and is suitable for complex unstructured environment interaction tasks.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of soft robot, in particular to a pneumatic soft driver and processing mold. BACKGROUND

[0002] Traditional rigid robots have limitations in compliance when interacting with natural environment, and can only move in parallel or rotate, with limited adaptability to complex unstructured environment, making it difficult to apply to complex unstructured environment. Soft driver is mainly made of soft or extensible material, with essential compliance, infinite degrees of freedom, continuous deformation and safe interaction, etc. Soft driver, with its material flexibility and multi-degree of freedom deformation characteristics, has become a research hotspot to solve this problem, and pneumatic driving mode is widely used due to its simple structure and convenient control.

[0003] However, the existing pneumatic soft driver still has significant defects. Most designs can only realize single bending motion, and need to rely on multiple soft drivers to work together to complete complex tasks such as grabbing and wrapping, resulting in high system complexity, increased cost and difficult control. At the same time, the design of multiple drivers needs to increase additional rigid connecting parts, resulting in structural redundancy and decreased flexibility. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a pneumatic soft driver and processing mold to solve the problems mentioned in the background.

[0005] To achieve the above purpose, the present application provides a pneumatic soft driver, which comprises a soft structure and a fixed rigid device, the soft structure is composed of a clamping module, a main frame and an end cover, the clamping 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 body, the inside of the clamping module is provided with a ventilation hole, the inside of the fan ring body is provided with a first fan ring cavity, the inside of the fan body is provided with a plurality of second fan ring cavities, and the plurality of second fan ring cavities form a pneumatic network structure.

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

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

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

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

[0010] Preferably, the gas passes through the hollow cylindrical member in sequence through the first fan ring body cavity and the second fan ring body cavity, when the air pressure increases, the fan ring body expands radially, and the sector bends towards the direction of the fan ring body.

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

[0012] A processing mold of a pneumatic soft body driver, comprising a main body mold, an end cover mold and a clamping mold, the main body mold comprising a base mold, a side plate, a cover plate mold and a top plate, the cover plate mold, the side plate and the top plate are fixed with the base mold, the base mold, the side plate, the cover plate mold and the top plate form a cavity for forming the fan ring body and the sector;

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

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

[0016] Therefore, the pneumatic soft body driver and the processing mold have the following beneficial effects: by arranging the fan ring body and the sector, the soft body structure can realize the radial expansion of the fan ring body and the directional bending of the sector under a single pneumatic input, the expansion of the fan ring body and the bending of the sector synergistically act, and the wrapping and grasping operations can be completed without relying on multiple independent drivers, greatly simplifying the structure and reducing the control difficulty.

[0017] By connecting the soft body structure and the fixed rigid device in a clamping manner, the assembly and disassembly can be quickly performed, the redundant rigid parts are reduced, and the flexibility and lightweight level are improved.

[0018] Based on the pouring forming process, the main body mold, the end cover mold and the clamping mold, the main body mold comprising a base mold, a side plate, a cover plate mold and a top plate, the main body mold is used for forming the fan ring body and the sector, the end cover mold is used for forming the end cover, and the clamping mold is used for forming the clamping module, by adopting the modular processing mold, the mold assembly and demolding can be quickly realized, the manufacturing process is simplified, and at the same time, the molds can be repeatedly used, thereby reducing the production cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a structure schematic view of a pneumatic soft driver in an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figure 2 It is an exploded view of a pneumatic soft driver in an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Figure 3 It is an exploded view of a pneumatic soft driver in an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 4 It is a sectional view of a pneumatic soft driver in an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Figure 5 It is an exploded view of a main mold of a pneumatic soft driver in an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] Figure 6 It is a structure schematic view of a base mold in an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Figure 7 It is a structure schematic view of a side plate in an embodiment of the present application.

[0026] Figure 8 It is a sectional view of a processing mold in an embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Figure 9 It is a schematic view of a clamping mold in an embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Figure 10 It is a schematic view of an end cover mold in an embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Reference signs

[0030] 1, soft structure; 101, fan ring body; 102, air hole; 103, first fan ring cavity; 104, fan body; 105, second fan ring cavity; 106, groove; 107, clamping module; 108, end cover; 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 DESCRIPTION

[0031] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of the present application is used, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the indicated device or element must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0032] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0033] The following detailed description of some embodiments of the present invention is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0034] Example

[0035] like Figures 1-10 As shown, the present invention provides a pneumatic soft actuator, including a soft structure 1 and a fixed rigid device 2. The soft structure 1 is composed of a snap-fit ​​module 107, a main frame, and an end cap 108 bonded together. The snap-fit ​​module 107 is disposed at one end of the main frame, and the end cap 108 is disposed at the top of the main frame. The main frame includes a fan ring body 101 and a fan-shaped body 104. The snap-fit ​​module 107 has a vent hole 102 inside. The fan ring body 101 has a first fan ring body cavity 103 inside. The fan-shaped body 104 has a plurality of second fan ring body cavities 105 inside. The plurality of second fan ring body cavities 105 constitute a pneumatic network structure.

[0036] The fixed rigid device 2 includes an upper connector 201, a lower connector 202 and a hollow cylindrical component 203. The hollow cylindrical component 203 passes through the upper connector 201 and communicates with the vent hole 102. The upper connector 201 and the lower connector 202 are connected to the snap-fit ​​module 107 by a snap-fit ​​method.

[0037] Vent 102, the first annular cavity 103 and the second annular cavity 105 are connected to form a continuous air passage.

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

[0039] Gas passes through the hollow cylindrical component 203 and sequentially through the first fan-shaped ring cavity 103 and the second fan-shaped ring cavity 105. When the gas pressure increases, the fan-shaped ring 101 expands radially, and the fan-shaped body 104 bends towards the fan-shaped ring 101. When the gas pressure reaches a set value, the expansion surface of the fan-shaped ring 101 contacts the bending surface of the fan-shaped body 104 and generates a synergistic force, which can perform operations such as wrapping, grasping and clamping.

[0040] The processing die of the pneumatic soft body driver comprises a main body die, an end cover die and a clamping die, the main body die comprises a base die 3, a side plate 4, a cover plate die 5 and a top plate 6, the cover plate die 5, the side plate 4 and the top plate 6 are fixed with the base die 3, the base die 3, the side plate 4, the cover plate die 5 and the top plate 6 enclose a cavity for forming a fan ring body 101 and a sector body 104, the end cover die is used for forming an end cover 108, and the clamping die is used for forming a clamping module 107.In assembling the main body die, firstly, the cover plate die 5 is assembled with the base die 3, secondly, the side plate 4 is assembled, and finally, the top plate 6 is assembled, and in demoulding, the top plate 6, the side plate 4 and the cover plate die 5 are disassembled in sequence.

[0041] A square pouring hole 7 is formed at one end of the cover plate die 5, the square pouring hole 7 is used for injecting liquid silica gel, the cover plate die 5 and the base die 3 enclose a cavity for forming the fan ring body 101, and the top plate 6 and the side plate 4 and the base die 3 enclose a cavity for forming the sector body 104.

[0042] A positioning column 301 is arranged at one side of the base die 3, a positioning hole 401 is arranged at one side of the side plate 4, and the positioning column 301 and the positioning hole 401 are used for positioning and connecting the base die 3 and the side plate 4.

[0043] The working principle of the pneumatic soft body driver is as follows: when gas flows into the hollow cylinder through the air hole 102 and enters the first fan ring cavity 103 inside the fan ring body 101, the fan ring body 101 expands radially, when the gas enters the second fan ring cavity 105 inside the sector body 104, the sector body 104 bends towards the fan ring body 101, when the air pressure reaches a certain value, the bending surface of the sector body 104 contacts the expansion surface of the fan ring body 101 to generate a synergistic force, and the object with a smaller size is grabbed or the soft body gripper can be used alone.

[0044] Finally, it should be noted that: the above examples are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application rather than limiting them, although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present application can still be modified or replaced by equivalents, 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 application.

Claims

1. A pneumatic soft body actuator, characterized by: The utility model provides a kind of soft structure and fixed rigid device, the soft structure is by mutual adhesion of clamping module, main body frame and end cap, the clamping module is arranged in one end of the main body frame, the end cap is arranged in the top of the main body frame, the main body frame includes fan ring body and sector, the inside of the clamping module is provided with vent hole, the inside of the fan ring body is provided with first fan ring body cavity, the inside of the sector is provided with multiple second fan ring body cavities, multiple second fan ring body cavities constitute pneumatic network structure; The fixed rigid device includes upper connector, lower connector and hollow cylindrical piece, the hollow cylindrical piece penetrates the upper connector and communicates with the vent hole, the upper connector and the lower connector are connected with the clamping module by clamping mode; The outside of the fan ring body is provided with recess; Gas passes through first fan ring body cavity and second fan ring body cavity in sequence by the hollow cylindrical piece, when air pressure increases, the fan ring body expands radially, and the sector bends towards the fan ring body.

2. A pneumatic soft actuator according to claim 1, wherein: The vent hole, the first fan ring body cavity and the second fan ring body cavity are communicated to form continuous gas path.

3. A pneumatic soft actuator according to claim 1, wherein: The shape of the radial section of the soft structure is set as sector.

4. A pneumatic soft actuator according to claim 1, wherein: When air pressure reaches set value, the expansion surface of the fan ring body contacts the bending surface of the sector and generates synergistic force.

5. A processing die for a pneumatic soft actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The utility model provides a kind of main body mould, end cap mould and clamping mould, the main body mould includes base mould, side plate, cover plate mould and top plate, the cover plate mould, the side plate and the top plate are all fixed with the base mould, the base mould, the side plate, the cover plate mould and the top plate are enclosed to form the cavity for forming the fan ring body and sector for forming the sector; The end cap mould is used to form the end cap, and the clamping mould is used to form the clamping module.

6. A processing die for a pneumatic soft actuator according to claim 5, wherein: One end of the cover plate mould is provided with square pouring hole, and the square pouring hole is used to inject liquid silicone.

7. A processing die for a pneumatic soft actuator according to claim 6, wherein: One side of the base mould is provided with positioning column, one side of the side plate is provided with positioning hole, and the positioning column and the positioning hole are used for positioning and connecting the base mould and the side plate.

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