Variable-diameter pier column climbing robot and working method

Abstract

The invention discloses a variable-diameter pier column climbing robot and a working method, and belongs to the technical field of bridges. The variable-diameter pier column climbing robot comprises a variable-diameter climbing ring, a lifting swing mechanism and a telescopic positioning mechanism; when the variable-diameter climbing rings are arranged into two layers, the lifting swing mechanism is vertically mounted on the double-layer variable-diameter climbing rings, and the fixed part and the movable part of the lifting swing mechanism are rotationally connected with the two layers of variable-diameter climbing rings respectively; the rotary connection is configured to enable the lifting swing mechanism to rotate in the radial direction relative to the variable-diameter climbing ring and to be limited in the circumferential direction; the telescopic positioning mechanisms and the lifting and swinging mechanisms are alternately arranged, and the telescopic positioning mechanisms and the lifting and swinging mechanisms are controlled to enable the two layers of variable-diameter climbing rings to be alternately fixed and moved; the device is used for variable-diameter pier column climbing maintenance operation, efficient, safe, reliable, high in construction efficiency and capable of achieving continuous operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of bridges, and in particular to a variable-diameter pier climbing robot and a working method. Background Art

[0002] Bridge piers are an important part of bridge engineering. The cross-section of bridge piers is mostly circular, but there are also elliptical, square or other polygonal shapes. It is necessary to regularly inspect and maintain the pier system, which requires climbing operations on the piers.

[0003] Existing technologies focus on piers with the same diameter that is uniform up and down. For bridge and road piers, the top of the piers may be designed with a load-bearing beam that causes the diameter to change, or there may be foreign objects on the surface of the pier, such as boxes or other items installed, which causes the diameter to change. Existing technologies cannot perform climbing operations on such bridge piers.

[0004] Therefore, developing a variable diameter pier climbing device has become a problem that needs to be solved urgently by those skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a variable-diameter pier climbing robot and a working method. The climbing circle of this scheme is set to two or more layers, which can realize the elongation or shortening of a single side length to achieve the purpose of changing the diameter. The ball joint structure is used to realize the positioning of the outer surfaces of piers of different diameters. The construction operation is high in efficiency, continuous operation and controllable.

[0006] A variable diameter pier column climbing robot comprises a variable diameter climbing ring, a lifting and swinging mechanism and a telescopic positioning mechanism; the variable diameter climbing ring is arranged in two layers or more than three layers; when the variable diameter climbing ring is arranged in two layers, the lifting and swinging mechanism has M, M≥2, vertically installed on the double-layer variable diameter climbing ring, and the fixed part and the movable part of the lifting and swinging mechanism are respectively rotatably connected with the two layers of variable diameter climbing ring; the rotation connection is configured so that the lifting and swinging mechanism can rotate radially relative to the variable diameter climbing ring, while being limited in the circumferential direction; the telescopic positioning mechanism is uniformly distributed radially on each layer of the variable diameter climbing ring, N≥2, and is used to fix the pier column or release the pier column, the telescopic positioning mechanism and the lifting and swinging mechanism are alternately arranged, and the telescopic positioning mechanism and the lifting and swinging mechanism are controlled to make the two layers of variable diameter climbing ring alternately fixed and moved; Or when the variable diameter climbing ring is set to more than three layers, the lifting and swinging mechanisms are evenly distributed vertically on two adjacent layers of climbing rings, M, M ≥ 2, and the fixed part and the movable part of the lifting and swinging mechanism are respectively rotatably connected to the two adjacent layers of climbing rings, and the rotatable connection is configured so that the lifting and swinging mechanism can rotate radially relative to the variable diameter climbing ring, while being limited in the circumferential direction; There are N telescopic positioning mechanisms evenly distributed radially on each layer of variable-diameter climbing rings, N ≥ 2, which are used to fix or release the piers. The telescopic positioning mechanisms and the lifting and swinging mechanisms are alternately arranged, and the telescopic positioning mechanisms and the lifting and swinging mechanisms are controlled to make the multi-layer variable-diameter climbing rings alternately fixed and moved on the piers.

[0007] Furthermore, the variable-diameter climbing circle comprises a plurality of support bars, a plurality of movable folding bars and a plurality of driving mechanisms; the plurality of support bars and the plurality of movable folding bars are alternately arranged to form a polygonal variable-diameter climbing circle, the sides of the polygon are an even number, adjacent movable folding bars and support bars are nested, and both ends of each movable folding bar are driven by the driving mechanism respectively and can move synchronously in a straight line within adjacent support bars to realize the change of the diameter of the climbing circle.

[0008] Furthermore, the driving mechanism includes a motor, a gear and a rack; the motor seat of the motor is installed on the support bar, the output shaft of the motor is installed with a gear, the rack is installed on the movable folding bar, the gear and the rack are meshed, and the output shaft of the motor passes through the guide hole on the movable folding bar to achieve the movement of the guide hole relative to the output shaft of the motor when the movable folding bar moves.

[0009] Furthermore, a telescopic positioning mechanism is provided on the movable folding strip, and the telescopic positioning mechanism includes a foot pedal, a damping ball joint and a linear mechanism. The damping ball joint is installed on the movable part of the linear mechanism, and the fixed part of the linear mechanism is installed on the movable folding strip. The foot pedal is connected to the damping ball joint, and the foot pedal has a contact surface matching the outer side surface of the pier.

[0010] Based on the above climbing robot, a working method of a variable diameter pier climbing robot is provided, wherein the variable diameter climbing circle 1 is set to two layers, and the method comprises the following steps: When the climbing robot is in the area of ​​equal diameter of the pier column, the driving mechanism on the variable diameter climbing ring remains in a stationary working state, the diameter of each variable diameter climbing ring remains unchanged, the upper and lower climbing rings are alternately fixed on the pier column, and the climbing rings are supported or dragged by the lifting and swinging mechanism to achieve climbing movement; When the climbing robot encounters a variable diameter area of ​​the pier column and climbs upward, the telescopic positioning mechanism of the lower layer applies pressure to the pier column to ensure that the climbing robot is fixed on the pier column; the telescopic positioning mechanism of the upper layer applies pressure to the pier column, and the variable diameter climbing circle of the upper layer is supported outward by the telescopic positioning mechanism, and the driving mechanism cooperates with the synchronous movement to increase the side length of the climbing circle, and the telescopic positioning mechanism is extended synchronously, so that the variable diameter climbing circle of the upper layer will expand outward to achieve variable diameter. At the same time, the variable diameter climbing circle of the upper layer is also restricted by the lifting and swinging mechanism, so the lifting and swinging mechanism works synchronously, and the telescopic positioning mechanism and the driving mechanism work synchronously. Under the coordinated action of the telescopic positioning mechanism and the lifting and swinging mechanism, the variable-diameter climbing circle on the upper layer only expands its diameter along the radial direction of the pier. When the diameter meets the working conditions, the telescopic positioning mechanism on the upper layer works to release the pier, and the lifting and swinging mechanism works to push the variable-diameter climbing circle on the upper layer upward to achieve climbing. The damping ball joint at the end of the telescopic positioning mechanism enables it to adapt to the surfaces of piers of different shapes and inclinations, thereby enhancing its work adaptability. After the variable-diameter climbing circle on the upper layer is fixed, the diameter of the variable-diameter climbing circle on the lower layer is expanded according to the same working method, so as to alternately climb over the variable-diameter piers. The downward climbing process is opposite to the upward climbing process.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. The side length of the climbing circle is changed by synchronously driving the gear rack, so that the diameter of the climbing circle can be increased or decreased, which can flexibly adapt to common variable-diameter piers and enhance its working flexibility and adaptability.

[0012] 2. Add a damping ball joint between the telescopic positioning mechanism and the climbing footrest so that the footrest can change direction flexibly. It can better fit piers of different shapes and inclinations, increase the contact area between the footrest and the pier, and improve its adaptability to different piers and the ability to ensure safe operation.

[0013] 3. The variable-diameter climbing ring adopts a detachable polygon, which can be adapted to cylindrical, quadrilateral and other polygonal piers; the telescopic positioning mechanism ensures stable attachment to the surfaces of different piers; the modular design of the lifting and swinging mechanism can provide stable lifting power according to actual working conditions.

[0014] 4. Robots replace manual climbing, significantly improving the efficiency of pier maintenance and reducing the time and labor costs required for traditional manual operations.

[0015] 5. Avoid the risk of manual high-altitude operations, especially suitable for climbing operations on large bridges or variable-diameter piers of high-rise buildings, efficient and reliable.

[0016] The following is a further description of the scheme of the application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the variable-diameter pier climbing robot of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the layout of a double-layer variable-diameter climbing circle; Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a variable diameter climbing circle; Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a variable diameter climbing ring connected to a telescopic positioning mechanism; Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the telescopic positioning mechanism; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a climbing robot climbing on a variable diameter pier.

[0018] In the figure: 1. variable diameter climbing circle, 11. support bar, 12. movable folding bar, 121. guide hole, 13. driving mechanism, 131. motor, 132. gear, 133. rack, 2. lifting and swinging mechanism, 3. telescopic positioning mechanism, 31. foot pedal, 32. damping ball joint, 33. linear mechanism, 4. pier column. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The embodiments of the technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the technical terms or scientific terms used in this application are generally understood by those skilled in the art.

[0020] Reference Figure 1 The variable diameter pier climbing robot provided in this embodiment comprises a variable diameter climbing circle 1, a lifting and swinging mechanism 2 and a telescopic positioning mechanism 3; The variable diameter climbing ring 1 is set to have two or more layers; it is used to carry the lifting mechanism 2 and the telescopic positioning mechanism 3; When the variable diameter climbing ring 1 is set to two layers, the lifting and swinging mechanism 2 has M pieces, M≥2, which are vertically installed on the double-layer variable diameter climbing ring. The fixed part and the movable part of the lifting and swinging mechanism 2 are respectively rotatably connected with the two layers of variable diameter climbing rings; the rotation connection is configured so that the lifting and swinging mechanism 2 can rotate radially relative to the variable diameter climbing ring 1, while being limited in the circumferential direction; the telescopic positioning mechanism 3 is uniformly distributed radially on each layer of the variable diameter climbing ring, N≥2, and is used to fix the pier column or release the pier column. The telescopic positioning mechanism 3 and the lifting and swinging mechanism 2 are alternately arranged, and the telescopic positioning mechanism 3 and the lifting and swinging mechanism 2 are controlled to make the two layers of variable diameter climbing rings alternately fixed and moved; Or when the variable diameter climbing ring 1 is provided with three or more layers, the lifting and swinging mechanisms 2 are evenly distributed vertically in M ​​numbers on two adjacent layers of climbing rings, M≥2, and the fixed part and the movable part of the lifting and swinging mechanism 2 are respectively rotatably connected with the two adjacent layers of climbing rings, and the rotatable connection is configured so that the lifting and swinging mechanism 2 can rotate radially relative to the variable diameter climbing ring 1, while being limited in the circumferential direction; There are N telescopic positioning mechanisms 3 evenly distributed radially on each layer of variable-diameter climbing ring 1, N ≥ 2, which are used to fix or release the pier. The telescopic positioning mechanism 3 and the lifting and swinging mechanism 2 are alternately arranged, and the telescopic positioning mechanism 3 and the lifting and swinging mechanism 2 are controlled to make the multi-layer variable-diameter climbing ring 1 alternately fixed and moved on the pier.

[0021] The climbing ring of this implementation scheme adopts an alternating climbing method: through the alternating fixation and movement of two or more layers of variable-diameter climbing rings, combined with the coordinated cooperation of the variable-diameter climbing ring's internal drive structure, lifting and swinging mechanism, and telescopic positioning mechanism, the robot can achieve stable climbing and descending, breaking through the limitations of traditional single-point fixation and pier diameter changes.

[0022] In this embodiment, M and N may be inconsistent, and the telescopic positioning mechanism can dynamically adjust the contact surface between the two according to the shape of the pier (such as the arc surface adapts to the cylindrical pier), and use the dual effects of friction and pressure to achieve firm adhesion.

[0023] The robot of this embodiment has scalability: the number of layers of variable-diameter climbing circles, the lifting and swinging mechanisms, the distribution of telescopic positioning mechanisms, etc. can all be flexibly adjusted according to the size of the pier column, and has strong scalability.

[0024] Reference Figure 2 The variable diameter climbing circle 1 comprises a plurality of support bars 11, a plurality of movable folding bars 12 and a plurality of driving mechanisms 13; A plurality of support bars 11 and a plurality of movable folding bars 12 are alternately arranged to form a polygonal variable-diameter climbing circle 1, wherein the sides of the polygon are an even number, and adjacent movable folding bars 12 and support bars 11 are slidably nested. Both ends of each movable folding bar 12 are driven by a driving mechanism 13 and can move synchronously in a straight line within adjacent support bars 11 to achieve changes in the diameter of the climbing circle.

[0025] The support bars 11 and movable folding bars 12 of the climbing ring are made of I-shaped aluminum, which has both strength and lightness, and is easy to transport and assemble; the modular design of each component supports rapid disassembly and maintenance, and achieves lightness and modularity.

[0026] In this embodiment, the shape of each layer of the variable-diameter climbing ring 1 is an octagon, and can also be any polygon, which can be freely selected to adapt to piers of different sizes and shapes.

[0027] Further, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the driving mechanism 13 comprises a motor 131, a gear 132 and a rack 133; The motor seat of the motor 131 is installed on the support bar 11, the output shaft of the motor 131 is installed with a gear 132, the rack 133 is installed on the movable folding bar 12, the gear 132 is meshed with the rack 133, and the output shaft of the motor 131 passes through the guide hole 121 on the movable folding bar 12, so that the guide hole 121 moves relative to the output shaft of the motor 131 when the movable folding bar 12 moves, so as to realize the enlargement or reduction of the diameter of the climbing circle.

[0028] In order to achieve the extension or shortening of the length of a single polygon side, the model uses a gear rack mechanism. Similarly, it can be extended to a screw nut transmission mechanism, a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, etc. that can achieve single-degree-of-freedom linear motion. For example, a crank slider mechanism can also achieve the above effect.

[0029] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The movable folding strip 12 is provided with a telescopic positioning mechanism 3, which includes a footrest 31, a damping ball joint 32 and a linear mechanism 33. The damping ball joint 32 is installed on the movable part of the linear mechanism 33, and the fixed part of the linear mechanism 33 is installed on the movable folding strip 12. The footrest 31 is connected to the damping ball joint 32, and the footrest 31 has a contact surface that matches the outer side surface of the pier column 4. The retracted state of the telescopic positioning mechanism 3 is maintained by the damping ball joint 32. After being subjected to force, the damping ball joint moves to fit the surface of the pier column 4, and then the linear mechanism 33 is used to apply pressure to maintain the position to achieve fixation. When the linear mechanism 33 retracts the footrest 31 and leaves the surface of the pier column 4, the damping ball joint 32 automatically resets.

[0030] Preferably, the linear mechanism 33 is a pneumatic cylinder or an electric cylinder. The lifting and swinging mechanism 2 is an electric cylinder or an electric push rod or a pneumatic cylinder.

[0031] When performing climbing operations on conventional piers, the gear rack can remain fixed, and at this time it is no different from a conventional climbing operation robot and can perform climbing operations.

[0032] When encountering a variable diameter pier, such as Figure 6 In the situation shown, the diameter of the upper pier becomes larger, the size of the original climbing mechanism is smaller than the diameter of the pier, and the conventional climbing device is limited in size and cannot climb. At this time, a diameter change operation is performed. This implementation scheme changes the diameter of the climbing circle to enable it to pass through the diameter change area.

[0033] Based on the technical solution of the variable diameter pier column climbing robot, taking the variable diameter climbing circle 1 as an example with two layers, a working method of the variable diameter pier column climbing robot is provided, which comprises the following steps: First, the telescopic positioning mechanism 3 is extended. At this time, the variable diameter climbing ring 1 of the lower layer plays a fixing role, the footrest 31 is pressed against the surface of the pier 4, and the driving mechanism 13 of the lower layer works to keep the diameter of the climbing ring of the lower layer unchanged, so that the climbing robot is firmly fixed on the pier 4 and will not fall off; Then, the telescopic positioning mechanism 3 of the upper layer moves to make the foot pedal 31 extend out to make contact with and squeeze the surface of the pier column 4. Under normal circumstances, the variable diameter climbing circle 1 of the upper layer acts as a rigid body, and applies pressure to the pier column 4 through the linear mechanism 33, and is kept fixed by friction. However, when the climbing circle is changing its diameter, while the foot pedal 31 of the lower layer applies pressure to the pier column 4, the driving mechanism 13 cooperates with the movement, and the climbing circle is supported outward and the side length changes, so it will expand outward to achieve a variable diameter. At the same time, the variable diameter climbing circle 1 of the upper layer is also restricted by the lifting and swinging mechanism 2, so the lifting and swinging mechanism 2 also needs to work synchronously. The telescopic positioning mechanism 3, the driving mechanism 13, and the lifting and swinging mechanism 2 work together to make the variable diameter climbing circle 1 of the upper layer expand its diameter only along the radial direction of the pier column. When the diameter meets the working condition, the telescopic positioning mechanism 3 of the upper layer works to make the foot pedal 31 release the pier column 4, and the lifting and swinging mechanism 2 works to push the variable diameter climbing circle 1 of the upper layer upward to achieve climbing.

[0034] The present invention has been disclosed as above with preferred implementation cases, but it is not used to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with the profession can make slight changes or modifications to equivalent implementation cases with equivalent changes by using the above-disclosed structures and technical contents without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention, which still fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A variable diameter pier climbing robot, characterized in that: It comprises a variable diameter climbing ring (1), a lifting and swinging mechanism (2) and a telescopic positioning mechanism (3); A variable diameter climbing ring (1) is provided with two or more layers; When the variable diameter climbing ring (1) is arranged in two layers, the lifting and swinging mechanism (2) has M pieces, M≥2, which are vertically mounted on the double-layer variable diameter climbing ring. The fixed part and the movable part of the lifting and swinging mechanism (2) are respectively rotatably connected to the two layers of variable diameter climbing rings. The rotatable connection is configured so that the lifting and swinging mechanism (2) can rotate radially relative to the variable diameter climbing ring (1) while being limited in the circumferential direction. The telescopic positioning mechanism (3) is uniformly distributed radially on each layer of the variable diameter climbing ring, N≥2, and is used to fix or release the pier column. The telescopic positioning mechanism (3) and the lifting and swinging mechanism (2) are alternately arranged, and the telescopic positioning mechanism (3) and the lifting and swinging mechanism (2) are controlled to alternately fix and move the two layers of the variable diameter climbing rings. Alternatively, when the variable diameter climbing ring (1) is provided with more than three layers, the lifting and swinging mechanisms (2) are evenly distributed vertically on two adjacent layers of climbing rings, M (M≥2), and the fixed part and the movable part of the lifting and swinging mechanism (2) are respectively rotatably connected to the two adjacent layers of climbing rings, and the rotatable connection is configured so that the lifting and swinging mechanism (2) can rotate radially relative to the variable diameter climbing ring (1) while being limited in the circumferential direction; the telescopic positioning mechanisms (3) are evenly distributed radially on each layer of the variable diameter climbing ring (1), N (N≥2), and are used to fix or release the pier column, and the telescopic positioning mechanisms (3) and the lifting and swinging mechanisms (2) are alternately arranged, and the telescopic positioning mechanisms (3) and the lifting and swinging mechanisms (2) are controlled so that the multiple layers of the variable diameter climbing ring (1) are alternately fixed and moved on the pier column.

2. The variable diameter pier climbing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The variable-diameter climbing ring (1) comprises a plurality of support bars (11), a plurality of movable folding bars (12) and a plurality of driving mechanisms (13); A plurality of support bars (11) and a plurality of movable folding bars (12) are alternately arranged to form a polygonal variable diameter climbing ring (1), wherein the sides of the polygon are an even number, and adjacent movable folding bars (12) and support bars (11) are nested and arranged, and each movable folding bar (12) is driven by a driving mechanism (13) at both ends to move synchronously and linearly within an adjacent support bar (11), thereby achieving a change in the diameter of the climbing ring.

3. The variable diameter pier climbing robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driving mechanism (13) comprises a motor (131), a gear (132) and a rack (133); The motor seat of the motor (131) is mounted on the support bar (11), the output shaft of the motor (131) is mounted with a gear (132), the rack (133) is mounted on the movable folding bar (12), the gear (132) and the rack (133) are meshed, and the output shaft of the motor (131) passes through the guide hole (121) on the movable folding bar (12), so that the guide hole (121) moves relative to the output shaft of the motor (131) when the movable folding bar (12) moves.

4. The variable diameter pier climbing robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The movable folding strip (12) is provided with a telescopic positioning mechanism (3), the telescopic positioning mechanism (3) comprising a footrest (31), a damping ball joint (32) and a linear mechanism (33), the damping ball joint (32) being mounted on a movable portion of the linear mechanism (33), the fixed portion of the linear mechanism (33) being mounted on the movable folding strip (12), the footrest (31) being connected to the damping ball joint (32), and the footrest (31) having a contact surface matching the outer side surface of the pier column (4).

5. The variable diameter pier climbing robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The linear mechanism (33) is a pneumatic cylinder or an electric cylinder.

6. The variable diameter pier climbing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting and swinging mechanism (2) is an electric cylinder or an electric push rod or a pneumatic cylinder.

7. A working method of a variable diameter pier climbing robot, characterized in that: The method adopts the climbing robot according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the variable-diameter climbing ring (1) is arranged in two layers, and the method comprises the following steps: When the climbing robot is in a region of equal diameter of the pier column (4), the driving mechanism (13) on the variable diameter climbing ring (1) remains in a stationary working state, the diameter of each variable diameter climbing ring (1) remains unchanged, the upper and lower climbing rings are alternately fixed on the pier column (4), and the climbing rings are supported or dragged by the lifting and swinging mechanism (2) to achieve climbing movement; When the climbing robot encounters a variable diameter area of ​​the pier column (4) and climbs upward, the telescopic positioning mechanism (3) of the lower layer applies pressure to the pier column (4) to ensure that the climbing robot is fixed on the pier column (4), and the telescopic positioning mechanism (3) of the upper layer applies pressure to the pier column (4). The variable diameter climbing ring (1) of the upper layer is supported outward by the telescopic positioning mechanism (3). The driving mechanism (13) cooperates with the synchronous movement to increase the side length of the climbing ring. The telescopic positioning mechanism (3) is synchronously extended, so that the variable diameter climbing ring (1) of the upper layer will expand outward to achieve variable diameter. At the same time, the variable diameter climbing ring (1) of the upper layer is also restricted by the lifting and swinging mechanism (2), so the lifting and swinging mechanism (2) works synchronously, and under the coordinated action of the telescopic positioning mechanism (3), the driving mechanism (13), and the lifting and swinging mechanism (2), the diameter of the variable diameter climbing ring (1) of the upper layer is only expanded along the radial direction of the pier column (4). When the diameter meets the working condition, the telescopic positioning mechanism (3) of the upper layer works to release the pier column (4), and the lifting and swinging mechanism (2) works to push the variable diameter climbing ring (1) of the upper layer upwards to achieve climbing; After the variable diameter climbing ring (1) at the upper layer is fixed, the diameter of the variable diameter climbing ring (1) at the lower layer is enlarged according to the same working method, so as to alternately climb over the variable diameter piers, and the downward climbing process is opposite to the upward climbing process.

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