A crawler structure and a crawler traveling device

Abstract

The present invention discloses a crawler structure and a crawler traveling device, comprising: a bionic crawler, on the outer surface of which raised bionic scale patterns are formed, and the bionic scale patterns are composed of a plurality of bionic scales that mimic the morphological characteristics of sand snake scales, that is, the leading edge of each bionic scale presents an acute wedge shape, and the trailing edge is a smooth arc, forming a unidirectional friction characteristic; a bionic crawler tooth, comprising a crawler tooth plate and a crawler tooth, the crawler tooth plate is fixedly connected to the bionic crawler, and the crawler tooth mimics the geometric configuration of the front toes of a mole cricket, that is, the cross-sectional curved surfaces on the inner and outer sides of the crawler tooth are both arranged in a quadratic curve, and the toe tip is slightly bent, forming a structure similar to a hook. The crawler structure of the present invention can provide stronger grip and propulsion force on the seabed or the beach, and significantly improves the traveling performance and environmental adaptability of the crawler traveling device on different soft and muddy bottom soils.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of subsea mining or shellfish harvesting, and more particularly, relates to a crawler structure and a crawler walking device capable of stably walking on different soft and muddy bottom soils. Background Art

[0002] Currently, the crawler devices of existing subsea mining machines or beach shellfish harvesters mainly draw on the design concepts of land equipment. However, the subsea and beach environments are completely different from those on land. The subsea and beach terrains are complex and changeable, with a large amount of soft mud, rocks, and sediments, having strong viscosity and muddy characteristics. This environment poses extremely high requirements on the walking devices of mechanical equipment. The traditional wheeled or crawler walking devices have the following problems in the subsea or beach environment:

[0003] ① High ground contact pressure: The ground contact pressure of traditional wheeled or crawler walking devices is relatively large, and it is easy to sink on soft silt ground, resulting in low travel efficiency or even inability to move normally;

[0004] ② High slip ratio: Traditional wheeled or crawler walking devices are prone to slipping in muddy environments, resulting in insufficient traction and low operation efficiency.

[0005] ③ Complex structure: The design of some crawler devices is complex, increasing the manufacturing cost and the difficulty of later maintenance.

[0006] Therefore, researching a walking device capable of stably walking on different soft and muddy bottom soils is an urgent problem to be solved for subsea mining machines or beach shellfish harvesters. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. For this purpose, the present invention provides a crawler structure and a crawler walking device, aiming to enable a subsea mining machine or a beach shellfish harvester to stably walk on different soft and muddy bottom soils.

[0008] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a crawler structure, including:

[0010] A bionic crawler, on the outer surface of which there are formed raised bionic scale patterns. The bionic scale patterns are composed of a plurality of bionic scales imitating the morphological characteristics of sand snakes. That is, the front edge of each bionic scale presents an acute-angled wedge shape, and the rear edge is a smooth arc shape, forming a unidirectional friction characteristic;

[0011] The bionic sprocket teeth include a sprocket tooth plate and sprocket teeth. The sprocket tooth plate is fixedly connected to the bionic crawler belt. The sprocket teeth imitate the geometric configuration of the front toes of a mole cricket, that is, the cross-sectional curved surfaces on both the inner and outer sides of the sprocket teeth are arranged in a quadratic curve, and the tip of the toe is slightly curved to form a hook-like structure.

[0012] Preferably, the scale arrangement curve formed by each of the bionic scales adjacent in the width direction of the bionic crawler belt is , where y is the length direction of the bionic crawler belt, z is the width direction of the bionic crawler belt.

[0013] Preferably, the bionic scale patterns form a corrugated sand guiding channel in the length direction of the bionic crawler belt.

[0014] Preferably, the traction force formula of the sprocket teeth is:

[0015]

[0016] In the formula, is the traction force of the sprocket teeth; is the component force of the passive earth pressure of the sprocket teeth in the direction opposite to the traveling direction; is the cohesive soil pressure per unit area on the side surface of the sprocket teeth caused by the cohesion; is the cohesive soil pressure per unit area on the concave-convex surface of the sprocket teeth caused by the cohesion; b is the width of the sprocket teeth; S ABD is the side area of the sprocket teeth; H is the height of the sprocket teeth;

[0017] Taking the top of the sprocket teeth as the origin and the horizontal traveling direction as the y positive direction of the axis, the outer cross-sectional curve of the sprocket teeth is , and the inner cross-sectional curve of the sprocket teeth is , where

[0018] Preferably, the sprocket tooth plate and the sprocket teeth are integrally cast, and threaded holes are provided on the sprocket tooth plate. The sprocket tooth plate is detachably and fixedly connected to the bionic crawler belt through bolts.

[0019] Preferably, the bionic crawler belt is made of an anti-adhesion and hydrophobic rubber material.

[0020] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a crawler walking device, including a driving wheel, a driven wheel, a supporting wheel, a crawler motor, and the crawler structure according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0021] Preferably, the bionic crawler is sleeved on the driving wheel, the driven wheel and the carrier wheel, and the inner surface of the bionic crawler meshes with the driving wheel, the driven wheel and the carrier wheel, and the crawler motor is drivingly connected to the driving wheel.

[0022] Preferably, a depth sensor is arranged inside the crawler teeth, and the sinking depth of the crawler teeth obtained by the depth sensor is used to estimate the current sand quality parameters, and then the speed difference of the crawler motors installed on the crawler running devices on both sides of the vehicle is dynamically adjusted according to the current sand quality parameters:

[0023] In soft sand areas, a progressive speed difference strategy is adopted to make the speed difference between the two crawler motors smaller to prevent the bionic crawler from slipping;

[0024] In hard sand areas, a rapid advance speed difference strategy is adopted to make the speed difference between the two crawler motors larger to achieve rapid turning.

[0025] Due to the adoption of the above technical solutions, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0026] The bionic crawler of the present invention simulates the geometric shape and arrangement of sand snake scales and is made of anti-adhesion hydrophobic rubber material, which has the characteristics of light weight, high wear resistance and high elasticity, optimizes the crawler surface structure, improves the grip, wear resistance and terrain adaptability, and can move flexibly on complex terrains; at the same time, the bionic crawler teeth are designed based on the geometric configuration of the front toes of the mole cricket, and the combined action of its hooked toe tips and the quadratic curve cross-section can deeply penetrate into soft or uneven ground, significantly improving the grip and overall traction force, and realizing terrain adaptive adjustment by simulating the movement mode of the mole cricket's feet, significantly improving the traveling performance and environmental adaptability of the crawler running device on different soft bottom soils. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] By reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, various other advantages and benefits will become clear to those of ordinary skill in the art. The drawings are only for the purpose of showing the preferred embodiments and are not considered to be a limitation of the present invention. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same components. In the drawings:

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a crawler running module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of a crawler structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of the bionic scale pattern provided by Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4Schematic diagram of the operating force mode and geometric shape of the crawler belt and crawler teeth provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0032] The reference numerals in the figure are as follows:

[0033] 1 Bionic crawler belt; 2 Bionic crawler teeth; 3 Driving wheel; 4 Driven wheel; 5 Idler wheel; 6 Crawler belt motor;

[0034] 1-1 Bionic scale pattern; 1-2 Bionic scale; 1-3 Scale arrangement curve; 1-4 Corrugated sand guiding channel; 2-1 Tooth plate; 2-2 Crawler tooth; 2-3 Bolt; 2-4 Threaded hole; 2-5 Depth sensor. Detailed implementation manners

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the following further describes the detailed implementation manners of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the accompanying drawings show exemplary implementation manners of the present invention, it should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the implementation manners described herein. On the contrary, these implementation manners are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present invention and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0036] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and 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 thus should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0037] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means more than two, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0038] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined or limited, terms such as "installed", "connected", "joined", "fixed", etc. shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two components or the interaction relationship between 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.

[0039] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined or limited, the first feature being "on" or "under" the second feature may be that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicates that the first feature has a higher horizontal height than the second feature. The first feature being "under", "beneath" and "underneath" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or merely indicates that the first feature has a lower horizontal height than the second feature.

[0040] In the description of this specification, the descriptions with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples", etc. mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic descriptions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0041] The provided crawler structure includes: a bionic crawler, on the outer surface of which there are formed raised bionic scale patterns. The bionic scale patterns are composed of a plurality of bionic scales that imitate the morphological characteristics of the scales of sand snakes. That is, the leading edge of each bionic scale presents an acute wedge shape, and the trailing edge is a smooth arc, forming a unidirectional friction characteristic; bionic crawler teeth, including a crawler tooth plate and crawler teeth. The crawler tooth plate is firmly connected to the bionic crawler. The crawler teeth imitate the geometric configuration of the front toes of a mole cricket. That is, the cross-sectional curves of the inner and outer sides of the crawler teeth are arranged in a quadratic curve, and the toe tips are slightly curved, forming a structure similar to a hook. The crawler structure of the present invention can provide stronger grip and propulsion force on the seabed or the beach, and significantly improves the traveling performance and environmental adaptability of the crawler walking device on different soft and muddy bottom soils.

[0042] Next, the crawler structure and the crawler walking device provided by the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] Example 1

[0044] See also Figure 1 , Figure 2 The track structure provided in this embodiment includes a bionic track 1 and a bionic grouser 2, wherein the outer surface of the bionic track 1 is formed with a raised bionic scale pattern 1-1, and the bionic scale pattern 1-1 is composed of a plurality of bionic scales 1-2 that imitate the morphological characteristics of the sand snake scales (see Figure 3 ), that is, the leading edge of each bionic scale 1-2 is in an acute wedge shape, and the trailing edge is in a smooth arc shape, forming a unidirectional friction characteristic, and the scale arrangement curve 1-3 formed by the adjacent bionic scales 1-2 in the width direction of the bionic track 1 is z =tan y ,in y is the length direction of the bionic track 1, z is the width direction of the bionic track 1; the bionic scale pattern 1-1 forms a corrugated sand-guiding channel 1-4 in the length direction of the bionic track 1, which can quickly guide the surface sand to both sides and discharge it, so as to prevent the sand from accumulating between the gaps of the bionic scales 1-2 or adhering to the surface of the bionic track 1 during the movement. This kind of asymmetric scale structure with adaptive friction control can reduce the forward sliding resistance and improve the reverse anti-slip ability when moving on the sparse and soft bottom soil, and achieve a balance between efficient propulsion and stable residence, optimize the mechanical properties of the surface of the bionic track 1, improve the grip, movement performance and terrain adaptability, reduce the turning radius, and combine with the arrangement of the sand snake bionic scales 1-2 to give it good elasticity and ductility, which significantly improves the flexibility of the device in complex terrain. In addition, the bionic track 1 is made of anti-adhesion hydrophobic rubber material as a whole, which not only has the characteristics of light weight, high wear resistance and high elasticity, but also improves the wear resistance and service life of the bionic track 1, ensures that the track walking device moves at a stable speed, and enhances reliability.

[0045] The bionic track teeth 2 include a track tooth plate 2-1 and track teeth 2-2 integrally cast. The track tooth plate 2-1 is fixedly connected to the bionic track 1 by bolts 2-3. The track teeth 2-2 imitate the geometric configuration of the front toes of a mole cricket, that is, the cross-sectional curved surfaces on the inner and outer sides of the track teeth 2-2 are arranged in a quadratic curve, and the toe tips are slightly curved to form a hook-like structure. Through the above settings, the top of the track teeth 2-2 is sharp, which can reduce the resistance of the bionic track teeth 2 piercing into the soil. When the bionic track teeth 2 translate relative to the ground, the special curve geometric configuration on the surface of the bionic track teeth 2 effectively enhances the grip and traction force on various ground surfaces. The track teeth 2-2 are integrally cast with the track tooth plate 2-1, and then the track tooth plate 2-1 is connected to the bionic track 1 by bolts 2-3 through threaded holes 2-4. This design not only increases the wall thickness and overall strength of the bionic track teeth 2, but also simplifies the assembly process and is convenient for later maintenance. Compared with the traditional welded track teeth, the overall casting process effectively solves the problem that the track teeth are prone to bending deformation under working conditions such as climbing slopes and turning, which may lead to cracking of the track.

[0046] In the above embodiment, preferably, the working force mode and geometric shape of the track teeth 2-2 are as Figure 4 shown, and the traction force formula of the track teeth 2-2 is:

[0047]

[0048] In the formula, is the traction force of the track teeth; is the component force of the passive earth pressure of the track teeth in the direction opposite to the traveling direction; is the cohesive soil pressure per unit area on the side surface of the track teeth caused by cohesion; is the cohesive soil pressure per unit area on the concave-convex surface of the track teeth caused by cohesion; b is the width of the track teeth; S ABD is the side area of the track teeth; H is the height of the track teeth.

[0049] Taking the top of the track teeth 2-2 as the origin and the horizontal traveling direction of the track teeth 2-2 as the y positive direction of the axis, the outer cross-sectional curve of the track teeth 2-2 is and the inner cross-sectional curve of the track teeth 2-2 is where is the height direction of the track teeth 2-2.

[0050] Embodiment 2

[0051] Please refer to Figure 1, based on the crawler structure provided in the above-mentioned Embodiment 1, this embodiment also provides a crawler traveling device, which includes the crawler structure in Embodiment 1, a driving sprocket 3, a driven sprocket 4, a carrier roller 5, and a crawler motor 6. The bionic crawler 1 is sleeved on the driving sprocket 3, the driven sprocket 4, and the carrier roller 5, and the inner surface of the bionic crawler 1 meshes with the driving sprocket 3, the driven sprocket 4, and the carrier roller 5. The crawler motor 6 is drivingly connected to the driving sprocket 3. Through the above settings, the crawler motor 6 drives the driving sprocket 3 to rotate, thereby driving the bionic crawler 1 and pushing the entire crawler traveling device to move. The driven sprocket 4 supports and maintains the tension of the bionic crawler 1 to prevent it from loosening or falling off. At the same time, the driven sprocket 4 shares the weight of the crawler traveling device to a certain extent, improving the stability of walking. The carrier rollers 5 are evenly distributed between the driving sprocket 3 and the driven sprocket 4, providing a solid support and guidance for the bionic crawler 1 to ensure that it always maintains the correct trajectory during travel.

[0052] In the above-mentioned embodiment, preferably, a depth sensor 2-5 can be arranged inside the tread tooth 2-2. The sinking depth of the tread tooth 2-2 obtained by the depth sensor 2-5 is used to estimate the current sand quality parameters, and then the speed difference of the crawler motors 6 installed on the crawler traveling devices on both sides of the vehicle is dynamically adjusted according to the current sand quality parameters: in the soft sand area, a progressive speed difference strategy is adopted to make the speed difference between the two crawler motors 6 smaller to prevent the bionic crawler 1 from slipping; in the hard sand area, a rapid speed difference strategy is adopted to make the speed difference between the two crawler motors 6 larger to achieve rapid turning, thereby ensuring the stability and flexibility of the vehicle in complex terrains.

[0053] Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and are not intended to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that: they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and the description of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any way. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in the text, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A crawler structure, characterized in that, include: Bionic tracks, wherein the outer surface of the bionic track is formed with raised bionic scale patterns, and the bionic scale patterns are composed of a plurality of bionic scales that imitate the morphological characteristics of sand snake scales, that is, each of the bionic scales has a sharp wedge-shaped front edge and a smooth arc-shaped rear edge, forming a unidirectional friction characteristic; Bionic grouser, comprising a grouser plate and a grouser, wherein the grouser plate is tightly connected to the bionic track, and the grouser imitates the geometric configuration of the front toes of a mole cricket, that is, the inner and outer cross-sectional curved surfaces of the grouser are arranged in quadratic curves, and the toe tip is slightly bent to form a hook-shaped structure; The scale arrangement curve formed by each of the bionic scales adjacent in the width direction of the bionic track is z =tan y , where y is the length direction of the bionic track, z is the width direction of the bionic track; The traction force formula of the grouser is: In the formula, F is the traction force of the tread tooth; is the component force of the passive earth pressure of the tread tooth in the direction opposite to the traveling direction; is the cohesive soil pressure per unit area on the side surface of the tread tooth caused by cohesion; is the cohesive soil pressure per unit area on the concave-convex surface of the tread tooth caused by cohesion; b is the width of the tread tooth; S ABD is the side area of the tread tooth; H is the height of the tread tooth; Taking the top of the tread tooth as the origin and the horizontal traveling direction of the tread tooth as y the positive x-axis direction, the outer cross-sectional curve of the tread tooth is , and the inner cross-sectional curve of the tread tooth is , where is the height direction of the tread tooth.

2. The crawler structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bionic scale pattern forms a corrugated sand guiding channel in the length direction of the bionic track.

3. The crawler structure according to claim 1, wherein The grouser plate and the grouser are integrally cast, and a threaded hole is provided on the grouser plate. The grouser plate is detachably fastened to the bionic crawler track by bolts.

4. The crawler structure according to claim 1, wherein, The bionic crawler is made of anti-adhesion hydrophobic rubber material.

5. A crawler travel device, comprising a driving wheel, a driven wheel, a carrier wheel and a crawler motor, characterized in that, It also includes the crawler structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The crawler travel device according to claim 5, characterized in that The bionic crawler is sleeved on the driving wheel, the driven wheel and the sprocket wheel, and the inner surface of the bionic crawler is meshed with the driving wheel, the driven wheel and the sprocket wheel, and the crawler motor is drivingly connected with the driving wheel.

7. The crawler travel device according to claim 6, wherein A depth sensor is provided in the grouser, and the sinking depth of the grouser obtained by the depth sensor is used to estimate the current sand quality parameters, and then the speed difference of the crawler motor installed on the crawler walking device on both sides of the vehicle is dynamically adjusted according to the current sand quality parameters: In soft sand areas, a progressive speed difference strategy is adopted to reduce the speed difference of the crawler motors on both sides to prevent the bionic crawler from slipping; In hard sand areas, a radical speed difference strategy is adopted to make the speed difference of the crawler motors on both sides larger to achieve rapid turning.

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