A supporting motion component and parachute-wing peristaltic pipeline robot

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of pipeline robots, and discloses a supporting motion component and an umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot, wherein the supporting motion component includes a shell, a supporting device and a peristaltic device, the supporting device includes a coaxially arranged first stator coil, a first rotor, a hollow screw rod, and a threaded sleeve, the supporting device also includes a plurality of swinging mechanisms, the peristaltic device includes a coaxially arranged second stator coil, a second rotor, a central tube, a central axis, a connector, an electromagnetic coil and a limit plate, the supporting motion component can be clamped and fixed in the pipeline, and has a telescopic function and a function of driving the connector to rotate; the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot includes the two aforementioned supporting motion components and a bending component, the bending component includes a bending part, and turning mechanisms are provided at both ends of the bending part, and the two connectors are respectively connected to the two turning mechanisms, and the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot can smoothly pass through and actively turn at the multi-way joint position of the multi-way pipeline network.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of pipeline robots, and in particular to a supporting motion component and an umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot. Background Art

[0002] In industries like metallurgy, petroleum, and biochemistry, pipelines are often used for material transportation. Over time, scaling and corrosion inevitably form on the inner walls of these pipes. To prevent leaks and ensure production safety, these pipes require regular inspection and maintenance. A pipeline robot is a device that can autonomously travel along the inside of a pipeline and can be equipped with a variety of sensors to inspect the inner walls.

[0003] Most existing pipeline robots are only suitable for navigating single-line pipelines, such as straight pipes and those with elbows. However, actual pipeline networks often involve multi-way pipes, such as tees and crosses. In these multi-way pipes, existing pipeline robots have difficulty navigating multiple joints and are unable to steer autonomously. To address this, we have developed a miniature wheeled pipeline robot (application number: 202510502610.X), which includes a bending assembly with travel units connected at both ends. Each travel unit includes two wheel train assemblies, resulting in a total of four wheel train assemblies. By combining the movement of two wheel train assemblies with the movement of the bending assembly, the miniature wheeled pipeline robot can smoothly navigate multiple joints and actively steer in multi-way pipelines.

[0004] This micro-wheeled pipeline robot meets the requirements of most application scenarios. However, when there are serious scaling, corrosion, and other phenomena in the pipeline, the inner wall of the pipeline will have a large number of uneven areas. In such application scenarios, the movement of the micro-wheeled pipeline robot is difficult to accurately control. The reason is that this wheeled structure uses the McRae wheel principle during drive control. After decomposing the forces acting on each wheel position, the different direction forces are mechanically synthesized and offset to achieve motion control. This wheeled structure can maintain control accuracy when the inner wall of the pipeline is relatively flat. However, if the inner wall of the pipeline has a large number of uneven areas, when a wheel train component passes through these areas, the forces acting on each wheel are different and change irregularly. The micro-wheeled pipeline robot moving in such a pipeline is similar to a McRae wheel four-wheeled vehicle driving on a rough road, and the movement process cannot be accurately controlled.

[0005] Existing pipeline robots typically have two types of structures: peristaltic and wheeled. The structure of a peristaltic pipeline robot can be found in Chinese patent application number CN201910839637.2, which describes a peristaltic pipeline inspection robot. These robots typically have support mechanisms at both ends and a telescopic mechanism in the middle. The peristaltic pipeline robot's peristaltic movement within a pipeline proceeds as follows: The front support mechanism is first expanded outward to press against the inner wall of the pipeline, followed by contraction of the rear support mechanism, with the pipeline robot supported by the front support mechanism. The telescopic mechanism then actuates, moving the rear support mechanism toward the front support mechanism by a set distance. The rear support mechanism is then expanded outward to press against the inner wall of the pipeline, followed by contraction of the front support mechanism, with the pipeline robot supported by the rear support mechanism. The telescopic mechanism then actuates, moving the front support mechanism away from the rear support mechanism by a set distance. Repeating these steps achieves axial movement of the peristaltic pipeline robot within the pipeline. Since the support mechanism in the peristaltic pipeline robot is only used for fixed support and positioning of the pipeline robot in the pipeline, its axial movement process is controlled by the telescopic mechanism and is not restricted by the environment of the inner wall of the pipeline. Compared with the pipeline robot with a wheel structure, the peristaltic pipeline robot is more suitable for use when the inner wall of the pipeline is uneven and can achieve accurate control.

[0006] However, existing peristaltic pipeline robots are primarily designed for use within straight pipelines, making them difficult to apply to multi-way pipelines. This difficulty arises from the fact that, on the one hand, the robot must possess the ability to peristaltic over a long range to ensure good maneuverability through multi-way joints; on the other hand, the rigid structure at the robot's ends must possess sufficiently small axial and radial dimensions to ensure good cornering ability at multi-way joints. However, existing peristaltic pipeline robots consist of three separate, sequentially connected structures: the front support mechanism, the telescopic mechanism, and the rear support mechanism. This results in a relatively long axial dimension for the robot as a whole and for each of its components, making it difficult to simultaneously meet these two requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and to provide a supporting motion component and an umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot.

[0008] The object of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0009] The cam is adapted to engage a first end of the guide wheel assembly and the second end of the guide wheel assembly to engage with the first end of the guide wheel so as to engage with the first end of the guide wheel in a manner that the cam can rotate relative to the first end of the guide wheel. The cam is adapted to engage the locking cam of the locking cam and to engage with the locking cam of the locking cam, wherein the locking cam is adapted to engage the locking cam of the locking cam and engage with the locking cam of the locking cam. The supporting motion component can be clamped and fixed in the pipeline through a supporting device, and can realize telescopic movement through a peristaltic device. The telescopic movement has a large telescopic stroke and the entire supporting motion component has small axial and radial dimensions when shortened to the shortest state. The peristaltic device can also drive the connector to rotate.

[0010] Furthermore, the swing mechanism also includes a second swing arm and a clamping head, one end of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the threaded sleeve, and the other end of the second swing arm and the end of the first swing arm away from the threaded sleeve are rotatably connected to the clamping head, and the first swing arm, the second swing arm, the threaded sleeve and the clamping head form a parallelogram mechanism. When clamping and fixing, each swing mechanism opens outward to drive the clamping head to move in parallel until the clamping head is tightened against the inner wall of the pipe. At this time, there is a larger pressing contact area between the clamping head and the inner wall of the pipe, which is conducive to maintaining the stability of the clamping and fixing state.

[0011] Specifically, the clamping head is made of rubber material, and the swing mechanism also includes a connecting rod, the two ends of which are rotatably connected to the rod body of the first swing arm and the rod body of the second swing arm respectively, and the connecting rod, the first swing arm, the second swing arm and the threaded sleeve form a parallelogram mechanism.

[0012] Specifically, the peristaltic device further includes a plurality of guide rods, which are parallel to the screw rod, are slidably connected to the housing, and one end of the guide rod is fixedly connected to the limit plate, and the plurality of guide rods are evenly distributed along the circumference of the axis of the screw rod.

[0013] A parachute peristaltic pipeline robot includes the two aforementioned supporting motion components and a bending component. The bending component includes a bending portion and two turning mechanisms. The turning mechanism includes a connecting plate and a driving element. One end of the connecting plate is rotatably connected to the bending portion. The driving element is used to drive the connecting plate to swing around the bending portion. The two turning mechanisms are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the bending portion. The ends of the two connecting plates away from the bending portion are respectively fixedly connected to the ends of the two connecting heads. The two connecting plates can be swung until the two screw rods are coaxial. The coordinated action of the bending component and the two supporting motion components can realize the active steering of the parachute peristaltic pipeline robot in a multi-pass pipeline network.

[0014] Furthermore, a first limiting portion is provided at both ends of the bending portion, and the first limiting portion is used to limit the two connecting plates when the two screw rods are coaxial. The driving element includes a first SMA spring and a first torsion spring. The first torsion spring is used to provide an elastic force to swing the connecting plate toward the first limiting portion. The two ends of the first SMA spring are respectively connected to the bending portion and the connecting plate. When the first SMA spring is energized, the connecting plate can be swung toward the direction away from the first limiting portion, thereby realizing the driving of the bending action during active steering.

[0015] Specifically, the bending portion includes a central block and two connecting blocks, the two connecting blocks are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the central block, the two ends of the connecting blocks are rotatably connected to the central block and the connecting plate respectively, the first limiting portion is arranged at one end of the connecting block close to the connecting plate, and the end of the connecting block close to the central block is also provided with a second limiting portion, the second limiting portion is used to limit when the angle between the connecting block and the central block is 180 degrees, the driving element also includes a second SMA spring and a second torsion spring, the second torsion spring is used to provide an elastic force to swing the central block in the direction close to the second limiting portion, the two ends of the second SMA spring are respectively connected to the connecting block and the central block, the second SMA spring can make the central block swing in the direction away from the second limiting portion, and the segmented control of the bending angle can be achieved by energizing the first SMA spring and the second SMA spring in succession.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0017] The supporting motion assembly includes a housing, a supporting device, and a peristaltic device. The supporting device includes a coaxially arranged first stator coil, a first rotor, a screw, and a threaded sleeve. The supporting device also includes a plurality of swinging mechanisms. When power is supplied to the first stator coil, the first rotor and screw rotate, thereby driving the threaded sleeve to move axially along the screw. When the threaded sleeve moves axially, the swinging mechanisms can be driven to synchronously expand outward or contract inward. The swinging mechanisms are evenly distributed around the circumference. When the swinging mechanisms expand outward until they are tightly pressed against the inner wall of the pipe, they act similarly to the principle of internal clamping claws, clamping the supporting motion assembly in the pipe and positioning the screw coaxially with the pipe. The peristaltic device includes a coaxially arranged second stator coil, a second rotor, a center tube, a center shaft, a connector, an electromagnetic coil, and a limit plate. The screw is a hollow structure. One end of the center tube is coaxially arranged within the screw, and the other end of the center tube is rotatably connected to the housing. The second rotor is fixedly sleeved on the center tube. When power is supplied to the second stator coil, the second rotor and center tube rotate. The inner wall of the center tube is machined with a spiral cam groove. One end of the center shaft is slidably set in the center tube. The outer wall of the end of the center shaft located in the center tube is fixedly connected to a shift block, which slides and fits in the cam groove. The end of the center shaft away from the center tube is fixedly connected to the connector. The connector and the limit plate are rotatably connected. The electromagnetic coil is used to fix the connector and the limit plate to each other, and the limit plate is slidably connected to the shell. When the electromagnetic coil is energized, the connector and the limit plate are fixed to each other, at which point the rotational freedom of the center shaft is restricted. The center shaft and the center tube form a structure similar to a cylindrical cam. When the center tube rotates, it can drive the center shaft, the connector and the limit plate to move axially. The reflection on the supporting motion component is the overall axial expansion and contraction. When the electromagnetic coil loses power, the connector and the limit plate can rotate relative to each other. At this time, the axial freedom of the center shaft is restricted by external force. The rotation of the center tube can drive the center shaft and the connector to rotate together. In general, the supporting motion component can be clamped and fixed in the pipeline, and has the functions of telescopic movement and driving the connecting head to rotate. In terms of specific design, a structure similar to a cylindrical cam is adopted, which makes full use of the internal space of the screw rod, so that the supporting motion component has a larger telescopic stroke and when shortened to the shortest, the supporting motion component has smaller axial and radial dimensions.

[0018] The umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot includes a bending assembly and the two aforementioned supporting motion assemblies. The bending assembly includes a bending part and two turning mechanisms. The turning mechanism includes a connecting plate and a driving element. One end of the connecting plate is rotatably connected to the bending part. The driving element is used to drive the connecting plate to swing around the bending part. The two turning mechanisms are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the bending part. The ends of the two connecting plates away from the bending part are respectively fixedly connected to the ends of the two connecting heads. The two connecting plates can swing until the two screw rods are coaxial. As mentioned above, the supporting motion component can be clamped and fixed in the pipeline and can be extended and retracted. The coordinated action of the two supporting motion components can enable the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot to move axially in the pipeline, and its forward movement process is not restricted by the environment of the inner wall of the pipeline; the supporting motion component can also drive the connecting head to rotate, so that the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot can adjust the direction of the bending component when supported at both ends; because both supporting motion components have a large extension stroke and have smaller axial and radial dimensions when shortened to the shortest, and the bending component can realize active turning control through the driving element, the coordinated action of the two supporting motion components and the bending component can enable the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot to pass smoothly and actively turn at the multi-way joint position of the multi-way pipeline network. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a supporting motion component of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of a supporting motion component in an expanded state according to the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of a supporting motion component of the present invention in a folded state;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of an umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot according to the present invention during axial movement;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of an umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot according to the present invention when turning;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of a bending assembly in an umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot according to the present invention;

[0025] In the figure, 1-housing, 2-first stator coil, 3-first rotor, 4-screw rod, 5-threaded sleeve, 6-first swing arm, 7-limit pin, 8-slide groove, 9-second stator coil, 10-second rotor, 11-center tube, 12-center shaft, 13-connecting head, 14-electromagnetic coil, 15-limiting plate, 16-cam groove, 17-second swing arm, 18-clamping head, 19-connecting rod, 20-guide rod, 21-connecting plate, 22-first SMA spring, 23-first torsion spring, 24-center block, 25-connecting block, 26-second SMA spring, 27-second torsion spring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the following.

[0027] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, a supporting motion assembly includes a shell 1, a supporting device and a peristaltic device.

[0028] The support device includes a coaxially arranged first stator coil 2, a first rotor 3, a lead screw 4, and a threaded sleeve 5. The first stator coil 2 is fixedly mounted within the housing 1, and the first rotor 3 is adapted to be mounted within the first stator coil 2. When power is supplied to the first stator coil 2, the first rotor 3 is driven to rotate. The direction of rotation of the first rotor 3 can be adjusted by changing the direction of the current. One end of the lead screw 4 is rotatably mounted within the housing 1 (in practice, the lead screw 4 and the housing 1 are connected via a bearing assembly). The first rotor 3 is fixedly connected to the lead screw 4, and rotation of the first rotor 3 drives the lead screw 4. The threaded sleeve 5 is threadedly connected to the end of the screw rod 4 away from the housing 1. The supporting device also includes a plurality of swinging mechanisms, each swinging mechanism is evenly distributed along the circumference of the axis of the screw rod 4, and the swinging mechanism includes a first swing arm 6 and a limit pin 7. The first swing arm 6 is arranged coplanar with the screw rod 4 so that the extension line of the center line of the first swing arm 6 intersects with the axis of the screw rod 4. One end of the first swing arm 6 is rotatably connected to the threaded sleeve 5. A slide groove 8 is provided on the first swing arm 6. The limit pin 7 can be slidably set in the slide groove 8. The limit pin 7 is fixedly connected to one end of the housing 1. In the above structure, the rotational freedom of the threaded sleeve 5 is restricted by a number of swinging mechanisms. The threaded sleeve 5 and the screw 4 constitute a screw-nut mechanism. When the screw 4 rotates, the threaded sleeve 5 can be driven to move axially along the screw 4. When the threaded sleeve 5 moves axially, one end of the first swing arm 6 can be driven to move together. Since the first swing arm 6 is constrained by the slide groove 8 and the limit pin 7, the first swing arm 6 also swings around the threaded sleeve 5 when moving axially with the threaded sleeve 5. That is, when the threaded sleeve 5 moves axially along the screw 4, the end of the first swing arm 6 away from the threaded sleeve 5 opens outward (towards the direction away from the axis of the screw 4) or contracts inward (towards the direction close to the axis of the screw 4).

[0029] The above-mentioned support device is used to clamp and position the support movement component in the pipeline. When in use: first, the first stator coil 2 is energized to drive the first rotor 3 and the screw 4 to rotate, and then the screw sleeve 5 is driven to move away from the housing 1 under the action of the screw nut mechanism, thereby driving the end of each first swing arm 6 away from the screw sleeve 5 to converge inward until the radial distance between it and the axis of the screw 4 is less than the radius of the pipeline; then the support movement component is extended into the pipeline and grips the housing 1 to limit the rotation of the housing 1; then, the first stator coil 2 is energized in the reverse direction to drive the screw sleeve 5 to move toward the housing 1, pushing the end of each first swing arm 6 away from the screw sleeve 5 to open outward. Since the first swing arms 6 are evenly distributed around the circumference, the synchronous outward opening of the first swing arms 6 is similar to the principle of internal clamping claws. When the end of each first swing arm 6 away from the screw sleeve 5 is pressed against the inner wall of the pipeline, the clamping and fixing of the support movement component in the pipeline is completed, and the screw 4 is kept coaxial with the pipeline in the clamped and fixed state. During the clamping and fixing process, since the screw-nut mechanism and each swing mechanism are rigidly transmitted, the clamping and fixing can be stable and the positioning can be accurate under the continuous drive of the first stator coil 2 and the first rotor 3; since the screw-nut mechanism has a self-locking characteristic, after completing the clamping and fixing, the positioning position can be locked by stopping the power supply to the first stator coil 2. At this time, the support device and the shell 1 can be regarded as a rigid integral structure; in the clamping and fixing state, the shell 1 is held to limit its rotation, and the first stator coil 2 is energized to move the threaded sleeve 5 away from the shell 1, which can drive each first swing arm 6 to converge inward away from the end of the threaded sleeve 5, thereby releasing the clamping and fixing state.

[0030] The peristaltic device includes a coaxially arranged second stator coil 9, a second rotor 10, a center tube 11, a center shaft 12, a connector 13, an electromagnetic coil 14, and a limit plate 15. The aforementioned screw rod 4 is a hollow structure, and one end of the center tube 11 is coaxially arranged inside the screw rod 4. In the overall structure of the supporting motion assembly, the first stator coil 2, the first rotor 3, the screw rod 4, the threaded sleeve 5, the second stator coil 9, the second rotor 10, the center tube 11, the center shaft 12, the connector 13, the electromagnetic coil 14, and the limit plate 15 are all coaxially arranged. One end of the center tube 11 away from the screw rod 4 passes through the end of the screw rod 4 and is rotatably connected to the housing 1 (in implementation, the center tube 11 and the housing 1 are connected by a bearing assembly). The second rotor 10 is fixedly sleeved on the center tube 11, and the second stator coil 9 is fixedly set in the housing 1. The second rotor 10 is adapted to be set in the second stator coil 9. When power is applied to the second stator coil 9, the second rotor 10 can be driven to rotate, thereby driving the center tube 11 to rotate. The rotation direction of the second rotor 10 and the center tube 11 can be adjusted by changing the direction of the power current.

[0031] A spiral cam groove 16 is processed on the inner wall of the center tube 11, and one end of the center shaft 12 is slidably set in the center tube 11. The outer wall of the end of the center shaft 12 located in the center tube 11 is fixedly connected with a shift block, and the shift block is slidably adapted to the cam groove 16. The end of the center shaft 12 away from the center tube 11 is fixedly connected to the connecting head 13, and the connecting head 13 is located outside the end of the shell 1 away from the screw rod 4. The connecting head 13 is rotatably connected to the limit plate 15. The electromagnetic coil 14 is sleeved on one end of the connecting head 13 and fixedly connected to the limit plate 15. The limit plate 15 is slidably connected to the shell 1. When the electromagnetic coil 14 is energized, the connector 13 and the limit plate 15 are fixedly connected as a whole by magnetic force. Since the limit plate 15 is slidably connected to the shell 1, when the rotational freedom of the shell 1 is limited, the rotational freedom of the connector 13 and the center shaft 12 is also limited. At this time, the center shaft 12, the shift block and the center tube 11 constitute a cylindrical cam mechanism. When the center tube 11 rotates, the cam groove 16 can be driven to rotate. The cam groove 16 can apply thrust to the shift block to drive the center shaft 12 to move axially, and then drive the connector 13 and the limit plate 15 to move axially. At this time, the entire supporting motion assembly exhibits a telescopic action. Since the telescopic action is caused by the center tube 11, the center shaft 12 can be driven to move axially. , and the center shaft 12 are driven by a cylindrical cam mechanism, which can achieve accurate control of the telescopic distance and achieve self-locking when the center tube 11 stops rotating; when the electromagnetic coil 14 loses power, the connector 13 and the limit plate 15 can rotate freely. At this time, if a certain axial thrust (or axial resistance) is applied to the center shaft 12, the shift block can be pressed against the side wall of the cam groove 16. In this state, the connector 13, center shaft 12, center tube 11, and second rotor 10 can be regarded as an integral structure. When the rotational freedom of the housing 1 is restricted, power is supplied to the second stator coil 9, which can drive the second rotor 10, center tube 11, center shaft 12, and connector 13 to rotate together.

[0032] According to the above, the supporting motion component can be clamped, fixed and positioned in the pipeline through the supporting device, and can be extended and retracted as a whole through the peristaltic device on the one hand, that is, it drives the connecting head 13 to move axially relative to the screw rod 4, and on the other hand, it can drive the connecting head 13 to rotate. It should be understood that, as an embodiment, the supporting motion component can be used alone as a fixed-point detection device with the pipeline as the installation basis. In the specific structural design of the supporting motion component, the first stator coil 2, the first rotor 3, the second stator coil 9, and the second rotor 10 adopt the frameless motor design concept, which is conducive to making the housing 1 compact and with a small radial size; the screw rod 4 is processed into a hollow structure, and one end of the central tube 11 is arranged in the screw rod 4, which can make full use of the axial dimension space of the screw rod 4, so that the supporting motion component has a larger extension distance (that is, the connecting head 13 has a larger peristaltic stroke relative to the screw rod 4), and Figure 3 As shown, in the folded state, the axial size of the entire supporting motion assembly is small, which is particularly suitable for use in pipeline robots in multi-channel pipeline networks (see the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot embodiment described later for details).

[0033] Furthermore, the swing mechanism also includes a second swing arm 17 and a clamping head 18. One end of the second swing arm 17 is rotatably connected to the threaded sleeve 5, and the other end of the second swing arm 17 and the end of the first swing arm 6 away from the threaded sleeve 5 are both rotatably connected to the clamping head 18. The first swing arm 6, the second swing arm 17, the threaded sleeve 5, and the clamping head 18 form a parallelogram mechanism. Using the parallelogram mechanism structural design, each swing mechanism can always keep the clamping head 18 parallel to the axis of the threaded sleeve 5 when it is opened outward. When clamping and fixing, each swing mechanism opens to press the clamping head 18 against the inner wall of the pipe, providing a larger pressing contact area. Compared with the method of directly point-contacting and pressing the end of the first swing arm 6 away from the threaded sleeve 5 against the inner wall of the pipe, it has better stability.

[0034] Furthermore, the clamping head 18 is made of rubber, which has certain elastic deformation properties and can maintain the stability of the clamping fixation even when the inner wall of the pipe is uneven. To compensate for the impact of the insufficient rigidity of the clamping head 18 on the operation of the aforementioned parallelogram mechanism, the swing mechanism also includes a connecting rod 19, the ends of which are rotatably connected to the rod body of the first swing arm 6 and the rod body of the second swing arm 17, respectively. The connecting rod 19, the first swing arm 6, the second swing arm 17, and the threaded sleeve 5 form a new parallelogram mechanism, which always keeps the clamping head 18 parallel to the axis of the threaded sleeve 5 when the swing mechanisms are opened outward.

[0035] Furthermore, the peristaltic device also includes a plurality of guide rods 20, which are parallel to the screw rod 4 and are slidably connected to the housing 1. One end of the guide rod 20 is fixedly connected to the limit plate 15. The plurality of guide rods 20 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the axis of the screw rod 4, so that the limit plate 15 is slidably connected to the housing 1 through the guide rods 20. The circumferentially evenly distributed guide rods 20 and the limit plate 15 also form a cage structure, which is conducive to maintaining structural rigidity when supporting the extension and contraction of the motion component. Figure 3 As shown, in the retracted state, the front end of the guide rod 20 can extend to the front end position of the screw rod 4, further fully utilizing the space, so that the entire supporting motion assembly has sufficiently small axial and radial dimensions in the retracted state.

[0036] When implementing it specifically, Figure 1 As shown, for ease of assembly, the housing 1 is designed as two housings. The first stator coil 2, first rotor 3, and one end of the screw rod 4 are assembled in one housing, while the second stator coil 9, second rotor 10, and one end of the center tube 11 are assembled in the other housing. The ends of the two housings are connected by a flange. It should be understood that when the flange is connected, the flange has a plurality of holes evenly distributed around its circumference. In this embodiment, these holes are divided into two groups. Bolts are installed in the holes in one group to complete the connection between the two housings, and the guide rods 20 are respectively inserted through the holes in the other group to achieve a sliding connection between the guide rods 20 and the housing 1.

[0037] like Figures 4 to 6 As shown, an umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot includes the two aforementioned support motion assemblies and a bending assembly, which includes a bending portion and two turning mechanisms. The turning mechanism includes a connecting plate 21 and a driving element. One end of the connecting plate 21 is rotatably connected to the bending portion. The driving element is used to drive the connecting plate 21 to swing around the bending portion. The two turning mechanisms are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the bending portion. The ends of the two connecting plates 21 away from the bending portion are respectively fixedly connected to the ends of the two connectors 13. The two connecting plates 21 can swing to a position where the two screw rods 4 are coaxial.

[0038] The parachute peristaltic pipeline robot can be used in multi-channel pipelines, such as Figure 4 For the convenience of description, Figure 4 The left side is the front, Figure 4 The support motion component on the left side is named the front end component. Figure 4 The supporting motion component on the right side is named the rear end component. In the preparation stage, adjust both the front end component and the rear end component to Figure 3 The robot is placed in the retracted state shown, and the two screw rods 4 are adjusted to be coaxial by the drive element. The robot is then inserted into one of the multi-channel pipelines, and the electromagnetic coils 14 of the front and rear components are kept energized. Under the action of the electromagnetic coil 14 of the rear component, the housing 1, limit plate 15, connector 13, and central axis 12 of the rear component cannot rotate relative to each other. Under the action of the electromagnetic coil 14 of the front component, the housing 1, limit plate 15, connector 13, and central axis 12 of the front component cannot rotate relative to each other. The process of the robot moving linearly in a multi-channel pipeline is as follows:

[0039] S1. The support device of the rear-end assembly is opened until it presses against the inner wall of the pipe (specifically, the housing 1 is restricted from rotation by gripping or other means, and the first stator coil 2 of the rear-end assembly is energized, driving the first swing arms 6 of the rear-end assembly to open outward until the end of each first swing arm 6 of the rear-end assembly, away from the threaded sleeve 5, presses against the inner wall of the pipe, and then the first stator coil 2 of the rear-end assembly is stopped from being energized). At this time, the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot is clamped and fixed to the axial position in the pipe by the rear-end assembly. In this clamped state, the housing 1 of the rear-end assembly is directly restricted by the first swing arms 6 and cannot rotate. Since the two connectors 13 are connected by a bending assembly and have no rotational freedom, the rotational freedom of the housing 1 of the front-end assembly is also restricted in this clamped state.

[0040] S2. The rear end assembly extends axially by the set creep distance (specifically, power is supplied to the rear end assembly's second stator coil 9, causing the rear end assembly's center tube 11 to rotate. Since the rear end assembly's center shaft 12 cannot rotate at this point, this further drives the center shaft 12 to move axially, pushing the rear end assembly's connector 13 forward and increasing the distance between the connector 13 and the lead screw 4 in the rear end assembly). The bending assembly and the front end assembly are pushed forward. Because a cylindrical cam mechanism is formed between the center tube 11 and the center shaft 12, the axial movement distance of the center shaft 12 can be accurately controlled as the center tube 11 rotates, and the center tube 11 self-locks when it stops rotating. When the rear end assembly extends to the set length, power is removed from the rear end assembly's second stator coil 9.

[0041] S3. The front end assembly extends axially (the specific operation is to energize the second stator coil 9 of the front end assembly to drive the center tube 11 of the front end assembly to rotate. At this time, the guide rod 20, the limit plate 15, the center shaft 12, and the connector 13 of the front end assembly are connected to the rear end assembly through the bending assembly and cannot move or rotate axially. That is, the position of the shift block on the center shaft 12 of the front end assembly is fixed. When the center tube 11 of the front end assembly rotates, the center tube 11 can be pushed axially forward under the action of the shift block of the center shaft 12 of the front end assembly. Since the center tube 11 and the shell 1 are rotatably connected through the bearing, when the center tube 11 of the front end assembly moves axially, it can further drive the shell 1 and the support device of the front end assembly to move forward. At this time, the distance between the lead screw 4 and the connector 13 in the front end assembly increases). When the front end assembly extends to the set length, the second stator coil 9 of the front end assembly stops energizing.

[0042] S4. The support device of the front-end component is opened until it is pressed against the inner wall of the pipe (the specific operation is to energize the first stator coil 2 of the front-end component to drive the first swing arms 6 of the front-end component to open outward until one end of the first swing arms 6 of the front-end component away from the threaded sleeve 5 is pressed against the inner wall of the pipe, and then stop energizing the first stator coil 2 of the front-end component). At this time, the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot is jointly supported by the front-end component and the rear-end component at the axial position in the pipe.

[0043] S5. The rear-end assembly's support device converges inward (specifically, reverse power is applied to the rear-end assembly's first stator coil 2, causing each of the rear-end assembly's first swing arms 6 to converge inward until the ends of each of the rear-end assembly's first swing arms 6 are clear of the pipe's inner wall, at which point power to the rear-end assembly's first stator coil 2 is stopped). The umbrella-wing peristaltic in-line robot is now clamped and secured to the pipe's axial position by the front-end assembly. It should be understood that during this process, because the front-end assembly remains clamped and secured to the pipe's inner wall, the housing 1, stopper plate 15, connector 13, and central shaft 12 in both the front-end and rear-end assemblies cannot rotate.

[0044] S6. The front end assembly is shortened axially (the specific operation is to reversely energize the second stator coil 9 of the front end assembly to drive the center tube 11 of the front end assembly to rotate in the reverse direction. At this time, since the front end assembly is clamped and fixed to the pipeline by its supporting device, the shell 1 and the center axis 12 of the front end assembly cannot rotate. When the center tube 11 of the front end assembly rotates in the reverse direction, the center axis 12 of the front end assembly can be driven to move forward, and the distance between the lead screw 4 and the connector 13 in the front end assembly is shortened). Then, the connector 13 of the front end assembly can drive the bending assembly and the rear end assembly to move forward as a whole. When the front end assembly is shortened to the set length, the second stator coil 9 of the front end assembly is stopped from being energized.

[0045] S7, the rear end assembly is shortened axially (the specific operation is to reversely energize the second stator coil 9 of the rear end assembly to drive the center tube 11 of the rear end assembly to rotate in the reverse direction. At this time, the guide rod 20, the limit plate 15, the center shaft 12, and the connector 13 of the rear end assembly are connected to the front end assembly through the bending assembly and cannot move or rotate axially. When the center tube 11 of the rear end assembly rotates in the reverse direction, the center tube 11 and the shell 1 of the rear end assembly can be driven to move forward, and the distance between the lead screw 4 and the connector 13 in the rear end assembly is shortened), and the second stator coil 9 of the rear end assembly is stopped from being energized until the rear end assembly is shortened to the set length.

[0046] S8. Repeat the above steps S1 to S7, and the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot can then peristalt axially in the pipeline.

[0047] According to the above process, it can be seen that the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot moves in a straight line in the pipeline in a peristaltic manner. The supporting devices of the two supporting motion components can stably clamp and fix the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot at the pipeline axis position. The two supporting motion components can realize axial extension and contraction. The peristaltic movement process of the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot is not affected by the unevenness of the inner wall of the pipeline, and can be accurately controlled. It should be noted that the above steps S2 to S3 and S6 to S7 respectively control the telescopic movements of the two supporting motion components. In actual applications, steps S2 and S3 can be performed simultaneously, and steps S6 and S7 can be performed simultaneously. It should also be noted that the purpose of both supporting motion components being telescopic is to enable the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot to have a sufficiently large peristaltic stroke so that it can pass smoothly through the multi-way joint position of the multi-way pipeline (for example, when passing through the multi-way joint position in a straight line, since this peristaltic structure is clamped and fixed by pressing the support device against the inner wall of the pipe, and the inner wall of the pipe at the bypass interface in the multi-way joint is in an open state, clamping and fixing cannot be completed in the multi-way joint, which requires a sufficiently large peristaltic stroke to directly pass through the multi-way joint position when passing in a straight line). When the peristaltic stroke requirement is small, only one supporting motion component can be telescopic, that is, steps S2 and S7 or steps S3 and S6 are canceled in the above steps S1 to S7.

[0048] The parachute creeping pipeline robot can also actively steer within a multi-way pipeline. When the front-end assembly moves to the multi-way joint position by axial creeping in the aforementioned manner, the following steps are performed:

[0049] S11. The support device of the front-end component is opened, and the front-end component is clamped and fixed near the multi-way joint position in the pipeline where the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot is located. At this time, the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot is supported by the front-end component and the rear-end component.

[0050] S12. Stop energizing the electromagnetic coils 14 of the front-end assembly and the rear-end assembly, and then energize the second stator coil 9 of the front-end assembly or the rear-end assembly to rotate the center tube 11 of the front-end assembly or the rear-end assembly. Since the supporting devices of the front-end assembly and the rear-end assembly are clamped and fixed on the inner wall of the pipe, the telescopic movement of the front-end assembly and the rear-end assembly is restricted. At this time, the two center tubes 11, the two center shafts 12, the two connectors 13 and the bending assembly can be regarded as a rotatable integral structure. When one of the center tubes 11 rotates, the integral structure can be driven to rotate together, thereby adjusting the direction of the bending assembly. When the bending assembly is facing the direction to be turned, the center tube 11 stops rotating and the energized state of the electromagnetic coils 14 of the front-end assembly and the rear-end assembly is restored.

[0051] S13. The supporting device of the rear-end component is retracted, and the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot is supported in the pipeline by the front-end supporting component.

[0052] S14, the front end assembly and the rear end assembly are both axially retracted to the shortest position, so that the support device of the rear end assembly moves to a position close to the support device position of the front end assembly.

[0053] S15, the support device of the rear end assembly is opened, and then the support device of the front end assembly is closed, and the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot is supported by the rear end support assembly in the pipeline. At this time, the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot is as follows: Figure 4 Status shown.

[0054] S16: The rear-end assembly extends axially, while the bending assembly simultaneously causes the front-end assembly to bend toward the pipe to be transferred. This bending process and the axial extension of the rear-end assembly work in conjunction until the front-end assembly is transferred into the new pipe. It should be noted that in step S14, the front-end assembly is retracted to its minimum length to reduce its axial dimension, facilitating its passage through the bend. The rear-end assembly is retracted to its minimum length to provide a larger peristaltic stroke, thereby cooperating with the bending assembly to transfer the front-end assembly into the new pipe. The front-end assembly is pushed as far into the new pipe as possible to allow space for the rear-end assembly to enter the new pipe.

[0055] S17: The front-end assembly is axially extended to its longest position, after which the support device of the front-end assembly is opened and the front-end assembly is clamped and secured within the newly inserted pipe. It should be noted that in this step, by extending the front-end assembly axially to its longest position, the support device of the front-end assembly can be pushed forward a greater distance to allow for the rear-end assembly to enter the new pipe.

[0056] S18. The support device of the rear-end component is retracted so that the umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot is supported by the front-end support component, and then the rear-end component is axially shortened to the shortest position to reduce the axial size for easy cornering.

[0057] S19: The front-end assembly shortens axially, while the bending assembly simultaneously causes the rear-end assembly to bend and reset. This bending and reset process works in conjunction with the axial shortening of the front-end assembly until the rear-end assembly is rotated into the new pipe. It should be noted that the axial extension of the front-end assembly to its maximum position in step S17 also provides the front-end assembly with a greater peristaltic stroke, thereby cooperating with the bending assembly to rotate the rear-end assembly into the new pipe.

[0058] The above-described operating process demonstrates that the parachute-wing peristaltic pipeline robot can move along the axial direction of multi-way pipelines, pass straight through multi-way joints, and actively steer in all directions, meeting the requirements of multi-way pipelines. The parachute-wing peristaltic pipeline robot utilizes a peristaltic walking mechanism, and its control accuracy during movement is not restricted by the smoothness of the pipeline's inner wall, making it suitable for use in applications with uneven pipeline surfaces.

[0059] Further, such as Figure 6 As shown, first limiting portions are provided at both ends of the bent portion. The first limiting portions are used to limit the two connecting plates 21 when the two screw rods 4 are coaxial. The driving element includes a first SMA spring 22 and a first torsion spring 23. The first torsion spring 23 is used to provide an elastic force that causes the connecting plate 21 to swing toward the first limiting portion. The two ends of the first SMA spring 22 are respectively connected to the bent portion and the connecting plate 21. The first SMA spring 22 can cause the connecting plate 21 to swing away from the first limiting portion. In the natural state, the elastic force provided by the first torsion spring 23 causes the connecting plate 21 to rest against the first limiting portion. At this time, the two screw rods 4 are coaxial, and the elastic force of the first torsion spring 23 maintains the necessary rigidity in this state. The first SMA spring 22 is made of a shape memory alloy. When power is applied to the first SMA spring 22 to compress it, the connecting plate 21 can be driven to swing away from the first limit portion, thereby driving the bending process in the aforementioned step S16. When the first SMA spring 22 loses power, the elastic force of the first torsion spring 23 can drive the connecting plate 21 to swing toward the first limit portion, thereby driving the bending reset process in the aforementioned step S19.

[0060] Since the bending process in the aforementioned step S16 needs to be coordinated with the elongation process of the rear end component, and the bending reset process in the aforementioned step S19 needs to be coordinated with the axial shortening process of the front end component, in the specific implementation, Figure 5 、 Figure 6 As shown, the bending portion includes a central block 24 and two connecting blocks 25. The two connecting blocks 25 are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the central block 24. The two ends of the connecting block 25 are rotatably connected to the central block 24 and the connecting plate 21 respectively. The first limiting portion is arranged at one end of the connecting block 25 close to the connecting plate 21, and the end of the connecting block 25 close to the central block 24 is also provided with a second limiting portion. The second limiting portion is used to limit when the angle between the connecting block 25 and the central block 24 is 180 degrees. The driving element also includes a second SMA spring 26 and a second torsion spring 27. The second torsion spring 27 is used to provide an elastic force to make the center block 24 swing toward the second limit portion. In the natural state, the elastic force of the second torsion spring 27 presses the center block 24 against the second limit portion, so that the angle between the center block 24 and the connecting block 25 is 180 degrees and maintains a certain rigidity in this state; the two ends of the second SMA spring 26 are respectively connected to the connecting block 25 and the center block 24. When the second SMA spring 26 is energized, the center block 24 can be swung away from the second limit portion, thereby adjusting the angle between the center block 24 and the connecting block 25. Figure 5 As shown, when turning, the first SMA spring 22 and the second SMA spring 26 are energized or de-energized successively to achieve segmented control of the bending angle, so as to coordinate with the telescopic action of the supporting motion component.

[0061] The foregoing description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the form disclosed herein and should not be construed as excluding other embodiments. Rather, the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments and can be modified within the scope of the concept described herein through the above teachings or techniques or knowledge in the relevant field. Modifications and variations made by those skilled in the art that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention are intended to be protected by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot, characterized in that: It includes a bending component and two supporting motion components; The supporting motion assembly includes a housing, a supporting device and a peristaltic device. The supporting device includes a coaxially arranged first stator coil, a first rotor, a screw rod, and a threaded sleeve, the first stator coil is fixedly arranged in the housing, the first rotor is adapted to be arranged in the first stator coil, one end of the screw rod is rotatably arranged in the housing, the first rotor is fixedly connected to the screw rod, and the threaded sleeve is threadedly connected to the end of the screw rod away from the housing, the supporting device also includes a plurality of swing mechanisms, and the plurality of swing mechanisms are evenly distributed along the circumference of the axis of the screw rod, the swing mechanism includes a first swing arm and a limit pin, the first swing arm is coplanar with the screw rod, one end of the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the threaded sleeve, a slide groove is provided on the first swing arm, the limit pin can be slidably arranged in the slide groove, and the limit pin is fixedly connected to one end of the housing, The cam is adapted to engage the second end of the shaft and to engage the second end of the shaft to engage the second end of the shaft, wherein the cam is adapted to engage the second end of the shaft. The bending assembly includes a bending portion and two turning mechanisms. The turning mechanism includes a connecting plate and a driving element, one end of the connecting plate is rotatably connected to the bending portion, and the driving element is used to drive the connecting plate to swing around the bending portion. The two turning mechanisms are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the bending portion, and the ends of the two connecting plates away from the bending portion are fixedly connected to the ends of the two connecting heads respectively, and the two connecting plates can swing to make the two screw rods coaxial.

2. The umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The swing mechanism also includes a second swing arm and a clamping head, one end of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the threaded sleeve, the other end of the second swing arm and the end of the first swing arm away from the threaded sleeve are both rotatably connected to the clamping head, and the first swing arm, the second swing arm, the threaded sleeve and the clamping head form a parallelogram mechanism.

3. The umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The clamping head is made of rubber material, and the swing mechanism also includes a connecting rod, the two ends of which are rotatably connected to the rod body of the first swing arm and the rod body of the second swing arm respectively, and the connecting rod, the first swing arm, the second swing arm and the threaded sleeve form a parallelogram mechanism.

4. The umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The peristaltic device also includes a plurality of guide rods, which are parallel to the screw rod and slidably connected to the housing. One end of the guide rod is fixedly connected to the limit plate, and the plurality of guide rods are evenly distributed along the circumference of the axis of the screw rod.

5. The umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two ends of the bending portion are provided with a first limiting portion, and the first limiting portion is used to limit the two connecting plates when the two screw rods are coaxial. The driving element includes a first SMA spring and a first torsion spring. The first torsion spring is used to provide an elastic force to cause the connecting plate to swing toward the first limiting portion. The two ends of the first SMA spring are respectively connected to the bending portion and the connecting plate. The first SMA spring can cause the connecting plate to swing toward the direction away from the first limiting portion.

6. The umbrella-wing peristaltic pipeline robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The bending portion includes a central block and two connecting blocks, the two connecting blocks are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the central block, the two ends of the connecting block are rotatably connected to the central block and the connecting plate respectively, the first limiting portion is arranged at one end of the connecting block close to the connecting plate, and the end of the connecting block close to the central block is further provided with a second limiting portion, the second limiting portion is used to limit when the angle between the connecting block and the central block is 180 degrees, The driving element also includes a second SMA spring and a second torsion spring, the second torsion spring is used to provide an elastic force to swing the center block toward the second limiting portion, the two ends of the second SMA spring are respectively connected to the connecting block and the center block, and the second SMA spring can swing the center block toward the direction away from the second limiting portion.

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