A submersible robot with integrated drive

Abstract

This invention discloses an integrated-drive submersible robot, comprising a shell and a rotary propulsion mechanism. The shell is cylindrical, with end caps fixed at both ends. The end caps are regular N-gons, where N≥3. The two end faces of the shell are staggered, and the outer contour of the shell's cross-section is a regular N-gon. The line connecting the corresponding angles of the two end caps forms the angles of the shell, and the surface between two adjacent angles is concave. The rotary propulsion mechanism includes a support frame, a first counterweight, and a drive motor. The support frame is fixed inside the shell, the first counterweight is fixed to the bottom of the support frame, the drive motor body is fixed to the support frame, and the output shaft of the drive motor is connected to the inner wall of the end caps. This invention utilizes the interaction between the rotary propulsion mechanism and the multiple water-repelling concave surfaces on the outer wall of the shell to propel the submersible robot using the reaction force of the water during rotation, enabling it to operate in water bodies with abundant debris and harsh environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of underwater detection and mobile equipment technology, specifically a submersible robot employing integrated drive. Background Technology

[0002] Underwater mobile robots can be used to perform tasks such as detection, inspection, and exploration, and have good development prospects.

[0003] As a type of underwater mobile robot, submersible robots employ highly complex motion mechanism designs to achieve flexible movement on or underwater, such as fin-driven robots and propeller-driven robots. Fin-driven robots use fin-swinging motion as the power source to propel the submersible robot, while propeller-driven robots use propeller rotation as the power source to propel the submersible robot. During the movement of these types of submersible robots, their power drive components are in direct contact with the water. In complex aquatic environments, fin-swinging motion and propeller rotation are easily obstructed and entangled by aquatic plants and debris, making them susceptible to interference during movement in the water. This makes it difficult for submersible robots to perform detection, inspection, and exploration tasks in complex environments. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a submersible robot with integrated drive to solve the problem that existing submersible robots are easily disturbed by aquatic plants and debris when moving in complex aquatic environments.

[0005] The technical solution of this invention is:

[0006] An integrated-drive submersible robot includes a shell, a rotary propulsion mechanism, a steering mechanism, and a buoyancy mechanism. The shell is cylindrical, with end caps fixed at both ends. Each end cap is a regular N-gon with N ≥ 3, and the two end caps are staggered. The outer cross-sectional profile of the shell is a regular N-gon. The line connecting the corresponding angles of the two end caps forms an edge of the shell. The surface between two adjacent edges of the shell is concave, used to deflect water backward during the submersible robot's movement. The rotary propulsion mechanism includes a support frame, a first counterweight, and a drive motor. The support frame is mounted and fixed inside the shell, and the first counterweight is fixed to... At the bottom of the support frame, the drive motor is mounted on the side wall of the support frame facing the end face of the shell. The motor body is fixed to the support frame, and the output shaft of the drive motor is connected to the inner wall of the end cap. The steering mechanism includes a steering motor and a second counterweight. The steering motor is fixed inside the support frame, and the second counterweight is horizontally positioned below the steering motor and connected to its output shaft. The buoyancy mechanism includes an airbag assembly and an inflation / deflation assembly mounted on the shell. The inflation / deflation assembly is connected to the airbag assembly and is used to control the inflation / deflation of the airbag assembly to achieve the shell's submersion and buoyancy functions.

[0007] Preferably, as a further improvement of the present invention, there are two drive motors, symmetrically arranged on both sides of the support frame, the bodies of the two drive motors are fixed to the support frame, and the output shafts of the two drive motors are respectively connected to the inner walls of the two end caps.

[0008] Preferably, as a further improvement of the present invention, a rotating rod is vertically fixed to the end of the output shaft of the drive motor, and a groove with a shape and size matching the rotating rod is formed on the inner wall of the end cover, and the rotating rod is inserted into the groove.

[0009] Preferably, as a further improvement of the present invention, the rotating rod and the groove are radially shaped.

[0010] Preferably, as a further improvement of the present invention, it also includes a steering mechanism, the steering mechanism including a steering motor and a second counterweight, the steering motor being fixed inside the support frame, and the second counterweight being horizontally disposed below the steering motor and connected to the output shaft of the steering motor.

[0011] Preferably, as a further improvement of the present invention, it also includes a submersion and buoyancy mechanism, which includes an airbag assembly and an inflation / deflation assembly disposed on the shell. The inflation / deflation assembly is connected to the airbag assembly and is used to control the inflation and deflation of the airbag assembly to realize the function of the shell submerging and floating.

[0012] Preferably, as a further improvement of the present invention, the airbag assembly includes two airbags, which are respectively fixed on the outer walls of the two end caps in a one-to-one correspondence. The inflation / deflation assembly includes two air inlet pumps and two air outlet pumps. One air inlet pump and one air outlet pump are fixed on the inner wall of one end cap and are connected to the airbag disposed on that end cap through a pipeline. The other air inlet pump and one air outlet pump are fixed on the inner wall of the other end cap and are connected to the airbag disposed on that end cap through a pipeline.

[0013] Preferably, as a further improvement of the present invention, the housing includes a first half-housing and a second half-housing, which are detachably connected by threads.

[0014] Preferably, as a further improvement of the present invention, a sealing strip is provided at the connection between the first half-shell and the second half-shell.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0016] By using a rotating propulsion mechanism that works in conjunction with multiple water-repelling concave surfaces on the outer wall of the shell, the submersible robot is propelled by the reaction force of the water during its rotation. This simplifies the motion mechanism. Furthermore, since the power source for the submersible robot's movement is located inside the shell, it can reduce interference from aquatic plants and debris, enabling it to work in water bodies with a lot of debris and harsh environments. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a submersible robot employing integrated drive according to the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a front view schematic diagram of the internal components of a submersible robot shell using integrated drive according to the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the internal components of a submersible robot housing using integrated drive, according to the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of two mounting holes on the end cap of a submersible robot with integrated drive according to the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the slots and mounting grooves opened on the end cap of a submersible robot with integrated drive according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The following is combined Figures 1-5The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. In the description of the invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0023] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature; in the description of the invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0024] Example

[0025] like Figures 1-3 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a submersible robot with integrated drive, including a shell 1, a rotary propulsion mechanism, a steering mechanism, and a buoyancy mechanism; the shell 1 is cylindrical, and end caps 2 are fixed at both ends of the shell 1. The end caps 2 are in the shape of a regular N-gon, and N≥3. The two end caps 2 are staggered, and the outer contour of the cross-section of the shell 1 is a regular N-gon. The line connecting the corresponding included angles of the two end caps 2 forms the corner of the shell 1. The surface between two adjacent corners of the shell 1 is a concave surface, which is used to push water backward during the movement of the submersible robot; the rotary propulsion mechanism includes a support frame 31, a first counterweight 32, and a drive motor 33. The support frame 31 is mounted and fixed inside the shell 1, the first counterweight 32, and the first counterweight 33 are all included. The counterweight 32 is fixed to the bottom of the support frame 31. The drive motor 33 is set on the side wall of the support frame 31 facing the end face of the shell 1. The body of the drive motor 33 is fixed to the support frame 31. The output shaft of the drive motor 33 is connected to the inner wall of the end cover 2. The steering mechanism includes a steering motor 41 and a second counterweight 42. The steering motor 41 is fixed inside the support frame 31. The second counterweight 42 is horizontally set below the steering motor 41 and connected to the output shaft of the steering motor 41. The submersion and buoyancy mechanism includes an airbag assembly and an inflation / deflation assembly set on the shell 1. The inflation / deflation assembly is connected to the airbag assembly and is used to control the inflation and deflation of the airbag assembly to realize the submersion and buoyancy of the shell 1.

[0026] In this embodiment, the rotating propulsion mechanism works in conjunction with multiple water-repelling concave surfaces on the outer wall of the shell. The reaction force between the rotating mechanism and the water propels the submersible robot, simplifying the motion mechanism. Since the power source for the submersible robot's movement is located inside the shell, it reduces interference from aquatic plants and debris, enabling it to operate in water bodies with abundant debris and harsh environments. The steering mechanism utilizes the conservation of angular momentum to achieve both driving and steering, simplifying control. The buoyancy mechanism uses airbags to switch between surface and underwater operation, integrating a simple, small-volume, lightweight motion mechanism with flexible surface or underwater movement. This solves the problems of complex structure, cumbersome control, and difficulty in flexibly switching between surface and underwater movement in existing submersible robots.

[0027] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, in order to facilitate the assembly of the drive motor 33 and the end cover 22, a rotating rod 5 is vertically fixed at the end of the output shaft of the drive motor 33. A groove 21 with a shape and size matching the rotating rod 5 is opened on the inner wall of the end cover 22. The rotating rod 5 is inserted into the groove 21. Through the cooperation between the rotating rod 5 and the groove 21, the end cover 2 and the output shaft of the drive motor 33 can be detachably connected, thereby facilitating assembly.

[0028] The rotating rod 5 and the groove 21 can be radially shaped, such as a cross or a star pattern. This design ensures that the force is more evenly distributed when the groove 21 is turned by the rotating rod 5, reducing the risk of the rotating rod 5 breaking or being damaged.

[0029] Specifically, such as Figures 1-4 As shown, the airbag assembly includes two airbags 61, which are fixed to the outer walls of the two end caps 2 respectively. The inflation / deflation assembly includes two air intake pumps 62 and two air exhaust pumps 63. Each airbag 61 is connected to one air intake pump 62 and one air exhaust pump 63. The air intake pumps 62 and the air exhaust pumps 63 are fixed on the end caps 2. The end caps 2 have two mounting holes 23. The air intake pumps 62 and the air exhaust pumps 63 are connected to the airbags 61 set on the end caps 2 through the two mounting holes 23 via rubber tubes. The airbags 61 are made of silicone sheets.

[0030] The airbag assembly allows the submersible robot to switch between underwater and surface movement. When the robot needs to move to the surface, two air intake pumps 62 are activated to fill the two airbags 61 with air from inside the robot, causing them to inflate and the robot to surface. When the robot needs to move underwater, two air exhaust pumps 63 are activated to expel the air from the airbags 61 into the robot, causing them to contract and the robot to submerge and operate underwater.

[0031] Meanwhile, the two airbags 61 on each side of the submersible robot can be independently controlled to inflate or deflate. When the submersible robot moves, inflating the airbag 61 on the head side and deflating the airbag 61 on the tail side causes the robot's head to rise and its tail to sink, allowing it to move upward in the water. Conversely, deflating the airbag 61 on the head and inflating the airbag 61 on the tail side causes the robot's head to sink and its tail to rise, allowing it to move downward in the water.

[0032] The first counterweight 32 and the second counterweight 42 can be made of materials with high density, such as iron, copper, lead, tungsten, or tungsten-nickel-iron alloy. The higher the density, the more volume can be saved for the same weight, making it easier to install.

[0033] In other embodiments of the invention, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in order to facilitate the installation of internal components, the housing 1 includes a first half-housing 11 and a second half-housing 12, which are detachably connected by threads.

[0034] With the above configuration, the housing 1 is composed of a first half-housing 11 and a second half-housing 12, and the first half-housing 11 and the second half-housing 12 are detachably connected by threads. This makes it easy to install components into the interior of the housing 1 and then assemble the housing 1 as a whole.

[0035] Furthermore, to prevent water from leaking into the housing 1 through the connection between the first half-shell 11 and the second half-shell 12 when the submersible robot moves in the water, thus damaging the components inside the housing 1, a sealing strip is provided at the connection between the first half-shell 11 and the second half-shell 12 to prevent water from entering.

[0036] In other embodiments of the invention, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, annular protective rings 7 are connected to the end faces of the first half-shell 11 and the second half-shell 12 to prevent the sharp edges of the end faces from cutting personnel when the underwater robot is being recovered or released.

[0037] To facilitate control, a motor control board 81 is provided on the top of the support frame 31. The motor control board 81 is electrically connected to the drive motor 33 and the steering motor 41 respectively. Two air pump control boards 82 are provided in the mounting slot 23. Each air pump control board 82 is electrically connected to the air inlet pump 62 and the air outlet pump 52 on one side. In order to supply power to the electrical components, an air pump battery 83 is installed in the mounting slot 23, and a motor battery 84 is installed on the inside of the support frame 31. The battery is used for power supply.

[0038] The overall working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0039] 1) Driving principle: When the drive motor 33 is working, its stator drives the support frame 31 and all the components fixed on the support frame 31 to rotate by a certain angle. The rotation of the first counterweight 32 provides the power torque for the robot's movement. The rotor drives the shell 1 to rotate against the resistance torque in the water through the rotating rod 5 assembled in the inner slot 25 of the shell 1. In specific implementation, the outer wall of the shell 1 is provided with 6 opposing concave surfaces. When rotating, it can push the water around it backward and rely on the reaction force to propel the submersible robot to move on the water surface / underwater.

[0040] 2) Surface / Underwater switching principle: When moving to the surface, the two air intake pumps 62 are controlled to work, filling the two airbags 61 with air from inside the submersible robot, causing the two airbags 61 to expand, thereby making the submersible robot float to the surface and work on the surface; when submersible, the two air exhaust pumps 63 are controlled to work, expelling the air from the two airbags 61 into the submersible robot, causing the two airbags 61 to contract, thereby making the submersible robot sink into the water and work in the water.

[0041] 3) Principle of motion direction control:

[0042] Steering motion: When the steering motor 41 is working, its rotor drives the second counterweight 42 to rotate and generate angular acceleration. At the same time, according to the conservation of angular momentum, the entire submersible robot also generates angular acceleration in the opposite direction to the rotation of the counterweight, thereby driving the submersible robot to turn.

[0043] Pitch motion: The two airbags 61 on both sides of the submersible robot can be independently controlled to inflate or deflate. When the submersible robot moves, controlling the airbag 61 on the head side to inflate and the airbag 61 on the tail side to deflate will cause the submersible robot's head to rise and its tail to sink, thus enabling the submersible robot to move upward in the water; if controlling the airbag 61 on the head to deflate and the airbag 61 on the tail side to inflate will cause the submersible robot's head to sink and its tail to rise, thus enabling the submersible robot to move downward in the water.

[0044] In summary, this invention utilizes a rotating propulsion mechanism in conjunction with multiple water-repelling concave surfaces on the outer wall of the shell. The robot's movement is propelled by the reaction force of the water during rotation, simplifying the motion mechanism and enabling it to operate in water bodies with abundant debris and harsh environments. The steering mechanism leverages the conservation of angular momentum to achieve both driving and steering, resulting in simple control and flexible movement in the water. Furthermore, the buoyancy mechanism utilizes the inflation and deflation of airbags to freely switch between surface and underwater operation. Thus, this invention integrates a simple, compact, and lightweight motion mechanism with flexible surface and underwater movement capabilities, solving the problems of complex structures and difficulty in flexibly switching between surface and underwater motion in existing submersible robots.

[0045] The above-disclosed embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and any variations that can be conceived by those skilled in the art should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A submersible robot employing integrated drive, characterized in that, include: The shell (1) is cylindrical. End caps (2) are fixed at both ends of the shell (1). The shape of the end caps (2) is a regular N-sided polygon, and N≥3. The two end caps (2) are staggered. The outer contour of the cross section of the shell (1) is a regular N-sided polygon. The line connecting the corresponding included angles of the two end caps (2) forms the corner of the shell (1). The surface between two adjacent corners of the shell (1) is a concave surface. The concave surface is used to push the water backward during the movement of the submersible robot. The rotary propulsion mechanism includes a support frame (31), a first counterweight (32), and a drive motor (33). The support frame (31) is mounted and fixed inside the housing (1). The first counterweight (32) is fixed at the bottom of the support frame (31). The drive motor (33) is located on the side wall of the support frame (31) facing the end face of the housing (1). The body of the drive motor (33) is fixed to the support frame (31). The output shaft of the drive motor (33) is connected to the inner wall of the end cover (2). There are two drive motors (33), which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the support frame (31). The bodies of the two drive motors (33) are fixed to the support frame (31). The output shafts of the two drive motors (33) are respectively connected to the inner walls of the two end covers (2). The outer wall of the shell (1) is provided with multiple water-repelling concave surfaces. By cooperating with the rotary propulsion mechanism set in the shell (1), the reaction force of the concave surfaces with the water when they rotate is used to propel the submersible robot to move, so that the submersible robot can work in water bodies with a lot of debris and a relatively harsh environment.

2. The submersible robot with integrated drive according to claim 1, characterized in that, The output shaft of the drive motor (33) is vertically fixed with a rotating rod (5). A groove (21) matching the shape and size of the rotating rod (5) is opened on the inner wall of the end cover (2). The rotating rod (5) is inserted into the groove (21).

3. The submersible robot employing integrated drive according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rotating rod (5) and the groove (21) are radially shaped.

4. The submersible robot employing integrated drive according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a steering mechanism, which includes a steering motor (41) and a second counterweight (42). The steering motor (41) is fixed inside the support frame (31), and the second counterweight (42) is horizontally arranged below the steering motor (41) and connected to the output shaft of the steering motor (41).

5. The submersible robot employing integrated drive according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a diving and floating mechanism, which includes an airbag assembly and an inflation and deflation assembly disposed on the shell (1). The inflation and deflation assembly is connected to the airbag assembly and is used to control the inflation and deflation of the airbag assembly to realize the diving and floating functions of the shell (1).

6. The submersible robot employing integrated drive according to claim 5, characterized in that, The airbag assembly includes two airbags (61), which are fixed to the outer walls of the two end caps (2) respectively. The inflation / deflation assembly includes two air inlet pumps (62) and two air outlet pumps (63). One air inlet pump (62) and the air outlet pump (63) are fixed to the inner wall of one end cap (2) and are connected to the airbag (61) on the end cap (2) through a pipeline. The other air inlet pump (62) and the air outlet pump (63) are fixed to the inner wall of the other end cap (2) and are connected to the airbag (61) on the end cap (2) through a pipeline.

7. The submersible robot employing integrated drive according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The housing (1) includes a first half-housing (11) and a second half-housing (12), which are detachably connected by threads.

8. The submersible robot employing integrated drive according to claim 7, characterized in that, A sealing strip is provided at the connection between the first half-shell (11) and the second half-shell (12).

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