Belt corridor inspection robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a belt corridor inspection robot, relates to the field of suspension type elevated track systems, and aims to provide a track robot with higher gradeability. The belt corridor inspection robot in the scheme comprises a body, paired roller columns are arranged at the top of the body, rollers are connected to the sides of the roller columns through rotating shafts, vertical driving shafts are arranged on the left side and the right side of the top of the body in pairs, the driving shafts are rotationally connected with the body, and horizontal driving wheels are arranged at the tops of the driving shafts. A motor and a battery connected with the motor for supplying power are arranged in the body, and the motor drives the horizontal driving wheel to rotate through a driving shaft. By means of the design, the robot can apply driving force through the horizontal driving wheels on the two sides at the same time, and it is guaranteed that good road holding force and stability are kept in the climbing process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a suspended elevated track system. Background Art

[0002] In industrial environments such as power plants, mines, and chemical plants, belt galleries serve as the main channels for material transportation and undertake important logistics tasks. To ensure the efficient operation of these systems and prevent potential failures, regular inspection work is crucial. Automated inspection robots have been applied in some industrial scenarios and have demonstrated significant advantages, but existing technologies still have some deficiencies when faced with the complex terrain of belt galleries.

[0003] Belt galleries usually have complex terrain features, including obvious slope changes and turning sections. Many belt gallery designs include multiple slope sections with a large range of slope changes, which pose higher requirements for the climbing ability of inspection robots.

[0004] Chinese Patent Publication No. CN111252083B discloses a mine track-type inspection climbing robot, which includes a frame, traveling wheels installed on the frame for rolling along the track wing plates to drive the frame to travel along the track, a driving device for driving the traveling wheels to rotate, pressing wheels installed on the frame for pressing against the bottom of the track wing plates, and an adjusting device for adjusting the pressing wheels. When the robot climbs or descends a slope, the adjusting device makes the pressing wheels approach the track and press against the bottom of the track wing plates. When the robot travels horizontally, the pressing wheels are away from the track to release the pressing force on the bottom of the track wing plates. In the present invention, when the robot climbs or descends a slope, the friction between the traveling wheels and the track can be increased through the pressing wheels, the driving force output of the robot can be improved, and the climbing or descending performance of the inspection robot can be enhanced. When the robot travels on the horizontal section of the track, the pressing wheels are away from the track, reducing the normal pressure of the traveling wheels on the track wing plates, reducing the frictional resistance and energy consumption of the robot's travel, and helping to increase the robot's endurance mileage.

[0005] The above solution may still have insufficient climbing performance when faced with a track with a large slope. For example, it is necessary to adjust the position of the pressing wheels in real time, and the response speed of the system to slope changes may not be fast enough, which may cause the pressing wheels to not be adjusted in place in time, affecting the climbing performance.

[0006] Any discussion of the background art in the entire specification does not represent that this background art must be the prior art known to those skilled in the art; any discussion of the prior art in the entire specification does not represent that it is considered that this prior art must be widely known. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a belt gallery inspection robot to provide a track robot with stronger climbing ability.

[0008] The inspection robot for the belt corridor in this solution includes a main body. There are paired roller columns on the top of the main body. Rollers are connected to the sides of the roller columns through rotating shafts. On the left and right of the top of the main body, there are paired vertical drive shafts which are rotatably connected to the main body. At the top of the drive shafts, there are horizontal drive wheels. A motor and a battery connected to supply power to it are arranged inside the main body, and the motor drives the horizontal drive wheels to rotate through the drive shafts.

[0009] This robot is applicable to I-shaped tracks. The paired horizontal drive wheels are located on both sides of the track, and the rollers contact the upper surface of the lower flange plate of the track. Its beneficial effects are as follows: 1. Strong climbing ability Design of double drive shafts and horizontal drive wheels: On the left and right of the top of the robot, there are paired vertical drive shafts. At the top of each drive shaft, there is a horizontal drive wheel. The outer periphery of the drive wheel can be made of elastic rubber material to ensure a strong grip on the track. This design enables the robot to apply driving forces simultaneously through the horizontal drive wheels on both sides, ensuring good grip and stability during the climbing process. Compared with the single-side drive or central drive design, the double-side drive can distribute the driving force more evenly and reduce the possibility of slipping.

[0010] Optimized power transmission: The motor directly drives the horizontal drive wheels to rotate through the drive shafts, reducing energy loss and improving transmission efficiency. Moreover, there is more space in the main body to install motors with larger volume and power, achieving stronger torque output, thereby enhancing the climbing performance.

[0011] 2. Enhanced stability and safety Function of the roller columns and rollers: Paired roller columns are also installed on the top of the robot. Rollers are connected to the sides of the roller columns through rotating shafts, and the rollers contact the upper surface of the lower flange plate of the track. This structure not only provides additional support points, increasing the overall stability of the robot, but also effectively prevents the robot from tipping over or slipping on steep slopes.

[0012] 3. Adapt to complex terrains Multi-point support design: The horizontal drive wheels and rollers work together to form a multi-point support structure. This design enables the robot to still operate smoothly when facing irregular terrains or suddenly changing slopes.

[0013] Furthermore, the movable pan-tilt is installed below the main body through a universal joint and a telescopic rod. The movable pan-tilt can rotate 360° in the horizontal direction and rotate within the range of ±90° in the vertical direction, and can drive the devices installed on it to perform multi-angle scanning.

[0014] Further, a radar obstacle avoidance device is installed on the movable turntable. The radar obstacle avoidance device includes a lidar or a millimeter-wave radar, which is used to detect obstacles around the robot in real time and realize the autonomous obstacle avoidance function.

[0015] Further, a dual-lens camera is provided on the movable turntable. It is used to synchronously collect on-site image information and realize the function of temperature anomaly recognition.

[0016] Further, the environmental sensor module is installed directly in front of the main body. It can be integrated with devices such as a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a dust concentration sensor, and a gas sensor, etc., which are used to monitor the environmental parameters in the belt corridor in real time.

[0017] Further, the status indicator light is set in front of the main body. It can be used to display the current operating state of the robot. When abnormal situations such as communication interruption, insufficient power, or task failure occur, the status indicator light switches to a red warning signal.

[0018] Further, a pick-up microphone is installed at the lower part of the main body. It can be used to collect sound signals on the inspection path and identify abnormal sounds or violations through audio analysis algorithms to realize the voice warning function.

[0019] Further, a wireless communicator is built into the main body. It adopts a WIFI communication module, and the built-in antenna is set on the side of the main body. It can support stable connections in a wireless network full-coverage environment and is used to upload inspection data to the monitoring center server in real time.

[0020] Further, the main body is provided with an LED auxiliary lighting lamp. It is used to provide supplementary lighting when the light is insufficient or during night inspections to ensure that the camera can clearly obtain on-site image information. Description of the Drawings

[0021] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a front view schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a right view schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 It is a top view schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Embodiments

[0025] The present invention will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments: The figure marks in the drawings of the specification include: main body 1, track 2, drive shaft 31, horizontal drive wheel 32, roller column 41, rotating shaft 42, roller 43, universal head 51, telescopic rod 52, radar obstacle avoidance device 53, dual-lens camera 54, environmental sensor 6, status indicator light 7, antenna 8, and microphone 9.

[0026] The embodiment is basically as shown in the attached Figure 1 , 2 , 3 and 4: Aluminum alloy tracks are made of high-strength aluminum alloy profiles (such as 6063 aluminum alloy) with an I-shaped cross-section. The tracks can adapt to different curvatures and slopes.

[0027] The robot body runs under the track. A drive shaft is provided on each side of the track at the top of the robot. A horizontal drive wheel is installed on the top of the drive shaft. The motor installed in the robot drives the horizontal drive wheel to rotate through the drive shaft, and the horizontal drive wheel moves on both sides of the track.

[0028] More specifically, the drive shaft is made of high-strength stainless steel (such as 304 stainless steel) to ensure its corrosion resistance and strength in complex environments. The drive shaft is connected to the robot body through precision ball bearings (such as 6205 deep groove ball bearings) to reduce friction and improve rotation efficiency. The bearings are installed in a special bearing seat, which is fixed to the top frame of the robot to ensure that the drive shaft can operate stably under high load conditions. The horizontal drive wheel is made of wear-resistant rubber material with anti-slip texture on the surface to enhance grip. The drive wheel can effectively adapt to different friction conditions on both sides of the track. The robot is equipped with a brushless DC motor (BLDC) with a rated voltage of 36V and a maximum power of 400W. The motor has high efficiency and low maintenance requirements, and achieves precise speed control through a Hall effect encoder. The motor can be directly connected to the drive shaft, or the power can be transmitted to the drive shaft through a synchronous belt or gear transmission.

[0029] Four roller columns are also installed on the top of the robot. The sides of the roller columns are connected to rollers through rotating shafts. The rollers contact the upper surface of the lower flange plate of the track to form auxiliary support and guide functions, further improving the stability and anti-overturning ability of the robot during operation.

[0030] More specifically, the roller column housing is made of high-strength aluminum alloy, which is lightweight and high-strength. The roller column is fixed to the top frame of the robot by bolts to ensure its stability. The side of each roller column is connected to a roller through a rotating shaft (such as a 608ZZ deep groove ball bearing). The roller is made of polyurethane and has good wear resistance and pressure resistance. The height of the roller column can be fine-tuned by adjusting the screw to ensure that the contact pressure between the roller and the track is moderate to avoid wear or slippage caused by over-tightening or over-loosening.

[0031] The movable pan-tilt is installed under the robot through a gimbal head and a telescopic rod, and can move freely within the designed range. A radar obstacle avoidance device and a dual-lens camera are also installed on the movable pan-tilt. The radar obstacle avoidance device can prevent the robot from colliding with abnormal obstacles, and the dual-lens camera can be used to collect on-site image information.

[0032] An environmental sensor module is installed at a corner in the front of the robot, which can realize functions such as environmental data collection. The types of sensors that can be integrated include: temperature, humidity, dust concentration, gas sensors, etc., for real-time monitoring of the environmental conditions. A status indicator light is configured in the front of the robot, which is used to display the current working status. If the status is abnormal, a red light can be used for prompting, facilitating the operation and maintenance personnel to timely understand the running status of the robot. A pick-up is installed on the robot, which is used to capture on-site sound information, helping to identify potential safety hazards or abnormal behaviors. When detecting that a person is smoking or other unsafe behaviors, an alarm can be triggered. The robot adopts WIFI communication technology, supports full wireless network coverage, ensures that the robot and its supporting subsystems can communicate without obstacles at any position, and the antenna is installed on the side of the robot. The collected data is transmitted back to the monitoring center server in real time to realize remote monitoring and control of the robot and the system. An LED lighting fixture is also configured on the robot as an auxiliary lighting means.

[0033] The above are only the embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, without departing from the solution of the present invention, several deformations and improvements can be made: A motor is provided inside the roller column to drive the roller to rotate, and the whole forms a dynamic four-wheel drive system. The motor can be independently controlled by a controller. When going uphill, more power is distributed to the rear wheels to improve the climbing performance.

[0034] The attitude of the telescopic arm is controlled by the controller, and the center of gravity position is adjusted according to the terrain change. The terrain change can be preset by a program, can also be controlled by the staff, and can also be sensed and automatically adjusted by setting a gyroscope. When going uphill, the robotic arm can be extended forward to make the center of gravity of the whole robot move forward, avoiding the front wheels from slipping; on the contrary, the robotic arm can be extended backward or lowered to re-distribute the weight and avoid the rear wheels from slipping, ensuring that all wheels can maintain good grip.

[0035] The drive shaft is connected to the body in a manner that allows it to swing towards the track. For example, the drive shaft uses an elastic polymer material. Another example is that the drive shaft and the motor as a whole are hinged to the robot body, which enables the horizontal drive wheel to move closer to the track and can be pressed more tightly against the track under an external force to increase friction. The outer circumference of the horizontal drive wheel is wrapped with a rubber ring, and a plurality of magnets are arranged in a circumferential array inside the rubber ring. The magnets on two opposite horizontal drive wheels have opposite polarities to generate a suction force, which can make these two opposite horizontal drive wheels press more tightly against the track surface. The magnets can be electromagnets, and wires, brushes, etc. can be selectively used to connect to the internal power supply of the body. The magnitude of the magnetic force can be adjusted according to different needs through the connected controller. For example, the magnetic force can be increased when going uphill to improve friction.

[0036] These should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention, and none of them will affect the implementation effect of the present invention and the practicality of the patent. The protection scope claimed in this application shall be determined by the content of its claims, and the specific implementation manners described in the specification can be used to interpret the content of the claims.

Claims

1. Belt corridor inspection robot, including a body, with a pair of roller columns arranged on the top of the body, and rollers are connected to the side of the roller columns through rotating shafts, characterized in that: Vertically arranged drive shafts are provided in pairs on the left and right at the top of the body. The drive shafts are rotatably connected to the body. A horizontal drive wheel is provided at the top of the drive shaft. A motor and a battery connected to it for power supply are provided inside the body. The motor drives the horizontal drive wheel to rotate through the drive shaft.

2. The belt corridor inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable pan-tilt is installed below the body through a gimbal and a telescopic rod.

3. The belt corridor inspection robot according to claim 2, wherein: A radar obstacle avoidance device is installed on the movable pan-tilt.

4. The belt gallery inspection robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: A dual-lens camera is provided on the movable pan-tilt.

5. The belt corridor inspection robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The environmental sensor module is installed directly in front of the body.

6. The belt corridor inspection robot according to claim 5, wherein: The status indicator light is set in front of the body.

7. The belt gallery inspection robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The pickup is installed at the lower part of the body.

8. The belt gallery inspection robot according to claim 7, wherein: A wireless communicator is built into the body. It uses a WIFI communication module, and the built-in antenna is set on the side of the body.

9. The belt gallery inspection robot according to claim 8, wherein: The body is provided with an LED auxiliary lighting lamp.

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