Pneumatic joint type rigidity-variable bionic soft dexterous finger

Abstract

The invention discloses a pneumatic joint type variable-rigidity bionic soft dexterous finger which comprises a finger cavity, a pneumatic joint type variable-rigidity bionic soft dexterous finger body, a pneumatic joint type variable-rigidity bionic soft dexterous finger body and a pneumatic joint type variable-rigidity bionic soft dexterous finger body. The finger skeleton comprises four finger skeleton parts and three groups of finger joint components; wherein the finger bone parts specifically comprise a distal phalanx part, a middle phalanx part, a proximal phalanx part and a metacarpal bone part; the finger joint assembly specifically comprises a front finger joint assembly, a middle finger joint assembly and a rear finger joint assembly. Through mutual cooperation of the finger cavities and the finger bones, the pneumatic soft dexterous finger is simple in structure, quick in response, adjustable in rigidity and high in control precision during use, and the problems that an existing pneumatic soft finger is insufficient in sensitivity, low in finger loading capacity and high in control precision are solved. The finger stiffness is uncontrollable; and a variable stiffness mechanism is too complex and poor in stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of end effector design and control in soft robot technology, and specifically to a pneumatic joint type variable stiffness bionic soft dexterous finger. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the continuous development of robot technology, flexible drive devices, especially soft robots, have shown broad application prospects in the fields of medical rehabilitation, service robots, industrial automation, etc. Compared with traditional rigid mechanical structures, soft robots have the advantages of light weight, high flexibility, strong adaptability, and good human-computer interaction ability, and are especially suitable for scenarios of grasping complex, irregular or fragile objects. Among them, as the end effector of the robot, the soft dexterous finger has become one of the key research directions due to its good bionic structure and operation flexibility.

[0003] Currently, most soft dexterous fingers adopt silicone or elastomer materials and achieve bending or stretching actions through pneumatic drive. Although this type of structure has good flexible operation ability, it generally has problems such as fixed stiffness, limited load capacity, and low grasping accuracy, and it is difficult to meet the operation requirements of "flexible with rigidity" and "combination of soft and hard" in complex environments. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic joint type variable stiffness bionic soft dexterous finger, which, through the mutual cooperation of the finger cavity and the finger bone, achieves a pneumatic soft dexterous finger with simple structure, fast response, adjustable stiffness, and high control accuracy during use, and solves the problems of insufficient sensitivity, low finger load capacity, uncontrollable finger stiffness, and poor stability due to overly complex variable stiffness mechanisms in existing pneumatic soft fingers.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, the following technical solution is provided: A pneumatic joint type variable stiffness bionic soft dexterous finger, comprising:

[0006] A finger cavity, the finger cavity including a finger cavity ventilation duct provided therein;

[0007] A finger bone, the finger bone including four finger bone parts and three groups of finger joint components;

[0008] Among them, the finger bone parts specifically include: a distal phalanx part, a middle phalanx part, a proximal phalanx part, and a metacarpal part;

[0009] The finger joint components specifically include: a front finger joint component, a middle finger joint component, and a rear finger joint component.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the pneumatic joint - type variable - stiffness bionic soft and dexterous finger of the present invention, the interior of the finger cavity is hollow, and the finger cavity is connected to an external air source through a finger - cavity ventilation duct.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the pneumatic joint - type variable - stiffness bionic soft and dexterous finger of the present invention, the distal phalanx part has a unilateral lug, and the inner side of the lug has an inner locking structure of the distal phalanx part and is provided with an inner through - hole of the distal phalanx part.

[0012] Among them, an array of square holes of the distal phalanx part is arranged in the finger - belly direction of the distal phalanx part.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the pneumatic joint - type variable - stiffness bionic soft and dexterous finger of the present invention, the middle phalanx part includes a ventilation duct groove, a regular - hexagon slideway, an array of square holes of the middle phalanx part, and a pair of inner bevel gears on the inner side of the middle phalanx part.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the pneumatic joint - type variable - stiffness bionic soft and dexterous finger of the present invention, the middle phalanx part has bilateral lugs, the regular - hexagon slideway is located on the inner wall of one of the lugs, and the array of square holes of the middle phalanx part is arranged in the finger - belly direction of the middle phalanx part.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the pneumatic joint - type variable - stiffness bionic soft and dexterous finger of the present invention, the front finger joint assembly specifically consists of an outer locking structure, a joint expansion cavity, a joint - expansion - cavity ventilation duct, and a high - strength fishing line.

[0016] The outer locking structure is provided with a regular - hexagon slider at the bottom of the locking structure, and a hole that fits with the joint expansion cavity is opened on the inner side of the regular - hexagon slider.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment of the pneumatic joint - type variable - stiffness bionic soft and dexterous finger of the present invention, the middle finger joint assembly and the rear finger joint assembly have the same composition structure as the front finger joint assembly.

[0018] As a preferred embodiment of the pneumatic joint - type variable - stiffness bionic soft and dexterous finger of the present invention, the metacarpal part has a unilateral lug, the inner wall of the lug has a regular - hexagon slideway with the same structure, the outer wall of the lug is grooved, and an array of square holes of the metacarpal part is provided at a position 3 mm close to the lug end of the metacarpal part.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0020] (1) Compared with traditional ordinary pneumatic soft fingers, the pneumatic joint type variable stiffness bionic soft dexterous fingers greatly improve the load capacity of the fingers while ensuring good flexible operation ability and safety, thus greatly enhancing the grasping ability of the soft hand;

[0021] (2) Compared with other pneumatic soft fingers with variable stiffness, the pneumatic joint type variable stiffness bionic soft dexterous fingers are more bionic in structure and more in line with the functional requirements of being soft on the outside and rigid on the inside;

[0022] (3) Compared with other pneumatic soft fingers with variable stiffness, the pneumatic joint type variable stiffness bionic soft dexterous fingers are simpler in structure, and all use gas drive. The drive form is simpler, the control is easier, the stability is stronger, and it is easier to manufacture;

[0023] (4) Compared with other pneumatic soft fingers with fixed stiffness, as the air pressure in the air chambers of the joint components of the pneumatic joint type variable stiffness bionic soft dexterous fingers changes, its locking force also changes, resulting in a larger range of stiffness adjustment and a greater variety of objects that can be grasped. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings and detailed embodiments. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts. Among them:

[0025] Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of the pneumatic joint type variable stiffness bionic soft dexterous finger for one embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the middle finger joint component for one embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 is the working principle diagram of the variable stiffness locking of the middle finger joint component for one embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the distal phalanx part for one embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the middle phalanx part and the proximal phalanx part for one embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of the metacarpal part for one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] In the figure: 10, finger cavity; 20, distal phalanx part; 21, inner locking structure of distal phalanx part; 22, inner through hole of distal phalanx part; 23, array square hole of distal phalanx part; 30, middle phalanx part; 40, proximal phalanx part; 31, ventilation duct groove; 32, regular hexagon slideway; 33, array square hole of middle phalanx part; 34, pair of inner bevel gears on the inner side of middle phalanx part; 50, metacarpal part; 51, array square hole of metacarpal part; 60, finger cavity ventilation duct; 70, front finger joint assembly; 71, outer locking structure; 72, joint expansion cavity; 73, joint expansion cavity ventilation duct; 74, high-strength fishing line; 80, middle finger joint assembly; 90, rear finger joint assembly. Detailed implementation manner

[0032] To make the above objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the following will describe the detailed implementation manner of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0033] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to fully understand the present invention. However, the present invention can also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the specific implementation manners disclosed below.

[0034] Secondly, the present invention will be described in detail in conjunction with the schematic diagrams. When describing the embodiments of the present invention in detail, for the convenience of explanation, the cross-sectional views showing the device structure will be enlarged locally not in accordance with the general ratio, and the schematic diagrams are only examples and should not limit the scope of protection of the present invention here. In addition, in actual production, three-dimensional spatial dimensions including length, width, and depth should be included.

[0035] To make the purpose, technical solution, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the following will further describe the embodiments of the present invention in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0036] The present invention provides a pneumatic joint type variable stiffness bionic soft and dexterous finger, which through the mutual cooperation of the set finger cavity and finger bones, achieves a pneumatic soft and dexterous finger with a simple structure, fast response, adjustable stiffness, and high control accuracy during use, and solves the problems of insufficient sensitivity, low finger load capacity, uncontrollable finger stiffness, and overly complex variable stiffness mechanism with poor stability in existing pneumatic soft fingers.

[0037] Figures 1-6 Shown is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of a pneumatic joint type variable stiffness bionic soft and dexterous finger of the present invention. Please refer to Figures 1-6 , the main structure of this embodiment includes: finger cavity 10 and finger bones.

[0038] Finger cavity 10, the finger cavity 10 includes a provided finger cavity ventilation duct 60;

[0039] Finger bones, the finger bones include four finger bone parts and three groups of finger joint components;

[0040] Among them, the finger bone parts specifically include: distal phalanx part 20, middle phalanx part 30, proximal phalanx part 40 and metacarpal part 50;

[0041] The finger joint components specifically include: front finger joint component 70, middle finger joint component 80 and rear finger joint component 90;

[0042] The distal phalanx part 20 has a unilateral lug, the inner side of the lug has an inner locking structure 21 of the distal phalanx part, and an inner through hole 22 of the distal phalanx part is provided;

[0043] Among them, an array of square holes 23 of the distal phalanx part is provided in the finger pulp direction of the distal phalanx part 20;

[0044] The middle phalanx part 30 includes a provided ventilation duct groove 31, a regular hexagon slideway 32, an array of square holes 33 of the middle phalanx part and a pair of inner bevel gears 34 on the inner side of the middle phalanx part;

[0045] The middle phalanx part 30 has bilateral lugs, the regular hexagon slideway 32 is located on the inner wall of one of the lugs, and the array of square holes 33 of the middle phalanx part is located in the finger pulp direction of the middle phalanx part 30;

[0046] The front finger joint component 70 is specifically composed of an outer locking structure 71, a joint expansion cavity 72, a joint expansion cavity ventilation duct 73 and a high-strength fishing line 74;

[0047] The outer locking structure 71 is provided with a regular hexagon slider at the bottom of the locking structure, and a hole that fits with the joint expansion cavity 72 is opened on the inner side of the regular hexagon slider;

[0048] The metacarpal part 50 has a unilateral lug, the inner wall of the lug has a regular hexagon slideway 32 with the same structure, the outer wall of the lug is grooved, and an array of square holes 51 of the metacarpal part is provided at a position 3 mm close to the lug end of the metacarpal part 50;

[0049] In specific use, the distal phalanx part 20, the middle phalanx part 30, the proximal phalanx part 40 and the metacarpal part 50, the front finger joint assembly 70, the middle finger joint assembly 80 and the rear finger joint assembly 90 are sealed inside the finger cavity 10. The distal phalanx part 20 is coupled with the finger cavity 10 through the array square holes 23 of the distal phalanx part. The middle phalanx part 30 is coupled with the finger cavity 10 through the array square holes 33 of the middle phalanx part. The air source 1 is conducted with the finger cavity 10 through the finger cavity ventilation duct 60. The air source 2 is conducted with the front finger joint assembly 70, the middle finger joint assembly 80 and the rear finger joint assembly 90. When the air source 1 is started, the finger cavity 10 expands and bends. Since the expansion of the silicone at the bottom of the finger cavity 10 is blocked by the array square holes of the distal phalanx part 20, the middle phalanx part 30, the proximal phalanx part 40 and the metacarpal part 50, the bending direction is the finger pulp direction. When the finger cavity 10 bends to a certain extent, the air source 2 is started to ventilate and pressurize the front finger joint assembly 70, the middle finger joint assembly 80 and the rear finger joint assembly 90. Due to the axial expansion of the joint expansion cavity 72, the locking structures at both ends of the joint expansion cavity 72 are respectively pushed forward to the left and right until they are meshed and locked with the side of the distal phalanx part 20, the middle phalanx part 30, the proximal phalanx part 40 that has a relatively ear-shaped locking structure and is provided with a cylindrical through hole. The greater the air pressure applied to the joint expansion cavity 72, the better the locking effect and the greater the finger load capacity. That is, the effect of adjustable stiffness is achieved. In addition, a high-strength fishing line 74 is wound around the outer surface of the joint expansion cavity 72 to improve the compressive capacity of the joint expansion cavity 72, thereby enhancing the finger load capacity.

[0050] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, various improvements can be made to it and components therein can be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present invention. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various features in the disclosed embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other in any way. The exhaustive description of these combinations is not given in this specification only for the sake of saving space and resources. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A pneumatic joint-type variable stiffness bionic soft and dexterous finger, characterized in that, Comprising: A finger cavity (10), the finger cavity (10) including a provided finger cavity ventilation duct (60); Finger bones, the finger bones including four finger bone parts and three groups of finger joint components; Among them, the finger bone parts specifically include: a distal phalanx part (20), a middle phalanx part (30), a proximal phalanx part (40), and a metacarpal part (50); The finger joint components specifically include: a front finger joint component (70), a middle finger joint component (80), and a rear finger joint component (90).

2. The pneumatic joint-type variable stiffness bionic soft dexterous finger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The interior of the finger cavity (10) is hollow, and the finger cavity (10) is connected to an external air source through the finger cavity ventilation duct (60).

3. The pneumatic joint-type variable stiffness bionic soft dexterous finger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distal phalanx part (20) has a unilateral lug, the inner side of the lug has an inner locking structure (21) of the distal phalanx part, and an inner through hole (22) of the distal phalanx part is provided; Among them, an array of square holes (23) of the distal phalanx part is provided in the finger pulp direction of the distal phalanx part (20).

4. The pneumatic joint type variable stiffness bionic soft dexterous finger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The middle phalanx part (30) includes a provided ventilation duct groove (31), a regular hexagon slideway (32), an array of square holes (33) of the middle phalanx part, and a pair of inner bevel gears (34) on the inner side of the middle phalanx part; 5. The pneumatic joint-type variable stiffness bionic soft and dexterous finger according to claim 4, wherein The middle phalanx part (30) has bilateral lugs, the regular hexagon slideway (32) is located on the inner wall of one of the lugs, and the array of square holes (33) of the middle phalanx part is located in the finger pulp direction of the middle phalanx part (30).

6. The pneumatic joint-type variable stiffness bionic soft dexterous finger according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front finger joint component (70) is specifically composed of an outer locking structure (71), a joint expansion cavity (72), a joint expansion cavity ventilation duct (73), and a high-strength fishing line (74); The outer locking structure (71) has a regular hexagon slider at the bottom of the locking structure, and a hole that fits with the joint expansion cavity (72) is provided inside the regular hexagon slider.

7. The pneumatic joint type variable stiffness bionic soft dexterous finger according to claim 1, characterized in that: The middle finger joint component (80) and the rear finger joint component (90) have the same composition structure as the front finger joint component (70).

8. The pneumatic joint-type variable stiffness bionic soft and dexterous finger according to claim 4, characterized in that: The metacarpal part (50) has a unilateral lug, the inner wall of the lug has a regular hexagon slideway (32) with the same structure, the outer wall of the lug is grooved, and an array of square holes (51) of the metacarpal part is provided at a position 3 mm close to the lug end of the metacarpal part (50).

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