Deep sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid driving

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of deep sea control equipment, and provides a deep sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid driving. The device comprises a driving device and a manipulator device, the manipulator device comprises an adaptation mechanism and a tightening mechanism, the adaptation mechanism comprises a first elastic body, the first elastic body is in a vortex shape, the inner ring of the first elastic body makes contact with a sample, the tightening mechanism surrounds the outer side of the adaptation mechanism, the tightening mechanism is provided with a flexible body, and the flexible body is connected with the driving device. And the flexible body presses the adapting mechanism under the action of the driving device. A winding type adaptation mechanism is adopted to grab the slender sample, and the adaptation mechanism expands or shrinks layer by layer along a vortex shape to automatically adapt to the slender sample and the irregular contour of the surface of the sample; aiming at the extreme characteristics of the deep sea environment, a gas-liquid hybrid driving adaptation mechanism and a tightening mechanism are adopted, stable gripping force is provided through hydraulic pressure, and the defects that gas driving is prone to being influenced by deep sea high pressure, and gripping force is not stably provided are overcome.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of deep-sea manipulation equipment, and provides a deep-sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid mixed drive. Background Art

[0002] With the surge in global demand for marine resource development and deep-sea scientific research, such as the exploration of minerals like polymetallic nodules and hydrothermal sulfides, as well as the study of deep-sea biodiversity, deep-sea sampling technology has become a core research area in marine engineering. Deep-sea environments, with depths exceeding 4,000 meters, are subject to extreme conditions such as ultrahigh pressures exceeding 40 MPa, temperatures as low as 2°C, high salinity corrosion, and low visibility. These extreme conditions place stringent demands on the adaptability, reliability, and sample protection capabilities of sampling equipment. Prior art CN116652999B provides an underwater soft manipulator, comprising a mounting seat, a clamp, a first drive device and a pull rope; a plurality of clamps are distributed along a ring, and the clamps are provided with a support frame and a rigid body part and a soft body part connected to each other, and the rigid body part is connected to the mounting seat; the support frame is provided with a first support part and a second support part, the first end of the first support part is rotatably connected to the soft body part, the second end of the first support part is rotatably connected to the soft body part and the first end of the second support part is rotatably connected to the rigid body part; the first drive device is connected to the mounting seat and is connected to the soft body part through a pull rope, and the first drive device can drive the soft body part to bend inward through the pull rope. This underwater soft manipulator is mainly used to improve the success rate of grasping tasks and the damage-free rate of grasped objects, but it cannot adapt to long strip samples such as longer columnar core samples. The inventor believes that there is a lot of room for improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to grasp slender samples using a coiled adaptable mechanism that expands and contracts layer by layer along a spiral pattern, automatically adapting to the irregular contours of the sample's surface. Furthermore, to address the extreme characteristics of the deep-sea environment, a gas-liquid hybrid drive system is used to drive the adaptable and tightening mechanisms, with hydraulic pressure providing stable gripping force. This overcomes the drawbacks of gas-driven systems, which are susceptible to high pressure in the deep sea and provide unstable gripping force. The use of gas-driven hydraulic drive shortens operational response time and increases the success rate of grasping tasks.

[0004] A deep-sea soft-body sampling manipulator device based on a gas-liquid hybrid drive includes a drive device and a manipulator device. The manipulator device includes an adapting mechanism and a tightening mechanism. The adapting mechanism includes a first elastic body, which is vortex-shaped. The inner ring of the first elastic body contacts the sample. The outer side of the adapting mechanism is surrounded by a tightening mechanism. The tightening mechanism is provided with a flexible body, which is connected to the drive device and compresses the adapting mechanism under the action of the drive device. Using the adapting mechanism and the tightening mechanism, the first elastic body expands or contracts layer by layer, automatically adapting to the irregular contour of the sample. The adapting mechanism laterally wraps around the sample to be grasped. Compared with traditional grippers, it is basically not limited by the length of the sample, increases the contact area with the sample, effectively reduces stress concentration when grasping the sample, and achieves non-destructive grasping of fragile samples.

[0005] Preferably, the contact surface between the first elastic body and the sample is an inclined surface, with the upper portion of the inclined surface of the adapting mechanism proximal to the tightening mechanism and the lower portion proximal to the sample. The contact surface between the first elastic body and the sample is designed to have an upper portion proximal to the tightening mechanism and a lower portion proximal to the sample, creating a self-tightening mechanical property that improves the reliability of the grasping task: when the tightening mechanism compresses the first elastic body, the lower portion of the inclined surface first contacts the sample and converts the lateral pressure into an upward force component, allowing the lower portion of the first elastic body to more closely adhere to the bottom of the sample, preventing the sample from sliding due to gravity or water impact. This is particularly suitable for samples with irregular bottoms, such as sedimentary rocks. Furthermore, the presence of an upward force component enables the removal of some samples loosely bound to attached objects in the deep sea.

[0006] Preferably, the contact surface of the first elastic body with the sample is provided with a first protrusion, which is made of a hard material and extends in a direction that forms an angle with the extension direction of the adapting mechanism. When the hard first protrusion contacts the sample surface, the micro-convex structure increases friction, preventing the sample from slipping. Furthermore, when the robotic arm is moving downward to remove a sample grasped by the sample, the first protrusion can simply scrape away debris from the sample surface, providing preliminary cleaning of the sample surface.

[0007] Preferably, the first elastomer is provided with a second protrusion located between the inner and outer rings of the first elastomer. The second protrusion is made of a material having a greater stiffness than that of the first elastomer. The relatively high stiffness of the second protrusion between the inner and outer rings limits radial expansion of the elastomer, ensuring inward expansion and movement of the first elastomer, maintaining constant contact between the inner ring and the sample, and preventing plastic deformation of the elastomer due to prolonged pressure.

[0008] Preferably, the manipulator device includes a first baffle and a second baffle, the first baffle being located at the bottom of the first elastic body and the second baffle being located at the top of the first elastic body. A through hole is provided in the middle of the first baffle and the second baffle, which cooperates with the inner ring of the first elastic body. The first baffle at the bottom and the second baffle at the top limit the axial displacement of the elastic body, forcing it to deform radially along the axis, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the grasping action. Furthermore, the edges of the through hole are chamfered, allowing the through hole to pass through while cooperating with the inner ring of the first elastic body while reducing the possibility of the through hole scratching the sample.

[0009] Preferably, the first baffle is provided with a vortex-shaped guide rail that cooperates with the first elastic body, and the guide rail is located outside the first elastic body. The outer guide rail matches the vortex structure of the first elastic body, guiding the first elastic body to expand or contract and expand inward along a predetermined path, avoiding local distortion and ensuring the accuracy of the grasping action.

[0010] Preferably, the manipulator device further includes a third baffle in an annular shape, connecting the first and second baffles, with the flexible body of the tightening mechanism closely positioned within the third baffle. The annular third baffle connects the upper and lower baffles, providing a rigid support surface for the flexible body of the tightening mechanism. When the flexible body is hydraulically driven to expand, the third baffle disperses the concentrated force into a uniform annular pressure, preventing localized concavity of the flexible body. The flexible body radially compresses the first elastic body, ensuring uniform force across all parts of the first elastic body, thereby achieving symmetrical wrapping of the sample.

[0011] Preferably, the driving device includes a hydraulic driving device, which connects the flexible body of the tightening mechanism and the first elastic body. The flexible body of the tightening mechanism and the first elastic body are deformed under the action of the hydraulic driving device. The hydraulic system transmits pressure through the incompressible hydraulic oil to achieve precise compression of the first elastic body by the flexible body, ensuring stable gripping force and adapting to reliable operation in the high-pressure environment of the deep sea. Preferably, the drive device includes a pneumatic drive device connected to a hydraulic drive device, which drives the hydraulic drive device. The pneumatic drive drives the hydraulic system, utilizing the compressibility of gas to cushion instantaneous shocks and prevent damage to the hydraulic pipeline due to sudden pressure changes caused by deep-sea environments or during the grasping process. Furthermore, the pneumatic drive shortens response time, thereby improving the success rate of grasping tasks.

[0012] Preferably, the manipulator device further includes a connecting arm, a pneumatic drive device is provided on the outer side of the third baffle, the pneumatic drive device is connected to the connecting arm, and a hydraulic drive device is provided on the top of the second baffle.

[0013] The present invention solves the problem of using a winding adaptable mechanism to fit and grasp long strip samples. Secondly, in response to the extreme characteristics of the deep-sea environment, a gas-liquid hybrid is used to drive the adaptable mechanism and tightening mechanism, and hydraulic pressure provides stable gripping force, overcoming the disadvantage of gas drive being easily affected by the high pressure of the deep sea and providing unstable gripping force. The use of gas to drive the hydraulic drive device shortens the operation response time and improves the success rate of the grasping task. It also has the following beneficial effects: forming self-tightening mechanical properties and improving the reliability of the grasping task: it fits more tightly with the bottom of the sample to prevent the sample from sliding due to gravity or water impact; it uses the upward component of force generated by the inclined surface to remove some samples in the deep sea that are loosely attached to the attached objects; and it drives the hydraulic system with air pressure, using the compressibility of the gas to buffer instantaneous impact, preventing the hydraulic pipeline from being damaged by the deep-sea environment or sudden pressure changes during the grasping process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can, without inventive effort, derive other implementation drawings based on the provided drawings.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a deep-sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid drive; Figure 2 A top view of a deep-sea soft sampling manipulator device driven by gas-liquid mixing; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of a deep-sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid drive; Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the manipulator device; Figure 5 is a top view of the manipulator device; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the manipulator device; Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of the first elastic body; Figure 8 is a top view of the first elastic body; Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the first elastic body.

[0016] Legend: 1 adaptation mechanism; 11 first elastic body; 12 first protrusion; 13 second protrusion; 2 hydraulic drive device; 3 connecting arm; 4 pneumatic drive device; 5 second baffle; 6 third baffle; 7 tightening mechanism; 71 flexible body; 8 first baffle; 81 guide rail. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments.

[0018] Example 1 Combine Figure 1 and Figure 2 、 Figure 4 As shown, a deep-sea soft-body sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid drive includes a drive device and a manipulator device. The manipulator device includes an adapting mechanism 1 and a tightening mechanism 7. The adapting mechanism 1 includes a first elastic body 11, which is vortex-shaped and whose inner ring contacts the sample. The tightening mechanism 7 surrounds the outer side of the adapting mechanism 1 and is provided with a flexible body 71. The flexible body 71 is connected to the drive device and, under the action of the drive device, presses the adapting mechanism 1. The manipulator device also includes a first baffle 8 and a second baffle 5. The first baffle 8 is located at the bottom of the first elastic body 11, and the second baffle 5 is located at the top of the first elastic body 11. The first baffle 8 and the second baffle 5 have through holes in their middle portions that engage the inner ring of the first elastic body 11. The drive device includes a hydraulic drive device 2, which connects the flexible body 71 of the tightening mechanism 7 and the first elastic body 11. The flexible body 71 of the tightening mechanism 7 and the first elastic body 11 are deformed under the action of the hydraulic drive device 2. The drive device includes a pneumatic drive device 4, which is connected to the hydraulic drive device 2 and pushes the hydraulic drive device 2. The manipulator device also includes a connecting arm 3, with the pneumatic drive device 4 provided on the outside of the third baffle 6 and connected to the connecting arm 3. The hydraulic drive device 2 is provided on the top of the second baffle 5.

[0019] The hydraulic system transmits pressure through the difficult-to-compress hydraulic oil, avoiding the loss of control of the grasping force due to changes in seawater pressure, and realizing the precise compression of the flexible body 71 on the first elastic body 11, ensuring the stability of the grasping force and adapting to the reliable operation in the high-pressure environment of the deep sea. The air pressure drives the hydraulic system, and uses the compressibility of the gas to buffer the instantaneous impact, avoiding the damage of the hydraulic pipeline due to the deep-sea environment or the sudden change of pressure due to falling off during the grasping process. At the same time, the rapid expansion characteristics of the gas are used to shorten the response time of the hydraulic system, which is beneficial to improve the success rate of the grasping task. It is suitable for fast-moving target samples such as deep-sea fish.

[0020] like Figure 3As shown, the first baffle 8 at the bottom and the second baffle 5 at the top limit the axial displacement of the elastomer, forcing it to deform in the radial direction of the axis to ensure the accuracy of the grasping action. Furthermore, the edge of the through hole is chamfered, allowing the sample to pass through and cooperate with the inner ring of the first elastomer 11 while reducing the scratches on the sample caused by the through hole, avoiding the sample edge cracking caused by hard collisions. It is particularly suitable for brittle samples such as deep-sea glassy volcanic rocks. Using the adaptation mechanism 1 and the tightening mechanism 7, the first elastomer 11 expands or contracts layer by layer, automatically adapting to the irregular contours of the sample. The adaptation mechanism 1 wraps around the sample to be grasped laterally, increasing the contact area with the sample compared to traditional grippers, effectively reducing stress concentration when grasping the sample, and achieving non-destructive grasping of fragile samples.

[0021] Combine Figure 3 and Figures 6 to 9 As shown, the contact surface between the first elastic body 11 and the sample is an inclined surface. The upper portion of the inclined surface of the adaptation mechanism 1 is close to the tightening mechanism 7, and the lower portion is close to the sample. The contact surface between the first elastic body 11 and the sample is designed to be close to the tightening mechanism 7 at the top and close to the sample at the bottom, forming a self-tightening mechanical property, improving the reliability of the grasping task: when the tightening mechanism 7 compresses the first elastic body 11, the lower portion of the inclined surface first contacts the sample and converts the lateral pressure into an upward component of force, making the lower portion of the first elastic body 11 more closely fit the bottom of the sample, preventing the sample from sliding due to gravity or water impact. This is particularly suitable for samples with irregular bottoms, such as sedimentary rocks. At the same time, the presence of an upward component of force can remove some samples in the deep sea that are loosely attached to the attached objects.

[0022] In addition, when the sample is laterally offset due to the impact of water flow, the flexible body of the tightening mechanism can adaptively adjust the pressure force. Combined with the self-tightening characteristics of the elastomer's inclined surface, the lateral impact force is converted into an upward component along the inclined surface, so that the lower part of the elastomer fits more closely to the bottom of the sample, forming a load compensation and dynamic clamping mechanism to prevent the sample from slipping due to external force disturbance.

[0023] Combine Figure 3 、 Figure 6 and Figure 9 As shown, the contact surface between the first elastic body 11 and the sample is provided with an array of first protrusions 12. These first protrusions 12 are made of a hard material, and their extension direction forms an angle with the extension direction of the adaptive mechanism 1. When the hard first protrusions 12 contact the sample surface, their micro-convex structure increases friction, preventing the sample from sliding. Furthermore, when the robotic arm removes the sample grasped by the robotic arm in a relatively downward motion, the first protrusions 12 can simply scrape away any attachments on the sample surface, providing a preliminary cleaning of the sample surface. During the grasping process, the sample surface is scraped diagonally along the sample surface, effectively removing loose materials such as mud and algae attached to the sample surface while avoiding scratches on the sample surface caused by vertical scraping.

[0024] like Figure 5 and Figure 8 As shown, first elastic body 11 is provided with a second protrusion 13, located between the inner and outer rings of first elastic body 11. The material of second protrusion 13 has a greater stiffness than that of the material of first elastic body 11. The relatively high stiffness of second protrusion 13 between the inner and outer rings limits the radial expansion direction of the elastic body, ensuring inward expansion and movement of first elastic body 11. The inner ring of first elastic body 11 always fits the sample, while also preventing the elastic body from plastic deformation due to long-term pressure.

[0025] like Figure 3 As shown, the first baffle 8 is equipped with a spiral guide rail 81 that cooperates with the first elastic body 11. The guide rail 81 is located on the outside of the first elastic body 11. The outer guide rail 81 matches the spiral structure of the first elastic body 11, guiding the first elastic body 11 to expand or contract and expand inward along a predetermined path, avoiding local distortion and ensuring the precision of the grasping action. Not only does it guide the deformation of the first elastic body 11 along the predetermined path, but the limiting effect of the guide rail also ensures that all positions of the first elastic body 11 move synchronously, achieving symmetrical wrapping and uniform force application for large samples, avoiding sample fragmentation due to localized uneven force.

[0026] The manipulator device also includes a third baffle 6, which is annular and connects the first baffle 8 and the second baffle 5. The flexible body 71 of the tightening mechanism 7 is closely attached to the interior of the third baffle 6. The annular third baffle 6 connects the upper and lower baffles, providing a rigid support surface for the flexible body 71 of the tightening mechanism 7. When the flexible body 71 is hydraulically driven to expand, the third baffle 6 disperses the concentrated force into a uniform annular pressure, preventing localized concavity of the flexible body 71. The flexible body 71 radially compresses the first elastic body 11, ensuring that all parts of the first elastic body 11 are subjected to uniform force, thereby achieving symmetrical wrapping of the sample.

[0027] Example 2 Different from the first embodiment, in this embodiment, the first protrusion 12 of the first elastic body 11 is a suction nozzle array, and the pneumatic drive device 4 is used to connect the suction nozzle array of the first elastic body 11, which can assist in grasping samples with smooth or loose surfaces; at the same time, the flow change generated when the suction nozzle array is covered can be used as a tactile perception signal, and the sample size is judged by the flow data, so that the pneumatic drive device 4 dynamically adjusts the driving hydraulic drive device 2, that is, dynamically adjusts the grasping force, thereby improving adaptability in complex environments.

[0028] The present invention solves the problem of using a winding adaptable mechanism 1 to fit and grasp long strip samples. Secondly, in response to the extreme characteristics of the deep-sea environment, a gas-liquid hybrid is used to drive the adaptable mechanism 1 and the tightening mechanism 7. The hydraulic pressure provides a stable gripping force, overcoming the disadvantage of gas-driven operation being susceptible to the high pressure of the deep sea and providing unstable gripping force. The use of gas to drive the hydraulic drive device 2 shortens the operation response time and improves the success rate of the grasping task. It also has the following beneficial effects: forming a self-tightening mechanical property and improving the reliability of the grasping task: it fits more tightly with the bottom of the sample, preventing the sample from sliding due to gravity or water impact; the upward component of force generated by the inclined surface can remove some samples in the deep sea that are loosely attached to the attached objects; the pneumatic drive propels the hydraulic system, using the compressibility of the gas to buffer instantaneous impacts, and preventing the hydraulic pipeline from being damaged by the deep-sea environment or sudden pressure changes during the grasping process.

[0029] The above embodiments and / or examples are only used to illustrate the preferred embodiments and / or examples for implementing the technology of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the technology of the present invention in any form. Any person skilled in the art may make slight changes to other equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the technical means disclosed in the content of the present invention, but they should still be regarded as technologies or examples that are essentially the same as the present invention.

Claims

1. A deep-sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid drive, comprising a drive device and a manipulator device, characterized in that: The manipulator device includes an adapting mechanism (1) and a tightening mechanism (7), wherein the adapting mechanism (1) includes a first elastic body (11), the first elastic body (11) is vortex-shaped, and the inner ring of the first elastic body (11) contacts the sample, and the outer side of the adapting mechanism (1) is surrounded by a tightening mechanism (7), and the tightening mechanism (7) is provided with a flexible body (71), and the flexible body (71) is connected to the driving device, and the flexible body (71) presses the adapting mechanism (1) under the action of the driving device.

2. The deep-sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid drive according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The contact surface between the first elastic body (11) and the sample is an inclined surface, the upper portion of the inclined surface of the adaptation mechanism (1) is close to the tightening mechanism (7), and the lower portion of the inclined surface is close to the sample.

3. The deep-sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid drive according to claim 2 is characterized in that: A first protrusion (12) is provided on the contact surface between the first elastic body (11) and the sample. The first protrusion (12) is made of a hard material, and an extension direction of the first protrusion (12) forms an angle with an extension direction of the adaptation mechanism (1).

4. The deep-sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid drive according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The first elastic body (11) is provided with a second protrusion (13), the second protrusion (13) is located between the inner ring and the outer ring of the first elastic body (11), and the stiffness of the material of the second protrusion (13) is greater than the stiffness of the material of the first elastic body (11).

5. The deep-sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid drive according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The manipulator device comprises a first baffle (8) and a second baffle (5), wherein the first baffle (8) is located at the bottom of the first elastic body (11), and the second baffle (5) is located at the top of the first elastic body (11), and a through hole is provided in the middle of the first baffle (8) and the second baffle (5), and the through hole cooperates with the inner ring of the first elastic body (11).

6. The deep-sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid drive according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first baffle (8) is provided with a vortex-shaped guide rail (81) that cooperates with the first elastic body (11), and the guide rail (81) is located outside the first elastic body (11).

7. The deep-sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid drive according to claim 5 is characterized in that: The manipulator device further comprises a third baffle (6), the third baffle (6) being annular, the third baffle (6) connecting the first baffle (8) and the second baffle (5), and the flexible body (71) of the tightening mechanism (7) being in close contact with the interior of the third baffle (6).

8. The deep-sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid drive according to claim 7 is characterized in that: The driving device comprises a hydraulic driving device (2), wherein the hydraulic driving device (2) is connected to the flexible body (71) of the tightening mechanism (7) and the first elastic body (11), and the flexible body (71) of the tightening mechanism (7) and the first elastic body (11) are deformed under the action of the hydraulic driving device (2).

9. The deep-sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid drive according to claim 8, characterized in that: The driving device comprises a pneumatic driving device (4), the pneumatic driving device (4) is connected to the hydraulic driving device (2), and the pneumatic driving device (4) drives the hydraulic driving device (2).

10. The deep-sea soft sampling manipulator device based on gas-liquid hybrid drive according to claim 9, characterized in that: The manipulator device further comprises a connecting arm (3), a pneumatic drive device (4) is provided on the outer side of the third baffle (6), the pneumatic drive device (4) is connected to the connecting arm (3), and a hydraulic drive device (2) is provided on the top of the second baffle (5).

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