Single-wire walking mechanism, x-ray inspection robot and method

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of electric power robots. A single-wire walking mechanism, an X-ray detection robot and a method are provided, which comprise a motion platform, a driving wheel, an outer auxiliary wheel and an inner auxiliary wheel; the motion platform is provided with a downward opening, the driving wheel is arranged on the upper part of the motion platform, the outer auxiliary wheel is arranged on the outer side of the driving wheel, and the inner auxiliary wheel is arranged on the inner side of the driving wheel; the driving wheel is used for contacting a to-be-detected wire, the outer auxiliary wheel is used for cooperating with the driving wheel to drive the robot to walk when the robot pose rotates, and the inner auxiliary wheel is used for contacting a lateral shunt reinforcing wire. The application realizes stable walking of the robot under cooperation of the driving wheel, the outer auxiliary wheel, the inner auxiliary wheel and a front auxiliary wheel, improves the applicability of X-ray detection with lateral shunt reinforcing wires and upper shunt reinforcing, avoids rotation and rollover of the robot during movement, and ensures the stability of the robot walking on a single wire.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electric robot technology, and in particular to a single-wire walking mechanism, an X-ray inspection robot, and a method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] The statements in this section are merely background information related to the present invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] A double-circuit line refers to a line with two loops, not necessarily with the same voltage and frequency, installed on the same tower. In electrical circuits, such as those used in everyday appliances, double-circuit circuits can stabilize voltage, ensure the safety of the circuit system, and effectively reduce power transmission losses.

[0004] Currently, most single-conductor crimping fittings are inspected using a combination of drones and long insulated ropes. However, for the lower phase conductors of double-circuit lines, the upper and middle phase conductors obstruct the inspection, making it impossible to effectively inspect the crimp fittings using long insulated ropes. Furthermore, the existing X-ray inspection robots can only travel on horizontal double-split conductors and cannot be stably applied to single-conductor scenarios. They also cannot smoothly pass through special operating scenarios such as shunt reinforcement lines, making it impossible to inspect single-conductor crimp fittings with shunt reinforcement lines. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a single-wire walking mechanism, an X-ray inspection robot, and a method. It designs a motion platform with a downward-sloping opening, enabling stable robot walking with the cooperation of multiple wheels, including the drive wheel, outer auxiliary wheel, and inner auxiliary wheel. This avoids rotation and tipping during robot movement and ensures the stability of the robot walking on a single wire.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a single-wire walking mechanism.

[0007] A single-guide walking mechanism includes: a motion platform with a downwardly angled opening to form an internal opening space; the walking mechanism includes a drive wheel, an outer auxiliary wheel set, and an inner auxiliary wheel set located within the opening space. The drive wheel is positioned in the middle of the motion platform, the outer auxiliary wheel set is positioned on one side of the drive wheel, and the inner auxiliary wheel is positioned on the other side of the drive wheel; The drive wheel is used to contact the wire under test, the outer auxiliary wheel is used to cooperate with the drive wheel to drive the robot to walk when the robot rotates, and the inner auxiliary wheel is used to contact the lateral shunt reinforcement line.

[0008] As a further limitation of the first aspect of the present invention, the drive wheel includes a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel arranged sequentially along the forward direction, a first outer auxiliary wheel and a first inner auxiliary wheel are arranged on both sides of the first drive wheel, and a second outer auxiliary wheel and a second inner auxiliary wheel are arranged on both sides of the second drive wheel.

[0009] As a further limitation of the first aspect of the present invention, the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are arranged horizontally, the first outer auxiliary wheel forms an angle greater than or equal to 90° with the first drive wheel, and the second outer auxiliary wheel forms an angle greater than or equal to 90° with the second drive wheel.

[0010] As a further limitation of the first aspect of the present invention, the first inner auxiliary wheel and the second inner auxiliary wheel are arranged vertically.

[0011] As a further limitation of the first aspect of the invention, it also includes a front auxiliary wheel arranged at the front of the motion platform, the front auxiliary wheel being used to contact the upper diversion reinforcement line.

[0012] As a further limitation of the first aspect of the present invention, the drive wheel includes: a motor mounting base, a drive motor, a motor output flange, an inner baffle, a hub, a rubber wheel, and an outer baffle, wherein the drive motor is fixed to the motion platform by the motor mounting base; The drive motor is connected to the hub through the electrode output flange. The hub has an inner baffle and an outer baffle at both ends. A rubber wheel is fitted on the outside of the hub, and a U-shaped groove is provided in the middle of the rubber wheel.

[0013] As a further definition of the first aspect of the present invention, the inner auxiliary wheel includes: a shaft end retaining ring, a roller support, a roller shaft, a nylon roller and a roller bearing. The roller shaft is connected to both ends with roller bearings, the outer ring of the roller bearing is connected to the roller support, the roller shaft is connected to both ends with shaft end retaining rings, and a nylon roller is sleeved on the outside of the roller shaft.

[0014] Secondly, the present invention provides a method for operating a single-guide wire walking mechanism.

[0015] A method for operating a single-guide wire traveling mechanism, utilizing the single-guide wire traveling mechanism described in the first aspect of the present invention, includes the following process: When the motion platform passes through the conductor with the side shunt reinforcement line, under the force of the side shunt reinforcement line, the conductor is separated from the U-shaped groove of the drive wheel, the center of gravity of the motion platform deviates from the center of the conductor, the motion platform flips, the drive wheel and the outer auxiliary wheel form a cross wheel, and the motion platform continues to move in the posture of the cross wheel. When the motion platform passes through the conductor with the upper shunt reinforcement line, the front auxiliary wheel first contacts the upper shunt reinforcement line and moves upward along the upper shunt reinforcement line. The front end of the motion platform is raised, and the first drive wheel at the front is in a suspended state. At this time, the front auxiliary wheel and the second drive wheel at the rear support the motion platform, and the force on the second drive wheel at the rear increases, the friction increases, and the motion platform is driven by the second drive wheel.

[0016] Thirdly, the present invention provides a single-lead X-ray inspection robot, comprising the single-lead walking mechanism described in the first aspect of the present invention, a transmitter arranged at the bottom of the motion platform, a receiving plate arranged forward in front of the moving platform, and an electronic control component arranged at the bottom of the motion platform.

[0017] As a further limitation of the third aspect of the present invention, the robot's center of gravity is located below the drive wheel, and the robot's center of gravity is located on a straight line below the drive wheel that is parallel to the line connecting the midpoints of the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel, so that when the robot walks normally on the guide wire, the guide wire is located in the U-shaped groove in the middle of the drive wheel. An insulated hoisting mechanism is connected to the top of the motion platform. The centerline of the insulated hoisting mechanism is offset to the side away from the opening from the robot's center of gravity, so that when the drone hoists the robot, the robot tends to rotate clockwise under the action of gravity, thus causing the cable inlet to be angled downward.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: This invention innovatively develops a single-lead walking mechanism, designing a motion platform with a downward-sloping opening, calibrating the robot's center of gravity position, using a drive wheel to contact the lead wire under test, an outer auxiliary wheel to cooperate with the drive wheel to drive the robot's movement during rotation, an inner auxiliary wheel to contact the lateral shunt reinforcement line, and a front auxiliary wheel to contact the upper shunt reinforcement line. This achieves stable robot movement with the cooperation of multiple wheels including the drive wheel, outer auxiliary wheel, inner auxiliary wheel, and front auxiliary wheel, improving the applicability of X-ray detection with lateral and upper shunt reinforcement lines, avoiding rotational tipping during robot movement, and ensuring the stability of the robot's movement on a single lead wire.

[0019] Advantages of additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0021] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of wheel assembly distribution for the walking mechanism provided by the present invention Figure 1 ; Figure 2 Schematic diagram of wheel assembly distribution for the walking mechanism provided by the present invention Figure 2 ; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the wide U-shaped drive wheel provided by the present invention; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the inner auxiliary wheel provided by the present invention; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the outer auxiliary wheel provided by the present invention; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the front auxiliary wheel provided by the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the walking mechanism provided by the present invention walking normally on the guide wire; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the walking mechanism provided by the present invention walking on the upper flow reinforcement line; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the posture and forces of the motion platform after it has been flipped, as provided by the present invention. The components include: 1. Wide U-shaped drive wheel; 2. Outer auxiliary wheel; 3. Inner auxiliary wheel; 4. Front auxiliary wheel; 6. Press fitting; 7. Robot center of gravity; 8. Motor mounting base; 9. Drive motor; 10. Motor output flange; 11. Inner baffle; 12. Outer baffle; 13. Hub; 14. Rubber wheel; 15. U-shaped groove; 16. Roller support; 17. Roller bearing; 18. Roller shaft; 19. Shaft end retaining ring; 20. Nylon roller; 21. Lateral diversion reinforcement line; 22. Upper diversion reinforcement line; 23. Slanted downward opening. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0023] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are exemplary and intended to provide further illustration of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0024] In this implementation, a single-wire walking mechanism is proposed, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes: a motion platform, a wide U-shaped drive wheel 1, an outer auxiliary wheel 2, an inner auxiliary wheel 3, and a front auxiliary wheel 4. The motion platform has a downward-sloping opening 23. Through the combined design of "wide U-shaped drive wheel 1 + outer auxiliary wheel 2 + inner auxiliary wheel 3 + front auxiliary wheel 4", the robot's adaptability to complex circuit environments is improved, and it can perform X-ray inspection of circuit crimp fittings 6 with lateral and upper drainage lines.

[0025] In this implementation, preferably, the wide U-shaped drive wheel 1 is arranged on the upper part of the motion platform, the outer auxiliary wheel 2 is arranged on the outer side of the drive wheel, and the inner auxiliary wheel 3 is arranged on the inner side of the drive wheel. The wide U-shaped drive wheel 1 is used to contact the wire to be tested, the outer auxiliary wheel 2 is used to cooperate with the wide U-shaped drive wheel 1 to drive the robot to walk when the robot rotates, and the inner auxiliary wheel 3 is used to contact the lateral diversion reinforcement line 21.

[0026] In this implementation, preferably, the above-mentioned motion platform is hoisted by a drone. The bottom of the drone is connected to insulated legs and insulated grippers, and the top of the motion platform is connected to an insulated hoisting mechanism. The hoisting mechanism is in the form of a hoisting frame. The insulated legs, insulated grippers, and insulated hoisting mechanism of the drone are all designed with insulation and are made of high-strength epoxy resin (pipes, sheets) with good insulation properties to ensure absolute insulation between the drone and the robot.

[0027] During the actual hoisting process, the drone moves to the lower left (i.e., moves from the upper to the lower side to land on the guide wire) until the robot is hung on the guide wire. The two sides of the wide U-shaped drive wheel 1 are inclined surfaces. Under the action of gravity, the robot slides into the U-shaped groove of the wide U-shaped drive wheel 1.

[0028] In this implementation, preferably, the drone is a heavy-duty drone capable of lifting the robot, with an optical camera and an insulated gripper mounted on its belly. The insulated gripper is installed under the drone's belly and is an auxiliary connection device used to lift the robot onto the overhead power line conductor. This implementation is used in conjunction with an observation wingman, which is a lightweight drone that can approach the power line for observation, providing high-definition images to ground personnel throughout the entire robot inspection operation process.

[0029] In this implementation, preferably, the installation positions of each component are reasonably configured during the design. The center of gravity of the motion platform (after all components are mounted) is located below the wide U-shaped drive wheel 1. The center of gravity of the motion platform (after all components are mounted) is located on a straight line below the drive wheel that is parallel to the line connecting the midpoints of the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel. This ensures that when the motion platform (after all components are mounted) moves normally on the guide, the guide is located in the U-shaped groove 15 in the middle of the wide U-shaped drive wheel 1. This ensures that the walking mechanism is stable when moving on the line and will not overturn.

[0030] The centerline of the lifting mechanism is positioned slightly to the left of the robot's center of gravity 7 (i.e., the centerline of the insulated lifting mechanism is offset towards the side of the robot's center of gravity 7 away from the opening). When the drone lifts the robot, the motion platform will tend to rotate clockwise under the influence of gravity. Figure 6 As shown, the cable inlet is angled downwards at this time, which facilitates the loading and unloading of the motion platform.

[0031] In this implementation, preferably, the motion platform support is welded from lightweight aluminum alloy material, with a reserved metal shielding space for placing components that require electrical shielding, such as transmitters, receiver boards, and electronic control components. More specifically, the receiver board extends forward (located within the metal shielding space) to detect the tail of the anti-loosening crimping pipe, and the transmitter is also located within the metal shielding space, achieving live detection through metal shielding.

[0032] In this implementation, preferably, the wide U-shaped drive wheel 1 includes a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel arranged sequentially along the forward direction. Both the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are made of silicone rubber, which has high friction and serves as the main drive wheel to drive the robot to walk on the line.

[0033] The first drive wheel has a first outer auxiliary wheel and a first inner auxiliary wheel arranged on both sides, and the second drive wheel has a second outer auxiliary wheel and a second inner auxiliary wheel arranged on both sides. The first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are arranged horizontally, the first outer auxiliary wheel and the first drive wheel form an angle greater than or equal to 90°, the second outer auxiliary wheel and the second drive wheel form an angle greater than or equal to 90°, and the first inner auxiliary wheel and the second inner auxiliary wheel are arranged vertically.

[0034] In this implementation, preferably, the first outer auxiliary wheel is arranged at a 90° angle to the first drive wheel, and the second outer auxiliary wheel is arranged at a 90° angle to the second drive wheel, which can ensure stable contact with the wire.

[0035] In some other implementations, the first outer auxiliary wheel is arranged at a 120° angle to the first drive wheel, and the second outer auxiliary wheel is arranged at an included angle to the second drive wheel. The structures of the first and second outer auxiliary wheels are as follows: Figure 5 As shown.

[0036] like Figure 3 As shown, the wide U-shaped drive wheel 1 includes: a motor mounting base 8, a drive motor 9, a motor output flange 10, an inner baffle 11, a hub 13, a rubber wheel 14, and an outer baffle 12. The drive motor 9 is fixed to the motion platform through the motor mounting base 8. The drive motor 9 is connected to the hub 13 through the electrode output flange. The inner baffle 11 and the outer baffle 12 are connected to both ends of the hub 13. The rubber wheel 14 is sleeved on the outside of the hub 13. A U-shaped groove 15 is provided in the middle of the rubber wheel 14.

[0037] In this implementation, preferably, when passing through a conductor with a lateral diversion reinforcement line 21, the inner auxiliary wheel 3 rolls against the lateral diversion reinforcement line 21, avoiding hard friction and improving the robot's passability. The inner auxiliary wheel 3, as... Figure 4As shown, it includes: a shaft end retaining ring 19, a roller support 16, a roller shaft 18, a nylon roller 20, and a roller bearing 17. The roller shaft 18 is connected to the roller bearing 17 at both ends. The outer ring of the roller bearing 17 is connected to the roller support. The roller shaft is connected to the shaft end retaining ring 19 at both ends. The nylon roller 20 is sleeved on the outside of the roller shaft.

[0038] When the traveling mechanism passes through a guide wire with lateral drainage lines, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, under the action of the lateral guide line, the walking mechanism will detach from the main guide line, that is, the main guide line will detach from the U-shaped groove 15 of the wide U-shaped drive wheel 1 of the walking mechanism. At this time, the center of gravity of the motion platform (after all components are mounted) deviates from the center of the guide line. As the deviation increases, the motion platform (after all components are mounted) will flip over, and the wide U-shaped drive wheel 1 and the corresponding outer auxiliary wheel 2 will form a cross wheel form. The walking mechanism continues to walk in this posture.

[0039] According to the principles of mechanics, the center of gravity of the motion platform (after carrying all components) is below the guide wire. Acting on its own weight G and the wind force F, the net force on the robot is either F1 (lower left) or F2 (lower right). Since the robot experiences no upward force and has no tendency to move upward, the motion platform (after carrying all components) will not tip over off the guide wire. Figure 9 As shown.

[0040] In this preferred embodiment, the walking mechanism further includes a front auxiliary wheel 4 arranged at the front of the motion platform. The front auxiliary wheel 4 is used to contact the upper diversion reinforcement line 22. Specifically, when the conductor slope is large or there is an upper diversion line, the front of the motion platform (after all components are mounted) may contact the conductor first. To avoid hard friction between the motion platform (after all components are mounted) and the conductor, a front auxiliary wheel 4 is installed at the front of the motion platform. When the walking mechanism travels on the horizontal conductor, the front auxiliary wheel 4 does not contact the conductor.

[0041] like Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, when the robot passes through the conductor with the upper current splitting reinforcement line 22, the front auxiliary wheel 4 first contacts the upper current splitting reinforcement line 22 and moves upward along the upper current splitting reinforcement line 22. The front end of the motion platform is raised, and the first drive wheel is in a suspended state. At this time, the front auxiliary wheel 4 and the second drive wheel support the motion platform, and the force on the second drive wheel increases, the friction increases, and the motion platform is driven by the second drive wheel.

[0042] This implementation also proposes a single-lead X-ray inspection robot, including the aforementioned single-lead walking mechanism, a transmitter arranged at the bottom of the motion platform, a receiver plate arranged forward in front of the motion platform, and an electronic control component arranged at the bottom of the motion platform. The robot's center of gravity is located below the drive wheel, and the robot's center of gravity is located on a straight line below the drive wheel that is parallel to the line connecting the midpoints of the first and second drive wheels, so that when the robot walks normally on the lead wire, the lead wire is located in the U-shaped groove 15 in the middle of the drive wheel. An insulated hoisting mechanism is connected to the top of the motion platform. The center line of the insulated hoisting mechanism is deviated from the side away from the opening of the robot's center of gravity 7, so that when the UAV hoists the robot, the robot tends to rotate clockwise under the action of gravity, thereby making the lead wire inlet obliquely downward.

[0043] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A single-wire traveling mechanism, characterized in that, include: The motion platform has a downward-sloping opening to form an internal opening space, and the walking mechanism includes a drive wheel, an outer auxiliary wheel set, and an inner auxiliary wheel set located within the opening space. The drive wheel is positioned in the middle of the motion platform, the outer auxiliary wheel set is positioned on one side of the drive wheel, and the inner auxiliary wheel is positioned on the other side of the drive wheel; The drive wheel is used to contact the wire under test, the outer auxiliary wheel is used to cooperate with the drive wheel to drive the robot to walk when the robot rotates, and the inner auxiliary wheel is used to contact the lateral shunt reinforcement line. The drive wheel includes a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel arranged sequentially along the forward direction. A first outer auxiliary wheel and a first inner auxiliary wheel are arranged on both sides of the first drive wheel, and a second outer auxiliary wheel and a second inner auxiliary wheel are arranged on both sides of the second drive wheel. The first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are arranged horizontally, the first outer auxiliary wheel forms an angle of greater than or equal to 90° with the first drive wheel, and the second outer auxiliary wheel forms an angle of greater than or equal to 90° with the second drive wheel. The first inner auxiliary wheel and the second inner auxiliary wheel are arranged vertically, and the platform also includes a front auxiliary wheel arranged at the front of the motion platform. The front auxiliary wheel is used to contact the upper diversion reinforcement line.

2. The single-wire traveling mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive wheel includes: a motor mounting base, a drive motor, a motor output flange, an inner baffle, a wheel hub, a rubber wheel, and an outer baffle. The drive motor is fixed to the motion platform by the motor mounting base. The drive motor is connected to the hub through the electrode output flange. The hub has an inner baffle and an outer baffle at both ends. A rubber wheel is fitted on the outside of the hub, and a U-shaped groove is provided in the middle of the rubber wheel.

3. The single-wire traveling mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner auxiliary wheel includes: a shaft end retaining ring, a roller support, a roller shaft, a nylon roller, and a roller bearing. The roller shaft is connected to both ends with roller bearings. The outer rings of the roller bearings are connected to the roller support. The roller shaft is connected to both ends with shaft end retaining rings. A nylon roller is fitted on the outside of the roller shaft.

4. A method for operating a single-guide wire traveling mechanism, characterized in that, Using the single-guide walking mechanism according to any one of claims 1-3, The process includes the following: When the motion platform passes through the conductor with the side shunt reinforcement line, under the force of the side shunt reinforcement line, the conductor is separated from the U-shaped groove of the drive wheel, the center of gravity of the motion platform deviates from the center of the conductor, the motion platform flips, the drive wheel and the outer auxiliary wheel form a cross wheel, and the motion platform continues to move in the posture of the cross wheel. When the motion platform passes through the conductor with the upper shunt reinforcement line, the front auxiliary wheel first contacts the upper shunt reinforcement line and moves upward along the upper shunt reinforcement line. The front end of the motion platform is raised, and the first drive wheel at the front is in a suspended state. At this time, the front auxiliary wheel and the second drive wheel at the rear support the motion platform, and the force on the second drive wheel at the rear increases, the friction increases, and the motion platform is driven by the second drive wheel.

5. A single-lead X-ray inspection robot, characterized in that, It includes the single-wire walking mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-3, a transmitter arranged at the bottom of the motion platform, a receiver plate arranged forward in front of the moving platform, and an electronic control component arranged at the bottom of the motion platform.

6. The single-lead X-ray inspection robot as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The robot's center of gravity is located below the drive wheel. The robot's center of gravity is located on a straight line below the drive wheel that is parallel to the line connecting the midpoints of the first and second drive wheels, so that when the robot walks normally on the guide wire, the guide wire is located in the U-shaped groove in the middle of the drive wheel. An insulated hoisting mechanism is connected to the top of the motion platform. The centerline of the insulated hoisting mechanism is offset to the side away from the opening from the robot's center of gravity, so that when the drone hoists the robot, the robot tends to rotate clockwise under the action of gravity, thus causing the cable inlet to be angled downward.

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