Active wrinkle steering mechanism and robot with active wrinkle steering mechanism

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of robots, and discloses an active wrinkle steering mechanism and a robot with the active wrinkle steering mechanism, the active wrinkle steering mechanism comprises a steering mechanism nested on a main body and used for realizing steering of the main body; the steering mechanism comprises an outer ring assembly and two inner ring assemblies, the two inner ring assemblies are located at the two ends in the outer ring assembly respectively, a first gear piece is arranged on the outer ring assembly, and a second gear piece and a roller piece are arranged on the inner ring assembly; wherein one side wall of the main body is located between the outer ring assembly and the inner ring assembly and is clamped and moved through the first gear piece and the second gear piece, and the other side of the main body extends into the inner ring assembly and is clamped and moved through the roller piece. The problems that an existing self-growing robot is insufficient in steering capacity, low in steering precision, complex in steering mechanism and the like are effectively solved, and the method has great significance in improving the adaptability and task completing capacity of the robot in the complex environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to an active wrinkle steering mechanism and a robot with the active wrinkle steering mechanism. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of robotics technology, its application in numerous fields, including industry, healthcare, agriculture, and rescue, is becoming increasingly widespread. Traditional robots, typically with fixed structures and dimensions, often have limitations when faced with complex environments and diverse tasks. For example, traditional robots lack adaptability in scenarios such as working in confined spaces, requiring flexible maneuvers, or operating over long distances.

[0003] In recent years, self-growing robots, as a new type of robot, have attracted attention due to their ability to adapt to different task requirements through structural changes. Self-growing robots can flexibly change their shape and position through actions such as growth, contraction, and steering, thereby better completing tasks. However, existing self-growing robots still have shortcomings in their steering capabilities. Most self-growing robots use passive steering, which has low steering accuracy and difficulty in achieving precise steering control in complex environments. In addition, although some self-growing robots have certain steering capabilities, their steering mechanisms are complex and heavy, affecting the overall performance and flexibility of the robots.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an active wrinkle steering mechanism and a robot with an active wrinkle steering mechanism to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an active wrinkle steering mechanism and a robot with the active wrinkle steering mechanism to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: The present invention provides an active pleat steering mechanism, comprising:

[0007] A steering mechanism, nested in the main body, for achieving steering of the main body;

[0008] The steering mechanism includes an outer ring assembly and two inner ring assemblies, the two inner ring assemblies are respectively located at two ends of the outer ring assembly, the outer ring assembly is provided with a first gear component, and the inner ring assembly is provided with a second gear component and a roller component;

[0009] One side wall of the main body is located between the outer ring component and the inner ring component and is clamped and moved by the first gear component and the second gear component, and the other side of the main body extends into the inner ring component and is clamped and moved by the roller component.

[0010] According to the present invention, an active pleated steering mechanism is provided, wherein the outer ring assembly includes an outer ring, the first gear member includes two groups of support members, which are respectively located at the two ends of the inner part of the outer ring, the support members include two support frames, which are symmetrically fixedly connected to the inner wall of the outer ring, and two external gears are installed on the support frames.

[0011] According to the present invention, an active pleated steering mechanism is provided, wherein the inner ring assembly includes an inner ring, the second gear member includes two internal gears, grooves are provided on opposite sides of the outer wall of the inner ring, the two grooves correspond one to one with the two support frames respectively, the internal gear is rotatably connected in the grooves, and the two external gears are respectively engaged with the internal gears, the side wall of the main body is located between the external gear and the internal gear, two gear drive motors are fixedly connected in the inner ring, and the central axis of the internal gear is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the gear drive motor.

[0012] According to the present invention, an active pleat steering mechanism is provided, wherein the roller member includes two sliding members, which are respectively arranged at the top and bottom ends of the inner ring, and the sliding member includes two slide rails, which are respectively fixedly connected to the opposite side walls of the inner ring, and the slide rails are slidably connected to the slider brackets, and a roller is rotatably connected between the two slider brackets located above and below, and the side wall of the main body is located between the two rollers, and a roller driving motor is fixedly connected to the slider bracket located above, and the center axis of the roller is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the roller driving motor.

[0013] According to the present invention, an active pleat steering mechanism is provided, wherein one end of a spring is fixedly connected to the slider bracket, and the other end of the spring is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the inner ring.

[0014] According to the present invention, an active pleat steering mechanism is provided, wherein concave bearing wheels are installed at both ends of the inner wall of the outer ring, and a convex bearing wheel is installed on the inner ring, and the concave bearing wheel is adapted to the convex bearing wheel.

[0015] A robot with an active pleated steering mechanism comprises the active pleated steering mechanism and a base, one end of the main body is fixedly connected to the base, and at least one steering mechanism is sleeved on the main body.

[0016] According to the present invention, a robot with an active wrinkle steering mechanism is provided, wherein a growth motor is installed in the base, and the inner side of the main body is wound around the growth motor and stored in the base.

[0017] According to the present invention, a robot with an active wrinkle steering mechanism is provided, which also includes: a load mechanism located at the tip of the main body, the load mechanism including a load support and a camera module, one end of the load support is fixedly connected to the steering mechanism, the main body is filled in the load support, and the camera module is installed at the front end of the load support.

[0018] According to the present invention, a robot with an active wrinkle steering mechanism is provided, wherein the surface of the main body has tension, the main body as a whole has rigidity, the base has air pressure, and the main body expands by the air pressure in the base.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and technical effects:

[0020] 1. The active pleated steering mechanism provided by the present invention is nested on the main body. The first gear member and the second gear member between the inner ring assembly and the outer ring assembly are engaged and transmitted to drive the main body to move, so that the steering angle and direction can be precisely adjusted. Through the design of the roller member, precise control of the growth and recovery on the inside of the main body can be achieved. The steering mechanism adopts a cylindrical nested design as a whole, and the inner ring assembly and the outer ring assembly are closely matched to ensure the compactness and stability of the structure. Compared with traditional complex steering mechanisms, the steering mechanism of the present invention significantly reduces weight while achieving high-precision steering.

[0021] 2. The robot provided by the present invention has an active pleated steering mechanism, which can achieve high-precision steering control. The high-precision steering capability enables the robot to flexibly adjust its posture in complex environments and better complete tasks, such as precise steering in narrow pipes or flexible obstacle avoidance in complex terrain. It can achieve growth recovery on the inside of the main body, avoiding the problem of main body buckling that may occur during the recovery process. The design of the load mechanism solves the load carrying problem of the self-growing robot and improves the overall flexibility and load capacity of the robot. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order 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. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can also derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive work.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional diagram of the outer ring assembly of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a side view of the outer ring assembly of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 It is a side view of the inner ring assembly of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the convex bearing wheel structure of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of the roller member of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the load mechanism structure of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 8 For the present invention Figure 7 Middle AA section view;

[0031] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the connection state of the outer ring assembly and the inner ring assembly of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the self-growing robot of the present invention before turning;

[0033] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the self-growing robot after turning

[0034] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the recovery of the self-growing robot of the present invention;

[0035] Among them, 1. base; 11. growth motor; 2. main body; 3. steering mechanism; 31. outer ring assembly; 311. outer ring; 312. outer gear; 313. concave bearing wheel; 32. inner ring assembly; 321. inner ring; 322. inner gear; 323. convex bearing wheel; 324. gear drive motor; 325. roller component; 3251. roller; 3252. slider bracket; 3253. slide rail; 3254. spring; 3255. roller drive motor; 4. load mechanism; 41. load support; 42. camera module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0038] Reference Figures 1-12 The present invention provides an active pleat steering mechanism, comprising:

[0039] A steering mechanism 3 is nested in the main body 2 and is used to achieve steering of the main body 2;

[0040] The steering mechanism 3 includes an outer ring assembly 31 and two inner ring assemblies 32. The two inner ring assemblies 32 are respectively located at the two ends of the outer ring assembly 31. The outer ring assembly 31 is provided with a first gear component, and the inner ring assembly 32 is provided with a second gear component and a roller component 325.

[0041] One side wall of the main body 2 is located between the outer ring assembly 31 and the inner ring assembly 32 and is clamped and moved by the first gear member and the second gear member. The other side of the main body 2 extends into the inner ring assembly 32 and is clamped and moved by the roller member 325.

[0042] In one embodiment of the present invention, the steering mechanism 3 is nested on the main body 2, and the first gear member and the second gear member between the inner ring assembly 32 and the outer ring assembly 31 are engaged and transmitted to drive the main body 2 to move, so that the steering angle and direction can be precisely adjusted. Through the design of the roller member 325, precise control of the growth and recovery of the inner side of the main body 2 can be achieved, effectively improving the growth accuracy and avoiding the problem of main body buckling that may occur during the recovery process.

[0043] As an optional embodiment, the outer ring assembly 31 includes an outer ring 311, and the first gear member includes two groups of support members, which are respectively located at the two ends of the inner part of the outer ring 311. The support members include two support frames, which are symmetrically fixedly connected to the inner wall of the outer ring 311, and two external gears 312 are installed on the support frames.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present invention, there are two groups of external gears 312 , with four gears in each group. The external gears 312 are symmetrically distributed on the inner side of the outer ring 311 through a support frame. The axis of the external gears 312 is perpendicular to the axis of the outer ring 311 .

[0045] As an optional embodiment, the inner ring assembly 32 includes an inner ring 321, and the second gear member includes two internal gears 322. Grooves are provided on opposite sides of the outer wall of the inner ring 321, and the two grooves correspond to the two support frames one by one. The inner gear 322 is rotatably connected in the groove, and the two external gears 312 are respectively engaged with the internal gear 322. The side wall of the main body 2 is located between the external gear 312 and the internal gear 322. Two gear drive motors 324 are fixedly connected to the inner ring 321, and the center axis of the internal gear 322 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the gear drive motor 324.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, the internal gear 322 is distributed on the left and right sides of the inner ring 321, and its axis is perpendicular to the axis of the inner ring 321. One internal gear 322 is engaged with two external gears 312 at the same time, and the outer side of the main body 2 passes between the internal gear 322 and the two external gears 312. The tooth surfaces of the internal gear 322 and the external gear 312 are both made of high-friction materials to ensure that the main body 2 and the tooth surface do not slide relative to each other during the meshing rotation process. The rotation of the internal gear 322 is controlled by the gear drive motor 324.

[0047] As an optional embodiment, the roller member 325 includes two sliding members, which are respectively arranged at the top and bottom ends inside the inner ring 321. The sliding member includes two sliding rails 3253, which are respectively fixedly connected to the opposite side walls inside the inner ring 321. The sliding rails 3253 are slidably connected to the slider bracket 3252, and the roller 3251 is rotatably connected between the two slider brackets 3252 located above and below. The side wall of the main body 2 is located between the two rollers 3251, and the roller drive motor 3255 is fixedly connected to the slider bracket 3252 located above. The center axis of the roller 3251 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the roller drive motor 3255.

[0048] In one embodiment of the present invention, the slider bracket 3252 is arranged on both sides of the roller 3251, and is used to fix the roller 3251, and is installed in conjunction with the slide rail 3253, wherein the slide rail 3253 is fixed within the inner ring 321. The relative movement between the slider bracket 3252 and the slide rail 3253 allows the roller 3251 to move radially. The roller 3251 is a long cylinder, and its rotation is controlled by the roller drive motor 3255. The inner side of the main body 2 passes between the two rollers 3251.

[0049] As an optional implementation, one end of a spring 3254 is fixedly connected to the slider bracket 3252 , and the other end of the spring 3254 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the inner ring 321 .

[0050] In one embodiment of the present invention, one end of the spring 3254 is fixed to the inner surface of the inner ring 321, and the other end is fixed to the slider bracket 3252, providing pressure to press the two rollers 3251 toward the center to ensure that there is no relative sliding between the inner side of the main body 2 and the rollers 3251.

[0051] As an optional embodiment, concave bearing wheels 313 are installed on both ends of the inner wall of the outer ring 311, and a convex bearing wheel 323 is installed on the inner ring 321, and the concave bearing wheel 313 is adapted to the convex bearing wheel 323.

[0052] In one embodiment of the present invention, the convex bearing wheel 323 is located below the inner ring 321. The outer ring assembly 31 and the inner ring assembly 32 remain relatively stationary during movement through the mutual cooperation between the convex bearing wheel 323 and the concave bearing wheel 313 and the mutual cooperation between the inner gear 322 and the outer gear 312. The outer side of the main body 2 passes between the concave bearing wheel 313 and the convex bearing wheel 323.

[0053] A robot with an active pleated steering mechanism comprises the active pleated steering mechanism and a base 1, one end of a main body 2 is fixedly connected to the base 1, and at least one steering mechanism 3 is embedded in the main body 2.

[0054] In one embodiment of the present invention, the robot can achieve high-precision steering control through the design of the steering mechanism 3. The gear meshing transmission of the inner ring component 32 and the outer ring component 31 allows the steering angle and direction to be precisely adjusted.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the main body 2 needs to turn right, the two internal gears 322 on the left and the internal gear 322 on the right near the base 1 stop rotating, while the internal gear 322 on the right near the tip rotates. Through the rotation of the internal gears 322, the outer surface of the tip main body 2 is continuously meshed with the internal gears 322 and the external gear 312, which conveys the material into the steering mechanism 3, forming wrinkles. This creates a length difference between the two sides of the main body 2, thus completing the rightward turn. The steering angle of the main body 2 can be precisely controlled based on the rotation angle of the internal gears 322. Multiple steering mechanisms 3 can be arranged on the main body 2, enabling multi-angle free steering.

[0056] As an optional embodiment, a growth motor 11 is installed in the base 1, and the inner side of the main body 2 is wound and stored in the base 1 through the growth motor 11.

[0057] In one embodiment of the present invention, the inner side of the main body 2 is wound around the growth motor 11 and housed inside the base 1, and the outer side is fixed to the front end of the base 1. By inputting a certain air pressure into the base 1, the surface of the main body 2 has a certain tension and the whole body has a certain rigidity.

[0058] As an optional embodiment, it also includes: a load mechanism 4, located at the tip of the main body 2, the load mechanism 4 includes a load support 41 and a camera module 42, one end of the load support 41 is fixedly connected to the steering mechanism 3, the main body 2 is filled in the load support 41, and the camera module 42 is installed at the front end of the load support 41.

[0059] In one embodiment of the present invention, due to the constraints of the load mechanism 4, the main body 2 released from the growth motor 11 cannot be directly turned forward and outward, but will only accumulate inside the main body 2. By controlling the rotation of the four internal gears 322, under the action of air pressure, the inner side of the accumulated main body 2 is continuously turned outward to become the outer side of the main body 2, thereby achieving precise control of the growth of the main body 2. Through the design of the load mechanism 4, the load carrying problem of the self-growing robot is solved, and the stable installation and operation of loads such as the camera module 42 on the self-growing robot are achieved.

[0060] In one embodiment of the present invention, during the recovery process, the outer side of the tip body 2 can be pulled back by controlling the rotation of the roller member 325, and the pulled back body 2 is wound and stored by the growth motor 11. By controlling the rotation of each internal gear 322, the steering mechanism 3 and the loading mechanism 4 can be moved toward the base 1 and always remain on the tip of the body 2, preventing the loading mechanism 4 from separating from the body 2.

[0061] As an optional embodiment, the surface of the main body 2 has tension, the main body 2 as a whole has rigidity, there is air pressure in the base 1, and the main body 2 expands due to the air pressure in the base 1.

[0062] In one embodiment of the present invention, there is a certain air pressure inside the base 1, which makes the surface of the main body 2 have a certain tension and the whole body has sufficient rigidity. By controlling the rotation of the growth motor 11, the main body 2 of the self-growing robot is transported forward from the inside, and the tip is turned outward to form the outside of the main body 2, thereby realizing the growth of the main body 2.

[0063] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "transverse", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0064] The embodiments described above are merely descriptions of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Without departing from the spirit of the present invention, various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by persons skilled in the art should fall within the scope of protection defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An active pleat steering mechanism, characterized in that: include: A steering mechanism (3), nested in the main body (2) and used to achieve steering of the main body (2); The steering mechanism (3) comprises an outer ring component (31) and two inner ring components (32), wherein the two inner ring components (32) are respectively located at two ends of the outer ring component (31), the outer ring component (31) is provided with a first gear component, and the inner ring component (32) is provided with a second gear component and a roller component (325); One side wall of the main body (2) is located between the outer ring component (31) and the inner ring component (32) and is clamped and moved by the first gear component and the second gear component, and the other side of the main body (2) extends into the inner ring component (32) and is clamped and moved by the roller component (325).

2. The active pleat steering mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer ring assembly (31) includes an outer ring (311), the first gear member includes two sets of support members, which are respectively located at two ends inside the outer ring (311), the support members include two support frames, which are symmetrically fixedly connected to the inner wall of the outer ring (311), and two external gears (312) are installed on the support frames.

3. The active pleat steering mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner ring assembly (32) includes an inner ring (321), and the second gear member includes two inner gears (322). Grooves are provided on opposite sides of the outer wall of the inner ring (321), and the two grooves correspond to the two support frames respectively. The inner gear (322) is rotatably connected in the grooves, and the two outer gears (312) are respectively engaged with the inner gears (322). The side wall of the main body (2) is located between the outer gears (312) and the inner gears (322). Two gear drive motors (324) are fixedly connected in the inner ring (321), and the central axis of the inner gear (322) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the gear drive motor (324).

4. The active pleat steering mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The roller member (325) includes two sliding members, which are respectively arranged at the top and bottom ends inside the inner ring (321); the sliding member includes two slide rails (3253), which are respectively fixedly connected to the opposite side walls inside the inner ring (321); a slider bracket (3252) is slidably connected to the slide rails (3253); a roller (3251) is rotatably connected between the two slider brackets (3252) located above and below; the side wall of the main body (2) is located between the two rollers (3251); a roller drive motor (3255) is fixedly connected to the slider bracket (3252) located above; and a central axis of the roller (3251) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the roller drive motor (3255).

5. The active pleat steering mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: One end of a spring (3254) is fixedly connected to the slider bracket (3252), and the other end of the spring (3254) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the inner ring (321).

6. The active pleat steering mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: Concave bearing wheels (313) are installed on both ends of the inner wall of the outer ring (311), and a convex bearing wheel (323) is installed on the inner ring (321), and the concave bearing wheel (313) is adapted to the convex bearing wheel (323).

7. A robot with an active wrinkle steering mechanism, comprising the active wrinkle steering mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: It also includes a base (1), one end of the main body (2) is fixedly connected to the base (1), and at least one steering mechanism (3) is sleeved on the main body (2).

8. The robot with active wrinkle steering mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that: A growth motor (11) is installed in the base (1), and the inner side of the main body (2) is wound around the growth motor (11) and stored in the base (1).

9. The robot with an active wrinkle steering mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also includes: A load mechanism (4) is located at the tip of the main body (2), and the load mechanism (4) includes a load support (41) and a camera module (42). One end of the load support (41) is fixedly connected to the steering mechanism (3), the main body (2) is filled in the load support (41), and the camera module (42) is installed at the front end of the load support (41).

10. The robot with active wrinkle steering mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that: The surface of the main body (2) has tension, the main body (2) as a whole has rigidity, there is air pressure in the base (1), and the main body (2) expands due to the air pressure in the base (1).

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