Adjustable flexible rotational alignment mechanism and charging robot

Abstract

This application provides an adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism and a charging robot, installed in an automated operation facility to drive the rotation of the object to be operated for alignment and docking with a target object. The mechanism includes: a mounting frame, rotatably connected to the object to be operated; a drive plate; and adjustable flexible soft muscles located on both sides of the drive plate and arranged along a first direction. One end of the soft muscles is connected to the drive plate, and the other end is connected to the mounting frame. The soft muscles extend or compress to rotate the drive plate, thereby rotating the object to be operated. When one of the soft muscles on both sides of the drive plate extends, the other compresses, and the total length of the two soft muscles remains constant. The rotational position of the drive plate is affected by the pressure difference between the soft muscles on both sides of the drive plate. The adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism provided in this application controls the rotation of the object to be operated by adjusting its flexibility, thus achieving successful docking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of charging robot technology, and particularly relates to an adjustable and flexible rotary alignment mechanism and a charging robot. Background Technology

[0002] As a new type of charging device, charging robots have enormous market potential and application prospects. In the future, with technological advancements and market maturity, charging robots will play an increasingly important role in the field of new energy vehicles.

[0003] Currently, charging robots on the market typically include a plug-in / plug-out mechanism and a positioning mechanism. The positioning mechanism determines the position of the charging gun head and the charging port of the device to be charged, then drives the plug-in / plug-out mechanism to insert the charging gun head into the charging port for charging, and removes the charging gun head from the charging port after charging is complete, thus completing the automated charging action. However, in practical applications, due to uneven ground or the charging port of the device to be charged (new energy vehicles) not being parallel to the ground, the charging gun head is not easy to align during insertion, which can easily lead to rigid contact and damage to the charging gun head and / or the charging port. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, this application provides an adjustable and flexible rotary alignment mechanism and a charging robot to solve the technical problem that current charging robots are not easy to align during automatic charging, which leads to easy damage to the charging gun head and / or charging port.

[0005] This application provides an adjustable and flexible rotary alignment mechanism, installed in an automated operating facility, for rotating the object to be operated to align and dock with the target object, characterized in that it includes:

[0006] The mounting bracket is rotatably connected to the object to be operated;

[0007] The drive board has a connection point for fixing the object to be operated;

[0008] Adjustable and flexible soft muscles are disposed on both sides of the drive plate and arranged along a first direction. One end of the soft muscles is connected to the drive plate, and the other end of the soft muscles is connected to the mounting frame.

[0009] The soft muscles extend or compress to rotate the drive plate, thereby rotating the object to be operated. When one of the soft muscles on both sides of the drive plate extends, the other compresses, and the total length of the two soft muscles remains unchanged. The rotational position of the drive plate is affected by the pressure difference between the soft muscles on both sides of the drive plate, and the flexibility of the position of the drive plate is affected by the absolute pressure inside the cavity.

[0010] The adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism provided in this application has adjustable flexible soft muscles. By extending or compressing these soft muscles, the drive plate rotates, thereby rotating the object to be operated and aligning and docking with the target object. Moreover, the total length of the soft muscles on both sides of the drive plate remains constant, and their lengths are inversely related (i.e., when one soft muscle extends, the other soft muscle compresses). Therefore, the rotation position of the drive plate depends only on the pressure difference within the soft muscles, and the stability of the drive plate position (the flexibility of the object's rotation) depends on the magnitude of the absolute pressure within the soft muscles. During different stages of the automated operation (initial alignment, contact, insertion and removal), the smoothness of the adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism is adjusted by regulating the absolute pressure and relative pressure difference within the two soft muscles, enabling each step to be completed smoothly and efficiently.

[0011] This application provides a charging robot, including the adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism, the gun-grabbing mechanism, and the insertion / removal mechanism described in the first aspect. The gun-grabbing mechanism is rotatably connected to the adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism, and the insertion / removal mechanism is connected to the gun-grabbing mechanism. The gun-grabbing mechanism is used to fix the charging gun head, and the insertion / removal mechanism is used to drive the charging gun head to be inserted into and / or pulled out of the charging port. The insertion / removal mechanism includes a soft muscle, a control module, and a vision module. The vision module is used to acquire the position information of the target object, and the control module is used to control fluid to flow into or out of the cavity of the soft muscle through the drive source interface at different stages of the alignment and insertion / removal process according to the position information. This allows the adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism and the insertion / removal mechanism to work together with different degrees of flexibility to complete the alignment and insertion / removal actions, thereby docking the charging gun head with the charging port.

[0012] The charging robot provided in this application has a large degree of flexibility in both the charging gun head and the charging port before contact, which can quickly align and adjust. After contact begins, the internal pressure of the soft muscle of the insertion and removal mechanism increases, the rigidity increases, and the flexibility decreases, thus initiating the insertion. The flexibility of rotation alignment and insertion and removal can be dynamically changed and combined according to factors such as the degree of alignment and insertion and removal resistance, avoiding failures such as jamming or even damage during the insertion and removal process. Even if the positioning and insertion and removal actions are not precise enough, the automatic charging action can still be completed efficiently and smoothly, reducing the overall system's requirements for positioning and insertion accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0013] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0014] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the adjustable flexible rotation alignment structure provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 1 ;

[0015] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the adjustable flexible rotation alignment structure provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 2 ;

[0016] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the adjustable flexible rotation alignment structure provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 3 ;

[0017] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the charging robot provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0018] Figures 5A-5D The illustration shows a front view, a sectional perspective view, and a central longitudinal section view of a soft muscle with a circular cross-section provided according to an embodiment of this application in its initial state.

[0019] Figures 6A-6B The illustration shows a complete central longitudinal section view and a central longitudinal section view of the flexible sidewall portion when the soft muscle provided according to an embodiment of this application is compressed to its shortest height.

[0020] Figures 7A-7B The illustration shows a comparison of the thrust required to change the length of soft muscles and structural features according to embodiments of this application, which are significantly different from those provided in this application, under different conditions. Figure 7C A graph showing the change in length of soft muscle as a function of air pressure according to an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figures 8A-8B A three-dimensional and top view of a soft muscle with an elliptical cross-section is shown;

[0022] Figures 9A-9B A perspective view and a top view of a soft muscle with a racetrack-shaped cross-section are shown.

[0023] Figures 10A-10B A perspective view and a top view of a soft muscle with a fan-shaped cross-section are shown;

[0024] Figure 11 This shows a central longitudinal cross-sectional view of the folds in a soft muscle provided according to an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 12A-12B The diagram shows a central longitudinal cross-sectional view of a soft muscle provided according to an embodiment of this application, as well as an enlarged view at point E.

[0026] The attached icon numbers are as follows:

[0027] 10. Mounting bracket; 11. Frame body; 12. Connecting arm;

[0028] 20. Driver board; 21. Frame; 200. Connection position;

[0029] 30. Soft muscle; 31. End face; 32. Flexible sidewall; 321. Folded surface; 322. Crease; 323. Crease surface; 33. Drive source interface; 34. Sealing press plate; 341. First press part; 35. End plate; 351. Second press part; 36. Connecting mating part;

[0030] 40. Gun-grabbing mechanism;

[0031] 50. Insertion / removal mechanism; 51. Fixed base; 52. Guide structure; 53. Drive structure; 531. Fixed end; 532. Movable end. Detailed Implementation

[0032] In the following description, specific details such as particular system architectures and techniques are set forth for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, apparatuses, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of this application with unnecessary detail. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used in this specification and the appended claims refers to any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes such combinations. It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0033] Existing technologies have demonstrated the use of foldable linear control fluid actuators for automated operations, but they suffer from several shortcomings. For example, the most common form of widely used arms and robots combines rigid drive components (motors, hydraulic cylinders, pneumatic cylinders, etc.) with rigid structural and transmission components. Because both the drive and structural components are rigid, one or more of the following problems arise: a) Potential mechanical damage or injury to surrounding organisms or objects, resulting in poor safety; b) Electrical damage and injury due to electric drive; c) Limited degrees of freedom per arm segment, restrictive operating range, and poor environmental adaptability. Increasing degrees of freedom requires increasing the number of arm segments and corresponding rotation and reduction mechanisms, introducing new problems (currently, robot joints generally use RV reduction mechanisms or harmonic reduction mechanisms, which are very expensive and constitute a large proportion of the cost); d) Low load-to-weight ratio and low energy efficiency. To overcome these problems, some existing technologies have incorporated flexible components. For example, elastic components (springs, rubber, etc.) are used to connect rigid components, or a pull-rope control scheme is employed. However, these solutions all have some drawbacks. For example, the use of elastic components cannot simplify the structure or reduce weight, nor can it solve the shortcomings mentioned in points a to d above. In the rope control scheme, each control unit requires an independent drive module. As the load and operating distance increase, the overall system size, weight, power consumption, and difficulty in precise control will increase exponentially, resulting in high costs and difficulties in deployment and achieving ideal operating results.

[0034] In addition, some existing technologies use fluid-driven artificial muscles as actuators to perform operations independently, or combine them with rigid structural components and transmission components to form fingers, claws, or robotic arms for operation. Specifically, such artificial muscles are partially or entirely enclosed by flexible outer walls to form a cavity, with fluid driving changes in the shape and / or size of the flexible sidewalls within the cavity to perform operations in the direction of the change. However, such artificial muscles cannot simultaneously overcome the problems mentioned above (a) to (d), and introduce new problems: e) one or both of the working stroke and the working load are very small; f) the change in fluid volume and the amount of displacement cannot be linearly correlated, thus making it impossible to obtain stable output force (output force = fluid pressure × cross-sectional area) and displacement; g) if the fluid is constrained in directions other than the working direction to solve problem e, the proportion of rigid structural components must be increased, thus failing to solve one or all of the problems mentioned above (a) to (d). To address the above issues, some artificial muscles employ flexible outer walls with folded structures. However, there is no clear structural feature or design principle for folded artificial muscles that claims to solve the aforementioned problems a-g. Furthermore, general folded structures without special design introduce new problems: h) strain in folded structures tends to concentrate at the intersection of folded surfaces. This stress concentration leads to localized high strain values, which can cause material deformation exceeding its elastic range. This can result in deformations such as bulging or collapse of the fluid cavity, or even fatigue cracking that compromises the cavity's airtightness and causes failure.

[0035] Therefore, existing linear control fluid actuators have a large deformation range, resulting in large overall material strain (the material itself cannot be perfectly uniform due to manufacturing limitations). This leads to large peak values ​​of local strain that exceed the material's elastic deformation range, potentially causing localized failures (reduced elasticity, microcracks, etc.) and affecting service life. Furthermore, existing linear control fluid actuators deviate from their preset folding state during operation.

[0036] It should be noted that the axial direction (direction of the central axis) is the first direction. The above is for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of this application.

[0037] Firstly, such as Figure 1 As shown in Figure 6, this application provides an adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism, which is installed in an automated operation facility to drive the object to be operated to rotate for alignment and docking with the target object. The rotary alignment mechanism includes: a mounting frame 10, a drive plate 20, and adjustable flexible soft muscles 30; the mounting frame 10 is used for rotating connection of the object to be operated, the drive plate 20 has a connection position 200 for fixing the object to be operated, and the soft muscles 30 are located on both sides of the drive plate 20 and arranged along a first direction, with one end of the soft muscles 30 connected to the drive plate and the other end connected to the mounting frame 10;

[0038] In this process, the soft muscles 30 extend or compress to rotate the drive plate 20, thereby causing the object to be operated to rotate to achieve alignment and docking. When one of the soft muscles 30 located on both sides of the drive plate 20 extends, the other extends and contracts, and the total length of the two soft muscles 30 remains unchanged. The rotation position of the drive plate 20 depends on the pressure difference between the soft muscles 30 located on both sides of the drive plate 20.

[0039] The adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism provided by this invention has adjustable flexible soft muscles 30. By extending or compressing the soft muscles 30, the drive plate 20 rotates, thereby rotating the object to be operated and aligning and docking with the target object. Moreover, the total length of the soft muscles 30 located on both sides of the drive plate 20 remains unchanged, and the lengths are inversely related (i.e., when one soft muscle 30 extends, the other soft muscle 30 compresses). Therefore, the rotation position of the drive plate 20 depends only on the pressure difference within the soft muscles 30, and the stability of the position of the drive plate 20 (the degree of flexibility of the rotation of the object to be operated) depends on the magnitude of the internal absolute pressure of the soft muscles 30. In different stages of the automated operation process (preliminary alignment, contact, insertion and removal), the smoothness of the adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism is adjusted by adjusting the absolute pressure and relative pressure difference within the two soft muscles 30, so that each step can be completed smoothly and with higher efficiency.

[0040] In applications, automated operating facilities include, but are not limited to, automatic charging robots. The object to be operated can be a charging gun head, and the target object can be a charging port / charging base.

[0041] Taking the field of automatic charging as an example, existing automatic charging devices typically use a rigid robotic arm to drive the charging gun head for automatic charging. During the alignment process, especially when the parking surface is uneven, the charging port / charging base may not be directly aligned with the axis of the charging gun head. Therefore, a certain degree of rotation is required to ensure precise docking between the charging gun head and the charging port. However, existing robotic arms lack flexibility and adjustability, often leading to rigid collisions between the charging gun head and the charging port / charging base, resulting in damage. Moreover, precise docking is difficult during the alignment process. This application uses an adjustable and flexible soft muscle 30 as an actuator to fine-tune the rotation of the charging gun head in real time according to the working conditions, effectively improving accuracy and reducing rigid collisions between the charging gun head and the charging port / charging base.

[0042] In applications, such as Figures 1 to 3As shown, the mounting frame 10 includes a frame body 11 and parallel, spaced-apart connecting arms 12. The two connecting arms 12 are connected to both ends of the frame body 11. The drive plate 20 includes a frame 21 and a plate 22. The frame 21 is generally rectangular with an opening on one side. A connection position 200 is formed in the frame 21 for fixing and connecting the object to be operated. One end of the soft muscle 30 is connected to the middle of the connecting arms 12. The frame 21 and the frame body 11 are rotatably connected via a pivot. When the soft muscle 30 extends or retracts, it drives the frame 21 and the object to be operated connected to it to rotate, thereby achieving alignment and docking.

[0043] In some embodiments, such as Figures 5A-5D As shown, the soft muscle 30 includes two end faces 31, a flexible sidewall 32, and a drive source interface 33. The flexible sidewall 32 and the two end faces 31 enclose a cavity with a central axis. The flexible sidewall 32 is designed to include a stacked structure that can stretch and / or bend along the direction of the central axis. The stacked structure is composed of at least two stacked layers stacked along the central axis, so that the strain of the entire flexible sidewall 32 is evenly distributed among the stacked layers.

[0044] The stacked layer is designed to include or comprises strain elements with folded surfaces 321 and creases 322. Based on the combination of the shape, thickness and stacking method of the strain elements, during the expansion and / or bending of the flexible sidewall 32 along the central axis, the strain of the strain elements is uniformly distributed on the folded surfaces 321 and not concentrated at the creases 322.

[0045] The drive source interface 33 is disposed on the flexible sidewall 32 or the end face 31. The drive source interface 33 is used to change the pressure difference Δ between the inside and outside of the cavity. P This causes the uniformly strained stacked structure to compress or stretch, driving the end face 31 to move. Each stacked layer is enclosed by a folded surface 321 of a single strain unit. A crease surface 323 is formed at the junction of the folded surfaces 321 of two adjacent stacked layers, with the crease located within the crease surface 323 perpendicular to the central axis. Initially, the crease surface 323 is planar.

[0046] The strain element has an intrusion angle θ, an intrusion depth coefficient a, a fold width l, and a wall thickness t. The intrusion angle θ is the angle between the fold surface 321 and the adjacent crease surface 323, and varies with compression or extension of the uniformly strained stacked structure. The intrusion angle θ, intrusion depth coefficient a, fold width l, and wall thickness t are all defined based on the cross-section of the strain element cut by the S-plane. The fold width l is the width of the fold surface 321 from the radially outer side of the protruding crease 322 to the radially inner side of the recessed crease 322. The projection of the fold width l in the direction perpendicular to the central axis is defined as the intrusion depth v, and the intrusion depth coefficient a is the ratio of the intrusion depth v to the equivalent radius R of the protruding crease, v / R. The wall thickness t is the thickness of the flexible sidewall 32. The intrusion angle θ, the intrusion depth coefficient a, the fold width l, and the wall thickness t are numerically related to each other and have a set combination of values, so that during the deformation process of the linear control fluid actuator 33, the flexible sidewall 32 only undergoes folding and / or stretching of the strain uniformly distributed stacked structure, and the strain of the flexible sidewall 32 is uniformly distributed on each fold surface 321 and not concentrated at the crease 322.

[0047] It should be noted that the "S-plane" is defined as follows: When any segment of the outer or inner contour line of the protruding crease 322 on the crease surface 323 is a curved segment, the plane perpendicular to the tangent at any point on that curved segment and passing through that point is the S-plane of the crease 322 at that point; when any segment of the outer or inner contour line of the protruding crease 322 on the crease surface 323 is a straight segment, the plane perpendicular to any point on that straight segment and passing through that point is the S-plane of the crease 322 at that point. When the cross-section of the protruding crease 322 perpendicular to the central axis is circular, the S-plane and the central longitudinal section are coplanar.

[0048] The strain element has at least one repeating basic shape that appears continuously in the axial direction. The creases 322 on adjacent crease surfaces 323 have different concave and convex states on the flexible sidewall 32. The protruding creases 322 have a closed shape with continuous curvature G1 or continuous curvature G2 on the cross section perpendicular to the central axis.

[0049] The strain element has at least one repeating basic shape that appears continuously in the axial direction. In some embodiments, the creases 322 on the spaced crease surfaces 323 may be the same or gradually changing in shape, size, and position relative to the central axis. In some embodiments, when the shape, size, and position relative to the central axis of the creases 322 on the spaced crease surfaces 323 are the same, the strain element has a repeating basic shape that appears continuously in the axial direction, such as... Figures 5A-5DAs shown, the basic shape of the strain element may vary as the shape, size, and / or position relative to the central axis of the creases 322 on the spaced crease surfaces 323 gradually change, and thus may have two or more repeating basic shapes that appear consecutively in the axial direction. In some embodiments, the creases 322 on adjacent crease surfaces 323 have different irregularities on the flexible sidewall 32 in the direction of the central axis.

[0050] In application, the crease 322 has at least two repeating basic shapes that appear continuously in the axial direction, and adjacent creases can be similar in shape but with a gradual change in proportion along the axis. The protruding crease 322 has a closed shape with curvature G1 continuity or curvature G2 continuity in a section perpendicular to the central axis to reduce the degree of localized stress and / or strain concentration in the circumferential direction. G1 continuity is tangential continuity, which means that the surface or curve is continuous at every point, and all connected line segments or surfaces are tangent to each other. The determination method for G1 continuity is: the curve is continuous, smooth and without sharp corners; the surface is continuous and without sharp corners. G2 continuity is curvature continuity, which means that the surface or curve is continuous at every point, and its curvature analysis result is a continuous change. The determination method for G2 continuity is: the curvature curve is continuous without discontinuities when the curvature analysis is performed on the curve. Figures 5A-5D and Figures 6A-6B The structure of the linear control fluid actuator 33 is illustrated using a circular closed shape as an example; it should be noted that the closed shape can also include any other suitable shape, and the following discussion... Figures 5A-5D and Figures 6A-6B The same description applies to linear control fluid actuators 33 having these cross-sectional shapes. For example, a closed shape may include curve segments with a curvature of G2 continuity, such as circles and ellipses. A closed shape may include straight line segments with a curvature of G1 continuity, such as fan-shaped rings and racetrack shapes. A closed shape may include curves convex outwards relative to the geometric center of the closed shape and curves concave inwards relative to the geometric center of the closed shape, such as fan-shaped rings. A closed shape may be an axisymmetric figure; a closed shape may be a centrally symmetric figure; or a closed shape may be a rotationally symmetric figure, and so on.

[0051] In some embodiments, the adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism allows the soft muscle 30 to stretch and bend during rotation, closing into a laterally flattened shape. This laterally flattened shape facilitates bending while maintaining overall shape stability.

[0052] As described above, the drive source interface 33 is disposed on the flexible sidewall 32 or the end face 31, and the drive source interface 33 is used to change the pressure difference Δ between the inside and outside of the cavity. PThis causes the uniformly strained stacked structure to compress or stretch, driving the end face 31 to move. When the driving source is fluid-based, the driving source interface 33 can be arranged as an opening for fluid to enter and exit. By allowing fluid to enter or exit the cavity through the opening, the pressure difference Δ between the inside and outside of the cavity is changed. P The linear control fluid actuator 33 is then deformed. The drive source can also be electrically controlled, meaning the drive source interface 33 is electrically connected to an external electric drive device to change the pressure difference Δ between the inside and outside of the cavity electrically. P Alternatively, a chemical reaction can be used to provide the driving force. The internal and external pressure difference Δ P It is basically linearly related to the output force at the end face.

[0053] The linearly controlled fluid actuator 33 primarily involves the folding of the folded surface 321 during bending or stretching, while the area change of the linearly controlled fluid actuator 33 itself can be very small. In other words, the energy of the fluid entering the cavity can be mainly used to cause the strain-uniformly distributed stacked structure to bend or stretch, and the strain of the strain-uniformly distributed stacked structure itself can therefore be very small (the strain generated during deformation is always within the elastic deformation range of the material and less than 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, or 1%, and this characteristic is named small strain for ease of description). In some embodiments, the internal stress of the strain-uniformly distributed stacked structure itself is very small, so only a small proportion of the mechanical energy of the fluid is used to overcome the stress generated by the deformation of the strain-uniformly distributed stacked structure itself, and most of the mechanical energy of the fluid is reversibly converted into elastic potential energy in the reciprocating motion of the stretching-compression of the soft muscle 30 and released as the mechanical energy of the soft muscle in the opposite direction, thus the energy conversion efficiency of the soft muscle 30 is high. In some embodiments, during the deformation process, the small strain of the soft muscle 30 can be evenly distributed across the entire folded surface, enabling the soft muscle 30 of this application to withstand greater load forces or lateral disturbance forces and output greater forces while maintaining its own shape stability, withstand more compression and stretching cycles, and have a longer service life compared to other existing fluid actuators.

[0054] Thin solid lines P1 to P3 represent any three consecutive crease surfaces 323 among the multiple crease surfaces 323 of the soft muscle 30. The outline of the projection of the crease on crease surface P1 onto crease surface P2 does not intersect with the outline of the crease on crease surface P2 itself; that is, the closed curve formed by the crease corresponding to crease surface P2 includes the closed curve formed by the crease corresponding to crease surface P1. In some embodiments, the closed curve formed by the crease corresponding to crease surface P1 coincides with the closed curve formed by the crease corresponding to crease surface P3.

[0055] Between the two crease surfaces P1 and P3, there can be two folded surfaces 321 that are symmetrical about crease surface P2. The intrusion angles between these two folded surfaces 321 with respect to crease surface P2 can be θ respectively. p1 and θ p2 When the total amount of fluid (which can be gas or liquid) in the cavity increases, the soft muscle 30 stretches until a new equilibrium is reached between the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cavity, the load acting on the end face 31 of the soft muscle 30, and the internal stress of the soft muscle 30 itself. At this point, the soft muscle 30 stops deforming. Conversely, when the total amount of fluid in the cavity decreases, the soft muscle 30 compresses until a new equilibrium is reached between the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cavity, the load acting on the end face 31 of the soft muscle 30, and the internal stress of the soft muscle 30 itself. At this point, the soft muscle 30 stops deforming. Throughout the deformation process, the two angles θ... p1 and θ p2 The fluid volume increases or decreases synchronously and can remain substantially the same. It is understood that in some embodiments, an increase in the total fluid volume within the cavity does not necessarily mean that the soft muscle 30 is in a stretched state; it may also be in a compressed state under the load of the end face 31. That is, the soft muscle 30 is in force balance under the combined action of the resultant force of the internal and external pressure difference acting on the flexible sidewall 32, the load of the end face 31, and the internal stress of the soft muscle 30 itself.

[0056] Figures 6A-6B A central longitudinal cross-sectional view of the soft muscle 30 when compressed to its minimum height is shown. During compression of the soft muscle 30 toward its minimum height, the creases 322 of the strain elements of the soft muscle 30 move closer together, and the folded surfaces 321 of the strain elements move, bend, and come into contact with each other. Thus, the folded surface 321 of each strain element deforms in a wavy shape in the central longitudinal cross-section. The wavy shape of the folded surface 321 of each strain element after deformation includes a crest and a trough. In some embodiments, the wavy shape includes a crest and a trough respectively near the two ends of the crease 322 of the folded surface 321.

[0057] In some embodiments, the area change rate formula σ of the soft muscle 30 is used. k =a(1-cosθ) p ) / (2cosθ p -a) σ k The range of values ​​is used to limit the initial invasion angle θ. p The combination of values ​​for the intrusion coefficient α, and the point-to-point straight-line distance from the crest of a single strain element to the outer end of crease 322 on the S-plane is greater than 0.25l. Wherein, σ k The ratio of the change in area of ​​the folded surface 321 from the initial state to the fully compressed state of the soft muscle 30 to the area of ​​the folded surface 321 in the initial state.

[0058] In some embodiments, the wavy deformations of two axially adjacent strain elements are mirror-symmetrical to each other in a direction perpendicular to the central axis. The crest of one strain element and the trough of the other axially adjacent strain element correspond in the direction along the central axis, thereby maintaining an axial distance between the two strain elements at the crest and trough, preventing them from approaching each other and forming an arcuate gap. In some embodiments, the axially adjacent strain elements maintain an axial distance at ideal radial positions (e.g., at 1 / 4 or 1 / 3 of the distance from the radially outer end of crease 322). Figure 6B The folded surfaces 321 of the axially adjacent strain units form a near-triangular stable microstructure near the crease 322, without continuing to approach each other. This near-triangular stable microstructure allows the soft muscle 30 to maintain its basic shape, only stretching and / or bending in the axial direction without irregular deformations such as suction or torsion, thus giving the soft muscle 30 better shape stability. The linear control fluid actuator 33 provided in this application is expected to achieve the following working state: the flexible sidewalls 32 with a stacked structure are folded / stretched, the flexible sidewalls 32 are stretched / bent, and the crease surfaces 323 are uniformly close to or deflected from each other along the central axis. In contrast, irregular or harmful deformations such as torsion refer to at least one of the following: 1. Crease deformation; 2. Crease surface bending; 3. Uneven distance or angle between crease surfaces; 4. At least one crease is offset in the direction perpendicular to the axis or deflected at a significantly different distance or angle from other creases. In some embodiments, to achieve a distance of approximately l / 3-l / 4 between the crest and the radially outer end of the crease 322, t can be configured to satisfy the following relationship: t = ml, 0.07 < m < 3. In some embodiments, the height of the bow gap can be set to (0.1 ± 0.05)l. In some embodiments, the point-to-point straight-line distance from the crest of a strain element to the radially outer end of the crease on the S-plane section can be set to be greater than 0.25l.

[0059] In related technologies, existing fluid actuators (with structural features significantly different from the soft muscle 30 provided in this application) have a long-repeating, large-rounded shape. When compressed to their minimum height, the folded surfaces of existing fluid actuators cannot exhibit the wave-like shape of the soft muscle 30 in this application. Compared to existing fluid actuators, under sealed conditions and with the same fluid volume, the soft muscle 30 of this application requires a smaller, more linear force to achieve different lengths. That is, when using fluid to drive the soft muscle provided in this application to move other objects, a smaller component force can be used to change the length of the soft muscle itself while a larger component force can be used to move other objects, resulting in a greater force-to-weight ratio and higher efficiency. Figure 7A As shown; under zero pressure differential, achieving different lengths of the soft muscle 30 in this application also requires smaller and more linear forces, such as Figure 7B As shown. Additionally... Figure 7C The graph shows the change in length of the soft muscle 30 provided in this application with air pressure under no load. It can be seen that the length of the soft muscle 30 provided in this application changes linearly with air pressure.

[0060] It should be noted that, Figure 7A and Figure 7B In the diagram, the gray broken line represents existing fluid actuators, while the orange line represents the linear control fluid actuator provided in this application.

[0061] In some embodiments, reference Figures 8A-8B The cross-sectional shape of the protruding crease 322 perpendicular to the central axis can be designed as an ellipse. Compared to the circular flexible sidewall 32, the elliptical cross-section of the linear control fluid actuator 33 can effectively utilize lateral space and improve space utilization. The penetration depth coefficient 'a' of the equivalent radius linear control fluid actuator 33 is configured to satisfy the following relationship: a = v / R, where the penetration depth v is the projection of the fold width l in the direction perpendicular to the central axis, and the equivalent radius R of the protruding crease 322 is the radius of a circle with the same perimeter as the elliptical cross-section at the protruding crease 322.

[0062] In other embodiments, reference is made to Figures 9A-9B The protruding crease 322, with its cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the central axis, can be designed as a racetrack shape. Compared to a circular soft muscle 30, a racetrack-shaped cross-section soft muscle 30 can, with fewer components, provide sufficient driving force to power an adjustable, flexible rotational alignment mechanism to perform automatic operations (such as automatic charging) and effectively utilize lateral space, thus improving space utilization. The penetration depth coefficient 'a' of the soft muscle 30 is configured to satisfy the following relationship: a = v / R, where the penetration depth v is the projection of the fold width l onto the direction perpendicular to the central axis, and the equivalent radius R of the protruding crease 322 is the radius of the arcs at both ends of the racetrack-shaped cross-section.

[0063] In other embodiments, to maximize the use of the near-circular cross-section, reference is made. Figures 10A-10BThe cross-sectional shape of the protruding crease perpendicular to the central axis can be designed as a fan-shaped ring. Compared to a circular soft muscle 30, the fan-shaped cross-section of the soft muscle 30 can effectively utilize lateral space and improve space utilization. The intrusion depth coefficient a is configured to satisfy the following relationship: a = v / R, where the intrusion depth v is the projection of the fold width l in the direction perpendicular to the central axis, and the equivalent radius R of the protruding crease 322 is the radius of a circle with the same perimeter as the fan-shaped cross-section at the crease 322. To reduce stress concentration, in some embodiments, the four corners of the fan-shaped ring are rounded, and the radius r0 of the transition arc of the outer contour of the fan-shaped ring satisfies: r0 ≥ R. Thus, the above-mentioned complex shapes such as ellipse, racetrack, and circle can adapt to the requirements of various workspaces, especially since ellipse or fan shape can better utilize lateral space compared to circle.

[0064] The soft muscle 30 has an initial invasion angle θ in the initial state. p Furthermore, during the compression or extension of a uniformly strained stacked structure, the intrusion angle θ ranges from 0° to the maximum intrusion angle θ. max The variation between these ranges is significant. By setting a favorable initial intrusion angle range, the strain-uniformly stacked structure of the soft muscle 30 can be encouraged to exhibit smaller strain and / or a more uniform strain distribution during deformation. It should be understood that the maximum intrusion angle θ... max This should be understood as the state that the soft muscle 30 can achieve within its rated operating range (e.g., rated pressure difference range; taking an external air pressure of 0.1 MPa as an example, the rated pressure difference range is -0.08 MPa to 0.2 MPa), not the state achievable under physical limits. In some embodiments, the maximum intrusion angle θ max It can be configured to satisfy the following relationship: 15°≤θ max ≤45°. Typically, linear control fluid actuators can achieve optimized performance within their rated operating range, for example, a fold life of nearly 3 million cycles.

[0065] Due to the small strain characteristic of the soft muscle 30, the penetration depth coefficient 'a' can remain essentially constant during deformation. In some embodiments, the penetration depth coefficient 'a' can be advantageously configured to satisfy the following relationship: 'a > 0.2'. 'a' greater than 0.2 improves the folding deformation performance and compression ratio of the soft muscle 30. In some embodiments, to further improve the folding deformation performance of the soft muscle 30, the penetration depth coefficient 'a' can be advantageously configured to satisfy the following relationship: '0.2 < a < 0.6'. Furthermore, for the soft muscle 30, the end face 31 load and the ambient pressure jointly determine the pressure range inside the cavity required for operation. The range of the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cavity determines the range of the wall thickness 't' of the flexible sidewall 32.

[0066] The soft muscle 30 has an initial height H in its initial state (i.e., a relaxed state without external force or pressure difference). P Furthermore, during the compression or extension of the uniformly strained stacked structure, the height H of the soft muscle 30 is at its minimum height H. min To maximum height H max The initial height H of the soft muscle 30 varies between these values. In some embodiments, to improve the lateral stability of the soft muscle 30, the initial height H of the soft muscle 30 is... P The equivalent radius R of the protruding crease can be advantageously configured to satisfy the following relationship: 0.6 < H P / R < 3 (working pressure range -0.1MPa to 0.2MPa), 2.5 < H P / R < 6 (operating below 0 MPa). Advantageously, by setting an advantageous initial height H P The numerical relationship between the equivalent radius R of the protruding crease 322 and the pleated crease 322 unexpectedly yields good lateral stability. Within the effective working range, the internal and external pressure difference of the soft muscle 30 varies with changes in load, stroke, and the volume and / or pressure of the driving fluid, and the variation range of this internal and external pressure difference is within -0.1 MPa to 0.2 MPa. Correspondingly, the minimum height of the soft muscle 30 is 0.2 H. p <H min <0.4H p Maximum height H max >1.5H p Maximum intrusion angle θ max At a temperature of <45°, the soft muscle 30, due to its uniform strain distribution, can have a lifespan of more than 3 million stretching cycles.

[0067] The static compression ratio C of the soft muscle 30 is equal to the initial height H. P and minimum height H min The ratio, that is:

[0068] C = H P / H min =lsinθ P / 1.5ml=sinθ P / 1.5m.

[0069] To achieve a higher static compression ratio, C can be set to be greater than 3. Therefore, sinθ P >4.5m. θ P The relationship with m can be set as shown in the table below:

[0070] m <![CDATA[sinθ P ]]> <![CDATA[θ P ]]> 0.07 ＞0.315 ＞18.4° 0.15 ＞0.45 ＞26.8° 0.2 ＞0.6 ＞36.87°

[0071] The soft muscle 30 of this application, compared with the soft muscle provided in this application, has a larger effective compression ratio, a smaller total area of ​​flexible sidewalls 32, better lateral stiffness, and better shape stability.

[0072] In some embodiments, when m = 0.1, sinθ P =0.4230 (i.e., θ) P =25.025°), at which point the static compression ratio C is 2.82. When sinθ P =0.5192 (i.e., θ) P =31.3°), at which point the static compression ratio C is 3.46.

[0073] To ensure the soft muscle 30 exhibits good folding performance, in some embodiments, the number of layers M in the strain-uniformly distributed stacked structure of the soft muscle 30 is configured to satisfy the following relationship: 8 < M < 12. Specifically, when designing the soft muscle 30, considering the diversity of its working environment, if the working space where the soft muscle 30 is located meets the H / R value range, the number of muscle layers can be directly determined to be 8 to 12. If the working space where the soft muscle 30 is located does not meet the H / R value range, the working space can be considered as a combination of multiple spatial units that meet the H / R value range or as part of a single spatial unit, and then the number of muscle layers corresponding to each spatial unit can be determined.

[0074] To ensure the most uniform strain distribution possible during the folding deformation of the soft muscle 30, the wall thickness t of the folding surface 321 can be advantageously configured to satisfy the following relationship: 0.05h / sinθ p <t<0.2h / sinθ p Where h is the distance between two adjacent layers in the multi-layered crease surface 323 in the initial state, and θ p The initial intrusion angle is given. During the folding deformation process of the linearly controlled fluid actuator, the wall thickness t of the folding surface 321 of the flexible sidewall 32 can remain unchanged.

[0075] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a longitudinal section along the center of crease 322 is shown, with the radius of the arc on the outer surface being r1, the radius of the arc on the inner surface being r2, and the wall thickness between the outer and inner surfaces being T. To achieve uniform strain distribution and prevent concentration at the crease, the wall thickness T at crease 322 can be set to be greater than the wall thickness t of the folded surface 321. Therefore, when r1 = ot and r2 = it, r1 and r2 can be advantageously configured to satisfy the following relationship:

[0076]

[0077]

[0078]

[0079] The rate of change of area σ of soft muscle 30 Δ This refers to the ratio of the change in area of ​​the folded surface 321 when the soft muscle 30 deforms from the first state to the second state (the first and second states refer to any two states within the deformation range of the soft muscle 30, not specifically a particular state) to the area of ​​the folded surface 321 in the first state. By limiting the range of the difference in the area change of the folded surface 321 during the deformation of the soft muscle 30, the performance of the soft muscle 30 can be further optimized, resulting in a soft muscle 30 that simultaneously meets the requirements of high thrust-to-weight ratio, high compression ratio, high energy efficiency, linear response control characteristics, and long lifespan. Through simplification, the folded surface 321 of the soft muscle 30 in the initial state is considered as the side of a frustum, with the diameters of its upper and lower bases being r and R, respectively, and the generatrix length being (Rr) / cosγ. The folded surface 321 in the folded state is considered as an annulus with inner and outer diameters of Rl and R, respectively. Then:

[0080] σ k = a(1-cosγ) / (2cosγ-a);

[0081] Where γ is the change in the invasion angle θ when the soft muscle 30 deforms from the first state to the second state, and σ k The ratio of the change in area of ​​the folded surface 321 to the area of ​​the folded surface 321 in the initial state when the fluid actuator 33 is linearly controlled from the initial state to the fully compressed state.

[0082] Using this relationship, the soft muscle 30 under different working conditions (working stroke, i.e., the corresponding angle change range and pressure difference range) can be analyzed using σ. k The range of values ​​for θ is limited. p The range of values ​​for 'a' ensures that the flexible sidewall 332 is in a state of uniform strain distribution during the folding and stretching process, while optimizing the compression ratio, shape stability and service life of the soft muscle 30. The state of uniform strain distribution does not refer to the absolute uniform distribution of the actual strain, but rather to the dispersion as much as possible from local areas, especially the crease 322.

[0083] It is important to note that the "uniform strain distribution" referred to in this article does not mean that the actual strain can achieve a completely uniform distribution, but rather that it should be distributed as evenly as possible without being concentrated in certain locations (such as crease 322). Concentration in certain locations (such as crease 322) will cause the strain / stress to be significantly higher in some small local areas than in other locations. This may lead to fatigue / failure in some cases where these small local areas exceed the elastic deformation range of the material.

[0084] In some embodiments, the initial intrusion angle θp The intrusion coefficient a satisfies the following relationship:

[0085] σ k =a(1-cosθ) p ) / (2cosθ p -a), and 0.06 < σ k <055.

[0086] When the working pressure difference of the soft muscle 30 is between -0.08 MPa and 0 MPa (using only negative pressure and bearing a relatively small load), the maximum angle during the operation of the soft muscle 30 is θ. p In other words, soft muscles can only be compressed (30), according to the formula σ. k The initial intrusion angle θ is defined by a(1-cosγ) / (2cosγ-a). p The values ​​of , where γ = θ p , 0.4 < a < 0.6, 0.06 < σ k <0.17. In this embodiment, the material used to manufacture the flexible sidewall 32 meets the following requirements: tensile strength greater than 5 MPa, Shore hardness greater than 60, and resilience greater than 50%.

[0087] When the working pressure differential of the soft muscle 30 is between -0.08 MPa and 0.2 MPa (applicable to both positive and negative pressures, with a large pressure differential range, capable of withstanding greater loads, meaning the soft muscle 30 can both compress and extend), the initial intrusion angle θ p The value of σ is determined by the formula σ. k The expression is defined as a(1-cosγ) / (2cosγ-a), where γ = θ. p , 0.02 < σ k <0.1, 0.25 < a < 0.55. In this embodiment, the material used to make the flexible sidewall 32 meets the following requirements: tensile strength greater than 9 MPa, Shore hardness greater than 70, and resilience greater than 40%. Further, the tensile strength is greater than 12 MPa, Shore hardness greater than 80, and resilience greater than 30%.

[0088] refer to Figure 12A and 12BThe soft muscle 30 includes a sealing crimping piece 34 and an end plate 35 for sealing. Correspondingly, the flexible sidewall 32 has connecting mating portions 36 at both ends, and the connecting mating portions 36, the sealing crimping piece 34, and the end plate 35 form a sealed connection. The sealing crimping piece 34 has a first crimping portion 341 that matches the axially inner and radially inner shapes of the connecting mating portion 36, and the end plate 35 has a second crimping portion 351 that matches the axially outer and radially outer shapes of the connecting mating portion 36. The first crimping portion 341 and the second crimping portion 351 provide bidirectional restraint to the connecting mating portion 36 in both the radial and axial directions, so that the end of the soft muscle 30 has a stable shape; in one embodiment, both the first crimping portion 341 and the second crimping portion 351 are L-shaped.

[0089] The first crimping part 341, the second crimping part 351 and the connecting mating part 36 form a sealed fit, and the degree of deformation of the connecting mating part 36 is proportional to the pressure difference between the inside of the cavity and the outside environment, thereby forming a seal with better effect as the pressure difference increases, thus effectively solving the problem that the probability of seal failure increases with the increase of pressure difference.

[0090] In some embodiments, during compression or stretching of the strain-uniformly distributed stacked structure, the folded surface 321 of the strain-uniformly distributed stacked structure has a uniform strain distribution. Specifically, the strain difference does not exceed 10% in every 102 mm area.

[0091] To ensure that the soft muscle 30 has good folding and deformation performance, in some embodiments, the material used to prepare the soft muscle 30 is configured to satisfy the following relationships: tensile strength greater than 9 MPa, Shore hardness greater than 80, and resilience greater than 30% (under the test standard of ISO 4662-2017). Making the soft muscle 30 from a material with high resilience allows the soft muscle 30 to store a large proportion of the fluid energy used to overcome the internal stress of the strain-distributed stacked structure as elastic potential energy in the material during the reciprocating deformation process. This energy is then converted back into mechanical energy for the strain-distributed stacked structure to spring back to its original position, thereby improving energy conversion efficiency. In some embodiments, the soft muscle 30 is made of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber (TPU). In other embodiments, the soft muscle 30 is configured to consist of silicone rubber, polyethylene, polypropylene, and any one or more of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic rubbers, polyolefin thermoplastic elastomers, and thermoplastic vulcanized rubbers.

[0092] In summary, the various types of soft muscles 30 obtained through the methods of the embodiments of this application can achieve the following: during the folding and deformation process, the folding surface 321 does not undergo significant deformation such as depression or bulge; the flow dynamics are mainly used to cause the strain-uniformly distributed stacked structure to fold or extend; the flexible sidewall 32 itself undergoes almost no strain (i.e., the aforementioned small strain characteristic); and the crease 322 does not deform. This allows the soft muscle 30 to maintain a stable basic shape (a cylindrical shape with varying length along the axis) with the crease 322 as a framework. 23 are uniformly close to and far apart along the axis. The crease 322 in the crease surface 323 does not bend or deform, nor does it move within the crease surface 323. It only moves along the axis with the crease surface 323. The angle of inclination of the flexible sidewall 32 relative to the crease surface 323 changes with the change of the spacing between the crease surfaces 323. The basic position and shape of the flexible sidewall 32 itself (the basic position is determined by the crease 322) do not change. A single fold surface 321 may have a slight S-shaped bend, but there will be no significant area change caused by tensile strain.

[0093] The adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism of this application includes a soft muscle 30, which features high pressure resistance, low strain, and long service life. It overcomes at least some of the shortcomings of existing technologies, thereby achieving a high load-to-weight ratio, large output force, and linear output force. This application, through a targeted design of the shape of the linear control fluid actuator with a stacked structure to suit various working conditions, aims to distribute the overall strain evenly on the flexible sidewall 32 (or evenly on each folded surface) rather than concentrating it at the folds. This has significant positive implications for improving the energy conversion efficiency of the linear control fluid actuator, enhancing its environmental and operational tolerance (wider temperature range, larger pressure differential, etc.), and extending its service life.

[0094] Specifically, the linear control fluid actuator according to this application can achieve the following technical effects: 1. High effective compression ratio (which is a necessary condition for a large working stroke and small space occupation; the concept of effective compression ratio is a prerequisite for maintaining all the characteristics claimed later); 2. Strong pressure resistance (which means maintaining its various characteristics under large pressure difference and large load); 3. Directional motion and structural characteristics (which means that the fluid actuator itself is easy to extend and contract in the axial direction and is not easy to undergo adverse deformations such as lateral torsion and twisting, resulting in good constraint on the shape of the fluid in the cavity, so that the fluid driving force can be oriented as much as possible towards the working direction), while minimizing the energy consumed in the deformation of the muscle itself; 4. High energy efficiency (the characteristic mentioned in point 3 above allows a larger proportion of energy to be used in the working direction. At the same time, the combination of materials and structure makes the strain uniformly distributed, thereby controlling the local strain to not exceed elastic deformation. This allows the energy that deforms the muscle to be stored and released as elastic energy as much as possible and dissipated in the plastic deformation process of the material); 5. Long life (the characteristic mentioned in point 4 above brings the effect of not being easily fatigued and damaged. Combined with point 3, this muscle can work stably and efficiently for a long time. Experimental data shows that it has a service life of 3 million cycles under specified conditions. The specified conditions include the pressure difference range, the deformation form is only expansion and contraction, and the stroke range, not arbitrary working conditions, especially large pressure difference combined with large angle bending).

[0095] Secondly, referring to Figures 1 to 4 This application also provides a charging robot, including the adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism, the gun gripping mechanism 40, and the insertion / removal mechanism 50 described in the first aspect. The gun gripping mechanism 40 is rotatably connected to the adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism, and the insertion / removal mechanism 50 is connected to the gun gripping mechanism 40. The gun gripping mechanism 40 is used to fix the charging gun head, and the insertion / removal mechanism 50 is used to drive the charging gun head to be inserted into the charging port and / or pulled out from the charging port. The insertion / removal mechanism 50 includes soft muscle 30, a control module, and a vision module. The vision module is used to acquire the position information of the target object, and the control module is used to control the fluid to flow into or out of the cavity of the soft muscle through the drive source interface at different stages of the alignment and insertion / removal process according to the position information, so that the adjustable flexible rotary alignment device and the insertion / removal mechanism can cooperate to complete the alignment and insertion / removal actions with different degrees of flexibility, thereby connecting the charging gun head to the charging port.

[0096] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the plug-in structure 50 includes a fixed base 51, a guide structure 52, and a drive structure 53.

[0097] The guide structure 52 is disposed on the fixed base 51 along the first direction. The drive structure 53 has a fixed end 531, a movable end 532, and a soft muscle 30 disposed between the fixed end and the movable end. The fixed end 531 is connected to the fixed base 532, the movable end 532 is slidably connected to the guide structure 52, and the movable end 532 is also fixedly connected to the gripper assembly 40. When the soft muscle 30 extends or retracts, it drives the charging gun head to perform insertion and / or alignment actions in the automated charging process.

[0098] The charging robot provided in this application has a large degree of flexibility in both the charging gun head and the charging port before contact, which can quickly align and adjust. After contact begins, the internal pressure of the soft muscle of the insertion and removal mechanism increases, the rigidity increases, and the flexibility decreases, thus starting the insertion. The flexibility of rotation alignment and insertion and removal can be dynamically changed and combined according to factors such as the degree of alignment and insertion and removal resistance, ultimately completing the automatic charging action accurately and efficiently.

[0099] In some embodiments, the gripper assembly mentioned in this application is well known in the field of charging robots, and its specific structure is not the focus of this application and will not be described in detail here.

[0100] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail or recorded in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0101] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An adjustable and flexible rotary alignment mechanism, installed in an automated operating facility, for driving the object to be operated to rotate for alignment and docking with a target object, characterized in that, include: The mounting bracket is rotatably connected to the object to be operated; The drive board has a connection point for fixing the object to be operated; Adjustable and flexible soft muscles are disposed on both sides of the drive plate and arranged along a first direction. One end of the soft muscles is connected to the drive plate, and the other end of the soft muscles is connected to the mounting frame. The soft muscles extend or compress to rotate the drive plate, thereby rotating the object to be operated. When one of the soft muscles on both sides of the drive plate extends, the other compresses, and the total length of the two soft muscles remains unchanged. The rotational position of the drive plate is affected by the pressure difference between the soft muscles on both sides of the drive plate, and the flexibility of the position of the drive plate is affected by the absolute pressure inside the cavity.

2. The adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The soft muscle includes two end faces, flexible sidewalls, and a drive source interface; The flexible sidewall and the two end faces enclose a cavity with a central axis. The flexible sidewall is designed or includes a stacked structure that can be compressed and / or stretched along the central axis. The stacked structure is formed by stacking at least two layers along the central axis, such that the strain of the entire flexible sidewall is evenly distributed among the stacked layers. Each stacked layer includes at least one strain unit with a folded surface and a crease. Based on the combination of the shape, thickness, and stacking method of the strain unit, during the expansion and / or bending of the flexible sidewall along the central axis, the strain of the strain unit is evenly distributed on the folded surface and not concentrated at the crease. The drive source interface is disposed on the flexible sidewall or the end face. The drive source interface is used to change the internal and external pressure difference of the cavity and to compress or stretch the stacked structure to drive the end faces to move. Each stacked layer is enclosed by a single folded surface. A crease is formed at the connection of the folded surfaces of two adjacent stacked layers. The crease is located in the crease surface perpendicular to the central axis. Initially, the crease surface is planar. The strain element has an intrusion angle θ, an intrusion depth coefficient a, a fold width l, and a wall thickness t. The intrusion angle θ is the angle between the fold surface and the adjacent crease surface. The intrusion angle θ varies with the compression or extension of the stacked structure. The intrusion angle θ, intrusion depth coefficient a, fold width l, and wall thickness t are all defined based on the cross-section of the strain element cut by the S-plane. The fold width l is the width of the fold surface from the radially outer side of the protruding crease to the radially inner side of the concave crease. The fold width l is perpendicular to the center. The projection along the axial direction is defined as the intrusion depth v. The intrusion depth coefficient a is the ratio between the intrusion depth v and the effective radius of the protruding crease. The wall thickness t is the thickness of the flexible sidewall. The intrusion angle θ, the intrusion depth coefficient a, the fold width l, and the wall thickness t are numerically related to each other and have a set combination of values, so that during the deformation of the soft muscle, the flexible sidewall folds and / or stretches, and the strain of the flexible sidewall is evenly distributed on each fold surface and not concentrated at the crease. The strain unit has at least one repeating basic shape that appears continuously in the axial direction, and the creases on adjacent crease surfaces have different concave and convex states on the flexible sidewall. The protruding creases have a closed shape with continuous curvature G1 or continuous curvature G2 in a cross section perpendicular to the central axis. The soft muscle has an initial invasion angle θ in its initial state. p and initial height H p Furthermore, during compression and / or stretching within the effective working range of the stacked structure, the intrusion angle θ ranges from 0° to the maximum intrusion angle θ. max The height H of the soft muscle varies between these values, with the minimum height H being [missing information]. min To maximum height H max The crease moves only along the central axis as the crease surface changes without deformation; During the compression of the soft muscle, the folded surface deforms in a wave shape on the central longitudinal section, and the wave shape after the folded surface is deformed includes crests and troughs.

3. The adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The initial intrusion angle θp and the intrusion coefficient a satisfy the following relationship: s k =a(1-cosθ p ) / (2cosθ p -a); Furthermore, on the S-plane, the straight-line distance from the crest of a single strain element to the outer end of the crease is greater than 0.25l.

4. The adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Within the effective working range, the pressure difference between the cavity of the soft muscle and the external environment changes due to variations in the volume and / or pressure of the driving fluid, causing volume changes in the cavity of the soft muscle. These volume changes are primarily reflected in expansion and contraction along the central axis, thereby driving relative movement between the two ends of the soft muscle. The pressure difference varies within the range of -0.1 MPa to 0.2 MPa, and the minimum height of the soft muscle is 0.2 H. p <H min <0.4H p Maximum intrusion angle θ max <45°, maximum height H max >1.5H p At that time, the soft muscles have a lifespan of more than 3 million contractions.

5. The adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, When the working pressure difference of the soft muscle is in the range of -0.08 MPa to 0 MPa, 0.06 < σ k <0.17, 0.4 < a < 0.6; The material used to manufacture the flexible sidewalls meets the following requirements: tensile strength greater than 5 MPa, Shore hardness greater than 60, and resilience greater than 50%.

6. The adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, When the working pressure difference of the soft muscle is in the range of -0.08 MPa to 0.2 MPa, 0.02 < σ k <0.1, 0.25 < a < 0.55; The flexible sidewall is made of a material that meets the following requirements: tensile strength greater than 12 MPa, Shore hardness greater than 80, and resilience greater than 30%.

7. The adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The soft muscle includes a sealing press plate and an end plate for sealing it, and the two ends of the flexible sidewall are provided with connecting mating parts, and the connecting mating parts and the sealing press plate and end plate form a sealed connection. The sealing press plate has a first press portion that matches the shape of the axial inner side and the radial inner side of the connecting mating part, and the end plate has a second press portion that matches the shape of the axial outer side and the radial outer side of the connecting mating part. The first press portion and the second press portion limit the connecting mating part in both the radial and axial directions.

8. The adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The closed shape includes at least two of the following: straight lines, circular arcs, and curve segments with varying curvature. When these two types are adjacent, the curvature is G1 continuous. Alternatively, when the closed shape only includes curves with continuously changing curvature, the curvature is G2 continuous. The adjustable and flexible rotary alignment mechanism allows the soft muscles to stretch and bend during rotation, and the closed shape is a laterally flattened shape.

9. A charging robot, characterized in that, The device includes an adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism, a gun-gripping mechanism, and a plug-in / pull-out mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 8. The gun-gripping mechanism is rotatably connected to the adjustable flexible rotary alignment mechanism, and the plug-in / pull-out mechanism is connected to the gun-gripping mechanism. The gun-gripping mechanism is used to fix the charging gun head, and the plug-in / pull-out mechanism is used to drive the charging gun head to be inserted into and / or pulled out of the charging port. The plug-in / pull-out mechanism includes the soft muscle, a control module, and a vision module. The vision module is used to acquire the position information of the target object, and the control module is used to control the fluid to flow into or out of the cavity of the soft muscle through the drive source interface at different stages of the alignment and plug-in / pull-out process according to the position information. This allows the adjustable flexible rotary alignment device and the plug-in / pull-out mechanism to work together with different degrees of flexibility to complete the alignment and plug-in / pull-out actions, thereby docking the charging gun head with the charging port.

10. The charging robot as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The insertion / removal mechanism includes: Fixed base; A guide structure is disposed on the fixed base along the first direction; and The driving structure has a fixed end, a movable end, and a soft muscle disposed between the fixed end and the movable end. The fixed end is connected to the fixed seat, the movable end is slidably connected to the guide structure, and the movable end is also fixedly connected to the gripping gun assembly. When the soft muscle extends or retracts, it drives the charging gun head to perform insertion, removal, and / or alignment actions during the automated operation process.

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