Overlapping cross type embrace mechanical arm

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of mechanical arms, and discloses a kind of superimposed cross type ring mechanical arm, comprising: at least two ring continuum mechanical arms, each ring continuum mechanical arm is sequentially articulated by multiple joints, joint includes sequentially arranged joint A to joint G from root to tip, wherein, joint A to joint C are set to be superimposed cross each other;It also includes rope control mechanism, motor drive device and fixed support mechanism.Fixing support mechanism is used to support ring continuum mechanical arm, motor drive device and rope control mechanism;Wherein, motor drive device realizes the action of ring continuum mechanical arm to ring continuum mechanical arm through rope control mechanism to realize the action of ring continuum mechanical arm to ring continuum mechanical arm or release pier.By the multi-joint compliant design of ring continuum mechanical arm and the joint A to joint C structure of superimposed cross, the application can be adaptively fitted to the surface of bridge pier with various cross-sectional shapes such as circle, square and different diameters, realize large-area, lossless clamping, and has strong versatility.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of mechanical arms, in particular to a superimposed cross type embracing mechanical arm. BACKGROUND

[0002] The bridge pier is a key load-bearing structure in the underwater and tidal change area, and the health status of its surface (such as cracks, spalling, and reinforcement corrosion) is directly related to the overall safety and service life of the bridge. Therefore, regular and accurate detection of the pier is an important part of the bridge operation and maintenance system.

[0003] Currently, the detection of the pier mainly relies on two ways: one is manual inspection by riding a basket or contact detection by handheld equipment; the other is non-contact scanning by using a ship carrying various optical and acoustic sensors. However, both of these two mainstream methods have obvious drawbacks. The manual detection method not only has high operation risk and low efficiency, but also is seriously affected by weather and hydrological conditions, and has poor safety. Although the sensor-carrying ship can avoid the risk of high-altitude operation, it is difficult to provide a stable detection platform due to the multi-degree-of-freedom shaking of the ship body under the continuous disturbance of water flow and waves, resulting in a significant decrease in the accuracy of sensor data collection and seriously affecting the reliability and accuracy of the detection results.

[0004] In recent years, robot technology, especially continuum robot technology, has provided a potential solution to the above problems due to its excellent flexibility and adaptability to unstructured environments. However, there are still great challenges in directly applying continuum robots to the pier detection scene. First, most continuum robots (such as those used in medical or narrow space exploration) pursue extreme flexibility, and their structural rigidity and load capacity are generally insufficient to support relatively heavy detection equipment (such as three-dimensional scanners, high-definition camera arrays, etc.), and it is also difficult to provide stable working reaction force. Second, some existing rigid mechanisms that can be used for clamping (such as large industrial robot arms or hydraulic clamps) can provide sufficient support stiffness, but they often lack self-adaptive ability, making it difficult to conform to the surfaces of piers with different diameters and cross-sectional shapes (such as circular and square), and generally have problems such as bulky structure, large space occupation, and possible damage to the pier surface, making it difficult to effectively deploy on the deck of a ship with limited space and load.

[0005] In addition, there are some compromise solutions in the prior art, such as using a traditional multi-joint robot arm to grab the pier embedded part, or using a flexible rope to pull the ship towards the pier. The former relies on specific gripping points and has poor versatility, and rigid contact can cause stress concentration and surface damage; the latter can only provide one-way constraint and cannot effectively suppress the rotation and shaking of the ship around the pier, and the system has small damping and insufficient stability.

[0006] In summary, the field urgently needs a special connecting device that can balance flexibility and rigidity, and has large load capacity and lightweight characteristics, to solve the core technical problem of establishing a high-strength, high-stability, self-adaptive, and non-destructive connection between the ship body and the bridge pier in complex hydrological environments, thereby providing a reliable operation platform for high-precision automatic detection of the bridge pier. SUMMARY

[0007] The purpose of the present application is to provide an overlapping cross type embracing mechanical arm to solve the problems raised in the background art.

[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application provides the following technical solutions:

[0009] An overlapping cross type embracing mechanical arm, comprising:

[0010] At least two embracing continuum mechanical arms, each of which is composed of a plurality of joints connected in sequence, the joints including joints A, joints B, joints C, joints D, joints E, joints F and joints G arranged in sequence from the root to the tip, wherein the joints A, joints B and joints C are arranged to overlap each other.

[0011] A rope control mechanism, comprising a rope, a rope wheel and a rope winder, one end of the rope being connected with the embracing continuum mechanical arm, and the other end being connected with the rope winder through the rope wheel;

[0012] A motor drive device for providing power to the rope control mechanism;

[0013] A fixed support mechanism for supporting the embracing continuum mechanical arm, the motor drive device and the rope control mechanism;

[0014] Wherein, the motor drive device drives the embracing continuum mechanical arm to realize the action of embracing or releasing the bridge pier through the rope control mechanism.

[0015] Further preferably, a hinge block is arranged between adjacent joints, the hinge block is internally provided with a bearing, a joint shaft is arranged through the bearing, a torsional spring is further arranged at the center of the hinge block, and the torsional spring is sleeved on the surface of the joint shaft, the torsional spring is used to make the inner sides of adjacent joints move away from each other and the outer sides of adjacent joints move close to each other in the non-working state, and make the inner sides of adjacent joints move close to each other and the outer sides of adjacent joints move away from each other in the working state.

[0016] Further preferably, the joints A, joints B, joints C, joints D, joints E, joints F and joints G are all made of metal materials, and are internally hollow, the sizes of the joints A, joints B, joints C, joints D, joints E, joints F and joints G gradually change from small to large, and the whole presents a simulated elephant trunk variable diameter structure.

[0017] Further preferably, a plurality of rubber pad connecting holes are arranged on the side surface of the abutment A, the abutment B, the abutment C, the abutment D, the abutment E, the abutment F and the abutment G, and rubber pads are connected to the rubber pad connecting holes through fixing bolts.

[0018] Further preferably, the rope control mechanism further comprises a rope pulley lug, one end of the rope pulley lug is connected to the front fixed plate surface of the fixed support mechanism through a screw, and the other end of the rope pulley lug is connected with a rope pulley.

[0019] Further preferably, the motor driving device comprises a motor, a motor reducer, a shaft coupling 29, a driving shaft and a driving bearing, the motor driving end is connected with the motor reducer, the other end of the motor reducer is connected with the driving shaft through the shaft coupling, the other end of the driving shaft is connected to the bottom of the end cover of the fixed support mechanism through the driving bearing, and a rope winding device is further sleeved on the outer side of the driving shaft, the motor drives the driving shaft to rotate through the motor reducer and the shaft coupling, and in turn drives the rope winding device to wind and unwind the rope.

[0020] Further preferably, the fixed support mechanism comprises a front fixed plate, a rear fixed plate, an upper fixed plate, a middle fixed plate, a lower fixed plate, support columns and a mechanical arm lug, one end of the mechanical arm lug is connected to the surface of the front fixed plate through a screw, the other end of the mechanical arm lug is articulated with the abutment G of the embracing continuum mechanical arm through the cooperation of a bearing, a torsional spring and a rope shaft, a plurality of support columns are arranged between the front fixed plate and the rear fixed plate, the two ends of each support column are fixedly connected to the front fixed plate and the rear fixed plate through screws, an upper fixed plate is further arranged on the top of the front fixed plate and the rear fixed plate, a lower fixed plate is further arranged on the bottom of the front fixed plate and the rear fixed plate, an end cover is arranged on the surface center of the upper fixed plate, a motor reducer is fixedly connected to the bottom center of the lower fixed plate, a middle fixed plate is arranged at the connection position of the shaft coupling and the driving shaft, and the middle fixed plate is fixedly connected to the front fixed plate and the rear fixed plate through screws.

[0021] Further preferably, a buffer is further arranged between adjacent abutments, rope holes and reserved holes are symmetrically arranged at the two ends of each abutment, ropes are connected through the rope holes, and the ropes are fixedly connected to the rope holes at the end of the abutment A.

[0022] Further preferably, the end of the rear fixed plate away from the front fixed plate is connected to a driving mechanism of a ship or the like.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the application has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] Through the multi-joint flexible design of the embracing continuum mechanical arm and the overlapped and crossed joint A to joint C structure, the invention can adaptively fit the bridge pier surface of various cross section shapes such as circle and square and different diameters, realize large-area and lossless clamping in the form of coating, and has strong versatility.

[0025] The joints of the embracing continuum mechanical arm are made of metal material, and have high rigidity at local key positions while being flexible as a whole. After embracing, a stable rigid frame structure is formed, effectively inhibiting the sway of the ship body in water flow and waves, and providing an extremely stable operation platform for the detection equipment.

[0026] The multiple embracing continuum mechanical arms and the unique "overlapped and crossed" embracing mode thereof work cooperatively, break through the limitation of single arm envelope, significantly expand the adaptable bridge pier diameter range, and improve the versatility and working efficiency of the equipment.

[0027] The joint adopts a variable diameter structure similar to a nose and a hollow design, which reduces the overall weight while ensuring the strength of the root structure, has a high power-to-weight ratio, and creates conditions for carrying more detection equipment.

[0028] The inside of the embracing continuum mechanical arm is provided with a rubber pad, which effectively increases the friction with the bridge pier surface, prevents slipping after embracing, and ensures the safety and reliability of the operation process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the invention;

[0030] Figure 2 It is a front view of the invention in use;

[0031] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the joints of the invention;

[0032] Figure 4 It is a side view of the connection structure between the joint and the fixed support mechanism of the invention;

[0033] Figure 5 It is a top view of the connection structure between the joint and the fixed support mechanism of the invention;

[0034] Figure 6 It is a perspective view of the invention in use;

[0035] In the figure: 1, joint A; 2, joint B; 3, joint C; 4, joint D; 5, joint E; 6, joint F; 7, joint G; 8, bearing; 9, joint shaft; 10, torsion spring; 11, bumper; 12, rope hole; 13, reserved hole; 14, rubber pad connecting hole; 15, rubber pad; 16, rope; 17, rope wheel; 18, rope wheel lug; 19, mechanical arm lug; 20, rope shaft; 21, motor; 22, screw; 23, front fixed plate; 24, end cover; 25, upper fixed plate; 26, drive shaft; 27, rope winding device; 28, middle fixed plate; 29, shaft coupling; 30, rear fixed plate; 31, support column; 32, motor reducer; 33, lower fixed plate; 34, drive bearing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 1 Figure 6 The present application provides a technical solution:

[0038] A superimposed and crossed type of embracing mechanical arm, comprising:

[0039] At least two embracing continuum mechanical arms, each of which is composed of a plurality of joints connected in sequence, the joints comprising joint A1, joint B2, joint C3, joint D4, joint E5, joint F6 and joint G7 arranged in sequence from the root to the tip, wherein joint A1, joint B2 and joint C3 are arranged to be superimposed and crossed with each other.

[0040] A rope control mechanism, comprising a rope 16, a rope wheel 17 and a rope winding device 27, one end of the rope 16 being connected with the embracing continuum mechanical arm, and the other end being connected with the rope winding device 27 through the rope wheel 17;

[0041] A motor driving device for providing power for the rope control mechanism;

[0042] A fixed support mechanism for supporting the embracing continuum mechanical arm, the motor driving device and the rope control mechanism;

[0043] Wherein, the motor driving device drives the embracing continuum mechanical arm through the rope control mechanism to realize the action of embracing or releasing the pier.

[0044] ​In the application, the hinge blocks are hingedly connected between the adjacent joints, the hinge blocks are internally provided with bearings 8, the bearings 8 are internally provided with joint shafts 9, the hinge blocks are internally provided with torsion springs 10 at the center, the torsion springs 10 are sleeved on the surfaces of the joint shafts 9, the torsion springs 10 are used for moving the inner sides of the adjacent joints away from each other and the outer sides of the adjacent joints close to each other in the non-working state, and the torsion springs 10 are used for moving the inner sides of the adjacent joints close to each other and the outer sides of the adjacent joints away from each other in the working state. The joint A1, the joint B2, the joint C3, the joint D4, the joint E5, the joint F6 and the joint G7 are all made of metal materials and are internally hollow structures, the sizes of the joint A1, the joint B2, the joint C3, the joint D4, the joint E5, the joint F6 and the joint G7 gradually change from small to large, and the whole presents a simulated nose variable diameter structure. The surfaces of the joint A1, the joint B2, the joint C3, the joint D4, the joint E5, the joint F6 and the joint G7 close to the pier are all provided with a plurality of rubber pad connecting holes 14, and the rubber pad connecting holes 14 are connected with rubber pads 15 through fixed bolts. The rubber pads 15 are used for increasing the friction between the ring embracing continuum mechanical arm and the pier, improving the stability of the connection and ensuring the safety and reliability of the work.

[0045] In the application, the rope control mechanism further comprises a rope wheel lug 18, one end of the rope wheel lug 18 is connected to the surface of the front fixed plate 23 of the fixed support mechanism through a screw 22, and the other end of the rope wheel lug 18 is connected with a rope wheel 17.

[0046] In the application, the motor driving device comprises a motor 21, a motor reducer 32, a shaft coupling 29, a driving shaft 26 and a driving bearing 34, the motor 21 is connected with the motor reducer 32 at the driving end, the other end of the motor reducer 32 is connected with the driving shaft 26 through the shaft coupling 29, the other end of the driving shaft 26 is connected to the bottom of the end cover 24 of the fixed support mechanism through the driving bearing 34, and the outer side of the driving shaft 26 is further sleeved with a rope winding device 27. The motor 21 drives the driving shaft 26 to rotate through the motor reducer 32 and the shaft coupling 29, and then drives the rope winding device 27 to wind and unwind the rope 16. The function of the motor 21 is to provide a power source for the ring embracing continuum mechanical arm, and to convert the output torque of the motor 21 into the input driving force of the ring embracing continuum mechanical arm through the rope control mechanism.

[0047] In the application, the fixed support mechanism comprises a front fixed plate 23, a rear fixed plate 30, an upper fixed plate 25, a middle fixed plate 28, a lower fixed plate 33, a support column 31 and a mechanical arm lug 19, one end of the mechanical arm lug 19 is connected to the surface of the front fixed plate 23 through a screw 22, the other end of the mechanical arm lug 19 is hinged to the joint G7 of the embracing continuum mechanical arm through the cooperation of a bearing 8, a torsional spring 10 and a rope shaft 20, a plurality of support columns 31 are arranged between the front fixed plate 23 and the rear fixed plate 30, both ends of each support column 31 are fixedly connected to the front fixed plate 23 and the rear fixed plate 30 through screws 22, the top of the front fixed plate 23 and the rear fixed plate 30 is further provided with an upper fixed plate 25, and the bottom is further provided with a lower fixed plate 33, the surface center of the upper fixed plate 25 is provided with an end cover 24, the bottom center of the lower fixed plate 33 is fixedly connected with a motor reducer 32, a coupling 29 and a driving shaft 26 are connected, and a middle fixed plate 28 is arranged, and the middle fixed plate 28 is fixedly connected to the front fixed plate 23 and the rear fixed plate 30 through screws 22. The mechanical arm lug 19 provides rigid support for the embracing continuum mechanical arm; the front fixed plate 23 provides rigid support for the rope lug 18 and the mechanical arm lug 19; the end cover 24 ensures the connection between the driving bearing 34 and the driving shaft 26. The upper fixed plate 25, the middle fixed plate 28 and the lower fixed plate 33 provide orientation and positioning for the motor driving device, and the upper fixed plate 25 and the middle fixed plate 28 provide support and fixing for the driving shaft 26, and the lower fixed plate 33 provides fixed support for the motor 21 and the motor reducer 32. The rear fixed plate 30 is connected to the front fixed plate 23 through the support column 31, and provides stable protection for the whole fixed support mechanism.

[0048] In the application, a buffer 11 is arranged between adjacent joints, rope holes 12 and reserved holes 13 are symmetrically arranged at both ends of each joint, a rope 16 is connected through the rope hole 12, and the rope 16 is fixedly connected with the rope hole 12 at the end of the joint A1. The buffer 11 is used to prevent the contact and collision of two adjacent joints; the rope hole 12 provides a passage for the rope 16 to pass through the internal joint of the embracing continuum mechanical arm, that is, the rope 16 is connected with the embracing continuum mechanical arm through the rope hole 12; the reserved hole 13 provides more operable space for subsequent work.

[0049] In the application, the end of the rear fixed plate 30 away from the front fixed plate 23 is connected to a driving mechanism such as a ship, and the rear fixed plate 30 and the driving mechanism such as a ship can be fixedly connected through a profile mechanical mechanism, thereby providing powerful support for the detection of the pier.

[0050] When the motor 21 rotates forward, the power is transmitted to the driving shaft 26 through the motor reducer 32 and the coupling 29, and the driving shaft 26 drives the rope winding device 27 to rotate, thereby tightening the rope 16. The rope 16 passes through the rope holes 12 of each joint, and the tightening generates a pulling force that overcomes the elastic force of the torsional spring 10, thereby driving each joint to rotate around the joint shaft 9, so that the inner sides of adjacent joints approach each other and the outer sides of adjacent joints move away from each other, thereby realizing the folding of the two embracing continuum robotic arms towards the center and completing the embracing and clamping of the pier. After embracing, the embracing continuum robotic arm keeps close and stable contact with the surface of the pier under the combined action of the pulling force of the rope 16 and the elastic force of the torsional spring 10. The rubber pads 15 on the inner sides of each joint further increase the friction force to prevent slipping. When the detection work is completed and the pier needs to be released, the motor 21 reverses, the rope winding device 27 releases the rope 16, and at this time the restoring force of the torsional spring 10 drives each joint to reset, so that the embracing continuum robotic arm opens and separates from the pier.

[0051] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the application is not limited to the details of the above-described exemplary embodiments, and that the application can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the application. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the application is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description, and it is intended to include all changes falling within the meaning and range of equivalents of the claims, and no drawing reference should be considered as limiting the claims involved.

[0052] The above description is only the preferred embodiment of the application, but the protection scope of the application is not limited thereto, and any skilled person in the art can make equivalent replacements or changes to the technical solutions and inventive concepts of the application within the technical scope disclosed by the application, which should be covered by the protection scope of the application.

Claims

1. An overlapped cross-type embrace robot arm, characterized by, The utility model relates to a kind of bridge piers, including: At least two ring continuum mechanical arms, each of the ring continuum mechanical arms is sequentially articulated by a plurality of joints, the joint includes sequentially arranged joint A (1), joint B (2), joint C (3), joint D (4), joint E (5), joint F (6) and joint G (7) from root to tip, wherein the joint A (1), joint B (2) and joint C (3) are arranged to be overlapped with each other; A rope control mechanism includes a rope (16), a rope wheel (17) and a rope reel (27), one end of the rope (16) is connected to the ring continuum mechanical arm, and the other end is connected to the rope reel (27) through the rope wheel (17); A motor drive device is used to power the rope control mechanism; A fixed support mechanism is used to support the ring continuum mechanical arm, the motor drive device and the rope control mechanism; The motor drive device drives the ring continuum mechanical arm through the rope control mechanism to achieve the action of wrapping or releasing the pier; A hinge block is arranged between adjacent joints, the hinge block is internally provided with a bearing (8), the bearing (8) is internally provided with a joint shaft (9), and a torsional spring (10) is further arranged at the center of the hinge block, and the torsional spring (10) is sleeved on the surface of the joint shaft (9). The torsional spring (10) is used to make the inner sides of adjacent joints away from each other and the outer sides of adjacent joints close to each other in a non-working state, and make the inner sides of adjacent joints close to each other and the outer sides of adjacent joints away from each other in a working state. The joint A (1), joint B (2), joint C (3), joint D (4), joint E (5), joint F (6) and joint G (7) are all made of metal material, and the inside is hollow structure, the size of the joint A (1), joint B (2), joint C (3), joint D (4), joint E (5), joint F (6) and joint G (7) gradually changes from thin to thick, and the whole presents a structure similar to elephant trunk.

2. The kind of overlapped cross type embracing mechanical arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the joint A (1), joint B (2), joint C (3), joint D (4), joint E (5), joint F (6) and joint G (7) close to the pier is provided with a plurality of rubber pad connecting holes (14), and the rubber pad connecting holes (14) are connected with rubber pads (15) through fixing bolts.

3. The kind of overlapped cross type embracing mechanical arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rope control mechanism further includes a rope wheel lug (18), one end of the rope wheel lug (18) is connected to the surface of the front fixed plate (23) of the fixed support mechanism through a screw (22), and the other end of the rope wheel lug (18) is connected with the rope wheel (17).

4. The kind of overlapped cross type embracing mechanical arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motor driving device comprises a motor (21), a motor reducer (32), a shaft coupling (29), a driving shaft (26) and a driving bearing (34), the motor (21) is connected with the motor reducer (32) at the driving end, the other end of the motor reducer (32) is connected with the driving shaft (26) through the shaft coupling (29), the other end of the driving shaft (26) is connected to the bottom of the end cover (24) of the fixed support mechanism through the driving bearing (34), and the outer side of the driving shaft (26) is further sleeved with a rope winding device (27), the motor (21) drives the driving shaft (26) to rotate through the motor reducer (32) and the shaft coupling (29), and in turn drives the rope winding device (27) to wind and unwind the rope (16).

5. The kind of overlapped cross type embracing mechanical arm according to claim 4, characterized in that: The fixed support mechanism comprises a front fixed plate (23), a rear fixed plate (30), an upper fixed plate (25), a middle fixed plate (28), a lower fixed plate (33), a support column (31) and a mechanical arm lug (19), one end of the mechanical arm lug (19) is connected to the surface of the front fixed plate (23) through a screw (22), the other end of the mechanical arm lug (19) is hinged with the joint G (7) of the ring embracing continuum mechanical arm through the cooperation of a bearing (8), a torsional spring (10) and a rope shaft (20), a plurality of support columns (31) are arranged between the front fixed plate (23) and the rear fixed plate (30), both ends of each support column (31) are fixedly connected to the front fixed plate (23) and the rear fixed plate (30) through screws (22), an upper fixed plate (25) is further arranged at the top of the front fixed plate (23) and the rear fixed plate (30), and a lower fixed plate (33) is further arranged at the bottom of the front fixed plate (23) and the rear fixed plate (30), an end cover (24) is arranged at the center of the surface of the upper fixed plate (25), a motor reducer (32) is fixedly connected to the center of the bottom of the lower fixed plate (33), a middle fixed plate (28) is further arranged at the connection position of the shaft coupling (29) and the driving shaft (26), and the middle fixed plate (28) is fixedly connected to the front fixed plate (23) and the rear fixed plate (30) through screws (22).

6. The kind of overlapped cross type embracing mechanical arm as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that: A buffer (11) is further arranged between adjacent joints, a rope hole (12) and a reserved hole (13) are symmetrically arranged at both ends of each joint, a rope (16) is connected through the rope hole (12), and the rope (16) is fixedly connected to the rope hole (12) at the end of the joint A (1).

7. The kind of overlapped cross type embracing mechanical arm as claimed in claim 5 is characterized in that: The end of the rear fixed plate (30) away from the front fixed plate (23) is connected to the ship.

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