Robot

Abstract

The robot comprises a robot body, at least one crawler wheel mechanism and at least one first driving mechanism, and the crawler wheel mechanism drives the robot body to walk through movement of a crawler belt; the crawler wheel mechanism comprises a mounting frame, a first wheel and a second wheel which are rotatably arranged on the mounting frame, and a crawler which is arranged on the first wheel and the second wheel in a closed ring sleeving manner; the first wheel is located at the front end, the second wheel is located at the rear end, and the first wheel warps upwards relative to the second wheel and is suspended. The crawler wheel mechanism is arranged on the machine body in a swinging manner through a mounting frame; the first driving mechanism can drive the crawler wheel mechanism to swing to force the rear end to press downwards relative to the front end so as to drive the machine body to lift and cross obstacles during walking; wherein first teeth are arranged on the periphery of the first wheel so as to be meshed with second teeth on the inner wall of the crawler belt, third teeth are arranged on the outer wall of the second wheel, and the extending directions of the third teeth and the first teeth are different. The robot has the advantages that the obstacle crossing height is large, the traffic capacity is high, the crawler belt is not prone to slipping, and transmission is accurate.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese patent application No. 202210968617.7, filed on August 12, 2022, entitled "Robot". Technical Field

[0002] This invention belongs to the field of robotics technology, and specifically relates to a robot. Background Technology

[0003] To enable existing cleaning robots to clean floors in low spaces such as under beds and sofas, the height of these spaces limits the overall height of the robot, which in turn limits the height of the drive wheels. The maximum obstacle-crossing height of ordinary drive wheels is generally 1 / 3 of their diameter, thus limiting the robot's obstacle-crossing height and resulting in poor obstacle-crossing ability.

[0004] Besides cleaning robots, the obstacle-crossing height of other types of robots is also limited by the diameter of their drive wheels, such as food delivery robots, lawn mowing robots, and material handling robots. In other words, current self-moving robots have limited obstacle-crossing height when working, resulting in poor obstacle-crossing ability. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is the poor obstacle-crossing ability of existing robots. To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a robot, including a body, at least one tracked wheel mechanism, and at least one first drive mechanism. The body is mounted on the robot body; the tracked wheel mechanism drives the robot body to walk by moving the tracks; along the forward direction of the robot body, the tracked wheel mechanism has a front end and a rear end that are arranged opposite to each other, and the front end is tilted upward and suspended relative to the rear end; the tracked wheel mechanism is oscillatingly mounted on the robot body; the first drive mechanism can drive the tracked wheel mechanism to oscillate, forcing the rear end to press down relative to the front end, so as to drive the robot body to lift and overcome obstacles during walking.

[0006] Optionally, along the length of the track wheel mechanism, the pivot point of the track wheel mechanism on the machine body is located between the midpoint of the track wheel mechanism and the end of the front end.

[0007] Optionally, the swing fulcrum is located at the front end, the front end of the track wheel mechanism is swayably connected to the machine body, and the first drive mechanism is used to drive the rear end to swing relative to the front end in order to lift the machine body to overcome obstacles.

[0008] Optionally, the track wheel mechanism is provided with a first mating part; the driving end of the first drive mechanism is movably connected to the first mating part, and the driving end drives the first mating part to move, thereby causing the track wheel mechanism to swing.

[0009] Optionally, the first mating part is slidably disposed on the opposite drive end, and the drive end drives the track wheel mechanism to swing by abutting the first mating part, and the first mating part slides on the drive end.

[0010] Optionally, the first drive mechanism further includes a swing member disposed on the drive end, and a first mating part is slidably disposed on the swing member.

[0011] Optionally, one of the swing member and the first mating part is provided with a limiting channel, and the other is provided with or is a limiting protrusion; the limiting protrusion is slidably disposed in the limiting channel; wherein, the swing member is driven by the driving end to swing, and through the abutment action between the limiting channel and the limiting protrusion, the track wheel mechanism is driven to swing, and the limiting protrusion slides in the limiting channel.

[0012] Optionally, the first mating part is located at or near the rear end of the track wheel mechanism.

[0013] Optionally, the first drive mechanism further includes a first link and a second link; one end of the first link and one end of the second link are hinged together, the other end of the first link is connected to the first mating part, and the drive end is connected to the other end of the second link; the drive end drives the second link to swing upward, so as to drive the first link to rotate downward, so as to drive the track wheel mechanism to press down; and a limiting mechanism is provided on the machine body to limit the swing range of the first link.

[0014] Optionally, it also includes a protective cover, which is installed above the track wheel mechanism; the track wheel mechanism is swayably mounted on the machine body through the protective cover, and a first mating part is provided on the outer wall of the protective cover. The drive end drives the first mating part to drive the protective cover and the track wheel mechanism to swing as a whole.

[0015] Optionally, the track wheel mechanism includes a first wheel, a second wheel, a mounting frame, and a track. The first wheel and the second wheel are rotatably mounted on the mounting frame. The track is looped around the first wheel and the second wheel in a closed loop. The first wheel is located at the front end, and the second wheel is located at the rear end. The first wheel is tilted upwards and suspended relative to the second wheel. The track wheel mechanism is swayably mounted on the machine body via the mounting frame. The first drive mechanism drives the mounting frame to make the track wheel mechanism sway.

[0016] Optionally, the bottom of the mounting bracket has a first inclined surface extending from the front end to the rear end, wherein the height of the end of the first inclined surface near the front end is higher than the height of the end of the first inclined surface near the rear end; and / or the diameter of the first wheel is smaller than the diameter of the second wheel; and / or only the outer periphery of the first wheel of the first wheel is provided with a first tooth to engage with a second tooth on the inner wall of the track.

[0017] Optionally, the robot also includes a second drive mechanism that corresponds one-to-one with the track wheel mechanism; the second drive mechanism is connected to the first wheel and is used to drive the first wheel to rotate, so as to drive the track to move on the first wheel and the second wheel, thereby driving the robot to walk.

[0018] Optionally, the second drive mechanism is located on the machine body and distributed on the outside of the track wheel mechanism; or the second drive mechanism is located in the area between the first wheel and the second wheel and is mounted on the mounting frame.

[0019] Optionally, the mounting bracket includes a first bracket and a second bracket that are fastened to each other, with the first bracket and the second bracket forming a first mounting area, or the first bracket having a first mounting area; the first bracket and the second bracket forming a second mounting area and a third mounting area located at least partially between the first mounting area and the second mounting area; The first wheel and the second wheel are rotatably mounted in the first mounting area and the second mounting area, respectively, and the second drive mechanism is mounted in the third mounting area.

[0020] Optionally, the mounting bracket is provided with a reinforcing part located in the area between the first wheel and the second wheel, and the reinforcing part is located in the annular inner cavity of the track. There is a gap between the side surface of the reinforcing part facing the track and the inner wall of the track.

[0021] Optionally, it also includes a protective cover mounted on the mounting frame, the protective cover covering at least the top of the mounting frame; the first drive mechanism drives the protective cover to cause the protective cover and the mounting frame to swing relative to the machine body.

[0022] Optionally, the swing end of the protective cover is rotatably mounted on the mounting frame; the track wheel mechanism also includes a reset member, one end of which is mounted on the protective cover and the other end on the mounting frame. The reset member is used to apply a reset force to the mounting frame to drive the mounting frame to rotate away from the protective cover.

[0023] Optionally, the robot also includes: a detection sensor, which is mounted on the track wheel mechanism or the protective cover to detect the relative displacement between the track wheel mechanism and the protective cover; and a controller, which is connected to the detection sensor and also connected to the second drive mechanism to control the start and stop of the second drive mechanism according to the signal received from the detection sensor.

[0024] Optionally, there are at least two track wheel mechanisms, with two track wheel mechanisms symmetrically arranged on the bottom of the machine body; the first drive mechanism corresponds one-to-one with the track wheel mechanism.

[0025] Optionally, the robot is a cleaning robot.

[0026] The technical solution provided by this invention has the following advantages: 1. The robot provided by this invention uses a tracked wheel mechanism to drive the robot to walk. Along the forward direction of the robot's movement, because the tracked wheel mechanism has a front end and a rear end, with the front end tilted upwards and suspended relative to the rear end (i.e., a height difference exists between the front and rear ends), the obstacle-crossing ability of the tracked wheel mechanism itself is higher than that of the drive wheels of existing robots. During the robot's forward movement, to further enhance its obstacle-crossing ability, the tracked wheel mechanism is swaying on the robot body. A first drive mechanism can drive the tracked wheel mechanism to actively sway, forcing the rear end of the tracked wheel mechanism to press down relative to the front end, thus enabling the entire robot to overcome higher obstacles and greatly improving the robot's mobility.

[0027] 2. The robot provided by the present invention has a ring of external teeth on the outer side of the first wheel and teeth that mesh with the external teeth on the inner side of the track, so that the first wheel and the track can transmit precisely without slipping.

[0028] 3. The robot provided by the present invention sets the second drive mechanism inside the track wheel mechanism, which does not require space in the robot body, and the track wheel mechanism and the second drive mechanism form a module, which is easy to disassemble and install.

[0029] 4. The robot provided by this invention is equipped with a protective cover, detection sensors and a controller, which enables the robot to automatically stop when suspended in the air, making it more user-friendly. Attached Figure Description

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the robot of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the track wheel mechanism and the first drive mechanism of the robot of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the first drive mechanism of the robot of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the track wheel mechanism of the robot of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the disassembled track wheel mechanism and the first drive mechanism of the robot of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the track wheel mechanism and the first drive mechanism of the robot of the present invention; Figure 7This is a schematic diagram showing the cooperation between the track wheel mechanism and the first drive mechanism of the robot of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the cooperation between the track wheel mechanism and the protective cover of the robot of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the cooperation between the track wheel mechanism and the second drive mechanism of the robot of the present invention. Figure 10a This is a partial structural disassembly diagram of the track wheel mechanism of the robot of the present invention; Figure 10b This is a partial structural disassembly diagram of the track wheel mechanism of the robot of the present invention; Figure 10c This is a schematic diagram of the mounting frame for the track wheel mechanism of the robot of the present invention. Figure 10d This is an exploded view of one embodiment of the robot track wheel mechanism of the present invention; Figure 10e This is another schematic diagram of the mounting frame for the track wheel mechanism of the robot of the present invention; Figure 11 This is an exploded view of one embodiment of the robot track wheel mechanism of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the robot swing component of the present invention; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the robot's state when it has not overcome the obstacle. Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the robot's state when it is overcoming obstacles.

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 10. Body; 11. Limiting mechanism; 20. Track wheel mechanism; 21. First mating part; 22. First wheel; 221. First tooth; 23. Second wheel; 231. Third tooth; 24. Mounting bracket; 241. First inclined surface; 242. First support; 243. Second support; 244. First mounting area; 245. Third mounting area; 246. Second mounting area; 247. Mounting hole; 248. Connecting cylinder; 25. Track ; 251, Second tooth; 26, Reinforcing part; 261, Second fixing part support surface; 271, First connecting shaft; 30, First drive mechanism; 31, First drive motor; 311, Drive end; 32, Swinging part; 321, Limiting channel; 322, First connecting rod; 323, Second connecting rod; 40, Second drive mechanism; 41, Drive shaft; 50, Protective cover; 51, First fixing part; 52, Second fixing part point; 53, Lug. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0034] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0035] In this invention, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "upper," "lower," "top," and "bottom" are generally used in relation to the direction shown in the accompanying drawings, or in relation to the vertical, perpendicular, or gravitational direction of the component itself; similarly, for ease of understanding and description, "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours of each component itself, but the above directional terms are not intended to limit this invention.

[0036] To address the problem of existing robots having a low obstacle-crossing height, this invention provides a robot.

[0037] like Figure 1 and Figure 8 As shown, the robot of the present invention includes a body 10, at least one track wheel mechanism 20, and at least one first drive mechanism 30. The track wheel mechanism 20 is disposed on the body 10. The track wheel mechanism 20 drives the body 10 to walk by moving the track 25. Along the forward direction of the body 10, the track wheel mechanism 20 has a front end and a rear end that are disposed opposite to each other, and the front end is raised and suspended relative to the rear end. The track wheel mechanism 20 is swayably disposed on the body 10. The first drive mechanism 30 can drive the track wheel mechanism 20 to sway, forcing the rear end to press down relative to the front end, so as to drive the body 10 to lift and overcome obstacles during walking.

[0038] In this invention, the track wheel mechanism 20 initiates the robot's movement. Along the forward direction of the robot's movement, because the track wheel mechanism 20 has a front and rear end, with the front end tilted upwards and suspended relative to the rear end (i.e., a height difference exists between the front and rear ends), the obstacle-crossing ability of the track wheel mechanism 20 is higher than that of the drive wheels of existing robots. During the robot's forward movement, to further enhance its obstacle-crossing ability, the track wheel mechanism is swaying on the body 10. The first drive mechanism 30 can drive the track wheel mechanism to actively sway, forcing the rear end of the track mechanism to press down relative to the front end, thereby enabling the entire robot to overcome higher obstacles and significantly improving the robot's mobility.

[0039] like Figure 13The diagram illustrates the robot's normal walking state when it does not encounter obstacles, i.e., the state before the robot overcomes an obstacle. The left side of the diagram represents the robot's forward direction, and the right side represents its backward direction. Figure 14 The figure shows the state of the robot of the present invention when it is crossing obstacles. The left side of the figure is the forward direction of the robot, and the right side is the backward direction of the robot.

[0040] like Figure 6 As shown, along the length of the track wheel mechanism 20, the pivot point of the track wheel mechanism 20 on the machine body 10 is located between the midpoint and the front end of the track wheel mechanism 20. The track wheel mechanism includes a first wheel 22 and a second wheel 23, and a track wound around the first wheel 22 and the second wheel 23, as shown. Figure 6 As shown, the midpoint of the track wheel mechanism can be understood as the midpoint of the line L connecting the center of the first wheel 22 to the center of the second wheel 23. For the front and rear ends of the track wheel mechanism, the area containing the first wheel 22 on the track wheel mechanism 20 is the front end, and the area containing the second wheel 23 is the rear end. Alternatively, the two ends of the track wheel mechanism can be considered as the front and rear ends, respectively, with the front end located in front of the rear end along the forward direction of the machine. As a variation, the pivot point can also be between the line L and the end of the rear end of the track wheel mechanism 20.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the swing fulcrum is located at the front end, and the swing fulcrum is the position where the track wheel mechanism rotates relative to the machine body. The front end of the track wheel mechanism 20 is swayably connected to the machine body 10. The first drive mechanism 30 is used to drive the rear end to swing relative to the front end, so as to lift the machine body 10 to overcome obstacles. Optionally, as... Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the track wheel mechanism 20 is provided with a first mating part 21; the driving end 311 of the first drive mechanism 30 is movably connected to the first mating part 21, and the driving end 311 drives the first mating part 21 to move, so as to drive the track wheel mechanism 20 to swing.

[0042] According to one embodiment, such as Figure 7 As shown, the first mating part 21 is slidably connected to the driving end 311. The driving end 311 drives the track wheel mechanism 20 to swing by abutting the first mating part 21, and the first mating part 21 slides on the driving end 311 so that the track wheel mechanism swings while moving in the forward direction to achieve the obstacle crossing function.

[0043] For the sliding connection between the drive end 311 and the first mating part, such as Figure 3 and Figure 7As shown, the first drive mechanism 30 also includes a swing member 32 disposed on the drive end 311, and a first mating part 21 is slidably disposed on the swing member 32. One of the swing member 32 and the first mating part 21 is provided with a limiting channel 321, which is a limiting groove, a strip-shaped groove, and a strip-shaped hole. The other is provided with a limiting protrusion, or the other is directly a limiting protrusion. The limiting protrusion is slidably inserted into the limiting channel 321.

[0044] For example, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the swing member 32 is provided with a limiting channel 321, and the first mating part 21 is a limiting protrusion. The swing member 32 is driven by the driving end 311 to swing. Through the abutment between the limiting channel 321 and the limiting protrusion, the track wheel mechanism 20 is driven to swing. The limiting protrusion slides in the limiting channel 321. The two ends of the above-mentioned limiting groove in the extension direction can limit the sliding position of the limiting protrusion to prevent the track wheel mechanism 20 from swinging too much and causing a rollover.

[0045] like Figure 14 As shown, when the robot detects an obstacle while walking, the first drive mechanism rotates, and the drive end drives the swinging component to swing downwards. The limiting channel on the swinging component abuts against the limiting protrusion, thereby driving the rear end of the track wheel mechanism to press down relative to the front end, that is, in Figure 14 The robot rotates clockwise and, upon reaching an obstacle, directly passes over it, thus achieving the robot's active obstacle-crossing function.

[0046] Optionally, the first mating part 21 is located on or near the rear end of the track wheel mechanism 20. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the limiting protrusion is located at the upper rear end of the track wheel mechanism.

[0047] For the first implementation of the first drive mechanism, such as Figure 3 As shown, the first drive mechanism includes a first drive motor 31, the output end of which serves as the aforementioned drive end to drive the oscillating member to rotate. Preferably, the first drive motor is a servo motor.

[0048] As for the second implementation of the first driving mechanism, such as Figure 11 and Figure 12As shown, the first drive mechanism 30 includes a drive end, a first connecting rod 322, and a second connecting rod 323; one end of the first connecting rod 322 and one end of the second connecting rod 323 are hinged together, the other end of the first connecting rod 322 is connected to the first mating part 21, and the drive end 311 is connected to the other end of the second connecting rod 323; the drive end 311 drives the second connecting rod 323 to swing upwards, thereby driving the first connecting rod 322 to rotate downwards, pressing down on the first mating part, and thus driving the track wheel mechanism 20 to swing downwards; and a limiting mechanism 11, provided on the machine body 10, is used to limit the swing range of the first connecting rod 322. Figure 5 As shown, the first drive mechanism also includes a first drive motor 31, i.e., the aforementioned drive end is the output end of the first drive motor. The drive end is hinged to the first connecting rod 322, the first connecting rod 322 is hinged to the second connecting rod 323, and the second connecting rod 323 is hinged to the first mating part 21. The rotation of the first drive motor drives the track wheel mechanism 20 to swing sequentially through the first connecting rod 322 and the second connecting rod 323. In order to limit the swing range of the track wheel mechanism 20, the robot is also equipped with a limiting mechanism 11 on its body, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the limiting mechanism 11 includes two limiting posts, which are spaced apart on the machine body. The two limiting posts are located on both sides of the second link 323 or the first link 322, respectively, to limit the swing range of the first link 322 or the second link 323.

[0049] like Figure 8 As shown, the robot also includes a protective cover 50, which is installed above the track wheel mechanism 20. The track wheel mechanism 20 is swayably mounted on the body 10 through the protective cover 50. The first mating part 21 is provided on the outer side wall of the protective cover 50. The drive end 311 drives the first mating part 21 to drive the protective cover 50 and the track wheel mechanism 20 to swing as a whole.

[0050] For safety reasons, multiple protective covers can be installed. Each protective cover 50 is correspondingly installed and covers the corresponding track wheel mechanism 20. The protective cover can cover the upper part of the track wheel mechanism 20, preventing the track wheel mechanism 20 from interfering with surrounding objects when walking or crossing obstacles. It can effectively prevent children or people or animals with vital signs from directly touching the moving track, and can also prevent hair from getting tangled in the track wheel mechanism 20. This embodiment also includes a design for the structure of the track wheel mechanism 20. For details, please refer to... Figure 2 and Figure 5As shown, the tracked wheel mechanism 20 includes a first wheel 22, a second wheel 23, a mounting frame 24, and a track 25. Both the first wheel 22 and the second wheel 23 are rotatably mounted on the mounting frame 24. The track 25 forms a closed loop around the first wheel 22 and the second wheel 23. The first wheel 22 is located at the front end, and the second wheel 23 is located at the rear end. The first wheel 22 is tilted upwards and suspended relative to the second wheel 23. The tracked wheel mechanism 20 is swayably mounted on the body 10 via the mounting frame 24. The first drive mechanism 30 drives the mounting frame 24 to cause the tracked wheel mechanism 20 to sway. The second wheel 23 is used for ground contact. The first wheel 22 is higher than the second wheel 23, and the track 25 is in contact with both the first wheel 22 and the second wheel 23. Therefore, the bottom of the front end of the track 25 is higher than the bottom of the rear end of the track 25, enabling the robot to smoothly overcome higher obstacles.

[0051] To achieve a raised front end relative to the back end, such as Figure 2 and Figure 10a As shown, a first inclined surface 241 is provided at the bottom of the mounting frame 24. The first inclined surface 241 extends from the front end to the rear end. The height of the end of the first inclined surface 241 near the front end is higher than the height of the end of the first inclined surface 241 near the rear end. The first inclined surface 241 forms a certain angle with the horizontal ground. This angle is acute. The first inclined surface 241 extends from the front end to the rear end. The inclination angle of the first inclined surface 241 matches the inclination angle of the track 25 at this position. This allows the track 25 and the mounting frame 24 to contact the obstacle simultaneously when the robot encounters an obstacle, facilitating synchronized movement to overcome the obstacle.

[0052] To achieve the inclined setting of the track 25, the diameter of the first wheel 22 is made smaller than the diameter of the second wheel 23. This allows the track 25 on the first wheel 22 to extend smoothly backward and downward to the second wheel 23, forming a smooth inclined surface. At the same time, the larger diameter of the second wheel enhances the obstacle-crossing ability of the track wheel mechanism itself.

[0053] The robot also includes a second drive mechanism 40 that corresponds one-to-one with the track wheel mechanism 20; the second drive mechanism 40 is connected to the first wheel 22 and is used to drive the first wheel 22 to rotate, so as to drive the track 25 to move on the first wheel 22 and the second wheel 23, thereby driving the robot body 10 to walk, that is, the first wheel 22 is the drive wheel.

[0054] To prevent slippage of the track 25 when it engages with the first and second wheels, such as when crossing obstacles, where friction between the obstacle and the track 25 could cause slippage between the track 25 and the first wheel 22, preventing the robot from moving and crossing the obstacle, only the outer circumference of the first wheel 22 has a first tooth 221 to mesh with the second tooth 251 on the inner wall of the track 25. This ensures precise transmission between the first wheel 22 and the track 25 without slippage. Meanwhile, the second wheel does not mesh with the inner wall of the track, thus forming an idler wheel without a transmission ratio.

[0055] Furthermore, to prevent the tracks from slipping on the second wheel, such as Figure 10a As shown, the outer wall of the second wheel is provided with a third tooth 231, but the third tooth extends along the circumference of the second wheel, while the first tooth on the outer wall of the first wheel extends along the radial direction of the first wheel. Since the extension directions of the third tooth and the first tooth are different, such as perpendicular or intersecting, the track is fitted onto the third tooth of the second wheel, which avoids the track slipping on the second wheel and does not form a transmission ratio.

[0056] If the outer circumference of the second wheel 23 is also provided with teeth that mesh with the inner wall of the track wheel, due to the difference in diameter of the first wheel 22 and the second wheel 23 and the problem of machining accuracy, after a long period of use, the teeth on the outer circumference of the first wheel 22 and the second wheel 23 will rub against the teeth on the track 25 when meshing, which will affect the transmission accuracy between the first wheel 22 and the track 25 and easily lead to damage to the track 25.

[0057] For the second drive mechanism, one implementation method is described in reference to... Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the second drive mechanism 40 is mounted on the body and located outside the track wheel mechanism 20. The second drive mechanism 40 is driven by the first wheel 22, so as to drive the track 25 to move on the first wheel and the second wheel by driving the first wheel 22 to rotate, thereby enabling the robot to move on its own. Figure 6 As shown, the second drive mechanism 40 includes a second drive motor and a gear transmission mechanism, the gear transmission mechanism having a drive shaft 41.

[0058] like Figure 6 and Figure 10a In the embodiment shown, the drive shaft 41 of the second drive mechanism is fixed inside the inner hole of the first wheel. When the second drive motor rotates, it drives the first wheel to rotate through the gear transmission mechanism, so that the track moves on the first and second wheels. Both ends of the drive shaft 41 extend outside the side walls of the first wheel. The mounting bracket is rotatably sleeved on the drive shaft, that is, the track wheel mechanism as a whole is swayably mounted on the machine body through the drive shaft.

[0059] For mounting brackets, such as Figure 10a and Figure 10b As shown, the mounting bracket 24 includes a first bracket 242 and a second bracket 243 that are fastened to each other. The first bracket 242 and the second bracket 243 form a first mounting area 244, a second mounting area 246, and a third mounting area 245 located between the first mounting area 244 and the second mounting area 246. A first wheel 22 is sleeved and fixed on a drive shaft 41. The first bracket and the second bracket are rotatably sleeved on the drive shaft and located on both sides of the first wheel. A first connecting shaft 271 is provided between the first bracket and the second bracket. The first connecting shaft 271 is located in the second mounting area. The second wheel 23 is rotatably sleeved on the first connecting shaft 271, so that the first wheel and the second wheel are rotatably disposed in the first mounting area and the second mounting area, respectively. In this embodiment, the first mounting area is located between the first bracket and the second bracket, and correspondingly, the third mounting area is located between the first mounting area and the second mounting area.

[0060] like Figure 10a and Figure 10b As shown, the mounting frame 24 is provided with a reinforcing part 26, which is located in the third mounting area between the first wheel 22 and the second wheel 23, and is located in the annular inner cavity of the track 25. There is a gap between the side surface of the reinforcing part 26 facing the track 25 and the inner wall of the track 25. Specifically, the reinforcing part is provided with a first fixing support surface and a second fixing support surface. The first fixing support surface is located at the lower end of the reinforcing part 26 to prevent the track from denting inward when encountering obstacles. The second fixing support surface 261 is located at the upper end of the reinforcing part 26. The first fixing support surface and the second fixing support surface 261 are comb-tooth structures with many grooves, which reduces the friction surface between the track 25 and the first fixing support surface and the second fixing support surface 261.

[0061] Another implementation of the second drive mechanism, such as Figure 10c and 10d As shown, the second drive mechanism is located inside the track wheel mechanism, that is, the second drive mechanism is located in the third mounting area enclosed by the first bracket and the second bracket, between the first wheel 22 and the second wheel 23, and is mounted on the mounting frame 24, which does not occupy the space of the machine body, making the structure more compact.

[0062] In this implementation, such as Figure 10d As shown, the first bracket 242 has a receiving cavity, the opening of which faces the second bracket. When the second bracket is fixed to the first bracket, it forms a third mounting area; as shown... Figure 10d and Figure 10eAs shown in the arrangement, the front part of the third mounting area is located outside the first mounting area, so that the output end of the gear transmission mechanism of the second drive mechanism is located at the side wall of the first mounting area, passes through the side wall of the first mounting area, extends into the first mounting area and connects with the first wheel to drive the first wheel; the rear part of the third mounting area is located between the first mounting area and the second mounting area.

[0063] When the robot is equipped with the aforementioned protective cover 50, the protective cover 50 covers at least the top of the mounting frame 24; the first drive mechanism 30 drives the protective cover 50 to cause the protective cover 50 and the mounting frame 24 to swing relative to the body 10.

[0064] To achieve the above objectives, ensuring that the protective cover remains above the track wheel mechanism 20 and does not interfere with the track during normal robot movement, the present invention rotatably connects one end of the protective cover 50 to the front end, and provides the aforementioned first mating part on the rear end of the protective cover. The first drive mechanism drives the protective cover 50 to swing downwards, pushing the track wheel mechanism 20 to swing and rotate. The front end of the mounting bracket is rotatably mounted on the protective cover 50.

[0065] For example, such as Figure 10e As shown, the front end of the mounting bracket has a mounting hole 247, and the front end of the protective cover 50 has a lug 53. Two lugs are rotatably mounted on a mounting hole 247 to achieve a rotatable connection between the mounting bracket and the protective cover. Each lug of the protective cover 50 is fixed with a second connecting shaft (not shown in the figure). The mounting hole 247 of the mounting bracket is fitted onto one end of the second connecting shaft, and the other end of the second connecting shaft is rotatably mounted on the machine body to achieve a rotatable mounting of the protective cover on the machine body. Further, as... Figure 10e As shown, the front end of the mounting bracket is provided with two connecting cylinders 248, and the two connecting cylinders 248 are respectively fitted onto a second connecting shaft. Alternatively, a second connecting shaft is provided, which passes through the mounting hole of the mounting bracket and is fixedly connected to two lugs. The two ends of the first connecting shaft pass through the two lugs and are rotatably mounted on the machine body. Correspondingly, the two connecting cylinders are fitted onto a second connecting shaft.

[0066] The track wheel mechanism 20 also includes a reset member, one end of which is disposed on the protective cover 50 and the other end on the mounting bracket 24. The reset member is used to apply a reset force to the mounting bracket 24 to drive the mounting bracket 24 to rotate away from the protective cover 50. According to one embodiment, as... Figure 5 As shown, the reset component is a tension spring. One end of the tension spring is connected to the first fixing part 51, and the other end of the tension spring is connected to the second fixing part 52. This facilitates the reset of the track wheel mechanism after the track wheel mechanism has pressed down as a whole to overcome the obstacle and the driving force of the first drive mechanism has been removed.

[0067] The robot also includes detection sensors and a controller. The detection sensors are mounted on the track wheel mechanism 20 or the protective cover 50 to detect the relative displacement between the track wheel mechanism 20 and the protective cover 50. The controller is connected to the detection sensors and is also connected to the second drive mechanism 40 to control the start and stop of the second drive mechanism 40 according to the signals received from the detection sensors.

[0068] When the robot is picked up, for safety reasons and to alert people to its abnormal state, a detection sensor is installed inside the protective cover 50. The detection sensor is a photoelectric sensor, and the track wheel mechanism 20 is equipped with a detection plate corresponding to the photoelectric sensor. When the track is normally crossing an obstacle, the protective cover 50 and the track wheel mechanism 20 do not move relative to each other or have very little relative movement. At this time, the controller will not trigger the motor in the second drive mechanism 40 to shut down. When the robot is picked up, since one end of the protective cover 50 is connected to the mounting bracket that fixes the first wheel 22 and the other end is connected to the swing member 32, and the swing member 32 does not move at this time, the protective cover 50 is stationary. However, the track wheel mechanism 20 swings along the front end. Therefore, when the robot is picked up, the track wheel mechanism 20 will swing downwards relative to the front end under its own weight, and a relative displacement occurs with the protective cover. At this time, the photoelectric sensor detects the movement of the detection plate and sends a signal to the controller. After receiving the signal, the controller controls the motor in the second drive mechanism to shut down, so that the first wheel 22 and the track 25 stop moving.

[0069] Considering the stability of the robot during movement, there are at least two track wheel mechanisms 20, with two track wheel mechanisms 20 symmetrically arranged on the bottom of the body 10; the first drive mechanism 30 corresponds one-to-one with the track wheel mechanism 20. In addition, the aforementioned first drive mechanism can drive the track wheel mechanism to press downward to achieve the function of actively overcoming obstacles; of course, it can also drive the track wheel mechanism to swing upward to quickly reset after overcoming obstacles; or the track wheel mechanism can reset by its own gravity.

[0070] The robot of this invention is a cleaning robot, used in conjunction with a cleaning mechanism to drive the cleaning mechanism to overcome obstacles. Of course, it can also be other types of robots, such as commercial robots, lawnmower robots, and handling robots.

[0071] Obviously, the embodiments described above are merely some, not all, embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make other variations or modifications without creative effort, and all such variations or modifications should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot, characterized in that, include: Organism; At least one tracked wheel mechanism drives the machine body to move by moving the track. The tracked wheel mechanism includes a mounting frame, a first wheel and a second wheel rotatably mounted on the mounting frame, and a track that is looped around the first wheel and the second wheel in a closed loop. Along the forward direction of the machine body, the first wheel is located at the front end, the second wheel is located at the rear end, and the first wheel is tilted upward and suspended relative to the second wheel. The tracked wheel mechanism is pivotally mounted on the machine body via the mounting frame. At least one first drive mechanism is capable of driving the track wheel mechanism to swing, forcing the rear end to press down relative to the front end, so as to drive the machine body to lift and overcome obstacles during walking; The first wheel has a first tooth on its outer periphery to engage with a second tooth on the inner wall of the track, and the second wheel has a third tooth on its outer wall, the third tooth extending in a different direction from the first tooth.

2. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first tooth extends radially along the first wheel, and the third tooth extends circumferentially along the second wheel.

3. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the first wheel is smaller than the diameter of the second wheel.

4. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the mounting frame has a first inclined surface, which extends from the front end to the rear end. The height of the end of the first inclined surface near the front end is higher than the height of the end of the first inclined surface near the rear end. The inclination angle of the track at the position of the first inclined surface matches the inclination angle of the first inclined surface.

5. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robot also includes a second drive mechanism connected to the first wheel. The second drive mechanism is used to drive the first wheel to rotate, so as to drive the track to move on the first wheel and the second wheel, thereby driving the robot body to walk.

6. The robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second drive mechanism is located on the machine body and distributed on the outside of the track wheel mechanism; or the second drive mechanism is located in the area between the first wheel and the second wheel and is mounted on the mounting frame.

7. The robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, The mounting bracket includes a first bracket and a second bracket that are fastened to each other, with the first bracket and the second bracket forming a first mounting area, or the first bracket having a first mounting area; the first bracket and the second bracket forming a second mounting area and a third mounting area at least partially located between the first mounting area and the second mounting area. The first wheel and the second wheel are rotatably mounted in the first mounting area and the second mounting area, respectively, and the second drive mechanism is mounted in the third mounting area.

8. The robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The robot also includes a protective cover mounted on the mounting frame, the protective cover covering at least the top of the mounting frame; The first drive mechanism drives the protective cover to cause the protective cover and the mounting bracket to swing relative to the machine body.

9. The robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, The swing end of the protective cover is rotatably mounted on the mounting frame; The track wheel mechanism also includes a reset member, one end of which is disposed on the protective cover and the other end of which is disposed on the mounting frame. The reset member is used to apply a reset force to the mounting frame to drive the mounting frame to rotate away from the protective cover.

10. The robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, The robot also includes: A detection sensor is disposed on the track wheel mechanism or the protective cover to detect the relative displacement between the track wheel mechanism and the protective cover; A controller is connected to the detection sensor and also to the second drive mechanism to control the start and stop of the second drive mechanism based on the signal received from the detection sensor.

11. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting frame is provided with a reinforcing part, which is located in the area between the first wheel and the second wheel, and is located in the annular inner cavity of the track. The reinforcing part is provided with a first fixing support surface and a second fixing support surface located at the lower end and the upper end of the reinforcing part, respectively. The first fixing support surface and the second fixing support surface are comb tooth structures.

12. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The swing fulcrum is located on the front end, and the front end of the track wheel mechanism is swayably connected to the machine body. The first drive mechanism is used to drive the rear end to swing relative to the front end in order to lift the machine body to overcome obstacles.

13. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The track wheel mechanism is provided with a first mating part; The drive end of the first drive mechanism is movably connected to the first mating part. The drive end drives the first mating part to move, thereby causing the track wheel mechanism to swing.

14. The robot according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first mating part is slidably connected to the drive end, and the drive end drives the track wheel mechanism to swing by abutting the first mating part, and the first mating part slides on the drive end.

15. The robot according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first driving mechanism further includes a swing member disposed on the driving end, and the first mating part is slidably disposed on the swing member.

16. The robot according to claim 15, characterized in that, One of the swing member and the first mating part is provided with a limiting channel, and the other is provided with or is a limiting protrusion. The limiting protrusion is slidably disposed within the limiting channel; wherein, the swinging member swings under the drive of the drive end, and through the abutment between the limiting channel and the limiting protrusion, the track wheel mechanism swings, and the limiting protrusion slides within the limiting channel.

17. The robot according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first mating part is located on or near the rear end of the track wheel mechanism.

18. The robot according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first drive mechanism further includes a first link and a second link; One end of the first connecting rod and one end of the second connecting rod are hinged together, the other end of the first connecting rod is connected to the first mating part, and the driving end is connected to the other end of the second connecting rod. The drive end drives the second link to swing upward, thereby causing the first link to rotate downward, which in turn causes the track wheel mechanism to press down; and A limiting mechanism, located on the machine body, is used to limit the swing range of the first connecting rod.

19. The robot according to claim 15, characterized in that, The robot also includes a protective cover, which is positioned above the track wheel mechanism; The track wheel mechanism is swayably mounted on the machine body via the protective cover. The first mating part is located on the outer wall of the protective cover. The driving end drives the first mating part to drive the protective cover and the track wheel mechanism to swing as a whole.

20. The robot according to any one of claims 1-19, characterized in that, There are at least two track wheel mechanisms, with two track wheel mechanisms symmetrically arranged on the bottom of the machine body; the first drive mechanism corresponds one-to-one with each of the track wheel mechanisms.

21. The robot according to any one of claims 1-19, characterized in that, The robot in question is a cleaning robot.

Images