Mechanical telescopic arm for pipeline detection robot

Abstract

The mechanical telescopic arm for the pipeline detection robot comprises a braking platform, a stepping motor used for rotation of steering wheels on the two sides is installed in the braking platform, and a bayonet socket is arranged at the top of the braking platform; the energy platform is located on the upper portion of the brake platform and detachably connected with the brake platform, and a connector corresponding to the bayonet socket is arranged on the lower portion of the energy platform. The telescopic platform is located on the upper portion of the energy platform and detachably connected in a closed mode. The moving seat is located on the upper portion of the gear groove and moves front and back, and a multi-axis mechanical arm is arranged on the upper portion of the moving seat. The telescopic mechanical arm is designed, so that the multi-axis mechanical arm can telescopically move front and back at the top of the trolley, can be stored at the top of the trolley when retracting backwards, reduces the storage volume, is in an overhanging shape when stretching forwards, and can correspond to holes of different sizes or move in a small pipe diameter; and the corner area is shot and checked in the face of the corner, so that shooting dead angles of the robot are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic arms for pipeline inspection, and particularly to a mechanical telescopic arm for a pipeline inspection robot. Background Technology

[0002] Pipeline inspection robots are generally trolley-shaped. They are connected to the outside via wires or fiber optics after entering the pipeline, allowing them to inspect the inside for any abnormalities. They are also equipped with robotic arms and various sensors to perform tasks such as gas detection, internal wall integrity checks, and inspection of blocked areas in urban underground pipe networks.

[0003] However, existing robotic arms typically lack storage capabilities, especially when dealing with smaller pipes, such as those less than 100mm in diameter. When there are many bends, although they can pass through the bends smoothly, the observation equipment cannot examine the corners up close. Particularly during close-up observation, because the entire robot is located inside the pipe, it is very prone to shaking due to uneven areas, causing the camera to shake as well. This makes it impossible to steadily examine the target crack area. Furthermore, due to the deformation of the crack area, the bottom of the pipe is usually uneven. In order to capture the target area, the user needs to repeatedly adjust the robot's position, resulting in reduced work efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide a mechanical telescopic arm for a pipeline inspection robot, which mainly solves the problem that the existing pipeline inspection trolley is not convenient for photographing and inspecting pipeline corners and pipeline inner walls.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: This invention provides a mechanical telescopic arm for a pipeline inspection robot, comprising: a braking platform, wherein a stepper motor for rotating two side steering wheels is installed inside the braking platform, and a connector is provided on the top of the braking platform; an energy platform, which is detachably connected to the upper part of the braking platform, the upper part of the energy platform having an open structure, and a connector corresponding to the connector is provided at the lower part of the energy platform, wherein a power module and an MCU control module are installed inside the energy platform; a telescopic platform, which is detachably enclosed connected to the upper part of the energy platform, and a gear groove is provided on the middle side of the telescopic platform; and a movable seat, which is located on the gear groove. The moving base has a multi-axis robotic arm on its upper part, and a rotating mechanism is installed between the multi-axis robotic arm and the moving base. The rotating mechanism is used to rotate the multi-axis robotic arm horizontally. Both the moving base and the multi-axis robotic arm are electrically connected to the MCU control module. The multi-axis robotic arm has relevant nodes along its surface, and the multi-axis robotic arm retracts from a cantilever shape to the upper part of the telescopic platform through the joints. The detection base has an open opening on its bottom vertical surface. A retractable monitoring lens extends from the inside of the detection base to the outside of the open opening. A track rod is installed horizontally with the monitoring lens offset from front to back. The surface of the track rod has a moving plate that slides toward the monitoring lens.

[0006] Preferably, the axially arranged joints of the multi-axis robotic arm include: a first motor; a first connecting arm, which is vertically mounted at the middle of the first motor and rotates about the axis of the first motor; a second motor, which is vertically mounted at the end of the first connecting arm; a third motor, which is vertically mounted at the middle of the second motor and rotates about the axis of the third motor; a second connecting arm, which is located at the end of the third motor and rotates coaxially with the third motor; a fourth motor, which is vertically mounted at the end of the second connecting arm; and a fifth motor, which is mounted at one end of the fourth motor; and a detection seat is mounted at the end of the fifth motor.

[0007] Preferably, the rotating mechanism is used for the bottom of the first motor to rotate circumferentially around the rotating mechanism. The bottom of the rotating mechanism is connected to a rotating motor. The inside of the movable seat is provided with a displacement motor on the side away from the rotating mechanism. The bottom of the displacement motor is connected to an actuating gear. A rotating gear is provided on one side of the actuating gear. The actuating gear and the rotating gear are connected by a synchronous belt. Both the actuating gear and the rotating gear are used to mesh into the gear slot.

[0008] Preferably, the monitoring lens extends axially toward the inside of the detection base with a main electric telescopic rod, which is used to push the monitoring lens toward the outside. An illumination matrix is ​​provided on one side of the opening. The illumination matrix is ​​recessed and contains a matrix of LED lights. An inclined plate is provided between the opening and the illumination matrix, and the inclined plate faces the opening.

[0009] Preferably, the surface of the track rod is smooth, and a secondary electric telescopic rod is installed on the middle part of the moving plate extending to the inner wall of the detection seat. The track rod is fixed to the inner wall of the detection seat at the four corners of the moving plate, and the secondary electric telescopic rod is used to push the moving plate to extend and retract back and forth on the track rod.

[0010] Preferably, the track rod includes a threaded rod with opposing threads extending on both sides and bearing seats located at both ends of the threaded rod. The threaded rod is connected by a through thread at the four corners of the moving plate. A driven gear is installed at one end of each of the four threaded rods. A main drive gear is meshed with the middle of the four driven gears. A drive unit is axially installed on the main drive gear. The drive unit is fixed inside or outside the detection seat.

[0011] Preferably, the electric telescopic rod extends downward from the inner side of the threaded rod on the front and rear sides, the bottom of the movable plate is arc-shaped towards the middle, and the outer surface is vertical.

[0012] Preferably, the MCU control module includes an MCU microcontroller unit, a storage hard disk, a clock chip, a voltage sensing module, and a current sensing module. The front surface of the energy platform is provided with a USB interface, a camera, and a lighting lamp. The USB interface is used to connect to the MCU microcontroller unit.

[0013] Preferably, the telescopic platform is provided with side baffles on both sides, the gear groove is located in the middle of the telescopic platform, and flat plates are provided on both sides of the gear groove, with the two ends of the movable seat embedded and sliding on the side surface of the flat plates.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1: This invention features a retractable robotic arm, enabling the multi-axis robotic arm to extend and retract on the top of the vehicle. When retracted, it can be stored on the top of the vehicle, reducing its storage volume. When extended forward, it is cantilevered, allowing it to handle openings of different sizes or move within small-diameter pipes. It can also take pictures and view corner areas in advance when facing corners, reducing blind spots in the robot's imaging capabilities.

[0015] 2: The present invention further includes a detection seat structure, which allows the robot to extend its multi-axis robotic arm to stop in a stable area when in an uneven area. The moving plate on the detection seat is fixed to the target area by pressure, so that the monitoring lens can continuously capture the size and position of the crack area without repeatedly adjusting the robot's own shooting angle.

[0016] 3. The present invention also designs the robot as a modular structure. Through the structure between different layers, the braking platform, energy platform and telescopic platform can be disassembled from each other. After disassembly, they can be replaced according to the pipe diameter requirements to adapt to different pipe diameters, etc., and have strong versatility. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used in conjunction with embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of Example 1; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth motor structure in Embodiment 1; Figure 3 This is an enlarged view of the detection seat structure of Example 1; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the movable seat after extension and retraction in Embodiment 1; Figure 5 This is an enlarged view of the movable seat structure of Embodiment 1; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the multi-axis robotic arm structure and its movement in Embodiment 1; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the telescopic platform structure in Example 1; Figure 8 This is an enlarged view of the detection seat structure in Example 2; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the rotation of the main drive gear and the secondary drive gear in Embodiment 2; In the diagram: 1. Braking platform; 11. Connector; 2. Energy platform; 21. Connector; 22. Power module; 23. MCU control module; 3. Telescopic platform; 31. Gear groove; 32. Side baffle; 33. Flat plate; 4. Moving seat; 41. Rotating mechanism; 411. Rotating motor; 42. Displacement motor; 421. Actuating gear; 422. Rotating gear; 423. Synchronous belt; 5. Multi-axis robotic arm; 51. First motor; 52. First connecting arm; 53. Second motor; 54. Third motor; 55. Second connecting arm; 56. Fourth motor; 57. Fifth motor; 6. Detection seat; 61. Opening; 62. Monitoring lens; 621. Main electric telescopic rod; 63. Track rod; 631. Secondary electric telescopic rod; 632. Threaded rod; 633. Bearing seat; 634. Driven gear; 635. Main transmission gear; 636. Drive unit; 64. Lighting matrix; 65. Inclined plate; 66. Moving plate. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0019] Example 1 like Figure 1-7 As shown, the present invention provides a mechanical telescopic arm for a pipeline inspection robot. Conventional pipeline robots are generally wired, such as the CCTV pipeline robot with model SINGA300. Such robots lack a retractable mechanical telescopic arm, making it inconvenient to record in time when facing cracked inner walls of pipelines, especially for the inspection of corners. The position of the mechanical telescopic arm cannot be retracted or adjusted, making it inconvenient to fix the crack position inside the pipeline for close observation by the monitoring lens 62. Therefore, this embodiment is designed with a mechanical telescopic arm to work with the pipeline inspection robot, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the overall structure is a modular flat design. The lower part is equipped with a braking platform 1. By splicing the upper energy platform 2, the plug-in 11 and the connector 21 can be installed. Then, screws are fixed at both ends. At this time, the power module 22 inside the energy platform 2 can supply power to the bottom braking platform 1, allowing the walking part to move in the pipe and adapt to different models and sizes of braking platforms 1. The top part is equipped with a telescopic platform 3. The upper part of the energy platform 2 has an open structure for easy observation and maintenance by the user. The top is only sealed after the telescopic platform 3 is assembled. A movable seat 4 is installed on the top of the telescopic platform 3. After being fastened to the flat plate 33, the side baffles 32 act as shields on both sides, allowing the bottom of the movable seat 4 to engage with the gear groove 31, enabling forward and backward movement. Figure 1 , 4 The movement method of 6; The multi-axis robotic arm 5, having multiple joints, can be folded to transform its cantilevered design. Figure 1 In the form of, through Figure 6 (a) and Figure 6 (b) The steps are contracted until the detection seat 6 is located on the upper part of the telescopic platform 3. The total height of the flat braking platform 1, energy platform 2 and telescopic platform 3 shall not exceed 30mm, and the overall height of the multi-axis robotic arm 5 shall not exceed 30mm. When it is horizontal, the height shall not exceed 10mm, so as to facilitate its use in pipes with a diameter of 60mm or more.

[0020] The multi-axis robotic arm 5 mainly includes a first motor 51, a first connecting arm 52, a second motor 53, a third motor 54, a second connecting arm 55, a fourth motor 56, and a fifth motor 57. The axis of the third motor 54 is in the same direction as the multi-axis robotic arm 5, so that the detection seat 6 at the end can be rotated in different directions. The bottom of the detection seat 6 is provided with an opening 61, and a movable plate 66 that moves along the track rod 63 is provided at the opening 61. The movable plate 66 moves toward the center through the secondary electric telescopic rod 631. The monitoring lens 62 is pushed by the main electric telescopic rod 621. The end of the monitoring lens 62 can be a flexible rod, and it can be rigidly connected only near the main electric telescopic rod 621. When in use, the detection seat 6 is mainly aligned with the vicinity of the crack, and then the movable plates 66 on both sides are moved to the position of the crack and inserted, or directly fixed near the crack by pressure. Because the monitoring lens 62 on the middle side of the movable plate 66 is small, the shape of the crack can be observed at close range. Compared with observing directly from the braking platform 1, the cracking condition, such as the cracking depth, can be seen in more detail. The lighting matrix 64 is concave. When the detection seat 6 is attached to the inner wall of the pipe, the lighting matrix 64 is a certain distance away from the inner wall. The light lumens can illuminate downward from the bottom inclined plate 65. In addition, the multi-axis robotic arm 5 can continue to move during the observation process. The depth of the crack can be judged by the lighting shadow, and the length of the crack can be judged by the moving distance of the multi-axis robotic arm 5.

[0021] Its overall structure is modularly designed and divided into three different parts: upper, middle and lower. During normal use, a light and a camera can still be installed at the front of the energy platform 2. When a crack or a bend in the pipe is found, the multi-axis robotic arm 5 at the top can be deployed. Depending on the size of the opening or the length and depth of the crack, the detection seat 6 can be used to inspect it at close range and record the image captured by the monitoring lens 62 to the storage hard drive under the MCU control module 23 and display it on other terminals, such as laptops. The multi-axis robotic arm 5 is also equipped with a retractable gear groove 31 for storage. The displacement motor 42 inside the moving base 4 can be transmitted to the action gear 421, so that the action gear 421 and the rotating gear 422 are driven by the synchronous belt 423, allowing the front and rear parts to move together inside the gear groove 31. The two sides are fastened on the side surface of the flat plate 33 to facilitate forward and backward sliding. This type of structure is mainly designed for pipe corner areas. Since corners are not easy to observe and are often obstructed, and may even be blocked by foreign objects, the multi-axis robotic arm 5 can be made into a cantilever structure by using a telescopic structure. In conjunction with the rotating motor 411, the rotating mechanism 41 rotates horizontally, allowing the second connecting arm 55 at the front to work with the fourth motor 56 and the fifth motor 57 to inspect the pipe corner area and prevent blind spots. When the inner diameter of the pipe is large, the multi-axis robotic arm 5 can be changed from facing forward to facing backward inside the pipe, so that the whole equipment can still look backward when it is retracting, forming a secondary inspection.

[0022] Example 2 The difference from Example 1 is that, as Figure 8-9 As shown, in order to reduce the weight of the detection seat 6 and the number of motor devices, the track rod 63 is replaced with a rotatable threaded rod 632. The threaded rod 632 has bearing seats 633 at both ends, which are fixed to the inner wall of the detection seat 6. Only when the drive unit 636 transmits power to the main drive gear 635 will it drive the driven gear 634 at one end of the threaded rod 632 to rotate. Since the threaded rod 632 is fixed at the four corners of the moving plate 66 and has opposing threaded structures on its surface, after rotation, the threaded moving plates 66 will move towards each other, moving away from or closer to each other, thus forming an action that is always centered on the monitoring lens 62. The arc-shaped structure at the bottom can also facilitate movement when it comes into contact with the inner wall of the pipe. When inserted into a gap, the vertical planes on both sides can also form a fixing effect on the edge of a larger gap, so that the monitoring lens 62 can penetrate into the interior of a wider gap to check whether the gap has cracked to the outer surface of the pipe.

[0023] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mechanical telescopic arm for a pipeline inspection robot, characterized in that, include: Braking platform (1), wherein a stepper motor for rotating the two steering wheels is installed inside the braking platform (1), and a plug-in socket (11) is provided on the top of the braking platform (1); Energy platform (2), which is detachably connected to the upper part of braking platform (1), the upper part of energy platform (2) is an open structure, and the lower part of energy platform (2) is provided with a connector (21) corresponding to the plug-in socket (11). The energy platform (2) is equipped with a power module (22) and an MCU control module (23). Telescopic platform (3), the telescopic platform (3) is located on the upper part of the energy platform (2) and is detachably enclosed. The telescopic platform (3) is provided with a gear groove (31) on the middle side. A movable seat (4) is located on the upper part of the gear groove (31) and moves back and forth. A multi-axis robotic arm (5) is provided on the upper part of the movable seat (4). A rotating mechanism (41) is installed between the multi-axis robotic arm (5) and the movable seat (4). The rotating mechanism (41) is used to rotate the multi-axis robotic arm (5) horizontally. The movable seat (4) and the multi-axis robotic arm (5) are electrically connected to the MCU control module (23). The multi-axis robotic arm (5) has relevant nodes along its surface, and the multi-axis robotic arm (5) retracts from a cantilever shape to the upper part of the telescopic platform (3) through the joints. The detection seat (6) has an opening (61) on its bottom vertical surface. A retractable monitoring lens (62) extends from the inside of the detection seat (6) to the outside of the opening (61). A track rod (63) is installed horizontally with the monitoring lens (62) offset from the front and back. The surface of the track rod (63) is provided with a movable plate (66) that slides toward the monitoring lens (62).

2. The mechanical telescopic arm for a pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The joints of the multi-axis robotic arm (5) arranged along the axial direction include: First motor (51); The first connecting arm (52) is vertically mounted in the middle of the first motor (51) and rotates around the axis of the first motor (51); The second motor (53) is vertically mounted at the end of the first connecting arm (52); The third motor (54) is located in the middle of the second motor (53) and is vertically mounted, and rotates about the axis of the third motor (54); The second connecting arm (55) is located at the end of the third motor (54) and rotates coaxially with the third motor (54); A fourth motor (56) is vertically mounted at the end of the second connecting arm (55); The fifth motor (57) is installed at one end of the fourth motor (56); The fifth motor (57) is equipped with a detection seat (6) at its end.

3. The mechanical telescopic arm for a pipeline inspection robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rotating mechanism (41) is used for the bottom of the first motor (51) to rotate around the rotating mechanism (41) in a circumferential direction. The bottom of the rotating mechanism (41) is connected to a rotating motor (411). The movable seat (4) is provided with a displacement motor (42) on the side away from the rotating mechanism (41). The bottom of the displacement motor (42) is connected to an action gear (421). A rotating gear (422) is provided on one side of the action gear (421). The action gear (421) and the rotating gear (422) are connected by a synchronous belt (423). Both the action gear (421) and the rotating gear (422) are used to mesh with the gear groove (31).

4. The mechanical telescopic arm for a pipeline inspection robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, The monitoring lens (62) extends axially toward the inside of the detection seat (6) with a main electric telescopic rod (621). The main electric telescopic rod (621) is used to push the monitoring lens (62) to move toward the outside. An illumination matrix (64) is provided on one side of the opening (61). The illumination matrix (64) is recessed and has a matrix of LED lights inside. An inclined plate (65) is provided between the opening (61) and the illumination matrix (64), and the inclined plate (65) faces the side of the opening (61).

5. The mechanical telescopic arm for a pipeline inspection robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The surface of the track rod (63) is smooth. The middle part of the moving plate (66) extends to the inner wall of the detection seat (6) and is equipped with a secondary electric telescopic rod (631). The track rod (63) is located at the four corners of the moving plate (66) and fixed to the inner wall of the detection seat (6). The secondary electric telescopic rod (631) is used to push the moving plate (66) to extend and retract back and forth on the track rod (63).

6. The mechanical telescopic arm for a pipeline inspection robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The track rod (63) includes a threaded rod (632) with opposing threads extending on both sides and bearing seats (633) located at both ends of the threaded rod (632). The threaded rod (632) is connected by a through thread at the four corners of the moving plate (66). A driven gear (634) is installed at one end of each of the four threaded rods (632). A main drive gear (635) is meshed with the middle of the four driven gears (634). A drive unit (636) is axially installed on the main drive gear (635). The drive unit (636) is fixed inside or outside the detection seat (6).

7. A mechanical telescopic arm for a pipeline inspection robot according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The electric telescopic rod extends downward from the inner side of the threaded rod (632) on the front and rear sides. The bottom of the movable plate (66) is arc-shaped towards the middle, and the outer surface is vertical.

8. The mechanical telescopic arm for a pipeline inspection robot according to claim 7, characterized in that, The MCU control module (23) includes an MCU microcontroller unit, a storage hard disk, a clock chip, a voltage sensing module and a current sensing module. The front surface of the energy platform (2) is provided with a USB interface, a camera and a lighting lamp. The USB interface is used to connect to the MCU microcontroller unit.

9. A mechanical telescopic arm for a pipeline inspection robot according to claim 7, characterized in that, The telescopic platform (3) is provided with side baffles (32) on both sides. The gear groove (31) is located in the middle of the telescopic platform (3). The gear groove (31) is provided with flat plates (33) on both sides. The moving seat (4) is embedded and slides on the side surface of the flat plate (33) at both ends.

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