Electric control locking type inchworm bionic pipeline crawling device and method
By using an electrically controlled, interlocking inchworm-inspired bionic structure and a dynamic error-eliminating mechanism, the problems of instability in vertical pipes and error accumulation caused by pipe diameter changes are solved, achieving stable and efficient pipe crawling with strong adaptability and reduced failure rate.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511825525.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-27
AI Technical Summary
Existing pipeline robots face challenges such as motion instability under the gravity of vertical pipelines, accumulation of step displacement errors due to changes in pipe diameter, and mechanical jamming risks during long-distance crawling.
It adopts an electrically controlled, interlocking inchworm-inspired structure, combined with a dynamic error correction mechanism and electromagnetic pin locking. Through the coordinated movement of the left and right rotating screws and support shoes, it achieves stable crawling in variable pipe diameter environments. Error compensation is achieved by using error correction springs and error correction sliding pins to avoid mechanical jamming.
It achieves stable crawling in pipes with varying diameters and vertical pipes, eliminates accumulated errors, improves crawling efficiency and safety, reduces failure rate, and is highly adaptable and widely applicable.
Smart Images
Figure CN121576492A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to a pipeline crawling robot technology, and in particular to an electrically controlled, interlocking, inchworm-inspired pipeline crawling device and method. Background Technology
[0002] Pipelines, as a crucial infrastructure in modern society, are widely used in oil, natural gas, chemical, and municipal industries. However, long-term operation inevitably leads to defects such as corrosion, cracks, and blockages, requiring regular inspection and maintenance. Traditional pipeline inspection methods rely primarily on manual labor or large equipment, resulting in low efficiency, high costs, and significant risks, especially for complex pipeline networks and small-diameter pipelines, where traditional methods are inadequate. In recent years, pipeline robotics technology has rapidly developed, providing new solutions for pipeline maintenance. Pipeline robots can move autonomously inside pipelines, carrying various sensors and tools to perform tasks such as pipeline defect detection, cleaning, and repair, offering advantages such as high efficiency, safety, and low cost.
[0003] However, existing pipeline robots cannot solve three major problems simultaneously: (a) Instability of motion in a vertical pipe under gravity; (b) Accumulated step displacement error caused by pipe diameter variation; (c) Risk of mechanical jamming during long-distance crawling. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a reasonably designed, stable and highly adaptable electrically controlled locking bionic pipe crawling device and method for inchworms.
[0005] The technical solution of this invention is: An electrically controlled, interlocking, biomimetic pipe crawling device for inchworms includes a walking mechanism, an electrically controlled interlocking mechanism, and a dynamic error correction mechanism. The walking mechanism comprises two parts, each including a working chamber, a drive motor, and left- and right-hand screws. One end of the working chamber is closed, and the other end is open. The drive motor is located in the closed chamber, and the left- and right-hand screws are mounted in the open chamber via concentric brackets. One end of each screw is connected to the drive motor, and a left-hand nut and a right-hand nut are respectively mounted on the screws. A hinge shaft is mounted on the left-hand nut. One end of the rod is mounted on a hinge shaft, forming a hinged connection. The right-hand nut is also equipped with a hinge shaft. One end of the other two connecting rods is mounted on the hinge shaft, also forming a hinged connection. The other ends of the four connecting rods are paired to form upper and lower ends, respectively, and are connected to the upper and lower support shoes through axle pins to form a hinged connection. The left-hand nut, right-hand nut, two support shoes, and four connecting rods form a symmetrical quadrilateral structure. The dynamic differential elimination mechanism is provided between the working chambers of the two traveling mechanisms. The electrically controlled locking mechanism is provided between the two left-hand nuts and the two right-hand nuts of the two traveling mechanisms.
[0006] Furthermore: the dynamic error correction mechanism includes an error correction spring and an error correction sliding pin, wherein the two ends of the error correction spring are respectively connected to the two working chambers of the two traveling mechanisms, and the two working chambers are respectively provided with limit plates. The two ends of the error correction sliding pin pass through the through holes of the two limit plates and are slidably connected. In addition, the two ends of the error correction sliding pin are provided with fixing plates, and the error correction spring is fitted on the error correction sliding pin; there is at least one error correction spring and one error correction sliding pin.
[0007] Furthermore, the electrically controlled locking mechanism includes a connecting plate, a connecting toothed plate, and an electromagnetic pin. The left-hand nut of one of the traveling mechanisms is fixedly connected to one end of the connecting plate, and the electromagnetic pin is provided on the other end of the connecting plate. The left-hand nut of the other traveling mechanism is fixedly connected to one end of the connecting toothed plate, and the other end of the connecting toothed plate is provided with a rack segment. The protruding end of the electromagnetic pin can engage the rack on the connecting toothed plate, forming an electrically controlled locking mechanism interconnected together, called a left-hand nut locking mechanism. Similarly, another electrically controlled locking mechanism is provided between the right-hand nuts of the two traveling mechanisms, called a right-hand nut locking mechanism.
[0008] Furthermore, the plug of the electromagnetic pin is conical or plate-shaped triangle, and the angle of the conical or plate-shaped triangle matches the tooth angle of the connecting tooth plate.
[0009] Furthermore: the drive shaft of the drive motor extends out of the closed chamber, and a sealing mechanism is provided between them. The outer end of the drive shaft is connected to one end of the left and right screws through a coupling. The upper and lower end walls of the open chamber are respectively provided with strip holes to facilitate the extension of the support shoe and connecting rod to support the inner wall of the pipe.
[0010] Furthermore: the support shoe is made of rubber material, or a composite of metal and rubber material, and the pitch of the left and right thread pairs on the left and right screws is equal.
[0011] An electrically controlled, interlocking, biomimetic pipe crawling method utilizing the aforementioned electrically controlled, interlocking inchworm-inspired pipe crawling device, wherein clockwise rotation of the left and right screws is called right rotation, and counterclockwise rotation is called left rotation. The walking mechanism on the left side of the figure is step shoe 2, and the walking mechanism on the right side is step shoe 1. The pipe is placed vertically to the ground, and the method includes the following steps: a. When the device is placed inside the pipe, and both the right-hand nut and the left-hand nut are in the unlocked state, the drive motor drives the left and right screws to rotate clockwise. The right-hand nut moves to the left and the left-hand nut moves to the right. That is, the right-hand nut and the left-hand nut move symmetrically closer together, and the support shoe is in a raised and supported state, which can support the inner wall of the pipe. b. When the motor drives the left and right screws to rotate counterclockwise, the left screw nut moves to the left and the right screw nut moves to the right. That is, the left and right screw nuts separate symmetrically, and the support shoe is in a lowered and retracted state, disengaging from the inner wall of the pipe. c. When one of the traveling mechanisms is tightened against the pipe wall and the other traveling mechanism is in a retracted state, and the two right-hand nuts are fixed by the electrically controlled locking mechanism, it is stationary relative to the pipe. When the drive motor of this traveling mechanism drives the left and right screws to rotate clockwise, the left and right screws move to the right, so the traveling mechanism moves forward. Alternatively, when the other traveling mechanism is tightened and the two left-hand nuts are fixed by the electrically controlled locking mechanism, it is stationary relative to the pipe. When the drive motor of this traveling mechanism drives the left and right screws to rotate counterclockwise, the left and right screws move to the right, so the traveling mechanism moves forward. d. When one of the traveling mechanisms is tightened against the pipe wall and the other traveling mechanism is in a retracted state, and the two left-handed nuts are fixed by the electrically controlled locking mechanism, the traveling mechanism is stationary relative to the pipe. When the drive motor of the other traveling mechanism drives the left-handed screw to rotate clockwise, the left-handed screw moves to the left, so the traveling mechanism moves backward. Alternatively, when the other traveling mechanism is tightened and the two right-handed nuts are fixed by the electrically controlled locking mechanism, the traveling mechanism is stationary relative to the pipe. When the drive motor of this traveling mechanism drives the left-handed screw to rotate counterclockwise, the left-handed screw moves to the left, so the traveling mechanism moves backward. e. The drive motors of the two walking mechanisms rotate alternately, causing the entire device to move forward or backward continuously.
[0012] Further: The two walking mechanisms are respectively called walking boots 1 and walking boots 2. When placed horizontally, under the action of the spring only and without the action of gravity, the body gap B = B0; the systems of walking boots 1 and walking boots 2 are both in the retracted state, and their supporting boots are located at the symmetric position in the middle of the left and right hand screws. At this time, the lengths of the left and right hand screws extending out of the right-handed nut and the left-handed nut are assumed to be x1 = x2 = x0; when walking boot 1 or walking boot 2 is in the tightened state, x1 = x0 + dx or x2 = x0 + dx, and dx is called the screw rotation displacement amount that makes the supporting boot tighten, and is also called the step distance of the walking boot. When perpendicular to the ground, the change in the distance between walking boots 1 and walking boots 2 caused by gravity is defined as dw. Then, under the action of gravity, when one of the walking boots is tightened, B = B0 + dw or B = B0 - dw.
[0013] Further: When the distance B between walking boots 1 and walking boots 2 > B0 + δ, the error-eliminating spring forcibly pulls back the walking boots to achieve reset; when B < B0 - δ, the error-eliminating spring pushes the two walking boots to perform displacement compensation to achieve reset; δ is the limit threshold. The plug of the electromagnetic plug pin meshes with the tooth shape of the connecting tooth piece, and the width b of the tooth groove at the top of the tooth of the connecting tooth piece satisfies b ≥ |dx1 - dx2| max ; The plug of the electromagnetic plug pin adopts a conical or plate-shaped triangular design to ensure that the meshing force F_pin > F_upward component force to prevent accidental unlocking.
[0014] Further: The entire device is placed in a vertical pipe. Initial state of the device: The left-handed nut is unlocked, the right-handed nut is unlocked, walking boot 2 is on top, its supporting boot is in the tightened state with the pipe wall, walking boot 1 is at the bottom, and its supporting boot is in the retracted state. Due to the action of gravity, B = B0 + dw; At this time: The supporting boot 2 is tightened, and the supporting boot 1 is retracted; The device descends: Step 1: The right-handed nut is locked, the left-handed nut is unlocked, the drive motor of walking boot 1 is started, the screw rotates clockwise, its supporting boot rises, when x1 = x0 + dx, walking boot 1 advances dx, B = B0 + dw + dx, and the drive motor is turned off; At this time: The supporting boot 2 is tightened, and the supporting boot 1 is tightened; Step 2: The left-handed nut is locked, the right-handed nut is unlocked, the drive motor of walking boot 2 is started, the screw rotates counterclockwise, its supporting boot retracts, walking boot 2 advances dx, the drive motor stops, B = B0 + dw At this time: The supporting boot 2 is retracted, and the supporting boot 1 is tightened; Step 3: The right-handed nut is locked, the left-handed nut is unlocked, the drive motor of walking boot 2 is started, the screw rotates clockwise, its supporting boot rises, when x2 = x0 + dx, walking boot 2 advances dx, the drive motor stops, B = B0 + dw - dx; At this moment: Boot 2 is tightened, and Boot 1 is tightened; Step 4: Turn the nut to the left to lock, turn the nut to the right to unlock, start the drive motor of step shoe 1, rotate the screw counterclockwise, retract the support shoe, step shoe 1 moves forward dx, and the drive motor stops, B=B0+dw; At this moment: Boot 2 is stretched tight, and Boot 1 is pulled back; Step 5: Then return to step 1 to achieve continuous crawling. In each work cycle, the crawling distance of step shoe 1 is dx + dx = 2dx. Similarly, as the device moves upward, the various actions of the device moving downward are followed in sequence. In each work cycle, step shoe 2 climbs upward by 2dx.
[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. This invention pioneers a triple collaborative mechanism of "electromagnetic interlocking + toothed groove tolerance + spring error elimination" to achieve real-time elimination of cumulative error crawling under variable pipe diameter environment.
[0016] 2. The present invention adopts a structure of left-handed nut, right-handed nut and left-handed and right-handed screw, which can quickly realize the opening or retraction of the support boot, and the walking efficiency is high.
[0017] 3. This invention uses the extension and retraction of an electromagnetic pin to lock and unlock the connecting teeth, eliminating the jamming caused by mechanical opening and closing, thus resulting in a low failure rate.
[0018] 4. The drive motor, control circuit, power supply, etc. of this invention are located in a sealed space and will not be corroded by liquids or debris in the pipes, resulting in high safety and long service life.
[0019] 5. The present invention uses a differential sliding pin, which can both guide and prevent the distance between the two traveling mechanisms from exceeding the limit, thus avoiding the differential spring from being broken.
[0020] 6. This invention adopts a inchworm-inspired structure, which allows for stable movement on uneven surfaces and adaptability to varying pipe diameters. It has a wide range of applications, is easy to promote and implement, and has good economic benefits. Attached Figure Description
[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an electrically controlled, interlocking, inchworm-inspired pipeline crawling device; Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of a portion of the image; Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure connecting the toothed plate and the electromagnetic plug. Detailed Implementation
[0022] Example: See Figure 1 -- Figure 3In the picture: 1-Pipeline, 2-Second working chamber, 3-Second drive motor, 4-Second coupling, 5-Second support shoe, 6-Second connecting rod, 7-Second connecting plate, 8-Anti-differential spring, 9-Second electromagnetic pin, 9-1 Electromagnetic pin plug, electrical control plug, retractable; 9-2 Electromagnetic pin body, fixed on the connecting plate, 10-Second connecting gear, 11-First support shoe, 12-First connecting rod, 13-First coupling, 14-First working chamber, 15 - First drive motor, 16- First right-hand nut, 17- First left-hand nut, 18- First connecting toothed plate, 19- First electromagnetic pin, 19-1 Electromagnetic pin plug, same as above; 19-2 Electromagnetic pin body, same as above, 20- Differential elimination sliding pin, 21- First connecting plate, 22- Second right-hand nut, 23- Second left-hand nut, 24- Second left-right turn screw, 25- Second concentric bracket, 26- First left-right turn screw, 27- First concentric bracket.
[0023] An electrically controlled, interlocking, biomimetic pipe-crawling device for inchworms includes a walking mechanism, an electrically controlled interlocking mechanism, and a dynamic error-eliminating mechanism. The walking mechanism consists of two sets, each including a working chamber, a drive motor, and left and right helical screws. One end of the working chamber is closed, and the other end is open. The drive motor (including control circuitry and power supply) is located in the closed chamber. The left and right helical screws are mounted in the open chamber via concentric brackets. One end of each screw is connected to the drive motor. A left-handed nut and a right-handed nut are respectively mounted on the left and right helical screws. A hinge shaft is mounted on the left-handed nut, and two connecting rods are also present. One end of the rod is mounted on the hinge shaft, forming a hinged connection. A hinge shaft is also provided on the right-hand nut. One end of the other two connecting rods is mounted on the hinge shaft, also forming a hinged connection. The other ends of the four connecting rods are respectively connected to the upper and lower support shoes through axle pins, forming a hinged connection. The left-hand nut, right-hand nut, two support shoes and four connecting rods form a symmetrical quadrilateral structure. A dynamic differential elimination mechanism is provided between the working chambers of the two traveling mechanisms. An electric locking mechanism is provided between the two left-hand nuts and the two right-hand nuts of the two traveling mechanisms.
[0024] Preferred solution: The dynamic anti-aliasing mechanism includes an anti-aliasing spring 8 and an anti-aliasing sliding pin 20. The two ends of the anti-aliasing spring 8 are connected to the two working chambers of the two traveling mechanisms, respectively. Limit plates are installed in each of the two working chambers. The two ends of the anti-aliasing sliding pin 20 pass through through holes in the two limit plates, forming a slidable connection. Fixing plates are provided at both ends of the anti-aliasing sliding pin 20 to prevent it from dislodging. The anti-aliasing spring 8 is spring-loaded onto the anti-aliasing sliding pin 20. There is at least one anti-aliasing spring 8 and at least two anti-aliasing sliding pins 20; however, one or four are also possible. The parallel anti-aliasing sliding pins 20 and the anti-aliasing spring 8 ensure that the two machine bodies are coaxial and do not rotate relative to each other.
[0025] Preferred solution: The electrically controlled locking mechanism includes a connecting plate, a connecting toothed plate, and an electromagnetic pin. A left-handed nut of one traveling mechanism is fixedly connected to one end of the connecting plate, and an electromagnetic pin is provided on the other end of the connecting plate. A left-handed nut of another traveling mechanism is fixedly connected to one end of the connecting toothed plate, and a rack segment is provided on the other end of the connecting toothed plate. The protruding end of the electromagnetic pin can engage the rack on the connecting toothed plate, forming an electrically controlled locking mechanism that is interconnected and locked together, called a left-handed nut locking mechanism. Similarly, another set of electrically controlled locking mechanisms is provided between the right-handed nuts of the two traveling mechanisms, called a right-handed nut locking mechanism.
[0026] Preferred solution: The plug of the electromagnetic pin is conical or plate-shaped triangle, and the angle of the conical or plate-shaped triangle matches the tooth angle of the connecting tooth plate.
[0027] Preferred solution: The drive shaft of the drive motor extends out of the closed chamber, and a sealing mechanism is provided between the two. The outer end of the drive shaft is connected to one end of the left and right screws through a coupling. The upper and lower end walls of the open chamber are respectively provided with strip holes to facilitate the extension of the support shoe and connecting rod to support the inner wall of the pipe.
[0028] Preferred solution: The support shoe is made of rubber material, or a combination of metal and rubber material. The left and right pitches of the lead screws are equal, and the pitches of the left and right nuts are also equal.
[0029] The components of the first traveling mechanism include: 11-First support shoe, 12-First connecting rod, 13-First coupling, 14-First working chamber, 15-First drive motor, 16-First right-hand nut, 17-First left-hand nut, 18-First connecting gear, 19-First electromagnetic pin, 19-1 Electromagnetic pin plug, same as above; 19-2 Electromagnetic pin body, same as above, 20-Altering sliding pin, 21-First connecting plate, 22-Second right-hand nut, 23-Second left-hand nut, 24-Second left-right screw, 25-Second concentric bracket, 26-First left-right screw, 27-First concentric bracket.
[0030] The components of the second traveling mechanism include: 2-Second working chamber, 3-Second drive motor, 4-Second coupling, 5-Second support shoe, 6-Second connecting rod, 7-Second connecting plate, 8-Anti-differential spring, 9-Second electromagnetic pin, 9-1 Electromagnetic pin plug, electrical control plug, can be telescopic; 9-2 Electromagnetic pin body, fixed on the connecting plate, 10-Second connecting toothed plate, 22-Second right-hand nut, 23-Second left-hand nut, 24-Second left-hand and right-hand lead screw, 25-Second concentric bracket.
[0031] A biomimetic pipe crawling method for an electrically controlled, interlocking inchworm, for simplicity, refers to two walking mechanisms as walking boot 1 and walking boot 2. Figure 1 In the diagram, looking from left to right, the clockwise rotation of the left and right screws is called right-hand rotation, and conversely, the counterclockwise rotation of the left and right screws is called left-hand rotation. The entire device is called a robot.
[0032] 1. Setup and Instructions: (1) Initial state: Before the robot enters the pipeline, it is placed horizontally. Step shoe 1 and step shoe 2 are only under the action of springs and there is no gravity. The gap between the body is B=B0. Step shoe 1 and step shoe 2 are both in the retracted state. Their support shoes are located in the symmetrical position between the left and right threaded screws. At this time, the length of the left and right screws extending out of the right (left) screw nut is assumed to be x1=x2=x0. When step shoe 1 or step shoe 2 is in the tensioned state, x1=x0+dx or x2=x0+dx, the support shoe is in the tensioned state. dx is called the screw rotation displacement that makes the support shoe tensioned, also known as the step distance of the step shoe system.
[0033] (2) When the pipe is perpendicular to the ground, the change in the distance between step shoe 1 and step shoe 2 caused by gravity is defined as dw. Then, under the action of gravity, when one of the step shoes is tightened, B=B0+dw or B=B0-dw.
[0034] (3) Generally speaking, it is most difficult for a robot to crawl in a vertical pipe. Therefore, we will take the robot crawling in a vertical pipe as an example to discuss its working principle.
[0035] 2. Mechanism of Action: 2.1 Operating principle of left and right turn screws: The left and right threaded screws have equal pitch on both sides, with one half being left-handed and the other half right-handed. When the output shaft of the drive motor rotates, the screw can rotate, while the left (right) threaded nut does not rotate but can move left and right along the threaded screw.
[0036] according to Figure 1 Looking from left to right: a left-hand screw rotating clockwise is called a right-hand screw, and a right-hand screw rotating counterclockwise is called a left-hand screw.
[0037] When one of the traveling mechanisms is tightened against the pipe wall and the other traveling mechanism is in a retracted state, with the two right-hand nuts fixed by the electrically controlled locking mechanism and stationary relative to the pipe, the drive motor of this traveling mechanism drives the left and right screws to rotate clockwise, causing the left and right screws to move to the right, thus propelling the traveling mechanism forward. Alternatively, when the other traveling mechanism is tightened and the two left-hand nuts are fixed by the electrically controlled locking mechanism and stationary relative to the pipe, the drive motor of this traveling mechanism drives the left and right screws to rotate counterclockwise, causing the left and right screws to move to the right, thus propelling the traveling mechanism forward. When one of the traveling mechanisms is tightened against the pipe wall and the other traveling mechanism is in a retracted state, with the two left-handed nuts fixed by the electrically controlled locking mechanism and stationary relative to the pipe, the drive motor of the other traveling mechanism drives the left-handed screw to rotate clockwise, causing the left-handed screw to move to the left, thus causing the traveling mechanism to retract. Alternatively, when the other traveling mechanism is tightened and the two right-handed nuts are fixed by the electrically controlled locking mechanism and stationary relative to the pipe, the drive motor of this traveling mechanism drives the left-handed screw to rotate counterclockwise, causing the left-handed screw to move to the left, thus causing the traveling mechanism to retract. The drive motors of the two walking mechanisms rotate alternately, causing the entire device to move forward or backward continuously.
[0038] induction: ★At any time, when the boot-supporting movement ends, the boot is positioned on the center line of the screw bar. ★When the lead screw rotates to the right, the support is raised, x1 = x2 = x0 + dx; when the lead screw rotates to the left, the support is lowered, x1 = x2 = x0. ★Turning the nut to the right locks the screw, which then rotates to the right, lifting the mechanism and allowing it to move forward. ★The left-hand nut locks the screw, causing it to turn left, retracting the mechanism and propelling it forward. ★Turning the nut to the left locks the mechanism; turning the screw to the right raises the support, causing the traveling mechanism to retract. ★Turning the nut to the right locks the mechanism; turning the screw to the left retracts the mechanism, causing it to retract. 2.2 Principle of Robot Crawling: ① Robot descends (advances): Ready state: The robot is in a vertical pipe. Left-hand nut is unlocked, right-hand nut is unlocked, step shoe 2 is on top and its support shoe is in a state of being tightly supported with the pipe wall, step shoe 1 is on the bottom and its support shoe is in a state of being retracted. Due to gravity, B=B0+dw. At this moment: Boot 2 is stretched tight, and Boot 1 is pulled back; Step 1: Turn the nut to the right to lock, turn the nut to the left to unlock, start the drive motor of step shoe 1, rotate the screw clockwise, and its support shoe is raised. When x1=x0+dx, step shoe 1 moves forward dx, B=B0+dw+dx, and the drive motor is turned off. At this moment: Boot 2 is tightened, and Boot 1 is tightened; Step 2: Turn the nut left to lock, turn the nut right to unlock, start the drive motor of step shoe 2, rotate the lead screw counterclockwise, retract the support shoe, step shoe 2 moves forward dx, and the drive motor stops. B = B0 + dw At this moment: Boot 2 is pulled in, and Boot 1 is stretched; Step 3: Turn the nut to the right to lock, turn the nut to the left to unlock, start the drive motor of step shoe 2, rotate the screw clockwise, and its support shoe is raised. When x2=x0+dx, step shoe 2 moves forward dx, the drive motor stops, and B=B0+dw-dx. At this moment: Boot 2 is tightened, and Boot 1 is tightened; Step 4: Turn the nut to the left to lock, turn the nut to the right to unlock, start the drive motor of step shoe 1, rotate the screw counterclockwise, retract the support shoe, step shoe 1 moves forward dx, and the drive motor stops, B=B0+dw; At this moment: Boot 2 is stretched tight, and Boot 1 is pulled back; Step 5: Then return to step 1 to achieve continuous crawling. In each work cycle, the crawling distance of step shoe 1 is dx + dx = 2dx.
[0039] ② Robot moving upwards (or backwards): Ready state: The robot is in a vertical pipe with step shoe 2 on top and its support shoe 2 in a state of being tightly supported by the pipe wall. Step shoe 1 is on the bottom and its support shoe 1 is in a retracted state. Due to gravity, B = B0 + dw. Robot status: Boot 2 is taut, Boot 1 is closed.
[0040] Step 1: Turn the nut to the left to lock, turn the nut to the right to unlock, start the drive motor of step shoe 1, rotate the screw clockwise, and its support shoe is raised. When x1=x0+dx, step shoe 1 moves back dx, B=B0+dw-dx, and the drive motor is turned off. At this moment: Boot 2 is tightened, and Boot 1 is tightened; Step 2: Twist the nut to the right to lock, twist the nut to the left to unlock, start the drive motor of step shoe 2, rotate the lead screw counterclockwise, retract the support shoe, step shoe 2 moves backward by dx, and the drive motor stops. B = B0 + dw At this moment: Boot 2 is pulled in, and Boot 1 is stretched; Step 3: Turn the nut to the left to lock, turn the nut to the right to unlock, start the drive motor of step shoe 2, rotate the screw clockwise, and its support shoe is raised. When x2=x0+dx, step shoe 2 moves back dx, the drive motor stops, and B=B0+dw+dx. At this moment: Boot 2 is tightened, and Boot 1 is tightened; Step 4: Turn the nut to the right to lock, turn the nut to the left to unlock, start the drive motor of step shoe 1, rotate the screw counterclockwise, its support shoe retracts, step shoe 1 moves backward dx, the drive motor stops, B=B0+dw; At this moment: Boot 2 is stretched tight, and Boot 1 is pulled back; Step 5: Then return to step 1 to achieve continuous crawling. In each work cycle, the crawling distance of step shoe 2 is dx + dx = 2dx.
[0041] The beneficial effects of this device: 1. Adaptability to variable pipe diameter: - Gear tolerance design b≥|Δx|, allowing single-step pipe diameter difference error ≤b; - The compensating spring automatically compensates for the cumulative error to avoid mechanical jamming.
[0042] 2. Improvement in vertical load capacity: - When in the tightened state, the connecting rod forms a mechanical self-locking and combines with a rubber support boot (coefficient of friction μ≥0.8).
[0043] 3. Control reliability: ① Refer to Figure 3 , reasonably design the angle of the tooth-shaped inclined plane. When the connecting tooth piece is under tensile or thrust force, ensure that the downward insertion force of the electromagnetic plug pin is greater than the upward component force generated by the inclined plane to prevent unlocking.
[0044] ② Refer to Figure 3 , reasonably design the tooth thickness, tooth width, material, etc. of the connecting tooth piece to make the teeth have sufficient strength without being damaged, and ensure the effective movement of the support boot.
[0045]
[0046] Measures of this device for eliminating displacement error: The previously mentioned displacement dx1 = dx2 = dx is the ideal state of the well pipe diameter, that is, the well pipe diameter D1 where the shoe 1 is located is equal to the well pipe diameter D2 where the shoe 2 is located. If D1≠D2, then dx1≠dx2, and a displacement error will be formed in the step distances of the two support boot systems.
[0047] When D1 and D2 differ slightly: Suppose D1 is slightly larger than D2, then dx1 is slightly larger than dx2. Suppose (dx1 - dx2) < b, where b is the width of the tooth groove at the top of the tooth of the rack of the connecting tooth piece. The contact situation between the tooth tip of the tooth pin and the tooth groove is as shown in Figure 3 . The right end of the tooth tip contacts the left end of a certain tooth of the rack, and there is a gap t between the left end of the tooth tip of the tooth pin and the right side of the tooth of the rack. Taking the right-handed nut as an example, when it is required that the right-handed nut cannot move to the left, this requirement cannot be met at this time. However, considering the characteristics of the left and right helical thread connecting rod mechanism, when the left end of the right-handed nut 1 is not restricted, it will move to the left first with the expansion of the mechanism, automatically eliminating the gap t. When t = 0, the right-handed nut 1 will no longer be able to move to the left.
[0048] When D2 is slightly larger than D1, dx2 is slightly larger than dx1, and the left side of the tooth tip is in contact with the right inclined plane of the tooth of the rack, that is, the state where t = 0 in Figure 3 . Similarly, taking the right-handed nut 1 of the support boot 1 that cannot move to the left as an example in the above Article 1, this condition is met at this time, and the support boot 1 can make a normal stepping movement.
[0049] When D1 and D2 differ greatly: Suppose that the error between D1 and D2 causes the difference between x1 and x2 to be greater than the width b of the tooth groove at the tip of a tooth. In this case, the pin tip will simply fall into the next tooth groove, thus limiting the implementation of the spiral nut as in 4.1. Of course, the large difference between D1 and D2 is relative. D cannot be so large that the support shoe of the threaded linkage mechanism cannot support the pipe wall even in the maximum open state.
[0050] When several errors accumulate: If the accumulated error from several cycles exceeds the working length of the rack, the entire system will fail to function. Figure 1 In this system, two step shoe systems are connected by a differential-eliminating sliding pin inserted into the through holes of the two step shoes. A differential-eliminating spring is fitted onto the differential-eliminating sliding pin. The differential-eliminating sliding pin ensures that the two step shoe systems can slide relative to each other. The function of the differential-eliminating spring is to prevent the accumulated error from reaching a certain level. a. Taking the downward movement of the device as an example, if the accumulated error causes the distance B between the two stepping shoe systems to widen significantly, reaching the set limit threshold δ, the error-eliminating spring will generate a large tension, preventing the stepping shoe from taking effective steps. In this case, the following measures can be taken: tighten stepping shoe 2, then unlock electromagnetic pins 1 and 2 (i.e., unlock the right-hand nut and the left-hand nut). Under the tension of the error-eliminating spring, stepping shoe 1 and stepping shoe 2 will return to their initial state, set to B=B0+dw, thus eliminating the accumulated error caused by the inconsistent step distance between the two stepping shoes. After eliminating the accumulated error, continue moving downwards according to the originally set action step sequence.
[0051] b. If the accumulated error causes the gap B to shrink too much, the error-eliminating spring will exert a large pressure. In this case, the above method can also be used. The error-eliminating spring will push the step shoe 1 system forward a certain distance.
[0052] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Any simple modifications made based on the technical essence of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.
Claims
1. An electrically controlled closed lock inchworm bionic pipeline crawling device, comprising a walking mechanism, an electrically controlled closed lock mechanism and a dynamic error elimination mechanism, characterized in that: The walking mechanism is two, each of the walking mechanism includes a working bin, a drive motor and a left and right screw rod, wherein one end of the working bin is a closed bin, the other end is an open bin, the drive motor is arranged in the closed bin, the left and right screw rods are arranged in the open bin through concentric supports, one end of the left and right screw rods is connected with the drive motor, left and right screw nuts are respectively arranged on the left and right screw rods, a hinge shaft is arranged on the left screw nut, one end of two connecting rods is mounted on the hinge shaft to form a hinged connection, a hinge shaft is also arranged on the right screw nut, one end of the other two connecting rods is mounted on the hinge shaft to also form a hinged connection, the other end of the four connecting rods is two and two to form upper and lower ends, which are respectively connected with the upper and lower supporting shoes through shaft pins to form a hinged connection, the left screw nut, the right screw nut, the two supporting shoes and the four connecting rods form a symmetrical quadrilateral structure, the dynamic difference elimination mechanism is arranged between the working bins of the two walking mechanisms, and the electric control locking mechanisms are respectively arranged between the two left screw nuts and the right screw nuts of the two walking mechanisms.
2. The electrically controlled closed lock inchworm bionic pipeline crawling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dynamic difference elimination mechanism includes a difference elimination spring and a difference elimination sliding pin, wherein the two ends of the difference elimination spring are respectively connected with the two working bins of the two walking mechanisms, two limiting plates are respectively arranged in the two working bins, the two ends of the difference elimination sliding pin are respectively penetrated through through holes in the two limiting plates, and the two ends of the difference elimination sliding pin are slidably connected with the two limiting plates, and the two ends of the difference elimination sliding pin are provided with fixing sheets, and the difference elimination spring is sleeved on the difference elimination sliding pin; the difference elimination spring and the difference elimination sliding pin are at least one.
3. The electrically controlled, interlocking, inchworm-inspired pipe crawling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: electrically controlled... The locking mechanism includes a connecting plate, a connecting tooth piece and an electromagnetic bolt, wherein the left screw nut of one walking mechanism is fixedly connected with one end of the connecting plate, the other end of the connecting plate is provided with the electromagnetic bolt, the left screw nut of the other walking mechanism is fixedly connected with one end of the connecting tooth piece, the other end of the connecting tooth piece is provided with a rack section, the plug of the electromagnetic bolt can be clamped on the rack of the connecting tooth piece to form an electric control locking mechanism connected together, which is called left screw nut locking; similarly, another electric control locking mechanism is arranged between the right screw nuts of the two walking mechanisms, which is called right screw nut locking.
4. The electrically controlled closed lock inchworm bionic pipeline crawling device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The plug of the electromagnetic bolt is conical or plate triangular, and the angle of the conical or plate triangular matches the tooth angle of the connecting tooth piece.
5. The electrically controlled closed lock inchworm bionic pipeline crawling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power shaft of the drive motor extends out of the closed bin, and a sealing mechanism is arranged between the power shaft and the closed bin, the outer end of the power shaft is connected with one end of the left and right screw rods through a shaft coupling, and strip-shaped holes are respectively arranged on the upper and lower end bin walls in the middle of the open bin to facilitate the extension of the supporting shoes and the connecting rods to support the inner wall of the pipeline.
6. The electrically controlled closed lock inchworm bionic pipeline crawling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The supporting shoes are made of rubber material or composite of metal material and rubber material, and the left and right thread pairs on the left and right screw rods have equal pitches.
7. A method for controlling the electrically controlled locking inchworm bionic pipeline crawling device according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the clockwise rotation of the left and right screw rods is defined as right rotation, the counterclockwise rotation is defined as left rotation, the left walking mechanism is defined as the step boot 2, the right walking mechanism is defined as the step boot 1, the pipeline is placed vertically to the ground, and the method comprises the following steps: a. When the right and left rotating nuts are both in the non-locking state, the driving motor drives the left and right screw rods to rotate clockwise, the right rotating nut moves left, and the left rotating nut moves right, i.e. the right and left rotating nuts are symmetrically close to each other, the supporting boots are in the supporting high state, and the supporting boots can support the inner wall of the pipeline; b. When the driving motor drives the left and right screw rods to rotate counterclockwise, the left rotating nut moves left, and the right rotating nut moves right, i.e. the left and right rotating nuts are symmetrically separated, the supporting boots are in the lowering and closing state, and the supporting boots are separated from the inner wall of the pipeline; c. When one of the walking mechanisms is in the supporting state, the other walking mechanism is in the closing state, and the two right rotating nuts are fixed by the electrically controlled locking mechanism, the device is stationary relative to the pipeline, the driving motor of the walking mechanism drives the left and right screw rods to rotate clockwise, the left and right screw rods move to the right, and thus the walking mechanism moves forward; or, the other walking mechanism is in the supporting state, the two left rotating nuts are fixed by the electrically controlled locking mechanism, the device is stationary relative to the pipeline, the driving motor of the walking mechanism drives the left and right screw rods to rotate counterclockwise, the left and right screw rods move to the right, and thus the walking mechanism moves forward; d. When one of the walking mechanisms is in the supporting state, the other walking mechanism is in the closing state, and the two left rotating nuts are fixed by the electrically controlled locking mechanism, the device is stationary relative to the pipeline, the driving motor of the other walking mechanism drives the left and right screw rods to rotate clockwise, the left and right screw rods move to the left, and thus the walking mechanism moves backward; or, the other walking mechanism is in the supporting state, the two right rotating nuts are fixed by the electrically controlled locking mechanism, the device is stationary relative to the pipeline, the driving motor of the walking mechanism drives the left and right screw rods to rotate counterclockwise, the left and right screw rods move to the left, and thus the walking mechanism moves backward; e. The driving motors of the two walking mechanisms are alternately rotated to continuously move the device forward or backward.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the two The walking mechanisms are respectively defined as the step boot 1 and the step boot 2, when placed horizontally, the step boot 1 and the step boot 2 are only under the action of the spring without gravity, the clearance between the bodies is B=B0, the step boot 1 and the step boot 2 system are in the closing state, the supporting boots are located at the symmetric position between the left and right screw rods, at this time, the lengths of the right rotating nut and the left rotating nut extending out of the left and right screw rods are assumed to be x1=x2=x0, when the step boot 1 or the step boot 2 is in the supporting state, x1=x0+dx or x2=x0+dx, dx is defined as the screw rotating displacement amount for supporting the supporting boots, also known as the step distance of the step boot; When placed vertically to the ground, the change in the distance between the step boot 1 and the step boot 2 caused by gravity is defined as dw, when one of the step boots is in the supporting state, B=B0+dw or B=B0-dw under the action of gravity.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises: When the distance B between the two step shoes 1 and 2 is greater than B0+δ, the differential spring forces the step shoes to be pulled back to reset; when B is less than B0-δ, the differential spring pushes the two step shoes apart to compensate for displacement and reset; δ is a limit threshold value; The plug of the electromagnetic bolt is in tooth-shaped engagement with the connecting tooth, and the tooth tip groove width b of the connecting tooth satisfies b≥|dx1-dx2| max ; The plug of the electromagnetic bolt is designed in a conical or plate triangular shape to ensure that the engagement force F_bolt > F_upper component, preventing accidental unlocking.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises: The entire device is placed in a vertical pipeline, and the initial state of the device is that the left-hand threaded nut is unlocked, the right-hand threaded nut is unlocked, step shoe 2 is on top, and its supporting shoe is in a tightened state with the pipe wall, and step shoe 1 is on the bottom, and its supporting shoe is in a folded state. Due to the action of gravity, B=B0+dw; At this time: supporting shoe 2 is tightened, and supporting shoe 1 is folded; Device descending: Step 1: The right-hand threaded nut is locked, the left-hand threaded nut is unlocked, the drive motor of step shoe 1 is started, the lead screw rotates clockwise, its supporting shoe is raised, when x1=x0+dx, step shoe 1 advances dx, B=B0+dw+dx, and the drive motor is turned off. At this time: supporting shoe 2 is tightened, and supporting shoe 1 is tightened; Step 2: The left-hand threaded nut is locked, the right-hand threaded nut is unlocked, the drive motor of step shoe 2 is started, the lead screw rotates counterclockwise, its supporting shoe is folded, step shoe 2 advances dx, the drive motor stops, and B=B0+dw. At this time: supporting shoe 2 is folded, and supporting shoe 1 is tightened; Step 3: The right-hand threaded nut is locked, the left-hand threaded nut is unlocked, the drive motor of step shoe 2 is started, the lead screw rotates clockwise, its supporting shoe is raised, when x2=x0+dx, step shoe 2 advances dx, the drive motor stops, and B=B0+dw-dx. At this time: supporting shoe 2 is tightened, and supporting shoe 1 is tightened; Step 4: The left-hand threaded nut is locked, the right-hand threaded nut is unlocked, the drive motor of step shoe 1 is started, the lead screw rotates counterclockwise, its supporting shoe is folded, step shoe 1 advances dx, the drive motor stops, and B=B0+dw. At this time: supporting shoe 2 is tightened, and supporting shoe 1 is folded; Step 5: Then return to Step 1 to realize continuous crawling. In each working cycle, step shoe 1 crawls downward by a distance of dx+dx=2dx. Similarly, the device ascends, and each action is sequentially deduced according to the actions of the device descending. In each working cycle, step shoe 2 crawls upward by 2dx.