High folding ratio rope-driven robotic arm

Abstract

A high fold-to-spread ratio rope-driven robotic arm belongs to the field of robotic arm technology. It includes a vehicle body, control box, turntable, drive rope guide, robotic arm base, tilting robotic arm, detection device, and joint drive system. In its non-working state, the tilting robotic arm can be coiled around the turntable to reduce space occupation. In the working state, to extend the robotic arm and reach a predetermined pose, the joint drive system and the turntable drive system in the control box need to be controlled separately, so that the robotic arm joints and the turntable rotate in coordination. During the extension of the robotic arm, the torque compensation bracket can effectively reduce the required driving torque of most of the robotic arm joints. By adjusting the angles of each joint of the robotic arm, obstacle avoidance can be quickly achieved. This invention solves the problems of flexible deployment, high fold-to-spread ratio, small space occupation in non-working state, and large working space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of robotic arm technology and relates to a rope-driven robotic arm with a high folding-to-spread ratio. Background Technology

[0002] In numerous industrial sectors such as aerospace, energy, and transportation, there exist many small, deep, and complex enclosed spaces, such as aircraft engine air intakes, chemical pipeline interlayers, gaps in engineering equipment, and the base of bridges. Operations such as maintenance, assembly, inspection, and defect repair in these spaces place extremely high demands on the spatial adaptability, operating range, and flexible control of actuators. Rope-driven robotic arms, with their advantages of light weight, compact structure, and strong maneuverability in confined spaces, have become the core execution equipment for such complex scenarios. Their end effector can be equipped with various sensors, robotic grippers, and other tools depending on the operational requirements. Compared to traditional articulated robotic arms, they possess core advantages such as a large operating space, strong ability to operate in confined spaces, and small footprint when not in operation, making them a key research focus in the field of special operations equipment.

[0003] Traditional multi-joint rigid robotic arms mostly use a motor-driven joint drive system, with important components such as motors and reducers integrated at the joints. This results in large joint volume, excessive machine weight, and low folding-out ratio. When faced with complex and narrow spaces with great depth and small diameter, they cannot flexibly extend to complete the work. At the same time, the deployment of rigid robotic arms requires a large area, making it difficult to adapt to the operational needs of restricted scenarios such as densely populated urban areas, narrow workshop locations, and small internal cavities of equipment, thus significantly limiting their application scenarios.

[0004] In recent years, scholars have proposed robots for detecting objects in small and deep spaces. The National Defense Science and Technology Innovation Research Institute of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese People's Liberation Army disclosed a hybrid-driven, deployable soft robotic arm in its invention patent (publication number CN114406984A). This robotic arm adopts a multi-segment modular structure and achieves variable stiffness and high folding-to-spread ratio storage capacity through a combination of rope-driven and pneumatic-driven methods, meeting the requirements for maneuverability in confined spaces and load operation. Currently, research on this type of rope-driven robotic arm mainly focuses on ground-based industrial scenarios, achieving good application results in equipment maintenance, narrow cavity detection, and other scenarios. However, existing robotic arms still face significant challenges in space mission applications. Space missions place more stringent demands on the size and weight of equipment, and also place higher requirements on further optimizing the lightweight structural layout and high folding-to-spread ratio storage methods of rope-driven robotic arms. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention addresses the task requirements of flexible robot deployment and small space occupation by proposing a rope-driven robotic arm with a high folding-to-spread ratio.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention:

[0007] A high folding-to-spread ratio rope-driven robotic arm includes a vehicle body 1, a control box 2, a turntable 3, a drive rope guide 4, a robotic arm base 5, an inclined robotic arm 6, a detection device 7, and a joint drive system 10.

[0008] The vehicle body 1 provides support for the entire high-ratio rope-driven robotic arm;

[0009] The control box 2 is used to control the rotation of the turntable 3, as well as the extension and retraction of the tilting robotic arm 6;

[0010] The turntable 3 provides a basic support for the tilting robotic arm 6 to coil around;

[0011] The drive rope guide 4 provides guidance for the drive rope in the skewed robotic arm 6;

[0012] The robotic arm base 5 is the connection foundation for the starting end of the inclined robotic arm 6;

[0013] The detection device 7 is located at the end of the skewed robotic arm 6 and is used for detection;

[0014] The joint drive system 10 drives the tilting robotic arm 6 to adjust its position by tightening and releasing the drive rope.

[0015] Furthermore, the turntable 3 includes a short turntable shell 34 and a long turntable shell 31 that are fixed to each other in the length direction; and a cable passage is provided at the top of the connection between the short turntable shell 34 and the long turntable shell 31 to provide space for the drive rope to extend out.

[0016] Furthermore, the drive rope guide 4 includes a guide bracket 40, a front guide pulley 41, a rear guide pulley 42, a front guide shaft 47, and a rear guide shaft 48. There are two guide brackets 40, fixed to the top of the short housing 34 and the long housing 31 of the turntable, respectively. The distance between the two guide brackets 40 is equal to the width of the cable passage at the top of the turntable 3. The front guide shaft 47 and the rear guide shaft 48 are fixed parallel to each other between the two guide brackets 40, but the front guide shaft 47 and the rear guide shaft 48 are not on the same horizontal plane; the front guide shaft 47 is located in front of the rear guide shaft 48 and is higher than the rear guide shaft 48. The front guide pulley 41 and the rear guide pulley 42 are rotatably sleeved on the front guide shaft 47 and the rear guide shaft 48, respectively. U-shaped rope grooves are provided on both the front guide pulley 41 and the rear guide pulley 42.

[0017] Furthermore, the robotic arm base 5 includes a base bracket 50, a base joint front guide wheel 51, a base joint pulley 52, a base joint shaft 53, and a base joint front guide shaft 54. There are two base brackets 50, which are respectively fixed to the top of the turntable short shell 34 and the turntable long shell 31, and are located at the rear end of the two guide brackets 40. The distance between the two base brackets 50 is equal to the width of the wire passage at the top of the turntable 3. The base joint front guide shaft 54 ​​and the base joint shaft 53 are fixed parallel to each other between the two base brackets 50. The axes of the base joint front guide shaft 54 ​​and the base joint shaft 53 are on the same horizontal plane. The diameter of the base joint front guide shaft 54 ​​is smaller than that of the base joint shaft 53. The base joint front guide shaft 54 ​​is located in front of the base joint shaft 53. The base joint front guide wheel 51 and the base joint pulley 52 are respectively rotatably sleeved on the base joint front guide shaft 54 ​​and the base joint shaft 53.

[0018] Furthermore, the tilting robotic arm 6 includes multiple robotic arm units, each of which includes links and joints; the beginning of the first link is rotatably connected to two base supports 50, the end of the last link is fixedly connected to the detection device, and the links in the middle are connected by joints; each link is a cuboid box structure, and the width of the downstream link gradually decreases compared to the upstream link; the link body has an inclination angle, so that after four consecutive links rotate around the turntable 3, the width of the next link is reserved; each joint includes a front guide shaft 6501, a joint shaft 6502, a rear guide shaft 6503, a rear guide shaft sleeve 6504, a joint shaft sleeve 6505, and a front guide shaft... The system comprises a guide shaft sleeve 6506, a front guide wheel 6507, a joint pulley 6508, and a rear guide wheel 6509. The front guide shaft 6501 extends transversely through the upstream connecting rod along the width direction of the upstream connecting rod's tail end. One end of the front guide shaft 6501 has a shoulder structure, which is fixedly connected to one side wall of the upstream connecting rod, achieving positioning of the front guide shaft 6501 relative to one side of the upstream connecting rod. The other end is equipped with a front guide shaft sleeve 6506, whose shoulder is fixed to the other side wall of the upstream connecting rod, achieving positioning of the front guide shaft 6501 relative to the other side of the upstream connecting rod. The rim of the front guide wheel 6507 has a U-shaped groove matching the diameter of the drive rope. The front guide wheel 6507 is sleeved on the front guide shaft 6501 via rolling bearings, allowing it to rotate freely relative to the front guide shaft 6501. The joint guide wheel 6507 provides an entry guide point for the first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92, and initially determines the angle at which the drive ropes enter the joint. The joint shaft 6502 passes transversely through the upstream connecting rod along the width direction of the upstream connecting rod's end, and is located downstream of the joint guide shaft 6501. One end of the joint shaft 6502 has a shoulder structure, which is fixedly connected to one side wall of the upstream connecting rod, achieving positioning of the joint shaft 6502 relative to one side of the upstream connecting rod. The other end is equipped with a joint shaft sleeve 6505, the shoulder of which is fixed to the other side wall of the upstream connecting rod, achieving positioning of the joint shaft 6502 relative to the other side of the upstream connecting rod. The rim of the joint pulley 6508 has a U-shaped groove matching the diameter of the drive rope. The joint pulley 6508 is fixedly sleeved on the joint shaft 6502 by a key. The first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92 are wound in opposite directions on the U-shaped groove, forming a differential drive relationship. When one drive rope tightens and the other drive rope loosens, the friction between the drive rope and the articulated pulley 6508 generates a driving torque, which drives the downstream connecting rod to rotate. The first end of the downstream connecting rod is rotatably mounted on the articulated shaft 6502 via bearings, with each bearing located between the end of the articulated pulley 6508 and the inner wall of the upstream connecting rod.The rear guide shaft 6503 extends transversely through the downstream connecting rod along its width direction and is located downstream of the joint shaft 6502. One end of the rear guide shaft 6503 has a shoulder structure, which is fixedly connected to one side wall of the downstream connecting rod, achieving positioning of the rear guide shaft 6503 relative to one side of the downstream connecting rod. The other end is equipped with a rear guide shaft sleeve 6504, the shoulder of which is fixed to the other side wall of the downstream connecting rod, achieving positioning of the rear guide shaft 6503 relative to the other side of the downstream connecting rod. The rim of the rear guide wheel 6509 has a U-shaped groove matching the diameter of the drive rope. The rear guide wheel 6509 is mounted on the rear guide shaft 6503 via rolling bearings and can rotate freely relative to the rear guide shaft 6503. The rear guide wheel 6509 is used to guide the first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92 to smoothly change direction. Each link is equipped with a drive rope fastener 6510, which has an "I" or dumbbell-shaped thin-walled structure. The upper and lower ends are large flat plates or blocks, and the middle is connected by a thin rod. The thin rod passes through the thickness direction of the downstream link. The length direction of the thin rod is parallel to the deflection direction of the downstream link. The thin rod is provided with a groove for firmly binding the ends of the first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92.

[0019] Furthermore, the torque compensation bracket 8 includes a left support plate 800, a right support plate 801, a front guide roller 802, and a rear guide roller 803; one end of the left support plate 800 and the right support plate 801 are respectively fixed to the side of the turntable long shell 31 and the control box 2, and the other end of the left support plate 800 and the right support plate 801 are rotatably arranged with parallel front guide roller 802 and rear guide roller 803; the front guide roller 802 is upstream and above the rear guide roller 803, and its upper edge is flush with the top surface of the turntable long shell 31 and the turntable short shell 34;

[0020] Furthermore, the joint drive system 10 includes a left power source 101, a left winding reel 102, a right winding reel 103, and a right power source 104. The total number of left power sources 101 and right power sources 104 is equal to the number of connecting rods; the left power sources 101 and right power sources 104 are arranged near the connection surface between the long housing 31 and the short housing 34 of the turntable, and are fixed to the inner sidewalls of the long housing 31 and the short housing 34 of the turntable; the left winding reel 102 and right winding reel 103 are respectively fixedly installed on the motor output shaft of the left power source 101 or the right power source 104; the left winding reel 102 or the right winding reel 103 has U-shaped spiral grooves with opposite directions of rotation and equal pitch at both ends, and the first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92 are respectively fixedly wound in the U-shaped spiral grooves at both ends; the winding directions of the first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92 are opposite;

[0021] Furthermore, the number of U-shaped rope grooves on the guide front pulley 41, guide rear pulley 42, joint front guide wheel 6507, joint pulley 6508, and joint rear guide wheel 6509 is greater than the number of connecting rods.

[0022] Furthermore, the first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92 start from each left winding reel 102 or right winding reel 103 and pass sequentially through the guide front pulley 41, the guide rear pulley 42, the base joint front guide wheel 51, and the base joint pulley 52. ​​Then they pass through both sides of the joint front guide wheel 6507, and then cross and wrap around the joint pulley 6508 with opposite wrap angles of 180 degrees. After passing the joint pulley 6508, they cross and pass through both sides of the joint rear guide wheel 6509, and finally are fixed in the groove of the thin rod in the drive rope fastener 6510.

[0023] Furthermore, the vehicle body 1 is a wheeled vehicle body or a rail-mounted vehicle body. The vehicle body 1 is capable of driving a high-ratio rope-driven robotic arm.

[0024] Furthermore, the control box 2 is equipped with a motor and a driver that can control the rotation of the turntable 3 and the torque compensation bracket 8.

[0025] Working principle:

[0026] When a link needs to be driven to rotate upwards, the joint drive system 10 tightens the first drive rope 91 while simultaneously releasing the second drive rope 92. Since the first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92 are wound in opposite directions on the joint pulley 6508, tightening the first drive rope 91 generates a torque on the joint pulley 6508 that causes the link to rotate upwards. Simultaneously, the release of the second drive rope 92 provides rope space for this rotation, and vice versa. By precisely controlling the length and tension of the two drive ropes, precise and stepless control of the joint angle can be achieved. This design ensures that the pulling force required to drive the joint is directly inversely proportional to the diameter of the joint pulley 6508; increasing the pulley diameter effectively reduces the required motor torque.

[0027] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0028] The robotic arm employs a cable-driven structure, featuring a compact design, an ultra-high length-to-diameter ratio, and an ultra-high folding-to-spread ratio. It also maintains a relatively small mass, enabling ultra-long-distance detection. The links of the robotic arm are designed with a slight tilt, ensuring that after one rotation on the turntable, the arm is offset by at least one arm width, guaranteeing a single-layer coil on the turntable and significantly reducing the space occupied when not in operation. Each joint has a rotation range of ±90°, giving the robotic arm exceptional flexibility and facilitating obstacle avoidance. To counteract the arm's weight and reduce joint driving torque, a torque compensation bracket with automatic extension and retraction functions is designed. In summary, this robotic arm offers a significantly wider detection range and greater flexibility for back-side inspection tasks. Furthermore, its lighter and more compact structure makes its overall performance unmatched by most other cable-driven robotic arms. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the working of the rope-driven robotic arm on the back of a bridge in a real-world scenario.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the cable-driven robotic arm coiled on the back of the bridge.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the working state of the rope-driven robotic arm on the back of the bridge.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a detailed structural diagram of the turntable section.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting rods and joints of the robotic arm.

[0034] Figure 6 These are enlarged views of a section of a robotic arm joint. In the image, (a) is a top view of the joint, and (b) is a front view of the joint.

[0035] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the drive rope fixing component.

[0036] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the layout and connecting rod winding of the joint drive system.

[0037] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the joint drive system and winding.

[0038] In the diagram: 1-vehicle body, 2-control box, 3-turntable, 4-drive rope guide, 5-robotic arm base, 6-skewed robotic arm, 7-detection device, 8-torque compensation bracket, 91-first drive rope, 92-second drive rope, 10-joint drive system.

[0039] 31-Long housing of turntable, 32-Counterhead screw of turntable, 33-Turntable connector, 34-Short housing of turntable.

[0040] 40-Guide bracket, 41-Guide front pulley, 42-Guide rear pulley, 43-Firming screw for fixing plate, 44-Guide shaft fixing plate, 45-Firming screw for bracket, 46-Cylindrical locating pin, 47-Front guide shaft, 48-Rear guide shaft.

[0041] 50-Base support, 51-Base joint front guide wheel, 52-Base joint pulley, 53-Base joint shaft, 54-Base joint front guide shaft.

[0042] 6501 - Anterior guide shaft of the joint, 6502 - Joint shaft, 6503 - Rear guide shaft of the joint, 6504 - Rear guide shaft sleeve of the joint, 6505 - Joint shaft sleeve, 6506 - Anterior guide shaft sleeve of the joint, 6507 - Anterior guide wheel of the joint, 6508 - Joint pulley, 6509 - Rear guide wheel of the joint, 6510 - Drive rope fixing connector.

[0043] 800 - Left support plate, 801 - Right support plate, 802 - Front guide roller of bracket, 803 - Rear guide roller of bracket.

[0044] 101-Left power source, 102-Left winding reel, 103-Right winding reel, 104-Right power source. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and technical solutions.

[0046] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, a high folding-to-spread ratio rope-driven robotic arm includes a vehicle body 1, a control box 2, a turntable 3, a drive rope guide 4, a robotic arm base 5, an inclined robotic arm 6, a detection device 7, and a joint drive system 10.

[0047] The vehicle body 1 provides support for the entire high-ratio rope-driven robotic arm;

[0048] The control box 2 is used to control the rotation of the turntable 3, as well as the extension and retraction of the tilting robotic arm 6;

[0049] The turntable 3 provides a basic support for the tilting robotic arm 6 to coil around;

[0050] The drive rope guide 4 provides guidance for the drive rope in the skewed robotic arm 6;

[0051] The robotic arm base 5 is the connection foundation for the starting end of the inclined robotic arm 6;

[0052] The detection device 7 is located at the end of the skewed robotic arm 6 and is used for detection;

[0053] The joint drive system 10 drives the tilting robotic arm 6 to adjust its position by tightening and releasing the drive rope.

[0054] like Figure 4 As shown, the turntable 3 includes a short turntable shell 34 and a long turntable shell 31 that are fixed to each other in the length direction; and a cable passage is provided at the top of the connection between the short turntable shell 34 and the long turntable shell 31 to provide space for the drive rope to extend; preferably, a turntable connector 33 is provided at the connection between the short turntable shell 34 and the long turntable shell 31, and the two ends of the turntable connector 33 are respectively fixed to the short turntable shell 34 and the long turntable shell 31 by turntable countersunk screws 32.

[0055] The drive rope guide 4 includes a guide bracket 40, a front guide pulley 41, a rear guide pulley 42, a front guide shaft 47, and a rear guide shaft 48. There are two guide brackets 40, which are respectively fixed to the top of the turntable short shell 34 and the turntable long shell 31. The distance between the two guide brackets 40 is equal to the width of the cable passage at the top of the turntable 3. Preferably, the guide brackets 40 and the turntable 3 are positioned by cylindrical pins 46 and connected and fixed by countersunk screws 45. The front guide shaft 47 and the rear guide shaft 48 are fixed parallel to each other between the two guide brackets 40, but the front guide shaft 47 and the rear guide shaft 48 are not on the same horizontal plane. The front guide shaft 47 is located in front of the rear guide shaft 48 and is higher than the rear guide shaft 48. This is to prevent interference and friction between the first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92. On the other hand, it is to reduce the wrap angle of the first drive rope 91 on the rear guide pulley 42, thereby reducing the pressure of the first drive rope 91 on the rear guide shaft 48. Preferably, guide shaft fixing plates 44 are provided on the outer sides of both guide brackets 40. The guide shaft fixing plates 44 are connected to the front guide shaft 47 and the rear guide shaft 48 respectively by countersunk screws 43, which provide axial positioning for the front guide shaft 47 and the rear guide shaft 48. The front guide pulley 41 and the rear guide pulley 42 are rotatably sleeved on the front guide shaft 47 and the rear guide shaft 48 respectively. U-shaped rope grooves are provided on both the front guide pulley 41 and the rear guide pulley 42.

[0056] like Figure 5 , Figure 6As shown, the robotic arm base 5 includes a base bracket 50, a base joint front guide wheel 51, a base joint pulley 52, a base joint shaft 53, and a base joint front guide shaft 54. There are two base brackets 50, which are respectively fixed to the top of the turntable short shell 34 and the turntable long shell 31, and are located at the rear end of the two guide brackets 40. The distance between the two base brackets 50 is equal to the width of the wire passage at the top of the turntable 3. The base joint front guide shaft 54 ​​and the base joint shaft 53 are fixed parallel to each other between the two base brackets 50. The axes of the base joint front guide shaft 54 ​​and the base joint shaft 53 are on the same horizontal plane. The diameter of the base joint front guide shaft 54 ​​is smaller than that of the base joint shaft 53. The base joint front guide shaft 54 ​​is located in front of the base joint shaft 53. The base joint front guide wheel 51 and the base joint pulley 52 are respectively rotatably sleeved on the base joint front guide shaft 54 ​​and the base joint shaft 53.

[0057] The tilting robotic arm 6 comprises multiple robotic arm units, each including links and joints. The beginning of the first link is rotatably connected to two base supports 50, and the end of the last link is fixedly connected to a detection device. The links in the middle are connected by joints. Each link is a cuboid box structure, and the width of the downstream link gradually decreases compared to the upstream link. The link body has an inclination angle, so that after four consecutive links rotate around the turntable 3, the width of the next link is reserved. Each joint includes a front guide shaft 6501, a joint shaft 6502, a rear guide shaft 6503, a rear guide shaft sleeve 6504, a joint shaft sleeve 6505, a front guide shaft sleeve 6506, a front guide wheel 6507, and a joint pulley. 6508, Rear guide wheel 6509; Front guide shaft 6501 extends transversely through the upstream connecting rod along the width direction of the upstream connecting rod's tail end. One end of the front guide shaft 6501 has a shoulder structure, which is fixedly connected to one side wall of the upstream connecting rod, achieving positioning of the front guide shaft 6501 and one side of the upstream connecting rod. The other end is equipped with a front guide shaft sleeve 6506, the shoulder of which is fixed to the other side wall of the upstream connecting rod, achieving positioning of the front guide shaft 6501 and the other side of the upstream connecting rod; Front guide wheel 6507 is a pulley with a width of approximately 8.5mm and an outer diameter of approximately 40mm, made of high-strength lightweight alloy. The rim of the front guide wheel 6507 has a U-shaped groove matching the diameter of the drive rope. The front guide wheel 6507 is sleeved on the front guide shaft 6501 via rolling bearings, allowing it to rotate freely relative to the front guide shaft 6501. The guide wheel 6507 provides an entry guide point for the first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92, and initially determines the angle at which the drive rope enters the joint. The joint shaft 6502 passes transversely through the upstream connecting rod along the width direction of the upstream connecting rod's end, and is located downstream of the guide wheel 6501. One end of the joint shaft 6502 has a shoulder structure, which is fixedly connected to one side wall of the upstream connecting rod, achieving positioning of the joint shaft 6502 relative to one side of the upstream connecting rod. The other end is equipped with a joint shaft sleeve 6505, the shoulder of which is fixed to the other side wall of the upstream connecting rod, achieving positioning of the joint shaft 6502 relative to the other side of the upstream connecting rod. The joint pulley 6508 is a pulley with a width of approximately 8.5 mm and an outer diameter of approximately 80 mm, made of high-strength lightweight alloy. The rim of the joint pulley 6508 has a U-shaped groove matching the diameter of the drive rope. The joint pulley 6508 is fixedly sleeved on the joint shaft 6502 by a key. The first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92 are wound in opposite directions on the U-shaped rope groove, forming a differential drive relationship. When one drive rope is tightened and the other drive rope is loosened, the friction between the drive rope and the articulated pulley 6508 generates a driving torque, which drives the downstream connecting rod to rotate. The first end of the downstream connecting rod is rotatably sleeved on the articulated shaft 6502 through bearings, with each bearing located between the end of the articulated pulley 6508 and the inner wall of the upstream connecting rod.The rear guide shaft 6503 extends transversely through the downstream connecting rod along its width direction and is located downstream of the joint shaft 6502. One end of the rear guide shaft 6503 has a shoulder structure, which is fixedly connected to one side wall of the downstream connecting rod, achieving positioning of the rear guide shaft 6503 relative to one side of the downstream connecting rod. The other end is equipped with a rear guide shaft sleeve 6504, the shoulder of which is fixed to the other side wall of the downstream connecting rod, achieving positioning of the rear guide shaft 6503 relative to the other side of the downstream connecting rod. The rear guide wheel 6509 has the same specifications as the front guide shaft 6501, and its rim has a U-shaped groove matching the diameter of the drive rope. The rear guide wheel 6509 is mounted on the rear guide shaft 6503 via rolling bearings and can rotate freely relative to the rear guide shaft 6503. The rear guide wheel 6509 is used to guide the first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92 to smoothly change direction. Figure 7 As shown, each link is equipped with a drive rope fastener 6510. The drive rope fastener 6510 has an "I" or dumbbell-shaped thin-walled structure. The upper and lower ends are large flat plates or blocks with a width of about 20mm. The middle is connected by a thin rod that passes through the thickness direction of the downstream link. The length direction of the thin rod is parallel to the deflection direction of the downstream link. The thin rod is provided with a groove for firmly binding the ends of the first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92.

[0058] like Figure 3 As shown, the torque compensation bracket 8 includes a left support plate 800, a right support plate 801, a front guide roller 802, and a rear guide roller 803. One end of the left support plate 800 and the right support plate 801 are respectively fixed to the side of the turntable long shell 31 and the control box 2. The other end of the left support plate 800 and the right support plate 801 are rotatably arranged with parallel front guide rollers 802 and rear guide rollers 803. The front guide roller 802 is located upstream and above the rear guide roller 803, and its upper edge is flush with the top surface of the turntable long shell 31 and the turntable short shell 34.

[0059] like Figure 9As shown, the joint drive system 10 includes a left power source 101, a left winding disc 102, a right winding disc 103, and a right power source 104. The total number of left power sources 101 and right power sources 104 is equal to the number of connecting rods; the left power sources 101 and right power sources 104 are arranged near the connection surface between the long housing 31 and the short housing 34 of the turntable, and are fixed to the inner sidewalls of the long housing 31 and the short housing 34 of the turntable; preferably, the left power sources 101 and right power sources 104 are symmetrically arranged on the inner sidewalls of the long housing 31 and the short housing 34 of the turntable with the connection surface of the long housing 31 and the short housing 34 as the plane of symmetry; each power source 104... The power source is an integrated module that internally encapsulates a servo motor, a reducer, a brake, and a driver. A left winding reel 102 and a right winding reel 103 are respectively fixed on the output shaft of the motor of the left power source 101 or the right power source 104. The left winding reel 102 or the right winding reel 103 has U-shaped spiral grooves with opposite directions of rotation and equal pitch at both ends. The first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92 are respectively fixedly wound in the U-shaped spiral grooves at both ends. The winding directions of the first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92 are opposite.

[0060] The number of U-shaped rope grooves on the guide front pulley 41, guide rear pulley 42, joint front guide wheel 6507, joint pulley 6508, and joint rear guide wheel 6509 is greater than the number of connecting rods.

[0061] like Figure 8 As shown, the first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92 start from each left winding reel 102 or right winding reel 103 and pass sequentially through the guide front pulley 41, the guide rear pulley 42, the base joint front guide wheel 51, and the base joint pulley 52. ​​Then they pass through both sides of the joint front guide wheel 6507, and then cross and wrap around the joint pulley 6508 with opposite wrap angles of 180 degrees. After passing the joint pulley 6508, they cross and pass through both sides of the joint rear guide wheel 6509, and finally are fixed in the groove of the thin rod in the drive rope fastener 6510.

[0062] The vehicle body 1 is either a wheeled vehicle body or a rail-mounted vehicle body. The vehicle body 1 is capable of driving a high-ratio rope-driven robotic arm. The overall dimensions of the vehicle body 1 are 1700×800×1200mm.

[0063] The control box 2 is equipped with a motor and a driver that can control the rotation of the turntable 3 and the torque compensation bracket 8.

[0064] Working principle:

[0065] When a link needs to be driven to rotate upwards, the joint drive system 10 tightens the first drive rope 91 while simultaneously releasing the second drive rope 92. Since the first drive rope 91 and the second drive rope 92 are wound in opposite directions on the joint pulley 6508, tightening the first drive rope 91 generates a torque on the joint pulley 6508 that causes the link to rotate upwards. Simultaneously, the release of the second drive rope 92 provides rope space for this rotation, and vice versa. By precisely controlling the length and tension of the two drive ropes, precise and stepless control of the joint angle can be achieved. This design ensures that the pulling force required to drive the joint is directly inversely proportional to the diameter of the joint pulley 6508; increasing the pulley diameter effectively reduces the required motor torque.

Claims

1. A high folding-to-spread ratio rope-driven robotic arm, characterized in that, The high folding-to-spread ratio rope-driven robotic arm includes a vehicle body (1), a control box (2), a turntable (3), a drive rope guide (4), a robotic arm base (5), an inclined robotic arm (6), a detection device (7), and a joint drive system (10). The vehicle body (1) provides support for the entire high-flexibility rope-driven robotic arm; The control box (2) is used to control the rotation of the turntable (3) and the extension and retraction of the tilting robotic arm (6); The turntable (3) provides a basic support for the skewed robotic arm (6) to coil around; The drive rope guide (4) provides guidance for the drive rope in the skewed robotic arm (6); The robotic arm base (5) is the connection base for the beginning of the tilting robotic arm (6); The detection device (7) is located at the end of the skewed robotic arm (6) and is used for detection; The joint drive system (10) drives the tilting robotic arm (6) to adjust its position by tightening and releasing the drive rope; The tilting robotic arm (6) includes multiple robotic arm units, each of which includes a link and a joint; the beginning of the first link is rotatably connected to two base supports (50), the end of the last link is fixedly connected to the detection device, and the links in the middle are connected by joints; each link is a cuboid box structure, and the width of the downstream link gradually decreases compared to the upstream link; the link body has an inclination angle, so that after four consecutive links rotate around the turntable (3) once, the width of the next link is reserved; each joint includes a front guide shaft (6501), a joint shaft (6502), a rear guide shaft (6503), a rear guide shaft sleeve (6504), a joint shaft sleeve (6505), a front guide shaft sleeve (6506), a front guide wheel (6507), a joint pulley (6508), and a rear guide wheel (6509). The rim of the joint front guide wheel (6507) has a U-shaped groove that matches the diameter of the drive rope; the joint front guide wheel (6507) is sleeved on the joint front guide shaft (6501) through a rolling bearing and can rotate freely relative to the joint front guide shaft (6501); the joint front guide wheel (6507) provides the rope entry guide point for the first drive rope (91) and the second drive rope (92) and initially determines the angle at which the drive rope enters the joint; The first drive rope (91) and the second drive rope (92) are wound in opposite directions on the U-shaped rope groove to form a differential drive relationship.

2. The high folding-to-spread ratio rope-driven robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The turntable (3) includes a short shell (34) and a long shell (31) that are fixed to each other in the length direction; and a cable pass is provided at the top of the connection between the short shell (34) and the long shell (31) to provide space for the drive rope to extend.

3. A high folding-to-spread ratio rope-driven robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive rope guide (4) includes a guide bracket (40), a front guide pulley (41), a rear guide pulley (42), a front guide shaft (47), and a rear guide shaft (48); there are two guide brackets (40), which are fixed to the top of the short shell (34) and the long shell (31) of the turntable, respectively, and the distance between the two guide brackets (40) is equal to the width of the cable passage at the top of the turntable (3); the front guide shaft (48) is fixed parallel between the two guide brackets (40). 47) Rear guide shaft (48), but the front guide shaft (47) and the rear guide shaft (48) are not on the same horizontal plane. The front guide shaft (47) is located in front of the rear guide shaft (48), and the front guide shaft (47) is higher than the rear guide shaft (48). The front pulley (41) and the rear pulley (42) of the guide member are respectively rotatably sleeved on the front guide shaft (47) and the rear guide shaft (48). U-shaped rope grooves are opened on both the front pulley (41) and the rear pulley (42).

4. A high folding-to-spread ratio rope-driven robotic arm according to claim 3, characterized in that, The robotic arm base (5) includes a base bracket (50), a base joint front guide wheel (51), a base joint pulley (52), a base joint shaft (53), and a base joint front guide shaft (54); there are two base brackets (50), which are respectively fixed to the top of the turntable short shell (34) and the turntable long shell (31), and are located at the rear end of the two guide brackets (40); the distance between the two base brackets (50) is equal to the width of the wire passage at the top of the turntable (3); the two base brackets ( The base joint front guide shaft (54) and base joint shaft (53) are fixed in parallel between 50. The axes of the base joint front guide shaft (54) and base joint shaft (53) are on the same horizontal plane. The diameter of the base joint front guide shaft (54) is thinner than that of the base joint shaft (53). The base joint front guide shaft (54) is located in front of the base joint shaft (53). The base joint front guide wheel (51) and base joint pulley (52) are respectively rotated and sleeved on the base joint front guide shaft (54) and base joint shaft (53).

5. A high folding-to-spread ratio rope-driven robotic arm according to claim 4, characterized in that, The pre-joint guide shaft (6501) passes transversely through the upstream connecting rod along the width direction of the upstream connecting rod's tail end. One end of the pre-joint guide shaft (6501) has a shoulder structure, which is fixedly connected to one side wall of the upstream connecting rod, thus positioning the pre-joint guide shaft (6501) and one side of the upstream connecting rod. The other end is provided with a pre-joint guide shaft sleeve (6506), the shoulder of which is fixed to the other side wall of the upstream connecting rod, thus positioning the pre-joint guide shaft (6501) and the other side of the upstream connecting rod. The joint shaft (6502) passes transversely through the upstream connecting rod along the width direction of the upstream connecting rod's end end, and is located downstream of the pre-joint guide shaft (6501). One end of the joint shaft (6502) has a shoulder structure, which... The shoulder section is fixedly connected to one side wall of the upstream connecting rod, realizing the positioning of the joint shaft (6502) and one side of the upstream connecting rod. The other end is provided with a joint shaft sleeve (6505). The shoulder of the joint shaft sleeve (6505) is fixed to the other side wall of the upstream connecting rod, realizing the positioning of the joint shaft (6502) and the other side of the upstream connecting rod. The rim of the joint pulley (6508) has a U-shaped rope groove that matches the rope diameter of the drive rope. The joint pulley (6508) is fixedly sleeved on the joint shaft (6502) by a key. When one drive rope is tightened and the other drive rope is loosened, the friction between the drive rope and the joint pulley (6508) generates a driving torque, which drives the downstream connecting rod to rotate. The first end of the downstream connecting rod is rotated and sleeved on the joint shaft (6502) through a bearing. On the joint pulley (6508), each bearing is located between the end of the joint pulley (6508) and the inner wall of the upstream connecting rod; the rear joint guide shaft (6503) passes through the downstream connecting rod along the width direction of the downstream connecting rod and is located downstream of the joint shaft (6502); one end of the rear joint guide shaft (6503) has a shoulder structure, and the shoulder part is fixedly connected to one side wall of the downstream connecting rod to realize the positioning of the rear joint guide shaft (6503) and one side of the downstream connecting rod; the other end is provided with a rear joint guide shaft sleeve (6504), and the shoulder of the rear joint guide shaft sleeve (6504) is fixed to the other side wall of the downstream connecting rod to realize the positioning of the rear joint guide shaft (6503) and the other side of the downstream connecting rod; the rim of the rear joint guide wheel (6509) has a diameter matching the drive rope. U-shaped rope groove; the rear guide wheel (6509) is sleeved on the rear guide shaft (6503) via a rolling bearing and can rotate freely relative to the rear guide shaft (6503); the rear guide wheel (6509) is used to guide the first drive rope (91) and the second drive rope (92) to turn smoothly; each link is provided with a drive rope fastener (6510), the drive rope fastener (6510) is a thin-walled structure in the shape of "I" or dumbbell, the upper and lower ends are large flat plates or blocks, and the middle is connected by a thin rod, the thin rod passes through the thickness direction of the downstream link; the length direction of the thin rod is parallel to the deflection direction of the downstream link; the thin rod is provided with a groove for firmly binding the ends of the first drive rope (91) and the second drive rope (92).

6. A high folding-to-spread ratio rope-driven robotic arm according to claim 5, characterized in that, The torque compensation bracket (8) includes a left support plate (800), a right support plate (801), a bracket front guide roller (802), and a bracket rear guide roller (803). One end of the left support plate (800) and the right support plate (801) are respectively fixed to the side of the turntable long shell (31) and the control box (2), and the other end of the left support plate (800) and the right support plate (801) are rotatably arranged with the bracket front guide roller (802) and the bracket rear guide roller (803) parallel to each other. The bracket front guide roller (802) is above the bracket rear guide roller (803) upstream, and its upper edge is flush with the top surface of the turntable long shell (31) and the turntable short shell (34).

7. A high folding-to-spread ratio rope-driven robotic arm according to claim 6, characterized in that, The joint drive system (10) includes a left power source (101), a left winding disc (102), a right winding disc (103), and a right power source (104); the total number of the left power source (101) and the right power source (104) is equal to the number of connecting rods; the left power source (101) and the right power source (104) are arranged near the connection surface of the turntable long shell (31) and the turntable short shell (34), and are fixed to the turntable long shell (31) and the turntable short shell (34). The inner wall; a left winding disc (102) and a right winding disc (103) are respectively fixed on the motor output shaft of the left power source (101) or the right power source (104); the left winding disc (102) or the right winding disc (103) is provided with U-shaped spiral grooves with opposite directions of rotation and equal pitch at both ends, and the first drive rope (91) and the second drive rope (92) are respectively fixedly wound in the U-shaped spiral grooves at both ends; the winding directions of the first drive rope (91) and the second drive rope (92) are opposite.

8. A high folding-to-spread ratio rope-driven robotic arm according to claim 7, characterized in that, The number of U-shaped rope grooves on the front guide pulley (41), rear guide pulley (42), front guide wheel (6507), joint pulley (6508), and rear guide wheel (6509) is greater than the number of connecting rods.

9. A high folding-to-spread ratio rope-driven robotic arm according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first drive rope (91) and the second drive rope (92) start from each left winding reel (102) or right winding reel (103) and pass sequentially through the guide front pulley (41), the guide rear pulley (42), the base joint front guide wheel (51), and the base joint pulley (52). Then they pass through both sides of the joint front guide wheel (6507) and cross each other with opposite wrap angles of 180 degrees on the joint pulley (6508). After passing the joint pulley (6508), they cross each other again and pass through both sides of the joint rear guide wheel (6509). Finally, they are fixed in the groove of the thin rod in the drive rope fastener (6510).

10. A high folding-to-spread ratio rope-driven robotic arm according to claim 9, characterized in that, The vehicle body (1) is a wheeled vehicle body or a rail vehicle body; the vehicle body (1) can drive the high-folding-ratio rope-driven robotic arm to move; the control box (2) is equipped with a motor and driver that can control the rotation of the turntable (3) and the torque compensation bracket (8).

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