Intelligent management module of library robot

Abstract

The invention relates to an intelligent management module of a library robot. A single-shaft load torque sensor, an RV speed reducer, a T-shaped joint shell, a joint motor, a joint motor shell, a joint temperature detection sensor, a double-absolute-value magnetic encoder, an electromagnetic band-type brake, a driver and the like are integrated in a joint module. According to the high-rigidity large-hollow multifunctional T-shaped RV joint module, the single-shaft load torque sensor is arranged on the left side of the output end of the RV speed reducer, obtained torque sensor signals are used for achieving torque control over the joints, in the application of library intelligent carrying or book checking, the clamping force can be adjusted in a self-adaptive mode according to the weight of the grabbed books, and the clamping efficiency is improved. And pages are prevented from being damaged. And a signal wire of the torque sensor passes through a large central hole of the joint output shaft. The joint motor shell is provided with a sheet type heat dissipation structure, a motor rotor is installed outside, and assembling work of the motor is facilitated. A joint temperature detection sensor is arranged on a motor, can feed back temperature data to an upper computer, and is used for thermal management and control optimization during long-time continuous operation of the robot. The center input shaft with the gear is meshed with the gear on the RV speed reducer to transmit power, the electromagnetic band-type brake is installed on the right side of the joint motor, the joint module is braked by limiting the center input shaft, and it is guaranteed that the carrying arm cannot fall accidentally to damage books during power failure. And the driver is provided with a temperature sensor interface which is connected with a temperature detection sensor on the motor so as to monitor the temperature of the joints in real time. The hollow RV speed reducer which is good in rigidity and long in service life is adopted, data such as torque and temperature are integrated, an independent installation shell with a heat dissipation structure is designed for a motor stator, various required functions are integrated into the integrated joint module, and the integrated joint module is particularly suitable for library robots with high requirements for safety and precision.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an intelligent management module for a library robot, which mainly studies the field of robot joint technology, particularly joint technologies in areas such as intelligent book inventory, automatic book storage and handling, and library consultation services. It is a large, hollow, multi-functional joint module with torque sensing and temperature detection functions. Summary of the Invention

[0002] In view of the above background technology, the purpose of this invention is to provide an intelligent management module for a library robot to meet the special needs of the robot in the process of book grasping, handling and inventory.

[0003] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an intelligent management module for a library robot, comprising a first fixed coil, a mounting plate, a joint output flange, a single-axis torque sensor, a first bearing housing, a torque connecting plate, an RV reducer, a T-shaped joint housing, a sealing gasket, a joint motor housing, a joint motor, a center input shaft, a joint temperature detection sensor, a brake base, an electromagnetic brake, a driver base, a joint rear cover sealing ring, an outer ring encoder shaft, an input shaft absolute encoder, an output shaft absolute encoder, an inner ring encoder shaft, a second fixed coil, a driver, a perforated plate, a joint output shaft, a multi-turn encoder battery, a joint rear cover, and an input shaft sealing ring.

[0004] The single-axis torque sensor is connected to a torque connection plate on its right side and to a joint output flange on its left side. The signal cable of the single-axis torque sensor is connected to an interface on the driver through the center hole of the joint output shaft. When the joint is used in library robot handling, this design enables the robotic arm to sense the end-effector gripping force in real time when grasping books of different weights (such as thick hardcover books and thin magazines), achieving adaptive force control gripping and preventing page breakage due to excessive gripping force or book slippage due to insufficient gripping force.

[0005] The torque connecting plate is fixed to the output end of the RV reducer by bolts.

[0006] The left side of the joint output flange can be connected to the load (such as an end pneumatic suction cup or gripper) through a pre-drilled outer ring threaded hole or to the next stage joint through a radial threaded hole. A first bearing is placed between the joint output flange and the first bearing housing. This bearing ensures that the single-axis torque sensor is not damaged by excessive bending moment when the joint output flange is connected to the load (e.g., when the end is subjected to force due to collision with a bookshelf during inventory). The right side of the joint output flange is fixed to the single-axis torque sensor through an inner ring through hole.

[0007] The first bearing housing is fixed to the T-joint housing by bolts passing through the RV reducer and the sealing gasket.

[0008] The T-shaped joint housing has a T-shaped cylindrical structure. Inside the T-shaped joint housing, from left to right, are installed the first bearing seat, RV reducer, joint motor, joint motor housing, electromagnetic brake base, electromagnetic brake, driver base, and driver. The rightmost end of the T-shaped housing connects to the joint rear cover. A sealing ring exists between the T-shaped housing and the joint rear cover to prevent dust and paper scraps from entering the joint, better protecting the delicate components inside and extending the joint's long-term service life in the library. A sealing gasket exists between the RV reducer and the T-shaped joint housing to prevent oil leakage from the housing, avoiding contamination of books or bookshelves.

[0009] The aforementioned joint motor comprises two parts: a stator and a rotor. The stator is separately glued to the joint motor housing, not directly mounted inside the T-shaped joint housing. This separate mounting on the outside of the joint facilitates the design of assembly fixtures for the stator, ensuring uniform air gap between the stator and rotor and achieving good electrical performance. Furthermore, the outer side of the joint motor housing features a sheet-like heat dissipation structure, ensuring good heat dissipation during prolonged continuous inventory checks or peak-hour handling operations, preventing shutdown due to overheating. The joint motor housing is secured to the T-shaped joint housing with screws via countersunk holes on the right side. An additional threaded hole on the same surface can be used to secure the brake base. The joint temperature sensor is located on the joint motor stator, providing real-time feedback on the joint's internal temperature. It is connected to a temperature sensor interface module on the driver via wires. The internal temperature data is fed back to the driver, which uses algorithms to optimize joint operation and sends warnings to the host computer when abnormal temperatures occur, ensuring safe operation of the equipment in unattended library scenarios.

[0010] The central input shaft, via a gear on its left side, meshes with a planetary gear on the RV reducer, transmitting power between the joint motor and the RV reducer. This central input shaft has a hollow structure with multiple steps both internally and externally. The internal steps reduce the mass of the central input shaft while maintaining its strength, thus lowering the overall weight of the joint and making the library robot arm lighter and more flexible, facilitating movement between narrow bookshelves. The external steps are used to mount joint components. A threaded hole is located at the largest step on the central input shaft to secure the joint motor rotor, ensuring proper fit between the joint motor rotor and the central input shaft to guarantee concentricity. On the left and right sides of the joint motor rotor, the central input shaft has a second bearing and a third bearing, respectively. These two bearings ensure the dynamic balance of the joint motor during operation, while the third bearing also supports the brake base, ensuring the coaxiality of the electromagnetic brake's center hole with the central input shaft. An electromagnetic brake is installed on the right side of the central input shaft. The electromagnetic brake consists of two parts: an electromagnetic brake coil and a friction plate. The electromagnetic brake coil is fixed to the electromagnetic brake base, and the friction plate is mounted on the central input shaft. The electromagnetic brake brakes the joint by restricting the movement of the central input shaft. When the library handling robot encounters a power outage or emergency stop during operation, the electromagnetic brake can instantly lock the joint position to prevent the robotic arm from falling and damaging books or injuring personnel. A threaded hole is located on the rightmost end face of the central input shaft; this threaded hole is used to fix the outer ring encoder shaft.

[0011] The joint output shaft features a large hollow structure with a diameter of 32mm. This hollow structure provides a crucial internal wiring channel for the library robot: firstly, it can house cables for communication between joints, power supply, and single-axis torque sensors; more importantly, it can house the air tubing used to drive the end effector pneumatic suction cup (for picking up books with smooth covers), preventing the tubing from becoming tangled or scratching against the bookshelves during robot movement, thus ensuring the robot's maneuverability in densely packed book storage areas. The left side of the joint output shaft has a stepped structure, connecting to the output of the RV reducer via screws. A sealing ring is installed between the joint output shaft and the RV reducer to prevent oil leakage. A fourth bearing is installed on the right side of the joint output shaft, ensuring coaxiality between the outer ring encoder shaft and the joint output shaft. A radial threaded hole on the right side of the joint output shaft allows for the connection and fixation of the inner ring encoder shaft. The inner ring encoder shaft and the joint output shaft have suitable fit tolerances to ensure their coaxiality.

[0012] The input shaft absolute encoder and output shaft absolute encoder are glued to the outer ring encoder shaft and inner ring encoder shaft, respectively. The outer ring encoder shaft is fixed to the central input shaft with screws, and a fourth bearing is installed in its internal step. A disassembly hole is provided on the end face of the outer ring encoder for disassembling the input shaft encoder. The inner ring encoder shaft is mounted on the joint output shaft, and its left side acts as a limit for the fourth bearing. The separately designed inner and outer ring encoder shafts facilitate encoder adjustment. The output shaft encoder has the function of recording multi-turn data of the joints. A multi-turn encoder battery is installed in the driver, which ensures the encoder's data recording and storage function when the driver loses power. This is crucial for library robot inventory; even if a power outage occurs overnight and the robot restarts the next day, it can immediately know the absolute position of each joint, eliminating the need for complex zero-reset operations and allowing for rapid resumption of inventory or handling tasks, thus improving work efficiency.

[0013] The first and second fixed coils constrain the cable. The first fixed coil is clipped onto a mounting plate, which is fixed to the joint output flange. The second fixed coil is mounted on a perforated plate, which is fixed to the driver housing. The perforated plate is elastic, accommodating cable contraction during joint movement. The two fixed coils constrain the cable and protect the cable interface from damage, ensuring the reliability of the electrical connection during long-term joint movement.

[0014] The brake base is mounted and fixed on the housing of the articulated motor, and can press the stator of the articulated motor. A third bearing is installed inside to cooperate with the central input shaft, ensuring the coaxiality of the brake base and the central input shaft. A wiring hole is provided radially on the brake base, through which the cables from the articulated motor and the temperature sensor are connected to the corresponding interface on the driver, resulting in neat and aesthetically pleasing wiring. A raised step on the right side of the brake base matches the inner wall of the electromagnetic brake.

[0015] The driver base is fixed on the brake base. The second step of the driver base has a through hole, which allows the cable on the electromagnetic brake to pass through and connect to the brake interface on the driver. The rightmost raised step has a pin hole for positioning the driver with a pin, and a notch is provided for easy assembly. Screw holes are used to fix the driver. Beneficial effects

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects.

[0017] 1. Enable smooth book grabbing to ensure document security. By integrating a single-axis load torque sensor, the system enables force-controlled gripping of books when used in library robotic handling. The system can adaptively adjust the gripping force based on the book's weight, preventing damage to the covers and pages of ancient, rare, or modern books. Furthermore, in the event of an accidental collision between a person and the robot, it can promptly respond to torque changes and safely stop, ensuring the safety of readers and librarians.

[0018] 2. The large hollow structure facilitates internal wiring and is suitable for dense book storage environments. The large 32mm hollow structure provides valuable internal wiring space for the robot, integrating not only power and signal cables but also accommodating pneumatic suction cup tubing. This results in a clean-looking robotic arm with uninterrupted movement, enabling it to easily perform book storage and retrieval tasks within narrow, densely packed bookshelves.

[0019] 3. Highly reliable design, suitable for 24 / 7 library operation. The multi-layered sealing design of the joint shell (sealing rings, sealing gaskets) effectively prevents dust and paper scraps from entering the joint, while also preventing lubricant leakage and contamination of books. Independent motor cooling housings and real-time temperature monitoring sensors ensure stable operation of the robot during long-duration, high-intensity book inventory or handling tasks, and provide overheat protection, reducing the frequency of equipment maintenance.

[0020] 4. High-precision positioning enables rapid restart and recovery. Employing dual absolute encoders and equipped with a multi-turn data storage battery, the library robot equipped with this joint can immediately know its precise position after a power outage and restart without the need for tedious zero-point calibration, quickly resume inventory or handling tasks, and significantly improve work efficiency.

[0021] 5. Emergency braking, establishing the last line of defense for safety. The integrated electromagnetic brake can instantly lock the joints in the event of a power outage or emergency stop, preventing the robotic arm from accidentally falling and causing damage to books or injury to personnel. This design provides reliable safety assurance for the operation of equipment in unattended or minimally staffed scenarios in libraries. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Appendix Figure 1 Overall structure of the joint In the diagram, 1-first fixed coil, 2-mounting plate, 3-joint output flange, 4-single-axis torque sensor, 5-first bearing housing, 6-torque connecting plate, 7-RV reducer, 8-T-type joint housing, 9-sealing gasket, 10-joint motor housing, 11-joint motor, 12-center input shaft, 13-joint temperature sensor, 14-brake base, 15-electromagnetic brake, 16-driver base, 17-joint rear cover sealing ring, 18-outer ring encoder shaft, 19-input shaft absolute encoder, 20-output shaft absolute encoder, 21-inner ring encoder shaft, 22-second fixed coil, 23-driver, 24-perforated plate, 25-joint output shaft, 26-multi-turn encoder battery, 27-joint rear cover, 28-input shaft sealing ring, 11-1-joint motor stator, 11-2-joint motor rotor.

[0023] Appendix Figure 2 Joint output flange In the diagram, 3-1 is the inner ring through hole, 3-2 is the outer ring threaded hole, and 3-3 is the radial threaded hole.

[0024] Appendix Figure 3 Joint motor housing In the diagram, 10-1 is a plate-shaped heat dissipation structure, 10-2 is a countersunk hole, and 10-3 is a threaded hole.

[0025] Appendix Figure 4 : Outer ring encoder shaft In the diagram, 18-1 is the disassembly hole, and 18-2 is the countersunk mounting hole.

[0026] Appendix Figure 5 Brake base In the diagram, 14-1 is a through hole, and 14-2 is a raised step.

[0027] Appendix Figure 6 Driver dock In the diagram, 16-1 is a through hole, 16-2 is a pin hole, and 16-3 is a screw hole.

[0028] Appendix Figure 7 RV reducer, center input shaft, and joint motor rotor transmission relationship diagram In the diagram, 7-RV reducer, 7-1 planetary gear, 12-1 sun gear of center input shaft, 29 second bearing, 11-2 joint motor rotor, 30 third bearing, and 12 center input shaft.

Claims

1. An intelligent management module for a library robot, characterized in that, include: The T-shaped joint housing (8) has a T-shaped cylindrical structure with an internal cavity; the RV reducer (7) is installed on the left side inside the T-shaped joint housing (8); the joint motor (11) is installed inside the T-shaped joint housing (8) and located to the right of the RV reducer (7), the joint motor (11) includes a joint motor stator (11-1) and a joint motor rotor (11-2); the joint motor housing (10) is set independently of the T-shaped joint housing (8), the joint motor... The stator (11-1) is fixed to the inner wall of the joint motor housing (10), and the joint motor housing (10) is fixedly connected to the T-shaped joint housing (8); the central input shaft (12) is rotatably supported in the receiving cavity, and its middle part is fixedly connected to the joint motor rotor (11-2), and a gear (12-1) is provided on its left side, which meshes with the planetary gear (7-1) of the RV reducer (7); the joint output shaft (25) is a hollow structure with a central through hole. The joint output shaft (25) is connected to the output end of the RV reducer (7) on its left side; a single-axis torque sensor (4) is located on the left side of the joint output shaft (25), with its first side fixedly connected to the output end of the RV reducer (7) via a torque connecting plate (6), and its second side fixedly connected to the joint output flange (3). The signal cable of the single-axis torque sensor (4) is led out through the central through hole of the joint output shaft (25); a joint temperature detection sensor (13) is located on the stator (11-1) of the joint motor and is used to monitor the working temperature of the joint motor in real time; a driver (23) is installed inside the right side of the T-shaped joint housing (8), and a temperature sensor interface is provided on the driver (23). The joint temperature detection sensor (13) is electrically connected to the temperature sensor interface; an electromagnetic brake (15) is installed on the right side of the joint motor (11) and acts on the central input shaft (12) to brake the joint module by limiting the rotation of the central input shaft (12).

2. The intelligent management module for a library robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first bearing housing (5) and a first bearing, the first bearing housing (5) being fixed on the T-shaped joint housing (8), and the first bearing being disposed between the first bearing housing (5) and the joint output flange (3) to provide radial support for the joint output flange (3) to protect the single-axis torque sensor (4) from bending moment damage.

3. The intelligent management module for a library robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer wall of the joint motor housing (10) is provided with a sheet-like heat dissipation structure (10-1).

4. The intelligent management module for a library robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the central through hole of the joint output shaft (25) is ≥32mm, forming a large hollow wiring channel, in which power cables, signal cables and / or pneumatic pipes are threaded.

5. The intelligent management module for a library robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: An input shaft absolute encoder (19) is driven to the right end of the center input shaft (12) via an outer ring encoder shaft (18); an output shaft absolute encoder (20) is driven to the right end of the joint output shaft (25) via an inner ring encoder shaft (21); a multi-turn encoder battery (26) is mounted on the driver (23) and is used to provide power to the output shaft absolute encoder (20) to maintain multi-turn position data when power is off.

6. The intelligent management module for a library robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The end face of the outer ring encoder shaft (18) is provided with a disassembly hole (18-1) for disassembling and maintaining the input shaft absolute encoder (19).

7. The intelligent management module for a library robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a brake base (14), which is fixed on the joint motor housing (10) and presses the joint motor stator (11-1); the brake base (14) is provided with a wire hole (14-1), and the cable of the joint motor (11) and the joint temperature detection sensor (13) is connected to the driver (23) through the wire hole (14-1).

8. The intelligent management module for a library robot according to claim 7, characterized in that, The central input shaft (12) is rotatably supported by a second bearing (29) and a third bearing (30). The third bearing (30) is located inside the brake base (14) to ensure the coaxiality of the brake base (14) and the central input shaft (12).

9. The intelligent management module for a library robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, A sealing gasket (9) is provided between the T-shaped joint housing (8) and the RV reducer (7), a joint rear cover sealing ring (17) is provided between the T-shaped joint housing (8) and the joint rear cover (27), and an input shaft sealing ring (28) is provided between the joint output shaft (25) and the RV reducer (7).

10. The intelligent management module for a library robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first fixed coil (1) and a second fixed coil (22). The first fixed coil (1) is fixed on the joint output flange (3) by a mounting plate (2), and the second fixed coil (22) is fixed on the housing of the driver (23) by a perforated plate (24) for constraining and protecting the cable. The perforated plate (24) is elastic and can adapt to the extension and retraction of the cable during joint movement.

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