Carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage type nodes

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of mobile robot design and manufacturing, and discloses a carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage type nodes, which comprises a carbon fiber circular tube, a front axle connecting piece, a cross connecting piece, a steering connecting piece, a rear axle connecting piece, a wheel assembly, a steering gear box and a driving rear axle, the front axle connecting piece, the cross connecting piece, the steering connecting piece and the rear axle connecting piece are designed in a modular cage type structure, and the carbon fiber round pipes form a stable cross bearing structure through the front axle connecting piece, the cross connecting piece, the steering connecting piece and the rear axle connecting piece. The wheel assembly, the steering gear box and the driving rear axle can be directly installed on the chassis, installation and maintenance are simplified, meanwhile, the whole chassis is more stable, and the chassis has the characteristics of higher rigidity, higher impact resistance and more balanced load distribution.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mobile robot design and manufacturing technology, specifically to a carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage nodes. Background Technology

[0002] The mobility, load capacity, and environmental adaptability of mobile robots are closely related to chassis performance. An ideal chassis needs to balance lightweight, high rigidity, strong impact resistance, and ease of assembly and maintenance.

[0003] Currently, traditional metal chassis, represented by welded steel pipe space trusses, often result in a large overall weight to meet structural strength requirements, severely impacting power efficiency and driving flexibility. The welding or bolted connections they rely on not only introduce heat-affected zones and residual stress but also easily lead to fatigue damage under long-term alternating loads such as road impacts and torsional vibrations, making maintenance and repair difficult and costly. For new chassis using carbon fiber composites to achieve lightweighting, traditional connection methods also have significant limitations: mechanical drilling cuts the fibers, significantly weakening the material's inherent strength; while adhesive bonding suffers from long curing cycles, poor strength consistency, inability to be repeatedly disassembled and reassembled, and insufficient environmental durability. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an innovative chassis structure design method that can achieve significant weight reduction while providing highly reliable, durable, and easy-to-assemble and maintain connection methods to fundamentally improve the overall performance of mobile robot chassis. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the technical problem that existing technologies cannot simultaneously achieve significant weight reduction, high reliability, high durability, and ease of assembly and maintenance, this invention provides a carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage nodes. The technical solution is as follows:

[0005] The chassis includes: carbon fiber round tubes, connectors, wheel assemblies, steering gear, and a rear drive axle. The chassis frame is composed of carbon fiber round tubes and adopts an orthogonal ply structure. The connectors are a layered composite cage structure that connects the carbon fiber round tubes. The wheel assemblies include front wheels and rear wheels and are located on the outside of the chassis. The steering gear and the rear drive axle are located at the front and rear ends of the chassis, respectively.

[0006] Furthermore, the connector adopts a layered design, consisting of a bottom layer, a middle layer, and a top layer from bottom to top. The bottom and top layers use a composite connection of carbon fiber plate and carbon fiber square tube. The carbon fiber plate is fixed to the carbon fiber square tube on one side around the perimeter by bolts. The middle layer uses a double-sided composite connection of carbon fiber square tube, carbon fiber plate, and carbon fiber square tube. A dedicated clamping and positioning component is set between each layer. The dedicated clamping and positioning component has a cavity that matches the carbon fiber round tube. After each layer and the dedicated clamping and positioning component are stacked vertically, the carbon fiber square tube and thin sheet on the side are installed.

[0007] Furthermore, the dedicated clamping and positioning assembly is manufactured using additive manufacturing technology.

[0008] Furthermore, the connecting components include a front axle connecting component, a steering connecting component, a cross connecting component, and a rear axle connecting component.

[0009] Furthermore, the front axle connectors are symmetrically arranged at the front of the chassis, with the middle layer being a composite reinforced structure composed of a lower middle layer and an upper middle layer. Dedicated clamping and positioning components are provided between the bottom layer and the lower middle layer, between the lower middle layer and the upper middle layer, and between the upper middle layer and the top layer, forming tube clamping interfaces: the clamping interface between the bottom layer and the lower middle layer securely clamps the longitudinally arranged carbon fiber tubes; the clamping interfaces between the lower middle layer and the upper middle layer, and between the upper middle layer and the top layer, respectively securely clamp the transversely arranged carbon fiber tubes; a load-bearing groove is provided between the lower middle layer and the upper middle layer; the front axle connectors are interconnected through the transversely clamped carbon fiber tubes and cross-connected with the longitudinal carbon fiber tubes.

[0010] Furthermore, the steering connector is located at the front of the chassis, and a dedicated clamping and positioning assembly between the bottom and middle layers securely clamps the longitudinally arranged carbon fiber tubes; between the middle and top layers, two pairs of dedicated clamping and positioning assemblies are respectively provided: one pair securely clamps the transversely arranged carbon fiber tubes; the other pair securely clamps the vertically arranged carbon fiber tubes.

[0011] Furthermore, the cross connector is located in the middle of the chassis, and a dedicated clamping and positioning component between its bottom and middle layers securely clamps the longitudinally arranged carbon fiber tubes; a dedicated clamping and positioning component between its middle and top layers securely clamps the transversely arranged carbon fiber tubes.

[0012] Furthermore, the rear axle connector is located at the rear of the chassis, and a dedicated clamping and positioning assembly between its bottom and middle layers securely clamps the longitudinally arranged carbon fiber round tube; the dedicated clamping and positioning assembly between the middle and top layers has a cavity that matches the bolt hole position and clamps the drive rear axle.

[0013] Furthermore, the dedicated clamping and positioning assembly between the middle and top layers of the rear axle connector has a carbon fiber fixing layer at its upper end, which securely connects the carbon fiber square tube and sheet on the side.

[0014] Beneficial effects:

[0015] This invention achieves significant weight reduction while maintaining higher overall stiffness and load-bearing capacity through the application of carbon fiber composite materials and additive manufacturing modular node components. The integrated cage-like nodes and stable cross-load-bearing structure have balanced load transmission characteristics, which can quickly disperse and absorb impact energy, resulting in a more balanced chassis load distribution and stronger impact resistance. This invention adopts a non-destructive precision positioning and clamping locking composite structure, avoiding the need for pipe drilling or reliance on adhesives in traditional connection methods. It has high connection strength, good reliability, and supports repeated disassembly, greatly simplifying the installation and maintenance process. This invention uses a standardized connector node design, combined with the flexible expandability of carbon fiber composite materials, making the chassis easy to assemble, expand, and customize, quickly adapting to different application needs, shortening the development cycle, and reducing costs. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 A front view of a carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage nodes;

[0017] Figure 2 A top view of a carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage nodes;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the front axle connector in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the front axle connector in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the steering connector in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the steering connector in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the cross connector in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the cross connector in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the rear axle connector in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the rear axle connector in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Meaning of the labels in the attached diagram: 1-Carbon fiber round tube, 2-Steering gear, 3-Front wheel, 4-Rear wheel, 5-Rear drive axle, 6-Front axle connector, 7-Steering connector, 8-Cross connector, 9-Rear axle connector, 61-Top layer of front axle connector, 62-Upper middle layer of front axle connector, 63-Lower middle layer of front axle connector, 64-Bottom layer of front axle connector, 65-Special clamping and positioning assembly for front axle connector, 66-Carbon fiber square tube and thin sheet on the side of front axle connector, 71-Top layer of steering connector, 72-Middle layer of steering connector, 73-Bottom of steering connector 74 - Steering connector special clamping and positioning assembly; 75 - Carbon fiber square tube and sheet on the side of the steering connector; 81 - Top layer of the cross connector; 82 - Middle layer of the cross connector; 83 - Bottom layer of the cross connector; 84 - Steering connector special clamping and positioning assembly; 85 - Carbon fiber square tube and sheet on the side of the cross connector; 91 - Top layer of the rear axle connector; 92 - Middle layer of the rear axle connector; 93 - Bottom layer of the rear axle connector; 94 - Steering connector special clamping and positioning assembly; 95 - Carbon fiber square tube and sheet on the side of the rear axle connector; 96 - Carbon fiber fixing layer. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative and explanatory purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage nodes of the present invention is mainly composed of multiple carbon fiber round tubes 1 and four types of modular cage connectors. The connectors include a front axle connector 6, a steering connector 7, a cross connector 8, and a rear axle connector 9. The carbon fiber round tubes 1 are arranged in an orthogonal ply layout in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, and are positioned, clamped, and connected at spatial nodes through the connectors, collectively forming a complete and stable cross-load-bearing structure. This structure serves as the core skeleton of the entire chassis, on which the wheel assemblies (front wheels 3, rear wheels 4), steering gear 2, and drive rear axle 5 are directly mounted.

[0029] There are two front axle connectors 6, symmetrically arranged at the front of the chassis, and they are key nodes integrating front wheel mounting, steering load transmission, and front frame construction functions. Figure 3 , Figure 4As shown, the front axle connector 6 adopts a reinforced four-layer stacked cage structure, and its main components include: the top layer 61 of the front axle connector, the upper middle layer 62 of the front axle connector, the lower middle layer 63 of the front axle connector, the bottom layer 64 of the front axle connector, the special clamping and positioning assembly 65 of the front axle connector, and the carbon fiber square tube and thin sheet 66 on the side of the front axle connector. The specific assembly method is as follows:

[0030] First, three pairs of front axle connector clamping and positioning assemblies 65 are respectively installed onto the three carbon fiber tubes 1 to be connected. Specifically, one pair of front axle connector clamping and positioning assemblies 65 is fixed at a predetermined position on a longitudinally arranged carbon fiber tube 1; the other two pairs of front axle connector clamping and positioning assemblies 65 are respectively fixed at predetermined positions on two transversely arranged carbon fiber tubes 1. Each pair of front axle connector clamping and positioning assemblies 65 is clamped and positioned by bolts arranged symmetrically above and below, so that its customized cavity matches the outer contour of the carbon fiber tube 1.

[0031] Then, the components are stacked in a bottom-up order: the bottom layer 64 of the front axle connector is placed horizontally, so that the pre-set structural groove on its upper surface is aligned with and embedded in the lower half of the pair of front axle connector clamping and positioning components 65 that have been installed on the longitudinal carbon fiber tube 1; the middle layer 63 of the front axle connector is placed on top of the bottom layer 64 of the front axle connector, so that the groove on its lower surface is aligned with and embedded in the upper half of the pair of front axle connector clamping and positioning components 65, thereby clamping and initially positioning the longitudinal carbon fiber tube 1 between the bottom layer 64 of the front axle connector and the middle layer 63 of the front axle connector. Simultaneously, the lower half of the front axle connector clamping and positioning assembly 65, installed on the first transverse carbon fiber tube 1, is embedded into the corresponding groove pre-set on the upper surface of the lower layer 63 of the front axle connector; the upper layer 62 of the front axle connector is placed on top of the lower layer 63, so that the groove on its lower surface is aligned with and embedded in the upper half of the front axle connector clamping and positioning assembly 65 on the first transverse carbon fiber tube 1, thereby completing the clamping and positioning of the first transverse carbon fiber tube 1. Simultaneously, the lower half of the front axle connector clamping and positioning assembly 65, installed on the second transverse carbon fiber tube 1, is embedded into the corresponding groove pre-set on the upper surface of the upper layer 62 of the front axle connector; the top layer 61 of the front axle connector is placed on top of the upper layer 62, so that the groove on its lower surface is aligned with and embedded in the upper half of the front axle connector clamping and positioning assembly 65 on the second transverse carbon fiber tube 1, thereby completing the clamping and positioning of the second transverse carbon fiber tube 1.

[0032] Finally, the carbon fiber square tubes and thin sheets 66 on the side of the front axle connector are used to cover the outside of the four-layer stacked structure and are fastened to the carbon fiber square tubes of each layer by bolts, so that the entire stacked structure is tightly constrained into an integral node and forms the complete external outline of the front axle connector 6.

[0033] The steering connector 7 is a key node integrating the steering support with the chassis connection. For example... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, its main components include: a top layer 71 of the steering connector, a middle layer 72 of the steering connector, a bottom layer 73 of the steering connector, a special clamping and positioning assembly for the steering connector 74, and carbon fiber square tubes and thin sheets 75 on the sides of the steering connector. The specific assembly method is as follows:

[0034] First, three pairs of special clamping and positioning components 74 for steering connectors are respectively installed onto the three carbon fiber tubes 1 to be connected. Specifically, one pair of special clamping and positioning components 74 for steering connectors is fixed to the longitudinally arranged carbon fiber tube 1; the second pair is fixed to the transversely arranged carbon fiber tube 1; and the third pair is fixed to the vertically arranged carbon fiber tube 1.

[0035] Then, the layers are stacked and embedded in a bottom-up order: the bottom layer 73 of the steering connector is placed horizontally, with its upper surface groove aligned with and embedded in the lower half of the steering connector clamping and positioning component 74 on the longitudinal carbon fiber tube 1; the middle layer 72 of the steering connector is placed on top of the bottom layer 73 of the steering connector, with its lower surface groove aligned with and embedded in the upper half of the aforementioned clamping and positioning component 74 to clamp the longitudinal carbon fiber tube 1. At the same time, the lower half of the steering connector clamping and positioning component 74 on the transverse carbon fiber tube 1 and the vertical carbon fiber tube 1 is embedded in the corresponding groove on the upper surface of the middle layer 72 of the steering connector; the top layer 71 of the steering connector is placed on top of the middle layer 72 of the steering connector, with its two lower surface grooves aligned with and embedded in the upper half of the steering connector clamping and positioning component 74 on the transverse carbon fiber tube 1 and the upper half of the steering connector clamping and positioning component 74 on the vertical carbon fiber tube 1, respectively.

[0036] Finally, the carbon fiber square tube and sheet 75 on the side of the steering connector are used to externally wrap and fasten the three-layer stacked structure to form an integral node.

[0037] The cross connector 8 is a standardized, reusable connection node that forms the foundation of the grid-like chassis body. For example... Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, its main components include: a top layer 81 of the cross connector, a middle layer 82 of the cross connector, a bottom layer 83 of the cross connector, a special clamping and positioning assembly 84 for the cross connector, and carbon fiber square tubes and thin sheets 85 on the sides of the cross connector. The specific assembly method is as follows:

[0038] First, the two pairs of cross-connector special clamping and positioning components 84 are respectively installed on the longitudinally and transversely arranged carbon fiber round tubes 1.

[0039] Then, layered stacking and embedding are performed: the bottom layer 83 of the cross connector is placed horizontally and embedded in the lower half of the special clamping and positioning component 84 of the cross connector on the longitudinal carbon fiber tube 1; the middle layer 82 of the cross connector is placed on top of the bottom layer 83 of the cross connector and embedded in the upper half of the special clamping and positioning component 84 of the longitudinal carbon fiber tube 1 to securely clamp the longitudinal tube. At the same time, the lower half of the special clamping and positioning component 84 of the cross connector on the transverse carbon fiber tube 1 is embedded in the corresponding groove on the upper surface of the middle layer 82 of the cross connector; the top layer 81 of the cross connector is placed on top of the middle layer 82 of the cross connector and embedded in the upper half of the special clamping and positioning component 84 of the transverse carbon fiber tube 1 to complete the clamping and positioning of the transverse carbon fiber tube 1.

[0040] Finally, the carbon fiber square tubes and sheet 85 on the sides of the cross connectors are used for external wrapping and fastening to form a complete base node.

[0041] There are two rear axle connectors 9, symmetrically arranged at the rear of the chassis, and they are the core nodes for securely integrating the drive rear axle 5 into the chassis frame and transmitting drive loads. Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, its main components include: top layer 91 of the rear axle connector, middle layer 92 of the rear axle connector, bottom layer 93 of the rear axle connector, special clamping and positioning assembly for the rear axle connector 94, carbon fiber square tubes and thin sheets on the side of the rear axle connector 95, and carbon fiber fixing layer 96. The specific assembly method is as follows:

[0042] First, the two pairs of special clamping and positioning components 94 for rear axle connectors are respectively installed on the longitudinally arranged carbon fiber round tube 1 and the transversely arranged drive rear axle 5.

[0043] Then, layered stacking and embedding are performed: the bottom layer 93 of the rear axle connector is placed horizontally and embedded in the lower half of the special clamping and positioning component 94 for the rear axle connector on the longitudinal carbon fiber tube 1; the middle layer 92 of the rear axle connector is placed on top of the bottom layer 93 of the rear axle connector and embedded in the upper half of the special clamping and positioning component 94 for the longitudinal carbon fiber tube 1 to securely clamp the longitudinal carbon fiber tube 1. At the same time, the lower half of the special clamping and positioning component 94 for the rear axle connector used to drive the rear axle 5 is embedded in the corresponding groove on the upper surface of the middle layer 92 of the rear axle connector; the top layer 91 of the rear axle connector is placed on top of the middle layer 92 of the rear axle connector and embedded in the upper half of the special clamping and positioning component 94 for the rear axle 5, thereby forming a stable interface for securely clamping and driving the rear axle 5.

[0044] Finally, a carbon fiber fixing layer 96 is nested in the upper part of the special clamping and positioning assembly used to drive the rear axle 5. The carbon fiber fixing layer 96 is a composite structure of carbon fiber plate and carbon fiber square tube, which is used to reinforce the special clamping and positioning assembly 94. The carbon fiber square tube and thin sheet 95 on the side of the rear axle connector are used for external wrapping and fastening to complete the node assembly.

[0045] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage nodes, comprising: The chassis frame is composed of carbon fiber tubes (1), connectors, wheel assemblies, steering gear (2), and drive rear axle (5), characterized in that: the frame of the chassis is composed of carbon fiber tubes (1) and adopts an orthogonal ply structure; the connectors are a layered composite cage structure that connects the carbon fiber tubes (1); the wheel assembly includes a front wheel (3) and a rear wheel (4) and is located on the outside of the chassis; the steering gear (2) and drive rear axle (5) are respectively located at the front end and rear end of the chassis.

2. The carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage nodes as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The connector adopts a layered design, from bottom to top as bottom layer, middle layer and top layer. The bottom layer and top layer adopt a composite connection form of carbon fiber plate-carbon fiber square tube. The carbon fiber plate is fixed to the carbon fiber square tube by bolts on one side around the perimeter. The middle layer adopts a double-sided composite connection form of carbon fiber square tube-carbon fiber plate-carbon fiber square tube. A special clamping and positioning component is set between each layer. The special clamping and positioning component is set with a cavity that matches the carbon fiber round tube (1). After each layer and the special clamping and positioning component are stacked in the vertical direction, the carbon fiber square tube and thin sheet on the side are installed.

3. The carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage nodes as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The dedicated clamping and positioning assembly is manufactured using additive manufacturing technology.

4. The carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage nodes as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting components include a front axle connecting component (6), a steering connecting component (7), a cross connecting component (8), and a rear axle connecting component (9).

5. The carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage nodes as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The front axle connector (6) is symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the front of the chassis. The middle layer is a composite reinforced structure, consisting of a lower middle layer (63) and an upper middle layer (62). The dedicated clamping and positioning components (65) are arranged between the bottom layer (64) and the lower middle layer (63), between the lower middle layer (63) and the upper middle layer (62), and between the upper middle layer (62) and the top layer (61) to form a pipe clamping interface: the clamping interface located between the bottom layer (64) and the lower middle layer (63). The longitudinally arranged carbon fiber tubes (1) are fastened and clamped; the clamping interfaces located between the lower middle layer (63) and the upper middle layer (62) and between the upper middle layer (62) and the top layer (61) respectively fasten and clamp the transversely arranged carbon fiber tubes (1); a load-bearing groove is provided between the lower middle layer (63) and the upper middle layer (62); the front axle connector (6) is connected to each other through the transversely arranged carbon fiber tubes (1) fastened and clamped, and is cross-connected with the longitudinally arranged carbon fiber tubes (1).

6. The carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage nodes as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The steering connector (7) is located at the front of the chassis. A special clamping and positioning assembly (74) between the bottom layer (73) and the middle layer (72) clamps the longitudinally arranged carbon fiber tube (1). Between the middle layer (72) and the top layer (71), two pairs of special clamping and positioning assemblies (74) are respectively provided: one pair clamps the transversely arranged carbon fiber tube (1); the other pair clamps the vertically arranged carbon fiber tube (1).

7. The carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage nodes as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The cross connector (8) is located in the middle of the chassis, and the special clamping and positioning component (84) between the bottom layer (83) and the middle layer (82) clamps the longitudinally arranged carbon fiber tube (1); the special clamping and positioning component (84) between the middle layer (82) and the top layer (81) clamps the transversely arranged carbon fiber tube (1).

8. The carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage nodes as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The rear axle connector (9) is located at the rear of the chassis. A special clamping and positioning assembly (94) between the bottom layer (93) and the middle layer (92) clamps the longitudinally arranged carbon fiber tube (1). The special clamping and positioning assembly (94) between the middle layer (92) and the top layer (91) has a cavity that matches the bolt hole position and clamps the drive rear axle (5).

9. The carbon fiber mobile robot chassis based on modular cage nodes as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The dedicated clamping and positioning assembly (94) between the middle layer (92) and the top layer (91) of the rear axle connector has a carbon fiber fixing layer (96) at its upper end, which fastens the carbon fiber square tube and thin sheet (95) on the side.

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