Dynamic leveling platform and mobile operating robot

Abstract

This invention discloses a dynamic leveling platform and a mobile operation robot, relating to the field of platform leveling technology. The platform includes: a base; a load platform mounted on the base; and an active leveling mechanism comprising a support rod and a rigid connecting rod. The support rod is positioned at the center of the load platform, and its two ends are connected to the base and the load platform via elastic elements and universal joints, respectively. Multiple linear telescopic mechanisms are mounted on the base, evenly distributed around the support rod. The driving directions of the multiple linear telescopic mechanisms are radially arranged with the support rod as the center. The telescopic ends of the linear telescopic mechanisms are hinged to the rigid connecting rods, and the ends of the rigid connecting rods away from the linear telescopic mechanisms are hinged to the load platform. The hinge points of the multiple rigid connecting rods and the load platform are evenly distributed around the universal joints. In this invention, the support rod and springs are used as the transmission components for most of the static load of the load platform, thereby freeing the linear telescopic mechanisms and rigid connecting rods and decoupling the load-bearing and leveling drive.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of platform leveling technology, and in particular to a dynamic leveling platform and a mobile operating robot. Background Technology

[0002] To ensure the normal operation of equipment, whether stationary or mobile, most devices require leveling to ensure they are placed on a level platform. For example, mobile robots, with their expanding applications, face increasing demands for high-precision tasks (such as gripping, welding, or inspection) on uneven surfaces like rough terrain and potholes. When robots travel on uneven ground, traditional rigid chassis tilt with the undulations, causing the mounted working mechanism to deviate from its target position and even risking tipping over due to a shift in the center of gravity.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, the applicant's known technologies typically involve adding an active leveling platform (such as a parallel mechanism like a six-DOF Stewart platform) between the mobile chassis and the working mechanism. However, existing leveling platforms have a significant technical drawback: their push rods or drive joints must directly bear the entire weight of the load platform above while simultaneously adjusting the posture. This "drive-load coupling" configuration results in extremely high loads on the push rods, necessitating the selection of high-power, large-volume drive motors, increasing the overall structural dead weight and cost. Furthermore, the increased inertia of the drive components severely limits the platform's leveling response speed and high-frequency dynamic adjustment capabilities.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a dynamic leveling platform and a mobile operating robot that decouples load-bearing and leveling drive. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a dynamic leveling platform and a mobile operating robot to solve the problems existing in the prior art. By using support rods and springs as the transmission components for most of the static load of the load platform, the linear telescopic mechanism and rigid linkage are freed up, thereby achieving decoupling between load bearing and leveling drive.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: The present invention provides a dynamic leveling platform, comprising: Base; A load platform, wherein the load platform is disposed above the base; An active leveling mechanism includes a support rod and a rigid connecting rod. The support rod is positioned at the center of the load platform. Both ends of the support rod are connected to the base and the load platform via elastic elements and universal joints, respectively. Multiple linear telescopic mechanisms are horizontally arranged on the base, evenly distributed around the support rod. The driving directions of the multiple linear telescopic mechanisms are arranged horizontally radially around the support rod. Each linear telescopic mechanism has a sliding seat at its telescopic end, which is constrained by a guide rail and moves only along the telescopic direction of the linear telescopic mechanism. The sliding seat is hinged to the rigid connecting rod. The end of the rigid connecting rod away from the sliding seat is hinged to the load platform. The hinge points of the multiple rigid connecting rods and the load platform are evenly distributed around the universal joints.

[0007] Preferably, the elastic element is a spring, and the spring is disposed between the support rod and the base.

[0008] Preferably, the base is provided with a first protrusion, the bottom of the support rod is provided with a second protrusion, the first protrusion and the second protrusion are respectively inserted into the two ends of the spring, the first protrusion and the second protrusion are spaced apart, and the outer peripheral wall of the second protrusion is provided with an annular flange, the outer diameter of the annular flange being larger than the outer diameter of the spring.

[0009] Preferably, the base is provided with a guide mechanism for guiding the vertical movement of the support rod.

[0010] Preferably, the guiding mechanism includes a central outer cylinder, which is vertically disposed in the middle of the base. A guide hole is provided at one end of the central outer cylinder away from the base. The guide hole matches the support rod. The elastic element is disposed in the central outer cylinder, and one end of the support rod passes through the guide hole.

[0011] Preferably, the support rod is provided with an anti-detachment part to prevent the support rod from coming out of the guide hole.

[0012] Preferably, the inner peripheral wall of the guide hole is provided with a spline groove vertically, and the outer peripheral wall of the support rod is provided with a spline vertically.

[0013] Preferably, both ends of the rigid connecting rod are provided with fisheye connectors, and the extension ends of the load platform and the linear telescopic mechanism are provided with U-shaped lugs. The fisheye connectors are embedded in the U-shaped lugs, and the through holes of the fisheye connectors are connected to the two arms of the U-shaped lugs through a rotating shaft.

[0014] Preferably, the base is provided with wheels.

[0015] The present invention also provides a mobile operating robot using the above-mentioned dynamic leveling platform, including a mobile chassis, the dynamic leveling platform and a robotic arm. The mobile chassis includes the base of the dynamic leveling platform and wheels, and the robotic arm is mounted on the load platform of the dynamic leveling platform.

[0016] The present invention achieves the following main technical effects compared to the prior art: The active leveling mechanism includes a central support rod and peripheral rigid connecting rods. During equipment use, most of the load on the load platform is transferred to the base through universal joints, support rods, and elastic components. Only a small portion is shared by multiple rigid connecting rods and linear telescopic mechanisms. Essentially, in load-bearing tasks, the elastic support formed by the support rods and springs plays the main load-bearing role, while the adjusting components formed by the linear telescopic mechanisms and rigid connecting rods play a simple load-bearing role. This decouples load-bearing and leveling drive. The rigid connecting rods have a small load, eliminating the need for high-power, large-volume linear telescopic mechanisms, reducing the overall structural dead weight and cost, and lowering the inertia of the adjusting components. This is beneficial for improving the platform's leveling response speed and high-frequency dynamic adjustment capability.

[0017] Other solutions of the present invention achieve the following technical effects compared with the prior art: The spline groove of the guide hole and the spline of the support rod cooperate with each other, which can not only ensure that the support rod has the characteristic of axial movement, but also lock the degree of freedom of the support rod to rotate around the vertical axis. With the help of the universal joint, only the rotational degree of freedom in the pitch and tilt dimensions is released, which improves the torsional stiffness of the equipment. The entire equipment does not require an additional external anti-torsion mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the mobile operation robot in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the dynamic leveling platform in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the distribution of the three linear telescopic mechanisms on the base in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a block diagram of the leveling control system in an embodiment of the present invention; Among them, 100 is the mobile chassis; 101 is the base; 102 is the walking wheel; 200 is the dynamic leveling platform; 211 is the linear telescopic mechanism; 212 is the U-shaped lug; 213 is the first fisheye joint; 214 is the rigid connecting rod; 215 is the second fisheye joint; 216 is the load platform; 221 is the central outer cylinder; 222 is the spring; 223 is the limit flange; 224 is the adapter flange; 225 is the sleeve; 226 is the spline; 227 is the universal joint; 231 is the motor; 232 is the lead screw; 233 is the nut seat; and 300 is the robotic arm. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] The purpose of this invention is to provide a dynamic leveling platform and a mobile operating robot to solve the problems existing in the prior art. It utilizes support rods and springs as the transmission components for most of the static load of the load platform, thereby freeing the linear telescopic mechanism and rigid linkage, and achieving decoupling between load bearing and leveling drive.

[0022] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0023] Please refer to the following: Figures 1-3As shown, a dynamic leveling platform 200 is provided, including: a base 101, a load platform 216, and an active leveling mechanism. The base 101 provides basic support, the load platform 216 is disposed above the base 101, and the active leveling mechanism includes a support rod and a rigid connecting rod 214. The support rod is disposed at the middle of the load platform 216, and both ends of the support rod are connected to the base 101 and the load platform 216 respectively through elastic elements and universal joints 227. Multiple linear telescopic mechanisms 211 are horizontally arranged on the base 101. The linear telescopic mechanisms 211 can be selected from screw-type telescopic mechanisms or electric actuator-type telescopic mechanisms, etc. The system should provide linear telescopic movement. Multiple linear telescopic mechanisms 211 are evenly distributed around the support rod, and their driving directions are arranged horizontally radially around the support rod. Each linear telescopic mechanism 211 has a sliding seat at its telescopic end. The sliding seat is constrained by the guide rail and moves only along the telescopic direction of the linear telescopic mechanism 211. Specifically, motion limiting can be achieved between the base 101 and the sliding seat using the cooperation of the guide rail and guide groove. The bottom surface of the sliding seat contacts the top surface of the base 101, which also provides a certain limiting effect. The sliding seat is hinged to a rigid connecting rod 214 (the sliding seat refers to the connecting rod of the screw-type telescopic mechanism). The screw 232 is threaded to a nut seat 233, and a slider is fixedly mounted at the end of the telescopic rod of the electric actuator telescopic mechanism, etc. The end of the rigid connecting rod 214 away from the sliding seat is hinged to the load platform 216. The hinge points of multiple rigid connecting rods 214 and the load platform 216 are evenly distributed around the universal joint 227. When the telescopic movement of the linear telescopic mechanism 211 drives one end of the rigid connecting rod 214 to move, the position of the bearing platform hinged to the rigid connecting rod 214 will swing around the universal joint 227 accordingly. The cooperation of multiple adjusting components composed of multiple linear telescopic mechanisms 211 and rigid connecting rods 214 can achieve the following: The support rod and spring 222 provide the main load-bearing function for leveling the platform, while the linear telescopic mechanism 211 and rigid connecting rod 214 form the adjustment component, which provides simple load-bearing function. This decouples the load-bearing and leveling drive functions. The rigid connecting rod 214 has a small load, so there is no need to select a high-power, large-volume linear telescopic mechanism 211, which reduces the dead weight and cost of the overall structure and the inertia of the adjustment component. This is beneficial to improving the leveling response speed and high-frequency dynamic adjustment capability of the platform. The horizontal transverse arrangement of the linear telescopic mechanism 211 can lower the center of gravity of the overall device and reduce the rotational inertia.

[0024] In this embodiment, the linear telescopic mechanism 211 selected is a lead screw telescopic mechanism, which includes a motor 231, a lead screw 232, and a nut seat 233. The motor 231 is connected to the lead screw 232 for transmission, and the nut seat 233 is threadedly connected to the lead screw 232. At the same time, the base 101 is provided with a U-shaped guide rail corresponding to the outer periphery of the lead screw 232. The two end faces of the nut seat 233 are in contact with the two opposite inner side walls of the U-shaped guide rail, and the bottom surface of the nut seat 233 is in contact with the top surface of the base 101. This realizes the function of preventing the nut seat 233 from rotating around the axis of the lead screw 232 and guiding the movement of the nut seat 233. Meanwhile, the base 101 bears the load in the vertical direction.

[0025] In one embodiment, the elastic element is a spring 222, which is disposed between the support rod and the base 101. In other embodiments, the elastic element can also be a structure with elastic self-recovery capability, such as spring steel or rubber column, which can support the load platform 216. Of course, when selecting the elastic element, it should be selected according to the load of the load platform 216. After applying the load to the elastic element, it should still have a certain deformation distance and should not be directly deformed to the limit position.

[0026] When spring 222 is selected as the elastic element, a first protrusion can be provided on the base 101, and a second protrusion can be provided on the bottom of the support rod. The first and second protrusions can be designed as cylinders. The first and second protrusions are respectively inserted into the two ends of spring 222, with the first and second protrusions spaced apart. The outer peripheral wall of the second protrusion is provided with an annular flange, the outer diameter of which is larger than the outer diameter of spring 222. The first and second protrusions can guide the deformation of spring 222 and prevent spring 222 from detaching from the support rod and the base 101. In this case, the two ends of spring 222 do not need to be fixedly connected to the annular flange and the base 101, only need to contact each other. Of course, the protrusions can also be replaced. For example, a cylindrical groove can be provided, i.e., a first groove is provided on the base 101 and a second groove is provided at the bottom of the support rod. The two ends of the spring 222 extend into the first and second grooves to guide deformation. The ends of the two grooves are spaced apart. When spring steel is used, the two ends of the spring steel can be bolted to the base 101 and the support rod respectively to fix the position of the spring steel. When rubber column is used, a guide cylinder can be provided on the outer periphery of the rubber column. The inner diameter of the guide cylinder is larger than the outer diameter of the rubber column. While giving the rubber column a certain deformation space, it prevents the rubber column from bending too much radially, which would cause elastic failure. The two ends of the rubber column can be glued to the base 101 and the support rod respectively.

[0027] The annular flange can be integrally formed on the support rod, or the limiting flange 223 can be assembled on the support rod, with the limiting flange 223 serving as the annular flange.

[0028] In one embodiment, the base 101 is provided with a guide mechanism for guiding the vertical movement of the support rod. The guide mechanism can limit the movement direction of the support rod to prevent the support rod from tilting based on the elastic element and the universal joint 227, which would affect its weight in the load-bearing task.

[0029] In one embodiment, the guiding mechanism includes a central outer cylinder 221, which is vertically disposed in the middle of the base 101. A guide hole is provided at one end of the central outer cylinder 221 away from the base 101. The guide hole matches the support rod. An elastic element is disposed in the central outer cylinder 221. One end of the support rod passes through the guide hole, which limits the movement of the support rod. In other embodiments, an ear plate can be fixedly sleeved on the support rod. A vertical through hole is provided on the ear plate. A guide rod is disposed on the base 101 at the position corresponding to the vertical through hole. The guide rod passes through the vertical through hole. The guide rod and the vertical through hole cooperate to limit and guide the movement of the support rod. Alternatively, other methods can be used to guide the support rod, with the aim of limiting the vertical movement of the support rod.

[0030] In one embodiment, a transition flange 224 is provided and connected to the top opening of the central outer cylinder 221. A sleeve 225 is coaxially provided at the central through hole of the transition flange 224. The inner diameter of the sleeve 225 is the same as the inner diameter of the central through hole of the transition flange 224, and the two are formed together as a guide hole. Alternatively, the inner diameter of the central through hole of the transition flange 224 is larger than the inner diameter of the sleeve 225, and the inner cavity of the sleeve 225 is used as a guide hole. The transition flange 224 is just a connecting piece. In other embodiments, an end plate with a guide hole can be directly provided at the top opening of the central outer cylinder 221.

[0031] In one embodiment, the support rod is provided with an anti-detachment part, which is a structure that protrudes radially outward on the support rod so that when the support rod moves upward to the point where the anti-detachment part contacts the inner wall of the guide hole, it can no longer move upward, thereby preventing the support rod from coming out of the guide hole. When a limiting flange 223 is provided on the support rod, the limiting flange 223 can serve as the anti-detachment part.

[0032] In one embodiment, a spline groove is vertically provided on the inner peripheral wall of the guide hole. The spline groove needs to penetrate the guide hole along the axial direction of the guide hole. A spline 226 is vertically provided on the outer peripheral wall of the support rod. Taking the inner cavity of the sleeve 225 as the guide hole as an example, a corresponding spline groove can be provided on the inner peripheral wall of the sleeve 225. The spline groove of the guide hole and the spline 226 of the support rod can achieve key engagement. While ensuring that the support rod can move up and down, the degree of freedom of the support rod to rotate around the vertical axis is locked. With the universal joint 227, only the rotational degrees of freedom in the pitch and tilt dimensions are released (e.g., a cross-type universal joint), which improves the torsional stiffness of the equipment. The overall equipment does not need to be equipped with an external anti-torsion mechanism.

[0033] In one embodiment, both ends of the rigid connecting rod 214 are provided with fisheye connectors. The fisheye connectors on both sides can be defined as the first fisheye connector 213 and the second fisheye connector 215, respectively. The fisheye connectors are threaded to the rigid connecting rod 214. The extension ends of the load platform 216 and the linear telescopic mechanism 211 are provided with U-shaped lugs 212. The fisheye connectors are embedded in the U-shaped lugs 212. The through holes of the fisheye connectors are connected to the two arms of the U-shaped lugs 212 through a rotating shaft. The fisheye connector design allows for convenient replacement of the rigid connecting rod 214 when it needs to be replaced. In other embodiments, corresponding rotating holes can be provided at both ends of the rigid connecting rod 214. The ends of the rigid connecting rod 214 can be placed into the U-shaped lugs 212, and the hinge between the U-shaped lugs 212 and the rigid connecting rod 214 can be completed through the rotating shaft.

[0034] In one embodiment, if the equipment carried by the load platform 216 needs to be transferred, a traveling wheel 102 can be provided under the base 101 to provide the transfer function of the equipment. The traveling wheel 102 can be selected according to actual needs, including AGV steering wheel, universal wheel and directional wheel. Selecting the traveling wheel 102 according to needs is a conventional technical means, which will not be elaborated on here.

[0035] The present invention also provides a mobile operation robot using the above-mentioned dynamic leveling platform 200, including a mobile chassis 100, a dynamic leveling platform 200 and a robotic arm 300. The mobile chassis 100 includes a base 101 of the dynamic leveling platform 200 and wheels 102. The robotic arm 300 is mounted on the load platform 216 of the dynamic leveling platform 200.

[0036] When the dynamic leveling platform 200 is applied to other fields, the load platform 216 is used to install other loads (loads refer to the relevant items / equipment that need to be placed on the load platform 216).

[0037] In actual use, when the front wheel of the base 101 suddenly runs over a protruding obstacle, causing the base 101 to tilt backward, a mechanical leveling action is initiated to ensure that the robotic arm 300 above maintains an absolutely horizontal posture for continued precision work. At this time, the nut seat 233 of the linear telescopic mechanism 211 located in front of the mobile chassis 100 translates towards the central axis, forcing the top of the rigid link 214 in front to rise relatively. At the same time, the nut seats 233 of the two linear telescopic mechanisms 211 at the rear move outward, lowering the spatial height of the rigid link 214 at the rear. In this series of actions, the rigid link 21... The force applied to the edge of the load platform 216 is purely converted into a deflection torque that causes the load platform 216 to tilt forward around the central universal joint 227. Since gravity has been decoupled, these thrusts do not need to overcome the huge static load, but only need to overcome the rotational inertia of the system and the friction at the hinge. Therefore, the load platform 216 can be driven to deflect with extremely high acceleration. At the same time, when the load platform 216 deflects in space, the normal distance from its center point to the moving chassis 100 will undergo a slight geometric change. At this time, the support rod will undergo a slight axial slip along the central outer cylinder 221 under the extension and contraction adaptation of the spring 222, thereby compensating for this displacement difference.

[0038] The specific leveling control system operates on the following principle: It employs a dual-loop closed-loop control mechanism of "multi-source sensor feedforward prediction + spatial attitude residual feedback". Through a multi-sensor group including vision sensors, vibration sensors, displacement sensors, and acceleration sensors installed on the mobile chassis 100, it can proactively perceive and integrate the geometric undulations and transient dynamic data of the ground in real time, thereby predicting the magnitude of transient vibrations that will occur due to uneven ground. The central controller performs spatial kinematic decoupling calculations based on the predicted data and dynamically coordinates the rotational speed of the motors 231 of the three horizontal linear telescopic mechanisms 211. By precisely changing the horizontal linear displacement output of each slider, it dynamically cancels the spatial attitude disturbance transmitted to the top, ultimately achieving a dynamic precision leveling effect where "the mobile base vibrates violently, while the top surface of the load platform always remains horizontal and stable during operation".

[0039] Any adaptive changes made according to actual needs are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0040] It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0041] Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

Claims

1. A dynamic leveling platform, characterized in that, include: Base; A load platform, wherein the load platform is disposed above the base; An active leveling mechanism includes a support rod and a rigid connecting rod. The support rod is positioned at the center of the load platform. Both ends of the support rod are connected to the base and the load platform via elastic elements and universal joints, respectively. Multiple linear telescopic mechanisms are horizontally arranged on the base, evenly distributed around the support rod. The driving directions of the multiple linear telescopic mechanisms are arranged horizontally radially around the support rod. Each linear telescopic mechanism has a sliding seat at its telescopic end, which is constrained by a guide rail and moves only along the telescopic direction of the linear telescopic mechanism. The sliding seat is hinged to the rigid connecting rod. The end of the rigid connecting rod away from the sliding seat is hinged to the load platform. The hinge points of the multiple rigid connecting rods and the load platform are evenly distributed around the universal joints.

2. The dynamic leveling platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic element is a spring, which is disposed between the support rod and the base.

3. The dynamic leveling platform according to claim 2, characterized in that, The base is provided with a first protrusion, and the bottom of the support rod is provided with a second protrusion. The first protrusion and the second protrusion are respectively inserted into the two ends of the spring. The first protrusion and the second protrusion are spaced apart. The outer peripheral wall of the second protrusion is provided with an annular flange, and the outer diameter of the annular flange is larger than the outer diameter of the spring.

4. The dynamic leveling platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base is provided with a guide mechanism for guiding the vertical movement of the support rod.

5. The dynamic leveling platform according to claim 4, characterized in that, The guiding mechanism includes a central outer cylinder, which is vertically disposed in the middle of the base. A guide hole is provided at one end of the central outer cylinder away from the base. The guide hole matches the support rod. The elastic element is disposed in the central outer cylinder, and one end of the support rod passes through the guide hole.

6. The dynamic leveling platform according to claim 5, characterized in that, The support rod is provided with an anti-detachment part to prevent the support rod from coming out of the guide hole.

7. The dynamic leveling platform according to claim 5, characterized in that, The inner peripheral wall of the guide hole is vertically provided with a spline groove, and the outer peripheral wall of the support rod is vertically provided with a spline.

8. The dynamic leveling platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both ends of the rigid connecting rod are provided with fisheye connectors, and the extension ends of the load platform and the linear telescopic mechanism are provided with U-shaped lugs. The fisheye connectors are embedded in the U-shaped lugs, and the through holes of the fisheye connectors are connected to the two arms of the U-shaped lugs through a rotating shaft.

9. The dynamic leveling platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base is equipped with wheels.

10. A mobile operation robot, characterized in that, The application of the dynamic leveling platform as described in any one of claims 1-8 includes a mobile chassis, the dynamic leveling platform, and a robotic arm. The mobile chassis includes the base of the dynamic leveling platform and wheels. The robotic arm is mounted on the load platform of the dynamic leveling platform.

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