Shield tunneling machine and method for assembling a variable diameter shield module

Abstract

The application provides a shield tunneling machine and a variable-diameter shield module assembling method. The shield tunneling machine comprises a first guide rail, a cutter head, a second guide rail, a first driving mechanism, a grabbing manipulator and a second driving mechanism. The first guide rail is connected to the cutter head, the first guide rail extends along a first direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis of the cutter head. The second guide rail extends along a second direction, and the second guide rail is connected to the first guide rail, and the second direction is parallel to the direction of the rotation axis of the cutter head. The first driving mechanism is used for driving the second guide rail to move along the first guide rail. The grabbing manipulator is connected to the second guide rail, and the second driving mechanism is used for driving the grabbing manipulator to move along the second guide rail. Such a shield tunneling machine reduces the assembly difficulty of the variable-diameter shield module and reduces the construction cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of tunnel technology, and more specifically, to a shield tunneling machine and a method for assembling variable diameter shield modules. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of shield tunneling technology, the intelligentization, modularization, and variable diameter adaptability of shield equipment have become important directions for improving construction efficiency and geological adaptability. Shield machines are generally designed with a fixed cross-section, making it difficult to accommodate changes in surrounding rock and route requirements in different sections. When adjusting the cross-section diameter, variable diameter shield modules need to be installed to adjust the diameter of the shield body. The assembly of variable diameter shield modules is difficult and costly. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a method for assembling a tunnel boring machine and a variable diameter tunnel boring module, which can reduce the assembly difficulty of the variable diameter tunnel boring module of the tunnel boring machine.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a tunnel boring machine (TBM), including a cutterhead, a first guide rail, a second guide rail, a first drive mechanism, a gripping manipulator, and a second drive mechanism. The first guide rail is connected to the cutterhead and extends along a first direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cutterhead. The second guide rail extends along a second direction and is connected to the first guide rail, with the second direction parallel to the rotation axis of the cutterhead. The first drive mechanism drives the second guide rail to move along the first guide rail. The gripping manipulator is connected to the second guide rail. The second drive mechanism drives the gripping manipulator to move along the second guide rail.

[0005] In the above technical solution, by integrating the gripping manipulator, the first guide rail, and the second guide rail onto the cutterhead, the cutterhead can both excavate the tunnel and adjust the position of the gripping manipulator. This allows for precise positioning of the manipulator within the confined tunnel space, facilitating the gripping and assembly of variable-diameter shield modules. Such a shield machine can adapt to tunnels of various diameters and allows the gripping manipulator to be adapted to shield structures of different diameters formed by multiple variable-diameter shield modules. This improves the assembly accuracy of the variable-diameter shield modules, reduces their assembly difficulty, and lowers construction costs.

[0006] In some embodiments, the cutterhead is a variable-diameter cutterhead, with a first guide rail disposed on the back of the variable-diameter cutterhead, and the first direction being the radial direction of the variable-diameter cutterhead. By setting the cutterhead to a variable-diameter cutterhead, on the one hand, the cutterhead can realize variable-diameter adjustment during the shield tunneling process, reducing the construction cycle extended by changing the cutterhead; on the other hand, the rotation of the cutterhead can drive the gripping manipulator to move, so as to achieve precise positioning and installation of the variable-diameter shield module in the circumferential direction, improving assembly efficiency and accuracy.

[0007] In some embodiments, the variable-diameter cutterhead includes a body and a variable-diameter section. The variable-diameter section is radially movably connected to the body, and a first guide rail is connected to the body. The first guide rail includes a first sub-guide rail and a second sub-guide rail that slide along the radial direction of the variable-diameter cutterhead. By providing the body and the variable-diameter section on the variable-diameter cutterhead, the variable-diameter section can be adjusted according to the required shield diameter. The first and second sub-guide rails slide together, allowing the first guide rail to adjust the relative positions of the first and second sub-guide rails according to the diameter change of the variable-diameter section, reducing the difficulty for the gripping robot to grasp and assemble the variable-diameter shield module.

[0008] In some embodiments, the tunnel boring machine further includes a third drive unit, which drives the first sub-guide rail to move relative to the second sub-guide rail. By setting the third drive unit to drive the first sub-guide rail to move relative to the second sub-guide rail, the third drive unit can adjust the relative position of the first sub-guide rail and the second sub-guide rail in real time according to the diameter change requirements of the variable diameter cutterhead, reducing the difficulty for the gripping robot to grasp and assemble the variable diameter tunnel boring machine module.

[0009] In some embodiments, the tunnel boring machine further includes a first limiting block disposed at the end of the first guide rail, which is used to prevent the second guide rail from detaching from the first guide rail. By providing the first limiting block at the end of the first guide rail, the first limiting block can restrict the second guide rail from detaching from the first guide rail, thereby improving the assembly stability of the first and second guide rails.

[0010] In some embodiments, the tunnel boring machine further includes a second limiting block disposed at the end of the second guide rail. The second limiting block is used to prevent the gripping manipulator from detaching from the second guide rail. By providing a second limiting block at the end of the second guide rail, the second limiting block can restrict the gripping manipulator from detaching from the second guide rail, thereby improving the assembly stability of the gripping manipulator and the second guide rail.

[0011] In some embodiments, the gripping robot includes an upper block, a lower block, a second rotating mechanism, and a gripping part; the upper block is movably connected to a second guide rail; the second rotating mechanism is disposed on the upper block and connected to the lower block, and is used to drive the lower block to rotate; the gripping part is connected to the lower block. Through the connection of the lower block to the second rotating mechanism disposed on the upper block, the lower block can drive the gripping part to rotate relative to the upper block, thereby realizing the angle adjustment of the variable-diameter shield module and reducing the installation difficulty of the variable-diameter shield module.

[0012] In some embodiments, the second rotating mechanism includes a connecting shaft and two rotating cylinders, which are respectively connected to both sides of the connecting shaft in a third direction. The connecting shaft is connected to the lower block; the first direction, the rotation axis direction of the cutterhead, and the third direction are perpendicular to each other. Driving the lower block to rotate relative to the upper block by rotating cylinders helps to improve the rotation accuracy and rotation response speed of the lower block, thereby improving the assembly accuracy and assembly stability of the variable diameter shield module.

[0013] In some embodiments, the gripping manipulator further includes multiple swing cylinders, each comprising a cylinder body and a piston rod. The cylinder body is connected to one of the upper and lower segments, and the piston rod is connected to the cylinder body. The cylinder body is configured to drive the piston rod to extend or retract to the other of the upper and lower segments to adjust the orientation of the lower segment. Multiple swing cylinders are arranged around the rotation axis of the lower segment. By providing multiple swing cylinders, the orientation of the lower segment can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the orientation of the variable-diameter shield module, which facilitates the picking and assembly of the variable-diameter shield module and reduces the installation difficulty of the variable-diameter shield module.

[0014] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a method for assembling a variable-diameter shield tunneling module, based on a shield machine as provided in any embodiment of the first aspect, comprising: transporting the variable-diameter shield tunneling module to the front of the shield body of the shield machine; rotating the cutterhead, the cutterhead driving the gripping manipulator to rotate to a gripping angle, driving the second guide rail to move along the first guide rail, driving the gripping manipulator to move along the second guide rail, and driving the gripping manipulator to grip the variable-diameter shield tunneling module; driving the second guide rail to move along the first guide rail, or driving the gripping manipulator to move along the second guide rail, to lift the variable-diameter shield tunneling module; rotating the cutterhead, the cutterhead driving the gripping manipulator to rotate to an assembly angle, driving the second guide rail to move along the first guide rail, driving the gripping manipulator to move along the second guide rail, and driving the gripping manipulator to assemble the variable-diameter shield tunneling module; rotating the cutterhead, the cutterhead pressing the assembled variable-diameter shield tunneling module; repeating the aforementioned four steps until the assembly of all variable-diameter shield tunneling modules is completed. When changing the diameter of a tunnel shield, the above steps can achieve automated assembly of the changing diameter shield module, reduce the assembly difficulty of the changing diameter shield module, improve the assembly efficiency of the changing diameter shield module, and reduce the construction cost of the shield machine.

[0015] In some embodiments, the gripping robot includes an upper block, a lower block, a second rotating mechanism, and a gripping part. The upper block is movably connected to a second guide rail. The second rotating mechanism is disposed on the upper block and connected to the lower block, and is used to drive the lower block to rotate. The gripping part is connected to the lower block. A rotating cutterhead drives the gripping robot to rotate to a gripping angle, drives the second guide rail to move along the first guide rail, drives the gripping robot to move along the second guide rail, and drives the gripping robot to grip the variable-diameter shield module. This includes: rotating the cutterhead, driving the gripping robot to rotate to a gripping angle, driving the second guide rail to move along the first guide rail, driving the gripping robot to move along the second guide rail, driving the second rotating mechanism to adjust the position of the gripping part, and driving the gripping part to grip the variable-diameter shield module. By driving the second rotating mechanism to adjust the position of the gripping part, the angle of the variable-diameter shield module can be adjusted, which is beneficial for the gripping part to stably grip the variable-diameter shield module and reduces the difficulty of picking up the variable-diameter shield module.

[0016] In some embodiments, a rotating cutterhead drives a gripping robot to rotate to an assembly angle, drives a second guide rail to move along a first guide rail, drives the gripping robot to move along the second guide rail, and drives the gripping robot to assemble the variable-diameter shield module. This includes: rotating the cutterhead, driving the gripping robot to rotate to an assembly angle, driving a second guide rail to move along a first guide rail, driving the gripping robot to move along the second guide rail, driving a second rotation mechanism to adjust the position of the gripping part, and driving the gripping part to assemble the variable-diameter shield module. By driving the second rotation mechanism to adjust the position of the gripping part, the gripping part can adjust the angle of the variable-diameter shield module, which is beneficial for the gripping part to move the variable-diameter shield module to the target position and improve the assembly accuracy of the variable-diameter shield module.

[0017] In some embodiments, the gripping manipulator further includes multiple swing cylinders, each swing cylinder including a cylinder body and a piston rod. The cylinder body is connected to one of the upper and lower blocks, and the piston rod is connected to the cylinder body. The cylinder body is configured to drive the piston rod to extend or retract to the other of the upper and lower blocks to adjust the orientation of the lower block. The multiple swing cylinders are arranged around the rotation axis of the lower block. A rotating cutterhead drives the gripping manipulator to rotate to a gripping angle, drives a second guide rail to move along a first guide rail, drives the gripping manipulator to move along the second guide rail, drives a second rotating mechanism to adjust the position of the gripping part, and drives the gripping part to grip the variable-diameter shield module. The method includes: rotating a cutterhead, which drives the gripping manipulator to rotate to a gripping angle, drives a second guide rail to move along a first guide rail, drives the gripping manipulator to move along the second guide rail, drives a second rotating mechanism and swing cylinders to adjust the position of the gripping part, and drives the gripping part to grip the variable-diameter shield module. The position of the gripping part is adjusted by the second rotating mechanism and the swing cylinder, which helps the gripping part to stably grip the variable diameter shield module and reduces the difficulty of picking up the variable diameter shield module.

[0018] In some embodiments, a rotating cutterhead drives a gripping robot to rotate to an assembly angle, drives a second guide rail to move along a first guide rail, drives the gripping robot to move along the second guide rail, drives a second rotating mechanism to adjust the position of the gripping part, and drives the gripping part to assemble the variable-diameter shield module. This includes: a rotating cutterhead driving a gripping robot to rotate to an assembly angle, driving a second guide rail to move along a first guide rail, driving the gripping robot to move along the second guide rail, driving a second rotating mechanism and a swing cylinder to adjust the position of the gripping part, and driving the gripping robot to assemble the variable-diameter shield module. By adjusting the position of the gripping part through the second rotating mechanism and the swing cylinder, the gripping part can adjust the angle of the variable-diameter shield module, which is beneficial for the gripping part to move the variable-diameter shield module to the target position and improve the assembly accuracy of the variable-diameter shield module. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 A partial structural schematic diagram of a tunnel boring machine provided for some embodiments of this application; Figure 2 Assembly diagrams of the cutter head, first guide rail, second guide rail, and gripping robot provided for some embodiments of this application; Figure 3 Assembly diagram of the cutter head, first guide rail, second guide rail and gripping robot provided for some embodiments of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a variable diameter cutter head provided in some embodiments of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first guide rail provided in some embodiments of this application; Figure 6 Assembly diagram of the cutter head, first guide rail, second guide rail and gripping robot provided for some embodiments of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the gripping robot provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0021] Icons: 1-Cutoff head; 1a-Variable diameter cutteroff head; 11-Body unit; 12-Variable diameter unit; 13-First surface; 14-Second surface; 2-First guide rail; 21-First sub-guide rail; 22-Second sub-guide rail; 3-Second guide rail; 4-First drive mechanism; 5-Grabbing manipulator; 51-Upper block; 52-Lower block; 53-Second rotating mechanism; 531-Connecting shaft; 532-Rotating cylinder; 54-Grabbing unit; 55-Swing cylinder; 551-Cylinder body; 552-Piston rod; 6-Second drive mechanism; 7-Third drive component; 8-First limit block; 9-Second limit block; 10-Shield machine; 101-Transport device; 1011-Transport track; 102-Variable diameter shield module; 20-Rock stratum; U-Rotation axis of cutteroff head; V-Rotation axis of lower block; Z-First direction; X-Second direction; Y-Third direction. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used in the description of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the description, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. The terms "first," "second," etc., in the description, claims, or accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order or hierarchy.

[0024] In this application, the reference to "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments.

[0025] In this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, in this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0026] In the embodiments of this application, the same reference numerals denote the same components, and for the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of the same components are omitted in different embodiments. It should be understood that the thickness, length, width, and other dimensions of various components in the embodiments of this application shown in the accompanying drawings, as well as the overall thickness, length, width, and other dimensions of the integrated device, are merely illustrative and should not constitute any limitation on this application.

[0027] In this application, "multiple" means two or more (including two).

[0028] In tunneling technology, tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are used for shield tunneling. During tunnel excavation, there is often a need for tunnel diameter adjustments. For example, when excavating underground subway lines, the cross-sectional dimensions need to be dynamically adjusted based on geological conditions, operational requirements, or spatial layout. How to adjust the tunnel cross-sectional dimensions during excavation has become a pressing challenge in tunneling technology that requires significant improvement.

[0029] When changing the tunnel diameter, it is generally necessary to adjust the radius of the tunnel boring machine (TBM) cutterhead and the size of the shield. The cutterhead can excavate through rock strata, and its radius determines the maximum diameter of the tunnel cross-section that can be cut during excavation. The shield provides stable support for the TBM's interior, and its outer surface supports the rock strata, reducing the risk of rock collapse. Therefore, when the cutterhead radius increases, the shield radius must also increase simultaneously to ensure an effective support ring is formed between the shield and the surrounding rock; conversely, when the cutterhead radius decreases, the shield must shrink accordingly to avoid excessive gaps that could cause ground disturbance. Specifically, when the cutterhead radius increases, the existing shield can be cut open, and variable-diameter TBM modules can be installed in the newly excavated, larger cross-section. Multiple variable-diameter TBM modules are arranged in a ring to form a new shield structure, replacing the previous shield to support the rock strata and protect the internal structure of the TBM.

[0030] During the assembly of variable-diameter shield tunneling modules, the precise docking and attitude adjustment between modules are crucial because the modules need to be assembled into a ring structure. High-precision, high-stability handling devices are generally required for the pickup and assembly of these modules. However, due to the limited space inside the tunnel, assembling variable-diameter shield tunneling modules using handling devices is difficult and costly.

[0031] In view of this, this application provides a tunnel boring machine (TBM) that integrates a gripping manipulator, a first guide rail, and a second guide rail onto the cutterhead. On the one hand, the cutterhead can excavate the tunnel; on the other hand, the cutterhead can adjust the position of the gripping manipulator, thereby facilitating the gripping and assembly of variable-diameter TBM modules within the confined space of the tunnel. Such a TBM can adapt to tunnels of various diameters and allows the gripping manipulator to be adapted to the shield structure formed by variable-diameter TBM modules of different diameters. This improves the assembly accuracy of the variable-diameter TBM modules, reduces the assembly difficulty, and lowers the construction cost of the TBM.

[0032] The following description of the tunnel boring machine is based on the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Please refer to Figures 1-3 , Figure 1 A partial structural schematic diagram of the tunnel boring machine 10 provided in some embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is an assembly diagram of the cutter head 1, the first guide rail 2, the second guide rail 3, and the gripping robot 5 provided for some embodiments of this application; Figure 3This is a schematic diagram illustrating the assembly of the cutterhead 1, first guide rail 2, second guide rail 3, and gripping manipulator 5 according to some embodiments of this application. Embodiments of this application provide a tunnel boring machine 10, including a first guide rail 2, a cutterhead 1, a second guide rail 3, a first drive mechanism 4, a gripping manipulator 5, and a second drive mechanism 6. The first guide rail 2 is connected to the cutterhead 1 and extends along a first direction Z, which is perpendicular to the rotation axis U of the cutterhead. The second guide rail 3 extends along a second direction X and is connected to the first guide rail 2, which is parallel to the rotation axis U of the cutterhead. The first drive mechanism 4 drives the second guide rail 3 to move along the first guide rail 2. The gripping manipulator 5 is connected to the second guide rail 3. The second drive mechanism 6 drives the gripping manipulator 5 to move along the second guide rail 3.

[0034] The cutterhead 1 is used to cut the rock stratum 20 to achieve the tunneling function of the tunnel boring machine 10. The cutterhead 1 has a first surface 13 facing the rock stratum 20 and a second surface 14 facing away from the rock stratum 20, with the second surface 14 facing the interior of the shield body. A first guide rail 2 is connected to the cutterhead 1. The first guide rail 2 can be connected to the second surface 14 of the cutterhead 1, or it can be embedded in the cutterhead 1. During the tunneling process of the cutterhead 1, the rotation of the cutterhead 1 drives the first guide rail 2 to rotate. During the gripping and assembly of the variable diameter shield module 102, the rotation of the cutterhead 1 drives the first guide rail 2 to rotate, thereby adjusting the position of the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0035] The second guide rail 3 is movably connected to the first guide rail 2, so that the first drive mechanism 4 can drive the second guide rail 3 to move along the first direction Z on the first guide rail 2. The first drive mechanism 4 can be a linear drive structure such as a belt drive structure, a hydraulic cylinder, or a pneumatic cylinder.

[0036] The gripping robot 5 is movably connected to the second guide rail 3, so that the second drive mechanism 6 can drive the gripping robot 5 to move along the second direction X on the second guide rail 3. The second drive mechanism 6 can be a linear drive structure such as a belt drive structure, a hydraulic cylinder, or a pneumatic cylinder.

[0037] In this embodiment, the cutterhead 1 drives the gripping manipulator 5 to rotate around the rotation axis U of the cutterhead, so that the gripping manipulator 5 can circumferentially assemble multiple variable-diameter shield modules 102 at the target position. The first guide rail 2 adjusts the position of the gripping manipulator 5 along the first direction Z to adjust the assembly radius of the variable-diameter shield module 102. The second guide rail 3 adjusts the position of the gripping manipulator 5 along the second direction X to adjust the assembly position of the variable-diameter shield module 102, so that the assembly of two adjacent variable-diameter shield modules 102 along the second direction X is more stable and the sealing is stronger. This reduces the risk of shield damage or rock strata 20 seeping into the shield. By integrating the gripping manipulator 5, the first guide rail 2, and the second guide rail 3 onto the cutterhead 1, on the one hand, the cutterhead 1 can excavate the tunnel, and on the other hand, the cutterhead 1 can adjust the position of the gripping manipulator 5, thereby adjusting the position of the gripping manipulator 5 in the narrow tunnel space, which facilitates the gripping and assembly of the variable-diameter shield module 102. This type of tunnel boring machine 10 can be adapted to tunnels of various diameters, and also allows the gripping manipulator 5 to adapt to the shield structure formed by variable-diameter shield modules 102 of different diameters. This helps improve the assembly accuracy of the variable-diameter shield modules 102, reduces the assembly difficulty of the variable-diameter shield modules 102, and reduces construction costs. The cutterhead 1 provides an installation position for the gripping manipulator 5, and the rotation of the cutterhead 1 provides the gripping manipulator 5 with a degree of freedom, saving internal space of the tunnel boring machine 10 and reducing the assembly difficulty of the variable-diameter shield modules 102.

[0038] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figures 1-3 The tunnel boring machine 10 also includes a transport device 101 and a transport track 1011. The transport device 101 moves inside the shield body under the guidance of the transport track 1011. The transport device 101 is used to transport the variable diameter shield module 102 to the pick-up position inside the shield body so that the grabbing robot 5 can pick it up.

[0039] In some embodiments, please refer to Figures 1-3 And further refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a variable diameter cutter head 1a provided in some embodiments of this application. The cutter head 1 is a variable diameter cutter head 1a, the first guide rail 2 is disposed on the back side of the variable diameter cutter head 1a, and the first direction Z is the radial direction of the variable diameter cutter head 1a.

[0040] At least a portion of the variable-diameter cutterhead 1a can increase or decrease its radius to adjust the size of the tunnel excavated by the cutterhead 1. For example, please refer to... Figure 4 The variable-diameter cutterhead 1a includes multiple fan-shaped cutter arms, each of which has its extension length independently adjustable via a radial telescopic mechanism, thereby achieving continuous adjustment of the overall diameter of the cutterhead 1. The back surface of the variable-diameter cutterhead 1a is the surface facing the inside of the shield body. In embodiments where the cutterhead 1 has a second surface 14, the second surface 14 is the back surface of the variable-diameter cutterhead 1a.

[0041] In this embodiment, by setting the cutterhead 1 as a variable diameter cutterhead 1a, on the one hand, the cutterhead 1 can realize the variable diameter adjustment during the shield tunneling process, reducing the construction cycle extended by replacing the cutterhead 1; on the other hand, the rotation of the cutterhead 1 can drive the gripping manipulator 5 to move, so as to realize the precise positioning and installation of the variable diameter shield module 102 in the circumferential direction, thereby improving assembly efficiency and accuracy.

[0042] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figure 4 And further refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first guide rail 2 provided in some embodiments of this application. The variable diameter cutter head 1a includes a body portion 11 and a variable diameter portion 12. The variable diameter portion 12 is movably connected to the body portion 11 along the radial direction of the variable diameter cutter head 1a, and the first guide rail 2 is connected to the body portion 11. The first guide rail 2 includes a first sub-guide rail 21 and a second sub-guide rail 22 that slide along the radial direction of the variable diameter cutter head 1a.

[0043] The main body 11 is the central part of the variable diameter cutterhead 1a. The outer edge dimension of the main body 11 remains unchanged. The variable diameter part 12 is movably disposed on the main body 11 along the radial direction of the variable diameter cutterhead 1a. During the process of excavating the rock strata 20 together with the main body 11, the variable diameter part 12 can increase the cross-sectional diameter of the tunnel.

[0044] The first sub-guide rail 21 can be connected to the main body 11; the second sub-guide rail 22 can be connected to the main body 11; or both the first sub-guide rail 21 and the second sub-guide rail 22 can be connected to the main body 11. The first sub-guide rail 21 and the second sub-guide rail 22 slide relative to each other radially along the variable diameter cutterhead 1a, so as to increase the radial stroke of the gripping manipulator 5 and reduce the assembly difficulty of the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0045] In this embodiment, by providing a body portion 11 and a diameter-changing portion 12 on the variable-diameter cutterhead 1a, the diameter-changing portion 12 can adjust its diameter according to the required shield diameter. The first sub-guide rail 21 and the second sub-guide rail 22 are slidably engaged, so that the first guide rail 2 can adjust the relative position of the first sub-guide rail 21 and the second sub-guide rail 22 according to the diameter change of the diameter-changing portion 12, reducing the difficulty for the gripping robot arm 5 to grip and assemble the variable-diameter shield module 102.

[0046] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The tunnel boring machine 10 also includes a third drive unit 7, which is used to drive the first sub-guide rail 21 to move relative to the second sub-guide rail 22.

[0047] The third driving component 7 can be located on the first sub-guide rail 21, the second sub-guide rail 22, or the cutter head 1. The third driving component 7 can be a belt drive structure, a hydraulic push rod structure, a linear motor drive structure, etc.

[0048] In this embodiment, by setting a third driving component 7 to drive the first sub-guide rail 21 to move relative to the second sub-guide rail 22, the third driving component 7 can adjust the relative position of the first sub-guide rail 21 and the second sub-guide rail 22 in real time according to the diameter change requirements of the variable diameter cutterhead 1a, thereby reducing the difficulty for the gripping robot arm 5 to grip and assemble the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0049] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the cutterhead 1, the first guide rail 2, the second guide rail 3, and the gripping manipulator 5 provided in some embodiments of this application. The tunnel boring machine 10 also includes a first limiting block 8, which is disposed at the end of the first guide rail 2 and is used to prevent the second guide rail 3 from disengaging from the first guide rail 2.

[0050] The number of first limiting blocks 8 can be one or more. A first limiting block 8 can be provided at only one end of the first guide rail 2; or a first limiting block 8 can be provided at both ends of the first guide rail 2.

[0051] In this embodiment, by setting a first limiting block 8 at the end of the first guide rail 2, the first limiting block 8 can restrict the second guide rail 3 from disengaging from the first guide rail 2, thereby improving the assembly stability of the first guide rail 2 and the second guide rail 3.

[0052] In some embodiments, the tunnel boring machine 10 further includes a second limiting block 9, which is disposed at the end of the second guide rail 3 and is used to prevent the gripping manipulator 5 from disengaging from the second guide rail 3.

[0053] The number of second limiting blocks 9 can be one or more. A second limiting block 9 can be provided at only one end of the second guide rail 3; or a second limiting block 9 can be provided at both ends of the second guide rail 3.

[0054] In this embodiment, by setting a second limiting block 9 at the end of the second guide rail 3, the second limiting block 9 can restrict the gripping robot 5 from disengaging from the second guide rail 3, thereby improving the assembly stability of the gripping robot 5 and the second guide rail 3.

[0055] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gripping robot 5 provided in some embodiments of this application. The gripping robot 5 includes an upper block 51, a lower block 52, a second rotating mechanism 53, and a gripping part 54. The upper block 51 is movably connected to the second guide rail 3. The second rotating mechanism 53 is disposed on the upper block 51 and connected to the lower block 52, and the second rotating mechanism 53 is used to drive the lower block 52 to rotate.

[0056] The second drive mechanism 6 can drive the upper block 51 to move along the extension direction of the second guide rail 3. The second rotation mechanism 53 connects the upper block 51 and the lower block 52. The second rotation mechanism 53 drives the lower block 52 to rotate, thereby realizing the adjustment of the spatial posture of the gripping robot 5. The gripping part 54 is connected to the lower block 52, and the gripping part 54 and the lower block 52 can be detachably connected; for example, the gripping part 54 and the lower block 52 can be snapped together; or the gripping part 54 and the lower block 52 can be fixedly connected; for example, the gripping part 54 and the lower block 52 can be welded together.

[0057] In this embodiment, the lower block 52 is connected to the second rotating mechanism 53 disposed on the upper block 51. The lower block 52 can drive the gripping part 54 to rotate relative to the upper block 51, thereby realizing the angle adjustment of the variable diameter shield module 102 and reducing the installation difficulty of the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0058] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figure 7 The second rotating mechanism 53 includes a connecting shaft 531 and two rotating cylinders 532. The two rotating cylinders 532 are respectively connected to both sides of the connecting shaft 531 in the third direction Y. The connecting shaft 531 is connected to the lower block 52. The first direction Z, the rotation axis U of the cutter head, and the third direction Y are perpendicular to each other.

[0059] The connecting shaft 531 connects to the lower segment 52 so that the connecting shaft 531 can drive the lower segment 52 to rotate. The connecting shaft 531 and the lower segment 52 can be set separately and then connected; or the connecting shaft 531 and the lower segment 52 can be integrally formed.

[0060] Two rotary cylinders 532 are respectively connected to both sides of the connecting shaft 531 along the third direction Y, and the two rotary cylinders 532 are used to drive the connecting shaft 531 to rotate.

[0061] In this embodiment, the lower block 52 is driven to rotate relative to the upper block 51 by the rotary cylinder 532, which helps to improve the rotation accuracy and rotation response speed of the lower block 52, thereby improving the assembly accuracy and assembly stability of the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0062] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figure 7The gripping robot 5 also includes multiple swing cylinders 55, each comprising a cylinder body 551 and a piston rod 552. The cylinder body 551 is connected to one of the upper segment 51 and the lower segment 52, and the piston rod 552 is connected to the cylinder body 551. The cylinder body 551 is configured to drive the piston rod 552 to extend or retract to the other of the upper and lower segments 51 to adjust the orientation of the lower segment 52. The multiple swing cylinders 55 are arranged around the rotation axis V of the lower segment.

[0063] The cylinder body 551 of the swing cylinder 55 can drive the piston rod 552 to extend or retract. Multiple cylinder bodies 551 can be connected to the upper block 51; multiple cylinder bodies 551 can be connected to the lower block 52; or some cylinder bodies 551 can be connected to the upper block 51 and others to the lower block 52. For example, there are four swing cylinders 55, all connected to the upper block 51 and circumferentially spaced around the axis of the connecting shaft 531. The cylinder bodies 551 of the four swing cylinders drive the piston rods 552 to extend or retract toward the lower block 52. The end of the piston rod 552 facing away from the cylinder body 551 abuts against the lower block 52 to adjust the orientation of the lower block 52.

[0064] In this embodiment, by setting multiple swing cylinders 55, the swing cylinders 55 can adjust the orientation of the lower block 52, thereby adjusting the orientation of the variable diameter shield module 102, which is beneficial for picking up and assembling the variable diameter shield module 102 and reducing the installation difficulty of the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0065] This application provides a method for assembling a variable-diameter shield module 102, based on the shield machine 10 provided in any of the above embodiments, including: transporting the variable-diameter shield module 102 to the front of the shield body of the shield machine 10; rotating the cutterhead 1, the cutterhead 1 driving the gripping manipulator 5 to rotate to a gripping angle, driving the second guide rail 3 to move along the first guide rail 2, driving the gripping manipulator 5 to move along the second guide rail 3, driving the gripping manipulator 5 to grip the variable-diameter shield module 102; driving the second guide rail 3 to move along the first guide rail 2. The machine is moved, or driven to move the gripping robot 5 along the second guide rail 3 to pick up the variable diameter shield module 102; the cutterhead 1 is rotated, and the cutterhead 1 drives the gripping robot 5 to rotate to the assembly angle, drives the second guide rail 3 to move along the first guide rail 2, drives the gripping robot 5 to move along the second guide rail 3, and drives the gripping robot 5 to assemble the variable diameter shield module 102; the cutterhead 1 is rotated, and the cutterhead 1 presses the assembled variable diameter shield module 102; the above four steps are repeated until the assembly of all variable diameter shield modules 102 is completed.

[0066] During the assembly of the variable-diameter shield module 102, the cutterhead 1 rotates, the second guide rail 3 moves on the first guide rail 2, and the gripping robot 5 moves on the second guide rail 3 to adjust its position, facilitating the gripping robot 5 to grasp the variable-diameter shield module 102 located at the pickup position. After grasping the variable-diameter shield module 102, the cutterhead 1 rotates, the second guide rail 3 moves on the first guide rail 2, and the gripping robot 5 moves on the second guide rail 3 to move the gripping robot 5 holding the variable-diameter shield module 102 to the target installation position, thus completing the assembly of the variable-diameter shield module 102. Multiple variable-diameter shield modules 102 form a new annular shield structure to achieve the variable diameter of the shield machine 10.

[0067] In this embodiment, when the tunnel shield changes diameter, the above steps can realize the automated assembly of the variable diameter shield module 102, reduce the assembly difficulty of the variable diameter shield module 102, improve the assembly efficiency of the variable diameter shield module 102, and reduce the construction cost of the shield machine 10.

[0068] In some embodiments, the gripping robot 5 includes an upper block 51, a lower block 52, a second rotating mechanism 53, and a gripping part 54. The upper block 51 is movably connected to the second guide rail 3. The second rotating mechanism 53 is disposed on the upper block 51 and connected to the lower block 52. The second rotating mechanism 53 is used to drive the lower block 52 to rotate. The gripping part 54 is connected to the lower block 52. The rotating cutterhead 1 drives the gripping robot 5 to rotate to the gripping angle, drives the second guide rail 3 to move along the first guide rail 2, drives the gripping robot 5 to move along the second guide rail 3, and drives the gripping robot 5 to grip the variable diameter shield module 102. This includes: rotating the cutterhead 1, the cutterhead 1 driving the gripping robot 5 to rotate to the gripping angle, driving the second guide rail 3 to move along the first guide rail 2, driving the gripping robot 5 to move along the second guide rail 3, driving the second rotating mechanism 53 to adjust the position of the gripping part 54, and driving the gripping part 54 to grip the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0069] The second rotating mechanism 53 adjusts the posture of the gripping part 54 to facilitate gripping the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0070] In this embodiment, by driving the second rotating mechanism 53 to adjust the position of the gripping part 54, the angle of the variable diameter shield module 102 can be adjusted, which is beneficial for the gripping part 54 to stably grip the variable diameter shield module 102 and reduce the difficulty of picking up the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0071] In some embodiments, the rotating cutterhead 1 drives the gripping robot 5 to rotate to the assembly angle, drives the second guide rail 3 to move along the first guide rail 2, drives the gripping robot 5 to move along the second guide rail 3, and drives the gripping robot 5 to assemble the variable diameter shield module 102. This includes: rotating the cutterhead 1, driving the gripping robot 5 to rotate to the assembly angle, driving the second guide rail 3 to move along the first guide rail 2, driving the gripping robot 5 to move along the second guide rail 3, driving the second rotating mechanism 53 to adjust the position of the gripping part 54, and driving the gripping part 54 to assemble the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0072] During the assembly of the variable diameter shield module 102, the splicing angle between two adjacent variable diameter shield modules 102 can be finely adjusted by the second rotating mechanism 53 to improve the splicing quality.

[0073] In this embodiment, by driving the second rotating mechanism 53 to adjust the position of the gripping part 54, the gripping part 54 can adjust the angle of the variable diameter shield module 102, which is beneficial for the gripping part 54 to move the variable diameter shield module 102 to the target position and improve the assembly accuracy of the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0074] In some embodiments, the gripping robot 5 further includes a plurality of swing cylinders 55, each swing cylinder 55 including a cylinder body 551 and a piston rod 552. The cylinder body 551 is connected to one of the upper segment 51 and the lower segment 52, and the piston rod 552 is connected to the cylinder body 551. The cylinder body 551 is configured to drive the piston rod 552 to extend or retract to the other of the upper segment 51 and the lower segment 52 to adjust the orientation of the lower segment 52. The plurality of swing cylinders 55 are arranged around the rotation axis V of the lower segment. The rotating cutter head 1 drives the gripping robot 5 to rotate to grip. The mechanism includes: a rotating cutterhead 1, which drives the gripping robot 5 to rotate to a gripping angle, drives the second guide rail 3 to move along the first guide rail 2, drives the gripping robot 5 to move along the second guide rail 3, drives the second rotating mechanism 53 to adjust the position of the gripping part 54, and drives the gripping part 54 to grip the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0075] The second rotating mechanism 53 and the swing cylinder 55 adjust the posture of the gripping part 54 to facilitate gripping the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0076] In this embodiment, the position of the gripping part 54 is adjusted by the second rotating mechanism 53 and the swing cylinder 55, which helps the gripping part 54 to stably grip the variable diameter shield module 102 and reduces the difficulty of picking up the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0077] In some embodiments, the rotating cutterhead 1 drives the gripping robot 5 to rotate to the assembly angle, drives the second guide rail 3 to move along the first guide rail 2, drives the gripping robot 5 to move along the second guide rail 3, drives the second rotating mechanism 53 to adjust the position of the gripping part 54, and drives the gripping part 54 to assemble the variable diameter shield module 102. This includes: rotating the cutterhead 1, driving the gripping robot 5 to rotate to the assembly angle, driving the second guide rail 3 to move along the first guide rail 2, driving the gripping robot 5 to move along the second guide rail 3, driving the second rotating mechanism 53 and the swing cylinder 55 to adjust the position of the gripping part 54, and driving the gripping robot 5 to assemble the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0078] During the assembly of the variable diameter shield module 102, the splicing angle between two adjacent variable diameter shield modules 102 can be finely adjusted by the second rotating mechanism 53 and the swing cylinder 55 to improve the splicing quality.

[0079] In this embodiment, the position of the gripping part 54 is adjusted by the second rotating mechanism 53 and the swing cylinder 55. The gripping part 54 can adjust the angle of the variable diameter shield module 102, which is beneficial for the gripping part 54 to move the variable diameter shield module 102 to the target position and improve the assembly accuracy of the variable diameter shield module 102.

[0080] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0081] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit this application. For those skilled in the art, this application can have various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A tunnel boring machine (10), characterized in that, include: Cutter head (1); A first guide rail (2) is connected to the cutter head (1). The first guide rail (2) extends along a first direction (Z), which is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cutter head (1). The second guide rail (3) extends along the second direction (X) and is connected to the first guide rail (2). The second direction (X) is parallel to the rotation axis of the cutter head (1). The first driving mechanism (4) is used to drive the second guide rail (3) to move along the first guide rail (2); A gripping robot (5) is connected to the second guide rail (3); The second drive mechanism (6) is used to drive the gripping robot (5) to move along the second guide rail (3).

2. The tunnel boring machine (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cutter head (1) is a variable diameter cutter head (1a), the first guide rail (2) is disposed on the back of the variable diameter cutter head (1a), and the first direction (Z) is the radial direction of the variable diameter cutter head (1a).

3. The tunnel boring machine (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The variable diameter cutter head (1a) includes a body part (11) and a variable diameter part (12). The variable diameter part (12) is movably connected to the body part (11) along the radial direction of the variable diameter cutter head (1a). The first guide rail (2) is connected to the body part (11). The first guide rail (2) includes a first sub-guide rail (21) and a second sub-guide rail (22) that are radially slidingly fitted along the variable diameter cutter head (1a).

4. The tunnel boring machine (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The tunnel boring machine (10) also includes a third drive unit (7), which is used to drive the first sub-guide rail (21) to move relative to the second sub-guide rail (22).

5. The tunnel boring machine (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tunnel boring machine (10) also includes a first limiting block (8), which is disposed at the end of the first guide rail (2) and is used to prevent the second guide rail (3) from disengaging from the first guide rail (2). And / or, the tunnel boring machine (10) further includes a second limiting block (9), which is disposed at the end of the second guide rail (3) and is used to prevent the gripping manipulator (5) from disengaging from the second guide rail (3).

6. The tunnel boring machine (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripping robot (5) includes an upper block (51), a lower block (52), a second rotating mechanism (53), and a gripping part (54). The upper block (51) is movably connected to the second guide rail (3); The second rotating mechanism (53) is disposed on the upper block (51) and connected to the lower block (52). The second rotating mechanism (53) is used to drive the lower block (52) to rotate. The gripping part (54) is connected to the lower block (52).

7. The tunnel boring machine (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second rotating mechanism (53) includes a connecting shaft (531) and two rotating cylinders (532). The two rotating cylinders (532) are respectively connected to both sides of the connecting shaft (531) in the third direction (Y). The connecting shaft (531) is connected to the lower block (52). The first direction (Z), the rotation axis direction of the cutter head, and the third direction (Y) are perpendicular to each other.

8. The tunnel boring machine (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The gripping manipulator (5) also includes a plurality of swing cylinders (55), each swing cylinder (55) including a cylinder body (551) and a piston rod (552). The cylinder body (551) is connected to one of the upper block (51) and the lower block (52), and the piston rod (552) is connected to the cylinder body (551). The cylinder body (551) is configured to drive the piston rod (552) to extend or retract toward the other of the upper block (51) and the lower block (52) to adjust the orientation of the lower block (52). Multiple of the aforementioned swing cylinders (55) are arranged around the rotation axis (V) of the lower segment.

9. A method for assembling a variable diameter shield module (102), based on a shield machine (10) as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, include: The variable diameter shield module (102) is transported to the front of the shield body of the shield machine (10); Rotate the cutterhead (1), which drives the gripping robot (5) to rotate to the gripping angle, drives the second guide rail (3) to move along the first guide rail (2), drives the gripping robot (5) to move along the second guide rail (3), and drives the gripping robot (5) to grip the variable diameter shield module (102). Drive the second guide rail (3) to move along the first guide rail (2), or drive the gripping robot (5) to move along the second guide rail (3) to pick up the variable diameter shield module (102); Rotate the cutterhead (1), which drives the gripping robot (5) to rotate to the assembly angle, drives the second guide rail (3) to move along the first guide rail (2), drives the gripping robot (5) to move along the second guide rail (3), and drives the gripping robot (5) to assemble the variable diameter shield module (102). Rotating cutterhead (1), the cutterhead (1) presses the assembled variable diameter shield module (102). Repeat the above four steps until all variable diameter shield modules (102) are assembled.

10. The method for assembling the variable diameter shield module (102) according to claim 9, characterized in that, The gripping robot (5) includes an upper block (51), a lower block (52), a second rotating mechanism (53), and a gripping part (54). The upper block (51) is movably connected to the second guide rail (3). The second rotating mechanism (53) is disposed on the upper block (51) and connected to the lower block (52). The second rotating mechanism (53) is used to drive the lower block (52) to rotate. The gripping part (54) is connected to the lower block (52). The rotating cutterhead (1) drives the gripping manipulator (5) to rotate to the gripping angle, drives the second guide rail (3) to move along the first guide rail (2), drives the gripping manipulator (5) to move along the second guide rail (3), and drives the gripping manipulator (5) to grip the variable diameter shield module (102), including: Rotate the cutterhead (1), which drives the gripping manipulator (5) to rotate to the gripping angle, drives the second guide rail (3) to move along the first guide rail (2), drives the gripping manipulator (5) to move along the second guide rail (3), drives the second rotating mechanism (53) to adjust the position of the gripping part (54), and drives the gripping part (54) to grip the variable diameter shield module (102).

11. The method for assembling the variable diameter shield module (102) according to claim 10, characterized in that, The rotating cutterhead (1) drives the gripping manipulator (5) to rotate to the assembly angle, drives the second guide rail (3) to move along the first guide rail (2), drives the gripping manipulator (5) to move along the second guide rail (3), and drives the gripping manipulator (5) to assemble the variable diameter shield module (102), including: Rotate the cutterhead (1), which drives the gripping robot (5) to rotate to the assembly angle, drives the second guide rail (3) to move along the first guide rail (2), drives the gripping robot (5) to move along the second guide rail (3), drives the second rotating mechanism (53) to adjust the position of the gripping part (54), and drives the gripping part (54) to assemble the variable diameter shield module (102).

12. The method for assembling the variable diameter shield module (102) according to any one of claims 10-11, characterized in that, The gripping manipulator (5) also includes a plurality of swing cylinders (55), each swing cylinder (55) including a cylinder body (551) and a piston rod (552). The cylinder body (551) is connected to one of the upper block (51) and the lower block (52), and the piston rod (552) is connected to the cylinder body (551). The cylinder body (551) is configured to drive the piston rod (552) to extend or retract toward the other of the upper block (51) and the lower block (52) to adjust the orientation of the lower block (52). The plurality of swing cylinders (55) are arranged around the rotation axis (V) of the lower block. The rotating cutterhead (1) drives the gripping manipulator (5) to rotate to the gripping angle, drives the second guide rail (3) to move along the first guide rail (2), drives the gripping manipulator (5) to move along the second guide rail (3), drives the second rotating mechanism (53) to adjust the position of the gripping part (54), and drives the gripping part (54) to grip the variable diameter shield module (102), including: Rotate the cutterhead (1), which drives the gripping manipulator (5) to rotate to the gripping angle, drives the second guide rail (3) to move along the first guide rail (2), drives the gripping manipulator (5) to move along the second guide rail (3), drives the second rotating mechanism (53) and the swing cylinder (55) to adjust the position of the gripping part (54), and drives the gripping part (54) to grip the variable diameter shield module (102).

13. The method for assembling the variable diameter shield module (102) according to claim 12, characterized in that, The rotating cutterhead (1) drives the gripping manipulator (5) to rotate to the assembly angle, drives the second guide rail (3) to move along the first guide rail (2), drives the gripping manipulator (5) to move along the second guide rail (3), drives the second rotating mechanism (53) to adjust the position of the gripping part (54), and drives the gripping part (54) to assemble the variable diameter shield module (102), including: Rotate the cutterhead (1), which drives the gripping robot (5) to rotate to the assembly angle, drives the second guide rail (3) to move along the first guide rail (2), drives the gripping robot (5) to move along the second guide rail (3), drives the second rotating mechanism (53) and the swing cylinder (55) to adjust the position of the gripping part (54), and drives the gripping robot (5) to assemble the variable diameter shield module (102).

Images