Underwater robot

Abstract

According to the embodiment of the utility model, the underwater robot comprises a walking mechanism, an isolation mechanism, a disturbance mechanism and a muddy water extraction mechanism, the walking mechanism comprises an underwater motor, a transmission mechanism and a crawling mechanism, and the transmission mechanism is connected with the underwater motor and the crawling mechanism; the isolation mechanism comprises a housing and a water inlet assembly arranged on the lower portion of the housing. The bottom of the housing comprises an intercepting piece with a gap. The disturbance mechanism is in sealed connection with the housing, at least one part of the disturbance mechanism is arranged in the housing, and bottom mud and water in the housing are stirred to form a mud-water mixture; an inlet of the muddy water extracting mechanism is in sealed connection with the housing, an outlet of the muddy water extracting mechanism is connected with a muddy water pipeline, and a muddy water mixture in the housing is extracted out of the underwater robot through the muddy water pipeline. The underwater robot can run at the bottom of a river channel to extract sludge on a riverbed without cutoff, and is suitable for various underwater operation environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of water treatment, and more specifically, to an underwater robot. Background Art

[0002] At present, the commonly used solutions for treating riverbed mud are dredging ships and mud washing devices. The underwater operating device of the dredging ship is used for river dredging. It sucks the excavated sludge into the mud pipeline through the high-power mud pump on the ship, and then transports it to the designated mud unloading area. It is mainly used for river dredging. This underwater operation method causes a large amount of sludge to be stirred, releasing a large amount of suspended matter into the water body, and does not play a role in purifying the water body. The underwater operating part of some mud washing devices is fixed to the hull, and the mud separated from the water body is pumped into the hull for temporary storage. When the device is in operation, the underwater operating part and the hull need to move as a whole. It is not suitable for operations in narrow waters such as urban rivers, nor is it suitable for complex underwater environments. Utility Model Content

[0003] In order to solve at least one of the above technical problems, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, an underwater robot is provided, which includes a walking mechanism, an isolation mechanism, a disturbance mechanism and a muddy water extraction mechanism, wherein the walking mechanism includes an underwater motor, a transmission mechanism and a crawling mechanism, wherein the transmission mechanism connects the underwater motor and the crawling mechanism; the isolation mechanism includes a housing and a water inlet assembly arranged at the lower part of the housing, and the bottom of the housing includes an interception member with a gap; the disturbance mechanism is sealed and connected to the housing, and at least a part of the disturbance mechanism is arranged in the housing to stir the bottom mud and water in the housing to form a muddy water mixture; the inlet of the muddy water extraction mechanism is sealed and connected to the housing, and its outlet is connected to a muddy water pipeline, and the muddy water mixture in the housing is extracted to the outside of the underwater robot through the muddy water pipeline. The underwater robot can walk freely and flexibly on the bottom of the water body through the walking mechanism, and is suitable for various underwater operation environments without being affected by the volume of the subsequent processing equipment on the water surface. By extracting the bottom mud and mixing the mud with water in a semi-enclosed casing, the water body in the casing is basically isolated from the external water body to prevent affecting the water quality of the external water area. The disturbance of the disturbance mechanism in the casing allows the bottom mud extracted by the extraction mechanism and the water body to be fully mixed, thereby improving the treatment efficiency.

[0004] According to an underwater robot of one aspect of the present disclosure, optionally, the water inlet assembly is at least arranged at the lower part of the housing on both sides of the front and rear of the underwater robot in the forward direction, and includes a one-way valve. The one-way valve can be opened when the extraction mechanism is working and closed when the disturbance mechanism is working, so as to prevent muddy water in the housing from flowing into the external water body.

[0005] According to an underwater robot of one aspect of the present disclosure, optionally, the interception member includes a filter screen and a plurality of metal plates arranged at intervals and extending downward below the filter screen. The metal plates ensure the strength of the interception member, reduce the resistance of disturbing the bottom mud, and block larger garbage and foreign matter. The metal plates can be steel plates. The filter screen can also be composed of a metal mesh, and the gap between the filter screen is smaller than the gap between the metal plates, which can further intercept strip-shaped and soft garbage in the bottom mud.

[0006] According to an underwater robot in one aspect of the present disclosure, optionally, the disturbance mechanism includes at least two flow propellors symmetrically arranged on the housing. The symmetrically arranged flow propellors can make the muddy-water mixture in the housing evenly stressed and mixed more evenly to prevent dead angles.

[0007] According to an underwater robot of one aspect of the present disclosure, optionally, at least two streamers are arranged on the top of the housing, and are arranged to be tilted downward so that the thrust direction is toward the bottom center of the housing. The selection of the streamer's stream direction can avoid the generation of short-flow and dead corners, and prevent the water flow from hitting the housing wall and reducing the flow rate.

[0008] According to an underwater robot of one aspect of the present disclosure, optionally, the water inlet assembly includes a V-shaped water inlet and a baffle, the water inlet is arranged in front of the one-way valve, and the baffle is arranged on the opening path of the one-way valve to limit the opening degree of the one-way valve. The V-shaped water inlet facilitates the flow of water and bottom mud into the housing. The baffle can prevent the one-way valve from being over-opened due to the effect of suction and unable to reset.

[0009] According to an underwater robot in one aspect of the present disclosure, optionally, the crawling mechanism includes a crawling wheel, and the crawling wheel includes a plurality of rods radiating outward from a shaft and a rod-shaped tooth portion arranged at the end of each rod. The tooth portion of the crawling wheel can be in the shape of a round rod. The structure of this crawling mechanism is relatively simple. The rod-shaped tooth portion of the crawling wheel can increase the grip, which is conducive to walking. At the same time, it can avoid stirring up too much bottom mud to affect the water quality and visibility during crawling. The crawling mechanism can include at least two groups of crawling wheels, and each group of crawling wheels is arranged not in a straight line in the direction of travel. This prevents the rear row of crawling wheels from traveling on the loosened sludge. The direction of travel can refer to the direction in which the underwater robot is moving.

[0010] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the underwater robot may optionally further include a washing device arranged on one side or on both sides of the traveling direction of the underwater robot, which includes a motor and a mud wheel connected to the motor through an axis, and each mud wheel includes multiple blades.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the underwater robot may further include buoyancy members arranged on both sides of the underwater robot, and the walking mechanism may further include a mounting member arranged below the underwater motor and extending below the buoyancy member, wherein the mounting member is in the shape of a flat plate with curved outer edges at the front and rear ends near the traveling direction of the underwater robot. The buoyancy member may help the underwater robot float up and down. The curved outer edges at both ends of the mounting member may reduce walking resistance and prevent the robot from sinking into the bottom mud.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the underwater robot may optionally include an avoidance device arranged in the traveling direction of the underwater robot, which includes an avoidance rod, one end of which is connected to the mounting member. The avoidance device can force the underwater robot to avoid obstacles during walking, preventing the underwater robot from being damaged or stuck by obstacles.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the underwater robot optionally further comprises an exhaust valve disposed on the housing and an infrared camera disposed above the housing. The infrared camera can return underwater images, which facilitates the control personnel to understand the processing of the bottom mud and control the operation of the underwater robot.

[0014] The underwater robot according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, as a device for removing bottom mud, can operate flexibly underwater and adapt to various water areas. It can avoid affecting the surrounding water bodies when extracting bottom mud, so as to make the whole system work more efficiently.

[0015] It is not necessary to achieve all the advantages described above at the same time for any device implementing the present disclosure. Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described in the subsequent description embodiments, and partly become apparent from the description embodiments, or be understood by implementing the present disclosure. The purposes and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be realized and obtained by the structures indicated in the description, claims and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only relate to some embodiments of the present disclosure, but are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 1 is a top view of an underwater robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 AA cross-sectional schematic diagram of the underwater robot shown;

[0019] Figure 3 is a side view of an underwater robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 4 is a top view of an underwater robot according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A schematic BB cross-sectional view of the underwater robot of the embodiment shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solution of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. The various different embodiments can be combined with each other to form other embodiments not shown in the following description. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used herein shall have the usual meanings understood by persons of ordinary skill in the field to which the present disclosure belongs. The words "first", "second" and similar words used in the patent application specification and claims of the present disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, words such as "one" or "one" do not necessarily indicate a quantity restriction. Words such as "include" or "comprise" and similar words mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Words such as "connect" or "connected" and similar words are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0024] Figure 1 An underwater robot for removing bottom mud according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 AA cross-sectional schematic diagram of the underwater robot shown; Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a side view of an underwater robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1-3As shown, the underwater robot includes a walking mechanism 1, an isolation mechanism 2, a disturbance mechanism 3 and a mud and water extraction mechanism 4. The walking mechanism 1 is arranged on both sides of the underwater robot to drive the underwater robot to walk. The isolation mechanism 2 isolates the water body at the bottom mud to be treated from other water areas so as to form turbulence inside it and prevent the water quality of the external water area from being affected. The disturbance mechanism 3 disturbs the bottom mud to form turbulence to form a mud and water mixture. The mud and water extraction mechanism 4 extracts the mud and water mixture to an external water purification device for further treatment.

[0025] The walking mechanism 1 may include two independently controllable walking parts arranged on both sides of the underwater robot. Each walking part includes a mounting part 11, an underwater motor 12, a crawling wheel 15, and a transmission mechanism connecting the underwater motor 12 and the crawling wheel 15. The transmission mechanism may include a connecting part 13 and a steering part 14. The underwater motor 12 may be arranged in the middle of both sides of the underwater robot, and is connected to the steering part 14 through the connecting part 13, and the crawling wheel 15 is installed on the steering part 14. The walking mechanism may also adopt other common forms, such as a crawler structure or other wheeled structures.

[0026] The mounting member 11 can be arranged at the bottom of the walking mechanism on both sides to support the underwater motor part and can extend below the buoyancy member 5. Figure 2 As shown, the mounting member 11 can be designed as a flat plate with an arc at the front and rear ends near the walking direction of the underwater robot. This shape is helpful to reduce the walking resistance of the robot and prevent it from sinking into the bottom mud. The mounting member 11 can also be used Figure 4 In the embodiment shown.

[0027] The underwater motor 12 can be a fixed frequency motor or a variable frequency motor. If a variable frequency motor is used, the walking speed V of the walking component can be controlled by changing the frequency. By controlling the underwater motor, the underwater robot can be moved forward and backward, that is, the underwater robot can switch the direction of travel as needed.

[0028] The connecting member 13 connects the underwater motor 12 and the steering member 14. The connecting member 13 may be a coupling. The steering member 14 is connected to the crawling wheel 15. The underwater motor 12 controls the rotation of the crawling wheel 15 via the connecting member 13 and the steering member 14. Figure 1-2 As shown, the crawling wheel 15 adopts the form of rake teeth, which includes a plurality of rods 152 evenly distributed and radiating outward from the shaft of the crawling wheel and a tooth portion 151 arranged at the end of each rod (opposite to one end of the connecting shaft). The tooth portion 151 is preferably in the shape of a cylindrical rod. This method can improve the grip of the crawling wheel 15 to facilitate walking on the one hand, and avoid stirring up too much mud to affect the water quality and visibility of the water body when crawling on the other hand. According to one embodiment, the turning of the underwater robot can be achieved by controlling the speed difference of the walking components on both sides.

[0029] The isolation mechanism 2 mainly includes a cover 21 with an opening at the bottom. The cover 21 is provided with a water inlet assembly 22 at the positions near the bottom on both sides of the front and rear sides in the walking direction. The water inlet assembly 22 may include a mud shoveling member 221, such as a mud shoveling plate. The mud shoveling member 221 arranged obliquely downward can guide the bottom mud to the inlet 222, so as to enter the interior of the cover 21. An inlet 222 is provided above the mud shoveling member 221, and the inlet can be set in a V shape (such as Figure 1 As shown). A one-way valve 223 is provided at the rear side of the inlet 222, and a baffle 224 is provided on the opening path of the one-way valve to limit the opening degree of the one-way valve, so as to ensure that the one-way valve 223 can be reset to a closed state when the flow is disturbed. The one-way valve 223 is opened when the muddy water extraction mechanism 4 is in operation, so that the external muddy water can enter the shell 21; it is closed when the flow is disturbed to ensure that the muddy water mixture inside the shell 21 will not flow out and affect the external water body. Therefore, the structure and orientation of the water inlet assembly 22 are conducive to the bottom sludge outside the inlet 222 to enter the inside of the shell 21, thereby improving the treatment efficiency.

[0030] The cover 21 is a sealed shell with an opening at the bottom, and the top is preferably in an arc shape to facilitate the formation of turbulence inside it, so that the bottom mud and the water body form a mud-water mixture. An interception member 23 is provided at the bottom opening of the cover 21. The interception member 23 is sequentially provided with a metal interception plate 231 with a large gap and a filter screen 232 with a small gap from the bottom to the top. The metal interception plate is arranged in the vertical direction. For example, the metal interception plate and the filter screen can form a longitudinal grid and a tic-tac-toe grid, respectively. This arrangement of the metal interception plate 231 can not only ensure the strength of the interception member, but also reduce the resistance of disturbing the bottom mud. Through the cooperation of the metal interception plate and the filter screen, other strip-shaped and soft garbage in the bottom mud can be intercepted.

[0031] The disturbance mechanism 3 can be implemented by a flowmaker. In one embodiment, the flowmaker can be a variable frequency controlled flowmaker, and its thrust can be adjusted to meet the disturbance requirements of the bottom mud under different circumstances. Preferably, the disturbance mechanism 3 may include at least two flowmakers. The flowmakers can be arranged on both sides of the top of the cover 21, for example, they can be symmetrically arranged relative to the cover. The flowmaker and the cover are sealed. Since the bottom mud enters from below, preferably, the flowmaker can be tilted so that the thrust direction is toward the bottom center of the cover. The setting method of the flowmaker can avoid the occurrence of interruption and dead corners, as well as the situation where the flow velocity is reduced due to the impact of the water flow on the wall of the cover 21, so that the bottom mud inside the cover 21 is fully and quickly mixed with the water body, thereby improving the treatment efficiency. The reasoning and working time of the flowmaker can be adjusted to achieve a better sludge removal effect.

[0032] The muddy water extraction mechanism 4 includes a sewage pump located at the top center of the housing, and a cutting sewage pump can be used, which is sealed with the housing. The cutting sewage pump has a cutting device, which can cut filamentary impurities to prevent them from being entangled or blocked at the outlet. The inlet of the muddy water extraction mechanism 4 is arranged in the housing, and the outlet is connected to the muddy water pipeline. The processing flow Q can be controlled by frequency conversion. The muddy water extraction mechanism is connected to the muddy water pipeline to pump the muddy water mixture in the housing to the water purification device outside the underwater robot for treatment.

[0033] The underwater robot also includes a buoyancy member 5, which can reduce the gravity of the underwater robot when it is underwater. The buoyancy member 5 can be evenly distributed on both sides of the underwater robot. Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the underwater robot includes four buoyancy members, which are respectively arranged near the crawling wheels. In the case of deep bottom mud, the depth of the underwater robot entering the mud can be changed by adjusting the buoyancy of the buoyancy member 5, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the equipment.

[0034] In addition, one or more infrared cameras 6 can be arranged on the top of the housing 21 to collect the sediment stratification before and after the underwater robot moves, that is, to collect the sediment stratification to be treated and the sediment stratification after treatment. The control personnel can control the movement of the underwater robot by transmitting the images back to the control center.

[0035] Furthermore, the underwater robot may be provided with an avoidance device 7 in the walking direction to prevent the device from being damaged due to collision with obstacles during walking. Figure 1 As shown, the avoidance device 7 can be a avoidance rod 71 or other structures. The V-shaped avoidance rod 71 in this embodiment is connected to the mounting member 11 through an adjusting member 72. The adjusting member 72 can be used to retract and extend the avoidance rod 71. The avoidance device 7 can realize the forced avoidance of obstacles during the walking process of the underwater robot. Optionally, the infrared camera on the top of the cover 21 can be used to collect images near the underwater robot, and the active avoidance or manual control avoidance of obstacles can be realized by analyzing the images. In addition, other sensors, such as ultrasonic sensors, can also be set around the underwater robot to sense obstacles and achieve obstacle avoidance.

[0036] The underwater robot can communicate with external control equipment, control the operation of the underwater robot through handheld devices or central control equipment, and collect underwater data. The underwater robot can also achieve functions such as bottom mud and water sampling and water quality measurement through existing structures or adding sensors.

[0037] Figure 4 FIG. 2 shows a top view of an underwater robot according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A schematic BB cross-sectional view of the underwater robot of the embodiment shown. Figure 4The embodiment shown is Figure 1 The same or similar parts of the embodiments shown are not described in detail. Figure 4 As shown, a washing device 8 may be provided at the front end of the underwater robot in the walking direction. Optionally, washing devices 8 may be provided at both ends of the underwater robot. Figure 4 The washing device 8 is described below. If washing devices 8 are provided at both ends of the underwater robot, the arrangement of each end can refer to Figure 4 Embodiment of the invention.

[0038] The washing device 8 includes a motor 81 and a mud loosening wheel 83 connected to the motor 81 and driven by the motor 81. To drive a row of mud loosening wheels, the motor 81 can be centrally arranged relative to the underwater robot (it can also be arranged at other suitable positions), and a reduction motor can also be used. Both ends of the motor 81 are connected to the shaft 82, and the shaft 82 is provided with a mud loosening wheel 83. The mud loosening wheel 83 has a plurality of blades that rotate with the shaft, which is convenient for loosening the sludge during the rotation process. The blades can be radially arranged relative to the shaft, or arranged in other ways, so as to play a role in turning over the sludge. When the underwater robot is running, the washing device 8 at the front end of the underwater robot's walking direction works to preliminarily loosen the bottom mud, thereby improving the robot's mud suction effect. In addition, a torque meter 84 can also be provided on the shaft 82, which is used to monitor the torque of the shaft 82 during operation. When the torque is large, the bottom mud is thicker and / or harder, and the reduction motor 81 can run quickly to increase the speed and strength of the mud loosening; when the torque is small, the bottom mud is thinner and / or softer, and the reduction motor 81 can run slowly to reduce the speed and strength of the mud loosening. Furthermore, the washing device 8 can also include a mud guard 85, which forms a semi-enclosed space to ensure that the mud loosening wheel 83 is wrapped in this space, so that when the mud loosening wheel 83 is running, the loosened mud water is prevented from diffusing into other waters, and at the same time, the mud water enters the interior of the housing 21 from the water inlet assembly 22A at the rear end of the washing device 8. Figure 5 As shown, the water inlet assembly 22A can be set to an arc shape to adapt to the position of the mud loosening wheel. Figure 2 The flat plate shown can be changed in shape as required.

[0039] Alternatively, if Figure 4 As shown, the front and rear rows of crawling wheels can be installed in different positions, that is, they are not in a straight line in the direction of travel. This method can increase the crawling power, which is beneficial to the walking of the underwater robot and prevents the rear row of crawling wheels from weakening the gripping power of the mud due to the loosening of the bottom mud. The crawling wheels can also be more than two rows as needed.

[0040] Optionally, the housing 21 may be provided with an exhaust valve 24 for discharging the air in the housing 21 , which may be provided at the top of the housing.

[0041] about Figure 4 The structures of the described embodiments can be combined with Figure 1 In the embodiment shown.

[0042] The underwater robot can operate autonomously at the bottom of the river without interrupting the flow of the river. The desilting time is not affected by the flood season and can be operated except for the flood control and drainage period or the flood discharge period. Through the above structure, the underwater robot can clean the sludge on the riverbed (such as black organic mud). Through the action of the flow pusher, the sludge is mixed with the water body, and most of the sand and gravel will be discharged back into the water body due to gravity, which is conducive to preserving the ecological environment of the riverbed.

[0043] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure. The protection scope of the present disclosure is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An underwater robot, characterized in that include A walking mechanism, comprising an underwater motor, a transmission mechanism and a crawling mechanism, wherein the transmission mechanism connects the underwater motor and the crawling mechanism; The isolation mechanism comprises a housing and a water inlet assembly arranged at the lower part of the housing, wherein the bottom of the housing comprises an intercepting member with a gap; a disturbance mechanism, which is sealed and connected to the housing, and at least a portion of the disturbance mechanism is disposed in the housing; and The mud and water extraction mechanism has an inlet sealedly connected to the housing and an outlet connected to a mud and water pipeline, and extracts the mud and water mixture in the housing to the outside of the underwater robot through the mud and water pipeline.

2. The underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that The water inlet assembly is at least arranged at the lower part of the housing on both sides of the traveling direction of the underwater robot, and includes a one-way valve.

3. The underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that The intercepting member includes a filter screen and a plurality of metal plates arranged below the filter screen and extending downward and arranged at intervals.

4. The underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that The disturbance mechanism comprises at least two flow promoters which are symmetrically arranged on the housing.

5. The underwater robot according to claim 4, characterized in that The at least two flow promoters are arranged on the top of the housing and are arranged to be inclined downward so that the thrust direction is toward the bottom center of the housing.

6. The underwater robot according to claim 2, characterized in that The water inlet assembly comprises a V-shaped water inlet and a baffle. The water inlet is arranged in front of the one-way valve, and the baffle is arranged on the opening path of the one-way valve to limit the opening degree of the one-way valve.

7. The underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that The crawling mechanism includes a crawling wheel, and the crawling wheel includes a plurality of rods radiating outward from a shaft portion and a rod-shaped tooth portion arranged at a terminal end of each rod.

8. The underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that The crawling mechanism includes at least two groups of crawling wheels, and each group of crawling wheels is arranged not in a straight line in the traveling direction.

9. The underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that It also includes a washing device arranged on one side of the underwater robot's travel direction or on both sides of the underwater robot's travel direction, which includes a motor and a mud loosening wheel connected to the motor through a shaft, and each mud loosening wheel includes multiple blades.

10. The underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that It also includes buoyancy members arranged on both sides of the underwater robot. The walking mechanism also includes a mounting member, which is arranged under the underwater motor and extends below the buoyancy member. The mounting member is in the shape of a flat plate with an arc-shaped outer edge at the front and rear ends close to the traveling direction of the underwater robot.

11. The underwater robot according to claim 10, characterized in that It also includes an avoidance device arranged in the traveling direction of the underwater robot, which includes an avoidance rod, one end of which is connected to the mounting piece.

12. The underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that The invention also comprises an exhaust valve arranged on the cover shell and an infrared camera arranged above the cover shell.

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