Deep sea pipe cable grabbing manipulator and underwater robot

Abstract

The deep sea pipe cable grabbing manipulator comprises a mounting base, a mechanical arm lifting mechanism, a mounting frame, a gate-type gripper mechanism and a spraying mechanism, the mounting frame is mounted on the mechanical arm lifting mechanism, the gate-type gripper mechanism and the spraying mechanism are mounted on the mounting frame, and the mechanical arm lifting mechanism drives the mounting frame to ascend and descend through an ascending and descending oil cylinder; the door type gripper mechanism comprises opening and closing oil cylinders and claws, one ends of the two claws are hinged to the mounting frame, and the other ends of the two claws are driven by the two opening and closing oil cylinders to get close to or get away from each other so as to grab or release the pipe cable. The spraying mechanism comprises a water pipe, a spray head and a waterway control switch and is used for washing the grabbed pipe cable; a direction sensing mechanism is further arranged on the mounting frame, and the turning condition of the pipe cable is monitored in real time; and a vibration filtering mechanism is also arranged between the mounting seat and the mounting frame. Safety and stability of underwater operation of the manipulator can be guaranteed, lifting weight is increased, the direction of the whole robot is controlled, and applicability is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of underwater robots, in particular to a deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator and an underwater robot. Background Art

[0002] The utilization and development of marine resources has also promoted the development of underwater equipment. Underwater robots can be used for marine exploration, laying of submarine cables, and repair and maintenance of submarine equipment and facilities. Most existing robot manipulators are driven by motors, but the power density of underwater motors is generally low, resulting in too low a lifting weight for the manipulators, which cannot reach a lifting weight of more than 3T. The underwater environment also requires a special waterproof design for the drive mechanism, resulting in a complex mechanism and low reliability. The navigation guidance of existing underwater robots mostly adopts visual solutions, but the underwater environment (turbid water or dim light, etc.) will affect the accuracy of visual detection, and reliability is difficult to guarantee. Underwater ocean currents, undulating terrain and other factors will make it difficult for robots and other equipment to move smoothly, resulting in large jitters when the underwater manipulator is working. When the cable jitters, the manipulator will also have common frequency jitters, affecting the normal operation of the manipulator. In addition, the existing underwater manipulators have a single function and have not been designed in a corresponding modular manner. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of the utility model is to overcome the shortcomings of the above-mentioned prior art and provide a deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator with safe and stable operation, large lifting capacity, diverse functions and strong adaptability, and an underwater robot equipped with the grabbing manipulator.

[0004] The utility model is realized by the following technical solutions:

[0005] A deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator comprises a mounting seat, a manipulator arm lifting mechanism, a mounting frame, a gantry gripper mechanism and a spraying mechanism, wherein the manipulator arm lifting mechanism is mounted on the mounting seat, the mounting frame is mounted on the manipulator arm lifting mechanism, the gantry gripper mechanism and the spraying mechanism are mounted on the mounting frame, the manipulator arm lifting mechanism comprises an ascending and descending oil cylinder, the manipulator arm lifting mechanism drives the mounting frame and the gantry gripper mechanism and the spraying mechanism thereon to ascend or descend through the ascending and descending oil cylinder, the gantry gripper mechanism comprises an opening and closing oil cylinder and claws, one end of two claws are respectively hinged on the mounting frame, and the other ends are respectively driven by the two opening and closing oil cylinders to approach or move away from each other to grab or release the cable; the spraying mechanism comprises a water pipe, a nozzle and a waterway control switch, the nozzle is arranged at a position on the mounting frame close to the claws for flushing the grabbed cable, the water pipe is connected to the nozzle, and the waterway control switch is arranged on the water pipe.

[0006] Furthermore, the mechanical arm lifting mechanism also includes a cantilever, one end of the cantilever and the lifting and lowering cylinder are respectively hinged on the mounting seat, and the other ends of the cantilever and the lifting and lowering cylinder are hinged to each other, so that the mounting seat, the cantilever and the lifting and lowering cylinder form a triangle, and the mounting frame is hinged on the end of the cantilever away from the mounting seat. The lifting and lowering cylinder is provided with a travel sensor, which can monitor and control the height of the gripper at any time to meet the needs of lifting and releasing the cable.

[0007] Furthermore, the claw is a three-fold claw, one end of the opening and closing oil cylinder is connected to the mounting frame, and the other end is connected to the middle of the claw, and a stroke sensor is provided on the opening and closing oil cylinder to control the opening and closing size and angle of the claw. The "fold" here refers to the inflection point, and three folds means there are three inflection points. Compared with one-fold or two-fold claws, the three-fold claw has a larger movement space and can grab thicker pipes and cables at the same height.

[0008] Furthermore, the waterway control switch includes a waterway oil cylinder and a plug. The plug is plugged in the waterway leading to the water pipe. The waterway oil cylinder is connected to the plug to drive the plug to connect or block the waterway. A stroke sensor is provided on the waterway oil cylinder to control the opening and closing degree of the plug, thereby controlling the water flow of the nozzle, spraying the mud on the pipe cable in advance, and allowing the subsequent spray to spray out of the tunnel better. The use of waterway oil cylinder control can solve the sealing problem existing in motor control.

[0009] Furthermore, there are two spray heads, which are symmetrically distributed near the two claws. Both spray heads are controlled by a water circuit control switch.

[0010] Furthermore, a direction sensing mechanism is also provided on the mounting frame, and the direction sensing mechanism includes a direction guide, a rotating shaft, a spring and a rotary encoder. The direction guide is installed on the mounting frame through the rotating shaft, and the rotary encoder is installed on the rotating shaft. One end of the spring is connected to the direction guide, and the other end is connected to the claw. The turning of the pipe and cable drives the direction guide to rotate through the claw and the spring, and the rotary encoder monitors the turning of the pipe and cable in real time by detecting the rotation of the rotating shaft. The rotary encoder is connected to the PLC system, and the turning of the pipe and cable is transmitted to the PLC system, and the PLC system controls the turning of the whole machine such as trenching and cable burying.

[0011] Furthermore, there are two sets of direction sensing mechanisms, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the two claws.

[0012] Furthermore, a vibration filter mechanism is provided between the mounting seat and the mounting frame, one end of the vibration filter mechanism is connected to the mounting seat, and the other end is connected to the mounting frame. The vibration filter mechanism can solve the vibration and stress concentration problems of the robot arm when the robot is moving forward.

[0013] Furthermore, the vibration filtering mechanism includes a threaded rod, a shock absorber cylinder, a cylinder movable plate, a shock absorbing spring and a cylinder body, the shock absorbing spring is located in the shock absorber cylinder, one end of the shock absorber cylinder is open, the cylinder movable plate is slidably arranged on its open end, one end of the cylinder body is fixedly connected to the cylinder movable plate (the cylinder body is located outside the shock absorber cylinder), one end of the threaded rod passes through the shock absorber cylinder, the shock absorbing spring and the cylinder movable plate in sequence, and its end extends into the cavity of the cylinder body, the threaded rod is fixedly connected to the shock absorber cylinder through the threads thereon, and the part of the threaded rod extending into the cylinder body limits the cylinder movable plate and the cylinder body through a limit nut screwed thereon.

[0014] Furthermore, a mounting seat plate is provided at one end of the cylinder body, and the cylinder body is connected to the cylinder movable plate by fixedly connecting the mounting seat plate to the cylinder movable plate. A lifting ring is provided on one end of the threaded rod away from the shock absorber cylinder, and a lifting ring is also provided on one end of the cylinder body away from the shock absorber cylinder, and the threaded rod and the cylinder body are movably connected to the mounting frame and the mounting seat respectively through the lifting rings thereon.

[0015] An underwater robot is provided with the above-mentioned deep-sea pipe and cable grabbing manipulator, and the deep-sea pipe and cable grabbing manipulator is installed on the underwater robot through its mounting seat.

[0016] The manipulator of the utility model adopts a door-type gripper structure, and the opening and closing of the gripper is controlled by an oil cylinder, which can solve the problems of water ingress and leakage accidents and complex structure caused by the use of motor control underwater, and ensure safety; the claws of the gripper adopt three-fold claws, which greatly increase the diameter of the grasped pipe and cable, and have strong applicability; the entire gripper adopts a cylinder + cantilever drive structure, which greatly increases the lifting weight and solves the problem of low lifting weight; by arranging a rotary encoder near the gripper, the turning of the cable is sensed by the direction sensing mechanism, so as to control the direction of the entire robot, and solve the problem of unreliable steering of the whole machine; by arranging a vibration filtering mechanism, the movement of the robot or the shaking of the pipe and cable can be prevented from affecting the normal operation of the manipulator, and the operation stability is improved; by arranging a spraying mechanism, the grasped pipe and cable can be flushed, and the water channel switch controlled by the oil cylinder can be used to safely and accurately control the spraying process, further increasing the function of the manipulator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the utility model.

[0018] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified view of the structure at center.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a front structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the utility model.

[0020] Figure 4for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the BB cross section.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the door-type gripper mechanism in the embodiment of the utility model.

[0022] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the water channel control switch in the embodiment of the utility model.

[0023] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of the vibration filtering mechanism in the embodiment of the utility model.

[0024] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the vibration filtering mechanism in the embodiment of the utility model.

[0025] Figure markings: 1-mounting seat; 2-mechanical arm lifting mechanism; 3-mounting frame; 4-gantry gripper mechanism; 5-spraying mechanism; 6-vibration filtering mechanism; 7-direction sensing mechanism; 21-lifting and lowering cylinder; 22-cantilever; 41-opening and closing cylinder; 42-claw; 51-spray head; 52-water pipe; 53-water circuit control switch; 531-water circuit cylinder; 532-plug; 533-water tank; 61-rotary encoder; 62-rotating shaft; 63-direction guide; 64-spring; 71-cylinder body; 72-shock absorber cylinder; 73-threaded rod; 74-lifting ring; 75-shock-absorbing spring; 76-cylinder movable plate; 77-fixing nut; 78-limiting nut; 711-mounting seat plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] A deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator can be installed on an underwater robot. Together with the robot's walking mechanism, it can grab pipelines or cables on the seabed. Together with other equipment, it can perform operations such as trenching, cable burial, and pipeline laying. Figure 1 , Figure 4As shown, the deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator includes a mounting seat 1, a manipulator arm lifting mechanism 2, a mounting frame 3, a gantry gripper mechanism 4 and a spraying mechanism 5. The mounting seat 1 is generally mounted on the robot body or other equipment, the manipulator arm lifting mechanism 2 is mounted on the mounting seat 1, the mounting frame 3 is mounted on the manipulator arm lifting mechanism 2, the gantry gripper mechanism 4 and the spraying mechanism 5 are mounted on the mounting frame 3, the manipulator arm lifting mechanism 2 includes an ascending and descending oil cylinder 21, and the manipulator arm lifting mechanism 2 drives the mounting frame 3 and the gantry gripper mechanism 4 and the spraying mechanism 5 thereon to ascend or descend through the ascending and descending oil cylinder 21. The gantry gripper mechanism 4 includes an opening and closing oil cylinder 41 and a claw 42, one end of the two claws 42 are respectively hinged on the mounting frame 3, and the other ends are respectively driven by the two opening and closing oil cylinders 41 to move closer to or farther from each other to grab or release the cable. The spraying mechanism 5 includes a water pipe 52, a nozzle 51 and a water circuit control switch 53. The nozzle 51 is arranged on the mounting frame 3 near the claw 42 and is used to flush the grasped pipes and cables. The water pipe 52 is connected to the nozzle 51. The water circuit control switch 53 is arranged on the water pipe 52 and is used to control the water spraying of the nozzle 51.

[0027] In this embodiment, the mechanical arm lifting mechanism 2 also includes a cantilever 22, one end of the cantilever 22 is hinged on the mounting seat 1, one end of the lifting and lowering cylinder 21 is also hinged on the mounting seat 1, the other end of the cantilever 22 and the other end of the lifting and lowering cylinder 21 are hinged to each other, the mounting seat 1, the cantilever 22 and the lifting and lowering cylinder 21 form a triangle, and the mounting frame 3 is hinged on the end of the cantilever 22 away from the mounting seat 1. The lifting and lowering cylinder 21 is extended to drive the mounting frame 3 to rise, and the mounting frame 3 can maintain a vertical direction under the action of gravity, which is convenient for the gripper to grab the pipe and cable. The lifting and lowering cylinder 21 is provided with a stroke sensor, which can monitor and control the height of the gripper at any time to meet the needs of lifting and releasing the cable.

[0028] As one of the implementation methods, Figure 5 As shown, the claw 42 in this embodiment is a three-fold claw 42, one end of the opening and closing oil cylinder 41 is connected to the mounting frame 3, and the other end is connected to the middle of the claw 42. A stroke sensor is provided on the opening and closing oil cylinder 41 to monitor and control the opening and closing size and angle of the claw 42. Compared with the single-fold claw 42, the three-fold claw 42 has a larger movement space and can grab thicker pipes and cables at the same height. When the opening and closing oil cylinder 41 is extended, the two claws 42 approach each other and the gripper is closed; when the oil cylinder is shortened, the two claws 42 move away from each other and the gripper is opened.

[0029] In this embodiment, Figure 3 As shown, there are two nozzles 51 on the left and right, symmetrically distributed near the two claws 42, and the two nozzles 51 are controlled by a water circuit control switch 53. Figure 6 The waterway control switch 53 includes a waterway oil cylinder 531, a plug 532 and a water tank 533. The water tank 533 is connected to an external water source and is connected to the water pipe 52 connecting the two nozzles 51. The plug 532 is arranged on the waterway connecting the water tank 533 and the water pipes 52 of the two nozzles 51. The waterway oil cylinder 531 is connected to the plug 532 to drive the plug 532 to operate, so that the waterway is connected or blocked. A stroke sensor is arranged on the waterway oil cylinder 531 to control the opening and closing degree of the plug 532, thereby controlling the water flow of the nozzle 51. The nozzle 51 sprays the mud on the pipe cable in advance, so that the later spray can spray out the tunnel better. The use of waterway oil cylinder control can solve the sealing problem existing in motor control.

[0030] In this embodiment, Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the mounting frame 3 is also provided with two sets of direction sensing mechanisms 7, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the two claws 42. The direction sensing mechanism 7 includes a direction guide 63, a rotating shaft 62, a spring 64 and a rotary encoder 61. The direction guide 63 is installed on the mounting frame 3 through the rotating shaft 62, and the rotary encoder 61 is installed on the rotating shaft 62. One end of the spring 64 is connected to the direction guide 63, and the other end is connected to the claw 42. The turning of the pipe cable drives the direction guide 63 to rotate through the claw 42 and the spring 64. The rotary encoder 61 monitors the turning of the pipe cable in real time by detecting the rotation of the rotating shaft 62. When the pipe cable turns, the direction guide 63 rotates; when the pipe cable is in a straight line, the spring 64 returns to the positive position. The rotary encoder 61 is connected to the water PLC system to transmit the turning of the pipe cable to the PLC system, and the PLC system controls the turning of the whole machine such as trenching and cable burying. All control signals of the manipulator of the utility model (grasping hand lifting and opening and closing, water spraying) are stably controlled by the water PLC.

[0031] In order to improve the shock-absorbing performance of the device, Figure 4 The utility model also provides a vibration filter mechanism 6 between the mounting seat 1 and the mounting frame 3, one end of the vibration filter mechanism 6 is connected to the mounting seat 1, and the other end is connected to the mounting frame 3. The vibration filter mechanism 6 can solve the vibration and stress concentration problems of the robot arm when the robot is moving forward.

[0032] The function of the vibration filter mechanism 6 is to reduce vibration, and it can adopt an existing structure or form, such as a shock absorber in a vehicle. As one embodiment, Figure 7 , Figure 8The vibration filtering mechanism 6 of this embodiment includes a threaded rod 73, a shock absorber cylinder 72, a cylinder movable plate 76, a shock absorbing spring 75 and a cylinder body 71. The shock absorbing spring 75 is located in the shock absorber cylinder 72, one end of the shock absorber cylinder 72 is open, and the cylinder movable plate 76 is slidably arranged on its open end. One end of the cylinder body 71 is fixedly connected to the cylinder movable plate 76 (the cylinder body 71 is located outside the shock absorber cylinder 72), and one end of the threaded rod 73 passes through the shock absorber cylinder 72, the shock absorbing spring 75 and the cylinder movable plate 76 in sequence, and then its end extends into the cavity of the cylinder body 71, and the threaded rod 73 is fixedly connected to the shock absorber cylinder 72 through the thread thereon (fixed by a fixing nut 77), and the part of the threaded rod 73 extending into the cylinder body 71 limits the cylinder movable plate 76 and the cylinder body 71 through a limiting nut 78 screwed thereon. A mounting seat plate 711 is provided at one end of the cylinder body 71 , and the mounting seat plate 711 is screwed to the cylinder movable plate 76 , thereby connecting the cylinder body 71 to the cylinder movable plate 76 .

[0033] A lifting ring 74 is provided on one end of the threaded rod 73 away from the shock absorber cylinder 72, and a lifting ring 74 is also provided on one end of the cylinder body 71 away from the shock absorber cylinder 72. The threaded rod 73 and the cylinder body 71 are respectively movably connected (hinged) to the mounting frame 3 and the mounting seat 1 through the lifting rings 74 thereon.

[0034] An underwater robot (not shown in the figure) is equipped with the above-mentioned deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator, and the deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator is installed on the underwater robot through its mounting seat 1.

[0035] The above detailed description is a specific description of a feasible embodiment of the utility model. The embodiment is not intended to limit the patent scope of the utility model. Any equivalent implementation or modification that does not deviate from the utility model should be included in the patent scope of this case.

Claims

1. A deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator, characterized in that: It includes a mounting seat, a mechanical arm lifting mechanism, a mounting frame, a gantry gripper mechanism and a spraying mechanism, wherein the mechanical arm lifting mechanism is installed on the mounting seat, the mounting frame is installed on the mechanical arm lifting mechanism, the gantry gripper mechanism and the spraying mechanism are installed on the mounting frame, the mechanical arm lifting mechanism includes a lifting and lowering oil cylinder, and the mechanical arm lifting mechanism drives the mounting frame and the gantry gripper mechanism and the spraying mechanism thereon to rise or fall through the lifting and lowering oil cylinder; the gantry gripper mechanism includes an opening and closing oil cylinder and a claw, one end of two claws are respectively hinged on the mounting frame, and the other ends are respectively driven by the two opening and closing oil cylinders to approach or move away from each other to grab or release the pipe and cable; the spraying mechanism includes a water pipe, a nozzle and a waterway control switch, the nozzle is arranged at a position close to the claw on the mounting frame, and is used to flush the grabbed pipe and cable, the water pipe is connected to the nozzle, and the waterway control switch is arranged on the water pipe.

2. A deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robotic arm lifting mechanism also includes a cantilever, one end of the cantilever and the lifting and lowering cylinder are respectively hinged on the mounting seat, the other ends of the cantilever and the lifting and lowering cylinder are hinged to each other, the mounting seat, the cantilever and the lifting and lowering cylinder form a triangle, the mounting frame is hinged on one end of the cantilever away from the mounting seat, and the lifting and lowering cylinder is provided with a stroke sensor to control the height of the mounting frame.

3. A deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The claw is a three-fold claw, one end of the opening and closing oil cylinder is connected to the mounting frame, and the other end is connected to the middle of the claw. A stroke sensor is provided on the opening and closing oil cylinder to control the opening and closing size and angle of the claw.

4. A deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control switch includes a waterway oil cylinder and a plug, wherein the plug is arranged on the waterway leading to the water pipe, the waterway oil cylinder is connected to the plug to drive the plug to connect or block the waterway, and a stroke sensor is arranged on the waterway oil cylinder to control the opening and closing degree of the plug, thereby controlling the water flow of the nozzle; There are two nozzles, which are symmetrically distributed near the two claws.

5. A deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting frame is also provided with a direction sensing mechanism, which includes a direction guide, a rotating shaft, a spring and a rotary encoder. The direction guide is mounted on the mounting frame via the rotating shaft, and the rotary encoder is mounted on the rotating shaft. One end of the spring is connected to the direction guide, and the other end is connected to a claw. The turning of the pipe cable drives the direction guide to rotate through the claw and the spring, and the rotary encoder monitors the turning of the pipe cable in real time by detecting the rotation of the rotating shaft.

6. A deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator according to claim 5, characterized in that: There are two sets of direction sensing mechanisms, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the two claws.

7. A deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a vibration filtering mechanism, one end of which is connected to the mounting seat, and the other end of which is connected to the mounting frame.

8. A deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator according to claim 7, characterized in that: The vibration filtering mechanism includes a threaded rod, a shock absorber cylinder, a cylinder movable plate, a shock absorbing spring and a cylinder body. The shock absorbing spring is located in the shock absorber cylinder. One end of the shock absorber cylinder is open. The cylinder movable plate is slidably arranged on the open end. One end of the cylinder body is fixedly connected to the cylinder movable plate. One end of the threaded rod sequentially passes through the shock absorber cylinder, the shock absorbing spring and the cylinder movable plate, and its end extends into the cavity of the cylinder body. The threaded rod is fixedly connected to the shock absorber cylinder through the threads thereon. The part of the threaded rod extending into the cylinder body limits the cylinder movable plate and the cylinder body through a limit nut screwed thereon.

9. A deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator according to claim 8, characterized in that: A mounting seat plate is provided at one end of the cylinder body, and the cylinder body is connected to the cylinder movable plate through a fixed connection between the mounting seat plate and the cylinder movable plate; a lifting ring is provided on the end of the threaded rod away from the shock absorber cylinder, and a lifting ring is also provided on the end of the cylinder body away from the shock absorber cylinder, and the threaded rod and the cylinder body are respectively movably connected to the mounting frame and the mounting seat through the lifting rings thereon.

10. An underwater robot equipped with the deep-sea cable grabbing manipulator according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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