Propulsion device and underwater robot

Abstract

The utility model discloses a propelling device and an underwater robot, and relates to the technical field of underwater driving equipment, the propelling device comprises two propellers integrated in two cavities of a support, in a standing state, when any propeller is a horizontal propeller, the other propeller is a vector propeller; therefore, the propelling device can have thrust in a single direction, the generated thrust vectors can be combined, the maneuverability, the stability and the operation flexibility of the underwater robot can be enhanced, and the propelling device is suitable for various complex underwater application scenes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of underwater driving equipment, in particular to a propulsion device and an underwater robot. Background Art

[0002] In the field of underwater drive equipment, the propulsion system is its core component, responsible for providing the necessary power to achieve the movement and positioning of the equipment. Traditional underwater drive devices usually rely on a single propeller to generate thrust; taking underwater robots as an example, underwater robots need to achieve multi-directional movement in underwater environments, and are usually equipped with multiple propellers. Each single propeller can only provide thrust in a single direction, which limits the maneuverability and flexibility of underwater robots. In situations that require precise control, multi-angle operation, or response to changes in water flow, a single propeller may not be able to effectively adjust the thrust direction, thereby affecting the stability and work efficiency of the equipment. Utility Model Content

[0003] The main purpose of the utility model is to provide a propulsion device and an underwater robot to enhance the maneuverability, stability and operational flexibility of the underwater robot.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a propulsion device is provided in a first aspect of an embodiment of the utility model, comprising:

[0005] a first thruster and a second thruster; and

[0006] A bracket, wherein a first cavity and a second cavity are formed on the bracket, and the first propeller and the second propeller are respectively disposed in the first cavity and the second cavity;

[0007] In a stationary state, when the first propeller appears as a horizontal propeller or a vertical propeller, the second propeller appears as a vector propeller; or when the second propeller appears as a horizontal propeller or a vertical propeller, the first propeller appears as a vector propeller.

[0008] The second aspect of the embodiment of the utility model provides an underwater robot, comprising: a main body and at least two pairs of propulsion devices symmetrically arranged on the main body, wherein the propulsion devices are detachably connected to the main body; the first propeller and / or the second propeller are vector propellers.

[0009] The technical solution of the utility model integrates two thrusters on the same bracket, so that at least one thruster can be in the state of a vector thruster in any state, thereby ensuring that the propulsion device not only has a thrust in a single direction, but also can generate a thrust vector combination. After being mounted on the underwater robot, the diversified vector thrust can make the underwater robot easily realize a variety of movement modes, with stronger maneuverability, and can be suitable for various complex underwater application scenarios; in addition, compared with the existing method of installing the same number of thrusters one by one on the underwater robot, not only the number of installation positions is reduced; and during installation, there is no need to consider the installation sequence and installation position of the propulsion device, which simplifies the installation process and improves the installation efficiency; by integrating two thrusters on one bracket, compared with the scattered installation arrangement of individual thrusters, the space occupied by the external and internal systems of the underwater robot can be effectively reduced, and the integrated design can make the appearance structure of the underwater robot more compact, save space, and reduce the resistance of the shell of the underwater robot, and improve the fluid performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying creative work.

[0011] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a propulsion device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0012] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of thrust distribution of a propulsion device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0013] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another thrust distribution of the propulsion device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0014] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of another thrust distribution of the propulsion device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the bracket provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 6 Another schematic diagram of the structure of the bracket provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a propeller in a propulsion device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of an underwater robot provided in yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Fig. 9 for Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the central axis projection of the vector thruster of the underwater robot shown;

[0020] Fig.10 for Figure 8 A front view of the underwater robot shown;

[0021] Fig.11 A front view of an underwater robot provided in yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Fig.12 for Fig.11 A top view of the underwater robot is shown.

[0023] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0024] 100. Propulsion device; 120. First thruster; 130. Second thruster; 110. Bracket; 111. First cavity; 112. Second cavity; 113. Main body; 113a. First arc surface; 113b. Second arc surface; 113c. First side wall surface; 113d. Second side wall surface; 114. Air-avoiding portion; (111a, 112a), outer wall; 115. Support structure; 115a. Wiring trough; 200. Underwater robot; 10. Main body.

[0025] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the utility model will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the utility model, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0027] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present invention (such as up, down, left, right, front, back...) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0028] In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in the present utility model are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present utility model.

[0029] See also Figure 1 The embodiment of the present application provides a propulsion device 100, which can be mounted on an underwater driving device as a device for generating propulsion power. The propulsion device 100 includes: a bracket 110, a first propeller 120, and a second propeller 130; the bracket 110 is provided with a first cavity 111 and a second cavity 112, and the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130 are respectively arranged in the first cavity 111 and the second cavity 112. In a stationary state, when the first propeller 120 behaves as a horizontal propeller or a vertical propeller, the second propeller 130 constitutes a vector propeller; or when the second propeller 130 behaves as a horizontal propeller or a vertical propeller, the first propeller 120 constitutes a vector propeller.

[0030] The propeller is usually composed of propeller blades and a driving mechanism. In this embodiment, the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130 have the same structure, which is composed of rotating blades and a driving mechanism. In other embodiments, the propeller can also be a propeller of other types or sizes used to generate thrust underwater, and the sizes of the first cavity and the second cavity can also be different. The bracket 110 mainly plays a supporting and fixing role, and the purpose is to protect the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130 as a whole from being affected by the external environment.

[0031] In this embodiment, the first cavity 111 and the second cavity 112 are shown as cylindrical; in other embodiments, the first cavity and the second cavity can also be shown as having a closed shape on one side (such as a circle) and a semi-closed shape (such as a C-shape) on the other side, etc.

[0032] In this embodiment, the "stationary state" refers to the placement state when the propulsion device is not installed or the placement state when it is installed on the carrying equipment and not working. The propulsion device can have multiple placement states. In this embodiment, the state in which the first propeller 120 behaves as a horizontal propeller, the first propeller 120 behaves as a vertical propeller, the second propeller 130 behaves as a horizontal propeller, or the second propeller 130 behaves as a vertical propeller is one of the various stationary states.

[0033] In this embodiment, the thrust direction generated by the horizontal thruster when working is parallel to the horizontal plane, providing thrust to the carried equipment (such as an underwater robot) in the horizontal direction, so that the carried equipment can move forward, backward, and translate left and right, while the thrust direction generated by the vertical thruster when working is parallel to the vertical plane, providing thrust to the carried equipment in the vertical direction, so that the carried equipment can float or dive. A three-dimensional coordinate system can be constructed, and the thrust of the horizontal thruster or the vertical thruster satisfies that the thrust direction is parallel to one of the axes, that is, the thrust components on the other two axes of the three-dimensional coordinate system are zero.

[0034] Different from horizontal thrusters and vertical thrusters, based on the three-dimensional coordinate system mentioned above, the thrust generated by the vector thruster has non-zero components on at least two axes of the three-dimensional coordinate system. If the three-dimensional coordinate system is constructed using two horizontal coordinate axes and one vertical coordinate axis, the thrust generated by the vector thruster will have components in the vertical and horizontal directions, or two components parallel to the horizontal plane. Therefore, the vector thruster can provide power for the attitude adjustment of the carried equipment, so as to realize or assist in realizing various movements of the carried equipment such as rolling, turning, moving forward, backward, floating, and diving.

[0035] See also Figure 2 In the static state shown in the figure, the first propeller 120 behaves as a horizontal propeller, which provides a horizontal thrust F1 parallel to the x-axis, while the second propeller 130 provides a thrust F2, and F2 has components F21, F22 and F23 on the x-axis, y-axis and z-axis respectively, that is, the second propeller 130 provides a thrust component in the vertical direction and provides two horizontal thrust components in different directions on the horizontal plane, forming a vector propeller.

[0036] See also Figure 3 , the propulsion device is shown in another static state. In this static state, the first propeller 120 behaves as a vertical propeller. At this time, the first propeller 120 provides a thrust F1' in the vertical direction, and the thrust F2' of the second propeller 130 has components F21' and F22' on the x-axis and y-axis respectively, that is, the second propeller 130 provides two horizontal thrust components in different directions on the horizontal plane, forming a vector propeller.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first thruster 120 and the second thruster 130 can be configured as a movable structure, that is, the propulsion device is an adjustable propulsion device, and the relative positions of the first thruster 120 and the second thruster 130 on the bracket 110 can change. When the first thruster 120 and the second thruster 130 are in different relative positions, as long as the angle between the direction vectors of the thrust provided by the two in the aforementioned three-dimensional coordinate system is between 0° and 90° (excluding 0° and 90°), the adjustable propulsion device will have at least one vector thruster in any static state to flexibly provide thrust in different directions for the carried equipment.

[0038] See also Figure 4 In the static state shown in the figure, the second propeller 130 behaves as a horizontal propeller, which can provide a horizontal thrust F2" parallel to the x-axis. In this state, the first propeller 120 can provide a thrust F1", and F1" has components F11", F12" and F13" on the x-axis, y-axis and z-axis respectively, that is, the first propeller 120 can provide a thrust component in the vertical direction and provide two horizontal thrust components in different directions on the horizontal plane, forming a vector propeller.

[0039] Similarly, when the second propeller 130 is a vertical propeller, the first propeller 120 constitutes a vector propeller. Figure 3 .

[0040] Figures 2 to 4 Only the thrust distribution of the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130 of the propulsion device in a partially stationary state is shown. It can be understood that Figures 2 to 4 The stationary state shown in the figure is highly representative. In other stationary states, the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130 can refer to different coordinate systems so as to have other thrust distributions to satisfy the situation where one is a horizontal propeller or a vertical propeller and the other is a vector propeller. There is also a situation where both the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130 are vector propellers.

[0041] The propulsion device provided in this embodiment integrates the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130 on a bracket 110 to merge the two independent propellers into a whole. The high integration can reduce space occupancy. For the onboard equipment that needs to install multiple propellers, it can also reduce the installation process, reduce the installation time exponentially, and make maintenance easier, thereby improving efficiency. When one of the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130 is a horizontal propeller or a vertical propeller, the other is a vector propeller. While providing the onboard equipment with forward or lifting thrust, it can also provide thrust for adjusting the posture of the onboard equipment, thereby having a better propulsion effect and enabling the onboard equipment to have better motion performance.

[0042] In one embodiment, the propulsion device has a first state and a second state; the thrust directions of the first propeller 120 in the first state and the second propeller 130 in the second state are consistent, and the thrust directions of the first propeller 120 in the second state and the second propeller 130 in the first state are consistent.

[0043] Re-read Figure 2 and Figure 4 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 have the same three-dimensional coordinate system, Figure 2 The first state of the propulsion device is shown. The thrust direction of the first propeller 120 in the first state is parallel to the X-axis, and the thrust direction of the second propeller 130 in the first state is oblique. Figure 4 The second state of the propulsion device is shown, the thrust direction of the second propeller 130 in the second state is parallel to the X-axis, that is, consistent with the thrust direction of the first propeller 120 in the first state, the thrust direction of the first propeller 120 in the second state is oblique, and the oblique extension direction is consistent with the thrust direction of the second propeller 130 in the first state. In this embodiment, assuming that the central axis of the first propeller 120 in the first state coincides with the central axis of the second propeller 130 in the second state, the central axis of the first propeller 120 in the second state does not coincide with the central axis of the second propeller 130 in the first state.

[0044] In this embodiment, the first state and the second state constitute a state group, in which the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130 can be functionally interchangeable in different states, so that the propulsion device has a consistent propulsion direction in different states, and has higher installation flexibility to adapt to the propulsion device installation requirements of different mounted equipment in different mounting scenarios. Figure 2 and Figure 4 Only one state group of the propulsion device is shown. The propulsion device of this embodiment may also have other state groups to ensure that the propulsion direction is consistent in different states.

[0045] In one embodiment, referring back to Figure 1 The bracket 110 includes a main body section 113, and the first cavity 111 and the second cavity 112 are respectively arranged at two ends of the main body section 113; the setting of the main body section 113 allows the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130 to form a certain distance in space to avoid mutual interference between the thrusts of the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130.

[0046] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 5 (a) and Figure 5(b) The figure shows the structure of the bracket 110 at different angles. The main body section 113 is composed of a first curved surface 113a and a second curved surface 113b arranged opposite to each other and two side wall surfaces arranged opposite to each other. The two side wall surfaces are specifically a first side wall surface 113c and a second side wall surface 113d. The side wall surfaces are connected to the first curved surface 113a and the second curved surface 113b. The first curved surface 113a and the second curved surface 113b smoothly transition to the port of the second cavity 112 via the outer wall of the first cavity 111. The area of ​​the first curved surface 113a is larger than that of the second curved surface 113b.

[0047] In this embodiment, the first curved surface 113a and the second curved surface 113b start from the outer wall 111a of the first cavity 111, and smoothly transition from the two sides of the bracket 110 to the two opposite ports of the second cavity 112. The "smooth transition" in this embodiment refers to the connection between the outer wall 111a of the first cavity 111 and the first curved surface 113a and the second curved surface 113b to avoid an abrupt transition, which is beneficial to reducing water resistance and improving the movement performance of the carried equipment when the propulsion device is installed on the carried equipment such as an underwater robot.

[0048] In this embodiment, the area difference between the first curved surface 113a and the second curved surface 113b can be formed based on the first curved surface 113a and the second curved surface 113b convexing in the same direction, such as Figure 6 As shown in (a), the main body section 113 is in an arch shape, showing streamlined characteristics, which is beneficial to reducing water resistance when it is carried on an underwater robot. In addition, when the main body section 113 is long, the arch shape can reduce the overall length of the propulsion device. It should be noted that the area difference between the first curved surface 113a and the second curved surface 113b can be formed by other structural factors of the main body section 113, such as the first curved surface 113a and the second curved surface 113b have different widths in the direction of the central axis of the second propeller 130; or the first curved surface 113a and the second curved surface 113b bulge in different directions to form a main body section 113 of other shapes, such as a spindle shape or a waist shape.

[0049] In this embodiment, the outer wall 112a of the second cavity 112 is connected to the port of the first cavity 111 via the side wall surface. Figure 5 (a) Figure 5 (b) and Figure 6 (a), the first side wall surface 113c and the second side wall surface 113d are arc surfaces, and the outer wall 112a of the second cavity 112 smoothly transitions to one port of the first cavity 111 via the first side wall surface 113c, and smoothly transitions to the other port of the first cavity 111 via the second side wall surface 113d.

[0050] In an alternative embodiment, see Figure 6 (a) and Figure 6 (b) The first side wall surface 113c and the second side wall surface 113d have the same area, so that the main body section 113 presents a certain symmetry in space, thereby improving the flexibility of the bracket 110 in installation. Figure 6 (a) and Figure 6 (b) The two installation states of the bracket 110 shown can meet the symmetrical installation requirements of the propulsion device on the onboard equipment.

[0051] In one embodiment, see Figure 5 (c) The bracket 110 is also provided with a clearance portion 114, and at least a portion of the clearance portion 114 is provided on the second curved surface 113b. The clearance portion 114 provides a space for facilitating the installation and removal of the second propeller 130. The portion of the clearance portion 114 on the second curved surface 113b may be in the shape of a groove. In an optional embodiment, the clearance portion 114 may further extend to the outer wall 111a of the first cavity 111 to provide a larger clearance space.

[0052] In one embodiment, the bracket 110 is integrally formed, such as by injection molding, and the required contours, holes, surface treatment, etc. are completed in one mold, which has a simpler structure, is easy to install, and has a higher structural strength. In other embodiments, the bracket can also be formed by assembling two or more components, such as by splicing them by screws or rivets and / or gluing.

[0053] In one embodiment, a wiring channel (not shown in the figure) is provided in the bracket 110, which has good concealment of the wiring, is easy to seal and waterproof, is conducive to the neat arrangement and management of the wires, and has high safety.

[0054] In one embodiment, the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130 may have the same structure, such as Figure 7 As shown, a support structure 115 for fixing the first thruster 120 and the second thruster 130 is provided in the first cavity 111 and the second cavity 112. The first thruster 120 and the second thruster 130 can be connected to the support structure 115 by screw locking, clamping, plugging, etc. A wiring groove 115a connected to the wiring channel in the bracket 110 is provided on the support structure 115, and the wiring is concealed and safe. In order to ensure the stable operation of the first thruster 120 and the second thruster 130, the support structure 115 is made of high-strength material through precision processing, and has good wear resistance, corrosion resistance and the ability to withstand high loads.

[0055] In one embodiment, the propulsion device further includes a mounting portion (not shown in the figure) for connecting with the onboard equipment, and the mounting portion is mounted on the first curved surface 113a. Specifically, the propulsion device is mounted on the onboard equipment through the bracket 110, and the mounting method is diverse. The installation process adopts any one of the fixing methods of fastener locking, adhesive fixing, riveting fixing, and clamping fixing, or a combination of any two or more fixing methods, such as clamping and fastener locking. By setting the mounting portion on the first curved surface 113a, it is convenient to better fit the fuselage of the onboard equipment, making the overall structure more compact, thereby reducing space occupancy.

[0056] See also Figure 8 Another embodiment of the present application provides an underwater robot comprising a body 10 and two pairs of propulsion devices 100. The propulsion devices 100 of this embodiment are Figures 1 to 7 The propulsion device shown below will be combined with Figures 1 to 7 It should be noted that the propulsion device 100 is a standard part, that is, the propulsion devices 100 installed at different positions of the body 10 are the same. For ease of understanding, the end of the underwater robot with the camera can be understood as the front end, and the other end opposite thereto can be understood as the rear end.

[0057] In one embodiment, the first propeller 120 is shown as a vector propeller, and the second propeller 130 is shown as a horizontal propeller. That is, in this embodiment, the underwater robot includes four vector propellers and four horizontal propellers arranged on the body 10. Figure 8 As shown in the orientation, the front-to-back orientation is the length direction of the main body 10, the left-to-right orientation is the width direction of the main body 10, and the top-to-bottom orientation is the height direction of the main body 10. The four propulsion devices 100 are evenly distributed on the left and right sides of the main body 10, with one each at the front and rear positions on the left side, and one each at the front and rear positions on the right side.

[0058] In this embodiment, Figure 8 The three-dimensional coordinate system of the length, width and height of the body 10 of the underwater robot shown in the figure is constructed, wherein the length corresponds to the X-axis, the width corresponds to the Y-axis, and the height corresponds to the Z-axis. The three-dimensional coordinate system has three reference planes, namely, the XY reference plane formed by the X-axis and the Y-axis, the XZ reference plane formed by the X-axis and the Z-axis, and the YZ reference plane formed by the Y-axis and the Z-axis. Fig. 9In the orientation shown, the central axes of the two vector thrusters on the left side of the body 10 are projected on each reference plane. Specifically, the central axes D and E of the two vector thrusters have projections D1 and E1 respectively on the XZ reference plane, and plane DD1 and plane EE1 can be constructed. Plane DD1 contains both the central axis D and the projection line D1, and plane EE1 contains both the central axis E and the projection line E1; the central axes D and E have projections D2 and E2 respectively on the YZ reference plane, and plane DD2 and plane EE2 can be constructed. Plane DD2 contains both the central axis D and the projection line D2, and plane EE2 contains both the central axis E and the projection line E2; the central axes D and E have projections D3 and E3 respectively on the XY reference plane, and plane DD3 and plane EE3 can be constructed. Plane DD3 contains both the central axis D and the projection line D3, and plane EE3 contains both the central axis E and the projection line E3.

[0059] like Fig. 9 As shown, for the XZ reference plane, the projections of plane DD1 and plane EE1 on the XZ reference plane are two straight lines, and these two straight lines are collinear with projections D1 and E1 respectively. Therefore, projection D1 and projection E1 can reflect the relative position relationship of the two planes constructed based on the XZ reference plane. Only when projection D1 and projection E1 coincide, the two planes constructed based on the XZ reference plane are coplanar. Obviously, the two planes constructed based on the XZ reference plane in this embodiment are not coplanar.

[0060] Similarly, if Fig. 9 As shown, for the YZ reference plane, projection D2 and projection E2 can reflect that plane DD2 and plane EE2 are not coplanar; for the XY reference plane, projection D3 and projection E3 can reflect that plane DD3 and plane EE3 are not coplanar.

[0061] The vector thrusters on one side of the main body 10 of the underwater robot of this embodiment have different planes constructed based on the same reference plane, which means that each vector thruster can provide different propulsion directions in different planes. Compared with the main body 10, it can provide thrust vectors with more angles. The movement of the underwater robot is more flexible and maneuverable, and more precise posture adjustment can be achieved, which is suitable for various complex underwater application scenarios.

[0062] In one embodiment, referring back to Figure 8 , combined with Fig.10, two pairs of propulsion devices 100 are symmetrically arranged on the body 10; the second propeller 130 of this embodiment is a horizontal propeller. For the two symmetrical propulsion devices 100, when one propulsion device 100 rotates 180° with the central axis in the height direction of the body 10 as the axis, it has the same propulsion direction as the other propulsion device 100, which makes the installation of the propulsion device 100 on different sides of the body 10 universal and has high compatibility of accessories. In addition, the thrust directions of the horizontal thrust and vector thrust provided by the two propulsion devices 100 arranged diagonally along the front and rear directions of the body 10 remain the same.

[0063] In other embodiments, the second thruster 130 may also be a vector thruster, that is, the underwater robot includes eight vector thrusters arranged on the main body 10, which provide the underwater robot with thrust in more directions and have high maneuverability. According to the control of the propulsion force of different vector thrusters, a variety of motion modes such as hovering, forward and backward, left and right translation, and flipping in any direction can be realized in the underwater environment, which can be suitable for various complex underwater application scenarios.

[0064] In one embodiment, referring back to Figure 8 Taking the propulsion device 100 on the left front side of the underwater robot body 10 as an example, the direction vector S1 of the central axis of the first propeller 120 and the direction vector S2 of the central axis of the second propeller 130 are constructed based on the three-dimensional coordinate system, and the angle α between the two direction vectors satisfies: 0°<α<90°; within this angle range, one of the two propellers in the propulsion device 100 must be a vector propeller. No matter at what angle the propulsion device 100 is installed on the body 10, it can provide a thrust vector in addition to the horizontal thrust and the vertical thrust, and the movement of the underwater robot is more flexible.

[0065] In order to make the appearance structure of the underwater robot more compact, when the propulsion device 100 is installed with the underwater robot, the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130 are arranged up and down relative to the body 10.

[0066] In one embodiment, referring back to Figure 8 , combined with Figures 10 to 12The body 10 has a first central axis along the length direction and a second central axis along the width direction; wherein the horizontal plane R11 where the first central axis is located, the vertical plane R12 where the first central axis is located, and the vertical plane R22 where the second central axis is located intersect at the center point of the body 10, dividing the body 10 into eight areas, and the four first thrusters 120 and the four second thrusters 130 are distributed in the above eight areas. The two horizontal thrusters located at the front section of the body 10 are located on the upper side of the horizontal plane R11, the two vector thrusters located at the front section of the body 10 are located on the lower side of the horizontal plane R11, and the two horizontal thrusters located at the rear section of the body 10 are located on the lower side of the horizontal plane R11, and the two vector thrusters located at the rear section of the body 10 are located on the upper side of the horizontal plane R11. This distribution method can also provide greater forward or backward thrust, while also providing oblique thrust in different directions around the body 10, with high flexibility and strong maneuverability. Of course, as needed, the four first propellers 120 can be located on the lower side of the horizontal plane R11, and the four second propellers 130 can be located on the upper side of the horizontal plane R11, or the four first propellers 120 can be located on the upper side of the horizontal plane R11, and the four second propellers 130 can be located on the lower side of the horizontal plane R11.

[0067] In one embodiment, the main body 10 is provided with mounting grooves (not shown in the figure) that are the same in number as the propulsion device 100, and the propulsion device 100 is fixed in the corresponding mounting groove by a bracket 110. Specifically, the bracket 110 is detachably connected to the main body 10, and the propulsion device 100 can exist independently of the main body 10, so as to facilitate repair and maintenance. The propulsion device 100 is installed in a fit with the mounting groove through the first curved surface 113a, so that the whole formed by the connection between the bracket 110 and the main body 10 is more compact, which effectively reduces the space occupation of the system, and can also reduce the resistance of the underwater robot during movement, thereby improving the movement performance. In this embodiment, one propulsion device 100 can be installed to realize the installation of two propellers, with high installation efficiency and convenient maintenance. The integrated design of the two propellers can achieve a more stable and efficient propulsion effect, thereby improving the performance and efficiency of the entire equipment.

[0068] It should be noted that the underwater robot also includes a control module disposed inside the body 10, which controls the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130 to work together, so that the underwater robot can have multiple motion modes such as hovering, moving forward and backward, translating left and right, and flipping in any direction in an underwater environment. Among them, the first propeller 120 and the second propeller 130 are both controlled by independent motors, and the control flexibility is high.

[0069] The main body 10 of the underwater robot is designed in a bionic way, imitating the form of underwater creatures such as fish, and is specifically a flat body that is wide in the front and narrow in the back. A camera device and other functional devices, such as a lighting device, can also be arranged inside the main body 10, with diversified functions to adapt to different underwater working environments and perform various types of operations. Corresponding to the bionic design of the body, the spacing between the two symmetrical propulsion devices 100 located at different positions will be different, specifically, the spacing between the two propulsion devices 100 at the front section of the main body 10 is greater than the spacing between the two propulsion devices 100 at the rear section of the main body 10, which can reduce the water resistance of the underwater robot when it is working.

[0070] Based on the above embodiments, the underwater robot has multiple working modes, including: hovering mode, longitudinal flipping motion mode, circumferential rotation mode, lateral flipping motion mode, linear motion mode, etc. When the underwater robot is in any working mode, the propulsion devices 100 operate in coordination.

[0071] The hovering mode allows the underwater robot to hover at any position underwater; the longitudinal flipping motion mode allows the underwater robot to flip around the central axis of the width direction of the body 10; the circumferential rotation motion mode allows the underwater robot to turn around the central axis of the height direction of the body 10; the lateral flipping motion mode allows the underwater robot to flip around the central axis of the length direction of the body 10; the linear motion mode allows the underwater robot to move forward or backward in any direction and move left and right, etc. When the underwater robot is in any working mode, the thrust of the eight thrusters is different in direction, size, etc.

[0072] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the utility model, and does not limit the patent scope of the utility model. All equivalent structural changes made by using the contents of the utility model specification and drawings under the concept of the utility model, or directly / indirectly used in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A propulsion device, characterized in that: include: a first thruster and a second thruster; and A bracket, wherein a first cavity and a second cavity are formed on the bracket, and the first propeller and the second propeller are respectively disposed in the first cavity and the second cavity; In a stationary state, when the first propeller is a horizontal propeller or a vertical propeller, the second propeller is configured as a vector propeller; or when the second propeller is a horizontal propeller or a vertical propeller, the first propeller is configured as a vector propeller.

2. The propulsion device according to claim 1, characterized in that The propulsion device has a first state and a second state; the thrust direction of the first propeller in the first state is consistent with that of the second propeller in the second state; the thrust direction of the first propeller in the second state is consistent with that of the second propeller in the first state.

3. The propulsion device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bracket includes a main body section, the first cavity and the second cavity are respectively arranged at two ends of the main body section, the main body section is composed of a first curved surface and a second curved surface that are opposite to each other and two side wall surfaces that are opposite to each other, the side wall surfaces are connected to the first curved surface and the second curved surface; the area of ​​the first curved surface is greater than the area of ​​the second curved surface; the first curved surface and the second curved surface smoothly transition from the outer wall of the first cavity to the port of the second cavity; the outer wall of the second cavity is connected to the port of the first cavity via the two side wall surfaces.

4. The propulsion device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The propulsion device also includes a mounting portion for connecting with a carrying device; the mounting portion is mounted on the first curved surface.

5. The propulsion device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bracket is further provided with a space-avoiding portion, and at least a portion of the space-avoiding portion is provided on the second curved surface.

6. The propulsion device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The side wall surface is a curved surface; the outer wall of the second cavity smoothly transitions to the port of the first cavity via the two side wall surfaces.

7. The propulsion device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The first cavity and the second cavity also contain support structures for connecting with the first propeller and the second propeller.

8. The propulsion device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A wiring channel is provided in the bracket; a support structure for fixing the first propeller and the second propeller is provided in the first cavity and the second cavity, and a wiring groove communicating with the wiring channel is provided on the support structure.

9. An underwater robot, characterized in that: include: A main body and at least two pairs of propulsion devices as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, which are symmetrically arranged on the main body, and the propulsion devices are detachably connected to the main body; the first propeller and / or the second propeller are vector propellers.

10. The underwater robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: The body is provided with mounting grooves corresponding to the number of the propulsion devices, and the propulsion devices are installed in the mounting grooves; When the propulsion device is in an installed state, the first propeller and the second propeller are arranged up and down relative to the body.

11. The underwater robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: The main body is provided with two pairs of propulsion devices, and the main body has a first central axis along the length direction and a second central axis along the width direction; the horizontal plane where the first central axis is located, the vertical plane where the first central axis is located, and the vertical plane where the second central axis is located intersect at the center point of the main body, dividing the main body into eight areas, and four of the first propellers and four of the second propellers are distributed in the eight areas.

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