Pneumatic muscle improvement-based hip structure with suspension

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of mobile robots, and particularly discloses a pneumatic muscle improvement-based hip structure with a suspension, which comprises a rear support plate, a suspension, a hip rotating block, pneumatic muscles, a ball head connecting piece, a connecting block, a front support plate and a connecting rod, and is characterized in that the pneumatic muscles are used as driving elements to drive the hip rotating block to rotate to realize hip movement; the suspension comprises a rotating body, a threshold switch and a shock absorber, under gait movement of the robot, stress borne by the suspension is not enough to turn on the threshold switch, the suspension does not rotate, the pneumatic muscles are kept in the horizontal state all the time, when the robot jumps or faces sudden impact, the stress borne by the suspension exceeds a threshold set by the threshold switch, the threshold switch is turned on, the suspension rotates, and the pneumatic muscles are kept in the horizontal state all the time. According to the improved hip structure with the suspension based on the pneumatic muscle, the damping and buffering effects are achieved, the pneumatic muscle rotates through the ball head connecting piece so as to be prevented from being cracked, the damper has pre-tightening force, it is ensured that the suspension can return to the initial position after buffering is finished, and the hip structure with the suspension based on the pneumatic muscle improvement can be used for improving the stability of the robot while the controllability of gait movement of the robot is not affected. And the buffering and anti-impact capabilities of the robot are improved to a greater extent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of mobile robots, in particular to a hip structure with a suspension improved based on pneumatic muscles. Background Art

[0002] Mobile robots, as a product that integrates the current society's science and technology, can be divided into wheeled robots, leg-foot robots and wheel-leg robots.

[0003] Legged robots are generally required to have two movement functions: gait and jumping. Currently, most legged robots are driven by motors, which have high control precision, easy operation, small size, and strong crossing ability, making them highly adaptable to the environment. However, motors are easily affected by impacts, which makes motor-driven robots easily damaged and unable to work normally when facing the risk of falling and jumping buffering.

[0004] Pneumatic muscle, a pneumatic actuator with properties similar to those of animal muscles, is widely used in the drive system of bionic robots. Its main components are rubber tubes and woven meshes, which are sufficiently flexible and can adapt to strong impact.

[0005] Suspensions are generally used in automobile structures, but the flexibility of pneumatic muscles makes it possible to reasonably use suspensions in the hip structure of legged robots that use pneumatic muscles as driving elements, in order to enhance the overall impact resistance and buffering capabilities of the legged robots. At the same time, legged robots must have both gait and jumping capabilities, and they do not want the hips to rotate during gait, which would affect the controllability of the gait. Therefore, a hip structure with suspension improved based on pneumatic muscles is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In response to the shortcomings of existing technologies, this paper proposes a hip structure with suspension based on pneumatic muscle improvement. Relying on the flexibility of the pneumatic muscle driver, the suspension is applied to the robot hip structure, and the trigger force that makes the suspension work is adjusted through the action of the threshold switch. This can achieve the goal of enhancing the cushioning performance of the leg-legged robot during jumping motion or facing sudden impact to a greater extent without affecting the controllability of the leg-legged robot's gait motion, thereby enhancing its stability and adaptability.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions: a hip structure with a suspension based on an improvement of pneumatic muscles, comprising a rear support plate, a suspension, a hip rotation block, a pneumatic muscle, a ball head connector, a connecting block, a front support plate, and a connecting rod;

[0008] The rear support plate is fixedly connected to the front support plate via a connecting rod, the hip rotation block is connected to the rear support plate via a suspension, the pneumatic muscle is connected to the connection block via a ball head connector, and the connection block is fixedly connected to the front support plate;

[0009] The first joint is rotatably connected to the hip rotation block, the second joint is rotatably connected to the hip rotation block, the first joint is coaxially opposite to the first ball head seat, the second joint is coaxially opposite to the second ball head seat, the first pneumatic muscle is coaxially connected to the first joint and the first ball head seat, the second pneumatic muscle is coaxially connected to the second joint and the second ball head seat, and the antagonistic drive is formed at the hip rotation block by relying on the expansion and contraction action of the pneumatic muscles, thereby driving the hip rotation block to rotate.

[0010] The present invention further defines the technical solution:

[0011] Preferably, the rear support plate and the front support plate both adopt a porous structure to remove excess material while meeting strength requirements. The design of the porous structure can reduce the overall mass of the robot to a greater extent, reduce the load on the driver, and thus improve the working efficiency and working time of the robot.

[0012] Preferably, the suspension includes a shock absorber, a rotating body, and a threshold switch. The rotating body is rotatably connected to the rear support plate, the upper end of the shock absorber is rotatably connected to the rear support plate, the bottom end of the shock absorber is rotatably connected to the rotating body, and the threshold switch is connected to the rear support plate.

[0013] Preferably, the hip rotation block has two symmetrical through holes for fixedly connecting the leg mechanism matched therewith, so that the leg rotation is synchronized with the rotation of the hip rotation block, thereby achieving better control.

[0014] Preferably, the first pneumatic muscle and the second pneumatic muscle are both in an inflated and taut state in their initial states, which is convenient for installation and adjustment of the initial state.

[0015] Preferably, the first ball head connector includes a first ball head seat, a first extension rod, and a first nut. The first ball head seat is spherically connected to the first extension rod, a sealing ring is provided between the two, and the first extension rod is fixedly connected to the connecting block through the first nut. The second ball head connector includes a second ball head seat, a second extension rod, and a second nut. The second ball head seat is spherically connected to the second extension rod, a sealing ring is provided between the two, and the second extension rod is fixedly connected to the connecting block through the second nut. The spherical connection can ensure that when the robot is subjected to impact and the suspension contracts, it provides sufficient rotational activity for the pneumatic muscle to avoid damage to the pneumatic muscle. The sealing ring can prevent the spherical connection from being contaminated and affecting the rotational activity.

[0016] Preferably, the shock absorber has an initial preload force, and the set initial preload force is sufficient to ensure that the suspension returns to its initial state after the buffering action of the robot is completed, thereby ensuring normal movement of the robot.

[0017] Preferably, the rotating body includes a limiting hole, a slide, and a stop hole. The depth of the slide is less than the depth of the limiting hole, and the depth of the slide is less than the stop hole. The slide and the stop hole adopt a smooth transition to ensure the normal return of the limiting ball.

[0018] Preferably, the threshold switch includes a limiting ball, a limiting plate, a threshold spring, and a threaded base. The limiting ball falls into the limiting hole on the rotating body through the small hole at the connection with the rear support plate. The limiting plate has a larger diameter than the limiting ball. The limiting plate is attached to the inner side of the small hole at the connection with the rear support plate under the elastic force of the threshold spring. The threshold switch is threadedly connected to the rear support plate through the threads on the threaded base. The threaded base is provided with a scale, and the scale corresponds to the size of the preload force set for the threshold switch.

[0019] Preferably, the center of curvature of the slide coincides with the center of rotation of the rotating body, ensuring that after the threshold switch is turned on, the limiting ball disengages from the limiting hole and enters the slide, and the rotating body starts to rotate. At the same time, the limiting ball can slide smoothly in the slide without generating a biasing force, thereby avoiding vibration.

[0020] Preferably, the depth of the limiting hole is smaller than the radius of the limiting sphere, and the depth of the stop hole is larger than the radius of the limiting sphere. The depth of the limiting hole is smaller than the radius of the limiting sphere to ensure that there is a component force in the direction of the threshold spring when force is applied, and the depth of the stop hole is larger than the radius of the limiting sphere so that the threshold spring will not shrink due to the component force, thereby controlling the maximum rotation angle.

[0021] Preferably, when the rotating body is kept in a horizontal state, the small hole at the connection between the threshold switch and the rear support plate and the limiting hole of the rotating body are in a coaxial position, and the limiting sphere and the limiting hole are in a co-centric position.

[0022] Compared with the existing technology, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] 1. The present invention uses pneumatic muscles as the drive. Compared with motor drive, its inherent flexibility makes it more impact-resistant, which can ensure that the leg-type robot can still work normally when it is subjected to strong impact force.

[0024] 2. The present invention combines the flexibility advantage of pneumatic muscles and utilizes the spherical mobility provided by the ball head connector to apply the suspension to the hip structure of the leg-foot robot, thereby greatly improving the robot's landing cushioning ability and impact resistance.

[0025] 3. The suspension in the present invention is provided with a threshold switch, and a limiting hole, a slide and a stop hole are provided on the corresponding rotating body. The limiting ball on the threshold switch cooperates with the limiting hole. Under the elastic force of the threshold spring, it is ensured that the hip will not rotate under the action of a smaller force. When facing jumping and landing and large impact, a larger force will cause the limiting ball to disengage from the limiting hole, thereby causing the hip to rotate, and the compression shock absorber to perform buffering and shock absorption, while the limiting ball slides along the slide and the stop hole limits the maximum rotation angle. At the same time, after the buffering is completed, the preload force set by the shock absorber ensures that the limiting ball falls back to the limiting hole, so that the hip returns to its normal position, thereby ensuring the normal next movement state of the robot. Therefore, the improved suspension ensures that the leg-footed robot can effectively perform gait movement and jumping movement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a disassembled view of the suspension and rear support plate of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the rotating body of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the threshold switch of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the hip rotation block of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the front plate connecting member of the present invention.

[0032] Numbers in the figure: 1-rear support plate, 2-suspension, 21-shock absorber, 22-rotator, 221-limiting hole, 222-slide, 223-stop hole, 23-threshold switch, 231-limiting sphere, 232-limiting plate, 233-threshold spring, 234-threaded base, 3-hip rotation block, 31-first joint, 32-second joint, 4-pneumatic muscle, 41-first pneumatic muscle, 42-second pneumatic muscle, 5-ball head connector , 51-first ball head connector, 511-first ball head seat, 512-first extension rod, 513-first nut, 52-second ball head connector, 521-second ball head seat, 522-second extension rod, 523-second nut, 6-connecting block, 7-front support plate, 8-connecting rod, 81-first connecting rod, 82-second connecting rod, 83-third connecting rod, 84-fourth connecting rod, 85-fifth connecting rod, 86-sixth connecting rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present application will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are intended solely to illustrate the relevant inventions and are not intended to limit the inventions. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only portions relevant to the invention are shown in the drawings. Terms such as "first" and "second" in the present application are provided for the convenience of describing the technical solutions of the present invention and do not have a specific limiting effect. They are general references and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions of the present invention. It should be noted that the embodiments and features therein in the present application may be combined with each other unless there is a conflict. In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that terms such as "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer" indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the drawings. These terms are intended solely to facilitate the description of the present invention and simplify the description. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be a communication between the two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances. Multiple technical solutions in the same embodiment, as well as multiple technical solutions in different embodiments, can be arranged and combined to form new technical solutions that do not have contradictions or conflicts, all of which are within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0034] Example:

[0035] See Figure 1-6 A hip structure with suspension based on pneumatic muscle improvement includes a rear support plate 1, a suspension 2, a hip rotation block 3, a pneumatic muscle 4, a ball joint 5, a connection block 6, a front support plate 7, and a connecting rod 8. The rear support plate 1 and the front support plate 7 are hollowed out to reduce the overall mass of the robot and reduce the load on the driver.

[0036] The rear support plate 1 and the front support plate 7 are fixedly connected by a connecting rod 8 to form an overall frame, and the hip rotation block 3 is connected to the rear support plate 1 through a suspension structure 2;

[0037] The hip rotation block 3 is rotationally connected to the first joint 31 and the second joint 32. The first joint 31 is coaxially opposite to the first ball seat 511. One end of the first pneumatic muscle 41 is connected to the first joint 31 and the other end is connected to the first ball seat 511. The three are coaxially connected. The second joint 32 is coaxially opposite to the second ball seat 521. One end of the second pneumatic muscle 42 is connected to the second joint 32 and the other end is connected to the second ball seat 521. The three are coaxially connected.

[0038] The first ball head connector 51 includes a first ball head seat 511, a first extension rod 512, and a first nut 513. A sealing ring is provided between the first ball head seat 511 and the first extension rod 512, and the two are spherically connected. The first extension rod 512 is fixedly connected to the connecting block 6 by the first nut 513. The second ball head connector 52 includes a second ball head seat 521, a second extension rod 522, and a second nut 523. A sealing ring is provided between the second ball head seat 521 and the second extension rod 522, and the two are spherically connected. The second extension rod 522 is fixedly connected to the connecting block 6 by the second nut 523, and the connecting block 6 is fixedly connected to the front support plate 7.

[0039] The suspension 2 includes a shock absorber 21, a rotating body 22, and a threshold switch 23. The rotating body 22 is rotatably connected to the rear support plate 1. One end of the shock absorber 21 is rotatably connected to the rear support plate 1, and the other end is rotatably connected to the rotating body 22. The threshold switch 23 allows the limiting ball 231 to fall into the limiting hole 221 on the rotating body 22 through the corresponding mounting hole on the rear support plate 1. The limiting plate 232 limits the extension length of the limiting ball 231. The threshold switch 23 is connected to the rear support plate 1 through the thread provided on the threaded base 234. The threaded base 234 is provided with a scale, and the scale corresponds to the threshold force of the threshold switch 23.

[0040] Working principle:

[0041] During gait and jump preparation, the first pneumatic muscle 41 and the second pneumatic muscle 42 are inflated and contracted. The inflation amount of the two pneumatic muscles is controlled by a program. The different inflation amounts result in different contraction degrees of the two pneumatic muscles 5, thereby driving the hip rotation block 3 to rotate via the first joint 31 and the second joint 32. The hip rotation block 3 is provided with a through hole fixedly connected to the corresponding leg. After the leg is fixedly connected to the hip rotation block 3, the rotational movement of the leg is realized.

[0042] During gait and jump preparation, the threshold value set by the threshold switch 23 is greater than the component force applied to the limit ball 231 toward the threshold spring 233 during gait actuation. Consequently, the threshold switch 23 does not open, the shock absorber 21 does not function, and the rotating body 22 does not rotate. Therefore, in this motion state, the first pneumatic muscle 41 and the second pneumatic muscle 42 always remain horizontal, making motion control during gait and jump preparation simpler, and the rotation of the rotating body 22 does not affect the output control of the first pneumatic muscle 41 and the second pneumatic muscle 42.

[0043] During gait and jump preparation, the force component 233 applied to the threshold spring varies in magnitude depending on the driving force requirements. The threshold is adjusted by adjusting the number of turns of the threaded base 234 into the rear support plate 1. The current threshold is determined by observing the scale on the threaded base 234. This ensures that the robot can perform gait and jump preparation normally regardless of the driving force requirements.

[0044] When performing landing cushioning or facing a large impact, the component force exerted on the limiting ball 231 in the direction of the threshold spring 233 is greater than the threshold value set by the threshold switch 23. The threshold switch 23 is turned on, and the limiting ball 231 slides out of the limiting hole 221 under the push of the force and enters the slideway 222. The rotating body 22 is able to rotate, and the shock absorber 21 plays a role. It contracts under the pressure exerted by the rotation of the rotating body 22 and realizes the shock absorption effect. The rotation of the rotating body 22 is transmitted to the first pneumatic muscle 41 and the second pneumatic muscle 42 through the hip rotating block 3. The first pneumatic muscle 41 and the second pneumatic muscle 42 respectively perform spherical rotation through the first ball head connector 51 and the second ball head connector 52 to ensure that the first pneumatic muscle 41 and the second pneumatic muscle 42 will not be torn due to the rotation of the rotating body 22.

[0045] When performing landing cushioning or facing a large impact, the shock absorber 21 is provided with an initial preload, which on the one hand prevents the sudden impact force from causing the rotating body 22 to rotate significantly, and on the other hand provides the force required for returning to its original position after the cushioning is completed, thereby ensuring subsequent normal leg movement.

[0046] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above and that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and non-restrictive, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, not the foregoing description, and all variations within the meaning and range of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included therein. Any reference sign in a claim should not be construed as limiting the claim to which it relates.

[0047] In addition, it should be understood that although this specification is described in terms of implementation methods, not every implementation method contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative method of the specification is only for the sake of clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other implementation methods that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A hip structure with a suspension based on an improvement of pneumatic muscles, comprising a rear support plate (1), a suspension (2), a hip rotation block (3), a pneumatic muscle (4), a ball joint connector (5), a connection block (6), a front support plate (7), a connecting rod (8), a first joint (31), and a second joint (32), characterized in that: The rear support plate (1) is fixedly connected to the front support plate (7) via a connecting rod (8), the hip rotation block (3) is connected to the rear support plate (1) via a suspension (2), the pneumatic muscle (4) is connected to the connection block (6) via a ball head connector (5), and the connection block (6) is fixedly connected to the front support plate (7); The first joint (31) is rotatably connected to the hip rotation block (3), the second joint (32) is rotatably connected to the hip rotation block (3), the first joint (31) is coaxially opposite to the first ball head seat (511), the second joint (32) is coaxially opposite to the second ball head seat (521), the first pneumatic muscle (41) is coaxially connected to the first joint (31) and the first ball head seat (511), and the second pneumatic muscle (42) is coaxially connected to the second joint (32) and the second ball head seat (521); The ball head connecting member (5) comprises a first ball head connecting member (51) and a second ball head connecting member (52).

2. The hip structure with suspension based on pneumatic muscle improvement according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rear support plate (1) and the front support plate (7) both adopt a porous structure and remove excess material, while meeting strength requirements.

3. The hip structure with suspension based on pneumatic muscle improvement according to claim 1, characterized in that: The suspension (2) comprises a shock absorber (21), a rotating body (22), and a threshold switch (23); the rotating body (22) is rotatably connected to the rear support plate (1); the upper end of the shock absorber (21) is rotatably connected to the rear support plate (1); the lower end of the shock absorber (21) is rotatably connected to the rotating body (22); and the threshold switch (23) is connected to the rear support plate (1).

4. The hip structure with suspension based on pneumatic muscle improvement according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hip rotation block (3) is provided with two symmetrical through holes for fixedly connecting the leg mechanism matched therewith.

5. The hip structure with suspension based on pneumatic muscle improvement according to claim 1, characterized in that: The initial states of the first pneumatic muscle (41) and the second pneumatic muscle (42) are both in an inflated and tensed state.

6. The hip structure with suspension improved based on pneumatic muscles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first ball head connector (51) comprises a first ball head seat (511), a first extension rod (512), and a first nut (513); the first ball head seat (511) and the first extension rod (512) are spherically connected, a sealing ring is provided between the two, and the first extension rod (512) is fixedly connected to the connection block (6) via the first nut (513); the second ball head connector (52) comprises a second ball head seat (521), a second extension rod (522), and a second nut (523); the second ball head seat (521) and the second extension rod (522) are spherically connected, a sealing ring is provided between the two, and the second extension rod (522) is fixedly connected to the connection block (6) via the second nut (523).

7. The hip structure with suspension based on pneumatic muscle improvement according to claim 3, characterized in that: The shock absorber (21) has an initial preload force.

8. The hip structure with suspension improved based on pneumatic muscles according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rotating body (22) includes a limiting hole (221), a slideway (222), and a stop hole (223); the depth of the slideway (222) is less than the depth of the limiting hole (221); the depth of the slideway (222) is less than the depth of the stop hole (223); and the slideway (222) and the stop hole (223) are smoothly transitioned; The threshold value switch (23) comprises a limiting sphere (231), a limiting plate (232), a threshold value spring (233), and a threaded base (234); the limiting sphere (231) falls into the limiting hole (221) on the rotating body (22) through a small hole at the connection with the rear support plate (1); the limiting plate (232) has a diameter larger than that of the limiting sphere (231); the limiting plate (232) is attached to the inner side of the small hole at the connection with the rear support plate (1) under the elastic force of the threshold value spring (233); the threshold value switch (23) is threadedly connected to the rear support plate (1) through threads on the threaded base (234); and a scale is provided on the threaded base (234).

9. The hip structure with suspension based on pneumatic muscle improvement according to claim 7, characterized in that: The initial preload force set on the shock absorber (21) is sufficient to ensure that the suspension (2) returns to its initial state after the buffering action of the robot is completed.

10. The hip structure with suspension improved based on pneumatic muscles according to claim 8, characterized in that: The center of curvature of the slideway (222) coincides with the center of rotation of the rotating body (22).

11. The hip structure with suspension improved based on pneumatic muscles according to claim 8, characterized in that: The depth of the limiting hole (221) is smaller than the radius of the limiting sphere (231), and the depth of the stop hole (223) is larger than the radius of the limiting sphere (231).

12. The hip structure with suspension improved based on pneumatic muscles according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the rotating body (22) is kept in a horizontal state, the small hole at the connection between the threshold switch (23) and the rear support plate (1) and the limiting hole (221) of the rotating body (22) are in a coaxial position, and the limiting sphere (231) and the limiting hole (221) are in a coaxial position.

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