Bionic machine ear

Abstract

The bionic robot ear comprises an ear body and a driving assembly, the ear body comprises a connecting part used for being arranged close to the head and a movable part used for moving, and the movable part is movably connected with the connecting part; a cavity is formed in the ear main body, and a filling medium is accommodated in the cavity; one end of the cavity is of an open structure and forms a connector, and the other end extends to the movable part; the driving assembly is provided with a driving end, the driving end is connected with the connecting port, and the driving assembly fills the cavity with the filling medium or pumps the filling medium out of the cavity through the connecting port; when the cavity is filled with the filling medium, the bionic robot ear is in a vertical state, and when the cavity is drawn out of the filling medium, the bionic robot ear is in a drooping state. The bionic robot ear is controlled to be switched between the drooping state and the vertical state by sucking the filling medium, the movement is closer to reality, and the bionic degree is higher.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of bionic ear technology, and in particular to a bionic robotic ear. Background Technology

[0002] 2024 was dubbed the Year of the Robot. With the support of AI technology, humanoid robot technology has made great progress, and bionic robots are one step closer to being commercialized as consumer products.

[0003] Bionic robots typically have human- or pet-like facial designs, with similar skin and facial features. They can express expressions or postures highly similar to those of humans or pets through mechanical or display control, and are used for companionship, care, education, and other scenarios.

[0004] Ear movements can aid in the expression of emotions in bionic robots, especially in bionic robotic pets such as rabbits, dogs, and cats. Currently, many robots or toys use rigid materials to represent ear movements, driven by motors. However, human and most animal ears are soft, and rigid material ears lack sufficient biomimicry, especially in robotic pets, resulting in a lack of endearing warmth. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the problem that existing technologies using rigid materials for ears do not achieve a high degree of biomimicry, this invention provides a biomimetic robotic ear.

[0006] This application provides a bionic robotic ear, comprising an ear body and a drive assembly. The ear body includes a connecting portion positioned near the head and a movable portion for movement, the movable portion being movably connected to the connecting portion. A chamber is provided inside the ear body, the chamber containing a filling medium. One end of the chamber is open, forming a connection port, and the other end extends to the movable portion. The drive assembly has a drive end connected to the connection port, the drive assembly filling or removing the filling medium from the chamber through the connection port. When the chamber is filled with the filling medium, the bionic robotic ear is in an erect state; when the chamber is removed from the filling medium, the bionic robotic ear is in a drooping state.

[0007] In some embodiments, the ear body is further provided with a curved portion that connects the connecting portion and the movable portion, and the movable portion bends relative to the connecting portion via the curved portion.

[0008] In some embodiments, the chamber has an enlarged portion formed near the curved portion;

[0009] Along the bending direction of the movable part, the side of the bent part near the bending direction is recessed inward to form a bent structure, and the side of the bent part away from the bending direction is a thin-walled structure.

[0010] In some embodiments, along the bending direction of the movable part, the side of the movable part closer to the bending direction is a first side, and the side away from the bending direction is a second side, with the center of gravity of the movable part positioned closer to the first side.

[0011] In some embodiments, the material thickness of the first side is greater than the material thickness of the second side.

[0012] In some embodiments, the movable part is provided with a counterweight structure, which is disposed on the first side.

[0013] In some embodiments, an airbag is disposed inside the chamber, and the drive assembly is in communication with the airbag to inflate or de-inflate the filling medium into the airbag.

[0014] In some embodiments, the drive assembly includes a cylinder, a piston, and a drive device. The cylinder contains the filling medium and communicates with the chamber. The piston is disposed inside the cylinder. The drive end of the drive device is connected to the piston to drive the piston to move along the cylinder.

[0015] The piston can move from a first predetermined position to a second predetermined position to gradually fill the chamber with the filling medium.

[0016] In some embodiments, the drive assembly further includes a position sensor disposed in the cylinder to monitor the piston position.

[0017] In some embodiments, the drive assembly is a bidirectional air pump, the filling medium is air, and the drive assembly can inflate or de-air the chamber.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the bionic robotic ear provided by this utility model has the following advantages: the main body of the ear can be made of soft materials such as TPU, silicone, rubber, and flexible PVC, which have good extensibility; the bionic robotic ear can be controlled to switch between a drooping state and an erect state by sucking and filling the medium, making its movement more realistic and its bionic degree higher. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the application of this application on a headgear;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure principle of one embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure principle in another state of one embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of an embodiment of the bionic robotic ear provided in this application in an erect state;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of an embodiment of the bionic robotic ear provided in this application in a drooping state.

[0024] 100. Ear body; 11. Connecting part; 12. Movable part; 121. First side; 122. Second side; 13. Bending part; 131. Bending structure; 132. Thin-walled structure; 01. Chamber; 011. Enlarged part; 012. Connecting port; 200. Drive assembly; 21. Cylinder; 22. Piston; 23. Drive device; 02. Drive end; X. Head. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this utility model, the present utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description in this part is only exemplary and explanatory, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this utility model in any way.

[0026] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0027] It should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the utility model product is in use. They are only for the convenience of describing the utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the utility model. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Furthermore, the terms "horizontal," "vertical," and "suspended," etc., do not indicate that the component is required to be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0029] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 The illustrated bionic robotic ear includes an ear body 100 and a drive assembly 200. The ear body 100 includes a connecting portion 11 positioned near the head X and a movable portion 12 for movement, the movable portion 12 being movably connected to the connecting portion 11. The ear body 100 can be made of soft materials such as TPU, silicone, rubber, or flexible PVC, possessing good extensibility. A chamber 01 is provided inside the ear body 100, containing a filling medium, which can be a liquid or a gas, such as air or water. One end of the chamber 01 is open, forming a connecting port 012, and the other end extends to the movable portion 12. The drive assembly 200 is provided with a drive end 02, which is connected to the connecting port 012. The drive assembly 200 fills or removes the filling medium from the chamber 01 through the connecting port 012. When the chamber 01 is filled with the filling medium, the bionic robotic ear is in an upright state; when the chamber 01 is removed from the filling medium, the bionic robotic ear is in a drooping state. By using a suction filling medium, the bionic robotic ear can be controlled to switch between a drooping and erect state, making its movements more realistic and achieving a higher degree of biomimicry.

[0031] The technical details of each component will be introduced below.

[0032] In some implementations, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the ear body 100 also includes a bending portion 13, which connects the connecting portion 11 and the movable portion 12. The movable portion 12 bends relative to the connecting portion 11 via the bending portion 13. The movable portion 12 can be made of a material that is easily deformable and bendable, or it can be a movable structure, which makes it easier for the movable portion 12 to move.

[0033] In some implementations, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5As shown, the internal cavity 01 of the ear body 100 has an enlarged portion 011 near the curved portion 13; along the bending direction of the movable portion 12, the side of the curved portion 13 facing the bending direction is concave inward to form a bending structure 131, and the side of the curved portion 13 away from the bending direction is a thin-walled structure 132. Since the ear body 100 needs to bend and stretch to switch between drooping and erect states, the inward concavity of the bending structure 131 facilitates the bending of the ear body 100 to achieve a drooping effect. At the same time, the bending structure 131 can also limit the bending part of the ear body 100, thereby ensuring the stability of the ear body 100 when it is in a drooping state; the inward concavity of the bending structure 131 also makes it easier for the ear body 100 to bend. It is understandable that when the ear body 100 is bent, the structure on one side of the ear body 100 needs to be compressed and the structure on the other side needs to be stretched. Therefore, the thin-walled structure 132 can be stretched more easily, which makes the shape of the ear body 100 more natural and vivid.

[0034] In some implementations, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, along the bending direction of the movable part 12, the side of the movable part 12 closer to the bending direction is the first side 121, and the side away from the bending direction is the second side 122. The center of gravity of the movable part 12 is set closer to the first side 121. With this design, in practical applications, when the filling medium inside the chamber 01 is gradually extracted, because the center of gravity of the ear body 100 is close to the first side 121, the ear body 100 will bend towards the first side 121 under the action of natural gravity, without the need for an additional driving mechanism, thus simplifying the structure.

[0035] In some implementations, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the material thickness of the first side 121 is greater than that of the second side 122. As a result, the center of gravity of the ear body 100 will shift towards the first side 121, and the ear body 100 can naturally bend towards the first side 121 under the action of gravity to achieve a drooping effect.

[0036] In some implementations, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the movable part 12 is provided with a counterweight structure, which is located on the first side 121. After the counterweight structure is installed on the first side 121, the weight of the ear body 100 on the first side 121 will be greater than the weight of the second side 122. As a result, during the gradual removal of the filling medium, the ear body 100 can naturally bend towards the first side 121 under the action of gravity to achieve a drooping effect.

[0037] In some implementations, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, an air bladder (not shown) is provided inside the cavity 01 of the ear body 100. The drive assembly 200 communicates with the air bladder (not shown) to inflate or depress the filling medium into the air bladder. Since the ear body 100 needs to be decorated and designed externally, by setting an independent air bladder, it is not necessary to ensure the airtightness of the internal cavity 01 of the ear body 100. This facilitates the design and modification of the shape of the ear body 100. Even if the independent air bladder is damaged by blowing or pressing, only the air bladder needs to be replaced or repaired, without replacing or repairing the ear body 100.

[0038] In some implementations, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the drive assembly 200 includes a cylinder 21, a piston 22, and a drive device 23. The cylinder 21 contains a filling medium and communicates with the chamber 01. The piston 22 is disposed inside the cylinder 21. The drive end 02 of the drive device 23 is connected to the piston 22 to drive the piston 22 to move along the cylinder 21. The piston 22 can move from a first predetermined position to a second predetermined position to gradually fill the chamber 01 with the filling medium. Through the piston 22 device, the filling medium can be uniformly and stably filled into or withdrawn from the chamber 01 of the ear body 100, thereby making the switching process of the ear body 100 between the upright and droopy states more stable and uniform, and the movement process smoother.

[0039] In some embodiments, the drive assembly 200 also includes a position sensor (not shown) disposed on the cylinder 21 to monitor the position of the piston 22. When the piston 22 moves to the detection point of the position sensor, the position sensor can control the drive device 23 to stop the piston 22 from moving, thereby stopping the drive assembly 200 from filling or removing the filling medium into the chamber 01. In this way, the ear body 100 can remain in an intermediate state between drooping and erect, thus representing more states and achieving a higher degree of simulation.

[0040] In some embodiments, the aforementioned drive component 200 is a bidirectional air pump, with air as the filling medium. The drive component 200 can inflate or de-inflate the chamber 01. This design eliminates the need for a space inside the drive component 200 to store the filling medium. The bidirectional air pump can directly inflate the chamber 01 inside the ear body 100 with air from the external environment, or it can directly extract the air from inside the ear body 100 to the external environment, thereby facilitating the miniaturization of the drive component 200. It is understood that this bionic robotic ear is mostly intended for wearing, and miniaturization of the drive component 200 makes it easier to wear.

[0041] In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0042] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0043] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A bionic machine ear, characterized in that, The ear body (100) is internally provided with a chamber (01) containing a filling medium, one end of the chamber (01) is an open structure and forms a connecting port (012), and the other end extends to the movable part (12). The driving assembly (200) is provided with a driving end (02) connected with the connecting port (012), and the driving assembly (200) fills or extracts the filling medium in the chamber (01) through the connecting port (012). When the chamber (01) is filled with the filling medium, the bionic machine ear is in an upright state, and when the chamber (01) is extracted from the filling medium, the bionic machine ear is in a drooping state. The ear body (100) is further provided with a bending part (13) connecting the connecting part (11) and the movable part (12), and the movable part (12) is bent relative to the connecting part (11) through the bending part (13). The chamber (01) is formed with an expansion part (011) near the bending part (13).

2. The bionic machine ear of claim 1, wherein, Along the bending direction of the movable part (12), the bending part (13) is recessed inward to form a bending structure (131) on the side close to the bending direction, and the side away from the bending direction is a thin-walled structure (132).

3. The bionic machine ear of claim 2, wherein, Along the bending direction of the movable part (12), the side close to the bending direction of the movable part (12) is a first side (121), and the side away from the bending direction is a second side (122), and the center of gravity of the movable part (12) is arranged close to the first side (121). The material thickness of the first side (121) is greater than that of the second side (122).

4. The bionic machine ear of claim 2, wherein, The movable part (12) is provided with a counterweight structure arranged on the first side (121).

5. The bionic machine ear of claim 4, wherein, The chamber (01) is internally provided with an air bag, and the driving assembly (200) communicates with the air bag to fill or extract the filling medium in the air bag.

6. The bionic machine ear of claim 4, wherein, The driving assembly (200) includes a cylinder (21), a piston (22) and a driving device (23), the cylinder (21) internally contains the filling medium and communicates with the chamber (01), the piston (22) is arranged in the cylinder (21), and the driving end (02) of the driving device (23) is connected with the piston (22) to drive the piston (22) to move along the cylinder (21).

7. The bionic machine ear of claim 1, wherein, The piston (22) can be moved from a first predetermined position to a second predetermined position to gradually fill the filling medium in the chamber (01).

8. The bionic machine ear of claim 1, wherein, The driving assembly (200) further includes a position sensor arranged in the cylinder (21) to monitor the position of the piston (22). ​ 9. The bionic machine ear of claim 8, wherein, ​ 10. The bionic machine ear of claim 1, wherein, The driving assembly (200) is a bidirectional air pump, the filling medium is air, and the driving assembly (200) can inflate or deflate the chamber (01).

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