Inspection robot

Abstract

The utility model provides an inspection robot, which comprises a walking mechanism comprising a walking wheel, a guide wheel, a bearing wheel and a walking frame body; pairwise guide wheels and pairwise bearing wheels are arranged at the two ends of the walking frame body, pairwise walking wheels are arranged in the middle of the walking frame body, the two pairwise guide wheels, the two pairwise bearing wheels and the two pairwise walking wheels are all distributed on the two sides of the guide rail, the guide wheels and the walking wheels are all in rolling contact with the side face of a web of the guide rail, and the guide wheels and the walking wheels are in rolling contact with the side face of the web of the guide rail. The bearing wheels are in rolling contact with the upper surface of a lower flange plate of the guide rail; the main body frame is arranged on the walking mechanism, and an electric control device is arranged in the main body frame; and the monitoring equipment is arranged on the main body frame and is electrically connected with the electric control device. According to the utility model, the problems of leak detection, low efficiency, and easy slippage and motion clamping stagnation of the inspection robot under complex road conditions such as climbing or turning in the traditional manual inspection can be solved.

Description

An inspection robot Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of inspection equipment technology, specifically to an inspection robot. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of industrial automation and intelligence, robots are increasingly being used in equipment inspection. Traditional manual inspection methods have many drawbacks, including low efficiency and high safety risks in high-risk or complex environments, where oversights can easily occur due to environmental factors or human negligence. Therefore, how to improve inspection efficiency through automation technology, especially by using visual recognition technology to achieve real-time monitoring and alarm of equipment status, has become a crucial issue that the industry urgently needs to address.

[0003] At the same time, existing inspection robots also face some problems in practical applications. They typically inspect along preset tracks, and when encountering complex road conditions such as uphill climbs or turns, they are prone to slipping and jamming. This not only affects inspection efficiency but may also damage the equipment and the robot itself. Therefore, conducting in-depth research on the locomotion mechanism of inspection robots to improve their adaptability and reliability in complex road conditions is also of significant practical importance.

[0004] In conclusion, there is an urgent need for an inspection robot to solve the problems existing in current technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to provide an inspection robot that solves the problems of missed inspections, low efficiency, and slippage and sluggish movement that occur when the inspection robot is climbing or turning on complex road conditions. The specific technical solution is as follows:

[0006] An inspection robot includes:

[0007] The traveling mechanism includes traveling wheels, guide wheels, load-bearing wheels, and a traveling frame. The traveling frame has pairs of guide wheels and pairs of load-bearing wheels at both ends, and pairs of traveling wheels in the middle. The pairs of guide wheels, load-bearing wheels, and traveling wheels are distributed on both sides of the guide rail. The guide wheels and traveling wheels are in rolling contact with the side of the web of the guide rail, and the load-bearing wheels are in rolling contact with the upper surface of the lower flange of the guide rail.

[0008] The main frame is mounted on the walking mechanism and has an electronic control device inside it;

[0009] The monitoring equipment is mounted on the main frame and is electrically connected to the electrical control device.

[0010] Preferably, the walking mechanism further includes a drive device, a guide shaft, a spring, and a floating limiter; both sides of the walking frame are provided with guide shafts and drive devices, the drive device is slidably mounted on the guide shaft and its output shaft is connected to the walking wheel on the same side, the end of the guide shaft away from the walking frame is provided with a floating limiter, and a compressed spring is sleeved on the guide shaft and the two ends of the spring respectively press against the floating limiter and the drive device.

[0011] Preferably, the floating limiting component is a limiting nut, the end of the guide shaft is provided with an external thread, and the limiting nut is threadedly connected to the guide shaft.

[0012] Preferably, the two guide shafts located on both sides of the walking frame and coaxial with each other are integral shafts, which are movably installed through the walking frame.

[0013] Preferably, the main frame has a battery for power supply inside, a wireless charging receiver on the main frame, and a wireless charging transmitter on the guide rail. The wireless charging receiver and the wireless charging transmitter cooperate to charge the battery.

[0014] Preferably, the guide rail is provided with end limiters and magnets at both the start and end positions, and the main frame is provided with at least one position sensor.

[0015] Preferably, both ends of the main frame are provided with anti-collision components, each including a pressure-sensitive device and a flexible protective layer disposed on the surface of the pressure-sensitive device, wherein the pressure-sensitive device is electrically connected to the electronic control device.

[0016] Preferably, the electrical control device includes a PLC controller and a wireless communication module, and the monitoring device, wireless communication module, position sensor and pressure-sensitive device are all connected to the PLC controller.

[0017] Preferably, the electrical control device further includes a fuse and a terminal block, wherein the terminal block is used to connect the lines and the fuse is used to limit the maximum current in the circuit.

[0018] Preferably, the surface of the main frame is provided with a heat sink and an antenna, wherein the antenna is connected to the wireless communication module.

[0019] The application of the technical solution of this utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] The inspection robot of this utility model acquires video stream data of the surrounding environment through monitoring equipment, thereby enabling automated judgment of the status of the monitored object. This solves the problems of low efficiency and easy omissions due to environmental factors or human negligence in traditional manual inspection methods, and greatly improves inspection efficiency.

[0021] This utility model's inspection robot guides its movement by having guide wheels roll along the side of the guide rail's web, provides driving force for movement through walking wheels, and transfers the robot's weight to the guide rail through load-bearing wheels. The walking wheels are floating via springs, guide shafts, and floating limiters. The springs provide elasticity, ensuring the walking wheels remain firmly in contact with the side of the web, allowing them to float perpendicular to the web during robot movement. This prevents slippage and meets the requirements for turning and climbing.

[0022] In addition to the objectives, features, and advantages described above, this utility model has other objectives, features, and advantages. The present utility model will now be described in further detail with reference to the figures. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The illustrative embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 is a front view of the inspection robot of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 is an isometric view of the inspection robot of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the walking mechanism in Figure 2;

[0027] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the inspection robot of this utility model from a first-person perspective.

[0028] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the inspection robot of this utility model from a second perspective.

[0029] The components include: 1. Guide rail; 1.1. Upper flange plate; 1.2. Web plate; 1.3. Lower flange plate; 2. End limiting component; 3. Transmitter mounting bracket; 4. Wireless charging transmitter plate; 5. Walking mechanism; 5.1. Walking wheel; 5.2. Guide wheel; 5.3. Load-bearing wheel; 5.4. Drive device; 5.5. Walking frame; 5.6. Guide shaft; 5.7. Spring; 5.8. Floating limiting component; 6. Wireless charging receiver plate; 7. Anti-collision component; 8. Monitoring equipment; 9. Main frame; 10. Battery; 11. Electrical control device; 11.1. Fuse; 11.2. Terminal block; 11.3. Mounting guide rail; 11.4. PLC controller; 11.5. Emergency stop button; 11.6. Indicator light; 11.7. Wireless communication module; 12. Position sensor; 13. Heat sink; 14. Antenna. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To facilitate understanding of this invention, a more comprehensive description is provided below, along with preferred embodiments. However, this invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of this invention.

[0031] 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.

[0032] Example:

[0033] Referring to Figures 1-5, this embodiment provides an inspection robot, including:

[0034] The traveling mechanism 5 includes traveling wheels 5.1, guide wheels 5.2, load-bearing wheels 5.3, and a traveling frame 5.5. The traveling frame 5.5 is provided with pairs of guide wheels 5.2 and pairs of load-bearing wheels 5.3 at both ends, and pairs of traveling wheels 5.1 in the middle. The pairs of guide wheels 5.2, load-bearing wheels 5.3, and traveling wheels 5.1 are distributed on both sides of the guide rail 1. The guide wheels 5.2 and traveling wheels 5.1 are in rolling contact with the side of the web plate 1.2 of the guide rail 1, and the load-bearing wheels 5.3 are in rolling contact with the upper surface of the lower flange plate 1.3 of the guide rail 1.

[0035] The main frame 9 is mounted on the walking mechanism 5 and has an electrical control device 11 inside it;

[0036] The monitoring device 8 is mounted on the main frame 9 and is electrically connected to the electrical control device 11.

[0037] Specifically, in this embodiment, the walking frame 5.5 is provided with two pairs of guide wheels 5.2 and a pair of load-bearing wheels 5.3 at one end, wherein the load-bearing wheels 5.3 are located between the two pairs of guide wheels 5.2. In this embodiment, the movement of the inspection robot is guided by the guide wheels 5.2 rolling along the side of the web plate 1.2 of the guide rail 1, the walking wheels 5.1 provide the driving force for the inspection robot to walk, and the load-bearing wheels 5.3 transfer the weight of the inspection robot to the guide rail 1. Furthermore, the wheel surface of the walking wheels is knurled to increase the friction between the walking wheels and the web plate of the guide rail.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, the guide rail 1 in this example includes an upper flange plate 1.1, a web plate 1.2, and a lower flange plate 1.3. The upper flange plate and the lower flange plate are arranged in parallel and the web plate 1.2 is provided between them. The upper flange plate 1.1, the web plate 1.2, and the lower flange plate 1.3 form an I-shape. The upper flange plate 1.1 can be connected to structural components such as brackets to lift the entire guide rail 1.

[0039] As shown in Figures 1-3, the walking mechanism 5 further includes a drive device 5.4, a guide shaft 5.6, a spring 5.7, and a floating limiter 5.8. Guide shafts 5.6 and drive devices 5.4 are provided on both sides of the walking frame 5.5. The drive device 5.4 is slidably mounted on the guide shaft 5.6, and its output shaft is connected to the walking wheel 5.1 on the same side. A floating limiter 5.8 is provided at the end of the guide shaft 5.6 away from the walking frame 5.5. A compressed spring 5.7 is fitted on the guide shaft 5.6, with both ends of the spring 5.7 pressing against the floating limiter 5.8 and the drive device 5.4, respectively. The drive device can slide along the length of the guide shaft with the walking wheel 5.1. The spring provides elasticity to keep the walking wheel 5.1 in close contact with the side of the web plate, thus enabling the walking wheel 5.1 to float in a direction perpendicular to the side of the web plate during the inspection robot's movement, preventing slippage and meeting the requirements for turning and climbing.

[0040] Preferably, in this embodiment, two guide shafts 5.6 are arranged parallel to each other on one side of the walking frame 5.5. The two sides of the drive device 5.4 are slidably mounted on the two guide shafts 5.6 via sliders, thereby ensuring that the drive device can slide smoothly along the length direction of the guide shafts. Further, the drive device includes a mounting housing and a rotary drive component disposed inside the mounting housing. The rotary drive component is fixedly mounted on the mounting housing, and the output shaft of the rotary drive component is connected to the walking wheel 5.1. The mounting housing is slidably mounted on the guide shafts 5.6 via sliders. The rotary drive component is preferably a planetary geared servo motor.

[0041] Preferably, the floating limiting member 5.8 is a limiting nut, and the end of the guide shaft is provided with an external thread. The limiting nut is threadedly connected to the guide shaft 5.6. By turning the limiting nut, the compression degree of the spring can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the elastic force of the spring acting on the drive device, that is, adjusting the pressure of the traveling wheel acting on the side of the web plate.

[0042] Preferably, in this embodiment, the two guide shafts 5.6 located on both sides of the walking frame 5.5 and coaxially arranged are integral shafts. These shafts are movably connected through the walking frame 5.5, meaning a single shaft movably connects through a through-hole in the walking frame 5.5. Part of this shaft is on the left side of the walking frame 5.5, part is located in the through-hole, and the remaining part is located on the right side. With this arrangement, only the limiting nut on one side needs to be adjusted to adjust the pressure of the two pairs of walking wheels acting on the side of the web, improving the adjustment efficiency for the two walking wheels. In some embodiments, the guide shafts 5.6 on both sides of the walking frame 5.5 may not be integral structures; that is, the guide shafts on both sides may be fixedly mounted on the walking frame 5.5. This structural form can also achieve the effect of floating walking wheels.

[0043] As shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, the main frame 9 houses a battery 10 for power supply. A wireless charging receiver 6 is mounted on the main frame 9 and connected to the battery 10. A wireless charging transmitter 4 is mounted on the guide rail 1. The wireless charging receiver 6 and the wireless charging transmitter 4 cooperate to charge the battery 10. Preferably, the wireless charging transmitter 4 is mounted on the guide rail 1 via a transmitter mounting bracket 3. Specifically, in this embodiment, the wireless charging receiver 6 is located at the end of the main frame 9 near the starting point, and the wireless charging transmitter 4 is located at the starting point of the guide rail 1. Therefore, charging can be performed when the inspection robot moves to the starting point of the guide rail 1. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the wireless charging receiver 6 may be located on the side of the main frame 9, and the wireless charging transmitter 4 may also be located on the side of the guide rail, on the same side as the wireless charging receiver 6. This arrangement also achieves the purpose of charging the battery.

[0044] Referring to Figure 1, the guide rail 1 is equipped with end limiters 2 and magnets (not shown) at both the starting and ending points. The main frame 9 is equipped with at least one position sensor 12, which senses the magnet to identify the position of the inspection robot. By sensing the magnet, the position sensor 12 determines that the inspection robot has reached the end of the guide rail. Based on the signal from the position sensor, the inspection robot can be controlled to stop. The end limiters 2 are used to hard limit the movement of the inspection robot. Preferably, the position sensor 12 is a Hall sensor. In this embodiment, there are two position sensors. When the first position sensor senses the magnet, it can control the inspection robot to decelerate; when the second position sensor senses the magnet, it can control the inspection robot to stop. Simultaneously, the cooperation between the position sensors and the magnets can also eliminate the cumulative motion error of the inspection robot. For example, when the inspection robot is stopped based on the signal from the position sensor, the robot's travel distance is simultaneously reset to zero.

[0045] As shown in Figure 1, both ends of the main frame 9 are equipped with anti-collision components 7. Each anti-collision component 7 includes a pressure-sensitive device and a flexible protective layer disposed on the surface of the pressure-sensitive device. The pressure-sensitive device is electrically connected to the electronic control device 11. The flexible protective layer in the anti-collision component 7 is used to prevent rigid contact when the inspection robot collides with people or objects. The pressure-sensitive device transmits a signal to the electronic control device 11 when it detects pressure, thereby controlling the inspection robot to stop and protecting the safety of equipment and personnel.

[0046] Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the electrical control device 11 includes a PLC controller 11.4 and a wireless communication module 11.7. The monitoring device 8, the wireless communication module 11.7, the position sensor 12, and the pressure-sensitive device are all connected to the PLC controller 11.4. Further, the electrical control device 11 also includes a fuse 11.1 and a terminal block 11.2. The terminal block 11.2 is used to connect circuits, and the fuse 11.1 is used to limit the maximum current in the circuit. Preferably, in this embodiment, the fuse 11.1, terminal block 11.2, PLC controller 11.4, and wireless communication module 11.7 are all mounted on the inner wall of the main frame 9 via mounting rails 11.3. In this embodiment, the mounting rails 11.3 are preferably DIN-35 rails.

[0047] Furthermore, the electronic control device 11 also includes an emergency stop button 11.5 and an indicator light 11.6. Both the emergency stop button 11.5 and the indicator light 11.6 are connected to the PLC controller 11.4. There are multiple indicator lights 11.6, which use different colors to indicate the working status of the inspection robot. The emergency stop button 11.5 is used to stop the operation of the inspection robot in the event of an emergency.

[0048] Preferably, the surface of the main frame 9 is provided with a heat sink 13 and an antenna 14, wherein the antenna 14 is connected to the wireless communication module 11.7 to realize the reception and transmission of data information, and the heat sink 13 is used to dissipate heat from the electronic control device 11.

[0049] Preferably, the monitoring device 8 includes a camera that can rotate 360 ​​degrees and adjust its pitch. The camera collects image information to analyze the state of the monitored object.

[0050] Preferably, the wireless communication module 11.7 in this embodiment is preferably a USR-W660 wireless client; the battery 10 is preferably a lithium battery with 485 communication; the monitoring device 8 is preferably a Hikvision HM-TD5728T-7 micro-carrier gimbal. In this embodiment, the monitoring device 8 can set temperature thresholds, over-temperature alarms, maximum temperature crosshair positioning, full-screen temperature acquisition, thermal image acquisition, etc., and supports automatic aperture, automatic focus, automatic white balance, backlight compensation, wide dynamic range, 3D digital noise reduction, day and night switching, power failure memory, deep learning intelligent functions, etc.

[0051] In this embodiment, the monitoring device 8 acquires video streams of the surrounding environment and combines them with the YOLO (You Only Look Once) target detection algorithm to automatically identify the instrument lights (red, yellow, green) and cabinet door opening / closing status of the monitored object. When a red light or cabinet door opening is detected, an alarm is generated. At the same time, the detected video stream is returned via WebSocket for remote monitoring and processing.

[0052] The inspection robot in this embodiment can automatically perform inspections at predetermined time intervals, capturing real-time video streams of the surrounding environment through a camera; it analyzes the acquired video streams in real time using the YOLO algorithm to identify equipment instrument lights (red, yellow, green) and cabinet door status (open / closed) in the images; when a red light or cabinet door is detected, an alarm is generated, which can be equipment status information or alert inspection personnel through audible and visual alarms or other means; via the WebSocket protocol, the processed video stream with tags is returned to the remote monitoring platform in real time, allowing users to view the video stream and related alarm information in real time; after completing the alarm, the inspection robot will resume normal inspection status and continue to perform subsequent inspection tasks.

[0053] The inspection robot in this embodiment, combined with a target detection algorithm, achieves fully automated equipment inspection, avoiding omissions and delays caused by manual inspections. Automated inspections and real-time alarms effectively improve work efficiency, reduce human error, and enhance equipment management security. The inspection robot in this embodiment uses the YOLO algorithm to analyze equipment status in real time, efficiently and accurately identifying the status of equipment instrument lights and cabinet doors, promptly detecting equipment faults or anomalies. Utilizing the WebSocket protocol to transmit real-time video streams, monitoring personnel can remotely view equipment status at any time, reducing the workload of manual inspections and improving the efficiency and security of equipment management.

[0054] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. An inspection robot, characterized in that, include: The traveling mechanism (5) includes traveling wheels (5.1), guide wheels (5.2), load-bearing wheels (5.3), and a traveling frame (5.5); the traveling frame (5.5) is provided with pairs of guide wheels (5.2) and pairs of load-bearing wheels (5.3) at both ends, and pairs of traveling wheels (5.1) in the middle. The pairs of guide wheels (5.2), the pairs of load-bearing wheels (5.3), and the pairs of traveling wheels (5.1) are all distributed on the guide rail (1). On both sides of the guide wheel (5.2) and the traveling wheel (5.1) are in rolling contact with the side of the web plate (1.2) of the guide rail (1), and the load-bearing wheel (5.3) is in rolling contact with the upper surface of the lower flange plate (1.3) of the guide rail (1); the main frame (9) is set on the traveling mechanism (5) and has an electrical control device (11) inside it; the monitoring device (8) is set on the main frame (9) and is electrically connected to the electrical control device (11).

2. The inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The walking mechanism (5) further includes a drive device (5.4), a guide shaft (5.6), a spring (5.7), and a floating limiter (5.8); both sides of the walking frame (5.5) are provided with a guide shaft (5.6) and a drive device (5.4). The drive device (5.4) is slidably mounted on the guide shaft (5.6) and its output shaft is connected to the walking wheel (5.1) on the same side. A floating limiter (5.8) is provided at one end of the guide shaft (5.6) away from the walking frame (5.5). A compressed spring (5.7) is sleeved on the guide shaft (5.6), and the two ends of the spring (5.7) respectively abut against the floating limiter (5.8) and the drive device (5.4).

3. The inspection robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The floating limiting component (5.8) is a limiting nut, and the end of the guide shaft is provided with an external thread. The limiting nut is threadedly connected to the guide shaft (5.6).

4. The inspection robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, The two guide shafts (5.6) located on both sides of the walking frame (5.5) and coaxial are integral shafts, which are movably installed through the walking frame (5.5).

5. The inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main frame (9) is equipped with a battery (10) for power supply. The main frame (9) is equipped with a wireless charging receiver (6) and the guide rail (1) is equipped with a wireless charging transmitter (4). The wireless charging receiver (6) and the wireless charging transmitter (4) cooperate to charge the battery (10).

6. The inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide rail (1) is provided with end limiters (2) and magnets at both the start and end positions, and the main frame (9) is provided with at least one position sensor (12).

7. The inspection robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, Both ends of the main frame (9) are provided with anti-collision components (7). The anti-collision components (7) include pressure-sensitive devices and a flexible protective layer disposed on the surface of the pressure-sensitive devices. The pressure-sensitive devices are electrically connected to the electronic control device (11).

8. The inspection robot according to claim 7, characterized in that, The electrical control device (11) includes a PLC controller (11.4) and a wireless communication module (11.7). The monitoring device (8), the wireless communication module (11.7), the position sensor (12) and the pressure-sensitive device are all connected to the PLC controller (11.4).

9. The inspection robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, The electrical control device (11) further includes a fuse (11.1) and a terminal block (11.2), the terminal block (11.2) being used to connect the lines, and the fuse (11.1) being used to limit the maximum current in the circuit.

10. The inspection robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, The surface of the main frame (9) is provided with a heat sink (13) and an antenna (14), wherein the antenna (14) is connected to the wireless communication module (11.7).

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